Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 32 He was too poor

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Ning Ze was preparing to take Shu Yi home.

After leaving the martial arts school, Shu Yi became somewhat absent-minded. Ning Ze led her towards the telephone pole, but the silly girl didn't even know to avoid it.

Ning Ze stopped walking, and Shu Yi stopped as well, but neither of them had come to their senses.

Ning Ze tilted his head to below Shu Yi's line of sight, reached out and propped her chin up, then asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

Shu Yi snapped out of her reverie and spoke softly, "You've already reached the level of a beginner-level warrior, and you can even approach the strength of an intermediate-level warrior when you unleash your full power. You'll be going to train at the global martial arts headquarters later, so you'll only be able to come back once a year, right?"

Ning Ze paused for a few seconds, then replied, "Yes."

He's just getting started, becoming a martial artist. He's come into contact with the House of Limits, accessed those secret manuals, and left the base city to fight in the wilderness.

But even now, he is still a stranger to this earth.

The path of a martial artist has only just begun; who knows what lies ahead?

I've heard that the elite training camp has many treasures that can accelerate cultivation, top-notch teachers to guide you, and the most talented people on Earth as your rivals.

It's like becoming a martial artist; once you enter the elite training camp, you might feel like the world has changed completely.

He has no reason to relax until he reaches the summit.

Shu Yi bit her lip, looked up with a bright smile, and asked, "Shall we get married?"

"You're not kidding?" Ning Ze asked, somewhat surprised. "Don't you think it's a bit early?"

Shu Yi shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum, and said firmly, "I've made up my mind! I want to marry you right now!"

Ning Ze put too much pressure on her, and it was completely different from the martial arts knowledge that her grandfather had taught her.

That's genius!

Of course, Shu Hongjing was right in some ways. Ning Ze's strength is now close to that of a mid-level warrior, and he is about to go to the Global Martial Arts Headquarters to train.

When that happens, countless outstanding girls will flock to Ning Ze's side. How could Shu Yi possibly stand it?

If Ning Ze were to be seduced by some vixen, even crying under her blanket wouldn't help. Her boyfriend was just too outstanding; she felt incredibly insecure and anxious.

"Hahaha."

Ning Ze burst into laughter; this was the first time he had ever seen someone so eager to get married.

"What are you laughing at?" Shu Yi asked, looking somewhat annoyed. "Don't you want to marry me?"

"No, I was just thinking about things from the past," Ning Ze explained gently. "Don't worry about things at home, I'll take care of them for you. If all else fails, I still have money, don't I?"

The implication is that marriage shouldn't be the first choice, at least not under duress. He feels the most perfect love is one that blossoms naturally and subtly, like water flowing into a channel.

Shu Yi was furious. She snorted and stormed off, but after taking only two steps, she realized something was wrong. This was the direction of Ning Ze's house, so she turned around and headed out of the residential area.

Ning Ze watched her make a fool of herself with amusement. When she returned to his side, she glared at him angrily, looking rather cute with her resentful but unable to express her anger.

Ning Ze didn't stop him; he turned around, crossed his arms, and watched quietly.

One meter... two meters... five meters... ten meters.

Shu Yi stopped and turned around, looking very aggrieved. She said in a tearful voice, "You're not even chasing me, and you're still laughing! I'm really leaving!" Her voice cracked at the end.

Ning Ze walked over with a grin, hugged the person, and comforted them with a smile, "I didn't say I wouldn't marry you, are you really going to cry?"

"Even if we're getting married, we have to tell our families. The older generation likes to choose auspicious dates and stuff. We can't just get married secretly, can we?"

"Come on, let's go to my house for dinner first. Afterwards, you can talk to my mom about the wedding, and my dad and I will discuss how to resolve your family's issues."

Upon hearing this, Shu Yi's tearful expression stopped abruptly. Feeling somewhat guilty, she buried her head in her chest and whispered, "Ah? I'm talking to Auntie?"

