159: Chapter 159 Flying Star Society, Flying Star Ranking, Mid-stage Flying Star

The river of stars turned, and three days of time slipped by quietly amidst rest, organization, and adapting to the Flying Star Rank power.

December 31, 227 of the galactic calendar.

Early morning, the sky was clear as if washed.

Li Wen's figure had already appeared on the mountainside of Nine Heavens Peak.

His identity jade token flashed with a faint light, and the invisible Restriction ahead rippled like water, revealing the entrance to the Core Disciple residential area.

The scene before his eyes suddenly opened up.

Ancient trees towered into the sky, suffused with heaven and earth energy far denser than that of Mingde Peak. Within it lay an invisible, vitality-rich Daoist rhyme of lightning, which refreshed one's spirit instantly.

The familiar Lightning Induction Tower at the Peak looked even more towering and magnificent from here.

Following the guidance, he walked slowly to a secluded valley.

A simple, elegant, and sprawling courtyard sat quietly within.

The white walls and dark tiles of the perimeter wall were nestled among gnarled ancient trees and exotic flowers and herbs.

Hanging on the gate was a plaque, inscribed with a powerful, ancient seal character that faintly contained the intent of lightning: "Jia-1".

He pushed open the heavy wooden door, which was carved with intricate lightning patterns, and stepped inside.

The courtyard was deep, and the Spiritual Energy was so abundant it almost flowed like a faint mist.

The spacious training ground was paved with a strange, dark purple metal, hard and full of energy conductivity.

The main residence was a two-story pavilion, spacious and bright, fully equipped with a cultivation room, study, and a quiet room furnished with an Advanced virtual pod.

Even better was the backyard, which actually had a small spring, bubbling with water that contained gentle lightning vitality, and beside it was a strange spirit plant with gnarled branches and faint electric light.

Everything was far beyond comparison to the townhouse at Mingde Peak.

Not only was the environment far more secluded and grand than before, but the facility level here was clearly meticulously prepared to truly support the long-term secluded cultivation of Flying Star Rank and even Bright Moon Rank Core Disciples.

"Jia-1 Courtyard—"

He stood in the center of the courtyard, feeling the unique, heavy, and active aura of the entire Nine Heavens Peak core area. The true essence of his "Nine Heavens Divine Body" seemed to hum along with it, becoming smoother and more vibrant.

Every inch of land and every wisp of air here resonated faintly with the Cultivation Technique he practiced.

A new, truly rooted anchor point in the heart of Nine Heavens Peak had already been forged.

Time flickered by, and it was already evening.

The sky outside the window was gradually darkening.

In the quiet room of the Jia-1 Courtyard on Nine Heavens Peak, Li Wen had just finished a short period of meditation.

Feeling the harmonious resonance between the surging, newly ascended Flying Star power within his body and the abundant Spiritual Qi of the courtyard.

He tidied his appearance, stepped out, and his figure turned into a swift yet steady stream of light.

He sped towards the venue of the Flying Star exchange party—the "Star Radiance Hall" located on the mountainside of Wudao Peak.

Star Radiance Hall was brightly lit. Inside the large hall, nearly five hundred Flying Star Rank gods and demons had already gathered, their low conversations merging into a buzzing background noise.

When Li Wen's figure appeared at the door, the sound in the hall subtly dropped for a moment, and countless gazes—some curious, some amazed, some friendly—instantly focused on him.

Before Li Wen arrived, discussions about this monster rising star, who had soared from a newcomer to Flying Star Rank in less than two years and had even cultivated the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" to the Ninth Layer of Perfection, had long been the main topic among the veteran Disciples.

"An unbelievable speed. Breaking through to Flying Star Rank with the Nine Heavens Divine Body at the Ninth Layer of Perfection—this Foundation is simply unimaginable."

"I felt he wasn't simple when he was Drawing Lightning into the Body, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly—"

"With such talent, I can't even bring myself to be jealous. I only hope he can grow faster and stand higher. The outside world—it's becoming increasingly unsettled."

The tone of the veteran Disciple who spoke carried a trace of heaviness, and those around him nodded in shared sentiment.

As their cultivation deepened, they came into contact with more information about Disciples who had gone down the mountain to the front lines, and even heard the occasional tragic news of a familiar name dying in battle. This had caused the mindset of this group of heaven's favored children to quietly change.

The future of the Human Race needed more pillars that could hold up the sky. The potential Li Wen displayed was no longer that of a mere competitor, but of a future combat force in whom they placed high hopes.

Gu Yan, the Senior Brother of Nine Heavens Peak, came up to greet him at the right moment with a warm smile: "Junior Brother Li, you've arrived. Perfect, before the party officially starts, I'll take you to meet the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters from various Peaks."

