Volume One: Emerging Brilliance Chapter Forty-Five: The Hidden Mysteries of Martial Arts
Suddenly, Wang Jue’s gaze was drawn to a transparent bubble that had fallen where Lan Yiyi had previously stood.
“Could that be an experience point?”
His heart skipped a beat. “Lan Yiyi’s cultivation is two realms higher than mine, and she can still drop bubbles?”
“So, bubble drops aren’t restricted by cultivation level?”
“This… this is truly extraordinary!”
Taking a sharp breath, Wang Jue felt his chest tighten and his breathing grow rapid. His heart pounded faster and faster, as if it might leap from his chest at any moment.
He had initially assumed that no bubbles dropped from Master Zhao Qingming because Zhao’s cultivation was higher, but now Wang Jue realized with amazement that the drop rate seemed unrelated to cultivation. Lan Yiyi, who was far above him in rank, still dropped a bubble. As for why Master Zhao didn’t drop one, Wang Jue couldn’t figure that out yet.
“Stay calm. I need to keep calm,” he cautioned himself, suppressing the urge to grin. “I’m only at the third level of Body Refinement. For me, slow and steady development is the way forward…”
Then.
Wang Jue glanced at Lan Yiyi, who was speaking with the staff at the entrance, and with a natural air, walked toward the spot where the bubble had fallen, quietly picking up the bubble Lan Yiyi had just dropped.
【Experience +500】
Just as Wang Jue expected. When his right hand touched the transparent bubble, the experience points on his panel instantly changed.
【Name: Wang Jue】
【Cultivation: Body Refinement, Level 3】
【Talent: Red Grade (Mid-tier) 0/100】
【Technique: Star Soul Formula, Level 1 (Unknown) 0/1000】
【Martial Skill: Basic Sword Technique (Mastered 0/1000)】
【Star Source: 2】
【Experience: 792】
“Damn, a single bubble gives more experience than what those senior brothers in the martial hall drop!”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and Chen Yu mused silently, “Could it be that the amount of experience relates to cultivation level? Body Refinement levels are single digits, Spirit Nurturing levels are double digits, Red Star levels are triple digits?”
“If that’s the case, then Orange Star would be four digits, Yellow Star five digits, Purple Star nine digits? If I can find bubbles dropped by people with high cultivation, I could instantly master martial skills!”
With these ‘delightful’ thoughts swirling, Wang Jue stayed quietly to the side, waiting for Lan Yiyi to return.
It was less than five minutes before Lan Yiyi approached Wang Jue, empty-handed, her eyes showing a hint of apology. “Sorry, I asked the staff in the Martial Association, and they said there are no basic martial skills available here.”
“How about this—I know the basic footwork, and I’ll teach you myself. I’d like to see how talented you are in martial arts.”
Lan Yiyi’s gaze was evasive, not daring to look at Wang Jue, whether out of embarrassment or feeling awkward. She was clearly frustrated and speechless. She’d promised to let him choose a martial skill, forgetting that his cultivation wasn’t high enough for advanced techniques, so she could only offer the basics. This was, undeniably, a slap in the face.
“Captain Lan teaching me personally?”
Wang Jue raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Then I’ll trouble you for it.”
He had just gained 500 experience and was wondering where to spend it. Now he could use it on basic footwork, and soon reach mastery, just like his sword technique.
After Wang Jue readily agreed, Lan Yiyi, perhaps to compensate or ease her own embarrassment, demonstrated the basic footwork earnestly.
【Discovered [Basic Footwork (Uninitiated)], spend 10 experience points to learn?】
Seeing the prompt appear on his panel, Wang Jue’s eyes flashed with surprise. He felt as if his system had ‘evolved’. Previously, martial skills appeared on the panel automatically after a single prompt. Now, the system not only actively prompted him but told him how much experience was required.
Wang Jue was very satisfied with this sudden change. It made things easier; from now on, he only needed to watch someone’s martial skill, and with enough experience, he could learn and master it instantly.
Yet, Wang Jue felt a bit regretful. His golden finger only allowed him to collect dropped experience bubbles, unlike those novels where you could gather skills, attributes, talents, and bloodlines.
Thinking it over, he let go of his disappointment. Though his golden finger didn’t feel powerful now, as long as he didn’t court disaster, he would eventually become a formidable martial artist!
Suppressing these thoughts, Wang Jue spent 10 experience points to reach minor mastery in basic footwork, then spent another 100 to reach mastery, only stopping when he ran out of experience.
