Qingfeng

Yet Ye Qingfeng frowned slightly and shook his head regretfully. "Your spear technique is too poor. You should go practice in the Virtual Training Ground."

As soon as he spoke, a crisp sword chime rang out. Chu Kuang had not even noticed him draw his sword before the world spun around him, and he was teleported off the arena.

"This is—"

Chu Kuang returned to the Tian Heng Star Realm and touched his neck in lingering fear, an overwhelming chill filling his heart.

If this had not been a virtual Star Realm, he would likely have been killed in a single strike.

"Too strong. His sword was unbelievably fast."

"Ye Qingfeng... was there someone like that at Third Middle School?"

Chu Kuang pondered for a moment, recalling the scene of his opponent drawing his sword. His pupils contracted as he said, "Qingfeng Sword Art. So it was him."

Having guessed the man's identity, the defeat in Chu Kuang's heart instantly vanished.

Qingfeng Sword Art had upper, middle, and lower volumes. The upper volume alone was a Beginner Sword Art, and fewer than ten people in Tian Heng Third Middle School cultivated it.

For him to instantly defeat Chu Kuang, he had most likely mastered the upper volume of Qingfeng Sword Art. Among first-years, there was probably only one person capable of perfecting that sword art volume.

"Possessing a Top-grade Bone Structure, the strongest genius Tian Heng Third Middle School has seen in five years."

Chu Kuang spoke calmly, now understanding his opponent's identity.

Those with Top-grade Bone Structures were one-in-ten-thousand geniuses. Among the more than one hundred thousand first-year students in Tian Heng City, only three to five possessed one.

Ye Qingfeng possessed a Top-grade Bone Structure. The moment he entered school, Third Middle School treated him like a treasure, providing him with the largest share of cultivation and teaching resources.

Barring any surprises, Ye Qingfeng had already mastered his basic internal and external martial arts, Beginner External Martial Arts, and the upper volume of Qingfeng Sword Art. He might even have begun studying Intermediate Cultivation Methods and internal martial arts.

His Life Level had likely surpassed Level 7, perhaps even reaching Level 8. Chu Kuang's defeat this time was not unjustified.

"My Bone Structure cannot compare to his, nor can my resources. But with the support of Cultivation Technique Perks, I will surpass him step by step sooner or later."

Chu Kuang took a deep breath, set those thoughts aside, and opened the ranking tournament for another match.

This time, his opponent was ranked over 2,800th. After exchanging more than thirty moves, Chu Kuang narrowly lost.

His opponent had cultivated Great Accomplishment External Martial Arts and won entirely by suppressing him with a higher Life Level, along with Minor Accomplishment Level Beginner Martial Arts.

"Just a little short."

"The Life Level increase from mastering Basic External Martial Arts is still too weak, and my martial arts skill is lacking as well."

Chu Kuang murmured to himself, immediately sensing his own shortcomings.

Mastering Basic External Martial Arts alone could raise one's Life Level limit to at most 5.5. Combined with Great Accomplishment Basic Internal Martial Arts and Minor Accomplishment Level Iron Armor Technique, he had raised his Life Level limit to 5.6.

That was already close to his current limit. If his internal and external martial arts could not advance further, he could at most raise his Life Level to 5.7.

But this opponent had relied on Great Accomplishment Level Beginner External Martial Arts, a Life Level of 5.8, and Minor Accomplishment Beginner Saber Technique to defeat him.

"My Life Level is too low. Reaching the top three thousand will not be easy."

"But if I cultivate the Gold-Splitting Spear to Minor Accomplishment, then pair it with my Basic Spear Technique, which is already at the peak of Great Accomplishment, I should have a chance against that opponent from before."

Chu Kuang calculated inwardly. His Gold-Splitting Spear was enhanced by a perk. Once it reached Minor Accomplishment, its power would gain an additional twenty percent. That might give him a chance to win.

