C6 I'm Really a Genius

"Ugh..."

With a resigned sigh, Wang Yan instructed Ruan Mei to take the wheel while he settled into the passenger seat.

He was eager to discover the rewards of the combat exam.

At graduation, slaying ten Rank 2, Star 5 ferocious beasts was a formidable challenge, yet not entirely unheard of.

Once his constitution attribute hit 20 points, he could contract with an elite-grade spirit beast.

Elevating a Rank 1 Star 5 and acquiring a superior skill, combined with his sharp strategy, gave him a passing chance of over 30%.

Easy to say, but in practice, it all boiled down to money.

Even the least impressive elite-grade spirit beast cost upwards of 100,000. A household with two working adults would need to scrimp and save for three years to afford one.

And even then, the spirit beast's skill might not be a good fit.

Take Green's elite skill, for instance—finding such a match was one in a hundred million.

Others toiled to earn money for spirit medicines or gambled with their lives in the wilderness to boost their constitution to 20 points. Wang Yan, however, had it easy; he just had to lie down, and Green would do the rest.

Oh, but it wasn't just absorption—Green would enhance his strength, agility, and constitution simultaneously.

The leader skill, Dragon's Might, might be slightly less rare than the elite skill, but it was second to none in utility.

In such a system, even the wealthy had to rely on luck to find a skill that suited them.

Those who achieved a "Grade A" rating each year could be counted on one hand.

For Wang Yan, anything purchasable with money was no obstacle. He was keen to see just how wondrous the restricted items were with this reward.

As the soul energy delved deeper, a cubic space measuring one meter on each side materialized before him.

Engraved with a spatial formula, it resembled the storage bags from the novels of his past life.

The rewards totaled five varieties, all of them treasures for the present Wang Yan.

Empire's Book Repository - Level 1 Key: This key grants access to the first level of the Empire's Book Repository and a complimentary martial arts secret manual.

Eastern Divine Qi: This treasured medicinal herb hails from K Country and can boost one's physical attributes by 5-10 points. However, it is laced with poison, and repeated use can lead to toxin buildup and a significant decrease in its efficacy.

Soul Fragment - Powder: A small chance exists for this substance to condense upon the death of a Rank 3 or higher ferocious beast. Utilizing it can enhance Soul Strength by 0.1 points, with a maximum increase of 2 points.

Heaven's Craftsmen Technology - Energy Shield Type 3: A flagship product from Heaven's Craftsmen Technology, this device creates a 10-meter diameter spherical shield that can withstand attacks from a Rank 3 elite ferocious beast for 10 minutes.

Soul Crystal - Soul Spike: This valuable crystal is inscribed with a Soul Technique. Upon use, the skill is instantly acquired.

These five items grow increasingly valuable over time. In this world, martial arts are pure, devoid of inner energy or True Qi. Take the Eagle Claw Technique, for example—it involves rigorous, repetitive training, supplemented by medicinal herbs, to forge fingers as formidable as an eagle's claws.

The second item is a medicinal herb akin to the wolfberry, known for enhancing physical health and bolstering kidney function and virility—a necessity for many.

The third item, which Wang Yan currently needs most, directly increases Soul Strength. Yet, it's exceedingly rare; slaying a hundred Rank 3 ferocious beasts might not yield even one.

Moreover, with a cap of 2 points on Soul Strength, it has become a luxury for the wealthy.

The fourth item, an energy shield from Heaven's Craftsmen Technology, is exorbitantly priced, making even Wang Yan wince at the expense, despite his monthly allowance of millions.

The final piece is a "Grade A" reward, a potent and versatile soul technique.

Each of these five items holds considerable value for Wang Yan at this juncture.

The Eastern Divine Qi, in particular, sparks an audacious idea in Wang Yan's mind.

The Fair Trading System only permits exchanges with items that are Wang Yan's own—from the minuscule, like skin flakes, bacteria, and viruses, to the substantial, including limbs and heads, and even the elusive concept of lifespan.

This raises a question that needs to be addressed: what exactly constitutes something as "belonging to Wang Yan"?

After some experimentation, Wang Yan formulated a rough hypothesis.

Anything within his body was considered his own.

Likewise, anything earned through his own labor belonged to him.

Armed with these two principles, Wang Yan devised a strategy.

His plan? To consume medicine voraciously!

"I'm an absolute genius!"

He couldn't contain the sincere self-admiration welling up inside, and a smile naturally spread across his face.

Who else could master such a method of empowerment?

Who else indeed!

He popped the Eastern Divine Qi into his mouth, savoring its sweetness, barely distinguishable from that of raisins.

Glancing at his Stats Window, fortune seemed to favor him, boosting his constitution by 8 points.

"System, purge all impurities and toxins within."

12 points gained!

Just as Wang Yan had anticipated, his approach was entirely viable.

No need to fret over the side effects of spiritual medicines; with the system's assistance, he could simply eat his way to strength.

The usage of Soul Fragments, Powder, and Soul Crystals - Soul Spikes was remarkably straightforward: press them against the forehead, and they would be absorbed automatically.

"Ugh!"

With the action, the item in his hand dissolved into specks of light and vanished. Wang Yan felt a surge of vitality, as a wealth of knowledge spontaneously filled his mind.

Unlike physical attributes, enhancing Soul Strength was a gradual process.

It would take a minimum of two hours to fully assimilate the Soul Fragments and Powder.

Wang Yan pulled up his attribute panel. Thanks to Green's diligent efforts, his stats had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Name: Wang Yan

Level: None

Strength: 27 (Enhances physical attack, carrying capacity, etc.)

Agility: 28 (Improves movement speed, reflexes, dynamic vision, etc.)

Constitution: 35 (Boosts physical defense, recovery, stamina, etc.)

Martial Arts: None

Soul Strength: 1.0 / 222 (Recovering slowly)

Soul Technique: Soul Spike

Soul Spike: Harnesses soul energy to form spikes, targeting the soul of the adversary. The greater the Soul Strength, the more numerous and potent the Soul Spikes.

It must be acknowledged, Green is a stellar ally.

For the sake of Wang Yan's well-being, he would go above and beyond, even unto death.

Through relentless effort, Wang Yan had become as robust as a bull.

No, scratch that—he could now kill a bull with a single punch!

Setting aside his energy shield and martial arts for the moment, Wang Yan logged onto the Beast Tamer Association's website, intent on purchasing some medicinal herbs.

Previously, his body had been riddled with toxins, too weak to benefit from any supplements, rendering many spiritual herbs unusable.

But now, things had changed. He was revitalized.

Spiritual medicines, magical potions? He'd start by filling a basket to the brim, just to wedge between his teeth.

"Holy crap! Is this highway robbery or what?"

The sticker shock had Wang Yan swearing up a storm.

Dongfang Shenqi, 660,000!

Six-Eyed Flying Fish, 880,000!

...

A dual-income family of three could barely scrape together 100,000 after scrimping and saving for three years.

And here this damned goji berry was priced at a whopping 660,000!

It would be bad enough if it were just overpriced, but to top it off, this overpriced goji berry was also toxic!