Terrifying Growth!

Over the next few days,

Lin Yuan remained in his hospital bed.

Medical bandages covered his body.

But Lin Yuan did not mind.

Whenever some of his true qi recovered,

he immediately practiced the Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula.

His true qi consumed the high-grade nutrient solution supplied by the military region, turning its energy into nourishment that repaired his body.

And once his true qi ran out,

Lin Yuan replayed the earlier fight in his mind.

The angle of Su Qingxue's punches, the instant she exerted force, and that suffocating killing intent.

Lin Yuan went over it again and again, searching for gaps in his defense and ways to counterattack.

"No."

"I shouldn't have retreated from that punch."

"If I'd slid half a step sideways with Wandering Dragon Step, my Broken Rock Fist could have struck straight down her centerline!"

Lin Yuan clenched his fist.

The movement tugged at the broken bones in his chest, making him grimace in pain.

But instead of frustration, an even fiercer light blazed in Lin Yuan's eyes.

Five days passed in a blink.

Old Li from the Research Department held a stack of X-ray films.

His cloudy eyes were fixed on the bone patterns in the images.

"This... this is impossible!"

Old Li's voice echoed down the corridor, thick with barely contained shock.

The ward door swung open.

Nie Dingguo strode in, his brow furrowed.

"What's all the shouting about?"

"Has something happened to Lin Yuan?"

Old Li pointed at the perfectly intact bones on the films, his hand trembling.

"Sir!"

"His three broken ribs have healed completely!"

"Even the calluses have been fully absorbed. They're tougher than they were before the injury!"

"This bone density defies everything we know about human biology!"

At Old Li's words,

Nie Dingguo froze.

He turned toward the hospital bed, only to find it empty.

"Sir."

"Looking for me?"

Just then,

a strong voice came from the corner of the ward.

Nie Dingguo and Old Li turned at the same time.

Lin Yuan had already torn off his bandages.

Bare-chested, he was doing one-handed handstand push-ups.

A moment later,

Lin Yuan flipped upright and landed steadily on his feet.

He grabbed the training uniform beside him and pulled it on.

"Sir."

"The medical team says I've fully recovered."

"I request permission to return to training immediately."

Nie Dingguo suppressed his shock and broke into a grin.

"That's the spirit, kid!"

"Instructor Su is waiting for you at the training ground."

"Go on. Don't let the soldiers of Dragon Country down!"

As soon as Nie Dingguo finished speaking,

Lin Yuan saluted and strode out of the ward.

Watching him leave, Old Li shook his head with a rueful smile.

"Sir."

"Even the nutrient solution couldn't account for recovery this fast."

"This is beyond medicine. It's a miracle of evolution."

At Old Li's words,

a fervent fire lit Nie Dingguo's eyes.

"This is what a martial artist is."

"This is what gives humanity the strength to stand against Ferocious Beasts!"

In the days that followed,

the Northwest Military Region's Underground Training Ground became Lin Yuan's personal stage.

Over a hundred elite soldiers had been transferred there. Aside from their monotonous daily Breathing Method training,

what they looked forward to most was watching Lin Yuan spar with Su Qingxue.

Calling it sparring was generous. It was closer to a one-sided beating.

On the ninth day,

waves of force rolled through the center of the arena.

Lin Yuan used Wandering Dragon Step, his figure turning into a blur.

He dodged Su Qingxue's vicious high kick and countered with a Broken Rock Fist aimed at her abdomen.

His fist howled through the air with a sharp whistle.

But Su Qingxue merely snorted and twisted her body at an impossible angle, avoiding the deadly blow.

Then

Su Qingxue's elbow slammed into Lin Yuan's back like a sledgehammer.

Bang!

A dull thud rang out.

Lin Yuan flew like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the bulletproof glass more than ten meters away.

A web of cracks spread across the specially made glass.

Then

Lin Yuan slid to the floor and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The entire arena fell silent.

Ye Qingshan and the others watched, their scalps prickling.

The medical team rushed onto the floor again and carried Lin Yuan away on a stretcher.

This time, Lin Yuan was hospitalized again.

But the way everyone looked at him had changed. They no longer saw a monster. They saw a god.

Because this time, Lin Yuan had lasted a full twenty minutes against Su Qingxue!

What was more,

Lin Yuan's Broken Rock Fist had grazed the corner of Su Qingxue's training uniform.

Three days later,

Lin Yuan walked out of the hospital bursting with energy.

His gaze had grown sharper.

