The night was as dark as ink, but inside Villa No. 1 deep in the Thunder Base, lights were blazing.
This was indeed a residence prepared for a "King." A massive space of five hundred square meters, equipped with an independent gravity training room, a holographic tactical deduction table, and even the water in the bathroom was natural hot spring water drawn from deep underground.
Compared to Lin Zhiran's low-rent apartment of only thirty square meters, this place was simply heaven.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Lin Zhiran opened the door, and a soldier respectfully handed over a sealed metal box. "Student Lin, this is the 'Dragon Blood Body Tempering Liquid' awarded to you by Chief Instructor Lei. Please sign for it."
"Thanks."
Lin Zhiran took the box, closed the door, and returned to the training room.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Array and opened the metal box. A scorching aura instantly hit his face. Inside the box lay a test tube scarlet as blood. The liquid inside seemed to have a life of its own, faintly boiling and rolling, and one could vaguely hear the sound of a dragon's roar.
"Dragon Blood Body Tempering Liquid..."
Lin Zhiran's eyes burned with desire.
He had checked online. This thing was refined from the heart blood of a high-tier Sub-Dragon Beast. The cost of a single tube was as high as ten million! Moreover, it was priceless and rare; only core members of the military were qualified to use it.
It had only one effect: Rebirth and Transformation.
"Current me, although I can crush those of the same rank relying on talent and technique, my physical foundation is ultimately a bit weak."
Lin Zhiran knew his shortcomings very well. The previous "Genetic Repair Serum" only made up for the deficit, bringing him to the peak of a normal person. But to bear the terrifying explosive power of the SSS-Rank Talent, he needed a stronger body.
"Let's begin."
Without any hesitation, Lin Zhiran tilted his head and drank the scalding medicinal liquid in one gulp!
Boom!
The moment the liquid entered his throat, it felt like swallowing a piece of red-hot charcoal.
A terrifying heat stream exploded along his esophagus, instantly sweeping through his entire body. Every blood vessel, every muscle, and even every bone trembled and groaned under this domineering power.
"Hmph..."
Lin Zhiran let out a muffled groan. Veins instantly bulged on his forehead, and sweat poured down like rain.
Pain!
Pain penetrating deep into the bone marrow!
It was like countless small knives were frantically cutting inside his body, removing old tissues and forcibly reorganizing them.
"Guard the mind! Circulate the technique!"
Lin Zhiran endured the severe pain and opened the "Thunder Breathing Method" in his mind.
This was an S-Rank Internal Cultivation Method, focusing on guiding the Vitality in the body to rush and temper like thunder. It would take an ordinary person at least three months of comprehension to get started.
But under the assistance of the SSS-Rank [Heart of the Spear God], all methods were mastered instantly.
[Detected S-Rank Cultivation Method 'Thunder Breathing Method'... Analyzing... Analysis complete!] [Heart of the Spear God Resonance: Body as a Spear, Vitality as Thunder!]
Hum!
Lin Zhiran's breathing rhythm changed instantly.
Between each inhalation and exhalation, there was actually a low roaring sound, as if a high-power engine was hidden in his chest.
The violent medicinal power that was originally rampaging in his body began to become orderly under the guidance of this special breathing rhythm. It was compressed and tempered over and over again, then deeply permeated into the bone marrow.
Time passed minute by minute.
From the pores on the surface of Lin Zhiran's skin, a layer of black, greasy impurities oozed out—toxins accumulated deep in his body for many years.
And his skin, after washing away the impurities, began to glow with a faint bronze luster, full of tough texture.
After an unknown amount of time.
The sky outside the window turned slightly bright.
Inside the training room, Lin Zhiran's body shook violently.
Crack!
It felt as if some invisible shackle inside his body had been broken.
A tyrannical aura erupted from him, causing ripples in the surrounding air.
Lin Zhiran slowly opened his eyes.
Deep in his originally pitch-black pupils, a trace of purple lightning actually flashed.
He stood up and stretched his body casually.
Crackle!
The bones all over his body popped, dense and loud like popping beans.
"Is this... a Formal Warrior?"
Lin Zhiran clenched his fist, feeling the power surging like the sea.
Without looking at the panel, he knew he had broken through.
Vitality: 2.2!
It wasn't just an increase in Vitality, but a leap in life hierarchy. Current him—vision, hearing, reaction speed—had all improved by a tier compared to before. Even without activating the [Absolute Territory], he could clearly see the dust floating in the air.
"Phew..."
Lin Zhiran exhaled a breath of turbid air. This breath actually condensed into a white stream in the air, lingering for a long time.
"Exhaling into an arrow, Vitality like mercury."
"If I meet Zhao Tai again now, I don't need a spear; I can crush him with one finger."
This was the power of resources; this was the dominance of talent.
Overnight, stepping from a Prospective Warrior into a Formal Warrior, finishing the road others took three years to walk!
Lin Zhiran went to the bathroom to wash off the filth on his body and changed into a dry black training suit. Looking at himself in the mirror, his originally somewhat thin figure had now become straight and well-proportioned. Every muscle contained explosive power, lines smooth as a cheetah.
The greenness belonging to a teenager faded a little, replaced by a temperament as sharp and steady as a spear.
Pushing open the villa's main door.
The morning sun fell on his face, the air fresh and intoxicating.
At this time, the doors of other villas also opened one after another.
Those who could live in the top ten villas were all top-tier monsters of this intensive training.
From Villa No. 2 walked out a high-cold teenager carrying a giant sword. He was the number one genius from the neighboring city, with a Vitality as high as 1.8. Seeing Lin Zhiran, his gaze focused slightly, then he nodded, considering it a greeting.
That was the recognition of the strong.
In the distance, students from the apartment area and container area also got up and assembled one after another. When they saw Lin Zhiran standing at the door of Villa No. 1 from afar, their eyes were filled with awe and envy, with no trace of yesterday's contempt and provocation.
This was the world of martial arts.
Yesterday you were mocked by thousands; today you ascend to the top as a King, and all living beings can only look up.
Lin Zhiran didn't care about these gazes.
He took a deep breath of the morning air, pressed down the brim of his hat, and strode towards the Central Plaza.
Breaking through to a Formal Warrior was just the first step.
The devilish special training for the next month was the true furnace that would allow him to be reborn.
"Thunder Training Camp..."
"I hope the 'big meal' you prepared can fill me up."
The corner of Lin Zhiran's mouth curled up in an arc of anticipation.
A new day had begun.