Gao Wu: I became a saint through daily settlements

After a short rest, Lin Yue followed Zhou Yuanwu to Tanglong.

Zhou Yuanwu knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Lin Yue and Zhou Yuanwu pushed open the door and entered.

Behind his desk, Tang Long was reviewing a document. When he saw the two of them come in, he gestured for them to sit down on the sofa.

This office is a temporary workspace prepared for the temple masters of various provinces and cities. It is not luxurious, but it is definitely not simple.

Zhou Yuanwu glanced at the sofa next to him.

"Jing Ruoyi arrived so early?"

"Palace Master Tang," the two said in unison.

"Mm." Tang Long nodded.

"You all did a great job this time."

"In addition, Jiang Province won first place this time, so Palace Master Wan has decided to give each of you an extra 100 million Blue Star Coins as a reward."

"The money will be deposited into your account within three days."

"One million?"

Zhou Yuanwu's eyes lit up instantly, and he almost jumped off the sofa.

Lin Yue was also slightly taken aback.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen so much money before; with the bonuses from previous missions and the subsidies from the provincial government, he had several million in savings in his account.

But this time it's a pure bonus, practically free.

"Palace Master, Palace Master Wan is too kind!" Zhou Yuanwu rubbed his hands together, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Then return your share?" Tang Long glanced at him.

"That won't do!" Zhou Yuanwu's expression immediately changed.

"Your Excellency has already said it's a reward. If I return it, wouldn't I be letting down Your Excellency's kindness?"

Jing Ruoyi sat at the other end of the sofa, her face expressionless, but the corners of her mouth slightly turned up in a barely perceptible arc.

One million Blue Star Coins is also a considerable sum for her.

"Besides the bonus," Tang Long continued.

"There's one more thing."

He put down the documents in his hand, leaned forward slightly, and glanced at the three people.

"You all know about the National Martial Arts Tournament next month, right?" Tang Long asked.

"I know, of course I know!" Zhou Yuanwu said cheerfully.

"But why bring this up?"

"You must also participate," Tang Long said seriously.

"Should we go too?" Jing Ruoyi asked, a little puzzled.

The National Martial Arts Tournament is not just a simple exchange between martial arts halls, but a competition against people from all over the country.

"Let's not talk about Lin Yue. He'll probably be representing Jiangcheng Martial Arts Affiliated Middle School. You two will represent our Jiangcheng Starry Sky Martial Hall in the youth group."

"Youth group?" Jing Ruoyi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"So, we might be facing off against people from other Martial Halls?"

"Not just the other martial halls." Tang Long leaned back in his chair.

"The National Martial Arts Competition is divided into three groups: Junior Group, Youth Group, and Adult Group."

"All three of you meet the age requirements for the youth group. As for Lin Yue, the school will naturally register him. As for the two of you, the Martial Hall will make arrangements."

Zhou Yuanwu scratched his head, the excitement on his face fading somewhat:

"Palace Master, I have a general idea of ​​the level of the youth group. In previous years, those who made it into the top ten were basically core disciples of various major academies and families, or people from the military reserve camp."

"Our Starry Sky Martial Hall's best result in previous years was only the top sixteen, right?"

"What, scared?"

"No, no," Zhou Yuanwu denied outright.

"We didn't send you this time expecting you to get a great ranking," Tang Long said, changing the subject.

"What Lord Wan means is to let you broaden your horizons and see what level your peers are at across the country."

"What does Palace Master Wan mean?" Zhou Yuanwu's face showed even greater shock.

"good."

"Anyway," Tang Long stood up.

"I'm telling you this in advance so you can be mentally prepared."

"We'll discuss the specific schedule and rules once the official documents are released. You guys should rest well these next couple of days and recharge your energy."

"Yes," the three replied.

He then walked out of the office.

Zhou Yuanwu stretched out a big yawn: "One million... I never dreamed I could get such a big bonus."

"You're so easily pleased," Jing Ruoyi rarely spoke up. "A million yuan makes you this happy?"

"What do you know?" Zhou Yuanwu scoffed.

"By the way, Lin Yue, didn't you kill a star beast in the city and get a million for it?"

"Oh? Brother Zhou knows about this?" Lin Yue was somewhat surprised.

