Consecutively Breaking Through Six Apertures

To grow stronger, Chen Xu needed enough spiritual energy. At present, the place he knew of that might possess the most spiritual energy was Great Abyss National University.

If he learned of a place with even richer resources, Chen Xu would change his strategy without a second word. Unfortunately, he had not found one so far.

As for joining an official faction and losing his freedom, Chen Xu only had one thing to say: without strength, you could not gain freedom anywhere.

Seeing that Chen Xu showed no reaction to his recruitment, He Tao could not help saying, "Master Chen, whether in strength or resources, Deputy Pavilion Master Ling is inferior to Deputy Pavilion Master Xu. Whatever he can provide, we can provide as well."

"I only want a spot at Great Abyss National University, or equivalent cultivation resources." Chen Xu did not care at all about promises such as company shares and dividends.

He Tao's voice caught in his throat. Not to mention that they already had a candidate, even if they did not, it would not be this newly promoted Master Chen's turn. So many people were waiting in line—what right did he have to cut in?

"Hahaha! Inspector He, you don't want to pay even the slightest price, yet you want to make a fortune for nothing? Where could such a good deal exist?" Ling Xiangshan's booming voice could be heard clearly even through the door.

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ling?" He Tao turned to look at Ling Xiangshan as he entered the assessment room, silently cursing the trouble.

"Outside, I, Ling, have given the inspector plenty of face. But the moment you arrive at the Martial Pavilion, you pull something like this right under my nose. Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

He took a slight step forward, like a savage elephant stamping the ground.

"Ling Xiangshan, what do you mean by this?!" He Tao grabbed the long case slung across the male disciple's back and slapped open its seal, revealing the treasure saber within, its cold gleam flickering.

Just as the situation was about to erupt, Ling Xiangshan suddenly withdrew his aura, passed He Tao, and came to Chen Xu's side.

"Master Chen, I, Ling, guarantee with my position and reputation as deputy pavilion master that as long as the Chen Martial Arts Academy wins the Jinning Martial Hall Exchange Tournament, that ticket into Great Abyss National University will be yours.

These five hundred grams of Refining Liquid are my sincerity."

With that, he took out a sealed bottle and handed it to Chen Xu.

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ling has truly gone to great lengths to prevent the Nine Heavens Martial Arts School from retaining first place."

The moment Ling Xiangshan took out the Refining Liquid, He Tao's expression darkened to the extreme. No matter what, he could not pay such a huge price to recruit a martial arts master.

"I, Ling, am only doing this for Jinning, so that it will not be dominated by a single family."

Ling Xiangshan stared directly at He Tao, something like light flickering in his eyes.

"As long as I, Ling Xiangshan, remain in Jinning Commandery, the sky above Jinning Commandery will not bear the surname Xu!"

"The Xu Family head is about to reach that level. Ling Xiangshan, you are destined to be a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

He Tao flicked his wrist, and the Cold Iron Saber pointed directly at Chen Xu. "Today, I, He, will make sure he cannot even open a martial arts school, much less qualify for the Martial Hall Exchange Tournament..."

"Are you done?" Chen Xu interrupted He Tao before he could continue.

"If you are, then let's begin."

"Are you really that eager to lose?"

The moment the word "begin" rang out, He Tao shot forward several meters and arrived before Chen Xu, saber light dazzling like a meteor.

Only when the Cold Iron Saber was about to strike did Chen Xu raise his hand.

The instant Chen Xu attacked, he gave off the faint impression of a vicious tiger pouncing on its prey.

"Martial Arts Enlightenment?"

He Tao's face changed drastically. How could the master of some backwater martial arts school have reached such a level?

The pale palm suddenly bulged with veins, growing larger and larger in He Tao's vision.

Chen Xu's attack struck after yet arrived first. His fist landed on He Tao's face and sent him flying off the arena.

Chen Xu withdrew his fist, gave Ling Xiangshan a slight nod, and walked out of the assessment room without sparing the unconscious He Tao another glance.

