Zhao Mu couldn't help but glance at Meng Qiuqiu a few more times.
He had never expected her to come up with such an idea.
Doing business directly with the school?
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.
Qingfeng Camp also needed Ember Remains. As long as Tiangong Hall could provide high-quality products and satisfy the school's leadership, earning academic credits wouldn't be difficult.
"Alright, then."
"But for now, our priority is making money and expanding Tiangong Hall."
"At the same time, we can't neglect our cultivation."
"In Qingfeng Camp, strength is everything."
"Besides, we still have five years to earn academic credits, so there's no need to rush."
As they continued chatting, Zhao Mu suddenly felt that something was missing.
Something seemed... off.
Just then, Zhu Meng and Wang Jiaojiao walked over.
"Zhao Mu, I heard you're going to have a decisive battle with Shao Han in five days. Is it true?"
Zhao Mu blinked.
"You know about that too?"
At that moment, he finally realized what had felt strange all morning.
During training, many students had been secretly glancing at him.
More importantly...
He hadn't seen Shao Han anywhere.
Wang Jiaojiao covered her mouth and giggled.
"Of course we know."
"The entire New Recruit Camp is talking about it."
"You stole all the spotlight during Boot Camp. Shao Han is the son of a deputy garrison commander. He's extremely prideful and very vindictive."
Zhu Meng studied Zhao Mu carefully.
During morning training, he had already noticed that Zhao Mu's spiritual power seemed stronger than before.
After a brief hesitation, he spoke.
"You've already reached Battle Rank 6?"
Then he added seriously,
"I want to give you some advice."
"Don't rush your Combat Rank too quickly. Advancing too fast can damage your foundation."
He paused before sighing.
"Of course, considering your upcoming fight with Shao Han, I understand why you'd want to improve your strength as quickly as possible."
Zhao Mu smiled.
His situation was different from ordinary cultivators.
His foundation was exceptionally solid.
His meditation skills, spiritual control, and combat techniques had improved at a rate comparable to years of training for many talented cultivators.
Because of that, using Spirit Source to increase his Combat Rank carried almost no side effects.
When Shao Han was mentioned, however, Zhao Mu instinctively glanced around again.
Sure enough.
Shao Han was nowhere to be seen.
"He must be in seclusion, preparing for a breakthrough."
Zhao Mu immediately guessed the truth.
He knew Shao Han's personality well.
The man possessed immense pride but was also fragile because of it.
He hated losing.
The fastest way for Shao Han to surpass him now was to break through to Battle Rank 10.
If Zhao Mu could use Spirit Source to advance, then someone from a wealthy family like Shao Han certainly could as well.
Zhu Meng looked at him seriously.
"Be careful."
"Shao Han is full of resentment."
"On top of that, he has access to exclusive Ember Remains. If you really fight him, you may not be his match."
Zhao Mu lowered his gaze thoughtfully.
He wasn't afraid of Shao Han.
But he never underestimated any opponent.
One of Bu Yanhuan's teachings remained firmly engraved in his mind:
A lion hunting a rabbit still uses its full strength.
"Thank you."
"I'll be careful."
Zhao Mu smiled and sincerely thanked him.
---
After everyone dispersed, Zhao Mu reviewed his schedule.
Among the elective courses he had selected, Beginner Spear Technique would begin the following day.
Since he had no classes today, he could devote all his time to training.
Resting was never part of his plans.
Driving the Demon Clown, he headed directly to the Training Hall.
His Light Spirit Steps proficiency had already reached 389 points.
As long as he continued running and moving every day, the proficiency would keep increasing.
Even if the gains seemed small, they would accumulate over time.
In Zhao Mu's estimation, he would upgrade Light Spirit Steps to the third stage within a few months.
By then, who knew what kind of powerful evolved skill it would become?
Arriving at the training room, Zhao Mu once again challenged a Combat Technique Puppet.
The puppet possessed a unique feature.
Before each battle, it assessed the challenger's strength and adjusted its own accordingly.
That meant the puppet he fought today was stronger than the one he had fought yesterday.
Every bit of progress Zhao Mu made was matched by the puppet.
As a result, every battle pushed him to his limits.
There was never room for carelessness.
After an entire morning of practice, his proficiency increased by another ten points.
---
Following a short break at noon, Zhao Mu headed to Liang Gongchi's Engineering Studio.
This afternoon was dedicated to practicing Jinhai Manufacturing.
Since he currently lacked materials, he decided to focus on carving Spirit Pattern Diagrams from the Complete Collection of Spirit Rune Diagram Paths.
There were thousands of first-grade Spirit Pattern Diagrams within the collection.
The more he mastered, the more diverse the Ember Remains produced by Tiangong Hall would become in the future.
More varieties meant more profits.
More profits meant more Spirit Source.
And more Spirit Source meant faster cultivation.
Furthermore, after a first-grade Spirit Pattern Diagram reached maximum proficiency, it would unlock a corresponding Level-Two Spirit Rune Diagram.
These were extremely valuable treasures rarely seen on the market.
In fact, a single Level-Two Spirit Rune Diagram could easily sell for more than one million Xuanfeng Coins on the black market.
---
As Zhao Mu immersed himself in practice, a young woman quietly entered the studio.
Who else could it be but Shen Moran?
She casually glanced toward Zhao Mu.
Unfortunately for her, Zhao Mu was completely focused.
Using the Turtle Breathing Technique, he concentrated entirely on carving Spirit Pattern Diagrams and didn't notice her arrival at all.
Shen Moran sat down nearby.
Her gaze lingered on Zhao Mu's focused figure.
A complicated expression appeared in her eyes.
When had things changed so much between them?
Zhao Mu genuinely seemed indifferent toward her now.
She had always believed she had long since moved on from her previous feelings.
Yet seeing Zhao Mu ignore her so completely left an uncomfortable emptiness in her heart.
Although she didn't know that Zhao Mu had already become a First-Level Jinhai Master, she understood one thing clearly.
He had already left her far behind on this path.
As for herself, she had only recently learned to draw a qualified first-grade Spirit Pattern Diagram.
That achievement was considered impressive.
Her talent wasn't much worse than Xia Lingling's.
But compared to Zhao Mu...
She seemed ordinary.
Lowering her head, she forced away her distracting thoughts and focused on practicing her second Spirit Pattern Diagram.
Liang Gongchi's requirement for her was simple.
Master ten Spirit Pattern Diagrams before advancing further.
---
Zhao Mu completed more than thirty Spirit Pattern Diagrams in a single session.
Thanks to his physical fitness, he felt little fatigue.
After checking the time, he decided it was enough for the day.
Stretching his body, he put away his tools and prepared to leave.
Just then, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Xiao Mu."
A strange expression flashed through Zhao Mu's eyes.
Turning around, he saw Shen Moran standing there.
She wore a graceful smile, though it seemed somewhat forced.
"I've encountered a bottleneck while drawing Spirit Pattern Diagrams."
"Could you give me some guidance?"
Zhao Mu looked at her quietly for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Sure."
His answer was polite.
However, the smile on his face carried an unmistakable sense of distance.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)