High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 439: Chapter 421: One Must Not Slack Off in Cultivation

In a luxurious villa within the exclusive area for SSS-level geniuses at Star Residence.

Inside the high-tech Martial Arts Room.

Beneath the lights, the handsome Chu Yu sat cross-legged, dressed in a custom-made red Martial Arts Uniform.

”HUFF... HUFF...”

His breathing was ragged and his body trembled. Sweat beaded on his brow and trickled down his face as red patterns surfaced on his skin. The temperature in the Martial Arts Room climbed steadily.

His Martial Arts Uniform, soaked with sweat, was instantly baked dry again.

The next moment, he snapped his eyes open.

”HAAAH...”

Chu Yu gasped for air, his face pale as he felt the Qi and Blood flowing through his body.

’This is excruciating!’

He stopped his Cultivation, a lingering fear gripping him as he recalled the session.

As an SSS-level genius, his cultivation speed was like a rocket. Aside from the tedious fatigue, he had never experienced any real pain during his Cultivation.

But the Sixth Realm was different. The Bone Marrow Cultivation Technique inflicted genuine, agonizing pain.

It was almost unbearable for him.

’Another thirty minutes and I’ll have hit my one-hour goal for today.’

Chu Yu checked the time on his phone. After a brief rest, he began his Cultivation again.

He had set a personal goal to practice the Bone Marrow Cultivation Technique for one hour each day.

The rest of his time was dedicated to Source Energy Cultivation and training in the Gravity Room.

The Bone Marrow Cultivation Technique was just too agonizing.

But then he suddenly thought of Lin Qi and felt an immense pressure wash over him.

He gritted his teeth. He refused to be surpassed by Lin Qi. He had to defeat him again.

’I’m destined to become a Ninth Realm Title Level Martial Artist.’

So, he silently decided to increase his daily marrow refining time by another half hour.

That way, his Qi and Blood Value would increase faster. As for the pain... he would just have to endure it.

...

Meanwhile, in a nearby villa.

Inside another Martial Arts Room, arcs of silver electricity crackled in every corner, like a frantic Silver Snake Dance.

”BZZT! BZZT!”

Amidst the crackling of electricity.

Dressed in a black Martial Arts Uniform, the slender Shen Heng sat cross-legged. His eyes were shut tight, his face contorted in pain, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

A moment later, the currents dissipated, and the Martial Arts Room grew quiet.

”Huuuh...”

Shen Heng slowly opened his eyes, letting out a long breath.

He looked down at his arm, feeling as if he could see right through his skin to the Marrow flowing within his bones.

’My Marrow is getting very close to being perfectly pure.’

’But I feel like a breakthrough is still a long way off. My Qi and Blood Value is only 3,899.’

’I’m only 101 points of Qi and Blood Value away, but every single point has become a struggle.’

’I never slack off in my Cultivation. I practice marrow refining for three hours every day.’

’It will still take me several months to break through to the Seventh Realm.’

’I probably won’t be able to break through until after the Global Martial Arts Tournament.’

He stood up. He had reached his peak in every aspect. He would continue to hone his skills for a few more months and then aim for the championship at the Global Martial Arts Tournament.

He planned to build up his foundation and then break through to the Seventh Realm all at once.

’This time, the championship of the Global Martial Arts Tournament will be mine.’

A confident smile spread across Shen Heng’s face at the thought.

...

Time trickled by, and December slowly came to an end.

Life at the Celestial Vault Institute continued as usual, shrouded in an intense, competitive atmosphere.

On this particular day, in a villa at the Azure Sky Sixth Institute, Jiangtao returned from the Gravity Room. Instead of resting, he went straight into his Martial Arts Room to begin his Source Energy Cultivation.

’I have to work harder. Being an S-class genius isn’t my limit.’

’I have to get into the Celestial Vault Institute! I have to catch up to Brother Qi!’

Steeling his resolve, Jiangtao focused his mind, Visualizing the Ninth-Level Calamity Beast, the Mountain-moving Ape. A colossal, towering Ape roared at the heavens as his Gale Technique frantically absorbed the Source Energy in the room.

His exhausted body began to absorb vast quantities of Source Energy Particles.

He could feel a power pulsing within him, strong as a heartbeat, like an unborn child ready to emerge.

Jiangtao’s heart pounded with excitement as he continued to absorb the Energy.

An unknown amount of time passed before his body suddenly flared with heat. The power had been born.

’It’s here!’

He let out a roar as intense pain erupted through his body. Brown patterns surfaced on his dark skin.

A terrifying aura burst from him, kicking up fierce winds that were immediately suppressed by an invisible force.

Jiangtao opened his eyes and rose to his feet, feeling an endless stream of power coursing through him.

He looked at his hands. A force surged from within, and brown, flowing sand began to materialize out of thin air.

