Chapter 222: The Road To Becoming A Grandmaster
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As they were walking to other passageways, Old Man Li whispered unexpectedly, “If you can’t attain jaded bone marrow, then there’s only one way to solve your problem!”
Fang Ping’s slowed down his pace.
“Become stronger!
“When you become a Grandmaster, no, as long as you achieve Rank-6, then there won’t be any problem at all.
“I can buy you some time. MCMAU has got your back!
“However, if there is constantly no sign of you becoming a Grandmaster, you just won’t be able to justify your unceasing Vitality.
“Kid, give it some thought. If you want MCMAU to help you stand up against the pressure, you need to show others your potential.”
“MCMAU does not lack Rank-3 martial artists. Not even Rank-4 or 5. However, MCMAU lacks potential Grandmasters! Mankind also lacks them!”
If Huang Jing said Fang Ping’s bone marrow was not honed, then he would have to take his word on it.
Whether this kid could do it or not, Old Man Li was not optimistic.
If Fang Ping could not provide a reason, even though people like them had turned a blind eye, there were still plenty of other powerhouses out there. There would always be those who were slightly more radical.
When that happened, Fang Ping would be forced into a tough spot.
The only option was to become stronger!
When Fang Ping could exhibit his potential showing that he was a promising Grandmaster, the rumors would die down. A Grandmaster powerhouse was comparable to a great army of lower three ranks martial artists.
Rather than hoping the three lower ranks martial artists could have the slightest hope of achieving an unceasing Vitality, it would be more beneficial to wait for Fang Ping to breakthrough to Grandmaster.
The value of the two options must be weighed carefully.
Fang Ping said in a muffled voice, “I know.”
“Then stop thinking about all the other nonsense, including that platform of yours. Don’t take all of them too seriously.”
Fang Ping laughed bitterly. ‘You, old man, do not know the situation, alright!
‘Without money, how am I supposed to improve at the speed of light!
‘Do you really think that I have natural talents, that I can achieve unceasing Vitality all by myself?’
Today, everything was established on the basis of Wealth, on the basis of the system. Without an income, he should just be waiting for death.
Old Man Li assumed that he had been spending too much time on these trivial matters, causing the delay in his cultivation. Little did he know that those matters were the very foundation of Fang Ping’s strength.
However, this was really difficult to explain.
Fang Ping was melancholic but did not utter a word. Old Man Li did not say anything else and brought him to the next laboratory.
...
“This is the energy ore?”
Fang Ping mumbled to himself and asked doubtfully, “This is different from what we saw in the university.”
“Energy ore is just a general term. This is actually an energy carrier. It’s normal for its shapes, sizes, and colors to be different.”
As Old Man Li explained, he picked up an energy ore and said, “Give it a good feel. What are your thoughts?”
Fang Ping pinched a bottle cap-sized energy ore and started giving it a thorough feel. After a while, he exclaimed in fear, “Danger!”
“Hmm?”
Old Man Li looked slightly astonished. Then, he asked suddenly, “Are you feeling it with your Mentality?”
“I guess so.”
“That’s normal. A lot of energy gathers in energy ores. It is normal for people to feel the danger when there is an outburst of these energies.
“Your Mentality is not strong enough, hence you can only feel it when you are near. When your Mentality is slightly stronger, you can sense danger beforehand, just like Grandmaster powerhouses. This is also one of their greatest traits.”
“Instructor, is your Mentality strong? I saw my instructor shifting a cup last time...”
“That’s Lu Fengrou.” Old Man Li replied calmly. “I can’t do it.”
Was Lu Fengrou’s natural talent that strong?
Very strong!
A dragon will never live with a snake. This included the families that martial artists had built. Many of them were like that.
In those days, “Snake King” Wu Kuishan was also a brilliant legend. If Lu Fengrou was not capable enough, she would never have been in a relationship with Wu Kuishan.
The things that Lu Fengrou could do were not necessarily within the capabilities of other Peak Rank-6 martial artists.
Lu Fengrou had the confidence to declare that she would become a Grandmaster three to five years. Old Man Li, however, only wished to spark a bloodbath in the Catacombs before he died.
