High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices-Chapter 113: Neighbor

He looked at the panel in his sea of consciousness again.

[Martial Arts: Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear]

[Current Realm: Beginner (1.2%)]

The progress had increased by 0.1%!

And it had happened while he was practicing the "Wind-Settling Spear"!

A look of pleasant surprise flashed in Xu Wuyi’s eyes.

He understood.

The training for "Gathering Spirit" didn’t have to be restricted to a specific form. Its essence was the process of "Merging Intention."

Whether it was practicing the mental circulation of the "Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear" itself or integrating True Intention into a Basic Spear Technique like the "Wind-Settling Spear," as long as it was an effective practice of "merging intention with the spear," his proficiency would increase!

However, since he wasn’t practicing "Gathering Spirit" directly, it wouldn’t count toward his number of effective training sessions.

But this discovery still vastly expanded the ways he could train "Gathering Spirit."

When training the "Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear" became too taxing, he could simply switch to practicing the more familiar "Wind-Settling Spear" to continue honing his "Merging Intention" skill. The efficiency might be lower, but the advantage was its sustainability, and it also allowed him to reinforce his Basic Spear Technique.

Moreover, the Spirit consumed by this type of practice was far less than that of directly training the "Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear."

He could totally use this method to grind the proficiency of his "Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear" first. When he went back to practicing it directly, the drain on his Spiritual Power would undoubtedly be reduced.

With this discovery, Xu Wuyi wasted no more time and immediately threw himself into his training.

...

「The next day.」

The mornings in Hidden Dragon Garden were always exceptionally quiet. The sound of birds chirping drifted into the villa through the ventilation system, carrying a touch of natural vitality.

Xu Wuyi had just finished his morning exercises. He stood bare-chested in the training room’s shower as cold water poured down from overhead, washing away his sweat and gradually calming the Qi and Blood that had been stirred up by his training.

Although he had recently been focusing his energy on training the "Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear," his mornings were dedicated to his Body Refining Technique—a habit he followed religiously.

After changing into clean clothes, Xu Wuyi walked into the living room. Just as he activated the smart kitchen to prepare breakfast, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside the villa.

He instinctively looked out the window and saw a figure in a Star Martial University freshman uniform emerging from Villa 8.

The person looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, with an upright posture and a neat, short haircut.

Xu Wuyi didn’t pay it much mind. Although freshman registration for Star Martial University hadn’t officially begun, he figured he couldn’t be the only student who had moved in early.

But before the smart kitchen could finish cooking the nutrient porridge, the doorbell rang. It was the same person from before.

Xu Wuyi walked to the gate and looked outside through the access control system’s screen. "Can I help you?"

The young man outside heard his voice and immediately turned around. A perfect smile appeared on his face, and his tone was full of an easygoing warmth. "Hello, my name is Xu Zhi. I’m a new student from Central Province, living in Villa 8."

"I saw the lights on in your villa and figured you must have arrived early too. Just wanted to come over and say hi."

In the Federation, regions like Central Province and Dongjiang Province were administrative divisions of the same level.

And Central Province was the very land they stood on, with Yuntai City being its capital.

Xu Wuyi raised his hand to open the gate. Xu Zhi walked in, his eyes unconsciously sweeping across the villa’s courtyard.

"Xu Wuyi, from Dongjiang Province," Xu Wuyi stated his name simply.

When Xu Zhi heard the name "Xu Wuyi," a flicker of surprise, almost imperceptible, crossed his eyes before he returned to normal. "So you’re Mr. Xu! We’re neighbors, we should get to know each other when we have the chance!"

Xu Wuyi didn’t notice his reaction and simply agreed.

Hidden Dragon Garden wasn’t open to all students. Being able to live in Villa 8 meant that he was definitely also an S-class scholarship recipient—a genius-level contender.

Xu Wuyi couldn’t ask for anything more than the chance to compete with geniuses from all over.

Xu Zhi didn’t linger. After saying hello, he took his leave and returned to his own Villa 8.

...

「Inside Villa 8.」

Xu Zhi returned to his room, the smile fading from his face to be replaced by a thoughtful expression.

He activated his personal terminal, connected to the Star Martial Battle Network, and selected a specific contact.

