Chapter 248: Xue Jing's 'Chicken Soup for the Soul', Hundred Needles and Thousand Threads, Evolution

Chapter 248: Xue Jing's 'Chicken Soup for the Soul', Hundred Needles and Thousand Threads, Evolution of the Soldier Strike! (4K)



"A few days..."

Ke Jiaqian hesitated.

"This is the 'Flawless'... One of the most challenging martial arts disciplines in the world, isn't it?"

It's not that she didn't want to believe it, but she simply couldn't.

Zhou Yinglin's talent was already exceptional. From birth, his innate spiritual energy level was far superior to that of ordinary people, earning him the title of a child prodigy. This was also why he was able to become a disciple of the renowned 'Gun Saint'.

He had practiced 'Flawless' for three years. It took him a year to master the basics and another year to reach the 'Ten Needles, Hundred Threads' realm. It was only in the most recent year that he entered an explosive period of growth, rapidly advancing to a level approaching the 'Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads' realm.

For those who understood the difficulties of 'Flawless', Zhou Yinglin's progress was nothing short of astonishing.

And yet, in just a few days, Xue Jing had seemingly mastered Flawless from scratch, to the extent of being able to defeat Zhou Yinglin...

If one were to calculate it, wouldn't it mean that his talent was a hundred times greater than Zhou Yinglin's? This was impossible. Even Li Taixian, known for having the most exceptional natural talent for human martial arts and revered as the 'Martial Saint', could not have achieved such a feat.

All human attributes had a diminishing marginal effect; the closer one got to the limit, the harder it became to progress.

Zhou Yinglin already possessed top-tier natural talent, and there were only a handful of people with better endowments. If someone had a hundred times his talent, the comparison would be akin to the difference between a monkey and a human—they would be considered separate species.

It was unthinkable for a human to attain such a level... unless they weren't human.

Xue Jing smiled and said, "I've already answered that question. Why don't you ask something else?"

Upon hearing this, Ke Jiaqian realized that Xue Jing was either losing patience or that her question had touched upon some secret he didn't want to reveal. She quickly adjusted her emotions and, holding the microphone, asked in a serious tone:

"Then... the next question... to Xue Jing, you are the only contestant in this U19 Finals from the Outer Ring, and in fact, even including past U19 Finals, the number of Outer Ring contestants who have made it to the quarterfinals is very small."

"This data sufficiently proves that contestants from the Outer Ring are at a significant disadvantage when facing those from the Inner Ring. How did you overcome this disadvantage... or do you have any tips or advice for other contestants from the Outer Ring?"

Upon hearing this question, Xue Jing thought for a moment before slowly speaking:

"Reality is not a game. People cannot choose their starting point."

"Talent, family background, environment, educational resources... these inherent differences between people are solid and cannot be bridged by something as insignificant as 'hard work'."

"I'm not here to feed you feel-good motivational quotes... saying things like 'hard work will get you anywhere'. That's simply not true."

"I didn't get to where I am today because of 'hard work'."

"The only advice I can give is this: if you want to move forward, don't look at what others have. Instead, look at what you have and forge ahead with what little you have."

"If all you have is 'hard work', then work hard. It doesn't guarantee success, but it's the only crude method you have to move forward."

"This is a harsh and difficult truth to accept, but recognizing it might be your first step towards becoming stronger..."

Ke Jiaqian and the cameraman stared at Xue Jing, who was speaking eloquently. They found it hard to believe that the person before them was just a seventeen-year-old boy.

These words might not have been profound, but they were certainly not shallow concepts one could learn from textbooks in an ivory tower.

They were not meant to inspire false hope but were practical suggestions... even if they might be hard for some to accept.

"I see," Ke Jiaqian said, touched by his words. "Thank you, Xue Jing, for your insightful words. They truly moved me."

"You must have gone through many hardships and overcome numerous difficulties to be able to say such meaningful things. You must have a deep understanding of the struggles faced by the general public, right?" she asked, holding the microphone.

Xue Jing gave her a strange look and said bluntly, "No, I'm just stating the obvious. My journey has been quite smooth, and I don't really know what 'hard work' is. I just got stronger effortlessly."

Ke Jiaqian: "..."

Cameraman: "..."

...

The interview lasted for almost fifteen minutes, and Xue Jing, just like during the pre-tournament interview, kept 'dropping bombs', making shocking statements that one wouldn't expect from a typical Zhuxia person.

