The morning mist had yet to disperse, but the Training Ground was already packed with people.
Today was the day of the draw.
Two hundred and fifty Regular Class students lined up in class order, one by one walking up to the draw box before the raised platform. Inside were two hundred and fifty specially made jade tokens, each engraved with a number corresponding to a group in the preliminaries.
Five people per group, fifty groups in total.
Those who drew numbers with the same prefix would be opponents in the same group.
Lin Fan stood in the middle of the line, resting with his eyes closed. His breathing was long and steady as his vital energy circulated slowly through his body, easing the fatigue from last night's training.
"Brother Fan, I'm a little nervous." Chen Dahu stood beside him, rubbing his hands together.
"What are you nervous about?" Lin Fan opened his eyes.
"What if I draw into a group of death?" Chen Dahu lowered his voice. "Like if I end up in the same group as Zhang Kuanghu, or Zhao Gang and Li Long. Wouldn't that mean I'd be eliminated in the preliminaries?"
"Then you'll be eliminated." Lin Fan's expression remained calm. "The path of martial arts can't possibly be smooth sailing. If we can't even get through the preliminaries, it means we're not strong enough."
"But..." Chen Dahu hesitated.
"There's no 'but.'" Lin Fan cut him off. "Remember, whoever our opponent is, whatever group we're in, the only thing we can do is give it everything we've got. Leave the rest to luck."
Even as he said this, Lin Fan was making calculations of his own.
Zhang Kuanghu, Zhao Gang, Li Long, Sun Hu... These four were widely recognized as the strongest in the Regular Class. They were all at the peak or late stage of Grade Two, and their martial techniques were at least top-grade Mortal Tier, if not top grade.
No matter which one he drew, it would be a tough fight.
And Wang Chao's side would certainly rig the draw.
With the Wang Family's influence, bribing the draw official to secretly manipulate the groups wouldn't be difficult. If Wang Chao really wanted to cripple him in the tournament, he might put him in the same group as Zhang Kuanghu and settle things in the preliminaries.
"It's here, it's here! Our turn!" Chen Dahu nudged Lin Fan's arm.
Their class had reached the front of the line, and it was time for them to draw.
The students went up one by one, pulled a jade token from the box, then registered at the desk nearby. Some drew favorable lots and beamed with delight; others drew bad ones and went pale. Still others remained expressionless, their feelings impossible to read.
When Chen Dahu's turn came, he took a deep breath and stuck his hand into the draw box. After feeling around for a long while, he finally pulled out a jade token.
The token was emerald green all over, with a number carved on the front: Jia Three.
"Jia Three group?" Chen Dahu froze for a moment, then looked at Lin Fan. "Brother Fan, what did you get?"
Lin Fan reached into the box. His fingertips brushed against the cool jade tokens. Without hesitation, he grabbed one and pulled it out.
It was the same emerald green, with Jia Seven carved on the front.
"Jia Seven group..." Lin Fan furrowed his brows slightly.
Jia meant they were in the first batch of groups to compete. Number seven meant there were five people in the group, who would play four round-robin matches.
"Good thing we're not in the same group." Chen Dahu breathed a sigh of relief. "But it looks like the Jia groups are all groups of experts. I saw Zhang Kuanghu draw Jia One, Zhao Gang draw Jia Two, and Li Long and Sun Hu draw Jia Four and Jia Five."
Jia One, Jia Two, Jia Four, Jia Five.
And his own Jia Seven.
The five strongest opponents had been split among five different groups.
It looked like a random allocation, but Lin Fan couldn't help feeling that something was off.
It was too evenly spread out.
As if someone had deliberately arranged things to keep these experts from facing one another in the preliminaries, ensuring they would all advance without a hitch.
"Next!" the official at the registration desk called.
Lin Fan handed over his jade token.
The official was a middle-aged man in his forties, clean-shaven and pale-faced, with an indifferent gaze. The instant he took the token, his fingers seemed to twitch slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
"Lin Fan, Jia Seven group, number three." The official recorded it in the register, his tone flat. "Tomorrow morning, at the hour of Chen, Arena Seven. First-round match against number four from Jia Seven."
"Who is number four?" Lin Fan asked.
"That won't be announced until the competition starts." The official glanced at him. "What, are you afraid?"
