"Father's been leaving early and coming home late these past few days because he was looking for a job?"
Jiang Ye stood in front of the wall.
Thanks to Physique Enhancement, his hearing had improved. And since the old house had poor soundproofing to begin with, he could faintly hear the conversation in the next room.
"Dad's actually applying for a night security job at the Shadow Hunter Bureau?"
Jiang Ye's brows furrowed.
The Shadow Hunter Bureau was an extremely special organization in this world.
It existed specifically to deal with the Shadow Calamity.
The Shadow Calamity had been around for a long time.
After Blue Star connected to the Starry Sky several hundred years ago, people discovered a kind of strange creature that could cling to shadows.
Through its host's shadow, it drained the host's life.
These strange creatures were called the Shadow Clan.
Anyone targeted by the Shadow Clan was doomed to die unless they were a Martial Arts Expert.
Technology couldn't kill these things. Only Starry Sky Martial Arts offered a chance of destroying them.
The Shadow Hunter Bureau was an organization dedicated to hunting down the Shadow Clan.
Most of Ancheng's Martial Arts Experts were stationed there.
Just as Jiang Dahai had said, it was the safest place in the whole city.
But if a Shadow Calamity broke out, the Shadow Hunter Bureau would also become the most dangerous place.
"Dad's applying to the Shadow Hunter Bureau because he has no other choice."
Jiang Ye understood the helplessness of his adoptive father.
At his age, he had elders to care for and children to raise. He couldn't afford to be out of work.
Especially since Jiang Ye practiced Martial Arts, which required a great deal of money.
For starters, he needed meat every single day.
The Shadow Calamity threatened not only humanity but animals as well, and meat prices rose year after year.
Even ordinary pork cost fifty yuan per pound.
Martial Arts pork, to say nothing of that, cost at least two hundred yuan.
Special-grade beef and mutton cost over five hundred yuan.
Yet meat was essential to Martial Cultivation.
"Martial Arts growth depends on dietary supplements. Eating meat is only the most basic part of that." Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
He'd heard that students from well-off families ate meat at every meal and also took precious Martial Arts Ingredients such as Martial Ginseng, Whale Eye, and Tiger Gallbladder.
All of them were incredibly expensive, often costing thousands.
The saying "poor families raise scholars, rich families raise martial artists" was no empty phrase.
Jiang Ye didn't come from such a family. His adoptive parents earned less than a hundred thousand yuan combined in a year.
Even so, they made sure he could eat meat every day.
"I have to get into a Martial Arts University."
Jiang Ye's gaze grew more resolute.
He wasn't talking about repaying their kindness, but at the very least, he didn't want to let his parents' hopes go unfulfilled.
His current goal was to break through the Star Martial Cultivation Method and reach perfection before the college entrance exams.
"Back to training."
Jiang Ye returned to his spot and resumed his stance.
Usually, he trained until one in the morning before finally falling into a deep sleep.
Today was no exception.
The next morning.
Jiang Ye woke up and clutched his heavy head.
"Did I have that nightmare again?"
He'd been having the same nightmare again and again lately, but after waking, he could never remember what it was about.
Jiang Ye rubbed his head, not giving it much thought.
He looked at his panel.
[Techniques] Star Martial Cultivation Method: Minor Accomplishment (2%)
"I actually improved by 1% after one night of training."
Jiang Ye was a little surprised.
Gaining 1% in one night was far more efficient than before.
"My cultivation speed seems to have increased. Could that be another effect of Physique Enhancement?"
Could Physique Enhancement actually improve one's Martial Arts aptitude?
Could it be that this so-called physique was really referring to Martial Arts aptitude?
The idea was startling.
It meant Jiang Ye's Martial Arts aptitude had actually improved!
"After reaching Minor Accomplishment, each improvement gets harder. But I'll break through to Great Accomplishment earlier than planned." Jiang Ye thought to himself.
The Star Martial Cultivation Method had four stages, and each breakthrough to a new stage doubled the difficulty.
Going from Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment was twice as hard as reaching the entry stage!
And the difficulty of advancing from Great Accomplishment to perfection would skyrocket even more.
Jiang Ye had originally thought he wouldn't reach Great Accomplishment until his senior year of high school, but now he believed he had a chance of doing so before the end of his sophomore year.
"Time for breakfast."
Jiang Ye got up and headed outside.
After breakfast, Jiang Ye took his younger sister, Jiang Ting, to school.
He arrived at the entrance to Ancheng Primary School, where Jiang Ting studied.
Before they parted, the little girl gazed up at him and said, "Brother, I'll miss you."
Jiang Ye patted her head. "I'll bring you candy after school."
"Mm-hmm, thanks, Brother!"
Jiang Ting walked into the school, beaming.
Jiang Ye headed toward Ancheng Third Middle School and began another day of training and studying.
Time flew by.
Before he knew it, a month had passed.
Day after day, Jiang Ye repeated the same routine between home and school.
Apart from meals, sleep, and culture classes, he spent all his time training.
He hadn't unlocked any new achievements during this period.
He guessed he would need to reach a certain level of strength or trigger some kind of bug before he could unlock another achievement.
For example, Friend of the Ancestor had come from exploiting a bug.
But so far, Jiang Ye hadn't managed to trigger another one.
Fortunately, his strength was increasing quickly.
