After the minor test concluded.
Teacher Cui kept Wang Xian behind alone.
"Wang Xian, be honest with me..." Teacher Cui lowered his voice. "Have you awakened a martial talent on your own?"
"......" Wang Xian remained silent.
Sorry to disappoint you, Teacher Cui.
I probably won’t awaken any martial talent.
Of course, he could understand why Teacher Cui would think that.
Because once a martial talent awakens, the hidden power within the body erupts, causing one’s vitality to instantly skyrocket.
For example, if someone’s vitality was only 0.5, even awakening a low-tier martial talent could double it to 1.
The more formidable the martial talent, the greater the surge in vitality.
Otherwise, countless students wouldn’t yearn to awaken a talent and change their fate.
However, martial talents usually require external guidance to awaken.
If someone awakens on their own, there’s only one explanation—
Their martial talent is terrifyingly high, to the point where the accumulated power inside their body can no longer be contained.
Wang Xian shook his head.
Teacher Cui stared at him for a moment but didn’t press further.
After all, the increase in vitality wasn’t significant, and there were other possible explanations.
"Then what about your blade techniques..." Teacher Cui had to ask.
Because it was simply too extraordinary.
Wang Xian thought for a moment, as if recalling something, and said:
"Actually, for the past two years, I’ve been playing a martial arts-themed online game."
Cui Sanyan froze, then suddenly understood:
"You mean ‘Boundless Martial Arts,’ right?"
"Don’t tell me you’ve been practicing the blade in it all this time?"
Boundless Martial Arts was a virtual combat game developed under national supervision, with collaboration from several major domestic gaming companies.
While it couldn’t fully replicate real-world martial arts combat with 100% accuracy, it achieved over 90% realism.
The game’s purpose was to elevate the foundational martial arts proficiency of the entire Dragon Nation.
Countless amateur fighters, professional martial artists, and even the occasional seventh-realm grandmasters engaged in virtual duels within it.
Of course, training martial techniques in the game differed significantly from reality.
But prolonged immersion in it could still have a noticeable impact on real-world skills.
"Not exactly two years, more like recently..." Wang Xian replied casually.
"Well then, it seems you have remarkable talent in blade techniques!" Cui Sanyan was thrilled. "There’s still a little over a month left—if you have any questions during this time, come to me. Our class has three spots for the martial arts program!"
"Strive for one of them!"
"Oh, and since you’ve reached first-tier blade mastery, you’re eligible to study a foundational blade martial art."
"You can go to the school’s martial arts library and choose a third-tier foundational blade technique to observe."
Cui Sanyan then spoke gravely, "Remember, pick only one. Don’t be greedy. If you can fully comprehend one foundational martial art within a month, securing a spot in the martial arts program will be guaranteed!"
Wang Xian nodded slightly.
Anything labeled a "martial art" naturally possessed devastating combat power.
Generally, high schools only offered foundational-tier martial arts.
Above foundational were advanced-tier martial arts, which typically required third-realm martial artists to practice.
Further up were supreme-tier martial arts, accessible only to sixth-realm experts.
The highest level was the nation-grade martial arts, of which the Dragon Nation had only a handful.
Nation-grade martial arts were designed for Martial Gods.
Without being a Martial God, there was no point even considering them.
Moreover, mastering martial arts also demanded a certain level of skill proficiency.
Otherwise, comprehension would be extremely difficult.
For example, someone with only first-tier blade mastery attempting to learn an advanced-tier martial art wasn’t entirely impossible—
But even with exceptional talent, progress would be painfully slow.
Even if they succeeded, without sufficient vitality, they wouldn’t be able to unleash the martial art’s true power.
After the minor test, there was only one more cultural class before lunch.
As the bell rang, the students, who had been waiting impatiently, stampeded toward the cafeteria.
Chen Yuting didn’t leave her seat. Instead, she waited quietly.
Her gaze flickered toward Wang Xian, who sat a few seats away.
She saw him stand up and head straight for the back door.
Seeing this, Chen Yuting quickly rose and called out:
"Wang Xian, what exactly is your problem?"
"?" Wang Xian turned slightly, confusion written on his face.
"I admit, I was wrong before," Chen Yuting bit her lip lightly. "But didn’t I already apologize? Can’t we move past this? I turned down Li Zihang... I’ve turned down a lot of people."
"Before, you said you wanted to have lunch with me... I refused at the time because you’d already brought me breakfast in the morning. I didn’t want you spending more money on me!"