Light flickered, and he appeared in a private virtual meeting room.

A young man was already waiting there, dressed in the uniform of a Star Martial University upperclassman. He had an imposing figure and a sharp gaze.

"Cousin," Xu Zhi greeted him.

This was Tang Jingfeng, two years his senior and soon to be a third-year student at Star Martial University. His Life Energy Level was already approaching 30, making him a Quasi-Martial Artist.

"Zhi, all settled in?" Tang Jingfeng nodded slightly. "Coming here so early, you wanted to get familiar with the environment ahead of time?"

"Yeah, I wanted to adapt a bit earlier," Xu Zhi said casually as he sat down across from Tang Jingfeng. "I just ran into my neighbor from Villa 7. His name is Xu Wuyi."

"Xu Wuyi?" Tang Jingfeng’s eyebrow twitched. "The dark horse champion from Dongjiang Province?"

Because of the incident with the Lin Family, the news had first broken in the Capital, and Xu Wuyi’s reputation as a dark horse had already spread beyond his home province.

"Yep, that’s him." Xu Zhi’s tone was tinged with emotion. "I didn’t expect him to be here this early. I saw him coming out of his training room just now, his Qi and Blood hadn’t even fully settled. He’d clearly just finished his morning workout. That guy... he’s really intense."

Tang Jingfeng said coolly, "Talent is important to get into Hidden Dragon Garden, but hard work is even more indispensable. The one thing Star Martial University doesn’t lack is geniuses. In the end, the ones who go the furthest are often those who are more persistent and know how to work hard."

"For him to come this far in advance and not waste a single moment... that kind of mindset is nothing to scoff at."

Tang Jingfeng glanced at him and pointed to the virtual screen beside them. "Go try out the Freshman Challenge first, test the waters."

"They run this event every year around freshman registration. You fight simulated Star Beasts in the Star Beast Hunting Ground at a fixed Energy Level, and you’re ranked by the number of floors you clear. It’s a way to practice combat and see where you really stand among the new students."

"The Freshman Challenge?" Xu Zhi’s eyes lit up. "I’ve heard of it! Is that the one where you can earn points?"

"That’s right." Tang Jingfeng nodded. "10 points for the first floor, 20 for the second, and more the further you go. If you rank high enough, you can even get a Blood Circulation Potion. Haven’t you always wanted one of those?"

Xu Zhi was suddenly energized. He had long heard that the Blood Circulation Potion could invigorate one’s Qi and Blood, making it much more effective than regular Nutrient Liquid. The problem was, you couldn’t buy it anywhere.

He slapped his thigh. "Alright! I’m going right now!"

Watching his impulsive dash, Tang Jingfeng smiled helplessly. "Don’t be in such a rush. The Star Beasts in the Star Beast Hunting Ground are different from what you usually practice against. Fighting them is a completely different concept from facing a Martial Artist."

Xu Zhi had already clicked on the entrance to the Freshman Challenge, and the leaderboard interface instantly popped up on the screen.

The name at the very top was "Xu Wuyi," followed by "Floors Cleared: 4."

"Xu Wuyi already did the challenge?" Xu Zhi paused, stunned. "Cousin, Xu Wuyi has already reached the fourth floor... Is that considered high?"

Tang Jingfeng was also taken aback for a moment. He cleared his throat and said, "The fourth floor? Hmm... that’s pretty good, I suppose."

But Xu Zhi just grinned. "Well, I’ll definitely surpass him. Cousin, wait for my good news!"

In terms of martial arts exam scores, Central Province ranked in the top three of the Entire Federation, and Xu Zhi had placed fifth in this year’s Central Province exam.

His pride from being from Central Province made him unwilling to believe that a peer from Dongjiang Province could truly be better than him.

Tang Jingfeng just grunted in acknowledgment. "Go on, then. Tell me your results when you’re done."

Xu Zhi’s figure vanished from the meeting room and entered the Star Beast Hunting Ground.

Tang Jingfeng sat alone in the virtual space, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. ’The fourth floor, huh...’

’Xu Zhi’s talent is good, but he’s a bit too overconfident sometimes... Letting him suffer a setback might not be a bad thing.’