30: Chapter 30 National Pre-Competition Training Camp: Aiming for Legend

The provincial training camp for Jiangcheng Martial Arts University was located deep within the vast, verdant mountains on the outskirts of the city.

Far removed from the city's hustle and bustle, the concentration of Spiritual Qi here was more than three times that of the outside world, and deep within the mountains, a Great Spirit-Gathering Array had been laid out, with ancient Cultivate rooms scattered amidst the swirling clouds and mist.

The moment Lin Zhou stepped into the training camp with his blazing sun sniper bow on his back, he felt a completely different atmosphere.

Unlike the relaxed environment of the school's training grounds, every inch of air here seemed to be filled with a murderous aura.

The students, dressed in uniform training attire, all had composed auras; they were either sweating profusely on the martial arts practice field or sitting in meditation in the Cultivate rooms, not a single one of them slacking off for even a moment.

"Lin Zhou, right? Come with me."

A middle-aged man in black fitted attire walked up to him; his face was resolute, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and a faint pressure lingered around him—he was the chief instructor of the training camp, a Peak Transcendent expert, Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei's name was thunderously renowned throughout the provincial martial arts world.

He had represented the province in the National Martial Arts Tournament three times, placing in the top three twice, and his "Thunderbolt Saber Technique" had reached a miraculous level, leaving him undefeated on the competition circuit for many years.

Lin Zhou quickly bowed and saluted, "Greetings, Instructor Chu."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Lin Zhou with a hint of scrutiny, "I have heard of your deeds. Slaying a pseudo-King Rank Earth-Splitting Giant Bear and comprehending the Concept of the Arrow—not bad."

"But here, past glory is not worth mentioning. The National Martial Arts Tournament is full of hidden talents; Geniuses with higher talent and greater strength than you are everywhere. If you want to stand out in the tournament, you still have a long way to go."

These words were blunt, but they made Lin Zhou's heart tighten, causing him to put away all his restlessness.

"Yes, this student understands."

Chu Yunfei nodded in satisfaction and turned to walk towards the Cultivate rooms in the back mountain, "Follow me, I will take you to your exclusive Cultivate room. For the next half year, I will personally guide your Cultivate. You have only one goal—a Breakthrough to the Transcendent Realm."

The exclusive Cultivate room was located in the core area of the Great Spirit-Gathering Array, where the Spiritual Qi was so dense it was almost liquefied.

The walls were covered with various martial arts insights, and an arrow target stood in the corner, its bullseye already pierced by arrows, leaving behind dense traces.

"This place was once the Cultivate ground for our province's top archer."

Chu Yunfei pointed at the target and said in a deep voice, "The way of the arrow emphasizes 'Unity of Man and Arrow, Intent following the Arrow.' You have comprehended the Concept of the Arrow, but your Concept is too shallow, like duckweed without roots, unable to withstand the wind and waves."

"Next, I will have you undergo three trials to polish your Concept and temper your mind."

"The first trial: Calming the Heart."

With a wave of his hand, Chu Yunfei struck a burst of spiritual power into the ground. The floor of the Cultivate room suddenly split open, revealing a bottomless pit from which came the roars of Yao Beasts and an overwhelming aura of Evil Qi.

"Stay inside for ten days without coming out. Regardless of what you hear or see, you must guard your heart. Once your mind loses its composure, the trial is a failure."

Lin Zhou did not hesitate in the slightest and leaped into the cave.

Inside the cave, it was pitch black, and the Evil Qi slithered into his limbs like a venomous snake, while various bewitching voices constantly echoed in his ears.

At times it was the calls of his parents, at others the mockery of Zhang Hao, and sometimes the sinister laughter of the Blood Shadow Old Monster.

Lin Zhou sat cross-legged, circulating his spiritual power to protect his mind, while tightly gripping his blazing sun sniper bow.

He focused all his attention on the Concept of the Arrow, constantly replaying the scene of slaying the Earth-Splitting Giant Bear in his mind, feeling that profound resonance with the heavens and earth.

One day, two days... ten days.

When Lin Zhou walked out of the cave, his face was pale, but his eyes were clearer than ever.

His Concept of the Arrow, under the scouring of the Evil Qi, had not dissipated; instead, it had become more refined, almost tangible.

Chu Yunfei looked at him, a glimmer of approval flashing in his eyes, "Not bad, the first trial is passed. Next is the second trial: Refining Technique."

Chu Yunfei waved his hand, and dozens of different types of bows and arrows appeared before Lin Zhou, ranging from ancient longbows to sophisticated repeating crossbows, everything one could imagine.

"Use these bows to hit willow leaves a hundred meters away. For each type of bow, you must pierce through one thousand willow leaves before you can proceed to the next."

