Chen Chu's home is located in the city's suburbs, although technically part of the urban area, it retains the characteristics of an old urban village.
The surrounding structures consist of low-rise buildings, typically two or three stories high. Each household enjoys a small courtyard, and a tributary of the rushing river flows nearby.
It was Sunday afternoon, a scorching summer day. Chen Chu sat at his computer desk, engrossed in browsing internet posts concerning mutant beasts and the world of cultivation.
As he delved into these news items, Chen Chu couldn't help but notice the intensified efforts of the allied nations to combat the emergence of mutant beasts within their borders in recent years. The Amazon rainforest, in particular, had witnessed a surge in uncontrollable mutant beasts, with reports even showcasing a hundred-meter-long python in the river—an entity reaching giant beast proportions.
Furthermore, some of the allied nations were embroiled in internal turmoil. Leading this upheaval were certain cultivators who resisted having their authority governed by ordinary citizens, advocating for the establishment of a "Cultivator's Kingdom" where everyone could practice freely. Analysts suspected the involvement of cultists behind these events.
The international community's attention was firmly fixed on these developments, with locals providing live video feeds. In these videos, formidable practitioners rushed towards machine gun positions, impervious to the hail of bullets, and fired with astonishing speed. They covered a hundred-meter distance in the blink of an eye, their every gesture unleashing tremendous power, demolishing walls, overturning armored vehicles, and obliterating positions in an instant.
Faced with such prowess, ordinary soldiers seemed as vulnerable as lambs to slaughter. Only sporadic explosions, grenades, and anti-tank rockets managed to momentarily deter these extraordinary individuals. In just over ten minutes of footage, the government center of one city had fallen, engulfed in flames, screams echoing, and sporadic gunfire.
After absorbing this information, Chen Chu couldn't help but feel fortunate that he hadn't found himself in one of these chaotic allied nations.
Just then, Chen Hu's voice drifted up from downstairs, "Brother, would you like some watermelon?"
Chen Chu replied from his room, "I'll have some after I finish cutting it."
Chen Hu chuckled, "I knew you'd say that." He retrieved a watermelon from the freezer downstairs, cut it into pieces, and brought it up.
Entering the room, Chen Hu curiously peered at the computer screen and remarked, "Brother, you're following the events involving the Koroya cultivators and the official battle too."
Chen Chu, surprised, replied while picking up a piece of watermelon, "You're aware of this too?"
Chen Hu took a confident bite of watermelon and mumbled with his mouth full, "Of course, I'm aspiring to be the King of Martial Arts. It's only natural to keep an eye on international affairs."
Chen Chu chuckled, "King of Martial Arts? I'm still rooting for One Piece."
Confused, Chen Hu asked, "One Piece? Is that a powerful title in the martial arts world?"
Chen Chu sighed, "These are all pirates, most likely on the run from the navy. How powerful do you think they are?"
Chen Hu shrugged, "Well, I want to be the world's greatest martial arts king."
Seated by the bed, Chen Hu continued munching on watermelon and brought up another topic, "By the way, bro, when I opened the freezer earlier, I noticed a lot of frozen fish. Did you buy all that? And they don't taste very good."
Chen Chu clarified, "No, those aren't for us."
Puzzled, Chen Hu inquired, "Then who are they for?"
Chen Chu pointed to the desk, where a 32 cm long and robust hexagonal salamander lazily lay on its stomach. After his explanation, Chen Hu spotted the salamander beside the water tank and exclaimed, "Is this...your pet!?"
Chen Chu nodded, "Yes."
Chen Hu was taken aback, "Why has it grown so large all of a sudden?"
He recalled that just a week ago, when his brother had a fever and he took care of the newt, it had appeared much smaller. How could it have grown larger than a puppy in just a week?
Chen Chu reasoned, "It must be a mutation."
With a grin, Chen Chu continued, "It's been eating a lot lately, and its size has skyrocketed, but there's been no harm. Watch, little tiger...roll over."
As he spoke, Chen Chu mimicked a gesture towards the newt clone.
Suddenly, in Chen Hu's eyes, the previously somewhat fierce-looking hexagonal salamander rolled over.
"Wag your tail," Chen Chu instructed.
"Raise your paw..."
Following this, Chen Chu directed a series of actions, consciously controlling the avatar to cooperate, amusing Chen Hu, who was left in awe.
When it came to the existence of the newt clone, Chen Chu had no intention of concealing it from his family, nor could he hide it for long, especially considering the amount it ate daily. While you could keep such a secret for a day or two, it would eventually become evident, so he decided to be upfront about it.
In any case, mutated pets like this were not uncommon, and the government had established management protocols for them. Typically, households with mutated pets were required to register them with the local authorities.
Of course, the main reason behind these regulations was that most mutated pets remained relatively docile, recognizing and obeying their owners. Any aggressive pet mutations that posed a significant threat to the community would be confiscated by the authorities.
Pets like the salamander, which were only slightly larger than puppies, didn't appear aggressive even when mutated, so there was no need for registration. Chen Chu made a mental note that when it evolved next time, he'd introduce his avatar into the river.
So, during dinner that evening, Chen Chu voluntarily informed Zhang Xiaolan about the pet's mutation. However, Zhang Xiaolan seemed unfazed and simply advised him to be cautious when feeding it. In her eyes, even if the pet had mutated, it was essentially a bigger fish.
...
On Monday, as Chen Chu entered the classroom, he sensed a somewhat restless atmosphere among his classmates.
Before he could even take his seat, he learned from his fellow students that Lin Xue and Yi Rui, both class leaders, had visited the school on Sunday and successfully found a teacher to guide their foundational training.
Despite it being a Sunday, some students preferred practicing in a spacious venue.
Approaching him, Xia Youhui spoke in a hushed tone, "Ah Chu, how are you feeling? Are you feeling the pressure?"
Chen Chu glanced at him, retrieved the textbook he intended to study that morning from his desk, and replied calmly, "Feeling pressured won't change anything; I'll continue to progress at my own pace."
"Indeed, Ah Chu, you've got the right mindset. What's the rush? Even if others advance quickly, I'll stick to my own path."
Xia Youhui could tell that Chen Chu's composed demeanor wasn't an act; he genuinely wasn't bothered by lagging behind in terms of progress compared to his peers.
This set him apart from the rest of their classmates.
News of the squad leader and others successfully establishing their foundational training had left many students feeling uneasy. While they were still meditating on the fourth and fifth petals, moving Qi and blood four or five times, they suddenly felt a sense of restlessness.
It seemed that anxiety could be motivating. They wondered why they hadn't started earlier and whether they should work harder when they got home.
"True."
At that moment, Xia Youhui seemed to recall something and said, "Ah Chu, I'm about to establish my foundation tomorrow."
"At that point, I'll be allowed to enter Zone C and learn real martial arts. I won't be able to practice with you anymore. Remember to keep pushing yourself."
"In the long run, you'll be grateful for this advice." Chen Chu glanced at him, shook his head, and decided not to engage further.
"Hey... I wanted to surprise you, but it looks like you're not playing along." Xia Youhui laughed, albeit with a hint of disappointment.
Tomorrow marked the day for establishing the foundation, typically taking about seven days before and after. Had he displayed remarkable talent?
As Chen Chu gazed at Xia Youhui, the seemingly eccentric individual with a quirky smile, he couldn't help but feel surprised. He hadn't expected this unassuming classmate to possess such innate talent.