South Ye Qiu, North Lin Feng (Revised)

After lunch, Lin Feng and the other two rested briefly before leaving the house.

The moment they stepped out of the dim stairwell, the air rushing at them felt somewhat stifling.

"It's so hot!" Gao Hai complained.

As a fat man, Gao Hai feared heat the most. In weather like this, it would not be long before his clothes were soaked through with sweat.

"Hehe, want me to bring you an umbrella?" Yang Fan teased.

Gao Hai rolled his eyes at Yang Fan and said disdainfully, "Why would I carry an umbrella when there's no sun?"

Yang Fan looked around and had nothing to say.

With the buildings in Anbian Residential Area standing so close together, one had to deliberately look for a spot just to catch some sun within the complex. With the sunlight blocked off, quite a few people were wandering around inside the residential area.

Many people had gathered in the open spaces to chat and play chess. When they saw Lin Feng passing by, they became somewhat excited and hurried over.

"Xiaofeng, why didn't you go to school today?"

"Are you heading to Thunder Martial Arts Hall?"

"When's the match? My company gave us the day off today, so I don't have to work. I'll go cheer you on." The neighbors were incredibly enthusiastic.

Yesterday, because he had failed on Awakening Day and Yage had moved away, the neighbors had not known how to greet him. Their eyes had held pity and sighs.

But overnight, those sighs had vanished, replaced by surprise and excitement.

Clearly, what had happened on the Martial Artist Forum had already spread through the residential area.

"Xiaofeng, is there a match at the martial arts hall today?" An old man asked, waving a fan in his right hand.

"I've believed in you since you were little. Compete well today and bring glory to our neighborhood."

"Xiaofeng, is what they said on the forum true? Did you really hide your talent for Yage?" A middle-aged woman with a child asked with a face full of gossip.

"Xiaofeng, can the GG spot on your clothes really be sold for money?"

"Maybe it can sell for hundreds of thousands. Don't sell it for anything under a hundred thousand." Everyone chimed in with their own advice.

Lin Feng smiled but did not answer directly.

Although everyone in Anbian Residential Area was poor, compared with those living in the Inner City, they were more united and more humane. If someone truly made something of themselves, they would feel proud and honored.

"Mm, of course it's true. How could it be fake?" Gao Hai said, thumping his chest with a proud expression.

"This afternoon, at Thunder Martial Arts Hall in the Southern District. Anyone free can come watch and see how Brother Feng cuts down all before him."

Amid the cheers, the three of them finally managed to shake off the enthusiastic neighbors. By the time they left the residential area, a journey that should have taken only ten minutes had taken a full half hour.

Just as Lin Feng stepped out of the residential area, Thunder Martial Arts Hall in the distant Inner City was already bustling with activity.

It was one in the afternoon, lunchtime and nap time.

Normally, this was the quietest time at the martial arts hall. But now, nearly half of the two-hundred-thousand-seat audience area was already filled.

These spectators were not especially focused on the matches. Instead, they chatted loudly among themselves, and their words were all about the "high school student."

Quite a few were still scrolling through their phones, reading the Martial Artist Forum.

At this point, the post titled "High School Student Beats Up Martial Artist" had surged to first place on the Martial Artist Forum. Many television news programs in River City had even begun reporting the news.

Quite a few netizens had even made posts using the title, "South Ye Qiu, North Lin Feng," based on the districts where the two lived, to draw attention.

Whether many netizens were skeptical or dismissive, one thing could not be denied: Lin Feng had become famous.

Famous beyond everyone's expectations.

Many people had spent one hundred New Dollars on tickets to come to Thunder Martial Arts Hall, not to watch the matches, but to see the so-called "most arrogant high school student in history."

Besides these ordinary spectators, men and women in suits with extraordinary bearing occasionally appeared and headed toward the VIP section.

"Those seem to be Thunder Club executives?"

Quite a few spectators recognized the identities of those important figures.

Not only that, but the people in charge of S-Class Clubs such as Juxing, Zhaifeng, and AK had also appeared. Naturally, there were also many familiar faces from martial arts halls, gathered together and chatting.

"I didn't expect that high school student to be this appealing."

The spectators exchanged glances, all seeing the surprise in one another's eyes.

Besides the club and martial arts hall executives, many news media outlets had arrived as well. In the press area, reporters held cameras and filmed casually, seemingly searching for their target.

"Almost all these people came?"

In the VIP section, Zhang Ling, the head of Juxing Club's River City branch, looked around with a trace of surprise in her expression.

Around her, more than half of the prominent clubs and martial arts halls she knew in River City had come.

She could never have imagined that the ordinary boy who had failed on Awakening Day just two days ago, whom she had even treated with disdain, would cause such a huge commotion.

As the head of Juxing Club's River City branch, Zhang Ling knew that Yage had broken up with Lin Feng. When she first learned the news, she had secretly nodded in approval. In her eyes, Lin Feng truly was not worthy of Yage.

Although she was not at headquarters, Zhang Ling had learned from her colleagues that on Yage's very first day at the club, the upper management had specifically held a meeting to discuss Yage's future development plan.

