Success! The Tiger Saber Skill—Perfection Realm!
Just then, the bell for the second Martial Dao class of the afternoon began to ring, sharp and incessant.
DRING DRING DRING—!
The bell snapped Li Wen out of his trance.
Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, a sign that he had overdrawn on both his ntal and physical stamina. But beneath the fatigue lay a profound sense of ease and clarity.
"Hooo..." Li Wen let out a long, deep breath.
He subconsciously stopped his saber practice, his eyes scanning the room. Only then did he belatedly register the unusual silence.
A deathly silence. Dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on him, their expressions a complex, unreadable mix. Only the insistent school bell continued its stubborn ringing.
Then—
The classroom exploded with noise, as if a pot of water had suddenly boiled over. The uproar was even louder than the bell, instantly overwhelming the entire Martial Dao classroom.
"He... he broke through?! Did he really?!"
"Holy shit! Seven days! From Mastery to Perfection!"
"Seven days!!"
"He’s awakened! He’s really awakened!" Wei Wu’s voice was the most excited and loudest of all, practically a roar. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated joy and excitent.
As a fellow grinder on the sa path and a classmate with whom he had no direct rivalry, he was genuinely happy for Li Wen.
"Excellent!" A powerful, excited voice cut through the din. It belonged to the Martial Dao teacher, Wang Hu, who had just stepped into the classroom as the bell rang.
His face was flushed with excitent, his eyes shining as he stared at Li Wen. He was the first to break into vigorous applause.
"Excellent! Well done, Li Wen! It looks like Class 21 has a strong chance of securing another spot in the Flying Star Class selections! This is a trendous step forward!"
With Wang Hu leading the way, the chaotic chatter quickly transford into thunderous applause.
Everyone, regardless of their private feelings, set them aside for the mont and clapped with all their might.
A mix of astonishnt, envy, and other complex emotions was poured into the unending applause, which lasted for a good five or six minutes. The classroom only returned to order when Wang Hu waved his hands, signaling for everyone to stop.
"Alright! Li Wen’s breakthrough is wonderful news, and he is the pride of Class 21! But more than that, I hope it serves as a catalyst to motivate every single one of you!"
Wang Hu stood in the center of the training area, his voice booming. "Look at Li Wen! He didn’t have the best start, and he was even more disadvantaged when it ca to resources. But through sheer perseverance and a slow, steady buildup, he shattered the first major bottleneck holding him back!"
"What does this prove? It proves that hard work and persistence are never wasted! Now, I want all of you to pull yourselves together, use Li Wen as your benchmark, and get serious about today’s training!"
Perhaps it was from witnessing a near-impossible miracle unfold before their very eyes, or perhaps it was the rare, infectious excitent in Wang Hu’s voice.
For the rest of the afternoon, the atmosphere in Class 21’s Martial Dao classroom beca more focused and intense than ever before.
Their training kiai were more forceful, their movents more precise. Even the students who normally slacked off now had a fire in their eyes—a refusal to be left behind, an eagerness to give it their all.
Watching the burgeoning spirit of his class, Wang Hu couldn’t suppress a smile.
When he’d first been assigned Class 21—a "retirent" class full of well-connected legacy students with rock-bottom Martial Dao scores—he had been completely disheartened, focused only on getting through his teaching assignnts.
But Li Wen, this dark horse who had erged from nowhere, brought him an unexpected spark of joy—and even the hope of turning his own fortunes around.
He couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Li Wen, who was in the corner diligently practicing to solidify his new Perfection Realm. A deeper sense of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
rely reaching the Perfection Realm of an advanced technique might not be enough to attract the attention of the real big shots.
But what if... what if Li Wen could ride this montum and cross that critical threshold into the Extraordinary, into the Unity Realm of the Martial Dao?
As the Martial Dao horoom teacher who had personally discovered and nurtured him, the reward... would be enough to make him drool.
He’d heard about the massive bonuses received by the horoom teachers at Bluestone First Middle School whose students had been signed early by recruiters.
A hundred thousand to start, maybe even five hundred thousand... For soone like him, stuck at the peak of a Mid-Level Martial Artist whose vitality had yet to begin its noticeable decline, that kind of money was the key resource he needed to break through to the rank of Super Martial Artist.
At the thought, Wang Hu felt his heart begin to race.
He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
’Steady, steady. He just reached Perfection with an advanced skill... I’ll have to observe him more, see how his comprehension develops... The Unity Realm can’t be rushed...’
He silently admonished himself, but his gaze on Li Wen was already as fervent as if he were staring at his own massive future bonus.
The dismissal bell rang.
Ti flew by during the focused training, and in the blink of an eye, the class was over.
"Li Wen!" Wang Hu’s voice rang out, tinged with a barely perceptible excitent. "Co with for a mont."
"Yes, Teacher!" Li Wen understood imdiately. He put away his saber and strode over to Wang Hu’s side.
He knew what this ant: now that his saber skill had reached Perfection, he would be introduced to a top-tier saber skill.
This was the key to reaching the next level, and it would be crucial for him to distinguish himself in both the Flying Star Class selections and the final Martial Dao exam.
Basic, Advanced, and Top-tier—the gap between them was imnse. Even just the entry-level of a top-tier saber skill was enough to completely dominate an advanced skill at the Perfection Realm.
With only two days left until the final exam, how much could he accomplish in such a short ti? Should he fight at a huge disadvantage with his advanced skill at Perfection, or should he risk it all to master the entry-level of a top-tier skill?
Success with the latter would be a quantum leap forward. But if he failed, he would likely have to take the final assessnt using only his advanced saber skill at the Perfection Realm.
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