My Core is the Boss

Chapter 292.1: Made of Gold?

The atmosphere in the training hall was quite good. Most of the people who came to learn martial arts were wealthy second-generation rich kids. While they weren’t at the top of Tianyue City’s hierarchy, they were still second-tier elites. Spending hundreds of thousands to even a million a year on hobbies were nothing for them.

Yes, to them, martial arts was just a hobby. When they got tired, they would simply take a break. People like Qi Yuan, who were so immersed and serious about training, were rare. So, when they heard that Qi Yuan was going to participate in the martial arts tournament, no one found it surprising.

Wang Shiqiao winked at Qi Yuan. "Our martial arts gym also has a few people participating in the tournament. They're different. They're elite seeds."

"What's their best result?" he asked.

Her eyes gleamed with envy. "The best is in the top twenty in Tianyue City. Unfortunately, only the top ten qualify for the national-level martial arts tournament. Still, don't underestimate the top twenty. Even without gene enhancers or firearms, they’d be heroes in ancient times!"

The limits of the natural human body were always admired, especially within their circles.

Qi Yuan remarked, "Looks like the students in our martial arts gym are a bit weak."

Wang Shiqiao was filled with admiration. "Don't let the elite members hear you say that, or they'll come looking for trouble. There's one particularly formidable figure among them. He's considered a big shot even in Tianyue City."

Uninterested, Qi Yuan continued practicing the Mingwu Resonance Fist on his own.

Meanwhile, Wang Shiqiao kept chatting nonstop like a chatterbox, "Xu Tiehua is the strongest in our hall. His Mingwu Resonance Fist has reached the ninth level. Even Senior Brother might not be his match. Not only is he strong, but his family also has powerful connections.

"Did you know? Yesterday, a major figure in Tianyue City died, the Earl Black Crystal. His funeral will be held in a few days. It’s a low-key event with only a select few invited. Every attendee is among Tianyue’s top elites, and Xu Tiehua is one of them!"

Qi Yuan, who had been training, paused for a moment.

Wang Shiqiao asked, "Envious, right?"

The surrounding students all showed looks of envy. Though they were relatively well-off and lived comfortably, they still couldn’t compare to the true elites.

"Xu Tiehua is not like us."

“If he ranks in the top ten in the city-level tournament, his family’s connections will easily get him into the military.”

"We're just drifting through life."

These students were very self-aware. They had no grand ambitions, just passing time. Naturally, they envied hardworking geniuses like Xu Tiehua. Of course, to the martial arts gym staff, these conversations sounded like blatant humblebragging.

The staff earned six to seven thousand a month. To buy a decent home in Tianyue City, they would have to save for twenty or thirty years without spending a cent.

In Qin Yuan Kingdom, the wealth gap was greater than that between humans and dogs. An ordinary person could work their entire life and still live worse than a rich person's pet.

Qi Yuan ignored all of this. His blood began to boil slightly as he kept practicing. Fine beads of sweat appeared across his back, then quickly evaporated. Finally, his Mingwu Resonance Fist broke through to the fourth level.

However, he didn't notice any significant increase in his combat strength. "Hmm... Still just a weakling with a combat power of five."

For an ordinary person, this would be enough to take on one or two thugs of similar size, provided they had no knives.

"So, when I reach the seventh level, I’m basically a certified martial artist?"

Practicing martial arts alone didn't make someone a martial artist. To obtain a martial artist license, one had to meet national standards. These standards, set by the Martial Arts Association, varied across schools and styles. In the case of Mingwu Resonance Fist, one had to reach the seventh level.

The martial artist license functioned much like professional certifications back on Blue Planet. It was necessary to become a martial arts coach or open a martial arts school. The Mingwu Martial Arts Gym had over a hundred students, but only fifteen had obtained it. Though an ordinary person could achieve it in three years of daily training, most simply weren't willing to put in the effort.

Qi Yuan thought to himself, At this rate, I'll get the license in half a month?

After absorbing the essence blood of the mutated sea creature, his martial talent improved significantly. His training speed had also increased. On top of that, he was originally a cultivator. What would take ordinary people one or two years, he could accomplish in half a month. It was perfectly normal for him.

Once he became a true martial artist, he could use secret items to break through further.

"I should probably find time to contact Kuang Huan and ask about those secret items."

To Qi Yuan, this was just a casual game. If there were NPCs to handle tasks, why bother doing them himself?

Time passed quickly. He kept training, completely out of place compared to the other students.

Not far away, Wang Shiqiao sat on a sofa playing with her phone.

At that moment, a woman asked, "Little Qiao, you're not actually interested in that guy, are you?"

Despite her petite and delicate appearance, she had explosive strength. She was one of the few in the hall who had a martial artist license.

Wang Shiqiao glanced at Qi Yuan, who was training seriously, and smiled. "What do you mean interested? Can't I just be friends? Having a handsome guy like that as a friend is good for appearances."

At first, she had indeed been attracted to Qi Yuan's looks. Later, she realized he wasn't like what she had imagined, so she pulled back and treated him as a normal friend. Of course, if one day they drank together, she wouldn't mind if something beyond friendship happened.

The petite woman said with a somewhat superior tone, "It's good you think that way. His family isn't well-off. He's the child of a martyr. Coming to this martial arts gym probably cost all his savings. Look at how serious he is. Unlike you who treat this as a hobby, he's treating it as a career." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Wang Shiqiao laughed. "Xing Yu, didn't expect you to have such a strong sense of class."

The two were close friends and dormmates. Wang Shiqiao came from a relatively well-off family, while Xing Yu's background was average. She was worse off than the others in their dorm and even came from a small town.

Nevertheless, through Wang Shiqiao's connections, Xing Yu had gotten involved with a billionaire and successfully became his official partner. After serving the old man for several years, she had finally reached a turning point. He was about to die, meaning she stood to inherit a large portion of his wealth.

To their former classmates, Xing Yu was already a winner in life. Of course, that didn’t stop Wang Shiqiao from laughing at her for looking down on Qi Yuan.

Instead of getting angry, Xing Yu said calmly, "In the future, I can play with as many men like him as I want."

"Don't tell me that you have fallen for Qi Yuan?" Wang Shiqiao said helplessly. "I feel like he's different. Money probably won't work on him, or I would've already tried!"

Xing Yu said confidently, "In this world, there's no one money can't move. It's just that the amount isn't enough."

"Maybe even the billions you inherit won't move him?"

"What, is he made of gold?" Xing Yu burst out laughing. "Don't tell me he's more expensive than Xu Tiehua?"

At that moment, a well-built middle-aged man walked over, saying cheerfully, "Hey, isn't it a bit rude to talk about people behind their backs? And although I'm not made of gold, I'm worth more than gold!"