Chapter 158: The Youth

Chapter 158: The Youth

"As expected, the high-level figures in the Grandmaster Council are truly formidable," Shen An muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, in a narrow alley, a young man was being cornered by several vulgar and burly men holding weapons with arrogant expressions. They stared fixedly at the youth, who retreated until his back hit the cold brick wall, leaving him with no room to escape.

Realizing that a severe beating was inevitable, the youth took a deep breath and instinctively hugged his head to protect it.

The youth, named Zhang Cheng, was an Awakened. Not long ago, he had gone out hunting and managed to acquire a valuable prize, only to be targeted by these ruffians.

"Hand over the treasure you got from that fierce beast, brat, and we might spare your life," one of the men sneered, hoisting a weapon onto his shoulder with an aggressive posture.

Zhang Cheng grit his teeth and said, "Beat me all you want, but I'm never handing that treasure over."

"Oh, you sassy little brat. Let's see how tough your mouth is! Beat him!" At the leader's command, the surrounding men swarmed forward, raining punches and kicks down on Zhang Cheng. Such violent blows were far more than a mere teenager could endure.

After a relentless beating that lasted who knows how long, the youth finally lost consciousness.

When he finally woke up, a handsome face came into his field of vision.

"Who are you? Did you save me?" The youth looked at the handsome face of the person who appeared to be very young.

Shen An smiled faintly and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Thinking of what had just transpired, Zhang Cheng felt a surge of anger. He recounted the entire sequence of events to Shen An, who couldn't help but chuckle as he listened.

"I see. It truly is a world where the strong prey upon the weak. Do you still want to go find them and fight?" Shen An asked.

Being quite quick-witted, Zhang Cheng instantly guessed the underlying intent behind Shen An's question.

With a sly roll of his eyes, Zhang Cheng asked, "Are you really willing to help me? Are you truly going to help me?"

"I merely happened to pass by, smelled blood, and came to take a look. Fate has brought us together," Shen An replied.

"But my father told me never to trust strangers easily," Zhang Cheng said.

"Then you don't wish to take your revenge?" Shen An countered.

"I do!" After weighing the matter in his heart, Zhang Cheng gave his definitive answer. He desperately wanted vengeance.

"Get up. I am going to teach you a twelve-word chant now. Listen carefully and remember it well," Shen An said. This twelve-word chant was the foundation of his own cultivation technique.

He also wanted to test the youth's aptitude. If the boy's talent proved too abysmal, he might not even be able to comprehend the chant.

Shen An sat down nearby and began to cultivate.

First, he regulated his breathing technique, and upon that basis, he silently recited the twelve-word chant, pressing his palms together in front of his abdomen as he slowly exhaled.

After meditating for half an hour, Shen An immediately felt the effects. The primordial essence drifting between heaven and earth converged toward him, being absorbed into his body.

Talent Value +100
Talent Value +100
Talent Value +100
……

Before long, a full 500 points of Talent Value had been added.

He summoned the system panel to check his attributes:

Talent [Devour], Talent Value Grade A (1/50,000)
Talent [Space], Talent Value Grade S (1/1,000,000)
Hidden Talent [Future Connection], Talent Value Grade SA (1/10,000,000)
Available Talent Value: 106,500.

Talent Mall: Psychic Master Ability 500,000, Primordial Body Refining Art 1,000,000...

Watching Shen An's cultivation method, Zhang Cheng was struck with utter astonishment. Even at the martial arts dojo where he trained, no one cultivated in such a manner. He could tell that despite his youth, Shen An was a genuine expert; ordinary people could never master such exquisite cultivation techniques.

"I'll try it too!" Zhang Cheng assumed the same posture as Shen An, and within moments, he perceived the profound subtlety hidden within the stance.

As he began to silently recite the twelve-word chant imparted by Shen An, the primordial essence within his body started to surge frantically, as if a tranquil and dormant pool of energy had suddenly been stirred into a violent storm.

"This... this... such a massive improvement?" Zhang Cheng was immensely shocked. He felt that if he continued to cultivate this way, it wouldn't be long before he broke through to the mid-stage of Rank One.

Once he reached the mid-stage of Rank One, would he still need to fear those bullies who had tormented him? The thought filled Zhang Cheng with intense excitement, urging him to apply himself and accelerate his cultivation speed.

Whether it was the searing flames of hatred driving Zhang Cheng or something else entirely, his progress in practicing the twelve-word chant was astonishingly rapid.

Even Shen An was somewhat startled, marveling at how perfectly suited the youth was for the twelve-word chant—his aptitude was such that even Shen An felt slightly inferior by comparison.

Without disturbing Zhang Cheng's meditation, Shen An stood up and walked out of the alley. He had merely imparted the twelve-word chant on a whim and had no desire to leave his name behind.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Zhang Cheng snapped out of his meditative state. He looked around and was utterly dumbfounded.

"I can't believe I've actually broken through to the mid-stage of Rank One! The mid-stage of Rank One! The realm of my dreams!"

"I must thank that older brother properly. If not for him, I could never have broken through and reached this realm."

However, when Zhang Cheng searched his surroundings, he discovered that Shen An had long since departed without a trace.

"The older brother has already left? Where on earth did he go?"

Unable to find Shen An, Zhang Cheng felt a sudden wave of panic.

Yet he quickly calmed down; experts like Shen An were always elusive dragons seeing only their heads and tails, so his sudden disappearance was par for the course.

"Never mind. If I get the chance to meet the older brother again in the future, I'll repay him then," Zhang Cheng said with a smile.

Having broken through to the mid-stage of Rank One, he was now fully equipped to seek out his former tormentors and settle the score.

"You probably didn't expect me to come looking for you," Zhang Cheng muttered to himself.

As Shen An walked along the street, his presence drew countless gazes of attention.

"Look at that golden badge! Could that young man be a Count of the Grandmaster Council? I never imagined the Grandmaster Council would have such a young Count."

"A Count of the Grandmaster Council! What a noble status! Quick, take out your phone and take a picture!"

Soon, someone secretly snapped a photograph of Shen An. Gazing at his image in the photo, the onlookers quickly sparked a heated discussion.

"I recognize that Count from the Grandmaster Council. Rumor has it that his Talent Value has reached a terrifying 100,000—truly astonishing. He has even won the endorsement of quite a few martial arts dojos," a middle-aged man said.

"A Talent Value of 100,000? Are you trying to fool ghosts? No matter how powerful someone's talent is, it's impossible to reach 100,000!"

"Hmph, believe it or not, suit yourself. I saw it with my own eyes; I just didn't manage to snap a picture with my phone at the time."