Translator: CinderTL
"Thank you," Jiang Ye said, accepting the water bottle from the shy classmate without hesitation.
The girl blushed and hurried away, a hint of joy lingering on her face.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ye recalled Chen Zilu's parting words from class: "I really should ask the teacher for more guidance in the future."
According to the system, his comprehension would increase by 30% only when Chen Zilu was teaching. Whether in class or during private tutoring sessions, every opportunity to learn from her would be a chance for him to improve.
As he mentally planned his future endeavors, Jiang Ye concluded his day's training and set off home under the setting sun.
Taoyang Community.
Building 12, Apartment 606.
The moment he stepped inside, a mouthwatering aroma filled his nostrils. He looked up to see a plate of richly colored braised beef and corn-rib soup laid out on the dining table.
"You're back?" Li Anping, his adoptive mother, greeted him from the kitchen with a smile. "Come sit down and eat."
Jiang Ye washed his hands and joined the family at the table.
"Brother!"
A girl around fourth or fifth grade, with delicate features and a mischievous glint in her eyes, ran over and wrapped her arms around Jiang Ye, clinging to him affectionately.
"Brother, do you have any candy?"
Li Anping scolded, "Tingting, it's time to eat."
Jiang Ting, Jiang Ye's younger sister, was a cute little girl not yet twelve years old.
Jiang Ye pulled a lollipop from his pocket. "You can have it after dinner," he said. "If you eat candy before, I won't buy you any more."
"Okay, I understand," Jiang Ting replied, accepting the lollipop with a happy grin.
The family of three sat down at the dining table. Li Anping casually asked, "Xiao Ye, how did your entrance exam go today?"
"Not bad, 25th place," Jiang Ye replied.
Li Anping's eyes lit up with surprise. "25th place? That's a 15-place improvement from last semester! Your father will be so proud when he hears this."
Jiang Ye smiled. "Why has Dad been coming home so late these past few days?"
"He's been working overtime at the factory," Li Anping explained, keeping her answer brief.
Their adoptive father, Jiang Dahai, worked at the Ancheng Bionic Machinery Factory, a facility specializing in the production of bionic prosthetics.
Due to the Shadow Calamity, even urban areas could be fraught with danger. Each Shadow Calamity attack resulted in high casualty rates, driving the rapid growth of the bionic industry.
"This station reports that a level two Shadow Calamity occurred in Qingyang City, West Mountain Province, last night."
"The police, in collaboration with Qingyang City's Shadow Hunting Bureau, have successfully contained the Shadow Calamity. Residents are advised to minimize nighttime outings, and those below the martial dao first realm should avoid venturing out after dark."
The evening news broadcast played on the wall-mounted TV in the living room.
"Qingyang City?" Jiang Ye murmured, his heart skipping a beat.
Qingyang City, located right next to Ancheng, was one of the top five largest cities in West Mountain Province.
It boasted a martial dao university and maintained a much higher level of public safety than Ancheng.
Yet even there, Shadow Calamities still resulted in casualties.
Jiang Ye's brow furrowed slightly.
"Only those in the martial dao first realm possess even a sliver of self-defense against Shadow Calamities."
The martial dao comprised seven realms.
Each breakthrough shattered the shackles of one's life essence, propelling one to a new pinnacle of existence.
This process unlocked extraordinary, supernatural abilities.
The first humans to break through these life essence shackles were known as cosmic martial artists, or "first breakthrough" practitioners.
Only at this level did one gain the confidence and power to confront Shadow Calamities.
After dinner, Jiang Ye returned to his room and resumed his cultivation.
The Star Martial Cultivation Method, established by the Blue Star Federation, serves as the foundational cultivation method and the first step on the path to cosmic martial arts.
Reaching Perfection in this method signifies approaching the first life-force shackles.
However, mastering this method alone isn't enough to advance to the martial dao first realm. One must also undergo several rounds of cosmic tempering to achieve true transformation.
Of course, these milestones remain distant for Jiang Ye at his current stage.
