Chapter 163: Target: Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Target: Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy

In the Martial Arts Era, it took a week for the college entrance exam results to be released.

During this time, nearly all the third-year Martial Arts Students were caught up in a frenzy of celebration.

At the same time, the major universities were also conducting their recruitment drives.

Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo, second floor, small conference room 203.

"Lin Qi, our offer is the best we can make. We can’t go any higher."

Lin Qi’s expression was placid as he listened to the strained tone of the middle-aged man in the black suit, showing no reaction.

A few minutes later, he walked out.

The middle-aged man in the room shook his head and muttered his assessment, ’Even though they’re all S-class talents, he’s a far cry from the truly top-tier ones. Far too greedy.’

Lin Qi returned to his Martial Arts Room.

"Little Chan!"

"Master, I am here!"

Light and shadow converged, projecting the image of Little Chan, a delicate-featured girl with black hair, dressed in blue.

"List all the offers we’ve received from the various factions over the past two days."

"Of course!"

Little Chan raised her hand, projecting a green panel filled with the offers from several different factions.

Lin Qi studied it carefully. He had been meeting with different factions every day for three consecutive days.

Over a month had passed. Although the offers had improved, it wasn’t by much.

It seemed they all felt he wasn’t worth a better offer, which he found quite puzzling.

By comparison, the offer from Dean Liu of Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy was the best and the one that tempted him the most.

At this thought, he made his decision.

...

「The next day, in a conference room on the second floor of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo.」

"Lin Qi, we meet again. It seems you’ve made your decision."

Dean Liu said with a chuckle from the black sofa.

Lin Qi nodded. "I’ve decided. I’ll go to the Azure Sky Sixth Institute."

Across from him, Lu Wei’s eyes grew excited. She eagerly handed over the drafted contract and a tablet.

"Lin Qi, once you sign this contract, you won’t be able to attend any other schools, or even other institutes."

"You can only come to our Azure Sky Sixth Institute," Dean Liu added as a final reminder.

Lin Qi nodded and signed his name on both the physical contract and the digital one.

Seeing this, Dean Liu finally broke into a smile.

"Little Wei, transfer the money to Lin Qi. And the item."

"You got it!"

Lu Wei put the contract away, took out her phone, and transferred 5,000,000 Xia Country Coins to Lin Qi on the spot.

[A transfer of 5,000,000 Xia Country Coins was received by your bank card ending in xxx on June 10 at 10:30. Current Balance: 28,316,800 Xia Country Coins!]

A smile appeared on Lin Qi’s face when he saw the funds arrive.

Lu Wei then retrieved a silver, cylindrical metal case from the metal box beside her.

"This is the Washing Potion!"

"Take it back for your mother to consume."

"As for the Water of Rebirth, a dose sufficient to regenerate a severed limb costs 50,000,000 Xia Country Coins."

"I suggest you wait until your net worth reaches a hundred million before you come looking for me. That way, it won’t interfere with your cultivation."

"After all, money is even more important in university," Dean Liu advised earnestly.

Lin Qi accepted the Washing Potion, placed it in his backpack, and was about to leave when Dean Liu spoke again.

"Lin Qi, do you know why the other institutes weren’t willing to give you a better offer?"

Lin Qi sat back down, took a sip of hot tea, and asked, "Why?"

Dean Liu looked pleased and began his explanation.

"The reason is simple. They don’t think you’re worth a better offer."

Lin Qi frowned. ’Just as I thought.’

Dean Liu also took a light sip of his tea and slowly began to explain.

"Even though you are all S-class talents, there are still disparities among you. The same is true within the S-class."

"The top tier consists of the top three. They stand at the very pinnacle of geniuses, with the strongest Talent and Comprehension."

"Unless you awaken a Special Ability to get a leg up, you can’t compete with them. Every year, the top three are always the most elite talents."

"After third place, the rest of the top ten are a slight step down. Next is the top twenty tier, and finally, the top thirty or so."

"In their eyes, you likely fall somewhere in the 20-to-30 rank range, maybe a little higher or lower."

Lin Qi was rather surprised. ’And here I thought they’d at least rank me in the top 20.’

"But we’re different. We believe you have the talent to break into the top ten," Dean Liu said with a chuckle.

Lin Qi nodded. His impression of Dean Liu improved considerably. ’He’s a man with good judgment.’

"Once the results are out, you’ll have to work hard. The real competition begins in university."

"You haven’t encountered the nation’s top ten talents, so you probably can’t imagine how powerful they are."

"They’ve been cultivated in the best environments since they were children. Some were even sent to the Otherworld during their holidays as kids."

"The Otherworld has a gravitational environment three times that of Blue Star. Under such terrifying conditions, their bodies—flesh, muscle, and bone—are thoroughly tempered, and the Martial Arts they hone are incredibly formidable."

"In fact, the gap between any two of the top ten is greater than the gap between 20th and 100th place combined," Dean Liu revealed, dropping a bombshell.

After hearing this, Lin Qi could almost picture a group of geniuses exuding terrifying auras.

...

A few minutes later, Lin Qi departed.

