After the novice protection period ended, Xu Mu had to prioritize the security of his Cave Abode. Given that his own strength was still lacking, strengthening the residence’s defensive measures was the most logical choice. It was a path most people took, which was exactly why Formation Plates and Flags were so notoriously difficult to acquire on the market.
Xu Mu decided to take matters into his own hands. He would become a Formation Master and personally layer his Cave Abode in protective arrays.
The school library was modest, consisting of a single floor lined with bookshelves packed with legacy jade slips. Xu Mu navigated the aisles until he found the section dedicated to Formations and began his search. After half an hour of filtering through the records, he finally settled on a suitable First Rank Formation Legacy.
As he turned to leave, he spotted Kou Ying—the girl he had noticed in the cafeteria—walking toward him. She had a slender figure and a refined, striking face. There was an air of elegance and poise about her, the unmistakable demeanor of a young lady from a prestigious family. Even Xu Mu couldn't help but steal an extra glance as they passed. However, being strangers, they simply brushed past one another without a word.
Xu Mu registered the jade slip at the counter and headed out.
After the afternoon classes concluded, Xu Mu and Cheng Hongbo went to the class teacher’s office to request a month-long leave of absence. Just as they stepped back into the hallway, a tall boy with a buzz cut approached them, a faint, condescending smile playing on his lips.
It was Ling Xiuqi. They had grown up in the same residential area and attended the same primary school, often playing together as children. That changed during the Spiritual Root testing. While all three possessed the talent to cultivate, Xu Mu and Cheng Hongbo were found to have Low-Grade Spiritual Roots. Ling Xiuqi, however, possessed a Mid-Grade Spiritual Root.
Though they all attended Immortal Alliance Middle School, Ling Xiuqi was placed in the elite class. He had a promising future and a high probability of entering a prestigious Immortal Dao Academy. Since the testing, he had stopped acknowledging them entirely.
Now, Ling Xiuqi was clearly looking for them. He stood before the duo, looking down his nose at them. "Little Xu, Little Cheng. I assume you two have already entered the Cave Abode World?"
"Did you need something?" Cheng Hongbo asked, his tone flat.
"With only Low-Grade Spiritual Roots and average family backgrounds, your chances of getting into an Immortal Dao Academy are abysmal," Ling Xiuqi said with a matter-of-fact expression. "Why not sell your Spirit Stones to me? I’ll pay the market price of 100,000 each. With that kind of money, you can at least live a comfortable mortal life."
Xu Mu and Cheng Hongbo shared a look of pure disbelief. Whether we get into an academy or not, what does that have to do with you? Xu Mu thought.
Market price for a Spirit Stone was already 100,000, and often fetched a premium. Ling Xiuqi spoke as if he were doing them a massive favor by taking the stones off their hands. The arrogance was almost comical.
"No thanks, we have our own plans," Xu Mu said. They turned and walked away before the boy could utter another word.
Once they were out of earshot, Cheng Hongbo let out a frustrated huff. "That kid is so damn pretentious. In primary school, he followed us around calling us 'Big Brother' every day. The moment he tests for a Mid-Grade Root, he acts like we're strangers."
"Now that he's short on Spirit Stones, he suddenly remembers us—and still treats us like charity cases. It's disgusting."
"There are plenty of people like him," Xu Mu replied calmly. "Just ignore him."
*****
After returning home via high-speed train and finishing a bowl of fragrant Spirit Rice, Xu Mu retreated to his room.
Cave Abode.
In an instant, the scenery shifted from his bedroom to the cultivation world. The familiar bamboo-fenced courtyard was minimalist to the extreme, but it was his. Xu Mu sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, first circulating his energy to fully absorb the spiritual essence from the Spirit Rice.
Then, he withdrew the Blazing Sun Departing Fire Art. With his leave of absence approved, he no longer had to balance school and cultivation. Aside from returning home for meals, he poured every waking hour into mastering the Foundation Establishment-grade technique.
Five days passed. Xu Mu, who had previously practiced a basic Qi Refining Art, finally succeeded in switching his foundation. He had officially reached the entry level of the Blazing Sun Departing Fire Art.
Whoosh!
Xu Mu extended his index finger, and a small, pale blue flame ignited at the tip.
This is the Departing Fire. Just from the heat alone, I can tell it's extraordinary. Let's see how it handles a real spell.
Xu Mu had learned the two most basic spells taught at school: the Fireball Technique and the Wind Blade. He formed a hand seal, feeling his mana drain rapidly.
Boom!
A fireball the size of an apple condensed before him, glowing with that same pale blue hue. The temperature in the room spiked instantly.
"Go!"
With a wave of his hand, the fireball streaked through the air, exiting the Cave Abode and striking a massive tree thirty meters away.
Bang!
The impact didn't shatter the trunk, but it blasted a deep, charred crater the size of a basketball into the wood. Xu Mu’s eyes lit up with joy.
The power has increased by at least 20%! A Foundation Establishment technique truly lives up to its reputation.
He sat back down to recover his mana. The technique is stable. Now, it's time to break through.
At school, students were limited to two hours a week in cultivation rooms equipped with Spirit Gathering Formations. Without pills to assist him, Xu Mu had been stuck at the First Layer of Qi Refining for two years. Now, with a private place to cultivate and five Qi-Gathering Pills, he felt confident.
After reaching his peak state, he swallowed the first pill. It melted into a stream of heat that he guided through his meridians, completing a Great Cycle before settling into his Dantian as a surge of mana.
As an Early Stage Qi Refining cultivator, Xu Mu could only train for six hours a day before his meridians reached their limit. When he couldn't cultivate, he studied the Formation Legacy. The Dao of Formations was profound and complex, but he knew that once he reached the entry level, he could use Star Stones—rare drops from Demonic Beasts—to force his proficiency higher.
Seven days later, after consuming the fifth Qi-Gathering Pill, the barrier broke.
[System Message: Breakthrough successful. Current Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer.]
Xu Mu felt the mana in his body expand significantly. His physical senses were sharper, his strength greater.
Before, I could only cast the Fireball Technique three times before my Dantian ran dry. Now, I can manage five—and with the Departing Fire, I might actually be able to wound an Early Stage Demonic Beast.
He wasn't arrogant enough to try soloing a beast yet. As a novice with zero combat experience and no defensive treasures, he decided to wait until the Third Layer before testing his luck.
A Qi-Gathering Pill costs 1 Spirit Stone... expensive, but worth it. I still have 250 Spirit Stones left. I can afford to keep this pace.
He also realized he was nearly out of food. He opened the trading platform and purchased 30 catties of Low-Grade Spirit Rice. Most Early Stage cultivators would be lucky to even smell Spirit Rice, let alone eat it for every meal. To live like this, one usually had to be a master of a Cultivation Art or the scion of a Great Family.
Due to the scarcity of Alchemists, Qi-Gathering Pills were harder to come by. It took until the final day of his leave for Xu Mu to secure another ten pills.
It’s been a month. Time to head back.
*****
Xu Mu met Cheng Hongbo at the train station. His friend had also managed to break through to the Second Layer, but he looked miserable.
"Even with the Cave Abode's energy, it's so slow," Cheng Hongbo sighed. "I wish I could afford Qi-Gathering Pills and eat Spirit Rice every day. That's the dream, man."
Xu Mu blinked, slightly stunned. He realized that without even trying, he was already living the life his peers fantasized about.
Ninety percent of the students on Zenith Star lived on hope and scraps. Xu Mu, despite his poor background, had bypassed them all with a single Critical Hit reward. He looked out the window of the train, his heart racing. If a single gift pack could do this, what would happen when he started earning real rewards?