High Martial: I Use Everything as Swords

’This can definitely become my ace in the hole, a killer move.’

As his Cultivation and Skill Proficiency grew, the power of this move would inevitably become more and more terrifying.

Han Feng toyed with the screw in his hand until his personal terminal sounded a low-battery warning. Only then did he realize it was already pitch black outside.

The walls and floor of the training room were riddled with the ugly craters he had left behind.

He stood stunned for a moment. ’I hope the cleaning crew doesn’t show up tomorrow demanding compensation.’

Dragging his exhausted but fulfilled body, Han Feng returned to his C Level dorm.

A hot shower washed away the grime. He lay down on the soft bed, and his consciousness soon sank into darkness.

In his dream, he was once again ten thousand meters high in the sky.

Beneath him was no longer a cold, steel fighter jet, but a blood-red longsword that moved according to his will.

Soaring through the nine heavens.

...

「The next morning.」

Han Feng woke from a deep sleep, feeling completely refreshed and brimming with energy.

The night’s rest not only allowed him to completely master the power of the Body Tempering Seventh Layer, but also restored his mental state to its peak.

The Spiritual Qi flowing through the room nourished his entire body, making him feel utterly at ease.

This was the kind of treatment a C Level student received.

He pulled up his personal status panel. As he looked at the Contribution Points column, the pleasant expression on his face gradually faded.

[Contribution Points: 25,000]

He had burned through fifteen thousand points in a single day to break through one minor realm.

The speed felt great.

But the cost was terrifying.

At this rate, the remaining 25,000 points would be enough for less than two more days of flying.

’What happens after two days?’

’Should I go back to relying on my fixed monthly salary of three thousand points, and earning pocket change doing odd jobs at the mechanic’s depot?’

’No, that’s too slow.’

After making a quick 35,000, he could no longer stand the thought of going back to fixing planes one by one to earn a meager few hundred or a thousand points. He couldn’t tolerate that snail’s pace anymore.

’Do research?’

A project like the Falcon Third Generation often takes several months, or even half a year to a year. By the time it was finished, the opportunity would have long passed.

The one thing he was shortest on right now was time.

’I have to find a way to earn money while also cultivating.’

An image surfaced in Han Feng’s mind: himself, piloting a fighter jet.

’Flying missions.’

’That’s my most ideal path for growth right now.’

’I can use the Sword Control Technique to grind Skill Proficiency and improve my Cultivation, and I can also complete missions to earn a large amount of Contribution Points. It’s killing two birds with one stone.’

Of course, he couldn’t just throw away his identity as a Mechanic. It was both a technical guarantee and a decent label to have, a sort of fallback plan.

But it was definitely not his main road to becoming stronger.

’The problem is, I don’t have a plane.’

The university’s mission center only offered combat missions to students who either owned a personal fighter jet or belonged to certain clubs.

’Buy one?’

Even the cheapest used, first-generation Hunting Falcon cost several hundred thousand Contribution Points.

He couldn’t afford that even if he sold himself into servitude.

’What about trading the project bonus for a plane?’

Han Feng calculated his odds. ’I made the primary contribution this time, so the bonus and merits are sure to be substantial.’

’If I could get an advance on my future salary as well, maybe I could scrape together a down payment for a used jet?’

He definitely couldn’t manage this on his own.

Zhao Yu’s stern face came to Han Feng’s mind.

It seemed his immediate superior was the only one who could help him now.

His mind made up, he immediately stood, changed into his uniform, and headed straight for Experimental Area No. 3.

Inside the experimental area, the beeps of various instruments and the low murmurs of students wove together into a symphony of productivity.

Zhao Yu was standing before the main control console, his brows furrowed as he stared at the waterfall of data streaming down the screen.

"Engineer Zhao."

Han Feng came up behind him.

Zhao Yu didn’t turn his head, his voice emerging from behind the data stream.

"Give me three minutes."

