Chapter 166: Extraordinary Rank! Global Number One!

Chapter 166: Extraordinary Rank! Global Number One!

On the small flying vehicle.

"Lihang, what's going on? Why does Dean Hai want us to go to Jiang City to meet Li Yuan immediately?" Dean Xu furrowed her brows.

She had other important matters to attend to, but was suddenly summoned.

It was crucial.

Dean Hai only briefed Lihang, then instructed him to follow Lihang's orders.

However, she had no idea what the matter was, and naturally felt displeased.

"Good news."

"But we have to see Li Yuan to confirm it first." Lihang smiled mysteriously, "Don't worry, we'll be there in a few hours."

Lihang's heart was already filled with excitement.

He couldn't forget the scene when Dean Hai told him about this matter not long ago.

"Li Yuan, is suspected to have achieved Heaven-Body Union," Dean Hai said at the time with utmost calmness, as if everything was under control, "Go to Jiang City with Dean Xu to verify the truth."

Heaven-Body Union.

When Lihang first heard this news, he was stunned beyond words, even doubting his own hearing.

Good heavens!

Lihang, after decades of cultivation, had finally entered the Fifth Rank with great difficulty, and was already being praised by countless people.

And Li Yuan? How old was he?

"If it's true, he went from the initial Third Rank to the Fifth Rank in just a year and a half?" Lihang muttered to himself, "This progress is too exaggerated, even more so than Fang Hai back then."

"But..."

"He's my student, my disciple." Lihang's eyes shone with pride.

...

Li Yuan had no idea that in the Starlit Combat Network, during a 'virtual duel', the sudden burst of power in his spear move had caused a huge sensation.

After all, it wasn't an Extraordinary Rank battle, and he eventually lost that fight.

Li Yuan had already exited the virtual network and returned to the underground martial arts chamber.

Holding the Black Star Spear.

"The spear moves like a dragon," Li Yuan gripped the long spear, silently feeling the flow of strength within, with utmost precision, no longer hiding anything.

It could be said that.

At this moment, Li Yuan and the spear in his hand were truly as one, far surpassing the so-called 'unity of man and weapon'.

"The virtual network's simulation of Fifth Rank skills can only reach 50%, not 100%." Li Yuan's eyes lit up, "To truly practice the spear, it must be done in reality."

The real world is the foundation.

The power of the real world is vast and boundless, while the virtual network is just a simulation.

"Hua!"

Li Yuan's spear moved, and his spear technique transformed completely. The tip of the spear radiated dazzling light, like the brilliance of the stars.

In a fleeting moment, it was as if starlight was weaving together, rolling and vast, beautiful and magnificent.

At this moment.

Li Yuan truly felt a hint of the true essence of the second layer of 'Stardust' in the Starlight Essence, and he immersed himself in the spear technique, unleashing it to the fullest.

As the spear shadows shifted.

Li Yuan vaguely sensed that he had captured a strange and wonderful strand of the world, which was a trace of the world's fundamental mystery.

The spear technique followed this mysterious strand, making the power within the spear even more terrifying and the speed of the spear even faster.

An all-around improvement.

Every strike! When unleashed, it was like the shattering of stars, unstoppable.

Every strike! When retracted, it was as vast as the earth, heavy and indestructible.

This was the second layer of Starlight Essence—Stardust.

Both offensive and defensive, both majestic and subtle.

"Heaven-Body Union! Starlight Essence!" Li Yuan gradually understood the true essence of Heaven-Body Union.

Before the Fifth Rank, warriors focused on tapping into their physical strength, making their bodies burst faster and more fiercely.

From the Fifth Rank onwards, they would push their physical limits to the extreme, striving to make every move and technique align with the fundamental traces of the world's operation.

It's like two people, the one with superior skill would naturally be much stronger.

And the Fifth Rank skill is to make the spirit and body strive to align with the world.

Living in the world.

The mysteries of the world are the Dao.

"Without the Starlight Essence, and without the guidance of teachers like Lihang and Dean Xu, I wouldn't have been able to take this step so quickly," Li Yuan's practice became smoother.

Enlightenment must come from within.

But with the experience of predecessors, standing on the shoulders of elders, one can move faster and more steadily.

"Compared to half a month ago..."

