In the afternoon, Training Hall No. 1 was much emptier. Most of the students from the intensive training class had already left, either to go home and cultivate on their own or to take care of personal matters.
Xu Wuyi hadn't left. He once again lay down in his silver access pod.
The pod door closed, and his consciousness sank, enveloped by a stream of data. The next moment, he was standing in the bustling public lobby of the Star Martial Battle Network.
Without a moment's hesitation, he brought up the system interface and selected "Junior Stage" matchmaking.
[Matching you with an opponent of similar strength... Match successful!]
[Teleporting to Rookie Stage 8858.]
In a flash of light and shadow, Xu Wuyi's figure appeared on the familiar square stage.
His opponent was a sturdy-looking boy with a wary expression. His ID read: [Silver Port First High School - Zhao Meng].
Xu Wuyi didn't recognize him, but he knew of Silver Port First High School.
Silver Harbor City and Red River City were both in Dongjiang Province. They were also very close, practically neighbors, and there was frequent interaction between them.
Normally, an ID only showed the user's name, but if they wanted, they could add a prefix like that to indicate their affiliation.
Of course, such tags had to be verified by the Battle Network and couldn't be faked.
Xu Wuyi refocused his thoughts. The moment the system's notification sound faded, the battle began.
Zhao Meng let out a low roar as his Qi and Blood surged. He was using a wide, sweeping D-Level Fist Technique, the *Bullish Fist*. With a brutish aura, he swung his fists and charged straight at Xu Wuyi.
Xu Wuyi's gaze was calm. He silently activated the *Mountain Shifting Technique*, his Heart and Spirit as still as an ancient well.
His footwork was steady as he relied on the fundamentals of the *Basic Body Refining Technique* to counter. He either blocked or dodged, neutralizing his opponent's fierce onslaught one move at a time.
Zhao Meng's skill was average. He couldn't compare to Zeng Bonan or Hu Haobo, and he was far inferior even to Liu Jing. At best, he was only slightly stronger than Wang Yunze.
Facing an opponent on the level of an average intensive training class student, Xu Wuyi was no longer aiming for a perfect defensive counter-attack.
He deliberately controlled the pace of the fight, trying to feel the subtle changes in his Qi and Blood while under attack from different angles and with varying force.
To put it bluntly, he was using Zhao Meng for practice.
Both of their Life Energy Levels were equalized to 10.0, but against Xu Wuyi's increasingly seamless defense, Zhao Meng's attacks were like waves crashing against a reef—fierce in appearance, but unable to pose any real threat.
After three minutes, Xu Wuyi was getting a little bored. He then caught a moment of stiffness as Zhao Meng paused to breathe, and threw a seemingly ordinary straight punch. It pierced through a gap in his opponent's Fist Momentum and landed squarely on his chest.
BAM!
Zhao Meng's figure flew backward before disintegrating and vanishing.
[Winner: Xu Wuyi!]
After exiting the stage, Xu Wuyi didn't rest, immediately starting the matchmaking for his next fight.
His second opponent was a woman with agile Body Technique who specialized in Leg Technique. Her attacks were like a sudden storm.
She looked mature, not like a student. She was probably a Martial Artist who had already entered the workforce.
Xu Wuyi adjusted his strategy. He no longer remained completely stationary, instead using small movements combined with blocks to train his reaction time and observation skills against high-speed attacks.
After five minutes, feeling he had gained something from the match, he decided not to drag it out any longer.
He seized an opportunity when she was unsteady after landing a high kick. A swift leg sweep tripped her, and he followed up with a punch to end the fight.
At his current level, finding an opening against an opponent of this caliber was child's play.
The third match, the fourth...
Xu Wuyi was immersed in the virtual battles. After cultivating the *Mountain Shifting Technique* to the Second Layer, the advantage it gave his Spirit began to show.
After a series of high-intensity battles, his Spirit could still maintain a high level of concentration, and he didn't feel the unbearable fatigue he used to.
The amount of time he could spend in continuous combat on the Battle Network each day was also increasing.
His combat experience was accumulating rapidly. He went from needing his full concentration just to cope, to gradually being able to spare some attention to observe his opponents' weaknesses and habits. The progress was visible to the naked eye.
