The recommendation slots at the academy had always been too expensive for Chen Chuan to consider, but this time, he thought he could try applying for one.

’He had a nagging feeling that if he didn’t use the money sitting in his platform account, someone would find a way to take it from him. It would be better to exchange it for something of value sooner rather than later.’

He contacted the academy’s platform, found the application section, and looked it up. An application form was immediately provided.

An addendum attached to the form explained that every official student of Wuyi Academy could apply once a month. The academy would adjust the queue based on the application time, the student’s evaluation score, and the number of applicants. The internal fee for one irradiation session ranged from three to five thousand yuan.

Chen Chuan looked at the numbers. ’At this rate, these ten thousand yuan won’t last long. It’ll probably only cover two or three sessions at most. Still, lasting two or three months is acceptable. I can figure out something else after that.’

After filling out and submitting the form, he received a notification from the platform a moment later. It informed him that he had been placed in the queue and should wait patiently for further updates.

A little while later, the platform notified him again. Since this month’s quota had already been filled at the beginning of the month, he would have to wait until next month. A fee of three thousand yuan would be charged. Below that was another message, informing students that if they were unable to pay, the academy offered a loan service with an interest rate of only twenty-five percent.

He casually swiped the message away. ’Waiting in line is fine, as long as my turn actually comes.’

He tidied up a bit, took a shower, and after returning, he drew the curtains and began browsing the day’s news.

Despite the high death toll in the Tao Wo Market explosion, he couldn’t find any reports on it in the mainstream news—perhaps it wasn’t deemed worthy, or maybe it was a matter of timing. He did, however, find it mentioned in the fringe news.

The report described it as a violent crime committed by a Fighter, which was quickly resolved by the Processing Bureau’s Law Enforcers. The comment section below was, as always, full of arguments.

Chen Chuan spotted himself in the footage. Judging by the angle, the person who released the clip was likely one of the security patrol members on duty at the time.

Below, people were debating his strength. Most believed he was a Third Limit Fighter because his speed was exceptionally fast, almost impossible for a normal person to follow with their eyes.

But he noticed a very interesting voice-altered message from someone named "Dancing on the Bottle Cap":

"I’m positive this is a Second Limit Fighter.

Not all Second Limit Fighters are the same. The reason you can’t see his movements clearly is because his overall coordination is superb. From the leap, to breaking through the window, to landing inside the market—the entire sequence was seamless, without a single pause. His power distribution was perfect, not an ounce more, not an ounce less."

His words immediately triggered a wave of ridicule, with people accusing him of pretending to be an expert. More analyses followed, aiming to prove him wrong.

Chen Chuan, however, knew that the judgment of "Dancing on the Bottle Cap" was correct. He hadn’t actually used speed and power comparable to the Third Limit at the time.

However, "Dancing on the Bottle Cap" wasn’t without supporters in the comments. One person agreed with him, saying that the leap was "silky smooth" and a "deeply satisfying sight for those who understand fighting."

Since Chen Chuan’s back was to the camera and his face wasn’t visible, a discussion about his identity also began. Someone speculated that he wasn’t from the Processing Bureau, as his clothes didn’t match their uniform and looked more like something from the General Affairs Bureau. However, that comment vanished almost immediately, and the user never seemed to post again.

As Chen Chuan was looking through the comments, a call came in. Seeing it was Tan Zhi, he answered. Tan’s voice immediately came through:

"Hey, Chen, how about coming out to relax this weekend? I can introduce you to a few classmates, too. We might be able to look out for each other in the future."

Chen Chuan asked, "Where are we going?"

Tan Zhi said, "A one-day sea cruise. An upperclassman is taking us. I guarantee there’ll be plenty of activities you’ve never seen before."

Chen Chuan wasn’t opposed to such social gatherings. ’I’ll probably have to deal with these classmates in the future, and I might learn a lot from our conversations.’

He asked, "Is it safe?"

"Completely safe. They’ve held this event many times before. We won’t even be leaving Central City’s waters, so all our Realm Tokens will work. You won’t be bored."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright, Tan. I’ll be there. Thanks."

Tan Zhi said, "Don’t mention it. I was the one who handled your orientation when you enrolled, so we should definitely stay in touch. Chen, you’ll understand in time."

After the call, Chen Chuan browsed the news for a little longer before scrolling down to the movies. His predecessor had been a big fan of films, but old-fashioned movies were nothing like the ones in Central City. The latter had a realistic, immersive quality, especially when using a Realm Token provided by the Processing Bureau, which made you feel as if you were right there in the scene.

This technology could make even old movies feel like a brand-new experience, allowing for deeper immersion into the protagonist’s world.

However, after three minutes of watching—ads included—a payment prompt appeared. He closed it without a second thought. Seeing it was almost ten o’clock, he went to bed.

He woke up punctually at five the next morning and went through his daily training routine. At eight o’clock, he contacted Teacher Zheng, the instructor for Saber Techniques. The teacher said he was free now and that Chen Chuan could come over if it was convenient. So, Chen Chuan got ready and left.

