High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 409: Chapter 395: Genius is Just the Entry Threshold

Everyone looked toward the dormitory area. It was nestled by mountains and water, incorporating the style of a classical Chinese garden.

Small villas were scattered about like stars in the sky, arranged in a staggered yet orderly fashion, forming a unique ”constellation” pattern.

Wan Ming looked at the numerous villas and asked curiously:

”Dean Liu, I see the villas are different sizes. Does everyone get a different one?”

Dean Liu smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

”But of course. Geniuses of different levels naturally reside in different villas!”

”For example, an S-class genius only gets a small villa.”

”An SS-level genius, on the other hand, not only gets a larger villa, but the Source Energy Concentration in their Martial Arts Room is also higher. Plus, they come with a garden, a swimming pool...”

”As for SSS-level geniuses, they not only have the largest villas, but they’re also fully equipped with every amenity.”

After speaking, Dean Liu pointed to a massive villa with a large courtyard in the distance, which looked exceptionally luxurious compared to the other detached villas.

Chu Yu pointed to one of the large white villas and said, ”That one is my residence. Feel free to come and hang out when you have time.”

”The villa is too big. It gets a little too quiet sometimes, feels a bit lonely.”

Chu Yu complained, and everyone fell silent.

They felt a clear difference in status. They never thought they’d experience a day like this.

And Lin Qi felt as if he had returned to his first day at Azure Sky Martial Arts University, with its omnipresent status gaps.

At that moment, luxurious electric cars began to drive out from the villas one after another.

Different students were inside the cars. Lin Qi briefly sensed them and found their auras to be extremely powerful—they were at least Martial Artists at the Fifth Realm of Refining Inner Organs.

They were most likely Awakened geniuses from the upper years.

...

「A few minutes later」

The tour vehicle was now empty, leaving only Lin Qi and Dean Liu.

The two of them arrived in front of a villa.

He looked up at the villa. It was even larger than the one he had at Azure Sky Martial Arts University.

The design was simple and modern, with clean lines and white walls.

Dean Liu said with a smile:

”Lin Qi, this will be your residence for a long time to come.”

”Our Celestial Vault Institute’s residential area is called the Star Residence. This is Star Residence Villa No. 36, second only to the villas for SSS-level geniuses.”

”The villa has two floors, about 500 square meters, with an attached 300-square-meter courtyard.”

Lin Qi looked at the courtyard. With its rockeries, flowers, and trees, it was like a small private garden.

Dean Liu led Lin Qi into the spacious villa and pointed at a mechanical pillar by the door.

”As for the villa’s instructions, you can have your smart-life assistant connect to the official website. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.”

He sat on a soft blue sofa and said:

”The Celestial Vault Institute is basically a miniature Azure Sky Martial Arts University. Many things are similar.”

”Get yourself familiar with the place first!”

Lin Qi nodded his thanks.

A moment later, Dean Liu left. Lin Qi opened the manual that Dean Liu had uploaded to the group chat and began to examine it carefully.

After a moment, he put down his phone and looked around the entire villa.

’It really is similar to Azure Sky Martial Arts University.’

”Little Chan, order me a Level 5 Nutritional Meal!”

”Yes, Master!”

Little Chan, dressed in black, put down all the luggage and began taking control of the villa’s smart home system.

「Half an hour later」

After eating the nutritional meal, Lin Qi carried his luggage to his brand-new Martial Arts Room.

This Martial Arts Room was even more spacious. The walls were made of a special white alloy. He touched it and could tell the material was of higher quality.

After putting away his weapon and Cultivation Resources, he sat down cross-legged and began his Cultivation.

In his powerful Spirit Perception, he could sense endless Source Energy Particles all around him.

They gathered and glowed like stars in the night sky, or perhaps more like grains of sand in a desert—they were just that dense.

With a simple breath, a large amount of Source Energy Particles entered his body.

