Chapter 84: The Being I Once Looked Up To (Requesting First Subscription and Monthly Votes)

After lunch, Lin Zhen went home to rest.

Lin Qi, meanwhile, went to the virtual room.

“Big Brother Qi!”

In the lounge area, Lin Qi strode in with commanding presence.

“Thud!”

Guo Heng, watching Lin Qi approach, laughed and punched him squarely in the chest.

“You sneaky bastard, you’ve quietly climbed to ninth in Tianhai City!”

“You’re just two spots behind me now.”

“We all underestimated you!”

Guo Heng looked at Lin Qi—his frame broad and towering, his aura cold and intimidating.

He had thought his own progress in this final exam was substantial.

But he never expected Lin Qi and Jiang Tao had quietly caught up.

Who could have guessed that fate was so strange—just over four months ago, he hired two part-timers with such talent?

He still remembered that day: Lin Qi and Jiang Tao, wearing faded uniforms and worn-out sneakers, gazing around with the wide-eyed wonder of newcomers.

Lin Qi’s unique aura had drawn his attention, so he chose him as a sparring partner.

Seeing Lin Qi, Lu Xiang immediately stood up and offered him his seat.

“Big Brother Qi, want some milk tea?”

“Big Brother Qi, want some fruit?”

Lin Qi turned to see Wu Feng handing him a cup of coffee, Qiu Siying offering a plate of fruit, both beaming with warmth.

Their address had changed to “Big Brother Qi.”

It caught Lin Qi off guard.

Jiang Tao smiled beside him, unsurprised.

Once, Lu Xiang, Wu Feng, and Qiu Siying had been cold and aloof toward them.

But after both he and Lin Qi entered Tianhai City’s top nine and eleven, their attitude changed completely.

He himself had been startled by their sudden enthusiasm when he first arrived.

Guo Heng looked at the three eager youths—who could have imagined they were among Tianhai City’s top hundred geniuses?

Lin Qi glanced at Guo Heng, then accepted Wu Feng’s milk tea and drank it.

He ate the freshly washed grapes.

“You don’t need to be so enthusiastic—just be normal.”

“Understood, Big Brother Qi!” Lu Xiang nodded.

“By the way, my sister’s coming back from Cangqiong University for Spring Festival.”

“I’ll introduce you to her when she arrives.”

Guo Heng said suddenly, sipping his milk tea.

At these words, everyone’s attention turned to him.

They knew Guo Yi, Guo Heng’s sister—the genius who awakened a special ability.

“My family was ordinary. Thanks to my sister—she awakened a flame-controlling ability, signed an S-class contract with Chi Qiong, and lifted us out of poverty.”

Lin Qi was deeply curious and wanted to meet her; he felt genuine gratitude toward Guo Heng.

Jiang Tao asked curiously: “Ah Heng, have you ever seen your sister use her flames?”

Guo Heng smirked: “Of course. My sister can unleash flames like a built-in flamethrower.”

“Temperatures reach nearly a thousand degrees!”

“In battle, she can instantly ignite and incinerate an opponent.”

“It’s a dimension-level advantage—even a third-rank martial artist wouldn’t stand a chance.”

The others were silently stunned—awakening a special ability in the early stages of martial cultivation was like cheating.

"By the way, you all need to quickly raise your Yueyue rank—otherwise you won’t make it in a few days," Guo Heng added, changing the topic.

“Since my points broke 900, every opponent I face is a top-tier fighter. Winning one out of three or four matches has become normal.”

“My win rate keeps dropping; earning points is getting harder. I’m not even sure I’ll make it to Yueyue rank by the deadline.”

“That’s normal,” Lin Qi said, recounting the insider info he’d heard from Sun Supervisor.

“No way, that’s insane! We really need to hustle—I’m still over two hundred points short. Gotta work overtime,” Jiang Tao panicked.

Lu Xiang and the other two also felt the pressure.

“Luckily, the martial arts gym added twenty more virtual pods recently—otherwise we might not have gotten a slot these past few days,” Qiu Siying sighed.

They wasted no more time and entered the pods, logging into Chi Jie to begin matching.

In the void of the personal space,

Lin Qi’s figure materialized. He summoned his personal panel.

