High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 448: Chapter 430: Vajra Fist Perfection

The first-year geniuses of the Celestial Vault Institute soon discovered a new SS-level genius had joined their class.

However, she quickly faded from the spotlight, as everyone needed to devote themselves entirely to their Cultivation.

Jiang Miaoyin also felt the intensely competitive atmosphere at the Celestial Vault Institute. She then looked at her own ranking: dead last.

Her fighting spirit instantly soared.

She, too, quickly threw herself into arduous Cultivation.

...

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of April, and the Global Freshman Tournament officially began.

The Global Freshman Tournament would last for four days.

「April 29th.」

The Global Freshman Tournament had already reached its final rounds.

The first-year students from the Celestial Vault Institute had also joined, their immense power shocking the world as they swept through the competition.

Even the SSS-level geniuses from various countries joined the fray.

Among them, Wang Hailong crushed all his opponents with absolute power, successfully claiming the championship title of the Global Freshman Tournament.

Because Jiang Miaoyin had Awakened too recently, and as a Spiritual Mind Master at that, her power was significantly diminished compared to other Special Abilities.

In the end, she only managed to place in the top 200.

For her, this was already an excellent result.

On the very night the Global Freshman Tournament concluded...

「Celestial Vault Institute, inside the massive Gravity Cube, Gravity Room 316.」

WHIRRR!!

The low hum of the Gravity Device starting up filled the air. A line of text clearly appeared on the electronic screen on the wall.

[Gravity Multiplier: 25]

Lin Qi, dressed in a black Martial Arts Uniform, was completely drenched in sweat.

With his current physical constitution, he wouldn’t normally sweat so easily.

But under 25 times the normal gravity, his body was beginning to feel exhausted.

’Exhaustion is a good thing. It means the Cultivation is working.’ He was tall, his muscles looking as if they were forged from steel.

After a brief rest, he once again assumed the stance for the Vajra Fist, slowly executing its Five Techniques.

At the same time, golden patterns emerged on his skin.

Bursts of Golden Sharpness emanated from his body like sharp blades.

A golden light shone from his eyes as he released his Special Ability, [Jin Feng].

Under his control, the Golden Sharpness transformed into streams of flowing water, converging and shifting in one smooth, seamless motion.

His control over [Jin Feng] had reached a state of near perfection.

”I’m so close, but it’s still not enough!”

Lin Qi’s gaze was resolute as he continuously controlled the Golden Edge Power. It was like an invisible weapon that required masterful handling.

He had to command every single wisp of it as if it were an extension of his own arm.

For a month, his Fist Technique had improved daily, and his control had constantly increased.

Now, he was just one step away from Perfection.

Breaking through and not breaking through were two completely different levels.

Without the breakthrough, his Combat Power was amplified by 1.8 times. With the breakthrough, it would be a two-fold amplification.

Given his current physical attributes, that 0.2 difference was massive.

And he was now searching for that critical point.

BANG!!

As he executed the Fist Technique, he circulated the Golden Edge Power. A golden sheen appeared on the surface of his skin, like a suit of armor.

The Golden Edge Power seethed, sending waves of stinging pain through his body.

Lin Qi didn’t stop. He endured the pain and continued to practice the Fist Technique.

WHIRRR!!

The Golden Light from his body grew increasingly dazzling, illuminating the entire Gravity Room as his aura peaked.

At this moment, he executed the final technique of the >: Unity.

It was the one technique he had never been able to perform completely.

BOOM!!

Under 25 times the normal gravity, his movements were slow, yet they carried a profound rhythm. As he punched out with both fists, the very space around him seemed to freeze.

CRACK!

Lin Qi felt as if something inside him had shattered. His entire body relaxed, and he felt like he had finally, completely mastered the Golden Edge Power.

It had truly come alive. The Golden Edge Power he released was no longer violent, but as gentle as flowing water.

That was just how it felt to him; the Golden Edge was still indestructible. With but a thought...

The Golden Edge Power condensed, gathering into a single mass and forming a massive golden weapon, a full two meters long.

Under Lin Qi’s control, the Golden Blade swung out, slicing through the air.

CLANG!!

The Golden Blade struck the alloy wall of the Gravity Room, creating the sound of clashing metal.

After the impact, the Golden Blade dissolved into a shower of golden light that scattered in the air.

Then, under Lin Qi’s command, the particles gathered together again, reforming into the Golden Blade, only to then continuously divide.

Wisps of Golden Edge Power transformed into individual Golden Blades, all striking the same spot on the alloy wall.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!

The entire Gravity Room was enveloped in a golden glow, accompanied by a series of deafening noises.

Finally, the Golden Light dissipated, leaving behind an inch-deep mark on the silver wall.

Feeling the surging power flowing within him, Lin Qi revealed a smile.

He had finally succeeded in mastering the last technique: Unity.

Of the Vajra Fist Five Techniques, he had never been able to master the last one. Now that he had mastered Unity, his Fist Technique had finally reached Perfection.

The so-called Unity wasn’t about forceful suppression or control; it was about completely merging with the power.

He was the Golden Edge, and the Golden Edge was him. That was true Unity.

With his Fist Technique at Perfection, his Combat Power amplification naturally reached two-fold.

