Chapter 2: Rapid Improvement, As If I've Grown A Pair Of Wings!
Chu Zhou looked at the translucent attribute panel in front of him in excitement.He was naturally unwilling to be an ordinary person since he transmigrated to a world with supernatural powers.
Moreover, monsters were rampant in this world. There were often powerful monsters that barged into human cities and caused terrifying disasters. Being just an ordinary person would cause him to be too insecure.
"For the past three years, I've given up on rest and recreation, spending all my time cultivating the Basic Breathing Technique and squeezing out my body's potential like a mad man. I'd barely made it to an Advanced Apprentice. However, my Life Field Energy stopped increasing no matter how hard I cultivated once it reached 3.5 points. This means that my potential has basically reached its limit… I'm far, far away from becoming a true martial artist unless there's a special opportunity. It's precisely because of this that I value the guaranteed spot in the Martial Arts University so much… Hope has reignited now that I've awakened the Attribute Board!"
Chu Zhou suppressed the excitement in his heart so that he could internalize the new information in his mind and study the Attribute Board in front of him.
Name: Chu Zhou (Advanced Apprentice, Life Field Energy Level 3.5)
Attribute points: Five
Basic Breathing Technique (D-rank): Level Three (Not enough Attribute Points to upgrade)
Curved Hand Blade (D-rank): Level 2 - Proficient Realm (Enough Attribute Points to upgrade)
The function of the Attribute Board was very simple: to modify and upgrade attributes.
"I'll upgrade the Curved Hand Blade!" With a thought, Chu Zhou's imaginary finger pressed hard on a "+" on the Attribute Board.
The Attribute Board flashed instantly.
A memory that he never had but became very familiar appeared in his mind. These memories were very monotonous. It was him, practicing the Curved Hand Blade, alone.
In the end, the Curved Hand Blade broke through to a new Realm.
Using the Attribute Board to upgrade combat techniques allowed him to obtain both the process and the end result. It was as if the breakthrough was the result of his own hard work.
Name: Chu Zhou (Advanced Apprentice, Life Field Energy Level 3.5)
Attribute points: Two
Basic Breathing Technique (D-rank): Level Three (Not enough Attribute Points to upgrade)
Curved Hand Blade (D-Class): Level Three - Mastery Realm (Not enough Attribute Points to upgrade)
"Upgrading the Curved Hand Blade to the third level means I've achieved mastery in it." Chu Zhou was shocked when he saw the change in information on his Attribute Board.
The Curved Hand Blade was a D-rank combat technique which was not very difficult to cultivate. Even so, it was still very difficult for an Apprentice to cultivate it to Mastery Realm.
At the very least, he did not know anyone in the entire Fifth High School who has achieved the Mastery Realm on a combat technique.
"It took me three years to cultivate the Curved Hand Blade to the Proficient Realm. Now, I've upgraded it to the Mastery Realm with just a thought…"
"This feels awesome!" Chu Zhou exclaimed in his heart.
He wanted to test out the power of the Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade immediately, so he quickly walked to a small forest at the edge of the campus.
BANG!
He kicked a banyan tree after confirming there was no one near the vicinity.
The tree shook violently, and nearly a hundred yellow-green leaves floated down.
Chu Zhou's eyes lit up. His entire body turned into an afterimage. His hands became two extremely sharp knives, slashing white arcs in the air.
This time, he used the Curved Hand Blade.
It felt very different from before.
In the past, there would be a series of ear-piercing explosions in the air when he used it. This time, there was just a faint hissing sound in the air, like the sound of a snake's breath.
This was a sign that his power was more condensed and his control more precise.
At that moment, Chu Zhou's hands seemed to have really turned into two sharp blades that slashed across the surface of the fallen leaves.
A smooth crack appeared in the middle of the fallen leaves before they split into two.
Chu Zhou's gaze swept across a nearby boulder. With a wave of his hand, a corner of the boulder was cut off with a poof.
A smooth plane appeared where the corner had been cut.
"A Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade is indeed much more powerful than when it was at the Proficient Realm. In the past, even though I could also slice fallen leaves and large rocks, the cut marks were irregular, and my strength was neither concentrated nor sharp."
Chu Zhou looked at the fallen leaves and big rock that had been cut smooth. He could not help but laugh.
