A-Grade Ascension Secret Treasure: Meteorite

Early the next morning.

Su Bei headed to the association on schedule.

Liu Shan did not come along. Su Bei went alone and, guided by a staff member, quickly arrived at a reception room.

By the time he arrived, quite a few people were already in the room.

He had thought he was among the earliest to arrive, only to find that he was actually the last.

They were all in the top ten of this martial evaluation, and Su Bei recognized most of them somewhat.

Zhai Feng was among them, sitting with another man who was somewhat older. Who knew what they were chatting about.

When he saw Su Bei enter, he gave a soft snort through his nose and did not even spare him a glance.

Clearly, he still held a grudge over what had happened that day.

Yet he did not dare make too much noise. Su Bei's performance that day had left a deep impression on him, and his uncle had warned him afterward. He bore a grudge, but did not dare bear too much of one.

Su Bei was not particularly bothered by it.

The others were either sitting alone or gathered in groups of two or three, chatting idly.

The Wei siblings he had seen that day had only ranked in the teens before, but they had apparently acquired top-ten badges afterward and were here now as well.

When she saw Su Bei looking over, Wei Ting curled her lips and rolled her eyes to the side, looking rather amusing.

The top ten of every martial evaluation were, in truth, valuable connections. With that shared bond, they generally got along fairly well.

But this year was obviously different. The changed rules practically encouraged the students to fight and kill one another, raising the strongest like venomous insects in a jar. So long as they were not trying to kill anyone, the rescue personnel would not intervene. Many people in this year's evaluation could not become friends; some had even become mortal enemies.

Su Bei found an empty seat and sat down, his eyes half-closed as he rested quietly.

They were not kept waiting for long.

Someone pushed open the door and entered. He was a lean, short old man, looking somewhat like a small elderly fellow, but the aura around him was terrifying. As he walked, faint gusts of wind seemed to rise, and his sharp aura felt capable of stinging one's eyes.

"I am Hou Feng, vice president of the association. Today, I will be handling your selection and handover of Ascension Secret Treasures."

Hou Feng did not look easy to deal with. His tone was stiff, and his gaze was like a blade. As it swept over the crowd, they truly felt as if an icy knife had passed over their skin, raising goosebumps without their noticing.

Su Bei was startled. This was the manifestation of blade techniques cultivated to a certain level!

Regardless of his strength, this man's blade techniques alone were the strongest Su Bei had ever seen!

The people who had been whispering among themselves all fell silent.

Led by Hou Feng and two others, the group passed through layers of buildings and descended two flights of stairs before finally arriving before a massive steel door. Its surface was bright silver, somewhat like the vaults seen in movies.

Two people stood guard outside the door. One was responsible for keeping records, and even Hou Feng had to register before entering.

By this point, even Su Bei, who had remained calm all along, could not help feeling excited. The others needed no mention.

Even their breathing became heavy, their faces flushing red.

Ascension Secret Treasures!

This was the most important thing in becoming a Martial Artist. It was even more crucial than a Gene Method, the very foundation that determined a Martial Artist's strength after opening the Secret Treasury Gate!

Ascension Secret Treasures carried different properties. When opening the Secret Treasury Gate, they could alter a Martial Artist's genes and even their talent. It was equivalent to receiving an entirely new chance at life. No one could possibly not care!

For instance, after using a water-element Ascension Secret Treasure, a Martial Artist's genes would naturally gain an affinity for water-element energy.

It could even be said that if one chose an Ascension Secret Treasure poorly, it would directly affect every aspect of one's entire martial path!

The reason everyone had chosen to participate in the martial evaluation was, in fact, for these Ascension Secret Treasures. Otherwise, many of those present already had the strength to directly open the Secret Treasury Gate.

"Once inside, do not wander around carelessly. You top ten may only choose B-grade Ascension Secret Treasures."

"The choice is important. Feel it out for yourselves."

