High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: The Advantage is Mine

In a Martial Arts Room at the headquarters.

SWOOSH SWOOSH!!

A handsome man in a white Martial Arts Uniform, holding a silver Long Spear, swung the spear. In an instant, the tip became a phantom, piercing the air with a sharp whistle.

BEEP BEEP!!

His phone, sitting on a nearby cabinet, rang. He stopped, picked it up, and projected a green screen.

Zhang Tai’s face appeared on the projection, wearing a gentle smile.

”Uncle!”

The handsome man stopped his practice and greeted him with a smile.

”Little Hao, the meeting is over. You’ve beaten out Lin Qi from Cang Province and have been upgraded to an S-level Contract. You can sign the new contract in a few days.”

Zhang Tai said kindly.

”Thank you, Uncle!!” The handsome man was overjoyed.

After hanging up the video call.

The handsome man set down the Silver Spear in his hands, a smug smile spreading across his face.

’The S-level Contract should have been mine all along.’

’Lin Qi, a country bumpkin, thought he could snatch my spot? Let me teach you a thing or two about how the world really works.’

...

That evening, in the top-floor office of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo in Celestial Sea City.

”What did you say? It didn’t pass? The upgrade failed?!”

In the spacious office, a large screen was projected. On the other side was the beautiful woman, Kelan, dressed in purple.

Kelan said sympathetically, ”I’m sorry, but that’s how it is. Once the contract is signed, it can’t be undone.”

Yue Feng, who had been leisurely sipping tea at the table, shot to his feet as if struck by lightning upon hearing the news.

’My bad feeling... it finally came true.’

”Alan, what happened?”

Kelan explained the entire process of the meeting.

BANG!!

Master Lu, on the other side of the call, slammed his hand on the tea table and stood up, filled with righteous indignation:

”That son of a bitch! That old bastard Zhang Tai actually dared to pull some shady shit!”

Kelan said from the screen, ”Zhang Tai’s work was flawless. On the surface, he did nothing wrong.”

”Li Zehao’s Talent is good, and his current strength is greater.”

”Lin Qi’s Talent suggests a higher potential for the future.”

”One for the present, one for the future—it’s always been a point of endless debate.”

Yue Feng sneered, ”That’s all bullshit. Lin Qi was able to defeat Feng Qingyue, and she’s only a little bit weaker than Li Zehao.”

”Lin Qi is already very strong as he is now.”

After ending the video call, Yue Feng paced around the office, thinking about how to fix the situation.

”Old Yue, think of something! We can’t just let them bully us like this!” Master Lu shouted anxiously.

”Quiet! I’m thinking!” Yue Feng frowned and waved his hand impatiently.

”Alpha, contact the Hall Master!”

”Yes, Master!”

Alpha, a red metallic sphere, levitated and projected a screen.

Soon, a figure appeared on the screen.

”It’s connecting!” Yue Feng was suddenly overjoyed.

Wuu Lingyun’s face appeared on the screen.

”Old Yue, Old Lu, what is it?”

”Hall Master, there is a very important matter I need to report to you.”

Yue Feng didn’t waste any time and directly explained the entire situation.

Upon hearing this, Wuu Lingyun’s expression instantly darkened, and a terrifying aura erupted from him.

”I understand. I’ll handle this matter!”

With that, he hung up.

Wuu Lingyun’s face was grim. He had been slapped in the face. He had previously said that Zhang Tai was very fair and hadn’t looked at Lin Qi’s file.

Now, it had caused a genius under his command to lose an S-level Contract.

As the Hall Master, he had lost face as well.

”Epsilon!”

”I’m here!”

A silver metallic sphere next to him levitated.

”Contact Meng Wu!”

”Understood!”

From his position in the War Base, he commanded the metallic sphere to contact someone.

Soon, the connection was established on the projected green screen, and a person appeared.

This man was around forty, with a burly and robust build. His muscles were firm, and his face was sharp and chiseled, with hard lines.

He wore a black combat suit, and his every move exuded an air of authority.

”Old Wu, why are you calling me at this hour?”

”Old Meng, the S-level Contract for my genius from Celestial Sea City was snatched away by you people from the Imperial Capital.”

Old Meng frowned. ”Explain.”

A few minutes later.

After listening, Old Meng checked some information and said:

”I’ve looked at the process. There are no issues!”

”Lin Qi and Li Zehao are both excellent. You can only say that everyone was more optimistic about Li Zehao!”

Wuu Lingyun sneered, ”Well, I’m more optimistic about Lin Qi. What then?”

”To put it bluntly, Li Zehao is one of your own from the Imperial Capital, while Lin Qi is from our Cang Province. You’re just bullying our Cang Province because you think we have no one to stand up for us.”

Old Meng frowned. ”Old Wu, that’s going too far. Our Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo values fairness above all else.”

”What do you want to do now?”

Wuu Lingyun pondered for a moment and said:

”I’m requesting a reconsideration. Hold another vote in one month. If Li Zehao still surpasses Lin Qi then, I will have absolutely no objections.”

”One month? Fine, I agree!” Old Meng nodded. Fearing that Wuu Lingyun would take the matter to the main Hall Master, he quickly agreed.

The video call ended. Wuu Lingyun thought to himself, ’Lin Qi, if you truly have Talent, then prove it to everyone.’

...

「In a villa in the Imperial Capital」

Inside a luxurious and spacious living room.

”What? The signing was canceled? A second round of voting in one month?”

Li Zehao, dressed in a white Martial Arts Uniform, stared at the screen in front of him, his face instantly turning ashen.

