Two hours after practicing the Basic Cultivation Method.
Li Yuan felt exhilarated, his body more invigorated than ever.
“It’s just a basic method, but it’s one forged through thousands of refinements by my ancestors of the Human Race,” Li Yuan thought to himself.
“After advancing to the Fourth Level in all martial arts skills and using auxiliary treasures like body cleansing spiritual marrow and Essence Pills.”
“With the Basic Cultivation Method, the evolution speed of my body is extremely rapid, surpassing by far most of the freshmen who cultivate high rank methods,” Li Yuan thought to himself.
High Rank Cultivation Methods indeed help one advance faster, but everyone’s talent is different, and there is often a limit to how fast one can progress.
And without a doubt.
Li Yuan’s physical talent was exceptionally high, augmented by an abundance of resources bought with a considerable sum of money.
Most importantly, Li Yuan could endure the terrible pain that came with using body cleansing spiritual marrow three times a month.
This made the speed of his physical quality improvement astonishingly fast.
“However.”
“Considering my current rate of improvement, achieving what Uncle Wan mentioned, becoming a Prime Warrior within two years? That’s tough!” Li Yuan frowned slightly as he glanced at his Divine Palace panel.
——
[Life Level: 10.8 (First Rank)]
Fist Strength: 1710 kilograms
Speed: 24.5 meters/second
Spiritual Power: 17.9 level
Spiritual Awakening Level: 12.8% (Current limit 20%)
Physical Body Cultivation Method: “Solid Rock Cultivation Method”
Mental Cultivation Method: “Observing the Great Sun Starry Sky Scripture”
Skill Realm: Spear Technique (Fourth Level 42%), Movement Technique (Fourth Level 31%), Fist Technique (Fourth Level 44%)
…
“Since the grading exam in April, when I became an Entry Rank Martial Artist, I’ve been improving by about 0.3 levels each month,” Li Yuan thought to himself: “But it will definitely get slower as I progress.”
Becoming a Prime Warrior in two years? Nearly impossible!
“However, if Uncle Wan says so, he must have his reasons.” Li Yuan pondered, “After all, he is a Prime Warrior and part of the management at Starfire Martial Hall, and he graduated from Kunlun Martial University. He must know something.”
Li Yuan could only think of two possibilities.
First, as his martial arts skills improved, especially after reaching ‘Subtlety’, the efficiency of his body conditioning would be much greater than he imagined.
Second, Kunlun Martial University had special cultivation methods for students with S-Grade special training contracts that he was unaware of.
“Tomorrow is the official start of the school year.”
“Then I’ll see President Li and ask for more details,” Li Yuan looked forward with anticipation.
…
At three in the morning, after ending his cultivation of the “Observing the Great Sun and Stars Technique,” Li Yuan, as usual, entered the virtual reality pod.
Preparing to have a few rank-matched fights on the Starry Skies Fighting Network.
But as soon as he entered his personal space.
“Master, you received three transfers and two document explanations yesterday,” said the black-clad young girl respectfully, like a maid.
“Three transfers?”
Li Yuan was slightly surprised, and he quickly checked them. One was for 20 thousand, another for 500 thousand.
These were for the team award and the individual award in the entrance competition.
And there was another of 10 million Blue Star Coins!
“Kunlun Martial University’s S-Grade contract cash reward?” Li Yuan thought to himself, “They’ve already issued it upon my confirmed arrival at the campus?”
This was for the entire year.
As per the contract, a signing fee of one million Blue Star Coins had already been given to Li Yuan.
Subsequent annual rewards amounted to 10 million, totaling to 50 million Blue Star Coins over five years.
Meanwhile.
In the S-Grade special training contract with Kunlun Martial University, it was stipulated that as soon as Li Yuan became a Prime Warrior, all subsequent cash rewards would be issued in one lump sum.
Becoming a Prime Warrior signified being qualified to ‘graduate’, with the option to apply for early graduation.
“Compared with Starfire Martial Hall’s A-Grade contract, the cash rewarded by Kunlun Martial University is indeed lesser,” Li Yuan thought to himself.
