Chapter 7: The House at Midnight (Requesting Monthly Votes and Continuous Reading)

"Up to 37%?"

"I haven't even noticed it myself, but the Shinto Panel has already accurately detected it." Li Yuan's eyes lit up.

The Shinto Panel cannot directly enhance Li Yuan's martial arts cultivation.

However, its greatest advantage is that it directly feeds back Li Yuan's efforts and progress in the form of data.

Like a progress bar.

Absolute positive feedback.

No one doesn't want to succeed; it's just that many people worry that their efforts will be in vain.

With the Shinto Panel, Li Yuan can clearly see his own progress, which greatly boosts his motivation to practice.

Cultivation is very hard.

"But the rewards of cultivation are also great." Li Yuan suddenly exerted force, and the spear in his hand became blurry as he thrust it out.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

There were faint, sharp whistling sounds, forming blurry spear shadows in the air.

"Martial arts cultivation, repeatedly pushing the limits of life, is indeed exhilarating." Li Yuan suddenly retracted his spear and smiled.

Over a hundred years ago, when cultivation methods were not widespread and only traditional martial arts existed, ordinary people would get addicted to physical fitness.

How much more so for high-level martial cultivation?

Li Yuan enjoyed the process of his body becoming stronger.

Tiring, but very satisfying.

"Li Yuan, your spear technique is really amazing." A heartfelt voice suddenly sounded.

Li Yuan turned his head and smiled. "Tianyou, your sword technique isn't bad either. I remember your martial arts score today was 312 points."

Li Tianyou, standing beside him, had a slender face but bright eyes.

"I can't catch up to you." Li Tianyou smiled, standing tall.

"It's nine o'clock, everyone else has left." Li Yuan suddenly scanned the room. "Aren't you going home?"

The Ministry of Education stipulates that morning self-study starts at seven, and evening self-study ends at nine.

Classes are held six days a week.

Perhaps the counties and cities under its jurisdiction are even more competitive, but as a key high school in the provincial capital, it naturally has to strictly enforce the rules.

"I'll practice a bit more." Li Tianyou said.

"Alright." Li Yuan smiled. "I'll go back first."

"Okay." Li Tianyou nodded.

Li Yuan put the spear back in the weapon cabinet and walked out of the classroom.

Watching Li Yuan leave.

Li Tianyou's smile faded, and he muttered to himself, "Why isn't my sword technique as good as Li Yuan's spear technique?"

"If I could awaken martial arts spirituality, that would be great too."

In Class 3-2, Li Tianyou's martial arts scores consistently rank in the top five, occasionally reaching third place, but he still has a gap compared to Wan Xiao, let alone Li Yuan.

Shaking his head to dispel his thoughts, Li Tianyou picked up his long sword and continued to practice diligently.

Outside, it was a long night.

Most of the classrooms had already turned off their lights.

Only this martial arts classroom remained lit, and Li Tianyou, already slender, looked somewhat lonely at this moment.

...

Night fell on Luoyu Street.

After practicing all day, Li Yuan's clothes were drenched in sweat, and he finally boarded the unmanned '517' bus.

There were few people on the bus.

In an era of highly developed virtual networks and abundant material resources, most people's work is completed online.

Even for those working offline, most office workers have already returned home.

"... In late August, the relevant national departments and the Starry Sky Martial Temple's Xia Kingdom branch conducted a joint operation to successfully eliminate the Starry Water Clan in the Xiang River Basin of Jiangbei Province, but a few escaped. Please residents along the river be cautious..."

"Next, we have reports on the war in the second-level Starry Realm 'Lop Nur' in the northern border province and the second-level Starry Realm 'Aos Moon Sea' in the Firefly Star..."

The electronic display above the unmanned bus continuously broadcast the latest news.

Li Yuan sat on a single seat, pushed open the window, and the wind blew in, as he watched the street scenes pass by outside.

Very comfortable!

"Starry Sea World reminds you, the Spring Eye station has arrived." The station announcement pulled Li Yuan back to reality.

"Starry Sea World's ads are really everywhere." Li Yuan shook his head inwardly.

He got off the bus.

About ten meters away was the entrance to Li Yuan's residential complex, the Wanhua Platinum Mansion.

The complex's name was grand, but the buildings were quite ordinary, even looking somewhat old compared to the new complex 'Xiongchu World' nearby.

"Welcome home, resident." A gentle female voice sounded.

Li Yuan entered the complex through facial recognition.

The complex gate had no security guards, only two intelligent robots standing in the distance.

Inside the complex, all the buildings were 11-story high-rises.

Due to the long-term threat of war, for several decades, the construction of ultra-high-rise buildings has been prohibited, with most buildings being around ten stories, with a maximum of eighteen stories.

