High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Third Killing Technique—Mountain Splitting

Under six times gravity, Lin Qi felt his long spear break free from the pull of gravity as he thrust it out with sudden force.

Strands of Power condensed like a sharp blade, capable of tearing apart everything around it.

All the Power and strength from his body flowed into the long spear. He felt his body about to expand, as if something deep within his bloodline had been awakened.

He had the feeling that this one thrust could shatter anything, just like its name suggested: Mountain Splitting.

WHOOSH~

As the Killing Technique was unleashed, fierce gusts of wind formed throughout the Gravity Room.

A moment later, the fierce winds dissipated, and the gravity receded like a tide. A wave of relief washed over his body.

Lin Qi kept his eyes closed, carefully savoring the sensation of every second he had spent unleashing the third Killing Technique.

That level of control over his Power was so immense.

His gaze fell upon the panel, where several notifications had popped up.

[You have endured pain to train your Spear Technique in a 6x gravity environment. Your control over your body has improved, and your Spear Technique has broken through to the perfect Third Realm. Spear Technique +3%]

[Your Spear Technique has broken through to the Third Realm, allowing you to comprehend the third Killing Technique of the Mountain Splitting Spear Technique—Mountain Splitting. Spear Technique +5%]

[You have used Skin Tempering Ointment in a 6x gravity environment. Your Qi and Blood Value has broken through. Qi and Blood Value +2]

[Your control over your body has greatly increased. Comprehension of the Little Divine Power, Vajra Transformation, has reached 90%.]

[Spear Technique: Tier Two 99% → Tier Three 7%]

[Qi and Blood Value: 61 → 63]

...

HISS~

Lin Qi froze. The moment he finished reading the panel, an intense fatigue washed over him, and a sense of weakness permeated his entire body.

THUD!

The training lance in his hands fell to the ground. His arms and legs trembled uncontrollably.

His body was soaked in sweat, which had formed a large puddle on the floor around him.

HUFF...

THUMP!!

Lin Qi collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. He looked down at his arms, which were screaming with a tearing pain. They had turned purple and swollen.

His muscles were torn and damaged. Unleashing the third Killing Technique just now had consumed a massive amount of his stamina.

Training under six times gravity was the absolute limit his body could endure. He had been training inside for two hours, and his stamina was already completely depleted.

Unleashing the third Killing Technique on top of that had pushed him far beyond his limit, and his body was beginning to break down.

’I’ll need to take a Healing Potion when I get back,’ Lin Qi thought.

Looking at the information on the panel, despite his exhaustion, his eyes were bright and his spirit soared.

His Spear Technique had broken through to Tier Three, also known as the Perfect Realm.

The first realm of Martial Arts is Foundation, the second is Proficiency, and the third is Perfection.

It meant being able to perfectly control every ounce of one’s power, operating like a precision instrument with absolutely no waste.

’And the third Killing Technique!’

Lin Qi looked at his trembling palms. The power of the third Killing Technique was far beyond his imagination.

Its power was a huge leap over the second Killing Technique. Unleashed with one hundred percent of his Power, the damage it could inflict would be absolutely terrifying.

The third Killing Technique was like a fully upgraded version of the first.

It was powerful, but its consumption was also massive.

The stamina drain in battle was immense; it was a move meant to end the fight.

He slowly walked to the side, took out an energy drink, and chugged it down.

After downing several more bottles, he packed his things, slowly got up, and left the Gravity Room for the washroom.

...

「One hour later」

Azure Sky Sixth Institute, Villa #01

In the spacious living room, three empty Level 3 Nutritional Meal containers sat on the dark black table.

After finishing his meal, Lin Qi opened a bottle of green Healing Potion and downed it in one go.

A cool sensation spread from his stomach, flowing into his arms, legs, and back muscles, healing the damage.

He then walked slowly into the Martial Arts Room. Feeling a pleasant warmth spread through his body, he stepped into the Rehabilitation Pod and began to relax his muscles.

His entire body slowly recovered.

During his recovery, Lin Qi contemplated the information on his panel.

’My Spear Technique has now broken through to Tier Three, and my Combat Power has increased significantly. I’ve barely managed to catch up to the pace of those geniuses from the Tenth Institute.’

’But I’ve only just broken through to Tier Three, while they’ve been there for some time. I still need to keep closing the gap between us.’

’And my Body Technique... I need to break it through to Tier Three as soon as possible, or it’ll become a weakness.’

’The same goes for my Qi and Blood Value. Theirs definitely won’t be low.’

’Back at the opening ceremony, all twelve of the geniuses from the Tenth Institute who had Awakened a Special Ability had already broken through to the Third Realm.’

’Their Qi and Blood Values are definitely not low. They might have even surpassed 70.’

Lin Qi let out a breath. If his opponents were from the other two great academies or the military schools, he wouldn’t feel this much pressure.

He was confident he could defeat all his opponents and take the championship.

But when it came to the geniuses from the Tenth Institute, things were completely different.

They were opponents on a whole other level.

’The pressure is immense, but why do I feel... excited?’

Lin Qi felt a thrill welling up inside him, a desire to surpass his rivals.

It was the same feeling he’d had in the second semester of his senior year of high school, when he saw the top three students in the nation.

Now, Huo Wanyang had already fallen by his hand.

Even geniuses who had Awakened a Special Ability would eventually be surpassed by him.

’I’ll use the final half-month to raise my strength another huge step.’

Finally, Lin Qi’s thoughts turned to the Little Divine Power, [Vajra Transformation].

