Here We Go Again, Peak Body Tempering

The Martial Arts Association sold beast crystals in another building not far away. Ten minutes later, the two arrived.

"Sir, the first floor is the ferocious beast crystal sales area. Demonic beast crystals are sold on the floors above," the staff member explained.

Qin Chen nodded, looked around, and headed straight for the fire-element beast crystal counter.

The prices and quality of the crystals here were clearly marked.

He looked straight at the high-grade beast crystal. Its price was exactly fifty thousand.

"Would you like to buy this beast crystal, sir?" the saleswoman asked with a professional smile.

Just then, the staff member behind Qin Chen stepped forward. "Xiao Zhou, sir just passed his martial artist certification. He gets twenty percent off!"

Xiao Zhou was startled. Anyone who passed certification before turning eighteen received a discount on beast crystals. It was a benefit for geniuses.

Those certified at Early Body Tempering got ten percent off. Twenty percent off meant he was at Mid Body Tempering.

"Sir!" she corrected herself at once. "This beast crystal will only cost you forty thousand!"

Qin Chen was surprised too, but he was very satisfied with the price. Forty thousand was already below market price.

"Pack it up for me!"

"Right away!" Xiao Zhou replied excitedly.

After taking the beast crystal, Qin Chen walked out of the building and turned to the staff member. "Where's the restroom?"

"Sir, it's just up ahead." The staff member pointed ahead.

"Wait here for me!" Qin Chen took the beast crystal and headed toward the restroom.

He didn't enter the restroom. Instead, he found a deserted spot, took out the beast crystal, and swallowed it whole.

At once, that familiar sensation returned.

[Ding! Fire-element ferocious beast crystal devoured successfully. Your body's fire-element energy tempering has reached 100%.]

"Peak Body Tempering!" Qin Chen was delighted. He had skipped right over the late stage and reached the peak.

[Ding! You have completed Mission 3 (Hell Mode). Your rewards have been issued.]

He looked into the system space. A wind-element ferocious beast crystal and an ice-element sensitivity enhancement pill had appeared.

With a flip of his hand, the beast crystal appeared in his palm. Without any hesitation, he tossed it into his mouth.

[Ding! Devouring successful. Your body's wind-element energy tempering has reached 45%.]

"Only forty-five percent. Looks like the degree of body tempering is related to talent."

His wind-element talent was S-rank, two ranks below his fire-element talent, which affected his tempering progress.

Even so, his tempering progress had just reached the threshold for the middle stage.

He then swallowed the ice-element sensitivity enhancement pill.

[Ding! Your ice-element sensitivity has increased to 8.]

[Ding! Your ice-element talent has risen to SS-rank.]

"Three elements now!" Qin Chen smiled.

Although he hadn't begun cultivating the ice element, he was qualified to do so now. It was only a matter of time.

Next, he glanced at his information panel.

Name: Qin Chen

Fire-element realm: Peak Body Tempering

Wind-element realm: Mid Body Tempering (tempering progress: 45%)

Ice-element realm: None

Innate skill: Devour

Combat power: 150

"My combat power has already surpassed the peak of single-element body tempering!" Qin Chen was both surprised and delighted.

Most cultivators had only one element. Those with two were one in ten thousand, and as for three, no such person had ever been recorded.

Under normal circumstances, someone at Peak Body Tempering with one element had around 100 combat power, while someone at Middle Body Training had around 25.

With one element at Peak Body Tempering and another at Mid Body Tempering, his combat power should normally have added up to 125. But it had already surpassed that, showing that combining two elements was more than a simple one plus one.

What was more, his wind element hadn't reached the peak yet. Once it did, his combat power would be even more formidable.

More frightening still, he had three elements. Once he cultivated the ice element as well, his true combat power might approach that of a One-Star Martial Artist.

The combat power threshold for a One-Star Martial Artist was 300. It was entirely possible.

At that thought, he willed the panel to change from his information to his talent information.

Fire-element talent: SSS

Wind-element talent: S

Ice-element talent: SS

"My ice-element talent is better than my wind-element talent. Next, I'll aim to bring both realms to the peak at the same time." Qin Chen smiled, brimming with confidence.

As for breaking through to One-Star Martial Artist, he could only take it slowly over the next seven days.

After all, to break through to One-Star Martial Artist, he had to form an elemental mark. It couldn't be done in a single step.

"Sir!" The staff member saw Qin Chen approaching. "The exit is this way. Let me drive you back!"

"No need. What's your name?" Qin Chen asked.

"My name is Wu Fang. You can call me Xiao Fang, sir!" the staff member said hurriedly, delighted.

Qin Chen asking her name proved that she had made some impression on him.

Qin Chen nodded. "Xiao Fang, how much is the reward if someone under eighteen is certified at Late Body Training? And how much for the peak?"

"Sir, it's a hundred thousand for Late Body Tempering and two hundred thousand for the peak!"

Wu Fang continued, "If you come back for certification next time and still haven't turned eighteen, you can receive another hundred thousand."

She could also tell that Qin Chen wasn't a rich young master and seemed to be in a hurry for money. Though she didn't understand why he had bought a beast crystal, he surely had his reasons.

[Announcement from Rongcheng City]

Suddenly, a voice rang out over the entire city.

[Our city's young genius, Zhao Kuan, has become a One-Star Martial Artist. He is hereby awarded one million and one second-grade martial art.]

At that moment, the people of Rongcheng City couldn't help looking up, envy on their faces.

The reward wasn't particularly generous, but an announcement like this made a person's name carry a different weight. Receiving a reward personally from the city lord was an honor in itself.

"Zhao Kuan-that must be the Zhao Family's Zhao Kuan. The Zhao Family really is remarkable. First Zhao Liang, and now Zhao Kuan. Zhao Kuan is only twenty or so, isn't he?" Wu Fang couldn't help exclaiming in admiration when she heard the announcement.

"Do you know the Zhao Family well?" Qin Chen asked.

Wasn't Zhao Kuan his enemy?

"I don't know much about the Zhao Family itself, but I do know a little about the two brothers."

Wu Fang had worked at the Martial Artist Association for years, and she happened to have encountered both of them when they came here for certification.

"Three years ago, Zhao Liang came here and was certified as a Two-Star Martial Artist. He was only twenty-three at the time."

"And Zhao Kuan was certified at Peak Body Tempering when he was nineteen."

"Someone at Peak Body Tempering at nineteen is extremely rare in Rongcheng City. His cultivation talent is at least A-rank."

Having worked in certification for so many years, she knew quite a bit about the geniuses in Rongcheng City.

"Come on, let's go to the certification hall!" Qin Chen said.

A One-Star Martial Artist at twenty, certified at Body Training Peak at nineteen-was that really so impressive?

Wu Fang was a little puzzled as she watched Qin Chen walk away, but she hurried after him nonetheless.

"Take me to get certified again!"

"But... sir, if you fail, you'll have to pay the certification fee," Wu Fang reminded him.

She thought the citywide announcement just now must have provoked Qin Chen.

"Get the instrument!" Qin Chen offered no explanation.

With no other choice, Wu Fang got the instrument from a staff member behind the window.

At that moment, the people in the hall saw that Qin Chen had come for certification again and looked surprised.

"He's back!"

"How interesting. He couldn't have broken through just from stepping outside, could he?" The speaker smiled. Even he didn't believe what he was saying.

Just then, Qin Chen pressed his palm against the instrument.