Limited UR, Quasi-Martial Artist!
Spirit Reader talent was highly sought after in the early stages of Swallowed Star, and Spirit Readers naturally held a much higher status than warriors.
Even in the universe's slave markets, Spirit Readers sold for far more than warriors at the same level.
Peak Apprentice Level Spirit Reader talent could allow Li Jing to quickly cross the Apprentice Level and enter the Planetary Level.
That was exceptionally valuable!
Earthlings' talent was too poor. In the universe, the Planetary Level merely qualified someone to become a Universe Citizen, but on Earth, such people were lofty Councilor Level powerhouses.
Before Babata brought out large quantities of Wood Bud Crystals, there had been only a little over fifty councilors among the world's seven billion people-roughly one Planetary Level fighter for every hundred million-plus people.
With the talent that had made Li Jing an advanced trainee at eighteen, reaching the Planetary Level would be quite difficult before Luo Feng made a name for himself in the universe and gave back to Earth.
A ten-pull cost nine million in Huaxia Currency, and the probability of drawing the UR card from the pool was one in ten thousand.
It would take around nine billion to draw it.
Of course, without a guaranteed-draw mechanism, nine billion in Huaxia Currency was not a fixed figure. It could take more or less; it all depended on luck.
Earning nine billion in Huaxia Currency in one month would be no easy feat!
But with the Card Draw System's help, it might be worth a try!
Li Jing calculated inwardly. He had to obtain the peak Apprentice Level Spirit Reader talent. If he missed this chance, there was no telling how long he would have to wait for it to appear in the card pool again.
Time was pressing, too. He had already started cultivating several years later than Luo Feng. If he wanted to make it to the Universe Genius Battle alongside Luo Feng, he could not afford to spend too long at the Apprentice Level or even the Planetary Level.
The higher his own strength level, the greater the rarity and level of the items in the card pool would become, so there was no need to suppress his level.
Luo Feng had just returned from Qiu Long Star, and the Nolan Shan Family's exploration ship might already be outside Earth by now.
Although it would soon be brought under control by the Star Level slaves Luo Feng had purchased from the universe,
the Nolan Shan Family's fleet was already on its way through the Natural Wormhole and would reach Earth in three months.
Shortly after resolving that crisis by purchasing ownership of Earth and becoming the Earth Lord, Luo Feng would set off with Hong and Thunder God to begin exploring the universe in earnest.
A few years after that, the Universe Genius Battle would officially begin.
After briefly sorting through the chronology of the early stages of Swallowed Star in his mind, Li Jing felt a sense of urgency.
He strode into the Limits Dojo grounds, where three entirely silver-white buildings came into view: the beginner, intermediate, and advanced trainee teaching buildings.
"Senior Brother Li Jing!"
"Senior Brother Li Jing!"
After he entered the dojo, quite a few trainees greeted him.
At a time when warriors were extremely rare, an eighteen-year-old advanced trainee already enjoyed a decent social standing.
When Luo Feng was a student, he had been able to earn more than his father, Luo Hongguo, simply by working part-time as a tutor.
Li Jing nodded in response to the trainees who greeted him, then went straight to the advanced trainee teaching building and swiped his card to enter.
"Li Jing, is that you? Have you come to test your physical fitness after absorbing the Purple Light Dew?"
Jiang Nian, the instructor in charge of the Yi'an District Limits Dojo, happened to be in the first-floor lobby. Seeing Li Jing arrive, he spoke with a smile.
As Luo Feng's former instructor and the first person to discover his talent, Jiang Nian had naturally received quite a few benefits after Luo Feng's rise.
But he was accustomed to life at the Yi'an District Limits Dojo, so he had stayed there all along.
Jiang Nian was no stranger to Li Jing, the little genius who had reached the strength of an advanced trainee at eighteen.
He had personally distributed the fifteen milliliters of Purple Light Dew that Li Jing had taken earlier.
