Chapter 112: Years of Cultivation, Battle Approaches
In the virtual network, within the Martial Arts Knowledge Space.
"So many manuals to choose from?" Li Yuan stared at the vast array of manuals available for study.
"As expected, anyone who enters a martial arts university can receive a large amount of cultivation resources distributed by the state for free," Li Yuan thought to himself.
Outside, purchasing a second-grade manual would cost at least a million Blue Star Coins.
Even at the Starlight Martial Hall, it would cost a million cultivation points.
But within the university? It's free.
"Let's have a look." Li Yuan clicked randomly, and the numerous manuals transformed into books, each glowing with light.
The manuals were primarily divided into four categories: Techniques, Source Power, Mental, and Physical.
However, after discussing with Teacher Li Yang, Li Yuan already had a good understanding.
Source Power manuals and Physical manuals were for second-grade Source Warriors.
As for himself? He only needed to choose some spear techniques to cultivate and comprehend.
Mental manuals? He needed to wait until his mental power reached level 20 to start training.
"Technique manuals." Li Yuan clicked, and the manuals surrounding him flashed again.
The displayed manuals included spear techniques, saber techniques, sword techniques...all eighteen types of weapons were covered, and they were all at least second-grade manuals.
"These manuals were created by generations of human warriors?" Li Yuan was astonished. "Many manuals were contributed for free by powerful warriors to the martial arts library."
Some manuals were free, while others required payment.
However, for Li Yuan, it made no difference; even if they required payment, it was covered under his S-rank free quota.
It was as if Kunlun Martial University was paying for him.
"Though there's a quota of 50 manuals, Teacher mentioned not to bite off more than I can chew," Li Yuan thought. "For now, choosing four spear technique manuals is enough."
Li Yang had already listed the spear technique manuals Li Yuan needed to cultivate next.
"'Cloud Controlling Spear Technique,' 'True Flame Spear Technique,' 'Meteor Spear Technique,' 'Gold Splitting Spear Technique.'" Li Yuan quickly clicked to check the codes and names.
There were many accumulated manuals, so some had the same names but different codes.
Confirm purchase!
"Freshman 'Li Yuan,' your free second-grade manual quota has decreased by 4, leaving a balance of 46," the system voice announced. "The newly purchased technique manuals have been sent to your personal space."
"Reminder!"
"Manuals are for your personal comprehension and study only. Unauthorized dissemination is strictly prohibited and will be severely punished," the system voice added.
Li Yuan smiled, not taking it to heart.
"Time to start training." With a thought, Li Yuan returned to his personal space and began studying the newly obtained four spear technique manuals.
He started with the 'Cloud Controlling Spear Technique.'
Li Yuan understood the purpose of Teacher Li Yang having him study spear techniques.
If his technique was only at the second or third stage, comprehending one second-grade spear technique would suffice; specialization was crucial at that stage.
Learning too many techniques could confuse his core spear technique, resulting in counterproductive effects.
If he reached the fourth grade, especially as Li Yuan had already entered the mid-fourth grade, in ancient times, he would be considered a 'spear technique master,' capable of establishing a sect.
With a clearer understanding of his path, it was time to start 'integrating the strengths of various schools.'
He needed to learn more spear techniques and incorporate them into his own.
"According to Teacher, he learned over thirty second-grade spear techniques to break through the fifth stage," Li Yuan thought. "He absorbed their essence, achieving unity of man and nature, and crossed into the fifth grade."
Unity of man and nature? Too mysterious.
Li Yuan didn't quite understand yet.
But with the summarized successful paths of predecessors, Li Yuan just needed to follow step by step.
Shortcuts? Many seemingly shortcuts were actually cliffs at the end.
.....
As Li Yuan began studying new spear techniques, in the residential area for students of the three academies.
One villa was brightly lit.
In the nearly thousand square meter underground martial arts room, the floor and four walls were made of special materials capable of withstanding the unrestricted outbursts of a Level 19 warrior without being damaged.
At this moment, a lean young man in a black martial arts uniform was practicing his saber technique with a saber.
