The days of winter break flew by in a blur of sweat and repetition.
Xu Wuyi followed the plan he had set for himself, taking one Qi Blood Potion every three days.
Just as he'd predicted, aided by his high proficiency in the Body Refining Technique and his daily, relentless Hundred Chances of Enlightenment, his body was able to efficiently absorb the potion's medicinal power.
An ordinary person would need at least five days, or even longer, to digest a bottle of E-Level Qi Blood Potion, but he needed less than three.
And each training session after taking a Potion was like a metamorphosis.
The surging medicinal power rushed through his meridians, precisely guided and refined by the Basic Body Refining Technique. The flow of his Qi and Blood became increasingly smooth and natural, and the Qi and Blood itself gradually grew more solid and dense.
The Potions in the metal box dwindled one by one, while the numbers on the Martial Arts Diligence Record panel steadily climbed.
[Basic Body Refining Technique Current Realm: Entry Level (99.9%)]
By the time the power of the fifth Potion was completely absorbed, winter break was just half over, and his Body Refining Technique's Realm was stuck at "Entry Level (99.9%)."
Xu Wuyi knew he had hit another bottleneck.
To break through, he might need a new stimulus, to grasp the rudiments of "Intention" again, or, as Teacher Wang had said, to seek a flash of inspiration in actual combat.
Both of these were things that couldn't be rushed; there was no use in being impatient. Besides, so far, only the Basic Body Refining Technique had appeared on his panel as a Martial Art.
Xu Wuyi was actually also practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist, but this Fist Technique had never appeared on the Martial Arts Diligence Record.
He didn't quite understand the principle behind it, but perhaps the Mountain-Shattering Fist didn't meet the requirements in some way.
'I shouldn't overthink this. Even with just one Body Refining Technique, it's already a gift from fate. I can't be too greedy.'
'My Martial Arts have hit a bottleneck. Next, I need to focus all my efforts on raising my Life Energy Level, get onto the Star Martial Battle Network as soon as possible, and find a breakthrough in actual combat!'
...
The next morning, Xu Wuyi made a special trip to the school.
The campus was exceptionally quiet during the break, with only a few Martial Arts Students training extra and teachers on duty.
He found the public Life Energy Level Tester in the training hall, took a deep breath, and pressed his palm against the cool sensor plate.
The instrument emitted a low hum as its indicator light flashed rapidly. A few seconds later, a clear number appeared on the screen:
[Life Energy Level: 9.8]
A Life Energy Level of 9.8!
Xu Wuyi's heart skipped a beat.
In just half a winter break, he'd jumped from a Life Energy Level of 8.6 to 9.8, an increase of 1.2 levels. If word of this speed got out, it would be enough to leave most of his classmates dumbfounded.
Of course, the Qi Blood Potions deserved a good deal of the credit.
According to available data, each standard E-Level Qi Blood Potion could increase a Martial Disciple's Life Energy Level by 0.1 to 0.2, but it was only effective for Martial Artists below level 11.
Furthermore, the closer the user was to level 11, the weaker the effect would be.
Xu Wuyi had never taken a Qi Blood Potion before, and combined with his high proficiency in his Body Refining Technique, the effects of taking the potions this time were clearly exceptional.
Not only was the effect of each Potion pushed to its limit, but there was even a surplus. This was clearly the result of Xu Wuyi's own training.
Now, the baseline for university admission was far behind him. He was just 0.2 away from the crucial threshold of level 10.0!
Amid his excitement, a sense of urgency also set in. There was still half of winter break left, and while a 0.2-level gap seemed small, Qi and Blood Enhancement became more difficult the further one progressed.
Without the help of Qi Blood Potions, if he wanted to break through to level 10 before the end of the break, he would have to work harder than ever.
...
「New Year's Eve.」
The old residential complex was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners. The air was filled with the aroma of cooking and the faint sound of firecrackers, brimming with a festive New Year's atmosphere.
In the Xu Family's small living room, the dining table had been moved to the center, laden with dishes personally cooked by Mrs. Xu. Though not extravagant, they were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, radiating the warmth of home.
A festive gala program played on the TV, the volume turned down to serve as background noise.
"Here, Ah Yi, have some more of this chicken leg. You've been training so hard lately, you've gotten thinner."
Mrs. Xu kept putting food on Xu Wuyi's plate, her eyes full of concern.
She had keenly sensed that her son had been much quieter this winter break, but the drive in his eyes was stronger than ever.
"Thanks, Mom." Xu Wuyi buried his head in his food. His appetite had indeed increased a lot recently; the high-intensity training consumed a huge amount of energy.
