7: Chapter 7 Future Giants

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

"Assemble!" A loud and powerful voice pierced through the noise and the sound of clashing metal inside the Martial Arts Hall.

Wang Hu, the Martial Arts Teacher for Class 21, appeared precisely at the open front door of the classroom, like a boundary marker suddenly erected.

The clamor was severed as if by a sharp blade, instantly quieting down.

Students who had been practicing on equipment, regulating their breathing, or sparring in pairs quickly stopped their movements and gathered toward the assembly point at the front of the classroom, carrying a trace of reverence mixed with post-training fatigue.

Li Wen, standing in the corner, rose from the resting chair covered with old mats.

An afternoon of high-intensity Blade Technique practice left his whole body aching, a sensation that had not yet subsided like a receding tide, and sweat was still seeping from his hairline.

He casually wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, feeling the slight tremor remaining in his knuckles—a residual effect from maintaining precise force application for a long time.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the heaviness born from fatigue, and quickly merged into the moving crowd, his gaze calm.

Once all forty-plus students of the class were arranged in a few lines, albeit loosely yet swiftly, Wang Hu’s piercing tiger eyes swept over them once before nodding slightly with satisfaction. His voice was steady, cutting straight to the point:

"Alright, quiet down." His gaze swept over several young faces hinting at expectation, "I'm announcing something during today's assembly. I imagine many of you sharp ears have already heard some whispers—the School Board has decided to formally establish the 'Flying Star Class' for this year's senior cohort at the beginning of next semester!"

As the words fell, the crowd didn't immediately erupt, but a surge of low murmurs and small-scale discussions instantly filled the space.

The three words 'Flying Star Class' seemed to possess magnetism, firmly capturing everyone's attention.

"It really is true!" Li Wen stood among the crowd, his heart jumping sharply. Wei Wu's words from the morning, spoken with a mysterious tone, instantly became clear and weighty.

Wang Hu didn't pause, continuing, "The selection criteria: the top sixty students in the entire grade's martial arts performance!"

"Sixty students?!"

"It's actually true!"

"Sixty? That's ten more slots than Wei Wu mentioned."

Li Wen keenly caught the difference in the number. A faint glimmer seemed to inject into his heart; the path leading to the Flying Star Class appeared to have widened by a sliver due to those extra ten slots. Hope grew stronger by a fraction.

"The assessment method," Wang Hu's voice drowned out the discussion, "will perfectly align with the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination! It is divided into three parts: Skill Assessment, Physical Body Rank, and Cultural Assessment!"

He recited the score distribution ratios of 'five, three, two' word by word, like three heavy hammers striking down, deeply impressing themselves into everyone's minds.

Immediately following, he deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone again. A rare seriousness appeared on his face, and his voice abruptly rose a pitch:

"And... the most crucial point! The teacher responsible for instructing the Flying Star Class in martial arts has been confirmed—it is a Super Martial Artist that our school spent a fortune to hire!"

The three words 'Super Martial Artist' were clearly enunciated by Wang Hu, carrying a weight like a mountain, smashing heavily into everyone's hearts!

The entire Martial Arts Hall instantly fell into a brief, absolute silence, as if even the air had solidified under the weight of that title.

"Super Martial Artist? Heavens..."

"Is it really a Super Martial Artist personally guiding us?"

"Damn! Whoever gets into the Flying Star Class... that would be..."

The ensuing explosion was one of shock and incredulous low cries.

Super Martial Artist! That was an existence towering above ordinary Martial Artists, people who had truly stepped into the transcendent Realm! To these high school seniors, they were beings to be looked up to!

However, beneath this immense temptation, reality poured down like a basin of cold water.

"A Super Martial Artist... what a pity," a male student standing not far from Li Wen, whose physical test score was mid-range last time, shook his head with clear self-mockery on his face. "It basically has nothing to do with us."

No more words were needed. The entire senior year comprised 21 classes. Students in the first 20 classes were mostly top talents or outstanding individuals who had gotten into Qingshi No. 3 Middle School through fierce competition.

Only their Class 21 existed as what was jokingly called the 'Special Channel Class.' While it couldn't be said that everyone lacked talent, it was an undisputed fact that their overall martial arts strength ranked at the bottom of the grade.

Sixty slots divided among twenty-one classes—an average of nearly three per class? That was merely theoretical! Resources would only tilt toward the strong, making the strong even stronger. The top sixty? For most people in Class 21, this was nothing more than a castle in the air.

Only the top two or three individuals in the class had a slim chance to contend for it.

The results of the grade-level mock exam from over a month ago instantly flashed before Li Wen's eyes.

His Rank, 34th in the class, only one spot above the tenth from last, appeared glaringly conspicuous and humble when faced with the grand goal of 'contending for the grade's top sixty.'

Climbing from the lower-middle of the class to the top three in just over a month—the difficulty was akin to climbing a blade's edge.

