Rong City's No. 1 Stadium.
Four helicopters hovered above the green field, their cables lowering an enormous stone arena onto the lawn worth hundreds of thousands.
Twenty-five meters long and wide, one and a half meters thick, and carved from a single block of granite, it was a standard martial arts arena.
"Such extravagance."
Rong City's largest stadium had actually been closed for an internal training match between two martial halls, opened exclusively for them.
And that stone arena flown in by air was built to the same specifications as next week's Youth Cup. Money was flowing away like water with every trip.
Li Changqing and Kang Tianchen sat side by side in the first three rows. In front of them were the Martial Artists competing in the Youth Cup, as well as the martial hall's coaches.
The distant stands behind them were packed with the martial hall's apprentices.
Li Changqing had only managed to slip into the front group by riding Kang Tianchen's coattails through the back door.
"What's so extravagant about this? Kid, you'll need to change the way you think in the future." Kang Tianchen chuckled.
"We're Martial Artists, the reserve force for Psionic Ascension, the backbone that will resist alien fleets in the future. What does this little money count for? Once you officially register, you'll understand."
Li Changqing turned around. "There are subsidies after becoming a Martial Artist?"
Kang Tianchen stroked his chin. "At any rate, you won't be like certain people who still have to live off a 5,000-yuan relief payment."
"You can't even afford medicine."
Li Changqing: "..."
"You used up the Blood Qi Potion I gave you last time, right?"
Kang Tianchen placed the cloth bag he had prepared long ago at Li Changqing's feet beside him.
"I knew you brat wouldn't have the money to buy any. Here, take it." Before Li Changqing could speak, Kang Tianchen raised his brows.
"Hey, don't get worked up. I didn't say it was a gift. You'll have to pay me back once you become a Martial Artist."
Having said that, Kang Tianchen gave Li Changqing no chance to refuse and pointed at the arena that had been set down.
"Watch the matches carefully. The hall master went to great lengths to invite the people from Jixing Martial Hall. They call it a training match, but it's really meant to help our students. Watch closely and see whether you can steal a few things from them."
Li Changqing looked toward the stands on the opposite side of the field.
"Coach, last time the hall master brought back the stone tablet for our martial hall's three strongest senior brothers to study. Do you think they'll have improved?"
"Hard to say." Kang Tianchen shook his head.
"Jixing Martial Hall's third and fourth seats this time are both at the peak of Lower-Rank Six-Star. Some of their physical functions are even close to Seven-Star.
Unless they truly comprehended something from it, it'll still be difficult. All they can do is try their best."
Li Changqing's eyes darted around. "Coach, if someone beat Jixing Martial Hall's top seat, would winning the Youth Cup this time be a sure thing?"
"Top seat?" Kang Tianchen rolled his eyes. Heh, this kid really dared to dream.
"If you won, forget the Youth Cup championship. If you asked the hall master for a Psionic Divine Weapon, he'd immediately have to go back and pry open his senior brother's house
lock."
"Hehe, exaggerated, exaggerated."
"If you know it's exaggerated, then stop daydreaming all day. Beat the top seat? First, condense your vitality for me." Kang Tianchen glared so hard his beard seemed to bristle.
"You brat, you haven't even learned to walk and you're already thinking about running? Don't aim so high you lose sight of the ground. Pull your eyes back. Jixing Martial Hall cultivates geniuses, people who can only be compared to someone like Jiang He in the future.
As for you, keep your eyes on our martial hall. Strive to enter the Transformation Stage early, and that'll be enough."
"Alright, alright, I get it." Li Changqing nodded repeatedly.
He checked his wristwatch.
"Coach, the arena will still take a while to prepare. Can I go take a look around first?"
"Go, go. Just don't be late."
"Got it."
Li Changqing left his seat and followed the rear passage out of the stadium.
The instant he stepped outside, Li Changqing entered the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.
Through the breeze, he grasped the entire stadium's situation as clearly as if it lay in his palm.
"Strange."
Just now, Li Changqing had sensed an extraordinarily powerful current of vitality from Jixing Martial Hall's group.
He had come out to see who that person was.
"This way."
Li Changqing moved along the wall, his steps light and swift.
After a few strides, he circled around to the other side of the stadium.
In his senses, the owner of that powerful vitality was not suppressing his strength at all. His vitality blazed like a torch in the night.
He flashed into the greenery. In the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, unless someone possessed sufficiently strong Mental Power, even if they walked right past him, they would never notice a person standing there.
At that moment, Li Changqing had truly merged with nature as one.
Outside Jixing Martial Hall's waiting room, a muscular figure in a white training uniform sat cross-legged on the ground.
Powerful vitality roared through his body, and his aura resembled a primordial ferocious beast.
Was it him?
Li Changqing froze. He had never expected to encounter him here.
