At five in the afternoon, Chen Chu walked out of the school with his single-shoulder bag. Rather than heading straight home, however, he decided to make a detour to the market. His Ironclad Beetle that Mr. Li had arranged for had just arrived.
Chen Chu pondered over the matter of true martial art compatibility that Luo Fei had brought up earlier. From her explanation, all martial arts consisted of increasing one's physique attributes. The higher the level of the practiced art, the more significant this increase became.
In such circumstances, individuals whose physique naturally aligned with one particular art would not only experience a quicker cultivation pace, but also witness a significant surge in the potency of that art.
For instance, a few years ago, there was a student at Nantian whose perfect alignment with a low-level martial art led to a breakthrough to the Third Heavenly Realm in just the first year. This accomplishment made them unparalleled among students of the same grade, and even senior students who had been practicing high-level arts couldn't match their combat prowess.
However, Luo Fei's cultivated art was rather unique and didn't adhere to orthodox practices. Consequently, the alignment requirement for her art was not related to physique, but rather to the realm of the mind.
"Here's the Ironclad Beetle you requested, and to avoid any trouble on the way, my friend caught two extra. Consider it a buy one, get two free deal."
Chen Chu picked up a black beetle from the box.
Unlike other beetles, who were capable of flight, the Ironclad Beetle's pursuit of defense had caused it to evolve to the point where the exoskeleton on its entire back and body had fused into a single, formidable structure. Although only two centimeters in length, according to scientific data, this insect could withstand forces over thirty thousand times its own weight.
Once he ensured the insect was in good condition, a smile appeared on Chen Chu's face. "Thank you, boss. I'll come find you again when I want to buy something else next time."
"Sure, feel free to come anytime." Mr. Li, having received the payment, had a cheerful smile on his face. These insects were quite common in the Northern Region, just like ants. They didn't incur much cost, so he had simply asked a friend over there to arrange an international courier for the shipment.
The fact that he could make a thousand[1] yuan just from making a simple phone call and receiving a courier had left Mr. Li in a very good mood.
The box containing the Ironclad Beetles had some damp wood shavings, so there was no need to worry about them starving. Once Chen Chu returned home, he casually placed the box in a drawer.
"Next to just wait for the avatar to be ready to evolve," Chen Chu said as he glanced towards where the six-horned salamander avatar lay, looking increasingly fierce and formidable.
On Monday, as soon as Chen Chu stepped outside, he sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off.
Patrol cars could be seen driving through the streets intermittently, and enforcers were stationed at some intersections. The cameras on those intersections and lampposts blinked from time to time.
"Did something happen?" Chen Chu frowned slightly.
Once Chen Chu sat down in the academic classroom, Xia Youhui turned around and leaned in. "Ah Chu, you know what? An Fuqing from Class One has already condensed her true power and broken through to the Second Realm."
"...Impressive," Chen Chu marveled.
Two days to build her foundation, just a week to reach the limit of the First Heavenly Realm, and a matter of days to break through to the Second. The exaggerated speed of these breakthroughs left no room for envy.
The gap had become so vast that it was instead despair-inducing. More than half of the entire grade hadn't even built their foundations.
Shaking his head, Chen Chu dismissed this news from his mind. He took out his textbooks from the drawer to review for the upcoming end-of-month exam on Friday. He used to be the top student at Lingshan First Middle School; it wouldn't do to fail every subject in high school.
Others' talents had nothing to do with him. All he needed to do was practice diligently, but...
"The freshmen ranking list."
In the afternoon, Chen Chu was a bit baffled upon hearing this news in the cultivation room. What was the point of ranking newly practicing freshmen? They were all inexperienced, and was it necessary to watch a bunch of beginners compete with each other?
Xia Youhui exclaimed, "The authorities have put aside a lot of resources for the purpose of nurturing the next generation of practitioners, especially the exceptionally talented ones."
"This time it's not just our school. Even the first-rate schools, like Nanhua Martial Arts High School next door, have created freshman ranking lists. Starting from the first of next month, the top fifty will be determined, and those who make the list will receive an extra 5 contribution points each month."
An extra 5 points per month, translating to a supplement of five thousand yuan for each individual, was indeed a significant incentive. With the limited number of students in a school, it was a considerable effort in fostering talent.
Even Chen Chu felt a bit tempted upon hearing this. He only received 3 points per month, which wasn't enough to exchange for a small amount of Tyrant Elephant Essence at its normal price.
If he could use another portion of Tyrant Elephant Essence for cultivation, even if he couldn't break through the first stage of the martial art, he could still save a month of cultivation time.
Chen Chu raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute. Starting from the first of next month... won't those who have just built their foundation miss that opportunity?"
Many freshmen who had been diligently cultivating for nearly half a month had just completed building their foundations. Quite a few hadn't reached the threshold of the First Heavenly Realm yet, but if the competition was coming up in a few days, there simply wasn't enough time for them to do so.
"Do you feel it's somewhat unfair?" Xia Youhui patted Chen Chu on the shoulder and shrugged with a sigh. "Ah Chu, in a world where true fairness exists, there wouldn't be distinctions based on talent and background. Equality for everyone, that's true fairness. But do you think that's possible?"
Chen Chu was somewhat surprised, "I didn't expect you to say something so profound, Old Xia."
"Hehe, indeed. I've always been this profound. You just didn't notice until now," Xia Youhui said with a hint of pride.
He was right, though. Fairness didn't truly exist in this world. It was just a concept created by humans, who were a species of social beings with the ability to think, and this was further complicated by the advent of modern civilization.
On the surface, society seemed relatively equal. But that was only on the surface. Regardless of the era or society, people had always managed to categorize themselves into different groups. This was an unchangeable fact.
After chatting with Chen Chu for a while, Xia Youhui went off to diligently practice.
It wasn't only him. With the introduction of an official freshman ranking list, as opposed to the amateur rankings on the official website, each student had become highly motivated.
Being on the list not only brought additional resources, but also increased one's reputation. They were all teenagers, after all. Who wouldn't want to shine in front of others?
"Top fifty, huh?" Chen Chu pondered.
Based on information that Xia Youhui had uncovered, out of over nineteen hundred freshmen, roughly seven hundred had successfully built their foundations after nearly a month of dedicated practice.
Among the forty-eight classes, there were over a hundred ordinary geniuses who had built their foundations within one week, and more than two hundred with moderate aptitude had achieved the same within half a month.
If Chen Chu wanted to participate in the competition and enter the top fifty, he would have to defeat more than eighty geniuses practicing high-level martial arts. This didn't even include the over two hundred classmates who had built their foundations within half a month. Among them, there could be some geniuses with hidden potential.
"I wonder how strong those who practice high-level martial arts are?" Chen Chu said, narrowing his eyes.
He had been contemplating a low-key cultivation approach, slowly developing his abilities. However, when opportunities and resources presented themselves, one had to seize them. Striving for a position between forty and fifty seemed reasonable.
After all, everyone would only remember the first, and no one would even pay much attention to the second, let alone someone at the tail end.
Moreover, if one didn't strive at the early stages of cultivation, as those geniuses gained more resources, the gap in strength between the two sides would widen. Eventually, there wouldn't even be a glimpse of their figures.
At this point, however, Chen Chu was merely considering the idea.
Unless the avatar underwent a second evolution in the next couple of days and provided a significant breakthrough in his strength, there was no need to participate. Joining would only lead to finishing at the bottom.
1. The original stated this as "a few hundred" yuan, which doesn't match with the figure given in chapter 23 ☜