Chapter 199: The Sage-like Persona of Dean Hai

Chapter 199: The Sage-like Persona of Dean Hai

Before arriving at the Mingxu Star Realm, Li Yuan had discussed with Li Yang and was aware of the general situation regarding the Virtual Battle in the Global College Martial Arts Tournament.

Usually, the number of students who reach the Fifth Level of Skill varies; some years, there might be a dozen, while in others, the number could approach thirty. The situation and the number of students differ each year.

For this reason, Li Yang had previously told Li Yuan that since he had just broken through, reaching the top twenty in the tournament would be considered a success.

At that time, Li Yuan had agreed with Li Yang's words.

But now?

"Among first to third-year students worldwide, there might be a batch who have reached the Fifth Level of Skill." A glint appeared in Li Yuan's eyes, "But to have a spiritual power transformation to the Skysoar Realm? I doubt there's anyone else."

Li Yuan was well aware that the transition from the Second Rank to the Third Rank was an essential transformation in the Life Tier. To directly break through solely with external treasures was possible, but it was incredibly challenging.

Normally, even top-tier Essence Warriors who consumed the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit had a low probability of transforming their spiritual power to the Skysoar Realm.

Li Yuan was an exception.

Firstly, this particular Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit was extremely special, as it had directly boosted his spiritual power from level 28.4 to 29.9.

Secondly, there was the anomaly in his Mind Divine Palace, and lastly, Li Yuan's strong willpower had endured the anomaly.

With a bit of luck, he had transformed and broken through.

"Constantly uniting with heaven and earth, my spiritual power is a hundred times stronger than before, which has greatly improved my spear technique. What I lack now is time." Li Yuan thought to himself, "According to the tournament schedule I checked earlier, the final battle of the Virtual Battle is at the end of February."

"There's about a month left."

"Perhaps I can advance my spear technique to the middle stage of the Fifth Level." A hint of anticipation flashed in Li Yuan's eyes.

The middle stage of the Fifth Level spear technique would be significantly more powerful than the initial stage.

"As planned."

"There are only four days left before I leave. Before departing, I'll go and accumulate some more Spiritual Essence Nourishment." Li Yuan glanced at the Divine Palace Panel.

His Spirit Awakening Level was at 30.3%, still 9.7% away from the upper limit of 40%.

"Where should I go?"

Li Yuan tapped on his Smart Ring Table and checked the locations within the Mingxu Star Realm, focusing on those near the Third Outpost Base.

"This is the place."

"The Demon Worm Cavern, approximately 700 kilometers from the Third Outpost Base." Li Yuan confirmed the location, "It's inhabited by a large number of Bloodthirsty Demon Worms, posing a significant threat to the Third Outpost Base. There are even suspicions of a Second Rank Demon Worm hiding within."

"In the past, the Third Outpost Base has attempted to eradicate them multiple times, but the Demon Worm Cavern has a complex environment with numerous nests. Unless a large-scale Mechanical Legion is sent in, it's challenging to exterminate them." Li Yuan reviewed the various information and messages about the Demon Worm Cavern, "Additionally, it's quite a distance from the Outpost Base."

"Hence, the eradication plan was abandoned, and only Observation Point 14 was left on the outskirts."

A smile appeared on Li Yuan's face.

Complex environment? With his powerful spiritual power and astonishing perception abilities, Li Yuan was least afraid of complex environments.

Large number of worms? That was exactly what he was looking for.

"Before I leave..."

"I'll try to solve some problems for the Outpost Base and eliminate as many Demon Worms as possible." Li Yuan thought to himself, "After all, who knows when I'll be able to return next time."

After returning this time, he was certain that he would quickly break through and become an Essence Warrior. Unless the Mingxu Star Realm's gateway expanded to a Second Rank Star Realm, he would never be able to come back.

One hour later, Li Yuan, fully geared up, departed from the Third Outpost Base and headed towards the Demon Worm Cavern alone.

...

As Li Yuan made his way to the Demon Worm Cavern for his final tempering before leaving the Star Realm, back on the Blue Planet, in the Kunlun Martial University of the Xia Nation, it was daytime, and the cold wind was biting, with snow covering the ground.

Deep within the Six-Courtyard Villa District, amidst the icy snow-covered landscape, a figure darted through the snow like a streak of light. It was Li Yang, who had braved the wind and snow to reach the lake where Dean Hai was fishing.

A windbreak, a thick fur coat, a small stove, and several accompanying servants—Dean Hai was enjoying himself.

"This old man Hai sure knows how to live the good life," Li Yang muttered to himself.

Li Yang landed on the snowy ground, his steps becoming much lighter. He approached Dean Hai and spoke respectfully, "Dean Hai."

"You're here?" Dean Hai didn't even lift his eyelids, speaking indifferently, "You said you had something important about Li Yuan to report to me? What is it? I recall his Life and Death Expedition in the Star Realm is almost over."

"Yes," Li Yang replied solemnly. "It's almost over. According to the previous plan, he should be returning from the Mingxu Star Realm within five days. You should have heard about the discovery of the Source Crystal Vein in the Mingxu Star Realm, as the main officer there is my classmate."

