Entrance Test 3

"I will be restricting my cultivation level to the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm. If you are able to make me move from my spot in the ring, I shall count it as you pass this test. However, if you fail, you will have to move to class 3B. Is that understood?"

"Jun Wang, don't do this…"

"Grandpa Zhong, it's okay," Li Tian stopped Zhong Chen from continuing. He found the challenge intriguing and quite liked Jun Wang's attitude. "I accept the challenge."

"Good. My impression of you has improved ever so slightly." Jun Wang came clean with his impression of Li Tian. "You can choose to use a weapon of your choice if you would like."

"No, that's okay." Li Tian started to do some light stretching. It has been many years since he last sparred with someone in-person. Normally, his fights and training were conduct in the virtual testing space as the battles utilized a virtual body, resulting in no damage to his real body. Regulating the abundant amounts of Qi in his body, Li Tian's Qi reserve did not belong to a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, but rather, was comparable to a Core Formation Realm cultivator. He looked up at his future teacher as he bowed slightly.

"I'm ready."

"Okay. You may begin!"

With Teacher Jun's commencement, Li Tian did not hesitate in his movements. Reinforcing his legs with Qi, Li Tian shot forward like a rocket. The speed that Li Tian had reached, gave everyone at the scene a surprise. 'Was that even a speed reachable by a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator?'

Li Tian's forward movement was accompanied with a flurry of strikes that targeted the head all the way to the feet of Jun Wang. The strikes were fast and positioned intentionally. 

This was the Li Clan's infamous Military Combat Tactics. There were 9 levels in this martial arts manual. Every three levels meant that the martial cultivator was able to perfectly strike a portion of a person's body without any error. The first stage targeted the body. The second stage targeted the limbs. The third stage targeted the head. 

This martial arts manual was no secret in the land of Hua. In fact, anyone studying in a high school in Ningguo will be required to learn the Military Combat Tactics during their schooling term. It typically took students three years to master all nine levels, while geniuses took two years. When you mastered the nine levels, the student has the opportunity to join the Li Army if they choose to do so. After all, that was the based requirement to even join as a foot soldier.

Seeing that Li Tian could accurately stab his finger towards the temple of his opponent, those that were familiar with the Military Combat Tactics would be able to recognise that Li Tian had already mastered the manual. 

"This Xiao Tian is really something else. Mastering the Military Combat Tactics at the age of 12 is very impressive." Principal Zhong Chen pulled his short beard as he watched his god grandson's flurry of afterimages. 

Although this martial arts manual was not hard to master when the cultivator was older, it was very difficult for young children to master the Military Combat Tactics. The manual required the cultivator to be able to strike an adult from head to toe. This meant that the reach of the attacker using the Military Combat Tactics must be able to reach the opponent's strike points easily. A child learning this manual meant that they were limited by their height and reach of their arms and legs. 

For Li Tian's case, the genius child had modified the Military Combat Tactics to fit his height requirements. Every time he had to transition between his opponent's leg and the head. Li Tian would lift himself instantly by wrapping his leg with Qi and jumping explosively, so that he could reach his target point on the head. Even when he had to wrap around the body to target his opponent's back, Li Tian would use Qi on his legs once again to change his direction of travel. 

The major drawback of such a style was the Qi consumption. To Zhong Chen and Jun Wang, they were expecting Li Tian to start running out of gas very soon. After all, they assumed Li Tian had not reached the Qi Refinement Realm. However, after about a minute of intense close combat, where Jun Wang was actively defending Li Tian's relentless attacks, both of them realised something.

"Im…Impossible! Old Kui, Li Tian was already in the Qi Refinement Realm?!" Zhong Chen looked at the old man beside him. The whole time, Li Kui had an all-knowing look on his face. It was only now that the principal realised why he was acting this way.

"Yeah. Tian Er recently entered the Qi Refinement Realm. This is why his Qi consumption was not inefficient." Li Kui explained. When a cultivator entered the Qi Refinement Realm, the cultivator's next step was to use the Qi present in his/her dantians and use it to refine one's body. When the body was properly refined with Qi, the utilisation of the Qi would no longer have to come from the dantian, but could come from the body part the Qi was refined under. 

Li Tian, being at the peak of Qi Refinement, meant that not only did Li Tian have a large Qi reserve in his dantian, he also had a fully refined body of Qi. The consumption of Qi from the Military Combat Tactics had long been reduced to a minuscule amount. In fact, to act his part as a first stage Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, Li Tian had already slowed down considerably.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Li Tian. However, if this was all you had to bring out, I would have to say that this was not enough to enter my class 3A!" With a taunt, Jun Wang blasted out his Qi and shoved Li Tian away. Whatever Jun Wang had just said rendered Principal Zhong Chen speechless. How was Li Tian's talent not enough to enter his class? There was only one other student in the entire school that was in the Qi Refinement Realm. This 12-year-old was going to become the second student that reached this realm.

From the combat so far, Jun Wang's years of teaching and combat experience gave him the ability to discern whether his opponent was using his full strength or not. In this regard, he could tell Li Tian had not used his full ability to attack him. As to how much, Jun Wang was not sure. 

'Aish… It seems like my teacher has a sharp eye.' Li Tian could tell that he was found out by Jun Wang. As Li Tian was trying to act his part as a first stage Qi Refinement Realm Cultivator, he did not want to release even more of his Qi as it would probably expose his strength in front of everyone. 'I guess I can only make use of my Origin energy.'

"Okay. Teacher, you have to be careful then." With Li Tian's warning, the boy started to regulate his body's Qi. A power surge could be felt from Li Tian's body. Instinctively, Jun Wang's cultivation level limit had been released. There was a bone-white aura that enveloped Li Tian. The aura closest to Li Tian's skin was black in colour and it resembled the Chaos energy that Li Tian had first created. This bone-white aura was none other than the six elemental fusion Qi that Li Tian had created. He had named it Origin energy as Li Tian felt like this type of Qi was like the beginning and end of everything. 

In Li Tian's current state, even Li Kui and Zhong Chen had raised their own guards up. This was a testament of Li Tian's current energy level. Although they had detected that Li Tian was still in the first stage of Qi Refinement Realm, the energy radiating from his body was too terrifying. 

"What is this energy?" Zhong Chen looked at Li Kui for answers. To his disappointment, Li Kui had shook his head. He had a confused expression on his face too.

"I'm not sure myself."

Within five breaths of time, Li Tian had finally converted his normal Qi that ran in his body into Origin energy. Typically, Li Tian would just use the Fire, Wind and Light Qi for his daily use purposes as these were the three elements he had revealed to everyone. For this test, Li Tian switched out the three types of Qi with the real underlying Qi in his body. Every part of Li Tian was secretly reinforced and coursing with Origin energy.

Li Tian looked over at Jun Wang with a resolute expression. He could tell that the teacher had taken his warning to heart and was ready for the attack. With a deep inhale, Li Tian blasted forward. The ground beneath him had cracked from the immense pressure. The right fist of Li Tian's had a white swirl that seemed to be gathering residual Qi from the atmosphere.