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Chapter 313 - 284: Grandmasters Are Scarce, Latest Rankings

Chapter 313: Chapter 284: Grandmasters Are Scarce, Latest Rankings

In the room, Wu’s brows were tightly knotted, his forehead dripping with sweat.

He was using a Grandmaster-level Experience Card, struggling against the Fist Intent provided by the system.

A few minutes later, Wu opened his eyes, slowly exhaled, and checked his Divine Value with System Detection. It was still at 99 (Kongming).

After his last match with Dan Hu, Wu’s Divine Value had reached 99, the critical threshold of the Kongming Realm. In search of a breakthrough, he spent three million Fan Value to exchange for three Grandmaster-level Experience Cards. Yet after exhausting all three cards, his Divine Value still had not broken through.

Upon returning that day, Wu had been trying to recapture the state of mind he had during the match, attempting to reconnect with the vast Conception he had felt. Unfortunately, there had been no progress, so he tried using the Grandmaster-level Experience Cards, hoping that the pressure from the system’s Fist Intent would help him recall that night.

This time, the effect was much better, and Wu faintly grasped some sensation, but he still couldn’t capture the crucial element.

From the names given by the system and his epiphany that night, Wu could roughly guess the difference between Kongming and Spirit.

Kongming meant having a state of mind like a calm lake, undisturbed, devoid of any stray thoughts, allowing one to pour all their heart power into their Fist, and only then could a punch represent one’s entire spirit and exude momentum.

When Wu initially decided to visit Hu Shan’s Shaquan Dojo at night, he had a clear understanding of his Fist Intent. At that time, his mental state had reached the Kongming Realm, his mindclear and undisturbed by any stray thought, resolute in the path and actions he was committed to.

Only with such a state of mind, tranquil like a placid lake, could one keenly sense hostility from the outside world.

And the realm that follows Kongming, as defined by the system, is Spirit.

That night, when Wu heard tens of thousands of people singing for him, his mood was far from calm, entirely different from the state of going all out and unleashing Fist Intent. Yet, it was precisely that condition that allowed Wu to vaguely sense an even grander Conception.

Therefore, Wu surmised: If Kongming is a calm state of mind, then Spirit is when waves arise on the mental lake. These waves are not chaotic but rise from the motion of Intent, surging forth violently!

One is the strength in a static mental state, and the other is the strength in a dynamic mental state. One is constant, while the other is changeable.

The Fist Intent from the system actually felt to Wu like the pinnacle of Kongming. If he could completely overpower the system’s Fist Intent, perhaps he would find the opportunity for a breakthrough.

If he had enough Fan Value, Wu actually wanted to use a Grandmaster-level Experience Card every day to help him refine his Fist Intent and break through to Spirit sooner. Unfortunately, after exchanging for three Grandmaster-level Experience Cards, three million Fan Value was used up in an instant.

Yesterday’s live broadcast of the seventh episode of Seeking Martial Arts was too short, with a peak of only 1.87 million viewers. After deducting expenses, Wu was left with 6.34 million Fan Value, which he had to spend on other exchanges and was far from sufficient.

Among the Three Values of Divine, Power, and Body, when Wu used an A-level Virtual Battle Card to expedite his Bone Marrow process, his Body value increased. Thus, the Thunder Sound Realm corresponded to the stage where one practiced Body Training with Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound.

As for the Gang Body that follows Thunder Sound, it probably refers to the state where the internal organs and bones are unified, internal and external connected, allowing one to unleash Innate Gang Qi.

Wu used up the remaining 58 minutes of an A-level Virtual Battle Card he had left, then spent two million Fan Value to exchange for two more A-level Virtual Battle Cards. After groping for the most suitable Bone Marrow method for the next stage for over three hours and then practicing hard for over a month, his Body value rose from 90 to 91.

As for the Power value, the Innate Realm probably refers to the current stage of Returning to Innate that he resides in, and the next step, Dragon and Tiger, likely refers to being able to freely exert Dragon and Tiger Power.

To unleash Dragon and Tiger Power in battle, actual combat is the best and fastest method. Therefore, Wu could only harm Hu Shan back and forth with the S-level Experience Cards. After using up the remaining 67 minutes of the S-level Experience Card and exchanging three million Fan Value for another card, Wu’s Power value increased from 82 to 84 in an hour.

It could be said that in just one month’s time, Wu’s progress had been significant, and his current data was as follows:

[Fan Value: 1.34 million

Items: A-level Virtual Battle Card X1 (38 minutes), S-level Virtual Battle Card X1 (47 minutes)

Skills: Xingyi Fist (Master Level), Golden Bell Shield (Master Level), Eagle Claw Fist (Master Level), Tai Chi Fist (Master Level)

Overall Score: S (18%)

Divine: 99 (Kongming)

Power: 84 (Innate)

Body: 91 (Thunder Sound)]

Based on the values, Wu felt with enough Fan Value, he could raise all three values to the peak of 99 in a short period. But again, the same old problem remained: there wasn’t enough Fan Value...

