She Isn't Right for Me

This Soul Level must be the spiritual force mentioned in Introduction to Martial Arts, Fang Yu thought to himself. If not for my surging spiritual force, it would have been practically impossible for me to achieve saber Entering the Minute in barely over a month. No wonder Advanced Martial Artists generally possess such strong technique. Why did Advanced Martial Artists typically command higher technical skill? After years of cultivation, the majority could reach the Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute. Was it because of superior comprehension? No! It was because stronger martial artists possessed greater spiritual force and a firmer foundation. A powerful body fostered stronger spiritual force, granting a clearer perception of one's muscles, bones, and vital energy and blood... making Entering the Minute naturally easier. Just as middle schoolers generally learned academic material faster than elementary schoolers, it was not that the younger children lacked talent, but that a child's brain was still developing. Cultivating technique worked the exact same way. The stronger the body, the greater the spiritual force, and the easier it became to improve technique... Higher technical skill, in turn, accelerated the growth of one's Life Level. The two complemented each other. This was also why the Blue Moon Alliance placed such high importance on Void Star Aspects. A martial artist who awakened a powerful Void Star Aspect could absorb star force to become an Advanced Martial Artist without relying on resources and treasures... saving immense resources for the entire civilization. Fang Yu had discovered early on that along with the increase in his Life Level, his soul was undergoing rapid transformation... Even though he had not deliberately trained his spiritual force, his Soul Level had consistently stayed several levels higher than his Life Level. Over the past month, Fang Yu had trained diligently at home with single-minded focus. Aside from guiding his younger siblings, he had spent his time practicing his fist and saber routines, and without even realizing it, he had achieved saber Entering the Minute. Saber Entering the Minute! The unity of body, mind, and weapon was something many Advanced Martial Artists could not achieve even after years of cultivation. Those ancient Grandmasters had physical conditioning clearly on par with mine right now, yet their technique could reach the legendary Unity of Heaven and Man. It is truly incredible, Fang Yu marveled inwardly. If those ancient Grandmasters were placed in the modern era, given enough time, they could probably all become Star-Sky Martial Artists. A recommendation quota. There has to be one for me no matter what. Fang Yu was very confident. Even if another formidable student or two cropped up, it logically would not affect him, since there were ten quotas in total. ... Time passed. Wang Mo soon entered the assessment arena as well. The speed of his progress surprised the martial arts instructors on the second floor quite a bit. "This Wang Mo actually achieved Entering the Minute with his technique?" "Lesser Accomplishment of Entering the Minute." "His Life Level has reached Level 20 too. Having money really makes advancement fast. His family must have spent quite a bit." The teachers sighed with emotion. "Old Yan, looks like you've snagged two quotas this time." "The rest of us are out of luck." The other teachers joked one after another. A Life Level of Level 20 was extremely rare among junior college students. The hundred-plus students participating in this assessment were already in the top five percent, considered elite students... yet as of now, only three had reached Life Level 20. Fewer than twenty were above Level 17. While Wang Mo's newly acquired Lesser Accomplishment of Entering the Minute was not outstanding, it did not drag his score down either. After all, including Fang Yu, only two students so far had reached the Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute in physical technique, and Fang Yu was the only one who had achieved saber Entering the Minute. Wang Mo had done enough to secure a recommendation quota. Yan Fu claimed it was just luck, but he could not suppress the grin spreading across his face. He reflected inwardly, Sure enough, this kid Wang Mo looks like a slacker on normal days, but his technical talent isn't bad at all. He just can't keep up with a little monster like Fang Yu. That makes sense. With such backing from his family, they've probably burned through tens of millions. The resources he gets outstrip what some elite undergraduates receive. Achieving these results is only natural. Yan Fu pondered. If my information is correct, his family's assets should exceed a billion. Students like Fang Yu did not know the details, but martial arts head teachers like Yan Fu had extensive information channels. At Wuling Martial Junior College, there were even dedicated staff responsible for investigating every student's