100: Chapter 100 Reencounter with Jiang Lingyun

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

April 7th, Sunday.

The sky was barely light, but the Flying Star Class classroom in Qingshi No. 3 Middle School was already brightly lit, filled with an unusual atmosphere.

Li Wen arrived at the Flying Star Class in Hongyi Building early, as usual.

After settling down, he opened the classic text in his hand, his finger tracing the pages, his gaze focused, silently accumulating experience points for his Scholar profession.

Although a weekly exam now could bring him several hundred respectable experience points, he never slackened in this daily habit of absorbing knowledge through books to solidify his Foundation.

However, today, the core topic of discussion during the break in the entire Flying Star Class was completely different from the usual analysis of test questions or doubts about Cultivation Techniques.

Almost all members, whether top students or elite Martial Artist seeds, were whispering about the explosive news that had shaken the entire high school student body of Qingshi County yesterday—their classmate, Li Wen, had single-handedly slain three powerful Super Martial Artist Yao Beasts while not yet having entered a Realm!

"Did you hear? Reportedly, it was a bloodbath at the scene, and Li Wen's blade was so fast that you couldn't even see its shadow!"

"Three of them! One of them was an Intermediate Super Martial Artist Iron-Armored Earth Dragon Beast! He's simply not human—"

"I used to think he was just a bit stronger than us, but now looking at the gap—"

The student speaking carried an undisguised trace of awe, lowering his voice further, "It's like the difference between heaven and earth, separated by an impassable chasm!"

"Right, who would have thought he actually reached the Momentum Realm without making a sound? That's terrifying!"

This news struck like a thunderclap, leaving everyone in the Flying Star Class, and even the entire Qingshi High School circle, dizzy.

Super Martial Artists were beings they viewed as lofty, possessing profound methods, any one of whom could easily crush them.

Yet now, their classmate Li Wen had slaughtered three of them as easily as cutting melons and vegetables on his way back from ancestral worship.

Although they knew Li Wen was strong in the past, that strength came more from his mock exam rankings, rumors, and the halo of a Genius.

It was only at this moment, with this power displayed before them in such a direct manner—single-handedly slaying three powerful Yao Beasts, including an Intermediate one—that they truly felt that insurmountable gulf, like a giant mountain blocking the way.

Therefore, when Li Wen sat quietly in the corner reading, all the gazes cast upon him had quietly changed.

They were no longer looks mixed with slight curiosity or competitive awareness, but rather gazes tinged with shock, reverence, and even a hint of distant admiration.

They began to truly regard Li Wen as a powerhouse to look up to, rather than just a classmate with excellent grades.

Li Wen's name, in just one night, had been elevated to a new height within the Third Middle School and even the entire high school circle of Qingshi County.

Even No. 1 and No. 2 Middle Schools were frantically spreading the news of his deeds yesterday, especially his cousin, Li Yue.

Although she hadn't gone to school yet, she was vividly describing what she saw and heard in the class group chat, drawing countless gasps of amazement.

Facing the distinctly different atmosphere around him, Li Wen felt no great ripple in his heart.

The transformation and rapid Breakthrough he had experienced over the past few months had long accustomed him to attention and discussion.

His expression remained normal, focused on the book in his hands, until the exam bell rang.

What followed was the familiar and efficient process of answering the papers.

After the three morning weekly exams concluded, Li Wen packed his stationery and stood up.

Since only the Flying Star Class had classes on the weekend, the school cafeteria was not open.

To eat the high-energy nutritional meal provided by Kindling Hall to replenish his consumption, one had to either order takeout or go there directly.

With almost no hesitation, Li Wen headed towards the school gate.

His exclusive silver-gray hovering limousine was already waiting quietly there, its sleek body silently proclaiming the status of its owner.

The attendant opened the door for him. Li Wen sat in the comfortable back seat, and the vehicle started smoothly, its destination clearly pointing towards the Xinhuo Hall Qingshi Branch.

Li Wen had sufficient considerations for choosing the Branch over the school's Hongyi Building.

On one hand, it was convenient for dining; on the other, and more importantly, now that he had successfully stepped into the Blade Technique Momentum Realm, the relatively ordinary building materials of the independent martial arts room on the top floor of Hongyi Building could no longer keep up with the level of his power bursts.

The aftermath of slaying the Yao Beasts yesterday and the surging Blade Intent flowing through his body this morning made him clearly realize that to temper the deeper Overlapping Waves Style without restraint, he must return to the specialized martial arts area in Kindling Hall, which had special materials capable of withstanding high-intensity impacts.

The vehicle drove into the exclusive underground garage of Kindling Hall, proceeding without obstruction.

Stepping into his high-intensity martial arts training area, the cold and hard touch of the metal walls seemed to better stimulate the sharpness within his heart.

