Chapter 268 - 266: Master’s New Mission
On the Cultivation Side, the external output of Spiritual Qi was a necessary component for using Magic, but it lacked any substantial force. No one had ever heard of killing someone by simply spraying them with it.
But True Gang could do just that.
’Then... could it be because my inheritance is fragmented? Maybe I’m just missing a certain Cultivation Side technique, legacy, or form of Magic, and that’s the reason for this discrepancy?’
’Maybe on the true Cultivation Side, a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer has long been able to move objects with their mind?’
’It was just like how on the true Cultivation Side, a Cultivator of his realm would likely have a Storage Space, yet he hadn’t come close to getting one.’
Yang Shen thought for a moment, then looked down at the notes he had compiled.
He drew a line under "special training."
’It must be because the method of release is different,’ Yang Shen thought. ’Just like how different forms of Magic produce different effects.’
’The Cultivation Side has its corresponding foundational Magic, and True Gang could be considered a form of "Martial Arts Magic."’
’And since pure Martial Artists can’t sense the source of their power at all before reaching the True Gang realm, nor can they perform an External Output, this disadvantage is precisely why they require specialized training.’
Some of this training was hidden within broader, more comprehensive Cultivation Techniques, while some were purely specialized.
𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
As a fragmented Cultivator, he had many advantages, but he still needed to experience it firsthand to understand it clearly.
As for the sources of this "special training," they were widespread, including Cultivation Techniques, training regimens, and even equipment.
Jiangti had them, and they could also be bought on the market. This was a path every Martial Artist who wanted to break through to True Gang had to take.
He even had the right to redeem a Scientific Level Martial Arts Technique. Techniques of this level capped out at the Late-stage Innate realm, the phase just before stepping into True Gang. It would be a waste not to use it now.
He just had to compare and see which one was better.
’Digest my Qi and Blood Value, comprehend the Jade Observation Method, and undergo specialized training for True Gang... That’s more than enough to keep me busy until the new year.’
As for investigating the Dragonification Experiment...
’This is a very complex task. My goals and needs are different from before; I can’t just go in killing everyone anymore.’
It required someone to handle it long-term.
Yang Shen listed the names of his core members, and his eyes finally landed on Yuan Rui.
’Yuan Rui was naturally the most suitable candidate... Meticulous, highly efficient, and I can feel at ease entrusting any task to him.’
’But he’s too busy.’
Not only did he have to manage the Yang’s Disciples and the Big Pharmacy, but he also had to lead his fellow disciples in serving their master while simultaneously maintaining his own personal strength.
He was even planning to join the student council.
’His talents should be used in other areas. At most, he can help out on the side and offer some strategies.’
Finally, Yang Shen’s gaze fell upon another name.
Cao Wei.
’Sending her in directly is definitely not an option... but perhaps I can give her a trial run to gain some experience.’
’There’s a suitable place right here at Jiangti...’
’As for Tian Zihan... I’ll just treat him as a giant brick.’
’To be moved wherever he’s needed.’
’That big guy has decent Cultivation talent, but with a physique like that, sending him to conduct a covert investigation...’
’People would think he’s part of a demolition crew...’
’He’s more conspicuous than a full-frontal assault!’
——————
Before he knew it, two and a half weeks had passed since Yang Shen returned to Jiangti. It was now late November.
The dust storms from the Exotic Realm were gradually subsiding.
But a certain someone’s popularity wasn’t cooling down as Yang Shen had hoped.
The name "Flame Fist Yang Shen" kept popping up from every nook and cranny, and the situation slowly devolved into a game of telephone with rumors.
One could only say that in a high-pressure environment like Jiangti, people would dare to say anything when pushed to their limits.
For example, some loudmouths would just make things up: "Oh yeah, I know Yang Shen really well. We were just out singing karaoke together last night."
Then, in another dorm: "I had dinner with Yang Shen last night. The scene was insane, so many beautiful women with him!"
When you tallied it all up, it seemed "Flame Fist Yang Shen" was living it up every single night, hitting seven or eight different venues in one evening. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his Qi and Blood Value must have been plummeting.
Within a single week, several "suspected girlfriends" and even "suspected boyfriends" of Yang Shen had popped up across different years and schools...
These were clearly people seeking protection, vaguely waving his banner for their own benefit. After who knows how many rounds of absurd rumors, they morphed into strange versions of the truth.
At times like these, to protect their Venerable Master’s reputation, the Yang’s Disciples had to step in.
Anyone who dared to spread imperial-level rumors would get a house call and a good shaking.
’We’ll scramble your brains for you! How dare you try to leech off our Venerable Master?’
The Yang’s Disciples also rode the wave of "Flame Fist Yang Shen’s" popularity to become a hot commodity. Currently, Yuan Rui had received nearly 300 applications to join, from students of all years.
Some were simply curious, some were looking for a group to belong to, and others wanted to cling onto Yang Shen’s jumbo jet and wait for takeoff.
Under Yang Shen’s direction, Yuan Rui began scouting for research talent from the School of Life Sciences, the Medical School, and the Precision School.
