In the evening, Chen Chu sat cross-legged on the bed, his consciousness guiding his real power to flow continuously along the path of the second layer of Dragon Elephant Kung Fu.
He could distinctly sense this transparent true force generating suction as it coursed through him, drawing in external, extraordinary energy for refinement. There was no need for spiritual power to usher it inside, and his cultivation efficiency had increased several-fold since his breakthrough.
Once these free energies were refined, the true powers within would grow stronger with each cycle, returning to the dantian to commence anew.
However, unlike the internal force paths portrayed in martial arts novels, the route of true force movement was intricate. It swam beneath the skin's fascia, traversing between muscles and bones wherever it ventured, tempering and strengthening his entire body along the way.
This explained why true martial arts practitioners continuously fortified their physiques. The Dragon Elephant Kung Fu, focusing on strength and defense, had an especially potent body-tempering effect. Post-training, his muscles became more explosive, and his skin tougher.
After nearly an hour, Chen Chu opened his eyes.
Exhaling, he carefully assessed the changes brought about by his cultivation and thought, "Progress is a bit slow."
The first level of heaven primarily tempered the physique, requiring it to be five times stronger than an average person's, with arm strength reaching 300 kilograms to border on a breakthrough.
After reaching the second heaven, the focus shifted to strengthening true strength until the dantian was saturated, while physique development took a back seat.
The upper limit for arm strength at the second heaven was around 800 kilograms, a result of the dual naive force's impact on the body's tempering effect, not the biological limits of human anatomy.
Only after breaking through to the third heaven could more potent real power continue to fortify the physique. Some advanced practitioners neglected physical strengthening, concentrating on realm advancement instead. Higher realms allowed them to harness terrifying real power, even controlling the power of heaven and earth.
Compared to advanced cultivators and the elite Nine Heavens practitioners, gains of hundreds of thousands of kilograms in physical strength were negligible.
Only those stuck in a single realm for several years or more prioritized refining their physique to the extreme of that realm. Physical training drained some real power, affecting cultivation progress.
Recalling Pang Long's words, Chen Chu estimated that, under normal circumstances, it would take over half a year to fill his dantian with real power.
"Half a year," Chen Chu sighed.
Twice-evolved aptitude, coupled with enhanced basic physique, placed his talent on par with 'geniuses' who relied on resources. Yet, if it took him half a year to reach the third heaven, how long would it take those who used resources and broke through in a week?
Chen Chu realized the arduousness of his cultivation journey. It took half a year to reach the third level from the second. Considering the escalating difficulty of each breakthrough, individuals with poorer aptitude would require at least two years to reach the third level through standard practice.
Reflecting on this, Chen Chu was grateful he could utilize attribute points to directly strengthen and progress in skill realms.
At noon the following day, after a morning spent practicing sword skills, Chen Chu encountered Lin Xue and Xia Youhui while queuing in the dining hall.
"Ah Chu, over here!" Xia Youhui waved to him.
As Chen Chu approached, he quipped, "You could've saved your voice; I heard you coming from a mile away."
"Hey... I thought you already knew," Xia Youhui chuckled before sharing some gossip. "This morning, I heard that Li Hao, ranked second, and Hong Tianyi, ranked third, both advanced to the second level."
Chen Chu nodded. "I know him."
Having witnessed Chen Chu's impressive combat skills with heavy weaponry, he had left a lasting impression. Xia Youhui elaborated, "Li Hao is said to have reached the limit of the first level in just three days, thanks to the aid of cultivation resources. He secured second place and then promptly broke through."
Chen Chu responded with understanding: "I see."
As the conversation continued, several people finished their meals, picked up their trays, and joined Chen Chu at an empty table.
Chen Chu couldn't help but gaze at the purple-haired girl opposite him and asked, "Squad leader, how long until you break through?"
Lin Xue, currently the tenth-ranked genius among the freshmen, enjoyed considerable popularity for her beauty and strength.
Lin Xue contemplated for a moment before responding, "I used some resources to maximize my first-level physique yesterday. Now, I'm focusing on refining and condensing my strength, which will take a few days."
"Squad leader, you're incredible, breaking through so swiftly," Chen Chu complimented sincerely, as if he had completely forgotten that he had reached the Second Heaven just the day before.
Lin Xue shook her head modestly. "It's merely using resources to advance prematurely; there's no reason to boast."
Originally, after establishing the foundation, Lin Xue had anticipated taking more than a month to break through. However, this time it came a week earlier, so it didn't affect her much. Moreover, it wasn't just Lin Xue; the subsequent week witnessed numerous students from the top 50 breaking through to the second level.
Simultaneously, rumors began circulating about Chen Chu. It was said that his initial entry into the top 50 was due to his remarkable compatibility with Dragon Elephant Kungfu and his explosive power that exceeded the first level's limits. Nevertheless, he only managed to secure the 49th place.
Once advanced practitioners who had honed their skills broke through to the second heaven, his edge would vanish. Additionally, given the cultivation speed of low-level exercises, even with resource exchanges expediting his progress, it would still take a month or more to reach the Second Heaven. By that time, advanced practitioners who hadn't initially ranked would have already surpassed him. These individuals could easily outperform Chen Chu, rendering his 49th place in the class rankings more of a mockery than an honor.
Thursday afternoon.
In the 33rd-floor reading room, Luo Fei recounted the comments she had read on the official website to Chen Chu.
Chen Chu contemplated for a moment, then nodded and replied, "I don't have any particular thoughts on this matter. What they're saying is accurate; those individuals indeed possess superior cultivation talent compared to me."
Observing Chen Chu's composed demeanor, Luo Fei blinked her beautiful eyes and curiously asked, "Aren't you worried that someone might challenge you in the future?"
While school regulations stipulated that freshman rankings wouldn't change until the second year of high school, if someone attempted to challenge Chen Chu, it would undoubtedly boost his popularity.
Chen Chu shrugged nonchalantly. "Not worried."
"Why not?" Luo Fei remained puzzled.
Chen Chu explained with a smile, "Those ranked ahead of me won't bother challenging, and those who aren't on the rankings but have practiced advanced exercises pose no threat to me."
"However, these individuals only earn 5 contribution points per month, less than what I currently have. Moreover, they lack the 20% discount privilege, so their resource exchanges are limited."
"When they eventually break through, I'll be nearing the same level. It's uncertain who will prevail at that point."
Chen Chu had kept his breakthrough a secret from others, as it defied conventional understanding. After all, his earlier display of talent had been merely average, and even the explanation of being exceptionally compatible with real martial arts would have attracted undue attention.
Of course, he had no intention of pretending to be something he wasn't, but he preferred to maintain a low profile and saw no need to broadcast his achievements.
Nevertheless, if anyone crossed him, he wouldn't hesitate to assert himself.
Watching Chen Chu's calm demeanor in the face of external chatter, Luo Fei couldn't help but smile.
The two continued chatting for a while before immersing themselves in their reading materials.
Although it appeared as if Chen Chu were engrossed in a book, most of his attention was on the heavy armored beast.
The fierce creature, now 1.3 meters in size, slowly entered the river.
More than a week had passed since it reached the Second Heaven, and the heavy armored beast either hunted or prowled daily.
As the beast continued to grow more powerful and ferocious, Chen Chu observed a decrease in the number of mutated large fish in this section of the river. Often, he had to travel several miles to find a single one.
In this way, considerable time was wasted searching for prey each day.
Beneath the river's surface, over ten meters deep, the heavy armored beast gripped a fish in its jaws, its eyes thoughtful. "It seems that when the heavy armored beast evolves again, it will need to venture into the sea for sustenance."