Shen Han returned to his school dormitory, changed back to his original appearance, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This auction alone, just buying the Space Shard and enlightenment tea leaves, had almost depleted his 600 million. Martial Artist cultivation was truly a money sink.
Next, it was time to find a training room and begin to Cultivate.
At the same time, in a private room on the second floor of the auction house, the Lu Family.
"Sixth Uncle, how did it go? Did you get the enlightenment tea leaves?" a junior from the Lu Family eagerly asked.
"No, Wang Gang got away," Sixth Elder said, looking frustrated. "The Young Lord of the Mu Family stepped in to protect her."
"What? It seems we'll have to bid on the next few sets." Everyone was slightly disappointed.
"This Wang Gang, sooner or later I'll make her pay, humph." Lu Yanlin's hatred for Wang Gang had never subsided.
Shen Han rented a cultivation room at school and began to absorb and refine the Space Shard.
Before Cultivating, Shen Han consumed one enlightenment tea leaves to deepen his Comprehension Ability of the Space-based ability. Once the medicinal power spread, he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and extended his Mental Energy like a fine thread, gently touching the Space Shard. Instantly, a powerful and pure Space Element power surged towards him like a raging tide. The protagonist felt a sharp pain in his mind, but he gritted his teeth, not retreating in the slightest. He knew this was an essential step in absorbing and refining the Space Shard.
He tried to steady his mind, gradually delving his Mental Energy into the interior of the Space Shard. There, he seemed to enter a mysterious world composed of Space Element power. Countless Space Laws intertwined, forming a complex yet beautiful pattern. He carefully perceived these Space Laws, drawing out the essence of Space Element power from them.
Shen Han cautiously guided the Space Element power from the Space Shard into the Space Element star in his Sea of Consciousness. Waves of stinging and numbing sensations assailed him. But Shen Han, relying on his tenacious willpower, forcibly endured the pain, continuously integrating the Space Element power into his Sea of Consciousness.
When the last trace of Space Element power was completely absorbed by Shen Han, he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes sparkled with excitement; he could feel that his Space Element cultivation had made significant progress.
"This is only the first Space Shard, and it has already provided so much Space Element power. It seems these 19 pieces will definitely cause Dimensional Space to undergo a transformation. Continue—"
The second… the fifth… the thirteenth… the last one.
Finally, when Shen Han had finished absorbing all 19 Space Shards, he took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and felt the changes in his body. The Space Element star in his Sea of Consciousness shone even more brightly, like a rising, dazzling star.
Name: Shen Han
Mental Energy: 5633 / 6000 (Martial King Second Realm)
Special Ability Rank: Chaos Element - SSS Rank, Lightning Element - SS Rank, Dark Element - S Rank, Fire Element - S Rank, Space Element - A Rank, Mental - SS Rank, Wood Element - SS Rank
Skills: Chaos Element - Sniff (4 / 10 Rank)
Copy (4 / 10 Rank)
Devour (4 / 10 Rank)
Skill Bomb (4 / 10 Rank)
Space Element -
Teleportation (Major Achievement)
Dimensional Space (Major Achievement)
...Both Space Element skills had reached the Realm of Major Achievement.
"Let's try Dimensional Space."
With a thought, his body instantly disappeared into the Dimensional Space. Shen Han was also astonished; this had to be at least 100 cubic meters, a very significant improvement from the initial 2 cubic meters to the current 100 cubic meters.
At the same time, he tested his Teleportation and found that the original range of only a hundred meters had now easily Breakthrough to a thousand-meter range.
Indeed, the enjoyment of a 'pay-to-win' player was something ordinary people could not experience. This absorption of 19 shards took him 7 days and cost at least 150 million.
"Next is Mental cultivation. I still have 4 pieces of enlightenment tea leaves, which will be perfect for a Mental Energy Breakthrough. But before that, I should go out and see what's happening. The new semester has just begun; I wonder what new developments there are at school."
...Returning to the dormitory, he saw Li Tianhao.
"Long time no see. Any big news recently?" Shen Han asked casually, his tone relaxed.
Li Tianhao felt the faint pressure emanating from Shen Han, and his heart skipped a beat: "What Realm have you broken through to? I can already feel some pressure."
"It's alright. I spent most of the winter break Cultivating." Shen Han smiled slightly, not hiding the changes after his Breakthrough.
"Awesome!" Li Tianhao gave a thumbs up, clearly impressed. "There hasn't been much big news recently. There's a class meeting this afternoon to discuss the arrangements for the new semester."
"Oh, by the way, have you heard? Several big Families in Mingzhu went to an auction last week to bid for enlightenment tea leaves." Li Tianhao whispered mysteriously, "I heard that several big Families in Mingzhu each bought at least five pieces. Lu Yanlin's strength is probably going to advance by leaps and bounds this time."
"How many did your Li Family get?" Shen Han asked, with a hint of curiosity.
Li Tianhao shrugged, not hiding anything: "Just one set."
"How did you know I'm from the Mingzhu Li Family?" Li Tianhao then realized something was off; he had never told Shen Han about his background.
"Do I need to ask? This kind of wealthy Family style, others really can't imitate it."
"(⊙o⊙)..., alright!"
"I heard that each Genius in your Families can only get one or two pieces?"
Li Tianhao nodded, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "Yes, I really hope this thing can help our cultivation. After all, it's enlightenment tea leaves, a legendary magical item."
...New semester class meeting.
On the podium, Chen Ziyang stood in the center, his gaze sweeping across the packed classroom, his voice loud and steady.
"Classmates, after a semester of adaptation, I believe everyone is familiar with the rhythm and atmosphere of Mingzhu Martial Arts University." He paused, a slight smile on his lips, "But this coming semester will not be so easy."
The students below straightened their backs, and the atmosphere gradually became tense.
"Starting this semester, you must focus more on Cultivating. The monthly challenge will still proceed as scheduled, and your ranking will directly determine the amount of free credits you can receive each month." Chen Ziyang's tone became heavier, his eyes serious, "Students with insufficient credits can go to the mission hall to accept missions, or try to participate in various challenges within the school. Resources are never something you wait for."
"Starting next semester, the National Martial Arts University League will begin. At that time, top Geniuses from all over the country will gather to compete on the same stage. This is not only a stage for you to show yourselves, but also an excellent opportunity to compete for resources and opportunities. The specific details will not be announced until the end of this semester. What you need to do is improve your strength and combat level."
Finally, Chen Ziyang slapped the podium forcefully, his voice clear and powerful: "That's all I have to say. Now, it's up to you. Meeting adjourned!"