Cloud River's Greatest Martial Artist

"Isn't it just that we East River martial arts students can't compare to Cloud River's?

Surely our East River Province doesn't have fewer Grandmasters than Cloud River, right?" Wang Hui asked.

"Grandmaster martial artists are major figures in every province. How would ordinary people like us know?

When I talk about the martial arts competition among the three central provinces, I mean the Three Provinces Martial Meet between the leading figures of the younger generation in the three Rivers.

Going back twenty years, Cloud River Province took first place in every Three Provinces Martial Meet. East River and West River have lost for so many years that even if they refused to accept Cloud River at first, after all this time, they naturally came to accept it."

"Damn it, are the leading figures of our East River younger generation really that useless?"

"It's not that we're useless. On the contrary, how could anyone admitted into the Provincial Youth Genius Group be weak? They're all geniuses. It's just that the geniuses in Cloud River Province are even more gifted than the geniuses in our East River Province."

Just as Meng Jing and Wang Hui were talking, red lights suddenly began flashing inside the airship.

The airship's intelligent computer began broadcasting a mandatory announcement on a fixed frequency.

"Inspection ahead. All passing airships, please land in an orderly manner and undergo inspection at the border marker."

Hearing the sudden announcement, Chen Lie could not help standing up.

"What's going on?"

Meng Jing said, "We've crossed the provincial border. There's a checkpoint at the border specifically for inspecting airships from other provinces."

Wang Hui could not help saying, "There aren't any checkpoints at East River Province's borders that inspect airships from other provinces, are there?

Cloud River is just a small province, yet it sure has a lot of rules."

Though he said that, Meng Jing still went along with Wang Hui while controlling the airship to descend slowly and stop outside the provincial border checkpoint.

At this time, there were not many people heading to Cloud River Province. Meng Jing and Wang Hui got off the airship and joined the line, while Chen Lie stood at the very end.

Before long, Wang Hui and Meng Jing had both passed inspection. Then it was Chen Lie's turn.

The inspector asked, "Name."

"Chen Lie!"

"Show me your Blue Star citizen number."

Chen Lie nodded and gave him his citizen number.

The inspector recorded Chen Lie's information, then said, "All right. Go to the large screen ahead and study Cloud River's laws and regulations for ten minutes. Then you can leave."

Chen Lie walked forward and spotted a massive screen nearly a thousand inches wide from a great distance away.

At that moment, an exceptionally beautiful girl in a martial arts uniform with a high ponytail was demonstrating martial arts on the screen.

"Martial arts are like a journey against the current; you and I are both travelers.

Where the heart goes, the body follows."

The girl on the screen wore a resolute expression on her beautiful face. She looked valiant and heroic, and her voice was clear and crisp.

In less than a minute, the clip ended, and a line of text appeared on the screen.

Cloud River Province's number one young martial artist, Ji Lingxuan.

Chen Lie walked up behind Wang Hui and Meng Jing and heard Wang Hui exclaim in admiration.

"This girl is so pretty. But why is she on the huge screen at the provincial border? Having money at home definitely wouldn't be enough. Don't tell me her father is the provincial governor?"

The moment Wang Hui said that, a staff member from the border checkpoint passing nearby heard him and immediately stepped forward.

"Kid, what did you just say? Say it again if you dare."

Wang Hui was startled and turned back in confusion. "What did I say?"

"What did you say? Let me warn you: watch your mouth.

You're young, so I don't want to stoop to your level.

Do you know that the person on that screen is the number one martial artist among Cloud River Province's younger generation?"

"W-what about it?" Wang Hui stammered.

"Ji Lingxuan is the pillar of martial arts faith for Cloud River Province's younger generation. Her path in martial arts has inspired countless young people in Cloud River.

Believe it or not, even if your vitality and blood were multiplied by a hundred, it still wouldn't compare to a fraction of Ji Lingxuan's?

Try saying what you just said again after entering the province. See if you don't get beaten up."

"I... I was just making a joke. It can't be that serious, can it?" Wang Hui was at a loss.

"Not serious? Ji Lingxuan came from humble beginnings and fought through every obstacle to reach where she is today.

My daughter got into the elite class largely because Ji Lingxuan's martial arts journey inspired her.

Do you know that your words have tarnished the martial arts will of Cloud River Province's number one figure among the younger generation?"

Seeing that the situation was taking a bad turn, Meng Jing immediately stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Sorry, sorry, sir. We're from another province, from a small place. We don't understand your province's reverence for martial arts.

He's only a senior high school student and is used to speaking without thinking. Please don't hold it against him."

"Speaking without restraint is an illness. It needs treatment. Otherwise, once he enters society, he'll suffer for it!"

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll make sure to treat him sometime," Meng Jing said with an ingratiating smile.

Seeing this, the staff member said nothing more and turned to leave.

"Damn it, is that Cloud River guy sick? He isn't even related to the girl on the screen, yet he had to stick his neck out for her!"

Once the staff member had gone far enough away, Wang Hui wiped his sweat and muttered quietly.

Meng Jing said, "Didn't you hear him say that his daughter got into the elite class because Ji Lingxuan inspired her?

