Not Relying on Family

After dinner, Feng Yuelan told Chen Xingyao to return to her room and rest. After clearing away the dishes, she went to Chen Lie's room.

Knock, knock.

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

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

Feng Yuelan propped up her face and asked Chen Lie, "Chen Lie, tell me—did you lie to your father and me at the Starlight Hotel the day before yesterday?"

Chen Lie understood. "Did Yaoyao tell you?"

"Your mother wants to know what exactly you were thinking. Why did you deliberately damage your body?" Feng Yuelan's expression remained grim.

"I didn't damage my body."

"You didn't? Could you even digest that many high-nutrition dishes? And Yaoyao said you were cooking something to replenish your nutrition in the kitchen just now. Do you know that with your current vitality value, you can't just take things recklessly?

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

Looking at his mother's stern expression, Chen Lie knew he had to reveal something. He reached out to pull Feng Yuelan into the room.

But Feng Yuelan flung his hand away.

"What are you doing? You'd better explain yourself properly today. Is this how you repay the expectations your father and I had for you?"

Helpless, Chen Lie said, "Mom, let me show you something. Come in first. I guarantee you'll calm down after you see it."

Feng Yuelan crossed her arms and entered Chen Lie's room with a cold expression.

"Mom, take a look at my vitality test records from the past month on East River Martial Arts Hall's official website."

As he spoke, Chen Lie turned on the supercomputer in his room, opened East River Martial Arts Hall's official website, entered his East River Martial Arts Hall student ID, and looked up his vitality test records.

Every time East River Martial Arts Hall's vitality tester was activated, a student card had to be scanned. This allowed the student's vitality test results to be uploaded directly to the official website.

Feng Yuelan leaned closer to the supercomputer and her eyes widened.

Two vitality test readings were displayed clearly on the screen.

November 16: Student Chen Lie, vitality value: 2.31 cal.

November 14: Student Chen Lie, vitality value: 1.34 cal.

"2.31 cal? This is your vitality test record? You didn't get someone else to take the test for you, did you?" Feng Yuelan hurriedly asked.

"Of course not. If you don't believe me, you can call Instructor Sun from my martial arts hall. He was there when I took my first vitality test."

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

As Feng Yuelan spoke, she went to the living room and retrieved the communicator.

On East River Martial Arts Hall's official website, Feng Yuelan found the contact number for Chen Lie's instructor, Instructor Sun Jian, and impatiently dialed it.

Before long, the call connected.

"Hello, are you Instructor Sun from East River Martial Arts Hall?"

"I'm Sun Jian. Who is this?"

"It's like this. I'm the parent of one of your martial arts hall students, Chen Lie. I'm calling to ask about Chen Lie's recent progress in vitality."

"Chen Lie's parent?" The voice on the communicator paused before continuing, "You're Chen Lie's parent? It's not my place to say this, but you really don't take your child's martial arts training seriously enough.

"I've been an instructor for over ten years, and I've never seen parents like you. Since you've decided to support your child on the martial arts academic track, don't be stingy about everything. At the very least, you should provide your child with basic martial arts resources, shouldn't you?"

"Th-... Instructor Sun, what do you mean by that? I only called to ask about Chen Lie's progress in vitality."

Feng Yuelan was left somewhat bewildered by the reprimand.

"What do I mean? Let me ask you this: have you ever given your child Vitality Essence?"

"No. But Chen Lie's vitality hadn't even broken through 1, so he couldn't use Vitality Essence."

The voice on the communicator fell silent for a while before saying, "You're even more irresponsible than I imagined. As parents, you don't even know when your own child's vitality broke through 1.

"Let me tell you now. Chen Lie's vitality test result a few days ago was 1.34 cal, and the test showed that his body was suffering from severe nutritional depletion."

"Nutritional depletion?"

Feng Yuelan looked at Chen Lie, utterly confused.

"Nutritional depletion can affect a student's future breakthrough to martial artist if it becomes severe. If Chen Lie had started using Vitality Essence as soon as his vitality broke through 1, then forget breaking through 3—breaking through 2 would have been a certainty by now.

"A senior-year martial arts student is at a critical point for higher education. He originally had a chance at a top university, but after being delayed by you like this, he'll probably have trouble even getting into an ordinary university!

"That's all I have to say. Whether you listen is up to you!"

Looking at the disconnected communicator, Feng Yuelan could not help asking Chen Lie, "What's going on? When did your vitality break through 1?"

Chen Lie said, "Mom, I really didn't lie to you that day.

"Some time ago, a man who claimed to be from beyond the stars said I possessed an extremely rare constitution, one that could directly convert nutrition into vitality. But the traits of my constitution had never been activated, which was why my vitality had progressed so slowly.

"He helped activate those traits and passed on a mysterious body-tempering technique to me. He told me that if I could get into Starry Sky University before I turned twenty, he would take me as his disciple."

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

"Whether it's true or not, can't you tell just by looking at my vitality test records?" Chen Lie said.

"So your vitality is now 2.31 cal?"

"Yes." Chen Lie nodded.

Feng Yuelan grabbed Chen Lie's wrist and carefully sensed it.

"Your pulse is strong and forceful, and the sound of your vitality coursing through your body is like rolling waves. You really don't seem like someone whose vitality hasn't broken through 1. You seem more like you're about to break through 3 cal."

