Chapter 209: Muscle Strengthening Potion
"Brother Qi!"
"Lin Qi, congratulations..."
In the elevator, freshmen, second- and third-year upperclassmen, and even Martial Arts Instructors all greeted him enthusiastically.
After reaching the top floor, Lin Qi stepped out of the elevator. Luu Wei, who was beside him, teased,
"Lin Qi, you're the biggest star in our Azure Sky Sixth Institute now."
Lin Qi shook his head with a wry smile. "I'd rather not be such a big star."
After parting ways with Instructor Luu Wei, Lin Qi arrived at Dean Liu's office.
BOOM!
As he arrived, the office door slid open automatically, revealing an interior that resembled an aquarium.
Dean Liu sat ramrod straight on the sofa, exuding an aura of tranquility.
Every time Lin Qi saw Dean Liu, he could sense a unique aura. The dean didn't seem like a Martial Artist, but more like a scholar or a Daoist priest.
"Lin Qi, you're here!"
"Have a seat."
Dean Liu pointed to the blue sofa opposite him, motioning for Lin Qi to sit.
He handed a freshly brewed cup of hot tea to Lin Qi.
Lin Qi accepted the tea with both hands and took a small sip, savoring the sweet aftertaste that lingered on his palate.
"Dean, may I ask why you wanted to see me?"
Hearing this, Dean Liu slowly pushed a black metal box across the table.
BEEP!
The metal box was about the size of a drinking glass. He pressed a button, and the top slid open, revealing a vial of pale yellow liquid nestled inside.
"This is a Muscle Strengthening Potion."
Lin Qi looked at the pale yellow potion curiously. 'It seems related to body tempering,' he thought, waiting for Dean Liu's explanation.
The dean slowly began to explain,
"The Muscle Strengthening Potion is an auxiliary potion for Second Realm Martial Artists."
"Most Martial Artists hit a bottleneck when they reach the peak of any given Realm. No matter how great their Talent, they'll get stuck on the final step."
"However, the Muscle Strengthening Potion can shorten the time you're stuck at that bottleneck. It helps temper the fine fascia throughout your body. It's worth two million Xia Country Coins a bottle. It's yours."
Lin Qi's expression lit up. The potion had come at the perfect time; he had been worrying about the bottleneck of the Second Realm.
When he heard it was a gift, he froze for a moment. 'So generous?'
"Take it. This is a personal reward from me."
"Many of the instructors at our Azure Sky Sixth Institute are very grateful to you," Dean Liu said with a chuckle.
Lin Qi no longer refused and accepted the potion.
"There's one more thing," Dean Liu said, holding up a finger.
"The Muscle Strengthening Potion can shorten your bottleneck, but it can't make you break through directly."
"With one other aid, you could break through to the Third Realm in less than a week."
"What is it, Dean?" Lin Qi asked, his curiosity piqued.
Dean Liu raised his hand, the veins on his arm bulging as an invisible aura emanated from him. He spoke slowly.
"When we break through to the Second Realm of Muscle Training, our organs and tissues become strong enough to withstand domineering Source Energy Skills."
"Everyone chooses a Source Energy Skill that suits them and a Calamity Beast to visualize for their cultivation."
"The cultivation of a Source Energy Skill is roughly divided into three stages: Beginner, Proficient, and Perfection."
"Beginner means you can successfully visualize the Calamity Beast and absorb Source Energy Particles."
"Proficient means you can efficiently use Source Energy to transform your body."
"But most people fail to cultivate their technique to Perfection, even by the time they break through to the Fourth Realm. Do you know why?"
Lin Qi shook his head. He knew that Source Energy Skills were divided into three stages, and he was currently only at the Proficient stage. He was confident he could reach Perfection in a few months.
"They are missing a crucial component. Without it, they can never reach Perfection, no matter how high their Talent," Dean Liu continued.
"We use a Divine Intent to visualize a Calamity Beast, but it's not the real thing, after all."
"We've never seen what a real seventh or eighth-level Calamity Beast looks like—its skin, its bones, its flesh and blood."
"All you've seen is a false Divine Intent, so naturally, you can't cultivate your Evolution Technique to Perfection."
"Once your technique reaches Perfection, the rate at which you temper your Qi and Blood Value will double," Dean Liu said.
Lin Qi's eyes lit up. 'Double?'
'Is the effect of Perfection really that powerful?'
"How can I get my Source Energy Skill to break through to Perfection?"
He knew that since Dean Liu had brought it up, there must be a way.
Just then, a metal sphere next to Dean Liu levitated and projected a 3D image: a massive, crimson-colored giant sparrow.
"The world's number one expert, Emperor Red, once observed the corpse of a Level 8 Lava Sparrow and created the Lava Sparrow Visualization Method."
"If you want to reach Perfection, you must observe a real Eighth-Level Calamity Beast."
"And it just so happens that our Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy has the corpse of an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast."
Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat.
'The corpse of an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast?'
Eighth-Level Calamity Beasts were top-tier Calamity Beasts. They were the strongest existence below the Level 9 (King Level) Calamity Beasts, and they were incredibly rare.
It was said that every part of an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast's body was a treasure. Each piece of its flesh and blood could be sold for a sky-high price, and combined with other materials, could be used to create countless Potion Resources.
He never would have imagined that Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy actually had a perfectly preserved corpse of an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast.
It was simply unbelievable!
"Dean, I imagine observing the Calamity Beast's corpse isn't free, is it?" Lin Qi asked, snapping out of his shock.
Dean Liu stood up and replied, "Of course not!"
"After an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast is killed, preserving its body is no easy task. The annual maintenance alone costs a huge sum of money."
"You have to apply to observe it, but I've already submitted an application for you recently."
"You can go this afternoon."
"The observation process will last for three days, and the cost is five million Xia Country Coins!"
Lin Qi let out a breath. It was a bit cheaper than he had expected. He thought it would cost over ten million Xia Country Coins.
After all, this was the corpse of an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast he'd be observing.
If it could help his Source Energy Skill reach Perfection and double his cultivation efficiency, then it was worth it.
"Let's head out now,"
Dean Liu said slowly, walking towards the door.
"Okay!"
Lin Qi followed right behind him.
The two left the academic building and took Lin Qi's electric car directly to their destination.
Dean Liu sat in the passenger seat and pointed at the navigation map.
"Our destination is the Disaster Beast Museum in the Tenth Institute."
"The Tenth Institute may not be large, but a lot of cultivation resources are located there."
Lin Qi nodded and had Little Chan drive the car toward the destination.
He also pre-ordered lunch, and the two of them ate in the car on the way to the Tenth Institute.
Half an hour later, the car slowly drove into the Tenth Institute. Unlike the other institutes, the Tenth was separated by towering white steel walls over ten meters high.
Lin Qi looked at the high walls and the security checkpoint required to enter the Tenth Institute.
"The Tenth Institute houses several dozen geniuses from first to fourth year who have Awakened Special Abilities."
"Their safety is of the utmost importance, so getting in isn't easy," Dean Liu explained from the side.
Under the surveillance of tall, intelligent robots, the two passed through the security department.
The architecture of the Tenth Institute wasn't much different from the others. Lin Qi and the dean continued in the car toward the Disaster Beast Museum.
A short while later, they noticed that many other people were heading to the same destination.
There were even a few familiar figures among them.
...