"Hmm..." A fleeting look of confusion flashed in Dean Hai's eyes, but he maintained his composure, "I know."

"Good, then I'll get straight to the point." Li Yang said, "The discovery of this vein, Li Yuan was the first to find it. My classmate, who is the main officer there, has been busy hosting the war with the Talan Clan's base. He only managed to send back Li Yuan's Life and Death Expedition score, process, and evaluation today.

"Oh? What's the evaluation?" Dean Hai asked.

"150 points," Li Yang said solemnly.

"150?" Dean Hai finally turned his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Under normal circumstances, a score of 80 points for the Life and Death Expedition would be considered excellent.

But 150 points? That meant all the hidden points were given full marks, representing an outstanding performance beyond measure.

Usually, the reviewing officer wouldn't give such a high evaluation.

"Li Yuan just arrived..." Li Yang immediately began to report in detail Li Yuan's entire process in the Mingxu Star Realm.

At first, Dean Hai was calm, but when he heard that Li Yuan's physical level was at 19, he paused, puzzled, and turned to ask, "Are you sure it's 19? Isn't he only at 16.5? Even with a month's time, he should be at most 17."

"Yes, it's 19, no mistake," Li Yang nodded firmly. "That's not the main point."

"Isn't this the main point?" Dean Hai held back, listening patiently.

When he heard about Li Yuan and Liu Jing's battle against the three Second Rank Flying Snake Valley leaders and their acquisition of the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit, Dean Hai's heart was already filled with shock.

A freshman had achieved this much?

It was supposed to be just a Life and Death Expedition, but it sounded like he had become a top-tier fighter at the Forward Base.

And finally, when Li Yang reported that Li Yuan's spirit power had broken through to the Skysoar Level, Dean Hai was completely stunned. "Is Liu Jing making things up? Li Yuan's spirit power is at the Skysoar Level? He ate a Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit and reached the Skysoar Level?"

"Dean, I thought Liu Jing was drunk at first too," Li Yang smiled wryly. "But I asked repeatedly, and it's true... Li Yuan's mental shock, Liu Jing's spirit power, even comparable to that of a top-tier Essence Warrior, couldn't withstand it and would briefly lose consciousness."

Dean Hai's heart was filled with shock. Was he that strong?

Then, when he heard about Li Yuan and Liu Jing's battle against the three experts of the Talan Clan, Dean Hai became somewhat numb.

With spirit power at the Skysoar Level, these achievements were not surprising.

"Dean, what should we do?" Li Yang asked at the right moment.

"There's no need to do anything," Dean Hai said, his face returning to its usual calmness. "What's so surprising about Skysoar Level spirit power? Every Skysoar Warrior has it."

Li Yang paused.

"Alright," Dean Hai shook his head. "As the vice-dean, is there a need to be so flustered?"

Li Yang became more speechless, and he nodded. "I understand."

"Go to the Jiangnan Province to pick up Li Yuan." Dean Hai suddenly said.

"Me again?" Li Yang paused.

So, he had become the errand boy?

"After you get there, first verify if the report is true. Second, make sure to bring Li Yuan back to the school safely," Dean Hai glanced at Li Yang. "If anything happens to Li Yuan, you can forget about being the vice-dean."

"Understood," Li Yang said solemnly, knowing full well what Dean Hai meant.

If the report was true, such talent would be considered the first-class in the history of Kunlun Martial University.

"Go, and stop bothering me while I fish." Dean Hai waved his hand, continuing to lie on the chair, his gaze fixed on the lake, exuding the aura of a sage.

"I'll go and prepare, and I'll leave for Jiangnan Province the day after tomorrow," Li Yang nodded respectfully and quickly left.

Half a day passed.

Several attendants nearby were preparing fruit.

"Is he gone?" Dean Hai asked indifferently.

The attendants paused, and an experienced one among them said, "Dean, Vice-Dean Li left a while ago."

"Damn, how is he so freakish? Skysoar Level spirit power already?" Dean Hai suddenly jumped up, muttering.

He flicked his fishing rod, and his body moved, dashing into a distant villa room.

The attendants exchanged glances, puzzled.

They were a new batch of servants.

In their minds, Skysoar Warriors should be ethereal and transcendent, possessing the demeanor of true masters.

"You'll get used to it," the only elderly attendant among them smiled, slicing the fruit in half with a sharp knife.

"These Skysoar Warriors..."

"He's still human!"

...

Inside the villa, on a large sofa.

"That's how it is with Li Yuan."

Dean Hai spoke into the communicator, "Skysoar Level spirit power, and he's already at a 19-level physical quality at such a young age... Old Fang, you must seize this opportunity."

"In my decades as the dean, this is the best seedling."

"It's also the best seedling you've had in your twenty years as the principal," Dean Hai muttered. "If you don't cultivate him well, I won't agree."

"I understand." A faint voice came through the communicator. "After Li Yang thoroughly verifies the report, tell me again, and I'll consider it. I have to go now."

