High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 194: Chapter 149: The Second Level of the Nine Heavens Divine Body

That night, news broke about Li Wen’s first visit to the Thunder Attraction Tower: he had successfully drawn lightning into his body, emerged unscathed, and made significant progress.

Like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, the news instantly sent ripples through the circles of senior disciples on Nine Heavens Peak.

The news seemed to grow wings. In a single night, it spread like wildfire, sweeping through all of Kindling University.

From pinned forum threads and student group chats to hushed whispers in every corner, one name was at the center of every conversation: Li Wen.

All those who had previously doubted why top geniuses like Li Wen, Du Yun, and Fang Chenghong would choose Nine Heavens Peak, citing the terrifying difficulty and failure rate of the Nine Heavens Divine Body, now fell silent.

With his actions, with this stunning debut, Li Wen had completely demolished the foundation of all their doubts.

He wasn’t just capable of cultivating the Nine Heavens Divine Body; the very first step, drawing lightning into his body—a major obstacle for most—had been astonishingly easy and smooth for him.

Attempting to draw lightning into his body after only a month of training... if it had been anyone else, people would have thought he was insane.

According to past records, even those who managed this step within two or three months were considered the most outstanding disciples in the history of Nine Heavens Peak.

Most people had to grind for four or five months, half a year, or even longer. Only when they felt they were thoroughly prepared would they dare to cautiously step into that intimidating Thunder Attraction Chamber.

Why? Because the risk of failure was far too high.

Drawing lightning into the body was no joke. A single lapse in control, and the berserk Power of Thunder and Lightning could instantly tear apart the body’s fragile meridians, scorch internal organs, and damage one’s fundamental qi and blood.

Even with the university’s top-tier recovery resources, a severely injured person would need months of bed rest just to get back on their feet.

Who would dare make an attempt without absolute confidence?

And Li Wen? A little over a month! In just over a month, he had accomplished what took others half a year of preparation. And he hadn’t just attempted it—he had succeeded.

This was beyond what the simple word ”genius” could describe. This was true monster-level perception and control.

For Li Wen’s three fellow prodigies, the shock was even more profound.

Du Yun was in his private villa, reviewing the difficult points of the Nine Heavens Divine Body Foundation Chapter’s Heart Method.

He had just exited the virtual inheritance space when his smart bracelet began to BUZZ. A notification popped up, and his pupils contracted sharply.

He stared at the screen, his fingers tightening unconsciously. The material of the bracelet let out a faint creak under the pressure.

The air seemed to freeze for several seconds. Du Yun finally took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, a complex, bitter feeling mixed with immense pressure filling the air.

”A little over a month... to draw lightning into his body...” he muttered, his voice hoarse.

”Li Wen... what even are your limits?”

Since comprehending Spear Intent, he had considered his will unshakable, fearless in the face of any challenge.

But faced with Li Wen’s inconceivable rate of progress, a profound sense of powerlessness gripped him with startling clarity for the first time.

The talent and hard work he had always been so proud of seemed so fragile before him.

He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the cold alloy wall. After a long moment, he opened them again, the shock in their depths replaced by a steely resolve.

’I won’t give up... The Nine Heavens Divine Body... I will master it too!’

* * *

In his temporary courtyard, Fang Chenghong stared at the messages on his chat app, his expression shifting from shock to acceptance, and finally, to heartfelt admiration.

He put down the copy of the Nine Heavens Divine Body Foundation Chapter he had been poring over, shaking his head with a wry smile.

”As expected of Li Wen, the man who’s a cut above the rest of us and holds the top spot. I’m really curious to see just how far he’ll go.”

His competitive nature, when directed at Li Wen, transformed into pure motivation to keep pace.

Fang Chenghong’s eyes burned with intensity. Far from feeling defeated, he was fired up with an even greater will to fight.

’Looks like I’ll have to speed up my own studies.’

* * *

Chen Xing, ranked twentieth and the first of his class to choose Nine Heavens Peak, had just finished a round of Sword Technique practice. Sweat soaked his training uniform.

He came from a remote, small county called Yun Mountain in the southwest of Hua Country. Though from an ordinary family, he had stunned everyone during the perception test. The feat of fully comprehending nine sword forms after just three minutes of meditation had earned him a place at Kindling University.

Tapping open the notification on his bracelet, he reread the message several times to confirm it was real. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

Then, he let out a very low, deep sigh. ”Kindling University... truly a place where stars gather.”

He gazed out the window at the summit of Nine Heavens Peak, shrouded in darkness, where the aura of thunder and lightning churned. His eyes filled with reverence for the great mountain and hope for the future.

’Drawing lightning into the body... I’ve only just begun to grasp the basics. There’s always someone better out there... I have to settle down and work even harder. I can’t waste this opportunity.’

He silently picked up his gleaming, well-polished basic training sword and once again immersed himself in the tedious but essential practice of his sword forms.

This resilience, forged by climbing his way up from the very bottom one step at a time, was his unique weapon.

These three prodigies were already unattainable figures in the eyes of ordinary people. But confronted with the staggering reality of Li Wen ”drawing lightning into his body in just over a month,” they, more than anyone, understood the true difficulty and magnitude of the feat.

For them, that step was still a long, long way off.

Elsewhere on campus, the students were in an uproar.

On the training grounds of Sky-splitting Peak, a senior disciple was practically beating his chest.

”Damn it! If I had his kind of talent back in the day, I would’ve gone to Nine Heavens Peak and gambled on that number one Super Grade method too!”

In a freshman dorm on Xingyan Peak, several students were crowded around a screen, scrolling through the forums. ”Tsk, tsk. The first step of the Nine Heavens Divine Body, done in just over a month? Li Shen, you’re an actual god! That speed is just insane!”