Swift Hawk, Sword Sparrow, Battle Axe Bear

Bang!

The butt of the spear smashed into the floor. Lin Qi looked at the panel, the corners of his mouth lifting.

"I hadn't practiced for a week, and this was my first session today, yet my spear technique actually improved by 5%."

Lin Qi secretly rejoiced.

That feeling while practicing his spear technique just now had been wonderful. New insights kept surfacing every moment.

The movements of his spear technique constantly shifted, becoming increasingly fluid. Many subtle movements that usually felt natural had seemed awkward just now.

Yet with a slight adjustment, they produced tremendous improvement.

This was the comprehension of a genius!

Lin Qi looked at Erlang True Lord on the panel. In myths and folk legends, Erlang True Lord wielded a Two-Edged Three-Pointed Blade.

It was called a blade, but it differed greatly from ordinary blades. It was more like a long spear—or rather, both were long-handled weapons.

So his talent with long weapons would also continue growing stronger.

Lin Qi felt that he was becoming increasingly compatible with Erlang Shen.

After resting for a moment, Lin Qi began practicing his spear technique again.

Time in the Martial Arts Room was precious. He could not waste it.

Soon, forty minutes passed.

"Whoosh, whoosh~~"

Sweat flowed into his eyes as Lin Qi breathed heavily. Drops of sweat fell onto the mat, soaking a large area.

The hand gripping the long spear trembled continuously, exhaustion spreading through his entire body.

Yet his eyes shone brightly.

[You have gained a new understanding of movement techniques. Movement technique +3%]

[By practicing the Basic Spear Technique, your proficiency has improved again. Spear technique +2%]

[Spear technique: First Order 67%]

[Movement technique: First Order 60%]

In forty minutes, both Lin Qi's spear technique and movement technique had improved tremendously.

This was something he had never experienced before.

"Qi Ge, catch!"

Jiang Tao threw over a bottle of Energy Drink from nearby. Lin Qi caught it and gulped it down.

The two sat down to rest.

"Qi Ge, now that we're in the Elite Class tomorrow, it's time for us to learn new martial arts—your spear technique and my blade technique."

"We've built a solid foundation, and our Fist Technique has reached Major Achievement. It's time to learn new martial arts."

"From what I know, many students have already started learning new weapon manuals at Martial Arts Halls."

Jiang Tao suddenly said.

Lin Qi nodded. Martial Arts Halls made their living from this. There were countless large and small Martial Arts Halls near No. 2 High School, offering private instruction and specializing in Five Form Fist and basic weapon manuals.

They also taught more advanced weapon manuals, with Martial Artists personally providing guidance.

So even without martial arts teachers, wealthy people could still progress quickly.

Poor people like him and Jiang Tao could only rely on martial arts teachers.

"A new spear technique..."

Thinking of this, Lin Qi gripped his long spear and began looking forward to learning a new spear technique.

"What? You got into the Elite Class?"

In the living room of Room 301, Building 4, Lin Zhen sat on the sofa applying medicine, his face filled with surprise.

"Xiao Qi, is that true?"

Fang Huiyi also looked surprised.

Lin Qi set down his backpack and explained with a smile.

"I really did get into the Elite Class, and I'll apply for the Genius Loan again. The chances of succeeding are high."

"You don't need to worry about me."

Hearing Lin Qi's explanation, Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi exchanged a glance, their expressions visibly brightening.

"That's wonderful! I knew you could do it, Xiao Qi!"

Old Dad Lin Zhen burst into laughter. Old Mom Fang Huiyi stood up and rubbed Lin Qi's head, saying with concern, "But you still need to take care of your body."

"Mm!"

Martial Arts Calendar 2045, September 8

5:50 a.m., at the entrance of No. 2 High School

Lin Qi pushed his bicycle into the school. Instead of heading to the Building 3 Martial Arts Classroom as usual,

he went in another direction.

He arrived at No. 1 Teaching Building, a U-shaped structure.

Room 301 Martial Arts Classroom

"This is the place!"

Lin Qi looked at the half-open metal door. The combination lock also showed that it was unlocked.

"Someone's already here?"

Lin Qi pushed open the door. This Martial Arts Classroom was even more spacious, covering over twelve hundred square meters. Fifty clean white metal lockers stood in one corner.

