High Martial: I Grind Professions

"Look! It’s Ron Zaka from the United States of America, number one on the Blue Star Youth Platinum List! The first genius of this cohort to break through to the Domain Stage."

"He’s finally here."

Following a wave of hushed, excited whispers, a group of young men and women with sharp auras, uniform attire, and distinct Western features strode into the hall under everyone’s watchful eyes.

The one in the lead was nearly two meters tall. His build wasn’t particularly burly, yet he exuded a toughness, as if he were cast from steel.

He had short golden hair, each strand standing stiff like a needle. His facial features were deep-set, with a particularly high-bridged nose that formed a distinct aquiline shape.

Most striking of all were his sapphire-blue eyes, as sharp and piercing as a frigid, deep abyss.

A mere indifferent glance around the room was filled with a towering arrogance, as if he were looking down on all of creation. His powerful aura spread out like a tangible electric current, causing nearby conversations to involuntarily drop to a hush.

The corner of his mouth curled into a faint, cold arc, as if he were utterly disdainful of this so-called gathering of stars before him.

This was none other than Ron Zaka, the undisputed leader of the younger generation from the United States of America, hailed as the future Thunder God.

Before the imposing presence of Ron Zaka and his group could completely dominate the hall, another wave of gasps erupted at the entrance.

"It’s Du Yun!"

"Number four on the Blue Star Youth Platinum List, the pride of our Hua Country."

"It’s rumored that he’s actually the strongest genius of this cohort. Ron Zaka just had his breakthrough earlier."

"He really does look incredibly strong!"

If Ron Zaka’s entrance brought a sense of pressure and distance, then the appearance of this next person ignited the fiery passion of the ethnic Hua students in the hall.

A young man with a posture as straight and tall as a pine tree walked in.

He was handsome, his gentle gaze holding a heart-stopping depth. His steps were steady and his aura was restrained, yet he was like a hidden vortex beneath a calm sea.

This was the standard-bearer of Hua Country’s younger generation, the supreme genius from the Du family of the ancient capital, Chang’an—Du Yun.

Number four on the Blue Star Youth Platinum List.

The rankings on the Blue Star Youth List didn’t represent actual strength, but were ordered by the time of one’s breakthrough to the Platinum level.

Therefore, Ron Zaka being ranked first didn’t mean he was the strongest.

Lately, there had been persistent rumors that Du Yun was, in fact, the strongest of this cohort.

Following closely behind Du Yun were several other prodigies from the Asian region, also on the list. The arrival of each one stirred the atmosphere in the hall.

For a moment, the entire hall of the Star-Viewing Pavilion Hotel felt like the unveiling ceremony for the Blue Star Youth Platinum List.

The dazzling stars from the top of the ranks arrived one after another. Cries of surprise and discussion in various languages filled the air, which seemed to grow hotter.

However, for Li Wen and the others, all this clamor was merely background noise.

After the reception staff quickly completed their check-in, they didn’t linger. Amidst the star-studded, bustling opening, they quietly followed a hotel employee toward the exclusive floor assigned to the prodigies of Jiangnan Province.

Tomorrow was when the real stage would be set.

Then, everything would be revealed.

...

「June 1st. Early morning.」

The faint morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the Star-Viewing Pavilion Hotel room, casting its glow on Li Wen, who was sitting cross-legged.

Unlike his usual routine, he didn’t immediately immerse himself in accumulating knowledge from ancient texts after washing up.

Instead, he sat quietly on the edge of the soft, spacious bed, his gaze distant, fixed on the silhouette of the majestic ancestral mountain range outside, which was shrouded in the hazy morning mist.

’It has been exactly five months since I awakened my past life’s memories.’

’Five months, gone in the blink of an eye.’

’In a daze, the image of that boy from Class 21 of Bluestone County Third Middle School—the one who had to grit his teeth and struggle, whose prospects of even getting into the worst martial arts university were bleak—has already faded and blurred.’

’In his place stands the figure before me now: one who has slain demons, forged his domain, reached the pinnacle of Jiangnan Province, and is about to set foot in the supreme holy land of the human Martial Dao.’

’This meteoric rise in strength feels like a dream, yet it is so real, etched into every tempering of my flesh and blood, every insight into my saber’s momentum, every expansion of my sea of consciousness.’

’Now, his admission into Fire University is a certainty. No matter where he goes, the name "Li Wen" is enough to leave a clear and profound mark in the eyes of others.’

At this moment, a myriad of thoughts flowed through his mind.

From the loneliness of studying alone in Hongyi Building to the shockwaves caused by slaying the Iron-Armored Earth Dragon; from the bloody battles on the provincial second mock exam’s melee stage to the limit-breaking breakthroughs in the virtual arena; from that ordinary boy in Bluestone County to the figure he was today, capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s top prodigies.

’The road has been long, but looking back, every step taken in these five months has been firm and powerful, leading him to this very place.’

...

「7:00 AM sharp.」

BZZZT...

A gentle yet unignorable vibration emanated simultaneously from the smart devices on the wrists of all the young geniuses present.

’The notification is here.’

The last trace of distant haze in Li Wen’s eyes vanished, replaced by a calm sharpness.

He had already packed everything. A sharp, black martial arts uniform accentuated his tall, pine-straight posture.

Without a moment’s delay, he pulled open the door to his room and strode out.

In the hallway, the other figures from Jiangnan Province were already visible—Chu Feng, Nangong Xue, Wang Shuo, and the rest had also emerged.

