Chapter 139: A Sure Win

Chapter 139: A Sure Win

Eastern Third Huang Star.

In the span of two months, Yangyan Martial Academy had barely changed.

Even this amount of time wasn't sufficient for the outer disciples to complete their Qi cultivation process.

"Senior Brother, have San Xi and Master Luo left already?"

Zhang Xingyi entered the academy and saw Yang Yao and a few others watching a projection in the corner.

"Yes, the slots for the Central Region have been allocated. Master Luo sent San Xi to the Central Region, and they're already on their way."

"Will Jing Qiu pick them up when they arrive?" Zhang Xingshan asked curiously.

"The message was sent to Jing Qiu, but I'm not sure if he'll be free at that time." Yang Yao replied without turning his head, keeping his eyes on the projection, "He's about to participate in the Galactic Qualifiers, so I don't know if he'll make it or not."

"The Galactic Qualifiers... Jing Qiu is about to become a Moonlight Warrior soon." Zhang Xingshan's expression lit up, wondering when the last Moonlight Warrior from Eastern Third Huang Star had appeared.

Yang Yao's gaze deepened, "The Galactic Qualifiers? Heh, in a while, even I might not be enough to shine your Junior Brother's shoes."

"Senior Brother, what are you watching?" Zhang Xingshan moved closer.

The projection was broadcasting a martial arts talk show, and the banner at the top clearly indicated today's guests, two Moonlight Warriors.

One was Wan Cheng, who had recently "seen the light" and officially joined the Redwoods Group.

The other was a Moonlight Warrior who had risen to prominence in recent years, named Fei Ziqing.

"Senior Brother, aren't you just a step away from breaking through to the Divine Sojourn?" Zhang Xingshan asked curiously, "How big is the gap between you and the Moonlight Warriors?"

Gap?

Yang Yao paused, stroking his beard. In his heart, he thought that the training he had arranged for Xingshan was still insufficient.

He actually had the leisure to care about such things!

Forget about the Moonlight Warriors; he couldn't even beat Jing Qiu.

Yang Yao sighed inwardly.

At Jing Qiu's current promotion speed, it seemed like it wouldn't be long before the saying would change to, "Forget about Jing Qiu; he can't even beat the Moonlight Warriors."

As they watched the talk show, Zhang Xingshan's expression gradually changed.

The host intentionally steered the topic towards the upcoming Galactic Selection and asked the two "seniors" for their opinions on these younger warriors.

Wan Cheng's response was quite standard, merely expressing his anticipation to see these warriors who were a year younger than him at the Grand Martial Arts Exhibition this year.

However, Fei Ziqing's response was outrageous.

Especially when the host specifically directed the question towards several young warriors with significant reputations, including Junior Brother Ji.

Fei Ziqing casually stated,

"The young ones still need some tempering; they're not yet qualified to be my opponents."

"Yes, the choices on the martial path are crucial. The Superior Dao Body concerns the foundation of one's future. Taking a wrong step is an irreparable regret for life, like that young brother with the surname Ji..."

His answer reminded Zhang Xingshan of some recent hot comments online regarding Junior Brother Ji and the Dragon Tiger Dojo.

Comments like:

"What a pity, a genius warrior choosing the wrong Dao Body, his future is worrisome. The choices on the martial path are more important than talent."

"The Dragon Tiger Dojo is old-fashioned and conservative, first destroying Zhang Buzhou, then ruining Ji Jingqiu."

"Ji Jingqiu might exit the ranks of top-tier geniuses."

...

A series of eye-catching titles like these.

Zhang Xingshan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and turned to look at Senior Brother, only to find him seemingly lost in thought.

"Senior Brother, aren't you angry? This guy was just talking about Jing Qiu in a strange and ambiguous way!" Zhang Xingshan exclaimed angrily.

Yang Yao snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at the subtitles on the projection, and after a moment of silence, replied,

"I was just thinking, how did our Junior Brother become so famous and well-known in just two months? Even the Moonlight Warriors have to resort to forcefully belittling him to attract attention. Sigh..."

Zhang Xingshan slowly opened his mouth, looking bewildered.

Ah, there's such an interpretation?

He cautiously asked, "Senior Brother, what do you think about those online comments about Junior Brother?"

"Read them in reverse."

Zhang Xingshan was taken aback.

Yang Yao smirked, "Avoid those unscrupulous self-media. Their underlying logic is not about genuine discussion but about attracting attention and generating traffic."

Zhang Xingshan curiously asked, "Senior Brother, do you think Jing Qiu can win the selection?"

"Of course, there's no problem," Yang Yao said calmly.

"Senior Brother, why are you so sure?" Zhang Xingshan pressed, "Honestly... I saw some seemingly reasonable analysis posts online, and I can't help but feel they make sense."

Yang Yao replied calmly,

"It's a simple logic."

"With Jing Qiu's talent, his progress speed within the same time frame will only be faster than those he has surpassed and is catching up to."

"He couldn't beat them a month ago, so there's no way he can now."

"Alright, let's get ready for today's training. Jing Qiu is already forging his Dao Body, and you're still opening your meridians. It's embarrassing."

