57: Chapter 57 Unexpected

Li Wen looked at the experience value on the panel: [Scholar] lv6 (1716 / 3200), and calculated silently in his heart.

At this rate, he would only need to participate in two more weekly exams, plus a few days of study, for the Scholar profession to reach lv7.

At that time, the Comprehension Ability bonus brought by Absolute Focus would increase from 60% to 70%. This extra 10% Comprehension Ability would undoubtedly be a powerful aid in breaking through the Bottleneck.

Of course, this was just one path. This time, he wanted to try breaking through using only his own strength.

Thinking of this, he clenched his fists, his eyes burning with unwillingness: “There is still time. At least... before the Scholar levels up, I will try to see if I can force my way through relying on my own power.”

He set his goal to challenge himself and forcibly break through within the next half month.

However, precisely at this tense moment, an unexpected phone call pierced Li Wen’s world of Cultivation like a cold, sharp blade.

Just as he finished lunch at noon, his communicator rang.

The screen displayed “Mom”.

Li Wen was slightly surprised; his mother rarely disturbed his studies during the day.

After answering, his mother Wang Juan’s voice came through the receiver, completely changed into a crying tone, laced with panic:

“A Wen! A Wen! Hurry to the County Central Hospital! Your dad... your dad suddenly... coughed up blood and fainted! The doctor said... the doctor said the situation is very dangerous! Mom... Mom doesn't know what to do...”

The sound of suppressed sobbing and violent gasps came from the other end of the line; she was utterly lost.

Li Wen’s heart felt instantly squeezed by an invisible giant hand, and a chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He knew his father Li Hong’s health was poor and he suffered from an illness, but he had always held onto a sliver of luck, never expecting this day would arrive so suddenly and violently.

Although his heart instantly churned with stormy waves, Li Wen’s voice forcibly maintained an astonishing calm, carrying a sense of stability and strength:

“Mom! Don’t panic! I’m coming right away! Listen to me, stay at the hospital and don’t run around. Cooperate with the doctors. I will arrive within half an hour! Dad will be fine, I’m on my way!”

Hanging up the phone, Li Wen didn't even have time to explain to anyone. He grabbed his belongings and rushed out of the school like an arrow loosed from a bow, sprinting toward the County Central Hospital.

Cultivation, Bottleneck, mock exams... everything was instantly thrown to the back of his mind. Only the image of his father coughing blood and fainting, and his mother’s desperate cries, echoed repeatedly in his mind.

Two o’clock in the afternoon. The Flying Star Class’s afternoon training had already begun.

Fang Chengwu scanned the room and keenly noticed Li Wen’s seat was empty.

He frowned slightly and asked, “Where is Li Wen? Does anyone know where he went?”

Absence from the Flying Star Class’s important training was unlike Li Wen’s usual behavior.

A girl standing in the back hesitated for a moment and said softly:

“Teacher Fang, during lunch... I think... I vaguely heard Li Wen take a call. It seemed to be from his family, and his tone was very urgent. Then he just rushed out... I vaguely seemed to hear ‘hospital’ and ‘coughing blood’... I didn’t hear the rest clearly.”

She wasn't entirely sure, and her voice lacked certainty.

Upon hearing this, Fang Chengwu’s frown deepened. He didn't ask further, merely nodded lightly, indicating he understood.

“Oh? A family emergency...” he murmured, a hint of contemplation flashing deep within his eyes before he returned to normal, calmly beginning to organize the afternoon training curriculum.

However, in a corner unseen by the students, Fang Chengwu’s gaze seemed distant.

He looked toward the direction of the hospital and sighed almost imperceptibly.

County Central Hospital, Emergency Department corridor.

The pungent smell of disinfectant permeated the air.

Li Wen finally arrived and saw his mother, Wang Juan, huddled in the corner like a withered leaf trembling in the wind.

Her eyes were vacant, her hands clenched so tightly that she didn't realize her fingernails were digging into her palms.

Li Wen felt a pang in his heart. He strode forward and tightly grasped his mother’s cold, trembling hand: “Mom! I’m here! How is Dad?”

Seeing her son, Wang Juan seemed to find her backbone, and tears welled up again:

“He’s still in the emergency room... The doctor said... said it was an old injury triggering a rapid deterioration of his internal organs... It’s very dangerous...”

Not long after, the emergency room door opened. A doctor with a weary expression walked out.

Li Wen immediately stepped forward: “Doctor, how is my father’s condition?”

The doctor removed his mask, his face grave:

“The patient is temporarily out of life danger, but the situation is not optimistic. This sudden event indicates that his old internal injuries have worsened to a critical point.

If he does not receive timely in-depth treatment, similar incidents will occur more frequently, and the consequences... I fear will be unbearable.”

Li Wen’s heart sank to the bottom: “Then... what kind of treatment is needed?”

Doctor: “He needs a series of complex cell repair and organ nurturing surgeries, combined with conditioning using several very expensive, specialized medicines, only then is it possible to stabilize the condition and slow the deterioration.

Conservatively estimated... it will require at least five hundred thousand in medical fees.”

The doctor stated the amount in a heavy tone—a sum that sounded astronomical to an ordinary working-class family.

Five hundred thousand!

These two words struck Li Wen’s chest like a heavy hammer!

Although he had entered the Flying Star Class and could save the cost of qi and blood potions every month, this money was still just a drop in the bucket compared to five hundred thousand.

The family’s savings probably wouldn't even cover a fraction of it.

A strong sense of powerlessness and immense pressure instantly enveloped him, stifling his breath.

His only hope, the only way he could think of to acquire a huge sum of wealth in a short time, instantly became incredibly clear in his mind—Blade Technique.

Achieving the Unity Realm, being noticed by the Four Great Factions and top prestigious schools, and signing a high-value training contract in advance!

But that path... was firmly blocked by that '99/100' chasm. Time... was what he lacked the most right now.

Under the pale lights of the corridor, Li Wen helped his almost collapsing mother sit on a nearby chair. His figure looked so fragile.

He tightly held his mother’s hand, but his gaze was fixed dead on the closed door of the Intensive Care Unit. His knuckles turned white from the force he exerted.

Harsh reality, like a cold tide, drowned him inch by inch.

The Bottleneck of the Blade Technique and the race against life cruelly intertwined.

Just as Li Wen’s emotions were surging, crushed by this heavy pressure until he could barely breathe, the elevator doors at the end of the corridor silently slid open.

A figure wearing a dark gray coat and a baseball cap quietly appeared.

He did not approach the mother and son but stood at a distance, his gaze gentle yet carrying a subtle, undetectable concern, quietly observing the situation outside the operating room door. After a moment, the figure quietly melted back into the corridor's shadows.

Fang Chengwu shook his head slightly, his eyes holding complex emotions.

Late at night.

The payment window at the hospital inpatient department had long been closed; only the on-duty nurse was dozing at the registration desk.

A gentle-mannered person wearing a mask walked up to the payment window, presenting a special card and a receipt.

“Special Care Emergency Bed 3, Li Hong family member supplementary payment: Five hundred thousand. Receipt confirmed as correct.”

The on-duty nurse, still groggy, verified the receipt against the System information. Surprised by the large payment made suddenly in the early morning, she nevertheless quickly processed it after confirming everything was correct.

A few seconds later, the System prompted: Payment successful.

The figure took back the receipt and card, quietly turned, and left.