Chen Zhou slacked off during the morning classes as usual, spending them in his dreams. This time, though, he didn't undergo that brutal transformation.
It was certainly important to convert Soul Power into elemental power, but the process was agonizing.
Chen Zhou had decided this would be the last time he put himself through such misery.
He planned to convert his Soul Power into elemental power and his Spiritual Power into Mang Power this time, and then be done with it. This would be the last time he suffered.
It was like getting all the suffering of his life over with at once. From now on, even if someone beat him to death, he wouldn't put himself through it again.
Because this stuff really hurt.
However, worried that the black substance might leak out, Chen Zhou didn't do it during class. He didn't absorb Soul Power, either, and instead continued studying blacksmithing.
He planned to visit his teacher that evening and ask for the next set of exercises.
After all, he'd be away at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters for at least seven or eight days this time, perhaps even ten days or more.
So learning the next blacksmithing techniques in advance was important to him. He could already complete Hundred Refinement with ease.
When the morning classes ended and he returned to the Xie Family, Chen Zhou felt much calmer.
Although he hadn't mastered elemental power completely, the Water of Life he could summon now was clearly much more potent than yesterday.
Both its quality and quantity had improved considerably.
By Chen Zhou's own assessment, after this treatment, Xie Xie's mother should recover quickly, perhaps even make a full recovery.
"Ugh, I just hope the Xie Family patriarch is smart enough not to let this ability of mine slip. The illnesses it can treat are mainly those affecting ordinary people."
"But if those Federation higher-ups find out, they'll definitely come after me. Before they can do anything to me, I'll probably find a way to wipe out the entire Xie Family."
Chen Zhou muttered as he spoke. He was a good person, but that didn't mean he forgot a grudge.
If the other party betrayed his kindness, or even tried to stab him in the back, he wouldn't hesitate to pull them up by the roots.
When he arrived at the Xie Family and saw Xie Xie's mother lying in bed, her expression almost back to normal, Chen Zhou didn't pay it much mind.
This time, what appeared in his hand wasn't a stream of water, but a stream of pure green.
Looking at the water, so full of vitality, Xie Xie wore a look of surprise.
Xie Mother didn't know what color the water Chen Zhou had first summoned was, but Xie Xie did.
And the water Chen Zhou had summoned before held only a faint trace of life. Now, its vitality was astonishingly rich.
If this was the change Chen Zhou had undergone in a single day, Xie Xie wouldn't believe it. His eyes were full of bewilderment.
Chen Zhou, however, ignored his confusion completely. Just thinking about returning to the Qiangu Clan made him feel irritated.
After all, it was hardly a pleasant place. But his strength had grown quickly this time; he might even break through to the second ring.
That seemed like a good thing, too, because he might finally be able to get back at them.
Before he awakened his Martial Soul, those so-called cousins, one or two years older than him, had bullied him plenty.
Now that he'd reached the second ring, he naturally planned to repay the hatred, resentment, and humiliation that had piled up over the years.
Thinking of that helped put Chen Zhou's mind at ease.
So he didn't give it another thought. He simply pressed the stream of water in his hand against Xie Mother.
Xie Mother felt an immense vitality pour into her body. Her expression tightened, and then the wrinkles on her face began to fade.
That sight startled not only Xie Xie, but Chen Zhou as well.
He hadn't expected this newly filtered Water of Life to work so well. It didn't just replenish lost vitality—it could even restore someone's youth.
That was good news for Xie Mother, but not for Chen Zhou.
If he could restore people's vitality, that was essentially a way to extend their lives.
People inevitably lost vitality as they aged, and if he could replenish it, ordinary people might easily live into their late eighties or nineties, or even past a hundred.
Others might not have realized the implications, but Chen Zhou caught on to the problem at once.
So he began diluting the Water of Life in his hand, directing most of its vitality toward the illnesses already present in Xie Mother's body.
As Xie Mother's expression gradually returned to normal, Chen Zhou didn't linger this time.
"Classmate Xie Xie, I'll be going now. This is all the vitality I've condensed over the past few days. I'm giving all of it to your mother; it should help her body recover."
"I have to go back to Shrek City soon, so I probably won't be able to visit again for a while. You can consider your mother's illness treated in advance."
Chen Zhou smiled as he spoke. Then, quite calmly, he drained some of his own vitality, making his face look pale.
It was only when he saw Chen Zhou's pallor that Xie Xie finally understood.
He looked at Chen Zhou in surprise, then his eyes filled with gratitude.
He hadn't expected Chen Zhou to be willing to spend his own vitality to save his mother.
"Thank you, Brother Chen. I'll never forget this kindness. If you ever need anything, just tell me. If it's within my power, I'll climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire for you. I won't back down."
Xie Xie spoke with complete sincerity. He truly hadn't expected Chen Zhou to go this far for him.
Chen Zhou didn't say anything, only smiled. Then he led Na'er out of the Xie Family, leaving mother and son to look at each other before collapsing into each other's arms and weeping.
Treating Xie Mother's illness had also fulfilled a long-held wish of Chen Zhou's.
In the original timeline, Xie Xie's mother's death had been a real tragedy.
Since he could save her now, he might as well help.
Seeing Chen Zhou's pale face, Na'er looked worried.
"Big brother, are you okay? You look so pale."
"I'm fine. It's just a little trick."
Chen Zhou smiled as he spoke, then casually brushed a hand over himself.
As the vitality he had absorbed flowed back into him, his face regained its healthy color.
Na'er nodded, still somewhat confused, then reached out and squeezed Chen Zhou's hand.
The young man's skin was like porcelain. When she held it, she could feel a faint warmth, as if it were a piece of porcelain that had been carefully maintained for years.
Na'er was used to holding Chen Zhou's hand, so she noticed the feeling most clearly. She didn't understand what it was, though, and didn't think much of it.
Chen Zhou didn't notice what Na'er was doing. Though he felt her give his hand a little squeeze, he didn't pay much attention.
At the moment, all his thoughts were on returning to the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The thought of seeing his brothers again made Chen Zhou instinctively nervous, and angry, too.