Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
8th of September. The commencement of courses at MCMAU.
As the first three classes had prior knowledge of pole-standing and the Methods of Honing, their courses were slightly less packed compared to the last five classes.
Not only did the other classes have to take cultural studies and general studies, but they also had to learn pole-standing and the Methods of Honing. Hence, combat techniques were put on hold for them.
Between classes, Fang Ping and the lot could take some time off to relax; On the other hand, the new students were hardly seen because of their busy schedules.
…
MCMAU students had busy schedules, so did other students from other martial arts universities.
Even though Fang Ping had not informed Wu Zhihao and the rest about his breakthrough as a martial artist, they kept in touch with each other frequently.
Wu Zhihao had created a group chat and added most of his close martial art friends in it.
It was not because he looked down on social science students. However, the group chat’s topic of discussion was mainly related to martial arts. If the social science students were to be added into the group, It would only cause them discomfort.
Fang Ping had been snowed under with work for the past few days that he did not have the time to use his computer.
On the following weekend, Fang Ping finally found the time to use his computer.
He logged into his QQ account. Immediately afterward, messages came in without stopping.
In the group chat, everyone had something to say.
Fang Ping spent some time to take a look at them:
Wu Zhihao: “There are too many courses in martial arts universities. We’ve been busy all day. There’s absolutely no time for a break.”
Yang Jian: “That’s right. I thought there would be fewer cultural study lessons. They’ve been giving me headaches.”
Wu Zhihao: “Yang Jian, what’s your Vitality now? Have you cultivated pole-standing and the Methods of Honing?”
“Yes, I have. My Vitality is almost at 130cal now. Luck’s on my side. A Rank-4 instructor was assigned to me, and he’s really nice toward me.”
After Yang Jian had described his own situation, he proceeded to describe Liu Ruoqi’s. “Liu Ruoqi and I are in the same class, but we have different instructors. Her instructor is also a Rank-4 martial artist. Wu Zhihao, how have you been doing?”
Wu Zhihao: “Luck is with all of us. My instructor is also a Rank-4 martial artist. Not to mention, three Rank-5 instructors will be hired soon. It’s too bad that I didn’t get to pick them.”
When the group was created, the Tan brothers had been added as members.
Big brother Tan Hao complained to the rest of the group, “Everyone has a Rank-4 instructor. Why do I have a Rank-3 instructor? Even Tan Tao’s instructor is a Rank-4 martial artist!”
Most of the members in the group were from class (4) except the Tan brothers.
Everyone seemed to have good luck except for Tan Hao.
Tan Hao was the only one that had been assigned a Rank-3 instructor. The rest had Rank-4 instructors.
In normal martial arts universities, Rank-3 instructors were considered the norm. There were very few Rank-4 instructors while Rank-5 instructors were few and far between.
After a few random exchanges, Liu Ruoqi who had been missing appeared out of nowhere. She asked, “How’s Fang Ping doing?”
Wu Zhihao: “Not too sure. That fellow has been really quiet recently. He hasn’t been on QQ as well.”
“…”
The messages were from a few days ago. As Fang Ping scrolled through them, he roughly understood what some of them were doing.
Liu Ruoqi and Yang Jian had enrolled at Tiannan Martial Arts University. Even though Liu Ruoqi’s Vitality was not high, she was a female and had the looks. It goes without saying that females were hard to come by in martial arts universities. Therefore, life in Tiannan was not too hard for her.
Her instructor was also a female Rank-4 martial artist. A Rank-4 female martial artist was exceedingly rare in martial arts universities.
The female instructor did not accept too many students. She was rather focused on helping Liu Ruoqi. After the summer break and her recent cultivation on the Methods of Honing, her Vitality was near 130cal.
On the other hand, Wu Zhihao’s Vitality had exceeded 130cal. He had only started cultivating the Methods of Honing, and he was making good progress in increasing his Vitality.
It was the same for the Tan brothers. Following their success in cultivating pole-standing, their Vitality was slightly higher than Wu Zhihao.
