Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 155 Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon
Lu Yuan gave Gao Wu a deep look. Although the insectoid was severely injured, it still possessed a lot of source power.

With the blessing of the Demon God's divine magic, the insectoid's source force field is extremely tough.

It's truly remarkable that Gao Wu and Song Mingyue, working together, were able to break through the insectoid's source energy field. Especially Gao Wu, who used his mental power to control his sword, making the blade glow red like fire, clearly converting the source energy into high temperature.

This change also greatly enhances the destructive power on the source force field.

The nine forms of the dragon form each have their own variations, but none of them have this kind of variation that transforms source energy into high-temperature flames, which is clearly a high-level martial arts talent.

The sword strike that killed the insectoid martial arts master was so fluid in its changes from sword technique to source energy level, yet it was far stronger than any of his previous battles at the high-level martial arts level.

The sword is a top-tier level six divine weapon, and it's also the key to breaking the source force field. What's remarkable is that Gao Wu can wield it with such ease.

In just two months, Gao Wu made rapid progress in his cultivation.

With this divine sword and the Crimson Flame Secret Technique in hand, it won't be difficult for a high-level martial artist to break through the Nine Limits of Heaven.

The most difficult aspect of the Nine Limits of Heaven lies in the powerful source force field of the giant tiger, making it difficult to take shortcuts.

Gao Wu must have passed the Heavenly Limit Nine, but he did not report it.

Lu Yuan probably guessed Gao Wu's thoughts; the young man was a bit arrogant and didn't really want to become his disciple.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with it; what future could a young man have if he didn't even have a little bit of pride?

This is actually very easy to verify; just look up the Nine Limits of Heaven.

Lu Yuan had no interest in investigating. Gao Wu was naturally proud; even a martial arts master like him had his own pride.

If the young man doesn't want to become an apprentice, so be it; he doesn't need Gao Wu as a disciple.

Fortunately, these were all minor issues. Gao Wu performed exceptionally well, as did Song Mingyue. Not only were they both highly capable, but their personalities and sense of responsibility were also outstanding, which was what made Lu Yuan most gratified.

Genius martial artists emerge in large numbers, but few are capable of shouldering great responsibilities!

Lu Yuan said to Gao Wu and Song Mingyue, "After eliminating these few lurking demon god followers, there shouldn't be any more formidable figures. You two should go to the rear camp to rest first."

"We'll leave the secret realm together at dawn tomorrow."

The purpose of this trial was to lure out the demon god's followers. Now that the objective has been achieved, there's no need to put the students at risk.

In fact, quite a few people died or were injured that night, with initial estimates reaching three digits.

More than 10,000 people participated in the trial. One or two percent of them being killed or injured might not seem like much. In reality, every student was the most talented child in their family, the pride of their parents, and a genius in their class and school.

The death toll is no small matter and the aftermath needs to be handled properly.

The spatial fusion is accelerating, and the situation will only worsen, with more and more casualties and increasingly fierce battles.

This trial is not the end, but the beginning.

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly; humanity's decades of peaceful and tranquil life had come to an end...

Even through the mask, Gao Wu couldn't see Lu Yuan's expression, but he could vaguely sense that the old man wasn't in a good mood, at least not with the exhilaration he felt after killing the demon god's followers.

He said cautiously, "Master Lu, I still need to keep an eye on that warhorse and see if I can bring it back to life..."

Lu Yuan found it somewhat amusing. This kid was indeed greedy for money. Well, it wasn't exactly greedy; what young man could resist such a cool and stylish mechanical warhorse? He himself thought it was quite a nice thing.

The problem is that this is a supernatural being at the center, not a machine or a beast, so the supernatural being would face huge restrictions when entering the real world.

It's like a fish out of water; whether it can survive is another matter.

Another huge problem is that the alien spirits were created by the demon god, and who knows if they might suddenly go berserk.

If a mechanical warhorse weighing several thousand kilograms were to run rampant in a city, it could easily kill hundreds or thousands of people... posing a huge safety hazard.

However, mechanical warhorses are also of great research value.

The Alliance's bio-armor technology has advanced rapidly because it has learned a lot of technology from the creations of the demon gods and obtained various magical materials from other worlds, breaking through the limitations of real-world materials.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Be careful."

There are still many followers of the Demon God who haven't been dealt with, and he can't stay here and watch them indefinitely. Since Gao Wu wants the mechanical warhorse, he has to bear the risks himself.

"Don't worry, Master Lu, we can protect ourselves." Gao Wu was quite confident about this.

After all, there can't be many martial arts masters, and even if there were, it's impossible for him to happen to meet one. Rama, who was clearly targeted through special means, is not included in this category.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly and instructed Song Mingyue, "This kid is tough, so be very careful when you're with him."

Lu Yuan's attitude towards his own disciples was naturally different. Gao Wu's fearlessness was his own business, but he shouldn't implicate his own disciples.

However, he couldn't forcibly take Song Mingyue away, since Gao Wu was one of his own, and that would seem too heartless. So he could only give a meaningful explanation.

