Droplets of sweat had accumulated on Lin Chen's face as he continued circulating his qi through his body. A pool of sweat had been formed on the floor, where Lin Chen was sitting with his legs crossed.
Five hours had passed since he started cultivating, and not once had he taken a break.
[ He's pushing through the pain and pressure. Most people would've stopped the process long ago.. ]
The boar demon spirit didn't say these words aloud in Lin Chen's mind as he did not wish to distract the young man from the cultivation grind.
The boar demon knew how weak Lin Chen's natural talent was. It was even weaker than the body he possessed back in his previous world, which could at least be considered average.
But the boar demon also knew how resilient and stubborn the young man who had formed a contract with him was. Back in the previous world, there had been instances where a normal man with the same talent that he possessed would've succumbed to pressure and absolute despair. But this young man didn't, stubbornly refusing to give up and somehow pushing through to reach the end goal.
Perhaps it was because he regrets dying a cowardly death in his first life, or maybe he wasn't afraid of death after losing to it once. The boar demon didn't know the real reason behind his stubbornness to give up even when the odds were against him, but he certainly liked it. It was different from the humans with whom he had previously formed contracts.
If he had stuck to his old training routine from his first life, then he wouldn't have been able to clear up the fifth meridian in a week.
The normal cultivation training methods taught in the modern era were more focused on the circulation of qi for a limited period of time, and then repeating the process every single day without endangering the life of the cultivator who was practicing it.
It was an extremely bland and highly mainstream method of cultivation. It wasn't created specifically for a single person but instead for a specific age demographic, which meant that it had to be as simple and safe as it could be to the average youth.
Although this did help in providing a general cultivation method that could be followed by almost anyone, from the rich to the poor, it also meant that it wasn't the best cultivation method for someone.
And for Lin Chen, pushing through his limits and utilizing his ability to endure the chaotic effects of drugs were what he considered to be the best method for him. After the continuous experiments and torturous training methods that he had been forced to endure within the Secret Subjects Sector, he had grown accustomed to pushing the limits of his body and mind. And now that he was back in his original body which was even weaker in comparison, he knew that he had to make this body grow accustomed to his training methods. And for that, repetition was key.
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At the same time, in an expensive hotel room.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" A handsome young man with black curly hair and golden eyes stood shirtless in front of the mirror, lightly touching his cheeks and chin while occasionally stealing a glance at the J-Pad that was placed on top of the grand piano, which was located a few meters away from him. "You sound a bit sad. Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing, Qin Xiao.." On the J-Pad screen was Jia Sterling, who was in the middle of a video call with the young man, Qin Xiao, her senior. "It's just that.. You remember my boyfriend, Lin Chen, right?"
"Oh, yeah.. I do." Qin Xiao responded in a nonchalant manner, not even turning around to look at the J-Pad as he grabbed a gel container and opened it before taking a scoop of gel in his hands. "I thought you were planning on breaking up with him soon, were you not?"
"I was, I was…" Jia paused for a second, seemingly reluctant to continue as Qin Xiao began meticulously massaging the exotic gel all over his handsome face.
"... But then, all of a sudden, he broke up with me." Jia spoke with a nervous tone, and Qin Xiao stopped what he was doing for a split second before continuing his massaging. "Did he now?" He asked with a monotonous voice, his gaze still on the mirror instead of the J-Pad.
"Yeah. And he brought it up right in the middle of his classroom, so almost everyone heard it. And now, everyone in the damn school knows what happened.." Jia sounded like she wanted to cry, and yet, Qin Xiao continued with his massaging ritual as he responded, "And? Weren't you trying to break up with him? So what's the problem?"
"The problem is that I was supposed to break up with him! Not the other way around! And he also said some stuff about how I'm greedy and a liar and… he said a lot of bad things about me!!" Jia screamed into the microphone, causing her voice to be clipped, and Qin Xiao finally turned around and walked towards the J-Pad. "Jia, honey… If you're worried that your reputation has been damaged, then you're thinking too much, babe.." Qin Xiao responded as he picked up the J-Pad. "In a few days, no one is going to care about what some random guy said about you. And didn't you mention that your final year in school is about to end in less than a week? So quit worrying about things that won't matter anymore. Okay?"
"... Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'm thinking about this too much.." Jia replied with an uncertain tone, and Qin Xiao raised his eyebrows. "Jia, babe… Don't tell me that you're regretting everything?"
"What?! No! I'm just.... I'm just in a bad mood, that's all." Jia said, and Qin Xiao let out a chuckle. "I'm just teasing you. Get some rest, and we'll talk tomorrow. Okay?"
"... Okay…" Jia waved him bye before hanging up the call, and the smile on Qin Xiao's face disappeared immediately. He then called another number before turning around and moving towards the mirror.
"Sir?" The person whom he had called picked up and responded, as Qin Xiao picked up another container, which was an anti-aging eye balm.
"Someone made my girl cry." Qin Xiao said as he dipped his hand inside the container and brought it close to his face. "I need you to teach them a lesson.
"Of course, sir. What kind of lesson, may I ask?" The person on the other line spoke with a cold tone, and Qin Xiao lightly dabbed the balm around his eyes before responding, "Just a simple beating up would do. He's a student, after all. I just want him to feel fear, that's all."
Qin Xiao then lightly patted both his cheeks before smiling at his reflection. "His name is Lin Chen."