Low Martial Achievement System

Blue Star, February 2325, Xishan Province.

Ancheng Third Middle School.

Feather-like snow blanketed the sky, dyeing the campus a pristine white. The temperature was bitterly cold.

Yet in a classroom in the teaching building, a group of youths wearing only thin shirts stood in horse stances, swinging their fists again and again.

Jiang Ye stood among them. Steam rose from his sweat-soaked body, and the spring chill didn't affect him in the slightest.

"Star Martial Cultivation Method is the first step on the path of Martial Cultivation."

A beautiful young teacher in a White Martial Arts Uniform walked among the students, her face cold.

She scolded them sharply:

"You're all in the second semester of your second year of high school. You should have reached Minor Accomplishment in your Cultivation Method by now. And yet, not even half of you have managed it."

"After an entire winter break, hardly any of you have improved."

"Some of you say it's too cold to practice. Then let me ask you: why don't you look for the problem in yourselves?"

"The college entrance exams are only a year and a half away. Ask yourselves honestly: can you get into a Martial Arts University?"

The teacher paused there.

Her steps slowed slightly as her gaze swept toward the boys beside her.

"Jiang Ye is doing fairly well." The pretty teacher gave a small nod. "He's made clear progress over winter break. He's almost reached Minor Accomplishment in Star Martial Cultivation Method."

The students present all turned to look at Jiang Ye.

Jiang Ye was exceptionally handsome, with a tall, straight figure and the unique youthful vitality and resolve shining in his eyes.

"Keep working hard."

The pretty teacher said.

"Yes."

Jiang Ye cupped his hands toward the teacher.

Minor Accomplishment wasn't considered outstanding in the class, especially since he hadn't broken through yet.

But he had earned this result through the tireless training he'd kept up every day over winter break.

"A Ye, you're still working as hard as ever."

Beside Jiang Ye, a brown-skinned youth sighed. "If your talent were just a little better, you might've already reached Great Accomplishment."

Jiang Ye shook his head at that. "Why care so much about talent? It twists a person's efforts out of shape."

"True enough."

The brown-skinned youth nodded and smiled. "Those with good Martial Arts aptitude were sent to the Key Class back in their first year. For us in Ordinary Class, persistence and hard work matter more."

In Martial Cultivation, the first consideration was aptitude, the second comprehension, and the third effort.

Comprehension was elusive, and effort depended entirely on the individual. Only aptitude could be measured.

The students in Ordinary Class all had Inferior Aptitude.

Inferior Aptitude also meant mediocre Martial Arts talent.

Jiang Ye had grown up in this world and had long known his Martial Arts talent wasn't good.

He persisted in practicing Martial Arts not because he enjoyed it.

It was because this world not only had a population devoted to Martial Arts, but also faced the threat of the "Shadow Calamity." Ordinary people could lose their lives at any moment.

Nearly ten million people died from this crisis on Blue Star every year.

The best way to protect himself and his family was to embark on the path of Martial Arts and strengthen himself.

"Martial Arts."

Jiang Ye murmured to himself.

He also knew that aptitude was the first thing considered in Martial Cultivation.

He had long accepted that his aptitude was poor.

Until several days ago.

[Low Martial Achievement System (Inactive)]

A panel had appeared before Jiang Ye's eyes, visible only to him.

It had suddenly appeared several days earlier.

Along with the panel had come memories of his previous life. Only then had he remembered that he was a transmigrator—one who had been born into this world.

He'd realized then that the golden finger he'd waited more than a decade for had finally arrived.

But that was immediately followed by a wave of speechlessness.

"This is clearly a High Martial World. What the heck is a Low Martial Achievement System?"

According to the history of this world,

several hundred years ago, Blue Star had connected with the Starry Sky, bringing Starry Sky Martial Arts with it.

Combining ancient Martial Arts with technology, Starry Sky Martial Arts had reached its peak after several hundred years of development.

Some had walked out of nuclear blasts completely unharmed.

Some had split mountains and moved seas, opening up ten thousand miles of flat land.

Some had used the strength of their bodies to shatter a million-ton aerospace carrier with a single punch.

One Martial Arts Expert after another stood beneath the Starry Sky, guarding their homeland with supreme Martial Will. They had become Immortal Monuments that cowed demons and monsters.

Without a doubt, this was a High Martial World where people could withstand nuclear bombs with their bodies and shatter planets with a single punch!

