Chapter 30: The Secret of the Martial Path

"Dad, Mom, Xiao Fei took first place in our graduation exam!"

Just after returning home, Li Tianyu shouted loudly, looking even happier than if she had won the championship herself.

"Xiao Fei took first place?"

Li Lei and Zhang Yuqing were both somewhat surprised.

Then Zhang Yuqing smiled gently: "That is truly wonderful."

Li Lei also revealed a gratified smile: "Not bad, it seems that following Mr. Hao to study has brought you great progress."

Afterwards, the two asked how Li Tianyu had performed, and upon learning she had entered the top eight and received the title of "Outstanding Graduate," they also smiled with satisfaction.

"You don't know, today that Chen Lixin came over to provoke us, so Xiao Fei made a bet with him—"

Li Tianyu recounted the matter regarding Chen Lixin.

"After Xiao Fei took the championship, he went to find Chen Lixin for the prize money; the look on Chen Lixin's face at that moment, hahahaha, it was so satisfying!"

Li Tianyu laughed heartily.

After hearing this, Zhang Yuqing looked at Li Lei with some worry.

Li Lei understood her concern, gently patted her hand, and said:

"It's fine."

Li Fei had been observing Li Lei's expression, and seeing him say this, he finally set his mind at ease.

He turned his head to look at Li Tianyu:

"Sister, if you get into the Martial Arts University later, you will still encounter Chen Lixin, so you must be careful then."

Li Tianyu was unconcerned upon hearing this: "I wasn't afraid of him at the vocational school, and I'll be even less afraid of him once I go to university."

Li Fei looked at Li Lei:

"Uncle Li, there should be some children from our Xingcheng Inspectorate at the Martial Arts University, right?"

Li Lei nodded: "Mm, after Tianyu gets into university, I will instruct her."

Afterwards, he said to Li Fei:

"You did very well today. Although my Li family cannot compare to the Chen family, the people of the Inspectorate are not to be bullied by just anyone."

"Mm."

Li Fei nodded heavily, a smile appearing on his face.

"Alright, let's eat, the food is about to get cold."

Zhang Yuqing said softly, beckoning them to the living room.

The next morning, after Li Fei finished breakfast, he ran to the Martial Arts Hall and knocked on Hao Yi's office door.

"Come in."

Hao Yi's voice came from inside the room.

"Master."

Li Fei walked into the office and came before Hao Yi.

Hao Yi was drinking tea and looked up at him:

"How was the graduation exam?"

"The student took the championship in the exam."

Li Fei said in as calm a tone as possible.

Hao Yi, who was drinking tea, clearly paused, and only after a few seconds did he calmly nod:

"Mm, not bad, you didn't lose face for me."

"It is all thanks to Master's good teaching."

Li Fei said at the appropriate moment.

Hao Yi's stern expression softened: "Let's go, to the medicinal bath room."

"Master, I have already practiced the Heavenly Stellar Tyrant Body to the minor success realm."

Li Fei said.

"Oh?"

The look of surprise on Hao Yi's face could finally no longer be hidden.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Fei's arm; the moment he grasped it, he clearly felt the muscle there bulge and become full of elasticity, as if it would shake his fingers away.

"Not bad!"

A rare smile appeared on Hao Yi's face.

He had attacked suddenly without warning; that Li Fei could react in time proved that the Heavenly Stellar Tyrant Body had indeed reached minor success.

To reach the minor success realm after practicing for less than ten days, such talent—

The look he gave Li Fei was filled with undisguised appreciation.

"Since you have already reached the minor success realm, it is time to take you to come into contact with an implant."

Hao Yi said.

Li Fei was joyful in his heart; he could finally come into contact with the secret of this world's martial path!

Afterwards, Hao Yi gave him a slip of paper, telling him to go pay the fees first.

The amount filled in on the slip was 360 yuan, even more expensive than a semester's tuition!

This was the cost of purchasing an implant.

The reason Liu Xing, who had already become a Grade B student and was qualified to come into contact with implants, had never obtained one was precisely because he had not yet saved enough money to buy one.

