The Primordial Blood Art of the Void

Jingwu Administrative Building.

The top floor, Vice-Chancellor's office.

A series of tedious procedures, all personally expedited by Nie Changkong, went through without a hitch, and in a mere ten minutes, everything was settled.

A badge, dark gold in color and engraved with swirling dragon patterns, marked "Top-Tier Freshman," along with a micro tactical terminal with the highest clearance, was pushed in front of Su Yu.

"Wear the badge, and at Jingwu, you'll have the same access to the library and secret realms as a department head," Nie Changkong said, picking up his teacup and blowing lightly on the steam.

"The terminal has the school's internal network. Bounty missions and resource exchanges are all in there."

Su Yu picked up the terminal and strapped it directly onto his wrist.

The screen lit up.

He didn't bother with the dazzling array of privilege introductions. Instead, he went straight to the point and tapped on the "Bounty Missions" module.

On the terminal screen, a dense list of missions refreshed instantly.

[Clear out the second-tier beast horde at the abandoned western suburbs factory. Reward: 500,000 Dragon Dollars, 10 credit points.]

[Escort Tianhai Chamber of Commerce supplies to Jiangbei Base City. Requires Martial Master realm. Reward: 1.2 million Dragon Dollars, 30 credit points.]

[Deep into the wilderness to collect C-grade spirit herb 'Phantom Shadow Flower.' Reward: 3 million Dragon Dollars, 50 credit points.]

Su Yu scrolled through about a dozen pages.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Too little.

Hundreds of thousands, millions — at most, ten or twenty million.

Compared to the hundred billion that was on its way, this money was nothing.

What he needed now was funding counted in the "hundred millions"!

"What's the matter?"

Nie Changkong set down his teacup, noticing the lack of interest in Su Yu's eyes.

"Think the mission rewards are too low?"

Su Yu didn't hide it. He nodded.

"They're really not that high."

"Isn't there anything with rewards over a hundred million?"

Hearing this, Nie Changkong couldn't help but laugh and scold him.

"Kid, you've got quite the appetite!"

"Missions worth over a hundred million? Of course they exist."

"But at your current clearance, you can't see them."

Nie Changkong stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the sprawling Jingwu campus below.

"In the martial arts world, bounties are strictly tied to strength and danger level."

"Bounties over a hundred million? Their targets, without exception, are deep within Abyssal Secret Realms, hunting high-tier beasts of the sixth or even seventh tier and above!"

"Or on the battlefield beyond the border, slaying enemy forces of Grandmaster rank or higher!"

Nie Changkong turned his head to look at Su Yu.

"Missions at that level — one wrong move and you're torn to shreds."

"Even Martial Kings who take on such jobs have to form elite squads and make full preparations."

"You're only at the Martial Master realm right now."

"Sure, your Manifested Spear Intent is lethal, capable of one-shotting Chen Feng and his three thousand points of vital energy."

"But in the abyss, those thick-skinned, tenaciously resilient high-tier beasts aren't going to just stand there and let you stab them."

"If you want to take on hundred-million-level missions, wait until you break through to Grandmaster, or even Great Grandmaster!"

Su Yu understood. His cultivation wasn't high enough, so his clearance wasn't sufficient.

Still, he wasn't all that disappointed.

After all, Chen Feng's hundred-billion "small goal" was still on its way.

Once that hundred billion arrived, it would be more than enough for him to go all-in on spending, boosting his strength to a terrifying, absurd degree.

When his cultivation level rose, what high-value mission wouldn't he be able to take?

"Let's go."

Nie Changkong draped a black robe over his shoulders and headed for the door.

"I've looked into your situation."

"Your vital energy is pure, but you've never trained in any internal cultivation technique, and your attack options are only a basic fist technique and your Manifested Spear Intent."

"Your foundation is clean, but too thin."

"I'm taking you to the library."

"I'll pick out two top-tier cultivation methods for you."

Jingwu Library.

It was a magnificent nine-story structure, built from Ironwood Stone with astonishing defensive properties.

The entrance was heavily guarded, and in the shadows, several Grandmaster-level auras swept back and forth.

Nie Changkong led Su Yu past the lower floors without stopping.

They took a private elevator directly to the highest level — the ninth floor.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

The ninth floor was not spacious. There were no rows of bookshelves.

Only about a dozen crystal display cases, each emanating a soft halo.

Inside each case, an ancient jade slip floated silently.

"This is the repository of Jingwu's true heritage," Nie Changkong said, his voice tinged with solemnity.

"Only those at the rank of Vice-Chancellor or above, or instructors who have made outstanding contributions to the Great Xia Nation, are permitted entry."

"As a Top-Tier Freshman, you naturally have that privilege."

Nie Changkong gestured toward the crystal cases.

"The cultivation methods here are all at least top-grade Earth rank."

"Some are even fragmentary Heaven-rank martial arts."

"Since you use a spear and have comprehended Manifested Spear Intent, I suggest you pick one martial art that complements it, and one top-tier internal cultivation technique."

Nie Changkong walked over to a display case and pointed at a cyan jade slip inside.

"This one, the Azure Secrets Art, is a top-grade Earth rank internal technique."

"It's balanced and steady — perfect for building a solid foundation."

"And this one, the Formation-Breaking Overlord Spear, is a top-grade Earth rank spear technique. Bold and forceful, with astonishing power."

Nie Changkong turned to Su Yu.

"These two have been tried and tested by countless legends before you."

"I recommend you train in these."

"As for Heaven rank..."

Nie Changkong shook his head slightly, his tone turning serious.

"Heaven-rank techniques contain fragments of the laws of heaven and earth."

"Not only do they require exceptional comprehension, they also demand years of slow, patient tempering."

"Even those brilliant instructors at Jingwu — to master a single Heaven-rank martial art, they need at least three years at minimum, and up to ten at most."

"You have the Freshman Exchange Tournament coming up soon. Time is tight."

"Aiming too high will only set back your training."

Nie Changkong's words were heartfelt, spoken entirely from the perspective of a senior, paving the road ahead for Su Yu.

However.

Su Yu's gaze didn't linger on those two Earth-rank jade slips for even half a second.

His eyes went straight past Nie Changkong.

Fixing on the far end of the hall, on two golden display cases shielded by independent formations.

There, emanating from them, was a terrifying, heart-stopping fluctuation.

Su Yu took a step forward and walked straight over.

Nie Changkong's brow furrowed. He followed.

Su Yu stopped at the first golden display case.

On the plaque inside the case were written several large characters.

[Heaven-rank, top-grade internal technique: Primordial Origin Blood Sutra]

[Description: Seizes the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, compressing and purifying vital energy to the extreme. With every circulation, it shatters the shackles of the flesh, unleashing combat power several times beyond one's current realm.]

[Note: This art is excessively tyrannical. Only those with formidable bodies and unyielding will may cultivate it. With the slightest mistake, vital energy will flow in reverse, and one will explode from within.]

Su Yu's eyes lit up.

Extreme compression of vital energy?

Unleash several times the combat power?

That feels really good!

Su Yu then looked at the second golden display case.

[Heaven-rank, mid-grade spear technique: Eight Desolations Annihilation Spear]

[Description: A pure art of slaughter. It pursues extreme destruction and deathly silence. Divided into eight forms, when mastered, with a single spear thrust, the eight desolations are laid waste.]

[Note: This spear technique has no fixed forms or postures; it relies entirely on artistic conception. Only those who have comprehended the essence of the spear's intent are worthy of reading it.]