In the end, Wen Wen didn’t step in personally, probably because Ji Jue pleaded and submitted too quickly. After taking just a couple of hits to the head, he collapsed to the ground crying and didn’t get up. Beating him up when he was in that state gave no sense of achievement at all.

In the end, Mr. Zhang took over.

Mr. Zhang was ninety-seven years old, with a very ordinary, common name: Zhang Daqiang[1]. Judging by the photos on his phone fifty years ago, his name was literal. He had truly been big and strong!

Back then, at over forty, Mr. Zhang was in his prime. His body was brimming with firm, bulky muscles. All oiled up and standing under stage lights, he flexed his arms slightly, each muscle coiling like steel wire ready to burst forth.

He was basically a walking, breathing Devil Muscle Man[2]. Now, he claimed his prime was over. Age had sapped his strength, and he looked like any other wiry old man in Cliff City with a tank top, baggy shorts, slippers dangling from his feet, and a pair of walnuts never leaving his hands. His days were spent tending flowers and grass, emphasizing longevity above all else.

“So don’t be afraid,” he said. “We’re friends, just talk to me as if I’m your peer.”

Ji Jue didn’t trust him for a second.

If he was truly just an ordinary health-conscious old man, how could he maneuver a pair of iron walnuts heavier than Ji Jue like that? Etched with the emblem of the Ruins, they’d probably crack the bricks if he dropped them on the floor.

Moreover, like Lawrence, Mr. Zhang was a Vortex-type Chosen One specializing in life, growth, and physical enhancement. If he swung a limb carelessly, Ji Jue could be shredded on the spot. One careless move from him could smash Ji Jue to bits. Ji Jue would be so deeply stuck on the wall that no amount of scraping would get him down.

“I’ve already heard of your situation from Ms. Wen,” Mr. Zhang said, stepping barefoot onto the clean, spacious training mat that no one but him seemed to have used. “It’s not easy, you’re a hardworking young man. Let me introduce my abilities. My matrix is a common Vortex type, called Dragon Form. The name says it all: it’s a self-enhancement type. The abilities are also very typical of the enhancement class. So, it’s strong, but nothing particularly special beyond that.

“If I had to name my specialty, I’d say I’m best at close-quarters combat and grappling. As for everything else, Ms. Wen is just flattering me. I’m just an old man, nothing crazy here.”

He spoke in a calm, soft voice and was friendly to Ji Jue. Then, he began warm-up exercises as seriously as if he were about to take a winter swim.

The more serious he looked, the more terrified Ji Jue became. By the end, he wished he could bow and beg, Grandpa, please... just take it easy, okay? Just go easy on me!

By now, Ji Jue was no longer the clueless outsider to Chosen Ones. Yes, his own ability was unique, but thinking other people’s abilities were weak was absurd, especially with common abilities like physical enhancement, telekinesis, invisibility, transmission, mind reading, tactile sensing, energy control...

Among these common abilities, physical enhancement was actually the most widespread, including but not limited to enhanced eyesight, boosted hearing, or high raw strength. But just because they were common didn’t mean they were weak; they were in fact terrifyingly potent.

Every Chosen One with a similar ability had honed their techniques day and night, pushing every skill to perfection and every potential to its limit. Over hundreds or thousands of years, each seemingly ordinary ability had countless Chosen Ones dedicating their entire lives to mastering it. One punch could carry the weight of hundreds, even thousands of years of mastery. What could you possibly use to stop that? Your fragile emotional bonds? Your own head? Forget it.

And that wasn’t even counting Mr. Zhang’s eighty-odd years of combat experience. Even thinking about it made Ji Jue gulp nervously.

Right before his eyes, the gaunt old man inhaled deeply. With the high-pitched metallic grinding of his knuckles, the color of his flesh rapidly faded, replaced by a pure gold, Buddha-like hue. Just the touch of his fingers produced a piercing metallic screech.

