Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 185 Let's Look to Today!

Zhongjing, Beizhou Building.

The building was purchased by the Governor-General's Office of Beizhou to serve as an office for Beizhou's staff stationed in Zhongjing, and also to receive Beizhou staff entering Zhongjing.

The North State Building is also a commercial building with many floors available for rent, and the upper floors also house upscale restaurants and hotels.

With martial arts master Lu Yuan personally leading the team, the team participating in the Azure Dragon Cup this time is of a very high standard, and the staff stationed in Zhongjing naturally have to make relevant reception arrangements.

Fortunately, the North State Building has a high-end hotel and restaurant, so the food and accommodation for our group of seventy people can be properly arranged.

In the glass restaurant on the top floor of the building, Lu Yuan looked out at the city view with his hands behind his back. The Beizhou Building has 30 floors, which is considered a high-rise building in Yun'an District.

Standing here, you can see the various modern buildings of different heights all around, as well as some low-rise ancient buildings in the city center further away.

The central area of ​​Zhongjing, centered around the ancient imperial city, preserves a large number of ancient buildings. After a protective renovation of these ancient buildings over a decade ago, the complex retains its historical traces while also becoming neat and beautiful.

The ancient building complex has become the Alliance's most famous tourist attraction, receiving at least tens of millions of visitors every year and generating huge economic benefits.

In fact, Yun'an District is already outside the Fourth Ring Road, far from the central area. Only Lu Yuan, with his good eyesight, could see that far.

An Ziru, Gao Wu, Song Mingyue, Wan Muchun, and Chu Qingqing stood aside, watching this big shot strike a profound pose.

Gao Wu couldn't hold back any longer, and he used his mental power to say to Song Mingyue, "Master Lu is frustrated. He didn't even get a seat in the main room among all the big shots."

"Don't speak ill of Master." Song Mingyue knew Gao Wu was joking, but she didn't think it meant anything.

"We're even worse off. We're standing in a corner and nobody pays any attention to us. In the photos we get, we only show a tiny face, like little minions..." Gao Wu continued to mutter.

To be honest, taking photos isn't a big deal. But he's always been the center of attention in Beizhou, and now he's become an insignificant nobody here. The huge difference still makes him a little unhappy.

Song Mingyue still didn't respond. She knew Gao Wu's personality; he wouldn't really care about such trivial matters. So there was no need to respond.

Lu Yuan, who had been lost in thought, finally turned around and said to Gao Wu, Wan Muchun, and Chu Qingqing, "The rules for the Azure Dragon Cup have been set. Sixty-four martial artists will be selected for the semi-finals. Our Northern State has three spots that will go directly into the semi-finals."

"I've decided to let Gao Wu, Wan Muchun, and Chu Qingqing go directly into the semi-finals. The others will participate in the preliminary rounds to try and get a spot in the semi-finals. There are ten spots in total. If we're lucky, maybe someone can make it into the semi-finals."

Lu Yuan had no hope for this. There were only ten spots, but more than 600 people from fourteen states were competing for them. You could imagine how fierce the competition was.

Only Gao Wu and Song Mingyue are qualified to compete with martial arts masters. Other geniuses like Wan Muchun are only high-level martial artists now, and Chu Qingqing is even worse.

The rest of the group were all below the intermediate level of warriors, which, while considered geniuses at their age in the Northern Continent, paled in comparison to the geniuses of the other thirteen continents.

In particular, the major states of Zhongzhou, Dongzhou, Haizhou, and Nanzhou are economically prosperous and martial arts flourish. The minimum level of martial arts practitioners who can participate in the Azure Dragon Cup are intermediate-level martial artists.

It's too difficult to fight your way through the preliminary rounds.

Lu Yuan didn't expect them to make it to the semi-finals. This was just to broaden their horizons. They always thought they were pretty good, since they were just sitting in a small place in Beizhou and dominating.

Go out and see other outstanding peers, and they will shatter their naive illusions.

Gao Wu suddenly said, "Master Lu, I don't need a spot. I'll go to the preliminary round to warm up."

He wasn't trying to be generous by giving up his spot; rather, he was quite interested in the preliminary rounds.

Having finally met fellow cultivators of the same age from all over the country, I can finally witness their martial arts skills in the preliminary rounds.

Given his cultivation level, which is comparable to that of a high-level martial artist, it would be understandable if he were to fail in the preliminary rounds!
Lu Yuan shook his head slightly: "The organizing committee will definitely secretly arrange seeded players to ensure that there is a player from each of the fourteen states who can make it into the second round."

