Chapter 16: Transcendence
In the early morning, Chen Chu walked through the school gate along with the crowd.
The faces around him were filled with youthful spirit; whether male or female, everyone seemed hopeful about the future.
In the Xia District, as long as one attended high school, practice of the Body Refining Art was mandatory. Consequently, even some of the academic students were full of spirit, their expressions vibrant and energetic.
This scene would occasionally give Chen Chu the illusion that in this world, everyone was as mighty as a dragon.
Passing the building dedicated to the academic classes, Chen Chu traversed the training facility in Building B, where he had spent the last half month refining his skills. He reached the building in Zone C, where the entrance led to a ground-floor office area.
Observing Chen Chu as he walked in, the woman behind the desk on the side asked, "Which class are you from?"
"Class Three."
"Class Three is under Pang Long's supervision. Go find him on the third floor; take the elevator from there," the woman said, gesturing in the direction of said elevator as she spoke.
"Thank you." Chen Chu expressed his gratitude politely, then promptly took the elevator to the third floor.
This was a more spacious floor, spanning over a thousand square meters, with little obstruction in the middle save for sturdy, two-meter-diameter pillars.
The vast floor on both sides was filled with various equipment and high-tech products, and was divided into individual training areas, each spanning dozens of square meters.
At this early hour, there were no students practicing. Not far from the entrance, Pang Long, who had appeared on the first day, was sitting in the office, browsing on the computer.
Upon seeing Chen Chu enter after a knock, he pondered for a moment and then spoke in a deep voice, "Class Three, Chen Chu."
"Yes, sir," Chen Chu responded. He was somewhat surprised that Pang Long could recall his name. After all, they had only met briefly that day, and it was just the teacher introducing himself.
Of course, Chen Chu was unaware that the teacher had reviewed all of the students' profiles at the beginning of the year.
Pang Long nodded approvingly, "Well done. Completing your foundation in half a month is commendable. Your talent is acceptable. Take a look at this information. You have ten minutes. After you finish, I'll take you to build your foundation."
Pang Long pushed a folder in front of Chen Chu, who didn't hesitate, sitting opposite of him and picking up the folder. From the slightly worn cover, it was evident that many people had already perused it. Inside were guidelines and precautions for the upcoming Foundational Training, which involved drawing in transcendent energy from the surroundings and harnessing the extraordinary energy freely circulating in the heavens and earth.
In the past, there had been only various rays and magnetic field waves in the universe. Therefore, ordinary people couldn't transcend even if they practiced diligently.
Fifty years ago, when colossal beasts began to appear and disappear through rifts, the New Era began with boundless transcendent energy flooding into the world. However, this energy was so thinly spread that ordinary individuals couldn't perceive them. Only those naturally awakened had the ability to cultivate and grow stronger.
Confronted with such circumstances, a collaboration between proficient cultivators and the government unfolded, leading to years of research and culminating in the creation of the first generation of cultivation arts. Following numerous optimizations, they further developed the Meditation and Body Refining Arts practiced by Chen Chu and his peers. These arts were specifically designed to strengthen the body and enliven the spirit.
To further ensure successful Foundational Training, each first-rate high school had established specialized cultivation rooms. The transcendent energy that circulated in these rooms was five times more concentrated than in the external environment, which made it easier for beginners to sense and capture that energy, bringing it into the body for refinement.
In theory, the first Foundational Training was a transformative process akin to a rebirth. The better the Foundation, the longer the duration of the Foundational State, leading to greater rewards.
Finally, the documents contained many important details that would help beginners like Chen Chu avoid making mistakes that could lead to the failure of Foundational Training.
As the young man put down the documents, Pang Long asked in a solemn tone, "Have you finished reading?"
Chen Chu nodded. "Yes, I've finished."
"Good, come with me," Pang Long said. He stood up, leading Chen Chu out of the office.
At that moment, the doors of several elevators opened, and about ten students poured out. Among these people were Xia Youhui, Lin Xue, Yi Rui, and others who had already undergone Foundation Building in their respective classes. Luo Fei, who had completed her Foundation Building the day before, was also present.
Seeing Chen Chu, Xia Youhui's face lit up with a happy smile. "Ah Chu, you're finally here!"
"Not bad, just lagging behind you all by a few days," Chen Chu replied with a smile.
Xia Youhui gave Chen Chu's shoulder a hearty pat, expressing his joy. "I knew you'd be fine."
Luo Fei, with her long hair tied up with a white butterfly ribbon, walked over. A beautiful smile adorned her face, and her attractive phoenix-like eyes squinted slightly, adding to her charm. Lin Xue, Yi Rui, and the others nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Chen Chu responded with a smile.
Xia Youhui was about to say something, but Pang Long interrupted. "Alright, there will be plenty of time for catching up later. Let's not waste everyone's time."
Xia Youhui chuckled at the teacher. "Yeah, Ah Chu, go lay your Foundation quickly. Then you can choose a true martial art for cultivation."
"Good luck!" Luo Fei gave an encouraging look.
After nodding in response, Chen Chu followed Pang Long into the elevator. Instead of going up, they descended all the way to the underground fifth floor. They found themselves in a corridor with closed doors on either side, each leading to small rooms.
Chen Chu stood to the side while Pang Long approached a counter resembling a self-service vending machine. He entered information and verified his identity, and the machine promptly spat out a card.
While Chen Chu waited, several more teachers came down, each accompanied by one or two students.
"Go ahead, Room Fifteen for cultivation. Remember, how long you can persist is entirely up to you," Pang Long instructed.
"Mhmm," Chen Chu acknowledged as he accepted the magnetic card.
He located Room Fifteen and inserted the card, and the heavy metal door slowly creaked open, just as slowly closing once Chen Chu entered. Subsequently, the white glass door in front of him opened, and a cool breeze swept through.
This was what happened when high-concentration transcendent energy flowed into a lower-energy zone. Chen Chu didn't dare to be negligent and quickly passed through the glass door, which automatically closed behind him as soon as it sensed his entry.
It was a small room, roughly three to four meters in length and width, totaling about ten square meters. A faint white light spilled from the ceiling, but apart from that, there was nothing—quite minimalistic.
Swoosh!
Inhaling deeply, Chen Chu stood in the center without any extravagant preparations and began his cultivation.
One of the fundamental requirements for Foundation Building was to perform ten cycles of the Body Refining Art in half an hour. This meant practicing one cycle every three minutes, with the goal of allowing the vitality throughout the entire body to surge.
Meanwhile, the Meditation Art aimed to enhance the concentration and purity of spiritual force, facilitating the capture of the free-floating transcendent energy from one's surroundings and the swift circulation of their vitality.
As Chen Chu continued his cultivation, the eighteen postures of the Body Refining Art shifted continuously, increasing in speed. The swift circulation of vitality throughout his body intensified, causing a growing sense of warmth and fervor.
After completing ten cycles, his whole body felt like a steamer as his vitality emitted extreme heat, and his spiritual force became sharper.
He felt the wandering energy around him immediately. It was faint and empty.
Now!
Chen Chu's expression stiffened and he started to practice the Body Refining Art at an even greater speed. At the same time, his spiritual force pulled the external energy he had detected into his body.
Bang!