Chapter 220: Master of All Trades, This is a Flying Sword, a Matter of Martial Artists (4K)

Chapter 220: Master of All Trades, This is a Flying Sword, a Matter of Martial Artists (4K)



Xue Jing sat in his chair, his right hand caressing a silver bracelet on his left wrist. He gently tapped twice on the metallic surface of the bracelet.

Adorning the back of his ear were two rectangular silver patches, roughly the size of fingernails, which now glowed faintly in sync with the activation of the bracelet.

According to Ning Yuantai, these patches were designed to receive brain waves.

The bracelet lacked a physical keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen like a phone, and most of its operations were controlled via brain waves.

A pale blue light emanated from the bracelet, projecting a holographic image into the air—a display resembling a smart device's home screen.

Xue Jing focused his thoughts on the holographic interface, and it responded instantly, opening the system's built-in browser.

When ordinary people first used this device, their insufficient mental energy and weak brain waves, along with impure thoughts, often led to difficulties in accurately controlling the bracelet's functions.

Thus, they needed to reinforce their thoughts by physically touching the holographic images, gradually learning to manipulate the interface accurately.

Only after adaptation and practice could they master the skill of controlling it without any physical gestures.

However, with Xue Jing's current mental prowess, he effortlessly mastered the device like a seasoned user, requiring no additional gestures to strengthen his thoughts.

After curiously experimenting with the holographic interface, Xue Jing picked up a pair of glasses from the table beside him and put them on.

These were AR glasses designed to pair with the bracelet, and as he donned them, the holographic image in the air vanished.

A clearer, more vibrant interface of the bracelet's screen appeared within his field of vision.

Xue Jing casually clicked on a recommended website called 'Mushroom Video' on the browser.

In an instant, the interface of a video website popped up, with no loading time at all, as if he had opened a local application.

He randomly opened a decompression video of a hydraulic press crushing various items, and it, too, opened immediately, starting to play in less than 0.1 seconds, with the progress bar loading instantaneously.

"The so-called 'Super Net,' renowned for its infinite transmission speed, is limited only by the performance of the devices themselves..."

Xue Jing was amazed as he watched the ultra-high-definition, high-frame-rate video of the hydraulic press.

This five-minute video was at least 100G in size, and it would have taken an eternity to load on the 'Old Net.'

Having experienced the heights of luxury, how could one ever tolerate the backwardness of the Old Net in the outer ring?

After watching a few more videos, Xue Jing closed the browser and opened the application store that came with the bracelet.

He selected the games category and chose a game called 'Uproar in Heaven' from the rankings, installing it onto the bracelet. Once again, the installation was instantaneous.

This was an incredible '3D mini-game' where the player took on the role of the monkey. Set in a beautifully rendered heavenly palace among the clouds, the game featured exquisitely detailed models and smooth animations for each of the ten thousand heavenly soldiers and deities. The magical spells of the various gods were dazzling, filling the screen with a dazzling display of light and color.

With true ten thousand heavenly soldiers on the screen at once, Xue Jing controlled the monkey, wielding a wish-fulfilling stick that extended at will. With a flick of the wrist, the stick grew in size, crushing hundreds of heavenly soldiers. The shattered flesh and corresponding map interactions were depicted with intricate detail, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

The kind of game required staggering specs to run smoothly, but on the 'Super Net,' playing games was a configuration-free affair.

That's because the games weren't running on the bracelet itself... they were cloud games.

All games were hosted on official servers, and players simply streamed the game footage in real-time via infinite and stable data transmission.

This style of play was akin to watching a video that one could control, eliminating the need to consider the player's device configuration. Developers could go all out with the game's graphics and features, confident that as long as the server could handle it, the players would enjoy a seamless experience.

Xue Jing, like a man who had taken digital Viagra, succumbed to a long-forgotten gaming addiction. He excitedly played a plethora of novel games throughout the night, forsaking sleep and cultivation alike.

When he finally snapped out of his trance, it was already morning on the second day.

He removed the AR glasses and rubbed his eyes, which, though not tired, felt a bit strained.

"This is too addictive," Xue Jing marveled.

If someone were to tell him now that he wouldn't be able to access the Super Net once he left the inner ring, he would feel a sense of reluctance in his heart.

Even someone like him, with extremely high mental energy and strong willpower, felt this way, let alone ordinary people.

