Life Energy Level 11.0

The moment Xu Wuyi, long spear in hand, finished practicing the final form of the Wind-Settling Spear, the [Wind-Returning Sweep], and stood with his spear withdrawn, an indescribable sense of completion welled up in his heart.

He realized that he had already gained an entry-level grasp of this C-rank spear art.

Almost the instant that thought arose, the long-still Martial Dao Diligence Record deep within his sea of consciousness suddenly gave off a faint glow.

Xu Wuyi's heart stirred, and his consciousness immediately sank inward.

The ancient, simple Bronze Scroll slowly unfurled. On the panel that had originally recorded only the Basic Body Tempering Method and the Mountain Moving Method, several brand-new lines of text had now appeared in striking clarity:

[Martial Dao Diligence Record]

Martial Art: Basic Body Tempering Method

Current Realm: Minor Accomplishment (3.5%)

Martial Art Trait: Not Unlocked

Evaluation: Deep foundations, abundant qi and blood.

Visualization Method: Mountain Moving

Current Realm: Second Layer (22.1%)

Evaluation: Mental barriers further broken, perception sharper than before.

Martial Art: Wind-Settling Spear

Current Realm: Entry Level (0%)

Martial Art Trait: Not Unlocked

Evaluation: A first glimpse through the doorway, edge beginning to show.

[New martial art Wind-Settling Spear detected. Meets recording standards. From now on, cultivation of Wind-Settling Spear may also trigger the effects of "Hundred-Fold Epiphany."]

Looking at the words clearly appearing on the panel, especially that final line of explanation, Xu Wuyi's heart gave a violent thump, and a tremendous surge of joy and excitement rushed to his head.

It worked!

The Mountain Crushing Fist had failed to gain the panel's recognition, which had left him somewhat regretful, and had even made him suspect for a while that only "training methods," not "combat methods," could be recorded.

Now that the Wind-Settling Spear had been successfully recorded, it not only proved that his guess had been wrong, but also meant that on his road toward becoming powerful, he had gained another shortcut he could race down at high speed!

Although Xu Wuyi would not rely completely on the Martial Dao Diligence Record, he naturally would not reject anything that helped him improve.

He had already experienced the effects of "Hundred-Fold Epiphany" countless times through the Basic Body Tempering Method, and he knew full well just how terrifying the efficiency it brought was.

Now that this effect could be applied to spear practice, it would undoubtedly greatly shorten the time he needed to master this weapon.

Driven by intense excitement, he barely paused at all before once again assuming the starting form of the Wind-Settling Spear, the [Army-Settling Stance].

Since effective training would be counted from this moment onward, he was unwilling to waste even the slightest bit of time.

Locking his consciousness onto the Wind-Settling Spear section of the panel, Xu Wuyi focused completely and began practicing the three spear forms he had just mastered again and again.

The [Army-Settling Stance] was steady as a boulder, the [Cloud-Piercing Thrust] swift as lightning, and the [Wind-Returning Sweep] airtight.

With every movement, he strove for perfection, pouring all his entry-level understanding into them.

Sure enough, after he completed the first "standard" practice session recognized by the panel, the proficiency number behind Wind-Settling Spear moved by an extremely tiny amount, becoming 0.1%.

At the same time, a familiar count appeared below: [Standard Practice Completed Today: 1 time].

Xu Wuyi's spirits soared. He cast aside all stray thoughts and immersed himself completely in the world of spear arts.

In the pure white virtual room, only the young man's steady breathing and the whistling of the long spear cutting through the air remained.

Ten times, thirty times, fifty times...

Sweat soaked the clothes of his virtual avatar, and his arms trembled slightly from the continuous exertion, but Xu Wuyi's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He did not use the Battle Net's functions to reset his own fatigue. Instead, he let his mind adapt to that exhaustion.

His understanding of the Wind-Settling Spear deepened rapidly under this kind of highly focused, high-intensity training.

The instant the number for [Standard Practice Completed Today] jumped to [100 times], that familiar feeling descended once more!

[Effective practice has reached one hundred times today. Gained one "Epiphany."]

