Chapter 208: The King of Preliminaries

Chapter 208: The King of Preliminaries

On the evening of February 8th, at 7:40 PM, Li Yuan was in the underground martial arts room of his villa.

A holographic projection formed.

"Aunt, how do you feel after taking the Precious Spirit Elixir these days?" Li Yuan asked with a smile as he was video-calling his family.

"Much better. I feel so much more comfortable, and some of my minor ailments have disappeared. Even my strength has increased significantly," the aunt said in the holographic projection, "This must be very expensive, right?"

"It's not cheap, but I can still afford it," Li Yuan replied with a smile. "Aunt, don't worry. Didn't you see my strength during the Fish Spirit Tide? I'm sure you witnessed my abilities then."

Auntie, Uncle Li Changzhou, and the siblings beside them all nodded in agreement.

Why was Li Yuan able to easily convince Li Changzhou and the others this time?

It was because during the Fish Spirit Tide, Li Yuan had displayed terrifying strength and later obtained the First-tier Silver Medal, which made his family aware that he had already attained a strength close to that of an Essence Warrior.

In their perception, an Essence Warrior was already considered very powerful.

"Uncle, I've already contacted my teacher, and we're trying to purchase the treasure to treat your condition. It should arrive soon," Li Yuan said with a smile.

The aunt's therapy plan was well-established, and as long as they were willing to spend the money, they could reserve a team to carry it out.

But for treasures like the Dragon Heart Spirit Fruit, which had many uses and limited supply, it wasn't easy to obtain.

These days, Li Yang had been inquiring through various channels.

Even with money, one often had to wait for heavenly treasures.

"Haha, no need to rush. My body is doing well right now," Li Changzhou laughed, "But you should take care of yourself. When you venture into the Star Realm... be extra careful."

"Mhm," Li Yuan nodded.

"Brother, is the Global University Martial Arts Tournament starting today?" Li Mu Hua, standing nearby, asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling, "Our school has been buzzing with talk about it, but we can't watch the matches. We can only see some promotional videos later."

"Yes, the preliminaries are about to begin," Li Yuan replied with a smile.

It was difficult to have the entire competition open to the public.

"Then you should hurry and not miss the match," Auntie urged.

"Auntie, don't worry. The preliminaries are virtual battles, and you can join anytime between 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM," Li Yuan explained with a smile.

He wasn't in a rush; it was a rare opportunity to video-call his family.

"Mu Hua, focus on your cultivation. When I return from my break, I'll check on your progress," Li Yuan said.

"I understand," Li Mu Hua nodded firmly, "Brother, don't worry. I'll cultivate diligently."

"Go for it, brother! Aim for first place," Li Qian Qian smiled.

As the siblings grew older, Li Mu Hua became more dedicated to her martial arts cultivation, while Li Qian Qian seemed less interested.

Li Yuan didn't interfere with their choices.

...

Soon, Li Yuan ended the video call with his family.

In the Starfire South Lake community, inside Li Yuan's villa, Li Qian Qian and Li Mu Hua went about their own tasks.

Chen Hui and Li Changzhou remained in the living room.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Chen Hui whispered, "Didn't you find out that the thing I took cost at least one hundred million Blue Star Coins? How much danger did Li Yuan have to face to earn that much money? Why spend it on us?"

"Some things can't be advised against," Li Changzhou smiled faintly, "Didn't you understand what happened during the Fish Spirit Tide?"

"Understand what?" Chen Hui asked, puzzled.

"Within half a year of starting university, he's almost an Essence Warrior. Even the two school presidents came to see him personally," Li Changzhou looked at his wife, "Each president holds a higher position than the city lord. Our nephew's talent and future achievements are destined to surpass our imagination."

Chen Hui was stunned for a moment.

Her perspective had expanded, but the changes Li Yuan brought were so rapid and significant that her subconscious mind had yet to catch up.

"Li Yuan's future may lead him to become a Flying Warrior, or even higher," Li Changzhou said softly, "His growth is incredibly fast, and he will encounter many seniors with far greater vision, status, and strength than us."

"Most importantly, his vision and strength may already surpass ours."

"At this time, we shouldn't offer him advice," Li Changzhou smiled, "You need to understand that we're just ordinary people... If we can provide the right guidance to a future super warrior, would we be where we are now?"

Chen Hui was taken aback.

"Then what should we do?" Chen Hui asked, unable to hold back as she looked at her husband.

"Eat well, drink well, stay healthy, follow instructions, and do our best to guide Mu Hua and the others," Li Changzhou smiled, "Don't burden Li Yuan."

"Also, turn down those relatives who come asking for favors."

"I'm going fishing," Li Changzhou stood up, preparing to get his fishing gear.

"At this late hour?" Chen Hui asked.

"Fishing is more peaceful at night. During the day, that Wan City Lord often comes to disturb me," Li Changzhou smiled, "Wan City Lord is a good person, but there's no need to owe him any favors."

"The lower our profile, the better it is for Li Yuan."

