Chapter 152: Call Him Brother Qi!
Chapter 152: Call Him Brother Qi! (Requesting Monthly Votes)
On the training base plaza, a Skybreaker Craft slowly descended onto the ground.
Zhou Xi Yin, tall and slender in his white combat suit, stepped off first. His handsome face bore a relaxed expression.
Next came Chen Li, gripping his Heavy Sword with a tired posture, his earlier arrogance completely gone like air escaping a balloon.
Last was Lin Qi in black combat gear, holding his bloodstained Black Long Spear with calm demeanor as he disembarked.
After they all landed, Zhou Xi Yin flashed his charming smile and said, "Lin Qi, let's exchange contact info when we get back."
Lin Qi nodded. "Sure thing."
Chen Li raised his hand eagerly. "Add me too!"
After their quick exchange, the three parted ways.
"That's Zhou Xi Yin, Chen Li, and Lin Qi!" someone whispered in astonishment.
Many turned to watch Lin Qi's retreating back with curiosity.
"He's Lin Qi. The bloodstains on him are too strong, his killing intent overwhelming. How many Disaster Beasts has he slaughtered?" one onlooker wondered aloud.
"He must've killed countless Level-3 Disaster Beasts to accumulate that many points", another person speculated.
"Lin Qi has already become Cang Province's number one!"
"Who could have predicted this before?"
Still hearing the crowd's murmurs, Lin Qi entered the locker room.
Sitting on a chair, he finally relaxed, fatigue washing over his body as he opened his Status Panel.
[You engaged in battle with powerful Disaster Beasts, unleashing extraordinary combat power.]
[In fierce combat against the Grayspine Wolf, your mastery of Spear Techniques has significantly improved, Spear Techniques +3%]
[In fierce combat against the Grayspine Wolf, your mastery of Body Techniques has significantly improved, Body Techniques +3%]
[Spear Techniques: Second Stage 41%→44%]
[Body Techniques: Second Stage 28%→31%]
...
While changing out of his combat suit, Lin Qi reviewed the data on his Status Panel. Battling three Grayspine Wolves earlier had indeed been challenging.
They were formidable opponents. Without his innate talent that amplified his combat effectiveness against Disaster Beasts, victory would have been extremely difficult.
The battle had drained him greatly.
Luckily, the outcome was worth it all. He not only claimed the Points Leaderboard's top spot but dominated everyone by an overwhelming margin.
This included Chen Li, the S-Rank Genius from Abyssal Maw Martial Arts Gym.
He successfully proved both his strength and innate talent.
Changing into his regular clothes, Lin Qi placed the bloodied combat suit into a metal box and carefully wiped clean his Black Long Spear.
Clutching his fists tightly, he muttered, "This performance should've slapped the Imperial Capital group hard."
"Does Li Zehao even deserve the title of S-Rank Genius?"
...
Carrying the black metal box, Lin Qi returned to the equipment depot. The male soldier greeted him with a smile:
"Welcome back, Lin Qi!"
"Congratulations on becoming the top scorer of this training exercise!"
"You're welcome!" Lin Qi replied politely.
The soldier accepted the metal box and the Black Long Spear, clearly seeing the deep claw marks on the weapon body. The spear tip had severe wear from countless impacts against tough skin and bone.
Looking at Lin Qi's back, he couldn't help but feel deep respect for the young warrior.
...
"Brother Qi!"
As Lin Qi finished returning his equipment and walked across the plaza, former Tianhai No.2 High School students and even residents from other districts of Tianhai City greeted him enthusiastically.
They called him "Brother Qi" with genuine respect.
"Brother Qi, you're amazing!" Li Zhou smiled broadly when he saw Lin Qi.
His address of Lin Qi had changed from formal to familiar.
Not just him, Lü Xiang, Wu Feng, and Qiu Siying gathered around too.
"Brother Qi, you're incredible!"
"You defeated Zhou Xi Yin, Wang Qiufeng, and Chen Li all in one go! They were Cang Province's top three!"
"How did you do it?"
Guo Heng approached and punched fists with Lin Qi, admiration evident on his face. "From now on, I'll call you Brother Qi too. Such amazing performance, I'm completely convinced."
"I always knew Brother Qi would take first place!" Jiang Tao laughed heartily.
The air was filled with joy and camaraderie.
Few called him "Lin Qi" anymore, but many addressed him as "Brother Qi" - a clear sign of his new status.
Watching Lin Qi bask in the crowd's adoration from a distance, Yu Jing couldn't suppress her jealousy: "How does this kid keep getting stronger? It's just so unfair."
...
Half an hour later.
"Attention everyone!"
Yuan Ji's massive holographic projection appeared on the plaza, drawing everyone's gaze.
"First, let me congratulate everyone on returning safely."
"Many of you successfully killed Disaster Beasts, completing your first practical combat and becoming true Martial Artists."
Hearing these words, many smiled. Defeating Disaster Beasts felt like a spiritual transformation.
In the future, they'd no longer fear facing them.
Yuan Ji's expression suddenly turned serious: "Of course, there's also tragic news."
