No Top 10, Only Number One!

Above the city buildings, hovercars flew in silence.

Inside the car, a similar silence reigned.

Whether it was Zhao Hongzhou and the other two, or Zhong Xian and the other second-year martial arts students, none of them had recovered from the brutal scene just now.

Especially Liu Haibing and her four companions, who trembled as if terrified.

Only now did they understand how "gentle" Li Qingshan had been when he made his move at the Luoying Station.

Little fatty Cao Shaoyu looked around, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, and took the initiative to sidle up to Li Qingshan.

"Coach, why don't we go get something to eat first? I just discovered a treasure of a restaurant a couple of days ago."

The moment food was mentioned, Cao Shaoyu's expression instantly turned excited.

Li Qingshan shook his head with a smile and gently rubbed the little fatty's head.

"You've only been in Wuyi for three months, and you've already learned to hunt for food?"

This kid had no idea where he heard the news about the Rookie Tournament.

Before Ren Ming and Yu Yuanjun negotiated, Cao Shaoyu had already driven a hovercar out, and Li Qingshan simply sent him the coordinates directly.

Anyway, the hovercars were completely controlled by AI, so there was no need to worry about the little fatty driving without a license.

"Coach, I can do more than just eat!" Cao Shaoyu tilted his head up and said rather proudly:

"My The Stars Are Calling has already reached the second tier, and I've mastered Force-Exertion Stage techniques. Moreover, the breathing coordination for the third tier is also taking shape."

As soon as these words came out, the others in the car were startled and instinctively looked at the little fatty.

They originally thought he was just a rich second-generation brat, but he turned out to be a genius?

Practicing The Stars Are Calling to the third tier before the age of fifteen meant one could go directly to the New Continent.

The goal they struggled and fought for so bitterly was merely a starting point for such geniuses.

For a moment, everyone couldn't help feeling disheartened in their hearts.

Li Qingshan had long known about the little fatty's talent, so he wasn't surprised. He rubbed his head again and said:

"Then work hard and strive to go to the New Continent soon."

"We agreed to meet in the New Continent, so don't let it happen that I go there and can't find you."

"Coach, stop bragging." Cao Shaoyu twisted his chubby face and muttered:

"You're only a first-year student in the martial arts class. By the time you go to the New Continent, it'll take at least two years. By then, it'll definitely be me waiting for you!"

"Fine, then let's just say I'm bragging."

The corners of Li Qingshan's mouth curved up, and he smiled without a word.

Ren Ming had been standing guard nearby. Seeing that the two of them had finished reminiscing, he spoke with deliberation.

"Student Li, we'd better return to the school first. Besides arranging dormitories for you, there's a general meeting this afternoon to announce the specific details of this Rookie Tournament."

"Ah? We can't even grab a bite to eat!" The little fatty's face was full of disappointment.

"It's just a meal. After the Rookie Tournament is over, we'll go eat."

Li Qingshan patted his head, and Cao Shaoyu could only pout and reset the destination.

The hovercar quietly turned and flew toward Wuyi No. 1 High School.

Wuyi No. 1 High School, conference room.

Inside the spacious conference room, over a hundred figures were scattered sparsely.

Wan Keshan slumped in a sofa, holding a teacup, and looked at a short, plump figure in the center of the conference room.

"Lu Jing, pretty much everyone has arrived. Time to talk business, right?"

Lu Jing, the martial arts teacher of First High School and also the strongest person in Wuyi City.

"Hehe, Old Wan, long time no see, and you're still just as impatient."

Lu Jing replied with a smile, glanced around the conference room, and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, since everyone is here, I won't beat around the bush. The main purpose of this meeting is to change the rules of the Rookie Tournament in our Martial Righteous Province."

As his voice fell, the martial arts teachers from various cities across the province either frowned or looked puzzled.

In past Rookie Tournaments, everyone was paired up through random draws to fight.

They fought level by level until the number one was decided.

