The next day.
Su Ye got up early as usual.
He went to the open ground by the Hai River where he had been yesterday.
But a slender figure in white was already waiting there.
"Su Ye."
Xiao Qiyue smiled and waved to him. The morning sun caught in her hair, bathing her in golden light.
Su Ye paused, then quickened his pace.
"Have you been here long?"
"No, I just got here myself."
With that, Xiao Qiyue handed him a bag.
"Thanks for lending me your school uniform."
"It was nothing. I should be thanking you for last night."
Xiao Qiyue couldn't help laughing.
"It's a little strange, both of us thanking each other like this."
Su Ye: "...I guess it is."
Well, they were both here now.
Su Ye and Xiao Qiyue exchanged a glance.
Xiao Qiyue said, "Another match?"
Su Ye replied, "I'd be honored."
They threw themselves into another exhilarating fight.
Drenched in sweat, Xiao Qiyue waved her hands and called for a stop.
"No more, no more. I can't keep going."
"Su Ye, how is your stamina so good?"
Su Ye stopped.
My stamina?
It was probably because of his awakened Vampire physique.
Even without using Limit Break, his stamina, strength, and speed far surpassed those of Martial Artists at the same level.
He glanced at Xiao Qiyue, who was leaning against a tree and didn't seem to want to move.
"Are you okay? I think I did hit a bit too hard just now. Sorry."
"So you do know."
Xiao Qiyue rubbed her aching wrist.
"Hmm... If you buy me a cola, I'll forgive you!"
"That's all? No problem!"
After a short rest, Xiao Qiyue got up, and the two walked to a roadside convenience store.
Before long, Su Ye came out with two cans of cola.
Strangely enough, even though he had ended up in another world,
carbonated drinks still existed here, and they were just as popular.
More amazingly, the cans were still red.
Click!
He pulled the tab.
Just hearing that crisp sound made him feel refreshed all over.
Xiao Qiyue held her red can in both hands, sipping with obvious satisfaction.
"When I was little, my dad wouldn't let me drink soda. Once I got control of my New Year's money, I'd sneak off to a convenience store far outside our neighborhood to buy cola. Every time I heard the tab pop open, it felt amazing."
Xiao Qiyue told Su Ye about the games of wits she had played with her parents as a child, all for a drink of cola.
Su Ye could almost picture a mischievous little girl secretly sipping her cola.
Who would have thought the cool, elegant school beauty everyone knew had once been so impish?
Su Ye couldn't resist taking a sip himself.
The cold liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach.
It really was good.
They walked to school together.
Xiao Qiyue suddenly spoke.
"Su Ye, after sparring with you, I realized your strength, speed, and agility are far beyond normal. I think you're especially gifted physically."
"So once you get into the Elite Class, I suggest taking up another combat technique."
Su Ye raised an eyebrow but didn't bother asking something pointless like how she knew he would get into the Elite Class.
She had fought him evenly, so of course she had a good idea of what he could do.
Still, he was a little puzzled.
"Another combat technique?"
Su Ye had planned to earn more Slaughter Value as quickly as possible, then raise his Cultivation Level to the Extraordinary stage. If he had plenty left over, he would add points to Basic Combat Technique and see whether there was a proficiency level beyond Perfection.
He hadn't expected Xiao Qiyue to make this suggestion.
Xiao Qiyue nodded earnestly.
"That's right. Before breaking through to the Extraordinary stage, you should train in another combat technique—preferably a more advanced one—and reach a high level of proficiency in it. It'll help enormously when you make the breakthrough."
Seeing the confusion in Su Ye's eyes, Xiao Qiyue thought for a moment before continuing.
"Your class teacher must have warned you to avoid breaking through to the Extraordinary stage before entering Martial Arts University, right?"
"Yes, but he never explained why."
After all...
The strongest student in their class had only just reached the Eighth Level of Kaiyuan. The Extraordinary stage was still some way off.
"That's because breaking through to the Extraordinary stage actually means breaking the Gene Lock Chains inside your body. It's the crucial step that transforms an ordinary person into someone extraordinary. During that process, your body absorbs a huge amount of energy to build your Martial Arts foundation... It's a bit like Foundation Establishment in fantasy novels."
"The more energy you absorb, the stronger your Martial Arts foundation becomes, and the better your chances of becoming a High-tier Martial Artist."
"If you get into Martial Arts University, it'll provide a Foundation Establishment Training Room rich in Star Power, so you can make a better breakthrough. It's free for students, too, as part of the country's support for young Martial Artists. But if someone outside the university system wants to break through, they have to apply to the Star Energy Association for a Foundation Establishment Training Room. Every session costs a million."
A million?!
Su Ye's eyes widened.
That was absurdly expensive.
By comparison, breaking through at university was clearly the better deal.
But...
That probably wasn't the main reason Xiao Qiyue had brought it up, was it?
Sure enough.
Xiao Qiyue smiled faintly.
"The price is one factor. The main reason students at the Ninth Level of Kaiyuan wait until university to break through is that they spend that time training in combat techniques."
"Why?"
"Because combat techniques develop the body's Genetic Potential and improve its cells' ability to absorb energy. The more proficient you become, the further you develop that potential and the more energy your cells can take in. Then, when you break through to the Extraordinary stage, you can absorb more energy and build a stronger Martial Arts foundation."
"I see."
Su Ye nodded.
No wonder Xiao Qiyue had suggested he train in a more advanced combat technique.
The fluid moves she had switched to during their earlier match must have come from another combat technique she practiced.
"Thanks. I really wouldn't have known any of this if you hadn't told me."
Xiao Qiyue smiled and lightly shook the can in her hand.
"Consider it my thanks for the cola. Your teachers would tell you all this once you entered the Elite Class or reached the Ninth Level of Kaiyuan anyway."
No.
Without Xiao Qiyue's warning,
Su Ye might have used his Slaughter Value to push his Cultivation Level straight to the Extraordinary stage.
Finding out only after he had broken through would have been a nasty shock.
"But... by that logic, wouldn't training in more combat techniques for longer give you an even stronger Martial Arts foundation? If someone stayed at the Ninth Level of Kaiyuan for eight or ten years, couldn't they build an incredibly powerful foundation?"
Xiao Qiyue burst out laughing.
"Su Ye, you're just like me. I asked my father the same thing when I first heard about this... But the human body has its limits. Once you've trained your combat techniques far enough, your body's potential and your cells' capacity to absorb energy stop improving. That's when you can break through to the Extraordinary stage."
"It's just that there doesn't seem to be any clear standard for judging when you've reached your Physical Limit... Hmm. My father only told me that when I got there, my body would tell me."
Before you continue