Men Marry Down, Women Marry Up

Gu Tian gathered all the members of the Genius Group together and announced something.

"Dear students, the first of next month is the day of our Genius Group's monthly martial arts competition."

Everyone arrived at 9:00 AM that day for All-Member Martial Competition competition. The person who could stand out in the competition would be the East River Martial Champion for that month.

The Martial Artist Association will reward the Martial Leader with one million points and grant him an additional opportunity to reserve martial arts resources.

The top three finishers in the martial arts competition will receive a reward of 800,000 points.

The top five in the martial arts competition will receive a reward of 500,000 points.

The top ten in the martial arts competition will each receive 300,000 points.

Students must seize this opportunity to fight for resources.

The date for the Three Rivers Martial Tournament is fast approaching. Students whose skills have hit a plateau should seize the time to further improve their martial arts and strive for a good ranking in the Three Rivers Martial Tournament, bringing glory to East River Province.

After saying a few more words to the Genius Group, Gu Tian told them to disperse.

After the members disbanded, Chen Lie went to the resource application office of the Genius Group.

Just then, Lu Qingyun and a member of the Genius Group suddenly appeared in front of Chen Lie, blocking his way.

"Kid, no wonder you dare to be so arrogant towards me. So you're relying on your strength, huh?"

Lu Qingyun looked at Chen Lie with a cold gaze and took two steps forward.

Chen Lie merely glanced at Lu Yun and said calmly, "Draw up the line, what do you want?"

Lu Qingyun snorted coldly and said, "I warned you repeatedly to stay away from Zhixun, but you ignored my words."

At Genius Gathering in the Guannei Province, he even dared to disrespect me in public.

Do you think I have no temper? With your skills, the ordinary members of the Genius Group are naturally no match for you, but you're not even worth mentioning in front of me.

I'm giving you one more chance today. If you can guarantee you'll stay away from Zhixun, I can let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, don't blame me for taking action.

Chen Liedao, "How arrogant! I'll give you a chance. Get out of my way right now, and I might let it go. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Lu Qingyun roared angrily, "Speaking so arrogantly, do you dare to step onto the Duel Platform?"

"You think I'm afraid of you? You think I am!"

Chen Lie remained expressionless and went up to the battle Duel Platform in the center of the Martial Arts Arena with Lu Qingyun.

This scene left the remaining members of the Genius Group who hadn't yet left looking astonished.

"Someone's gone up to the Duel Platform?"

"It's Lu Qingyun, and that newcomer Chen Lie who was just rated as Grandmaster Seed. It's really rare. Under normal circumstances, members of the Genius Group rarely go to the Duel Platform unless there is some irreconcilable conflict."

"I remember Lu Qingyun has been a member of the Genius Group for half a year now, what grudge could he possibly have against a newcomer?"

"Regardless of any grudges, Lu Qingyun's Blood Qi Value exceeds two thousand calories, and his Strength Value is nearly four times that of his previous one. In the competition among the Genius Group over the past month, he ranked sixth."

Although Chen Lie has been rated as Grandmaster Seed, he is definitely no match for a veteran member like Lu Qingyun.

.

In a short while, more than a dozen members of the Genius Group surrounded the area below the Duel Platform.

At this moment, Lu Qingchan, who had just come out of the Duel Room, saw the Martial Arts Arena in front of her and couldn't help but ask, "Huh? What's going on there?"

Xu Yunyan also looked towards the Duel Platform: "Someone must have gone up to the Duel Platform to spar."

Upon closer inspection, Lu Qingchan and Xu Yunyan could finally see the two people on the Duel Platform.

"Are they Chen Lie and Lu Qingyun, my cousins? Why are they on the Duel Platform?" Lu Qingchan couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Xu Yunyan noticed Xu Yuanhao watching from the sidelines and called Xu Yuanhao over, asking, "Yuan Hao, what are the rules for the Duel Platform for your Genius Group members?"

Xu Yuanhao replied, "There are no rules. Members of the Genius Group generally don't go onto Duel Platform Duel Platform stage. If they do, it means there's some grudge between them that they must settle things on the Duel Platform."

Lu Qingchan couldn't help but ask, "Ah? So Chen Lie and my cousin Qingyun have some irreconcilable conflict?"

No, I need to go and try to talk them out.

Xu Yuanhao said, "Qingchan, don't go."

"Why?" Lu Qingchan asked.

"Once someone steps onto the Duel Platform, they cannot come down until a winner is determined."

"It's better to resolve any conflicts on the Duel Platform," Xu Yuanhao said.

"Qingchan, your brother Yuan Hao is right. All the members of the Provincial Youth Genius Group have their own pride. It's impossible for them to go into a match and then come off without anything happening," Xu Yunyan said.

"Yuan Hao, who do you think is stronger, Chen Lie or Qingyun?"

"Aunt, Chen Lie has only just entered the Genius Group and has already been rated as Grandmaster Seed. Judging from his potential, Chen Lie is expected to reach the Blood-Qi Extreme Realm, so Chen Lie's potential must be stronger than Lu Qingyun's."