"Slash!" "Slash!"
"Slash!" Blades of light flashed, and the young man in black moved like lightning, unleashing incredibly terrifying blades, agile and dreamy, causing hearts to tremble.
His casual bursts of speed exceeded 50 meters per second, forming terrifying afterimages in the small space.
As he was earnestly training.
Suddenly.
"Beep~ Master, Long Ya is calling you," the auxiliary intelligence sounded in the martial arts room.
Whoosh!
The young man in black stopped, the blades of light that filled the martial arts room gradually dissipating.
He had been contemplating his self-created saber technique.
"Answer," the young man in black said in a deep voice.
Buzz~
Light condensed, forming a video projection in front of the young man in black, revealing a woman in a white martial arts uniform in the video.
"Little Ya." The young man in black smiled. "What's up?"
"Brother Jin, do you know about what happened to Li Yuan this afternoon?" The woman in white, Long Ya, looked a bit anxious.
"Li Yuan?" The young man in black was taken aback. "The one who surpassed my entrance competition record yesterday?"
"Yes," Long Ya quickly replied.
"What happened this afternoon?" The young man in black smiled calmly. He wasn't particularly handsome but had a square face that gave off a sense of justice and security.
He was Jin Huguo, the top talent of Kunlun Martial University.
He was also a well-known martial arts genius in the entire China.
Having just entered his junior year, his technique had already reached the intricate level, and his physical fitness had reached Level 19.
"This afternoon, at the Pillar of Spirit in the Vermilion Bird Building." The woman in white stared at Jin Huguo. "Dean Li Yang took Li Yuan there, and on his first attempt, Li Yuan reached the fifth zone, stayed there for several minutes, and then retreated calmly."
"Oh? The fifth zone? His mental power has reached the level of a Source Warrior?" Jin Huguo showed a hint of surprise. "He's only a freshman. Even if his physical fitness is at its peak, he's at most just over Level 10."
"This junior is indeed impressive." Jin Huguo sighed. "He might be much stronger than I am in the future."
With his strength and vision, he clearly understood what Li Yuan's technique and mental power signified.
The future held infinite possibilities.
"Brother, you don't care at all?" Long Ya asked, unable to help but notice Jin Huguo's indifferent attitude.
"Care about what? Having a talented junior in this generation is a good thing," Jin Huguo laughed. "I'm more worried that he might lose himself without a rival after being so brilliant upon entering the university."
"This Li Yuan is so formidable, he might threaten your status in the school," Long Ya finally stated plainly.
Jin Huguo looked at Long Ya's expression and wanted to laugh.
"Little Ya, how could you ask such a silly question?" Jin Huguo shook his head. "First of all, he's a freshman, and I'm a junior. There's no direct competition."
"Even if there were competition, so what?" Jin Huguo said calmly. "It's just competition within the school."
"Kunlun Martial University's top talent? Is the title so impressive? Is it useful?"
Long Ya was stunned.
Not useful?
"Since the establishment of Starlight University and Starry Sky University, our Kunlun Martial University has been in decline for decades." Jin Huguo shook his head. "Last year's Global University Martial Arts Competition, I was the only one from our school who made it to the top 100 in the virtual battle."
"In the real battle, not even one qualified to compete. It was so embarrassing," Jin Huguo shook his head.
"Brother, that wasn't your fault," Long Ya quickly said. "Last year, you made it to the top 100 in the virtual battle as a sophomore, outperforming most juniors from the three prestigious schools. You were already brilliant."
"As for the real battle? Among the five major schools in China, only two qualified for the main event last year, and they were eliminated in the first round."
"In the upcoming competition, you definitely have a chance to compete in the real battle and possibly make it to the top 20," Long Ya said admiringly. "That would be historic."
Jin Huguo smiled. Top 20?
So difficult. He could only say he had some hope.
"Not to mention, humanity needs more and stronger warriors."
"Speaking of now," Jin Huguo smiled. "If Li Yuan is strong enough to shine in the Global University Martial Arts Competition and bring glory to Kunlun Martial University, I would admire him."
