Chapter 1: Cure for All Injuries?

“Jiangcheng Martial Arts School.”

“Free martial arts instruction, meals and accommodation provided.”

“Three years of simulation, five years of college entrance exam.”

“Most importantly, free senior students assigned for one-on-one guidance, guaranteed teaching and mastery.”

“After graduation, job placement guaranteed with exceptionally good benefits.”

…

“Our Kexiang School offers both technology and Martial Dao.”

“You can study mechanical manufacturing, basic knowledge of mechas.”

“Professional instructors teach, two years of simulation, one year of college entrance exam.”

“Where to find the best mecha technology? Look to Kexiang in eastern Jiangcheng.”

…

Looking at the advertisements on the computer, Jiang Changkong was bewildered.

Who knew what kind of world he had transmigrated into!

Martial Arts School, free senior students? One-on-one guidance?

Job placement guaranteed after graduation?

Three years of simulation, five years of college entrance exam?

Does this world have those too?

Kexiang, are you sure you don’t teach excavators, but mechas instead?

Jiang Changkong looked in the mirror at the face that wasn’t particularly handsome but somewhat familiar.

His memories were fragmented; he only knew he had transmigrated.

With the same name as before.

His parents died fighting outside, and he lived off the federation’s pension.

According to his memories, outside the city in this world were Star Demons that crossed over from other realms.

Everyone could practice martial arts, and those with good aptitude could enter Martial Arts Schools.

Martial Arts Schools waived tuition fees; as long as one passed the one-year simulated assessment, they could continue the remaining two years of simulation.

Of course, it wasn’t truly free.

There was still the five-year college entrance exam.

These five years were spent killing Star Demons for the school, with the kills belonging to the school.

Kexiang School was similar, though somewhat inferior to Martial Arts Schools.

Two years of simulation, one year of college entrance exam, focusing on technology.

This body yearned to enter a Martial Arts School, learn martial arts, and kill Star Demons to avenge his parents.

Unfortunately, his parents died early, leaving before they could teach him martial arts.

Moreover, his parents weren’t particularly powerful Martial Artists; they had only cultivated Star Power, saved up to buy Technological Weapons, and then went hunting Star Demons.

The previous occupant could only search for martial arts on his own; there were many basic martial arts online.

Iron Shirt, Taiji Fist, Xingyi Fist—mastering these to perfection and advancing further could cultivate Star Power.

And once Star Power was cultivated, one could enter a Martial Arts School.

Without cultivating it, one could only go to Kexiang to learn excavators… no, to learn mechas.

The previous occupant chose Iron Shirt, which required training resilience against blows.

He relentlessly honed himself day and night, but instead of mastering Iron Shirt, he died from overexertion.

“What a messed-up world.”

Rubbing his temples.

He pulled up the Iron Shirt information from the computer; besides resilience against blows, breathing rhythm was crucial.

The previous occupant only knew how to endure blows, and his breathing rhythm was disrupted—no wonder he died.

He felt his body; it looked fairly sturdy, but only sturdy.

Martial Arts School?

Jiang Changkong wasn’t confident; he wasn’t much stronger than the previous occupant.

“Cough, cough…”

Clutching his chest, he coughed violently, feeling terrible.

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Internal injuries!

How merciless had this damned previous occupant been to himself?

This body was likely riddled with hidden issues.

Only because he practiced Iron Shirt, the damage wasn’t visible externally, but internally it was full of hidden dangers.

Essence: +1

Suddenly, a flash of information crossed his mind.

Jiang Changkong was stunned, his vision blurring.

Jiang Changkong: Ordinary person.

Basic Martial Arts: Iron Shirt: Beginner 10/10

Essence: 1

(Essence, the foundation of all things, can be infinitely enhanced, allowing martial arts to harmonize and merge.)

The stronger the creature, the more vigorous its Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

For inanimate objects, over time, the Spirit dissipates.

Non-living things cannot be extracted; if the creature’s level is too weak, its Essence, Qi, and Spirit are negligible and cannot be extracted.

If the creature’s level is too strong, its Essence, Qi, and Spirit are bound and cannot be directly extracted.)

Essence, Qi, and Spirit—limitless enhancement?

Jiang Changkong stared blankly at the blood he had just coughed up, then glanced at the data before him.

Should he give it a try?

With a thought, the Essence, Qi, and Spirit vanished, replaced by a warm current surging within his body.

It spread to every limb and bone.

A faint sheen appeared on his skin, his muscles grew slightly more defined, and his strength increased a fraction.

His body also felt much better. It seemed that improving Iron Shirt could help restore this battered and bruised body.

Jiang Changkong: Ordinary Person

Basic Martial Arts: Iron Shirt: Minor Achievement 1/40

Essence, Qi, and Spirit: 0

Although his body still felt somewhat weak, it had improved significantly.

Iron Shirt had also reached the Minor Achievement stage, a level his predecessor had never attained despite exhausting himself.

Living creatures?

Inanimate objects?

Butchers?

In an instant, Jiang Changkong thought of many potential sources for obtaining Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

As for the statement that stronger creatures have more vigorous Essence, Qi, and Spirit, he chose to ignore it.

