High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 257: Chapter 161: Four Years, Seeing Fang Chengwu Again

”Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. Fiends are running rampant below the mountain. Now that we’ve honed our skills, how can we stand by and not fight? The situation has become increasingly tense. Small and medium-sized Stargates capable of transporting Bright Moon Level members of the Demon Race have been appearing frequently near the county, and there are more and more medium-sized Stargates that can handle Great Sun Level members...”

His voice grew low. ”The sooner I go down the mountain, the more I can hold them back, the more people I can save.”

At his words, the disciples who had been talking softly around them fell completely silent.

The atmosphere immediately became heavy and oppressive.

”Then I wish you a safe journey, Senior Brother.” Li Wen looked Gu Yan in the eye and said solemnly, ”You must slay many great demons and return safely.”

”In the last six months... all the senior brothers and sisters who’ve been carried back...” a young disciple, who had only been on the peak for half a year, whispered to his companion. His voice trembled, and his eyes were slightly red.

”Yeah,” his companion whispered back, clenching his fists. ”I heard they’re diverting resources to the war effort, and defenses are stretched thin in a lot of places. I just wish I could be as strong as Senior Brother Gu Yan and Senior Brother Li Wen right now!”

Gu Yan heard the faint murmurs. He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the young, eager faces around him—faces filled with worry and determination. Finally, his eyes rested on Li Wen.

”Junior Brother Li,” his voice was not loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly,

”Your talent is extraordinary. You must cherish your time here on the mountain. I hope... that the next time we meet, I will be able to witness the divine might of your Ninth Layer Nine Heavens Divine Body as you slaughter the Demon Race in all directions.”

Li Wen understood the hope and weight in Gu Yan’s words.

He didn’t speak, just nodded firmly, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

Gu Yan smiled. That gentle warmth returned to his face, as if carrying with it his hopes for the future.

He clapped Li Wen firmly on the shoulder, then turned to face the larger crowd and declared in a loud voice:

”The time has come! My fellow junior disciples, I, Gu Yan, am off to slay the fiends!”

”Slay the fiends!”

A low chorus of agreement rose under the night sky of Nine Heavens Peak, filled with power and blessings. It was as if they were declaring the unyielding will of the Torchbearer students to the increasingly cruel world below.

In the glow of the lamps were countless young, resolute faces, each burdened by a heavy future.

The farewell procession snaked along, heading down the mountain.

Li Wen stood at the edge of the crowd, watching Gu Yan’s back recede into the distance. He could feel the urgency and oppression that filled the air around him.

In the night sky of Blue Star, an unseen shadow seemed to be expanding.

The road ahead was heavy and long.

...

Time flew. Another half a year had passed since Gu Yan left the mountain.

「The morning of June 1, 230, Galactic Calendar.」

As the gentle morning sun streamed through the elegant latticework of a window in his meditation room—in Courtyard 1-A on Nine Heavens Peak—Li Wen slowly opened his eyes from his cross-legged position.

A profound light shone in his eyes, the power of the Thunder Fiend held within, yet unreleased. The aura around him was as deep as the ocean.

It had been four years.

From the frail youth who first stepped into Torchbearer University to the powerhouse he was today—the academy’s number one student, the champion of the Flying Star Chart, and the youngest Bright Moon Realm Godfiend in nearly a century—Li Wen had long since shed all traces of his boyish immaturity.

His tall, straight posture concealed astonishing power. Every move he made exuded a unique aura, steady and profound, originating from his mastery of the Ninth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body. It gave him an air of extraordinary composure.

He habitually glanced at the invisible panel deep within his mind:

[Age: 22]

[Realm: Early-stage Bright Moon Realm (Level 45.1)]

[Profession: Scholar Lv. 13 (151240→216040/409600)]

[Skills: Saber Technique - Soul Realm (30%), Profound Firmament Five Forms (Star Rush 100%, Thunderclap 50%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Shocking God Stab - Fifth Layer (100%)]

He didn’t linger on it for long and quickly withdrew his gaze.

Four years had passed like a single day, the changes all coming from his diligent and unceasing cultivation.

After quickly washing up and eating the high-energy, custom-prepared meal from his intelligent butler, Li Wen habitually walked toward the study in a corner of the courtyard.

The morning light poured through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the study in a bright and tranquil glow.

Six hours of deep reading and study every day had long become an instinct etched into his very blood, a crucial cornerstone supporting the constant improvement of his strength.

Today, however, as he picked up a book, his state of mind was disturbed by a subtle ripple it usually lacked.

It was a heavy sense of anticipation, stemming from a milestone he was about to reach—ten thousand hours of study.

This habit, which he had maintained since the panel first activated, had persisted through time and the four turbulent years of university. Today, it was finally about to reach its second qualitative turning point: the reward for the ten-thousand-hour achievement.

Time slipped by quietly with the turning of pages and the clash of ideas.

Six hours passed in a flash.

[You have studied diligently for six hours. Scholar EXP +360]

[Profession: Scholar Lv. 13 (216040→216400/409600)]

After those two familiar messages, the long-awaited line of golden text finally popped up on the panel:

[Congratulations! You are the first on this server to achieve ’Ten Thousand Hours of Study’. Reward: ’Scholar EXP Gain x1.5’]

Li Wen’s eyebrows raised slightly, a flash of delight passing through his eyes.

He had originally thought he would receive a large, one-time sum of Scholar EXP. He never imagined the reward would be a permanent bonus: a 50% increase to his rate of gaining Scholar EXP.

This meant that from now on, the 360 Scholar EXP he would normally gain each day would increase to 540.

The short-term boost might not seem significant, but when stretched over a long period, the value of this reward would grow exponentially. It would drastically shorten the long road to advancing to higher Scholar levels in the future.

”A very practical reward,” Li Wen murmured, a satisfied smile gracing his lips.

He closed the large tome in his hands and was about to get up for lunch when a special chime sounded from the smart terminal on his wrist.

To focus on his cultivation, he had set his terminal’s message filter to be extremely strict. Only messages from a few important contacts could trigger an alert.

The sound immediately caught his attention.

He tapped the screen, and a familiar name came into view: ”Teacher Fang.”

It was the scholarly teacher who had first introduced him to the Martial Dao back in his senior year of high school, the one who always wore gold-rimmed glasses and a crisp gray suit.

It had been exactly four years since they had last parted ways in Bluestone County.

A mix of surprise and nostalgia washed over him, and Li Wen immediately opened the message:

[Teacher Fang: Li Wen, I’m about to arrive at Torchbearer University.]

The message was brief, but its content made Li Wen’s spirit jolt.