"Dad, Mom." Pushing the door open, he was greeted by the aroma of food from the kitchen and the sight of his parents bustling about.

"You’re up? Quick, go wash up. Breakfast is ready." His mother, Wang Juan, had a busy yet satisfied smile on her face as she carried a bowl of steaming meat porridge and walked briskly to the small table in the living room.

The rich, meaty aroma of the porridge filled his nostrils, instantly whetting Li Wen’s appetite.

"Mmm! Smells amazing!" he praised from the heart, following his mother and turning into the cramped washroom. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The cold water washed away the last bit of sleepiness. A sumptuous breakfast already filled the small table—not just meat porridge, but also specially prepared fried eggs and side dishes.

The family of three sat around the table, gently clinking their juice glasses together in mid-air.

"Cheers! Happy New Year’s Eve!" the three of them said in unison, smiles blooming on their faces.

All the worries about debt, injuries, and the hardships of training were temporarily forgotten, lost in the warmth of family smiles and the crisp clink of their glasses.

The breakfast was an especially long one, lasting a full hour. A rare warmth slowly filled the humble living room.

After the dishes were put away and the sound of the running sink faded, his mother, Wang Juan, spoke again, her tone one of knowing concern.

"Ah Wen, go to your room and study. Your father and I will handle everything out here."

"Okay, Mom." Li Wen didn’t protest in the slightest; he had long understood this unspoken expectation.

The brief warmth gave way to a clearer, heavier responsibility. The key to changing his family’s plight lay in his day-to-day training and study.

’The sooner I master greater power, the sooner I can truly change everything.’ He turned back to his room, gently closing the door and shutting out the noise from the outside world.

At his desk, he took a deep breath, picked up the brick-thick tome titled *Galactic Common Tongue (Basic to Advanced Edition)*, and opened it.

The words flowed into his mind like a dense Star River. In his head, the panel’s notifications chimed like a precise pendulum, ringing out at regular intervals:

[You have studied diligently for ten minutes. Scholar Experience +1]

[You have studied diligently for ten minutes. Scholar Experience +1]

...

Time passed in increments, and his Scholar experience rose point by point.

While Li Wen was studying diligently, his father and mother were in the kitchen, talking in low voices.

"Are you really not going to tell Ah Wen about your illness?" Wang Juan asked, looking down as she chopped vegetables.

"COUGH... It would be useless to tell him. What could he do besides worry?" Li Hong coughed lightly, bent over as he plucked a duck.

"Has the medicine helped at all?" Wang Juan asked worriedly when she heard him cough.

"It’s so-so. But I’m certainly not going to die just yet. The doctor said that as long as I take my medicine, living for another year or two won’t be a problem. And that’s enough. By then, Ah Wen will be in college." The pain on Li Hong’s face lessened at the thought of Li Wen’s recent progress.

When he’d first found out about his terminal illness, his biggest worry had been that Li Wen wouldn’t get into a martial arts university.

But now, he had not only placed in the top three of his class on the final exams but had also earned a scholarship. The weight on Li Hong’s heart had finally eased.

He just had to wait five months for the college entrance exam results to be announced. Once Li Wen was accepted into a martial arts university, his last wisp of worry would completely dissipate.

There had never been anyone who could get into a martial arts university but failed to become a Martial Artist.

As long as Li Wen could become a Martial Artist, it would be much easier for mother and son to survive in this society.

His only regret was that he wouldn’t live to see his son start a family.

...

Time trickled away soundlessly, like sand in an hourglass. With each notification, his [Scholar] experience—representing wisdom and Spiritual Power—crawled laboriously, point by point, toward the halfway milestone.

Six hours passed. A sense of fulfillment from his studies washed over him, along with a slight mental fatigue.

[You have studied diligently for six hours. Scholar Experience +36]

[Profession: Scholar Lv. 5 (740→776 / 1600)]

"Phew..." Li Wen closed the book and rubbed his aching temples.

"776... I still need 824. As expected, the higher the level, the more massive the experience requirement. Leveling up is so slow..."

He muttered to himself, his voice tinged with helplessness but filled with the resolve to keep moving forward.

Just then, the rich, tantalizing aroma of food forcefully penetrated the thin door and flooded his senses.

That was... the smell of Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs! His favorite dish! His stomach instantly growled in anticipation.

Li Wen got up and opened the door. Beyond the sliding glass door connecting the kitchen and living room, his mother, wearing an apron, was intently stir-frying the last batch of Lion’s Head Meatballs, which were a glistening, bright red and incredibly fragrant.

His father was at her side, assisting. It was an ordinary, heartwarming scene.

A few minutes later, Li Wen carried the bowl of freshly cooked, still-sizzling Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs with both hands, carefully placing it on the dining table that was already covered in food.

Nine dishes and one soup crowded the small round table, making for a stunning visual feast.

Several of the dishes, clearly made with expensive, high-energy ingredients, emanated a mouthwatering aura of energy. This was to provide fuel for his high-intensity training later that afternoon; they had "extravagantly" moved the New Year’s Eve feast to lunchtime just for him.

"Let’s eat!" His mother untied her apron, her face slightly flushed from her work and wearing a satisfied smile.

"Cheers!" Li Wen raised his juice glass, his gaze falling sincerely upon his parents.

"Cheers!" Li Hong and Wang Juan answered with a smile. Three juice-filled glasses tapped together once more, making a clear, crisp sound.

After more than half an hour of devouring the meal, Li Wen stuffed the last large, energy-rich piece of Exotic Beast Flesh his parents had served him into his mouth, chewing and swallowing with a satisfied expression. He then picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.

"Dad, Mom, I’m heading to the Fire Hall."

"Alright. Be careful on the road, and watch for traffic," his parents chimed in unison, their eyes filled with unspoken concern and support.

Li Wen shouldered his pre-packed backpack—stuffed with a few cheap energy drinks and some high-calorie compressed food bars—and, under his parents’ gaze, pushed open the door and strode out into the somewhat chilly sunlight of the New Year’s Eve afternoon.

...

The first-floor lobby of the Fire Hall’s Greenstone Branch was less stern and more festively boisterous than usual, but the drive to cultivate the Martial Dao hadn’t ceased for the holiday.

The crowd was still substantial, mostly young people like Li Wen who were unwilling to slacken their pace on the path to power for even a moment.

His eyes swept over the crowd, and a few familiar figures came into view—Xue Jun and a few people from his circle were just leaving the service desk, heading together toward the gates that led to the upper floors.

Their gazes met briefly in mid-air. A clear look of surprise flashed across Xue Jun’s face; he obviously hadn’t expected Li Wen to be spending his New Year’s Eve afternoon stuck on the ground floor.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Li Wen’s training uniform and backpack, a complex look deep in his eyes. He quickly looked away, said something in a low voice to his companion, swiped a card, and disappeared into the elevator entrance that led to the more advanced areas.