After drinking morosely for a while, Old Man Li asked all of a sudden, “You’re at Peak Rank-3 already?”
Fang Ping shook his head, but explained quickly, “I’m almost there. My constitution and my Vitality both fulfill the requirements and I can slash five consecutive times using Manic Explosion, but I just feel like something is missing. It doesn’t feel complete.”
Old Man Li thought for a while before suggesting, “Go to the Combat Technique Library, look for the Vajra Punch manual, and master it. When the technique meshes with your body, you’ll achieve Peak Rank-3.”
Old Man Li then continued, “Don’t breakthrough to Rank-4 so soon after Peak Rank-3. Hone your skills for a while first. Also, during your summer holidays, go challenge martial artists from other places.”
Fang Ping was a little taken aback. “Why?”
“No matter what rank a martial artist is at, whether he’s lower, middle, or higher-ranked, his essence, spirit, and soul must be one. He must forge for himself an invincible front.
“These are powerhouses that I’m talking about.
“Your mentor nicknamed herself Unconquerable Wu. It’s precisely because of her nickname that she wants to break through the barrier standing between her and the Grandmaster level in one fell swoop.
“She’s still a little lacking though. She’s not yet unbeatable among the Peak Rank-6 martial artists.
“If you want to be unbeatable among Peak Rank-3 martial artists and become a Rank-4 powerhouse later on, go challenge others.
“I know that you killed Rank-4 martial artists in the Catacombs. I’ve heard that you killed a Rank-5 once too, but I know that you don’t really have the ability to do so.
“A Catacombs Rank-4, though...”
Old Man Li gave this some consideration before continuing, “They’re not weak, actually, but we can’t compare them with their human counterparts.”
“Why?”
“We’re saddled with burdens.”
It was as simple as that. Old Man Li sighed, “Our middle-rank martial artists all clawed their way up the ranks because of the Catacombs. Practically none of our Rank-4 martial artists have advanced peaceably.
“The Catacombs Rank-4 martial artists are different. Some of them achieved their breakthroughs only because they owned enough energy stones.
“Those who rise to become powerhouses within their own ranks all have the blood of their peers on their hands.
“The Catacombs have more martial artists than we do. One reason we can defend ourselves against them is that there’s a lack of collaboration between cities. Another is that individually, we’re stronger than they are.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t discovered this?
“Human martial artists can be divided into many categories—those who haven’t entered the Catacombs before, those who have killed opponents of the same rank, those who have killed higher-ranked opponents...
“If you want to breakthrough, become the strongest in your rank. You can’t do this in the lower ranks but when you breakthrough to Rank-4, you have to instill in yourself the confidence that you’re invincible before you can truly make it.”
Fang Ping looked pensive; Wang Jinyang came to mind.
“Did Wang Jinyang travel all over the North because of this?”
Old Man Li shook his head. “Yes, but also no.
“There are various reasons behind his challenges in the North; some were related to the championship being held at the time, and others were motivated by his desire to take charge of NMAU.
“So the opponents he challenged were—how do I put this—Rank-3 powerhouses, but weaker than him.
“He has not fully developed his invincible front yet because the motive behind his challenges is not pure.
“If you’re going to issue challenges, don’t avoid powerful enemies. There are still some powerhouses at Peak Rank-3. The ranking hasn’t been refreshed yet, but by tomorrow, it will be.
“You might not be ranked first even if you’ve killed Rank-4 martial artists down in the Catacombs—or even Rank-5 ones if the rumors hold true.
“You can challenge any of the ones in the top ten spots. Don’t go for anyone weaker than you. Also...do it for MCMAU’s reputation!”
Old Man Li’s gaze sharpened. “MCMAU will be at a disadvantage after the Vice-chancellor’s death in battle, especially now that Deputy Vice-chancellor Wu and Dean Huang aren’t on campus and Old Liu’s gone to Nanjiang.
“There are no Grandmasters stationed in MCMAU at the moment!
“Everyone has the same goal: to defeat the Catacombs. Nevertheless, ask yourself: is everyone truly altruistic?
“If you got your hands on ten million yuan, would you give it to your family or to strangers? What if one of those strangers went down to the Catacombs after that for a battle to the death?
“There’s no way to say who’s right or who’s wrong. When the seven Grandmasters died, we mourned our Vice-chancellor most, just like how the relatives, friends, and disciples of the other Grandmasters first mourned the people they knew.
“Didn’t all of them sacrifice themselves for humanity, though?
“That’s what I have to say. Do you understand?”
Fang Ping nodded. “You’re talking about the difference between family and the greater community. I can fight for humanity, but I have to take care of my family too; that’s natural human instinct.
“I’d do the same too if I were those Grandmasters. In matters of life and death, if I had to choose between my family and some strangers, I’d definitely choose to save my family.”
“Good, you’re not stupid!” Old Man Li laughed. “So now you know there’s almost certainly going to be someone out there scheming against MCMAU, including how prospective students and resources are going to be assigned...”
“Of course, no one will make any overt moves right now, especially not when the Vice-chancellor has just died—unless they’re so thick-skinned they don’t care about face.
