Chapter 111: The Fundamental Great Curse

The tall teenager, stunned by the beating, had sustained no actual injuries, yet he still needed his teammates to help him off the ring.

The lead fighter for the Dongling team stepped onto the stage. He was a slender youth with a sharp, spirited look. Having witnessed Gao Wu’s terrifying strength, the boy no longer had the heart to provoke him, his eyes filled with caution and wariness.

As the referee gave the signal, Gao Wu charged directly at the opposing lead, opening with an assault-rifle style strike. Though his mastery of the "Combat Soldier Fist" was only at the proficiency level, it was more than enough to deal with these adolescent martial artists. By opening his acupuncture points to gather source power, he had boosted his relatively weaker agility to 10.5. Among all the martial artists participating in the Qilin Cup, even those at the warrior level like Bai Yushuang would only have agility values in this range; they could never pull away from him in any substantial way.

Regardless of whether the Dongling lead intended to maneuver or retreat, he had no chance at all in such a confined space.

Gao Wu reached his opponent in a single step. His punch shot out like a bullet from an assault rifle, spinning as it slammed directly toward the Dongling No. 1 High School lead. Although the lead had prepared himself mentally, he could not help but feel a surge of fear when facing the strike head-on. He set up a defensive stance, planning to strike and retreat simultaneously to avoid a direct collision. But Gao Wu’s punch was too fast; the moment his guard met Gao Wu’s fist, the fierce and unrivaled power vibrated through his entire body, shattering his stance instantly.

Gao Wu’s second punch followed immediately. Seeing that his opponent had no room to dodge, he transitioned from a fist to a palm, gently tapping the boy’s chest. Though he held back eighty percent of his strength, the blow still left the opponent deathly pale and rigid.

Gao Wu retracted his palm, stepped back, and offered a cupped-hand salute to the Dongling lead. The referee stepped in to block Gao Wu and announced his victory. The team from Dongling No. 1 High School remained silent. They had anticipated this result, but seeing their lead defeated by Gao Wu in just two punches left them feeling exceptionally dejected. Youthful blood is hot and spirits are high, but it is hard to accept failure, and it is easy to sink into despair amidst such intense frustration.

It wasn’t just Dongling No. 1 that was silent; the Changlin No. 1 team, who would face Gao Wu next, were equally quiet. They had fought hard to defeat their opponents and reach the top eight, only to realize they would have to face the terrifying powerhouse that was Gao Wu. Despair was inevitable.

And so it was. That afternoon, Changlin No. 1 clashed with Dongjiang No. 1. Changlin sacrificed two fighters to take down four from Dongjiang, leaving their three remaining teenage martial artists to face Gao Wu with everything they had. The result? Not one of them could catch three of Gao Wu’s punches. Every fight ended in under a second.

This crushing victory shattered the morale and confidence of the young martial artists. The Changlin lead suddenly broke down in tears after his defeat. It was the first time Gao Wu had encountered such a scene. He felt a bit of sympathy; facing a crushing defeat can indeed make one question if their hard work is worthless, leading to a profound doubt about life itself. He actually wanted to comfort the boy: "Life is full of various failures; you will eventually get used to it..." But he realized such consolation seemed inappropriate, so he took a long look at the sobbing youth and suppressed the urge to approach him.

The live broadcast beamed the image of the crying boy across North Province; one could only wonder how many people saw this scene. The sense of powerlessness against a strong opponent was vividly displayed in this youth. In this world, the strong are ultimately few. While some cursed the boy’s weakness, many others typed in the chat: "Don't cry, kid."

On the other hand, Gao Wu, who had driven the boy to tears, gained even more popularity. Compared to the other young warriors, Gao Wu had become the most popular contestant in this year’s Qilin Cup. His string of crushing victories also made young warriors like Bai Yushuang take him more seriously. Coaches from various teams began studying his footage from the Xuetao Cup to devise strategies to counter him.

His massive popularity brought a surge of followers to his personal "Kuaiyin" account. By the end of the day the semi-finals concluded, Gao Wu’s follower count had surged past the ten-million mark.

That night, Gao Wu lay on his bed studying the *Infinite Merit Book*. The sudden influx of fans had brought him over 30,000 points of merit. The conversion rate was roughly two hundred to one. Based on his calculations, these points likely came from his videos of saving people and slaying demons; no matter how spectacular his other videos were, they rarely converted into merit.

He currently had 360,000 merit points. If he continued at this rate, he might surpass a million by the time he won the Qilin Cup. At that point, he could elevate the *Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation* to a new level, which should bring about brand-new changes. He had a faint feeling that although the *Infinite Merit Book* contained five divine incantations, the *Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation* was his fundamental one, the most compatible with his own nature. This was why it required the least amount of merit to upgrade, and also why his source power acupuncture points could merge with it.

