6: Chapter 6 Flying Star Class

The next day, December 30th.

Early morning. A sharp, monotonous alarm clock sound brutally tore through the silence of the room.

"Click." Li Wen, with his eyes closed, instinctively reached out his arm from under the warm quilt and accurately silenced the annoying alarm.

The world sank back into silence, but the interrupted slumber could never be retrieved.

He struggled to sit up, leaning against the cold wall. The thin quilt slid down, revealing a lean chest that was already beginning to show the sharp angles of youth.

A heavy sense of fatigue wrapped around every muscle, especially his limbs and bones, which had over-exerted themselves cultivating the "Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method" last night. At this moment, waves of soreness and swelling pulsed through them, more obvious than usual.

He frowned slightly, pressing his fingers against his slightly tense temples.

'Overloaded again...' he sighed silently in his heart.

This fatigue, far exceeding expectations, stemmed from the fact that the duration of his basic technique Cultivation last night surpassed his body's current recovery ability.

Normally, his biological clock would wake him naturally a few minutes before the alarm. That was the delicate balance point where his body had just exhausted the accumulated Qi and blood in effective Cultivation, and could barely replenish it through sleep.

However, last night, in order to quickly improve his Cultivation Technique proficiency, he persisted for nearly ten minutes longer than usual, pushing his entry-level proficiency from 90 to 95/100 points.

The price was the feeling of emptiness, as if he had been hollowed out—the Qi and blood consumed far exceeded what sleep could restore. The new day had not even begun, yet he was already burdened with a heavy load.

A deeply ironic paradox surfaced in his mind.

Those with resources and talent lacked investment and sweat; but he, Li Wen, lacked neither determination nor sweat. He solely lacked the energy—the Qi and blood—to sustain this burning effort.

Resources were limited, so he dared not Cultivate at full strength. He feared draining himself, which would damage his Foundation and result in a loss greater than the gain.

This predicament of cautiously calculating every ounce of energy used felt like cold threads entangling his eager heart to move forward.

A sense of urgency, like a lurking fierce beast, bit down hard on his heart again.

The professional panel offered him a glimpse of the dawn to break through the ceiling of his skills, but the most realistic problem before him remained the Physical Body Rank threshold—Rank 7.0—which was the minimum requirement for entering a Martial Arts University.

He was currently Rank 6.1, still 0.9 Ranks short of the minimum registration qualification line. With the College Entrance Examination only half a year away, and registration requiring a month in advance, strictly speaking, he had less than five months left!

Ordinary Martial Arts Universities required Rank 7.5 or higher; first-tier Martial Arts Universities demanded a staggering Rank 8.5; and the unattainable four top prestigious schools didn't even bear mentioning.

'Rank 7.0... As long as the Cultivation Technique proficiency increases and Cultivation efficiency improves, I am confident I can reach it before registration,' Li Wen’s gaze was firm. 'But if I want to challenge better universities, my Physical Body Rank must keep up as well.'

Relying solely on the efficiency gains from increasing Cultivation Technique proficiency, attempting to reach Rank 8.5 or higher within five months? That was too difficult! Not to mention the level required by the top prestigious schools.

The core issue refocused—he needed a larger, more powerful energy source.

He needed qi and blood potions!

The rules of this world were cruel: the Realm of Skill determined the ceiling, but the Physical Body Rank was the Foundation.

A Physical Body Rank without sufficient Qi and blood support was like a building with an unstable Foundation. When his Qi and blood declined in the future, no matter how high his skill, it would be difficult to break through to higher Realms and achieve true transcendence.

Reliving life, fusing the wisdom of two lifetimes, especially with the perspective from the information explosion era of his past life, he deeply understood the importance of a 'platform'.

Getting into an ordinary Martial Arts University? That was not his goal.

The coveted resource allocation of a top-tier Martial Arts University was the key that could truly change his destiny and allow him to keep pace with the strong.

One step slow meant every step would be slow!

Chaotic thoughts tumbled in his mind. Li Wen shook his head, temporarily suppressing these heavy pressures, and threw off the quilt to get out of bed.

Cold water splashed on his face in the washroom, bringing a jolt that slightly dispelled the fatigue.

In the living room, Mother Li, Wang Juan, had already prepared a simple breakfast as usual.

...

Qingshi No. 3 Middle School, Grade 12, Class 21 cultural class classroom.

In the winter morning, the sky was faintly lit.