Han Feng stood quietly to the side.

He knew very well that once this group of B Level and higher Engineers got into their work, they were absolute madmen.

Three minutes later, Zhao Yu let out a long breath, rolling his stiff neck as he turned around.

"All set. Go ahead, what is it?"

"Engineer Zhao, I need to make some money."

Han Feng was direct, wasting no words.

Zhao Yu took a gulp of his cold, strong tea, his expression showing no surprise.

"Is a C Level Technician’s monthly salary not enough for you?"

Han Feng smiled wryly.

"It’s just that my expenses are too high. My cultivation speed... it’s falling a little behind my ambition."

Zhao Yu’s sharp gaze swept over him, as if trying to see right through him.

"Body Tempering Seventh Layer. Your foundation is very stable."

"Faster than I expected."

He set down his teacup, crossed his arms, and mused for a moment.

"Engineer Zhao, I want to apply to use my bonus from the Falcon Third Generation project, plus an advance on my salary, to acquire a used Hunting Falcon fighter jet."

"I want to start taking missions."

Zhao Yu’s brow furrowed, but it quickly smoothed out again.

"Given your contributions, if you apply to the academy for a used fighter jet and I sign off on it, there’s a very high chance it’ll be approved."

Han Feng’s eyes lit up.

"However, I don’t recommend you do that."

The sudden shift in Zhao Yu’s tone made Han Feng’s heart clench.

"Why?"

Zhao Yu looked at him and suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Han Feng, do you know what Talent is?"

Before Han Feng could answer, he continued on his own.

"Talent is a blade."

"Before you have enough strength to wield it, it will cut you first."

His expression turned serious, and his voice grew grave.

"I’ve already reported your Talent."

"By now, your file should be on the desks of the academy’s higher-ups, and perhaps even on the desks of certain important figures in the council."

Han Feng’s heart sank.

"You’ve been placed on the ’observation list’."

Zhao Yu said, enunciating each word.

"As long as you’re on this list, you’re safe inside the Fortress City."

"No respectable power—be it the megacorporations or the military—will dare to touch you."

"Because making a move on you is tantamount to challenging the authority of East Sea Martial Arts University, and they would pay a heavy price for that."

"This is a form of protection."

Han Feng breathed a sigh of relief. ’So it’s a good thing.’

"But this list isn’t a secret."

Zhao Yu’s next sentence was like a basin of ice water poured over his head.

"Those who aren’t so reputable, the rats in the gutters, they also know this list exists."

"To them, you aren’t the hope of the future. You’re a walking treasure."

"Treasure?"

"Certain evil organizations and other lunatics have been researching how to steal other people’s Talent."

"They hunt down lone operators who have Talent but lack backing or sufficient strength. They use Evil Techniques to extract their Life Essence and refine it into so-called ’Talent Potions’."

Zhao Yu’s tone was placid, but the content of his words sent a chill down Han Feng’s spine.

"Going out on missions alone is the same as putting that treasure on display for all to see."

"You might make it back safely once, maybe twice."

"But as the saying goes, ’walk by the river long enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet’."

"Once those lunatics figure out your patterns of activity and set a trap, the consequences will be dire."

"That’s why I’m reminding you to get stronger as quickly as possible."

Han Feng fell silent.

He had never imagined that revealing his Talent would attract this kind of danger.

This world was far more complex and cruel than he had imagined.

Either he soared to the heavens and became one of the players...

...or he stagnated and became "medicinal ingredients" in the eyes of those madmen.

"Then what should I do?"

Han Feng let out a long breath, quelling the turmoil in his heart.

Seeing how quickly he accepted the reality of the situation, a flicker of approval showed in Zhao Yu’s eyes.

"You can’t do it alone, but you can join a team."

He pulled out his personal terminal and sent a file to Han Feng.

"The Flight Academy’s Sharp Sword Club is recruiting."