"My speed and strength have improved significantly, and my spear technique and body technique have transformed." Li Yuan thought to himself, "If I meet that Second Rank Fish Spirit again, I can hold him off alone."

Of course.

Li Yuan wasn't arrogant enough to think that he could defeat a Second Rank warrior now... That Fish Spirit had just broken through, and didn't have a Source Energy Battle Suit or Source Energy weapon, so he could only be considered the weakest type of Second Rank alien.

After a long cultivation session.

"Your spear technique has advanced from the Fifth Rank 1% to the Fifth Rank 2%," a Divine Palace prompt suddenly flashed.

Li Yuan was so immersed in his cultivation that he didn't notice it.

Another hour passed, and Li Yuan finally stopped, feeling incredibly refreshed.

"Practicing the spear, I unknowingly entered the state of Heaven-Body Union, the power of the world nourished my soul, and Source Energy cleansed my body," Li Yuan instantly understood what was happening, and marveled to himself, "I don't feel tired at all."

"It is said that once you reach Heaven-Body Union, you basically don't need to sleep or rest... It seems to be true."

For a warrior who has achieved Heaven-Body Union.

Daily cultivation is a form of rest.

Suddenly.

Li Yuan also recalled that Dean Hai had once said that 'enjoying fishing is also cultivation'.

At the time, Li Yuan didn't understand.

Now, Li Yuan somewhat understood. Eating, walking, birds flying, rippling lake water... All the movements of the world contained the mysteries of the world.

It's just that ordinary people are dull and can't perceive it.

"Living beings can only control themselves at birth," Li Yuan thought, "By controlling oneself, one can gradually extend this control outward... and sense the world."

"I have just entered Heaven-Body Union."

"I must continue to practice the spear, or meditate for long periods, to make my spirit align with the world." Li Yuan thought to himself.

"From now on, I will strive to make myself, whether it's spear practice or daily life, merge with the world as much as possible, to feel the fundamental mysteries of the world's operation... until one day, I and the world become one." Li Yuan vaguely saw his future cultivation path.

Spirit merging with the world!

Body merging with the world!

I am the world!

"Hmm?" Li Yuan suddenly turned his head and saw the figure standing at the stairs.

"Mu Hua, when did you arrive?" Li Yuan smiled.

"I've been here for a while." Li Mu Hua's eyes sparkled, "Brother, the spear technique you just displayed was truly amazing. I've never seen such a beautiful spear technique before."

"Compared to your spear technique, our teacher's is just mediocre."

Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh. The martial arts teachers in middle school mostly had third-rank skills.

How could they compare to him?

"Don't be too ambitious. The spear has no fixed form, and my technique has no set pattern. You can't learn it." Li Yuan smiled, "First, focus on perfecting the Rock Solid Fist Technique, then master the basic spear techniques."

"When you reach the right realm, I'll arrange for a specialized teacher to instruct you." Li Yuan said.

"Okay, brother, I'll definitely work hard." Li Mu Hua nodded vigorously, filled with determination.

"Brother."

"This is the breakfast milk Mom asked me to bring you. I won't disturb your cultivation." Li Mu Hua giggled as he placed the milk down and quickly went upstairs.

Li Yuan smiled slightly, picked up the cup, and drank it all in one go.

It had no taste.

But it warmed Li Yuan's heart.

"Mu Hua's martial arts talent is indeed much higher than Qianqian's." Li Yuan thought to himself, "And his perseverance is also exceptional."

As they grew older, the differences between siblings became more apparent.

Perhaps it was because Qianqian hadn't awakened her martial arts spirit; she preferred academic studies.

On the other hand, Mu Hua had exceptional talent and trained with great diligence.

Due to their different experiences, Mu Hua lacked the 'craziness' Li Yuan had during his cultivation, but he possessed more composure and calmness, along with strong opinions and plans of his own.

Li Yuan was pleased with this development.

"People become strong through hardships, but we shouldn't glorify suffering." Li Yuan thought, "My crazy cultivation back then was for Qianqian and Mu Hua, so that they would have more choices and could face everything with ease as they grew up."

"No matter what choices they make in the future, as long as they're positive, I'll support them."

"I'll be there as their big brother to back them up." Li Yuan didn't expect his siblings to achieve great things.

...

