Back home, Jiang Qiu soaked himself in hot water again, allowing his tense muscles to relax. But his hands, pressed against the bottom of the tub, still trembled uncontrollably, and the veins on his right arm throbbed.

Just as Liu Zili had said, thirty times a day was the limit for someone in the Iron Flesh Realm. He had done it forty-one times on the first day and thirty-five today. His body couldn’t take it.

Copper Skin, Iron Flesh, Steel Bone, Jade Sinews—the amount of Qi Blood within each Physical Body Realm was more or less the same. Unless one was born with exceptionally abundant Qi Blood, no one dared to continuously perform high-intensity archery that drained it.

But now, with the challenge imminent, he couldn’t make progress with the Ancient Martial Arrow even by pushing his body past its limits.

’I’ll have to resort to some unconventional methods...’

At this thought, Jiang Qiu flexed his fingers. His elbows, arms, and spine loosened, feeling as pliable as soft earth. He casually picked up the towel hanging on the edge of the tub, dried his hands, and grabbed his phone from a nearby chair, his fingers tapping on the screen.

’To get started with the Ancient Martial Arrow, I just need to keep practicing with the Qi Blood Bow. Since I don’t have enough Qi Blood, I just need to replenish it.’

As he murmured to himself, he typed out a message.

[Jiang Qiu: Teacher, can you still get Blood Boiling Liquid? Could you bring me two doses first? I’ll pay you back once I get my earnings from the field training hunt.]

A moment later, his phone vibrated.

[Wu Shan: I can get you the Blood Boiling Liquid, but you need to be aware of two things. First, it’s a stimulant for emergency use. Repeated use will damage your body. Second, the Qi Blood it forcibly replenishes only lasts for a few minutes, and the Military Department’s inspectors will be watching.]

[Jiang Qiu: I don’t plan on using it during the challenge. I just want to have some on hand to be safe.]

A reply popped up the instant he sent the message.

[Wu Shan: Alright.]

"Phew..."

Jiang Qiu let out a soft breath and glanced at the time.

[April 3, 2125, 7:31 PM]

...

The moon crossed the night sky, and the streetlights went out at dawn.

Students from all over began to gather at Eighth Middle School, pouring through the main gate. Those in black shirts entered the elite training hall in groups before passing through the transition zone empty-handed.

In the corridor before the Archery Range, a crowd of students from the various training grounds had gathered, their excited chatter filling the air.

"Looks like everyone from the eight training grounds is here. I guess all the teachers sent out a notice last night, huh?"

"You’re telling me. The field training hunt has been over for two days, and I had no idea the school applied for the Heavenly Prodigy Project for Brother Jiang. There was no news at all."

"That’s because you’re out of the loop. My friend at First Middle School messaged me the day before yesterday. Their school forum completely blew up. A rumor got out somehow, and they’re all talking about Liu Yong coming to challenge our Brother Jiang today."

"Holy crap, it’s being discussed on their school forum? Let me see..." Zhang Shan’s thick brows twitched. He pulled out his phone, went to the First Middle School’s forum, and sure enough, there was a pinned post: "Our School’s Genius, Liu Yong, to Challenge an Eighth Middle School Student for an Additional Spot in the Heavenly Prodigy Project!"

’An Eighth Middle School student...’

After reading it, he took a deep breath, his tiger-like eyes filled with hidden fury. "Damn it! Who the hell wrote this? They don’t even know Brother Jiang’s name? They just wrote ’a student who seems to be named Jiang’?

And some of these comments are so damn stupid. They’re saying Eighth Middle School is just blowing smoke, that it’s impossible for one person to single-handedly turn the tide against a small swarm of Demon Beasts in the field training hunt. And if someone did, it just means they didn’t run into any High Tier Demon Beasts!

What gives them the right to doubt Brother Jiang!"

"Quit yelling. Those are just a few comments. Most of them are already speculating whether Liu Yong will be able to fight for a spot among the Top Ten Prodigies after he gets into the Heavenly Prodigy Project." Li Si scoffed and pursed his lips. "Now *that’s* what I call blowing smoke. How many of the Top Ten Prodigies over the years have ever come from the Outer City?

