High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Force Killing the Double-Bladed Mantis

”Xu Wuyi?!”

The moment those two words were spoken, the living room fell silent, only to erupt into an even greater uproar an instant later.

”You mean the Xu Wuyi who cleared the fifth level back in early August?” Zhou Hao’s eyes widened in disbelief. ”He’s finally out of seclusion? He’s been training for almost a month!”

”I remember he came to school a while ago. He passed the fifth level on August 2nd, then went straight into secluded training until now. That’s exactly twenty-six days!” someone else on the side reported with precision. ”What in the world was he training for that long?”

”Is that even a question? He must have been trying to break through the sixth level!” Zhao Lei said with certainty. ”Qin Rui already cleared it. As the first person to pass the fifth, he definitely wouldn’t be content with being surpassed.”

”It’s almost the end of the month, and there are only three days left in the new student challenge. Is he coming out now to make a final sprint?”

”A sprint? What’s he going to sprint with?” A tall, burly male student from Xiliang Province spoke in a booming voice.

His name was Batu. His Life Energy Level wasn’t low, but he was stuck on the fourth level of the new student challenge. He admired those at the top of the rankings but also felt a bit unconvinced.

”He’s dropped to eleventh place. The people ahead of him haven’t been slacking off. Zhao Qingwei, Li Hao, and the others passed the fifth level long ago, breaking the record time and time again. Qin Rui even cleared the sixth level! Now that he’s out, how many can he possibly catch up to?”

His words represented the thoughts of a portion of the students.

A month had passed, and these new students, all prodigies in their own right, weren’t just sitting around doing nothing.

The White Ape, once considered nearly unbeatable, was gradually found to have a weakness: its intelligence was clearly inferior to that of a human Martial Artist.

As long as one had sufficient strength, all they had to do was set a trap, lure the White Ape into a reckless advance, and injure it first. The rest of the battle would be much simpler.

This method was accidentally discovered by an ordinary student after multiple attempts, who then shared it with others.

For experts like Zhao Qingwei and Shen Wei, defeating the White Ape was no longer difficult after learning this method.

They even continued to optimize their strategies and break records, striving to push their rankings even higher.

Under these circumstances, with Xu Wuyi having been in seclusion for a month and lacking all this new information, how could he possibly compete with the others?

Besides, after the method to defeat the White Ape was discovered, rumors began to circulate that the only reason Xu Wuyi had been able to pass the fifth level so early was that he had also discovered this method.

But back then, not many people were attempting the challenge, and he hadn’t shared his discovery, which was how he maintained his lead.

For a moment, the living room was filled with conflicting opinions, until someone cried out in alarm:

”Quick! Look at the rankings!”

...

While the crowd was engrossed in discussion, Xu Wuyi, the center of their topic, had already calmly laid down in a Virtual Pod.

Consciousness connected. Entering the Star Martial Battle Network.

Without the slightest delay, he directly selected ”New Student Challenge.” His target—the sixth level!

The Gobi-like landscape, dotted with wind-weathered rock pillars under a dark purple sky, appeared once more.

The dry air, tinged with killing intent, was identical to his memory.

”Sixth Level Challenge Target: Double-Bladed Mantis (x2). Clear Condition: Kill all Double-Bladed Mantises within ten minutes.”

”Challenger’s Life Energy Level for this stage is fixed at: Level 18.”

Xu Wuyi stood his ground, a familiar long spear materializing in his hand, his eyes as calm as an ancient well.

This time, he made no attempt to seize the high ground for observation, nor did he show any intention of retreating.

From behind the rock pillars ahead, two slate-gray figures arrived as expected, gliding silently to the ground.

Four compound eyes locked onto him coldly. Their pair of scythe-like forelimbs, glinting with a cold light, radiated a deadly threat.

”GRRROWL!”

Perhaps sensing the aura on Xu Wuyi, the two Double-Bladed Mantises didn’t attack immediately. Instead, they let out a low, guttural hiss filled with warning.

But Xu Wuyi was the first to act.

He didn’t use any fancy footwork, just a simple forward charge. Pushing off with his feet, his body shot out like a cannonball, heading straight for the Double-Bladed Mantis on the left!

His movement was like lighting a fuse.

The two Double-Bladed Mantises instantly blurred into afterimages, attacking from the left and right in a pincer movement. Their four scythes tore through the air with a piercing shriek, weaving a deadly net of blades.

However, facing the very attack that had once left him helpless and led to his instant defeat, a cold glint flashed in Xu Wuyi’s eyes.

’Melting Furnace Boiling Blood, activate!’

He recited the command in his mind, and it felt as if a great floodgate had been thrown open inside his body!

’Although his Life Energy Level is still fixed at 18, he has now mastered all Eighteen Beginner Forms of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace Pile Skills. He’s worlds stronger than before!’

Not only was his Qi and Blood Strength far beyond what it was previously, but each of the Eighteen Forms of Pile Skills also enhanced the effects of Melting Furnace Boiling Blood and Furnace Flame.

With Melting Furnace Boiling Blood now active, his Qi and Blood instantly began to surge and roar through his meridians like ignited volcanic magma, and a faint reddish glow appeared on the surface of his skin.

Facing the scythe of the left mantis as it slashed toward his head, Xu Wuyi neither dodged nor evaded. His spear shot out like an enraged dragon emerging from the sea. Though he moved second, his spear arrived first, carrying a scorching, violent wave of heat as it thrust forward!

”CLANG—!”

The spear tip struck the flat of the scythe’s blade with perfect precision, letting out a loud, piercing clang of metal on metal!

Sparks flew everywhere!

The forward momentum of the left Double-Bladed Mantis came to a sudden halt. The immense force transmitted through its scythe sent its light body stumbling backward uncontrollably.

Its scythe had actually been blocked by Xu Wuyi’s pure, brute strength!

Moreover, the scorching aura coming from the spear shaft made its tough forelimb sting with a hint of pain.

In the instant the left mantis was thwarted, the right mantis’s attack arrived. Its two scythes swung high and low, slashing at Xu Wuyi’s waist and knees respectively.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Xu Wuyi spun with the momentum from parrying the left mantis’s attack, sweeping his spear’s shaft horizontally like a steel whip!

”BANG!”

The spear shaft slammed heavily into the side of the scythe, the immense force knocking the mantis’s attack off course.

The right mantis was also sent staggering by this brutish force.

In a flash, Xu Wuyi had completely turned the tables from a defensive position.

Pressing his advantage, his footwork shifted. Powered by his abundant Qi and Blood, his Instant Shadow Step was so fast that it left afterimages as he instantly closed in on the mantis to the left.

’Furnace Flame!’

A crimson light flashed on his spear. His Qi and Blood vibrated at a special frequency, erupting with even greater Penetration Power.

It was a simple, domineering, and utterly unadorned straight thrust!

The spear tip tore through the air with a low roar, aimed straight for the joint between the Double-Bladed Mantis’s thorax and abdomen.

A vicious light flared in the Double-Bladed Mantis’s compound eyes as it desperately tried to raise its other scythe to block.

But Xu Wuyi’s speed was too great, his power too overwhelming!

”SQUELCH!”

The spear was half a step faster, viciously piercing through!

Green bodily fluid instantly sprayed out.

The Double-Bladed Mantis let out a sharp, agonized shriek, its body convulsing violently.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Wuyi twisted the spear, completely destroying the creature’s internal structure, and then violently yanked it out.

The Double-Bladed Mantis’s shriek came to an abrupt end. Its slate-gray body stiffened for a moment before crashing to the ground and dissipating into white light.

From launching the attack to killing the first Double-Bladed Mantis, the entire process took no more than ten seconds!