"It didn't work."
Chen Chu, who had spent the entire afternoon sitting on the pedestrian street, slowly opened his eyes, displaying a hint of disappointment on his face.
He had assumed that amidst the bustling atmosphere of the pedestrian street, his meditation practice for the mind-eye realm would be more effective and aligned with his training state. However, progress seemed to mirror that of the previous day.
It appeared he had overestimated the benefits.
Thoughtful, Chen Chu got up and departed. Throughout the afternoon, he had been sitting there, basking in the sun while cultivating his mind. Some women had even approached him, attempting to strike up conversations. Yet, during those moments, Chen Chu remained deeply immersed in his meditative state, with half of his consciousness transforming into a strange beast, hunting and battling imaginary prey. Thus, he showed no interest in engaging with them.
After all, there's no thrill for women in hunting various mutated fish deep within river depths...
...
The following day, a Sunday, Chen Chu refrained from visiting the pedestrian street or going to school. Bathed in sunlight, he sat cross-legged on the wooden porch in the backyard, dedicating himself to perfecting the Dragon Elephant Kungfu. Simultaneously, a portion of his mind remained connected to the heavy armored beast.
Underwater, more than ten meters deep, the heavy armored beast had just captured and devoured a common mutant fish measuring over three meters in length. It savored its meal, savoring the satisfaction of its dominance over several kilometers of water. None of the targeted mutated fish could escape its grasp.
As it fed and grew, its body expanded and bulked up.
Huh?
Suddenly, Chen Chu ceased his practice and opened his eyes. He had sensed an imperceptible warmth coursing through his body. This sensation closely resembled what he had experienced during his clone's evolution. Could it be...
With a deliberate thought, Chen Chu summoned the property page. To his amazement, over the past two days, all four major attributes had unknowingly increased by 2 points, with his strength attribute reaching a remarkable 63.
"My attributes are steadily increasing," Chen Chu muttered, a hint of astonishment in his voice. Then, an incredible hypothesis took root in his mind.
Synchronous reinforcement.
When the heavy armored beast clone grew, it inadvertently affected his own body, continually enhancing his strength. The reason he hadn't noticed before was that the hexagonal newt was initially too feeble, unable to elicit any change in Chen Chu, who was engrossed in genuine martial arts practice. Only after the second evolution, when the heavy armored beast's size exceeded a certain threshold, did it begin to impact Chen Chu, whose physique had now reached 60.
Contemplating this potential, Chen Chu felt his breath quicken.
If his conjecture held true, when the avatar eventually grew to kilometers, tens of thousands of meters, or even millions of meters, the simultaneous strengthening of his main body would be nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Perhaps he could shatter a planet with a single punch!
Chen Chu felt a surge of excitement. "It appears I'll need to invest more energy into cultivating the avatar in the future."
Compared to the slow progress of real martial arts, the heavy armored beast's growth rate was astonishing. Currently, it was less than one meter in size, making its development seem inconspicuous. However, with a few more evolutions, it could become truly terrifying. Particularly when it ventured into the deep sea and reached hundreds of kilometers in size...
On Monday, due to the freshmen ranking competition, Nantian Wugao was abuzz with activity. Nearly two thousand freshmen flocked to the sports center in the training area.
The stadium was specially constructed for such events and could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. At this moment, the school news of Nantian Wugao played on the four large screens hanging from the gymnasium ceiling, while the surrounding stands were filled with freshmen still establishing their presence.
The field below featured fifty arenas, each measuring six meters in length and width, essentially spanning four football fields. Within these, each arena was divided into four rows, numbered from one to fifty.
Standing out prominently were rings No. 1 and No. 2, given their odd numbering.
At the southern entrance of the stadium, freshmen with weapons strapped to their backs formed ten orderly lines, registering at ten self-registration kiosks.
Their faces displayed a myriad of emotions: excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and more.
As the freshmen registered, a few senior students in casual attire stood at the top of the viewing platform. One of them, leaning against the railing, inquired, "Chen Hong, why did you summon us here?"
The long-haired young man lying on the railing smiled and replied, "What else would it be, except to watch the competition together?"
Someone disdainfully remarked, "A bunch of first-tier rookies who've only just laid their foundations, what's so captivating about this kind of competition?"
"Zhang Yao is spot on. These folks haven't even harnessed their true potential yet. It's like watching children play house. I'm not sure why the school even bothers with this."
A senior student chimed in enviously, "True, I heard that if you make it into the top 50, you get an extra 5 contribution points every month, practically a gift."
You see, these second-year students receive only ten contribution points per month while in school, and to earn more, they must complete tasks.
So, if these freshmen can secure a spot in the top 50, along with their regular monthly allowance, they're almost on par with the seniors.
The young man lounging on the railing shook his head thoughtfully, "Don't underestimate this batch of freshmen. It's only been a month since the school year started, and some of them have already broken through to the second level."
"Chen Hong, are you suggesting that freshman named An Lingqing, who achieved the Second Heaven in just half a month, is as exceptional as that eccentric Ji Changkong?"
The long-haired young man grinned wryly, "It's not just her; there are several remarkable individuals in this freshman class, and one of them has a perfect affinity with their martial arts."
"What? A perfect affinity!"
"Is that even possible!?"
This revelation astounded the senior students.
The long-haired young man shrugged, "Don't look at me that way; I heard it straight from Mr. Qin, so it should be accurate."
"Although this freshman hasn't reached the Second Heaven, he possesses innate divine power and practices the advanced martial art, the Bull Demon Shaking the Mountain True Art. His strength is staggeringly formidable."
"...incredible," muttered a senior student.
Innate divine power, combined with advanced techniques that enhance raw strength, and a perfect affinity, could result in staggering power.
"It appears this batch of freshmen deserves our respect." Several other senior students appeared solemn.
Over by the queue, Chen Chu, clutching a long knife, finished his registration.
"Ah Chu, this way."
As Chen Chu navigated through the crowd, Xia Youhui waved and beckoned him over. Other Class 3 students surrounded Xia Youhui, and these individuals appeared to be loosely divided into three groups.
One camp was led by squad leader Lin Xue, with Xia Youhui, Lu Haitao, and Li Wenwen in tow.
On the opposite side stood the smaller group led by Yi Rui, accompanied by several other students who hadn't joined their clique.
Upon seeing Chen Chu approach, Xia Youhui greeted him with a smile, "Ah Chu, if you happen to face me later, I won't go easy on you this time."
As he spoke, he patted a pair of thick shields strapped to his back, each taller than a person. These shields measured ten centimeters in thickness and bristled with spikes, serving as his weapons.
Even though the alloy was significantly lighter than conventional steel, such a massive heavy shield still weighed over 100 kilograms. It was an authentic heavy-duty weapon.
Chen Chu smiled faintly, replying, "If we cross paths, give it your all. My aim this time is to participate and gain real combat experience. Winning or losing doesn't matter."
Lin Xue nodded in agreement, "Exactly, this is just an ordinary competition. Everyone's abilities are still developing. The primary goal is to exchange knowledge and ideas. Don't fret too much about the outcome."
"Squad leader is correct," Chen Chu responded modestly.