High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 256: Chapter 161: Four Years, Meeting Fang Chengwu Again

Amid the solemn farewell, a cold hatred silently burned, settled, and solidified deep in Li Wen’s chest.

He raised his eyes toward the sky outside the hall. It was bright, yet seemed shrouded in a gloomy haze. A thought in his heart became incomparably clear and resolute: ’Kill every last one of the Demon Race.’

This hatred was unending.

...

「Galaxy Calendar, Year 229, December 7th. Dusk.」

On the training grounds in the front courtyard of Residence A-1 on Nine Heavens Peak, Li Wen’s figure flickered and moved under the fading light of the sky.

The long, alloy-forged blade in his hand became a series of light streams, nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye, slicing through the air with a faint, continuous hum.

The unique aura of Thunder Fiend energy filled the air, mingling with the sharp whistle of the blade tearing through the wind.

He was practicing the first form of the Profound Dome Rainbow Silence Chapter: Star Rush.

The glints of his blade were no longer a series of separate cuts, but were gradually merging into a single, continuous, and seamless trajectory.

Every slash, retraction, turn, and thrust seemed to follow a deeper rhythm, all aimed at a single core goal—pushing his 99% comprehension to a full 100%.

Sweat soaked his training clothes, clinging to his powerful frame, but his eyes only grew more focused and sharp, as if the only things left in the world were the blade in his hand and the form in his heart.

At a certain moment, the last golden-red rays of the setting sun stubbornly pierced through the thick, ever-present thunderclouds above Nine Heavens Peak, casting a beam of light onto the center of the training grounds. Li Wen’s body froze for an instant, then shot forward, accelerating like a falling meteor.

SHIIIIINK—!

A blade flash—far more condensed, swift, and unstoppable than any before it—erupted, as if concentrating countless stars into a single instant, tearing through the twilight quiet.

As he unleashed this strike, the feeling of stagnation in Li Wen’s heart vanished, replaced by a sense of complete breakthrough.

’Success.’

The final one percent of the Star Rush Form fell into place, achieving perfection.

The fragmented insights into the form’s variations, the circulation of power, and the harmony of intent—all cultivated through countless days and nights of bitter training—merged perfectly in this moment, flowing without the slightest obstruction.

The golden afterglow gilded his sweat-drenched body with a brief but brilliant halo, making him look like the silhouette of a war god standing tall on the battlefield.

He slowly retracted his blade and let out a long, turbid breath, his chest filled with the exhilarating satisfaction of perfecting the form.

After returning to his room for a quick rinse, Li Wen sat cross-legged. He sank his mind deep into his consciousness and skillfully called up the information panel that had come with him when he transmigrated.

[Age: 22]

[Realm: Early-stage Bright Moon Realm (Level 42.9)]

[Class: Scholar Lv. 13 (86,440→ 151,240 / 409,600)]

[Skills: Blade Arts · Soul Realm (19%→ 20%), Profound Dome Five Forms (Star Rush 99%→ 100%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Shocking God Stab · 5th Layer (100%)]

His gaze swept over the clear data on the panel, and memories from six months ago instantly flooded his mind.

The Stargate that had suddenly appeared outside Bluestone County; the fearless counterattack by Lin Zhan and five other senior brothers, all from the Bright Moon Realm; and finally, the suffocating funeral service held in the Heroic Soul Hall.

After that, the words "Demon Race" shed their abstract meaning in Li Wen’s mind, transforming into a tangible, blood-soaked entity of hatred—the culprit responsible for wiping the youthful faces of his senior brothers and sisters from existence.

He had attended more than one funeral in those six months, and each one felt like it carved a deeper mark into his heart.

Their sacrifices became the fuel for his almost masochistic training over the past half-year.

In just six months, raising his physical level by 2.9 at the Bright Moon Realm was a terrifying pace of progress.

By that projection, reaching the Late-stage Bright Moon Realm within a year—and thus meeting the strict requirement to descend the mountain and slay demons—was not just wishful thinking.

But his progress wasn’t limited to his physical body.

His comprehension of the Blade Arts in the Soul Realm smoothly crossed the 20% threshold, thanks to his mastery of the Star Rush Form.

He could clearly feel that as he mastered each of the Profound Dome Five Forms, the path to the Blade Soul Realm was being steadily paved before him.

As for the Shocking God Stab, he had successfully inscribed its 5th-Layer runes upon breaking through to the Bright Moon Realm. After half a year of nurturing it with True Essence and his Primordial Spirit, it had now reached perfection at the 5th Layer.

This meant that with the destructive power of this Primordial Spirit Secret Skill alone, he was now qualified to face an ordinary Marquis Level expert in direct confrontation.

As night deepened, Li Wen changed into clean clothes and flew out of his courtyard.

Today was the day Gu Yan, the First Senior Brother of Nine Heavens Peak, was descending the mountain. Li Wen had to attend his farewell ceremony.

The gathering point was brightly lit, but the atmosphere carried the solemnity and reluctance characteristic of a farewell.

Li Wen’s arrival was like a pebble dropped into a calm pond, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

"Senior Brother Li!"

"Senior Brother Li Wen is here!"

The greetings came one after another.

Aside from Gu Yan, the man of the hour and a Bright Moon Realm cultivator, all the other disciples present were in the Flying Star Realm.

Within Torchflame University, strength earned respect. Disciples in the same stage were ranked by seniority, but when stages differed, the one in the higher realm was automatically considered the senior.

Li Wen had not only entered the Bright Moon Realm at a young age but was also firmly ranked at the top of the Bright Moon Chart. He was, without a doubt, the undisputed number one disciple of Torchflame University.

This respect came from the bottom of their hearts.

Li Wen’s expression was serene. He nodded in response to every greeting from his fellow disciples, his gaze finally landing on Gu Yan, who was dressed in a brand-new combat uniform, his expression gentle and calm.

He was as refined as ever, but the gentle look he usually wore on the mountain had been replaced by the decisiveness and gravity of one about to head out into the world for tempering.

"Senior Brother Gu," Li Wen said, walking closer.

"Junior Brother Li," Gu Yan said, a gratified and gentle smile spreading across his face. "It seems I won’t have to wait long for you down below. Your cultivation speed is truly something else. It leaves everyone else in the dust."

"Senior Brother, why not take a few more days to stabilize your condition?" Li Wen asked, sensing that Gu Yan’s aura wasn’t yet fully consolidated.

Gu Yan’s smile faded slightly, and his eyes grew as sharp as an eagle’s.