High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 259: Chapter 162: Li Wen Descends the Mountain 2

Worse than the reshaping of his physical body were the heart-scorching demonic thoughts and endless illusions that invaded his sea of consciousness along with the lightning.

The fear, regret, and weakness accumulated from over a decade of teetering on the edge of life and death were instantly magnified in the thunderous fire, transforming into countless ferocious roars that sought to devour him and drag him into the abyss.

Outside the tower.

Li Wen and Fang Chenghong stood side by side, silently watching the exceptionally brilliant purple lightning on the third floor of the Thunder Attraction Tower as it flickered in and out of view.

Fang Chenghong’s eyes betrayed his worry. "My brother has been gone for too long, directly charging for the Ninth Layer..."

"Teacher Fang made it," Li Wen said, his voice calm and certain. His gaze seemed to pierce through the tower walls, as if he could see the figure inside battling against hell itself.

"A will tempered by seeking the Dao, a resilience forged through life-and-death trials—this is the path he has chosen to break through."

Time ticked by.

With every minute, every second, the lightning inside the tower pulsed like a heart, releasing terrifying waves of energy.

Without realizing it, sweat had soaked Fang Chenghong’s brow.

Two full hours passed.

RUMBLE—

A low, heavy clap of thunder echoed from deep within the tower, as if some kind of shackle had been completely shattered.

Immediately, the rampaging, tyrannical pressure of the lightning abruptly receded. In its place, a powerful, profound, and unyielding aura, like bedrock, slowly spread out—a rebirth.

In the third-floor window, the figure, straight as a spear, appeared once more.

Fang Chengwu stood by the window. His clothes were in tatters, and his body was covered in charred flesh and bloody scabs, but he stood perfectly straight.

Beneath his deep, bronze-colored skin, new flesh and blood were rapidly regenerating, replacing the parts destroyed by the thunderous fire.

An oppressive aura, several times stronger than that of the Eighth Layer, flowed from him naturally.

He had succeeded.

After thirteen long years, after enduring the smoke and fire of worldly battlefields and seeking the Dao through his spear intent, Fang Chengwu had finally broken through the Seventh Limit and stepped into the Ninth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body.

Fang Chenghong clenched his fists in excitement.

A heartfelt smile also appeared in Li Wen’s eyes, and he nodded toward the figure in the tower.

...

Time flowed by like a quiet stream, and in the blink of an eye, another six months had passed.

Galactic Calendar, Year 231, January 1st.

The New Year’s morning light, carrying a biting chill, passed through the window lattice of the A-rank courtyard on Mingde Peak and fell upon a young man sitting in quiet meditation.

[Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 23]

[Realm: Late-stage Bright Moon Realm (Level 47.0)]

[Class: Scholar Lv. 13 (297,400/409,600)]

[Skills: Blade Technique: Soul Realm (40%), Profound Dome’s Five Forms (Star Rush 100%, Thunder Punishment 100%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Shocking God Stab, Fifth Layer (100%)]

Three days ago, on the night of his twenty-third birthday, his vast True Essence had finally broken through the last barrier, anchoring him firmly in the Late-stage Bright Moon Realm.

Over these three days, he had been consolidating his newly advanced realm while also trying to push the opportunity in the Way of the Blade that he had just begun to grasp.

The results were surprisingly synergistic. The "Thunder Punishment" form from the Five Forms of the Profound Dome Rainbow Silence Chapter’s blade technique also reached a state of perfect mastery, as if it were a matter of course. With every move, his Blade Intent flowed smoothly, without the slightest hint of stagnation.

Now, of the five forms of the Profound Dome Rainbow Silence Blade, only three remained for him to fully master.

Today was a significant day. It was the day Li Wen would officially leave the mountain, ending his nearly five-year-long period of study at Cinderflame University.

「In the afternoon」

The purple gleam of his blade and the sound of thunder on the training grounds were much more subdued than usual.

After just three hours of training, Li Wen sheathed his blade, his calm gaze turning toward the distance.

That was where Cinderflame University usually held the farewell ceremony for disciples leaving the mountain.

The farewell location had been meticulously prepared by well-trained attendants. The grounds were spacious, and wine cups were arranged on a temporary platform, creating a solemn yet not somber atmosphere.

When Li Wen arrived, the area was still mostly empty. But just a moment after he set foot there, several familiar figures arrived together.

Leading the group were the increasingly sharp and powerful Fang Chengwu and the more composed Fang Chenghong.

Fang Chengwu’s gaze fell on Li Wen, his expression complex and hard to read.

It held the reluctance of a farewell and worry for the dangers that lay beyond the mountain, but more than anything, it held a blessing as deep and solid as iron.

The same was true for Fang Chenghong.

For students of Cinderflame University like them, successfully completing their cultivation, stepping forward to leave the mountain, and slaying demons and evils was an honor, a responsibility, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

It was because this wish was so pure, yet so heavy, that the university held this solemn "Mountain-Leaving Ceremony" every time someone departed.

"Brother Wen!" Fang Chenghong was the first to step forward, giving Li Wen a tight hug. "Take care on your journey!"

"You too. Keep up your training," Li Wen replied with a smile, patting him on the back.

Fang Chengwu took a step forward. Looking at this student who had already reached a height far beyond his own, a thousand emotions ultimately condensed into a single sentence:

"The world below isn’t like the mountain. Think before you act. Coming back alive is more important than anything."

He paused, his voice low but filled with a powerful confidence. "I haven’t wasted these past six months, either. I finally managed to squeeze into the late stage of the Ninth Layer of the Nine Heavens Divine Body. Once I’ve polished it to perfection, I can begin preparing to break through to the Flying Star realm."

Hearing this, a flash of approval, and even greater expectation, appeared in Li Wen’s eyes.

He took a step closer, his voice carrying clearly into Fang Chengwu’s ears. "Teacher Fang, remember what I told you. The perfection of the Ninth Layer recorded in the texts is not the final destination. Beyond that perfection lies another world entirely."

"Mm," Fang Chengwu nodded.

Following them, more people arrived, having heard the news.

Sun Rui strode through the crowd like a meteor, his gaze as sharp as a blade, as if he wanted to burn the image of this departing figure into his mind.

After the time they had spent together as the "Twin Prides of the Nine Heavens," Li Wen was not just his senior brother, but also the goal he chased and even yearned to surpass.