Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

“Martial artists are also human. If they want to transcend the world and live without worldly concerns, then they are not martial artists, but legendary immortals.” Dong Qianlun sighed, “Humans are a race that cannot live alone outside of a group.”

However... there was one question that Dong Qianlun went through in his mind, but he didn't ask it aloud.

His family was considered a powerful clan in the Seven Luminaries, but they were far from knowing Ying Qin Guan's true identity. However, he had vaguely heard some details about the Ju Qiu Ming incident. And he had clearly seen the relationship between the two during the previous exchange competition.

Therefore, he did not ask Fu Feihan why he used to fight because he was happy, but now he fights for money.

There are many things in this world that money can't do, but there are even more things that money can do. Even those things that money can't do can make things simpler, more convenient, and even more relaxed for the person involved.

Dong Qianlun was thinking about many things when suddenly, Fu Feihan in front of him stopped.

Dong Qianlun suddenly came to his senses, stopped in his tracks, and suppressed his inner energy, making no sound.

“There’s someone there,” Fu Feihan said in a low voice. “It’s roughly in the southeast corner. I can only see a blurry outline. Can you confirm it?”

Dong Qianlun remained completely silent. He put on his glasses and checked again. There was indeed a blurry, human-shaped red outline in the distance. There were some obstructions between them, so the other party shouldn't have seen them yet. However, while the perspective was excellent, it also made it difficult to judge the exact distance between them.

Zheng—

The sound of swords being drawn came from the side. Fu Feihan silently bent down and whispered, "Are you ready?"

"Don't ask such stupid questions." Dong Qianlun also bent down, secretly circulating his inner energy, and stared into the distance.

"As a martial artist, how can you be unprepared? You must be ready to fight at any time."

Fu Fei coldly asked, "Just like life?"

Dong Qianlun didn't even turn his head.

"What do you mean 'like'? It is exactly like that."

Chapter Twenty: Sword Cultivation

"You really have a lot of free time..."

As a randomly spawning hidden NPC, you never know where you'll encounter Nocturne... One day in early May, Ying Qin Guan left the board game arcade, intending to visit Jiu Yi who was practicing martial arts, but ended up meeting Nocturne admiring the autumn leaves in the Red Maple Forest of the Imperial Court.

The maple forest at the Imperial Academy is one of its signature attractions; normally, these trees only turn red in autumn. But after a series of biochemical modifications by the students of the Imperial Academy, they're red for four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or even ten months a year. It looks like they'll be working year-round from now on. I wonder what those alchemy guys are doing all day long. Ying Qin Guan and the God of War were already close to saving the world at their age, but these guys are spending their days researching these things.

This place is considered one of the romantic spots in the Imperial College, and many couples like to come here to show off their love. In addition, students from the arts department often come here to take pictures and sketch, and Nocturne also often comes here to drink tea.

When Ying Qin Guan met Ye Qu in the Red Maple Forest, he suddenly remembered that his two weapons were still in a semi-crippled state. Ye Qu had recently demonstrated her powerful connections, so Ying Qin Guan thought that maybe she knew some skilled craftsmen who could repair the two weapons... Thus, the opening greeting came about.

"Women are always leisurely," Nocturne said, gently waving her folding fan. "Is Teacher Ying also here to admire the autumn leaves?"

“No, that’s not it…” Ying Qin Guan said, “Do you know any skilled swordsmiths?”

“A skilled swordsmith…” Nocturne repeated, chuckling, “That’s far too little. But the woman has a clue… Teacher Ying wants the sword?”

In modern times, cold weapons are actually in a rather awkward position.

Unlike fantasy and martial arts novels on the market, no weapon can contain a martial artist's inner energy. In other words, inner energy cannot be used to enhance the power of a weapon.

Some people once had the outlandish idea of ​​coating weapons with internal energy to enhance their durability and lethality, but they clearly failed, or rather, no one has ever succeeded. This idea seems simple, but in practice, it's utterly a pipe dream.

