High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Top 16 of the Genius Tournament

12:00 PM. Rongshan District, Apartment 301.

WHOOSH~

The smell of cooking oil wafted from the living room, escaping through the open balcony doors.

From the small, old-fashioned kitchen, Fang Huiyi emerged, firmly carrying a large pot filled with corn and pork rib soup.

The dining table in the living room was laden with a spread of aromatic dishes: stir-fried pork with hot peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, hot and sour shredded potatoes...

Lin Qi didn’t stand on ceremony. He took a bowl from his dad, heaped it full of white rice, and began to dig in.

Across from him, his mom, Fang Huiyi, also started eating. Her complexion had improved significantly; she no longer looked so exhausted and lifeless.

”Mom, how have you been feeling lately?” Lin Qi asked.

Fang Huiyi replied, ”I’ve been feeling much better. My body’s getting stronger and stronger, and my Qi and Blood Value is steadily recovering.”

Lin Zhen chimed in with a smile, ”Your mother’s Qi and Blood Value is already back up to 5.0. It’s just her Fist Power that’s still a bit low, not even 200 kilograms.”

Lin Qi nodded, his expression unchanging.

Inwardly, however, his heart sank. ’It’s been over two months since the toxins were removed from Mom’s body and she started recovering.’

’She used to be a Second Realm Martial Artist, but her Qi and Blood Value has only recovered to 5.0 so far.’

’Her recovery is slower than I expected, and we’ve already spent hundreds of thousands of Xia Country Coins on resources during this time.’

He suddenly recalled Dr. Li’s warning: restoring his mother’s Martial Arts would cost a fortune.

Now, he was starting to understand just how massive that ”fortune” was.

’Mom’s internal organs were severely corroded. Using resources for Cultivation now is like getting half the results for twice the effort—it’s incredibly inefficient. I have to find a way to buy resources to restore her organs first.’

Lin Qi thought to himself. He currently had over eight million Xia Country Coins. Once he upgraded to an S-level Contract, he would get another ten million, which would be enough to purchase some expensive resources.

”Little Qi, I heard you did exceptionally well at the Practical Training Camp,” his dad, Lin Zhen, said suddenly.

Lin Qi swallowed his rice and said nonchalantly, ”It was alright. I broke the record and took first place.”

”First... place?”

Lin Zhen’s eyes shot wide open, and he exchanged a look with Fang Huiyi.

The shock in each other’s eyes was plain to see.

”Little Qi, you’re not mistaken, are you?” Fang Huiyi asked.

Lin Qi put down his bowl and chopsticks and explained, ”I’m not mistaken. I really did take first place.”

”In all of Cang Province, your son—me, Lin Qi—is now the strongest.”

Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi were dazed. ’Our son is now the strongest in Cang Province? Just like that?’

It felt like a dream. It was simply unbelievable.

They were just Ordinary people, yet they had given birth to a super-genius son.

An irrepressible sense of pride swelled in their hearts.

...

「That afternoon. Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo, Hall Master’s Office.」

BEEP!

The office door slid open automatically. Yue Feng, dressed in a black suit, turned to see Lin Qi walk in.

A smile reappeared on his lips. He walked forward to greet him, clapping him on the shoulder.

”Lin Qi, welcome back.”

”You really didn’t disappoint us!”

Lin Qi smiled back. ”I didn’t let everyone’s expectations down.”

At Yue Feng’s direction, he sat down opposite the tea table, where freshly brewed hot tea gave off a white, fragrant steam.

”Haha, that was so satisfying!”

”You suppressed that S-class genius, Chen Li, with absolute power! With such a brilliant performance, who would dare say you’re not worthy of being called an S-class genius yourself?”

”Don’t you worry. In the second round of voting tomorrow, you’re guaranteed to win,” Yue Feng declared, confidently patting his chest.

”Do we have Li Zehao’s practical combat results?” Lin Qi picked up his teacup and took a sip. A faint bitterness was quickly replaced by a sweet aftertaste, and a cooling sensation washed over his mind.