This was an extremely monotonous trial.

Lin Zhou practiced from early morning until late at night; his arms were so sore he could barely lift them, blisters formed on his fingertips, burst, and then hardened into thick calluses.

He tried every kind of bow, feeling the handling and force of each one, integrating the Concept of the Arrow into every draw, every aim, and every shot.

His archery, through day-after-day of polishing, became increasingly exquisite.

At first, he needed to focus his mind to hit the willow leaves, but later, even a casual shot could precisely pierce the center of a leaf.

Three months later, Lin Zhou finally completed the trials for all the bows.

When he fired the final arrow and pierced the ten-thousandth willow leaf, the blazing sun sniper bow in his hand suddenly emitted a clear, resonant hum.

The Concept of the Arrow surged into the bow like a tidal wave, perfectly achieving Fusion with the power of the sun-shooting bow fragment.

Chu Yunfei watched this scene and nodded, "Very good, your technique has reached the Transcendent level. Next is the final trial: Breaking the Realm."

Chu Yunfei took Lin Zhou to the Enlightenment Cliff, located deep within the training camp.

The Enlightenment Cliff was thousands of feet high, its Peak shrouded in clouds and mist, and the cliff walls were carved with the Dao traces of ancient Martial Artists.

It is said that countless experts have broken through their Bottleneck here and stepped into a higher Realm.

"Here, comprehend the Dao of Heaven and Earth. When you can touch the threshold of the Transcendent Realm, only then may you come down."

Lin Zhou stood alone on the top of the Enlightenment Cliff, letting the mountain wind blow against his clothes.

He looked down at the vast mountains, feeling the circulation of Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth, while the Concept of the Arrow flowed slowly around his body.

He recalled the excitement of his class Awakening, the life-and-death battles in the roguelike dungeon, the desperate fight against the Earth-Splitting Giant Bear in the Secret Realm, and fighting side-by-side with Qin Yue and Su Ye.

Scene after scene flashed through his mind; his mind became increasingly firm, and his Sword Intent became more refined.

His goal had never been to dominate the National Martial Arts Tournament, but to become stronger and protect the people he wanted to protect.

"Hum—"

The blazing sun sniper bow suddenly vibrated violently, and the crimson patterns on the bow body shone brilliantly.

The spiritual power within Lin Zhou's body rushed like a raging river, frantically impacting his Meridians.

The Bottleneck of the Epic Peak, at this moment, was like a paper window, unable to withstand a single blow.

"Breakthrough!"

Lin Zhou opened his eyes abruptly, a flash of brilliant light shining within them.

He raised his hand and drew the bowstring to its limit, and an arrow condensed; the arrow not only contained the power of armor-piercing and explosive combustion but was also entwined with the refined-to-the-extreme Concept of the Arrow.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow tore through the air and vanished into the horizon in an instant.

The next second, a mountain Peak a hundred miles away exploded with a roar!

[System Notification: Congratulations to the Host for a Breakthrough to the early Transcendent stage! Current Rank: Lv.30!]

[System Notification: The Concept of the Arrow and spiritual power have achieved perfect Fusion; skill power increased by 50%!]

A powerful aura erupted from Lin Zhou's body, sweeping across the entire Enlightenment Cliff.

Clouds and mist churned, Spiritual Qi gathered, and it seemed as if the heavens and earth were cheering for his Breakthrough.

Chu Yunfei stood under the cliff, feeling this aura, and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

"Good lad, you finally had a Breakthrough!"

Lin Zhou slowly put away his bow and arrow, feeling the surging spiritual power within his body, his heart filled with excitement.

The Transcendent Realm—he had finally stepped into this dream-coveted Realm!

He leaped down from the Enlightenment Cliff, landed in front of Chu Yunfei, and bowed, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor!"

Chu Yunfei patted his shoulder and laughed heartily, "Not bad, not bad! At the early Transcendent stage, coupled with your Concept of the Arrow and the sun-shooting bow fragment, you have the strength to fight even against a middle Transcendent expert!"

He paused, his gaze becoming serious, "The National Martial Arts Tournament starts in three months. For these three months, what you need to do is stabilize your Realm and thoroughly master the power of the Transcendent level. I look forward to you winning glory for our province on the national stage!"

Lin Zhou clenched his fists, a blazing light flashing in his eyes.

The National Martial Arts Tournament!

He couldn't wait any longer!

As the sun set, the golden afterglow spilled onto the martial arts practice field of the training camp.

Lin Zhou's figure appeared increasingly tall and straight under the reflection of the setting sun.

In his hand, the blazing sun sniper bow emitted a faint crimson glow, as if signaling that a legend belonging to him was about to unfold on the national stage!