Chapter 361 - 359: North River Crisis
Fourth Realm Bone Cultivation is divided into four stages: Early Stage, Mid-stage, Late Stage, and Peak.
It primarily involves the Refinement of three parts of the skeleton: the limbs, the torso, and the skull!
The difficulty of Refinement also progresses from easiest to hardest, with the limb bones being the simplest and the skull being the most difficult.
Refining the skull involves a Martial Artist’s brain, so it requires a much more delicate approach.
It cannot be refined through brute force; improper technique can easily damage the brain, and recovery is extremely difficult.
Therefore, after most talented Martial Artists break through to the Fourth Realm, their Refinement speed remains very fast, and they can quickly break through to the Late Stage, reaching a Qi and Blood Value of 300.
However, for the final stretch to a Qi and Blood Value of 400, that last 100-point increase becomes exceptionally slow.
Among the Cultivation methods, Source Energy Cultivation is the safest, employing a gentle and subtle method of Refinement.
Using Bone Tempering Liquid, however, involves a much more aggressive Refinement method.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
Lin Qi felt his head buzzing as the Top-Grade Bone Tempering Liquid bypassed his organs and went straight to his brain.
It began to temper it, bit by bit. The sensation was like an orchestra performing a symphony inside his head.
His skull was constantly being ground down. Throughout the process, Lin Qi felt nothing but dizziness and discomfort as his sensitive nerves were relentlessly stimulated.
He didn’t stop to rest, but endured it through sheer force of will.
At this stage, many geniuses can’t bear the pain and choose to stop and rest. Some even refuse to use Bone Tempering Liquid, opting instead to slowly grind it out with Source Energy Cultivation.
But to Lin Qi, this bit of pain was nothing.
As a Martial Artist, enduring some hardship was perfectly normal.
People said his Talent was formidable, and it was true, but his hard work was also a factor.
What he could do was make sure his effort was worthy of his Talent.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
His entire brain grew hot as the Bone Tempering Liquid took effect, causing his skull to transform bit by bit, growing harder.
He was growing stronger at a visible rate.
In the blink of an eye, two hours passed!
[You have consumed Top-Grade Bone Tempering Liquid and begun the Refinement of your skull. Slaughter Tiger Bone progress +1, Qi and Blood Value +6]
[Qi and Blood Value: 312→318]
...
Lin Qi opened his eyes and rubbed his temples, a smile spreading across his face as he saw the increase in his Qi and Blood Value.
Although the Cultivation process was excruciating, the increase in his Qi and Blood Value was also immense.
The only drawback was that as he consumed more and more Top-Grade Bone Tempering Liquid, its effects began to diminish.
His body seemed to be developing a tolerance, but the price remained exactly the same.
Lin Qi calculated silently. ’To forge the Slaughter Tiger Bone, I’ll probably need even more Top-Grade Bone Tempering Liquid in my future Cultivation.’
’And once I break past a Qi and Blood Value of 390, I’ll likely need even more resources.’
’That’s going to be another huge expense.’
...
「Martial Arts Calendar Year 2047, June 7th.」
It was time for the college entrance exams again, and all the top news stories across the Xia Country were related to it.
Every year, the Martial Arts Students taking the exam were the future Martial Artists, the hope of the Xia Country.
Meanwhile, news from the battlefields was completely suppressed, as it wasn’t the public’s focus.
At the same time, Jiang Miaoyin also began her college entrance exams.
「June 8th」
RING RING RING!!
At the entrance of No. 8 Middle School, as the bell rang, countless exam candidates rushed out excitedly.
"It’s over!"
"We’ve graduated! Finally, we can get a good rest!"
"I’m going to sleep for three days and three nights!"
Seeing the relieved expressions on the faces of the third-year high school students, Lin Qi was lost in reminiscence. Last year, he had been one of them.
Before he knew it, he was no longer a freshman. Come July, he would be a sophomore, a senior student to these kids. Perhaps some of the students before him would even become his underclassmen.
"Brother!"
"Brother Lin Qi!"
Jiang Miaoyin, dressed in a white tracksuit, came bouncing out with a smile.
"How did it go, Amiao?" Jiangtao asked.
Jiang Miaoyin lifted her head confidently and said, "It was a piece of cake. The title of Cang Province’s top scorer is mine for the taking!"