Just as Li Wen's thoughts raced like lightning, Wang Hu's explanation reached its conclusion.

"That's all the information regarding the Flying Star Class. For the specific registration process: interested students must submit their personal application forms to me before school ends tomorrow afternoon."

Wang Hu's gaze swept over everyone, carrying a trace of imperceptible understanding.

He knew clearly that among the students in this class, probably only Xue Jun had a one-hundred-percent chance of getting into the Flying Star Class.

Even the second-ranked student in the class was uncertain, let alone the others. His announcement now was more about giving these children a goal so they wouldn't let their training scatter during the one-month winter break, giving them something to strive for.

"Disperse! Continue your individual Cultivation!" Wang Hu waved his large hand and said no more.

Everyone felt as if they had received amnesty, turning to disperse, but the excitement and apprehension lingering in the air did not dissipate for a long time. Many people subconsciously glanced toward Xue Jun, whose spear technique was sharp.

Wang Hu began his dutiful patrol within the spacious Martial Arts Hall.

His steps were steady, his eyes sweeping over every student's movements like a peregrine falcon. He occasionally stopped to point out flaws in their movements or incorrect force application, speaking concisely and hitting the vital points.

Soon, he reached the corner area.

Li Wen had always been one of the students he monitored most closely. The fighting spirit stemming from his humble origins reminded Wang Hu of his own stubbornness in his youth. Wang Hu habitually cast his gaze over.

However, the next moment, the Martial Arts Teacher, who had seen many storms, paused almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of astonishment flashed in his tiger eyes.

"Hmm?!" His gaze locked tightly onto the flashing blade light dancing in Li Wen's hand.

Smooth! Cohesive! Fierceness tempered with a hint of nascent ease!

This... how could this be the Blade Technique that only reached the Major Achievement Realm yesterday?!

As an experienced mentor, Wang Hu knew the characteristics displayed by different Realms too well.

Yesterday, when Li Wen's Blade Technique first entered Major Achievement, the continuity of the Moves was acceptable, but there was still a subtle sense of stagnation between Move connections, and the flow of power was slightly rigid.

But what about now?

Where the blade passed, the whistling sound cutting through the air was continuous. The flow between preceding and succeeding Moves was seamless, as if a set of Blade Techniques had been practiced thousands of times and carved into his bones.

Every subtle rotation of the wrist, every placement of the foot, every twist of the waist exuded a harmony and precision like flowing water.

Especially the subtle sense of control emerging, the power was retracted and released more exquisitely, and the force application was more precise and economical.

This clearly showed the signs of approaching the Late Stage of Major Achievement, perhaps even... touching the edge of the invisible threshold leading to the Perfection Realm.

This speed of transformation could be called prodigious.

"Could it be... he truly had an Awakening?!" A term he had only heard in martial arts legends or casual chats among teachers suddenly rushed into Wang Hu's mind—[Awakening]!

Accumulate for a long time, realize in one day! Years of dormancy, a hidden Dragon emerges from the water!

He once thought this was merely a beautiful expectation from stories, an encouraging saying for those whose talent was mediocre but who persisted relentlessly.

Who would have thought that today, it would appear so vividly before his eyes? Happening to Li Wen, whom he personally taught and watched struggle his way up from the basics?

Immense absurdity followed by ecstatic joy surged through Wang Hu's spine like an electric current!

The muscles on his usually resolute, square face twitched uncontrollably, and the corners of his mouth rose in a tiny arc at a speed he himself didn't even notice.

The mentor of a future Flying Star Realm expert? The guide for a future Colossus? These two thoughts, like a spell, instantly ignited the long-buried professional passion and anticipation in Wang Hu's heart. He seemed to see the name Li Wen shining on a much broader stage in the future.

However, Wang Hu was not a greenhorn. He knew the Dao of Martial Arts was long and full of variables; temporary speed did not necessarily indicate permanence.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fiery emotions churning in his chest, and his expression returned to that stern and rigid appearance.

No rush. Look again. Observe for a period to confirm the sustainability of this speed.

Wang Hu cautioned himself internally. Then, pretending it was just a routine inspection, his gaze naturally shifted away, and his steps passed Li Wen steadily without stopping, as if the shock of that instant had never happened.

The tumultuous inner journey Wang Hu experienced in those few seconds was naturally unknown to Li Wen, who was immersed in the world of the Blade Technique.

At this moment, Li Wen's spirit was completely immersed in the rhythm of his swift blade slicing through the air. The blade light was an extension of his will; every strike was an integration and deduction of skill and power.

He could clearly feel that every optimization of the blade's trajectory, every correction in force transmission, was transforming into a subtle yet solid jump in experience points.

This period was his golden burst phase, where his skill and years of accumulation perfectly merged. It was the critical window for him to leap the dragon gate and squeeze into the Flying Star Class. Even the slightest slack could cause him to miss this brief dividend brought by deep accumulation.