"Just asking." Lin Fan took back his token and turned to leave the platform.
The official's icy voice came from behind him. "The path of martial arts depends on strength, not on asking about your opponents. Instead of wasting your time on that, go back and train more."
Lin Fan kept walking as if he hadn't heard.
Chen Dahu caught up with him and said quietly, "Brother Fan, that official seems to have it in for you."
"He doesn't have it in for me." Lin Fan shook his head. "He has it in for all the commoner students."
Lin Fan had noticed that the official was clearly gentler toward the Genius Class students and aristocrats like Wang Hao. With commoner students, he was all business, even faintly contemptuous.
Class divisions were everywhere.
"Come on. Let's train." Lin Fan strode toward the back hill.
"Now?" Chen Dahu glanced at the sky. "It's only just past the hour of Chen. Aren't you going to check the other people's draw results?"
"There's nothing to see." Lin Fan didn't look back. "No matter who our opponents are, our response will be the same: train."
Chen Dahu scratched his head and followed.
The two returned to the small woods on the back hill.
This time, Lin Fan didn't start practicing sword techniques right away. Instead, he began with half an hour of physical conditioning.
Push-ups, squats, pull-ups, weighted runs...
He pushed every movement to its limit, taking every set to failure.
Sweat poured down like rain. His muscles trembled and his bones groaned, but Lin Fan's eyes only grew brighter.
He could feel his body adapting to the high-intensity training. The muscles that had been painfully sore yesterday had mostly recovered today. His body, which had felt as heavy as lead the day before, now felt much lighter.
This was the effect of Iron Body Skill.
Although it was only a top-grade Mortal Tier cultivation technique, its strengthening effect on the body was quite pronounced when combined with medicinal baths and extreme training. Add the bonus from the Proficiency System, and Lin Fan was improving far faster than ordinary people.
[Iron Body Skill Proficiency +5] [Strength Proficiency +3] [Defense Proficiency +3]
The numbers on the Status Panel jumped.
An hour later, Lin Fan stopped his conditioning and began practicing sword techniques.
He still practiced the six forms of Gale Sword Technique.
But this time, he changed how he practiced.
Instead of simply repeating the moves, he began trying to combine them.
Gale Stab into Gale Sweep, Gale Sweep into Gale Slash, Gale Block into Gale Return...
He took the six basic sword forms apart, rearranged them, and linked them together into a flowing series of combos. The transitions were still stiff, with gaps that left openings, but he had already begun to shape them into something.
[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +10] [Combat Experience +2]
The Status Panel's notifications had changed.
Before, every practice session had only added one proficiency point. Now, because he was trying something new, the system was giving him an extra reward.
As expected, innovation and real combat are the fastest ways to grow. Lin Fan came to an understanding.
Repetitive practice could only build a foundation. To make real progress, he had to put his skills to use in combat and break through through innovation.
"Dahu, come on!" Lin Fan lowered his sword and looked at Chen Dahu.
"Coming!" Chen Dahu drew his training blade. "Brother Fan, how are we fighting today?"
"Go all out." Lin Fan's gaze sharpened. "Don't hold back. Treat me like a real enemy."
"But..." Chen Dahu hesitated. "What if I hurt you..."
"If you hurt me, that means you're good." Lin Fan cut him off. "If even you can't hurt me, how am I supposed to take on Zhang Kuanghu?"
Chen Dahu froze for a moment, then a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. "All right! Brother Fan, watch out!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, Chen Dahu sprang into action.
He was tall and powerfully built. His blade came down with a whistling rush of wind, full of force.
Lin Fan neither dodged nor retreated. His wooden sword swept diagonally upward.
Gale Sweep!
The blade struck the side of Chen Dahu's weapon with pinpoint accuracy, ringing out with a sharp crack. The tremendous force shuddered through Lin Fan's wrist, but his feet remained rooted to the ground.
The defense of Iron Body Skill at Minor Accomplishment Level gave him the means to withstand a direct hit.
"Again!" Chen Dahu shouted. His blade changed course and swept horizontally.
Lin Fan's feet slid across the ground. His figure drifted like a ghost, and his wooden sword darted like a venomous snake, stabbing toward Chen Dahu's ribs.
Gale Stab!