【Name: Wang Jue】
【Cultivation: Body Refinement, Level 3】
【Talent: Red Grade (Mid-tier) 0/100】
【Technique: Star Soul Formula, Level 1 (Unknown) 0/1000】
【Martial Skill: Basic Sword Technique (Mastered 0/1000)】
【Footwork: Basic Footwork (Mastered 0/1000)】
【Star Source: 2】
【Experience: 682】
Looking at his increasingly complete panel, Wang Jue couldn’t deny his excitement. He already had a foundational technique that he wouldn’t need to replace, and though his martial skills and footwork were only at the most basic level, for a Body Refinement practitioner, they were more than sufficient.
Most martial artists at the Body Refinement level only managed to reach mastery or proficiency in their skills, so Wang Jue’s martial skills were not inferior to his peers, except in cultivation.
Unlike others who needed to train hard to improve, Wang Jue, with enough experience points, could quickly surpass all other Body Refinement practitioners in martial arts!
With lingering satisfaction, Wang Jue closed his panel and curiously asked Lan Yiyi, “Captain Lan, if I’m not mistaken, you must have footwork better than the basic one, right?”
“What, do you want to learn?” Lan Yiyi didn’t answer directly, but her calm expression confirmed she indeed possessed superior footwork.
Wang Jue nodded honestly, smiling wryly. “Of course I want to, but as you know, I’m only at the Body Refinement stage. Even if I wanted to learn, I couldn’t yet.”
He actually wanted to test whether his golden finger would let him cultivate high-level skills beyond his rank, but given Lan Yiyi’s reluctance to teach, he pushed the unrealistic idea aside.
Crucially, even if he could learn high-level skills via his golden finger, experience points would be a major issue; higher skills surely cost more experience. With less than a thousand points, even if the prompt to learn appeared, he wouldn’t have enough experience to proceed.
Rather than chase after unattainable things, it was more practical to ‘glean’ from Lan Yiyi. Each bubble yielded 500 experience points; a handful more, and he could raise his martial skills and footwork to proficiency, surpassing most of his peers.
“Don’t underestimate basic martial skills,” Lan Yiyi said seriously. “Most people think basics are useless, not nearly as attractive as Black Iron, Bronze, or Silver-level skills. But few realize that all our advanced martial skills are actually derived from the basics.”
“Really?” Wang Jue was baffled. “A basic skill sells for only a hundred credits, but a Black Iron skill starts at a minimum of one hundred thousand. Isn’t the gap a bit too wide?”
That advanced skills could be derived from basic ones seemed absurd. If Lan Yiyi hadn’t said it herself, Wang Jue would never have believed such a claim.
Even as he chose to trust her, a trace of skepticism lingered on his face.
“This is a secret hidden in plain sight,” Lan Yiyi continued, noticing Wang Jue’s doubt. “I know you don’t believe it, but the main reason is tied to the realm of basic skills. Most people think martial skills are divided into Initiate, Minor Mastery, Mastery, Proficiency, and Completion. I suppose you think so too?”
“That’s what teachers at school taught us,” Wang Jue nodded, then asked uncertainly, “Are you saying there’s a level beyond Completion that most people don’t know about?”
“Looks like you’re not too slow,” Lan Yiyi’s lips curved slightly. “Most people don’t know because reaching Completion in basic skills is achievable with effort, but breaking through beyond Completion is exceedingly difficult. For the majority, it makes more sense to train Black Iron, Bronze, or Silver-level skills, which are far more powerful.”
“Plus, you know there are countless star beasts lurking outside the safe zones, always threatening to launch beast tides against humanity. Martial artists need powerful skills to fight them. Basic skills at Completion can handle first and second-level star beasts, but against third-level or higher beasts, they’re useless—they can’t break through their defenses.”
“Meanwhile, Black Iron skills can easily deal with third-level star beasts, Bronze with fourth-level, and Silver with fifth-level. That’s why martial artists are desperate to obtain advanced skills—not only to hunt star beasts for money and resources, but also to stay alive.”
Noting the shock on Wang Jue’s face, Lan Yiyi went on, “Many Black Iron, Bronze, and Silver skills you see on the market were actually created by those who broke through basic skills past Completion.”
“Wait… didn’t you say it’s hard to break through Completion?” Wang Jue drew a sharp breath. “I’ve seen that there are at least tens of thousands of martial skills on the market. Does that mean there are tens of thousands who broke through basic skills beyond Completion?”