"In this situation, they will assume that the ten players who emerged from the preliminary rounds are the weakest and will prioritize arranging for them to play against the seeded players from each state."

"If you qualify for the semi-finals through the preliminary rounds, you're likely to encounter a formidable opponent like Chu Shenxiu in the first round. The risk is quite high."

Gao Wu said seriously, "We'll run into each other sooner or later, I'm not afraid of that."

Lu Yuan laughed instead. He could tell that Gao Wu was holding his breath, which was normal. No matter how humble a martial artist appeared, he would inevitably have his own pride in his heart.

Seeing so many geniuses shining brightly in the center of the stage, while others were surrounded by admirers, Gao Wu was naturally resentful.

He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's warm up in the preliminary rounds and see what martial arts are like in different states."

Lu Yuan then turned to An Ziru and said, "Then arrange for Li Chunyi to participate in the semi-finals. He has grown and honed his skills in the army and has rich combat experience, so he doesn't need to go to the preliminary rounds for training. He is also a high-ranking warrior, so if he's lucky, he might be able to advance to the next round."

The Azure Dragon Cup competition only admits university students, with no age limit. However, everyone generally assumes 25 is the upper age. For older martial artists to participate, even if they win, it's meaningless. Losing would be even more humiliating.

With the Sword Saint Hai Wuji speaking up, this year's Azure Dragon Cup has attracted top geniuses from all states to participate.

That's how it is; there are only five or six martial artists at the Martial Master level or above. Although there are differences between high-level martial artists, the differences are not too great.

With Li Chunyi's skills, he's actually stronger than Chu Qingqing in real combat. Having him represent Beizhou in the semi-finals won't be a disgrace.

"The preliminary elimination rounds will begin at 9:00 AM tomorrow. It will be a three-round tournament, with both sides eliminated in a draw. Ten martial artists will be selected to participate in the semi-finals within one day."

Lu Yuan said, "The first year is the official semi-final, the second year is the semi-final, and the third year is the final."

"The schedule is tight, so you all need to pay attention to adjusting your form."

Wan Muchun, Chu Qingqing, and Gao Wu should be together.

Lu Yuan waved his hand, indicating that they could all leave. With the competition imminent, staying by his side would only make them nervous; it was better to let them go out and adjust their mindset on their own.

Gao Wu and Song Mingyue returned to their guest room. He said to Song Mingyue, "Go change your coat. We're going to see the Great Wall."

Song Mingyue wasn't interested in sightseeing, so she asked, "Do you really have to go?"

"Since we're already here, how can we not go and see?" Gao Wu said, quoting his golden saying. He believed that no one could resist the magic of "since we're already here."

Seeing that Song Mingyue was still a little hesitant, Gao Wu added, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is no true hero!"

A hint of doubt appeared in Song Mingyue's bright eyes: "Where did this saying come from?"

"Don't talk, just come with me." Gao Wu didn't know how to explain, so he just patted Xiao Song's head. Seeing that she was still a little confused, he leaned over and kissed her.

Xiao Song immediately became frightened and hurriedly changed into a dark gray woolen coat.

Gao Wu didn't even change his clothes; he was still wearing the crimson martial arts uniform from the morning when he led Xiao Song to the hall, where Shang Qingjun and Zhou Hongying were already waiting, wearing thick coats.

Gao Wu arranged a private car with the hotel lobby manager; the car was spacious enough for four people.

Well, Gao Wu sat in the back row with Xiao Song. When he chatted with Sister Jun and Hong Ying, he could even hold Xiao Song's little hand.

In fact, Xiao Song is 1.77 meters tall. Her hands are fair and jade-like, with long and slender fingers that feel distinctly strong and bony when held.

With Xiao Song's current physical condition, even without using her source energy, her punching power could reach 7,000 kilograms, which is terrifying. Her hands were naturally full of power.

Fortunately, her skin was soft and smooth, so it was quite comfortable to hold.

With her hand being held, Song Mingyue appeared much more relaxed. Although she didn't chat idly and rarely looked out the window, she didn't seem bored at all.

Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the car window, Zhou Hongying said with some concern, "It's going to snow."

The driver thought he was being spoken to, so he said, "It's alright, the road conditions are good, we'll be there in half an hour. Even if it snows heavily, it won't affect our return trip."

Gao Wu said with a smile, "It would be even better if it snowed. The Great Wall stretches across the mountains like a dragon, and the wind and snow only enhance its grandeur. Climbing to the top and reflecting on the past, one can witness the vicissitudes of time."