"As for any status within the school, it's all fleeting."
"It's not like we're competing to be the principal. We'll all graduate sooner or later," Jin Huguo laughed. "Looking at it another way, previously, the school leadership bet everything on me alone, and I felt a lot of pressure too."
"Having someone to share the pressure, why not?"
Long Ya opened her mouth but didn't speak.
She could see that Jin Huguo truly didn't care.
"In a sense, one Li Yuan is not enough," Jin Huguo shook his head. "If every generation had twenty or thirty Li Yuan's, then Kunlun Martial University might regain its former glory and become the top martial arts university on Blue Star again."
Long Ya couldn't help but laugh.
The top martial arts university on Blue Star? That was history from fifty years ago.
After hanging up the call.
"Li Yuan?" Jin Huguo murmured, smiling as he continued contemplating his blade technique.
...
On the evening of July 4th.
Including Li Yuan, nineteen elite disciples under Li Yang gathered at the villa of 'Yanhe.'
The villa was very large, more than enough for a banquet of dozens of people.
After the welcome ceremony.
"Junior Brother, really no girlfriend?" Senior Sister Shi Xiao asked, holding a glass of red wine, smiling.
"Senior Sister."
"I just want to focus on martial arts," Li Yuan smiled. He had sensed Senior Sister's intentions.
He also detected her life level, 15.8.
Very formidable.
Li Yuan understood that strong warriors had abundant energy, and they mostly trusted themselves rather than others.
Therefore, their views on many aspects differed greatly from ordinary people.
Unfortunately, not only was Li Yuan not interested.
Even if he were, it wouldn't matter. After undergoing another session of 'Body Cleansing Essence' treatment during the day, he needed a good rest.
...
After this welcome banquet.
The turmoil since entering university finally settled, and in a sense, Li Yuan's martial arts university life officially began.
In the general studies class with students from six academies.
"Why are cultural subjects required in the college entrance examination?" The general studies teacher, a Source Warrior, spoke powerfully. "Warriors are not just brutish fighters with physical strength; they should use their brains."
"Life evolution is not just about developed muscles and explosive Source Power; it should also be about the evolution of the mind."
"The entire human civilization, the entire country, needs you to become the most brilliant group of pioneers in the path of human evolution." The teacher's sharp gaze swept over each student. "You must know why you fight and for whom you fight."
"Next, I will talk about the modern martial arts history."
"In the oldest times, the seven major planets were unaware of each other's existence."
"Two thousand years ago, the Star Bridge appeared. Including our Blue Star, six planets could cross the starry sky through the Star Bridge and discovered each other's existence."
"Although located in different parts of the universe, all seven planets were inhabited by humans. This was mysterious, and the appearance of the Star Bridge was also enigmatic, with many speculations, but it remains a mystery to this day."
"And Soaring Star is the most mysterious and vast of the seven planets."
"Thus began the Star Bridge era, later designated as the first year of the Seven Stars Calendar."
"This starry sea was named the 'Seven Star Sea.'" The general studies teacher continued.
Li Yuan, An Nong, and Gu Qianghan listened without much attention.
Because these were common knowledge.
Most of it was covered in middle school textbooks.
"In 1420, the Star Bridge shattered, evolving into the six major astral realms, the original six astral realms." The teacher continued, "But through the astral realms, we could still reach Soaring Star."
"Cosmic Source Power emerged, and the life forms on the seven planets became more powerful...the dawn of martial arts appeared."
"But it wasn't until 1609 that human civilization gave birth to the first Source Warrior." The teacher said, "From then on, we realized that Source Power existed not only in natural treasures but also in the cosmic starry sky and earth."
"Thus, martial arts rose, and human civilization truly began life evolution."
"In 1724, human civilization gave birth to the first Flying Warrior."
"In 1746, the first astral realm appeared on Heavenly Sea Star, with numerous astral realm creatures emerging, causing over thirty million deaths. It took the combined efforts of several planets to completely suppress this astral realm entrance."
