You practiced the Wind Thunder Fist once, triggering a 20x Critical Hit.
Xu Zhiming withdrew his fist.
He took out a phone with a transparent plastic case yellowed by age.
There were still more than ten minutes until six in the afternoon.
Pulling on a light gray jacket, Xu Zhiming headed out of the school.
By then, the Martial Arts Hall was already empty.
He glanced at his vitality and blood.
Vitality and blood: 8.43
Compared to after refining the F-grade Azure Potion in his body, it had risen another 0.2.
His Level Seven status had not changed.
Xu Zhiming smiled.
After throwing punches all day, his body was somewhat sore.
This was a sign that he was nearing his limit.
Over the course of a day, his vitality and blood had risen by more than two points. In just a few more days, he would be able to break through to ten.
Xu Zhiming took out his phone and lowered his head to calculate how much money he had.
22013.14.
It looked like quite a lot.
Yet it was all the money he had saved over more than two years.
One F-grade Azure Potion cost ten thousand yuan. He could buy two bottles.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Zhiming decided to buy one F-grade Azure Potion for now.
He would receive one as a reward tomorrow, so he would first make up for the one he had used at school.
Anyone who had received nine years of compulsory education knew this.
F-grade Azure Potions were suitable for martial artists with less than ten points of vitality and blood.
After exceeding ten points of vitality and blood, F-grade Azure Potions still had some effect, but not much.
For a Level Ten Martial Artist, F-grade potions completely lost their effectiveness.
Xu Zhiming tidied up his clothes and headed into the distance.
Not long after he left.
The students on the second and third floors also finished their day of training.
Walking at the front.
Was a short, pudgy boy with green-dyed hair and slitted eyes.
The boy looked at the students inside the first floor, his gaze filled with disdain.
A boy walking beside him could not help adding a few words.
"If hard work were useful, what would talent be for?"
Xu Zhiming walked down the street.
His gaze swept over his surroundings.
The giant screen atop the mall showed some expert demonstrating martial techniques.
Or it played the past battle records of certain famous experts.
"Breaking news! Three days ago, Money Hand Qian Haoran, the seventh disciple of True King Wind Thunder and a Level Sixty-Three Martial Artist, faced Three-Finger Demon Hand Kato Ei, a Level Sixty-Nine Martial Artist from Sakura Country."
"Money Hand Qian Haoran won."
Images scrolled across the giant screen.
Above the azure sea, on a small island.
Two men stood suspended in the air.
The black-haired man had a foxtail grass stem in his mouth. Purple light flashed all over his body with crackling sounds, while Thunderbolt gleamed in his eyes.
With a light clench of his right hand, dozens of purple bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air.
After the lightning filling the sky had passed, the island sank into the sea, and countless fish floated belly-up upon the water.
At the center of the island, a martial artist rather well known in Sakura Country was charred black all over, green smoke curling from his body as his legs twitched unnaturally.
The black-haired man did not look back.
The image continuously zoomed in, falling upon the black training uniform he wore, where two large golden characters were printed—Wind Thunder.
Xu Zhiming watched the scene.
With one strike, an island sank. Such was the strength of high-level martial artists.
What young man did not dream of becoming a martial hero?
His heart filled with yearning.
One day, he would be able to do the same.
No, he would become even stronger.
But before that, he needed to collect the interest owed to him.
There were only three months left until the Martial Arts Exam. Many families would spend money to give their children one final push.
With only three months remaining until the College Entrance Exam, the major Martial Halls were all straining every sinew to recruit students.
This was Wind Thunder Martial Hall's recruitment advertisement for the year.
Wind Thunder Martial Hall had been founded by True King Wind Thunder.
Wind Thunder Martial Hall had branches in many cities across Great Xia, renowned for its high teaching standards and exorbitant fees.
An ordinary membership at Wind Thunder Martial Hall cost ninety-eight thousand yuan per month. It was not aimed at ordinary people.
Xu Zhiming withdrew his gaze and headed toward his destination.
He clearly remembered why he had come to Mall City.
To look at Azure Potions and see whether there were any suitable potions.
When Xu Zhiming arrived at the entrance, he saw a banner hung above it.
"To celebrate Lightning Extinguishing Hand defeating Kato Taka, all potions are 1% off."
"Senior high school students who have reached the fourth level of Wind Thunder Fist may claim a small gift after passing the test."
Xu Zhiming lowered his head, the corners of his lips curving upward.
He got up and walked toward the clerk.
If you can't find the book by searching its title, try searching for the author. It may simply have been renamed!
