My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Playing Along with Them

"Body Tempering Realm, Third Layer!"

Several more days passed. Early one morning, Hu led about a hundred refugees, who had been recuperating for some time, to the training ground to have their Qi and Blood realms tested.

On a high platform in the center of the training ground was a rough, black stone, three feet high and two feet square.

A faint white light flickered three times on the stone, indicating that the person being tested had only reached the Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm.

"Wu Chen, Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm. Qi and Blood level: Low!"

The guard beside the Qi Blood Stone announced the result while jotting it down with a brush and paper.

Hearing such a low realm, a wave of ridicule erupted from the crowd:

"He’s been eating good meat and rice, and he’s only at the Third Layer? What’s the point of practicing Martial Arts? He should just go home and raise pigs!"

"It’s a good thing Master Qian is kind-hearted, otherwise this guy wouldn’t have survived!"

"With all the food he’s eaten, anyone else would have reached the Fourth or Fifth Layer by now. The Third Layer... what a complete waste!"

The two hundred-plus people in the training ground pointed and jeered at the young man on the stage, their eyes filled with contempt as they all criticized Wu Chen for wasting food.

Most of them had advanced in strength during their days at the Zhuangzi. The majority were at the Fifth or Sixth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm, with around thirty at the Seventh Layer and over ten at the Eighth Layer.

Ironically, the Third Layer was as rare as the Ninth Layer; there was only one person at each.

...

Amid the chorus of ridicule, a few people stood dumbstruck, utterly speechless.

Their eyes were glued to the handsome young man’s face before the Qi Blood Stone, staring as if trying to bore a hole through it.

Zhou Yuntao and the others’ faces flushed red as they roared inwardly:

’If you’re at the damn Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm, then what am I?’

’Slaughtering a hundred demons single-handedly is something a Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm can do, is it?!’

’This damn stone has to be broken!’

’This must be payback for reading those dirty books! My eyes must be playing tricks on me!’

Seeing Wu Chen silently walk down from the high platform, Zhou Yuntao and his friends didn’t dare approach him with questions.

They had seen a Qi Blood Stone before. They knew an ordinary one like this wasn’t limited to testing just Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists.

It could measure at least three realms.

White light indicated the Body Tempering Realm, yellow light the Flesh Refining Realm, and red light the Meridian Passage Realm. It couldn’t measure anything higher.

But the issue wasn’t a lack of color. The white light had pulsed three times, indicating Wu Chen’s realm really was just the Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm.

How could the few who had followed Wu Chen all this way and witnessed his capabilities possibly believe such a result?

Wu Chen, however, ignored the tsunami of mockery around him. ’As long as I know my own realm, that’s enough.’ This completely reassured him of his Breath Concealment Skill’s effectiveness.

He rubbed the tip of his nose as he walked down from the high platform. ’Is this supposed to be an homage to some classic scene?’

However, his nonchalant attitude annoyed some of the refugees watching.

A sturdy youth at the Seventh Layer of the Body Tempering Realm stepped out from the group of refugees who had arrived earlier. He blocked Wu Chen’s path, clearly intending to put him in his place.

He swaggered forward, cracking his knuckles and wrists. His bones popped loudly as he approached Wu Chen with a malicious expression.

But when he was still ten steps away, he suddenly felt his body go light, his feet lifted off the ground, and a shadow fell over him.

He looked back and saw a tall figure holding him by the scruff of his neck.

He didn’t know the man, but he had a good memory. He recalled the guard calling him Zhou Yuntao during the Qi and Blood test earlier.

His realm was...

He was one of the dozen or so at the Eighth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm!

The youth’s pupils shrank. He immediately stopped his swaggering and put on a sycophantic grin.

He was about to say something when a single, sharp word reached his ear:

"Scram."

And then he felt his body go light.

The man knew what was good for him and disappeared into the crowd in a flash.

To prevent anyone else from causing trouble, Zhou Yuntao stood behind Wu Chen.

Wherever you find people, you’ll find conflict. This immediately triggered another round of passive-aggressive comments:

"No wonder a Third Layer weakling like Wu Chen can survive here. Turns out he has an Eighth Layer ’brother’ protecting him!"

"I knew it! How could he be so calm after testing at such a low level? He has someone backing him!"

"Just wait until he gets caught alone one day!"

...

Hearing the voices around him, Zhou Yuntao nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

’Me, protecting him? You give me way too much credit!’

’Caught alone? If I hadn’t stopped that bully, Wu Chen would have slaughtered every last one of you!’

The surrounding comments made Zhou Yuntao’s heart pound. He carefully glanced at Wu Chen and was relieved to see no sign of anger on his face.

