Make a Name for Himself!

The entire martial arts arena was as quiet as a library.

At the commentary desk, Tang Cheng had already risen to his feet in astonishment. As he looked at Jiang He, who had been knocked to the ground with a single punch, Li Changqing's strike still replayed in his mind.

"Mr. Tang Cheng." The host was stunned as well, swallowing hard.

"Did I see that correctly? It looked like contestant Li Changqing knocked down contestant Jiang He without even making contact."

Whoosh—

Tang Cheng shook his head, his eyes flashing.

"You saw correctly. That was the manifestation of a martial artist projecting their qi and blood beyond their body."

"Striking through barriers, injuring an opponent from afar."

"To reach that level, one needs to be at least Lower-Rank Six-Star!"

Even now, Tang Cheng still felt as though he were dreaming.

Jiang He, the genius of Rong City's younger generation.

Had actually been defeated with a single punch by the equally young but previously unknown Li Changqing.

And that was not even what shocked them the most.

"Mr. Tang Cheng, then according to what you said, contestant Li Changqing is Lower-Rank Six-Star? This... this is unbelievable!"

"Yes, Lower-Rank Six-Star in one month." Tang Cheng gave a self-deprecating smile.

"I truly am getting old. I actually failed to see that contestant Li Changqing was such a monster."

"Lower-Rank Six-Star in one month—he isn't merely a genius. The word genius doesn't do him justice."

"He is a prodigy of this era!"

At the same time, the referee approached Li Changqing, his gaze flickering, then raised Li Changqing's left arm.

"Li Changqing wins!"

Click, click, click—

The cameras surrounding the ring began snapping madly at Li Changqing.

Close-up shots from every angle would soon be eagerly purchased by every major media outlet.

Lower-Rank Six-Star in one month.

Such a talent was far more terrifying than defeating Jiang He in the Group B Youth Cup rankings battle.

"Contestant Li Changqing!" The host for this match hurried over from the staff passage beneath the ring, microphone in hand.

"Could you share a few words about your victory with the audience here and those watching on television?"

The host quickly offered him the microphone, and Li Changqing smiled.

"It was only to be expected."

The host's eyes lit up. Such confident, almost arrogant words only sounded fitting coming from Li Changqing at this moment.

A martial artist who had reached Lower-Rank Six-Star in a single month indeed had the right to be arrogant.

"Oh, right. The Tai Chi techniques we saw earlier were extraordinarily refined. Even many martial artists who have immersed themselves in the art for years might not be as skilled as you. Could you tell us if there are any secrets to it?"

"Of course."

The host desperately wanted to keep the conversation going, but he realized he knew virtually nothing about Li Changqing. He could only follow Tang Cheng's commentary and improvise.

Yet unexpectedly, Li Changqing really did have a secret.

"Could you introduce it to our audience?"

Li Changqing nodded and looked straight into the camera before him.

"My Tai Chi came from my teacher, Coach Kang Tianchen. He was the one who taught me this Tai Chi."

"Kang Tianchen? That's a somewhat unfamiliar name. Could you tell us about the story between the two of you?" The host professionally played along.

"Everyone may already know that my university graduation test results were rather ordinary. I wasn't able to continue my studies at an academy, so I came to Rong City."

Li Changqing seemed to recall the night he had just stepped off the train and stood alone in the station.

A smile curved across his lips.

"At the time, I signed up for the test at Chengtian Martial Arts School."

"Then your results must have been excellent for you to receive guidance from such a great teacher." The host continued to play along.

However, Li Changqing shook his head.

"Quite the opposite. I failed the test."

A martial artist who had become Lower-Rank Six-Star in just over a month had actually failed the test.

The host was dumbfounded.

"But Coach Kang Tianchen was the one in charge of my test at the time. He personally decided to give me a chance. He taught me this Tai Chi, and he even paid out of pocket to buy potions for me. That was how I became the person standing in this ring today."

Li Changqing calmly recounted what had happened when he first went to Chengtian Martial Arts School.

The entire audience was silent.

It was a classic tale of a swift horse meeting its Bole.

At the end, Li Changqing faced the camera before him.

"So, standing on this ring today, I want to tell my coach that it was the Tai Chi you taught me that allowed me to stand here."

At that, Li Changqing smiled knowingly.

"But aside from Coach Kang Tianchen, there's someone else I want to thank."

The host immediately sensed another big scoop and was just about to ask when Li Changqing chose to keep everyone in suspense.

"But I want to wait until I'm sitting on the champion's throne, until he comes to watch me compete in person, before thanking him properly."

Li Changqing was helpless about it too. He had messaged Grandpa Chen today, but the old man had only replied with one sentence.

Wait until you beat Jiang He, kid.

The host did not press further. There had already been plenty of big news; this little bit hardly mattered.

"Then let us wish Rong City's genius, contestant Li Changqing, victory in the matches ahead and the qualification to compete in Group A!"

