3: To test the depth?

Stepping out the door, Mo Fan hailed a taxi.

Yuxu Academy was located in the mountains sixty kilometers away from Jiang City. The roads were rough, and it would take an hour and a half to get there.

Inside the taxi.

Mo Fan closed his eyes to rest, while simultaneously focusing his mind to check his attribute panel.

[Name: Mo Fan]

[Cultivation: Body Tempering First Level (+)]

[Cultivation Technique: Basic Body Tempering Art]

[Storage Space: 1 cubic meter]

[Available attribute points: 2]

His cultivation was still at Body Tempering First Level.

The available attribute points had changed from 0 to 2.

These two attribute points were obtained through Mo Fan's experimentation before he went to sleep last night.

At that time, he had used his Appraisal Technique to identify everything in his house that was even slightly valuable.

Perhaps because he had successfully tempered his body and his spirit had grown stronger, Mo Fan managed to perform twenty or thirty appraisals last night before he began to feel dizzy.

Ultimately, he discovered that when appraising Spirit Stones, in addition to the usual introductory information, a selection prompt would pop up on the virtual panel.

[Discovered Low-Grade Spirit Stone * 2, can be absorbed and converted into attribute points. Absorb?]

Mo Fan decisively chose 'Yes.' Then, a warmth hit his brow, and the two Spirit Stones instantly vanished, while two attribute points were added to his attribute panel.

One Spirit Stone corresponded to one attribute point.

Speaking of which, those two absorbed Spirit Stones were rewards given to him by the school when he was practicing the Basic Body Tempering Art.

Unfortunately, he had never succeeded in drawing Qi into his body, so the Spirit Stones could not be used and had been kept until now.

It might be due to his Physique; although his cultivation talent was abysmal, his Comprehension Ability was actually quite decent.

According to the regulations, the school would uniformly teach the Basic Body Tempering Art during the first year of high school, marking the official start of the cultivation path.

Normally, if one could reach the entry level of the Basic Body Tempering Art within a month, their talent was considered quite good.

If one could reach the entry level within a week, they could be called a Genius.

As for Mo Fan, he reached the entry level in just one day, which gave the principal quite a fright.

Because of this, the principal took the initiative and made an unprecedented exception to reward him with two Spirit Stones, hoping he would advance rapidly, shine in the martial arts College Entrance Examination, get into a top-tier Martial Arts University, and bring glory to the school.

But who would have thought that this expectation would last for two whole years? In the end, the College Entrance Examination passed, and Mo Fan still hadn't succeeded in Body Tempering, not even qualifying to register for the martial arts College Entrance Examination.

When he graduated, the principal looked at him with a strange expression.

Mo Fan felt that the old man might want the two Spirit Stones back, so he slipped away before the graduation ceremony even ended.

After graduation, in order to continue pursuing the martial path, Mo Fan went through many hardships and finally managed to apply for the entrance test for Utility Disciples at Yuxu Academy, and he had passed the preliminary exam.

While thinking, Mo Fan focused his mind on the cultivation column and tried to "click" the plus sign inside the parentheses.

The attribute panel flashed, and a prompt appeared behind the cultivation column.

[Cultivation: Body Tempering First Level (+) (2/3)]

This meant that the next upgrade required three attribute points, and Mo Fan was currently short by one.

Spirit Stones were hard to come by; they were a vital and scarce strategic resource, tightly controlled by the authorities and forbidden from being traded. You couldn't buy them even if you had the money.

However, as an ancient Sect that had passed down its Legacy since before the Spiritual Qi Recovery, Yuxu Academy was still qualified to stockpile Spirit Stones.

Moreover, Yuxu Academy was very generous. Even Utility Disciples could receive a certain amount of Spirit Stones as a cultivation subsidy in addition to their monthly wages.

More importantly, as long as they worked hard enough, Utility Disciples could also be promoted.

They could even be promoted all the way to the inner Sect.

Once one became an Inner Sect Disciple, the ways to obtain Spirit Stones would naturally increase.

Thinking of this, Mo Fan smiled, feeling that his choice of Yuxu Academy was very wise.

If he had chosen to continue practicing at a martial arts hall like other people who failed the exams, he probably wouldn't have come into contact with Spirit Stones for the rest of his life.

While thinking, Mo Fan dizzily fell asleep.

When he woke up, the taxi had just come to a stop.

"Handsome, we're here. It's 220 yuan in total. Cash or card?"

Mo Fan nimbly took out two hundred-yuan bills and two ten-yuan bills from his pocket, handed them to the driver, and waved his hand grandly, saying, "Keep the change!"

The driver looked at the handsome guy who had dashed out the door, then at the 220 yuan in cash in his hand, looking completely bewildered.

"Did I say it wrong?"

