16: Top 100 Building

“We’re here. This is Villa 404. I live at 405, right next door, so you can find me if you need anything! It’s late August now, about a week until school starts. I still need to Cultivate diligently, so I won’t chat with you. You work hard too; as freshmen this year, we all need to make a name for ourselves!” He seemed eager to try.

“After school starts, the Top 100 Ranking for our freshman class will be officially released. You know about the Top 100 Ranking, right?”

The Top 100 Ranking? Chen Qing was indeed not very clear about it.

“It’s a ranking on the Martial Dao Building, based on strength. The top one hundred freshmen enter the Top 100 Ranking, and those who make it receive monthly rewards from the school. The higher your rank, the more generous the rewards you can claim each month!”

Chen Qing’s eyes flickered. There was such a ranking?

It was exactly like some novels he read in his previous life. ‘In literature, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second’ — it seemed this wasn't just an empty saying.

A Martial Artist must strive to be the first.

“Anyway, I know a few guys who are definitely going to push for it, and their goals are very high! Of course, brother, you should still focus on breaking through the Non-Martial Artist limit. I estimate that with your current strength, you have a good chance of getting on the freshman Top 100 Ranking, but don’t aim for too high a position. The last 20 spots, I estimate, are mostly Non-Martial Artists. Even if they’re not, they’re Martial Artists who just broke through not long ago, and their combat Martial Skills are not yet proficient. With your S-rank ability, you shouldn’t be afraid of them.”

Chen Qing got another piece of information from him.

The last 20 spots are highly likely to be Non-Martial Artists, meaning there might be about 80 Martial Artists among the freshmen!

This was still Fu Mingyu’s conservative estimate; this number might even be higher!

Martial Arts University! The competition was so fierce. He wondered if his father could enter this ranking here?

He had never seen his father fight, but his father had not been in battle for a long time, so he remained skeptical.

——

After bidding farewell to Fu Mingyu, Chen Qing entered his detached villa.

The space inside the villa was very large, with two floors.

The first floor was mainly the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom — the daily living area. The second floor was an area specifically for Martial Artists to Cultivate.

Chen Qing came to the second floor. The Cultivation area was not much different from the Yuanyang Martial Arts Academy in Yunhai City. There were only some specialized equipment for Martial Artists, and weapons like sabers, spears, swords, and halberds made from inferior metal Materials, plus a combat room for practicing Martial Skills.

There were too many dormitories in the Martial Arts University. The school couldn't possibly spend too many resources to provide everyone with a dedicated Cultivation place. The cost would be too high, and Martial Artists are not made by cultivating diligently in their dorms; those are just pretty faces. If you want more Cultivation resources and facilities, then go out, fight, and strive for them.

Chen Qing didn't care about this. He also didn't think the Federation would overly favor their group of lucky individuals with powerful abilities.

That would be too unfair to other Martial Artists, and such a Federation could not last long.

Everything for a Martial Artist had to be earned by him.

Chen Qing found an instrument specifically for ordering takeout. He simply chose a lunch and began his Cultivation for the day.

——————

【Ice God System】

【Name: Chen Qing】

【Race: Carbon-based Human】

【Ability: Bone Wing Ice Dragon King (S)】

【Vitality: 0.97】

【Mental Energy: 1.87】

【Realm: Quasi-Martial Artist】

【Cultivation Technique: “Blue Star Federation 169th set of broadcast gymnastics” 20/100 (Beginner), “Basic Breathing Technique” (Great Master-level)】

【Martial Skill: Ice Prism Mirror 72/1000 (Proficient)】

【Ice God Tower Space: First floor activated (Each Vitality advancement will activate the next floor)】

——————

His first priority was to continue breaking through the Non-Martial Artist limit, and the second was to train his Martial Skill. Currently, he only had one Martial Skill learned from the Ice Spirit Cat, so he would focus on that for now.

This Martial Skill primarily consumed his Mental Energy, but the consumption was extremely small. With his current Mental Energy strength, it was enough to support him in using it more than 10 times.

However, he didn't need to practice it in reality. By releasing this Martial Skill in the Ice God Space, even if his Mental Energy was depleted, he could recover quickly.

Moreover, his Mental Energy had actually increased by about 0.2 after a day of Cultivation yesterday. He suspected it might be the benefit brought by breaking through the Non-Martial Artist limit!

