Extreme Martial Arts

"Martial Government manages the entire country. It is better suited for clerical or semi-clerical work and especially requires political resources and emotional intelligence. I know you do not want to choose it, so there is no need to dwell on it. Honestly, my dad has been in the game for so many years and still cannot figure out politics, let alone me."

"Some people look down on Pioneer Corporation, but those who work there painstakingly hunt Demonic Beasts. They are all industrialists. Still, business is business. At its core, Pioneer Corporation follows the same commercial rules."

"Extreme Martial Arts, as the name implied, focused on Martial Dao and climbing to the summit. Everyone longed for it, but no one could achieve it. This road was far too bitter, especially before Grandmaster—it was practically a pack of miserable bastards, training like mad, slaughtering Demonic Beasts like mad, and crazily pouring resources into themselves. To cultivate, one had to reduce contact with the outside world. I could never endure that kind of loneliness and solitude for the rest of my life."

Zhou Leng said, "Indeed. Back then, a young martial cultivator asked Martial Saint Zhao whether Extreme Martial Arts was lonely at the beginning and would become better later. Martial Saint Zhao answered: it is lonely forever."

Xue Chengsong said, "I do not know you well enough to give you perfect advice. My suggestion is that you set several directions for yourself, then, before you have sufficient ability and resources, use other paths to accumulate strength and resources. Or rather, many paths overlap at the beginning."

Zhou Leng fell silent for a moment before saying, "I choose Extreme Martial Arts."

"All my earlier words were wasted? There is really no need for you to choose so early."

"I choose Extreme Martial Arts."

"Fine. You people who walk the path of Extreme Martial Arts are all this stubborn. But then again, if you were not stubborn, you could not keep walking this road. Then let me continue with my thoughts."

Xue Chengsong slowly said, "Extreme Martial Arts does not rely as heavily on connections, and there is no need to learn all that social maneuvering, but it has an enormous appetite for Martial Dao resources. The children of wealthy, powerful families are the most suited to this path. Yet amusingly, most of them will not walk the path of Extreme Martial Arts even if they swallow mountains of pills."

"I have always known my own measure. I know exactly how much I weigh, so I would never take this path. Forget comparing your Martial Dao resources with those wealthy families—even compared with a small household like mine, you cannot match them. So, you may walk the path of Extreme Martial Arts, but you absolutely cannot walk only this path."

Zhou Leng nodded.

Xue Chengsong continued, "Next, you need to consider adding two more paths to obtain resources and support Extreme Martial Arts. Extreme Martial Arts conflicts with Martial Government, so there is no need to even consider it. Mountains of documents and seas of meetings would be enough to wear away every shred of your Martial Will."

"Then I suggest you choose one path between the Demon City Army and the Martial Guard Department. These two paths are rich in resources, offer extremely high rewards, and never lack channels for advancement. The key is that while both paths also have their factions and all sorts of unspoken rules beneath the surface, once you become strong enough, you become a faction yourself. You will not need to watch others' expressions too closely."

"The difference is that the Demon City Army remains stationed near Demon City all year round. Its rules are stricter, its restrictions greater, and it is more dangerous, but there is more tempering there. It is easier to forge a sharp blade."

"As for the Martial Guard Department, it is not as strict as the Demon City Army and is relatively safer, but there is less tempering. Sometimes, its internal structure is even closer to Martial Government—more talking, less doing."

"In other words, if you want a bit more freedom, join the Martial Guard Department. If you do not mind high-pressure restraints, go to the Demon City Army."

Zhou Leng thought it over and said, "For now, the Martial Guard Department seems more suitable for me."

Xue Chengsong said, "Good. Next comes Pioneer Corporation—strictly speaking, Pioneer branch companies like my father's. If your goal is merely the Innate Realm, a Pioneer branch company will not be of much use. If one person is full, the whole family does not go hungry."

"But if your goal is Innate Peak, Grandmaster, or even a Martial Saint and beyond, then you must have a Pioneer branch company supporting you from behind. As you continue growing, you will need to carry out large-scale resource exchanges, trading away resources you do not need for those required by your cultivation. At the same time, you will need additional income."

"Let me put it this way: across all of Blue Star, if you trace the backing of ninety percent of Pioneer branch companies upward, they belong either to Martial Saint Clans or Grandmaster powerhouses."

"Without the support of big shots, it is very difficult for a Pioneer branch company to grow large. The struggle for resource lands is blood and bone everywhere."

"Of course, there is one last category: clerical work. Do not even think about it. It is basically researching pills, Enchanted Weapons, cultivation methods, and the like. It goes against your Extreme Martial Arts, demands much, and yields little. There is no need."

Zhou Leng listened while thinking.

After that, Xue Chengsong spoke of many more matters concerning related industries, giving Zhou Leng, who had been immersed in Martial Dao, another layer of understanding of this world.

After gaining a deeper understanding of the various paths, Zhou Leng asked, "Besides these, are there other paths?"

Xue Chengsong thought for a moment. "There is one more: foreign trade. There is no one around you, right?"

"No. I am home alone."

"Since I have already said so much, I will say a little more. Foreign trade is divided into the righteous path and the demonic path."

