Chapter 114: Chapter 70: Glorious Official Team Member

Qin Rui didn’t stay long. At a little past four in the afternoon, she got up and took her leave.

Watching the crowd of accounting students buried in their studies, the restlessness stirring in his heart over recent breakthroughs had long since settled.

’In this torrent of the mundane world, isn’t everyone just struggling to chase an uncertain future!’

’The path is long and difficult. The greatest reward is simply making progress, one step at a time.’

Qin Rui’s departure didn’t affect Zhao Rui’s studying.

A week flew by quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of December.

During this time, three more members of the Martial Arts Team successively broke through to Level 8.

This included two freshmen and one sophomore.

The sophomore to break through was Cao Guannan. His foundation was already exceptionally solid, so his breakthrough was expected. It was simply a matter of time.

The freshmen were Luo Min and another newcomer who had largely flown under the radar.

Luo Min’s breakthrough came as no surprise to anyone. After all, she was already incredibly strong; it was only a matter of time.

But the other freshman’s breakthrough was astonishing.

This was because the student usually kept a low profile; he had only just broken through to Level 7 after entering the university.

No one had ever imagined that he would be among the first to break through to Level 8.

’From Level 7 to Level 8 in just half a year… a clear case of deep accumulation leading to a sudden breakthrough. He’s exceptionally talented!’

Even Wang Zhanshan was rather surprised. He called the student into his office and spoke with him privately for the better part of the day.

As for what they discussed, no one else knew.

In any case, after their conversation, a distinct, inexplicable arrogance was etched on the young man’s face.

At this point, including Wang Dalong and Miao Miaomiao who were already Level 8, four freshmen had now broken through and qualified for the Provincial University Martial Arts Competition.

Wang Zhanshan decisively announced that these four would become official members of the Dongqi University Martial Arts Team, enjoying a series of benefits including a subsidy from the Court and having their status officially registered.

This decree immediately sent waves through the Martial Arts Team.

The freshmen didn’t have much of a reaction, other than envy at most.

For the sophomores and juniors, however, it was a different story.

They were also Level 8. Some of the juniors had been at Level 8 for nearly a year.

And yet, in all that time, none of them had been granted the title of an official team member.

They had thought that by sticking it out until their junior year, they would finally have a shot.

But in the end, the freshmen had snatched the opportunity right out from under them.

Wang Zhanshan was showing blatant favoritism.

Then there were people like Zhao Rui’s former captain, Wang Zhe. Weren’t they all veteran Level 8 Powerhouses, some even Level 9?

In the past, becoming an official team member required passing all sorts of tests and evaluations.

But for these freshmen, Wang Zhanshan decided their fate with a single sentence.

How could anyone accept that?

The two sophomores were easier to accept; after all, they had only just broken through, so there really wasn’t much to compare.

They had to admit they just weren’t as talented.

If they could earn a spot, that would be great, but if not, they would accept it without complaint.

But the juniors didn’t see it that way. They felt that after so many years of training, their strength was surely greater than these freshman whelps, and it wasn’t as if their own breakthroughs had been late.

By any measure, they should have been the ones chosen as official members.

The more a few of them thought about it, the angrier they became. They ended up conspiring to confront Wang Zhanshan and object to his face.

Wang Zhanshan didn’t put up with it, immediately arranging for those juniors to have a match against Wang Dalong and the others.

Whoever was unconvinced could fight it out.

The news sent the entire team into an uproar. Everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed to the Martial Arts Hall at the Martial Arts Institute.

Zhao Rui was no exception. After hearing the news, he quickly put down his book and headed over to witness the rare clash.

Of the Ten Martial Arts Realms, the first seven are all part of the Inner Realm. In this stage, Inner Qi circulates within the body. Though it has various wondrous effects, it cannot easily leave the body; even if it does, its power is extremely weak.

It’s incapable of dealing effective damage.

Instead, practitioners mostly augment their punches, kicks, and weapons with Inner Strength to generate formidable power.

Levels 8 through 10 are known as the Gang Qi Realm, comprising the Eighth Level of the Meridian Passage Realm, the Ninth Level of the Truth Storage Realm, and the Tenth Level of the True Transformation Realm.

The so-called Gang Qi is a Qi Force formed when Inner Qi merges with True Qi and is projected outside the body.

At Level 8, martial arts training transitions from an internal to an external focus. The practitioner’s Meridians are completely unobstructed and their acupoints thrum with energy, enabling them to draw out their Inner Qi and merge it with the Innate True Qi in the world around them.

This forms Gang Qi that can be projected from the body, capable of injuring enemies from a distance.

While Level 9 and Level 10 each have their own distinctions, the fundamental difference lies in the concentration of the Innate True Qi.

A different concentration naturally means a different level of power.

When all the Inner Qi in one’s body has been completely converted into Innate True Qi, the Grandmaster Realm is within reach.

Reaching Level 8 grants one all sorts of incredible abilities. And while this power might not yet be immense, it represents a world of difference from the Inner Realm cultivation of Level 7.

Watching Level 8 masters face off, one could definitely learn a great deal. This would be a huge help for dealing with Level 8 Powerhouses in the future.

Inside the Martial Arts Institute, everyone gathered in the Martial Arts Hall.

From the fourth-year official members to the first-year newcomers, not a single person missed it.

To a large extent, this match would determine the balance of power within the Dongqi Martial Arts Institute for the next two years.

The winner would hold absolute authority.

Zhao Rui ambled over and immediately spotted Miao Miaomiao sitting by herself in a corner on the left side of the Martial Arts Arena, her eyes half-closed as she gazed ahead.

He first went over to say hello to Li Xinran and the others, then nonchalantly walked to a spot two meters from Miao Miaomiao and casually sat down.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep