90: Chapter 90 Sakura no Shiro Platinum

The taste was indeed far richer and the mouthfeel much better than the Level 1 Mental Potions he had consumed before.

The moment it went down, a cool and gentle energy, as if alive, rushed straight from his spine to the top of his skull.

"Buzz."

Within his Sea of Consciousness, it was as if long-parched, cracked earth had finally received the sweet rain.

The jade-like Primordial Spirit figure, which had originally been dim and lusterless, was enveloped and nourished by this vast and pure Mental Energy, beginning to brighten and become full at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if vital energy had been injected into it.

The speed at which his Mental Energy recovered was several times faster than his natural recovery rate!

Li Wen sat cross-legged on the ground, silently meditating with his eyes closed, cooperating with the absorption of the medicinal power.

In just half an hour, he suddenly opened his eyes. Divine light shone brightly in the depths of his pupils. All previous fatigue was swept away, and his spirit was full.

Looking inward at his Sea of Consciousness, both his almost depleted Mental Energy and Primordial Spirit Power had recovered to nearly ninety percent of their Peak state.

A sense of abundant power once again filled his entire body.

Without any thought of rest, the pressing ranking felt like an invisible whip urging him from behind.

Li Wen suddenly stood up and strode toward the weapon rack, drawing out the standard fast saber that had accompanied him through countless practice sessions.

With a flick of his wrist, the cold blade emitted a crisp hum.

Immediately following this, his Iv8's [Absolute Focus] instantly activated!

The powerful Comprehension Ability amplification of 80% once again enveloped his mind.

Simultaneously, the jade-like Primordial Spirit swirling with light in his Sea of Consciousness also emitted a gentle glow, releasing its Primordial Spirit Power to assist in deduction.

In the private martial arts room, the glint of the saber rose again.

This time, there was no oppression from a virtual opponent, but there was a goal heavier than any opponent.

The sound of the blade tip slicing through the air carried all of Li Wen's mind and will, as if racing against time, launching the fiercest assault toward that final 12%.

The afternoon of April 5th.

Warm sunlight streamed through the special glass of the private martial arts room, casting long, slanted patches of light on the floor.

With only half a month left until the Provincial Second Mock Exam, the air seemed to carry a hint of condensed anxiety.

Over the past five frenzied days, Li Wen had been consuming the vast resources provided by the Kindling Hall A-rank Seed contract in a near-combustive manner.

Every day, a bottle of [starlight condensing spirit fluid], priced as high as two hundred thousand points, entered his throat. The vast and pure Mental Energy nourished his nearly dried-up Sea of Consciousness and fatigued Primordial Spirit, supporting him as he repeatedly squeezed his limits to explore the endpoint of pure speed.

Virtual combat, Physical Body tempering, Primordial Spirit deduction, saber movements—time was compressed to the extreme.

Under the irrigation of countless resources and high-intensity focus, the progress of the final Lueying Style finally climbed arduously to 99% yesterday.

"Just the last one percent left..." Li Wen stood in the center of the empty training area, taking a deep breath.

The setting sun outside, molten gold, reflected the deep-pool calmness in his eyes.

Having experienced the shock of his father's sudden critical illness, he was long past being the reckless youth who only knew how to charge forward.

The principle of "fast is slow, slow is fast" had transformed into the cornerstone supporting his state of mind.

The scorching flame of yearning for a Breakthrough still leaped in his heart, but it was now enveloped by stability, no longer restless.

He drew his standard fast saber; the icy touch quickly focused his mind. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and the Iv8 [Absolute Focus] instantly activated!

A massive Comprehension Ability amplification swept through his mind. The jade-like Primordial Spirit figure in the center of his Sea of Consciousness simultaneously bloomed with clear radiance. The Primordial Spirit Power flowed like fine streams, keenly capturing every muscle twitch, every circulation of Yuan Power, and every trace of rhythm as the blade sliced the air.

His spirit and will were unified to a high degree; the long saber in his hand instantly transformed into an extension of his arm.

Afterimages were no longer intentional but became the natural trace left by the ultimate speed.

The air was no longer merely an obstacle but a springboard for borrowing force. Every chop, slash, thrust, and wipe was refined to the extreme, with adjustments of mere millimeters achieving perfection.

Sweat soaked his training uniform and dripped down his jaw. The load on his brain rapidly climbed, and the light emanating from the Primordial Spirit figure began to dim.

Only when sharp, needle-like stinging pain arose in his Sea of Consciousness and his wrist trembled slightly from the limit of the burst did Li Wen abruptly stop his saber.

"Hoo—"

He exhaled a long breath of stale air, his chest rising and falling violently.

The dual depletion of Spirit and Primordial Spirit brought dual fatigue to his body and mind, as if the entire person had been drained.

He walked to the nearby lounge chair and sat down, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment. He reached out and picked up the last bottle of [starlight condensing spirit fluid] placed on the low table beside him.

The familiar icy liquid slid into his abdomen, like a star falling into a dry well, beginning to rapidly repair and nourish the nearly depleted Sea of Consciousness.

He did not rush to get up. Just like that, with his eyes closed, aided by the gentle yet potent medicinal power of the potion, he felt the trickle of Mental Energy gathering and the slow replenishment of Primordial Spirit Power.

In his mind, he repeatedly replayed every detail and sensation captured during his practice just now.

About half an hour later, the Sea of Consciousness was full again, and the Primordial Spirit figure shone brilliantly, its state restored almost to its Peak.

