Rapid Improvement! Awakening?

Buying just one bottle cost one million Star Coins.

After three rounds of verification by password, fingerprint, and facial recognition,

Fang Yu received a notification: "Purchase successful."

More notifications appeared on his phone. "This product will be dispatched from the Guangling City headquarters and delivered within twelve hours at the latest. Please confirm your address and contact information again."

Phew!

After confirming them again, Fang Yu slowly began to relax.

Even though he had planned it long ago, spending one million Star Coins at once still made Fang Yu's heart tremble... During the previous summer vacation, he had used treasures worth two million Star Coins, but his father had bought those, so he hadn't felt it as keenly.

This time, he had spent the money himself.

"The martial path is paved with gold."

Now that I've set foot on this path, I can't begrudge the money. Fang Yu quickly adjusted his mindset. As long as I can raise my life level as soon as possible, it'll be worth it even if I spend every last coin.

Fang Yu slept soundly that night.

He got up at three as usual and went to the underground martial arts room. After taking a Qi and Blood Mixture and a Bone-Strengthening Pill, he began a new day of training.

No matter how many medicines and treasures I have, I still need to train persistently.

Only by practicing fist techniques and saber techniques and circulating my qi and blood again and again can I gain increasingly subtle control over my body. Fang Yu's mind was utterly calm. Once I reach the ultimate limit, where there's no further room for improvement, I'll be close to the Inner Landscape in my skills.

Lesser Mastery of Minute Subtlety meant unifying one's muscles and bones, allowing perfect coordination of one's own strength.

Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety, on the other hand, meant using Dark Force for an instantaneous burst. Generally speaking, one's maximum explosive strength could reach at least 1.5 times one's base strength.

If a burst of qi and blood Dark Force brought one's maximum explosive strength to twice one's base strength, that essentially meant one had reached Peak Subtlety and could enter the Inner Landscape at any moment.

Although Fang Yu's bodily skills had reached Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety, and even his saber technique had reached Subtlety, his explosive strength was still quite a way from Peak Subtlety.

He could only continue training hard.

One day of practice earns one day's progress; one day without practice wastes a hundred days' work. Fang Yu knew how arduous the martial path was.

Martial arts were not immortal cultivation; there was no such thing as attaining eternity in a single breakthrough.

Even those with exceptional skills

would see their bodily skills decline if they slacked off for too long and stopped practicing their fists and weapons. Some experts at Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety had grown complacent for years and eventually become unable to unleash even Dark Force.

However,

Fang Yu did not find it unpleasant. On the contrary, he enjoyed it and took pleasure in it.

In fact, that was also why Fang Yu had been able to persevere for so many years. Only by immersing oneself in something and truly loving it from the bottom of one's heart could one make the greatest progress.

Time passed.

After five,

Fang Long and Fang Siyue came to the underground martial arts room and immediately saw their eldest brother, who had already been training for some time. They didn't dare speak to Fang Yu and simply began training alongside him.

After the morning training session, the family ate breakfast.

"Dad." Fang Yu walked Fang Ping'an out of their courtyard.

"You'll have to take part in actual combat as soon as you get to Huguang Martial Arts University." Fang Ping'an looked at his son, a trace of worry flashing through his eyes. "I know this is a path every powerful martial artist has to take. No one can avoid it."

"Your mother took this path back then."

"Now it's your turn, and your younger brother and sister will have to take it in the future too." Fang Ping'an sighed softly.

Fang Yu could only remain silent.

Actual combat on the Primordial Star was a fight to the death. His father had attended a martial arts college, after all, so it was easy for him to learn some basic information.

"On the martial path, you're better than me, so I won't give you any advice about that."

"But I've spent decades in business. I've made a fortune and come close to bankruptcy, and I've had several great rises and falls... I've learned a thing or two." Fang Ping'an said, "I know there's a popular saying in martial artist circles: wealth and honor are sought amid danger."

"But many people don't know the whole saying."

"As your father, let me pass it on to you."

"'Wealth and honor are sought amid danger, but they are also lost amid danger. When seeking them, one in ten succeeds; when losing them, nine in ten do. A true man must cast aside any hope of getting lucky, temper himself a hundred times into steel, and build on every second of effort before he can astonish the world.'" Fang Ping'an looked at Fang Yu. "So don't take risks lightly. Stay alive! Only by staying alive can you have everything."

"Come back alive to see your family."

Stay alive!

That was Fang Ping'an's final parting advice to Fang Yu.

After ten that morning, two martial artists from the Starlight Group personally delivered the goods to his door. After verifying his identity and signing for them, Fang Yu finally received the Crimson Star Pills he had been longing for.

Afterward,

Fang Yu asked his younger brother and sister not to disturb him for the time being, then went straight back to the underground martial arts room and took out the exquisitely packaged Crimson Star Pills.

The product description had called it "one bottle,"

but in fact, the pills were individually placed inside a specially made small metal case.

"Ten pills in one bottle, a hundred thousand Star Coins each." Fang Yu carefully took out a Crimson Star Pill. It was the size of a thumb, with streaks of crimson across its surface.

Waves of a strange fragrance wafted from the pill.

The mere scent instinctively stirred a desire in Fang Yu to swallow it.

