Breaking Down the Door, Straight to the Point!

It really did feel a bit like having cheats enabled.

Feeling the surge in his own vitality and blood, Ye Li could not help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.

Just yesterday, he had been an utterly ordinary Martial Science Student. It had taken him nearly three years just to barely cultivate a First-Tier Martial Skill to mastery.

Forget those famous Martial Arts Academies—even getting into an ordinary Martial Arts University would have been a long shot.

But now, things were different. Through his own persistence and effort, along with the tempering of several perfected martial skills—

Ye Li's martial foundation had been honed to an almost terrifying extent.

No matter who looked at him, they would see someone whose strength had been built step by step through bitter cultivation—

Vigorous vitality and blood, skilled martial techniques, and steady breathing.

By Ye Li's estimation, with the cards currently in his hand, even ordinary First-Tier Peak martial artists would find it difficult to be his match.

"Phew—"

He silently exhaled, feeling much more confident about the Martial Exam one month from now.

And before the Martial Exam, he still had that so-called Inter-school Exchange Competition to prepare for.

Compared with the grave and momentous Martial Exam, this Inter-school Exchange Competition was far more appealing to young people.

Facts proved that arenas had been among humanity's most beloved entertainments since ancient times.

Ye Li had heard Fang Ming mention this city-level Exchange Competition more than once.

It was said that those who performed exceptionally in the Exchange Competition could not only receive precious martial skills as school rewards, but might also catch the eye of the only Martial Arts University within Ying Province and gain guaranteed admission.

The Exchange Competition was scheduled for next week. Even substitutes would have a chance to take the field.

Thinking of this, Ye Li grew even more expectant.

Martial Arts Universities were the institutions every Martial Science Student longed for.

The martial skills and resources they provided were far beyond what Martial Arts High Schools could compare with.

Many of those institutions also worked closely with their local cities, allowing capable students to leave the city and hunt exotic beasts in exchange for the cultivation resources they needed.

The better the Martial Arts University, the greater the support it could offer.

To join an institution he truly desired, he had to stand out in the Martial Exam and earn dazzling results.

Only upon stepping into the Second-Tier would he qualify to compete with the very best students in Martial Arts High School.

Just a little more, just a little more... The Second-Tier was already within arm's reach.

This was the threshold that trapped fifty percent of martial artists.

But for Ye Li, as long as he had enough Malice Points, even if his Negative Buffs were maxed out, he could still break through for them to see!

The system had yet to provide clear standards for obtaining Malice Points, but Ye Li had figured out a little of the pattern himself—

The suffering of others, his own pleasure.

Any actions that satisfied even one of those conditions could earn the corresponding Malice Points.

Ye Li did not think there was anything wrong with that. This was a world of high martial arts, after all. The weak should be ruthlessly humiliated by the strong, fangs bared!

Of course, that was only a reference. There were also cases where both conditions were met, yet no Malice Points could be obtained.

The system held the final right of interpretation.

"I'll head back for today."

Ye Li closed the tattered book and glanced at his status panel, immediately feeling a pang of heartache.

The rewards he had just gotten from Shen Lian had nearly run dry after deriving only one rare martial art.

[Current Malice Points: 200]

I need to find someone and get some rewards out of them...

Ye Li sighed, rose to his feet, and left the Book Repository, heading toward the training building.

The rooms specially provided for School Team members could also be used for overnight rest.

Besides, he was the only one at home anyway. It made no difference whether he went back or not.

Sigh, when would he finally run into one of those brainless villainous nobodies who jumped right in his face to provoke him?

Thinking this, Ye Li entered the training building, climbed the stairs, and arrived before his training room.

Creak—

He pushed open the door, walked to the bed, lay down, and stretched lazily.

Then he closed his eyes to rest, intending to take a short nap.

Unexpectedly picking up the precious Heavenly Dipper Void-Treading Technique had lightened his mood considerably.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just after six in the evening, a rapid series of knocks sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Ye Li sat up, and the drowsiness vanished from his dark eyes.

"It's me, Yu Qianqian."

"Coming." Ye Li quickly walked over and opened the door.

Looking at the bespectacled girl, whose expression was somewhat unnatural, he raised a brow and asked curiously,

"Did you find a precious martial skill? That fast?"

"N-No... It's something else." Yu Qianqian waved her hands repeatedly, the unease on her face becoming even more obvious.

Taking in her expression, Ye Li formed a faint guess.

"If you have something to say, say it," he said.

"...Well." Yu Qianqian twisted her hands together in front of her. "Captain Liu told me to have you visit his training room. It's the room at the far left on the fourth floor."

"Captain Liu?"

"He's the vice-captain of our School Team, Liu Yangde."

After saying that, a flicker of struggle appeared in Yu Qianqian's eyes. After hesitating for two seconds, she gritted her teeth and said, "Forget it. You'd better not go. I have a feeling he means you no good!"

"Means me no good?"

Ye Li immediately perked up. Without betraying any reaction, he asked, "Why do you say that?"

"He said he was going to show you what it meant that there was always someone greater beyond you, and make you learn the School Team's rules."

After saying this, Yu Qianqian let out a long breath. Revealing the matter seemed to have taken considerable courage from her.

She raised a hand to push up her glasses, then asked,

"Did you have some kind of conflict with him before?"

"A little."

"Then that explains it." Yu Qianqian clenched her silver teeth and said indignantly,

"He's especially petty. Don't go over there yet. He isn't alone in his training room—his two lackeys are there too."

"They're both School Team members. One is First-Tier Level Nine, one is First-Tier Level Eight, and with Liu Yangde himself at First-Tier Peak, you definitely won't get anything good out of going there."

"Honestly, just because Senior Jiang doesn't interfere with this stuff, he gets away with bullying newcomers without restraint."

The more Yu Qianqian spoke, the angrier she became. "A perfectly good School Team will sooner or later be ruined by his little clique!"

"I understand. Lead the way." Ye Li lifted his chin.

"Lead the way? Lead you where?"

Yu Qianqian stared at him in astonishment and hurriedly said, "I'll go find the Guidance Teacher. As long as we wait for the teacher to come, he won't dare do anything to you."

"No, you're really going?"

As she spoke, Ye Li had already passed her. He waved a hand and strode straight toward the fourth floor.

Watching his upright back, Yu Qianqian's eyes widened. No matter how hard she thought about it, she could not understand why someone would insist on charging straight into the muzzle of a gun.

Knowing there was a tiger on the mountain, he should have known there was a tiger on the mountain and stayed away!

Anyone who knew better knew he was First-Tier Level Five. Anyone who did not would think he was Senior Jiang!

In the few seconds Yu Qianqian stood there stunned, Ye Li's figure had already vanished around the stairwell.

He appeared on the fourth floor, before Liu Yangde's training room.

"Brother Liu, do you think that kid will dare come?"

"Hard to say. He was arrogant as hell when he spoke to me on the phone this morning. Maybe he really will dare come," someone inside said with a cold laugh.

"Hahahaha, he definitely won't dare come, Brother Liu. That brat is just a First-Tier Level Five substitute. If he dares show up, I can take him with one hand!"

"Brother Liu, if Yu Qianqian can't bring that kid over, we'll just go block him ourselves!"

Listening to the boisterous joking inside, Ye Li silently exhaled.

Then he suddenly kicked the door.

Bang!

The entire door instantly exploded, splinters flying everywhere and revealing the three stunned people inside.