147: Chapter 147 A Laughingstock! Forbidden Martial Arts Techniques! The Nemesis of the First Battle!

Instructor Su Qing looked at Lin Qi's excessively calm face and his eyes, which were as still as an ancient well; the surging emotions in her heart eventually dissolved into a soft sigh.

She took back the information.

"Take care of yourself."

After saying that, she turned and left, her figure outlined by the black combat suit merging into the deep night.

She knew that further words were useless.

This youth had a world of his own in his heart—a battlefield that belonged only to him, where no outsider could set foot.

Lin Qi watched her leave, then withdrew his gaze and continued his Cultivation.

The night passed in silence.

...

Early the next morning, when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon this city, which had become incredibly boisterous due to the Prodigy Championship, the official website of the Federal Tournament Organizing Committee updated its information right on time.

[Federal Prodigy Tournament · Eastern Theater Command · Final Registration List Public Notice]

This information was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake, instantly detonating the entire federal internet.

Countless people, whether fans of the contestants or simple onlookers, swarmed to the official website immediately.

Their purpose was surprisingly consistent.

It wasn't to look at the high-and-mighty favorites to win, such as the "Thunder God" Li Pojun, nor was it to find the geniuses from their own cities whom they supported.

They only wanted to see one name.

A name that yesterday, in an extremely farcical manner, had become the focus of the entire Federation.

Lin Qi!

With a mentality of wanting to see a spectacle, people scrolled the long list directly to the very bottom.

Then, they saw it.

Amidst the pile of S-Rank and A-Rank talents shimmering with gold or purple light, amidst the terrifying levels like Lv.40 or Lv.50, and the magnificent data of various rare and hidden classes...

A line of white text, so plain it could be called crude, lay all alone at the end of the list.

It appeared so glaring and so absurd.

[Name: Lin Qi]

[Class: None]

[Rank: LV.1]

[Affiliation: Longya Academy]

"Pfft—!!"

"Hahahahaha! It really is him! He actually signed up!"

"Damn, I'm willing to call him the most courageous contestant of the year! All attributes at 5 and he dares to fight in the Prodigy Championship? Did Liang Jingru give him that courage?"

"Person above, you're insulting him! This isn't called courage, it's called performance art! He's here to be funny!"

"Too ridiculous! I feel my IQ has been challenged like never before! Is Longya Academy crazy? Letting such a mascot compete?"

The entire internet fell into a frenzy once again.

If yesterday's public test had made Lin Qi a joke...

...then today's public list thoroughly nailed that joke to the pillar of historical shame, making him a national "source of joy."

Various parody memes popped up like mushrooms after rain.

Some photoshopped Lin Qi's head onto a baby's body with the caption: "I'm Level 1, I'm super brave!"

Others compared his data with Li Pojun's strength of over fifty thousand, drawing an insurmountable chasm between them with the caption: "The furthest distance in the world."

Lin Qi became famous across the Federation in a way no one had expected.

He became a synonym for shame.

A living textbook for overestimating one's own capabilities.

However, at the center of this storm sweeping the internet, the person involved, mocked by hundreds of millions, was completely unaware.

At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged in an absolutely soundproof underground training room.

This was the top-tier seclusion spot Elder Mo had specifically applied for on his behalf.

He was no longer practicing the [Ghost Shadow Yu Step], nor was he throwing punches.

He just sat quietly with his eyes closed and his breath long and steady.

But if someone could see through his Physical Body, they would see a terrifying sight.

The blood in his body was rushing at a speed far exceeding normal, making a sound like a roaring river!

The liquefied True Qi within his Dantian was being highly compressed and rotated by an invisible force, like a stellar core about to explode!

Lin Qi was attempting to replicate and improve upon a most classic and dangerous explosive forbidden technique from his past life as a Martial Saint.

[Heavenly Demon Disintegration]!

The true original version of [Heavenly Demon Disintegration] used the burning of blood and Qi and the overdrawing of life as a price to exchange for power beyond one's limits.

It was a technique that harmed the enemy but also severely damaged oneself, never to be used unless absolutely necessary.

