Advancement

Two hours. Under normal training conditions, Fang Yu could have passed the time with ease. But in the gravity chamber, every second felt excruciating and exhausting. It was not merely a tempering of the body, but a trial of the spirit. Many martial artists whose resolve was not firm enough would instinctively slack off under such conditions, slipping into movements that gave them relief, or slightly dialing down the gravity multiplier. It was a creature's instinct to seek comfort. Yet to transcend the genetic shackles of the body, to pursue one's limits and break through them, one had to strive against that innate craving for ease. "Channeling qi and blood." "Opening Dragon Spine." Fang Yu gritted his teeth and persevered. For the first hour, he held his stance, allowing his body to fully adapt to the high-gravity environment. During the second hour, he practiced the Basic Twenty-Four Fist Forms. Techniques he once executed effortlessly became impossibly difficult; every stance and strike wore his muscles and bones down with intense fatigue. Yet at the same time, as a master of the Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute, Fang Yu could sense the dramatic transformation occurring within his body with heightened clarity. The trace star force lurking within him was being ravenously devoured. *Absorb!* *Devour it all!* Fang Yu's gaze was resolute. ... When the two hours were up and he stepped out of the gravity chamber, a wave of profound relief washed over him, like an ordinary person casting off a crushing burden. Immediately following it was an overwhelming exhaustion. It felt like an ordinary person who usually exercised moderately suddenly being subjected to a full day of grueling physical labor, leaving their back aching and their body so sore they might not even be able to get out of bed the next day. Cultivation for a martial artist worked on the same principle. Fortunately, Fang Yu had reached the Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute in his skills. Throughout his training, he could clearly monitor his body's physiological shifts, preventing serious internal injury. "Physiotherapy energy chamber." Without hesitation, Fang Yu chose another privilege granted to a Tier-1 Civilization Warrior. The physiotherapy building stood right next to the gravity chamber facility. In essence, it was a medicinal bath. However, rather than ancient herbs, it used high-energy pharmaceutical compounds suspended in a specialized fluid, coupled with an army of micro-robots providing massage and electrical stimulation. Fang Yu soaked in the bath for a full hour before stepping out. Most of the exhaustion and soreness throughout his body had dissipated. In its place came an unprecedented hunger. It was not merely an empty stomach, but a hunger vibrating through his bones, sinews, qi, blood, and even at the cellular level—as though his entire body desperately craved more energy to nourish itself. *The residual medicinal potency from the Crimson Star Pill I took last time must be completely depleted,* Fang Yu thought. Such treatment came at a cost, of course. A full five Primordial Points had been deducted from his balance. *Still, it's worth it.* *Without the physiotherapy energy chamber, even with my level of skill, it would have taken two or three days to recover,* Fang Yu reflected. *And tomorrow, we head into the Wilderness Zone.* Time was precious. To Fang Yu, trading money for time in exchange for faster progress along the martial path was only natural. ... Returning to his quarters, Fang Yu took another shower. The full set of gear sent for cleaning the day before had already been returned to his room. He strapped it on and headed down to meet the captain and the others. At the foot of the building. "Fang Yu, we were just waiting for you," Bai Chen said with a smile. Xia Yao, Xiong Meng, and Qin Yang were all geared up and ready. "None of us have seen real combat in six months, so today we'll head into the Safe Zone first," Bai Chen said warmly. "We'll hunt a few dire beasts to shake off the rust and run through some coordinated drills. That way, we won't be caught flat-footed when we reach the Wilderness Zone." ... "What a swift blade." "Weapon Entering the Minute really is terrifying," Bai Chen remarked in astonishment. "Even for me, dispatching those three shadow wolves so quickly wouldn't have been easy." "Captain, my strikes are only effective against low-level dire beasts," Fang Yu said with a modest laugh. "If we run into higher-level beasts, we'll still have to rely on you." The two exchanged friendly banter. Time slipped by. Across the wilderness, the five tracked down over a dozen dire beasts, testing various tactical adjustments. Fang Yu's tactical maturity came as a delightful surprise to Bai Chen, Xiong Meng, and the others. They had already heard about Fang Yu's training from Xia Yao, but only by seeing him in person did they truly appreciate just how monstrous he was. Likewise, his teammates' prowess secretly impressed Fang Yu—especially Qin Yang, their marksman. His archery could only be described as sublime. Even against a Level 20 dire beast, Qin Yang could easily claim its life with a single arrow from ambush at long range. This gave Fang Yu a deeper appreciation for the unique role of an archer. Under the conditions of the Primordial Star, a martial artist's immense arm strength, paired with specialized bows and arrows procured from the space base and backed by exceptional technique, could deliver lethal strikes from hundreds of meters away or even farther. Take Qin Yang, for instance. His Life Level was only 22, yet with bow and arrow in hand, he posed a genuine threat to Level 25 or even higher-level dire beasts. ... On the nineteenth, at eight in the evening. The five members of the Scarlet Flame Squad returned to the base. After agreeing to assemble at six the next morning to set out for the Wilderness Zone, everyone retired to their quarters to rest. Inside his private room. *The first time absorbing star force yields the greatest improvement,* Fang Yu thought, taking out a Crimson Star Pill with keen anticipation. *Each subsequent session yields diminishing returns. Since this is only my second time absorbing it, the effects should still be substantial.* Fang Yu hesitated no longer. Swallowing the Crimson Star Pill in one gulp, he immediately activated his innate divine ability, Devour. Surges of star force coursed into his limbs and bones. His starved bones, sinews, flesh, and blood began ravenously absorbing the pure energy. ... Four hours later. *For my second cultivation session with star force, I consumed seven Crimson Star Pills,* Fang Yu noted to himself.