He glanced at his system panel:
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Name: Jiang Ye]
[Physique: Mortal Body (Grade C)]
[Cultivation Methods:]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Small Success (1%)]
[Achievements:]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster, Patriarch's Friend]
Reflecting on the benefits of his two achievements, Jiang Ye sincerely sighed, "It's so satisfying to have a cheat."
He felt no shame about using cheats.
Across the multiverse, which powerhouse didn't rely on some form of cheat?
Cheats weren't incompatible with hard work; in fact, striving to acquire and utilize cheats was the true path to becoming a supreme expert.
"To grow stronger quickly, I need to unlock more achievements," Jiang Ye thought to himself.
These achievements were essentially buffs, their effects stacking infinitely.
The real challenge lay in figuring out how to unlock new ones.
"Both achievements I've unlocked seem to be due to errors in the system's judgment," Jiang Ye mused, his expression odd.
To put it bluntly, the system couldn't accurately assess his environment.
It mistook a high-martial world for a low-martial one and a formal assessment for a friendly spar.
The results were correct, but the process was completely nonsensical.
Now the question was: would the system continue down this erroneous path?
Or would it eventually self-correct?
These were all unknowns.
"For now, I'll just focus on cultivating diligently," Jiang Ye decided.
For him, the safest approach was to steadily increase his strength and unlock higher-level martial dao achievements.
Once he unlocked more achievements and figured out the patterns, he might finally find a breakthrough.
"Reaching Major Success in a cultivation method triggers a transformative change in the body."
"Perhaps that's when new achievements will unlock."
Jiang Ye gradually immersed himself in selfless cultivation.
Ten o'clock at night.
Creak~
The door opened, and a middle-aged man entered the house.
"How was it, dear? Did you find a new job?" Li Anping asked softly, stepping forward to greet him.
Jiang Dahai shook his head wearily. "It's been tough. Many companies reject me as soon as they hear I'm over forty."
Midlife crisis.
Jiang Dahai was just another casualty of the wave of layoffs.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to apply at the Shadow Hunting Bureau. I heard they have a night security position open," Jiang Dahai said, settling onto the sofa.
Li Anping's expression darkened slightly. "The Shadow Hunting Bureau? Isn't that where they deal with Shadow Calamities? It sounds too dangerous!"
"Don't worry, it's just guarding the gate. There's no real danger."
"But working at night..." Li Anping looked at her husband with concern.
Even the news warned against going out at night.
Shadow Calamities, though possible during the day, were far more frequent after dark.
Jiang Dahai had practiced martial arts, but he hadn't even reached the first breakthrough, leaving him ill-equipped to defend himself in danger.
Despite knowing all this, Li Anping didn't know how to persuade him.
Jiang Ting was at a crucial growth stage, while Jiang Ye was at a critical juncture in his martial dao cultivation, both requiring substantial nutritional support.
Both children needed money.
The family's overwhelming expenses left her at a loss for how to continue arguing.
"Alright, don't worry," Jiang Dahai reassured her. "I'm just guarding the gate, and it's the Shadow Hunting Bureau—the safest place in the entire city."
"Besides, I'm close to my first breakthrough myself. I'm not as weak as you think."
Li Anping nodded.
She changed the subject. "Xiao Ye ranked 25th in his entrance exam."
"Really?" Jiang Dahai's face lit up with a broad smile. "Hahaha, that boy! I knew he could do it! Such remarkable progress!"
Jiang Dahai had witnessed Jiang Ye's diligence firsthand.
Yet, after his initial joy, he sighed softly.
"If only this child hadn't been born with such inferior talent," he murmured. "With his dedication, he could have gotten into a better martial dao university and wouldn't have to follow our old path."
Both he and Li Anping had been born with inferior talent.
This made him acutely aware of the limitations such talent imposed on one's martial dao progress.
Jiang Dahai slowly clenched his fist. "Regardless, Xiao Ye is working so hard. As his father, I can't let him down."
Though Jiang Ye was an adopted child, after all these years, they had long treated him as their own son.
"Even if we have to sell everything, we'll get him into a martial dao university," Jiang Dahai declared in a low voice.
(End of the Chapter)
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