Fast as lightning!
Chen Dahu hastily brought his blade back to block, but Lin Fan had already withdrawn his sword and immediately followed with a horizontal sweep.
Gale Sweep!
"So fast!" Chen Dahu was startled. He barely managed to dodge, but the sword wind had already ripped his sleeve.
The two clashed.
Blades flashed as gusts of force surged in every direction.
Lin Fan was completely immersed in the fight, using the combo techniques he had just realized in real combat. Stab, sweep, slash, chop, block, return—the six basic sword forms shifted in countless ways in his hands. Sometimes they came like a violent storm, sometimes like a serpent darting from its cave, and sometimes like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +15] [Combat Experience +5] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +8]
The proficiency values on the Status Panel were climbing wildly.
Even more delightfully, Lin Fan found that his understanding of swordsmanship was deepening.
Before, he had only practiced the moves mechanically. Now he was beginning to understand their essence: Why did he have to strike the sword this way? Why was the angle set like this? Why did he have to put force into it this way?
Every detail was being tested and corrected in real combat.
An hour later, Chen Dahu collapsed to the ground again, utterly exhausted.
"I... I can't..." He panted heavily. "Brother Fan, your progress is way too insane... Yesterday I could still just barely fight you to a draw, but today I can't keep up with your pace at all..."
Lin Fan was drenched in sweat too, but he was still standing.
[Gale Sword Technique: Mastery Level (1876/5000)]
In half a day, his proficiency had risen from 1023 to 1876.
At this rate, he could break 2000 by the end of today, and perhaps go even higher.
But Lin Fan knew it still wasn't enough.
With the twenty-percent bonus from Mastery Level, he would still be at a disadvantage against Zhang Kuanghu's Major Accomplishment Level Fierce Tiger Fist.
What he needed was Minor Accomplishment Level: a fifty-percent bonus.
"Still not fast enough," Lin Fan murmured to himself.
He needed to grow faster.
He needed to gain proficiency faster.
"System..." Lin Fan called out in his mind. "Is there any way to speed up proficiency gains?"
There was no response.
The system remained as cold as ever. It only operated according to its established rules and never answered any questions.
But Lin Fan wasn't willing to give up.
He remembered what had happened when he unlocked Liver Emperor's Tenacity before—it had been triggered when his strength was exhausted and he had reached his limits.
"Limits..." A resolute glint flashed through Lin Fan's eyes.
Perhaps he could only unlock the system's hidden functions by breaking through his limits.
"Dahu, rest for a while," Lin Fan said. "I'm going to practice some more."
"Still training?" Chen Dahu's eyes widened. "Brother Fan, you've already trained all morning!"
"It's not enough." Lin Fan shook his head. "The tournament is in three days. I want to raise my Gale Sword Technique to Minor Accomplishment Level within those three days."
"Three days? From Mastery to Minor Accomplishment?" Chen Dahu drew in a sharp breath. "Brother Fan, an ordinary person couldn't do that in three or five months!"
"I'm not ordinary," Lin Fan said calmly.
He walked to the center of the woods and assumed a stance.
This time, he didn't use fivefold-speed cultivation.
Although fivefold speed could increase his proficiency gains, it consumed too much stamina to last. What he needed was another method—a way to break through his limits in a short time.
"System, activate Cultivation Acceleration..." Lin Fan took a deep breath. "Tenfold speed!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, an enormous pressure descended.
Lin Fan felt his body sink, as if a mountain had been placed on his shoulders. Every movement became incomparably difficult, and every breath grew unbearably heavy.
Tenfold-speed cultivation consumed ten times the stamina and gained ten times the proficiency.
But there was a condition: his body had to be strong enough.
Lin Fan had tried it before, but had nearly collapsed after less than a quarter of an hour. Now that Iron Body Skill had reached Minor Accomplishment Level and strengthened his body considerably, he wanted to try again.
First form, Gale Stab!
His movements were as slow as a snail's.
It wasn't that Lin Fan wanted to move slowly. Under the pressure of tenfold speed, he simply couldn't move quickly. Every tiny movement consumed a tremendous amount of stamina.
[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +10]
The changing number on the Status Panel proved that tenfold speed was working.
But the price was steep.
