High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Body Technique Breakthrough

BAM!!

GURGLE... GURGLE...

The Iron Spike Wild Boar’s massive body slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as it died instantly.

But Lin Qi paid it no mind, as a pack of Iron Spike Wild Boars had already surrounded him.

He had killed countless of these Iron Spike Wild Boars, but with his current physical condition, if one of them managed to ram him, its curved saber-like tusks would instantly pierce his skin and pulp his organs.

SNORT... SNORT...

To his left and right, two massive, one-and-a-half-meter-tall Iron Spike Wild Boars charged, their eyes bloodshot.

Lin Qi sensed the movements on both sides. His leg muscles tensed, his footwork shifted, and his figure moved like a bolt of lightning.

’Thunder Light Body Technique!’

BAM!!

His body flickered as he dodged the attack. The two Iron Spike Wild Boars slammed violently into each other and were sent flying back with a heavy thud.

Lin Qi brandished his black great spear, his eyes sharp. Under the effect of his Heart Eye Talent, he expanded his Perception, sensing countless auras.

Another wave of danger assaulted him from behind. He shifted his footing, his leg muscles erupting with power, and moved with the speed of thunder, leaving behind an afterimage.

SNORT!

An Iron Spike Wild Boar, ambushing him from the rear, brushed past Lin Qi, its iron spikes narrowly missing him.

SHLICK!

Lin Qi swung his black great spear. Power flowed through him and into the weapon as he whipped the sharp spear tip forward with a flick of his wrist.

The spear tip sliced across the Iron Spike Wild Boar’s neck, and his Mountain-Splitting Power instantly tore its throat open, sending blood gushing.

Lin Qi’s expression was grave. ’I know I can’t clear this level relying on Martial Arts Skills alone,’ he thought.

’I have to combine it with my Body Technique. Otherwise, a single hit means death.’

’And my Body Technique Realm at Tier Two, 38%, doesn’t seem to be enough.’

’No wonder someone as strong as Guan Mountain, who’s ranked in the nation’s top 40, couldn’t pass the first level.’

’But... this feeling is incredible!’

Lin Qi felt himself growing excited. His body burned hot as endless power surged from within him!

SHLICK! SHLICK!

He began to slaughter the Iron Spike Wild Boars with frenzied abandon.

One, two... ten.

Twenty minutes later, the asphalt road was littered with corpses. The few remaining Iron Spike Wild Boars continued their assault.

Lin Qi’s movements were agile, like a nimble leopard. Each time he moved to evade an attack, he was as fast as a flash of thunder and lightning.

SNORT... SNORT...

One Iron Spike Wild Boar, its eyes red, charged madly, its gleaming tusks aimed to kill.

Seeing this, Lin Qi leaped into the air. Magical Power erupted from his entire body, and he infused his long spear with Power, bringing it down with the force of a collapsing mountain.

BAM!!

GROAN...

The great spear smashed viciously into the Iron Spike Wild Boar’s head. Blood poured from its seven orifices as it collapsed and died.

「Two minutes later.」

SHLICK!

As the last Iron Spike Wild Boar’s neck was run through by the sharp spear tip, it fell to the ground, dead. The first level of the trial was officially over.

DRIP. DROP.

Lin Qi gasped for breath, his chest heaving. His black great spear was dyed red with blood. A few bloody cuts marked his face, from which fresh blood dripped.

His black combat suit was also torn, and the wounds beneath it were bleeding steadily. His Qi and Blood Value had dropped to 9.99, and his stamina was low.

In his exhausted state, his reaction time, speed, and attack power were all diminished, causing the difficulty of killing the Iron Spike Wild Boars to skyrocket.

[Through intense combat, your mastery of Spear Technique has improved. Spear Technique +1%]

[Through intense combat, your mastery of Body Technique has significantly improved. Body Technique +5%]

[Spear Technique: Tier Two 60% → 61%]

[Body Technique: Tier Two 38% → 43%]

...

A smile touched Lin Qi’s lips as he looked at the messages that popped up on the panel.

