Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Ye was puzzled.
He had indeed sought guidance from Chen Zilu several times recently, but he had never approached her privately. This was also the first time Chen Zilu had actively sought him out.
As Jiang Ye pondered, a girl walked up to him and offered a bottle of water.
"Um... this is for you," she said shyly.
Jiang Ye looked up and recognized Xia Qing, the girl who often gave him water.
"Thanks. I'll bring you one next time," Jiang Ye replied.
Xia Qing nodded bashfully and then scurried away, her face flushed crimson.
Jiang Ye watched her retreating figure with a sigh. Is this what it's like to be handsome? he wondered. Too bad looks don't pay the bills in this world.
Nearby, Wen Yuehui approached, staring at him in disbelief.
"No way, man," Wen Yuehui said, his expression sour. "Did you switch bodies with someone?"
Jiang Ye turned his head, confused. "What's wrong?"
"The A'Ye I know could never have such incredible martial dao talent! Who are you? Give me back my best bro!" Wen Yuehui wailed dramatically.
Over the past month, Jiang Ye's progress had been subtle enough that others might not have noticed.
But Wen Yuehui, Jiang Ye's closest and most mischievous friend, saw through it all.
Especially now that Chen Zilu had personally invited Jiang Ye for extra practice sessions, Wen Yuehui was practically bursting with jealousy.
Jiang Ye couldn't help but twitch his lips at Wen Yuehui's mournful expression.
Good grief, you're worried about your buddy suffering, but you're even more worried about him driving a Land Rover, huh?
Suddenly, Wen Yuehui blurted out, "A'Ye, are you cheating or something? If you've got some secret sauce, don't forget your bro!"
Jiang Ye shook his head, sighing, "Can't it just be because of my persistence and hard work?"
Wen Yuehui paused, then said darkly, "If persistence and hard work actually worked, the world's richest man would be a donkey by now."
Jiang Ye fell silent, unable to refute that.
Seeing Wen Yuehui was about to launch another tirade, Jiang Ye cut him off. "Let's go to the cafeteria. If we don't hurry, we won't even get any soup."
"Holy shit!"
Wen Yuehui snapped out of his daze and bolted out of the classroom.
Jiang Ye followed closely behind, and the two quickly arrived at the cafeteria entrance.
Above the main door hung an electronic scrolling banner, repeatedly displaying the message:
Efficiency is life! Students, please adhere to the designated meal times!
First-year students: 30 minutes; Second-year students: 20 minutes; Third-year students: 15 minutes
Seeing this, Wen Yuehui couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! Why did they shorten the time again? Didn't second-year students used to have half an hour for meals?"
Jiang Ye was equally speechless.
He knew this was a school rule designed to force students to squeeze out more time for cultivation.
But now, the mealtime had been further reduced to just twenty minutes!
Martial arts training requires a huge appetite.
How can they expect the ox to work without letting it graze? This is ridiculous!
The two entered the cafeteria, seething with resentment. Students were devouring their meals like a whirlwind, the only sound the frantic gulping.
Jiang Ye couldn't help but glance at the private rooms on the second floor.
"Those rooms are for the elite class students," he muttered.
Though the regular and elite classes attended the same school, their treatment was worlds apart.
The mealtime restrictions applied only to the regular classes, leaving the elite classes unaffected.
The elite students also received preferential access to nutritional supplements and various resources.
Of course, these were minor grievances.
Jiang Ye had even heard that in some schools, students in regular classes were expected to greet those in elite classes first, as a way to cultivate habits for future workplace interactions.
Thank goodness Ancheng Third High School isn't like that, Jiang Ye thought to himself.
After finishing lunch, Jiang Ye immediately headed to Chen Zilu's office.
The office was empty; Chen Zilu clearly hadn't finished eating yet.
Jiang Ye decided to cultivate in place.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.
Jiang Ye turned to see a woman with snow-white skin sitting in the chair, her expression cold and aloof.
"Teacher," Jiang Ye said, approaching her.
Chen Zilu glanced at him and remarked, "You've made significant progress these past few days. Have you been using performance-enhancing drugs?"
Jiang Ye froze, startled by her direct question.
Could my progress really be so remarkable that even the teacher suspects I'm using drugs?
He immediately shook his head in denial.