Wu stood up and wiped his sweat, reminiscing about his conversation with Sun Yiquan yesterday, which made him somewhat introspective.

Without the assistance of the system, even with a complete legacy and his talent, Wu dared not claim he was certain he could break through to the Grandmaster Level.

Not to mention anything else, the process of Bone Marrow alone, without Virtual Battle Cards allowing him to recklessly experiment without worry, would require him to cautiously probe time and time again. A single mishap could result in injury, necessitating a pause until full recovery before resuming trials.

He estimated that to break through from Thunder Sound to Gang Body with such grueling efforts would take at least five to six years, or even seven to eight years, or more than ten years, if luck was not on his side!

And that’s just fulfilling one of the Three Values: Body. Then there are Divine and Power.

Even with the help of the system, Wu didn’t dare guarantee that he could definitely achieve a breakthrough in cultivation of mental state because such matters also relied on fortuitous enlightenment, which could potentially be equivalent to decades of arduous cultivation.

As for Control Power, if he relied solely on himself to practice slowly, it would be the same tedious effort, with months of hard practice not being as effective as a fight for survival.

Year after year of dedication and persistence, without knowing when a breakthrough might occur - without the system, one wouldn’t be able to precisely see the numerical values of Divine, Power, and Body. The difficulty of breaking through to Grandmaster without such clarity was unthinkable, requiring extraordinary determination.

While it had taken so much time and effort to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, just as Sun Yiquan had said, decades of hard cultivation, talent, heritage, perseverance, and luck, not one could be lacking, and in the end, one might still not surpass someone who merely flicked their finger.

Just thinking about it made one feel indescribably disheartened!

That’s why Wu Li had said to Sun Yiquan yesterday, "I understand you."

If it weren’t for the system, if he hadn’t seen the path beyond Grandmaster through the system, if he hadn’t seen the possibility of reaching even greater heights, Wu Li didn’t know if he could have maintained his previous sharpness after hearing Sun Yiquan’s words.

It was precisely because the system outlined the realms beyond Grandmaster and the three values of Divine, Power, and Body along with a third realm that Wu Li finally said to Sun Yiquan, "Martial arts have been around for a thousand years, how can you be so sure that in the next thousand years, no one will climb an even higher mountain?"

Ding!

The ringtone of the cell phone interrupted Wu Li’s thoughts. Checking the caller, it was Gong Juren. Wu Li answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Brother Wu, Director Chen just told me, Dana White has asked to meet you."

"When?"

"This afternoon. Brother Wu, will you see him?"

Wu Li thought for a moment. Last time he had declined Dana White using final exams as an excuse. It wouldn’t be good to refuse again since the man is the president of the UFC, after all—a bit of face had to be given.

"Let’s meet."

"Great, I’ll tell Director Chen."

...

In the afternoon at a private club in New York, Dana White, Tom, Wu Li, and Gong Juren were sitting together.

Gong Juren’s English level was also not bad, acting as a translator with no problem, so Wu Li didn’t bring the Seeking Martial Arts program team’s translator.

Dana White was as enthusiastic as the last time they met, able to make one genuinely feel his warmth and closeness.

"Wu, your last fight was just too splendid!"

"It’s the first time I’ve realized that Hua Country’s Kung Fu can be so magnificent!"

"Wu, I bet that in the future, many fighters will start studying and learning Hua Country’s Kung Fu, just like they study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

"Wu, you might just bring a whole new style to the UFC!"

...

Dana White started with a series of sincere compliments, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

"Wu, as far as I know, you haven’t yet signed with a professional team, have you?" Dana White asked, looking at Wu Li.

Wu Li nodded: "That’s correct."

Dana White: "Why is that? The team I recommended to you last time, William’s team, is top-notch in the industry!"

Wu Li: "William’s team is indeed formidable, but he asked me to sign for five years, and that’s something I can’t accept."

Dana White leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Wu Li: "With your current popularity and strength, Wu, you might become another legend in the UFC in the future, and your status could even rival that of Silva and Jon."

Wu Li nodded his head.

Dana White frowned slightly: "So why aren’t you willing to sign a long-term contract with William? Or do you think you can reach the UFC’s summit within one or two years?"

Wu Li smiled: "Can’t I reach the summit within one or two years?"

Dana White also laughed, patting Wu Li on the shoulder cordially, "My friend, you may be a genius in the ring, but the UFC is a commercial league; many things are not as simple as you think. It’s not just about entering the ring, winning fights, and climbing straight to the top. There’s a lot of publicity, promotion, and image issues involved."

He extended his finger: "Within one or two years, you may have a chance to grab a championship and then defend it, but to become a legend like Silva and Jon, it’ll take five, six, or even ten years before you have that opportunity!"

Wu Li nodded: "You might be right, but I still want to give it a try."

The smile remained on Dana White’s face as he lifted his glass, "Well then, my friend, all I can do is wish you the best."

The two clinked their glasses, both wearing smiles.

...

The next day, the UFC released its latest rankings, placing Wu Li as the seventh in the lightweight category.