Chapter 803: Rank Classification

PS: It's the Gaokao today, so I won't be using anti-theft measures. I hope my readers get some rest early.

Main Text:

"There's such a thing?"

Charles was stunned.

He only knew that antiques had spirits and would choose their own owners, but he had never heard of an antique causing trouble like this.

As for an antique that even several burly men couldn't pin down while it jumped around, that sounded even more fantastical.

However, Miss Luo Quan had long since witnessed similar scenes.

Jumping around was nothing; Xiao Yu had flown thousands of kilometers from the capital to Shanghai in a single night, and its battle with Da Hei had even created crop circles that shocked the internet.

If the Fleur-de-lis Armor really threw a tantrum with all its might, it was estimated that the roof would be blown off.

It was likely out of respect for the Bonaparte family's century of collection and maintenance that it didn't resort to extreme measures, merely heating up to make Adrien retreat in the face of difficulty.

But since Adrien didn't choose to be graceful, the Fleur-de-lis Armor had no choice but to help them be graceful.

It is worth mentioning that the French government had paid a considerable price to bring the Fleur-de-lis Armor back from the UK in the first place.

Yet, the Bonaparte family had obtained this set of armor relying solely on the face of their own ancestors.

After all, at the time, no one knew that the value of these antiques would become so significant.

In short, the Fleur-de-lis Armor remembered a bit of the old sentiment, only spinning near the ceiling of the room, remaining relatively restrained.

The Bonaparte family also understood that they could no longer possess this treasure, so they had no choice but to call the grandfather and granddaughter over to discuss how to exchange it.

Interestingly, no one knew who leaked the news, but it caused half the nobles in London to come over to watch the spectacle.

Prince Charles had nothing to do, so he came over with a few old friends, meeting Charles on the way, and the two greeted each other warmly.

To be fair, this prince was likely the one with the most complicated feelings right now.

On one hand, he wanted the British side to win and obtain priority usage of the Shroud for his mother to use first.

On the other hand, he was afraid that his mother's health was too robust and she would outlive him; after all, he was already 73, and any minor injury or illness would likely be dangerous.

So, don't be fooled by the smile on Prince Charles's face; his heart was likely in turmoil.

Staying in Buckingham Palace was just adding to his troubles, so he simply came out to find some fun.

The Bonaparte family had brought quite a few people this time, renting a large mansion in the west of London, and they intended to make a big splash in this competition and rake in a fortune.

Everyone in Europe knew that the Bonaparte family had gained huge benefits from the Notre-Dame de Paris fire case.

Although the case was solved and all antiques were returned.

But who knew how many of the returned antiques were real and how many were fake?

In this case, the authorities were almost openly shielding the Bonaparte family; how many of those experts doing the appraisals were lying through their teeth?

That was something only they themselves knew.

In short, the Bonaparte family was full of ambition this time, not only recruiting experts but also placing heavy bets, showing a momentum to restore the glory of France.

Of course, the items currently put up as bets were all small objects, not particularly precious.

Heavyweight treasures like the Golden Scepter of the Sun King Louis XIV, Napoleon's sword, and the crown of Pepin the Short were all held tightly in their hands.

Joan of Arc's Fleur-de-lis Armor also belonged to the same level of treasure, but today, this treasure had a major problem.

A servant of the Bonaparte family said that this treasure was flying in the sky as if it had grown wings.

When a large group of onlookers arrived at the scene, they discovered it was actually true.

The silver-white Fleur-de-lis Armor was spinning at high speed, orbiting the large crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

Several brave souls jumped up to grab it, but quickly threw the armor away as if they had touched a hot potato.

"What is going on with you?"

Prince Charles asked Adrien beside him, his hands tucked in his sleeves.

Adrien shook his head helplessly: "I don't know, it was perfectly fine before, it only became like this after returning from Charles's place."

"That's likely because the treasure has recognized a new owner and is thinking about how to negotiate terms with Charles," Prince Charles saw it quite clearly.

It was mainly because he had seen a similar situation a few days ago and understood what was going on.

"But who would be willing to exchange such a treasure?"

Adrien's expression gradually turned ugly.

Aveline had been eliminated in the first match today, and the antiques he had bet on were gone forever; now, the Fleur-de-lis Armor had to be thrown in too. What did they come to London for?