Dean Liu stood up and gazed at the cluster of buildings outside the window.

’I need to put some pressure on Lin Qi. There are too many talents in this world.’

’He needs a driving force to move forward. There’s still a month until school starts, but the competition has already begun.’

...

On the main road outside the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo, Lin Qi rode his bicycle home, Dean Liu’s words echoing in his mind.

’Spending their holidays in the Otherworld, training under triple gravity to temper their bodies and build a solid foundation.’

’During my summer breaks as a kid, I was just thinking about how to find a part-time job to earn some money.’

’The gap really is too big. There’s no comparison.’

Lin Qi felt a heavy pressure settle on him. It seemed his rivals were all incredibly powerful.

However, it also ignited his competitive spirit.

Once the college entrance exam results were released, he would know where he stood.

Then he could set his goals and surpass the talents ahead of him.

...

「At noon, after lunch.」

Fang Huiyi had just finished clearing the dishes and was planning to take an afternoon nap.

"Mom, come here for a second!"

Lin Qi, sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke as he took the silver metal cylinder from his backpack.

"Little Qi, what is it?"

Lin Zhen also looked at the metal cylinder with curiosity.

Lin Qi slowly opened the lid, revealing a vial of dark green liquid inside.

"Mom, this is a Washing Potion. It can help you quickly recover from the organ deterioration caused by the poison," Lin Qi explained.

"How much did this cost?" Lin Zhen asked, immediately sensing its value.

Lin Qi handed the Washing Potion to his mom, Fang Huiyi, and said, "It didn’t cost anything. It was a gift."

Hearing it was a gift, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Huiyi curiously opened the potion, and a fresh fragrance wafted out.

She drank it all in one go. A sweet taste accompanied the liquid as it entered her stomach.

A moment later, she felt her entire body heat up. Streams of warmth flowed through her, starting from her stomach and spreading to every corner of her body.

The warmth was incredibly comfortable. Her organs began to feel active, as if she were a patient who had just recovered from a major illness, full of vitality.

THUMP-THUMP!!

Her heartbeat grew stronger.

Lin Qi could clearly see his mother’s body heat up and her whole face flush with color.

Even some of the wrinkles on her face seemed to fade slightly.

"Huiyi, how do you feel?" Lin Zhen asked, swallowing nervously.

"I feel great right now, full of strength," his mom, Fang Huiyi, said with a smile.

She swung her arm, tensing her muscles before suddenly striking out.

BAM!!

A sharp crack echoed with her strike. Her aura grew stronger, and the power behind her Fist Technique became more potent.

"Mom, congratulations. Your organs have basically made a full recovery."

"From now on, your Qi and Blood Value will also recover quickly."

"That’s fantastic!" his dad, Lin Zhen, laughed heartily.

Lin Qi smiled as well. With his mother’s organs fully recovered, it would only take a few months and a large supply of resources for her to regain her former strength.

His next goal was to save up enough money to buy the Water of Rebirth and heal his dad Lin Zhen’s arm.

...

「Imperial Capital, Martial Arts Education Bureau Headquarters.」

It was a colossal white skyscraper, its metal walls bearing the marks of time.

Inside a vast office, dozens of staff members were seated. Hundreds of projected screens of various sizes filled the space, each displaying complex calculations.

The data was all collated onto a massive central screen.

"After seven days of repeatedly verifying the scores, we have final confirmation. The accuracy rate is 99.99%."

A middle-aged man in black and white robes smiled as he looked at the large screen.

When he saw a few of the rankings, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.

’Looks like several dark horses have emerged in this year’s rankings.’

...

Time flew by after the college entrance exams.

In the blink of an eye, six days had passed.

The exam results were about to be released!

「Martial Arts Calendar, Year 2046. June 15th. The weather was clear.」

At 11:30 in the morning, countless families across the nation had gathered in bedrooms and living rooms.

They anxiously awaited the stroke of noon.

"According to the latest news, our country’s college entrance exam results will be announced today, June 15th, at 12:00 PM sharp."

「Rongshan District, Building 3, Apartment 301, Living Room.」

Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi were huddled together, nervously watching the TV while also refreshing the official website on their phones, ready to check the scores at any moment.

Only Lin Qi was leaning back on the sofa calmly, casually scrolling through short videos and eating sliced fruit.

"Why aren’t the results out yet?" Lin Zhen paced around the living room. Fang Huiyi, who had been cooking in the kitchen, couldn’t calm her nerves either and simply returned to the living room to wait.

"Little Qi is so calm, not affected at all," Lin Zhen chuckled.

"What do you think Little Qi will rank nationally?" Fang Huiyi asked.

"He’s definitely the top scorer in Cang Province. Nationally, he should at least make the top 30, I’d say," Lin Zhen offered his prediction.

BEEP BEEP!!

"It’s noon!" Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi’s eyes widened. They turned to Lin Qi and immediately rushed over.

*Hooo...*

On the sofa, Lin Qi’s eyes sharpened. He closed the short video app and quickly logged into the Martial Arts Education Bureau’s official website.

...