He felt exceptionally refreshed, his body and mind clear. The effects of the 3x gravity were now negligible to him.

In an environment like this, even an ordinary person could probably break through to the Fourth Realm after just a few decades.

The Source Energy Concentration was simply too high. He made a quick comparison. Let’s say the concentration in his Martial Arts Room on Blue Star was a 5. Then the Source Energy Concentration of the Disaster Beast Pyramid was an 8. And here, in Star Residence Villa No. 36, it reached a staggering 20—four times what it was in his room on Blue Star.

This was the top-level cultivation environment prepared specially for them.

Lin Qi was shocked. With four times the concentration, his cultivation speed could also increase severalfold.

’The time I’ll need to spend in the Fifth Realm might be shortened.’

Thinking of this, he took out a bottle of Organ Cultivation Liquid, assumed the Five Hearts Facing Heaven Technique posture, and consciously began his visualization of the Ninth-Level Calamity Beast, the Platinum Evil Tiger.

”ROAR~”

With a roar, a massive Energy Storm condensed around him, and vast amounts of Source Energy Particles entered his body through his pores.

At the same time, with each breath, a large amount of Source Energy gathered in his lungs. His Qi and Blood, infused with the power of [Jin Feng], began the Refinement of his lungs.

”BUZZ! BUZZ!”

His body vibrated, more active than ever before, like a herd of restless wild horses stampeding madly.

He not only had to resist the 3x gravity but also absorb Source Energy to temper his heart and lungs.

Lin Qi felt like he was getting a spa treatment—painful yet blissful. Every part of his body was undergoing a transformation, and his Qi and Blood Value was rising dramatically.

「Two hours later」

”WHOOSH~”

Lin Qi opened his eyes, releasing a Golden Light that illuminated the entire Martial Arts Room as he exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The fierce gale swirling around his body dissipated, spreading outward like a wave.

[You have completed one Source Energy Cultivation session. Your lung Refinement progress has greatly increased. Qi and Blood Value +30]

[Qi and Blood Value: 545 → 575]

...

Seeing the increase in his Qi and Blood Value, the corners of Lin Qi’s mouth lifted.

The effects of this cultivation session were even better than he had imagined.

The Refinement of his lungs, one of the five viscera, was almost complete.

’At this rate, I might be able to approach the Sixth Realm by the end of the semester.’

...

At 5:30 in the evening, all the students who had arrived at the Celestial Vault Institute received the same notification.

Lin Qi was no exception. Dean Liu had joined the small group chat for his Tenth Institute.

[Dean Liu: Meet at the Celestial Dome Tower tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM. All Awakened geniuses from the Martial Arts Universities of Xia Country will gather... ]

Everyone who saw it felt the immense pressure.

In the Martial Arts Room, Lin Qi put down his phone, took up his Tiger Slaying Spear, and began to practice the Mountain and River Spear Technique.

He was filled with anticipation for the meeting of all the geniuses tomorrow.

...

「August 21st. For Xia Country, it was just an ordinary day.」

It was Lin Qi’s second day at the Celestial Vault Institute.

The Celestial Dome Tower, the central building of the Celestial Vault Institute.

It was a super-tall skyscraper, 999 meters high, with a primary color scheme of red and white. The tower’s body was constructed from high-strength alloys and nanomaterials.

The building was dotted with specks of golden light, making it look as if it were encircled by a river of stars.

Atop the building was a giant statue of a Martial Artist.

It was identical to the statue of Emperor Red that Lin Qi had seen at the entrance of the Azure Sky Martial Arts School.

Lin Qi stepped out of the electric car. Today, he was again wearing the special black and gold robe, with the Sword-piercing Sky School Badge of Azure Sky Martial Arts University pinned to his chest.

He slowly walked into the grand hall of the Celestial Dome Tower. It was a magnificent and resplendent space.

The walls were covered with paintings depicting scenes of Martial Artists battling Calamity Beasts.

