Prosperity of Martial Fortune

At dusk, the setting sun dyed the sky a deep orange-red.

Lin Ye finished his luxurious meal as usual, rested for a short while, and then returned to the Martial Arts Hall.

Compared to other days, it was much quieter today.

There were only seven or eight figures in the Martial Arts Hall, sparsely scattered throughout the room. Usually, there would be more; on a typical night, there would be a dozen or so students practicing.

At this moment, Zhang Zhen was practicing a set of rather fierce leg techniques, constantly adjusting the angles of his moves. Li Weiwei was on the other side practicing a set of footwork, her movements graceful and swift. Zhao Qiang and Zhou Qian were sparring, while Wang Hao and Zhao Lin were each practicing on their own. There was also a student whose face was familiar but whose name Lin Ye couldn't recall, silently practicing the Rolling Stone Fist in the corner.

Lin Ye looked around silently, a faint sense of emotion rising in his heart. Those who could persist until now were undoubtedly the martial arts students with the most steadfast resolve.

The pressure of the college entrance examination was like a sieve, filtering out the restless and leaving behind the seeds that truly longed to become stronger and could endure loneliness and pressure.

As for whether these seeds would sprout, it all depended on their individual accumulation.

Afterward, he didn't disturb anyone, walked to his usual spot, and began his training for the night. He started by loosening his muscles and bones with the perfected Mountain-Suppressing Fist, his strikes heavy and steady, carrying the faint sensation of a solid mountain. Immediately after, he threw himself into the arduous practice of the Lost Track Steps.

[Lost Track Steps · Proficient (460/500)]

In over a month, he had gone from a beginner to being proficient, and now he was just one step away from the Mastery level. As his footwork became more fluid, the awkwardness in his transitions between reality and illusion had greatly diminished, and his short-range lunges and direction changes appeared even more unpredictable.

Compared to the steady momentum of the Mountain-Suppressing Fist, the two formed a strange, contrasting style—one static and one dynamic, one steady and one elusive.

"This guy, he actually managed to master it."

Zhang Zhen, having finished his fist techniques, caught a glimpse of Lin Ye's elusive footwork out of the corner of his eye. His teeth ached slightly, and he secretly hoped he wouldn't run into Lin Ye during the martial arts exam.

"But it's fine, as long as he hasn't grasped the subtlety of the 'square inch'."

Zhang Zhen whispered to himself. The most terrifying thing about the Lost Track Steps wasn't the elusive footwork itself, but the spatial rhythm at the Perfection stage. If one mastered the principles of space, even a Blood-Qi Realm practitioner would find it very difficult to deal with a Body Tempering Realm opponent like Lin Ye.

"Tick-tock!"

Time slipped away quietly amidst the dripping of sweat and the soft sounds of footsteps.

The number of people in the Martial Arts Hall gradually dwindled.

The night grew deeper.

When the moonlight shone through the window, casting a clear radiance, Lin Ye stopped his practice of the Lost Track Steps. He adjusted his breathing and then assumed the stance of the Primordial Stance.

This time, his mind was exceptionally clear.

[Primordial Stance proficiency +1...]

[Primordial Stance proficiency +1...]

[Primordial Stance proficiency +1...]

As the final point of proficiency overflowed, a wave of realization surged into his heart.

"The Primordial is where the vital energy is undivided, and chaos is one."

This was what the martial arts teacher had taught them in their first year when they began practicing the Primordial Stance. At the time, Lin Ye hadn't understood it, but at this moment, he suddenly grasped it a little. The so-called Perfection was definitely not just the accumulation of strength, but the absolute integration of the body's blood and qi.

For a moment, his consciousness sank deep into his body, and he clearly "saw" his blood and qi surging, intersecting, and cycling through specific paths. He also felt his entire body's blood and qi become incomparably smooth and harmonious in that instant.

However, the changes did not stop there.

The moment the Primordial Stance reached the Perfection stage, a panel appeared.

[Primordial Stance · Perfection (1000/1000), can break the limit]

The words indicating he could break the limit appeared once again.

With a slight thought, he clicked to break the limit.

A set of stake training techniques, even more profound than the Primordial Stance, flooded into his mind.

Spirit-Nurturing Stance!

"Spirit-Nurturing" meant to nourish the spirituality of blood and qi and harmonize the body and mind. It not only consolidated one's foundation and cultivated vitality but also strengthened blood and qi and sharpened one's perception.

Following the methods of the Spirit-Nurturing Stance, Lin Ye began to adjust his posture. His toes flexed and relaxed, allowing him to feel the pulse of the earth more deeply and enjoy its nourishment.

