18: Chapter 18 Pre-war Preparations

There are still two months left before the opening of the Global Esper Convention.

Lin Wu stood in the clearing in front of the bamboo hut, his posture as straight as a pine and his gaze sharp as lightning. After a month of arduous cultivation, although his cultivation Realm had not broken through to the True Essence Condensation Realm, his control over the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm had reached a state of perfection.

"True Essence Sword!"

Lin Wu pressed his fingers together like a sword, and a golden beam of Sword Qi shot out from his fingertips, tracing an elegant arc in the air and slicing a boulder ten meters away right through the middle. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, demonstrating astonishing control.

"Not bad." Gu Cangwu walked over from the side, nodding with satisfaction. "Your control over True Essence has reached another level."

"Master." Lin Wu bowed respectfully.

"But it's not enough." Gu Cangwu's expression turned solemn. "The Global Esper Convention gathers the top geniuses from all over the world, including prodigies at the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm or even those who have touched the threshold of the Legendary Realm. With your cultivation at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, while you can deal with ordinary Grandmasters or even those at the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm, the outcome is uncertain when facing those true Prodigy-level geniuses. You must be fully prepared."

Lin Wu nodded, a flash of determination in his eyes: "This Disciple understands."

"From today onwards, I will teach you the practical combat techniques from the Martial Dao Origin Scripture," Gu Cangwu said. "These techniques can be performed without reaching the True Essence Condensation Realm, though their power will be somewhat diminished. However, at a critical moment, they are enough to turn the tide of battle."

"Please guide me, Master!"

...

The first form: True Essence Burst.

This is a technique to instantly erupt the True Essence within the body, significantly increasing combat power in a short period. However, the cost is a massive consumption of True Essence, making it unsustainable.

"The key to True Essence Burst lies in control," Gu Cangwu demonstrated. "You must release the True Essence in an instant without letting it spiral out of control. This requires extremely high mastery over your True Essence."

Lin Wu began to try, following his Master's guidance.

The first time, the True Essence release was too violent, nearly damaging his Meridians.

The second time, the release was too weak, lacking power.

The third time... the fourth time... the fifth time...

After countless attempts, Lin Wu finally mastered the technique of True Essence Burst.

*Boom!*

Lin Wu threw a punch, and the golden fist force was more than three times stronger than before. Although it could only be maintained for a few breaths, within those moments, his combat strength was comparable to a powerhouse of the True Essence Condensation Realm.

"Very good." Gu Cangwu nodded with satisfaction. "Next is the second form: True Essence Body Guard."

True Essence Body Guard is a technique that condenses True Essence on the surface of the body to form a shield. Unlike ordinary protective True Essence, this shield can withstand attacks far beyond one's own Realm.

"The greatest advantage of a True Essence Condensation Realm powerhouse is the defensive power after True Essence Manifestation," Gu Cangwu explained. "True Essence Body Guard can make your defense no less than that of the True Essence Condensation Realm, and it can even withstand a frontal strike from a Grandmaster."

Lin Wu began to Cultivate True Essence Body Guard.

This technique was even more difficult than True Essence Burst, requiring the True Essence to be distributed evenly across the entire body to form a thin shield. It could not be too thick, which would waste True Essence, nor too thin, which would lose its defensive effect.

After seven days of bitter cultivation, Lin Wu finally reached the Minor Achievement stage of True Essence Body Guard.

"Let's test its power," Gu Cangwu said, then struck a palm toward Lin Wu.

This palm contained the power of a Great Grandmaster, enough to severely injure an ordinary Martial Artist at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

*Bang!*

The palm force landed on Lin Wu and was blocked by the golden shield. Although Lin Wu was shaken back three steps, he was not injured.

"Not bad." Gu Cangwu withdrew his palm. "With your current defensive power, you can calmly handle attacks from the Grandmaster Realm, and even in the face of a powerhouse who has touched the threshold of the Legendary Realm, you can preserve your life."

Lin Wu let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a bit more confident about the Global Esper Convention.

...

As time passed day by day, Lin Wu's cultivation entered a state of frenzy.

At dawn, when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the bamboo forest, Lin Wu had already begun his day's cultivation.

"Heavenly Collapse Fist, First Form—Void Breaking!"

