21. Targeted

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"Upgrade my spiritual root immediately," Chen Fengyun exclaimed in delight. He then consumed ten attribute points, and an inexplicable energy erupted from his genetic makeup, sweeping swiftly through his entire body. The energy from the millennium jade marrow he had taken previously also surged forth, intertwining with the new force. The sensation was so comfortable that words failed to describe it.

"What? Above the Mortal grade is the Yellow grade, and my spiritual root has reached the peak of the Yellow grade? But what does the peak of the Yellow grade actually mean?" Chen Fengyun was momentarily stunned when he saw his spiritual root's new level.

"Mortal grade spiritual roots correspond to the Qi Refining stage. A Mortal grade root of the tenth tier can only advance to the tenth layer of Qi Refining. Yellow grade roots correspond to the Foundation Establishment stage, which is divided into initial, middle, late, and complete stages. Thus, a peak Yellow grade spiritual root aligns with the consummate level of Foundation Establishment." Unexpectedly, the cultivation system transmitted this message, imparting some basic common knowledge about cultivation.

"So, it means I can now cultivate smoothly up to the consummate Foundation Establishment stage. As long as I have enough attribute points, reaching that level will not be an issue." Chen Fengyun was overjoyed.

However, upon examining his cultivation technique, he felt a bit helpless. The current level of his technique was only Mortal grade, seventh tier, meaning he could only cultivate up to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. After that, he would have to upgrade his technique further.

According to his deductions, to improve the level of his cultivation technique, he would need to find other techniques, just as he had before, and use attribute points in conjunction to continue advancing its grade.

"It seems the path of cultivation is a long and arduous journey, not something that can be rushed nor achieved in a short period. Still, I suspect my cultivation speed is not slower than those ancient prodigies—after all, in less than half a year, I’ve already reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining."

He sighed, then encouraged himself with renewed confidence. The world was vast, and there were countless things he had yet to encounter, places he had yet to visit. As long as he persisted, there would be many more remarkable experiences awaiting him on the road to cultivation.

This time, obtaining the millennium jade marrow, gathering ten attribute points, and improving his aptitude—his spiritual root—to an entirely new grade, was a tremendous gain for Chen Fengyun, and he was genuinely delighted.

A few days later, when the results of the third diagnostic exam were released, not only was Rongcheng Fifth High School shaken, but all the high schools in Rongcheng were in an uproar—a student from a second-rate school had broken into the top fifty of the city’s liberal arts rankings.

Indeed, based on Chen Fengyun’s calculations, his score should place him within the city’s top fifty in liberal arts, and the final result was the forty-seventh spot, achieving his target and bringing even more surprises.

Inspired by him, the students of Fifth High School were naturally motivated, and students from Secondary School 268 also performed exceptionally. In this third diagnostic, five students from second-rate schools broke into the city's top one hundred.

Among them, two were in liberal arts, three in sciences; though aside from Chen Fengyun, the other four were near the bottom of the top hundred, their achievement nonetheless had a huge impact on several second-rate schools. Especially at Fifth High, where another science student made it to ninety-ninth place citywide, causing the school leaders and teachers to shed tears of joy.

Yet, Chen Fengyun himself felt little about it, as both his score and ranking were within his expectations. There was nothing to be surprised about, though making his parents happy and his teachers excited was a pleasant feeling.

What truly delighted Chen Fengyun was the weekly trip to the antique market on weekends. Even if he sometimes found nothing all day, the opportunity to familiarize himself with many antiques and learn about their histories was rewarding.

What Chen Fengyun did not realize, however, was that his behavior had already attracted the attention of some people in the antique market, as he had been frequenting all the markets recently.

As in any industry, there are always forces working behind the scenes. In the world of antiques, there existed two vast organizations in the north and south of China, known as the Southern and Northern Factions.

In essence, these two factions were rival tomb raiding syndicates, with lineages stretching back hundreds of years. Each possessed deep experience in grave robbing, targeting ancient tombs for lucrative gains.

The two factions were fundamentally irreconcilable: one dominated the southern provinces, the other ruled the north, with only a few provinces in the central region serving as a buffer zone.

The antique markets in the southern provinces were almost all controlled from the shadows by the Southern Faction’s tomb raiding masters. Though they were grave robbers, they did not act frequently—usually only once every year or two—earning their living mainly through the antique trade.

After all, there are only so many ancient tombs in China’s history; once robbed, they are gone. The Southern Faction thus emphasized sustainable development, leaving the major tombs for careful planning, committing to a heist only every few years, while the minor tombs could be raided more casually.

Despite Chen Fengyun’s youth, his weekly appearances at the antique market, always scrutinizing items in every shop but seldom buying anything, soon drew the attention of some keen observers.

"Second Master, we’ve been investigating him secretly. That kid has been showing up at the Wukuai Stone market since after the New Year, only on weekends. Each time, he visits different shops, inspecting every item as if searching for something," reported an underling.

"Has he purchased anything?" Second Master, a man with hawk-like eyes, around forty, his gaze sharp and oppressive, asked.

"At the Wukuai Stone market, he bought a piece of broken jade about this big, paid two hundred yuan. I spoke with the shop owner—he said it was a piece of unknown origin, left in the corner for years. He’d examined it many times, found nothing special. Since the kid had little money, he let it go cheap."

"Have you investigated his background?" Second Master pressed.

"We have. His name is Chen Fengyun, a senior in high school. His parents are ordinary people, no notable connections. Oh, and I heard from a shop owner at Wukuai Stone that he asked Chen Fengyun directly. The kid said he wanted to apply to the archaeology department of Beijing University, so he was taking the opportunity to get familiar with antiques."

"Why do I feel this kid is not so simple? Last weekend, I glanced at him from afar, and he immediately turned and looked back. Is his spiritual sense really that sensitive?" Second Master muttered to himself in confusion.

"Second Master, during our investigation, we found his academic performance is indeed impressive. Though he’s from Fifth High, in the previous exam he ranked in the city’s top hundred, and this time in the top fifty. He really might make it to Beijing University. Could it be that he’s simply here to broaden his knowledge?"

"For now, let everyone keep a closer eye on him. If he has no ulterior motives, let him be. If he wants to buy something, don’t rush to sell—bring it to me for inspection first," Second Master instructed after some thought.