Before long, Lin Ye slowly finished his practice and opened his eyes. A warm, gentle light flashed in his pupils before fading away.

He could feel that after the adjustment of the Spirit-Nurturing Stance, his body seemed to have undergone a gentle baptism. His state was better than before; his blood and qi were full, his mind was clear, and his control over himself had reached a new height.

[Name: Lin Ye]

[Realm: Body Tempering Late Stage (330/500)]

[Martial Arts: Spirit-Nurturing Stance · Perfection; Mountain-Suppressing Fist · Perfection; Lost Track Steps · Proficient (465/500)]

At this moment, two of his martial arts were already at the Perfection level, and the Lost Track Steps were only 35 points away from entering the Mastery level.

If he focused his energy and practiced hard over the next three days, there should be no problem for the Lost Track Steps to break through to the Mastery level.

He looked around; only Zhang Zhen and Li Weiwei remained in the Martial Arts Hall, but both were already in their final stages and would likely leave once they finished.

Zhang Zhen had just finished his leg training and was wiping his sweat with a towel. Seeing Lin Ye's gaze directed at him, he nodded in acknowledgment.

At the same time, Li Weiwei had also finished her footwork training for the day. Her breath was slightly short, and her cheeks were flushed, making her look quite alluring. She tidied the hair dampened by sweat on her forehead, noticed Lin Ye's gaze, and offered him a gentle smile.

Just then, Zhang Zhen tucked his towel into his bag, picked up his water bottle, and took a large gulp, greeting Lin Ye with a laugh as he drank.

"Lin Ye, good luck."

"Don't drop the ball during the college entrance exam. I'll be waiting for you at Qingjiang Martial University."

Zhang Zhen teased.

"With your grades, I'm sure Qingjiang Martial University is more than enough. You even have a good shot at several regional martial universities."

Lin Ye said with a smile.

Zhang Zhen's grades were not bad. On one hand, his theoretical foundation was solid, and his academic scores were high; on the other, his blood-qi value was not low. Although he didn't seem adept at actual combat, that was only in comparison to much stronger opponents.

"It's just a 'what if.' Qingjiang Martial University is a provincial key university, so it serves as a safety net."

Zhang Zhen shrugged. Lin Ye was indeed right; with his grades, he had a decent chance of getting into a regional martial university.

At this moment, Li Weiwei also packed her things and walked over. Seeing the two of them laughing so happily, she couldn't help but feel curious.

"What are you two chatting about?"

"Talking about universities."

Lin Ye smiled. "Class monitor, which top martial university are you planning to go to?"

"Jiangnan Martial University or Modu Martial University, I suppose. It's hard to say. If I don't do well on the exam, I might even choose Tianshu Martial Academy."

Li Weiwei pondered for a few seconds.

"Not choosing Kyoto Martial University?"

Lin Ye was a bit curious. In terms of reputation, Jiangnan Martial University or Modu Martial University shouldn't be better than Kyoto Martial University. As for Tianshu Martial Academy, although it ranked first among regional martial universities, it was, after all, not one of the top-tier martial academies in Great Xia.

"It's a secret."

Li Weiwei covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"You've asked so much, what about you, Lin Ye?"

Zhang Zhen asked.

"Me?"

Lin Ye pondered, thinking back to how, for his original self, even getting into an ordinary martial university would have been a luxury, but now...

"Qingjiang Martial University, I guess. If I'm lucky, maybe I can snag a spot at East Sea Martial University."

Lin Ye smiled, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction.

"East Sea Martial University doesn't rank very high among the regional ones, so you definitely have a good chance, guy. Lin Ye, you should be at... the late stage of Body Tempering now, right?"

Zhang Zhen muttered. He hadn't seen Lin Ye test his levels recently, so he wasn't sure how far his blood-qi had progressed.

Lin Ye smiled, neither denying nor confirming.

"Fine, I figured as much."

"Good luck."

Zhang Zhen curled his lip, said nothing more, and waved as he strode away.

"Lin Ye,"

At this moment, Li Weiwei asked, "Your Stake Training seems to have improved again? Your aura seemed very harmonious when you finished your practice just now."

Lin Ye couldn't help but marvel at Li Weiwei's keen observation. "I've gained some insights."

He didn't elaborate, nor did he deny it.

"That's great."

Seeing that Lin Ye didn't deny it, Li Weiwei smiled, her eyes filled with pure appreciation. "I understand. Good luck, keep up this state, and I believe you will definitely achieve a great score in the college entrance exam."

"We'll... see each other in university."

Her words carried a hint of anticipation.

"See you in university."

