Chapter 44 – Invitation to the Genius Summit, Part One
Closing his eyes, Zhao Feng began trying to gain insights from Star Finger.
Zhao Feng understood something after a few hours - this skill was indeed far harder than high ranked martial arts. In terms of difficulty, it could only be compared with Lightly Floating Ferry. But Star Finger wasn’t just hard, it also had a certain amount of danger involved. When one condensed their Inner Strength, the slightest mistake could result in the cultivator being disabled.
This meant that one needed to be extremely careful and not rush, so the improvement speed would be slow. However, Zhao Feng’s left eye increased his mental energy, reaction speed, analytical ability, and enlightenment, which meant that it was hard to go wrong.
Star Finger’s danger was minimized. Using two days time, Zhao Feng’s Star Finger barely managed to reach the first grade. The first grade of the Star Finger condensed the inner strength into one line, and it had strong penetrating power. After reaching the first grade without even using Inner Strength, Zhao Feng could blast through stone with just a casual finger.
He continued to train Star Finger. The second grade was much harder than the first grade, it needed the cultivator to condense the strength into a point instead of a line, which meant it had more explosive power.
Zhao Feng used another seven days just to reach the second grade. But the effect was very obvious, the damage was on par with high level high ranked skills. This meant that Zhao Feng’s offense could dominate all of the Zhao sect disciples, excluding Zhao Linlong. After reaching the second grade, Zhao Feng found that every step forward was extremely slow.
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Half a month later...
Zhao Feng finally managed to reach the peak of the second grade of Star Finger. Zhao Feng finally met a bottleneck when he tried to break through to the third grade. It was obvious that it wouldn’t be reached within a short amount of time.
“This skill is indeed hard to train. I can’t wait until I reach the fourth grade.” Zhao Feng’s expectations grew larger and larger.
Star Finger only needed to reach the fourth grade to attack through the air, which was the advantage that Martial Masters held.
Back then, Elder Zhao had also trained this skill and he had used over a year just to get it to the second grade.
Zhao Feng had only used twenty-something days to reach the peak of the second grade.
“This isn’t the hardest skill yet. The move from the girl that day is far deeper and more complex…” Zhao Feng remembered the Mysterious Wind Palm in his left eye’s dimension.
Obviously, Zhao Feng knew that he could only take one step at a time. Martial arts needed to be trained steadily, one couldn’t instantly reach the skies.
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Soon, Zhao Feng’s concentration returned to his cultivation and Inner Strength. When he was inside the cave, Zhao Feng’s body had absorbed an enormous amount of medicine.
At that time, the medicine hadn’t been fully absorbed, there was still a small amount left within the body. After returning, Zhao Feng started to absorb the last bits by practising martial arts and cultivating.
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In the blink of an eye, another fifteen days passed.
The remnants of the medicine had been absorbed. His cultivation had reached the peak fifth rank, only half a step away from the sixth rank. As for his Inner Strength, it was on par with the sixth rank. If Zhao Feng wanted to break through to the sixth rank, there wouldn’t be any bottlenecks present, he didn’t even need to use the three thousand year old plants.
“I’ll be able to reach the sixth rank in the next few days.” Zhao Feng understood the changes in his body very well.
Actually, most cultivators would have this feeling when they were about to break through. Therefore instead of cultivating, he decided to rest his body.
Perfectly timed, Zhao Yufei, his neighbor, came to find Zhao Feng to spar with him.
One and a half months had passed by since the martial arts contest. At this moment, Zhao Yufei’s cultivation had reached the peak fourth rank, she could reach the fifth at any moment.
“Brother Feng I want to see your new skills,” Zhao Yufei smiled. Her cheeks were faintly red and with her azure dress, she looked like a goddess.
“Sure!” Zhao Feng nodded his head, he also wanted to try out his skills.
Inside the garden, their two figures engaged and withdrew. First up was their movement skills.
Zhao Feng used Lightly Micro Step and his body became mysterious and blurry. When Lightly Micro Step was pushed to the extreme, there would be multiple after images of him stacked on top of one another.
Speed was Zhao Yufei’s specialty, but she was completely suppressed when facing Zhao Feng. Although both the skills were high ranked and reached the high level, the difference was very obvious.
Zhao Yufei was extremely puzzled, because Zhao Feng had suppressed his cultivation to a level that was even lower than hers. And in terms of Inner Strength, both had trained Air Crossing Breathing Technique.
“Yufei, your body’s attributes aren’t as good as mine and I also have Lightly Floating Ferry as foundation, so I have the upper hand in speed,” Zhao Feng told her half-truthfully.
The truth was that Lightly Floating Ferry and Lightly Micro Step were very similar. When used together, he was able to raise the skills to the peak rank.
Next, they compared their offensive skills.
Zhao Feng restrained his Star Finger to the beginning of the second grade, when his finger released a line of pure energy that could penetrate anything in its way. Zhao Yufei was almost injured after one move.
