Chapter 120: 120. The Path Ahead (Congratulations to Master Ziwu Chuchen)

120. Chapter 120: The Path Ahead (Congratulations to Master Ziwu Chuchen)

September 1st.

“Classmates, on behalf of Blue Star University, I welcome you all…”

On the podium, Nie Ying was delivering an impassioned speech.

Uh… for everyone’s convenience, this speech is being held within Blue Star University’s virtual network community.

After all, you’re all professionals with plenty to do.

Fang Xing pretended to listen attentively while idly scrolling through his email, then froze.

“Master, you have a new email.”

Xiao Lan stood on his shoulder, whispering softly by his ear.

“Hmm.”

Fang Xing opened it directly: “Finally, my assigned mentor has been revealed?”

【Dear Student Fang Xing, your instructor is ‘Pan Xiong,’ your advisor is ‘Wei Shentong,’ contact information: …】

He was fine with the first part, but the latter part made him barely suppress a laugh.

“Wei Shentong? Advisor?”

“Whatever, some college students never even meet their advisor throughout their entire degree…”

“As long as the instructor is reliable.”

Thinking this, he immediately sent a message to ‘Pan Xiong.’

Within minutes, a reply arrived.

“Hello, Student Fang Xing. As your instructor, I need to fully assess your abilities… Let’s meet in person for the first time. Go to the public training room, Room Q34, password: xxx…”

Pan Xiong’s reply was serious, but Fang Xing knew the man was definitely distracted right now.

How else could he reply so fast?

Shouldn’t he be listening to the school leaders’ speech too?

“Understood.”

He actually felt good about it.

‘This virtual space is great, but it can’t handle the data of high-tier experts… Hopefully they’ll optimize it in the future.’

As Fang Xing was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a burst of enthusiastic applause beside him.

He didn’t know where they were in the speech, but clapping meant it was over.

…

Zzzzt!

A flood of ice mist appeared as Fang Xing stepped out of the holographic virtual pod, glancing at his status panel:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 19】

【Profession: Martial Artist】

【Fourth Stage: Courage (200/200)】

【Twelve Forms of Military Boxing: 89/400 (Master）】

【Great Dragon Stance: 388/400 (Master）】

【Subdue Tiger Stance: 289/400 (Master）】

【Ghost God Blade: 23/400 (Master）】

【Ultimate Passion Sword: 31/400 (Master）】

【Dragon Elephant Technique: 215/400 (Master）】

【Great Vajra Prajna Divine Power: 44/100 (Proficient）】

【Great Sun Tathagata Mantra: 13/200 (Proficient）】

【Heavenly Mother’s Virtuous Golden Lotus Twin Guardian Scripture: 55/100 (Proficient）】

【Gates of All Realms (Charging）】

…

“Aside from the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra, which I’ve deliberately suppressed, all other skills have improved significantly—worth every hour of my summer training… even if I did play games occasionally…”

As he observed, Fang Xing flew low on his newly purchased flight board toward the public training room.

Not buying a board was impossible—Blue Star University was simply too vast; even using his martial arts to travel was cumbersome.

From above, the public training room was enormous, resembling a precisely structured beehive, divided into distinct sections.

From basic martial arts training rooms to specialized shooting ranges, weapon testing grounds, potion labs, mech repair bays, and space simulation pods—it had everything.

Room Q34.

After entering the password, Fang Xing stepped inside and immediately felt a crushing gravity.

“This room’s gravity is at least three times that of the outside world!”

His expression unchanged, he scanned the surroundings.

The floor was a reddish-brown material emitting a herbal scent, firm yet springy underfoot.

The space was vast—over three hundred square meters.

It was empty except for a few figures standing in the center.

Fang Xing glanced and recognized two of them!

“Student Su Longyan!”

He smiled and waved at the timid girl.

“Student Fang…”

Su Longyan seemed afraid of Fang Xing, still haunted by psychological trauma.

This girl wasn’t weak—she just got unlucky facing Fang Xing. But after watching her video from the resurrection match, where she fought her way back step by step, he had to admit she had grit.

The other was a young man holding a rifle, his face resolute—probably Ouyang Qiang.

This student specialized in long spears and had astonishing perseverance; Fang Xing still remembered how he remained standing even after being knocked unconscious.

The last one, a boy with red lips and white teeth, looking very young, Fang Xing didn’t recognize.

“Good, you’re all here.”

The boy with red lips and white teeth smiled: “Let me introduce myself—I’m Pan Xiong, 87 years old, your martial arts instructor!”

“…”

Fang Xing doubted it was a prank, but after sensing the man’s power, he stayed silent.

Martial artists naturally possessed strong spiritual energy, and practicing the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra further sharpened his intuitive senses.

‘This teacher… looks like a child, yet calls himself Pan Xiong. But at 86, how is he still this young?’

‘It seems martial arts, when mastered to a profound level, can reverse aging just as effectively as immortal cultivation. Or… did he undergo gene surgery?’

“What? Don’t believe me?”

Pan Xiong chuckled, and a flash of golden light erupted, instantly enveloping the room like a blazing golden sun, radiating terrifying pressure!

