Training Partner

This was not the colossal entity whose headquarters stood in humanity's core regions, merely an ordinary branch it had established in the small city of Qingshi County.

Li Wen stood at the edge of the square, looking up at those three words, a complicated glint passing through his eyes.

If schools were cradles facing countless students, scattering the seeds of martial arts and civilization, then Xinhuo Hall was a furnace of war facing all humanity.

Its doors were always open—whether you were a young student in the bloom of youth or a middle-aged person supporting a family; whether you were an ordinary person with a spotless background or an exile burdened by the past—as long as you paid enough money, you could enter and gain the opportunity to learn basic martial arts cultivation and hire someone to instruct you in combat skills.

Of course, every service here was built upon money.

Want to hire an experienced Warrior for personal, meticulous guidance? Certainly, as long as your purse was deep enough.

Want to use the finest immersive cultivation pod? No problem; the price was equally top-tier. However, there were several exceptions:

First, becoming an official member of Xinhuo Hall.

This was by no means easy. It represented recognition from the core forces of humanity's faction, while also entailing the responsibility of possibly being dispatched to the most dangerous front lines at any time.

Second, receiving an early contract from Xinhuo Hall.

This meant being regarded as a seed with extraordinary potential, worthy of having resources poured into their cultivation. It was the ladder to the heavens dreamed of by countless gifted youths from impoverished families.

Third, impoverished students still enrolled in school, like Li Wen.

It was a faint yet incomparably precious sliver of hope Xinhuo Hall offered to those at the bottom who worked hard.

During the long winter and summer vacations, they could use proof of enrollment and poverty certification to enter the branch for free and train in those basic, ordinary Martial Arts Rooms.

This did not include expensive food provisions, much less professional martial arts courses requiring additional payment.

Only the first two identities could enjoy fully free, luxurious treatment that encompassed nearly every core resource.

Li Wen had also heard that even official members were divided into ranks.

From the lowest ordinary members to lofty senior members, the resource allocation, cultivation art and secret art exchange privileges, mission rewards, and logistical support they received differed as vastly as heaven and abyss.

That was the true path of the strong. Every promotion had to prove its worth through blood and fire.

Unfortunately... "Warrior."

The minimum threshold for becoming an official member, and also the first threshold Li Wen knew of—was becoming an official Warrior.

And not merely an ordinary Warrior who had just crossed that line. One had to be among the capable, even the elite, of Warriors.

For him, still struggling bitterly at Flesh Rank 6.3, this road was simply too distant, like gazing up at a sea of stars.

"Compared to waiting until I become a Warrior before joining... perhaps," Li Wen clenched his fists, feeling the textured friction of his backpack straps against his palms, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"Taking the early-contract route, relying on the terrifying boost in comprehension brought by [Absolute Focus], might actually be faster for me!"

Lv4 was already within sight; Lv5 would come before long.

Once [Absolute Focus] underwent its complete qualitative transformation, just how inconceivable would his talent for comprehending techniques become?

After Peak Technique - Entry came Minor Accomplishment, Greater Accomplishment, Perfection... and after that? The legendary Secret Technique, the Unity Realm? That was the true supreme weapon he could rely on to shatter the barriers between social classes!

By comparison, raising his Flesh Rank—something that required him to temper his qi and blood step by step, hammer his muscles and bones, and endure tearing agony just to advance slowly—was the true wall of bronze and iron for him now, when resources were scarce.

Poverty made even running feel like a laborious struggle. His father's grave illness was even more like a massive boulder, dragging his advancing footsteps to a dead stop.

Money. Resources. Power! These three words burned over and over in Li Wen's mind like branded marks.

He took a deep breath of icy air, dispelling the churning distractions in his heart. His gaze refocused on the magnificent hall before him, representing "opportunity" and "challenge," and he set out with steady, powerful steps toward the heavy, frigid gates of the Qingshi Branch of Xinhuo Hall.

The first step began here.

He would make good use of these hard-won free training room resources, thoroughly stabilize the newly advanced [Rainbow Light Blade Art], and perhaps... seek an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Winter sunlight streamed through the lofty glass dome, spilling over the grand first-floor hall of the Xinhuo Branch Hall in Qingshi County. It brought a trace of warmth, yet could not disperse the thick scent of qi and blood and sweat hanging in the air.

The arrival of winter and summer vacations made this martial arts sanctuary, open to all, even noisier than usual.

People of every kind came and went. Some stood tall and walked with steady strides; others wore expectant expressions and hurried along. The air flowed with the desire to grow stronger and yearning for the future.

Li Wen tightened the backpack on his shoulder—inside were some cheap energy supplements—took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

The dome within the hall soared high, and the space was vast, divided into distinct functional areas.

His gaze swept over the floor directory near the entrance. The immense fifteen-story structure symbolized a staircase leading to a higher world of martial arts.

Yet at present, only the first three floors, representing the basics, were open to someone like him, who possessed only temporary privileges as an impoverished enrolled student.

"Li Wen?" A somewhat familiar voice rang out.

It was Wang Chao, a senior from another class at the same school. "Wang Chao? You came too." Li Wen recognized him and nodded in greeting.

"Yeah, my family pulled a few strings and got me a basic access card. I came during the break to make use of the training rooms in the basic area."

Wang Chao explained somewhat awkwardly. He also recognized two other familiar faces from No.3 High School, and they exchanged greetings.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Wen parted from them and headed straight for the second-floor cafeteria.

Besides the large cafeteria, the second floor was filled with shops such as pharmacies and physical therapy stores. The price tags on the Qi-Blood Potions displayed in the windows started at several thousand and often exceeded ten thousand Huaxia Coins, making Li Wen quicken his pace—his pockets were empty, so out of sight was out of mind.

The lunchtime rush had already passed, and there were few people in the cafeteria. That suited Li Wen perfectly; he hated wasting time in pointless queues.

He quickly swiped his Temporary Student Card at a Smart Ordering Machine, carried a generous but ordinary Nutritious Meal Set, and found a secluded corner seat by the window.

He had barely taken a few bites when a conversation between two boys nearby drifted over.

"This morning's results were really good. I gritted my teeth and hired a Level 2 Training Partner for two hours. That effect... tsk tsk, totally worth it!" said a boy with a crew cut, his tone full of showing off.

"Fuck! A Level 2 Training Partner? That's two thousand an hour! Old Qin, your family is fucking generous! I can't even afford a Level 1!"

His companion's eyes widened, his voice filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"Hehe, the results are great, but my wallet took a beating. Still, it was money spent on the blade's edge."

The boy called Old Qin clearly enjoyed the shock. Though he complained aloud, the smug satisfaction on his face was impossible to hide.