High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Afternoon, November 14th.

The Xu family of three boarded a private transport to Xingjing. It was a military transport plane that had been converted for passenger use, arranged by the military. Traveling with them were three other Martial Artists receiving commendations, along with their families.

The plane took off, climbing through the clouds.

Mrs. Xu nervously clutched her husband’s hand. Father Xu gazed out the window at Linjiang City shrinking below. "I’ve never flown on a private plane in my whole life," he murmured.

Xu Wuyi sat opposite them, quietly watching as well.

The two-hour flight passed quickly.

As the plane began its descent, the silhouette of Xingjing City slowly came into view.

As the Federation’s Capital, Xingjing was far larger than Linjiang. A forest of skyscrapers reached for the sky, crisscrossed by a complex network of aerial traffic. Countless aircraft moved in orderly fashion along designated flight paths.

In the heart of the city, the iconic Federal Parliament Building soared into the clouds, a massive Federation flag fluttering from its peak.

In the central plaza before the Parliament Building, temporary viewing stands and a medal presentation platform were already visible.

A long red carpet marked a path, flanked by flowers and banners. Staff were making the final preparations, while members of the media had already started setting up their equipment.

The plane landed at a military airbase in the northern suburbs of Xingjing.

When the cabin door opened, a squad of soldiers in ceremonial dress uniforms was already waiting at the foot of the boarding ramp. The officer in command, who wore an insignia of two bars and three stars on his epaulets, immediately saluted Xu Wuyi and the others upon seeing them.

"To our honored heroes and their families, welcome to Xingjing. I am Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Ming of the Military Protocol Department. I’ll be in charge of your accommodations during your stay. Your vehicles are ready, so please come with me."

The group followed Zhang Ming out of the airbase and boarded the waiting motorcade.

The vehicles headed for the city center, passing through multiple security checkpoints before finally stopping in front of a stately building.

This was the "Heroes’ Home," a guesthouse operated by the military for the sole purpose of hosting service members who had received high-level honors and their families.

While checking in, Xu Wuyi saw the names of the other recipients on the registration form.

Besides his own, there were already eighteen names on the list.

He recognized some of them—comrades he had briefly met on the front lines. Others were powerful figures he knew only by name. And a few names were marked "posthumous," for the Martial Artists who had already fallen.

The living and the dead would all stand on the same platform of honor.

Xu Wuyi took the room key card and walked into the room with his parents.

The room was spacious, its decor simple yet dignified. The Federation flag and portraits of past heroes hung on the walls. On the coffee table sat a fruit platter and a welcome card.

Mrs. Xu sank onto the sofa and let out a soft sigh.

"This whole trip... it feels like a dream," she murmured.

Father Xu stood at the window, gazing at the Xingjing nightscape. After a long moment, he said, "Ah Yi, just do your best tomorrow. Don’t be nervous. You earned your place on that stage with your own strength."

Xu Wuyi nodded. "I know."

That night, Xu Wuyi slept very little.

He sat cross-legged on his bed. He didn’t practice his Cultivation, but simply sat in silence, reflecting on the events of the past few years.

From Red River City to Star Martial University, from his first time on the battlefield to his breakthrough to the Innate realm, from Grandmaster Yue’s sacrifice to earning the title of "Federation Hero."

The scenes flashed through his mind one by one: blood, flames, death, and also hope.

His thoughts finally settled on the words of Feng Zhuohua:

"The dead are gone. The living must look forward."

Outside the window, the sky slowly began to lighten.

November 15th arrived.

...

Dawn broke.

Xingjing City’s central plaza was already a sea of people.

Viewed from above, the dense crowd stretched from the center of the plaza all the way to the surrounding streets. Federation flags snapped sharply in the morning breeze.

On the viewing stands, representatives from various Star Realms, provinces, and cities had already taken their seats.

High-ranking military officials, Patriarchs of the Noble Families, academicians from the research institutes, and prominent figures from every field... every person seated here was a pivotal figure in the Federation.

Guided by an officer from the Protocol Department, Xu Wuyi and his parents entered the front rows of the viewing area through a dedicated corridor.

They were seated in the "Reserved Area for Heroes’ Families," along with the relatives of the other honorees. Mrs. Xu nervously straightened the hem of her dress, while Father Xu sat ramrod straight, his gaze fixed ahead.

Xu Wuyi wore the deep black formal attire provided by the military. Its shoulders bore no rank insignia; as a Martial Artist not in active service, he was not required to display one.

However, a space was reserved on the left breast of his attire for a medal, a space that was currently empty.

He looked up at the medal presentation platform.

It was a white platform, approximately three meters high and twenty meters wide, covered in a brilliant red carpet.

Behind the platform, the massive Federation emblem gleamed brightly in the morning sun. Six flagpoles stood on either side, from which twelve military banners representing the different war zones billowed in the wind.

9:50 AM.

The clamor from the plaza gradually died down.

All eyes turned to the central seats on the main viewing stand. Seated there were the Speaker of the Federation Parliament, the Commander-in-Chief of the military, and several highly respected Grandmasters.

Ten o’clock sharp.

The military band struck up the Federation’s national anthem. As the stirring melody echoed across the plaza, hundreds of thousands of people rose to their feet in solemn silence.

After the anthem concluded, the Commander-in-Chief of the military, Marshal Qin Ling, walked onto the medal presentation platform.

The old general, though over seventy, still stood tall and straight. His voice carried over the public address system, reaching every corner of the plaza:

"Citizens of the Federation! Soldiers!"

"Today, the war that has lasted ten months finally comes to an end."

His voice was slow and powerful, each word seeming to erupt from the depths of his chest.

"In this war, we lost thirty-six thousand, four hundred and twenty-one service members, and four Grandmaster Level experts. Their sacrifice bought us the fall of six King Level combatants from the Feathered People Civilization, and it has secured a window of peace for at least the next twenty years."

"We gather here today not merely to celebrate a victory, but to remember. To remember the heroes who shed their last drop of blood for the Federation."

Marshal Qin Ling paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below.

"I now declare the award ceremony officially underway."

"First, we will bestow the honorary title of ’Guardian of the Federation’ upon one hundred and forty-eight individuals—"

The protocol officer began to read the names.

Group by group, soldiers and Martial Artists in formal attire walked onto the platform to receive their medals from Marshal Qin Ling. Thunderous applause rose from the crowd below as the flashes of media cameras flickered without cease.

Xu Wuyi watched quietly.

He saw several Innate Martial Artists with whom he had fought side-by-side in the Tianshui Star Realm. Their faces shone with barely concealed excitement.

Lu Wenquan, however, simply pushed up his glasses. He saluted, accepted his medal, turned, and descended from the stage, his movements as precise as if he were completing an experiment.

"Next, we will bestow the honorary title of ’Champion of the Federation’ upon sixty-three individuals—"

Most of the individuals in this group were generals or powerful experts who had made critical contributions during a major battle.

He saw familiar faces; both Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan were on the list. When Tie Zhan went on stage, he had his usual carefree air. After accepting his medal, he even gave the crowd a wave, drawing a ripple of good-natured laughter.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!