Gu Yan led Li Wen, weaving between dozens of round tables.

At every table, he patiently introduced the Flying Star Rank gods and demons present to Li Wen.

"This is Senior Brother Chen Li of Panyan Peak, who specializes in the 'Mysterious Mountain Demon-Suppressing Body'; his defensive power is second to none among our Flying Star Disciples."

"This is Senior Sister Wang Wei of Lingshu Peak."

"And this," Gu Yan pointed to a young man with eyes as sharp as an eagle's and a deep, composed aura, "is Senior Brother Wang Yue of Lietian Peak. Senior Brother Wang is not only the Flying Star Rank Chief of Lietian Peak, but he also Ranks in the top hundred on the Blue Star Flying Star Rank List, and his strength is extremely formidable."

Li Wen's heart stirred, and he cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Yue.

Information about the Flying Star Rank List flashed rapidly through his mind.

The Blue Star Flying Star Rank List covered all Flying Star Rank individuals across the entire Blue Star and was the authoritative list for measuring combat power at this level.

Those who could Rank in the top hundred were all dragons among men, the elite among those of the same Realm.

One had to know that Wang Yue had not yet gone down the mountain to experience true life-and-death tempering; once he went down for real combat, his ranking would likely rise even further.

It was said that among all the Disciples of Kindling University who had not yet gone down the mountain, there were only five who could break into the top hundred of the Flying Star Rank List, including Wang Yue—there used to be six, but the brilliantly talented Ling Feng had already broken through to the Bright Moon Rank.

Under Gu Yan's guidance, Li Wen walked almost the entire venue, noting down every face and name.

Knowing nearly five hundred people was no easy task, but with Li Wen's current Primordial Spirit strength and memory ability, he could handle it.

By the time he returned to the vicinity of the tables where the Nine Heavens Peak Disciples were gathered, the bell for the party chimed melodiously.

The person responsible for hosting this month's Flying Star party was Senior Sister Su Yingxue of Bibo Peak.

She wore a water-blue long dress, her figure slender and graceful. Her temperament was gentle yet carried a trace of capability. Standing on the main stage, her Advanced Flying Star Rank aura flowed naturally, yet it did not appear oppressive, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

The twelve main Peaks took turns hosting the Flying Star party, and this time it was the turn of Bibo Peak, which was famous for its water-attribute divine-demon bodies and had the highest proportion of female Disciples.

Su Yingxue's voice was clear and pleasant. She first gave a brief opening statement: "Fellow Disciples, the New Year is approaching. Tonight, we gather together to exchange pointers and discuss the Dao. As per the old rules, our exchange will prioritize the discussion of Cultivation Techniques."

She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping across the hall, "I will pose a question, and I ask everyone to pool their wisdom: When cultivating, if one encounters interference from illusions of the seven emotions suddenly welling up from the depths of the mind, leading to a reversal of Qi and blood and the dispersion of Spiritual Qi, how should one stabilize the mind and channel the energy without interrupting the Cultivation Technique?"

As her voice fell, the hall suddenly quieted down.

Everyone present was a Flying Star Rank elite, and they knew deeply how tricky this question was.

It involved the operation of Cultivation Techniques, mental defense, energy control, and the understanding of specific Cultivation Technique terminals.

After a brief silence, the sound of discussion rose again, but the content was completely different from the previous casual chatting.

Everyone's brows were slightly furrowed; some closed their eyes to ponder, some discussed in low voices with those sitting next to them, and some even traced the trajectory of true essence with their fingers in the void to perform deductions. The atmosphere quickly became serious and focused.

Li Wen was slightly distracted at first, as he hadn't expected such a scene.

He had thought this kind of "party" would be more of a social nature, but he hadn't expected it to truly become a pure and efficient platform for academic discussion.

These elites from different main Peaks were actually so earnestly immersed in solving the difficult problem.

Gu Yan, who was beside him, noticed Li Wen's expression and revealed a knowing smile, softly transmitting his voice: "Junior Brother, it feels quite different, right? I was just as surprised as you when I attended for the first time. But it is this atmosphere of discarding vanity and focusing on seeking knowledge that is the essence of the Flying Star exchange."

"What truly brings everyone together is not social networking, but the shared pursuit of power and laying a Foundation of knowledge for potential future combat side-by-side. Come, let's think about it together."

Gu Yan signaled with his eyes, and Li Wen nodded, focusing his mind and immersing himself in thinking about the problem.

With his deep accumulation as a Scholar v12, coupled with the valuable experience of undergoing countless tempering of the heart by lightning and sharpening of the Primordial Spirit while cultivating the "Nine Heavens Divine Body," analyzing this kind of mental interference and energy disorder was exactly where his advantage lay.

Time passed minute by minute, and the intensity of everyone's thinking and discussion did not diminish.

