Chapter 70: Instinctual Cravings

"Hehe, I'm fully prepared for this trial." Xia Youhui proudly unzipped his backpack, reaching inside and rummaging around before pulling out a fist-sized blue crystal.

"Ah Chu, catch," Xia Youhui said as he tossed the crystal to Ah Chu.

"What’s th—"

As Chen Chu caught the blue crystal, he immediately felt a surge of pure energy flowing inside. The energy was so concentrated that it almost seemed solid.

However, unlike Life Crystals, there was no response from the attribute page to this one.

Chen Chu's gaze fell on Xia Youhui's backpack. "Is this the good stuff you mentioned when we set out?"

"You got it!" Xia Youhui grinned. "My brother sent me a few blue crystals after he found out I was coming here for the trial. This is a better resource than Energy Crystals, since they have purer and denser energy. It's usually used by cultivators of the Sixth Realm or higher.

"You see, cultivators at the Second Realm like us have weak true power, and our refining speed is slow. After introducing crystal energy into the body, about sixty percent of it will dissipate. That's why low-level cultivators are officially restricted from using energy crystals, because it's too wasteful."

"Then isn't it even more wasteful to use blue crystals for cultivation instead of the energy ones?" Chen Chu asked in surprise.

Xia Youhui nodded. "Under normal circumstances, that would be the case. But, that's why my brother coated these blue crystals with a special substance. It’s basically an insulator, and it prevents the energy from escaping other than through this tiny white hole here. So, we won't draw out too much energy while cultivating, and the wastage rate is around thirty percent instead, which is much more cost-effective than exchanging for energy crystals.

"My brother also got me a special resource to enhance my physique. Once I absorb it, my combat power will skyrocket. Hey, Ah Chu, I wasn't joking with you earlier. This trial is the beginning of Xia Youhui's dominance."

Even Chen Chu couldn't help but feel envious.

This is how a second-generation martial artist should do—fully prepared for every aspect of the trial, with all the resources lined up perfectly. Such treatment... I can't help but envy it.

Chen Chu sighed inwardly as he casually tossed the blue crystal to Xia Youhui.

Xia Youhui quickly caught the blue crystal and then looked at Chen Chu with confusion. "Ah Chu, what are you doing? This is for you."

"For me? No, you keep it. It's too valuable." Chen Chu was momentarily stunned, but shook his head in refusal.

Even with a three-fold discount, a regular energy crystal still cost five points. This kind of blue crystal would probably be worth at least thirty or forty points each. While everyone got along well, Chen Chu didn't feel like their relationship was at that level.

Xia Youhui shrugged nonchalantly, then forcefully stuffed the blue crystal into Chen Chu’s hand. "My brother gave me several of these. One crystal is enough for me to cultivate for two months. I won't even come close to using them all. Besides, we've been through thick and thin together, what's a single energy crystal between good buddies like us?"

Looking at the valuable blue crystal in his hand, Chen Chu smiled wryly. "Old Xia, you're being too generous, it's hard for me to accept. After all, we're just classmates."

"Ah Chu, you should understand that this resource doesn't matter much to me, but it's important for you right now. So, you don't need to refuse," Xia Youhui said earnestly. "Save your contribution points where you can. You can use them to exchange for other resources to maximize their effectiveness.

"I consider you as a brother. I’ve felt a strong connection with you since the first day of school. My brother once said that when you meet compatible classmates in high school, you should genuinely bond with them, because that person might be the brother you can entrust your back to.

"The path of cultivation is long and hard. No one can guarantee smooth sailing. Having one or two, or even several brothers supporting each other will make the journey easier and less lonely.

"So if you consider me as a brother, just accept it. Worst case scenario, when you become successful in the future, you can save me a share of the good stuff. But I think the chances of that happening are slim because I'm about to take off." Xia Youhui chuckled mischievously.

His words, however, left Chen Chu momentarily introspective. Eventually, he nodded, accepting the blue crystal. Continuing to refuse would seem overly contrived. Besides, he could always find another means to repay Xia Youhui in the future.

"That's the way to go, being straightforward like men." Seeing Chen Chu accept the blue crystal, Xia Youhui chuckled again, then continued to explain.

