https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-314-Defeating-Senior-Brother-Li-Qing/13507411/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-316-Gathering-of-Geniuses-Across-Nations/13507413/
Chapter 315: No Longer the Protagonist
Chapter 315: No Longer the Protagonist (Requesting Monthly Vote)
The freshman class of Azure Firmament Martial Academy was brimming with intense competition.
All regular classes had been suspended to prepare for the upcoming Global Freshman Competition.
After dinner, students from the ten major colleges simultaneously logged into an online meeting. The Azure Firmament Six Colleges were no exception.
Inside the Martial Arts Training Hall of Villa 01, Lin Qi, clad in a black martial arts robe, entered the Sixth Institute’s virtual meeting room.
Projected on the large screen before him was the refined face of Teacher Lu Wei.
“Students, today’s meeting is to introduce the rules and important details of the Global Freshman Competition,” she began.
A massive screen materialized behind her, displaying images and text as she continued, “As the name suggests, this is a colossal event involving all martial arts universities across the Blue Planet’s 96 nations.”
“Twenty smaller nations, however, have withdrawn due to escalating crises,” she paused, her tone grave. “The remaining 76 countries will compete.”
A somber mood settled over the group. The withdrawal of those nations hinted at dire circumstances—small countries on the brink of annihilation by Disaster Beasts had no room for tournaments.
“The competition is divided into two divisions: Eastern and Western,” Lu Wei explained. “Our Xia Kingdom falls under the Eastern Division. The first two days will feature preliminary rounds in both divisions, narrowing down to 1,000 finalists who will then compete globally.”
Her voice sharpened. “Qualifying for the global stage is no easy feat—only 1,000 spots exist!”
Silence fell. The academy alone had nearly 9,000 freshmen. Even if all competed, only one in nine would advance. Factoring in rivals from other institutions like the prestigious Shanyu Martial Academy, the competition was ruthless.
Lin Qi exhaled. Even Azure Firmament’s elite, the cream of every city, faced elimination.
Lu Wei continued, “Don’t lose heart. Only the top 15,000 from the national freshman qualifiers can participate. This week, 5,000 additional spots were filled through reselection, totaling 20,000 Xia Kingdom representatives.”
Gasps echoed. Out of 1.5 million freshmen, only 1.3% had earned a place.
“Even those eliminated in the preliminaries receive a reward of one million Xia Kingdom Coins,” she added, softening the blow.
After brief final remarks, the meeting ended. Moments later, Lin Qi and the other top ten students from each college received a link.
Logging into the Neural Pod’s Scarlet Realm, Lin Qi followed the link to a virtual chamber.
“Buzz!”
Opening his eyes, he found himself in an amphitheater. Around him, students materialized—familiar faces like Jiang Tao, Guo Heng, and Guan Shan, totaling fewer than twenty. Only the academy’s elite qualified for this meeting.
“Brother Qi!” Huo Wanyang, Ao Feng, Duan Chuchu, and the Ruan twins greeted him. Ao Feng and others eyed him warily. News of his defeat of Xiang Long, the Ten Institute’s third-ranked genius, had spread. They were no longer in the same league.
“Ten Institute’s geniuses arrived!” someone murmured, sparking whispers.
At the front, several figures logged in—Ten Institute’s stars. Their presence silenced the room. They surveyed the crowd with quiet arrogance.
“Brother Qi!” Wan Ming waved cheerfully from the front row.
Lin Qi nodded coolly, prompting awe. “He dares to be called brother by Ten Institute’s geniuses!” others marveled.
Soon, counselors joined, including Lu Wei. Teacher Wang, the Ten Institute’s bespectacled mentor, took the floor.
“Welcome! Today, we’ll detail tomorrow’s competition rules,” she announced, projecting a screen filled with data.
“Though your colleges explained the basics, here are the specifics. You’re all top-tier geniuses with a real shot at the 1,000 global spots.”
She paused. “Annually, 43% of Eastern Division qualifiers hail from Xia Kingdom, with Azure Firmament claiming 40% of those—roughly 172 of 430 spots.”
“Minus Ten Institute’s quota, each college averages 17 spots.”
The room tensed. Among the 200 present, 30 would fall short.
No one wanted to be left behind.
(End of Chapter)
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