I am a high-level martial arts master.

After Ye Li boarded the ship, he instantly became the focus of attention in the ornate, spacious, and brightly lit interior.

The commotion by the lake seemed to be shut out by an invisible barrier, but the gazes inside the cabin were even more intense than those on the shore, all focused on Ye Li, who had just stepped onto the deck, with a variety of thoughts on them.

Yan City Lord Zhong Lang originally intended to lead Ye Li to a private room to rest for a while.

But as soon as they entered the cabin, they were surrounded by a surging crowd.

The prominent figures, family representatives, and gang elders from various cities who had previously been unable to squeeze closer to the shore now had no more reservations. Their faces were filled with eager smiles, and their eyes were filled with undisguised "goodwill" and "kindness."

"Young Master Ye! Truly, heroes emerge from among the young! To have perfected your body tempering in just six months is unheard of and unseen! I, Li Chongshan, the patriarch of the Li family of Yunya City, am deeply honored to meet you today!"

"Young Master Ye is a prodigy, a true blessing to the martial arts of our Xia Kingdom! I wonder if you would be interested in becoming a guest elder at my Flying Star Fortress?"

Flattery and recruitment clamor flooded in from all directions, with each offer more generous than the last... as if they wanted to present Ye Li with all the good things in the world.

The cabin suddenly became quite noisy and chaotic.

Ye Li, who was at the center of the vortex, remained unusually calm.

His simple white shirt, surrounded by his surroundings, only accentuated his extraordinary temperament.

He raised his hand slightly, a small movement, yet it caused the surrounding noise to involuntarily subside.

"I appreciate the kindness of all the seniors," Ye Li said in a clear, moderate voice.

"I recently broke through to the Perfection of Body Tempering, thanks to the power of the elixir and the support of a benefactor. However, my foundation is weak and I cannot compare with the geniuses who have risen step by step from each family."

"So this competition is really just a formality, a way to get familiar with each other."

Ye Li appeared as a gentle, innocent little rabbit; if someone familiar with Ye Li's personality were here, they would probably stare in astonishment.

Holy crap! Is this really Ye Li? Who modified his underlying code?

But this is actually... a battle of wits!

(Fun fact: These days, anything labeled "top-tier intellectual battle" instantly gains acceptance, regardless of its content. It's as if everyone suffers from a condition where the mere mention of "top-tier intellectual battle" makes them want to laugh.)

It's like before a 1000-meter physical fitness test at school, classmates would humbly say to each other: "Oh, I'm not in good physical condition, I definitely won't run fast, let me run with you."

Then, the moment the teacher announces the start of the physical test, you will be horrified to discover...

Those classmates who just moments ago claimed to be frail and sickly, needing to support each other, are now running faster than anyone else, sprinting the entire way, even lapping you. Ye Li is just putting on an act now!

Martial arts is all about showing off and being pretentious!

Right now, they're just pretending to be Tang to tease them.

After all, those who can participate in this competition are basically the elites of the ten cities.

They were all at the late or perfect stage of Body Tempering, and many of them had blue attributes.

By analogy, this is a long-distance race where poisoning can be done beforehand, and sneak attacks and gang-ups can be carried out during the race.

There might be item races and trap cards along the way.

With so many different categories of terms, who knows if there might be some really shady stuff among them?

Running fast doesn't guarantee a win; the first one to cross the finish line is the champion.

Therefore, although Ye Li thought he was already in a very stable position, it was still better to keep a low profile.

Watch me out and show off my skills against Tang Yin and the others.

Seeing Ye Li's humility, the young talents beside him immediately felt relieved.

That's right, your cultivation level has improved so quickly.

That level must be unstable; he might not even be able to beat a strong late-stage Body Tempering cultivator (don't make your brother Ye laugh).

Ye Li's humble demeanor immediately impressed the younger generation.

"Brother Ye, you are mistaken!" The young master of the Li family in Yunya City was the first to step forward with a smile to defuse the situation.

He stood tall and had a refined air about him. He said, "With the effects of elixirs, even if you achieve perfection in June, your talent is enough to make you stand out among your peers. Why belittle yourself? I am Li Xuanfeng, and I greet Brother Ye."

"Brother Li, you flatter me. I'm new here and need your guidance." Ye Li put on an expression of being flattered.

He was just as polite as Light Yagami was when he first met L.

As the boat glides across the lake, the scenery of Jingpo is breathtaking, yet no one seems to notice.

The talented individuals from the ten cities formed several small circles, and Ye Li acted like a newbie who had accidentally broken through, greeting everyone with a smile.

That evening, after arriving at the Jingpo Lake Manor, the owner hosted a banquet for everyone.

With delicacies and fine wines served, the atmosphere became lively after several rounds of drinks.

His words were filled with curiosity about the techniques and descriptions of these martial arts masters:

"Ah, you brothers are all truly skilled. Brother Li, I observe that your aura is harmonious and your eyes are piercing. You must possess a powerful ability to foresee opportunities, right?" Li Xuanfeng, flattered and emboldened by the wine, smiled modestly: "Brother Ye, you are too modest. It's just a family heirloom, nothing to mention. It's nothing more than the [Way of Sincerity]."

Although he spoke casually, the moment he uttered the words "the way of utmost sincerity," the expressions of the people around him changed.

【Blue - The Way of Sincerity】: A top-tier blue attribute that greatly increases eyesight and reaction time. When focused, one can see the scene of the same level within their field of vision one second ahead.

The ability to briefly see the future is terrifying, its effect is almost on par with the purple-level affixes.

Ye Li smiled slightly after hearing this and said, "It seems that Brother Li is probably the winner of this competition. No one else's entry can surpass it." "Not so. I think the young master of the Xue family's [True Martial Totem] is also quite good," Li Xuanfeng said calmly.

[Blue True Martial Totem]: For each enemy defeated head-on, you gain 10% of their physical attributes, stacking up to 10 times. "Wow, then in this competition, I'm afraid no one can rival you two," Ye Li exclaimed in surprise.

Li Xuanfeng, his lips twitching from being teased, chuckled, "I remember there's a young man from the Qin family in the outer city who can distort vision. Even if we encounter him, it won't be a sure thing." "Outer city... Qin family young man... distort... vision..."

Ye Li silently memorized the information he had gathered.

In the following days, Ye Li spent most of his time at banquets, apart from practicing his cultivation techniques.

His image as an academic layabout who checked in and ate tea breaks throughout the entire event naturally lowered these people's guard, and they paid less attention to him.

Time passed slowly, and before we knew it, it was April.

Amidst the lively atmosphere on both sides of the lake, Ye Li officially arrived at the competition venue.

"The rules of the entire game are very simple."

The middle-aged man who was the leader of the competition and whose cultivation level was at the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm said calmly:

"The three hundred participants were divided into five arenas, each with a number representing their identity."

"At the beginning, everyone's card number is worth 1 point, and by defeating others, you can steal all of their points."

"After one incense stick's time, the player with the highest score in each round will fight it out for the top spot!"