First, once internal energy leaves the body and travels a short distance, it becomes uncontrollable by the martial artist. It's unheard of for someone to unleash a burst of energy that twists and turns halfway through; this alone is enough to defeat almost 99% of martial artists. Then there's a small group who possess a large amount of internal energy, capable of continuous output. The problems they face next are...

It consumes a large amount of internal energy to achieve the effect of scraping.

The internal energy release failed to accurately cover the weapon.

When a weapon is swung rapidly, it collides with the internal energy, causing the user to lose a thousand units of energy and then another eight hundred.

When a weapon covered by internal energy collides with an opponent's weapon, it actually consumes the user's own internal energy. So here's the question: the advantage of a sharp weapon is its sharpness, but if it's covered by internal energy, this advantage is lost. So why would I need to cover it with internal energy?

In the Age of Gods, martial artists fought against monsters and alien races, mostly one against many. Each punch required internal energy, and facing dozens or hundreds of monsters would be unbearable. Therefore, most martial artists used weapons. In modern times, however, humans are only enemies, and it's mostly one-on-one combat. The issue of internal energy consumption isn't a major concern, so naturally, most martial artists fight hand-to-hand.

This naturally puts cold weapons in an awkward position.

Given the predicament of cold weapons, the swordsmiths responsible for producing them were naturally in an awkward position as well. It was quite possible that after a lifetime of painstaking forging, the divine weapons they created were inferior to the industrial products produced on the assembly line. Under such circumstances, there were naturally fewer swordsmiths, many skills were lost, and no one was willing to engage in this industry. Even if there were, they were basically like Ji Fa's sword, making decorations rather than swords.

Ying Qin Guan had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. He had been in Qiyao for over two years and had already noticed the scarcity of swordsmiths. But if it was Ye Qu, he felt that the other party might have some connections.

"I have two swords that have been through a battle and are now somewhat worn. I would like to repair them. If that is not possible, I may ask for the swords in return."

Nocturne smiled and said, "It's easy... Teacher Ying suddenly remembered to maintain your weapon, is it in preparation for the future World Martial Arts Tournament?"

Ying Qin Guan guessed correctly. Ye Qu was indeed a hidden mastermind, with many connections. He agreed to the matter immediately without leaving any way out, which showed that the swordsmith's skills were truly outstanding.

"Huh?" Ying Qin Guan scratched the back of his head. "No... I didn't have that plan. It's just preparation for the future."

Nocturne didn't ask any more questions. She closed her fan and said, "Since I happen to have some free time today, I'll accompany Teacher Ying on this trip... Is Teacher Ying's sword kept in the dormitory?"

"Yes."

"Swords should be maintained regularly." Nocturne smiled and said, "Leaving them lying around isn't a good thing... Go back to your dormitory, take your sword and wallet, and go with the woman. Teacher Ying doesn't spend much money on a daily basis, so she should have quite a bit of savings. The woman will ask that craftsman to give you a fair price."

-

Ye Qu was indeed very resourceful. She took Ying Qin Guan to visit the Nineteenth Cultivator. The Seventh Princess was riding a horse at the horse farm, and Ye Qu even gave Ying Qin Guan a lesson. She explained that the kind of horse was called the He Lie Clan Horse, which was once a magical beast that later degenerated into an ordinary animal. However, it still retained some of its magical beast abilities, making it extremely difficult to tame. It is one of the fastest land animals in the world, and if an ordinary person tried to ride it, a strong gust of wind would likely kill them.

When Ying Qin Guan faced Ye Qu, he dared not say, "I already knew that," and could only nod and agree.

Nocturne sought out Nineteen Xiu for help, and they found a retired royal swordsmith. She entrusted Tianfang and Shajue to him, who praised the weapons, but then expressed some regret, noting that while the original swordsmith's technique was excellent, many aspects were too barbaric.

