CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37 TREATMENT

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

"Who..." Ren Xingwu instinctively asked.

"One of the Five Emperors, the Flame Emperor from the south!"

"HISS..."

Such things would not have been deliberately conveyed to Ren Xingwu in the past. Therefore, even as a seasoned warrior, the fire of gossip within him blazed fiercely. This was especially true when it concerned the Five Emperors, which caused his eyes to sparkle with excitement.

"Are you suggesting that Wang Lan is the first to successfully cultivate the Phoenix Form after the Flame Emperor?"

"You’re overthinking it!" Wu Changfeng looked disdainfully at Ren Xingwu. "The Phoenix Form is a top-tier Star Martial Skill. Learning a bit of it and mastering it are completely different concepts. The Phoenix Form has three transformations, and only the Flame Emperor could truly execute all three. Others can only exhibit some superficial aspects of it."

"Even so, just the superficial aspects of the Phoenix Form are terrifyingly powerful. What I’m more concerned about is how Wang Lan, a Starlight Stage Star Martial Warrior, learned the Phoenix Form. And how someone with his background even had the chance to learn it."

"This... I haven’t investigated yet. Preliminary information shows that he grew up in a single-parent family. His mother, Wang Ling, was a Star Martial Warrior, but she died on a mission when Wang Lan was very young. His father has always been a blank."

"That’s precisely the issue. Born into such an ordinary family, it’s impossible to come into contact with a top-tier Star Martial Skill like the Phoenix Form. Moreover, as far as I know, the conditions for learning the Phoenix Form are extremely harsh. Firstly, it requires immense physical strength. The body must be trained to be as resilient as refined steel to endure the erosive fire-attribute power of the Phoenix Form. It’s an extremely violent force, demanding meticulous control over physical strength and Star Power down to the finest detail. One slight misstep, and the fire-attribute Star Power will erupt into flames, burning the body to ashes. The second requirement is a pure fire constitution; one must refine their fire-attribute affinity to over ninety-eight percent."

"That’s why the Phoenix Form is classified as a forbidden technique. One must meet the conditions and receive permission to cultivate it. This Wang Lan... his background is definitely not ordinary, and he must be a genius among geniuses."

"Yeah, I agree on that. Just based on his medical abilities, he’s definitely the most incredible Medical Star Martial Warrior I’ve ever seen."

"What did you say?" Wu Changfeng spun around abruptly, staring at Ren Xingwu.

"Medical Attribute? You’re saying he knows Medical Star Martial Skills?"

"I don’t know if it’s a Star Martial Skill or not, but he just presses his hand on our wounds, and after a short while, they heal without even leaving scars. During our squad’s recent encounter with the Demon Soldiers, every one of us was treated by Wang Lan at least three times. In just ten to twenty seconds, injuries that looked fatal were completely healed, like a full recovery. I’ve seen Medical Star Martial Warriors in the military, but none possess such potent healing abilities. Old Wu, why don’t we try to recruit Wang Lan?"

"Hmm..." Wu Changfeng pondered for a moment. "Forget about poaching him. He’s just in high school. He still has one year of high school and then four years of university before he can even enlist. Even after he graduates from university, it’s uncertain if he’ll join the military. And even if he does, what makes you so sure he’d choose our Southeast Military Region?"

"As long as you wield your pickaxe well, no wall is unbreachable. If we handle it right, he’s sure to consider the Southeast Military Region. Once he’s in the Southeast Military Region, he’ll be ours for the taking, a prize for our Martial Arts Corps, right?"

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Notify all company and platoon leaders, as well as the special operations group leaders, for a meeting!"

"Yes, sir!"

Wang Lan didn’t know how long he had slept. The side effects of using the Phoenix Form this time, although not as intense as the last, felt like a much heavier burden on his body.

Slowly waking, Wang Lan didn’t immediately open his eyes. Instead, he immersed himself in the system to check his current status.

Indeed, the Phoenix Form is in cooldown. The remaining time is twenty-two hours. This means I was unconscious for two hours.

