Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 187 Mighty Heavenly Dragon
An eighteen-year-old samurai is one in ten thousand, and an eighteen-year-old martial arts master is so rare that it's hard to quantify.

Chu Shenxiu, a universally acknowledged genius, only attained the Dao of Martial Master at the age of eighteen.

Suddenly, an 18-year-old martial arts master appeared, and he proved his martial arts prowess in front of hundreds of tourists in the ancient city. There is also clear video of the scene, which is very shocking.

In just one night, all the martial artists participating in the Azure Dragon Cup knew about Gao Wu, and about this young king from the Northern State!

The discussion surrounding high-level martial arts has far surpassed that of Chu Shenxiu. Martial arts masters are indeed impressive, but they are too far removed from the average person.

Furthermore, advancing in martial arts is a major event, and no one would go to a public place to attempt a breakthrough. What if a bad person suddenly interferes?
Gao Wu completed his martial arts master advancement right before everyone's eyes—a truly dramatic turn of events! There's even video evidence to prove it!

The next morning, Gao Wucai attracted a lot of attention as soon as he entered the martial arts hall of Zhongjing University.

Today is the preliminary round, with over six hundred martial artists vying for ten spots in the semi-finals.

Teams from all fourteen states have come. Even martial artists who directly entered the semi-finals came to watch the matches, gain experience, and observe potential opponents.

Tens of thousands of spectators also came to the martial arts hall. After all, the elites from the fourteen states participating in the competition, even if they were not very old, were at least intermediate-level warriors, which made the event quite interesting.

As Gao Wu entered through the passage, he attracted the attention of many spectators. After all, his appearance was very striking; his crimson martial arts uniform, like blood and fire, was extremely eye-catching.

He was surrounded by beautiful women Song Mingyue, Zhou Hongying, and Shang Qingjun, and he was also surrounded by a group of young martial artists from Beizhou. With his large numbers, he had quite an imposing presence.

The on-site director immediately noticed the unusual situation at the entrance, and Gao Wu's figure immediately appeared on the big screen.

When the most popular streamer appeared, many viewers cheered. It wasn't exactly cheering; it was more like jeering.

Gao Wu noticed himself on the big screen and waved to the camera. Zhou Hongying, smiling brightly on the left, also waved playfully.

On the other side, Song Mingyue had her hands in the pockets of her gray-white coat, wearing large sunglasses and not looking at anyone, seemingly oblivious to the changes around her.

Song Mingyue's calm and composed demeanor contrasted sharply with the vibrant and lively Zhou Hongying, leading many to believe that Song Mingyue was cool and mysterious, yet more attractive than Zhou Hongying.

Yan Qiushui, a martial artist from Zhongjing University, arrived at the martial arts hall early to help. Her attention was focused on Gao Wu.

She had actually glanced at Gao Wu from afar yesterday, but hadn't paid any attention to it.

Looking at Gao Wu today, I feel that he walks with his head held high and exudes a spirited air, truly extraordinary.

Yan Qiushui also knew that this was more of a psychological effect. Although Gao Wu had broken through his cultivation level, his aura was long and deep, and he would not reveal it directly.

Outwardly, Gao Wu should look no different from yesterday. However, watching Gao Wu's video, she admired not only his courage and decisiveness in advancing in public, but also his eloquence, wisdom, and insight.

She had only recently advanced to the Martial Master level, but unlike Gao Wu, she had been cultivating step by step since she was old enough to understand things. She started cultivating with the Heavenly King at the age of twelve and had more cultivation resources than she could use.

Gao Wu is different. He came from a humble background and only made his mark at the Xuetao Cup at the beginning of this year. Since then, he has made great strides.

Looking at Gao Wu's experiences over the past year alone, they are indeed quite extraordinary.

Tang Zhengyi asked in a low voice, "Qiu Shui, are you confident you can beat this kid?"

"I haven't fought him, so I can't judge him based on nothing." Yan Qiushui shook her head slightly. She valued Gao Wu, but she wasn't afraid of him.

