Jiang Ye was a little puzzled.
He had indeed asked Chen Zilu for advice quite a few times over the past few days, but he had never approached her in private.
This was also the first time Chen Zilu had sought him out.
While Jiang Ye was pondering this, a girl walked up to him and offered him a bottle of water.
"Um... this water's for you."
Jiang Ye looked up. It was the girl who often brought him water, Xia Qing.
"Thanks. I'll bring you one next time," Jiang Ye said.
Xia Qing nodded shyly, then ran off, her face bright red.
Jiang Ye watched her go, feeling a little wistful. So this is one of the perks of being handsome? Too bad in this world, being handsome couldn't put food on the table.
Wen Yuehui walked over from not far away, staring at him in disbelief.
"Come on, man."
Wen Yuehui looked utterly aggrieved. "You've changed targets?"
Jiang Ye turned to him in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"The A Ye I know couldn't possibly have this kind of Martial Arts talent. Who are you? Give me my best friend back!"
Wen Yuehui wailed.
Over the past month, other people might not have noticed how quickly Jiang Ye was improving.
But Wen Yuehui, his closest friend and fellow troublemaker, had noticed it very clearly.
Especially now that Chen Zilu had personally invited Jiang Ye to stay behind for extra coaching. Wen Yuehui was so jealous, he was practically splitting apart at the molecular level.
Looking at Wen Yuehui's devastated expression, Jiang Ye's mouth twitched.
Good grief. You're afraid your brother's having a hard time, but you're also afraid he'll be driving a Land Rover, huh?
Just then, Wen Yuehui said, "A Ye, did you activate a cheat or something? If you've got anything good, don't forget your brother!"
Jiang Ye shook his head and sighed. "Can't it just be because I've been persistent and worked hard?"
Wen Yuehui paused.
Then he said mournfully, "If persistence and hard work were any use, the richest man in the world would've been a donkey by now."
"..."
There was no arguing with that.
Seeing that Wen Yuehui was about to keep complaining, Jiang Ye said, "Let's go to the cafeteria. If we don't hurry, there won't even be any soup left."
"Holy crap!"
Wen Yuehui suddenly came to his senses and rushed out of the classroom.
Jiang Ye hurried after him, and the two soon reached the cafeteria entrance.
An electronic ticker hung above the cafeteria doors.
Electronic slogans scrolled across it repeatedly:
[Efficiency is life! Students, please observe your allotted dining time!]
[First year: 30 minutes / Second year: 20 minutes / Third year: 15 minutes]
Seeing this, Wen Yuehui couldn't help cursing. "Damn it, why'd they cut the time again? Didn't second-year students used to get half an hour to eat?"
Jiang Ye was speechless too.
He knew the school had made this rule so students could squeeze more time out of their day to train.
But now they'd cut the mealtime again.
They had just twenty minutes left!
Martial artists ate a lot.
They expected the ox to work, but wouldn't let it graze. What kind of nonsense was that?
The two of them entered the cafeteria, still fuming. The students were all wolfing down their food, and not a single voice could be heard—only the frantic sound of people gulping.
Jiang Ye couldn't help glancing at the private dining rooms on the second floor.
"The students in those rooms are all from the Key Class."
The Ordinary Class and the Key Class were both at the same school.
But their treatment was worlds apart.
The mealtime limit applied only to the Ordinary Class; the Key Class wasn't affected.
Key Class students also received more generous meal supplements and access to all sorts of resources.
Of course, all that was still bearable.
Jiang Ye had even heard that at some schools, students in the Ordinary Class had to greet Key Class students first, to build habits for their future jobs.
"Good thing Ancheng Third Middle School isn't like that."
Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
After lunch, Jiang Ye hurried straight to Chen Zilu's office.
The office was empty. Chen Zilu clearly hadn't finished eating yet.
So Jiang Ye simply started training where he stood.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Ye turned around and saw a woman with snow-white skin sitting in a chair, her beauty cool and aloof.
"Teacher."
Jiang Ye walked over.
Chen Zilu looked at him and said, "You've made quite a bit of progress these past few days. Have you taken a drug?"
Jiang Ye was taken aback.
He hadn't expected that to be the first thing she asked.
Had he improved so much that even his teacher suspected he'd taken a drug?
He immediately shook his head and denied it.
