Martial Arts Track

Guo Chuming had initially wanted to get back up and fight back, but Li Ye's kick had sent searing pain through his chest. He tried several times to rise, yet Deng Hao and Jia Dong's fists and kicks were far too heavy, knocking him back to the ground each time.

Deng Hao focused on the upper body, his powerful chopping palms and hammering punches crashing down on Guo Chuming's torso one after another. Jia Dong attacked low, as though he knew Guo Chuming's skill lay in his legs. Whenever Guo Chuming showed signs of getting up, Jia Dong viciously kicked his legs.

Li Ye could not help laughing.

Wait for the other side to pick a fight?

That was not his temperament. Strike first and gain the upper hand; beat them until they were scared, and they would stop causing trouble.

It was not only Guo Chuming who could not forget them. Deng Hao and Jia Dong had held back all summer, spending heavily to break through the Dragon Gate. Guo Chuming had surely been part of the reason. They had not forgotten Guo Chuming either!

"Ow! Stop hitting me, stop!"

After only a short while, Guo Chuming instinctively curled up and covered his head, wailing aloud.

He had planned it all out perfectly. Once he saw them, he would take revenge. Even in the worst case, they would battle for hundreds of rounds, trading blows and injuries, before he gained the upper hand and avenged the ambush from last time.

He had planned it out. He had planned it out!!

"Stop!"

Someone in the gymnasium finally reacted. A group gathered to Li Ye's side charged over at the shout. One of them even leaped into the air, pouncing forward like a starving tiger on a sheep as he lunged at the two people carrying out the beating.

Smack!

Just as that figure jumped up, Li Ye crossed three strides in one step, grabbed his ankle, and yanked downward, sending him sprawling face-first like a dog eating mud.

Then Li Ye kicked sideways, knocking one person to the floor. He twisted his body aside, formed one hand into a claw, and seized another charging person by the throat, hurling him backward into someone else. The two collided and fell to the ground.

In three strokes and two cuts, everyone who had charged over was down. That shout had not stopped Deng Hao and Jia Dong, but Li Ye's fierce skill had made them halt. They stared over blankly.

"Fuck!"

The only one from that group who had not attacked strode forward. As his fists swung, the air inside his school uniform billowed, and under Blood Qi Surging, his blood qi pulsed three times.

"Don't get too arrogant! In the martial world, the strong are revered! Witness the power of Fei Zhishang's Lightning Strike Fist!"

Smack!

A fist abruptly appeared in front of his face. At the instant it struck, they could even see his nasal bone cave in beneath the blow. He flew backward with his head thrown up, then crashed to the ground.

Li Ye slipped over to the man, withdrew his fist, and shook his head. "You still need a wind-up before a fight? With that time, you could've struck already."

"What's going on here!"

At that moment, a shout rang out from the gymnasium entrance.

A middle-aged man hurried over and demanded, "What happened?!"

Guo Chuming finally got a chance to catch his breath. Pointing at Li Ye and the others, he shouted, "Teacher! They ganged up on me!"

The middle-aged man looked at them. Deng Hao and Jia Dong immediately stood to either side and lowered their heads.

He then glanced at the people lying beside Li Ye before turning his gaze to Li Ye.

Li Ye smiled. "It was a normal spar. Guo Chuming arranged it with us at the preparatory cafeteria before summer break, and we're simply honoring that promise now. Teacher, if this counts as ganging up, shouldn't the other side have more people than us?"

At that, the middle-aged man clicked his tongue and cursed, "The preparatory cafeteria? Shameful! This time was even more shameful—more people, yet you still lost to the newcomers! Guo Chuming, if you can't train, then drop out already. Stop making a fool of yourself! Stay here for now. After the opening ceremony, go to the hospital yourself!"

The middle-aged man looked at Li Ye and the others again. "You're Li Ye? The form says you're at Three Dragon Gate. Activate your blood qi and let me see."

