Translator: CinderTL
Returning home, Jiang Ye immediately shared the good news with his parents.
"What? Second in the entire class?" Li Anping exclaimed in disbelief.
"My brother's amazing!" Jiang Ting said, her eyes shining with admiration.
Jiang Dahai, seated at the dining table, was equally surprised. "Second place? Weren't you ranked 25th at the start of the semester?"
Jiang Ye had already prepared his explanation. "Teacher Chen said that after I achieved Small Success in the Star Martial Cultivation Method, my martial bone awakened, causing my cultivation speed to skyrocket."
"Martial bone awakening?" Jiang Dahai and Li Anping exchanged puzzled glances.
They didn't understand what it meant, but it seemed like a good thing.
"Excellent!" Jiang Dahai roared with laughter, his voice booming. "Our family's about to produce a martial arts prodigy!"
Li Anping smiled. "Xiao Ye will definitely get into a martial dao university next year."
The couple's greatest wish was for their children to attend martial dao universities, sparing them from repeating their own arduous path.
Jiang Ye cleared his throat. "Mom, Dad, Teacher Chen gave me 30,000 yuan today."
He pulled a thick stack of bills from his backpack.
"Thirty thousand?" Jiang Dahai and Li Anping were both astonished.
Their family's savings over the years amounted to only a few tens of thousands of yuan.
Thirty thousand yuan in cash was a substantial sum.
Jiang Ye briefly explained the situation, mentioning the trial scheduled for a month later.
"Alright, we support you," Jiang Dahai said solemnly. "They said you could repay the money after graduation, but they probably never intended for you to repay it at all. We'll not only repay it, but we'll do so as soon as possible."
"Give and take—that's how relationships deepen. By fulfilling your promise early, you'll strengthen the bond even further, making it easier to ask for favors in the future."
Jiang Ye nodded, understanding the principle.
However, his adoptive father's words carried a deeper wisdom.
After all, Jiang Dahai had spent decades working his way up from the grassroots level, turning his past setbacks into valuable experience.
"Now that I'm working at the Shadow Hunting Bureau, our finances aren't as tight anymore," Jiang Ye said.
Jiang Dahai chuckled. "Just remember to repay the money after your College Entrance Examination."
Jiang Ye nodded.
Speaking of the Shadow Hunting Bureau, he recalled something. "Dad, how's the Bureau been lately? Teacher Chen mentioned that Ancheng might not be very safe these days."
"Not safe?"
Jiang Dahai shook his head. "The bureau hasn't issued any warnings, but since your teacher said so, it's best to be cautious."
Jiang Ye nodded.
Over the next few days, Jiang Ye resumed his daily training routine.
Summer arrived, bringing with it the incessant chirping of cicadas and the scorching sun.
Jiang Ye remained indoors, dedicating himself entirely to his training.
Each night, he entered the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, repeatedly challenging the illusionary realm of the first layer. In the massage room, he faced trials that tested his Martial Dao Will.
Every night, he was relentlessly tormented by a diverse group of beauties, including Chen Zilu and Zhao Qingli.
Previously, Jiang Ye might not have been so enthusiastic about this.
But after the Virtual Cosmos Assessment, he realized the crucial importance of a strong Martial Dao Will.
"If we encounter the Shadow Clan, besides raw strength, a powerful Martial Dao Will is essential."
"The Shadow Clan's voices penetrate directly into the mind, inducing a trance-like state."
"Only a formidable Martial Dao Will can resist them."
Each night, Jiang Ye fought to exhaustion in the massage room.
His Martial Dao Will steadily grew stronger.
Before he knew it, a week had passed.
At home.
Jiang Ye completed his current stage of cultivation and opened his system panel to check his progress.
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Physique: Mortal Body (B-Grade)]
[Innate Talent: Primitive]
[Cultivation Technique:]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Major Success (21%)]
[Achievements:]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster, Patriarch's Friend, Martial Dao Grandmaster, Beauty's Inquiry]
[Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder:]
[First Layer]
This week, Jiang Ye had been consuming leopard gall daily and applying Martial Dao Essence Oil all over his body.
