Chapter 521: March and Deadly Intent (Requesting Monthly Votes)

After hearing this, Lin Qi furrowed his brow.

Awakened two special abilities?

That's completely different from an ordinary SSS-rank genius—double the combat enhancement.

Senior brother Liang Tai continued:

"If he'd only just broken through, that'd be one thing!"

"But he's from the 28th cohort, and he's only 26 this year."

"He broke into the seventh realm four years ago."

"In the War House, rankings are determined by merit points."

"In the seventh realm rankings, Gu Cheng is ranked 480th."

"But Gu Yang Jian is different—he's ranked seventh. Among all but the seasoned veterans, making it into the top seven proves he's reached the peak of the seventh realm."

"He's among the strongest in the entire seventh realm."

"And Gu Yang Jian has a record of single-handedly hunting an eighth-rank calamity beast!"

"He and Gu Cheng are not even on the same level."

"He's a far stronger genius warrior."

After hearing Senior Brother's description, Lin Qi also furrowed his brow.

From Liang Tai's account, Gu Yang Jian's strength was indeed formidable.

He immediately opened the War House and saw a new challenge notification from the system.

On the homepage, it was also Gu Family's promoted challenge notice.

【Challenge Participants: Lin Qi, Gu Yang Jian】

【Stakes: 1 million merit points】

【Content: I, Gu Yang Jian, challenge Lin Qi—with one year as the deadline. We fight in the Red Realm!】

【In one year, I will break into the eighth realm. I have no more time…】

…

One million merit points—Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat when he saw it.

That's the merit point reward for hunting a ninth-rank calamity beast.

The merit points for a ninth-rank calamity beast start at one million—even if the corpse is shattered, the minimum is still one million.

If the corpse is intact, it's worth several million merit points.

But one million merit points is still a lot.

It could buy vast quantities of ninth-rank calamity beast flesh, even ten vials of Blood Spirit Elixir.

Enough to fully supply his seventh realm cultivation.

He might even clear all nine blood replacements.

Thinking of this, he turned his gaze to the timer.

One year—twelve months.

Below the challenge, countless comments flooded in with heated debate.

"Another show to watch!"

"Looks like Gu Cheng lost face yesterday, so the Gu Family called in backup!"

"Gu Yang Jian is a top-tier genius—ranked seventh in the seventh realm rankings. His strength isn't ordinary."

"Gu Yang Jian can hunt eighth-rank calamity beasts. Isn't this too much for Lin Qi?"

"Strictly speaking, aside from someone like Gu Yang Jian, no one else is guaranteed to beat Lin Qi."

"The Gu Family must be desperate—they sent Gu Yang Jian to ensure victory?"

"But one year is still too short. Lin Qi won't necessarily win."

After reading the crowd's comments and seeing the one-year deadline, Lin Qi sneered.

He added a note and sent his reply.

Then he went back to eating lunch!

…

Meanwhile, Gu Yang Jian's challenge sent shockwaves through the Black Dragon Base.

Soon after, Lin Qi accepted the challenge—but his note stunned countless others.

Countless people saw Lin Qi's response.

【Lin Qi: One year is too long. Three months is enough. I'll defeat you in three months.】

…

Lin Qi's reply stunned countless people.

Countless others erupted into heated debate.

"Damn, is Lin Qi this bold?"

"Claiming he'll defeat Gu Yang Jian in three months? That's arrogance!"

"Beating Gu Cheng has gone to his head—he thinks he can crush Gu Yang Jian in three months?"

"In three months, we'll get a good show."

"I'll bet my life: Lin Qi will lose this fight for sure!"

…

Shanghai, one of the two strongest cities in Xia Guo.

Premium residential district: Xintiandi Community

Inside a vast, luxurious villa.

In a spacious, estate-style private martial chamber, the air carried the fragrance of flowers and herbs.

A young man in a blue martial robe sat cross-legged before him, two green screens projected in the air.

One displayed the War House app interface; the other, a video call.

On the screen opposite was Gu Cheng's face—he sneered:

"Brother Yang Jian, I'm counting on you this time!"

"I lost. Only you can beat him!"

The blue-robed young man, Gu Yang Jian, smiled calmly:

"Overestimating himself—he thinks he can defeat me in three months?"

"So I've become no better than a stray cat or dog?"

"My name means nothing now?"