“Brother Feng’s skill is probably a peak ranked skill,” Zhao Yufei was extremely envious.
Peak ranked martial arts were very precious, of all the Zhao sect disciples, only Zhao Linlong, Zhao Chi and Zhao Feng had the chance to learn them.
“You’re right, this is indeed a peak ranked martial art.” Zhao Feng was extremely pleased with Star Finger.
Right at the moment when the two were discussing their skills, a voice broke in.
“Haha, little sister Yufei, I was going to spar with you, but you weren’t home. So this is where you were?”
A young man’s voice sounded, it was casual and calm. On the garden wall now stood a youth in gold robes around seventeen-some years of age, looking down at Zhao Yufei.
Zhao Linlong!
Zhao Feng’s eyebrows drew together. This was his home and Zhao Linlong came in without his permission. Furthermore, he was looking down on them, literally and metaphorically, by standing on top of the wall.
“Big brother Linlong,” Zhao Yufei smiled and observed the usual etiquette. After all, he was the top inner disciple and was the head of the sect’s step son. “Brother Linlong came again to spar with me?”
Zhao Yufei was expressionless. Zhao Linlong had come to visit her countless times under the name of sparring. Every time she saw him, Zhao Yufei could feel the fire inside Zhao Linlong’s eyes, which made her feel uneasy.
“That’s right, I hope sister Yufei won’t reject me.” Zhao Linlong’s words contained absolute confidence.
He didn’t step into the garden, only standing on the wall. From the moment he came in, he hadn’t even looked at Zhao Feng once.
“Thanks for your care, but brother Feng has just sparred with me,” Zhao Yufei smiled as she rejected him.
To spar with the genius of the Zhao sect was the dream of countless female disciples of the sect.
But Zhao Yufei didn’t like Zhao Linlong at all. Zhao Linlong had an aura of loneliness and superiority, as if it was the other person’s pleasure to be allowed to love him.
This was the complete opposite of Zhao Feng, who like her came from a branch sect and their sparring and communication came naturally. There wasn’t any pressure at all.
“Him?” Zhao Linlong ‘finally’ realized that Zhao Feng existed.
After glancing at Zhao Feng once, Zhao Linlong smiled, but didn’t greet him. It was obvious that he was disdainful of him.
“That’s fine. Today I came to find sister Yufei for one other thing.” Zhao Linlong shrugged his shoulders.
“Please explain.”
“This thing…I want to speak to Yufei privately.” Zhao Linlong glanced casually at Zhao Feng.
“Brother Feng, I’ll leave first,” Zhao Yufei said apologetically.
The two walked out side by side.
“Could it be that Zhao Linlong is chasing after Yufei…?” Zhao Feng finally realized something.
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On the other side of the wall...
Zhao Linlong took Zhao Yufei to a slightly remote area.
“Yufei, in half a month’s time, the Sun Feather City’s yearly Genius Summit will begin. The host is the most beautiful girl of Sun Feather City, Qiu Mengyu. At that time, all of the clans, sect, factions, and families’ geniuses will be invited.” Zhao Linlong paused.
Genius Summit! Most beautiful girl of Sun Feather City?
Zhao Yufei’s eye’s flashed, surprised and expectant. Zhao Yufei had heard of the Genius Summit. This was an event for all the geniuses of Sun Feather City to come and spar with one another.
The four great geniuses of Sun Feather City would also be decided there.
“This is the most important event for the youths of Sun Feather City! Being the top Zhao disciple, I can recommend five people to join.” Zhao Linlong’s lips curled into a smile.
“Oh? Genius Summit? I really want to experience it.” Zhao Yufei was very interested in joining. “Oh yes, who are you recommending?” Zhao Yufei asked urgently.
“There’s Zhao Chi, Zhao Han, Zhao Qin, Zhao Ling…” Zhao Linlong didn’t hide anything.
“Wait! Why isn’t brother Zhao Feng coming? He came in third!” Zhao Yufei interjected.
“Zhao Feng?” Zhao Linlong said casually, “He’s just a branch disciple and he didn’t even have the courage to challenge me. There’s no point in taking someone like that to the Genius Summit.”
“But brother Feng’s strength is still there…” Zhao Yufei felt that this was unfair.
“Hehe, it’s ok, Yufei. I feel that I’ll be able to reach the sixth rank soon and I’ll become the head of the four great geniuses. Therefore, it doesn’t matter who I choose, the point is that you’ll be there with me, to witness my glory…” Speaking up this point, Zhao Linlong’s eyes turned hot and his hand couldn’t help but reach towards Zhao Yufei’s shoulders.
“Zhao Linlong! Please behave yourself!” Zhao Yufei’s face turned cold as she blocked Zhao Linlong’s hand.
“I have never forced anyone into something they don’t want. But Yufei, you’ve got to believe me that no one will stop me from doing anything to the woman I love. And unless you want to turn old by yourself…”