In the empty classroom, Li Wen was still the earliest to arrive. The window seat in the corner had already become his exclusive territory.

He put down his schoolbag and quickly spread out "advanced mathematical foundation theory," sinking back into the ocean of knowledge.

Just as he was immersed for more than ten minutes, the classroom door was pushed open.

Wei Wu, with small eyes and a slightly chubby build, walked in, his shoulder draped with a bulging schoolbag stuffed with various review materials and notes.

Wei Wu's gaze swept across the classroom and, as expected, landed on Li Wen.

Unexpectedly, instead of immediately starting to read upon returning to his seat as usual, he carried his schoolbag straight to Li Wen's desk, pulled out a chair, sat down, and wore an expression of excitement, as if sharing a secret.

"Hey, Li Wen, did you hear?" Wei Wu lowered his voice and said mysteriously.

"Hmm?" Li Wen looked up, his gaze just pulled away from the difficult formulas, carrying a hint of confusion from being interrupted.

"Next semester when school starts, the school is making a big move!" Wei Wu didn't pay attention to Li Wen's perfunctory response and continued enthusiastically, "According to old tradition, they are forming the 'Flying Star Class,' you know that, right?"

"Flying Star Class?" Li Wen responded casually, his eyes returning to his book. He had little interest in this 'top student class' that happened every year. It used to be too far out of reach for him.

"Yes! That's the top student class! But this time, it's different!" Seeing Li Wen wasn't paying much attention, Wei Wu couldn't help but raise his voice, trying to catch his attention.

"I heard through the grapevine that the school board approved a huge budget this time, they're sparing no expense! They plan to select the top fifty strongest in Martial Arts from the entire Grade 12!"

Hearing 'select fifty people,' the fingers holding Li Wen's pen only paused slightly subconsciously, still showing no sign of looking up. Selection? That happened every year.

Wei Wu became a bit anxious and threw out the most explosive news: "The key part is here! Not only are they selecting people, but I heard the benefits and treatment for students selected into the Flying Star Class will be unprecedentedly explosive! Definitely far surpassing previous years!"

Li Wen's pen tip unconsciously drew a line on the scratch paper. Far surpassing previous years? How much more?

"Not only will there be large amounts of qi and blood potions distributed for free, but I even heard that the Martial Arts Teachers for the Flying Star Class will be Super Martial Artists serving as instructors," Wei Wu finally revealed what he considered his strongest trump card.

"...Distributed for free?!" Like a depth charge exploding next to his ear, the keyword "qi and blood potion" instantly pierced the fortress constructed by knowledge!

The book in Li Wen's hand slammed heavily onto the desk with a "pa," and he suddenly looked up. His eyes shot out a sharp light, like a hungry wolf staring at prey, fiercely locking onto Wei Wu. His body even leaned forward slightly due to excitement.

"Wei Wu! What did you just say... Free distribution of qi and blood potions?! A large quantity?!"

Wei Wu was startled by Li Wen's intense, direct reaction and subconsciously shrank his neck. He had thought Li Wen would be more interested in the Super Martial Artist teachers, just like himself.

"Uh... yeah... they said there will be a large supply..." Wei Wu answered somewhat stammeringly, then his face showed an expression of disappointment that iron cannot be made into steel.

"Big brother! The point is! The Martial Arts Teacher! I heard they hired a 'Super Martial Artist' with a heavy investment to personally instruct! A Super Martial Artist! Do you know how much it costs to hire a Super Martial Artist for an hour of private tutoring outside? It starts at tens of thousands of Galaxy Coins! That's enough to buy how many qi and blood potions for us?!"

Wei Wu felt Li Wen completely missed the point. qi and blood potions could be bought, but the guidance of a Super Martial Artist was an opportunity that money couldn't always secure!

However, Li Wen hadn't heard the latter part of Wei Wu's rambling about the Super Martial Artists at all.

At this moment, his mind was churning like a raging sea, and only those few words were constantly repeating and amplifying: Free! qi and blood potions! Large Supply!

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and his blood seemed to rush faster! A clear, undeniable thought split the fog like lightning:

The Flying Star Class! This was his excellent opportunity to escape the shackles of Qi and blood! Perhaps even his only opportunity!

"But... sigh..." Wei Wu saw Li Wen only focused on the qi and blood potions and lost his enthusiasm, slumping back into his chair and shaking his head self-deprecatingly.

