"I wouldn't recommend doing that." Chen Zilu said.
Jiang Ye asked in confusion, "Why?"
"Does Starry Sky Energy cause side effects like performance-enhancing drugs?"
"No."
Chen Zilu shook her head and explained, "You have Primitive Talent, so your Star Energy absorption efficiency is very low."
"Starry Sky Energy is called that because it comes from the Starry Sky. Hundreds of years ago, humans first discovered this substance on Mars."
"So Star Energy costs far more than Martial Arts Ingredients. The expense outweighs the gains, making it a bad deal," Chen Zilu said.
Jiang Ye froze for a moment.
Primitive Talent meant low absorption efficiency?
He suddenly recalled a question that had puzzled him for a long time.
What was the difference between constitution and talent?
The Blue Star Federation placed such great importance on Martial Arts talent; there had to be a reason.
Jiang Ye couldn't help asking, "Teacher, are the talent grades related to Star Energy?"
"Exactly."
Chen Zilu nodded. "Starry Sky Energy is very important to Starry Sky Martial Artists. Once they embark on the path of Starry Sky Martial Arts, they can only drive the transformation of their lives by continuously absorbing this energy."
"And the higher your talent, the more efficiently you absorb Star Energy."
Jiang Ye understood.
Hundreds of years ago, Blue Star civilization made contact with the Starry Sky.
By now, humanity's footsteps had spread throughout the entire solar system.
It was said that the current cultivation system, Starry Sky Martial Arts, had been discovered while exploring the solar system.
Now, it seemed that everything was connected to Starry Sky Energy.
Primitive Talent was called Inferior Aptitude precisely because its absorption efficiency was too low.
"So when it's time for Starry Sky Refinement, will it take me longer than everyone else?"
Jiang Ye furrowed his brow slightly.
It seemed breaking through to First Break would be even harder than he'd originally imagined!
Just then, a soft laugh came through the watch. "You don't need to worry about Starry Sky Refinement. When the time comes, I'll find a way to help you speed it up."
"Your goal right now is to reach perfection in your Cultivation Method as soon as possible."
Jiang Ye brightened and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Teacher."
"Mm. Any other questions?"
"No."
"Be careful. People have been disappearing in the city lately," Chen Zilu said.
Jiang Ye froze. "Is it the Shadow Calamity?"
Chen Zilu shook her head. "Not necessarily. It could be human causes, too. Either way, be careful for now."
Jiang Ye nodded. "Okay. You too."
After ending the call, Jiang Ye sat still, lost in thought.
Whether it was the potential danger or the challenge of Starry Sky Refinement, both made him even more determined to reach his goal.
Get stronger!
Break through to perfection in the Star Martial Cultivation Method as soon as possible and enter the Key Class.
Jiang Ye's gaze grew ever more resolute.
But just then, his eyes suddenly widened slightly.
"What's this..."
Several system messages had suddenly appeared in front of him!
[Warning! Warning! Your hearing has reached this system's limit!]
[You have achieved a new achievement: Clearly perceive sounds from ten kilometers away and hold a conversation with someone ten kilometers away!]
[Title unlocked: Wind-Following Ear]
[Reward: Hearing increased by 200%; the farther away, the clearer the sound!]
Jiang Ye was utterly stunned.
Seriously, man?
All he'd done was make a phone call, and he'd already broken through the system's limit?
He'd even unlocked the Wind-Following Ear achievement?
"Of course. The Low Martial World doesn't have phones."
"So, according to the system, making a phone call counts as telepathically transmitting my voice a thousand miles?"
Jiang Ye looked completely dumbfounded.
The logic itself was easy enough to understand, but it was a possibility he'd never even considered.
Suddenly,
A strange expression appeared on Jiang Ye's face.
Did that count as exploiting a bug?
If this was enough to unlock an achievement, then maybe there were plenty of paths he'd never considered that could unlock new ones!
As Jiang Ye marveled at the discovery,
He suddenly felt his ears twitch.
The internal structures of both ears seemed to undergo some subtle change.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, an incredibly noisy jumble of sounds flooded his ears.
For a moment, Jiang Ye felt as if his head would explode, crammed full of countless noises.
Fortunately, he soon began to adjust and tried to control his hearing.
He picked out useful information from the cacophony.
Faintly, he heard a conversation coming from two hundred meters away.
"Mom, Mom, look, flowers~"
"Have you finished your homework!?"
"Waaah!"
"..."
Jiang Ye closed his eyes slightly, then turned toward another direction.
A faint sound came from three hundred meters away.
"This guy's already drunk after just a few bottles? What a lightweight."
"So you're saying you're pretty tough?"
"I can hear sounds from three hundred meters away now."
Jiang Ye opened his eyes, a thoughtful glint passing through them.
Before, he could hear sounds from no farther than a hundred meters away.
In other words, this reward had tripled his range.
"But achievements like this can't be one-time deals, can they?"
Jiang Ye pondered. "If there are no higher-level achievements of the same kind, I should've waited a little longer to unlock this one. It would've been better."
He realized that achievements earned by exploiting bugs weren't necessarily better unlocked as early as possible.
The stronger he was, the greater the boost he'd receive.
Still, since he'd already unlocked it, there was no point regretting it.
"The trial is in three weeks."
"I can try a few things and see if I can unlock similar achievements to boost my strength."
Jiang Ye thought it over.
Soon, an idea came to him.
Not long afterward, Jiang Ye left home.
He stood by the roadside and hailed a taxi.
"Driver, are you willing to take the expressway?"
"That'll cost extra."
"I'm not going far, just driving around near Ancheng. Is a hundred enough?"
"Hop in."
Jiang Ye got into the taxi and slowly let out a breath.
Coming out this time carried some risk.
After all, Chen Zilu had said the city wasn't safe lately.
But to test his theory, Jiang Ye had decided to make the trip. It was midday, so at least the odds of staying safe were better.
"Driver, once we get on the expressway, drive at top speed for a while," Jiang Ye said.
The expressways in this world had different standards from those in his previous life. Their top speed could reach 200 km/h.
This taxi probably couldn't go that fast, though. It could likely manage only about 150.
Even so, that should still be far beyond the standards of a Low Martial World!
That was right.
Jiang Ye wanted to see if he could unlock a new achievement this way.
"I'll test it out. If it really works, I'll buy a plane ticket and give that a try when I have the money."
Passenger planes in this world were mostly supersonic.
They were also very expensive.
Even a short round trip within the province cost tens of thousands.
Besides passenger planes, there were also flying cars.
But their speeds were generally under 500 km/h, and the starting price was a thousand yuan.
"Without money, you can't do a thing," Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
A single coin could trip up a hero!
Living expenses, transportation costs, Martial Arts resources—all of it required a fortune to support.
The path to becoming strong might be lonely, but it could never be a life of want.
That was also why passing the upcoming trial, entering the Key Class, and getting into the Twenty-Five School Alliance had become goals Jiang Ye absolutely had to achieve.
"We're on the expressway."
Jiang Ye's eyes lit up slightly as he looked out the window.
After passing through the expressway toll station, the car gradually picked up speed.
100 km/h
120 km/h
130 km/h
Before you continue