85: On the day of his debut, he was the center of attention.
At the same time, the City Lord's Manor.
An exquisitely crafted invitation was delivered to Li Qing's residence.
The content of the invitation was simple: inviting him to the Jinling City Central Martial Arena tomorrow to observe the final battle of the selection competition.
The signature was from the City Lord, City Lord.
Li Qing casually placed the invitation on the table and looked out the window.
He could feel that the entire Jinling City was like a volcano about to erupt, with undercurrents surging and a storm brewing.
"Very well, I'll go and see what level the younger generation of Jinling City has reached."
A faint curl appeared at the corner of Li Qing's mouth.
His current strength was far beyond what it had been a month ago.
With a Physical Body at the Peak Body Refining Realm and the power fed back from his Earth Spirit Turtle Clone, he was confident that he could hold his own even against a Martial Artist at the Peak Spirit Transformation Realm.
Of course, all of this was thanks to his hard work!
Clone: Bah! Shameless!
Moreover, he still had his trump card, the Profound Water Divine Thorn within the Yellow Gourd.
"Chen Meng... you should be there too, right?"
That once-familiar figure flashed through Li Qing's mind.
He was curious to see what her expression would be when he appeared before her in a completely new light.
Would it be shock?
Disbelief?
Or... Li Qing shook his head, tossing these stray thoughts from his mind.
Everything in the past was now like smoke and clouds passing before the eyes.
What he needed to do now was to seize every opportunity before him to become stronger and then head toward that broader world.
The Great Xia Martial Selection was his true stage.
Jinling City was merely a small springboard before his ascent.
As the night deepened, the entire Jinling City was immersed in the tranquility that precedes a great battle.
Countless pairs of eyes were looking forward to tomorrow's arrival.
They anticipated a fierce struggle between Dragons and tigers, the rise and collision of Geniuses.
The next day, the sky grew bright.
The Jinling City Central Martial Arena was already packed with people, with no empty seats to be found.
Almost all the prominent figures of Jinling City had gathered here.
Disciples from various martial arts schools occupied the best positions, clearly demarcated, and the air between them was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
On the high viewing platform, the masters of the top ten martial arts schools in Jinling City had all arrived.
The master of Lingxiu Hall, Miss Liu, was dressed in palace attire, her temperament ethereal.
The master of the Jingtao Martial Arts School, Duan Tianba, had a gloomy face, his gaze frequently sweeping toward the empty seats of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School, his eyes filled with heartache and confusion.
It was a pity that his prized Disciple had been crippled by Li Qing.
He was still recovering from his injuries.
Otherwise, there would surely have been a place for his Disciple among them.
He might even have been able to compete for one of those spots!
Would that Bringer of Calamity actually show up today?
The other school masters were also whispering to one another, their discussions focused on nothing more than two things.
First, who among the ten top Geniuses would fight their way out today to claim those two precious spots.
Second, just who was this mysterious "Li Qing" who had been internally selected by the City Lord's Manor?
"Hmph, just a fellow who got lucky. If we're talking about real strength, he probably couldn't even take a single blow from our school's Duan Lang!"
Master Ren of the Baizhang Martial Arts School, a burly man with a fleshy face, said disdainfully.
"You can't say that. To be favored by City Lord Zhuang, he must have some extraordinary qualities."
"I am quite curious how a place like the Iron Bone Martial Arts School could cultivate such a figure."
An old man fanned himself, his eyes flickering.
Opinions varied, but no one could reach a definitive answer.
The name "Li Qing" was like a shroud of mist hanging over everyone's heads.
On the other side of the arena was the contestants' preparation area.
Ten young Martial Artists with powerful auras were making their final adjustments.
They were the Peak of Jinling City's younger generation, each of them a favored child of heaven who had fought their way through the bloodbath of the preliminary rounds.
Qin Shuang of Lingxiu Hall, dressed in white, stood as still as a lotus with her eyes slightly closed, as if all the noise of the outside world had nothing to do with her.
Not far from her, Chen Meng was watching her nervously.
Today, her Senior Sister was her only pillar of support.
"Dong—!"
A melodious chime of a bell rang throughout the venue.
The noisy arena instantly fell silent.
An official from the City Lord's Manor stepped onto the central high platform and announced loudly.
"The final battle of the Jinling City Great Xia Martial Selection spot competition begins now!"
"First, let us welcome the City Lord of Jinling City, Lord City Lord, to observe the battle with our warmest applause!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere of the entire venue was instantly ignited!
Tens of thousands of gazes simultaneously turned toward the most prestigious entrance of the viewing platform.
The City Lord of Jinling, City Lord, emerged, wearing a purple brocade robe embroidered with a Qilin, walking with a vigorous and imposing stride.
He didn't emit any pressure, yet that aura of one long in a high position made everyone feel a sense of awe.
Those present stood up and bowed respectfully.
After all, it was said that the City Lord was very meticulous.
He might not notice those who stood to salute.
But he knew exactly who had not stood up!
"Greetings, Lord City Lord!"
City Lord raised his hand with a smile, signaling for everyone to dispense with the formalities.
His gaze swept across the venue, finally landing on the ten young people in the contestants' area, a hint of approval appearing in his eyes.
However, just as everyone thought he was about to take his seat, he turned sideways and made a "please" gesture toward the passage behind him.
This action left everyone stunned.
Who could it be that would receive such courtesy from City Lord Zhuang?
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of curious, suspicious, and puzzled eyes, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind City Lord.
It was a youth.
A youth who looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.
He wore a simple set of black martial arts attire without any ornate decorations.
Standing about 1.75 meters tall, his figure was as upright as a spear; though not brawny, his exposed arms had smooth lines and were filled with an explosive sense of power.
His skin was a healthy bronze, and his face was handsome but sharp-featured, with a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes as calm as a bottomless cold pool.
He simply followed half a step behind City Lord calmly; facing the gaze of tens of thousands, his expression didn't change in the slightest, as if he were merely strolling in his own backyard.
That unhurried aura of his did not pale in comparison to the City Lord, City Lord, beside him.
"Hiss~"
The martial arts school masters on the viewing platform all gasped in unison the moment they saw the youth's appearance clearly.
They were all experts at the Meridian Opening Realm or above; how sharp were their eyes?
This youth before them!
Peak Body Refining Realm?
"It's him!"
"The youth behind the City Lord... must be that Li Qing!"
"My god, this... this is the Body Refining Realm?"
"How is that possible! How could someone in the Body Refining Realm be invited and internally selected for a spot?"
"There's an inside story! This is definitely someone with connections!"