The Elite Class.
As its name suggested, it was a class for the best students.
Su Ye remembered hearing rumors about an Elite Class at the start of the final semester of senior year.
Second High School's Gaokao results had been less than ideal for the past two years. The school probably wanted to pick its strongest students and make a push.
When Su Ye returned to school and walked into Class 37 of Senior High, his class teacher, Lan Jingfei, was announcing the news.
"Each class will nominate ten students for a schoolwide selection. The top fifty will enter the Elite Class... Our preliminary list is the top ten in Martial Arts. If anyone else wants a place, you can challenge someone in the top ten during tomorrow's Martial Arts class."
On Blue Star, where Martial Arts flourished, senior-year students were graded in two areas.
Academic subjects and Martial Arts.
Martial Arts results were clearly more important.
At Lan Jingfei's announcement, the students ranked in the top ten in Martial Arts looked pleased with themselves. The others quietly wondered... could they knock someone out of the top ten?
"There's no way Great Master Xia won't be in the Martial Arts top ten!"
Su Ye's deskmate, Xia Zhiqiu, chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"A'Su, don't miss me too much when I move to the Elite Class."
Xia Zhiqiu, known as [Grandpa Xia is Super Fierce] in the class chat, ranked third in Martial Arts.
His Cultivation Level was the Seventh Level of Kaiyuan.
Su Ye and Xia Zhiqiu had been classmates since middle school and deskmates for over two years in high school. They were close friends.
"Oh, right, A'Su. How did you get that tightfisted Ren Ke to pay everyone back?"
Not long after Su Ye posted in the group chat, Ren Ke had actually paid back his classmates one by one. It was practically a miracle for Class 37 of Senior High.
Plenty of people had tagged Su Ye in the chat to ask what happened, but after briefly showing up at noon, he had gone silent for hours.
"And another thing..."
Xia Zhiqiu rubbed his chin.
"A'Su, why do you look even better after just two weeks?"
Su Ye had already been handsome enough to make half the girls in class swoon. Somehow, after two weeks, he looked better still. His skin was even fairer than theirs.
Xia Zhiqiu noticed that nearly every girl in class was sneaking glances at Su Ye.
How were the other guys supposed to compete?
"How am I supposed to answer that many questions at once?"
Su Ye smiled faintly.
"But if you want answers, you'll find out tomorrow."
"Damn it, A'Su! Since when did you start keeping people in suspense?"
Night fell.
At the Su Family home.
Su Ye sat cross-legged in the living room.
His parents had taken his younger sister, Su Baobao, downstairs for a walk.
My goal now is to enter the Elite Class and get more resources.
Based on the last senior-year assessment, I'll need to be at least at the Fifth Level of Kaiyuan to reach the top fifty. And the top student in our year... I heard they're already at the Ninth Level of Kaiyuan and aiming for Extraordinary.
In other words, at the Sixth Level of Kaiyuan, getting into the top fifty shouldn't be too difficult.
But Cultivation Level is only part of it. What matters most is actual combat. Since awakening my Vampire physique, I'm stronger and faster, and I recover more quickly. But my fighting technique still needs work.
Burn Slaughter Value to improve my proficiency in the Basic Combat Technique!
Su Ye quickly made up his mind.
[Burned 100 Slaughter Value. Basic Combat Technique proficiency +1] [Martial Skill]: Basic Combat Technique · Perfection
One point of proficiency costs 100 Slaughter Value?! That's even more than raising my Cultivation Level!
It pained Su Ye to spend so much.
Still...
When he raised his Cultivation Level earlier that day, it had cost 40 points to reach the Fourth Level of Kaiyuan and 50 to reach the Fifth. Clearly, each increase cost more than the last. Looked at that way...
The real problem is that I don't have enough Slaughter Value.
I need to find a way to earn more.
But for now...
Again!
[Burned 100 Slaughter Value. Basic Combat Technique proficiency +1]
He checked the panel again.
[Host]: Su Ye [Supernatural Ability]: Vampire · Rebirth (Can Evolve) [Cultivation Level]: Abyssal Demon Dragon Technique · Sixth Level of Kaiyuan [Martial Skill]: Basic Combat Technique · Perfection [Talent]: None [Slaughter Value]: 35.6
Damn it! The proficiency didn't go up!
Looks like I'll have to keep burning Slaughter Value. I wonder how many times it'll take to reach the next level.
And what comes after Perfection?
Su Ye rubbed his forehead.
He needed more Slaughter Value, and fast.
The next day.
At first light, Su Ye left home and ran all the way to the Hai River.
Fangyuan City lay on the coast, and the long Hai River ran through it.
The river also divided the city's old and new districts.
To the east lay the aging, chaotic streets.
To the west lay wealth and modern technology.
Standing beside the Hai River, Su Ye looked at the starkly different views on either bank. He wanted to move his family to the west side as soon as he could.
He found a deserted spot and began testing the Basic Combat Technique he had trained the day before.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
His movements stirred the air.
The countless insights into the Basic Combat Technique he had gained from adding points gradually found their way into his movements, until the technique felt natural in his body.
After six rounds, Su Ye was drenched in sweat.
"That felt great!"
The Basic Combat Technique, which had once taken effort to use, now came as naturally to him as moving his own limbs.
With the Dark Night Demon Dragon Technique at the Sixth Level of Kaiyuan as well, Su Ye felt even more confident about entering the Elite Class.
Boom—
He threw another punch.
Su Ye blinked, then slowly drew back his fist.
At some point, a slender figure in white had appeared behind him.
He turned. The girl wore a white school uniform with blue stripes, and her long hair was tied in a ponytail.
In the morning light, she was like a drop of dew—clear and gentle.
"Xiao Qiyue."
Su Ye recognized her at once.
She was widely acknowledged as Second High School's most beautiful girl, the undisputed goddess in the boys' eyes.
Her beauty aside, she was an Awakener whose Cultivation Level had reached the Eighth Level of Kaiyuan.
Her father was said to be a high-level cultivator, too.
All of it made her seem even more dazzling.
"Hello, Su Ye."
Xiao Qiyue smiled faintly. "I saw you practicing the Basic Combat Technique as I passed by and stopped to watch without thinking. Sorry to disturb you."
Su Ye raised an eyebrow. "You know me?"
Xiao Qiyue nodded. "On the last exam, you were the only person in the school to get full marks on the final science question. That was impressive."
So that was why.
Xiao Qiyue paused. "And... you've improved at the Basic Combat Technique incredibly quickly."
A trace of surprise crossed her eyes.
She had seen Su Ye practice the Basic Combat Technique before. Compared with then, his skill was worlds apart.
More importantly, his whole bearing had changed.
"Su Ye, would you spar with me?"
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