Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Another Year of the Competition

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a murky breath.

A faint, golden-red sheen shimmered in his breath before instantly dissipating into the air.

His Life Energy Level hadn’t changed, but he could feel a tangible improvement in both the quantity and quality of his Qi and Blood.

More importantly, the operational efficiency of his *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* had increased by about three percent.

This three percent was not to be underestimated.

Over time, it would lead to a significant difference in his cultivation speed.

’As expected, True Intent Fusion not only boosts my combat power, but also provides a deeper understanding of cultivation’s essence and aids in its practice.’

A flash of insight glinted in Xu Wuyi’s eyes.

Before, his cultivation had been a matter of methodically following the prescribed path of his Cultivation Technique.

But now, empowered by his nascent True Intent Fusion, he could begin to "see" and "fine-tune" his own Qi and Blood system, tailoring it to his unique traits for greater efficacy.

This was a qualitative leap.

...

The last page of the calendar had turned. Though the New Year’s festivities hadn’t fully faded, Star Martial University was once again consumed by the feverish atmosphere of the inter-courtyard tournament.

This was Xu Wuyi’s second January at Star Martial University.

Compared to last year, this year’s sophomore tournament held almost no suspense for onlookers—the gap in power had become far too obvious. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Xu Wuyi broke through to become a Martial Artist a full six months ahead of schedule. His Life Energy Level must be 33 by now, right?"

"I heard from a friend in the West Courtyard that Qin Rui and Zhao Qingwei broke through too, but they only just crossed the Level 30 threshold."

"A two or three-level gap... how are they even supposed to fight?"

"At the Martial Artist realm, the difference in Energy Level is secondary. The gaps in other areas are even wider..."

"That’s right. Genius Martial Artists like them can probably fight ordinary Martial Artists who are two or three levels higher, right after they get promoted."

Similar discussions circulated throughout the campus.

Freshmen and sophomores alike all took one fact as a given: first place in this year’s sophomore elite tournament was all but guaranteed for Xu Wuyi.

The real question, then, was whether the other courtyards could manage a respectable showing under such circumstances.

After all, the elite tournament was a three-person gauntlet-style match. Having one powerhouse was important, but if the other two members were too weak, that powerhouse could still be worn down and defeated.

As for the upperclassmen, they weren’t paying much attention.

The rules at all of the "Three Greats" were similar. Most competitions and rewards were focused on the first and second years. Afterward, students no longer participated in youth tournaments or the inter-courtyard competitions.

Instead, students would take on academy missions or engage in off-campus activities to earn the resources they needed for cultivation.

The ones who still lingered on campus were mostly the middle-to-lower-tier students.

Xu Wuyi himself, however, paid little attention to the gossip.

After the tournament schedule was announced, he simply gave it a calm glance before returning to his daily cultivation.

On the first weekend of January, the inter-courtyard tournament officially began.

Just like last year, the competition was divided into two parts: a team-based ranking match and an elite tournament.

The team-based ranking match’s scoring period had ended on December 31st of the previous year. Rankings were determined by the average Rank Points of each courtyard’s sophomores in the Star Martial Battle Network’s placement system.

The results had already been posted on New Year’s Day.

The West Courtyard still topped the rankings, but its lead had shrunk compared to the previous year—the East Courtyard’s average score had closed the gap considerably.

The East Courtyard placed second, the gap between it and the West Courtyard shrinking from last year’s *insurmountable chasm* to a *noticeable but bridgeable* distance.

The North Courtyard was third, and the South Courtyard was still in last place.

The outcome was in line with most people’s expectations and didn’t cause much of a stir.

The real focus quickly shifted to the elite tournament.

As was customary, the first-year tournament would go first.

「January 8th, Saturday morning.」

In the Battle Network’s main arena #1, the virtual spectator stands were packed to capacity.

Xu Wuyi appeared in the East Courtyard’s spectator section. He found a seat near the back and sat down, his calm gaze fixed on the enormous alloy arena below.

"Yo, Master Xu is here to watch the fights, too?"

A familiar voice sounded from beside him.

Xu Wuyi turned to see Shen Wei walking over with a wide grin and plopping down beside him. Zhou Mingxuan followed, giving Xu Wuyi a nod.

"Just checking out this year’s freshmen," Xu Wuyi said.

"Definitely worth a look," Shen Wei said, rubbing his hands together. "I heard the East Courtyard recruited a monster this year, that young lady from the Qiao Family... Man. I heard she’d already mastered the first seven forms of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* before she even took her entrance exams?"

"The fifth form," Xu Wuyi corrected. "But she should be at the seventh by now."

"That’s still terrifying," Shen Wei said, shaking his head. "Back in our day, not many people could even learn a B-Level Body Refining Technique... Scratch that. Besides you, you monster, there was nobody else at all."

Just as he spoke, a sudden commotion rippled through the spectator stands.

Xu Wuyi glanced up. On the massive screen above the arena, the list of competitors for the first-year elite tournament was now displayed.

Among the three names from the East Courtyard, "Qiao Zhiyao" was listed first.

The rosters for the West, North, and South Courtyards followed, but none of their members could compare to Qiao Zhiyao, neither in reputation nor in the listed Life Energy Level.

"Level 22.8..." Zhou Mingxuan murmured, staring at the screen. "That’s just ridiculous. How is anyone else supposed to compete?"

Qiao Zhiyao’s Life Energy Level gave her a staggering lead; the gap between her and the second-strongest student in the entire year was a full 2.5 levels.

Apparently, the year after Xu Wuyi’s didn’t have any other particularly outstanding Geniuses, nor did it have many scions of great families like Zhao Qingwei or Qin Rui.

In fact, if not for Grandmaster Lin Jianyi, those two wouldn’t have even come to Star Martial University in the first place.

The match began soon after.

First round: East Courtyard versus South Courtyard.

As the East Courtyard’s number one fighter, Qiao Zhiyao was the first to take the stage.

She wore a pale yellow training uniform, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail. A relaxed smile played on her lips, as if she were here for a game, not a major tournament.

Her opponent was a freshman from the South Courtyard, a Life Energy Level 20.2 who wielded a long saber. His expression was visibly tense as he stepped onto the stage.

"BEGIN!"

The referee’s electronic voice had barely faded when Qiao Zhiyao moved.

Her movements weren’t fast—one might even call them unhurried—but every step she took possessed a unique rhythm.

Her opponent roared, his long saber slashing through the air with a WHOOSH.

Qiao Zhiyao neither dodged nor evaded. Forming a sword finger with her right hand, she tapped forward lightly.

The instant her fingertip touched the edge of the blade, a scorching Qi Force erupted!

The single tap actually knocked the long saber off course. Her opponent felt a searing power surge up his arm and into his body, causing his Qi and Blood to roil violently.

Qiao Zhiyao pressed her advantage, her left hand floating forward to gently pat her opponent’s chest.

"THUD!"

With a muffled thud, the South Courtyard freshman was sent flying backward. He carved an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the edge of the stage. He struggled twice, but couldn’t get back to his feet.

"East Courtyard, Qiao Zhiyao, wins!"

The entire exchange took less than ten seconds.