Zhang Xingshan weakly said, "...Senior Brother, but aren't you about to be caught up by Jing Qiu too?"

"Show some respect to Shixiong, today's training will be doubled!"

...

Divine Might Corporation.

In the arena.

Two figures clashed, their bodies glistening with sweat and emitting thunderous sounds like nearby muffled thunder, causing hearts to tremble.

Each figure resembled a blazing sun, radiating intense heat and brilliance from every pore, their auras dazzling like a million suns.

This was the Pure Yang Dao Body, also known as the Sun Body, a technique of the Pure Yang Dao lineage.

Practitioners of this lineage, upon perfecting their bodies, innately cultivate divine yang energy within. When they break through the Shackles Realm, every inch of their flesh and blood transforms into dazzling brilliance, like the sun's rays, renowned for their vibrant vitality.

Furthermore, this body technique subtly influences one's personality and appearance, tending towards the "sun."

Thus, it is said that every Sun Body practitioner is synonymous with handsomeness and radiance.

Of course, the sun's warmth may not always be gentle; it can also be scorching, depending on the time of day.

"That's enough, little Shidi. We'll stop here for today."

One of the figures spoke with a satisfied smile and withdrew from the fight.

The other figure, with his sword-like eyes and imposing build, followed suit.

He stood tall and robust, like a lion roaming the wilderness, his short hair neat, and his face stern and resolute. His nose was straight, and his eyes seemed to contain a divine yang, making it difficult to look directly at him.

Every movement he made exuded a domineering aura.

Yin Tianping, a Pure Yang Dao practitioner, showed relief in his eyes. The new junior brother, recently accepted by their master, indeed possessed extraordinary talent. With the Pure Yang Dao Body just perfected, he had already cultivated three divine yangs within his body.

"Among all the Pure Yang Dao practitioners, this progress ranks in the top three!" Yin Tianping exclaimed. "When he breaks through the Shackles Realm, a great divine ability will spontaneously manifest, and his future is limitless."

Yin Tianping's smile widened, "Zhang Shidi, now that your body technique is complete and the three yangs coexist, your strength is not inferior to the Starlight Corporation. It's time to use your peers as whetstones to sharpen your martial arts and mind."

Zhang Buzhou nodded calmly, "Thank you, Shixiong, for your guidance during this period."

Yin Tianping smiled, "If you truly want to thank me, then bring back the first place. Master will be delighted too."

Zhang Buzhou's expression remained unchanged, "I will strive for it."

Yin Tianping pondered for a moment, realizing that Zhang Shidi's personality, like many of his brothers, had been subtly influenced by the principles of their body technique, but in a direction seemingly different from theirs, leaning more towards... the same domineering attitude as their master?

No wonder their master held such high regard for Zhang Shidi!

After bidding farewell to his senior brother, Zhang Buzhou took a brief rest before heading to his training room.

During this time, his life assistant approached with a communication device, on which a projection of his grandfather, Zhang Yitong, the current head of the Zhang family, appeared.

"Buzhou!" Zhang Yitong smiled, "How are your preparations going?"

Zhang Buzhou simply nodded.

"This competition will mainly focus on hunting and exploration, and the final rankings will be determined by a comprehensive scoring system," Zhang Yitong explained in one breath, emphasizing, "Remember, this time, you must thoroughly..."

The projection abruptly cut off as Zhang Buzhou crushed the communication device in his life assistant's hand.

He disliked being ordered around.

...

Mu Family Manor.

Mu Juncheng rubbed his forehead, having just ended a call with his grandfather.

He couldn't believe it—

Ji Jingqiu had somehow obtained the video footage from that night and sent it to his great-grandfather, who then brought it to his grandfather, only for it to eventually find its way back to him.

His grandfather was deeply distressed and asked him to handle the matter.

Mu Juncheng muttered to himself, "Brother Ji, you're being so unfair. If I'm not fair in return, don't be surprised.

...

Celestial Sword Dojo.

Sensing the aura within the Sword Domain ahead, transforming from sharp and piercing to a heavy and profound presence, eventually fading into tranquility as if returning to its true nature, shedding all pretenses.

Standing guard outside the dojo, the young female disciple, Zhou Yuting, was filled with worry, holding onto the arm of the middle-aged man beside her.

"Master, how is my senior brother doing?" she asked.

The middle-aged man, with a deep and bright gaze and an unassuming yet powerful aura, smiled, "He's doing great. He has replaced his Bright Sword Heart with the third Divine Anomaly, and now with four Divine Anomalies and the Bright Sword Heart, his strength will surely reach the peak among his peers."

"When his body technique progresses further and he comprehends the sword's divine intent, he will undoubtedly become the pride of our generation!"

Zhou Yuting's eyes lit up, "Then, can my senior brother win the selection tournament in a couple of days?"

The middle-aged man paused for a moment, and in that instant, a hint of the sword cultivator's sharpness flashed across his smile, "He's guaranteed to win."

...

One by one, top-tier genius practitioners emerged from their secluded training.

Invitations and details of the selection tournament, delivered by the official organizers, reached the hands of each participant.

