I became a Sword Emperor in the Martial Arts World

Chapter 138 I hadn't even used my strength before he collapsed.

After Gu Mingye ate the Thousand-Thread White Lotus Root, his injuries visibly healed rapidly in an instant. Countless tiny white threads extended from the cracked wounds, as if they were alive, automatically stitching up the broken parts and then regrowing skin and flesh.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a life-saving treasure; its effects are no joke!

"My injuries healed so quickly?"

Gu Mingye sat up directly from the hospital bed. He was in a very energetic and lively state.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have imagined that until just now, he was a critically ill patient who needed a nurse to help him urinate.

Gu Minghui was well aware of the benefits of shredded lotus root, so he wasn't surprised at all. He simply asked, "How do you feel?"

"This feels great!"

Gu Mingye tried swinging his fist, the force bursting forth from his body, stirring the air, and the resulting gust of wind howled past, rattling the windows as if a typhoon had passed.

"Bro, I feel like I could kill an armored lizard with one punch right now."

For a battle maniac, this ability to recover quickly from injury is an absolute dream come true.

Seeing that his younger brother's injuries had just healed, he was eager to fight again. Gu Minghui shook his head and sighed, "Thousand-thread white lotus root can only help you heal your wounds quickly, but it can't bring you back to life, so you'd better take it easy."

"Brother, you're so long-winded."

"I heard you lost to a high school student? How good was he?"

"Very strong."

Speaking of this, Gu Mingye was also very excited: "Or rather, he's ridiculously strong. And such a strong person can only be ranked seventh on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Just who are the top six? Are all young people these days this powerful?"

Gu Minghui adjusted his glasses, his expression quite calm: "The situation in the cave has changed. It seems that those ancient beings who should have been buried are starting to become restless and want to crawl out of their graves. As for the top ten on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, apart from Ye Qingzhou who is ranked seventh, none of the other nine are easy to deal with."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Gu Mingye was clearly intrigued by Gu Minghui's words.

"Li Jianshu, ranked first, is a martial arts genius nurtured by the Imperial Capital's Divine Strategy Army. At only seventeen years old, he has already become famous far and wide."

"The second-ranked Wu Yuelong is the Dao Master of the Divine Gang Path and a direct disciple of Qi Shengtian, the Nine Dragons Fist Saint. Wu Yuelong himself comes from the Imperial Capital Wu Clan, a family of martial arts masters, and has quite a background."

"Wang Huaxian, ranked third, is a Daoist disciple of Sanqing Mountain. It is said that he is a genius. At the age of sixteen, he has already mastered two great skills, the Five Thunder Orthodox Method and the Heaven and Earth Seal. He has even mastered the supernatural power of the Night Wanderer, which allows him to leave his body and travel hundreds of miles at night."

"As for Yan Xiyue, who ranks fourth, she is not a human from our Eastern Pole Kingdom at all, but a human from the Cave Heaven. Moreover, her identity is not ordinary. She is the current Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect. It is said that she came out of the world this time to temper her heart in the mortal world."

"Huang Guanghong, ranked fifth, is a martial arts genius trained by the Xin Sha School. He is a disciple of Lei Gong, one of the Six Masters of Xin Sha. Other details are currently unknown."

"Among the remaining ones, Qin Haoyu, ranked sixth, is a disciple of Zhang Shuhua, the divine physician of the Jishi Medical Association. Luo Yunchuan, ranked eighth, comes from the Jinling Luo Clan, a family of martial arts masters. Lu Yiming, ranked ninth, also comes from a family of martial arts masters and is a prodigy nurtured by the Chang'an Lu Clan. Zhou Zhihao, ranked tenth, is a martial arts fanatic from a commoner background and a personal disciple of the Sword Master Lu Zheng."

After listening to Gu Minghui's explanation, Gu Mingye exclaimed inwardly, "The Ten Hidden Dragons are either from powerful martial arts schools, long-established martial arts families, or direct disciples of grandmasters. In that case, it's really not easy for Ye Qingzhou, who has no sect or school, to rank seventh."

"At the Tianji Research Institute, I'm leading a research group that's preparing to assess the growth potential of the Ten Hidden Dragons. I'll go find Ye Qingzhou later; you, go and evaluate Qin Haoyu to see how strong he is."

Although Gu Minghui was only three years older than Gu Mingye, he already held an important position in the Tianji Research Institute. In terms of qualifications and talent, he far surpassed Gu Mingye.

"Haha, you don't need to tell me, I had the same idea."

