Chapter 173

Can this be sixteen years old?

Qin Shi's face was written with disbelief; this rough big man, over two meters tall, with a broad waist, shoulders that could stand a person on, and arms that could run a horse, looked thirty-plus no matter how you looked at him.

"I'm from Zhou City, everyone calls me Yan Ren, I'm a high school senior this year! Haven't taken the college entrance exam yet!"

Hammer Brother laughed foolishly and spoke sincerely.

"Then you grew a bit fast, little brother."

Qin Shi used his spiritual field power to remotely extract the leader-level Iron Rust Beast's incompletely evolved Furnace Heart, holding it in his hand.

This thing was quite heavy in hand, about dozens of jin, high density, extremely hard; even with five fingers gathering and pinching hard, he couldn't leave a mark.

【Food Ingredient Classification: Furnace Heart (Defective)】

【Quality: High-Grade】

【Edible Parts: Whole】

【Consumption Effect: Efficient Conversion, Radiation Absorption, Super Stomach...】

"This counts as an extra harvest."

Qin Shi felt satisfied, but also puzzled; such a large iron heart, how was he supposed to eat it?

If swallowed whole, his intestines would probably rupture.

Even with the 【Overgrowth】 Achievement Trait being so strong, it probably couldn't digest this, right?

"Supermodel Brother, shouldn't we run away! The radioactivity is too strong, your and my life force won't last long!"

Yan Ren, demoted from Hammer Brother to Hammer Younger Brother, reminded in a low voice.

That leader-level Iron Rust Beast was crushed, and the radiated heat scattered was dozens to hundreds of times that of ordinary beast groups.

The soaring, wildly rising terrifying temperature, like a great steelmaking furnace, caused the remaining beast groups' flesh to melt, turning into pools of crimson viscous liquid, flowing slowly like magma, gathering toward the slightly lower center area.

"Warm and cozy, quite comfortable."

Completely opposite to Hammer Younger Brother Yan Ren's experience, Qin Shi's flesh vitality writhed crazily, that Life Force Seed growing sturdier, the light radiance in his body like a tide, wave after wave washing his five viscera and six bowels.

If not wary of the high temperature, he would love to stay a few hours to properly improve his mortal body.

"Let's go."

Qin Shi's palm rested on Hammer Younger Brother Yan Ren's shoulder, the several-hundred-jin large physique easily flung by him, falling toward the cliff side.

Immediately after, he himself stomped the ground hard, using the huge rebound force to escape the high pollution zone that had become a fire sea.

"Supermodel Brother, you're the Nanhuang Dojo Disciple they speak of?"

Hammer Younger Brother Yan Ren looked at Qin Shi, eyes shining; first time he'd seen a peer whose physique was even more fierce than his own.

"Not bad, rumor has it I'm listed with the Ying Clan, bounty as high as over ten billion, want to earn a sum?"

Qin Shi asked as if joking; saving this Hammer Younger Brother was just a convenient gesture.

"My family isn't short on money."

Yan Ren scratched his head and laughed.

In the approachable tone, a few points of inhuman wealth showed through.

Qin Shi carefully recalled, were there any wealthy Yan surnames in Zhou City?

Soon he searched out the answer:

"Your father wouldn't be Yan Zhong, would he?"

Yan Ren nodded, seeming a bit embarrassed:

"Low profile, low profile, just an ordinary family, nothing worth boasting about."

Qin Shi's gaze toward Yan Ren shifted slightly; that rough and weathered honest face instantly became golden and shining.

Zhou City's Yan Zhong counts as a Number One Figure newly risen in nearly twenty years, hundreds of mines under him, tens of thousands of employees, a genuine Big Boss.

Plus mineral trade continuing to rise, this Boss Yan's business grows bigger; once Hengzhou's blockade is lifted, he'll probably soar completely!

"Your family has mines, where's the ordinary in that."

Qin Shi shook his head; the vast majority of Hengzhou's mining rights are firmly held by the Four Great Pioneer Families, Zhou City's Yan Family able to hold over a hundred mines shows their strength.

Hammer Younger Brother Yan Ren heh-heh laughed, then familiarly asked:

"Supermodel Brother, you got any food? I'm starving."

Qin Shi thought, little brother you really aren't polite.

His spiritual field power spread, always faintly locking onto Yan Ren, detecting no malice fluctuations, he took out two boxes of nutrient paste from his tactical backpack and threw them over:

"Only these left, you take them and eat."

Yan Ren received them, a bit embarrassed:

"Supermodel Brother, what about you?"

Qin Shi grabbed a handful of red crystals, flatly:

"These are enough, later I'll go search that squad's hiding spot, see if I can scrounge some rations."

Nanhuang Dojo's Ru Shen Ti has just this advantage.

Normally stores energy, reserves nutrition.