"May I help you with anything?"
Xu Zhiming pointed at the banner in the distance, then spoke.
"It says that senior high school students who have reached the fourth level of Wind Thunder Fist can receive a small gift. What kind of gift is it?"
The clerk looked Xu Zhiming up and down.
He wore a gray hoodie, had a sturdy build, and was probably over 1.85 meters tall.
His smile was attractive, though his face was still youthful.
"I can recommend a promising job for you."
Xu Zhiming raised an eyebrow. He did not have time to work.
"How much?"
The female clerk revealed a professional smile.
"Help a student at the third level of Wind Thunder Fist break through to the fourth level."
"If you can achieve it within one month, the reward will be five hundred thousand yuan."
"Even if you fail, there will still be one hundred thousand yuan."
Xu Zhiming was prepared to give it a try.
"Huh? Xu Zhiming? What are you doing here?"
At that moment.
A voice came from behind Xu Zhiming.
Someone walked up beside him: Zeng Hao.
He was the class monitor of their Class Ten.
"Aren't you usually still at school practicing Wind Thunder Fist at this hour? Had a change of heart today?"
"Look at the potions in here. For people like us, buying even one bottle would hurt for a long time."
"For rich people, they can drink them whenever they want. Before resources and talent, hard work is useless."
Zeng Hao patted Xu Zhiming on the shoulder.
"I just saw someone carrying a whole case of potions in to buy them. The world is truly uneven."
"Students with third-rate talent like us will find it hard to get into a martial arts undergraduate program even if we work hard."
Xu Zhiming smiled faintly.
Zeng Hao was not a bad person, but for some reason, he lacked the spirit of youth. Instead, he was like an old hand polished by society.
There had once been a classmate who wore A-cone clothes and used a Fruit phone. That classmate had questioned the fairness of Xu Zhiming receiving financial aid, believing it should not have been given to him.
Zeng Hao had stepped forward and cursed that person out.
It was just that he always kept saying hard work was useless.
He hoped Xu Zhiming would agree with him and subscribe to the theory that effort was useless.
"Class monitor, you're only eighteen. Why do you sound like a corporate slave, full of negative energy?"
"Today, I'll let you see whether effort is useful or not."
Xu Zhiming lightly patted Zeng Hao's shoulder and said to the female clerk.
"I happened to reach the fourth level of Wind Thunder Fist recently."
Zeng Hao was left speechless upon hearing that.
The female clerk glanced at Zeng Hao twice and saw the shock on his face.
She guessed it might actually be true.
"Alright, I'll go ask the manager for instructions."
Zeng Hao could no longer stay calm.
He looked at Xu Zhiming and could not help asking.
"Really? You reached the fourth level of Wind Thunder Fist?"
Xu Zhiming smiled and patted Zeng Hao's shoulder.
"You'll find out in a moment."
The various movements of Wind Thunder Fist surfaced in Xu Zhiming's mind.
Over more than two years, he did not know how many times he had performed them.
Very soon.
The female clerk came before Xu Zhiming, her eyes carrying a trace of apology.
"Student, the manager has already left. Sorry for the trouble, but please come with us to the office inside."
"Perform the fist technique once under surveillance. I'll send the video to the manager and let her evaluate it."
Xu Zhiming nodded and crooked a finger at Zeng Hao.
For more than two years, Zeng Hao had said who knew how many times that effort was useless.
Today, Xu Zhiming had finally caught his chance.
Zeng Hao was somewhat doubtful.
He had never heard of a high school student with third-rate talent reaching the fourth level of Wind Thunder Fist.
He was deeply conflicted.
If it really was the fourth level, Xu Zhiming would use facts to prove to him that effort was useful.
If it was not the fourth level, then he could give Xu Zhiming a hard pat on the shoulder.
And say earnestly, "See? I told you effort was useless."
The more Zeng Hao thought about it, the better both outcomes felt. He still decided to go watch.
There were so many people online, yet he had never heard of a senior high school student who had trained Wind Thunder Fist to the fourth level.
That included students with first-rate and second-rate talent.
For people with connections, Wind Thunder Fist had extremely poor cost-effectiveness.
Cultivating martial arts visualization methods raised vitality and blood faster.
Those with good talent would not cultivate Wind Thunder Fist, since it consumed more time than other martial techniques.
He did not believe Xu Zhiming could be better than people with higher talent.
The two followed the female clerk, one after the other, into the office.
The office was spacious and empty.
The female clerk adjusted the surveillance camera, aimed it at Xu Zhiming, and smiled in indication.
"Student, you may begin."
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