"I'm not a caveman, I watch TV too..."

The two reached the elevator. Zhou Yuanwu pressed the button, then suddenly seemed to remember something: "By the way, how are you planning to spend that million?"

"I haven't decided yet," Lin Yue shook his head.

It wasn't like Lin Yue was at Versailles; aside from spending money on cultivation, Lin Yue didn't have any other major expenditures.

"If you ask me, you should buy a nice car first, then find a high-end apartment to move out of. The conditions in your dorm are...tsk tsk, I couldn't stand living there..." Jing Ruoyi complained.

As the elevator doors opened, Zhou Yuanwu was still rambling on about planning Ming Linyue's "million-dollar consumption plan."

Just then, Lin Yue's bracelet beeped.

It's Chen Fang.

"Your Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) is finished."

A high-resolution image is attached.

"Okay, send it to the school. I'll pick it up when I have my martial arts class," Lin Yue replied.

He then transferred 10 Blue Star Coins to Chen Fang.

"Holy crap, what does this 10 Blue Star Coins mean?"

"Here's a reward for you."

"Okay, Dad," Chen Fang replied excitedly.

Even without practicing martial arts, 10 Blue Star Coins are enough to cover a whole year's expenses.

Lin Yue knew that Chen Fang also needed to use Blue Star Coins for his research. Although mechanical engineering was not as expensive as martial arts, it was still a high-end field.

"I hope Chen Fang can get into a good mechanical engineering university."

As close classmates in high school, Lin Yue would do her best to help Chen Fang whenever possible.

Account balance – after deducting the 100,000 yuan just transferred to Chen Fang, there are still more than 9 million Blue Star coins left.

With the prize money from winning first place in the provincial competition, plus the extra million that Tang Long mentioned, his savings will officially exceed ten million once all the money arrives in his account.

For many of their peers, this is already an astronomical sum.

But on the path of martial arts, ten million Blue Star Coins is really nothing.

A decent martial arts manual can easily cost millions, and a weapon of average quality can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Not to mention the auxiliary resources that can improve cultivation efficiency—medicinal baths, nutrient solutions, cultivation chambers—each of which is a bottomless pit.

Then, Lin Yue exited the chat interface with Chen Fang and switched to the chat interface with Tang Jingyue.

"I currently have three Bone-Splitting Grasses, which I have already sent to the Starry Sky Martial Hall."

Tang Jingyue understood immediately and replied with an "ok" emoji.

Lin Yue put away the bracelet, a slight smile still lingering on his lips.

"What's wrong? Why are you laughing so happily?" Zhou Yuanwu leaned closer, looking gossipy.

"It's nothing, I just had a knife made, that's all."

"A knife? What kind of knife?" Zhou Yuanwu became interested. "Show me a picture."

Lin Yue casually pulled up the high-resolution image that Chen Fang had sent and handed it over.

Zhou Yuanwu leaned closer to take a look, and his pupils dilated slightly.

The picture shows a long, jet-black sword with a slender, slightly curved blade and a cold, sharp edge.

The hilt features a simple square design with smooth and sharp lines, exuding a sense of menace.

"A Mo Dao?" Zhou Yuanwu recognized its design at a glance. "This thing must be quite heavy."

"It's alright, about a hundred pounds," Lin Yue said casually.

"A hundred or so pounds...not bad..." Zhou Yuanwu's lips twitched. "You call this 'not bad'?"

Jing Ruoyi also turned her head to look, raising an eyebrow slightly:

"The Mo Dao is a weapon that requires a high level of strength and skill. However, with your current physical condition, you can definitely use it effectively."

"Let me try it out then," Zhou Yuanwu said, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.

"Okay," Lin Yue readily agreed.

The three walked out of the Martial Hall building.

Zhou Yuanwu stretched, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, do you guys think we'll run into some tough opponents at the National Martial Arts Tournament next month?"

"Definitely." Jing Ruoyi said calmly.

"Last year's youth group champion was a core disciple trained by the Blazing Martial Hall in Tianjing. It is said that he broke through to the Great Perfection of the Martial Realm at the age of seventeen."

"He's still in the youth age group this year, so he'll most likely defend his title."