Finally, Su Yingxue announced on the stage: "Those with insights, please speak in turn, and everyone can raise their hands to second them."

Seven Disciples stood up one after another to explain their own solutions.

These approaches each had their merits; some advocated forcefully suppressing the mental illusions, some suggested diverting the energy flow, and others believed it was necessary to guide the illusions to find a vent.

Everyone below raised their hands to indicate their agreement with different plans.

After the speeches were finished, sorted by the number of votes received, the supporters for the top three insights were the most concentrated.

When the fourth speaker's insight received quite a few votes of agreement, Li Wen shook his head inwardly.

It was not that the Senior Brother's level was insufficient, but that the handling of a key node in it seemed slightly rough and not exquisite enough in his view.

His gaze fell upon the plan proposed by the Senior Brother who ranked third in votes, and he found himself appreciating the ingenuity of this method even more.

Just then, Su Yingxue on the main stage, her gaze flowing like water, happened to land on Li Wen.

She seemed to have caught the subtle change in Li Wen's expression while he was listening intently, and a curious smile curled at the corner of her mouth as she said loudly: "I have long heard that Junior Brother Li Wen has superb Comprehension Ability and unique insights. I wonder, after hearing the insights of all our fellow Disciples, what are your brilliant thoughts? Why not provide some commentary?"

In an instant, the eyes of the entire hall focused on Li Wen again.

Many people were expectant, while others had a look of testing in their eyes.

Seeing that he had been named, Li Wen did not act coy. He stood up and said calmly: "Senior Sister Su is too kind; I dare not claim to have brilliant thoughts. The approaches of all the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are very enlightening."

He first affirmed the previous speeches, then immediately changed the subject, "Observing the plans of all the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, I am more inclined towards the third path just proposed by Senior Brother Zhang."

As soon as these words were spoken, a flash of surprise and joy crossed the eyes of the Senior Brother who ranked third in votes, whose name was Zhang Song.

Many people also showed expressions of interest.

Li Wen continued: "Senior Brother Zhang cuts in with the method of 'External Binding of Spirit Seals, Internal Observation of the Sea of Heart.' The core lies in using the Spirit Seal as an anchor point to stabilize the nodes of scattered Spiritual Qi throughout the body, while—"

He paused, then added in a steady tone: "The key lies in the construction of that Spiritual Qi backflow channel, which must be in line with……"

As Li Wen's clear and detailed analysis was laid out, the smile on Su Yingxue's face on the stage first turned into slight surprise, and her eyes brightened.

And when Li Wen accurately stated the most crucial ingenious use, and it was even exactly the same as the correct answer, Su Yingxue's autumn-water-like eyes were instantly filled with intense shock.

She stood there, her lips slightly parted, for a full two or three seconds, as if she had frozen in place.

If one were not profoundly and minutely versed in the operational mechanism of Cultivation Techniques, and had a mind as sharp as a hair, it would be absolutely impossible to grasp and reveal the secret after hearing another's explanation only once.

Coming back to her senses, Su Yingxue suppressed the raging waves in her heart, took a deep breath, and said with a voice carrying a trace of imperceptible fluctuation: "Everyone, what Junior Brother Li Wen said—is the correct answer!"

She then clearly repeated Li Wen's three key points and the core flow, her tone affirmative.

"Whoosh—"

The entire Star Radiance Hall was like a large boulder had been thrown into it, instantly boiling over.

Hundreds of gazes were instantly filled with disbelief, looking toward the young figure standing calmly.

How long had he just broken through to Flying Star Rank?

Attending the Flying Star party for the first time, just by listening to others speak, he not only pointed out the optimal solution, but also revealed the most crucial core essence, which perhaps even the speaker themselves had not been able to fully articulate clearly.

This insight, this depth of understanding, this ability to see the subtle and know the manifest.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Only one thought remained in everyone's minds: the name 'Monster' was truly well-deserved!

Several days had passed since the Flying Star Exchange Gala.

January 5th, Year 228 of the galactic calendar, afternoon.

On the martial arts field, the aftershocks of the air being sliced by the biting Saber Intent had not yet completely settled.

Li Wen sheathed his blade and stood still, exhaling a long trail of turbid air from his mouth and nose.

Inside his body, the surging True Essence circulated without hindrance, carrying the stability and toughness unique to his new Realm.

Over the past few days, he had devoted most of his energy to adapting to and mastering his Flying Star Rank power. Relying on the passive trait of 'One Proof, Eternal Proof', his newly attained Flying Star Realm had completely stabilized.

[Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 20 years old]

[Realm: Flying Star Rank Early Stage (Level 30.2)]

[Class: Scholar Lv12 (108,000 → 110,520/204,800)]

[Skills: Blade Technique - Concept (75%), Five Styles of Dawn (Instant Rainbow Style 100%, Silent Rainbow Style 100%, Mountain-Crushing Style 100%, Heavenly Gap Style 75%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Divine Body - Nine Layers (100%), God-Shocking Sting - Fourth Layer (10%)]

The status bar was clearly reflected in his consciousness.

"It's time to test my mettle against the flying star ranking," Li Wen whispered to himself, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes for an instant.

He didn't linger, turning to leave the martial arts field and return to the courtyard behind him.

After washing up, eating, and completing these daily routines, Li Wen calmly lay down in the virtual pod.

The pod door closed, and his consciousness felt as if it were falling into a river of stars.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in the familiar initial lobby of the Kindling Virtual World.

The permissions unlocked after breaking through to the Flying Star Rank made a giant stone monument standing in the corner of the lobby particularly eye-catching.

At the top of the monument, beneath the three bold characters for 'flying star ranking', one hundred names were densely inscribed.

Li Wen's gaze swept over the list.

Chen Li of Panyan Peak, Wang Wei of Lingchu Peak, and Wang Yue of Lietian Peak—as expected, they were all listed.

Wang Yue's name was in the fifties, while Senior Brother Gu Yan of Nine Heavens Peak was conspicuously ranked thirty-seventh.

These names represented not just strength, but the record of the heights they could reach at the Flying Star Rank.

Li Wen didn't stop, walking straight toward the stone monument that emanated an ancient aura.

His body encountered no resistance upon touching the surface of the stone; instead, he passed right through it as if merging into ripples of water.

The scenery before his eyes shifted.

Four towering, mottled city walls rose up, framing the sky into a grey-blue rectangle.

The city was deathly silent, except for a colossal object in the center emitting heart-palpitating spatial fluctuations—it was that familiar Interstellar Gate.

Standing over thirty meters tall, the gate frame was inscribed with profound and complex runes, surrounding a nebula vortex with a deep blue light silently rotating inside.

The scene of the practical assessment from over two years ago, where a thousand geniuses defended together, was now faced by him alone.

The rules were simple and direct: face wave after wave of the Yao Race surging out of the Interstellar Gate and kill them all until exhaustion or defeat.

The more waves one endured and the higher the batch of Yao Race killed, the higher the ranking would be.

The strength of the Yao Race would increase with each batch.

A familiar cold sensation enveloped his entire body; this was the virtual world's 100% simulation of his Physical Body.

Li Wen did not hesitate. With a slight thought, a sharp, swift blade appeared in his hand, and a thin yet tough layer of energy battle armor covered his body.

The moment he confirmed his selection, a countdown light screen appeared out of thin air.

10...

...3, 2, 1!

The moment the countdown hit zero, the Interstellar Gate erupted with a blinding light. A thick, almost viscous Demonic Qi mixed with bloodlust and frenzied roars surged out like a burst dam.

The first batch of the Yao Race stepped out of the Star Gate. They had various appearances, mostly with beast heads and human bodies, their eyes crimson as they brandished various weapons, charging fearlessly at Li Wen, who stood alone at the corner of the city.

There were quite a few, numbering over a hundred, but their strength level was only at the Martial Artist Rank.

Li Wen stood his ground without moving. At the instant the Yao crowd was about to pounce, a dazzling purple-gold lightning light erupted around him without warning.

With him as the center, an invisible Domain covering a radius of one li instantly expanded.

Zzzzzzt—!

Countless fine, violent purple electric arcs were generated out of thin air, like tens of thousands of lightning snakes frantically darting within the Domain.

The Yao who rushed into the Domain didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly pierced, decomposed, and carbonized by the dense lightning, turning into piles of charred ash.

Within a few breaths, the first batch of Yao was completely annihilated, leaving only scorched marks on the ground.

The Star Gate's light brightened again, and the second batch of Yao roared as they rushed out.

Their aura was slightly stronger and their charge more ferocious, but the outcome was exactly the same.

That violent lightning Domain was like a forbidden zone for life; those who stepped in were instantly reduced to ashes.

The third batch, the fourth batch... all the way to the tenth batch.

The number of Yao increased, and their individual strength slowly climbed, but they still failed to reach the Flying Star Rank level.

For Li Wen, who had cultivated the Nine Heavens Divine Body to the ninth layer of Perfection, these low-level Yao didn't even require him to move a step; with his Domain fully open, it was a lightning purgatory.

The efficiency of the slaughter was so high that the appearance of subsequent Yao tides could hardly keep up with his clearing speed.

Ten batches of Yao melted away like snow in the lightning of the Domain, barely causing a ripple.

Hum—!

The fluctuations from within the Star Gate suddenly became heavy and condensed.

The eleventh batch of Yao appeared!

