Chapter 279: Jade Skin Ointment

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Jade Skin Ointment

He was going to break through to the Fourth Realm, win the Global Freshmen Competition, awaken a Special Ability, and become an SS-level genius.

For others, each goal was a monumental task, but for him, it was simply a matter of following the steps.

...

A moment later, the group split up.

Hooo~

A large, green garden came into view, the chilly air filled with the scent of fresh grass and flowers.

Lin Qi stepped out of the black electric car and gazed at his private villa.

Inside, the spacious hall had already been cleaned. The concentration of Source Energy in the air left him feeling refreshed in both body and mind.

"Little Chan, order a Level 4 Nutritional Meal!"

"Yes, Master!"

The blue projection of Little Chan emerged from the metal sphere, smiling as she spoke.

Lin Qi, meanwhile, went straight to the Martial Arts Room. As expected, a massive cardboard box was already standing in the middle.

The package he’d mailed yesterday had now arrived at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.

He quickly opened it and took out its contents.

A Martial Arts Uniform, Martial Arts Shoes, a change of clothes, the unused Skin Tempering Ointment, Qi and Blood Pills, Stimulant Potions...

He changed into his Martial Arts Uniform right away, ready to begin his Cultivation.

’Winter break is over. Now that I’m back at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, it’s time to get back to my Cultivation.’

After a simple lunch, he chose not to rest, starting his daily Cultivation immediately.

...

「Martial Arts Calendar, Year 2047, February 15th」

It was the opening ceremony for the freshmen of Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.

According to Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy’s rules, only freshmen were required to attend an opening ceremony. Sophomores, juniors, and even seniors began their classes immediately upon returning to campus.

In the vast hall on the first floor of the Red Cloud Building, a skyscraper that rose like a sharp sword piercing the clouds.

In the stately hall, nearly 9,000 students from the ten major academies, all in uniform, stood in neat formations according to their respective schools.

The freshmen of the Tenth Institute, however, were watching from a private suite on the second floor.

Lin Qi’s expression was calm, but he was the focus of many curious gazes.

"I heard Lin Qi survived an assassination attempt over winter break. Apparently, the assassin was in the Fourth Realm, but Lin Qi managed to turn the tables and kill him."

"The craziest part is that the guy had a bomb in his body. It detonated instantly. I saw the pictures—the entire parking lot was blasted to cinders."

"And despite all that, Lin Qi only suffered minor injuries. I heard from someone in the Sixth Institute that he was fully healed in just two days. The guy is an absolute beast."

A buzz of discussion spread among the students from other academies.

The top students from the various academies also watched Lin Qi with curiosity.

Huo Wanyang frowned. He had seen the news reports and knew even more about the incident than most.

For him to survive that encounter unscathed was truly impressive.

’If I hadn’t Awakened, I probably would have died on the spot.’

"Students!"

Vice Principal Xu Wenji stood on the high dais, gazing down at all the students as he announced in a loud voice:

"The new semester is upon us, and with it, a new season of competition begins."

"Last semester, you all made tremendous progress. This semester, I expect your growth to be even more significant."

"I hope that by the end of the term, you will all have undergone a complete transformation..."

After the flag-raising ceremony and some brief words of encouragement from Xu Wenji, the opening ceremony officially concluded.

The students filed out in an orderly fashion, and the members of the Tenth Institute emerged from their private suite.

This was the first time Lin Qi had seen all the students of the Tenth Institute together.

The first to emerge was a tall, handsome young man with sharp, well-defined features.

He had a high-bridged nose and an upright posture, and he radiated a sharp, fierce aura.

Lin Qi could feel the immense, undisguised Qi Blood radiating from him—a sign of absolute confidence.

"That’s Yu Zhuoran!" Jiangtao said from beside him.

"He’s one of only two SS-level geniuses among the Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy freshmen and the undisputed number one in the Tenth Institute. I heard his Awakened Special Ability is [Thunder]!"

Guo Heng explained with a focused expression.

Lin Qi’s expression turned serious. At the same time, as if sensing his gaze, Yu Zhuoran glanced over from a short distance away.

Upon seeing it was Lin Qi, he simply turned and walked away.

Following him was a tall, burly young man with broad shoulders, rugged features, and the powerful air of a wild beast.

His Qi Blood was potent, and his presence was imposing and domineering.

Lin Qi recognized him as well: the third-ranked student of the Tenth Institute—Xiang Long!

"Lin Qi!"

The mild-mannered Pei Jiu approached, along with Han Zhen, Xia Lian, and Wan Ming.

"Lin Qi, thank goodness you’re alright! Otherwise, our Xia Country would have lost a future Sea-Bridging Purple Gold Beam!"

Pei Jiu said with a gentle smile; he had a way of speaking that put people at ease.

At the same time, the fluctuations of his Qi Blood had also grown much stronger.

"Lin Qi, you’re incredible. Even a Modified Martial Artist was no match for you," Xia Lian said with a laugh.

Lin Qi shook his head. "I was just lucky."

Wan Ming chimed in with a smile, "Don’t be so modest, Lin Qi. Since you claimed the ninth spot in our Tenth Institute last semester, all of us are feeling the pressure."

"We’ll all have to train like our lives depend on it this semester."

He was telling the truth. The pressure on the Tenth Institute’s geniuses, himself included, was considerable.

It would be a real disgrace if Lin Qi surpassed them.

Lin Qi was watching Yu Zhuoran’s retreating back. Noticing this, Wan Ming chuckled.

"Looks like your target is Yu Zhuoran."

"Yu Zhuoran has already broken through to the Fourth Realm. He’s left us far behind."

