Lin Qi looked at the balance of over 13,000 in his bank account, his feelings complicated.
From childhood to now, his account had never held more than 3,000 yuan.
This was also the first time he had possessed so much money.
It's been more than ten years since I last saw more than ten thousand yuan.
Of the more than 13,000 yuan in his account, 3,000 had been earned from his part-time job as a sparring partner.
The remaining 10,000 was scholarship money.
"My scholarship has arrived too!"
Jiang Tao, sitting across from him, smiled as well. Thirty thousand yuan was also an enormous sum to him.
Although he had received one million Xia Guo Bi through the Genius Loan, not all of that money would be spent on himself.
He also had a younger sister who needed money. He had to buy all kinds of resources for her in advance to build a solid foundation, so every cent was precious.
Lin Qi understood that as well.
"After lunch, let's go to the supermarket. It's time to buy new resources," Lin Qi suggested.
To prepare for the quiz, he had bought a large amount of Qi and Blood Capsules and Qi and Blood Elixir. After a week, he had used them all up.
"Perfect. I need to buy some resources too. Let's go together."
"By the way, Qi Ge, it's time to replace your phone too. The screen is so cracked you can barely see it."
Jiang Tao pointed at Lin Qi's Smartphone.
Lin Qi looked at the antique Smartphone in his hand. It had once belonged to his Old Dad, Lin Zhen. Its screen was now covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and even the case had begun to fade. He had never been willing to replace it.
"It really is time for a new one." Lin Qi nodded. ...
Ten minutes later
Red Sky Martial Arts Supermarket
Lin Qi stood in the medicine section, taking boxes of Qi and Blood Capsules from the shelves.
"My body is growing at an astonishing rate, and my daily training volume is increasing too."
"If I want to maintain my rate of improvement, I need sufficient nutrition and medicinal supplements to raise my qi and blood."
"So I need to buy more Qi and Blood Capsules, as well as elixirs."
With that in mind, Lin Qi took twenty boxes of Qi and Blood Capsules in a row, then headed to the shelf of Qi and Blood Elixir.
"Before, I was short on money and only bought two bottles of Qi and Blood Elixir. Now I can afford one bottle a day."
Lin Qi grabbed a row of Qi and Blood Elixir and put them into his shopping basket. There were a full ten bottles.
After casually buying a few other resources, he lined up to pay.
"Beep!"
"A total of 7,826 yuan!"
"Payment successful!"
Lin Qi paid through his phone, and more than half of his ten-thousand-plus balance vanished in an instant.
"If I can become a contracted genius of Red Sky Martial Arts Hall, even with just a twenty percent discount, I could save a lot of money."
After sighing, he put everything into his backpack and waited in the cool spot by the entrance.
A few minutes later, Jiang Tao finally came out. The backpack in his hand had been stuffed to its limit.
"Haha, I accidentally bought a little too much."
"Besides the resources I need for myself, I bought quite a lot for Miaoyin too."
"Our family used to be poor. For my martial arts path, A-Yin sacrificed herself and even became malnourished."
"Now I have to properly nourish her and build up her foundation."
Jiang Tao scratched his head and explained with a chuckle.
Lin Qi nodded. Jiang Tao's parents had both passed away. Even with government assistance and desperately taking on part-time jobs, he could only maintain a normal life.
It was clearly unrealistic to have both of them embark on the martial arts path.
So Jiang Tao's younger sister, Jiang Miaoyin, had sacrificed herself. Jiang Tao spent the money on resources for his own use, leaving her malnourished. Her qi and blood rose slowly and inadequately, and her Martial Arts Strength ranked at the bottom of the class.
Lin Qi had reason to believe that more than half of Jiang Tao's million Xia Guo Bi would be spent on his younger sister, Jiang Miaoyin.
"Let's go buy a new phone."
"Okay!"
The two went to a nearby phone store and came out shortly afterward.
Lin Qi now held a brand-new Smartphone with a black exterior that reflected the light.
"Qi Ge, you should at least buy one that costs over a thousand. The performance of a 500-yuan phone isn't very good," Jiang Tao complained beside him.
"I'll make do with it. I don't have much money on me right now. Once the College Entrance Examination is over, I'll replace it with a new one."
"Besides, aren't you using a second-hand Smartphone that only cost five or six hundred?"
Lin Qi said indifferently as he operated his phone and transferred files.
"Hehe, you caught me."
The two returned to school with full bags. ...
Afternoon, martial arts class
"I know some of you have hired Martial Artists stronger than me as your teachers, so you don't need my guidance."
"I permit you to return to your own Martial Arts Rooms to train."
