Chapter 53

I was originally a Shuzi of the Prefectural Prince’s household.

Abandoned by my parents as a child, betrayed by my own clan, forsaken by my childhood sweetheart, and exiled to the frontier.

This year, during the Divine Gift Examination, I awakened a Level 5 Art, shocking the entire Prefecture!

Step by step, I ascended to the esteemed position of Divine Envoy of the Prefecture, wielding authority.

Even the Prefect himself bows his head respectfully when he sees me.

I will make everyone who looked down on me and betrayed me regret it!

A commercial voice blared from the soap opera.

The voice of the passionate teenage hero rang strong and clear.

Shi Luohua stared blankly, oblivious to her surroundings, scrolling through the short drama as she walked to the dining table.

“I’m returning your Spirit Bracelet.”

She placed the jade bracelet on the table, her tone calm. “I’ll explain to the Clan Head myself.”

Even as she spoke, her eyes never moved, still fixed on the handsome, overacting boy on her identity device screen.

Shi Xuan’s face filled with shock, his mouth agape. “You...”

Seeing this, Liu Tiezhu and Shan Ye exchanged glances, both wearing strange expressions.

The next instant.

Shi Luohua finally tore her gaze from the short drama and looked at Jiang Jian.

“I will win back my rank in the Ladder Tournament.”

After saying this,

she stepped lightly, still scrolling her identity device, and left the dining hall directly.

Shi Xuan picked up the Spirit Bracelet, his eyes reddening as he gently caressed it, his fingers trembling slightly.

“Let’s discuss the study mission later this week.”

Jiang Jian remained calm, paying little heed to Shi Luohua’s words. “I’m going to retrieve my goods.”

Liu Tiezhu stood up. “I’ve eaten enough. I’m heading back too.”

“I’ll forward any suitable study missions to you when I find them.”

A few minutes later.

The unmanned aerial pod activated, its hatch sealing shut.

Jiang Jian leaned back alone in his seat and opened his identity device.

“20 units of Cultivation Spirit Herbs purchased successfully!”

“Your expenditure: 10,000 shopping credits.”

“Your remaining shopping credits: 42,500.”

“Your goods will be delivered to your door within three hours by dedicated personnel and vehicle.”

This message had been sent an hour ago.

Jiang Jian swiped it away.

He looked at the latest message.

“Your goods have been delivered to the Dormitory Building. Collected by the robotic butler.”

The unmanned aerial pod accelerated, racing toward the Dormitory Building.

Jiang Jian opened the Academy platform and located the campus cultivation chamber.

“You are about to purchase 10 hours of cultivation chamber time.”

“Cost: 100 academic credits.”

“Confirm?”

Jiang Jian clicked confirm.

“Purchase successful!”

“You have spent 100 academic credits.”

“Your remaining academic credits: 1,000.”

After purchasing the chamber time,

the aerial pod arrived at the Dormitory Building.

It stopped.

Jiang Jian did not exit. Instead, he tapped his identity device and issued an order to the robotic butler.

“Deliver the 20 units of Cultivation Spirit Herbs to the lobby at maximum speed.”

A few seconds later.

CRASH!

Dust erupted as a heavy object plummeted from above!

Jiang Jian frowned slightly and looked up.

The crate containing the goods had smashed into the grass, sinking halfway in.

At the same moment,

the robotic butler’s voice came through his identity device: “Took five seconds. Fast enough?”

Jiang Jian’s expression turned odd. He stepped out of the aerial pod; a crimson light barrier rose, sealing out the dust. “Fast? Yes, extremely fast.”

With the 20 units of Cultivation Spirit Herbs in hand, Jiang Jian wasted not a single moment.

He immediately changed the aerial pod’s destination.

It headed toward the campus cultivation chamber.

“It’s currently 12:00 noon.”

“Train until tomorrow morning.”

“Ten hours probably won’t be enough.”

“The Cultivation Spirit Herbs won’t last either.”

“I’ll come back later for more.”

Jiang Jian had already noticed.

Each crate of Cultivation Spirit Herbs held at most 20 units.

And the platform delivered them separately.

Even if you bought 200 units at once, they’d arrive one crate at a time.

Each delivery required a long wait.

Most importantly,

the robotic butler could not leave the Dormitory Building’s boundaries.

