Saturday.
Ning Chuan didn't sleep in.
His regular schedule had given him a reliable body clock.
He woke at five thirty sharp.
Mindful of Lu Mengyue's warning, Ning Chuan didn't go out. He stayed home, reviewed mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and took several online martial arts theory classes.
During his breaks, he also read quite a few news reports about the spy.
Zhao Weiping was a spy from a planet called the Heavenly Martial Realm.
That planet belonged to the same star system as the High Martial Realm, where Ning Chuan lived.
A thousand years ago, the two sides had fought a devastating war-the Twin Martial Star War. Hundreds of millions had died, leaving a deep grudge between them.
Although peace had now arrived, they continued to make petty moves against each other.
"If he gets caught, he'll wish he were dead!"
Ning Chuan shook his head, collected his thoughts, and continued studying.
Before long, evening arrived.
Savage Bull Force had been tempering his body for twenty-four hours.
Ning Chuan heard the system's synthesized voice again.
"After a long period of arduous tempering by Savage Bull Force, your strength has broken through, advancing to Awakening Stage Five!"
His bones gave crisp cracks, and a sense of formidable power welled up within him.
His five senses had also grown a little sharper.
Immediately afterward, another synthesized voice rang out.
"Savage Bull Force has gained insight, broken through its barrier, and reached the 'Minute Subtlety' realm!"
"Savage Bull Force is absorbing energy more efficiently. Estimated time until depletion: fifteen hours."
As the voice fell silent, the tingling sensation spreading through his body abruptly intensified.
Places where he had felt nothing before began to tingle as well.
A breathing technique reaching Minute Subtlety did more than simply improve efficiency.
More importantly, it could temper the body in finer detail.
That kind of tempering might not raise surface measurements like strength and speed by much.
But it could make the body increasingly harmonious and unified, raising its strength in ways that couldn't be seen.
A day passed quickly.
Sunday.
At noon, the tingling in Ning Chuan's body faded, and the energy in that vial of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution was completely exhausted.
Ning Chuan checked his strength: the middle tier of Awakening Stage Five.
"One tier higher than he expected."
Ning Chuan grinned.
It was a pleasant surprise.
The main reason was that Savage Bull Force had advanced to its fourth realm, Minute Subtlety.
"System."
Ning Chuan called out silently, summoning the panel.
[Strength]: Awakening Stage Five [Savage Bull Force]: Minute Subtlety (progress: 2%) [Gale Step]: Proficient (progress: 31%) [Flash Thunder Slash]: Minute Subtlety (progress: 35%) [Thousand Bones Slaughter Art]: Skilled (progress: 11%) [Vajra Body]: Third layer (progress: 20%)
Gazing at the translucent panel, Ning Chuan restrained the joy in his heart, his eyes gradually narrowing.
He was considering his next cultivation plan.
The allocation of resources was the most important part.
At present, the resources at his disposal were the thirty-odd thousand yuan in his bank account and the vial of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution Su Yun had promised him.
As for the remaining sixty-odd thousand Ma Hai still owed him, he probably wouldn't get it now that his job of coaching Lu Mengyue was over.
Barring any surprises, those were all the resources he would have before the college entrance exam.
He needed to weigh his options carefully.
"I don't need to worry about the other martial arts. The priorities are the breathing technique Savage Bull Force and the body-tempering martial art Vajra Body!"
Ning Chuan rubbed his chin.
The advantage of investing resources in Savage Bull Force was obvious.
Savage Bull Force tempered the body's overall qualities, improving strength, agility, stamina, and even the five senses.
Just like this time.
Having advanced to Awakening Stage Five, he reckoned he could put up a fight against someone at Awakening Stage Seven.
But if he raised Vajra Body by another layer instead, he would still only be able to avoid defeat. At most, defending himself would be easier.
"But I don't have enough money."
Ning Chuan's thoughts raced.
He was now at the middle tier of Awakening Stage Five, still a long way from the upper stages of Awakening.
Even if he invested all thirty-odd thousand yuan and another vial of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution in Savage Bull Force, he still wouldn't be able to advance before the college entrance exam.
Breaking through to Awakening Stage Six, however, would be no problem.
Even without eating ferocious beast meat.
Savage Bull Force could do it through active cultivation alone.
