Food Supplement Surprise

The martial arts section on the second floor was visibly much larger than the cultivation technique section.

Even though they were only basic-level martial arts, the variety was dazzling.

There were unarmed martial arts such as fist, palm, leg, and foot techniques; weapon techniques involving sabers, spears, staffs, clubs, swords, and halberds; and even concealed weapon techniques.

Each type of martial art was further divided into multiple paths. Saber techniques alone included fast sabers, heavy sabers, dual sabers, and more.

Li Jinshui weaved through row after row of bookshelves, his eyes spinning from the sheer variety.

At first, he had been worried about which martial art to choose, but before long, he was not worried anymore.

A basic martial art cost at least twenty thousand yuan per book!

The student discount was only twenty percent off, and installments could not be purchased.

"Twenty thousand at twenty percent off... sixteen thousand..."

Li Jinshui looked at the balance of less than fourteen thousand yuan in his account and sighed helplessly.

He should have bought the Stake Standing installments earlier, but if he truly spent all his money, even eating might become a problem afterward.

He still had to make money.

But with his current level of strength, he could not think of any steady way to earn it for the moment.

Use his student ID discount to resell manuals for the price difference?

What a joke. How could big capital possibly leave such a loophole for people to exploit?

"Since things have come to this, I'll eat first."

Li Jinshui shook his head, tucked Basic Stance Technique away, and headed downstairs toward the cafeteria.

At this hour, the cafeteria had long since opened.

Steamers had been set out at every counter, soup bases were boiling, and all kinds of breakfast foods were sending up clouds of hot steam.

Li Jinshui first went to the restroom to wash up, then planned to buy a few ordinary meat buns to make do and fill his stomach.

In truth, ordinary carbohydrates and meat were not enough for martial artists.

Training every day put the body through tremendous expenditure. If energy intake could not keep up, it could easily lead to declining qi and blood and damage one's foundation.

The most common method of dietary supplementation was eating Exotic Beast Meat.

According to the vague historical knowledge still left in his memories, this world had once suffered through an era when savage beasts from other worlds invaded.

It was nothing more than World Gates opening wide, exotic beasts invading, and humanity suffering defeat after defeat.

Later, a Martial Saint had emerged out of nowhere, quelled the Beast Calamity, and suppressed the World Gates.

Those World Gates still existed today, but they seemingly no longer posed a threat. Instead, they had become trial grounds and hunting fields for martial artists.

Much Exotic Beast Meat came from the World Gate frontlines, while some was artificially farmed. Yet prices remained sky-high; even the cheapest kind cost two or three thousand yuan per jin.

Students at martial arts schools from ordinary families could at most grit their teeth and eat it once or twice a month, barely keeping their bodies in a subhealthy balance.

Even that was already the most affordable option for the value.

After all, before exotic beasts appeared, martial artists' only means of supplementation had been even more expensive rare treasures and medicinal herbs.

With the advancement of technology, medicinal herbs had become potions with higher absorption rates, but their prices far exceeded those of ordinary Exotic Beast Meat.

For Li Jinshui, a man with ten thousand yuan to his name, potions were good, but Exotic Beast Meat offered better value. He could afford it for a meal or two now and then.

But there was no need!

The improvements brought by Heaven Rewards Diligence had not only left his body unstrained, they had made his foundation terrifyingly solid, in blatant defiance of the law of conservation of energy.

"Money has to be spent where it counts."

Li Jinshui looked at the plates of Exotic Beast Meat at the counter, each perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, and spoke firmly. "Auntie, half a jin of pan-seared Iron-Skin Beast steak."

The Iron-Skin Beast was one of the lowest-ranked exotic beasts. It was said to possess strength comparable to a First-rate Martial Artist.

Its head resembled an alligator's, while its body was like a cow's.

The key was that its hide was like iron. Bullets striking it would ring out with a clang, scattering sparks and leaving behind only faint white marks. Only martial artists attacking with the power of qi and blood could break through its iron hide.

And beneath that iron hide, its meat was perfectly marbled, tender without being greasy, carrying a distinctive natural sweetness. Both its flavor and nutritional energy far surpassed any poultry or mountain delicacy.

I, Li Jinshui, worked as a security guard for over ten hard days. Can't I enjoy myself a little?

Beep—

Sure enough, he scanned the code and paid twelve hundred yuan.

Exotic Beast Meat was cooked to order. Li Jinshui took his number tag, casually found the most conspicuous seat in the center of the cafeteria, and sat down to wait for his meal.

Ever diligent in his studies, he did not forget to take out Basic Stance Technique and read through the subsequent training methods.

The previous "Beginner" volume had consisted purely of breathing methods paired with specific standing postures, tempering the muscles while generating new qi and blood within the body.

The "Proficient" volume was an advanced training method. The breathing rhythm would accelerate while guiding the qi and blood through the body, opening the Ren Meridian acupoints within the Small Heavenly Circuit.

