Chapter 387 - 377: Huge Gap

Chapter 387: Chapter 377: Huge Gap

The people in the conference room fell silent, and the atmosphere grew oppressive.

They all knew this. There might be an even greater crisis awaiting humanity.

That was why the higher-ups were preparing for a rainy day, wanting to cultivate more experts.

It was a human instinct. When faced with the unknown, only immense strength could give them a sense of security.

Just then, Vice-Principal Xu Wenji said with a chuckle:

"You’re all worrying unnecessarily."

"The Relics are tens of thousands of years old. That’s far too long ago."

"Meanwhile, humanity’s Martial Arts is developing at a dizzying pace, changing day by day. Who knows what things will look like in a few hundred years?"

"For us, right now, the Calamity Beasts are the greatest crisis."

The group came back to their senses. They had just been scaring themselves.

The real task at hand was to figure out how to cultivate geniuses and resist the Calamity Beasts.

...

「It was now August, the hottest month of the year.」

Lin Qi and Jiangtao rode the tram back to their villa. It was just the two of them this time.

Basking in the sun, Jiangtao watched the sightseeing carts shuttle back and forth along the campus roads and remarked,

"Guan Mountain, Aheng, and Qiufeng have all gone to the Otherworld to cultivate an Intermediate Source Energy Technique."

"Now it’s just us left."

Lin Qi nodded. At the end of last semester, Guan Mountain, Guo Heng, Wang Qiufeng, and Zhou Xiyin were already close to the Fourth Realm.

Now, more than a month into summer vacation, they had all broken through to the Fourth Realm Bone Cultivation.

As soon as school started, they left for the Otherworld together to cultivate an Intermediate Source Energy Technique.

Just then, Jiangtao suddenly added,

"Brother Qi, how about we go train in the Otherworld in a little while, too?"

"Sophomores aren’t forbidden from going to the Otherworld. A lot of upperclassmen go there to cultivate during their second year."

Lin Qi was intrigued. Although the Source Energy Concentration in his villa’s Martial Arts Room wasn’t low, it was still a far cry from the environment of the Otherworld.

’Now that I can get a better cultivation environment just by spending more money, why not?’

「A few minutes later」

Lin Qi returned to his Martial Arts Room. Just as he walked in the door, his phone started buzzing.

He pulled it out and saw it was a message from Wan Ming in the Tenth Institute’s group chat.

Wan Ming: New Disaster Beast Trial Tower rankings, screenshot.jpg!

Lin Qi opened the screenshot. It was the Tenth Institute’s Disaster Beast Trial Tower rankings.

His first-place spot had been taken.

First Place: Chu Yu, Floor: 9

Second Place: Lin Qi, Floor: 7

Third Place: Yu Zhuoran, Floor: 7

...

Lin Qi was shocked. ’Chu Yu is so strong!’

Each floor of the Disaster Beast Trial Tower was harder than the last.

He was currently only on the seventh floor himself. ’I estimate I’ll have to at least comprehend a Mental Realm and get my Spear Technique to the Fourth Realm to have a chance of clearing the seventh floor.’

But Chu Yu was even more outrageous; he had already reached the 9th Floor.

’His Martial Arts skill must have at least broken through to the early stage of Tier Four.’

’Peak of the Fifth Realm in Martial Arts, and early-stage Tier Four in Martial Arts skill.’

’This is the kind of power an SSS-level genius like Chu Yu can display.’

’He’s so much stronger than me.’

He glanced back at the group chat. It had exploded with activity; everyone was shocked.

Chu Yu: First time in the Trial Tower. It’s pretty tough. The 9th Floor feels particularly difficult. I think it’ll be a while before I can break through to the 10th.

Yu Zhuoran: Amazing!

Pei Jiu: Impressive!

Xia Lian: Whoa!

Lin Qi: ...

...

Everyone was stunned. They felt an insurmountable gulf between themselves and Chu Yu. Lin Qi was strong, yes, but not on that level.

Chu Yu was in a league of his own.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious Tenth Institute villa, Chu Yu—a handsome young man with a fiery aura—smiled as he looked at his phone.