It made his thoughts run much faster.

Yue Feng shook his head. ”No!”

”They’ve probably hidden his results, just like we did with yours. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get the specific details, but the second round of voting is also tomorrow.”

”They’re probably planning to give us a ’surprise’.”

A smile touched Lin Qi’s lips.

”Then let’s give them a surprise of our own. Tonight happens to be the seventh round of the Genius Hegemony Tournament—the final round.”

”The top 32 will be narrowed down to the final 16.”

Yue Feng’s eyes lit up when he heard this. ”Brilliant!” he nodded.

”Almost all the S-class geniuses are among the current top 32. As long as you can make it into the final 16...”

”It will be another powerful piece of evidence. They won’t be able to win against you.”

Lin Qi drank his tea calmly, also looking forward to the Genius Hegemony Tournament that evening.

...

「7:30 PM」

After a day of rest, the geniuses of Celestial Sea City gathered at the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos.

Inside the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo’s virtual hall, the air was already buzzing with chatter as everyone gathered and mingled.

”Zhou Xiyin is here too!”

”The goddess herself has come to watch the final round of the Genius Hegemony Tournament.”

Someone spotted a tall, slender figure in white not far away, her long legs particularly striking.

Zhou Xiyin, her hair in a ponytail, scanned the crowd as if looking for someone.

Suddenly, her beautiful eyes lit up as a tall figure walked into the virtual hall.

She quickly walked over to greet him.

”Lin Qi!!”

Lin Qi looked at the vibrant Zhou Xiyin before him and greeted her with a smile.

”You made it!”

Zhou Xiyin smiled. ”Good luck in the final round of the tournament! With your strength, I’m sure you’ll have no problem advancing.”

”Your feeling is correct!” Lin Qi laughed.

Following behind Jiangtao into the virtual hall was Jiang Miaoyin. She was dressed in a loose-fitting school uniform with her hair in twin buns, radiating a youthful energy.

Watching Zhou Xiyin, she felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance.

”Brother, who’s that woman?”

Jiangtao introduced with a smile, ”That’s Zhou Xiyin. She’s currently ranked fourth in all of Cang Province.”

”She’s someone you should learn from in the future.”

Jiang Miaoyin wrinkled her pert nose and huffed, ”Only fourth? Just wait, next year I’ll definitely break into the top three in Cang Province.”

Jiangtao couldn’t help but laugh. ”Haha, I’m sure you’ll have no problem.”

...

”Go, Brother Qi!”

After some encouragement from Lv Xiang, Wu Feng, Guo Heng, and the others, Lin Qi chatted briefly before entering a Virtual Cabin to log into the Red Realm.

The crowd looked up at the large screen projected on the ceiling, where the list of the top 32 was displayed.

”Cang Province has two people in the top 32. That’s already impressive.”

”Most of the others are geniuses from the Imperial Capital, Shanghai, North River Province, Shu Province, Jiangnan Province, and Guangdong Province.”

”I wonder if Chen Li and Lin Qi can both make it into the top 16?” someone wondered aloud.

...

「In the Imperial Capital, inside a luxurious villa.」

Li Zehao, dressed in a white tracksuit, was looking at a video projection where Zhang Tai’s face appeared on screen.

”Little Hao, the rewards for the final round of the Genius Hegemony Tournament are excellent. You must secure them.”

Zhang Tai urged him gently.

Li Zehao clenched his fist and smiled confidently. ”Don’t worry, Uncle. If I were tested right now, my strength would definitely rank in the top fifteen nationwide.”

”The rewards for the top 16 are as good as mine.”

”And tomorrow’s S-level Contract won’t get away either.”

Beside him, a beautiful middle-aged woman in a red robe also smiled. ”My son is the most outstanding.”

After speaking, Li Zehao entered the Virtual Cabin next to him.

With practiced ease, he logged into the Red Realm. In his personal Space, his expression was one of irrepressible excitement.

’In the entire Xia Country, there are hardly any opponents left for me.’

’Anyone who runs into me can only blame their own bad luck!’

...