Ke Jiaqian left with a spring in her step, feeling absolutely delighted. She wondered how much bonus she would get for this unexpected successful interview...

Her only regret was that before leaving, she had tried to hint at something, but Xue Jing seemed to not understand at all and showed no reaction. In the end, he even impatiently told her to leave, making her feel like she had missed out on a hundred million yuan...

After the interview crew left, the lounge finally quieted down.

Xue Jing sat down in a chair, closed his eyes, and sank his mind into a consciousness simulation.

The stage was set, and a large arena was constructed before him, and soon, he appeared within it.

He moved his body, and with a thought, a figure appeared in front of him.

This time, the person who appeared was not Zhou Yinglin, but himself.

After reaching the realm of eighty guns with Flawless, Zhou Yinglin's level was no longer sufficient to be his sparring partner.

Especially after the official match with Zhou Yinglin, he felt that he had shed some mental burden. Additionally, the massive experience boost from Soldier Strike had given him some new insights into Flawless.

Both Xue Jings held out their palms, and countless pixel blocks condensed in their hands, transforming into nine-foot-long spears.

"Ding!"

Without a word, the two moved simultaneously, their spears piercing towards each other with extreme speed, the spear tips meeting in a clash.

Instantly, a terrifying ring-shaped blast of energy exploded and spread out.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding—"

The clanging of spear tips persisted as the two dueled, each strike of Flawless exhausting all variations, resulting in every spear thrust finding the most perfect 'point', ultimately leading to extremely precise tip-to-tip clashes.

After fifty spears, the Heavenly Feather Garment was woven.

At eighty spears, it was the limit Xue Jing had reached before the match, but he continued without stopping.

Eighty-five spears...

Ninety spears...

It was only at the ninety-fifth spear that the two Xue Jings simultaneously hesitated and stopped.

At this moment, the Heavenly Feather Garment that they had woven had become so solid that it was almost tangible, with only a slight transparency remaining.

"To think that a single competition would lead to a sudden increase of fifteen guns..."

Xue Jing muttered to himself.

The further one progressed in Flawless, the more difficult it became to increase the number of guns.

The reason he was able to improve so quickly in such a short period was due to the countless extreme life-or-death simulations he had endured.

The progress he gained from a single clash with Zhou Yinglin was equivalent to dying a thousand times in his consciousness simulations.

"With my current level of Flawless, if I were to spar with 'Zhou Yinglin', he would no longer be able to pressure me to the point of death, and my rate of progress would likely be much slower than before. I'll have to think of another method..."

"I'm about to reach the hundred guns, the 'Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads' realm, and I have a feeling..."

Xue Jing's eyes lit up with understanding.

Flawless, to him, was not just a spear technique.

The profound martial arts theory within it, along with the numerous wild and ingenious ideas and force application methods, had given him countless insights and improvements regarding Soldier Strike during his practice.

The deeper he delved into its practice, the more benefits he gained. It was like an inexhaustible treasure trove, where each additional variation to the technique would grant him deeper insights into the martial way.

He could already sense that the evolution of Soldier Strike was imminent.

His accumulation had reached a critical point, and once he broke through this threshold, he would satisfy the conditions for the evolution of Soldier Strike.

And that critical point was likely the 'Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads' realm.

The moment he reached that realm, Soldier Strike would evolve.

...

In the 1049th layer of the Mozun Center, in Xu Mure's biotechnology company, the room was decorated in a futuristic sci-fi style. Xu Mude, dressed in surgical attire, with a surgical cap, gloves, and a mask, looked at the large operating table in front of him where a human stick lay.

"Young Master Zhou, you're really in a sorry state. To think you were beaten up so badly by that kid from the Outer Ring."

He said with a smile.

A doctor stood by the operating table, holding various surgical tools. Behind him, eight flexible mechanical tentacles extended from his spine, swaying as they stitched and repaired the human stick, Zhou Yinglin.

Ears, arms, collarbones... all the parts that had been torn apart by Xue Jing were neatly arranged on the table beside him and were being reattached one by one.

Zhou Yinglin lay there with his eyes open, not in a coma, and without any anesthesia. He simply stared at the ceiling, enduring the excruciating pain of having his flesh and nerves directly repaired.