A cool, vast torrent of comprehension swept through his consciousness. Many key points regarding the Wind-Settling Spear gradually became clear, and even its core concept of "unmoving as a mountain, invading like fire" surged up all at once.

This epiphany did not last long. After all, he had only just reached entry level in the Wind-Settling Spear, and his foundation in it was still shallow, but the effect was immediate.

When Xu Wuyi withdrew from that profound state and gripped the long spear again, the feeling was already different.

The spear seemed to have become an extension of his arm.

With a thought, the [Cloud-Piercing Thrust] shot out abruptly. The spear tip trembled, actually bringing up a clear, sharp whistle, and both its speed and power were more than a level stronger than before the epiphany!

He could not wait to look at the panel.

[Wind-Settling Spear Current Realm: Entry Level (20.3%)]

One hundred repetitions of practice plus one epiphany had directly sent his proficiency soaring by more than 20%!

Xu Wuyi could not help clenching his fist hard.

At this rate, it probably would not take him too long to train the Wind-Settling Spear to the Minor Accomplishment realm!

Over the next two days, Xu Wuyi temporarily stopped taking Blood Energy Potions and put all his energy into consolidating his spear technique and his daily practice of the Basic Body Tempering Method.

Perhaps it was the result of long accumulation finally bursting forth, or perhaps it was simply the natural moment arriving.

That evening, just as he had pushed his proficiency in the Wind-Settling Spear to around Beginner (35%), he completed a full round of the Basic Body Tempering Method when the surging blood energy inside him suddenly sped up on its own, as if it had broken through some invisible shackle!

Boom!

A rush of heat stronger than any he had ever felt before surged out from deep within his dantian and instantly coursed through his limbs and bones!

His bones gave off faint crackling sounds, and his muscle fibers seemed to tighten and strengthen in silence. The skin all over his body flushed slightly red as steam rose from him.

An unprecedented sense of lightness and power filled his body.

It was as if some kind of chain that had always bound him had been suddenly unlocked.

Xu Wuyi's eyes snapped open, a gleam flashing through them before vanishing.

He instinctively clenched his fist, sensing the blood energy within him that had clearly expanded by more than a little and become even more refined. An incredulous joy appeared on his face.

"This is... Level 11!"

Life energy level 11!

An important dividing line in the Martial Apprentice stage—he had finally crossed it!

Level 11 was an extremely important threshold, because once a martial artist crossed it, their physical qualities would soon undergo a rapid improvement.

After Level 11, every 0.1 increase in life energy level created a gap more than three times greater than before.

For example, a martial artist at Level 10.9 and one at Level 11.2 might seem to differ only slightly in life energy level, but the actual gap between them was comparable to an entire level before Level 11.

Among the candidates who took the college entrance exam in previous years, the number of people across the entire Federation who reached Level 11 was often greater than the number admitted by the Big Three and the Seven Star Alliance.

This meant that if one wanted to get into those ten universities, a life energy level of 11.0 was the basic requirement.

Because during the candidates' practical combat segment, they were bound to encounter opponents above Level 11. Unless their martial skill was heaven-defying enough, it would be very hard to win against someone above their level.

Aside from the increase in his life energy level, Xu Wuyi could also clearly feel that the Basic Body Tempering Method proficiency, which had been stuck for so long, had begun to rise slowly but firmly along with this breakthrough.

The number climbed all the way from Minor Achievement (3.5%) to (4.1%), and its growth speed was clearly much faster than before he reached Level 11.

"The bottleneck loosened..." Xu Wuyi murmured to himself, sudden clarity filling his heart.

Before this, ever since his Basic Body Tempering Method reached Minor Achievement, its proficiency growth had obviously slowed. Now it seemed that it had been limited by his life energy level.

What Level 11 brought was not only an increase in the total amount of blood energy, but also a subtle leap in life level, allowing the body to bear and circulate energy more efficiently. In turn, it also promoted his martial arts training.

He carefully sensed the changes in his body. His blood energy circulated more smoothly and freely, his five senses seemed a little sharper, and even his mind felt somewhat clearer.

"No wonder everyone says Level 11 is a hurdle. Only after crossing it do you truly open the door to martial arts..."