This time, dozens of powerful auras were mixed within the Yao crowd.

Their bodies were taller, their claws and teeth glinted with cold light, and in their eyes, besides bloodlust, there was an added touch of rational brutality.

Flying Star Rank—the first batch of Flying Star Rank Yao had appeared.

Not only was their own blood-Qi powerful, but their skill Realms had all reached the Peak of the Momentum Realm.

The moment they rushed out, they instinctively gathered together, their auras linking up in an attempt to jointly resist the destructive strangulation of the lightning Domain.

However, they were still too slow.

The moment the Yao crowd intended to join forces and form a formation, the figure surrounded by lightning vanished from his spot.

Chii! A purple blade light, so swift it was impossible to track, flashed through the core of the Yao crowd.

At the very center, the head of a Flying Star Rank giant Yao with hideous bull horns soared into the air, and a crimson pillar of blood erupted.

Swish! The blade light reappeared, already on the other side.

A wolf Yao skilled in pouncing had just raised its claws when a charred blade wound, deep enough to see bone, appeared on its chest. The terrifying lightning energy instantly extinguished all its life force.

Fast! A speed that exceeded the neural reaction of all the Yao!

Among those at the Flying Star Rank, Li Wen's speed was itself an unreasonable rule.

The ninth layer Perfection of the Nine Heavens Divine Body gave him basic attributes far exceeding those of the same Rank, especially in speed and reaction.

At this moment, Li Wen's figure became a true lightning ghost within the Yao crowd.

One moment he was on the east side swinging his blade to decapitate, the next moment the blade light was on the west side splitting a defense, and a moment later he seemed to be swinging lethal blade arcs in several positions simultaneously.

Ordinary Flying Star Rank Yao simply couldn't keep up with his movements; they couldn't even touch the corner of his clothes, only able to roar and claw futilely at the afterimages he left behind.

The Domain remained open, the jumping electric arcs constantly weakening and interfering with the Yao's movements and defenses, making every one of Li Wen's dodges and thrusts as smooth as a fish in water.

For a time, only purple-gold electric flashes were seen crisscrossing the field, accompanied by the dull cracks of flying heads and severed limbs.

The addition of those dozens of Flying Star Rank Yao failed to make the battle a stalemate; instead, under Li Wen's unparalleled speed, they were rapidly harvested like cutting melons and vegetables.

The twelfth batch, the thirteenth batch... the Yao surging out of the Star Gate became increasingly powerful, and the proportion of Flying Star Rank grew higher and higher.

They tried stronger combined attack techniques and released innate Yao spells of astonishing power.

Hard ice, toxic mist, and blazing flames covered the battlefield, and powerful individual Yao roared as they locked onto Li Wen to pounce and kill.

Li Wen's response remained calm and efficient.

Facing area-of-effect attacks, he pushed his speed to the limit, weaving through the gaps in the attacks.

Facing pounces from powerful enemies locked onto him, the extreme acceleration of [Instant Rainbow Style] always allowed him to avoid the brunt of the attack at the critical moment and deliver a fatal blow from the opponent's defensive blind spot.

The Saber Intent of [Silent Rainbow Style] merged into the Domain, making every strike of the blade carry a Concept of withering and decay, weakening the Yao's defenses.

[Mountain-Crushing Style] used pure force to break through skill, used to instantly dismantle the defensive formations of small Yao groups.

His figure was always like a purple lightning snake dancing on the edge of a blade—agile, lethal, and elusive.

Battles that ordinary flying star ranking experts would need to treat with caution were greatly simplified before his overwhelming speed.

The entire rhythm of the battle was still firmly under his control.

Soon, the fourteenth batch of Yao surged out of the Star Gate.

The strength of this batch of Yao was completely different.

Flying Star Rank Yao became the absolute main force, and among them were even a few Great Yao with majestic auras clearly reaching the Peak of the Flying Star Rank.

Not only were their skills exquisite, but they also mastered even stronger combined secret techniques.

As soon as they appeared, their violent blood-Qi connected into one, forming a thick blood-colored barrier that pressed directly toward Li Wen.

The power of the Yao spells doubled; ice spikes were like a forest of spears, toxic miasma was like dense clouds, and powerful Great Yao with immense strength tore through the air in frontal pounces.

The pressure increased sharply! Li Wen's brow furrowed slightly.

He, who could previously move freely with his speed, could now clearly feel the space being bound by the powerful Demonic Qi and energy fields, greatly restricting his maneuvers.

At the same time, several Great Yao on the opposite side coordinated perfectly, almost sealing off his possible high-speed thrust routes.

He would no longer hold back his strength.

The Domain contracted, but the lightning power within it became more condensed and violent.

