Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 12: The Grand Competition – First Glimpse of Talent

(The entire text unifies the six levels of cultivation methods/martial arts: Beginner → Proficient → Master → Great Success → Perfection → Transcendental)

The first to step onto the main stage was Chu Tiankuo from Qingyang No.1 Middle School.

He wore a martial arts uniform embroidered with a golden sun, his face was handsome, and his eyes were arrogant. Standing on the arena, he was as dazzling as the sun. His opponent was a student from No. 7 Middle School who was at the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm. He had mastered the mid-level mortal-grade "Iron Shirt" technique and his martial skill "Iron Mountain Lean" was only at the proficient level.

"Admit defeat. A mortal cultivation technique can't even break through my protective energy." Chu Tiankuo put his hands in his pockets, his tone indifferent. The superior-grade "Blazing Sun Technique" was quietly circulating within his body, and a faint golden aura of blood and qi emanated from his body—this was the sign of a superior-grade cultivation technique reaching the pinnacle, with blood and qi condensed as if into a tangible substance, and with its own attribute enhancement.

"I refuse to admit defeat!" the opponent roared, unleashing his Iron Shirt technique to its fullest extent. His skin gleamed with a bronze glow as he charged towards Chu Tiankuo like a cannonball. "Martial Technique, Iron Mountain Lean!"

The proficient Iron Mountain Lean brought a fierce gust of wind, but Chu Tiankuo simply turned his body slightly and casually raised his right fist.

"Blazing Sun Fist - Mastery"

A pale red flame instantly enveloped the fist, forming a half-foot-long tongue of fire that distorted and warped the air. Even before the force of the punch arrived, the scorching heat wave had already caused the opponent's eyebrows to curl slightly.

"Bang!"

The moment the fiery fist collided with the Iron Shirt technique, there was no expected deafening roar, only the sizzling sound of burning cloth. The ordinary Iron Shirt technique was like paper before a high-grade, mastered martial art, instantly torn apart. The flames surged into the opponent's body through his blood and meridians. The opponent screamed, his body billowing black smoke as he flew backward, crashing heavily off the stage, a charred fist mark left on his chest.

"Group 1, Chutian Kuo wins! 3 points!"

The referee announced loudly, and cheers erupted from the stands. The teachers and students of Qingyang No. 1 Middle School waved their flags excitedly. Chu Tiankuo shook the sparks off his fist and glanced disdainfully at the audience: "Mortal techniques dare to be presented in such a grand setting?"

Immediately afterwards, Su Qingyue stepped onto the third arena.

Dressed in a white martial arts uniform, with a cool and aloof appearance and an ethereal aura, she attracted everyone's attention the moment she stepped onto the stage. Her opponent was a recommended disciple from the Iron Fist Martial Arts School, a mid-grade low-level practitioner of the "Black Iron Fist" technique, having reached the mastery level, and bearing a hideous scar on his face.

"Miss Su, you're so beautiful, why don't you just admit defeat to avoid hurting your face?" The opponent grinned, his fists clenched, black energy flowing through his knuckles—a characteristic of someone who has mastered a mid-grade martial art.

Su Qingyue remained expressionless, her body circulating the superior-grade "Ice Spirit Condensation Technique" at its peak, a faint white chill swirling around her, and her feet instantly unleashing the "Ice Shadow Step" at its mastery level.

Before everyone's eyes, Su Qingyue's figure had transformed into three icy blue afterimages, leaving a trail of fine ice marks on the arena.

"Ice Blade Palm - Mastery"

As the cold voice fell, a hand covered in half an inch of thick ice armor silently appeared behind the opponent. The palm strike released a chilling force that instantly froze the opponent's blood and energy along the meridians.

The opponent remained in the punching stance, his entire body turning into an ice sculpture, lying straight on the ring, ice shards falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Group 3, Su Qingyue wins! 3 points!"

The audience erupted in applause. Su Qingyue withdrew her hand and stood up, the chill around her dissipating as if nothing had happened.

Zhao Xuan from Experimental High School was even more domineering. He stepped onto the stage, his opponent being a contestant from No. 6 Middle School at the eighth level of Body Tempering. Before the referee could announce the start, Zhao Xuan's top-grade mortal-level "Mad Lion Body Strength" at its peak erupted.

His bronze-colored aura surged skyward, condensing into a blurry phantom of a lion above his head—a unique phenomenon exclusive to those who have mastered a top-grade mortal-level cultivation technique. His "Mountain-Splitting Fist" had even reached perfection; before his fist was even thrown, the violent energy had already caused the stone slabs of the arena to crack slightly.

"Get lost." Zhao Xuan spat out a single word and casually threw a punch.

"roar--!"

