Early in the morning, Chen Chu joined the stream of students entering the school gate.
What greeted him were lively faces, regardless of gender. It seemed that everyone was brimming with hope for the future. In the current Xia District, high school students were required to learn the art of body casting. Even some liberal arts students radiated energy and vitality.
Sometimes, this scene gave Chen Chu the impression that everyone in this world possessed the spirit of a dragon.
Passing the liberal arts teaching building, Chen Chu traversed Building B's training facility where he had spent half a month and arrived at the entrance of Block C. The first floor housed the office area.
The woman seated behind the reception desk inquired as Chen Chu walked in, "Which class are you in as a freshman?"
"Class Three."
"Teacher Pang Long is in charge of the third class. You can find him on the third floor, take the elevator up from there." With these directions, the woman pointed the way for Chen Chu.
"Thank you," Chen Chu expressed gratitude politely and proceeded to the elevator to reach the third floor.
This floor was significantly more spacious than the practice classroom, spanning over a thousand square meters without any obstructions in the middle, save for two-meter-diameter load-bearing columns.
Both sides of the vast floor were equipped with various apparatuses and high-tech devices. The space was divided into individual training areas of tens of square meters each.
At this early hour, no students were practicing.
Pang Long, the teacher who had introduced himself on the first day, was seated in the office not far from the entrance, engrossed in using a computer.
Observing Chen Chu as he knocked on the door and entered, Pang Long pondered briefly before speaking in a deep voice, "Class Three, Chen Chu."
"Yes, Teacher."
Chen Chu was slightly surprised that Pang Long recalled his name. After all, they had only met once that day, and it had been a simple self-introduction by the teacher.
Unbeknownst to Chen Chu, Pang Long had reviewed everyone's records at the beginning of the school year.
Pang Long nodded approvingly. "Indeed, full of vitality."
"To complete the foundation building in half a month, your talent is commendable."
He pushed a folder toward Chen Chu. "Take this information and read it. It'll take about ten minutes. After you're done, I'll guide you through the foundation building." Pang Long's tone was firm.
Seeing this, Chen Chu felt at ease and sat down across from Pang Long to pick up the folder.
The folder's slightly aged cover indicated that many students before him had perused its contents, which comprised guidelines for the upcoming foundation building.
Foundation building, as it was called, involved the introduction of Qi into the body, attracting extraordinary energy not bound by the laws of heaven and earth.
In the past, this world had been characterized by various rays and magnetic field waves, and no matter how much ordinary individuals practiced, they couldn't surpass the extraordinary. This continued until the advent of the new era fifty years ago, marked by the appearance and disappearance of giant beasts, which allowed boundless supernatural energy to pour into the earth.
However, these energies were scattered and so thin that ordinary people couldn't sense them. Only those born with awakened abilities could practice and grow stronger.
In response to this, powerful practitioners collaborated with the government to conduct extensive research, culminating in the creation of the first generation of cultivation methods.
Over time, through optimization and widespread dissemination, Chen Chu and others developed meditation techniques and body casting arts for strengthening the body and activating the spirit, respectively.
To further ensure successful foundation building, each top-tier university constructed specialized practice rooms. In these training rooms, the free extraordinary energy was five times denser than in the outside world, making it easier for novices to sense, capture, and introduce extraordinary energy into their bodies for refinement.
In theory, the first foundation building marked a complete transformation, so the better the foundation, the longer the foundation state would last, resulting in greater rewards.
Moreover, the file contained numerous details to be mindful of, helping beginners like them avoid mistakes that could lead to foundation building failures.
Looking at the young man who set aside the materials, Pang Long spoke in a deep voice, "Have you finished reading it?"
Chen Chu nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes, I've finished."
"Good, come with me," Pang Long instructed.
Pang Long got up and led Chen Chu out of the office. At that moment, several elevator doors opened, and a dozen or so students spilled out.
Among these individuals were Xia Youhui, Lin Xue, and Yi Rui, who had already established their foundations in the class, including Luo Fei, who had completed her foundation just two days ago.
Upon spotting Chen Chu, Xia Youhui's face lit up with joy. "Ah Chu, you're finally here."
"It's okay, I'm just a few days behind you," Chen Chu replied with a smile.
Xia Youhui patted Chen Chu on the shoulder enthusiastically. "I knew you'd be all right."
Luo Fei, with her long hair adorned by a white butterfly ribbon, approached with a radiant smile on her beautiful face. Her lovely phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, giving her a charming allure.
Seeing their classmates in the room, Lin Xue, Yi Rui, and others nodded in acknowledgment, and Chen Chu reciprocated with a friendly smile.
Just as Xia Youhui was about to say something, Pang Long interjected, "Alright, there'll be plenty of time to catch up later. Let's not waste everyone's time."
Xia Youhui smiled at the teacher. "Sure, Ah Chu, go build your foundation quickly, and then you can choose a real martial art to practice."
"Go for it!" Luo Fei chimed in with encouragement.
After exchanging nods with his classmates, Chen Chu followed Pang Long into the elevator. Instead of ascending, they descended to the fifth basement floor.
Exiting the elevator, they found a row of corridors with small rooms featuring closed doors on either side.
Chen Chu waited while Pang Long approached a counter similar to a self-service vending machine. He entered some information, verified his identity, and then the machine dispensed a card.
As Chen Chu waited, several other teachers arrived, each accompanied by one or two students.
"Proceed to practice room No. 15, and remember, keep at it as long as you can."
"Understood."
With the magnetic card in hand, Chen Chu located practice room No. 15, inserted the card, and watched as the heavy metal door opened slowly.
Once Chen Chu entered, the door closed automatically behind him. Then, a gap appeared in the white glass door ahead, and a refreshing breeze swept in.
This phenomenon occurred as high-concentration extraordinary energy flowed into low-energy areas.
Without delay, Chen Chu quickly crossed the threshold through the glass door. It closed automatically after sensing his entry.
The room was small, measuring about three to four meters in length and covering an area of roughly ten square meters. A faint white light illuminated the space, and there was nothing else, creating a minimalistic environment.
Chen Chu took a deep breath, moved to the center, and began his practice without elaborate preparations.
The foundational requirement was to perform ten body casting iterations within half an hour, roughly translating to three minutes per practice. This regimen aimed to induce perspiration throughout the entire body.
Meditation, on the other hand, focused on increasing the concentration and purity of spiritual power, facilitating faster blood circulation and the capture of extraordinary energy from the external world.
As Chen Chu practiced, the eighteen postures of the Body Casting Art flowed seamlessly, their pace quickening. The rapid circulation of Qi and blood in his body intensified, generating increasing heat.
After ten consecutive rounds, his body resembled a steamer, with Qi and blood emitting high temperatures. His heightened mental power resulted from the activated Qi and blood.
Suddenly, Chen Chu felt the presence of a faint, elusive, and ethereal energy that seemed to be wandering around.
Now was the moment.
Chen Chu's expression froze as he increased the speed of his Body Casting Art practice. Simultaneously, he used his mental power to draw a trace of the external energy sensed by his body into his core.
Boom!