High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Each Displaying Their Divine Power

Lin Qi’s figure moved in a flash, like a bolt of lightning, his body instantly activated.

With a flick of the Black Great Spear in his hand, his muscles tensed, and the Flow of Power surged into the long spear.

The spear’s shaft trembled, emitting a low hum as Power clung to its sharp tip.

In an instant, the greatspear thrust out like a meteor streaking across the void. Most of the audience only saw a faint, fleeting glimpse of silver light.

Lin Qi’s thrust was the epitome of speed, swift as the wind. The Power he released seemed to slice through the air like a sharp blade, creating a piercing whistle.

Meteor Spear Technique—Starlight Stab!

’So fast!’

Mao Jia only saw a cold glint flash before her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as a terrifying killing intent enveloped her.

The spear thrust before her was simply too fast.

Her body subconsciously tried to retreat. The red Han Sword in her hand changed its trajectory, stabbing out in an attempt to block Lin Qi’s spear.

CLANG!!

A crisp collision. A shower of sparks flew as the tip of her sword met the spear’s shaft!

But Lin Qi’s thrust was too fast, his hand too steady. The Power he unleashed was like a loosed arrow.

Even after the impact, the spear continued its linear path, straight toward its target.

’It’s over!’

Mao Jia’s eyes widened, the sharp tip of the spear reflected in her beautiful pupils.

It was like ice dozens of degrees below zero, radiating a bone-chilling cold!

PFFT~

In that instant, the sharp spearhead pierced through her Combat Suit, her tough skin, shredding muscle and blood vessels before puncturing her heart.

Fresh blood spurted out along the spear tip.

Mao Jia still wanted to swing her sword at Lin Qi, but the system had already determined her death.

THUD!

She fell to her knees on the concrete floor, blood splattering on the ground.

”How could this be...?”

Mao Jia let the blood trickle from her mouth, looking up at Lin Qi with a face full of incomprehension.

But Lin Qi merely stated with a calm expression:

”Your Swordsmanship isn’t as strong as Duan Chuchu’s!”

As soon as his voice fell, Mao Jia dissolved into nothingness, dissipating into the air.

Total combat time: three seconds.

[Match Two: Lin Qi (Azure Sky) is victorious!]

The intelligent voice’s announcement echoed above the arena!

With the battle over, Lin Qi once again transformed into a crimson pillar of light and returned to the spectator stands.

***

In the stands for Sichuan Martial Arts University, tens of thousands of students were suddenly rendered silent.

Countless people stared, dumbfounded. Some blinked frantically, suspecting they were seeing things.

”How did this happen? This has to be fake, right?”

”Mao Jia was instantly killed?”

”Is the gap between our Ten Great Schools and the three top-tier academies really this massive?”

Countless people from Sichuan Martial Arts University lost their composure. The more confident they were before the match, the more crestfallen they were now.

After returning to the stands, Mao Jia covered her face, which was burning red with shame as she sank into a stunned daze.

’So humiliating!’

She was actually insta-killed by Lin Qi!

Thinking back to her confidence before the match, and the words she had said to Lin Qi, she was overcome by a feeling of utter social suicide.

***

Meanwhile, in the leadership stands.

The bald man from Sichuan Martial Arts University was now staring wide-eyed, speechless as if someone were strangling him.

His entire aura deflated, all his previous smugness gone.

’What kind of monster is this Lin Qi? How can he be so strong?’

He felt that Lin Qi was even stronger than the contestants he had seen in the past few years.

The leaders from the other two top academies, Nether Sea and Shanyu Martial Arts University, all frowned at Lin Qi’s performance.

Only a select few remained calm.

In the Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy stands, the crowd was sighing with emotion.

”Lin Qi has gotten stronger again!” one of the leaders exclaimed.

”More than three months have passed since the freshmen tournament. It’s only normal that he’s gotten stronger,” Dean Liu said with a chuckle.

***

After the battle ended, the spectator stands fell silent for a second before erupting into thunderous applause and cheers.

”So strong! An instant kill!”

”I was the one insta-killed by Mao Jia yesterday. Her strength was beyond my imagination.”

”But now she was insta-killed by Lin Qi?”

”This Lin Qi is too powerful. Is this the strength of a seeded contestant from Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy?”

The crowd was in an uproar. There was always a higher mountain.

They originally thought that the geniuses from the three top academies were already incredibly strong, completely outclassing them.

Then a genius like Mao Jia appeared, who could decisively defeat even the geniuses from the top three.

And now a seeded contestant like Lin Qi had emerged, killing Mao Jia in three seconds—a kill by countdown. It shattered their worldview.

***

In the Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy stands, Huo Wanyang clenched his fists, an excited expression on his face.

”Lin Qi has definitely gotten much stronger again. I really want to fight him one more time!”

Duan Chuchu shook her head. ”This Mao Jia was really overconfident. Even I can’t defeat Lin Qi. She’s truly a frog in a well!”

In the Nether Sea Martial Academy stands, a man with dark skin and an extremely burly, imposing build grinned upon seeing the result.

”Looks like I have another rival.”

Then, his gaze shifted to a lean-bodied young man not far away.

Li Hanjiang was ruffling his own hair.

”He really is strong. A formidable opponent!”

In the Shanyu Martial Arts University stands, the silver-haired Liang Yuxin’s eyes also shone brightly.

”This Mao Jia is too weak. I could also kill her with a single strike. Without Tier Three Swordsmanship, she’s ultimately too weak. She couldn’t force Lin Qi to reveal much of his strength.”

”But based on that move alone, he’s definitely a formidable opponent.”