Under the A-Grade contract Li Yuan signed with Starfire Martial Hall, a total of 43.2 million Blue Star Coins and 43.2 million Martial Hall Points would be issued over six years.
Plus, over eighty million Cultivation Points.
And this was just an A-Grade contract; if it were an S-Grade contract with Starfire Martial Hall, the various cultivation resource rewards would at least quadruple.
Before becoming a Prime Warrior, such rewards were astronomical.
However.
Li Yuan was well aware of the difference between the two contracts: the Martial Hall’s rewards were mainly cultivation resources, and they rarely supervised how the cultivation was done.
For those who excelled, the contract level could be elevated.
For those not making enough progress? They would simply be one among the masses, without a decrease in the contract level.
As for Martial Arts Universities, their training programs were much more comprehensive, offering full guidance in all aspects, with many benefits not specified in the contract.
For example, the reduction in benefits isn’t in cash rewards but many other special resources that aren’t written in the contract, like teaching staff, practical combat training partners, heavenly materials treasures, and so on.
…
At four in the morning,
Li Yuan’s day of arduous cultivation truly began.
At eight in the morning, after consuming an Essence Pill, he also ate three nutritious meals that were delivered.
That’s right!
The cafeteria of Kunlun Martial University was very small, and students hardly ever ate there.
Because each student could order meals anytime they wanted, delivered to their villas or academic buildings, and up to 20 nutritious meals a day were completely free.
The entire Kunlun Martial University, with its massive number of logistics staff, assistant robots, and more, just for student services,
Their goal was to allow every student to devote themselves entirely to Martial Path cultivation.
…
At nine in the morning, Li Yuan took a flying vehicle and arrived at the Heilong Building, exclusive to teachers and students of the Sixth Institute.
“Heilong.”
As Li Yuan got off the flying vehicle, he immediately saw the gigantic skeletal remains coiling up in front of the building.
Even though it coiled around, its height nearly matched that of the whole building.
If stretched out, it would probably be hundreds of meters long, a sight so shocking it could stir the soul.
It resembled the skeletal remains of a giant serpent.
Even though it had been dead for many years, as Li Yuan approached closely, he could still feel a wisp of its aura, causing one’s heart to tremble.
“Big brother!”
“Brother Yuan.” Two voices called out from a distance, it was Gu Qianghan and An Nong.
“Good morning,” Li Yuan turned his head and smiled at the two.
“Looking at the skeleton of the black dragon?” Gu Qianghan asked curiously.
“Yes,” Li Yuan nodded, looking up at the gigantic skeleton of the black dragon: “I read the academy’s brochure yesterday.”
“It is a black dragon that burst forth more than twenty years ago, from the deep South Sea not far from the Ruins Star Realm, stirring up the wind and clouds, causing a terrifying tsunami that resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties,” Li Yuan said softly: “In the end, it was our university’s Dean Hai who took action, traveling thousands of miles across the South Sea, diving thousands of meters into the seabed, before finally killing it.”
“Right.”
“We know too.”
“Dean Hai’s famous battle, the flying heaven duel, the slaying of the South Sea black dragon,” both Gu Qianghan and An Nong couldn’t help but say.
Dean Hai is the only Flying Heaven Warrior among the six institutes.
His power is terrifying, his fame illustrious.
The battle to kill the South Sea black dragon, back then, shook the entire Xia Country.
The children of their generation mostly heard about it, and even saw some video clips of it.
“Big brother.”
“Elder brother.” More freshmen walked over, and after yesterday’s event at Xuanwu Tower, all the first-years from the Sixth Institute recognized Li Yuan and greeted him.
Li Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.
“Big brother, rest assured.” Sounding low, An Nong said, “I’ve hastily chosen six people overnight and have started informing all the freshmen in batches.”
“It’s not a problem,” said An Nong.
“Alright, thank you for your hard work,” Li Yuan could not help but glance at An Nong, seeing him as a real talent.
But he wondered how good An Nong’s martial arts skills were.
…The Sixth Institute’s freshman orientation ceremony officially began at ten, and all the students were looking forward to seeing Dean Hai, who did not show up.
