"Huh? Why does it seem like my strength has increased?"
After sending Han Xin away, Wang Xu returned to the cultivation room to train again. Soon, he discovered changes in his body; his strength had invisibly increased significantly.
Genetic Warriors are deeply familiar with their strength, and Wang Xu, having trained for so long, was thoroughly aware of his body's condition. Only a few days had passed, and he thought that after getting injured, his body would weaken, and he wouldn't be as strong as before. Yet, on the contrary, his strength had actually increased!
"Let's try 'Wind-breaking Strike'!"
Wang Xu restrained the joy in his heart. For him, increased strength only brought advantages, not disadvantages. He immediately took down a two-meter-long saber from the weapons rack in the cultivation room to experiment.
The Ancient Martial Arts that Wang Xu practiced was a sword technique called "Nine-Column Thunder Saber," which belonged to low-class Ancient Martial Arts.
This "Nine-Column Thunder Saber" was something Wang Xu found in a dusty corner of the Martial Arts Pavilion at the academy. At that time, the Guardian Elder advised him not to choose this low-class martial art because many people had practiced it without success, wasting their time.
Regarding this, Wang Xu only smiled slightly and resolutely chose "Nine-Column Thunder Saber."
As its name implies, "Nine-Column Thunder Saber" consists of nine columns of techniques. The first column is "Wind-breaking Strike," the second is "Blood Drop Strike," and Wang Xu never even looked at the following seven columns. Until now, he had only barely comprehended the first column, reaching its peak, while the second column still eluded him.
"Hoo~" As the saber sliced through the air, Wang Xu could clearly feel the air trembling, and the faint sound of wind breaking spread out.
Wang Xu couldn't help but feel ecstatic. The fifty-pound saber felt almost weightless in his hand, like a two-meter toy saber devoid of any weight. This was just an ordinary weapon, yet even a casual chop could produce the sound of breaking through the air, indicating his strength had increased by more than just a little.
"Let's try 'Blood Drop Strike' now!" Wang Xu was eager to try. For several months, he had been cultivating the second column but could never make progress, leaving him baffled. However, today, while cultivating, he suddenly felt enlightened as if all obstacles were effortlessly cleared.
Wang Xu gripped the long saber, slightly closed his eyes, standing with feet apart, his entire aura gradually rising, becoming increasingly thick. Moments later, his body suddenly lunged forward, twisting like a corkscrew to 180 degrees, as the long saber tore through the air!
"Sizzle!" With a soft sound, the long saber pierced the wall of the cultivation room, embedding straight into the earthen wall.
Blood Drop Strike, just like its name, pierced through everything with unwavering force.
In that moment, Wang Xu suddenly became clear-headed and understood everything.
"So that's how it is. How was I so stupid before? How could I not understand such a simple principle?" Wang Xu felt joyful and repeatedly practiced the "Blood Drop Strike."
"Wang Xu?" Suddenly, a crisp voice reached him. Wang Xu's figure trembled as he looked towards the direction of the voice.
Tang Yan?!
Wang Xu's gaze turned unnatural and shifty. Despite reaching the Third Layer of the Basic Flesh Body, he still couldn't remain calm in front of the girl he liked the most.
"Wang Xu, about last time... thank you." Tang Yan smiled, causing Wang Xu to startle for a moment, then relax.
"It's nothing. Are you also training in the Ancient Martial Arts Hall? I've never seen you there," Wang Xu quickly regained his composure and asked with a smile.
"I usually train at home in the family, only occasionally coming to the Ancient Martial Arts Hall," Tang Yan said, noticing the badge on Wang Xu's chest, her eyes lighting up. "Are you a one-star instructor here?"
In Tang Yan's family, there were also one-star instructors, and quite a few of them, even two-star and three-star ones, all acting as private tutors, much more skilled than Wang Xu.
But what surprised Tang Yan was that Wang Xu, at her age, also a Tier Three Genetic Warrior, had managed to pass the assessment of the Ancient Martial Arts Hall to become a one-star instructor, a rare occurrence indeed.
"Just luck..." Hearing Tang Yan's surprise, Wang Xu couldn't help but touch his nose, feeling delighted that he could surprise the girl he secretly admired.
"Hmph! It's just a one-star instructor; there are tons of them on the street!" An unfriendly voice came from behind Tang Yan, causing Wang Xu to narrow his eyes as he looked over.
Xu Yuan, the third-ranked on the Genetics Academy's points leaderboard, known as a playboy. His Tier Three Genetic Warrior strength was all built with family resources, and his points for hunting insects were inflated. But because his family was the famous Xu Clan in the Safe Zone center, students didn't dare provoke him.
Xu Yuan liked Tang Yan and pursued her relentlessly, always sticking close. This was known throughout the Genetics Academy. Xu Yuan's intentions were obvious to everyone; he wanted to climb the Tang family, a powerful support.
Today, when Xu Yuan saw the rare occasion of Tang Yan leaving home, he immediately followed suit. To his surprise, at the door, he saw Tang Yan and Wang Xu talking closely, which made him furious and consumed by jealousy.
Wang Xu was a top student in the Genetics Academy, always overshadowing him in both strength and ranking, which had already filled Xu Yuan with resentment.
