Chapter 12: Encounter
Chapter 12: Encounter
Yucai High School.
"Hmm?"
As Xia Long walked into the classroom and spotted Fang Xing, his eyes lit up. "You little rascal, what goodies have you been sneaking? Your skin refining progress is impressive!"
In a flash, he was standing in front of Fang Xing, patting him on the shoulder and inspecting his skin closely. "Hmm... thick and resilient. Once your skin refining reaches perfection, it won't be ordinary leather. It should be like copper skin, though jade skin is unlikely..."
"Teacher, I've only heard that once a warrior achieves perfection in skin refining, their skin becomes as tough as leather and can withstand blunt weapon attacks...," Ouyang Qianqian asked, raising her hand. "Are copper skin and jade skin even higher states?"
The top students in the class were making good progress in skin refining, and according to Fang Xing's estimation, they were at least halfway there.
Especially the natural-born students, with their family connections, knew more and were even more eager for knowledge about these realms.
"Indeed," Xia Long nodded. "Even among warriors who have achieved perfection in skin refining, there are differences. A copper-skinned warrior need not fear ordinary sharp blades... As for jade skin? That's a true martial arts genius. If any of you achieve that, you will surely shine in the future Hundred Stars Joint Examination, and your teacher will reward you handsomely."
Xia Long's gaze remained on Fang Xing.
Fang Xing had been waiting for an opportunity to reveal something, and he immediately replied, "Thank you, Teacher, for your support. I feel like my Great Dragon Stake has entered an entirely new stage, greatly increasing the efficiency of refining my skin and flesh..."
"Great Dragon Stake? So, it was your Great Dragon Stake that broke through!"
Xia Long nodded. "You're always so tight on money that you can't afford any martial arts elixirs, so I figured this was the most likely reason..."
Martial arts was just the most popular evolutionary path, and even the increase in lifespan didn't become noticeable until after the fourth realm.
Truly wealthy natural-borns could even undergo gene surgery to live beyond two hundred years, or even longer!
The early stages of martial arts were similar; although it was touted as having the best cost-effectiveness, the more rare resources one invested, the faster their progress!
"Teacher, can one practice to achieve copper skin once the Great Dragon Stake breaks through?" Liu Wei asked, his eyes shining with hope. He, too, had ambitions for the college entrance examination.
"Yes," Xia Long nodded. "In the second stage of the Great Dragon Stake, the probability of achieving copper skin is over 81.4%. This is the statistical result of the Omnibrain's data on all high school students."
"If you can practice the Great Dragon Stake to the third stage, it won't be you adapting to the stake method, but the stake method adapting to you... The progress will be even faster, with a 67.99% probability of achieving jade skin. A jade-skinned warrior's body is as translucent as jade, flexible, and has many wonderful uses... More importantly, it can lay a solid foundation. Work hard, classmates! Most of the federal martial saints and martial gods in history have achieved the jade skin realm!"
"Martial saints and martial gods?"
A glimmer of aspiration, mixed with a hint of gloom, appeared in the hearts of many students.
Because they also knew that this was almost impossible unless a miracle happened.
Or, if their realm was lacking, they could make up for it with resources!
But that was obviously not an option for ordinary people.
"Then... is there a fourth stage to the Great Dragon Stake?"
Fang Xing asked.
He remembered that Xia Long had mentioned something about this before.
"Indeed, there is a fourth stage to the Great Dragon Stake, but achieving it is like finding a needle in a haystack... That is to attain the 'Dragon's Intent'!"
Xia Long explained, "Attaining an intent does not mean you are a fourth-realm warrior. After all, you lack the foundation of the uncut jade realm... It just means you are much stronger than a warrior of the same stage, and once you perfect the uncut jade realm, you can immediately advance to the courage realm!"
"Of course, a warrior who has attained an intent will have a great advantage when facing the evil god's minions. The mental pollution they emit will not drive you insane, which is crucial for all of you!"
"Even though the army will provide adequate protection and medication on the battlefield, there are always lapses in war... Every year, many retired Starry Sky Warriors end up in asylums!"
"If you can attain an intent before the fourth realm, you will basically be guaranteed a place in university. But after university, you will still have to go to war. This is the destiny of every citizen of the Blue Star Federation!"
Fang Xing already knew that passing the college entrance examination would only delay military service.
He had considered making a fortune by trading resources between the two worlds and then paying off his loan.
But obviously, the source of this money was hard to explain, and it might bring even greater danger.
'In any case, if things don't work out, I'll go to university first and look for opportunities there...'
After school.
'It feels like the guidance I'm getting from Teacher Xia Long is becoming less and less helpful...'
Fang Xing kicked a stone as he walked, feeling a bit dejected.
"Hey, Fang Xing, it's time for the bell!" Liu Wei ran over, his words carrying a hint of hesitation.
"No, I'm going home to play video games." Fang Xing waved his hand. He had been eager to explore the otherworld after school lately.
Even if he practiced martial arts in the otherworld, his progress was much faster than on this side, so he didn't have much free time.
'Fang Xing, you've changed...'
Liu Wei watched Fang Xing's departing back, unsure of what to say.
...
Otherworld.
"Looks like the time flow on both sides is the same. I can proceed with another experiment."
After comparing the time on both sides, Fang Xing fed a berry to the little white mouse and watched it die from poisoning after a few dozen seconds.
"The last creature who knew about this has been silenced."
