12: Improve qualifications and make money

As soon as a human youth turns 15, they immediately become money-grubbers, and no amount of money is ever enough.

Daily cultivation requires money, improving acquired aptitude requires money; no matter what one does, financial support is needed.

At this stage, regardless of innate aptitude, everyone yearns for wealth.

Those with high innate aptitude hope to stack their aptitude to cultivate faster, snowballing step by step, with one swift step leading to many.

Those with low innate aptitude hope even more to improve their acquired aptitude, stacking their aptitude values to catch up with geniuses and prevent them from widening the gap.

The higher the innate aptitude value, the faster the cultivation speed in the corresponding direction. For example, 10 points of aptitude is faster than 9 points of aptitude.

Excluding external influences like resources, 10 points of aptitude results in about 20% faster cultivation speed than 9 points of aptitude, which is already a significant gap.

Lin Chen's innate aptitude falls into the awkward middle ground, which is rather uncomfortable. Fortunately, he is a player with money-based abilities.

When he was 10, his treatment within the family had already been elevated to Level 10, granting him 1 billion federal currency in cultivation funds annually.

Now, five years have passed, and he hasn't used a single cent of this total of 5 billion federal currency in cultivation funds. It's time to use it to improve his acquired aptitude.

Lin Chen also has no shortage of resources needed for daily cultivation.

The family provides 5 million federal currency in support funds annually.

The company established with his parents' inheritance has also grown larger and larger, with annual dividends reaching 50 million federal currency.

The family's 3% dividend also amounts to 120-130 million federal currency annually.

Excluding the 1 billion federal currency cultivation funds from his Level 10 family treatment, Lin Chen also has approximately 170-180 million federal currency annually for purchasing resources.

In the past five years, he has only used less than 200 million federal currency for his own cultivation, with 1.1 billion federal currency still untouched.

Currently, the funds Lin Chen can access total 6.1 billion federal currency. To raise his seven acquired aptitudes from 0 to 5 points each would only cost 3.5 billion federal currency.

This way, he would still have 2.6 billion federal currency remaining, which could be used to raise one acquired aptitude to 10 points.

Lin Chen himself wasn't sure how to best utilize the money he had to maximize its effect.

Out of trust in his family, Lin Chen once again headed towards his grandparents' door, hoping to gain some insight and prior experience from them.

“Grandpa, your grandson has something to ask.”

“Chener, is it about improving your acquired aptitude?”

“Yes, Grandpa. Do you have any suggestions?”

“This is not difficult. Our human race has developed for hundreds of thousands of years, especially with the Federation's development over thirty thousand years. There is already a complete process for improving acquired aptitude.”

As Lin Yuan spoke, he took out a tech item similar to a tablet from his storage ring.

“Chener, input your innate and acquired aptitude test results into it. The powerful mechanical intelligent entity ‘Kong’ from the Mount Xuankong ancestral land will provide the most suitable improvement plan for you, which can be deduced up to 30 points of aptitude.”

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Lin Chen followed the instructions and entered his acquired aptitude test results into the tablet. Within a few seconds, information appeared on the tablet.

Based on Lin Chen's specific situation, to raise his seven acquired aptitudes to 5 points each would only cost 2.3 billion federal currency.

Not only that, Lin Chen could now place an order and spend 2.3 billion federal currency to purchase the necessary resources from the Mount Xuankong treasury.

This was also a small benefit for large families: as long as there were sufficient funds, one could purchase the necessary resources from the family, limited only to resources for improving aptitude.

For the 5 to 10 point aptitude range, the costs for the seven acquired aptitudes varied.

Physical Strength: 2.1 billion, Soul Strength: 2.8 billion, Elemental Strength: 2.2 billion, Elemental Resistance: 2.9 billion, Comprehension: 1.5 billion, Root Bone: 1.7 billion, Spirituality: 3 billion, totaling 16.2 billion federal currency.

For the 10 to 15 point aptitude range.

Physical Strength: 2 billion, Soul Strength: 30.8 billion, Elemental Strength: 20.3 billion, Elemental Resistance: 1.2 billion, Comprehension: 1.8 billion, Root Bone: 3 billion, Spirituality: 35 billion, totaling 94.1 billion federal currency.

For the 15 to 20 point aptitude range.

Soul Strength: 145 billion, Elemental Strength: 46.9 billion, Spirituality: 9 billion, totaling 200.9 billion federal currency.

