Departure (Thanks to Jiyu Lanting for the monthly ticket)

Su Hao let out a low shout and attacked Wu Yuntian again, driving a punch straight at his chest.

Seeing Su Hao charge at him so head-on, Wu Yuntian could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth. Such a reckless attack—at any other time, one slash of his blade would have ended the fight.

Wu Yuntian forcibly suppressed the urge to draw his blade and chop him, raising a hand to block the punch.

Bang!

Su Hao had not expected to win with one punch. He swiftly lifted his leg and threw a side kick.

Wu Yuntian reached out to seize Su Hao's ankle, but a tremendous force struck his palm, numbing it. He failed to get a firm grip and even lost his balance, staggering two steps to the side.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Hao pressed his advantage.

"Sliding Shadow Step!"

Su Hao activated his combat technique. He suddenly slid forward and closed in on Wu Yuntian, raising his arm for an elbow strike. Enhanced by Elite Blood Qi, his Sliding Shadow Step became explosively faster.

Bang!

After blocking Su Hao's elbow, Wu Yuntian quickly used the force to retreat and open the distance. His expression grew solemn.

Su Hao would not give his enemy a chance to adjust. Since he held the advantage, he had to find a way to keep expanding it until he won.

"Sliding Shadow Step!" Su Hao darted left and right as he rapidly approached Wu Yuntian, once again using his speed advantage to launch an assault.

A fierce close-quarters battle erupted in the clearing. Sand, stones, and dust flew everywhere, while leaves carried by the wind could not come within three meters before being blasted away by the powerful currents of force.

The longer Wu Yuntian fought, the graver he became. He discovered that his raw strength was already slightly inferior to his son's. His speed and quantity of Elite Blood Qi both fell short. He could only barely keep Su Hao suppressed through his larger frame, greater physical strength, and richer experience. If Su Hao grew a little taller and broader, he might no longer be a match for him.

Not long ago, Su Hao had merely been an ordinary High-Rank Warrior. The gap between them had been nearly impossible to cross. Yet in such a short time, he had almost reached a dead heat with him. It was truly unbelievable.

Before long, Su Hao overextended himself and attacked an opening Wu Yuntian had deliberately exposed. Wu Yuntian pulled his wrist, making him lose his balance first, then raised a foot and kicked him in the back, sending him flying far away.

Before Su Hao hit the ground, he braced himself with one hand and flipped over, landing steadily on his feet.

Panting heavily, Su Hao rubbed his hands and feet, which ached faintly from the fight, then conceded cleanly. "Father, you're truly incredible."

Su Hao meant it sincerely. Through exchanging blows with Wu Yuntian, he had learned many close-combat techniques for facing enemies.

Wu Yuntian rarely smiled. "Before long, I won't be your match anymore. Do you know what level you're at now?"

Reflecting on what he had gained from the fight, Su Hao nodded. "I should be a High-Rank Elite Warrior, just a little below Father. But didn't I only just enter the Elite Warrior level? Jumping straight to high-rank still feels a little unbelievable."

Wu Yuntian nodded approvingly. "It's good that you find it unbelievable."

Su Hao was still savoring the feeling of battle. He could not say he liked it very much, nor could he say he disliked it. There was only the joy of growing stronger through combat.

Then Wu Yuntian suddenly asked, "Xiangwu, you're already nine this year, aren't you?"

Su Hao nodded. "A little over nine."

"You've already met the requirements. So in September, I plan to send you to Lingyun Warrior Academy in Lingyun Town." Wu Yuntian turned to look in the direction of Lingyun Town.

"Lingyun Warrior Academy?" Su Hao was intrigued.

Wu Yuntian nodded. "That's right. I studied there for a time back then too, though unfortunately, I left before completing the four years."

Wu Yuntian paused, then continued, "There is actually nothing more I can teach you. As for Grandmaster Warriors beyond this point, I don't know how to become one either.

"But this world is vast. It is not limited to the things you have seen. There are many more things waiting for you to discover and learn.

"To be honest, even if you go to Lingyun Warrior Academy, you may not learn much more. The reason I want to send you there is because I hope you can systematically study the theories of Martial Artist cultivation. That is very important, but it is something I cannot provide."

After saying that, he turned to Su Hao. "What do you think?"

Su Hao immediately replied, "All right."