“Ah!”

Su Longyan and Ouyang Qiang gasped and stepped back, then noticed Fang Xing standing firm—both expressions turned complex.

Seeing Fang Xing didn’t retreat, Pan Xiong’s face showed satisfaction, then a second layer of golden aura enveloped his entire body, transforming him into a wrathful Vajra, solemn and majestic.

“Martial Body of Gold! Vajra Stage!”

Fang Xing stepped back half a pace, his face filled with awe: “Master!”

“Hmm, a promising student. No wonder you’re this year’s top martial artist.”

Pan Xiong nodded: “Yin Hongding was afraid I’d compete with him for the Ancient Sword Tong, hah… Relying on a top-tier ability, he’s had it too easy since childhood. When faced with greater, stronger talents, he’ll crumble. I like you—those who crawled out of the mud. You’ve got grit.”

“Master!”

At that moment, Su Longyan and Ouyang Qiang stepped forward together and bowed.

“I’ll teach you two classes per week. Think carefully about what you want to ask…” Pan Xiong was a straightforward martial artist: “As for university advice: join student council missions, earn more credits, study the Ten Thousand Spirits Scroll, and claim the best items from the treasure vault. That’s it. Fang Xing, you go first.”

“Master, my dantian is complete, and Great Dragon Stance is just short of breaking into the fifth stage. Should I push directly into External Manifestation?”

Fang Xing asked his question, unaware of the shock on the faces of the two students behind him.

Was he planning to break into the fifth martial stage right after freshman enrollment?

‘Could this… be the real genius?’

Su Longyan lowered her head, then lifted it again, stubbornly.

“Hmm… your ‘spirit’ is indeed complete, only lacking domain attainment. Breaking into the fifth stage is effortless. But I see you’re on the Dragon-Tiger Golden Core path—wait a bit longer. Train Subdue Tiger Stance to the fifth stage first… Dragon and Tiger must be balanced from before External Manifestation.”

Pan Xiong advised: “Also… I watched your battle videos. I suggest you learn another movement technique.”

“Yes, I want to learn ‘Step Through the Void,’ but it seems only available after reaching External Manifestation…”

Fang Xing had envied Xia Long’s ability to walk on air, but Xia Long’s technique required domain power—he couldn’t envy that.

Other movement techniques were too weak for him to care about, so he waited until school started to see what his instructor recommended.

“Go to the school library and search for a movement technique—‘Dance Through the Air.’ It’s derived from Step Through the Void, but more refined, a recently completed S-rank martial art.”

Pan Xiong instructed: “Once you master Dance Through the Air, you can walk on air without needing External Manifestation…”

“Yes!”

Fang Xing decided to check it out as soon as he returned—he needed to improve his movement skills.

“Su Longyan, your Taiji realm is good… but you’re too fixated on yielding and softness to defeat opponents. Starting today, learn the Eighteen Wild Strikes and the Demon’s Staff Technique… train daily to cultivate fierce, brutal force.”

"Ouyang Qiang has sufficient perseverance but insufficient foundation... First, raise your realm before anything else..."

Pan Xiong began instructing the other two students.

Fang Xing seized this opportunity to download "Wu Kong Step," skimmed through it, and felt a surge of joy.

"The entrance to Wu Kong Step lies in generating explosive force to tread upon air... Imagine the air as solid, and naturally it becomes a foothold for power... To achieve this, you need a robust physique and astonishing burst power... It's truly suited to me!"

Previously, the grand library’s martial arts collection was vast as the sea; even focusing solely on movement techniques, Fang Xing had encountered tens of thousands of manuals—he couldn’t possibly sort through them all.

Yet Pan Xiong pinpointed the essentials at once, making Fang Xing marvel at his sharp insight.

"Master, could you please instruct me in the 'Meaning of Wu Kong'?"

Fang Xing seized the chance to ask again.

If he could experience it just once, he could use it as a standard and practice relentlessly toward mastery.

And once he entered the realm, with proficiency recorded on his attribute panel, what would he have to fear?

"The Meaning of Wu Kong?"

Pan Xiong’s lips curled into a faint smile: "I don’t know it... After all, that step doesn’t suit my nature."

"Then... should I try the virtual space?"

Fang Xing asked tentatively.

Though the virtual space could simulate only Outer Scenery-level experts, its reservoir of meanings should be extremely rich.

"Heh, there the Outer Scenery experts merely demonstrate—how could that be sufficiently direct?"

Pan Xiong’s lips curled with a mysterious smile: "Perfect... Today I’ll take you to witness the true depth of Blue Star University—the 'Ten Thousand Spirits Scroll'!"

"What exactly is the 'Ten Thousand Spirits Scroll'?"

Su Longyan spoke up.

"The Ten Thousand Spirits Scroll is a painted scroll!"

Pan Xiong seemed to answer nothing at all, stoking the three’s curiosity, before chuckling: "It was left by the founding headmaster as a mysterious pattern, and over generations, our school’s strongest have continuously developed and added to it... It now nearly encompasses all martial arts under heaven; if you comprehend it, your meanings and domains will surge forward."