The "barbarity" here actually refers to the fact that the procedures that should have been replaced by machines were instead done manually by Po Xiezi. As a result, they appear less refined, but that's unavoidable; how can humans compare to machines in terms of precision?

The swordsmith accepted the pair of weapons and instructed Ying Qin to come back in half a month to retrieve them.

Half a month...that sounds like plenty of time.

This weapon was naturally not prepared for the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Putting aside whether there were any opponents worthy of this weapon, Ying Qin Guan had no intention of participating. It was just that he suddenly thought of Kui today... as the undisputed strongest, the number one in the world, and the strongest individual in the largest gathering, would he participate?

If he comes to keep the agreement made a year ago, then Ying Qin Guan will have to make some preparations. It's just unknown how he will fight if he comes. Ying Qin Guan specially repaired his weapon. If Kui adopts the attitude of fighting against the Sword Saint, then he will have to pay a price.

Chapter Twenty-One begins!

In mid-May, the students of the Imperial Academy returned to school one after another. The mid-term assignments did not take up too much time; the time-consuming ones were all at the end of the semester.

Fu Feihan and Zhong Hongyu both returned safely. Ying Qin Guan hadn't expected anything to happen to them. Zhong Hongyu's mission was somewhat dangerous, but she was accompanied by a martial arts instructor. As for Fu Feihan, if something had happened to someone with his abilities, then Ying Qin Guan would have to suspect what kind of mission the Imperial Academy was assigning to its students.

These days, Ying Qin Guan, as usual, stayed in the board game arcade playing his own games. Then, some noteworthy news arrived... Under the boss's financial power offensive, the United Nations launched a vote and ultimately passed the proposal for the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

The official announcement states that a preliminary selection will be held from mid-May to early June in the capitals of the three countries: Seven Stars, Ice Lemon, and City of Truth. Those interested can register, pay a registration fee, and undergo a test of their abilities. Those who pass will be considered participants.

After that, the first round of elimination began, with martial artists from the three regions competing against each other. In the end, thirty-two people remained from each region and came to the Seven Luminaries City for the second round of elimination, with eight people advancing to the final twelve.

The remaining twelve players will compete for the championship. Each player will play eleven matches, meaning they will play against everyone else except themselves. Each win earns one point. In case of a tie, the player with the better head-to-head record will be crowned the champion.

—In addition, there may be a revival round mechanism; the specifics will depend on the situation at the time.

The news caused an uproar. Those who were bored and always bickering were ecstatic, eager to watch a hundred matches with popcorn. At the heart of the event, few of the top martial artists could remain calm.

What do martial artists gain from their lives?

Supreme martial arts?

Stop kidding me. This isn't a fantasy world. Living for a hundred or eighty years, spending eighteen hours a day practicing martial arts intensely, except for eating, drinking, and relieving oneself, until death—is that the kind of life a martial artist wants?

So why are they called martial artists, and not martial arts practitioners or cultivators?

"struggle"

The ultimate fate that runs through the entire life of every martial artist.

Everything was obtained through struggle—money, status, fame… In the primordial era, everything was like this: pure violence ruled everything. However, civilization will eventually become civilization, and so many twists and turns occurred along the way. Nowadays, it is difficult to gain anything through violence. Even Darius, a top-tier warrior, is working hard for the City of Truth, hoping to go ashore like the Nephalem and get a high-paying, low-stress, and leisurely job.

And now, all of this can be achieved through this one struggle.

"Number One in the World"

No man can resist the allure of this title, unless he already possesses it.

Of course, there can only be one number one in the world, but the final twelve spots, with each person getting eleven screen time on this show that is bound to be a huge hit... the enormous commercial potential is naturally visible.

Immediately, many martial artists sprang into action, and countless people eagerly awaited the arrival of the great battle. However, there were some exceptions among them.

Inside the board game arcade, Nephalem specifically sought out Ying Qin Guan, feigning concern:

"I said, you really aren't going to participate? Don't you think it's a shame? If I were you, I would definitely participate."

