Chapter 15: Breakthrough

In the morning, on his way to school, Chen Hu carried his backpack and walked ahead.

At this moment, Chen Hu noticed the steamed stuffed bun shop by the roadside. Feeling a little hungry, he turned his head to look at Chen Chu. Just as he was about to say something, he was suddenly taken aback and exclaimed, "Brother, you seem to have grown taller recently."

Chen Chu replied casually, "I know, it should be because of my cultivation."

The salamander had evolved, increasing his physique by 3 points. During this period, he had practiced casting to enhance his blood circulation and strengthen his body, which had also improved his physique by almost 2 points.

In this way, Chen Chu had not only increased his height from 1.7 meters to 1.73 meters but also transformed his originally thin body into a more muscular and straight physique. Even his pale face now had a healthier, more handsome appearance.

"Can practicing really make you grow taller? Unfortunately, I'm only thirteen years old and can't practice yet," Chen Hu said, slightly envious. He then pointed to the steamed stuffed bun shop, saying, "Brother, I'm still a little hungry. I'd like to eat two buns."

Chen Chu looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "If you want to eat, why don't you buy them yourself?"

Chen Hu replied hesitantly, "Well, I've run out of money."

Chen Chu frowned, questioning, "Didn't I give you your living expenses just on Monday?"

"...Well, I've been eating a lot lately, so I spent it all," Chen Hu replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Really?" Chen Chu expressed doubt. He provided Chen Hu with living expenses every week in the dining hall, and he even received a small daily allowance. Although it wasn't much, it should have been sufficient.

As for Chen Chu himself, he managed the family's finances, handling expenses monthly and taking on the responsibility of buying groceries and cooking after school. Lately, however, he had been occupied with his avatar, so the food at home had become somewhat limited. Could that be the reason?

After a moment's thought, Chen Chu took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to Chen Hu, saying somewhat sternly, "Take it, and next time, let me know earlier if you run out of money."

The purchasing power of money in this world was similar to that in Chen Chu's previous life. A bowl of noodles cost about ten yuan. With it being Wednesday, a hundred yuan should suffice for Chen Hu for the next few days. Originally, Chen Chu had intended to give him fifty, but seeing how Chen Hu had grown so tall and strong at just thirteen, he felt that fifty wouldn't be enough for him.

"Thank you, bro," Chen Hu said gratefully. He bought two large buns and devoured them quickly.

The two of them reached a street intersection where a few girls in junior high school uniforms walked by. When they spotted Chen Hu, they waved to him.

"Chen Hu, hurry up!"

"Wait for me, bro, I'm leaving first."

"Go ahead."

Chen Hu ran over with a smile.

"Chen Hu, is that guy your brother?"

"Yes."

"Chen Hu, your brother is so handsome."

"Absolutely, my brother is the most handsome, and he's doing really well academically. He ranked at the top of our grade and got into Nantian Wugao. Now he's practicing real martial arts."

"Wow, your brother is amazing."

Hearing their hushed conversation from a distance, Chen Chu shook his head.

...

When Chen Chu entered the classroom, he scanned the room but didn't find Luo Fei. It seemed that Luo Fei had reached the tenth turn and had gone to seek guidance from a teacher to build his foundation.

With fewer students in the class, it felt emptier. This change had made most students impatient and distracted during the morning academic classes.

Only half a month ago, they had all been eager freshmen, full of laughter and chatter. But in just over ten days, with one person leaving to build their foundation, the once close-knit class of dozens had now split into different tiers, creating a sense that the later one broke through, the more difficult it became.

As a result, in the afternoon practice class, even without anyone enforcing discipline, everyone practiced exceptionally hard. However, in many cases, the harder they worked, the more frustrated they felt because they realized they weren't making as much progress as they had hoped.

As the school bell rang, the Blood Stone's lights were turned off, and the students in the training room slowly finished their exercises. Most of them wore expressions of exhaustion on their faces.

"Hooooooo!"

A few students showed signs of reluctance and bitterness, while others practiced for half a month and could only reach rank six in transferring energy and blood. In the fastest half-hour session, they could only reach rank four.

In this scenario, they won't be able to achieve ten revolutions in half an hour within a month. Even if they manage to establish their foundation with great difficulty later on, it implies a lack of innate cultivation talent.

Chen Chu observed these circumstances without any particular thoughts. After a brief break, he packed up and prepared to head home.

To possess no cultivation talent simply meant that: they lacked it. There was no need to push for something that didn't come naturally. In this world, besides cultivation, there were plenty of other professions.

Of course, regardless of the world, physical strength was power, and it was undeniably better to practice real martial arts and genuinely become strong, as opposed to relying on external appearances.

In most cases, Chen Chu would have fallen into this category. He was born with physical limitations, making it impossible for him to practice martial arts, even with moderate mental talent. His physique was the only barrier.

Feeling a tinge of nostalgia, Chen Chu, shouldering his bag, strolled out of the campus at a leisurely pace.

Night!

Inside his room, Chen Chu adopted a dragon-like posture while practicing a body casting technique reminiscent of Tai Chi combined with ancient yoga.

The eighteen postures flowed smoothly and freely, a far cry from the initial awkwardness. After over two hundred rounds of practice, it had become almost instinctual.

Simultaneously, the qi and blood within his body had become several times thicker. As he slowly moved his body, it emitted an intense heat, resembling a stove.

Hoo!

Suddenly, Chen Chu came to an abrupt halt, exhaling deeply. A gust of hot air rushed out and dissipated half a meter away.

"I've finally achieved ten revolutions in half an hour," Chen Chu said with a smile. In this moment, he felt the energy and blood in his body flowing smoothly, and his blood was surging. Unlike before, he didn't feel fatigued.

Nearly half a month of continuous hard work had finally paid off, breaking through and even surpassing the limits of his talent. At this moment, even Chen Chu felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

On his desk, the salamander had grown to fifty centimeters in length, as thick as an arm, and it displayed a human-like expression of satisfaction.

Taking a breather, Chen Chu summoned the property page with a thought.

Constitution: 12

Strength: 11

Dexterity: 10

Spirit: 15

Talent: Soul Split

Cultivation method: Yipin Lotus Platform Meditation Method [progress 100/100] Body Casting Technique [100/100]

Divided Body: Hexagonal Salamander...

Evolution Value: 25/50

The two basic methods had increased his constitution and mental attributes by 2 points each, and the boosted physique had also raised his strength attribute by 1 point.

At this point, his overall attributes were 20% higher than those of an average person, with his spirit being 5 points above average. This translated into his thoughts processing faster and heightened conscious reactions compared to before.

Simultaneously, during this period, his avatar's growth had progressed steadily, resulting in increased appetite. However, this level of consumption was still within an acceptable range.

Chen Chu closed the attribute page, his face filled with anticipation. "I hope the foundation building tomorrow won't disappoint me."

The process of foundation building before embarking on cultivation was undoubtedly laborious and challenging. If the changes following tomorrow's foundation building turned out to be unfavorable, it would be a letdown after all the hard work he had put in during this time.

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