Martial Ascent to Divinity

"Apocalypse Plan?"

"Back then you were still young and didn't know about this matter. But our older generation has heard of it. The Demon Purgatory and the Sea Siren wanted to use an exceptionally powerful force to destroy Blue Star."

"What exactly does it refer to?"

"No one knows the specific details, but it truly exists, and there is audio evidence," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng sighed and said, "The sense of crisis in my heart has grown stronger."

"It's good to feel a stronger sense of urgency. Work harder and strive to resolve this crisis for humanity in the future."

"We definitely can!"

Zhou Leng and Li Linhan chatted, always feeling that he should do something.

After chatting for a while, Zhou Leng left, went downstairs, entered the third unit, and knocked on Zhang Xiaoxiao's door.

"Grandma Zhang, it's me, Zhou Leng."

"Oh my, Zhou Leng!"

An elderly woman with a bent back opened the door, and a scent mixed with a faint medicinal odor and humidity wafted over.

"Come in... come in... It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Grandma Zhang smiled as she invited Zhou Leng in.

Then, Grandma Zhang was taken aback and exclaimed, "You've grown so tall? No wonder people in the community say you've become accomplished, ranking second in Rucheng."

"It's just second on the freshman list, nothing to brag about."

Zhou Leng changed his shoes and glanced at the living room, which looked exactly the same as he remembered from childhood.

The yellowed photo album, the mended sofa armrests, the sofa cover washed until the threads showed, and the worn, shiny wooden chairs.

Zhou Leng recalled sitting on this chair and having meals back then.

"Sit... sit..." Grandma Zhang patted Zhou Leng's hand and walked over to the sofa.

Zhou Leng sat on the sofa and chatted with Grandma Zhang about family matters.

"I remember your braised pork was especially delicious..."

"Let me know in advance next time, and I'll make it for you... I remember how well-behaved you were as a child, it was touching to see..."

"Every time you shared snacks, you secretly gave me more, I remember it all..."

Grandma Zhang's eyes suddenly reddened, and she said in a low voice, "Xiaoxiao told me, you also gave her extra snacks."

Zhou Leng glanced towards the inner room. The door was closed; Zhang Xiaoxiao was likely doing homework.

After chatting for a while, Zhou Leng asked, "Is Xiaoxiao doing well now?"

"She's doing well, first in her class academically, and third in martial arts exams. But she is too thin, way too thin..." Grandma Zhang suddenly turned her head and wiped her tears.

After chatting for a while longer, Zhou Leng took out three Replenishing Essence Pills, ten Blood Replenishing Pills, and ten Qi Nourishing Pills from his Magic Spirit Bag.

"What are you doing!" Grandma Zhang panicked, stood up suddenly, her mouth trembling, unable to believe it.

"These are for Xiaoxiao."

"No, absolutely not! How can this be? You've had a hard life since you were a child; how can I take your things?" Grandma Zhang said loudly.

In Grandma Zhang's eyes, Zhou Leng was still that child.

"Grandma... Brother Zhou Leng." Zhang Xiaoxiao came out of the inner room, glanced at the pills on the table, paused for a moment, and quickly went to her grandmother's side, holding her arm.

Zhou Leng said, "I'm now at the Vitality Stage, and I don't need these medicines anymore. If you don't believe me, ask Xiaoxiao. She surely knows."

Grandma Zhang looked at Zhang Xiaoxiao with half-believing eyes.

Zhang Xiaoxiao hesitated for a while and said, "Indeed, Brother Zhou Leng must have taken enough of the Hundred Pills. But... we can't take them; they're too expensive."

Grandma Zhang nodded as well, "Yes, they're too expensive! We can't take them."

Zhou Leng got up and said, "It has nothing to do with the cost; I have no use for them. Xiaoxiao needs them more than I do."

"Brother Zhou Leng, I really don't need them," Zhang Xiaoxiao seriously said.

Zhou Leng said, "Take them..."

The two of them kept refusing.

Kind-hearted people always worry about troubling others.

Zhou Leng looked at Zhang Xiaoxiao and slowly began to speak.

"When I was a child, I was similar to you; I couldn't afford pills."

"But I especially, especially longed to obtain pills to cultivate martial arts and defeat demons."

"Unfortunately, I had nothing, only fantasized."

"I thought and thought, in dreams, everything was there, truly everything."

"I often imagined, if I had a lot of money, endless money, what would I do?"

"I also often imagined, if I had a lot of pills, an endless supply of pills, what would I do?"