"The Great Perfection of the Martial Artist Realm..." Zhou Yuanwu clicked his tongue in amazement. "Then, now that I'm in the late stage of the Martial Artist Realm, am I just going to be used as a punching bag?"

"Haven't you always considered yourself a genius?" Jing Ruoyi glanced at him.

"There are different levels of geniuses, you know!" Zhou Yuanwu retorted righteously.

"I'm a genius in Jiangcheng, but he's a genius nationwide. How can that be the same?"

Lin Yue listened to the two bickering without saying a word.

Lin Yue was never an arrogant person, but he was not one to underestimate himself either.

"Are you busy this afternoon?" Lin Yue suddenly asked.

"It's nothing, what's wrong?" Zhou Yuanwu asked.

"I want to go to the materials market to buy some things."

"The materials market?" Zhou Yuanwu's eyes lit up.

"What a coincidence, I'd like to go take a look too."

"I heard that a batch of star beast bone powder recently arrived in Handong Province. The quality is quite good. I want to buy some to take home for medicinal baths."

Jing Ruoyi nodded slightly: "I'll go too, the medicinal herbs for the bath are almost used up."

The three hit it off immediately, flagged down a car on the roadside, and headed straight for the Handong Province Martial Arts Materials Market.

In the car, Lin Yue leaned back in the back seat, watching the street scenes rushing past the window.

The economy of Handong Province is indeed much more developed than that of Jiang Province; you can tell just by looking at the buildings along the roads.

Skyscrapers stand tall, their glass curtain walls reflecting dazzling light, while the streets are bustling with traffic and pedestrians hurrying along.

The car stopped at the entrance of the materials market.

The three of them got out of the car and were immediately greeted by a mixture of metallic, medicinal, and various other unidentifiable smells.

The Handong Martial Arts Materials Market is one of the largest distribution centers for martial arts resources in the entire Central China region.

Covering an area of ​​over 100,000 square meters, it is divided into several sections, including medicinal materials, minerals, star beast materials, and finished weapons.

Every day, martial arts practitioners from all over the country trade here, and the amount of money flowing through is astronomical.

Lin Yue stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the sea of ​​people, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Where should we go first?" Zhou Yuanwu rubbed his hands together, looking eager to try.

"Let's go to the medicinal herbs section." Jing Ruoyi stepped forward first. "My medicinal bath formula is still missing a few auxiliary ingredients."

The three followed the flow of people into the market, with Jing Ruo leading the way, weaving between various shops.

"This one." Jing Ruoyi stopped in front of a shop called "Bai Cao Tang".

The shop isn't large, but the decor is rustic, and there are several old Ganoderma lucidum plants displayed at the entrance, making it clear that it's an old shop with a rich history.

As soon as I entered, a middle-aged man dressed in a black martial arts uniform greeted me.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to order?"

"Hmm, three portions of Dragon Bone Powder, plus..." Jing Ruo paused, then turned to look at Lin Yue and Zhou Yuanwu, "Do you want to buy together? We can negotiate a discount for large quantities."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Yuanwu nodded repeatedly. "I need a body-tempering medicinal bath recipe for the late stage of the Martial Artist realm."

The middle-aged man looked at Lin Yue: "Where is this young man?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment: "With my current physical strength, ordinary medicinal baths won't be very effective. Are there any body tempering formulas suitable for the late stage of the Martial Artist realm?"

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up as he sized Lin Yue up and down: "Young man, you've already reached the late stage of the Martial Artist realm at such a young age?"

"Um."

"The regular level is indeed not enough." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment.

"We have a product called 'Tiger Bone Body Tempering Powder' in our shop. The main ingredient is the bone of a tiger-like star beast ground into powder, supplemented with seven kinds of spiritual herbs. It has a significant effect on cultivators at the peak of the Martial Artist realm."

"How much is one serving?"

"The market price is 50,000 Blue Star Coins per share, minimum purchase of 10 shares. If the three of you buy together, I can offer 40,000 to 50,000 Blue Star Coins per share."

Lin Yue calculated his savings and said without hesitation, "Twenty portions."

Zhou Yuanwu clicked his tongue: "Twenty servings? Is your body made of iron? You can't take a medicinal bath every day, twice a week at most. Twenty servings should last you for more than two months."

"It's never a bad thing to have something on hand," Lin Yue said calmly.

