To grow stronger, Chen Xu needed enough Psychic Energy. For now, the only place he knew of that might possess the most Psychic Energy was Great Abyss National University.
If he discovered a place with richer resources, Chen Xu would change his strategy without a second word. Unfortunately, he had yet to find one.
As for claims that joining an official faction meant easily losing one's freedom, Chen Xu only had one thing to say: without strength, freedom could not be found anywhere.
Seeing that Chen Xu showed no reaction whatsoever 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."
"All I want is a spot at Great Abyss National University, or cultivation resources of equal value." Chen Xu did not care in the slightest about promises of subsidiary company shares, dividends, and the like.
He Tao's voice caught in his throat. Leaving aside the fact 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 lining up—what right did he have to cut in?
"Hahahaha! Inspector He, you don't want to pay even the slightest price, yet you want to catch a white wolf with empty hands. How could there be such a fine bargain under heaven?" 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 in his heart.
"Outside, I, Ling, have given the Inspector plenty of face. But you've only just arrived at the Martial Pavilion, and you're already doing this right under my nose. Isn't that a little improper?"
He took a slight step forward, like a savage elephant stamping upon the earth.
"Ling Xiangshan, what do you mean by this?!" He Tao seized the long case strapped to the male disciple's back and slapped open its seal, revealing a treasured saber within that gleamed with cold light.
Just as the situation was about to explode at the slightest touch, Ling Xiangshan abruptly withdrew his aura. Passing He Tao, he arrived at Chen Xu's side.
"Master Chen, I, Ling, guarantee with the status and reputation of a 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 belong to you.
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 truly went to great pains to prevent Nine Heavens Martial Arts School from retaining first place."
The moment Ling Xiangshan produced the Refining Liquid, He Tao's expression darkened to the extreme. No matter what, he could not possibly pay such a huge price to recruit a martial hall master.
"I, Ling, am merely doing this for Jinning, so that it will not be covered by a single Lineage's hand."
Ling Xiangshan stared directly at He Tao, something like light flickering in his eyes.
"As long as I, Ling Xiangshan, remain in Jinning Commandery for one day, there will not be a Xu character in Jinning Commandery's sky!"
"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 spun the Cold Iron Saber in a flourish, its tip pointing straight at Chen Xu. "Today, I, He, will make it so he cannot even open a martial arts academy, much less qualify for the Martial Hall Exchange Tournament..."
"Are you finished?" Chen Xu interrupted He Tao before he could continue.
"If you're finished, then let's begin."
"Are you really that impatient to lose?"
The instant the word "begin" rang out, He Tao shot forward several meters and arrived before Chen Xu, saber light blazing like a meteor.
Only when the Cold Iron Saber was about to cleave into him did Chen Xu raise his palm.
The moment Chen Xu moved, there was faintly the sensation of a vicious tiger pouncing upon its prey.
"Martial Arts Enlightenment?"
He Tao's face changed drastically. How could a martial hall master from such a small place possibly reach that level?
The fair palm suddenly bulged with veins, endlessly enlarging in He Tao's vision.
Though launched later, the attack arrived first. Chen Xu's fist struck He Tao in the face and blasted him off the arena.
Drawing back his fist, Chen Xu gave Ling Xiangshan a slight nod and walked out of the assessment room without sparing the unconscious He Tao another glance.
"In half a month, the Martial Hall Exchange Tournament will officially begin." 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 drained the Refining Liquid in one gulp.
His Psychic Energy instantly surged by fifty. Chen Xu examined the panel and could not help rubbing his palms together.
The words "can fuse" behind Chen-Style Tiger Roar Fist and the Bronze Body Technique had lit up, indicating that he now possessed enough Psychic Energy to fuse these two martial arts.
Rather than fuse them, Chen Xu first raised the Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique to the tenth level.
His agility soared at high speed, reaching nearly 5 points in an instant.
After glancing at his remaining Psychic Energy, Chen Xu made his decision. "Upgrade the Blood Rushing Nine Apertures Breakthrough Method."
His Psychic Energy decreased by 5 points, and an aperture in his left leg was instantly broken through. Chen Xu keenly sensed the qi and blood within his body being mobilized, raising his physical qualities across the board.
At the same time, the word [Energy] appeared beneath Agility on the panel.
Having tasted the benefits, Chen Xu once again broke through apertures in his legs and arms in succession, causing his four-dimensional attributes to surge madly.
Only when he opened the seventh aperture did his Psychic Energy finally prove insufficient.
Chen Xu stood up, intending to loosen his muscles and bones, but accidentally shattered the chair he had been sitting on.
His attributes had risen too much, causing him to lose control over the amount of force he used for the moment.
Opening [Tianwu], Chen Xu saw his panel undergo tremendous changes.
Strength: 9.9 Constitution: 11.1 Agility: 7.5 Energy: 7.0 (Blood-Qi Force) Psychic Energy: 2.16 Martial Path: None Martial Arts: Chen-Style Tiger Roar Fist (Level 10, can fuse), Bronze Body Technique (Level 10, can fuse), Great Stone-Stele Smash (Not Initiated), Great Strength Eagle Claw Technique (Not Initiated), Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique (Level 10, can fuse), Shadow-Following Leg (Not Initiated), Incomplete Life-Nourishing Breakthrough Method (Not Initiated), Blood Surge Through the Nine Apertures (Sixth Aperture) Special Effects: Tiger Might Level 6, Blood-Copper Martial Body Level 1, Aerial Leap Level 6
Besides the newly added Energy, his blood-qi and Bronze Body had produced new special effects. Chen Xu estimated that the Level 1 Blood-Copper Martial Body was comparable to the Level 10 Bronze Body Technique; the two were no longer on the same level at all.
Thanks to the Blood-Copper Martial Body, his Constitution had surpassed his Strength for the first time. It was a feat worthy of being recorded in history.
His normal height had broken through 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 hall assessment, his information had already been recorded by the Martial Pavilion. Suddenly growing another ten centimeters would inevitably draw the Martial Pavilion's attention. There was no need to take such a risk.
Only now did Chen Xu dare to pat his chest and say that, aside from the Martial Artist Pavilion Master whom he had still never met, he feared no one in Jinning Commandery.
"But my strength is still insufficient. I need to keep working hard to earn Psychic Energy." Chen Xu recalled the two Martial Artists battling fiercely in the video. He believed that with his current strength, he would absolutely be no match for either of them.
Great Abyss could force Martial Artists, who were comparable to inhuman beings, to keep their heads down and only lurk in the shadows. Its hidden strength made Chen Xu even more wary.
According to information online, this world possessed nuclear reactors and nuclear power plants. That meant major nations certainly possessed nuclear weapons, a danger that could not be ignored. Chen Xu's ultimate goal for himself was: withstand a nuclear bomb with his fleshly body.
Before you continue