The treatment they received was different from that of MCMAU students. Nanjiang and Tiannan Martial Arts University used a grade point system that was similar to the credit system in certain ways. It was just their names that made them different. In Nanjiang Martial Arts University, a Normal Vitality Pill had to be exchanged for 5 grade points. On the other hand, a Rank-1 martial artist had to pay 15 grade points for it.
The value of grade points and credits was identical. When MCMAU was compared with other martial arts universities, the exchange rate of the other universities was considerably lower.
Moreover, newcomers of MCMAU received 50 credit points. It was much more than the 30 grade points Nanjiang and Tiannan awarded their new students — it was also said to be the highest ever amount of points gifted compared to previous years.
One of the reasons the situation was how as such was because Nanjiang’s governor had achieved a breakthrough. Hence, the University had more resources to spare. On the other hand, Tiannan had experienced tremendous loss from their last ordeal. They were giving awarding newcomers more credits as an investment. It has to be said, however, that it was a significant investment on their part.
Fang Ping skimmed through the messages. It was hard for him not to feel concerned. The difference between MCMAU and normal martial arts universities would only result in more disparity in the future!
The number of credits awarded was not such a big deal. The main problem was the exchange rate of resources in later stages.
The amount of credits needed in MCMAU was noticeably lower than other martial arts universities.
Moreover, MCMAU students had abilities that were much greater than that of normal martial arts university students. Therefore, the accumulation of credits was comparably easier for them. High accumulation and low spending meant that the gap between them would only get bigger.
To achieve Rank-3 through cultivation in normal martial arts universities would not be an easy feat. On the other hand, in MCMAU, it was not hard to come across a Rank-4 martial artist.
They were all martial arts universities, but the difference between them was obvious. No wonder those from normal martial arts universities were always dissatisfied.
Grandmasters and powerhouses did assume duties in normal martial arts universities as well. However, because their numbers were limited, it was difficult to accommodate the huge amount of normal martial arts universities. Evidently, this was not the case for the elite universities which were much smaller in number.
The officially recognized elite universities at that time were only Magic City Martial Arts University and Capital City Martial Arts University.
Of course, East Sino Nation Normal University and the rest were also considered elite universities by normal martial arts universities. However, they were placed on the second level.
On the other hand, Nanjiang and Tiannan Martial Arts University could only fall under the third level.
After reading for a while, a new message popped up in the group. Wu Zhihao: “Fang Ping, still alive?”
It was obvious that this fellow was online, and he had seen Fang Ping’s online status as well.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy. There was no time to come online.”
“Tell us about how you’re doing. We don’t know what it’s like in an elite university.”
Tan Hao also quickly added on with a message: “That’s right, hurry up and tell us. My dad called me two days ago, asking me to learn from you. When I questioned him, he refused to say anything. Have you been keeping in touch with my dad?”
Fang Ping thought for a while and decided that it was best not to hurt their feelings. He kept his message short and simple. “I was assigned a Rank-6 instructor and given 10 Normal Vitality Pills. There isn’t much left to say.”
“…”
There was a deafening silence in the group. Not a single message popped up for a very long time.
More than a minute later, Wu Zhihao replied, “You can continue ghosting us now!”
Fang Ping could imagine the look of bitter resentment on the fellow’s face. He chuckled for a while before asking, “Has Brother Wang been in the university recently?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I enrolled. Brother Wang is prestigious and has power in Nanjiang Martial Arts University though!”
Wu Zhihao seemed jealous as he said, “President of Nanjiang Martial Arts Society, more powerful and prestigious than average instructors. Even my instructor, a Rank-4, couldn’t stop praising Brother Wang when his name was mentioned.
“It was a shame that you did not enroll at Nanjiang Martial Arts University. Otherwise, with the protection of Brother Wang, you could even walk sideways!”
Clearly, Wu Zhihao had not heard that Wang Jinyang was northbound.
Wang Jinyang had not shown himself at the university any time recently. Regarding the news that he was northbound, Fang Ping had heard it from Fu Changding. It was said that Wang Jinyang had left Capital City.
“Perhaps he’s preparing for a breakthrough?”
Fang Ping made a guess, feeling rather envious.
