Chapter 3

The Body Tempering Realm was the phase of tempering the physical body before becoming a Martial Artist. It was a crucial process that laid down the foundation for Martial Artists.

A cultivator needed to use the element corresponding to their talent to temper their body during this phase.

The usual method involved comprehending the element through the Elemental Comprehension Mental Art, then moving on to body tempering.

But Andro could directly temper his body by devouring, and this method was way faster than the traditional method of comprehending the element.

According to his calculations, even an SSS-rank talent would need at least three days to reach 60% Body Tempering through the traditional method, but he achieved it in less than three minutes.

[Ding! Congratulations on reaching the threshold of cultivation. Quest activated!]

Andro was startled and quickly checked.

[Quest 1: Reach peak-stage Body Tempering within 7 days. Reward: One low-quality wind-element Ferocious Beast Crystal (Normal Difficulty).]

[Quest 2: Reach peak-stage Body Tempering within 3 days. Reward: One low-quality wind-element Ferocious Beast Crystal, one mid-quality wind-element Ferocious Beast Crystal (Hard Difficulty).]

[Quest 3: Reach peak-stage Body Tempering within 1 day. Reward: One premium-quality wind-element Ferocious Beast Crystal, one Ice Sensitivity Enhancement Pill (Hell Difficulty)]

[Ding! Choose one quest. Rewards will be granted upon quest completion. Failure results in no reward.]

Andro carefully scrutinized the quests. Of course, Hell Difficulty was the best option. Not only would it allow him to temper his body again with the wind element, he would also gain the qualification to cultivate the ice element.

What troubled him was the 1-day time limit. It was simply too short.

"To reach peak-stage Body Tempering, I need a high-quality fire-element Ferocious Beast Crystal!" Andro thought to himself.

Reaching peak-stage Body Tempering meant reaching 100% Body Tempering. However, a high-quality Ferocious Beast Crystal cost around $7,500 on the market.

Considering his family's financial situation, even producing $750 would be tough, let alone $7,500. What little money they had was meant for essential household expenses.

"Should I choose Hard Difficulty instead?" Andro frowned.

He would have enough time to figure something out with Hard Difficulty's 3-day time limit, but he was reluctant. If it took 3 days to reach peak-stage Body Tempering, then it would be too difficult to become a Martial Artist in 7 days.

"Oh, right!" Suddenly, he thought of something and smiled.

Without further hesitation, he chose Quest 3.

[Ding! Quest selection successful.]

He opened the door and walked straight out. "I'm heading out for a bit!"

"Oh, this brat!" Watching Andro leave, Seraphine shook her head helplessly.

"Let him be," Damon sighed.

He felt guilty because he couldn't give Andro a good life. Therefore, even though Andro always came home late after school, he and his wife never chastised Andro.

After leaving home, Andro hailed a cab and headed straight for the Martial Arts Association in the city center.

The Martial Arts Association was a place specifically for verifying Martial Artists. Anyone who reached the threshold of cultivation could go there for verification.

Moreover, for those under eighteen, successful verification comes with a generous reward.

Half an hour later, Andro arrived at the Martial Arts Association's main entrance. After registration, he quickly made his way to the verification hall.

There were quite a few people in the verification hall, but most of them were not young.

"Sir, are you here to get verified as a Martial Artist?" A female staff member quickly came over and asked enthusiastically upon seeing how young Andro was.

The staff there earned commission. If Andro had truly reached the threshold of cultivation at such a young age and she successfully verified him, she would get a commission.

"Of course!" Andro nodded.

The staff member was delighted. "May I see your ID, sir?"

Andro took out his ID card. The staff member checked it and confirmed he was indeed under eighteen.

She quickly said, "This way, sir!"

She led Andro to a counter.

"He doesn't have to queue?"

Someone saw this and complained out loud.

"Not so loud!" Another person quickly scolded him, "Those under eighteen don't need to queue to get verified because they're all prodigies!"

The moment the first guy heard this, his expression changed, and he quickly shut up.

Offending a prodigy was not a smart move.

At the verification counter, the staff member took out a device and said, "Sir, please place your hand on this and release the elemental power you've comprehended."

Andro wasted no time. Immediately after, a flame symbol appeared on the device.

"Early-stage fire-element Body Tempering!"

The staff member was overjoyed. The verification was successful.

Although fire-element was a relatively common type, Andro's youth made all the difference. She would get a commission for this.

She eagerly announced, "Congratulations on your successful verification, sir! You will receive a $3,000 verification reward! I'll document it immediately. Please give me your bank card. The money will be deposited in your bank account within minutes!"

Andro took out his bank card.

The people in the hall showed various expressions when they saw Andro successfully verify. Some looked surprised, some looked envious, and some even looked jealous.

The staff member was about to walk away, but Andro stopped her.

"I'd like to verify again!"

"Huh?" The staff member was surprised.

Andro didn't explain. He simply placed his hand on the device again.

$3,000 was not enough to buy a high-quality Ferocious Beast Crystal, so he needed a bigger reward.

This time, he went all out. Instantly, two flame symbols appeared on the device.

"Mi... Middle-stage!" The staff member's eyes widened in shock.

This time, the expressions of the people in the hall all changed to looks of awe.

When you're outstanding, people will be envious and jealous, but when you're a real genius with immense potential, people will only admire you and might even curry favor with you.

"I should get a bigger reward if I'm middle-stage, right?" Andro asked the staff member with a smile.

The staff member quickly replied, "Yes, of course! Let me... no, actually, there's a rule: those who reach middle-stage Body Tempering below the age of eighteen can receive a $7,500 reward upon verification!"

Andro smiled with satisfaction. $7,500 was just enough for what he needed.

"I need the money urgently," Andro said with a smile.

"No problem!" The staff member quickly turned and jogged away.

A few minutes later, Andro received a deposit notification on his phone.

After getting his bank card back, he turned to leave.

"Sir, let me see you out!" The staff member quickly caught up.

Andro didn't decline her offer. After walking out of the hall, he suddenly asked, "Where can I buy Beast Crystals around here?"

"Beast Crystals?" She was a bit curious but didn't dare to ask why Andro wanted to buy them.

"If you want to buy Beast Crystals, you can do so from the Martial Arts Association!"

"Oh?" Andro was surprised. He didn't know the Martial Arts Association sold Beast Crystals.

The staff member explained, "There are a lot of fake Beast Crystals on the market. Many people have been scammed, so the Martial Arts Association became one of the official channels for selling Beast Crystals.

"Although our prices aren't the cheapest, we won't sell them at exorbitant prices either, and there won't be any fakes, so you don't have to worry when you buy from us."

Andro nodded. "Let me take a look!"