"Then you can't go fishing?" Chen Hui also stood up, frowning, "You've been fishing day after day."

"Fishing is a must. After all these years of effort, I can only fish," Li Changzhou said.

...

At Kunlun Martial Arts University, inside the villa.

After chatting with his family, Li Yuan still didn't rush to enter the Starry Sky Combat Network.

After his cultivation of the All Heavens Stars reached its limit for the day, Li Yuan continued to cultivate until 8:40 PM.

"Your life tier has increased from 19.5 to 19.6," a Mind Divine Palace notification suddenly flashed.

Ten more minutes passed before Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, muttering to himself, "Finally, I've reached 19.6."

In the ten days since returning from the Mingxu Star Realm, Li Yuan's life tier had increased by 0.2.

Instinctively, Li Yuan glanced at the Mind Divine Palace panel.

---

Life Tier: 19.6 (First Tier)



Fist Power: 62,100 kg

Speed: 109.3 m/s

Spirit Power: 30.3

Willpower: 31

Spiritual Awakening Level: 37.9% (Current Limit: 40%)



Star Vessel: 10

Technique Realm: Sword Technique (Fifth Stage, 29%), Body Technique (Fifth Stage, 29%), Fist Technique (Perfect)



Physical Cultivation Technique: All Heavens Stars

Mental Cultivation Technique: Great Sun Star Sky Scripture

Note: Upon reaching 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of Spiritual Awakening, you will receive further spiritual guidance.

---

"The trip to the Flying Sky Alien Realm won't be until July."

"The real battle of the Global University Martial Arts Tournament also starts in early June."

"Waiting in school for so long doesn't benefit me much," Li Yuan thought to himself. "After the Virtual Battle, I'll cultivate for a while, become an Essence Warrior, and then venture into the Second Tier Star Realm again."

This was Li Yuan's plan for himself.

The Second Tier Star Realm was generally more dangerous than the First Tier.

Once he became an Essence Warrior, his strength would increase significantly.

Even facing a Second Rank Intermediate Warrior, he could manage. Entering the Second Tier Star Realm again would be much safer.

At that time, by killing aliens and seizing spiritual nourishment, he could accumulate his spiritual awakening level to the 40% limit, which would lead to another infusion of Origin Power and a further increase in strength.

Only then would he truly have the strength to stand in the Second Tier Star Realm.

"Venturing into the Star Realm is both a contribution and a way to earn more wealth," Li Yuan thought.

Through life-and-death trials, his growth would accelerate.

"Next, I'll complete the Virtual Battle with excellence," Li Yuan said as he entered the rest area.

He sat in the Virtual Network Pod and logged into the Starry Sky Combat Network.

...

In the virtual network, within the Starry Sky Combat Network, a separate space was dedicated to the tournament.

Huff! Li Yuan directly entered the vast battle space, and his gaze instinctively swept across the endless sea of people in the spectator seats on both sides.

There were probably over a million people, densely packed and terrifying.

The din was deafening.

"Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother has arrived."

"Senior Brother." Before Li Yuan could speak, the surrounding area immediately echoed with voices. Those sitting next to him were all first-year students from the six colleges.

"Li Yuan."

"It's Li Yuan."

"Li Yuan is here." Along with the shouts, the spectators in the more distant seats also noticed, all of them students from Kunlun Martial University.

"Senior Brother, you're finally here. We've been waiting for you," An Nong said with a smile. "The preliminary round has been going on for an hour, and we were worried you forgot and were about to send you a message."

"It's just the preliminary round, no need to make a fuss," Li Yuan smiled. "How are you all doing? Did you pass the preliminary round?"

"I passed."

"I didn't, I was just short by a few thousand points."

"I passed." The first-year students from the six colleges responded, and judging by the voices, most of them had passed the preliminary round.

Li Yuan wasn't surprised, as these first-year students, though not as strong as him, were already among the top hundred globally.

Passing the preliminary round was not difficult for most of them.

However, according to Kunlun Martial University's tradition, the preliminary and mixed combat rounds were not considered part of the main tournament.

Only when the elimination round began, with individual duels, would it be considered the real tournament.

"There are a lot of people," Li Yuan smiled.

"Yes, the rules are similar to the Ten Schools New Student Battle. The spectators will be arranged by country, school, college, and grade..." An Nong explained, "There are over a million spectators in this battle space."

"Most people will leave once they pass the preliminary round," An Nong was clearly familiar with the rules. "But many are also interested in who will be the top scorer in the preliminary round and from which country."

"The top scorer in the preliminary round?" Li Yuan laughed.

Was this title important? Instinctively, he looked up at the 'Leaderboard' located at the highest point in the battle space, which displayed the top 100 scorers:

1. Shu Heng Yu (Xia Nation): 96,432 points

2. Kan Fang Gui Zi (Cherry Blossom Nation): 93,444 points

3. Oui Jiu Wei La (Flagstar Nation): 93,412 points

...

97. Tian Da Zhuang (Xia Nation): 89,996 points

...