Even if he does manage to snag a spot in the Heavenly Prodigy Project, he’ll never catch up to the real geniuses in there..."

"Damn it, Li Si! From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you think Brother Jiang is going to lose!"

After getting a harsh glare from Zhang Shan, Li Si suddenly felt eyes on him from all sides, like a pack of wolves closing in. A chill ran down his spine, and he forced an awkward smile. "No, don’t look at me like that! Of course I support Brother Jiang.

But isn’t the whole point of the Heavenly Prodigy Project to get the amazing resources needed for Spear and Bow Dual Cultivation?

First Middle School has Archery Dao classes! For most of us, this is the first time we’ve even set foot in the corridor outside an Archery Range. How are we supposed to compete?

Honestly, I think that even if Brother Jiang doesn’t improve his Archery Dao, his Mastery of the Spear Dao alone means he won’t be any worse off than Liu Yong come the college entrance exams, even without the Heavenly Prodigy Project. He has a great shot at placing in the top one hundred!"

Zhang Shan snorted. "Forget about the future! I believe Brother Jiang can beat Liu Yong today!

Why should First Middle have the best resources in the Outer City? Every one of their students is an arrogant prick who thinks they’re hot stuff, acting like our Eighth Middle School is just some backwater well and we’re the frogs stuck at the bottom.

Brother Jiang is a genius who took out a Demon Plant in a single move! And they just dismiss anything they haven’t seen with their own eyes as a rumor?

Even if Brother Jiang can’t beat that Liu Yong in archery, he’ll damn well show him the cold gleam of a spear’s shadow and what true, unrivaled Mastery of the Spear Dao looks like!"

"Of course I think so too!" Li Si clenched his fist. "Why else would I be waiting here? It’s not like the teachers forced us to come watch... Shit, you’re spitting all over my face!"

The noisy argument surged like a torrent, but it couldn’t break through the steel doors of the Archery Range.

DRIP...

A drop of sweat hit the floor inside. Jiang Qiu’s right fingertips twitched, his pale cheeks trembling slightly.

[Ancient Martial Arrow (Uninitiated)]

[86/100]

From six o’clock to eight, he had shot ten arrows in a row. Two hours of forcibly draining his body of Qi Blood had made his blood vessels feel like fuses, his heart pounding out a countdown.

"HUUUH—"

"HAAAH—"

Jiang Qiu tilted his head back, taking a long, deep breath, then hunched over to exhale it. The shirt over his abdomen, soaked with sweat, clung to his skin and trembled.

’I really can’t keep drawing the bow at this intensity. My right arm feels like it’s about to shatter; like my muscles and bones will snap at the slightest touch.

Without a Qi Blood supplement, one more shot might really cause permanent damage to my body...’

Murmuring to himself, Jiang Qiu wiped the sweat from his face and glanced at two overlapping rows of Red Armor. ’Shoot through the Red Armor from two hundred meters. Whoever pierces the most plates, and whose arrow lands closest to the central mark, wins the Archery Dao portion of the challenge.

Basic Bow Technique can pierce three or four plates of Red Armor. The deeper one’s understanding of the Qi Blood Bow, the more condensed the Qi Blood power on the arrowhead becomes, and the more plates one can pierce...’

The power of a Qi Blood Bow depended on one’s control over Qi Blood, not the sheer volume of it. If he could master the Bow Technique, it would, to some extent, improve his comprehension of other Weapon Daos, such as the Spear Dao.

Likewise, his Spear Technique Mastery and control over Strength would aid his comprehension of the Archery Dao. The two were mutually beneficial.

This was precisely what every genius in the Heavenly Prodigy Project was required to do: Spear and Bow Dual Cultivation.

It was incredibly difficult to devote twice the energy to cultivating two Weapon Daos, and it was a true test of Talent. Those who could achieve it were the cream of the crop, which was why it was called the Heavenly Prodigy Project. The selections were typically completed back in middle school.

Jiang Qiu knew he couldn’t compare to the dual-cultivation geniuses already in the Heavenly Prodigy Project—not yet. But if it was just a matter of defeating Liu Yong, it wasn’t impossible!

KLAK—

The steel door swung open. A one-eyed man appeared in the doorway, holding two vials.