High School Student with Immortal Race System

After mastering Advanced Fist Intent, Yang Shen didn’t stop cultivating. Instead, he continued his Body Forging.

He maintained his Flame Fist at a very low level, so his fists were only slightly warm. Through repeated practice, he could become increasingly familiar with this method.

He even figured it would be useful to maintain it on just a single fingertip. For example, it would allow him to practice anytime and anywhere to quickly grow accustomed to it.

At 5:30 in the morning, as a sliver of gold appeared on the horizon, he heard Lei Lv’s voice from behind.

"Yang... I’m here."

Yang Shen nodded. He had already given the Sixth Set of Initial Realm Body Refining Fist to Lei Lv; all that remained was the daily grind of cultivation and refinement.

The morning air was cool, and at an age when sleeping in is most tempting, the boy’s self-control was actually quite strong. He was always the most diligent in his daily Cultivation.

On the Celestial Platform, two figures—one large, one small—were both practicing Body Forging. Yang Shen’s movements were Harmonious and powerful, having already reached an exceptionally high level.

As for Lei Lv, though he hadn’t been practicing Body Forging for long, his form was quite proper.

The sight of his little fists striking his body... was enough to make one chuckle for a good while.

After all, he was only thirteen.

After meticulously performing one set, Lei Lv lifted his tank top to wipe away his sweat. This Body Refining Fist routine consumed a great deal of stamina. Without a Martial Arts Realm, he couldn’t even complete it once; his form would seriously degrade during the latter half of the sequence.

He turned to look at Yang, feeling that his every punch and kick was incredibly profound.

As the second Cultivator in the Jianghuai Yang Family, Lei Lv was a complete novice.

He had no concept of Cultivation or Martial Arts, which might have been why he made progress so quickly.

His mind was free of doubt, filled only with an absolute faith in Yang Shen’s teachings.

’If Yang said a person could survive by drinking the northwest wind, then I’ll drink it!’

’If I can’t, it must be because I’m not being serious or devout enough.’

Yanhua Country was a Martial Arts Society, and Martial Arts cultivation relied heavily on Source Supplements. This meant that a Martial Arts Education was far more expensive than a simple Liberal Arts Education.

Although the official stance was one of equal treatment for all, financial strength was essentially the most important component of one’s educational prospects.

This also meant... the more remote the region, the harder it was to receive a Martial Arts Education.

The average level of educational attainment in big cities was far higher than in small county towns. In a backward village like Lei Lv’s hometown, education basically only served to provide general knowledge and prevent the children from growing up illiterate.

It was normal for them to grow up and end up on the bottom rung of society, working odd jobs and getting paid by the day.

The "ironman triathlon" of being a courier, food delivery person, and rideshare driver was considered a set of pretty good jobs.

The "opportunity" to practice Martial Arts was equal for all, but the "ability" to do so was not.

That was why Lei Lv deeply cherished the opportunity to learn Martial Arts, be it the Ancient Skill that Yang Shen had previously taught him, or the Sixth Set of Initial Realm Body Refining Fist he was practicing now.

He practiced his forms with Yang on the Celestial Platform every day and meditated on his own at night, always executing his routine with meticulous care.

He missed his father, Lei Yiming, very much, but in all honesty, every day since coming to the Yang Family had been far better than his life before.

He no longer had to sit like a stone at the village entrance, waiting for the father who returned only once a year to tell him stories about his time on the ocean vessels...

Nor did he have to spend the rest of the year repeating those stories countless times to his little brother, just so the boy wouldn’t forget he had a father too.

He liked this home. He liked Mrs. Tao and Yang, and he liked his two new sisters.

’Though, the two sisters don’t seem to like me very much...’

At this thought, Lei Lv looked at Yang Shen’s back and felt a profound sense of security and contentment.

"Yang, can I ask you something?"

Yang Shen turned his head. "What is it?"

Lei Lv asked cautiously, "Mrs. Tao said last night that now that she has a full-time job, the adoption can be finalized within a week. She didn’t mention it to me, but I was thinking... should my brother and I change our last name?"

"Change your last name? To Yang?"

Yang Shen really hadn’t considered that question...

"What do you think? Would you be uncomfortable with that?"

Lei Lv shook his head. "Actually, Dad didn’t like the Lei Family himself. He used to curse out our relatives from the Lei Family... I don’t think the name is that important... No matter what my last name is, it doesn’t change where I came from. And it won’t change the fact that I’m my father’s son."

Yang Shen paused for a moment before saying, "Actually... I suspect Mrs. Tao feels the same way."

