The furor and glory of the college entrance exams rushed in like a tide, then gradually receded.
To Xu Wuyi, the title of provincial champion was rely a footnote to his past efforts, not the end of his journey.
He followed Principal Zhang’s advice regarding the award ceremony, the city’s recognition assembly, and the endless stream of interview requests—declining what he could and keeping the rest as brief as possible.
Another day passed. As the morning sun stread through the window, Xu Wuyi had already finished his foundational breathing exercises.
He changed into a worn, faded Martial Arts Uniform and, just as he had on hundreds of mornings past, walked toward the Honghe First Middle School campus.
Although he had already graduated, his request to use the school’s training hall had been approved without a mont’s hesitation.
For Honghe First Middle School, providing a temporary training space for the provincial champion was a welco honor and a form of priceless advertising.
The familiar training hall, the scuffed rubber floors, the air thick with youthful vigor—it all put Xu Wuyi at ease.
He cleared his mind of stray thoughts and let his consciousness sink into his sea of consciousness.
[Martial Arts Diligence Record] silently unfolded. The scale on *Hundred Refinents lting Furnace* was clearly visible.
He took a deep breath and began to practice the *Basic Body Refining Technique*, his movents precise, his heart and spirit completely absorbed.
His college career was about to begin, and he planned to advance *Hundred Refinents lting Furnace* to the Entry Level before officially enrolling, pushing his Life Energy Level even higher.
Sweat soon drenched his back. His muscles stretched in a familiar rhythm, and his Qi and Blood surged in response.
Only this kind of daily refinent could bring the most solid gains in strength.
The end of the college entrance exams only ant the conclusion of one journey; a much vaster path of Martial Arts was just beginning to unfold before him.
...
That afternoon, there was a soft knock on the alloy door of the training hall.
Xu Wuyi relaxed his stance, his breathing even as he looked toward the door.
Principal Zhang was standing there with a gentle smile on his face.
"Principal." Xu Wuyi nodded in greeting.
Zhang Qiming ca in, closing the door behind him and shutting out the noise from the hallway.
He got straight to the point. "Good to see you’re not letting your training slide. I ca today because there’s sothing I need to discuss with you."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "The Lin Family sent soone. They passed a ssage through an interdiary."
A flicker of movent in Xu Wuyi’s eyes was his only reaction. He said nothing, quietly waiting for the principal to continue.
Principal Zhang’s tone was even, as if he were recounting so ordinary event. "Their attitude was quite deferential, and their words were full of lavish praise. They congratulated you on becoming the provincial champion and lauded you as the future hope of Martial Arts in Dongjiang Province."
"Between the lines, it was the sa old story," Principal Zhang continued. "They said the Lin Family greatly admires your potential and understands that you co from a humble background. They also know that the further one progresses on the path of Martial Arts, the more astronomical the required resources beco."
"The Lin Family is willing to offer ’friendly’ assistance, sponsoring you all the way until you beco an Innate Martial Artist, with no limit on the resources provided."
Zhang Qiming looked at Xu Wuyi. "Wuyi, I know you have a poor opinion of the Lin Family. But as your principal, I have to analyze this from the perspective that benefits you the most."
His tone beca solemn. "The Martial Artist stage is a completely different ball ga from the Martial Disciple stage."
"Martial Disciples hone their bodies and condense their Qi and Blood. They can get by on diligent training and basic resources. But once you beco an Official Martial Artist, you’ll be projecting your Qi and Blood and cultivating more profound Martial Arts. The resources required for that are astronomical."
"The formulas for the dicinal baths that accompany High-Tier Body Refining thods contain many herbs that are priceless and unavailable on the open market. Then there are the Exotic Fruits to help you break through bottlenecks, and High-tier Martial Arts Secret Manuals that are compatible with your own style... Aren’t all of these astronomically expensive?"
