Chapter 28: The First Breakthrough!
After drinking some water and resting for a while, Chen Fan noticed that everyone's attention had shifted away from him. He took a deep breath and clicked the plus sign next to his level.
Immediately, a powerful surge of heat erupted from his heart, enveloping his entire body as if he were submerged in a hot spring. All fatigue vanished instantly.
Within seconds, the heat dissipated.
Realm: None
Level: 4 (0/8)
Constitution: 19.55
Strength: 14.92
Agility: 10.41
Spirit: 6.65
Potential Points: 1 (1 point/day)
All attributes had increased by 10%. His constitution alone now approached twice that of an ordinary person.
With strength still below 15 points, using a 100-pound bow remained unrealistic—even the 80-pound one would be challenging. His agility was average, while his spirit attribute remained embarrassingly low.
"It’s a shame I can’t find any way to improve my spirit besides physical training," Chen Fan thought, glancing at his level.
Reaching level 5 required 8 potential points. With unrestrained eating, he could achieve this in a single day. Barring complications, he’d meet his goal today. He just needed to persist.
For the next several hours, he practiced archery alone.
His strengthened body performed noticeably better. The second quadruple shot left him less drained than before, though he still needed 15 minutes of rest. The third attempt required half an hour of recovery, his right arm trembling with exhaustion.
By dusk, as shadows lengthened, [Basic Archery] finally leveled up.
Relishing the dual boost to his constitution and strength, he was about to check his status panel when a message flashed in his mind:
[Constitution has reached 20 points. Proceed with breakthrough? Success rate: 100%]
"What?"
Chen Fan barely stifled a gasp, staring at the prompt. Though puzzled, the guaranteed success rate decided him. He selected Yes.
A crystalline snap echoed through his body, as though a barrier had shattered. The familiar heat flooded his veins again, accompanied by a faint itching sensation wherever it flowed—almost as if repairing damaged tissue.
When the heat faded moments later, he rushed to inspect his status:
Realm: Tempered Body (First Layer)
Level: 4 (0/8)
Constitution: 22.6
Strength: 17.51
Agility: 11.45
Spirit: 7.32
Potential Points: 1 (3 points/day)
"Just as I thought," Chen Fan exhaled, a smile spreading. He’d broken through.
Though his strength hadn’t yet reached 20 points, he could now comfortably wield an 80-pound bow and even manage the 100-pound one in a pinch. The breakthrough had granted another 10% boost to all attributes—equivalent to a free enhancement without spending potential points. The requirement? Merely reaching a threshold value in one attribute.
"To reach the Second Layer, I’ll likely need 30 constitution. Third Layer, 40? That seems achievable. But advancing to the Muscle Refining Realm after that... Will it demand dual attributes? No use worrying yet. One step at a time."
Emboldened, he resumed training.
That night, he continued practicing rapid shots with the 60-pound bow. At [Basic Archery] Level 4, a quadruple shot had yielded 5% proficiency. Now, it barely gave 3%. A risky quintuple shot boosted it to nearly 4%, but left him utterly spent.
Before leaving, he retrieved the 80-pound bow. Zhang Ren raised an eyebrow but didn’t object—Chen Fan’s progress made the choice reasonable. Compared to the 60-pound bow’s 200-meter maximum range (80-meter effective), this weapon could prove vital against dangerous beasts.
Zhao Feng, however, grew visibly tense.
The next morning, the hunting team regrouped at the village gate. Thanks to yesterday’s bounty, Chen Guodong had granted two extra hours of rest. The men now stood revitalized, eyes sharp with anticipation.
Chen Fan endured their praises uncomfortably. As a mere First Layer cultivator, he was a big fish in a small pond—compared to Zhao Family Fortress’ experts, he remained insignificant. More effort required, he resolved.
As the team filed out, the drawbridge creaked shut behind them.
"Hey!" A bald hunter slapped Chen Fan’s shoulder. "You’re spacing out, kid. Feeling sick? Just rest back at the village—yesterday’s haul can last days."
Others chimed in with concern. Even Chen Guodong glanced over warily.
"No, no," Chen Fan chuckled, shaking off his thoughts. "Just debating which bow to use later."
"Wait—you’re using the 80-pound now?!" The bald man gaped at the weapon on Chen Fan’s back. "I’d need to bust a gut to draw that thing!"
"Haven’t tested it yet," Chen Fan admitted. "But better prepared than not."
"True. Range is power," the man nodded. "The Wei brothers could nail prey at 150 meters with their 100-pounders."
"Which normal folks can’t even draw," another muttered.
"So what?" The bald man grinned. "Our Xiao Fan’ll get there. Kid’s a natural sharpshooter—never misses!"
Laughter erupted—but died abruptly when another group rounded the path ahead.
They carried ample game, including two massive beasts dragged on ropes. Cheerful banter echoed between them.
The atmosphere froze.
Chen Fan’s grip tightened on his bow. Could this be Li Family Village...?
