The question loomed before Luo Feng's eyes, unchanging and unmoving, a silent spectre of decision.
[Claim Physique]
[Convert to karma points]
But for a fleeting instant, a wave of temptation flashed through him, bright and rapid.
A saint physique. Even without learning all the details of cultivation, Luo Feng could understand it. It wasn't just talent, a foundation that could take a cultivator beyond their contemporaries.
Strength, endurance, and the rate of cultivation would be different in every way. To the average person, turning down such an offer would be unthinkable.
Luo Feng could sense the attraction unmistakably.
And then he forced his excitement to settle.
He closed his eyes, took a deliberate, paced breath, and allowed the first rush of reaction to pass. When his mind cleared, he began evaluating the circumstances in a calm, rational manner.
In the usual sense, talent meant nothing much to him.
The way he cultivated had always been extraordinary. His power had never come from mere ability or simply through effort. It was inextricably tied to the bound cultivators around him, their cultivation speed, upgrades, and luck. It was as if it all cycled back to him, fueling his own progress.
If that was the case, then acquiring a saint physique might not be necessary.
Even if he himself were no more than mediocre, as long as his bound partners were exceptional, he would continue to develop. Maybe even faster than any other, since he was no longer relying on himself.
Additionally, the risks associated with such a physique were unknown.
He was not sure whether it was harming Huang Lei. He was also unsure whether it causes a lot of commotion.
Uncertainty was something Luo Feng could not tolerate.
There was another consideration to think about as well.
Huang Lei had awakened a saint physique, so it meant he would cultivate at an increased rate. When Luo Feng's assumption proved correct, then the feedback he could receive might soon become stronger than it had been before.
There was no need to rush ahead.
Waiting was an option.
With that thought, Luo Feng clicked away the notice without choosing any option immediately.
Days passed by.
Life in the courtyard went on as before. Luo Feng did not cultivate. He did not train. He just lived, observed, and waited.
One day, however, a difference became impossible to overlook.
Luo Feng could feel it the moment he woke up.
The gradual, rhythmic build he was accustomed to saw him experience a sudden acceleration. Power poured through his muscles at a rate that was far beyond anything he had felt before. His breathing became more laboured, and he felt a warm flush rising from his pelvis and then radiating through his body.
His heart skipped a beat in sudden shock.
This was something else entirely.
He did not hesitate. Luo Feng immediately sat up and entered the lotus position. His posture turned upright, and then his breathing calmed. His mind quieted, and the qi in his body became stable. His back turned straight, and all the noise disappeared.
The feeling strengthened.
Energy started building within him, flowing in patterns that he could not see with his eyes but feel with all his nerves. It was not random. It was systematic and purposeful, as if a path had been laid out for it.
Minutes slipped by.
The warmth condensed; the pressure he had experienced for days finally surged forward, pushing through the barrier he had felt for so long.
And then it broke.
A subtle yet unmistakable change permeated his body. The collected energy drifted into a steady flow, no longer pulsing outward in desperation, but coursing through him.
Luo Feng opened his eyes.
He could feel it.
Qi Refinement Level 1.
A grin started to creep across his face before he could control it.
He felt a deep and quiet satisfaction. Not excitement, nor was it the pleasure of triumph. But the contentment that comes with crossing a boundary that was long ago deemed unreachable.
The ancient Luo Feng had lost all hope.
Hearing the news of his terrible talent, he stopped cultivating altogether. There was no point, anyway. To become a Qi Refinement cultivator would, even with all his might, require two more years.
Two years, that was a long time.
The majority of the Luo family's direct descendants entered Qi Refinement within six months to a year. This meant that being two years behind increased the delay, and the hopes of catching up were mere illusions.
Luo Feng could understand why his predecessor had chosen resignation.
Nevertheless, now he had reached the same point without effort, without training, without time.
And this was only the beginning, he knew.
Before he could contemplate further, he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to the courtyard.
A maid entered thereafter, bearing a tray loaded with food. Her face was expressionless, but the hint of contempt was still there in her eyes, as it always was. She set down the tray and started to leave without uttering a word.
Luo Feng spoke calmly.
"Have any interesting things occurred recently?"
The maid paused, looking at him in mild surprise at the question. After a moment, she replied, her efficiency abrupt, speaking of a few trivial occurrences within the mansion. None of it had the slightest relevance.
Luo Feng listened in silence to this, then asked another question.
"Anything involving the Huang family?"
That seemed to jog her memory.
There was a brief hesitation before she spoke again. This time, she discussed various rumours, some exaggerated and others quite irrelevant. It was then that she made the comment that caught Luo Feng's attention.
Huang Lei had been injured.
From what she had heard, this person had injured himself in the Paleborne Forest and had come back to the Huang family seriously injured. There had also been a strange phenomenon where the pillar of light had descended into the forest, attracting the attention of numerous influential members, who were convinced that a treasure had manifested.
Luo Feng kept his calm exterior.
In his mind, his thoughts were racing.
He fired the maid as soon as she finished talking. She walked away without another look, without caring about his response.
Finally being alone, Luo Feng slowly leaned back.
Based on what he'd heard, the situation was clear.
The pillar of light was, no doubt, the manifestation of Huang Lei's saint physique. These events were hardly ever subtle. But to do it inside the Luo family mansion would be impossible to conceal. Too many eyes. Too many experts.
Paleborne Forest, on the other hand, was massive and treacherous. It was an ideal location for an occurrence of this nature that would remain unobserved.
Discussing the injury was understandable. The process of awakening a saint physique was no easy task. Huang Lei's mere survival was a test of his potential.
Luo Feng breathed slowly.
As soon as Huang Lei had awakened his body, Luo Feng's responses would escalate. The earlier decision was now even more pressing.
It was a risk to wait further.
This time, Luo Feng did not hesitate.
He summoned the system and entered the command.
Convert to karma points. The reaction was instantaneous.
[You have received 1000 karma points]
The panel shifted.
[Karma: 1010]
So that was the value of a saint physique.
Without any delay, he invested 100 karma points in the acceleration function. Curiosity overcame caution. He wanted to learn more about the potential effect this might have.
The system accepted the input.
The panel returned to its former state.
Nothing happened.
Luo Feng slightly furrowed his brows. There was no energy surge. No sudden change. No sensation at all. After a moment, he relaxed. The description had been explicit enough: the acceleration would take twenty-four hours, and probably would not be immediate.
The outcome will be known tomorrow. At that point, he could only wait. Luo Feng closed the panel and looked towards the courtyard. The sun was setting. And far, far away, Huang Lei was embarking on the journey of his life, which would shake up more than just the Huang family.