Upon his return to the library, Xiang Ning naturally attracted much attention from the crowd of students, who were all staring at him with odd expressions. He was just a part-time student, after all, and despite the Federation promoting ‘equality for all’ over the past three centuries, to these students, Xiang Ning was beneath them. 

A part-timer graduating high school and entering a martial arts university, or being famous and successful at all, really, was also unheard of. Students from strong family backgrounds often made friends based on potential benefits, and making friends with people like Xiang Ning would usually be considered a waste of time. 

But his performance today had changed everything. He had achieved Assimilation in a martial skill, defeating a cultivation prodigy from Class 2 in mere seconds. It was puzzling because he didn’t seem like the same person they knew from the first day of school, too. 

Since Mu Xiao had already taken up Xiang Ning’s initial time after the duel, there were fewer eyes on him. Most had already been matched with an opponent and were currently dueling. Time was of the essence if they wanted to increase their cultivation. 

“Xiang Ning, are you alright?” Fatty Wang hurried forward, concerned. 

Xiang Ning shook his head and didn’t elaborate, while Fatty also felt it was inappropriate to ask. He too was confused about Xiang Ning’s capabilities, because he knew that he used to only be at Physical Tempering stage four. Being a part-timer also proved that he wasn’t a rich kid, which made it unlikely that he’d trained with a great master or had any cultivation background. 

Fatty Wang’s enormous figure had trembled as he watched the way Xiang Ning had brutally defeated Li Minghao in two seconds, his face red. He knew Li Minghao well.

“Let’s not waste any time, Mr. Mu will be coming soon,” reminded Xiang Ning. He, too, was reminiscing about the way he felt during the duel. Although he had expected this victory, he didn’t know he could bring Li Minghao to his knees with just one strike. He grew emotional just thinking about the Assimilation achievement for his Mountain-Splitting Slash—his far-away dreams seemed so close now! 

Thirty minutes quickly passed. Xiang Ning’s performance had naturally been observed, though Mu Xiao did not report it to management, merely forwarding the information to Class 8’s teacher, Su Muhan. 

She was astonished when she received the report. After Mu Xiao’s questions, she was left with one unlikely explanation: perhaps Xiang Ning’s cultivation improved upon cultivating the Advanced Breathing Techniques? 

“I think that’s definitely possible, perhaps he laid a strong foundation over a long period, and is now finally breaking through. However, his sword skills still baffle me… perhaps he’s an extremely talented prodigy?” mused Mu Xiao, puzzled. 

“No matter what, him being this capable is still good news for us, right?” Su Muhan was less concerned with the reason. Maybe he really was just that talented. 

“I guess you’re right. Oh, but we’ll know after the entry physical.” Mu Xiao grinned. 

Every student must undergo a routine physical examination at the beginning of the semester. In this era, Earth’s scientific and cultivation fields had integrated well, so through this check-up a student’s cultivation level and physical strength could be measured. 

In the Physical Tempering stage, a cultivator trains until they surpass a regular human being, in addition to absorbing spiritual qi via cultivation to even become superhuman. Despite that, one’s physical strength and health would still determine their capabilities and future. In summary, physical health and vitality were one’s foundation. The more robust their body was, the brighter their future. 

When they arrived at the school gates, Xiang Ning wanted to separate from Wang Zhe to meet Xiang Xiaoyu, but Wang Zhe stopped him. “Hey hey hey, slow down. We need to talk.” 

“Huh? About what?” 

“Nothing much. My family recently arranged for me to cultivate at a dojo nearby. It’s boring without a friend there, so I’m officially inviting you to go with me.” Wang Zhe didn’t beat around the bush. 

Xiang Ning stared, perplexed. “I don’t have any money to cultivate in a dojo.” 

“You don’t need any, I’ll pay for you. I just think you’re powerful and I’d like you to teach me,” chuckled Wang Zhe. 

Xiang Ning had given him many pointers when they dueled. 

In reality, while they were sparring, the system had shown Xiang Ning his every weakness. All he did was give Wang Zhe some feedback based on what he saw, but that proved a tremendous help to Wang Zhe. 

Xiang Ning hesitated. He wanted to go, but he needed to earn money from the mines, too. 

“Well, actually, my father’s trying to teach me a lesson. But you know how rough the people at the dojo can be, so.…” Wang Zhe’s true intentions were laid bare now. He needed Xiang Ning, a friend, as a partner so he wouldn’t just be a punching bag. 

“You don’t have to go every day, just on the weekends. And I’ll pay you for being my sparring partner!” Wang Zhe hurriedly added, knowing Xiang Ning’s reservations. 

“Alright, I’ll go. You don’t have to pay me,” Xiang Ning flatly said. This wasn’t him setting Wang Zhe up for manipulation later, he just realized that earning money would be easy with the system’s help. 

When Wang Zhe saw the sincerity in Xiang Ning’s eyes, he grinned. “Alright, deal!” 

They bade each other farewell. Xiang Ning met Xiaoyu, and they both got on the bus. She told him everything that had happened that day as he gently stroked her hair. She seemed to be happy in school. 

It was still early when they arrived home, only just before five in the evening. Usually, they rested for a while before dinner, since rice took some time to cook. Xiang Ning picked his bag and tools up and turned to Xiang Xiaoyu. “Xiaoyu, watch some TV while you wait for me. I’ll go try my luck at the mines.”

“Alright, be careful.” She obediently nodded, then happily turned on the crystal television. 

Xiang Ning sprinted to the mines like a madman, arriving in two minutes instead of the usual five or six, yet it didn’t affect his breathing at all. 

There was no one in the caves. Like a fish returning to the ocean, he entered a tunnel without hesitation, though not before checking the rewards he had received from leveling up. 

He had earned them during sparring and hadn’t yet had a chance to check. Since there was a vast space here without anyone else around, this was the best spot to do it in case something weird happened. 

“Open Rewards,” he softly muttered. Strings of text appeared in his mind. 

Opening Mental Power Interface. 

Xiang Ning paused. So the reward activated this… Mental Power Interface? Xiang Ning checked his own user interface. 

Cultivation: Tier 1 Martial Artist (0/1000) 

Technique: Advanced Breathing Techniques (Highest level attained) 

Martial skill: Mountain-Splitting Slash (Assimilation) 

Mental Power: 7 [+] 

Fury Points: 377 

Puzzled by the ‘+’ sign next to his Mental Power, he tapped on it. 

100 Fury Points Spent.

Mental Power: 8 [+] 

Surprised, Xiang Ning tapped on it twice more. 

200 Fury Points Spent. 

Mental Power: 10 [+] 

When his Mental Power hit ten, he felt a cold wave in his mind. He felt like his analytical abilities had reached an indescribable stage. He hadn’t felt much before that, but a significant improvement had come from hitting ten. Perhaps it was a threshold, and any prior point increases only led to minuscule improvements. 

Xiang Ning fell into deep thought. He had once read about mental power in a forum.