Chapter 1: Li Yuan

Chapter 1: Li Yuan

In the year 2042 of the Seven Star Calendar, in the city of Jiangcheng, Jiangbei Province, Xia Kingdom, there was a place known for its scorching heat, with only a brief respite during the transition from winter to summer.

Guan Shan District First High School.

In every classroom of the senior year building, a similar banner hung behind the blackboard, each with its own motivational phrase: 'No pain, no gain, make every day count in senior year' or 'Fight for your dreams, no regrets' and 'Senior year is no joke, go hard or go home'...

On the first floor, in the eastern wing, there was a classroom unlike any other. Spanning nearly a thousand square meters, it was devoid of desks and chairs. Instead, one side was lined with various cold weapons such as knives, guns, swords, and staffs, while the other side displayed numerous specialized instruments and a unique runway paved with silver metal.

This was the Martial Arts classroom.

At this moment, over a hundred students were practicing various stances and movements, each with their own unique style. Some moved like agile monkeys, others like soaring birds, and some resembled fierce tigers. Their spirits were high, and their auras were impressive.

"The root is in the feet, the power originates from the legs, and the waist controls it all, combining the strength of a hundred bones to manifest through the fingers..." A tall, middle-aged man with a stern expression and a height nearing two meters strode among the students. His voice boomed like a bell, and his gaze was as sharp as a tiger's as he scrutinized each student.

The most striking feature was his right arm, a silver metal prosthetic that seamlessly merged with his stump, allowing fluid and natural movements.

"By this stage, you should have mastered the fundamental cultivation techniques that you started learning in your sophomore year. Yet, here you are in your senior year, still wobbling and unsteady in your stances." The tall man scolded as he casually struck a student with his metal arm, sending him crashing to the ground. "If your stances are not stable, your foundation is weak! The fundamental cultivation techniques are the basis of martial arts!"

"Practice makes perfect. One day of practice, one day of progress. Neglect your training for a day, and you'll lose a hundred days of gains."

"You're in your senior year, and you still want to slack off? You're in the regular class, and you haven't even awakened your martial spirit. If you don't work harder, how do you expect to get into a Martial Arts University?"

"Even if you're not aiming for a Martial Arts University, the martial arts score accounts for 30% of the overall college entrance examination." The tall man continued his tirade.

The students dared not even breathe heavily under his scolding.

"Report!"

"Report!" Over a dozen voices chimed at the classroom door, and a group of students wearing martial arts uniforms appeared.

"Is this the second group back from the spiritual test?" The tall man glanced towards the door.

His sharp gaze then fell upon one particular student.

This student stood nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a buzz cut. At first glance, he didn't seem extraordinary, but upon closer inspection, one would notice his upright posture, straight spine, and an air of unshakeable stability even when standing casually.

It was clear that this student had seamlessly integrated the fundamental cultivation technique 'Top of the head should be lifted, tailbone should be lowered' into his daily life, achieving a state of mind-body unity and effortless power transmission.

He had surpassed the martial arts level of all the students practicing stances in the classroom.

"Li Yuan, how did it go?" The tall man turned to him.

The nearly hundred students practicing stances couldn't help but sneak glances at Li Yuan.

"Mr. Xu, I wasn't able to awaken my martial spirit," Li Yuan replied calmly, showing no signs of disappointment.

The tall man, Mr. Xu, furrowed his brows upon hearing this.

Li Yuan was the most promising student in his class for awakening a martial spirit.

"Li Yuan couldn't do it?"

"In the second semester's final exam, his martial arts score was in the top thirty of the grade. His physical fitness level was already at level 6 back then, and it's definitely higher now. How is it possible that he hasn't awakened his martial spirit?"

"Awakening a martial spirit is truly difficult!" The students practicing stances were all silently amazed.

In the Xia Kingdom, and even across the entire Bluesphere, there were two paths to talent selection: academic courses and martial arts cultivation.

All students, starting from junior high, were taught fundamental cultivation techniques by the state and practiced martial arts.

Guan Shan District First High School's senior year had over two thousand students across twenty classes.

However, there was only one Martial Arts Elite Class, while the rest were regular classes.

The Martial Arts Elite Class had over sixty students, each with an awakened martial spirit. They often dominated the top fifty martial arts scores in their grade.

