Chapter 215: The School's Anticipation

Chapter 215: The School’s Anticipation



If the initial clash between Li Yuan and Hoffman merely caught the eyes of these Flying Warriors and top Origin Warriors, it did not cause much surprise.

However, when Li Yuan displayed the true essence of the ‘Star River Convergence’ gun technique and easily defeated Hoffman, everyone in the higher viewing area, including dozens of Flying Warriors, was amazed and even stunned.

The higher one's skill realm, the harder it is to progress.

Geniuses like Yin Man, Hamon, Hoffman, Jin Huoguo, and Kunaler are all considered top talents on Blue Star. Normally, Blue Star only produces ten to twenty such geniuses in a year.

From the initial Fourth Stage to the Fine Mind Micro stage, most of them only need a little over a year.

From the Fine Mind Micro stage to the Fifth Stage Initial? It takes even longer, despite their higher physical attributes and Spirit Power generally reaching level 20 or above.

From the Fifth Stage Initial to the Fifth Stage Middle? The pace slows down even more.

After all, the Fifth Stage Initial skill realm is already enough to achieve the status of a top Origin Warrior.

The next steps to Fifth Stage Advanced and Fifth Stage Perfect... each breakthrough becomes exponentially more difficult.

Under normal circumstances, for these top geniuses of Blue Star to reach the Fifth Stage Perfect skill realm within the next ten years (before the age of 30) and meet the minimum requirement to become a Flying Warrior... that would be considered very successful.

Many would be stuck at the Fifth Stage Advanced skill realm.

Skill progression is never guaranteed by mere time investment.

Many so-called martial arts geniuses, after reaching a certain limit, often get stuck in a bottleneck, unable to break through, because these bottlenecks are often their talent limits.

From Fifth Stage to Sixth Stage? It's even more difficult than climbing a mountain.

Many Flying Warriors, who were as brilliant as Hamon in their youth and reached Fifth Stage Perfect as Origin Warriors, still couldn't break through to Sixth Stage after transcending to the Flying Warrior level and transforming their souls.

Many Flying Warriors in human civilization haven't reached the Sixth Stage skill level.

What about Li Yuan? How old is he?

"Yin Man and Hamon were already rare to reach Fifth Stage by their second year of university. The Blue Star competition only sees one or two such talents each year, and sometimes none at all."

"Someone like Dantai Feng, Blue Star only produces one every few years, and that's already very rare."

"Li Yuan is even more monstrous. He's younger than Dantai Feng, yet his progress is faster. He only reached Fine Mind Micro three months ago? That's too fast."

"Could he be a genius on Fang Hai's level?"

"I think he's stronger than Yu Jinghe!"

"Yu Jinghe's performance in the Blue Star competition was slightly better than Dantai Feng's, but not by much."

"Is Xia Country about to produce another Star Sovereign?"

"Become a Star Sovereign? I think that's hard!" The Flying Warriors couldn't help but discuss and even argue.

Facing Dantai Feng, they could still maintain a somewhat condescending attitude, at least they were more composed.

But Li Yuan? He's too monstrous.

A first-year student reaching Fifth Stage Middle is a rare achievement, especially since the establishment of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.

"No wonder the Star Sovereign came to watch Li Yuan."

"The Star Sovereign indeed has foresight." The Flying Warriors couldn't help but look at the black-clad figure.

Suddenly.

Hum~ The mysterious black-clad figure sitting in the seat vanished into thin air.

Clearly, he had seen what he wanted to see from this mixed combat round.

"Hehe."

"Ladies and gentlemen." Dean Hai smiled faintly: "This is my student."

"Old Hai, you've really hit the jackpot!"

"Such good luck."

"I'll have to go back and check why our Starlight University didn't recruit him." The other Flying Warriors couldn't help but tease.

They are all pillars of human civilization, though they nominally belong to different countries and factions, they generally have good relationships, many of them are even life-and-death friends.

These Flying Warriors are well aware that when facing alien civilizations, the only label they carry is that of the Seven Stars Human Civilization.

...

"Truly lucky."

Li Yang couldn't help but mutter quietly as he listened to Dean Hai boasting: "His teaching? What teaching? Weren't we the ones who trained him hard?"

"He just spends his days fishing by the lake." Li Yang continued to complain.

"If you have such a big complaint, why don't I report it to Dean Hai?" Dean Xu smiled.

"That's not necessary, sis." Li Yang laughed: "Talk is talk, jokes are jokes, but I won't joke about my future."

Dean Xu shook her head and smiled. She understood Li Yang's character.

"Li Yuan's gun technique is indeed fearsome." Dean Xu looked at Li Yuan on the screen and couldn't help but remark: "Fifth Stage Middle, even for a Flying Warrior soul, this progress is too fast."

"Indeed, it's ridiculously fast."

"Li Yang couldn't help but speak up.

A Flying-level soul? It's just an auxiliary.

The key is Li Yuan's own epiphany and transformation.

