[Longevity] (White)
Ascended Fate:
[Long Life (Azure)]: [Your lifespan will always be longer than those of the same stage.]
[Life Like the Nether Spirit (Azure)]: [In the south of Chu, there is a spirit called Mingling, which takes five hundred years as spring and five hundred years as autumn.]
[Longevity of Tortoise and Crane (Azure)]: [Lifespan comparable to tortoises and cranes, with a slowed rate of bodily vitality decline.]
[Cautious and Brave] (White)
Ascended Fate:
[Divine Bravery (Pseudo) (Azure)]: [The divine bravery of feathers, unparalleled through the ages, though you may not reach such heights.]
[Unmatched Spirit (Azure)]: [Your spirit is incomparable to ordinary people, possessing the power to conquer hearts.]
[Valiant Courage]: [The higher your courage, the faster your blood energy regenerates within your physique.]
[Dragon Vigour Tiger Might] (White)
Ascended Fate:
[Vital Energy Self-Generation (Azure)]: [Internal essence and vitality are inexhaustible, allowing blood energy to grow on its own.]
[Swallowing Stars (Azure)]: [Majestic spirit capable of swallowing stars, empowering oneself. Each breath and exhalation allows for days of cultivation compared to ordinary tens of days.]
[Dragon Roar Tiger Howl (Azure)]: [Internal essence and vitality manifest as dragon roars and tiger howls. Those with this fate can remain energetic for three days and three nights without sleep!]
Gu Yuan's eyes flashed, he saw this and saw no need to look further.
He had witnessed the fate of [Swallowing Stars (Azure)] on Wang Qifeng, and it had made him incredibly envious at the time. Unfortunately, he lacked the azure Qi essence then and couldn't imprint it.
As the finals were imminent, Gu Yuan had already secured his spot in the Tianxia High School Martial Arts League, regardless of the outcome.
After the martial arts examination, he could choose a martial arts university and cultivate true Qi techniques. At that time, breathing and exhaling would be of utmost importance, affecting his performance in the Tianxia High School Martial Arts League.
If his true Qi cultivation surpassed others, he could contend for the top twenty, or even the top ten.
With a thought, he ascended!
All other stars dimmed, leaving only the star representing [Dragon Vigour Tiger Might (White)] burning with white flames.
Intense white flames ignited, and a hint of azure quietly appeared at their center. The azure then spread rapidly, until the entire flame turned azure.
[Ascension Successful!]
[Azure Qi Essence reduced by 200 points]
He opened his panel.
[Dao Master]: [Gu Yuan]
[Destiny]: [Unformed]
[Realm]: [Body Forging Ninth Level (Perfection)]
[Fates]: [Ribbed Muscles (Azure)], [Swallowing Stars (Azure)], [Martial Skill Mastery (Azure)], [Spiritual Energy Affinity (Azure)], [Longevity] (White), [Cautious and Brave] (White), [Sudden Intuition] (White), [Archery] (White), [Greatsword Affinity] (White)
[Martial Skills]: "Seven Fiends Killing Fist" (Minor Accomplishment)... Expand.
With the azure fate [Swallowing Stars (Azure)] entering his body, a tidal wave of breathing sounds emanated from Gu Yuan's bedroom.
Hoo~hsss~
The sound of blood and Qi flowing within Gu Yuan's body could be heard.
Two white streams of Qi entwined around his nose, like small snakes entering and exiting his nostrils.
The spiritual energy in the entire room was absorbed by Gu Yuan like a long whale drinking water, entering his body, refined by his blood and Qi, and enhancing the strength of his own blood and Qi.
Gu Yuan experienced the power of [Swallowing Stars (Azure)]. It was indeed extraordinary. The spiritual energy absorbed in this short time far surpassed his previous self.
After a brief rest, Gu Yuan prepared to initiate the third stage of "Eight Elephants Body Disaster."
Just now, when imprinting and absorbing the fate of [Martial Skill Mastery], he had upgraded it to the third stage.
The competition tomorrow might even present him with better means to combat his opponents.
Gu Yuan circulated "Eight Elephants Body Disaster," observing himself internally. Six remaining light spots began to appear in his body, indicating he could freely activate one of the Elephants.
This led him into contemplation: which Elephant should he activate?
In Gu Yuan's estimation, two Elephants would bring him significant improvement. One was the Zhen Elephant, representing thunder, which could enhance the power of his Thunder Slash and Thunderbolt Leopard.
