High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 489: Chapter 469: The Arrival of the King of Mountains and Rivers

In the hall, Xu Qin became another center of attention besides Lin Qi. Many people went up to talk to her.

Xu Qin wasn’t putting on airs. She started chatting casually with those around her, occasionally sharing some cultivation experience, which everyone found quite beneficial.

Gu City, however, seemed out of place. He remained aloof even when others approached him, some even asking for cultivation advice.

Among them were Wan Ming and students from the Azure Sky Sixth Institute who went up to ask questions.

But he would just smile and give perfunctory answers, saying things that amounted to nothing.

After this happened a few times, no one bothered trying to talk to him anymore.

”Lin Qi, I have something else to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Halfway through the victory banquet, Gu City approached Lin Qi to say his goodbyes.

”Alright!”

Lin Qi’s smile faded, and he replied calmly.

Gu City was annoyed, but he kept a smile on his face as he turned and left.

Lin Qi watched him leave, shaking his head inwardly. ’This isn’t someone I should get close to.’

Xu Qin came forward and said apologetically,

”I’m sorry, Lin Qi. He came here because of me.”

Lin Qi shook his head and smiled. ”Xu Qin, it has nothing to do with you.”

”Gu City was last year’s Global Martial Arts Competition champion. It’s good enough that he even came.”

Xu Qin shook her head. She could hear the dissatisfaction in Lin Qi’s tone, and she herself was also displeased with Gu City.

’After all, Lin Qi is a genius who, like me, has Awakened two Special Abilities.’

’Does he really think all Global Martial Arts Competition champions are the same?’

...

With Gu City gone, the atmosphere at the victory banquet improved.

In a corner, Xu Qin, Shen Heng, Lin Qi, Lei Frost, Meng Yuxuan, and Zhang Tianyang sat together, chatting idly.

Shen Heng asked curiously,

”Xu Qin, why are you still at the academy?”

”Everyone thought you had already gone to the battlefield.”

Xu Qin took a sip of juice and smiled.

”I did go to the battlefield. I was there for three months, but I came back to cultivate and consolidate my progress.”

”Although they say you should head to the battlefield after breaking through to the Seventh Realm, you have to be fully prepared.”

Shen Heng nodded. ”At the three top-level academies, the requirement for Ordinary students is to reach the Fourth Realm by graduation.”

”For Awakened geniuses, they need to reach the Sixth Realm to graduate.”

”And for SS-level, or even SSS-level geniuses, they need to break through to the Seventh Realm and possess sufficient strength before they can graduate and head to the battlefield.”

”It’s already May. In another month, it’ll be summer break.”

”My Tier Seven Battle Armor and Weapon are ready. I can step onto the battlefield at any time.”

Meng Yuxuan and Lei Frost also nodded silently.

They were all at the Peak of the Sixth Realm. After graduation, they would stay at the academy for a while, waiting until they broke through to the Seventh Realm before heading to the battlefield.

The same was true for Lin Qi. He felt he would probably break through to the Seventh Realm faster than Meng Yuxuan, Lei Frost, and Zhang Tianyang.

Hearing this, Xu Qin put down her cup and shook her head.

”Don’t be in a rush to go to the battlefield!”

”After you break through to the Seventh Realm, you’ll need to learn a High-Level Source Energy Technique, which will take several months.”

Shen Heng frowned in confusion.

”Does learning a High-Level Source Energy Technique really take that long?”

”It only took me eight days to complete my cultivation in the Disaster Beast Pyramid.”

Meng Yuxuan also nodded. ”It only took me eight days to finish my cultivation, too.”

Lin Qi also made a quick calculation in his head.

’Normally, an Awakened S-class genius needs about 15 days.’

’An SS-level genius needs about 12 days, and a top-tier one like Yu Zhuoran took 10 days.’

’But for SSS-level geniuses like them, it only takes eight and a half days.’

’But Xu Qin said it would take several months?’