"Their president, Zhang Hao, is an A Level elite, a Meridian Passage Realm expert. Both his strength and character are trustworthy."

"The club has its own hangars, and even has modified fighter jets."

"If you can get in, it’ll be much better than fighting solo."

"If you move with the club, you’ll have the protection of an organization, and those rats in the gutter won’t dare to make a move so easily."

"Besides, they have planes. Since you’re short on funds right now, you can use their fighters."

"I’ll write you a letter of recommendation, but whether or not you get in will depend on your own abilities."

Zhao Yu patted his shoulder, his tone solemn. "Remember, get strong enough to truly control your own destiny as quickly as you can!"

"Thank you, Engineer Zhao!"

Leaving the experimental area, a fire burned in Han Feng’s heart.

He knew that his ladder to the sky might be right before his eyes.

Building C, Room 307.

As Han Feng pushed open his dorm room door, the rich aroma of food wafted over him, accompanied by an approaching figure.

"Hey, you’re back?"

A slightly chubby young man with a warm smile on his face handed him a high-energy nutrition bar, acting as familiar as if they had known each other for three years.

"Name’s Gao Fei. We’re roommates from now on."

"Just got back from Engineer Zhao’s, right? Here, replenish your energy!"

This sudden burst of enthusiasm caught Han Feng off guard.

He took the nutrition bar instinctively.

"Hello. Han Feng."

"I know you, Han Feng, my man! You’re a big celebrity in our year!"

Gao Fei winked, his tone exaggerated. "Single-handedly increasing the Falcon Third Generation project’s expected outcome by a whole ten percent... Amazing! That’s just amazing!"

Han Feng froze mid-step.

That was classified information within the project team. Even Li Wei didn’t know the specific numbers.

’How does this Gao Fei know about it so clearly?’

"You’re very well-informed," Han Feng said, his tone unreadable.

"Heh, just making a living!"

Gao Fei puffed out his chest, a smug look on his face. "Brother, from now on, if you’re at the university and want to ask about someone or get your hands on something that’s not on the market, just come to me!"

Han Feng understood.

This guy was an information broker and a black market dealer.

"Oh, right," Gao Fei said as if he just remembered something. "I heard Engineer Zhao recommended the Sharp Sword Club to you?"

The look in Han Feng’s eyes changed instantly.

’This guy knows about that, too?’

"What? Interested?"

Gao Fei immediately caught the change in his expression, and his smile became knowing.

"Engineer Zhao just submitted a letter of recommendation for me."

Han Feng decided there was no point in hiding it.

"I knew it!"

Gao Fei slapped his thigh. "When it comes to his own people, Engineer Zhao is the real deal."

"However..."

His tone shifted, and his expression grew serious.

"Engineer Zhao’s letter of recommendation is a foot in the door, but it’s also a test."

"The selection process this time is going to be tricky."

Just then, Han Feng’s personal terminal vibrated softly.

A message popped up.

[East Sea Martial Arts University - Sharp Sword Club]

[Preliminary assessment for new members will be held the day after tomorrow at 8:00 AM in Simulation Training Ground No. 7.]

[Please be on time. Latecomers will not be admitted.]

’The day after tomorrow? That’s fast!’

Seeing the message, all of Han Feng’s fatigue vanished, replaced by a surge of fighting spirit.

"Heh, they’re efficient."

Gao Fei leaned over to take a look as well. "Looks like President Zhang Hao is really giving Engineer Zhao a lot of face."

"Then again, face is one thing, but rules are another."

"Is there something special about this assessment?"

Han Feng put away his terminal and looked at him.

"Special is an understatement!"

Gao Fei pulled over a chair and lowered his voice, as if he were sharing a massive secret.

"I just got word. The one in charge of assessing you new recruits the day after tomorrow is one of the vice presidents, Fan Jian."

"Fan Jian?"

"His nickname is ’Mad Dog’!"

Gao Fei’s tone was a mixture of awe and apprehension.