As he condensed his acupuncture points and performed his daily breathing exercises to temper his body and spirit, his martial arts修为 (cultivation) was also rising. At this rate, he wouldn't reach the Senior Warrior level until he graduated from martial arts university. Holding the *Infinite Merit Book* in his hands, it would be pathetic to cultivate as slowly as an ordinary warrior! Of course, he could inject large amounts of medicine to improve his efficiency, but at the warrior level, medicine became incredibly expensive. A single vial of Intermediate Vajra Potion cost a million... The 50,000 points from the Hunter Association would only buy fifty vials, and the 10,000 points from Azure Dragon Academy would only get him ten.

In this light, these points weren't actually that many. Of course, intermediate medicine was potent, and each vial required long periods of injection and digestion. Normally, a warrior could only inject ten vials in a semester. Gao Wu pushed these distracting thoughts aside; there was no need to look that far ahead. He would first win the Qilin Cup and get the Qilin Potion. Even though he was already a warrior, such a precious medicine would still be beneficial. It was a pity the quota for the medicine couldn't be transferred...

Suddenly, his phone rang. Gao Wu glanced at it; it was a message from Shen Yue on Fei-Xin. He picked up his phone and chatted with her for a while, mainly about video editing. Shen Yue wanted him to produce another song, but Gao Wu thought about it and refused. He was only eighteen; the "Hot-Blooded Youth" lyrics were fitting enough, and there was no need to overcomplicate things. When he was older and could no longer play the "youth" card, it wouldn't be too late to reconsider.

Setting his phone to "Do Not Disturb," Gao Wu practiced his punches and swordsmanship in his room, focusing on the Nine Dragon Forms to breathe in source power and temper his mind and body. During the process, Gao Wu’s Yin Spirit drifted out to observe from the side. Through the perspective of the Yin Spirit, he could see his own flaws, such as improper form or the rhythm of his breathing. The Yin Spirit could observe at the particle level—meticulous to the extreme—which was a tremendous help to his cultivation. This was one of the uses he had developed for his Yin Spirit.

With the source points bolstered by the *Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation*, his intake of source power was incredibly stable. This alone put him far ahead of ordinary junior warriors. It was clear that the *Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation* was perfectly suited to him; it could even combine with his source points, allowing him to be much stronger than other warriors at the starting level. Another benefit was that the source power consumed during intense bursts could be recovered through the incantation. This meant his source power endurance was six times that of a warrior of the same rank. By triggering multiple layers of the incantation, he could also increase his source power ceiling, though not quite to a six-fold effect. He estimated he could reach a level of around 1,000 source power units...

There hadn't been enough time; he hadn't yet fully tapped into the potential of the combination between the incantation and his source points.

After his training, Gao Wu piloted his Yin Spirit to circle the Qilin Courtyard—mainly to ensure no demon god believers were lurking. He wasn't a peeping tom... In the Yin Spirit state, people appeared as orderly clusters of particles, so even if he saw them by accident, it didn't matter. Only by deliberately shifting his perspective could he perceive the light and shadows accustomed to human eyes. Gao Wu was now used to his Yin Spirit’s night patrols; not only for safety, but because the Yin Spirit state offered a sense of relief from all constraints—a lightness and joy. Night patrolling itself was quite interesting.

The Yin Spirit floated to a hundred meters above the Qilin Courtyard. From afar, he could see two blazing, sun-like auras of source power deep within Anjing University, intertwined as if they were engaged in a duel. He only took one look before his Yin Spirit was stained by the scorching aura, its stable form rippling like water.

"So powerful!" It was the first time Gao Wu had encountered such a concentrated and blazing source power; it was far stronger than any of the martial arts masters he had met. He was startled and immediately retracted his Yin Spirit, not daring to look further. "Could it be a Martial Arts Grandmaster?" Gao Wu guessed the origin of the two auras, feeling a sense of unease.

After several tests, Gao Wu had confirmed that martial arts masters couldn't detect his Yin Spirit. He had assumed the Yin Spirit’s nature was to be imperceptible. Tonight’s situation, however, changed his mind. Even if the opponent couldn't perceive the Yin Spirit, the mere eruption of their source power threatened it. This was no laughing matter. Gao Wu became more vigilant; he would have to be careful when his Yin Spirit went out in the future. On the other hand, it showed the profound foundation of Anjing University. He was still a primary schooler in the realm of martial arts and must never become arrogant or conceited because of the *Infinite Merit Book*.

He curled his body into a ball, letting his muscles relax naturally. All distracting thoughts sank into the endless abyss of his spirit, and his mind entered a state of deep, stable rest.

