Li Wen focused his mind and quickly got off at the back of the bus.

The winter sun shone on the magnificent and grand plaque that read "Fire Hall - Bluestone Branch," giving it a sense of profound history. He strode toward the great doors that represented infinite possibilities.

Just then, a well-built, trim young man with a neat buzz cut stepped off another bus nearby. He walked briskly toward the entrance of the Fire Hall with a steady gait. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The young man’s expression was calm and reserved, and he carried himself with an air of unhurried confidence.

"Look! It’s Jiang Lingyun from the Number One Martial Arts Middle School! Wow, he’s so handsome in person!" came the hushed, excited gasps of two girls nearby.

"Jiang Lingyun?" Li Wen’s steps faltered slightly. He’d heard the name before—the recognized genius of Bluestone County’s Number One Martial Arts Middle School. Rumor had it he’d already been signed by the Fire Hall, and with a lucrative B-rank contract at that! He never expected to run into him here.

He subconsciously took a second look. The other guy’s presence was indeed outstanding; it was a confidence built from within, forged by strength.

’But when it comes to looks...’ A small, subconscious smirk tugged at the corner of Li Wen’s mouth.

Shaking his head, he dispelled the subtle thought of comparison and continued toward the main entrance.

As he passed the two girls, he faintly overheard another comment: "That guy with the shoulder bag is pretty handsome too..."

The other voice replied, "He is handsome, but he’s a little too skinny. I still think Jiang Lingyun is more stylish..."

His mood inexplicably brightened a little. With a faint, almost imperceptible smile, Li Wen strode into the spacious and bright first-floor lobby of the Fire Hall.

As was his custom, the first order of business was to head to the second-floor cafeteria to refuel.

On the escalator going up, he habitually glanced at the higher floors. His gaze settled on a certain area on the twelfth floor—that seemed to be an exclusive area for the branch’s upper management or signed members.

A moment ago, he thought he had seen Jiang Lingyun’s figure disappear into an elevator heading to the upper floors.

’The twelfth floor...’ Li Wen retracted his gaze. He had never been above the third floor, and he had no idea about its layout or what kind of rooms it contained.

It was a world completely separate from his current "temporary access."

A subtle feeling of distance welled up in his heart, only to be immediately replaced by a firmer resolve: ’I’ll get up there. I’ll make my way up through my own hard-earned strength!’

The second-floor cafeteria still wasn’t very crowded.

Li Wen expertly swiped his temporary hall card and carried away a massive basin of high-energy food, an amount that would make an ordinary person’s jaw drop.

He found a seat and began to focus on rapidly "refueling."

As he swallowed the last piece of meat mixed with special grains, Li Wen let out a satisfied burp. The calories from the food made him feel strength gathering within his body.

After sitting for a moment to digest, Li Wen picked up his backpack, went down to the first floor, and headed straight for the exclusive training area for top-tier techniques.

This area was still sparsely populated. The whistling sounds of several different weapons slicing through the air echoed in the spacious room. A quick scan revealed only five or six figures, including himself.

They were all far apart from one another, not disturbing each other, each immersed in their own world of the Martial Dao.

Having just eaten a large meal, it wasn’t wise to engage in strenuous exercise immediately. Li Wen walked over to a bench in the corner rest area, put down his backpack, and half-reclined.

His gaze, however, began to move around the training hall, silently observing the other few Cultivators.

One person was practicing an entry-level top-tier Sword Technique. The gleam of his sword was erratic, and the transitions between his moves were somewhat stiff. He was clearly still a long way from reaching the Minor Achievement stage with his top-tier Sword Technique.

Another was practicing a spear technique, still at the entry level for a top-tier spear technique. The movements of his long spear were imposing as it shifted and spun, but his control over explosive points and rhythm was still lacking.

There was also someone with a long staff. The staff’s shadow flickered about with fierce power, but upon closer inspection, many of its transitional movements lacked subtlety. He was also at the entry level... After a careful observation of everyone, Li Wen understood.

As expected, no one who could enter this top-tier technique area was a slouch, but without exception, they were all still struggling at the threshold of the entry level.

Forget about Grand Completion; there wasn’t even a single person who had truly reached the Minor Achievement stage.

...

Inside the "Exclusive Training Area for Top-Tier Techniques" on the first floor of the Fire Hall, saber light flashed like a rainbow, weaving and glittering.

Li Wen’s figure moved and twisted in the core of the empty area. The standard rapier in his hand tore through the air, creating sharp whistling sounds.

He deconstructed and reassembled the moves of the Rainbow Light Saber Skill, which were becoming more fluid and seamless through repeated practice.

Time flew by under his intense focus. Mental fatigue began to spread insidiously, like maggots clinging to bone, but the light in his eyes only grew more intense.

This was his path to becoming stronger. Every drop of sweat was an imprint of his hopes for the future.

The chime announcing six o’clock in the evening pierced through the hall’s din like an invisible switch.

Li Wen’s movements came to an abrupt halt, and the saber light surrounding him instantly vanished.

He let out a long, foul breath that carried a sharp, metallic scent. The soreness of his taut muscles and the weakness from overtaxing his mind washed over him simultaneously.

"Done," he whispered, smoothly sheathing the rapier back onto the weapon rack beside him with a reverse grip. Sweat had long since soaked through his training clothes underneath, and fine beads of perspiration covered his forehead and temples.

After his mental attributes had improved, the burden of [Absolute Focus] was relatively lighter, but this level of intense saber practice still took a significant toll on his body.

He silently planned out his evening.

’I’ll buy the potion later, and tonight I need to start breaking through in my basic technique using [Absolute Focus].’ This "huge sum" of money he had just received was the fuel for his rapid improvement over the winter break.

’My saber skill is fundamental, but my physical level... can’t fall too far behind. At the very least, it has to be high enough to meet the application threshold for a top-tier martial arts university.’ After weighing his options for a moment, he made a decision.

’I’ll cut half an hour from my [Absolute Focus] time for saber practice and allocate it to my basic technique tonight, no more. My skill realm is my real trump card for turning things around!’

He firmly believed this. A high skill realm would bring him resources and status, compensating for his temporary physical shortcomings.

Focusing Spirit, he summoned the translucent panel that only he could see:

[You have practiced saber techniques for three hours, Rainbow Light Saber Skill +1]

[You have practiced saber techniques with focus for one hour and twenty minutes, Rainbow Light Saber Skill +6]

[Skill: Saber Technique · Top-Tier (Entry 38→46/100)]

’The panel’s ’OCD’ is acting up again.’ Li Wen’s lips twitched helplessly as he looked at the notifications, which showed a 7-point increase, even though his experience had jumped by 8.

It was either that the panel wasn’t precise down to the decimal, or it only showed the increase once it reached a whole number.

He was already used to this "stingy" display method. Except for his god-awful 6.3 physical level, the other experience values always seemed to hide a fraction of a point here and there.

Shaking off these thoughts, Li Wen wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, picked up the old backpack he had left on the bench, and left the training area without hesitation, heading straight for the second-floor cafeteria.