When Jiang Ye got home, he immediately shared the good news with his parents.
"What? Second place in the whole class?"
Li Anping looked incredulous.
"Big Brother is amazing!" Jiang Ting said, gazing at him with admiration.
Jiang Dahai, sitting at the dinner table, was surprised too. "Second place? Weren't you only ranked twenty-fifth when school started?"
Jiang Ye had already prepared an explanation. "Teacher Chen said that after I reached Minor Accomplishment in the Star Martial Cultivation Method, my Martial Bone awakened, and my cultivation speed took off."
"Martial Bone Awakening?"
Jiang Dahai and Li Anping exchanged glances.
They didn't know what it meant, but it didn't seem like a bad thing.
"Good!"
Jiang Dahai laughed heartily. "Our family's going to have a Martial Arts genius!"
Li Anping smiled too. "Xiao Ye will definitely get into a Martial Arts University next year."
The couple's greatest wish was to send both their children to a Martial Arts University.
That way, they wouldn't have to follow in their footsteps.
Jiang Ye cleared his throat. "Mom, Dad, Teacher Chen gave me thirty thousand yuan today."
He took a stack of bills from his backpack.
"Thirty thousand?"
Jiang Dahai and his wife were both startled.
Their family had only managed to save a few tens of thousands over the years.
Thirty thousand yuan in cash was a considerable sum.
Jiang Ye briefly explained the situation and mentioned the trial taking place in a month.
"Good. We support you."
Jiang Dahai didn't say much else. He said seriously, "She said you could pay her back after you graduate, but she probably never expected you to repay her at all. Still, we should pay her back—and the sooner, the better."
"Give and take—that's how a relationship grows closer."
"If you repay her early, you'll bring your families even closer. Then it'll be easier to ask her for help with anything in the future."
Jiang Ye nodded. He understood the reasoning.
But his adoptive father had put it even more profoundly.
After all, Jiang Dahai had spent decades working his way up from the grassroots. Every setback he'd faced had become experience.
"I'm working at the Shadow Hunter Bureau now, so money's not quite as tight."
Jiang Dahai chuckled. "Remember to pay her back after your college entrance exams."
Jiang Ye nodded.
At the mention of the Shadow Hunter Bureau, something occurred to him. "Dad, how have things been at the Bureau lately? I heard Teacher Chen say that Ancheng might not be safe these days."
"Not safe?"
Jiang Dahai shook his head. "There's been no news from the Bureau. But if your teacher said that, you should be careful."
Jiang Ye nodded.
Over the next few days, Jiang Ye returned to his day-in, day-out cultivation.
Summer vacation arrived. Cicadas shrilled beneath the blazing sun.
Jiang Ye stayed indoors every day, cultivating from morning till night.
After nightfall, he entered the Martial Arts Heavenly Ladder and repeated the First Layer's Illusionary Tempering, enduring the trials of Martial Will in the massage room.
Every night, Chen Zilu, Zhao Qingli, and all manner of beauties put him through the wringer.
Before, Jiang Ye might not have been so eager to do this.
But after the Virtual Starry Sky assessment, he'd realized just how important Martial Will was.
"If I encounter the Shadow Clan, strong combat skills won't be enough. Powerful Martial Will will be just as crucial."
"The Shadow Clan's voices pierce straight into the heart, leaving people dazed and disoriented."
"Only powerful Martial Will can stand against them."
Every night, Jiang Ye fought in the massage room until he was utterly spent.
His Martial Will kept growing stronger.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
At home.
After completing this phase of his cultivation, Jiang Ye opened his status panel and took a look.
--Low Martial Achievement System-- [Physique: Mortal Body (Class B)] [Talent: Original] [Cultivation Method] Star Martial Cultivation Method: Great Accomplishment (21%) [Achievements] Martial Arts Grandmaster, Friend of the Ancestor, Martial Arts Grandmaster, Red Face Seeks the Way [Martial Arts Heavenly Ladder] First Layer
That week,
Jiang Ye had taken Leopard Gallbladder supplements every day and applied Martial Arts oil all over his body.
