Looking at the rewards, Shen Ping's pupils suddenly contracted.
Offspring were very important for a family's development, so he had expected rewards related to his blade techniques and body movement skills. However, he hadn't anticipated a cultivation resource like Dragon Blood as a reward for the birth of a bloodline.
This was definitely an unexpected delight.
After recovering from his initial shock, excitement once again surfaced on his face.
The appearance of Dragon Blood meant the rewards weren't limited to just blade techniques and body movement skills. This was undoubtedly crucial. After all, blade techniques and body movement skills could only improve Shen Ping's combat strength based on his existing foundation. Cultivation resources, however, could drastically enhance his physical attributes in a short period, causing his overall strength to surge.
Like the Dragon Blood this time, martial artists' physical fitness would double after using it; the lower their strength before use, the greater the increase.
Shen Ping, from August last year to now, had improved his punching strength to around 18,000 kg through daily training. If he used Dragon Blood, he would likely reach over 36,000 kg. This was the physical fitness of a high-level war general. Combining that with the fourth level of the Ninefold Thunderblade, his combat strength would truly enter the War God level.
Thinking of this.
He couldn't wait to return to his villa in the district to use the Dragon Blood immediately and see its effects. However, he quickly suppressed this impulse. His wife had just given birth and needed careful care; how could he leave at this time?
Li Yuewei, lying on the hospital bed, saw the expression on Shen Ping's face, and her smile grew even wider. She could tell that her husband was genuinely happy.
After staying for half a month postpartum.
Shen Ping and his wife went through the discharge procedures.
They returned to the villa in the district.
He had his father-in-law and mother-in-law move in from their place, mainly to make it easier to care for his wife and child.
The originally somewhat quiet villa immediately became lively. Every day, he could hear the child's bright cries. At first, Shen Ping wasn't used to it, and his cultivation was always distracted by the sounds, but he gradually got used to it.
He stayed at home for a full six days.
Then, he began to claim the rewards from the virtual frame.
Swish.
A test tube containing a golden liquid immediately appeared in his palm. The test tube was sealed with a stopper, and the liquid inside occupied more than a third of the volume.
Shen Ping knew how to use the Dragon Blood. He only needed to apply the golden liquid to a part of his body. The golden liquid was very viscous. He lay flat on the ground, pulled out the stopper, and applied it to his chest.
Not long after.
The area where he applied the Dragon Blood began to heat up, indicating it was taking effect.
Just like when Luo Feng used it, a wave of heat surged from his chest into his body, flowing through his blood to his limbs. A searing pain then spread throughout his body, piercing into his very bones. In an instant, Shen Ping's muscles twitched, his heart raced, and his blood flow accelerated.
He lost consciousness.
Yet, the effects continued.
Simultaneously, his bones, muscles, and internal organs underwent a rapid transformation. The genes within his cells fractured and reorganized, making his muscles more robust, his internal organs more resilient, and his bones stronger.
Even the neurons in his brain were undergoing a metamorphosis.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Shen Ping woke up from his unconscious state. Looking at his skin, now a bronze color, he knew the Dragon Blood had worked. Clenching his fist, he could easily feel the power surging within his muscles.
"Let's test my punching power."
He quickly took a cold shower and then couldn't wait to get to the martial arts gym in Nanyuan District. There were very few people in the gym at three or four in the afternoon, only a handful of martial artists training in the practice hall.
He walked over to the punching power testing machine.
He arched his body, then slammed his fist hard against the test target.
Boom.
The target was heavily depressed, and when it reverted, the testing instrument displayed the number: 35,710kg.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on his face. Then he threw another punch. After four or five consecutive tries, the average punching power exceeded 36,000.
"As expected of Dragon Blood!"
Shen Ping was ecstatic. Just with his bare fists, he had reached the level of a high-level war-general, matching the Whirlwind Squad's captain, Qin Shan. Then, he tested his speed and nerve reaction speed, both of which also reached high-level war-general standards.
"Haha, from today on, I am a high-level war-general!"
"If I use the Ninefold Thunderblade to unleash my fist power, I'll be a low-level war-god!"
After transmigrating to the world of Swallowed Star, he had finally reached the war-god level in terms of combat strength. The total number of war-gods globally did not exceed four thousand, which meant that Shen Ping's strength was among the top three thousand in the world.
Even though his heart had long been worn down by reality, he couldn't help but burst out laughing at this moment.
A moment later.
His expression returned to normal.
He activated his golden finger.
He knew this day would eventually come, but for him, the War God realm was no longer the ultimate goal, but rather a starting point.
"Next, I'll strive to break through to the level beyond War God, the Planetary level, within five years!"
Shen Ping clenched his fists, secretly setting himself a small goal.
Only at the Planetary level would he truly have a voice.
At dinner that evening.
Li Yuewei mentioned the hot pot restaurant, "My cousin hasn't been working at the hot pot restaurant for a short time. He came to see the kids yesterday and mentioned wanting to try opening his own hot pot restaurant."
Shen Ping looked up, "What, is he unhappy working at the hot pot restaurant?"
The father-in-law chuckled. "Li Qi is a determined young man. He wants to buy a place near Nanyuan District on his own."
The mother-in-law added, "The housing prices in nearby districts are expensive. With his salary, how could he possibly afford it? That's why he came up with this idea."
Shen Ping didn't say anything, just continued eating.
The base city's housing prices were very high. Even the subsidized housing wasn't cheap. Most college graduates rented apartments. Those who could afford to buy a house on their own usually came from well-off families.
Li Yuewei said, "He's just too ambitious. He thinks his business has been doing well for a year, so he wants to go solo. What if he loses money? Then he won't be able to pay back the startup loan!"
Having broken through to the level of War God, Shen Ping was in an exceptionally good mood. He said with a slightly relaxed tone, "Young people always need to go out and try. Since Li Qi has this idea, let him give it a shot. Don't let him take out a loan from the bank for the startup funds. I'll provide it. But this money will be considered as his share of the investment. He can give me dividends every year if he earns money."
The money he earned was earned through his own hard work, not easy to come by. He wouldn't just give it away for free.
The father-in-law and mother-in-law first tried to dissuade him a few times. Seeing that they couldn't change his mind, they agreed and praised Shen Ping.
In the bedroom, on the bed.
"Honey, the doctor specifically said you need to rest for two months before we can... you know."
"I didn't say anything about that. Can't we do other things?"
Shen Ping's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Are you coming or not?"
"Hehe, then I'll trouble you, honey."
More than half an hour passed.
Li Yuewei's mouth was almost numb, but she finally helped Shen Ping. She couldn't help but complain, "Why is it taking so long?"
Shen Ping scratched his head. "Honey, you need to understand. We haven't… you know… in almost a year. Besides, I'm a martial artist; I'm naturally energetic."
Li Yuewei didn't argue. "How about you do as I say and find someone outside? Husband, I'm not testing you or anything. I've really thought about it. In the HR Alliance Mall, many martial artists often find… companions. I understand."
Shen Ping hadn't expected his wife to be so understanding. But he didn't fall for it. Instead, he seized the opportunity. "Honey, instead of finding someone outside, wouldn't it be better to go to the wilderness to release energy?"
(End of Chapter)