Even more terrifying was the wave of heat emanating from him. It felt like standing in front of a furnace. The violent heat instantly scorched the two mats beneath his feet, sending up choking smoke and a foul stench.

The source of this heat was, without a doubt, his blood. His blood was literally boiling. This was Zhang Daqiang’s ability, Blazing Blood. Raising the temperature of the blood enhanced his strength, endurance, speed, flexibility... basically everything.

Soon, the jaw-dropping scene faded. Once the warm-up ended, he returned to his normal state of a frail old man with a kind smile.

“Don’t worry, today is just a lesson, we won’t go that far. Minor bumps and scrapes are inevitable, though...You’re wearing the Mouth of the Ancients, right? Good, that’ll help.”

After confirming Ji Jue’s condition, Mr. Zhang didn’t waste time with pretense. He got straight to the point. “So, we’ll start with the basics of spirit matter offense and defense.”

He sat cross-legged in front of Ji Jue and raised a finger. “Besides being fuel for your own abilities and matrix, spirit matter is part of your life. Naturally, it can be used on your own body, producing a reinforcing effect. Like this.”

Without warning, a faint flow of spirit matter rippled along his thin, shriveled finger, coiling until it formed a thin hardened shell. Mr. Zhang bent his finger, and when it snapped against the floor, it rang out like iron striking iron.

“When applied to attacks...” Mr. Zhang paused and clenched his fist. The spirit matter beneath his skin flowed like water, glinting as he swung his fist at Ji Jue.

A gust of wind exploded from the movement, tossing Ji Jue’s hair into a chaotic mess. His face stung from the force of it.

“This is the foundation of spirit matter offense and defense. The principle is simple: though the techniques may vary, they all evolve from this. You’re a beginner; you might not manage something this extreme yet. But it’s not about instant mastery. It’s about steady practice. If you keep at it, I’m confident you’ll see results.”

Mr. Zhang reached out to adjust Ji Jue’s posture. “Now, take a deep breath, maintain the stability of your spirit matter, and follow me. Yes, keep it steady...”

Ji Jue could see why Mr. Zhang was a top-tier instructor. He was concise and wasted no words, highlighting key points and common mistakes repeatedly.

Using spirit matter to stimulate and reinforce muscle power, or weaving it into a shield to defend against external impacts wasn’t difficult. It was surprisingly straightforward. Within minutes, Ji Jue felt that he had a basic grasp of the technique, though the effects were modest.

Mr. Zhang had anticipated this. Foundational techniques depended on persistent, long-term practice. One attempt gave only a subtle effect; a thousand attempts gave a thousand times the improvement. For low-tier Chosen Ones starting from nothing, these were actually some of the most beginner-friendly techniques they could get.

Those with money could just buy equipment and pay to win. Why bother with the grind?

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. It’s a long process, like water wearing away stones. That said, there are ways to speed things up.” Mr. Zhang smiled. “That’s why Ms. Wen asked me to teach you this.”

Every branch of the Twelve Supreme Benevolences had its own spirit matter characteristics, sometimes multiple types. Top-tier matrices and special abilities could have even higher-order variations or qualitative changes, but that was a topic for later.

Followers of a Supreme Benevolence naturally aligned their spirit matter with that Supreme Benevolence. For example, an Ascension Chosen One’s spirit matter regenerated extremely quickly, while an Origin Chosen One often had superior control over spirit matter. Meanwhile, a White Deer Chosen One excelled at explosive power, while Vortex Chosen One could use spirit matter to heal and enhance their body.

Swarm Chosen Ones had spirit matter with heightened corrosive or destructive potential.

Mirror Chosen Ones could conceal their spirit matter, appearing no different from normal humans, even achieving invisibility if controlled properly. Ruins Chosen Ones often had spirit matter with distinct material traits, making it the fastest and most effective to train.

Because each branch shared internal similarities but differed from others, common techniques and applications circulated among each branch’s Chosen Ones.

“So... what about Ember?” Ji Jue asked.

