Chapter 121: Foundation Building

Chapter 121: Foundation Building

Li Pin rubbed his swollen arm after class. "Astral Cultivators are incredible!"

It's a well-known fact that force acts in both directions. When an object was struck, it would release similar force in magnitude onto whatever struck it. This principle was relevant when considering the nature of domestic violence.[1]

In just one session that lasted less than three hours, Li Pin fought nineteen fierce battles against the tough and resilient Astral Cultivator students. Despite not receiving any direct strikes, the toll on his body far surpassed that of a life-or-death struggle with an Internal Cultivation Grandmaster.

By the time Li Pin got home, he was aching all over. His back was sore, his legs cramped, and he had to practice the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique for several hours to recover.

This experience forced Li Pin to confront a harsh reality; the human body had its limits, and he was no exception.

"Dealing with just nineteen Astral Cultivator students has left me mentally and physically exhausted. If there were another nineteen, or a hundred and ninety...."

Death and defeat would be his only outcome.

This highlighted the truth behind the saying that two fists couldn't defeat four hands. [2]

It’s no wonder that during the Jiang Province Martial Competition a few days ago, Jiang Zhenhai, Zhou Yuanfei, and the others dared to swarm him despite being mere Core Formation experts. The claim that ten or eight Core Force experts could besiege a Martial Saint was not just an empty statement.

Li Pin pondered.

In theory, a high-level martial artist can engage in a hit-and-run strategy against lower-level opponents and wear them down over time. With this approach, a single Martial Saint could easily defeat not just a hundred, but even a thousand Core Formation experts. However, just as the saying goes, "Don’t underestimate the young," there will inevitably come a time in life when retreat is no longer possible.

However, his injuries weren’t too severe. Though his arms were swollen, under the effect of his weakened self-healing "passive ability," they would recover within a few hours.

The real concern was his stamina and energy. He needed to either raise his physical limits, like an Astral Cultivator with qi and blood as strong as a ferocious beast, capable of fighting for three days and nights without rest, or... improve his recovery speed.

"I’ve attempted to become an Astral Cultivator over the past year, but I haven’t even been able to sense the slightest trace of the Astral God. It’s disappointing, but I must admit, I don't have the qualifications to become one."

With this realization, Li Pin focused on the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique.

[Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique: Qi-Nurturing Chapter: 99/100]

"Just one step away. So..."

He quickly swallowed the supplements that replenished his primordial qi before fully activating the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique.

By now, he was well-practiced in the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique. With the aid of various supplements, his primordial qi circulated rapidly within his body.

As the circulation peaked, the primordial qi seemingly caught up with the slowly moving qi under his mind's guidance, creating new momentum that propelled the final bits, giving them additional energy to circulate and thereby accelerating the entire process.

In simpler terms... it was like completing a lap during a jog.

In more technical terms... This was creating a circulation cycle.

From then on, the primordial qi would circulate endlessly, replenishing and reinforcing itself.

With just one daily practice to initiate the process, the qi would spontaneously flow throughout the body, continually strengthening and repairing every hidden flaw.

Li Pin revealed a slight smile. "Qi-Nurturing Chapter: perfection."

Perfecting the Qi-Nurturing Chapter in less than a year was an impressive feat.

Li Pin focused and sensed his progress.

His primordial qi had reached thirty-five points, just two points short of his physical strength. In other words, as long as his injuries weren’t immediately fatal, he could recover with his current level of primordial qi.

For Astral Cultivator students, manifesting Force was only a matter of time.

Over the years, with the support of grandmasters, Martial Saints, astral equipment, and resources, almost no student failed to comprehend Force unless they gave up halfway. It's like how students with top private tutors would almost always get into college.

However, while some might master Force within a year or two, others might take a decade. The future achievements of these two groups on the path of Astral Cultivators differed vastly.

Astral Cultivators would need to master the organs-tempering and Blood Renewal technique to transform their flesh into a Starlight Body and elevate themselves into Top-Tier Astral Cultivators. Before they achieved this, they would have lifespans similar to ordinary people.

If it took ten years to manifest Force, their potential for future achievements would have already been largely predictable. Even reaching the level of unlocking the Astral Palace and becoming High-Class Astral Cultivators would have been considered incredibly fortunate for them.

In this context, an instructor with extraordinary teaching accomplishments quickly drew the attention of all the students at Astral Hall.

***

"The class is starting, Xiaoran! You haven't been to the Astral Hall lately, so you wouldn’t know, but the new instructor, Mr. Li, is incredible. Under his guidance, four students have already manifested their Force."

Right now, in the Astral Hall, a girl around eighteen or nineteen was pulling Qin Rouran toward the Sixth Education Building.

As they hurried along, she excitedly went on, "The senior students' performances are still unstable, but the first step is always the hardest. Once they've achieved it the first time, the second and third times will follow, until they master their Force.

"When they do, they'll experience a second physical growth and officially step into the realm of Astral Cultivators... becoming official Astral Cultivators!"

"Xiaoyu, are you exaggerating it?" Qin Rouran asked skeptically. "If he’s that amazing, why haven’t we heard of him before?"

"He’s new, so of course you wouldn’t have heard of him yet."

The young girl, named Fang Xiaoyu, quickly added, "I’m telling you, this Mr. Li is quite impressive. He’s not much older than us, only twenty-two, and he’s already well-known in the Jiang Province martial arts community.

"They say he’s the uncrowned king of this year’s martial competition intermediate category. He didn’t win first place in Jiang Province, but he’s recognized as the champion in everyone’s hearts."

"The uncrowned king of the martial competition intermediate category?"

Although Astral Cultivators and top figures didn't closely follow the martial competition, they weren’t completely ignorant of it. Naturally, Qin Rouran was aware of the events that unfolded at the Jiang Province Martial Competition a few days ago.

Hearing Fang Xiaoyu's words, she was momentarily stunned. Her eyes widened slightly. "Mr. Li... twenty-two years old... Are you talking about Li Pin?"

"Yes, yes, that’s him! Xiaoran, how do you know about him?"

Fang Xiaoyu nodded vigorously. "My dad even had someone inquire about him at the Astral Hall. He wants to know if it’s a coincidence that he has taught four students to manifest their Force in just four lessons, or if he really has the skills to do it. If he truly has such teaching quality, my dad wants to hire him as my private tutor. Money and resources are not an issue."

"Your dad?!"

Qin Rouran was aware of Fang Xiaoyu’s background. She was the eldest daughter of the Fang family, the future heir to the Marquisate of Tianbo. She was also the granddaughter of Fang Qiankun, the chairman of the Jiang Province local council.

Having successfully meditated on the Astral God, she was clearly the most favored granddaughter of Marquis Fang.

A family of such esteemed standing actually...wanted to hire Li Pin as a private tutor?

1. illustrates how the impact of violence isn't just one-sided; both the perpetrator and the victim are physically affected by the act. ☜

2. Implies if someone is alone or outnumbered, they are less likely to succeed against a larger group. ☜

3. This martial arts technique, often featured in fictional Chinese novels, is known as one of the most powerful and physically demanding techniques in the cultivation world. Li Pin is implying that the Foundation Building Chapter is very powerful and challenging to cultivate. ☜

4. suggests that taking the time to fix small problems early on can prevent bigger problems from arising later. ☜