A-Rank Ascension Secret Treasure: Meteorite

The next morning, Su Bei arrived at the Association on time.

Liu Shan didn't accompany him. Su Bei went alone and was quickly led to a reception room by a staff member.

When he arrived, there were already quite a few people in the room.

He had thought he was the earliest, but it turned out he was the latest.

They were all among the top ten in the martial evaluation. Su Bei had some impression of most of them.

Zhai Feng was among them, sitting with another slightly older man, chatting about something.

When he saw Su Bei enter, he snorted lightly and didn't even look at him.

It was clear he still held a grudge from their previous encounter.

However, he didn't dare to be too loud. After all, Su Bei's performance that day had left a deep impression on him. His uncle had also warned him afterward, so he remembered the grudge but didn't dare to act on it too much.

Su Bei didn't really mind, though.

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

The Wei siblings, whom he had met that day, were also here. They had been ranked outside the top ten previously, but they might have managed to secure a spot in the top ten.

When she saw Su Bei looking over, Wei Ting pouted and darted her eyes away, which looked rather amusing.

The top ten in each martial evaluation actually formed a network. After all, there was a sense of camaraderie, and generally, they got along well.

However, this session was clearly different. The rule changes had almost encouraged students to fight each other, like a "gu-raising" competition to determine the strongest. As long as they didn't intend to kill anyone, the rescue personnel wouldn't intervene. In this session, many people not only couldn't become friends but had even become sworn enemies.

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

They didn't have to wait long.

A door opened, and a lean old man entered. He wasn't tall, looking a bit like a little old man, but his aura was incredibly intimidating. As he walked, it seemed like faint gusts of wind swirled around him, and a sharp energy that could sting the eyes.

"I am Hou Feng, the Vice President of the Association. I'm in charge of your Ascension Secret Treasure selection and handover today."

Hou Feng didn't seem easy to talk to. His tone was stiff, and his gaze was like a knife. He swept his eyes over everyone, and it truly felt like a cold blade cutting across their skin, involuntarily raising goosebumps.

Su Bei was startled. This was a sign of mastery in swordsmanship!

Regardless of his strength, Hou Feng's swordsmanship alone was the strongest Su Bei had ever seen!

The murmuring crowd fell silent.

Led by Hou Feng and two others, the group passed through layers of buildings, descending two flights of stairs before finally arriving at a massive steel door. Its surface was a bright silver, resembling a bank vault seen in movies.

There were two guards at the door, one responsible for recording. Even Hou Feng needed to register to enter.

Reaching this point, even the usually calm Su Bei couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, let alone the others.

Even their breathing had become heavy and flushed.

Ascension Secret Treasure!

This was the most crucial item for becoming a Martial Artist, even more critical than the Gene Method. It was the guarantee of a Martial Artist's strength after opening the Secret Treasury Gate!

Ascension Secret Treasures carried their own properties, and when opening the Secret Treasury Gate, they could alter a Martial Artist's genes and even their innate talent. This was equivalent to a brand-new chance at life, and no one would take it lightly!

For instance, if one used a water-elemental Ascension Secret Treasure, the Martial Artist's genes would naturally develop an affinity for water-elemental energy.

It could even be said that if the Ascension Secret Treasure was chosen poorly, it would directly impact everything in one's martial arts career!

The reason everyone chose to participate in the martial evaluation was for this Ascension Secret Treasure. Otherwise, many people present already had the strength to open the Secret Treasury Gate directly.

"Once you go in, don't wander around randomly. You top ten can only choose B-grade Ascension Secret Treasures."

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

After everyone had registered, Hou Feng turned around and said.

This was not surprising to anyone. In previous years, whether it was the first or the tenth, the range of Ascension Secret Treasures to choose from was B-grade and below. Higher grades were too expensive. It wasn't that they were given away for free.

Especially for B-grade and below Ascension Secret Treasures, although they were all developed from the Void Battlefield, lower-grade treasures were artificially crafted to some extent, making them replicable. However, for A-grade, if not all, then at least the vast majority of Ascension Secret Treasures were unique existences.

Hou Feng's gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Su Bei, his expression softening slightly. "Su Bei, your authority is higher. You can choose from the A-grade ones."

His tone was no longer as stiff.

Although Hou Feng hadn't seen Su Bei that day, Fu Hongtao had since then often lamented to him, praising Su Bei as an unparalleled genius, almost impossibly rare.

He knew Fu Hongtao was a steady person. If Su Bei wasn't truly outstanding, Fu Hongtao wouldn't still be so impressed days later. Naturally, he developed a favorable impression.

Furthermore, he was aware of the Void Battlefield incident. He himself had fought his way up from the Void Battlefield. It was an opportunity, but it also contained immense danger. For someone with Su Bei's talent to still resolutely choose this path was truly not easy.

A little preferential treatment was warranted.

Su Bei was stunned, his face beaming with joy. He quickly nodded, "Yes!"