He's currently in the late stage of the Martial Artist realm, but who knows when he might break through?

If I break through to the next level, I won't have enough of these medicinal bath materials, and I'll have to buy more, which is a hassle.

In the path of cultivation, resource reserves are themselves a part of strength.

A farsighted person never waits until they need something to prepare.

After the three of them finished their shopping, they each had several large bags in their hands when they came out of Baicaotang.

Zhou Yuanwu, clutching the bag, never stopped smiling: "Awesome! Shopping feels so good!"

"Your million hasn't even arrived in your account yet, and you're already squandering it?" Jing Ruoyi reminded her.

"That's called spending in advance!" Zhou Yuanwu said confidently. "Besides, I didn't spend it all; I only bought 100,000 yuan worth of medicinal herbs."

Next one.

"Weapon Forging Workshop"

The three large characters, written in a vigorous and elegant style, exude a sharp and imposing aura.

"Shall we go take a look?" Zhou Yuanwu noticed Lin Yue's gaze.

Lin Yue nodded and strode over.

The shop of the weapon-making workshop was much larger than that of the herbal medicine shop. On each side of the entrance stood an iron-cast beast statue, with a ferocious face and lifelike features.

Upon entering the store, a dazzling array of weapons are displayed in glass cases—longswords, broadswords, spears, short daggers, and even a few strangely shaped weapons.

The light shone on the weapons, reflecting a chilling gleam.

A burly man in a vest sat behind the counter, sharpening a short knife with a whetstone. He didn't even look up when the three entered.

"Look around, call me if you see anything you like."

Lin Yue glanced around at the weapons in the display case and shook his head slightly.

Although these weapons are well-made, they are made of ordinary materials, mostly common alloys. They are fine for dealing with ordinary people, but against star beasts or high-level martial arts practitioners, they would probably be broken in one move.

"I don't need to, you two take a look," Lin Yue declined.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuanwu became interested and said:

"Is there a better weapon?"

The burly man put down his short knife and stood up: "Please come in."

The three followed the burly man through a door and into the inner room.

The inner room was much smaller than the outer room, but the weapons on display were clearly of a higher quality.

Each item is placed individually in a transparent display box, with information such as material, weight, and price labeled next to it.

Zhou Yuanwu's gaze swept over the weapons, and he suddenly stopped.

In the display case in front of him lay a long, pure white silver sword.

The blade is long and slender, with a pale blue sheen at the edge, and an unidentified blue gemstone is inlaid at the hilt.

"This one is called 'Frost Moon.' Its main material is the sharp teeth of a fourth-tier star beast, the Frost Giant Wolf, mixed with a certain proportion of meteorite iron," the burly man explained.

"Weighing seventy-eight pounds, its sharpness reaches grade A, and it has an additional armor-piercing effect against star beasts."

"How much?"

"Three million two hundred thousand."

Zhou Yuanwu gasped in shock: "Three million two hundred thousand? For a single knife?"

The burly man glanced at him and said, "Young man, this is already a very reasonable price."

"You should know the market price of materials for fourth-tier star beasts. Just that Frost Giant Wolf's fang alone would sell for over two million."

"Too expensive, too expensive!" Zhou Yuanwu shook his head repeatedly.

Lin Yue didn't speak, shifting his gaze from Shuangyue and continuing to walk inside.

The burly man was right; the price was indeed not outrageous.

But for Lin Yue, this knife was not suitable for him.

Seventy-eight pounds, that's too light.

The long-handled sword he commissioned weighed 130 jin (approximately 65 kg), and only when combined with his strength and martial arts techniques could it unleash its maximum destructive power.

Although this Frost Moon sword is very sharp, it is not heavy enough, and it feels light in his hands.

Lin Yue wandered around the inner room but couldn't find a weapon he liked. However, he did take a fancy to something else.

It was a black metal box placed in the corner, its surface covered with fine patterns that looked like some kind of array markings.

"What is this?" Lin Yue asked, pointing to the metal box.

The burly man followed his finger and looked over, his expression becoming more serious: "Young man, you have a good eye. This is a small gravity training device."

"A gravity training device?" Zhou Yuanwu leaned closer, curiously examining the box.