Their eyes met, exchanging familiar scrutinizing glances, complex competitive desires, and a shared gravity about the unknowns of the day ahead.

Without much conversation, the group converged with a tacit understanding and walked toward the stairwell, their steps firm and steady.

「The lobby downstairs.」

When they entered, the massive space was already teeming with people.

Over three thousand top geniuses from major provinces and factions across the globe had gathered, creating a rising mixture of vigorous, youthful energy and sharp, cutting-edge auras.

The hall instantly became an ocean of geniuses and a focal point of intersecting gazes.

Muffled but undeniably excited gasps occasionally erupted from the crowd; it was the irrepressible emotion of the young men and women recognizing the supreme prodigies from the top of the Blue Star Youth Platinum List.

"Look, it’s Ron Zaka! Number one on the Platinum List!"

"Du Yun! Number four on the Platinum List, his reputation in the Hua Country region is immense!"

"Is that Rukawa Arashi from Japan? His presence is incredible, just as they say!"

"The one from Northern Europe is here too..."

...

Discussions in various accents intertwined, filling the air with an invisible, competitive atmosphere.

Li Wen blended into the small group from Jiangnan Province, his gaze calmly sweeping over the figures, matching the famous faces with the information he had reviewed beforehand.

’These are the rivals I might clash with in the future, and perhaps fight alongside as well.’

They didn’t have to wait long.

A few minutes later, a low hum grew from a distant drone to a nearby thrum, accompanied by a slight pressure in the air.

Through the hotel’s massive floor-to-ceiling glass walls, they could see a uniquely shaped, silver-gray, super-sized aircraft. It was as enormous as a mobile fortress, and it landed silently like a giant bird on the vast, seemingly endless plaza in front of the hotel.

Its streamlined fuselage glinted with a cold, metallic luster.

Attendants promptly began to guide them, and the flow of people surged orderly toward the exit.

Li Wen and the others followed the crowd and boarded the aircraft.

The interior space was astonishingly vast, large enough to accommodate several thousand people without feeling crowded.

After everyone was seated and the aircraft’s doors closed, a strange scene unfolded.

The previously solid metal walls and window areas became completely transparent within seconds, as if they were ice melting away.

The outside scenery projected in without any obstruction, making everyone feel as if they were standing directly between the vast heavens and earth.

The aircraft floated up steadily and began to journey deeper into the Fire Ancestral Mountain Range.

It wasn’t moving particularly fast, clearly intending to let these young elites, who had come from all over the world, properly appreciate the magnificent scenery of this human Martial Arts Holy City.

As far as the eye could see, there were grand palace complexes in an ancient Eastern style, built into the mountainsides, layered and nestled amidst lush green forests and swirling Spiritual Qi.

Enormous flying eaves and bracket sets, intricately carved jade pillars with coiling dragons, and cloud-piercing towers glittered in the morning light.

Waterfalls and flowing springs cascaded from the mountaintops, their mist-wreathed surroundings resembling a celestial wonderland.

On the streets of the great Fire City below, pedestrians walked with vigorous strides, their auras composed and profound, all of them exuding the unmistakable presence of powerful Martial Artists.

In the distance, one could feel the grand fluctuations of the ancient Mountain Protection Array in operation, as vast as an abyss and as deep as the sea, guarding this holy land.

This was the cradle that nurtured humanity’s hope—the Fire Hall.

Even someone as composed as Li Wen could not hide the shock in his eyes.

The aircraft flew for many miles, crossing several magnificent mountain peaks before it finally, slowly began to descend toward the summit of one of them.

At the peak of the mountain was a huge plaza, as wide as a small plain, paved with an unknown type of green jade that flowed with a gentle luster.

At the far end of the plaza stood a majestic and spectacular palace.

The entire palace was a rustic silver-gray. Its design was grand and symmetrical, with eaves like the spines of blades, projecting a sharp momentum that seemed to pierce the heavens.

Above the palace’s main entrance hung a massive plaque. On it were branded three powerful, archaic words, written with strokes like iron hooks and silver brushes, seeming to contain the rhythm of some Great Dao:

"Heart Mirror Hall"

The aircraft landed smoothly on the edge of the plaza.

The cabin door slid open, and a gust of fresh mountain wind, carrying Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost tangible, washed over them, invigorating their spirits.

Everyone descended the ramp, and they were immediately met by several dozen attendants in uniform, plain-colored robes. Their auras were restrained yet sharp, and they respectfully and silently guided the more than three thousand geniuses.

They walked along the wide jade path paved down the center of the plaza, heading toward the Heart Mirror Hall, which exuded an air of mystery and ancient vicissitude.

The closer they got, the more they could feel the palace’s magnificence and the vast, profound pressure that had settled within it over ages.

The towering palace doors were a full ten zhang high, like a gateway to another world.

Upon entering the main hall, they found the interior space was far vaster than it appeared from the outside, as if expanded by some supreme power. The high dome arched overhead, resembling a starry sky.

The floor was made of warm Ink Jade, and one could faintly see wisps of spiritual light that had condensed and refused to dissipate, flowing within the patterns of the stone.

The attendants guided everyone to a massive open area in the center of the hall and had them form ranks.

Only then could everyone see clearly that at the front of the hall, raised about a zhang off the ground, was a solemn and dignified main platform.

And when Li Wen and the others laid their eyes on the main platform, a chill ran through their hearts.