C6 Boundary and Body Strengthening

"Life really is full of wonders!" Fei Liang mused, watching Lee Shanfeng and the others head out. Just yesterday, he was nothing more than your average college student, but now, in the blink of an eye, his world had transformed, bringing the stuff of legends to life.

Ancient martial arts, superpowers, mythical creatures, and cultivators had all become part of his new reality. The familiar world was gone, replaced by one where people could ascend to immortality or even godhood, and where masters were seemingly everywhere. At times, Fei Liang couldn't shake the feeling that he might just be dreaming.

Yet, Fei Liang also felt a sense of unease. Despite the excitement of this new world, as the saying goes, with great opportunity comes great risk. In this age where masters roamed freely, a single misstep could mean his end. It was a perilous existence.

However, the world wasn't quite as teeming with experts as Fei Liang imagined. True masters weren't a dime a dozen. Out of Earth's seven billion-plus inhabitants, only a few million ranked above Yellow Level, a fraction over one in a thousand, with the Yellow Level making up nearly ninety percent of that elite group.

Fei Liang's current institution, Heavenly Sea University, was renowned nationwide and served as a hub for the elite progeny of the great families in Jiangnan and Hua Country. This explained the illusion of being surrounded by a sea of masters.

"I'm still far too weak," Fei Liang reflected grimly. "My mental strength is decent, my physical condition is tolerable, but that's about it. Each of my roommates, including Lee Shanfeng, could take me down without breaking a sweat. It's frustrating."

"Meier, isn't the Spirit Bead supposed to enhance my strength through trials? Can I start now?" The more he dwelled on his situation, the more despondent he felt, prompting him to voice his question.

"Now? Mr. Fei, you're not even at Yellow Level strength. If you went now, you'd just be on the sidelines, especially since you're still nursing serious injuries," Meier responded.

Fei Liang sighed heavily.

"Actually, there might be a way," Meier added, pausing to pique his curiosity.

"Come on, Meier, cut to the chase. Don't leave me hanging," Fei Liang urged, glaring at her with a mix of impatience and anticipation.

"Hmph, some attitude," Meier huffed, turning her face away.

"Er, Meier, my bad. Please, just tell me," Fei Liang pleaded, his face etched with embarrassment.

"That's better," Meier said, nodding with approval. "You see, Mr. Fei, even though you can't enhance your strength through training right now, you can still fortify yourself with World Energy."

"World Energy? What's that?" Fei Liang was clearly baffled, having never encountered the term before.

"World Energy isn't an object; it's a form of energy," Meier explained, subtly wiping sweat from her brow. "As its name suggests, World Energy is what constitutes the various materials of the world—it's the foundational energy of the universe. To put it another way, all the different energies we see are simply various expressions of World Energy."

"So you're saying that all energies in the world are essentially the same energy?" Fei Liang exclaimed, astonished. "There's really just one type of energy?"

"In theory, yes," Meier confirmed with a nod.

"Theory?" Fei Liang echoed, puzzled.

"Right," Meier clarified. "In theory, energy is conserved, but it's a relative conservation, not an absolute one."

"Got it," Fei Liang nodded, his understanding dawning. "Now I get why energies can be transformed into one another, like how solar or wind energy can be converted into electrical energy."

"Strength, too, is a unique manifestation of World Energy," Meier added, dropping yet another bombshell.

Fei Liang was utterly dumbfounded.

It's no surprise, really. Wouldn't anyone be astonished to discover that the world is fundamentally composed of a single substance?

Without regard for Fei Liang's stunned state, Meier pressed on: "There's also a distinction between the virtual world's energy and the real world's energy. But for you, Mr. Fei, that's still a bit too advanced."

"...But how exactly does one use Realm Energy to strengthen and modify the body?" Fei Liang couldn't resist asking what mattered most to him.

"Well, Realm Energy is measured in 'crystals.' A single crystal of Realm Energy can enhance any two attributes of mental or physical strength. Moreover, Realm Energy can be used to destroy or repair anything, including healing bodily injuries," Meier said, her eyes twinkling.

"So, Realm Energy could potentially heal my wounds?" Fei Liang's eyes shone with hope. "How much would I need? Would a hundred crystals be sufficient?"

"Psh, that little scratch hardly warrants the use of Five Crystals Realm Energy," Meier scoffed. Clearly, she didn't consider Fei Liang's injury to be serious in the slightest.

"Is Five Crystals really sufficient?" Fei Liang asked, astonished. "How many crystals does the Spirit Bead currently hold?"

"As of now, Mr. Fei, you possess three hundred and twelve Realm Energy crystals," Meier elaborated. "Three hundred were left by the previous master, and the remaining twelve were automatically absorbed by the Spirit Bead once it acknowledged you as its owner."

"Automatically absorbed? How is Realm Energy acquired, then?" inquired Fei Liang.

"The Spirit Bead can naturally absorb energy from the world to replenish Realm Energy, or it can be actively harvested by humans," Meier explained.

"By 'world,' do you mean Earth?"

"Not exclusively," Meier clarified crisply. "To modern minds, Earth is the world, but in truth, Earth is at best a microcosm. Within the Spirit Bead Space, there are ten worlds, each with its own civilizations, and under those civilizations lie countless planets."

"Then, ouch... Meier, could you use just One Crystal Realm Energy to help me heal?" Fei Liang began to ask another question but was interrupted by his own pain, which reminded him that healing was the priority. He chose to use only One Crystal Realm Energy for his recovery to keep it inconspicuous. His injuries had been severe the day before, and a miraculous overnight recovery would certainly raise eyebrows.

"Of course, Mr. Fei."

With that, Meier channeled a soothing energy that flowed from Fei Liang's chest throughout his body, easing the pain and significantly improving his injuries.

"Meier, how much Realm Energy can the Spirit Bead absorb daily?" Fei Liang continued.

"The Spirit Bead's absorption rate varies with the master's level of cultivation. With your current capabilities, Mr. Fei, it can absorb up to ten crystals of Realm Energy each day," Meier replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Meier, you mentioned that Realm Energy could fortify my body. Is that something we can do now?" Fei Liang queried.

"Sure, but given Mr. Fei's current state, any single enhancement can't exceed 100 crystals," Meier stated with clarity.

"Then boost my Spirit by 70 crystals and my physical strength by 100 crystals," Fei Liang pondered before responding.

"Okay, after the enhancement, your mental strength will be 323 and your physical strength 326. The enhancement will commence in ten seconds. Are you certain?"

"Absolutely!"

Ten seconds later, an intense pain surged through his entire body. Fei Liang's head felt as though it might burst, and with a muffled groan, he collapsed onto the bed, unconscious—not from exhaustion, but overwhelmed by the pain.

Just before losing consciousness, he faintly heard Meier's voice chiding, "Can't handle even this minor pain? That's really disappointing."