Cultivating with Bragging System

A Golden Dragon, a hundred zhang long, coiled out from behind Wang Xiu, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, looking terrifyingly real. It shot forward with Wang Xiu's punch, tearing through the sky and smashing down violently.

The attack hammered the Jiao Beast from high in the firmament deep into the earth, blasting open a massive crater.

WHOOSH! Wang Xiu's figure flashed, appearing above the crater. Gripping the Mingxue Executioner Sword with both hands, he thrust it viciously downward, driving it straight into the Jiao Beast's head.

AWOOO—

The Jiao Beast howled in agony, its entire body thrashing ceaselessly, but it was all in vain.

"Linglan, drain it dry for me!" Wang Xiu released the sword. His figure drifted up and landed lightly at the edge of the crater. His armor dissipated, and he pulled a fresh set of clothes from his Space Ring to put on before turning to walk toward the Soul Devouring Fruit.

Nie Linglan emerged from the sword, her face alight with excitement. "Don't worry, My Lord, leave it to me! AWOO—"

The Sword Spirit took control, and the glow from the Mingxue Executioner Sword intensified as it greedily devoured the Jiao Beast's essence blood and divine soul, draining it until the beast could only shriek in pain.

「...」

Wang Xiu paid them no mind. He reached the entrance to the lair and carefully inspected it. After confirming there was no danger, he finally harvested the entire Soul Devouring Fruit plant. He counted over twenty fruits on this single plant. What a windfall!

He leaped back into the lair and ventured deeper, discovering three more Soul Devouring Fruit plants along the way. This type of Precious Medicine, so rare in the outside world, was actually growing in clusters here in the Holy Academy's world. It made Wang Xiu sigh with emotion. No wonder so many people would break their heads just for a chance to enter the Holy Academy!

Soon, Wang Xiu had looted the entire lair and returned to the surface. Nie Linglan was already waiting.

He grasped the Mingxue Executioner Sword and waved it lightly. Instantly, the Blood Sea churned. Tens of thousands of ferocious Pig Spirits stampeded madly, their squeals filling the air above the vast forest.

Wang Xiu's gaze swept across them, searching for the soul of the Jiao Beast he had just devoured. He found it mixed in with the Pig Spirits, but it had somehow also grown four legs and was now running around, bellowing out pig-like squeals.

An exasperated look crossed his face. This damn thing... it hasn't been assimilated, has it?

His Divine Sense scanned the horde, locating the Qiong Qi soul that had been hidden within for a long time. At this point, without looking closely, it was almost indistinguishable from the other Pig Spirits. Its appearance was remarkably similar, with only subtle differences. The aura it emitted, however, was still countless times stronger than the other pigs.

Wang Xiu immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Only its appearance changed; its power hasn't been assimilated. Otherwise, this sword... I'd have to get rid of it! It seems that transforming this Porky Sword is going to be a long and challenging journey.

「...」

Wang Xiu didn't linger. He activated the Supreme Sensing Chapter again and continued his exploration of the seemingly endless Ancient Forest. With his ability to perceive the flow of energy between heaven and earth, he had a unique advantage when it came to treasure hunting. And there were indeed many heavenly materials and earthly treasures here. It felt like every time he traveled a short distance, he would stumble upon a new opportunity.

"Frost Treasure Jade!"

"Purple Thunder Nether Gold!"

"A Moon Severing Lotus! And it's a whole patch..."

"..."

For two straight days, Wang Xiu made a fortune, filling his Space Ring to the brim. He couldn't understand if the people in the Holy Academy looked down on these things or what. So many mature Precious Medicines and rare materials were just left here, untouched. In any case, Wang Xiu welcomed everything. He took it all.

But he still felt... Something is amiss.

Suddenly…

[Ding!]

[Detected someone boasting nearby. Congratulations to the Host for gaining Mana +1,555!]

Eh? Wang Xiu jolted and came to an abrupt stop.

「...」

「Somewhere else.」

In the designated camp of a blessed land, all the prodigies sat neatly on the ground, struggling to regulate their breathing and refine the Spiritual Energy in the air.

In front of them, an elder was enveloped in divine light, surrounded by myriad visions. Chains of law manifested around him from time to time, as if countless worlds were born and destroyed with his every breath. This was a Saint, personally responsible for instructing the prodigies in their cultivation.

Words flowed from his mouth like blooming lotuses, each one accompanied by a vision. "Is this all you've got? How were you even selected? It's just a little Spiritual Pressure, and you've been struggling for days? You can't even sit up properly...

"In my day, prodigies like you wouldn't even have qualified for the bottom rung!

"You there, why are you lying down again? Get up! Sit properly!

"It's one thing to be lazy in your daily cultivation, but you've made it to the Holy Academy and you're still thinking of slacking off? With an attitude like that, how do you expect to compete against your peers?

"Back in our day, the conditions were incredibly harsh, and we had no one to teach us. Even so, it took less than seven days for almost everyone to stand up! Now look at you! We're practically holding your hands, and you still can't learn!" the Saint Manifestation elder exclaimed, his voice thick with frustrated disappointment.

[Ding!]

[Detected someone boasting nearby. Congratulations to the Host for gaining Mana +1,555!]

Suddenly, the elder's gaze landed on a disciple meditating in the crowd. He nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. There's one decent one, at least."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked a finger. A Spirit Fruit shot out and flew into the disciple's forehead. In an instant, the disciple's body trembled as his aura grew stronger. He broke through to the next realm on the spot, his body no longer clashing with his surroundings but gradually harmonizing with them.

A faint, ethereal fragrance from the Spirit Fruit wafted through the air. Expressions of surprise and longing appeared on the faces of all the other disciples. That Spirit Fruit could actually accelerate the improvement in the quality of their Mana and hasten their adaptation to this environment.