High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 442: Chapter 442: Decoration

"He’s in the study upstairs. Said he was reading some battle reports." Mrs. Xu closed the door and followed him into the living room. "Go on, have a seat. Dinner will be ready soon."

Xu Wuyi sat on the sofa, listening to the CLANG of the spatula in the kitchen and watching the sky darken outside the window. A long-lost sense of peace washed over him.

For the past half-month, he had been leaving early and returning late, sometimes not even coming home for two or three days at a time. Although his parents didn’t say anything, he knew they were constantly worried.

’Now, I can finally spend some quality time with them.’

"Ah Yi." Father Xu came down from upstairs, a personal terminal still in his hand. "Have you seen the latest report from the front lines? The Celestial Wolf Civilization has already retreated to its home territory!"

His tone was excited. The information the Federation had released to the public only mentioned the battle lines, without providing further details.

"I’ve seen it." Xu Wuyi nodded. "The Federation is preparing for a war of attrition, to slowly wear them down."

"That’s good. It’s a safe and steady approach." Father Xu sat down across from him. "Your mission this time... it must have been hard, right?"

"It was alright," Xu Wuyi said. "Everyone made it through."

He didn’t elaborate on the details of the battle, afraid of worrying his parents. But Father Xu had clearly heard some things from other channels, his eyes filled with a mixture of heartache and pride.

"All that matters is you came back safe," was all Father Xu said in the end.

During dinner, the atmosphere at the table was especially warm.

After dinner, Xu Wuyi returned to his room.

He didn’t begin his cultivation immediately, instead standing by the window to gaze at the stars in the night sky.

Linjiang’s night sky was clear, free of the oppressive, dark red gloom of the Star Realm Battlefield. The stars twinkled like diamonds scattered on black velvet.

Xu Wuyi took out the Fire Source Stone and held it in his palm.

The stone was warm to the touch, and the Flame patterns within it swirled slowly. He could feel that after half a month of high-intensity combat, his connection to the Fire Source Stone seemed to have grown stronger.

Especially after fully channeling the fire of his Heart Image multiple times, something deep within the stone seemed to be slowly awakening.

"The Undying Fire Seed..." Xu Wuyi muttered to himself.

He didn’t know what conditions were needed to activate this wisp of a fire seed, but the clues left by Grandmaster Yue mentioned "extreme combat will" and "an Enlightenment at the brink of life and death."

’The battles over the past half-month, though intense, didn’t seem to have reached that ’extreme’ level.’

’Perhaps it required a crueler battlefield, a stronger enemy, a moment even closer to death.’

Xu Wuyi put the Fire Source Stone back in his robes and sat cross-legged on his bed.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image rotated slowly, its surface flowing with a dark gold luster. After frequent use over the past half-month, the Heart Image’s solidity had improved, and his control over the Flame had become more refined.

But Xu Wuyi knew it wasn’t enough.

’An Innate Martial Artist is just the beginning. After that comes Grandmaster, and then even higher Realms.’

The road ahead was long.

He closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing. The Power of Heart Image circulated through his body, repairing hidden injuries and nourishing his meridians.

Outside the window, the night deepened, and the starlight fell quietly.

In the distance, the lights of Linjiang merged into a warm sea of light. And within this sea of light, countless families were enjoying a rare, peaceful night.

Xu Wuyi’s breathing gradually evened out.

He knew this tranquility wouldn’t last long. The war on the front lines was not over, the Celestial Wolf Civilization had not yet been destroyed, and sooner or later, he would have to return to the battlefield.

But before that, he would rest well, spend quality time with his parents, and diligently polish his Heart Image and Martial Arts.

Then, in a better state, he would face the next battle.

The night grew deep.

In the villa in Yunhai Prefecture, the lights were warm.

Xu Wuyi was immersed in his cultivation, and the city, in this hard-won peace, was slowly falling asleep.

The shadow of war had not yet receded, but for tonight, at least, they could enjoy a temporary peace.

...

On the morning of the fourth day of his rest period, Xu Wuyi received an encrypted communication from the command headquarters.

The message was brief, requiring him to report to the provincial command headquarters building at 9 a.m. to attend the summary and award ceremony for the recent homeland defense operation.

Xu Wuyi changed into a clean uniform—not his combat gear, but the deep blue dress uniform issued by the military. The golden star insignia on the epaulets, signifying his rank as an Innate Martial Artist, was polished to a shine.

As he adjusted his collar in the mirror, his mother stood at the doorway, watching him for a long moment, her eyes filled with a complex mix of pride and worry.

"Ah Yi, this time... you’re not going somewhere dangerous again, are you?"

"No, I’m just going to a meeting." Xu Wuyi turned and gave his mother a reassuring smile. "I’ll be back soon."

When he went outside, the Linjiang sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue.

The May wind carried the warmth of early summer, and the leaves of the plane trees lining the streets were already so dense they blotted out the sun.

The morning rush hour traffic was bustling, commuters walked with hurried steps, and students with backpacks laughed and joked around.

Xu Wuyi walked toward the command headquarters.

Twenty minutes later, the gray-white building came into view. The guards at the entrance had clearly been notified; upon seeing him approach, they immediately stood at attention and saluted.

"Deputy Captain Xu, please proceed directly to the main conference hall on the third floor."

"Thank you."

Stepping into the building, the atmosphere was completely different from when he was here for his previous mission.

There were no hurried footsteps, no flashing alarm lights—only clean corridors and civilian staff conversing in low voices.

The doors to the main conference hall on the third floor were open.

When Xu Wuyi walked in, the hall was already filled with people. Most of the members from Quick Response Teams One and Two were present, along with some unfamiliar faces from other Battle Groups and military units.

Tang Xiuqi was seated in the front row on the left and gave him a slight nod. Li Shuang, Ji Shanhai, and others were also there, and they all nodded in acknowledgement as he entered.

Xu Wuyi found a seat near the side and sat down.

At nine o’clock sharp, the ceremony began.

Presiding over the ceremony was the director of the Dongjiang Province Martial Arts Hall, an elderly man with graying hair who was nonetheless full of vigor.

Seated behind him were several representatives from the military and the government. Qiao Tongyu was among them, dressed in a crisp general’s uniform, the epaulets on his shoulders bearing two bars and four stars.

He was the Patriarch of the Qiao Family, but he also held a position in the military, which was quite rare among the major Noble Families. Typically, the military preferred not to get too deeply entangled with the Noble Families.

Qiao Tongyu, however, was an exception. He had joined the military in his youth and only took control of the Qiao Family after he was promoted to Grandmaster.

"Since the beginning of May, the Celestial Wolf Civilization has launched multiple waves of infiltration attacks against the Federation’s homeland..." The director’s voice, steady and powerful, broadcast through the loudspeakers and filled the hall.

"During this period, a great number of outstanding groups and individuals have emerged..."

The speech lasted for about twenty minutes.

The content was very official, but every word carried a heavy weight. When the director read out the casualty figures, the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Seventeen killed, thirty-four seriously wounded, and over two hundred with minor injuries.

And those were just the statistics for Dongjiang Province alone.

"...To commend the units and individuals who made outstanding contributions in this defense operation, with the approval of the Federation’s Martial Arts Department and Military Command Headquarters, we now bestow the following honors upon these groups and individuals."