"Son, has your vitality really broken through 1 and entered the second stage? You haven't even used Vitality Essence, so how did your vitality increase this quickly?"

Feng Yuelan was overwhelmed with delight. She had always worried about her son's prospects for higher education, but now that he had shown such promise, not only an ordinary martial arts university—even a top martial arts university was no longer out of reach.

"I'm different. Now that my constitution's traits have been activated, along with that mysterious body-tempering technique, as long as I have enough nutrition, I can raise my vitality.

"The reason my vitality suddenly increased so much was because I ate those nutritious dishes at the Starlight Hotel two days ago," Chen Lie said.

"Then what about this nutritional depletion?" Feng Yuelan asked.

"Activating my constitution's traits required a huge amount of nutrition. My body's nutritional reserves weren't enough, so it caused nutritional depletion."

Feng Yuelan thought for a moment. "No wonder I thought you looked a little thinner these past few days. So that was why."

"What is the identity of that person from beyond the stars who activated your constitution? Do you know?"

Chen Lie shook his head. "No. He said that once I get into Starry Sky University, I'll naturally learn his identity."

"Starry Sky University..."

Feng Yuelan could not help sighing.

Starry Sky University was the best martial arts university beyond the stars. Every year, it recruited only three thousand students from Blue Star.

Blue Star had eighty-nine provinces and a population of over ten billion. In other words, those three thousand Starry Sky University spots had to be divided among eligible youths from eighty-nine provinces, numbering in the billions.

East River Province was one of Blue Star's relatively impoverished martial arts provinces. In the past three years, fewer than ten gifted youths native to East River Province had been admitted to Blue Star University.

In three years, fewer than ten people from East River Province had made it into Starry Sky University. Could her son really do it?

"It seems that great figure from beyond the stars has high hopes for you, so you must work harder.

"Since your vitality has already broken through 1, I'll contact your father later and have him buy you Vitality Essence. We'll strike while the iron is hot and raise your vitality directly to the third stage!"

Chen Lie said, "No. Before that person from beyond the stars left, he told me not to rely too much on my family in anything. Martial arts cultivation has to depend on oneself, and resources must be earned for oneself as well."

"How is that relying on family? Vitality Essence is only the most basic martial arts resource. Look at the countless families on Blue Star—which one doesn't prepare basic resources such as Vitality Essence and exotic beast meat for their children?" Feng Yuelan could not help saying.

"But if I get into Starry Sky University in the future and need even more resources, will our family still be able to support me then?"

Chen Lie looked up at Feng Yuelan.

"This..."

Feng Yuelan wanted to say that fewer than ten people from East River Province had gotten into Starry Sky University in three years, and that ordinary Blue Star citizens like them should not entertain such hopes. But she was afraid of dampening her son's enthusiasm.

So she earnestly told Chen Lie, "Son, having goals is a good thing, but you can't set them too far away. We can set a smaller, nearer goal. For example, break through 3 cal within one month and join the elite class your school is organizing."

"I understand that, but please listen to me about buying Vitality Essence. Not relying on family and earning resources on my own was also an instruction from that great figure beyond the stars."

Once he started relying on his family to buy martial arts resources, there would be a first time, then a second, then countless times after that.

In his previous life, Chen Lie had seen how martial arts prodigies from beyond the stars spent money like water purchasing the resources needed for martial arts cultivation.

It could be said that once his vitality reached a certain level, any martial arts resource he needed would be valuable enough to bankrupt his parents.

Rather than leave his parents feeling helpless and guilty in the future because they could no longer help him, he might as well nip the possibility in the bud now.

"This... is that appropriate?"

If they didn't let her son use Vitality Essence, wouldn't that prove Instructor Sun from the martial arts hall right?

"Since even the great figure from beyond the stars who guided me instructed this, let's do it this way.

"If my vitality progresses too slowly by then, we can make changes later."

"All right, then."

Hearing Chen Lie mention that great figure from beyond the stars, Feng Yuelan could only nod in agreement.

Since he was a great figure from beyond the stars, his martial arts cultivation should be no lower than that of a Grandmaster, right?

Naturally, she could not disregard a Grandmaster's instructions.

"Mom, don't tell anyone else about me being guided by someone from beyond the stars. It's enough for our family to know," Chen Lie reminded her.

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

Chen Lie continued, "I have my own cultivation method now, so don't sign me up for any martial arts hall training classes or the like. If the school ever calls because I've missed class, help cover for me.

"You can check on my vitality progress whenever you want. If you're dissatisfied with it at any point, you can make me stop."

Seeing how confidently her son spoke, Feng Yuelan felt joy rise in her heart. Yet there was not a trace of happiness on her face. Instead, she said solemnly, "You said it yourself. If you can't break through 3 cal and enter the elite class within a month, then you'll listen to your mother and use Vitality Essence properly."

"Fine!"

Chen Lie nodded in agreement.

Seeing Chen Lie agree so readily, Feng Yuelan could not help wondering whether her demand had been too low.

But without using Vitality Essence and the corresponding supplements, raising vitality by 0.7 cal within a month was nothing short of a fantasy.

Unable to understand what Chen Lie was relying on, Feng Yuelan could only say, "Then it's settled."

With that, she left Chen Lie's room.