"But this has nothing to do with us. Our class having a spot in the top fifty is still somewhat hopeful, but the top fifty in the entire grade? Dreaming. Moreover, I heard they need to submit self-applications. With our current strength, going would just be wasting time accompanying others..." He listlessly picked up his schoolbag. "Forget it, forget it, let's read."

"Top fifty in the grade... application..." Careless words, but they struck Li Wen like a great bell! Wei Wu's last few discouraged sentences, every word hammered down on Li Wen's thoughts.

He instantly froze.

His previous plans for improving his Skill Realm, his distant goal of applying to a top-tier Martial Arts University—all of these were suddenly pulled closer and condensed by the massive and tangible springboard of the 'Flying Star Class'!

An unprecedented, clear, and concrete short-term goal magnetically attracted all his attention and desire—"I must break into the top fifty of the grade by the start of next semester! I must enter the Flying Star Class!"

Wei Wu picked up his schoolbag and dejectedly returned to his seat. Soon, the sound of turning pages followed.

But Li Wen's gaze fell upon the open math book, yet he could no longer focus on a single formula or symbol.

The symbols and lines on the page seemed blurred; only keywords like 'Free qi and blood potion,' 'Super Martial Artist Guidance,' 'Top Fifty in the Grade,' and 'Application' shone clearly, circled, and intertwined in his mind.

Calm analysis began to spin rapidly like precise gears in his fused mind:

The selection criteria for the Flying Star Class in previous years at Qingshi No. 3 Middle School were basically divided into three major components:

Martial Arts Skill (50% weighting), Cultural Assessment (20% weighting), Physical Body Rank (30% weighting).

Cultural Assessment? A faint, small arc curved at the corner of Li Wen's mouth subconsciously.

With the 'Scholar' profession, gaining experience daily was a mandatory task.

Even more Heaven-Defying was the passive skill 'One Proof, Eternal Proof'—once knowledge was understood and mastered, it would never be forgotten!

This meant his cultural study efficiency would far surpass ordinary people. By simply following the schedule, he was extremely confident in achieving near-perfect scores in this assessment, which accounted for 20%!

This area was not a disadvantage but a strong point for stable scoring! He was determined to secure these 20% points.

Physical Body Rank? This was a hard metric and his current weakness. But the Flying Star Class selection was at the beginning of next semester, giving him over a month to prepare.

Time was tight; every second counted.

The key was to improve the proficiency of the "Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method," striving to enter the 'Minor Achievement' Realm as soon as possible to maximize Cultivation efficiency.

Simultaneously, he needed to strive for additional qi and blood potion support by all possible means, even just one or two. This accounted for 30%, and he needed to secure as many points as possible.

Martial Arts Skill! This was the utmost priority! Accounting for 50%! It was also his greatest and clearest advantage right now!

The 'Scholar' profession, 'Absolute Focus'—this was his strongest trump card for breaking into the top fifty!

Blade Technique - Advanced Major Achievement (55/100)?

That was far from enough!

His goal was to reach the 'Entry' Realm of Top-tier Saber Technique before the selection. A High-level Blade Technique wasn't rare in Grade 12, but a Top-tier Saber Technique? Even just 'Entry' level would allow him to stand out among his peers! Coupled with his terrifying Comprehension Ability and rapid improvement speed...

'Flying Star Class... that continuous supply of qi and blood potions...' Thinking of this, Li Wen's breathing couldn't help but quicken slightly.

Once inside, the speed of his Physical Body Rank improvement would undergo a massive transformation! By then, getting into a top prestigious university would no longer be a pipe dream!

A whole morning passed amidst seemingly calm book reading and problem-solving. Li Wen invested more mental effort than usual because his cultural scores had now become extremely important!

"You study diligently for six hours, scholar experience +36"

"Profession: Scholar Lv1 (36 → 72 / 100)"

In the empty classroom, Li Wen let out a long breath and stretched his somewhat stiff body.

The noon sunlight outside streamed onto his clearly defined profile. His goal had never been so clear.

The first step to becoming a Top Martial Artist began with entering—the Flying Star Class!

He packed his schoolbag and left the classroom with determined steps. On the way to the cafeteria to fill his stomach, he repeatedly sketched out the two goals that could change his destiny:

Within five months, break through the Physical Body Rank to above 8.5, obtaining the minimum qualification for a top-tier Martial Arts University!

At the beginning of next semester, give it his all, break into the top fifty of the grade, and seize the entry ticket to the Flying Star Class!