Chapter 38: Promotion Match (Seek Follows)

Lin Qi came alone to Room 503, the Martial Arts Chamber.

It had originally belonged to another student, but he dropped out of the top 30 in this month’s exam and lost his Martial Arts Chamber.

He had packed up yesterday, without delaying Lin Qi at all.

The entire Martial Arts Chamber had been cleaned by intelligent robots, emitting a scent of air freshener.

Lin Qi stood inside the chamber; the facilities were identical to Jiang Tao’s.

But now it was his own small space.

In the bathroom, Lin Qi stared at his reflection in the mirror—twenty days had passed since his fusion rate reached 5%.

Increasing the fusion rate had become increasingly difficult, but it was enough for him.

His entire body, inside and out, had undergone a tremendous transformation.

His facial contours had fully opened, becoming sharper, more defined, with rugged lines and smooth, refined skin.

His height had surpassed one meter eighty-five, his frame thick and broad, his shoulders wide.

His arms resembled two giant serpents, veins bulging like steel cables wrapped tight, brimming with explosive power.

His heart beat powerfully, supplying his body with endless strength.

The current Lin Qi stood tall and muscular, radiating a cold, stern aura.

He resembled the legendary Yang Jian more than ever.

After changing into his martial arts uniform, he began taking Blood-Qi tonic. Blood-Qi capsules had been discarded, replaced by Blood-Qi tonic.

“With the monthly exam over, it’s time to change my goal.”

“But first, I need to raise my rank in the Red Realm Arena to Star, and claim the 500,000 CNY prize.”

“Swish, swish~”

“Hiss~”

Lin Qi swung his spear, the spear technique roaring with might, shadows of spears swirling in waves.

……

Evening, outside Chiqiong Martial Arts Hall

“Ding!”

【Your ICBC card ending in xxx has received 30,000 CNY. Balance: 63,128 CNY】

“Qi Ge, the scholarship has arrived—I got 50,000 CNY this time.”

Jiang Tao looked at his phone and smiled.

Lin Qi nodded: “Mine arrived too.”

The 30,000 CNY scholarship was just an appetizer; the talent loans and activity bonuses were the real key.

“Let’s go. The event ends at midnight.”

“Alright!”

The two entered Chiqiong Martial Arts Hall and saw Guo Heng scrolling through videos in the lobby.

“Let’s go. No sparring today—head straight to the virtual room for matches.”

“You two seize the opportunity. Less than four hours remain until midnight.”

“So many people are here matching. Everyone’s rushing for Star rank. If I hadn’t reserved three spots in advance, there’d be none left.”

Guo Heng said, leading the two toward the virtual rooms.

“Thanks so much, Ah Heng!” Jiang Tao expressed his gratitude—they hadn’t thought of this at all.

“By the way, what’s your ranking in Tianhai City this month?” Guo Heng asked curiously as they walked.

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao didn’t hide it—they told him.

“288th and 100th? Not bad. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you two.” Guo Heng laughed.

“What about you, Ah Heng?” Jiang Tao asked back.

Guo Heng smiled, clearly proud:

“I’m fifth in my grade at No. 1 High, and 14th in Tianhai City.”

“14th in Tianhai?!”

Lin Qi was startled. He exchanged a glance with Jiang Tao—both saw the surprise. That was even higher than Yu Jing, the second-place student in their school!

No wonder he was a genius from No. 1 High—his strength was truly formidable. And there were still four students at No. 1 High stronger than him.

Compared to that, Tianhai No. 2 High’s overall strength was clearly weak.

As they chatted, the three entered the virtual room. Countless people came and went; the crowd was dense, filled with murmurs and voices.

Only after entering did they realize how many more people were inside.

“Ah Heng, you finally showed up!”

“You hoarded three spots—people are already complaining.”

Three people approached: two men and one woman. One of them teased.

Lin Qi looked at them and recognized one—a curly-haired man called “My Great Sword,” his first opponent in the Red Realm Arena.

He’d left a strong impression. How strong was he now?

The speaker was a broad-shouldered, muscular man with thick, dark arms and rugged features.

Guo Heng shrugged: “So what? I paid for them. And it’s only been ten minutes.”