"The 'Super Net' is just one of the advantages of the inner ring... The difference between the inner and outer rings is just too vast. No wonder countless people from the outer ring are trying their best to get in here and become permanent residents of the inner ring."

Xue Jing shook his head and looked down at Cat, who was curled up and sleeping peacefully on his lap.

"Miss Wan, let's go. It's time for breakfast."

Xue Jing gently stroked Cat's chin and spoke softly.

...

Noon.

In a quiet cafe with nice decor in District C13 of Yuan City.

Xue Jing pushed open the door and scanned the place with his eyes, quickly spotting Jiang Siwen sitting in a corner sipping coffee while perusing some documents.

It had been over a month since they last met, but Jiang Siwen's appearance hadn't changed much. She was still dressed in a figure-hugging, tailored skirt, exuding the aura of an elite career woman.

With his aura concealed using [Concealment], Xue Jing approached without attracting any attention and sat down opposite Jiang Siwen.

Cat, who had been perched on his shoulder, leaped onto the table and meowed softly.

The pleasant meow drew Jiang Siwen's attention, and she looked up to see Xue Jing sitting across from her.

"Little Jing, you're here," Jiang Siwen said with a smile.

"Sister Wen, long time no see," Xue Jing replied with a smile.

Jiang Siwen's expression turned a little dazed as she beheld Xue Jing's smile, something she hadn't seen in a while.

Although she had gotten used to it before, it had been a month since they last met, and her resistance wasn't as strong as it used to be.

She couldn't help but marvel inwardly: What a magnificent face.

After exchanging greetings and catching up on each other's recent situations, Xue Jing picked up the cup of milk tea that a waiter had just brought over and took a sip before asking, "Sister Wen, what's the procedure for this final tournament?"

Jiang Siwen smiled helplessly and said, "You're still as uninterested in the competition as ever. It's as if you're here for a vacation and just happen to participate in the tournament to grab a championship along the way."

After a pause, she continued, "The process is pretty much the same as the elimination rounds. There are eight competition areas, and four people from each area will advance to the finals, making a total of thirty-two participants."

"These thirty-two participants will then draw lots..."

Jiang Siwen explained the procedure for the U19 finals, which was pretty much the same as the elimination rounds Xue Jing had participated in previously in Feng City.

"The only difference is that starting from the quarterfinals, we'll be using a 'double-elimination' format. Contestants who lose in the quarterfinals will drop to the losers' bracket, and only if they lose again in the losers' bracket will they be completely eliminated. If they fight their way back from the losers' bracket, they'll still have a chance to win the championship..."

As Jiang Siwen spoke, she took out a thick stack of documents from her briefcase and pushed them toward Xue Jing.

"These are the detailed profiles of the thirty-two finalists that I've compiled. Take a look."

Xue Jing reached out and took the documents, glancing at the one on top.

Whether it was a coincidence or Jiang Siwen had placed it there intentionally, it was Zhou Yinglin's profile.

Xue Jing opened it and started reading.

Seeing this, Jiang Siwen's expression turned solemn as she said, "This is the opponent you need to pay the most attention to in the finals, Zhou Yinglin."

"He's a disciple of 'Eternal Marshal' Wu Xuanzhu. His level far surpasses what's expected in the U19 tournament, similar to that of Ogasahime Rinka, who is also participating."

"These two individuals don't belong in a tournament of this caliber. Their combat power has already exceeded the 'young elite' range, especially Zhou Yinglin."

"During my time in Yuan City, I've been using the 'Super Net' to search for information, and I discovered that Zhou Yinglin has already attained the highest regular rank in the martial arts world—a professional ninth-dan rating."

Jiang Siwen tapped her finger on the table.

"The next rank above this is the 'Grandmaster' level, which is like leaping over the dragon's gate. There are even professionals in the inner ring who predict that he will break through his limits within a year..."

"I see," Xue Jing said, still looking at the document in his hand, his eyes resting on the section about Zhou Yinglin's martial arts style, 'Flawless Sky-Clothing'.

The first peerless skill in the mortal world, this style wields a nine-foot spear to weave a heavenly garment with flawless, seamless defense, leaving no gaps or openings for enemies to exploit. It is hailed as the perfect spear technique.

Xue Jing stroked his chin, feeling a bit tempted.

"Sounds pretty awesome. Can I steal... I mean, learn this technique?"

Such a bold claim of being the best in the world was definitely something he wanted to get his hands on, as it would undoubtedly benefit him greatly on his path to mastering all weapons.

