118: Chapter 118, look, that's Li Wen.

Chu Feng was still dressed in a set of neat martial attire, sitting by the window.

Seeing Li Wen enter, he looked up, a bright yet competitive smile appearing on his handsome face as he nodded in greeting.

That brutal battle in the Provincial Second Mock Exam finals had long since earned them each other's respect.

Nangong Xue was also sitting quietly to the side.

She wasn't wearing her combat suit today, but instead a simple and elegant moon-white casual outfit, which made her already pure and ethereal features appear even more stunning.

Her skin was as fair as jade, her features as exquisite as if meticulously carved by the Creator, and her waist-length black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, with a few playful strands brushing against her smooth forehead.

Yet most striking were her beautiful eyes, like deep pools of ancient jade; when calm, they were like an icy lake in autumn, clear and cold, yet deep within they seemed to harbor faint, cold stars, carrying an indescribable sense of etherealness and distance as they moved.

When her gaze fell upon Li Wen as he entered the cabin, a nearly imperceptible ripple seemed to appear on that calm lake surface.

Instead of just nodding politely as usual, she slightly adjusted her posture, her cold eyes carrying a hint of intense curiosity and inquiry that hadn't been there before.

She sized up Li Wen seriously and without avoidance, as if trying to see through every detail of him.

There were several other top-tier prodigies in the cabin whom Li Wen had seen or heard of during the Provincial Second and Third Mock Exams, and all of them were casting their gazes over now.

Curiosity, awe, wariness, and envy were all present.

Every single person who could board this exclusive vehicle flying to the Kindling University exam venue today was among the most dazzling stars of the Jiangnan Province high school senior class.

Li Wen calmly looked back at Chu Feng and Nangong Xue, his gaze lingering slightly on Nangong Xue, clearly sensing the unusual attention in her eyes.

He didn't say much, nor was there any need for pleasantries.

Under the gazes filled with various hidden emotions, he walked straight to the first row of the spacious cabin.

It had the best view and was the most spacious and luxurious, clearly a seat reserved for him, the double-first-place winner.

Just as he sat down and adjusted for comfort, before he could close his eyes to rest.

The aircraft vibrated slightly and accelerated silently, soon shrinking Qingshi County into a mere dot on the chessboard of the earth.

Outside the window, the sea of clouds churned, and below lay thousands of miles of beautiful mountains and rivers, but inside the cabin, Li Wen did not lose himself in the scenery.

Li Wen adjusted his sitting posture and closed his eyes to concentrate for a moment.

In his mind: the Swiftness of Lve Ying, the Resilience of Die Lang, the Solidity of Shou Que, the Vastness of Chui Tian, and the Heaviness of Guan Yue.

The five forms of True Intent were like five independent, brilliant stars slowly rotating and drifting within his consciousness space.

He needed to find that critical point to perfectly fuse them and trigger an explosion into a single Saber Intent.

With his Qi restrained and condensed, he once again began his silent deduction and accumulation of momentum in the stillness.

This flight toward the future was, for him, still a training ground.

The two-hour flight seemed like only an instant to Li Wen, who was immersed in the deduction of his Blade Technique.

It wasn't until the light outside the aircraft seemed blocked by some invisible majesty that he slowly withdrew his focus.

Outside the porthole, a vast and boundless range of towering mountains came into view.

The mountain range was so large it stretched for thousands of miles.

The main peak was so massive it seemed to prop up the heavens, with layer upon layer of peaks.

This was the location of the Holy Land in the hearts of martial arts students worldwide—the Xinhuo Ancestral Vein, where Kindling University was located.

Kindling University was situated right here.

However, it was not perched on the summit, but was built in a grand manner, scattered along the main body of the mountain range as if it had existed since ancient times.

Amidst the vast mist and greenery, one could vaguely see endless stretches of ancient palaces and pavilions with upturned eaves and painted rafters—not creations of modern steel and concrete, but a pure complex of ancient Eastern architecture.

A massive stone mountain gate archway stood halfway up the mountain shrouded in clouds; upon it, the four gold-leafed ancient seal characters for "Passing the Kindling" were written in a flamboyant style. Even from a distance, one could still feel the majestic Dao charm and the accumulation of ages that suppressed the mountains and rivers.

Energy-based flowing clouds formed a natural river of stairs encircling the mountain, with occasional celestial birds flapping their wings, trailing streaks of rosy clouds.

From afar, the entire mountain range seemed enveloped in an invisible film of light flowing with mysterious runes. This was the mountain-protecting formation of Kindling University; even with Li Wen's vision and Primordial Spirit perception, he could only catch a glimpse of a corner and was shocked by its vast unpredictability.

This was the world's top martial arts Holy Land, a transcendent existence born from an ancient Sect, carrying the highest martial arts Legacy of human civilization.

Its prestige needed no words; just gazing from afar at its atmosphere, which was perfectly integrated with heaven and earth, was enough to make any newcomer hold their breath and feel a sense of awe.

The aircraft did not fly directly to the mountain gate but landed on the outskirts of a vast supercity at the foot of the mountain.

This city, covering an area of a hundred miles, was named "Xinhuo City." Its walls were over a hundred zhang high, made of obsidian that gleamed with a cold, hard luster, clearly built to withstand Yao Beast invasions.

The city streets were wide, and the pedestrians were all young Martial Artists and Super Martial Artists, each with a sharp aura, brimming with the prosperity of a golden age of martial arts.

