Translator: CinderTL
"So that's why Father has been leaving early and returning late these past few days—he's been looking for a job?"
Jiang Ye stood by the wall.
Due to his enhanced physique, his hearing had improved. Combined with the poor soundproofing of the old house, he could faintly overhear the conversation in the next room.
"Dad's actually applying for a night security position at the Shadow Hunting Bureau?"
Jiang Ye's brow furrowed deeply.
The Shadow Hunting Bureau was an extremely specialized organization in this world, dedicated to combating the Shadow Calamity.
The Shadow Calamity had ancient origins.
Centuries ago, after Blue Star connected with the cosmos, humanity discovered a class of bizarre creatures that could attach themselves to shadows.
Through their hosts' shadows, these entities drained their victims' life force.
These sinister beings were known as the Shadow Clan.
Anyone targeted by the Shadow Clan, unless they were a martial dao expert, was doomed to die.
These creatures couldn't be killed with conventional technology; only cosmic martial arts offered a chance of annihilation.
The Shadow Hunting Bureau was the specialized agency tasked with hunting down and exterminating the Shadow Clan.
Most of Ancheng's martial dao experts were stationed there.
As Jiang Dahai had said, the Shadow Hunting Bureau was the safest place in the city.
But once the Shadow Calamity struck, it would become the most dangerous place of all.
"Dad had no choice but to apply to the Shadow Hunting Bureau," Jiang Ye understood his adoptive father's predicament.
A middle-aged man with aging parents and a young son couldn't afford to be unemployed.
Especially since Jiang Ye's martial arts training required substantial expenses.
At the very least, he needed meat every day.
The Shadow Calamity not only threatened humanity but also affected animals, causing meat prices to skyrocket annually.
Ordinary pork now sold for 50 yuan per pound.
Martial dao-grade pork, specially supplied for practitioners, cost at least 200 yuan per pound.
Specialty beef and lamb, meanwhile, exceeded 500 yuan per pound.
Yet martial dao cultivation was inseparable from meat consumption.
"Martial dao advancement relies on dietary supplements, and meat is just the most basic component," Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
He had heard that students from wealthy families not only ate meat at every meal but also consumed rare martial dao ingredients like martial ginseng, whale eyes, and tiger gallbladders.
These prices were exorbitant, often exceeding a thousand yuan.
The saying "poor scholars, rich warriors" was no mere platitude.
Jiang Ye didn't come from such a privileged background. His adoptive parents' combined annual income was less than 100,000 yuan.
Despite this, they always ensured he had meat every day.
"I absolutely must get into a martial dao university," Jiang Ye vowed, his gaze hardening with determination.
It wasn't just about repaying their kindness; he simply couldn't bear to disappoint his parents' expectations.
His immediate goal was to achieve Perfection in the Star Martial Cultivation Method before the College Entrance Examination.
"Keep practicing."
Jiang Ye returned to his starting position and resumed his fist stance.
Typically, he would train until one in the morning before collapsing into a deep sleep.
Today would be no different.
The next morning.
Jiang Ye woke up in bed, clutching his throbbing head.
"Another nightmare?"
Lately, he'd been plagued by the same recurring nightmare, yet he could never recall its details upon waking.
Jiang Ye rubbed his head, dismissing it.
He glanced at his status panel:
[Techniques]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Small Success (2%)]
"One night of cultivation, and I've already improved by 1%."
Jiang Ye was somewhat surprised.
A 1% improvement in a single night far exceeded his previous progress.
"My cultivation speed seems to have increased. Could this also be an effect of the physical enhancement?"
Could physical enhancement actually improve martial dao aptitude?
Could it be that this so-called "physical constitution" actually refers to martial dao aptitude?
This was an astonishing hypothesis.
It meant Jiang Ye's martial dao aptitude had actually improved!
"After reaching Small Success, further progress becomes increasingly difficult. However, I'll likely break through to Major Success much sooner than planned," Jiang Ye mused to himself.
The Star Martial Cultivation Method has four stages, and the difficulty doubles with each breakthrough.
The transition from Small Success to Major Success is twice as challenging as the initial Entry stage!
And the leap from Major Success to Perfection is even more daunting.
Jiang Ye had originally expected to reach Major Success by his senior year of high school, but now he believed he could achieve this goal before the end of his junior year.
"Time for breakfast," Jiang Ye said, rising and heading for the door.
After breakfast, Jiang Ye took his younger sister, Jiang Ting, to school.
Jiang Ye arrived at the entrance of Ancheng Primary School, where Jiang Ting attended.
Before parting, the little girl gazed up at him with wide, expectant eyes. "Brother, I'll miss you," she said.
Jiang Ye patted her head. "I'll bring you candy after school."
"Okay! Thank you, Brother!" Jiang Ting beamed as she skipped into the school.
Jiang Ye turned toward Ancheng Third High School, ready to begin his day of cultivation and studies.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Jiang Ye repeated his routine day after day, living a life focused on two points: home and school.
Apart from meals, sleep, and academic classes, he spent every moment cultivating.
During this time, he hadn't unlocked any new achievements.
He theorized that unlocking new achievements required either reaching a certain level of strength or triggering specific bugs in the Low-Martial Achievement System.
For example, the 'patriarch's friend' achievement had been obtained by exploiting a bug.
But so far, Jiang Ye hadn't managed to trigger any new bugs.
Fortunately, his strength was improving rapidly.
