As it turns out, excellent students always have their privileges.

While a second-year practical combat class was ongoing in the Training Ground, Wang Zhan brazenly barged into the closed-off area and, under the kindly gaze of a substitute Teacher, called Song Dongming away.

During the entire process, Wang Zhan just casually greeted them. The Teacher didn't say a word and just nodded to let him go.

"Well, you seem to be doing quite well in your second year, huh? The Teachers are giving you so much face?" Wang Zhan casually joked.

"It's just that I don't want to skip classes. In fact, for this year's ranking competition, if it weren't for you and Huang Fu, I would have gone after the third-years," Song Dongming's tone was somewhat proud.

It was only after getting to know Song Dongming better that Wang Zhan realized this guy, who always seemed like a good person, was actually quite reserved and introverted.

But what Song Dongming said made sense. Third-year students were generally around level 5, with a few at level 4. Song Dongming had already become a level 5 Martial Artist by the time of the ranking competition.

Taking this into account, he might have secured a good rank even if he had participated in the third-year ranking competition.

"By the way, where's Huang Fu? He didn't answer his video call earlier," Wang Zhan asked casually.

"He went back. Said something came up at home." Song Dongming put on a gossipy expression. "Huang Fu's Family is no simple matter; they're a major Family in Yanjing, very wealthy."

"How wealthy?" Wang Zhan asked curiously.

"Put it this way: among the Martial Artists in Yanjing City, thirty percent belong to the Huang Fu Family. Of the remaining seventy percent, half have received favors from the Huang Fu Family."

"Wow, that's impressive!" Wang Zhan was genuinely surprised this time.

Yanjing City is different from Chu State City. Yanjing is one of the administrative capitals of the Federation, and there are only three such cities in the entire human Federation.

Not only that, but Yanjing also houses one of the four major Martial Arts Academies, the Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, which gathers top talents from across the Federation.

"If his Family is so powerful, why did he come to Chu State City to study?"

"Who knows? I asked him, but he wouldn't say," Song Dongming shrugged.

While the two were talking, they arrived at the Academic Credits Exchange Office.

Song Dongming quickly transferred Wang Zhan's share of academic credits. Wang Zhan also conveniently exchanged them for over ten Grade-1 Mixed Essence Pills, leaving exactly 100,000 academic credits on his card.

In addition, Song Dongming also gave Wang Zhan ten level 5 beast cores.

"What are these for?" Wang Zhan was confused.

"Anything level six and above was already exchanged for academic credits. There's no need to exchange the level five ones since they wouldn't amount to much anyway, so I kept them," Song Dongming said casually. "You can take them to the military to exchange for military merit, or directly exchange them for Essence Pills to sell. Consider it pocket money."

"Huh, people do that?" Wang Zhan felt enlightened. This is new knowledge. "But a Grade-5 Essence Pill is only worth 500 academic credits at the Academy, and a level five beast core can be exchanged for 2,000 academic credits. Isn't it a loss to exchange it with the military? The military gives two same-level Essence Pills for a level 1 beast core."

Song Dongming shook his head. "The academic credit exchange at the Academy is a benefit for students, meant to foster their rapid growth. All resources from Federation-wide Academies are strictly prohibited from private sale. Just imagine, one beast core can only be used to produce three same-level Essence Pills, and there's still a production cost. The Academy is practically running on passion."

"I see," Wang Zhan realized.

"The military is a different story. There's a profit in their exchanges, and the converted Essence Pills can be sold freely. Therefore, lower-level beast cores are usually taken to the military to be exchanged for money."

Wang Zhan suddenly remembered Cheng Shu from last time. That chubby boy seemed to play the same trick: collecting Essence Pills and selling them on the black market to make a profit.

After dealing with these minor affairs, Song Dongming was ready to leave. Even though he had already surpassed the expected level for his year, he still wanted to finish the second-year courses.

A strange personality.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back," Song Dongming said, waved, and started to leave.

Wang Zhan quickly stopped him. "I'm going to break through tonight. Let's spar tomorrow."

"You're actually planning to break through?" Song Dongming looked Wang Zhan up and down a few times. He discovered that Wang Zhan's Physique had once again transformed into the extremely lean state indicative of body refining pushed to its Limit.

His clothes, which had fitted well before, were now loose and baggy, looking rather comical.

But Song Dongming couldn't laugh.

"I mean, could you give others a break? You were only a level 3 Martial Artist before we left, weren't you?" Song Dongming pinched Wang Zhan's arm. "Your physical strength... has it almost doubled this past month?"

"Anyway, just wait for my call tomorrow."

Only after getting Song Dongming's reluctant agreement did Wang Zhan let him go.

Just as Wang Zhan was preparing to return to his dormitory for cultivation, a voice calling his name rang out from behind him again.

"Brother Zhan!"

Wang Zhan turned around and saw it was the chubby boy, Cheng Shu. What a coincidence indeed.

"Brother Zhan, you're really something! The forums were filled with seniors calling you out constantly," Cheng Shu said with a grin.

Having interacted with Wang Zhan a few times, the chubby boy knew Wang Zhan wouldn't get angry over something like this.

"Even you know about that?" Wang Zhan was stunned for a moment. Then it occurred to him: Right, besides playing games, this guy spends all his time on the Academy's forum.