Wanhua Platinum Mansion, though over twenty years old, was well-maintained.

Li Yuan's home was in Building 2, Unit 2.

"Xiao Yuan, are you done with class?" An elderly couple was jogging around the complex's green path.

"Yes, Grandma Sun, you're exercising again." Li Yuan smiled in response.

Although this was a commercial complex, most of the residents who bought here were employees of the same state-owned enterprise, enjoying a discount.

In a sense, this was a welfare housing complex for the company.

Over the years, many residents in the complex knew each other.

"Grandma Sun is almost ninety, yet she's still in good health, without even a home robot." Li Yuan mused. "According to books, the average life expectancy a hundred years ago was only around seventy to eighty years."

Due to the widespread cultivation methods, except for accidental deaths, the average life expectancy on Blue Star has exceeded a hundred years, with the average life expectancy in Xia Kingdom approaching 110 years.

If one becomes a high-level martial artist, the lifespan is even more astonishing.

Li Yuan had just reached the building.

"Brother?" A surprised female voice sounded from nearby.

"Brother~" Another male voice echoed.

Thump, thump, thump. Two teenagers, about twelve or thirteen years old, both wearing loose martial arts uniforms, ran over from the shadows.

"Xixi, Muhua." Li Yuan smiled. "Why haven't you gone home yet?"

The girl was lively and beautiful, with fair skin and bright eyes.

The boy had a youthful face but was almost as tall as Li Yuan, standing half a head taller than the girl.

Li Xixi and Li Muhua.

They were the twin children of his uncle and aunt, fourteen years old and in the second year of junior high school.

"Brother, we just came back from the martial arts room." Li Xixi smiled, hugging Li Yuan's arm and shaking it.

Li Yuan smiled and nodded. "How was it?"

Every residential complex has a public gym, as mandated by the state, funded by the government, and managed by the property management, free for residents.

"Not great, it was crowded, and there wasn't much space to practice." Li Muhua shook his head.

"At your age, focus on building a foundation, practice more stances, and study the cultivation methods more." Li Yuan said. "Especially you, Muhua, you've already awakened martial arts spirituality, so don't rush your cultivation."

Li Muhua had a high martial arts talent.

Li Xixi's talent was much lower, but her academic performance was excellent.

"Okay." Li Muhua nodded, then seemed to remember something. "Brother, I remember today was the day for your school's martial arts spirituality test."

Li Xixi also looked at Li Yuan.

"Didn't succeed." Li Yuan shook his head indifferently.

Li Xixi and Li Muhua exchanged glances.

"Brother, don't be discouraged. Even without awakening martial arts spirituality, you can still get into a martial arts university." Li Xixi giggled. "Let's go home, Mom just messaged me, asking when we'd be back."

"Brother, go to the property management to get the package."

Li Xixi tugged at Li Yuan's sleeve, heading towards the elevator.

"Last time I got the package, this time it's your turn." Li Muhua looked helpless.

"Good brother—"

"Xixi, go with Muhua." Li Yuan patted Li Xixi's head.

"Brother!!"

...

"Click—" The door opened.

"Mom, Brother is back with us." Li Xixi called out before entering.

"Everyone's back?"

A voice came from inside.

Li Yuan followed his younger siblings in, scanning the room. The apartment wasn't small.

Four bedrooms and one living room, 130 square meters.

Visibly, the decoration was somewhat old.

"Uncle, Aunt." Li Yuan saw his uncle and aunt come out of the bedroom. Aunt was wearing a long-sleeved nightgown, without makeup.

Uncle was a bit overweight, with dark skin but neatly dressed, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, long pants, and shoes ready for going out.

"Yuan." Aunt smiled at Li Yuan.

"Xixi, go to your room and wash up. Your father and I need to talk to your brother." Aunt instructed.

"Okay."

"Brother, don't open my package, I want to open it myself later." Li Xixi dragged Li Muhua into their room, leaving the package behind.

In the living room.

Only Li Yuan and his uncle and aunt remained.

"Uncle, are you going on a business trip again?" Li Yuan asked softly, noticing the large suitcase in the living room.

Uncle worked for a state-owned enterprise, involved in civil engineering, and traveled frequently across the country.

"Yes, I just got the notice this afternoon." Uncle nodded.

"Where are you going? So urgently?" Li Yuan asked.

Aunt's face showed a hint of hesitation.

"There's no need to hide it, Yuan is old enough." Uncle smiled, looking at Li Yuan. "To the northern border."

"Going so urgently, and to the northern border again." Li Yuan was initially stunned, then seemed to realize something, his expression becoming tense. "The second-level Starry Realm 'Lop Nur'?"

(End of Chapter)