High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The discussion lasted for nearly forty minutes, the atmosphere lively yet orderly.

Li Wenjuan glanced at the time and stepped forward. "Everyone, Professor Xu has had a long day, and our time is just about up. Let’s let him get some rest."

Although everyone was still eager for more, they nodded in understanding and began to file out of the lounge.

The last to leave was a young, shy-looking student in a school uniform. He hesitated at the door for a moment before turning back to ask,

"Professor Xu, I... I have average talent. My Life Energy Level has been stuck at 28 for a long time, and I’m starting to think I might never be able to condense a Heart Image."

"Do you think there’s still hope for someone like me?"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a note of suppressed anxiety.

Xu Wuyi looked at him. Instead of offering empty encouragement, he asked seriously, "How long do you train each day?"

"At least eight hours, and twelve on weekends."

"How long have you been doing that?"

"Two years."

Xu Wuyi nodded. "Two years, more than eight hours a day. That’s not something a person with average talent would do."

The student froze.

"Talent is important for condensing a Heart Image, but so is perseverance," Xu Wuyi said calmly.

"You already have more than enough perseverance. What you need to do now isn’t doubt yourself, but find the right method and channel that drive in the right direction."

He paused. "Contact me after class. I can take a look at your training logs and maybe pinpoint the problem."

The student’s eyes lit up instantly. He nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Professor Xu! Thank you!"

He gave a deep bow and then hurried away.

The lounge fell silent once more.

Xu Wuyi closed the door and walked to the window.

Outside, the setting sun peeked through the clouds, outlining the campus in a golden glow.

His day of teaching was over, but he felt no sense of relief.

Instead, a heavier sense of responsibility weighed on him.

The young faces, the sincere questions, the desperate yearning for Martial Arts... they all reminded him that his current work could influence the future paths of many.

’I have to be more diligent, more responsible.’

Just then, his personal terminal vibrated.

The caller ID showed Qiao Tongyu.

Xu Wuyi answered the call.

"Uncle Qiao."

"Wuyi, how was the lecture?" Qiao Tongyu’s voice came through, tinged with a smile.

"It went well. The students’ response was positive."

"That’s good." Qiao Tongyu paused, his tone growing slightly more serious.

"There’s something I need to discuss with you in person. Are you free now? I booked a private room at the Serenity Teahouse near campus."

Xu Wuyi glanced at the time. "I’m free. I’ll head over now."

"Alright, I’ll be waiting."

The call ended.

Xu Wuyi straightened his clothes and walked out of the lounge.

Li Wenjuan was still waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, she asked, "Professor Xu, the university has arranged a reception dinner for you this evening. Will you be..."

"My apologies, I have some personal business to attend to, so I won’t be able to make it to the dinner," Xu Wuyi said. "Please thank the university for the arrangement on my behalf."

"Of course. Please be careful."

By the time he left the central gymnasium, the sky had already darkened.

The campus streetlights switched on one by one. Students walked in twos and threes, discussing the day’s lecture in a lively atmosphere.

Xu Wuyi didn’t draw much attention as he walked along the tree-lined path and out the university gates. He followed his navigation to the Serenity Teahouse.

The teahouse was tucked away deep in a back alley behind Linjiang Martial Arts University. Its storefront was small, but the atmosphere was tranquil and secluded.

Xu Wuyi gave Qiao Tongyu’s name, and a waiter led him to the second floor, sliding open the door to a private room.

Qiao Tongyu was already seated inside.

The scent of sandalwood drifted through the private room of the Serenity Teahouse.

Qiao Tongyu poured Xu Wuyi a cup of tea, its steam swirling upward in the lamplight.

"Your lecture went well today. I wasn’t there myself, but several old friends messaged me to say the response was excellent," Qiao Tongyu said, setting down the teapot, his tone placid.

"Thank you, Uncle Qiao." Xu Wuyi lifted his cup and took a sip. "But I doubt you asked me here just to discuss the lecture."

Qiao Tongyu chuckled. "Always so direct."

He leaned forward slightly, his expression growing more serious. "The military’s internal network recently integrated a special combat program. It features an opponent called the ’Illusion,’ and it’s incredibly strong."

Xu Wuyi looked up.

"How strong are we talking?" he asked.

"Unbeatable at the same level," Qiao Tongyu said, enunciating each word.

"To date, the Federation has had twenty-seven Grandmasters attempt it. After suppressing their own Energy to match the Illusion’s Level, not one has been able to win."

The hand Xu Wuyi was holding his teacup with faltered for a moment.

’Twenty-seven Grandmasters, all defeated?’

Even though it was just a simulated battle between peers, Grandmasters were Grandmasters precisely because their comprehension of the Rules and their control over power far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Combat between those of the same Level was often a Grandmaster’s greatest strength.

"What’s its origin?" Xu Wuyi asked.

"The source is classified. I can only tell you that it doesn’t belong to any of the Federation’s existing Martial Arts Systems," Qiao Tongyu said frankly.

"It’s a form of... exceptionally pure Sword Dao. So pure that every ounce of power is used precisely where it’s needed most, with zero waste."

Xu Wuyi set down his teacup, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

’A pure Sword Dao...’

Throughout his Cultivation, he had fought countless battles, but most were against the Alien Race in complex environments or while carrying out missions. He’d rarely had the chance for a pure, one-on-one duel with a top-tier human expert of the Sword Dao.

"The Illusion’s Realm automatically adjusts to the challenger, always remaining at the same Level," Qiao Tongyu continued. "So the actual Level doesn’t matter. What’s important is the degree of refinement of one’s ’Dao’."

"You want me to try it?" Xu Wuyi asked directly.

"Yes." Qiao Tongyu nodded. "Your fighting style is flexible and the traits of your Heart Image are unique. You might be able to find a different way. Besides..."

He paused. "You also need an opponent like this right now, to test and refine your own Martial Arts."

Xu Wuyi fell silent for a few seconds.

Within his sea of consciousness, the great, dark-golden marsh breathed slowly as the Golden Crow Illusion rose and fell.

He did indeed need a sufficiently powerful opponent to test his strength now that his Heavy Water had reached the Great Success stage, as well as the power of the initial combination of "Weight" and "Incineration."

"Alright," Xu Wuyi said. "I’ll do it."

Qiao Tongyu wasn’t surprised. "I knew you’d agree. But this has to go through formal military channels, so it might take a day or two."

"No problem," Xu Wuyi said. "I have another lecture this week, so the timing is perfect."

"Good." Qiao Tongyu took a black card from his breast pocket and pushed it across the table to Xu Wuyi. "This is a temporary Permission Card. When the military is ready, they’ll contact you through it."

Xu Wuyi accepted the card. It was cool to the touch and made of a peculiar material. There was no writing on its surface, only a faint, shimmering energy pattern.

"The opponent is extremely strong. You need to be mentally prepared," Qiao Tongyu reminded him one last time. "Among those twenty-seven defeated Grandmasters... are General Wu Dingbo and myself."

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