Yesterday, having personally experienced the terrifying power brought by Momentum Realm Blade Technique in actual combat, an Elementary Physical Body of Level 8 could easily crush or even instantly kill Elementary Super Martial Artist Yao Beasts, and even slay an Intermediate one across levels.

The feedback from this power was extremely shocking and ignited the fervent desire for greater strength deep within his heart.

"If the Momentum Realm holds such power—what about the legendary higher level of Saber Intent? What would it be like to master Saber Intent? Could one summon the power of heaven and earth to use at will with a mere gesture?"

This thought circled in his mind, transforming into an even more surging source of motivation.

Perhaps it was precisely this intense internal drive for a higher Realm that made Li Wen's training state in the afternoon exceptionally focused, his mind condensed like never before.

In the empty training room, he repeatedly mobilized his blood and Qi, condensed his Blade Intent, and practiced the Overlapping Waves Style over and over.

The core of the Overlapping Waves Style lay in the rhythm of power stacking, the trajectory of blood and Qi circulation, and the precise control of the Intent over the changes in Blade Intent.

With every swing of the blade, his muscles and bones seemed to emit a satisfied low hum, his blood and Qi surging like tides, guided by his Primordial Spirit Power, striving to perfectly fuse multiple forces into a single burst.

The process was arduous; the surging blood and Qi occasionally brought tearing pain, but his spirit was exceptionally excited.

He could clearly feel his understanding of the method of power stacking deepening, and his comprehension of the essence of that stacking was more than a notch clearer than yesterday.

Sweat soaked his training uniform, clinging to his body whose contours were becoming increasingly defined.

The entire afternoon of high-intensity tempering neared its end. Li Wen stood still with his blade sheathed, his chest rising and falling violently, hot breath puffing from his mouth and nose.

Although fatigue washed over him like a tide, his eyes flashed with irrepressible joy.

With a slight movement of his mind, he summoned the personal panel visible only to him:

[Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 18]

[Realm: Not yet entered a Realm (Level 8.4)]

[Profession: Scholar | v8 (1696 → 1912 / 12800)]

[Techniques: Blade Technique · Momentum Realm (22% → Steadily Improving), Five Luminaries Heavenly Rainbow Art · Flowing Rainbow Five Forms (Lueying Style 100%, Overlapping Waves Style 8% → 18%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method (Perfection)]

"18%!" Looking at the conspicuous data for [Overlapping Waves Style] jumping from 8% to 18% on the panel, Li Wen's heart was filled with immense satisfaction.

A 10% progress increase in one afternoon—this speed was astonishing, far exceeding his initial fumbling speed when he first started out the day before yesterday.

Clearly, the feedback from yesterday's battle, coupled with the intense goal-driven motivation now, greatly accelerated his process of comprehension.

"Very good! If I maintain this rate of improvement, mastering the Overlapping Waves Style completely before the Provincial Second Mock Exam shouldn't be a problem."

A confident arc curved Li Wen's lips, and the fatigue seemed to dissipate by more than half.

He even began planning his next step in his mind: "Once the Overlapping Waves Style is mastered firmly, I will still have time to attempt learning the Third Form."

Regarding the choice of the Third Form, Li Wen had long settled on it—[Flowing Rainbow Five Forms · Shou Que Style].

This form focused on defense.

He was deeply aware of the rules for the Technique Assessment segment of the Provincial Second Mock Exam.

To maximize the cultivation of top Martial Artists' on-the-spot adaptability, the assessment format was completely random every year.

Solo defense, breaking through, simulating fighting against swarms of Yao Beasts, environmental obstacle competition—there was no fixed routine, heavily testing the comprehensive ability reserves of a Martial Artist.

Li Wen's goal was the top three in the province, allowing no room for luck.

He knew well that on the offensive side, he had the [Lueying Style] and the soon-to-be mastered [Overlapping Waves Style] as his sharp spearhead.

But when facing high-intensity siege or specific defensive modes, a powerful defensive main combat Technique was indispensable.

The [Shou Que Style] could perfectly compensate for his current weakness of strong offense and relatively weak defense, increasing his overall margin for error and defensive limit.

As for the other two forms, [Drooping Heaven Stance] and [Penetrating Mountain Stance], their power was naturally immense, but for the upcoming highly random Provincial Second Mock Exam, the [Shou Que Style] was undoubtedly the choice that could most steadily boost his comprehensive score in the short term.

"Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the woodcutting. Although offense is the spear, how can one last long without a solid shield? I am determined to take the top three in the Provincial Second Mock Exam! The Shou Que Style—it must also be put on the agenda."

Li Wen took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, calculating that once the Overlapping Waves Style was completely mastered, he would enter the Legacy world and begin accessing the Jade Slip Legacy of the [Shou Que Style].

