"How much?!" Shen Wei’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "37.9?! What have you been eating?!"
Yu Peiling covered her mouth, Zeng Bonan’s good-natured face was etched with shock, and Qin Rui’s pupils contracted as his hand subconsciously tightened on his sword hilt.
Tana jumped to her feet. "Oh my God! Isn’t that a little too insane?! A Level 37.9 sophomore?!"
A Level of 37.9 wasn’t just a lead; it was a chasm-like gap.
After all, most graduates from Martial Arts Universities couldn’t even hope to reach that level.
And Xu Wuyi was only a sophomore!
"I had so fortuitous encounters in the West Desert, plus there was a significant investnt of resources," Xu Wuyi explained simply.
Everyone looked at each other, montarily at a loss for words.
Envy? Shock? Perhaps both, but more than anything, it was the realization that this peer had already left them a full step behind.
"Well, there’s no suspense now," Shen Wei said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head with a sigh.
"No matter how strong Zhai Zidu, the Song Brothers, or Chu Shanhe are, they’re only around Level 35. That’s a nearly three-level difference, not to ntion the gap in Spirit Level... Looks like this year’s championship already has Xu’s na on it."
Qin Rui was silent for a mont before looking at Xu Wuyi, the sharpness in his eyes undiminished. His tone was serious. "I’ll see you in the ring. Even with the difference in our Levels, I want to find out just how much of your strength I can draw out."
Zhao Qingwei also said softly, "I look forward to facing you."
Tana pumped her fist. " too! Even if I lose, I’m going out with a bang!"
Xu Wuyi could feel that they weren’t discouraged by the gap; on the contrary, their fighting spirit burned even brighter. ’This is the ttle of top-tier Geniuses.’
He nodded and responded solemnly, "Alright. I’ll see you in the ring."
[Youth Tournant Announcent: The preliminary rounds are about to begin. All contestants, please prepare...]
The system’s countdown announcent echoed across the plaza, drowning out all the noise.
Xu Wuyi and the others wished each other well, their eyes glinting with anticipation for the battles to co.
"For Dongjiang Province, for Star Martial, let’s give it our all!" Shen Wei roared under his breath.
A flash of light passed, and the figures of the group vanished one after another from the plaza, teleported to their individual preparation rooms.
Xu Wuyi stood in a stone chamber. On the light screen before him, the matchmaking countdown hit zero.
The next mont, the light and shadows shifted.
He appeared on a standard alloy fighting ring.
Across from him, a young man wearing the uniform of another martial arts academy materialized, his aura at about Level 29.
The young man instinctively flared his Qi and Blood and took a stance, but when his perception touched upon Xu Wuyi’s aura, his movents froze instantly.
His eyes widened as he looked at the opponent information that appeared on the system display:
[Opponent: Xu Wuyi]
[Affiliation: Star Martial University]
[Life Energy Level: 37.9]
The color drained from the young man’s face at a visible rate. He opened his mouth, but ultimately just gave a wry smile. Raising his right hand decisively, his voice rang out clearly across the ring:
"I surrender!"
Xu Wuyi’s expression was calm; he had already anticipated this. He gave his opponent a slight nod.
[Opponent has surrendered. Points 1.]
His first match was a victory without a fight.
Xu Wuyi’s figure faded from the ring as he awaited the next match.
...
A mont later, the light swirled again, and Xu Wuyi’s figure rematerialized on the alloy ring.
His opponent this ti was a young man from Beiming Martial Arts Academy, with a displayed Life Energy Level of 30.3. He had only recently beco a Martial Artist.
He held a Thick-Backed Battle Saber, his Qi and Blood steaming off him. His eyes were wary but held a fighting spirit eager for battle.
This was Xu Wuyi’s sixteenth match of the preliminary round.
In the previous fifteen matches, twelve of his opponents had surrendered outright. The remaining three, while not surrendering, were all peak Level 29 Martial Artists who couldn’t withstand a single move from him.
’Finally, a Martial Artist who’s willing to fight,’ Xu Wuyi thought calmly.
"Zhou Zhen, from Beiming Martial Arts Academy," the opponent introduced himself, his voice steady.
"Xu Wuyi, Star Martial."
The mont the words fell, Zhou Zhen moved.
He knew that against an opponent of Xu Wuyi’s level, seizing the initiative was paramount.
The Thick-Backed Battle Saber sliced through the air with a dull roar. The Sword Montum was heavy, clearly a style focused on raw, unyielding power.
This strike condensed all his Qi and Blood; before the blade even arrived, a fierce wind rushed to et its target.
Xu Wuyi didn’t move, simply watching quietly as the blade descended.
A strike that was as fast as lightning in the eyes of others was, under his current Spiritual Perception, clear in its trajectory and ordinary in its speed.
Only when the blade was less than half a ter from his head did Xu Wuyi finally sidestep slightly.
The blade grazed the corner of his clothes as it fell, striking the alloy floor of the ring and sending sparks flying.
Zhou Zhen’s heart tightened. He reacted instantly, flipping his wrist for a horizontal slash.
However, Xu Wuyi’s movents were far faster.
The dark-red teor Iron Long Spear had appeared at so point, its tip striking with unerring precision against the weakest point on the side of the saber’s blade, where its force was thinnest.
CLANG!
The shriek of tal on tal was ear-piercingly sharp.
Zhou Zhen only felt an irresistible force travel up the blade. The webbing of his hand split open, and the Battle Saber was sent flying from his grasp.
Before he could even react further, the tip of the spear was already at his throat. The cold touch made his entire body go rigid.
"Thank you for the match," Xu Wuyi said as he withdrew his spear.
Zhou Zhen’s face flushed red, then quickly turned pale. He opened his mouth, and finally clasped his fist. "Thank you for showing rcy."
[Victory! Points 1.]
His figure dissipated.
The seventeenth match, the eighteenth... the twenty-fifth.
The opponents he was matched with gradually increased in strength, from just over Level 30 to Level 32 and 33.
But without exception, no one could withstand a single spear strike from Xu Wuyi.
Their weapons were either sent flying, they were struck in a vital spot, or they were blasted out of the ring by his Spear Force.
The battles were often over the mont they began. Xu Wuyi’s points rose steadily, and his rank shot up like a rocket, quickly breaking into the top one hundred.
In the spectator channels, discussions about him were already starting to brew.
"This Xu Wuyi... isn’t he just ridiculous? One-shotting a Martial Artist with his spear?"
"What’s his Life Energy Level? Why can’t I look up the specific data?"
"Judging by this crushing display, he’s got to be at least Level 35, right?"
"Didn’t he just advance to Martial Artist last year? It’s only been one year..."
Amid the discussions, Xu Wuyi entered his thirtieth match.
Across the ring, a young man stood holding a sword. He wore the deep blue combat uniform of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy and bore a strong resemblance to Song Xing’an, though his temperant was much steadier.
It was none other than Song Xingxian.
[Opponent: Song Xingxian]
[Affiliation: Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy]
[Life Energy Level: 34.2]
Song Xingxian’s gaze fell upon Xu Wuyi, his expression as grave as iron.
He had long since heard of Xu Wuyi’s terrifying strength from his younger brother, but feeling that abyssal, ocean-like aura for himself still made his heart sink.
But he did not shrink back.
As one of the leaders of his generation in the Song Family and a Genius of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy, he had his pride. Even if he were to be defeated, it had to be a respectable loss; at the very least, he had to force his opponent to reveal their true standard.
"Song Xingxian, Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy," he said in a deep voice, his gaze locked on Xu Wuyi. His longsword slid half an inch from its sheath, spilling forth a cold light.
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