Lin Ye affirmed. Li Weiwei's smile grew even brighter; she waved her hand and left the Martial Arts Hall.

Suddenly, the Martial Arts Hall became completely quiet, leaving only Lin Ye behind.

The lights stretched his shadow long, and the metal surfaces of the equipment reflected a cold light, dissipating the heat left behind by everyone's training bit by bit.

The Martial Arts Hall was now in a state of extreme silence; Lin Ye could even hear his own steady and powerful heartbeat.

Is it lonely?

Perhaps a little, but it was more of a familiar, even comforting, sense of immersion.

For the past three months, he had spent countless nights just like this, accompanied by his own sweat and breath, watching the proficiency on his panel constantly increase.

It was an incomparable joy.

So, what should he do next?

Naturally, practice Lost Track Steps and grind out the remaining 35 points of proficiency.

Following that, Lin Ye poured all his energy into practicing Lost Track Steps.

He assumed his stance, calming his mind to practice the Lost Track Steps.

He no longer chased speed or trickery, focusing instead on the bottlenecks encountered during practice, repeatedly contemplating the footwork, breathing, the shifting of his center of gravity, and those subtle, not-yet-fluid connection points in his spatial perception.

One step, one pivot, one turn.

His consciousness was clear and empty, his body moving by instinct.

[Lost Track Steps proficiency +2...]

[Lost Track Steps proficiency +2...]

Time slipped away quietly, and the night outside the window grew deeper.

When the clock struck ten, the bell of the Martial Arts Hall rang once more. Lin Ye finally stopped, glanced at his Proficiency Panel, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his heart brimming with a faint sense of joy.

Just now, his proficiency had grown rapidly; it had increased by 20 points in an hour, far exceeding his usual pace. Although he hadn't managed to break through to the Mastery level in one go, his proficiency had reached (485/500), leaving him only 15 points away from a breakthrough.

At the same time, he felt his understanding of the footwork had deepened, and his grasp of that "intent" had become a little clearer.

Tomorrow, perhaps he would be able to achieve a breakthrough to the Mastery level as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Since it was closing time, he stopped practicing, turned off the lights in the Martial Arts Hall, picked up his bag, locked the door, and walked out.

The campus at night was completely different from the day. With the college entrance exams approaching, the grounds were much emptier, with swaying tree shadows and only a few scattered lights remaining in the distant teaching buildings.

At the same time, the noise, excitement, and the sorrow of parting among classmates from the day seemed to have been absorbed by the tranquil night.

Walking through the corridor, he felt the cool night breeze and heard his own footsteps echoing within the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Just as he reached the stairwell, a sound of footsteps suddenly came from the stairs above. Lin Ye looked up and saw a familiar figure, also carrying a bag, slowly walking down.

It was Chen Mo.

Lin Ye recognized him at a glance. He had also just finished training; his bangs were soaked with sweat, plastered to his temples, and his face still held a flush from intense exercise.

Just then, Chen Mo looked up and met Lin Ye's gaze.

Both were stunned, not expecting to run into each other again.

The air went quiet for a moment.

Their eyes shifted away immediately. Chen Mo moved his lips as if wanting to say something, but his habitual silence kept the words stuck in his throat. He simply nodded at Lin Ye as a friendly greeting. Lin Ye hesitated for a moment, but seeing the other nod, he nodded back in response.

And so, the two walked down the stairs one after the other in silence, their footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet night. After walking for a while, Chen Mo picked up his pace and caught up to Lin Ye just as they reached the exit of the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Under the dim streetlights, the two walked side by side toward the school gate.

They walked in silence for a short distance, and by now, the brighter streets outside the school gate were already visible. Just then, Chen Mo suddenly stopped and said softly.

"Good luck on the college entrance exams!"

Hearing this, Lin Ye was taken aback, then turned to look at him.

Under the dim streetlight, he could still see the other's dark, honest face and the trace of sincerity on it.

"Yeah, you too."

There were no flowery words, no passionate encouragement—just the simplest, most direct words, the most humble blessing for a fellow traveler.

But after saying this, Lin Ye felt it wasn't quite enough. He thought for a moment and then spoke the most common blessing used in this martial arts era.

"I wish you prosperity in your martial path."

"Prosperity in my martial path?"

Hearing this, Chen Mo was also stunned. A very faint but incredibly solid smile suddenly appeared on that face which usually lacked expression.

He nodded as well and said to Lin Ye.

"I wish you prosperity in your martial path, too."

"Me?"

"Prosperity in my martial path?"

Lin Ye smiled, suddenly feeling that the phrase "prosperity in your martial path" was truly wonderful.

"Then let's wish for both of us to have prosperity in our martial paths."