"I was going to give him a year. He's not even satisfied."

"Then I'll oblige him."

"A little hardship will help this genius grow."

"In three months, I'll take the one million merit points without hesitation."

On the screen, Gu Cheng grinned:

"If Lin Qi loses in three months and can't pay the one million merit points, he'll have to hunt more calamity beasts to repay it."

"He'll slave for months, only to earn money for you, Brother Yang Jian. Just thinking about it is satisfying!"

Hearing this, the blue-robed Gu Yang Jian smiled.

After ending the video call, he edited the challenge, changing the deadline to three months.

He then shut off the projections, breathed through nose and mouth, and felt the natural air.

"I've already undergone six blood replacements. Seven is my limit!"

"Pity—I can't reach eight."

"The maximum for a twelfth-rank calamity beast is seven blood replacements. Only the top six might allow eight."

"Wait—if I could obtain Dragon Blood Grass, maybe I could reach eight."

"But Dragon Blood Grass is incredibly rare—only appeared twice. Getting it is nearly impossible!"

Gu Yang Jian murmured to himself, knowing that each additional blood replacement in the seventh realm laid a stronger foundation.

He had greater ambitions. Few in Xia Guo awakened two abilities—he was one of them.

Among seventh-rank geniuses, he considered himself third.

Only Sun Sheng and Li Tian were above him.

So he aimed to break the conventional limit of seven blood replacements and reach eight.

But it was too hard.

As for Lin Qi—he was merely a minor distraction in his cultivation.

Had his father not demanded it, he'd never have lifted a finger.

…

Beijiang Province, Black Dragon Base

Lin Qi walked through the dormitory zone. The entire base was vast, divided into several dormitory sections.

They included military barracks, civilian martial artist dorms, luxury apartments, and top-tier apartments accessible only to ninth-rank martial artists.

"Lin Qi!"

A burly man strode toward him, his aura powerful—he was clearly a seventh-rank martial artist.

The burly man chuckled:

"Three months—hope you can defeat Gu Yang Jian. Good luck!"

Lin Qi nodded and said:

"I will!"

A moment later, he arrived at the premium apartment and stood before one of the doors.

"Beep!"

After standing at the door for a moment, the black alloy gate slid open silently, and Lin Qi stepped inside.

The first thing that met his eyes was a spacious living room, decorated in an ancient, elegant style, with music playing softly.

Three figures sat together in the living room, sipping tea.

As Lin Qi entered, all four turned their heads.

"The main guest has arrived!" chuckled Liu Yuanzhang, clad in a white robe.

The four were: Shanhe Wang seated in the main seat, Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang beside him, Master Mu Hong,

and Liu Yuanzhang, who was pouring the tea.

Lin Qi felt Liu Yuanzhang's connections were extensive—he, a seventh-rank martial artist, was drinking tea with Shanhe Wang.

"Grandmaster, Beijiang Jianwang Elder, Master, Liu Yuanzhang."

Lin Qi respectfully greeted each one in order of their cultivation strength.

Shanhe Wang, tall and powerfully built, nodded and said:

"Sit down. Have some tea."

Lin Qi nodded and sat opposite Shanhe Wang, while the other three took seats beside them.

Liu Yuanzhang placed a cup of hot tea before Lin Qi.

Lin Qi took it; the tea's fragrance filled the air. He inhaled deeply and felt his spirit instantly sharpen.

He took a small sip, and as if a stream of spiritual energy surged from his mouth straight to his crown, his mind began racing at full speed.

"Excellent tea!"

Lin Qi's eyes lit up in awe—this tea was certainly not something Liu Yuanzhang could possess.

Shanhe Wang smiled:

"Indeed, it's an excellent tea. You're lucky today—you won't get to drink this normally."

"When you leave, you may take ten grams. Drink a little during cultivation—it greatly aids martial arts cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang, Mu Hong, and Liu Yuanzhang all wore expressions of envy.

Lin Qi knew this tea was a precious item.

He spoke up:

"Thank you, Grandmaster!"

Shanhe Wang nodded, took a sip of tea, and said:

"We've heard about your duel with Gu Yang Jian."

"Do you have confidence in three months?"

Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang spoke up then:

"Gu Yang Jian is not like Gu Cheng. In recent decades, our Xia Guo has produced only ten geniuses who awakened two abilities—including you."

