"Four months." Xue Ren abruptly opened his eyes, with a surge of extreme power whirling around inside him. "In a short four months, I've managed to go from the 5th Layer of Qi Condensation all the way to the 12th Layer, and even into the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm."
Now, he wasn't far from achieving a Realm he never should've been able to grasp in his lifetime.
Reaching this point so fast could all but be attributed to the Enhanced Spiritual Energy in the Seclusion Chamber, as well as the effects of self-absorbing Level 4 Fireball Skills that were continuously improving.
Opening his System Interface, Xue Ren viewed the changes.
BLING!
{[Fireball Evolution System]}
[Host: Xue Ren]
[Lifespan: 15/165]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Realm (Half-step into Foundation Establishment)]
[Spiritual Root(s): Empty Spirit Roots (??? Rank)]
[Element(s): Fire (Highest Affinity), Blank (Highest Affinity)]
Nothing changed there.
As for his Fireball Evolution Tree…
{[Fireball Evolution Tree]}
:[Fireball]: – (Insert image of a dark red-colored Fireball)
[Tier: Red (Dark)] – [Evolution Gauge: 0%] – [0/30000 EP]
[Skills:
Level 1: Fireball (100%)
Level 2: Fireball Arrow (100%), Large Fireball (100%)
Level 3: Fireball Burst (100%), Fireball Shield (100%), Fireball Sniper (100%)
Level 4: Fireball Javelin (1.2%), Giant Fireball (1.05%), Fireball Shroud (63%), Fireball Sword (0.36%)]
Out of Xue Ren's Skills, the only one yet to reach 1% was Fireball Sword.
Remarkable progress!
In at most a year or two, all Skills would reach 100%!
"My Fireball Shroud is already capable of hiding my true attributes from the Divine Senses of Nascent Soul Cultivators," said Xue Ren. "By the time it achieves 100%, I doubt even Soul Formation Realm Cultivators will be able to see through me."
He hoped this would be enough to stop his Master from giving him a surprised look every time the old man checked his cultivation.
"If I was using Level 5 Skills right now, I'm sure that stingy old coot would lose his eyeballs from how much they'd be bulging." Xue Ren rose from his lotus position, planning to go out for the first time in weeks. "Even though my current cultivation speed is equivalent to someone with Top-Grade Spiritual Roots, it'll still take a while to break through the Foundation Establishment Realm without relying on a Foundation Building Pill."
Instead of entering deep seclusion for who knew how long in an attempt to break through, Xue Ren found it wiser to focus on his Body Path Cultivation.
Seeing as how his |Ancient Gold Body Refinement| Technique had been stuck at the Low-Silver Stage for quite some time now, it was in need of a boost.
"I should go to THAT place if I want to speed up my Body Path Cultivation."
Xue Ren promptly left his Private Seclusion Chamber, immediately attracting the attention of various students enrolled in Starling Academy. They rarely saw the Academy's Supreme Genius, but when he did make an appearance, they couldn't help but whisper behind his back.
"Is that the elusive Xue Ren…? The one who effortlessly defeated Bo Mon, Gu Fu, and the other top prodigies of the Academy??"
"Yeah, that's him alright! You know, I heard a rumor circulating that said one of the Three Academy Belles, Lian Yueru, confessed to him a month and a half ago. However, he blatantly rejected her in an instant, rambling about focusing on muscle gains instead of women!"
"Your information is faulty, brother, for it wasn't only Lian Yueru, the 1st Belle, who was rejected by him… It was all three of them!"
"Yi Xu and Mu Qingyan as well!? Whatever course Xu Ren Senior is offering, we must purchase it!"
"A course?" The disciple he was talking to clicked his tongue. "You simply need to be born handsome. If you want a course, then learn how to jump into the Cycle of Reincarnation!"
"You…! That's fair…"
Meanwhile, Xue Ren, who paid no heed to the yapping of the masses, made his way to the Academy's Quest Board. There were many Disciples gathered around it, each forming parties or picking fliers off it. However, Xue Ren ignored them all and sauntered up to the flier he knew was his to take.
The whisperings started up again, and just as Xue Ren's hand was but mere centimeters away from his destined flier, a soft, beautiful hand brushed past his far rougher hand.
"W-What?? I'm sorry— Wait, Xue Ren, is that you…??"
"Nope. You've mistaken me for someone else."
Without even looking at who just frantically retracted their hand, Xue Ren snatched up the flier before dashing into the distance. He ran like his life depended on it, his figure no more than a blur for the 17-year-old girl still in slight shock over this unexpected encounter.
"Junior Brother Xue… Why did he leave so quickly…?" The gorgeous girl, who most knew as Mu Qingyan, the 2nd Starling Academy Belle, pouted. "Do I stink or something??"
She sniffed around her curvaceous body but ultimately found nothing that smelt any worse than spring bliss.
In reality, Xue Ren barely even had an impression of Mu Qingyan. Even if she was standing in front of him, he'd neither recognize her nor care what she smelled like. No, that wasn't why he ran like his butt was on fire.
He just didn't want her to steal his destined Academy Quest!
He needed protein, and to acquire the good stuff, he required Academy Contribution Points. To get those, he had to complete Quests — the more difficult, the better.
"Taking out a Hobgoblin and Winter Wolf Settlement that rose up from the massacre of an entire City. Recommended only for those in and above the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm."
Even the Top 5 Students of the Academy had been hesitant over accepting this Quest. After all, the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm was no joke, with only a select few Teachers and Staff in the realm.
Of course, Xue Ren didn't care the slightest bit about recommended cultivation levels. He simply took whatever gave the most Contribution Points — which, in this case, was a Quest that posed a lot more danger once one arrived at the location of the Quest.
Eerie howls and the bashing of random objects from below an overhanging cliff had Xue Ren furrowing his brows.