Chapter 138

In the arena, the 17th cage melee ended after just one minute.

Li Yuan killed the last opponent, survived to the end, and took 31 points.

It wasn't that he didn't try hard to fight in the final stage, but the engagement with Kimura Tatsuo took too much time, and the remaining heads... were not enough to support Li Yuan in farming too many points.

But even so.

The points added up from the two rounds brought Li Yuan's total score in the second round to a staggering 105 points.

This is already an exaggerated score.

In the arena, only Li Yuan was left.

"Temporarily first in total points?" Li Yuan glanced at the total points ranking.

The huge points advantage from the first round, plus the good performance in the second round, kept Li Yuan's total score in first place.

Although there are still three cage melees left.

However, top experts like Yu Ming, Guan Ying, and Garava had all finished their competitions in the previous rounds, and their total scores for the two rounds had not exceeded one hundred.

Therefore, in a sense, Li Yuan had almost locked in first place in the second round's total points.

"Let's go."

Li Yuan's mind moved, and he disappeared from the arena; he did not return to the viewing platform but directly exited the virtual network.

……

"Li Yuan!"

"Li Yuan." On the entire viewing platform, countless intense cheers from spectators rang out again.

However, the freshmen of Kunlun Martial Arts University were searching everywhere on the viewing platform.

"Where is Li Yuan?"

"Where is Senior Brother?" They were all very confused.

It stands to reason that after exiting the arena, one should return directly to the viewing platform seats.

……

Kunlun Martial Arts University, inside Li Yuan's villa, in the underground martial arts room.

Li Yuan had already walked out of the lounge and taken his weapon from the weapon rack on the side.

"Entangle, continuous." In Li Yuan's mind, he was still recalling the battle with Kimura Tatsuo just now.

Suddenly, the smart ring vibrated continuously.

Vibrating at this time means a message from an important person; Li Yuan looked down.

One was from Li Yang: "Well done."

The other was from Lin Lanyue: "First place, keep it up."

A smile appeared on Li Yuan's lips involuntarily, and he replied to both of them.

He closed the smart ring and put it aside.

Holding the spear, he came to the center of the martial arts room, Li Yuan closed his eyes gently, gripped the long spear tightly with both arms, and assumed the 'spear-holding stance' of the Star Spear Technique.

"Stars like circles, rolling and vast." Li Yuan whispered to himself.

In the battle just now, through the engagement with Kimura Tatsuo.

That flash of inspiration allowed Li Yuan to re-examine his spear technique from another angle.

Kimura Tatsuo's 'continuous spear' seemed similar to the 'Twelve Consecutive Strikes' that Li Yuan practiced.

But there is an essential difference between the two.

Twelve Consecutive Strikes is one strike better than the next, the momentum of the next strike is always stronger than the previous one, emphasizing 'accumulating momentum'; when it reaches the peak, it is like the gathering of a great river, bound to erupt rolling forward.

If it doesn't erupt and pour out, even if the momentum is accumulated to the peak, it won't last long.

Hardness does not last.

But the continuous spear is different; it emphasizes 'entangling', emphasizes endlessness; from the first strike to the last, the power is often not much different.

The disadvantage is that it is not domineering enough, but the advantage is stability, which will not cause one's own spear momentum to collapse suddenly.

"Similar spear techniques, the 'Cloud-Governing Spear Technique' that Teacher Li Yang asked me to practice actually contains similar concepts." Li Yuan had actually not encountered this kind of move for the first time.

When fighting others on the Starry Sky Fighting Network, he had also encountered it.

When fighting with Teacher Jiang Lun and two Source Martial Artist sparring partners, they had also executed similar moves.

However, they were never executed systematically.

"Most importantly, before, I was single-mindedly pursuing the comprehension of the five forms of the Star Spear Technique, so how could I focus on this?" Li Yuan couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Just like many philosophical stories in textbooks, written in books when I was a child, learned in class, I thought I understood them... perhaps it would take ten or twenty years to suddenly realize that I had never understood them at all.

Spear technique is the same.

Before comprehending the five forms of the Star Spear Technique.

Even if Li Yuan knew that the core of the "Star Spear Technique" lay in the first form 'Star Enlightenment', even if he knew the core concept of 'stars like circles'.

Even if he saw other experts executing moves with similar concepts.

But if the realm is not reached, he seems to know the principle, but in reality, he has never comprehended it.