At this rate of progress, I'd believe that he'll surpass us next year," Li Yang said.

Xu Yuan slightly nodded.

Both of them were Fourth Stage Advanced Technique practitioners.

In terms of skill level, compared to Li Yuan's current state, they no longer had an overwhelming advantage.

"Can he make it to the top?" Xu Yuan's eyes gleamed with a hint of light.

"It's hard to say," Li Yang shook his head slightly, "Up until now, Nieveski from Ros Country has erupted with Fifth Stage Intermediate strength... Hamon, Yin Man, and the others might have broken through, or perhaps they haven't."

"All I can say is that Li Yuan has a great chance." Li Yang spoke, "After all, there are still ten days until the final round."

"At Li Yuan's rate of progress, in ten days, he might catch up to several months of others' training."

Both of them had a glimmer of anticipation in their hearts.

The Virtual Combat Champion?

Since 2009, when the Global University Martial Arts Tournament's Virtual Combat began, the championship has been rotating among the top three martial arts schools: Starlight University, Flame Star University, and Blackstone University.

If Kunlun Martial Arts University can seize the championship this year, it will be the first time in the school's history.

...

In the competition space, the millions of spectators were completely enthralled.

"He won!"

"Not only did Li Yuan block Hoffman's attacks, but he even counter-attacked and killed him? His final burst of gun technique was incredibly powerful."

"Initially, when both sides were attacking, Hoffman could suppress him, but Li Yuan only managed to hold his ground, and then suddenly burst forth and killed Hoffman."

"With Hoffman's strength, even if he was at a disadvantage, escaping should have been easy. But Li Yuan's final burst of speed, according to the data, exceeded 80 meters per second, which is close to the normal speed of an 18th-level Star Warrior."

"Impressive."

"Hoffman, he's a Fifth Rank Expert on par with Hamon." Countless spectators were discussing intensely.

The previous Fifth Stage battles, though they had winners and losers, were mostly narrow victories.

The only battle that could be compared to Li Yuan's was Nieveski's victory over Dantai Feng. Nieveski also secured his victory with ease.

But in the end, Dantai Feng was still a first-year student, and although his reputation seemed great, in the hearts of most participants, he didn't hold the same weight as Hoffman.

It was known that before this, many people believed 'Hoffman' would secure a spot in the top ten, with hopes for the first place.

But now, he had been easily slain by Li Yuan.

How strong must Li Yuan's strength be?

...

"Junior Brother Li Yuan has a real chance at the top spot," Jin Huguo's eyes gleamed, "Amazing! To achieve this in just his first year!"

Jin Huguo deeply admired Li Yuan in his heart.

...

"First place? Is Li Yuan that strong?" Tian Da Zhuang listened to Dantai Feng's words, feeling a bit shaken, "Is he stronger than Senior Sister Yin Man?"

Yin Man had a big reputation within Flame Star University.

"It's hard to say."

"Yin Man is indeed strong, but she might not have reached the Fifth Stage Intermediate level," Dantai Feng said, "Moreover, even if she has, so what?"

Dantai Feng shrugged, "Normally, it takes several years to advance from Fifth Stage Intermediate to Fifth Stage Advanced. What's the point of breaking through a few months early?"

"There are still ten days until the final round. Who knows how far Li Yuan will progress by then?" Dantai Feng added.

Tian Da Zhuang nodded in agreement.

What made Li Yuan truly awe-inspiring was his astonishing rate of progress.

Others tended to slow down as they progressed, often hitting bottlenecks.

But Li Yuan? The further he went, the more exaggerated his progress became, the faster he improved, and the more dazzling he became.

Suddenly,

"I suddenly hope I don't have to go to the Flying Star this year," Dantai Feng sighed.

"What's wrong with you now?" Tian Da Zhuang asked in surprise.

"If I don't go to the Flying Star this year, Li Yuan will go, and he won't be able to participate in the Blue Star Tournament next year," Dantai Feng's eyes gleamed, "While I continue to fight."

"By then, if I win the championship in my second year, it will be equally dazzling, right?"

Tian Da Zhuang was stunned.

...

"Is that Li Yuan?"

"No wonder he directly got the Second Rank Martial God Heritage spot." The tall Zhu Tong stared at the figure on the light screen, "He's indeed strong."

"Stronger than me!"

...

"We're leaving now? Aren't there still ten minutes left?" Wu Dongdong asked in confusion.

"It's pointless."

"On the Seventh Star Realm Battlefield, no one can shake Li Yuan's position," Li Xiang smiled, "I need to go see my brother and prepare for the trip to the Fiery Feather Star Realm."

"You're preparing to leave now? Won't you be careful?" Wu Dongdong asked, unable to hold back.

"My physical fitness has reached the 15th level, meeting the standard," Li Xiang explained, "The earlier I go, the better the benefits."

"Then be careful," Wu Dongdong sighed.

She knew that Li Xiang carried great expectations and that the path she was walking was extremely challenging.

