Chapter 18: Investment

“Given Li Zhen’s innate talent with the sword, I can’t even begin to compare,” Lou Zichen said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

He had watched firsthand as Li Zhen, over just an hour or so, through multiple spars against Han Wenqin, elevated his basic swordsmanship to near-combat proficiency.

With a bit more time, Li Zhen could easily master the beginner level completely.

It had taken Lou Zichen over a month to achieve what Li Zhen did in mere hours.

“When I have free time, I’ll come by to teach him how to fight!” Teng Si declared stubbornly.

Li Zhen, blissfully unaware of their conversation, remained fully focused on the match.

“That’s enough for today! Let’s call it quits here,” Han Wenqin suggested, stepping back after realizing she didn’t want any more practice.

In truth, she wasn’t as relaxed as she appeared. While Li Zhen’s sword technique and combat experience were indeed inferior to hers, the power he infused into his sword moves left her deeply troubled.

Both Li Zhen and Han Wenqin possessed only weak spiritual energy, rendering its influence negligible during their sparring matches.

What Han Wenqin couldn’t fathom was where such immense strength came from within Li Zhen’s small frame.

When executing sword techniques, one couldn’t simply add force at will—especially since Li Zhen hadn’t yet mastered them. Attempting to infuse extra power prematurely would cause significant deviations in form, paradoxically diminishing the effectiveness of his strikes instead.

Thus, the power Li Zhen had used during their match was his normal strength when wielding a sword; he hadn’t intentionally exerted more force.

This revelation made Han Wenqin even happier—Li Zhen’s greater talent meant her investment would be even more valuable.

“I’ll sign you up for an advanced membership at the Going Beyond Swordplay Club,” she told him. “From now on, you can train there anytime!”

“Doesn’t an advanced membership require many merit points?” Li Zhen asked, feeling that he’d already received too much from her generosity.

The facilities at the Going Beyond Swordplay Club were undoubtedly top-notch in Yunxi County. With his family background alone, he couldn’t afford to patronize such a place.

“The club is my family’s,” Han Wenqin explained with a smile. “An advanced membership is our way of investing in you. Besides, it’s also where we gather as a small circle!”

Originally, she planned to give Li Zhen only a regular membership, but his exceptional swordsmanship compelled her to increase her stake.

Due to the Xian Nation’s Spirit Root Confidentiality Law, discerning the true talents of fellow students in the cultivation class was nearly impossible without using forbidden techniques like Heaven Eye Art, which Han Wenqin had employed discreetly.

Most investments typically went towards students who had already demonstrated significant potential, such as Lou Zichen and Teng Si, who had broken through to the mid-stage Qi Refining realm in their first year.

As for Rong Honghui, she was Han Wenqin’s confidante. Cultivating their relationship allowed Han Wenqin to have a trusted ally by her side.

Li Zhen, however, was a special case. Han Wenqin had discovered his innate talent unexpectedly and, through further interaction, uncovered even more of his exceptional abilities. This led her to decide on increasing her investment in him.

Becoming a premium member didn’t take long; soon, details about Going Beyond Swordplay were added to Li Zhen’s identity bracelet.

The perks of being a premium member were numerous: ten free bottles of basic nutritional supplements per month, access to advanced swordsmanship guidance, and many other benefits.

What caught Li Zhen’s eye was the option to use the ‘Pill Toxin Detector’ once a week for free—a tool to assess one’s Pill Toxin levels.

After finishing his training session, he decided not to leave the Going Beyond Swordplay immediately but instead tried out the ‘Pill Toxin Detector’.

The ‘Pill Toxin Detector’ was a high-grade first-rank magical device. Calling it purely magical wasn’t accurate, as it also incorporated advanced technology—a fusion of magic and science. Using this detector required energy from spiritual energy blocks.

Once activated, Li Zhen’s identity bracelet received a Pill Toxin report, which he viewed directly on his retinal display.

Having never consumed any medicinal pills before, his internal Pill Toxin level naturally stood at zero.

He pondered where he could obtain medicinal pills suitable for the first layer of Qi Refinement. He planned to test their effects by consuming them through his Dragon Heart Space and then assess if any Pill Toxins remained in his body.

Without conducting these tests beforehand, he wouldn’t risk ingesting large quantities of medicinal pills.

“Zhen’er is back!” Li Zhen exclaimed as he entered the living room and saw Mother Li at home.