"Yeah, you two can chat. You're both urging each other to get married. I feel like you two can have a good conversation," Ning Ze teased.

"You really want me to go?" Shu Yi was very embarrassed and angry.

Ning Ze was overjoyed. "Haha, I'll take you back. You won't even have to say a word. My mom will definitely ask you, 'What are you afraid of?' Just like the tone she used on me earlier, I feel like it won't take more than a week."

"You're making fun of me!" Shu Yi said, somewhat embarrassed and angry, as she reached out and twisted him.

Ning Ze dodged the attack with a quick movement, and said with a grin, "Little darling, you've become naughty, daring to fight me now."

"You forced me to this! Stop right there!"

The two playfully wrestled their way home.

Hearing the sound, Li Wan came out of the kitchen with a big smile. Seeing Ning Ze, she felt relieved and called out warmly, "Little Darling is here?"

"Hello, Auntie," Shuyi replied shyly.

"I've just cooked a delicious meal. Son, you take care of Xiaoguai. I'm cooking some more dishes in the kitchen." Li Wan skillfully assigned tasks.

"Auntie, you can go ahead with your work," Shuyi replied obediently.

Li Wan looked her over with a smile in her eyes before returning to the kitchen.

Ning Qianqian poked her head out of the kitchen and asked anxiously, "Brother! You really earned two billion Chinese yuan?"

Ning Ze raised an eyebrow and retorted, "You want to swallow my 170 million?"

"Two billion seven hundred million! I heard Dad say it was two billion!"

Ning Qianqian explained, her eyes filled with admiration, but even more so with disbelief.

She originally thought she was just a little less talented than Ning Ze, but now she realized that it wasn't just a little less talented, it was a world of difference.

That's absolutely amazing!

It's so great to have an older brother like that!

"Cough cough."

"I heard about it too."

As Ning Hua walked down the stairs, he felt quite intimidated by Ning Ze's refined and gentle appearance.

If he hadn't been rational, he almost would have been fooled by this kid.

This kid killed a mid-level beast general on his first day out. Luckily, he didn't take on any battles at home, or he would have been defeated long ago.

In particular, his former brothers complained to him that the wilderness area was unbearable to live in these days. Ning Ze fought tirelessly, and they could only follow along. One trip into the wilderness area was equivalent to several months of fighting.

Although he had never seen him in person, he could imagine it. He was very familiar with Ning Ze's crazy and ruthless nature; every battle with him was similar, except that he used to only have the strength of a student, but now he had become a battle general.

If he had fought this kid back then, he, as the father, would have been exhausted. Just imagining that scene made Ning Hua's scalp tingle.

"Hello, Uncle," Shuyi greeted him obediently once again.

"Shuyi is here too. Ningze's mother keeps talking about you."

Shu Yi smiled brightly, but then she felt shy again, thinking about how everyone here was satisfied with her and how the two of them were going to get married.

"Alright, Qianqian, take the dishes out! Dinner's ready!" Li Wan called out from the kitchen.

"Auntie, let me help you." Shuyi walked obediently towards the kitchen.

Li Wan's smile as she looked at her daughter-in-law was like a flower blooming on her face. She waved her hand and said, "No need, no need, you just wait."

With another person in the house, mealtimes became much livelier. Ning Qianqian kept chatting with Shu Yi, and Li Wan also asked all sorts of questions.

We've eaten.

Ning Hua called Ning Ze to the audio-visual room on the second floor.

"You've mastered the third level of the 'Wind Slash'?"

"I've mastered the fourth level, but the fifth level is very difficult!" Ning Ze replied calmly.

"The fourth level! Doesn't that mean..." Ning Hua's eyes gleamed.

"Indeed, I now have four more streams of power, allowing me to exert five times the force." Ning Ze's attitude remained calm.

"Hiss~"

Ning Hua gasped. Now he understood why his son was able to kill a high-level beast general. The 8000 kg strength, when exerted five times, became 40000 kg, directly exceeding the lower limit of 32000 kg for a high-level warrior. With the help of the microscopic movement technique and mental power, killing a high-level beast general was not difficult.