At his words, all three activated their blood qi, displaying their respective pulsing frequencies.

The middle-aged man nodded approvingly. "Very good. Train hard, and perhaps you might become prospects for a Key Martial Arts University. I'm your martial arts teacher, Gu Yang. Stay here for now. After the opening ceremony, all you new students will receive training together. Cause less trouble. I understand that martial artists have vigorous blood qi and may struggle to control themselves, but there are other ways to resolve matters here. It's best not to fight privately."

With that, he walked out again.

The teacher's intervention meant Li Ye and the others could no longer continue fighting.

The people Li Ye had knocked down got up and helped Guo Chuming and Fei Zhishang to one side, lowering their banners and silencing their drums. Every now and then, they shot Li Ye resentful looks.

Li Ye found an empty corner, leaned there, and surveyed the surroundings.

There were not many Martial Arts Students in the gymnasium, only around thirty in total, including those who had entered after them.

No. 14 Middle School was just an ordinary high school. The number of Martial Arts Students was within Li Ye's expectations.

"Brother Ye, how did you get so strong? There were several of them, and one of them was at Three Dragon Gate like you."

Deng Hao gestured wildly. "You just went smack, smack, smack, and they all fell down!"

Li Ye smiled but said nothing.

"Brother Ye, something's not right."

Jia Dong was observing the surroundings. After his gaze met Guo Chuming's resentful eyes, he poked Li Ye in the waist. "Why's no one talking to us?"

"Yeah. Is it because we were too violent? That shouldn't be it. They were the ones who started it." Deng Hao only seemed to realize it now.

Li Ye understood inwardly.

In this day and age, once you started a group fight, people would naturally follow along, whether they were useful or not.

With Guo Chuming's temperament, he had surely offended people in the martial arts track. Otherwise, more than just those few would have come up. They were clearly a small clique.

It was just that this clique seemed rather domineering. Even after Li Ye had dealt with them so cleanly, no one had come over of their own accord.

"I'll go ask."

Deng Hao could never sit still. He ran straight over to someone in front who was practicing lightness skill on wooden posts. Just as he was about to speak, that person hopped from post to post in quick succession, rapidly avoiding him as though fleeing from the plague.

Deng Hao frowned and went to find someone else, but it was the same. Before he could get close, the guy practicing punches hurried away.

"What sort of fiendish brute is this impressive?"

Jia Dong clicked his tongue. "So terrifying! Such profound pressure?"

"More or less."

As soon as he said that, someone nearby walked over. "Those people don't dare offend Xiang Feipeng."

It was a female student with neat short hair. Even her school uniform could not conceal her long legs, giving the impression that everything below her neck was legs.

Whether she was beautiful was not important. What mattered was that among martial artists, none had a figure lacking in vigor. Especially women—once they broke through the Dragon Gate and their blood qi became tangible, every one of them had delicate skin.

Besides, she was quite pretty too, with large eyes, small lips, and an air of vitality.

The female student smiled at Li Ye. "Li Ye, I'm Yao Leden. We're in the same year, and I'm at Three Dragon Gate."

Another Three Dragon Gate.

"Hello." Li Ye nodded. "You know me?"

Yao Leden smiled. "Guo Chuming made a huge fool of himself at the preparatory cafeteria before. The news spread through the martial arts track. It would be hard not to know you."

"Then what's going on here?" Li Ye asked.

"There."

Yao Leden gestured with her lips toward Guo Chuming's group. "Like you, they have a boss too. His name is Xiang Feipeng. He throws his weight around, and no one dares offend him. Usually, people can only swallow it when they get bullied. You gave them an outlet today."

Li Ye asked in surprise, "There can still be school bullies among Martial Arts Students?"

What was all that martial prowess for, then?

Before Deng Hao broke through the Dragon Gate, he had dared to fight just because Guo Chuming cursed at him. Whether he could win was one matter; whether he dared to fight was another.

