Chapter 127: Divine Grace

August 20th.

The late summer sun still rose early, hanging obliquely in the east before five o'clock.

Gao Wu stood on the top-floor balcony of the hotel, overlooking the entire city of Changling. As a second-tier city in the North Province, Changling was virtually indistinguishable from Dongjiang in terms of urban planning, architectural style, dress, language, and food. The biggest difference between the two was that Changling lacked a major river and was instead surrounded by endless mountain ranges in every direction. As the name suggests, "Changling" literally means "long mountain ridges," simple and direct.

While mountainous areas were once difficult to access, modern infrastructure had carved out thoroughfares, railways, and flight paths, allowing this city nestled in the mountains to develop rapidly by leveraging its abundant resources.

After fifty days of roadshows, their team had arrived in Changling late last night. According to the plan, the roadshow would take place in front of this hotel. Standing on the balcony, Gao Wu could already see staff members setting up the stage.

To Gao Wu, the life of a daily roadshow was more exhausting than fighting. It required him to smile at different people, remain enthusiastic and positive, repeat the same scripts over and over, and perform various tricks according to a routine. Then again, these experiences were a form of tempering, a way to polish one's state of mind.

Because time was so tight, Gao Wu could only manage his daily practice, yet he had made significant progress in his martial arts. At the core, it was because his temperament had been polished, shedding some of his restlessness. His martial arts practice was no longer just about grueling training; he had changed his rhythm.

Gao Wu stared blankly at the city—both strange and familiar—letting his thoughts roam wild. After a few minutes, he exhaled, silently reciting the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra. All distracting thoughts dissipated like bubbles, leaving only a clear, water-like azure light circulating, cleansing his body, mind, and Origin Apertures.

After reciting the mantra seventy-two times, Gao Wu picked up his heavy twin swords and began to practice the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword at a slow, leisurely pace. Since they had been staying in hotels, he didn't have access to a proper practice arena, so he usually practiced on the balcony or in his room.

He used to think the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword was a killing art that needed to be swift, fierce, and even ruthless. The sword intent inherited from the crystal ball followed that path, and Gao Wu had previously pursued power and speed. It wasn't until these past few days, restricted by his surroundings, that he had been forced to slow down and reduce his strength. Paradoxically, this allowed him to find a certain rhythm while practicing slowly.

The hotel balcony was spacious and featured a small open-air pool; the clear water reflected the sunlight, appearing exceptionally bright. While practicing by the pool, Gao Wu suddenly felt a surge of inspiration and jumped into the water, twin swords in hand.

The pool was 1.5 meters deep, reaching just to Gao Wu's chest, and he immediately felt great resistance as he swung his blades. He practiced the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword in the pool, and the resistance of the water helped him find a new rhythm and a subtle state of full-body coordination.

It was the culmination of fifty days of cumulative practice that brought his Roaming Dragon Secret Sword to the limit of the "Proficient" level. Finding this opportunity, Gao Wu danced gracefully in the pool. He was truly like a roaming dragon; every strike, thrust, block, and wash was light, agile, and perfectly timed.

As he reached the final form, Gao Wu suddenly parted his swords, and the water in the pool was cleaved into a long trench by the force of his blades. He leaped gracefully out of the pool, following the momentum of his swords. He tapped his twin swords together, and amid the crisp ringing, he shook his body, sending countless water droplets flying. They transformed into a mist that refracted a colorful halo in the sunlight.

"Looking cool?" Gao Wu tilted his head toward Song Mingyue.

Song Mingyue, who had just woken up, was wearing loose training clothes and holding a sword of her own. She nodded earnestly, "Your sword technique has matured. It looks very cool."

"Hahaha..." Gao Wu laughed. He sheathed his swords and walked over to hug Song Mingyue.

Song Mingyue frowned slightly in mild disgust, mostly because Gao Wu’s clothes were soaking wet, dampening her own uniform. Gao Wu, however, felt great. He whispered excitedly in her ear, "I’m a genius! I mastered the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword so easily..."

Sword techniques are divided into levels of mastery, though it is difficult to measure precisely at the subtle level. One can only make a rough judgment through the resonance between the sword technique and the Origin Power. Song Mingyue had seen Gao Wu’s twin swords resonate with his acupuncture points, naturally and harmoniously inducing changes in his Origin Power, confirming that Gao Wu had reached a new level in his swordsmanship.

Gao Wu also felt it clearly. The twin swords, previously sluggish in his hands, were now easy to control. The power from his hands and legs was coordinated, with no disparity in strength. Even if these two swords could not be infused with Origin Power, they could still trigger changes in his internal energy, doubling their power. At this point, Gao Wu was certain his sword technique had reached the "Small Success" stage.

Opening the Boundless Merit Book, he saw that "Small Success" was indeed marked next to the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword.

The most important aspect of the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword was that it strengthened his full-body coordination, so his agility naturally increased by 0.6, reaching 12.6. The higher the base attributes, the harder they were to improve. Last time, he had used ten intermediate Flying Mouse potions, and his agility had only barely increased by 0.5. This time, the improvement was purely natural, and the effect was even better than the injections.

Calculating it, his agility had increased by 30%. This didn't just mean he was faster; it allowed for more refined and coordinated fist and sword techniques, enabling more variations and more explosive power. Naturally, he was very proud and happy with these results.

Song Mingyue, however, wasn't as excited. She felt that since Gao Wu’s Roaming Dragon Sword had matured, and given his powerful mental strength and the inheritance of the sword's spirit, it was only natural for him to achieve this today. She didn't quite understand what Gao Wu was so excited about.

