Going all out

"The first batch of recommended admissions came out," Fang Yu said. "I wasn't selected."

"Mm." Fang Ping'an wasn't surprised.

He didn't blame him. Instead, he comforted him. "You haven't awakened a Void Star Aspect yet. Your life level has improved nicely, but it's not quite among the best in your year. Only your combat skills rank near the top, so it's normal that you weren't selected."

Fang Ping'an knew his son had already trained extremely hard, so he wouldn't offer him empty platitudes.

"I remember the second assessment is on August 15, right?" Fang Ping'an said. "Although there's another chance at a practical combat assessment in September... that assessment requires you to go to the Primordial Star."

At the mention of the Primordial Star, Fang Ping'an's gaze faltered.

Fang Yu understood why.

His mother had been a level 28 martial artist of considerable strength, but she had died on the Primordial Star just after he started middle school. Even her body had never been recovered... Ever since then, it had been a thorn in his father's heart.

"The practical combat assessment is extremely dangerous."

"Martial artists all have to fight life-and-death battles, but it's better to wait until you're stronger," Fang Ping'an said in a low voice. "So you need to try to get onto the second list of recommended admissions."

Fang Yu nodded slightly.

"My plan is to hire a martial arts instructor just for you, someone to guide you personally, and buy another batch of cultivation medicines..." Fang Ping'an said. "We'll see if we can raise your life level a little more within a month, and try to get your martial arts skills to break through to Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety."

Fang Yu felt a warmth in his heart.

His father hadn't changed his attitude toward him just because his younger brother and sister had awakened... In fact, in a normal family, even if he had shown considerable talent for combat skills since middle school, they would have given up on him when he failed to awaken a Void Star Aspect in high school.

Normally, raising children involved weighing the returns against the investment.

A path with little hope not only wasted money, but also wasted the child's time.

Fang Yu himself had once wavered.

But his father had endured the pressure and, over the years, invested millions of star coins in his martial path.

Later.

After the college entrance exam, Fang Yu reached life level 8 and finally awakened his innate divine ability, Devour. As he gradually experimented with it, he sensed what was special about the ability, which further strengthened his faith in the martial path and his determination to carve out a path for himself.

Only then could he repay his father's sacrifices.

However.

Even though Fang Yu had anticipated that his Sleeping Star Aspect was special, quite possibly even more special than the twelve Upper Astral Aspects, he hadn't told his father much... A Void Star Aspect couldn't be manifested outwardly before one became an Earth martial artist.

The detection methods used in the middle school and college entrance exams

determined it by how efficiently students absorbed star power. The higher the star aspect's grade, the higher the absorption efficiency... But Fang Yu couldn't absorb star power.

So there was no way to confirm it.

On the other hand.

Fang Yu also didn't know what life level he needed to reach to fully awaken his star aspect. What if it took level 30, or even level 40? Everything was unknown.

Those were all things his father couldn't afford.

Father has helped me enough already, and the family only has so much money.

My younger brother and sister are still growing up, and they'll need even more resources of all kinds... Fang Yu had thought it through clearly. If I want more, I'll have to fight for it myself.

That was also why Fang Yu had trained increasingly hard over his three years at junior college.

He had won quite a few of the school's scholarships and worked part-time, in addition to the money his father gave him... Most importantly, his innate divine ability had helped his life level rise rapidly all the way.

He had improved faster than the vast majority of his classmates who had awakened Lower Astral Aspects, and was no slower than many undergraduates.

Yet Fang Yu still didn't dare slack off.

Transfer to an undergraduate program.

There will be more opportunities once I'm in an undergraduate program. Using the nation's resources to help myself grow is the right path. Fang Yu had thought it through thoroughly.

He didn't want his father to work so hard anymore. His father's temples were already starting to turn gray...

As the eldest brother, deep down, he also didn't want to spend all the family's money... His younger brother and sister's opportunities to build their foundations were precious too.

"Your martial arts skills are very close to Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety... Once you reach it, even without awakening a Void Star Aspect, you'll have an excellent chance of being recommended for admission."

"Of course, breaking through in skill is extremely difficult, but we have to try," Fang Ping'an continued.

He knew Fang Yu's final exam scores from his third year.

From the skill score, he could roughly judge his level of martial arts skill.

"Once you enter an undergraduate program, it won't be hard for you to become an intermediate martial artist in the future. You'll be able to find a good job, too. If you choose to take the civil service exam, you'll have a good chance there as well," Fang Ping'an said quietly. "As your father, what I can do..."

"Dad!"

Fang Yu interrupted his father. "My martial arts skills have already reached Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety."

"What?" Fang Ping'an was startled and found it somewhat hard to believe.

"It's true."

"I only broke through a little while ago. I was at school then, and I wanted to surprise you when I got home, so I didn't say anything," Fang Yu explained.

Fang Ping'an hesitated for only an instant.

"Come on!" Fang Ping'an took his son by the hand.

"Dad, what are we doing?" Fang Yu was taken aback.

"We're going to the martial arts room. Let me see."

A short while later, in the basement martial arts room.

In front of the punch force tester.

"Fang Yu, use your Dark Force and throw a punch with all your strength," Fang Ping'an said quietly.