Martial Dao Essence Oil was a cultivation resource that accelerated physical transformation, costing a thousand yuan for a small bottle. With his all-out push for progress within the month, Jiang Ye didn't hesitate to spend the money.
Fortunately, the results were significant.
However, after breaking through 20% progress in his cultivation method, he noticed a clear slowdown in his progress.
This was to be expected.
The transition from Major Success to Perfection was the most grueling stage. Even most students in the Elite Class required a full year to overcome this hurdle.
Once I acquire tiger gallbladder and whale eye, these precious ingredients should accelerate my progress even further, Jiang Ye thought to himself.
The more valuable martial dao ingredients were, the harder they were to obtain, especially in a small place like Ancheng. These resources were monopolized by the wealthy elite.
Jiang Ye's family could only afford second-rate leopard gall.
However, after a week of inquiries, Jiang Dahai had finally found a reliable source and expected to secure tiger gallbladder and whale eye within the next few days.
"Still too slow," Jiang Ye muttered.
He frowned. "The higher you go, the harder cultivation becomes. Every 10% increase in progress makes it significantly more difficult."
"At this rate, how am I supposed to achieve my first breakthrough before the College Entrance Examination?"
To break through to the first level and become a cosmic martial artist, he needed to undergo multiple rounds of cosmic tempering. Each session required a considerable amount of time.
Calculating the time required, he realized it would be impossible to meet the twenty-five school alliance's entry requirements before the exam.
"I heard Zhao Qingli, the top student in our grade, achieved a transformation from Major Success to Perfection in just half a year."
"She also has a B-Grade Mortal Physique. How did she manage that?" Jiang Ye wondered.
Even if she had access to expensive nutritional supplements every day, his current situation wasn't much different. Now that his physique and comprehension had improved, the gap between them shouldn't be so vast.
"I'll ask Teacher Chen," Jiang Ye suddenly remembered. He could contact Chen Zilu anytime.
He had been so engrossed in cultivation this past week that he hadn't tried contacting her. Today was the first time.
With this thought, Jiang Ye immediately pulled out his communicator watch.
After activating it, he found Chen Zilu's contact information and dialed her number.
Beep...
A moment later, a crisp, melodious voice answered from the watch.
"What is it?"
Jiang Ye quickly replied, "Teacher, I heard that Zhao Qingli, the top student in our year..."
He briefly explained his doubts.
Chen Zilu chuckled softly. "Zhao Qingli? Don't bother comparing yourself to her. She spends a hundred thousand yuan each month just on dietary supplements."
"A hundred thousand yuan per month?" Jiang Ye exclaimed in shock.
That was equivalent to his parents' entire annual salary!
This...
It seemed he had underestimated just how wealthy the wealthy truly were.
"Does she eat martial dao ingredients like tiger gallbladder and whale eye every day?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask.
Chen Zilu replied, "Even more advanced than those. Martial dao-specific ingredients."
"..."
Jiang Ye sighed.
The rich really deserve to die!
"However, Zhao Qingli's rapid progress from Major Success to Perfection in just half a year isn't solely due to dietary supplements."
Chen Zilu continued, "More importantly, she also used cosmic energy for tempering."
"Cosmic energy?" Jiang Ye asked.
Chen Zilu nodded.
"Cosmic energy, also known as stellar energy, is a fundamental energy that all cosmic martial artists must master."
"The cosmic tempering before the first breakthrough involves using stellar energy to refine the physical body, breaking through the shackles of life."
Chen Zilu explained, "After achieving Major Success in the Star Martial Cultivation Method, one can also use trace amounts of stellar energy to temper the physical body, significantly accelerating the process."
Hearing this, Jiang Ye's eyes lit up. "Teacher, can I do that too?"
However, Chen Zilu's next answer caught him completely off guard.
(End of the Chapter)
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