The next morning at 11:30, at the center ring of the Beijiang University Martial Arts Stadium, Gao Wu stood in the center, clad in a fiery red martial arts uniform, as Bai Dishan of the Anjing University High School slowly walked onto the stage. After several fierce battles, only these two leads remained. This fight would decide who would enter the finals.

Bai Yucheng and Wang Zhe sat in their seats from the previous day. It was close enough to the ring to see everything clearly, arguably the best viewing spot in the stadium.

"Who do you think will win?" Wang Zhe asked.

Bai Yucheng pondered for a moment. "In my view, Gao Wu’s techniques are ultimately crude. Even with a strong body, Bai Dishan has the higher chance of winning."

"Haha, I’m betting on Gao Wu," Wang Zhe laughed. "Want to make a wager?"

"Forget it. You’re too cunning; I won’t play with you." Despite saying that, Bai Yucheng was skeptical. Did Wang Zhe know some inside information to be so certain? He knew Wang Zhe well; the man was meticulous and would never bet without a huge advantage. Bai Yucheng was puzzled. He might be isolated at the academy, but the Bai family had so many people—how could he not know if there was special news? Not to mention others, his uncle—Bai Yushuang’s father, Bai Yan—was the Vice President of the Hunter Association. The association was involved in this preliminary competition; if there was any news, it wouldn't escape his uncle. He glanced at the area for the previous teams; Bai Yushuang was in the front row, watching intently, showing no signs of anything unusual. He knew his cousin well; she couldn't keep a secret. If she knew something, she wouldn't be this calm. He touched the phone in his pocket, wanting to message his uncle, but held back. If his uncle knew but hadn't said anything, he must have his reasons.

On the ring, Bai Dishan was full of confidence. Gao Wu’s strength was great, but how could physical force compare to source power? A warrior was already standing on the path of the transcendent! Not just Bai Dishan, but everyone else shared this view. They acknowledged Gao Wu’s excellence, but no matter how talented a martial artist was, they could not compare to a warrior. This had been the accepted iron law for a hundred years.

The crowd from Anjing No. 1 High School, and indeed everyone in the stadium, were overwhelmingly in support of Bai Dishan. In their eyes, Gao Wu was just a talented boy from the countryside. He was excellent compared to other country boys, but compared to their Anjing geniuses, he was far behind in every aspect. People need a sense of superiority, and they categorize everything—from clothing and accessories to race and region. Regional superiority was the most widespread. As the political, economic, and cultural center of North Province, Anjing naturally looked down on everywhere else. To them, a country boy like Gao Wu could only be a supporting character. This wasn't even meant to be disparaging; it was the most direct, instinctive thought of the Anjing people.

There were many students from the Anjing affiliated high school in the crowd, and their frantic cheering drew many others to join in, making the atmosphere in the stadium suddenly intense. With tens of thousands of people cheering, Bai Dishan felt exhilarated. Before the match, his coach had analyzed Gao Wu’s battle videos in detail, and he had a complete strategy to counter him.

Gao Wu noticed Bai Dishan’s excitement. He even triggered his Yin Spirit to glance at him, confirming the boy had no demonic aura, and checked his source points. Based on the glow, his source power value was barely a hundred... He could even see that Bai Dishan practiced the Tiger Form, likely the "White Tiger Fist," which emphasized slaughter and combat, which was why Bai Dishan’s personality was as gloomy as a tiger's.

Amidst the roaring support, Bai Dishan felt a surge of heroism and, for once, felt the urge to speak. He said in a deep voice to Gao Wu, "You are excellent, but not excellent enough."

Gao Wu couldn't help but laugh. Bai Dishan looked dull and somber, but he was quite good at mockery.

"What are you laughing at?" Bai Dishan was a bit annoyed. He hadn't been mocking Gao Wu; he was stating his opinion sincerely. What was the meaning of Gao Wu baring his teeth at him?

"Nothing. I just want to learn from an excellent person like you," Gao Wu said solemnly. "Excellent Student Bai, please enlighten me!"

Facing a warrior, Gao Wu had the confidence to win, but he wouldn't be careless. He opened with the Heavy Machine Gun style. It was similar to the assault-rifle style—both were rapid-fire punch barrages. The difference was that the assault-rifle style was based on three-hit combos, while the Heavy Machine Gun style had no such limit. It was more ferocious, faster, and aimed to destroy the enemy in one explosive burst. Since entering the Qilin Cup, this was the first time Gao Wu had gotten serious.

Bai Dishan spread his arms slightly, adopting a tiger-pounce stance. His plan was to unleash his source power quickly and defeat Gao Wu in a short time. This was the strategy his coach had formulated, because Gao Wu’s stamina and strength were astonishing; the longer the fight dragged on, the higher the chance he would lose.