Rows of blades, spears, and swords hung on the walls. There were even rarer weapons such as axes, polearms, staffs, and halberds.

The room was brightly lit, and someone in the corner was standing in the Perfectly Round Stance.

"Someone actually got here earlier than me!"

Lin Qi was surprised. Last night, Yan Hong, their homeroom teacher, had notified them that they could head directly to the new Martial Arts Classroom in the morning.

As for their textbooks, they could return to get them after martial arts class.

More than seventy percent of the students who could enter the Elite Class came from fairly well-off families.

Those students would not arrive too early in the morning. Some would even choose to practice martial arts at home and would not arrive until seven.

Arriving early meant their family circumstances were not very good.

Lin Qi did not dwell on it. He found the metal locker marked No. 45, changed into his Martial Arts Uniform, took a Qi and Blood Capsule, and began standing in stance.

Not far away, a boy around 1.8 meters tall with lean muscles and a resolute face also noticed Lin Qi.

An invisible atmosphere of competition began to spread.

As time passed, more and more students entered the Martial Arts Classroom.

None of them knew each other. After changing into Martial Arts Uniforms, they began practicing.

Standing in stance, punching, practicing weapons...

"Whew~"

After an hour, Lin Qi finished standing in stance.

Bang! Bang!

Swish! Swish!

"Ha!"

The entire Martial Arts Classroom was now filled with all kinds of sounds, with weapons slicing through the air.

Some practiced fierce blade techniques, some swung flashing sword shadows, and others sent spear shadows flying...

The styles of the weapon manuals they used varied greatly. Clearly, they were all practicing advanced versions of basic manuals.

"Their spear techniques, sword techniques, and blade techniques are all at a higher level than mine."

Lin Qi felt immense pressure.

"Qi Ge, everyone here is a monster."

Jiang Tao also came over, his expression solemn.

"As expected of the Elite Class. Just one glance, and there are several people stronger than me."

Jiang Tao felt the pressure. Back in Class 3, he had firmly ranked in the top three, with only two people stronger than him.

But in the Elite Class, his strength only placed him in the upper-middle range.

Lin Qi nodded. One after another, they were tall and powerfully built, their auras imposing. When they swung their weapons, their qi and blood surged, stirring gusts of strong wind.

No one spoke much in the Martial Arts Room, but the invisible competition had already begun.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

Not far away, a figure wielded a long spear. His movements were nimble, swift as the wind, like a hunting hawk.

Lin Qi recognized him. He was the First Place student from their former Class 3, the Second Place student in the grade, nicknamed Swift Hawk—Yu Jing!

"That's Qi Yuelin!"

"And Li Zhou is here too."

People nearby murmured softly. Lin Qi and Jiang Tao looked in the direction of the discussion.

In an open area in the corner stood an exceptionally beautiful girl.

She wore a white Martial Arts Uniform. Her features were delicate, her figure well-proportioned, her chest full, and her temperament pure.

She wielded a long sword, tracing beautiful sword flowers through the air.

"Third in the grade, nicknamed Sword Sparrow—Qi Yuelin!"

Someone called out her name.

"And Li Zhou, First Place in the grade."

Jiang Tao looked in another direction. Quite a few others were looking there as well.

It was a boy with a sturdy build, over two meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with rugged features and the imposing presence of a standing brown bear.

He stood out from the crowd, a wild aura radiating from him and keeping others from approaching.

He casually played with a broad Battle Axe in his hand!

He was No. 2 High School's First Place student, nicknamed Battle Axe Bear—Li Zhou.

Besides the top three students in the grade, there were others as well. Their temperaments differed, but they all shared one thing: a powerful aura.

They were all top ten geniuses in the grade, each with their own nickname. It was a tradition among seniors, even a tradition in every school.

"Damn it, why are all their nicknames so cool while mine is Old Black or Part-Time Bro?"

Jiang Tao grumbled indignantly.

"You'll get one once you make the top ten."

Lin Qi comforted him from the side. His own nickname was Basic Skill Master, which was not as appealing as Swift Hawk and the like.

But he knew that as long as he was strong enough, someone would naturally come up with a cool nickname for him.

In the martial arts world, only the strong deserved cool, domineering nicknames.

"Looks like everyone's here!"

A voice suddenly rang out.