The college entrance exam was still more than two months away, which was enough time.
Under these circumstances, investing resources in Savage Bull Force clearly wasn't cost-effective.
Below the upper stages of Awakening, the gap between the initial tier and the peak wasn't particularly large.
"Selling the Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution Su Yun applied for on my behalf and using the money to buy Vajra Body medicine packs is the best choice for me!"
Ning Chuan said to himself.
After Vajra Body advanced to the third layer, a single medicine pack still raised its progress by about 15%.
A vial of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution sold for around 160,000 yuan on the secondhand market. Together with the thirty-odd thousand in his bank account, that would buy four Vajra Body medicine packs.
That represented 60% progress.
It would be enough for Vajra Body to break through to the fourth layer before the college entrance exam.
With that.
Getting into one of the Federation's top ten prestigious schools wouldn't be mere talk.
"Once I get the Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution, I'll sell it."
Ning Chuan made up his mind.
This was different from his original idea.
But he hadn't expected Lu Mengyue to compensate him with a vial of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution, either.
A plan couldn't be set in stone.
By evening, the sky was overcast.
Dark clouds gathered steadily, and a chill rode on the wind.
It looked as though Qingshan City's first rain of spring was finally coming.
Ning Chuan ordered takeout.
While he waited, he turned on the television.
All of Qingshan City's local news channels were repeatedly showing photographs of the spy Zhao Weiping, while warning residents not to go out at night.
The people from the police department hadn't caught Zhao Weiping over the weekend.
Buzz!
During dinner, his phone vibrated.
Su Yun had posted a string of messages in the class group chat. Ning Chuan picked up his phone and browsed through them; basically all of them concerned Zhao Weiping.
The school had received notice from the police department that some teachers would be called away to help with the manhunt.
Students below Awakening Stage Seven would take online classes from home instead.
The final message concerned the selection tournament Lu Mengyue had previously told him about. Ten students would be chosen to accompany senior teachers or police officers on the manhunt.
"It's not an arena fight. Instead, we'll be competing for cubes called 'spy devices.' That's unusual..." Ning Chuan stared at the screen, pondering to himself. "This method doesn't have an absolute requirement for combat strength, but you still have to be strong."
The selection tournament would begin tomorrow morning, Monday, at the school.
Because there was a chance of encountering danger during the event, third-year students could sign up voluntarily; the school wasn't forcing anyone.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
His phone vibrated again.
Many students in the class group chat began popping up to speak, paying particular attention to the final selection tournament.
[Tang Xiaowan]: Looking at it this way, the key to the selection tournament isn't whether you can grab a spy device, but whether you can keep it. Anyone who gets one is bound to be ganged up on. Students at Awakening Stage Nine have a better chance; even students at Awakening Eighth Stage could fail once they're surrounded. [Zhou He]: I don't know what those people at the police department are thinking. To catch a spy, they should definitely send the strongest! [Zhang Wensi]: Zhou He, combat strength isn't the top factor. The spy is seriously injured, true, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Never underestimate a martial artist. If he really fights for his life, taking a few Awakening Stage Nine people down with him would be all too easy. More than combat strength, the police department values whether the students are alert. [Ma Hai]: The class monitor really is impressive. That analysis cuts right to the bone. You're bound to get a spy device! [Wang Dong]: Haha, nobody understands being alert better than me. I'm calling dibs on a spy device! [Li Shanyun]: Awakening Third Stage? Are you going there to serve yourself up on a platter? [Zhou He]: I'll go first, mine's yellow!
Before long, the conversation had veered off who knew where.
Ning Chuan looked away from the screen and tapped his fingers on the table. A moment later, he decided to take part in tomorrow's selection tournament.
If he could get a spy device, that would naturally be excellent.
If he failed, that was fine too.
His main purpose was to test his own strength and exchange a few moves with Zhang Wensi.
Not striking back wasn't his style.
"Judging by what Zhang Wensi said, he'll almost certainly enter the selection tournament. I'll keep my eyes on him. If I handle it well, maybe I can squeeze some money out of him too."
A faint light flickered in Ning Chuan's eyes.
He suddenly thought of something.
The matter of his coaching sessions with Lu Mengyue having ended.
Zhang Wensi didn't know about it!