Chapter 45

Li Yuan declined Hall Master Zuo’s kindness, and after chatting for a few more sentences, he headed to school alone.

However.

Perhaps to protect Li Yuan, Hall Master Zuo ordered the two spider combat robots to follow Li Yuan along the way until he was about to enter the school before they left.

As for inside the school? Nowadays, in large cities, places like schools, research institutes, government buildings, and super-large shopping malls all had combat robots stationed there.

There were also a large number of combat robots patrolling along the streets and residential areas.

Precisely because of this, small-scale Astral creature attacks, once discovered, would be quickly wiped out; although it was difficult to avoid a small number of casualties, it was hard to stir up big waves.

This was also the urban defense system that had gradually formed over the past hundred years, accompanying the progress of human civilization’s technology and the accumulation of experience.

Entering the school, it was almost seven o'clock.

Li Yuan headed straight for the cafeteria.

Outside, the wind was blowing and the cranes were calling, but that didn't stop the aunties from cooking on time.

"Brother Yuan, over here." Zhou Qi greeted Li Yuan.

Li Yuan bought soy milk and two bowls of hot dry noodles and sat down with his classmates.

"Li Yuan, I’ve noticed you’ve been coming very late recently." Li Tianyou said while eating in large mouthfuls.

"Wasn't there an Astral creature attack early warning? I only came out after the early warning was lifted." Li Yuan smiled: "Aren't you the same?"

"I also waited until the early warning was lifted."

"My dad sent me to school, afraid I’d encounter danger." Several people nearby said: "I heard that quite a few people died over at Binhu Road last night."

"Sigh!"

"I hope none of them were from our school."

Regarding an Astral creature attack that caused dozens of casualties, although it happened in the Guanshan District, Li Yuan’s classmates, while sighing, were also somewhat accustomed to it.

It was simply too frequent.

"Li Yuan." Li Tianyou said seriously: "Not just today, for the past two months, you’ve often been coming later than me in the morning."

"Are you being a bit lazy?"

"Can't keep up the grind anymore." Li Yuan said jokingly: "You are the number one grind king in the class."

Since signing with the Starfire Martial Hall and learning two second-stage secret manuals, Li Yuan often practiced spear techniques and movement techniques in the virtual network late at night.

Therefore, he didn't arrive at school before five o'clock every day, and occasionally he would even arrive after six o'clock.

"Tianyou, do you think everyone is like you? Getting up earlier than a chicken and sleeping later than a donkey." Zhou Qi teased: "Look at you, you’re thinner than when school started; take it easy."

"Yeah, Tianyou, you’re pushing yourself too hard; remember to eat more blood-Qi potions." Yan Zhou also said: "In Martial Dao cultivation, this cannot be saved."

"Hmm, I know." Li Tianyou lowered his head to eat, muttering in response.

Li Yuan glanced at Li Tianyou inadvertently.

He could see the other party’s physical fitness level at a glance... Li Tianyou’s cultivation was indeed crazy, but his progress in physical fitness was not very significant.

Clearly, his nutrition hadn't kept up.

Li Yuan would occasionally remind him a word or two from the side, but Li Tianyou would only remember it in his mouth... after the number of times increased, Li Yuan chose to shut his mouth.

Everyone has their own fate; one can only be responsible for oneself.

"Brother Yuan, the January adjustment exam is coming up soon, and we’re going to have a spirituality test again." Zhou Qi put down his bowl and chopsticks: "What do you think?"

"Spirituality test?" Li Yuan was stunned, then shook his head: "I don't know."

Other classmates were already discussing it.

Spirituality test, adding 10% to the total Martial Dao score, this was enough to change one’s destiny, enough to let students who originally had no hope for a Martial Dao university touch the door of a Martial Dao university...

In this era, unless one’s cultural grades could challenge C9, otherwise, the vast majority of students knew that the Martial Dao path had more prospects than the cultural path.

It was just that Martial Dao universities were extremely difficult to get into.

"[You killed an initiated creature, obtained spiritual nourishment, spirituality awakening degree reached 0.6%]" Li Yuan finished his breakfast quickly, already looking at a prompt that had recently appeared on his Divine Palace panel, lost in thought alone.

This prompt.

It was obtained after he killed the Fish Spirit, and even the Divine Palace panel had changed.

——

[Life level: 7.8 (not initiated)]

Physical fitness index: 81 (comprehensive measurement of explosive power, endurance, speed, physique, mental power, etc.)

Fist strength: 732 kg

Speed: 17.4 m/s

Mental power: 14.2

Spirituality awakening degree: 0.6% (current upper limit 20%)

Physical body cultivation method: "Rock-Solid Cultivation Method"

Mind cultivation method: "Great Sun Starry Sky Scripture"

Technique realm: Spear technique (third stage 88%), movement technique (third stage 65%), fist technique (third stage 99%)

[Note: When spirituality awakening degree reaches 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, you will gradually receive spiritual guidance.]

