Chapter 248 - 245: The Direction of Cultivation
The effects of a single bottle of compound potion lasted for about five days.
However, the effects would gradually weaken over time.
Over the next few days, aside from visiting Wei Nan and Sun Tao at the hospital with Feng Lei and Zhou Qi, Lin Yi spent all his remaining time in his dorm, the Cultivation Field, and the library.
[Current Realm: 5-Star, 0th Order]
[Qi and Blood: 55.94%]
In just four short days, his Qi and Blood had once again reached over the halfway mark.
Such a cultivation speed would shock anyone.
If Lin Yi continued cultivating like this, it probably wouldn’t be long before he could break through to the Six-Star Realm.
After washing up, Lin Yi walked out of his room.
Today was the day Wei Nan and Sun Tao were being discharged from the hospital.
As their close childhood friend, Lin Yi was definitely going to pick them up himself.
Feng Lei had also gotten dressed early, ready to go to the hospital together.
As for Wei Shang, he needed to stay in the hospital for a few more days.
His injuries were considerably more severe.
He was lucky to have kept his life.
When they walked out of the dormitory, Zhou Qi and Shen Mengyi were already waiting downstairs.
After the group met up, they walked straight out of the school gates, hailed a taxi, and headed for the hospital.
「In the hospital room.」
Now that he had recovered, Wei Nan was back to his talkative self.
"Old Wei, listen to me. Your injuries are nothing!"
"Just focus on getting better. When you’re discharged, I’ll come pick you up myself!"
After Wei Nan finished speaking with a smile, Sun Tao shot him a look. "Stop poking at him. Didn’t the doctor say it already? Old Wei just has a great constitution, a much stronger foundation than us. If either of us had been hurt that badly..."
"We probably wouldn’t have even needed a hospital bed. They could’ve taken us straight to the crematorium!"
Hearing this, Wei Nan nodded.
"True. Old Wei’s injuries were really serious."
"If it had been one of us, we wouldn’t have been able to take it."
"The mission cooldown period is about to end. What should we do about the next mission? Should we go, or not?"
Wei Nan was already feeling a sense of dread.
’My realm is too low, my strength is lacking.’
’Going to Jail City would be no different from suicide.’
Sun Tao also fell silent; he had lost confidence in himself as well.
Seeing this, Wei Shang said with a smile, "There’s no need to rush into missions!"
"Even when the cooldown ends, you don’t have to accept one right away."
"If your realm is too low, then just work hard to raise it!"
"By the way, I think what you two really need to do now is learn some martial skills and Cultivation Techniques!"
When Wei Shang finished, Wei Nan glanced at him.
"That’s useless advice. Don’t you have to exchange school credits for martial skills and Cultivation Techniques?"
"Even the first-grade martial skills cost several hundred credits, let alone the second or third-grade ones. I doubt I’ll be able to afford one even by the time I graduate!"
A hint of despair flashed in Wei Nan’s eyes.
To be blunt, they were losing confidence in their own realms.
Wei Shang laughed. "Who told you to use credits to get them?"
"There’s a library in Dormitory Zone 1. It’s a perk for students in Zone 1!"
"The library has some martial skills and Cultivation Techniques. Why don’t you go take a look? Maybe you’ll find one that interests you."
"If you want to make a name for yourselves in the New District, you have to improve in every aspect!"
"Your realm isn’t the only standard. Let me put it this way: if you find the right Cultivation Technique and martial skills, it’s even possible to defeat enemies above your own realm!"
"What’s the difference between mindlessly cultivating to raise your realm and being a book-smart fool?"
"Even if you charged up to the Two-Star, Three-Star, or even Four-Star Realm, what good would it do?"
"You don’t even know a single killing technique, and you don’t have a specialty!"
"What use is that?"
After Wei Shang finished speaking, it was like a switch had been flipped for Wei Nan and Sun Tao.
It wasn’t that they were completely ignorant of martial skills.
It was just that the skills they knew couldn’t even be considered "graded."
Back in the Old District, they were still somewhat useful.
