The defining trait of an Iron Pet was that once it recognized a master, its master could toy with it however they pleased.
The more domineering and forceful the master, the more dependent and obedient the Iron Pet became, drawing an indescribable thrill from it.
An Iron Pet that had recognized a master would be exceptionally cold toward every other member of the opposite sex. Apart from its master, no one could stir even the slightest interest in it.
What Xu Jie did not know was that the more he acted like a nonstick pan, refusing to get involved, the more he was provoking Chu Mingyue's deepest genuine feelings. It had achieved precisely the opposite effect.
"Xu Jie, have you figured out how to break through your realm?"
What was astonishing was that Xu Jie had merely stated his strength aloud, yet Chu Mingyue chose to believe him without hesitation, not questioning him in the slightest.
From this, it was clear that Chu Mingyue's Iron Pet traits were already beginning to show.
And as she bandaged his wound, she asked about his breakthrough in a concerned tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah? You don't know?"
Chu Mingyue's movements paused. In disbelief, she leaned forward and stretched her head close to Xu Jie's face as she explained.
"The more times a martial artist moves their blood, the harder it is to break through into the Pulse Opening Realm, because the blood becomes far too condensed. Moving blood nine times means that breaking into the Pulse Opening Realm will be much harder for you than a third-rank martial artist breaking through to the fourth rank!"
Was that so?
Xu Jie revealed a thoughtful expression. When he had previously used his lifespan to seek a breakthrough, he had indeed discovered this.
"Xu Jie, I can help you!"
At that moment, Chu Mingyue's beautiful eyes shone brightly as she stared into Xu Jie's eyes and spoke with sincerity and earnestness.
"I'll gather pills for you. No matter how many Pulse Breaking Pills you need, I can get them for you. At worst... at worst, I'll go beg Mother!"
Xu Jie calmly glanced at Chu Mingyue, whose pretty face was filled with conflict, then shook his head and refused.
"No need."
Xu Jie was already close to breaking through. If Chu Mingyue had not suddenly entered the infirmary, then given a few more minutes, he might have smoothly stepped into the Pulse Opening Realm.
"Xu Jie!"
Hearing Xu Jie reject her again, Chu Mingyue felt both wronged and indignant. Unable to hold back, she exaggerated the seriousness of the matter.
"Do you know that without sufficient resources, if you rely on cultivation alone to break into the Pulse Opening Realm, you'll waste at least several decades! You're at the very beginning of your martial path, when your cultivation speed is at its fastest. Are you really sure you want to squander your talent? All for that tiny bit of pride?"
"..."
What the hell did pride have to do with it!
I can break through by myself!
Xu Jie rolled his eyes and said calmly to Chu Mingyue, who was filled with righteous indignation as though he had cheated on her.
"No need."
"Hmph!"
Chu Mingyue flew into a rage on the spot. In her anger, she stopped bandaging Xu Jie's wound, got off the bed, and left, displaying her usual childish temper.
After pulling open the door, Chu Mingyue waited for quite a while without hearing Xu Jie try to keep her. She then stood in the doorway and said coldly.
"Xu Jie, is there anything you want to say to me?"
"???"
What did that mean?
Even with Xu Jie's unusual train of thought, Chu Mingyue's completely out-of-the-blue question left him dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Chu Mingyue, her back turned toward Xu Jie, revealed a trace of shyness and anticipation, as if waiting for something.
Xu Jie gradually caught on. His expression abruptly changed, and he was struck with horror.
This woman... couldn't possibly want him to ask those sorts of questions like he had during their previous two meetings, could she?
"Want to do it?" "Shall we?"
He was numb!
A freaking Iron Pet!
And it felt like she was about to recognize him as her master!
"No. I won't see you out."
"You... hmph!"
Chu Mingyue, furious enough to explode, slammed the door with a bang and left.
Xu Jie had only just breathed a sigh of relief on the bed when the infirmary door banged open again.
Chu Mingyue came marching toward the astonished Xu Jie in high heels, her pretty face icy cold, making him feel like jumping out the window to escape.
Had her Iron Pet traits erupted completely?
He really had to run!
Xu Jie's scalp immediately tingled. He feared no fight in this life. Even if a god from the Outer Regions arrived today, he could stand there laughing until death, never taking a single step back.
But now...
He was genuinely a little afraid of Chu Mingyue!
Because Xu Jie was not a damn sadist!
Under Xu Jie's tense gaze, Chu Mingyue walked over to his side, her beautiful eyes blazing as she stared at him, and then...
She casually picked up the mink coat from the chair beside her, wrapped herself up like a zongzi, and turned to leave again.
That was close!
He could not stay at this school any longer!
Xu Jie was covered in cold sweat. He pondered leaving the school as soon as possible, or sooner or later he would fall victim to Chu Mingyue's poisonous hands and persecution.
After getting dressed and leaving the infirmary, Xu Jie walked back toward his dormitory with his brows tightly furrowed.
Only recently had he remembered that lower-year students at Martial Arts University were not allowed to leave campus freely.
In other words, he could not go outside to work at eating cilantro!
As he walked, Xu Jie's footsteps abruptly halted. His expression changed slightly as he listened to the voice coming from the school's loudspeakers.
"Attention, all students. We have good news. The Martial Department high-level has decided to dispatch an assessment team, which will soon arrive at our school to conduct aptitude assessments. Those who pass may graduate early and enter higher institutions for further study!"
"According to regulations, ranking battles and practical combat tests will be suspended from today onward. All students currently outside the school are to be recalled. Students on the rankings should preferably begin preparing to break through their realms. Information regarding the assessment team will be published on the school's official website..."
"Repeating the announcement..."
Upon suddenly hearing this terrible news, Xu Jie hurriedly opened the school's official site and saw the assessment team's criteria that had already been posted.
Aptitude, talent, realm!
The Martial Department assessed these three categories. Each was worth ten points, and the top three scorers could graduate early and enter higher institutions for further study!
Naturally, Xu Jie wanted to graduate early...
One had to know that the Martial Department had sent an assessment team to Jinwu University this time probably because of him!
If he failed to pass the assessment when the time came, that would truly make him the laughingstock of the world.
The reason Xu Jie thought this was simple. It happened to be related to the three assessment categories.
Among them, aptitude assessment was innate.
Xu Jie had known his aptitude when he entered martial school. By the scoring system, it was worth three points at most, putting him in the lower-middle range.
Therefore, the only things he could fight for were the latter two assessments.
Talent assessment could be understood as the exact number of times one had moved blood in the Blood Moving Realm, or the exact number of primary meridians one had opened in the Pulse Opening Realm, and so on.
In this regard, Xu Jie should receive full marks without any surprises!
The final assessment was realm, referring to a student's current cultivation!
Xu Jie could not guarantee this one...
Because he did not have as many cultivation resources as others.
Those students on the rankings came from well-off families, and some were even working as mercenaries outside.
Once they broke through into the Pulse Opening Realm, they could break through repeatedly in a short period.
They might even use pills to break through to the middle stage, or even the high stage, of the Pulse Opening Realm.
When that happened, Xu Jie would receive no extra points for his realm, while his aptitude was already abysmal. He really might fail the assessment!
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