Fang Yu understood what his father was thinking. He wouldn't believe it without seeing it for himself; after all, it was far too rare. Fang Yu hesitated no longer. He steadied his breathing, planted his feet apart, and gradually relaxed the muscles, bones, and spine throughout his body.

Whoosh!

Fang Yu's spine was like a great dragon. His mind easily sensed the power throughout his limbs and body. He pushed off with his right foot and twisted through his waist and abdomen.

His five fingers closed into a fist!

His fist slammed into the giant sandbag hanging in front of him like a cannonball.

Boom! A muffled explosion rang out.

"Hm?" Fang Ping'an's gaze fell on the punch force tester's display, where a number was clearly shown: "1,867 kilograms."

"1,867 kilograms?" Fang Ping'an's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help shouting, "Good!"

He was also a junior martial artist.

He knew that, at Fang Yu's life level of 15 or 16, there was normally no way he could unleash such terrifying force with a punch. It was already approaching the level of a level 20 intermediate martial artist.

Only exceptionally advanced martial arts skills could achieve that.

Many wealthy people used heavenly materials and earthly treasures to raise themselves to level 20 or even level 30, but their martial arts skills were lacking. They often couldn't use even half their physical strength, and their combat power was poor...

If one's martial arts skills were advanced enough to sense every muscle and bone in the body, however, one could use the body's strength perfectly. That was Lesser Mastery of Minute Subtlety.

Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety, on the other hand,

involved circulating the qi and blood throughout the body and directing them to the limbs. This could greatly increase, or even double, the power the limbs could unleash! For that reason, it was also known as "Dark Force."

The penetrating power of qi and blood Dark Force was also extremely strong.

That was what made advanced martial arts skills so fearsome: they allowed one to temper the body more efficiently and unleash greater power... For this very reason, the Blue Moon Alliance also placed great importance on martial artists' skill training.

"Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety," Fang Ping'an said, looking at his eldest son, without a trace of doubt left in his heart.

He had never imagined

that today,

all three of his children would give him such a wonderful surprise.

"Fang Yu, you've had a long day. Go and rest first," Fang Ping'an said in a low voice. "I need to think things over."

Fang Yu nodded. "Dad, now that my skills have reached Minute Subtlety and I can circulate my qi and blood, I should be able to get onto the recommended admissions list just by training normally. I had a reason for saying I didn't need living expenses. I have quite a few star coins in my account now, enough for the time being."

"All right, I know."

"Go to bed first." Fang Ping'an's voice carried a tone that brooked no argument.

Soon,

Fang Ping'an was alone in the basement martial arts room, which had fallen quiet. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and smoked in silence.

He didn't usually smoke in front of his three children.

"The Upper Astral Aspect, Sun-Devouring Python."

"A twenty-one-year-old junior college student, level 15, with Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety. In the future, there's also hope that he'll awaken a Void Star Aspect..." Fang Ping'an smoked one cigarette after another, thinking all the while.

A long time passed.

Fang Ping'an dialed a number. The other party soon answered, and a rough voice came through the phone. "President Fang, it's been a long time since you called me. Where are you making your fortune these days?"

"President Zhao."

"Weren't you interested in my supermarket last time? Would you be willing to talk..." Fang Ping'an got straight to the point. "But I need cash..."

"Old Tian, I need a favor. Something urgent has come up..." Fang Ping'an made another call.

He had been in business for decades.

He had helped many people and accumulated quite a few favors... Now, it was time for him to cash them all in.

He kept making calls until late at night.

Fang Ping'an dialed the last number. "Brother Dong, sorry for the trouble, but could you rush an order for me from the Starry Sky Group... Two Myriad Phenomena Life-Transforming Fruits."

"Five Ice Heart Marrow-Cleansing Fruits."

"Six doses of Cell Vitality Elixir, and six doses of Vitality Regeneration Elixir."

"Yes, I know. The discounted price comes to six million star coins. I'll pick them up tomorrow." Fang Ping'an ended the last call, feeling a little tired.

He was just about to go upstairs.

Suddenly,

he saw a slightly stooped figure standing at the turn in the staircase, as if he had been there for a long time.

"Dad?" Fang Ping'an was a little surprised. "You're still awake."

"You can't sleep. Did you think I could?" Fang Zhiyuan's voice was gentle. "I heard most of your calls just now. You're planning to sell the supermarket?"

"Mm." Fang Ping'an nodded, making no attempt to hide it from his father. "The internet has become more and more developed these past few years, and business has gotten harder and harder. I've wanted to sell the supermarket and change lines of work for a long time. This time, Fang Yu, Xiaolong, and the others helped me make up my mind."

Suddenly,

Fang Ping'an's phone vibrated, and he glanced at it instinctively.

"Your account ending in 7625 has received 5,100,000.00 star coins... Transferring account ending in..." The latest message was pinned at the top of the phone's message bar.

"Dad, you?" Fang Ping'an was stunned.

He recognized the transferring account at a glance. It was Fang Zhiyuan's.

But where had his father, who lived on his pension alone, gotten so much money?

"The inheritance your grandfather left back then-you thought I'd spent it all." Fang Zhiyuan snorted. "Just about everything I have is here."

"This time, I'm giving it all to you."