Volume One, Chapter 51: Grade A Secret Realm

After sending Yuan Liang to the station, Yuan Liang immediately praised Li Jing Beast for his prowess. The Wuling Hongguang was truly powerful; on the road, every other vehicle yielded to it. The old monk had arrived in a business-class car but left in the Wuling Hongguang. He came in grandeur, but departed with his face drawn. He regretted not having asked the car to wait for him; had he known, he would have left together with it. No one expected that the vehicle sent to pick him up would be a Wuling Hongguang.

Li Jing Beast came to a conclusion: monks are not all detached from worldly matters. He secretly resolved that next time, if he were to pick up such people, the Wuling Hongguang must be the vehicle of choice; no one could stop him, not even a taxi would suffice.

Little did Li Jing Beast know that the brief leisure he experienced on the road was a rare respite after embarking on the path of cultivation.

Three hours had passed by the time Li Jing Beast returned home. Jiang Chen had already recovered to his peak state, every gesture imbued with an ethereal aura. Jiang Chen moved a rattan chair out of the villa. “Stand still.”

“Huh? Brother, we’re starting already?” Li Jing Beast felt he should at least be allowed some rest.

“What else? In martial arts, stagnation means regression. Do you think you could defeat anyone in your current state?” Jiang Chen’s words and actions entered his mind as if they were imperial edicts.

“I… I practiced Sanda before. Brother, if you don’t use Dao techniques, I might not lose to you,” Li Jing Beast murmured as he raised his foot.

Ning Rou, who was washing clothes, heard this and her eyes widened. Competing in physical skills, not Dao techniques? She doubted her ears. The scene of Jiang Chen hugging a C4 and detonating it remained vivid in her memory; on that day, Ning Rou understood just how strong Jiang Chen’s physical prowess was, and his monstrous defense was beyond words. Only Ning Rou, who had witnessed it firsthand, could speak on it.

“So you want to spar?” Jiang Chen smiled, a dangerous glint in his expression.

Li Jing Beast rolled up his sleeves. “Brother, don’t say I’m not forthright. I’m really quite formidable.”

Jiang Chen approached him, pressing four fingers against his chest. In the next moment, his fingers closed, unleashing a burst of fist intent.

Bang, bang, bang—

Li Jing Beast smashed through several trees in succession. Luckily, he was wearing the 090 seal; otherwise, he would have exploded on the spot. Watching Li Jing Beast fly off into the distance, Jiang Chen shook his head. “Still not fully recovered. Otherwise, this punch would have been even stronger.”

When Li Jing Beast returned, his face was pale. “Brother, can I ask, was that for real? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t use Dao techniques?”

“Dao techniques? I didn’t use any.” Jiang Chen spread his hands.

Had he used Dao techniques, Li Jing Beast would have been sent straight to the summit of Mount Dragon Tiger.

“All right, don’t dwell on it. The more time you waste, the further you get from Chongli. The disciples of Mount Mao practice stances every day. By the way, I heard Chongli has many admirers at school,” Jiang Chen encouraged him.

Li Jing Beast was dismissive. “Impossible. Chongli doesn’t care for them at all. Even I had to work hard to win her over. Though we’re not together now, she’d never be interested in those ordinary folk.”

Jiang Chen had already prepared a counter to this answer. “Fine, take a break. By the way, Mount Mao and Mount Dragon Tiger will soon have an exchange event. It’s not big, but plenty of young talents will attend—many are Chongli’s peers, elite students. What if…”

Leaving room for imagination is a good habit in writing, letting readers wander in endless speculation, but for Li Jing Beast, it was simply letting him overthink.

After hearing this, Li Jing Beast was no longer grinning. He grew serious.

“I can’t fall behind. Chongli, you must wait for me,” Li Jing Beast said to himself.

The Body of Chongyang—his master, the Heavenly Calculations Sage, had chosen him for this. Whether in character or ability, he was nearly first-class, and the abilities of his Chongyang body were not yet fully developed.

In the Tang Dynasty, a powerful cultivator with the Body of Chongyang advanced steadily in martial arts, and at his peak slew a flood dragon poised for ascension. Once ascended, the flood dragon would become a true dragon, akin to an immortal. With the Body of Chongyang, challenging higher realms was commonplace.

As Li Jing Beast practiced his stance, Jiang Chen asked, “Do you intend to learn Dao techniques, physical arts, or perhaps become a diviner or doctor? The latter requires a foundation from childhood—it’s not achievable in a day.”

In these fields, Jiang Chen was unmatched and could bring Li Jing Beast to nearly his own level—though only in one discipline; in others, the gap would be vast.

“I… I want to learn whatever lets me protect you all, no matter how hard or exhausting,” Li Jing Beast replied earnestly.

Li Jing Beast wanted to protect many: Chongli, his big brother, his father, his sister-in-law—all his family.

Since stepping into this world, he grew ever more aware that reality was far broader than he’d imagined.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, “I’ll teach you physical arts. What do you think?”

“Big brother, how strong can I get? Can I reach your level?” Li Jing Beast asked curiously.

Jiang Chen hesitated, then nodded. “Possibly.”

From an objective standpoint, he believed that in physical arts, Dao techniques, and medical skills, no one could rival him. He even hoped to meet someone on his level to spar with. Of course, there are always higher mountains, and Jiang Chen remained humble, humility being his true nature.

Physical arts are nothing but hard practice. Jiang Chen specially designed a training regimen for Li Jing Beast, planning to help him advance another step once he returned from resolving his senior sister’s secret realm.

Over the next few days, Jiang Chen focused on refining medicines, all aimed at strengthening Li Jing Beast’s muscles and bones.

Three days later, on the eve of the secret realm’s opening, Jiang Chen arrived at a bar.

Though it appeared to be a leisure spot, it was actually a task dispatch center. Many who sought rewards posted their bounties here, waiting for someone to accept them.

In the Grand Xia territory, most were regulated by the 509 Bureau. Generally, only special items warranted bounties—like the secret realm Jiang Chen intended to enter.

The information Jiang Chen received indicated that the secret realm’s current situation was already widely known. He came here hoping to leverage others’ efforts to enter without much trouble; his only aim was to rescue his senior sister. He cared little for anything else.

“Everyone, friends of the cultivation world, there is only one bounty task this time, classified as Grade A danger. Those who wish to enter, register with me,” announced a man in a suit wearing a cartoon mask, his voice altered by a voice changer.

As soon as the bounty’s grade was revealed, someone couldn’t sit still.

“Grade A? You do it. I can’t handle it, way too scary.”

“Wait for me, I’m leaving too.”