The muscular Zhang Cheng stood in the middle of the classroom with his arms folded, speaking loudly.
Upon hearing that, some people picked up their things and headed out, including the top three students of the grade: Li Zhou, Qi Yuelin, and Yu Jing.
In just a moment, more than ten people had left.
Most of them were among the top ten of the grade, which fit everyone's stereotype: those from wealthy families were rarely weak in Martial Arts Strength.
"The rest of you, train freely. I want to see your level."
More than thirty people spread out, each finding a spot to begin training.
Dressed in a Martial Arts Uniform, Lin Qi took out a sheet of Qi and Blood Capsules from his backpack, squeezed out three pills and swallowed them, then drank a bottle of Qi and Blood Elixir.
He looked around and, unlike the others, did not immediately begin practicing with a weapon.
Instead, he started practicing Fist Technique.
"Whooshing~"
His footwork was steady, his qi sank into his dantian, and he stood as firm as a roly-poly doll.
Stillness and motion blended together. When still, he possessed the stance of a crouching tiger; when moving, he was as nimble as a cat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Crisp sounds rang out as his Tiger Claws struck. The Balance Fist emerged, power flowing through to his fingertips.
Lin Qi immersed himself in it, his entire body heating up as though flames were burning within him. His qi and blood surged, and strength poured out without end.
The key points of Tiger Form Fist surfaced in his mind.
[Through practicing Tiger Form Fist, you gained new insights into Fist Technique. Your control over your body improved. Fist Technique +1%] [Fist Technique: First Order 91% → 93%]
Lin Qi drew back his fists. Steam rose from his body, and sweat began to form on his forehead.
Once he felt his body had warmed up, he took out his training spear.
Swish! Swish!
The long spear danced as he performed the Basic Spear Technique. With a shake of the spear, clusters of spear flowers burst forth.
"A breakthrough in Fist Technique really is more beneficial to improving Spear Technique. It can achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"At the same time, practicing weapons consumes more than simply punching."
A few minutes later, Lin Qi stopped. He was already drenched in sweat. After wiping it away and drinking a bottle of water, he continued practicing the Mountain Shattering Spear Technique.
"Initiating Stance, Cloud Piercing, Collapse Thrust..."
"When practicing the spear, the spear must never leave the body. Keep your body hidden behind the spear, and use the root to guide the tip."
"Whether it is the waist, hips, or shoulders, use the root to guide the tip. When wielding the spear, interchange tip and root. Like a python entwining the body, adapt swiftly to every opportunity."
"When practicing the spear, move slowly and fully. Let the body fill like an air pump. When releasing, extend and retract like an air tube. Twist, wrap, drill, and turn with the Spear Technique. The person follows the spear, and the spear follows the person..."
Zhang Cheng's resonant voice echoed throughout the Martial Arts Classroom.
As Lin Qi danced the long spear and listened, he seemed to gain some insight. The speed of his Spear Technique became smoother.
"First Order Spear Technique is the foundation. What matters is proficiency. If you ask how profound it is, it really isn't. You just need to practice more..."
"Practice enough, and your Spear Technique Realm will naturally rise."
After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, he looked toward Lin Qi.
Those words seemed to have been said specifically for him.
Swish! Swish!
Bang!
Lin Qi continued performing the Mountain Shattering Spear Technique. Zhang Cheng's thoughts aligned perfectly with his own. He simply needed to practice more.
Each time he practiced it, his proficiency improved.
[After Teacher Zhang Cheng's guidance, your understanding of Spear Technique deepened. Spear Technique +1%] [Spear Technique: First Order 70% → 71%]
Yang Lei, who was swinging a long spear in the distance, did not look very happy.
"Why does Teacher Zhang always guide Lin Qi? How am I worse than him?"
9:30 p.m.
Lin Qi and Jiang Tao went home together.
They both lived in Rongshan District. The entire district was huge and was a well-known poor neighborhood in Tianhai City.
Lin Qi lived in Building 4, while Jiang Tao lived in Building 3. The distance between them was not short.
Normally, Lin Qi would not wait for Jiang Tao when heading out, because Jiang Tao had to take care of his younger sister, Jiang Miaoyin.
"See you tomorrow, Qi Ge!"
"Okay!"
The two parted ways at the intersection and each walked toward home.
Room 301. Lin Qi stepped through the door.
Unlike usual, a cool breeze rushed toward him.
In the living room, a standing cube-shaped air conditioner was whooshing out cold air.
"The air conditioner is here!"
Lin Qi smiled. His parents, Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi, were also enjoying the air conditioner on the worn-out sofa.
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