The idea that higher-level creatures had bound Essence, Qi, and Spirit was even more irrelevant.

He was still an ordinary person, with Iron Shirt only recently reaching Minor Achievement and lingering hidden injuries. He probably couldn’t even defeat a random adult man on the street.

What he needed to do now was gather Essence, Qi, and Spirit, improve Iron Shirt, and first restore his body.

Iron Shirt was divided into stages: Entry, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, and Perfection.

By the time he reached Perfection, his body should be mostly recovered.

Surpassing Perfection would allow him to cultivate Star Power and enter a Martial Arts School.

To obtain Essence, Qi, and Spirit, he had to consider that this world’s technology was more advanced than his previous life’s. Except for residential houses, surveillance was almost everywhere.

He couldn’t engage in illegal activities, nor would he.

That left only legitimate means: buying with money.

Opening his phone, Jiang Changkong checked his account balance—a little over three thousand Star Coins.

In another half month, he would receive another two thousand in survivor benefits. While he couldn’t afford lavish feasts, he could manage to eat meat every day if he budgeted carefully.

The survivor benefits would only be paid until he turned eighteen, and he was seventeen this year.

Whether for his predecessor’s sake or his own, he had to strive to improve himself.

With his phone in hand, Jiang Changkong headed to the market.

His predecessor lived in an ordinary house, a civilian residence that was spacious enough—two bedrooms, a living room, and a small courtyard.

Familiar with the route, he arrived at the market, where many familiar faces greeted him.

“Little Changkong, what do you need?”

Several familiar uncles and aunts smiled as they called out to him.

“I’m here to buy some live poultry.”

Jiang Changkong replied, his gaze shifting to the meat section.

“Little Changkong, you’re finally willing to eat meat.” The uncles and aunts looked at him with pity.

Jiang Changkong didn’t know what to say and quickly made his way to the meat stalls.

This predecessor of his never ate meat—how could he train Iron Shirt without it? All he did was save money.

There was beef, mutton, pork, and various poultry.

Some of the meat was frozen, while some was fresh.

Essence, Qi, and Spirit +0.5, +0.1…

Jiang Changkong was stunned. Could it really be this easy?

Right, some of these cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs were fresh.

Their Essence, Qi, and Spirit hadn’t completely dissipated yet!

Essence, Qi, and Spirit: 1. Extract?

A sudden voice echoed in his mind.

His eyes fell on a large piece of beef—it actually had 1 point.

Jiang Changkong quickly extracted it.

“Boss, this meat is spoiled.”

A customer pointed at the piece of beef and said.

“How could it be? I just slaughtered it this morning?”

The butcher didn’t believe him and sniffed it, his expression changing immediately. “Sorry, I’ll throw it away right now. Take a look at something else.”

Extracting it would make it stink?

A sense of guilt rose in Jiang Changkong’s heart, and he quickly slipped away.

It was better to just absorb the Essence scattered in the air. Extracting it would make the meat smell.

If the Essence was completely depleted, it meant the creature had been dead for a long time.

Like frozen meat, only the “spirit” part of the Essence was depleted, while the “essence” and “energy” remained.

It had to be fresh enough!

After buying a chicken and a fish weighing over half a kilogram, Jiang Changkong headed home.

The Essence of living creatures couldn’t be extracted directly.

If they were injured, the Essence of living creatures would gradually dissipate, and it could be extracted before it completely vanished.

With this understanding, he carried the chicken and fish back.

“Treating all kinds of injuries, performed by Martial Arts School students.”

“No charge, free treatment for injuries, cured within one minute.”

Not long after leaving the market, a shout caught his attention.

Jiang Changkong looked toward the person calling out—a young man standing in front of a small storefront.

Ying Ji Clinic.

Free treatment for injuries, cured in one minute, completely painless.

Could such a good thing exist?

The clinic didn’t have many customers, and the young man was trying hard to attract them, but no one paid him any attention.

Should he give it a try?

An idea formed in Jiang Changkong’s mind. If it succeeded, he could obtain Essence without spending money or breaking the law.

Striding over, Jiang Changkong approached the young man. “Treating all kinds of injuries?”

“That’s right. As long as it’s not a serious injury or a vital wound, it’ll be fixed in one minute,” the young man nodded.

“Free?”

“Free.”

“Can I give it a try?” Jiang Changkong asked.

“Are you injured?” The young man looked at him suspiciously—he seemed perfectly healthy.

“It is.” Jiang Changkong lifted the chicken.

“I treat people, not animals,” a clear, ethereal voice rang out as a woman in white walked out.

“What if it’s a minor human injury and you can’t treat it?”

“There are surveillance cameras here. If I can’t treat it, you can report me,” the woman in white said softly.

“Kid, are you here to cause trouble?” The young man’s expression turned unfriendly. “Open your eyes wide. We’re Martial Arts School students.”

Jiang Changkong glanced inside and spotted a pair of scissors. He quickly walked over and picked them up.

Squelch

Blood flowed from his thigh.

Jiang Changkong: “Now I’m injured.”

The two of them: “…”