"The principle is simple—by creating a high-gravity area through an array, training under the pressure of gravity can more efficiently improve physical fitness," the burly man explained.

"The device is adjustable from 1 to 5 times gravity, covers a circular area with a diameter of two meters, and has a maximum duration of four hours."

"How much?" Lin Yue asked.

"Three million eight hundred thousand."

Upon hearing this number, even Jing Ruoyi frowned slightly.

Three million eight hundred thousand Blue Star Coins is not an outrageous price for a gravity cultivation device.

Products of the same specifications on the market are generally priced around five million.

But for a high school student, this is an astronomical sum.

"Lin Yue, you don't really want to buy it, do you?" Zhou Yuanwu noticed something was off about Lin Yue's expression.

Lin Yue did not answer, but walked to the metal box, squatted down and examined it carefully.

The array markings on the box are very fine, and the workmanship is excellent.

He opened the lid, revealing a flat metal panel with a small control screen in the center.

Lin Yue pressed the switch, and the control panel lit up, displaying the current parameter settings.

He took a deep breath and stepped onto the metal panel.

"Buzz—"

A deep sound rang out, and Lin Yue felt his body suddenly sink.

One times the gravity.

It wasn't very noticeable, just a little heavier.

Lin Yue adjusted the parameters on the control panel.

Twice the gravity.

My body feels noticeably heavier, but it's still within a manageable range.

Three times the force of gravity.

Lin Yue's breathing became heavier, and his muscles tensed involuntarily.

Four times gravity.

His knees were slightly bent, and his spine made a soft cracking sound.

Five times the force of gravity.

Lin Yue's face showed a hint of strain, but he hadn't reached his limit.

He stood under five times gravity for a full ten seconds before reaching out to turn off the device.

The moment gravity disappeared, Lin Yue felt his body become light and airy, as if he were about to fly away.

"Good stuff." Lin Yue stepped down from the metal panel.

Lin Yue tested the gravity device and found it to be even better than the gravity device in the Starry Sky Martial Hall's A-level training room.

Moreover, practicing at home offers greater privacy and freedom.

Lin Yue was somewhat tempted.

Zhou Yuanwu was dumbfounded: "You...you don't really want to buy it, do you?"

"Um."

"Three million eight hundred thousand, brother!"

"I know."

Lin Yue turned on the bracelet and glanced at the account balance.

With the remaining nine million or so, he now has just enough cash on hand to buy the device, and still has a considerable amount left over.

But once this money is spent, his savings will be cut by almost half.

Is it worth it?

Of course it's worth it.

In martial arts training, talent is relied upon in the early stages, resources in the middle stages, and character in the later stages.

Gravity training devices are the kind of resource that money can't always buy.

Although there are many similar products on the market, their quality varies greatly. A well-made and perfectly maintained machine like the one in front of you is a rare find.

Moreover, Lin Yue's physical strength has now reached a bottleneck.

Ordinary medicinal baths and weight training are having less and less effect on his improvement.

He needs stronger stimulation and a more extreme training environment to continue breaking through.

"I'll take this device." Lin Yue turned to look at the burly man.

The burly man raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly not expecting this seemingly young boy to be so decisive.

Cash or bank transfer?

"Transfer money."

"make a deal."

The burly man took out a tablet from behind the counter and brought up the payment code.

Lin Yue scanned the QR code to pay, and 3.8 million Blue Star Coins were transferred from his account.

The whole process was smooth and efficient, leaving Zhou Yuanwu dumbfounded.

"You...you bought it already?" Zhou Yuanwu felt like he was dreaming.

"Otherwise what? Do we need to pick an auspicious day?" Lin Yue retorted.

Zhou Yuanwu felt like the sky had fallen.

Three million eight hundred thousand, spent it without batting an eye.

Either they're rich, or they really know what they want.

Judging from Lin Yue's performance, it is clearly the latter.

"Young man, the device is a bit heavy. Shall I call a car to take it back for you?" The burly man's attitude was noticeably more enthusiastic, after all, he was a big customer.

"This is troublesome."

The burly man arranged for someone to load the gravity device onto the car, and Lin Yue left his home address so that they could deliver it directly to his apartment building.

When the three of them came out of the weapon-making workshop, it was already dark.

