Qinghai City, high-speed rail station.
The dragon-like high-speed train roared into the station, gradually slowing as it neared the platform.
Ye Li rose from his seat and looked out the window.
Come to think of it, in this world, some High-Tier Martial Artists could surpass the speed of high-speed rail through the sheer speed of their bodies alone.
Furthermore, some low-tier martial artists who awakened the corresponding Martial Arts Talent could accomplish the same.
When the alien beasts in the secret realms beyond the cities rioted or even launched a Beast Tide, the railways could very well be damaged. At times like that, these martial artists would be of great use.
To keep the high-speed rail running, the railway bureau would also issue commissions, inviting martial artists to periodically clear out alien beasts lurking around the tracks.
Sometimes these martial artists were adventurers taking on jobs, and sometimes they were Martial Science Students from Martial Arts Universities earning a little pocket money.
Different worlds gave rise to different trades...
With his thoughts wandering, Ye Li followed the crowd off the high-speed train.
The moment the group exited the station, two students in school uniforms came forward to greet them.
"You must be the friends from Linhai First High School, right?"
One of the students said with a smile,
"We've arranged a hotel for you to rest in. Just follow us."
"Alright."
Before long, the group arrived at the hotel Qingshan First High School had prepared for their reception.
The hotel was located near the city center.
Its decor alone showed that it was rather high-end. Clearly, Qingshan First High School's hosts had put some thought into it.
"Teacher."
After the Linhai First High School team members headed to their respective rooms, the two Qingshan First High School students approached Wang Yongfeng and said with light smiles,
"If you don't have any plans next, why not come visit Qingshan First High School? It's not far from here, and you can familiarize yourselves with the environment in advance."
Wang Yongfeng considered it for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I'll go call them."
"No rush." The two students exchanged a glance, each seeing the delight in the other's eyes.
As long as the other side stepped into Qingshan First High School, their plan would be half successful.
Inside one of the hotel rooms.
Ye Li surveyed the room and was generally satisfied with it.
The Exchange Competition was set for three in the afternoon, so there was still plenty of time to kill.
After sitting down on the bed, he summoned the system panel.
[Name: Ye Li] [Martial Arts Level: Second-Tier Level One (15%)] [Current Malice Points: points]
It had already been several days since he broke through to Second-Tier, yet he was still stuck at Level One.
He was truly getting impatient.
In order to wait for the Breathing Technique's bonus, Ye Li had not allocated any points despite holding more than ten thousand Malice Points in his hand.
Yet every time he asked, Jiang Qingzhu's answer had been, "It still needs a little more time."
An S-Grade Breathing Technique probably was not so easy to take out. Ye Li did not make things difficult for her and merely nodded silently.
But as time passed, looking at all those points yet being unable to allocate them gave him a distinctly frustrating feeling of stopping just short.
He would wait another two days. Once the Exchange Competition was over, if he still had not gotten the Breathing Technique, he would stop waiting...
Ye Li let out a breath.
After the Exchange Competition, the Martial Exam would be right around the corner. To be safe, he had to find a Breathing Technique to use first.
His unwillingness to settle really did hold things up sometimes.
Knock, knock, knock—
Just then, a knock sounded softly at the door.
Ye Li rose and walked over.
When he opened the door, Jiang Qingzhu's cool, delicate face came into view.
"Teacher Wang asked us to gather up and visit Qingshan First High School together."
Jiang Qingzhu blinked, her tone light and cheerful.
"Visit?"
"Mm, just to familiarize ourselves with the environment in advance."
As she spoke, Jiang Qingzhu brushed her slender hand across her ring, and a thick tome appeared in her grasp.
"Also, this is the Jiang Family's [White Mist Frost Snow]."
Handing the tome to Ye Li, Jiang Qingzhu said apologetically, "It took me quite a while to get it out. Sorry."
"It's this thick?"
Ye Li accepted the tome and asked in surprise. This was the thickest one he had received so far.
"Yes. Precisely because of that, it was quite difficult to steal it out without a sound."
Jiang Qingzhu nodded in agreement, then said with a hint of pride, "But that wasn't enough to stump me."
"..."
Ye Li opened his mouth. After weighing his words for a moment, he asked suspiciously,
"Won't you be punished for doing this?"
Stealing out her family's inherited S-Grade Breathing Technique and giving it to someone else...
No matter what world this was in, that was the kind of move that would make an old father's vision go black, wasn't it?
Solitary confinement? Caning?
For a moment, Ye Li thought up countless punishments she might suffer.
But Jiang Qingzhu did not seem to care much.
She calmly waved a hand. "Don't worry, they won't beat me to death."
"...What kind of reassurance is that supposed to be?"
Ye Li raised a hand and rubbed his temple before saying, "Still, thank you. If you ever run into trouble, I'll help you."
"What are you saying? This is a fair trade."
Jiang Qingzhu's little face turned serious. She only felt that he was being far too polite. He had clearly helped her so much too, yet he was acting as though she had somehow gotten the short end of the stick.
Besides, the two of them were friends now—or so Jiang Qingzhu believed—so why did they need to draw such fine distinctions?
Hearing that, Ye Li chuckled softly and nodded.
"Then I'll take a look through it now. Help me tell the teacher that I have something to do, so I won't be going to Qingshan First High School to familiarize myself with the environment."
"Alright." Jiang Qingzhu pressed her red lips together, then reminded him,
"[White Mist Frost Snow] is extremely difficult to cultivate. It is far beyond those martial skills from before. I cultivated it for nearly a year and only just crossed the threshold. I'm still far from mastery. So if you can't understand it right away, there's no need to rush. You can come ask me. I can teach you everything I know. I should be able to make sure you reach the entry level within a year... no, with your talent, three months. You'll reach the entry level within three months!"
With that, she waved to Ye Li. "Then I'll head over first?"
Ye Li merely dipped his chin, neither agreeing nor objecting.
Three months? By then, the daylilies would probably have gone cold.
After she had gone some distance away, he shut the door with a bang and returned to the bed.
After steadying the emotions in his heart, he slowly opened the panel.
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