Ning Ze frowned slightly, not as optimistic as his father.

His skills have run into trouble.

When you're specializing in the early stages, it's fine; you only have 10000 proficiency points. But every third of the time you complete a certain number of stages, your power increases by double.

However, once you reach the "Perfect" stage, your proficiency increases tenfold, reaching 10!

Based on the previous pattern, he needs to raise his proficiency to 33333 before he can potentially double his strength.

This double the effort translates to more than three times the previous level of proficiency!

Even if you fight in the wilderness all the time, it will take at least three months. If you want to cultivate to the point of mastery, it will take nine months.

If things follow the pattern, his proficiency at this level of artistic conception will reach 100 million! That would take eight years! And that's based on continuous combat to improve proficiency; if he cultivated at home, it would at least double, taking sixteen years!

One must have a long-term perspective. He cannot be complacent just because he improved quickly in the past. In fact, as his strength increases and the pressure in combat decreases, his improvement speed will become slower.

It's time for him to make a change!

"Dad, let's talk to Supervisor Dongfang again and finalize the special training. I feel my progress is starting to slow down; I need some support and pressure."

"I'll go sound them out first. I'll ask tentatively."

Seeing Ning Ze's frowning expression, Ning Hua explained, "It's not that you're not good enough, but the supervisor said last time that today's recruitment is over, and it would be even more difficult to recruit through special means."

"If you fail the assessment, you'll only be able to enter the basic training camp. Once you get there, you'll have to familiarize yourself with the rules, and if you're unlucky, it could waste a year, which would be a loss. It's better to wait. After all, the competition among geniuses outside the elite training camp is fair, and you're definitely considered excellent. Things will be uncertain once you get to the basic training camp; we don't know what the situation will be like there."

Ning Ze frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Dad, do you think the geniuses there are really that powerful?"

Ning Hua was slightly taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"

Ning Ze pondered for a moment and said, "The 'Wind Slash' is a top-tier secret technique, with a maximum power output of 5.6 times. The 'Ninefold Thunder Blade' is the strongest secret technique, with a power output of up to 7 times."

"Even if I disguise myself and use the original technique, given that I'm already at the fifth level of power, my power output can reach 3.5. That's equivalent to the fourth level of a top-tier technique!"

"Having mastered more than half of the secret manual to this level, and still 2.1 times away from 5.6, shouldn't be considered bad, right?"

"This...maybe it's not bad?" Ning Hua wasn't entirely sure either.

The elite training camp has always been a mystery. He heard from Director Dongfang that in five years, only one person from Jiangnan Base City, one of the six major base cities in China, could go to the elite training camp.

Jiangnan Base City, with a population of 200 million, is established every five years!

It wasn't that he lacked confidence in Ning Ze, but rather that he wanted to avoid his child taking unnecessary detours by concealing his true strength.

Ning Ze paused for a moment, then said, "Dad, this time you can sound out the situation and say that I have cultivated my 'Wind Slash' to the second level. If the competition over there is too fierce, then I will cultivate for another two or three months."

"Actually, I didn't plan to go so soon. A couple of months later wouldn't be a problem. I need to earn some money before I go, otherwise I'll only get the first four levels of the secret manual at the elite training camp. It's good that the Limitless Martial Arts Academy doesn't charge money; they wouldn't just give it away, would they?"

"The seventh level of the 'Wind Slash' costs 300 billion, and even at half price, it's still 150 billion. The sixth level costs 200 billion, and even at half price, it's 100 billion. The fifth level costs 120 billion, and even at half price, it's still 60 billion. Reaching this level is already considered the lower volume of the manual, and only strong individuals can cultivate it. This Senior Wu Daozi is also short of money, so it's already quite merciful that he was able to sell it so cheaply earlier."