Now that he has achieved Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade, his actual combat strength has greatly increased.
"If Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade has such power, what will its prowess be if I achieve Perfection or even Intent Realms? I'm afraid its power will be even more terrifying!"
"I might not have the C-rank breathing technique nor the C-rank breathing techniques but I have absolute confidence in defeating Jin Zhennan if I can advance the Curved Hand Blade to the Perfection Realm."
The degree of control of combat techniques was split into the five major realms — Basic Realm, Proficient Realm, Mastery Realm, Perfection Realm and Intent Realm.
The higher the realm, the greater the combat strength.
Chu Zhou's Curved Hand Blade was a Mastery Realm D-rank combat technique, but it was comparable to a Basic Realm C-rank combat technique.
If his D-rank combat technique reached Perfection Realm, its might would surpass that of a Basic Realm of the C-rank combat technique.
The higher the level of the combat technique, the harder it was to comprehend and cultivate.
C-rank combat techniques actually corresponded to Awakening Realm martial artists.
Genetic power was involved.
A student would not be able to truly master a C-rank combat technique even if they studied it.
Therefore, Chu Zhou concluded that Jin Zhennan would not even be able to achieve the Basic Realm of the C-rank combat techniques that he was cultivating.
"I should be able to defeat Jin Zhennan with my current Life Field Energy and the Mastery Realm of the Curved Hand Blade. However, it's best to cultivate the Curved Hand Blade to Perfection Realm just in case! The most important thing now is to increase my attribute points as soon as possible!" With this thought in mind, Chu Zhou strode towards the school cafeteria.
The attribute points came from the excess energy in his body.
The only method he could think of increasing the excess energy was to eat! The richer the nutrition of the food he ate the faster he would accumulate attribute points.
Not long after Chu Zhou left the forest, two beautiful girls appeared.
"Qianqian, you've already gotten a guaranteed spot. You can definitely enter the Martial Arts University. Why are you still working so hard?" One of the girls asked.
"The Martial Arts University is just a higher level platform than our school. There are many things that have to be competed for… After entering it, I would still have to attract their attention if I want to obtain more resources and be selected for nurturing. The elite trial in a month's time will be my chance to shine… Therefore, I have to work hard and strive to enter the top 30." Liu Qianqian explained to her best friend, Ji Xiaoxuan, as she searched for a spot in the forest to practice her breathing technique.
Suddenly, her eyes focused on the smooth leaves on the ground. Then, she looked at a big boulder not far away. Her expression changed.
She squatted down and picked up a leaf to study it. Then, she walked to the side of the boulder and seriously observed the slice.
"This… This seems to be caused by the D-rank combat technique, Curved Hand Blade. However, even a Proficient Realm Curved Hand Blade would not be able to achieve such an effect! Is this from a Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade?" Her heart skipped a beat.
"Qianqian, why are you looking at these leaves and the boulder?"Ji Xiaoxuan asked curiously.
"Look at these leaves, and the fracture on this boulder… It seems to be caused by a Mastery Realm Curved Hand Blade."
"What? Mastery Realm? You mean to say that there are students in our school who have cultivated the Curved Hand Blade to Mastery Realm?" Ji Xiaoxuan was shocked. "Could it be Zhou Tong, the guy who is as famous as you, or the 'commoner genius' Chu Zhou?"
"It shouldn't be them!" Liu Qianqian pondered for a moment and said, "Zhou Tong didn't cultivate the Curved Hand Blade, but Chu Zhou did…"
"However, Chu Zhou's Curved Hand Blade is only in the Proficient Realm. It's too difficult for him to cultivate it into the Mastery Realm." Ji Xiaoxuan frowned.
"Could there be students from the Fifth High School who have secretly cultivated the Curved Hand Blade to the Mastery Realm? No, that's impossible!" If a student achieved Mastery Realm for the Curved Hand Blade… I'm afraid it would have shaken the entire school long ago. It's impossible for that person to remain unknown." She denied the possibility herself.
"There's no need to guess blindly. There must have been a teacher who reached Mastery Realm training here just now…"
"It's a pity that we were a step too late. Otherwise, we could have consulted this teacher. It is rare to be able to obtain Mastery Realm for the Curved Hand Blade." Liu Qianqian sighed with regret.