"Brother Zhan, you can even kill level 7 and 8 beasts? That's too incredible!" As Cheng Shu spoke, he suddenly raised his eyebrows. "Do you have any leftover beast cores from this time that you haven't sold yet?"

Hearing this, Wang Zhan looked the chubby boy up and down, suddenly realizing this encounter was no coincidence at all.

"Wait a minute... you don't just hang around the Academic Credits Exchange Office all day waiting to do business, do you?"

"Hey, it's a fiercely competitive market! I need to monopolize the supply at the source," Cheng Shu said, not feeling the least bit guilty about being found out.

Wang Zhan didn't mind. In fact, running into the chubby kid now was perfect.

He casually opened the backpack Song Dongming had just given him and let Cheng Shu glimpse the ten level 5 beast cores inside.

"Whoa, big business!" Cheng Shu's eyes immediately lit up. "Brother Zhan, same rates as last time. If we exchange these with the military for Essence Pills, Grade-1 Essence Pills sell for 100,000 a bottle. Each grade higher adds 50,000, so Grade-5 Essence Pills go for 300,000 a bottle."

Wang Zhan was startled and reflexively opened the bag to look again.

In such a small bag, the contents are worth twenty bottles of Grade-5 Essence Pills, amounting to a whopping six million in cash?

No wonder Martial Artists are never short of money, but this rate of earning is truly outrageous!

After contemplating for a moment, Wang Zhan didn't agree immediately. Instead, he said, "You can act as my broker this time. In a few days, take me to the black market for a look around. Rest assured, same as always, I only care about the base price. Whatever extra you earn from the sale is yours."

Cheng Shu immediately brightened. "Deal! Come find me tomorrow."

...

After arranging to meet Cheng Shu, Wang Zhan returned to his dormitory with the beast cores and Mixed Essence Pills to begin his cultivation.

In the middle of the night, after the consumption of two bottles of Grade-1 Mixed Essence Pills, Wang Zhan successfully broke through to become a level 6 Martial Artist. His attribute point cap also increased to 1,150.

Host: Wang Zhan

Strength: 1,001

Agility: 1,001

Physique: 1,001

Charm: 30

Wisdom: 19

All my Full Attributes have broken 1,000. A normal Martial Artist has 200 attribute points during the Martial Student stage and up to 900 attribute points during the Martial Artist Stage. Even a level 9 Martial Artist only has an attribute point cap of 1,100.

Wang Zhan calculated mentally. He realized that once he maxed out his attribute points at the level 6 stage, his attributes would surpass those of a regular level 9 Martial Artist.

Indeed, the higher the level, the larger the gap becomes once the Limit is broken. It's like a snowball rolling downhill.

Aside from the three main attributes, his Charm remained unchanged, while his Wisdom had increased by one point.

To this day, Wang Zhan still hadn't noticed any significant effects from his Wisdom attribute. However, he had been able to master the two martial arts he studied within a matter of days.

Most likely, this quick mastery is thanks to my 19 points in Wisdom.

After his breakthrough, Wang Zhan stayed up all night to fully consolidate and master his newfound strength.

「The next morning.」

Wang Zhan had initially planned to find Song Dongming to help boost his attribute points to 1,100. However, shortly after leaving his dormitory, he heard an announcement over the Academy's broadcasting system.

"All Teachers and students, gather at the sports field."

Wang Zhan was puzzled. But when he saw everyone on the paths around him wearing black clothes, a sense of understanding dawned on him.

He quickly returned to his dormitory to change into the black training uniform provided by the Academy and followed the crowd to the sports field.

By this time, thousands of Teachers and students had already gathered on the sports field. Normally, such a gathering would have been noisy, but today was different. Apart from the sound of footsteps, there was no other noise to be heard.

The Academy's high-level administrators had all arrived and were standing on the platform at the front.

Usually, Liu Zhenfeng was in charge of Academy affairs, but today was different. The one standing at the very front of the high platform was Lv Zhenglong.

After about ten more minutes, Lv Zhenglong finally spoke.

"Last night, the final batch of Teachers and students executing the wilderness sweeping mission returned." Lv Zhenglong's face was expressionless. "I suppose you already know what happened."

Lv Zhenglong paused for a moment.

"One hundred and twenty people did not return, including one mentor."

The moment these words were spoken, the expressions of many people in the crowd changed. With four to five thousand people gathered, the absence of over a hundred wasn't immediately conspicuous.

But upon hearing this number, no one could remain cheerful.

Everyone knew that by choosing the path of a Martial Artist, they could become casualties of conflict at any moment.

Lv Zhenglong's voice continued to ring out.

"This is not a memorial service. In places you cannot see, the number of Martial Artists who die fighting for humanity far exceeds this! So, there was no prior notification, nor was there a need for you to solemnly dress in black."

Wang Zhan lifted his head and looked at Lv Zhenglong.

Yes, this is the path of a Martial Artist, Wang Zhan thought.

"This is what it means to be a Martial Artist!" Lv Zhenglong's voice suddenly boomed. "I don't need your sorrow! I need your anger! If your comrades die at someone's hands, you must be willing to fight to the death for revenge!"

"Remember this: some hatred cannot be resolved, even if the enemy is also human!"

These words shocked everyone present!

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