Having recovered from his injuries, Gu Mingye was eager to test his skills against Qin Haoyu, who was ranked sixth on the Hidden Dragon List, upon learning that Qin had come to Nanjing University.

The "Nine Battles of the Wilderness" technique he practiced allowed him to fight and rebuild even after failure, as long as his fighting spirit remained high, constantly surpassing his own limits.

Therefore, Gu Mingye was never afraid of fighting, nor was he afraid of losing.

Conversely, if fear and dread arise in his heart, and he can no longer maintain his fighting spirit, his cultivation will regress significantly, and he will become just another ordinary person.

"Nine Battles of the Wilderness" is a martial art that is all-encompassing and relentlessly advanced, designed specifically for combat.

If one dares not fight, it is tantamount to losing one's fighting spirit, thus leading to a decline in morale.

…………

Nanjing University, Martial Arts Field.

"Qin Haoyu, there are some moves I don't quite understand. Could you help me clarify them?"

With her eyebrows curved and her eyes sparkling, Yuan Jingfei stood in front of Qin Haoyu with an expectant look on her face, seeking his advice.

Before Qin Haoyu came to Nanjing University, Yuan Jingfei had been trying to please Ye Qingzhou and get close to him.

But after Qin Haoyu arrived, she immediately abandoned Ye Qingzhou and kept crowding around him. Clearly, in her eyes, Qin Haoyu, ranked sixth, was more appealing than Ye Qingzhou, ranked seventh.

Leon couldn't stand this attitude and walked up to Ye Qingzhou angrily: "Teacher Ye, aren't you angry?"

Why should I be angry?

Ye Qingzhou chose to ignore Yuan Jingfei's behavior.

After all, in his view, currying favor with the powerful and following the crowd is just human nature, and there is no need to be angry about it.

Just like how, if Yuan Jingfei hadn't been rich, even if Song Xin had torn her to pieces, Ye Qingzhou wouldn't have even batted an eye, let alone saved her.

A transaction is a transaction. If you can talk about money, talk about money as much as possible. Don't let emotions get involved, or you'll lose money.

So it's Yuan Jingfei's freedom to please whomever she wants, and Ye Qingzhou doesn't care at all.

But Leon couldn't swallow his anger: "That Qin Haoyu is far too arrogant. He doesn't take Master Ye seriously at all."

Ye Qingzhou glanced at Leon and instantly saw through his little scheme: "You're so angry because your name isn't on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, right?"

"Nonsense!"

Leon vehemently denied it, but his slightly panicked expression betrayed his true thoughts.

As the two were talking, Gu Minghui appeared behind Ye Qingzhou without anyone noticing.

Wearing a white lab coat and a pair of high-tech black-rimmed glasses, Gu Minghui looked calmly at Ye Qingzhou and began to introduce himself: "Hello, my name is Gu Minghui, from the Tianji Research Institute."

Tianji Research Institute!

In the Eastern Pole Kingdom, this is a powerful force on par with the Tiangong Group, and it is a special agency affiliated with the government.

Many instruments and equipment that have had a profound impact on the martial arts world, as well as martial arts theories, originated from these two institutions, so almost everyone in Dongji Kingdom knows about them.

Among them, Tianji Research Institute is more inclined towards research and development, while Tiangong Group is more inclined towards production and manufacturing.

"Hello, I am Ye Qingzhou."

Ye Qingzhou's expression was solemn because he felt a powerful sense of oppression from Gu Minghui.

Gu Minghui's strength is not great. His external training is barely at the professional level, and his hand-to-hand combat skills are roughly the same as Xu Lan's. His internal training is also far from strong; he can't even compare to Ghost Sword Sorrow Duan Ming.

For some reason, Ye Qingzhou still felt an omnipresent pressure.

His sword heart could see into a deeper level of truth, which is why he felt a strong sense of crisis and instinctively sensed that the man in front of him was terrifying!

However, Gu Minghui harbored no ill will towards Ye Qingzhou. On the contrary, after glancing at Ye Qingzhou's sword pouch, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "In just one night, you have comprehended 'using the sword to carry the Dao,' completely mastering your own mental power and integrating it into the sword. Your talent is truly incredible."

"You also know about the power of thought?"

Ye Qingzhou was equally surprised, because he had only learned of the existence of this power from the headmaster when he passed through Yuelu Academy last night.

"Of course, this isn't really a big secret. After all, there are many ancient cities in the Eastern Kingdom, and Confucian temples aren't unique to Yuelu Mountain. The authorities have known about the power of thought for a long time and have invested a lot of resources and mobilized many talents to conduct in-depth research on it. So far, the results are quite significant."