But now, what Lin Qi wanted to create was an improved version.

He didn't burn his blood and Qi; instead, he used pure True Qi as a catalyst to stimulate the major acupoints throughout his body!

Using True Qi instead of life potential, he would squeeze out two hundred percent of his Physical Body's potential in an extremely short time!

The load this placed on the Physical Body was also terrifyingly large.

If an ordinary Martial Artist dared to do this, their Meridians would likely shatter and they would explode within a single breath.

But Lin Qi's current [Silver Bone] body, having been tempered by earthly demon yin fire, possessed a toughness far beyond the mundane.

He could endure it!

"Whew..."

Lin Qi slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. The moment this breath left his lips, it actually condensed into a white arrow of Qi in the air, lingering for a long time.

He opened his eyes, and a terrifying flash of light flickered deep within his pupils.

With just a preliminary attempt, he felt his strength and speed surge by at least thirty percent out of thin air!

But that wasn't enough.

Lin Qi's brow furrowed slightly.

Through his battle with Li Qingxuan and his understanding of the power systems of this world, he keenly realized a problem.

Purely physical attacks had natural limitations when facing those elusive rule-based abilities.

Such as spatial movement, time deceleration, or elemental shields.

These powers had already exceeded the scope of "martial arts."

To counter them, one had to elevate their perception to another level.

[Martial Intent]!

He had to further strengthen his [Martial Intent] to reach the legendary Realm of [Mind's Eye Clarity]!

At that Realm, what the eyes saw would no longer be the enemy's movements, and what the ears heard would no longer be the enemy's voice.

Instead, one could directly "see" the flow nodes of the opponent's energy and "hear" the budding of the opponent's killing intent!

Prediction!

Predicting all of the enemy's attack methods and intentions before they even made a move!

This mysterious and profound perception was not something that could be obtained through hard practice alone.

It depended on enlightenment.

It relied on a massive amount of life-and-death combat to solidify combat experience into physical instinct!

Lin Qi closed his eyes again.

In his mind, he began to rapidly replay the countless battles he had experienced as a Martial Saint in his previous life, like a movie.

Decisive battles with Sword Immortals above the clouds.

Slaughtering Demon Sovereigns in a sea of blood.

Contending with Gods in the astral Realm.

Those combat memories solidified in the depths of his Soul, those long-forgotten experiences and insights, were being reawakened bit by bit, perfectly merging with his young body.

Outside the training room.

Zhang Wei paced back and forth anxiously, holding a communicator and looking at the unsightly comments on it, his fatty flesh trembling with rage.

But he didn't dare to disturb Lin Qi.

He could only stand guard at the door like a guardian deity.

Suddenly.

His steps stopped.

He pressed his ear cautiously against the heavy alloy door.

He heard it.

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

It wasn't the sound of an impact, nor was it the sound of cultivation.

It was a heartbeat!

Coming from inside the training room, it was Lin Qi's heartbeat!

The sound was heavy and powerful, like the war drums of an ancient battlefield; every beat seemed to carry the momentum of a thousand thunderclaps, making Zhang Wei feel a tightness in his chest and his blood surge!

The anxiety and anger on Zhang Wei's face slowly faded.

It was replaced by a sense of shock and awe from the depths of his Soul.

He suddenly understood.

What was locked behind this door was not some national laughingstock at all.

But an ancient Vicious Beast awakening from its slumber!

It was accumulating power, waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity sufficient to destroy all the rules and ridicule before it!

Just then.

The communicators of all contestants across the Federation emitted a crisp notification sound at the same time.

The public notice period had ended.

The results of the first round of random drawing and matching were officially announced!

Fate seemed to be playing a huge joke.

When Zhang Wei's hand trembled as he clicked on Lin Qi's battle information, he saw a name that made his eyelids twitch wildly.

Lin Qi's first-round opponent was none other than...

A top Genius also surnamed Xiao, also from Kyoto—Xiao Kuangyun!

And his elder brother was the one who, in the previous Prodigy Championship, was hailed as the most promising candidate to win but suffered an unexpected and crushing defeat, never to recover... the "Sword Son" Xiao Aotian!