All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament (Second Update, Thanks to Golden Jasmine, Alliance Leader)

"Alright, let's eat first."

"Okay, Mom."

"Are you still boxing tonight?"

"Don't worry, Mom. I won't do too much. I'll practice a few rounds and go to sleep. I want to test my Blood Vitality tomorrow. I might have made a small breakthrough recently."

"You haven't reached the Entry Stage, have you?"

Li Xianghua's heart suddenly tightened, and she felt a little excited.

Lu Chenzhou had always been steady and reserved. Whenever she asked how his exams had gone,

he would always say they had gone alright, but when the report cards came out—

good boy, first place!

If Lu Chenzhou said he had made a "small breakthrough," it probably wasn't simple.

She could not help but feel expectant.

Lu Chenzhou smiled.

"I haven't tested it yet, Mom, so don't celebrate too soon. And don't rush to tell Dad either. If I test tomorrow and haven't reached the Entry Stage, it'll all have been for nothing."

Li Xianghua muttered under her breath.

"No, no. Hurry up and eat."

Come to think of it,

she had tested her Blood Vitality not long ago as well. It had already fallen to 0.84.

The average standard for an ordinary adult man in his prime was 1, while for women it was around 0.9. Once one passed their prime, Blood Vitality would begin declining beyond their control. The heart and other organs would gradually fail, and when Blood Vitality finally ran dry, a person's allotted span of life would come to an end.

Lu Guoping had not tested himself in years.

He worked overtime and stayed up late all year round. Sometimes, when the pressure got to him, he even smoked. His health was probably worse than hers, and his Blood Vitality had surely dropped badly. He simply buried his head in the sand, choosing what the eye did not see to keep the heart from grieving. He refused medical checkups and even claimed that if he did not get checked, then he was not sick.

Li Xianghua had heard that becoming a Martial Artist could slow the decline of Blood Vitality brought by age, which was why Martial Artists lived much longer on average than ordinary people. If Chenzhou could make it, then she and her husband truly would have no regrets even in death. When their grandson was born in the future, his starting point would be far higher than others'. The old Lu family would cross into another social stratum and bring glory to their ancestors!

Seeing that his father was absent, Lu Chenzhou felt a little troubled.

"Is Dad still working overtime?"

"Yes."

Lu Chenzhou had originally wanted to tell his father to stop working overtime, but he also knew that the burden of supporting the family was not something his son's understanding could lighten with a single sentence.

I still have to make something of myself!

Lu Chenzhou yearned for the path of a Martial Artist beyond measure.

Money, wealth, status... those were all byproducts on the road to becoming strong. There was no need to chase them deliberately. Once he became a Martial Artist, everything would come naturally!

He picked up a piece of beef from the plate and chewed slowly.

Martial arts cultivation required large amounts of protein and nutrition.

Some rich people's children took special martial arts supplements from an early age. Supergiants rich enough to rival nations, such as Martial Medicine Factory No. 6 and Strong Martial Pharmaceuticals, made their money from Martial Warriors. Unfortunately, they were all far too distant from Lu Chenzhou.

Technology changed martial arts, changed life, and changed many things.

...But it could not change the gap between rich and poor.

After dinner, he took a walk outside to digest his food.

Lu Chenzhou returned to his bedroom and began practicing against the wooden dummy. Black Tiger Fist was a short-range boxing art. As the saying went, "Fists strike within the space where a crouching ox lies." Even his cramped bedroom did not get in the way.

This fist art had many schools in its early days, but the Martial Artists Association had integrated them into Unity, eventually forming thirty-six forms. Its difficulty was far greater than Basic Fist Art.

According to the Association's records, if this fist art could be practiced to perfection, one could reach the Fourth Stage. At the very least, finding work as a boxing coach in society would not be difficult.

He could also work as a private instructor who made house calls.

Although Shi Ruyu looked down on it, Lu Chenzhou felt that earning money was enough. Teaching others would not delay his own training, and he could even raise his Proficiency. Why not?

After completing one round, he rested for a while.

After three rounds,

Black Tiger Fist: Initiation (1%)—Initiation (4%)

One round raised it by 1%?

This kind of visible progress made Lu Chenzhou feel deeply at ease.

Feeling the soreness and weakness in his muscles and bones, he knew that was enough for tonight. Before breaking through the shackles of the human body, a martial artist had to ensure sufficient sleep.

Even Martial Artists were not superhuman.

Sleep was an innate art. It was not as though one stopped sleeping just because one's cultivation was high; that was unrealistic. Martial Artists merely tended to have better methods of restoring their vigor.

Going to bed early and rising early was a key step toward becoming a qualified Martial Warrior. It sounded simple, but in modern society, entertainment such as smartphones and the internet emerged one after another.

How many people could truly manage it?

Just as Azure Dragon King Li Ang had said:

"On the path of martial arts, diligence and focus are precious."

Lying in bed, Lu Chenzhou watched a video on his phone. It was the award video from the All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament two months ago, when Azure Heaven Dragon King Li Ang had won. He watched it once every night.

At the peak of Mount Hua,

the Dragon King stood deep and still as an abyss, lofty as a mountain, with an imposing bearing.

Holding the trophy that represented the crown of "World's First," he ruled the world like a king of martial arts and shouted the simplest acceptance speech in history:

"I am the king of the world!"

Lu Chenzhou's heart filled with longing.

"The 21st All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament will be held on August 8, 2230. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be held at Yellow Mountain. I still have ten years..."

The All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament.

The world's most prestigious martial arts competition.

Martial Artist was merely the threshold for entry.

It had first originated from the World's First Martial Arts Tournament in Sakura Nation two hundred years ago. But today's world was one of one superpower and many strong powers, and Great Xia was that "one superpower."

