215: Chapter 215 Back to School!

The winter break at Modu University of Martial Arts was only twenty days long. Today was the scheduled day to return to campus.

Early morning, Linhai City High-Speed Railway Station.

Qin Yan stood before the station entrance with his long spear on his back and his suitcase in hand, accompanied by his parents and younger sister.

"Xiao Yan, remember to call us and let us know you've arrived safely once you get to school."

Chen Juan held her son's hand, her eyes slightly reddened as she gave him detailed reminders. "Don't push yourself too hard during training, take care of your health, eat on time..."

"I know, Mom. Don't worry."

Qin Yan gave his mother's hand a firm squeeze.

Qin Shouzheng remained a man of few words, merely patting his son's shoulder heavily; everything was understood without being said.

Qin Xiaoxi stood beside her parents, her small face tilted up, her large eyes filled with reluctance to see him go.

She was exceptionally quiet today, not chattering away as she usually did.

Suddenly, she took a step forward and shouted loudly, "Brother! You must—come back safely during the summer break!"

It wasn't "come back early," or "bring back tasty treats," but "come back safely."

These three words were like a small pebble dropped into the lake of Qin Yan's heart, sending ripples outward.

Seeing the pure, undisguised concern and longing in his sister's eyes, the softest part of Qin Yan's heart was gently touched.

He knew that this winter break, especially the experience of that night, had caused his sister to grow up a lot overnight.

He bent down to look her in the eye, a warm and determined smile appearing on his face.

He nodded solemnly. "Mhm, I promise you, I will definitely come back safely.

Listen to Mom and Dad at home, study hard, and pay attention to your own safety too."

Qin Xiaoxi nodded vigorously.

The PA system began urging passengers to board.

Qin Yan turned around and merged into the flow of people entering the station.

His back was straight and steady as he gradually disappeared into the station.

The train roared as it pulled away from the platform. The scenery of his hometown outside the window receded rapidly, eventually vanishing at the edge of his vision.

Qin Yan leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, carefully tucking away that parting sorrow and warmth as his gaze became sharp and focused once more.

The brief rest was over. A new journey had begun.

In the afternoon, the train arrived in Modu.

The familiar prosperity and bustle rushed toward him.

Qin Yan didn't delay, taking the exclusive train and quickly returning to the Modu University of Martial Arts campus.

The winter campus was still full of vitality.

Students returning from the break dragged their luggage, chatting and laughing in small groups. The air was permeated with the atmosphere of a new semester.

Qin Yan first returned to his Manor No. 11.

After putting his luggage away simply, he picked up his long spear and headed out again, his destination clear—the Sixth Institute.

With his cultivation breaking through to the third grade mid-stage, his strength had made significant progress.

But with that came the lagging behind of the weapon in his hand.

The previous "ink trace" long spear, forged from Grade C alloy "Ink Iron," had accompanied him through the New Student Competition, bitter training in the gravity room, and even the blood-soaked combat of the National Exchange Competition. It could be said to have rendered great service.

However, as his vitality became increasingly vigorous and his Spear Techniques more refined,

especially with the increased power of Layered Aura, higher demands were placed on the weapon's strength and toughness.

Continuing to use the Grade C alloy ink trace was acceptable for ordinary training.

But if he were to encounter a powerful enemy holding an evil weapon like Zhang Bei again,

or clash head-on with opponents wielding higher quality weapons in even more intense future battles,

ink trace would likely shatter because it couldn't withstand the violent collision of forces, which would be an unbearable loss for him.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. Replacing it with a more powerful weapon was imperative.

Walking into the Sixth Institute's weapon exchange hall with practiced ease,

Qin Yan walked straight to a relatively free counter and gently placed the "ink trace" long spear on the tabletop.

Getting straight to the point, he said, "Hello, please help me recycle this long spear and convert it into academic credits.

Additionally, I want to exchange for an 'ink trace' series long spear of the same model but with upgraded materials."

The staff member's attitude was professional.

After checking the condition of ink trace, she nodded. "Grade C alloy standard long spear 'ink trace,' well-preserved. The recycling price is 15 academic credits.

Classmate, please wait a moment while I go get the upgraded version of 'ink trace'."

A short while later, the staff member returned.

In her hands, she carried a long spear that was pitch black all over, with a design almost identical to ink trace.

The lines of the spear's body were smooth, exuding a steady and heavy aura.

She handed the long spear to Qin Yan.

"This is the 'Ink Trace Type II,' also known as the ink trace 2.0 version."

"The overall style, length, and center of gravity ratio are kept consistent with the original ink trace, ensuring a seamless transition in feel for the user.

The biggest upgrade lies in the material—it uses Grade B alloy 'Black Iron' as the main material, forged with a small amount of other rare metals mixed in."

"It weighs about 31 catties, nearly four times heavier than the original ink trace. Try out the feel."

Qin Yan reached out to take it.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand, but for his current strength, it was no problem at all.

He gripped the spear shaft and gave it a light shake; a steady vibration traveled through the spear's body.

After a couple of casual swings, the sound of it cutting through the air was deeper and more powerful.

"I'll take this one." Qin Yan nodded with satisfaction.

A seamless transition in feel was very important, allowing him to quickly adapt to the new weapon without needing to spend extra time breaking it in.

"Alright. The exchange price for the 'Ink Trace Type II' is 60 academic credits.

After deducting the 15 academic credits from your old spear's recycling, you still need to pay 45 academic credits."

Qin Yan had long been mentally prepared for this price; the value of a Grade B alloy weapon was far beyond that of Grade C.

He readily paid the 45 academic credits using his personal terminal.

As the notification sound for the successful credit deduction rang out, Qin Yan glanced at the remaining balance in his account, which was now nearly empty, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This winter break, he had consumed nearly one Blood Refining Pill and one portion of Hundred Herb Body Tempering Liquid (12 credits/portion) every day. The credits he had previously accumulated had long since flowed away like water.

Now, replacing the spear made things even worse.

"This Blood Refining Realm... truly lives up to its reputation as the most resource-consuming stage for low-grade martial artists."

Qin Yan walked out of the exchange hall, holding the brand-new, even sharper "ink trace" in his hand, feeling emotional.

With every step his strength improved, the corresponding resource consumption increased exponentially.

Without enough "provisions," no matter how high one's talent, progress would be severely slowed down.

Without lingering, Qin Yan gripped his new spear and strode toward his manor's training room.

Upon returning to the manor, Qin Yan went straight to the third-floor training room.

He didn't start training immediately, but instead briefly checked his gains from this period.

Scanning the panel, Qin Yan understood the situation.

Aside from the core Blood Refining Chapter of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Spear, which had reached the Fifth Revolution (45%) under the feeding of Skill Points, the changes in other areas were negligible.

"As expected."

"The current focus is to push the cultivation progress of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Spear's Blood Refining Chapter to a higher level as quickly as possible!

Only with a high enough Blood Refining efficiency can I maximize the absorption of the effects when I consume grandmaster true blood in the future!"

Resources were limited; they had to be used where they mattered most.