[Ancient Martial Spear (Mastery)]

[Mastery Points: 3/10]

[Second Technique: Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]

[Features: Cyan Dragon’s Fury Rouses the Storm, Gathering Spear Force and Opening the Heavens]

This newly comprehended Spear Skill possessed a close-range explosive power far exceeding that of the Soaring Dragon Thrust. After using it just once, his legs and arms couldn’t help but tremble, his fingers spasming uncontrollably.

Courting death to find life often brings one closer to the path of Martial Arts than simply practicing spear forms day after day.

The last time he comprehended a Spear Skill was in the Qingmu Town Secret Realm, a true life-or-death struggle. The Bow Skill he had just grasped then bore witness to the deaths of over a hundred people.

And now, this second spear technique had pushed him into a desperate battle for survival, a corner from which there was no retreat. It was simply...

Exhilarating!

"I originally thought my life’s goal was just to get into a Martial Arts University, become a Martial Artist, and then enjoy a life of wealth and glory. But battle after battle, competition after competition, has been like a stream flowing into a dry marsh." Jiang Qiu raised his head, looking in the direction King Niu had fled. A cold, blade-like glint shone in his bloodshot eyes, and his mutter was like the low whisper of a hidden dragon. "Only now do I realize how empty my goal was."

’Back in middle school, thousands of us in Outer City District Eight fought for nine hundred high school spots, and I clawed my way through. After starting high school, I kept training desperately in martial arts, fighting for that slim chance in the college entrance exams.’

’Everything changed the night Teacher Wu Shan sent me that video of the Ancient Martial Spear Technique. Suddenly, qualifying as a Spear Leader wasn’t so difficult. I could even lead the pack in Training Ground Eight, which was filled with top students. I had the best performance in the practical training hunt, and during the Military Department’s test, I still killed the most demons.’

’By giving it my all, passing the entrance exams was no longer an impossible dream. The Ten Great Prodigies should have been the goal I strived for next.’

’But since I’ve killed the most demons in this Military Department test, I’ll become one of the Optimizers—basically, a candidate for the Ten Great Prodigies. In that case, shouldn’t I fight for the top spot among them?’

’The leader of the Ten Great Prodigies, the top of their generation in the entire city, gets a villa in the Inner City, their pick of mentors at Northwest Martial University, and a position assigned in a city-level unit.’

’That’s a life of wealth and glory, too.’

"My birth ultimately made my perspective a narrow one, but it doesn’t have to stay that way," Jiang Qiu said, clenching his trembling fingers into a fist and raising his head. "King Niu, if you truly can stand before me one month from now, I will kill you to prove my path of Martial Arts and pave the way for my future!"

’If I can kill King Niu in a month, I’ll secure my position as the leader of the Ten Great Prodigies!’

His heart was roaring, but his voice was already hoarse. The low growl that vibrated through his veins barely traveled five meters, yet it struck Yang Yu’s back and made her very soul tremble.

Her arms, bleeding from ruptured blood vessels, were propped on the ground. Her upturned gaze was perfectly positioned to look up at the back of Jiang Qiu’s head, which seemed to connect with the dawning sky.

’The same tenacity, the same confidence, the same genius in Horizontal Training.’ 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

’His Spear Skill is even more domineering.’

’This was closer to a disorienting reality than the back in her memories.’

’Of course I can’t compete with "brother" for a spot among the Optimizers, can I...?’

As this fleeting thought crossed her mind, Yang Yu’s tightly pressed lips parted in a slight arc, and a thick trickle of blood oozed out, forming a small stream.

’Seeing him cripple King Niu’s right arm with a single move felt like it validated a fragmented piece of her memory. Her brother should have had this kind of power to fight for his future in Martial Arts. He definitely wasn’t some degenerate who took in Demon Race blood just for fame...’

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

The urgent footsteps sounded like rolling thunder, shattering the hazy, stray thoughts of the wounded. With a BANG, Liu Qi’s figure landed between the squad of Non-commissioned Officers and the prodigies. His blood-red eyes swept over the corpses, and he roared in fury, "Did King Niu just escape in this direction?!"

His Light Armor was completely shattered. Three claw marks tore from his left chest, across his stomach, to his right side. The killing intent coalescing around him refused to dissipate, making everyone tremble in fear.

His clenched fists trembled slightly as he ground his teeth. "If there hadn’t been more Transformed Great Demons at Dongqi Lake than expected, how could we have let this beast escape our watch!"

In the great battle, nearly a hundred of Dongqi Lake’s Transformed Great Demons had either fallen or fled for their lives. The remaining several hundred Top Tier Demon Beasts should have been trapped and annihilated, but unexpectedly, the incredibly durable King Niu had managed to break through.

And of all the luck, it fled this way, slaughtering people as it went!

That damn beast knew full well that every death from the Prodigy Plan was a huge loss for Gao Yuan City!