No wonder they said that to get a high score on the college entrance exam's combat portion, candidates basically needed a Life Energy Level of 10.0 or higher.
The experiential advantage granted by the Star Martial Battle Network was just too great.
Xu Wuyi felt that if he were to fight his pre-winter-break self, even with the same Life Energy Level, he could easily win within three moves.
Just as he knocked another opponent off the stage with a simple and effective punch, a communication request popped up in his field of view. The sender—Wang Wenhai.
Xu Wuyi was slightly taken aback, but he immediately accepted the request and left the matchmaking queue.
[Wang Wenhai has invited you to his personal space.]
He selected "teleport," and the surrounding scenery instantly changed.
The noisy public combat area vanished, replaced by a training room so simple it was almost bare.
The four walls were made of some kind of matte metal material. Wang Wenhai stood alone in the center.
"Teacher Wang."
Hearing Xu Wuyi's voice, Wang Wenhai turned around. He sized him up for a few moments, a satisfied look appearing on his face. "It seems the Battle Network sparring is working well. Your aura has become much more refined... Have you reached Minor Achievement in your *Basic Body Refining Technique*?"
In his fight against Liu Jing, Xu Wuyi hadn't intentionally hidden his Fist Technique; he had simply not revealed its True Intention of Martial Arts.
Liu Zhenwu had been able to see his skill level, and Wang Wenhai, who was more familiar with Xu Wuyi, could certainly see it as well.
"Yes, I just broke through right before the end of winter break," Xu Wuyi nodded.
"Good. It seems focusing on the fundamentals suits you. Stay patient, don't be hasty, and keep it up." Wang Wenhai nodded, then got to the point. "I called you here to talk about your future training plan."
"You should be aware of the resources for the top tier of the intensive training class: an allowance of one hundred thousand Federation credits every two weeks."
Xu Wuyi nodded without speaking, but the number still made him feel a surge of warmth.
One hundred thousand Federation credits was a huge sum for him, enough to buy twenty standard E-Level Qi Blood Potions.
And that was just the resource allowance the school provided for two weeks. With six months left until the college entrance exam, if he could stay in the top three, it meant he would receive a total of one point two million in funding.
And that was just for him alone. For the entire intensive training class, the resources the school was investing probably amounted to a massive sum of at least ten to twenty million.
"Does it feel like a lot?" Wang Wenhai asked with a sudden smile, reading his expression.
Xu Wuyi paused for a moment, then hesitated before answering honestly, "Yes. If I don't get into one of the Three Greats or Seven Stars, I'll feel like I've failed to live up to these resources."
"Don't feel pressured." Wang Wenhai clapped him on the shoulder. "The reason the school is willing to invest so much, to the point of making the 'intensive training class' a tradition, isn't just about getting students into famous universities."
"When students get into prestigious universities, it certainly benefits the school, but it's obviously not proportional to the investment. What's more important is investing in students like you."
Wang Wenhai winked and smiled. "Even if you don't get into the Three Greats or the Seven Stars, as long as you achieve success in Martial Arts in the future, do you think you could forget the help the school gave you today?"
"That's true... Regardless of my exam results, if I have the chance in the future, I'll definitely give back to my alma mater." Xu Wuyi scratched his head, beginning to understand the school's intentions.
"The upperclassmen who came before you thought the same way, which is why this investment is a sure thing for the school. In fact, a large portion of the resources you're receiving now were donated by them."
"If you really feel bad about it, then just focus on improving yourself as quickly as possible and scale the peaks of Martial Arts," Wang Wenhai said. "When you become a big shot, kid, even the scraps that fall from between your fingers will be enough for the school to live lavishly."
Xu Wuyi could only give a helpless nod. He knew Teacher Wang was joking, but the principle behind it was sound.
For the Martial Artists of the Human Race, the torch was passed down from one generation to the next. It had always been this way.
"But back to the matter at hand." Wang Wenhai's expression turned serious. "How you use this money is crucial. My recommendation is that, for now, you should use all of it to purchase Qi Blood Potions."