Chapter 89: The First Battle of the Four Guardian Stars

Chapter 89: The First Battle of the Four Guardian Stars

After browsing through the visualization diagrams, Ji Jingqiu turned to examine the rankings of body cultivation techniques and combat skills.

Strictly speaking, the Divine Skill Chart recorded the rankings of cultivation methods and combat skills without any specific order.

He quickly found the two most famous body cultivation techniques of the Mu Clan.

The Great Sun Bodhimanda Body Technique and the Immovable Wisdom King Body Technique.

The exclusive cultivation method of the Dragon Tiger Dojo was the Dragon Tiger Body Technique.

However, according to Yang Shi, including other superior body cultivation lineages, the Dragon Tiger Dojo directly or indirectly possessed a total of seven techniques, which was truly impressive for a dojo with such a long history.

Ji Jingqiu decided to undergo a body cultivation compatibility test that very day to determine the most suitable technique for him and then begin his preparations.

Suddenly, a message popped up.

"Ge Hong has sent you a friend request with the note: 'Brother Ji, I'm also from the Starlight Corporation's division. May I challenge you to a match?'"

It had arrived.

The expected challenge was here! Ji Jingqiu sent a message to his strategic partner.

A minute later, Lou Qinglan replied, along with detailed information.

After reading it, Ji Jingqiu understood the details.

This martial artist named Ge Hong was a battle maniac who had challenged almost all the contracted martial artists of the Starlight Corporation's division, including the other two Martial Dao geniuses who had broken through the Fifth Limit.

Additionally, Ge Hong had been exclusively using the third private training ground, and his strength was evident to all.

Ji Jingqiu's arrival, coupled with Ge Hong's battle lust and the potential loss of certain privileges, had set the stage for this challenge.

Ji Jingqiu accepted Ge Hong's challenge.

This was a battle entirely within expectations.

Before coming, he and Lou Qinglan had already discussed the situations they might encounter and envisioned the worst-case scenarios.

When it came to resource allocation, no one would easily back down.

Ji Jingqiu stood up, stretched lazily, and his entire body resonated with the war intent that had peaked in an instant.

Even without considering the resource competition, he had come to the core zone to meet his peers and fill any gaps in his training. Naturally, there was no reason to refuse a battle.

In fact, he was more eager to fight the other two martial artists who had also reached the Fifth Limit.

Ji Jingqiu strode out of the room, following the virtual projections within the base, and headed towards the third private training ground.

A robust man, standing over two meters tall, stood in the center of the field. His broad shoulders and sturdy build made him resemble a solid wall, and even from a distance, one could sense the formidable aura emanating from his muscular body.

At first glance, Ji Jingqiu thought that if this man were in ancient times, clad in heavy armor, he would undoubtedly be an invincible general, a tiger on the battlefield.

As Ji Jingqiu entered the field, Ge Hong, whom he was meeting for the first time, clasped his hands and spoke in a deep voice, "Are you Brother Ji? I am Ge Hong. I broke through the Fourth Limit during body forging and have now entered the True Seed Realm, beginning to cultivate my body. My progress is at 19%, and I excel in horizontal training and fist techniques. Please give me guidance."

Ji Jingqiu stepped into the field, his gaze sweeping around.

At the entrance where he had come from, several figures were lurking, evidently drawn by the news to witness the spectacle.

"Please give me guidance," Ji Jingqiu returned the greeting.

Ge Hong spoke earnestly again, "It's normal for you to blame me, Brother Ji, but I fear that if I wait a little longer, either my body cultivation progress will surpass 30%, reaching minor success, making it unfair to fight you, or you will start cultivating a superior body technique, and I won't even have the qualification to challenge you."

His honest words made Ji Jingqiu recall the information Lou Qinglan had sent—

Ge Hong was from an agricultural planet, and his family had been farmers for generations. Others often described him as honest and simple...

Ji Jingqiu smiled and replied, "I came to the core zone to spar with my peers. I hope we can both have a satisfying match today!"

"Good!" Ge Hong's body sank slightly, assuming a fighting stance. "Brother Ji, be careful!"

With that, Ge Hong took the initiative and launched an offensive, approaching Ji Jingqiu alone, giving him the feeling that a mountain was about to collapse upon him.

Undoubtedly, Ge Hong also possessed a divine form, perfectly refining his mental and spiritual aura into his attacks. After reaching the Divine Soaring Realm and integrating his visualization creations, he could force his opponents to surrender with sheer might alone.

In the blink of an eye, under the eerie shadow, Ge Hong had already closed in.

Ge Hong's fists were like massive rocks, and he struck with a majestic and imposing style.

Amidst the howling fist winds, Ji Jingqiu moved like a fish in water, not only evading Ge Hong's attack but also taking advantage of the momentum to reach his side.

Instead of choosing to confront him head-on, Ji Jingqiu utilized the steps he had secretly learned from Ji Anming on the spaceship.

Ge Hong's arm muscles swelled, and his veins bulged. Each punch was delivered with full force, and his gaze was resolute and firm, making it seem as if his fists had been imbued with life, embodying his unique will.

However, Ji Jingqiu deftly navigated the fist winds, always hovering at the peak, and at the critical moment, he would dodge, making it appear effortless. This left Ge Hong feeling deflated, as if he had strength but nowhere to use it.

But he didn't lose patience, as martial artists like him often encountered agile and versatile opponents, and they wouldn't back down every time.

It was a test of who had more patience!

Ji Jingqiu also realized that Ge Hong followed the same path as his senior brother, the war fortress style. In other words, he was a master of warfare.

At the end of the Martial Dao, all paths lead to the same destination—to command the laws of heaven and earth with one's body, which is also the path of the master.

However, before reaching that point, there were various areas of focus.

