Duan Kun hung up the phone hurriedly, not even noticing that Wang Zhan had addressed him as Old Duan.
The sophomores are generally level 2 to level 3 Martial Artists, and I'm quite confident I could win, Wang Zhan contemplated. But the top few sophomores might even include level 4 Martial Artists, and a level 4 Martial Artist from the school is different from that black-clad man.
Wang Zhan had previously almost single-handedly defeated the level 5 Martial Artist in black. However, that was partly because they were in a cave that restricted the man's movements, and partly because the man was too conservative and eager to leave, giving Wang Zhan an opportunity. More importantly, although the black-clad man possessed the Essence Energy of a level 5 Martial Artist, his physical body wasn't particularly strong. Consequently, he could at most exert the power of a level 4 Martial Artist. Nevertheless, Wang Zhan was still severely injured by him.
However, Martial Artists in the school were different. The Teachers would repeatedly instruct them not to advance their realm too quickly and to build a solid foundation. For that reason, if a level 4 Martial Artist from the school were to face off against that black-clad man, the winner would likely be decided quickly.
It seems I need to speed up my Essence Energy cultivation. My body has reached its limit, and I need to break through to level 3 Martial Artist as soon as possible, Wang Zhan decided.
「...」
In the afternoon, during the last class of the day.
As soon as Wang Zhan walked into the classroom, the previously noisy room suddenly fell silent, with almost everyone's gaze fixed on him.
As usual, Wang Zhan found his spot in the corner and sat down. He looked at Cheng Shu beside him, who had even put down his gaming device.
What's the matter? Do I have a flower on my face? Wang Zhan was puzzled. He wasn't some celebrity to be scrutinized all the time. They were two months into the school term, and no one should be staring at him any longer.
Cheng Shu chuckled a few times, but quickly found it inappropriate and suppressed his laughter.
"President Wang, remember to look out for your little buddy in the future."
Wait, what President Wang? Wang Zhan was stunned.
"Er, didn't you say on the forum that you would go directly to the battlefield, accomplish great deeds, and then come back to be the president?" Cheng Shu finally couldn't hold back his laughter and said, "Hahaha, no wonder they say Brother Zhan is awesome. Others make their boasts anonymously, but you do it under your real name—absolutely ruthless."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhan quickly opened the forum and was surprised to find a dedicated post about him detailing his deeds; even the events in the wilderness had been exposed. Underneath, quite a few students were stirring things up, and 'Wang Zhan for President' had become a hot topic on the forum.
"If I said I forgot to post anonymously, would you believe me?" Wang Zhan asked, looking at Cheng Shu with embarrassment.
Cheng Shu, stifling his laughter, nodded.
Seeing this, Wang Zhan couldn't be bothered to say anything more. The class ended quickly. When class was dismissed, Wang Zhan pulled Cheng Shu aside again.
"Cheng Shu, do you know where to sell Essence Pills for money?" Wang Zhan asked.
He didn't know much about school affairs, but he had forty bottles of Essence Pills in his dorm room. He planned to cash them in and give the money to his mother. Essence Pills could also be exchanged for academic credits. However, he thought it would be more worthwhile to exchange them for money, as a bottle of Grade-1 Essence Pills could only be exchanged for 100 academic credits. Although his mother had previously said she didn't want to move, it was surely better to give her more money than to let her toil all day.
Cheng Shu's eyes brightened. "Brother Zhan, are you selling Essence Pills? What grade are they, and how many do you have? The market is average right now. For Grade-1 Essence Pills, I can offer ten thousand per bottle. For each higher grade, add fifty thousand."
"What use do you have for them?" Wang Zhan eyed Cheng Shu for a moment and was astonished to find that this guy was actually a Martial Artist.
"You're only a level 1 Martial Artist and haven't started Body Refining yet, right? Essence Pills aren't of much use to you, are they?" Wang Zhan asked.
Essence Pills were very helpful for Martial Students and greatly beneficial for their cultivation. However, upon reaching the Martial Artist Stage, individuals could directly absorb Essence Energy from their surroundings, so the pills' effects were substantially diminished. Essence Pills were only needed to aid in Body Refining, but even then, Grade-1 Essence Pills wouldn't be used due to their low potency.
Cheng Shu, however, carefully glanced around, then pulled Wang Zhan into an empty corner before smiling. "Well, I saw a business opportunity and thought I'd make a small profit."
Huh? Wang Zhan was puzzled.
Cheng Shu explained, "Grade-1 Essence Pills may not mean much to us Martial Artists in the Academy, but it's a different story for people outside. Brother Zhan, think about it: how many Martial Artists are there in the Academy? Among four thousand students and over two hundred Teachers, it's just a handful! But the Martial Artist community? There are tens, even hundreds of thousands, and that's just within Chu State. Across the entire Federation, there are even more! In the Academy, Essence Pills can only be exchanged for academic credits, but outside, they're worth a fortune."
Damn! The Black Market must have been started by guys like you, right? Wang Zhan was shocked. This gaming enthusiast was also a merchant?
Cheng Shu grinned obsequiously. "Brother Zhan, how many Grade-1 Essence Pills are you planning to sell? These are valuable items; many wealthy people buy them in large quantities for their children's foundation building! The Black Market price is usually around 120,000, but selling on the Black Market is troublesome, so the most I can offer is one hundred thousand. That's already a friendship price."