"Damn you," Liu Qi spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm, his gaze as vicious as the Grim Reaper’s. "Just you wait until I get my hands on you!"

He took a deep breath to suppress the churning in his chest, and a powerful voice boomed from his lips, "Hu Tianlin, Senior Non-commissioned Officer of the Seventh Martial Arts Team, do a headcount!"

"..."

There was dead silence. The pupils of the Middle Level Non-commissioned Officers trembled as they all turned their heads to look in the same direction. A body lying a hundred meters away slowly raised a twitching right hand, its voice as faint as a thread. "Here..."

Liu Qi let out a soft breath of relief and ordered the other Non-commissioned Officers to give him emergency medicine. At the same time, he called the name of another Senior Non-commissioned Officer and began the headcount.

One by one, the bodies were moved to the same spot. The surviving Non-commissioned Officers and prodigies sat near Liu Qi’s team, supported by their comrades. After drinking the emergency medicine, the faces of the near-dead gradually regained their color, and their breathing stabilized.

By now, Yang Yu was also able to get back on her feet. Sun Yongsheng, Qiu Hu, and the others hurried over, their gazes burning as they stared at Jiang Qiu. "Crippling its right arm, stunning King Niu."

"Holding out for more than ten seconds all by himself..."

The surviving prodigies from the Inner City also swallowed nervously, their faint gazes fixed on the bare-chested young man. "If it weren’t for him, how many of us would have been left when Officer Liu Qi arrived?"

"I was so close to King Niu, I was sure I was going to die. COUGH, COUGH... To think I’d end up owing my life to someone in this major test."

The stray whispers drifted into Liu Qi’s ears. Following everyone’s line of sight, he was surprised to see Jiang Qiu standing not far away, looking as if he’d been drenched in a rain of blood. Behind him, Yang Yu’s Chest Armor was shattered, her posture like that of a lame, sickly cat, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

’King Niu escaped quite a while ago, so it must have lingered here for some time. There are over ten prodigies down on the ground, and it’s impossible that the most outstanding one, Yang Yu, wasn’t targeted.’

’So, Yang Yu was most likely beaten into this state by King Niu.’

’But Jiang Qiu clearly isn’t wearing any Armor, and I don’t see any wounds on him. He must be extremely agile.’

"Director Zhao really has a shocking eye for talent," Liu Qi sighed wistfully. "To be able to escape unharmed during a surprise attack from a Top Tier Demon Beast... Jiang Qiu’s skills are nothing to scoff at..."

"Sir, you’re mistaken."

Just then, the Senior Non-commissioned Officer who had finished assigning tasks to the team returned, panting heavily. His gaze, also fixed on Jiang Qiu in the distance, held a look of admiration.

Liu Qi glanced at him, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"When King Niu charged over, none of us could stop it. The first to resist, Hu Tianlin, was beaten half to death with a single punch. Even Yang Yu from the Prodigy Plan was nearly killed.

Luckily, that bare-chested young man charged out with his spear. He fought King Niu alone, crippled one of its arms, and stalled it for more than ten seconds, which is how he saved Yang Yu and held out until you arrived..."

The blood-tinged voice, sincere and tinged with gratitude, made Liu Qi’s eyebrows shoot up. The bloodshot red in his pupils seemed to clear by a fraction, as if purified. Amid his astonishment, a sense of regret arose. "Which of Jiang Qiu’s arms was crippled? I’ll find a way to get him some Bone Healing Medicine..."

"No. He crippled one of King Niu’s."

"???"

Liu Qi’s cheek twitched. His heart felt like it did a backflip.

’King Niu is a Top Tier Demon Beast that was on the verge of breaking through the Transformation Barrier before it was interrupted. Even severely injured and fleeing, it’s so fast that not even a Top Tier Non-commissioned Officer could catch it.’

’Even if you picked someone from the thirty Optimizers to fight it, few could withstand a single blow.’

’And Jiang Qiu actually crippled one of its arms?’

’So ferocious!’

’Or... was King Niu actually injured more heavily than we thought...?’

"Also, Sir, here is a Recording Ring from one of the Prodigy Plan students."

Taking the Recording Ring from the Senior Non-commissioned Officer, Liu Qi opened it, glanced at the contents, and casually swiped upwards.

’As a crucial reference for the Military Department’s test, there’s basically no chance it was faked. It would show the truth.’

’I’d already heard from Director Zhao that Jiang Qiu comprehended a Spear Skill on his own. Now he’s suspected of crippling one of King Niu’s arms and stalling it for over ten seconds. That’s incredible.’

’If it’s confirmed that he really did step forward to hold back King Niu and save the Prodigy Plan students, what does it matter if he doesn’t take first place?’

’As long as his kill count ranks in the top ten... no, even the top twenty or thirty, I might be able to petition General Mo...’

Just as he was thinking this, Liu Qi’s finger suddenly froze. A bright spark, like a firework, exploded in his pupils, and his breath caught in his throat.