For Li Yuan, a student from the regular class, to achieve a martial arts score within the top thirty was truly astonishing.

"What about the others? Did anyone else awaken their martial spirit?" Mr. Xu's gaze swept across the room.

Silence filled the classroom.

"Everyone, come on in." Mr. Xu wasn't surprised by this outcome.

In reality, most students who awakened their martial spirits did so in their freshman year or even during junior high.

The chances of awakening in senior year were slim!

Mr. Xu had only held high hopes for Li Yuan. He waved his hand and said, "Third group, go to the Martial Arts Building for the spiritual test."

A row of students, their legs already sore and feet aching, hurriedly stood up and rushed out of the classroom.

Li Yuan's group, having just returned, resumed their stance practice.

"Brother Yuan, it seems like Mr. Xu's class is a bit disappointed," said a classmate with a mature appearance and a goatee, speaking in a low voice.

"Forget it," Li Yuan replied.

"Let's keep practicing. Four hours of fundamental cultivation technique practice daily is the basic requirement," Li Yuan said calmly. He had anticipated this result and wasn't disappointed.

"Four hours?" The mature-looking classmate exclaimed, "No wonder you're our class's second volume king!"

Li Yuan smiled at the comment and ignored him. He closed his eyes, slightly bent his knees, and his aura transformed. He became like a solid rock, exuding an even stronger sense of unshakeable stability.

"Stone Practice Method," Li Yuan thought, recalling the various movements of this cultivation technique.

He had practiced these movements countless times, committing them to memory.

In this era, martial arts thrived.

The Seven Star Alliance made seven fundamental cultivation techniques publicly available to all citizens of the Seven Star Alliance. These techniques were not ranked but were chosen based on individual suitability.

Whether one was rich or poor, noble or common, everyone started their martial arts journey with these fundamental cultivation techniques.

The 'Stone Practice Method' was Li Yuan's chosen cultivation technique, which he had been practicing for over five years.

Each fundamental cultivation technique could greatly enhance one's potential, improving physical fitness levels and eventually leading to the awakening of the martial spirit.

Li Yuan's physical fitness level was not even at level 7 yet.

Even those with physical fitness levels beyond level 9, who were considered entry-level martial artists, continued to practice these fundamental cultivation techniques.

"Huff!"

"Huff!"

Each fundamental cultivation technique consisted of thirty-six forms and corresponding breathing techniques.

Li Yuan's breathing alternated between rapid and slow, synchronizing with his movements, causing a subtle sound to emanate from within his body.

The Bones and Muscles Roar!

"Ah, this feels so good." Li Yuan immersed himself in this cultivation method.

He could feel his entire body's muscles and bones being constantly stimulated, growing stronger.

This was the evolution of life.

In this era, even ordinary teenagers had the potential to break the century-old world record in sprinting.

All thanks to cultivation methods.

"It's a pity that I didn't make it into the top twenty in the last semester-end exam. Otherwise, I would have received a 5,000-block scholarship, and I could have also gotten some additional Qi and Blood medicine," Li Yuan's thoughts wandered: "With more Qi and Blood medicine, my physical quality would improve faster, and I could also ease some of Uncle and Aunt's financial burden."

Li Yuan was an orphan, raised by his uncle and aunt.

His uncle was a state-owned enterprise employee, and his aunt was a junior high school teacher.

Logically, such a family should be considered well-off, if not wealthy.

But Li Yuan had been frail and sickly since childhood, and his uncle and aunt had spent a lot of money on his medical treatments.

Later, following the doctor's advice, they began investing a substantial amount of money in Li Yuan's martial arts cultivation from junior high school, even surpassing the expenses for their own children.

Fortunately, Li Yuan had decent talent, and his diligent cultivation paid off. He passed the National College Entrance Examination and was admitted to Guan Shan District First High School. His academic performance continued to improve, and by the second year, he ranked within the top 100 in his grade. By the end of the second semester, he had surged into the top 30.

This brought great joy to his uncle and aunt.

However, martial arts cultivation heavily relied on talent and money.

Especially after his physical quality reached Level 6, the resources required to enhance his physical quality, such as food from the Star Realm, Qi and Blood medicines, medicinal meals, and special equipment, were all extremely expensive.

