Glancing at Xia Youhui, who was engrossed in argument, Chen Chu shifted his gaze to Lin Xue.
Today, the squad leader had tied her slightly curly purple hair behind her head, and her form-fitting white training suit accentuated her already graceful, tall, and slender figure. From Chen Chu's perspective, she exuded a commanding presence.
However, he refrained from staring too intently and quickly looked away.
Through their recent conversations and Chen Chu's observations of his classmates' cultivation progress, he had formed a rough comparison of their advancements.
Among the current freshmen, the most exceptional talents belonged to a group including An Chengqing. This girl had established her foundation in just two days, and her basic attributes had already reached four times that of an ordinary person upon foundation establishment.
According to Xia Youhui and Chen Chu's estimations, she would reach the limit of the first layer in no more than a week, and she was likely already striving to break through to the second layer.
Then there were prodigies like Lin Xue, who took three or four days to break through. After successfully establishing their foundation, they would require about a month to reach the limit of the first layer.
Subsequently, there were individuals like Xia Youhui who took seven days to lay their foundations, necessitating roughly two months for the same accomplishment.
As for those like Luo Fei and others who established their foundation in under two weeks, unless there were unforeseen hindrances, it would take at least three to four months to reach the limit of the first layer.
In this moment, Chen Chu couldn't help but feel that cultivation was an incredibly arduous path, akin to reaching for the unreachable.
If the "geniuses" who received systematic training from the school required several months to reach the limit of the first layer, how much longer would it take for them to advance to the second layer? And what about those who took a month to establish their foundation? Would it take them six months, or perhaps a year?
No wonder the posts had mentioned that it would be a waste of time for those who couldn't establish their foundation within a month to continue practicing with the school's support.
After a brief rest, feeling rejuvenated, Chen Chu resumed his training. Although his progress in Dragon Elephant Kung Fu had slowed and the proficiency progress was not displayed on his property page, he could still feel himself making strides.
The characteristic of proficiency solidification remained, allowing him to make improvements through consistent practice. This spared him the need to allocate time daily for consolidating his cultivation results, unlike Xia Youhui and others. Without this, it would have taken him over four months to reach the limit of the first layer.
However, individuals like Xia Youhui, who established their foundation in just one month, had a head start. This was Chen Chu's genuine "qualification."
Today, Chen Chu practiced at school until five o'clock before departing. He decided to buy groceries at the market, picking up over ten pounds of fish for his clone—small white-striped fish. They were affordable and cost-effective, given the clone's voracious appetite.
With the clone rapidly growing in size and consuming over four pounds of fish per meal, the question arose: could it evolve further in this manner? Chen Chu had second thoughts about maintaining the clone; he couldn't keep up with its escalating dietary demands.
Thinking about the clone, Chen Chu recalled another matter he had nearly forgotten. He couldn't help but grab his phone while holding the groceries and dialed a number.
"Hello, who is this?" A youthful voice answered on the other end.
Chen Chu identified himself, "It's me, the one who ordered the Tieding Beetle."
"Oh, I remember you."
Chen Chu inquired, "I wanted to ask about the status of the fixed beetle I ordered."
Boss Li on the other side confirmed, "Don't worry, I've already procured it from my friend in Beizhou. It'll arrive in Wujiang in a few days, and I'll inform you as soon as it's here."
"Thank you, Boss Li."
"You're welcome; it's all part of the job."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Chu hung up the phone. The iron beetle was the second fusion gene he had prepared for his clone. Its primary advantage was its incredible hardness, renowned for its defense capabilities.
Just how tough was it? A beetle the size of a thumb could withstand an adult stepping and twisting on it, remaining unscathed once the foot was lifted. There were even accounts of cars driving over it without causing harm.
This exceptional defense was precisely what the Hexagonal Salamander required at this stage.
With a robust defense, the Hexagonal Salamander could fully exploit its strength talent. This would significantly enhance its safety when its strength increased exponentially.
But this particular bug species doesn't exist in the country where Chen Chu resides, and it's not a commonly kept pet.
So, Chen Chu sought out the owner of the pet shop where he purchased the unicorn previously and engaged in some persuasive negotiation. Eventually, he agreed to pay a hefty price of 1,000 yuan for a special order.
However, even with this arrangement, there was no guarantee of success in finding the requested bug.
Thankfully, everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly thus far.
When the avatar underwent its next evolution, its physique should see significant improvement, and it might reach the limit of the first layer before Xia Youhui.
Time flew by as Chen Chu kept himself busy. The following day, upon arriving at school, he headed straight to the logistics department.
"Teacher, I'd like to purchase a knife weapon," Chen Chu inquired.
The middle-aged man behind the counter glanced at the high school freshman before him and replied casually, "Do you have a specific style in mind?"
Chen Chu nodded, "Yes, I'd like the F-grade 1-26 straight knife."
"Alright, please enter your student number."
According to the requirements, Chen Chu swiftly input his student number.
"Student number verified, exchanging for the F-grade 1-26 straight knife requires 10 contribution points," stated the middle-aged man.
He glanced up at Chen Chu and added, "You're entitled to a 10% discount on weapon exchanges, leaving you with a balance of 1 point. Are you certain about this purchase?"
"Absolutely."
"Wait..."
Shortly after, Chen Chu left the logistics department carrying a box over two meters in length.
Upon reaching the third floor of Building C, Chen Chu spotted Pang Long emerging from his office with two familiar students, likely members of Class 3 preparing to board the elevator.
Chen Chu greeted him politely, "Good morning, Mr. Pang."
Pang Long nodded and cast a glance at the weapon box on Chen Chu's back. "Are you planning to practice sword skills? Remember, don't rush; take it one step at a time."
Chen Chu acknowledged the advice and then nodded in greeting to the two boys from his class.
With the weapon box on his back, Chen Chu located an unoccupied training area. He placed the box on a shelf and opened it, revealing a sharp, lengthy knife.
It was a straight knife with a 50-centimeter handle and a 1.5-meter-long, 1-centimeter-thick, and 10-centimeter-wide blade.
According to the information, this knife was crafted from F-grade alloy, with strength comparable to aerospace metals. It weighed 20 kilograms and was known for its sharpness and durability.
Even outside this training context, a weapon of this caliber would cost tens of thousands of yuan.
It could be said that the government provided beginners with very favorable treatment in terms of resources and other aspects for their training.
With a sense of reverence, Chen Chu drew the knife and felt the weight in his hand. With his current arm strength of 140 kilograms, it was a bit challenging to wield a 20-kilogram straight knife single-handedly, as all the weight concentrated in his palm.
It wasn't until he gripped the handle with both hands that the strain eased. Chen Chu swung the knife several times to get a feel for it, then assumed a posture of raising the knife. Suddenly, his aura transformed, and his gaze became sharp and compelling.
Dragon Elephant Kung Fu's first characteristic was enhancing the strength of the entire body and improving the resilience of skin, tendons, and bones.
The Heart Eye Sword, on the other hand, was a sword technique that prioritized explosive arm power, known for its aggressiveness and fierceness.
Combined with the explosive power of Dragon Elephant Kung Fu, Chen Chu could unleash even greater combat prowess.