"I need to earn some money to buy the manual before I go, otherwise I won't be able to cultivate, and my secret of creating exponentially increased power will be exposed, which is definitely unacceptable. I believe in the Limitless Martial Arts Academy, I believe in heroes, but I can't guarantee that all strong people can remain calm under such temptation. So I need some cover."

After all, this is a world where strength reigns supreme. Martial artists can enjoy privileges; they are the privileged class. So what about the even higher-ranking martial artists? What about the God of War? Do they also possess some privileges among martial artists? Are there people like Flying Eagle and Poison Wolf who hold such positions?

With this in mind, Ning Ze already had his answer. Self-interest is a powerful motivator, and there are "bad guys" everywhere. He needed to understand the situation better.

"By the way, could you ask Manager Dongfang if he could do me a favor?"

"Okay, let me ask about the rules for entering the elite training camp in detail." Ning Hua replied after a few seconds of silence. His family could only afford the fourth level; they simply couldn't afford the fifth level.

He then asked with surprise, "What do you want with the supervisor? Is it related to Xiao Guai? What kind of trouble could her family be in?"

"It's Qihang Group again. They bribed Xiaoguai's uncle to set a trap, selling a batch of goods as inferior ones. Now her company is facing compensation and debts, and the company's cash flow has dried up."

Ning Ze paused slightly to think for a moment before continuing, "Our family previously discovered that Qihang Group had some connections with the Wang family in the underground alliance. It seems that this time they are trying to use their connections in the inspection department. Now the review process for the substandard goods is stalled, and they even lied to the Shu family, saying that the review would take a long time. Under pressure from both inside and outside, and also being suppressed in public, the Shu family is facing bankruptcy."

"I figured it would be useless to ask an ordinary person, but as one of the four giants of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy, Manager Dongfang would handle this matter very easily; it might just be a matter of a word."

Ning Hua's face darkened, and he shouted furiously, "Four years ago, it was because Qihang Group used the underground alliance to suppress our family's business that we almost went bankrupt. That was money I had worked hard for ten years to earn, and it almost vanished. And now they're doing it again?"

Ning Ze's eyes were also very cold. How many times had Qihang Group done such despicable things over the years?

Putting everything else aside, that bastard Zhai Yanke alone has bullied countless girls at school. Perhaps some were willing, but quite a few were forced, and in the end, they were all suppressed.

There are even more instances of people deliberately trying to disgust him.

He held this grudge in his heart, and he would definitely make the other party pay for it when he had the chance!

Ning Hua suppressed her anger and comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll go to the main city area to ask after dinner. If the supervisor doesn't agree, our family has some connections. I can find some people to help us get justice! I definitely won't let my in-laws go bankrupt."

Ning Ze nodded slightly, then opened the Extreme Home app, and the page still displayed the familiar information.

Name: Ning Ze

Sex: Male

Address: Jiangnan Base City, Huaxia Kingdom

Martial Arts Certificate Number: 426123205603016528

Rank: Warrior (Beginner)

Contribution points: 273085 (Two-star citizen)

Currency balance: 100,000,000 Huaxia Coins

Ning Ze opened his equipment and searched for the Light Swallow Longsword.

轻鸿长剑5号系列，A1型号——价格：10万华夏币（全价）5万华夏币（半价，要求：贡献点1点）

轻鸿长剑5号系列，A2型号——价格：50万华夏币（全价）25万华夏币（半价，要求：贡献点1点）

……

……

Light Rainbow Longsword 5 Series, A7 Model – Price: 6000 million Huaxia Coins (full price), 3000 million Huaxia Coins (half price, requirement: two-star contribution points)

Light Rainbow Longsword 5 Series, A8 Model – Price: 6 million Huaxia Coins (full price) 3 million Huaxia Coins (half price, requirement: two-star contribution points)

Light Rainbow Longsword 5 Series, A9 Model – Price: 3 billion Huaxia Coins (full price), 15 billion Huaxia Coins (half price, requirement: 3 stars contribution points)

With just one glance, Ning Ze frowned; he was too poor. All the money he earned was just enough to buy a sword.

(End of this chapter)