Chapter 3 - Divine Physician and the Struggle of Weight Loss

Two months Later,

Taizun City, Divine Pavilion

This esteemed establishment, known for its healing prowess, was where Chen Tianglong and Zhao Yumei went in the morning to seek answers.

Inside, they sat across from Divine Physician Thiem, a venerable master renowned throughout the region.

Thiem had served the city for decades, his knowledge of medicine and cultivation unmatched.

He was a cultivator at the eighth level of the Qi Condensing Realm, his prestige so great that not only Taizun but even the surrounding cities had heard of his virtues.

Ordinary people wouldn't be able to meet him in their lifetime; it was only because of the special status of this Taoist couple that he agreed to the meeting.

"Divine Physician Thiem," Tianglong began, his voice laden with concern, "our son, Shenghlei, has expressed a strong desire to lose weight and improve his physical condition. We've tried various methods, but he seems to struggle more than others."

Thiem nodded, his eyes thoughtful as he stroked his long white beard. "Yes, I have reviewed Shenghlei's condition extensively. His body is indeed unique, but not in a way that lends itself easily to the cultivation techniques favored by your family."

The Taoist couple was in a dilemma. For the last two months, Chen Shenghlei had shown determination in training and truly wanted to lose weight.

He would run whenever he had time, hoping it would improve his condition. Although he gained stamina, there were no visible physical changes.

Thus, the couple was disheartened, knowing their son's efforts were not bearing fruit.

Zhao Yumei leaned forward, her eyes with worry.

"Is there really no way to help him? He is so determined, but it seems the more he tries, the less progress he makes."

Thiem sighed deeply. "Chen Shenghlei's aptitude for cultivation is of the eighth grade. Because of this, he won't be able to master any technique I'll give him. So, no matter what, there is only little hope for him."

In this world, aptitude determined one's fate. The higher one's aptitude, the further they could progress on the path to immortality.

The Taoist couple possessed fourth and fifth-grade aptitudes, while their eldest son, Chen Zhen, had an impressive third-grade upper-level aptitude. With continued improvement, he could join any sect or perhaps even a holy land.

Sadly, Chen Shenghlei did not inherit the family's genes. Not only did his appearance differ, but his talent was also lacking, with only an eighth-grade spiritual aptitude.

The couple exchanged glances, their hearts heavy with disappointment. Tianglong spoke again, his voice tinged with resignation. "So, there is no high-level art that can assist him?"

"Not in the way you hope," Thiem replied gently. "He must follow a more traditional path—diet, exercise, and persistence. He needs to strengthen his body through mundane means before he can hope to achieve anything significant in cultivation."

"Of course, there is another way. Since both generals have served our city for long, obviously I would not disappoint you. So, you see, as long as he eats the heart of the shadow fox demon combined with my medicine, he might make significant improvement. Though, still, not much, as his physique is slightly different—let's say one in a million—but just don't know what it is..."

The Taoist couple was taken aback by this revelation. In the cultivation world, there were various demonic beasts graded in different classes such as bronze, gold, silver, platinum, diamond, legendary, destruction class, and chaos class.

Each class had three levels: lower, middle, and upper. The shadow fox demon was an upper-silver-class demonic beast, it's power comparable to a peak foundation establishment cultivator.

There was no chance they could hunt it themselves.

The situation seemed bleak for the Taoist couple. Even if they wanted to buy the heart of the shadow fox demon from the beast guild, the price wouldn't be low, costing at least more than 15,000 spirit stones.

Both of their monthly salaries combined were only 60 spirit stones, and even with the additional income from the family business, they could only muster up to 200 spirit stones at most.

With everyday expenses factored in, they simply didn't have such a large amount of money.

But now that the physician had shown them a way, Mother Zhao Yumei's eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Thank you, Master Divine. We will support him as best we can."

They rose and bowed to the old man in white robes, who returned the gesture solemnly. Soon, they paid 20 spirit stones as a fee for the consultation, and then they left the Divine Pavilion, planning for the future.

--

Chen family Villa,

IBack at the Chen villa, an air of tension and anticipation permeated the atmosphere. In the courtyard, Chen Shenghlei observed his brother, Chen Zhen, as he readied himself for a sparring match with Dao Cheng, a cultivator at the fifth level of the Qi Condensing Realm. Dao Cheng, who was also the brother of Dao Feng and served under their father's command, stood poised for the challenge.