"To be honest, if it weren't for this trip to Kyrola for the trial, my brother wouldn't have given me these high-level resources, and the authorities wouldn't have let us use energy crystals either. Our bodies usually aren't strong enough to refine such high-purity energy. But, we’ve gone through two battles in two days. When facing threats to our lives, our bodies instinctively send signals to strengthen our genes."

Chen Chu narrowed his eyes. "The potential activation Yi Rui mentioned?"

"Exactly. In order to survive, both the body and the subconscious will absorb as much energy and resources as they can. So, as long as the energy keeps up, our cultivation speed will be faster than back at school.

"That's also why the school makes us do mutated beast trials starting from the second year. We're just doing it earlier this time.

"Of course, there’s pros and cons. We've just broken through to the Second Realm, and tomorrow we might end up dead at the hands of high-level cultists. So, Ah Chu, let's work hard to become stronger."

With that, Xia Youhui took out another blue crystal and a yellow crystal from his bag. He held one in each hand and began to meditate earnestly on the bed, focusing on cultivation.

This is the advantage of having high-level cultivators in the family.

Chen Chu sighed inside.

Xia Youhui had mentioned before that his older brother was a high-level cultivator. According to the classification, cultivators below the Third Heavenly Realm were considered ordinary, while those at the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Realms were regarded as high-level cultivators. In order to get these crystals, his brother had to be at least in the Sixth Realm or higher.

With a high-level cultivator in the family, individuals like Xia Youhui would have a significant advantage over ordinary people like Chen Chu. Their path of cultivation would likely be much smoother, thanks to both the resources and the cultivation experience they could draw on.

Of course, Chen Chu didn't feel jealous. After all, it was well-deserved for Xia Youhui, and when Chen Chu became a high-level cultivator in a few years, he also planned to make sure everything was prepared for Chen Hu when he started high school.

He also felt that not only Xia Youhui, but also Lin Xue, Lin Yu, and Yi Rui, had probably made preparations long before deciding to participate in the trial. He was the only one who had been completely unaware of the truth behind the trial and thus had come unprepared.

Or, well, even if he knew about these things, he wouldn't have been able to prepare anything anyway. It was just the way it was; his family had no money and no connections.

He briefly wondered why the teachers hadn’t informed them about these things, before realizing that that was simply unnecessary. After experiencing two battles, anyone would naturally strive to cultivate diligently. There was no need for reminders, and the energy crystals that helped with that cultivation could be obtained on credit in advance without any delay.

With a sense of emotion, Chen Chu also sat cross-legged, holding the blue crystal in his hand, and began to cultivate.

Boom!

In the instant Chen Chu activated the Dragon Elephant Art, he felt a surge of majestic energy within the blue crystal in his hand, attempting to burst out. As Xia Youhui had described, the sturdy coating on the crystal blocked the surge of energy, leaving only a tiny, imperceptible hole through which the energy could pass.

Under the suction force of the Dragon Elephant Art, a subtle yet pure energy flowed into Chen Chu's body. Upon contact with his true power, it exploded and spread throughout his entire body.

Whoosh!

The energy was incredibly rich. With each breath Chen Chu took, he felt his true power growing stronger. As it circulated, the strengthening effect on his physique became even more potent. Every muscle and bone in his body greedily absorbed the energy several times faster compared to before.

Normally, it would have likely taken over a year for Chen Chu to break through to the Third Heavenly Realm. With this efficiency, however, he felt like it would now take four or five months at the most.This was just considering his average talent; the geniuses would probably progress even faster.

It was also overwhelming, however. Chen Chu frantically cultivated the Dragon Elephant Art, attempting to refine all the energy within his body. But as Xia Youhui had mentioned, their true power was weak, and much of the energy overflowed before they could refine it, scattering into the air.

Chen Chu, who had never used such a rich resource before, felt a pang of regret. It was such a waste.

After nearly three hours of cultivation, Chen Chu finally slowed down as his spirit began to tire. He then took a shower and rested early with Xia Youhui. In the middle of the night, he woke up right on time, his consciousness sinking and shifting over to the armored beast. He slowly crawled out of the cave and entered the river, searching for a midnight snack.