Young people who practiced martial arts were brimming with hot-blooded courage. How could they bear provocation? Otherwise, why spend so much money and endure so much hardship? Just to let others step on their faces?

They were already like that before breaking through the Dragon Gate. After doing so, by all rights they should have been even more willing to throw a punch.

"Our concept of a school bully is different from ordinary people's."

Yao Leden shook her head with a bitter smile. "It's not that no one has fought him. They fought fiercely. Twenty-five people went at him together last year, and he picked them all off. Every last one was beaten into submission."

"He's that strong?" Jia Dong exclaimed.

"Strong, and neurotic. Everyone here has been sent to the hospital by him. Even the least injured stayed for a month. You beat his people, so be careful."

As she spoke, she looked at Li Ye. "Your martial arts seem quite strong too. You knocked Fei Zhishang down with one punch. But you need to be even more careful. Xiang Feipeng especially enjoys tormenting people like you. He's at Fourth Dragon Gate, one blood qi level above you."

"You came to tell me this. Aren't you afraid?" Li Ye asked.

Yao Leden looked completely unconcerned. "Hmph, I just can't beat him. My family isn't worse than his. I thought you all looked agreeable, so I came to give you a warning."

"The teachers don't intervene?" Jia Dong asked strangely.

"Why didn't you think of the teachers when you were beating people just now?"

Yao Leden laughed. "At most, it's a verbal warning. The worst outcome is a trip to the hospital. Isn't that just how martial artists are? Don't think Fei Zhishang was wrong just because he's childish. What he said was true—in the martial world, the strong are revered. The martial arts track is the same. If you can fight and your cultivation is high, then you can become a mainstay and bring glory to the school."

"A mainstay?"

"Yes, a core competitor who participates in the martial arts league. Each school only has three slots, and Xiang Feipeng ranks second. The resources we Martial Arts Students receive, including the meals you Preparatory Students ate in the cafeteria, were all fought for with their fists and feet."

Li Ye was instantly interested. Just as he was about to ask, Jia Dong immediately understood and ingratiatingly said:

"Senior, tell us about it. We just got here and don't understand anything. We'd only heard that Martial Arts Students received good treatment and had resources, much better than us poor Preparatory Students. We heard that practicing martial arts doesn't even cost money anymore."

"We're in the same year. Calling me senior makes me sound old."

Yao Leden waved her hand. "We Martial Arts Students aren't like other students. You've seen it too—there are no seats, and we aren't divided by grade. Once you break through the Dragon Gate, you enter the martial arts track, since the main goal is to raise your blood qi."

"But once you're in the martial arts track, the school does distribute resources. The guaranteed minimum is one vial of Nutrient Solution per person each week."

"What Nutrient Solution?"

The moment he heard that, Li Ye inexplicably felt a wave of chills.

"It's the Nutrient Solution sold on the market for Dragon Gate Realm martial artists. It's easy to absorb and digest. Don't try using your rectum; the effect is the same, and you'll only feel sick."

Yao Leden seemed to recall something, and her little face fell.

"This portion is given by the school for free. But if you want more, you have to fight for it with your martial arts. You know about training, right?"

They did know about that.

The preparatory cafeteria had been won through the Martial Arts Students' training.

"All the high schools in the city regularly hold martial arts competitions. Winners get to choose good training sites, while losers can only pick from what remains. If you select a good training site, the school gives rewards. You can keep whatever you obtain there or exchange it with the school. I recommend exchanging it with the school; their prices are the fairest."

"Better ingredients, better weapons, better martial arts manuals, more money. Money is the least worthwhile option, anyway. There are plenty of benefits. Just the Nutrient Solution alone can give you several extra vials."

"What a pity."

Yao Leden looked at Li Ye with regret.

"You're in your final year. If you'd started a year earlier, you might have become a mainstay. Their treatment is far better than ours ordinary Martial Arts Students."

"Huh? Why can't he become one? Brother Ye reached Three Dragon Gate in one summer." Deng Hao protested.