’My comprehension of the Little Divine Power is at 90%. If I can fully grasp it before the National Freshmen Competition, my strength will see another massive improvement.’

Lin Qi closed his eyes, his next set of goals appearing in his mind: Qi and Blood Value, Spear Technique, Body Technique, the Little Divine Power [Vajra Transformation]...

...

「Early November」

The atmosphere among the freshmen at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy grew tense again, an oppressive calm charged with fierce undercurrents, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

The students of every institute knew the National Freshmen Competition was about to begin, a much larger stage for competition.

It was also a new round of competition between the institutes.

Many students hoped to raise their strength another level before the end of the month, thinking it might allow them to advance further in the national competition.

Everyone had their own goals and was striving to achieve them.

「November 24th, the day before the national competition.」

Disaster Beast Trial Tower, Third Floor

Amidst crumbling ruins, on the broken asphalt of a wide intersection.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and gunsmoke.

HUFF... HUFF...

SNORT... SNORT...

Clouds of dust shrouded the road, accompanied by massive Iron Spike Wild Boars that resembled small armored vehicles, their pelts like a coat of iron spikes.

They were a grey-black tsunami, their iron hooves thundering on the ground as they charged forward like high-speed armored vehicles.

Mixed in with the massive Iron Spike Wild Boars were creatures with sturdy, streamlined bodies. A sharp, knife-like horn on their heads sliced through the air, and their sharp claws scraped the ground as they prepared to launch a sneak attack.

In the center of the besieging Calamity Beasts, a tall figure wielded a black greatspear, weaving through the Iron Spike Wild Boars like a phantom of thunderous light.

PFFT~ PFFT~

With every swing of the spear, afterimages flickered, accompanied by splatters of blood in the air.

THUD! THUD! THUD!!

One after another, Iron Spike Wild Boars collapsed, kicking up clouds of dust.

Lin Qi’s expression was calm as he continuously dodged and thrust his long spear.

He continuously thrust the long spear in his hand, executing the Meteor Spear Technique, each stab like a shooting star.

Starlight Stab!

PFFT~ PFFT~

A Unihorned Black Pig suddenly lunged from a corner, becoming a black phantom as the sharp horn on its head cut through the air.

It was a sharp weapon capable of easily piercing skin and tissue.

Facing the surprise attack, Lin Qi shifted his body slightly to the side, dodging the Unihorned Black Pig’s lunge.

He was now able to dodge with minimal body movements.

Lin Qi swung his black greatspear. His consciousness became like invisible threads, sinking into every inch of his musculature, every muscle, and even every single fiber, bringing them all under his complete control.

The long spear in his hand moved like an extension of his own arm.

Everything around him seemed to slow down. The Unihorned Black Pig’s movements became exceptionally clear in his eyes.

The black greatspear in his hand shot out in a straight line!

PFFT~

The Unihorned Black Pig only saw a cold glint before it instantly lost consciousness. The long spear had pierced its neck like an arrow, tearing its throat apart.

PFFT~ PFFT~ PFFT~

Within a single second, Lin Qi thrust his spear more than a dozen times, leaving clear, bloody holes in the necks of several surrounding Iron Spike Wild Boars.

Ten minutes later, not a single Calamity Beast remained standing on the road. Corpses carpeted the pavement, and the thick smell of blood filled the air.

Lin Qi withdrew his spear, his expression calm, his movements still clean and sharp.

[Student Lin Qi, congratulations on completing the third floor. As you are the first freshman to pass this trial, you will receive a reward at the beginning-of-the-month settlement.]

[Proceed to the 4th Floor trial? Y/N]

...

’As expected, I’m still the first one to pass the third floor.’

Lin Qi nodded in satisfaction.

After his Spear Technique broke through to Tier Three, the difficulty of the third-floor trial dropped significantly. And after his Thunder Light Body Technique broke through to high-tier Second Rank, he only needed 50 minutes to clear it.

”Begin the 4th Floor trial!”

Without hesitation, Lin Qi began the trial for the 4th Floor.

A moment later, the surrounding Calamity Beast corpses all dissipated.

[4th Floor Trial: Kill 200 Calamity Beasts within 60 minutes, including 150 First-Level Iron Spike Wild Boars and 50 Second-Level Unihorned Black Pigs. Failure is defined as not surviving or not killing all beasts within the time limit.]

[Countdown: 30 seconds...]

Lin Qi swung his long spear. Feeling the ground tremble, he shook his head and muttered, ”The difficulty has jumped again!”

In his Perception, powerful auras were charging toward him from all directions at astonishing speeds.

...

「20 minutes after the 4th Floor trial began」

Outside the Disaster Beast Trial Tower

”It changed!”

”Lin Qi passed the third floor of the Trial Tower?!”

Among the crowd outside the tower, someone cried out in shock after seeing the new ranking for the Azure Sky Sixth Institute.

”As expected of our Dean!” the students of the Azure Sky Sixth Institute said with proud smiles.

”I’d be surprised if anyone else passed the third floor, but for Lin Qi, it’s completely normal.”

”He’s already the undisputed number one among all the freshmen at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy,” a student from another institute said calmly.

”That seems right. Everyone’s pretty much accepted that Lin Qi is the strongest.”

”The National Freshmen Competition is about to start, too. With Lin Qi’s strength, we’re bound to win the championship this time.”

”I can’t wait for the freshmen competition to start.”

”Let the other Martial Arts Universities in Xia Country and the other two great academies know the strength of our Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy,” someone said, clenching their fist.

Hearing this, the others also felt a surge of anticipation.

At the entrance to the Trial Tower, Lin Qi slowly walked out.

...