Martial Path Golden Core (Please Bookmark)

September 1st.

Chuying Star.

The sky was a pristine blue.

Fang Xing stretched lazily and strolled along Riverbank Avenue toward Yucai High School.

As a newly minted second-year high school student, he naturally had to report in on the first day of school.

Name: Fang Xing

Age: 17

Profession: Martial Artist

Second Realm: Bone and Tendon (Tendon Refinement: 55/100)

Military Body Boxing Twelve Forms: 1/200 (Proficient)

Great Dragon Stance: 167/200 (Proficient)

Ghost God Blade: 7/100 (Beginner)

Extreme Emotion Sword: 5/100 (Beginner)

Gate of Heavens (Charging)

...

"After two months of hard training over summer break, I could beat ten of my pre-summer selves with my eyes closed!"

Fang Xing clenched his fists, feeling the formidable power coursing from his bones and tendons, and nodded slightly.

"Tendon Refinement is already more than halfway complete. Before this semester ends, the Innate Pill will probably finally come in handy."

"Besides that, I've entered the Beginner stage in two A-Rank Martial Arts, and I've grinded Military Body Boxing Twelve Forms up to the Proficient level..."

"Of course, the greatest improvement has been in Great Dragon Stance!"

After discovering that the Zheng Family's newly released Dragon Blood Pill benefited Great Dragon Stance, Fang Xing had gone back and bought several more bottles.

Unfortunately, he had discovered that the Dragon Blood Pill's effects really had been gradually diminishing.

By now, a single pill could only add about one point of proficiency. It had completely become useless.

Still, Fang Xing took it in stride. He planned to have Hua Fei Yue acquire other items related to flood dragons. That should continue stimulating the growth of Great Dragon Stance until he finally comprehended the Dragon Artistic Conception!

"It feels like all the Super First-Rate Universities are waving at me. Maybe I should apply to Blue Star University and fulfill the original owner's wish of buying a house on Blue Star while I'm at it!"

As Fang Xing pondered this, he suddenly heard a dog bark.

"Woof, woof!"

He looked up and saw a tall, beautiful woman in sportswear, apparently out for her morning exercise.

Beside the beauty was a Bully Dog.

"Meeting again."

Jing Xia held the leash of her pet dog, Sheng Jiang, and greeted Fang Xing with a smile.

"What a coincidence. Do you come here for morning exercise every day?"

Fang Xing was somewhat surprised.

"Yep, mainly to walk the dog!"

Jing Xia answered seriously.

And investigate cases on the side... because this place is close to Yucai High School?

A Blue Star Federation agent wandering around here every day makes me uneasy...

Fang Xing grumbled inwardly, then exchanged a few more words with her. "It's the first day of school today, so I'll be going."

"Mm, good luck, little brother."

Jing Xia smiled. "Don't grow up to become a useless loser like the people under my command!"

"Useless loser..."

Fang Xing looked utterly speechless. He waved and left, though inwardly, he relaxed. Looks like... she probably hasn't found anything major...

Ugh, I just want a quiet life and to wait peacefully for the College Entrance Exam. Why is there always this sort of trouble around me?

Yucai High School.

Second Year High School Class 2 classroom.

When Fang Xing entered, he found that many of his classmates had already arrived.

Ouyang Qianqian, Bai Lang, Qian Xun, and Yi An were all there. Naturally, Cole was there too.

But Cole was sitting in a corner, exuding a thoroughly defeated air. He seemed to have been hit hard and had yet to recover after an entire summer break.

"Fang Xing!"

When Ouyang Qianqian saw Fang Xing, she walked over to greet him. "Did you have a fun summer break?"

"We Biochemical Humans have to work and train in martial arts. How could we be like you Natural Humans..." Fang Xing shook his head and raised his chin toward Cole.

Ouyang Qianqian immediately understood and lowered her voice. "I heard his family invested far too much in his martial arts training, but his results were poor. His parents started fighting and are getting divorced..."

"I see..."

Fang Xing was about to say something else when Bai Lianyi and Liu Wei walked in.

"Hm?"

Bai Lianyi still possessed that pure, lotus-like aura, making it very easy for people to feel a desire to protect her.

But Liu Wei had changed far too much. It was not merely his physique—his aura had become sharp and fierce, making Fang Xing think of those Black Market Martial Artists.

No, not Black Market Martial Artists, but Underground Boxing Fighters! He reeks of blood. Did he spend this summer fighting underground bouts, maybe even killing people?

Looking at his martial arts realm, he's probably progressed at an incredible rate. Muscle activation was already extremely suited to Flesh Refinement. Could he be in the Second Realm now too? Is real combat really the most suitable way to improve one's Martial Arts?

Oh? He's probably killed fewer people than I have. Then it's fine...

Fang Xing withdrew his gaze and saw Teacher Lan Fei's projection appear again.

"Hello, students. Welcome to your second year. We'll begin roll call now..."

Lan Fei wore a black business suit, looking no different from before.

It was as if the passage of time could not leave the slightest trace upon her.

To be made into standardized teaching material, Teacher Lan Fei's original body is clearly extraordinary. Not only is she an outstanding educational scholar, she's probably a true Professional as well. Her life has evolved, and she might live for centuries...

After the cultural studies class, it was Martial Arts Class as usual.

Xia Long strode into the classroom, his hawk-like gaze sweeping across the room. "Today, we'll first assess your current level. Follow your student numbers and enter the Training Room one by one. I want to see whether you've slacked off over summer break!"

Bai Lang went in first, then returned looking as though he had been crying.

After all, Xia Long's teaching style had always been simple and brutal. Ouyang Qianqian went next, and she remained fairly calm when she returned. It seemed she had put in plenty of extra training over the summer and had barely passed.