The soft light of the Kindling Hall training area spilled down, casting Li Wen's determined figure long.

The figure gazing at the panel data, contemplating the future, resembled a young lion poised to strike, waiting only for the right moment to reveal the sharpness capable of shaking mountains.

The Blade Intent was formed; although there were barriers ahead, they were no longer insurmountable peaks.

The countdown clock for the Provincial Second Mock Exam silently flipped to a new page in his mind.

After eating the Martial Artist dinner rich in abundant Origin Qi, Li Wen practiced the *Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method* for another two hours in the private martial arts room, tempering his Physical Body to its limit.

It was only when he felt the soreness and fullness emanating from the depths of his cells that he contentedly concluded today's training and left the Xinhuo Hall Qingshi Branch.

The Kindling Hall was silent late at night.

Li Wen took the exclusive elevator symbolizing his contract status, slowly descending from the Level 14 training area.

The cold silver-gray metal walls reflected his calm, unruffled face.

Just as the elevator was about to pass the 12th floor, it abruptly slowed down and stopped.

"Ding!"

The elevator doors slid open silently.

Light from outside spilled in, revealing a youth with a neat buzz cut and a posture as straight as a pine tree.

Li Wen looked up, paused slightly, and a trace of emotion instantly flashed through his mind.

It was Jiang Lingyun.

The former Heavenly Scion who stood at the pinnacle of all high school students in Qingshi County, the absolute core of No. 1 Middle School, a figure countless peers, including Li Wen, once had to look up to.

Now, after only a few short months, the positions of the two were vastly different.

Jiang Lingyun outside the elevator door had clearly not expected to run into Li Wen here and now.

His gaze also froze the moment it met Li Wen's figure.

In fact, as early as when the Provincial First Mock Exam results were released half a month ago, and news broke that Li Wen had obtained an A-rank contract from Kindling Hall, he had looked up the profile of this suddenly rising peer from the same county immediately.

After all, proud as he was, he had only managed to secure a b-rank contract.

A student who also came from Qingshi No. 3 Middle School but managed to get a higher-level A-rank was enough to attract the intense attention and scrutiny of him, the former number one.

Though unwilling to admit it, that profile, combined with Li Wen's increasingly astonishing combat achievements afterward, had already led him to regard Li Wen as an opponent he must seriously face.

Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds between the opening and closing of the elevator doors.

Jiang Lingyun stepped in just before the elevator doors automatically closed.

The air was slightly stagnant. In the small space, the two youths were close at hand.

Jiang Lingyun skipped pleasantries, his gaze sharp as it fixed on Li Wen. He got straight to the point, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tightness: "Did you really step into the Momentum Realm?"

Li Wen slightly turned his head, meeting the scrutinizing gaze of the other party, a very faint, almost invisible arc curving his lips. He nodded frankly: "Yes."

Although the incident of Li Wen slaying Yao Beasts had already been widely discussed in the Qingshi County high school circle last night, Jiang Lingyun was already nine-tenths certain in his heart.

But the impact was completely different the moment the words 'Momentum Realm' were calmly uttered from Li Wen's mouth and confirmed by the person himself.

A strong shock, envy that felt almost tangible, and a trace of deep unwillingness and frustration flashed violently and alternately in Jiang Lingyun's eyes.

He clearly remembered in his mind that he had already crossed into the Unity Realm at the beginning of his second year of high school.

For the past two years, he had put in unimaginable effort, attempting countless times to break through the mysterious threshold of the Momentum Realm.

Yet, he always felt it was within reach yet impossibly far. Every attempt was like crashing into an invisible wall of bronze and iron.

However, this guy before him, Li Wen, who had risen in just a few short months—

The Momentum Realm he had desperately pursued, which he viewed as ascending to heaven, seemed so—easy—on the other person? As natural as drinking water or eating?

This huge contrast stabbed deeply into Jiang Lingyun's proud heart like an icy spike.

A brief silence fell inside the elevator, only the faint sound of its operation remained.

Only a short question and answer remained between the two, nothing more was said.

Just a few seconds later, the elevator smoothly arrived at the underground garage.

"Ding!"

The door opened again.

Li Wen's gaze swept over the face of Jiang Lingyun, who was trapped in a complex silence. Without any superfluous emotional expression, Li Wen stepped out calmly first.

His steps were steady as he walked towards his silver-gray hovering limousine waiting in the exclusive parking spot.

"Technique Awakened."

Watching Li Wen's tall yet exceptionally relaxed back merge into the shadows of the underground garage, Jiang Lingyun's tightly clenched fists let out the crackling sound of knuckles.

The intense unwillingness in his eyes was almost ready to burst out, finally resolving into a barely audible murmur filled with extreme reluctance.