Chapter 68: The Week Comes to an End

All of a sudden, Sikong Xu’s figure became elusive, his footsteps shifting in a bewildering pattern—the way he moved grew ever more uncanny.

“This… this footwork…” Xiao Yuqi’s eyes narrowed. Though Sikong Xu’s steps appeared unpolished, she recognized in an instant that he was imitating the very technique she had just used against him!

Whoosh—

Sikong Xu’s movements abruptly halted before Xiao Yuqi. By any ordinary trajectory, he should have dashed to the right, but after a brief pause, his direction changed in a flash, and he darted left instead—unnervingly unpredictable.

Swish—

His body flickered once more, and this time Sikong Xu appeared directly above Xiao Yuqi, bringing down his sword in a sharp arc from above.

“Wait!” Still reeling from her earlier astonishment, Xiao Yuqi was startled by his sudden approach, and the formidable power within her erupted once more.

Boom!

The forceful blast swept toward Sikong Xu, but under Xiao Yuqi’s control this time, he only paused briefly before landing lightly on the ground.

“Come on, you violent woman, you’re cheating again!” Although Sikong Xu was unharmed, he felt deeply aggrieved. He had just mastered this footwork and was eager to put it to good use—who would have thought she would cut the fight short again?

“Who taught you that footwork?” Xiao Yuqi came closer, her tone fierce.

Her words, though harsh, were oddly softened by her stunning features.

“What footwork? I have no idea what you mean.” Sikong Xu turned away, sounding guilty. He had, after all, copied it without permission, and now the originator was questioning him—how awkward.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Xiao Yuqi said, giving him a hard flick on the forehead. “Though I can’t condone your underhanded learning, since you’ve managed to pick it up just by watching, I suppose there’s nothing more to say.”

She crossed her arms in resignation. If it weren’t for the fact that this footwork was her own original creation, known only to her, she might have suspected someone else had taught him in advance.

But… for this boy to master it after seeing it only a few times, and in the midst of battle no less—his talent was almost terrifying. Or perhaps he possessed some unique skill…

A subtle smile played at Xiao Yuqi’s lips. Her gaze at Sikong Xu shifted, as though she’d discovered some fascinating new toy.

“Why do I feel a chill from the way you’re looking at me…” Sikong Xu shivered under her mischievous eyes.

“Oh, don’t mind that. Didn’t you want to learn sword energy? Give me your smartbrain number—I’ll contact you tonight,” Xiao Yuqi said, winking playfully.

She was truly captivating; angry, she was a queen, playful, a mischievous sprite—utterly enchanting.

Sikong Xu, thanks to the “Infinite Martial Refinement,” had a heart already tempered to perfection, so he was able to handle her charms. Other students, however, might not have fared so well.

…

A week passed quietly by, and Sikong Xu’s life had never felt more fulfilling.

Thanks to “Infinite Martial Refinement,” he didn’t need to exhaust himself studying combat skills like the other students. His campus life was leisurely.

In the mornings, he attended Xiao Yuqi’s swordsmanship class and used “Infinite Martial Refinement” to absorb new techniques. He’d then drop in on geography or history classes to learn about the world of Barkel.

Afternoons were spent attending meditation classes, which taught students how to cultivate and wield special energies—be it battle force, magic, or inner strength.

The primal energy Sikong Xu cultivated through “Unity of All Methods” was also a special energy, so these lessons were valuable to him.

Oddly enough, he was the only first-year student in the meditation class; the rest were upperclassmen. This was a bit embarrassing, since the meditation class only taught how to harness energy, not the actual cultivation methods.

To acquire a true cultivation method, one had to purchase it or, as Sikong Xu had, find other means.

It seemed that among all the first-year students, only Sikong Xu possessed a genuine cultivation method.

He’d checked out the cultivation manuals in the exchange hall before, but the price was prohibitive—a basic manual for practicing inner strength cost 5,000 merit points, enough to deter nearly every first-year.

Even Sikong Xu couldn’t afford that much and had to use evaluation points as collateral.

In the evenings, Sikong Xu studied sword energy with Xiao Yuqi, the campus beauty. Fortunately, sword energy was considered a skill—specifically, a technique for manipulating energy—so his learning was swift.

The only drawback was that every time Sikong Xu used sword energy, he had to convert his primal energy into the inner strength of martial arts before releasing it. His reserves were meager—three waves of sword energy were all he could manage before exhaustion set in.

All in all, Sikong Xu’s gains over the week were tremendous. His strength grew at an astonishing rate, and even his reputation among his peers began to shift. The once-mocked “King of Trash” no longer seemed so worthless, thanks largely to those who’d witnessed his duel with Xiao Yuqi.

“Hey, Sikong Xu, heading home?” Just as Sikong Xu finished packing up and stood at the school gate, ready to enjoy a pleasant weekend with his sister, a strong hand clapped him on the shoulder.

“Oh, it’s Cao Dongcheng.” Sikong Xu smiled. After witnessing his duel with Xiao Yuqi, Cao Dongcheng had sought him out, claiming he wanted to learn how to become stronger.

Sikong Xu genuinely enjoyed his company—Cao Dongcheng was the first real friend he’d made at Dawn Academy.

“Yeah, my home’s in Jinling. Want to come over?”

“No thanks. I’m planning to train hard this weekend—midterms are next week, and I need to finish all my main quests.”

“Then good luck!”

With that, Sikong Xu left the school grounds.

His home was in Jinling, and Dawn Academy was in the outskirts of the same city—it was quite convenient. So on weekends and holidays, he always went home, while students like Cao Dongcheng, whose families lived far away, usually stayed on campus.

In all of Huaxia, there were three Dimension Academies: Dawn Academy in Jinling, Pearl Academy in the Magic City, and Myriad Miles Academy in Gaojing. Of these, Dawn Academy was the strongest, though there were many dimension academies abroad as well.

Exiting the school, Sikong Xu boarded a bus. After two hours of monotonous travel, he finally arrived home.