Chapter 13: Second to None

“You’re not going anywhere until you explain yourself properly.”

Zhang Feng blocked Jiang Xincheng’s way, persistent and relentless. “You haven’t explained anything about Anan, and you even dared to curse me. What a trash guy you are.”

Seeing Zhang Feng so aggressive, Jiang Xincheng’s face darkened. He was about to speak when Yang Ning, standing beside Zhang Feng, couldn’t take it anymore. She tugged on Zhang Feng’s sleeve. “Sister Zhang Feng, you’re being too much. He kindly brought Sister Anan back, and you’re still doubting him. That’s not right.”

“And you were the one who made a mistake earlier. Your words were a bit excessive…”

Before she could finish, Zhang Feng cut her off. “I’m too much? How am I too much? I only said those things for Anan’s sake. Who knows if this guy had bad intentions? What did he do to Anan…”

“Enough!” Xuanyuan Ningshuang interrupted Zhang Feng. She bowed slightly to Jiang Xincheng in apology. “I’m sorry. Zhang Feng is like that, she just speaks her mind out. Please don’t take it to heart.”

After saying this, Xuanyuan Ningshuang turned to Zhang Feng, her voice cold. “If you really cared about Anan, you shouldn’t have said those ambiguous things.”

Seeing Xuanyuan Ningshuang also taking this stance, Zhang Feng’s face paled slightly. “Ningshuang, even if I said the wrong thing, he still shouldn’t curse at me.”

Seeing Zhang Feng was still harping on it, Jiang Xincheng took a step forward, closing in on her. His primordial force swirled inside him, a terrifying aura enveloping Zhang Feng. “If you weren’t Sister Anan’s roommate, I’d slap you right now.”

Feeling the immense power radiating from Jiang Xincheng, Zhang Feng’s face changed drastically. She stumbled back a few steps, too scared to make a sound.

Seeing Zhang Feng’s fearful look, Jiang Xincheng snorted coldly, turned, and walked away, vanishing from their sight moments later.

“Is he even a man? Bad character aside, he actually wanted to hit me! How did Anan meet such garbage?”

Only after Jiang Xincheng disappeared did Zhang Feng let out a sigh of relief, her voice laced with frustration and embarrassment.

Xuanyuan Ningshuang shot her a cold glance. She supported Lin Anan as they walked towards the dormitory. “Zhang Feng, his strength is formidable. Just judging by his aura, he isn’t inferior to me. Don’t provoke him unnecessarily in the future.”

Hearing Xuanyuan Ningshuang’s words, both Zhang Feng and Yang Ning’s expressions changed.

Xuanyuan Ningshuang was a Peak Initial Stage of Tendon Training Primordial Warrior! She was one of Tianhai University’s very top talents among freshmen, firmly ranking in the top three freshmen in the whole school. She could hold her own against strong second and third-year seniors. Yet here she was, saying Jiang Xincheng’s aura wasn’t weaker than hers. Didn’t this mean Jiang Xincheng was also a powerful Primordial Warrior beyond the Tendon-Tempering Stage, a full major realm above them?

Zhang Feng was only at the Mid Muscle-Tempering Stage, vastly inferior to Jiang Xincheng. Remembering how she had been strutting and threatening to teach a stronger Tendon-Tempering stage Primordial Warrior a lesson, a shudder ran through her body, accompanied by a chilling dread.

“Jiang Xincheng, you’re amazing! You beat all those beasts and the jerks from their dorm right into the hospital! Took revenge for me… Let’s go beat them up again later, okay?”

The drunken murmur of Lin Anan reached the three girls’ ears. Zhang Feng trembled violently again, nearly collapsing.

They all knew exactly who Anan meant by “beasts” and “jerks.” It had to be Liu Yijun and his crew, the ones who just betrayed Lin Anan.

They knew Liu Yijun’s strength – Peak Late Muscle-Tempering Stage, just one step away from Tendon-Tempering. His dorm mates were no weaklings either. Yet Jiang Xincheng had crushed them effortlessly? Even an ordinary Early Tendon-Tempering Primordial Warrior might not manage that.

This revelation made Jiang Xincheng’s power… unthinkable. Even Xuanyuan Ningshuang, their Pride of Heaven, looked surprised upon hearing it.

“I had no idea Sister Anan’s friend was this powerful! Which Academy is he from? We absolutely must ask Sister Anan once she’s sober.”

Yang Ning exclaimed in amazement.

With complex feelings, the three girls helped Lin Anan back to their dorm.