"Luckily I won an extra bonus from Chen Lixin, otherwise I would have had to ask Uncle Li for money again."

Li Fei thought to himself.

He had taken the championship in the graduation exam and received a 300-yuan bonus; adding the 300 yuan Chen Lixin gave extra, he was carrying a huge sum of 600 yuan and originally felt very confident, but it turned out he would have to use up more than half of it all at once.

After Li Fei went to pay the fee and returned with the receipt, Hao Yi led him away from the office building and arrived outside a black courtyard gate.

There were guards standing watch at the gate; they looked very capable, were practitioners of martial arts, and even had pistols holstered at their waists.

After the Mingxin Reform, the imperial court introduced Western gunpowder weapons and formed a New Army; the various local Inspectorates also successively issued firearms and ammunition, as did some legal armed organizations.

The guards arranged by the Martial Arts Hall at this courtyard were issued firearms, which showed the importance placed on this place.

"Inside here is where the Martial Arts Hall stores implants."

Hao Yi said to Li Fei.

Afterwards, he led Li Fei to perform a very detailed registration at the guard station.

A few minutes later, after passing through several checkpoints, the two entered a warehouse inside the courtyard.

The temperature in the warehouse was much lower than outside, and rows of refrigerated cabinets were placed there.

"There are many ways to store implants; the higher the grade of the implant, the more complex the storage method. The implants here are all of the lower three grades, so the storage method is relatively simple; they only need to be refrigerated."

Hao Yi said to Li Fei.

"Lower three grades?"

Li Fei noticed these words.

"Do you know the origin of these implants?"

"The student does not know."

"Implants originally came from the body tissues of exotic beasts."

"Exotic beasts."

Li Fei was startled, recalling the content related to exotic beasts in the original body's memories.

This world also had wild beasts, and some beasts' bodies would mutate, thereby becoming exotic beasts.

The vast majority of ordinary people never see an exotic beast in their entire lives, so information related to exotic beasts is rarely circulated among the common people.

"Exotic beasts possess all kinds of powerful abilities; some are impervious to blades and guns, some have infinite strength, some can swallow clouds and spit mist, and some can freeze water and spit fire. Talented and brilliant predecessors attempted to transplant these abilities from the exotic beasts onto the human body, thereby allowing humans to also become more powerful."

Hao Yi said.

"They eventually succeeded, and thus there were martial artists."

Li Fei was thoughtful, and the image of powerful martial artists with humanoid beast-like forms appeared in his mind.

Hao Yi looked at him, seemingly guessing what he was thinking, and sneered:

"Compared to exotic beasts, the human body is too fragile. The implants initially taken from exotic beasts were also very crude, so nine out of ten martial artists would eventually suffer bodily mutations, turning into half-human, half-beast monsters, and their humanity would gradually be replaced by beastliness; they could no longer be called human."

Upon hearing this, Li Fei could not help but shiver.

"Later, as implant technology became more mature and various martial cultivation methods gradually improved, the path of the martial artist slowly became safer. We use implants to obtain powerful strength, but the most fundamental thing is to use implants to constantly strengthen ourselves and allow ourselves to evolve."

When Hao Yi said this, he looked at Li Fei with a serious expression:

"You must remember, an implant is only a tool to assist your cultivation and make you more powerful; it is no different in essence from the medicine you use or from swords, spears, staves, and clubs. If one day you put the cart before the horse, the light consequence is bodily mutation, and the heavy consequence is being overwhelmed by beastliness, turning into a monster that cannot be tolerated by the world!"

Hearing this, Li Fei immediately thought of Hao Yi's blood-red hands.

He nodded solemnly: "Master, I will remember."

"Mm."

Hao Yi turned to look at the refrigerated cabinets in the warehouse:

"Exotic beasts are divided into nine grades according to their rank, with the first grade being the lowest and the ninth grade the highest. Therefore, implants are also divided into nine grades. A martial artist just starting out can only use implants of the lower three grades to cultivate. Any higher, and the body will not be able to withstand it."

After finishing, he beckoned for the administrator here to come over:

"Go bring that box of Grade 2 superior steel armor implants."

(End of chapter)