A deafening roar erupted from the fist, sending visible ripples through the air. The opponent, pale-faced and lacking the courage to resist, immediately surrendered and scrambled off the ring.

"Group 5, Zhao Xuansheng! 3 points!"

The entire arena erupted in uproar, but Zhao Xuan remained unconcerned, turning and walking off the stage with a fierce look in his eyes.

Lin Chen's first match was scheduled for the afternoon, on stage number 12.

Prior to this, he had been observing the other contestants' matches from the sidelines, gaining a clearer understanding of the differences in skill level and martial arts prowess.

-Ordinary cultivation techniques have thin and turbid qi and blood, which can at most support the cultivation of martial arts to the proficient level;

-Mid-grade cultivation techniques result in condensed and robust Qi and blood, which can support martial arts skills to the proficiency level and produce obvious effects of internal energy.

- Superior cultivation techniques possess inherent attribute-like radiance in their qi and blood, allowing one to cultivate martial arts to the highest level and draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for enhancement;

- Top-grade mortal cultivation techniques can produce unique phenomena, and perfect-grade martial arts can even emit sonic attacks with power comparable to low-level Qi and Blood Realm cultivators.

His ancient "Star Martial Body Forging Technique" at its peak has made his blood and qi as pure as stars, without any attribute impurities, and its power far surpasses all other techniques of the same level.

In the afternoon, it was finally Lin Chen's turn to take the stage.

His first opponent was none other than Li Qiang, a top prospect from No. 4 Middle School and a peak eighth-level Body Tempering cultivator. Li Qiang had mastered the mid-grade Black Sand Palm technique, reaching the mastery level. His palms were constantly soaked in poisonous sand, turning them as black as iron and emitting a pungent, fishy odor.

"A spot you picked up from the street doesn't deserve to stand here! Today I'll show you the difference between a mid-grade technique and a haphazard approach!" Li Qiang sneered, unleashing his Black Sand Palm technique at full power, turning his palm jet black. "Black Sand Corrosion!"

The master-level Black Sand Palm technique carries a dense, insidious energy; wherever it passes, even the air seems to tinge with black. Once struck, the poison will seep into the internal organs along with the blood and qi, leaving lifelong hidden injuries.

Below the stage, the teacher leading the team from No. 4 Middle School wore a smug smile. In his opinion, Li Qiang's Black Sand Palm technique had been mastered to perfection, and it would be more than enough to deal with a self-taught practitioner without proper skills.

Just as Li Qiang's palm was about to strike Lin Chen, Lin Chen unleashed the "Chasing Star Step" skill at its peak.

Three pale silver streaks flashed across the arena simultaneously, Li Qiang's hand passing through only a fleeting afterimage. Before he could react, Lin Chen had already appeared beside him, his right hand forming a fist, and the Great Perfection of the Myriad Manifestations Fist was silently unleashed.

There was no dazzling light, no violent energy, only a ball of silver star power condensed to the extreme, which accurately struck Li Qiang's lower back—the fatal weakness of Black Sand Palm practitioners, the weakest point in the circulation of qi and blood.

"Bang!"

The power of the stars erupted instantly, not only shattering Li Qiang's blood and qi, but also completely purifying the black sand poison within his body. Li Qiang screamed in agony as the black energy around him dissipated, and he lunged forward, crashing heavily onto the arena, unable to get up again.

"Group 12, Lin Chensheng! 3 points!"

The referee announced loudly, and the entire stadium fell silent for a moment.

"What kind of movement technique is that? It leaves three afterimages!"

"His punches are so strange; they can actually purify the insidious poison of the Black Sand Palm!"

"This is definitely not something an ordinary cultivation technique could achieve!"

In the stands, the leaders of various factions looked at this boy from the bottom-ranked No. 3 Middle School for the first time.

Lei sat bolt upright: "This movement technique is definitely above top-grade! It's ten times more agile than our Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School's 'Fierce Tiger Step'!"

Shen Qingzhou's folding fan stopped in mid-air, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes: "A master-level martial skill, with power applied with precision down to the millimeter, actually able to precisely disrupt the opponent's blood and qi circulation nodes. This child's combat talent is terrifying."

Zhou Cang's face darkened, and he snorted coldly: "It's nothing but unorthodox methods. It's no match for real external martial arts."

Wang Hu raised an eyebrow and drew a bold asterisk next to Lin Chen's name on the roster. He had seen countless martial artists, but he had never seen such pure and refined blood and qi, as if it were not cultivated by ordinary people.

Chu Tiankuo frowned, feeling threatened for the first time. He could sense that Lin Chen's blood and qi purity was even higher than his own high-grade, mastered "Blazing Sun Technique".

Lin Chen stepped off the stage, his expression remaining calm. He knew this was just the beginning; even stronger opponents awaited him.