Jiang Xincheng didn’t dwell on the incident with Zhang Feng. His mind was filled with delight – reconnecting with Lin Anan and starting to heal the knot tied in her heart from his past life.

Upon returning to his own dorm, Jiang Xincheng immediately began cultivating. His strength surged at an incredible rate.

The next day, Jiang Xincheng gathered some willow leaves by the small river near Tianhai University’s south gate. He then went to the Baihui District in Tianhai City. He bought cooking utensils for steaming, along with an intricate modern Alchemy Furnace.

He planned to refine pills to push his cultivation speed even higher.

In half a month, his fight with Ma Jinyuan was set. Ma Jinyuan, a senior and top talent, possessed strength at the Tendon-Forging Late Peak Stage.

To defeat him, to exact revenge for his past life, Jiang Xincheng needed his strength to at least reach the Early Tendon-Tempering stage. From the fresh Late Muscle-Tempering Stage to Early Tendon-Tempering in half a month? That spanned a major cultivation realm! Without pills, achieving this was near impossible.

It was Year 5 of the New Era. Earth’s humans did not yet possess pill refining knowledge, leaving medicinal plants – potential materials for pills – abundant everywhere.

Years later, the emergence of Alchemists would astonish humanity. They’d learn that most herbs could refine various pills, leading these plants to be renamed Spiritual Herbs. The pills made from them became known as Spiritual Pills.

Spiritual Pills ranged from Grade 1 to 9, each subdivided into low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade tiers, corresponding to Yuan Stones and Yuan Crystals.

Spiritual Herbs, however, weren’t graded; only distinguished by rarity.

The first Spiritual Pills didn’t appear on Earth for several more years. This meant Jiang Xincheng might actually be Earth’s first Alchemist right now! Even its highest-level one. In this field, he truly had no rivals.

In his past life, hampered by mediocre talent, Jiang Xincheng’s strength plateaued around his last twenty years. Consequently, he poured his energy into other pursuits.

During that time, he was the Ancient Guardian of the Shenxia Alliance’s leading family, the Xuanyan Family. Tasked with guarding their Scripture Library, he had unrestricted access to its vast collection.

That exposure granted him immense knowledge. Out of boredom, he also mastered Alchemy, reaching Grade 4 and capable of crafting high-grade Rank 4 pills. Had he dedicated more time to Alchemy, he might have advanced further, perhaps even reaching Grade 6.

Regardless, here in Year 5 of the New Era, Jiang Xincheng’s Alchemist skills were arguably the best. After all, there was no competition!

The willow leaves he collected now were intended for a simple Grade 1 low-grade Spiritual Pill: the Willow Essence Pill.

The willow tree itself was a Spiritual Herb, a relatively valuable one at that. It could be used to create Spiritual Pills that boosted Spiritual Sense.

Spiritual Sense forms within the mind, nurtured by Primordial Force. It’s similar to psychic power but more profound and potent – essentially, evolved psychic power.

Every Primordial Warrior cultivating Primordial Force develops Spiritual Sense. Strength and purity rise with increasing Primordial Force.

Current Earth Primordial Warriors mainly enhanced their Spiritual Sense by elevating their Primordial Force. They had no pills to refine for Spiritual Sense enhancement, nor had they devised techniques to cultivate it directly.

Pills that boosted Spiritual Sense wouldn’t emerge for decades. The first Spiritual Sense cultivation technique wouldn’t appear for several more years. So, in this endeavor too, Jiang Xincheng remained leagues ahead.

Spiritual Sense was immensely useful. Strong Spiritual Sense allowed a warrior to control their Primordial Force with precision, unleashing greater power. It enabled gauging an opponent’s strength, scouting surroundings, and detecting dangers early.

At sufficient levels, Spiritual Sense itself became a potent offensive weapon. Combat Techniques of Spiritual Sense were elusive and deadly – invisible, intangible attackers. Jiang Xincheng held several such Spiritual Sense Combat Techniques in his memory.

Unfortunately, his current Spiritual Sense level was too weak to practice them safely. Attempting them risked shattering his mind, reducing him to madness or idiocy.

Crucially, a stronger Spiritual Sense eased the process of breaking through bottlenecks. Robust Spiritual Sense ensured smooth management of Primordial Force during crucial barriers, enabling smooth ascension to higher realms.

To breach the Tendon-Tempering realm within mere fifteen days, Jiang Xincheng needed robust Spiritual Sense support. Furthermore, enhanced Spiritual Sense empowered him to refine more complex Primordial Force pills, accelerating his cultivation speed.

His decision was clear. Jiang Xincheng chose to refine Willow Essence Pills to fortify his Spiritual Sense Power.