However, Gao Wu’s oncoming punch was fierce and violent, the shockwave of the fist seemingly compressing the air until it exploded. *Not good, that punch has at least three thousand kilograms of force!* Bai Dishan was shocked. Can raw muscle and bone erupt with such power?! But he had no time to think. He immediately triggered his Dantian acupuncture points to channel source power, his fingers curling into hooks like tiger claws, slamming them down against Gao Wu’s fist.

The Tiger Form's splitting strike caused Gao Wu’s fist to sink. Relying on the shifting source power in his tiger claws, Bai Dishan neutralized most of Gao Wu’s force. Just as he was about to use the tiger claws' tearing motion to rip the flesh off Gao Wu's hands, Gao Wu retracted and then thrust his fist again, releasing his power. The terrifying impact shattered the follow-up of Bai Dishan's tiger claws. Before Bai Dishan could react, Gao Wu’s left fist shot out like a bullet.

Bai Dishan had no choice but to respond with the Tiger Form's splitting strike. He wanted to use the source power to negate Gao Wu’s wild, fast punches and then use the opportunity to finish him. But Gao Wu had seized the gap in Bai Dishan's retreat, truly unleashing the power of the Heavy Machine Gun style.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of the rapid-fire punches was low yet violent, like a machine gun. Gao Wu’s "Roaming Dragon" footwork was now refined; he slid silently, sticking to Bai Dishan like a shadow while launching a barrage. Bai Dishan tried several evasive maneuvers but couldn't shake Gao Wu off, forced to passively defend with his Tiger Form splitting strikes.

As they clashed, Bai Dishan could initially neutralize most of the force with his source power. But Gao Wu’s punches were fast and relentless, like a storm, leaving him no room to retreat or dodge, let alone counterattack. Not only was the force terrifying, but Gao Wu’s fists were as hard as steel. Even with his source power protecting his palms, his muscles and tendons were numbed by the strikes.

Bai Dishan could only struggle to hold on. He judged that Gao Wu couldn't maintain such heavy punches for long. Although he was in a passive and miserable position, he still felt confident. What he didn't expect was that Gao Wu’s strength seemed inexhaustible. After one hundred and fifty hits in the Heavy Machine Gun style, Gao Wu’s breathing remained steady and his punches powerful.

Bai Dishan’s source power, however, could not sustain such intense consumption. The faint white glow on his tiger claws silently dissipated.

With a dull "thud," Gao Wu’s punch broke through the unsupported Tiger Form strike and slammed into Bai Dishan’s chest. The heavy blow caused his chest to cave in; he felt as if his internal organs had exploded. Countless capillaries across his skin burst under the pressure, and his entire body, from face to feet, turned bright red.

Such violent force caused Bai Dishan to lose control of his body in a single blow. Before he could react, Gao Wu’s second punch followed, sending the limp Bai Dishan flying back several meters. The referee hurriedly stepped in to stop Gao Wu.

The tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium were in an uproar. Their genius young warrior had actually been beaten to a pulp by a country boy’s fists... The battle was fierce, but in reality, the entire process lasted only twenty seconds.

Gao Wu didn't care what the audience thought or shouted. He cupped his hands toward the motionless Bai Dishan on the ring: "Student Bai, thank you for the instruction. I have benefited greatly."

Bai Dishan, who was struggling to even breathe, was so infuriated by these words that his limbs began to twitch, but he couldn't utter a single word...

On the podium, the martial arts masters had seen it all clearly, and they were not surprised by the result. Song Yunzhen smiled at An Ziru, "Gao Wu has a sharp tongue and a restless nature. Dean An will have a headache in the future." An Ziru remained silent. She appreciated Gao Wu’s ability, but she really didn't like his personality. To talk like that after winning was a bit biting and lacked grace. On second thought, Gao Wu was only an eighteen-year-old boy; there was no need to be so harsh. A genuine personality like that wasn't necessarily a bad thing!

Below the stands, Song Mingyue was not surprised by the outcome at all. As a warrior, Gao Wu could punch with 3,500 kilograms of force using only his muscles and bones. If he had triggered his source power, he could have blasted Bai Dishan away with one hit. But in a ring match, there was no need to go that far. Song Mingyue took out her phone and opened an app; the odds for Gao Wu to win the championship had been adjusted to 1:3. The bookie’s adjustment actually made Song Mingyue feel relieved—this was the normal operation for a bookie. She had bet two million when the odds were 1:16, a million of which was Gao Wu’s. Seeing the bookie’s normal reaction, it seemed she and Gao Wu would get their money. Song Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief. Her finances were already in bad shape; if the bookie had run off with those two million, she would have been fine, but she feared Gao Wu might have gone crazy...