https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-39-Shattered-Gold-Blade-Techniques/13500226/
Chapter 38
Chapter 38 Promotion Match (Please Follow & Read)
Lin Qi arrived alone at Room 503—the Martial Arts Training Hall.
This space had once belonged to another student, but after that classmate dropped out of the top 30 in the Monthly Assessment, they lost their training hall. The previous occupant had packed up yesterday, ensuring no delay for Lin Qi.
The entire hall had been cleaned by maintenance robots, leaving behind a faint scent of air freshener. Standing inside, Lin Qi found the facilities identical to Jiang Tao’s training hall. Yet now, this was his own private domain.
In the bathroom, he studied his reflection. Twenty days had passed since his Fusion Rate reached 5%. Increasing it further would be increasingly difficult, but for him, it was enough.
His transformation—from within and without—had been profound.
His facial structure had fully matured, sharp and defined with chiseled lines. His skin was smooth and flawless. He’d grown to 185 cm, his broad frame supported by a sturdy skeleton and wide shoulders. His arms resembled coiled pythons, veins bulging like steel cables beneath his skin, radiating explosive power. His heart pounded steadily, fueling his body with relentless energy.
Now, Lin Qi stood tall and muscular, exuding a cold, imposing aura. He looked increasingly like the Erlang Deity he remembered.
Changing into his martial arts uniform, he prepared his Vital Energy Elixir. He’d outgrown the Physical Energy Capsules, replacing them with the superior elixir.
“The Monthly Assessment is over. It’s time to set new goals.”
“But first, I need to elevate my Crimson Realm Arena rank to Star and claim the 500,000 Xia Kingdom Currency reward.”
Shwshwshw! Chiiiih!
He swung his long spear, practicing his spear techniques. The air rippled with powerful, sweeping arcs of motion.
...
That evening, outside the Crimson Vault Martial Arts Pavilion:
Beep!
[Your Icbc card ending in xxx has received 30,000 yuan. Balance: 63,128 yuan.]
“Brother Qi, the scholarship’s been deposited. I got 50,000 this time,” Jiang Tao said, checking his phone with a grin.
Lin Qi nodded. “Mine’s in too.”
The 30,000 yuan scholarship was just a warm-up. The real prizes were the Genius Loan and event bonuses.
“Let’s go. The event ends at midnight.”
“Right!”
The two entered the pavilion, finding Guo Heng already there, scrolling through videos in the lobby.
“Let’s skip sparring partners tonight and head straight to the Virtual Chamber for matches,” Guo Heng suggested.
“You two seize the chance—we’ve only got under four hours till midnight. If I hadn’t reserved three pods earlier, we’d never find spots now.”
“Thanks, Ah Heng!” Jiang Tao exclaimed. They hadn’t considered how crowded it would be.
“By the way, what were your Tianhai City rankings in the Monthly Assessment?” Guo Heng asked as they walked.
Lin Qi and Jiang Tao shared their numbers without hesitation.
“288th and 100th? Not bad. I knew you’d make it,” Guo Heng said, smiling.
“What about you?” Jiang Tao countered.
Guo Heng’s lips curled upward smugly. “Grade fifth at No.1 High School. Citywide fourteenth.”
“Fourteenth in Tianhai?!”
Lin Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Tao, both stunned. That placed him above Yu Jing, their school’s second-highest ranked student!
No wonder—he was a prodigy from the elite No.1 High School. And there were still four students stronger than him there.
By comparison, their Tianhai No.2 High School clearly lagged behind.
Chatting, they entered the Virtual Chamber. The room buzzed with activity—crowds of people coming and going, voices overlapping.
Inside, even more users filled the space.
“Finally here, Old Guo?”
“You’ve been hogging three pods. People are already complaining,” a trio approached—two boys and a girl, one of them teasing.
Lin Qi recognized one—the “Curly-Haired Man” with the greatsword, his first opponent in the Crimson Realm Arena. He wondered how strong he’d become.
The speaker was a broad-shouldered, rough-featured boy with thick limbs.
Guo Heng shrugged. “I paid for them. Besides, it’s only been ten minutes.”
A slender, stylish girl noticed Lin Qi and Jiang Tao. “Introduce your friends?”
“Lin Qi and Jiang Tao from Second High School. New friends of mine.”
“Lü Xiang, Wu Feng, Qiu Siying—my classmates at No.1 High School.”
Guo Heng made quick introductions.
“Hey there!” Jiang Tao grinned. Lin Qi simply nodded.
“Second High School?” Wu Feng’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing.
Qiu Siying shook her head, laughing. “Guo Heng, you’ve got us and still seek out Second High School friends? You’ll break our hearts.”
Lin Qi and Jiang Tao felt an unspoken tension. They were being subtly dismissed.
Lü Xiang remained silent, studying Lin Qi with a furrowed brow. Something about him felt familiar.
“Enough chatter,” Guo Heng cut in. “Lin Qi, Jiang Tao—let’s go.”
He led them to a quiet corner where three unused Neural Pods stood.
“Hurry up and match. We need those Star Ranks,” Guo Heng urged, entering a pod first.
“Let’s dive in!”
Lin Qi and Jiang Tao followed without hesitation, logging into the Scarlet Realm.
Nearby, Wu Feng’s group watched them enter.
“Those Second High School guys befriended the proud Guo Heng? Could they be special?” Wu Feng mused.
“Besides the famous Axe Bear, Swift Hawk, and Blade Finch? Not worth mentioning,” Qiu Siying dismissed.
“True,” Wu Feng agreed. “Guo Heng’s sociable. Probably just met them.”
“Enough talk. Let’s get in the pods,” Lü Xiang urged.
“Don’t rush!”
...
[Yang Jian, welcome to the Scarlet Realm Arena!]
Lin Qi stood in his personal space, summoning his status panel:
[Nickname: Yang Jian]
[Rank: Elite]
[Win Rate: 92%]
[Points: 142]
He calculated—142 points. Eight more for Star Rank. At least three wins.
As long as he didn’t lose, he’d make it.
He initiated a match.
Two minutes later, he materialized on an open arena.
Opposite him, a figure emerged—a man in a blue combat suit.
Lin Qi’s opponent wore black armor, a dark mask, and wielded a black longspear, radiating intimidation.
“Brother, nice look you’ve got going,” Lin Qi greeted.
The man remained silent.
“Ignoring me?” The blue-clad fighter scowled. “Try playing cool with someone else. I hate posers like you!”
[3… 2… 1…]
[Arena Match Begins!]
They lunged simultaneously, colliding mid-air with a thunderous clash, sparks flying.
...
One minute later:
Danggg!
“Damn it!!”
The blue-clad fighter parried desperately, retreating with clumsy strikes.
“This guy’s insane! His spear techniques are unstoppable!”
He cursed his luck—matched against a powerhouse.
Pshhh!
A glint of steel pierced his vision. Pain exploded in his chest as the spear skewered him.
“You’re the man, bro!” he sighed before vanishing.
[Yang Jian, Victory Achieved!]
[Points +3]
[Total Points: 145]
Back in his space, Lin Qi didn’t pause.
“Next match!”
...
Half an hour later:
[Yang Jian, Victory Achieved!]
[Points +3]
[Total Points: 148]
“Just one more win,” he exhaled.
According to Guo Heng, this final match—called the Promotion Match—would pit him against a formidable opponent. The system would select a powerful challenger, possibly another contender seeking promotion. Only the stronger would ascend.
He initiated the match, eyes narrowing.
Silence.
Then—
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