The golden fist force tore through the air, letting out a sharp whistling sound. Lin Wu's figure flickered constantly in the clearing, and with every punch thrown, a faint golden trail was left in the air.

"Second Form—Stone Split!"

The fist force solidified and slammed into a thousand-jin boulder. Stone chips flew everywhere, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the surface of the boulder.

"Third Form—Earth Splitter!"

Lin Wu suddenly leaped up and slammed his fist force toward the ground. The earth trembled, and a deep crack spread out from beneath his feet, several zhang in length.

...

In the afternoon, Sword Qi traversed the bamboo forest.

"Myriad Manifestations Sword Intent, First Form—Sword Qi Traversing!"

Lin Wu pressed his fingers together like a sword, and dozens of golden Sword Qi beams shot out from his fingertips, weaving into a sword net in the air. Wherever it passed, bamboo leaves fluttered down, each one sliced in half with a cut as neat as a mirror.

"Second Form—Sword Qi Transforming into Rainbow!"

The Sword Qi condensed and transformed into a golden rainbow, slicing through a bamboo stalk a hundred meters away. Before the bamboo trunk could even hit the ground, the cut had already been charred by the high temperature of the Sword Qi.

...

At dusk, a figure moved like a ghost by the cliffside.

"Void Step!"

Lin Wu's figure flickered constantly at the edge of the cliff, appearing on the left one moment and on the right the next, his speed so fast that he left afterimages in his wake. The mountain wind whipped his robes, yet he remained as steady as a rock, every step landing on the most dangerous spots where a single slip would mean falling into a bottomless abyss.

But he felt no fear; instead, through this tempering on the edge of life and death, his understanding of movement techniques grew deeper and deeper.

...

Late at night, the bamboo hut was brightly lit.

Lin Wu sat cross-legged, the True Essence in his body slowly circulating according to the paths of the Martial Dao Origin Scripture. With every cycle, the True Essence became more refined, and his mastery of techniques deepened.

His forehead was covered in sweat and his face was pale, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

For a month, Lin Wu slept only four hours a day, using all the remaining time for cultivation. His body had grown leaner, but his aura was deeper and more condensed than before.

Although his Realm was still the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, his combat strength was no longer the same.

...

On this day, Su Qingxue came to Lin Wu's bamboo hut.

"Lin Wu," Su Qingxue called out softly.

Lin Wu withdrew his punch and turned around. Seeing Su Qingxue, a smile appeared on his face: "Qingxue, why are you here?"

"I... I'm also going to participate in the Global Esper Convention," Su Qingxue said. "So I came to let you know."

"You're participating too?" Lin Wu was somewhat surprised.

"Yes," Su Qingxue nodded. "I've already broken through to the high stage of the Grandmaster Realm and am trying to comprehend the embryonic form of a Domain. My Master said that this convention is a great opportunity for experience."

Lin Wu looked at Su Qingxue and found that her aura was indeed much stronger than before. Ice-type Ability circulated around her, carrying a hint of chill.

"That's great," Lin Wu smiled. "We can fight together."

"Lin Wu..." Su Qingxue hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

"I heard that this convention will not only have geniuses from various countries but also descendants of hidden forces," Su Qingxue said with a solemn expression. "Among them is a person called 'Blood Shura' from the 'Blood Tribe' of the European Alliance. It's said he has already broken through to the Grandmaster Realm and his methods are extremely cruel."

"Blood Shura?" Lin Wu frowned.

"There's also Thor the God of Thunder from the Double Americas Alliance, who is also a powerhouse in the Grandmaster Realm and controls the ultimate power of lightning," Su Qingxue continued. "And Natasha the 'ice empress' from the Great Russian Alliance; her Ice-type Ability has been cultivated to the extreme, capable of freezing even space itself."

Lin Wu fell silent.

Each of these names represented a powerhouse. With his ninth layer Qi Refining Realm cultivation, facing these Grandmaster-level prodigies indeed brought immense pressure.

"Besides these, there are some mysterious participants," Su Qingxue said. "It's said that even descendants of the 'Outworlders' might participate in this convention."

"Descendants of the Outworlders?" Lin Wu's heart skipped a beat.