Xu Qin gave a wry smile and said,

”High-Level Source Energy Techniques are different from Middle-Level ones. The difficulty increases dramatically.”

”I only took eight days to complete my cultivation in the Disaster Beast Pyramid.”

”But learning the High-Level Source Energy Technique took me several months.”

”I only stepped onto the battlefield after I had finished learning the technique.”

”You should all be mentally prepared for that.”

At these words, Shen Heng fell silent. It seemed a long time would pass before he could step onto the battlefield.

...

The entire victory banquet lasted for three hours, ending at 10 p.m.

A fighter jet took everyone from the Azure Sky Sixth Institute back to Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.

Only Lin Qi and Jiangtao were left in the entire villa.

Jiangtao sat at the dining table, still eating. Although the Level 7 Calamity Beast flesh and blood was all gone...

...there was still other Mid-Level Calamity Beast flesh and blood. Having grown up poor, he wouldn’t let anything go to waste and continued eating.

”Hah~”

After finishing everything, Jiangtao downed a bottle of cola and exclaimed,

”Brother Qi, I need to work harder!”

”Next year, I’m going to compete for the Global Martial Arts Competition championship too!”

”That Gu City is a damn snob. I can’t stand him.”

Lin Qi nodded. ”I believe you can do it!”

’By next year, I’ll have long since broken through to the Seventh Realm. I can’t participate in the Global Martial Arts Competition again.’

’For Xia Country, the strongest contender will be Meng Yuxuan.’

’But Jiangtao’s Talent has already surpassed the SS-level; you could say he already has an SSS-level Talent.’

’After a year of Cultivation in the Celestial Vault Institute, he really might be able to compete for the championship.’

”I believe you can do it!”

Lin Qi said encouragingly.

...

「11:30 p.m.」

”Master, you have a text message!”

In the Martial Arts Room, Lin Qi slowly opened his eyes, a powerful aura emanating from his body.

Qi Blood circulated throughout his body, and a portion of the massive amount of Calamity Beast flesh and blood he had eaten was successfully digested.

He slowly stood up, and the information on his panel changed.

[You have completed a Cultivation session. Your body has been transformed, your Marrow Refining progress has accelerated, and your Qi and Blood Value has increased by 10.]

[Qi and Blood Value: 3220 → 3230]

...

Lin Qi shook his head. ’My Qi and Blood Value is increasing more and more slowly now. The closer it gets to 4,000, the harder it is to raise.’

’Fortunately, I have enough Calamity Beast flesh and blood. I should be able to break through to the Seventh Realm naturally in a few months.’

At the same time, Little Chan projected a small screen displaying a message.

[Student Lin Qi, congratulations on winning the Global Martial Arts Competition and bringing honor to Xia Country. According to the competition rules, you will be awarded a prize of two hundred million Xia Country Coins.]

Lin Qi checked his phone and saw that the two hundred million Xia Country Coins had indeed been deposited.

A wave of joy washed over him. ’Easy come, easy go.’

’I’m almost immune to money at this point. My monthly expenses are already in the hundreds of millions.’

Compared to the prize money, he valued the Seventh- and Eighth-Level Calamity Beast flesh and blood more.

Then, his gaze fell on the pile of congratulatory gifts behind him, which was as large as a small hill.

He began to open the gifts. They were all in metal boxes. Nearly 80 people had come to the victory banquet.

There were a great many. The people from the Azure Sky Sixth Institute had all given electronics, and some had given membership cards for their family businesses.

Wan Ming and the others, however, had given Cultivation Resources.

Each one was substantial, worth millions or even tens of millions.

Finally, he unwrapped the gifts from Shen Heng, Xu Qin, and Gu City.

A palm-sized white Metal Box opened, revealing its contents.

There was only a card—a membership card—and a note.

”Junior Lin Qi, this is a membership card for our Gu Family. You can use it at any business under the Gu Family’s name.”

Lin Qi recalled that the Gu Family was a very large family in Xia Country.

