Chapter 144: The True Meaning of Martial Arts

At six o'clock in the evening, all the figures of note had arrived, and rows of seats were arranged on the high platform. Gao Wu only recognized An Ziru, Bai Yan, and Zhang Yunyi, so these few could only sit at the very back.

It was late September, and by now the setting sun slanted westward, setting the horizon ablaze with fiery clouds.

The crimson glow of the sunset reflected upon the densely packed crowd in the square, stretching so far that the eye could not see the end of it.

The phalanxes of various academies marched in neat formations past the grandstand. After every phalanx had made its procession, they converged into one massive formation for the dignitaries on the grandstand to review.

The entire process lasted for half a minute over half an hour before it concluded.

Song Chunlin, the Left Governor of the Governor's Mansion, spoke on behalf of everyone, encouraging all the students and announcing that the Governor's Mansion would allocate special funds to all academies to support every martial arts student.

The freshmen might not have understood much else, but they understood that the Governor's Mansion was handing out money for support. Instantly, cheers erupted, and the atmosphere abruptly turned heated.

Following that, various major figures gave speeches one by one. The one who caught Gao Wu's attention the most was the second speaker, a bald, burly man who was none and other than Li Xuanyang, a martial arts grandmaster of the military.

Li Xuanyang radiated immense presence. Looking like he was in his robust forties or fifties, one could not tell at all that he was an old man in his seventies... Everyone present was completely overwhelmed by his powerful aura.

Once all the leaders finished their speeches, the second part of the assembly—the cultural performances—began.

The freshmen were all seated right where they were on the ground, without even a campstool. At this point, the atmosphere grew much more relaxed, allowing the numerous students to chatter and whisper among themselves.

Bai Yushuang, sitting in the front rows of the Anyu University phalanx, could not help but say to Yang Ru beside her, "I heard Gao Wu is the freshman representative this time. He's going to give a speech on stage on our behalf and even perform sword techniques. He is truly shameless!"

Although Yang Ru was teammates with Gao Wu and had a decent relationship with him, having been baked under the sun for twenty days, she inevitably harbored some resentment. "This guy really is shameless..."

A sturdy girl with an average appearance sitting nearby suddenly chimed in, "What qualification does Gao Wu have to represent us freshmen? He is nothing more than a butcher who only knows how to kill!"

Both Bai Yushuang and Yang Ru were stunned. Was this girl out of her mind?

The sturdy girl said righteously, "If Gao Wu really takes the stage to speak, I will definitely ask him to clarify things face to face!"

Although Bai Yushuang looked down on Gao Wu, she would never stoop to undermining someone like this in public.

Such an action was not only a slap to Gao Wu's face, but also a slap to the organizers. This girl was stupid, and Gao Wu was formidable; watching the two of them clash would actually be quite entertaining!

Yang Ru earnestly advised, "Don't be like this."

Ultimately, Bai Yushuang could not bear it either, and she also persuaded, "You can question Gao Wu, but not on an occasion like this. This is disrespectful to everyone else."

The sturdy girl calmly replied, "Precisely because my classmates and teachers are all here, I must ask for clarity. Right and wrong have their own public consensus. If he has done nothing wrong, why would he fear being questioned?"

Yang Ru was left speechless, while Bai Yushuang shook her head slightly. It is difficult to save those determined to court their own doom.

A burst of cheerful music sounded, and a well-dressed, elegant female host walked to the center of the stage and said, "Let us welcome this year's freshman representative, Gao Wu, to the stage to speak..."

Gao Wu's fame was simply too great, and the news that he had not come to attend the training had spread long ago. Hearing that Gao Wu was going to represent the freshmen in a speech, the crowd of freshmen broke into an uproar.

Fortunately, basic discipline remained, and under the leadership of the instructors, they still applauded.

Gao Wu took the stage amidst the sparse applause...

"Respected leaders, teachers, and dear fellow students, I am deeply honored to stand here as the freshman representative..."

Gao Wu actually disliked this kind of stereotyped, formulaic speech draft, but since he stood here representing Anyu University's Martial Arts Academy, while these clichés were undeniably boring, they were safe and committed no errors. That alone was sufficient.

Of course, he had also prepared a few more passionate lines for the end. The boilerplate was necessary, but the sparks were too.

"Gao Wu, the King of Youths! Heh..."

Li Chunyi of Beizhou University sat right in the front row, his gaze sharp. From this position, he could easily see Gao Wu's face, observe Gao Wu's subtle expressions and movements, and even catch the changes in Gao Wu's eyes.

Li Chunyi felt that Gao Wu was not bad, but calling himself the King of Youths was simply too arrogant. Not to mention other states, even within Beizhou, Gao Wu had never truly proven himself!