The so-called Martial Arts oil was also a cultivation resource. It helped the body transform faster and cost a thousand yuan per small bottle.
Since Jiang Ye was going all out to make a breakthrough within a month, he hadn't skimped on the expense.
Fortunately, the results were noticeable.
But once his Cultivation Method's progress passed 20%,
he could clearly feel his pace slowing.
That was only to be expected.
The stretch from Great Accomplishment to perfection was the hardest part.
Even most students in the Key Class needed a year to get through it.
"Once I get my hands on precious ingredients like Tiger Gallbladder and Whale Eye, I should make progress even faster," Jiang Ye thought.
The more precious a Martial Arts Ingredient was, the harder it was to find.
Especially in a small place like Ancheng.
The wealthy had a monopoly on all the Martial Arts Ingredients.
A family like Jiang Ye's could only afford second-rate Leopard Gallbladder.
But after a week of searching, Jiang Dahai had found a supplier. He'd probably be able to get Tiger Gallbladder and Whale Eye within the next couple of days.
"Still too slow."
Jiang Ye furrowed his brow. "The further I go, the harder cultivation gets. Every additional 10% makes it a whole lot more difficult."
"If things keep going like this, how am I supposed to reach First Break before the college entrance exams?"
To reach First Break and become a Starry Sky Martial Artist, he still had to undergo multiple rounds of Starry Sky Refinement.
Each round of Starry Sky Refinement took quite a bit of time.
By his calculations, there was no way he could reach the Twenty-Five School Alliance's threshold before the college entrance exams.
"I heard Zhao Qingli, the top student in the grade, went from Great Accomplishment to perfection in just six months."
"She has a Class B Mortal Body too. How did she manage it?"
Jiang Ye pondered.
Sure, she was rich and could eat supplements every day.
But his circumstances weren't all that different now.
His physique and comprehension had both improved. The gap between them shouldn't be that big.
"I'll ask the teacher."
Jiang Ye suddenly remembered he could contact Chen Zilu whenever he wanted.
He'd been so absorbed in cultivation that week that he hadn't tried. Today would be his first time.
With that, Jiang Ye immediately took out his Communication Watch.
He opened it, found Chen Zilu's contact, and called her.
Beep.
A moment later, a clear, melodious voice came through the watch.
"What is it?"
Jiang Ye quickly said, "Teacher, I heard that Zhao Qingli, the top student in our grade—"
He briefly explained what was puzzling him.
Chen Zilu chuckled when she heard him. "Zhao Qingli? You don't need to compare yourself to her. She spends a hundred thousand yuan a month on supplements alone."
"A hundred thousand yuan a month?"
Jiang Ye was stunned.
A hundred thousand yuan was as much as his parents made in a year!
He—
He'd underestimated just how rich the wealthy really were.
"Does she eat Martial Arts Ingredients like Tiger Gallbladder and Whale Eye every day?" Jiang Ye couldn't help asking.
Chen Zilu replied, "She eats ingredients even more advanced than those—specialty ingredients made for Martial Arts practitioners."
"..."
Jiang Ye sighed.
The rich really were the worst!
"But food supplements aren't the only reason Zhao Qingli went from Great Accomplishment to perfection in six months."
Chen Zilu continued, "More importantly, she also used Starry Sky Energy to temper her body."
"Starry Sky Energy?" Jiang Ye asked.
Chen Zilu hummed in acknowledgment.
"Starry Sky Energy, also called Star Energy, is a type of energy you must master once you set foot on the path of Starry Sky Martial Arts."
"Before reaching First Break, you undergo Starry Sky Refinement by using Star Energy to refine your body, pushing it to break through the shackles of life."
Chen Zilu explained, "After reaching Great Accomplishment in the Star Martial Cultivation Method, you can also use a small amount of Star Energy to temper your body. It can speed things up considerably."
After hearing her out,
Jiang Ye's eyes lit up. He quickly asked, "Teacher, can I do the same?"
But Chen Zilu's reply left him utterly surprised.
Before you continue