After Physique Enhancement, Jiang Ye's Martial Arts aptitude had improved, and his cultivation speed had picked up a little.
On top of that, his Comprehension Boost 30% in Chen Zilu's class helped.
Of course, what mattered most was his grueling practice day and night.
Jiang Ye's Martial Arts strength was growing at a visible pace.
March 30.
During culture class.
Jiang Ye, the top student in the class, sat at his desk.
He looked at his panel.
[Techniques] Star Martial Cultivation Method: Minor Accomplishment (40%)
"In just one month, I've nearly made it halfway to Great Accomplishment."
Jiang Ye felt satisfied.
Before, he probably wouldn't have improved even 10% in a month.
That was what Inferior Aptitude was like.
Most students in the Ordinary Class reached Minor Accomplishment in the second semester of their sophomore year. They then had a year and a half to devote themselves fully to training if they hoped to reach Great Accomplishment.
This month of training had also taught him a pattern.
"Every 10% increase makes cultivation a little harder. Now it takes two days to gain 1%."
Jiang Ye wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, he was full of anticipation.
His cultivation speed was already very fast.
At this rate, he might reach Great Accomplishment in less than a semester.
"Today, we're going to discuss the different grades of aptitude."
The teacher's voice caught Jiang Ye's attention.
The Culture Class Teacher was a bespectacled woman in her thirties, wearing a black tight skirt that accentuated her curves.
She began explaining:
"Martial Arts aptitude is generally divided into four grades."
"Primitive, Nascent, Dao Bone, and Transcendent."
"Starry Sky Martial Arts recognizes even higher grades, but here on Blue Star, these are the main four."
"Primitive Talent is also commonly known as Inferior Aptitude. More than 70% of people on Blue Star have this grade."
"Aptitude determines not only the strength of your physique but also how easily you can cultivate Starry Sky Martial Arts. With Primitive Talent, it's much harder to set foot on the path of Starry Sky Martial Arts."
Jiang Ye's heart stirred slightly.
From what the teacher was saying, Martial Arts aptitude and physique weren't exactly the same thing?
That overturned some of his earlier assumptions.
"Hm?"
Just then, Jiang Ye noticed that another line had appeared on his panel without him realizing it.
--Low Martial Achievement System-- [Name: Jiang Ye] [Physique: Mortal Body (Class C)] [Aptitude: Primitive] [Techniques] Star Martial Cultivation Method: Minor Accomplishment (40%) [Achievements] Martial Arts Grandmaster, Friend of the Ancestor --
"The system lists physique and aptitude separately, so they really are different."
Jiang Ye thought to himself.
"The second grade of aptitude is called Nascent."
The bespectacled woman in the black tight skirt said, "Nascent means the rebirth of the Martial Bone. Its physique is far stronger than that of someone with Primitive Talent."
"People with this grade often have strong Martial Arts talent, and their cultivation is twice as effective with half the effort. The students in the Key Class, for example, all have this grade of aptitude."
The bespectacled Culture Class Teacher continued her explanation.
This was the first time Jiang Ye had learned what students with Nascent Talent were like.
"Someone with Nascent Talent can perfect their Cultivation Method by their sophomore year and might even become a Starry Sky Martial Artist by their senior year?" Jiang Ye was astonished.
A Starry Sky Martial Artist had to break the Life Shackle.
That level was still far beyond Jiang Ye's reach.
No wonder the school separated the Ordinary Class from the Key Class.
The gap between them was enormous!
"Nascent Talent is already this powerful. What about the higher grades, Dao Bone and Transcendent?"
Jiang Ye wondered inwardly.
The satisfaction he'd felt earlier was swept away in an instant.
The road of Martial Arts was long and full of obstacles.
The Low Martial Achievement System was just a tool to help him improve.
But if he wanted to surpass those geniuses and become a true Martial Arts Expert, he would still have to rely on his own hard work.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Martial Arts class again.
"Pfft!"
As soon as Jiang Ye stepped into the classroom, he spotted Li Zhichao nearby, jabbing a needle into his arm with a bottle of Li Long Potion.
"He's got money to burn."
Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
This month, Li Zhichao had injected himself with the potion ten times.
At three thousand yuan a bottle, that came to thirty thousand yuan.
For Jiang Ye's family, that would have been an unimaginable expense.
Just as Jiang Ye was sighing to himself.
Wearing white shoes and white socks, the stunningly beautiful Chen Zilu walked in and began the Martial Arts Class.
A faint, sweet fragrance clung to her as she demonstrated martial arts before the students, cool and otherworldly.
Jiang Ye studied attentively. The biggest gains he made each day came during Martial Arts Class.
Several hours passed in a flash.
Just before Martial Arts Class ended, Chen Zilu suddenly said:
"Jiang Ye, come by my office after lunch."
Jiang Ye was taken aback, but quickly replied, "Yes."
Chen Zilu drifted away.
Meanwhile, the students around them cast Jiang Ye envious glances.
"Is Teacher Chen personally inviting him for extra lessons now?"
"Last time I asked her for advice, she told me to go back and watch the recording myself. Why does Jiang Ye get such special treatment?"
"Chen Zilu is so damn good to him. Does he have some kind of dirt on her?"
"Quit being jealous. Jiang Ye's handsome and hardworking. You're not fit to lick his boots."
"I've got an early class."
"Wang Ye rides a wild horse."
"..."
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