The sand converged on his arm, compressing into rough chunks of stone that clung to his arm like stone armor.

”So this is a Special Ability? It’s incredible!”

Jiangtao’s eyes widened, his heart racing. He was overcome with exhilaration.

He was so excited he started jumping up and down, unable to contain his joy.

’I’ve finally Awakened! I’m an Awakened genius now too!’

Once he had calmed down, he looked with curiosity at the hard stone armor that had formed on his arm.

”Is this my Special Ability? Is it Heavy Earth?”

He felt as if he possessed infinite power, that a single punch could shatter Space itself.

He broke into a smile. Now that he had Awakened, he was qualified to enter the Celestial Vault Institute.

’Maybe I can give Brother Qi a surprise.’

...

The next day, as the end of the term approached, explosive news reached every sophomore at the Azure Sky Sixth Institute who was focused on their Cultivation.

The second-ranked student in their institute, Jiangtao, had Awakened a Special Ability!

The news spread through the entire school like a tsunami, shocking everyone!

”Holy crap, another one Awakened.”

”As if Lin Qi wasn’t enough, now Jiangtao has Awakened too? Doesn’t that mean we have another SS-level genius?”

Students from the other institutes were filled with envy and jealousy, while the deans and teachers were equally astonished.

But for the students of the Sixth Institute, their feelings were the most complex.

Guan Mountain, Wang Qiufeng, Li Zhou, and the others were also stunned and immediately started asking about it.

That evening, they went to Jiangtao’s villa to celebrate.

The burly Guo Heng looked at Jiangtao and sighed, a dazed expression on his face.

”Who would’ve thought that two Awakened geniuses once had to work part-time jobs just to make money.”

He marveled at his own incredible luck in managing to befriend these two geniuses.

Jiangtao was now an Awakened, an SS-level genius at the very least. But Lin Qi was on another level entirely.

According to his sister, Guo Yi, Lin Qi could already defeat SSS-level geniuses at the Celestial Vault Institute.

He was on the verge of becoming an SSS-level genius himself.

He clearly remembered everyone’s shocked expressions when that news first broke—it was even more over-the-top than their reactions now.

Just as his sister, Guo Yi, had said, getting close to Lin Qi and Jiangtao was the best decision he had ever made.

...

Soon, Dean Liu in the Otherworld also received the news.

”HAAAH...”

Dean Liu stood up from the smart chair in his study, walked to the window, and took a deep breath to calm his shock.

’That kid Jiangtao actually Awakened too? And on his own?’

’So that kid is an SS-level genius now?’

He clenched his fists and shook his head, never having expected his year to produce two Top Level geniuses.

He recalled Jiangtao’s path to power.

’If it weren’t for Lin Qi, Jiangtao might have been the most outstanding genius of them all.’

’Going from an Ordinary genius to an SS-level one... his journey has been remarkable.’

’Unfortunately, compared to Lin Qi, he’s still a step behind.’

...

「Martial Arts Calendar, Year 2047, December 31st.」

Today was the last day of 2047.

The Xia Country was about to enter a new year.

Inside the Martial Arts Room of Villa 36, Star Residence.

Dressed in black, Lin Qi sat cross-legged. His entire body radiated a Golden Light, and the intricate golden patterns that surfaced on his skin seemed alive.

Vast quantities of Source Energy Particles from the surrounding Space were drawn in, entering his body through his pores.

”VMMMM!!”

His cells frantically absorbed Source Energy. They divided, his genes optimized, and the hidden potential of his body was being unearthed.

The activity in his bone Marrow was stimulated, continuously flushing out impurities and waste.

As the Marrow’s impurities were removed, its circulation sped up, and its blood-production efficiency increased.

Qi and Blood circulated throughout his body, causing every part of him to undergo a constant transformation.

In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.

”HUUFF...”

As Lin Qi exhaled a turbid breath, he slowly rose to his feet amidst a swirling Gale, emanating powerful fluctuations of energy.

He was like a powerful Life Energy Field; his every casual movement could stir up immense ripples.

[You have completed a session of Source Energy Cultivation. Your bone marrow has undergone Refinement, and your body has transformed. Your Qi and Blood Value has increased significantly. Qi and Blood Value +15]

[Qi and Blood Value: 1,785 → 1,800]

...

Lin Qi let out a breath, a smile spreading across his face as he looked at his Qi and Blood Value.

”In a single month, I’ve consumed over 100 kilograms of beast flesh daily and practiced marrow refining for four hours. My Qi and Blood Value has increased by nearly 800!”

His progress in just one month had been enormous.

The Sixth Realm was divided into four minor realms: early stage, Mid-stage, late stage, and peak.

A value of 2,000 marked the Mid-stage of the Sixth Realm. In just one month, he was already approaching it.

His speed was simply unbelievable.

...