In a great mood, Gao Wu performed exceptionally well during the roadshow. The Changling branch of Longteng was very effective, organizing an audience of several thousand. Branch manager Zhang Sheng even personally sat in the backstage area. Zhang Sheng was a capable middle-aged man who handled matters in an orderly fashion, which greatly pleased Zhou Qingyun, who was in charge of the roadshow team.

Along the way, while all the local branches had provided cooperation, the level of effort varied. It appeared that Changling had organized things the best. Zhou Qingyun felt this was due to Zhang Sheng’s full support, and she was quite appreciative, spending her time in the back chatting with the manager.

"Gao Wu is truly a young genius. His EQ and IQ are both very high, his image is sunny and positive, and most importantly, he has a powerful charisma that is very infectious," Zhang Sheng said, watching Gao Wu speak eloquently on stage, his face full of admiration.

Zhou Qingyun was slightly surprised. The "North Province Youth King" roadshow had indeed started a trend among teenagers and boosted the sales of the "Fierce Dragon" series of beverages. As far as the current situation went, it was very successful; the only fear was that this trend would be hard to sustain. The key was to keep Gao Wu’s popularity high, which was the purpose of the roadshow. If every branch had Zhang Sheng’s awareness, things would be much easier!

On the front stage, Gao Wu was giving his speech, focusing on his humble beginnings and how he had reached today through hard work, encouraging all teenagers to be proactive. The theme was very inspiring, and Gao Wu had mastered the rhythm of such speeches. With his strong mental energy, his delivery was very stirring.

"What is the Youth King? First, we must have complete control over our bodies and our spirits! Be proactive, work hard, strive, and never retreat!"

"Let the hot blood fly, let the dreams shine. Regardless of success or failure, we are all the kings who control our own destinies! That is the meaning of the Youth King!"

The teenagers in the audience were stirred to a fever pitch, wishing they could master peerless martial arts right now, rush up, defeat Gao Wu, and become the North Province Youth King themselves! Even the adults in the crowd applauded to express their approval. There was only one North Province Youth King, but the idea that every teenager could overcome their own weaknesses and strive forward to become the king of their own lives was indeed a very good philosophy.

There were several media outlets present—local television stations, the provincial station, and several influential independent media platforms. Various camera equipment was aimed at Gao Wu, and there were even two drones specially used for filming in the sky.

Shen Yue was also using his phone and a professional camera to film. As the company made money, his photography equipment had been upgraded. Initially, Shang Qingjun wanted to hire a more professional photographer, but Gao Wu vetoed it. He felt that while Shen Yue’s technical skills were average, his style was very grounded, and that "street-level" approach fit the audience perfectly. Overly professional photography would be too polished, which was not necessarily a good thing in the short-video field.

Longteng also had a professional video team, and they could handle the truly professional footage. Zhou Qingyun actually felt that Shen Yue’s level wasn't high enough, but it was Gao Wu’s personal choice, and she couldn't interfere. However, she liked the theme of Gao Wu’s speech today. Using the same script but emphasizing that every teenager could be their own king reduced the intense competitiveness of being "The" Youth King and added a more positive, uplifting flavor. After all, there was only one Youth King, but the concept of every teenager challenging the impossible to become their own king could greatly stimulate the enthusiasm of ordinary teenagers.

The Changling branch manager, Zhang Sheng, was also praising him: "That was said so well. Gao Wu isn't old, but he has such great ideas. He really is an incredible genius!"

"Yes, he is a very charismatic young man, which is the most important reason why the head office chose him..." Zhou Qingyun agreed. She had been in the corporate world for a long time and usually treated these things as routine. But being with Gao Wu was truly different; the boy was always full of vitality and enthusiasm. Together with Shang Qingjun and Zhou Hongying, they kept the whole team vibrant.

According to the event schedule, after Gao Wu finished his speech, he would invite some people on stage for interaction, and finally, end with a set of fist techniques. The interaction process was the most prone to problems. Today, there were nearly seven or eight thousand people on site, and the atmosphere was exceptionally heated.

Zhou Qingyun asked, "Is the on-site security okay? There are quite a lot of people..."

"The gathering has already been registered with the Public Security Bureau, and they have specially assigned a team to maintain order. Plus, we have the company’s security team. It will be fine." Zhang Sheng was very relaxed; he didn't think there would be any accidents.

Zhou Qingyun nodded.

In the dense crowd, several young men dressed in baggy black short-sleeved shirts had already squeezed to the very front. They were strong and sturdy, with gloomy expressions. Although the people they pushed aside were unhappy, they ultimately didn't dare to say anything.

The leader, a middle-aged man in black named Zhang Feng, stared coldly at Gao Wu on the stage with a savage, ruthless gaze. The High Priest had already given the order: execute Gao Wu in public to boost the prestige of the Divine Sect and offer a sacrifice for the opening of the new world!

On the other hand, the Supervision Department and the Hunter Association were intensifying their investigations into Changling. If things continued like this, their identities would be exposed sooner or later. Zhang Feng glanced around. To kill Gao Wu, they had mobilized nine warriors, including himself—two high-level warriors, and the rest were junior warriors. This was the core and most important strength of the Divine Sect in Changling.

If it weren't for the intense pressure from above, they wouldn't have dared to openly kill Gao Wu in public. Before leaving Changling, they might as well pull off something big. If they did it beautifully, they might even receive divine grace...