Among them, one letter was sent to the Starlight Corporation.

Jing Qiu sat cross-legged under the Bodhi tree, reflecting on his recent insights. He had realized that all phenomena were but illusions, and without understanding the true self, the myriad phenomena were nothing but empty dreams, echoes in an empty valley.

During this month, Jing Qiu had not spent time on martial arts. Instead, under Sui Shi's guidance, he dedicated his free time to refining his physical form and the embryonic formless arena, and in his spare moments, he immersed himself in reading various texts.

As a result, he had made significant progress in various aspects.

During this period, Jing Qiu also accepted Doctor Chen's invitation and visited the Crimson Lab, where he participated in some testing and experiments. As a reward, his Heart Pulse was further enhanced.

This directly allowed him to push his Power Body progress to 90% completion before the qualifier, and he successfully forged the third Divine Anomaly - Ten Thousand Phenomena.

Combining the Formless Dao Body with Ten Thousand Phenomena, Jing Qiu could now borrow the Dao Bodies of others and "borrow" the methods of the masses.

As for the improvement of his martial arts...

In Sui Shi's words, the "hardware" had been refined, and the "software" of martial arts could be honed through actual combat during the qualifier.

Regarding Sui Shi, he had bid farewell the day before.

Before leaving, after witnessing Jing Qiu's self-initiated display of the wonders of half of the Divine Anomaly - The World of Samsara, Sui Shi patted Jing Qiu's shoulder, appearing as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.

Jing Qiu could understand Sui Shi's feelings.

About ten days ago, Sui Shi had learned some news and sighed, shaking his head, saying that his current strength might not be a match for his peers anymore.

Five days ago, when Sui Shi forged Ten Thousand Phenomena, he marveled and said that Jing Qiu was now worthy of a battle.

Three days ago, after Jing Qiu integrated his blade perfectly with the Dharmic Seed and made further progress in the Unity Art, Sui Shi nodded in admiration, admitting that he had underestimated him.

The day before, when Jing Qiu demonstrated the wonders of The World of Samsara, the embryonic formless arena advanced further, and Sui Shi fell silent.

Jing Qiu opened his eyes and looked up at the Bodhi tree.

The forty-ninth leaf on the tree was developing slower than expected, but fortunately, it had grown steadily.

At this moment, the Bodhi tree stood quietly, its branches still sparse. The forty-ninth leaf, finally grown, shed a faint light, like crystal, slowly falling into the serene lotus pond below.

In the center of the pond, a lotus flower slowly bloomed, creating ripples on the water's surface. Its petals layered and overlapped, each one distinct, more open than the previous bud, but still not fully bloomed.

For the past month, Jing Qiu had been trying to borrow the power of Dharmic Seed and Sui Shi's arena to nurture this heart lotus.

Finally, in the past few days, he slowly integrated it into his Power Body, forming the fourth Divine Anomaly, but as the lotus was not yet fully bloomed, it could only be considered "half" for now.

Jing Qiu's gaze fell on the lotus pond.

According to the Divine General Jun, after the Bodhi tree grew forty-nine leaves, it would undergo a transformation. Unexpectedly, this transformation didn't happen to him, but to the pond below.

Over the past month, due to the crystal light shed by the Bodhi tree, the water in the pond also underwent a strange transformation.

Recently, Jing Qiu had been reading ancient books collected by the Supreme Buddha Sect, and he learned that in the Pure Land of Buddhism, there was a Seven Jewels Pool, filled with eight kinds of supreme waters, also known as the Eight Dharmic Waters.

Bathing in the Eight Dharmic Waters for a long time could purify one's six senses, increase one's good roots, eliminate evil karma, and even enhance one's martial arts foundation, which was the essence of the "true self."

Jing Qiu wondered if the lotus pond in his inner landscape was transforming in this direction.

Jing Qiu looked forward to the possibility of bathing in his inner landscape in the future...

Jing Qiu raised his head.

Compared to the suffering sea of the outside world, this small Pure Land was like the last haven in a tumultuous world, peaceful and harmonious, permeated with a gentle Zen atmosphere in every branch, leaf, and lotus.

However, it was time for him to proactively step out of this comfort zone and face the challenges of the martial world, honing his martial arts skills.

Recently, he had heard from Sui Shi that there might be an opportunity during the qualifier to accelerate the forging of their Power Bodies.

Even though they had already entered the stage of completion!

Jing Qiu had deeply understood the difficulty of forging the Power Body after completion.

These past two days, he hadn't stopped cultivating, but the progress bar barely moved, much slower than the progress from Great Accomplishment to Completion, even ten times slower!

If his progress was this slow, he couldn't imagine how slow it would be for other martial artists. No wonder many spent a year or two in the True Seed Realm.

After today's cultivation, Jing Qiu stepped out of the training room and was greeted by Ge Hong, who had brought his qualification certificate.

"Brother Jing, the qualifier is tomorrow! We have to set off tonight!"

A bit late... Well, the 4.2k update is still a surplus, and tomorrow, we will enter the Dawn of the Blazing Sun.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end