Chapter Thirty-Six: Journeying Further

The amount of divine power a cultivator can hold within is limited, much like pouring water into a bottle—once it’s full, any excess simply spills out. For most cultivators, the only way to accommodate more divine power is by advancing their cultivation level: when one bottle is full, add another.

Yet Lin Lei had a better method—or, to be precise, a costlier one. Instead of leveling up, he could directly enlarge the size of his existing bottle, allowing it to contain more divine power. The Vast Sea Pill, priced at fifty contribution points each, could be taken long-term, enabling each cultivation level to reach the maximum divine power capacity possible.

Ordinary players’ divine power bottles are mass-produced, but high-end players who use the Vast Sea Pill have theirs custom-made. When it comes to a real fight, who at the same level could withstand that? “This is pretty good. Give me ten pills to start,” Lin Lei said, making a lavish purchase.

According to the Encyclopedia of Cultivators, this pill is a rare commodity even on stronger cultivation planets, usually reserved for direct disciples of major sects. If one could get a pill per cultivation level, it would be considered the mark of an especially wealthy sect.

But to truly reach the limit, a single pill is far from enough. Statistics show that in the early awakening stage, one needs a pill daily for about ten days before the sea of qi stops expanding. Afterward, one must either open a new sea of qi to absorb more divine power or compress the divine power and ascend to the next level.

Since Lin Lei had chosen the path of the strongest, he would accept no weaknesses at any level. One 288-point package, plus 500 points for Vast Sea Pills, and another 20 points for a No. 1 Source Recovery Pill (instantly restores divine power at the awakening stage)—for just the early awakening stage, Lin Lei spent a total of 808 contribution points.

And that was only the beginning, for as he calmed himself, he discovered that in the real world, he could not absorb any divine power whatsoever. In other words, in reality, he could not cultivate at all; even replenishing divine power had to rely on pills.

Because he still needed to take the Vast Sea Pills and wanted to avoid wasting them, Lin Lei decided to save the Source Recovery Pill and only use it to restore his state before entering the next world. Thus, whatever innate ability he had awakened would only be revealed in the next world.

He exchanged ten points for some small items, and when he checked his balance, he found just 255 points remaining.

“System, proceed with the final settlement.”

“Host, are you sure you wish to proceed with final settlement now?”

“Yes, I’m sure!”

Deducting all debts incurred during the recent assignment, the host’s net profit is 455 contribution points (including sixty-two tons of Black Iron Ore). Status: profitable. Credit rating upgraded. Profit tax due: 23 contribution points. Would you like to deduct from points or from part of the Black Iron Ore?

“Just deduct the points!” Lin Lei calculated; after paying the tax, he still had enough left for a ticket to a primary world barrier. As for the Black Iron Ore, it was an appreciating fixed asset—he wouldn’t trade it lightly.

Now, in terms of technology, he had the Lone Walker Exoskeleton Armor, the TMV Tactical Rifle, the Laser Greatsword, and his personal strength was nearly at the level of a Stage Four Evolver. In a mere primary world, there shouldn’t be much left to spend money on.

After redeeming supplies and completing the final settlement, Lin Lei’s stamina gradually recovered. He pushed himself up from the floor and stood up in one swift motion.

“Whoa! My reflexes are insanely sharp!” Unused to the sudden surge in strength, Lin Lei couldn’t help but marvel.

With just his body alone, Lin Lei could easily break world records in athletics, weightlifting, boxing—and many more events.

“If I ever truly run short of cash, I could just win a few gold medals for fun,” Lin Lei mused.

But the most pressing matter now was to bathe and change clothes. After forcibly purifying his body, a mass of toxins had been expelled—black, sticky, and foul, rivaling sludge from the sewers.

He had just showered less than an hour ago, but now he needed another. As for his clothes, even if they were virus-free, Lin Lei chose to burn them, the stench so overpowering that it might linger in the washing machine—he’d probably have to throw the machine out, too.

This time, he used nearly half a bottle of shower gel before finally ridding himself of the odor.

After bathing and cleaning the floor, Lin Lei prepared to head out for a meal to reward himself.

As he changed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the dressing table mirror and was surprised to discover he had abs once again.

Though his fair skin made the abs look somewhat artificial, they were real—his belly was gone, and even the fat on his face had shrunk.

“This is even better than slimming my face with effects!” For the first time, Lin Lei felt that the young man in the mirror truly looked handsome.

To celebrate, he shaved his beard clean, planning to get a thirty-yuan premium haircut when he went out, completing his transformation.

His body now noticeably slimmer, his clothes hung loose, but fortunately, Lin Lei had mostly stayed at home, preferring loose, casual wear. And being a guy, no matter how ugly the clothes, it was never too embarrassing to wear them out.

Early spring brought gloomy weather, and today was no exception. There had been a light rain in the morning, so few pedestrians were out.

After all, in a small, third- or fourth-tier county just after the New Year, most people had gone off to work elsewhere—how many would be out strolling?

Stepping outside, turning right, and walking about twenty meters brought him to the main street. Across from him was the county’s top high school—his alma mater. Because his home was nearby, most of the shops around sold stationery and snacks.

Previously, Lin Lei would have simply picked a random shop to eat at.

But today, he would have to go farther, since there were no barbers nearby—or perhaps there were, but Lin Lei had never explored this street carefully.

The barbershop he intended to visit was a bit farther away, a familiar place he frequented. Typical of a homebody, he had set his destination before leaving, never caring about the scenery along the way.

“Frequent” was an exaggeration—over three years, he’d been there just six times, with the shop changing owners four times. The price had risen from a ten-yuan wash-cut-blow to thirty today.

Entering the shop, he found the owner hadn’t changed—it was the same one as last time. The price list still showed thirty yuan for a wash, cut, and blow, and Lin Lei felt a bit empty inside.

Perhaps he’d grown accustomed to some surprise each visit, and this time, nothing had changed.

But it made sense—he’d gotten his hair cut at the end of the year, and this trip was a spontaneous decision. Just two months had passed; the owner wouldn’t have moved on yet.

He had the barber cut a distinctive crew cut, which elevated his entire aura.

Leaving the shop, Lin Lei pondered whether to eat near the school or continue wandering.

In truth, for three years, the farthest he ever went when out was this barbershop. That’s why he insisted on coming here for every haircut, why he remembered each owner, and whether the price had changed.

He wanted to go farther, but lacked the reason to do so.

“Maybe this time, I’ll go a bit farther—to the pedestrian street. When I was little, Dad often took me there for meals. I remember there was a place called Cao’s Barbecue that was pretty good!” After much thought, Lin Lei decided to keep moving forward.