“Huh? Aren’t you already more familiar with that than I am?” Mr. Zhang looked at him curiously. “Alchemy is the common craft of the Ember Path. The essence of spirit matter is its ability to adjust and control the properties of matter.”

In alchemy, “properties” referred to the inherent characteristics of a substance, such as strength, hardness, plasticity, toughness, and so on. Unlike Ruins, which could turn the body itself into matter, Ember focused on mastering and developing the material itself.

Therefore, by using special techniques on oneself, one could drastically enhance a particular aspect of their body, such as multiplying bone toughness several times to prevent fractures, or temporarily hardening the skin to resist attacks.

Unfortunately, compared to physical matter, which was inherently many times tougher than flesh, a normal human body could not be reinforced indefinitely, unless it was modified or enhanced by an ability. Mr. Zhang was only able to give himself a golden body because it was a skill passed down within the Vortex branch, something Ji Jue could never replicate. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Yet now, hearing Mr. Zhang explain it, something stirred within Ji Jue. Wasn’t this... the basic operation of alchemy? And the very foundational technique Professor Ye had repeatedly stressed he had to master?

Instinctively, he raised his hand and drew in a deep breath, clenching his fist. Pure spirit matter surged down from his shoulders, gathering on the back of his hand. It formed six fine spirit matter circuits, which twisted together and laid out as the simplest temporary base grid.

Then, under his skilled guidance, the Ruins emblem appeared in the center. Compared to other materials, he knew this body he had honed for nineteen years better than anything else. He didn’t even need a workshop or any complex tools like he would for other materials.

Using himself as the medium, his soul became the furnace, and his ability the finest carving tool. In a single thought, everything flowed naturally. The Ruins represented physical matter, and its most fundamental function was to strengthen physical matter.

“Did it work?” he asked uncertainly, looking up at Mr. Zhang.

Mr. Zhang fell silent. He finally understood what Wen Wen had said earlier, how absurdly talented this boy really was.

Just moments ago, he had said Ji Jue had no prior foundation, yet he had already picked up the instructions instantly, and his first attempt had essentially succeeded. This raw talent in the Ember Path was genuinely terrifying.

Mr. Zhang picked up the nearby short metal rod used for practice and gently tapped Ji Jue’s hand. The collision between the rod and the boy’s hand produced a low, muffled sound.

It... actually worked?

Mr. Zhang increased the force, striking with the full strength of an adult man. Ji Jue felt only a vague impact with no pain whatsoever, as if he were wearing thick gloves.

“At a pinch, it looks like it could barely keep you alive. But this is just the beginning. When you practice on your own, be careful. You shouldn’t practice too long at a time, at most five minutes per day. You don’t have a matrix yet, and your body hasn’t been tempered by the Supreme Benevolences. You’re still mortal, so overuse can damage your nerves and bones. Of course, you don’t need to worry here. If anything goes wrong, I can correct it.”

After the warning, Mr. Zhang tossed aside the rod and slowly stood up.

“Huh?” Ji Jue blinked in confusion. “Is class over?”

“You’ve already completed the week-long course I planned for you.” Mr. Zhang smiled. “So let’s just move straight to the second lesson.”

Next was real, hands-on practice. Mr. Zhang stretched and asked, “Do you know what the most effective move for an Ember Chosen One is when facing an enemy?”

Ji Jue straightened and listened attentively.

“It’s simple.” Mr. Zhang raised a finger and said solemnly, “One word: run.”

1. The name Zhang Daqiang is about as ordinary as it gets in modern Chinese society. “Zhang” is one of the most common surnames in the country, while “Daqiang,” literally meaning “big and strong,” has a straightforward, almost generic ring to it, the kind of name parents might give to a boy with hopes he grows up sturdy and capable. ☜

2. “Devil Muscle Man” is a character played by Hong Kong actor Ng Man-tat in the 1994 comedy film King of Destruction. The character’s nickname refers to Gui Wang Da, a master of traditional Chinese martial arts. Here’s an image for your reference. ☜