Chapter 292: Gilded?

The atmosphere in the training room was quite good. Most of the people who came here to learn martial arts were wealthy second-generation rich kids.

In Tianyue City, they weren't the top tier, but they could still be considered part of the second tier. Spending hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan a year on hobbies posed no pressure for them.

For them, martial arts were merely a hobby. If they got tired, they'd take a break. Few people were as dedicated and serious as Qi Yuan.

So, when they heard Qi Yuan wanted to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament, no one was surprised.

They came to Ming Wu Martial Arts Hall for fun, but Qi Yuan... was different.

"Our martial arts hall has a few people participating in the Martial Arts Tournament, but they are different; they are elite seeds," Wang Shiqiao said, winking at Qi Yuan.

"What are their best achievements?" Qi Yuan asked.

"The best achievement was making it into the top twenty in Tianyue City. Unfortunately, only the top ten are eligible to participate in the national Martial Arts Tournament. But don't underestimate the top twenty—without taking gene drugs or using firearms, these top twenty contenders would be considered heroes in the old days!"

Wang Shiqiao spoke with a look of admiration in her eyes.

After all, the natural limits of the human body were always appreciated and were even more sought after in certain circles.

"It seems our martial arts hall's students are a bit weak," Qi Yuan couldn't help but comment.

"Don't let the elite members hear that, or they'll come looking for trouble. Among these elite members, there's one particularly difficult person who is considered a big deal in Tianyue City," Wang Shiqiao warned with a look of admiration.

Qi Yuan wasn't interested in this and continued his practice of the "Ming Wu Resonance Fist."

Wang Shiqiao, however, was a chatterbox who wouldn't stop talking.

"The strongest person in our martial arts hall is named Xu Tiehua. His 'Ming Wu Resonance Fist' has reached the ninth level. Even the senior master might not be his match. He's not only skilled in martial arts but also has significant connections. Do you know that a big shot died in Tianyue City yesterday—the Black Crystal Earl? In a few days, the Black Crystal Earl will be buried, and the funeral will be very low-key, inviting only a select few. Those attending are the absolute top-tier nobility of Tianyue City. And Xu Tiehua... he's qualified to attend the Black Crystal Earl's funeral!"

Qi Yuan, who had been practicing the "Ming Wu Resonance Fist," paused for a moment.

Wang Shiqiao continued, "Envious, aren't you?"

The surrounding students showed expressions of envy in their eyes.

They had some money and were worry-free, but compared to the real nobility of Tianyue City, the gap was still significant.

"Xu Tiehua is different from us."

"If he can make it into the top ten of the city-level Martial Arts Tournament, with his family's connections, he can easily get a job in the military."

"We're just loafers."

These students were quite laid back; for them, life wasn't about pursuing anything in particular—it was just about getting by.

For talented people like Xu Tiehua, who worked hard, they were naturally envious.

Of course, to the staff of the martial arts hall, these conversations seemed a bit pretentious.

These staff members earned six or seven thousand yuan a month, and buying a decent house in Tianyue City would take them twenty or thirty years without spending a penny on anything else.

The gap between the rich and poor in Qin Yuan country was greater than the gap between humans and dogs.

Ordinary people could work hard all their lives, yet their quality of life wouldn't be as good as that of a rich person's dog.

Qi Yuan ignored all this. He continued practicing the "Ming Wu Resonance Fist," and soon his entire body was covered in a light sweat. His body was generating steam, and sweat beads covered his back, only to evaporate and disappear without a trace.

Qi Yuan's practice of the "Ming Wu Resonance Fist" reached the fourth level at this moment.

"Hmm... still just a weakling with a combat strength of five."

Qi Yuan didn't notice any significant improvement in his combat strength. However, for an average person, the power gained from martial arts training could easily help them handle one or two punks of the same weight class—provided the punks weren't armed with knives.

"So, I need to reach at least the seventh level to be considered a certified martial artist?"

Simply practicing a martial arts technique didn't make one a martial artist. To obtain a martial artist certificate, a person needed to meet the requirements set by the government.

These requirements varied depending on the school or martial arts hall and were set by the Martial Arts Association.

For instance, to be recognized as a martial artist in the "Ming Wu Resonance Fist," one had to reach the seventh level to receive a martial artist certificate.

The martial artist certificate functioned similarly to various occupational licenses on Earth. To become a martial arts instructor or open a martial arts hall, one had to have a martial artist certificate.

There were over a hundred students in Ming Wu Martial Arts Hall, but only fifteen had a martial artist certificate.