After only one form, Lin Fan could feel that he'd used up a tenth of his stamina.
At this rate, he could manage ten forms at most before collapsing completely.
"Again!" Lin Fan gritted his teeth.
Second form, Gale Sweep!
His movements were still slow, but a little smoother than before. Lin Fan was adapting to the pressure, searching for the knack of wielding his sword under such intense strain.
[Gale Sword Technique Proficiency +10]
Third form, Gale Sweep.
Fourth form, Gale Slash.
The fifth stance, Gale Style.
The sixth stance, Gale Return.
After completing all six stances, Lin Fan was already drenched in sweat. His legs trembled, and he could barely stay upright.
He had used up more than half his stamina.
But his proficiency had increased by 60 points.
At this rate, he would need only fifty rounds to gain 3,000 proficiency points and reach Minor Accomplishment Level.
Fifty rounds, six stances per round, for a total of three hundred stances.
It didn't sound like much, but under the pressure of tenfold speed, every stance was like a battle. Three hundred stances were equivalent to three hundred battles.
"I can do this." A determined light flashed in Lin Fan's eyes.
He put away his Wooden Sword, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the Basic Breathing Technique.
Vital energy flowed through his body, slowly restoring his stamina.
Half an hour later, his stamina had recovered to seventy percent.
Lin Fan stood up and activated tenfold speed again.
This time, he managed to last through seven stances.
[Gale Sword Technique proficiency +70]
His stamina was exhausted again.
He sat down to meditate and recover.
Then he practiced again.
The cycle repeated.
Time passed amid the agony of cultivation.
The sun climbed overhead, then gradually slanted westward.
Chen Dahu went from stunned at first, to numb, and finally to unable to bear watching.
He watched as Lin Fan exhausted himself, meditated to recover, and started over again and again. Sweat soaked his clothes and dripped to the ground, forming puddles. His muscles trembled and his bones groaned, but Lin Fan's gaze never wavered.
"Brother Fan... if you train like this, you'll wreck yourself." Chen Dahu finally couldn't hold back.
"I'll be fine." Lin Fan wiped away the sweat. "I know my limits."
"But..."
"No buts." Lin Fan cut him off. "Dahu, do you know why I'm pushing myself so hard?"
Chen Dahu shook his head.
"Because I have no way back." Lin Fan gazed at the setting sun, his eyes deep. "I have no connections, no resources, no talent. The only thing I have is the grit to keep fighting. If I lose even that, how can I compete with those geniuses? How can I protect the people I want to protect?"
Chen Dahu fell silent.
He thought of Lin Fan's younger sister, Lin Xiaoyu, the pale girl who needed expensive medicine to stay alive.
He thought of Lin Fan's parents, who had died in the Beast Tide three years ago. Their bodies had never even been found.
He thought of the numb faces and resigned eyes in the Slum District.
Lin Fan wasn't like them.
He refused to accept his fate.
He would fight and strive, carving a path with his own two hands.
"Brother Fan, I'll stay with you." Chen Dahu stood up. "I might not be much help, but at least I can spar with you."
"Good." Lin Fan nodded. "But rest first. I'll practice a little longer."
He assumed his stance again.
This time, he didn't immediately activate tenfold speed. Instead, he practiced at normal speed for a few rounds, letting his body adjust to the rhythm.
Then he took a deep breath.
"Tenfold speed, activate!"
The pressure descended again.
But this time, Lin Fan felt different.
After a full day of extreme training, his body seemed to have developed a degree of adaptability. The same pressure felt a little lighter than before. The same movements seemed a little faster.
[Gale Sword Technique proficiency +10] [Gale Sword Technique proficiency +10] [Gale Sword Technique proficiency +10]
His proficiency increased steadily.
Even more surprising, Lin Fan discovered that the pressure of tenfold speed actually deepened his understanding of the sword technique.
Because every movement consumed so much stamina, he had to think: Was this sword's angle optimal? Was this the least exhausting way to apply force? Was this the best moment to strike?
Think, then practice.
Practice, then adjust.
Adjust, then improve.
[Gale Sword Technique: Mastery Level (2437/5000)]
He was only 2,563 points away from Minor Accomplishment Level.
At this rate, he could break through tomorrow.
But Lin Fan knew he couldn't rush things.
