At the Minor Success Realm of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*, his Qi and Blood formed a self-sustaining cycle, doubling his refining efficiency. His body was like a constantly operating furnace, spontaneously absorbing and refining the Heaven and Earth Energy and the pure fire essence from the Earth Fire Marrow.

Furthermore, Xu Wuyi used C-Level Life Potions liberally, and with his "Body Furnace" trait, he boosted his absorption of their effects by over fifty percent...

The combination of these factors caused his Life Energy Level to begin climbing at an unprecedented speed.

His Qi and Blood snowballed, growing ever more immense. The lustrous glow of his bones intensified, and his internal organs, continuously nourished by his Qi and Blood, became increasingly resilient. His meridians widened, allowing them to carry a more torrential flow of Qi and Blood.

Inside the Cultivation Room, the glow of Qi and Blood surrounding Xu Wuyi grew more incandescent by the day. Within that dark red radiance, a golden gleam became increasingly distinct, even faintly carrying a trace of the unique, scorching essence of his Heart Fire.

With every breath, the air he stirred carried a searing heat.

「Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of April.」

In the underground Cultivation Room, Xu Wuyi slowly concluded his cultivation session, and the roiling Qi and Blood around him gradually subsided.

He opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed in the depths of his pupils before vanishing, like a spark in the dead of night.

[Life Energy Level: 29.0]

[Spiritual Strength: 28.1]

The top-of-the-line Virtual Pod accurately reported Xu Wuyi’s status.

[Martial Arts: Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace]

[Current Realm: Minor Achievement (1.6%)]

[Martial Arts Traits: Heart Fire (Nine-Turn)]

[Assessment: Furnace’s initial form achieved. Foundation reshaped.]

As his consciousness swept over the Martial Arts Diligence Record, a calm smile appeared on Xu Wuyi’s face. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

In a little under half a month, his mastery of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* hadn’t progressed quickly, increasing from only 0.9% to 1.6%. Cultivation at the Minor Achievement stage was clearly more difficult than at the Entry Level, requiring slow and steady effort.

Of course, it might also be because Xu Wuyi had yet to reach the Martial Master Stage; his Life Energy Level and Spiritual Strength were still somewhat lacking, so his cultivation efficiency was naturally low.

But the increase in his Life Energy Level was tangible.

From the slow progress right after breaking through Level 25 to his current rapid ascent to Level 29, this leap was enough to leave anyone aware of it speechless.

’He knew he had probably reclaimed his spot as the number one first-year.’

As far as he knew, Tana, who had previously been making the fastest progress, revealed during their last spar that her Life Energy Level was 28.4.

Meanwhile, Qin Rui, Zhao Qingwei, and the others were likely hovering around Level 28.

The profound foundation laid by the Nine Transitions of Heart Fire had completely erupted after he reached Minor Achievement, with astonishing results.

However, Xu Wuyi didn’t feel overly complacent.

He was well aware that this was just the payoff for his prior accumulation.

Qin Rui and Zhao Qingwei had powerful resources backing them. Once they truly mastered the Entry Level of their B-Level Body Refining Techniques, let alone reached Minor Achievement, they would catch up very quickly.

Besides, the higher their levels, the more they could utilize high-tier resources.

’The path of Martial Arts is like rowing upstream; you can’t relax for a single moment.’

He was just about to begin his daily Heart Fire Refining Spirit practice when his personal communicator began to vibrate urgently.

The name displayed on the screen was—Zhao Qingwei.

’A call at this time?’ Xu Wuyi wondered.

For the past month or so, the team hadn’t taken on many missions. For one thing, they had already earned a good number of points, and everyone needed time to consolidate their gains and prepare for next month’s Youth Martial Arts Tournament.

For another, the number of available missions had recently decreased, making competition fierce and making it difficult to land worthwhile assignments.

"Xu Wuyi," Zhao Qingwei’s voice came through, as cool and detached as ever, but she was speaking much faster than usual, her tone laced with gravity.

"Qingwei, what’s wrong?" Xu Wuyi replied.

"There’s an urgent, large-scale team mission," Zhao Qingwei said, getting straight to the point. "It’s at a large energy mine near Yuntai City. About three hours ago, the mine suffered a massive collapse."

"At first, it was believed to be a standard industrial accident, but the rescue teams and the initial Martial Artist squads on the scene discovered the root cause wasn’t geological. It was a newly appeared Star Realm Rift!"

Xu Wuyi’s gaze sharpened.

’A Star Realm Rift in a complex, underground environment like a mine would be far more troublesome to handle than one in an open area.’

Zhao Qingwei continued speaking rapidly, "According to the intel we’re receiving, the rift’s Energy Level isn’t low. More importantly, it seems a Great Commander Level Star Beast is driving them, causing a massive tide of Star Beasts to pour into the mining area."

"There’s an enormous number of them, at least between Level 28 and 29, and quite a few Star Beast Commanders at Level 30 or higher."

"The situation is critical. The mine’s internal structure is complex and the space is confined, so large-scale weapons are useless. We have to rely on Martial Artist squads to clear them out."

"More than ten squads have already responded to the call for support, but the central AI hasn’t canceled the mission posting after its assessment, which means they’re still severely short-handed."

"The mission is high-risk, but the point reward has been raised accordingly. I need to ask you all first: are you willing to go?"

After she finished, the line fell silent as she waited for Xu Wuyi’s answer.

A squad could only accept a mission with the unanimous consent of all its members; it wasn’t possible for some to go while others stayed behind.

An incomplete team would likely have tactical deficiencies and reduced combat effectiveness, a scenario the central AI would not approve.

Xu Wuyi barely hesitated.

"I’ll go," he said, his voice calm and firm. It wasn’t just for the generous point reward.

’As a Federation Martial Artist, it was his duty to protect the people and eliminate Star Beasts.’

"Good." Zhao Qingwei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her speech quickening. "The situation is urgent. I’ll contact the others. Let’s assemble at the Third Airport on the east side of the campus. We’ll board a large transport craft and depart as a group."

"Understood. I’m heading over now." Xu Wuyi ended the call and immediately got to his feet.

’If it really doesn’t pan out, I’ll just come back anyway.’

He quickly checked his personal gear: long spear, C-Level Life Potions, High-Energy Nutrient Paste, first-aid kit... He packed everything methodically into his tactical backpack.

Staring at his fully packed bag, Xu Wuyi took a deep breath. There wasn’t a trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, a sharp fighting spirit began to rise within him.

’A beast tide driven by a Commander-level Star Beast, hmm?’

’Perfect. I’ll test the might of my *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* at Minor Achievement on you!’

...

「Half an hour after the call ended. Star Martial University, East Side, Third Airport.」

The engines of a massive military transport craft emitted a low rumble. Its rear hatch stood open as a steady stream of fully-armed Martial Artist squads briskly boarded.

The air was thick with a grim and urgent tension.

When Xu Wuyi arrived, only Ding Haichuan and Li Hao were there.

"Wuyi, over here!" Ding Haichuan spotted him first and waved.

Xu Wuyi strode over, his gaze sweeping across his teammates.

He hadn’t seen them in nearly a month, and both of their auras felt much stronger than before. Clearly, neither had been slacking in their cultivation.

A few minutes later, the rest of the team had gathered.

"We’ve got the mission. Let’s move out!" Zhao Qingwei announced.