"But at the very least, you used to ask me every day!"
"Now you don’t even ask anymore?"
"......" Wang Xian.
Huh. Just how much of a simp was I in my past life?
As she spoke, Chen Yuting’s eyes grew slightly misty, her delicate, aggrieved expression enough to soften even the hardest of men.
"You said it yourself—you didn’t want me wasting money, so..." Wang Xian replied offhandedly.
Yet before he could finish, Chen Yuting, as if anticipating this, immediately countered:
"So, if you ask me, I’ll pay for the meals."
"You don’t think I’m the kind of girl who only spends other people’s money, do you?"
Wang Xian said:
"Aren’t you?"
"You—!" Chen Yuting stamped her foot in frustration, her face a mix of embarrassment and anger, the very picture of a petulant young woman.
"Fine! This time, I’ll pay!" Chen Yuting wiped the corner of her eye. "From now on, I’ll pay for lunch every day!"
Wang Xian studied her and suddenly understood something.
In his past life, whenever he heard rumors about Chen Yuting remarrying into wealth, he always wondered—
What kind of woman could captivate those young masters of elite families, who had seen and experienced everything?
What tricks had she used?
Now, seeing her like this, it all made sense.
But during high school, she hadn’t been this adept at manipulating men’s hearts.
"Sorry, I prefer eating alone."
With that, Wang Xian swiftly left the classroom.
Something about Chen Yuting felt off.
Thinking back to his past life, it was better to stay away from her.
By the time he reached the cafeteria, it was already packed.
Wang Xian grabbed a 30-yuan meal—two meat dishes and one vegetable—and was about to sit down when he paused.
A thought crossed his mind.
He ordered an extra portion, left the cafeteria, and headed straight for the rooftop of the teaching building.
Before he even opened the door, he heard soft chewing sounds.
Pushing the door open—
"So you really are here..."
He smiled at the lone figure before him.
At the edge of the rooftop, on a bench—
Ye Miyue held a plain white steamed bun in both hands, her snow-white cheeks puffing slightly as she chewed.
Like a little hamster nibbling on food.
Hearing the noise, she looked up in confusion.
The moment she saw Wang Xian, her wide, doe-like eyes filled with surprise and panic.
Wang Xian walked over and glanced at her lunchbox.
Nothing but pickled vegetables.
He sighed inwardly.
No wonder Ye Miyue’s vitality, measured at 0.5 during the high school entrance exams in his past life, barely improved by the time graduation rolled around.
**Document Translation:**
Eating like this every day—how could it possibly nourish your body and energy?
Not regressing is already a stroke of luck.
Vitality represents the overall physical condition of a person.
To improve vitality, one must train, and the other is to eat well.
With mediocre food, even the best training will only yield limited improvements in vitality.
If the diet is poor and the body lacks sufficient nutrition, regression is entirely possible.
*“No wonder your massage was so weak,”* Wang Xian walked over, his expression stern. *“Eating like this? How can you even give me a proper massage?”*
*“You’re not even qualified as a technician.”*
With that, Wang Xian snatched the plain steamed bun and lunchbox from Ye Miyue’s hands.
He placed his own meal in her hands instead.
*“I’ll eat this, you take mine.”* Wang Xian took a big bite of the steamed bun—nearly a third of it in one go.
*“Th-that’s… mine…”* Ye Miyue’s face instantly flushed red.
*That’s the one I already took a bite from.*
She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.
*“Yours? Mine? Whatever’s in my hand is mine!”* Wang Xian devoured the bun in a few quick bites.
To be honest…
That plain steamed bun was surprisingly delicious.
Just not very nutritious…
Ye Miyue held the lunchbox in both hands, hesitating—unsure whether to eat or not.
It smelled amazing…
The cafeteria ladies at this elite high school were truly skilled.
Whether it was the tender, glistening braised pork or the fragrant roasted chicken drumsticks…
*“Hmm, from the looks of it…”* Wang Xian rubbed his hands together, watching her hesitation. *“You’re waiting for me to feed you, huh? Fine, but remember to tip me for the service later.”*
He reached for the chopsticks with a teasing grin…
*“N-no… I can do it…”* Ye Miyue turned slightly away, her face burning, and began eating.
She ate slowly, deliberately avoiding the braised pork and drumstick—the best parts.
Instead, she quickly finished the stir-fried greens and most of the rice.
At the very end, she only picked up one small piece of braised pork.
*“Why aren’t you eating the rest?”* Wang Xian frowned.
