One Day, I Too Will Stand Beneath Those Spotlights

October 12th, 7:30 p.m.

Qin Fen sat alone on the sofa watching TV, switching the channel to the local Yangcheng TV Station.

His parents were working overtime tonight, so he was home alone.

Teacher Zhou Wu had said there would be a live broadcast of the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition among key martial arts schools that evening. So, he waited in front of the television, wanting to see just what level the Martial Arts Students from key martial arts schools had reached.

At 7:30, the national news broadcast ended right on time.

There were no commercials. It went straight into the local news report.

"Hello, dear viewers. We are here at Yang City Central Stadium. I am Qiu Yu, a reporter from Yangcheng TV Station. What is currently underway is the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition jointly held by Yang City's key martial arts schools and the key martial arts schools of the five surrounding counties.

"The purpose of this exchange competition is to promote martial arts exchanges among the counties, carry forward martial arts culture, and improve the students' practical combat experience... We are also honored to have invited county leaders to attend as guests."

Reporter Qiu Yu was sweet-looking, and her voice was pleasant as well, soft and melodious.

Before long, the camera shifted toward the stadium's main platform.

The central stadium was the largest stadium in Yang City and could accommodate seventy or eighty thousand people at once.

The moment the camera changed angles, it revealed that the stadium was already packed to the brim, without a single empty seat.

There were more than twenty guests on the main platform. Most of them were principals from the key schools of the six counties, while the rest were Yang City officials. Seated in the center was Yang City's Chief Executive.

Every one of the twenty-odd guests had opened the Mysterious Gate Aperture within their bodies and nurtured Internal Family True Qi, making them Martial Artists.

Simply sitting there without saying a word, their powerful auras spread outward. They seemed to be the center of the entire stadium, the focal point of everyone's attention.

Aside from the guests seated on the main platform, the audience members were also either wealthy or influential.

Most were students from key schools, dressed in their respective school uniforms and holding banners as they cheered for the students from their schools participating in the exchange competition. There were also the students' parents, cheering for their children.

Before long, the students participating in the exchange competition entered through the stadium's four entrances.

There were six counties, with three key martial arts schools in each county, making eighteen teams in total.

The large screen inside the stadium displayed the personal profiles and basic information of the students from each team.

In the strength category, not a single person was below the Third Realm of Jing Li, Smooth Strength. The team captains had even reached the Fourth Realm of Jing Li, External Strength. At that realm, one's strength was incredibly abundant and could break past bodily limits to burst outward. A punch could explode the air.

Even areas untouched by fists or feet could be attacked, allowing one to injure enemies from afar, wounding them from a meter away.

Qin Fen could not help but sigh. Compared with the elite Martial Arts Students from key martial arts schools, he truly fell far behind.

Before the competition began, the captains of every team were specially interviewed.

Before the cameras, these students did not show the slightest trace of nervousness. Instead, they spoke freely, their expressions calm and composed. These were children from wealthy families, after all. They had received all kinds of professional training from a young age, and psychological courses were indispensable. They had seen all sorts of grand occasions and would not be intimidated in the slightest. Anyone prone to stage fright would never have been selected to participate in the exchange competition.

All the spotlights shone upon the students of these eighteen teams. Whenever a team entered, the host gave them a special introduction, followed by close-ups of every student, triggering wave after wave of cheers.

Even through the television, Qin Fen could feel the incredibly fervent cheers from the people inside the stadium.

Listening to those cheers, Qin Fen's blood began to boil, and passion surged within him.

This was a real competition. Unlike the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition he had attended today, where only a few schools played among themselves and there was not even an audience, the difference was simply enormous.

Under such circumstances, there was naturally pressure. But for those with strong minds, it was not pressure at all. Instead, it was a source of motivation that could ignite an intense fighting spirit and allow them to perform beyond their usual limits.

Truly strong people enjoyed this feeling rather than treating it as pressure.

The attention of countless people—this was what it truly meant to be watched by countless people.

If one could make a name for oneself on this stage, one would immediately rise to fame in Yang City. Maybe not to the point where everyone knew them, but someone would surely recognize them at a glance while walking down the street.

If one could win the championship on a stage like this, their fame would not be limited to Yang City. Even the five surrounding counties would know their name. Once one had fame, making money would naturally become much easier.

Having money meant possessing endless resources and being able to purchase all kinds of medicine to assist with cultivation.

Qin Fen secretly clenched his fists.

One day, I too will stand beneath those spotlights, watched by countless people.

Although he was currently inferior to the elite Martial Arts Students from key martial arts schools, he had the Panel. By earning Righteous Qi Value, he could shorten that gap. Moreover, after winning first place in the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition this time, he had a fifty-thousand-yuan prize. In the short term, he could buy all kinds of medicine to assist his cultivation and undergo all sorts of extreme training without fearing bodily damage.

His high school life had only just begun. The College Entrance Examination was still far away.

With money and Righteous Qi Value, he refused to believe he could not catch up to the elite Martial Arts Students from key martial arts schools.

At this time, most of Yang City was watching the opening ceremony of this competition in front of their televisions.

Rustling sounds came from an abandoned building in the suburbs.

Two black-robed figures appeared furtively inside the building, conspiring about something.

"Number Nine is dead. The Guard Bureau discovered his trail and killed him on the spot."

A hoarse voice rang out, echoing through the abandoned building that leaked wind from all sides, making it sound eerie and terrifying.

"Number Nine was one of the people in charge of this operation. He had a great deal of intelligence on him. We need to quickly have the other Iron Wolf Society members relocate. If the Guard Bureau obtains that intelligence, our losses will be devastating."

Another voice spoke.

"The personnel have already been notified to relocate, but we still need to create some chaos and divide the Guard Bureau's attention to buy time for the relocation. Besides, our mission in Yang City this time is also to create disorder, making the Donghai City Martial Arts Bureau believe we are planning a major operation in Yang City. That way, they will focus more of their attention here, making it easier for the organization to act in the other counties."

The hoarse-voiced figure continued.

"Among Yang City's six districts, Xisha District has the weakest defenses. The people living there are powerless commoners, and even Quasi-Martial Artists are extremely scarce. Have someone cause trouble in Xisha District and stir up some chaos."

The other black-robed figure said.

"Good. We'll do that. Also, to avoid exposure, we should meet as little as possible from now on. If there are any issues, use the organization's coded messages on our phones to communicate. No country has yet cracked our new cipher."

The hoarse-voiced black-robed figure said.

"Mm." The other black-robed figure nodded, then said, "This time, it was unavoidable. Number Nine was killed, and the matter is too serious. Some things still had to be discussed face-to-face. From now on, we'll use our phones to send coded messages."

After reaching a consensus through discussion.

The two black-robed figures turned into two shadows and swept out of the abandoned building, quickly vanishing into the night.

PS: Please vote with recommendation tickets.

Thanks again to reader Bingxin Yijiao for the 1,000-coin donation.