"Yang, you’re saying..."

"No matter what your last name is, it doesn’t change where you’re headed."

Lei Lv looked a little confused. Yang Shen clapped the boy on the shoulder. "You’re a member of the Yang Family now. Does not having the name Yang affect your will to cultivate diligently and change our family’s circumstances?"

"It doesn’t! I dream of earning money. With the two of us here, the pressure on the family is immense. It’s just a shame I’m too young..."

"Then does not having the name Yang affect your willingness to protect Yang Mo, Yang Man, and Lei Yi as their older brother?"

"Not at all! I... I’ll protect them to my dying breath. That includes Mrs. Tao and you, Yang..."

Yang Shen smiled. "Then in that case, does the name really matter? Does sharing a last name guarantee that you’ll share the same loyalties?"

"You’ve seen all that nonsense in your village since you were little, so you know better than anyone... What’s important isn’t your last name, but where your heart lies."

When Lei Lv first brought it up, Yang Shen was actually a little tempted. Possessing the Immortal Race System, he couldn’t help but feel that sharing a last name would be more convenient.

But he quickly dismissed the thought...

’Relying on blood ties and surnames as a bond doesn’t solve every problem. Cases of internal strife are all too common, and they often occur in large, powerful families.’

’Blind faith in the binding power of a surname is, in a way, a form of intellectual and moral laziness on the part of a leader.’

’Among those in this world who are truly united in heart and purpose, a shared name is only a small part of the equation.’

’In the future, the Jianghuai Yang Family will have retainers, employees, masters and apprentices... Are they all supposed to change their names?’

Yang Shen said, "My advice is not to change it. But if you decide you want to, there’s always time. You have from now until you’re an adult to think it over."

"Just let me know when you decide. It’s nothing more than a bit of paperwork."

Yang Shen stretched, facing the slowly ascending Rising Sun. Though he could no longer gaze at it directly, its form was already imprinted in his mind.

As Lei Lv looked at Yang Shen, who was backlit by the sun, it was as if his older brother was radiating a gentle warmth.

After a moment, he clenched his small fists and gave a solemn nod.

He swore no oath to the heavens, nor did he make any grand proclamations.

But he was prepared to spend his entire life honoring this commitment.

Just then, there was a stir at the staircase leading to the Celestial Platform. They turned to see the two sisters, Yang Mo and Yang Man, with a madly dashing Xiaolei Yi trailing behind them.

Seeing Lei Lv "hogging their big brother all to himself," their little faces first showed a hint of displeasure, but it quickly turned to excitement:

"Brother! We were practicing the Ancient Skill! We felt something!"

Yang Shen was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a smile. "That’s wonderful!"

’They had started more than ten days earlier than Lei Lv but succeeded more than ten days later—a difference of nearly a full month.’

’It didn’t quite align with his understanding that "more Spiritual Roots equals more talent," but from this point on... most of the Yang Family members with Spiritual Roots had embarked on the path of Cultivation.’

’Now, only Xiaolei Yi was left...’

’Ugh... a major flaw in the main quest: the kid’s too young.’

Six-year-old Lei Yi was just there for the excitement; he had no idea why everyone had run up to the Celestial Platform.

Running along with them was all that mattered! His little face was wreathed in a grin.

Lei Lv followed Yang Shen’s gaze and vouched for his little brother, "Yang, I’ll definitely make sure Lei Yi practices hard."

Yang Shen shook his head. ’The kid has to want it for himself,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, he’ll just be faking it. He’ll cross his legs, close his eyes, and who knows if he’s spacing out or fast asleep.’

’Who wasn’t a kid once? He was an expert when it came to slacking off!’

"Xiaolei Yi, is there anything you want to eat more than anything else?"

Lei Yi’s eyes lit up. "Yes! Sweet flatbreads!"

It was essentially a sweet flatbread with a melted sugar filling inside. Lei Yi was a veritable carb-crusader; it was exactly the kind of thing he loved.

The Yang Family occasionally had them for breakfast, but not often, mainly because Mrs. Tao did the cooking most of the time, so they didn’t need to buy food from outside.

"If you successfully cultivate the Ancient Skill like your brother and sisters, I’ll buy you sweet flatbreads for a whole week straight!"

Lei Yi immediately raised his hands and clapped. "Yay! I’ll definitely be serious then!"

He wondered how long this little foodie would take, but with three successful cases, it also meant he could talk to Mrs. Tao.

He just had to wait... for the monthly exam results to be released tomorrow!

He was very curious to see how much he had improved.

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