He nodded and took a bite of the roasted bird wings, "It turns out that the poison-testing papers I bought didn't expire..."
After double-checking with both the little white mouse and the plants outside the infirmary, Fang Xing finally embarked on his culinary journey through the otherworld.
"Mmm, it's truly delicious!"
The bird meat from this other world was tender, yet the texture was quite firm, requiring a powerful bite to tear it apart. Fang Xing had a hearty appetite, but he felt full after only a small amount.
Even after his belly was satiated, a warm current seemed to flow through his limbs, leaving him with a comfortable feeling.
The sensation was somewhat similar to consuming a 'D3-grade Nutritional Solution'.
"It's probably equivalent to a third, or even less of its effect... But... This place is full of them."
"Pioneering in another world is indeed extremely profitable."
After eating his fill, Fang Xing immediately began cultivating the Great Dragon Stake.
Cultivating in this other world required undivided attention. Despite setting up traps and alarms, Fang Xing still felt restless, and after an hour, he stopped voluntarily, glancing at his attribute panel:
[Name: Fang Xing]
[Age: 16]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[First Realm: Skin Refining (Refine Skin: 87/100)]
[Army Body Fist, Twelve Forms: 3/100 (Proficient)]
[Great Dragon Stake: 17/100 (Proficient)]
[Gate of the Multiverse (Charging)...]
...
"At this rate, before the end of my first year of high school, I'll definitely achieve perfection in skin refining this summer!"
Fang Xing clenched his fists, feeling that he was not far from refining his entire body's skin and achieving mastery over his qi.
"Perhaps I can even try to attain 'Jade Skin'?"
"A sturdy foundation lays the path to greater heights. The more solid the foundation, the greater the potential in the future!"
A slight smile curved Fang Xing's lips as he glanced at the surveillance screen once more.
The next second, his smile froze on his face.
"The drone captured a human figure?"
"Are there humans living in this other world?"
He pulled up several surveillance clips, zooming in and adjusting the angles...
Finally, he spotted four 'martial artists' dressed in ancient styles.
Most of them wore robes, their hair tied up, and they carried swords and knives, exuding an ancient aura.
Even their clothing was mostly plain, and some even carried bamboo baskets on their backs.
"Judging by their level of productivity, they should be similar to humans from the ancient feudal era..."
Fang Xing observed them carefully and concluded: "But... They're strong!"
Based on the movements and speed of these four individuals, they could navigate the rugged jungle with ease, indicating that they were at least second realm muscle-refining warriors!
Moreover, the leader, a middle-aged burly man, had well-developed muscles that made his clothes seem a size too small. He exuded a sense of authority with his gaze, and in Fang Xing's opinion, his martial arts prowess was comparable to a third realm, uncut jade warrior!
As a modern-era martial arts student, he might not be confident in many things, but he had watched countless martial arts videos, and his judgment was sharp.
"I certainly can't beat an uncut jade warrior..."
"But with my beginner nano-protective suit and electro-stun baton, I might be able to put up a fight. At the very least, my chances of surviving are high..."
"The most crucial thing is... to conceal my origins. Language will definitely be a problem, as it's unrealistic to expect to speak the same language after crossing over to another world. Additionally, I'll need to prepare ancient-style costumes and wigs... Perhaps I should grow my hair out; after all, the school doesn't have any rules against it."
Fang Xing had no intention of meeting this group of martial artists. He only planned to observe them secretly.
It would be best to set up more surveillance devices to capture their language so that he could attempt to decipher it!
With the technology of the interstellar age, as long as there was sufficient basic data, deciphering a language was a matter of minutes. Otherwise, communication with the natives of countless planets would be impossible!
"From their route, this squad doesn't seem to be heading toward my location. It looks like they're after that wild boar monster?"
Fang Xing checked the surveillance footage again, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
...
"Old Three, what are you doing?"
In the dense forest, the burly man glanced at Old Three, who kept looking up at the sky, and scolded him.
"Boss... I feel like something flew across the sky. It's not a bird; could it be some kind of demon beast?"
Old Three, dressed in a plain blue robe, had sharp eyes that gave him a slightly shifty air. He replied with some worry in his voice.
"Hard to say. Everyone, be careful..."
The burly man patted the animal skin pouch on his chest, feeling more confident. "Let's speed things up. We'll gather the 'Vermillion Dragon Grass' and leave!"
The four of them immediately quickened their pace, reaching the edge of the wild boar demon beast's territory.
They seemed to have a plan, and they hid in the grass for a long time, waiting for the right moment. As dusk fell, colorful lights began to dance among the bushes.
At the edge of the bushes, there were also a few scattered herbs with thick, vermillion-red leaves.
"Now!"
The burly man sprinkled some scent-masking powder on himself, and the four of them quietly approached the herbs to gather the 'Vermillion Dragon Grass'.
They were quick and seemed to have received specialized training.
However, as Fang Xing watched through the surveillance footage, he noticed that the wild boar demon beast, as huge as a mountain, had somehow appeared behind the four of them without making a sound.
Hmph! Hmph!
Accompanied by the distinct snorting sound of a wild boar, an enormous black shadow rushed out of the darkness. Violent blood-red spiritual light shone from its six massive tusks.
Puff!
Two sturdy men didn't have time to react, and before they could even draw their weapons, they found themselves impaled on the boar's tusks, their blood gushing out uncontrollably!
(End of Chapter)
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