Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

"Congratulations, Master Gao."

Ye Ning led Gao Wu back to her office, and she smiled and congratulated him with a cupped-hand salute.

Gao Wu returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Thank you for your help, Teacher Ye."

The gods imprisoned the Source Sea precisely to control its resources and shut down the upward passage.

To achieve upward social mobility, one must overcome Ye Qianren's hurdle.

To Gao Wu's surprise, Ye Qianren didn't ask any questions or make any requests.

He knew in his heart that this matter had nothing to do with Ye Ning. Mainly, his relationship with Ye Ning was just normal, and the other party wouldn't really go out of their way to speak up for him.

As for why this is the case, he has some guesses. Perhaps the gods are high above and don't care about having one more or one less master.

Having obtained the advanced Heavenly Escape Meditation Technique, he left a spiritual imprint in the Source Sea, thus breaking through the advanced limitations and gaining access to the vast power of the Source Sea.

In terms of combat power alone, he is dozens of times stronger than when he was at level 15.

More importantly, it allowed him to come into contact with the Origin Sea, understand the Origin Sea, and recognize the most mysterious and powerful source of power in the universe.

If he wanted, he could instantly raise his mental strength to level nineteen, but that would be too exaggerated and unnecessary.

Ye Ning was still quite excited, after all, the emergence of a master among her students would definitely be a glorious achievement in her teaching career!
Even if it was all due to Gao Wu's personal talent, she still contributed a little bit to it.

She said to Gao Wu, "The Sword Tournament is in a month. With your talent, you might even be able to reach level seventeen during this time!"

Actually, she was just saying that. The difference between each level, from level 11 to level 15, is only fifty points of mental strength, which is not a particularly large gap.

At level sixteen, the difference in mental strength between each level is one hundred points, which is a very, very large difference.

The stronger one's mental strength, the harder it is to improve. Even if one's mental strength reaches 500 points, a month of meditation might not increase it by even a single point.

Even if a master can communicate with the source sea, it is still very difficult to improve their energy level.

Ye Ning's words were more of an encouragement. She didn't take it seriously, and changed the subject, saying, "A master should be equipped with master-level star armor."

"There's a huge Star Armor warehouse on the third basement level of the building. Let me show you."

“Great!” Gao Wu immediately became interested. The Azure Star Armor was too low-level and there was no need to modify it.

He made a lot of money in the Abyss, which he could use to upgrade his Master-level Star Armor.

The most important factor in choosing a Star Armor is compatibility of spiritual magnetic fields, so it's essential to visit the site in person.

After going through several security checks, Gao Wu followed Ye Ning to the Star Armor Warehouse.

Ye Ning pointed to a display of towering star armor and said, "This is the famous sword series from the Heavenly Sword, all of which are master-level star armor."

Master-level Star Armor is a military secret, and most of the Master-level Star Armor on Battle.net is fabricated.

Gao Wu had only seen a master-level Star Armor once, which was Yu Guanghai's Zhanlu.

The black star armor was deep and restrained, yet full of beauty. With a simple gesture, it could easily turn the main cannon of the warship, and the powerful force it released left a deep impression on Gao Wu.

Looking at these star armors from the Famous Swords series, each one is beautiful in appearance, even magnificent.

Gao Wu was even a little dazzled when he looked at it.

When choosing a Star Armor, one should not only consider its appearance, but most importantly, the compatibility of the spiritual magnetic field and the performance of the Star Armor.

Ye Ning shared the database with Gao Wu. When Gao Wu saw a particular star armor, a corresponding light screen would pop up, providing a detailed introduction to the star armor's performance.

Gao Wu stopped in front of a black star armor.

Standing at a towering 9.9 meters, the Star Armor appeared exceptionally long and imposing among the other Star Armors. Its body was covered in scale-like armor, layered in an orderly fashion, creating a wondrous and aesthetically pleasing sense of depth.

Seven dark gold nine-pointed stars are arranged in a ring on his chest. Two swords, nearly six meters long, are strapped to his lower back.

While the scale armor design is not as refined as the one-piece outer armor, it exudes a more majestic and solemn aura. The black outer armor is adorned with dark gold patterns, and the shoulder armor and helmet feature dark gold dragon shapes, giving it the appearance of an emperor going into battle, as well as a grand and luxurious feel.

Gao Wu immediately fell in love with the Star Armor's cool and stylish appearance. More importantly, he sensed a deep and mysterious power within the Star Armor, which suited his taste perfectly.

The screen displayed the name and data of the Star Armor.

Longyuan: Heavy Assault Star Armor. Weighs 80 tons and is 9.9 meters tall.

Energy Center: The Nine-Type Famous Sword Ion Dual-Circulation Energy System, assisted by the Seven-Star Energy Overclocking Sequence Array.