The other was the Li Elephant, which could boost the power of his Blazing Sun Fist.
However, Gu Yuan feared that activating the Zhen Elephant might draw heavenly lightning. Once activated, not only would it be dangerous, but it would also attract attention, which did not align with his sly... no, his low-profile approach.
He decided to activate the Li Elephant after careful consideration.
The Li Elephant represented the eyes within the body.
Damn, this is a bit dangerous!
Gu Yuan hesitated. Could the eyes really handle it? If he made a mistake, the worst outcome would be blindness.
After much thought, Gu Yuan gritted his teeth and decided to go for it!
On the path of martial arts, where is there safety? At worst, he would die, and eighteen years later, he would be a hero again.
He began to circulate the essence of "Eight Elephants Body Disaster" within his body, closing his eyes to search for the Li Elephant. Guided by the power of the Eight Elephants, he found the Li Elephant at a location corresponding to his eyes.
He circulated the incantation representing the Li Elephant, slowly gathering the fire essence dispersed in the heavens and earth. Since Gu Yuan was in the dormitory area, there were no places nearby where fire spiritual energy concentrated.
It took a considerable amount of time to gather enough fire essence. Gu Yuan dared not be careless and continued to absorb it with great concentration.
Finally, after absorbing enough fire essence, Gu Yuan launched an assault on the gate of the Li Elephant, channeling the vast fire essence to continuously impact it.
During the repeated impacts, the fire essence was constantly consumed and dispersed within his body, absorbed by his blood and Qi. This substance was a great tonic for the physical body.
With a boom.
The gate of the Li Elephant opened!
Gu Yuan's spirit, carrying the remaining fire essence, entered a place filled with high-temperature flames.
A scorching aura emanated from the Li Elephant space and began to circulate within his body along with his blood and Qi, emitting a scorching heat that continuously purged impurities at a deeper level. Simultaneously, a fiery red power surged into Gu Yuan's mind.
It enveloped Gu Yuan's soul, continuously emitting a comfortable power like a hot spring.
This made Gu Yuan involuntarily let out a comfortable groan.
After a long while, the scorching aura within his body and the fiery red power in his mind dissipated.
His soul felt clear and refreshed.
A technique also appeared in his mind.
Li Elephant · Crimson Flame!
It could draw out the flame power from the Li Elephant space, forming extremely high-temperature crimson flames that could be imbued into any martial skill (except water and ice attributes).
Good, good.
Gu Yuan nodded with satisfaction. This way, his Blazing Sun Fist tomorrow could be enhanced in power, catching his opponent off guard.
He allowed the Li Elephant to autonomously absorb the fire essence from the air. The continuous breakthroughs in his strength had left him mentally fatigued.
He directly lay on his bed and went to sleep.
The next morning.
Gu Yuan arrived at the arena. The others had already returned to Tianyuan because their matches had concluded days ago. They reasoned that they couldn't improve their strength here and it was better to return and do so. Chu Ling also received a message from her father early in the morning, instructing her to return.
Now, Gu Yuan was the only remaining participant from Class 5, Grade 3, in the competition. Everyone else had returned.
Gu Yuan squinted at the two figures continuously clashing on the stage. The competition had reached this point, and it would essentially conclude in two more days. Gu Yuan was scheduled for two matches today.
He would face Li Pu, ranked thirtieth!
He would face Quan Xing, ranked twentieth!
Today was to determine the top twenty contestants. Tomorrow would be the top ten. On the final day, recruitment officials from various prestigious universities in Zhongzhou Prefecture, as well as some military generals, would arrive to witness the top ten duels. This was because the top ten would be the pride of Zhongzhou Prefecture, the seed players.
They were the most outstanding high school students of this cohort in Zhongzhou Prefecture.
While he was contemplating, the battle on the stage below had also concluded. The announcer's voice rang out at the opportune moment:
"Next, let us welcome the dark horse contestant of this martial arts examination, Gu Yuan! He has won all his matches from rank three hundred and sixty-six all the way to the current fifty-eighth place. His strength is formidable, and his defensive capabilities are unmatched among his peers. We wonder if any contestant can break through Gu Yuan's defense."
"Alright, enough of the preamble. Today, he will face Li Pu, ranked thirtieth. Let us watch with anticipation."
Hoo~
Gu Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air and rose, heading towards the stage. Li Pu, a man of lean build and resolute expression, also rose and walked towards the stage together.