【Nickname: Yang Jian】

【Rank: Starlight】

【Win Rate: 95%】

【Points: 786】

【Ranking: 45】

… Lin Qi stared at the data and began to think.

Since he’d begun his final exam sprint and moved into the martial arts dorm, he hadn’t logged into Chi Jie.

“Today is January 7th. The Yueyue event ends on January 13th. Lunar New Year’s Eve is the 14th.”

“Time is tight—less than a week left.”

“I need to launch another sprint.”

“The rankings will shift dramatically. With my current rank, I can’t possibly reach Yueyue.”

After setting his goal, Lin Qi selected a match.

【Match Successful!】

On the arena, Lin Qi appeared. His opponent emerged from a beam of light—a tall, handsome boy wielding a blue-and-white long spear.

His face radiated gloom, staring at Lin Qi like prey.

His face radiated a sinister aura, regarding Lin Qi like prey.

【Nickname: Ji Ying】

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow—Yu Jing?

Clearly, match difficulty had risen sharply—random matches now pitted him against opponents like Yu Jing.

He looked at Yu Jing—the genius he had looked up to for two and a half years.

Since freshman year, Yu Jing had been class number one, the envy of countless classmates.

Now surpassed by him, yet matched against him again.

He would end him—with this spear.

“Yang Jian—you’re a strong one!”

“Too bad your luck’s bad. I’m in a bad mood today. Just die already.”

Yu Jing sneered darkly. His defeat in the final exam had piled up immense resentment—he needed to vent.

Chi Jie was the perfect outlet.

Under his mask, Lin Qi smiled.

He understood why Yu Jing was in such a foul mood.

He raised his left hand and extended his middle finger.

Yu Jing roared: “You’re asking for death!”

【Arena Preparation Starting!】

【3, 2, 1…】

【Arena Begins!】

The AI voice announced the start. Yu Jing vanished like a gust of wind, turning into a blur as he lunged forward.

In an instant, he thrust his spear over a dozen times—faster than wind, precise as dripping water.

Droplet Spear Technique!

Lin Qi, like a hunting leopard, stepped forward and unleashed a storm of spear shadows.

Lin Qi, like a cheetah, stepped forward and thrust his spear, filling the sky with speckled shadows.

The two clashed like splashing water—spear tips meeting, sparks flying.

Swift, precise—both masters of speed and accuracy.

In that first exchange, Yu Jing’s expression flickered—he sensed overwhelming lethal intent.

His opponent’s spear speed was terrifying; attacks rained down from all directions, each of his thrusts met and countered.

The opponent’s spear speed was extremely fast, enveloping him from all directions; every thrust he made was deflected.

His nickname, Ji Ying, literally meant “Rapid Eagle”—“Ji” and “Ying” also phonetically matched his name “Jing.”

It symbolized his speed and vision, like an eagle soaring through the sky.

It also symbolized him as a falcon racing through the sky, possessing sharp vision and unmatched speed.

In every battle, he could easily force opponents to expose openings by using his rapid spear techniques to defeat them.

But today, he encountered formidable resistance.

This was a master who used the same Dropping Water Spear Art as him.

His speed was no slower than his, even faster—after just one exchange, he was at a disadvantage.

The opponent’s spear technique had no openings whatsoever.

It left his own position extremely dangerous.

How could this be?

Yu Jing’s face twisted in fury; he swung his great spear, ready to unleash his ultimate technique, when a flash of cold light appeared—before he could react, the spear tip was less than a finger’s width from his throat.

Spring Water Surges!

“Clang~”

He gripped his spear with both hands and blocked horizontally, but the force slammed him backward.

He retreated several steps before regaining his balance.

“No good—I must use my ultimate technique!”

Yu Jing instantly made his decision, activated his ultimate technique, stepped forward to gather power, his arm muscles swelling, veins bulging, his thick wrist snapping violently.

He vibrated the spear shaft at an ultra-fast frequency, creating multiple phantom tips that stabbed toward Lin Qi like a gale.

Dropping Water Spear Art, Second Ultimate Technique—Droplet Shadow Rush!

Seeing this, Lin Qi smirked and activated the same ultimate technique.

……

(End of Chapter)