He logged into the Starlit Combat Network again.

"Master, you're so fast this time." The intelligent virtual girl with a sprite-like quality exclaimed excitedly.

Li Yuan ignored her and clicked on the rank screen:

Rank: Sun Devouring Rank.

Points: 982 points (1000 points required for promotion tournament)



Rank Win Rate: 75%

...

"Consolidating my spear technique, now both my body technique and spear technique are at the fifth rank. I should be able to attempt the Extraordinary Rank." Li Yuan's heart was calm, but he also felt a hint of anticipation.

Among the nine ranks in the Starlit Combat Network, Bronze, Silver, and Gold were mostly ordinary people and first-rank martial artists.

The Moonlit, Sun Devouring, and Eclipse ranks were mostly second-rank martial artists, all considered experts.

The Extraordinary Rank required fifth-rank skills, and globally, very few people had reached this level. They were either peerless geniuses or top-tier Source Warriors with renowned reputations.

"Two rank matches."

"Then, I'll participate in the promotion tournament." Li Yuan clicked to start the rank matching.

...

This time, the matching took exceptionally long, but Li Yuan was patient.

After twelve minutes, the two rank matches ended.

Li Yuan won easily, and the comprehensive breakthrough in his spear technique and body technique allowed him to overwhelm other Sun Devouring Rank experts.

"I'm participating in the Extraordinary Promotion Tournament." Li Yuan announced loudly on the arena stage.

...

Boom! Li Yuan's consciousness trembled slightly, and the heavens and earth transformed. He found himself standing on a vast, desolate plain.

"20th-level physical attributes? Source Warrior?" Li Yuan instantly sensed the changes in his body.

An unprecedentedly powerful physical body and the strands of pure Source Energy he could manipulate within.

His body was covered in Source Energy, and he held a Source Energy weapon.

This was the standard equipment for human Source Warriors.

"Ssss~"

"Ssss~" "Ssss~" His opponents finally appeared, and on the plain, large snakes with a pair of blood-red wings emerged, each nearly twenty meters long.

Their heads rose four to five meters high, spitting out their forked tongues, all of them formidable creatures.

"Bloodwing Snake Clan? All second-rank?" Li Yuan was slightly startled, noticing the few black scales on the snakes' bodies.

In the past, during the practical combat assessment at Kunlun Martial University, he had killed a Bloodwing Snake, but it was only 14th-level.

Compared to second-rank Bloodwing Snakes, there was an obvious difference.

"Then let's fight." Li Yuan suddenly burst into laughter, stimulating the Source Energy within him.

Boom! He shot out like a bolt of lightning, his long spear infused with Source Energy, emitting endless sharpness.

"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"

The huge Bloodwing Snakes charged towards Li Yuan with equal ferocity.

...

This battle between Li Yuan and over a dozen Bloodwing Snakes was exceptionally fierce.

His spear technique was fierce, and each strike inflicted damage on the Bloodwing Snakes.

But these snakes were also extremely formidable, with superior physical attributes to Li Yuan, and their numbers gave them an absolute advantage.

Often, just as Li Yuan heavily injured one, he would be forced to retreat by the other Bloodwing Snakes.

After a grueling battle lasting over 20 minutes, and before his Source Energy was completely depleted, Li Yuan managed to defeat all the Bloodwing Snakes with the advantage of his body technique.

"Congratulations, Guardian Li Yuan, you have passed the Extraordinary Promotion Tournament and achieved the Extraordinary Rank." The system notification sounded in Li Yuan's ear.

Before Li Yuan could react,

Whoosh! The surroundings changed, and the bloody Source Energy battle suit and weapons he had been wearing disappeared, leaving him in a bright space.

"What's this?" Li Yuan was momentarily stunned.

In front of him stood a woman in white.

"Congratulations, Li Yuan, for becoming the first student in this year's freshman class at Azure Star University to break through to the Extraordinary Rank." The woman in white said with a smile.

"The first?" Li Yuan showed a hint of a smile, "So, I'm the first globally?"

"Yes."

"I'm the first in this year's batch globally." The woman in white emphasized.

"Enough." Li Yuan's smile grew brighter, "Dantu Feng, I've surpassed you."

"Next time, I'll fulfill my promise to Dazhuang and show off in front of you."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end