He had to race against time! Once the peak of this thin burst passed, the speed of improvement in his skill Realm would inevitably fall back to a normal, or even slow, track. He would have to wait until his Scholar Rank reached the teens before hoping to accelerate again. That was too far off.

The higher the Scholar Rank, the more terrifying the percentage increase in Comprehension Ability when Absolute Focus was activated; the 10% at Lv1 was just the starting point.

If he could cross the ten-level threshold, it would be an astonishing transformation where his Comprehension Ability would directly double!

This was the fundamental confidence behind his choice of the Scholar profession—its Late Stage potential was nearly infinite! The premise was that his Physical Body and spirit could withstand the terrifying consumption of keeping the skill active long-term.

Swish—!

Swish—!

Swish—!

The sharp whistling sound of the swift blade tearing the air continued to ring in the corner. The blade light flowed incessantly under Li Wen's control, like shimmering mercury, sketching out his persistent pursuit of a higher Realm.

Time quietly slipped away amidst this heart-stoppingly focused hard training.

"Jingle-ling~~" The harsh yet pleasant sound of the school bell rang out like heavenly music, instantly shattering the stagnant atmosphere in the Martial Arts Hall.

Having trained hard all afternoon, everyone's spirit and body were already approaching their limits. The bell sounded like a special pardon; the accumulated soreness and fatigue could no longer be endured.

Almost simultaneously, the sounds of weapons being returned to racks—"Clang," "Clatter"—rose one after another.

The students felt a great sense of relief. Ignoring the sweat covering their heads, they immediately grouped into threes and fives, eagerly rushing toward the door. The clamor instantly replaced the solemnity of Cultivation, and the classroom was empty in the blink of an eye.

In the vast Martial Arts Hall, soon only Li Wen remained, standing with his saber.

The setting sun shone through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a long, solitary shadow behind him.

"Hoo~" As the final Move of the Tiger Guard Saber Technique, 'Tiger Crouching at the Pass,' was powerfully executed, the immense Aura receded with it.

Li Wen slowly exhaled the stale air accumulated in his chest. That breath was condensed and long, as if carrying some of the Blade Technique's sharpness away.

He didn't immediately return the saber to its rack. Instead, with a slight movement of his mind, the familiar light blue screen instantly unfolded before his vision:

[Skill: Blade Technique - Advanced (Major Achievement 65 → 80 / 100)]

"Not bad," Li Wen murmured softly, looking at the fluctuating numbers. A satisfaction that wasn't intense but extremely real showed on his fatigued face.

Fifteen experience points for one afternoon.

Compared to the fifty points he gained yesterday afternoon under the [Absolute Focus] state, which could be called an explosion, this speed was naturally far from enough to be impressive.

But he was very clear that improving skill Realms was incredibly difficult; the further one progressed, the more geometrically the accumulation and insight needed for every single experience point increased.

Having this efficiency was entirely dependent on the profound Foundation he had accumulated through nearly two years of almost insane practice.

However, this dividend brought by deep accumulation was, after all, not inexhaustible.

He could clearly feel that although the smoothness during today's practice remained, the frequency and intensity of the flashes of insight derived from past accumulation were significantly less fierce and dense than yesterday.

The climax of the thin burst was slowly passing.

Once all the old capital was completely digested, the speed of his Blade Technique Realm improvement would inevitably fall back to a normal value corresponding to his current real Comprehension Ability and practice intensity.

But so what? Li Wen's gaze was calm and firm. He was not a greedy person who was never satisfied. The current 80/100 proficiency already far exceeded expectations.

His goal had never changed, nor had it wavered—to firmly step across the threshold of the grade's top sixty in the selection at the beginning of next semester.

As long as he could enter the Flying Star Class and acquire that massive influx of resources... his Physical Body Rank would surely soar rapidly, and with a Super Martial Artist personally guiding him, his skill Realm would advance by leaps and bounds daily.

There was nearly half a year until the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.

Half a year! Possessing the [Scholar] profession, possessing the key [Absolute Focus] that led to terrifying Comprehension Ability... As long as his Physical Body Rank didn't become a short board dragging him down, as long as the Flying Star Class fulfilled its promise of resources... challenging the four top Martial Arts Schools? For him, this was absolutely not wishful thinking.

Clang—!

The swift blade cut a precise silver line, hitting the weapon rack squarely, emitting a clear, resonant chime.

Li Wen stopped practicing. This was not laziness, but a profound understanding and respect for his body.

The body needed to recover. It was both the furnace that endured the burning of essence and Qi from Absolute Focus, and the Foundation that carried all hope and future.

The way of tension and relaxation lies in reverence, and also in... waiting for the next deep accumulation and thin burst.

In the setting sun's afterglow, Li Wen slung his worn schoolbag over his shoulder and walked alone toward the arduous yet hopeful path home, dragging his aching but firmly stepping silhouette.