Two vice-deans came instead.
After various speeches, at eleven o’clock, when President Li announced the selection of the ‘Master Brother’ for the first semester of freshman year.
“Li Yuan!”
“Master brother, Li Yuan!” The whole venue, within just a few seconds, erupted with a tsunami of cheering.
Such enthusiasm.
Not to mention President Li and the other leaders and teachers of the institutes, even Li Yuan himself was a bit flustered.
“Could I really be this popular?” Li Yuan doubted.
But what Li Yuan didn’t know.
Last night.
An Nong used only one argument to dispel any doubts among the Sixth Institute’s freshmen: “It’s not that Li Yuan wants to be master brother; do you think he, a martial arts prodigy, cares about a title like master brother?”
“Without being the master brother, do you think the vice-deans and the dean would not cultivate him personally?”
“Remember, we need Li Yuan!”
“It’s not that Li Yuan needs our support, but that we need his help. Only if Li Yuan becomes master brother will he be willing to lead us to winnings for the next few years… Anyone opposing Li Yuan as master brother is not opposing him.”
“They are opposing all of us, the more than two hundred new students of the Sixth Institute. They want to cut off the financial lifeline of all the new students!”
“They are our sworn enemies.”
“Now, I ask again, does anyone still oppose?”
No one questioned anymore.
Finally, today’s freshmen’s orientation ceremony saw such a frenzied scene.
Amidst shouts calling for his unanimous election as ‘Master Brother.’
A grand, successful, and perfect orientation ceremony for the Sixth Institute’s new first-year students officially ended.
…
In the afternoon, a drizzle began to fall, gently landing on the spiraling skeleton of the enormous black dragon.
On the ninth floor, in President Li’s office.
“You’re quite popular. Arriving on the last day, and yet everyone willingly voted for you to be master brother,” President Li said to Li Yuan, with a smile that was not quite a smile.
“You flatter me, President Li,” Li Yuan replied with a smile.
“No matter, we’re aware of your performance in the Xuanwu Tower yesterday,” President Li smiled: “If not you, no one else could convince everyone.”
Li Yuan nodded slightly.
“This is a minor matter, your cultivation is what’s important,” President Li smiled: “Are you just proud about creating a record in the entrance competition?”
“I would not dare,” Li Yuan shook his head.
“Sit down, take your time,” President Li said, his demeanor becoming like that of an ordinary elder.
Li Yuan obediently sat down.
“Your performance is indeed commendable, stronger than both Yan Jing and Jin Huguo,” President Li laughed: “Those two, Yan Jing graduated a few years ago and is already a 29th-rank Prime Warrior, not inferior in strength to me.”
Li Yuan listened intently.
Calculating it, this senior Yan Jing.
Should only be around 30 years old now, having become a 29th-rank Prime Warrior, his cultivation speed was indeed terrifying.
“The other, named Jin Huguo, is our school’s current top genius, and also the only student from our school who made it into the top hundred of the global university martial arts competition’s virtual battle this past February.”
“The only one?” Li Yuan was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help saying: “Not a single one from the senior year students could catch up to Jin Huguo?”
“Seniors in their fourth and fifth years of study have been cultivating for longer, and there are naturally those who are on par with, or even stronger than him,” President Li explained.
“However, the global university martial arts competition only allows students up to the third year to participate.”
“The global university martial arts competition consists of virtual battles and real combat.”
“Within virtual battles, you need at least a Fourth Level skill realm to qualify.”
“For real combat, you must at least be a Prime Warrior to participate,” President Li said with some emotion: “Jin Huguo isn’t a Prime Warrior yet, so he could only partake in virtual battles last time.”
Li Yuan was speechless; it was as he suspected.
Becoming a Prime Warrior before one’s senior year indeed seemed difficult.
“As for seniors,” President Li smiled, “the senior students can partake in the Human Race Martial Elite Battle.”
“It is a real combat competition for martial elites of all martial universities from the Seven Star Alliance, across the Seven Great Planets.”
“It is also the highest honor every martial arts university strives to achieve.”