Li Wen pushed his movement technique to the limit, weaving through the sky-covering Yao spells and pouncing nets. [Silent Rainbow Style] and [Mountain-Crushing Style] were performed in turn, the blade light flashing like a bolt of silk as he struggled to fend off the tide-like attacks from all directions.

Every collision consumed a large amount of True Essence.

He was no longer able to easily one-shot Flying Star Rank Yao; the battle became dangerous and deadlocked.

Relying on his exquisite Blade Techniques and reaction speed far exceeding those of the same Rank, Li Wen managed to kill the main attacking Great Yao one by one amidst the perils, destroying the core of the Yao crowd's combined attack and finally holding off the fourteenth batch of attacks.

However, at this moment, the True Essence in his body was eighty to ninety percent depleted, the consumption was extremely intense, and every breath carried a hint of scorching heat.

Hum—Hum—!

The rotation of the Star Gate suddenly accelerated, emitting a dull hum.

The fifteenth batch of Yao!

Like a slumbering ancient Vicious Beast awakening, the terrifying aura had not even fully manifested before it pressed down on the entire battlefield like a physical mountain.

The deep blue Star Gate vortex rotated violently, the light so piercing it was blinding, and the energy fluctuations transmitted from within the gate far exceeded any previous batch.

Li Wen's heart suddenly tightened, knowing that the real test had come.

At the same time, the empty feeling in his body told him clearly that with his current True Essence, there was absolutely no way to resist this even more terrifying offensive.

Except for the Primordial Spirit secret techniques, he could no longer have any reservations.

Instantly, the Primordial Spirit Power deep within his sea of consciousness was mobilized.

Primordial Spirit Power was not used directly for attack; instead, like mercury spilling on the ground, it precisely and thoroughly merged into his own circulating torrent of True Essence.

Boom—!

An unimaginably vast power instantly exploded within Li Wen's body.

The True Essence that was nearly exhausted, at the moment it merged with the Primordial Spirit Power, was like being injected with a brand new source of life, its strength and activity skyrocketing geometrically.

The combat power increase brought by the Primordial Spirit Fusion was clearly visible—it was a terrifying boost of nearly two times.

The feeling of fatigue was swept away. Surging power filled his limbs and bones.

Facing the surging fifteenth batch of Yao, among which there even appeared several terrifying existences that faintly touched the barrier of the Bright Moon Rank.

Not only was there no retreat in Li Wen's eyes, but a sharp light ignited within them.

He moved. This time, the movement was not just fast.

Under the full activation of the True Essence merged with Primordial Spirit Power, his speed, on the basis of what was already the Flying Star Rank limit, rose again to an incomprehensible level.

His figure seemed to completely merge into space, or rather, space itself became the ladder for his acceleration.

With a flash, he appeared directly in front of the leading Lion-headed Great Demon, whose aura had already half-stepped into the Bright Moon Rank.

Ssh! A blade light flared!

It was more brilliant than any previous strike, carrying the unique sharpness of Primordial Spirit Power and the will of destruction.

The Lion-headed Great Demon couldn't even react. While a violent roar was still brewing in its throat, a thin purple-gold line had already extended down from its glabella.

In the next moment, its massive body was evenly split in two while in mid-charge.

Immediately after, Li Wen seemed to transform into several Incarnations at once. Blade light wove into a massive purple thunder net among the demon pack.

A Shadow Leopard Great Demon skilled in stealth had just poked its head out from the Void Realm when a blade light pierced its heart with predicted precision.

A Snake Demon Elder attempting to control the energy field had just formed a bloody vortex when it was directly shattered by a destructive blade beam descending from the sky.

Extreme speed is the strongest attack, the strongest defense, and the strongest field control.

Ordinary Flying Star Rank Yao Race couldn't last a single round under his blade.

Even those few Peak great demons, before the absolute speed and power of Li Wen's fused Primordial Spirit Power, were like giant elephants stuck in a swamp, clumsy and slow.

Their counterattacks couldn't even touch the corner of Li Wen's clothes, while Li Wen's fast blade always found the weak points in their defense, injecting lethal lightning and Saber Intent into their bodies.

This was no longer a battle, but a highly efficient slaughter.

The resistance of the fifteenth wave of Yao Race, before Li Wen—whose speed was fast enough to make his opponents despair after fusing Primordial Spirit Power—appeared even more fragile than the fourteenth wave.

Finally, as Li Wen pierced the throat of the last bear-like great demon at the Flying Star Rank Peak with a single strike, and the purple-gold thunder energy blasted its internal organs into charcoal, not a single Yao Race remained standing in the arena.

But Li Wen also clearly felt the surging power within his body instantly drain away.

Both his True Essence and Primordial Spirit Power were exhausted, and his body experienced an unprecedented sense of weakness.