These individuals were also top performers in their college entrance exams. Their paths just weren’t focused on combat, but their significance to the Yang Family’s future development might be even greater than that of a simple powerhouse.
Because Yang Shen himself was the biggest powerhouse of them all.
He hoped to screen for and find true top-tier researchers like Xu Mo and Chen Beiwang. People like them were extremely rare, but this was Jiangti, which had already gathered most of the nation’s geniuses.
It was the best platform for finding geniuses and the most cost-effective time to recruit them.
No wonder the Martial Arts Families placed so much importance on their influence within Jiangti.
As for his own business, things were going smoothly.
He officially reported his change in realm to Qiangwu Academy, after which he could go see his counselor, Sheng Qin, to filter through the school’s available Cultivation Techniques, Martial Arts, and courses related to Breaking Through to True Gang.
Additionally, Yang Shen dug out the list of Science Level Cultivation Methods he had earned for his heroic deed and finally settled on a Martial Arts technique called Spiritual Snake Force. He then contacted the staff member from the Jinshui District Education Bureau he had spoken with before.
Spiritual Snake Force was a Martial Arts technique that didn’t particularly stand out. Within the official system, it leaned toward police work.
Its main features were the use of long whips and chains for mid- to long-range attacks and restraints.
If you only looked at it on the surface, this Martial Arts technique had a very low ceiling and couldn’t even be called refined. However, a special note on the list stated: "Extremely suitable for the preparatory training before Breaking Through to True Gang."
This point was also confirmed by Yang Shen’s intelligence gathering. Because the Cultivation Technique wasn’t rare, many people practiced it, and it was easy to find members of the police force sharing their cultivation experiences online.
The Jinshui District Education Bureau was quite efficient. After all, as the Champion Scholar, Yang Shen had been the cause of several of their staff getting promoted on the spot. They were very happy to get things done for him.
They were also hoping Yang Shen would come back to give a speech or something in the future. Just having him show his face would be a political achievement for them.
A few days later, Yang Shen obtained the Spiritual Snake Force. Like other official Cultivation Techniques, it could only be used by him personally and could not be taught to outsiders.
But it didn’t matter. As long as he fully mastered it and integrated it with other content, he would eventually enrich his Sun Wheel Body Refining Technique, elevating the Yang Family’s exclusive technique to the level of True Gang.
’What "cannot be taught to outsiders"?’
’This is called instantaneous refinement.’
Yang Shen poured his energy into his own Cultivation, no longer paying attention to the hustle and bustle at school.
————
「Meanwhile, in a certain corner of Jiangti.」
Having received a task from her Venerable Master, Cao Wei arrived alone at Gymnasium No. 8, talking to her father, Cao Yue, on the phone.
On the other end of the line, Cao Yue’s every syllable was filled with joy. "My dear daughter! You’ve already broken through to the Innate realm! Oh my, you’re amazing, just as I expected!"
"I’ll book the best hotel right away!"
For any family, a child breaking through the great barrier of the Innate realm was an occasion worth celebrating. A wealthy man like Cao Yue would definitely throw a grand Innate Banquet and invite all his friends and relatives.
Three hundred tables would be considered a low-key affair for him!
But then he heard his daughter say, "There’s no need, Dad. It’s just the Innate realm. Under Venerable Master’s guidance, this is to be expected. An Innate Banquet is a lot of trouble and would take up time I could be using to serve him."
Cao Yue’s jaw dropped. "Then... do you want any gifts?"
"I secretly got my driver’s license. I want a car."
Cao Yue immediately replied, "No problem! I’ll buy you a nice one! How about a pink Bentley?"
But Cao Wei shook her head. "Pink is too flashy. It’s not suitable for driving my Venerable Master around every day. A black sedan would be better; it’s more comfortable."
On the other end of the line, in his luxurious office, the ash from Cao Yue’s cigarette had fallen onto his lap, but he was completely oblivious...
"Is... is there anything else you want?"
"Let me think. Dad, you can get me a rockery!"
Cao Yue scratched his head, feeling as if his own brain wrinkles had been smoothed flat. "A gift... you want a rockery?"
"The rockery at the Yang Residence isn’t grand enough anymore. It doesn’t match Venerable Master’s current prestige. He’s the youngest person ever on the Qilin List, the number one genius in Yanhua. It’s time for an upgrade."
Cao Yue felt the cigarette in his hand turn bitter...
’He was originally a little worried... about his daughter being in a relationship.’
’Now, all he could think was, ’You’d better be in a relationship!!’’
"So... are you coming home anytime soon? Dad misses you..."
"No. I’m afraid Venerable Master might misunderstand..."
"He might think that I’ve started slacking off just because I reached the Innate realm..."
Cao Wei hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and pushed these trivial matters to the back of her mind.
Today, this beautiful, tall young woman was here to complete an important task for her Venerable Master.
"’Gymnasium No. 8, a row of old doors on the side, one of them has a mark... This is it.’"
It was a sleeping cat.