Chapter 15: Breakthrough
In the morning, Chen Hu strode ahead, a backpack slung over his shoulders, as he made his way to school. He noticed a steamed bun shop by the roadside and, feeling a bit hungry, turned to look at Chen Chu. However, before he could utter a word, he was suddenly taken aback. "Big Bro, it seems like you've grown taller recently."
Chen Chu casually replied, "I know, it's probably because of my cultivation."
The six-horned salamander had undergone evolution, resulting in a 3 point increase in his Physique. Over the same period, diligent practice of the Body Refining Art and the careful cultivation of qi and blood contributed to the fortification of his body, leading to an additional gain of nearly 2 points in Physique.
As a result, Chen Chu had not only experienced a growth in height from 1.7 to 1.73 meters, but his once slender physique had also developed a hint of muscle tone, rendering him both taller and more athletically defined as he stood upright with confidence. Even his pallid face now boasted a hint of rosy hue, enhancing his overall attractiveness and radiating a healthier demeanor.
"Practicing cultivation can make you taller? Too bad I can't cultivate yet," Chen Hu said with a hint of envy, then pointed to the steamed bun shop.
"Big Bro, I'm a bit hungry. Can I have two steamed buns?"
Chen Chu regarded him with a puzzled expression and remarked, "If you're hungry, go ahead and buy them."
"Hehe, I'm out of money."
Chen Chu frowned. "Didn't I just give you your weekly allowance on Monday?"
"Uh… you know, I've been eating some more lately, and, well, I kind of ran out of it," Chen Hu mumbled, avoiding direct eye contact with Chen Chu.
"Really?" Chen Chu expressed doubt.
Since lunch was provided in the cafeteria, Chen Chu gave Chen Hu a weekly allowance. In addition to that, he also received a small daily allowance. Although not much, it was supposed to be enough for him to manage.
As for Chen Chu himself, he was the one who managed the household affairs. Every month, the family expenses were in his hands. After school, he took charge of buying groceries and preparing meals.
However, because he'd been raising an avatar recently, the quality of the family meals had taken a slight hit. Perhaps that was the reason.
After a moment of consideration, Chen Chu retrieved a hundred from his pocket and handed it over, expressing with a touch of irritation, "Here, take it. And next time, let me know sooner if you're running out of money."
In this world, the purchasing power of money was similar to the Earth where Chen Chu had lived in his previous life; a bowl of noodles, for example, cost around ten yuan.
Initially, Chen Chu intended to give him fifty, but upon seeing Chen Hu's robust and formidable stature at just thirteen, he sensed that fifty might not suffice for his meals. Since today was Wednesday, the hundred would be enough for Chen Hu for the next few days.
"Thanks, Big Bro." With a delighted expression, Chen Hu accepted the money, purchased two sizable steamed buns, and quickly consumed them, finishing both with just a few hearty bites.
The two of them arrived at the street intersection. On the other side, a group of teenage girls in middle school uniforms walked over and waved at Chen Hu when they spotted him.
"Chen Hu, hurry up!"
"Wait for me, bro. I'll catch up with you later."
"Go ahead."
Chen Hu ran over with a cheerful smile.
"Chen Hu, is that your brother?"
"Yup."
"Chen Hu, your brother is so handsome!"
"Of course, my brother is the handsomest. And he excels in school. He got the top spot in his grade and got into Nantian Martial Arts High School! Right now, he's cultivating true martial arts."
"Wow, your brother is amazing!"
Hearing the faint conversation from afar, Chen Chu shook his head.
***
Upon entering the classroom, Chen Chu quickly surveyed the room but didn't find Luo Fei. It appeared that she had gone to consult with the teacher about breaking through the tenth cycle and completing the Foundation Building stage.
With one more person absent, the classroom seemed even emptier, creating a sense of desolation that made most of the remaining students more restless. The morning academic class proceeded with many of them appearing distracted and unfocused.