"That's very well said." Zhou Hongying's beautiful almond-shaped eyes sparkled, finding these words particularly appealing.

Why travel all the way to the Great Wall just to see a wall made of a few bricks? It's about the sentiment, about reliving one's youth, about making great photos for social media, and about seeing the envy and jealousy of friends and family!
Therefore, good copywriting can make your social media posts even more radiant!
As employees of Gaowu Company, they brought an action camera with them this time so they could shoot some video footage for Gaowu.

In fact, Zhou Hongying occasionally appears in martial arts videos, and has already accumulated a lot of popularity online with her stunning looks and hot figure.

Some greasy guys always leave comments under martial arts videos: "I want to see Sister Hongying..."

Zhou Hongying enjoys the adoration, but she dislikes live streaming and has no interest in becoming a beauty streamer. She might earn some money, but it's incredibly troublesome.

As a member of the Anjing Zhou family, her family would not allow her to make quick money as an online streamer.

She felt that things were fine as they were; she earned enough money following Gao Wu, and most importantly, it was very easy and enjoyable.

Like now, Gao Wu has a competition tomorrow, but he's still taking them to the Great Wall. He's incredibly good to them.

The only downside is that Gao Wu and Xiao Song's relationship is a little too close...

Zhou Hongying stole a glance at Gao Wu's hand; he was clearly holding hands with Song Mingyue. A pang of jealousy welled up inside her. She looked at her own hands—soft, white, and beautiful—but sadly, no one was there to hold them…

At 2 PM, the group arrived at the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Tickets and everything else had been booked in advance.

While queuing to enter the scenic area, Gao Wu saw some familiar faces, all of whom he had met at the martial arts hall that morning. He also saw Li Chunyi, Wang Ye, and Yan Shanyue.

The group somehow ended up together. Gao Wu wasn't very familiar with any of them, so he just nodded to them without going over to say anything.

The Huanghuacheng Great Wall winds its way up the highest point of the mountain ridge. As you climb the ancient wall to the top of the mountain, you can see a section of the Great Wall submerged in the lake below, and the Great Wall stretching across the lake and along the mountainside.

The lake was covered with a thick layer of ice, topped with layers of white snow. The snow also covered the mountains, but it couldn't cover the towering trees. The gaps between the mountains, forests, grass, and rocks created hundreds and thousands of layers of white snow.

At first glance, it appears as a pure white landscape, but upon closer inspection, a vast, desolate backdrop emerges within the pristine white mountains. Dark clouds blanket the sky, and a howling north wind sweeps through the forests, bringing with it a chilling cold and a flurry of falling snowflakes.

Many tourists cheered excitedly upon seeing the snow and took out their phones to take pictures.

Gao Wu could tell from the other person's unsophisticated appearance that he must be from the South. His gaze swept around and he spotted Wei Yue, whom he had chatted with that morning, in the crowd.

This guy was surrounded by a group of teenagers, all of whom looked younger than him; they must be his juniors or something.

Wei Yue was tall and strong but had a keen sense of perception. He immediately sensed that someone was watching him and looked up to see Gao Wu on the platform above.

He smiled and waved, finding Gao Wu, the young king, quite interesting. Especially Gao Wu's female companions—each a stunning beauty, each with her own unique charm.

Zhou Hongying also saw Wei Yue and said, "This guy is here too."

"Keep your voice down, this is a formidable martial artist. With his talent and aptitude, it's quite possible he'll become a grandmaster in the future." Gao Wu reminded Zhou Hongying not to judge a book by its cover. Although Wei Yue's speech was a bit witty and oily, he was indeed a powerful martial artist.

"So powerful..." Zhou Hongying naturally knew how powerful a martial arts master was. She was a little surprised. That guy looked greasy, but he was actually a martial arts master!

She then hugged Gao Wu's arm and said, "Anyway, no matter how powerful you are, you're still the most powerful!"

Zhou Hongying wasn't entirely sure either. She looked cautiously into Gao Wu's eyes and asked in a low voice, "Is that right?"

"Of course." Gao Wu was quite confident about this. This time, he only had two strong opponents in the Azure Dragon Cup: Chu Shenxiu and Qu Tianji.

Although Yan Qiushui and Wei Yue were strong, they were clearly a level below him. He was absolutely confident in dealing with them.

"I knew Xiao Wu was invincible!" Zhou Hongying felt especially safe holding Gao Wu's arm, and couldn't help but smile broadly, a kind of charm blooming in her eyes along with her smile.

Gao Wu also noticed the charm emanating from Zhou Hongying. It must be said that the sincere and joyful smile of a beautiful girl is very charming and infectious.