Getting into an elite class at a Cloud River martial arts high school is far harder than getting into one in East River. It's perfectly normal for him to defend the number one martial artist of his province's younger generation.

And Wang Hui, you really need to fix that habit of talking without using your brain."

At that moment, the large screen began broadcasting East River Province's laws and legal regulations.

Ten minutes later, the three of them boarded the airship again.

Meng Jing piloted the airship toward the Cloud River Mind Reader Association.

Along the way, Wang Hui and Meng Jing were much quieter, and Chen Lie did not say anything either.

After setting out from the Cloud River provincial border, nearly another hour passed before the airship arrived at its destination.

Meng Jing guided the airship down.

The moment it landed, Chen Lie got off and checked the time, only to find that it was just past nine o'clock.

Ever since Blue Star invented airships, even two provinces separated by thousands of kilometers could be reached in little more than an hour.

Looking around, Chen Lie found that the airship had landed in a huge, open plaza. Across from the plaza stood a grand, enormous building, with a set of signs above it.

Twelve large red characters stood out clearly: Blue Star Mind Reader Association, Cloud River Province Branch.

"We're at the Mind Reader Association!"

After getting off the airship, Wang Hui immediately spotted the building across the plaza as well.

"I'm going to certify my Mind Reader identity. Do you two want to come?"

Chen Lie turned and asked Wang Hui and Meng Jing.

"Of course. It'll be good to have a look around," Wang Hui said.

Meng Jing nodded as well.

"Then let's go together."

Chen Lie nodded and headed toward the Mind Reader Association across the plaza.

There were few people in the Mind Reader Association's service hall.

After entering the hall, Chen Lie went to the information counter.

"Hello, I'm here to certify my identity as a Mind Reader."

The woman behind the counter raised her head, then quickly lowered it again.

"Have you awakened Mind Sense, and you're already here to certify yourself as a Mind Reader?"

Chen Lie replied, "I have."

The woman behind the counter tore off a form and handed it to Chen Lie.

"Fill in your personal information, then go to that counter over there and pay a twenty-thousand star yuan deposit for the Mind Sense test."

"I have to pay a deposit?"

Chen Lie took the form and asked in confusion.

Before coming here, he had checked online. None of the procedures for Mind Reader identity certification required the applicant to pay even a single star yuan.

"Of course. Without a deposit, who's going to test your Mind Sense for free?"

The woman behind the counter spoke impatiently.

Seeing this, Chen Lie said nothing else. He borrowed a pen from the counter, found a table, and sat down to fill out his personal information.

After filling it out, Chen Lie took the form to the counter beside it, paid twenty thousand star yuan, and received a serial number.

The person behind the counter took Chen Lie's information form and said, "Take this serial number to the second floor for the Mind Sense test."

Chen Lie nodded, took the serial number, and returned to Wang Hui and Meng Jing.

"I'm going upstairs to test my Mind Sense. Are you two coming?"

Wang Hui stood up. "Of course. We'll go with you and take a look!"

Thus, Wang Hui and Meng Jing followed Chen Lie to the entrance of the second floor.

The moment they reached the entrance, two security guards blocked their way.

"Stop. This is a restricted area of the Mind Reader Association. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in."

Chen Lie took out his serial number and said, "I'm going to the second floor to test my Mind Sense."

The two guards looked at Chen Lie's serial number and said, "You can go in, but those two can't!"

Chen Lie turned to look at Wang Hui and Meng Jing. "You two wait for me on the first floor."

"All right."

Wang Hui and Meng Jing nodded and returned to the first-floor waiting area.

Chen Lie went straight upstairs.

Not long after Chen Lie left, two more people entered the Mind Reader Association's service hall.

They were two girls, one older and one younger.

The two girls walked together to the service counter.

"Hello, we'd like to undergo a Mind Sense test for Mind Readers."

The woman behind the counter looked up, and her expression immediately became solemn.

"Please wait a moment. I'll process a serial number for you.

Please show me your personal information."

"My younger sister is the one taking the Mind Sense test. Just give her a form and let her fill it out herself."

"Certainly."

The woman behind the counter found a pen, tore off a form, and handed it to the younger girl outside the counter.

The girl filled in her personal information at the counter. It took around two minutes before she handed the form to the woman.

The woman went to the counter beside hers, retrieved a serial number, and handed it to the two girls in front of her.

"Please take the serial number to the second floor for the Mind Sense test."

The two girls nodded and went upstairs together.

At that moment, the young staff member at the neighboring counter asked, "Sister Hua, why are you being so proactive this time? And why didn't you charge them a deposit?"

"Are you blind? The older girl just now was Shen Miaowei.

She awakened Mind Sense at just sixteen, passed the apprentice Mind Reader assessment at seventeen, and has been selected by the Cloud River Shen Family for training as its future successor.

Have you heard of the Cloud River Shen Family? It's the Shen Family that founded the Spirit Wind Group.

With that kind of background, it's understandable if you failed to recognize her identity, but if you dared to pocket her twenty thousand star yuan, do you believe that you'd be ordered by the higher-ups to pack up and leave the very next day?"