Training at tenfold speed placed too much strain on his body. If he kept it up for too long, he might suffer hidden injuries that would damage his foundation.
"That's enough for today." Lin Fan put away his Wooden Sword and let out a long breath.
He was soaked from head to toe, as if he'd just been hauled out of the water. His muscles were weak and his bones ached; he could barely stand.
But joy filled his heart.
His progress was real.
"Brother Fan, are you okay?" Chen Dahu hurried to support him.
"I'm fine, just a little drained." Lin Fan waved him off. "I'll recover after meditating for a while."
The two of them supported each other as they headed back to the dormitory.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground.
Halfway there, Lin Fan suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Chen Dahu asked.
"Someone's watching us," Lin Fan said quietly.
He sensed a gaze fixed on them from behind a nearby grove. It was well hidden, but plainly hostile.
Chen Dahu instantly went on alert and gripped the hilt at his waist.
Rustling came from behind the trees, then a figure stepped out.
He was a tall, thin young man wearing a Regular Class uniform. A sly smile played across his face.
"Zhou Ming?" Lin Fan recognized him.
He was the very same information peddler.
"Brother Lin, Brother Chen, don't be alarmed. It's me." Zhou Ming came over with a grin, pushing up his glasses. "I was just passing by. I saw you two training so hard and couldn't help taking a closer look."
"Passing by?" Lin Fan stared at him. "The little grove behind the hill isn't somewhere people just happen to pass through."
Zhou Ming's smile didn't change. "Brother Lin really is sharp. Actually, I came here specifically to find you."
"What for?"
"To sell you some information." Zhou Ming lowered his voice. "Information about your opponent tomorrow."
Lin Fan's gaze sharpened. "You know who my opponent is?"
"Of course." Zhou Ming looked around to make sure nobody was nearby before continuing. "Group A-7, contestant number four. His name is Liu Mang. He's a second-tier early-stage Martial Artist, and he practices the Mountain Breaking Saber, a Mortal Tier Mid Grade technique. He's already reached Mastery Level."
Liu Mang?
Lin Fan searched his memory for the name.
It sounded familiar. Liu Mang seemed to be a commoner student who usually kept a low profile, but wasn't weak.
"How much?" Lin Fan asked.
"Not much. Fifty Academic Credits." Zhou Ming held up five fingers. "Or the equivalent in Credit Points."
"Too expensive." Lin Fan shook his head. "I only want to know about my opponent. I'm not buying his entire file."
"Then how much do you think is reasonable, Brother Lin?" Zhou Ming asked with the same cheerful smile.
"Ten Academic Credits," Lin Fan said.
"Twenty." Zhou Ming bargained.
"Fifteen." Lin Fan named his final price.
Zhou Ming thought it over, then nodded. "Deal. But Brother Lin, I'll throw in one more piece of information for free."
"What is it?"
"Liu Mang is one of Zhang Kuanghu's men." Zhou Ming lowered his voice. "Zhang Kuanghu promised him that if he cripples you in the preliminary tournament, he'll recommend him for the Sword Pavilion and give him an Earth Tier Low Grade cultivation method."
Lin Fan's gaze turned cold.
As expected.
Wang Chao and Zhang Kuanghu had already started making their move.
"Anything else?" Lin Fan asked.
"That's all for now." Zhou Ming shrugged. "But be careful, Brother Lin. Liu Mang may only be a second-tier early-stage Martial Artist, but his Mountain Breaking Saber style is brutally powerful. And to earn Zhang Kuanghu's trust, he'll definitely go for the kill."
"I understand." Lin Fan nodded. "I'll pay you tomorrow."
"No rush, no rush." Zhou Ming grinned. "I trust your word, Brother Lin. And if you ever need more information, just come to me. What I sell is always worth every penny."
With that, he turned and left, quickly disappearing into the grove.
Chen Dahu watched him go, frowning. "Brother Fan, can we trust that guy?"
"Half true, half false." Lin Fan said, "The information might be real, but his motives definitely aren't pure. He came to see me both to sell information and to test my strength and reaction."
"What should we do, then?"
"We'll meet whatever comes with whatever we have." Lin Fan's gaze was sharp. "No matter who my opponent is or what schemes they have, the only thing I can do is get stronger—strong enough to crush every scheme and trick."
