Half a Month, Eighth Grade Late Stage

Lin Yi could not help but sigh.

Though he was poor, at present, aside from working as a Temporary Constable, he truly seemed to have no good way of making money.

After all, while his strength as a Seventh Grade Martial Artist was not considered weak in all of Guangling Prefecture City, it was certainly not strong either. On top of that, he was a Martial Academy student and could not work full-time, which placed even greater restrictions on him.

Under such circumstances, even with Lin Yi's advantage in Martial Skill, at most he could serve as an instructor for others and earn a little silver. Yet because it was only a part-time job, the money he earned in a month as an instructor would most likely be less than what he could make working as a Temporary Constable at the yamen.

Unless he could pass the Martial Scholar examination. By then, his status and standing would soar. Whether he became an instructor or sought other work, it would all be easier, and he would earn more.

"So after going around in circles, I still have to pass the Martial Scholar examination first!"

Shaking his head, Lin Yi left his room. After having a simple meal with his parents, he continued practicing martial arts.

Time slowly passed.

Over the following days, Lin Yi became even more diligent than before. Aside from working as a Temporary Constable at the yamen to catch criminals and earn money, he spent nearly all his other time at the Martial Academy, diligently practicing martial arts.

And with the Mystic Purple Grade Talent "Martial Saint Body," even without much in the way of supplementary resources, Lin Yi's cultivation speed underwent a qualitative transformation just by eating meat and occasionally swallowing a Qi and Blood Pill.

First, his cultivation advanced toward Eighth Grade Late Stage at the terrifying rate of roughly 6% to 7% per day.

Second, in terms of saber techniques, Lin Yi's talent had already been high to begin with. Moreover, the Martial Saint Body seemed to provide some enhancement to his "comprehension." Though that boost was far inferior to its improvement of physical aptitude, it was still much stronger than the Crimson Grade Talent "Saber Dao Genius."

As a result, his Sixth-Rank Martial Art Bright Moon Saber Art was also rapidly improving at a far more terrifying pace than before.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

At Guangling Martial Academy, in the morning, repeated sounds of metal striking metal rang through the air within a Martial Arts Training Room.

A youth wielding a long saber was locked in constant battle with a Bronze Automaton over two meters tall, its entire body forged from bronze and scarlet light flickering in its eyes.

The Bronze Automaton swung a long staff, smashing it down again and again like enormous boulders crashing from the sky. Though its moves were crude, it was incredibly fast, immensely powerful, and ferocious beyond measure.

Meanwhile, the youth's long saber flowed like ink unfurling across paper. Bursts of deft force erupted from his blade as he resisted the Bronze Automaton's terrifying assault.

"Clang clang clang!"

Within the Training Room, man and automaton traded attacks, countering each move with another.

At last, after more than a hundred exchanges, the youth found a flaw in the Bronze Automaton. He slashed out, instantly knocking aside its long staff and cutting into an egg-sized energy core on its chest.

At once...

"Boom!"

The Bronze Automaton's body trembled. Then the red gleam in its eyes slowly faded away, and it became a statue, utterly silent.

"I finally defeated this Bronze Automaton. Eighth Grade Late Stage cultivation really is a whole level stronger than Eighth Grade Mid Stage."

A faint smile appeared on Lin Yi's face at the sight.

One had to know that although this Bronze Automaton possessed almost no Martial Skill, its immense speed and strength meant its combat power could barely be considered at the level of a Seventh Grade Mid Stage.

Over the past half month, Lin Yi had fought it dozens of times, yet he had lost every single time.

Only after breaking through to Eighth Grade Late Stage this morning had he been able to defeat it in just over a hundred moves.

"Still, while breaking through to Eighth Grade Late Stage has increased my strength, the extent of that increase is ultimately nowhere near as great as bringing Bright Moon Saber Art to perfection. As I am now, I'm still far from passing the Martial Scholar examination."

Lin Yi thought to himself.

Over the past half month, aided by the Martial Saint Body, his rate of improvement had indeed been terrifying. Not only had his Martial Cultivation risen steadily, but even Bright Moon Saber Art had reached the level of (Great Accomplishment, 99%) seven days ago.

But this remaining 1% was simply too difficult to break through. Lin Yi had cultivated for seven days, and though he occasionally gained a little insight, he could never grasp the opportunity for a breakthrough.