Needless to say, this must be a benefit given because he was about to enter the Shattered Battlefield.

After all, they were required to open the Secret Treasury Gate in the Shattered Battlefield. If the mission failed due to insufficient strength, the loss would be too great!

"No..."

The expressions of the others changed. Some impatient individuals subconsciously wanted to question it, but seeing Hou Feng's knife-like gaze sweep over them, they immediately fell silent, not daring to utter a word.

The strong are beyond doubt.

However, the expressions of envy, jealousy, and indignation on their faces were impossible to hide.

The gap between Class A and Class B is enormous. If Su Bei could find a Class A Secret Treasure that suited him and become a Martial Artist with it, his strength and potential would be greatly enhanced once again!

Zhai Feng's expression, in particular, was almost impossible to conceal. He felt that Su Bei had stolen his opportunity. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but upon hearing this news now, his feelings were beyond description.

His gaze towards Su Bei was filled with nothing but hostility.

"Let's go in."

After Hou Feng finished speaking, he took the lead, guiding everyone into the Association's armory.

While the armory was heavily guarded outside, the interior was much simpler and not very large, appearing to be only about the size of a football field. Items were arranged in a square formation, spaced about a meter apart, each placed within a transparent glass display case. Some of these even included instruments.

"Our Tianhu City Martial Artist Association currently has fourteen types of Class A Ascension Secret Treasures, one hundred and thirty-four types of Class B Ascension Secret Treasures, and two hundred and thirty-seven types of Class C Secret Treasures. Ascension Secret Treasures below this level are not displayed here."

"Ascension Secret Treasures are precious, and each has a specific preservation method. Especially for some Secret Treasures with conflicting attributes, if they are placed together carelessly, it is easy to damage the Secret Treasures and reduce their effectiveness."

Accompanying them were the two staff members, responsible for briefly introducing the attributes and effects of various Secret Treasures to everyone.

"Ascension Secret Treasures are consumables. In essence, they are similar to potions. Although there are many types here, Ascension Secret Treasures are needed every time the Secret Treasury Gate is opened. Some powerful individuals can even use them to continue strengthening themselves without opening the Secret Treasury Gate."

"When you cultivate to that level, even if you choose a Class B Ascension Secret Treasure now, you may still have the opportunity to absorb Class A or even higher-level Secret Treasures in the future."

"Therefore, Secret Treasures are constantly being consumed, and sometimes they are even transferred to other base cities."

Perhaps sensing that several of them had been significantly stimulated by Su Bei, the staff members offered some words of comfort.

Although this was common knowledge, hearing it from someone else still made them feel a little better.

"This is a Class B Ascension Secret Treasure, the Flame Skull, a product from the Void Battlefield [Flaming Mountain]."

At a glass display case, a staff member introduced it briefly.

Inside the glass display case was a skull that couldn't be identified as belonging to any specific creature. It was only palm-sized, but the bone was crystal clear, with a hot red glow flickering on its surface, as if made of crystal.

"For Martial Artists who cultivate fire-element Gene Methods, the Flame Skull is also an excellent choice. After absorption, the entire skeletal structure will be tempered by flames, enhancing its strength and also providing a certain boost to the cultivation of fire-element Gene Methods.

Also, although this thing looks like fire, the temperature of the skull itself is not actually very high.

Most Ascension Secret Treasures are actually the solidification of energy density."

Although Su Bei's talent was strong, he hadn't seen many valuable things due to his family's financial situation.

This Flame Skull was the first physical object he had seen in reality, so he was quite curious and leaned in to get a good look.

His body's genes also instinctively felt a stir.

A flicker of realization flashed in Su Bei's eyes.

This was what everyone had been talking about: "feel it carefully."

The process of a Martial Artist's cultivation is essentially a process of continuous gene evolution. People can deceive themselves, but genes cannot. They will have an instinctive craving for substances that can strengthen them.

The stronger the Martial Artist, the more powerful their life magnetic field, allowing their genes to sense things even from thousands of meters away.

He cultivated the [Great Sun Hanging Sky Gene Method], and the Solar Energy and fire-element energy had some commonalities. It was normal for him to react to fire-element Secret Treasures.

However, Su Bei clearly wouldn't waste such a precious opportunity here, so he only glanced at it and moved away from the display case.

"Su Bei, come with me."

Hou Feng beckoned from the front, and Su Bei quickly followed, leaving behind a crowd of envious and jealous gazes.

"The Class A display is still inside. I'll take you there."

Hou Feng said as he slowed his pace, chatting casually, "How have your preparations been going recently?"

Without his sharp demeanor, Hou Feng looked like just an ordinary person.

"I've prepared quite thoroughly,"

Su Bei said with a wry smile. "But as you know, once you go to a place like that, you never know what you'll encounter. I can only say that it's better to be prepared than not."

"Survival is important."

Hou Feng spoke like a seasoned old man. "I haven't been to that kind of place myself, but no matter what stage you're at, life is the most important thing. With life, you have everything, understand?"