After enhancing his physique, Jiang Ye's martial dao aptitude had increased, and his cultivation speed had accelerated slightly.
Moreover, Chen Zilu's classes provided a 30% boost to his comprehension.
Of course, the most crucial factor remained his relentless practice, day and night.
Jiang Ye's martial dao strength was improving at a visibly rapid pace.
March 30th.
During cultural studies class.
As the top scorer in cultural subjects, Jiang Ye sat at his desk, gazing at his status panel.
Cultivation Methods
Star Martial Cultivation Method: Small Success (40%)
'In just one month, I'm already halfway to Major Success.' Jiang Ye thought with satisfaction.
Previously, he doubted he could have even reached 10% progress in the same timeframe.
Such was the burden of low-grade aptitude.
Most ordinary class students typically achieve Small Success by the second semester of their junior year. With only a year and a half remaining, they must cultivate with utmost dedication to even hope for Major Success.
Through this month of training, Jiang Ye had also identified a pattern:
"For every 10% increase in progress, the cultivation difficulty spikes. Now, it takes two days to gain just 1%."
Far from being discouraged, Jiang Ye felt invigorated.
His cultivation speed was already remarkably fast.
Perhaps I can reach Major Success before the semester ends.
"In today's class, we'll discuss the classification of martial dao aptitude," Teacher Chen announced, drawing Jiang Ye's attention.
The cultural studies teacher was a woman in her thirties, wearing a tight black dress that accentuated her curves. Her glasses framed a sharp, intelligent gaze.
She continued, "Martial dao aptitude is broadly divided into four levels: primitive, nascent, dao bone, and transcendent."
"According to the cosmic martial arts system, there are even higher tiers, but on Blue Star, we primarily recognize these four."
"Primitive aptitude, commonly referred to as low-grade aptitude, accounts for over 70% of the population on Blue Star."
"Aptitude not only determines the strength of one's physical constitution but also significantly impacts one's progress in cosmic martial arts cultivation. For those with primitive aptitude, embarking on the path of cosmic martial arts becomes considerably more challenging."
Jiang Ye's mind stirred slightly.
If what the teacher says is true, martial dao aptitude isn't entirely synonymous with physical constitution?
This contradicted some of his earlier assumptions.
Hmm?
Just then, Jiang Ye noticed a new line had appeared on his system interface:
— Low-Martial Achievement System —
[Name: Jiang Ye]
[Constitution: Mortal Body (Grade C)]
[Aptitude: Primitive]
[Cultivation Method]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Small Success (40%)]
[Achievements]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster]
[Patriarch's Friend]
"The system separates physique and aptitude, so they must be distinct after all," Jiang Ye thought to himself.
"The second-tier aptitude is called Nascent," the bespectacled teacher in the black, form-fitting dress explained. "Nascent signifies the rebirth of martial bone, granting a physique far superior to primitive aptitude."
"Individuals with this aptitude often possess exceptional talent in the martial dao, allowing them to cultivate with remarkable efficiency. Students in the Elite Class all possess this aptitude."
Jiang Ye was learning about Nascent aptitude students for the first time.
"Nascent aptitude allows one to reach Lawful Perfection by the second year of high school and potentially become a cosmic martial artist by the third year?" Jiang Ye was inwardly astonished.
Becoming a cosmic martial artist requires breaking free from life's shackles. Such a level seemed impossibly distant for Jiang Ye at his current stage.
No wonder the school separated ordinary and Elite Classes—the gap between them was enormous!
"If Nascent aptitude is already this powerful, what about the higher-tier dao bone and transcendent aptitudes?" Jiang Ye wondered inwardly.
The sense of satisfaction he had felt earlier vanished completely.
The path of the martial dao was long and arduous.
The Low-Martial Achievement System was merely a tool to aid his progress. To surpass those geniuses and become a true martial arts powerhouse, he would ultimately have to rely on his own efforts.
Before he knew it, martial arts class had arrived again.
Pfft!
As Jiang Ye entered the classroom, he spotted Li Zhichao in the distance, injecting himself with the Dragon Ascension Potion.
He's really rich, Jiang Ye thought to himself.
This month alone, Li Zhichao had already injected the medicine ten times. At three thousand yuan per vial, that amounted to thirty thousand yuan—an unimaginable expense for Jiang Ye's family.
As Jiang Ye was silently marveling at this, Chen Zilu, with her pristine white shoes and socks and breathtaking beauty, entered the room to begin the martial dao class.
She carried a faint, refreshing fragrance, her demeanor cool and ethereal as she demonstrated martial techniques before the students.
Jiang Ye studied diligently, finding that his greatest progress each day came during these martial dao classes.
Several hours passed in a blur.
Just before the class ended, Chen Zilu suddenly said, "Jiang Ye, come to my office after lunch."
Jiang Ye paused, surprised, but quickly replied, "Yes, Teacher."
Chen Zilu glided out of the room.
Meanwhile, the surrounding classmates cast envious glances at Jiang Ye.
"Is Teacher Chen now offering him special tutoring?"
"Last time I asked for help, she told me to go back and watch the recordings myself. Why does Jiang Ye get such preferential treatment?"
"Chen Zilu is being way too nice to him. Does he have some kind of leverage over her?"
"Stop being bitter. Jiang Ye's handsome and works hard at his training. You're not even a hair on his head."
"I have an 8 a.m. class."
"Wang Ye and his fiery steed."
"..."
(End of the Chapter)
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