When it came to martial arts, it was more like mutual learning than stealing.

"This guy is quite peculiar. I don't know why he's participating in the U19 tournament... He's already won the 'Little Dragon Gate Cup' before, and winning another championship in a youth tournament like this won't bring him any additional benefits. He already has one of the required pieces for challenging a title."

Jiang Siwen spoke with a puzzled expression.

"As for the prize money and fame, he probably wouldn't care about those either..."

"But regardless, Xiao Jing, you must be careful. I know you're strong, but the opponents you'll face this time are completely different from those in the Feng City elimination rounds!"

Xue Jing nodded and smiled. "I understand, Sister Wei."

Jiang Siwen took a sip of her coffee and said softly, "By the way, there's one more thing."

"Hmm?" Xue Jing asked.

"There's someone who wants to invite you to meet him through the Galaxy Club's channels." Jiang Siwen said.

Xue Jing frowned, "Who?"

"Ogasuwa Shika."

Jiang Siwen said a name that was somewhat unexpected to Xue Jing.

Although his purpose for participating in the U19 tournament was to target Ogasuwa Shika and obtain the [Immortal Edge] from him, this intention shouldn't have been exposed.

After thinking for a moment, Xue Jing asked, "Did he give a reason?"

Jiang Siwen shook her head, "No... But this person's obsession with martial arts is famous worldwide. He must have seen your competition videos and thought you were amazing, and now he wants to meet you on a whim."

"I see." Xue Jing nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, meeting him wouldn't hurt. When?"

If he could find an opportunity to win the [Immortal Edge] before the competition, that would be great.

Jiang Siwen said, "He said you can meet him anytime you're free."

...

In the afternoon, at the Zhigo Base.

The rooftop of the building where Xue Jing lived was a spacious training area equipped with various facilities.

At that moment, Xue Jing stood on the rooftop, holding a palm-sized, handle-less black blade, examining it carefully.

"Inch Dragon III Blade-type Floating Sword..."

This item was a trophy obtained from the Giant God Legion.

According to Ning Yuantai, it was made from the core organ of a special dragon species called 'Inch Dragon'.

The so-called 'Inch Dragon', as its name suggests, is the smallest dragon species ever observed by humans, with an adult body length of less than five centimeters, resembling an insect.

Like all dragon species, Inch Dragons are born with an anti-gravity bio-force field, allowing them to fly freely in the sky. Moreover, despite their small size, their bio-force field concentration is higher than that of ordinary dragon species, resulting in exceptionally fast and agile flight.

Combining these characteristics, a weapons company created this freely controllable floating sword, reminiscent of the flying swords in cultivation novels.

"Pipa—"

Electric arcs flickered, and silver-white lightning dragon horns sprouted from Xue Jing's forehead.

He extended a finger, and a silver-white electric arc shot toward the 'Inch Dragon Floating Sword', attaching itself to its body.

The electricity penetrated its interior, activating a switch, and the sword immediately took flight, hovering in the air.

Xue Jing gazed at the floating sword, controlling it with his dragon lightning, making it circle slowly around him.

Previously, although he could move objects by influencing gravity with his dragon lightning, it wasn't practical in combat due to high energy consumption, lack of flexibility, insufficient speed, and weak power.

However, this floating sword was different. It possessed an extremely strong bio-force field, resulting in fast and agile flight. Moreover, as it was designed as a weapon, its offensive capabilities were impressive.

Normally, this sword would be controlled by a brain-implanted remote control, but Xue Jing had no intention of implanting any foreign objects into his body. Instead, he attempted to attach his dragon lightning to the sword, simulating brainwave control.

By doing so, the dragon lightning didn't need to be converted into gravity, minimizing energy consumption. The sword's flight relied solely on its own force field, while the dragon lightning served as a remote control.

As the floating sword circled around him, Xue Jing's control became increasingly skillful. He glanced at the alloy dummy punching bag beside him and snapped his fingers.

"Swish—"

Silver-white electric lights flickered on the black floating sword as it suddenly accelerated and shot toward the punching bag.

During this process, Xue Jing's thoughts shifted, causing countless shadow gas currents to coil around the floating sword, enveloping it in a layer of black flames, while the silver electric currents intensified, transforming it into a black flame and white lightning sword.

"Chi—"

Unimpeded, the floating sword pierced through the heart of the punching bag.

Seeing this, Xue Jing nodded.

"Master of all trades, this is a flying sword."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end