CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69: SUPPORT WITH GREAT SPIRITUALITY

"By the way, there’s one more thing I need to discuss with you."

Xu Lan stopped Ye Qingzhou who was about to leave: "It’s like this. Xiang Province is planning to establish a mechanism for nurturing new talents in Martial Arts. From now on, every school that passes the evaluation will have a certain number of new talent cultivation slots. Our Linjiang First High School has secured seven slots this time. I’ve already submitted your name, and I hope you can serve as the team captain."

The Dongji Kingdom’s official policy aimed at balancing internal dynamics within the Martial Arts World has long initiated the Martial Arts Star Program, which heavily focuses on cultivating Professional Level Martial Artists from civilian backgrounds to counterbalance the massive Martial Arts Family system.

However, the Martial Arts Star Program is clearly aimed at Professional Level individuals, whereas talents below Professional Level also require nurturing.

Therefore, the nation is now decentralizing resources and power, allowing provinces to intensively support and cultivate local Martial Arts new talents.

Ye Qingzhou glanced at the list.

Leon, Xu Yuebing, and Lu Yifan were all included.

The remaining ones are from the original top five Celestial Kings in Linjiang First High School, including ’Sword, Saber, Fist, Palm, Leg’ with Thunder Blade Miao Yi, Flying Leg Hou Fei, and Cotton Palm Yu Shouping.

Except for Cannon Fist Hee Wenjie, who has transferred to another school, the top five Celestial Kings are basically all there.

"Teacher Xu, I understand the reasoning, but in this list, aside from Senior Lu Yifan and myself, it seems the others don’t really need support?"

Among the remaining five, they’re either from Martial Arts Families or have already joined Martial Arts Schools and become core disciples.

For example, Miao Yi and Yu Shouping are such cases.

Behind Miao Yi is the One-Slash Sect, which is the leading school among the top seven Martial Arts Schools in Linjiang, while Yu Shouping is the inner disciple of the Sect Leader of the Cloud Hand Sect, one of the top seven sects.

The seven sects all have Master Level Martial Artists overseeing them, and they are considered second-tier medium-sized sects in the Dongji Kingdom, each with its own man-made Secret Realm.

Though the strength of second-tier sects is incomparable to first-tier large sects like Three Pure Ones Mountain.

But they are superior further down the line.

The influence and heritage of the seven sects are far stronger than third-tier small sects like White Crane Tower and Spirit Snake Sect, and they at least have a relatively abundant supply of Lower Grade Exotic Treasures.

Seeing Ye Qingzhou’s indignant look, Xu Lan gave him a sideways glance: "What’s wrong, are you dissatisfied?"

Ye Qingzhou shook his head: "I mean, they don’t need support, so why not give all those Exotic Treasures to me instead? I need them more, to prevent waste."

"You sure have some wishful thinking."

Xu Lan couldn’t help but laugh, then took out a sealed brocade box: "Stop coveting what’s in other’s bowls, here, this is your captain’s benefit."

Opening the brocade box, Ye Qingzhou saw a sky-blue fruit, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, with dense, faint white stripes encircling its surface.

Middle Grade Exotic Treasure, Green Fall Fruit!

This is a rare and exotic fruit only found in Lingyun Grotto Heaven, capable of greatly enhancing spiritual power when consumed, with each priced over one million.

It must be said, Xu Lan is indeed generous to Ye Qingzhou.

Green Fall Fruits are allotted only once a year to Linjiang First High School, and even for Professional Level Martial Artists, they’re highly beneficial treasures.

In the previous two years, Green Fall Fruits were exclusively supplied to Miao Yi, but now Xu Lan used his authority to appropriate them and give them to Ye Qingzhou.

What does it mean to have someone in a favorable position within the administration?

This is exactly it.

Feeling the unique primordial Qi waves emitted by the Green Fall Fruit, Ye Qingzhou’s heart produced an instinctive yearning.

With a gentle stroke of his fingertip, the sky-blue peel was sliced open, revealing crystal-clear fruit flesh inside, resembling jelly.

Ye Qingzhou took a hard suck, swallowing all the fruit flesh, with a barely perceptible sweetness unfolding slowly on his taste buds, leaving a fragrant aftertaste, lingering long.

As the fruit flesh of the Green Fall Fruit entered his stomach, an exceedingly pure energy surged straight up to his head.

Boom~

Ye Qingzhou felt his Pineal Gland increasingly heating up, as if his brain entered an overclocked state, with heightened five senses, eyes dazzling brilliantly.

When all anomalies ended, Ye Qingzhou astonishingly realized that his spiritual mind became more solid, capable of performing two self-slashes now instead of one.

Effectively gaining two extra lives!

"This is really something good, thank you, Teacher Xu."

"In a few days, Yingjie Middle School’s Martial Arts representative team will come for a school visit, and there will be a friendship match. You can be the finale, no problem, right?"

"I understand, face comes first, friendship second, right?"

"Haha, things can be done, but shouldn’t be said out loud. Be somewhat reserved, don’t be heavy-handed, after all, they are our brother school within the same city."

Xu Lan still attaches great importance to this exchange event.

Among Linjiang’s three prestigious schools, they are considered brother schools, yet there is competition in various fields. Last year, Yingjie Middle School occupied 7 of the top 10 spots in the city.

Although the first place still came from Linjiang First High School, the third to ninth spots were all Yingjie Middle School students.

With the backing of Martial Arts Families, Yingjie Middle School has relentlessly poached talented students from other schools in recent years, occupying half of the top 20 students in Linjiang City.

Clearly, they plan to challenge the status of the big brother, Linjiang First High School.

As for the second-place Zhicheng Middle School, they’ve already been disregarded by Yingjie.

......

Miao Blade Club members felt indignant upon hearing that the Green Fall Fruit was given to Ye Qingzhou, believing Xu Lan was engaging in personal favoritism and manipulating behind the scenes.

"This is outrageous!"

"It’s going too far!"

"Where is the leader? He hasn’t returned yet?"

"This matter concerns the honor of Miao Blade Club, it must not be settled this way!"

There was heated debate within Miao Blade Club regarding the situation. Their club was originally the leader in Linjiang First High School’s Fighting Center, ranked first for three consecutive years, now facing better welfare benefits ranking behind the Swordsmanship Club, many found it hard to accept such a psychological gap.

While everyone was arguing, a steady figure entered the training hall of Miao Blade Club.

"It’s the leader!"

"Great, the leader is back! Miao Blade Club is saved!"

Miao Yi, standing tall at 1.8 meters, was the original top fighter in the Fighting Center, the "Thunder Blade" in the ’Sword, Saber, Fist, Palm, Leg’ top five Celestial Kings, steadily holding the top spot for three consecutive years.

Having just returned from cultivation in the Thunder Accumulation Mountain Secret Realm, his skills surged dramatically, each breath seemed to echo with thunder in his chest, having reached Thunderous Mastery, the stage of creating thunder with breath.

"Why are you all bickering, what exactly happened?"

"Leader!"

Upon seeing Miao Yi, everyone felt as if they’d found their backbone.

Vice Leader Wang Kai hurriedly stepped forward to explain the causes, detailing Xu Lan taking over as Fighting Center’s director, and the changes in the Exotic Treasures distribution rules.

"I understand, I’ll handle this matter."

Miao Yi’s expression was calm, his gaze steady, yet those familiar with him knew very well that he would not let this rest.