Chapter 4014: Chapter 4033: Stories Like Yours Are Common in Novels

"It’s considered a drop in realm."

Zhang Zhongjiu’s eyes glowed coldly: "To recover, I need time. If there was a potion, perhaps it could save me a lot of time."

"It sounds like there’s a lot of resentment. Did someone set you up?"

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "Does it have something to do with your family?"

Zhang Zhongjiu stared at Lin Chen and asked: "Why do you say that?"

"Just guessing."

Lin Chen smiled and said: "I guess your family should be very powerful. Although you have a high talent, your status in the family should be limited."

Zhang Zhongjiu raised an eyebrow: "What makes you say that?"

Lin Chen replied: "Your family has a prescription for promoting to a Level 8 Martial Artist. Just based on this point, it’s clear your family must have quite a few Level 8 Martial Artists, perhaps with even higher strength."

"If your family wasn’t powerful, it would be impossible to guard such an invaluable prescription."

"You said that you were a Seventh-level Warrior at the time, searching for a promotion and to obtain materials, you ventured alone to this planet to hunt the Star-devouring Dragon Beast, which was certainly dangerous for you."

"You managed to promote to Level 8, indicating your strong talent. So as a talented member of a large family, if you were highly valued and expected, why would the family let you collect materials by yourself, to fight the Star-devouring Dragon Beast, what if you died?"

"Since you had to prepare the materials yourself, it shows that although you have talent, you are not valued, and everything depends on yourself."

"You brought back the materials, obtained the potion, promoted to Level 8 Martial Artist. I don’t know what strength you reached afterward, but due to some matters, your realm fell back to Seventh-level, and you were exiled to Planet 49."

"These matters further prove your family’s lack of care for you, but from what you said, you can go back to the family to get materials and exchange for potions, indicating you haven’t severed ties with your family, you’re still a member, and can still enjoy the rule of exchanging medicinal herbs for potions."

"You’re a member of the family, yet they ignore you; perhaps because you’re inherently unimportant, but more likely, you have competitors in the family."

"This competitor might have stronger talent than you, or perhaps slightly less, but he’s the darling of your family. You have a competitive relationship with him, and you’ve failed because of his presence. No one in the open will help you."

"You should also have some connections in the family, but they might not have much say, so you strive hard for achievements, aiming to one day openly return."

Zhang Zhongjiu stared at Lin Chen, falling into silence: "You guessed all of this on your own?"

Lin Chen laughed and said: "Yes, am I right?"

There was a hint of bitterness in Zhang Zhongjiu’s eyes: "More or less."

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "The power struggles within large families, regardless of environment or society, are ingrained and predictable. These scenes are clichéd in novels. Of course, stories come from life, and life is always more melodramatic than stories."

Zhang Zhongjiu sighed: "Yes, life is indeed more melodramatic than stories."

Lin Chen playfully asked: "Having come this far, interested in sharing? I can listen."

Zhang Zhongjiu pursed his lips, his voice cool: "No need, my story is what it is, nothing special to hear."

Lin Chen didn’t insist, chuckling: "I’m just curious if you go back and return to Level 8 Martial Artist, can you achieve your goal?"

Zhang Zhongjiu calmly answered: "Very difficult."

"Seems like your family is indeed impressive, even Level 8 Martial Artists can’t handle it."

Lin Chen laughed slightly and encouraged: "If Level 8 can’t do it, then promote to Level 9, if Level 9 can’t, then to Level 10. As long as your strength is strong enough, by then all your family members will have to greet you with smiles."

Zhang Zhongjiu’s mouth twitched slightly: "You make it sound simple, but promotion isn’t that easy."

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "Take it slowly, one step at a time. As long as you’re steady, you can reach it. Anyway, our lifespans are long, we have plenty of time."

Zhang Zhongjiu looked at Lin Chen, with a peculiar gaze: "You cultivators do have long lives, entering Closed Door Cultivation for several decades or a hundred years, we can’t compare with you."

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "Then, when you’re stuck at a bottleneck, with nothing to do, why not cultivate?"

Zhang Zhongjiu shook his head: "Can’t cultivate."

Lin Chen asked in surprise: "Can’t cultivate?"

Zhang Zhongjiu nodded: "Yes, the scientific research team over there tried long ago and concluded that if you haven’t developed a furnace and are still an ordinary person, you can still cultivate, no different from people like you. But if you’re already a warrior and have developed a furnace, you can’t cultivate anymore."

A furnace?

Lin Chen suddenly recalled that cultivators initially stored spiritual Qi in the Dantian. They would expand the Sea of Knowledge only when their strength became formidable. However, the warriors nowadays already have a furnace in their Dantian. Any energy entering the Dantian would be absorbed by the furnace, so how could they store spiritual Qi and advance?

Substituting spiritual Qi with furnace energy?

That certainly wouldn’t work.

Thinking this way, Lin Chen realized he had previously oversimplified the matter.

"Then, if we cultivate first, then switch to becoming a warrior, wouldn’t that be a win?"

Zhang Zhongjiu nodded and said: "Yes, as long as a cultivator strengthens their power, expands their Sea of Knowledge, and stores spiritual power there, they can switch to training as a warrior. Cultivation and martial arts can progress simultaneously."

"I estimate that once this system is fully understood, many in the Federation who can’t become warriors might start cultivating."

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "That indeed gives ordinary people more choices. However, cultivation isn’t that easy. Who knows how the Federation people’s talents measure up? If they’re not like the Heavenly God Clan, who face almost no bottlenecks, but like us, it’s very difficult, each stage more challenging than the last."

"While cultivating warriors might max out at a certain level, failing to advance won’t kill them. But in cultivation, to enhance strength requires facing the Thunder Tribulation, which, if mishandled, might shatter bones and obliterate them completely."

"Although various technological products will greatly improve the safety index of cultivation, achieving success is still too challenging. Like the recent group, each has taken a very long time to reach their current strength, enduring countless dangers..."

Zhang Zhongjiu said quietly: "It’s about risking one’s life. If you succeed, you become a superior being. The worst fate is not risking it all, but having no opportunity to do so."

Lin Chen chuckled: "Now that you mention it, it makes sense. Where I’m from, anyone stepping on the Immortal Path instantly becomes a superior, even achieving minor success. Once they return, they’re treated as an Immortal Master, with extremely high status..."