Chapter 69: Everything Has a Spirit
"Dean Li? An S-level special training contract?" Li Yuan looked at the two people in front of him.
His skill level displayed during the cage fight was sure to attract the attention of the five prestigious schools. However, the speed at which Kunlun Martial Arts University had arrived was unexpected. The entire cage fight had just ended less than two minutes ago.
What Li Yuan didn't know was that Dean Li and Teacher Fan Jin had changed their minds and left early, rushing over on an aircraft as soon as the cage fight reached the fifth round.
"I..." Li Yuan hesitated, then said, "Seniors, I can't verify your identities."
Logically, observers from the five prestigious schools shouldn't arrive so quickly. Signing contracts typically happens after the five-day invitation event concludes.
Dean Li and Fan Jin exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.
"Li Yuan, I'm Fan Jin," said the elder Fan Jin with a smile. "A few days ago, one of your elders should have submitted your information to Kunlun Martial Arts University specifically."
"My elder?" Li Yuan immediately thought of Hall Master Wan. Before coming here, Teacher Xu Bo had mentioned this matter.
"Because your information was submitted, Dean Li had already listed you as an A-level student before we left Kunlun Martial Arts University for Jiangbei," Fan Jin explained with a smile. "But at that time, we didn't know you had achieved a breakthrough in your skills."
"I was initially an A-level?" Li Yuan was surprised. He had some understanding of the S-level and A-level classifications on the pre-selection list from conversations with Lin Lanyue.
A-level was already very high.
"During the cage fight, once we noticed your breakthrough in skills, we immediately decided to upgrade you to an S-level special training contract," Fan Jin said convincingly. "And then we rushed over."
The result was the same, but Fan Jin had optimized the process significantly.
"S-level?" Li Yuan held his breath. He now mostly believed their identities and sensed how much Kunlun Martial Arts University valued him.
Suddenly, "Beep~" Li Yuan's smart wristwatch vibrated. He glanced at it instinctively: "Kunlun Martial Arts University S-level special training invitation letter."
The message came from Jiangbei Martial Arts University's official channel.
"You should have received the invitation letter," Dean Li said with a smile. "Do you believe us now?"
"Dean Li, Teacher Fan, I apologize," Li Yuan said sincerely. "Please, come in."
"No problem, it's good to be cautious," Dean Li smiled. "You have roommates in your room. Let's talk privately in the meeting room over there."
"Sure, please lead the way, seniors," Li Yuan responded decisively.
After the last invitation from the Martial Hall and advice from his uncle Li Changzhou, Li Yuan understood that good opportunities might only come once or twice.
Yes, he had good talent, but without suitable advanced cultivation methods, his physical fitness hadn't even reached level 9.
Now, with a dean from Kunlun Martial Arts University personally visiting, it showed significant regard. If he acted arrogantly, that would be foolish.
Genius? He wasn't a strong person yet.
..."Li Yuan."
"Li Yuan." Gu Qianghan came out of the lounge with freshly cut cantaloupe, looking puzzled. "Where did he go?"
...
At the end of the same floor corridor, there was a small meeting room.
"Sit," Dean Li said with a smile.
Teacher Fan Jin closed the door and drew the curtains.
Li Yuan obediently sat down.
"On the list prepared by Kunlun Martial Arts University, there are currently four S-level students," Dean Li smiled.
He was tall and bald, yet his smile gave off a friendly vibe.
"Tian Dazhuang, Wu Dongdong, Wang Yu, and you," Dean Li said. "However, we came to you first because our expectations of you are the highest."
"Came to me first?" Li Yuan was a bit hesitant.
The four S-level students Dean Li mentioned happened to be the four students with grade four skills.
"Why?" Li Yuan was puzzled. "I haven't awakened my martial spirit, so my overall evaluation should be much lower than theirs, right?"
