noveltune Chapter 326: Setting Off
Chapter 326: Setting Off
Xu Wuyi knew he still had many shortcomings.
If he hadn’t spent these last few days with the Flame Venerable, performing Visualization on the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire Painting day and night, he never could have grasped the principle of "connection" in his moment of desperation.
Or rather, before this, he had never even considered the question, ’What is fire?’
Every step on the path of Martial Arts requires both accumulation and opportunity.
Luo Cheng turned and sat back down. "The test data has been uploaded. You’ll receive an official notice within three days."
"What kind of notice?"
"A conscription order," Luo Cheng said. "The front lines need someone with your combat power. Of course, the Federation’s conscription isn’t mandatory. You can refuse."
Xu Wuyi immediately said, "I can leave at any time."
Luo Cheng looked at him and suddenly asked, "Aren’t you afraid?"
"If I were afraid, I never would have become a Martial Artist," Xu Wuyi said calmly, shaking his head.
Luo Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Excellent! A true student of Star Martial!"
He wiped the smile from his face and said seriously, "The Star Realm front lines aren’t a tournament ring. It’s a place where people really die. You can refuse—I mean it."
"A Genius like you could be more valuable than an entire second-tier Star Realm. If you die on the front lines before you’ve fully developed, it would be a huge loss for the Federation."
This time, Xu Wuyi didn’t answer right away. After careful consideration, he finally spoke slowly. "No matter what kind of Genius they are, everyone has to go to the front lines someday. I’d rather get used to that environment sooner rather than later. It’s better than facing an Alien Race Grandmaster right off the bat in the future."
Luo Cheng stared, stunned. It was the first time he had heard that kind of reasoning from Xu Wuyi.
...
By the time Xu Wuyi left the base, the sky had already grown dark.
A private car took him back to the Royal Palace East Garden. As he walked into the garden, the Flame Venerable was sitting on a stone stool in front of the bamboo house, a cup of tea in his hand.
"You’re back?" The Flame Venerable glanced at him.
"Yes."
"How do you feel?"
Xu Wuyi sat down across from him, thought for a moment, and said, "Fire... is a form of motion."
The Flame Venerable’s tea-drinking motion paused.
He set down his teacup and looked at Xu Wuyi, a flash of approval in his eyes.
"It seems you didn’t look at that painting in vain."
Xu Wuyi didn’t speak.
The Flame Venerable said slowly, "Everything in the world has its own principles. No matter what you’ve gleaned from it, just keep walking your path, even if what you ultimately obtain is completely different from what you expected."
Xu Wuyi looked thoughtful.
’He’d actually felt this already. He understood fire as "motion," but the ultimate characteristic exhibited by the Undying Flame was agility—a Spiritual quality—that in turn led to connection.’
’This was completely different from "motion" on a microscopic level, but that was the result.’
Xu Wuyi bowed. "Thank you for your teachings."
The Flame Venerable waved his hand dismissively. "I didn’t teach you. You comprehended it yourself. I merely pointed you in a direction."
He stood up and walked toward the bamboo house. "Continue looking at the painting tomorrow."
"Yes."
Xu Wuyi watched the Flame Venerable’s back and suddenly asked, "Senior, what is your understanding of fire?"
The Flame Venerable stopped, turned to look at him, and an amused expression appeared on his face, as if laughing at Xu Wuyi’s audacity.
"I... am fire."
...
「Three days passed in a flash.」
On the morning of the fourth day, Xu Wuyi received the official notice.
"A conscription order has been issued. Please report to the West Desert Military Region’s First Spaceport at 2 PM today. Destination: Celestial Spirit Star Realm Frontline Base."
’So it is the Celestial Spirit Star Realm.’
’Xu Wuyi wasn’t surprised. He had already suspected it, since a situation that involved both the Werewolf Race and a level 35 restriction was quite rare.’
He put away his communicator and walked into the bamboo house.
The Flame Venerable was already waiting for him.
"Time to go?" the Flame Venerable asked.
"Yes."
The Flame Venerable nodded, took a small wooden box from his robes, and handed it to Xu Wuyi.
"Inside is a little trinket I used when I was young. Keep it on you. It might be useful."
Xu Wuyi took the wooden box and opened it.
Inside was a crimson jade pendant. It was carved with Flame patterns and was warm to the touch.
"This is..."
"A protective talisman," the Flame Venerable said lightly. "Sealed inside is a wisp of my Heart Fire. If you face a life-or-death crisis, crush it. It will save you once."
Xu Wuyi clenched the jade pendant and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior."
"Don’t thank me," the Flame Venerable said with a wave of his hand. "Coming back alive is the best way you can thank me."
He looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze profound. "The Star Realm Battlefield is incredibly dangerous. Remember, there’s only a future if you’re alive. Your value is greater than some insignificant, low-level Star Realm."
"I understand."
...
「1:40 PM, West Desert Military Region First Spaceport.」
Xu Wuyi stepped out of the private car. He was wearing the black combat uniform issued by Star Martial University, with a simple pack on his back, and carrying his Meteor Iron Long Spear, which was wrapped in black cloth.
The shaft of the spear was darker than it had been a month ago, and faint, dark-gold patterns seemed to flow near its tip.
At the spaceport entrance, two armed soldiers verified his identification and conscription order. Then, a second lieutenant stepped forward to lead the way.
"Xu Wuyi, please follow me. The others have already arrived."
Xu Wuyi nodded and followed the officer through three security checkpoints, entering a hemispherical command hall.
A massive holographic star map hovered in the center of the hall, where dozens of officers and technicians were busy at their consoles.
The air was thick with tension, and everyone wore a serious expression.
The officer led him to a rest area on one side of the hall.
Four people were already sitting there.
Xu Wuyi’s gaze swept over them.
The most conspicuous was a bald, burly man nearly two meters tall. He wore a sleeveless tactical vest that exposed his knotted muscles, and his arms were tattooed with menacing beast heads.
He was taking huge bites out of a Compression Energy Bar.
Next to the bald giant was a slender young man wearing black-rimmed glasses.
He looked scholarly and refined, holding a palm-sized datapad and swiping his fingers rapidly across it.
The third person was a woman with a chin-length bob and healthy, wheat-colored skin.
She was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed, two strangely shaped, curved daggers tucked behind her at the waist.
The fourth was a man who looked to be around thirty. He had a cold expression and wore a tactical monocle over his left eye.
He sat quietly in a corner, a sniper-style energy rifle over 1.5 meters long resting across his lap. The rifle’s body was dark gray, with fine heat dissipation grooves on its surface.
All four had formidable auras, around level 35, and Xu Wuyi could faintly sense a threat from them. They were clearly no ordinary Martial Artists.
’But he didn’t recognize a single one of them.’
"Looks like everyone’s here."
A low voice sounded.
Xu Wuyi turned his head and saw Major Luo Cheng approaching from the other side of the hall. He was followed by two staff officers holding encrypted datapads.
The four people in the rest area all stood up.