After class, Ethan Chen successfully obtained the contact information of all his classmates, even teacher Aria was no exception.
He knew well that this recognition came because he had demonstrated real value and potential. In this high-martial civilization where physicality and technology had reached their peak, people's evaluations of others often depended on their future potential. For his classmates, Ethan's future undoubtedly held infinite possibilities.
Although Ethan's current vitality was low, judging from the potential he had shown, he would definitely be specially recruited by the Eight Prestigious Academies. Even the three top-tier martial arts universities might send representatives to consult!
"Master, you have a new message!"
"Teacher Ling?" Ethan murmured to himself as he noticed his smartwatch alert while heading back to the Martial Arts Room. He opened the message:"Come to my office."
...
The next day, Ethan once again appeared in Ryan Ling's office. Seeing Ethan sitting upright across from him, Ryan Ling felt a mix of admiration and amazement. How did this kid manage to surprise him every single day?
"I didn't expect you to have a talent for Spiritual Power," Ryan Ling spoke first.
Ethan nodded. "Teacher, I didn't mean to hide it. I just always thought it wasn't useful."
Ethan was not lying. Spiritual Power helped him in two ways: first, his memory was excellent—though not photographic, it was very close. Second, he could control his body with finer precision. The latter contributed far less to improving scores than the former.
"You are…" Ryan Ling opened his mouth to say Ethan was showing off, but then reconsidered. Ordinary classes didn't have Spiritual Power lessons; it was usually only taught in university. Besides, before level 10, Spiritual Power had limited use. It was normal for Ethan not to know this.
"Ahem…"
"Ethan, have you heard of the three top-tier martial arts universities?" Ryan Ling changed the subject directly.
"Yes," Ethan thought for a moment, "but I only know their names."
Ryan Ling smiled knowingly. "That's normal, because these three schools only recruit students who have the potential to become Skyborne Martial Artists!"
"Skyborne Martial Artist?" Ethan silently repeated the words, looking puzzled.
"Teacher, what exactly is a Skyborne Martial Artist?" Ethan asked instinctively, sensing that this was different from the Martial Artists he knew.
Ryan Ling wasn't surprised. In this high-martial civilization, countless foreign spies existed. Information about Martial Artists online was almost nonexistent, and students like Ethan—who weren't even Martial Artists yet—wouldn't know either.
He explained, "In this martial-respected society, only those who reach level 20 in Martial Artist rank can truly earn respect and admiration. Those at this level are called Skyborne Martial Artists, representing a transcendent existence."
Ryan Ling's gaze betrayed a hint of longing.
"As everyone knows, ordinary Martial Artists—simply called Martial Artists—usually have life strength between level 10 and 19.9. To become a Martial Artist, two conditions must be met: first, life strength reaches 9.9; second, the Martial Skill reaches (Tier 1) Intermediate Level."
These conditions weren't explicitly written in textbooks, but Ethan knew them. His father, Jack Chen, had been a Martial Artist in his youth before retiring due to injuries.
"According to incomplete statistics, among high-martial civilization residents above high school, only 50% of students recorded as aspiring Martial Artists reach Intermediate Level or above in their Martial Skills."
"That is, half of the people can't become Martial Artists—but reality is even harsher."
"Life strength can be boosted with Vitality Medicine, but wealthy families are few, and not many can afford it. Some can't even afford basic Vitality Milk and have to rely on extra meat each day."
"Even if they earn money later, the prime training period has already passed. Faced with a future destined for mediocrity, would you still strive?"
Ethan nodded, slightly shocked. He hadn't realized that simply reaching (Tier 1) Intermediate Level in first-rank Martial Skills would eliminate half the people!
This reminded him of a previous virtual match where a user named WildLeaf Chu, age 36, only had (Tier 1) Beginner Level first-rank Martial Skills. Ethan had assumed it was an exception, but apparently, it was normal.
"Many people only reach Intermediate Level after age 40, their potential already exhausted. Even with expensive Vitality Medicine, they might not push life strength to 9.9. Some become Martial Artists but never exceed level 11 or 12 and simply switch to academic paths. After all these factors, only around 20% continue to progress along the Martial Artist path."
Ethan blinked. He hadn't expected the Martial Artist ratio to be so low.
"On average, one in every five people is a Martial Artist. With a civilization population of 30 billion, that makes around six billion Martial Artists—not a small number. But only 600,000 register as Skyborne Martial Artists. That's roughly one Skyborne Martial Artist per ten thousand Martial Artists."
Ryan Ling glanced at Ethan, seemingly reading his thoughts. "Although the number seems high, divided among nine ecological zones, it's not much. Most of these Martial Artists belong to Limitless Martial Hall, Techno Martial Hall, or the Warrior Alliance. Skyborne Martial Artists either fight on the frontlines against alien civilizations or serve in universities. You won't encounter them during high school."
"The biggest feature of Skyborne Martial Artists is their ability to fly—they are truly non-human. They are the backbone of civilization. The safety you enjoy in Liang City exists because these unseen Skyborne Martial Artists bear the burden upfront."
Ryan Ling's voice unconsciously rose, filled with respect. Ethan knew Ryan Ling had been on the frontlines, far beyond a typical teacher who just graduated from university.
Returning to the main topic, Ryan Ling said, "Ethan, the three top-tier martial arts universities don't recruit ordinary high school students. They only select those with potential to become Skyborne Martial Artists. The greatest hurdle is Spiritual Power, followed by Martial Skills."
"You possess both!" Ryan Ling smiled at Ethan's youthful face. "I have accurate news: on April 3, one of the three top-tier schools, Black Dragon Martial Arts Academy, will hold selections in Cyber City, the core city of Bear Domain. You can try out."
Pausing, he continued earnestly, "Ethan, Black Dragon Martial Arts Academy is extremely prestigious, beyond even the Eight Prestigious Academies. Even if you've signed with one of those schools, selection by Black Dragon Martial Arts Academy allows you to break the contract freely. Its mission is to cultivate talent—it cannot block your path to a better future."