High Martial: I Grind Professions

A cool liquid with a strange, sweet fragrance slid down his throat.

The flavor was indeed far richer and more mellow than the level 1 mental potions he had drunk before, with a much better texture.

The moment it entered his stomach, a refreshing and gentle energy, as if alive, shot up his spine straight to the crown of his head.

HUMMM—

Within his sea of consciousness, it was like parched, cracked earth receiving a welcome rain.

The once-dim, jade-like miniature Primordial Spirit was enveloped and nourished by this immense, pure spiritual energy. It began to brighten and fill out at a visible rate, as if injected with vigorous life.

His Spiritual Power was recovering several times faster than his natural regeneration rate.

Li Wen sat cross-legged on the floor, silently closing his eyes to meditate and aid in the absorption of the potion’s power.

Just half an hour later, he snapped his eyes open. A bright light shone from their depths, all his previous fatigue swept away, leaving him feeling vigorous and full of spirit.

Looking inward at his sea of consciousness, he saw that his nearly depleted Spiritual Power and Primordial Spirit power had both recovered to over ninety percent of their peak.

The feeling of abundant power once again filled his entire body.

He had no thought of resting. The pressure of the rankings was like an invisible whip lashing at his back.

Li Wen shot to his feet and strode purposefully to the weapon rack, pulling out the Standard Rapier that had accompanied him through countless practice sessions.

With a flick of his wrist, the cold blade let out a clear hum.

Immediately after, he activated his level 8 [Absolute Focus]! An 80% boost to his comprehension once again enveloped his mind.

At the same time, the radiant, jade-like Primordial Spirit in his sea of consciousness emitted a soft glow, releasing its power to aid his deductions.

In the private Martial Arts Room, the gleam of his blade flashed once more.

This time, there was no pressure from a virtual opponent, but he faced a goal far more daunting than any foe.

The sound of the blade’s tip cutting through the air carried all of Li Wen’s focus and will. It was as if he were racing against time, launching a final, furious assault on the last 12 percent.

...

「On the afternoon of April 5th.」

Warm sunlight filtered through the special glass of the private Martial Arts Room, casting slanted patches of light on the floor.

With only half a month left until the second provincial mock exam, the very air seemed to crackle with a dense anxiety.

For the past five frantic days, Li Wen had been burning through the vast resources provided by his A-rank seed contract with the Fire Hall.

Every day, a bottle of Starlight Concentration Liquid, priced at a steep two hundred thousand points, went down his throat. The immense, pure spiritual energy nourished his nearly barren sea of consciousness and weary Primordial Spirit, supporting him as he pushed his limits time and again to explore the very pinnacle of speed.

Virtual combat, physical conditioning, Primordial Spirit deductions, swinging his blade... his time was compressed to the absolute extreme.

Fueled by countless resources and high-intensity focus, his progress on the Shadow-Stealing Form had finally, painstakingly, climbed to 99% yesterday.

’Just one percent left...’ Li Wen stood in the center of the empty training area and took a deep breath.

Outside the window, the molten gold of the setting sun reflected in the deep-pool calmness of his eyes.

After the shock of his father’s sudden critical illness, he was no longer the reckless hothead who only knew how to charge forward.

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

The burning flame of desire for a breakthrough still flickered in his heart, but it was now wrapped in a calm composure, no longer restless.

He drew the Standard Rapier, its cool touch instantly focusing his mind. His eyes narrowed, and his level 8 [Absolute Focus] activated in a flash!

An immense boost to his comprehension swept through his thoughts. The jade-like miniature Primordial Spirit at the center of his sea of consciousness simultaneously bloomed with a clear light. Its power flowed out like a gentle stream, keenly capturing every twitch of his muscles, every flow of Primordial Power, and every rhythm of the blade as it cut through the air.

His spirit and will became one, and the long blade in his hand instantly became an extension of his arm.

Afterimages were no longer a deliberate act but a natural byproduct of extreme speed.

The air was no longer just an obstacle, but a springboard to gain momentum. Every slash, chop, thrust, and flick was refined to the extreme, with millimeter-perfect adjustments.

Sweat soaked his training clothes, dripping from his chin. The strain on his brain rose rapidly, and the light from his miniature Primordial Spirit began to dim.

Only when a needle-like pain pricked his sea of consciousness and his wrist began to tremble from the extreme exertion did Li Wen abruptly sheathe his blade.

"Haaa..." He let out a long, turbid breath, his chest heaving violently.

The dual depletion of his Spiritual Power and Primordial Spirit brought both physical and mental exhaustion, as if he had been completely drained.

He walked to a nearby lounge chair and sat down, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment before reaching for the last bottle of Starlight Concentration Liquid on the small table beside him.

The familiar cool liquid slid into his stomach like a star falling into a dry well, immediately beginning to repair and nourish his nearly depleted sea of consciousness.

He didn’t rush to get up. He just sat there with his eyes closed, aided by the potion’s gentle yet potent effects, feeling his Spiritual Power gather drop by drop and his Primordial Spirit power slowly replenish.

In his mind, he replayed every sensation and detail he had captured during his practice.

About half an hour later, his sea of consciousness was full again. The miniature Primordial Spirit shone brilliantly, his state almost fully restored to its peak.

Li Wen opened his eyes, his gaze crystal clear and devoid of hesitation. He got up, walked to the familiar virtual pod, and lay down inside.