He couldn't help but be infected by it and felt a sense of joy.

Compared to the vast mountains and ancient human architecture, he still prefers vibrant, beautiful women and their strong vitality.

"Hey, we meet again, guys."

Wei Yue had already brought a group of people up, and he greeted Gao Wu very familiarly.

Gao Wu nodded and smiled: "It's fate that we meet again."

Wei Yue glanced at Gao Wu's crimson martial arts uniform. All the tourists here wore coats, even those who weren't afraid of the cold.

Gao Wu, dressed in a light, crimson martial arts uniform, stood out conspicuously on the ancient city wall.

Moreover, Gao Wu was carrying a sword... judging from the dark scabbard, it must be a good sword.

He said with a hint of amusement, “A man dressed in formal attire and carrying a sword, has come to the Great Wall to seek enlightenment!”

Li Chunyi and Yan Shanyue had just arrived when he overheard Wei Yue's small sarcastic remark.

His eyes lit up. This guy from Tianzhou was clueless. He had come to their door and ended up being used as a stepping stone for Gao Wuqiang to force him into a corner!

As a native of Beizhou, Li Chunyi actually hoped that Gao Wu could put on a good show and let Wei Yue and his group know how powerful Beizhou was!
Gao Wu carries a sword only for safety. This was because Huang Hai's escape put him under immense pressure, which led him to develop the habit of carrying a sword wherever he goes.

He naturally picked up on Wei Yue's subtle sarcasm. The two weren't exactly friends, and people from Tianzhou liked to joke around, so it was perfectly reasonable for him to be a little sarcastic.

Gao Wu didn't pay much attention. He had intended to give a casual reply, but suddenly a strong wind arose, whipping up the accumulated snow and sending it flying through the gaps in the mountain forest like silver snakes dancing wildly. This reminded him of that domineering poem.

He thought of Bai Yunfei's teachings, urging him to seek purity and truth. He also thought of Bai Yunfei's sword intent, which could annihilate everything.

He killed Shi Tieyu some time ago, and he was actually quite proud of himself, no longer taking the heroes of the world seriously.

Seeing geniuses like Chu Shenxiu and Qu Tianji at the martial arts hall today, Gao Wu also felt that the two were a bit troublesome. On the other hand, he was also a little unhappy about being ignored by the organizers.

At this moment, all these complicated and chaotic thoughts came to mind. Gao Wu felt that there was only one problem in the end: he was not strong enough.

He always says he wants to be the best in the world; this is not a joke, but a deep-seated conviction in his heart.

He knew how far away this goal was, so he could only say it in a joking manner.

The stronger one's martial arts skills, the more thoughts one has, and the less pure one becomes!

Gao Wu suddenly understood, and he smiled at Wei Yue: "Brother, you have good eyes! I came here to seek enlightenment!"

As he spoke, he drew his sword, and the cold, sharp light of the blade flowed out, sweeping away all the swirling wind and snow.

Zhou Hongying and Shang Qingjun beside her were also pushed back by the flowing sword energy. Song Mingyue sensed the change in Gao Wu's mental state and hurriedly pulled the two women to retreat further away.

Wei Yue was also slightly surprised. Such sharp sword energy! This young king is quite capable!
He didn't want to fight Gao Wu, so he immediately led his group of people to retreat along with the sword energy, and the others on the platform were also forced to retreat.

On the platform, which was only about 20 square meters in size, only Gao Wu stood with his sword. He shook his long sword, and the blade vibrated and made a dragon's roar.

The sound of the sword's cry drowned out the howling wind and all the voices around them.

Gao Wu raised his sword and practiced the first move of the Swimming Dragon Sword, chanting loudly: "The scenery of the Northland is magnificent, with thousands of miles of ice and snow..."

Li Chunyi exclaimed excitedly, "They're here! They're here!"

Zhou Hongying hurriedly raised her action camera to take pictures, and many other people around her were also taking pictures with their mobile phones.

Wei Yue was full of surprise. What? This kid is also reciting poetry and practicing swordsmanship? Is he that flamboyant?
The Sixty-Four Forms of the Dragon Sword: High-level martial arts practitioners recite incantations while wielding the sword. Their movements are neither hurried nor slow, yet they exude a sharp and powerful sword aura within their composure.

"Looking beyond the Great Wall, all that remains is vastness; the Yellow River, both upstream and downstream, has lost its roaring flow. The mountains dance like silver snakes, the plains gallop like wax elephants, vying with the heavens in height."