Killing a few demon god believers could hardly be considered much of a genuine skill.

Several young men around him sensed Li Chunyi's dissatisfaction and chimed in, "Gao Wu is too arrogant! What King of Youths? Who calls themselves that?"

"It's just Longteng Corporation's crazy marketing. Trash!"

"I heard Grandmaster Lu Yuan didn't even think much of Gao Wu, yet Brother Li is Grandmaster Li's personal successor. What does Gao Wu have to compare with Brother Li?!"

Li Chunyi smiled. Having grown up in the military camps since childhood, his personality was tough and straightforward, and everyone he interacted with was a soldier.

These youths were simply too naive; buttering someone up tasted utterly dull...

He cast a deep glance at Gao Wu. He heard that Gao Wu was also going to demonstrate sword techniques. When the time came for him to issue a challenge on stage, Gao Wu surely wouldn't refuse, right?

Bai Dishan, Yuan Qiansheng, and others were all staring at Gao Wu, and the feelings in their hearts right now were far from pleasant.

Gao Wu skipping training was a minor issue; the crucial part was that he had slain demon god believers and received official endorsement, instantly becoming the representative of Beizhou's youth. Calling him the King of Youths was definitely not an exaggeration!

With such momentum and honor, which young man could help but feel envious?

Numerous filming equipment had been set up at the scene, broadcasting the event live online.

For Anjing, this was also a major event of profound political significance.

Ordinary people naturally did not understand the intricate politics behind it; those who came to watch the live stream were simply looking for excitement, and quite a few of them were specifically there for Gao Wu.

After all, Gao Wu was the most famous and possessed more than enough traffic and heat!

Yan Shanyue, Wang Ye, and Ye Chang'an were all watching the live stream. Yan Shanyue grew rather angry upon seeing Gao Wu take the stage; there was no way Gao Wu could go to the Sky Limit Ninefold today, and that gatekeeper purposely refused to tell her—definitely not a good person.

Ye Chang'an was still complaining in the chat group: "All this kid is saying are clichés! Not a shred of the kingly aura of a youth king. Just a piece of trash tamed by the establishment!"

Wang Ye was just about to agree when he heard a woman's shrill voice echo from the scene: "Gao Wu, I have a question I'd like to ask!"

The director broadcasting the live stream was clearly quite amateurish; when such an unexpected situation suddenly occurred, he neither cut the broadcast nor aimed the camera at the person speaking.

On the screen, one could only see Gao Wu dressed in martial arts attire as red as blood. Gao Wu's expression was calm; he was even smiling. "Oh, classmate, what is your question?"

The middle-aged director in charge of the venue scratched his head slightly. This wasn't really a big deal, but with it happening so abruptly, he wondered how the big figures in the front row would view it.

Seeing Left Governor Song Chunlin in the front row nod slightly, the middle-aged director let out a sigh of relief. Since this person felt there was no issue, the live broadcast would proceed as usual.

He instructed the director to switch the camera to the questioning girl.

The girl was slightly plump, appearing rather sturdy with ordinary looks, but she made up for it with immense confidence. Questioning him in public, her breath was steady and her voice carried ample strength, completely devoid of any timidity or guilt.

"You clearly possess high-level martial arts. When facing those numerous demon god believers, you were completely capable of subduing them instead of killing them directly."

The sturdy girl said righteously, "Your name is Gao Wu. Do you know that martial arts are meant to stop conflict—that martial arts are used to halt struggles, not for violent slaughter!"

The over ten thousand freshmen at the scene fell into absolute silence, with only the cool evening wind whistling softly.

The vast majority of people felt that the girl's questioning made little sense. Facing an attack by demon god believers, where would one find the time to ponder, research, and devise the most prudent response?

There was another extremely important point: the authorities had publicly stepped forward to express their appreciation, proving that Gao Wu's handling of the situation was entirely correct.

Li Chunyi, hailing from a military background, sneered. For a freshman to ask such a stupid question showed they had lived in a peaceful environment for far too long, lacking even the basic qualities of a martial artist.

Bai Dishan, Yuan Qiansheng, Bai Yushuang, and others also shook their heads. While they might not like Gao Wu, they would not question him on this matter.

Any martial artist with basic common sense knew that when dealing with sudden incidents amidst a crowd, one had to be decisive.

Of course, a small portion of people also felt the girl was completely right. In fact, such voices questioning Gao Wu had always existed online, and their momentum was by no means small.

Extreme voices could be magnified many times over through the internet. Yet to publicly stand up and question Gao Wu like this—whether this girl was seeking attention or experiencing a genuine explosion of a sense of justice remained unknown!

