Chapter 45: The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Three Top Martial Arts Academies (Requesting Follow Reads)

That day, the Tianhai City Martial Arts Education Bureau

Director’s Office

The walls were made of special materials, adjusting the office’s ambient temperature to the optimal state.

In the center, a large desk dominated the space, its surface crafted from specially hardened glass with a built-in projection system.

On the desk sat an ergonomic intelligent chair designed for human ergonomics.

A tall, middle-aged man with a stern and deep-set face sat there, his hair swept sharply backward, radiating vigor.

His sharp eyes scanned the data tables projected before him.

Several of those tables were applications for Genius Loans.

His fingers swiftly swiped across the interface.

“Approved!”

“Rejected!”

Soon he reached the final application, and suddenly frowned.

“Lin Qi from Tianhai No. 2 High, from Old Jiang’s school—he always inflates his rankings.”

The middle-aged man shook his head with a wry smile.

He then opened the file to review the incredibly detailed personal data.

“In just three months, he rose from rank 100 to rank 18 in his grade.”

“This student does have potential, but he still doesn’t qualify for the Top-Grade Genius Loan.”

“Still, he deserves close monitoring—if he breaks into the top ten in the midterm exam, the Top-Grade loan won’t be an issue.” With that thought, he reached his decision.

As Director of the Martial Arts Education Bureau, he had countless tasks to handle daily.

After finishing the Genius Loan reviews, he opened a new document.

“In recent years, Bai Lu City’s martial arts students have surged forward, now matching Tianhai City in strength—and even showing signs of overtaking it.”

“With the Red Realm becoming increasingly integrated into daily life, they’ve begun planning martial arts exchanges within the Red Realm.”

“They’re aggressive, while we in Tianhai City have grown too conservative.”

The middle-aged man shook his head.

…

In the same floor’s office area, Xiao Li was processing documents.

“Ding!”

A projected file opened before him; he tapped to open it.

“It’s a Genius Loan application!”

Xiao Li quickly scanned it—and when he saw Lin Qi had passed the First-Grade Genius Loan review, he broke into a smile.

“Impossible!”

A female colleague nearby cried out in disbelief.

“How could Lin Qi possibly pass the First-Grade Genius Loan review? This has to be fake.”

“Yes, it’s fake—forged!”

“I’m filing a complaint!” The woman’s face turned ashen.

“Don’t be foolish—it was approved by the Director.”

“You’re implying the Director made a mistake?” Xiao Li said smugly.

“This…” The woman’s confidence instantly deflated.

“Don’t underestimate others—maybe they’ll become big figures someday.” Xiao Li felt satisfied after speaking.

The woman’s face darkened; she remained silent.

…

A week passed in a flash.

Martial Arts Classroom

“Bang! Bang!”

Lin Qi extended his arms like a white crane spreading its wings, slashing through the air; his crane claws struck, shaking the air with sharp cracks.

His movements were agile, evasive, shifting between defense and offense with fluid precision.

His body grew warm as streams of blood qi surged into every corner, slowly forging each part.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, yet he felt no fatigue—only an endless tide of power surging forth.

In the midst of intense motion, every muscle was being trained.

Tiger Fist and Crane Fist—he alternated between the two, their radically different methods of force generation feeling strangely wondrous.

Lin Qi understood: each fist style engaged different muscle groups; no single style could effectively train all muscles equally.

Thus, the combined refinement effect of both styles was far superior to either alone.

“Roar~”

After an indeterminate time, scorching blood qi surged into his chest; Lin Qi reached his peak, roaring loudly with a deafening tiger’s bellow.

【Through training, your blood qi has broken through—Blood Qi +0.05】

【By practicing Tiger Fist and Crane Fist, your fist technique proficiency has increased—Fist Technique +1%】

【Blood Qi: 8.4→8.45】【Fist Technique: Stage Two 13%→14%】

…

“Huh~”

Lin Qi stood still, breathing heavily, a wave of exhaustion rising in his chest; his arms trembled, aching fiercely.

