Chapter 42
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Chapter 42: The Substitute Paper Figure About to Advance
“How many bowls could I devour at full power—thirty? Fifty? Eighty?”
The answer came swiftly.
As his cultivation methods improved, his body transformed. But before Mu Lin could savor his triumph, primal hunger clawed its way up from his gut.
Energy never lies—body refinement demanded equal payment.
Normally, reaching Level 3 Mastery in the Black Water Mystic Serpent’s transformation method would push one’s magical cultivation to awakening’s peak.
With such abundant energy reserves, starvation wouldn’t plague him.
Yet Mu Lin defied norms—his cultivation methods outran his actual Cultivation by leagues.
This imbalance drained his magical power dry, leaving his transformed body energy-starved.
Panicking, Mu Lin bolted to the cafeteria.
He attacked the Spirit Rice like a rat in a grain silo—one bowl, five, ten, eighteen gulped down in minutes. The kitchen staff gaped as his frenzy suggested this was mere preamble.
The kitchen manager’s face darkened. Each “Spirit”-labeled grain cost coins, and Taoist Palace rules forced him to feed B-grade capable persons gratis. Mu Lin’s feast bled his coffers.
Still, the manager stayed silent. Not from merchant’s honor—Mu Lin’s rumors had worked. All knew the boy now “had backing,” and no sane man crossed Teacher Dongfang Ya for rice.
Unknown to Mu Lin, his gluttony revealed another truth.
“So this is why Teacher Dongfang favors him,” the manager muttered. “Send extra dishes.”
Among the extraordinary, appetite meant fortune. Mortals ballooned from excess—cultivators craved every scrap. Mu Lin’s bottomless gut hinted at dual energy sources: spiritual absorption plus metabolic might. Such talent deserved nurture.
‘Now I see.’
Smugly “deciphering” Teacher Dongfang’s interest, the manager tossed Mu Lin complimentary dishes—cheap investment in a rising star.
Mu Lin never expected this situation. When the dishes appeared before him, he froze in confusion.
“I didn’t order…”
“Young Master Mu, these are compliments of the kitchen overseer.”
“……”
The words left Mu Lin silent. After a pause, he clasped his hands toward the kitchen direction in acknowledgment and dug in without hesitation.
“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept.”
The spirit-infused dishes made the meal thoroughly enjoyable.
This feast lasted as long as an incense stick takes to burn.
By the end, Mu Lin had consumed forty-nine bowls of white rice—merely his current limit.
He sensed his stomach’s evolution was incomplete due to lacking energy and magic. Now replenished, the organ resumed its development.
“Once fully evolved, eighty-one bowls per meal won’t be impossible… Thankfully, serpents don’t eat daily. Some pythons feast once every four months.”
“My energy needs are higher due to hibernation growth, injury recovery, and absorbing the Vitality of the Living. Still, one meal sustains me two or three days.”
Satiated, Mu Lin returned to the Formal Class training grounds.
En route, he opened his Attribute Panel to inspect his upgraded Black Water Mystic Serpent’s Transformation Technique:
【Black Water Mystic Serpent’s Transformation Technique (Earth-level Lower Tier), Level 3 Mastery (1/8100). Traits: Black Water Scales, Hibernation, Snake Swallowing Elephant, Water Control, Rain Summoning, Swallowing Clouds and Puffing Fog, Cloud-Stepping (Black Mist)】
Progressing from Level 2 to 3 meant his serpent cultivation had matured from infancy to adolescence.
Thus, the technique’s traits strengthened quantitatively without qualitative leaps.
“True metamorphosis comes when the serpent becomes an Ink Dragon—a transformation reserved for Level 4 or 5. That’s beyond my reach for now.”
Closing his eyes, Mu Lin assessed himself. Beyond enhanced traits, he found another critical change:
His cultivation ceiling had shattered.
Mortals hit biological limits. Without cultivation, no effort can push past those bounds—much like athletic records in his past life.
This world offered more possibilities, yet all beings faced natural caps. At Level 2 cultivation, his peak was Awakening’s zenith. Without breakthroughs or miracles, advancing to Spring Fountain Realm was impossible.
Now, that barrier crumbled. Level 3 cultivation raised his limit to Spirit Pool Realm. Simply put, progressing from early Awakening to Spirit Pool required only accumulating enough magic and physical strength.
“Scions of ancient clans gulp Rare Resources to skyrocket their cultivation post-breakthrough. I’ve only six drops of Black Water Mystic Serpent vital blood from Teacher Dongfang Ya. My path is slow grinding.”
Worse, his third-tier Spiritual Roots Talent meant mediocre spiritual energy affinity. Progress through Hard Practice would crawl.
Hence, while ceiling-breaking mattered greatly to “others,” it remained irrelevant to him currently.
“No matter. This breakthrough benefits me regardless.”
……
Two cultivation methods targeted today. The serpent technique succeeded. Next was his Substitute Paper Figure, honed through relentless effort:
【Substitute Paper Figure (Inherent Spell), Level 2 Proficiency (802/810). Traits: Clone Illusion, Injury Transfer】
“Eight points left…”
