After cleaning up the "crime scene" and disposing of all the evidence, Lam Minh returned to his hospital bed, pretending to be fast asleep as if nothing had happened. But he couldn't sleep. The exhilarating feeling of breaking through a major realm still lingered. He spent the entire night familiarizing himself with his new power, learning to control the Primary Core in his dantian, and circulating his Foundation Establishment qi with great subtlety so that it wouldn't leak out. He didn't want anyone to notice the drastic change in him.
The next morning, the nurse came in for her routine check-up. She didn't notice anything unusual, only feeling that the patient in this room seemed... cleaner and more vibrant today.
But the first person to notice the difference was To Quyen.
She came to visit him with a thermal container of hot minced pork congee. As she entered the room, she paused for a moment. She felt that Lam Minh's aura was completely different today. It was still the same lazy demeanor, but he seemed to have become deeper, calmer. Especially his skin; it looked strangely smooth and radiant, not like the skin of someone who had just been severely injured.
"Lam Minh," she asked hesitantly. "Today... you look much healthier."
"Yeah, it must be because your congee is so delicious," Lam Minh smiled, taking the bowl. He knew To Quyen's senses were very sharp, but he could only blame it on his "good constitution."
He ate the congee, deliberately acting weak, but To Quyen still felt that something was off. His eyes were too clear and bright, not like the eyes of a patient.
Her suspicion grew when Quynh Nhu arrived.
"Hey, punching bag! You look more smug than usual today, huh?" Quynh Nhu walked in, teasing him out of habit. She placed a fruit basket on the table and was about to pinch his cheek as she always did.
But just as her hand was about to touch Lam Minh's face, she suddenly retracted it as if she had been zapped by electricity. The instincts of a seasoned warrior told her that there was an invisible "qi field," extremely thin but incredibly dangerous, surrounding him. Touching it would not end well.
"You... you..." Quynh Nhu stammered, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
Lam Minh was startled. He had forgotten that even though he had tried to restrain it, the Foundation Establishment qi would automatically create a thin protective layer around his body. This was a natural reaction that only those with real strength or extremely high combat intuition could perceive.
"What's wrong?" he feigned ignorance. "Is there something on my face?"
Quynh Nhu stared at him, then looked at To Quyen, who had a similar look of doubt. She said nothing, just quietly sat down and began to peel an apple, her mind elsewhere.
The room suddenly became strangely silent. Lam Minh knew he couldn't hide it forever. The metamorphosis of the Foundation Establishment Realm was too significant; no matter how well he acted, he would eventually reveal a flaw.
Fortunately, the doctor came into the room to announce some good news.
"Congratulations, Lam Minh! Your recovery rate is truly a miracle! All your vitals are stable. You can be discharged tomorrow."
"Really? That's great!" Lam Minh exclaimed, his joyful expression completely genuine. If he stayed in the hospital for another day, these two girls would probably stare a hole through him.
The day of his discharge.
Lam Minh was picked up by his parents and sister amidst cheerful celebration. Returning to his familiar room, he felt an unprecedented sense of freedom.
The first thing he did was test his new power. He waited until midnight and snuck out to the vacant lot in Z-7 where his family was preparing to build the warehouse.
He looked at a large concrete slab, a remnant of an old structure, weighing an estimated few tons. Before, at Peak Qi Refining, he had to use all his strength just to make it budge.
Now...
He took a breath, channeled the qi from his Primary Core to his feet, and then slowly pushed with one hand.
Crack... crack... rumble...
The multi-ton concrete slab was slowly pushed aside, carving a long line in the ground before stopping. And he had only used one hand, with almost no effort.
"Incredible!" He looked at his hand in astonishment. "The power of the Early Foundation Establishment Realm is already at this level. What will the Mid-stage and Late-stage be like?"
He then looked at a large steel beam. He didn't use qi, only the pure, regenerated strength of his muscles, and easily bent it with both hands. This strength had already far surpassed that of the "Awakened" Ly Thien Ba.
"Now I truly have the capital to confront them," he murmured.
He spent a few hours familiarizing himself with his new power, learning to control it more subtly to avoid detection. He understood that until he was strong enough to protect himself and his family from all forces, concealing his strength was still the top priority.
When he returned home, it was nearly dawn. Just as he snuck into his room, his phone vibrated. It was a message from To Quyen.
"Lam Minh, are you fully recovered? Next Monday, our school is holding a commendation ceremony and awards for the team. After that, General Khang and a few other high-ranking leaders will have a private talk with you. Be prepared."
Lam Minh sighed. More troublesome matters of fame.
Just as he was about to reply, another message came in. It was from Quynh Nhu.
"Hey, punching bag, heard you got out of the hospital, right? Good. 8 a.m. tomorrow, be at the gym. I have a feeling you've gotten strangely 'stronger.' Let me test if your new 'skin' is any thicker."
Attached was a sticker of a rabbit sharpening a knife, looking extremely menacing.
After reading the two messages, Lam Minh could only laugh wryly. On one hand, there were troublesome official matters; on the other, a violent loli waiting to "torture" him.
"Life after a breakthrough... seems even busier than before."