Senior Sister Zhong Xian Has Arrived!

The next morning, at dawn.

A biting wind howled, stinging faces raw. Crowds at the high-speed rail station entrance were bundled up tight, hurrying past with quick steps.

Screech!

A harsh braking sound rang out as a bus pulled up at the stop.

A young man in a thin coat, carrying a black longsword in hand, jumped off the bus, drawing plenty of attention.

Li Qingshan ignored the stares around him and headed straight for the entrance.

Because of the Thunder Pattern Blade, he was stopped at the security check.

But after proving his identity as a martial arts student, the security staff didn't give him much trouble and even kindly pointed him in the direction of his companions.

Following their guidance, Li Qingshan soon spotted seven or eight figures sitting ahead, each holding a weapon.

An empty ring surrounded them, with curious passengers sitting a few rows away, watching.

"Brother Shan!"

A tall, sturdy figure suddenly stood up from a seat, waving and calling out as he strode over.

A man and a woman sitting beside him also rose and followed behind.

Li Qingshan smiled and walked over to meet them.

"You guys are pretty early. I left half an hour early myself, but I still ended up behind you."

The three before him were Zhao Hongzhou, and the long-unseen Yu Lei and Hong Qian.

"Heh, this is a trip to the provincial capital, so of course we had to get an early start. Last time I went to Wu Yi was back in elementary school!"

Zhao Hongzhou chuckled and rubbed his hands together. Li Qingshan nodded but didn't laugh at him.

To be honest, whether before or after his transmigration, he'd never been to the provincial capital, Wu Yi City.

Beside him, Hong Qian asked with curiosity, "Li Qingshan, after all that closed-door training, you're definitely going to take first place in the First Year group at this Rookie Competition, right?"

Li Qingshan smiled and nodded but didn't say much, instead asking, "Zhao Hongzhou's already ranked third in the class. You and Yu Lei should be at Body Tempering Second Level by now, right?"

Hong Qian nodded but looked a bit resigned.

"This Rookie Competition brings together the top students from the whole province. Body Tempering Second Level is probably just the baseline.

Hong Qian and I are just here to see the sights. The only one with a real shot at ranking is Yu Lei."

Zhao Hongzhou, with a good attitude, laughed and said, "Brother Shan, Yu Lei's something else. Last test, her speed was 15.3 meters per second, already past the Body Tempering Third Level standard."

As he talked, Zhao Hongzhou couldn't help recalling the past and said smugly, "We were right back then. For martial arts, you need a build like Yu Lei's, not someone like Liu Jingya..."

"Mmph!"

Li Qingshan quickly clamped his hand over Zhao Hongzhou's big mouth, glancing at Yu Lei, whose face was darkening, and awkwardly changed the subject.

"Uh... confident you can make the top 10?"

"Besides you, who dares to say they're confident?" Yu Lei shot them both a glare and said helplessly, "My test results are just because I recently reached Mastery in the Mizong Step, so I had a bit of an edge."

Speed tests don't just measure speed; Movement Technique and reaction time are also factors, and the Mizong Step gives a big boost.

"Martial skills are part of your strength, so it's not an unfair advantage." Li Qingshan thought for a moment, then said seriously, "As long as you use the Mizong Step flexibly in combat, you should have no problem making the top 10."

Movement Techniques and martial skills usually aren't touched until the Second Year. The First Year Rookie Competition mainly tests physical fitness.

But the gap in speed and punching power between Body Tempering Second and Third Level isn't that big. A Mastery-level Mizong Step, which can already be used in actual combat, gives a huge advantage.

Li Qingshan and the other three chatted as they walked toward the seats.

There, three men and two women were already sitting—all Second Year martial arts students participating in the competition.

"Oh, isn't this our First in the new intake?"

A burly, heavyset woman deliberately pitched her voice high, putting on a coy tone, "You're here so early. I thought you'd be making a grand entrance at the last moment!"

"What the hell is that thing!"