As a core member of the Tianji Research Institute, Gu Minghui obviously has a lot to say on this matter.

Ye Qingzhou seemed to be deep in thought: "Mental cultivation method?"

"That's right. The mental cultivation method is the technique for utilizing mental energy. Your mental energy is as sharp as a sword and indestructible. You must have practiced a powerful martial arts mental cultivation method, right?"

Gu Minghui smiled faintly and then said, "There are plenty of powerful mental techniques and all sorts of strange ones in the Tianji Research Institute. I have practiced a technique called 'Tianji Divine Calculation,' so my brain is now almost equivalent to a supercomputer, possessing powerful computing power."

Ye Qingzhou instantly understood where Gu Minghui's powerful aura came from.

The opponent's mental state was incredibly powerful; he was undoubtedly the most powerful human being Ye Qingzhou had ever seen, without exception.

After all, although Kang Jinlong, Bai Jiao Fengqi, and Qing Jiao Yingyue are stronger than Gu Minghui, none of them can be considered human.

After Gu Minghui finished speaking, he specifically extended an invitation to Ye Qingzhou: "Your mental cultivation is quite good. Would you like to join the Heavenly Mystery Research Institute? We don't lack mental cultivation techniques, but we lack peerless geniuses like you who can master them to a high level."

"Me, go do research?"

Ye Qingzhou was somewhat amused and exasperated. How could a martial arts practitioner who only knew how to fight and kill be allowed to conduct research in a scientific research institution?

This kind of thing sounds outrageous.

Gu Minghui didn't think so. He smiled and said, "We should recruit talents without being bound by convention. You can contact me anytime you have this idea."

After saying that, he added Ye Qingzhou as a friend and then turned and left gracefully.

Only after Gu Minghui's figure disappeared from sight did the sense of crisis in Ye Qingzhou's heart, as if he were being targeted and locked onto by missiles and naval cannons, completely disappear.

While Ye Qingzhou was still pondering why Gu Minghui had invited him to join the Tianji Research Institute, and whether he should join, Leon, always eager to stir up trouble, rushed over with a mischievous expression and reported: "Master Ye, a fight has broken out!"

"Who's fighting with whom?"

"Gu Mingye and Qin Haoyu!"

Leon planned to drag Ye Qingzhou along to watch the show, while Ye Qingzhou also wanted to gather some information about Qin Haoyu, so she also went to the martial arts arena.

At this moment, the martial arts arena at Nanjing University was already surrounded by spectators, and many members of the Nanjing University Martial Arts Club had come to join in the fun.

"Is Gu Mingye going to conduct a training exercise?"

"It's not a training battle, it's supposedly a challenge."

"A challenge? You must be kidding me. Gu Mingye is the number one martial arts expert in our Nanjing University Martial Arts Club. Challenge a high school student who came to the Yuelu Mountain Secret Realm for a trial? Are you out of your mind?"

"You're clearly outdated. Just the day before yesterday, Gu Mingye lost to Ye Qingzhou, who was ranked seventh on the Hidden Dragon List. This time, you're going to challenge Qin Haoyu, who is ranked ahead of Ye Qingzhou."

"Holy crap, does that mean Gu Mingye is going to lose?"

"Who says otherwise? This Hidden Dragon Ranking is too bizarre. Are all high school students these days growing up on fertilizer? Their growth rate is a bit beyond what's expected!"

The battle between Gu Mingye and Qin Haoyu sparked much discussion among those around them.

Qin Haoyu, who had just been instructing his beautiful female classmate on martial arts techniques, was completely bewildered. He had only come for a trial training session, so how did he end up being challenged by the top dog of the Nanjing University Martial Arts Club?

Is there something wrong with this?

Qin Haoyu looked at Fang Liang, the teacher in charge of the group, with pleading eyes.

At this moment, Fang Liang's mood was no better than Qin Haoyu's.

Finally, Fang Liang had no choice but to feign composure and encourage Qin Haoyu: "You're a rising star in martial arts! Just treat this match as a normal instructional battle. Fight seriously and try to show the style and prestige of Changjun High School."

"Okay, I'll try my best."

With things having come to this point, Qin Haoyu had no choice but to bite the bullet and proceed.

On the ring, the two were ready.

Gu Mingye held his famous spear, Yelong, its tip pointed directly at Qin Haoyu. His eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit, his determination soaring: "In this battle, I won't hold back. You'd better watch out!"

"???"