Gao Wu's voice was hoarse and deep, but when he recited the poem aloud, it was full of energy. Combined with the changes in his sword moves, it made the poem even more awe-inspiring and majestic.

Wei Yue was, after all, a college student. Although his main profession was martial arts, he still had a certain ability to appreciate literature.

These few lines of text seem straightforward, yet they possess an extraordinary grandeur and perfectly complement the scene before us; they are clearly not fabricated.

A look of confusion flashed in Song Mingyue's eyes. Such magnificent words, and she had never read them before? Could they really have been written by Gao Wu?! Then his poetic skills are truly extraordinary!
The key is the combination of powerful words and the spirit of martial arts, which together create a surging sword intent full of heroic spirit.

"On a sunny day, behold the red-clad beauties and white-clad figures, exceptionally enchanting. Such is the beauty of this land, drawing countless heroes to its side!"

Upon hearing this line, Gao Wu also felt the soaring ambition in the poem. He wanted to be the best in the world because he had such ambition in his heart!
The words resonated with his state of mind, igniting the hidden ambition within Gao Wu, and giving his Dragon Sword a more domineering aura that seemed to swallow the world and dominate the land.

The sword intent of the Youlong Sword underwent a complete transformation, and Gao Wu's mind, body, and spirit became unified with the sword intent.

The domineering and heroic sword intent swept away everything from within, and the traces of sword intent that Bai Yunfei had imprinted on the spiritual world of high martial arts silently dissipated.

"Alas, Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were slightly lacking in literary talent; Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Song were somewhat inferior in poetic flair. Genghis Khan, the proud son of heaven, only knew how to bend his bow and shoot eagles."

Gao Wu comprehended the sword intent and freed himself from its constraints. He chanted faster and faster, and the sword light of the Destiny Sword in his hand grew brighter and brighter. The source power within his body also continuously gathered and circulated amidst the surging sword energy.

The agile and wondrous transformations of the dragon have now evolved into the image of a fierce dragon running rampant without restraint.

"All the past is gone, but the heroes of today are still to be seen."

After Gao Wu finished reciting the last sentence, the sword intent transformed from the Fierce Dragon Crossing the River naturally gathered source power and condensed into an acupoint at the perineum. The Tenfold Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra was then added to it.

The three acupoints on the spine were thus successfully condensed during the transformation of the dragon crossing the river, and the spine transformed into a dynamic and undulating dragon.

It connects with three acupoints: dantian, heart, and brow, truly opening the bridge between heaven and earth.

The six acupoints connect the entire body, forming a perfect cycle of source energy. This source energy is inexhaustible and allows Gao Wu to step into the realm of Martial Master.

As the Destiny Sword was sheathed, the surging sword light and the sword's cry ceased simultaneously.

Everyone was startled and looked at Gao Wu. Wei Yue was about to speak when he saw a blue divine light emanating from behind Gao Wu.

A hundred-meter-long azure dragon soared into the sky behind Gao Wu, its head raised as it danced and roared with earth-shattering power.
In an instant, the wind and snow dissipated, leaving only the majestic and sacred Azure Dragon soaring across the ancient Great Wall, awe-inspiring the mountains, all things, and all living beings...

The people around were awestruck by the dragon's power, and their expressions became solemn and dignified, just like devout believers before a deity.

Wei Yue stared blankly, even with his abilities, he was intimidated by the Azure Dragon Divine Form. After a moment, he realized something was wrong.

The Azure Dragon Divine Image was clearly a manifestation of Gao Wu's spiritual energy field. With such pure and powerful spiritual energy and such vast and mighty source power, Gao Wu had just achieved enlightenment and advanced to the Martial Master level!

But this manifestation of a god is just too exaggerated!

After Wei Yue understood the situation, two words involuntarily popped into his mind: "Holy crap!"

The Azure Dragon statue is majestic and powerful, and located at the highest point of the Great Wall, it can be seen by almost all tourists in the surrounding area.

Because of the Azure Dragon Cup, many talented young people from various states came to visit today, and the Azure Dragon Divine Physician also amazed them.

It's not unusual for a martial arts master to awaken a divine form, but what's extraordinary is that the Azure Dragon's divine form resembles a real dragon, brimming with vitality and possessing an aura that can swallow mountains and rivers; even from afar, it can shake one's soul.

Li Chunyi, who was in the crowd, also came to his senses. He muttered excitedly, "That's it! Let these out-of-towners see the might of our young king of cool!"

(A long chapter of 6,000 words, please vote for me! I'm begging you!)

(End of this chapter)