High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Li Mo

That afternoon, Xu Wuyi logged into the Star Martial Battle Network on schedule, once again diving into the Asura Field for his Rank Battles.

After his placement matches, he was already at First Rank with 74 Rank Points, not far from the 100 points needed to advance to Second Rank.

Tomorrow, the school’s financial aid would be deposited into his account, and he planned to use it to redeem a Mental Realm Fragment.

Before then, he had to accumulate the necessary Rank Points as quickly as possible.

The matchmaking screen flickered, and his opponent’s information appeared.

Life Energy Level: 11.5

Weapon: Dual Swords

Rank: First Rank, 81 Rank Points

The battle began.

The Dual Swordsman’s offense was ferocious. His two short sabers moved in an impenetrable flurry, like a sudden squall.

Xu Wuyi steadied his heart and spirit, his long spear moving like a dragon. He used Army Stabilization Form to hold his ground and Back Wind Sweep to parry the relentless flashes of the blades. An occasional counterattack with a Cloud-Breaking Stab infused with Cloud-Pushing Force was enough to force his opponent onto the defensive, making him seem completely at ease.

He felt he was in top form; his application of Cloud-Pushing Force was becoming increasingly adept.

Three minutes later, he seized a minuscule opening when the opponent’s dual swords crossed. Cloud-Pushing Force erupted in an instant. The tip of his spear pierced through the web of blades and struck his opponent’s shoulder blade.

PFFT!

Winner: Xu Wuyi! Rank Points +3!

His Rank Points jumped to 77.

After the placement matches, the system did its best to match him with opponents of similar strength, and the Rank Points gained or lost per match also decreased.

Without resting, Xu Wuyi immediately queued for the next match.

In the next few matches, he faced a burly man wielding a Chain Whip, an assassin with an uncanny Body Technique who specialized in sneak attacks, and even a monk who mained Sound Wave Skills that could disrupt one’s Heart and Spirit.

None of the fights were easy, win or lose. He was nearly pushed to the brink of exhaustion in every match. It was a good thing he was on the Virtual Battle Network; otherwise, he would have had absolutely no stamina to fight a second match right after the first.

Of these matches, Xu Wuyi only lost the one against the assassin.

That opponent’s Body Technique was exceptionally unpredictable. Every time Xu Wuyi spotted an opening, the assassin had already shifted to a new position, making it impossible for his spear to land a hit.

Before he could drain his opponent’s stamina, his own injuries became too severe. In the end, he was powerless to turn the tide and lost the match.

The fight against the monk, however, was comparatively the easiest. Not only was Xu Wuyi’s Spiritual Strength high, but he had also gained a slight comprehension of the ’Mountain’ Mental Realm, which greatly diminished the effects of the Sound Wave Skills.

Without his greatest weapon, the opponent’s raw power was actually quite a bit weaker than Xu Wuyi’s.

「After a whole afternoon of effort.」

Winner: Xu Wuyi! Rank Points +4!

Current Rank: Second Rank, 3 Rank Points!

When the system notification chimed, announcing his successful promotion to Second Rank, Xu Wuyi let out a long sigh of relief, his taut spirit relaxing slightly.

Second Rank!

The Rank Points for his promotion were awarded instantly, giving him enough to redeem a Martial Arts True Intent Fragment. Now, all he had to do was wait for the Federation funds from the school to be deposited.

Feeling that his mental state was still good, Xu Wuyi decided to strike while the iron was hot and queue for one more match to solidify his standing at Second Rank.

”Match!”

Matching you with an opponent... Match successful!

Teleporting to Asura Field, Ring #5874.

Light and shadow shifted, and Xu Wuyi once again set foot on the ancient stone platform, an air of grim lethality hanging over it.

Across from him, an exceptionally tall and burly figure slowly materialized.

He had rugged features, a buzz cut, and a beastly ferocity in his eyes. In his hand, he held what looked to be an incredibly heavy Ghost Head Saber.

The system’s scan data simultaneously appeared in Xu Wuyi’s vision:

Life Energy Level: 12.6

Weapon: Thick-Backed Ghost Head Saber

ID: Li Mo

’Li Mo!’