However, his Gold-Splitting Spear was only at Nascent Stage 47%. Even with the Purple Perk Spear Dao Compendium, it would normally take several days to reach Minor Accomplishment.

"Perhaps I really should temper myself in the training ground."

Chu Kuang pondered Ye Qingfeng's words.

Ye Qingfeng had said his spear technique was too poor and told him to practice in the Virtual Training Ground. Having gone through years of compulsory education, Chu Kuang naturally knew what the Virtual Training Ground was.

The so-called Virtual Training Ground was a place within the Star Realm where people could hone their martial techniques.

Within the Virtual Training Ground, one could select opponents of various levels and simulate life-or-death battles with them, rapidly tempering and improving one's martial arts skill.

However, the training ground was not free. Every hour required a certain amount of Federal Coin, so Chu Kuang had never been willing to use it to hone his skills over the years.

After opening the training ground, Chu Kuang discovered that an Apprentice Level training ground cost as much as two hundred Federal Coin per hour.

"So expensive."

Seeing the exorbitant training fee, Chu Kuang immediately felt a headache coming on.

Operating the Star Realm required a vast amount of energy. The training ground was a major energy consumer and one of the Star Realm's greatest sources of income, so its fees were naturally not low.

Gritting his teeth, Chu Kuang paid and directly selected an opponent with Great Accomplishment Elementary External Martial Arts and Great Accomplishment Elementary Spear Technique, setting the opponent's Life Level to 5.8.

As a result, Chu Kuang was utterly crushed in that battle and completely defeated in just five moves.

"No, the gap is too large. This will not help me much."

Seeing that he was no match, Chu Kuang adjusted his opponent's spear technique down to the Minor Accomplishment Level, immediately feeling the pressure lessen considerably.

Minor Accomplishment Level Beginner Spear Technique was enough to pressure Chu Kuang, yet they could still trade blows evenly. Sparring against opponents of comparable strength often brought greater improvement.

But as they continued fighting, Chu Kuang was killed after fifty moves in their first battle.

When they fought again the second time, Chu Kuang forcibly held on for eighty moves. By the third time, he was already able to battle his opponent fiercely beyond a hundred moves.

After training continuously like this for over an hour, when Chu Kuang fought his opponent for the seventh time, he felt that his Gold-Splitting Spear had progressed significantly. At last, he could truly exchange blows evenly with his opponent.

"Gold splits stone, force weighs upon heaven!"

After more than a hundred moves of fierce battle, Chu Kuang felt as though he had gained an insight. The formerly difficult Gold-Splitting Spear suddenly underwent a qualitative transformation, thrusting out explosively with heaven-crushing force and powerfully piercing through his opponent's chest in a single strike.

When he came back to himself, he thoroughly killed the simulated opponent before sensing the panel in his mind.

Gold-Splitting Spear, Minor Accomplishment 1%.

Gold-Splitting Blue: The edge that splits gold, shattering stone and rending gold. Gold-Splitting Spear's maximum power increases by twenty percent.

"Twenty percent."

Chu Kuang murmured inwardly and slowly let out a breath.

A Nascent Stage Beginner Spear Technique could increase strength by roughly twenty to thirty percent, while a Minor Accomplishment spear technique could increase it by around fifty to sixty percent.

His Gold-Splitting Spear had only just entered Minor Accomplishment and could already increase his strength by fifty percent. Yet under the perk's enhancement, its power was already close to the Minor Accomplishment limit.

"With my current strength, I should have some chance of winning against those ranked near the bottom of the top three thousand."

Chu Kuang pondered this, but he did not rush back into the ranking tournament. Instead, he continued training.

He had renewed the training ground for two hours and still had more than half an hour left. To avoid wasting it, he might as well use all the time.

Time passed in a flash. More than half an hour soon went by, and Chu Kuang only stopped cultivating after the full two hours had ended.