That familiar face, those indifferent features.
Li Changqing stepped out from the greenery and released his state of Unity of Heaven and Man.
"Sun Sheng?"
As he spoke, the man sitting cross-legged opened his eyes. Their gazes met.
"Li Changqing?"
Sun Sheng found the figure who had suddenly appeared before him familiar.
The young genius he had met in the Qingshan Protected Area.
He rose to his feet, glanced in the direction Li Changqing had come from, and understood.
"I didn't expect you to be from Chengtian Martial Arts School." He rubbed his chin.
"Then again, I knew a genius like you couldn't stay hidden among the crowd forever."
"I didn't expect you to be from Jixing Martial Hall either." Li Changqing slowly walked forward.
"Are you a member of this training match?"
"Jixing Martial Hall's Lower-Rank top seat." Sun Sheng said it lightly.
Sun Sheng was the top seat? No wonder.
Li Changqing suddenly understood. No wonder Sun Sheng's strength stood so far above his own martial hall's Senior Disciple Brother that there was a gulf between them.
So he was Jixing Martial Hall's top seat. That explained it.
Sun Sheng swept a glance over Li Changqing.
Li Changqing was dressed casually, and Sun Sheng saw no numbered badge for taking the stage.
"What number are you? If you're fighting on behalf of those below Lower-Rank Three-Star, no one from our martial hall can beat you."
"When I first met you, I remember you weren't even Lower-Rank Three-Star yet."
"A genius who became a Martial Artist right after graduating college—I know perfectly well what kind of strength such talent possesses. There's no need for you to be modest. If they can't beat you, they can't beat you."
Sun Sheng spoke with absolute certainty.
Facing the admiration written all over Sun Sheng's face, Li Changqing smiled.
"Sorry, but I'm not representing our martial hall this time."
"Not representing them?" Sun Sheng frowned. "Is Chengtian Martial Arts School planning to hide its strength?"
"No." Li Changqing shook his head and pointed at himself.
"Because I'm currently only a Martial Arts Apprentice at Chengtian Martial Arts School. I'm not qualified to compete yet."
Sun Sheng fell silent. A full five seconds passed before he spoke again. "That joke was a little cold."
In response, Li Changqing directly tossed the identity card from his pocket to Sun Sheng.
"Take a look."
The words Martial Arts Apprentice stood out starkly on the identity card.
This time, Sun Sheng remained silent for several dozen seconds.
"You really know how to keep your composure." He lifted his eyes. "You signed up yourself, right?"
"I signed up for the individual event. I still have to fight in the preliminaries."
Li Changqing did not explain that he had not deliberately been hiding his strength.
The main reason was that when he had first met Kang Tianchen, he had not even passed the physical fitness test.
By the time he met Kang Tianchen for the second time, he had already become a Martial Artist. With such an enormous leap, and no real need to mention it, Li Changqing had not said anything.
And so it had been dragged out until today.
He figured that since it had already been delayed, he might as well delay it a little longer. Since he was going to reveal himself anyway, he might as well make a big splash.
Sun Sheng offered no opinion on that. He checked his wristwatch, then fixed his gaze on Li Changqing, a faint glimmer of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Since you're not competing, you should have nothing to do later, right?"
"No. What is it?"
Sun Sheng removed the watch from his wrist. "It's been a long time since we met. Your vitality has grown much denser, to the point that even I can't see through it clearly. Your Embracing the Core and Returning Strength is practiced very well."
He did not stint on his praise.
"I wasn't wrong about you. You truly are a genius who surpasses Jiang He. I saw him just three days ago, and he still hasn't completed the Transformation Stage."
"You'll be fighting the preliminaries soon. This is your best chance to make a name for yourself, so I'll take some time to give you more guidance. Strive to make it through the preliminaries and secure a ranking."
Li Changqing's eyes flickered.
"Aren't you about to compete? It wouldn't be good if this affected your results."
"It won't matter." Sun Sheng looked utterly calm.
"There are still ten minutes before I take the stage. That's enough time. As for this training match?"
"In all of Chengtian Martial Arts School, you're the only one whose talent I acknowledge."
Li Changqing did not think Sun Sheng's arrogant attitude, with its matter-of-fact disdain, was empty boasting.
He had met his own martial hall's Senior Disciple Brother and had to admit that there really was a "tiny little" gap between him and Sun Sheng.
"Come with me. There are too many people here, too many eyes and ears. It isn't suitable for you to perform at your best. Let's change locations."
Sun Sheng beckoned Li Changqing, then lightly leaped over the wall.
Seeing that Sun Sheng had not even given him a chance to speak, Li Changqing shook his head and jumped over the wall after him.
Coach Kang, I've taken care of the strongest person on the other side for you. Don't go and lose every single match in this training contest.
Before you continue