Regardless of whether they agreed or opposed, no one present would publicly stand up and state their stance.

The numerous big figures in the front row were watching with great interest; they all wanted to see how Gao Wu would respond...

In fact, once a debate entered the stage of argument, it became extremely difficult to distinguish right from wrong or superiority.

A truly clever person would never follow the opponent's rhythm.

Gao Wu patiently waited for the girl to finish speaking before saying, "First, I must correct one point: I did not have the ability to subdue the demon god believers. Second, demon god believers are not citizens and do not enjoy any rights; that is written in the legal code."

The girl attempted to argue further, but Gao Wu raised a hand in a downward pressing motion, gesturing for her to remain silent for a moment. At the same time, he projected his condensed sniper-rifle-style fist intent directly into the girl's psyche from afar.

Having pushed his War Soldier Fist to the state of perfection, Gao Wu had already condensed his own unique fist intent.

His mental power of twenty points actually already surpassed that of an ordinary martial master. At this moment, merely by slightly releasing his fist intent through his gaze, he possessed enough force to shove the words right back down the girl's throat.

The gap in tiers between the two was simply too vast.

So many martial arts powerhouses present all took note of this. Even Martial Arts Grandmaster Li Xuanyang revealed a trace of surprise; to condense one's own fist intent at such an age was somewhat extraordinary.

He turned his head to glance at An Ziru in the back row, thinking to himself that An Ziru had really picked up a massive bargain this time! Yet, he felt somewhat puzzled—this differed greatly from Gao Wu's performance in the video...

Could it be that in a mere few dozen days, Gao Wu had achieved such massive progress? Then how could Lu Yuan have misjudged him?

An Ziru and Bai Yan were both quite familiar with Gao Wu, and seeing this, they were even more astonished. When on earth had Gao Wu condensed such a pure fist intent?!

Gao Wu cared little what others thought. Having slightly released his fist intent to seize the initiative, he leisurely continued, "Classmate, you have also committed a very grave error. The saying 'martial arts are meant to stop conflict' is merely the result of certain clever individuals misinterpreting the original meaning of the characters.

"The 'stop' component in the character for martial arts refers to a toe. 'Martial' means advancing while holding a long halberd.

"Our ancestors understood this truth long ago. Facing a harsh natural environment and all kinds of ferocious beasts, they had no choice but to fight.

"It was only when our ancestors bound stone blades to wooden sticks to forge weapons that they could slaughter beasts and formidable enemies, expand outward to forage for more resources, secure their foundational footing, and survive and multiply.

"Our ancestors created written language and recorded this supremely important matter using the character for 'martial'."

The notion that martial arts were meant to stop conflict was widely circulated and fit the baseline of peaceful living over the past few decades, recognized by the majority.

Hearing Gao Wu explain the word "martial" in this manner, everyone found it immensely fresh and logical.

Even the group of dignitaries sitting in the front row were largely unaware of this, all feeling that the explanation was fascinating.

Gao Wu gave everyone time to digest it before saying to the girl, "In terms of literature, you lack basic knowledge. In terms of martial arts, you cannot even withstand a trace of my fist intent. What qualifications do you have to reason with me?"

He said calmly, "I have never heard of a sheep reasoning with a tiger, nor have I ever heard of insects and ants reasoning with a divine dragon."

"If you want to reason, you must first possess the qualification to do so."

The girl's face flushed as red as blood, yet not a single word escaped her lips.

Bai Yushuang and Yang Ru beside her felt a tinge of sympathy. Crashing an event and hitting an iron wall—now she knew how painful it felt!

Li Chunyi hesitated somewhat at this moment as well. *Damn it, this kid is truly domineering! With such fist intent and aura, I might not necessarily win if I went up there.*

*If I went up and lost, only to be lectured by that kid on the spot, I would lose all my face...*

Ye Chang'an, watching the live stream, lamented in the chat group: "This kid can not only fight, but his tongue is also venomous. Terrifying!"

Wang Ye posted a teary-eyed, pitiful emoticon to express his agreement...

Ignoring the girl entirely, Gao Wu looked toward the vast gathering of freshmen and said, "Life is limited, but great spirit and achievements will be passed down alongside the race.

"We martial artists should hold our halberds and charge forward, pacifying all demons and exterminating all alien beasts, forging a clear and bright universe, forging peace for all generations!

"I share these words with all my fellow students, hoping that each of us can radiate our own light, and hoping that we can all become the light of the Chinese civilization, enduring unbroken alongside the Chinese civilization, never to be extinguished!"

This speech possessed immense momentum and a grand framework, coupled with Gao Wu's sharp and formidable fist intent. It shocked the over ten thousand freshmen present, setting the youths' blood boiling beyond control.