Biting his teeth and enduring excruciating pain, Zhou Yinglin had no mind to respond to Xu Mude's words.

Out of boredom, Xu Mude opened the silver bracelet on his hand and went online.

"U19's first shockwave (hype it up), they claimed the championship before the fight even began, and now they're physically crushed in the quarterfinals. What a joke!"

"It's time for a reckoning. The Filial Piety disciples are frantically deleting their previous comments. If anyone sees any that slipped through the net, @ me, your foolish Brother Bean..."

"Little Chicken Zhou is now a real chicken, his wings all broken. When the fake encountered the true eagle, his true colors were revealed..."

Xu Mude began reading out the comments that flooded the web after the tide of public opinion turned, his tone light and mocking.

Zhou Yinglin initially didn't want to pay him any mind, but as he listened, he couldn't help but turn and glare at him.

The doctor immediately reprimanded him:

"Don't move! Your ears are sewn back on in the wrong position!"

Zhou Yinglin hissed in annoyance and adjusted his head.

"Hahahaha, did the Divine Doctor Zhang scold you?" Xu Mude laughed.

Divine Doctor Zhang turned to glance at him: "You shouldn't talk and stimulate the patient either."

"Yes, yes."

Several hours later, the surgery was complete. The originally tattered Zhou Yinglin was stitched back together into a complete human form, his body covered in fine suture marks.

Divine Doctor Zhang held a glass bottle filled with a deep green glowing liquid and said, "You should think this through. While this medicine can quickly heal your injuries, it's not a panacea that will bring the dead back to life. It's a virulent poison that will deplete your life potential and shorten your lifespan."

Zhou Yinglin's sharp hawk-like eyes were filled with unrelenting hatred: "There's nothing to consider. Just give it to me!"

'Xue Jing... this isn't over yet!'

...

The day after the quarterfinals, was a rest day.

In the Stop War base villa, Xue Jing sat cross-legged on the rooftop, his eyes closed, his body motionless, his breathing extremely subtle and prolonged.

He had been sitting there the entire night.

In his consciousness space, two Xue Jings held nine-foot-long spears, constantly using Flawless against each other, the clanging of metal unceasing.

But no matter how many times they tried, no matter how hard they struggled, they would always stop at the ninety-ninth spear, unable to pierce the hundredth.

However, Xue Jing didn't show the slightest sign of impatience or urgency. He simply kept cultivating, entering a state of flow, lost in his practice.

Gradually, he instinctively began to adjust the rhythm of each spear thrust.

That's right, it wasn't about the technique; Flawless was already perfect, with no room for improvement. It was about the even more profound 'rhythm'.

With each complete cycle, his rhythm would improve a little, getting closer to some 'ultimate truth of the world'.

It was as if he was moving along invisible cracks in the void, making his spear thrusts increasingly smooth and fluid.

After an unknown amount of time, the two Xue Jings in the consciousness space simultaneously thrust their ninety-ninth spear, then suddenly paused and shattered into countless pixel blocks.

In reality, Xue Jing abruptly opened his eyes and stood up.

He picked up the nine-foot alloy long spear that stood by his side, and like a godly presence, he thrust forward with a peerlessly perfect spear.

Then came the second spear, the third spear... faster and faster, and in less than a few seconds, he thrust forward with ninety-nine spears.

At this point, he paused slightly, and then the long spear in his hand violently burst forth!

The hundredth spear - Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads! A spear-shaped sharp energy force detached from the tip of the spear and pierced through the alloy dummy and everything in its path, extending forward for several hundred meters.

A solid Heavenly Feather Garment, indistinguishable from the real thing, fluttered in the wind atop the spear tip that Xue Jing had thrust forward, a gorgeous sight.

"Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads... accomplished," Xue Jing murmured, sheathing his spear and opening the panel.

[Detectable upgradeable skill: Soldier Strike]



[Upgrade conditions:

The first, ???? (Satisfied)



Second, reach level 10 (Satisfied)



Third, Godhood required: 1000]



[Conditions met. Do you want to spend 1000 Godhood to upgrade?]



Xue Jing exhaled softly.

Finally...

Without hesitation, he clicked to upgrade.

In the next moment, on the panel, the regular skill [Soldier Strike] melted away like ink wash.

In the Superb Skills section, below [True Martial], a brand new skill slowly emerged.

Its name was -

[Lord of Soldiers]!

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end