As for Cole? He went in and never came back. Apparently, he had been sent straight to the Infirmary...

Fang Xing watched them go in one after another. When it was his turn, he calmly entered the Training Room.

Boom!

The instant he entered, he saw a fist bearing down on him.

That single punch made him feel as though the entire world were crushing inward upon him.

The terror of death caused the flesh all over his body to surge, his great tendons to stretch. He brought his five fingers together and threw a punch!

Bow Stance Cannon Fist!

Boom!

A cannon blast suddenly rang through the air as the two fists collided.

Fang Xing abruptly felt as though his fist had struck cotton. His entire body felt empty, yet not the slightest force rebounded against him.

"Second Realm Tendon Refinement, and even the great tendons can snap like powerful bows... That means you've refined more than half your great tendons..."

"And that Bow Stance Cannon Fist of yours is probably already highly proficient..."

"You brat, I haven't seen you all summer. How did you become so fierce? What medicine did you take?"

Xia Long withdrew his fist and stood there. His gaze toward Fang Xing was strange, while a hint of delighted surprise curled at the corner of his lips.

"Teacher, I trained hard throughout summer break. I also got lucky and won the lottery, so I bought Nutrient Fluid to assist my training."

Fang Xing answered frankly.

That was why he had laundered money through the Black Market in the first place.

"Even with Nutrient Fluid assisting you, your progress is astonishing. Your Great Dragon Stance must have reached an extremely profound level..."

Xia Long sighed with emotion. "At your pace, as long as you persist, reaching the Uncut Jade Realm in your third year and getting into university won't be difficult... Haha, several University Seeds have suddenly emerged in my class. If the Principal found out, he'd be jealous of me... Speaking of which, it's rather funny. The Principal thought the school's university admission rate was too dismal, so he just spent heavily to poach a first-year student in hopes of making a push for university admissions. Who would've thought that my class also has University Seeds!"

"He poached a University Seed? A first-year student... her surname wouldn't happen to be Gu, would it?"

Fang Xing's expression shifted.

"That's right. You know that little girl Gu Yun? Her father was considered a martyr, and plenty of schools extended olive branches to her. Our Principal went all out to specially recruit her—full scholarship, personal training resources, and who knows how many promises of support. In the end, it still can't compare to nurturing talent from our own school."

Xia Long laughed heartily. "Don't worry. With such tremendous progress, your scholarship this year is guaranteed. It won't even be an ordinary scholarship—you can apply for the Special Scholarship."

"I only got where I am today thanks to your guidance, Teacher."

Fang Xing was extremely humble. After all, Xia Long had supported him before, and he could not forget such kindness.

"Mm. Now that you're in your second year, everyone's Martial Arts progress has diverged, so I can't teach each of you individually anymore. Come here after Martial Arts Class every day, and I'll personally instruct you for ten minutes..."

Xia Long made the teaching arrangements.

Those still hovering around the First Realm could naturally be taught together.

But Liu Wei, Bai Lianyi, and Fang Xing—the three who had broken through to the Second Realm of Martial Path—could receive extra instruction.

After all, they would not learn anything by attending the classes meant for First Realm students.

"Now that you're in the Second Realm, you can study an A-Rank Martial Arts. In addition, you must practice the Subduing Tiger Stance. This stance is similar to Great Dragon Stance, but it is better suited for tempering bone and tendon..."

Xia Long said with feeling, "Your foundation is so solid that you'll definitely improve rapidly in Subduing Tiger Stance... You can't neglect Great Dragon Stance either. Great Dragon and Subduing Tiger are the foundations of martial arts in our Blue Star Federation, forged through countless refinements by the Omniscient Brain. A towering building rises from level ground. If you can cultivate both of these great stance arts to the Fourth Stage, even fuse them into the Dragon-Tiger Artistic Conception, then your future will truly be limitless..."

"How limitless?" Fang Xing became interested.

"Fine, I'll explain it properly to you today... Federation martial arts consists of the First Realm, Skin and Flesh; Second Realm, Bone and Tendon; Third Realm, Uncut Jade... The Uncut Jade Realm is actually still only the foundation, something that needs to be polished. Only upon reaching the Fourth Realm, Courage, does one become a true Professional! That is when one truly steps through the gate of martial arts!"

Xia Long smiled slightly, reducing the countless Innate experts of Other Worlds to dust.

"The Fifth Martial Realm is called Outer Scene. It is when one's artistic conception reaches Great Accomplishment and forms a Domain Prototype, allowing wind, fire, thunder, lightning, and all kinds of Superpowers to manifest outwardly... Only at this point does one truly cast off all constraints and enter an entirely new realm!"

Martial arts artistic conception was ultimately intangible and ethereal, existing only within the minds of opponents during battle.

But Outer Scene Realm martial artists could truly release wind, fire, thunder, and lightning with a lift of their hands. For example, a martial artist with a Flame artistic conception could produce actual flames. It was a model case of spirit influencing matter!

"Next is the Sixth Realm of Martial Path—Golden Core! Condensing a Martial Path Golden Core requires harmonizing the yin and yang of dragon and tiger. The most orthodox path with the brightest future is for both Great Dragon Stance and Subduing Tiger Stance to reach Great Accomplishment, fuse into the Dragon-Tiger Artistic Conception, and then condense a Dragon-Tiger Golden Core!"

"Skin and Flesh, Bone and Tendon, Uncut Jade, Courage, Outer Scene, Golden Core..." Fang Xing felt the mysteries of Federation martial arts unfold before him for the first time. "The Omniscient Brain is truly incredible. It was already laying the foundation for a Martial Path Golden Core at the Skin and Flesh and Bone and Tendon stages?"