Sure enough.
It was always easier to get things done when you had someone in court!
A price he couldn't get himself could be obtained through the Lin family!
"Then many thanks, Elder Feng." Su Zhan accepted it with a smile.
"Mr. Su, I'll take my leave now."
Elder Feng vanished in a flash.
Su Zhan couldn't even catch which direction he had left from.
But Su Zhan had no mind to bother with anything else. He directly placed the VIP insignia into the Shared Space.
"With this, the entire production chain is complete."
The corner of Su Zhan's mouth curled up.
The next day.
Su Zhan went to the school's Cultivation Hall as usual.
Because news of Su Zhan publicly killing a Beginner Martial Artist yesterday had spread, Su Zhan, who had already gained some fame, became even more renowned all at once... More people pointed and whispered about him along the way.
Even the students from Heaven City High School's senior-year Elite Class couldn't help but glance sideways when they saw Su Zhan.
"That's the kid who killed a Beginner Martial Artist a rank above him with one slash?"
"An Advanced Quasi-Martial Artist actually has that kind of strength... I knew it, that Lowest Grade aptitude was completely a smokescreen. His aptitude is probably at least Marquis Rank!"
"To be in the same school as such a ruthless man, our achievements are simply not worth mentioning!"
"..."
They couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
Those who could enter the Elite Class lacked nothing in aptitude, comprehension, resources, or background.
To them, being able to sweep through opponents of the same rank and become invincible within their rank was already impressive enough... But Su Zhan was even more outrageous, capable of fighting above his rank!
They and Su Zhan were now completely on different levels.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Su Zhan headed straight into a Cultivation Room.
Then he began leisurely entertaining himself.
A moment later.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Your technique Basic Qi and Blood Method has successfully broken through and reached the Minor Accomplishment realm!"
Boom!
As the system notification sounded.
The qi and blood inside Su Zhan's body suddenly churned as though it had exploded.
A huge mass of qi and blood sprang into existence from nowhere, crazily converging into Su Zhan's body.
He immediately sat upright.
His body temperature rose rapidly, until even a faint red glow shone beneath his skin, and wisps of white steam rose from him.
"So this is what a breakthrough feels like?"
"So this is how one becomes a Martial Artist!"
Su Zhan could clearly feel his heart pounding violently.
His qi and blood boiled.
His flesh and blood swelled.
His muscles and bones continuously solidified.
His entire body was undergoing an earth-shaking transformation... Far more intense than when he had broken through to Intermediate Grade Quasi-Martial Artist and Advanced Quasi-Martial Artist!
The entire process lasted about a minute.
Finally.
The transformation throughout his body was complete. A great cloud of white steam poured out, and the qi and blood throughout his body gradually settled.
Su Zhan was drenched in sweat. Black impurities seeped from his skin, giving off an unpleasant smell.
He slowly opened his eyes.
An unprecedented brilliance burst forth from them!
"I can see more clearly... hear farther... even my senses are much sharper than before... Martial Artist, this is a Martial Artist!"
Su Zhan experienced the changes brought by his realm breakthrough.
He casually clenched his fist.
And felt an indescribably surging power.
Basic Qi and Blood Method: "Congratulations, Boss, on your realm increase!!"
Nine Fire Saber: "I feel like I've grown stronger along with Boss!"
Jade Body: "Me too! So when Boss grows stronger, we benefit as well."
Bloodthirsty Rampage: "It's not merely a matter of benefiting. We share glory and disgrace with Boss; when Boss breaks through, our strength rises with the tide too."
So that was it.
Upon learning that the techniques had grown stronger as well, a gleam flashed through Su Zhan's eyes.
This also meant that if he transformed into techniques again, each of these techniques could display the strength of a Beginner Martial Artist!
"Come on, let's test exactly how far my qi and blood has reached now."
He placed both hands on the qi and blood tester.
Beep.
Qi and Blood Value: 204 points.
"It doubled outright!"
Su Zhan's expression was filled with delight.
The standard qi and blood value for a Beginner Martial Artist was 100 points.
For an Intermediate Martial Artist, it was 300 points.
For an Advanced Martial Artist, it was 500 points.
Yet Su Zhan had only just broken through to Beginner Martial Artist, and his qi and blood had already doubled that of an ordinary Martial Artist, reaching 204 points!
But that was perfectly normal.
He currently had three techniques that had all reached the Minor Accomplishment realm.
The improvement brought by the Basic Qi and Blood Method alone was considerable, let alone the passive enhancements from the other two techniques... His foundation was extraordinarily solid!
"Let's test my strength too."
Su Zhan pulled out a High-grade Spirit Weapon with a backhand motion and slashed at the humanoid metal post.
Boom!
Strength: 3410 kilograms!
"Three thousand four?!"
Even Su Zhan himself was startled by the number.
The strength standard for a Beginner Martial Artist was 1,000 kilograms—one ton.
The strength standard for an Intermediate Martial Artist was 3,000 kilograms.
The strength standard for an Advanced Martial Artist was 5,000 kilograms.
This meant that his current strength had plainly reached a level comparable to an Intermediate Martial Artist!
"My foundation!"
"My foundation helped me tremendously!"
Excitement gleamed in Su Zhan's eyes. "For an ordinary Beginner Martial Artist, having one Beginner Grade Technique reach Advanced Grade would already be quite good. Mine have reached Minor Accomplishment, and I have three of them!"
"Not only that, I was previously an Advanced Quasi-Martial Artist, so my qi and blood and strength already met their standards. Now that I'm a Beginner Martial Artist, both my qi and blood and strength have improved greatly. Using the same techniques again, their effects will naturally rise dramatically!"
The reasoning was simple and easy to understand.
The same technique, when wielded by a Martial Artist and when wielded by a Martial General... would naturally unleash different levels of power.
"Ding! Since your realm has reached Beginner Martial Artist and all technique acceleration has reached 100 times, you meet the requirements. A new technique slot has been unlocked!"
"Your current technique slots: 4/5!"
The sudden system notification made Su Zhan pause, before a look of realization appeared on his face.
So that was how it worked!
Two requirements had to be met to unlock a new technique slot.
Both realm and technique acceleration had to reach the required level!
"So now I finally know how to increase technique slots..."
"Perfect. Now that I've become a Martial Artist, I can make a proper visit to the Lin family... Take a look at the Lin family's Technique Repository and get an Earth Grade Technique."
"If possible, I can also have the Lin family provide more resource benefits... After all, it's an Earth Grade Technique. Without pouring in enough resources, it'll truly be difficult to improve it."
Su Zhan grinned.
He knew that the Lin family now valued him greatly, and he could completely use that to ask the Lin family for more things... But as the saying went, people needed face just as trees needed bark. He had already received an advance before; if he didn't produce something tangible and merely broke through to Martial Artist, how could he have the nerve to ask for more?
Now, however, things were different.
Having reached Martial Artist, whether it was an Earth Grade Technique or resource benefits, Su Zhan could ask for whatever he wanted!
Beep, beep.
At that moment, his phone rang.
It was a reminder alarm.
"Everyone, the time has come. Come out and enjoy the pleasure of slaughter to your heart's content!"
At Su Zhan's command, the four technique incarnations in the wilderness abruptly appeared.
Before you continue