High Martial Arts: Liver Becomes the Master of the Universe

Chapter 36 The Nail of Favor
The smoke of the monthly exam did not leave much of a mark on the campus of Qiming No. 1 Martial Arts High School.

For these geniuses who have dedicated their lives to martial arts, the end of an exam merely signifies the beginning of a new round of training.

That evening, the martial arts room of Class 3, Grade 11 was brightly lit.

After a day of intense work, most students chose to return to their dormitories to rest and reflect.

But in one corner of the field, three familiar figures were still sweating profusely.

Qin Feng, Shi Potian, Qian Duoduo.

The three of them, like tireless training machines, threw themselves back into the tedious yet intense training less than two hours after the monthly exam ended.

For them, today is no different from any other day in the past month.

"Huh...huh..."

Qian Duoduo completed a set of extreme weighted squats. He threw the barbell, which weighed several tons, to the ground with a "bang" and slumped down like a lump of mud, his chest heaving violently.

He picked up the water bottle, took a few big gulps, and then looked at Qin Feng, who was meticulously practicing the basic movements of "Thousand Army Spears" to the side.

“I said, Qin Feng.”

Qian Duoduo's voice was slightly slurred from panting, "The results will be out tomorrow, aren't you nervous? Aren't you curious about how many GPA points you'll get?"

Qin Feng holstered his gun, calmed his breathing, and sat down next to him.

"Thinking about it is useless, so I might as well practice a little longer."

"Hey, you've got a really good attitude."

Qian Duoduo smiled and pulled up his data panel, scribbling on it. "However, I still can't help but want to calculate it. I've inquired about it, and the monthly exam grade point rewards at our school are quite complicated."

Shi Potian, who was standing nearby, also finished his sword practice and walked over, clearly equally interested in the topic.

"The grade point for the monthly exam is mainly divided into three parts."

Qian Duoduo held up three chubby fingers, like a little teacher, and began to explain, "First, there's the 'ranking reward.' This is the most direct; it's based on your total score and your ranking in the entire first-year high school class. As long as you're in the top 100, you'll get GPA points. The higher the ranking, the richer the reward. I heard that if you can get into the top ten, the GPA reward is no less than that for outstanding performance in a practical class."

"Secondly, there is the 'progress reward.' This is for students with weak foundations but who work hard enough. The school will calculate a 'progress rate' based on your ranking in the high school entrance exam and your ranking in this monthly exam. The greater the progress rate, the more GPA points you will receive. This reward is mainly to motivate students like us who rank lower."

"Thirdly, there is the 'regression penalty'."

Qian Duoduo's expression turned serious. "If your ranking drops too much since you entered the school, not only will you not receive a reward, but you'll also have points deducted. Our school doesn't tolerate idlers."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, in addition to the overall ranking, there are also individual subject rankings. For humanities subjects, the top ten in each subject are not counted; only failing grades are recorded. However, 'Comprehensive Martial Arts' and 'Practical Simulation' are calculated separately. As long as you can rank in the top 100 in either subject, you will still receive GPA points."

"In other words, we can receive a maximum of four grade point awards in one monthly exam: overall ranking award, martial arts subject award, combat subject award, and progress award."

After Qian Duoduo finished speaking, she looked at Shi Potian with an envious expression on her face.

"Someone like you, Brother Shi, with your high vitality index and solid foundation, is almost guaranteed a spot in the overall ranking and the individual martial arts award. But the practical combat award is another story, since killing techniques don't take physical attributes into account."

He then turned to Qin Feng, his face now showing an encouraging expression.

"And Qin Feng, you're the complete opposite. Your overall ranking might not be very high due to your lower vitality index. But your combat score is absolutely the best in the grade! Professor Gu Yue personally gave you an hour of private tutoring. Who dares to disagree with that? The GPA reward for that alone is enough to make you rich!"

"Hmm. Qin Feng's GPA this time shouldn't be bad either."

Shi Potian picked up the conversation and said in a deep voice, "The GPA from the monthly exam plus the GPA from the practical course should still be insufficient, and may even be far from enough."

"Yes, it's not enough."

Qian Duoduo laughed and said, "But I've found out that if you can reach the first rank in the Imperial Arena, you'll get a reward of 50 points. With that, you'll definitely have 100 points, which is enough to upgrade to a C-level contract."

"Yes, the placement matches are 10 games."

"The Imperial Arena's ranking matches emphasize overall skill level, not win-loss records. So if you're ranked as an unranked player, it means your fighting style isn't at a high level, and there's no room for trickery."

"It's difficult. Our killing methods are too weak. Only Qin Feng can get it."

At this point, the two looked at Qin Feng.

Indeed, only Qin Feng has a chance of being ranked first.

In other words... Qin Feng might even be the first among this batch of freshmen to be promoted to a C-level contract.

"Sigh, that's a true genius."

Shi Potian patted Qin Feng on the shoulder and laughed, "The only reason I'm like this is because I've consumed far more resources than you. My vitality index is high, but the vitality index requires a lot of resources. So, Qin Feng, you need to quickly upgrade to a C-level contract so that you can make up for your shortcomings soon."

