"Thirty years? What are you thinking? A warrior's life or death can be decided in a moment. We don't even know if we'll make it out alive in three years, and you're talking about thirty?"
Lu Fei shot him down without hesitation.
"There are currently three types of Martial Loan. The first is a three-year loan with a low interest rate, around 1.5%.
"The second is a five-year loan. The interest rate is 1% for the first two years, then rises to 2% in the third year. You can repay it early, though—you just have to pay a penalty.
"The third is a ten-year loan, also at 2% interest."
At that, Xu Feng immediately opened his calculator and started working it out.
"The first option would cost a little over fifty thousand a month. The second would average a little over thirty thousand a month. The third would cost nearly twenty thousand Great Xia Currency a month."
After running the numbers over and over, this was the only loan he could afford.
Xu Feng decisively chose the ten-year loan.
Lu Fei didn't waste time arguing.
That very day, she helped Xu Feng complete the loan, purchase, and all the other related arrangements.
She didn't even leave him a chance to reconsider before he was officially inducted into the ranks of the Martial Slaves.
That night, as Xu Feng looked at the mere 116,553.89 yuan left in his bank account, he silently wept.
"I'm in debt for 1.9 million already.
"I never got the chance to be a mortgage slave in my previous life. At last, I've caught up in this one.
"I've officially become a... Martial Slave!"
"Damn it all—"
"No matter where I go, I can't escape being a slave."
Xu Feng shook his head, then opened his status panel for another look.
After seeing it, he felt even more miserable.
Ever since he'd been injured,
his blood qi had dropped below 250c.
Even with plenty to eat and supplements these past two days, it had only just returned to 252c.
Still,
at least his injuries had stabilized.
Thinking of that, Xu Feng felt another wave of gratitude toward Lu Fei.
Although she'd said the treatment hadn't cost anything, Xu Feng wasn't the sort of person who liked taking advantage of others.
In the end, the money had come out of Lu Fei's health insurance.
It was real money, too.
He had to repay her kindness.
"Once I've recovered, I'll buy her a gift.
"And it'll have to be something valuable, or it won't show how sincere I am—or suit her status. But what should I get? A C-grade weapon? She definitely doesn't need one. Jewelry? She's not the type to dress up."
"Oh, right. Tomorrow morning I need to ask my supervisor for another five days of sick leave. I hope they don't dock my pay."
With his mind weighed down by worries, Xu Feng drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning,
the anxious Xu Feng returned to his quarters from the base cafeteria.
The moment he received the silver-colored metal case delivered by the "Secret Manual Courier,"
he forgot all about being a Martial Slave and his debts.
All that remained in Xu Feng's mind was excitement and anticipation.
The solid, well-crafted case before him contained the lifelong dream of the original owner.
It was his future, too!
"Click."
With a satisfying click of the lock, Xu Feng gently opened the case.
Inside was a layer of soft, black velvet.
A conspicuous white notice lay on top of it.
When he opened it, he found a list of copyright-protection terms.
Xu Feng skimmed through it. The word "kill" appeared everywhere.
He'd already heard about this from Lu Fei, and had no intention of leaking anything.
So he set the notice aside and looked underneath.
There were three slots beneath it,
holding three books protected by elegant packaging.
There were also three magnetic USB drives included.
"Phew."
Xu Feng took a quiet breath and carefully began unwrapping everything.
Before long, he had carefully arranged all three manuals on the bed.
Wind Blade Triple Strike, Shadow Sweep, and Nine Star Body Refining Art (Official Edition).
"I'll start with the Body Refining Art." Xu Feng was eager to find out how the official edition differed from the free one.
He didn't open the book directly. Instead, he carefully plugged the magnetic USB drive into the projector.
Soon, the image of a middle-aged woman in a black Tang suit appeared on the screen.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Qian Xue, an Alliance councilor and the creator of the Nine Star Body Refining Art."
"I'm sure everyone knows the history of the first warriors, so I won't go into detail.
"Warriors emerged through humanity's natural selection in the face of extinction. They appeared to break through the limits of the human body.
"Only when faced with death, or even extinction, can warriors break through their own limits and refine new vitality.
"That is how Genetic Martial Dao came into being."
As the woman spoke, the blood qi within Xu Feng gradually stirred.
"What makes warriors stronger than ordinary people? Blood qi!
"Where does blood qi come from? Besides our daily food and Blood Qi Potions, most of it comes from your flesh, your bone marrow, your body!
"How do you awaken it? Strengthen it? Even transform it?
"That depends on the Genetic Blood Qi Cultivation Method you practice.
"And the method we're introducing today is the Nine Star Body Refining Art.
"It draws dark energy from the universe into the human body to awaken its potential and alter and optimize human genes.
"Then, by breaking through the limits of the human body, it gives rise to more powerful blood qi. That is the secret art behind it."
Soon, the middle-aged woman's detailed explanation was the only sound in the room.
At some point, Xu Feng had slipped off the bed and was standing in the room, slowly moving through the forms.
Half an hour later,
Xu Feng slowly opened his eyes. His chest felt warm and slightly numb.
He lowered his head and looked at his chest. His skin wasn't red or bruised.
"Are my bones healing?"
A flicker of shock crossed Xu Feng's face.
"Status!"
[Name: Xu Feng] [Blood Qi: 255c] [Age: 40] [Skills: Nine Star Body Refining Art [Official Edition] · Beginner (5/10)]
"255c? Damn!"
Xu Feng took a deep breath, feeling that the money had been well spent.
After practicing just once, his blood qi had gone up by three points?
Wouldn't ten rounds give him thirty?
Thirty points a day meant nine hundred in a month!
The qualifying standard for a High-Rank Warrior was 1,000c.
Didn't that mean he could reach the High-Rank Warrior level in just a month?
This... this was insane!
But when Xu Feng practiced a second and then a third time, he realized he'd been getting ahead of himself.
The gains from his subsequent practice were far less noticeable.
By the fourth round, his blood qi had stopped increasing altogether.
After thinking it over, Xu Feng figured the first round had probably been the most effective.
As his body gradually adapted to the technique, the growth had naturally leveled off.
"Sure, I know that's normal, but it's still disappointing."
After complaining, Xu Feng laughed at himself.
"Come on, what am I saying? Even a steady increase of two points a day would be a huge improvement.
"This is already twice as efficient as the free edition. What more could I ask for?"
He glanced at his blood qi.
[Blood Qi: 261c]
Xu Feng was still grinning like an idiot.
"Let's check out the attack manual and movement manual next."
Grinning with anticipation, he opened Wind Blade Triple Strike.
Xu Feng had never had it this good before. Only now did he understand the joy of paying for the premium version.
"Wind is one of the most remarkable forces in the world.
"It can move so gently that it leaves no trace, or rage with blazing fury.
"This Wind Blade technique is the saber art I comprehended by taking wind as my inspiration.
"At its highest level, it can take lives with a gentle breeze, its touch invisible—or flay bones with a fierce wind, its violence soundless."
Let me recommend a friend's book, Behave Yourself, Enchantress.
Synopsis: At first, when Su Yang received a message from his older brother, Su Lie, he only meant to go out to the suburbs for a plate of dumplings.
Who could have known that when he arrived, his own brother, Su Lie, would be taking lives without a care and trying to make Su Yang take the blame? With no other choice, Su Yang was forced to kill him in self-defense.
Taking this as an opportunity, Su Yang inherited his older brother's estate, name, properties, profession, identity, talent, and even the fiancée his brother had yet to marry.
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