"Eleven students lost their lives during this practical combat exercise."
"Their families will receive 3 million Xia Kingdom Yuan in compensation."
"Once you walk the path of a Martial Artist, true safety no longer exists."
"May everyone work harder in cultivation to become stronger."
As Yuan Ji finished speaking, many silently mourned their fallen classmates.
Lin Qi did the same. Everyone who chose this path must prepare mentally for the day they might die.
But soon, Yuan Ji continued.
"Now that practical combat training has concluded, it's time for rewards."
"Here are the top 500 students on the current Points Leaderboard - all will receive rewards."
With a wave of his hand, Yuan Ji projected a massive screen displaying the 500-person Leaderboard.
Excited expressions spread among the crowd.
"I made it into the top 300! 200,000 Xia Kingdom Yuan reward!" someone shouted joyfully.
That amount represented a huge sum for him.
"I got into the top 100! The reward is even bigger!" another smiled happily.
"Brother Qi, I got 8th place!" Jiang Tao beamed with pride.
Lin Qi gave him a thumbs-up. "Awesome, Tao!"
Looking at the Points Leaderboard, the top four were himself, Chen Li, Wang Qiufeng, and Zhou Xi Yin.
Guo Heng placed 6th, Jiang Tao 8th, and Li Zhou barely squeezed into 10th place.
Their Tianhai No.2 High School had three students in the province's top ten - huge success!
Zhang Cheng and Principal Jiang Zhiguang must be ecstatic!
Finally, Lin Qi noticed Chen Zichuan. He had performed exceptionally well in this practical training exercise, making it into the top hundred.
...
"Now everyone, return to the transport vehicles and rest well", Yuan Ji concluded.
One by one, students boarded the rumbling vehicles for the return trip.
Lin Qi and his companions sat in their seats, tired yet enthusiastically discussing their practical combat experiences.
Pulling out his phone, Lin Qi found several new messages.
First were messages from Zhang Cheng in their group chat.
[Zhang Cheng: After returning, you might receive invitations from the Imperial Military, Tianhai Martial Institute, and other top schools. Don't be surprised or anxious - respond normally.]
[Zhang Cheng: Especially for students ranked lower, joining the Imperial Military might be a good choice.]
[...]
"Rumor has it the Xia Kingdom's three top martial arts academies and Imperial Military signed an agreement. If you switch to Imperial Military, you won't have to pay breach-of-contract penalties."
"And this practical combat training camp was actually Imperial Military's talent recruitment event", Jiang Tao explained.
"They say Imperial Military offers great conditions too. There are several military schools among the thirty-six martial arts universities."
"Imperial Military seems to value fighting talent and willpower more", Li Zhou added.
"If you perform well enough, you might even obtain precious mystical treasures that can enhance your innate physical abilities."
Lin Qi nodded. For students with lower rankings and modest innate talents, the Imperial Military was indeed an attractive option.
Continuing to check his messages, he saw many from Zhang Cheng.
[Zhang Cheng: Lin Qi, you're amazing! 👍 (image attached)]
[Zhang Cheng: The three top academies and Imperial Military are all asking me for your contact info!]
[Zhang Cheng: I sent them your Weixun. They'll add you, so you can chat directly. Feel free to consult me anytime.]
Zhang Cheng had sent a flurry of messages, clearly very excited.
He also received several "friend requests" on Weixun:
[Azure Firmament Martial Academy], [Minghai Martial Institute], [Shanyu Martial Academy], [Imperial Military], [Tianhai Martial Institute]
All five major organizations wanted to recruit him.
Lin Qi accepted all requests without refusal.
"With my top-tier innate talent, the three elite academies, Imperial Military, and Tianhai University all want me."
"They're very generous when courting top talents - abundant resources and generous financial offers. I'll chat with them first", Lin Qi mused after seeing all his friend requests approved.
Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng waited in his dorm room, beaming with excitement.
Standing up and pacing the room, he laughed, "Ha! Lin Qi's incredible!"
"Taking first place and breaking records - who could've predicted this?"
"Not just Lin Qi, but also Jiang Tao and Li Zhou making the top ten!"
"I'm in for big bonuses now. Principal Jiang better reward me well!"
He couldn't stop smiling.
...
At the United Training Base dormitory.
Room 301, Lin Qi placed several Nutritional Meals on the table.
They were exhausted, their energy reserves completely drained. Compressed rations wouldn't suffice.
Soon, the table was covered with empty meal boxes.
"Gurgle~"
After drinking an Energy Brew, warmth spread through Lin Qi's stomach, his fatigue quickly fading.
"Brother Qi, I've been contacted by the three top academies and Imperial Military", Jiang Tao suddenly said.
"That's normal. They contacted me too."
"I'm heading out for meetings first."
"You should rest first. It'll be your turn soon." Lin Qi nodded.
Jiang Tao understood. Lin Qi's excellence was evident to all. Everyone wanted to recruit him first.
After all, he was currently eighth place, which naturally ranked lower than Lin Qi's first place.
...
(End of Chapter)
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