It did not seem long. Fang Ping had watched helplessly as the other party went from Rank-2 to almost Rank-4. On the other hand, he had only achieved Rank-1.
“What’s Old Wang’s situation?”
Fang Ping was fairly curious. Wang Jinyang’s breakthrough had happened too quickly.
MCMAU had many talents, but Fang Ping had not heard of anyone being able to achieve Rank-4 in their sophomore year before.
Even Xie Lei, a thrice-honed student, had only achieved peak Rank-2. He was still a long way from achieving Rank-3.
Amongst those who had fought with Wang Jinyang, many of them were still Rank-1 martial artists. The gap was abnormally huge.
“Could it be that the fellow resorted to system hacking?”
Fang Ping murmured. Those who had honed their bones knew exactly how complex the process was.
Martial artists usually had a limited amount of Vitality. Therefore, their progress was not as fast when Honing their bones to a further level.
Limbs were considered fine. Except for leg bones and arm bones, other bones that were not too big were honed faster.
However, the torso and spine were extremely tricky to hone.
Many students were known to have plateaued at the preliminary stage of Rank-3. This was because the process of honing one’s torso had been proved to be a killer. It was more dangerous than honing one’s limbs.
There were 51 bones in the torso. Even if one had an endless supply of resources, under normal circumstances, honing a bone within 10 days was considered as quick as a flash. Put them all together and it would amount to 510 days — almost a year and a half!
How long had Old Wang spent?
Having made a breakthrough in mid-April, it was possible that his honing would be completed by mid-August. Over the span of four months, honing a bone would have taken an average of two and a half days to complete.
That kind of speed was not impossible to achieve as a Rank-1. However, it was hard to say whether there were any Rank-3s in MCMAU who could do it at that speed.
Zhao Lei and the lot were twice-honed martial artists. Before enrolling in university, they had completed honing 31 lower limb bones.
Fang Ping had heard recently from Fu Changding that Zhao Lei had completed honing 35 bones. Zhao Leo had done so half a month after enrolling at the university with the guidance of peak Rank-6 instructors.
4 bones within half a year, one bone within 4 days.
At that speed, Zhao Lei only needed another 3 to 4 months to complete honing his lower limbs.
His plan was to stay at peak Rank-1 for some time. If everything went according to plan, there was hope for him to breakthrough to Rank-2 either at the end of the year or during the next semester.
However, even though there was a chance it would happen, it did not mean that it would be successful for sure.
Fu Changding and the lot were the same — honing their bones without paying any attention to how much they spent. For a Rank-1, honing a bone within 4 to 5 days was considered fast.
Such people were amongst the most outstanding students of MCMAU, or rather — the most outstanding students in the country!
Fang Ping, who had hacked the system, achieved a breakthrough as a martial artist on the 4th. It had been exactly 10 days since the current day.
Throughout those 10 days, Fang Ping did not record his expenditure. His Vitality was constantly full, and he was only honing small bones like the phalanges. Within 10 days, he had managed to complete honing 10 of them.
A bone a day was a shocking speed. Of course, his total expenditure was just as shocking.
In later stages, his speed would definitely slow down. Fang Ping was skeptical about achieving Rank-3, honing his torso within 4 months.
“Whatever, I’ll complete honing my foot bones first and then go about it from there. There are 26 bones in my foot, and I’ve finished honing 10 of them. 16 left to go. I’ll strive to finish it by the end of this month.”
The foot bones were a complete system by themselves. Once honing was complete, its killing potential would increase greatly.
Paired with his extremely expensive shoes, Fang Ping predicted that his combat abilities would skyrocket.
Speaking about his extremely expensive shoes, Fang Ping suddenly remembered that he could collect it that day.
…
Logistics department.
Fang Ping retrieved his extremely expensive shoes. He removed his sports shoes and excitedly put on his new shoes.
The new shoes looked nothing like a pair of Wellington boots. Instead, they looked like high top combat boots.
Their overall color was black. Fang Ping knocked the soles of the shoes which had a metallic texture to it. However, when he stomped on the ground, there was no clanking sound; the kind of sound that was heard when metal came in contact with the ground. It was obvious that it had been tampered with.