His consciousness sank, and light and shadow flowed before his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in an infinite arena that resembled a vast, starry sky.

Countless arenas of various shapes and sizes floated in the void, flickering with light and shadow, rumbling with energy.

Li Wen ignored the regular arenas. With a thought, he opened a special matchmaking option: [Planet Blue Youth Platinum Ranking Match].

This was a privileged matchmaking channel only available after activating the ranking list. His opponents would be drawn exclusively from the three-thousand-plus top young geniuses on Planet Blue who, like him, had reached the Platinum tier in high school and had either comprehended or were on the verge of comprehending ’Concept’.

For the past five days, he had fought only one match per day.

Without exception, his opponents were true geniuses who were on the verge of comprehending ’Concept’ or had even grasped its rudimentary form.

The battles were brutal. Losing more than he won was the norm.

Being suppressed by ’Concepts’ of different attributes to the point where he could barely move was a common occurrence.

However, it was this unimaginably stressful grindstone that hammered his 99% complete Shadow-Stealing Form into something more condensed and pure.

His name, "Li Wen," along with keywords like "Hua Country" and "Unity Realm fighter in Platinum," had quietly begun to circulate among the several thousand top young geniuses.

This drew attention that was either curious or contemptuous—he was the only anomaly who had not comprehended ’Concept’ yet had forced his way into their ranks through sheer combat talent.

He had a gut feeling that the only way to break through that final, seemingly thin but incredibly tough barrier was to clash with this group of top-tier prodigies under desperate pressure.

"Match found!"

The moment the notification sound faded, Li Wen’s figure appeared on a massive, ring-shaped arena constructed from dark metal.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of meters away, a figure rapidly solidified.

The person wore a tight-fitting black battle suit with gold patterns. He had a slender build and an arrogant expression.

What was even more eye-catching was the title floating above his head: [Planet Blue Youth Platinum Ranking - Rank 2478]!

The spectator stands surrounding the arena were already in an uproar, far more crowded than usual. A large number of spectators had virtual cherry blossom markers above their heads and were emotionally charged.

"Who’s the opponent? Li Wen? Rank 3587? Haha, Lord Rukawa has this in the bag!"

"Haha, of course! Lord Rukawa is the second-fastest sword among high schoolers in our great Japanese Empire! Just yesterday, he defeated a North American player ranked in the top two thousand!"

"Hua Country’s Li Wen? Oh! Is that the Unity Realm guy who lucked his way onto the list?"

"Rank 3587? Haha! Lord Gale is ranked more than a thousand places ahead of him! This is a curb-stomp match!"

"Finish him, Lord Gale! Show those Hua Country people the divine speed of the great Japanese Empire!"

"Brat, prepare to meet your death!"

The noisy Japanese language filled the spectator stands—unanimous support for their fighter and mockery for Li Wen.

Apparently, Rukawa Gale’s live stream had turned this place into a home-field advantage for the Japanese audience.

Rukawa Gale naturally saw Li Wen’s ranking as well.

"3587?" A corner of his mouth curled into an undisguised sneer. He spoke in stilted Chinese, his voice broadcasting through the live stream across the entire arena and reaching Li Wen’s ears clearly.

"Your luck ends here. Today, I’ll make you understand the price for cheating your way onto the list! Remember, I’m not like those small fry you got lucky against these past few days."

The countdown ended!

Rukawa Gale’s figure blurred in an instant! No, it wasn’t a blur—it was extreme speed!

His ’Concept’ field suddenly expanded. The air, as if stirred by an invisible hand, turned into a thick, viscous mire, trying to pin Li Wen in place.

His opponent’s body transformed into a streak of black and gold light, barely discernible to the naked eye. The sharp shriek of it tearing through the air overpowered all other noise as he closed the distance in an instant!

Absolute speed!

So fast that even the limits of Li Wen’s current Shadow-Stealing Form couldn’t hope to compare.

The oppressive feeling was like the sky falling. Li Wen’s pupils contracted, and he held nothing back.

’Activate [Absolute Focus]!’ The level 8 comprehension boost forcibly cut through the interference from his opponent’s intent!

’Activate Primordial Spirit Power!’ The jade-like miniature figure at the center of his sea of consciousness erupted with unprecedented brilliance!

Faced with a mountainous pressure from his opponent’s speed, he instantly entered a state of maximum alert.

Fast! Faster! Rukawa Gale’s figure was like a phantom. The light from his sword became a storm, layer upon layer, completely enveloping Li Wen.

Every strike of the sword was cunning and lethal; every flash was an act of absolute suppression.

Li Wen’s rapier could only barely hold on through his all-out deductions and last-ditch evasions—parrying, deflecting, and desperately dodging.

He was like a lone boat in a raging storm, in danger of being torn to pieces at any moment.

"Too slow! You’re like a snail!" Rukawa Gale’s sneer was particularly grating amidst the howl of his sword strikes. "Let’s see how long you can cower in your shell."

The Japanese spectators in the stands erupted in thunderous laughter and insults.

"Brat, get on your knees and beg for mercy."

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

"Hahaha, look at what a pathetic state he’s in."

The taunts were like needles, stabbing toward the arena.

However, at the center of the storm, Li Wen’s eyes were as calm as ten-thousand-year-old ice.

His powerful mental fortitude and the logical thinking characteristic of his [Scholar] class allowed him to completely block out all external interference.