Bloodline strength determines the upper limit of the combat power of supernaturals.
Typically, a supernatural's bloodline strength gradually increases from around the age of ten, peaks around the age of fifty, and then slowly declines with aging.
Entering the ninth grade at 20-30 years old, the eighth grade at 30-40 years old, and then entering the seventh grade before reaching the peak of bloodline strength, with some lucky ones even breaking through to the sixth grade. Most supernaturals go through life like this.
[T/N: The less the number becomes the more powerful a Supernatural becomes. It means a Eight Grade Supernatural is more powerful than a Ninth Grade Supernatural.]
Those like Xing Yuanzhi, who enter the ninth grade before the age of 20, can be called "geniuses" and have a high probability of breaking through to the fifth grade in their peak period. Fifth-grade supernaturals are the backbone of any prestigious family and are essential.
If a family lacks even fifth-grade strong individuals, there is a risk of collectively falling into obscurity. If ancestors have accumulated enough virtue, producing fourth-grade individuals can elevate the entire family to the top tier of prestigious families, known as noble clans.
As for third-grade individuals... Currently, there are only five of them in the Divine Land. The families behind these five individuals—Wang, Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Li—have become the legendary "Five Great Families," residing at the pinnacle of the human world, firmly controlling the top political power in Jiankang City. Even the royal family must yield to these five major families.
Xing Yuanzhi was able to enter the ninth rank while still underage, so the Xing family placed great expectations on her. Her future goal is to at least reach the sixth rank and strive for the fifth rank. Of course, if she's daydreaming, she can also consider aiming for the fourth rank.
As for the third rank, it's something she doesn't even dare to think about.
The difference between different ranks is like a deep abyss, mainly because there isn't any effective way to quickly increase bloodline strength. In most cases, it can only naturally grow along with the body's development.
Otherwise, with the massive resources controlled by the Five Clans, it wouldn't take so many years to cultivate a second third-rank ability user—if there were some way to control this bloodline strength with certain resources, the Five Clans would spare no expense to develop it.
So, can anyone tell me what's going on with this rollercoaster-like fluctuation in bloodline strength?!
Xing Yuanzhi remained silent for about ten minutes, her emotions of shock, fear, confusion, and doubt intertwining in her mind. Her thoughts went from "Could this person be a peerless genius?" to "Could this person be a demon disguised in human skin?" Her mind raced in directions completely incomprehensible to her past self.
"Um..." Cheng Jinyang slowly opened his eyes, emitting a painful groan.
He slowly climbed off the sofa, staring blankly at his chest—just as he was about to die in his dream, he was finally cornered by enemies, and four demons simultaneously pierced his abdomen with their claws.
Even though he managed to kill one in a last-ditch effort before dying, the pain and fear of death lingered in his body even after waking from the dream.
"You're awake," came Xing Yuanzhi's cold voice from beside him.
"What time is it?" Cheng Jinyang asked.
"5:16," Xing Yuanzhi said.
"Oh." Cheng Jinyang got up unsteadily.
"Are you going back to sleep?" Xing Yuanzhi asked. She still wanted to continue observing for a while. "It's Saturday today."
"Forget it," Cheng Jinyang straightened up. "I have to go see the doctor."
Xing Yuanzhi quietly approached the bathroom door and sensed the stability of the spiritual field intensity once again.
...It stabilized. It is indeed ninth-grade intensity.
So, the bloodline intensity only fluctuates violently when he's asleep? And, could this fluctuation be related to entering other people's dreams?
I need to figure this out!
As Xing Yuanzhi pondered this, completely unaware that due to squatting beside him, from Cheng Jinyang's elevated perspective, he could see many benefits through the slightly open neckline.
Such as slender shoulders, delicate collarbones, and the gradually rising curves, detailed descriptions of which would get this book banned, and so on.
Of course, Cheng Jinyang wouldn't be like the male protagonists in Japanese manga, blushing and turning his head to remind her, "You're showing too much." Because if he did, he would most likely be called a "pervert" and might even get punched—Xing Yuanzhi clearly wasn't a soft or tsundere character, and there is a difference between real-life women and fictional characters.