He had to return himself to retrieve the goods.

Campus Cultivation Chamber.

Jiang Jian walked confidently to the elevator and found his room.

“The chamber’s array seems to have been reinforced.”

Jiang Jian sat cross-legged on the floor.

He clearly sensed

that the ambient Qi supply was slightly more stable than yesterday.

The room was perfectly quiet.

Jiang Jian stopped thinking further.

He tore open the paper wrapping of the Cultivation Spirit Herbs and began his cultivation.

“The fight with Shi Luohua helped me greatly.”

“Fighting a person,”

“is very different from fighting ghosts, demons, or monsters.”

Jiang Jian carefully recalled the brief battle, just seconds long.

His brow slowly furrowed.

He realized that in nearly every instant,

he had room for improvement.

“Before this,”

“my combat awareness relied purely on instinct.”

“Though it was already slightly stronger than Shi Luohua’s,”

“I could have done far better—far more perfectly.”

“If I want to hone my combat skills anytime, anywhere,”

“I can only wait for Saturday.”

“The Ladder Tournament has opened access to new students.”

Jiang Jian gently closed his eyes, carefully sensing the Qi at his Shenque point.

Earlier, he had been eating with Liu Tiezhu and the others.

He had not cultivated.

He had not cultivated.

At this moment.

The spiritual energy in the Shenque point had not recovered much.

It remained nearly depleted.

“The speed of spiritual energy circulation seems to have increased slightly.”

Jiang Jian activated the Pure Spirit True Method, circulating spiritual energy along its prescribed path.

He clearly sensed it.

His spiritual energy was moving significantly faster than before!

As time passed,

the Shenque point gradually filled with spiritual energy.

Thereafter,

with each cycle,

the upper limit of his spiritual energy slowly increased.

His insights and realizations from combat,

Jiang Jian likewise integrated into his cultivation.

While cultivating,

he continuously recalled his battle with Shi Luohua in his mind.

One hour.

Three hours.

Five hours.

Jiang Jian suddenly opened his eyes.

The spiritual energy swirling around him sharply trembled!

“If I were to return to noon,”

“and fight Shi Luohua again,”

“it would take only five seconds.”

“I could kill her outright.”

“She wouldn’t even have time to activate her Spirit Bracelet.”

Jiang Jian’s mind replayed the noon battle repeatedly.

He kept imagining: if he had responded differently, if he had controlled his spiritual energy with even greater precision, how the outcome would have changed.

In his estimation,

the time required for him to kill Shi Luohua grew shorter and shorter.

Although the academy’s great array

ensured the safety of students within the campus,

Jiang Jian knew well:

when facing an enemy,

never think of holding back.

Once you intend to retreat, hesitation creeps in.

Spiritual energy, fully unleashed, then forcibly reversed,

causes a chain reaction throughout the body.

Even ten percent of your full power cannot reach seven—worse, you may injure yourself.

Though Jiang Jian deduced

that his current strength could easily crush Shi Luohua as she was at noon,

his heart held no trace of pride.

“Shi Luohua is also progressing.”

“On the surface, she’s obsessed with short dramas and never cultivates.”

“But,”

“a Level Four talent is never as simple as it appears.”

“The academy has just opened; everyone has only just begun cultivating.”

“Everyone is advancing rapidly.”

Jiang Jian, expressionless, tore open another pack of cultivation herbs.

“I don’t need to compare myself to others.”

“But I must compare myself to myself.”

Six hours.

Eight hours.

Ten hours.

“Your cultivation chamber time has expired.”

“Please purchase more promptly.”

The room’s spiritual energy supply ceased.

A semi-transparent floating screen flickered with blue light.

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and tapped directly on the academy platform.

“You are about to purchase: 8 hours of cultivation chamber time.”

“Cost: 80 academy credits.”

“Confirm?”

Jiang Jian confirmed immediately.

“Purchase successful!”

“You spent: 80 academy credits.”

“Your remaining credits: 920.”

Afterwards,

Jiang Jian opened the Linjiang network and suddenly froze.

He realized:

“I could have simply set the delivery address for my cultivation herbs directly to the campus cultivation chamber!”

The thought flashed through his mind.

Without hesitation, Jiang Jian made the purchase.

(End of Chapter)