An average person who trained hard every day could obtain a martial artist certificate in about three years, but many people couldn't be bothered to put in the effort.

"At this rate, I'll be able to get a martial artist certificate in about half a month," Qi Yuan thought.

After consuming the essence blood of the mutated sea monster, Qi Yuan's martial artist potential had increased significantly, allowing him to train faster.

Since he was already a cultivator, what took an ordinary person one or two years to accomplish, he could achieve in half a month—pretty standard, actually.

Once he reached the seventh level and became a true martial artist, Qi Yuan could consume secret items to break through further.

"I guess I should find some time to contact Kuang Huan about those secret items."

For Qi Yuan, this was just a casual game. If there were things an NPC could do for him, why bother doing them himself?

Time passed quickly.

Qi Yuan continued practicing martial arts, which made him stand out among the other students.

Not far away, Wang Shiqiao sat on the sofa, playing with her phone. A female voice suddenly called out, "Xiao Qiao, you're not really interested in that guy, are you?"

The girl was petite and delicate but exuded a strong presence. She was one of the few people in the martial arts hall who had a martial artist certificate.

Wang Shiqiao glanced at Qi Yuan, who was training hard, and smiled. "What do you mean by 'interested'? Can't I just make friends? Having a handsome guy as a friend is good for face."

At first, Wang Shiqiao was attracted to Qi Yuan's looks and had some thoughts about him. But later, she found that Qi Yuan was different from what she imagined and not like her at all. So, she put those thoughts aside and treated him as an ordinary friend.

Of course, if they happened to have a drink together someday, she wouldn't mind if something happened.

"It's good you think that way. He... isn't from a wealthy family; he's a martyr's child. He probably spent all his savings to come to the martial arts hall. Look at how seriously he takes this—he's not just doing this for fun like you are; he treats it as a career," the petite girl said with an air of superiority.

Wang Shiqiao laughed. "Xing Yu, I didn't realize you had such a strong sense of class."

Wang Shiqiao and Xing Yu were close friends and roommates. Wang Shiqiao came from a well-off family, while Xing Yu's family conditions were average, even considered poor compared to the others in their dorm, as she came from a small town.

Through Wang Shiqiao's connections, Xing Yu managed to get involved with a billionaire and successfully became his mistress. After serving the old man for several years, Xing Yu finally tasted the fruits of her labor—the old man was about to die, and she was set to inherit a large portion of his estate.

To the rest of their classmates, Xing Yu seemed like a winner in life. However, when Wang Shiqiao saw how Xing Yu looked down on Qi Yuan, she couldn't help but laugh.

Xing Yu wasn't angry and calmly said, "I could play around with guys like him whenever I want."

"Are you interested in Qi Yuan too?" Wang Shiqiao said, exasperated. "I always felt he was different. Money probably wouldn't work on him. Otherwise, I would've tried it myself!"

"There's no one in this world who can't be swayed by money. It's just that the money isn't enough," Xing Yu said with certainty.

"Maybe even the billions you're about to inherit won't sway him?"

"Is he gilded?" Xing Yu laughed. "Are you saying he's more valuable than Xu Tiehua?"

"Hey, isn't it a bit rude to talk behind people's backs like this? Also, I may not be gilded, but I'm worth more than gold!"

Just then, a cheerful voice interrupted, and a well-built middle-aged man walked over. Although middle-aged, he had a baby face, and underneath his shirt were muscles.

This man was Xu Tiehua.

The number one student in Ming Wu Martial Arts Hall, his strength surpassed even that of the senior master.

Seeing Xu Tiehua, Xing Yu blushed.

The other students also focused their attention on Xu Tiehua.

Some people, upon appearing, naturally became the center of attention.

"Ahem... eavesdropping on young girls' private conversations? Aren't you worried you'll get cursed?" Xing Yu said coquettishly, completely different from her previous demeanor.

Others also greeted Xu Tiehua, but they couldn't help but feel inferior in his presence.

After all, Xu Tiehua was a true aristocrat, someone who could attend the Black Crystal Earl's funeral.

Xu Tiehua greeted everyone and then walked toward Qi Yuan, smiling kindly. "You're Qi Yuan, right? I heard from the second senior brother that you're joining this year's Martial Arts Tournament?"

He had come specifically to see Qi Yuan.

"Yeah," Qi Yuan nodded at Xu Tiehua.

"I didn't expect there would be another participant from our martial arts hall this year. Including you, there are four of us from our hall. With four people, in addition to the individual competition, there will be a team competition. If you're free, we can spend some time training together daily to prepare for the Martial Arts Tournament!"