Yao Leden smiled faintly. "Don't say I'm pouring cold water on you. If a Preparatory Student enters the martial arts track in their senior year, then at a normal pace, reaching Fourth Dragon Gate after raising their blood qi once in a year would already be heaven's blessing."

"You should know in your hearts how much hardship and money it took to reach Three Dragon Gate in one summer. But the farther you go, the harder it becomes for blood qi to pulse. The strongest person here... hmm, she doesn't count. She's too exceptional. Anyway, the second strongest is Xiang Feipeng, and he's only at Fourth Dragon Gate."

Li Ye understood as well. After reaching Three Dragon Gate, the blood qi needed for his next breakthrough amounted to 600 points when quantified. With every pulse, the value would grow higher.

For an ordinary person, with average aptitude like his, training from elementary school until the second year of high school would only have added eighty points.

There were plenty of people who entered university at First Dragon Gate and still had not pulsed after four years. His homeroom teacher, Yan Menglu, was a living example.

But he held authority and a Magic Treasure in his hands, so it all appeared easy.

Yet it only appeared so. During this period, Li Ye had felt that he had suffered enough too.

He killed demons, practiced martial arts, ate endlessly, then continued practicing martial arts. He had even killed a person.

And there was someone eyeing his Magic Treasure, one of those so-called Noble Families that ordinary people would never encounter.

He only wanted to practice martial arts properly, kill a few more gods, and climb toward the sights of the nine martial realms.

Yet in only two months, so many things had happened. It left him rather irritated.

"The principal is here!"

Someone called out, and everyone looked toward the entrance.

At the doorway, Gu Yang was escorting a group of people inside.

At the head was another middle-aged man whom everyone recognized: the principal of No. 14 Middle School. There was no separate principal for academic and martial arts tracks—there was only one principal.

Several others surrounded the principal.

Other than the vice principal and department head following at the rear, there were two people at his sides. On the left was a burly youth who looked nearly two meters tall, built like a tower. The muscles on his exposed arms knotted like steel rebar, and every step carried the force of iron and steel.

A master of external cultivation!

On the right was a youth who gave Li Ye a familiar feeling. He was not wearing a school uniform, but a black martial arts uniform embroidered with a large white bird spreading its wings. He looked careless and roguish, glancing around with a streak of wickedness.

He also carried an aura that felt somewhat familiar to Li Ye.

He seemed no different from Ren Xu, that wastrel.

And beside the principal was a girl.

"Fuck! What a beauty!" Jia Dong blurted out instinctively.

She was also a young girl, with a ponytail full of youthful vitality that swayed with each step. Yet her expression was not nearly as lively, resembling his master who was supposedly "traveling the world"—her face was cold and stern.

Her brows were slender and sharp, holding not a trace of softness. Her eyes were large and bright, but her gaze was indifferent. Her high, straight nose carried an aggressive chill, and her red lips were pressed tight, naturally unsmiling.

Her entire person gave off an aura that warned strangers to stay away.

But her figure stood in extreme contrast to her face. Judging from her features, she should have had a tall, slender build, yet the curves beneath her school uniform could not be hidden. Her calves were straight, her thighs round, her hips wider than her shoulders, her waist as slim as a palm, and as she walked, her upper body showed distinctly upright contours.

She truly was a great beauty.

"Is that First Place?" Li Ye asked Yao Leden beside him.

She looked like First Place.

Yao Leden did not say anything about the contrast. She nodded. "Yes. A special First Place—Fu Chuxue, Eight Dragon Gate."

Deng Hao's eyes widened. "How many?!"

Li Ye thought for a moment. "Her surname is Fu. That surname is quite famous in Ningjiang."

"Just as you thought," Yao Leden said. "She's the daughter of Fu Yan, the famous martial artist of our province."

Jia Dong clicked his tongue. "Seriously? I've never heard of it. Someone that important attends our ordinary high school?"

She shrugged. "That's why I said she's special."