High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 408: Chapter 248: Saint Realm’s Pressure

To his even greater surprise, the Primordial Spirit power within his sea of consciousness was as vast as a Star Sea.

Even while maintaining this peak explosive state, a full-body fusion with his power, he felt the drain was far less than expected.

Based on his current rate of consumption, he calculated that maintaining this explosive output for several hours would be no problem at all.

For a battle between experts of their caliber, several hours of peak explosive power was practically equivalent to infinite stamina.

In just half a day!

From a newly ascended Venerable to possessing comprehensive combat strength approaching the Saint Realm.

This terrifying rate of improvement made even Li Wen himself feel as if he were in a dream, filled with a sense of unreality.

He could almost imagine the looks on the faces of Venerables Ye Qin, Gu He, and Xingxuan if they learned of his transformation over the past half-day.

Their jaws would drop. The word ”outrageous” wouldn’t even begin to describe their shock.

With the combat test complete, Li Wen’s heart was still surging with excitement, but he wasn’t satisfied.

He certainly hadn’t forgotten the terrifying 190% comprehension boost from his level 19 [Absolute Focus].

It was the perfect tool for him to perfect his blade techniques and strive for a higher realm.

Without a shred of hesitation, Li Wen hovered in the starry sky and focused his mind, delving into his sea of consciousness.

’Activate! Absolute Focus!’

VWOOM—!

A state of mind far deeper and purer than when he was at level 18 descended upon him.

In an instant, the world in Li Wen’s eyes changed completely.

The stars, the dust, the shattered space, even his own surging power... all external, irrelevant distractions vanished, faded, and blurred away.

It was as if the entire universe had been reduced to the long blade in his hand.

The blade became the entirety of his perception, the very meaning of his existence.

His mind was clearer and more lucid than ever before.

The points of confusion and stagnation he had previously encountered while comprehending the Way of the Blade...

...now, under the terrifying enhancement of his 190% comprehension, were like dusty pearls wiped clean, becoming incomparably clear and transparent.

The texture of the Laws, the flow of energy, the condensation of Blade Intent... countless subtle mysteries he had once overlooked were now laid bare before him, as clear as the lines on his palm.

Li Wen moved.

There was no earth-shattering display of power, only the calm, slow swing of the long blade in his hand.

With every swing, he guided the surrounding Law of Thunder to dance along with his movements.

Where the blade’s edge passed, it no longer merely cut through space.

Instead, it left behind trails in the void—trails composed of pure Law runes that condensed and refused to dissipate.

These faint, purplish-gold runic trails intertwined and resonated with each other.

They faintly sketched out the nascent form of a perfectly circular domain around him, one that flowed ceaselessly, full of life.

This was the fourth blade form he had conceptualized—one focused on defense, on guarding the self, impenetrable to all techniques.

In the state of Absolute Focus, time lost all meaning.

Li Wen was completely immersed in the ocean of the Way of the Blade, greedily absorbing the mysteries of the Law.

At times, he stood still as a boulder, his blade’s momentum flowing in a perfect circle, silently dissolving and annihilating the turbulent spatial flows that assailed him.

At others, the light of his blade danced like a wheel, forming an impenetrable, purplish-gold cocoon of light around him that was as impregnable as a fortress, no matter how violently the external energies battered it.

In his mind, countless fragments of inspiration regarding ”defense,” catalyzed by his super-high comprehension, collided, fused, and sublimated at an unprecedented speed.

That perfectly round domain of Law runes, starting from its initial vague, nascent form, grew clearer, more stable, and more... indestructible.

Twenty-four hours. A full day.

When the vast Spiritual Power in his sea of consciousness was finally on the verge of depletion, the state of level 19 [Absolute Focus] slowly receded like a tide.

Color returned to the world in Li Wen’s eyes.

But the Blade Intent emanating from him was even more restrained, more profound than it had been a day ago.

It seemed to hold a weight and harmony capable of encompassing everything and resisting all things.

He slowly sheathed his blade, sensing the now-formed principles of his fourth blade form in the depths of his mind, and the corners of his mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

A slight flicker of his thoughts, and the skills section on his Scholar panel quietly updated:

[Skills: Blade Arts · Venerable (Void Break 100%, Starfall 100%, Thunder Prison 100%, Imperial Guard 64%)]

Imperial Guard—Defend the self, resist all techniques, the pinnacle of mastery!

After testing the earth-shattering changes from his power-up, the sharp light in Li Wen’s eyes didn’t dim, but instead grew more solid.

He didn’t linger for a moment, not even returning to Changning City for a single glance.

His figure transformed into a streak of light that tore through the sky, speeding straight toward Kindle University.

Eighth-level Primordial Spirit!

This realm didn’t just signify another leap in his own strength.

It also carried the key to Blue Star’s fate, which Venerable Ye Qin had told him about—refining Blue Star’s control core!

As for the great enemies of the Demon Race lurking covetously in the Star Domain battlefronts and even the depths of the Demon Realm, it wasn’t that Li Wen wasn’t eager to settle the score, but one must secure the home front before dealing with external threats.

At this moment, his mind was firmly locked on the depths beneath Blue Star’s surface.

On the invading members of the Demon Race who were hidden like cancerous tumors, constantly threatening the lives of his fellow humans.

Ever since the world projection had stabilized and the spatial passages became relatively stable...

...most of these Demon Race members, intimidated by the patrols of the Human Race’s gods and devils, had retreated deep into their subterranean nests, rarely showing themselves.

However, their bloodthirsty instincts were like maggots clinging to bone.

There were always some demons who couldn’t control themselves, sneaking out to create one bloody massacre after another.