Pei Jiu also lamented, "Going from the Peak of the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm is a huge hurdle. It’s not an easy breakthrough to make."

"Yu Zhuoran is truly worthy of his title as an SS-level genius."

Hearing this, Jiangtao and the others exchanged shocked glances. ’Someone’s already broken through to the Fourth Realm?!’

For geniuses like them, with a Qi and Blood Value of only around 70, the gap between them and an SS-level genius was as wide as a chasm.

...

As everyone dispersed, Pei Jiu maintained his smile, but inwardly he was reeling with shock.

His Spiritual Power was formidable, allowing him to perceive the Qi Blood fluctuations of everyone around him.

And Lin Qi’s Qi Blood fluctuations were now a great deal stronger than they had been at Wan Ming’s birthday party over a month ago.

’He’s almost on par with me now.’

’Just as Wan Ming said, his target might actually be Yu Zhuoran.’

He glanced at the others beside him but decided not to voice his thoughts.

’It would only give them more to worry about.’

...

After the opening ceremony came the internal institute meetings.

Azure Sky Sixth Institute, in the conference hall of the Cangjing Teaching Building.

"Next, let’s have our Dean, student Lin Qi, say a few words!"

CLAP! CLAP!!

announced Dean Liu, who was dressed in a long white robe.

Accompanied by a burst of thunderous applause, Lin Qi, who was sitting in the very center, slowly stood up.

Everyone was much more enthusiastic than they had been last semester.

Lin Qi scanned the room, his gaze passing over everyone’s face, and began to speak slowly:

"Last semester, I did everything I said I would!"

"This semester, our Sixth Institute will be number one again, and no other institute will be able to challenge our position!"

"YEAH!!"

CLAP! CLAP!!

Thunderous applause once again filled the conference hall as everyone clapped furiously.

Because their institute was ranked first, many of them had seen their strength advance by leaps and bounds, making incredible progress.

The greatest credit for this belonged to Lin Qi.

...

After the meeting, Lin Qi followed Dean Liu back to his office.

Dean Liu sat down and started to brew tea.

"Dean Liu, here is your spear tip. I’m returning it to its rightful owner."

Lin Qi placed the Metal Cylinder from his belt onto the desk.

Dean Liu shook his head.

"Just keep it for now. When you have the money later, I’ll sell it to you for a good price."

Lin Qi’s face lit up with joy; he hadn’t expected the Dean to just let him keep it.

The Liquid Metal long spear had been a massive help against the assassin, and he’d grown quite attached to it.

"Thank you, Dean!"

Lin Qi clipped the black Metal Cylinder back onto his belt.

"It was right to be cautious. I never expected the Insect God Association to actually make a move on you."

Dean Liu remarked, handing him a cup of hot tea.

"Now that you’re back at the academy, you’re safe."

"Your next goal is to get your Qi and Blood Value to 95. That will make breaking through to the Fourth Realm much easier."

Lin Qi accepted the tea and took a sip. Warmth flooded his body, and his mind cleared slightly.

"Dean, my Qi and Blood Value has already surpassed 95!"

His tone was calm, but his words left Dean Liu stunned.

"It’s already 95?"

Then he broke into a smile. "It seems the assassination attempt spurred another breakthrough for you."

He then shook his head, stood up, and walked into a small adjacent room. He returned a moment later with a metal box in his hands.

"Since you’ve already reached the goal, this is what Old Xue promised you."

He slowly opened the box, revealing its contents: a jar filled with a red, paste-like substance, nestled inside.

"For most Martial Artists, there’s a trio of items used during the Third Realm to help them break through quickly."

"They are: the Skin Tempering Ointment, the Molting Potion, and the Jade Skin Ointment!"

"The Skin Tempering Ointment is for daily use, while the Molting Potion significantly boosts your skin’s Refinement."

"Finally, there’s the Jade Skin Ointment. Its effect is similar to the Muscle Strengthening Potion; it helps Martial Artists who are stuck at a Qi and Blood Value of 99.99 to drastically shorten the time it takes to break through that bottleneck."

"Jade Skin Ointment!"

Lin Qi nodded; it certainly sounded expensive.

"One jar is a single dose."

"The price is 20 million Xia Country Coins. Even with your forty-percent discount, it would still cost you 12 million Xia Country Coins," Dean Liu continued.

’It really is expensive,’ Lin Qi thought.

’If I had to buy it myself, it would take a huge bite out of my savings.’

Dean Liu looked at Lin Qi and said:

"What you need to do now is break through to the Fourth Realm before April. If you do, there’ll be another benefit waiting for you."

He left him in suspense, not elaborating further.

’It’s probably related to some function of the Fourth Realm or to Cultivation resources,’ Lin Qi guessed silently.

...

A few minutes later, after Dean Liu had answered some of Lin Qi’s questions about Cultivation, he dismissed him.

He took another sip of hot tea.

’His Cultivation speed is incredible. He’s almost at the Fourth Realm already. Soon, he’ll need to start practicing a new Source Energy Skill.’

’I wonder what’s going on with Old Xue and Old Mu. The new year is already over.’

’Why haven’t they broken through yet?’

...

「Half an hour later.」

Lin Qi returned to his villa and went into the Martial Arts Room, placing the Jade Skin Ointment from Dean Liu in a metal cabinet.

He couldn’t use it yet; it was only for when his Qi and Blood Value reached 99.99.

For now, his main goal was to raise his Qi and Blood Value as quickly as possible.

He then took out his smartphone to check his account balance. After the winter break, his net worth of fifty million had dwindled to just over thirty million.

It would be enough for now.

...