In middle age, one's comprehension becomes extraordinary.

The situation before him was the first time Jin Fan had ever experienced verbal abuse.

Many people around him said he was incompetent.

It's one thing to lack ability, but to try and steal a spot in the competition is another.

At first, some people said that the Qingwu Tournament had a certain element of luck. Let me say a few words in support of Jin Fan.

The further the discussion went, the more doubts arose.

Many people even believe that Jin Fan's martial arts skills are inferior to Li Yuan's.

Some people in Chishan City even echoed this viewpoint.

Jin Fan found these words hard to accept.

Also mentioned along with him was his junior apprentice, Gu Yu.

Gu Yu fought in his place but lost to Li Yuan's Cloud Extreme Fist.

This incident is now being used as evidence to prove that none of the fellow disciples are as good as Li Yuan.

The awards ceremony officially began at 11:00 AM.

First, there are the team awards; the top three cities will receive an honorary trophy.

The top three cities are still those same three cities.

The three wealthiest cities in the southeast region.

A better-developed and wealthier city can indeed attract more outstanding talent.

For other cities, the trophy is optional.

All they wanted was a high ranking so they could attract the attention of the economic delegation.

After the group awards were given out, it was time for the individual awards.

Individual awards are the real rewards, and they include resource incentives.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Yuan ascended to the first platform.

There wasn't much cheering around, and strangers couldn't share your joy.

Their mockery and disdain for Jin Fan were not out of sympathy for Li Yuan; they simply wanted to vent their frustrations.

The reward Li Yuan received was an A-grade longsword.

An A-grade weapon is certainly worthy of being the first prize.

Even if you don't need it, you can exchange it for a lot of money.

Following the awards ceremony, this year's Youth Martial Arts Tournament came to a complete end.

As the chief referee, Mr. Yan Ge delivered the final concluding remarks.

Aside from polite words, I reiterated the importance of following the rules.

Future Qingwu tournaments will be more stringent, and it is very likely that rules will be introduced to prohibit substitution of qualifications.

If you want to qualify, you need to earn GPA points yourself.

The Southeast region should have realized that the Youth Martial Arts Competition is gradually failing to showcase the level of young martial artists in a city, and reform is needed.

With all the ceremonies concluded, the biennial Qingwu Tournament officially came to an end.

The impact of the Qingwu Tournament is gradually becoming apparent to people.

Over the next two years, the top-ranked cities will be subject to economic inspections.

An investment of 12 billion yuan in the southeast region will also be implemented in some of these cities.

For urban construction, 12 billion is not a lot.

However, this investment will attract other private enterprises to set up operations here.

There are two cities, one with high-speed rail access and the other without.

This alone will affect various aspects of the city's development.

An investment of 12 billion yuan, if channeled into basic livelihood projects, coupled with local investment, could truly bring about tremendous changes to a region.

The credit for this achievement is likely to be greater than expected.

When Li Yuan returned from receiving the award, the expressions of the people from the Water Resources Bureau and the Transportation Bureau were much more respectful.

Upon returning, Li Yuan will receive praise from the Lingshan Municipal Government.

In public, Li Yuan would discuss their problems.

Not only do they not contribute to Lingshan City, they also hold it back and help outsiders.

This will have a significant impact on their future development!

Furthermore, after this incident, Li Yuan's own development will likely be completely different.

He will no longer be an ordinary middle school teacher; promotion and a raise are almost inevitable.

The crowd began to disperse; the matter was over, and it was time to go home.

Even as they left, the crowd continued talking about Li Yuan and Jin Fan.

Seemingly genuinely angry, Jin Fan stood in front of the crowd from Lingshan City with a cold expression.

"This place is spacious enough, let's have a match."

Gossip and idle chatter are tiresome to listen to.

Let's have a match and let them see for themselves just how strong I am.

So that some blind fools won't use this as an opportunity to insult my mentor!

Jin Fan stood firmly in front of them, his tone resolute.

"Ten moves to determine the winner and loser."

After you lose, explain the situation clearly to them here and tell them about the difference in strength.

The trial opportunity for the Lanwu team will also be given up.

In just a few words, Jin Fan had already settled the matter of the competition.

There's no reward for winning, but there's a penalty for losing.

The others around were happy to see this, thinking it would be another spectacle to watch.

The media reporters were also very supportive.

At the same time, Yan Lao, the chief referee of the Qingwu Tournament, quickly walked up.

He stood directly in front of Li Yuan, looking at Jin Fan with a cold expression.

"Why should they fight you now, after they just finished the Qingwu Tournament?"

Are you really that noble?

"I'll have a match with whoever I want!"

Yan Ge was very rude to him during this martial arts competition.

Upon seeing this, Jin Fan stopped using such polite language.

"There are so many people around, and they all say that I am not as good as him."

Shouldn't he accept the challenge and prove himself to everyone around him?

Of course, if you're too afraid to accept the challenge, just say so!

Old Yan had heard this kind of rhetoric many times, and he retorted almost without hesitation.

"Many people are saying I'm not as good as your mentor Yao Jianyue. Does that mean they have to accept the challenge and have a match with me?"

He refused to fight, which could be interpreted as him saying he dared not.

Your mentor accepts all challenges, so you can challenge Li Yuan next.

If Yao Jianyue can't do it, then don't spout nonsense!

With just a few words, he completely shut Jin Fan down.

There are countless people in China alone who want to challenge Grandmaster Yao Jianyue, not to mention countless others abroad.

If everyone accepts the challenge, Yao Jianyue doesn't know how exhausted he will be.

There was no time left for cultivation and improvement; it was all spent on fighting and competing.

Looking back, the principle is the same.

Why should Li Yuan consider your feelings? You think you can just decide to have a match whenever you want?

The surrounding media reporters were all recording videos.

Jin Fan lost face and reputation more than once in this martial arts tournament.

Unable to argue with Elder Yan, Jin Fan simply stopped talking to him.

Jin Fan looked at Li Yuan, his tone already carrying a hint of threat.

"Let's settle our scores after this match."

If you refuse to fight today, then don't expect to meet me anywhere else in the future.

At that time, I won't hold back; you could be seriously injured.

Li Yuan ignored Jin Fan's words completely.

After thanking Elder Yan, he left with the others from Lingshan City.

I'm already thirty years old; I'm not going to give in just because you scare me.

Losing brings a host of disadvantages, while winning offers no benefits whatsoever. Why should I accept the challenge?

Wherever interests are involved, there will always be conflict.

If you're afraid of everything, you'll end up with nothing.

Having gone through so much, Li Yuan is now completely immune to verbal threats.

We boarded the departing bus and set off back to Lingshan City.

An hour later, the once bustling outer open space had become deserted.

The media reporters had all left, leaving only the event organizers.

Old Master Yan found a spot on a hillside to sit down, then took out his phone and dialed Secretary Hong's number...