"What competition?" Jiangtao’s eyes lit up. He had the same thought as Lin Qi.
Guo Heng placed his phone on the table, and a document was projected in front of them.
"It was posted on the official website of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo to ignite the competitive spirit of Xia Country’s geniuses."
"Every year, during the second semester of senior year, they hold a Genius Tournament. This is the fifth one."
"The Genius Tournament?" The group was confused.
"Only geniuses at the Bright Moon Rank are qualified to participate in the tournament."
"The entire competition will last for nearly two months. Rounds are held at set intervals, and every genius who advances to the next round will receive a reward."
"It ends once the final top 16 masters are determined, and each of them will receive an extremely generous reward."
Guo Heng briefly explained the tournament’s format.
Jiangtao’s eyes shone after reading through it. "This competition is awesome! You get a reward for every single round you advance."
"So what’s the reward for making it to the top 16?" he asked curiously.
Guo Heng shook his head. "The rewards for the top 16 are kept confidential every year. Only the recipients themselves know what they are."
Qiu Siying spoke up. "The fact that it’s confidential means the rewards are incredibly valuable. If it were just Xia Country Coins, the amount would have been leaked long ago."
"The fact that no one talks about it is just more proof of how precious the prizes are."
The others heard this and agreed it made sense.
Lin Qi’s heart stirred. He, too, felt a growing curiosity and longing for the top 16’s rewards.
"When does the Genius Tournament start?" Lv Xiang asked.
Guo Heng replied, "The first three rounds will be held next weekend in the evening. I expect an official announcement will go out to everyone online tomorrow or the day after."
"Everyone should go back and hone their Martial Arts. Let’s all strive to pass as many rounds as we can and grab some more rewards," Lin Qi said finally.
The others nodded, the tournament having reignited their fighting spirit.
...
The next day, every genius who had reached the Bright Moon Rank received a text message notification.
The official website also posted a public notice, sending shockwaves through the community.
Those who hadn’t received a text hurried their efforts to rank up, while the promise of rewards ignited the fighting spirit of countless other geniuses.
"One of those top 16 rewards has my name on it," one ambitious genius declared.
"I’m dying to know what the rewards are. I’ll just go ahead and claim one of the spots. Anyone who gets matched with me... well, all I can say is, you’re out of luck," someone else laughed.
"The Red List is boring. Fighting in a tournament is much more interesting," said another, who was only interested in the battles themselves.
"In this tournament, I’ll make every genius in Xia Country remember my name," Chen Li said with a confident smile in his Martial Arts Room.
...
「That afternoon, in Martial Arts Room 503.」
Dressed in a black Martial Arts Uniform, Lin Qi downed two vials of Energy Potion in a row.
In just a few moments, the jar of Red Blood Ointment was empty.
Shaking his head, Lin Qi took out a new jar of Red Blood Ointment and scooped out more.
He didn’t stop until he had used a fifth of the new jar and felt the familiar, searing heat spread through his body. Only then did he get up and assume a fighting stance.
’The effects of the Energy Potion are weakening, and I’m burning through the Red Blood Ointment faster and faster.’
Lin Qi analyzed the situation in his head.
When he first started using Red Blood Ointment, the effects had been significant.
But as his Qi and Blood Value continued to rise and his physique grew stronger...
...the effect of the Red Blood Ointment grew progressively weaker, forcing him to use larger and larger amounts.
At first, one jar would last him a week; now, it only lasted for two days.
That meant he was going through 15 jars a month.
However, the resources provided by the dojo only amounted to 12 jars, worth 600,000 Xia Country Coins, which was already the maximum they could give him.
The effects of the Energy Potion were diminishing as well.
Compared to practicing his Source Energy Skill, the boost he got from potions was significantly reduced.
’It’s time to upgrade my resources!’
Lin Qi made his decision.
...
「Evening. Red Dome Supermarket.」
Lin Qi and Jiangtao walked in. They had come to purchase more resources.