But here in the New District, they were completely ineffective.
Thanks to Wei Shang’s guidance, the two had an epiphany.
Their main problem wasn’t just their cultivation level, but their lack of proper martial skills and Cultivation Techniques.
"Old Wei, that’s not cool of you! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?" Wei Nan said, his face alight with excitement.
Wei Shang rolled his eyes. "I didn’t realize you two were so dense that you thought cultivation was the only mandatory subject!"
"You’re not even as sharp as Shen Mengyi!"
"She even changed her weapon for this mission. Did you two really not notice?"
As soon as Wei Shang spoke, Wei Nan thought back.
He suddenly remembered their first trip to Jail City.
Back then, Shen Mengyi used the same weapons as them—a knife, a dagger.
But on this last trip to Jail City, she had switched to a bow and arrows.
Her archery had been precise, and she had even saved his life.
"Are you saying Shen Mengyi found a martial skill that suits her?" Wei Nan asked, surprised.
Wei Shang nodded. "That’s about the long and short of it. The fact that she even has a bow means someone must have advised her."
"Actually, I think it’s a great choice for a girl to use a bow and specialize in archery. You don’t need to get into close-quarters brawls and can eliminate targets from a distance!"
"There’s nothing wrong with her choice. Of course, if you two are interested in bows and archery, you can pursue that path as well."
"Now that you’re in university, you need to find your own specialty and unique strengths!"
"Some people excel in speed, so they should aim to cultivate that. Some have greater explosive power and strength, so they should focus on strength-based martial skills!"
"Others have a talent for spiritual abilities, which is another excellent direction for cultivation!"
"In short, find the Cultivation Technique and martial skills that are the best fit for you!"
"Choosing a path you excel at is the most important thing!"
"Once you pick the right direction and focus on it, even if you face a Martial Artist or a demonic beast one or two realms above you..."
"Even if you can’t win, you’ll at least be able to escape. It’ll be much better than what happened to you this time around!"
Wei Shang’s words had opened up a whole new perspective for Wei Nan and Sun Tao.
They now understood the direction their cultivation should take from now on.
Just as they were speaking,
Lin Yi, Feng Lei, and the others walked in. "We could hear you guys talking a mile a minute from out in the hallway!"
"What are you all gossiping about? Share with the class."
Hearing that, Wei Nan laughed. "Old Wei was just schooling us on cultivation paths!"
"Hey, Shen Mengyi, holding out on us, are you? You picked a cultivation path and didn’t even think to share?"
"Huh? What cultivation path?"
Shen Mengyi froze, not understanding what Wei Nan meant.
"The path you chose! With the bow, to cultivate your archery skills!" Sun Tao quickly added.
"Oh, so that’s what you were talking about?"
"Senior Sister Qin was the one who told me. She said I should choose a martial skill. I’ve always liked bows and been interested in them, so I chose archery... Is that what you mean by a cultivation path?" Shen Mengyi hurriedly explained.
As she spoke, both Wei Nan and Sun Tao nodded.
"Looks like Senior Sister Qin plays favorites. She told Mengyi but didn’t bother telling us!" Wei Nan joked with a laugh.
"Alright, Old Wei told you now, so it’s not too late," Lin Yi said.
He walked closer to Wei Shang, noticing his complexion had improved from a few days ago.
He wasn’t as pale, and a faint, healthy color had returned to his cheeks.
It meant the treatment was effective. In another three to five days, he might be fully recovered.
"How are you feeling? You look a lot better!" Lin Yi said with a smile.
Wei Shang nodded. "The doctors all say I have a great foundation. If it were someone else, they might not have made it back."
Lin Yi laughed and nodded. "Yeah, if your foundation wasn’t good, you might as well go back for a factory reset!"
"Wei Nan and Sun Tao are being discharged. I’m worried you’ll get lonely, so I’ll have Feng Lei stay and keep you company."
"No, Feng Lei still has to—"
Before Wei Shang could finish, Lin Yi grabbed his wrist.
The moment a sliver of Origin Qi flowed into Wei Shang’s body,
his expression changed dramatically. Shock and joy filled his face as he stammered, "Five..."