“Now, at a time like this when so many of the MCMAU instructors and students have died and the seniors have graduated...MCMAU’s morale is at its lowest. Abilities-wise, you’re the cream of the crop even in comparison with the rest of the MCMAU student body. When you’re doing your challenge rounds, you can help bolster MCMAU’s formidable reputation a little and demonstrate just what its students are capable of. It’s good for the school.”
Fang Ping’s brow creased. “Should I kill them?”
Old Man Li glared at him, saying exasperatedly, “Who said anything about killing them? The elites at Peak Rank-3 are the future hopes for humanity. What I meant is, grandstand a bit. Don’t challenge them in secret. You can learn from that friend of yours, Wang Jinyang—go stand in front of their doors and make a scene or something.
“Injuries are normal. If they’re injured but not dead, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Fang Ping thought about that. He said, “I think that no one in Peak Rank-3 is a match for me...”
Old Man Li just looked at him in silence.
“Really, Instructor, my bone marrow is like mercury now. Can’t you sense it?”
Old Man Li continued staring at him in silence.
“Instructor, what are you staring at me like that for?”
“You really need to challenge yourself this time. Don’t use your “advantage” in Vitality to defeat them!”
Fang Ping said, perplexed, “What...why...”
“Idiot, if you have an endlessly flowing Vitality, you’ll think that you won because of it. Without that, are you absolutely confident that you can defeat someone at the same level and rank as you? If you’re not confident in yourself, how can you make everyone think you’re invincible? Bullsh*t!
“When you become a Grandmaster one day, as long as there’s enough energy, everyone’s Vitality is endless. Your Vitality’s no longer a deciding factor then; your ability to control energy is. Do you think that you can defeat opponents of the same rank when the time comes?”
Fang Ping blinked. That made a lot of sense!
‘What do I do when I reach Grandmaster-level and Vitality is no longer the deciding factor in battle?’
“So, you have to try not to rely so much on your advantage in Vitality, and defeat your foes!”
“But...”
“But you’re not confident!” Old Man Li scolded. “A powerful Rank-9 Grandmaster, someone like Commander Li, can fight one-on-three. He can even kill a Rank-9 opponent when he’s up against three enemies at once!
“A Rank-8 powerhouse can counter the attacks of a Rank-9 martial artist. Do you want to be the Rank-9 that’s countered by someone of a lower rank?
“Look further ahead, boy. Relying on your advantage all the time does you no good at all.”
Fang Ping exhaled. The old man’s words were astute; he could not deny the truth of them.
Although there was no need to become the strongest in his rank, he would have to ensure that he was not weaker than someone of a lower rank, right?
If he did indeed become a Rank-8 martial artist who was defeated by a Rank-7 martial artist someday or a Rank-9 who was defeated by a Rank-8, that would be monumentally embarrassing—even when he had achieved Rank-9.
“Then...”
“Try your best not to use it. I’m not saying that you can’t though. For example, you replenished your Vitality after you defeated Gu Xiong. Under those circumstances, that’s an advantage. Understand?”
“You know about that too?”
“Of course. There’s nothing in MCMAU that I don’t know about.”
Old Man Li had regained his spirits; he even gave a faint smile.
Fang Ping considered his words for a while. He murmured, “This means that I can’t overpower them completely or use big moves unrestrained...”
“Yes, you need to learn how to harness your power as well as hone your combat techniques, so you can defeat your opponents with the least amount of effort.”
“Alright.”
Fang Ping exhaled. At last, he asked with some surprise, “You don’t find it strange that my bone marrow is now like mercury?”
Old Man Li was calm and collected as he said mildly, “Why should it be strange? The world is so big, anything is possible.
“Do you think I should be astonished just because your marrow is like mercury?
“I’ve met a martial artist whose skull was 90% honed at birth. Must I be shocked?
“I’ve also seen a young martial artist whose Mentality is stronger than even yours. Should I be surprised too?”
Fang Ping said, after a moment of shocked silence, “I think I’m capable of those things too...”
Old Man Li struggled to keep his expression neutral. ‘If you motherf*cking strengthen your Mentality and toughen your skull further, I’m going to take your bones apart and study them!’
Fang Ping did not take offense at Old Man Li’s reaction, merely muttering, “Learning Vajra Punch and merging its force with my body, advancing to Peak Rank-3, challenging same-ranked martial artists and developing an invincible front...I guess these are my next missions?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Would I be stronger than Wang Jinyang after I advance to Rank-4?”
“If you can rely on yourself to defeat those powerhouses with a Vitality level that’s equal to theirs, then you’re stronger. He’s strong, but he’s not invincible among his peers!” Old Man Li declared with conviction. He continued, “Plus you have an advantage with your Vitality. If the two of you are at the same level and of the same rank, he won’t be a match for you!”
Fang Ping’s eyes lit up. Did this mean that he could finally beat Old Wang up and collect his debts?