Weapon: Dragon Abyss Twin Swords, six meters long and weighing four tons.

Secondary weapon: A shield composed of thirty-six dragon scales, which can be activated by plasma to attack at long range...

After reviewing Longyuan's data, Gao Wu was even more satisfied.

Ye Ning didn't really want to offer any opinions, after all, Gao Wu had already reached the master level, and his understanding of Star Armor was superior to hers.

But out of concern, she still reminded her, "This is a heavy assault star armor."

The Heavenly Escape Meditation Method emphasizes speed, flexibility, and change, while the Dragon Abyss seems too tall and heavy. It may be imposing, but it doesn't quite fit the Heavenly Escape Meditation Method.

Gao Wu said, "This star armor suits me perfectly. This is the one."

Ye Ning, fulfilling her duty as a friend, stopped trying to dissuade her. She glanced at the price and said, "This is a brand new Longyuan, less than five years old, and has never been used. The price is 4.7 billion."

The manufacturing process of Master-level Star Armor is extremely complex and has exceptionally high requirements for the materials used in its production.

This price is still an internal price for Qingcheng. Of course, the Master Star Armor manufactured in Qingcheng cannot be sold to outsiders.

Gao Wu felt the price was acceptable. He had spent two months in the Abyss, accumulating billions of various materials.

Buying a Longyuan sword would be more than enough.

Ye Ning reminded Gao Wu: "Longyuan is just a prototype; you still need to debug and modify it."

Although Longyuan is a star armor from the Famous Sword series, it is also a standard product.

Every Star Master has their own habits and characteristics. It's just that lower-level Star Masters don't have the money or the ability to modify their Star Armor.

Master-level Star Masters must use Star Armor that has undergone multiple adjustments and modifications in order to maximize their advantages.

Gao Wu originally felt there was no need to modify his martial arts skills, as he was already capable of easily defeating opponents of the same level, given his martial arts prowess and spiritual cultivation.

On second thought, keeping the money is pointless. I still need to drive the Star Armor to the Abyss to farm merit, so upgrading it is indeed necessary.

He thought for a moment and said, "Then let's change the twin swords to level five diamond alloy."

Ye Ning's expression changed slightly: "That's too expensive. A level 5 diamond alloy costs 100 million yuan per kilogram, which is only enough to coat the twin swords."

"Ah, that works too. Dragon scales are a ranged weapon, so modifying them into a level 5 alloy shouldn't be a problem."

Gao Wu said, "The energy center needs to be reinforced and strengthened, since it may require frequent overclocking..."

Ye Ning shook his head: "I suggest you find a place to test the performance of Longyuan first, and then make a decision."

"Alright."

Gao Wu humbly accepted the advice. He signed the electronic contract, went through the procedures and the payment was deducted. Long Yuan was now completely under Gao's control.

The high-level martial arts spirit magnetic field stimulated the Dragon Abyss's intelligent brain and left a spiritual magnetic field imprint on the energy center.

The next moment, Gao Wu's spiritual magnetic field connected with the Source Sea, and the majestic and beautiful Dragon Abyss was transferred to the depths of the Source Sea.

Sensing that Longyuan was enveloped by endless source power, a little bit of source power seeped into Longyuan through the most subtle level.

This infiltration process is very slow, but for Star Armor, it represents a change on a material level.

Placed in the Source Sea for decades, even ordinary star armor will undergo changes in its material structure, becoming exceptionally compatible with Source Force. It can even be reshaped using Source Force.

Gao Wu understood then that this was why the Origin Sea could be used to temper star armor.

The problem is that the process is very slow, and he doesn't have time to wait for the source sea to temper him. It's simpler and more effective to modify it directly.

Gao Wu returned to the underground cave, and this time Ye Zhen himself came out to greet him.

Over the past two months, the two had interacted frequently and had become quite good friends. Gao Wu even felt that Ye Zhen might want to sleep with him, but he wasn't interested.

Women from the Ye family are troublesome even if the other party takes the initiative.

"You're back so soon?" Ye Zhen and Gao Wu were already very familiar with each other, so she looked Gao Wu up and down without any hesitation and didn't notice any changes.

"Come back and try out the new Star Armor."

"Oh, I'll take a look then."

Ye Zhen became very interested and followed Gao Wu all the way to the entrance of the abyss, where she saw a black star armor suddenly emerge from the void.

"Ah, it's Longyuan!" Ye Zhen, inside the Purple Lightning Star Armor, gaped in shock.

She naturally recognized Longyuan; after all, it was the most magnificent and imposing star armor in the Famous Swords series. However, there weren't many masters in Qingcheng, and no one had chosen Longyuan as their primary battle star armor. Longyuan appeared out of thin air, clearly summoned directly from the Source Sea. Ye Zhen immediately realized that Gao Wu had become a master.