Just half a month ago, everyone was still lively and carefree, full of laughter and chatter as new freshmen in their first year of high school. However, in a little over ten days, as individuals completed their Foundation Building stage and left, the once unified class of dozens of students had become divided. There was a growing feeling that those who achieved breakthroughs later were somehow lagging behind.
As a result, during the afternoon cultivation class, even without anyone maintaining order, each individual practiced with exceptional diligence. Yet, more often than not, the harder they worked, the deeper the sense of despair grew, as they discovered that it seemed like they truly couldn't make it.
As the school bell rang, the Vitality Crystal dimmed. Everyone in the room gradually concluded their cultivation, and fatigue was evident on most faces.
One girl couldn't withstand the silent pressure and burst into tears. "I've only managed to barely circulate vitality for five cycles until now..."
In addition to her, there were several students whose faces revealed bitterness and denial. After half a month of cultivation, their ability to circulate vitality could only reach the sixth cycle consecutively, and at the quickest, they could achieve four cycles in half an hour.
Given this situation, completing ten cycles in half an hour within a month seemed impossible for them. Even if they strained to complete their Foundation Building later, it would indicate a lack of inherent aptitude for cultivation.
Chen Chu looked at them with indifference. After a short break, he tidied up and prepared to go home.
Certainly, in any world, true strength held significant power. The ability to cultivate true martial arts and attain personal strength through one's own efforts was undoubtedly the ideal path. But having no innate talent in cultivation was simply a reality, and there was no need to force it. In this world, there were still opportunities for success in various fields beyond cultivation.
Under ordinary circumstances, Chen Chu would have been one of these individuals. His inherent physical frailty, despite having moderately good spiritual talent, would have hindered him from practicing martial arts.
With a subtle surge of emotion, Chen Chu shouldered his single-strap backpack and ambled leisurely out of the school grounds.
That night, in his bedroom, Chen Chu's figure flowed like a dragon as he practiced the Body Refining Art.
Moving effortlessly through eighteen different postures, his movements bore no resemblance to his initial awkwardness. After more than two hundred repetitions, the practice had almost become second nature. The vitality circulating within his body had also thickened several times over. As he slowly exercised his physique, his body emitted an astonishing heat, akin to a furnace in operation.
Phew!
In a sudden motion, Chen Chu abruptly ceased, releasing a long exhale. A surge of intense heat erupted, flying out half a meter before gradually dissipating.
"Finally achieved ten cycles in half an hour." Chen Chu smiled. At this moment, he felt a smooth flow of vitality throughout his body, with his blood surging and him feeling devoid of the usual fatigue.
After continuous, arduous training for nearly half a month, he finally made a breakthrough. Moreover, he had forcefully shattered his innate limits. Chen Chu couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment at this.
The six-horned salamander, having grown to a length of fifty centimeters and become as thick as an arm, had a look of contentment on its face that almost seemed human-like.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Chen Chu focused his mind and summoned the attributes page.
Physique: 12
Strength: 11
Agility: 10
Spirit: 15
Ability: Soul Splitting
Techniques: Lotus Platform Meditation Art [Progress: 100/100] Body Refining Art [Progress: 100/100]
Avatar: Six-Horned Salamander...
Evolution Points: 25/50
With the two foundational arts, he gained an increase of 2 points in Physique and 2 points in Spirit. The growth in Physique also resulted in a supplementary boost of 1 point in the Strength attribute.
Currently, almost all of his attributes exceeded those of an ordinary person by twenty percent, particularly showcasing a remarkable 5 point advantage in Spirit. The result of this was evident in his recent thoughts; both his cognitive processes and conscious reactions had become significantly quicker than before.
Concurrently, as the avatar steadily grew during this period, the consequence was an increased appetite. However, this level of consumption was still within manageable limits.
Chen Chu closed the attributes page, a faint anticipation lighting up his face. "I hope tomorrow's Foundation Building won't disappoint me."
The Foundation Building before cultivation was already so strenuous; if there wasn't much improvement after tomorrow's session, it would be a letdown for all the effort he had put in up to now.
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