Not Relying on Family

After dinner, Feng Yuelan sent Chen Xingyao back to her room to rest. Once she had cleared away the dishes, she went to Chen Lie's room.

"Knock, knock."

When she reached Chen Lie's door, Feng Yuelan knocked.

Chen Lie immediately opened the door. Seeing that it was his mother, he asked, "Mom, is something wrong?"

Feng Yuelan stared at him sternly. "Chen Lie, tell me: the day before yesterday at the Starlight Hotel, did you lie to your father and me?"

Chen Lie understood. "Did Yaoyao tell you?"

"Mom wants to know what you're thinking. Why would you deliberately damage your body?" Feng Yuelan asked, still looking stern.

"I haven't damaged my body."

"You haven't? Could you even digest all those highly nutritious dishes? And Yaoyao said you were just cooking something in the kitchen to replenish your nutrition. Don't you know that with your current Blood Qi Value, you can't just take things carelessly?

"Do you want to ruin your future path in martial arts for good?"

Looking at his mother's stern expression, Chen Lie knew he had to let her in on some of it. He reached out to pull Feng Yuelan into the room.

To his surprise, Feng Yuelan shook him off at once.

"What are you doing? You're going to explain yourself properly today. Is this how you repay your father and me for all our hopes?"

Chen Lie sighed and said, "Mom, I'll show you something. Come in first. I promise you'll calm down after you see it."

With her arms folded and her face cold, Feng Yuelan walked into Chen Lie's room.

"Mom, take a look. These are my Blood Qi Value test records from the Dongchuan Martial Arts Hall's official website for the past month."

As he spoke, Chen Lie switched on the Superbrain in his room, opened the Dongchuan Martial Arts Hall's official website, entered his Student ID, and pulled up his Blood Qi Value test records.

At the Dongchuan Martial Arts Hall, students had to swipe their Student Cards each time they used the Blood Qi Value testing machine. That way, their test results were uploaded straight to the official website.

Feng Yuelan stepped closer to the Superbrain and couldn't help widening her eyes.

Two Blood Qi Value test results stood out on the screen.

November 16: Student Chen Lie, Blood Qi Value 2.31 Ka.

November 14: Student Chen Lie, Blood Qi Value 1.34 Ka.

"2.31 Ka? This is your Blood Qi Value test record? You didn't have someone else take the test for you, did you?" Feng Yuelan asked hurriedly.

"Of course not. If you don't believe me, call my instructor at the martial arts hall, Sun Jian. He was there when I took my first Blood Qi Value test."

"Wait here. I'll contact your instructor at the martial arts hall right now. Don't you dare lie to me!"

As she spoke, Feng Yuelan went to the living room and picked up the Communicator.

She checked the Dongchuan Martial Arts Hall's official website for Chen Lie's instructor, Sun Jian's, number, then called him without delay.

A moment later, someone answered.

"Hello, is this Instructor Sun from the Dongchuan Martial Arts Hall?"

"This is Sun Jian. Who's calling?"

"Oh, I'm the parent of Chen Lie, one of your students. Sorry for the trouble, but I wanted to ask about Chen Lie's recent progress with his Blood Qi Value."

"Chen Lie's parent?" The voice on the Communicator paused before continuing. "You're Chen Lie's parent, right? I'll be frank with you: you haven't been taking your child's martial arts training seriously at all.

"I've been an instructor for over a decade, and I've never seen parents act like this. If you've decided to support your child in pursuing the Martial Arts Department, then don't be so reluctant to spend. At the very least, you should provide him with the most basic martial arts resources, shouldn't you?"

"Uh... Instructor Sun, what do you mean? I only called to ask about Chen Lie's progress with his Blood Qi Value."

Feng Yuelan was a little confused by the sudden scolding.

"What do I mean? Tell me, have you ever given your child Blood Essence Fluid?"

"No, but Chen Lie's Blood Qi Value hadn't even passed 1. He couldn't use Blood Essence Fluid yet."

There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice continued. "You're even more irresponsible than I thought. As parents, you don't even know when your own child's Blood Qi Value passed 1.

"I'll tell you now: Chen Lie's Blood Qi Value test a few days ago came back at 1.34 Ka, and it showed that his body was severely deficient in nutrients."

"A nutritional deficiency?"

Feng Yuelan looked at Chen Lie, utterly confused.

"A nutritional deficiency can affect his ability to break through to Martial Artist, especially if it's severe.

"If Chen Lie had started using Blood Essence Fluid as soon as his Blood Qi Value passed 1, it wouldn't just be over 3 by now; it would definitely be over 2.

"He's a third-year high school Martial Arts Student, at a crucial point in his education. He could have gotten into a key university, but you've held him back so much that even getting into an ordinary university may be difficult!

"That's all I have to say. Whether you take it to heart is up to you!"

As she stared at the disconnected Communicator, Feng Yuelan turned to Chen Lie. "What's going on? When did your Blood Qi Value pass 1?"

Chen Lie said, "Mom, I wasn't lying to you that day.

"Some time ago, someone claiming to be from the Outer Stars told me I had an extremely rare physique that let me turn nutrients directly into Blood Qi. But since its special trait had never been activated, my Blood Qi Value had been rising slowly.

"He helped me awaken the trait and taught me a profound Body Tempering Technique. He said that if I could get into Starry Sky University before I turned twenty, he would take me as his disciple."

"Is that true?" Feng Yuelan asked. "You're not lying to me again, are you?"

"Whether it's true or not, you can check my Blood Qi Value test records, Mom," Chen Lie said.

"So your Blood Qi Value is 2.31 Ka now?"

"That's right!" Chen Lie nodded.

Feng Yuelan grabbed Chen Lie's wrist and carefully felt his pulse.