Chen Zilu said calmly, "Taking drugs too early isn't a good idea. You haven't yet reached Great Accomplishment in your Cultivation Method. If you take drugs now, breaking through to perfection will be even harder."
"I let Li Zhichao take them because both his parents are Martial Arts Experts, and they have ways to mitigate some of the side effects."
"If you take them too soon, you'll only wear yourself down even more."
Even Wen Yuehui had noticed Jiang Ye's progress. As his teacher, Chen Zilu could naturally see it even more clearly.
In her eyes, the speed of Jiang Ye's improvement over the past month was clearly abnormal.
Jiang Ye said helplessly, "Teacher, I really haven't taken any drugs."
He had no intention of Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger.
Only by letting her know his potential and making her willing to teach him could he get more chances to improve.
Chen Zilu smiled. "Why are you so nervous? I know you haven't taken any."
"Hm?"
Jiang Ye looked at her in confusion.
Chen Zilu continued, "But if you ever want to take a drug, you can come to me. I have access to cheaper ones, and they have fewer side effects."
"..."
Jiang Ye froze for a moment.
Then a wave of astonishment rose in his heart.
So after all that, she was trying to sell him drugs?
Had Li Zhichao bought his Li Long Potion from Chen Zilu too?
"Teacher, didn't you just say I shouldn't take drugs?" Jiang Ye asked after a long pause, at a loss for words.
Chen Zilu said, "I said not to take them too early, not that you should never take them."
"To climb the Starry Sky Martial Arts path, taking drugs is a necessary part of the process."
"But normally, you need to bring the Star Martial Cultivation Method to perfection before you can withstand the side effects."
Jiang Ye asked in confusion, "Then what about Li Zhichao?"
He remembered that Li Zhichao had only reached Great Accomplishment in his boxing technique when Chen Zilu recommended he take drugs.
Chen Zilu said calmly, "Li Zhichao is different from you. His family is well-off, and he can withstand the side effects."
"As for you..."
Her beautiful eyes swept over Jiang Ye as she said, "I really can't sense any sign that you've taken drugs. In that case, have you awakened your Martial Bone?"
"Martial Bone Awakening?"
Jiang Ye looked puzzled.
Chen Zilu explained, "A person's Martial Arts talent is determined not only by their innate aptitude, but also by their Martial Bone."
"Of course, the higher the aptitude, the stronger the Martial Bone naturally is."
"Under normal circumstances, the Martial Bone can't be changed, just like one's aptitude," Chen Zilu said. "But there have been a few rare cases where the Martial Bone underwent subtle changes after birth, causing a sharp increase in talent. This is called Martial Bone Awakening."
"I see."
Jiang Ye nodded, beginning to understand.
The so-called Martial Bone probably referred to his physique.
He hadn't actually experienced Martial Bone Awakening. His physique had been enhanced.
Still, this would be a good way to explain why he was training so much faster.
Jiang Ye said at once, "Then I must have awakened my Martial Bone. I really did feel some changes in my body before..."
He described how he had felt when his physique was enhanced, adjusting the details a little as he spoke.
After listening, Chen Zilu stood and walked over to Jiang Ye.
While Jiang Ye was still wondering what she was doing, he felt a slender palm settle against his cervical spine.
"Do you mind?" Chen Zilu asked.
"Go ahead, Teacher."
Jiang Ye remained calm.
The next moment, he felt a thread of mysterious energy flow from his spine and through his entire body.
A tingling sensation immediately ran through Jiang Ye's nerves.
This is... Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
He had heard that those who broke the Life Shackle would give birth to an incredible transcendent energy within their bodies.
Could this be transcendent energy?
It gave him a strange rush of pleasure, as if every cell in his body were stretching.
Soon, Chen Zilu withdrew her hand and nodded.
"It seems you really have awakened your Martial Bone."
Looking at Jiang Ye, she smiled. "As you are now, you might have a chance of getting into a somewhat better Martial Arts University."
Jiang Ye clasped his hands. "It's all thanks to your instruction, Teacher."
Chen Zilu smiled, clearly pleased.
"No need to be modest. A master opens the door, but the rest is up to the student. Your own efforts are what matter most."
Chen Zilu continued, "Now that you've awakened your Martial Bone, there are some things you ought to know."
Jiang Ye looked puzzled. "Please tell me, Teacher."
Before you continue