Outworlders were invaders from another world. It was said that the strength of a true Outworlder reached at least the Legendary Realm or even the Mythic Realm. But those appearing in this convention would likely be the descendants or vanguards of the Outworlders, with strength between the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm and the Legendary Realm. If their descendants were participating, the danger level of this convention would far exceed expectations.

"Lin Wu, you must be careful," Su Qingxue looked at him with concern. "I know you are strong, but the opponents this time..."

"Don't worry." Lin Wu took Su Qingxue's hand, a flash of determination in his eyes. "No matter who the opponent is, I will not back down."

"And..." Lin Wu smiled. "I'm not fighting alone. With you here, I have even more confidence."

Su Qingxue blushed and nodded gently.

...

After Su Qingxue left, Lin Wu stood in the bamboo forest, lost in thought.

Blood Shura, Thor the God of Thunder, ice empress Natasha... and the descendants of the Outworlders.

Each of these names was like a great mountain weighing on his heart.

But Lin Wu was not afraid.

"The greater the pressure, the greater the motivation."

"Only between life and death can one break through their limits."

Lin Wu clenched his fists, his eyes burning with intense Battle Intent.

"There's still one month..."

"Within this month, I will push my combat power to the absolute limit!"

...

In the following days, Lin Wu began an even more frenzied cultivation.

He slept only four hours a day, using all the rest of his time to Cultivate.

During the day, he cultivated the combat techniques from the Martial Dao Origin Scripture, constantly polishing every detail.

In the evening, he practiced the Heavenly Collapse Fist and Myriad Manifestations Sword Intent, training every move and form until they became instinctual reactions.

Late at night, he meditated to regulate his breathing, recover his True Essence, and simultaneously perceive the Martial Dao True Intent.

This frantic method of cultivation allowed Lin Wu's strength to improve at an astonishing speed.

Gu Cangwu watched Lin Wu's transformation, feeling both gratified and pained for him.

"This child is pushing himself too hard..."

But Gu Cangwu did not stop him. He knew what kind of predicament Lin Wu was facing. Only this kind of frenzied cultivation would give him a glimmer of hope at the Global Esper Convention.

...

Ten days before the opening of the convention.

On this day, Lin Wu was cultivating when he suddenly felt a powerful aura approaching.

"Who is it?"

Lin Wu turned and saw a young man dressed in white standing at the edge of the bamboo forest.

The young man had a handsome face and an ethereal temperament, surrounded by a faint glow as if he were a transcendent immortal descended to the world.

"Are you Lin Wu?" the white-clad youth asked calmly.

"I am. And Your Excellency is?"

"Bai Wuchen," the youth in white said. "From the 'Kunlun Secret Realm,' I am the 'Holy Son of Kunlun' of this generation."

"Holy Son of Kunlun?" Lin Wu's heart jolted.

The Kunlun Secret Realm was the most mysterious hidden force in the Huaxia Alliance, said to be a Legacy from the ancient era of immortal cultivation with unfathomable foundations. And the "Holy Son of Kunlun" was the most outstanding Disciple of the younger generation in the Kunlun Secret Realm, representing its face and future.

"I've heard of you," Bai Wuchen looked at Lin Wu, a flash of interest in his eyes. "Using Martial Dao against abilities, and defeating a Grandmaster while in the Qi Refining Realm—very interesting."

"You flatter me," Lin Wu said flatly.

"I will also be participating in the Global Esper Convention," Bai Wuchen said. "I hope that when the time comes, you can bring me some surprises."

After saying that, Bai Wuchen's figure flashed and he disappeared into the bamboo forest.

Lin Wu looked in the direction Bai Wuchen had disappeared, his brow furrowed.

"A descendant of the Kunlun Secret Realm..."

"It seems this convention is even more complicated than I imagined."

...

Three days before the opening of the convention.

Lin Wu ended his final seclusion and walked out of the bamboo hut.

His aura was deeper than before. Although his Realm was still at the Peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, his combat power had risen to a new level.

"Lin Wu, are you ready?" Gu Cangwu asked.

"I'm ready." Lin Wu nodded, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Then let's set off." Gu Cangwu patted Lin Wu's shoulder. "To Lingdu, to the Global Esper Convention—let the world see your strength!"

"Yes!"

Lin Wu took a deep breath and looked into the distance.

There, in the direction of Lingdu.

There, would be his new battlefield.

"Global Esper Convention..."

"Here I come!"