The woman beside him, slender and elegantly dressed, noticed Lin Qi and Jiang Tao and asked curiously:

“Aren’t you going to introduce these two friends?”

“Lin Qi, Jiang Tao—from No. 2 High. My new friends.”

“Lü Xiang, Wu Feng, Qiu Siying—classmates of mine from No. 1 High.”

Guo Heng gave a brief introduction.

“Hello!” Jiang Tao greeted cheerfully. Lin Qi nodded.

“No. 2 High?!” Wu Feng’s expression changed; he frowned.

Qiu Siying shook her head and laughed: “Ah Heng, you’ve got us as friends and still go out of your way to befriend No. 2 High kids?”

“That hurts.”

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao felt an odd discomfort—they felt looked down upon.

Lü Xiang said nothing, but stared at Lin Qi, frowning. He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

“Enough chit-chat.”

“Lin Qi, Jiang Tao, let’s go.”

Guo Heng didn’t waste words—he led them away immediately.

The three reached a corner where three virtual pods stood unused.

“Match quickly. Get to Star rank,” Guo Heng urged.

He stepped into a pod first. “Let’s go!”

“Alright!”

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao followed without delay, entering the pods and logging into the Red Realm.

Nearby, Wu Feng and the others watched Lin Qi and Jiang Tao enter the pods.

“Those two from No. 2 High actually became friends with the aloof Guo Heng? Could they have something special?” Wu Feng wondered.

"Besides the famous Axe Bear, Ji Ying, and Sword Sparrow, they're nothing special," Qiu Siying scoffed.

“True!”

“Ah Heng’s always making friends. Probably just met them,” Wu Feng agreed.

“Stop talking. Get into your pods.”

“You’ve been hoarding spots too long—others are getting annoyed,” Lü Xiang urged.

“I know, don’t rush me!”

!

……

【Yang Jian, welcome to the Arena: Red Realm!】

Lin Qi heard the synthetic voice and stood in his personal space, summoning his personal panel.

【Nickname: Yang Jian】

【Rank: Elite】

【Win Rate: 92%】

【Points: 142】

……

Lin Qi pondered—he currently had 142 points. He needed just 8 more to reach Star rank.

That meant at least three more wins.

As long as he didn’t lose, he’d make it in time.

Thinking this, he selected “Begin Matching.”

【Beginning match!】

Two minutes later, Lin Qi appeared suddenly on an empty arena.

Opposite him, another figure materialized—a man in blue combat gear.

He studied his opponent: black attire, black mask, black spear—radiating an aura of dread.

"Brother, you've got some sharp gear."

He greeted aloud.

What he got in return was silence from the other side.

"Ignoring me?"

The blue-clad boy grew annoyed: "Want to play cold? You picked the wrong guy."

"I hate guys like you who act all tough!"

【3, 2, 1】

【BATTLE START!】

As the electronic female voice announced the start, the battle commenced.

Two figures shot forward like lightning, colliding in midair—wind howled, sparks flew.

…

One minute later

"CLANG~~"

"What the hell!!"

The blue-clad man swung his battle blade, retreating as he fought, frantically parrying the gunfire.

"Who the hell is this guy? His gunning is insane—I can't block it at all!"

The blue-clad boy felt cursed—he’d been matched against a top player.

"Puff~"

A glint of spear tip flashed before his eyes; the next instant, pain pierced his chest.

The spear pierced his chest in an instant—he was dead.

"Brother, you're awesome!"

With those words, the blue-clad boy helplessly collapsed into nothingness.

【Yang Jian, congratulations on your victory!】

【Points +3】

【Points: 145】

Lin Qi returned to his personal space, saw his points, and didn’t stop.

"Match me again!"

…

Half an hour later

【Yang Jian, congratulations on your victory!】

【Points +3】

【Points: 148】

"Phew~"

"Just one more match left!"

In his personal space, Lin Qi stared at the screen—he needed two more points; one more win would secure his promotion.

"According to Guo Heng, this match is called the Promotion Match—the system always assigns powerful opponents."

"Even the opponent might be playing for promotion—only the stronger one succeeds."

"Match me again!"

Lin Qi’s gaze turned serious; he waited in silence.

…

(End of Chapter)