Warmth welled in Su Ye's heart, along with an emotion he couldn't quite name.
Ten Bone Tempering Pills?
That was nearly fifty thousand!
His adoptive father had been discharged from the military and assigned an ordinary job, while his adoptive mother worked for a small company. Together, they barely earned ten thousand a month.
The magnificent yet alien main house of Su Manor and this cramped but cozy home flashed through Su Ye's mind, a stark, bitter contrast.
After a moment's silence, Su Ye drew a deep breath, accepted the Bone Tempering Pills, and said softly but firmly:
"Mom, Dad, I'll make it into the Martial Arts Class."
"I'll become a powerful Martial Artist."
"One day, I'll repay you a thousand, ten thousand times over!"
The pills had been inspected on the spot, and all sales were final. Su Ye saw no point in refusing them out of pride.
Su Su and Wang Yuerong paused, sensing that something about Su Ye was different today.
Wang Yuerong's eyes reddened beneath their deepening wrinkles.
"Silly child, what are you saying?"
"Your dad and I don't need you to repay us!"
Su Su kept it simple. "Eat!"
Su Ye returned to his small room, sat on his yoga mat, and let out a long breath.
He began examining the Manifestation Talisman he had awakened.
[Current Dao Talisman Master: Su Ye] [Primary Cultivation Methods available for the current Dao Talisman Master to reflect: Azure Cloud Breathing Technique (1/100), Tiger Form Bone Forging Method (1/49), Military Fist (proficient)] [Available Law Reflections: 1]
"First, I started with three Law Reflections. That means I can reflect three martial techniques or Cultivation Methods at once."
"I've already used two on the Azure Cloud Breathing Technique and Tiger Form Bone Forging Method, leaving one."
"Whenever I master one completely, I'll regain one Law Reflection."
Su Ye understood. He pondered for a moment.
"Next is what the Manifestation Talisman can do."
"I've already experienced Instant Mastery."
"But what about Heaven Rewards Diligence?"
Su Ye rose to test it.
He stretched in the narrow space. His bones gave faint pops, and a savage aura like a tiger's emerged!
The Tiger Form Bone Forging Method had been created by a martial arts master who observed a fierce tiger stretching and hunting, then adapted its movements to temper human Martial Bones. It could forge up to forty-nine Martial Bones. It was the most widely practiced bone-forging method and the standard foundation taught nationwide.
The complete method comprised thirty-two movements.
Each captured a different posture of a tiger on the hunt. Su Ye imitated them one by one!
Su Ye exhaled deeply, spread his feet wider than his shoulders, and bent his knees slightly. His waist and stance moved as one. His collarbones rose and fell with his breath, while his ribs opened and closed like a tiger's, stirring the air!
First form, Hungry Tiger Pounces on Mountain!
Second form, Tiger Claw Splits Stone!
Third form, Tiger Roar Shakes Mountain!
He performed all thirty-two movements in sequence, each harder than the last!
Hours passed. By the time midnight gave way to the early morning, Su Ye was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Every scrap of strength seemed to have left his body; even lifting an arm made it ache!
Yet he couldn't hold back his laughter or the delight on his face!
[Take the tiger as your form and forge your bones through repeated practice. Tiger Form Bone Forging Method progress +1!] [Tiger Form Bone Forging Method (2/49)!]
In that instant, Su Ye felt it: his second Martial Bone had been forged!
Strength surged through him. He was noticeably stronger than before!
"Heaven Rewards Diligence! So that's how it works!"
"As long as I put in the required practice, nothing can stop me from reaching full mastery!"
Su Ye knew exactly how valuable that was.
Many gifted students and Prodigies might make astonishing progress early on with difficult martial techniques and Cultivation Methods. But progress grew harder the further they went. Mastery could never be achieved overnight, and those lacking talent or perseverance might never achieve it at all.
With the Manifestation Talisman, however, Su Ye could bypass those barriers and reach perfection!
