Chapter 9: In the Spotlight Once More

Because Zhang Pu had not forgotten many advanced cultivation techniques from the world of immortals that involved absorbing the essence of rare herbs and treasures, he found that upon his rebirth, he no longer needed the complicated steaming and boiling methods when using the auxiliary medicinal ingredients required for practicing the Heaven and Earth Converge technique—ginseng, cordyceps, deer antler, wolfberry, angelica, and astragalus.

Instead, he recalled a high-level medicinal absorption technique once tributed to him by a Nascent Soul-level subordinate during his days as the dominant lord of the Greenwood Star Realm. Following the method described by Wannuo, he drew a circle on the ground around himself and chanted the incantation, and it was done.

The essence of these medicinal ingredients—ginseng, cordyceps, deer antler, wolfberry, angelica, and astragalus—soon flooded into his body.

Even if Zhang Pu had never experienced the immortal world, his education up to high school had taught him enough to know that these herbs were all highly nourishing for the body.

But what could he do? Now that he was an ordinary mortal, embarking on the path of cultivation—a pursuit so advanced—he needed to first greatly strengthen his physical vessel before even thinking of stepping into the gates of the immortal world.

However, this purchase of medicinal herbs had cost him dearly, draining a substantial portion of his savings.

After absorbing the essence of these auxiliary medicines, Zhang Pu still had to visit that "auspicious spot" in South Lake Park every day to cultivate, for it remained the most spiritually charged place he knew of in Qingwu City, far better than the apartment he rented, where the effectiveness of the Heaven and Earth Converge technique would be greatly diminished.

Two days before the start of school, Zhang Pu, diligently practicing his art, arrived at the true moment of testing his abilities.

Seizing a moment when no one was around, he struck out with his palm—leaving a clear imprint on the trunk of a sturdy tree.

For a moment, Zhang Pu stared blankly at his palm print.

"So it seems I've truly stepped into the Qi Refining Stage!" he murmured to the nameless tree.

His excitement was beyond words.

What did this mean?

It meant that he was now, in fact, on par with the top martial artists of Earth.

Previously, his understanding had been theoretical, a matter of conjecture; even when he had thwarted that criminal, it could have been an adrenaline-fueled outburst of potential. Now, however, he could summon his strength at will—there was no doubting it.

Though still only at the early stage of Qi Refining, combined with a few lesser spells and superior combat techniques from the immortal world—of which he possessed a vast trove in his memory—Zhang Pu was confident he could easily defeat any martial arts champion in Qingwu City.

That day, Zhang Pu left in high spirits, never imagining that he would leave an even deeper impression on some people.

He thought little of the palm print he left behind, assuming no ordinary person would make much of it.

But while the uninitiated see only the surface, those with true knowledge see the essence.

Old Master Zeng and his two subordinates, Wang and Zhou—already intrigued by Zhang Pu—soon discovered the impression he had left.

Old Master Zeng stared at the palm print for a long time, lost in thought.

"I am certain of it; he is definitely a martial arts prodigy! To have achieved such feats at such a young age is truly remarkable," he finally said to his two attendants, full of emotion.

"But where did he come from?" Old Master Zeng continued, voicing his doubts. "A martial arts prodigy so young—could he be the disciple of some grandmaster? When has the Qingwu region ever produced a martial arts grandmaster?"

According to Old Master Zeng’s knowledge, not only had Qingwu City never produced a martial arts grandmaster, he doubted that the entire Great Ding Province had. In all of China, such figures were as rare as phoenix feathers.

Yet what was it about this student that made him so certain the boy might be the disciple of such a master? Was it simply that the young man’s display of strength was so overwhelming?

Though Old Master Zeng was a man of high status, he was himself a martial artist, trained in the special forces of the army.

He also knew: among the many martial arts sects in civilian life, there were experts whose prowess rivaled that of the special forces.

There were grandmasters and those of comparable skill in the special forces, and so too among the many civilian schools.

To encounter someone with strength equal to his own, and of such a young age, excited Old Master Zeng enormously.

After his soliloquy, Old Master Zeng was suddenly overtaken by a violent fit of coughing. Clutching his chest as before, his two attendants once again panicked.

But Old Master Zeng quickly waved away their concern and regained control—he alone understood the nature of his illness, a malady contracted during his military years. Unless he crossed paths with a true master, he knew there was no hope of ever curing it.

But true masters were vanishingly rare; even the grandmaster he revered in the Yan Capital Military Region had failed to heal him. Where, then, could he possibly find such a person elsewhere in China?

Then again, perhaps a master was closer than he imagined, hiding in plain sight.

In the end, Old Master Zeng assigned one of his attendants—the burly Wang—the task of investigating the mysterious student’s background when time allowed.

With that, Old Master Zeng completed his morning exercises and left South Lake Park with his two attendants.

Meanwhile, Zhang Pu was at home, using the high-level medicinal absorption technique, Wannuo, from the world of immortals to draw in the essence of another batch of nourishing herbs—ginseng, cordyceps, deer antler, wolfberry, angelica, and astragalus.

He had just enough herbs to last until school began, only buying as much as he could afford—he didn’t have much money, and couldn’t spend all his parents’ allowance on herbs and go hungry.

But even so, the herbs provided substantial support; Zhang Pu could feel his strength growing.

He was now certain he had truly stepped into the realm of cultivation—the path of Qi Refining.