Chapter 50: Level 2 Martial Artist

Chapter 50: Tier Two Martial Artist

Time is the most impartial and yet the most ruthless yardstick in the universe.

To a martial artist immersed in bitter cultivation, it slips away soundlessly, yet it leaves a profound imprint in every single corner of the body.

In the blink of an eye, another month had quietly passed.

The night was already deep.

Inside the exclusive public martial arts room for Class Three, Grade One of the Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School, the lights blazed brilliantly.

On the bustling grounds, Qin Feng sat cross-legged in a quiet corner.

With his eyes closed, his breathing was long and steady, his entire being resembling an unchangeable ancient statue, merging seamlessly into the surrounding tranquility.

He was not meditating, but quietly sensing the improvement within his own body.

The majestic energy of the final bottle of intermediate psionic potion and the gentle medicinal power of the last intermediate physical repair medicated bath were intertwined at this moment, like the most skilled artisans, performing the final and most perfect polishing and reshaping of his every muscle, every bone, and even every cell.

Within his field of vision, those numbers representing the very essence of life were making their final and most crucial sprint.

9.998...

9.999...

Time, at this moment, seemed to be infinitely elongated.

Finally, amid the convergence and sublimation of countless warm currents of energy, that invisible barrier that bound the leap of life's echelon was shattered with a resounding crash!

Vitality Index: 10.00

Vitality Index: 10.01

Success!

...

This month had been the most tedious, yet the most fulfilling month Qin Feng had experienced since his birth.

He strictly executed the training plan he had formulated for himself—a plan that could only be described as cruel—squeezing every ounce of energy out of every single minute and second.

More than thirteen hours of extreme body-tempering method cultivation every day repeatedly placed his physical body on the brink of collapse and rebirth.

Meanwhile, the massive, unending stream of top-tier resources from the C-grade contract provided the most solid and reliable guarantee for this frantic transformation.

His harvest was immense, enough to make any peer feel absolute despair.

Qin Feng summoned his system panel, and the fruits of this month's bitter cultivation were clearly displayed upon it.

Name: Qin Feng

Vitality Index: 10.01

Martial Artist Rank: Tier Two Martial Artist

Refining Method:

Primary Imperial Body-Tempering Method (Consummate)

Proficiency: 10000 / 10000

Effect: Under the current realm, passively increases Vitality Index by 0.001 points per hour. Body recovery speed and energy absorption efficiency receive a minor increase.

Emperor Meditation Method (Initiate)

Proficiency: 12 / 100

Effect: Nail of Favor x1: The speed at which you cultivate the meditation method receives a faint amplification.

Killing Method:

Thousand Army Spear (Minor Accomplishment)

Proficiency: 992 / 1000

Mastered Killer Move: Thousand Armies Swept Aside

First was the Imperial Body-Tempering Method.

Under the piling up of massive resources and day after day of extreme cultivation regardless of the cost, he had forcibly used a single month to walk the path that ordinary people required several years, or even over a decade, to complete.

His proficiency had soared all the way from the initial four hundred-plus points, leaping across the chasm from "Minor Accomplishment" to "Great Accomplishment," and finally breaking through the ten-thousand-point mark to reach the very pinnacle the technique could attain—Consummation.

Correspondingly, his Vitality Index had skyrocketed all the way from 3.42 a month ago, ultimately breaking past the 10.0 threshold steadily to reach 10.01, officially stepping into the realm of a Tier Two Martial Artist.

Aside from this, there was the passive effect of a 0.001 increase in Vitality Index per hour; though the numerical value had not changed, the Vitality Index represented physical strength, and now that Qin Feng had reached Tier Two, the physical enhancement represented by each unit of Vitality Index increase would be greater.

The passive effects of increased recovery speed and energy absorption efficiency were also extremely useful, as these constituted a martial artist's most fundamental and valuable "talent."

As for his appearance, Qin Feng's height had shot up by five centimeters during this month of skeletal development, reaching one hundred and eighty-five centimeters.

His physique was no longer that of a thin, frail youth, but had become upright and well-proportioned, brimming with a fluid sense of power.

His face was resolute, his eyebrows sharp like swords and his eyes bright like stars, shedding his previous immaturity.

His overall physical fitness, whether in strength, speed, endurance, or recovery capability, was already several times what it had been a month ago!

Next was his Thousand Army Spear.

Although he had poured ninety percent of his energy into the cultivation of the body-tempering method during this month,

the ten high-intensity ranked matches in the Imperial Arena every single day without fail, along with the meticulous post-match reviews, still allowed his spear technique to steadily improve.

Imperial Arena Data:

ID: Qin

Tier: Rank One

Ranked Record: 182 Wins, 151 Losses

Points: 131

In the span of a month, he had fought a total of over three hundred and thirty ranked matches.

His win rate, after experiencing an initial surge, had finally stabilized at around fifty-five percent.

His points had also risen from fluctuating around the initial one hundred points to the current 131 points.

This was Qin Feng's current limit; over 300 matches was by no means a low number, and it was fully representative of his data performance.

When he was matched against "locals" in the same point bracket, the battles were exhilarating and fiercely contested, truly a case of meeting one's match and encountering a worthy rival; however, if he ran into a rank-rusher, he would undoubtedly get brutally crushed. Fortunately, rank-rushers were rare; in over 300 matches, he had only encountered them two or three times, and all of them were met during his win streaks.

Qin Feng surmised that as long as he maintained a win streak, he would be judged as having increased in strength, thereby requiring a match against a stronger opponent.