"The righteous path of foreign trade means opening trade routes with allied worlds like Demon Spirit World, Dwarf World, and Treant World. Not only will the country not oppose it, it will instead grant all kinds of preferential treatment. But this road is exceptionally difficult, because you need not only martial strength for protection, but also deep connections in other worlds. At present, aside from martial clans, wealthy families, and the state, it is almost impossible for an individual to open this route."

"The demonic path of foreign trade—you can understand it from the name alone. It means cooperating with hostile forces such as the Demon-Worshiping Cult, demons, the Undead Clan, and Sirens to earn enormous profits. Of course, aside from the few who walk the demonic path and are too deeply entangled with demons, most dealings are gray transactions with less serious involvement, so those above simply turn a blind eye."

"You remember Chang Luan, right? That slicked-back-haired guy who cursed me to death at the Demon City camp. His family has a finger dipped in the demonic path. I heard they are tangled up with the Demon-Worshiping Cult of the Eagle Alliance. My dad said that if I ever touched the demonic path even a little, he would break my legs. Also..."

"Actually, there are far more demonic cultivators and half-demonic cultivators on Blue Star than you imagine, so you must be careful. Humanity's surrender faction, cooperation faction, and hardline faction are still a tangled mess to this day. It is especially troublesome."

Zhou Leng said, "I heard that from Uncle Li across the hall. The Demon-Worshiping Cult's influence on Blue Star is extremely powerful. There are even rumors that it controls several small countries. Back when Eagle Nation split into the loose Eagle Alliance, leaving north and south opposed to this day, that was their handiwork."

Xue Chengsong said, "No one can make sense of the Demon-Worshiping Cult. Its internal sects are chaotic and slaughter one another. That child that day... Mm, we will talk offline. In short, the foreign trade route is extremely profitable. But this road is very, very difficult. Just think about it."

"I basically understand now. Thank you, Young Master Xue."

Xue Chengsong said, "No matter what path you take in the future, since you have entered the martial arts school, I suggest you first fleece the martial arts school and the Martial Guard Department for all they are worth."

Zhou Leng asked, "If I want to fight for resources at the martial arts school, what should I do?"

Xue Chengsong said, "You have come to the right person. Some friends and I have been discussing exactly this matter these past few days."

"Whether at a Martial University or a martial arts school, there are basically two routes for fighting over resources. One is the martial warrior route: fighting for rankings, fighting for elite qualifications, hunting Demonic Beasts, breaking through the Eighteen Bronze Men Formation, and so on. In short, you fight and seize with your Martial Dao strength. Once you have won resources, you feed them back into your cultivation, improve, and continue."

"The second route is fighting for the right to distribute resources, such as becoming the senior disciple of a class or a minor official in the Student Council. It also includes certain special honors. These things may seem useless, but with a little maneuvering later, whether you enter the Martial Guard Department or Martial Government, you can get ahead of others. One step ahead, every step ahead. Naturally, there will be some gray processes involved, but I will not go into detail."

Zhou Leng said, "The second route requires too much social maneuvering. I have no time to cultivate that, so I can only choose the martial warrior route."

Xue Chengsong said, "Since you are taking the martial warrior route, you must display sufficient strength from the very beginning. Of course, you must also keep something up your sleeve. First, to make potential opponents misjudge you. Second, to avoid the gun striking the bird that sticks out."

"I know a little about your personality too. You probably will not seek too much attention, but that can sometimes make you miss opportunities. So, in the coming Opening-Semester Martial Test and the first monthly exam, you must seize a spot in the martial arts school's top ten. The rewards for these two exams are both generous and can help you lay a foundation."

"How generous?"

"Unless something unexpected happens, first place should receive an Origin-Replenishing Pill. Tenth place will receive at least one Qi-Nourishing Pill and one Blood-Replenishing Pill."

Zhou Leng said, "That means first prize is worth one hundred thousand. Even you would want it, right?"

"Of course. You can keep taking Origin-Replenishing Pills all the way to the Innate Realm. Those martial clans and wealthy families take one every ten days like candy beans. I cannot afford them anyway."

Zhou Leng said, "For the sake of an Origin-Replenishing Pill, I will make full preparations and fight for it."

Xue Chengsong said, "But do not let your guard down. Unless something unexpected happens, quite a few students at your martial arts school will swallow Essence Qi Pills and directly reach Qi-Nourishing Perfection. Some may even have already advanced to the Blood-Circulating Stage."

"So fast? The gap between the Qi-Nourishing Stage and the Blood-Circulating Stage is simply too great."

"Too many pills were banned during the college entrance examination. Once the ban was lifted after it, it became a riot of demons and monsters. Still, strong true qi does not mean strong real combat ability, nor does it mean a high level of true qi control. You still have a chance of entering the top ten."

Zhou Leng said, "Then I will have to work even harder before school begins."

"Also, once we officially enroll, the Local Freshman Ranking in Martial City will open. The Freshman Ranking only includes all first-year students from this year, whether they are Martial University students, martial arts school students, or non-martial students."

"There are roughly five factors that determine Freshman Ranking placement."