’It really is more fun with everyone else around.’

’In the Otherworld, I was just cultivating all by my lonely self. I was surrounded by High Realm Martial Artists, and the pressure was immense.’

’I can’t flex on High Realm Martial Artists; they’ve seen every kind of genius there is.’

’But it’s different with my peers. One casual display of power and they all worship me. Listening to their praise... now *that’s* the kind of treatment an SSS-level genius deserves.’

He was only an 18-year-old, after all. His mental cultivation wasn’t that advanced yet.

’As for those SS-level geniuses, they’re not even in the same league. The gap between us is a chasm.’

’I can feel it. I’m about to break through to the Sixth Realm.’

’Becoming a Seventh Realm Martial Artist by the time I graduate from my fourth year won’t be a problem at all.’

...

In the Martial Arts Room, Lin Qi put down his phone, packed his things, grabbed his Tiger Slaying Spear, and headed for the Gravity Room.

Over ten minutes later, the door to Gravity Room 312 opened.

A tall Lin Qi, dressed in a special black and gold robe, walked in.

He took off the robe, changed into a black Martial Arts Uniform, opened his backpack, took out a container, and removed the last brown pill—a Tiger Bone Pill!

Lin Qi glanced at his status panel.

Qi and Blood Value: 399.9

...

School had been in session for half a month. By taking two Tiger Bone Pills and cultivating the Vajra Fist, he had finally raised his Qi and Blood Value to 399.9.

He was only a step away from the Fifth Realm.

He planned to officially break through to the Fifth Realm today and close the gap with Chu Yu.

Chu Yu’s power had spurred Lin Qi on.

He tossed the Tiger Bone Pill into his mouth and began to chew hard.

A bitter taste filled his mouth, and he swallowed it down with mineral water.

"Little Chan, activate 10x maximum gravity!"

"Okay, Master!"

Black-haired Xiaochan’s eyes lit up as she connected to the Gravity Room’s control system and activated the Gravity System!

"BEEP!"

The large screen on the wall lit up. Numbers flickered across it, quickly settling on "10."

"VMMMMMM!!"

Invisible gravity surged into the Gravity Room like a tidal wave, instantly wrapping around every inch of Lin Qi’s body.

"BOOM!!"

It felt as if countless heavy lead weights were pressing down on him. Every part of his body began to fight back against the pull, and his systems flared to life.

Golden light bloomed in Lin Qi’s eyes, which now blazed like a pair of golden suns.

He radiated a golden sharpness, and as his blood began to race, golden patterns surfaced on his skin like bulging veins.

His Special Ability, Golden Edge, activated, instinctively beginning to counteract the 10x maximum gravity.

Lin Qi’s body still protested as a ceaseless stream of Golden Edge Power was released to offset the gravity.

He immediately settled into a fist stance and began to perform the Lower Volume of the Vajra Fist.

"THUMP-THUMP!!"

In the quiet Gravity Room, he could clearly hear his own heart beating powerfully.

It pumped blood through his body like the ceaseless, surging waters of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, delivering it to every fiber of his being.

His mind was highly focused. Strands of Spiritual Power spread deep into his flesh like an invisible net.

Guiding the Golden Edge Power, Lin Qi sank into a low squat, his center of gravity dropping. His legs felt like ancient trees rooted to the alloy floor beneath him.

He began to execute the Fist Technique. Under ten times gravity, his movements were slow, but every cell in his body was firing furiously.

First Form: Breaking Sky!

He threw a punch. It shot out like a sharp blade, tearing through the air and stirring up fierce gusts of wind, as if he were cleaving the very ocean.

Meanwhile, his internal organs kicked into high gear to counteract the immense gravitational force.

The Tiger Bone Pill began to work its magic.

Its essence seeped past his organs and into his very bones. Through skin and muscle, his skeleton could be seen glowing like an artifact of golden jade.

His bones radiated a gentle luster as golden patterns spread across their surface, infusing the white with a touch of gold.

The sharpness of his entire skeleton had been thoroughly honed.

As sharp as a Divine Weapon.

...