Level One

For the next five days, Ye Feng did not leave his house. During the day, he secluded himself, arduously practicing his mystical arts; at night, he underwent rigorous training in his dreams under Bad Bad’s tutelage. Over these days, Bad Bad taught him several foreign languages—no, not just several, but all languages spoken by people. Ye Feng had mastered nearly every tongue known to man. In addition, he endured intensive combat training, especially free fighting techniques. Each night, Ye Feng was pushed to the verge of tears by the relentless trials. No matter how hard he tried, Colonel Schwarzenegger would easily subdue him, making Ye Feng question the entire purpose of such torment—he seemed fated only to be abused.

That night, in Ye Feng’s dream, after he finally managed to evade a series of aggressive moves from Colonel Schwarzenegger, Bad Bad at last revealed a faint smile. “Not bad. It seems your practice lately has paid off. But you must hurry with your internal cultivation. Once you advance a level, it will benefit both you and me.”

Ye Feng, hearing this, felt no joy. He scratched his head with trembling fingers, his face full of resentment. Thankfully, this was only a dream; if he were subjected to such treatment every day in reality, he would sooner end his own misery…

Upon waking, Ye Feng pondered Bad Bad’s words, trying to decipher their meaning. He finally realized the purpose behind Bad Bad’s relentless training: if he did not advance in level soon and provide Bad Bad with enough energy, who knew what further tortures awaited him?

Thus, Ye Feng threw himself into cultivation that morning with desperate vigor, forcing his internal energy to circulate with all his might. As he did so, he muttered to himself, “If I don’t break through to the ninth cycle today, who knows if Bad Bad will escalate Schwarzenegger’s combat abilities tonight?”

Remembering how narrowly he had evaded Schwarzenegger’s attacks the previous night, Ye Feng’s body still trembled, and he dared not dwell on it further, biting his lip in anxiety.

He concentrated fully, feeling the internal energy in his dantian circulate at maximum effort. He dared not let his mind wander, pushing his energy forward with all his strength. Experience told him that once internal energy broke through a cycle, reaching that cycle again would be much easier next time.

He had maintained eight cycles for two days now, but each time he attempted the ninth, he fell just short. Today, he aimed to break through the ninth cycle; if successful, he would advance in level, providing Bad Bad with enough energy to unlock further special functions for himself.

Ye Feng fervently hoped for success; he dreaded another day of torment at the hands of that perverse instructor. He wished with all his heart, but ultimately, it was Bad Bad’s decision.

As his internal energy circulated, particles of ambient energy in the air began to slowly gather into Ye Feng’s meridians. As they passed through his muscles and bones, they gradually strengthened the cells therein; those entering his meridians quietly transformed into internal energy and flowed into his dantian…

Sweat began to bead on Ye Feng’s forehead, trickling down his cheeks and soaking his clothes. This process of absorbing energy particles was daunting, especially at the start of each new cycle.

Within the cycle, the transformed internal energy advanced slowly, as though blocked by some invisible barrier. Each inch forward required tremendous effort.

Ye Feng had already completed eight cycles rapidly and was now confronting the ninth. With each cycle, the internal energy grew more potent and thus moved ever slower. In the past, after reaching the eighth cycle, he could not ascend past the midpoint of his spine.

Now, Ye Feng was determined to break through this bottleneck. If he could push his internal energy past the Baihui acupoint atop his head, as Bad Bad had instructed, the ninth cycle would be much easier. Once it passed Baihui and returned to his dantian, the cycle would be complete.

Ye Feng’s internal energy, under his relentless drive, crept along the Ren and Du meridians at a pace slower than a turtle’s crawl—almost millimeter by millimeter. The Baihui acupoint was still far ahead.

Sweat streamed down Ye Feng’s face, soaking his clothes. His lips pressed tightly together, and his handsome brows furrowed in concentration. Anyone could see he was exerting himself to the utmost; a single misstep could mean failure.

Ye Feng was barely holding on, feeling as though he had only fifty pounds of strength but was trying to lift two hundred. It was not merely arduous—it was a struggle for survival. Each step forward increased the resistance, building up until he wanted to give up with every inch. Yet he did not for a moment entertain the thought of surrender. Ye Feng was grateful for the week of training from Bad Bad and Schwarzenegger, which had toughened his willpower far beyond what it once was.

Had this been before, with his somewhat lazy disposition, he would have decided to rest and try again later.

Persistence always brings reward; Ye Feng now felt this truth deeply. Though his internal energy advanced slowly, it continued to move forward under his effort, and his spirits soared. Victory was within reach—how could he not be excited?