The tips of the shoes were slightly sharp, but they were not alarming. They were also covered in black. At a glance, it did not seem like they were made of metal.
Fang Ping ran his hand across one of the shoes. Its tip was not sleek. Instead, it felt uneven, as if it would scrape his hand.
The martial artist at the exchange counter said with a smile, “Go ahead and test out its power. You can wear them like casual shoes without attracting any attention.
“The breathability of the material is also excellent. Martial artists spend a lot of time exercising, so it’s easy to sweat and slip. Those shoes are excellent at soaking up sweat and combating odors.
“Not to forget, all products made by MCMAU come are quality guaranteed. Within 3 years, come back to us if you find anything wrong with it. We can fix them for you with no extra charge — even a free replacement can be issued!”
Fang Ping nodded slightly but remained silent. He changed into the new shoes and gave his surroundings a quick scan.
“You can test the power of your new shoes here.”
The martial artist in charge of the exchange counter led Fang Ping to the back of the counter. The area behind the counter was spacious. It was divided into many tiny rooms.
The martial artist opened one of the rooms which looked fairly messy and full of clutter. It was full of swords and sabers that had jagged edges as well as steel plates that were full of holes…
“This room is where everyone tests their weapons. The swords, sabers, and metallic items are made of F-class alloy.
“Stronger than common household knives, E-class weapons can easily leave marks on them. Try it.”
Fang Ping did not hesitate. He raised his leg and used puncture kicks to poke at a piece of steel plate that was placed horizontally.
“Chi chi…”
The ear-piercing sound of metal colliding was heard. Sparks flew all over the place.
Fang Ping neither felt tremendous pain nor discomfort in his legs. He picked up the steel plate and then inspected it. His expression changed slightly. A hole was visible on the steel plate. It was where the tip of his foot had landed!
He squatted down and probed the tip of his shoes. He felt the same texture he had felt before, it had not changed much.
Fang Ping exhaled softly and spoke in a low voice, “If such a kick landed on someone, even martial artists who have honed their bones, they would suffer broken bones, right?”
The martial artist at the exchange counter laughed softly. “Of course. However, it also depends on the rank of the person. For instance, when it comes to middle-ranked martial artists.
“Their periostea are extremely tough and rich in Vitality. They don’t depend solely on the toughness of their bones to brace for impact.
“Even if the other party allows you to land a kick on then, that kick would first of all strip off half of your energy. Then, you’ll be affected by a reverse shock in Vitality. The actual damage done will be very minimal.
“The strength of a weapon depends on its user. If you aren’t strong enough, even A-class alloy weapons will be useless in your hands.
“However, you’ve trained your puncture kicks well. When paired with those boots, kicks that you land on Rank-1 and 2 martial artists will cause them to lose a whole lot of combat ability. That is if they’re not dead by then.
“As I said, the usefulness of a weapon is highly dependent on its user. If you can’t land a kick on the other party, it’d be useless even if the weapon is extremely powerful. If your ability is adequate, you can kill someone with just a punch.”
Fang Ping nodded. He agreed with what the instructor had said.
In the state he was in. If he were given an A-class alloy weapon, would he dare stand up to a Grandmaster?
What a joke. If there was an outburst in the other party’s Vitality, he would be pressed to the ground forcefully to eat dirt. Not to mention, he wouldn’t even be able to get close to them.
After testing out the boots, Fang Ping did not linger around the place much longer. He wore his boots and left the logistics department.
Once he had left, the martial artist in charge of the exchange counter lifted up the metal plate that had been kicked and inspected it. After a moment of stroking it, he laughed softly. “His penetration level isn’t weak. He must have just started learning puncture kick. He did exhibit adequate power just now.
“Once he’s done honing his leg bones, even Rank-1 artists will have to be aware.”
If he did not complete honing his bones, even after kicking the other party, he would have to suffer from reverse shock. In such a scenario, he might end up breaking his own leg bones.
However, if he did finish honing his leg bones, the outcome would be different.
“The new intakes right now are becoming stronger than the last. I must be old. I should live out my life in retirement peacefully…”
Even with a head full of black hair, the person was not young anymore. He was already nearing his sixties.