For the 20 to 25 point aptitude range.

Only Soul Strength remained, costing 170 billion federal currency.

Because several of Lin Chen's acquired aptitudes could not be raised to 15 points, the cost for the 10 to 15 point aptitude range was not excessive.

However, Lin Chen's Soul Strength had an upper limit of 23.2, Elemental Strength an upper limit of 17.6, and Spirituality an upper limit of 15.6. The improvement of just these three acquired aptitudes would require 470.9 billion federal currency.

In total, Lin Chen would need 483.5 billion federal currency in resources to maximize his acquired aptitudes.

“Grandpa, Grandma, is this cost normal?”

“Chen’er, this cost is quite normal. Your talent is stronger than ours.”

“Your Grandpa and I each spent over 300 billion federal currency to raise our aptitudes to their limits. Your Grandma spent a bit less than I did, but she also spent over 270 billion federal currency.”

“Alright, 483.5 billion federal currency, that’s a lot. How many years will it take me to earn that much?”

“Take your time, no need to rush. With your acquired aptitude raised to 5 points, plus your innate aptitude, you'll have smooth sailing before the Fifth Order. Once you reach the Fifth Order, earning money will naturally become easier.”

“Grandpa, I understand.”

Lin Chen immediately placed an order on the platform, and 2.3 billion federal currency was deducted. Then, he spent another 2.8 billion federal currency to order the resources needed to raise his Soul Strength from 5 to 10 points.

5.1 billion federal currency was deducted, and the platform showed “in fulfillment,” with resources expected to be delivered from Mount Xuankong to the Lin Family Villa in Feng City within three days.

“Chen’er, your talent dictates that you don't need to rush too much. Just be steady and diligent. The future holds your glorious moments. You are still young now, so you don't need to have too much pressure.”

“Grandma, I understand, I just habitually feel a sense of urgency.”

“Everyone goes through this. Adjust your mindset and gradually adapt.”

“Grandma, I know. I won't disturb you anymore. Good night.”

“Good night, Chen’er.”

After bidding his grandparents good night, Lin Chen took the tablet and returned to his room.

Today was his birthday, so he wouldn't cultivate tonight. He would rest for a day and get a good night's sleep.

Three days later, Lin Chen received the resources needed to improve his aptitude, a total of 35 items. Following the instructions, he could raise all his acquired aptitudes to 5 points and his Soul Strength to 10 points within a month.

A month passed in a flash.

Lin Chen's aptitude received a significant boost.

Physical Strength: 6.2 + 5 = 11.2

Soul Strength: 11.6 + 10 = 21.6

Elemental Strength: 8.8 + 5 = 13.8

Elemental Resistance: 5.1 + 5 = 10.1

Comprehension: 5.3 + 5 = 10.3

Root Bone: 5.6 + 5 = 10.6

Spirituality: 7.8 + 5 = 12.8

At this point, the sum of all Lin Chen's aptitudes exceeded 10 points. The path of transcendence before the Fifth Order was smooth sailing; he only needed to accumulate resources and convert them into cultivation, and his realm would naturally reach the Fifth Order.

His Soul Strength even exceeded 20 points, and the upper limit of his spiritual path reached the Tenth Order.

It seems he is more suited to walk the path of a Psychic. Once his acquired aptitudes are maximized and his Soul Strength exceeds 30 points, his aptitude limit will reach the Ascension to God level.

Of course, after reaching the aptitude limit, it's not impossible to continue breaking through, but cultivation growth becomes slow, and every increment of cultivation consumes massive amounts of resources. Both minor and major realms will encounter bottlenecks.

Being stuck in a realm is the most common predicament after reaching one's aptitude limit.

Although the human population is large, most realms are below the Fourth Order. The number of those above the Fourth Order accounts for less than one ten-thousandth, and aptitude issues are the most severe among them.

Not everyone has the money to improve their acquired aptitude. Even raising one acquired aptitude from 0 to 5 requires 500 million federal currency, an amount most people cannot afford.

By the time they have that money, they are often quite old, likely with a family and children, and then they need to invest that money into their family and children's upbringing.

Thus, in a cyclical manner, only a very small portion of people can steadfastly improve their acquired aptitude, hoping to go further on the path of transcendence.

“High aptitude is indeed good. It won't be long before I can break through to the Fourth Order Martial Ancestor realm. Unfortunately, I'm out of money. I don't know how to make more.”

Lin Chen sighed, his mind solely focused on making money.