family background... making it convenient to solicit donations from parents. It's great to have family backing. That's how wealthy people ought to be. A slight smile played at the corner of Yan Fu's mouth. Not only did he not look down on Wang Mo pouring money into martial arts, he actually thought it was the right move. In this era, every Star Coin spent yielded a return—that was common knowledge. To a certain extent, money represented martial arts potential... If someone were rich enough to throw tens of billions into it, they could become an Earth Martial Artist in a very short time. However, relying purely on throwing money made it difficult to recoup the investment... In Yan Fu's eyes, pouring money in the way Wang Mo did might not pay off. After all, unless powerful martial artists fought and risked their lives on the Primordial Star, normal employment earned an Advanced Martial Artist an annual salary of only around a million, while an Earth Martial Artist typically made tens of millions a year. Military might had far less utility within the Blue Moon Alliance than on the Primordial Star. Still, scions of wealthy families like him aren't necessarily desperate to enter a Martial Undergraduate program just for the cultivation resources there. Yan Fu saw through it clearly. What they wanted, in all likelihood, was connections. If they could build ties with a cohort of future Advanced Martial Artists and Earth Martial Artists... it would be enormously beneficial to a family like Wang Mo's. ... At twelve-thirty, Fang Yu, Wang Mo, and He Jiyu met outside the Qionglin Court cafeteria. "Old He, I thought I was slow enough, but you're even slower than me." Wang Mo slung an arm warmly over He Jiyu's shoulder, airing his mild complaint in an offhand tone. "I'm sorry. I was on the phone with my wife and lost track of time," He Jiyu said, lowering his head slightly. Wang Mo's arm stiffened. "Old He, since when do you say sorry to me?" Wang Mo could not help asking. Fang Yu looked at He Jiyu. Having not seen him for nearly two months, his appearance had not changed much, but there was a palpable exhaustion visible in his eyes. Clearly, he had been through a great deal over the past two months, and it had changed him considerably. "Come on, let's head to the private room first and talk over lunch," Fang Yu offered. "Alright, let's eat first." Wang Mo nodded, and the three of them headed straight toward the second floor of the cafeteria... The first floor was open dining, while the second floor had private rooms. Just as they were turning the corner, a pleasant voice called out. "Oh, Senior Fang Yu?" On the stairs, an attractive short-haired girl dressed in a black martial arts uniform called out to him. Beside her walked a burly young man with handsome features. "Ye Zhiyin?" Fang Yu recognized her as well. "Ye Zhiyin? Old Fang, isn't this that sophomore underclasswoman you mentioned who used to pursue you? Oh right, she's about to be a junior now." Wang Mo grinned broadly. "Old Mo." Fang Yu frowned slightly. "Haha, my bad, Junior Ye, that slipped out." Wang Mo immediately smiled at the short-haired girl. "Fang Yu just mentioned you a few times before, so I remembered. There aren't many underclasswomen he keeps in mind." He Jiyu simply watched in silence. "Zhiyin, who are they?" The burly young man finally could not resist asking, an obvious trace of hostility in the look he directed at Fang Yu. "A senior I met during a school event before," Ye Zhiyin said. "And you are?" Wang Mo raised an eyebrow. He was warm toward Fang Yu and He Jiyu, but not toward outsiders, especially someone who had already displayed an unfriendly attitude. "Alright, that's enough." "Old Mo, the roster will be posted at two this afternoon," Fang Yu said, putting out a hand to hold Wang Mo back. "Let's go eat first... Ye Zhiyin, let's catch up another time if there's a chance." "Okay." Ye Zhiyin nodded hurriedly, then headed down the stairs with the burly young man. Only the three of them remained in the stairwell. "Old Fang, why did you stop me?" Wang Mo frowned. "Couldn't you tell that guy is pursuing Ye Zhiyin? Weren't you interested before?" Wang Mo was certain he had not misread the situation. "I did consider it back then." "However, she isn't right for me." Fang Yu shook his head. "The partner I want is someone who can climb toward the peak of martial arts with me, or at least someone who will quietly support me in reaching it." "Martial arts is our career." "Career comes first." "What I want isn't a girlfriend who messages me to go to the movies or take a boat ride on the lake while I'm working hard on my fist routines," Fang Yu chuckled, clearly referencing his past interactions with Ye Zhiyin. "We are right in our Golden Age Bracket." "Whether it's a girlfriend or a wife... if they disrupt our martial arts cultivation, it means they aren't right for us." "If someone isn't right, don't force it, and don't disturb each other further." Fang Yu smiled. "Come on, let's eat!"