High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 443: Chapter 443: Feathered People

The awards ceremony began.

The group honors were awarded first.

Both the First and Second Quick Response Teams were named "Advanced Collectives in the Dongjiang Province Defensive Operations," each receiving a collective Third-Class Merit.

When it came to individual awards, Tang Xiuqi was the first to be called.

He walked onto the dais and accepted the silver Third-Class Merit medal from the Director. Under the lights, his face was still pale, but he stood tall and straight as a pine.

Next was Zhao Kun, followed by several other team members who had distinguished themselves in battle.

"Xu Wuyi."

Hearing his name, Xu Wuyi rose and walked toward the dais.

He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room fixed on him—some with admiration, others with curiosity. After all, he was the youngest Innate Martial Artist present, and the one with the most impressive combat record.

As the Director handed him the medal, he gave Xu Wuyi’s hand a firm shake.

"Well done, young man."

"Thank you, Director."

Xu Wuyi gave a textbook military salute, then turned and walked off the dais. The medal in his hand wasn’t heavy, but its significance was immense.

A personal Third-Class Merit. This wasn’t something that could be bought with contribution points; it was a symbol of the Federation’s official recognition and a key to greater privileges.

With this medal, he would gain access to higher-level clearance in the military’s systems and be eligible for a larger quota of rare resources.

The ceremony concluded with a brief photo session and a tea reception.

Xu Wuyi was about to leave when an army major approached him and said in a low voice, "Vice-Captain Xu, General Qiao would like to see you in his office."

"Now?"

"Yes."

Xu Wuyi nodded, followed the major out of the conference hall, and took an elevator to the general officers’ suite on the top floor.

Qiao Tongyu’s office was spartan. Aside from a wide desk, a few chairs, and a bookshelf, there were almost no other decorations.

A Federation star chart and a map of Dongjiang Province hung on the wall, dotted with color-coded markers indicating defensive nodes and troop deployments.

"Sit." Qiao Tongyu pointed to the chair across from him and took a seat himself.

"So, how does it feel to receive a medal?"

"It’s alright," Xu Wuyi said. "I just feel... those who sacrificed themselves are more deserving of these honors."

Qiao Tongyu fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "You’re right. But these honors aren’t just for the living. They’re to show the families of the fallen that their loved ones did not shed their blood in vain."

He paused, then changed the subject. "I called you up here to officially discuss a few matters."

"I’m listening."

"First, the full state of alert for Dongjiang Province is officially lifted as of today." Qiao Tongyu pulled up a holographic screen displaying the latest tactical map of the warzone.

"Word from the front is that the Celestial Wolf Civilization’s outer perimeter forces on the Star Realm Battlefield have been all but wiped out. They’ve retreated to their homeworld, turtling behind the Wolf God Mountain defensive line. They won’t be able to organize another large-scale assault anytime soon."

"So, does that mean we’re being disbanded?"

"That’s right." Qiao Tongyu nodded. "The team members will return to their original units or be reassigned according to their preference. As a specially invited member of the Dongjiang Battle Group, you are, in principle, free to choose your own path."

Xu Wuyi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Second," Qiao Tongyu said, his expression turning serious, "on behalf of the Federation Military, I am formally asking: are you interested in joining the military as a commissioned officer?"

The question didn’t come as a surprise.

From his championship win in the youth tournament to his meritorious service on the Star Realm Battlefield, and now his brilliant performance defending the homeland—the military’s interest in recruiting him had always been obvious.

Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment.

"Uncle Qiao, I’m grateful for the military’s high regard," he began slowly. "But... I want to focus on my Martial Arts."

"You can focus on Martial Arts in the military just the same," Qiao Tongyu said. "We have the best resources, the most systematic training programs, and the most advanced battlefield experience. The military is where your talent can reach its fullest potential."

"I know that," Xu Wuyi nodded. "But I also know that becoming a commissioned officer means accepting certain responsibilities and constraints. I need more time to myself—time to hone my Heart Image and explore my own path."

He paused before adding, "Of course, if the front lines need me, I’m always willing to fight as a Martial Artist of the Battle Group. It’s just... I don’t want to be tied down by a formal position for now."

The office fell silent.

Qiao Tongyu didn’t respond right away. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming softly on the desktop. After a minute or so, he finally spoke again.

"I understand." There was no disappointment in his voice, but rather a hint of admiration. "The path of Martial Arts is ultimately a personal one. Forcing you to choose otherwise would likely be counterproductive."

"Thank you for understanding, Uncle Qiao."

"However," Qiao Tongyu’s tone shifted, "since you’ve chosen to continue on as a Martial Artist for the Battle Group, I happen to have a mission that would be perfect for you."

"What mission?"

"The Feathered People Civilization front." Qiao Tongyu brought up another file. "The Feathered People are natural fliers, giving them free rein on the battlefield."

"At the Grandmaster Level, we can suppress them with our advantages in numbers and quality. But on the battlefields for Innate-Level fighters and below, their mobility has caused us significant problems."

Several combat recordings played on the holographic screen.

The footage showed Feathered Warriors spreading their wings, weaving nimbly through the air. They dodged ground-based attacks while hurling Energy spears or unleashing volleys of arrows from above.

Federation Martial Artists could retaliate with long-range Martial Arts, but their accuracy was low. It often took several times the firepower to achieve any results.

"Your Heart Image’s Domain has an extremely powerful area-of-effect capability, and it has no disadvantage against aerial targets," Qiao Tongyu said, looking at Xu Wuyi. "The military wants you to join the operations on the Feathered People Civilization front and specialize in dealing with their aerial units."

Xu Wuyi watched the footage on the screen, rapidly assessing the situation.

’The Feathered People’s flight ability is certainly tricky, but the Golden Crow aspect of my Golden Crow Carrying the Earth Heart Image is a natural sovereign of the skies.’

’If I could unleash the Power of my Heart Image on a large scale to create area-wide suppression, I could definitely counter the Feathered People’s mobility advantage.’

"I’ll go," he said.

"But before that, there’s one problem we need to solve." Qiao Tongyu turned off the holographic screen. "Your Heart Image’s Domain is still just a prototype. It hasn’t been consolidated into a complete form of Heart Image Martial Arts yet."

Xu Wuyi nodded in agreement.

His "remote ignition" ability was essentially an application of his Golden Crow Carrying the Earth Heart Image’s innate Traits, using the Power of his Heart Image to directly ignite the Energy within a target’s body.

However, the application was still crude, consuming a great deal of power for limited precision and placing a heavy strain on his body.

If he could refine it into a complete Martial Arts System, its power would increase by at least thirty percent, while its energy consumption would be cut in half.

"I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own," Xu Wuyi said. "But creating a new form of Heart Image Martial Arts takes time, and more importantly, the right catalyst."