Only after everyone had registered did Hou Feng turn and speak.

No one was surprised by this. In previous years, whether one ranked first or tenth, the range of Ascension Secret Treasures available was B-grade and below. Anything higher was simply too expensive to be given away for free.

Especially since B-grade and lower Ascension Secret Treasures, though all developed from the Void Battlefield, were artificially manufactured to a certain extent and could be reproduced. But at A-grade, if not all, then at least the vast majority of Ascension Secret Treasures were one-of-a-kind.

Hou Feng's gaze swept across the crowd before finally landing on Su Bei. His expression softened somewhat. "Su Bei, your clearance is higher. You may choose from among the A-grade treasures."

Even his tone was no longer quite so stiff.

Hou Feng had not seen Su Bei that day, but afterward Fu Hongtao had sighed endlessly in front of him, praising Su Bei to the heavens as an extraordinarily rare peerless genius.

He knew Fu Hongtao was a steady man. If Su Bei were not truly outstanding, Fu Hongtao would not still be unable to forget him days later. Naturally, Hou Feng developed some goodwill toward him.

Moreover, Hou Feng also knew about the Void Battlefield. He himself had fought his way up from the Void Battlefield. It was an opportunity, but it also hid immense danger. For someone with Su Bei's talent to still decisively choose this path was no easy thing.

It was only right to grant him some additional preferential treatment.

Su Bei froze for a moment before delight spread across his face. He hurriedly nodded. "Yes!"

There was no need to say it. This was definitely a benefit granted because he was going to the Shattered Battlefield.

After all, they were being asked to open the Secret Treasury Gate in the Shattered Battlefield. If insufficient strength caused the mission to fail, the losses would be far too great!

"What...?"

The expressions of the others changed. Some could not hold back and instinctively wanted to question it, but when Hou Feng's blade-like gaze swept over them, they immediately fell silent and did not dare utter a word.

The strong could not be questioned.

Yet the envy, jealousy, and resentment on their faces could not be concealed.

The gap between A-grade and B-grade was enormous. If Su Bei found an A-grade Mystic Treasure suited to him and used it to become a Martial Artist, both his strength and potential would receive another massive boost!

Zhai Feng's expression in particular was almost impossible to hide. He only thought Su Bei had stolen his opportunity. He had not cared too much before, but after hearing this news, the bitterness in his heart was easy to imagine.

The way he looked at Su Bei was filled with hostility.

"Go in."

After saying that, Hou Feng took the lead and led everyone directly into the association's armory.

The armory was heavily guarded outside, but the interior was much plainer. It was not particularly large, roughly the size of a soccer field. Items were arranged in square formations, each about a meter apart. Every item was placed within a transparent glass display case, some even accompanied by instruments.

"Our Tianhu City Martial Artists Association currently possesses fourteen types of A-grade Ascension Secret Treasures, one hundred and thirty-four types of B-grade Ascension Secret Treasures, and two hundred and thirty-seven types of C-grade Mystic Treasures. Ascension Secret Treasures below that grade are not kept here."

"Ascension Secret Treasures are precious, and each has specific storage requirements. Some treasures have conflicting properties, and if they are carelessly placed together, they can easily be damaged and lose effectiveness."

The two staff members who had entered with them were responsible for giving the group a brief introduction to the various treasures' properties and effects.

"Ascension Secret Treasures are consumables. In essence, they are somewhat similar to potions. There may seem to be many types here, but every opening of the Secret Treasury Gate requires one. Some powerful individuals can even use them to further strengthen themselves without opening the Secret Treasury Gate."

"Once you cultivate to that level, even if you choose a B-grade Ascension Secret Treasure now, you may still have the chance to absorb A-grade or even higher-grade treasures in the future."

"So these treasures are constantly being consumed, and sometimes they are transferred to other base cities."

Perhaps seeing how badly Su Bei had affected the others, the staff member offered a few simple words of comfort.

