"Flash Thunder Slash has trained for a full seven hours today and is still going strong. Its progress is steadily increasing!"
"Gale Step refused to fall behind. Under immense pressure, it had a flash of inspiration and easily broke through its realm barrier!"
"Savage Bull Force is still working on both training and tempering. While making progress itself, it has also made your physique a good deal stronger!"
At seven sharp in the morning, the cold mist on the streets had yet to clear. Enduring the hunger in his belly, Ning Chuan strode toward the breakfast shop at the entrance to his residential complex.
He was unfazed by the notifications that sounded as usual. He had grown accustomed to them, and his initial delight was gone.
Of course, he wasn't putting on an aloof act.
Ning Chuan was actually very satisfied with the progress of those three martial arts.
The problem was that his own current cultivation realm was nothing to be proud of.
The world he had transmigrated to had countless martial arts, in addition to a great deal of advanced modern technology.
Through cultivation, humans could wield formidable supernatural power.
It was no exaggeration to say that even the old men and women sweeping the streets were strong enough to lift a cauldron.
That was to say nothing of high-level martial artists.
They could destroy cities, sever mountains, tear open the heavens, and cross galaxies. Their power rivaled that of the gods of legend.
This was a high-martial world!
The martial path flourished, and everyone cultivated.
The college entrance exam made that clear: academic subjects accounted for only a small portion of the score, while the main focus was on students' individual combat strength.
The person Ning Chuan had transmigrated into was a third-year high school student about to take the college entrance exam.
He wasn't a poor student; he had gotten into a key municipal high school.
But he wasn't all that good, either. Leaving his academic grades aside, he ranked near the bottom at school.
With my current strength, I'm definitely no longer at the very bottom, but I can only just reach the threshold of a martial arts university. I'm still in stubborn bronze!
But then again...
The corners of Ning Chuan's mouth lifted slightly. With a thought, he brought up a translucent, glowing interface before his eyes.
[Cultivation]: Awakening Stage Four [Savage Bull Force]: Mastery (progress: 23%) [Gale Step]: Proficiency (progress: 1%) [Flash Thunder Slash]: Basic (progress: 20%)
Not long ago, when Ning Chuan transmigrated, this system had come along with him.
Any martial art he had learned could train on its own.
It was incredibly diligent!
The kind that trained nonstop, twenty-four hours a day. Its involution was terrifying!
Even a capitalist would have to call it a fellow expert.
All he could say was, System Bro was a cheat!
My only regret is that my cultivation realm is rising a little slowly. At this stage, I can't even see the shadow of Awakening Stage Five. Ning Chuan shook his head and pondered to himself. To be fair, that has nothing to do with the system. Savage Bull Force tempers the body, which makes it different from other martial arts. As a breathing technique, raising its own realm isn't a problem, but the tempering it can do to my body is limited.
Breathing techniques were martial arts used in cultivation to strengthen oneself.
The cultivation process had two parts: raising the technique's own realm and tempering the practitioner's body.
The two were closely related.
The higher the technique's realm, the more efficient its tempering.
But the problem was that no matter how efficient it was, if the energy supply fell short, the practitioner's physical condition couldn't improve.
The solution is actually simple: nutritious food, such as specialized martial arts nutrient supplements and ferocious beast meat. The problem is, they're too expensive!
Ning Chuan found it troublesome.
The original owner's circumstances were rather pitiful. He was an orphan, and his only source of income was a government stipend.
Thanks to the fairly good development of Qingshan City, where he lived, he received 1,500 yuan a month.
If he spent carefully, it was enough for his daily needs.
But it fell far short of supporting martial arts training.
The poor study, the rich practice martial arts. I have to find a way to make money, and fast. The college entrance exam is almost here, and I don't have much time left! Ning Chuan gave serious thought to ways of making money, continuing to rack his brains even after he entered the breakfast shop and began eating. After all, as long as I have cultivation resources, my cultivation realm can soar!
With the college entrance exam approaching, Ning Chuan naturally wanted to emerge as a dark horse and get into a prestigious university.
With his ability to have martial arts train on their own, he needed them far more than anyone else.
The places with the greatest number of martial arts, and the strongest ones, were the Federation's top universities.
Inside the breakfast shop.
As his hunger was gradually satisfied, Ning Chuan put down his bowl and chopsticks and noticed that the efficiency with which Savage Bull Force tempered his body was beginning to rise slowly.
That was right.
Savage Bull Force could temper his body on its own.
In other words,
his cultivation could improve on its own!
As long as he wanted, he too could keep up the involution around the clock!