Zhao Hongzhou shuddered and jumped back a step.

"Pfft!" Yu Lei and Hong Qian couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

The fat woman's face went pale, then red. She stood up abruptly, pointing her sword at Li Qingshan and the others.

"You First Years, don't you know how to show respect to your seniors!"

Yu Lei's smile faded as she looked at the sheathed longsword, her voice low.

"Liu Haibing, you want to make a move at the station?"

"What? Scared?"

Liu Haibing let out a mocking laugh, her gaze fixed on Li Qingshan, her words pointed.

"When the cat's away, the mice will play, but even a mouse needs to know its place."

As she spoke, the four people beside her also stood up, all eyes locked onto Li Qingshan, amusement flickering in their gazes.

Li Qingshan had beaten Yang Peng and his three companions, taking the last Single Training Room—that was fair and square.

But... it didn't sit well with them!

Never mind that Yang Peng and the others were their classmates; the mere fact that Li Qingshan had taken on four at once was a slap in the face to the entire Second Year!

They'd been too busy with their own training to bother with Li Qingshan before.

Now that they'd run into him, it was time to teach him a lesson.

"Heh, know my place?"

Li Qingshan reached out, resting a hand on Yu Lei's shoulder and gently pulling her behind him.

"Brother Shan, take them down!"

Zhao Hongzhou's expression lit up with excitement, his trust in Li Qingshan absolute.

Hong Qian, however, looked worried, and Yu Lei furrowed her brows, speaking anxiously.

"You're going to fight? This is the station!"

Months ago, she'd learned from her sister about Li Qingshan's achievements, so she wasn't worried he'd lose.

But openly starting a fight at the station—if things went wrong, they might not even make it to Wuyi.

Li Qingshan chuckled and shook his head. "Relax, it won't take much effort."

Those words were like a spark to a powder keg, and Liu Haibing's group of five erupted in fury.

"Li Qingshan, who do you think you are?"

"You really think beating Yang Peng and his bunch makes you invincible?"

"Courting death, talking nonsense!"

Li Qingshan paid no attention to their clamor, stepping forward one pace at a time until he stood before Liu Haibing, his eyes fixed seriously on the longsword in her hand.

"You should be grateful."

Liu Haibing blinked.

"Grateful for what?"

"Grateful that your sword hasn't left its sheath."

The wind howled, and the figure vanished.

Blade shadows emerged from the gale, striking from all directions, every corner, converging on the five at once.

Wind Shadow Blade mastered, Wind Shadow Follows!

Neither Liu Haibing nor the four behind her had time to react before pain erupted from every part of their bodies.

Thud, thud, thud...

The sounds of impacts rang out in succession, and the five collapsed one after another, groaning in agony.

A flash of movement, and Li Qingshan was back where he started.

His blade, too, had never left its sheath.

Yu Lei and the other two stood dumbfounded, staring blankly.

Indeed, it hadn't taken much effort—just a few seconds.

If not for the cries of Liu Haibing's group, they'd have thought they'd just seen an illusion.

"Stop!" A belated shout rang out.

Zhao Hongzhou tensed, turning to see a figure sprinting from afar, a single ponytail swaying in the wind.

"Sister Zhong Xian is here!"

"It's fine, Sister Zhong Xian is always fair, but..."

Yu Lei tried to reassure them, but then she remembered Zhong Xian's "love of lecturing" personality.

Never mind Li Qingshan—even the three of them, as "spectators," would probably get a scolding.

The five struggling on the ground also spotted Zhong Xian's figure, and their groans quieted a little.

Still, they perked up.

After all, Zhong Xian was the true leader of their Second Year!

Liu Haibing grimaced in pain and glared fiercely at Li Qingshan.

"Li Qingshan, don't get cocky. The senior will get justice for us!"

"Is that so?"

Li Qingshan smiled faintly, turning sideways to look at the ponytail girl who had just arrived.

"Senior, what a coincidence!"