She Wasn't Right for Me

This soul level should be the mental power mentioned in Introduction to Martial Arts, Fang Yu thought. If my mental power hadn't surged, I think it would have been almost impossible to reach Subtlety in saber techniques in just over a month.

No wonder Advanced Martial Artists are generally so skilled.

Advanced Martial Artists generally had higher skill levels. Having trained for many years, most of them could reach greater mastery of minute subtlety.

Was it because they had greater comprehension?

No! It was because powerful martial artists had stronger mental power and a stronger foundation.

A powerful body gave rise to stronger mental power, allowing one to sense the body's muscles, bones, qi and blood more clearly... Naturally, it was easier to control the body with minute subtlety.

Just as middle school students generally learned faster than elementary school students, it wasn't because the younger children lacked talent, but because their brains were still developing.

The same applied to skill training.

The stronger the body and mental power, the easier it was to improve one's skills... Greater skill also allowed one's life level to rise faster. The two complemented each other.

That was also why the Blue Moon Alliance placed such importance on Void Star Aspects.

Martial artists who awakened powerful Void Star Aspects could become Advanced Martial Artists simply by absorbing Star Power, without relying on resources or treasures... That could save their entire civilization a great deal of resources.

Fang Yu had noticed long ago.

As his life level rose, his soul was also undergoing a rapid transformation... Although he hadn't deliberately trained his mental power, his soul level had consistently been several levels higher than his life level.

Over the past month,

Fang Yu had devoted himself to rigorous training at home. Aside from instructing his younger brother and sister, he had practiced his fists and saber, and before he knew it, his saber techniques had reached Subtlety.

Subtlety in saber techniques!

It was the unification of body, mind, and weapon, something many Advanced Martial Artists sought in vain even after years of training.

Those ancient grandmasters had physical qualities comparable to mine now, yet their skills reached the legendary state of unity between heaven and man. It's truly incredible, Fang Yu marveled.

If those ancient grandmasters were brought to the present day and given enough time, they would probably all become Starry Sky Martial Artists.

Subtlety in saber techniques and a life level of 20. As for these guaranteed admission spots...

One of them should be mine, no matter what. Fang Yu was confident. Even if another one or two formidable students really did appear, it shouldn't affect him. After all, there were ten spots.

Time passed.

Wang Mo soon entered the assessment area as well.

The speed of his progress also surprised the martial arts teachers on the second floor.

"This Wang Mo has actually reached Subtlety in his skills?"

"His muscles and bones resonate in unison. Lesser mastery of minute subtlety."

"His life level has actually reached level 20 too. With money, a person's life level really does rise fast. I imagine his family spent quite a bit." The teachers were quite amazed.

"Old Yan, you've snatched up two spots now."

"We're the ones in trouble," the other teachers joked.

A life level of 20 was extremely rare among college students.

The hundred-plus students who had come for the assessment were all already in the top five percent, making them elite students... But so far, only three had reached life level 20.

Fewer than twenty were above level 17.

Wang Mo had only just reached lesser mastery of minute subtlety. Though his skills weren't outstanding, they hadn't dragged down his score either.

After all, including Fang Yu, only two people so far had reached greater mastery of minute subtlety in their bodily skills, and Fang Yu was the only one to have reached Subtlety in saber techniques.

Wang Mo's results were enough to secure him a guaranteed admission spot.

Yan Fu said it was "luck," but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. He reflected to himself, Just as I thought. That kid Wang Mo usually looks like a slacker, but his talent for skills isn't bad. He just can't compare to a freak like Fang Yu.

That makes sense.

His family has supported him so much that they've probably spent tens of millions. Even some elite undergraduate students don't get as many resources as he does.

It's only natural he'd get results like this, Yan Fu thought. If my information is correct, his family's assets should be worth over a billion.

Students like Fang Yu didn't know that.

But martial arts teachers like Yan Fu had extensive and more accurate sources of information.

At Wuling City Martial Arts College, for instance, there were even people specifically assigned to investigate every student's family circumstances... making it easier to ask their parents for donations.

It's good that his family supports him. That's how wealthy people should be, Yan Fu thought with a faint smile.

He didn't resent Wang Mo for throwing money at martial arts. On the contrary, he thought it was the right thing to do.

In this era, you got what you paid for with Star Coins. That was the general consensus.

To a certain extent, money represented martial arts potential... With enough money, one could spend tens of billions and become an Earth Martial Artist in a very short time.

