Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Devouring 60,000 Contribution Points, Talent Awakening Imminent

The box was lined with thick, icy velvet.

Two plants lay side by side on top.

The one on the left was crimson all over, its veins seemingly pulsing with the slow flow of living blood.

Its gnarled roots emanated a sense of explosive power.

The plant on the right was a pale gold.

Faint specks of starlight glittered on its slender leaves.

A tangible halo of light swirled around it.

"Red Blood Dragon Ginseng and Golden Thread Starlight Grass."

Zhang Hao recognized them at a glance, clicking his tongue in amazement.

’That old miser Lei Zhen is finally being generous for once.’

"Both of these are Top Grade among Tier Two Lower Grade items."

"The Red Blood Dragon Ginseng is mainly for cultivating Qi Blood and strengthening the physical body."

"The Golden Thread Starlight Grass can nourish the meridians and temper the spirit."

"One yin, one yang. A perfect match."

He looked at Han Feng with a hint of envy in his eyes.

"You really hit the jackpot this time, kid."

"If these two Spirit Plants were taken to an auction house, they’d start at 60,000 Contribution Points, and people would still be fighting tooth and nail for them."

Han Feng chuckled and scratched his head.

"It’s all thanks to your guidance, Captain."

Zhang Hao waved his hand dismissively.

"You earned it yourself."

"But I have to remind you, these Spirit Plants are extremely delicate."

"Once they leave their cultivation soil, even in a thermostatic box, their Spiritual essence will constantly drain away."

He stood up and pointed at the box.

"Don’t wait. Eat them tonight."

"Tonight?"

Han Feng was taken aback.

’Isn’t that a bit too soon?’

’I’m not mentally prepared yet.’

"What preparation do you need?"

Zhang Hao shot him an annoyed glare.

"If you let these things sit for one more night, the amount of Spiritual Qi lost would be enough to buy you half a ’Gray Donkey’!"

"Eat!"

"Hurry up. I’ll guard the door for you so you won’t be disturbed."

With that, Zhang Hao turned and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

The room instantly fell silent.

Han Feng sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the priceless "carrot" and "weed" in the box.

He swallowed involuntarily.

’Sixty thousand Contribution Points...’

’And I’m just supposed to eat them?’

He struggled with the thought for three seconds.

’Eat!’

Han Feng gritted his teeth. Wasting them would be a crime!

He first picked up the Red Blood Dragon Ginseng.

As he held it, a warmth spread from his palm, accompanied by a pulse, as if it were a living thing.

Han Feng casually wiped it on his clothes without a second thought.

He aimed for the thickest part of the root and took a bite.

CRUNCH.

It was surprisingly crisp, and juice burst forth.

There was no bitterness, only a rich, metallic taste and a fiery sensation that shot down his throat and into his stomach.

BOOM!

An explosion went off in Han Feng’s stomach.

This was not the gentle, warm current from the previous Potion.

It was a torrent of scorching Energy, so violent it was like a dam breaking!

The heat wave instantly broke through the walls of his stomach and surged into his limbs and bones.

It savagely scoured every one of his meridians, every single cell!

"Ugh!"

Han Feng let out a muffled grunt as his skin instantly turned crimson.

The blood vessels beneath his skin bulged, as clear as a scarlet spiderweb.

Scalding steam billowed from his every pore.

Pain! 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It was the agony of muscle fibers being forcibly torn apart and bones being forged in high heat.

But this bone-deep torment was mingled with an indescribable, rejuvenating bliss.

He could clearly feel every cell in his body rejoicing.

Like long-starved beasts, they greedily devoured this immense Energy.

[ALERT! High-quality Spiritual Essence influx detected!]

[Energy Purity: Extremely High.]

[Divert this Energy for Sword Bone Transformation?]

[WARNING: Host’s current physique cannot fully absorb. Thirty-seven percent of the Energy is about to dissipate...]

The system’s notifications rang urgently in his mind, tinged with an unprecedented sense of panic.

Han Feng endured the excruciating pain, his teeth grinding loudly.

He roared with all his might in his mind.

’Dissipate my ass!’

’Wasting it is a crime!’

’Convert it!’

’Shove it all into my bones!’

’Not a single drop can be lost!’

Other Martial Artists would thank the heavens if they could absorb sixty or seventy percent of a Spirit Plant.

But he had a cheat!

He was the kind of man who calculated the cost of every bullet; how could he tolerate such an astonishing waste!

[Command confirmed.]

[Redirecting Spiritual Essence into the Root Bone...]

The rampaging torrent of heat was forcibly tamed by an invisible hand.

It began to flow in an orderly fashion toward Han Feng’s spine and the bones throughout his body.

That bone-deep, tingling numbness washed over him again, ten times stronger than ever before.

Han Feng clenched his jaw, refusing to cry out.

He could hear faint sounds coming from within his body.

A series of minute yet terrifying cracks and pops from his bones.

His bones were being forcibly reshaped and compressed, undergoing a qualitative leap.

[Sword Bone Transformation progress +1...]

[Sword Bone Trans-formation progress +2...]

The progress bar was rising far faster than when he drank a Recovery Potion; it was practically skyrocketing.

After finishing the Red Blood Dragon Ginseng, Han Feng felt like he had just been pulled out of a furnace.

Before the scorching heat could subside, he grabbed the Golden Thread Starlight Grass and stuffed it into his mouth in a few bites.

A refreshing chill instantly exploded, neutralizing the searing heat in his body.

The extreme experience of ice and fire almost made him moan out loud.

Han Feng sat cross-legged on the bed in a meditative posture.

Following the Technique from the >, he guided the two completely different energies to circulate madly through his body.

Time passed, second by second, minute by minute.

Outside the window, the moon gradually set in the west.

Just as the sky began to show the pale light of dawn, Han Feng’s eyes snapped open.

In that instant, a flash of sword light seemed to flicker and vanish in the dim room.

Deep within his pupils, an incomparably sharp, cold glint had appeared.

Hooo—

He exhaled a long breath, and a condensed, focused arrow of white air shot out.

It traveled more than a meter before slowly dissipating.

[Name: Han Feng]

[Cultivation: Body Tempering Seventh Layer (1100/1400)]

[Qi Blood: 868/868 (↑164)]

[Sword Bone Transformation Progress: 24/100]

"It wasn’t a waste, after all."

Han Feng immediately began calculating in his head.

Two Tier Two Spirit Plants worth at least 60,000 Contribution Points.

His Cultivation progress increased by six hundred and ninety points.

His Qi Blood limit soared by one hundred and sixty-four points.

And his Sword Bone progress shot up by a full sixteen points.

’By my calculations, each point of Sword Bone progress cost a little over 3,700 Contribution Points.’

’It’s a little pricey, but a solid foundation is priceless. This investment was a huge win!’

Confirming that he hadn’t lost out on the deal, Han Feng’s mood brightened.

What he cared about more, however, was the inconspicuous line of small text at the bottom of the system panel.

[Note: Sword Bone Transformation progress is about to exceed 30%.]

[Upon reaching the 30% milestone, the first Sword Dao Companion Talent will be awakened.]

’Companion Talent?’

Han Feng’s heart skipped a beat.

Just the current embryonic form of his "Sword Bone" had already given him extraordinary Perception and a physique far beyond that of a normal person.

’If I awaken a true Talent, what kind of insane ability will it be?’

’Just 6% more to go.’

Han Feng glanced at the rising sun outside his window, his eyes filled with irrepressible anticipation.