"The Martial Hall Exchange Tournament officially begins in half a month." Just as Chen Xu was about to step through the doorway, Ling Xiangshan spoke to remind him.

"And be careful of Xu Yeping, Deputy Pavilion Master Xu. His strength is far greater than you imagine."

After returning to the Chen Martial Arts Academy, Chen Xu drank the Refining Liquid in one gulp.

His spiritual energy instantly surged by fifty. Chen Xu examined the panel and could not help rubbing his hands together.

The words "can be fused" behind Chen-Style Tiger Roar Fist and the Bronze Body Technique had lit up, indicating that he now had enough spiritual energy to fuse the two martial arts.

Rather than fusing them, Chen Xu first raised the Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique to the tenth level.

His agility soared rapidly, reaching nearly 5 points in an instant.

After glancing at his remaining spiritual energy, Chen Xu made his decision. Increase the Blood Surge Through the Nine Apertures Breakthrough Method.

His spiritual energy decreased by 5 points, and the acupoint in his left leg was instantly opened. Chen Xu keenly sensed his qi and blood being mobilized within his body, raising his physical attributes across the board.

At the same time, the word [Energy] appeared beneath Agility on the panel.

Having tasted the benefits, he consecutively opened the acupoints in his legs and arms again, and Chen Xu's four basic attributes began to jump wildly.

Only when he opened the seventh aperture did his spiritual energy finally prove insufficient.

Chen Xu rose, intending to stretch his limbs, but accidentally shattered the chair he had been sitting on.

His attributes had increased too much, causing him to lose control over his strength for a moment.

Opening [Tianwu], Chen Xu saw that his panel had changed drastically.

Strength: 9.9

Physique: 11.1

Agility: 7.5

Energy: 7.0 (power of qi and blood)

Spiritual Energy: 2.16

Martial Path: None

Martial Arts: Chen-Style Tiger Roar Fist (Level 10, can be fused), Bronze Body Technique (Level 10, can be fused), Great Stone-Stele Smash (not yet initiated), Great Strength Eagle Claw Technique (not yet initiated), Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique (Level 10, can be fused), Shadow-Following Leg (not yet initiated), Incomplete Life-Nourishing Breakthrough Method (not yet initiated), Blood Surge Through the Nine Apertures (Sixth Aperture)

Special Effects: Tiger's Might Level 6, Blood-Copper Martial Body Level 1, Aerial Leap Level 6

Besides the newly added Energy, his qi and blood and Bronze Body had produced new special effects. Chen Xu estimated that the Level 1 Blood-Copper Martial Body was comparable to a Level 10 Bronze Body. The two were no longer on the same level.

Thanks to the Blood-Copper Martial Body, his physique had surpassed his strength for the first time in history. It was an achievement worth recording.

His normal height had exceeded two meters, turning Chen Xu into a genuine little giant.

His bones contracted with a series of cracks, and Chen Xu shrank back to a height of 1.9 meters. With his current strength, slightly contracting his bones was no difficult task.

After passing the martial arts school assessment, his information had already been recorded by the Martial Pavilion. Suddenly growing another ten centimeters would inevitably attract the Martial Pavilion's attention, so there was no need to take that risk.

Only now did Chen Xu dare to pat his chest and say that, aside from the Martial Artist pavilion master whom he had yet to meet, he feared no one in Jinning Commandery.

But my strength is still not enough. I need to keep working to earn spiritual energy. Chen Xu recalled the two Martial Artists fighting fiercely in the video. He knew that, at his current strength, he would absolutely be no match for either of them.

Great Abyss, which could suppress Martial Artists comparable to superhumans until they could not even raise their heads and could only move around in the shadows, made Chen Xu even more wary of its hidden strength.

According to information online, this world possessed nuclear reactors and nuclear power plants. That meant major nations certainly had nuclear weapons, a danger that could not be ignored. Chen Xu's ultimate goal at present was simple: withstand a nuclear bomb with his bare body.