’The improvement is so significant. The Red Realm Arena and the Martial Arts assessment can’t even compare.’

’If I could train in here for a few hours every day, my Spear Technique and Body Technique would improve immensely.’

[Congratulations on passing the first level of the trial!]

[Institute Ranking: 1]

[Proceed to the second level of the trial? Yes/No]

Lin Qi looked at the prompt but didn’t decide right away. Instead, he carefully replayed the previous battle in his mind.

’Fifty Iron Spike Wild Boars attacking all at once... trying to kill them all within 30 minutes without dying is extremely difficult.’

’I’d guess you’d need Martial Arts at Tier Two Middle Stage, at a minimum, and Body Technique at Tier Two, 40% or higher.’

’I barely made the cut myself. It’s only because the bonus from my Talent is so terrifying that I managed to pass smoothly.’

’It won’t be that easy for the others.’

[Yes!]

He immediately entered the second level of the trial. In the next instant, the corpses of the Iron Spike Wild Boars on the ground vanished, and all his injuries healed completely.

[Second Level Trial Objective: Kill 100 Iron Spike Wild Boars within 30 minutes. If not all are killed when the time expires, the trial is a failure.]

Lin Qi’s expression changed drastically when he saw this.

”One hundred?”

He had struggled to kill 50 of them. Now the number had doubled, but his Qi and Blood Value was still 9.99. The difficulty had just increased severalfold.

[Countdown: 3... 2... 1...]

[The trial has officially begun!]

RUMBLE!!

SNORT... SNORT...

The gray asphalt road began to tremble. The roars of Iron Spike Wild Boars echoed from both ends of the road.

One hundred Iron Spike Wild Boars charged like two tidal waves.

Lin Qi transformed into a black bolt of lightning, brandishing his great spear as he plunged into the gray tide of Iron Spike Wild Boars and began a frenzied slaughter.

SHLICK! SHLICK!

...

Outside the Trial Tower, a group of people had gathered, chatting idly.

Guan Mountain and Jiangtao were among them.

The sturdily built Jiangtao let out a breath and shook his head as he looked at the Azure Sky Sixth Institute’s Trial Rankings.

”It’s just too hard. Facing a frenzied siege from fifty Iron Spike Wild Boars and having to kill them all in half an hour... they’re really making things difficult for us.”

Guan Mountain, standing beside him, frowned. ”You need Skill at Tier Two Middle Stage and a Body Technique at Tier Two Initial Stage, at least.”

”I can never finish the kills within 30 minutes. But give me a few more days to achieve another breakthrough in my Body Technique, and I’ll be able to pass the first level.”

”With Brother Qi’s strength, it’s definitely not a problem, but he might need some time to get used to it first,” Guan Mountain added.

”The Sixth Institute’s Trial Rankings have changed!” someone suddenly shouted.

’It’s Brother Qi!’

The same thought occurred to both Jiangtao and Guan Mountain, and they quickly looked toward the Trial Tower Rankings.

[Trial Tower Rankings (Sixth Institute)]

[First Place: Lin Qi, Level: 2]

...

”As expected of the Head Disciple! He reached the second level on his first try!”

”Who said our Sixth Institute was no good? That’s just because our Head Disciple hadn’t made his move yet!”

The students of the Azure Sky Sixth Institute were instantly thrilled, their spirits soaring.

All their pent-up frustration was released.

”Brother Qi is truly amazing. He passed the first level on his first try, without even needing to get used to it,” Guan Mountain said with a smile.

’My decision was right, after all,’ he thought. ’Lin Qi is even stronger than I imagined.’

「Another 20 minutes passed in the blink of an eye.」

Outside the main entrance of the Trial Tower, Lin Qi’s tall figure emerged calmly.

”Brother Qi, you’re a total badass!” Jiangtao greeted him with a grin.

”Our Sixth Institute finally has someone who’s broken through to the second level! We’re not losing to the other institutes anymore,” Lv Xiang said with a laugh.

Lin Qi looked at the crowd calmly. ”Reaching the second level is nothing to brag about.”

”Exactly!” Jiangtao and the others all laughed upon hearing that.

...