"Impressive!" Lin Qi nodded.
"Amiao, you’re amazing!" his mom, Fang Huiyi, praised.
"Alright, let’s go out for a nice meal to celebrate," his dad, Lin Zhen, said with a smile.
And so, the five of them went off to celebrate happily.
Over the next few days, while they waited, news from the battlefronts reappeared, filled with reports of Martial Artists’ sacrifices.
From the news, Lin Qi could sense that the country’s situation was getting progressively worse.
’But there’s nothing I can do about it right now except cultivate even harder.’
He consumed Bone Tempering Liquid every day, and his Qi and Blood Value increased daily.
As time went on, he could feel more and more strongly that he was getting closer to awakening a Special Ability.
...
「June 15th, the results of the Xia Country’s college entrance exams were released.」
「11:00 AM」
Inside Villa No. 70, Jiang Miaoyin and Jiangtao stared at their phones, both excited and nervous.
The air was thick with tension.
As soon as the time came, Jiang Miaoyin immediately logged into the official website to check the results. A moment later, her scores and rankings for each subject appeared before her and Jiangtao’s eyes.
"Top scorer in Celestial Sea City!"
"Top scorer in Cang Province!"
"Ranked 26th in the nation!"
Jiangtao looked at the rankings one by one, his expression growing incredibly excited.
"Amiao, you’re the top scorer in Cang Province! My sister is the top scorer in Cang Province!"
"I’m the top scorer in Cang Province!"
Jiang Miaoyin happily rolled around on the sofa, then shot up in a flash.
"I have to tell Brother Lin Qi this great news, and Uncle and Auntie!"
With that, she shared the good news with Lin Qi.
On the other end, Lin Qi, who had just finished his Cultivation, congratulated Jiang Miaoyin over the phone.
’This year, there were 28 S-class geniuses in the nation, and Jiang Miaoyin ranked 26th, which is excellent.’
’Her starting point is much stronger than her brother Jiangtao’s. Once she enters Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, it won’t be long before she can compete for the national freshman championship.’
...
Three days after the national results were released on June 15th, students began to submit their university applications.
At the same time, the global situation continued to worsen, and not even the mighty Xia Country was spared.
"According to our station’s reports, the Coastal Base in Cang Province has been hit by a continuous Super Large Disaster Beast Tide."
"The two Level 9 Calamity Beasts that have appeared include the Sea-Suppressing Cangjing and a Deep Sea Octopus."
"They have caused immense Destruction to the Coastal Base. During the 10-day Disaster Beast Tide, several Seventh Realm Martial Artists were sacrificed, and 6,689 other...!"
"Good evening, this is the Central... News Network. Moments ago, a Super Large Disaster Beast Tide erupted in North River Province. Currently, six Level 9 Calamity Beasts and dozens of Level 8 Calamity Beasts are leading countless other Calamity Beasts in a surprise attack..."
"This is the largest Disaster Beast Tide in nearly eight years, a severe test for us all."
"Our losses are immense...!"
That day, the news reported on the broadcast sent the entire Xia Country into an uproar!
People weren’t too concerned about the situation in Cang Province. It was only two Level 9 Calamity Beasts; though dangerous, the Coastal Base was strong enough to withstand them.
But the Black Dragon Base was a different story.
"Holy crap, six Level 9 Calamity Beasts! We’re screwed!"
"At most, we’d only seen two Level 9 Calamity Beasts attack at once. A single Ninth Realm Martial Artist was enough to hold them back!"
"The most severe incident before this was when five Level 9 Calamity Beasts launched a Disaster Beast Tide in Sichuan Province and nearly breached the War Base."
"If Emperor Red hadn’t intervened and slain three of the Level 9 Calamity Beasts, Sichuan Province might have been completely devastated."
The Disaster Beast Tide in North River Province caused widespread concern.
「Imperial View Mansion District, in the living room of Villa No. 66」
Watching the news, Lin Zhen also stood up, frowning as he spoke:
"North River Province is in trouble this time. Six Level 9 Calamity Beasts... they must be driven back."
"If even one of them gets into a city, it would be a cataclysm."
"North River Province only has two Ninth Realm Martial Artists standing guard right now. They might not be able to hold the line!"
...