How Do We Play If This Boss Isn't Nerfed?-Chapter 73 - 71: Just Like Coming Home

"Martial Halls are graded based on their organizational structure and the collective strength of their Martial Artists."

"For example, places like Startling Thunder and Black Peak are officially classified as second-tier Martial Halls."

"If they’re even larger, like the Extreme Martial Hall—the biggest in our Ninghai Province—they’re considered first-tier. They have over a hundred thousand recruited Martial Artists."

"Above that are the pinnacle halls that every Martial Artist in the world dreams of joining."

"They’re world-class, super-tier Martial Halls!"

"They’re known as the ’Five Supers’ for short."

"Three of them are overseas."

"And the other two are right here in our Great Xia."

"One is named Kunlun."

"The other is named Xinhuo."

"Both of these major Martial Halls have official government backing."

"The Kunlun Martial Hall has about 1.4 million contracted Martial Artists, each one the cream of the crop."

"The Xinhuo Martial Hall has slightly fewer members, just over 1 million, but it’s by no means weaker. In fact, its top-tier combatants might even surpass those of the Kunlun Martial Hall."

Kunlun, Xinhuo.

Lin Ye silently repeated the two names in his mind.

"Great Xia has over a billion people, but only a tiny fraction of them can get into the Kunlun and Xinhuo Martial Halls."

"Your goal is the Qiming General Star Training Camp, right?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Once you actually secure a top-three position in the provincial tournament—especially if you take first place..."

"Kunlun and Xinhuo will absolutely make you an offer."

"The rookie contracts they offer are the real deal, designed specifically to cultivate geniuses. It’s a direct path to the top."

...

「Three days later.」

Dongjiang City Center Stadium.

This massive, dome-shaped structure, capable of holding tens of thousands of people, was completely sealed off and under heavy guard today.

A promotional video for the Qiming Group and the logo for the current tournament scrolled across the massive, circular screen on the stadium’s dome.

The air was filled with a peculiar smell, a mix of sweat and disinfectant.

Hundreds of young faces gathered here.

They were the top elites from the various Martial Arts High Schools across Dongjiang City, each with a different expression on their face.

The din of discussion, the murmur of coaches’ instructions, and the electric hum of equipment adjustments merged into a buzzing wave that echoed throughout the massive venue.

Lin Ye calmly surveyed his surroundings.

Beside him stood only one person.

Zhang Yuqing.

The two of them were the only contestants representing Dongjiang First Middle School.

Principal Wang Zhengguo and Chen Meng were there to lead them personally.

Lin Ye’s gaze fell on the very center of the stadium.

Hundreds of silvery-white metal pods, brimming with a sci-fi aesthetic, stood there in neat rows.

Each virtual reality device was connected by a web of complex cables, their indicator lights pulsing like a slow breath, giving them a very futuristic look.

"Even though this is an online competition."

"But to ensure fairness, you’ll need to undergo urine and blood tests shortly."

"After that, you’ll enter your assigned virtual devices."

"These devices will connect to a dedicated competition server for ’Peak of Martial Arts.’ You’ll then need to create a temporary character, and its data will be a perfect one-to-one sync with your real body."

"Your weapons and equipment will also need to be scanned in ahead of time."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Yuqing.

Zhang Yuqing nodded and drew an exquisitely crafted rapier from the scabbard on her back.

The blade was long and slender, covered in a flowing, damascus-like pattern. A pale blue Crystal Stone was embedded in the hilt. A single glance was enough to tell it was incredibly expensive.

The sword was named Rain Listening, also the work of a master craftsman from Benzoin.

It cost seven million.

Even more valuable than Jiang Feng’s Black-Scaled Dragon Fang.

Lin Ye, on the other hand, had simply picked up a standard-issue military spear from the logistics department.

It was pitch-black, completely unadorned.

Compared to Zhang Yuqing’s ornate Rain Listening, it looked like industrial scrap.

’But it’s good enough.’

Several distinguished-looking, middle-aged men in formal attire had already taken their seats on the judges’ panel.

Lin Ye was too far away to see clearly.

He could only make out the lead judge standing up and announcing the official start of the competition with a few brief, powerful words.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the stadium ignited!

The teachers leading the teams from each school immediately gathered their students, giving them last-minute tactical briefings and words of encouragement.

Chen Meng’s expression became incredibly serious.

"Remember, this isn’t just an exhibition match!"

"You should treat this as a true mock exam!"

"The competition is divided into two stages."

"In the first stage, all participants will be transported to a highly realistic wilderness, and there’s even a chance it could be a randomly generated Celestial Abyss Rift!"

Celestial Abyss Rift!

Zhang Yuqing’s face paled slightly.

’That was the legendary, terrifying zone that connected to the Alien Race Realm!’

"Your mission is to survive inside for three days."

"You’ll earn points by hunting mutated beasts or weakened members of the Celestial Abyss Race."

"After three days, the top one hundred and twenty-eight students based on points will advance to the second stage: one-on-one duels."

"The tournament expressly forbids participants from fighting each other during this stage. Anyone caught doing so will be immediately disqualified."

"If you two happen to meet in there, try to cooperate. You’re stronger together than you are alone."

At this, a hint of worry crept into his eyes as he looked at Lin Ye.

’He knew Lin Ye’s practical combat skills were impressive, but that was all on a virtual platform.’

’Real mutated beasts and the actual Celestial Abyss Race... their ferocity and strangeness were far beyond what simple data could ever simulate.’

"You can’t grow a mighty tree in a greenhouse."

"Sooner or later, you have to face real bloodshed and combat."

"Do your best!"

That was all he could tell them.

The rest would be up to them.

Soon, staff began guiding the contestants through the final pre-competition inspections.

Urine tests, blood tests.

The process was meticulous, designed to prevent any use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Lin Ye calmly completed all the inspections and walked toward his assigned Virtual Pod.

The pod door slid open, revealing soft inner padding and a complex array of sensors.

He lay down inside.

The cold metal door slowly closed before him.

His vision went dark.

The next second, it felt as if countless gentle streams of data enveloped his entire body.

[Identity verification passed...]

[Relevant data input complete...]

[Teleporting to competition venue...]

When Lin Ye opened his eyes again, a familiar stench—a mixture of rot, blood, and dust—flooded his senses.

He found himself standing on the roof of an abandoned building covered in vines.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but an endless expanse of urban ruins.

Broken overpasses, collapsed skyscrapers, and rust-eaten steel skeletons painted a bleak, post-apocalyptic vista.

The sky was a hazy gray, the sun completely obscured by thick, oppressive clouds that seemed to suffocate the world below.

In the distance, the occasional inhuman, bloodcurdling roar echoed.

For the "greenhouse flowers" seeing such a scene for the first time, it would have been enough to shake them to their core, leaving them utterly at a loss.

But after a flicker of initial shock, the corners of Lin Ye’s mouth slowly curled into a smile.

’And here Chen Meng was, worried I’d be nervous.’

’What a joke.’

’This feels just like coming home!’