On the other side of the video call, Zhang Tai comforted him with a smile:

”I’ve already made the arrangements!”

”Work hard for the next month, and you’ll definitely secure that S-level Contract.”

Li Zehao revealed a confident smile:

”Lin Qi? He’s just some country bumpkin ranked 108th.”

”I’m ranked 25th in the nation. What does he have to compete with me?”

”This round, the advantage is mine!”

...

「Two days later, at Tianhai No. 2 Middle School」

In the Martial Arts Classroom, everyone was gathered, discussing in low voices.

”I heard there’s an important announcement today. What do you think it is?”

”I think I know what it is!” someone whispered.

”It couldn’t be the Practical Training Camp, could it?”

”Quiet!” a deep voice boomed from the classroom doorway.

Zhang Cheng, a burly man in a black Martial Arts Uniform, strode in with powerful steps and glanced around.

Seeing that everyone was present, he slowly began to speak:

”I have an important announcement to make.”

”One month from now, at the end of April, a Cang Province Practical Training Camp will be held.”

As soon as he said this, the expressions of many students changed slightly, while others looked completely bewildered.

Zhang Cheng grinned and said:

”I’m guessing some of you don’t know what this is.”

”Every year, during the second semester for third-year high school students, a Practical Training Camp is held. All the contracted geniuses from the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos in Cang Province must participate.”

”As a Martial Artist, you will all eventually have to step onto the battlefield and fight against Calamity Beasts.”

”This Practical Training Camp is your first step. You will be fighting real Calamity Beasts.”

”And once you’re fighting Calamity Beasts, even with the best protective measures, there’s still a possibility of injury or death.”

”I forgot to mention, if you’re scared, you can apply not to go.”

The moment his voice fell, many faces turned pale, their hearts pounding wildly.

This was especially true for the geniuses contracted with the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos; they were shrouded in a nameless fear.

Calamity Beasts... those were creatures you only saw on TV.

Fighting them meant risking death.

Some of the students began to look pale.

Only Lin Qi, Jiangtao, and Li Zhou remained calm.

They had already killed Calamity Beasts before and experienced true life-and-death battles.

”Of course, since it’s a Practical Training Camp, those who perform exceptionally will also receive rewards,” Zhang Cheng continued.

Lin Qi’s and Jiangtao’s eyes lit up instantly.

As long as there were rewards, he would be happy.

For the two of them, money was the most important thing.

”So, for the next month, go and train like your lives depend on it,” Zhang Cheng said with a wide grin.

The stick-and-carrot approach stirred up the fighting spirit in many of the students.

Just then, the phone in Lin Qi’s pocket vibrated. He took it out, looked at it, and frowned.

...

「At noon, in the top-floor office of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo.」

”Lin Qi, you’re here! Sit down and have some lunch with us.”

In the office, the original tea table was now covered with several hot dishes, and a rich aroma filled the entire room.

”Okay, Uncle Yue!”

Lin Qi calmly sat down and, without any ceremony, started to eat.

”Lin Qi, the evaluation is over!”

”And the results are in!”

”Your S-level Contract spot has been taken by someone else!” Yue Feng said!

Lin Qi’s heart skipped a beat. ’My S-class is gone?’

’What about my 10 million Xia Country Coins and the millions worth of Cultivation Resources?’

But his Psychological Quality was excellent.

On the surface, he just raised an eyebrow and asked a question, not once stopping his eating:

”What happened?”

Yue Feng was puzzled. ”How can you be so calm?”

Lin Qi replied nonchalantly, ”Uncle Yue, since you called me here, I’m guessing the matter isn’t set in stone yet.”

Yue Feng gave him a thumbs-up. ”Impressive. You even guessed that.”

He then began to narrate the entire sequence of events.

Lin Qi ate and listened quietly, processing the information.

From the arrival of the inspection team, to losing the vote, to the Hall Master stepping in to arrange a second round of voting.

Lin Qi was inwardly surprised. ’To think that a single S-level Contract could alarm so many High-Level Martial Artists.’

He sighed internally. ’It seems no world is free from the games of influence and connections.’

”So, the situation now is that a second round of voting will be held in a little over a month, on April 25th.”

”The Hall Master bought you more than a month. This period is crucial. You need to perform even better, understand?” Yue Feng asked.

”The Practical Training Camp?” Lin Qi said suddenly.

SNAP!

Yue Feng snapped his fingers with a smile. ”Very smart. Exactly, the Practical Training Camp.”

”Every province in the country will hold a Practical Training Camp. All you have to do is outperform everyone there.”

”No, to be precise, you have to outperform Chen Li.”

”Chen Li has already been confirmed as the S-class genius for the Chongming Martial Arts Dojo.”

”And Chen Li’s national ranking is higher than Li Zehao’s.”

Lin Qi was surprised. ’Chen Li is already an S-class genius?’

’As long as my performance surpasses his, it’ll prove my potential.’

WHOOSH~

Lin Qi suddenly exhaled, his expression turning serious as an invisible aura radiated from his body.

A Golden Light seemed to flash in his eyes.

”I understand. Chen Li, is it? I will surpass him.”

Yue Feng looked at Lin Qi, and in that moment, Lin Qi’s aura gave him an inexplicable shock.

Then he broke into a wide grin:

”Now that’s more like it! I was starting to think you didn’t have any fire in you.”

”Screw that bastard Zhang Tai! The nerve of him to touch your S-class spot.”

”Go crush Wang Qiufeng and Chen Li, and prove that your Talent is on a completely different level from some guy like Li Zehao.”

...