The "Minor Accomplishment" volume followed the same principle, except the acupoints to be opened were those of the Du Meridian.

Thus, once Stake Standing reached Minor Accomplishment, the Ren-Du Meridians would connect, forming a Small Heavenly Circuit Internal Circulation of qi and blood within the body. Both the recovery and endurance of qi and blood would undergo a qualitative leap.

Before long, the fragrant exotic beast steak was brought over by a cafeteria auntie.

This was the exclusive serving service that came with spending twelve hundred yuan.

Inside the iron plate, the half-jin exotic beast steak gleamed with tempting oil. Its outer layer was lightly charred, releasing a rich, mellow aroma of meat.

The gazes of quite a few nearby students were instantly drawn over.

Eating Exotic Beast Meat first thing in the morning?

Damn, wasn't he afraid of getting sick of it?

People at the neighboring tables stared until their eyes went straight, their Adam's apples bobbing slightly as they swallowed their saliva.

It was not as though they had never seen it before, but even after tightening their belts every month, they could only afford it once or twice. They truly craved it!

After all, not only was this stuff delicious, but during the early stages of practicing Stake Standing, the qi and blood it replenished was incredibly potent.

At this moment, Li Jinshui was as steady as an old dog.

He forced himself to put on the airs of a financial conglomerate heir, elegantly picked up his knife and fork to cut the meat, only for them to scrape loudly across the iron plate with scritch, scritch sounds.

After cutting open the steak, he narrowed his eyes to inspect it, going through a round of "I need to inspect the steak."

Beneath the lightly charred surface was pink, juicy meat.

There was no problem with the steak. It was one hundred percent freshly cut Iron-Skin Beast meat.

Li Jinshui nodded in satisfaction, speared a piece of steak, and put it into his mouth.

"Hiss!"

The next instant, his eyes flew wide open, and he sharply sucked in a breath of hot air.

Fuck, hot, hot, hot!

Li Jinshui sprang to his feet and tilted back his head, breathing out heavily.

Spitting it out was impossible. It was not about whether twelve hundred yuan was expensive; mainly, it would damage Li Jinshui's elegant image.

So, after flusteredly fanning some air into his mouth, he gave the piece of beast steak a few quick chews. Before he could even taste it properly, he swallowed it whole into his stomach.

That scorching sensation traveled down his throat and into his belly, yet it lingered without fading.

"That's not right. It shouldn't stay hot for this long, should it?"

Li Jinshui frowned in confusion, but then felt that heat abruptly burst apart. The qi and blood within his body began to burn as well, as though it were about to boil.

"This is..."

Li Jinshui's eyes suddenly lit up.

This was a familiar feeling!

He immediately shoved his chair aside, bent his legs slightly and sank his stance, quickened his breathing, and mobilized the boiling qi and blood within him, charging it through the Ren Meridian.

[Weak Devouring the Strong, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Basic Stance Technique +2]

[Basic Stance Technique (Beginner 2/200)]

Once the panel responded, the qi and blood within his body immediately returned to calm.

"Holy Weak Devouring the Strong, it can work like this?"

Li Jinshui's eyes shone brightly, his heart pounding like a drum.

Now this was what you called a fucking surprise!

Though that burning sensation had come quickly and gone quickly, that had only been one bite of Exotic Beast Meat.

There were still at least ten more bites left on the iron plate before him!

If every bite added two proficiency points, then after finishing this half-jin of Exotic Beast Meat, wouldn't he gain more than twenty points in one go?

Then if I ate ten jin, a hundred jin...

"Student, are you all right?" At that moment, a student beside him could not help asking.

Many people had been drawn in by Li Jinshui's exaggerated combo and were sizing him up from afar.

He was eating Exotic Beast Meat so early in the morning, and doing it so flamboyantly, as if he were afraid no one would notice.

But eat if you wanted to eat. What was with jumping up and down one moment, then practicing Stake Standing the next?

"What grade is this guy in? Which class?"

"He looks unfamiliar. With that clear and stupid look on his face, he's probably a new first-year student."

"No wonder. I was wondering how someone this handsome could be someone I'd never seen before."

"Tch, what's the use of being handsome? He looks like he's never seen the world. Is eating a piece of Exotic Beast Meat really enough to get him this excited?"

Many students frowned and discussed him in low voices.

Only at the table where several third-year students sat did someone stare at Li Jinshui's face for a while before suddenly realizing something.

"Hey, wait. Why does he look more and more familiar the longer I look at him?"

"Li something, right? Oh, right, Li Jinshui. The class monitor mentioned him in the group chat last night. He used to be in our class back in first year."

"No way. Is he making absurd content and becoming an internet celebrity now?"

"I'll take a picture and send it to the class group to ask the class monitor."