Compared to the other students in the top 30 of the grade, Li Yuan's external conditions were quite ordinary, even considered below average.

Nevertheless, Li Yuan understood that his uncle and aunt had already done their best to support him.

There were still younger siblings at home, and he couldn't ask for more.

"But it's been six times already."

"Every year since junior high, I've taken the Spirituality Detection test, and I've failed each time," Li Yuan pondered: "If the latent Martial Spirit within my body awakens, I would get a 10% bonus to my exam scores, and I could directly break into the top ten in the grade."

"If I awaken my Martial Arts Spirit, I'll also receive a national subsidy."

Whether or not he would awaken his Martial Arts Spirit...

Throughout Bluesphere and even the Seven Planets, the awakening of one's Martial Arts Spirit was one of the most important indicators in evaluating a person's talent in martial arts.

Unfortunately, Li Yuan had never been able to awaken his Martial Arts Spirit.

Over the years, the number of students from this school who made it into the Top Five Martial Arts Universities never exceeded five. Li Yuan silently thought to himself: "With my current grades, getting into an ordinary Martial Arts University won't be a problem."

"But to get into the Top Five Martial Arts Universities, if I don't awaken my Martial Spirit, the hope is extremely slim."

The population of Xia Guo was nearly two billion, and there were twenty-four provinces, each with its own Martial Arts University that only admitted students from within the province. This was the goal of most students aspiring to study martial arts.

The Top Five Martial Arts Universities, on the other hand, were established by Xia Guo and recruited students nationwide.

While students in ordinary Martial Arts Universities received a considerable amount of cultivation resources, they still had to rely heavily on their own efforts.

For students in the Top Five Martial Arts Universities, the nation would invest a vast amount of resources into each and every one of them.

"With the support of national resources, my martial arts journey will go much further. I can become an Initiate Martial Artist like Teacher Xu, or even surpass him," Li Yuan silently chanted.

His goal for the National College Entrance Examination was to get into one of the Top Five Martial Arts Universities.

However, the Top Five Martial Arts Universities also had extremely high score requirements.

"Step by step, I still have nine months until the exam," Li Yuan quietly practiced, his mind clearing of all distractions.

...

Soon after, a commotion could be heard outside the classroom. Over ten students from Group Three returned to the classroom door, their faces showing slight excitement.

"Teacher Xu, Wan Xiao has awakened his Martial Spirit!"

"Teacher Xu!" Before the burly man could respond, many students couldn't hold back and started shouting.

The classroom erupted in excitement.

"Wan Xiao, he awakened his Martial Arts Spirit?"

"Is he going to the Elite Class?"

"Students in the Elite Class can start cultivating Advanced Cultivation Methods, right?" Most of the classmates couldn't help but reveal envious gazes.

Only by awakening one's Martial Arts Spirit could they hope to enter the Elite Class, even if Li Yuan had made it into the top 30 in the grade.

"Wan Xiao?" Li Yuan opened his eyes and couldn't help but look towards the burly figure at the classroom door, his face slightly flushed.

He was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with an extremely robust build, resembling a bear, his arms were astonishingly thick, and only his face retained a hint of youthfulness.

This was Wan Xiao, the only other student in the class besides Li Yuan who ranked within the top grades in martial arts.

"Li Yuan," Wan Xiao, still excited, seemed to sense Li Yuan's gaze and glanced at him, a smile on his face.

Li Yuan smiled back.

In terms of martial arts performance, Li Yuan was superior to Wan Xiao.

In terms of family background, Wan Xiao was much better off.

As the top two students in the class, Li Yuan and Wan Xiao often competed for scholarships, but their relationship was surprisingly good.

Friendships among classmates were often pure.

"Damn! Brother Yuan, you couldn't awaken your Martial Spirit, and this bear-like Wan Xiao did? What luck!" The boy standing next to Li Yuan, with a mature-looking face, muttered, "With the bonus from his awakened Martial Spirit, his martial arts scores will soon catch up to you, Brother Yuan."

Wan Xiao, nicknamed Bear.

Li Yuan chuckled softly, "Old Zhou, are you envious?"