Teacher Zheng’s residence was in the Wuding District, not far from the Profound Palace Building. It was only about a ten-minute ride, so he arrived before eight-thirty. After he knocked, the teacher himself opened the door and smilingly led him inside.

The teacher was just under fifty, with a burly build, a ruddy complexion, and a full beard. He had a booming voice and a direct way of speaking, giving off a very hearty and frank impression.

Inside the main gate was a spacious front yard. Under retractable awnings on both sides were all sorts of blades—dozens of them, at least—in various domestic and foreign styles.

Teacher Zheng said, "This house looks pretty big, eh? Heh, big it may be, but I’m still paying off a loan for it and need to complete assigned missions from the Processing Bureau. Young man, you should start thinking about this too. Once you graduate from the academy and want to make a name for yourself in Central City, you’ll need a place of your own sooner or later."

As he spoke, he walked over to a weapon rack. "Let me see your fundamentals first." He casually picked up a blade from the rack and swung it lightly toward Chen Chuan.

His movements weren’t fast, allowing Chen Chuan to see them clearly. Yet, he had the distinct feeling that he couldn’t dodge. He immediately raised his blade to block, but felt no force behind the strike, as if it were just a light, floating cut.

But just as he thought that, a force abruptly surged through. He reacted quickly, making an immediate adjustment, but the force still carried him half a step to the side.

Teacher Zheng lowered his blade. "I have a general idea of your skill level now."

Chen Chuan mulled it over. ’I’ve been suppressing my power since I walked in. For this kind of skill-based training, lowering my power level actually makes it easier to see results. Otherwise, if I just relied on my raw strength and speed, this session would be pointless.’

’But that strike... I feel like even if I had gone all out, I still wouldn’t have been able to block it. The outcome would most likely have been the same.’

’It wasn’t anything special. It was simply because Teacher Zheng’s skill in applying Power was far superior to my own. Even if I understood the subtlety of the strike, my ability to adjust my power couldn’t possibly keep up.’

’Of course, a real life-or-death battle is another matter entirely. But in terms of pure technique, I’m completely outclassed. That, however, is precisely why I came here to learn.’

Teacher Zheng spoke up. "Poor technique can be trained. But a person’s courage and confidence are easy to lose and hard to gain. You failed to block that strike just now, but what I saw was an expression that was neither defeated nor discouraged. That’s very good. There’s no shame in being less skilled than someone else. You just have to find a way to catch up. If you lose that drive, then all your training will be for nothing. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Hmm, your fundamentals are solid, so we can skip a lot of steps. Based on your situation, I’ll break this training into several phases. Today, I’ll start by teaching you how to defend."

He got straight to the point, wasting no time. He immediately began demonstrating with his blade, teaching Chen Chuan how to coordinate his breathing and his Mutated Organization to disperse and neutralize incoming force.

He was very patient. When teaching, he was not at all like his fiery outward appearance suggested. At critical moments, he would always point out the minor details Chen Chuan had overlooked. His teaching style was like his Saber Techniques: rough on the surface, yet possessing a hidden finesse.

Chen Chuan practiced for the entire morning and essentially mastered the application of these Powers. After all, his foundation was solid. His Circulation Technique gave his own Mutated Organization exceptionally high coordination, so he didn’t need to struggle with adjustments like others might.

In truth, if a student’s Mutated Organization was insufficient to support the original force generation method, the teacher would have to find a way to adjust the student’s technique. Another option was to use medication to try and grow more Mutated Organization in foundational areas to provide support.

This was the true work of a technical instructor.

They often couldn’t impart a technique to a student in its entirety. Instead, they had to carefully select parts of it or adjust the force generation based on the student’s Mutated Organization. This required a certain level of knowledge and professional skill. An ordinary Fighter, even a very powerful one, lacked the ability to teach a student in this manner.

The fact that Chen Chuan grasped it so quickly was a pleasant surprise for Teacher Zheng. This meant they could skip the adjustment steps and move directly to the crucial parts.

"The best way to master a technique is through live sparring. There’s nothing better for tempering a person. For a Fighter, one round of fighting is better than a hundred explanations."

Teacher Zheng called out, "Zheng Tongtong."

The sound of quick, rhythmic footsteps came from outside. A moment later, a strapping young woman in her early twenties walked in. She looked a lot like Teacher Zheng, with a large, round face and thick arms and legs. Yet she didn’t seem clumsy at all; in fact, her movements gave off a surprisingly agile impression.

Teacher Zheng said, "This is Chen. Spar a few rounds with him."

"You got it."

Zheng Tongtong seemed to have inherited Teacher Zheng’s straightforward personality. Without another word, she grabbed a hefty Thick-Backed Blade from the rack, cupped her fist to Chen Chuan in a salute, and said, "Junior, please give me your guidance."

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