When consumption comes, enough to last a long time.

With Qin Shi's current strength, even ten days without food or drink, he can maintain a considerably strong state.

"Truly worthy of Supermodel! This thing without extraction has especially many pollution impurities; only existences with life force developed to the extreme can possibly refine and absorb it with a mortal body!"

Yan Ren clicked his tongue; his family does mining, and mining areas are almost all outside the city district.

So they often deal with foreign race creatures, deeply knowing the energy cores condensed in their bodies are equivalent to unrefined radioactive material, very dangerous.

"Supermodel Brother, your Old Martial Arts Breaking Limits are all this ruthless? A half-step professional with ninety-nine points of life force would probably also be unable to eat it."

Yan Ren wolfed down nutrient paste while exclaiming.

"I see your physique is strong too. What school do you follow?"

Qin Shi circulated the Ru Shen Ti Furnace, like a turbine spinning, drawing in the energy factors contained within the red crystal.

His spiritual field power was exceptionally condensed, melting impurities like silk reeling, ensuring the pure nature of his mortal flesh.

"Now that New Martial Arts are widely promoted, there are too many charlatans in Old Martial Arts. Without special connections, it's hard to learn real skills."

Yan Ren felt quite regretful; someone with such a large build could be considered a good seedling of Old Martial Arts.

But looking across Hengzhou, those who still follow the Old Martial Arts path and can be called masters are too scarce.

"But I'm not entirely a New Martial Arts practitioner either. Supermodel Brother, you should be able to tell that my physical quality is superior to other New Martial Arts practitioners."

Yan Ren finished the nutrient paste in a few mouthfuls and spoke quite candidly:

"My family, probably back in my great-grandfather's generation, participated in the Late Pioneer Era, gained some fortune, and passed down a prescription, a kind of primitive tempering method like shamans use."

Hearing this, Qin Shi became interested. Hengzhou indeed once had many primitive spirits not contaminated by retinues.

They were a bit like the "elves" of myth and legend, fond of chasing nature, seeking places backed by mountains and beside water to settle.

Yan Ren had an open personality. Since Qin Shi had saved his life and shared some rations, he considered them acquaintances and friends.

So he simply said:

"That primitive tempering method requires collecting different herbs, beast blood, and refined minerals, refining them separately, taking a long time. After taking it, it will bestow great power."

"For example, since I was five, I've had the strength of a bear, the courage of a tiger, the speed of an eagle, and the agility of a leopard! Innately ahead of others!"

Qin Shi glanced at Hammer Younger Brother Yan Ren's burly build and thought to himself:

"This primitive tempering method is indeed impressive, equivalent to winning at the starting line. But there might be side effects; little brother is like being forced to ripen, growing up too old."

Yan Ren scratched his head and continued speaking to himself:

"But the success rate of the tempering method isn't high, and there can be aftereffects. I consider myself lucky."

Qin Shi blinked and asked:

"What aftereffects?"

Yan Ren answered:

"I have a second uncle who also took medicine from a young age and practiced the tempering method, but he was unluckier and got... a fish's memory, a donkey's temper, and a bat's eyesight."

Isn't that just being foolish and forgetful, plus liking to be stubborn, and having dim old eyes?

Qin Shi's mouth twitched. How bad his luck must have been to draw these useless beast traits.

"Are you also preparing to head to the Core Area?"

About twenty minutes passed, Qin Shi absorbed part of the red crystal, and added some accumulation to the Ru Shen Ti Furnace.

The surging firelight below finally extinguished. A large amount of crystal clusters were burned pitch black, bursting and shattering under high heat, melting into translucent glass crystals.

"Right. My goal is the top five! Those big favorites in the Core Area are too monstrous; I estimate I can't beat them!"

Yan Ren did have self-awareness; his combat power was mainly concentrated in his physique and weapons.

But those monsters thrown into the Core Area—who doesn't have a few trump cards?

"Brother, an existence as supermodel as you was actually thrown into the Outer Area! I think you're fully qualified to match wits with Zhou Yuanchen, Ji Yuqi, Pei Han, and those few."

Qin Shi didn't respond. Anyway, whether Outer Area or Core Area, to finally complete the trial, one must break through the Great Rift Valley.

His gaze pierced through the vast night, looking toward the end direction. Tomorrow he would know the points ranking.

I wonder what rank I can get.

Core Area. The blood-red land was still so eye-catching even under the cover of night.

The survival environment here was even harsher. Radioactive substances filled the air everywhere. If one carried a Geiger Counter, it would probably buzz with alarms at all times.

Even Secret Sect disciples dare not step into the Core Area where contamination is most severe. Only powerful foreign race creatures can live here.

Zhou Yuanchen sat cross-legged on a towering rock pillar. His Qi Life Force was dense to the extreme, forming a radiance that covered him, preventing radioactive substances from seeping into his flesh.

