Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Fifty-Eight: Seeking Help

Time always slips away unnoticed, especially for someone like Wang Jue, who immerses himself completely in cultivation. An entire afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. Before he realized it, it was time for dinner.

Wang Jue's mother, Liu Wenjing, knocked on his door. Seeing her son not answering for a long time, she assumed he was reflecting on his mistakes and now diligently studying his martial techniques, so she refrained from disturbing him further. She ate dinner with her husband, Wang Jianbin, and daughter, Wang Xiaoyu, left a meal for Wang Jue, and then retired early.

Wang Jue remained absorbed in cultivation. The aura emanating from him was no longer that of the fourth stage of Body Tempering, but had reached the peak of the fifth stage, on the verge of breaking through to the sixth. As the dense star force in the room, thick enough to form a fog, was absorbed into his body, his cultivation level did not change dramatically, but his physical constitution was steadily improving.

Previously, Wang Jue's strength was in harmony with his cultivation realm during the Spirit Nurturing phase. Now, not only had his power increased, but his realm had shifted, and his physical constitution improved even more. Most of the star force he absorbed was used for breakthroughs, yet a small portion continued to enhance his body.

His physical strength still lagged behind his cultivation, but was now far superior to his current realm. In the past, Wang Jue’s formidable strength was held back by both his cultivation and physical constitution; now, with both improved, only his realm remained a limiting factor.

It was hard to ascertain exactly what level his physical strength had reached. Judging by the aura radiating from him, he was at least at the seventh or eighth stage of Body Tempering, though not yet at the ninth.

Suddenly, Wang Jue’s face flushed, his aura surged and fluctuated, and his body absorbed the star force in the room like a black hole, causing the fog-like star force to dissipate rapidly. Soon, not a trace of star force mist remained. As star force from afar gathered and replenished the room, it barely kept up with Wang Jue’s absorption, but the star force no longer formed a mist.

The star force continued to gradually enhance his body: his blood turned from dark red to a brilliant ruby shade, his muscle fibers became denser, his cells renewed with greater vitality, and every bone and the marrow within shimmered with a glow akin to white jade.

His physical constitution kept improving.

Dawn broke, the distant sun rising with a purple radiance, carrying a fresh vigor. A gentle breeze, warmed by sunlight, entered Wang Jue’s room through the window.

Suddenly, Wang Jue’s body erupted with a formidable aura. He opened his eyes, a spark of excitement flickering within them. “Hahaha, I never expected to break through four stages at once and reach the seventh stage of Body Tempering!”

Simply raising his talent from middle-grade to high-grade had allowed him, in less than a day, to progress from the third to the seventh stage of Body Tempering. While not the pinnacle of this realm, he was certainly among the elite.

For him, his realm was no longer a weakness. His power, beyond question, far surpassed yesterday’s. If he were to confront those two members of the Nightshade Organization again, it would not result in mutual injury or a near-fatal struggle. He was confident he could easily kill them both.

Yes, kill—not just defeat.

To defeat means you can overpower your opponent but not necessarily end their life; to kill means you leave them no chance to escape.

Though the difference between the two words is a single letter, the outcomes they represent are worlds apart.

Compared to last time, when impurity covered his skin and emitted a foul odor, this time the impurities were less visible, though the smell was still unpleasant. The joy of his breakthrough faded somewhat as he caught a whiff of the stench. Grimacing, he quickly stood, rushed out of the room, and headed to the bathroom to shower, stripping off his clothes with haste.

“Whew, at last I have some strength to protect myself,” Wang Jue sighed contentedly as warm water streamed down over him.

Cultivation had leaped forward in a single day, from the third to the seventh stage of Body Tempering. The sensation intoxicated him, and when the breakthrough was over, he still craved more.

With such a rapid advance, Wang Jue knew his foundation might become unstable. He resolved not to pursue further breakthroughs in the short term. If he wished to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, he would need to spend time consolidating his foundation and eliminating any risks caused by advancing too quickly.

After his shower, Wang Jue slipped into underwear, towel in hand to dry his hair, and walked back to his room. He dared to do this mainly because no one was home—his parents had gone out early, Xiaoyu was at kindergarten, and the renovation workers had not yet arrived.