Chen Zhen's stance was unwavering, his gaze steady and determined. With a swift motion, he unleashed the Chen family's renowned technique, the Thousand Violent Petals. A torrent of shimmering petals, pulsating with formidable qi, erupted around him, weaving a hypnotic yet lethal display.

With a swift motion, Chen Zhen launched the petals towards Dao Cheng. The petals moved like a storm, each one a tiny blade aimed to overwhelm. Dao Cheng, however, remained unfazed. He extended his aura, a barrier that deflected the oncoming attack effortlessly. "Not bad, young master Zhen," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Chen Shenghlei watched with admiration and frustration. The gap between him and his brother felt insurmountable. It was only because their family wasn't very old; both his parents were independent cultivators who fell in love and married. Otherwise, Chen Zhen's cultivation progress would have been more prodigious. Currently, at the age of 18, he was only at the 4th level of the Qi Condensing Realm.

Looking at the gorgeous weapon-like petals, Chen Shenghlei also wanted to learn the technique. But he knew that with his low aptitude, he would never be able to wield such techniques with the same ease.

But no matter how low his aptitude was, it was still better than ninth or tenth grade, so he had already reached the Body Tempering Realm, leaving the Innate Realm behind. In the Innate Realm, one could see qi fluctuations in the atmosphere and borrow qi from the natural surroundings, but the force value would be low.

Now, at the third layer of the Body Tempering Realm, his goal was to temper his body so that he could form solid sea qi when he reached the Qi Condensing Realm, allowing his meridians to facilitate the flow of qi easily.

"Looks like I have to lose weight first," he muttered to himself. He felt the weight of his inadequacies but also a burning determination to overcome them.

Chen Zhen narrowed his eyes, recognizing Dao Cheng's compliment as a challenge to push harder. He adjusted his stance and summoned more petals, each imbued with greater qi intensity. The whole courtyard filled with the colorful energy as he launched another assault.

Dao Cheng met the attack head-on, his movements fluid and precise. He parried each petal with minimal effort, just a flick of his hand, his experience and power evident in every motion.

"You have improved, Zhen...But remember, brute strength is not everything. You must also be sharp and cunning."

Chen Zhen nodded, determination etched on his face.

"Understood, Senior Dao Cheng." He shifted his strategy, combining his petals with sudden bursts of speed, trying to catch Dao Cheng off guard.

Despite the change in tactics, Dao Cheng remained a step ahead, violent red qi surrounding his body. He sidestepped hastily, blocked the attack by pushing a massive palm of qi, and countered with such finesse that it seemed he was anticipating Chen Zhen's every move. The sparring match was intense, showcasing the vast difference in experience, Cultivation level and skill gape between the two.

Chen Shenghlei watched intently, absorbing every detail. His brother's prowess was undeniable, but so was the challenge that lay before him. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination.

"If I can't rely on natural talent, I'll rely on hard work," he thought.

Of course, he also had other thoughts, such as stealing the protagonist's future chance. In the novel, Yu Shangrong didn't come here for a vacation; he was here after the inheritance left by the Lust Monarch, a quasi-emperor level powerhouse.

However, he didn't know the actual location, and to retrieve it, one must reach at least the third level of the Qi Condensing Realm. Soon, he gazed again at the small arena in their courtyard.

Soon...

The match concluded with Dao Cheng skillfully disarming Chen Zhen. As his sword dropped, the courtyard lapsed into silence. Chen Zhen bowed respectfully, conceding defeat. Dao Cheng smiled warmly and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

"You have great potential, Zhen. Keep honing your skills."

Chen Zhen turned to his younger brother, noticing his intense gaze.

"Shenghlei, I see you've started training seriously," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Chen Shenghlei nodded, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Of course, if I want to beat you, I need to work harder. I'll avenge all the wrongdoings I have suffered from you.

Although Chen Shenghlei wasn't a petty person, the suffering, emotional turmoil, and social death that the original owner had endured made him desire for Chen Zhen to taste the same. It didn't mean he hated his brother; rather, he was proud of him.

Chen Zhen's expression softened, and soon he burst into laughter at his younger brother's audacity. "Hahah... That's the spirit. Try to surpass me, Shenghlei, but no matter how hard you try, I'll always be one step ahead of you... because I'm your older brother."

Chen Shenghlei felt a swell of gratitude and determination.

"Thank you, brother. I won't let you down."

( End of this chapter)