He had retreated to the second line. At their level, they had experienced everything – power, money, and even beauty.

Their bodies were gradually aging, and their strength was no longer advancing rapidly.

Instead, they saw their own reflections in the young people. They were more than willing to nurture talented individuals and didn't deliberately put on airs.

The appointment of leaders for the Martial Artist Associations in various base cities underwent stringent vetting and selection processes because they were the most crucial link in the nationwide martial arts system. If problems arose with them, it would be equivalent to problems with the new blood, which would eventually spread throughout the entire body.

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

In just a few words, the two arrived at the Class A area.

This area was much more spacious. Each Ascension Secret Treasure was separated by nearly ten meters, and the glass display cases were treated with special methods, making it impossible to see what was inside.

In front of the first display case, Hou Feng pressed a button, which then revealed the next Secret Treasure.

It was a thumb-sized, snow-white, translucent silkworm-like ice. It looked as if a silkworm was about to break free from the ice at any moment. The display case was about three meters large, and the entire interior seemed to be frozen by ice and snow. Even through the thick glass layer, Su Bei felt as if he could sense the chilling cold that could freeze everything.

"This is the Snow Silkworm Ice. It was collected from the ice plains by a former Martial Artist from Tianhu City. It contains astonishing ice and snow energy. If a Martial Artist cultivating water-element Gene Methods absorbs it, their bones and skin will become like jade, and with every movement, ice-element energy will follow."

"How about it? Interested?"

Su Bei shook his head. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but rather that he found it somewhat unappealing.

These were completely contradictory. Unless he completely abandoned his current Gene Method and switched to a water-element Gene Method, this item held no value for him.

The next display stand.

On it was placed an incredibly emerald-green short piece of wood. Inside the display case, several flowers and plants had been deliberately planted, all growing exceptionally robustly and full of life.

"Jade Wood, it belongs to the life-element energy and is suitable for almost all Martial Artists. Using it will extend your lifespan and greatly strengthen your vitality. Minor injuries can even recover on their own."

This did make Su Bei's eyes light up.

Such Ascension Secret Treasures were completely versatile; after all, strengthening the physical body could never go wrong.

But before he could hesitate, Hou Feng had already spoken for him, "Let's put this one on hold for now. It's not too late to make a decision after we've seen all the Secret Treasures."

Su Bei, of course, went along with his suggestion.

A condensed, burning rock. The air within the display case rippled as if it were burning.

"This is Fire Rock Essence. After using it to open the Body Gate, your affinity for the fire element will greatly increase, and when you circulate your Origin Energy, your skin will feel like lava."

A frost that froze everything. Lifeless, as if it could freeze one's gaze as well.

"Unmelting Ice. If Snow Silkworm Ice is more favored by female Martial Artists, then Unmelting Ice is more preferred by male Martial Artists. Its effects are similar to Snow Silkworm Ice, but it's a bit colder and more severe."

A pile of ordinary-looking brown sand and soil.

"Earth Core Soil. This is a Secret Treasure that generally requires descending tens of thousands of meters underground to find. It carries the weight of the earth and is favored by earth-element Martial Artists. Its quantity is not small, and many Legendary-level Martial Artists use it during their cultivation."

After viewing over a dozen Ascension Secret Treasures, Su Bei's horizons were greatly broadened.

However, apart from the Jade Wood, the other Secret Treasures didn't hold much attraction for Su Bei. They felt like something you couldn't quite enjoy but also felt a shame to discard.

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

The button was pressed, and the item within emerged.

It was a black stone block, about the size of a fist, with an uneven surface. It looked quite ordinary.

"It seems the final choice will be the Jade Wood."

Hou Feng said with a hint of helplessness, "This is also considered an A-grade Secret Treasure, called Meteorite. The energy contained within it is quite abundant, but Martial Artists who have used it to open their Body Gate haven't shown anything particularly extraordinary so far. However, Martial Artists who cultivate solar and lunar energy seem to experience some changes, which might align with you."

"But these changes are very subtle, so you'll have to decide for yourself."

"Also, compared to other Secret Treasures, this thing seems to be a part of a meteorite, and its quantity is scarce, which is why it's placed here. However, it's hard to say; many Secret Treasures aren't recognized at first, and only become precious after someone benefits from them."

This item had been in the Association for nearly thirty years, making it an old-timer, even arriving earlier than him.

But because its energy was simply too abundant, with no other remarkable features, very few people had chosen it, which was why it was placed in the deepest part.

Hou Feng habitually asked, "How do you feel about it?"

Unexpectedly, Su Bei opened his eyes, his gaze filled with fervent excitement.

"President Hou, it's this one!"

This [Meteorite] attracted him immensely!

What surprised him even more was that even the trace of Emperor Sun Aura that had been quietly residing deep within his heart began to stir!

Even its absorption speed had increased significantly!

My work took a bit longer today, so I'm a bit late. I'm requesting your continued support at the beginning of the month. Thank you, everyone.