Wang Zhan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I don't know how the Black Market works anyway. It's fine for you to earn a commission."
"Thank you, Brother Zhan." Cheng Shu's eyes nearly disappeared into slits from his wide grin.
Wang Zhan surprisingly saw a hint of Sun Jian in him.
Soon, Cheng Shu followed Wang Zhan to his dormitory.
"Brother Zhan, you actually live in a single suite! I thought these were doubles," Cheng Shu muttered enviously. However, when he saw the entire box of Essence Pills on the floor, he was rendered speechless.
"This... so many?" Cheng Shu exclaimed in shock. "Brother Zhan, where did you get this whole box of Essence Pills? There's no problem with how you got them, right?"
"Problem? What problem? Don't be such a coward." Wang Zhan shot Cheng Shu a look and said, "Teacher Sun Jian helped us exchange for all of them at the Military Camp. Didn't you see the military insignia on the box?"
"That's exactly why I was scared," Cheng Shu said cautiously.
However, after Wang Zhan explained the origin of the Essence Pills, Cheng Shu finally relaxed.
"Brother Zhan, I initially thought you had four or five bottles at most, so I offered one hundred thousand per bottle," Cheng Shu said. "But forty bottles are far too many. I'd make nearly a million just by reselling them. I can't take that much money."
Cheng Shu said seriously, "Brother Zhan, if you believe me, let me handle this batch. I'll do my best to sell them at the highest price, and no matter how much they sell for, I'll only take 200,000."
Wang Zhan raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked intently at Cheng Shu for a moment.
"You're quite upfront," Wang Zhan waved his hand and said, "No need for that. We'll stick to your original offer. No matter how much you sell them for, I just need four million. Anything more is yours."
Wang Zhan didn't understand the messy affairs of the Black Market, nor did he want to waste energy figuring them out. Since a convenient person was available, he would naturally make use of him. If he satisfied Cheng Shu this time, they could continue to cooperate in the future. There was no need to haggle over tens or hundreds of thousands. The wilderness was a vast treasure trove; capable people will never be short of money.
But who would have thought Cheng Shu would look crestfallen?
"Brother Zhan, to be honest, I don't currently have four million," Cheng Shu said. "I didn't expect so many Essence Pills. I don't have enough capital."
Wang Zhan chuckled and said, "Alright then. Take the goods and pay me after you've sold them."
After profusely thanking him, Cheng Shu happily left, clutching the box.
Wang Zhan temporarily put the matter aside. The ranking competition was drawing nearer, and he needed to focus all his energy on cultivation to prepare.
「...」
Late at night, in a secluded, empty area of a small courtyard.
Duan Kun was teaching Wang Zhan a new martial art.
"The ranking competition isn't decided by a single match where you can rest afterward. The Killing Fist is too extreme and unsuitable for the ranking competition," Duan Kun said. "Many sophomores are actually seasoned veterans. A lot of them have been active in the wilderness since the latter half of their freshman year, and most have mastered one or two martial arts, or even more! So, this is your shortcoming."
"Remember when you sparred with Xu Junyuan, and he used the Wind Breaking Palm?" Duan Kun suddenly asked.
Wang Zhan nodded; of course, he remembered.
That Wind Breaking Palm could injure him with a single strike from a considerable distance. Such ranged abilities truly began to showcase the power of a Martial Artist.
As if reading Wang Zhan's mind, Duan Kun shook his head. "The Wind Breaking Palm is actually a close-quarters martial art. Xu Junyuan attacked from a distance only because he was worried you couldn't take the hit. He just didn't expect your body to be so resilient."
Is that so? Wang Zhan was taken aback.
"Otherwise?" Duan Kun retorted. "Can the power of Essence Energy projected one meter from the body be the same as when it's projected ten meters?"
That's true, Wang Zhan realized.
If Xu Junyuan had used the Wind Breaking Palm at close range back then, Wang Zhan, though still confident of victory, would likely not have had an easy time.
"What I'm going to teach you today is also a martial art similar to the Wind Breaking Palm. No, it would be more accurate to say that the Wind Breaking Palm originated from the martial art I'm about to teach you."
Duan Kun took out an ancient book and handed it to Wang Zhan.
Another book, Wang Zhan mused.
All the cultivation methods for Martial Artists he had encountered—whether it was King Xing's Body Refining Technique, the later Essence Concentrating Skill, or this current unknown martial art—were all recorded on paper.
"Old Duan, why not just send it to my personal terminal? Wouldn't that be more convenient?" Wang Zhan asked.
However, Duan Kun's reply was unexpected.
"I don't know," Duan Kun said frankly. "I once asked my teacher the same question. He told me to mind my own business and get lost."
What?
Duan Kun said seriously, "I'm not joking. There's an unwritten rule among Martial Artists: all passing down of martial arts must not be stored in electronic devices."
"Whether it's cultivation methods, martial arts, Body Refining methods, or even the more advanced Divine Art of Soul Refining from higher realms, at most only their names can be recorded on electronic devices. All specific content is invariably documented on paper, in books."