They possessed immense martial and financial power, with businesses spanning many industries.

But this membership card was of little use to him.

Next was Shen Heng’s gift: a bottle of Soul Essence.

The most valuable gift was from Xu Qin. She had given him a bottle of blood from an Eighth-Level Calamity Beast.

It was a full 300 ml.

This was also an exceptionally precious Cultivation Resource. A Calamity Beast’s blood and muscles would be broken down into different Potion Resources.

The blood contained a significant amount of Essence Liquid, which could raise his Qi and Blood Value.

He held the container, looking at the crystal-clear red blood inside. The essence it contained was likely more potent than a hundred kilograms of flesh and blood.

He couldn’t help but marvel at how generous Senior Xu Qin was.

The value of these congratulatory gifts had already surpassed that of his own 1,000 kilograms of Calamity Beast flesh and blood.

He had really struck it rich, so to speak.

...

「Martial Arts Calendar Year 2048, May 8th.」

「Three days after the end of the Global Martial Arts Competition.」

「Otherworld, Celestial Vault Institute, in front of a vast, empty plaza.」

RUMBLE!

A solid red fighter jet kicked up fierce gusts of wind as it landed on the ground.

WHIRRR!!

The cabin door opened, and a tall, burly middle-aged man slowly walked out. He wore a gray robe embroidered with a pattern of mountains and rivers.

His face was resolute, his temples were tinged with white, and his every step seemed as heavy as a mountain.

”Welcome, King of Mountains and Rivers!”

In the King of Mountains and Rivers’ line of sight, Vice Principal Xu Wenji arrived to greet him, accompanied by Xue Zhou, Dean Liu, and Mu Hong.

”Old Xu, long time no see!”

The King of Mountains and Rivers smiled and greeted Xu Wenji and Xue Zhou.

Finally, he looked at Dean Liu and nodded in praise.

”Dean Liu, thank you for discovering Lin Qi!”

Dean Liu was somewhat overwhelmed by the compliment.

”It’s all part of my duty.”

He was only a Seventh Realm Martial Artist. Facing one of Xia Country’s top-level experts was like an ordinary university student meeting the principal.

The King of Mountains and Rivers nodded.

”You all know why I’m here, I presume.”

Xu Wenji nodded. ”We have already informed Student Lin Qi.”

”The contract upgrade will also take place in the conference room of the Celestial Dome Tower.”

The King of Mountains and Rivers nodded, and the group headed toward the Celestial Dome Tower.

...

Ten minutes later, Lin Qi rode the elevator up, trying to keep his composure.

He stepped out of the elevator and arrived before a brand-new white door.

BEEP!

The door slid open silently, and the peculiar scent of incense wafted over him.

Before him was a spacious office, decorated in an antique, classical style.

Several familiar figures were sitting on a brown sofa.

Dean Liu, Xue Zhou, Vice Principal Xu Wenji, and his teacher, Mu Hong.

Besides them, there was a tall, burly figure sitting in the center seat, exuding an aura as heavy and imposing as a mountain.

He was Xia Country’s Ninth Realm Title Level Martial Artist—the King of Mountains and Rivers.

The man looked up, his eyes meeting Lin Qi’s. In an instant, a terrifying pressure washed over him.

Faced with the intense pressure, Lin Qi felt as if he were being crushed by a mountain.

However, his expression remained calm as he withstood the pressure.

The pressure lasted only three seconds before completely dissipating.

The King of Mountains and Rivers revealed an appreciative smile.

”Very good!”

”Lin Qi, your Psychological Quality is even higher than I imagined!”

”As expected of the genius who could win the Global Martial Arts Competition.”

Lin Qi was inwardly surprised. ’So this is the pressure of a Ninth Realm Martial Artist?’

’Xue Zhou, Xu Wenji, and my teacher, Mu Hong, are all Eighth Realm Martial Artists, but none of them ever made me feel this way.’

...