Stunning Growth Rate

The two of them stepped into the audio-visual room.

The surrounding walls immediately lit up, followed by ten images of a young man practicing swordsmanship, all set against a lush bamboo forest.

These were recordings of Ning Ze's training, used to identify shortcomings from both an opponent's perspective and that of a third-party observer.

Ning Ze took the keyboard and entered a website, then verified his fingerprint on the side.

The pleasant sound of a babbling spring filled the training room. At the same time, a large screen appeared on the wall ahead. A natural scroll painting of green mountains and clear waters slowly unfolded across it before changing into Ning Ze's personal information.

Name: Ning Ze

Gender: Male

Address: Jiangnan Base City, Huaxia Country

Warrior Certificate Number: 426123205603016528

Level: Warrior Level (Beginner)

Contribution Points: 0

Account Balance: 1,319,999 Huaxia Coin

His birthday was March 1. Since he had yet to undergo combat achievement certification, anyone who had just become a warrior was classified as Warrior Level (Beginner).

"Dad, what secret manual do you think I should buy?"

Ning Ze asked tentatively.

When he became a Quasi-Warrior, he had signed an A-level Contract with the Limitless Martial Arts School. It included five million Huaxia Coin for purchasing warrior equipment and ten million Huaxia Coin in startup funds for buying secret manuals.

At the time, Li Wan had sponsored him with ten million, while his girlfriend Shu Yi had also given him all five million Huaxia Coin she had saved.

Ning Ze had not refused. At the time, he had barely a million in spending money. That was only enough to buy an A3 Model Light Swan Sword, and even that would be damaged fighting F-rank monsters, let alone the more expensive Combat Suit.

Refusing would have been treating his future and his life as a joke.

However, when he passed the warrior assessment, he had made a decision in his heart.

He could accept the initial support, but from then on, he would not take another cent from his family or anyone else. He would avoid developing a dependent mindset and swear to become a powerful warrior through his own efforts.

He had spent thirty million back then, but circumstances had changed. What kind of secret manual could 1.31 million Huaxia Coin buy?

A brilliant smile appeared on Ning Hua's lips as he teased, "Weren't you acting all capable just now? Now you remember you have a father?"

Ning Ze rubbed his nose, then slid his fingers down to his chin in a thoughtful pose.

"Dad."

"Look."

With that said.

He searched up the prices of secret manuals, then opened one.

"Gale Sword Master," all seven layers—Price: 30 billion Huaxia Coin (full price), 15 billion Huaxia Coin (half price; requirement: Four-Star Contribution Points)

"Gale Sword Master," first six layers—Price: 20 billion Huaxia Coin (full price), 10 billion Huaxia Coin (half price; requirement: Four-Star Contribution Points)

"Gale Sword Master," first two layers—Price: 40 million Huaxia Coin (full price), 20 million Huaxia Coin (half price; requirement: Two-Star Contribution Points)

"Gale Sword Master," First Layer—Price: 20 million Huaxia Coin (full price), 10 million Huaxia Coin (half price; requirement: One-Star Contribution Points)

"Dad, when we came back, the uncles casually dealt with some Advanced Beast Soldier-level monsters. After selling them, it should be enough to get me to One-Star Contribution Points."

"Otherwise, should I call Uncle Zuo now?"

After signing a contract with the Limitless Martial Arts School, one's first secret manual purchase could be made at the best price regardless of contribution points. After that, one needed sufficient contribution points to buy at the discounted rate. Otherwise, it was full price!

Ning Ze felt faintly excited.

This Sword Art was unquestionably among the top tier. It was not the most expensive sword technique secret manual, but it had once been the one that tempted him the most.

Its price, however, was absurd.

The First Layer alone cost ten million even at half price. That was all the startup funding he had received from his warrior A-level Contract. Ordinary warriors could not even sign A-level Contracts, much less qualify to attempt such a purchase. This was also a threshold set by the Limitless Martial Arts School to filter people out.

It included a Sword Art, Movement Technique, and Guidance Technique, and had been created by a powerful expert named Sword Daoist Wu Chenzi.