That's exactly why I need high-energy cultivation resources like martial arts nutrient supplements and ferocious beast meat. Ordinary meals can't bring out that advantage of mine at all.
Ning Chuan took out his phone to pay. Catching sight of his bank balance, which had fallen to three digits, he couldn't help sighing again and again.
He was almost tempted to dine and dash.
But when he looked up and saw the proprietress's arms, which were nearly as thick as his waist, Ning Chuan couldn't help clearing his throat awkwardly and sternly condemning himself for having such an immoral thought.
He promptly scanned the code and paid, then got up and left.
The mist outside had nearly cleared. It was March, and the chill of an early spring morning still lingered. Green was just beginning to appear along both sides of the road, and frost coated the newly sprouted leaves and branches.
The residential complex where Ning Chuan rented a place was in the old part of the city. Transportation was reasonably convenient, with a bus stop not far from the gate.
A ride cost only one yuan, and a student card gave him a twenty percent discount.
But thinking of the three-digit balance left in his bank account, Ning Chuan decisively chose to travel green.
After warming up, he set off running toward school.
On the way, Ning Chuan did a quick test of his speed.
At a full sprint, he needed seven to eight seconds to cover a hundred meters.
If he used Gale Step, he could go considerably faster.
Back in my previous life, that would have made me an urban soldier king, no matter how you looked at it!
Half an hour later.
Qingshan City No. 1 High School.
Ning Chuan gradually slowed from a run to a walk, sweat continuously seeping from his forehead.
But his breathing remained steady, with no sign of disruption.
Savage Bull Force was known for its endurance.
Rumor had it that this feature was largely thanks to the seven wives of Savage Bull Force's creator.
As he neared the school gate, Ning Chuan ran into a good friend of his.
Guo Renyu was a chubby teenager with a round face and a crew cut, and he was in the same class as Ning Chuan.
As for his strength...
Even the homeroom teacher had advised Guo Renyu not to waste his energy on something as meaningless as cultivation.
The college entrance exam wasn't worth it!
Guo Renyu looked Ning Chuan over, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Scratching his head, he said, "I feel like you've changed a lot. These past few days, you haven't arrived late or left early, and you've paid attention in class without spacing out."
Ning Chuan's expression didn't change. He smiled faintly and said, "There are a hundred days left until the college entrance exam. It's time to work hard. Any later, and I don't think I'll get into Galaxy University!"
One could tell Galaxy University was extraordinary just from its name.
It was the strongest university in the Human Federation.
The number of martial arts it possessed went without saying!
"Stop dreaming in broad daylight!"
Guo Renyu rolled his eyes and said, "Still, if you work hard, you've got a pretty good chance of getting into an ordinary university."
Ning Chuan smiled without saying much more and changed the subject. "What about you? Why are you here so early today?"
"Master Lou just got a new batch of old goods. I'm going to see if I can snag a bargain!"
Guo Renyu grew excited at the mention of it.
Without asking Ning Chuan's permission, he grabbed him by the wrist as he spoke and ran toward the nearby commercial district.
"There's still plenty of time before class. This is a good chance to show you what I can do, so you'll stop calling me a sucker all day!"
After crossing several streets, Guo Renyu led Ning Chuan into an alley.
At the end stood an antique shop called Many Treasures.
The shop was small, with several display shelves.
"Master Lou!"
As soon as Guo Renyu entered and saw no one inside, he called out.
"I'm coming, quit shouting!"
The curtain over the inner doorway lifted, and a wiry old man walked in. Full of energy, he sported a two-part goatee and rotated two perfectly round walnuts in one hand. With the other, he pointed to a shelf beside Guo Renyu and said, "They're right there. Freshly acquired goods. I saved them especially for you."
"You're so filial, Master Lou!"
Guo Renyu's eyes lit up. He hurried to the shelf, pulled a magnifying glass from his pocket, and began examining the goods intently.
Master Lou: "..."
The customer came first, so he put up with it!
Ning Chuan let out a bemused laugh, but he had little interest in the antiques in the shop.
He didn't need to think to know that an antique shop next to a school preyed on young students eager to snag a bargain. There couldn't possibly be anything good there.
In his memory, the most valuable thing Guo Renyu had ever found was worth less than 500 yuan.
He had paid 1,000 yuan for it.
A business genius!
Ning Chuan picked up a nearby ceramic jar from the counter and gave it a few casual glances.
"That jar is a real treasure!"
Master Lou came over with a radiant smile and said, "It's a relic from before the Federation calendar, more than three thousand years old. Emperors used it in the past.
I'll let you have it cheap, just 3,000 yuan!