The wails of his horrifically slaughtered kin were the source of the inextinguishable fire of rage in Li Wen’s heart.

He wished he could exterminate this pack of beasts right here, right now.

For this cause, he would not hesitate for a second, even if it meant spending some of his precious time.

Over the years, he had seen too many brutal scenes.

Fields of corpses and rivers of blood—he had seen far, far too much.

The sooner these subterranean demons were all killed, the sooner Blue Star could welcome true peace.

The speed of a Venerable Realm expert was astonishing. Mere moments after the thought crossed his mind, Li Wen’s figure had already appeared in the sky above Enlightenment Peak at Kindle University.

He had already sent a message informing the three Venerables—Ye Qin, Gu He, and Xingxuan—of his successful breakthrough to the eighth level of the Primordial Spirit.

Therefore, the moment his figure touched the ground, three figures filled with indescribable excitement and anticipation appeared before him instantly.

The leader, Ye Qin, a veteran Venerable who was usually as steady as a mountain and had presided over Kindle University for centuries, now had lips that were trembling almost imperceptibly.

He took a step forward, his gaze locked tightly on Li Wen, his voice raspy with an emotion he was desperately trying to suppress, yet which still leaked through:

”Li Wen! Did you... did you really break through to the eighth-level Primordial Spirit?!” Each word seemed to carry immense weight.

”Yes, Senior Brother Ye.” Li Wen met his gaze and nodded solemnly.

To allow the three Venerables to confirm it for themselves, he stopped suppressing his aura.

A vast, majestic, and terrifying spiritual pressure, like the starry sky itself hanging upside down, erupted from his body without reservation!

VWOOM—!

An invisible wave of spiritual power instantly swept across the summit of Enlightenment Peak, and the very air seemed to freeze.

Venerable Ye Qin bore the brunt of it. He let out a muffled grunt as a tough Venerable’s True Aura and the light of his Primordial Spirit automatically manifested around him.

He stood like a boulder against a raging tide, his eyes erupting with irrepressible shock and wild joy.

Venerable Gu He reacted a fraction slower. Although he also felt a tangible pressure, his face instantly flushed with excitement.

Instead of retreating, he straightened his back.

Feeling this Spiritual Power that far surpassed his own realm, he let out a series of hearty, unrestrained laughs:

”Good! Excellent! Wonderful! HAHAHAHA! The heavens bless the Human Race! This is a sign of our great resurgence! Eighth-level Primordial Spirit! The threshold of the Saint Realm! Li Wen, you did it! You really did it!”

His laughter was filled with the cathartic release of centuries of suppression and boundless hope for the future.

However, Venerable Xingxuan, who stood to the side, felt her face drain of all color the instant the pressure washed over her.

Her Cultivation was only at the level of an ordinary Venerable. Faced with Li Wen’s Primordial Spirit pressure, which was already touching the threshold of the Saint Realm...

...she felt as if an invisible giant hand had seized her heart and soul, making it incredibly difficult to even breathe.

The immense pressure made her slender body tremble slightly. She gritted her teeth, her red lips pressed so tightly they turned white.

Her True Aura and Primordial Spirit power circulated madly within her as she did everything she could to resist the crushing spiritual weight that threatened to overwhelm her.

Beads of sweat the size of beans trickled from her smooth forehead, sliding down her lovely cheeks.

Li Wen instantly noticed Venerable Xingxuan’s distress. His heart tightened, and with a mere thought...

...the spiritual pressure that had been surging out like a tide was instantly retracted with perfect control, vanishing without a trace.

”Whew—” As the pressure vanished, Venerable Xingxuan let out a breath of relief, panting a few times. Her gaze toward Li Wen was filled with a mixture of terror and joy.

She forced a smile, her voice still a bit shaky. ”Congratulations, Junior Brother Li. The way of the Primordial Spirit is truly profound and vast, a wonder to behold.”

”Senior Sister Xingxuan, my apologies. I failed to retract my power completely for a moment.” Li Wen apologized sincerely.

”No matter, no matter!” Venerable Xingxuan was still immersed in immense joy, waving her hands repeatedly.

”It was good to experience it. This is true power. With Junior Brother Li here, why would we worry about the Demon Race not being exterminated?”

Venerable Ye Qin took a deep breath, forcibly calming his turbulent emotions.

But the excited light deep in his eyes, like a volcanic eruption, could not be concealed.

He clapped Li Wen firmly on the shoulder, his voice filled with unprecedented conviction and emotion:

”Junior Brother Li, you have shattered our cognitive limits time and time again. Eighth-level Primordial Spirit... This means that our long-cherished wish of several centuries...”

”...finally has a chance of being realized! The future of Blue Star, the hope of the Human Race, it all rests on you!”

At this moment, the veteran Venerable, who had lived for hundreds of years, had a choked-up catch in his voice.

He had witnessed the Human Race’s arduous struggle and was now seeing the first glimmer of dawn.

Li Wen’s meteoric rise was the most dazzling and heart-stirring miracle of his long life.

Venerable Gu He also suppressed his laughter, his eyes burning as he looked at Li Wen.

”That’s right! Refine the core, take control of Blue Star! The Demon Race will have nowhere left to hide. Li Wen, from now on, it’s all up to you!”

Venerable Xingxuan, having caught her breath, nodded emphatically, her eyes filled with immense trust and expectation.

The group spent a few more moments sighing with admiration, and once their excitement had calmed slightly, they knew they could not delay.

Venerable Ye Qin’s expression turned serious. ”Junior Brother Li, there’s no time to waste. We’ll take you to the control core’s location now.”