Father Xu took a sip of the baijiu in his cup, sized up his son for a moment, and said, "Ah Yi, how has your training been lately? I see you shut yourself in your room every day for hours on end. You seem very motivated."
Xu Wuyi's chewing slowed. After swallowing his food, he looked up at his parents. "Yeah. I feel like I've found a bit of a method. I'm making faster progress than before."
"Oh? Progress is a good thing!" Father Xu's interest was piqued. "Has your Life Energy Level increased? It was 8.6 at the last mock exam, right?"
Mrs. Xu also put down her chopsticks and looked at her son expectantly.
Under his parents' encouraging gazes, Xu Wuyi nodded. "Yeah, I went to the school to test it after the break started. It's at 9.8 now."
"9.8?!" Father Xu's voice suddenly shot up, filled with incredulous surprise.
Mrs. Xu went a step further and clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes instantly welling with tears. "Really? It's only been half of winter break... How did you..."
Seeing his parents' excited reactions, Xu Wuyi felt a warmth spread through his heart. He added, "It's all thanks to Teacher Wang. Before the break, he saw my potential and sponsored me with five Qi Blood Potions. Otherwise, there's no way I could have progressed this fast just by training on my own."
He truthfully told them about Teacher Wang's help but still concealed the existence of his golden finger.
"Teacher Wang... You've met a benefactor!" Father Xu rubbed his hands together excitedly, his face redder from a mix of excitement and the alcohol. "A level of 9.8! Good kid! Getting into a Martial Arts University is a sure thing now!"
Mrs. Xu wiped the corner of her eye and nodded repeatedly. "I knew my son could do it! I knew it!"
After the initial excitement, Father Xu looked at his son thoughtfully and said, "We must keep Teacher Wang's kindness in our hearts. In the future, if we ever get the chance, we have to find a way to repay him."
Xu Wuyi nodded emphatically. "Dad, I definitely won't forget."
Father Xu and Mrs. Xu exchanged a glance and didn't continue the topic.
Father Xu smiled and raised his glass. "Alright! Come on, it's the New Year. Let's have a toast, as a family!"
"A toast!" Mrs. Xu also smiled and raised her beverage glass.
Xu Wuyi picked up his glass and gently clinked it against his parents'.
...
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Xu Wuyi returned to his room to continue his fixed nightly practice routine.
Even on the night of family reunion, he still trained diligently without pause. The path of Martial Arts had no holidays.
In the master bedroom, after cleaning up, Father Xu and Mrs. Xu sat on the bed watching TV. The cheerful laughter from the gala seemed to fade into the background.
"Old Xu," Mrs. Xu was the first to break the silence, her voice somewhat hushed. "Teacher Wang isn't related to us in any way, yet he helped Ah Yi so much. Why don't we... offer him money to pay him back?"
Father Xu sighed. "Don't be silly. Teacher Wang is a Martial Artist. If we go over there with money, how could he possibly accept it? We'll just send some gifts after the New Year."
"As for the money..." Father Xu said seriously, "We still have some savings at home. It should be spent on Ah Yi. I think Teacher Wang would agree with us."
Mrs. Xu paused for a moment before speaking again. "I did the math. With the money we saved this year, plus what we had before, we can put together thirty thousand."
The purchasing power of Federation Coins wasn't low. A young adult just entering the workforce could live a decent life with a salary of just two thousand a month.
Thirty thousand was almost half a year's combined salary for Father Xu and Mrs. Xu, and that was if they didn't eat or drink.
"Let's take out ten thousand first. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Martial Department's exchange and buy two Potions for Ah Yi."
Father Xu knew a thing or two about Martial Arts. He knew that in Xu Wuyi's current situation, as soon as he broke through to level 10.0, he would quickly enter another growth period.
He might need other resources then, so they couldn't spend all the money at once.
"I'll go with you." A smile appeared on Mrs. Xu's face. "That boy, Ah Yi, he's been sensible since he was little and has never asked for anything. This time, we have to support him."
「Evening, on the first day of the New Year.」
Xu Wuyi finished his afternoon training and walked out of his room into a silent living room.
His parents had gone out to visit relatives for New Year's greetings, a local custom in Red River. Xu Wuyi, however, was at a critical juncture and had stayed home to train day and night.
But when he saw the two small boxes on the table, he froze.
Inside the boxes were two familiar E-Level Qi Blood Potions.
A sticky note was attached to one of the boxes, written in his mother's elegant handwriting: "Ah Yi, Happy New Year! You can do it!"