Think what a bargain that is. It doesn't even come to one yuan per year."
The corners of Ning Chuan's mouth twitched.
He could plainly see a line of small print on the jar's inner wall:
Produced March 5, Federation Year 1099, by Qingshan City People's Pottery Factory. Suggested retail price: 1.5 yuan.
Good grief, it had just come off the production line yesterday.
Ning Chuan reached out and tapped the small print. "Sir, I reckon the oldest thing in this shop is probably you," he said helplessly.
"Watch your mouth. I'm not a thing... Fuck me!"
Master Lou spoke irritably, then realized something was wrong. He gave Ning Chuan a reproachful glare and ignored him, walking over to Guo Renyu.
Ning Chuan shook his head and stopped looking at the shop's wares. With a thought, he opened the system.
[Flash Thunder Slash]: Basic (progress: 20%)
Staring at that entry, Ning Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Of the three martial arts he practiced, Flash Thunder Slash was the slowest, making only around four percent progress in a whole day.
Of course, it wasn't that Flash Thunder Slash wasn't working hard enough.
There was a reason for its slowness.
Its potential was immense.
Flash Thunder Slash was a B-rank martial art!
Moreover, it was among the most difficult even at B-rank, so naturally it didn't progress as quickly as the E-rank Gale Step or the D-rank Savage Bull Force.
The Federation government divided martial arts into six ranks:
E, D, C, B, A, and S.
Each rank brought a tremendous increase in power, reaching a whole new level.
The difficulty of cultivation rose with the tide as well, shooting straight up.
But my martial arts can train on their own, so difficulty isn't a problem for me. Even Flash Thunder Slash, the slowest of them, can advance to the Proficiency Realm before the end of this month. At that rate of progress, others will see me as a martial arts genius!
Ning Chuan pondered to himself, his heartbeat quickening a little.
Martial arts realms were likewise divided into six levels:
Basic, Proficiency, Mastery;
Minute Subtlety, Expert, and Perfection.
At the Proficiency Realm, a martial art could already display considerable power.
By then, his martial strength would rank around the middle at Qingshan No. 1 High School.
Meanwhile.
"I swear on my life that this saber definitely belonged to a divine general. See the lightning patterns on the blade? That's proof it was bathed in Thunder Beast blood!"
Master Lou held a battered old saber and thumped his chest, his face full of solemn assurance.
Hearing that, Ning Chuan looked over.
A Thunder Beast was a powerful ferocious beast known for its speed. When it moved, it was like lightning tearing through the air.
Flash Thunder Slash was a martial art a divine general had spent many years creating to counter speed with speed, specifically for slaying Thunder Beasts.
"Master Lou, save it!"
Guo Renyu didn't even raise his eyelids. "If your oaths actually worked, you would've dropped dead on the spot last time, when you sold me that shield you claimed belonged to a peak martial artist!"
"I didn't know that shield would shatter if it fell on the ground. That's what the seller told me when I bought it."
Master Lou gave an embarrassed smile and put the old saber back on the shelf.
After taking enough losses, even students weren't easy to fool!
With nothing else to do, Ning Chuan walked over and took a closer look.
It was a long, narrow saber, about two fingers wide, with a barely perceptible curve. Its blade was silver-white, streaked with purple patterns like bursts of lightning.
It suited Ning Chuan's tastes quite well.
Unfortunately, the saber was far too badly damaged. Cracks covered it like a spiderweb, and its edge was riddled with one notch after another.
Never mind fighting with it; even chopping vegetables would probably be a struggle.
Ning Chuan reached out with his right hand, intending to pick up the saber.
He didn't believe Master Lou's story about it being a divine general's weapon. He merely wanted to handle it and casually give it a try.
The next moment, Ning Chuan gripped the hilt.
His movements froze!
A succession of mechanical, synthesized voices rang out in his mind.
"Flash Thunder Slash sensed a profound lightning intent and immediately entered a state of sudden enlightenment. Cultivation speed increased dramatically!"
"Progress increased by 35%!"
"Progress increased by 35%!"
"Progress increased by 30%!"
"Flash Thunder Slash has accumulated enough experience and gained profound insights. Advancing to the next realm!"
A multitude of insights into Flash Thunder Slash continuously flowed into Ning Chuan's mind.
The automatic cultivation of martial arts wasn't like a game, where one simply added points to a skill.
Instead, it was like a direct infusion of wisdom, engraving the insights deep within his mind.
Under normal circumstances, the absorption of these insights was very gradual. But in a state of sudden enlightenment, the insights surged like a torrent of data, striking Ning Chuan so hard that he grew somewhat dazed.
