Chapter 229: Chapter 171: Golden Reappears
’The Third Realm is so inconvenient. I need to break through to the Inner Qi realm as soon as possible.’
Yu Fei kicked his legs and pulled himself ashore. After a moment to compose himself, he sent a surge of powerful Inner Qi through his clothes, drying his pant legs and shoes. Then he started down a rustic stone path.
The area was tranquil and remote, far from the city’s hustle and bustle, and had retained its pristine, natural beauty.
It was a simple matter for a Grandmaster to build such an unpretentious dojo in the city.
As Yu Fei walked, he suddenly recalled something. ’If I remember correctly, Zhang Xunyi wasn’t in the first wave of S-rank prodigies who applied to Shenhan University. I heard someone was even willing to accept an S- resource allocation just to get into Shenhan, and that they came specifically for me. Looks like that unlucky kid was Zhang Xunyi.’
Following the stone steps forward and passing through a sea of bamboo, he arrived at a wide, bluestone plaza where he saw four people already waiting.
’The golden text floating above their heads in my virtual lens really breaks the immersion.’
Jiang Nianwei was in his Replication Martial Artist class. He remembered that she was formidable with her dual blades. Jiang Nianwei was dressed simply in a white t-shirt and denim shorts, wearing a pair of virtual lenses that glowed with a red light. Her high ponytail made her look youthful and vibrant.
Ace was grinning and chatting with Lin Zihao, while Zhang Xunyi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, striking a pose.
Only Li Jueyin had yet to arrive.
When they saw Yu Fei approach, Ace and the other two greeted him warmly. Zhang Xunyi merely turned his head slightly and nodded.
Everyone exchanged greetings and started making small talk. Yu Fei didn’t have much of an impression of Lin Zihao; the two hadn’t crossed paths during the Celestial Pride Positioning Competition. This was their first real meeting.
"So, why is everyone waiting out here?"
Yu Fei was confused. The main hall before them had the two words "Gui Zhen" inscribed above it. This had to be Mr. Tang’s Gui Zhen Dojo, their destination.
Ace winked at him. "We can’t get in. You can give it a try!"
He tried walking toward the main hall, but as soon as he set foot on the steps, his mind buzzed. He found himself dizzily back where he started before his head cleared.
"This is..."
Lin Zihao stepped forward with a smile. "Perhaps Mr. Tang isn’t ready to see us yet. Let’s just wait a bit longer!"
Yu Fei nodded in agreement. "By the way, who’s in your class?"
Lin Zihao was handsome and had a sunny, cheerful disposition, with the slight shyness of a boy next door. ’Great, another person Zhang Xunyi refuses to look at directly.’
Ace slapped Lin Zihao on the shoulder and grinned at Yu Fei. "We’re in the same class! We’re gonna crush you guys!"
Jiang Nianwei huffed, "You and what army? Our class has Yu Fei! You’re no match for us at all!"
Zhang Xunyi couldn’t hold back any longer. Turning 45 degrees toward the group, he proclaimed, "My Void Wind Shadow Sword is nearing perfection! Soon, I’ll be able to split into nine bodies—Sword Derivation Infinite! You’ll all be nothing but scrubs!"
Jiang Nianwei scoffed, "An S- genius? I seem to recall an Inner Qi user losing three straight matches to a Second Realm opponent. And you still dare to run your mouth here? Don’t make me laugh!"
Zhang Xunyi’s face flushed red. "I was just careless back then! My Cultivation Technique wasn’t perfected yet. If we fought now, I’d definitely beat Yu Fei!"
Jiang Nianwei bent over with exaggerated laughter, then mimicked Zhang Xunyi’s tone. "’I was careless!’ Lost to a Second Realm opponent while using Inner Qi, and you were ’careless’ three times? Haha, that’s hilarious!"
Ace quickly stepped in to play peacemaker. He knew his buddy Zhang Xunyi couldn’t take much teasing; any more and the kid might actually start crying.
"Alright, alright, why don’t we just set a time for a rematch? Besides, we’re the only six S-ranks in the freshman class. It’s a good idea for us to spar once in a while!"
Yu Fei quickly raised both hands in agreement. "How about this: we make it a monthly thing. Once a month, we pick a day, find a place, get a teacher to supervise, and we can all go all-out. We can treat it as a way to test what we’ve learned."
’This way, I can legitimately and regularly acquire a steady stream of talents. Among the current freshmen, Ace and Li Jueyin are the two targets I want to secure the most.’
’If I can integrate their silver talents, my Qi Blood will improve even more, and I might just be able to perfect the *Circulation Divine Vein Scripture*.’
’According to the Cultivation Technique’s description, new special acupoints and meridians are still being discovered, and I probably can’t wait for that. But I can at least push my current cultivation to its absolute limit.’
Lin Zihao chimed in, "We don’t need to find a place. The university has the Determination Platform. There are teachers on duty there specifically to supervise. We just need to apply in advance. We could even get a permanent booking for a training ground. We could do one-on-one duels or even try group battles!"
Lin Zihao was getting excited, and Yu Fei understood the feeling. Progress in martial arts required opponents. Back in high school, people like them were so far ahead of their peers that they were in a different league entirely. They couldn’t find anyone to fight, and that was its own kind of loneliness.
Perfecting a Cultivation Technique only meant you’d reached the peak of mastery. It didn’t improve your timing or combat experience. Those things still required constant practice.
Jiang Nianwei clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, yes!"
Zhang Xunyi snorted. "Then it’s settled. Just don’t run away when the time comes!"
Before he could even finish, Jiang Nianwei shot back mockingly, "An S- loser telling people not to run? Make sure *you* don’t run, okay~"
"You!"
"What are you all talking about? It’s so lively!"
In the distance, they saw Li Jueyin, dressed in a red training uniform. She tapped a bamboo leaf lightly with her foot and shot forward like an arrow. Her movements were so nimble that Yu Fei couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
Li Jueyin had fair skin and was quite tall. Her main weapon was the greatspear.
Yu Fei had met Honglian up close before, and he felt the two of them bore a striking resemblance.
Zhang Xunyi immediately went up and explained their decision. As Li Jueyin listened, her bright eyes lit up. ’Good opponents are hard to come by. The elders in my family are too strong, and my peers are too weak. It’s rare to have so many S-rank prodigies gathered in one place. Everyone’s strength is plain to see... now this is interesting.’
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