Perhaps this was one of the mechanisms of the Imperial Arena.

As for his spear technique proficiency, its growth was not slow, rising all the way from four hundred-plus points to the current 992 points.

He was just one final step away from the next realm of "Great Accomplishment."

"Streaming Light Shadow Chase..."

Qin Feng could clearly feel that the killer move, which centered around extreme speed and penetrative power, had already matured in his mind; it only required a suitable opportunity, a stroke of sudden inspiration, to be completely mastered.

Finally, there was the Emperor Meditation Method.

Persisting for half an hour every day before sleep had allowed his proficiency to slowly grow by 12 points.

Though the minor achievement of 100 points still seemed a distant horizon, this daily honing of his mental strength had made his will ever more resilient and pure.

Having sorted through the immense gains of the past month, Qin Feng rose from the floor and left the public martial arts room.

Back in the dormitory, Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian were already resting in their respective rooms.

Qin Feng did not disturb them. He returned to his room, opened his wrist terminal, and dialed home. The light screen flickered on, and the familiar faces of his father, Qin Dahai, and his uncle, Wang Ming, appeared simultaneously.

They seemed to be having a meal together; a few simple home-cooked dishes sat on the table, the atmosphere warm and cozy.

"Dad, Uncle."

Qin Feng greeted them with a smile.

"Xiao Feng!"

Uncle Wang Ming dropped his chopsticks the moment he saw him, unable to contain his excitement. "You called at just the right time! I was about to share some good news with you!"

"Uncle, did you pass your designer certification?"

Qin Feng asked.

"Pass it? That's not all!"

Wang Ming's voice rose a notch as he puffed out his chest proudly. "Junior Power Armor Designer Qualification! Passed on the first try! And my mentor said I have a real talent for structural mechanics. Now I'm a full-fledged designer in the design department. Starting next month, my salary is one hundred thousand imperial credits! And there's a chance to go to headquarters for further training, to get intermediate and advanced certifications."

"That's wonderful, Uncle."

Qin Feng was genuinely happy for him.

"Fengzi, it's all thanks to you!"

Wang Ming sighed emotionally. "If you hadn't worked so hard to get into Qiyi High, I'd never have had this chance to touch things I once wouldn't even dare to dream of."

"It's your own talent, Uncle, discovered by a discerning eye."

Qin Feng praised with a smile, then turned to his father, who had been watching them with a gentle smile. "Dad, how's your health? Have you still been feeling that burning pain lately?"

"Much better, much better."

Qin Dahai's face broke into a relaxed smile, and a hint of warmth crept into his usually deep eyes.

"My job is easy now; I just rest every day. Plus, we're not strapped for cash anymore, so I don't have to save resources for you. I've had a few deep treatments at the medical center, and the results are great. The fire poison left by that 'Flame Demon' is fading more and more."

"After another two or three months of treatment, it'll be completely gone, and then I can get the arm regeneration surgery."

"..."

Hearing this, Qin Feng felt completely at ease.

His family's well-being was the greatest motivation for him to focus and forge ahead fearlessly.

"Fengzi, what about you? How are things at school?"

Qin Dahai asked with concern.

"I'm doing well, Dad."

Qin Feng smiled and briefly shared his progress.

"My vitality index just broke 10.01, so I'm officially a second-rank martial artist. The school has plenty of resources, and I'm improving fast in every area."

"What?! 10.01?!"

On the other end of the call, Qin Dahai and Wang Ming were both stunned, then their faces erupted with disbelief and ecstasy.

Only two months!

From 3.01 at enrollment to 10.01 now!

Such a rate of improvement was practically unheard of!

"Good, good, good!"

Qin Dahai exclaimed three times in excitement, his eyes slightly reddening.

"At the end of next month, the Qiming Star Inter-school Martial Arts League—I plan to sign up."

Qin Feng continued.

"The league! Can we watch? Will there be a livestream?"

Wang Ming asked immediately.

"Yes, I'll send you the livestream link when the time comes."

"Great!"

Qin Dahai said, "Son, we'll definitely watch your match together!"

After a few more pleasantries and reminding them to take care of themselves, Qin Feng ended the call.

He was about to wash up when his wrist terminal chimed with a notification.

It was a message from the Class 1-3 group chat.

The homeroom teacher, Wu Shangfeng, had @everyone.

[Wu Shangfeng]: Make sure to rest early tonight. Tomorrow's practical class will be quite challenging. Assemble at the Class 1-3 martial arts room at 7 a.m. No one is allowed to be late. @everyone

Seeing this message, Qin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.

He stepped out of his room and knocked on the doors of Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian.

The two quickly came out, clearly having seen the notice in the group chat as well.

"Looks like tomorrow's task won't be easy."

Qian Duoduo rubbed his chin, analyzing. "Teacher Wu specifically notified us a day in advance and emphasized the difficulty."

"High difficulty also means more merit points as a reward."

A glint of battle intent flashed in Shi Potian's eyes.

He had been training his killing techniques like crazy this month, making great progress with the Ninefold Thunder Blade.

As for his vitality index, it had been stuck at 9.98 on purpose, all to compete for the merit points in this month's exam and secure a C-level contract. Now, with a tougher task ahead, Shi Potian was naturally excited.

"Yeah, no matter what the task is, it's always right to be fully prepared."

Qin Feng nodded. "We need to rest well today."

The three discussed briefly, speculating on what they might face tomorrow, but with too little information, they couldn't reach any conclusions.

So they decided not to dwell on it, each returning to their own room to turn in early.

(End of chapter)