But the harvest this time was also great; Li Wen could clearly feel that his Blade Technique had made significant progress again.

This was also an important reason why he came to challenge the flying star ranking.

Without attempting to start the next wave, he decisively chose to end the challenge.

Consciousness exited.

Inside the virtual hall, the massive flying star ranking stone tablet suddenly burst with light!

The name originally at the hundredth position vanished silently.

Immediately after, all the names below seventy-fourth place rolled down one position in unison, as if pulled by an invisible hand.

Light condensed at the seventy-fifth position.

Two steady and powerful characters slowly emerged:

75. Li Wen · Flying Star Rank Elementary [Blue Star Flying Star Ranking]:

37. Gu Yan · Flying Star Rank Peak; 57. Wang Yue · Flying Star Rank Peak; 75. Li Wen · Flying Star Rank Elementary. Before the light in front of the flying star ranking stone tablet had completely faded, news of Li Wen being ranked 75th had already swept through the entire Flying Star circle like a gale.

The name of someone who had just entered the Flying Star Rank was suddenly etched among a crowd of Flying Star Rank Peak names. The abruptness and shock of it far exceeded any words.

This news stirred up a massive wave among the Flying Star Rank students of Kindling University.

It was especially so among the group of veteran Disciples at the Flying Star Rank Peak.

They knew Li Wen was strong, but for him to charge into the top hundred of the Blue Star Flying Star Ranking just a few days after breaking through to the Flying Star Realm still exceeded their expectations.

After repeated confirmation, only a heavy and complex atmosphere remained.

The results in the virtual combat space could not be faked; they represented real combat power and potential.

Many of them had spent years or even over a decade to join this Rank, whereas Li Wen, from Drawing Lightning into the Body to entering the Flying Star Rank, and then to making the ranking today, had only taken a short year and a half.

Soon, this shock began to spread outward.

Through word of mouth among Xinhuo students and the flow of the Blue Star high-level information network, the name 'Li Wen,' along with his mythic cultivation speed and astonishing ranking on the flying star ranking, began to spread across a wider range.

Li Wen, the former top scorer, was no longer just a legend within the campus. His name was gradually being etched into the powerhouse star map of Blue Star's human civilization, signaling the rise of a future titan.

Time passed like a fleeting white horse; the spring blossoms quietly fell, and the summer heat silently retreated.

When the autumn wind once again turned the parasol leaves on campus yellow, time had already slipped to July 12th, Year 228 of the galactic calendar.

It had been exactly two years since Li Wen first entered Kindling University.

The morning light filtered through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, softly spilling into the luxurious yet restrained cultivation quiet room of Courtyard No. 1 on Nine Heavens Peak.

Sitting cross-legged, Li Wen slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, the quiet room seemed to be lit up by golden lightning. In his deep eyes, two condensed golden beams could be clearly seen flashing past, peerlessly sharp, before being deeply withdrawn.

He didn't get up but habitually opened the familiar and mysterious panel in his mind:

[Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 20 years old]

[Realm: Flying Star Realm Middle Stage (35.4)]

[Class: Scholar Lv12 (110520→175320/204800)]

[Skills: Blade Technique · Concept (99%), Five Styles of Dawn (Instant Rainbow Style 100%, Silent Rainbow Style 100%, Mountain-Crushing Style 100%, Heavenly Gap Style 100%, Thousand Radiance Style 99%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Divine Body · Ninth Level (100%), God-Shocking Sting · Fourth Layer (100%)]

Scanning the data, Li Wen felt no ripples in his heart, only the clarity of having a firm grasp of his own status.

In half a year, with the full resource support of Kindling University, his Physical Body Realm had steadily progressed to the Flying Star Realm Middle Stage.

His Blade Technique skills were also about to reach the Peak of Saber Intent, only lacking the final 1% of the Thousand Radiance Style. Once all five styles were 100% mastered, he would be at the Peak of Saber Intent. Then, only merging the five styles into one would be the moment a Blade Soul is born.

However, the Peak of Concept is easy to reach, but the Soul Condensation Realm is hard to achieve.

How many brilliant geniuses have been trapped at the summit of Concept for their entire lives, unable to glimpse the gateway to the Soul Realm.

Even someone as strong as Gu Yan, the head Disciple of Nine Heavens Peak, had lingered before this door for years.

Looking across all the students of Kindling University, the only one who has openly reached the Soul Realm is Ling Feng.

This is the fundamental reason why Ling Feng's name shakes the campus.

Li Wen also knew the difficulty of this stage in his heart, but he wasn't overly worried.

The steady growth of his Scholar level experience points was his greatest confidence; he only needed three more months of accumulation for the next level up.

He believed that when the vast light of comprehension from Lv13 descended, even if he couldn't break through in one go, it would certainly provide an unprecedented opportunity for the final Fusion.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Li Wen stood up, his movements simple and powerful.

