Chapter 126: Maximum Proficiency in All Subjects, Little Gou-dan Gives a Lecture

The image of the short girl’s mid-air flying kick seemed to flicker before his eyes once more, her legs striking out like a coiling serpent. She was not merely giving up in a suicidal frenzy; right until the very last moment, she was exerting every ounce of her strength, technique, wisdom, and strategy. Even with only her legs left, she pushed the essence of Snake-Style Fist—with its blend of feints and true strikes, the deceptive and the real—to its absolute limit.

No, it was even stronger and more formidable than her previous snake-style movements!

Snake-style is inherently perilous, prone to sinking into trickery while forgetting the necessity of advance. Yet, in that final moment, the girl had fused the indomitable courage of the Tiger-Style into her Snake-Style—moving only forward, never back, embracing death to find a way to live.

That was no longer just a snake.

The girl’s final chain of kicks was no longer the venomous viper that could only crawl on the ground, hide in the forests, or lurk in the marshes; she had become a Flood Dragon, capable of soaring through the heavens, fiercely lethal and deadly!

The short girl was truly something. Upon reflection, her martial arts skill wasn't vastly superior to her opponents'. Her ability to score repeated instant-kills stemmed precisely from a style that demanded victory in a single strike or meant instant death. But it wasn't just her technique that was strong; her fighting spirit—never retreating, never giving up on herself regardless of the time or situation—was her greatest asset.

*A snake becomes a dragon after three hundred years.*

Perhaps, that was exactly it.

Shi Tiexin could deeply empathize with the spirit behind the girl’s fist; it seemed to resonate within his own heart. As his hand moved across the paper, his brush dancing like a dragon and a snake, he no longer saw the words. Regardless of whether he could secure a ranking or earn a reward, since he had entered the competition, he would bring forth his absolute peak state.

Like that girl, Shi Yulei, he would never cease to live, never cease to strive!

*Swish.* With the final stroke complete, Shi Tiexin turned and walked away decisively, without even glancing at the result. The staff member stared blankly at the calligraphy; having worked here, he possessed a keen eye for quality. By the time he looked up to find Shi Tiexin, the man was already far away.

Exiting the Cultural Affairs Office, he headed straight for the sky-rail station. Looking up at the sun, Shi Tiexin’s intentions were crystal clear.

Go back, sleep, cultivate, and then head to the qualification test!

At a little past four in the afternoon, Shi Tiexin returned to the Muyuan District. The young pup, Si Chongtian, had kept his word and was waiting for him at the entrance of the Orphanage Building.

Shi Tiexin didn't mention this to the "Big Baldy."

As an Iron Tyrant, it was easy enough for him to secure a room for this kid. Besides, knowing the pup’s personality, he likely wouldn't appreciate being treated like a grandfather by the Big Baldy. If the Big Baldy fawned over him too excessively, it might even annoy the boy.

Therefore, Shi Tiexin decided to handle it himself, letting him stay there for a couple of days before deciding whether to bridge the gap with the Big Baldy later.

***

These matters were secondary. Once he had settled the pup, Shi Tiexin maintained his cold, aloof "Big Brother Iron" persona, retreated to his room, collapsed onto his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, the "Valedictorian Shi" classroom arrived right on schedule.

His Mathematics and Rhetoric had reached perfection, yet they remained stuck at the threshold, unable to break through to the second level. The Valedictorian Shi avatar was intelligent, sensing exactly what Shi Tiexin needed; thus, the entire night’s dream was dedicated to the first level of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Natural History.

At ten in the evening, Shi Tiexin opened his eyes, once again marveling at how incredibly profound the Valedictorian’s mastery of the sciences truly was.

*Pop, pop, pop.* The golden stars were never absent, just as they were every time he awoke from a dream. The number of stars had decreased this time, but Shi Tiexin was even more pleased, because today, the remaining four subjects had finally reached the limit of "Profound Mastery"!

*Crackling* with energy, the golden aura surged as all four progress bars hit the ninety-nine percent mark of Profound Mastery.

Natural History had been boosted by the pup’s contribution, but the three sciences were the result of the Valedictorian’s hard-earned, genuine effort.

Impressive!

Truly worthy of being a Top Scholar!

Though these subjects were inherently simpler than Mathematics and Rhetoric, reaching the limit of Profound Mastery was truly extraordinary.

Of course, he set those reflections aside for now.

Shi Tiexin looked at the four progress bars, feeling a sudden surge of excitement.

It was a case of "after the clouds part, one sees the moon." Before breaking that barrier, everything felt arduous, but once breached, everything became smooth. Following the perfection of Rhetoric in the afternoon, all four major subjects had reached their limit by nightfall, neatly lined up and waiting for his selection.

He looked at the twenty-five points of "Heaven-Sent Golden Light Smelting Liquid" in his rewards—which subjects should he apply them to?

In the past, he had no choice; he added to whatever he had, and he was happy just to have one reach the limit.

Now, with so many at the limit, he felt hesitant; the Heaven-Sent Golden Light suddenly felt insufficient, and the choice became a dilemma.

Different subjects would enhance different attributes.

***

No, he couldn't make this decision rashly. Shi Tiexin slapped his thigh and decided to consult someone in the know. In the past, the most knowledgeable person in the entire orphanage was himself; most other orphans didn't even know what *Nian Qi* was. But now, with a "little puppy" delivered to his doorstep, wasn't he the perfect target for advice?

Shi Tiexin stepped out and went to find Si Chongtian.

When he found him, the boy was looking around, appearing quite interested in everything.

"Come here, I need to ask you something." Shi Tiexin pulled Si Chongtian back to his room, closed the doors and windows to soundproof the space, and after a moment of hesitation, began: "Little Si, this is a bit difficult to bring up, but I really need to ask. If you feel it's too intrusive, you don't have to answer."

The pup was curious: "What is it?"

Difficult to bring up? Intrusive?

The pup’s hair stood on end, and he shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, Big Brother Iron, I'm not gay! Absolutely not gay! I only came back with you to see how you live; I don't have those kinds of thoughts, please don't misunderstand!"

Gay?

"I didn't ask you about that, damn it!" Shi Tiexin nearly slammed his fist into the boy's forehead, but reconsidered, thinking the little puppy might be even tougher than Gao Shaoling, and suppressed the urge.

Shi Tiexin didn't have the patience for pleasantries and asked directly: "I just want to know, do the Six Fundamental Heart Arts have any special effects when cultivated to the very end? Of course, this belongs to the secrets of cultivation; if you feel it's inconvenient to disclose, I understand."

To Shi Tiexin, any accurate information regarding cultivation was precious; in his view, such things were never shared for free. At the very least, no one in the orphanage would ever do so.

But the pup didn't seem to care at all.

"Oh, is that all? There’s nothing inconvenient about that." Upon hearing it wasn't about sexual orientation, Si Chongtian let out a huge sigh of relief and began to talk incessantly: "Big Brother Iron, the Six Fundamental Heart Arts can indeed fundamentally elevate a practitioner. This elevation is crucial, highly effective, and will long-term influence the cultivation of all future advanced heart arts. It is a precious treasure that you will never find again once you miss this opportunity."