This was an unexpected surprise for him, because Martial Artists in the lower three Realms generally don't focus too much on Mental Energy Cultivation, so this increase in Mental Energy was a windfall!

Taking out the Medicinal Pills left over from yesterday, there was still a large portion remaining. His main improvements actually came from the Ice God Space. Cultivation with Medicinal Pills in reality was useful, but each time he reached the critical point, i.e., close to 0.95, 0.96, the improvement from Medicinal Pill-assisted Cultivation became extremely difficult.

This was also the main reason that hindered most Martial Artists from reaching their maximum potential!

Perhaps you could reach 0.94999999, but the final step to Breakthrough to 0.95 blocked many, many people.

This was also the wondrous use of the Ice God Space.

The life energy provided to him by the death of those creatures in the space was extremely special, naturally helping him Breakthrough one Bottleneck after another.

However, after 0.97, the effect was greatly reduced. If the Ice Spirit Cat couldn't bring him a surprise today, then he could only Cultivate diligently and search for Snow Rats.

He entered meditation and began to Cultivate.

——

Teacher Residential Area.

In a large villa cast from ice.

“Teacher, the student you favored has already reported to school this noon.”

A refined-looking young man entered a room resembling a cave, looking at a secret room door made of ice crystals inside the room, and said.

Soon after, the secret room door opened, and a gaunt middle-aged figure walked out from inside.

He had a well-proportioned physique, disheveled hair, wore a researcher’s white coat, and a pair of glasses. As he walked, he seemed to still be deep in thought.

“Oh, I see. I’m at a critical stage here. How about this, Tong Zhe, you go help with the admission. Before school starts, have him come see me. Oh, and feel free to offer any conditions; we’re not short on money.”

After speaking, he quickly re-entered the secret room and disappeared.

The young man named Tong Zhe was a bit helpless. His teacher was like a Dragon, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, constantly holed up in his secret room conducting research.

He wasn’t a Martial Artist; he was only half a Martial Artist. He was a research fanatic!

It was just that he had excellent talent and embarked on the Martial Dao. He felt that even if his teacher didn’t have Martial Dao talent, he would most likely become a top researcher.

Also, Teacher, what do you mean, ‘we’re not short on money’? Your laboratory is so poor it’s almost pawning its underwear, and you’re still saying to give whatever he wants?

Exiting the room, Tong Zhe returned to the villa’s main hall, where two people were present.

“How was it? Did you get rebuffed? I knew Teacher wouldn’t come out!”

A mischievous loli stuck out her tongue and laughed, “Teacher is really something. He’s not even afraid that others won’t agree to become his disciple.”

“Yan Ling! Watch your attitude! Senior Brother, this time, I’ll have to trouble you again to help Teacher take on a disciple. This time it’s an S-rank. It’s fine if Teacher doesn’t show up, but among us, you have the most influence. Who in the school doesn’t regard you as Teacher’s spokesperson? Only you can go.”

Tong Zhe nodded, “Heh heh, I guessed it early on. It’s just that Teacher specifically instructed me yesterday to pay attention to this Chen Qing. I thought he would go personally, but he’s still the same.”

He looked at the young man who had just spoken: “Gu Dao, stop bickering with your Junior Sister. I heard Li Qingshan has already entered the third Realm, and you’re still stuck in the second. You two are from the same class. When you entered school, he wasn’t as high in Realm as you. If you don’t Cultivate, do you still have time to chat here?”

Gu Dao was helpless and didn’t retort. He had only come here for a quick look and hadn’t expected Senior Brother to be here too.

Tong Zhe looked at Yan Ling, and just as he was about to speak, the loli Yan Ling quickly said, “Senior Brother! I’m not here to play. I’m here to ask questions, but Teacher isn’t coming out, so I can’t do anything. Why don’t you teach me?”

She was only in her second year, currently in the mid-first Realm, and had stayed in the Non-Martial Artist stage for quite a long time.

Tong Zhe was helpless. He not only had to be the Senior Brother but also the teacher for this group of Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters.

“Come with me.”

Yan Ling skipped along with Tong Zhe, “Senior Brother, I heard this new Junior Brother is still a Non-Martial Artist, and his Vitality strength is very low. When the time comes, hand him over to me, and I’ll help him soar!”

She patted her modest chest and laughed.

Tong Zhe didn’t answer. Of course, he couldn't hand him over to Yan Ling. He would be burning incense if this Junior Sister could take care of herself.