Whether in the number of Martial Artists or top experts like the Azure Heaven Dragon King, Great Xia held an absolute leading position. In the end, control of the All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament had come to Great Xia, and the organizing committee headquarters had also moved to the Imperial Capital of Great Xia.

Of the first twenty tournaments, ten had been held in Great Xia.

Great Xia's profound martial arts inheritances mostly stemmed from famous mountains, great rivers, and the Buddhist and Daoist traditions. Thus, among the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, aside from Yellow Mountain, all the others had already hosted the event.

The 20th tournament had been held at Mount Hua.

In ancient times, martial arts masters had "debated the sword upon Mount Hua" here.

Of course, top Martial Artists could shatter mountains and split the earth. To avoid damaging scenic landmarks and historic sites, a huge area was marked off outside the scenic zone to build the venue. Lu Chenzhou's greatest dream had once been to watch an All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament match in person during his lifetime.

Now, he felt that his dream could change.

First, set a small goal: participate in the All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament at Yellow Mountain ten years from now. Lu Chenzhou secretly made up his mind. His ranking was not important; participation was what mattered.

He simply wanted to experience that blazing martial arts atmosphere in person. As for meeting at the summit, that was something for great figures who had broken through the Seven Great Limits to consider.

Early the next morning.

On the field, Lu Chenzhou was somewhat disappointed. Shi Ruyu was indeed absent, and even the new boxing teacher had not arrived. There must have been some problem with the school's handover arrangements.

He practiced by himself, advancing his Basic Fist Art Proficiency to Major Accomplishment 3% before going to class. At this pace, he would reach perfection in Basic Fist Art next semester. He wondered whether the Martial Dao Tree would change then.

If it could sprout branches and leaves, perhaps it could blossom and bear fruit too?

In class,

Math teacher and homeroom teacher Cui Yu wrote and drew on the blackboard.

Lu Chenzhou listened attentively and stopped thinking about martial arts. Academic classes were important too. An illiterate person could not become a Martial Artist, and besides, this was also his fallback.

Most importantly, mathematics was genuinely useful in fighting.

Some footwork actually had geometrical foundations.

At the recent All-Nations Martial Arts Tournament, Geometric Fist Dia, a fighter from Ennis, a Northern Alliance member state, had used superb mathematical knowledge to precisely calculate his attack patterns and evasive routes, catching his opponents off guard and winning by surprise. Of course, he had ultimately still lost to Platinum Saint Fist Kongsang, a fighter from Sakura Nation.

Outside Great Xia, people were accustomed to calling Martial Artists Fighters.

After class,

Math teacher came over to Lu Chenzhou and patted his shoulder.

"Chenzhou, come to my office."

When the classmates saw Lu Chenzhou being called away, they began whispering among themselves.

"It's great being first place. The teacher must be giving him extra lessons again."

"Isn't that so?"

In the corner,

a boy who was not tall but was solidly built muttered,

"Chenzhou's probably about to get lectured."

His name was Qin Zheng. He was about the only person at school with whom Lu Chenzhou was relatively close. That was because he practiced boxing too and had founded the Ten Thousand Blossoms Martial Arts Club.

Lu Chenzhou was its second and only other member.

Qin Zheng's family was wealthy, making him a second-generation rich kid. He did not need to attend the school's public boxing classes. Instead, he went directly to Flying Swallow Martial Hall to study under famous teachers.

In the office,

Math teacher asked,

"Chenzhou, how do you think your current study habits are?"

Lu Chenzhou said,

"I think they're pretty good."

Math teacher tapped his fingers on the desk.

"I think you can do even better. I know you like boxing, but ours is an academic school. The proper path is studying, not that boxing is bad—it's that you need to distinguish between what is primary and what is secondary. If you put more of the energy you spend boxing into studying,

I believe you could at least enter the top ten in the whole school. You might even have a chance at the top three. Then you could get into Imperial Capital University of Arts, and that would be no worse than practicing martial arts.

I have a nephew who studied law at Imperial Capital University of Arts. After graduating, he went to the top-tier Fangdu Law Firm. He has only worked for two years, and his annual salary is already five hundred thousand. A social elite.

I heard that a Martial Artist is planning to hire him as a private legal adviser. That Martial Artist might even occasionally give him pointers in martial arts. Look, that is also one path to learning martial arts."

To persuade Lu Chenzhou to put all his current energy into studying, math teacher had truly gone to great pains. High school was not the same as elementary or middle school. These three years were of utmost importance, and one truly could not afford to be distracted. What the teacher said made sense.

Lu Chenzhou said gratefully,

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher, but I know what I'm doing."

His gaze was resolute. He would not change because of anyone.

He had been like this even before gaining the Martial Dao Tree.

Adolescence was an especially important stage for laying a solid martial arts foundation.

His background was inferior to others'. He did not ask for towering achievements, but he could not fall too far behind either. People like the teacher's nephew, who only started practicing halfway through life, would find it difficult to achieve much later on.

Seeing Lu Chenzhou's determination, math teacher felt helpless.

"Go back and think it over carefully."

He was advising Lu Chenzhou from a teacher's perspective, based on the experience he had gained from most students. Just as Shi Ruyu had said, it was survivor bias. Looking across the world, with such a massive population base, there would certainly be some people with ordinary talent who achieved success in martial arts.

But they were ultimately the minority. If you took it seriously, you lost.

Before leaving, Lu Chenzhou said,

"Teacher, I'll work hard to stay in the top twenty. I'll also strive for the top ten, but I will not set aside boxing because of anyone."

Math teacher froze for a moment, then smiled.

"Good. I believe in you. Don't exhaust yourself over it either. Actually, I'm not worried about you. With your personality, you'll accomplish something no matter what.

I just want you to be better."

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