After her initial shock, she felt somewhat disappointed. She had remained at level 15 for two years without any sign of breaking through.

Before, Gao Wu would joke and laugh with her without restraint, but she always felt it was difficult to truly get close to him. Now that Gao Wu has become a master, the distance between them has widened even further.

Ye Zhen didn't mean he actually fell in love with Gao Wu, but seeing such an outstanding and powerful Star Master, he couldn't help but admire and like him.

They were very close, and she thought they could naturally take things further, but unexpectedly, they grew further and further apart...

Gao Wu's spiritual power has broken through to level sixteen, and he can now easily fly by controlling the source power through his spiritual magnetic field.

The spiritual magnetic field, transformed through the Source Sea, increases in power by more than tenfold. If necessary, he can even remotely control the Star Armor in battle.

The dark black mask of Longyuan smoothly closed, and Gao Wu immediately established a communication connection with Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen's expression on the screen was somewhat complicated, but Gao Wu didn't think much of it. He smiled and asked, "Is he handsome?"

“Very handsome!” Ye Zhen replied very seriously.

She sighed again and said, "You've advanced to the Master level so quickly, you won't disown me as a friend anymore, will you?"

"How could that be? We'll always be best friends!"

Gao Wu was in a good mood. After exchanging a few jokes with Ye Zhen, he piloted his star armor and flew towards the abyss...

Only after Longyuan disappeared from radar scans did Ye Zhen sigh and silently return to the support base.

In the monitoring room, Xu Shiqiang stared intently at the screen, where Long Yuanhua's magnificent and imposing figure was displayed.

When Xu Shiqiang saw Ye Zhen return, his old face was filled with undisguised shock: "High-level martial arts has advanced to master level?"

Over the past two months, Xu Shiqiang has frequently seen Gao Wu coming and going from the support base. He is already very familiar with this former professional gamer in his thirties.

Xu Shiqiang even followed Gao Wu through the rusty mountains to observe how Gao Wu fought.

He had to admire this high-level martial artist; he dared to show off any skill and face any powerful mechanical monster. He was truly fearless, treating the Abyss like a battle network.

In other words, Gao Wu was lucky and always managed to get through dangerous situations.

However, if you stand by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Xu Shiqiang had advised Gao Wu once, but seeing that the other party didn't care, he didn't say anything more.

He originally thought that Gao Wu would die in the Rusty Mountains sooner or later, but he never expected that the other party would actually advance to level sixteen in two months.

Xu Shiqiang didn't have any ill intentions towards Gao Wu; he just disliked Gao Wu's aggressive and adventurous style of doing things.

Clearly, he had misjudged the situation this time, which left him with rather mixed feelings...

Liu Qingzhi's reaction was simpler; her face was full of envy and jealousy: "Sister Zhen, is adventurous training really useful?!"

Ye Zhen glanced at Liu Qingzhi with annoyance: "Don't even think about it. This thing mainly depends on talent. How you cultivate is secondary."

She reminded Liu Qingzhi, "A few months ago, Gao Wu was only a mid-level Star Master! You shouldn't compete with him."

With just one sentence, Liu Qingzhi's eagerness to try was dampened.

As a high-level Star Master, she naturally knew how exaggerated this kind of leapfrog upgrade was in high-level martial arts.

Liu Qingzhi sighed deeply: "I have seen many geniuses, but I have never seen such a monstrous talent."

"However, Gao Wu is so powerful, he should be able to make a name for himself at the Sword Tournament! We can take this opportunity to make a little money..."

Gambling is strictly prohibited at the Sword Tournament. However, the grand competition, which covers the entire league, attracts the attention of almost everyone.

With such high popularity, countless small, private gambling operations have sprung up. Winning a fortune is impossible, but winning a few million is definitely achievable.

Xu Shiqiang shook his head: "Master-level players are all marked as seeded players. Generally speaking, you won't encounter master-level players before the semifinals. There's no way you'll have such a big opening to pick off a loser..."

He added, "Gao Wu has only just advanced to the Master level. His mental strength is up to par, but his Source Power and Star Armor skills still need time to hone. The Sword Tournament is in a month, and Gao Wu will almost certainly lose if he encounters any other Master."

As a member of Qingcheng, Xu Shiqiang naturally hoped that Qingcheng would achieve good results. He was simply judging from his own experience that Gaowu wouldn't go far.

This also serves as a reminder to Liu Qingzhi not to be wishful and waste her credit points...

This statement was quite fair, and both Liu Qingzhi and Ye Zhen agreed that it made sense. However, Ye Zhen also felt that Gao Wu's talent was extraordinary and could not be judged by ordinary standards.