"Of the seventh-rank cultivators, five are: Sun Sheng, Li Tian, Gu Yang Jian, Xu Qin, and now you."

"No need to elaborate on Sun Sheng and Li Tian."

"You know Xu Qin well."

"Let me give you a detailed introduction to Gu Yang Jian."

"Gu Yang Jian is an SSS-rank genius who awakened two special abilities and is the top prodigy of the Gu family."

"He ranks ninth on the Ten Thousand Beasts Wanshou Xuezhu."

"His master is one of the founders of Zhong Ming Martial Hall—the Sword Emperor."

"On the War House seventh-rank leaderboard, he is ranked seventh."

"Today, a seventh-rank martial artist ascended to eighth rank, so he is now sixth."

"Such a genius emerges only once every few decades among hundreds of millions of talents in our Xia Guo."

"Moreover, he has already undergone six blood replacements; once he completes the seventh, he will break into the eighth rank."

"And he has verified records of killing Level Eight calamity beasts!"

"Given such a genius, do you think you can win in three months?"

After listing Gu Yang Jian's achievements, Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang fixed his gaze on Lin Qi.

Liu Yuanzhang, Mu Hong, and Shanhe Wang all turned their eyes toward Lin Qi.

The classical music still played in the living room, but Lin Qi felt immense pressure.

Gu Yang Jian stood before him like a mountain—he would have to climb it.

After listening, Lin Qi did not speak immediately. Instead, he raised his tea cup with one hand and drained it in one gulp.

Then he looked up slowly and said:

"To be honest, after what Beijiang Jianwang Elder just said, Gu Yang Jian is indeed quite strong."

Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang blinked—he'd just delivered a long list, and all Lin Qi could say was "quite strong"?

Are you that confident in your own strength?

Lin Qi continued: "I chose three months to give myself pressure."

"A year is too long. Defeating Gu Yang Jian after a year is no different from defeating Gu Cheng—it's too easy, no challenge."

Liu Yuanzhang and Mu Hong exchanged glances—what kind of talk is this?

In a year, you'll easily defeat Gu Yang Jian?

But remembering Lin Qi's age—he had surpassed countless geniuses in just three years.

For him, a year might indeed be too long.

Shanhe Wang smiled upon hearing this:

"Excellent!"

"In a year, surpassing Gu Yang Jian would be natural."

"But with only three months, you must exert even greater effort."

Lin Qi nodded and smiled: "I understand!"

…

Half an hour later, Lin Qi departed with ten grams of the fine tea leaves.

Only Shanhe Wang and the other three remained in the living room.

"Ho Lao, do you think Lin Qi can win?" Liu Yuanzhang asked.

Shanhe Wang replied calmly:

"We'll know in three months!"

"But Lin Qi has broken many records. As he said—he's giving himself pressure."

"Perhaps on the battlefield, he will grow even faster!"

Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang turned to Liu Yuanzhang and asked:

"Liu Jing, when do you plan to break into the eighth rank?"

"You have Blood Spirit Elixir now—shouldn't it be easy?"

Liu Yuanzhang spoke slowly:

"Soon. I plan to further consolidate my foundation before consuming more Blood Spirit Elixir."

"If I take a few more bottles, I'll break into the eighth rank!"

Beijiang Beijiang Jianwang and Shanhe Wang nodded—another eighth-rank martial artist meant more high-level calamity beasts could be slain.

…

In another world, within a certain underground base:

General Lin entered a spacious underground chamber, its walls made of special metal, the air thick with a peculiar stench.

General Lin knew—it was the signature odor of the insect race.

He had grown used to it.

Before his eyes, the walls were lined with neatly arranged, oval-shaped insect eggs embedded in the surface.

They glowed red, revealing the silhouettes of powerful humanoid forms within.

"You're here!"

A deep voice echoed. Not far away stood a silver metal pedestal, upon which sat a man clad entirely in green battle armor.

His body was massive, standing three meters tall, retaining a human outline, wearing a black metal mask.

His upper torso was muscular, covered in hardened carapace shaped in smooth, natural lines like an organic battle suit.

He had no arms—only a pair of razor-sharp scythes, their edges gleaming with cold light.

His skin was green, striped with black, seated cross-legged, radiating overwhelming pressure.

"You're here!"

"General Kaizi!"

General Lin bowed his head respectfully.