"Your mental talent is stronger," Teacher Fan Jin, also sitting down, smiled. "Dean Li is a level 29 source martial artist, but his mental power is extremely strong, comparable to a level 30+ flying martial artist. So, he can accurately sense your mental power strength."
Li Yuan's pupils shrank.
"Your mental power should be comparable to that of a level 15 martial artist," Dean Li smiled.
Li Yuan nodded slightly, indeed an accurate assessment.
Of course, Li Yuan wasn't surprised. Hall Master Wan could sense it before, and although six months had passed with his strength and mental discipline growing, Dean Li's strength was clearly much greater than Hall Master Wan's.
Mental power comparable to a flying martial artist?
"According to the Seven Stars Alliance's unified evaluation standards, you should be classified as A+, but I believe you qualify for S-level," Dean Li smiled.
"Why?" Li Yuan was increasingly puzzled.
"Li Yuan, let me explain something, and you'll understand," Fan Jin said.
"A level one martial artist is much stronger physically than an ordinary person," Fan Jin began. "But if only armed with cold weapons, they can still be taken down by weapons, which you should understand."
Li Yuan nodded, recalling images of the war in the Luo Bu Sea.
A level one astral realm creature is fragile in the face of a barrage of weapons.
A carbon-based body has difficulty directly competing with weapons.
"A level two martial artist can directly utilize source power, making it very difficult to be killed by weapons," Fan Jin said. "Thus, the five prestigious schools, or top martial arts schools in various countries, or the three top schools on Blue Star, primarily aim to cultivate source martial artists."
"Source martial artists are the backbone of those who venture into various astral realms to slay astral realm creatures," Fan Jin said solemnly.
Li Yuan couldn't help but nod.
He had seen many documentaries where explorers were usually source martial artists above level 20, or at least level 15 martial artists.
"Becoming a source martial artist is extremely difficult," Fan Jin sighed. "First, the physical fitness must reach level 19, then there are skills and mental power requirements."
"Actually, everything has spirit, and every living being has spirituality. But a specialized medium is needed to directly absorb source power from the universe early on," Fan Jin said.
"Advanced cultivation methods?" Li Yuan began to understand.
"Yes," Fan Jin nodded. "Hundreds of years ago, in the early days of the Star Bridge era, early martial artists had no cultivation methods. They relied solely on consuming vast amounts of natural treasures to forcefully raise their physical fitness to level 19."
"Just by eating?" Li Yuan nodded slightly, aware of that part of history.
"The outstanding ones had high skills and strong mental power and eventually became source martial artists," Fan Jin said. "Once you become a source martial artist, you will understand...source martial artists can directly sense source power and absorb it without any cultivation methods."
Li Yuan nodded slightly.
This point is also mentioned in books, which is one of the reasons why second-level martial artists are called source martial artists.
"But merely absorbing source power by physical instinct results in very slow physical evolution, making it nearly impossible to reach level 29 in a lifetime."
"Therefore, the early source martial artists began to create their own cultivation methods."
"With little guidance."
"No prior experience, a large number of early source martial artists suffered body explosions and died, with a death rate exceeding 99%," Fan Jin sighed.
"99%?" Li Yuan was shocked. Such a death rate was too high.
"The death rate was extremely high, but eventually, a few people succeeded in creating simple methods suitable for themselves, reaching level 29," Fan Jin said.
"However, everyone's physique is different, and the self-created methods of source martial artists were simple, mainly suitable only for themselves."
"Then, a very few of the level 29 source martial artists broke through the limits of life and became flying martial artists."
Li Yuan held his breath and listened.
He had seen similar history in textbooks but never explained as clearly as Fan Jin did.
"What happened next?" Li Yuan asked.
"Flying martial artists have power and realms far beyond ordinary life. They can fly, traverse the earth, enter space with their bodies, and live without eating or drinking for life. They have the ability to create universal cultivation methods," Fan Jin said. "But at that time, there was still no concept of spiritual awakening, and no one could absorb source power before reaching level 20."