The boy's name was Zhou Qi, and due to his thick hair and mature appearance, he was nicknamed 'Old Zhou'.

Zhou Qi was Li Yuan's classmate from junior high, and they both entered Guan Shan First High School and were even assigned to the same class.

After five or six years, they were practically brothers.

"Envious? I'm just jealous that my cultural class scores are enough to get into a key university. As for martial arts class, it's mainly for physical training. I can't always be a skinny weakling, or I won't even catch up to Lingling in the future..." Zhou Qi whispered, "I'm just standing up for you."

Li Yuan smiled.

Zhou Qi's physical quality was average, and he barely reached Level 4. But his academic performance was excellent, ranking within the top 50 in the grade.

National resources were limited, and the number of students recruited into Martial Arts Universities was still a minority.

Most students ultimately entered different universities based on their cultural scores.

"Wan Xiao has a good physical quality, so it's normal for him to awaken his Martial Arts Spirit," Li Yuan said, "The National College Entrance Examination is a competition among all third-year high school students in the province and even the nation, not just between me and Wan Xiao."

Wan Xiao's awakening of his Martial Arts Spirit only brought joy to Li Yuan.

There were over sixty students in the third-year grade who had awakened their Martial Arts Spirit, and if you counted the entire school, province, and nation... there were too many.

Instead of worrying about others, it was better to improve oneself. This was a principle Li Yuan had understood since childhood.

...

Wan Xiao's successful awakening greatly stimulated the other students, and even those who hadn't been tested yet felt a hint of anticipation.

Chapter 4 and 5... Failure, failure.

In the end, the entire Class Two of Senior Year underwent the testing, and only Wan Xiao awakened his Martial Spirit.

After all the students returned to the classroom...

The tall and sturdy Mr. Xu scanned the room with his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Alright, today's Fundamental Cultivation Techniques practice ends here. Stop."

Clatter~ Clatter~ Instantly, all the students stopped, many of them already feeling their legs turn sore and weak.

Only under the strictness of Mr. Xu did no one dare to lie down on the ground.

Fundamental Cultivation Techniques were very exhausting.

Even though the seniors' Physical Fitness Levels generally reached Level 4, after two hours of cultivation, most of them still felt strained.

"It's a good thing that some of you have awakened your Martial Arts Spirituality. Those who didn't succeed, don't be discouraged."

"Before the National College Entrance Examination, there will be the January Adjustment Exam and the April Unified Exam, and the school will organize a Spiritual Awakening Test for each."

"Before the National College Entrance Examination, there will also be a National Spiritual Awakening Test."

"As long as you awaken your Spiritual Energy before the National College Entrance Examination, your Martial Arts College Entrance Exam Score will receive a bonus." Mr. Xu said, "But remember, exam scores are the foundation. Only when your foundation scores are high enough will the bonus be useful."

"Even in the Elite Class, not everyone can get into a Martial Arts University."

"How do you get good scores? Through hard work!"

"Take Li Yuan for example, without any Spiritual Energy bonus, his Martial Arts score can still exceed 80%, surpassing most of the Elite Class students." Mr. Xu scolded, "And his diligence speaks for itself."

Most of the students couldn't help but look at Li Yuan, their eyes filled with admiration.

Li Yuan's diligence in cultivation was somewhat renowned throughout the entire senior year.

"Brother Yuan, Mr. Xu is making you a target again." Zhou Qi whispered beside him.

Li Yuan smiled helplessly.

Ever since his Martial Arts score surged into the top 100 of the grade, he had become accustomed to being the 'other people's child'.

Mr. Xu, whose real name was Xu Bo, was the Martial Arts class teacher for Li Yuan's class and one of the only two Special-Grade Martial Arts teachers in Guankanshan First High School.

As far as Li Yuan knew, Mr. Xu's Physical Fitness Level had surpassed Level 15, making him an exceptional existence among Rank 1 Martial Artists. He had been a military Martial Artist and retired to teach at Guankanshan First High School after being injured.

Physical Fitness Levels above Level 9 were considered Rank 1 Martial Artists, and their status in society was extremely high.

Ordinary adults usually had Physical Fitness Levels of around 5-6.

"You are at a crucial stage of rapid Physical Fitness improvement, and Senior Year will determine your future." Mr. Xu continued his lecture, "You must not slack off."

