Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Surpassing the Ordinary
A holographic screen materialized midair, revealing the rugged, broad face of Zhang City on the other side.
Yue Feng smiled the moment he saw him:
"City, long time no see!"
Zhang City looked at the tall man on the other side. His powerful aura was palpable even through the screen. He laughed as well.
"Boss, you were fighting Calamity Beasts at the Coastal Base, so we never had a chance to get together..." Zhang City said with a laugh.
"It’s not too late. We can get together in a couple of days."
"Sounds great!"
The two chatted for a bit before Yue Feng got to the point:
"Alright, City, spit it out. What’s on your mind?"
Zhang City shook his head with a smile. "You know me too well. I do have a favor to ask."
"I’m currently the Martial Arts Instructor for the senior elite class at Tianhai No. 2 Middle School, and I want to recommend a genius to you."
Tianhai No. 2 Middle School... The name sounded familiar to Yue Feng, so he asked,
"Wait, this genius you’re recommending... his name isn’t Lin Qi, is it?"
"You know Lin Qi?" Zhang City asked, confused.
"Here’s the thing..." Yue Feng explained how one of his managers had just recommended Lin Qi.
"As for this Lin Qi, I’m wondering if his Talent is just a flash in the pan. You know we’ve seen geniuses like that before."
"I see!"
Zhang City nodded in understanding and added,
"As his Martial Arts Instructor, I’ve watched him progress for over a month now. I know exactly what his Talent is like."
"And just today, despite having a lower Qi and Blood Value, he easily defeated a classmate ranked in the top ten of his year."
"I believe he’s worthy of a B-level Contract. He’s an exceptionally talented genius, Boss. We can’t let him slip by," Zhang City said earnestly.
Yue Feng frowned, mulling it over in silence.
"How about this!" Zhang City suddenly proposed.
"In one week, the major high schools in Celestial Sea City and Bailu City are holding a martial arts exchange tournament."
"Our Tianhai No. 2 Middle School is up against Songbai Middle School, and Lin Qi is one of the students competing."
"If you have time, you can watch the livestream. There’s no substitute for seeing him in action yourself. It’s the most direct and accurate way to judge."
"I’ll watch it," Yue Feng promised with a nod.
After hanging up, Yue Feng thought to himself, ’I’ll watch Lin Qi’s performance in a week. Then I’ll decide whether to offer him a B-level Contract.’
’Lin Qi... I hope you don’t disappoint City.’
...
The upcoming martial arts exchange tournament between Bailu City and Celestial Sea City intensified the competitive atmosphere among the high schools in Celestial Sea City. No one wanted to lose.
「Six days passed in a flash.」
This afternoon, inside a private Martial Arts Room...
*HUUU...*
Lin Qi’s face was flushed red and he was drenched in sweat. His body felt like a furnace, giving off billows of white steam.
His stomach burned as it furiously processed the effects of two Energy Potions.
Torrents of heat flowed with his Qi Blood, reaching every corner of his muscles.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Lin Qi threw a punch, his Tiger Claw lashing out and creating a whistling gust of wind.
Blood raced through his body. Qi Blood surged through the muscles of his arm, all the way to his fingertips.
His sharp Tiger Claw tore through the air. All his Power channeled into the strike, making the air shudder and pop like a series of cannon blasts.
*HUFF... HUFF...*
With each ragged breath, the muscles of Lin Qi’s chest, chiseled as if from steel, rippled and flexed.
His muscles bulged and veins popped on his skin as Qi Blood coursed through him, tempering his muscle cells again and again through the intense exercise.
Lin Qi’s gaze was resolute as he felt the vague surges of Power flowing through his body along with his Qi Blood.
As he exerted himself, the movement of muscle and bone generated Power, which gathered and then exploded outward.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
In a flash, Lin Qi lashed out with his Tiger Claw.
White Tiger Emerges from the Cave!
White Tiger Claw Offering!
Furious Tiger Penetrating the Forest!
He unleashed the moves one after another, each one creating a sharp CRACK as endless power surged out.
"ROAR!"
Lin Qi let out a furious roar, a tiger’s howl, as the muscles all over his body swelled.
[You have pushed your body to its limits in training, breaking through your Qi and Blood Value. Qi and Blood Value +0.1]
[Through arduous training, your Five Elements Fist - Tiger Form and Crane Form have improved. Fist Technique +1%]
[Qi and Blood Value: 8.75 → 8.85]
[Fist Technique: Tier Two 15% → 16%]
...
