Chapter 156: Heading North

"As far as I know, an immense number of talents are participating in this Azure Dragon Cup. Among them are many martial masters, each possessing unique special abilities. They are currently the finest youth of the Alliance..."

Lu Yuan cast a meaningful glance at Gao Wu. "The Azure Dragon Cup is an individual combat tournament, and how far you go depends entirely on your own abilities. The rules prohibit the use of weapons, as they are simply too dangerous."

Lu Yuan knew that Gao Wu's sword was a Tier 6 divine weapon, scarcely inferior to the long spear in his own hands. For someone of Gao Wu's age and background, such a divine weapon was an extraordinary luxury.

Without such a weapon, no matter how transcendent Gao Wu's talent might be, he ultimately would have been no match for that insectoid creature.

Weapons were forbidden on the arena stage, meaning Gao Wu could not utilize the deeply practiced swordsmanship he had cultivated, placing him at a severe disadvantage.

The Sword Saint Hai Wuji was, after all, one of the most powerful figures in the Alliance. If Gao Wu could manage to become a disciple of the Sword Saint, the benefits to him would be immeasurable.

Driven by personal partiality, Lu Yuan naturally hoped that Gao Wu could win the appreciation of the Sword Saint and grow rapidly.

Among the fourteen provinces of the Alliance, Northern Province faced the most perilous situation. This was because Northern Province originally contained an exceptionally massive secret realm known as the Aurora Icefield, which required a million-strong garrison merely to hold it.

The current turmoil in Northern Province was likewise caused by this secret realm, the Aurora Icefield, releasing surges of primal energy that eroded the surrounding space into spatial gateways, which subsequently merged with the real world to form secret realms.

The pressure on Northern Province was mounting by the day, creating an urgent need for the younger generation to mature swiftly and shoulder their responsibilities.

Judging by the current situation, only Song Mingyue, Yan Shanyue, and Wan Muchun stood a chance of advancing to Tier 7, yet their rate of growth was far too slow.

The rest, such as Wang Ye, Ye Chang'an, Chu Qingqing, and Li Chunyi, though all quite commendable, had upper limits that were easily foreseeable.

Gao Wu was entirely unique; while his martial talent appeared mediocre, his growth rate was astonishingly fast. Moreover, he possessed hidden special abilities.

Unable to fully read Gao Wu, Lu Yuan naturally pinned even higher hopes upon him.

"I will certainly go all out and not fail Teacher Lu's heavy trust!"

Gao Wu was eager to try his hand at the Azure Dragon Cup. Competitions were his absolute favorite; sweeping through his peers would be the most rightful way to crown himself the King of Youths.

If he waited until he was nineteen to claim the title of King of Youths, it might feel slightly less fitting. Seizing the opportunity while he was still eighteen to dominate the Alliance and become the undisputed number one in his age group—

The mere thought of it filled him with grandeur!

Lu Yuan nodded. What he appreciated most about Gao Wu was precisely this: it seemed there was no difficulty Gao Wu could not overcome, no problem he could not solve, forever remaining so enthusiastic, fervent, confident, and high-spirited.

As youths themselves, other martial prodigies were admittedly confident and high-spirited as well, yet most of them inevitably gave off an air of arrogance and conceit, always lacking the infectious charm of Gao Wu. This could perhaps be considered Gao Wu's unique personal charisma.

"The Aurora Icefield is also divided into numerous secret realms. Certain realms impose heavy restrictions, making them remarkably suited for low-tier martial artists like you to temper your skills."

Lu Yuan offered a brief explanation. Sending Gao Wu to the front lines was meant to temper him and ignite his latent potential.

He certainly did not wish for any accidents to befall Gao Wu.

"I love a challenge!"

Gao Wu was unconcerned. All trials carried immense risks, and tempering one's skills on the front lines would undoubtedly be even more perilous.

The path of a martial artist was inherently fraught with thorns and bumps. If he wished to reach the pinnacle and become the strongest under heaven, he had to forge ahead courageously.

The comfortable luxury of hiding at home and cultivating in seclusion until one became the greatest under heaven was simply not his destiny!

Lu Yuan was thoroughly satisfied with Gao Wu's attitude. Since everything had been made clear and Gao Wu was so eager and proactive, there was no need to say any more.

The Martial Grandmaster reached out and gently tapped the center of Gao Wu's brow, transmitting the entirety of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations—which he had comprehended over a lifetime—directly to Gao Wu.

Hidden Dragon Do Not Use, Swimming Dragon Leaps the Abyss, Fierce Dragon Crosses the River, Dragon Fights in the Wild, Flying Dragon in the Sky, Heavenly Dragon Seeks Claws, Divine Dragon Wags Its Tail, Dragon Roars in the Nine Firmaments, Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets.

The Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations were, in reality, advanced secret techniques derived from the Nine Dragon Forms. Lu Yuan had not even bothered to change the names, because the divine intent and essence remained identical; altering the terminology would be completely meaningless.

Only in the detailed execution of the techniques did the essence of a lifetime's worth of wisdom and experience manifest.

A powerful spiritual imprint unfolded within Gao Wu's mental realm, fully revealing the subtle variations, true marrow, and profound meaning of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations.

The sudden eruption of massive information inflicted a certain degree of impact upon Gao Wu's consciousness.

Fortunately, his spiritual power was formidable, allowing him to adapt to the information shock almost instantaneously. His consciousness was able to calmly and orderly organize, accept, analyze, and absorb the data.

Although the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations appeared identical to the Nine Dragon Forms he had learned, they actually possessed extraordinarily vast differences.

How should he put it? It was akin to learning a song in elementary school; one might feel they had mastered it and could sing it reasonably well.

Yet when they eventually met the lyricist, composer, and original singer of that song, attempting to sing it again would reveal countless flaws.

There was no absolute standard for how to interpret a song, but it undeniably had to conform to the fundamental laws of music.

Within that lay boundless profound knowledge.

Such was the case with Lu Yuan's Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations. Even though Gao Wu practiced the Nine Dragon Forms every day and fancied himself thoroughly proficient—

The Infinite Merit Tome even rated his Nine Dragon Forms as Minor Success; moreover, advancing to a senior martial artist had not caused the Nine Dragon Forms to advance alongside him.

Gao Wu had originally expected the Nine Dragon Forms to soon break through to the Major Success realm, but their actual rate of progress was far, far slower than he had anticipated.

Having now studied the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations imparted by Lu Yuan, he realized he still fell short by a massive margin.

Presently, only four forms—Swimming Dragon Leaps the Abyss, Hidden Dragon Do Not Use, Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets, and Dragon Roars in the Nine Firmaments—had reached the Major Success realm, while his comprehension of the remaining five forms was still far too shallow.

He had to admit that Lu Yuan was truly worthy of being a Martial Grandmaster, explaining the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations from the shallows to the profound with exceptional clarity.

Beginning with Hidden Dragon Do Not Use, ending with Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets, and then transitioning naturally from Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets back into Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, they were linked head-to-tail in this manner to establish a stable, cyclical pattern.

This was not merely a theoretical model, but a tangible, practical cultivation method—and that was what made it truly invaluable.

Gao Wu repeatedly reviewed and studied it within his mental realm, feeling a growing, heartfelt respect for Lu Yuan.

Slaying martial arts experts within a secret realm demonstrated the formidable nature of Lu Yuan's martial cultivation. But creating a mature and complete set of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations based on the foundation of the Nine Dragon Forms—such transcendent wisdom made Gao Wu admire him all the more.

Had he known Teacher Lu possessed such extraordinary wisdom, he would gladly have set aside his tiny grievances and formally acknowledged him as a master.

What a pity, what a pity, to have brushed past this wise man...

Perhaps, as Lu Yuan had put it, they simply lacked the affinity of master and disciple.

When Gao Wu finally opened his eyes, it was already noon.

Lu Yuan invited Gao Wu and Song Mingyue to share a midday meal, and Gao Wu did not stand on ceremony; having received the inheritance, he still had numerous questions he wished to consult Lu Yuan about.

Naturally, the meal prepared for a grandmaster was of supreme quality, yet it was prepared with extreme lightness, though brimming with robust energy.

Following the meal, Lu Yuan led Gao Wu and Song Mingyue to the tearoom. While Song Mingyue brewed the tea, Lu Yuan discussed extensively the current conditions within the Aurora Icefield.

He placed particular emphasis on certain taboos, lest Gao Wu act out of ignorance and commit a grave mistake.

After chatting for over an hour, Lu Yuan finally brought Gao Wu and Song Mingyue to the martial training ground, where he personally guided Gao Wu in cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations.

From that day onward, Gao Wu accompanied Song Mingyue to Heart Moon Island every single day, studying the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations under Lu Yuan's tutelage...

One day in late October, Gao Wu boarded the flight heading north.

As the aircraft surged into the sky, Gao Wu gazed down at the sprawling metropolis of Anjing rapidly receding into the distance, a trace of melancholy stirring within his heart.

In this city were the people he cared for most—little Song and Sister Jun—along with Zhou Hong缨, Shen Wu, and entertaining banter-partners like Li Chunyi and Bai Yushuang. What a pity that he would not be able to see them for some time...

(Seeking monthly tickets, it's mid-month~ Brothers, charge ahead~)