Li Wen and the others were led to a massive hotel that could be considered a landmark building.

The hotel was constructed entirely of white jade stones shimmering with warm spiritual light and dark sandalwood; it was strikingly tall yet did not seem out of place, exuding ultimate luxury within its ancient simplicity.

A huge gold-plated plaque bore the inscription—"Lan Xing Pavilion."

Stepping inside, even though everyone present was a Prodigy from various places who had seen much of the world, they couldn't help but be slightly shaken by the sight before them.

The hall's dome was extremely high, with floating psionic light spheres that looked like real stars, shedding soft light.

The floor was paved with solid slabs of cut and polished deep-sea profound jade that emitted a cold air and was polished to a mirror-like finish.

The dozen or so massive coiled dragon pillars supporting the hall required several people to encircle them; each carved dragon was lifelike, as if they might take flight at any moment.

The air was filled with a faint, refreshing sandalwood incense that calmed the mind.

The waiters coming and going walked with light steps, and there were faint but dense fluctuations of blood-qi from their bodies; surprisingly, none of them were ordinary people.

At this time, the hall was already bustling with noise.

Young geniuses from various continents, federations, countries, and provinces across the globe were either gathered in small groups talking in low voices, sitting alone with their eyes closed to rest, or curiously observing the newly arrived group.

This place gathered the very top echelon of the Blue Star's younger generation, a true meeting place of stars.

When the Jiangnan Province team, including Li Wen, Chu Feng, and Nangong Xue, entered the hall under the guidance of a leader, they immediately attracted many gazes.

Especially Li Wen, walking at the front of the group with a well-proportioned and tall build, an aura as calm as water, and eyes as deep as an ancient starry abyss, was the center of attention.

In a corner, several richly dressed young men and women cast their gazes over.

One of them, a shrewd-looking boy with lively eyes, immediately lowered his voice, though it carried a hint of subtle excitement: "Look, the Jiangnan Province people have arrived. See the one at the very front? Yes, the one with the calmest aura—that's this year's biggest dark horse from Jiangnan Province, Li Wen! He's from a small place like Qingshi County, but he's incredibly capable; he's a Technique Awakened."

"Oh? That's Li Wen? I heard his actual combat is very strong?" A girl nearby with long, straight legs and a pretty face looked surprised.

The shrewd boy nodded vigorously: "Absolutely! During the Jiangnan Provincial Second Mock practical assessment, his Blade Technique Momentum Realm was at most just stabilized at the Middle Stage, yet he killed the original Jiangnan Province seed, Chu Feng, in a duel—and Chu Feng was a solid Late Stage Momentum Realm."

By the Provincial Third Mock, I heard he had already reached the Late Stage of the Blade Technique Momentum Realm! Judging by his current demeanor, he's probably even stronger now.

Out of the two hundred spots before us, Li Wen will definitely take one, and he's a top contender for the final top twenty rankings."

"Damn! Killing a Late Stage Momentum Realm when he wasn't even at the Middle Stage? For real?" A crew-cut youth nearby clicked his tongue, his face full of disbelief. "That fierce?"

The shrewd boy said with certainty: "Could my family's intelligence network be wrong? This year's assessment videos from Jiangnan Province have spread through the high-level circles of various countries; they can't be faked. That Li Wen's Intent on the stage was incredibly ruthless."

The long-legged girl furrowed her delicate brows: "Then... that's one less of the two hundred spots..."

A sharp light flashed in Brother Wang's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly, carrying a certainty from a higher starting point: "There's no need to be overly nervous. If he takes one of the two hundred spots, there are still a hundred and ninety-nine left. Besides, we have to take the long view.

It's true that Technique Awakened have a fast initial burst, but once they pass this high-speed sprint period, their potential is basically exhausted. It's hard for them to reach higher Realms step-by-step like we do. And..."

He paused, lowering his voice even further with a hint of scrutiny: "Li Wen awakened too late, which means his Physical Body Rank is definitely at the bottom among our group.

Furthermore, the assessment for Kindling University isn't just about actual combat; comprehensive evaluations of Comprehension Ability, strength, and Heart-Nature are key.

Technique Awakened only have an Innate advantage in combat skills. When it comes to true martial arts Comprehension Ability—hehe, he might not be outstanding. So, he's in the spotlight now, but that might not be the case later."

His analysis was quite logical, seemingly intended to reassure his companions, or perhaps himself, unwilling to admit that a "county kid" could truly stand on equal footing with people like them, who had privileged backgrounds and deep Foundations.

"Brother Wang's analysis is thorough, truly insightful," the crew-cut youth immediately nodded in agreement, a look of conviction on his face.

The long-legged girl also nodded thoughtfully, the astonishment in her gaze toward Li Wen fading, replaced by a bit more scrutiny.

Li Wen's five senses were far sharper than ordinary people's. As his Primordial Spirit Power swept through, the whispered information about him in the hall naturally flowed into his ears without missing a single word.

Regarding Brother Wang's analysis, there was no ripple of emotion on his face, and his eyes remained as calm as a still well.

These noises were merely a few specks of dust on the path ahead.

He was following the reception staff toward the service desk, preparing to check in.

Suddenly, a significant commotion broke out at the hotel entrance, even greater than when they had entered.

Many people's gazes were instantly drawn toward it.