"Progress increased by 25%!"
"Progress increased by 25%!"
"Flash Thunder Slash has accumulated further experience and gained new insights. Achieving another leap and advancing to the Mastery realm!"
"Progress increased by 20%!"
It was quite a while before the notifications stopped. Ning Chuan came back to his senses and immediately summoned the system panel.
The other martial arts remained unchanged.
One entry, however, had undergone a dramatic change.
[Flash Thunder Slash]: Mastery (progress: 92%)
Seeing the translucent, glowing words clearly, Ning Chuan swallowed, his heart racing uncontrollably.
The extent of Flash Thunder Slash's improvement was completely beyond his imagination.
It had actually skipped over the Proficiency Realm and advanced straight to Mastery, the third realm of martial arts, falling just short of Minute Subtlety.
For an ordinary person cultivating a B-rank martial art, reaching his current realm would take at least twenty years of persistent, arduous cultivation.
Nearly half a lifetime's effort!
That showed just how much this sudden enlightenment had improved it!
With Flash Thunder Slash at the Mastery realm, I can fight above my level. I can even hold my own against students at Awakening Stage Five, and it won't just be an even match. I can defeat the vast majority of them, perhaps even all of them!
Turbulent waves rose in Ning Chuan's heart.
Fighting above one's level was an astonishing feat, and crossing a major realm was even more extraordinarily difficult.
There were only a handful of students in all of Qingshan No. 1 High School who could do it!
Every one of them was a dragon or phoenix among people!
And he had joined their ranks.
Most importantly, that wasn't all. Before long, he could take another step forward!
Once Flash Thunder Slash breaks through to Minute Subtlety, I'll be able to run roughshod over every Awakening Stage Six student in the school!
Ning Chuan was certain of it.
That was because Minute Subtlety was a clear dividing line, completely different from the first three realms.
Once one broke through, it could bring about an almost heaven-and-earth-overturning qualitative transformation!
Of course, the difficulty was also extremely high.
It wasn't something one could achieve through hard practice alone. One had to grasp the essence of the martial art, which placed great demands on a cultivator's talent.
Calm down first!
After quietly taking several deep breaths, Ning Chuan composed himself and suppressed his restless emotions.
He lifted the saber and held it before his eyes, examining it carefully. But even after staring until his eyes ached, he couldn't detect any profound intent.
His Flash Thunder Slash didn't enter sudden enlightenment again, either.
Could it be that the lightning intent contained within the saber can only bring Flash Thunder Slash to the Mastery realm through sudden enlightenment? Is there an upper limit?
Ning Chuan pondered the possibility and thought it quite likely.
But whether he was right or wrong, Master Lou had genuinely guessed correctly. This saber had an extraordinary origin and had probably once been a powerful expert's weapon.
As long as he could afford it, he certainly couldn't pass it up.
"Master Lou!"
Ning Chuan called out, raising his hand and casually waving the saber he held. Feigning indifference, he asked, "How much for this saber?"
Hearing him, Guo Renyu stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Ning Chuan. He teased, "You called me a sucker, but what about you now? With an eye like yours, I don't even know what to say!"
"Even if I put it as tactfully as possible, this saber is nothing more than a defective product of modern industry. I wouldn't take it if you gave it to me for free. It'd just take up space at home!"
Guo Renyu chuckled.
"Little fatty, you've only been in this trade a few years. What the hell do you know about antiques?"
Master Lou cursed at Guo Renyu, then turned to Ning Chuan with a smile that bloomed like a chrysanthemum. "Young man, you have a good eye. This is a divine weapon that slew several Thunder Beasts in its day. It's worth a great deal, but since you're a student, I won't ask for too much!"
As he spoke, Master Lou raised a hand and made a gesture.
"Eighty thousand!"
Ning Chuan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "How about a discount? Knock off the zeros and cut it in half?"
"Four thousand yuan? That's some ruthless bargaining. Even I paid more than that for it!" Master Lou sighed, looking thoroughly reluctant. Finally, he waved a hand and said, "Fine, take it. Let's call it making a friend!"
Ning Chuan shook his head and corrected him earnestly. "Not four thousand. Master Lou, you got the math wrong."
"Then how much?" Master Lou asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Four yuan."
Hearing the number, Master Lou opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.
In all his years of doing business, this was the first time he'd heard of knocking off the zeros meaning knocking off every single zero.
When the other party asked for a price break, was he trying to break his bones too?
Guo Renyu burst out laughing.
"Master Lou, think you'll still dare ask for the moon next time? You learned something new today, didn't you?"