Beneath Kats' mask, his eyes opened, revealing a green glow; Lord Lin could feel a gaze locking onto him.

"I've received the information you sent."

Lord Lin spoke slowly:

"Lin Qi, the top genius of Xia Guo, has arrived at Black Dragon Base."

"According to our intelligence, he shattered the record set by Sun Sheng on the Ten Thousand Beasts Wanshou Xuezhu."

"And he successfully visualized the Golden Emperor Tiger, one of the six top-level demonic beasts!"

"And upon arriving at Black Dragon Base, he defeated Gu Cheng!"

"Such a genius will be a great threat to the insect race in the future."

After listening, Kats nodded:

"I understand. The Empress has issued orders for us to act with full force and kill Lin Qi."

"His potential exceeds Sun Sheng's—he will at least become a Tyrant!"

He did not mention the Crimson Emperor; the Crimson Emperor belonged to another tier—such geniuses were limited to one per planet.

If another appeared, they would have to investigate whether Blue Star itself was flawed.

"When do we strike?"

After a moment of thought, Lord Lin spoke slowly:

"We must wait for an opportunity. Right now, Black Dragon Base is guarded by Mount River King. If a Tyrant shows the slightest sign of movement, they can strike at any moment!"

Kats said:

"Like before—a super-large disaster-beast tide?"

Lord Lin nodded and smiled:

"Exactly—a super-large disaster-beast tide!"

"When the Level-Ten disaster beasts, Level-Nine disaster beasts, and countless high-level disaster beasts surge forth—"

"They will be forced to unleash their full power. To hunt the Level-Tens, they cannot conceal their strength or protect Lin Qi."

"That will be our moment to strike."

Kats nodded:

"I understand. I will deploy four insect warriors to act simultaneously!"

After hearing this, Lord Lin nodded and smiled:

"This operation will succeed!"

"Believe me—it won't take long. Three or four months will be enough!"

……

Martial Era 2048, August 21st

At 10:25 a. m., a super-large disaster-beast tide erupted at Black Dragon Base in Beijiang Province!

"Woo-woo!!"

A sharp alarm blared throughout Black Dragon Base; military soldiers rapidly entered combat zones and began deploying thermal weapons.

Laser cannons, Vulcan cannons, plasma cannons were all in position.

At the base's main gate, a dense crowd of warriors gathered, armed with blades, stretching out in a dark sea.

Sharp blades glittered with cold light under the sun.

All faces were grim.

"Boom!!"

Countless fighter jets flew overhead; countless metal spheres erupted from them. Everyone clearly sensed that these metal spheres were more numerous—and some were several times larger in volume.

Everyone stood ready.

In the sky, seven figures hovered in midair, clad in armor of various colors, surrounded by dense aura currents.

Their energy was overwhelming; in Black Dragon Base, only Level-Nine titled cultivators could hover.

Lin Qi looked up at the seven figures: besides the five Level-Nine cultivators he had seen two days ago, two new ones had appeared.

Especially one tall man in purple armor, wielding a spear in one hand, his face obscured.

He was wrapped entirely in silver lightning, standing at the center of the seven, his terrifying aura enveloping all, as if he could summon thunder at any moment.

On either side of him stood Mount River King and Blade Emperor.

Lin Qi wanted to fly too, but only after reaching Level-Nine did the body undergo complete transformation, breaking free from gravity's constraints and gaining the ability to fly freely.

Now, he could only jump higher.

Tension hung thick in the air.

It was nothing like the past few days—the surrounding warriors wore grim expressions.

Senior Brother Liang Tai spoke beside him:

"Little brother, a super-large disaster-beast tide is different from a large one."

"In a large tide, the strongest are only Level-Eight disaster beasts, and their numbers are limited!"

"But this tide is different—you never know how many Level-Nine disaster beasts will emerge."

"One additional Level-Nine disaster beast puts immense pressure on the entire base."

"If a Level-Ten disaster beast appears, it becomes a grave threat to the entire base."

"And Level-Tens can command Level-Nines—their appearance guarantees a surge in Level-Nine numbers."

Lin Qi nodded, his gaze fixed on the space gate at the horizon.

"Boom!"

The space gate activated; violent winds whipped up clouds of dust, filling the air with oppressive pressure.

A white beam shot skyward; space shattered, forming a massive space gate.

……

(End of Chapter)