Shao Tianyi was deeply disappointed, but he knew exactly where his son's problem lay.
Shao Han possessed exceptional strength and had all the necessary qualifications to defeat Zhao Mu. However, compared to Zhao Mu, he lacked one crucial quality:
Conviction.
Back when Zhao Mu was only at Battle Rank 1, he had dared to challenge Shao Han in front of the entire Martial Training Middle School. Even knowing that he might lose, he never backed down.
Shao Han, on the other hand, was too cautious. He overthought everything and hesitated at critical moments.
If he could not overcome this mental barrier, he would never become a true powerhouse capable of standing on his own.
---
After finishing their meal at the Tulip Club, Zhao Mu and the others were escorted to a medicinal hot spring.
The spring was infused with numerous rare and precious medicinal herbs, filling the air with a soothing fragrance.
Meng Qiuqiu leaned back comfortably and said,
"With modern medical technology, even ordinary people can easily live past one hundred years old."
He paused before grinning.
"Of course, that only applies if you have enough money."
Lu Yan and Zhuo Yun listened with wide eyes, looking like country boys who had just entered a big city for the first time.
Only Zhao Mu paid little attention to the conversation.
Quietly, he took out the spirit source that Old Master Meng had gifted him and walked to a corner of the pool.
The spirit source came from an exotic beast with a Combat Level of 65.
The amount of spiritual energy contained within it was astonishing.
Zhao Mu intended to use it to break through to Battle Rank 6 in a single attempt.
Meng Qiuqiu nearly jumped out of the water.
"No way, Brother Mu! We're finally on vacation, and you're still training?"
Zhao Mu smiled.
"I'm free anyway. With such an excellent cultivation environment, it would be a waste not to make use of it."
As he spoke, he settled into the medicinal spring and slowly relaxed his body.
Then he activated the spirit source.
Turtle Breathing Technique — Proficiency Level: 456
The technique allowed Zhao Mu to enter a state of complete mental tranquility whenever he wished.
Whether cultivating, meditating, or absorbing spirit sources, it was nothing short of a divine skill.
Even in the middle of a crowded city, he could completely shut out external distractions.
Meng Qiuqiu and the others watched with envy.
Not only was Zhao Mu gifted, but his dedication was also frightening.
Closing his eyes, Zhao Mu circulated Spiritual Energy Rotation, which had already reached a proficiency level of 440.
A strand of spirit power emerged from his fingertips and gently connected with the spirit source.
Under his careful guidance, the energy contained within the exotic beast's heart flowed steadily into his body.
The spirit power traveled through all 365 spiritual meridians before finally converging in the spirit sea located within his forehead.
Again and again, the cycle repeated.
The foreign energy was gradually refined and transformed into Zhao Mu's own strength.
Because his mastery of Spiritual Energy Rotation was already exceptionally high, he could absorb nearly every bit of spirit power contained within the source.
Very little energy was wasted.
Most cultivators could only dream of such efficiency.
For example, someone like Shao Han could convert at most fifty percent of the energy contained within a spirit source. The remaining half would dissipate due to insufficient control and skill proficiency.
Meng Qiuqiu, Lu Yan, and Zhuo Yun remained unusually quiet.
They simply watched Zhao Mu cultivate.
Ten minutes later, the spirit source in his hand turned dull.
Every trace of energy within it had been absorbed.
A powerful aura erupted from Zhao Mu's body.
Without any surprises, he had successfully broken through to Battle Rank 6.
The three spectators stared at him with expressions filled with envy and disbelief.
Among them, Zhuo Yun felt the strongest emotions.
He was still stuck at Battle Rank 5 and could only watch as Zhao Mu steadily pulled farther and farther ahead.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he finally asked,
"Zhao Mu, you've used spirit sources to increase your Combat Level several times now. Why doesn't your foundation seem unstable at all?"
Meng Qiuqiu and Lu Yan immediately perked up their ears.
This was valuable cultivation knowledge.
Zhao Mu did not hide the answer.
"Because I've invested a huge amount of time into improving my control over spirit power."
With a wave of his hand, the familiar figure of the Demon Clown appeared beside him.
"My ability allows me to increase the proficiency of my skills through constant practice."
"And once a skill's proficiency increases, it never decreases."
The three immediately understood.
Zhao Mu continued,
"In terms of spirit power control, I possess what would normally take other people anywhere from one to several years to achieve."
"Most people make mistakes, encounter bottlenecks, or even regress during training."
"I don't."
Of course, Zhao Mu deliberately concealed the most important secret.
His proficiency could increase endlessly.
If news of that ability ever leaked out, it would attract unimaginable attention and potentially place him in grave danger.
Fortunately, the explanation he provided was reasonable enough.
The others showed admiration, but not excessive jealousy.
After all, from their perspective, Zhao Mu's ability was mainly useful for strengthening one's foundation.
"No wonder your foundation is so solid."
Lu Yan shook his head in amazement.
"Your control over spirit power is on a completely different level from ours."
Zhuo Yun looked at Zhao Mu with bright eyes.
"Brother Zhao, could you teach me sometime in the future? Honestly, I feel like you could explain cultivation better than the instructors at Qingfeng Camp."
Zhao Mu laughed.
"Of course."
"If you ever run into problems, feel free to ask."
The four of them spent nearly every day together.
What was rare was that they genuinely got along well.
After a month of training and traveling together, they had become close friends.
Zhao Mu was naturally happy to help them improve.
During the day, they followed Meng Qiuqiu around Qingzhou, exploring famous attractions and enjoying local delicacies.
At night, they returned to the Meng Family estate.
Around this time, Meng Qiuqiu's father, Meng Fugui—the Third Master of the Meng Family—also returned home.
As a welcoming gift, each of the guests, including Zhao Mu, received a universal bank card issued by the Empire Bank.
Only after visiting the Meng Family did Zhao Mu truly understand what it meant to be wealthy.
Back in Garden Town, there had been a family that everyone considered incredibly rich.
They owned a freight company, drove luxury vehicles worth millions, and lived in a five-story villa.
As a child, Zhao Mu had believed that such people would never have to worry about money for the rest of their lives.
But compared to the Meng Family, that level of wealth was insignificant.
The difference was like comparing a puddle to an ocean.
While eating dinner, Zhao Mu secretly observed Meng Fugui.
The man always wore a friendly smile and seemed completely devoted to making money.
A thought gradually formed in Zhao Mu's mind.
Money was power.
With enough wealth, even powerful Spirit Power Users would willingly work for you.
At present, Zhao Mu was merely a Fanged-Rank Ability User and a First-Level Jinhai Master.
The materials required to increase both his Combat Level and Jinhai Master rank were becoming increasingly expensive.
His savings were already being stretched thin.
Yet for a family like the Mengs, such expenses were practically insignificant.
If Zhao Mu wanted to continue growing stronger, he would need far more resources.
And to obtain those resources, he needed to learn how to make money.
Having made up his mind, Zhao Mu put down his chopsticks.
"Uncle Meng, Auntie, may I ask something?"
Meng Fugui nodded.
"Of course."
"I heard that the Meng Family is also involved in the ember remains business. Is it very profitable?"
Meng Fugui had already heard from Meng Qiuqiu about Zhao Mu's talent regarding ember remains.
Therefore, he smiled and answered honestly.
"The gross revenue is impressive."
He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"But after accounting for all expenses, the actual profit margin is only around ten percent."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)