"His pulse is strong and steady, and his Blood Qi surges like a river. He certainly doesn't feel like someone whose Blood Qi Value hasn't passed 1. It's more like he's nearing 3 Ka."

"Son, your Blood Qi Value really has passed 1 and entered the second stage? You haven't even used Blood Essence Fluid. How did your Blood Qi rise so quickly?"

Feng Yuelan was overjoyed. She had been worried sick about her son's education, but now he was making progress on his own. Forget an ordinary martial arts university—even getting into a key martial arts university might be possible.

"I'm different from other people. Now that my physique's special trait has awakened, and with that profound Body Tempering Technique, I can raise my Blood Qi Value as long as I have enough nutrients.

"The reason my Blood Qi Value suddenly rose so much was that I ate all those nutritious dishes at the Starlight Hotel a couple of days ago," Chen Lie said.

"Then what caused your nutritional deficiency?" Feng Yuelan asked.

"Awakening my physique's special trait requires a lot of nutrients. My body didn't have enough stored up, so I ended up with a nutritional deficiency."

Feng Yuelan thought it over. "No wonder you looked a little thinner a few days ago. So that's what happened."

"Do you know who that person from the Outer Stars was—the one who awakened your physique?"

Chen Lie shook his head. "No. He said I'd find out who he was once I got into Starry Sky University."

"Starry Sky University..."

Feng Yuelan couldn't help sighing.

Starry Sky University was the best martial arts university in the Outer Stars. Each year, it admitted only three thousand students from Blue Star.

Blue Star had eighty-nine provinces and a population of over ten billion. That meant those three thousand places at Starry Sky University had to be divided among dozens of billions of eligible young people across all eighty-nine provinces.

Dongchuan Province was one of the poorer provinces on Blue Star when it came to martial arts. In the past three years, fewer than ten talented local youths from Dongchuan Province had gotten into Blue Star University.

Fewer than ten people from Dongchuan Province had gotten into Starry Sky University in three years. Could her son really do it?

"Looks like that important person from the Outer Stars has high hopes for you. You'll have to work even harder.

"Since your Blood Qi Value has passed 1, I'll contact your dad in a bit and have him buy you some Blood Essence Fluid. We'll seize the momentum and push your Blood Qi Value straight into the third stage!"

Chen Lie said, "No. When that person from the Outer Stars left, he told me not to rely too much on my family. I should rely on myself for martial arts training, and work to earn my own resources."

"How is that relying on your family? Blood Essence Fluid is just the most basic martial arts resource. Look at the millions of families on Blue Star. Who doesn't prepare basic resources like Blood Essence Fluid and Exotic Beast Meat for their children?" Feng Yuelan couldn't help saying.

"Then if I get into Starry Sky University one day and need other resources, will the family be able to support me?"

Chen Lie looked up at Feng Yuelan.

"Well..."

Feng Yuelan wanted to say that fewer than ten people from Dongchuan Province had gotten into Starry Sky University in three years, and ordinary people like them on Blue Star shouldn't even dream of it. But she was afraid of dampening her son's enthusiasm.

So she spoke to Chen Lie earnestly. "Son, it's good to have a goal, but it shouldn't be too far out of reach. We can set a smaller, nearer goal instead. For example, you could get your Blood Qi Value over 3 within a month and join the Elite Class at school."

"I understand that, but let's do things my way when it comes to buying Blood Essence Fluid. Not relying on my family and earning my own resources was part of that important person from the Outer Stars' instructions, too."

If he relied on his family to buy martial arts resources once, he'd do it a second time, and then countless more times.

In his previous life, Chen Lie had seen how the martial arts geniuses of the Outer Stars spent money like water on the resources they needed to train.

Once his Blood Qi Value reached a certain level, any martial arts resource he needed would be precious enough to bankrupt his parents.

Rather than wait until he was in that position and leave his parents feeling guilty because they couldn't help him, he would nip that possibility in the bud now.

"Is that... really a good idea?"

If she didn't let her son use Blood Essence Fluid, wouldn't Instructor Sun's words come true?

"Since that important person from the Outer Stars who guided me told me to do it, let's do it that way.

"If my Blood Qi Value stops making progress, we can change our minds then."

"All right!"

Hearing Chen Lie mention the important person from the Outer Stars, Feng Yuelan could only nod in agreement.

Since he was an important figure from the Outer Stars, his martial arts cultivation must be at least Grandmaster level, right?

She couldn't simply ignore a Grandmaster's instructions.

"Mom, don't tell anyone that someone from the Outer Stars guided me. Let's keep it within the family," Chen Lie reminded her.

Feng Yuelan nodded. "Don't worry. I won't even tell your dad."

Chen Lie continued, "I have my own training method now, so don't sign me up for martial arts hall classes or anything like that. If the school calls because I miss class, please cover for me.

"You can check my Blood Qi progress whenever you like. If you're ever unhappy with it, you can tell me to stop."

Seeing how confidently her son spoke, Feng Yuelan was delighted, though none of it showed on her face. Instead, she put on a stern expression and said, "You said it. If your Blood Qi Value doesn't break through 3 Ka and get you into the Elite Class within a month, you'll listen to Mom and use Blood Essence Fluid."

"Deal!"

Chen Lie nodded.

Hearing Chen Lie agree so readily, Feng Yuelan couldn't help wondering whether she'd made the requirement too easy.

After all, raising his Blood Qi Value by 0.7 Ka within a month without Blood Essence Fluid or the corresponding supplements was no more than a pipe dream.

Feng Yuelan couldn't figure out what Chen Lie was counting on, so she said, "Then it's settled."

With that, she walked out of Chen Lie's room.