“Mother, there’s something important I need to discuss with you,” Li Zhen decided to share today’s events with her.

“What’s so serious?” Mother Li asked with a smile.

“Do you know about the Han Clan among the four great families?” Li Zhen sat across from Mother Li and posed the question.

“The businesses of those four families control half of Yunxi County. Why do you ask about the Han Clan specifically?” Mother Li couldn’t help but respond worriedly.

She feared her son might have offended the Han Clan, which was not someone they should provoke.

“I have a classmate who’s a direct descendant of the Han Clan. She invited me to join her social circle!” Li Zhen revealed the situation.

Mother Li let out a long sigh of relief. Having attended cultivation classes herself, she understood well what these social circles entailed.

These “social circles” were essentially networking opportunities and recruitment efforts. As for potential downsides, there wasn’t much to worry about.

While the four great families held significant influence in Yunxi County, restraining a cultivator student was no easy feat. Especially once the student got accepted into university, it became even more impossible for the families to exert control over them.

These exclusive circles were more about investing in future relationships. As the cultivator students grew and prospered, they would be more inclined to favor those who had been close to them from the start.

“Wait, how did you manage to catch the attention of the Han Clan’s inner circle?” Mother Li spotted a discrepancy.

She had always believed her son lacked talent, destined for a life of mediocrity like herself.

“Mom! Why so little faith in your own son? My aptitude is actually quite good!” Li Zhen shook his head with a smile.

“But isn’t your spiritual root an artificial one?” Mother Li glanced around cautiously, even at home, wary of prying ears.

“It was, but not anymore!” Li Zhen considered his current spiritual roots situation; indeed, his Water Spirit Root started as an artificial one, but by now, it had undoubtedly become genuine. As for his other two spirit roots, he possessed a low-grade Metal Spirit Root and a mid-grade Wood Spirit Root.

“My clever boy!” Mother Li didn’t doubt her son’s words. Considering the Han Clan’s interest in him, it was clear that his aptitude must be exceptional.

“I must tell your father this wonderful news right away!” She sprang up excitedly, rushing out without another word.

Li Zhen reached out, wanting desperately to stop his mother. He needed to ask if joining the Han Clan’s circle might bring any trouble.

Upon further reflection, he realized that Mother Li’s attitude towards his joining this exclusive circle was indicative of its harmlessness.

Dinner that night was exceptionally lavish, featuring not only beast meat but also a spirit fish and a pot of spirit wine.

Father Li was in high spirits, downing nearly the entire pot of spirit wine himself.

“A Qilin child has been born into the Li family!” Father Li slurred incessantly as Mother Li led him away from the table.

The evening meal had doubled Li Zhen’s cultivation effectiveness for the day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t cultivated at school; otherwise, the spiritual energy contained within the beast meat and spirit fish could have been absorbed even more efficiently.

Sunday arrived, with Han Wenqin planning a gathering for the afternoon.

Li Zhen could have visited the Going Beyond Swordplay dojo in the morning, but he had other plans.

It had been over a month since arriving in this world, and he decided it was time to explore the place where he first crossed over. This matter had weighed on his mind ever since.

He initially avoided the area, preferring to wait until he’d developed some self-defense capabilities before venturing out.

Of course, the cave outside the city walls posed little actual danger—even the previous inhabitant, who hadn’t yet become a cultivator, frequently explored it without incident.

Li Zhen boarded a bus, alighted at the city gate, and followed a narrow path to the foot of the mountain.

The cave entrance was concealed behind a massive boulder and further obscured by overgrown vegetation; it would be easily missed unless one deliberately sought it out.

Parting the foliage, Li Zhen squeezed through the narrow opening.

A fissure ran from the cave ceiling up to the mountaintop, with sunlight piercing through some gaps, casting an eerie glow within the chamber.

Guided by memories of his predecessor’s actions, he ventured deeper into the cave.

Dimly, his dragon heart sensed a summons—an unseen force seemed to be calling to him.

Instinctively, he drew his rune dart and fell into a state of cautious vigilance.

“This must be the place!” He arrived at a depression in the cave floor—a natural basin formed by the uneven terrain.

It was here that his predecessor had lost consciousness, allowing Li Zhen to usurp his body.

As he approached, a peculiar pale golden symbol materialized above the basin. The sight of this symbol sent a powerful surge through his dragon heart.

“What is this thing?” Li Zhen struggled to suppress the agitation in his dragon heart.