It was as though a solid yet transparent steel gate stood between Great Accomplishment and perfection, barring him firmly outside and leaving him unable to move an inch.

Still, he knew that although this 1% bottleneck was frustrating, comprehending martial arts was not something that could be rushed. The more anxious one became, the easier it was to get stuck.

The martial path valued sudden enlightenment, but it also valued accumulation.

When there was no opportunity and no way to attain sudden enlightenment, one could only cultivate diligently first and slowly build up one's foundations. Perhaps one day, once those foundations had accumulated enough, a breakthrough would come naturally.

Can't find it by searching the book title? Try searching the author instead—perhaps it was simply renamed!

At the request of many readers, VIP membership with ad-free functionality is now available.

Click to view.

"Continue cultivating!"

With his resolve set, Lin Yi reactivated the Bronze Automaton and continued practicing his saber.

After practicing without pause for another half an hour, Lin Yi was taking a brief rest when suddenly—

"The Vice Principal is here! The Vice Principal is here! The old gentleman is about to give a lecture at Training Ground Number One! Everyone, hurry over!"

Outside the Training Room, excited cries suddenly rang out by Lin Yi's ears.

"The Vice Principal?"

Hearing those voices, Lin Yi's eyes lit up.

The vice principal everyone spoke of was named Li You. He was one of Guangling Martial Academy's two vice principals, a Fourth Grade Martial Dao powerhouse. Even across all of Guangling Prefecture City, his strength stood at the very pinnacle.

Only the patriarchs of the major top-tier families, or the heads of other superpowers' branches in Guangling Prefecture, could compare with him.

Moreover, compared to the other dean and vice principal, who rarely involved themselves in such matters, Li You devoted far more attention to the academy's disciples. Every month or two, he would come to the academy to offer them guidance.

Back when Lin Yi had only the Crimson Grade Talent "Saber Dao Genius," he had always felt greatly rewarded after every session of guidance, and his Martial Skill progress would surge.

Now, however, Lin Yi possessed not only "Saber Dao Genius," but also the boost of the "Martial Saint Body."

With the vice principal's help, he might just smash through that final bottleneck in one stroke and break into the Perfection Realm of the Bright Moon Saber Art!

"Head to the training ground immediately!"

With that thought, anticipation rose in Lin Yi's heart. He immediately got up and left the Martial Arts Training Room, heading for Training Ground Number One.

At that moment, on a vast open stretch of Training Ground Number One, several hundred people were already scattered about. They were all disciples who had joined Guangling Martial Academy in the same year as Lin Yi, or a year after him.

As for those a year ahead of them? They had already graduated last month.

After all, Guangling Martial Academy's program lasted only three years. Enrollment took place every September, and graduation came in June.

It was now July, precisely the time when the previous class had departed and the next had yet to arrive.

Thus, despite having been at Guangling Martial Academy for only two years, Lin Yi was already among the oldest class of disciples. When everyone saw him approaching, they began greeting him one after another.

"Lin Yi."

"Senior Brother Lin Yi! Good morning!"

"Senior Brother Lin Yi, morning!"

"Good morning, Junior Brother Chen!"

"Morning, An Zi."

"Wang Lin, ..."

Lin Yi replied to them with a smile.

He was rather well-known within Guangling Martial Academy. Though he came from a poor background and his cultivation was ordinary, his Martial Skill realm was astonishingly formidable.

In terms of Martial Skill realm alone, he was securely among the top five disciples of his year. Even among the senior brothers and sisters who had just graduated, he could rank within the top thirty.

It was only because his cultivation was too low that Lin Yi's overall ranking remained rather poor. Even so, he had earned the admiration of quite a few academy disciples, who held him in considerable respect.

And so, Lin Yi chatted and laughed with the others. After waiting for nearly half an hour—

"The vice principal has arrived!"

Outside the training ground, a deep, weighty voice suddenly rang out like a great bell tolling.

The next moment, Lin Yi saw an elderly man of around seventy or eighty, dressed in loose Daoist robes. His hair and beard were both white, yet his face was lean and refined, carrying the bearing of an immortal sage. Surrounded by more than a dozen Martial Arts Teachers, he entered the training ground.

At once, all the disciples, Lin Yi included, fell silent. Then they hurriedly bowed in respectful salute.

"Disciples pay respects to Vice Principal Li! Pay respects to all the teachers!"