Both of them were martial arts masters, but unlike Gao Wu who advanced rapidly, she advanced to the level of martial arts master step by step, taking each step steadily and accurately.

She felt her cultivation was more refined and her understanding of martial arts was deeper. She possessed considerable advantages in many aspects and was confident enough to challenge high-level martial artists.

However, she is cautious by nature and won't speak carelessly about things she's not sure about. Besides, there's no point in saying these things in advance.

Tang Zhengyi sighed, "I originally wanted to compete with this kid, but now I definitely can't beat him. I just hope I'll have better luck in the semi-finals and not run into him..."

Although he was warlike, he knew how great the difference was between a samurai and a martial arts master.

Tang Zhengyi then looked gloating: "This kid is really bad. He's already a martial arts master, yet he still comes to participate in the preliminary rounds."

"It would be really bad if a skilled player ran into him in the preliminaries..."

Tang Zhengyi wasn't the only one who thought this way; almost all the contestants in the preliminary rounds thought the same.

The format of the preliminary round is actually very simple: it is divided into ten arenas, and participants are randomly matched. Round after round, the ten winners advance to the semi-finals.

The host walked onto the central platform and activated the matchmaking system. A dense list of opponents appeared on the large screen, divided into ten groups.

Gao Wu noticed that he was assigned to the No. 1 arena, and his number was 1001. He was the last group to step onto the No. 1 arena.

Combat at the samurai level is incredibly powerful due to the enhancement of source energy. The referees for the matches are all martial arts masters to prevent major injuries or fatalities.

The Northern State delegation had a designated rest area and was even assigned a changing room.

The martial artists Yan Shanyue, Wang Ye, Bai Dishan, and Bai Yushuang were all waiting in the rest area to go into battle.

The on-site matching results will also be sent to the participants via SMS to prevent them from missing the competition.

Gao Wu led Song Mingyue and Zhou Hongying to stroll around and watch the battle, while Shang Qingjun, who disliked crowds, waited in the rest area.

Among hundreds of martial artists, there are always some cheerful and outgoing ones. As Gao Wu walked along, people often took the initiative to greet him and introduce themselves.

Gao Wu responded politely, saying that taking photos and getting autographs were no problem, and that anyone who wanted to add him on Fetion could add Zhou Hongying's work Fetion account. He added that since it was their first meeting and they had no prior acquaintance, adding each other on personal Fetion would be inappropriate.

Gao Wu wasn't putting on airs; it's just that many people don't understand the situation and make some absurd requests after adding him on Feixin.

For example, if someone asks to borrow tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars right off the bat, refusing will create enmity. Rather than that, it's better not to add him on Feixin; even if he's a little unhappy, it won't lead to enmity.

After traveling around, Gao Wu met and chatted with people from all over the country and also witnessed the martial arts skills of various states.

Differences in geographical environment, cultural customs, and other aspects are also reflected in martial arts, and are very evident.

Each state does indeed have its own style of martial arts.

Gao Wu only realized that the Northern State also had its own martial arts style after seeing the martial artists from various states take action. It was simple, direct, fierce, and violent.

Among the fourteen states, the martial arts style of the Northern State is the easiest to identify.

In other major states where martial arts flourished, such as Zhongzhou, Dongzhou, and Haizhou, the martial arts styles were not so distinct...

Gao Wu took a tour and was greatly impressed.

Back on the number one arena, Gao Wu waited for more than an hour before it was his turn to go on stage.

The opponent was a girl from Shanzhou. She was less than 1.6 meters tall, which was considered very short among martial artists. She had dark skin, a round face, and big, bright, lively eyes.

The girl knew she had no chance of winning against Gao Wu, yet she still bowed respectfully with her hands clasped. Gao Wu returned the bow earnestly.

Upon seeing Gao Wu take the stage, the live broadcast director immediately switched the camera to focus on Gao Wu throughout the entire performance.

Chu Shenxiu, who was watching from the rest area, also turned his attention to Gao Wu on the stage. Although he didn't follow the internet, he had watched Gao Wu's video of his breakthrough.