Later, in a competition at the academy, Xu Yuan lost to Wang Xu, losing face in front of all the faculty and students, which made Xu Yuan hate Wang Xu to the core.
Now, seeing Wang Xu talking to the girl he liked, the vengeful Xu Yuan had a venomous look in his eyes.
"A one-star instructor? They only earn a thousand Earth Coins per hour, and they still call themselves an instructor!" Xu Yuan's words were sharp, unreservedly contemptuous.
The surrounding listeners who heard Xu Yuan's words frowned, but seeing his background as a young master of an influential family, they could only shake their heads and let it go.
"Xu Yuan! Shut up!" Tang Yan frowned prettily, feeling that Xu Yuan's words were getting increasingly inappropriate.
Xu Yuan's resentment towards Wang Xu intensified upon hearing this.
"Wang Xu, don't mind him. I'm at a bottleneck in my cultivation of Ancient Martial Arts, and since you're the coach, why not guide me a bit…" Tang Yan shifted the topic, but Wang Xu waved his hand, signaling her not to speak further.
"I have something to do today, I'll leave first. Let's talk another day." Wang Xu said expressionlessly and left the Ancient Martial Arts Hall directly.
Tang Yan stared blankly at Wang Xu's departing figure and sighed in her heart.
"Hmph! Just a low-class person!" Xu Yuan snorted coldly at Wang Xu's back, his eyes filled with disdain.
...
"Strength!"
"Strength!"
"It all comes down to strength!"
At this moment, anger boiled within Wang Xu. His fists were clenched tightly, nails digging into his flesh, drawing slight streams of blood, yet he was utterly unaware.
Faced with Xu Yuan's provocation, Wang Xu could easily speak with strength and beat Xu Yuan to a pulp, but he knew doing so would only cause trouble for his family!
Xu Yuan wielded immense power, and with just a few words, he could plunge Wang Xu's entire family into a disastrous situation. Wang Xu would never invite such calamity just for a moment's satisfaction.
"As long as I can be promoted to a 'Tier Four Elite Trainee' and pass the assessment to earn the 'Elite' title, I won't be afraid of this damn guy anymore!" Wang Xu thought bitterly.
The nationwide armed frenzy arose, and Tier One to Tier Three Genetic Warriors were very common, belonging to the most ordinary class, while truly obtaining privileges required advancing to Tier Four and obtaining the "Elite" title.
Once awarded the elite title, Wang Xu could gain the government's special attention within the Safe Zone, becoming an elite human, and his family would also qualify to enter the "Protected Area."
The Protected Area was provided free by the government to Tier Four elite Genetic Warriors, where the families of Genetic Warriors resided.
Here, violence was absolutely prohibited. Even the strongest Genetic Warrior who broke in and killed someone would have to pay with their life!
Once, a Tier Six Genetic Warrior known as the "Blood-Handed Demon" forcibly broke into the Protected Area and massacred an entire Genetic Warrior's family, which shocked the entire Safe Zone. Immediately, a "Venerable" from the Safe Zone stepped in and killed him!
To date, no one has killed someone in the Protected Area and survived.
But how easy is it to obtain the "Elite" title? Just the chasm of a Tier Four Genetic Warrior was difficult for Wang Xu to cross.
The distance from Tier Three to Tier Four seemed to be just one tier, but both in terms of strength and status, it was a huge gap, representing a watershed.
Wang Xu found it difficult, too difficult, to cross this chasm!
...
"Dad! Mom!"
Returning home, Wang Xu donned his usual face, showing no sign of emotion.
"Xu'Er is back, haha, let's have some meat today and celebrate!" The usually stern father Wang Zhenguo was exceptionally cheerful today.
"Dad, is there some good news today?" Wang Xu's eyes lit up. His father rarely laughed so heartily; the last time was when Wang Xu became a One-star coach and could earn money like an adult. His father got drunk and was very happy.
"Your dad got promoted. He's now a supervisor at the factory; just look at how happy he is, he can't even close his mouth." Mother Lin Hui said with a smile, busy preparing dinner.
The factories nowadays are no longer privately owned; every factory is supported by the government, and their numbers are very few. A supervisor position may not seem noticeable, but it allows for the governance of over a thousand people, possessing real power.
Wang Zhenguo's promotion to supervisor naturally raised both his salary and status, so why wouldn't he be overjoyed?
The family of three gathered around the table to enjoy dinner, creating an atmosphere of harmony and happiness, with a warm flow of happiness coursing through Wang Xu's heart. He treasured this family even more and grew more determined in his resolve to become stronger.
Only by becoming stronger can he protect this family!
Only by becoming stronger will his parents not be bullied, and won't have to watch others' expressions anymore!
The dinner soon ended, and after Wang Xu spoke with his parents, he returned to his room.
He closed the door, turned on the light, pulled out a chair to sit down, and picked up a book at random, intending to review it before bed. But suddenly his gaze froze, and his eyes shifted to a distant picture frame.
In the frame was an old photo, its edges yellowed, indicating it had been there for years. It showed Wang Xu and his parents, along with a boy smaller than Wang Xu.