"What's wrong?"
Chen Kefa gritted his teeth and blurted out the words he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.
"I had a comrade named Yu Lei."
"Not long ago, during an arrest operation, we encountered the Spirit Race for the first time."
As Chen Kefa spoke, his voice began to tremble, and his eyes instantly reddened.
"Yu Lei was at the front. He took the Spirit Race's mental attack head-on..."
"His mind, his sanity, collapsed in an instant."
"Now, he's become... he's become a cripple."
"Grandmaster!"
Chen Kefa abruptly straightened and bowed deeply in Wang Anguo's direction.
"You're a grandmaster. You can cultivate spiritual power!"
"I beg you, save him!"
"If you can restore his sanity, then my life, Chen Kefa's, is yours!"
Having said that, he held his bowing posture without moving.
Silence once again fell over the car.
Only Chen Kefa's heavy breathing echoed through the cramped space.
After a long while,
Wang Anguo sighed softly.
"Raise your head."
Chen Kefa didn't move.
"I said, raise your head."
The grandmaster's voice carried an unmistakable authority.
Only then did Chen Kefa slowly straighten, fists clenched as he awaited his final judgment.
Wang Anguo looked at him and suddenly spoke.
"Do you think this old man really came to Jiang City just for a set of improved health exercises?"
What did he mean?
Chen Kefa froze, unable to process the words for a moment.
He hadn't come for the exercises?
Then what had he come for?
Could it be...
A startling thought flashed through his mind, leaving him completely rigid.
Seeing Chen Kefa's shocked expression, Grandmaster Wang Anguo smiled faintly. But the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, they held a trace of gravity.
"An improved set of health exercises is certainly a blessing for humanity, and an unexpected boon."
"But it's not enough to make these old bones of mine come all this way."
His voice wasn't loud, but each word rang out with crystal clarity.
"The true purpose of my visit is the Spirit Race crisis that's been causing an uproar in your Jiang City!"
Chen Kefa felt his mind go blank with a buzz.
All his thoughts and worries were swept aside in an instant!
So that was it!
The grandmaster hadn't come in person to evaluate some health exercises—he'd come to deal with the Spirit Race!
An immense surge of joy and excitement swept through him!
"The Spirit Race is humanity's great enemy."
Grandmaster Wang Anguo's gaze sharpened, and the temperature in the car seemed to drop.
"Their mental attacks are strange and unpredictable, impossible to guard against. They're the Alliance's biggest headache at the moment."
"Any intelligence related to spiritual power, any method of resisting or treating mental trauma, holds the highest strategic value."
"Your comrade Yu Lei's condition is an extremely important case study."
"And the Mystic Meditation Method Wang Jian contributed is a godsend—a spark of hope capable of changing the course of human martial arts!"
At that moment, Chen Kefa could no longer hold back his emotions.
There was hope!
Yu Lei could be saved!
Jiang City could be saved!
As he looked at the old man before him, his heart swelled with boundless reverence and gratitude.
This was the backbone of humanity!
They rarely made their presence known, seeming to have withdrawn from the public eye long ago. But when disaster struck, they would step forward without hesitation and stand at the very front!
"Grandmaster..."
Chen Kefa choked up. A thousand words clogged his throat, yet not one came out.
Wang Anguo waved a hand, his expression returning to calm.
"No need for words."
"What about your comrade? Where is he now?"
"Take me to him."
"I want to see with my own eyes just how overbearing the Spirit Race's mental assault is."
"Perhaps my spiritual power can stabilize his consciousness before it completely falls apart."
Hearing this, Chen Kefa's last trace of worry vanished, replaced by a resolve stronger than ever.
He looked up sharply and gave the driver up front an order in a hoarse yet thunderous voice.
"Take us to City First Special Rehabilitation Center!"
Meanwhile, Chen Yan's days at Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall were simple and fulfilling, as if he lived in a world of his own.
The turmoil outside had no effect on his unwavering, tireless cultivation.
Every morning, he would carry his own little stool, clutching his special set of oil paints and a small drawing board...
Then he would patter over to his usual corner by the Training Ground and sit quietly.
Anyone who saw his obedient, focused little face would think he was an innocent, harmless porcelain doll.
His subjects were mainly the students inside the hall, sweating as they trained and honed their skills.
As time went by, everyone at the Martial Arts Hall learned that this exquisitely adorable, bright-eyed child was Master Du's little grandson.
During breaks, some of the more playful students couldn't resist coming over to tease him.
The female students, especially those in their teens, found Chen Yan irresistible and took turns showering him with attention.
One couldn't help pinching his soft little cheeks; another insisted on holding him and planting a kiss on him. Taking advantage of their gender, they simply did whatever they pleased.
The female students these days are really going overboard with their enthusiasm...
Chen Yan could only facepalm internally while continuing to play the innocent child on the outside.
Oh well, let the storm rage on!
What can I do? I'm just a helpless little baby who can't fight back.
He could only open his large, dark, limpid eyes, which seemed to speak, and let these vibrant older sisters squish and squeeze him to their hearts' content.
Every now and then, he even had to cooperate by letting out a few sweet giggles to maintain his harmless image.
All in all, time flowed by calmly and swiftly amid this curious blend of pain and pleasure.
Before he knew it, another month had passed.
One day, just as usual, Chen Yan seemed to casually put down his final stroke.
He clearly felt an invisible barrier within his body quietly give way.
Deep in his consciousness, several locks seemed to click open at once.
A feeling of perfect mastery and effortless control welled up within him.
It was happening!
He suppressed his excitement and focused his attention on the system interface.
[Host: Chen Yan] [Age: 1 year, 48 days] [ cultivation: Amateur Rank Seven] [Qi and Blood: 3804/10000] [Spirit: 3946/10000] [Charm: 93/100 (Remarkably Gifted)] [Fortune: 95 (Endless Good Luck)] [Constitution: Innate Dao Body (Born Close to the Dao, Proficient in All Methods)] [Skills:] [Qi Nurturing Foundation Art (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Meditation Method (Mastered) (300/10000)] [Efficient Absorption (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Deep Sleep (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Godly Movement (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Image Projection Scroll (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Shadow Concealment (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Divine Sense Differentiation (Mastered) (300/10000)] [Arrow Barrage (Mastered) (0/10000)] [Achievement: Perfect Foundation Establishment (Gold)]
Seeing the rows of [Mastered] shining with a gentle glow, Chen Yan's little face finally broke into a satisfied smile.
After months of "hard work," all his core skills had finally reached the mastered stage!
This meant a qualitative leap in his overall strength!
His abilities had received a massive boost across the board, whether in survival, combat, support, or the crucial ability to "grow in the background."
With the cultivation of Amateur Rank Seven and all these mastered skills...
Chen Yan was confident that even if he faced a professional martial artist at the entry level, he could fight back!
Of course, on the surface, he was still the same "ordinary" baby everyone adored.
(Removed watermark-only paragraph.)
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