Not once had Old Man Li felt the presence of Fang Ping’s Mentality. On the other hand, when Lu Fengrou was in the Energy Room last time, she could feel it even when Fang Ping’s Mentality was only slightly active.
This demonstrated the difference between the two.
Capability-wise, Old Man Li might not necessarily lose to Lu Fengrou; potential-wise, especially the potential to achieve Grandmaster rank, Old Man Li was simply no match.
Fang Ping heard his reply and was silent. Soon, he asked, “Instructor, is it possible to test whether Mentality is strong or weak?”
“It is, but the test can only be conducted on Grandmasters.”
“Why is that?”
“It is because Grandmasters’ Mentality can be released outwardly. In other words, martial artists who can release their Mentality outward can take the test, whereas others cannot.
“Other people’s Mentality is undiscernible and undetectable. Do you understand?”
“Is Mentality strength similar to Vitality, where there is a unit measurement?”
“Yes.”
Old Man Li replied swiftly and chuckled. “The strength of Mentality amongst Grandmaster martial artists is a very important standard measurement.
“Let’s put it this way, what are the traits that determine a Grandmaster?
“First of all, it is the outward release of Mentality. When you can release your Mentality outward, bind Vitality forces together, and exhibit Grandmaster combat skills, then you are a Grandmaster!
“Additionally, skull-honing is related precisely to Mentality.
“The reason the skull is not honed in the three middle ranks, instead opting to hone it when they have become Grandmasters, is that skull-honing is not solely dependent on Vitality force. It includes the use of Mentality to forge the skull. Depending solely on Vitality force is possible too. However, it is extremely dangerous. Even then the result is dubious.
“Take myself, for example. I have stopped at Peak Rank-6 for 9 years now. I’m also honing my skull. After 9 years, my skull-honing progress is perhaps only 15%. This is based on the stage as an aspiring martial artist where I’ve honed my bones once.
“If I’d like to hone my skull up to ninety percent, I would need to spend more than a hundred years!
“One who can release Mentality outward and exhibit Grandmaster combat skills can be considered as achieving Rank-7.
“After achieving Rank-7, they use Mentality and Vitality to hone the skull. After the honing is complete, they will officially achieve Rank-8!
“Rank-8 Grandmasters will have attained great achievements in terms of their bones. Bone marrow like mercury, Vitality like the tide, Mentality that never dies... At that instant, one will truly attain the Vajra Form.”
At this point, Fang Ping had a decent grasp of the concept of Grandmasters cultivation process. He had even forgotten to ask about the unit measurement for Mentality. He replied after hearing the explanation, “What about Rank-9?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
Old Man Li rolled his eyes and continued, “No kidding. How could I know? I’m only a Rank-6. The only reason I know anything about Rank-8 cultivation is because there are two Rank-8 vice-chancellors in MCMAU.
“Rank-9 is another level altogether. I’ve never come in contact with a Rank-9 powerhouse before.
“Besides, what’s the use of knowing it when I’m not at that level yet?”
Fang Ping was itching to know inside. “In that case, if a Rank-8 Grandmaster attains a Vajra Form. Then, our Vice-chancellor, why is he... why is...”
“Looking sickly?”
“Yes. Do you know what’s going on?”
“Vajra Form does not ensure immortality. In those days, the vice-chancellor fought with a commanding general from Sky Gate City. The other party used Mentality to obliterate certain indestructible traits of his...”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m not so sure myself. Whatever that is, in order to destroy high-ranked powerhouses, one mainly depends on Mentality to obliterate the immortality mark.
“A typical fight can injure, yet it will not exterminate the other party.
“For example, people like us, if we fight with the vice-chancellor right now, he will allow us to hack to our heart’s content. Perhaps he will be injured at the end, nevertheless, injuries like this will not take his life, and he will heal in no time.
“Despite that, if he got injured by martial artists of the same ranks to the point that his immortality traits were wiped out, even he will find it difficult to recover from those injuries.”
Fang Ping could slightly understand, though not entirely. He did have a rough idea of the whole situation now.