Now that Li Jing had returned to the dojo, Jiang Nian naturally guessed that his physical fitness had reached the Quasi-Martial Artist level after taking the Purple Light Dew, and that he had come to be tested.
"Yes, Instructor Jiang Nian. Sorry to trouble you, but could you turn on the testing machines for me?" Li Jing nodded.
"Sure. Let's see how strong you've gotten, kid." Jiang Nian smiled and switched on the testing machines.
First came the punching strength test. Li Jing took a deep breath and slammed his fist into the target with all his strength.
951 kilograms!
Li Jing immediately followed with several more punches.
956 kilograms, 962 kilograms, 953 kilograms!
Jiang Nian looked at the readings and smiled. "Every punch was over 950 kilograms, a little higher than the 900-kilogram threshold for a Quasi-Martial Artist. Looks like you absorbed the Purple Light Dew well."
Li Jing nodded. "Yes. If it weren't for the Purple Light Dew, I'd have needed at least another two or three years of hard training on my own to reach the Quasi-Martial Artist threshold. Instructor Jiang Nian, please help me test my speed and reflexes too."
Sixty-meter speed test: instantaneous speed of 25.6 meters per second!
Reflexes: hit 26 times in 60 seconds, without touching the red circle. Excellent for a Beginner Warrior!
Instructor Jiang Nian looked at Li Jing's test results, his smile growing. "Congratulations, Li Jing. You've passed all three metrics. Once you pass tomorrow's Quasi-Warrior Assessment, you'll be a genuine Quasi-Martial Artist."
Li Jing nodded. "Understood, Instructor Jiang Nian. I'll be there on time."
The Quasi-Warrior Assessment had originally been held for everyone on the first of each month, but Luo Feng's free distribution of Purple Light Dew to all advanced trainees meant that the number of Quasi-Martial Artists on Earth would soon surge.
To deal with the change, the assessment had been switched from once a month to every day, sparing Li Jing from wasting time waiting.
After saying goodbye to Instructor Jiang Nian, Li Jing left the dojo and returned to his resettlement community, where he quietly waited for the next day's Quasi-Warrior Assessment.
Early the next morning, Li Jing took a vehicle to the Limit Hall in Yangzhou's main urban district, passed the assessment, and became a Quasi-Martial Artist.
He also obtained the Five Hearts Facing Heaven genetic Origin Energy cultivation method and the qualification to take the practical combat assessment.
Unlike the Quasi-Warrior Assessment, whose frequency had been increased to once a day,
the practical combat assessment required monsters to be captured and other preparations to be made, so naturally it could not be held every day. Even so, the interval had been shortened to once every seven days.
The next practical combat assessment was three days away.
He would spend those three days cultivating the Five Hearts Facing Heaven Method at home, and whether he succeeded or not, he would take the practical combat assessment on time three days later!
Only by passing the practical combat assessment could he obtain his first sum of starting capital, to buy equipment or draw cards.
With his physical fitness, combined with his solidly grounded saber techniques and movement techniques, killing three monsters of the lowest level to qualify as a warrior should not be too difficult, as long as his mental fortitude was not too poor.
Time waited for no one, and Li Jing could not afford to waste it!
Hopefully, he could sense cosmic energy within those three days!
Li Jing took a vehicle home, cleared his mind of distractions, and assumed the specific posture required by the Five Hearts Facing Heaven Method.
He entered a meditative state, striving to sense the cosmic energy that permeated the space around him.
Several hours later, Li Jing released the posture.
Earthlings' physical talent was too poor. Even the simple task of sensing cosmic energy could leave many people stuck for a long time.
Only those with outstanding talent could sense it on their first attempt. Most people needed several months, and those with poor talent might take anywhere from six months to a year.
It was perfectly normal for him to have failed on his first attempt.
After having a simple lunch, Li Jing continued trying to cultivate the Five Hearts Facing Heaven Method.
For the next two days, Li Jing repeated the same routine.
On the night before the practical combat assessment, he finally grasped a hint of an opportunity.