Chapter 486 485: Champion Seed Player

Jingle bell!

The phone rang.

Fenric picked up the phone from the table, and the caller ID showed it was Xiao Ling'er.

"Hey."

As soon as the call connected, Xiao Ling'er's clear voice came through.

"Fenric, the competition schedule is out. According to the arrangement, your match will be on the 1st of next month, at three in the afternoon—the day after tomorrow. You need to prepare in advance."

"Got it."

"The system for this martial arts conference is the same as in previous years. It's divided into two parts: the Regional Selection and the Grand Finals.

The regional selections start at the city level, with preliminary rounds first. Only the top three can advance to the provincial stage, then onto the national finals, and eventually the world finals."

"Got it."

On the other end of the line, Xiao Ling'er sighed, her tone a little downcast.

"Is 'got it' the only thing you can say?"

"Then what else do you want me to say?" Fenric asked with a faint smile.

Xiao Ling'er froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

Right now, she was Fenric's "competition assistant."

The so-called assistant was the one supporting the fighters behind the scenes. Their main job was to handle trivial matters during the competition, as well as gather intelligence on opponents. It was essentially a service role, but almost every martial artist had one.

From the beginning, Xiao Ling'er had volunteered to be Fenric's assistant.

Her true purpose, however, was to gain experience and prepare herself for when she eventually competed in martial arts conferences.

After a moment's silence, she spoke again.

"Fenric, I've gathered information about the contestants in this city. Do you want to hear it?"

Fenric's first instinct was to say, No need.

But then he thought of how much effort she must have put into collecting the data. Refusing outright would only dampen her enthusiasm.

So, he said, "Alright, let's hear it."

"Good. This time there are thirty-one contestants from this city.

Among them, the strongest are three: Wang Chao of the Wang family, Cao Wujin of the Cao family, and Itto Hebin, general manager of the Haisheng Group. These three are the most talked about and indeed very powerful.

Especially Cao Wujin. He placed in the top thirty-two nationwide last year and is already a recognized martial warrior. His goal this time, I've heard, is to claim the national championship.

But the one you really need to watch out for is Itto Hebin of the Haisheng Group."

When she finished, Fenric chuckled lightly.

"Thanks for all the hard work."

"It's no trouble—it's my duty," Xiao Ling'er replied. "Then, I'll come pick you up the day after tomorrow."

"Alright."

The call ended.

Fenric didn't take much interest in the so-called masters Xiao Ling'er mentioned.

After all, he knew the overarching plot. He had never even heard of those names, which meant they were destined to be nothing more than side characters.

Instead, his thoughts turned elsewhere—toward the murderer tied to this body's past.

This body had two unfulfilled wishes, both now Fenric's responsibility:

One, to become a renowned martial arts master.

Two, to find the culprit who killed his father.

During the past seven days, Fenric hadn't been idle. He'd conducted several secret investigations, but no leads surfaced.

He had asked many people about the killer, yet no one knew anything.

To push further, he had enlisted Zohyan's help.

Zohyan, apprentice of Elder Xiao and the master of the Dragon and Tiger Martial Pavilion, was a respected local figure with vast connections. With his network, the investigation would surely move faster than Fenric searching alone.

—---

Three days later.

The World Martial Arts Conference officially began.

The streets, TV stations, and the internet were abuzz with nothing else but the conference.

On such a grand occasion, the attention of all humanity was focused on one thing—the martial arts competition.

Inside the city gymnasium, the crowd was overwhelming.

Not only were the seats full, but even the aisles were packed with people. Tens of thousands had crammed inside. If not for the police maintaining order, even more would have forced their way in.

Before the matches even began, the arena echoed with endless chatter and clamor.

Everyone was discussing who would emerge victorious and claim the title of the city's champion.

"You think anyone can beat Cao Wujin this year?"

"Isn't it obvious? It has to be Cao Wujin of the Cao family!"

"Of course. Last year he was already a sixth-rank martial artist when he reached the nationals. By now, he might've advanced even further."

"Cao Wujin is strong, but don't underestimate Manager Itto from Haisheng Group. Their entire business revolves around supplying herbs and resources to martial artists. With such backing, who knows what hidden experts they have? The fact they sent Itto himself to represent them says a lot."

"Exactly. If he were to lose, the reputation of Haisheng would take a major hit. They wouldn't risk sending him unless they were confident."

"Don't forget about Wang Chao from the Wang family! Do you know who his grandfather is? With that kind of lineage, do you think he'd allow his descendants to bring shame to the family?"

"Wait, are you saying Wang Chao inherited that big man's true teachings?"

"It seems this year's city trial will be a real clash of titans!"

"No kidding. In any case, the top three contenders are clearly those three. The only question is—who will rise above the rest?"

"What about the others? Are there no other good fighters?"

"Anyone who dares enter the conference is strong, but compared to those three? Not a chance."

"Oh, but I heard Elder Xiao recommended a contestant this time. Is that true?"

"What? Elder Xiao himself?!"

"He's been retired for years, but if he personally endorsed someone, that contestant must not be ordinary."

—---

The entire gymnasium buzzed like a noisy marketplace.

Reporters from nearly every major news outlet in the city had shown up, their cameras flashing. Television crews hovered above with cameras to capture the matches live.

At the very center of the stadium stood a towering broadcast platform.

Over the coming days, the thirty-one contestants of this city would battle here to determine who would advance.

**

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