And the engagement with Kimura Tatsuo, in a sense, was after Li Yuan comprehended the five forms of the Star Spear Technique, and his understanding of the Star Spear Technique had reached a higher level.

Re-examining it, he had a brand new realization.

It's not that Kimura Tatsuo's spear technique was very strong, it's just that he appeared at the right time.

Timing.

Sometimes it is very important.

"The second form Star Waterfall, until the fifth form Star Battle in the Wild, are all offensive moves." Li Yuan thought silently in his heart: "Of the five major killing moves, four are offensive moves, but the Star Spear Technique is publicly recognized as an 'extremely strong defensive spear technique'."

"Why?"

"The core is the first form, Star Enlightenment." Li Yuan's long spear moved slowly, and he began to re-practice the first form 'Star Enlightenment'.

Seemingly the same move, but now re-executing it, Li Yuan had some different realizations in his heart.

In the past.

Once Li Yuan executed it, he pursued extreme eruption and extreme speed, just like the brilliance of a star bursting.

But now re-executing it, the move is slower, and the power is more restrained.

It is as if a scorching star, after billions of years of evolution, has gradually moved from the initial 'volcanic magma' era toward stability.

It is not that this star no longer contains eruptive power.

It is just that it has restrained this surging power and does not erupt easily.

Practicing it over and over, Li Yuan searched for the special feeling he longed for, hoping to grasp it.

So-called sudden enlightenment is never a process from 0 directly to 1.

But a qualitative change from 0.99 to 1.

The Li Yuan of the past had practiced the Star Spear Technique I don't know how many times, had devoted himself to spear technique for many years, and had fought with various teachers and coaches time and again.

Allowing him to unconsciously complete the accumulation from 0 to 0.99.

Kimura Tatsuo's spear technique was the perfect trigger, allowing him to find a glimmer of opportunity to break through to 1.

But it was only an opportunity.

To truly grasp it, it still required him to put in great effort to practice, ponder, and summarize.

This is also the reason why he came to practice the spear immediately after the battle ended.

"Stars like circles, no beginning, no end."

"The trajectory of a star is also a circle." Li Yuan practiced over and over, thinking.

At this moment.

Li Yuan did not deliberately think about how to use his spear technique to deal with Tantai Feng.

But simply wanted to make his spear technique stronger.

……

Virtual network, inside the 'combat space' of the ten-school freshman battle.

With the end of the last cage melee.

The 'total points ranking' on the huge light screen high above also completely solidified.

"Li Yuan first!"

"105 points."

"First place." The thousands of students from Kunlun Martial Arts University who came to watch the battle became excited.

Those few sophomore and junior students still appeared quite reserved, but most of them also applauded.

"Li Yuan, Yu Ming, Guan Ying, Garava, Vikram, Tantai Feng, Ruan Wennan, Helian Cheng and other eight students are in the top eight of the second round in total points." The burly man above the arena said in a low voice: "They will directly advance to the fourth round."

"Kimura Tatsuo... and other 128 students, ranked in the top 136 in total points in the second round, will enter the third round to decide the other eight spots for the fourth round tomorrow."

Accompanied by the host's passionate voice, the second round of the ten-school freshman battle officially ended.

……

"Where is Senior Brother?"

"I don't see him." The freshmen of the six academies of Kunlun Martial Arts University couldn't help but look for Li Yuan's figure in the arena.

"Damn."

"Brother Yuan is also putting on airs; that Tantai Feng withdrew and entered the top eight," Gu Qianghan couldn't help but complain: "Brother Yuan took first place in total points, and he didn't even come to the scene."

"Could it be that you can only become stronger by putting on airs?" Gu Qianghan shook his head and said.

"No."

An Nong pretended to be profound and said: "It's not that you can only become stronger by putting on airs, but that the airs of an expert are called airs."

"Otherwise, it's called a clown."

……

Seven o'clock in the evening, night fell.

Whoosh!

Li Yang sat in the aircraft and arrived at Li Yuan's villa, with a smile on his face.

"Teacher." Li Yuan had received the news that Li Yang was coming and had been waiting in the living room.

"Well done today." Li Yang smiled and sat on the sofa: "Sit down."

Li Yuan defeating Kimura Tatsuo today allowed him to show off in front of teachers from various schools, which was naturally very satisfying.

"Mm." Li Yuan sat down.