"Or did he hear it wrong?"

...After getting out of the car and walking east for five or six minutes, Mo Fan saw the mountain gate of Yuxu Academy.

An ancient plaque hung across the massive stone archway, engraved with four bold and powerful characters: Yuxu Academy.

Behind the mountain gate was a complex of buildings shrouded in mist, appearing to be surrounded by Immortal Qi and very mysterious.

Focusing his mind, Mo Fan stepped inside.

After a few steps, he was stopped by a middle-aged man wearing a green robe.

After explaining his purpose and showing his credentials, Mo Fan was given a map.

"Follow the map, don't wander around," the middle-aged man reminded him.

"Got it!" Mo Fan smiled and stepped into Yuxu Academy.

As a martial arts Sect that had passed down its Legacy since before the Spiritual Qi Recovery, Yuxu Academy still followed ancient systems. Whether it was the construction of the pavilions or the overall layout of the Sect, everything was in the style of several hundred years ago.

Even the Disciples within the gate all wore ancient clothing.

This made Mo Fan feel somewhat out of place.

Passing through the main gate, after a few steps, Mo Fan felt a wave of spiritual energy hitting his face. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, and instantly felt that even the air was sweet.

"As expected of a martial arts Sect with such a long Legacy, this spiritual energy density is simply incredible."

However, just as his voice fell, a sound of surprise rang out from behind him.

"You can sense the spiritual energy density?"

Mo Fan turned around and immediately saw a girl with a high ponytail, wearing a white training uniform, with a pretty face, youthful and vibrant, and a graceful figure, walking toward him.

"You can't sense it?" Mo Fan asked, puzzled.

"I can't. It seems about the same as outside..." The girl scratched her head awkwardly.

"Then maybe I'm a bit special?" Mo Fan also became puzzled.

"Possibly!" The girl nodded as if it were a matter of fact, looking at Mo Fan seriously, thinking that Yuxu Academy was indeed Extraordinary if someone so outstanding was willing to come and be a Utility Disciple!

To be able to sense the difference in spiritual energy density, this person must be a Genius!

Never mind a top-tier Martial Arts University, a first-class Martial Arts University would definitely be no problem!

"Are you also here for the entrance test?" Mo Fan changed the subject.

He felt that the reason this happened might be because he had absorbed the jade pendant last night, and his Physique had been quietly changed.

"Mhm!" The girl's eyes sparkled as she nodded quickly.

"Then let's go, time's almost up." Mo Fan smiled, looked at the map, and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait for me—" The girl quickly followed.

Ten minutes later, the two arrived at their destination, a wide plaza paved with marble, about two thousand square meters in size.

By this time, many people had already gathered on the plaza, talking in small groups.

"What do you think of the spiritual energy density here?" The girl with the ponytail approached Mo Fan and whispered with her head down.

"It's a bit denser than at the main gate," Mo Fan said truthfully.

Hearing this, the girl looked delighted and said with a longing expression.

"It seems the rumors are true. Yuxu Academy has a Spirit Gathering Array. The closer you get to the center of the academy, the higher the spiritual energy density. Rumor has it that the spiritual energy density at the core of the academy is even more than ten times that of the outside world!"

Hearing this, Mo Fan subconsciously looked up toward the depths of the mountain gate, and a sea of mist immediately came into view.

He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but Mo Fan seemed to see wisps of different colored light amidst the mist, as brilliant as blooming fireworks.

But when he focused his mind to look again, the light vanished, as if it had never appeared.

Yuxu Academy was indeed good; in terms of strength, it was not at all inferior to those few top-tier martial arts universities.

Mo Fan felt that if he could be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple of Yuxu Academy in the future, it would also be a good thing.

"What's your name, and what's your current Body Tempering level?" Ponytail looked at Mo Fan with a smile, wanting to probe his strength.

Mo Fan glanced at her and turned the tables: "What's your name, and what's your cultivation?"

"My name is Lin Yiyi, I'm eighteen years old, Body Tempering Third Level, and I'm from Luo City, thousands of kilometers away," the girl with the ponytail said openly.

"My name is Mo Fan, also eighteen, Body Tempering First Level, a local from Jiang City," Mo Fan said.

Hearing this, Lin Yiyi's eyes widened, her head full of question marks.

This guy... he's lying, right?!

Being only at Body Tempering First Level at this age, he wouldn't even have passed the preliminary exam three months ago, right?

While Lin Yiyi was surprised, Mo Fan also curiously focused his mind and scanned her.

[Lin Yiyi, 24 years old, Foundation Establishment Third Layer, from Jin City.]

Mo Fan: "???"

(PS. Cultivation Ranks: Body Tempering, Innate, Foundation Establishment, Extraordinary, Destiny, Returning to Origin.)