He had already finished his own meal.
*“I’m full,”* Ye Miyue replied.
Wang Xian glanced at her flat stomach.
*Not even slightly rounded, and you claim you’re full?*
*Who are you kidding?*
*“Wasting food is a disgrace,”* he said.
Ye Miyue shook her head, thinking for a moment.
*“I… I want to save some for the evening.”*
*“……”* Wang Xian was speechless.
*So you didn’t even prepare dinner for yourself?*
He didn’t press further, instead changing the subject.
*“So, was I cool in the martial arts hall this morning?”*
Ye Miyue froze, then looked away.
*“I… I didn’t watch.”*
Wang Xian chuckled and sat down at the far end of the bench.
A short while later…
Ye Miyue pulled out a notebook.
*“These are some notes for the cultural classes…”*
Wang Xian blinked, taking it and flipping through the pages. He nodded in approval.
While martial exams didn’t heavily emphasize academic scores, that didn’t mean they were unimportant.
Failing key subjects could still bar entry to martial universities.
The notes were meticulous—clearly well-prepared.
But when he reached the end…
Wang Xian discovered a series of fresh, elegant handwriting.
Detailed entries on over a dozen foundational saber techniques, complete with annotations, strengths, and weaknesses.
One technique in particular was marked with a star—as if strongly recommended.
**[Flowing Water Saber Art]**: Third-tier foundational martial art. *"Drawing the blade cannot sever the water—it only flows stronger."* A single slash can split waterfalls and crush waves, delivering unparalleled force. If one masters the *"Flowing Cloud Blade Surge,"* its power rivals first-tier foundational arts. At its peak, each strike grows stronger than the last. The final technique, *"Tidal Roar of Heaven and Earth,"* unleashes a force five times the wielder’s strength!
Wang Xian was no stranger to saber techniques, and he could immediately tell this one suited him well.
Beneath the description was an additional note:
*"Library, first floor—Martial Arts Room 3. Left shelf, second from the bottom."*
*“……”* Wang Xian.
*This detailed?*
He turned to Ye Miyue, who calmly packed the lunchbox.
But within seconds, the tips of her ears turned red—like tiny crystals.
*“You’ve put a lot of thought into this, Ye Miyue,”* Wang Xian grinned.
He didn’t know when the earlier notes were written, but the saber techniques?
*Definitely added during the last class.*
*“I’ll take your advice,”* he laughed, tucking the notebook away. *“I’ll start with this Flowing Water Saber Art.”*
Who would’ve thought? This girl had an uncanny perception for martial arts.
After just one morning of watching him practice, she had pinpointed the perfect technique for him.
That level of insight—even Teacher Cui might not match it.
After school, Wang Xian headed straight to the library. Following the notes, he easily located the saber manual.
Modern martial manuals were typically holographic recordings, projected in martial arts chambers for training.
They couldn’t be taken out.
Practitioners were also strictly forbidden from leaking the techniques.
For example, the signature art of Uncle’s martial hall—*"Extreme Path Boulder-Shattering Palm"*—required a confidentiality agreement before training.
Unauthorized transmission carried legal consequences.
Of course, without the holographic demonstrations and precise instructions, replicating the techniques was nearly impossible.
Inside the training chamber…
A holographic young man demonstrated the saber forms while reciting the mnemonic verses.
The Flowing Water Saber Art consisted of three stances:
1. **Flowing Clouds, Running Water**
2. **Wind and Rain Obscure the Sun**
3. **Tidal Roar of Heaven and Earth**
Each stance contained multiple slashes.
The final technique required at least five consecutive strikes to manifest the true *"Tidal Roar."*
Its energy-channeling methods were complex—one of the more difficult foundational saber arts.
Mastering an entire art in a month wasn’t too long, nor too short.
For those with talent, it was manageable.
But for Wang Xian?
After watching the demonstration once, he picked up a wooden practice saber.
He reviewed the movements in his mind—
Then, in an instant, his body moved like drifting clouds, his blade like coursing water.
Within the chamber, an aura of rising waves formed—energy swirling with each slash.
Next came the storm-like second stance, where water transformed into pelting rain, shrouding the room.
Finally, with a shift in momentum, the tempest coalesced into a roaring tidal surge.
After five rapid strikes—
A faint, watery blade energy materialized around the wooden saber.
*"Flowing Water Saber Art."*
*"Mastered."*
Wang Xian smirked and shut off the hologram.
A single viewing—instant comprehension.