Jiang Ye looked at the words "Inactive" on the panel, at a loss for words.

In a High Martial World, you gave me a low martial system? No wonder it couldn't activate!

Fortunately, he had always relied on his own perseverance. Even without a golden finger, nothing could stop his devotion to Martial Arts.

Of course,

he also knew all too well that someone with Inferior Aptitude needed to put in several times the effort to embark on the path of Starry Sky Martial Arts.

What was more, Jiang Ye's Martial Arts talent only ranked in the middle of Ordinary Class.

"Over the years, no more than fifteen students from Ordinary Class have gotten into a Martial Arts University, and that number fluctuates."

Jiang Ye thought to himself. "That means I need to make it into the top ten in class to have a shot at getting into a Martial Arts University."

The students in the top ten had already broken through to Minor Accomplishment in Star Martial Cultivation Method during the first semester of their second year.

Jiang Ye was improving, but they were working just as hard to improve.

Surpassing them wouldn't be easy.

"One step at a time. As long as I put in enough effort and sweat, I'll have a chance."

Jiang Ye's mind gradually settled.

At the same time, after finishing her scolding, the pretty teacher said coolly, "Everyone, get ready. We're starting the opening assessment."

At those words, every student perked up.

The assessment was one of the most important events at the start of the school year.

"We're getting ranked again. I wonder if I can break into the top ten this time."

"I'm done for. I think I'm going to fall back to the bottom this time."

The students grew restless, some nervous and others excited.

Jiang Ye was looking forward to it, too. This assessment would show him how many people he'd passed over winter break.

Soon, the teacher walked to the center of the classroom and pressed a button in the floor with her foot.

"Bzz!"

A silver-white metal device rose from the floor.

It was a Punch Force Tester.

The assessment was much like the Martial Arts test in the college entrance exams. It consisted of a physical fitness assessment and a simulated combat assessment.

The first item in the physical fitness assessment was the punch force test.

As the teacher began calling names, one student after another stepped up to take the test.

"Wen Yuehui, 351 kilograms."

"Li Zhichao, 475 kilograms."

"Zeng Niu, 235 kilograms."

"..."

Time passed.

Finally, it was Jiang Ye's turn.

"Jiang Ye, you're up."

The pretty teacher gave Jiang Ye a few extra looks. This exceptionally hardworking and handsome youth had made a deep impression on her.

"Yes."

Jiang Ye took a deep breath and walked up to the Punch Force Tester.

He fixed his eyes on the device before him and slowly raised his right fist.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Ye planted his feet and arched his spine like a rising azure dragon, channeling his entire body's strength into his right fist.

He slammed his fist into the round target.

"Thud!"

A deep, booming impact sounded as the numbers on the display began to race upward.

100 kilograms.

150 kilograms.

200 kilograms.

Soon, the display stopped at "245 kilograms."

"Just a little short of the standard for Minor Accomplishment."

Jiang Ye wasn't surprised by the result.

250 kilograms was the standard for Minor Accomplishment in Star Martial Cultivation Method.

His punch force ranked somewhat above average in the class—not the best, but not the worst.

Ding!

[Host's punch force detected!]

[Low Martial Achievement System activating]

Jiang Ye had returned to his place when the text appeared before him. He froze on the spot.

"The system activated?"

Had the Low Martial Achievement System really activated?

[Warning! Warning!]

[Your punch force has reached this system's limit, exceeding 90% of the world's population!]

[Assessing strength.]

When he saw those lines, Jiang Ye felt his entire understanding of the world come undone.

"Me? I've reached the system's limit?"

"And I've surpassed 90% of the world's population?"

Was this for real?

His punch force of 245 kilograms might've been impressive in his previous life, but in this world, any high school student could reach it with ease!

He'd barely lifted a finger, and he'd already reached the system's limit?

[Assessment complete. Your punch force meets the standard for "Martial Arts Grandmaster"!]

[Title unlocked: Martial Arts Grandmaster!]

"Martial Arts Grandmaster?" Jiang Ye was dumbfounded again.

After all that assessment, this was what it had decided?

"Low Martial... Could the system have mistaken the environment for a Low Martial World?"

"But even in a low martial world, a punch force of over two hundred kilograms would make someone a Martial Arts Grandmaster? Just how low-dimensional would that world have to be?"

Just as Jiang Ye was struggling to believe it,

another line of text appeared before him.

[Reward: Physique Enhancement!]