Even she had been surprised by that plan!

Without question, the girl's future would be dazzling.

And Lin Feng's existence would absolutely affect Yage's future development.

To her and the club, their breakup had been very good news, saving them a great deal of trouble.

But who could have expected that just one day later, this boy would bring them such a tremendous shock?

If what the forum said was true, then "South Ye Qiu, North Lin Feng" truly would not be a joke.

"Auntie, is a high school student really worth all this?" A young man beside Zhang Ling asked helplessly.

He wore a black tracksuit and was handsome, though his expression carried a trace of arrogance.

"Weiran, don't underestimate this high school student. If this Lin Feng is truly as the forum says, do you know what that means?" Zhang Ling asked her own nephew.

"What does it mean?" Zhang Weiran asked doubtfully.

He was also a senior high school student. As a genius himself, he felt both disdain and jealousy toward Lin Feng.

He disdained Lin Feng's strength and envied his popularity.

"It means that every top club, including our Juxing, will offer him an A-class contract, perhaps even an S-class contract!" Zhang Ling said.

Zhang Weiran was somewhat shocked. "Just because of his combat talent?"

Seeing the doubt on her nephew's face, Zhang Ling smiled. "Don't underestimate combat talent. It is rarer than martial arts talent. There are many geniuses, but combat geniuses are very scarce."

At that, Zhang Ling continued, "You are at the Body Cultivation Ninth Stage and refined an eighth-rank Shadow Leopard. Because of my connections, you signed an A-class contract with Juxing directly without undergoing an assessment. But Lin Feng doesn't need to be like you. As long as he can refine a fifth-rank demon spirit, he can sign an A-class contract."

Zhang Weiran opened his mouth, seemingly unable to believe it.

The Body Cultivation Seventh Stage, a fifth-rank demon spirit, and he could sign an A-class contract?

Since when had Juxing's A-class contracts become so cheap?

Even Yage, who had refined an eighth-rank Bewitching Butterfly, had only signed a B-class contract.

"You don't need to be so surprised. Otherwise, why do you think all these people came here? To stroll around?" Zhang Ling said, pointing around them.

Zhang Weiran was shocked, but he did not doubt his aunt's words. As the head of the River City branch, Zhang Ling had the authority to offer A-class contracts.

"Manager Zhang, why are you here too? Isn't Juxing only interested in top geniuses?"

At that moment, a white-haired old man in a traditional Chinese jacket came to the seat beside Zhang Ling and spoke with a smile.

"A high school student at the Body Cultivation Seventh Stage is worth you personally showing up?"

"Elder Jiang, why are you here too?" Zhang Ling nodded politely to the old man.

"Hehe, Thunder Martial Arts Hall hasn't been this lively in a long time. Naturally, I came to join the excitement," Elder Jiang said with a smile.

"True enough. This is Thunder Club territory. What, are you interested in that high school student too?" Zhang Ling asked doubtfully.

"I just came to take a look, to see whether he's as arrogant as the rumors say!" Elder Jiang said with a light laugh, as though it were nothing.

Zhang Ling only smiled faintly and did not refute him.

Had they not all come here to confirm certain things?

Without question, the boy's combat talent was very strong. He even possessed the ability to challenge opponents above his level. But such geniuses had not never appeared before.

Many geniuses possessed both martial arts talent and combat talent, yet because of their soul cultivation talent, they could not refine demon spirits or could only refine low-rank demon spirits. In the end, they faded into obscurity. There were quite a few such examples, and such geniuses were known as low-potential geniuses.

Geniuses with limited room to grow.

After all, Demon Spirit Masters were a profession that stood above martial artists.

"So it caused such a huge stir!"

In another VIP section, Zhou Fu looked at the fiery scene around him and could not help clicking his tongue.

How long had it been? That previously unknown boy had become a huge star overnight?

"Looks like I'll have to pay a hefty price for this GG."

Zhou Fu frowned. He wanted Lin Feng's GG!

The more people paid attention, the more beneficial it was to him, but at the same time, the competition would become fiercer.

Zhou Fu had already spotted quite a few bosses he knew nearby, many of whom were richer than him.

He did not know whether he could outcompete the others.

Last night, he had spent ten thousand to obtain Lin Feng's information from Chen Xiaoke.

Who would have thought that a post about Lin Feng would appear on the forum that very day, then surge straight to first on the daily rankings overnight and explode across the forum?

Someone had even revealed more detailed information about Lin Feng. He did not care about that small amount of money, but there were now many more competitors, and his plan was about to go down the drain.

As for whether Lin Feng had hidden his talent, he did not care much.

Because he knew that if Lin Feng were truly like Ye Qiu, then he would not have any qualification to join the fight for the GG at all.

As a businessman, Zhou Fu wanted to gamble.

As time passed, more and more spectators arrived. The martial arts hall's stands were nearly full. Amid everyone's discussions and waiting, the three boys finally arrived late and appeared outside the martial arts hall.