Volume One: Rising Brilliance Chapter Sixty-Seven: Both Enter the Subtle Realm-Extraordinary Talent(A faint, distant smile)

Wang Jue stood for a moment, gazing at the three halls labeled Strength, Speed, and Martial Skills, as well as another fee-based hall for enhancing physical constitution. Without hesitation, he strode confidently into the Strength Training Hall.

Inside, the entire space was filled with all manner of high-tech equipment, each apparently designed to increase strength in ways he could not even name. For ordinary people, these devices would likely be overwhelming, but for martial artists, they provided precise and effective static and dynamic training, targeting every part of the upper and lower body, as well as full-body strength.

As expected, everyone present was engrossed in their training, sweating profusely in the heat of exertion. Looking around, Wang Jue noticed several transparent experience bubbles beside many of the trainees, a clear sign they had been here for quite some time.

"Time to get to work!"

Rather than joining the training himself, Wang Jue stretched lazily, then quickly set about his real task. He moved quietly through the hall, discreetly collecting every single experience bubble he saw.

【Experience +7】
【Experience +6】
【Experience +7】
【Experience +6】
【Experience +8】
...

After about half an hour, Wang Jue managed to pick up every bubble without missing a single one. The experience tally on his panel had changed dramatically.

【Name: Wang Jue】
【Cultivation: Body Tempering, Level Seven】
【Talent: Red Grade (Superior) 0/500】
【Technique: Stellar Soul Art, Level One (Unknown) 0/1000】
【Martial Skill: Basic Swordsmanship (Mastery 0/10,000)】
【Footwork: Basic Footwork (Mastery 0/10,000)】
【Star Points: 202】
【Experience: 9786】

"Just a bit more and I'll hit ten thousand experience. Either swordsmanship or footwork will reach mastery soon!"

A faint smile tugged at Wang Jue’s lips as he surveyed his half-hour harvest. He knew that if he maintained this pace, by tonight he could easily bring both swordsmanship and footwork to the point of mastery.

Martial skills were ranked as follows: Novice, Adept, Advanced, Expert, and Mastery. Beyond Mastery, there were three more stages, each more difficult than the last—a fact he wouldn’t have known if not for Lan Yiyi. After Mastery, the ranks were Subtlety, Profound, and Grandmaster.

Once a martial artist reached Subtlety, they essentially possessed the qualifications to create their own techniques—though whether they succeeded depended on their talent and understanding.

Those who achieved Mastery in martial skills were rare, even across the whole Jiangnan Safe Zone. And for a sixteen-year-old junior high student about to enter high school, it was virtually unheard of. Such individuals were fiercely coveted by all the top powers.

Thus, Wang Jue couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation for his future. He was also curious to see what kind of sensation he might cause in the martial world of the Jiangnan Safe Zone if he demonstrated a realm beyond Mastery.

Of course, despite his anticipation, Wang Jue appeared outwardly calm. After this round of collecting, he made no move to leave the Strength Training Hall.

Instead, he headed over to stand by a muscle-bound figure, just over two meters tall. With arms folded, he watched with interest as the giant pounded away at the largest punching pad in the hall.

This hulking youth, with a shaved head gleaming under the lights and a black tank top stretched taut over muscles as knotted as tree roots, exuded raw strength. Though the students here hailed from various schools in town, Wang Jue knew exactly who this giant was: Niu Meng, the martial prodigy from He Ping First High, Body Tempering Level Nine.

His nickname: the Bull Demon King.

According to what Wang Jue had learned from Luo Shui, Niu Meng, the same age as himself, already possessed the strength of the Spirit Condensation Realm.

A single punch from him could easily kill any ordinary Body Tempering Level Nine practitioner. Barehanded, he could snap weapons forged from common alloys. In terms of raw strength, even many martial artists at the Spirit Condensation stage could not compare.

With such a talent before him, Wang Jue was determined to reap a good harvest.

"This guy should yield a lot more experience than the others," he mused, standing nearby and idly watching as Niu Meng hammered the punching pad, each blow sending a dull 'thud' reverberating through the hall.

After less than a minute, two transparent bubbles dropped from Niu Meng.

By chance, Wang Jue had positioned himself not too far, not too close—just within range to pick up the bubbles without drawing attention.

【Experience +10】
【Experience +10】

"Double digits?" Wang Jue's heart skipped a beat. "So this guy’s been hiding his real strength all along? He’s not at Body Tempering Level Nine as people say, but at Spirit Condensation Level One!"

"Spirit Condensation at sixteen? That’s insane!"