Ugh... It seems the feeling that the discomfort wasn’t as intense was just an illusion. Last time, I only used the Phoenix Form for five seconds, and the feeling of being completely drained lasted for two hours before subsiding. But this time... it wasn’t that it was less severe; I just passed out completely! I’ve been unconscious for two hours, and the discomfort is still this strong? Thinking of this, Wang Lan couldn’t help but shiver. If I hadn’t passed out earlier, what kind of living hell would that have been? Damn it! Never again! I swear, I’m never using it again, not even if it means dying!

I still have fifty skill points left... Recalling when I had over a thousand skill points, feeling like an absolute tycoon, now seems like a distant dream from a bygone era.

Of course, spending nine hundred skill points on the healing skill was worth it. The healing skill can treat others; its value is far greater than my own life. To put it bluntly, my one hundred and thirty pounds of flesh are just a bonus that comes with the healing skill.

With the remaining fifty points, Wang Lan decisively added one point to each of his nine Bronze-rank skills.

Instantly:

Basic Combat, Silver LV1 (0/100)

Movement Technique, Silver LV1 (0/100)

Close Combat Sword Skill, Silver LV1 (0/100)

Inch Strength Fist, Silver LV1 (0/100)

All silver-ranked skills. They look amazing.

And it wasn’t just about looking good. In that instant, Wang Lan felt as if he had traversed eons. That momentary enlightenment was like an ascension of the soul from the flesh.

Recalling his previous combat skills and fighting prowess, it felt like a third-grader looking back at their first-grade exam papers. Damn, I could ace this kind of test with my eyes closed! Impossible, how could I have made such elementary mistakes? No, that definitely wasn’t me! Anyway, at this moment, Wang Lan utterly despised his former self. Bronze is bronze, after all. I was so complacent before. In the eyes of a true master, my past self was just a joke.

Although Wang Lan was still light-years away from becoming a true master, it didn’t stop him from adopting a master’s perspective to reflect on his previous shortcomings.

"Awake?" a voice, cold yet not without a hint of tenderness, sounded.

Groggy, he opened his eyes to find a graceful figure emitting a faint fragrance sitting by his bed.

Jiang Xinyu had changed out of her combat suit, yet she still wore armor on her chest—the Medical Stabilizing Armor. A moon-white mask, devoid of any pattern or design, was worn sideways, and a pair of beautiful eyes looked at Wang Lan through its eyeholes.

"Have you been taking care of me all this time?" Wang Lan struggled to sit up. Although his limbs still felt a little weak, he wasn’t paralyzed.

"Yeah! Don’t get me wrong. Those two young masters are always being served. At least I have experience taking care of Xincheng..."

"Actually, you don’t need to explain anything." Wang Lan’s eyebrows twitched slightly. "Take off the mask. Let me see!"

"No, it’s ugly! We’ll be able to leave soon. Once we’re out, I’ll find a Medical Star Martial Warrior to treat me. This level of injury isn’t a problem; it’ll heal. Don’t worry about it."

"Don’t waste the money. I’ve broken through to the Star Shine Stage."

"Really?" Jiang Xinyu’s eyes suddenly lit up. "That fast? How... how did you do it?"

Even Jiang Xinyu, a genius in her own right, found it incredible, almost incomprehensible. Wang Lan’s growth rate was enough to make him tower over his peers. But Wang Lan knew his own situation.

My leveling speed is somewhat predictable. The experience points needed in the Starlight Stage started at one hundred, and by Starlight Nine, it required one thousand points. However, starting from the Star Shine Stage, my initial experience requirement was ten thousand. I doubt going from Star Shine Two to Star Shine Three will only be eleven thousand; it’ll definitely be twenty thousand at the very least. Following this pattern, leveling up through the entire Star Shine Stage will require five hundred fifty thousand experience points. How long would it take to earn that much? Even if I could, what about the Star Cloud Stage? Five million five hundred thousand?

