"Twin Martial Soul!" Zhao Yixin instantly revealed a shocked expression, staring incredulously at the two Martial Souls in front of Zhao Letian.
At this moment, she finally understood where her son's confidence came from; not only had his Martial Soul remained undamaged, but he had acquired an additional Beast Martial Soul. This meant that not only could he recover his peak cultivation level, but he could also reach even higher and further.
"Mother, as you can see, this time I've turned a misfortune into a blessing. After that battle, not only have I not suffered any adverse effects, my aptitude has improved compared to before. To return to my peak cultivation, and even surpass Shentu Yu, is just a matter of time. So, believe in me, whether it's Shentu Yu, or those behind him from the City Lord Mansion and the Liu Family, I can handle it all," Zhao Letian said with a grin.
"Alright, Letian, since you already have a plan, mother will no longer interfere. However, if you encounter anything that you cannot handle, you must tell me," Zhao Yixin nodded and said with a relieved smile, noticing that her son had already begun to show the makings of a true man—taking care of his own matters is a necessary realization to become a strong person.
"Mother, I understand. If there's nothing else, I would like to return to my room to cultivate and prepare for tomorrow's family mid-year assessment," Zhao Letian suddenly said with a serious expression.
"Mid-year assessment? Letian, with your current cultivation level, it doesn't seem appropriate for you to participate in the mid-year assessment anymore. As far as I know, some of your peers have already advanced to Primordial Martial Ninth Realm, their cultivation levels are much higher than yours, and they have long been looking for an opportunity to suppress you. The assessment tomorrow is the perfect opportunity for them; if you go, you will surely be targeted," Zhao Yixin advised worriedly. "As the saying goes, a wise man does not eat losses in front of his face. Now that you have a second Martial Soul, just focus on cultivating; you will surpass them sooner or later, there's no need to compete with them for temporary superiority. If you are participating in the mid-year assessment because you need Primordial Stones, I still have some here, just take them."
"Mother, my participation in the mid-year assessment isn't for the sake of some Primordial Stones, nor is it to compete for the vain title of the Zhao Family's number one talent. But I must take part in this mid-year assessment," Zhao Letian shook his head and said firmly, "Mother, you might not be aware, but after the news from Galaxy Sect returned, the attitudes of our clan, even the people of Qingzhou City, towards us, mother and son, have changed considerably—whispers have started to spread again. The best way to shut them up is to prove everything with strength."
Zhao Letian didn't care about the so-called genius title; however, he cared about the impact that this genius title could bring to them, mother and son. As the saying goes, 'a mother's status is elevated by her son'. If he wore the halo of a genius, it would at least allow his mother to live more dignifiedly in front of others; on the contrary, if he bore the title of a failure, it would make it difficult for his mother to raise her head in public.
"Letian, since you've decided, then I won't say much. Just remember, mother doesn't care what others say, as long as you are safe and sound. So, just do your best in the assessment tomorrow, there's no need to force yourself for a high rank," Zhao Yixin said with a look of relief on her face. Note from the editor: Always check * for corrections.
"Mm, I understand," Zhao Letian smiled and nodded.
"That's good then, Letian, I still have three Mid-Grade Essence Stones here, take them first, they might help you recover your peak cultivation level sooner," Zhao Yixin said, wearing a kind smile, as she took out three chicken egg-sized, crystal-clear white crystal stones from her body and handed them to Zhao Letian.
"Mid-Grade Essence Stones!" Zhao Letian's eyes suddenly lit up, he quickly took them and grinned, "Thank you, Mother!"
For martial artists, Essence Stones are extremely beneficial; they contain vast and pure primordial energy that can be directly absorbed by martial artists to rapidly enhance their cultivation levels, and they also serve as a universal currency in the Martial Arts World, with a wide range of uses. Depending on the quality, they are categorized into Low-Grade Essence Stones, Mid-Grade Essence Stones, High-Grade Essence Stones, and Top-Grade Essence Stones.
These three Mid-Grade Essence Stones in Zhao Letian's hands could be exchanged for three hundred Low-Grade Essence Stones, which are extremely valuable.
"Silly child, why be so formal with mother? If it weren't for the large number of Essence Stones spent during the recent cultivation retreat, I could have given you a few more," Zhao Yixin shook her head and smiled.
"It's alright, Mother, these are enough for me," Zhao Letian was very contented. He knew that usually, Mid-Grade Essence Stones were used by True Martial Realm martial artists, and for someone at the Primordial Martial Realm like him, three stones would last a long time.
"Letian, you've traveled a long way to come back this time, you must be tired. Go get some rest, I won't keep you any longer." Zhao Yixin knew her son needed to prepare for tomorrow's assessment, so she didn't want to disturb him further.
"Alright, Mother, I'll go back now." Zhao Letian nodded, then bade farewell to his mother and headed to his own private courtyard in the house.
In the simple and clean room, Zhao Letian sat cross-legged, resting while pondering over the tomorrow's assessment.
"With my current cultivation level, even if I use all my abilities, it's still very difficult to defeat Zhao Lingshan who is at the Primordial Martial Ninth Realm. However, if I can make a breakthrough to the Primordial Martial Seventh Realm tonight and enter the ranks of high-level Primordial Martial, the situation will be different." Zhao Letian thought, then with a movement of his expression, he took out two Mid-Grade Essence Stones from his body, holding one in each hand, and began to cultivate the "Nine-Layered Xuan Armor Technique."
Immediately, the vast and pure Primordial Energy transformed into streams of white airflow, pouring out from the two Mid-Grade Essence Stones, all entering Zhao Letian's hands, then circulating through his meridians, simultaneously tempering his physical body and enhancing his cultivation level.
Even though the concentration of the Primordial Energy inside Zhao Mansion was nothing compared to that of the Galaxy Sect, with the help of the Mid-Grade Essence Stones, Zhao Letian's cultivation speed was now more than ten times faster than it had been in the Galaxy Sect.
Originally, even with the Twin Martial Soul that he possessed, it would have been impossible to break through from Primordial Martial Sixth Realm to Primordial Martial Seventh Realm in just one night, but with three Mid-Grade Essence Stones given by his mother, he could give it a try.
And if he could make it to the Primordial Martial Seventh Realm before the start of the mid-year assessment tomorrow, he had hopes of defending his past glory and giving those who planned to humiliate him a big surprise.
As time passed, the night quickly ended.
Today, although it was only the mid-year assessment of the Zhao Family, the entire Qingzhou City seemed unusually lively.
"Hmph! Zhao Letian, a waste who lost his genius aura, actually dared to cripple my son's cultivation. This clearly shows he doesn't put the Sun Family in his eyes. Come, follow me to the Zhao Family to demand justice!"
"Zhao Family's kid is back alive? Hmph! Lucky him, but, he dared to molest Miss of the Liu Family, this matter can't just be overlooked, come, follow me to the Zhao Family to demand justice!"
"That bastard Zhao Letian dared to publicly humiliate my son yesterday. I, Master Zhao, will definitely settle this account. Come, follow me to the Martial Arts Arena to find that bastard and settle the scores!"
"Tsk tsk, heard that Zhao Family's prodigy Zhao Letian was beaten until his cultivation fell, becoming a waste. Today's Zhao Family's mid-year assessment will definitely be very exciting, come, let's all go to the Zhao Family and watch!"
Almost simultaneously, people from different parts of Qingzhou City started heading towards Zhao Family Martial Arts Arena, all obviously drawn by the same person; Zhao Family's once prodigy, now a waste, Zhao Letian.