The headmaster’s gaze fell upon Li Wen, carrying an air of indisputable exhortation.

"Your Primordial Spirit Realm and martial arts mastery are far beyond your peers, even surpassing many of the older students.

But the physical body is the foundation of all strength, the vessel that carries the Primordial Spirit. You’ve probably noticed that the reserves of your Primordial Spirit’s power are not vast. This is because your physical body is too weak.

Normally, one must reach at least the Great Sun level to form a Primordial Spirit. Since you succeeded before even becoming a Martial Artist, the amount of Primordial Spirit power your body can accommodate is naturally limited.

That’s why your physical body can’t be allowed to lag too far behind. It’s the foundation for practicing advanced divine and demonic Cultivation Techniques. If you were to temper your body through conventional means, it would take far too long and severely hinder your overall progress.

Advance to the peak of High-level Martial Artist as soon as possible, then prepare to break through to the Super Martial Artist realm. Only by becoming a Super Martial Artist can you begin to cultivate Super Grade divine and demonic Cultivation Techniques."

Li Wen stared at the Holy Body Golden Pattern Fruit in the jade box, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

The value of this gift far exceeded any resource he had ever received. It was not only a key to a monumental leap in strength, but also a sign of the headmaster’s immense faith and expectations for him.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and accepted the jade box with both hands, bowing deeply. "Thank you for your generous gift, Headmaster!"

"I hope you will make good use of this, and don’t let this opportunity pass you by." The headmaster stroked his beard with a smile. "Alright, you may go. Contemplate what I’ve said today and increase your strength as quickly as you can."

With that, he waved his hand and vanished without waiting for Li Wen to reply.

When Li Wen looked up again, the scenery outside the pavilion rippled, and a gentle pulling force came over him.

The next moment, he found he had been silently returned to the edge of the Enlightenment Peak plaza, tightly clutching the jade box that emitted an alluring, fresh fragrance.

The once-bustling crowd of new students had long since departed.

He took one last look in the direction where the headmaster had stood, then turned with determination. His steps were steady, yet filled with an irrepressible excitement as he walked towards the new student townhouse area assigned to him.

...

Back at his residence, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the spacious living room.

The first thing Li Wen did after closing the door was to carefully retrieve the antique jade box the headmaster had given him.

His fingertips, slightly cool, touched the smooth, fine jade. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the lid.

Three fist-sized fruits, each shimmering with a faint golden halo, rested silently on the velvet lining. Arcane golden patterns were naturally etched onto their surfaces, and they exuded an ineffably pure fragrance—these were the Holy Body Golden Pattern Fruits, a treasure that could drive countless Martial Artists into a frenzy.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Wen took one of the fruits from the box and brought it to his nose for a sniff.

A pure fragrance assailed his nostrils. The sweet aroma rushed straight to his head, soothing his tense nerves and refreshing his spirit.

After reveling in the scent for a moment, he could no longer contain his body’s latent craving, spurred on by the tempting aroma.

He picked up a fruit and, without hesitation, shoved it into his mouth and took a huge bite.

"CRUNCH!"

The crisp sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

The pulp melted the moment it entered his mouth. Sweet juices burst forth, carrying a dense life energy, and the fruity fragrance exploded, instantly overwhelming his mouth and senses.

In a few quick bites, he had completely devoured the priceless Holy Body Golden Pattern Fruit.

Almost at the instant the fruit settled in his stomach, a sudden change occurred.

BOOM—!

A torrent of vital energy so vast it was unimaginable erupted from deep within him, surging from his organs and limbs like a dormant volcano.

This energy was immense and pure, yet it carried the characteristic sharpness of the Golden Fiend, scouring his flesh, sinews, and bones in an instant.

"Ugh!"

Li Wen let out a muffled grunt, feeling as if his body was about to be torn apart by the sudden, violent energy.

He didn’t even have time to wipe the juice from the corner of his mouth. His expression changed, and without a second thought, he planted his feet and instantly assumed the standard foundation stance for the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill.

"HUMMM!"

The vast, ocean-like Telekinesis from his second-level Primordial Spirit burst forth.

The intangible power of his Primordial Spirit spread out like an impossibly precise net, enveloping every corner of his body.

