"The difference between high- and low-level martial arts?"
On Tuesday morning, during break, Chen Chu and Xia Youhui were chatting in the stairwell when Chen Chu raised the topic.
Now that he was considering participating in the ranking competition, he wanted to gather some basic information about his potential opponents. Part of that information was the difference between high- and low-level martial arts; however, when he had tried to search for this information online, he didn't find anything. It seemed like the authorities had made that information confidential.
Xia Youhui thought for a moment. "Well, the first difference is the limit. High-level arts can be cultivated up to the Sixth Realm, while low-level ones can only be cultivated up to the Third."
Chen Chu gave him a confused look. "High-level arts can only be cultivated up to the Sixth Heavenly Realm? I thought there were nine realms in the martial arts hierarchy?"
He had always thought that high-level arts could be cultivated up to the Ninth Heavenly Realm. Xia Youhui, however, shook his head, "There are arts that can be cultivated up to the Ninth Realm, but they're top-tier secrets that aren't taught normally. They've got really high requirements, but they're also really powerful, which makes them valuable.
"You see, a few decades ago, there was no cultivation system. Everyone was exploring on their own, and the whole world was in chaos from everything going on. It was only later that they started to build the system, starting with the basics and then adding on stuff like the realms.
"So, even if, say, your Dragon Elephant Art can only reach the Third Realm, back in those days, people would have still desperately fought over the knowledge of how to use it. And just because that art only reaches the Third Realm, doesn't mean that you can't break through to the Fourth. You just gotta figure things out on your own when you get to those higher levels."
"I see." Chen Chu nodded.
"On top of that," Xia Youhui continued, "You can only really get the complete version of these arts at school. Sure, there are those martial arts academies in the big cities, but not only are the fees outrageous, they usually only teach low-level arts. High-level stuff like what I'm cultivating can cost at least a hundred thousand yuan in tuition, and they only teach it one stage at a time."
"A hundred thousand for tuition, and only learning one stage at a time. Then, you genius students..." Chen Chu blinked, suddenly realizing a potential path to wealth. At least a hundred people in the school were cultivating high-level arts.
"I know what you're thinking, but you should drop that idea. What do you think that agreement you signed in the beginning was for?" Xia Youhui rolled his eyes. "Us freshmen can only learn the first three stages of a high-level art. If you want to get the other stages, you gotta exchange contribution points for them.
"Besides, they're all pretty distinctive. Someone tries to teach them unauthorized, they'll get found out quickly, and the consequences will be rough. It's not worth it, especially if you try to charge less than a hundred thousand yuan. The people who can afford that can just go through the official channels, and the ones who can't aren't gonna bother with that risk."
With that, Xia Youhui shrugged. "And high-level arts aren't as important as you might think. The real way the three major allied nations keep their power is resource monopolies, top-tier arts, and secret scriptures."
While the entire world had united under the banner of the Federation of Allied Nations, because of an emphasis on autonomy, it was more of an alliance among human factions, displaying a loose internal cohesion.
Among them, the three strongest nations had taken the lead, accompanied by around a dozen medium-sized nations and several dozen small countries.
"Secret scriptures?" Chen Chu gave a confused look.
Xia Youhui shook his head. "Don't ask me. I just heard my brother mention it once, I've got no idea what they are."
He suddenly switched topics. "Ah Chu, I heard that Lu Haitao lost to you a few days ago. How about it? You wanna experience the power of high-level arts?"
"Hehe, what do you think? Are you afraid?"
After lunch and a short break, Chen Chu and Xia Youhui found a cultivation room to prepare for a friendly exchange. However, before they could start, a few onlookers arrived.
Seeing Chen Chu's confused look, Luo Fei smiled slightly. "Xia Youhui told us to come over and cheer you on. He was afraid that you might end up crying after the match."
Chen Chu was suddenly speechless. Did he really appear so fragile? It hadn't even started yet, so anything could happen.
"Hehe, isn't this just a precaution?" Xia Youhui chuckled.
Li Wenwen clenched her fist and shouted, "Come on, Chen Chu! Beat Xia Youhui 'til he's covered in bruises!"
On the side, Lin Xue crossed her arms, as Lu Haitao stood next to her. It seemed they both were quite interested in the upcoming battle.
"Students, stop when signaled. Let's get started."
As the class monitor spoke, the two of them, standing five meters apart, immediately became serious. Their figures slightly sank, and powerful auras emanated from their bodies.
Xia Youhui said in a deep voice, "Ah Chu, the art I practice is called the Black Tortoise Earthly Art. It's famous for its defense and strength, and it comes with a counterforce. Be careful during our match."
Chen Chu took a deep breath and replied in an equally serious tone, "Bring it on."
Xia Youhui moved like a giant tortoise overturning, causing a subtle vibration in the ground with a powerful stomp. He advanced towards Chen Chu, his movements possessing a profound sense of weight. His speed was notably slower compared to Lu Haitao's, but his aura was even more profound and domineering. As he approached Chen Chu, he thrust both palms forward horizontally.
Chen Chu activated the Dragon Elephant Art, causing every muscle in his body to swell for a moment. A violent aura erupted from him, unwilling to show weakness as he met Xia Youhui's palms with his own.
The clash of their palms resulted in a muffled explosion as their powerful forces compressed the air.
However, Chen Chu's expression changed slightly when another burst of force suddenly hit him, forcing him back half a step. Instantly, a surge of excitement overcame him, and he let out a low shout.
Accompanied by a faint roar resembling an elephant, Chen Chu's entire muscular frame expanded once again. His joints crackled, creating a symphony of sound, and an even more ferocious force burst forth.
The clash of their fists and palms once again produced a muffled explosion, and the formidable force exploded from their bodies, causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
"Again!" Xia Youhui was also becoming excited. The aura around him became even more profound and heavy, as if a black tortoise adorned with spikes was relentlessly launching attacks.
Chen Chu, on the other hand, resembled a raging giant elephant. It was as if they were two colossal beasts engaging in a fierce struggle. The room echoed with the dull sounds of heavy impacts. Under the influence of their tremendous power, every movement from the two created a howling gale, causing a stunning spectacle.
However, Chen Chu soon found himself at a disadvantage.
The Dragon Elephant Art primarily focused on strength. Upon breaking through the first stage, it had approximately doubled Chen Chu's power, with a notable enhancement in defense.
In contrast, Chen Chu felt that Xia Youhui's Black Tortoise Earthly Art had increased his strength by approximately one and a half times, and its power appeared more concentrated and profound.
In addition, Xia Youhui's defense was not inferior. The peculiar counterforce rebounded a portion of Chen Chu's strength back at him with each attack he made, making him quite uncomfortable.
In terms of basic strength, he was also slightly weaker than Xia Youhui. With all of these aspects combined, he found himself struggling.
However, as the two continued to battle, Chen Chu's proficiency in the Dragon Elephant Art rapidly improved. Many techniques that were once unfamiliar became smooth and easy for him.
With his heightened sensitivity from cultivating the Insightful Eye, Chen Chu also found himself adept at anticipating Xia Youhui's attacks during critical moments, allowing him to counter effectively. This left Xia Youhui scrambling and enabled Chen Chu to barely maintain an undefeated stance.
Luo Fei and the other three were watching attentively from the side. In the absence of weapons, there wasn't much of a difference between two beginners in the First Heavenly Realm. What differences were there were mainly due to the characteristics of their arts—some excelled in strength, while others were faster.
This was a perfect opportunity for the others to contemplate how to defend and counter such attacks, review their strategies, and summarize their experiences.