Though these were common facts, hearing them from someone else still made everyone feel somewhat better.

"This is the B-grade Ascension Secret Treasure, Flame Skull. It comes from Flame Mountain in the Void Battlefield."

The staff member gave a brief introduction before a glass display case.

Inside was a skull from some unidentifiable creature. It was only palm-sized, but its bones were crystalline and translucent, with fiery red light flickering across them as though it had been carved from crystal.

"For Martial Artists cultivating fire-element Gene Methods, the Flame Skull is also an excellent choice. After absorbing it, the bones throughout the body will be tempered as though by flames. It strengthens them while also providing a certain boost to further cultivation of fire-element Gene Methods.

"Although it looks as though it is made of fire, the skull itself is not actually very hot.

"Most Ascension Secret Treasures are, in truth, solidified forms of highly dense energy."

Though Su Bei was highly talented, his family circumstances had limited him. He had never really seen anything particularly valuable.

This Flame Skull was the first real Ascension Secret Treasure he had ever seen, so he was extremely curious and stepped closer to inspect it carefully.

Even the genes in his body stirred instinctively.

A look of realization flashed through Su Bei's eyes.

So this was what everyone meant by "feeling it carefully."

The process of Martial Artist cultivation was itself a process of continuous genetic evolution. People could deceive themselves, but their genes would not lie. They would instinctively crave the dissipating substances capable of strengthening them.

The more powerful the Martial Artist, the stronger their life force field. Even from hundreds or thousands of meters away, their genes could sense something.

He cultivated the Great Sun Hanging Sky Gene Method. Solar Energy and fire-element energy shared certain common traits, so it was perfectly normal for him to react somewhat to fire-element Mystic Treasures.

But Su Bei obviously would not waste such a precious opportunity here. He only took one look before leaving the display case.

"Su Bei, come with me."

Hou Feng gestured from ahead, and Su Bei hurriedly followed, leaving the others behind with expressions of envy and resentment.

"The A-grade display area is farther inside. I'll take you there."

As he spoke, Hou Feng slowed his pace somewhat and chatted casually, as though making small talk. "How have your preparations been lately?"

Without that sharp aura, Hou Feng looked no different from an ordinary person.

"They've been fairly thorough."

Su Bei smiled bitterly. "But you know as well as I do that once I go to a place like that, no one knows what they might encounter. I can only do my best to prepare at the last minute."

"Staying alive is what matters."

Hou Feng looked like an old man who had experienced countless hardships. "I have never been to a place like that either, but no matter how far you go, your life is the most important thing. As long as you are alive, you have everything. Do you understand?"

He had already stepped back from the front lines. At their level, they had experienced power, wealth, and even beauty.

Their bodies were gradually aging, and their strength was no longer advancing by leaps and bounds.

Instead, they saw their own shadows in young people one after another. They did not hesitate to nurture outstanding talents, nor did they deliberately put on airs.

The appointment of Martial Artists Association leaders in every base city had to pass through layer after layer of checks and strict selection. They were the most important link in martial cultivation for the general populace. If problems arose with them, it would be equivalent to problems arising in the new blood of society, and sooner or later those problems would spread throughout the whole body.

Otherwise, Fu Hongtao of the Martial Artists Association would not have felt so regretful on the day of the martial evaluation.

After exchanging only a few words, the two had already arrived at the A-grade area.

This place was much more spacious. Every type of Ascension Secret Treasure was nearly ten meters apart, and the glass display cases had been specially treated so that it was impossible to see what was inside.

Before the first display case, Hou Feng pressed a button in his hand, revealing the treasure within.

It was a thumb-sized piece of silkworm-shaped ice, snow-white and translucent. It was as though an ice silkworm might break free from within at any moment. The display case was around three meters wide, and its entire interior seemed frozen over by ice and snow. Even through the thick glass, Su Bei felt as though he could sense the cold capable of freezing everything.