Gold-Splitting Spear, Minor Accomplishment 5%

"An hour of life-and-death combat in the training ground is more effective than three days of practicing the spear by myself. Even if the effects gradually diminish later, this is still the best place to improve martial arts skill at high speed."

"Unfortunately, I'm out of money again."

After finishing his Gold-Splitting Spear cultivation, Chu Kuang let out a deep breath.

The ten thousand Federal Coin his homeroom teacher Xu Yue had lent him had all been used to buy Nutrient Solution. Now, in order to raise his Life Level to 5.5, half of that Nutrient Solution had already been used up.

Fifty-two bottles of Nutrient Solution remained, but once his Iron Armor Technique reached Great Accomplishment, they would likely be exhausted quickly as well.

The five hundred Federal Coin he had originally possessed had dwindled to his final one hundred after two hours of training.

"Make money. The urgent priority is to get money as quickly as possible."

Chu Kuang checked the time and found that it was already eleven at night.

Yet he did not choose to sleep. Instead, he directly opened the ranking tournament and seized the opportunity for one final push.

"There's still an hour. It should be enough."

Over the next few days, Chu Kuang was matched into two consecutive fights. Perhaps because his hidden rating had fallen after two straight losses, neither opponent was ranked very highly.

The first opponent was ranked over 5,000th and had not cultivated Great Accomplishment advanced external martial arts. After more than twenty intense exchanges, Chu Kuang defeated him.

The second opponent was ranked over 4,000th. After more than thirty fierce exchanges, Chu Kuang defeated him as well.

It was not until his third opponent that he encountered someone ranked within the top three thousand.

Xu Hong

School: Tian Heng Second Middle School

Rank: 2997

Wins 630: Losses 421

Win Rate: 60%

"He has fought over a thousand matches. Did he make the ranking tournament his home?"

Chu Kuang showed a surprised expression before quickly understanding.

Within the Tian Heng Ranking Tournament, one could match against many opponents of the same age. This kind of life-and-death tempering could improve martial arts skill. Although its effects were far inferior to the training ground, it was still a good place to improve one's martial techniques over time.

After all, the training ground was too expensive. At two hundred Federal Coin per hour, an ordinary family could not possibly afford it long-term.

However, despite fighting over a thousand matches, this person had only barely squeezed into the top three thousand. His strength was likely not that impressive.

"Someone from Third Middle School."

At that moment, Xu Hong looked over Chu Kuang's information. His eyes turned somewhat cold as he said, "Nearly breaking into the top three thousand in thirteen matches. Another genius with excellent Bone Structure."

"Good. Geniuses are exactly what I fight."

As soon as he spoke, the youth named Xu Hong suddenly drew his saber and pounced like a vicious tiger.

That saber strike carried an overwhelming ferocity. Before he even arrived, the saber's murderous aura had already slashed toward Chu Kuang, making the hairs on Chu Kuang's body stand on end.

"Black Tiger Saber Technique—Great Accomplishment?"

Chu Kuang frowned and swiftly raised his long spear, thrusting out as they repeatedly clashed.

The instant they exchanged blows, Chu Kuang understood why Xu Hong had stopped at rank 2997. His opponent's Life Level was clearly weak, likely not even exceeding 4.8 at its peak.

With such a Life Level, his opponent's Bone Structure was at most Third Grade. He had only barely fought his way into the top three thousand by relying on his martial arts talent to cultivate Great Accomplishment advanced martial arts.

"Without perk enhancement, you might really have broken my spear with a single saber."

"Unfortunately..."

Chu Kuang's thoughts shifted. The great spear in his hand shook violently, and a vast force forcibly knocked aside Xu Hong's saber before thrusting toward him with unstoppable momentum.

"Perfect!"

To his surprise, Xu Hong laughed loudly. He allowed Chu Kuang's spear to pierce his shoulder, then grabbed the long spear and drew a short blade from behind his back, sweeping it toward Chu Kuang's neck.

"Not good, Crouching Tiger Saber Technique."