He had just pulled on clean clothes when his phone rang on the desk.

The convenience of a mobile phone made it much easier for others to contact him. Yet there were few who would call him now: school teachers, Luoshui, his parents, and Lan Yiyi and her group. No one else.

“Who could it be?” Wang Jue wondered as he walked over, picked up the phone, and saw “Dad” displayed on the screen. He was puzzled. “Why is Dad calling me out of the blue?”

At this hour, his parents should be at the hospital, caring for his uncle. Had something happened at the hospital?

His heart tightened at the thought, and he hurriedly answered the call.

The next moment:

“Jue, I’m going to use the money you put on your father’s card,” came his mother Liu Wenting’s anxious voice from the other end, tinged with anger and tears.

“Mom, why are you calling me from Dad’s phone? Has something happened?” Wang Jue immediately sensed something was wrong from her tone.

He knew his mother well; she wouldn’t speak like that unless something serious had occurred.

“Here’s what happened…” Without wasting time, Wang Jue’s mother, Liu Wenjing, explained the situation.

Just as he had feared, trouble had arisen. Some loan sharks had caused a scene at the hospital and assaulted his father. If his mother hadn’t assured him that his father was fine and the troublemakers had fled, Wang Jue would have rushed over to deal with them.

In the past, Wang Jue might have been furious and unable to calm himself. But with his improved cultivation, his mindset had changed along with his strength.

“Whew…” Wang Jue took a deep breath after hanging up.

He refused to let this incident disturb him. From Lan Yiyi’s guidance, he had learned a vital lesson: never let emotions cloud your judgment.

To vent emotions recklessly is the mark of the powerless. True strength lies in mastering one’s feelings, wielding them as weapons. Those who deserve punishment will pay their price. Blind rage accomplishes nothing.

Calming himself, Wang Jue picked up his phone again and dialed Lan Yiyi’s number.

In moments, Lan Yiyi’s cool, clear voice came through: “Wang Jue? Are you calling because you’ve landed yourself in trouble again?”

She could never understand how a mere student like Wang Jue managed to encounter so much trouble. He’d already attracted the attention of the Nightshade Organization, which even she found troublesome, and she’d warned him to avoid getting into further trouble. Yet here he was again, just a day after returning from the hospital.

“Captain Lan, I haven’t caused any trouble,” Wang Jue replied with an awkward smile. “It’s just that something happened at home.”

Strangely, whenever he heard Lan Yiyi’s voice, all his irritation vanished. The feeling was sudden, but Wang Jue knew it wasn’t love or infatuation. Perhaps subconsciously, he had come to rely on Lan Yiyi.

Before she could speak, Wang Jue asked, “By the way, Captain Lan, do you know the Black Dragon Gang?”

He assumed that as a member of the Hunting Team, Lan Yiyi would know something about these underworld gangs.

“The Black Dragon Gang? Did they mess with you?” Lan Yiyi paused, thinking for a few seconds before recalling, “I remember them—they’re a small gang.”

Generally, she paid little attention to such minor groups. Only major organizations like Nightshade warranted her concern.

Even after searching her memory, she found little about the Black Dragon Gang. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Why don’t you wait a bit? I’ll pull up their records.”

For others, accessing such information might be difficult. For Lan Yiyi, captain of the Hunting Team, it was trivial. With her rank and authority, investigating such matters was effortless. Besides, in her impression, the Black Dragon Gang was not reputable—just the sort of group likely to be purged at any time.

These gangs committed a string of petty offenses, troublesome to apprehend, but left unchecked, they continued to harass ordinary people. She found them particularly irritating.

“Thank you, Captain Lan,” Wang Jue said gratefully.

“Just wait a bit. I’m outside right now. As soon as I get back and retrieve their information, I’ll contact you,” Lan Yiyi replied briskly, even abandoning her current tasks for this matter.

Her actions revealed how highly she regarded Wang Jue.

“Thank you,” Wang Jue murmured, unsure what else to say as he listened to the beeping tone after Lan Yiyi hung up, softly repeating his gratitude whether or not she could still hear.