Xu Wuyi walked along the main road of the campus. It was the middle of the afternoon, and there were plenty of students out and about.
So hurried along, while others walked in twos and threes, chatting and laughing, filling the air with the vitality and vigor unique to a campus.
Occasionally, soone would glance his way, as if finding him vaguely familiar, but most were engrossed in their own business.
Xu Wuyi’s pace was steady, but his state of mind was complicated.
When he had left ten days ago, his mind had been filled with thoughts of the mission and the experience to be gained.
Now, upon his return, he felt as if he still carried the dust of the Star Realm and a lingering, sharp aura, creating a faint sense of detachnt from his peaceful surroundings.
But he quickly readjusted.
This was his life: accumulating strength on a peaceful campus, sharpening his edge in dangerous situations, and repeating the cycle until he reached the peak of Martial Arts.
Back at Villa 7 in the Hidden Dragon Garden, the fingerprint and iris scanners granted him access, and the heavy alloy door slid open without a sound.
"Welco ho, Xu Wuyi." A soft white light coalesced in the entryway, and Anna’s virtual form materialized, a standard smile on her face.
"You have been detected as offline for ten days. Scanning basic physical trics... Scan complete. No significant trauma detected. Vital signs are stable. ntal state indicates mild fatigue. Rest is advised."
"I’m fine, Anna."
Xu Wuyi walked into the living room and set down his backpack. It mostly contained unused supplies and his ever-present teor Iron Long Spear.
The dust of the Star Realm still seed to cling to the spear’s shaft, carrying a faint sll of sulfur.
He sat on the sofa, his body sinking into the soft cushions. The long-awaited comfort almost made him let out a sigh.
"Has anything happened at school recently?"
"During the ten days of your absence, no major incidents occurred within Star Martial University," Anna reported in a steady voice. "Inter-university exchange activities are proceeding as planned, and regular courses and assessnts for all year levels are normal."
"As for your year level, analysis of publicly available information indicates that no other student has yet broken through to the Martial Master Realm."
Xu Wuyi wasn’t surprised.
If the threshold to becoming a Martial Master was so easy to cross, it wouldn’t be the key distinction that separated ordinary Martial Artists from the true elite.
His own breakthrough had been the result of not just arduous training but, more importantly, a solid foundation leading to a sudden burst of progress. It was a natural success that ca only when the conditions were perfect.
Throughout his entire ti as a Martial Artist, the only resources he had used, aside from the Earth Fire Marrow, were the most common Life Potions.
Even so, his strength had always been in the top tier.
As for people like Tana and Qin Rui, although they had once surpassed his Life Energy Level, the resources they had consud were likely more than ten tis his own.
When they reached the bottleneck for promotion to Martial Master, they were bound to get stuck unless they were willing to invest a hundred tis more resources.
Of course, it wasn’t that their families couldn’t afford it. Rather, doing so would actually harm their long-term potential.
Gradual accumulation could be accelerated with resources, but such a critical juncture depended more on the Martial Artist’s own efforts.
"Also, Instructor Han Mo inquired about your return date four days ago. Qiao Zhiyao’s regular consultation last week was handled solely by Instructor Han Mo due to your absence," Anna added.
Xu Wuyi nodded. ’Looks like I’ll have to et with my instructor on the Battle Network this Tuesday as usual.’
"Pull up the details on my account points."
A holographic screen materialized before him, displaying a clear set of numbers:
Current Points: 1826.
He had originally been left with just over a thousand points. Adding the 650 points from this mission, his balance reached an unprecedented high.
points!
Xu Wuyi’s gaze lingered on the number for a mont, and a ripple finally disturbed the calm lake of his heart.
One mission. Ten days. 650 points in the bank.
This was more than double the base reward of 300 points he had initially expected!
The key was the extra bonuses for kills and rescues.
’Killing mbers of the Alien Race... earning points...’ Xu Wuyi muttered to himself, his gaze sharpening.
No wonder the Federation imposed restrictions preventing university students from going directly to the battlefield.
The points ca in so fast. Who could possibly resist that?
For a mont, even soone as self-disciplined as Xu Wuyi felt the urge to rush directly to the Star Realm Battlefield and slay enemies.
It was as if the enemies weren’t enemies at all, but walking piles of points.
But he also understood that if the Federation dared to lift this restriction, a single squad getting wiped out on the battlefield could instantly create a talent gap that would last for years.
A Martial Artist’s university years were their period of fastest improvent. Among the top students of the Three Greats, so could even reach the Innate Martial Artist realm before graduation.
Although it didn’t necessarily happen every year, it was a fairly common occurrence.
Having these people enter the Star Realm Battlefield after they officially graduated was, without a doubt, the most efficient approach.
Before then, gaining experience in other Star Realms was sufficient.
Although their student status restricted them from earning Federation rits, converting their combat achievents into points through university-issued missions was a completely viable path.
’Besides, this type of mission—the kind focused on killing targets with rewards calculated on a per-head basis—might be more suitable for ...’
Xu Wuyi mused to himself, though the risks of doing so were also greater.
Naturally, risk and reward went hand in hand.
But when was the path of Martial Arts ever free of risk?
Besides, Xu Wuyi had always considered himself unexceptional in both background and talent. If he didn’t even dare to risk it all, what was the point of practicing Martial Arts?
Of course, the prerequisite for everything was strength.
Without sufficient strength, going to the front lines was just a death sentence.
Xu Wuyi reined in his thoughts, pulling his focus back to himself.
He would need to plan how to use the points, but before that, he was more concerned with another important gain from his trip: his new insights into the Shocking God Spear.
The battle with the Wolfman War General—especially that final spear thrust that condensed his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and fused the Undying Fla with the Splitting God trait—had given him a much deeper insight into the True Intention of "guiding the spear with one’s spirit."
The sensation he’d felt under the pressure of a life-or-death battle—his Spiritual Will highly focused and perfectly unified with his Qi and Blood and his spear techniques—had been replaying in his mind ever since he got back.
He had a feeling that the opportunity to break through the Beginner level of the Shocking God Spear and step into the Entry Realm had arrived.
Without much hesitation, Xu Wuyi stood up and headed for the basent Cultivation Room.
After washing away the gri of his journey and changing into a clean set of training clothes, he stood in the center of the Cultivation Room, holding the teor Iron Long Spear.
He didn’t imdiately begin his practice. Instead, he closed his eyes, replaying and deconstructing those few decisive spear strikes in his mind, trying to feel the subtle rhythm of how his spirit and power had rged within them.
After a long while, he opened his eyes. His gaze was tranquil, but deep within, a dark golden fla seed to flicker.
He began not with any of the forms from the Shocking God Spear, but with the most basic movents: a thrust, a lift, a sweep, a parry.
His movents were slow, his Qi and Blood circulating gently. His Spirit, however, was like an array of invisible tendrils, ticulously sensing every vibration in the spear, every pathway his Qi and Blood took as it flowed through his arm and into the shaft.
He was searching—searching for that point of resonance between spirit and spear that had erupted so naturally at the mont of life and death on the Star Realm Battlefield.
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