Linjiang First High School, Fighting Center.
Even though it was after school hours, the place was still bustling with activity.
Due to the emergence of the Grotto Heaven Secret Realm, martial arts were all the rage in the Dongji Kingdom. Young students aspired to become Martial Artists, setting it as their goal. As a result, schools nationwide established Fighting Centers starting from high school, and various martial arts clubs registered in the centers were very popular among students.
Students aspiring to become Martial Artists would eagerly come to the Fighting Center after school to participate in club activities, hoping to grow and gain some practical combat experience.
At Linjiang's Fighting Center, there were quite a few registered clubs—thirty-two to be exact—but only four of them were truly formidable: the Miao Blade Club, Sanshou Club, Swordsmanship Club, and Track and Field Club.
The chiefs of the four major clubs at Linjiang First High School's Fighting Center, along with the second-in-command of the Sanshou Club, all possessed quasi-professional level skills. Their skill levels far surpassed ordinary students, and they were collectively known as the 'Five Celestial Kings of Sword, Saber, Fist, Palm, Leg'.
In terms of club strength rankings, the Miao Blade Club was undoubtedly first, but at today's recruitment event, the Swordsmanship Club had the longest queue.
There was no helping it; the Miao Blade Club may have been strong, but it couldn't compete with the allure of the beauties in the Swordsmanship Club!
At this moment, the Swordsmanship Club's venue was almost packed with students coming to enroll, a sea of people shoulder to shoulder.
Huang Liwen squeezed through the crowd, sweating profusely: "Hey, please make way."
"Don't push!"
"Damn, who's pressing against my butt from behind?"
"Where's the school beauty? I want to see the school beauty!"
The weather was already hot, and the venue became like a steamer with a group of hot-blooded young people crammed together. The mixed smell of evaporating sweat was quite something.
But to catch a glimpse of the school beauty Xu Yuebing, Huang Liwen didn't think this minor difficulty mattered.
Soon enough, with his persistent shoving and squeezing, he finally managed to push through the crowd and stand at the very front of the line.
At this moment, a male and a female were engaging in sword combat in the Martial Arts Arena.
The female was naturally the white moonlight every male student in Linjiang aspired to, the school beauty Xu Yuebing, known by many as the Ice Fairy.
Her skin was delicate and fair, her features exquisite and coldly beautiful, and her figure was first-class, clearly the kind of 'three good' student who had beauty, a good family background, and academic excellence. She was the perfect image of a young lady in everyone's mind.
At this moment, she held a sword in her hand, her techniques swift and fierce, her moves decisive and resolute. Her graceful figure and aesthetically pleasing sword techniques captivated the attending male students to the point of infatuation.
Even among the female students, there were no shortage of her fans, who frequently screamed and cheered.
Huang Liwen eagerly pulled out his phone to capture the moment: "Coming to sign up for the Swordsmanship Club today was the right choice! Ye Qingzhou has no idea what he's missing!"
The male facing Xu Yuebing was the Swordsmanship Club's chief, the second-ranked among the Fighting Center's Five Celestial Kings, a senior in the third year nicknamed 'Flower Sword', Lu Yifan.
Confronted with Xu Yuebing's fierce offensive, Lu Yifan responded calmly. His sword techniques were sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes swift, and at times gentle. In just over ten breaths, he had displayed seven different sword techniques, showing great versatility and unpredictability, which was the origin of his 'Flower Sword' nickname.
Their exchanges were dynamic, their brilliant sword techniques captivating, drawing applause and cheers from the surrounding students.
Huang Liwen was busy recording, but a glance from the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of Ye Qingzhou following behind Xu Lan, walking unhurriedly towards the guest area.
"Damn! That jerk Ye Qingzhou said he wouldn't come for sure! Furthermore, why is he with Teacher Xu and sitting in the guest area? This is so unfair!"
The thought of himself sweating profusely down below while Ye Qingzhou sat leisurely in the guest area sparked intense jealousy in Huang Liwen, almost causing him to metastasize right there.
In the guest area, Ye Qingzhou hadn't noticed Huang Liwen; his gaze was constantly focused on Lu Yifan and Xu Yuebing ever since he entered.
After sitting down, Xu Lan casually asked Ye Qingzhou, seeing his focused attention: "What do you think of their skills?"
Ye Qingzhou, holding his chin, with a youthful face, spoke with an air of authority.
"Xu Yuebing's techniques are swift but lack variety. She's clearly like a flower cultivated in a greenhouse—her swordplay looks good, and her movements are very standard, but she lacks real combat experience. I doubt she could withstand a single strike from me."
"As for Lu Yifan, while his sword techniques are flexible and varied, and he has mastered multiple sword styles, the problem is he's learned too much without specializing. He hasn't carved out a distinctive sword path. To become a true swordsmanship master, the most important thing is to refine learned sword techniques based on one's strengths and characteristics, so they perfectly align with oneself, thereby maximizing one's advantages and strengths. Otherwise, learning more is just a waste of effort."
After a brief contemplation, Ye Qingzhou gave his judgment to Xu Lan: "Hmm... He could probably withstand three strikes from me. Among trash, he's barely recyclable."
"What nonsense!"
"Who are you, daring to cause trouble here?"
"Daring to slander our Chief Lu, you must be looking for a fight!"
In the guest area, before Xu Lan could respond, several seasoned Swordsmanship Club members watching nearby slammed their hands on the table in anger, glaring at Ye Qingzhou.
Were it not for Xu Lan's presence, they would likely have swarmed him to teach him a lesson.
Facing the hostile gazes of the Swordsmanship Club members, Ye Qingzhou remained composed and unmoved: "I am the unrivaled genius Teacher Xu specifically invited to rejuvenate the Swordsmanship Club. I look forward to your guidance."
"Our Swordsmanship Club doesn't need your revival! Ridiculous!"
"Draw your sword. I can teach you a lesson right now!"
With clenched teeth, Swordsmanship Club's second-in-command, Zheng Zigang, furiously gripped his wooden sword.
He had long revered Lu Yifan as an idol and couldn't tolerate anyone's slander or belittlement of him.
Ye Qingzhou glanced at him briefly, then shook his head: "You? Forget it. Beating up weaklings might be fun, but it doesn't enhance my swordsmanship. If you wish to duel me now, Senior, I'm afraid you'll need another ten years of practice to have a twenty percent chance of victory."
Though Ye Qingzhou spoke truthfully, how could the Swordsmanship Club members endure it? At this moment, one by one, they stood indignantly, swords in hand.
"Damn, his words are so arrogant!"
"I can't hold back anymore, I want to draw my sword and strike him!"
"Don't be impulsive, let me handle it. I'm not afraid of getting punished."
Xu Lan rubbed her forehead, feeling her mind go numb but had no choice but to step in and prevent a potential conflict: "Alright, everyone sit down."
She then flashed another fierce glare at Ye Qingzhou: "If you can't speak properly, then remain silent!"
This isn't a talent; he's more like a ticking time bomb! I must have been blind!
It wasn't that Xu Lan had a low tolerance; Ye Qingzhou was just too troublesome. In less than three minutes of joining the Swordsmanship Club, he'd already offended everyone, giving Xu Lan a headache.
"He's called Ye Qingzhou, and from now on, we're all part of the Swordsmanship Club. Please get along harmoniously for my sake."
Since Xu Lan was the teacher in charge of the Swordsmanship Club, even though Zheng Zigang and others were reluctant, they had to swallow their resentment.
Meanwhile, the sword fighting performance on the Martial Arts Arena had concluded, and the recruitment activities officially began.