The "Gale Sword Art" and "Spirit Rhino Hundred Steps" that he currently cultivated had also been created by this same expert in his younger days.

What warrior did not dream of becoming powerful?

But people had to face reality. How could he force it when he had not possessed such talent before?

Now, he truly wanted to buy this secret manual.

"Is one secret manual enough?"

Ning Hua stopped teasing him and asked with an extremely serious expression. He was somewhat uncertain about exactly what kind of talent his son possessed.

Ning Ze froze slightly before pondering, "How about I practice this one first?"

Hearing that, Ning Hua grinned. Practice this one first? So he planned to practice others later?

"You brat, you're bold enough!"

"Call Little Zuo and talk about contribution points. If it's not enough, have them sell some materials. I'll go find your mother. Don't worry about the money."

A faint smile curled Ning Ze's lips. That damned online wallet had emptied his father's little treasury.

When he reached the door, Ning Hua stopped and fell into thought. Then, in an unreadable tone, he added, "Thank your Uncle Zuo for me. When the time comes for you to spend money, I won't stand on ceremony with them."

Ning Ze frowned slightly and asked, "Dad, how about I buy the first two layers first and practice them?"

He found it strange. He did not know exactly how much savings the family had, but they should still have a few hundred million Huaxia Coin. Why did they need to thank the uncles?

Ning Hua had been a Beginner Warlord back then and had a decent ability to earn money. To avoid living off their savings, he later had Ning Ze's two uncles go into business. It was not outrageously profitable, but it was no worse than being a warrior. Their total savings should have been close to a billion, enough to buy the first few layers.

If they bought the entire set, even calling on several uncles would definitely not be enough.

Ning Hua stared at Ning Ze and fell into thought, looking as though he was debating whether to say something.

In the end.

He quietly said, "Just answer him like that. I'll tell you later."

"Alright."

Ning Ze did not ask further. He would naturally learn whatever he was supposed to know later.

He called Zuo Xingyuan, and the other side picked up quickly.

"Kid, what do you need me for?"

Ning Ze could hear a noisy commotion on the other end.

"Uncle Zuo, can the monsters you killed on this trip be sold to the martial arts school under my name?"

Only sales to the martial arts school earned contribution points, though the monster materials would be worth slightly less than if sold elsewhere.

Even so, it was far better than buying contribution points with money. Buying them cost ten thousand Huaxia Coin per point, and it took ten thousand Contribution Points to reach One-Star.

"Hm?"

At the mention of this, the group that had been drinking immediately became interested and all gathered around.

"You want to buy a secret manual?"

"Yes. I want to buy 'Gale Sword Master.'"

The other end of the call instantly fell silent.

Zuo Xingyuan and the others exchanged looks. They had heard of the great name of Gale Sword Master. Everyone knew those famous top-tier secret manuals.

"Your Movement Technique broke through, and now you want to try sword techniques too?"

There was a hint of warning in Zuo Xingyuan's tone. Movement Techniques and Sword Arts were not the same!

A Movement Technique reaching the Micro-level meant one had talent for dodging. It had nothing to do with Sword Arts.

The Warrior Forum had a special section for top-tier secret manuals, and it was filled with wails of despair. What talented warriors had time to chat there? Showing off there did not bring any sense of accomplishment either.

Warriors who could master top-tier secret manuals were one in ten thousand, and it took at least several years. That alone made countless people who wanted to try shrink back.

Ning Ze's eyes shifted, and he said confidently, "I want to give it a try!"

There was another silence on the other end.

"Alright! It's good that you have confidence!"

"I'll have Uncle Ma sell the materials now. We'll find a way to scrape together One-Star Contribution Points for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Zuo."

"You brat, why are you being polite with me? Grow stronger quickly, and Uncle Zuo will take you to City No. 003 to broaden your horizons."

Ning Ze broke out in a cold sweat. The third-ranked city on the Asian Continent was indeed quite close, but their team was not going to City No. 003 to broaden their horizons. They were going there to die. The mortality rate was far too high!

"My dad asked me to pass on his thanks."

The other end went silent. Just as Ning Ze began to find it strange, Zuo Xingyuan replied, "As he should."