Song Mingyue understood her master's good intentions and bowed deeply, saying, "Master, please be careful."

Lu Yuan laughed heartily, quite pleased. This disciple of his was taciturn but genuine, and a single word from him was more sincere than ten thousand words from others.

Gao Wu hurriedly added, "The followers of the Demon God are cunning and ruthless; Master Lu, please be careful."

Lu Yuan ignored Gao Wu's flattery and said, "Come to Heart Moon Lake with Mingyue the day after tomorrow. I have something to say to you."

"Oh, I understand." Gao Wu nodded repeatedly, but he was a little confused. Was there something he couldn't say now, and had to wait two more days...?

After Lu Yuan left, Gao Wu looked at Song Mingyue somewhat guiltily: "Why did Master Lu want to talk to me? Was it to stop us from dating so early?"

Song Mingyue glanced at Gao Wu; she didn't want to talk about such a boring topic with him.

Gao Wu was just joking. He first went to check on the horse. The spear had pierced through the horse's belly. He tried for a while and finally gritted his teeth and pulled the spear out.

Fortunately, the mechanical warhorse did not bleed; it only emitted wisps of black smoke, looking eerie and ghostly.

The warhorse's crimson eyes were also unusually dim, as if they were about to go out of power.

Gao Wu had no other choice but to activate the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Curse. This move was somewhat effective, at least temporarily maintaining the mechanical warhorse's spiritual center.

Although he couldn't stand up yet, he seemed to be barely holding on...

Through the sensing of the Spirit Seal, Gao Wu discovered that the mechanical warhorse could still slowly recover some strength by breathing in source energy.

At this rate, he might be able to walk again by daybreak.

Gao Wu was quite satisfied with the result. He could live simply by breathing in his source energy and didn't even need to eat grass. This was a natural-born physique!
With nothing else to do, Gao Wu went to clean up the corpses of the three martial arts experts.

Whether Lu Yuan was proud of his status or deliberately left behind several corpses, in any case, such martial arts experts must have some good things on them.

Putting everything else aside, the weapons are still quite valuable.

After a quick search of the corpse, Gao Wu found that the insectoid didn't have much on it, except for some pill-like things, which he guessed were some kind of high-energy food from another world.

Humanoid life forms still need food to maintain their body heat; it's the simplest and most effective way. Source energy can't stop hunger. The other two high-level demon god followers had more items: potions, pills, and special equipment such as incendiary bombs.

Gao Wu didn't recognize most of them, except for the pair of golden Thunder Eagles the other person was wearing. The two guns were covered by bio-engineered armor and worn on the thighs.

Firearms are so convenient that even martial arts masters carry them as a means of long-range attack.

"Friend, here you go with these guns. From now on, we'll be a couple!" Gao Wu handed a pair of golden Thunder Eagle guns to Song Mingyue as if presenting a treasure.

Song Mingyue hesitated for a moment: "These are Master's spoils of war, isn't that inappropriate?"

"Master Lu's silence means he's leaving the spoils for us." Gao Wu chuckled. The spears and swords left behind by the martial arts experts were very valuable, and it was really not appropriate to take them directly.

It's okay to take small items like the Golden Thunderhawk.

Song Mingyue wasn't really interested in this item and didn't want to take advantage of it. She was only swayed by Gao Wu's suggestion that they use matching couple items, so she quietly accepted it.

With nothing to do all night, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue spent their time studying the miscellaneous items they had collected, which was a great way to pass the time.

Even with his great ambition, Gao Wu didn't dare use those supplies. Even with his 20 points of physique, there was no need for him to take the risk of gaining an advantage.

When he had nothing to do, Gao Wu also read the Book of Immeasurable Merit. He only gained a million merits from killing the insectoids, which was actually a lot of merits, but it was a bit unworthy of his status as a martial arts master of alien races.

The total merit accumulated has now reached over 650 million, which is quite considerable. It's not far from ten million...

As dawn broke, the mechanical warhorse finally regained some of its intelligence and had the strength to carry Gao Wu and Song Mingyue.

The mechanical warhorse leaps and bounds like the wind; its tall and heavy body is as light as a feather. Even when it is not in good condition, it can easily reach a speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

What's even more impressive is its ability to ignore terrain and traverse mountains and valleys without hindrance. The only problem is that it's too fast, with no buffer when changing direction, which isn't very rider-friendly.

Gao Wu had to use both legs to brace himself against the horse's belly to ensure he wouldn't be thrown off.

In no time, Gao Wu saw the main force. On the open riverbank, thousands of exhausted students were lying or sitting, their expressions numb.

The outer perimeter was manned by a large number of heavily armed soldiers, who had set up numerous barricades and machine gun positions, forming a long, arc-shaped defensive line.

Upon seeing the mechanical warhorses approaching, the soldiers on guard became tense.

Fortunately, Gao Wu realized something was wrong and stopped a few hundred meters away. By shouting loudly, he finally found an acquaintance: Shen An.