Thinking of this, he focused his gaze on his status panel.

[In a 25x gravity environment, you have successfully comprehended the final technique of >: Unity. Vajra Fist has reached the Perfection stage. You have completely mastered your Special Ability. Combat Power amplification has reached 2x. Fist Technique +10%.]

[In a 25x gravity environment, due to your Vajra Fist breakthrough, your Marrow Refining efficiency has increased. Your Marrow has improved. Qi and Blood Value +20.]

[Qi and Blood Value: 2970 → 2990]

[Fist Technique: Tier Four 70% → Tier Four 80%]

...

Lin Qi looked at the data on the panel and felt his whole body relax.

His Vajra Fist was finally at Perfection.

The Combat Power amplification had also successfully reached 2x, causing his fighting strength to skyrocket.

He then walked over to the wall, rubbing the gash in the alloy.

’The walls of the Gravity Room are made of a special alloy. Only someone with the destructive power of a Seventh Realm Martial Artist can leave a mark on them.’

’And I’m only at the Sixth Realm of Marrow Refining. This means my Combat Power has already reached the Seventh Realm.’

Lin Qi looked at his Qi and Blood Value again. In two months, it had advanced by leaps and bounds.

He was now only 10 points of Qi and Blood Value away from the Late-stage of the Sixth Realm. He could break through tomorrow.

And his overall Combat Power had reached the Seventh Realm.

GULP~

Lin Qi chugged three energy drinks and felt a surge of confidence.

’Now, even if I have to face Shen Heng, I’m confident I can hold my own.’

But he still felt it wasn’t enough. If he could just Awaken a second Special Ability and stack the two, he might be able to unleash an even greater Combat Power amplification.

...

「That evening.」

All the second, third, and fourth-year students of the Celestial Vault Institute received a notification.

They were to assemble at the Celestial Dome Tower for a meeting.

In a lecture hall on the third floor, all 51 students were present. The atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Dean Liu, dressed in a white robe, short and stout with large earlobes, looked around at the crowd and began to speak slowly.

”Today, the Global Freshman Tournament has officially concluded.”

”And tomorrow, the Global Martial Arts Tournament will officially begin.”

”Students from their second to fourth years at Martial Arts Universities across all 80 countries in the world are eligible to participate.”

As soon as he said this, the students noticed something was off.

Jiangtao, who was sitting in the middle, said in a low voice, ”I remember when I participated in the Global Freshman Tournament last year, there were 86 countries. Now there are only 80.”

Wan Ming spoke up.

”Those were all Small Countries. They’ve been completely wiped out, their territories occupied by Calamity Beasts.”

”Some citizens from the smaller eastern countries have even fled to our country as refugees.”

The others shook their heads upon hearing this. In the current situation, Small Countries stood no chance. They didn’t even have a single Ninth Realm Martial Artist.

Their defenses were too weak. As time went on, they would only be wiped out one by one.

The Space Gates couldn’t be closed. With countless Calamity Beasts pouring onto Blue Star, other nations were also doomed.

’At this rate,’ Lin Qi thought with a heavy expression, ’in a few more decades, there might be fewer than ten countries left on the entire Blue Star.’

Dean Liu projected a large green screen that detailed the rules of the Martial Arts Tournament. He pointed at the screen and continued speaking.

”This time, there is no limit to the number of participants in the Global Martial Arts Tournament. Across the three year-levels, more than twenty million geniuses from around the world will enter the competition.”

”Twenty million geniuses from all over the world, competing on the same stage!”

”The principle of the Global Martial Arts Tournament is fairness and impartiality. There will be no preferential treatment based on nationality.”

”If you have the strength, you will advance.”

”According to the rules, the top 1,000 geniuses from last year’s Global Martial Arts Tournament will be seeded players and will not have to participate in the preliminary rounds.”

”Just like the other competitions you’ve participated in, the Global Martial Arts Tournament is divided into preliminaries and the main tournament.”

”There are two rounds in the preliminaries. Only 20,000 contestants will successfully advance to the main tournament.”

”The other contestants, numbering over 19.98 million, will be eliminated.”

Hearing this, the students felt nothing.

As Awakened geniuses from the Celestial Vault Institute, they were destined to enter the main tournament.

They were the top geniuses in Xia Country, and by extension, among the best in the world.

The preliminary rounds and even the early stages of the main tournament posed no difficulty for them.

Dean Liu switched the page on the screen and continued his explanation.

”Starting tomorrow, the preliminaries will officially begin.”

”The content of the preliminaries is very simple. All twenty million of you contestants will be divided into different groups—20 groups in total.”

”Each group will have one million contestants. You will be deployed onto a virtual battlefield that simulates a real Disaster Beast Tide.”

”There, you will face the dual trials of Calamity Beasts and your fellow competitors. The round ends when only 10,000 contestants in your group remain.”

”After the first round, only 200,000 contestants will remain, with 19.8 million having been eliminated.”

”In the second round, after another 180,000 contestants are eliminated, the rest will successfully advance to the main tournament.”

Hearing this, the students couldn’t help but marvel at how truly brutal the rules were.

Lin Qi felt there was a deeper meaning to these rules. ’It’s as if they’re preparing us to step onto a real battlefield.’

...