Which young man did not long to become a hero revered by millions, which did not yearn to build everlasting feats of merit?

Even Li Chunyi, who had been eager to challenge Gao Wu, felt his blood surging at this moment, wishing he could immediately slaughter a few alien beasts to showcase his skills...

Many of the big figures in the front row revealed expressions of appreciation. Regardless of whether Gao Wu was boasting, the ability to phrase grand boasts with such brilliant radiance was a skill in its own right.

Gao Wu drew the Destiny Sword at his waist and cupped his fists toward the crowd below: "Lastly, let me present to all of you a set of the Draconic Sword Technique."

He had originally intended to practice his swordplay properly anyway, and to let these freshmen know that his title as the King of Youths was no empty boast!

Provoked by the sudden appearance of that girl, Gao Wu gained an extra three parts of piercing sword intent.

With the Destiny Sword in hand, Gao Wu agitated the vital source energy within his acupoints to execute the Draconic Sword Technique. Stirred by the source energy, the Destiny Sword flashed with a grim, chilling sword light that surged and rippled across the space like a brilliant, soaring silver dragon...

The backstage had originally prepared background music, but at this moment, Gao Wu's surging sword Qi resembled the roaring of a dragon—its sound deep, soaring, and reaching straight into the clouds, striking terror into human hearts. What need was there for any musical accompaniment?

Zhou Hong缨 watched the crimson figure flickering indistinctly amidst the sword light from the side of the high platform, her bright eyes filled with infatuation.

Most of the freshmen were much the same; when had they ever witnessed such radiant sword light, or experienced a piercing sword intent that suppressed ten thousand people?

Bai Dishan, Bai Yushuang, Yuan Qiansheng, and the others all turned pale.

They had worked hard throughout the holiday, even preparing to properly contest Gao Wu after the start of term. At this moment, they realized that the gap between them and Gao Wu had already widened to an insurmountable degree, and their minds suffered a heavy blow.

The arrogant Li Chunyi also wore a solemn expression. This sword technique was sharp, fierce, and possessed a divine charm of its own, having evidently condensed a unique sword intent belonging exclusively to Gao Wu—ten times stronger than the sword technique displayed in the video. He didn't seem capable of defeating him...

The trio watching the live stream also fell silent.

As Gao Wu executed his final posture, returning to his initial position and standing erect and still, the sword in his hand transformed into a chilling light that spun violently into a wheel, shooting straight up into the sky.

The Destiny Sword propelled by source energy spun at a terrifyingly high speed. The continuous, overlapping sounds of the blade tearing through the air produced a low, rumbling hum that penetrated straight to the eardrums of everyone present, making their hearts tremble along with it.

The brilliant sword wheel soaring into the sky flew tens of meters high, looking just like a rising moon. Its brilliant sword light illuminated the deep dusk and the eyes of everyone present...

Countless individuals were cowed by that moon-like sword light, leaving an indelible imprint deep within their memories.

Reaching the absolute zenith of its rotation, the brilliant sword wheel abruptly reversed direction, plunging downward toward Gao Wu. The speed of its descent accelerated even further, and the sword light grew increasingly dazzling and grim.

In the blink of an eye, the radiant sword wheel slashed right before Gao Wu, its light illuminating him until he was completely resplendent.

Witnessing this scene, unified gasps of shock rang out across the venue.

Yet Gao Wu remained motionless as the spinning, hurtling radiant sword wheel pierced with absolute precision straight into the scabbard at his waist.

The sword light vanished instantly, leaving only the clanging chime of the blade entering the scabbard to echo endlessly across the square and within everyone's hearts...

From extreme motion to absolute stillness, all transpired in the span of a single breath.

Gao Wu held his sword, cupped his fists, and bowed to the crowd: "I have made a fool of myself."

Most of the freshmen below were still filled with lingering shock, temporarily unable to make any reaction. The young martial artists like Bai Dishan were thoroughly stunned by this dazzling display.

Left Governor Song Chunlin in the front row took the lead in applauding, and the applause slowly spread outward...

Down below, Li Chunyi did not clap. He merely stared blankly at Gao Wu on the stage, with only a single thought in his mind: "Damn it, how can a person love showing off this much!"

The chat group fell silent for a moment before Wang Ye broke the silence: "I'm thoroughly convinced. This guy isn't the King of Youths; he's the King of Show-offs!"

"So damn handsome! I'm so envious!" Ye Chang'an flooded the screen with heart-eyed emojis of envy...

Yan Shanyue said nothing; her heart felt ice-cold. Gao Wu's sword technique was simply too strong—so strong that it filled her with despair.