Over the past two months, the endorsement fees from Shengchuan Group alone had amounted to 35 million Star Coins. In addition, Fang Yu's multiple excursions into the Wilderness Zone had yielded over 3 million Star Coins. Wuling Martial Junior College had awarded him 1 million Star Coins, Huguang Martial University had given him 3.7 million Star Coins, and there was also an endorsement payment from Tieshan Martial Club. In the end, he had accumulated quite a fortune.
Naturally, Fang Yu's expenses had not been small either. Purchasing Crimson Star Pills alone had cost him several million.
"The fine and restitution, totaling 1.3 million, have already been deducted automatically?" Fang Yu glanced through his account transaction history. The remaining balance of over 38 million Star Coins was what was left after the deduction.
*Let's set aside the personal income tax first. I shouldn't touch it unless necessary, so I don't come up short when tax season arrives next year,* Fang Yu thought after a moment of consideration.
Except for Star Coins earned from selling combat trophies, which were tax-exempt, the rest—proceeds from selling Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, endorsement fees, and so on—ultimately required paying taxes to the Blue Moon Alliance. However, the unified tax settlement only took place every March, so there was still plenty of time, and no rush.
Evade taxes? The thought had never crossed Fang Yu's mind.
On one hand, it went against the values instilled in him since childhood.
On the other hand, as far as Fang Yu knew, even the exalted Sky-Patrolling Martial Artists dared not evade taxes, for doing so would invite the Blue Moon Alliance's harshest crackdowns.
*The higher a Civilization Warrior's tier, the lower their tax rate,* Fang Yu thought. *If I can advance to Tier-2 Civilization Warrior in the next practical combat assessment, my personal tax rate shouldn't exceed thirty percent. But if I remain a Tier-1 Civilization Warrior, the rate will reach forty percent.*
For ordinary citizens, any annual income exceeding 960,000 was taxed at fifty percent.
For martial artists, as their Civilization Warrior tier increased, their tax bracket plummeted rapidly, stabilizing around twenty percent for Tier-4 Civilization Warriors.
*That means I'll likely have to pay around eleven million in taxes next year?* The mere thought blew Fang Yu's mind.
Paying over ten million in taxes in a single go?
An ordinary person wouldn't earn that much in a lifetime.
*Oh well. The more taxes I pay, the more I've earned. Just treat it as a contribution to our entire civilization.* Putting the thought out of his mind, Fang Yu shifted his focus to his upcoming cultivation path.
*Life Level!*
*The most critical thing for me right now is still my Life Level,* Fang Yu pondered. *According to Associate Professor Tang, after a Second Awakening, a Star Aspect evolves once more, and the number of star acupoints surges. From what she described, this so-called Second Awakening is very similar to my second-stage awakening—both require a higher Life Level.*
Life Level was the foundation of everything.
Just like a Level 39 martial artist: even without knowing any combat techniques, simply picking up a large club would almost certainly let them crush Fang Yu into paste with a single swing.
*Once my Life Level rises, my spiritual force will expand, making it easier to perceive my body. That'll make it easier for my martial skill to step into the Inner Vista realm,* Fang Yu thought. *The key is still the Second Awakening. Only a Second Awakening can break through Xia Kaishan's obstruction in the shortest time.*
Naturally, Fang Yu understood that he had only undergone his first-stage awakening when his Life Level had surpassed Level 22 and his spiritual force had reached Level 25. By common logic, he would likely need to reach at least Level 30 or higher to trigger his second-stage awakening.
*Either way, I have to keep progressing in that direction.*
*Right now, my star force absorption efficiency is equivalent to an Upper-Rank Star Aspect, which is already astonishing. I don't need to take expensive medicines like Crimson Star Pills anymore—the cost-to-benefit ratio is too low,* Fang Yu reasoned.
Why could many martial artists rapidly raise their Life Level without spending so much money?
This was precisely why.
*So, I just need to buy some Star Force Nourishing Pills to further enhance my star force absorption efficiency,* Fang Yu decided. *Paired with Cell Vitality Factor and Life Regeneration Agent, my rate of Life Level improvement should increase by thirty to fifty percent.*
Star Force Nourishing Pills only needed to be taken at a rate of three pills a month, totaling 150,000 Star Coins.
As for Cell Vitality Factor and Life Regeneration Agent, Fang Yu estimated they would cost a little over 300,000 a month... In total, standard cultivation to raise his Life Level would run about 500,000 Star Coins each month.
This was vastly lower than using Crimson Star Pills.
Such was the advantage of awakening a Star Aspect.
In reality, after awakening his Star Aspect, if Fang Yu simply wanted to save money, he didn't need to spend a single cent. In roughly six to eight months at most, his Life Level would still reach Level 30. Using these treasures merely allowed him to reach Level 30 even faster.
*Raising Life Level involves too many aspects. Aside from certain legendary treasures or exceptional circumstances like awakening a Star Aspect, it's inherently difficult to surge dramatically overnight. Steady, gradual progression is best,* Fang Yu mused. *Spiritual force, on the other hand, actually has a shot at rapid leaps.*
Spiritual force was vital.
During the wolf tide battle, had his spiritual force not surged, allowing his bodily control to smoothly reach the peak limit of Entering the Minute, he never could have mastered an Entering the Minute secret technique in that dire crisis.
*As my spiritual force expands, my skill will step into the Inner Vista realm even faster. And reaching the Inner Vista will, in turn, propel my Life Level higher,* Fang Yu thought. In life evolution, body and spiritual force complemented each other.
Time slipped by.
Fang Yu searched continuously on the Primordial Net.