"Those old fogeys of the Martial Association are really ruthless! Choosing a ghost place where even a Professional Level can't last long as the trial site!"

Zhou Yuanchen's lips were dry and cracked, his condition obviously dropped a notch. The foreign race creatures in the Core Area were too terrifying. After being thrown in, he had encountered several hard battles. If not for his deep foundation and formidable strength, he might have perished and become food on a plate.

He greedily absorbed the contaminated energy factors, filling the consumption of his mortal body.

The main trial item in the Core Area was not collecting materials.

Those creatures evolved to the Third Stage Evolution and possessing Supernatural Abilities would casually breathe fierce flames and spray thunder light. How could he compete?

Zhou Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the Bronze Ancient Mountain not far away. It was hard to imagine who could cast such a magnificent giant peak nearly a thousand zhang high.

Even harder to imagine was that this Bronze Ancient Mountain, exuding strong Magic Nature, was actually smashed apart by someone, leaving only an Inverted Mountain Peak deeply inserted into the ground.

"At least a Grandmaster Level figure."

Zhou Yuanchen stared seriously at the several deeply imprinted palm prints and longingly said:

"Someday, if I can stand at the Grandmaster's position, maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard to repay loans. True experts, no loans and a light body. Just by their own existence, they can mobilize vast resources!"

Zhou Yuanchen felt excitement in his heart. Since middle school, because of the relic left by his father, he had been repeating the arduous cultivation process of borrowing and repaying loans.

Every day he dared not slack off, striving to seize every opportunity to improve his grades and obtain resources. From an ordinary middle school in Central City, to a Key High School, then to the Elite Class, smoothly entering Qiguang Heng University, then completing his studies early and entering the Education Bureau.

Only Zhou Yuanchen himself knew the hardships of this journey. That feeling of being nearly suffocated by loans, waking up from sleep, opening his eyes to find more interest that was hard to repay, almost crushed by piles of debt—how could others understand?

"I am called the most diligent and excellent student since the founding of Qiguang Heng University! A debt of over ten billion is more effective than any teacher's urging!"

Zhou Yuanchen recalled the past bitterness and efforts, his gaze gradually firming.

Winning this Top Hundred Competition would not only write off the huge debt but also allow him to borrow again!

An investment of seventeen billion made him a dazzling genius of Central City, a Supernova heavily cultivated by the Education Bureau.

If it continued to increase, he could run wild on the Professional Level Martial Path, connect with heaven, and prove the Grandmaster!

"Ji Yuqi, Pei Han, those rich second generations born with a golden spoon—how could they possibly compare to me?"

Zhou Yuanchen carefully calculated, and because of his cooperation with the Ying Clan, he had obtained another credit limit of eight hundred million.

Fighting the Foreign Race creatures in the Core Area consumed nearly one hundred million.

"The remaining seven hundred million. Enough for me to break through the Great Rift Valley and complete the Ultimate Trial!"

Zhou Yuanchen took a deep breath, radiance blazing within him like a bright moon shining, radiating dozens of meters away!

He slowly stood up, profound Qi Life Force surging forth, driving his Mortal Body as fast as lightning toward the Bronze Demon Mountain that plunged upside-down into the earth!

The wild wind blew the hair on his forehead, and as Zhou Yuanchen drew closer, he saw the stairways of the Bronze Demon Mountain.

This was the necessary path to the final end of the Core Area.

That is to say, Zhou Yuanchen had to climb the Bronze Demon Mountain and then cross it before he could possibly enter the next level.

"If I drag this on any longer, my Qi Life Force will gradually weaken, and my Flesh Vitality will no longer be at its peak state, so I might not make it through. The credit limit of seven hundred million must be used carefully! Every bit must be spent where it counts!"

As a peerless genius burdened with over ten billion in debt, Zhou Yuanchen knew exactly how to allocate funds.

Operations like the Ying Clan Young Master's, who just threw money around recklessly, seemed very foolish and wasteful to him.

"Damn rich people! If I had been born with a credit limit of over ten billion, I would dare to walk that Ancient Heavenly Road of the Star Cup too!"

Zhou Yuanchen was full of stamina, and within a dozen minutes he reached the "foot" of the Bronze Demon Mountain.

His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he spotted Ji Yuqi's figure.

This brat had actually started climbing the mountain before him.

"This Bronze Demon Mountain is no ordinary thing; it is said to be the manifestation of a great demon from the Netherworld who nearly descended upon the Material World."

"Even if a Grandmaster Level figure slapped it into pieces, the Magic Nature contained within has not diminished."

Zhou Yuanchen valued Ji Yuqi greatly; this was an opponent whose Combat Power exceeded twelve hundred million.

Stronger by a Frontline than the inheritor of that Nanhuang Dojo!

(Chapter End)