However, given their current strength, Lu Qingyun should be slightly stronger.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingchan replied, "Then I'll go and persuade Brother Qingyun to stop while he's at it."

"There's no need for that. When members of the Genius Group go to the Duel Platform, they are not allowed to use heavy blows."

"Besides, Chen Lie is indeed a bit arrogant. Back in the Genius Training Camp, he competed with me for resources and made boastful remarks. It's good to teach him a lesson so he won't become ignorant of his place," Xu Yuanhao said.

"Oh? Is Chen Lie really that arrogant in the Provincial Youth Genius Group?" Xu Yunyan asked.

"He not only has grudges against Lu Qingyun, but also against Cui Jinyang, one of the Grandmaster Seed. If he weren't arrogant, how could he have offended so many people in such a short time?" Xu Yuanhao said.

Xu Yunyan somewhat surprised. She usually thought Chen Lie was such an honest person, so why did his personality suddenly change so drastically?

Or was your previous shyness just an act?

On the Duel Platform, Chen Lie and Lu Qingyun stood facing each other.

Lu Qingyun said coldly, "Boy, I didn't want to argue with you, but you don't know what's good for you."

Although the Genius Group has a clear rule against touching each other on the Duel Platform, if I stay, you'll never learn your lesson.

"Enough with the nonsense, show me what you've got."

Lu Qingyun snorted coldly. He moved swiftly and instantly appeared in front of Chen Lie, throwing a punch.

A punch with the force of thousands of pounds landed with tremendous force.

Lu Qingyun thought he could easily crush Chen Lie, but Chen Lie took his punch without batting an eye.

Seeing this, Lu Qingyun no longer held back and instantly unleashed over a hundred punches containing immense force.

His hand gestures made a whooshing sound, as if the air was being torn apart.

Chen Lie was not afraid of the fierce punches coming at him and accepted them all.

Although his strength was several hundred jin less than Lu Qingyun's, his base strength had reached several thousand jin. The difference of several hundred jin was not too great, and he could easily make up for it by using skillful force.

Seeing that his series of attacks had no effect on Chen Lie, Lu Qingyun's expression hardened.

"A-Rank Martial Art, Thousand Leaf Shadow Hand!"

Lu Qingyun transformed his fist into a palm, and hundreds of palm shadows formed a giant leaf.

With a loud "boom," countless palm prints fell simultaneously, pressing down on Chen Lie like a giant leaf.

The pressure from hundreds of palm prints came crashing down, and Chen Lie activated the <Flood Dragon Rebirth Technique> to its fullest extent.

Unconsciously, a transparent Flood Dragon Phantom was projected and coiled around Chen Lie's body.

Because Chen Lie's Blood Qi Value had improved significantly, this time, a blood-red dragon's claw solidified and appeared.

The aura of the Starry Sky Behemoth overwhelmed the entire area. The moment the dragon's claw solidified, the shadows of leaves formed by countless palm shadows were instantly dispersed.

Below the Duel Platform, the dozen or so members of the Genius Group watching couldn't help but gasp.

The immense pressure emanating from the Starry Sky Behemoth made everyone feel as if a huge stone was pressing on their hearts.

"Is this S-Rank Martial Art?"

"I've seen S-Rank Martial Art before, but I've never felt such power. Could it be the top-tier S-Rank Martial Art?"

=

Song Yixuan, who was in the crowd, also felt strange. With her level of martial arts, the battle on the stage was like children playing house to her, but Chen Lie's sudden display of martial arts made her feel a little uncomfortable.

This is definitely not S-Rank Martial Art. Even the most top-tier S-Rank Martial Art wouldn't have this kind of power, Song Yixuan murmured to herself.

She also knows S-Rank Martial Art, but they can't compare to those used by Chen Lie.

Lu Qingyun, who faced Chen Lie directly on the Duel Platform, was under even greater pressure than the others in the audience.

Chen Lie stepped forward and unleashed a fierce palm strike at Lu Qingyun.

Lu Qingyun immediately threw a punch in response, hoping to rely on his strength to clash head-on with Chen Lie.

In a short time, Chen Lie and Lu Qingyun exchanged over a thousand moves, their fierce battle leaving the audience stunned.

"Chen Lie's combat experience and fighting spirit are outstanding. Although he is clearly weaker than Lu Qingyun, he can still suppress Lu Qingyun at every turn."

"This is what Xu Yuanhao said from a distance."

Lu Qingchan was also very surprised to see this battle scene.

On the Duel Platform, Chen Lie's sharp progress came wave after wave without stopping, giving Lu Qingyun no chance to counterattack.

Finally, amidst Lu Qingyun's frantic attempts to respond, Chen Lie discovered a major flaw in Lu Qingyun's defenses.

Chen Lie seized the opportunity, and at the same time as throwing a punch, he raised his leg and kicked Lu Qingyun hard in the ribs with a "bang".

Snap!

Lu Qingyun frowned as a wave of pain surged through him.