Shen An was also amazed by the mechanical warhorse and seemed very interested.

With Shen An's guidance, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue were able to lead the mechanical warhorse smoothly into the camp, attracting the attention of the surrounding students.

Everyone looked like they were fleeing a disaster, but Gao Wu was leading a mechanical warhorse on his left, with beautiful women following behind him, which shocked and envied everyone.

Gao Wu didn't dare to show off too much. Shen An said that the casualties were heavy, and it wasn't a good time to be in the limelight.

By noon, all the trial students had orderly withdrawn from the Dragon Claw Peak Secret Realm, and Gao Wu and Song Mingyue returned to Changqing Garden.

As for the mechanical warhorses, they were handed over to the Azure Dragon Academy laboratory, where they were to find a place to house them.

After a good night's rest, Gao Wu followed Song Mingyue to Xinyue Lake to pay his respects to Lu Yuan the next morning.

Lu Yuan was still wearing his Taoist robe and topknot, looking very relaxed and at ease, completely different from how he had gone on a killing spree the night before last.

This restraint of energy and spirit clearly indicates a high level of martial arts cultivation.

Gao Wu still admired Lu Yuan. Putting aside everything else, three martial arts masters were powerless against his spear, and even the powerful mechanical knight couldn't withstand a single shot from him.

In the battle within the Dragon Claw Peak Secret Realm, Lu Yuan truly handled the situation with ease, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster.

Gao Wu stood there respectfully, imitating Song Mingyue, waiting for Lu Yuan's instructions.

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Although there are no strict statistics for the trial, there is no doubt that you ranked first. You saved many people and lured out several powerful demon god followers, which is a great achievement."

"If it weren't for Master Lu's protection, I would be dead. These were all just things I did on the spur of the moment, nothing special," Gao Wu said earnestly.

Lu Yuan naturally didn't take Gao Wu's modesty seriously. He pondered for a moment and said, "Your talent is extraordinary, but your understanding of the Nine Forms of the Dragon is rough. I have the complete Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon that I can pass on to you..."

Gao Wu was somewhat surprised that someone as capable as Lu Yuan couldn't see through his thoughts. Wasn't this putting him in a difficult position?

However, with Lu Yuan's fighting prowess, becoming his disciple wouldn't be a bad deal, and he could even become fellow disciples with Xiao Song...

He tried to comfort himself with this thought, but he still felt a little awkward.

Lu Yuan noticed Gao Wu's hesitation and couldn't help but smile, saying, "We are not destined to be master and disciple, so there's no need to force it."

"I will teach you the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon directly, without you having to become a disciple."

"Ah, this isn't appropriate..." Lu Yuan spoke frankly and generously, making Gao Wu feel a little embarrassed.

The school is supposed to teach martial arts, but the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon is Lu Yuan's own secret technique. No matter how you look at it, there's no reason to teach it easily.

Gao Wu was just like that; he wasn't afraid of being treated badly, but he was afraid of being treated well. Just as he was hesitating, Lu Yuan spoke again: "The Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon are passed on to you on condition."

Hearing that there were conditions, Gao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that he would have accepted Lu Yuan's favor for nothing and wouldn't know how to repay it.

He respectfully said, "Please tell me your conditions, Master Lu."

Lu Yuan suppressed his smile and said with a somewhat solemn expression, "This time, the followers of the Demon God have made a huge show of force, mobilizing so many experts and powerful alien spirits, far exceeding our expectations."

"This was just a test between the two sides. They suffered some losses, but we also lost a lot. From now on, the situation in Beizhou will become increasingly severe."

"The alliance also attaches great importance to this. This year's Azure Dragon Cup, co-hosted by fourteen states, will be upgraded in scale. The Sword Saint Sea Guild will personally serve as the chairman of the organizing committee and select four outstanding geniuses to join its ranks..."

Gao Wu looked at Lu Yuan with some excitement: "Master Lu, do you mean I should compete for a top-four finish in the Azure Dragon Cup?"

"Yes."

Lu Yuan said, "Your talent is so special. If you could become a disciple of Hai Gong, you would surely achieve great things."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Any student can participate in the Azure Dragon Cup, regardless of age. The competition will gather the true geniuses and elites from the fourteen states. If you want to participate in the Azure Dragon Cup, you must first win the qualifying rounds."

"I will do my best." Although Gao Wu was confident, he didn't need to make any promises in front of Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan said calmly, "Gaining the favor of Lord Hai is my expectation of you, not my condition."

"Huh?" Gao Wu didn't quite understand what Lu Yuan meant.

Lu Yuan said, "At your current cultivation level, attending advanced classes won't be of much use. The Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon need to be experienced and understood in battle."

"You're going to train in the Aurora Icefield for three months. Are you willing?"

Gao Wu replied without hesitation, "I'm willing."

He was just looking for a way to accumulate merit by fighting alien beasts! He could also obtain the true teachings of the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon secret technique – killing two birds with one stone…

(End of this chapter)