Fang Ping’s mind began to indulge in various flights of fancy. After a while, he seemed to recall something and asked Old Man Li rather strangely, “Instructor, what does “nayagukali” really mean?”
Old Man Li had to think hard for a while to recall its meaning. He said uncertainly, “It means “kill me”, I think?
“What’s with this serious tone of questioning?”
Fang Ping’s expression changed. ‘I knew something wasn’t right about that word!’
Old Man Li said nonchalantly, “Who cares, as long as it’s effective. Okay, you better go off now, this old man has something to do later...”
“An old man like you still has things to do?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no Grandmaster, and half of the instructors have left. If I don’t offer my help, don’t tell me you will?”
“I don’t have any problem with that...”
“Get out of here!”
Old Man Li cursed with a smile. Talking with this boy had dispelled his negative emotions a little.
The Vice-chancellor, that shameless old man, was gone now, but the new generation was doing well. There were people capable of taking up his mantle in the future, so there was no need to fear that the old man’s pride and joy—MCMAU—would fall.
Fang Ping saw that the old man really did have something to do, so he had no choice but to leave. The question was constantly on his mind, however—what in the world did that Catacombs word mean, the one that Old Man Li taught him to say?
...
Fang Ping went to the Combat Technique Library and borrowed the Vajra Punch cultivation manual.
His eyes lit up after perusing it for a while.
He had always wanted to find a technique that allowed him to perform a single explosive move, and this fit the bill perfectly. It was an explosive technique that focused all the force one could muster into a punch.
“Pity that it’s not a saber combat technique...
“But all techniques can be applied to multiple weapons on some level. Fists and sabers are only different in appearance. I latched my Mentality onto my saber once, and it worked just like an extension of my arm. Fist techniques and blade techniques can be used in conjunction with all kinds of weapons.”
Combat techniques were created by people—those like Zhang Dingnan who spent time crafting and refining these techniques during their time in the middle ranks.
Fang Ping was lacking in quite a few aspects, so naturally, he was not capable of creating combat techniques. However, he could still mesh fist combat techniques and saber combat techniques once he had mastered them; it was highly possible that he could use a fist technique in conjunction with his saber.
“I’ve seen too little and I’m still lacking in experience. Otherwise, I could probably channel all my energy into my fist without needing to study Vajra Punch.”
After perusing the manual for a while, Fang Ping looked at his Wealth and Vitality stats, wrinkling his brow at them.
Wealth: 25500000
Vitality: 954cal (1219cal+)
Mentality: 520cal (549cal+)
Bones honed: 126 bones (100%), 51 bones (90%+), 29 bones (30%+)
“I only have 20 million Wealth points left...”
Before the war in the Catacombs, he still had 50 million Wealth points, but he had expended a lot of them during the fighting.
He had also failed to bring anything back from this recent trip to the Catacombs.
He had exchanged all his energy stones and other items for his armor and weapons.
Those were what he had spent the bulk of his earnings on—a B-grade guandao, and leather armor made from the hide of a middle-stage Rank-5 creature.
He had spent all his cash before he went down to the Catacombs. The remaining 2 million he had deposited into his bank account; his bank card was still at home with Fang Yuan.
“Right, my phone was confiscated by the Military Department, and there was no signal in any of the places I was at...I should call home.”
This time around, he had stayed in the Catacombs for nine days and slept for one full day upon his return. Now it was already the 30th of the month.
He looked at the time. It was already midnight; he had been engrossed in the Vajra Punch manual.
“I’ll call tomorrow.”
Fang Ping felt a headache coming on. Cultivating combat techniques required Wealth points, just like honing the marrow of his bones.
He wanted to try honing his cranial bones as well, but that would also require Wealth points.
Where could he obtain Wealth points though?
“I need 51 million points to finish honing my torso. That’s a necessity. The Wealth points I have now are enough to master this combat technique so I should be able to achieve Peak Rank-3.
“Whatever I choose to do, I still have to earn 50 million more.”
Fang Ping sighed. Life was getting more difficult by the day.
He had killed quite a few martial artists during the Catacombs battle and the Military Department would reward him for that, but he would have to wait until the end of the battle.
Right now, people could only go into the Catacombs; they could not come out.
“The summer holidays have started now. Should I make a trip home?”
Fang Ping was so out of it that he had almost forgotten the summer holidays. Qin Fengqing telling him that martial artists would do better to forget about enjoying the holidays now made sense to him.
“And there’s the MCMAU platform too...” Fang Ping murmured. Since some of the students had died in the battle, the compensation from the school should be enough to repay their loans, but the platform had only begun operating recently.
“It’s so hard!”
Fang Ping kept on sighing. He was quite partial to returning to the Catacombs, as that meant he did not need to consider so many things. If he was short of money, killing a few Catacombs martial artists would be sufficient.
‘The instructors are still there too; who knows when they’ll be able to come back.
‘The dead instructors and students’ corpses couldn’t be transported back here either...so many people have died in this war...’
Thoughts like these kept drifting into Fang Ping’s mind. Fang Ping shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the Vajra Punch manual. He had to advance to Peak Rank-3 as soon as possible.