……

Within the Seventh Star Realm Battlefield.

Huff!

Having killed Hamon, Li Yuan did not linger but swiftly departed from the forested area.

Then, he sought out a high mountain and sat cross-legged on a large boulder, placing his long spear beside him.

This made Li Yuan very conspicuous, especially since the battlefield was this vast.

But for the past three hours, Li Yuan had been on a killing spree, and the number of contestants who had died at his hands reached the hundreds.

It could be said that among the surviving contestants in the battlefield, almost all of them recognized him.

"The final ten minutes."

"There's no need to continue the slaughter." Li Yuan's mind gradually calmed, and he silently pondered, "I didn't expect that in this great battle, I would cross into the middle of the Fifth Stage."

Breaking through during a great battle was quite common.

When one's mental awareness is extremely excited, and one walks the fine line between life and death, their potential is maximized... Although the effects of Virtual Combat are not as impactful as real battles, the stakes involving slots in the tournament surpass the tension of normal real-life training.

If Li Yuan had been cultivating normally, it might have taken one or two months to break through his bottleneck.

"Hamon has an immense reputation, and according to intelligence, he's capable of breaking into the top ten." Li Yuan's heart secretly acknowledged, "After fighting him, I estimate his technique level to be around 20% of the Fifth Stage."

"And what about me now?" Li Yuan glanced at the Divine Palace panel.

Among the information displayed:

Technique Realm: Spear Technique (50% of the Fifth Stage), Body Technique (50% of the Fifth Stage)



"Is this enough to challenge for the first place?" Li Yuan silently contemplated, "Next, I'll give it my all in the finals and leave no regrets."

On the leaderboard of the Seventh Star Realm Battlefield, Li Yuan was already far ahead in first place.

...Time passed by, minute by minute.

The remaining surviving contestants became increasingly frenzied.

"Don't run, come and fight me with all your might, only by winning can you break into the top hundred!"

"Get lost, your strength is greater than mine, I'm still ranked in the eight hundredth place in the battlefield, if I survive and return to school, I might even be rewarded, but if I die at your hands, I'll probably drop to the two to three thousandth place." Two contestants, one chasing and the other fleeing, shouted at each other in anger.

Those ranked in the top hundred were on the one hand hunting down other contestants to secure their rankings, and on the other, they were extremely cautious, fearing surprise attacks.

Some who were very close to breaking into the top hundred were going wild, trying to make the most of the remaining time.

However, within the Seventh Battlefield, no one dared to provoke the black-clothed figure with closed eyes sitting atop the large boulder.

Finally, the time reached midnight.

Humm~

An invisible wave swept through, and among the ten Star Realm Battlefields, the consciousness of all surviving contestants simultaneously left their bodies.

The Mixed Combat Round concluded, and Li Yuan was among them.

Huff!

Li Yuan had returned to the tournament, and as far as he could see, there was a sea of people cheering excitedly.

As the Mixed Combat Round ended, tomorrow would bring the more brutal Elimination Round.

But these matters no longer concerned Li Yuan.

"Congratulations, Li Yuan, for ranking first in the Seventh Star Realm Battlefield, you will directly advance to the finals, bypassing the Elimination Round." The system notification sounded in Li Yuan's ear, "The finals, a battle of twenty to select ten, will be held on the evening of February 18th at 8:00."

...

"First place!"

"Brother Yuan, you're so awesome, ranking first in the battlefield!"

"Senior Brother, a first-year student advancing to the finals, you've made history for Kunlun Martial Arts University!"

"The finals! Senior Brother, we all look forward to you claiming the championship!!!" Countless Kunlun Martial Arts University students surrounded Li Yuan, cheering at this moment.

Li Yuan observed all of this, feeling the excitement of his classmates and friends, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

A thought moved in his heart.

Ding~ Li Yuan directly exited the Virtual Network.

...Humm~ The Virtual Network Pod activated.

Li Yuan opened his eyes, feeling the profound tranquility around him, as if the excitement and noise from the tournament were a dream.

But this tranquility was the reality.

"By ranking first in the battlefield, I've accomplished the first goal of the tournament." Li Yuan's heart had completely calmed, "It's time to continue cultivating."

Li Yuan stood up and walked out of the Virtual Network Pod.

"Let's cultivate the Observation Technique first." Li Yuan arrived at the center of the Martial Arts Room and gently closed his eyes.

Cultivation requires day after day of accumulation, and one cannot afford to relax for even a day.

...

When the Mixed Combat Round concluded, and many students gradually left the Virtual Network Pods.

In a remote country in Africa, an ordinary student wrote a string of seemingly unrelated symbols on a piece of white paper.

But if these symbols were accurately translated into the Xia language.

"Li Yuan, eighteen and a half years old, Fourth Stage Technique."

"A year and a half ago, he was only at the Third Stage Technique, and in terms of threat level, he has already surpassed the Fifth Stage."

"It is suggested to initiate all means, except for the Flying Heaven Realm, to eliminate him!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end