High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The night he returned to Villa 7 of Hidden Dragon Garden, Xu Wuyi did not rest.

He quickly put away his luggage and went straight to the underground Cultivation Room.

One Earth Fire Marrow Lamp was dimly lit; the other had been properly stored away before he left.

He sat down cross-legged and took out the crimson Jade Scroll gifted to him by Flame Venerable.

His Spiritual Power probed it, and detailed information about the ”Golden Crow Sky-Splitting Slash” flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.

It contained not only the Techniques and the paths for circulating Qi and Blood, but also Flame Venerable’s own insights on understanding and utilizing the Golden Crow imagery, which he had integrated into it.

’He really did modify this just for me.’ Xu Wuyi understood this clearly as he carefully contemplated it.

The original core of this Martial Technique was ”Sky Splitting.”

It pursued ultimate speed and penetration, compressing flame power into a single line and unleashing it in an instant to achieve the visual effect and destructive force of tearing through space.

But Flame Venerable, drawing on Xu Wuyi’s Golden Crow Mental Realm, had combined the will of a ”blazing sun” with the penetrating characteristics of ”Sky Splitting.” This made the Flame not only have Explosive Power, but also carry the obsessive conviction of a ”guaranteed hit” and a ”guaranteed breach.”

Even better, Flame Venerable had deliberately weakened its dependence on a specific type of weapon when he modified it.

The original ”Sky-Splitting Slash” was more suited for sharp weapons like sabers and swords, but the current version focused more on the coordination of Mental Realm, Qi and Blood, and Spirit. The weapon was merely a vessel.

”The slash can become a stab. The key is the concentration and direction of the ’Intention’ and ’power’,” Xu Wuyi murmured.

A Martial Technique, unlike the broader Martial Arts which require long periods of honing one’s inner meaning and improving proficiency, focuses more on the application of existing power.

Given Xu Wuyi’s current foundation and his understanding of his own power, the barrier to learning it was indeed not high.

He didn’t rush to try it out. Instead, he first spent the entire night mentally simulating the circulation paths of his Qi and Blood, the coordination of his Spiritual Will, and how to integrate the imagery of a soaring Golden Crow into the basic ”stab” of his Spear Technique.

He didn’t truly begin to practice until the next morning.

Holding the Meteor Iron Long Spear, he stood in the center of the Cultivation Room.

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes, Concentrating Spirit, circulating his Qi and Blood, igniting the Heart Fire in his Dantian, and simultaneously performing the Visualization of the Golden Crow beating its wings in his sea of consciousness.

A moment later, his eyes snapped open, a Golden Crow Illusion seeming to flit through the depths of his pupils.

There was no complex Starting Form, just the simplest lunge and forward stab.

HISS—!

The instant the spear tip broke the air, a thin, dark-gold line, condensed to the extreme, shot out from it. It was not in the form of a burning flame, but more like a beam of energy, highly compressed and so searingly hot it appeared white!

The thin line crossed several meters and struck the reinforced alloy target used for testing.

There was no deafening explosion, only a soft yet sharp ”PFFT.”

A hole, thumb-sized in width with smooth edges, appeared on the target, half a foot deep.

Around the hole, the metal had a glazed texture, as if it had been melted through by instantaneous high temperature and then rapidly cooled. Deeper inside, wisps of dark-gold energy lingered, stubbornly corroding the metal’s structure.

Xu Wuyi withdrew his spear and carefully observed the effect of the strike.

’Extremely fast, with astonishing Penetration Power. The residual ’indestructible’ characteristic is still present,’ he assessed internally.

’The consumption is a bit higher than I expected, but it’s completely manageable for me right now. Besides, this is just the first attempt. The cost should decrease with proficiency.’

For the next two days, Xu Wuyi dedicated his main efforts to mastering the ”Golden Crow Sky-Splitting Slash.”

He went from needing nearly a second to charge up to later needing only a thought. The spear would strike like a dragon, the dark-gold line erupting with every stab, following it like a shadow.

By the afternoon of the third day, he could fluidly weave the ”Golden Crow Sky-Splitting Stab” into his continuous Spear Techniques, unleashing and retracting it at will, its power under his control.

”That should be enough.” Xu Wuyi stopped practicing, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead.

He had grasped the Martial Technique; all that remained was to further hone and adapt it in actual combat.

He glanced at the date: May 16th.

The day after tomorrow was the start of the Youth Tournament preliminaries.

...

「May 18th, 8:30 AM.」

Star Martial Battle Network, the exclusive channel for the ”Federation Youth Martial Arts Tournament.”

Similar to when he competed last year, the huge Circular Plaza was clamorous with noise. The virtual spectator stands flickered with light and shadow, and the atmosphere was electric.

The giant leaderboard in the center of the plaza was still blank, waiting for the new generation of powerhouses to write their names upon it.

Xu Wuyi’s figure materialized in the designated area.

He was wearing the dark gray training uniform of Star Martial University, his aura reserved and not the least bit ostentatious.

But occasionally, when a perceptive contestant passed by and their gaze fell upon him, they would instinctively pause for a moment, sensing the depth hidden beneath his calm surface.

”Xu Wuyi!”

A familiar voice called out. Xu Wuyi turned his head and saw Shen Wei striding over.

Compared to last year, Shen Wei’s frame was even more burly and his aura much more substantial. The rough-and-ready air about him had subsided slightly, replaced by a measure of the steadiness befitting a Martial Artist.

He walked up, clapped Xu Wuyi forcefully on the shoulder, and grinned. ”You’re finally back! I heard you went to the West Desert for special training? So, what place are you aiming for in the youth tournament this time?”

”I’ll do my best.” Xu Wuyi smiled, feeling the strength in Shen Wei’s palm. ”You broke through?”

”Heh, I just became a Martial Artist last month, Level 30.2. Can’t compare to you freaks, but at least I finally cleared that hurdle.” Shen Wei’s tone was proud, but also held a trace of relief.

During the tournament four months ago, he had not yet become a Martial Artist. Breaking through now was already considered fast progress.

That single step in a Martial Artist’s path had stopped too many people. For him to successfully break through was no small feat.

As the two were talking, another graceful figure approached.

Yu Peiling was as radiant and captivating as ever, her form-fitting combat suit outlining her fine figure, but her expression held a trace of unconcealable exhaustion.

Her aura was stalled at the peak of Level 29.9. Her Qi and Blood were abundant but faintly restless and unstable.

”Xu Wuyi, Shen Wei.” Yu Peiling greeted them. Her voice was relatively calm, but the dimness deep in her eyes could not be hidden from those who knew her.

”Peiling,” Xu Wuyi nodded.

Shen Wei, however, let his smile fade. ”Still haven’t found the feeling?” he asked with concern.

Yu Peiling shook her head lightly and sighed. ”The bottleneck is tougher than I imagined. I’ve tried a few times, but I’m always missing that little spark of opportunity. This youth tournament... I’ll just treat it as a chance to gain experience.”

She looked at Xu Wuyi and forced a smile. ”We’ll be counting on you to sweep the competition this year.”

”You’ll get your chance,” Xu Wuyi consoled her.

The opportunity to break through to the rank of Martial Artist was mysterious and profound. Outsiders couldn’t help; she could only rely on herself.

Just then, a few more people arrived together.

It was Qin Rui, Zhao Qingwei, and Tana.

Qin Rui was dressed in a sharp black combat uniform, his posture as straight as a spear. His aura was piercingly sharp, and his Life Energy Level had shockingly reached 33.5, a testament to his rapid progress.

He looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze as sharp as ever, and gave a nod.

Xu Wuyi nodded back in response.