Li Yuan nodded slightly.
Everyone has spirituality, but without cultivation methods, spirituality is meaningless.
Early flying martial artists' self-created methods were also only suitable for themselves.
"The entire civilization and seven planets continuously invested vast resources, and more and more source martial artists succeeded in creating methods. After many years, eventually, numerous flying martial artists combined efforts to deduce the first universal advanced cultivation method, 'Southern Sea Myriad Water Sutra,' about two hundred years ago."
"This made it possible for ordinary people to absorb source power."
"With a compatibility rate over 85%, there is hope for cultivation. With a compatibility rate over 90%, cultivation is guaranteed."
"The speed of producing martial artists in the entire civilization began to accelerate," Fan Jin said. "The number of level one martial artists rapidly increased, but the consumption of various cultivation resources significantly decreased."
Li Yuan sighed inwardly.
Someone like himself, who purely relied on consuming various cultivation treasures, was using a tremendous amount of resources.
One person consuming a lot wasn't an issue.
But what if there were ten, ten thousand, or a million? The entire human civilization couldn't bear it.
Early human civilization had no choice; becoming a source martial artist required sheer force!
With advanced cultivation methods, ordinary people who could cultivate absorbed source power from the universe.
Thus, on the path to becoming a source martial artist, the consumption of cultivation resources could be reduced by at least 90%.
"Without a compatible advanced cultivation method, source martial artists attempting breakthroughs to become flying martial artists must create their own methods. A slight mistake means death."
"Nowadays, with rich experience, the success rate has increased tenfold, but the mortality rate for source martial artists creating methods is still over 90%," Fan Jin slightly shook his head. "If you have an advanced cultivation method, moving from source martial artist to flying martial artist, the worst that can happen is not breaking through, not dying from cultivation."
"Therefore, eighty years ago, the martial arts examination system was introduced."
"For the sake of the entire civilization, the focus shifted to cultivating young people compatible with advanced cultivation methods."
"This is the so-called 'spiritual awakening.'"
"Reducing resource consumption and decreasing casualties from source martial artists creating methods resulted in the birth of more flying martial artists."
"The more flying martial artists, the more efficient the deduction of universal advanced cultivation methods."
"In the past eighty years, top martial artists in human civilization have deduced four new advanced cultivation methods."
"This has allowed more people to make use of their spirituality," Fan Jin looked at Li Yuan. "You see, it's not that human civilization doesn't want to cultivate ordinary people."
"But expending immense resources to force someone to become a source martial artist, who then faces a 90% chance of dying while creating a method, isn't feasible."
"Not to mention, breaking through to become a flying martial artist... The input and output simply don't match."
"The same resources used to cultivate people who can directly practice advanced cultivation methods result in exponentially more strong individuals."
"So."
"Spirituality bonus points essentially persuade ordinary people to give up on their martial arts university dreams?" Li Yuan mused.
There had always been societal debates about the 10% bonus points for spirituality on the internet.
But this policy had remained unshaken for eighty years.
"Yes," Fan Jin nodded. "This policy may seem unfair to ordinary people, but from the perspective of the entire civilization, it does more good than harm."
"After all, astral realms continuously appear, threatening the entire civilization," Fan Jin said. "We must maximize resource utilization."
"Then why was I classified as S-level?" Li Yuan was puzzled.
"Because your talent is high enough," Dean Li said firmly.
High enough talent? Li Yuan was taken aback.
"Everyone has spirituality."
"Talent is nothing more than physical talent, mental talent, and comprehension talent," Dean Li smiled. "Even without an advanced cultivation method or consuming rare treasures, your physical fitness has still increased rapidly, indicating your physical talent is top-notch."
"Your mental talent is top-notch."
"Most importantly, you reached grade four skills at seventeen and a half, demonstrating top-notch comprehension talent."
"You're only lacking a cultivation method."
"And creating a method requires comprehension talent above all," Dean Li smiled.