The lights of the martial arts materials market in Handong Province have come on, neon lights are flashing, and there are even more people than during the day.

Many martial arts practitioners have to train or work during the day, and only have time to go out and shop at night.

Zhou Yuanwu, clutching his bag of medicinal herbs, kept complaining about how much money Lin Yue was spending.

"Three million eight hundred thousand, brother? Have you ever seen that much money in your life?"

"Didn't we just see each other?"

"I didn't mean see it in the account! I meant spend it!"

"I've already seen it; it was just spent."

Zhou Yuanwu was speechless, then turned to Jing Ruoyi: "You need to control him!"

Jing Ruoyi raised an eyebrow: "He's spending his own money, why should I care?"

"You two..." Zhou Yuanwu said with a look of grief and indignation, "Did you two conspire to provoke me?"

As they spoke, the group boarded a semi-floating black government vehicle.

After this sparring match, it's time to head back to Jiangcheng.

Zhou Yuanwu opened the back door and plopped down inside, patting the seat next to him: "Lin Yue, this way."

Jing Ruoyi walked around to the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and did so swiftly and decisively.

The car door closed, the engine emitted a deep hum, the car body rose slightly, and smoothly drove out of the Martial Hall compound.

"Do you think there will be any extra rewards from the provincial government when we go back this time?" Zhou Yuanwu leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and stared at the roof of the car in a daze.

"After all, we got first place in the whole province. This is the first time that Jiang Province's Starry Sky Martial Hall has done so."

"You're overthinking it." Jing Ruo didn't even turn her head.

"Why do you always dampen my enthusiasm?" Zhou Yuanwu grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"This sparring session was just an internal sparring session within our Martial Hall, and we didn't even formally register it as a competition," Lin Yue said.

"It's normal that there's no reward."

Soon, the car became quiet.

The car radio automatically turned on, broadcasting today's news.

"...According to the latest news from this station, at 6:32 this morning, signs of low-level star beast activity were detected again in the suburbs of Jiangcheng City. The local Martial Hall has dispatched a patrol team to handle the situation. As of now, there are no reports of casualties..."

"Here we go again." Zhou Yuanwu sighed. "In the past two weeks alone, there have been more than a dozen reported sightings of star beasts in the news, haven't there?"

"Seventeen," Jing Ruoyi accurately reported the number.

How do you remember it so clearly?

"Because I'm paying attention," Jing Ruoyi said calmly.

"The activity frequency of star beasts is increasing, that's an undeniable fact. Although they are currently only low-level star beasts, if this trend continues..."

Lin Yue frowned slightly.

He first encountered the Star Beast a month ago while cultivating in the park.

Although he killed that star beast, the scene is still fresh in his memory.

Those creatures, not belonging to this world, exuded an aura that instinctively instilled fear in people.

If Jing Ruoyi's judgment is correct, and the activity frequency of the Star Beasts continues to rise, what does that mean?

The front lines may be falling.

Zhou Yuanwu seemed to want to break the awkward silence, and asked again, "Lin Yue, when will your Mo Dao arrive?"

"The day after tomorrow," Lin Yue said, snapping out of his reverie. "I'll have someone send it to the school, and I'll pick it up when I have my martial arts class."

"You must let me try it out when the time comes." Zhou Yuanwu's eyes lit up again.

"A Mo Dao weighing over a hundred pounds, I've never handled such a heavy weapon before."

"With your strength, you might hurt your back before you even get a chance to swing the knife," Jing Ruoyi added, a rare and sarcastic remark.

"Are you kidding me?"

"I have the physique of a late-stage Martial Artist. What's a hundred-pound sword to me? Give me two hundred pounds and I'll swing it just as easily!"

Lin Yue's bracelet vibrated again.

Lin Yue opened his eyes and glanced at the screen.

It was a message from Chen Fang:

"The knife has been shipped via SF Express's Xingwu Express line. It will arrive tomorrow morning."

It comes with a cheeky emoji.

Lin Yue smiled, replied with an "OK" emoji, then turned off the bracelet and closed his eyes again.

The scenery along the highway changed from the city to the countryside, and then familiar landmarks of the river city gradually appeared.

"We're almost there," the driver said without turning his head.

The official vehicle slowed down, exited the highway ramp, and merged into the traffic flow in Jiangcheng city.