His entire bearing had changed.

Before, Lin Yuan had been an iron sword fresh from the whetstone.

Now he was a deadly weapon that had drunk its fill of blood.

The days passed.

A month later,

at the Underground Training Ground,

there were no other soldiers watching. The entire arena had been cleared.

Only Nie Dingguo and Old Li remained in the Surveillance Room, staring at the large screen.

Onscreen, two blurs collided furiously.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clash of fists and feet sounded like a rapid roll of war drums.

Lin Yuan swept his spear across.

With a shriek that tore through the air, the spear shot toward Su Qingxue's throat.

Su Qingxue neither dodged nor retreated. She hooked her fingers into a claw and caught the shaft precisely.

Sparks flew.

True qi exploded between them, sending out a visible wave of white air.

"Let go!"

Lin Yuan roared, true qi surging through his body.

The muscles in his arms bulged. Using the force transmitted through the spear shaft, he launched himself into the air.

Midair,

Lin Yuan brought a heavy whip kick crashing down toward Su Qingxue's shoulder.

Su Qingxue raised an eyebrow.

She was forced to release the spear and cross her arms to guard herself.

Bang!

A wave of force burst outward.

Su Qingxue's feet gouged two half-meter furrows through the floor.

She had actually been pushed back!

Lin Yuan used the recoil to backflip, landing steadily ten paces away.

They faced each other across the arena, both breathing hard.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

Inside the Surveillance Room,

Nie Dingguo clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, but he felt no pain.

Old Li was so excited he nearly gave himself a heart attack.

"A draw?"

"That kid Lin Yuan actually fought Instructor Su to a draw!"

On the training floor,

Su Qingxue brushed the dust from her sleeves.

She looked at Lin Yuan across from her, her expression deeply conflicted.

In her previous life,

even peerless geniuses who stood at the pinnacle of humanity

could never have grown so terrifyingly strong in a single month!

But Lin Yuan had done it!

The boy's gift for martial arts had surpassed the limits of humanity.

"You held back."

Lin Yuan looked Su Qingxue straight in the eye, his tone certain.

During that brief exchange, Lin Yuan had sensed something off.

Su Qingxue could have forced his leg away, yet she had chosen to defend instead.

"Obviously."

"I've lived eighty years longer than you. Of course I have a few last-resort moves."

"But those moves are for taking High-Tier Ferocious Beasts down with me."

"If we're talking about trading blows with ordinary techniques, then yes, I can't beat you anymore."

At Lin Yuan's words,

Su Qingxue smiled without concern.

In her previous life, she had been a Fifth-Tier Late Stage martial artist. Her combat experience was etched into her bones.

But her current cultivation and physical strength limited her.

This was as far as the combat power she could unleash would go.

"Lin Yuan."

"I've taught you about all I can when it comes to technique and experience."

"From here on,"

"you should focus on raising your cultivation."

"Go into seclusion."

"Without overwhelming cultivation to back them up, even the finest martial techniques are just for show."

Before Lin Yuan could respond,

Su Qingxue spoke again.

She needed at least another three months to reach the Late First-Order Stage.

But she knew

Lin Yuan would not need that long.

His true qi was already close to the Late First-Order Stage.

"Understood."

Lin Yuan said nothing more.

He nodded solemnly and left the training ground.

A few minutes later,

Lin Yuan walked down the long corridor and returned to his Exclusive Cultivation Room.

The alloy door slid shut, cutting off the noise outside.

Hum—

At a thought from Lin Yuan,

a transparent screen appeared before his eyes.

[Host: Lin Yuan]

[Strength: Mid First-Order Martial Artist Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula First Layer (Minor Mastery Realm 85%)]

[Martial Techniques: Broken Rock Fist (Entry Realm 89%), Wandering Dragon Step (Entry Realm 92%), Overlord Spear (Entry Realm 81%)]

[Treasures: None]

Looking at the information on the screen,

Lin Yuan's lips curved into a satisfied smile.

He had to admit,

the Heaven Rewards Diligence System was even more powerful than he had imagined.

As long as he put in the work,

there were no bottlenecks and no barriers of comprehension.

That was why,

after a month of intense sparring,

Lin Yuan's proficiency with his martial techniques had skyrocketed.

His true qi had grown considerably, too.

Barring any surprises,

within a week at most,

Lin Yuan's Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula would reach the Mastery Realm of its first layer.

When that happened,

his cultivation would break through to the Late First-Order Stage.