"That was the beginning of the nightmare."
"Then came the second astral realm, the third astral realm...at that time, only Level 1 and Level 2 astral realms appeared, and there were no Flying-level astral realm creatures."
"In 1766 of the Seven Stars Calendar, the first Level 3 astral realm appeared on Soaring Star." The teacher's voice grew solemn, and the classroom screen displayed relevant information.
"Fire Demon, the first Flying-level alien, ravaged over ten thousand kilometers, slaughtering more than eight million humans before being killed by several Flying Warriors."
"Then came the second, the third...a ten-year astral realm war, Soaring Star was nearly overrun, with over six billion human deaths!" The teacher's voice carried a hint of sorrow.
Even after hundreds of years.
Even though this catastrophe occurred far away on Soaring Star, with Blue Star not suffering such severe losses.
Li Yuan, An Nong, and the others were still deeply shaken.
Over six billion human deaths? The human race on Soaring Star was nearly extinct.
Today, Blue Star has just over a hundred billion people.
"Until 1782."
"Human civilization gave birth to its first existence beyond the Flying level, 'Lante.'" The teacher's voice rose. "Thus began the great counterattack."
The teacher narrated many secrets not mentioned in middle school textbooks.
Making Li Yuan, An Nong, and others listen intently.
"The ten-year war, led by Lante, basically quelled the chaos."
"The first astral realm war ended."
"In 1820." The teacher continued, "After a long four hundred years of martial arts dark age, human civilization's first universal high-level technique, 'Southern Abyss Ten Thousand Waters Sutra,' was finally born."
"Human warriors began to emerge like bamboo shoots after the rain."
Li Yuan was filled with emotion.
Half of human civilization's history is martial arts history.
The subsequent history.
Li Yuan knew well, with more and more high-level techniques being born, human civilization flourished.
In 1920, the second 'astral realm war' broke out on Soaring Star, with aliens beyond the Flying level appearing.
But, Dongfang Ji from Blue Star emerged, sweeping everything with absolute power and might.
Countless Flying-level and beyond-Flying-level astral realm creatures fell at his hands.
He officially surpassed Lante, becoming the recognized number one in human civilization.
Later, Dongfang Ji established the Starlight Martial Hall, turning the nominal Seven Stars Alliance into a reality, truly surpassing the countries of the seven planets, and promoting the 'Seven Stars Alliance Progress Movement' for ten years.
In 1954 of the Seven Stars Calendar, the martial arts college entrance examination was officially launched, spreading across all countries.
In the past century, human civilization has entered a period of rapid development, with nuclear weapons and various technological weapons emerging...under the unified allocation of the Alliance, there have been no more devastating wars.
In 1962, Starlight University, Starry Sky University, and Black Stone University simultaneously established branches on the seven planets.
Recruiting and training the top talents.
In 2009, the virtual network was born, sweeping the entire human civilization, further accelerating the discovery of martial arts talents.
As Li Yuan reflected.
"That's all for today's class, dismissed." The teacher said in a low voice.
.....
In the combat martial arts room of the Black Dragon Building.
"Clang!"
"Clang!" "Clang!" Li Yuan was engaged in an intense combat practice with Teacher Jiang Lun.
"Too weak!"
"You clearly have mid-fourth grade spear techniques, why can't you utilize them?"
"Aren't you a genius? How dare you call yourself a genius with this trash performance?"
"Are you angry? Furious? Then hit me if you can!" Jiang Lun shouted at Li Yuan, his voice echoing in the room.
The gentle demeanor from their first meeting was completely gone.
"Your mind should be in sync with every part of your body, sensing every bit of force in your spear."
"Remember, every bit!"
"I scold you and you lose your composure? Your mentality is too weak, you need more training!"
"When I tell you to kneel, you kneel. When I tell you to lie down, you lie down! Why? Because your spear techniques are not strong enough."
"Because you're weak."
"Weakness is the original sin. When you fight astral realm creatures, there's no such thing as a genius, only strong and weak. A dead genius is just a pile of flesh to be devoured!"