Lin Yi chuckled and nodded. "It just happened a couple of days ago. I sort of broke through without even realizing it."
"Do you still think Feng Lei needs to follow me?"
At his words, Wei Shang hesitated.
Lin Yi had already reached the Five-Star Realm.
Logically, he could now do whatever he wanted within the university.
Even Qin Zhaoxue, hailed as the Celestial Princess,
was only at the Four-Star Realm.
Throughout all of Xingwu University, students who had reached the Five-Star Realm were exceedingly rare.
Their number was definitely in the single digits.
For Lin Yi, a mere freshman,
to break through to the Five-Star Realm was an unparalleled achievement.
It was no exaggeration to say he could now run rampant at Xingwu University.
’So where’s the danger?’
However, amidst his joy, Wei Shang’s brow remained slightly furrowed.
After a long pause, he lowered his voice. "Have you considered that the danger might not be in the university, but from the outside world?"
Lin Yi gave a light laugh and nodded. "I’ve always known. But what can be done about it?"
"Am I supposed to depend on you two for protection my whole life?"
"I’ve had a lot of time to think these past few days. It doesn’t matter where the danger comes from or who is targeting me."
"The only true safety is in becoming so powerful that they learn to fear me."
"How can I go on forever relying on others for protection?"
"Don’t worry. Besides, I’m on campus. What kind of danger could there be?"
When he finished, Wei Shang stared at Lin Yi for a long time.
Finally, he nodded. "Keep this a secret for me. Absolutely do not let the Town Martial Department find out!"
"Otherwise, Feng Lei and I will both be punished."
"No problem. It’s not for months, just a few days."
"You just rest and recover here. We’ll come get you on the day you’re discharged."
After Lin Yi finished speaking,
he patted Wei Shang’s shoulder and left the hospital room.
Wei Nan, Sun Tao, and Zhou Qi were already waiting in the hallway.
As Lin Yi stepped out, he heard Wei Nan chattering away excitedly about something.
He and Feng Lei exchanged a glance.
Feng Lei nodded and walked into the room.
Lin Yi had already arranged this with him.
The plan was for Feng Lei to stay and look after Wei Shang until he was discharged.
Feng Lei was more accepting of the idea than Wei Shang was.
He figured that with Lin Yi’s cultivation talent, he might even break through to the Six-Star Realm in a few days.
Even if someone was targeting Lin Yi, it wouldn’t be so easy for them to succeed.
So, the two had come to an agreement.
Feng Lei would take care of Wei Shang for a few days.
Lin Yi would take Wei Nan, Zhou Qi, and the others back to school.
Meanwhile, it was as if Wei Nan’s mind had been opened to a whole new world.
He had finally found his own direction for cultivation.
He couldn’t wait to get back to school and bury himself in the library
to find a Cultivation Technique and martial skill that was right for him.
"Just a heads-up, you can only read the library books there. You’re not allowed to check them out."
"If you want to learn a martial skill or a Cultivation Technique, you have to learn it in the library itself."
Hearing this, Wei Nan nodded.
"Who cares if we can check them out or not? Learning them there is fine by me!"
"First thing’s first, I need to decide on a cultivation path!"
"I can’t keep fumbling around blindly like I was before!"
Hearing this, Lin Yi nodded with a smile.
"Before you go looking for a cultivation path, why don’t you stop by the Cultivation Field first? To get yourself properly assessed."
"Assessed? What do you mean?"
Wei Nan looked at Lin Yi in surprise.
"To see which way your five-dimensional attributes lean. It’ll help you choose a Cultivation Technique and martial skills."
"Five-dimensional attributes?"
Wei Nan, Sun Tao, and Zhou Qi all stared back, completely clueless.
Shen Mengyi quickly nodded. "Right! Before I chose archery, Senior Sister Qin took me to get my five dimensions tested. That’s how I ended up choosing it..."
"Why didn’t you say so sooner?! Let’s go! We’re going back to school now! I want to get my five dimensions tested!"