Aided by this powerful Telekinesis, he pushed the circulation of his Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill far beyond its normal limits.

The raging torrent of vital energy was guided, sliced, and refined by countless invisible blades, then frantically absorbed and forged into his, until now, Beginner Martial Artist’s body.

At once, the level of his physical body began to skyrocket at a terrifying pace.

[You are circulating the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill to absorb the high-energy vital energy from the Holy Body Golden Pattern Fruit. Physical Body Level +0.1]

[You are circulating the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill to absorb high-energy vital energy. Physical Body Level +0.1]

[You are circulating the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill to absorb high-energy vital energy. Physical Body Level +0.1]

...

On his personal status panel, notifications cascaded down like a waterfall, constantly refreshing.

Each jump meant that Li Wen’s physical toughness, cellular activity, and foundational strength and speed were undergoing a qualitative leap.

A faint metallic sheen appeared on his skin, and the subtle sound of his bones being tempered—a faint CRACKLING—could be heard.

Time flew by as he remained completely focused on refining the energy.

「Two hours passed in a flash.」

When the last wisp of the fruit’s medicinal energy was forcibly integrated into his muscles and bones by his Primordial Spirit, Li Wen slowly retracted his technique and heaved a long sigh of relief.

A plume of hot white air shot out like an arrow for nearly a meter, lingering for a long time before dispersing.

He opened his eyes, which now gleamed with a brilliant light. With unconcealable joy, he immediately looked at his status panel:

[Realm: Beginner Martial Artist → Mid-Level Martial Artist (Level 15.6)]

Looking at the massive jump in level on his panel, Li Wen was filled with immense satisfaction and excitement. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

A single fruit had let him leapfrog the entire Beginner Martial Artist stage and land in the middle ranks of the Mid-Level Martial Artist realm.

Mid-Level Martial Artist Level 15.6!

A realm he thought would take at least a year or two of hard cultivation to reach, he had now easily surpassed in just two short hours. Such an astounding speed was something he would never have dared to imagine before.

’The Holy Body Golden Pattern Fruit really lives up to its reputation,’ Li Wen marveled. ’The headmaster’s gift was a godsend.’

He suppressed his excitement and the impulse to immediately consume a second fruit. He carefully closed the jade box and put it away for safekeeping.

He planned to consume the remaining two fruits one at a time, every ten days.

’It wasn’t that I’m reluctant to eat them. The headmaster said the divine and demonic Cultivation Technique would be chosen in a month, so there’s plenty of time.’

’More importantly, while the energy from this kind of natural treasure is gentle, consuming too much at once would likely push my body past its limits.’

’I need time to adapt to this surge in strength. My control over my Primordial Spirit’s power will also need to be fine-tuned to avoid any waste or placing an unnecessary burden on my body.’

’Slow and steady is the way to go. Giving my body enough time to perfectly absorb and convert every bit of medicinal power is the most efficient choice.’

’In any case, the final decision on the divine and demonic Cultivation Technique won’t be made for another month. These next ten days are perfect for stabilizing my realm and getting used to my new strength.’

After putting away the jade box, Li Wen did not immediately go to practice his saber techniques as he usually would.

For the next month, improving his saber mastery would have to take a back seat.

Choosing a divine and demonic Cultivation Technique was a core decision, one that would determine the foundation of his future on the Martial Dao and even the upper limits of his own life.

Fire University had strict rules about changing one’s Cultivation Technique. Once a technique was chosen and practice had begun, one could only switch to a new one after a minimum of three years.

’I have to be extremely careful. During this precious month, I must use the resources of the Fire World to investigate all my options as thoroughly as possible and find the divine and demonic path that’s best for me.’

Without further delay, Li Wen strode towards the high-tech-looking advanced virtual cabin in the room.

He lay down inside, and the cabin door closed silently.

Consciousness linked. Virtual world loading...

...

After a moment, the swirling light and shadow before his eyes solidified. Li Wen found himself standing in the main plaza of the Fire World.

[New Student privileges have been upgraded: Core Reserve Member.]

A line of golden text appeared gracefully in his field of vision, clearly indicating his change in status.