——

"Spirituality awakening degree, what is that?" Li Yuan thought to himself: "Is it the compatibility with high-level cultivation methods?"

The Divine Palace panel gave no explanation for this.

Or rather, since he could perceive the Divine Palace of the mind, Li Yuan had never received much explanation.

Most of it relied on his own understanding.

"According to the last sentence of the Divine Palace panel, if my spirituality awakening degree reaches 25%, I can receive spiritual guidance?" Li Yuan frowned: "But the upper limit I can reach now is only 20%."

What is spiritual guidance? Li Yuan didn't know.

But Li Yuan had a guess in his heart; the high-level spirituality displayed by the Divine Palace panel and the Martial Dao spirituality valued by human civilization seemed not to be the same concept.

"If I want to improve the spirituality awakening degree." Li Yuan thought thoughtfully: "Must I kill initiated Astral creatures? Obtain spiritual nourishment?"

"Is nourishment to nourish my own spirituality?"

There was only one example for the time being, and Li Yuan couldn't verify his guess.

However.

Spirituality awakening degree 0.6%, Li Yuan felt that he didn't seem to have any changes.

"Most likely, it will only have obvious changes when the awakening degree increases to 25%, and maybe there will be great benefits similar to the 'Great Sun Starry Sky Scripture'." Li Yuan also had a trace of expectation in his heart: "But how to increase the spirituality awakening upper limit from 20% to 25%?"

"Physical fitness? Or mental power?"

"Or is it a breakthrough in Martial Dao technique?"

Li Yuan knew nothing.

Regarding the changes in the Divine Palace panel.

After Li Yuan pondered to no avail, he decisively ignored it.

Up to now, the Divine Palace panel had only recorded his Martial Dao cultivation and had never directly improved him... strength still had to be cultivated step by step by Li Yuan.

"No matter what spirituality awakening is."

"For now, cultivate step by step; when my strength is stronger, I might understand." Li Yuan thought to himself.

Kill Astral creatures to do experiments? Li Yuan dismissed this thought immediately.

This time killing the Fish Spirit was partly because Li Yuan’s strength was strong enough, and partly because of luck; the opponent was injured.

If he encountered an uninjured initiated Astral creature, even if it was only level 11 or 12, with its absolute advantage in physical fitness, it would be almost impossible for Li Yuan to win.

Moreover.

Even if Li Yuan wanted to kill, where would he kill?

"No rush, wait until the upper limit increases to 25%, then find a way." Li Yuan was very calm.

"Tell everyone some bad news."

"During last night’s Astral creature attack, one student from Class 16 of the second year and one student from Class 8 of the third year were confirmed to have perished." Cultural homeroom teacher Chen stood on the podium and announced this matter with a heavy voice.

A silence fell.

Even the few students who were whispering stopped.

This was not the first time, and those who passed away were not classmates from the same class... but belonging to the same school was enough to move all the students.

"Astral creatures." Li Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he subconsciously clenched his fists.

From childhood to adulthood, almost everyone would have friends and classmates around them pass away because of this.

"The school will launch a donation activity, and the supervised account has already been announced on the campus network." Teacher Chen continued: "We will not count the amount, will not announce the list of donors, and will not go through a third party; after the deadline, it will be directly transferred to the families of the two students."

"Everyone, look at your own situation; it is not forced."

"Alright, let’s continue the lecture."

"Everyone look at the second-to-last big question; this question is a popular question type this year, and it will definitely be on the college entrance exam. I have already explained it many times, and many students still get it wrong. I will explain it for the last time today; fifteen points, a gift for you, listen carefully..."

"This Astral creature attack."

"Two students perished." In the Martial Dao classroom, teacher Xu Bo was like an iron tower, his voice like a bell: "I hope you understand."

"This world has never been peaceful."

"I don't expect you all to get into a Martial Dao university, nor do I force you to join the army and go to the front line in the future, but I hope you will not be slack in Martial Dao."

"Be a little stronger."

"In the future, if you encounter similar danger, the hope of surviving will be a little greater."

This Astral creature attack in Jiangcheng city had a final death toll of eighty-six.

However, it didn't stir up much of a storm, and it didn't even stay on the trending list of the Xia country’s virtual network for a full day.

Because.

In the Luo Bu Sea, another unprecedented large-scale battle broke out, with Astral creatures attacking like a tide; in just one day, the death toll announced by the military exceeded three thousand...

January 3, 2043, Jiangcheng city, the third-year high school January adjustment exam was held as scheduled.