High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Flowing Water Does Not Vie for the Lead

Countless black metal spheres also took off at the same time. Each sphere followed a student, recording every Calamity Beast they killed and logging it on the leaderboard.

At the same time, a large number of black metal spheres scattered across the sky, monitoring the entire Disaster Beast Garden in real time.

Meanwhile, deep within the Disaster Beast Garden, in a cleared, open area.

BOOM! BOOM!

A massive, dazzling circular halo opened a channel between Blue Star and the Otherworld.

HAAH... HAAH...

Countless Level 1 and Level 2 Calamity Beasts, their eyes red, charged out from the Otherworld.

BANG! BANG!

Swathes of black shadows poured in one after another, rushing into the forest. At the same time, green fighter jets in the surrounding sky readied themselves.

BANG! BANG!

THWAP! THWAP!

Any avian Calamity Beasts that flew out were instantly blasted into mangled, bloody corpses by a hail of gunfire from the jets, their bodies crashing to the ground.

As hundreds of thousands of beasts entered the Disaster Beast Garden, the Disaster Beast Hunting Competition officially began.

...

PFFT!

HAAH... HAAH...

The tall and burly Huo Wanyang faced the charging Iron Spike Wild Boar with a disdainful smile. The muscles carved from solid rock all over his body tensed, and he swung his three-meter-plus great halberd.

WHOOSH!

Standing his ground, he unleashed his Power, a fierce force that tore through the air as the great halberd swung.

It easily sliced through the Iron Spike Wild Boar’s neck, piercing its throat and sending blood spraying.

THUD!

The Iron Spike Wild Boar collapsed, dead. Points +1.

Huo Wanyang shouldered his hundred-kilogram Red Halberd, shook his head, and charged straight for Area 2.

’The First Institute’s overall strength is the best. I just need to go all out for the first two days.’

’If I raise our total points so high that no one else has any hope of catching up, I can clock out after two days.’

’Money... I don’t need money!’

’I just want everyone to know my strength. I’m going to take the championship in the individual competition!’

...

SWISH~

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Dressed in a silver-white combat suit, Ao Feng moved like a phantom. Facing a jet-black figure that suddenly pounced from the green jungle, he unleashed a flash of cold light.

PFFT~

Beneath the phantom-like glint of his blade, a Shadow Cat was decapitated before it could even register its prey’s movements, its world spinning as it died.

MEOW~ MEOW~

PFFT~ PFFT~

Besieged by several Shadow Cats, he moved like a specter, easily dodging their attacks as his blade danced, spattering it with blood.

’Too weak. I need to go to Area 2 and hunt Third-Level Calamity Beasts. That’s the most efficient way.’

Ao Feng’s mind raced as he thought to himself:

’My goal is to fight for first place. I’ll go all out for the first two days. If the gap is small, I’ll give it my all. If the gap is too large, I’ll just withdraw from the competition and hold onto second place. That would count as completing the mission.’

With that thought, he shuttled through the jungle toward Area 2, not forgetting to slay any Calamity Beasts that launched surprise attacks along the way.

His points were also skyrocketing.

...

Amidst some crumbling ruins, the rebar had long since rusted, and vines snaked over the structure, bearing the marks of time.

PFFT~ PFFT~

ROAR~

The Mastiff Dog, built like a small calf with a streamlined body, saw only a blur of sword-light before it, like a golden snake flicking its tongue, enveloped in endless killing intent.

The claws it swiped out only struck an afterimage. The next moment, a sharp pain shot through its neck, and its body fell involuntarily to the ground, dead.

Duan Chuchu, dressed in a red-and-white combat suit with delicate features and fair skin, flourished her sword beautifully. She looked at her points and thought:

’Competing for first place will be difficult. Even though the Second Institute has many other geniuses from Shu Province like me, our overall strength is still a bit lacking.’

’Our goal for the Second Institute this time is to secure third place and push for second. As long as we guarantee a spot in the top three, the mission is complete.’

...

Meanwhile, Li Lei of the Fourth Institute swung his War Axe, cutting down an Iron Spike Wild Boar. His goal was to lead the Fourth Institute into the top three.

Then there were the twin sisters from the Third Institute, Ruan Yu and Ruan Qian. Their goal was the top five.

”Sis, even though our Third Institute doesn’t have any S-class geniuses in the nation’s top ten, our overall strength isn’t weak. Maybe we can break into the top three.”

The younger twin, Ruan Qian, said optimistically.

”The top three... Let’s just try to aim for the top five,” the elder sister, Ruan Yu, said, not as optimistic.

Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy was the number one Martial Arts University in the country. There were too many geniuses.

They were the strongest in their own province, but at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, there were far too many people stronger than them.

Many of the institute’s instructors had already given up and were just waiting to pick good prospects from the next class.

...

At the same time, in a huge conference room in the Red Cloud Building.

Over a dozen leaders from the Nine Great Academies sat around a massive, oval, dark conference table.

In their line of sight was a giant electronic screen displaying a leaderboard.

[Overall Points Ranking]

[First Place: Azure Sky First Institute, Points: 1528]

[Second Place: Azure Sky Ninth Institute, Points: 1498]

[Third Place: Azure Sky Second Institute, Points: 1480]

[Fourth Place: Azure Sky Fourth Institute, Points: 1430]

[Fifth Place: Azure Sky Sixth Institute, Points: 400]

[...]

Everyone’s eyes were on the Points Chart. The total points behind each institute were constantly increasing; the numbers jumped almost every second.