After thinking for a while, Fang Ping said again, “So that means that as long as my instructor is still not a Grandmaster, she will not seek revenge because she cannot kill the Sky Gate City city lord?”
“You know this too?”
“I heard it from someone else.”
Old Man Li nodded and said, “That is indeed the case. As long as she is not a Rank-7, she will not be able to destroy her enemy. She must be wishing for death if she tried.
“At Rank-7, she will at least stand a chance, slim it may be.
“That being the case, if a fifth Grandmaster were to appear in MCMAU, none of us hope that it will be her.”
“Vice-chancellor Wu is already a Rank-8, my instructor’s father is also a Peak Rank-7, so if my instructor can achieve Rank-7, won’t she be a match for a Rank-9 opponent?”
Fang Ping continued, “You’ve mentioned before that the guy has only just entered Rank-9.”
Old Man Li frowned and replied, “You know nothing about a Rank-9’s power. Do you think that a Rank-3 martial artist can win against a Rank-4 martial artist?”
Fang Ping replied solemnly, “When I have achieved Peak Rank-3, I will try it out on Zhang Yu. He may not stand a chance against me.”
Old Man Li was speechless!
‘F*ck, am I talking about you?
‘You’ve cheated, are you aware of that?
‘You have unceasing Vitality. Everyone will still look at your Vitality before you achieve Grandmaster!’
Having no intention to deal with him, Old Man Li snapped, “Quickly, feel the different energy ores’ purity levels yourself...”
Fang Ping started feeling them carefully. When he had gotten to the final energy ore and had just picked it up for a while, Old Man Li rebuked him all of a sudden, “You brat, that’s too much!”
Fang Ping looked like he was in a daze, as if he did not know what had happened.
“I asked you to observe—not absorb!”
Fang Ping put the energy ore down sheepishly. He laughed drily, “Instructor, is this for cultivation? I have only absorbed it a little just now and I can feel my Vitality filling up. This feels so much better than whatever that is!”
Old Man Li’s face darkened and warned, “Get out. Don’t mention anything about this when you go out later, or else you’ll have to pay for it!”
Fang Ping nodded promptly. He looked at the glowing energy ore with longing, reluctant to part from it. The effect was truly powerful; it could replenish Vitality instantaneously.
At this moment, Fang Ping was thinking about it deeply. If he had continued absorbing it, filling up his Vitality to the brim, then could he start honing his bones immediately?
There was still a huge possibility. He remembered what the professor had said earlier about using energy ores as medicine.
Fang Ping thought that this was much better to use than pills.
Pills were absorbed and digested very slowly.
On the other hand, energy ores could adapt quickly. Even for someone like him, with all his Wealth depleted, it would not be entirely impossible to adapt when using energy ores.
Of course, the most important thing was its high value!
He would have an increase of tens of millions of Wealth if a small piece like this, at more than ten catty only, became his.
If he could just rob this place... Forget it. There were Grandmasters guarding this place as well.
...
After a few minutes. In another laboratory.
Fang Ping gulped. He was staring at a green, glossy fruit in front of him. He murmured, “Being a Grandmaster must be great.”
“You can destroy everything now?” said Old Man Li.
Fang Ping shook his head hurriedly. “What are you saying, instructor? If I’m a Grandmaster, I will definitely strip the Catacombs bare for the sake of humankind!”
Old Man Li sneered and brushed off this comment.
“The Luosheng Fruit is actually not as good as it sounds. It’s the main ingredient for Bodybuilding Pills.
“There are three very important pills for the three middle ranks martial artists.
“Bodybuilding Pills, Viscera-shielding Pills, and Eleven Pills.”
“Eleven Pills?”
Fang Ping had never heard of this. Old Man Li explained, “It’s the pill that hones the vital organs of the human body. Aren’t there 11 main parts of a human’s internal organs? Coincidentally, a pill like this is created using 11 types of medicinal herbs. Hence, it is called Eleven Pills.
“Bodybuilding Pills mainly hone the body; Viscera-shielding Pills, you should already know; and Eleven Pills focus on the internal.