"I've had such fantasies many times, but most of the results were almost the same."

"If I really had an endless supply of pills, I would distribute them to those in need."

"I think all kids think this way. You do too, right?"

Zhang Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment but then nodded firmly.

"Some things your grandma doesn't understand, many adults don't understand, but I know you can understand."

"Now, I don't have that many pills, but at least I've reached the elementary stage with a surplus of some pills."

"I'm not a saint; I also have hesitations about whether to sell these pills to enhance myself or give them to those in need."

"I calculated it a bit."

"At the current growth rate, for any martial arts resources that can be bought directly with money, I won't be lacking, it's merely a matter of timing. As for Leopard Tendon Pills, I no longer need to calculate carefully to buy."

"Moreover, many martial arts resources I can obtain without spending money, through the Flying Eagle Plan, New Qing Fund, Competition Camp rewards, and so on."

"Resources that can't be bought with money can't be exchanged with Replenishing Essence Pills and elementary pills. High-level elixirs like Concentration Pills and Embracing Essence Pills have very limited monthly quotas, and are hard to buy with money alone."

"In other words, most martial arts resources I truly need next can only be obtained through battles or other means."

"Simply put, instead of letting the elementary pills become just numbers in my account, it's more worthwhile to use them on you."

"Because, since I was very small, I've known a very simple fact from my uncle, Uncle Li Linhan, and others."

"Very simple."

"The country gives me the Flying Eagle Plan, gives me the New Qing Fund, gives me Contribution Points, gives me Battle Points, etc. This is essentially the country reallocating resources that belong to everyone and concentrating them on me."

"You can go to those small nations in the south, look at the Gray Continent, those countries only have looting mechanisms, not allocation mechanisms."

"The concentration of these resources on me is not for me to seize more resources and proliferate like cancer, consuming everything. It is to use me as a hub to produce a greater effect."

"This is an extremely simple principle."

"I have my own motives, I'm not perfect, but my ability is limited, yet, I am now representing the country's allocation mechanism, to allocate these pills to you."

"I believe you are more deserving of these resources than most people I know."

Zhang Xiaoxiao looked up at Zhou Leng, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Zhou Leng took out a piece of chocolate from the Magic Spirit Bag and placed it in Zhang Xiaoxiao's hand.

He affectionately rubbed her hair.

"When my uncle exposed unfair allocations, when Uncle Li Linhan allocated pills to me, when your grandmother allocated snacks to me, when Principal Lu allocated rewards to me, it was destined for this day to come."

After Zhou Leng finished speaking, he turned and left.

Hot tears rolled down Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes.

Her dry hands crushed the chocolate.

Zhou Leng went downstairs and made a voice call to his old classmate Hu Yi.

"Got time in the morning? Let's have a meal together?"

"Can't we do it in the evening?"

"I have to cultivate."

"You're really busy every day. Fine, where to eat?"

"Honesty Bun Shop."

"Got it."

April 1st.

Early in the morning, Zhou Leng and Hu Yi arrived at the Honesty Bun Shop near the Eighth Middle School.

In front of everyone's gaze, Zhou Leng ordered two entire steamers of buns that had been reserved in advance, those large ones over a meter in diameter.

The two sat in the corner and began to eat.

Hu Yi knew Zhou Leng could eat, but he still shook his head in disbelief.

Hu Yi said, "Well, I've finally fulfilled my childhood wish. Their beef buns are really fragrant."

Zhou Leng didn't say a word, just ate slowly.

After finishing the buns, the two got into Hu Yi's taxi and headed to the Great Martial Arts Hall.

As soon as Zhou Leng sat in the front passenger seat, he began to nitpick.

"Slow down!"

"Did you buy your driver's license?"

"Do passengers complain about you eight hundred times a day?"

The two began to bicker just like they did as teenagers.

Arriving at the side gate of the Great Martial Arts Hall, Hu Yi hit the brakes hard.

"Pay up, sixteen!"

"Still want money? It's good enough not to complain about you! Dream on!" Zhou Leng turned and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him and walking away briskly.

Hu Yi cursed jokingly.

He stepped on the gas, traveled for a few seconds, suddenly braked hard, and turned his head to look at the right side.

Three small white boxes rolled from the armrest box between the driver and passenger seats.

Hu Yi picked up a box and looked at the words on it.

Replenishing Essence Pills.

Hu Yi sat dazed for a long while, lowered his head, and wiped his nose.

"This bastard is really good at nitpicking. I won't pick you up anymore."