For example, the war fortress style primarily focused on horizontal training, while the breakthrough style emphasized continuous attacks without pause. In contrast, the decisive style remained inactive until a critical moment, where a single strike could determine victory or defeat.

Ge Hong, I won't enjoy this if you keep hitting me like that. Let's do this properly."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly stopped.

The large muscles in his body rumbled like dragons, his joints cracked, and his spine connected like a waking dragon. As he opened his eyes, his aura surged!

"Alright, I'm coming!"

Ge Hong laughed heartily and threw a punch with the might of thunder, heavy and swift. The force of the punch ruffled Ji Jingqiu's clothes and hair!

This time, Ji Jingqiu didn't dodge. He clenched his five fingers into a fist, rooted himself firmly, and sank his energy into his dantian. The energy within him surged like a flooding river.

He met the punch head-on!

The two fists collided, and a faint white wave of energy exploded.

In terms of size, Ge Hong's fist was nearly twice as large as Ji Jingqiu's, creating a visually striking disparity.

But with this punch, Ji Jingqiu only took a step back before stabilizing his stance, while Ge Hong retreated three steps to barely maintain his balance, his face turning red. He roared:

"That was great! Let's go again!"

Ji Jingqiu stabilized his stance and took a step forward, instantly reaching Ge Hong's front.

His speed was inherently faster than Ge Hong's, and this time, he seized the initiative. He threw a simple punch, striking straight at Ge Hong's chest!

This punch was faster than lightning and as heavy as a mountain, with the force of a thousand waterfalls!

Ge Hong's eyes widened, as if he saw a mountain standing tall before him, far more imposing than himself.

He exerted all his energy, gathering his internal strength and physical power, to meet the punch head-on. Only then did he have the strength to shout angrily, continuously exerting force to grapple with Ji Jingqiu.

But in the next moment, the force of a thousand waterfalls poured down, crushing everything in its path. Ge Hong lost control and flew backward, retreating seven or eight steps before stumbling to a stop.

Ji Jingqiu also took a step back to dissipate the force.

The special training ground's surface, made of unique material, bore a shallow footprint.

After that punch, Ji Jingqiu didn't plan to stop. After calming the rebound, his spine undulated like a dragon, and he twisted his body to throw another punch.

Ge Hong barely managed to block it, his fist going numb, and his chest surging with energy. He retreated to the edge of the training ground.

"That's enough! Stop!"

Ge Hong leaned against the wall, waving his hands hurriedly, taking deep breaths and exhales as if his lungs resonated with thunder.

He expressed his admiration:

"Ji Jingqiu's footwork is agile and versatile, and his punches are terrifyingly heavy! Too fierce! I'm impressed! Especially those last three punches, they were exhilarating! So exhilarating! Haha!"

"I challenged Zhang Dage before, and Ji Jingqiu's punches are even heavier than Zhang Dage's were back then!"

He patted his chest, as if remembering something, and added,

"No, they're much heavier! As for that kid, Gong Chen, I haven't exchanged punches with him directly, so I'm not sure, but no one is fiercer than Zhang Dage, let alone Ji Jingqiu!"

He gave a thumbs up: "I'm impressed!"

Ji Jingqiu calmed his internal energy.

Ge Hong was clearly one of those with a special innate physique, far from the level of a Battle Body Bone, but still significantly stronger than martial artists of the same realm. Combined with his dedication to horizontal training, he further enhanced his physique.

Relying solely on his physique, he could probably withstand the force of a Five Limits martial artist without horizontal training. No wonder he was granted exclusive access to the third private training ground.

Ji Jingqiu increasingly felt the difference in their cultivation and combat skills, akin to a blank slate warrior versus one with superior equipment.

"Don't be so polite! Let's wait until after Ge Hong's Body Essence is complete, and then we can continue our competition!"

Ge Hong's eyes lit up: "Great! Great!"

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but smile. This guy seemed genuinely straightforward and a pure combat maniac.

"By the way, Ji Jingqiu, have you registered in White Jade Capital yet?" Ge Hong suddenly asked.

"I haven't had the time," Ji Jingqiu replied.

He had only arrived that morning and had many tedious personnel information registrations to complete, but that Zhang Vice President had assured him it would be taken care of.

"You must go there as soon as possible!" Ge Hong said earnestly, "The earlier you go, the sooner you'll enjoy it!"

Enjoy it?

Ji Jingqiu tried to understand Ge Hong's perspective.

Hmm...

"Alright, I'll go when I'm free."

Ge Hong grinned: "I'm heading back. In the future, if you want to fight, you can call me!"

Ge Hong loosened his muscles and strode towards the door.

As he approached, the crowded entrance suddenly cleared, making way for him.

Ji Jingqiu didn't rush to leave. He stood in place and sent a message to Lou Qinglan, informing him that the matter was resolved.

A moment later, Lou Qinglan replied: "Are you doing the cultivation matching today?"

Ji Jingqiu immediately responded: "Yes!"

The Superior Body cultivation had intricate preliminary steps, so it was best to start early.

He wanted to strive to forge his Body Essence before Yang Shi broke through the Mind Image and reached the Core Zone. He intended to give Senior Brother a pleasant surprise.

Lou Qinglan said, "I'll send someone to pick you up. We'll go together, and I have something to discuss with you on the way."

He put away the terminal.

Ji Jingqiu raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers. A light resembling electric sparks blossomed and flickered there.

This thing, which Zhang Yaode called the psychic energy, was the unique ability of the Four Guardians Star.

The reason that Zhang Vice President was so proactive, eagerly helping him with tedious tasks, was likely due to this ability.

Moreover, it wasn't just a feeling.

After exchanging three punches with Ge Hong, this so-called psychic energy seemed to have...

Grown slightly stronger?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end