Chen Zilu said calmly, "Using performance-enhancing drugs too early isn't wise. You haven't yet achieved Major Success in your cultivation method. If you rely on drugs now, reaching Perfection will become even more difficult."
"I allowed Li Zhichao to use them because his parents are both martial dao experts who know how to mitigate some of the side effects."
"If you take performance-enhancing drugs prematurely, you'll only exhaust yourself further."
Even Lian Wenhui could see Jiang Ye's progress, so Chen Zilu, as his teacher, naturally noticed it even more clearly.
In her eyes, Jiang Ye's rate of improvement this past month was clearly abnormal.
Jiang Ye said somewhat helplessly, "Teacher, I really haven't taken any drugs."
He had no intention of playing the fool to surprise others later.
Only by letting others recognize his potential and be willing to teach him could he have more opportunities to improve.
Chen Zilu smiled faintly. "Why are you so anxious? I know you haven't taken any drugs."
"Huh?" Jiang Ye looked at her in confusion.
Chen Zilu continued, "But if you ever do want to take performance-enhancing drugs in the future, you can come to me. I have cheaper sources with fewer side effects."
Jiang Ye froze for a moment.
Then, a wave of astonishment washed over him.
So all this talk was just a sales pitch for drugs?
Could it be that Li Zhichao's Dragon Ascension Potion had also come from Chen Zilu?
"Teacher, didn't you just say not to take drugs?" Jiang Ye asked after a long silence.
Chen Zilu replied, "I said not to take them too early, not never."
"To climb the heights of cosmic martial arts, performance-enhancing drugs are an essential part of the process."
"Normally, you need to cultivate the Star Martial Cultivation Method to Perfection before you can withstand the side effects of the potion," Chen Zilu explained.
Jiang Ye frowned. "Then what about Li Zhichao?" He remembered that Li Zhichao had only reached Major Success in his fist techniques when Chen Zilu recommended him to take the potion.
Chen Zilu replied coolly, "Li Zhichao is different from you. His family is wealthy enough to afford the side effects."
"As for you..." Her sharp gaze swept over Jiang Ye. "I haven't sensed any signs of you taking the potion. Does this mean your martial bone has awakened?"
"Martial bone awakening?" Jiang Ye looked puzzled.
Chen Zilu elaborated, "Besides innate talent, the martial bone also determines a person's potential in the martial dao. Naturally, those with higher-grade talents tend to have stronger martial bones from birth."
"Under normal circumstances, the martial bone, like innate talent, cannot be altered," she continued. "But there have been rare cases where subtle changes occur in the martial bone after birth, leading to a sudden surge in talent. This phenomenon is known as martial bone awakening."
"I see," Jiang Ye nodded, beginning to understand.
The so-called martial bone must refer to one's physical constitution. He hadn't experienced a martial bone awakening; rather, his constitution had been enhanced.
This explanation conveniently allowed him to address the sudden increase in his cultivation speed.
Jiang Ye immediately said, "Then my martial bone must have awakened. I did sense changes within my body recently."
He then recounted the changes he had experienced during his physical enhancement, slightly adjusting the details.
After listening, Chen Zilu rose and walked to Jiang Ye's side.
As Jiang Ye looked on in confusion, he felt a slender hand press against his cervical vertebrae.
"Do you mind?" Chen Zilu asked.
"Please proceed, Teacher," Jiang Ye replied calmly.
In the next moment, he felt a mysterious energy flow down his spine and spread throughout his body.
A tingling, numbing sensation surged through his nerves.
This is... Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
He had heard that those who broke free from life's shackles would develop an extraordinary transcendent energy within them.
Could this be that transcendent energy?
It filled him with an inexplicable sense of pleasure, every cell in his body stretching and relaxing.
Soon, Chen Zilu released her hand and nodded.
"It seems your martial bone has indeed awakened."
She smiled at Jiang Ye. "Now you might have a chance to get into a slightly better martial dao university."
Jiang Ye clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "All thanks to your guidance, Teacher."
Chen Zilu chuckled, clearly pleased.
"No need for false modesty. A teacher can only lead you to the door; the real cultivation depends on the individual. Your own efforts are what truly matter."
She continued, "Now that your martial bone has awakened, there are certain things you should know."
Jiang Ye looked puzzled. "Please tell me, Teacher."
(End of the Chapter)
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