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face grew pale, but excitement began to flicker across his features. After what felt like an eternity, suddenly, with a faint sound, his internal energy broke through the Baihui acupoint. It rushed forward from his forehead, then returned downwards, causing the energy particles in the surrounding space to surge and swarm into his meridians at several times their usual speed, transforming into internal energy and returning to his dantian, where it began to circulate.

Ye Feng was dazed, exhausted nearly to the point of collapse. Such a breakthrough consumed not only physical stamina but also mental energy.

Unseen to him, the internal energy in his dantian began to spiral, gradually expanding the dantian itself, and finally, after a long while, settled down.

With a triumphant laugh from Bad Bad, Ye Feng suddenly found himself in a dreamscape.

Surveying the familiar yet strange surroundings, Ye Feng shouted excitedly at Bad Bad, “I did it! I finally did it… After all this toil and hardship, I’ve finally leveled up…”

“Look at this kid, so easily satisfied…” Bad Bad scoffed with a crooked smile, regarding Ye Feng, who was as jubilant as a child. “You’ve only just broken through one level; you’re merely a slightly stronger ordinary person. Is that worth so much excitement?”

“You weren’t the one sweating through the practice! Why are you so smug? Hurry and tell me what new functions you’ve unlocked!” Having calmed himself after his euphoria, Ye Feng’s first question was about Bad Bad’s new abilities. He had been anticipating this for ages, eager to know what powerful future technology would now be available, beyond what he already knew.

“There aren’t too many new functions—just basic biological scanning, bioelectric shock, and phone monitoring.”

“That’s it? So simple?” Ye Feng’s face fell, filled with disappointment. “Didn’t you already do these before?”

“Previously, these consumed a lot of energy. Now, they’re updated. For instance, with bioelectric shock, before I could only knock someone out for a few minutes, but now I can easily render someone unconscious for a whole day. And with bio scanning, I used to only detect nearby living things, but now I can distinguish who is hostile or friendly to you. These are improvements! Besides, it’s because you haven’t provided enough energy. If you were at level seven or eight, I could even shield you from atomic bombs.”

“Fine, you win! Looks like I still need to work hard at cultivation. So why did you bring me here?”

“I just wanted to see how excited you’d be. And to take you down a peg,” Bad Bad said with a smug grin.

“You...” Ye Feng was so angry he could barely speak.

“Don’t be mad. An unfamiliar phone call is coming in. Do you want to answer?”

“An unfamiliar call? From whom?” Ye Feng asked instinctively.

“According to data scan, it’s from someone named Xu Wen. If you want to answer, hurry—there are only five seconds before it disconnects.” Ye Feng was surprised that Bad Bad could identify the caller.

“How do I answer in a dream? Hurry up and send me out!” Ye Feng roughly guessed what Xu Wen wanted.

“You don’t need to leave; I can connect the call for you.”

…

“Is this Young Master Ye?” came Xu Wen’s cautious voice from the other end.

“Yes, it’s me. And you are?” Ye Feng feigned ignorance.

“I’m Xu Wen. Young Master Ye, you truly have the memory of a nobleman,” Xu Wen replied, keeping a low profile.

“Oh, it’s you. What do you want?” Ye Feng adopted a lofty posture towards Xu Wen.

“It’s nothing much. Thanks to your words last time, not only was I not demoted, but I’ve been promoted.” Excitement tinged Xu Wen’s words.

“Oh?” Ye Feng knew that with people like Xu Wen, the higher his status, the more they would flatter him.

“Do you have time tomorrow? I’d like to treat you to a meal, hoping you’ll honor me with your presence.” Xu Wen, who had never had a strong supporter, found that just a few words from Ye Feng had led to his promotion. He resolved to cling to this powerful tree.

Ye Feng, now fully immersed in his act, replied, “Alright, I’ll make a reservation and call you tomorrow. You go about your business. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

Ye Feng hung up.

On the other end, Xu Wen laughed aloud three times in delight. As long as Ye Feng agreed to meet, he had ways to make Ye Feng his patron—even if it meant becoming his loyal dog.

Ye Feng, after hanging up, turned to Bad Bad and asked, “Bad Bad, does that loyalty pill work on everyone?”

“In theory, it works on everyone, except those with exceptionally strong willpower. Why do you ask? Are you planning…”

“No need to say it. Send me out—I haven’t eaten all day, I’m starving. I need to get something to eat.”

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