"Train!" Jiang Lun, like a tyrant, relentlessly tortured Li Yuan.
But Li Yuan had to admit, sparring with him made his progress the fastest.
Even his inner self was undergoing storms of tempering.
...
"Your mind, from within to without."
"First, sense your whole body."
"What is the unity of man and nature? The sky refers to nature, the man refers to oneself." Li Yang lectured Li Yuan individually. "When your technique reaches intricacy, perfectly controlling every bit of your power."
"That's when you begin to sense the natural world."
"Human power is finite, but the power of nature is infinite. Harnessing the power of nature can make your body incredibly strong, running beyond the speed of sound, toppling buildings with a punch...each burst of force is hundreds of tons."
"Even...soaring through the sky and delving into the earth."
....
In the martial arts room, therapy room.
Spirit Cleansing Essence covered his entire body.
"Ah!" Li Yuan trembled in pain, his face flushed, veins on his head bulging as if about to burst.
Muscles twitched, his body felt like a million steel needles piercing.
This was pain deep into the marrow.
With his terrifyingly strong willpower, Li Yuan endured extreme pain, his muscle bundles twitching and twisting.
Such pain could easily kill an ordinary warrior.
In the end.
Li Yuan barely endured, a fine layer of black impurities appeared on his skin.
"This month, the fifth time, finally got through it." Li Yuan mumbled to himself, drinking a portion of 'High Source Spirit Spring' placed nearby.
Lying on the ground, unwilling to move, he fell into a deep sleep.
"Buzz~"
The Spirit Spring took effect, powerful Source Power surged through his body, strengthening every part, muscles, bones, internal organs, and even blood...every part of his body devouring Source Power, growing stronger.
....
Kunlun Martial University provided Li Yuan with the best and most comprehensive cultivation environment.
Li Yuan, too, was growing at an alarming rate, his techniques, combat skills, physical fitness, and mental power all advancing.
Such progress amazed teachers like Li Yang and Jiang Lun.
In a blink, it was the end of July.
"A rough diamond!"
"After tempering, he's becoming stronger and stronger." Li Yang sighed. "Teacher Jiang, he can even endure your tyrant training method."
"Haha, with my training, his survival rate in life-and-death battles will be much higher." Jiang Lun said proudly. "Staying calm in combat, how to stay calm?"
"Not enough experience, calm on the outside but not on the inside..." Jiang Lun was ready for a long lecture.
"Stop!"
"If you keep talking, I'll hit you." Li Yang glared, and Jiang Lun immediately shut up.
"You're the dean, you're the boss, I can't afford to mess with you, I'll leave."
...
After sending Jiang Lun away, in the office.
"With Li Yuan's current strength?" Li Yang watched Li Yuan's various combat scenes on the screen. "Still taking the practical exam with other freshmen?"
"No way! There's no challenge at all."
"Let's send him to the fourth base." Li Yang decided.
Kunlun Martial University had five practical exam bases.
The first base had the weakest astral realm creatures, the fifth base had the strongest.
Students were assigned to a base based on their strength, not their year.
The fourth base? Normally, it was for third-year students.
.....
On July 29th, in Villa 61032.
"Hm?"
"My practical exam base is the fourth base?" Li Yuan looked at the message on his smart wristband, slightly surprised.
He clicked to view the details.
"Fourth base, astral realm creatures generally Level 13, highest Level 14?" Li Yuan glanced at his spiritual palace panel.
_____
Life Level: 11.3 (First Grade)
Punch Force: 2250 kg
Speed: 27.1 m/s
Mental Power: 18.4
Spiritual Awakening Degree: 12.8% (Current Limit 20%)
Technique Realm: Spear Technique (Fourth Grade 53%), Movement Technique (Fourth Grade 42%), Fist Technique (Fourth Grade 55%)
_____
"Leaving tomorrow."
"Am I really expected to fight creatures nearly three levels above me?" Li Yuan mumbled to himself. "They have high expectations of me."