High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 203: Chapter 152: Combined Chapter

Li Wen walked out of the villa. Outside, the evening lights were just beginning to glow.

A cold wind blew past, carrying the unique, crisp scent of the air after a snowfall.

He gently exhaled, and the white puff of his breath quickly dissolved into the night.

He had achieved the 7th Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body. The surging power within him was perfectly contained. Outwardly, aside from his eyes which now seemed calmer and deeper, he looked no different than usual.

The joy of his breakthrough was quickly replaced by the poise gained from daily cultivation. No one knew what kind of transformation had occurred beneath his calm exterior.

His smart bracelet vibrated. It was a message from Wang Shuo: ”Brother Wen, have you all left yet? We’re waiting for you at the meeting point!”

”On my way,” Li Wen replied simply, adjusted his academy uniform slightly, and stepped into the bustling world outside.

He met up with Wang Shuo, Chu Feng, and Nangong Xue, his fellow hometown friends from Jiangnan, and together they walked toward a small aircraft parked nearby.

The aircraft flew smoothly, weaving through the brilliant night scenery of the campus.

But in contrast to the liveliness outside, the few of them inside were somewhat silent, their gazes drifting involuntarily out the window.

Streaks of light shot past the aircraft at high speed from time to time—they were senior students who could fly through the air.

”A Flying Star Level expert...” Wang Shuo said, his voice full of envy as he watched a figure disappear over a distant mountain peak. ”WHOOSH, and they’re gone.”

”Transcending the mundane with a body of gods and demons... truly extraordinary,” Nangong Xue also sighed softly.

”Below Flying Star, all are but ants.” Wang Shuo patted the aircraft’s window, reciting a widely circulated saying at Spark University as he shook his head. ”And we still have to rely on this hunk of metal.”

Li Wen listened to his companions’ discussion without saying anything, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky outside the window.

He had already felt the power of the Flying Star Level keenly on that New Year’s Eve in Bluestone County, from the single strike Ling Feng used to annihilate a high-level Flying Star Level Demon Beast.

That kind of immense power was something to aspire to, but it also made one understand the potential responsibilities on their shoulders.

And now, he was only a few steps away from that realm.

By the time they reached the venue’s entrance, it was already a sea of people.

Spark University had gathered over a dozen graduating classes of disciples. More than two thousand people were assembled in one place, a gathering even larger than the new student Peak selection ceremony.

The disciples of the major Peaks naturally gathered together. Their uniforms were of the same style but had subtle differences, forming twelve distinct sections. Among them, the purple area for Nine Heavens Peak seemed somewhat empty.

When Li Wen and his group walked past, they immediately drew a lot of attention.

”It’s Li Wen!”

”Li Wen from Nine Heavens Peak is here!”

Low murmurs reached his ears, and many faces—some familiar, others just nodding acquaintances—gave him friendly smiles.

Fang Chenghong waved from a distance. ”Brother Wen, over here!”

Du Yun stood at the very front of the Nine Heavens Peak section with his arms crossed. Seeing Li Wen, he gave a cool nod.

Li Wen smiled and returned their greetings one by one, walking without pause toward the exclusive seating for Nine Heavens Peak.

He could feel gazes from all directions—scrutinizing, curious, admiring, and some even held a hint of a challenge.

The past six months had marked his meteoric rise: from shocking the academy overnight by drawing lightning into his body, to breaking through several stages of the *Nine Heavens Divine Body* in just a few short months, and finally reaching the 6th Layer only a few days ago.

His name was no longer just that of the top new student. He had ascended to a level where he could be mentioned in the same breath as Ling Feng—the peerless prodigy from Sky-splitting Peak who perennially ranked first on the disciple combat power rankings.

He had just sat down when he keenly sensed a particular gaze on him.

Unlike the curious gazes of the other disciples, this one was sharp and calm, yet it carried an inexplicable kindness.

Following the feeling, he looked up.

His gaze passed through the boisterous crowd and landed on the core area of Sky-splitting Peak’s section.

A young man in a dark gold martial arts uniform sat there quietly. His posture wasn’t deliberately straight, yet it was as if he had merged with the space around him, creating his own aura.

It was Ling Feng.

For the first time, in the truest sense, their gazes met in mid-air.

There were no imaginary sparks, no confrontational hostility.

A flicker of faint surprise, as if confirming something, passed through Ling Feng’s deep, star-like eyes. Then, that surprise melted into a warm smile.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he gave Li Wen a frank and sincere nod.

The smile was pure, carrying a trace of relief and the gentle appreciation one has for a promising junior.

Li Wen was slightly taken aback.

He had imagined many scenarios for meeting this legendary senior, but he had never expected such peace and goodwill. A warm current quietly flowed through his heart.

He remembered that desperate night in Bluestone County, the crimson flash of a blade that had descended from the sky like a god to slay the colossal beast.

Without that strike, the casualties in Bluestone County would have been immeasurable, and he himself would have had no chance of survival back then.

Towards Ling Feng, he held respect, and an even heavier sense of gratitude.

In that moment, the smile instantly closed the distance between two hearts—both geniuses, both shouldering the future of the Human Race.

Li Wen smiled back—a genuine, respectful, and equally warm smile—and gave Ling Feng a solemn nod.

The desire to surpass him had not diminished, nor had the will to climb higher faded. But on this New Year’s Eve, it was more a feeling of mutual understanding, of the camaraderie between warriors who cherished one another’s talent.

’Yes, the situation of the Human Race is far too dire to be burdened by internal squabbles.’

Before long, the atmosphere in the venue suddenly grew solemn.

On the high platform, halos of light swirled and space distorted slightly as a dozen incomparably powerful auras silently descended.

The Peak Masters of the twelve Peaks appeared, along with the headmaster.

”Disciples, thank you for your hard work!” The white-haired headmaster’s voice was calm, yet it carried clearly to every corner of the hall.

”On this joyous New Year’s Eve, I hope you will all set aside the burdens of your cultivation and indulge in celebration tonight! To the future of the Human Race, and to the eternal flame of our legacy—cheers!”

”Cheers!”

”To the eternal flame of our legacy—cheers!”

The earth-shattering shouts echoed to the heavens as more than two thousand people raised their cups and drank together.

Next came the toasts from the Peak Masters of each Peak.

Nine Heavens Peak’s Master, Fang Qinghan, swept his gaze across his Peak’s section of less than a hundred people, his eyes pausing imperceptibly on Li Wen.

With his peak King-level insight, he easily saw through Li Wen’s calm exterior to the powerful life force contained within—one that seemed to have been tempered by a thousand bolts of lightning—as well as the stabilized aura of the 7th Layer of the *Nine Heavens Divine Body*.

Although the breakthrough was recent, his foundation was solid and his vital energy was flourishing, far surpassing his peers and was even more refined than that of many senior disciples.

A flicker of imperceptible satisfaction and relief passed across Fang Qinghan’s stern face.