Choosing a weapon would inevitably cost money.
And there was no need to mention how expensive a good weapon could be.
Wang Huai’an thought about it carefully. He couldn’t spend too much time merely studying Martial Artist knowledge. He still needed to cultivate combat techniques.
Once he had trained enough, he could see whether there were opportunities to earn some money outside.
He did not hesitate for long before choosing swordsmanship.
That’s right, swordsmanship.
What young man had never dreamed of learning swordsmanship and becoming an elegant, carefree swordsman?
Wang Huai’an was no exception. When he was younger, he had entertained plenty of such fanciful dreams.
Since he wanted to learn swordsmanship, he naturally began browsing through the available sword techniques.
Only the most basic sword techniques were available here, but that was enough for now.
These sword techniques were relatively low-grade, with all of them being D-Rank techniques.
Since they were merely basic techniques, Wang Huai’an planned to casually pick one and practice it first.
He could always replace it with something more suitable later.
After all, these techniques were free. He couldn’t expect anything particularly exceptional.
Soon, Wang Huai’an selected an ordinary D-Rank technique.
Its name was the Instant Kill Sword Technique.
It was a technique that combined movement speed with lethal sword attacks.
Among D-Rank techniques, the Instant Kill Sword Technique was considered relatively good.
Of course, a technique was only one aspect of combat. A Martial Artist’s personal strength was still the most important factor. The stronger someone was, the more easily they could kill an enemy even with the most ordinary technique.
However, when fighting an opponent of the same rank, using an inferior technique would naturally place someone at a disadvantage.
Still, it was more than sufficient for Wang Huai’an’s current needs.
After carefully reading through the information, Wang Huai’an learned that the Instant Kill Sword Technique was actually intended for Low-Rank Martial Artists. Most Mid-Rank Martial Artists already practiced C-Rank techniques.
However, that also meant this technique was relatively easy to learn.
A Mid-Rank Martial Artist should be able to grasp it very quickly.
Cultivating techniques naturally depended on comprehension, agility, and various aspects of physical ability.
The stronger one’s physical qualities were, the easier it naturally became to cultivate simpler techniques.
“Instant Kill Sword Technique.”
“All right. I’ll cultivate this one.”
Wang Huai’an remembered seeing training swords in the Cultivation Rooms nearby yesterday. There was no need to pay a venue fee or any additional charges. He only needed to submit an application.
Sure enough, being a 5th-Rank Martial Artist came with certain privileges.
Without further hesitation, Wang Huai’an briefly studied the technique until he had a general understanding of it.
The technique was not particularly difficult. He could quickly visualize its movements and execution in his mind.
Swordsmanship was flexible and endlessly variable.
Wang Huai’an felt that his talent for swordsmanship seemed quite good. He had the distinct feeling that he could get the hang of it almost immediately, which naturally pleased him.
Most likely, this was because his Martial Artist rank was already high, greatly enhancing every aspect of his physical abilities.
Afterward, he left the electronic reading room.
He first went to the front desk and asked the female receptionist to apply for access to a Cultivation Room.
Wang Huai’an suddenly remembered something and asked, “Does the Martial Artist Alliance have somewhere I can test my Qi and Blood value for free?”
The female manager at the front desk paused for a moment before answering, “The Cultivation Room assigned to you has a Qi and Blood testing machine.”
“It’s relatively simple to operate. If you need someone to operate it for you, you can submit a request.”
“We’ll send a staff member over to conduct the test.”
Wang Huai’an nodded. “All right.”
As long as there was somewhere to test it, that was enough.
He had promised Wang Teng that morning that he would bring him over to test his Qi and Blood value.
Since the Martial Artist Alliance offered it for free, there was no reason to visit an outside Martial Arts School for the test.
He seemed to remember hearing that a single test outside cost several hundred yuan.
Those major Martial Arts Schools had practically monopolized the service.
It was ridiculously expensive.
He might as well take advantage of the free service here.
In truth, testing one’s Qi and Blood value was not particularly important.
For Martial Artists at the Mid-Rank level or above, there was basically no need to test it. They could clearly sense changes in their own bodies and cultivation rank.
Such machines were mainly useful for people who had only recently stepped onto the path of martial arts.
The machines allowed them to clearly observe changes in their Qi and Blood value.