He cultivates the Divine Dragon Scripture, a high-level secret technique of the Nine Forms of the Dragon. In terms of cultivation foundation, he is the same as Gao Wu.

That's why he could sense the powerful aura of the hundred-meter-long Azure Dragon God Form, which not only possessed a majestic power that could swallow the heavens and earth and roam in all directions, but also an inexhaustible vitality.

Chu Shenxiu was somewhat confused by this. According to his master, Gao Wu was clearly practicing Lu Yuan's Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon.

The Heavenly Dragon is mighty and unpredictable, while the Divine Dragon Scripture differs from the Heavenly Dragon Scripture in its approach and level of attainment far surpasses the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon.

However, Gao Wu's Heavenly Dragon Divine Appearance was quite unique, which puzzled him a bit and made him even more interested in Gao Wu.

The Heavenly King Qi Tian and the Dragon King Tian Wuji, who were in the VIP seats, also turned their attention to Gao Wu.

As level seven kings, they are all top-tier powerhouses who dominate their respective regions. Although the alliance is vast, they have already reached the highest level and possess immense influence.

They have accumulated too many interests, so much so that even though they are kings, they are also entangled by huge interests and have to consider various interest relationships when doing things.

As powerful individuals, they were naturally pleased to see another genius emerge from the younger generation. However, as the heads of the group, they had to consider things more deeply, such as whether Gao Wu's rise would threaten their interests…

Of course, it's too early to say these things now, but it does relate to how they will treat Gao Wu.

The girl on the stage was very courageous. Knowing that Gao Wu was powerful, she fearlessly unleashed the Golden Snake Fist. Her movements were agile and swift, her punches were like the wind, and she also exuded a fierce aura.

Gao Wu fought the girl for twenty moves, then seized an opening in her hasty advance, struck her on the back with a palm, and pushed her several steps away, ending the fight.

The girl's face flushed slightly, whether from sadness or anger and grievance, it was hard to tell, but she still politely cupped her hands in greeting. Gao Wu returned the greeting.

He saw the girl burst into tears after she left the stage, and he felt both amused and a little sorry for her. He figured she was only seventeen or eighteen; losing so easily must be painful for her…

Tianwang Qitian had witnessed the battle, and to him it was like a fight between seven or eight-year-old children—a very low-level fight. However, Gao Wu's performance was much better than he had expected.

Qi Tian looked at the Dragon King Tian Wuji beside him and asked, "Gao Wu's foundation is the Nine Forms of the Dragon. What do you think of him?"

Tian Wuji, known as the Dragon King, comprehended the Divine Dragon Scripture from the Nine Forms of the Dragon, thus advancing to the rank of King. His understanding of the Nine Forms of the Dragon is unparalleled in the league.

He could naturally see the spirit and essence of the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon in high martial arts, and even had a deep understanding of it.

Despite the little girl's low cultivation level, Tian Wuji was able to discern Gao Wu's true martial arts cultivation through the details of the battle, including the changes in his martial arts intent, his source energy state, and his physical condition.

A level seven king is incredibly powerful. Gao Wu can stand still, but the moment he moves, all his martial arts cultivation will be exposed in the eyes of a king.

Tian Wuji pondered for a moment and said, "He's a very good prospect, but it's a bit of a waste for him to follow Lu Yuan."

Qi Tian smiled and asked, "Do you think he's good enough for Hai Gong?"

This question, though seemingly casual, involves interests from all sides. Hai Wuji made it very clear that he would only select four geniuses to personally mentor.

Such a valuable spot was taken by Gao Wu from the Northern State, and he felt it was inappropriate. This wasn't just a simple matter of learning martial arts; it involved many aspects...

With Hai Gong watching from behind, how could they possibly stop Gao Wu?

However, it's impossible for the Heavenly King Qi Tian to make things difficult for a mere child. So what exactly was he testing with those words?
Tian Wuji couldn't figure out Qi Tian's meaning either, so he fell silent...

(End of this chapter)