"This is Snow Silkworm Ice. A Martial Artist from Tianhu City once harvested it from an ice field. It contains astonishing ice and snow energy. If absorbed by a Martial Artist cultivating a water-element Gene Method, it will grant them icy skin and jade-like bones, with ice-element energy following every movement."

"What do you think? Interested?"

Su Bei shook his head. It was not that he had no interest at all; he simply disliked it somewhat.

Their properties were completely incompatible. Unless he completely abandoned his current Gene Method and switched to a water-element Gene Method, this thing held no value for him whatsoever.

The next display case.

Inside was an incomparably verdant piece of short wood. Many flowers and plants had deliberately been planted in the case, all growing exceptionally lush and full of vitality.

"Jade Wood belongs to the life-element category. It is suitable for almost all Martial Artists. After use, it prolongs life and greatly strengthens the body's vitality. Even some minor injuries can heal on their own."

This made Su Bei's eyes light up.

This sort of Ascension Secret Treasure was completely versatile. Strengthening the body could hardly ever be the wrong choice.

But before he could hesitate, Hou Feng spoke for him. "Put this one on hold for now. It will not be too late to decide after seeing all the treasures."

Naturally, Su Bei readily agreed.

A piece of condensed, burning rock. The air inside the display case rippled as though it were aflame.

"This is Fire Rock Essence. After using it to open the Body Gate, one's affinity with fire greatly increases. At the same time, when circulating source power, the skin becomes like magma."

An ice crystal that froze everything. It was deathly still, as though even one's gaze could be frozen alongside it.

"Unmelting Ice. If Snow Silkworm Ice is more commonly absorbed by female Martial Artists, then Unmelting Ice is more favored by male Martial Artists. Its effects are similar to Snow Silkworm Ice, but it is colder and more austere."

A patch of utterly ordinary-looking brown soil.

"Earth Core Soil. This Mystic Treasure can generally only be found ten thousand meters underground. It carries the heaviness of the earth and is favored by Martial Artists cultivating earth-element abilities. There is also quite a large quantity of it. Many Legendary Martial Artists use it in their cultivation as well."

After seeing more than a dozen Ascension Secret Treasures in succession, Su Bei's horizons had truly been broadened.

Yet aside from Jade Wood, none of the other treasures held much attraction for him. They felt somewhat tasteless to keep, but regrettable to discard.

Just as Su Bei thought Jade Wood would be his final choice, they arrived at the last display case.

Hou Feng pressed the button, and the item within appeared.

It was a black stone the size of a fist, its surface uneven and unremarkable in every way.

"Looks like Jade Wood will be your final choice after all."

Hou Feng spoke somewhat helplessly. "This also counts as an A-grade Mystic Treasure. It is called Meteorite. The energy it contains is quite abundant, but the Martial Artists who used it to open the Body Gate have not displayed anything particularly remarkable so far. Only those who cultivate sun and moon energy seem to undergo some changes, so it does suit you in that regard."

"But those changes are extremely subtle. You must decide for yourself."

"Compared to the other treasures, this thing also seems to be a fragment of a meteorite, and its quantity is scarce, which is why it is kept here. Still, it is hard to say. With many treasures, people initially fail to recognize their value. Only after someone benefits from them do they become precious."

This thing had been in the association for nearly thirty years. It was an old relic, having arrived even before Hou Feng.

But because it merely contained abundant energy and had no other remarkable qualities, almost no one chose it. That was why it had been placed in the deepest section.

Hou Feng asked out of habit, "How does it feel to you?"

Yet he had not expected Su Bei to open his eyes, his gaze filled with burning intensity.

"President Hou, this one!"

Meteorite held an incredibly strong attraction for him!

What surprised him even more was that even the trace of Emperor Sun Aura resting quietly in the depths of his heart had begun to stir!

Even its rate of absorption had become much faster!

Work held me up a little today, so this came later than usual. Please support the story with follow-up reading at the start of the month. Thank you, everyone.