Volume One, Chapter 15: Can a Bullet Once Fired Strike True Between the Eyes?

“Of course. The primary reason our noble family can outpace those impoverished Gu masters is precisely because we possess abundant cultivation resources that ordinary people can hardly access.”

“There are the ‘Replenishing Pills’ that rapidly restore spiritual energy, the ‘Concentration Pills’ that enhance focus, and, most importantly, the Ultimate Source Gu that accelerates a Gu master’s cultivation!”

“Uncle... my dear uncle! I will certainly perform well!”

Li Chengying nearly leapt from his seat in excitement. No wonder the young scions of the family trained as if they were on some kind of drug—they were all competing for the right to use the Ultimate Source Gu.

Each Gu master’s daily time for refining Gu is limited. For apprentice Gu masters like them, it’s typically just over an hour, while those with exceptional talent might manage two hours at most.

The rest of their time is spent either training their bodies or studying to broaden their knowledge.

The Ultimate Source Gu, however, is the most coveted nourishing treasure among all Gu masters.

Normally, a Gu master can quickly recover spiritual energy by taking the Replenishing Pills, but the human body builds tolerance over time, diminishing the pill’s effectiveness with prolonged use.

Therefore, under usual circumstances, one only carries a few pills and uses them in emergencies, rather than treating them like candy.

The Ultimate Source Gu is different. It can dramatically boost your spiritual recovery speed.

To put it simply, it’s like carrying a portable spring of water that has no side effects.

How could anyone not go mad over that?

Others may only refine Gu for an hour or two a day, but with this, you could practice for seven or eight hours—or even longer.

Over time, others wouldn’t even be qualified to breathe the same air as you.

At that moment, social hierarchy became tangible.

Li Chengying nodded heavily. “Don’t worry, Uncle. I definitely won’t let you down.”

“You need to watch out for Zhou Zhen from Class Five. From what I know, he has already completed the wandering of nine Gu patterns.”

“He’s your rival at the Cloud Academy, so be careful.”

“But if you manage to stand out in this great examination under my guidance, Zhou Zhen won’t even be worthy of tying your shoes in the future, hahaha!”

Li Chengying laughed proudly.

“Hahaha! So what if Zhou Zhen’s Gu skills are on par with mine now? So what if he’s a Thunder Gu master? Behind me stands a mountain so high that you could never hope to climb it in your lifetime.”

“As the saying goes, ‘No one supports my ambition to soar; I will tread the snow alone to the summit.’”

“But when you finally laboriously reach the peak, you’ll find I’ve long been drinking and enjoying myself in the heavens above.”

“What is this called? This is what you call class.”

“No matter how gifted you are, your fate is to serve me like a dog. If you know your place, so be it. But if you don’t... hmph, don’t blame me for being cold and ruthless.”

As a member of a prominent branch of the family, he had seen the harsh realities of the world from a young age.

He had sworn that if he didn’t awaken, he would live quietly as an ordinary man, neither fighting nor competing, leading a peaceful life.

But if he did awaken successfully, he would exhaust every means to climb upward and trample all those who had once looked down on him beneath his feet.

Fortune favored him: not only did he awaken, but he also awakened the Fire Gu, the signature Gu of the Li family.

Opportunities are gifts from heaven, but destiny is in one’s own hands.

Li Chengying chuckled wickedly, “Who else is there?”

“By the way, what’s the situation with that kid Chen Tianming now?” Li Hai suddenly remembered and asked casually.

“A piece of trash. He definitely won’t pass this assessment and is destined to be expelled,” Li Chengying said disdainfully.

In a way, Li Chengying deeply despised Chen Tianming.

Although they grew up in the same neighborhood, Chen Tianming was a natural-born leader among children, and all the other kids loved to follow him around.

Li Chengying was naturally one of them, but at the time, he was immature and actually enjoyed it.

That would have been fine, but back then, the little angel of the Li family was led to play with Chen Tianming by none other than Li Chengying himself.

Chen Tianming, true to his title as the kids’ leader, quickly won over the family’s little angel with his unique charm.

From then on, Chen Tianming gained another little follower.

This episode became an indelible stain on Li Chengying’s life.

This is why he hated and despised him. Back then, Chen Tianming had no strength and was easily looked down upon.

Now, with the Fire Gu awakened and boundless potential ahead, Li Chengying could finally voice his true feelings.

The son of a servant—how dare he attend the same academy as him? How dare he be in the same class?

Trash must accept its destiny; the fate of a worm is to reside in the dark, damp sewers, not in fertile soil covered with flowers and grass.

“No problem. I will persuade him to quit. I’ve also given Chen Guozhong my word. It’s not that I don’t give chances, but his son truly is hopeless. I’m not to blame.”

Li Hai took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaling a beautiful smoke ring that slowly floated and gently landed on the backrest of the front-row seat.

Just like the smoke ring he once blew in Chen Guozhong’s face—casual and unbothered.

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