Instead, she made up her mind to invest some money in Gao Wu, betting that he could soar to great heights!
On the seventh day, Gao Wu rode the Dragon Abyss back to the support base.

After several days of extreme testing, Gao Wu had fully mastered all the properties of Longyuan and knew its advantages and disadvantages.

They also had their own ideas on how to make the changes.

The support base has the best Star Armor processing plant in Qingyuan, with the best engineers and technical experts.

The renovation ideas proposed by Gao Wu were refined by experts, resulting in a reasonable renovation plan.

The most important part was the modification of the energy center, changing the dual-cycle ion circulation to a six-cycle circulation, and reinforcing the energy center with a level 5 diamond alloy.

The modified energy center increases energy output efficiency by 300% and mental energy consumption by 400%.

All the engineers believed that such a modification was too radical. The master's mental strength was also limited, and such a huge energy consumption in a high-intensity battle might not even last three minutes.

Moreover, the energy center also has an auxiliary seven-star overclocking array, which can temporarily increase energy output by 500%.

Such a terrifying energy output is excessive and completely unnecessary. In actual combat, it is even extremely dangerous.

Gao Wu didn't care about this; he insisted on his own opinion, and the others had no choice but to listen to him.

Secondly, the twin swords and the Dragon Scale Flying Blade were modified. Both were originally made of level three diamond alloy, but this time the Dragon Scale Flying Blade was changed to level five diamond alloy, and the twin swords were also coated with tens of kilograms of level six diamond alloy solution...

The modification cost a total of 23 billion, which is not an exorbitant amount for a Master Star Armor.

After all, a master can temper his star armor through the Source Sea, and any damage to the star armor can be repaired through the Source Sea.

However, many engineers had never seen such a radical modification plan. It emphasized energy output and attack efficiency entirely, completely disregarding defense…

Gao Wu secured a 30 billion yuan loan from Qingcheng with Ye Ning as guarantor. The loan had an annual interest rate of 7% and could be repaid in 30 years, which was a very good deal.

The engineers worked overtime and completed the modification of Longyuan in more than ten days.

While he still had time, Gao Wu went to the Rusty Mountains and spent a few more days hunting mechanical monsters to thoroughly familiarize himself with the performance of the modified Star Armor.

Through practical experience, some minor issues with the Star Armor were discovered, and Gao Wu then had the engineers make some detailed adjustments.

The day before the Sword Trial Tournament began, Gao Wu returned to Qingcheng Academy, where he met with Ye Ning again to discuss the details of participating in the tournament.

Only standard star armor can be used in the sword-testing tournament to ensure fairness in the competition.

Although Gao Wu's modified Longyuan was quite good, it was nothing compared to the other masters in the competition.

Using the standard Star Armor Dragon Abyss was actually a good thing for him. His hasty modification of the Dragon Abyss wasn't for the Sword Tournament; he just wanted to have Star Armor for protection.

With his current cultivation level, he can protect himself as long as he doesn't encounter a divine general...

The preliminary rounds of the sword-fighting tournament began at 10 a.m. the next day.

The preliminary rounds were very relaxed, and any Star Master under the age of 35 could participate. So it was exceptionally lively.

Longyuan, assigned by the Advanced Martial Arts System, appeared on the arena, facing a basic version of the Broken Mountain Star Armor, who should only be a low-level Star Master.

A young voice came from inside the Broken Mountain Star Armor: "Old Deng, what kind of star armor is that? It looks really cool!"

Gao Wu showed no mercy to the reckless young man, severing Po Shan's head with a single sword strike, thus ending the first battle.

On the first day of the Sword Trial Tournament, Gao Wu won 64 times; on the second day, he won 64 times.

They won all seven consecutive days before advancing to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, the competition became very formal. All participants had to log into Battle.net through their registered venue and virtual pod to be eligible to participate in the tournament.

Ye Ning was unlucky and failed to make it to the semi-finals.

A total of 139 people from Qingcheng entered the semi-finals. Among them, she was most concerned about her cousin Yang Liuqing and Gao Wu, followed by Liu Guanying, Wang Si'an, and Li Guofeng. After all, these were her students.

Those who can participate in the semi-finals are already elite star masters from various planets, making the competition tense and fierce.

To accommodate remote planets, the semi-finals are usually held within the same region, allowing each planet to have a star master who can participate in the semi-finals.

In the first round of the semi-finals, Li Guofeng faced Gao Wu.

Li Guofeng had been hoping to avenge his previous defeat, but he was stunned when he saw Gao Wu's information...

This competition also attracted the attention of many elites in Qingcheng, as the participants could not see the information about the Gaowu Star Armor.

When they saw Gao Wu riding the Dragon Abyss onto the field, many Star Masters who knew Gao Wu exclaimed in surprise...

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