Xu Tiehua extended an earnest invitation.

The team competition required not only individual strength but also strategy. The order in which the four members competed and the roles they played were crucial.

That's why Xu Tiehua wanted to invite Qi Yuan to familiarize himself with the other team members.

Qi Yuan shook his head and declined directly, "There's still three months before the competition; it's too early. We can coordinate a few days before the event. For now, I'm focused on increasing my strength."

At the moment, Qi Yuan's "Ming Wu Resonance Fist" was only at the fourth level, still a few levels away from being considered a martial artist. S~eaʀᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He needed to enhance his strength quickly. For the first Martial Arts Tournament, he aimed to win.

Xu Tiehua was slightly taken aback by Qi Yuan's words, but then he smiled and said, "You're right; improving your strength is most important. Well then, come find me when you feel ready."

Xu Tiehua was easygoing and considerate of Qi Yuan. If it had been anyone else, they might have gotten angry after being refused by Qi Yuan.

"Alright," Qi Yuan nodded.

Xu Tiehua didn't say much more. He bid farewell to Qi Yuan and left the martial arts hall.

Wang Shiqiao watched this scene and winked at Qi Yuan. "Why did you turn down Young Master Xu? You just joined the martial arts hall, and in the individual competition... well, you're likely to be knocked out in the first round. Why not prepare well with them for the team competition? Xu Tiehua is strong; you might be able to last a few more rounds and gain some experience."

Wang Shiqiao's words reflected the general opinion.

Qi Yuan had just joined the martial arts hall and wasn't even a certified martial artist. Entering the Martial Arts Tournament seemed like he was just giving away a spot.

"My goal is to win the Martial Arts Tournament. As for the team competition... we'll see," Qi Yuan replied truthfully.

"You..." Wang Shiqiao rolled her eyes. "At your level, win the tournament? If you win, I'll eat your shit!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan gave Wang Shiqiao a calm look. "You're quite calculative, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Wang Shiqiao was confused.

"How often do you come across such an easy way to get free food and drink?"

"Get lost!" Wang Shiqiao cursed, realizing what Qi Yuan meant.

As night fell, people in the martial arts hall began to leave one by one.

Wang Shiqiao bid farewell to Qi Yuan and left with Xing Yu.

Qi Yuan exited the martial arts hall, looking relaxed.

"Mr. Qi... what a coincidence, running into you here!"

From beside the road, a car window rolled down, revealing a pair of lotus-white hands waving at Qi Yuan.

Inside the car, a beautiful young face appeared, her eyes filled with joy.

"Oh, it's you... Wu Qi?" Qi Yuan recognized the person in the car and remained calm.

"Mr. Qi, are you heading home? I happen to be going in the same direction. Why don't I give you a ride?" Wu Qi offered. Even though she was trying to act calm, it was clear she wasn't quite herself.

Yesterday, on the cruise, Qi Yuan had left a deep impression on her.

As a rational person, she knew what she was after. After encountering such an aristocrat, she was naturally unwilling to let go.

Just in time, a friend of hers mentioned seeing an incredibly handsome student at Ming Wu Martial Arts Hall and even sent her a photo.

She immediately recognized him as Qi Yuan.

She felt it was a sign from heaven, a stroke of luck.

Without hesitation, she drove over to run into him by chance.

Qi Yuan smiled slightly. "You don't even know where I live; how could it be on your way?"

Wu Qi blushed, feeling a bit flustered.

Then she heard Qi Yuan say,

"As an NPC, today you can be my driver."

Happy to save a bit on fare, Qi Yuan was quite pleased.

He said this as he got into Wu Qi's car.

Wu Qi's face lit up with joy, and her heart started racing.

"If I were to tell you right now that I'm not interested in you and don't want anything intimate to happen, would you think I'm full of myself?" Sitting in the car, Qi Yuan thought of something and chuckled.

After all, his statement was quite typical of a self-important guy with an overbearing attitude.

Wu Qi was taken aback, a wave of deep disappointment washing over her.

Still, she forced a smile. "Mr. Qi, you're joking."

"Do you know why I got in your car?" Qi Yuan asked suddenly.

Wu Qi looked confused. She hadn't expected Qi Yuan to ask that.

Why?

She was baffled.

"Because you're... special."

Qi Yuan's eyes seemed to pierce through Wu Qi's body, focusing on her very blood.

Wu Qi felt uncomfortable under that gaze, as if her clothes were stripped away, leaving her exposed in front of Qi Yuan.