“The body’s internal and external are both taken care of. Three middle ranks martial artists mainly strive to hone everywhere below the skull to the maximum.
“Luosheng Fruit is the main ingredient for Bodybuilding Pills. One Luosheng Fruit can produce 10 Bodybuilding Pills. As for the Bodybuilding Pills’ ranks, they will be set based on different situations and the medicinal herbs’ expiry date.
“Luosheng Fruit’s value has everything to do with the expiry date. This one in front of you is probably thirty to fifty years old. Around 100 credits.”
“So cheap?”
“Nonsense. This is not the only medicinal herb needed to produce Bodybuilding Pills. This is the usual price for Luosheng Fruit. Of course, it will be different if the expiry date is more distant.”
Upon hearing the explanation, Fang Ping pointed at another scarlet fruit that looked similar to the Saintess Fruit and asked, “This... looks like a Blue Leave Fruit?”
The Blue Leave Fruit was actually red in color. It was named Blue Leave Fruit because the plant that produced it had leaves that were entirely blue in color.
“Correct. It is the main ingredient for Eleven Pills. Its value is similar to Luosheng Fruit.”
Fang Ping enquired curiously, “There’s none on Earth?”
“None.”
“If there are no pills like these in the early days...”
“That is why there are limited Grandmasters last time. When a Grandmaster appears, he or she will be revered like a god. Since ancient times, except for the past hundreds of years, there was only one Grandmaster every hundred years. Can you understand how difficult that was?”
Fang Ping was speechless. If that was the case, if the Grandmasters right now existed in the past, they would all become gods?
Old Man Li said flatly, “Due to the Catacombs’ existence, for mankind, the martial arts involvement is not without reasons.
“Everything in the world reinforces each other. Only with the Catacombs’ existence will martial artists be able to make full use of their abilities to destroy the Catacombs martial artists. Our martial artists play a big role in it.
“A decrease in martial artists meant an increase in danger for humans.
“Thus, at this point in time, humans discovered these Catacombs ingredients, allowing us to cross martial arts boundaries swiftly.
“If this was in the past, no, just before the Catacombs was discovered, in the world of sects, a Peak Rank-3 martial artist can destroy one party, claim to be the sect founder and establish his or her own sect—that’s the kind of existence they have.
“If it’s back then, given some time, even you, kid, can call yourself the old founder of so and so.”
Fang Ping laughed drily and joked, “It’s too bad that I was born in the wrong era...”
Old Man Li sneered and added, “If this really is that time period, if you manage to enter Rank-1, you will be considered very lucky.”
Fang Ping did not mind. He said with a regretful tone, “If that’s the case, there will be about 300 living gods in Sino Nation now. This god doesn’t sound so valuable anymore.”
“You think that’s a lot?”
Old Man Li shook his head and continued, “In Sky Gate City itself, the number of high-ranked martial artists discovered so far is 14 people!”
“So many!”
“You can only imagine how many high-ranked there are in the thirteen cities in MCMAU Catacombs. I’m afraid it will be nearly 200 people!”
Old Man Li spoke in a deep voice and added, “Therefore, It is not a huge issue for humans to put down one Catacomb. However, the casualty rate will surely be massive. Perhaps more than half the soldiers will fall just to put down two Catacombs.
“In Sino Nation, however, there are 22 Catacombs entrances... No, it will be 23 soon.”
“What about overseas? How do they withstand it?”
“They have Grandmaster powerhouses too. Do you think only Sino Nation has Grandmasters? Of course, certain countries are small in surface area. So, in many places, five to six countries will help guard one Catacomb entrance. Their burden is not as great as ours.
“Furthermore, the Catacombs distribution... is related to the human population.”
“What do you mean by that...”
“The more populous, the more entrances.” Old Man Li sighed and continued, “In those days, we thought that the more people we have, the stronger we will become. That’s why we ramped up the human population.
“As a result, we realized that the more people there are, the faster the Catacombs entrances appear. We had to call it quits in an emergency, that’s why we have this thing later, we called it the...”
“Family planning?”
“That’s right.”