His resolve hardened.
"Next, the Breathing Meditation Method!"
These were the two foundations of early martial arts training.
The bone-forging method and the Breathing Technique!
Bone-forging methods tempered a Martial Artist's bones through various means, unlocking the human body's potential and releasing power beyond imagination.
But power that could not be controlled was a disaster.
Even the strength to move a thousand mountains was worthless if picking up a glass meant accidentally crushing it. That was why the Breathing Meditation Method existed.
By visualizing different scenes, a practitioner could use it to control his strength!
The two methods complemented each other!
Su Ye closed his eyes and pictured azure clouds gathering. His breathing gradually grew deep and steady!
He continued until dawn!
[The azure clouds gather thickly; breath moves with strength. Azure Cloud Breathing Technique progress +1!] [Azure Cloud Breathing Technique (2/100)!]
Su Ye opened his eyes, their sharp gleam flashing. He could feel that he had gained complete control over the power of his newly forged second Martial Bone!
Despite staying up all night, he felt no fatigue, only growing excitement!
"This pace is incredible!"
"The Martial Arts Branch Exam is in a week."
"At this rate, I can forge almost one Martial Bone a day!"
"That means by the exam... I might have seven or eight Martial Bones?"
That would put him far above the minimum requirement for the Martial Arts Class!
Su Ye's eyes grew brighter.
"There are twenty-six classes in my year, with over twelve hundred students."
"Each year, around two or three hundred are selected for the Martial Arts Class and divided into roughly six classes."
"To encourage and support students, the school offers rewards to those who perform well enough to rank in the top ten!"
Su Ye took out his phone and looked through the class notices.
Before, he hadn't even begun to master the bone-forging method or the Breathing Technique. How could he have dreamed of reaching the top ten?
But now, things were different!
The moment he opened his Feixin class group, messages from that morning flooded the screen.
A quick glance told Su Ye that a student named Fang Yuan had forged his fifth Martial Bone, leaving his classmates amazed.
"You're killing me, Fang Yuan! Are you going for a top-ten finish in the exam?"
"Holy crap! I'd better stick close to you! You might even get into one of the Five Great Academies!"
"We're counting on you to knock those two Martial Saint Mas out!"
Su Ye skimmed past the messages. Forging five Martial Bones by now did show considerable talent!
Even his former fiancée Lin Qingyue, with the Lin Family's support, had only forged six!
"Finally found the file!"
Su Ye tapped the screen and scrolled down.
"The assessment will be held in the school's indoor gymnasium and will cover three areas."
"Cultivation, visualization, and martial techniques!"
"There are two rewards."
"First, a thirty-thousand-yuan scholarship!"
"Second, a choice of one Cultivation Method or martial technique worth no more than fifty Contribution Points from the library's third floor!"
Su Ye's eyes lit up at the thirty-thousand-yuan scholarship!
Now that he had decided to pursue martial arts, he was bound to spend a fortune!
Even with the Manifestation Talisman, there were expenses he couldn't avoid!
The choice of a Cultivation Method or martial technique mattered just as much!
"Besides..." The image of his aging parents flashed through Su Ye's mind, strengthening his resolve.
"A top-ten spot in the Martial Arts Branch Exam is mine!"
Ring, ring, ring—
His phone suddenly rang.
Su Ye froze, then slapped his forehead as he remembered.
"A few days ago, I signed up for a six-day Extreme Shadow Swordplay crash course! I almost forgot!"
Cultivation and visualization were strict requirements for entering the Martial Arts Class, but martial techniques could earn him extra points!
There would be six Martial Arts Classes, but the best-performing students would be placed in two Key Classes!
If Su Ye wanted a top-ten finish, he couldn't neglect his martial techniques!
He got up, prepared himself, and headed for the sword hall.
About fifteen minutes later, Su Ye stopped and looked up at the sign bearing four characters.
He had arrived!
Vast Sea Sword Hall!
Before you continue