He secretly began to look forward to it. At last, he was going to leave Tea Mountain Outpost and see the outside world. And now, he was no longer the Child who had no ability to protect himself. He was now a High-Rank Elite Warrior. Even outside, he would be a remarkable figure.

"Oh, right." As if suddenly remembering something, Wu Yuntian reminded him, "Qing Qing, who is a little older than you, and Old Li's son Cunzhi have also met the requirements. They should enroll with you this year. When the time comes, take better care of them."

"What?" Su Hao was shocked. He had to take care of children while going to school?

Two months later, Su Hao had fully absorbed the explosive increase in strength brought by breaking through to Elite Warrior. He could now unleash and manipulate Elite Blood Qi as easily as moving his fingers.

Based on his current condition, Su Hao updated his body status information:

Age: 9 years and 7 months;

Height: 149 cm;

Weight: 50 kg;

Physical condition: Healthy;

Level: High-Rank Elite Warrior; Elite Blood Qi: 31;

Combat techniques: Basic Blade Technique (mastery), Basic Footwork (mastery); Sliding Shadow Step (mastery), Horizontal Slash (proficient), Tricky Stab (proficient), Hard Force Fist (proficient), Charge (beginner), Shield Bash (beginner), Leaping Cleave (beginner); Variable Control: Blood Qi Strengthening Function (mastery), Muscle Strengthening Function (mastery), Bone Strengthening Function (beginner), Viscera Strengthening Function (not initiated), Five Senses Strengthening Function (not initiated).

From the data above, the greatest change this year was the addition of Elite Blood Qi. The "31" after it represented the amount gained by converting all the Ordinary Blood Qi in his body into Elite Blood Qi thirty-one times. Each conversion of Ordinary Blood Qi produced one point of Elite Blood Qi.

His conversion speed was very fast. He could convert it once a day, but filling it from zero to thirty-one points still required thirty-one days.

For ordinary people, a conservative estimate was that it took ten days to accumulate enough Ordinary Blood Qi for one conversion. Comparing the two made Su Hao's abnormality abundantly clear.

Then there was Sliding Shadow Step, which had gone from "proficient" to "mastery." Over the past two months, he had sparred with Wu Yuntian from time to time and gained a few insights, allowing Sliding Shadow Step to break through to a higher level.

When he used Sliding Shadow Step, he could even change directions at will during battle, leaving layered shadows behind him and making it impossible for his opponent to tell from which direction he would appear next.

Of course, he had also grown several centimeters taller, stopping at 149 cm, while his weight had reached 50 kg. Along with that, the amount of Ordinary Blood Qi he possessed had increased as well. A cause for celebration indeed.

Today was the day he was to report to Lingyun Warrior Academy. Su Hao had already packed his essential daily necessities and was ready to leave at any time.

Tea Mountain Outpost was not far from Lingyun Town. It only took half a day on foot to get there.

Including Su Hao, there were five people traveling together: the little girl He Qingqing, Little Fatty Li Cunzhi, He Qingqing's father He Jianyong, Little Fatty's father Old Li, and Su Hao. As for why Wu Yuntian was not going with them, his exact words were, "I'm at ease with you leading them, so I won't go along. I'll stay behind and guard the village."

Wu Yuntian truly was at ease, because his son Wu Xiangwu's combat strength was almost on par with his own. There was nothing to worry about.

He Jianyong and Old Li both said Wu Yuntian had a big heart. They themselves could not rest easy letting their daughter and son head into the wilderness, so they insisted on escorting them personally.

Before leaving, Wu Yuntian handed Su Hao a bag. "This is the money earned by trading the spoils you collected over the past three years. Keep it safe. It isn't much, but it's enough."

Su Hao accepted the money pouch. It was his first contact with this world's currency. Curious, he took out a shiny silver coin and asked, "Is this a silver coin?"

"This is called a Silver Yuan. It can be exchanged for one hundred Copper Yuan, while one hundred Silver Yuan can be exchanged for one Gold Yuan. Use it as you see fit once you reach Lingyun Town. Oh, and if it isn't enough..."

Su Hao immediately looked at Wu Yuntian with eager eyes.

Wu Yuntian said, "I don't have any more either!"

Su Hao remained impassive.

"All right. Then I'm leaving." Su Hao took it and put it away.

For the first time, Su Hao left the tiny village.

I'm a little excited. Su Hao murmured with a smile.

"What?" He Qingqing, who had been watching Su Hao all along, asked instinctively.