However,

it was difficult to recoup the cost of improving one's martial arts cultivation purely by throwing money at it... In Yan Fu's view, Wang Mo was unlikely to make back what he had spent.

If powerful martial artists didn't fight on the Primordial Star and relied on ordinary jobs instead, Advanced Martial Artists earned only around a million a year, while Earth Martial Artists usually earned tens of millions.

A martial artist's fighting power was far less useful within the Blue Moon Alliance than on the Primordial Star.

Still...

Wealthy heirs like him might not be paying such a steep price to attend a martial arts undergraduate program for the cultivation resources at a martial arts university. Yan Fu saw things clearly.

What Wang Mo was most likely after was connections.

If he could befriend a group of future Advanced Martial Artists and Earth Martial Artists... it would be highly beneficial to a family like Wang Mo's.

At twelve thirty,

Fang Yu, Wang Mo, and He Jiyu had already met outside the Qionglin Garden cafeteria.

"Old He, I thought I was late enough, but you're even later than me." Wang Mo warmly threw an arm around He Jiyu's shoulders, casually voicing his dissatisfaction.

"Sorry, I was just on the phone with my wife. It held me up," He Jiyu said, lowering his head slightly.

Wang Mo's arm stiffened.

"Old He, since when did you start apologizing to me?" Wang Mo couldn't help asking.

Fang Yu looked at He Jiyu. They hadn't seen each other in nearly two months, and his appearance hadn't changed much, but there was a visible weariness in his eyes.

Clearly,

He Jiyu had been through a lot over the past two months, and he had changed quite a bit too.

"Come on, let's go to a private room and talk over lunch," Fang Yu said, easing the situation.

"All right, let's eat first." Wang Mo didn't press the matter. The three headed straight for the cafeteria's second floor... The first floor had the communal dining area, while the second had private rooms.

Just as they were about to turn at the stairs,

"Hm? Senior Fang Yu?" A pleasant voice rang out. A pretty, short-haired girl in a black martial arts uniform had called out to him from the stairs.

A burly, handsome young man was accompanying her.

"Ye Zhiyin?" Fang Yu recognized her too.

"Ye Zhiyin? Old Fang, this is the second-year junior you mentioned before, the one who pursued you, right? Oh, right, she's about to start her third year now." Wang Mo grinned.

"Old Mo." Fang Yu frowned slightly.

"Ha ha, sorry, Junior Ye. I shouldn't have said that," Wang Mo immediately said to the short-haired girl with a smile. "It's just that Fang Yu mentioned you a few times before, so I remembered you. There aren't many junior girls at this school who'd stick in a training fanatic's mind."

He Jiyu simply watched in silence.

"Zhiyin, who are they?" The burly young man finally couldn't help asking, a hint of hostility plainly visible in his gaze as he looked at Fang Yu.

"A senior I met at a school event before," Ye Zhiyin explained.

"And you are?" Wang Mo raised an eyebrow.

He was warm toward friends like Fang Yu and He Jiyu, but he wasn't the same with other people, especially when the other party had already shown a hint of hostility.

"All right."

"Old Mo, the list will be announced at two this afternoon." Fang Yu reached out to stop Wang Mo and said, "Let's eat first... Ye Zhiyin, we'll talk next time we get the chance."

"Okay." Ye Zhiyin quickly nodded. She too sensed that something was amiss and headed straight downstairs with the burly young man.

Only Fang Yu and his two friends remained in the stairwell.

"Old Fang, why did you stop me?" Wang Mo frowned. "Couldn't you tell that guy was pursuing Ye Zhiyin? Weren't you interested in her before? I thought she was pretty good-looking."

Wang Mo firmly believed he wasn't wrong about people.

"I did consider it back then."

"But she isn't right for me." Fang Yu shook his head. "The partner I want is someone who can climb to the peak of martial arts alongside me, or at least someone who can quietly support me as I reach it."

"Martial arts is our career."

"As men, our careers come first."

"What I want isn't a girlfriend who messages me to take her to the movies or boating on the lake while I'm working hard at practicing my saber," Fang Yu said with a smile. Clearly, that was something that had happened between him and Ye Zhiyin.

"We're in our prime."

"Whether it's a girlfriend or a wife... if they interfere with our martial arts training, that means they're not right for us."

"If it isn't right, don't force it, and don't bother them again." Fang Yu smiled. "Come on, let's eat."