’The expert from Silver Port First High School that Zhou Yun had specifically warned him about just this morning! The Li Mo with a Life Energy Level of 12.5... but the system scan shows he’s already at 12.6!’

Xu Wuyi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected to be matched with Li Mo right after reaching Second Rank. Clearly, his opponent had been at this Rank for some time.

Li Mo twisted his neck, producing a series of cracks. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile full of undisguised aggression. ”Xu Wuyi? The one from Honghe First Middle School?”

He had seen Xu Wuyi’s ID. As a student from one of the three schools in the joint examination, he had clearly done his homework on his rivals.

”I hear you’re the dark horse from Red River. Let’s see what you’re made of!”

”Begin.” The moment the word left his lips, the system’s prompt echoed it.

Li Mo moved!

His massive frame exploded forward with astonishing speed, charging toward Xu Wuyi like a humanoid tank.

The Ghost Head Saber in his hand let out a piercing whistle as it tore through the air. It was a brutally simple overhead chop, yet it carried the force to cleave a mountain as it slashed straight down!

Before the blade even arrived, the pressure from his violent Qi and Blood washed over Xu Wuyi, blowing his hair back and making his skin tingle with a faint, stinging pain.

’I can’t meet this head-on!’

The thought flashed through Xu Wuyi’s mind in an instant.

He pushed off with his feet, executing the Body Technique he had honed to perfection and hastily retreating backward and to the side.

BOOM!

The Ghost Head Saber slammed down where Xu Wuyi had just been standing, cleaving a deep gash into the stone ring and sending shards of rock flying.

Although Xu Wuyi had dodged the direct strike, the terrifying power contained in the blade vibrated the air, creating a shockwave that still made his Qi and Blood churn. The arm holding his spear grew slightly numb.

’Such immense strength... His Life Energy Level isn’t just high, he has Innate Divine Power!’

Xu Wuyi already had intel on Li Mo.

The man not only came from an extraordinary family and had consumed all sorts of rare medicinal herbs like regular meals since childhood, but his own physical constitution was also exceptionally gifted.

Most people couldn’t have digested that much medicinal power; their bodies would have broken down. But he was like a bottomless pit, able to absorb any amount.

If it weren’t for his mediocre aptitude for Martial Arts—it was said he still hadn’t even reached the Entry Level for his Body Refining Technique—his Life Energy Level would probably surpass even Yu Peiling’s.

”You’re fast on your feet!”

Li Mo sneered. With a flip of his wrist, he changed the chop into a sweep. The Ghost Head Saber swung horizontally like a door panel, covering an enormous area.

Xu Wuyi hastily dropped into a low stance, using his spear to brace himself against the ground. His body slid away, nearly scraping the floor, as he dodged the sweeping attack by a hair’s breadth.

The wind from the blade scraped across his back, leaving a searing pain.

He attempted a counterattack, thrusting a Cloud-Breaking Stab toward the opening under Li Mo’s arm.

TING!

Li Mo simply brought his saber back in a casual block. The spear tip struck the thick blade, emitting a sharp clang.

Xu Wuyi felt a massive force reverberate up the spear shaft. The webbing of his hand went numb, and he nearly lost his grip on the weapon.

Li Mo, however, merely swayed for a moment, completely unfazed.

’The difference in our strength is too great!’

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath, circulating his Mountain Shifting Technique to its absolute limit as he forced himself to calm down.

He temporarily abandoned the futile idea of counterattacking and poured all of his heart and spirit into defense.

’Army Stabilization Form!’

’Back Wind Sweep!’

The long spear danced in his hands, forming an intricate web of defense as he did his utmost to block and deflect Li Mo’s unending waves of ferocious attacks.

Every chop from the Ghost Head Saber was immensely powerful, jarring Xu Wuyi’s arms until they were sore and numb, and his Qi and Blood roiled violently.

Even when his exquisite Spear Technique allowed him to block the blade itself, the terrifying Power transmitted through the impact still struck his body and internal organs again and again, like a Heavy Hammer.

PFFT!

After one particular block, Xu Wuyi finally failed to completely neutralize the force. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he couldn’t stop himself from spraying a mouthful of blood.

He was like a lone boat in a raging storm, in danger of being torn to shreds at any moment.