To do charity work in the countryside?

Thinking of this, the usually steady Adrien couldn't help but feel his mentality cracking.

Just as they were chatting, the people from the Albert family arrived.

There were only two of them, Charles in front and Miss Luo Quan behind, the grandfather and granddaughter looking aggressive.

It was hard not to be aggressive; Miss Luo Quan's momentum was truly top-tier right now. After the match in the morning, the calls for her to win the championship were rising daily, and she was even tacitly assumed by fans to be the champion, while everyone else was just competing for second place.

Therefore, even if Miss Luo Quan walked over with a kind face, others would still feel she was in high spirits.

The funny thing was, just as Miss Luo Quan reached the entrance of the hall, the armor spinning on the ceiling immediately flew toward her, then braked sharply just before colliding, and landed gently in her hands.

"Adrien, it seems this armor has found its true owner," Prince Charles laughed out loud.

"It appears so," Adrien curled his lips, but found he couldn't laugh at all.

That look of mourning made the group of people nearby laugh with schadenfreude.

"How about this, you name a price, and I'll use my Albert family's antiques to trade with you."

Charles didn't intend to take advantage of Adrien; after all, they would see each other often, and there was no need to ruin his family's good reputation over one antique.

"Uncle Charles, I can't make the decision on this alone, I have to ask my father," Adrien said, then went into the inner room to make a call.

Taking advantage of this free time, Charles chatted with Prince Charles.

"Don't look at my mother being reluctant to use antiques to support your granddaughter; I've taken out all the treasures I have on hand and bet them all on Miss Luo Quan winning the championship. If she wins, I can earn at least fifteen antiques!"

Prince Charles smiled and held up a palm to Charles.

"You believe in Miss Luo Quan that much?" Charles asked in surprise.

The prince stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the distant London sky, and replied: "My eye for people is still quite accurate. I have a feeling she will definitely win the championship this time."

"It's a pity my mother is too cautious by nature and still only trusts those attendants she's cultivated for decades. I tried to persuade her for a long time but couldn't move her."

Charles shook his head slightly: "Human nature; if it were me, I'd probably do the same."

And Miss Luo Quan just listened quietly to the conversation between the two old men, not expressing any opinion.

Hearing that the Queen didn't trust her, Miss Luo Quan actually understood.

After all, she was Chinese, and the Albert family had only been around for a few years; she was different from children like Gao Liang who had been watched by the Queen since they were small.

If it were Gao Liang instead of her, the Queen would definitely bet on her unconditionally, even if she knew she would lose, she would still make a gesture.

As for now, it was definitely about being steady.

However, facts would prove that the Queen had indeed misjudged this time.

It was inevitable that judgment would decline with age.

If she were still as wise and martial as before, she probably wouldn't need the Shroud to extend her life now.

A few minutes later, Adrien walked out of the inner room, a smile reappearing on his face: "My father said that since this Fleur-de-lis Armor has recognized Miss Luo Quan as its owner, then it's gifted to you; no need for any exchange."

Miss Luo Quan looked at her grandfather, not knowing whether to accept it or not.

Free things are often the most expensive.

If this armor wasn't traded for something, it would mean owing someone a favor, and who knew what would be needed to pay it back later.

"Then thank your father for me," the old man nodded slightly, signaling Miss Luo Quan to accept the armor.

Favors or whatever, they were all recorded under the Albert family anyway, and wouldn't have much to do with Miss Luo Quan personally, so the old man didn't hesitate much.

"Thank you, Uncle Adrien," Miss Luo Quan said with her head lowered, putting the Fleur-de-lis Armor into the box.

Prince Charles smiled and said: "Congratulations, the Fleur-de-lis Armor is one of the best defensive gears in Europe. With this armor, the upcoming battles will surely be even easier."

No one expected the head of the Bonaparte family to be so generous, directly gifting this set of armor to someone.

However, considering they had recently made a massive fortune, such behavior was reasonable.

Now the Albert family was in its prime, with the second son integrating real estate in Europe, showing a trend of monopoly.

The eldest son was expanding his territory in the United States, and his business was also booming.

For such a family, if there was an opportunity, one should definitely try to be on good terms with them.