The system appears generous, giving me hope for continuous progress. But the massive amount of experience and skill points required for leveling up is also a deeply felt, daunting limitation. No wonder some people spend their entire lives stuck in the Star Shine Stage. The slightly better ones might break through to the Star Cloud Stage and barely avoid being cannon fodder. Above the Galaxy Stage, only a handful, as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, remain. I really wish the system was like those Greedy Wolf web games, where killing a single monster grants hundreds of thousands of experience points. Unfortunately, this system is very serious.

"Let’s not talk about how I did it for now... What I want to say is, I think my innate Star Martial Skill evolved after my breakthrough. It can not only heal myself but can also heal others."

"Really?" Jiang Xinyu exclaimed excitedly, her voice a mix of joy for her own potential recovery and for Wang Lan awakening what seemed to be a true Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior talent.

Wang Lan reached out and removed Jiang Xinyu’s mask.

Half of her face was covered in ghastly blood blisters, and the entire side was swollen. No wonder Jiang Xinyu wore a mask—even Wang Lan found the sight hard to bear.

His hand slowly touched Jiang Xinyu’s injured cheek. Suddenly, Jiang Xinyu flinched.

"HISS! It hurts!"

"Okay, I’ll be gentle. I’ll try not to hurt you."

Wang Lan knew that to allow the healing skill to thoroughly channel into the target’s body, he needed to press his palm firmly against the injured area. Since it was already injured, being pressed like that would naturally be very painful. Back at the Demon Clan base, when Wang Lan was treating the members of Ren Xingwu’s squad, even those tough-as-nails fighters had tears welling up from the pain. Wang Lan understood.

Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu had just reached the doorway of the room when they suddenly heard these two sentences. The motion of opening the door froze instantly, their faces stiffening as if turning to stone.

Wang Lan gently placed his palm on Jiang Xinyu’s cheek. A warm energy rose from his palm, penetrating her skin and awakening her cells. The pain vanished instantly, and her entire cheek felt warm and soothed, as if she were basking in a hot spring.

Feeling so comfortable, Jiang Xinyu couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

"Mmm..."

The moment the moan sounded, Xu Xiangwen felt his hair stand on end. He stiffly turned his neck, giving Gong Feiyu a questioning look.

Gong Feiyu also wore a peculiar expression, silently shaking his head, then nodding.

"How is it? Not painful anymore, right? If it doesn’t hurt, I’m going to apply more pressure..."

As he spoke, Wang Lan pressed his hand firmly against Jiang Xinyu’s cheek, his entire palm completely covering the injured area. Star Power surged, and a hazy white light could faintly be seen emanating from his palm.

The blood blisters on Jiang Xinyu’s face gradually darkened, and her skin visibly began to stiffen. After about a dozen seconds or so, the injured part of her cheek hardened, resembling a dry, scab-like layer.

Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu quietly slipped away, their retreating figures looking utterly dejected.

"Old Gong!"

Startled, Gong Feiyu leaped away from Xu Xiangwen, his eyes wide with alarm as he watched him warily.

"Xiangwen, we should have seen Lanzi and Xinyu getting to this point. Though it’s a bit sudden, surely you’re not so shocked that you’re... questioning your preferences, are you?"

"I..." Xu Xiangwen also realized that the way he had just called out was somewhat inappropriate. "No, no! Your surname is Gong! I wasn’t implying... *that*! Don’t get me wrong... What I mean is, from now on, it’ll just be the two of us single guys left. They’re bound to start flaunting their affection all the time, and we need to stay strong."

"You’re the one who needs to stay strong. I’m actually fine. That freshman girl from school has been after me for ages. If I can’t take it anymore, I might just give in to her. As for you... you’re too much of a playboy, always fooling around. If you want to find someone, you’ll have to completely turn over a new leaf, which might be tough for you."

"Get lost! How could you give in so easily? Don’t you believe I’ll go out and have a talk with that girl? Sigh! How did they get to this stage so quickly? Just a little while ago... and now this! Here in the trial area, in the garrison’s break room... Unbelievable..."

"Wait, someone’s coming! Not good, we need to guard the door!" Xu Xiangwen suddenly exclaimed.