So he just glanced harshly a few times, then pretended to still be half asleep, rubbed his eyes, and got up, heading for the bathroom.
On the bathroom sink, everything have become two sets: cups, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels hanging on the wall, making Cheng Jinyang finally realize that there is indeed a girl living in the house.
I'm no longer living alone.
Of course, if the two toothbrushes were placed side by side, touching each other, it might give him some romantic thoughts...
In fact, his toothbrush is on the left side of the faucet, while Xing Yuanzhi's is on the right, and the towels hanging on the towel rack are also neatly separated, leaving him no room for any fantasies.
"I think we should agree on the usage time for the bathroom," Xing Yuanzhi said behind him.
"Why do we need to agree on that?" Cheng Jinyang asked puzzledly.
"Because I'll be using it more often," Xing Yuanzhi said calmly. "If you suddenly need to use the bathroom while I'm bathing, I won't be able to let you in."
"I see," Cheng Jinyang said. "I don't mind, but when do you usually use it?"
"I wake up at 8 a.m. every morning to wash my face, hair, and take a shower," Xing Yuanzhi said calmly. "It takes about an hour. I'll have another round at 2 p.m., but this time without washing my hair, about half an hour; and around 8 p.m., I'll take another hour. If I need to stay up late, I'll wash once more at 12 a.m."
"So, Ah Zhi, are you like an amphibious marine animal that will die without soaking in water?"
"Shut up, I just like cleanliness. And don't call me Ah Zhi."
[T/N: "A'zhi" or "Ah Zhi" is an endearing way of addressing her.]
Cheng Jinyang finished washing up, changed his clothes, and prepared to go out.
"I'm going to the clinic, will you stay at home during this time?"
"No," Xing Yuanzhi said, "I need to go back to get some clothes, buy some things, and clean the house thoroughly."
"Okay, the spare key is in the shoe cabinet, the second one from the left on the top shelf."
"Got it."
So Cheng Jinyang went out and once again came to Dr. Wu Quemei's clinic.
Wu Quemei, it is said, was the apprentice of the original owner's mother before her death...
The original owner's mother was a common folk doctor who took care of her in her career.
Later, she opened her own clinic and was willing to take care of Cheng Jinyang because of that, otherwise with his financial means, he wouldn't be able to afford the daily treatment costs.
"Hmm, you're recovering quite well," Wu Quemei finished her perception adjustment and opened another can of beer for herself.
"Sister Wu, you always say that after every treatment," Cheng Jinyang said helplessly, "If I'm recovering so well every time, why do I still have nightmares every day?"
"Your situation is like that of a critically ill patient with severed limbs or organ failure just out of the life-threatening period, and then asking me why they still can't get out of bed, but considering it as an improvement," Wu Quemei waved her hand impatiently, "Improvement is a relative judgment. Someone who usually scores 40 points on a test but scores 50 today would also be considered as improving, understand?"
"Then, if a normal person is 100 points, what score would my current situation be?" Cheng Jinyang asked.
"Maybe 70," Wu Quemei replied casually.
"Okay," Cheng Jinyang sighed.
"At the current rate of recovery, it might take several decades to completely get rid of the impact of nightmares," Wu Quemei added, "But if you can obtain the algorithm and do preliminary brain domain development, blocking it will only take a few months."
"Algorithms aren't that easy to come by," Cheng Jinyang sighed. He hadn't revealed anything about Xing Yuanzhi, merely casually asking, "If I were to approach the descendants of the Cheng family in Shendu and discreetly inquire about purchasing low-level algorithms, do you think it would be feasible?"
"If it's low-level algorithms, there shouldn't be much of a problem," Wu Quemei pondered. "In fact, many low-level algorithms are developed jointly by major clans and the royal family, lacking strong confidentiality measures inherently. So, the clans don't strictly guard them."
"Even if you weren't originally from the Cheng family in Shendu, as long as you have connections, you could still obtain low-level algorithms."
"I see," Cheng Jinyang nodded.
With confirmation from Wu Quemei, Cheng Jinyang felt more confident about Xing Yuanzhi's ability to acquire the Universal Gravitational Algorithm.