Beep~ The communication ended.

"You..." Dean Hai, who was about to continue speaking, paused for several seconds, then suddenly exclaimed, "Damn, he's even better at pretending than me!"

…

Two days later, Li Yang boarded a large flying saucer-shaped aircraft and headed to the Jiangnan Province.

…

January 29th.

In the Mingxu Star Realm, the sky outside was as bright as day, but the Demon Worm Cavern was dimly lit, even bordering on darkness.

Deep within a fissure in the ground that stretched for over ten li.

About 800 meters from the ground, there was barely a trace of sunlight, and the atmosphere was incredibly damp.

On both sides of the fissure, there were hundreds of Demon Worm corpses, each with a single fatal gunshot wound to the head.

The scene was incredibly gruesome.

"You finally came out."

"I didn't expect there to be a Second Rank Demon Worm here," said a figure cloaked in black battle armor, holding a spear and speaking calmly. "It's not a wasted trip for me."

"Tsk!"

"Tsk!" Over a hundred meters away, a giant shadow resembling an enlarged praying mantis lay sprawled out. Its height was two meters, significantly taller than an average person.

Its body length exceeded five meters.

The most eye-catching feature was still its four terrifying front claws, sharp as blades, which had no doubt slaughtered countless creatures.

"Roar!" The Second Rank Demon Worm's eyes fixed on the figure holding the spear, its heart filled with rage.

It really didn't want to come out. For the past two days, it had been secretly commanding the Demon Worms to besiege this outsider.

But!

The opponent was too powerful, almost as if they could foresee the future. No matter the attack, it didn't work, and one by one, the First Rank Demon Worms fell.

The casualties were heavy.

In just two to three days, more than a thousand Demon Worms had died at the hands of the opponent.

Most importantly, in this incredibly complex cavern, the opponent could easily find safe and correct paths... and was now close to the final nest.

There was no choice; this Second Rank Demon Worm had to come out.

If the opponent continued the slaughter, the nest might be destroyed.

"Roar!"

The Second Rank Demon Worm let out a low roar, its wings trembled, and with a surge of power from its hind legs, its massive body transformed into a streak of light and pounced towards Li Yuan.

The four claws, like four terrifying blades, swept across relentlessly.

"Here it comes!" Li Yuan's eyes lit up, and his entire body's strength surged.

A complete eruption.

"Clang!" "Clang! Clang!" With lightning-fast strikes, Li Yuan's spear danced, unyielding like the stars, easily blocking the Second Rank Demon Worm's relentless attacks.

In terms of strength and speed, Li Yuan was at a significant disadvantage.

In terms of weapon quantity, he was also at a disadvantage.

But relying on his superior skills and agility, Li Yuan forcefully withstood the Second Rank Demon Worm's frenzied attacks.

"Enjoying this!"

"Faster! Steadier! Stronger!" Li Yuan's eyes blazed with fiery determination.

This Second Rank Demon Worm had a physical quality of 22.2.

In terms of threat level, it was even more dangerous than the Second Rank Flying Serpent Li Yuan had killed before.

However, compared to half a month ago, Li Yuan's strength had also grown significantly.

Quickly, the two engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging hundreds of moves at the peak of intensity.

"That's enough."

"Four sharp claws, like four blades of a battle sword, relentlessly pressing down, truly a born fighter." Li Yuan's eyes shone: "If we continue fighting, I might not be able to win."

"What a pity."

Boom! Li Yuan's eyes were deep and profound, and a massive wave of power suddenly erupted from within him.

Like a surging river, it slammed into the Second Rank Demon Worm's spiritual consciousness.

The Mental Secret Technique, 'Shake God', directly stunned it.

"Whoosh!"

Li Yuan's spear burst forth, and he executed the second style of the Stellar Spear Technique—Starfall Cascade Twelve-Strike.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! One spear after another, like a surging tide, burst through the gaps in the Second Rank Demon Worm's two sharp claws and struck its head... strands of yellowish-brown Origin Power flowed with incredible resilience.

As Li Yuan thrust his sixth spear.

The Second Rank Demon Worm finally regained consciousness, its eyes filled with a hint of terror, and it felt waves of intense pain sweeping over it. Just as it was about to retreat.

"Pfft!"

The spear, like a meteor, pierced through, and blood splattered.

No matter how resilient the Origin Power was, it couldn't compare to the Source Power Armor, and it was impossible to withstand six consecutive spear attacks at the same point.

Whoosh! The spear withdrew, and Li Yuan retreated, keeping a cautious eye on the Second Rank Demon Worm, prepared for a potential last-ditch counterattack.

"You have killed a Second Rank organism, obtaining Spirit Awakening Nourishment, and your Spirit Awakening Level has increased to 37.3%." A Divine Palace notification flashed.

...

One hour later.

After thoroughly searching the entire Demon Worm Cavern's 'Nest', Li Yuan emerged from the ground fissure, his face covered in dirt and carrying a large backpack.

"It's time to go home," Li Yuan's eyes gleamed, and he strode towards the Third Outpost Base.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end