Old Viper's Nonsense
"Old Viper, this is not a market. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kick you out!"
"Come on, kick me. Kick me quickly. After you kick me, tell me what happened to Ye Zi!"
"I told you, I don't know! But this is not your place to cause trouble. You're a grown man now—can't you act a little more mature?"
"Even my students are in trouble, and yet you're still talking about maturity!"
Ye Zi heard the commotion before he opened his eyes. He recognized the two voices—one male, one female.
They belonged to his teacher, Po, and Dr. Wang, the infirmary doctor.
It seemed someone had brought him to the infirmary.
But who would have ventured deep into the woods to find him?
No matter. He would thank whoever it was properly when he found out.
For now, though, that didn't seem important.
Although Ye Zi couldn't move his body yet, his mind had regained some clarity. He opened his status panel to check his condition:
Name: Ye Zi
Age: 17
Qualification: Lower Spiritual Level
Realm: Sixth Level of Body Refining
Equipment:
Low-Grade School Uniform (Mortal Level) Batch-Made Iron Sword (Mid-Grade Mortal Level)
Kung Fu: Basic Breathing Technique (Mid-Grade Mortal Level, 11th Edition) Basic Boxing Technique (Low-Grade Mortal Level, 13th Set) Introductory Qingling Sword Technique (Low-Grade Spiritual Level)
Skills: Breathing (602/10,000 at High Grade) Boxing (4/10 at Low Grade)
Sure enough, his qualifications had advanced to the Spiritual Level, and his realm had climbed to the sixth level of body refining.
Not bad, he thought. Quite the harvest.
Ye Zi also noticed the experience value behind his breathing skill—it seemed over half an hour had passed.
As the noise between Po and Dr. Wang gradually quieted down, Ye Zi found himself regaining some strength. Finally, he managed to open his eyes.
He saw Teacher Po standing by the foot of his bed and Dr. Wang glaring at him before turning to leave.
A Warning from Teacher Po
"Ye Zi, what's going on with you? Did someone try to harm you?"
Ye Zi hesitated for a moment before replying, "Teacher Po, I don't know what happened."
He was about to fabricate an explanation when Teacher Po suddenly glanced at Dr. Wang.
Dr. Wang glared at Ye Zi again before storming out of the room.
Teacher Po leaned closer, his voice low but firm. "Ye Zi, everyone has their own secrets, but you must learn when to hide and when to reveal them.
"Those who hide everything will never rise very high, and those who reveal too much won't last very long."
Ye Zi nodded silently, understanding the wisdom in his teacher's words.
In the world of martial arts, resources were limited. It was no different from the spiritual swordsmanship manual he had fought for. The more resources one had, the less others could claim.
Teacher Po seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere and reached out to pat Ye Zi on the shoulder.
With a knowing smile, he asked, "Ye Zi, do you know who saved you this time?"
"Who?"
Ye Zi was curious, but the smile on Teacher Po's face gave him a bad feeling. There was something mischievous in the way he looked at Ye Zi.
"It was Ye Mengmeng from Class 2," Po said, grinning. "One of the three seventh-level practitioners in the school. And her family is very rich."
Ye Zi's heart sank.
"Why her?"
He had planned to repay his savior with a gift or a favor, but Ye Mengmeng? She was wealthier and stronger than him, making repayment impossible.
To make matters worse, they didn't exactly get along.
Rumors in the Cafeteria
By the time Ye Zi escaped the infirmary—barely avoiding further tests from Dr. Wang—it was almost noon.
He ordered a large portion of noodles in the school cafeteria and sat down to eat.
Nearby, two students were chatting, their words catching Ye Zi's attention.
"Did you hear? A cultist snuck into the school during Class 1's practical session. Everyone's been talking about it!"
"Who told you that? That sounds ridiculous. Why would a cultist come here to die?"
"I also heard someone say a half-dead guy covered in blood was sent to the infirmary. They said he looked miserable."
Ye Zi nearly choked on his noodles. A half-dead guy? Miserable? Are they talking about me?
The rumors were outrageous, describing him as someone who had lost all his limbs.
Still, the conversation served as a wake-up call.
The world might look peaceful, but it was fraught with dangers. Cultists, in particular, were a constant threat, lurking in major cities and causing havoc.
A New Goal
Originally, Ye Zi had modest aspirations: breaking through two realms before the college entrance exams.
But now, with his spiritual-level qualifications and upgraded breathing technique, he felt more ambitious.
He was confident he could reach the ninth level of body refining before the exams.
While the fifth level was enough to secure admission to an average university, the ninth level would allow him to compete for top rankings.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. For now, he was just a sixth-level refiner, with a long way to go.
His breathing technique required 10,000 experience points to upgrade, leaving him with a shortfall of 6,000 to 7,000 points—roughly six hours of continuous practice.
After finishing his noodles, Ye Zi called Teacher Po to request leave, explaining that he needed time to recover.
With his teacher's approval, Ye Zi clenched his fists, determined to focus on both breathing and boxing skills.
It was time to push himself to new heights.