The call ended hastily, leaving Ning Ze baffled. "Thank you." "As he should." When had they ever become so distant? Is something going on? Why are they talking in riddles?

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about it and waited patiently.

He was still very confident in such a top-tier secret manual. Even if practicing by himself did not raise his proficiency, he still had his father at home to spar with.

Ding!

A crisp notification sounded.

Ning Ze raised his head. A message appeared at the top of the screen: Dear user, account ending in 9248 has transferred 10 million Huaxia Coin to you...

Ning Hua did not come upstairs again. After a while, another notification arrived. After selling the monster materials, his contribution points had already risen to One-Star.

He first sent Uncle Zuo a message of thanks, then chose to make the purchase.

"Please confirm whether you wish to purchase 'Gale Sword Master,' First Layer. Payment of 10 million Huaxia Coin is required!" A prompt appeared on the screen.

"Confirm!" Ning Ze tapped the screen.

"Please verify your fingerprint." A prompt appeared on the screen.

Ning Ze directly pressed his hand against the sensor on the right side of the keyboard.

Beep!

"Fingerprint verification successful."

"Purchase successful!"

"Payment successful!"

"'Gale Sword Master,' First Layer, will be delivered to Mr. Ning Ze's home within 24 hours. Address: Jiangnan Base City—Yangzhou District—Bright Moon Residential Area..." Prompts appeared across the screen in succession.

"It won't arrive until tomorrow."

"Go train first. Wash up before dinner tonight."

Inside the training room.

Ning Ze wielded his sword. He seemed to teleport, flashing to the left, then flashing to the right. His figure continuously flickered through the two-hundred-square-meter training room, countless silver-white Sword Shadows moving with him.

He was simply too fast. His top speed could exceed 40 m/s, while the training room was only a dozen or so meters wide. He could cross from one end to the other in less than half a second.

After training for an hour, a thin sheen of sweat covered Ning Ze's forehead. He panted lightly, then sat cross-legged and practiced the "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style."

Another hour passed before Ning Ze slowly opened his eyes and looked at the System Panel.

Host: Ning Ze

Realm: Intermediate Warrior, 2295 kg

Cultivation Skills: Gene Energy Cultivation Method "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style"; Guidance Technique "Ethereal Spirit Wind"

Combat Skills: "Spirit Rhino Hundred Steps," Micro-level 33/10000; "Gale Sword Art," Proficient 12/10000

"I checked the panel once before training. My strength was 2290 kg then, and it increased by 5 kg in one hour."

"Originally, it would take me more than half a year to advance from Intermediate Warrior to Advanced Warrior. I would gain roughly 5 to 10 kg a day, but now I can gain 5 kg in one hour."

Ning Ze was deeply shocked, his face filled with unconcealable joy. He said excitedly, "More importantly, I trained for an entire hour without using the Guidance Technique, yet I still didn't feel like I had reached my limit!"

There was a limit to the amount of Cosmic Origin Energy each person could absorb per day. Cells grew tired, and the body became saturated. Even with a Guidance Technique, one could only absorb somewhat more Cosmic Energy.

But if he could not feel a limit, then he could keep cultivating indefinitely!

"With my current physical condition, I can cultivate for twenty hours a day. That means I can gain 100 kg of strength per day, twenty times my previous cultivation speed!"

"I only need seventeen days to raise my physical condition to Advanced Warrior!"

Ning Ze's eyes trembled. The strength range of an Advanced Warrior was 4,000 to 8,000 kg. He would only need another fifty-seven days of cultivation to raise his physical condition to Beginner Warlord!

His father was only a Beginner Warlord!

Ning Ze had already stopped breathing. His father had cultivated for more than ten years to become a Warlord, while he needed only two months!

And having mastered Force Generation, his combat power was unquestionably greater than Ning Hua's.

Huff!

Ning Ze let out a long breath and suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart. His excited emotions gradually calmed.

He had already witnessed the strength of the system's assistance. It had allowed his Movement Technique to advance to the Micro-level.

Now, allowing him to reach War God Level in just a few years like those seniors from the Great Nirvana era seemed only natural.

It was just that he had never calculated this rate of improvement before, nor had he understood how terrifying it truly was.