For ordinary people, slight improvements in Qi and Blood were genuinely difficult to perceive. They could only rely on the clearly displayed numerical values on the testing equipment.
Naturally, the Martial Arts Entrance Examination also used this type of equipment.
Before long, Wang Huai’an arrived at one of the Cultivation Rooms inside the Martial Artist Alliance.
These Cultivation Rooms were only available to Mid-Rank Martial Artists and above. However, Mid-Rank Martial Artists generally did not come to the Martial Artist Alliance specifically to cultivate.
The reason was simple.
The Cultivation Rooms here could only barely be considered adequate. Their equipment simply could not compare with the Cultivation Rooms in specialized Martial Arts Schools.
Fortunately, Wang Huai’an did not care about such things.
There was a dedicated weapon rack inside the Cultivation Room, though the weapons themselves were made from rather ordinary materials.
Wang Huai’an casually took a plain white longsword from the rack.
It felt almost weightless in his hand, but it was still better than nothing.
“Good weapons are ridiculously expensive too.”
“Weapons used by 5th-Rank Martial Artists are generally made from C-Rank or higher alloy materials, and their prices exceed 1 million yuan.”
“This sword is probably only worth a little over 100 yuan.”
“A good weapon can provide a very noticeable increase in combat power.”
At this point, Wang Huai’an truly felt an urgent need to go out and make money.
Otherwise, he would barely be able to make any progress.
“If necessary, I can cultivate another fist technique.”
“At least that’ll save me some money in the early stages.”
With that thought, Wang Huai’an returned to the electronic reading room and selected another technique.
C-Rank Technique, Iron Arm Fist!
Now that he had both a fist technique and a sword technique, he finally had plenty to keep himself busy.
Therefore, he temporarily set the sword technique aside.
He could return to it after he had enough money to buy a proper sword.
For now, the easier-to-learn Iron Arm Fist was much more suitable!
“Iron Arm Fist. The name says it all.”
“Once cultivated to the Major Achievement stage, it grants tremendous defensive and offensive power.”
“Its might is quite impressive.”
Wang Huai’an had only looked through the technique a few times when vivid images of its movements appeared naturally in his mind.
Without realizing it, his body began following those images as he practiced the technique.
Time quietly passed.
Soon, an entire day had gone by.
It was already 5:00 p.m.
Wang Huai’an withdrew his fists and stood still. Then he looked down at his hands in surprise.
At that moment, Qi and Blood Power circulated through his fists and arms, causing a faint black iron sheen to appear across them.
“I reached the Beginner stage in just 1 day!”
“This kind of speed can’t possibly be explained by my cultivation rank alone. Could my talent for cultivating martial arts techniques actually be extremely high?”
When it came to martial arts cultivation, Martial Aptitude naturally came first.
After that came one’s talent for comprehending and cultivating techniques.
And Wang Huai’an had learned this fist technique astonishingly quickly!
No matter what the reason was, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
Wang Huai’an smiled.
Then he remembered that he had promised to bring his son over to test his Qi and Blood value, so he immediately made a phone call.
He told Wang Teng to come directly to the Martial Artist Alliance instead of returning home.
Meanwhile, downstairs from Wang Huai’an’s home in the Old District, a man dressed entirely in black appeared.
A disposable mask covered his face.
He swept his gaze across the surroundings, and the only visible part of his face, his eyes, carried a vicious glint.
“Good.”
“I’ll hide in this rundown neighborhood.”
“This old neighborhood is full of all kinds of people, making it perfect for hiding. There aren’t even many residents left in some of these buildings. I’ll wait until things calm down before leaving Jinghai City!”
The man looked upward.
“That top-floor apartment on the 6th floor looks pretty good.”
“There are 3 advantages.”
“First, it looks like someone lives there. Good. When those public security officers conduct their search, they’ll definitely pay more attention to vacant apartments.”
“Second, escaping from there will be convenient. It’ll be easy to flee, and the view is excellent for keeping watch!”
“Third, there definitely can’t be any powerful Martial Artists living in a dump like this. What respectable Martial Artist would have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to live in such a miserable place? I’ll be able to control that household easily.”
A cold confidence filled his eyes.
“Excellent. Every advantage is on my side. I’ll definitely be safe here!”
“Damn it! Those public security Martial Artists are chasing me like rabid dogs!”
With that, he quickly rushed upstairs!