It smells wonderful. Fang Yu marveled inwardly. He also understood that this was not a true fragrance, but an instinctive desire for life to evolve.

It was like how one could struggle to control oneself when lust flared up.

The temptation Star Power held for weak life-forms was much the same.

Forcing down his desire, Fang Yu read through the instructions once more. After making sure he had memorized every precaution, he swallowed the Crimson Star Pill in one gulp.

"Sizzle~"

The moment the Crimson Star Pill entered his stomach, his Innate Divine Ability, Devour, took effect. Waves of strange, mysterious energy immediately surged through his limbs and bones, rapidly spreading to every part of Fang Yu's body.

His arms, legs, chest, internal organs, and even his brain were all nourished by this strange energy at once.

The energy came rushing in with tremendous force!

Yet it was quite gentle.

"Ah~~" Fang Yu couldn't help moaning. An unprecedented sense of comfort and a shivering sensation made his body tremble involuntarily.

Invisible Star Power poured in wildly and was naturally devoured by his utterly starved body.

Like sweet rain after a long drought!

At that moment, Fang Yu's muscles and bones were not merely changing; he was undergoing an evolutionary transformation at the genetic level. It was an astonishing transformation that reached down to his cells, and it caused his physical condition to improve rapidly.

As expected.

According to the college course "Source of Star Power," when martial artists who awaken their Void Star Aspect late absorb Star Power for the first time, the effects of their first training session are the best because their bodies have never absorbed it before... Fang Yu marveled inwardly. The increase in their life level is also the most astonishing.

The next few training sessions after the first will also be very effective, and only afterward will things return to normal.

Although I haven't awakened my Void Star Aspect, swallowing a Crimson Star Pill is like a normal martial artist absorbing Star Power for the first time after awakening their Void Star Aspect... It can likewise bring about a qualitative change. Fang Yu was filled with anticipation.

And!

My Innate Divine Ability, Devour, really does work. According to the instructions, after taking a Crimson Star Pill, I should feel pain in my body, and some impurities should affect it... But I haven't experienced any of that. Every strand of Star Power is incomparably pure. Fang Yu's eyes shone. In other words, for me, this Crimson Star Pill is about as effective as a Dragon Star Pill.

The effects were similar, but the price was only one-fifth that of a Dragon-Shaped Pill.

Sizzle~ Star Power kept pouring out of his stomach, wildly strengthening Fang Yu's body as though there were no bottleneck at all... Forty minutes later,

the effects of the Crimson Star Pill gradually faded.

Hungry!

I'm so hungry! Fang Yu felt terribly uncomfortable. Without much hesitation, he immediately got up, opened the case, and quickly swallowed a second Crimson Star Pill.

This time, the effects faded again after only half an hour, and Fang Yu swallowed a third pill immediately.

Just like that,

one pill after another.

The expensive Crimson Star Pills were steadily consumed. Every cell in Fang Yu's body underwent one astonishing transformation after another, and countless useless impurities were expelled from them.

His bones grew denser, his skin tougher...

As Fang Yu's life level continued to soar, his spiritual power also surged.

In the blink of an eye, it was after three in the afternoon. Only after taking the ninth Crimson Star Pill did Fang Yu feel his body's frenzied transformation gradually slow and return to normal.

It was as though he had eaten until he was completely stuffed.

He couldn't eat another bite.

Nine Crimson Star Pills. With the help of my Innate Divine Ability, Devour, I absorbed their effects almost perfectly, without wasting any. That's probably equivalent to a normal martial artist taking more than ten Crimson Star Pills, and Crimson Star Pills with no side effects at that. Fang Yu slowly opened his eyes. The effects of absorbing Star Power for the first time really are astonishing.

A Crimson Star Pill with no side effects was a Dragon Star Pill.

Phew!

Fang Yu got to his feet and let out a long breath, then gently closed his eyes.

In an instant, his consciousness reached that mysterious place. In the center, the enormous Sleeping Star Aspect was now fully visible before Fang Yu, its face and features perfectly clear.

"Hm?" Fang Yu froze.

In the past, this enormous Sleeping Star Aspect had remained motionless.

Now,

without him noticing, it seemed to have crossed some threshold. Its massive body had actually begun to rise and fall faintly, as though breathing, and it could awaken at any moment.

At the same time,

Fang Yu sensed several pieces of information being conveyed through the Sleeping Star Aspect:

--

Aspect Observer

Life level: 21.0 (Intermediate Martial Artist)

Martial arts skills: Advanced Subtlety (qi and blood and weapons at Subtlety)

Soul level: 24.3

Void Star Aspect: unknown (first-stage awakening imminent)

Innate Divine Ability one: Devour (increases digestion speed and effectiveness after swallowing various rare treasures)

Innate Divine Ability two: unknown (please strive to become a higher-level life-form)

"First-stage awakening?" Fang Yu froze at once. Could it be that my Void Star Aspect has to awaken in different stages?

--

P.S. I'll do my best with the updates.

During a new book's initial period, I can't update too quickly. I've posted 90,000 Chinese characters in 13 days, averaging 7,000 a day. I won't say that's very fast, but I'm basically updating right up to the limit. Thanks for your support, brothers.