"First, school test results at Martial Universities or martial arts schools. However, the Opening-Semester Martial Test results will not be entered on the first day. Rankings will be calculated using the physical test and Martial Examination scores from the college entrance examination. Once the Opening-Semester Martial Test is completed, those college entrance examination scores will be replaced."

"Second, military merit. Whether you fight the Demon-Worshiping Cult under the Martial Guard Department's leadership or hunt Demonic Beasts in Demon City, you gain military merit. Note that once you enter the Blood-Circulating Stage, hunting economically useful or practical magical beasts will no longer count toward military merit. Only killing Demonic Beasts from hostile worlds counts."

"Third, Martial Warrior Trials. For example, the Eighteen Bronze Men Formation, which you can challenge once you enter the Blood-Circulating Stage, or the Slaughter Demon Grounds shared by the Martial Guard Department and the Demon City Army. The higher your achievements in these trials, the higher your ranking."

"Fourth, basic testing. Anyone can go to an officially designated institution to test their physical fitness and true qi. The stronger your physical fitness and true qi, the higher your ranking. Usually, it is enough to do this at a school or martial arts school."

"Fifth is extra contribution. For example, obtaining additional research results or doing something that qualifies for bonus points and improves your ranking. This carries very little weight. Only a few people following clerical paths care about it, so it has little to do with us."

"School results, military merit, Martial Warrior Trials, and basic testing are the directions you need to work toward next."

"Ru City will grant different rewards based on Freshman Ranking placements."

"After the rankings are finalized at the end of each month, pills and financial subsidies will be awarded. Generally speaking, first place on the Freshman Ranking receives one Origin-Replenishing Pill, three Qi-Nourishing Pills, three Blood-Replenishing Pills, and a ten-thousand-yuan bonus. That is equivalent to one hundred seventy thousand."

"If there are trials or competitions, candidates will also be selected first from those near the top of the Freshman Ranking."

"However, your goal should be to fight for the top thousand on the Freshman Ranking, at most the top hundred. The top ten are not something you can contend for. West Sea Martial University gathers not only Ru City's experts, but also some experts from Dragon Nation and even the world. Over the years, the top ten of the Ru City Freshman Ranking—and sometimes even the top fifty—have been firmly occupied by West Sea Martial University."

"Unless something unexpected happens, that giant-blooded Shanhe Yuan will occupy first place on the Local Freshman Ranking for the coming year, unshakable by anyone."

"Also, when the Freshman Ranking opens, the Local Blood Qi Ranking will open as well."

"It includes the rankings of every Blood Qi Realm expert in Ru City."

"Just look at that one. It is full of immortals battling in the Force-Generating Stage, far too distant from us. For an ordinary Martial University student, reaching the Force-Generating Stage in four years would already make them a genius."

"Oh, right. If you rank in the top hundred of the Local Freshman Ranking, you will enter the National Freshman Ranking, commonly called the National Ranking. Once you enter the National Ranking, you will receive additional national subsidies every month based on your placement."

"Whether it is the National Ranking, Blood Qi Ranking, or top ten of the Freshman Ranking, all of that is too far away for you. You may never rank near the front in your entire life."

"So, you should proceed steadily and surely. First seize a ranking at the martial arts school, then make your mark at Ru University. The third step is competing for the citywide Freshman Ranking."

"My own level is not good enough, yet I am giving you one piece of advice after another. Really, Xue Chengsong with eyes higher than his hands..." Xue Chengsong could not help mocking himself.

"You are actually doing alright."

"Alright... You really know how to speak the truth. Actually, now that I think about it, entering the martial arts school was the right choice for you."

Zhou Leng asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I have been looking into West Sea Martial University these past few days. It is fucking immortals battling there. Martial University has two major reward systems: one is the scholarship system, and the other is the ranking system."

"The ranking system is straightforward Martial Dao ranking. Whoever ranks higher receives more pill rewards. There is basically no room for manipulation there. It is already very fair."

"The scholarship system is completely different. As long as you meet the minimum standard, you can enter the candidate pool and participate."

"The people in the ranking system have real placements, real data, and real records. Everything is laid out directly."

"The scholarship system's winners and candidates—put nicely, honors fly everywhere; put bluntly, it is a contest of who can brag better. For example, serving as captain of some Martial Dao sports team, vice president of some exchange association, some outstanding individual in military training, publishing an article in the school journal, accumulating however many hours of volunteer service. You do not need to look. Just hearing me say it, you can understand what that system compares."

"Obviously," Zhou Leng said.

"The martial arts school is different. It is basically all ranking systems. There are occasionally scholarships, but not much money. They can only be used to polish a résumé or earn honors, with no great benefit. The key is that martial arts schools are training units commissioned by the Martial Guard Department. Martial arts school students are equivalent to trainee Martial Guards and can receive the Martial Guard Department's ranking rewards. Martial Universities cannot."

"As long as you are strong enough to charge into the Martial Guard Department and snatch food from its bowl, the resources you receive will definitely surpass West Sea Martial University's. You could even compare with the upper-middle-tier students of Yunhua and Jinjing. It is just that the difficulty is extremely high."

The two talked for a long time before ending the voice call.