As for Miss Luo Quan, she was now a world-class superstar, and a single word from her could attract the attention of global media.

Moreover, her own martial prowess was ridiculously high, which was a very, very important ability after the arrival of the new era, even harder to come by than money.

Therefore, having determined that the Fleur-de-lis Armor could no longer be used, the head of the Bonaparte family gifting it to Miss Luo Quan was definitely a wise choice.

Bringing the Fleur-de-lis Armor home, Da Hei showed considerable hostility the moment it saw it.

Very normal, after all, one came from the UK and the other from France.

The relationship between these two countries back then was likely no better than that between China and Japan.

So when enemies meet, they are especially jealous.

However, with Miss Luo Quan there, no matter how red their eyes got, they wouldn't be able to fight.

She pressed one down with each hand, and both treasures calmed down.

For these treasures that recognized a master, the master's will was above everything; if Miss Luo Quan told them to go east, they wouldn't dare go west.

"Get along well. When we return to China, you can also find a pet to transform into."

Miss Luo Quan said to the Fleur-de-lis Armor with a smile.

And the armor flashed with light, replying:

"No pets, just let me turn into a potted plant."

Miss Luo Quan thought about it and felt it was a good idea.

The cat and dog in the room were already noisy enough; if there were one more, it would seem a bit crowded.

But if it were a potted plant, that would be great; it wouldn't take up space and wouldn't easily attract attention, so she nodded at the armor: "Fine, let's do as you say."

The armor trembled slightly, as if it were very happy.

After resolving these matters, Miss Luo Quan opened her phone.

The heat of her winning the first match in the morning had already passed, but it was still on the trending list; it was third before, but now it had dropped to the forties, and it probably wouldn't stay there for long.

Regarding this victory, fans and netizens were not surprised at all.

With her strength, easily advancing was expected; if she had fallen in the first round, that would have been news.

Of course, the way Miss Luo Quan won still caused everyone to tease:

"Miss Luo Quan is too fierce; the way she stripped that contestant's armor reminds me of how I eat crayfish."

"Violent armor stripping, inhumane."

"That young man's heart must have collapsed; being pinned down and stripped of his armor like a little chick."

"Low damage, high insult."

"But I don't know what kind of black technology his armor was; it was quite durable, resisting two of Miss Luo Quan's hits."

"That's why he got stripped; anyway, it's a loss, the fans of those two burly men before lost much more gracefully."

"One thing to say, indeed."

………………

Mocking the loser with the posture of a winner is one of the things many netizens love to do.

Miss Luo Quan originally wanted everyone to maintain respect for the contestants, but her attention was attracted by another matter, so she forgot about this.

On the first trending spot, there was a piece of news with the prefix "Explosive".

"Wu Zhe Ranks Officially Released!"

A million likes, over three hundred thousand comments; the previously announced national-level martial artists also appeared in the comment section.

It turned out that the authorities had conducted a strict and detailed classification of martial artists, namely from the ninth grade to the first grade.

And each grade had its own name, from low to high: Yin-Yuan Realm, Dong-Ming Realm, Yao-Guang Realm, Kai-Yang Realm, Yu-Heng Realm, Tian-Quan Realm, Tian-Ji Realm, Tian-Xuan Realm, Tian-Shu Realm. (PS: This isn't the author talking nonsense; it's news just released recently, authentic!)

This ranking is named after the Big Dipper stars, seven visible and two hidden, one star per level.

All citizens aged nineteen and over can obtain a martial artist rank by signing up for an exam.

Then, one must stay in that realm for a certain number of years before taking the promotion exam for the next realm.

The Tian-Shu Realm, which is a first-grade martial artist, is the highest level that can be reached through exams.

National-level martial artists above the first grade are called 【True Martial Realm】.

This level cannot be obtained through regular exams; it requires an invitation from relevant departments and can only be obtained after sparring with three True Martial Realm martial artists. Moreover, the annual invitation quota is extremely limited, which can be said to be rare.

After the news about martial artist ranks came out, the entire internet also launched a heated discussion about it.

Martial artist also became the hottest profession at the moment.

Last year, every family was hoping for their children to develop in the entertainment industry.

But now, they have all changed their minds and turned their eyes to the martial arts circle. ===== CHAPTER 804 =====