*HUUU...*
Lin Qi relaxed his stance, standing still as steam rose from his body. He panted heavily as his Qi Blood gradually returned to normal.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and his arms trembled uncontrollably.
’I finally broke through!’
Lin Qi looked at his status panel. His Qi and Blood Value had broken through to 8.85, only 0.15 away from 9.0.
His Fist Technique was also steadily improving, now at Tier Two 16%, far surpassing his Spear Technique and Body Technique Realm.
Lin Qi looked into the large mirror in the Martial Arts Room, which reflected his physique.
A powerful build, chiseled muscles, and perfect proportions.
The aura he exuded was outstanding, making him seem like a newly awakened tiger.
*BRRRRING!*
’Class is over. Time to eat.’
The bell snapped Lin Qi back to reality. He went to wash up.
A few minutes later, dressed in his school uniform, he left the Martial Arts Classroom and headed for the cafeteria.
As he passed by another Martial Arts Classroom, he suddenly stopped. He spotted a Punch Force Tester and, on a whim, went inside.
’My Talent is constantly evolving, my physical constitution is improving, and my Qi and Blood Value is steadily increasing. I haven’t tested my Fist Power in a long time.’
Lin Qi wanted to test his current Fist Power. During his fight with Qiu Jie, he’d realized his Fist Power was much greater than his Qi and Blood Value would suggest.
*HUUU...*
Lin Qi took a deep breath, letting his body relax. An instant later, his eyes narrowed, and every muscle in his body tensed at once.
Like an awakening tiger, power surged up from his feet as his Qi Blood churned.
Lin Qi felt boundless strength welling up in his arm. Once he had gathered enough force, he unleashed his fist like a cannonball, smashing it violently against the Punching Target.
BAM!
The Punching Target shuddered violently. A string of numbers instantly appeared on the electronic display: "923.4 kg!"
*Hooo...*
Lin Qi was inwardly stunned. ’923.4 kilograms of Fist Power?’
He immediately threw another punch, striking the target again.
BAM!
"925.4 kg!"
’No mistake.’
Now Lin Qi was certain. His Fist Power had surpassed 920 kilograms, a level one would typically only reach with a Qi and Blood Value of 9.2 or more.
His Qi and Blood Value was only 8.85, yet he could unleash over 920 kilograms of Fist Power!
The Qi and Blood Value represented the strength of one’s Qi Blood and their Life Strength; it was a detailed metric for one’s Realm.
People with the same Qi and Blood Value could have different results. Due to variations in physique and physical constitution, some could produce greater Fist Power, run faster, or have sharper reflexes.
Li Zhou was one such person, possessing strength that surpassed ordinary people.
And now, Lin Qi had become one of them.
’My body used to be ordinary. My Fist Power was exactly what you would expect from my Qi and Blood Value.’
’But now... I’m completely different.’
Lin Qi clenched his fists. Power surged from within him like an endless ocean. In terms of strength, he was now equivalent to someone with a Qi and Blood Value of 9.2.
’This way, I won’t be at the bottom of the pack in the exchange tournament. And with my Combat Talent, if I go all out with the Mountain Shattering Spear Technique... my opponents are in for a rough time.’
...
「Evening. Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo.」
「In the corridor」
"The martial arts exchange tournament with Bailu City starts tomorrow. Aheng, which school is your No. 1 Middle School facing?"
Jiangtao asked Guo Heng curiously.
"Our opponent is Bailu City No. 1 Middle School, of course. They’re the top school in Bailu City."
"I’m competing in the tournament too, and I guarantee you I’m going to crush them tomorrow night."
Guo Heng said fiercely, flashing a grin that showed off his pearly white teeth.
After chatting for a bit, the three of them entered a Virtual Room, settled into their Virtual Cabins, and logged into the Red Realm Arena.
「Personal Space」
Lin Qi stood in the middle of a void, in no hurry to start matchmaking. Instead, he checked his status panel.
[Nickname: Yang Jian]
[Rank: Star]
[Win Rate: 93%]
[Points: 221]
...
’It’s been half a month since I reached Star Rank, but my Points have only just passed 220. That’s a bit slow.’
’I need a thousand Points for Bright Moon Rank, so I’m still more than 700 short. That’s pretty far off.’
’But I heard that if you reach Bright Moon Rank before the college entrance exams, you can get a huge cash prize.’
Lin Qi mused to himself. He only had time to log into the Red Realm two days a week, so his Points weren’t accumulating as quickly as before.
Still, the fact that Guo Heng was on track to reach Bright Moon Rank before the college entrance exams—and the massive cash prize that came with it—made him focus.
"Begin matchmaking!"
...
