CSMCDB - Chapter 73

Chapter 73

[I can find a way to make scholars who study formations have an epiphany and learn the information on it,] 1947 mused for a moment before speaking. [But doing so... might be considered a violation, and it will require your points for support.]

"How many points?"

[...At least five hundred.]

Wen Yuncheng's eyes widened, suspecting 1947 was trying to rip her off! ...Alright, it made no sense for 1947 to scam her at a time like this. This involved matters between planes, which the main system and the others ignored. The only one who could help was 1947. Five hundred points it was. "Just take them!" Wen Yuncheng said magnanimously.

The C-02 Enemy-Annihilator didn't require an energy core, and she hadn't had many point expenditures lately. She would earn back five hundred points in no time.

Five hundred points were deducted from Wen Yuncheng's account, and 1947 went silent again, clearly off to get to work.

Sometimes, problems that could be solved with "money" weren't really problems at all.

Host: Wen Yuncheng
Race: Human
Age: 17
Class: Mechanical Master
Level: 33
Experience: 1605/20,000
Points: 905

Looking at her diminished points, Wen Yuncheng remained unperturbed. She was very philosophical about these kinds of things.

While 1947 was busy, Wen Yuncheng didn't remain idle. Returning to the academy meant returning to her training grounds. The daily duels at the Dueling Arena allowed Wen Yuncheng to constantly improve herself, while the nightly combination of the Fire Tempering Bath and medicinal baths rapidly enhanced her physical constitution. A month later, 1947 reminded her that her body was now strong enough to try consuming the Mountain River Fruit.

After arranging to meet her Little Ice Mountain, Wen Yuncheng ignored the strange looks from the guard and entered the Fire Tempering Bath with Lin Jinyu under the cover of night. Wearing a thin robe, she submerged her entire body in the bath-after training for so long, she could now endure its pain without losing control of her expression.

Lin Jinyu stood guard by the side of the bath, watching Wen Yuncheng while keeping an eye on the surroundings. She knew Wen Yuncheng's secret. Although she didn't understand why Wen Yuncheng, who had already left the Wen Family, still needed to keep it-she knew that if Wen Yuncheng's identity were exposed, it would cause a considerable stir within the academy... and Wen Yuncheng had no intention of that happening. Lin Jinyu would naturally keep her secret.

In fact, the existence of such a secret between friends made Lin Jinyu a little happy.

"I hope everything goes smoothly..." Wen Yuncheng sighed, looking at the faint patterns on the Mountain River Fruit. The patterns on this fruit resemble mountains and rivers, hence the name. It's said that all the Mountain River Fruits were once controlled by the Xuan King, who was also known as the Mountain River King. That's one of the reasons the Mountain River Seal is named as it is.

Unexpectedly, the Mountain River Fruit was tasteless at first bite. The moment her teeth pierced the skin, a gentle suck was all it took for all the pulp and juice to flood into her mouth. A cool, soft sensation lingered between her lips and teeth, followed by a sweet aftertaste with a hint of sourness. In just a second or two, Wen Yuncheng was captivated by the refreshing, sweet flavor.

However, her expression of enjoyment was premature. A dozen or so seconds after she felt the fruit reach her stomach... or perhaps it was a minute? In any case, not long after she ate it, an intense heat ignited in her stomach and burned its way up the path she had swallowed. Wen Yuncheng's eyes instantly turned red, and she clamped a hand tightly over her mouth. She didn't want to scream in front of Lin Jinyu...

Of course, she also didn't want to start breathing fire. Although she didn't know if she actually would, Wen Yuncheng clearly felt as if her entire body was about to ignite! Her insides, her blood vessels, her bones, her flesh... whatever else there was, she felt as if she herself had become a cluster of flames, burning within the Fire Tempering Bath.

"That's the medicinal power of the Mountain River Fruit. Endure it."

[Hold on!]

Lin Jinyu's voice and 1947's encouragement sounded at the same time. Wen Yuncheng's mind, which had been muddled by the heat, finally regained a sliver of clarity. She slowly began to take deep breaths with all her might, but the air she inhaled was scorching hot. It felt as if she were breathing fire... This was unbearable.

[The Mountain River Fruit is a priceless spirit fruit!! Forget a million Star Stones, you might not even be able to buy one at auction for ten million!]

Wen Yuncheng: !!!

Okay, I can do this! Wen Yuncheng was greatly encouraged. The mere thought that the Mountain River Fruit would be wasted if she failed to endure gave her a sudden surge of fighting spirit. She closed her eyes and silently focused on the burning changes within her. The red liquid of the Fire Tempering Bath enveloped her as large bubbles continuously rose to the surface around her...

Lin Jinyu watched in surprise as Wen Yuncheng's hair seemed to be turning red, little by little. Was this an external sign that she couldn't withstand the medicinal power? But Wen Yuncheng was, in fact, enduring it.

Lin Jinyu kept track of the time. One hour passed, then two...

The night passed, and her long, reddened hair slowly returned to its original black. The medicinal power that had been overflowing around the Fire Tempering Bath was also gradually absorbed back into Wen Yuncheng's body.

"How do you feel?"

"...Alright, just a little hungry." Wen Yuncheng slowly exhaled, her whole body feeling stiff. She gradually stood up from the Fire Tempering Bath and stretched her rigid limbs. "I feel... really good."