Ying Qin Guan glanced at him and said lazily, "You're right, I think I should think about it some more."

Nephalem's expression changed drastically. Realizing he had gone too far, he began to speak incoherently.

"That's not how it works, Ying Qin Guan. People must follow the choices they make in their hearts. It pains me to see you change your mind just because of a few words from others!"

The Nephalem, being highly competitive, was among the first to learn of this news and had already begun training in secret. Moreover, his strength was indeed astonishing; in a world without any openly recognized masters, only the Ten Commandments and Athosher were considered to be on his level. In other words, in the public eye, the Nephalem was practically guaranteed a spot in the top three, vying for first place.

Now, the Nephalem are also preparing for the upcoming competition, and that preparation is... to see whether Ying Qin Guan will participate or not.

Ying Qin Guan naturally wouldn't participate. If there's anyone in the world who isn't interested in the title of "Number One Under Heaven," it has to be him.

The list of registered martial artists was compiled by busybodies. Established top-tier and first-tier fighters didn't need to take any tests and were automatically accepted. First-tier and strong first-tier fighters also passed without issue. The more troublesome were the weak first-tier and strong second-tier fighters; these two levels might pass or fail. It all depended on luck, as there was more than one tester, some stronger, some weaker, some gentler, and some more ruthless.

As for the weaker ones, such as ordinary second-rate ones, they would need to have a sudden burst of power, encounter a weak tester, and have the other party go easy on them to have a chance of passing the test. This is extremely rare, and even if they pass, they will be eliminated in the first round of elimination.

In early June, the official registration data was released. A total of 289 people successfully registered, which is a rather astonishing number. It can be said that at least 80% of the masters on the mainland participated. On the Imperial Academy side, several people Ying Qin Guan knew, including Jiu Yi, Ji Fa, the gray-haired man, Fu Fei Han, and even the seventy- or eighty-year-old Wu Chang Ying, all chose to register and were approved.

As for the Nephalem and the Jade Serpent, needless to say, there's no reason for them not to sign up. Especially the former, who's genuinely aiming for the championship—a real cunning guy.

But... a nightmarish message arrived, weighing heavily on the heads of all the martial artists.

The alien races of the Investiture of the Gods, and Kui... also got involved.

This was news so heavy it almost took the martial artists' breath away. In everyday arguments about who was the strongest, people would instinctively exclude Kui. There was no need to include him; among all living races and beings, he was undisputed the strongest. His fighting style seemed to exist only in mythology. Yet, someone had actually managed to embody this fighting style.

This is both Kui's strength and his weakness. If a true martial arts master were to participate in the battle, he would undoubtedly be the champion. But with Kui, it's not necessarily the case. He was slashed so badly by the Sword Saint back then. How big was the gap in strength between the Sword Saint and Kui? There was a top-tier super-class expert like Nephalem in between, and peerless masters like Himura Tan's Sakura and Ji Fenming. Back then, Himura Tan's Sakura was already enough to crush the Sword Saint, let alone the even stronger Kui.

Even so, the Sword Saint's sword almost pierced his heart... Judging from the current situation, the other eleven people standing on the final stage are probably no weaker than the Sword Saint back then. Kui's fighting style will inevitably accumulate a lot of injuries, and it is hard to say who will win in the end.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Elimination Rounds

"The swordsmith who forged these swords was a good craftsman, but his tools were not good tools."

The former royal swordsmith of the Seven Luminaries, an old man with white hair but a muscular physique, returned Tianfang and Shajue to Ying Qin Guan, saying with some regret, "He should have done better, and made these weapons even better, but alas... he's from Southern Qin, isn't he?"

Ying Qin Guan was quite surprised to receive the sword and saber.

"how do you know?"

The other party revealed a smug smile and said, "Although the characters engraved on those swords are the common script of the continent, they are written like calligraphy. This script is unique to Southern Qin."