Jiangcheng is not as prosperous as Handong Province. There are fewer high-rise buildings, the streets are wider, and the pace of life is slower.

But for Lin Yue, who had been in Handong Province for several days, seeing the familiar street scenes gave him a sense of peace.

Before getting off the bus, Lin Yue sent a message to his mother to let her know he was safe.

Jingshan Residential Area.

"Beep beep beep~"

A beam of red light swept across Lin Yue's face.

Welcome home!

"My precious son, you're finally back." Lin's mother hugged Lin Yue tightly.

"The food in Handong Province must be terrible, right? You've gotten so thin from hunger."

Lin Yue ate his rice and mumbled a long story about the interesting things that happened in Handong Province to his mother.

"Also, the Palace Master of Handong Province rewarded me with one million Blue Star Coins."

Hearing this, Lin's mother wasn't particularly happy; she felt a little sorry for Lin Yue.

Although she didn't understand what martial arts were, she knew that Lin Yue had worked very hard.

"By the way, Uncle Gu has enlisted in the army again?" Lin Yue asked.

"Yes, he said he was responding to the country's call and enlisted in the army again."

……

After finishing his meal, Lin Yue explained the gravity device to his mother and then prepared to go to school.

Evening self-study.

Jiangcheng Wuke Affiliated Middle School.

Although it's called evening self-study, senior high school students still have classes in the evenings.

"Martial arts emphasizes stability." Li Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, sternly rebuking the students who were not taking their training seriously.

"What does it mean to be steady? Your stance must be steady, your punches must be steady, your breathing must be steady, and your mind must be even more steady."

"Look at yourselves! Your lower body is unstable, your moves are hesitant, you can't even execute a simple lunge punch properly. If you stepped into the ring, you'd be knocked off in three seconds!"

The students didn't dare to breathe.

"Alright, Lin Yue, Xu Beihai, and Qin Jin, step forward. The rest of you, practice diligently."

"yes!"

Led by Li Yuan, the group quickly arrived at Principal Cai Yue's office.

The reason Cai Yue contacted him at this time was simply for one thing: the National Martial Arts Competition.

Upon seeing the group enter, Cai Yue remained silent, simply pushing a document in front of them.

"National Martial Arts Competition - 37th Edition: Participant Handbook"

Cai Yue leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on the table, and his gaze swept over the faces of the group:

"Please sit down."

The group sat down in chairs opposite each other at the desk.

Li Yuan stood to the side, arms crossed, his face expressionless, but his eyes revealed a hint of solemnity.

"You guys should have heard about it by now, right?" Cai Yue asked bluntly.

"The National Martial Arts Tournament next month," Xu Beihai spoke first. "Principal, you mean you want a few of us to participate?"

"right."

He raised his hand and tapped on the document.

"Open it and take a look."

Lin Yue opened the handbook, and the table of contents clearly listed all the information about the competition—group settings, eligibility criteria, competition schedule, awards, etc.

Cai Yue's voice rang out in the quiet office:

"The National Martial Arts Competition, hosted by the Martial Arts Federation, is held every two years and is one of the highest-level martial arts competitions in China."

"This year marks the 37th edition, and the event will be held in Tianjing City."

"The competition is divided into three groups—junior group, youth group, and adult group."

「少年组年龄要求14到16岁，青年组17到20岁，成人组21岁以上。」

"You all meet the requirements for participating in the youth group."

Cai Yue paused for a moment, then continued:

"You can also choose not to participate; it's up to you."

Not participating? Are you kidding me!

All of you here are martial arts practitioners. How could you possibly not participate in such a high-level competition?

"I'll participate."

Lin Yue was almost the first to speak.

Xu Beihai followed closely behind, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "I'll participate too."

Qin Jin didn't rush to express his opinion, but instead looked up at Cai Yue, as if confirming something.

Cai Yue nodded slightly, and Qin Jin said in a deep voice, "Count me in."

Li Yuan stood to the side, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his lips.

"Very good." Cai Yue withdrew his gaze, his tone still indifferent. "Since you are all willing to go, then prepare well."

"Li Yuan, tomorrow you should take them to the Jiang Province Martial Arts Hall to register for the National Martial Arts Competition."

"Yes."

……