Immortal Martial Academy - Chapter 4
As Squad Leader of Nightwatcher’s Ninth Squad, Chunqiu was incredibly fortunate to invite someone who had just awakened their Innate Skill. However, he chose Wu Xianyao.
Wu Xianyao had his own mission—to spread the Martial Dao, both for himself and for Great Xia. The current generation of Great Xia citizens suffered immensely.
Upon receiving the invitation, Wu Xianyao slightly lifted his gaze before looking straight ahead and saying, “I don’t feel particularly drawn to the Nightwatchers. I have more important matters to attend to. My apologies.”
“Don’t worry about it, little brother. Joining the Nightwatchers is actually much safer than enlisting in the military. The service term is thirty years, but after that, you’re free to do whatever you wish without any restrictions. Additionally, the benefits for Nightwatchers are quite good.”
Chunqiu’s voice sounded overly persuasive to Wu Xianyao’s ears.
He shook his head, “Can it save lives?”
“Absolutely, it can save many lives.” Chunqiu felt a glimmer of hope, sensing interest in Wu Xianyao’s response.
“How many lives? A million? Ten million?” Wu Xianyao asked earnestly, genuinely concerned with this question.
If he could indeed save such vast numbers, Wu Xianyao wouldn’t mind joining the Nightwatchers.
“I doubt it,” Chunqiu hesitated. Saving millions or tens of millions was beyond even the capabilities of the gifted.
“Then I won’t join.”
Wu Xianyao walked away from the park, against the setting sun’s rays.
“Why not? Your innate ability is incredibly powerful; you could save many lives,” Chunqiu tried to step forward and stop Wu Xianyao.
An invisible blood-red energy wall blocked his path.
Upon hearing this, Wu Xianyao hesitated briefly before continuing on.
“It’s not enough! I want to save even more people.”
To Chunqiu, at that moment, Wu Xianyao seemed like he was walking alone through a sea of blood.
His posture remained upright, each step firm and resolute, yet his solitary figure evoked a profound sense of loneliness, stirring a heart-wrenching urge to help him or simply follow by his side.
Back in the settlement area, Wu Xianyao sat cross-legged to begin cultivating. His understanding of the Qi and Blood Martial Dao was deep; with a solid foundation, he could directly advance to the next realm.
However, he wasn’t sure about the ranking system for the gifted in this world.
With this thought, Wu Xianyao started searching online.
“The gifted are divided into nine ranks, with their abilities originating from crystal cores within their minds. These powers vary widely, including fire, water, ice, thunder, earth elements, and more. To upgrade, they need to absorb and compress energy; the purer and larger the energy source, the more formidable they become.”
Wu Xianyao frowned as he read; it seemed clear that these abilities were akin to supernatural powers. He then proceeded to examine their combat styles.
Watching several videos, Wu Xianyao was quite impressed with the structured approach to fighting displayed by these individuals. It reflected over a thousand years of research and development in Great Xia’s combat techniques. Having only been exposed to this for a few years himself, he felt unqualified to critique them.
Early the next morning, at the same park, Chen Beixuan had already begun his training. Noticing Chen Beixuan about to rise, Wu Xianyao waved him off, saying, “Don’t worry about me, continue your practice.”
After half an hour, a blonde-haired individual arrived – yes, blonde, sporting a short Chinese-style haircut, a slightly mischievous expression, and dressed in white martial attire. His presence suggested he might be looking for trouble.
“I didn’t expect you guys to actually train here. Wu Xianyao, you should know, yesterday in the group chat, you got roasted pretty badly. Even when Chen Beixuan tried to defend you, he faced harsh criticism too.” Li Junlin approached Chen Beixuan, observing him curiously.
“You want to learn martial arts?” Wu Xianyao looked intriguedly at the school bully known among their peers.
Indeed, Li Junlin was considered the school bully, but surprisingly, he took good care of his classmates. Whenever someone bullied them, he would swiftly intervene.
This was one of the reasons why everyone held no animosity towards Li Junlin.
“I used to get into fights constantly, almost every few days. In a few months, I’ll be enlisting in the military, so learning some proper combat skills can’t hurt,” Li Junlin spoke with a hint of melancholy but without any trace of fear in his eyes. “If I truly master these skills, I’d kill more Xenobeasts until I could earn a new page in our clan’s genealogy. Just thinking about it gets me pumped!” He grinned enthusiastically.
Wu Xianyao handed Li Junlin a notice form. “Sign this, and I’ll teach you martial arts. Forget just adding a new page; eventually, you could even dictate the entire clan genealogy.”
“Signing? Real men leave thumbprints.” Li Junlin bit his thumb, drawing blood, and pressed it firmly onto the notice form.
As Chen Beixuan completed his cultivation session, he witnessed Li Junlin’s action and exclaimed, “Damn, that’s intense!”
Feeling the voice directly in his mind, Li Junlin looked at Wu Xianyao, “So what you said is true – something capable of altering Great Xia’s landscape?”
Wu Xianyao nodded, “You know my connections well enough. Without offering something substantial, would anyone believe me, even if I tried convincing them?”
Li Junlin nodded; without revealing something substantial, it would be impossible for others to believe him. Even if Wu Xianyao tried explaining, they might dismiss him as insane.
[Congratulations on completing Task 1, Host has earned 10 minutes of Deduction Time.]
Ignoring the system reward, Wu Xianyao continued, “Let’s start training first. Our priority is ensuring you both have self-defense capabilities during battles.”
Indeed, where else could ordinary individuals find safety amidst chaos? The military offered protection, albeit with its own risks. By establishing themselves within the army, Chen Beixuan and Li Junlin could pave a safer path for their future endeavors.
During the same session, Li Junlin completed all nine movements, performing even better than Chen Beixuan.
As they were leaving, Wu Xianyao also gifted Li Junlin a Spirit Medicine plant.
Back home that evening, Wu Xianyao examined his newly acquired 10 minutes of Deduction Time, pondering his options.
Firstly, there was cultivation. He possessed the Nine Suns World Illuminating Art, but its entry barrier was exceptionally high. It would likely take at least half a year for Li Junlin and Chen Beixuan to grasp the basics. Thus, he needed a simpler Qi and Blood cultivation technique for them initially.
Additionally, combat techniques were essential since they would soon face battlefields.
In ten minutes, he could easily deduce a basic combat technique within five minutes, ideally one that combines movement with attacks.
Five minutes would suffice for a low-level cultivation method.
While Wu Xianyao pondered his options,
Chen Beixuan had just returned to his modest two-bedroom home, where his parents were already asleep.
Only Qing Qing sat on the sofa waiting for him.
“You’re back. I’ll go prepare dinner.” Qing Qing and Chen Beixuan were newly matched as spouses, their relationship still budding, yet they treated each other with mutual respect.
“Great, I’ll take a shower first.”
After Chen Beixuan finished his shower, he joined Qing Qing at the table for a simple home-cooked meal.
“I can now feel myself becoming stronger,” Chen Beixuan said while eating, discussing plans related to his upcoming military service. “Don’t worry about me going to battle; I will return safely. If anything happens at home during my absence, seek help from Xianyao; he’ll assist you.”
“And regarding your parents, if living together becomes uncomfortable, once the baby is born, you can apply for our own place. Whether you want to move out or not, it’s entirely up to you; I have no objections.”
Chen Beixuan continued rambling, covering various topics.
Qing Qing nodded attentively, agreeing with everything he said.
However, Chen Beixuan didn’t notice the subtle affection in Qing Qing’s eyes.
Perhaps when a lost soul encounters a guiding light, that moment defines the shape of hope.
For Qing Qing, Chen Beixuan was her guiding light.