Really good! Neither the Fire Tempering Bath, the medicinal baths, nor the Body Tempering Fruit she had taken before had given Wen Yuncheng such a tangible result. Despite her hunger, she felt brimming with power! She felt like she had become a berserker! She even felt like she could take on ten people in close combat right now! -Alright, that was an exaggeration. But she truly felt great.

Wen Yuncheng felt her muscles, but there seemed to be... no change? Oh well, it looked like the Mountain River Fruit couldn't give her an eight-pack. Stepping out of the Fire Tempering Bath, she placed her bare feet on the floor and noticed faint patterns on the surface of her skin-patterns that resembled mountains and rivers, just like on the fruit.

"Your body hasn't fully absorbed the medicinal power yet. It will fade in a few days." Seeing Wen Yuncheng roll up her sleeve to look at her arm, Lin Jinyu knew what she was thinking and explained, "Seize this time to cultivate."

There's a bonus to cultivation during this period? ...Too bad she didn't level up through cultivation. Wen Yuncheng smiled and nodded, overjoyed. She casually took out an outer robe and draped it over her shoulders. "I don't know what I would have done without you... You must be tired after watching over me all night, right? Let me take you to breakfast, then I'll walk you back to your dorm to rest?"

"Alright." Lin Jinyu nodded. "You should go change your clothes first."

"Okay~"

After changing and eating, Wen Yuncheng walked Lin Jinyu back to her dorm. Lin Jinyu hadn't slept all night, and she clearly hadn't used the time to cultivate. Wen Yuncheng could see her fatigue, and her heart ached. She repeatedly urged Lin Jinyu to rest well before cultivating again, only letting her go upstairs after she promised.

Wen Yuncheng reluctantly tore her gaze away, only to meet the scrutinizing eyes of the dorm mother. Her face instantly flushed red, and she hurriedly fled the girls' dormitory.

Although there was nothing to be embarrassed about... perhaps it was a guilty conscience?

Feeling guilty, Wen Yuncheng fled the girls' dormitory at the speed of light and headed straight for the Dueling Arena. Although she hadn't slept at all, the Mountain River Fruit had left her feeling a hundred times more energetic, without a trace of fatigue! This made her eager to fight a few matches and see how much she had improved.

[...Don't get too carried away. Even with the Mountain River Fruit, don't go trying to catch blades with your bare hands!] 1947 sensed Wen Yuncheng's excitement and couldn't help but worry. It felt that if it didn't give her a reminder, Wen Yuncheng might pull some crazy stunt. This girl was truly timid when she was scared, but in such an excited state, who could guarantee she wouldn't act recklessly?

"Roger that!" Wen Yuncheng replied enthusiastically. Finding even running too slow, she flew directly to the Dueling Arena with her Mechanical Wings.

She wasn't just testing the effects of the Mountain River Fruit on her body; Wen Yuncheng also wanted to try out the Flying Sky Shuttle and the Mountain River Seal to see how those two spirit treasures worked. As for the bracelet? She already knew its effect-it was surprisingly useful for surprise attacks or interrupting opponents. And, of course, it could also act as a substitute to block an attack or draw aggro.

Perhaps because the new semester was about to start, there were surprisingly few people at the Dueling Arena. Wen Yuncheng tried to find a match for a long time without success... Then, the arena's manager contacted her to ask if she would be willing to duel an opponent at the third layer of Star Master.

Wen Yuncheng readily agreed. She paid the three-thousand Star Stone deposit, warmed up, and then walked onto the fighting stage as the announcer introduced her.

"Next up is a familiar face here at the Dueling Arena! The battle maniac-Wen Yuncheng! And his opponent for today, a third-layer Star Master who wishes to remain anonymous!"

The introduction gave Wen Yuncheng a headache, but she was used to it by now. After all, her identity was hardly a secret in the Imperial Capital.

This anonymous third-layer Star Master appeared to be an adult male wearing a black fox mask. He walked onto the stage without a word, simply slamming the butt of his halberd onto the floor, his aura instantly erupting.

Wen Yuncheng muttered to herself that if this guy just had a Red Hare to ride, he could pass for Lu Bu.

"Begin!"

The moment the word was spoken, Wen Yuncheng's heart jumped, and she instinctively dodged to the right. An instant later, the halberd the man had just been resting on the floor was thrown, its tip burying itself in the stage right where she had been!

Wen Yuncheng: Holy shit, this guy's intense!

Wen Yuncheng had wanted to test her spirit treasures, but the man immediately closed in on her. The instant he threw the halberd, he charged, his movement technique pushed to its absolute limit. He yanked the halberd from the floor, poured his Star Power into it, and unleashed a dazzling flourish at Wen Yuncheng-a series of points, parries, lifts, and sweeps that forced her to summon Number One to block.

With a mental command to charge, the Flying Sky Shuttle appeared, hovering at her side. She made a grabbing motion in the air with her right hand, and the Mountain River Seal materialized in her palm. Wen Yuncheng sent the Flying Sky Shuttle attacking her opponent. She gave the seal a light toss, then suddenly threw it upward. The small Mountain River Seal instantly expanded, as if grasped by a phantom hand. Wen Yuncheng pressed her own hand down-and the massive seal slammed toward her opponent.

Even a seal can be used in many different ways. You can stamp a person, can't you?

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