High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 206: Chapter 153: Li Wen Takes the Stage; Third Layer of Primordial Spirit

”It’s true. It looks like they have a gap in their talent pipeline.”

Discussions rippled through the contingents from the other peaks.

”The second round of the Super Martial Artist competition, begin!” Zhou Yi announced without delay.

This time, Nine Heavens Peak sent up Ma Hao, a lean, older disciple with sharp eyes. He too had comprehended the Nine Heavens Divine Body to the Sixth Layer.

The outcome was much the same. He lasted until the final two, but his opponent—the disciple sent by Red Flame Peak—had a remarkably dense aura. With a single burst of force, he snapped Ma Hao’s rope, claiming an easy victory.

”Haha, first place belongs to my Red Flame Peak this time!” Cheers erupted from the Red Flame Peak contingent.

Two second-place finishes in a row cast an awkward pall over the Nine Heavens Peak seating area, and much of the joy from their earlier victory at the Flying Star Level had faded.

In the sections for the other peaks, the chatter grew more conspicuous, even laced with good-natured teasing:

”Nine Heavens Peak is still strong at the Flying Star Level, but their Super Martial Artists... they’re lagging quite a bit!”

”It’s true. Their disciples below the Flying Star Level can’t even secure a single first place. It really seems like there’s a gap in their talent pipeline.”

The disciples of Nine Heavens Peak were beginning to lose face, and even Du Yun and Fang Chenghong frowned.

Following an elite path meant they had fewer disciples, but the quality of each one was supposed to be higher.

Two consecutive defeats in the Super Martial Artist rounds was a blow to their pride. The murmurs about a gap in their talent pipeline were like thorns digging into each of their hearts.

...

Zhou Yi’s voice, carrying a hint of a smile, broadcast clearly through the sound-amplifying formation and echoed across the bustling plaza of Enlightenment Peak:

”Breath-gathering Contest, third round—Super Martial Artist group! Disciples from all peaks, please step forward!”

As soon as his voice faded, figures emerged from the ranks of the other eleven peaks. They strode quickly into the central area, gathering around the levitating Profound Steel Metal Ball.

Each one exuded a steady aura; they were clearly elite disciples from their respective peaks, all with impressive Cultivation at the Super Martial Artist Realm.

On the Nine Heavens Peak side, however, they were still quietly discussing whom to send into the fray.

They had few disciples at the Super Martial Artist level to begin with, and the number who had made rapid progress in cultivating the Nine Heavens Divine Body could be counted on one hand.

However, when they got a clear look at some of the opponents already standing in the arena, the few Nine Heavens Peak disciples who had been ready to volunteer instinctively faltered.

Senior Brother He Qiang, his gaze sharp, said in a low voice:

”It’s Huang Yong from Sky-splitting Peak and Lin Wei from Xingyan Peak! I know them. The Heaven-Sundering Divine Body and Star Inference Divine Body they practice have both reached Sixth-Layer Perfection. They’re just waiting to break through to the Flying Star Level.”

”What? Sixth-Layer Perfection?” a junior brother beside him asked, his expression changing slightly. ”No wonder their auras seem so different.”

Another Nine Heavens Peak disciple sighed helplessly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was filled with deep concern:

”Sigh, our peak just has too few people. Of the disciples below the Flying Star Level, the most talented ones like Senior Brother Wang just broke through. Among those of us who are left, very few have even comprehended the Nine Heavens Divine Body to the Sixth Layer, let alone perfection... Senior Brother Gu, with the way things are, it’s a long shot no matter who we send up. I’m afraid winning is close to impossible.”

Gu Yan’s brow furrowed slightly as he quickly scanned their ranks.

He Qiang was right. Though the remaining disciples were diligent, the furthest any of them had progressed in the Nine Heavens Divine Body was only the mid-stage of the Sixth Layer. They would be no match for the two experts in the arena, whose complete auras clearly indicated they had reached Sixth-Layer Perfection.

Just then, disciples from the adjacent peaks, eager for some drama, noticed Nine Heavens Peak’s hesitation.

A boisterous senior brother from Red Flame Peak called out from across the crowd, his voice just loud enough to be heard as he laughed:

”Hahaha, it looks like our brothers from Nine Heavens Peak aren’t on their A-game today!”

His words carried a tone of good-natured teasing, but they only added to the awkwardness of the Nine Heavens Peak members, making them feel they were losing even more face.

To the side and rear of the stage, the older Flying Star Level disciples, who had been watching with relaxed expressions, were also drawn in by the commotion.

Senior Brother Qi of Sky-splitting Peak, along with several other powerhouses on the Flying Star Chart, cast interested glances over, curious to see how Nine Heavens Peak would handle this apparent gap in their talent pipeline.

Amid this atmosphere thick with anticipation, teasing, and a hint of embarrassment, a figure slowly set down the energy drink in his hand, the movement so slight it went almost unnoticed.

However, when he lifted his head, the hearts of Du Yun and the others sitting near him suddenly leaped.

They saw that the usually calm and profound light in Li Wen’s eyes had retracted, replaced by a pure, sharp glint.

An invisible pressure, shifting with his gaze, began to emanate silently from his body, causing the hearts of a few nearby disciples to pound without them even realizing why.

Li Wen’s mind was perfectly calm.

’This ”Breath-gathering Contest” might be entertainment for the New Year’s Eve celebration, but it’s also an unspoken, public test of strength among the disciples of the twelve peaks. Nine Heavens Peak, home to the top three on the Golden Chart, the birthplace of legends among new disciples... Its prestige cannot be slighted on an occasion like this.’

His voice was steady and his tone casual, as if he were about to handle a trivial matter. ”Senior Brother Gu, let me give this round a try.”

”Junior Brother Li?!”

The motion of Li Wen standing up drew the eyes of every Nine Heavens Peak disciple.

Recognizing him, their reactions immediately became complex.

Some were delighted—at last, someone was willing to step up and save them from further embarrassment. With Li Wen’s reputation, even a loss wouldn’t be too disgraceful.

But more were worried. Junior Brother Li Wen’s talent was indeed exceptional, but he had been cultivating for far too short a time.

Just one month ago, he had broken through to the Sixth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body.

’To go from the initial stage of the Sixth Layer to Sixth-Layer Perfection in just one month? That’s simply impossible.’

They believed that Junior Brother Li Wen was likely still hovering around the mid-to-late stage of the Sixth Layer. Against Huang Yong of Sky-splitting Peak and Lin Wei of Xingyan Peak—two masters who had long since polished their skills to reach Sixth-Layer Perfection and possessed complete auras—his chances of victory were slim to none.