At the same time, a small screen was projected in front of each institute’s leader, showing their respective institute’s individual point rankings.

They could clearly see each person’s point status.

A beautiful middle-aged woman in a long purple dress, smoking a cigarette, smiled and was the first to speak:

”The competition has been running for five hours now, and the top three have already emerged.”

”Our Ninth Institute is holding steady at second place. We’ll likely finish around here as well.”

”According to the patterns from previous years, an institute’s overall strength reveals itself in the first five hours.”

”The institutes firmly in the top three have a 98% chance of staying there until the end.”

”Everyone, the Disaster Beast Hunting Competition might as well be over already!”

A refined-looking middle-aged man not far away also smiled confidently:

”That’s right. The results are already in. Our First Institute will be taking the final championship.”

No one else objected after hearing this.

Just then, Vice-Principal Xu Wenji spoke slowly:

”Don’t be hasty. The hunting competition has only just begun. The final results won’t be clear for another two days.”

”Even if there’s a 98% chance things won’t change, there’s still that 2% chance. We should just watch quietly.”

Everyone nodded, their gazes returning to the leaderboard.

Dean Liu, not far away, didn’t speak. He was silently looking at the rankings in front of him.

Lin Qi’s ranking was at the top of the Sixth Institute, with a considerable lead over the others. However, the others’ points were lagging quite a bit.

He watched the live feed projected before him. On it, Lin Qi, dressed in a black combat suit, was wielding a Black Great Spear, effortlessly killing Iron Spike Wild Boars, Mastiff Dogs, and other Calamity Beasts.

Seeing Lin Qi’s relaxed appearance, Dean Liu was inexplicably reminded of the Practical Training Camp in Celestial Sea City.

’That kid, Lin Qi... he’s not still wearing his Gravity Rings, waiting to make a final push, is he?’

He frowned at the thought. The Disaster Beast Hunting Competition wasn’t just six hours long; it was over two days, a full 41 hours.

If he waited until the last day to burst out, there wouldn’t be enough time.

Besides, his opponents this time weren’t S-class geniuses like Chen Li, who ranked in the top 20 nationally.

They were Huo Wanyang, Ao Feng, and Duan Chuchu—geniuses from the nation’s top ten.

Although he didn’t have much faith in Lin Qi’s choice, he wasn’t particularly anxious either.

’Lin Qi still has Talent. It’s only been a month since school started, so it’s normal for him not to be able to compete with them.’

’Flowing Water doesn’t fight to be first; it fights for an endless flow. In a few months, Lin Qi’s strength should catch up.’

He had already mentally prepared himself. His expectations for the team competition were very low this time; he would be satisfied as long as they maintained a spot in the top five and didn’t drop any lower.

...

Phew~

Under the blazing sun, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees, the air in the ruins was thick with the smell of earth and the stench of blood.

HAAH... HAAH...

ROAR~

PFFT~ PFFT~

A Unihorned Black Pig, its body as sleek as a small luxury car, entirely jet-black, and sporting a sharp horn on its head, stared at the nearby Lin Qi with a cruel expression.

In an instant, its hooves stamped on the muddy ground, leaving prints. Its body shot through the air in a lunge, the sharp dagger-like horn on its head slicing through the air.

BANG!

With his posture straight and tall, Lin Qi swung the Black Great Spear in his hand without even turning his head. A cold light flashed as the spear whistled through the air.

PFFT~

A crimson gash instantly appeared on the Unihorned Black Pig’s neck, and blood sprayed out.

THUD!!

Its body was sent flying, crashing heavily against a dilapidated concrete wall and shattering a large section of it. The thick smell of blood filled the air.

Lin Qi watched this scene with a blank expression.

At the beginning of the year, he had needed to go all out to face a Unihorned Black Pig.

Before the university entrance exams, he could kill one using sixty percent of his strength.

Now, he could kill a Unihorned Black Pig with a casual strike.

His strength had increased tremendously.

BEEP!

Lin Qi pressed a yellow button on his smart watch, and two green screens were projected in front of him.

The first was the overall leaderboard, and the second was the individual Points Chart for the Sixth Institute.

’The Azure Sky First Institute is in a league of its own, with the Azure Sky Ninth Institute close behind, and the Azure Sky Second Institute holding third place.’

’Our Sixth Institute is indeed in fifth place, just as I thought.’

Lin Qi looked at the overall rankings; they were exactly as he and his team had planned.

Then he looked at the Sixth Institute’s Points Chart. He was ranked first.

He checked the map again, then his figure flickered as he ran toward Area 2.

’For these two days, I’ll kill as many Calamity Beasts as I can. Once Huo Wanyang and Ao Feng withdraw, I can go all out.’

Lin Qi silently made his decision.

...

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Nine thousand students from the Nine Great Academies engaged in a frantic slaughter within the Disaster Beast Garden.

Tens of thousands of Calamity Beasts were killed every day, but countless more Level 1 to Level 3 Calamity Beasts were released from the Otherworld.

And although the points for each institute on the overall leaderboard were rising crazily, the overall rankings remained exceptionally stable.

The top three were as solid as a Pan Stone, having never changed.

”This time, we can be sure our First Institute will take first place.”

A student from the First Institute showed a smug smile after seeing the rankings.

Deep in the forest, Li Zehao, having just casually killed a Shadow Cat, also grinned.

’Enrolling in the Azure Sky First Institute was definitely the right choice.’

’So what if Lin Qi is the Dean of the Sixth Institute? The rewards from my First Institute are enough to erase the gap between us.’

...