The two continued toward the dormitory.
Night fell.
At the luxurious villa on the other side of the academy, Wang Chao was listening to a subordinate's report.
"Zhou Ming already went to see Lin Fan and sold him information about Liu Mang," the tall, thin young man said respectfully.
"How did Lin Fan react?" Wang Chao toyed with the jade talisman in his hand.
"He stayed calm. He didn't show any sign of panic," the tall, thin man said. "But he trained with Chen Dahu all day. Looks like he's preparing for the tournament."
"Preparing?" Wang Chao scoffed. "Cramming at the last minute won't do him any good. Liu Mang's Mountain Breaking Saber may only be a Mortal Tier Mid Grade technique, but he's already mastered it. Combined with his second-tier early-stage cultivation, each strike has over three thousand catties of force. Lin Fan's little bit of swordplay is no match for him."
"You're wise as ever, boss." The tall, thin man flattered him. "But... I heard Lin Fan's training was incredibly intense. He spent the whole day practicing behind the hill. Apparently, he was trying some kind of extreme training method."
"Extreme training?" Wang Chao frowned. "Could he handle it?"
"He seemed to manage, though he was exhausted. His spirits were still good," the tall, thin man said. "And his sword technique improved very quickly. Yesterday, he was only at Proficient Level. Today, he seems to have reached Mastery Level."
"Mastery Level?" Wang Chao set down the jade talisman, a trace of concern flashing in his eyes. "From beginner to mastery in two days? That's... not normal."
"Maybe he has some special training method," the tall, thin man guessed. "Or perhaps he practiced swordsmanship before and was hiding his strength."
"Impossible." Wang Chao shook his head. "I investigated his background. He came from the Slum District, his parents are both dead, and before this he couldn't even afford enough to eat. How could he have had a chance to practice swordsmanship?"
"Then..."
"Whatever secret he has, it'll be exposed in the tournament." Wang Chao stood and walked to the window. "Liu Mang is only the first hurdle. If Lin Fan can't get past him, he doesn't deserve to be my opponent. If he somehow wins, there are still Zhao Gang, Li Long, Sun Hu... I'll peel away his disguise layer by layer and find out how much he's really worth."
The tall, thin man nodded quickly. "Boss, your plan is airtight. Lin Fan won't escape."
"Go. Keep watching him." Wang Chao waved him away.
"Yes."
After the tall, thin man left, Wang Chao stood alone by the window, gazing at the stars in the night sky.
"Lin Fan, you really have surprised me a little," he murmured. "But unfortunately, this world can't be changed by hard work alone. Talent, resources, connections—those are what determine a person's limits. You have none of those. No matter how hard you work, it's all for nothing."
"In the tournament, I'll make you understand that."
The night deepened.
In the dormitory, Lin Fan sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating the Basic Breathing Technique.
Vital energy flowed through his body, repairing his exhausted muscles.
But his mind was perfectly calm.
Liu Mang, second-tier early stage, Mountain Breaking Saber at Mastery Level, one of Zhang Kuanghu's men.
The information flashed through his mind again and again, then took shape as a clear battle plan.
The Mountain Breaking Saber style was brutally powerful, but slow and lacking in variation.
His Gale Sword Technique was light and nimble, with speed and versatility, but less force.
Use speed against slowness, skill against strength.
That was the most basic tactic.
But tactics alone weren't enough. He needed strength as well.
"Tomorrow..." Lin Fan opened his eyes, his gaze blazing. "Tomorrow, I'll definitely train the Gale Sword Technique to Minor Accomplishment Level."
He closed his eyes again and began another round of cultivation.
Deep in his consciousness, a line of text quietly appeared on the Status Panel:
[Continuous extreme training detected. Physical strength increased. The Cultivation Acceleration function has unlocked a new level: fivefold speed can now be maintained continuously.] [Fivefold speed continuous maintenance: Maintain fivefold cultivation speed without additional stamina consumption. Duration depends on physical strength.]
Lin Fan didn't see the text.
But he could feel that something in his body seemed to be changing.
A change that made him lighter, more agile, and stronger.
In the night, the young man's breathing was long and steady.
And on the arena tomorrow, a battle was waiting.
Before you continue