"Brother Qi, after breaking through to the Second Realm, it’s so hard to raise your Qi and Blood Value with just ordinary resources!" Jiangtao lamented, shaking his head.
After the battle at Wanda Plaza, once he had recovered, he too had successfully broken through to the Second Realm.
"So, we need to buy more resources!" Jiangtao said earnestly.
"I spent more than half my savings after buying that Source Energy Skill. Good thing I just had nearly two million deposited into my account, or I’d be broke again."
Lin Qi nodded. Jiangtao had purchased the *Vajra Ape Evolution Technique*. Since it was a Cultivation Technique from the Chongming Martial Arts Dojo, it cost 1.5 times the standard price.
Luckily, Jiangtao had also been upgraded to an A-level Contract; otherwise, he really wouldn’t have had enough money on him.
"Let’s go."
The two of them entered the supermarket and began to select their resources.
Lin Qi walked quickly toward the back of the store. The Qi and Blood Capsules and Energy Potions displayed near the entrance were no longer very effective for him.
’The High Level Energy Potions aren’t cutting it. I need a stronger potion.’
Lost in thought, Lin Qi arrived in front of a row of shelves. There weren’t many potions stocked here, and they were clearly purchased by very few people.
Lin Qi’s gaze settled on one of them.
It was a small, white, gourd-shaped container, only about the size of his pinky finger.
[Item: Qi and Blood Pill]
[Effect: Enhances the effect of Qi and Blood tempering on the physical body.]
[Price: 250,000 Xia Country Coins/pill]
Lin Qi’s eyes lit up when he saw it. This was the new resource he needed.
Although this pill wasn’t meant to be taken daily like an Energy Potion, one pill every few days would be more than enough to have a major impact on his body’s tempering.
Combined with Energy Potions and Red Blood Ointment, the boost to his improvement would be substantial.
But the price was also genuinely steep—a shocking 250,000 Xia Country Coins for a single pill.
He took four bottles, then went on to purchase a large quantity of High Level Energy Potions, Stimulant Potions, aromatherapy scents, and other items.
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Qi arrived at the self-checkout counter.
BEEP!
"Your purchase total is 2,100,000 Xia Country Coins. With your 25% discount, the new total is 1,575,000 Xia Country Coins. Do you wish to pay?"
BEEP!
"Payment successful. Please come again!"
Lin Qi calmly paid. The man in line behind him overheard the 25% discount and his eyes went wide.
"A 25% discount? Is he an A-level genius?"
"Hey, you’re Lin Qi, aren’t you? I’ve seen you on TV!"
His eyes lit up, and he stopped Lin Qi to ask for a photo together.
"Lin Qi, could you write a short message for my daughter? She’s a big fan of yours," the man asked expectantly.
Lin Qi smiled. "Of course, no problem!"
He took out a pen and wrote a nice message. His handwriting was neat and stylish, causing the man to sigh in admiration—the kid was handsome, and even his handwriting was handsome.
"Thank you!"
The man left with a smile, and Lin Qi smiled as well.
’My first time feeling like a celebrity,’ he thought. ’It’s not bad at all.’
After that little interruption, Jiangtao also finished paying, and the two of them returned to their Martial Arts Room together.
...
「That night.」
「Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo, Room B123.」
WHOOSH...
Lin Qi, who had been sitting cross-legged, stood up. After stretching his body a little, he took the small white gourd-shaped container from his backpack, opened the cap, and poured out the Qi and Blood Pill inside.
The Qi and Blood Pill was only the size of a marble. It was a completely unremarkable, dark brown color and gave off an unpleasant smell.
Lin Qi popped it into his mouth, crushed it between his teeth, and swallowed.
His brow furrowed deeply. The taste was truly nauseating, making it difficult to swallow.
After finally getting it down, he took an Energy Potion and applied the Red Blood Ointment.
He stood up and took a deep breath as his body gradually grew hot. This time felt different; it was as if he were on fire, both inside and out.
Today, he was going to find out just what kind of effect a single 250,000-coin Qi and Blood Pill could have.
...