Wang Jue’s expression grew grave. In that instant, he had to admit this opponent was truly formidable. Even with his "golden finger," and after untold effort to raise his talent, Wang Jue had only just reached Body Tempering Level Seven.

He had once thought his realm, if not first-tier, was at least second, or at worst, third. But now, realizing Niu Meng’s true level, Wang Jue knew he’d been naïve.

Forget about the second or third tier! In terms of strength, Wang Jue considered himself top among the first tier, perhaps even in a league of his own. But in terms of cultivation, that was a different story. With Niu Meng already at Spirit Condensation, with others at Body Tempering Eight and Nine, Wang Jue at Level Seven couldn’t even make the third tier.

If cultivation levels were divided into upper, middle, and lower, Wang Jue was now just slightly above average—certainly not among the elite.

Though shocked, Wang Jue’s confidence in his own strength soon steadied him. His "golden finger" might not boost his realm, but its effect on martial skills was immense. He was already aware that his cultivation might eventually hold him back, but he didn’t care.

What he needed were Star Points. Given enough, he was confident he could become the strongest among his peers in the shortest time, even surpassing those a generation—or two—ahead.

"Stay low-key, stay low-key," Wang Jue reminded himself. "Right now, slow and steady growth is the way; no need to get reckless..."

With that, Wang Jue simply sat down quietly, waiting for Niu Meng to drop more experience bubbles.

After patiently observing for about an hour, two more bubbles dropped from Niu Meng.

【Experience +10】
【Experience +10】

Wang Jue picked them up, glanced around at the others, and frowned slightly. He noticed that, compared to last time, there were nearly a third fewer bubbles around the hall.

After a moment’s quiet analysis, his eyes lit up. "I can’t just stay here foolishly. I should head to the other two halls and harvest there as well..."

Without hesitation, Wang Jue collected another round, then eagerly left the Strength Training Hall for the Speed Training Hall.

The moment he entered, Wang Jue saw that the equipment here was reminiscent of treadmills on Earth. Nearly everyone was running, drenched in sweat. But what truly caught his eye were the enticing transparent bubbles scattered beside the machines.

"Goodness, there must be at least ten thousand bubbles here!"

Seeing the bubbles, which far outnumbered those he’d witnessed in the experience hall, Wang Jue could hardly restrain himself.

The next moment, he deliberately strolled behind the runners, openly picking up the transparent bubbles from the floor.

【Experience +6】
【Experience +7】
【Experience +6】
【Experience +8】
【Experience +9】

Just as Wang Jue had expected, when he opened his panel, the experience counter had leapt from four digits to five.

"Excellent, I’ve finally hit twenty thousand experience." Wang Jue’s face was alight with barely-suppressed joy. "Should I find a place now to upgrade swordsmanship and footwork, or finish harvesting experience from the other two halls?"

The choice was easy. Wang Jue decisively chose the latter. Now that he had enough experience, he could upgrade his martial skills anytime. He wasn’t about to miss this rare opportunity to reap so much at once.

After all, with less than a month to the exam, each passing day meant one less opportunity to collect. If not for the decision taken by a key figure in the Safe Zone, it would have taken Wang Jue three or four months to amass 20,000 experience from the dozen or so senior brothers at his martial arts school.

Even if he could spar with Lan Yiyi, enduring the pain, the sessions would be limited—two or three hours at most. At a thousand experience per hour, that would still take nearly ten days to reach twenty thousand.

Now, he didn’t have to worry about getting beaten half to death; he didn’t have to do anything except stroll through a few packed halls, harvesting enough experience to make him beam with delight.

With this thought, Wang Jue immediately made up his mind: finish collecting the remaining experience first.

Content, Wang Jue left the Speed Training Hall and then proceeded to the Martial Skills Hall and the Constitution Enhancement Hall, even popping back into the Strength Training Hall once more. This time, however, the number of experience bubbles in the Strength Hall had dwindled significantly.

As expected, after deducting the experience required for his two martial skills to break through to Subtlety, Wang Jue was left with more than forty thousand in total.

【Name: Wang Jue】
【Cultivation: Body Tempering, Level Seven】
【Talent: Red Grade (Superior) 0/500】
【Technique: Stellar Soul Art, Level One (Unknown) 0/1000】
【Martial Skill: Basic Swordsmanship (Subtlety 0/1,000,000)】
【Footwork: Basic Footwork (Subtlety 0/1,000,000)】
【Star Points: 202】
【Experience: 42,312】

"Swordsmanship and footwork have finally reached the Subtlety stage!"

With a faintly upturned smile, Wang Jue’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "With my current strength, I might even be able to kill some Spirit Condensation Level Six martial artists..."