“This is the digital reading room available to Mid-Rank Martial Artists. Mid-Rank Martial Artists can borrow up to 5 cultivation techniques below C-rank every month.”
“There are also martial arts insights left behind by some of Jinghai City’s powerful Martial Artists. Their insights have had a profound influence on the Martial Artists of Jinghai City, so you can take a look at them as well.”
“The reading room is open every day. You can come whenever you have time.”
Song Ningfeng continued leading Wang Huai’an forward, his tone carrying the natural sense of superiority that came with being a Martial Artist.
He pointed toward another area and explained, “These are our basic cultivation facilities. Mid-Rank Martial Artists can apply through the official website and use them for free. Otherwise, if you go to an outside Martial Arts School, you’ll have to pay.”
“Even the cheapest cultivation facilities at a Martial Arts School cost more than 10,000 yuan per month.”
Song Ningfeng was quite willing to explain a little more to him.
Wang Huai’an nodded, inwardly cursing just how much money Martial Artists burned through.
The Martial Artist Alliance might have plenty of good resources, but most of these benefits were only freely available to Mid-Rank Martial Artists.
Low-Rank Martial Artists still had to pay.
Wang Huai’an silently glanced at the prices engraved beside the door. They were roughly half the prices charged by outside Martial Arts Schools, but they still cost money.
Sure enough, being a Mid-Rank Martial Artist was much better.
Only after reaching this level could someone truly begin enjoying the privileges granted to Martial Artists.
As for Low-Rank Martial Artists, even a Peak 3rd-Rank Martial Artist was ultimately still considered Low Rank.
There was still a clear gap between them and Mid-Rank Martial Artists.
As for 1st-Rank and 2nd-Rank Martial Artists, in Jinghai City’s central district, they were basically only qualified to guard entrances.
A 5th-Rank Martial Artist represented the middle level of combat power among Mid-Rank Martial Artists, so someone at that rank could naturally be considered a genuine powerhouse.
Only at this moment did Wang Huai’an truly understand that reaching the Mid Rank meant stepping into the circle of powerful Martial Artists and gaining tangible privileges that came with one’s status.
After touring the Martial Artist Alliance, Wang Huai’an felt that he had gained a great deal.
Previously, his understanding of Martial Artists had been rather superficial. Only now did he finally begin to understand their world in greater depth.
However, to avoid exposing his lack of knowledge, he did not stay with the other 2 for long.
He had already obtained the badge and certificate proving his strength. That was enough for now.
Using the excuse that he wanted to learn a cultivation technique in the digital reading room, Wang Huai’an parted ways with them.
After watching Wang Huai’an enter the digital reading room, Song Ningfeng finally withdrew his smile and said, “Breaking through to the Early Stage of the 5th Rank at 38 isn’t particularly unusual. Plenty of people reach it even earlier.”
He paused before continuing, “What’s strange is that he has never had his strength officially certified before.”
The female receptionist nodded and said, “Exactly. Even I was startled. Could a 5th-Rank Martial Artist like him have spent all these years cultivating in seclusion?”
“He wasn’t even interested in getting his strength certified.”
Song Ningfeng smiled and said, “In my opinion, this man has a rather pure state of mind. His thoughts are completely focused on studying martial arts and cultivation. He’s a pure martial artist at heart!”
“Perhaps mundane status simply never interested him. People like him can usually travel much farther along the path of martial arts. I’ve met enough unusual people that this isn’t particularly surprising anymore.”
“There are naturally plenty of strange people in this world. A strange person with genuine ability is the one who has value.”
“Only Martial Artists with such an unwavering martial heart can travel far along the path of martial arts.”
Then Song Ningfeng frowned slightly and murmured, “But why did he suddenly decide to certify his strength?”
The female receptionist glanced at the documents in her hand and said, “He even lives in the Old District. He’s not from the central district or any of the wealthy areas in the city.”
“Jinghai City really does have hidden talents everywhere.”
That genuinely surprised Song Ningfeng.
For an unknown 5th-Rank Martial Artist to emerge from the Old District was certainly unusual.
“Jinghai City has a population of several million. There will always be a few exceptional geniuses.”
“Still, this man really is interesting.”
“He’s actually content to live in the Old District despite possessing that kind of strength.”
The female receptionist asked, “Should we investigate him?”
“His identification card shows that he’s a local, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”
Song Ningfeng raised his hand, signaling that there was no need.
“Forget it. I’m only a little curious about him.”
“He’s already a 5th-Rank Martial Artist at such a young age. He might even become a 6th-Rank Martial Artist in the future.”
“A 6th-Rank Martial Artist is already an important figure in Jinghai City. It’s enough for us to maintain a good relationship with him.”
“In this society, fighting and killing are matters concerning the myriad races and Demonic Beasts outside the city. Inside the city, relationships still matter.”
“If we can become friends with someone like him, then we should. If we can’t, there’s no reason to make an enemy of him either.”
“Just leave him be.”
Meanwhile, Wang Huai’an, who had entered the digital reading room, had no idea that the 2 of them had spent so much time discussing him.