"Taking first place in total points and winning face for the school, not bad." Li Yang looked at Li Yuan with a smile, the more he looked, the more satisfied he was.

"It doesn't count." Li Yuan shook his head: "That Tantai Feng withdrew in the second round; otherwise, with his strength, taking first place in total points would be easy."

Li Yuan has self-knowledge.

First place in the second round's points? Just a false name.

"One must be humble, but there's no need to be overly humble," Li Yang smiled: "Tantai Feng withdrew, but Yu Ming and Guan Ying didn't withdraw, and the elite students from other schools didn't withdraw either."

"Why didn't they take first place?" Li Yang smiled: "Isn't it because their strength is not as strong as yours?"

"Being able to suppress Yu Ming, Guan Ying and the others is enough to prove that you are no worse than the elite students of the world's top three martial arts schools."

Li Yuan nodded and did not explain further.

"Why, still worried about Tantai Feng?" Li Yang asked curiously.

"Yes." Li Yuan did not hide this: "Teacher, to tell you the truth, if I have to deal with others, like Garava, Yu Ming... although I don't have absolute certainty of winning, I ask myself that I have a chance of winning."

"Only Tantai Feng, if he uses a saber and shield, I examine myself, I lose more than I win," Li Yuan said honestly: "My strength is not enough yet."

Cultivation should be realistic, not arrogant.

Hard to win means hard to win.

"Hahaha." Li Yang looked at Li Yuan with a smile: "Actually, Teacher never expected you to win."

Li Yuan was stunned.

Didn't expect himself to win?

"Do you know who Tantai Feng is? He is only one line away from spiritual subtlety," Li Yang smiled: "Placed among the freshmen of Starfire University, he is a candidate for first place."

"The first place of Starfire University is a candidate for the world's first place."

"In other words, Tantai Feng, placed in your batch, has hope of challenging for first place globally, at least top five," Li Yang said solemnly.

Li Yuan was surprised in his heart.

So Tantai Feng is this amazing? Actually has hope of challenging for the world's first place.

"Normally, for a competition like the ten-school freshman battle, Starfire University shouldn't choose such a strong student to participate; it has no meaning for tempering."

"According to convention, they should choose elites from the second echelon," Li Yang shook his head: "For example, Yu Ming, Guan Ying... this is also the reason why I thought you had hope of competing for first place before."

"This time, I don't know what the high-level officials of Starfire University were thinking, actually sending him here."

Li Yuan listened silently.

"So, Tantai Feng came, and I didn't expect you to take first place," Li Yang smiled: "It's not to say you are inferior to Tantai Feng; in terms of progress in the last six months, you are even more exaggerated than him... Teacher believes you will definitely be able to beat him in the future."

"But for now, you are indeed not as good as him."

Li Yuan nodded gently; Tantai Feng's strength is indeed formidable.

"The schedule for the third and fourth rounds of the duel has come out, and you and Tantai Feng will not meet in advance," Li Yang said solemnly: "In other words, even if you two meet, it will be the final."

"Upper and lower halves of the bracket?" Li Yuan thought thoughtfully.

"Yes."

Li Yang smiled: "So, Teacher has only one requirement for you: rush into the final, guaranteed top four."

"Killing into the final counts as victory."

"No need to have psychological burdens."

"If you stop at the top four, well, the reward is actually not much different from the champion and runner-up, and there are also heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

……

Li Yuan sent Li Yang away and returned to the underground martial arts room alone.

The lights came on, and the martial arts room was as bright as day.

Li Yuan stood in the center holding his spear, silently pondering Li Yang's words just now.

In fact.

Li Yang's words can be summarized in one sentence: "Just strive for second place."

"Second place?" Li Yuan thought silently.

Li Yang's words were not wrong.

Actually, he came to clarify the situation with Li Yuan because he didn't want Li Yuan to have too much psychological burden.

However.

"Win or lose? Second place?" Li Yuan shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and continued to silently ponder his spear technique.

Chasing that mysterious and special artistic conception.

…… October 6th, third round.

There were no top experts among the participants, so Li Yuan did not go to watch the battle, but practiced alone.

On this day, the other eight spots for the top sixteen were decided.

……

October 7th, fourth round.

Kunlun Martial Arts University was cloudless.

Today, the final champion of the ten-school freshman battle will be decided from the top sixteen.

(End of chapter)