He walked to the side, picked up a functional drink, and drank it, glancing at the time.

“Class ends soon—time for dinner.”

…

Evening self-study, still some time before class began

Lin Qi sat at his desk reading; lately, his life had been calm, and he’d fully leveraged the energy tonic and Crane Fist—his daily progress was visibly evident.

He was very satisfied with his current lifestyle.

!

“Hey, have you signed with a martial arts academy yet?”

“The Chongming Martial Arts Academy approached me this afternoon, offered a D-class contract—I thought it was fine, talked it over with my parents, and signed right away.” Someone said.

“Congrats! None of the Big Three academies contacted me—only obscure ones reached out.” A friend sighed quietly.

“Haha, I’ve already signed with Black Glow Martial Arts Academy—a C-class contract!” Someone proudly announced.

“C-class? Pfft—I’ve got a B-class contract,” said a slightly handsome boy, tilting his head proudly.

“No wonder you’re rank ten in the grade. Impressive.”

“Brother Qiu, tell us how you got the contract—what’s in it?”

Envy filled the eyes of those around him.

Qiu Jie grinned: “Alright, listen closely…”

Soon after, the group shifted to other topics.

“Rumor has it, Yu Jing and Qi Yuelin both got B-class contracts, but they’re both pushing for A-class—negotiations are stuck.” Someone whispered suddenly.

“Still not happy with a B-class? Give it to me!” Someone growled with envy.

“An A-class contract? Maybe only Li Zhou in our school qualifies for that,” someone shook his head.

Lin Qi sat quietly, listening to his classmates’ chatter.

Lately, the class atmosphere had grown restless due to academy contract negotiations.

“Qi Ge, have any martial arts academies approached you for a contract?” His desk-mate Jiang Tao leaned in curiously.

The two began whispering.

Lin Qi shook his head: “Yes, but only mid- and small-sized academies—they wanted to talk contracts, but I turned them all down.”

“It’s just the Big Three left—none of them have contacted me yet.”

Jiang Tao comforted him: “Maybe they’ll reach out in a couple days.”

“These past few days, all three Big Three academies contacted me—their offers were similar. Let me explain their differences.”

Lin Qi nodded; he was deeply curious about the Big Three academies’ contracts.

Jiang Tao pulled out a scrap of paper, drew three circles, labeled them with the three academies, and began speaking:

“Chi Qiong, Chongming, and Black Glow—the three top martial arts academies—were all founded by Xia Nation’s Nine-Domain Titleholders.”

“Chi Qiong was founded by the world’s strongest martial artist, Chi Di, so its overall strength is the greatest.”

“It has the deepest roots and the highest standards for geniuses.”

Lin Qi nodded; Chi Qiong’s founding by Chi Di alone drew countless geniuses.

“Chongming Martial Arts Academy, besides being founded by a Nine-Domain martial artist, is backed by massive financial conglomerates—it holds the Xia Nation’s strongest financial power.”

“So Chongming’s contract payouts are the highest—they’re never short on money.”

“As for Black Glow, its payout is similar to Chi Qiong’s, but its requirements for geniuses are the lowest among the three.”

“It’s ideal for those who are average or moderately talented.”

Jiang Tao laid out the key traits of the three academies in one breath.

“For me, the Big Three don’t differ much—it’s just a matter of who shows the most sincerity.”

"Of course, the most important thing is what Qi Ge decides—I'll go to whichever martial arts academy you choose. I'm not in a hurry to sign a contract," Jiang Tao said with a smile.

Lin Qi silently analyzed.

His current situation was complicated—he had talent, but needed time to grow; if the three major martial arts academies judged solely by performance, they might offer him a C-class contract.

Of course, that wasn't unacceptable, since contracts could be upgraded.

So he wanted to see which academy showed greater sincerity.

Thinking this, Lin Qi asked further questions about the terms of the three major martial arts academies’ contracts and the atmosphere during negotiations.

Jiang Tao revealed everything he knew.

……

(End of Chapter)