Chapter 90: Chapter 82: Advancing Steadily, a New Mission

「One month later.」

BANG! BANG!

Sweat flew as the heavy, red leather sandbag swung up in the gym, tracing a wide arc.

His white and gray training clothes were already soaked through. Lu Chao’s eyes were focused. He quickly tensed his muscles again and shot forward in a blur.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Like a heavy boulder launching itself from the ground, he charged forward recklessly, stirring up a wild gust of wind.

He actually charged straight at an iron post in the corner, one that was welded into the concrete floor, and slammed into it with brutal force.

THUD!

A muffled boom erupted, and the nearby concrete floor trembled slightly.

A spray of sweat vaporized on impact, exploding out from where his elbow met the iron post.

A powerful shockwave rebounded from the impact, drilling into his flesh and stinging his bones.

And yet, Lu Chao stood like a heavy, unmoving boulder. With just the slightest tremble, he suppressed all the discomfort.

In that instant.

[Life Energy: 48→49!]

"Hah!"

As the panel data appeared, the tension in Lu Chao’s eyes eased. Only then did he exhale a cloud of hot white breath and slowly relax his fighting stance.

He also gradually stopped using the breathing technique from the 3rd Floor of his Fighting Skill, allowing himself a moment of rest.

’Cultivation in the Iron Bone Stage is as hard as I thought.’

Even with the improvement, Lu Chao felt no satisfaction.

Over the past month, he had obtained three portions of Bone-Strengthening and Qi-Replenishing Ointment from three different sources: Master Luo, Brother Hao, and the Patrol Department.

Due to building up a resistance to its effects, the ointment was much less effective than before. Even when combined with eating a large amount of Exotic Beast Meat, he had barely managed to increase his stats by four points.

’Next time, I can try switching to an intermediate Life Potion or a Cyan Jade Crystal and see how they work.’

’Still, even so, my progress has surpassed many Professionals. It’s comparable to two or three months of their hard training. I’m just one step away from the level of a veteran Professional.’

His eyes flickered as he looked at the panel.

[Potential Progress: 25%]

Besides the increase in his Life Energy, his Potential Progress had also grown significantly.

Even though it was becoming harder to accumulate energy, the high-quality Exotic Beast Meat and the ointment, which was comparable to an intermediate Life Potion, still had a considerable effect.

’At this rate, I might have a chance to awaken another talent specialty before I break through to the Elite Level.’

’But...’

His gaze shifting, Lu Chao walked over to the rest area.

He picked up a cup and chugged two large mouthfuls, the cool, clear water sliding down into his stomach.

Not long after that day’s incident, the Superpower Bureau had quietly approached him. They even assigned people to watch over and protect him in secret for a while.

But as a result, the God-Worshiping Church seemed to have vanished. It was as if the matter had come to a close with the masked man’s self-destruction.

’Could the Superpower Bureau’s intervention have intimidated them into giving up?’

He grabbed a nearby towel and wiped away his sweat, various speculations surfacing in his mind.

After thinking it over and finding no answer, he finally shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

’Overwhelming strength is the best protection.’

’Instead of worrying about threats, I should just focus on breaking through to a higher level as quickly as possible.’

Putting down the cup, Lu Chao’s eyes shone with an unusual brightness.

He had previously sought out Brother Hao and Zhou Qiang about the matter of the Magic Power crystal.

He wondered if his black market contacts had found the last two materials required for the purification.

...

「Two nights later.」

After his shift ended, Lu Chao changed out of his Patrol Department uniform, put on a plain black athletic jacket, and squeezed onto the tram.

He found a window seat and sat down, scrolling through his wrist-watch screen and focusing on the text and images displayed there.

The three-word title, "Basic Synthesis Knowledge," was quite conspicuous. Even though he was already at the Professional level, he still hadn’t given up on studying to be an Alchemist.

So far, of the three basic theories, this was the only one he was still studying. The content mostly consisted of basic explanations on the synergistic properties of medicinal ingredients.

For example, it covered the effects of extracting and combining different plant essences and the vital blood of Mutant Beasts, the fusion reactions of chemical elements, and also some of the most basic procedures for potion-making.

’Looking at it this way, the purification method I came up with through intuition wasn’t just a random guess after all.’

His gaze shifted. After studying for this period, Lu Chao felt he now had a much better understanding of potions, biology, and botany.

And because of that, his thoughts subconsciously drifted back to that matter.

’Spirit spring water is rich in minerals and has a special property that helps balance and fuse ingredients. Cyan Spirit Grass, on the other hand, is a special plant that grows in the wilderness and can’t yet be cultivated artificially. It’s rumored that consuming it can refresh the mind and clarify one’s thoughts for a period of time...’

As the thought passed through his mind, Lu Chao began to feel more confident about his theory.

When the tram arrived at his stop, he quickly put away his wrist-watch, walked off the platform, and headed straight for his destination: the Dreamfire Bar.

The news he had been eagerly awaiting had finally come. Zhou Qiang had informed him during the day that he had obtained the spirit spring water.

"Brother Lu!"

"Brother Xiaochao!"

Seeing him arrive, the staff at the bar’s entrance all called out respectfully, causing some of the young men and women entering and exiting the bar to give him curious sideways glances, looking him up and down.

Some of them recalled the incident with Liu Hong and excitedly began explaining it to their companions, while others just looked puzzled, still guessing at his identity.

Paying them no mind, Lu Chao gave a slight nod and a smile, then informed a former security colleague of the reason for his visit.

"Brother Lu, please wait a moment."

The man nodded quickly and reported into his earpiece.

A short while later, Zhou Qiang appeared, dressed in a black suit and carrying a cylindrical black metal bottle.

"Brother Qiang."

Lu Chao walked over to the bar and found an empty seat to wait.

"Here, take a look."

Zhou Qiang walked up with a smile and unscrewed the black metal bottle.

The colorful bar lights flashed by, revealing four to five hundred milliliters of liquid inside.