"Yes! A Class C contract!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo immediately perked up again, "Upgrading to C-level means more resources, and the vitality index will improve even faster."

"it is good."

Qin Feng nodded slightly.

He has now mastered the Thousand Army Spear technique and has achieved a basic level of proficiency with the Thousand Army Spear; it's time for him to compete in the ranking matches.

The good news is that the match after obtaining the Subspace Network Pass was just a matchmaking game, so it won't affect the placement match results.

The three chatted for a while longer before stopping worrying about tomorrow's results.

For them, the future is already clearly planned, and all that remains is to follow this path firmly and steadfastly.

They rose again and threw themselves into a new round of ascetic practices.

……

That evening, at nine o'clock.

In Qin Feng's room, room 402, he sat cross-legged on the bed, turning off all the lights, plunging the entire room into deep darkness and silence.

He cleared his mind of all thoughts about the monthly exam and grades, slowly closed his eyes, and began his daily, unwavering pre-sleep practice—the "Emperor's Meditation Method."

Skillfully emptying his mind, in that boundless mental darkness, he began to visualize the majestic figure of the emperor clad in golden armor.

This time is different from any other time.

When that familiar, supreme majesty descended, Qin Feng no longer struggled against it with his weak will as he usually did.

Perhaps because he had experienced a real bloody battle, his state of mind underwent a subtle transformation.

He no longer regarded that oppressive aura as an enemy that needed to be resisted.

Instead, we try to understand it, accept it, and feel the immense will behind its majesty to safeguard the eternal peace of humankind.

At this moment, his spirit seemed to resonate faintly with the imagined figure of the emperor.

Just at this moment.

The mental world deep within his consciousness, which had been stagnant for a whole month, seemed to have been shattered by an invisible barrier.

A cool and pure energy was born from nothingness, slowly nourishing his exhausted spirit.

The panel refreshed silently at that moment.

[Visualization deepens, willpower elevates, "Emperor's Meditation Method" proficiency +1]

[Your mastery of the Emperor's Meditation Technique has reached level 10, advancing you to the 'Beginner' level!]

[Refining Technique: Emperor's Meditation Method (Beginner)]

[Proficiency: 0/100]

【Effect:】

[Blessed Nail x1: Your speed in practicing meditation is slightly increased.]

Become!

An indescribable joy welled up in Qin Feng's heart.

Just then, he suddenly felt a faint stinging sensation, like a mosquito bite, coming from above his left eyebrow.

He instinctively reached out to touch it, but the feeling vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed.

Unbeknownst to him, in that very instant, a dark gold object, resembling a miniature rivet, visible only to him, emerged from the void and silently pierced deep into his brow bone, leaving only a faint mark of a round nail head that almost blended into his skin.

This "favored nail" vanished the moment it appeared.

Qin Feng felt that after breaking through to the beginner level of the "Emperor's Meditation Method", his mind seemed to be clearer and more focused than before.

But this feeling is very faint, like a person who has been nearsighted for years suddenly getting a new pair of glasses, and the world becomes a little clearer, but they can't quite put their finger on how much clearer it is.

The cultivation of spiritual power is a gradual process that cannot be achieved overnight.

His current mental strength is so high that even the most basic testing equipment in the school probably can't detect any valid values.

Without pursuing the matter further, Qin Feng ended his meditation.

Overwhelmed by both physical and mental exhaustion, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow.

……

The next morning, at 4:59 AM.

Qin Feng opened his eyes precisely on time.

Unlike any other time he woke up, today he did not feel tired or sleepy at all.

On the contrary, he felt that his mind was clearer than ever before, and his thoughts were as clear and transparent as a polished crystal.

His limbs and bones were filled with inexhaustible, explosive power.

He seemed to have been reborn.

He recalled some records from the Imperial History.

In the distant, dark past, when humanity still lived on its home planet and was plagued by industrial pollution and information overload, most people were in a state of "sub-health".

In that state, even if people sleep for eight hours, they will still feel exhausted and listless when they wake up the next day, as if they can never get enough sleep.

Later, with the establishment of the empire, the popularization of gene optimization technology, and the promotion of psychic cultivation, this "sub-healthy" state disappeared in most citizens of the empire.

Even in the current imperial era, those living on mining planets with harsh environments, or the common people living in the darkest depths of hive cities, still experience similar sub-health symptoms due to long-term malnutrition and mental depression.

Qin Feng himself had also deeply experienced that feeling before the root of his illness was cured.

I feel exhausted and powerless every day, like a seriously ill or aging patient.

Now, after mastering the basics of the "Emperor's Meditation Method," he experienced for the first time what it truly means to feel "refreshed and invigorated."

Physical strength and mental well-being achieve a perfect harmony and unity.

"This must be the benefit of meditation."

Qin Feng muttered to himself, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips.

"After persisting for a month, I finally saw results."

(End of this chapter)