"Li Changqing! Li Changqing!"

At that moment, scattered cheers began to rise from the stands.

As more and more people waved glow sticks, the cheers eventually swept through the entire stadium.

In martial arts competitions, strength was everything.

Li Changqing, who had made such a dominant entrance, had already proven that he was the strongest.

Li Changqing turned and walked off the ring as glow sticks waved all around him.

Thunderous cheers echoed throughout the venue.

When he stepped onto the ring, no one cared.

But when he left it, his name filled the air.

This was what it meant to make a name for oneself!

The name Li Changqing shone throughout Rong City on this day.

Inside the competitors' passageway.

Kang Tianchen and Huang Xuan stood waiting for him at the end of the corridor.

The middle-aged man stood there, watching Li Changqing slowly approach them.

The young man's face seemed somewhat blurred, the immense surge of vitality and blood distorting his vision.

Was this really my student?

"Coach!"

Li Changqing's lively voice shattered the illusion. He trotted over, his young face brimming with confidence. The youth who had sprinted down the track that day, who had seen that his results fell short yet remained confident, now stood before him once more.

A smile formed at the corners of Kang Tianchen's lips, sweeping away all his doubts.

Looking at Li Changqing, he raised his right hand and gave him a thumbs-up, speaking those same words once again.

"Beautifully done!"

This moment was just like that moment.

Kang Tianchen did not ask how Li Changqing had reached Lower-Rank Six-Star in just one month, when he had broken through to become a martial artist, or when his Tai Chi had become so refined.

None of that mattered anymore.

He only knew that the one standing before him was his student.

"Changqing, tonight, all of Rong City will shine because of you." Kang Tianchen's eyes were filled with pride.

This was his student. This was Rong City's prodigy.

As the two looked at each other, their eyes were full of joy.

Then Kang Tianchen raised a brow and turned to look at Huang Xuan, who was trying to make himself invisible nearby.

"Look at yourself, then look at your junior brother. Can't you learn from him?"

"You got eliminated in the first round today, and you can still smile?"

Huang Xuan was dumbfounded. Why was he the one getting hurt every time?

"Coach, this really isn't my fault. They gave me a Lower-Rank Five-Star opponent in the very first match. How was I supposed to fight that?"

"Enough, enough. Stop making excuses. Learn from your junior brother from now on. After the Youth Cup, I'll have to put you through special training."

As he spoke, Kang Tianchen patted Li Changqing on the shoulder again.

"Changqing, you'll definitely have no problems in the matches ahead. Once you secure a spot in Group A, work hard. With your Six-Star strength, making the top sixteen—or even pushing for the top eight—is entirely possible."

Kang Tianchen said seriously, "This isn't for me, nor is it for any martial hall. This is your best chance to make a name for yourself. You might even earn the qualification to compete in this year's Provincial Competition!"

"This is very important to you."

If martial artists wanted more resources, they had to display their strength, and the best stage for that was competition.

The Youth Cup was only the beginning, yet it already offered opportunities like the Seedling Plan.

The Provincial Competition, intercontinental tournaments, and even Blue Star's highest-level event.

The national championship.

Showing their faces there—or even winning a place—would bring benefits beyond anything Li Changqing could currently imagine.

"Come on. There's still time, so let's go watch the next match."

Kang Tianchen led the two of them toward the stands.

On the way, he took out his phone and sent the video from earlier to Hou Chengtian.

"Changqing, I've already sent your performance just now to the hall master."

"This time, hehe."

Kang Tianchen was supremely confident. "I'm telling you, even if that guy refuses to give it to you, I'll snatch the Psionic Stone Tablet for you myself."

Li Changqing chuckled. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Coach."

The Psionic Stone Tablet was the most advanced thing he could currently come into contact with.

The Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian (Human Immortal Department), merely existing within his consciousness, had already brought him such tremendous benefits. If he could obtain more clues, his strength would surely soar by leaps and bounds.

Besides, what intrigued Li Changqing most were the three words "Human Immortal Department."

Human Immortal... immortal?

Could Earthly Immortals really have existed once?

Lost in thought, the three of them returned to the nearby stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you definitely won't be able to guess the next contestant to take the stage. Not only you—even I never saw this coming."

The host's excited voice rang throughout the venue.

"Let us give a warm welcome to the contestant about to enter the ring."

"From Jixing Martial Hall."

"Mantis Hand, Rong Heng!"

Bang!

In the stands, Kang Tianchen slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.

In the ring, Rong Heng—the man who had defeated Liu Yi head-on in their previous training match—leapt gracefully onto the stage.

"I was wondering why we hadn't seen Jixing Martial Hall's top three today. So this was what they'd been waiting for!"

Sending a seeded contestant into Group B was clearly meant to secure one more top-eight slot.

Jixing Martial Hall's top three had actually come to compete in an amateur event like the Youth Cup's Group B.

They really had no shame at all!