"I practiced Sword Art for about an hour, and my proficiency rose by ten points. That means I need one thousand hours of practice to advance to the next level. Even if I practice twenty hours a day, it will still take fifty days."

"Practicing Sword Art and Movement Technique gives roughly the same increase of ten points per hour, but... it seemed to rise faster when sparring with Dad."

"Is it because the pressure is great enough?"

Ning Ze propped up his chin and pondered, already more or less understanding how skill proficiency increased.

If he fought on the brink of death and was pushed to his limits, his proficiency would rise rapidly. Just like when he fought the Shadow Cat Monster, danger lurked at every turn in those few short seconds, and his proficiency had jumped at a rate of one to two points per second.

But if the pressure of combat decreased, it would become like when he fought the Shadow Cat Monster after reaching the Micro-level. It was similar when Ning Hua beat him up—urgent, but without mortal danger. He would gain roughly one to two points per minute.

Then there was normal training, where skills increased by ten points per hour, while strength increased by 5 kg per hour.

"I definitely need to cultivate Gene Energy. It can increase my Base Strength. I also have to train Sword Art and Movement Technique, since they determine my combat power."

"Furthermore, if Force Generation can continue improving, then Sword Art and Movement Technique are not merely necessary—they are even more important than cultivating Gene Energy!"

"It will take fifty-seven days for my strength to reach Warlord Level, while improving my Movement Technique and Sword Art will take fifty days. That makes three and a half months."

"Their movements are completely different. Cultivating Gene Energy requires a fixed posture to sense it, while training Movement Technique and Sword Art requires movement and comprehension. They can't be improved simultaneously..."

"This..."

Ning Ze felt a headache coming on. He was being greedy. If he could improve them at the same time, his combat power would soar even faster!

"Big Brother! Mom told me to call you down for dinner!"

Hearing the faint voice, Ning Ze turned his head.

At the glass window one and a half meters above the floor of the training room door, an adorable little face was pressed against it, shouting with all her might.

To maintain quiet during training, the construction materials of the training room blocked out a certain amount of sound. Only sounds above a certain volume could faintly enter.

"It's already good enough that I can improve. There's no better solution for now."

"After dinner, I'm cultivating all night!"

Ning Ze stood up and darted to the door in a blur. He yanked it open, nearly knocking over the girl who had been pressed against it.

"Hey! Watch it!"

The cute little girl wore twin ponytails and pouted as she vented her dissatisfaction.

Her name was Ning Qianqian. She was Ning Ze's younger sister, two years his junior, and was currently in her second year of high school at Noble School.

Ning Ze showed no intention of apologizing. He lifted his eyelids slightly and said softly, "Move."

Ning Qianqian obediently stepped aside, baring her teeth in a show of bravado.

Ning Ze walked out expressionlessly and said casually, "I'm going to shower. You guys eat first."

When it came to this mischievous little sister of his, he had always used the traditional method of sparring practice.

Their family's tradition was: Li Wan beat Ning Hua, Ning Hua beat Ning Ze, Ning Ze beat Ning Qianqian, and Ning Qianqian got beaten by Li Wan—a perfect cycle.

Ning Qianqian swallowed her anger and followed him curiously. "Bro, why did you suddenly come back? Didn't you say you'd be gone for half a month?"

Ning Ze smiled faintly and said kindly, "Adult matters are none of a child's business." The moment he finished speaking, his face turned expressionless again. With a casual pull, he shut the bathroom door with a bang.

Furious, Ning Qianqian clenched her fists and waved them toward the bathroom door. Just then, the door flew open with a bang.

The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere became inexplicably awkward.

Ning Qianqian still had her tiny fist raised, her face fierce. Her expression gradually turned gentle as she said ingratiatingly, "Go, Bro! You're the best! Yay!"

Ning Ze rolled his eyes at her in disdain and ordered, "Go get my slippers and put them by the door."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door slammed shut.

Ning Qianqian stood outside muttering, "Always ordering me around. I can't beat you, but someone can handle you! Just you wait!"

After saying that, she headed toward Ning Ze's room. She still had to get the slippers.