Li Yuan quickly scanned the top 100, first pausing in surprise and then shaking his head with a smile: "Who are these people?"

Aside from Tian Da Zhuang, he didn't recognize many names.

He didn't even see the names of the opponents from the Ten Schools New Student Battle.

Something's not right!!

"It looks like what the teacher said, a score of 4000 points is all it takes to pass the preliminary round." Li Yuan thought to himself, "The score, to some extent, reflects one's strength."

"There's no need to reveal myself now and alert other experts to my presence. It's not like the mixed combat round where the top seed can directly advance to the finals." Li Yuan's mind stirred.

Application to participate.

Whoosh! He vanished from the arena.

"Li Yuan has entered the competition."

"He's disappeared, he must be competing now."

"Do you think Li Yuan will explode with power? I heard others say that Senior Brother Jin mentioned that Li Yuan has the potential to break into the top 100 of the main tournament."

"It's hard to say, I checked and many experts from last year didn't reveal their true strength."

"Senior Brother Jin didn't even make it into the top 100 of the preliminaries. He was in the top 100 when he was a sophomore last year, and this year, he might be able to break into the top 20. In terms of strength, it's impossible that he wouldn't make it into the top 100 of the preliminaries." Numerous Kunlun Martial University students whispered among themselves.

They still held some anticipation in their hearts, hoping that Li Yuan would unleash his full power and climb the preliminary round rankings.

...

In a virtual space.

It was like a massive corridor, and Li Yuan, holding a long spear, appeared out of thin air.

"Kill the enemies to earn points, the more you kill, the higher your score... Enemies will keep appearing until you're defeated." The system's voice sounded.

"Enemies are about to appear, countdown 10...1, begin!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! At the end of the massive corridor, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly appeared, followed by figures darting out from the darkness, their eyes filled with murderous intent, charging towards Li Yuan.

"Preliminaries, you can adjust your physical attributes. I've adjusted to level 20." Li Yuan thought, "It seems like these opponents are only at level 18, and their techniques are weak... Too weak."

"I'll pass quickly and not waste time." Li Yuan's body moved, and he darted forward.

He charged directly towards those figures, and with their level 18 physical attributes, their speed increased.

"Boom!"

Li Yuan unleashed his power, and countless spear shadows burst and exploded, like stars shattering.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" It was as if they were cutting down wheat.

These figures, holding battle swords, long spears, or shields, had their bodies explode one after another, blood splattering everywhere, not a single one could withstand Li Yuan's attack.

Even those holding shields were no match, as Li Yuan directly shattered their shields with a spear thrust.

Brutal beyond words.

Boom! Li Yuan was like a bolt of lightning, charging straight to the end of the corridor, waiting for these opponents to respawn.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!" Figures fell one after another, each killed upon respawn.

Before long.

"Competitor 'Li Yuan', your score has reached 4000 points, congratulations on passing the virtual battle preliminaries." A system notification suddenly flashed.

"4000 points?" Li Yuan glanced at it, "That's enough."

Huff! Li Yuan's mind stirred, and he conceded, leaving the competition space and returning to reality.

He continued to practice his spear techniques.

...

"Senior Brother."

"It seems that Senior Brother and Jin Huguo are both preparing to unleash their full strength later on."

"Yes, hiding their strength now is the right move." The freshmen of the Six Institutes whispered among themselves.

...

Time passed by, second by second.

Competitors from all over the world entered the competition space, constantly taking action.

Occasionally, the leaderboard would refresh, but there was still no expert surpassing 100,000 points.

All the way until nearly 11 o'clock.

Whoosh! In a corner of the competition space's spectator platform, a purple-clad figure appeared out of thin air.

He immediately spotted the leaderboard high in the sky.

"Hehe."

"Li Yuan, Yin Man, you guys really look down on the preliminaries, I bet you're all holding back, afraid that others will know your true strength."

"I'm not worried." The purple-clad youth muttered to himself, revealing a smile.

"If you guys don't care about this title, then I'll take the title of 'Preliminary Round King' for myself."

"The Preliminary Round King is still a king!"

Huff!

The purple-clad youth's mind stirred, and he directly chose to compete.

...In just twelve minutes, the competition space, which had already reduced to around 300,000 competitors, suddenly erupted in a commotion.

"Look!"

"Dantai Feng!"

"Dantai Feng's name has entered the top 100 and is still rising rapidly." Many people noticed the movement on the leaderboard and the name that kept climbing.

"He's in the top 20 now."

"His score is rising too fast, he's already surpassed 90,000 points."

"95,000 points!!!"

"He's broken into the top 10."

"First place! He's in first place."

"He's surpassed 100,000 points."

"200,000 points!!!" A chorus of exclamations rang out.

Everyone watched as Dantai Feng soared to the top spot with astonishing speed, ultimately stopping at the terrifying score of '310,000 points', leading the second-place competitor by over 200,000 points.

Martial arts university students from all over the world fell silent.

At this moment, countless students from around the world remembered this name—Dantai Feng.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end