Eventually, he found a treasure well-suited to his needs.
Spirit Nourishing Spring (Primary): Contains a mysterious substance capable of helping martial artists swiftly elevate their spiritual force. Primarily intended for Advanced Martial Artists whose spiritual force has reached Level 30. Upon consumption, it enables spiritual force to reach Level 39 much faster.
Price: 1.2 million per bottle.
Recommended Usage: Six bottles constitute one cycle. Consume one bottle per dose; effects last for three days.
Restriction 1: Spirit Nourishing Spring is potent. The user's spiritual force must be at least Level 25. A martial artist's spiritual force is generally on par with their Life Level; if uncertain of your spiritual force level, please measure it with specialized equipment beforehand.
Restriction 2: Spirit Nourishing Spring carries significant side effects. It is recommended to wait at least one year before beginning another cycle, with a minimum interval of six months.
Restriction 3: After two to three cycles, its efficacy drops sharply, and it provides minimal assistance for spiritual force breaking through Level 40. Therefore, it is not recommended for martial artists above Level 38.
*So most martial artists have equivalent Life Levels and spiritual force,* Fang Yu noted mentally. *According to the message transmitted by my Star Aspect, my spiritual force is Level 30, which is far higher than my Life Level. This treasure suits me perfectly.*
In essence, the Spirit Nourishing Spring was similar to vital energy and blood potions—it saved a great deal of time.
For a martial artist, time was the most precious commodity of all.
*My spiritual force is already strong. Taking primary Spirit Nourishing Spring will surely make it grow even faster.* Fang Yu tapped the screen quickly. *I hope it gives me a solid boost.*
He selected purchase.
Buying six bottles was just enough for one full cycle.
7.2 million Star Coins were deducted from his account.
*Delivery within six hours?* Fang Yu thought. *That's enough for now. If I need other treasures later, it won't be too late to buy them then. I need to be careful with my money.*
By Fang Yu's estimates, it would be difficult to bring in much income for quite some time to come.
Besides, once the practical combat assessment ended and he returned home, he planned to transfer a sum of money to his father. That had always been his wish—to relieve his dad's financial burden.
"Time to keep practicing saber techniques." Wearing only his trousers, showing off chisel-carved, robust muscle lines, Fang Yu stepped into the middle of the room with his combat saber in hand.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
He swung the saber again and again. Every slash was heavy, its pace relatively deliberate. It was a completely different style from the Flowing Light Saber—this was the other saber art he practiced, the Thousand Mountains Saber.
*One is a fast saber, pursuing ultimate speed; the other is a heavy saber, pursuing absolute power.*
*I've already mastered the Flowing Light Saber to perfection and learned its Entering the Minute secret technique,* Fang Yu thought. *Next, I must try to master Mountain Cleaver, the Entering the Minute secret technique of the Thousand Mountains Saber.*
Mastering two Entering the Minute secret techniques instead of just one made a world of difference, giving Fang Yu far more options in critical moments.
On the other hand, at Fang Yu's level of skill, having attempted it time and time again, he had gradually come to realize something:
Beyond the seamless harmony with one's weapon, an Entering the Minute secret technique was fundamentally the mobilization of deeper bodily power, pushing that single strike's instantaneous power and speed past the peak limit of Entering the Minute.
However, any secret technique was typically tied to specific movements, mobilizing particular muscle groups and the Dark Force within tendons and bones.
*As I master more secret techniques... the day will come when any casual strike can surpass the two-times explosive power of the Entering the Minute limit. That will mean every casual move is at the level of a secret technique. That will be the true Inner Vista realm.* Fang Yu felt a surge of anticipation.
To cross into the Inner Vista realm with martial skill, one needed relaxation on one hand—perceiving repeatedly with spiritual force; and tension on the other hand—trying to mobilize deeper physical power down to the cellular level during explosive bursts at the limit.
Alternating between looseness and tightness in a continuous cycle was the only way to reach the pinnacle.
In the afternoon, several humanoid androids delivered the primary Spirit Nourishing Spring Fang Yu had ordered. Returning to his room, Fang Yu directly took out a bottle.
"Doesn't look like anything special," Fang Yu murmured under his breath, looking at the nearly transparent blue bottle. He read through the instructions once more.
Everything matched.
*Gulp.*
Fang Yu uncapped one of the bottles, tilted his head back, and swallowed it. The liquid rushed down his throat until not a single drop remained.
It was wonderfully cool and refreshing.
*Buzz.*
His innate divine ability, Devour, took effect. Fang Yu immediately felt the Spirit Nourishing Spring swiftly transform into streams of power melting into his flesh, tendons, and bones.
*Swish.* That strange, cool power flowed through his chest, up his neck, and gradually toward his brain.
A person's soul resided in the brain.
*My head feels a bit warm, but my mind is incredibly sharp.* Fang Yu found the sensation fascinating, yet he could still perceive the steady transformation in his spiritual force.
It was gradually rising.
It was as though someone was eating voraciously, and every mouthful swallowed was instantly digested, swiftly turning into energy that elevated his Life Level.
The efficacy was astonishingly good.
*It seems this primary Spirit Nourishing Spring is working much better on me than the instructions described,* Fang Yu thought. *Is this the effect of my innate divine ability, Devour?*
Six hours later.
*The medicinal effects seem to have been completely devoured? That fast?* Fang Yu's eyes lit up. *The instructions clearly stated that the effects typically last three days, followed by a two-day rest period before taking another dose... Yet on me, it only lasted six hours?*
*Doesn't that mean...*
*In less than ten days, I can finish all six bottles of primary Spirit Nourishing Spring?*
Chapter 79