"None of them are easy to deal with... But, it would be best to have ten more like them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Wei transformed into a shooting star and disappeared into the sky in the blink of an eye.

The Martial Arts Department returned to calm, but the cracked plaque and the two deep, long marks on the ground were still glaringly obvious, like wounds that were still bleeding, a shocking sight.

...

Jingcheng.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the streets and alleys of Jingcheng, where residents bustled about, some leaving get off work, others buying groceries, as always.

But in this seemingly ordinary twilight, there was a great deal of excited discussion.

Some discussed the "exquisite" and "dazzling" beauty, while others spoke of the "divine dragon bringing auspicious omens." Many were also immersed in the grand spectacle of royalty coming to offer their congratulations, unable to extricate themselves from the moment.

All the online criticism vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye, replaced by a chorus of praise.

At this moment, everyone became a staunch supporter of the sinking, and felt proud of it.

The top scholar in the Southwest province!

National Martial Arts Champion!

They didn't care why the term "national martial arts champion" suddenly appeared; all they knew was that the boy who won the title lived in the same city as them.

On the busiest Jingnan Road, more than a dozen commercial screens were playing various scenes filmed by the TV station that day. The focus of the camera kept changing, but it always lingered on the boy standing on the rooftop.

The TV stations that published the malicious middle finger gesture before the sinking at noon had their roofs blown off by the angry crowd and went bankrupt on the spot in a single day.

"These guys are such sycophants!"

At the top edge of the Tower of Babel, Liu Changqing, holding a tablet, browsed through the forum posts and couldn't help but curse.

Shi Dingyan pretended not to notice the undisguised sourness in the words. Seeing that his eighth junior sister, who was silently doing embroidery, did not pay any attention to Liu Changqing, the kind-hearted Shi Dingyan had no choice but to reply.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at this post. It says it was posted by Shen Qian's neighbor. They said they could tell this kid was extraordinary from a young age. While other kids were still playing in the mud, Shen Qian was already quietly training his body in the woods..."

"I feel like I'm going to throw up my dinner from last night!"

"What does a six-year-old know about physical training? With his impoverished family, how can he possibly get enough nutrition?"

Shi Dingyan also chuckled.

"Many opinions naturally cannot withstand close scrutiny, but that's human nature. The more outrageous a post is, the more people will agree with it. What's so surprising about that?"

"That's true." Liu Changqing laughed with a hint of schadenfreude. "Some idiot pointed out the logical flaws in the other side's argument and was instantly torn to shreds by hundreds of people. Luckily, I didn't go... cough cough. Anyway, this forum is quite interesting. I'll have another pastime now."

"Aren't you curious about what so many kings and nobles talk about when they gather together?"

Shi Dingyan smiled.

At that moment, in another direction, a dozen or so princes and nobles were sitting around, receiving hospitality from the Marquis of Jingcheng.

Even if they were not their real persons, as the host, Marquis Jingcheng could not neglect proper etiquette.

Moreover, those who came to offer their congratulations today were the same group of princes and nobles who were on good terms with the Marquis of Jingcheng.

"What else can we say but praise our junior brother in every way possible, so as to build a good relationship for the future?"

Liu Changqing's tone turned sour again, "It seems these people all believe that Junior Brother is destined to become a king or nobleman."

"Do you think it's harder to become the national martial arts champion or to become a king or nobleman?" Shi Dingyan asked with a smile.

“Of course… but it seems like we can’t compare them like that, can we?” Liu Changqing said, frowning.

"That's what they say, but over the past two hundred years, many kings and nobles have emerged, but there has only been one national martial arts champion. They will naturally weigh the pros and cons in their hearts."

Shi Dingyan said leisurely, "At least as long as Junior Brother maintains his momentum, the Mountain and Sea Realm is a sure thing, and becoming a King or Marquis is just around the corner."

"Speaking of which, Senior Brother... hasn't broken through yet?" Liu Changqing suddenly remembered something.

"I don't know, I haven't seen my senior brother for several years either," Shi Dingyan shook his head.

"I don't think so... Damn it, if you think about it that way, I really am the most mediocre of the nine."

Feeling a sudden sense of crisis, Liu Changqing abruptly stood up and walked downstairs.

"What are you going to do?" Shi Dingyan asked, somewhat taken aback.

"I'm going into seclusion at the bottom of the tower. I won't come out until I've reached the Mountain and Sea Realm. In short... I can't let my junior brother really catch up with me!"

Shi Dingyan was both amused and exasperated. His junior brother's true level should still be at the beginner level. Was his sense of crisis coming too early?

But when Shi Dingyan turned around and vaguely saw the figure busy serving tea and water to the princes, he couldn't help but mutter, "Actually, it's really hard to say..."

Thinking about it this way, Shi Dingyan suddenly felt restless and hurriedly left.

Ji Ruoshui, who was still embroidering, looked up blankly, wondering why her two senior brothers had suddenly left one after the other.

But she didn't mind, and quickly turned her attention back to the embroidery in her hands. In her palm, a spirited young man was beginning to take shape...

...

Shen Qian smiled broadly, but he had no words to express his bitterness.

Before he could even properly savor the immense glory of his divine display, he was beckoned by the powerful Gao Yi and taken directly to the top floor of the Tower of Babel to begin fulfilling his duties as a junior.

The national martial arts champion, at this moment, seemed like a servant in a teahouse, diligently moving between the seats, constantly refilling the tea for the distinguished guests.

These kings and nobles before him, though not their true forms, seemed to possess a sense of taste, frequently praising Gao Wenyuan's tea.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!