"Now, rest for half an hour, and then I will conduct a Skills Test for each of you." After finishing his lecture, Mr. Xu turned and left.

"Huh?"

"A Skills Test?"

"We're going to be crushed by Mr. Xu again, I bet you can't last three moves."

"Can you last three moves against Mr. Xu?" Many students whispered to each other, all quite excited.

Li Yuan's eyes also flashed with a strange light.

On Bluesphere and the Seven Planets, the constant threat of war meant that powerful Martial Artists played a crucial role.

Therefore, the consensus was that everyone should cultivate Martial Arts.

In human society, the status of top Martial Arts experts was extremely high.

Students like Li Yuan and his peers especially idolized these powerful Martial Artists.

Xu Bo was one of the top Martial Arts experts that these students could come into contact with in real life.

"Brother Yuan, the Skills Test is your forte." Zhou Qi said excitedly.

"You should think about yourself first. I observed your stance practice just now, and there's not much improvement compared to last semester." Li Yuan smiled, "Later, don't let Mr. Xu knock you down with one staff strike, or you'll lose face in front of Peng Lingling."

Peng Lingling was Zhou Qi's unrequited love interest.

Zhou Qi's face turned stiff, and he said awkwardly, "I'm not planning to take the Martial Arts University entrance exam anyway, Lingling won't mind."

...

In the classroom, each student took out their weapon from the weapon cabinet behind the weapon rack.

Then, they all put on their armor.

In this era, every high school student would be uniformly equipped with one or two unsharpened cold weapons by the state, mainly swords, spears, and shields, with a minority choosing axes, halberds, and swords.

As for hammers, poleaxes, hooks, forks, whips, and maces? Almost no student would choose them.

When practicing cold weapons, swords and spears were the mainstream.

The Martial Arts College Entrance Exam score was based on 1000 points, consisting of Physical Fitness, Martial Arts Skills, and Academic Scores, with respective weights of 50%, 40%, and 10%.

If one awakened their Spiritual Energy, they would receive an additional bonus.

Therefore, the Skills Test was extremely important and was the focus of students' daily training.

If one only had good Physical Fitness without excellent skills, they couldn't get into a Martial Arts University.

Huff!

Li Yuan also took out his weapon from his dedicated weapon cabinet, a black long spear, nearly three meters long and weighing about five kilograms.

Although it was called a spear, the spearhead was just for decoration, and it was more like a staff, after all, it was provided by the state for cultivation and not for actual combat.

"Huff!"

Li Yuan gripped the spear shaft and casually thrust it forward.

Whoosh! The spear tip pierced the air, creating a faint air-tearing sensation, causing the faces of the surrounding students to change slightly.

With Li Yuan's strength, a single thrust, even without sharpening, was still very powerful.

"This type of long spear can only be handled by Li Yuan in our class."

"When Li Yuan holds a spear, it feels like facing Mr. Xu." The students whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with envy and admiration.

There were many students in the class who practiced spear techniques, but most were unwilling to practice such a long spear.

The longer the spear, the harder it was to control.

Weapons were meant to be cultivated for a lifetime, and the most suitable one for oneself was the best.

"Skills First! Brother Yuan's Martial Arts Skills Test score in the second semester was 356, the only one in the entire grade to exceed 350." Zhou Qi said with a smile, "Even Mr. Xu has said that Brother Yuan's spear technique is very solid."

Many students nodded in agreement.

Without Spiritual Energy bonuses and not having the top Physical Fitness Level, why was Li Yuan's Martial Arts score among the top 30 in the grade?

It was because his spear technique skills far surpassed his peers.

In the single subject of Martial Arts Skills, Li Yuan was recognized as the top student in the entire grade.

Soon, the muscular Mr. Xu casually held a staff and walked back into the classroom.

His gaze lingered on Li Yuan for a while.

"For the test, I will use the National College Entrance Examination standards."

"Take it seriously, treat every test as the real exam. When the actual National College Entrance Examination arrives, it will only be a matter of executing what you've practiced." Mr. Xu's voice was deep as he held the staff, looking very serious.

"According to your Student IDs, come in reverse order."

"112, Zhou Qi."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end