After washing up and enjoying a special high-energy breakfast to replenish his Origin, his figure moved slightly.

"Swoosh—

—"

A condensed purple rainbow light suddenly pierced the quiet air of the courtyard, instantly accelerating to the extreme, leaving only a slight sonic boom and disturbed airflow in its place.

The rainbow light swept out of Nine Heavens Peak and soared into the high sky, easily overtaking one aircraft after another heading toward Wudao Peak, leaving them behind in his field of vision in an instant.

The strong wind from high-speed flight brushed against his face. Li Wen looked down at the familiar campus scenery below. Seeing the aircraft he had left far behind, a hint of sentimentality from the passage of time quietly surfaced in his heart.

A year ago today, he was still one of those riding in an aircraft.

In just one short year, he was actually able to traverse the world at such a speed.

Looking back at this growth speed, even he himself had a moment of daze.

When that striking purple rainbow light landed like a falling star on the edge of Wudao Peak's White Jade Plaza, it happened to be seen by Fang Chenghong, Du Yun, and others who arrived together.

The group looked at the figure descending gracefully from the high sky, feeling the restrained yet still oppressive aura of an Intermediate Flying Star. The envy in their eyes was almost overflowing.

"It's Li Wen!" Chen Xing said in a low voice.

"When we first met during the entrance examination, he had just entered the Martial Artist Rank, while we were all High-level Martial Artists back then..." Du Yun sighed, his tone complex.

In just two short years, that companion who once stood beside them had thrown them far behind in the Realm of Super Martial Artists, perched high above the clouds.

"Tsk, Flying Star Realm Middle Stage... he's truly a monster." Fang Chenghong shook his head, his tone containing both a joke and genuine admiration.

Seeing Li Wen land not far ahead, the group tucked away their complex emotions and quickly walked forward.

Fang Chenghong grinned and deliberately shouted in a drawn-out voice, "Senior Brother—Li! Good morning!"

Li Wen had just steadied himself when he turned his head upon hearing this. Seeing it was Fang Chenghong and the others, he couldn't help but show a helpless yet warm smile.

Kindling University rules state that one must indeed call those in a higher Realm 'Senior Brother'.

Although he had moved out of the Mingde Peak villa area for more than half a year, they still kept in touch frequently. He had long since grown used to the teasing from Fang Chenghong and the others.

"Enough of that," Li Wen replied with a laugh.

The group merged and, after a brief exchange of banter, naturally walked side-by-side, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the designated viewing areas for each Peak.

The position belonging to Nine Heavens Peak was already quite far forward.

"Senior Brother Li!"

"Junior Brother Li Wen is here!"

As soon as Li Wen's figure entered the viewing area of Nine Heavens Peak, it triggered a wave of warm and respectful greetings.

The Disciples within the Peak, regardless of seniority or cultivation level, all nodded in greeting to him with sincere smiles.

This Junior Brother, who had only entered the sect two years ago, had in a short time become one of the core pillars supporting the glory of Nine Heavens Peak. He represented not only past brilliance but also signaled infinite future possibilities.

With a peaceful smile, Li Wen nodded back to these Senior Brothers and sisters, some of whom he knew and others he didn't.

He casually sat down in a forward position with Fang Chenghong, Du Yun, and the others.

Soon, the contents of the low-voiced conversations of the surrounding Disciples reached Li Wen's ears.

The focus of everyone's discussion, besides the freshmen currently undergoing the peak selection ceremony, was another name that had been equally prominent over the past year—Sun Rui.

"Did you hear? Yesterday, Sun Rui also broke through in the Lightning Induction Tower! He reached the ninth level of the Nine Heavens Divine Body!"

"Hiss—really? How long has it been since he joined?"

"It's absolutely true! Although the commotion wasn't as exaggerated as Junior Brother Li Wen's last time, that Nine Heavens aura was definitely correct!"

"My god, how long has it been? As expected of someone evaluated with peerless comprehension."

"Incredible! Our Nine Heavens Peak is truly extraordinary, two Ninth Levels in one sect! This was unthinkable in the past!"

"Isn't it! Now our Peak's reputation is truly at its zenith..."

The surrounding discussions clearly reached his ears.

The news about Sun Rui caused a glint of approval to flash in Li Wen's eyes.

That youth who had watched him with intense Battle Intent burning in his eyes during last year's selection day had indeed not let down that shocking talent and determination.

One year, ninth level of the Nine Heavens Divine Body—this speed was enough to be recorded in the annals of Kindling University.

Two Ninth Levels in one sect for Nine Heavens Peak—the shock and attraction brought by this news would undoubtedly be fully revealed in the upcoming Peak selection.