Li Wen opened his eyes; his gaze was perfectly clear, without the slightest hesitation. He stood up and walked to the familiar virtual pod, lying down inside.

His consciousness sank in, and light and shadow flowed before his eyes. When he opened them again, he was already in the Infinite Arena, which resembled a vast starry sky.

Countless platforms of various shapes floated in the void, shimmering with light and roaring with energy.

Li Wen ignored those conventional platforms; with a thought, he clicked on a special matching option—

"[Blue Star Youth platinum rank Ranking]."

This was a privileged matching channel opened only after activating the ranking list. His opponents would only be drawn from the more than three thousand top young Geniuses from Blue Star who, like him, had already broken into the platinum rank during their high school years and had comprehended or were currently attempting to reach the Momentum Realm.

Over these five days, he fought only one match per day.

His opponents were invariably true Geniuses who had comprehended the edge of the Momentum Realm or even grasped the nascent form of the Momentum Realm.

Fierce battles, with more losses than wins, were the norm.

Being suppressed to the point of struggling by the different attributes of the Shi was a common occurrence.

However, it was precisely this unimaginable grinding pressure that hammered his 99% Lueying Style to become even more condensed and pure.

His name, "Li Wen," along with the keywords "Huaguo" and "Unity Realm Killing into Platinum," had quietly begun to circulate among the thousands of top young Geniuses.

Attracting attention that was either curious or contemptuous—he was the anomaly who had squeezed into their ranks purely by relying on his ultimate combat talent without comprehending a Shi.

He had a vague premonition that to pierce that final layer—which seemed thin but was actually incredibly tough—the greatest hope lay only in clashing with this group of top Prodigies, under desperate pressure.

"Match successful!"

The moment the notification sounded, Li Wen's figure appeared on a massive, ring-shaped arena constructed of dark metal.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of meters opposite him, a figure rapidly solidified.

This person wore a tight-fitting combat suit of black and gold patterns, was slender, and his face carried an air of arrogance.

What drew even more attention was the title floating above his head: [Blue Star Youth platinum rank 2478]!

The spectator stands surrounding the arena were already bustling, far exceeding the usual scale. A large number of spectators wore virtual markers resembling cherry blossoms, their emotions agitated.

"Who is the opponent? Li Wen? 3587th place? Haha, Lord Rukawa is guaranteed to win!"

"Haha, naturally. Lord Rukawa is the second fastest blade among high schoolers in our Great Cherry Blossom Empire! He just defeated a North American contestant ranked over a thousand yesterday!"

"Huaguo - Li Wen? Oh! Isn't that the guy in the Unity Realm who squeezed onto the list purely by luck?"

"3587th place? Haha! Lord Jinfu is ranked more than a thousand places ahead of him! This match is a stomp!"

"Take him down, Lord Jinfu! Let the Huaguo people witness the speed of the Great Cherry Blossom Empire!"

"Kid, prepare to meet your end!"

The clamor of the Sakura language filled the spectator stands, uniformly supportive of Rukawa and mocking Li Wen.

Evidently, the live broadcast room of that Rukawa Jinfu had turned the venue into the home ground for Sakura Country spectators.

Rukawa Jinfu naturally saw Li Wen's rank indicator as well.

"3587?" A look of undisguised contempt curled his lips. He spoke in stiff Chinese, his voice transmitted through the broadcast to the entire venue and clearly reaching Li Wen's ears, "Your luck ends here. Today, I'll let you understand the price of sneaking onto the list through trickery! Remember, I am not one of those small fry you luckily defeated in the past few days."

The countdown ended!

Rukawa Jinfu's figure instantly blurred! No, it wasn't blurring; it was extreme speed!

The Shi field abruptly opened, and the air seemed to be stirred by invisible hands, turning into a thick, viscous swamp attempting to pin Li Wen in place.

The opponent's figure transformed into a black-gold stream of light barely discernible to the naked eye, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle that drowned out all the noise, instantly closing the distance!

Absolute speed!

So fast that the limit Li Wen's current Lueying Style could reach was far behind.

The sense of oppression was like the heavens collapsing. Li Wen's pupils contracted violently; he held nothing back.

"[Absolute Focus]! Activate!" The Lv8 Comprehension amplification forcibly cleaved through the interference of the Concept!

"Primordial Spirit Power! Activate!" The jade-like figure in the center of the Sea of Consciousness erupted with unprecedented brilliant light!

Facing the speed oppression as imposing as a mountain, he instantly entered the highest alert.

Faster! Even faster! Rukawa Jinfu's figure was like a phantom, his sword light transforming into a storm, layered and dense, completely enveloping Li Wen.

Every sword strike was tricky and fatal; every flash attack was absolute suppression.

Li Wen's saber could only struggle to hold on amidst his full-effort deduction and extreme evasion, blocking, deflecting,

and desperately dodging.

Like a lone boat in a raging storm, it could be torn to shreds at any moment.

"Too slow! Simply like a snail!" Rukawa Jinfu's sneer was particularly grating amidst the whistling sword light, "Let's see how long you can hide!"

The Sakura Country spectators in the stands erupted in earth-shattering laughter and insulting words.

"Kid, kneel down and beg for mercy."

"Lord Jinfu, leave him a breath so you can play with him slowly."

"Hahaha, look at his pathetic state."

The mockery struck like needles aimed at the stage.

However, Li Wen, standing at the center of the storm, had eyes as calm as millennia-old ice.

His powerful mental resilience and the logical thinking characteristic brought by the [Scholar] profession allowed him to completely shield himself from external interference.