Right now, he genuinely wanted to learn more about martial arts. At the very least, he needed to avoid looking like an idiot who possessed the strength of a 5th-Rank Martial Artist yet knew almost nothing about martial arts.
He had to understand the basics. Otherwise, when he spoke with Martial Artists who had genuinely cultivated their strength step by step, he might accidentally expose himself.
Inside the digital reading room, the cameras automatically scanned the Martial Artist badge on his chest, immediately granting him borrowing privileges.
Wang Huai’an happily adjusted the badge on his chest. The 2 small moons on its surface were particularly dazzling.
He thought to himself, ‘Wang Teng won’t be coming home for lunch anyway. I might as well study here until evening.’
‘I’ll learn as much as I can.’
‘The memory of a 5th-Rank Martial Artist has improved considerably as well. I should be able to gain quite a lot.’
Afterward, he started with the simplest theories of martial arts.
As for the cultivation techniques below C-rank that Song Ningfeng had mentioned earlier, the letter represented the grade of the cultivation technique.
The higher the grade, the more powerful the cultivation technique. Naturally, the requirements for practicing it also became increasingly demanding.
Cultivation techniques above C-rank obviously could not be obtained for free so casually. If someone had enough money, they could also purchase them outside.
Since Wang Huai’an was getting these resources for free here, he certainly wasn’t going to be picky.
Before long, he became completely immersed in studying, desperately filling the gaps in his martial arts knowledge.
Time passed quickly.
Soon, it was already lunchtime. However, Wang Huai’an had no intention of eating. He remained engrossed in the materials, frantically absorbing everything he could.
Meanwhile, at Jinghai City No. 7 High School, the students had spent the entire morning completing the class reorganization.
The students from their class who had chosen the Martial Arts Track were merged with the Martial Arts Track students from neighboring Class 5.
Together, they formed a Martial Arts Class! The source of this chapter is g.com.
Their lunch that afternoon was essentially a farewell meal shared with the students who had chosen the Academic Track.
During the meal, quite a few students were emotionally overwhelmed.
At the table where Wang Teng and Fatty Liu Feng were sitting, one boy was crying so hard that tears and snot covered his face, severely affecting their appetite.
Several students nearby were trying to comfort him.
There was only one reason for his despair. He had chosen the Academic Track instead of the Martial Arts Track. In other words, becoming a Martial Artist was no longer part of his future.
The boy sobbed and spoke through broken breaths, “Brothers, I originally thought I’d be cultivating martial arts together with all of you.”
“My Martial Aptitude is Medium Grade. I could’ve achieved something through cultivation in the future, but my family doesn’t have any money. Neither my dad nor my mom supports me.”
“My family simply can’t afford to support my cultivation.”
“I was born at the bottom of society. I always thought martial arts was the only path for an ordinary person to defy fate and change his life, but in the end, I’m still trapped by my family’s circumstances!”
“If only I had a rich father and a wealthy family. Then I… I definitely could’ve cultivated martial arts.”
“That guy from the neighboring class only has Low-Grade Martial Aptitude, but his family is rich. Having a wealthy father supporting you is better than anything else.”
His emotions finally erupted as he cried, “Why? Why?! We’re obviously all the same age! Why don’t they need to struggle? Just because they have a good father, a rich and powerful father, they can have everything?”
“And no matter how much harder we work or how much more suffering we endure, we still can’t even reach their starting point. Why?!”
“I really envy all of you. I envy the fact that your families can support you in cultivating martial arts.”
The others began comforting him.
One student sighed and said, “That’s just how this world works.”
Another helplessly added, “If we can’t compete through our fathers, then we can only rely on ourselves.”
Someone else said, “We might all look the same here, but that’s only because school weakens the sense of class difference between us.”
“In reality, they’re living in huge villas in the central district, while 8 people from families like ours might be squeezed into a tiny, rundown apartment in the Old District.”
“Is it frustrating?”
“That’s simply how frustrating this world is!”
Wang Teng remained silent.
A thought quietly surfaced in his mind.
‘If Dad hadn’t suddenly lost his mind last night and agreed to let me cultivate martial arts, would I be sitting here crying like this today too?’
His gaze drifted toward the other side of the cafeteria.
Wu Longfei, whom he had seen that morning, happened to be sitting at a table with several wealthy students.
On their table were the school’s specially prepared nutritious meals meant for students cultivating martial arts. Each serving cost 100 yuan.
Compared with those meals, the cheap dishes costing only a few yuan in front of Wang Teng and the others looked like nothing more than a plate of garbage.
Those wealthy students chatted and laughed among themselves. There was none of the oppression or helplessness that weighed so heavily upon students from poorer families.
Meanwhile, beside the window, Wei Lai sat alone and ate quietly.
Her movements were elegant, and no one disturbed her.
Her meal consisted of specially customized, high-end nutritious dishes designed for martial arts cultivation. She did not even spare the ordinary food served by the school cafeteria a glance.
The difference between their social classes was obvious at a glance.