High Martial: I Grind Professions

Combining his Divine Sense with his sight was like installing a molecular-level scanner in his mind.

The bottleneck, once shrouded in fog and requiring endless practice to even perceive, now appeared before his eyes like a massive, intricate jigsaw puzzle, illuminated and perfectly clear.

The membrane blocking his path was no longer a single, insurmountable barrier. Instead, it was deconstructed into the thousands of minuscule gaps between individual puzzle pieces.

He saw the problem, and more importantly, he saw the key to solving every single part of it.

A long-awaited sense of enlightenment and a searing excitement rushed to his head.

’The path is clear!’

A roar exploded in his heart. ’This is it!’ 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Li Wen’s eyes were as placid as a deep, ancient well. All clamor, stray thoughts, and anxiety were utterly cast aside.

He gripped his long saber, his mind racing. In a flash, he reassembled and integrated all the subtleties he had just perceived—shoulder, wrist, power, footwork, intent...

The surge in his control and processing power from awakening his Divine Sense brought his mastery over his body and vital energy to an unprecedented peak.

The saber slashed through the air once more!

This time, from the same starting point, he took a completely different path.

The trajectory of his right arm seemed guided by an invisible, high-precision rail, every minute hesitation and tremor erased.

At the most critical moment, his wrist made an optimal micro-adjustment, a difference of a hair’s breadth. It never paused, ensuring not an ounce of power was wasted in its transmission.

His mind was highly focused, his will channeled to the tip of the blade. The vital energy within the saber was perfectly condensed, with no dissipation.

The angle of his stance was perfect. Power erupted from the ground, traveled through his hips and back, reached his arm and wrist, and was finally injected precisely into the blade’s edge.

SWISH—!

Fast! Precise! Steady! Focused!

A piercing shriek tore through the air, far sharper than before. The gleam of the blade moved faster than the eye could see, leaving a silver thread in its wake.

Yet, beneath this terrifying speed, an indescribable sense of perfect, restrained harmony radiated outward like a ripple.

It was no longer a feeling of pure, oppressive sharpness, but one of vast, profound, and unstoppable perfection.

The intangible membrane—that "99/100th" step—had blocked Li Wen for days. He had thought it would be another indestructible barrier at the pinnacle of mastery.

It shattered completely!

The system panel updated in response:

[Technique: Saber Skill · Pinnacle (Perfection)]!

Breakthrough! Pinnacle Perfection!

Under the blanket of his Divine Sense, his speed also saw a qualitative leap.

With a push of his legs, he became a blur, darting across the room. His speed had shockingly doubled from what it was before his saber skill reached perfection.

Moreover, as his saber skill broke through to perfection and entered a whole new level beyond mastery, the "principle" and "intent" of the Martial Dao became crystal clear in his mind.

The key to forging a secret technique, the first step across the threshold of "Aura."

Countless profound insights and perceptions flooded his mind like an open sluice gate. It was a higher-dimensional perspective, a new way of thinking.

The clear understanding of "principle" from his saber skill breakthrough, combined with the profound and meticulous control granted by his "Divine Sense"...

The two combined, igniting a brilliant, exceptionally clear light deep within Li Wen’s consciousness—

’Within days, I’ll forge the secret technique! The Unity Realm is just a stone’s throw away!’

In that instant, all the heavy shackles binding him seemed to crumble away. The impurities in his body were purged, and the weight on his chest lifted completely.

He looked up. The sunlight outside the window was perfect, a gentle breeze rustled the green leaves. Even the tiny dust motes in the air, seen through his Divine Sense, danced with a strange, orderly vitality.

The world was no longer a cage of pressure, but an infinite scroll unfurled at his feet, waiting for him to paint his own bold strokes upon it.

For the first time, the very pulse of the world was laid bare before his eyes.

...

「Before he knew it, evening had arrived.」

At the County Central Hospital, the scent of disinfectant mingled with the evening’s last rays of sun.

In a private room, Li Hong was propped up in bed. His face was still a little pale, but the life in his eyes was clearly much stronger than it had been a few days ago.

The surgery had been a success. Expensive drugs and treatments had stabilized his condition for the time being.

Li Wen sat by the bed, peeling an apple with clean, deft movements.

Neither father nor son was particularly talkative. A quiet understanding flowed between them in the silence.

"Dad, how are you feeling?" Li Wen asked, handing over the apple he’d cut into small pieces.

Li Hong took a piece and bit into it. His voice was still weak, but it had more strength than before.

"Much better," he said. "That coiled-up tension in my body has loosened up quite a bit."

He looked at his son, his expression a complex mix of relief, heartache, and an unspoken, heavy weight.

"The hospital bills... I know it’s not a small amount. Putting so much pressure on you..."

Li Wen’s hand paused for a moment before he calmly set down the fruit plate.

"Dad, don’t worry about the money. I’m number one in the Rising Star class now. Teacher Fang said that if I do well on the provincial mock exam, I’ll attract the attention and resources of major factions. You just focus on your recovery and wait for my good news."

He didn’t ask where the money came from, choosing instead to trust Fang Chengwu’s guidance.

Li Hong looked at his son’s resolute eyes. That deep-seated tenacity and composure made it impossible for him not to believe.

He nodded slowly, a thousand words condensed into a single phrase. "I believe in you. When you practice your saber... stay focused."

"I will," Li Wen replied, standing up to leave. "Get some rest."

Watching his son leave the room with steady, powerful strides, a glimmer of hope slowly kindled in Li Hong’s weary eyes.

Back in his private Martial Arts Room in the brightly lit Hongyi Building, the heavy, soundproof door swung shut behind him.

After his mental transformation and the awakening of his "Divine Sense," Li Wen’s state of mind was as still as a frozen pond, unbelievably serene.

The confidence from his breakthrough was no longer a restless flame, but a vein of pure gold hidden in the deep.

He knew the path to the Unity Realm was now clear. All that remained was to follow it, and success would come as a matter of course.

He didn’t immediately try to push the limits of his saber skill. Instead, as he always did, he began his two-hour practice of the Rainbow Light Saber Skill.

Long saber in hand, its edge gave a low hum.

His Divine Sense spread out, augmenting his physical senses, illuminating the angle, force, and path of vital energy for every swing with perfect clarity.

The subtle rhythms that once took endless practice to grasp were now as clear as the lines on his own palm.

He smoothly practiced the sixty-four forms of the Rainbow Blade Skill, no longer fixated on explosive speed, but on achieving the ultimate harmony and fluidity of movement.

The gleam of his blade was no longer a series of disconnected starlike flashes, but was gradually linking into an undulating, ever-shifting sea of light.

The feeling of "unity" grew stronger and stronger, as if countless scattered streams were being drawn by an invisible gravity, all surging toward the same great river.

When his practice ended, the blade trembled slightly. Li Wen stood motionless, feeling the inexhaustible power surging within him.