Fang Ping gaped. One could not delve deeper into the country’s policy.
When he thought about this, Fang Ping quickly said, “Neighboring countries are pretty populous too, though...”
“They have plenty of powerhouses. What do you think? They are different from us. For us, we nurture through a selective process nationwide; for them, they coerced the lower class in order to nurture some of the upper class.
“For example, the Eighteen Holy Land is actually the eighteen Catacombs entrances that have been suppressed. Their holy land is a large-scale sect.
“The Eighteen Holy Land with no less than 200 Grandmaster powerhouses!”
Fang Ping was once again left speechless. This was too horrible to imagine. India’s Eighteen Holy Land was actually the eighteen Catacombs entrances.
“So, the so-called Buddhism suppressing the devil is not a lie?”
“Despite that, the holy lands did not only appear in recent years...”
“This is only a saying. The holy land is still a holy land. However, won’t the powerhouses in the holy land walk out and build a temple somewhere above the Catacombs? Then that will become a suppressed territory of so and so holy land. Do you understand?”
“Understood.” Fang Ping quickly nodded and replied gratefully, “Luckily we’re in Sino Nation. Or else, we will only be coerced, won’t we?”
Old Man Li smiled and said, “That’s why more and more Grandmaster powerhouses are starting to emerge in Sino Nation.”
Fang Ping nodded once again. He then continued to look at many other things with Old Man Li.
...
After coming out from the research institute, Fang Ping felt that he had gained a lot of new insights.
He had learned a lot of secrets and widened his knowledge on many things that he would not usually come across.
Including the Catacombs humans!
In the final few minutes before leaving the research institute, Fang Ping was fortunate to touch a Catacombs human that was being sent to the laboratory. A lady who was rather ravishing, voluptuous to the touch, though extremely ferocious.
Fang Ping had only touched her slightly, yet she shot him a murderous look, and almost tried to kill him.
Consequently, Old Man Li gave her a slap so strong that the lady nearly turned into a muddy pile of flesh. It was only then that Fang Ping could calm his heart down.
After leaving the research institute, Old Man Li shook his head and said, “Weak. Too weak. You were almost killed by a Catacombs martial artist that has been fully restrained. Don’t you feel ashamed?”
“She is probably a middle-ranked martial artist, right?”
“Peak Rank-3.”
“Peak Rank-3...” Fang Ping mumbled. “The look on her face scared the hell out of me.”
“No kidding. This is the Catacombs martial artist who fought in a war with our main forces. Killing without batting an eye. Do you think she is like the cultists, who may not have fought even a few battles?”
“Cult martial artists may not even have the opportunity to fight with others.
“However, Catacombs martial artists and human martial artists. It is not just once or twice that the human military has fought. This is a true powerhouse that has gone through a real battle.
Fang Ping could only be considered a hatchling right now. Although he was slightly stronger compared to Vitality martial artists, it was normal for him to feel terrified when meeting a serial-killing martial artist like this.
Old Man Li got in the car and let out a breath. “This thing about killing intent can be achieved by killing more. It’s not so difficult. After entering the Catacombs and killing a thousand or so, even the look in your eyes can kill someone.”
Fang Ping did not utter a word. Old Man Li started dozing off and drawled, “Kid, put in more effort. Amongst all the students in the university, you are the one with the highest chance of becoming a Grandmaster.”
Fang Ping suddenly felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Old Man Li started to see him in a new light. He was supportive and at the same time intentionally provocative. All he hoped for was that he could become a Grandmaster as soon as possible.
However, he knew his own circumstances well. Without enough Wealth, he had no idea when he could become a Grandmaster.
“I need to earn plenty of money!”
Old Man Li who was beside him was almost annoyed to death. ‘F*ck, you, kid, can’t you get your priorities straight?’
‘I exposed you to so many things just to show you that martial arts are the most important thing—not money!
“Of course, earning money is important as well since a huge amount of resources are needed for the three middle ranks cultivation. However, the prerequisite is to enhance your ability first.’
Fang Ping did not think so much about it. For him, earning money guaranteed the speedy enhancement of his ability. There was nothing wrong with that.