Exchange for the Basic Thunder-Type Superpower!

Li Yao hailed a cab straight from the Special Operations Bureau and returned to Li Family Manor.

As soon as he walked through the front door, he saw Li Wenbin sitting in the living room with a newspaper in his hands. It looked like he was waiting for him.

"Young master, you're back."

Li Wenbin set down the newspaper and rose with a smile.

"How was the Special Operations Bureau?"

Li Yao walked over, dropped onto the sofa, and let out a breath.

"Not bad. Better than I expected."

"From outside, it looks like a run-down farmhouse, but inside, it's a whole other world. Literally—a separate pocket world."

Li Wenbin's eyes lit up as he sat opposite Li Yao.

"Oh? A pocket world? That must have taken some serious resources."

"It's huge. Pavilions, towers, the works. There's even a lake with lotus flowers floating on it, and it's rich in Spiritual Qi."

As he spoke, Li Yao picked up a glass of water from the table and took a sip.

"I also joined a Special Operations Bureau intern group chat. There are over a hundred people in it, all interns from this year."

"That's good. Once you're in the Special Operations Bureau, you have an official position. Things will be much easier for you from now on."

Li Wenbin nodded, relief showing on his face.

He had never been to the Special Operations Bureau himself, but after so many years in the Imperial Capital as a Ninth Rank advanced Martial Master, he had dealt with its people plenty of times.

He knew a thing or two about what went on inside.

Still, he enjoyed hearing Li Yao tell him about it firsthand.

"By the way, Uncle Bin."

Li Yao suddenly set down his glass and looked at Li Wenbin.

"Can you tell me about the realms beyond Ninth Rank Martial Master?"

Li Wenbin paused, then smiled.

"Of course."

His expression grew serious as he looked at Li Yao.

"There's a saying for the realms beyond Ninth Rank Martial Master: first comes God, second Saint, third Emperor, fourth Sovereign, fifth King, and sixth Venerable."

"Each realm is divided into nine levels."

"After breaking through Ninth Rank Martial Master, you enter the Martial Venerable Realm."

Li Yao nodded and listened closely.

"Only when you reach the Martial Venerable Realm do you truly begin cultivating."

"Before the Martial Venerable Realm, the Spiritual Power we produce by absorbing Spiritual Qi can barely do more than temper our meridians and bodies or help us fight. But Martial Masters are poor at storing Spiritual Power. Often, one or two martial techniques are enough to drain us dry."

"Once you become a Martial Venerable, a vortex forms in your Dantian. The Spiritual Qi you absorb passes through it, turns into Spiritual Liquid, and drips into your Dantian. Your Dantian becomes a reservoir for Spiritual Power. Then using martial techniques won't drain you nearly as much."

Li Wenbin gestured as he spoke.

"At the first level of Martial Venerable, you need to condense enough Spiritual Liquid in your Dantian to cover a radius of one zhang."

"That's where a cultivator's aptitude comes in. Someone of average aptitude can usually expand it by only one zhang per level. Even at the ninth level of Martial Venerable, it will have a radius of just nine zhang."

"But some geniuses start the first level with a Spiritual Liquid radius of ten zhang. By the ninth level, that's ninety zhang."

"To enter the Martial King Realm, you need to expand your Dantian to a radius of a hundred zhang."

Li Wenbin paused.

"In other words, only geniuses have any hope of reaching the next realm."

Li Yao listened intently.

"Uncle Bin, who's the most talented person you've ever met?"

"The most talented person I've ever met isn't the old master. It's your father."

"My dad?"

Li Yao was startled.

"That's right. When the old master broke through to the first level of Martial Venerable, his Spiritual Liquid reached a radius of ninety zhang. The world already saw him as a prodigy. But when your father broke through, he reached a full hundred zhang!"

Li Yao sucked in a breath.

He thought of his father, the Martial Emperor. He had never imagined his father's talent surpassed even his Martial Saint grandfather's.

"Besides talent, is there any other way to increase it?"

"Yes."

Li Wenbin nodded.

"There are Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."

"If your talent falls short, you can make up for it with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. More than a hundred known spiritual herbs can expand the Dantian. But herbs like that are impossible to find, no matter how much you're willing to pay."

Li Yao nodded thoughtfully.

"The young master is very talented too. I wonder what you'll achieve when you break through to Martial Venerable."

Li Wenbin smiled, anticipation in his eyes.

Li Yao rubbed his chin.

"We'll find out then."

The two chatted a while longer as the sky gradually darkened.

After the servants prepared dinner, Li Yao ate and returned to his room.

He closed the door and sat cross-legged on the bed.

"System."

"Ding! What do you need, Host?"

"Come out. I want to exchange for something."

"Ding! What would you like, Host?"

Li Yao thought it over and decided to spend some Background Value on a Superpower.

He had 142,000 Background Value. He might as well use some of it.

As for which Superpower to get, he went back and forth before settling on the Thunder-Type Superpower.

Thunder-Type Superpower had strong attacks and explosive power. In short, it dealt heavy damage with the left hand and even heavier damage with the right.

He opened the system shop.

Heaven-Rank Cultivation Technique "Nine-Turn Profound Art" — Exchanged, progress: 100%

Earth-Rank Cultivation Technique "Primordial Unity Art" — Background Value: 30,000

Spirit Artifact "Heaven-Piercing Sword" — Background Value: 80,000

Pill "Marrow-Cleansing Pill" — Background Value: 10,000

Superpower "Fire-Type Superpower" — Background Value: 20,000

Superpower "Thunder-Type Superpower" — Background Value: 25,000

Superpower "Wind-Type Superpower" — Background Value: 18,000

"System, exchange for the Thunder-Type Superpower."

"Ding! Exchanging for the Thunder-Type Superpower costs 25,000 Background Value. Confirm exchange?"

"Do it."

Ding! Exchange successful. 25,000 Background Value deducted. Host's current Background Value balance: 117,000.

As soon as the words faded, Li Yao felt a surge of heat well up inside him.

It traveled through his meridians and finally gathered at his Dantian.

Then information about the Thunder-Type Superpower appeared in his mind.

Basic Thunder-Type Superpower: Control Mortal Thunder Power. Can be used for attack, defense, and support.

"Wait, System, you screwed me over again? What do you mean, Basic Thunder-Type Superpower? I spent twenty-five thousand on an inferior version?"

Li Yao was speechless. This damned system kept finding new ways to squeeze him dry.

"Ding! This system offers fair deals to all. Mortal Thunder Power is already the strongest your current body can withstand. Once you break through to a higher realm, you can upgrade your Basic Thunder-Type Superpower!"

"How much Background Value will that upgrade cost?"

"Ding! For just 250,000 Background Value, you can obtain the Intermediate Thunder-Type Superpower, control Tribulation Thunder Power, and increase its might a hundredfold."

"Ten times... the price..."

Li Yao froze.

"Don't you have a conscience?"

"Ding! This system has no conscience."

"...Forget it. Exchange for a Marrow-Cleansing Pill too. I want to try one."

Ding! Exchange successful. 10,000 Background Value deducted. Host's current Background Value balance: 107,000.

With a thought, Li Yao made a black pill appear in his hand.

He tipped back his head and swallowed it in one gulp!