Upon hearing this, Qin Haoyu felt inexplicably flustered, his mind going completely numb as if he'd been electrocuted.

Wait, what does "not holding back" mean?

Where's the promised coaching battle?!

Could there be a mistake in any step of the process?

Unfortunately, before Qin Haoyu could object, Gu Mingye's spear was already upon him.

Wind Force, Advanced Martial Skill, Leading the Way!

"Wait a minute... Holy crap!"

Qin Haoyu quickly drew his sword to parry. The divine weapon was drawn, and flames roared. He had cultivated the fire technique to a superb level, and the power bursting from his muscles was overwhelming.

Holding the Yan Emperor Sword, Qin Haoyu launched a powerful attack, his inner fire energy suddenly erupting, successfully knocking away Gu Mingye's Yelong Spear.

"Haha, impressive arm strength!"

Seeing this, Gu Mingye immediately changed his tactics, bending the spear shaft under the force and using his skillful force-dissipating technique to neutralize Qin Haoyu's powerful strength.

Then, with a flick of the spear tip, sparks flew everywhere, creating a dazzling display of fire.

Fire, advanced martial arts technique, Raging Horse Charges Through the Pass!

The burning flames, like the mane of an angry horse, fluttered in the wind.

The Yelong Spear slammed down, like the golden hooves of a dragon steed, piercing through the clouds and mist from the heavens above, and then crashing down.

This step seemed to shatter the earth and destroy mountains and rivers!

A violent force, carrying immense mental pressure, crashed down on Qin Haoyu.

After his battle with Ye Qingzhou, Gu Mingye's cultivation level has improved significantly. He now possesses the strength of a professional ninth-dan and will soon be able to attempt to build a bridge between heaven and earth to break through to the master realm.

At this moment, Qin Haoyu felt as if he had transformed into a general guarding the pass, with only a hundred or so remaining soldiers under his command, yet facing a frontal assault by tens of thousands of enemy troops.

Confusion, fear, and a host of negative emotions overwhelmed him, extinguishing the fire in his heart like a candle flickering in the wind.

Ding~

Qin Haoyu raised his sword to block, but the immense force from the Yelong Spear forced him to kneel on one knee, unable to move. At that moment, he felt extremely humiliated.

What happened to the promised guidance battle?

You went all out from the start?

What grudge do I have against you?!

Gu Mingye subdued Qin Haoyu with a single shot, but frowned, clearly dissatisfied: "Stop holding back, fight properly. Where's your mighty power?"

In his opinion, Qin Haoyu was really looking down on people, and even held back his moves when fighting him.

Qin Haoyu gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak: "What... a thousand pounds... divine power?"

"They're still pretending, they don't take me seriously at all."

Gu Mingye mistakenly thought that Qin Haoyu was underestimating him, and immediately became angry. He suddenly withdrew his spear, and after a brief period of charging up, he thrust it out like a dragon.

The third move of the Nine Battles of the Wilderness is the Fire Tree Star Bridge!

This shot was like a dragon emerging from the sea, raising a golden beam across the waves.

As the spear tip trembled, the fireworks burst forth, the star bridge and iron locks opened, the scene was magnificent, and the light of the lamp and the moon shone brightly, making the night as bright as day!

This shot was powerful and overwhelming, and unstoppable.

Qin Haoyu was already struggling to hold on, and at this moment he couldn't hold back any longer: "Fuck you..."

Boom~

The sky was filled with sparks, completely engulfing his figure.

When the smoke cleared, Qin Haoyu's eyes rolled back, and he lay on the ground unconscious.

Qin Haoyu's defeat this time was truly unjust. It's true that his fire skills had reached a superb level, but the problem was that his fire skills followed a different path than Ye Qingzhou's!

Ye Qingzhou's firework was incredibly skillful, aiming to ignite emotions and unleash power.

Qin Haoyu's fire skills were superb. Although they could amplify his power, he focused more on refining weapons and medicines. The fire he condensed was the Six Ding Divine Fire, the least suited for combat among the nine divine fires.

As for any divine strength, he didn't have it at all!

"Qin Haoyu!"

Fang Liang rushed over to check on the injuries, while glaring angrily at Gu Mingye: "What are you doing? It was just a simple instructional battle, did you have to use such force?"

Gu Mingye realized at this point that Qin Haoyu wasn't pretending to be bad at the game, because he really was bad at it.

Feeling a little embarrassed for injuring someone, Gu Mingye scratched his head and muttered, "How was I supposed to know he was so weak? I hadn't even used any force before he collapsed..."

(End of this chapter)