Seeing that Lu Qingyun's parrying of the attack had paused, Chen Lie instantly unleashed dozens of palm strikes at Lu Qingyun Lu Qingyun, each one landing on his body.

Lu Qingyun groaned in pain, trying to turn the tide but failing, and was eventually kicked off the Duel Platform by Chen Lie.

With a "thud," Lu Qingyun landed heavily on the ground.

Chen Lie jumped off the Duel Platform expressionlessly, glanced at the fallen Lu Qingyun, and said, "This time I'll teach you a lesson first. If you dare to act like a fly in front of me again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

After saying that, Chen Lie strode away.

Lu Qingyun coughed twice, feeling that his ribs and sternum were slightly fractured.

At this moment, Mo Sheng, a member of the Genius Group who was with Lu Qingyun, quickly stepped forward to help Lu Qingyun up.

"Qingyun? How are you?"

With help, Lu Qingyun stood up. "A few minor fractures, nothing serious."

Mo Sheng was shocked: "This Chen Lie is actually so strong--"

Lu Qingyun's expression changed. "It was my intention; I didn't expect him to actually possess an S-level martial art."

Mo Sheng, watching from below the stage, clearly knew that Chen Lie was indeed inferior to Lu Qingyun in strength, but Chen Lie's combat experience far surpassed Lu Qingyun's.

Seeing the loud scene unfolding on the Duel Platform, Lu Qingchan exclaimed in shock, "Brother Qingyun actually lost?"

Xu Yunyan asked, "This Chen Lie has truly undergone a complete transformation."

In the restaurant reserved for the Genius Group, Luo Zhixun, who was eating, saw Tang Jiu'er hurriedly walk over. Just as she was about to speak, Tang Jiu'er spoke first.

"Zhixun, this is terrible! Do you know that Chen Lie and Lu Qingyun are fighting over you? They've even taken to the Duel Platform!"

Luo Zhixun frowned and said, "What jealousy? It must be that Lu Qingyun went to cause trouble for Chen Lie because of me. I'll go and see what's going on. I can't let Lu Qingyun hurt Chen Lie."

"No need to watch anymore, the Duel Platform have all ended."

"How is Chen Lie? Is he alright?"

"Chen Lie is fine, but Lu Qingyun broke several ribs and was defeated on the Duel Platform," Tang Jiu'er said.

"You mean, Lu Qingyun was defeated?" Luo Zhixun asked.

"I can't believe it either, but Lu Qingyun really did lose to Chen Lie."

"This Chen Lie is truly a hidden talent. In the last All-Member Martial Competition, it took me a lot of effort to defeat Lu Qingyun," Tang Jiu'er said.

Luo Zhixun was surprised. She had thought that Chen Lie's martial arts were only equivalent to those of ordinary Genius Group, but she did not expect that he could even defeat Lu Qingyun.

So, Chen Lie must have the strength to be among the top five members of the Genius Group.

Outside the training grounds of the Genius Group, Lu Qingchan looked somewhat lost and dejected.

Has Chen Lie's martial arts reached a level that even surpasses that of her cousin from the Lu Family?

The gap between myself and Chen Lie seems to be widening.

Xu Yunyan noticed her children's unusual behavior and asked, "Qingchan, what's wrong?"

"Mom, I'm fine." Lu Qingchan shook her head.

"Is it because of Chen Lie?" Xu Yunyan.

"No--no--" Lu Qingchan shook her head, her eyes darting away.

Xu Yunyan smiled and said, "You don't need to be discouraged."

Chen Lie's talent is strong, but you are not weak either. You just fell behind in the early stages. With the support of your family, and after passing the two madmen, you will definitely be able to close the gap with your cousins Lu Family.

Although he may ultimately fall short of Chen Lie, you should know that since ancient times, men have married down and women have married up.

Men tend to choose partners based on their social standing, while women tend to choose partners based on their social standing. Chen Lie, you're right to say that it's about matching social status and background, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

"Then they asked, 'What kind of family is Chen Lie? What kind of family are we from?'"

Lu Qingchan blushed and asked, "Mom, what do you mean by all this?"

"Mom said there's a reason for all this, don't you understand?"

Think about it, did the way Chen Lie treated you before seem like he didn't care about you?

So Mom told you not to be discouraged, to keep practicing martial arts, and that when you have time, I'll have your dad visit Chen Lie's house more often. Your becoming Chen Lie's son is a natural progression.

Xu Yunyan said that she previously believed that Chen Lie was unlikely to achieve great things, and she had always been strongly opposed to Lu Qidong's attempt to match his daughter with Chen Lie.

But now Chen Lie has shown extraordinary talent in martial arts and is also a Divine Sense Master.

Now it seems that Chen Lie and his daughter are truly a match made in heaven.

Lu Qingchan felt shy and embarrassed by her mother's words, so she lowered her head and remained silent.

She was simply feeling inexplicably annoyed as she saw the gap between herself and Chen Lie widening.

The idea of men marrying down and women marrying up, as if it were all a natural progression, is just too strange.

However, after her mother said that, Lu Qingchan's mood strangely brightened up a lot.