High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 258: Chapter 162: Li Wen Descends the Mountain

He quickly replied, asking for the arrival time. After getting the coordinates, he vanished from the study without a moment’s delay.

His mid-stage Bright Moon Realm cultivation, combined with the extreme speed granted by his Ninth-Layer Perfection Nine Heavens Divine Body, transformed Li Wen’s figure into a streak of purple lightning, barely visible to the naked eye. He shot past the layered buildings and mountains of Nine Heavens Peak at a speed far exceeding the Great Sun Realm.

In just a few moments, he had arrived at the university’s massive external air transport hub—a colossal landing pad.

A few minutes after he landed, another figure hurried over—it was Fang Chenghong, who had also received the notice.

"Brother Wen, you’re so much faster than me," Fang Chenghong said with a smile as he landed.

In the four years that had passed, he too had advanced to the Flying Star Level. Having broken through with a Seventh-Layer Perfection Nine Heavens Divine Body, he was already exceptional among his peers. He just seemed less dazzling when compared to the brilliant Li Wen.

"I just got here," Li Wen said with a smiling nod. "Do you know why Teacher Fang is visiting?"

Fang Chenghong shook his head. "Brother Chengwu didn’t say. He just told me he was coming."

After a brief exchange, they both looked toward the sky.

A sleek aircraft broke through the clouds and landed steadily on the pad.

The hatch slid open, and a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar figure strode out.

Gone were the refined mannerisms, the meticulous gray suit, and the gold-rimmed glasses from four years ago.

Today’s Fang Chengwu wore a simple tactical suit. His frame was still lean, but his features were sharp, as if chiseled from stone, and his gaze was as piercing as a falcon’s.

What shocked Li Wen and Fang Chenghong most was the sharp, imposing aura radiating from him.

It was an undisguised spear intent, as if he himself were a great spear piercing the sun, aimed straight at the heavens.

"Teacher Fang, you’ve... reached the Dao Realm?" Li Wen was the first to speak, his tone firm with conviction.

’There was no mistaking an intent of this caliber.’

"Mm," Fang Chengwu nodded, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint, sharp smile.

It was a simple reply, yet it was laden with the weight of someone who had weathered countless storms.

"The Dao Realm! Brother Chengwu, you really broke through?!" Fang Chenghong’s shock was even greater, and the words all but burst from his lips.

Fang Chengwu clapped his cousin on the shoulder, not saying much. "Let’s go. We can talk inside."

Because Fang Chengwu had yet to reach the Flying Star Realm, the three of them took an aircraft to Nine Heavens Peak, landing at Li Wen’s Courtyard A-1.

They soon arrived back at the courtyard, which was perched atop Nine Heavens Peak with a view overlooking the sea of clouds.

An intelligent butler served energy drinks, and the three of them took their seats.

After some brief pleasantries, the conversation turned to the purpose of Fang Chengwu’s visit.

Li Wen and Fang Chenghong both looked expectantly at their former teacher, whose entire demeanor had transformed.

Fang Chengwu picked up his cup. His knuckles were well-defined and strong, and his fingertips seemed to bear the imprints of something he had held for years.

He took a small sip, his voice calm but laced with resolve. "I’ve come back to make another attempt at the Ninth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body."

"The Ninth Layer?!" Fang Chenghong exclaimed, surprised yet again.

Fang Chengwu gazed out at the sea of clouds, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "Years ago, I was stuck at Eighth-Layer Perfection. I couldn’t break through to the Ninth Layer because my willpower wasn’t up to standard. Unwilling to accept that, I chose to leave the mountain and seek another path."

He set down his cup, and the profound aura of his spear’s dao grew sharper, as if he himself were a divine spear, coiled and ready to strike.

"All these years, I’ve wandered from place to place, tempered by life and death. I was honing the spear in my hand, but also the will in my heart. Not long ago, my spearmanship finally entered the Dao Realm. By seeking the Dao through my spear, the bottleneck in my willpower... I finally feel it loosening. A crack has been pried open."

His gaze shifted to Li Wen, filled with both relief and unshakeable resolve.

"So, I returned. I’ve come back to step into the Thunder Attraction Tower once more, to draw the ninth divine thunder for Body Tempering, and to attempt to cross the threshold I failed to cross all those years ago—to assault the Ninth Layer!"

Li Wen looked at his former teacher.

The gentle, scholarly teacher of the past had become a Martial Artist who had mastered the Dao of the Spear, his will forged into steel.

That determination and resilience, even after a decade, still burned as fiercely as ever.

’This was its own form of a long-simmering breakthrough.’

"When are you going?" Li Wen asked, concerned.

"This afternoon," Fang Chengwu’s reply was sharp and decisive. "The sooner, the better."

Fang Chenghong started to say something, but Fang Chengwu turned to look out the window toward the towering Thunder Attraction Tower, a desire so intense it was almost tangible glinting in his sharp eyes.

"I’ve waited long enough."

The will to fight blazed like fire in Fang Chengwu’s eyes.

After a decade of waiting, today was the day he would once again face the thunderous path to the pinnacle of the Divine Body!

...

「Afternoon.」

「Thunder Attraction Tower, 3rd Layer.」

After so many years, Fang Chengwu set foot in this place once again.

The roar of thunder was familiar, as was the air thick with stinging Thunder Fiend particles.

But unlike before, he felt not a shred of hesitation or fear.

Now, he himself was a weapon, eager for tempering, striving for the absolute peak.

The Ninth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body required a divine thunder even more tyrannical than that of the Eighth Layer.

This thunder possessed immense heat and destructive force. It didn’t just temper the physical body—it directly incinerated the mind and will.

Fang Chengwu walked slowly into the core area, enveloped by the pillar of thunder.

"ROAR—!" Without a word, he let out a low growl. The spear intent surrounding him erupted, clashing head-on with the surging Purple Fiery Thunder!

In an instant, a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the entire floor of the tower.

Destructive energy flooded his body, feeling like billions of red-hot steel needles piercing and tearing every single cell.

His skin was instantly charred black, only to be rapidly regenerated by a powerful life force. Amidst a cacophony of CRACKS, his very bones and sinews felt as if they were being crushed and reforged.