Choosing Two A-Rank Arts

"Teacher, I understand that on the path of martial arts, trying to learn too much at once will only leave you mastering nothing."

Jiang Yuan remained remarkably calm in the face of Li Qingshan's anger.

"But I'm not being greedy. I have a need for them."

"What need?"

Li Qingshan's chest heaved with anger. He felt that the appreciation for talent he had just begun to feel was about to be extinguished by this brat's arrogance.

"Teacher, I already have an offensive method: the Heaven-Burning Sword Art. And I've already cultivated it to the minute level. You witnessed that yourself."

Jiang Yuan analyzed the matter unhurriedly.

"But when it comes to defense and control, I am practically blank. In my fight with Song Xi, I relied on my body's mutation. When I killed the Iron-Winged Vulture today, I relied on the speed of my sword. But if someone gets close to me, or if I encounter an opponent with extremely strong defenses, I'll be at a disadvantage."

He raised his head and looked Li Qingshan straight in the eye.

"So I need a body-tempering art to strengthen my defenses, and I need grappling techniques to deal with close-quarters combat."

"Among A-Rank Martial Arts, the Baxia · Stone-Metal Body has the strongest defense, while the Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand is the king of grappling. I need these two arts to make up for my weaknesses."

Li Qingshan was stunned by Jiang Yuan's clear and logical analysis.

This brat wasn't acting on impulse. He was genuinely making long-term plans for his martial path.

But...

"The Baxia · Stone-Metal Body? The Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand?"

Li Qingshan sucked in a sharp breath, his expression even more exaggerated than before.

"Do you know how difficult these two martial arts are to cultivate? The Baxia · Stone-Metal Body is known as a self-torture divine art. The cultivation process is unimaginably painful, and progress is slow. In the past century, not a single person at our school has cultivated it to minor mastery!"

"As for the Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand, it places incredibly high demands on one's skeletal and meridian structure. It has over a thousand variations of techniques. Forget just one, and you could cripple yourself!"

Li Qingshan earnestly tried to persuade him. "Jiang Yuan, listen to your teacher. You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Your comprehension is monstrous, but your energy is limited! Coveting A-Rank Martial Arts may very well leave you unable to master even one, wasting your talent for nothing!"

"Teacher," Jiang Yuan interrupted, "I cultivated a fragmented A-Rank sword art to the minute level within a few days. Doesn't that prove my comprehension already?"

He took a step forward, his tone firm.

"For me, learning B-Rank or C-Rank martial arts now would be the real waste of time. My goal is New Star, not becoming king in an Old Star martial university."

"I want to take the fastest path with the strongest martial arts!"

The office fell silent.

Li Qingshan looked at the young man before him. The flames burning in those eyes reminded him of his younger self.

No, when he had been young, he had possessed nowhere near this kind of fearless spirit and determination.

Achieving enlightenment in battle, bringing swordsmanship to the minute level...

To judge such comprehension by ordinary standards was itself a mistake.

Perhaps he really should let him try.

Take a gamble!

"Fine!"

Li Qingshan slapped the desk, producing a dull thud.

"I'll go crazy with you just this once! If you want to learn them, I'll apply for them!"

He grabbed the internal communicator on the desk and directly connected to the principal's office.

"Principal, it's me, Li Qingshan. I have a new idea regarding Jiang Yuan... Yes, he wants two A-Rank Martial Arts... That's right, the Baxia · Stone-Metal Body and the Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand... I know they're difficult, but he's insisting... His reason? His reason is that his name is Jiang Yuan!"

The other end of the communicator was silent for a long time.

Li Qingshan's palms began to sweat.

At last, the principal's steady voice came through. "Give them to him. The school's entire A-Rank Martial Arts archive is open to him."

"However, tell him that the investigation team is already on the way. Tell him to prepare himself."

Li Qingshan ended the call and let out a long breath. Then he led Jiang Yuan toward the Martial Arts Building deep within the teaching complex.

The Martial Arts Building was a forbidden area of the school, heavily guarded at all times.

Li Qingshan passed through three layers of access control and brought Jiang Yuan into a secret chamber.

At the center of the chamber lay more than a dozen jade slips glowing with faint light.

"These are all the school's A-Rank Martial Arts inheritances."

Li Qingshan pointed to the two jade slips he had just mentioned.

"Think it through. Once you choose, there's no turning back."

"I've thought it through."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Yuan reached out and grasped the two jade slips.

The instant he touched them, the system notifications rang out in his mind one after another.

[Ding! A-Rank Martial Arts inheritance detected!]

[Infusing: Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand 1%...30%...100%!]

[Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand has been learned!]

[Ding! A-Rank Martial Arts inheritance detected!]

[Infusing: Baxia · Stone-Metal Body 1%...30%...100%!]

[Baxia · Stone-Metal Body has been learned!]

Two vast streams of complex information flooded into his mind. Countless cultivation methods and variations of techniques were completely absorbed in an instant.

Jiang Yuan released his grip, and the light on the two jade slips dimmed.

"That's it?"

Li Qingshan leaned closer, unable to believe it.

"Inheriting one A-Rank Martial Art requires at least half an hour of contemplation. How did you..."

"Maybe my comprehension is just better."

Jiang Yuan answered casually, then flexed his fingers.

He could feel that the moment he learned the Baxia · Stone-Metal Body, his finger bones and skin had gained an additional layer of toughness.

And all the force-generation techniques of the Profound Heaven · Shattering Bone Hand had already been engraved into his muscle memory like instinct.

"Let's go, Teacher. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

The school cafeteria.

Five enormous trays sat before Jiang Yuan, each piled high with steaming meat from exotic beasts.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill, the Heaven-Burning Sword Art, and the two A-Rank Martial Arts he had just learned consumed a tremendous amount of energy.

Only after he finished all five meals in one go did the hunger in his stomach ease slightly.

Guo Hongtao sat across from him with his own tray, staring in stunned disbelief.

"Brother Yuan, did you swallow a cow? Did you really burn through that much energy today?"

"More or less."

Jiang Yuan wiped his mouth. Just as he was about to speak, Guo Hongtao lowered his voice and leaned closer mysteriously.

"Brother Yuan, I went to the restroom earlier and overheard the dean talking to someone on the phone."

"He said that some special investigation team from New Star has already entered the school. They're in the principal's office right now, and they'll probably come question you soon."

Jiang Yuan nodded, unsurprised.

"What comes will come."

Just then, a discordant voice sounded from beside them.

"Oh, isn't this our school's great hero? Eating five people's worth in one meal—are you planning to finish all the school's exotic beast meat so the other students can't cultivate?"

Jiang Yuan turned around. Zhou Hu stood beside his table with several lackeys, his face full of mockery.

"What, does me eating bother you too?" Jiang Yuan said flatly.

"I'm just curious." Zhou Hu's gaze fell on the wooden box on Jiang Yuan's back. "I heard you killed four Iron-Winged Vultures with some broken sword."

He sneered. His voice was not loud, but it was enough for the students at several nearby tables to hear.

"Jiang Yuan, without that sword, what the hell are you?"