Melodious, profound, and epic-sounding music played in the air.

Lin Qi saw Wan Ming and the others. They had all arrived already. Unconsciously, all the new students from Azure Sky Martial Arts University had gathered.

The hall was filled with numerous smart chairs. Lin Qi and the others went to their section and sat down as instructed.

There were over a hundred seats, all sectioned off according to school, year, and genius Level.

Lin Qi found the seat marked with his name and sat down. Next to him were Chu Yu and Yu Zhuoran.

After them were Pei Jiu and Huo Wanyang, all SS-level geniuses. As for Wan Ming and his group, they could only sit in the rows behind.

Looking at the other sections, the hall was divided into four main areas: the three top academies, the military, and the Ten Great Schools.

The group from the military and the Ten Great Schools had the fewest Awakened geniuses, totaling only a little over 40 people, most of whom were from the military.

Lin Qi looked ahead at the third and fourth-year Awakened geniuses. Their auras were formidable. A few of them had terrifyingly strong auras, not far from the Seventh Realm.

Those were the fourth-year SS-level geniuses, and perhaps even SSS-level geniuses.

”Students, welcome to the Celestial Vault Institute!”

On the white dais before them, more than a dozen figures sat in a row. They were middle-aged men and women wearing the uniforms of different academies, and even military attire.

The auras they exuded were terrifying. Some were as heavy and imposing as a towering mountain, some were like a scorching sun, and others were like a bottomless ocean...

Without exception, they were all incredibly powerful. They were all masters of the Eighth Realm, hailing from the three top academies, the military, the Ten Great Schools, and other smaller schools.

And standing at the very front was Celestial Blade Liy Qifeng, a Ninth Level Title Martial Artist.

”BOOM!!”

As soon as Liy Qifeng finished speaking, his eyes shot out a dazzling Golden Light. A terrifying pressure erupted from his body, like a surging tidal wave, sweeping over all the students present.

Everyone felt the terrifying pressure, as if a Giant Blade were chopping down at them. The faces of many students instantly turned pale.

”BOOM!!” 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

At the same time, many people directly unleashed their Special Abilities, erupting with golden light and red light, releasing their own auras to resist Liy Qifeng’s.

Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit.

Red Flame, Jin Feng, Flowing Water, Thunder, Heavy Earth, Gale...

All sorts of Special Abilities flared up in defiance.

The leaders on the dais were also observing the geniuses’ performance, and the results were quite satisfactory to them.

Liy Qifeng glanced in Lin Qi’s direction and nodded discreetly.

As they resisted the pressure, an irrepressible fear rose in everyone’s hearts. They all felt that Liy Qifeng was simply too terrifying.

Lin Qi also frowned. ’So this is a Ninth Realm Martial Artist... He can suppress over a hundred geniuses with his aura alone.’

The pressure lasted for only a moment before it vanished, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Liy Qifeng then continued to speak:

”I am Liy Qifeng, the principal of Azure Sky Martial Arts University, and I also serve as the director of the Celestial Vault Institute.”

”Xia Country has decided to establish the Celestial Vault Institute to vigorously cultivate you geniuses.”

His voice boomed like a great bell, each and every word exceptionally clear.

”Among the 181 Awakened geniuses present, there are 152 S-class geniuses, 24 SS-level geniuses, and 5 SSS-level geniuses.”

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this, and a wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd.

”Hiss~”

Wan Ming sucked in a sharp breath. ”Holy crap, there are actually 181 of us.”

”And there are 24 SS-level geniuses? Isn’t that number a little insane?”

Beside him, Pei Jiu shook his head and sighed.

”That number is beyond what we imagined.”

”The most crucial part is that there are five SSS-level geniuses!!”

Chu Yu’s expression also grew solemn. He, too, was shocked that there were four other geniuses at the same level as him.

In other words, he had at least four powerful competitors this time.

...