They had known each other for about a month, but Zhou Yuntao didn’t really know what kind of person Wu Chen was. He only knew that he was terrifyingly strong.

Given time—thirty years at least, fifty at most—he would undoubtedly become a titan.

As for Zhou Yuntao, he was living quite comfortably in this Zhuangzi. From his initial panic to his current life of good food and medicinal baths, he was content.

In over a decade, he’d never had it so good.

Even if some great family was secretly recruiting and training a private army for treason, Zhou Yuntao felt he’d go along with it.

So, deep down, he truly hoped Wu Chen wouldn’t tear the place apart and cause a bloodbath.

It wasn’t just because life was good here; more importantly, the Zhuangzi was supporting refugees from Qingzhou.

The two of them returned to the crowd and quietly awaited the final results.

A moment later, the tests for the hundred-odd newly arrived refugees were completed, and two more at the Ninth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm had been found.

From this group, there were three at the Ninth Layer. Combined with the five from the earlier batch, there were eight in total at the Ninth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm.

But across the entire training ground, there was only one person at the Third Layer.

This, ironically, made Wu Chen seem even more of a rarity.

Noticing that many eyes were still on him, Wu Chen felt a little awkward.

He’d hoped a lower realm would help him fly under the radar, but instead, he’d become an easy target everyone wanted to pick on.

’Looks like I’ll have to aim for something more average next time,’ Wu Chen thought.

Once everyone’s Qi and Blood had been tested, the guard finished his records, put away his booklet, and pointed to a corner of the training ground.

The refugees new to the training ground followed his finger with their gazes.

Over there were more than a hundred large baskets woven from rattan, and a pile of cyan stones that gleamed coldly under the blazing sun.

The guard took a deep breath and announced loudly:

"Each of these square stones weighs one hundred jin. All of you who just arrived at the training ground today, listen up. Third Layer of Body Tempering, carry four stones. Fourth Layer, carry five, and so on. Run laps around the training ground and don’t stop until mealtime."

"Understood?"

The group was dumbfounded. "Aren’t we supposed to be practicing Martial Arts?"

"Cut the crap!"

The guard’s tone was hostile. "Get running, now! If I see anyone slacking off or carrying one stone too few, humph!"

The guard left without finishing his sentence, but everyone knew what the consequences would be.

Human lives were as cheap as dirt; no one cared about a refugee’s life. Even if they gave you good food and drink, it was just the carrot before the stick.

Everyone started moving, scrambling over one another to fill their baskets with stones.

’Damn it, no Martial Arts Manuals?’

Wu Chen couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

He had been looking forward to this day for a long time, thinking that with over a hundred people, they would at least be taught three or four different fighting styles.

Although Body Tempering Realm Martial Arts were useless for his current advancement, adding two or three hundred jin of Qi Power would still be excellent.

He never expected it to be just running in circles carrying stones. This really pissed him off.

He was now even considering fighting his way out with Liu Linshan and Zhou Yuntao.

’It’s been a month. Liu Linshan’s injuries have healed, and Zhou Yuntao and the others are in good shape. Their strength has increased, so they’d definitely be quick on their feet.’

’But I don’t have any new Martial Arts to sustain me, so my Qi Power can’t recover continuously. I definitely couldn’t replicate the feat of fighting one against a hundred.’

’Still, thirty to fifty Eighth or Ninth Layer Body Tempering Realm opponents probably couldn’t stop me if I fought and retreated. As for the Flesh Refining Realm, they’re a lower realm than me. I’m not worried about three or five of them.’

’No, better to hold back for now.’

On second thought, Wu Chen decided against it. There were too many variables. This was their home turf, and who knew if there were traps or ambushes along the way. It was hard to say if Zhou Yuntao and his friends could even make it out.

Besides, Wu Chen turned his head and looked toward the center of the training ground.

There, over a hundred people were practicing with blades and spears, occasionally sizing up the new batch of refugees running laps.

They were all refugees who had fled famine, yet their gazes were filled with mockery.

’If the last batch of refugees is practicing with weapons, it stands to reason this new batch will join them eventually.’

Wu Chen suppressed the surging killing intent in his heart.

Moreover, ever since entering the training ground, he had clearly sensed a pair of hidden eyes constantly watching the refugees.

Including himself, a supposed Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm.

It was a sense of pressure he hadn’t felt before.

’Whatever the people of this Zhuangzi are up to, it looks like they’re about to make their move.’

Wu Chen came to a realization and made a decision:

’I’ll play along with them for a bit!’

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