***

In the Azure Sky Sixth Institute’s area, Lin Qi reappeared as a crimson pillar of light.

”Welcome back!” Jiangtao shouted loudly.

”I told you, there was no way Mao Jia was a match for Brother Qi.”

”She’s just like Li Zehao from the freshmen tournament. Thought she could win, but actually had no chance at all,” Guo Heng said with a laugh.

Lin Qi shook his head. ”Mao Jia is very strong. She was just unlucky to run into me.”

”You all can’t be careless when you face your opponents.”

”Understood, Brother Qi!” The group laughed, a joyous atmosphere filling the air.

After offering a few words of instruction and encouragement, Lin Qi’s gaze returned to the arena, the previous battle replaying in his mind.

Mao Jia undoubtedly possessed strength comparable to an S-class genius.

But her Qi and Blood Value was lower than his, and most importantly, her Swordsmanship had not broken through to Tier Three. That gap was simply too large.

Tier Three Martial Arts was a major watershed. The difference was night and day.

Even for a genius with powerful Combat Talent like himself, it would be very difficult to win a fight at 99% of Tier Two against an opponent with Tier Three Martial Arts, let alone anyone else.

Therefore, the gap between him and Mao Jia was too vast. It was only natural that she was killed by his single spear strike.

[Will the contestants for the third match please enter the arena!]

As the intelligent voice made the announcement, the third match began.

”Brother Qi, it’s Yi Shaojie from Xia Imperial Military Academy!” Jiangtao said, pointing at the man in the arena.

Lin Qi looked over. It was a man in a silver-gray Combat Suit, his posture as straight and tall as a green pine tree.

He was tall, with sharp, resolute features and bronze skin. The weapon he used was a Miao Blade.

He exuded a hardened and unyielding aura, a temperament unique to students of military academies.

A minute later, the match ended with Yi Shaojie decisively defeating his opponent.

Lin Qi quickly judged his strength. He was a bit stronger than Mao Jia, with very strong Combat Talent.

He was most likely an S-class genius from the military, someone who would qualify to be the head of the First Institute even at their Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.

The fourth and fifth matches that followed became exceptionally intense. Unless one was at the Dean-level, securing a victory was not easy.

Then came the sixth match, featuring Shanyu Martial Arts University’s number one, Liang Yuxin.

Many curious gazes were fixed upon her.

”Liang Yuxin is the top freshman at Shanyu Martial Arts University. Her strength is definitely immense. Her opponent is an expert from Nether Sea,” Jiangtao commented from the side.

In the arena, the moment the intelligent voice gave the signal, the slender, silver-haired Liang Yuxin’s figure flashed, leaving several afterimages in the air as she brandished her longsword.

Her opponent was a burly man who used a great saber. He saw only two phantoms before him and froze in a daze.

The next moment, a cold light flashed, and he felt a sharp pain in his neck before losing consciousness.

The battle was over. Just like Lin Qi, it was an instant kill.

The spectator stands were in an uproar once again. Another instant kill.

”So fast!” Zhou Xiyin blurted out.

She and Wang Qiufeng couldn’t help but frown. Both of them were exceptionally skilled in speed, yet they could feel that Liang Yuxin’s Swordsmanship was extremely fast. They knew they would undoubtedly lose if they faced such a sword style.

”Tier Three Swordsmanship!” Lin Qi also spoke.

”Only Tier Three Martial Arts could possess such speed and the ability to so easily defeat an opponent.”

Everyone came to a sudden realization.

Lin Qi watched Liang Yuxin. Her Swordsmanship had definitely broken through to Tier Three, and it had been for some time.

Time quickly passed to the tenth match, and it was time for Nether Sea University’s number one, Li Hanjiang, to take the stage.

He wore a blue Combat Suit and wielded a blue-silver long spear. He had a sturdy build, chiseled features, and piercing eyes, exuding a cold and ruthless aura.

The moment he appeared in the arena, Lin Qi’s gaze was fixed on him.

It wasn’t just him; other geniuses like Huo Wanyang and Liang Yuxin were also exceptionally curious about this prodigy who had defeated the top scorer of the college entrance exams.

Li Hanjiang’s opponent was none other than Wang Qiufeng.

His brow was tightly furrowed. The instant the intelligent voice announced the start, his body shot forward, moving like a Gale as his blade light fused into a single slash.

SWISH~

Facing Wang Qiufeng’s attack, Li Hanjiang smiled confidently and thrust out with a flick of his blue-silver greatspear.

WHOOSH~

As Wang Qiufeng saw the blue-silver greatspear thrusting toward him, it was as if he were seeing a sky full of falling snowflakes, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

CLANG~

His Battle Saber collided with the spear tip. As sparks flew, a needle-like Power shot through his arm, making it go numb.

PFFT~

The next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his neck as his own blood sprayed before his eyes.

’I lost?’ Wang Qiufeng’s expression was one of utter shock.

Immediately after, he dissolved into nothingness and dissipated into the air.

”Another instant kill!”

Thunderous applause once again resounded through the stands; the crowd was even getting a little numb to it.

”Li Hanjiang is very strong. I was instantly killed!”

In the spectator stands, Wang Qiufeng shook his head with a wry smile as he faced the others.

The others frowned as well.

”This Li Hanjiang is truly worthy of being the expert who defeated the top scorer. He actually ended the battle with a single spear strike,” Jiangtao said with a grave expression.

Wang Qiufeng was by no means weak. He ranked in the top five within the Azure Sky Sixth Institute and was a master who could place in the top 30 of the entire Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.

Yet now, he couldn’t even withstand a single spear thrust from Li Hanjiang.

***