Moreover, everyone had three matching opportunities to prevent strong contenders from being directly eliminated by even stronger ones, ensuring fairness to the greatest extent.

Now that Lu Jing suddenly said he wanted to change the rules, they really couldn't think of anything worth changing.

For a moment, low discussions broke out in the conference room, and many teachers were guessing Lu Jing's intention.

"Old Lu, changing the rules isn't out of the question, but you at least have to state the reason clearly!"

A crisp and resonant voice rang out. The speaker was a middle-aged woman with a pretty face.

Seeing clearly who was speaking, the gathered martial arts teachers stopped whispering.

Because that was the stabilizing anchor of Five Plains City, Yuan Hongyan.

Yuan Hongyan had only come to Five Plains City to teach ten years ago.

Before she came, the martial arts class of Five Plains City was just as ordinary as those in other cities.

Every Rookie Tournament, they could only scramble together for the remaining half of Wuyi City's slots.

There was no helping it; after all, Wuyi City was the provincial capital, naturally gathering the province's talents and resources, so it naturally had the advantage.

However, after Yuan Hongyan arrived, everything changed.

First, the students she taught successively made their mark in the Rookie Tournament, and in later years she even taught several geniuses who fought their way into the Old Continent's top 100 and headed to the New Continent.

By now, the reputation of Five Plains City's martial arts class could go toe-to-toe with the ten high schools of the provincial capital.

Many good prospects even voluntarily abandoned Wuyi City to enroll in Five Plains City's martial arts class.

"Ahem, it's not that our previous rules were bad, they were just too ordinary."

Lu Jing coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back.

"The purpose of the Rookie Tournament is to discover good prospects in the first and second years in advance and provide them with some resource assistance."

"But... what they lack is more than just resources!"

"In the past, when our province had the best luck, three or four students could go to the New Continent; when the luck was bad, not a single one."

"Yet even if they went to the New Continent, they would only fade into the crowd."

"Uh... almost forgot, except for Yu Man!"

Lu Jing choked for a moment and looked at Wan Keshan apologetically.

The other martial arts teachers similarly focused their gazes on Wan Keshan with intense envy.

Yu Man had gone to the New Continent back then with the achievement of the Old Continent's number one, ranked near the top in the "Final Battle," and was admitted to Purple Star Academy.

Gazed at by a chorus of envious eyes, Wan Keshan didn't look proud at all; instead, his complexion darkened.

The matter of Yu Man could be said to be a thorn in his heart.

Given Yu Man's talent, she could have gotten into Purple Star Academy anyway—it was not at all due to his skillful teaching.

Quite the contrary,

Wan Keshan had always felt that it was precisely because of his education that Yu Man was led astray, causing her to lose the opportunity to pursue advanced studies on a major martial arts planet.

"Talk business, don't drag in all this nonsense!" Wan Keshan said unpleasantly.

The rest of the martial arts teachers found Wan Keshan's sudden burst of anger baffling.

Lu Jing knew the reason, however, and could only offer an apologetic smile as he said:

"The matter of Yu Man was just an exception."

"What I want to say boils down to one meaning: our students lack more than just resources; they lack a martial arts heart!"

"Our goal shouldn't just be sending students to the New Continent, but making sure that once they get there, they can still forge ahead bravely."

"Heavenly Fortune Province changed the format of its Rookie Tournament five years ago, and I plan to emulate them."

"Heavenly Fortune Province?!"

All the martial arts teachers present widened their eyes in astonishment.

Nowadays, the "Old Continent's Number One" Mu Yu came from Heavenly Fortune Province, so they naturally knew a lot of news about it.

Heavenly Fortune Province's Rookie Tournament adopted a melee format.

Hundreds of people were thrown onto the combat platform simultaneously, fighting in a chaotic melee until only the last person remained, at which point it ended.

There was no scoring mechanism, no top 10.

The person standing at the end was the winner, the number one!