Zhang Qiming sighed, his tone full of the wisdom of experience. "Relying solely on the basic subsidies from the Federation and whatever little scholarship money you get from the university will, at best, only keep you from falling behind. Making rapid progress is next to impossible."
"Many geniuses from ordinary families get stuck at this resource hurdle and ultimately fade into obscurity."
After listening to Principal Zhang, Xu Wuyi thought for a mont before asking, "Principal, all the resources I’d need to cultivate up to the Innate Martial Artist realm—would that be considered a lot for the Lin Family?"
Zhang Qiming fell silent for a mont. "Yes, it would. The Innate Martial Artist realm is different. It requires many top-tier resources, things money can’t buy."
Xu Wuyi mulled it over for a mont, then t Zhang Qiming’s gaze. "Principal, I understand what you’re saying. However, regarding how to acquire resources, Chu Shanhe gave a suggestion after the tournant."
"Chu Shanhe?" Zhang Qiming sounded slightly surprised.
"Yes." Xu Wuyi then recounted what Chu Shanhe had told him.
He focused on the parts about not readily accepting sponsorship from outside powers, lest he be branded as part of a faction, and about participating in the "Federation Youth Martial Arts Tournant" as early as possible. This would allow him to earn school ’points’ based on his performance, which could then be exchanged for rare resources.
When he finished, Zhang Qiming’s brow furrowed in thought.
Although he was a veteran educator, he didn’t have an in-depth understanding of the internal resource allocation rules at top-tier institutions like the Three Greats.
After all, those rules could change annually and weren’t made public. Only those inside the universities would know about them.
"Youth Martial Arts Tournant... school points..." he murmured, his eyes gradually lighting up. "Hang on, let confirm this."
With that, he took out his communicator, walked to a corner of the training hall, and began calling several old friends, all of whom either worked at or had connections to the top Martial Arts Universities.
Xu Wuyi didn’t disturb him, simply resuming his own training.
About half an hour later, Zhang Qiming returned, his face a mixture of excitent and dawning realization.
"It’s confird!" he said, his voice firm. "Chu Shanhe was right! The Three Greats do indeed place imnse importance on the Federation Youth Martial Arts Tournant. They see it as a key platform for testing the caliber of their students and the success of their training programs."
"The tournant’s rewards, especially for first-year students, are incredibly generous!"
"It’s not just about honor and prize money; the universities also award a massive amount of internal points. And these points can be directly exchanged for many rare resources that can’t be bought with money."
"That includes, but isn’t limited to, access to High-tier Martial Arts, private sessions with a Grandmaster, ti in special cultivation grounds, and... those priceless cultivation wonders that aren’t for sale!"
The more Zhang Qiming spoke, the more excited he beca. "What’s more, using school points is a much cleaner way to get resources than accepting outside sponsorship. You don’t get entangled in complex power dynamics. That Chu Shanhe... truly a credit to his Noble Family. He had this all planned out!"
He looked at Xu Wuyi, his expression transford. "If you can make this path work, it’s definitely a better option than accepting the Lin Family’s ’gift’!"
"But you need to be clear about one thing: all of this is contingent on you achieving excellent results in the Youth Martial Arts Tournant."
"Otherwise, if you fall behind once, you risk always being a step behind. Regardless of any outside entanglents, your own strength is what matters most."
Xu Wuyi was lost in thought.
All the pros and cons were once again laid out before him.
On one hand, there were imnse resources, easily obtainable but likely fraught with complications. On the other, there were school points—a cleaner but more challenging path that required him to fight for them with his own strength.
Xu Wuyi remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the training equipnt in the hall—the very sa equipnt that had accompanied him through countless hours of arduous cultivation.
He recalled the phrase from his [Martial Arts Diligence Record]: ’Only your sweat will never betray you.’
He lifted his head, his usual determination returning to his eyes. "Principal, I’ve decided to refuse the Lin Family’s sponsorship."
User Comments
0 comments from readers