Chapter 74: The Champion Is Born

As the offline martial arts tournament was in full swing, several staff members at the Beijing control center were walking back and forth between rows of computers.
In front of a huge screen made up of countless monitors, the current matches were being displayed!
A man and two women stood in front of the screen, watching with great interest, unaware even of an old man in a Tang suit, leaning on a walking stick, standing behind them.
“How was this offline martial arts tournament test?”
The old man in the Tang suit appeared very healthy. Pointing with his walking stick, he spoke from behind with keen interest.
The three turned around, surprised and delighted, and quickly saluted him respectfully:
“Elder Lin.”
“Elder Lin!”
Their tone was respectful and sincere.
“…Tell me about this competition.”
The old man looked at the large screen with a kind expression. As one of the co-creators of 《Jianghu》, Elder Lin was himself a modern martial artist and a mentor to many renowned figures in martial arts associations. He had not only documented numerous Chinese martial arts techniques but also created some of his own. He had made significant contributions to the refinement of the martial arts system in 《Jianghu》!
Without him, the release of 《Jianghu》 would likely have been delayed by at least three years.
“Without any surprises, the champion of this tournament should be this young man.”
One of them quickly stepped forward to operate the computer, brought up one of the battle scenes on the screen, and pointed at the young man in blue, whose image was extremely clear on the screen.
“Oh?” The old man happened to see him use two simple palm strikes to knock his opponent out of the arena. His eyes lit up in surprise.
With his experience, it was easy for him to recognize that the opponent was using Shaolin long fists—the control of force, the timing, and angle of attacking the opponent’s defenses… His gaze narrowed.
“A talent.”
The old man nodded slowly, giving high praise to the person on the screen without hesitation.
“He’s truly impressive. So far, all three masters at the Creation Realm have been defeated by him. The remaining contestants simply don’t have the strength to resist him.” The male staff member monitoring the tournament stopped operating the equipment and replied seriously, “He’s from the 《Nanhu Jianghu Ranking》 and is still a student.”
“Hmm.”
The old man observed carefully and nodded repeatedly.
“Students are great—young, full of passion, energetic, and better able to absorb and master martial arts. If they can understand the true meaning of ‘chivalry’ in our ancient Chinese culture, 《Jianghu》 will surely become even more amazing than you imagine in the future.”
“That’s right.”
The staff member’s face was also filled with confidence.

“By the way, it’s been over three months now. Shouldn’t the first event you designed be launched by now?” the man in the Tang suit suddenly asked, his gaze still fixed on the masked young man in blue on the big screen.
“Tomorrow.”
The three of them exchanged smiles.
“It matches the planned timeline. Three months of preparation have allowed players to understand the basics of the martial world, but our game can’t turn into a mere training exercise—pure practice would lose its fun… Starting tomorrow, disciples from various sects and families will receive missions and get involved in this conflict in the martial world!”
“The martial world is merciless and bloody, yet it’s also full of chivalry and tenderness!” The female staff member adjusted her glasses, exuding a distinct air of intelligence. “Only those who truly enter the martial world can experience its charm. Those who only focus on training to level up won’t become true strongmen.”
“I look forward to that day.”
The man in the Tang suit continued to smile, his gaze lingering on the screen for a while before he turned and left under the admiring looks of the three.
…
Unlike the initial plans, in order to obtain the rewards offered by the authorities, Happy changed his original strategy. Not only did he defeat the other two experts at the Creation Realm with ease and win first place in this martial arts tournament, but he also helped the “Nanhua Martial World Ranking” rise to the top spot in official collaborations.
The “Nanhua Martial World Ranking” immediately became the focus of heated discussion among countless players on the official website; the mysterious expert who remained masked was also revered by many as a legend.
And there was no other reason…
Three battles, three victories—his strength was beyond doubt.
At the moment he won the championship, Nanhua University erupted in excitement! Students, both male and female, joyfully rushed to every classroom to spread the good news that Happy had won the martial arts tournament.
The most excited were the Lonely Three Wolves and Xu Xin…
Happy’s outstanding performance truly exceeded their expectations. If not for the prior agreement regarding subsequent events, they might have even held another celebration party for this victory.
Happy’s championship victory drove even more people crazy! Including Feng Wu Cai Yi, many students tried every means to uncover Happy’s true identity, going to extreme lengths, with some even planning to secretly extract information from the Lonely Three Wolves.
Unfortunately…
It was all in vain.

The three lonely wolves kept their mouths shut, and at a critical moment, they revealed that an “exciting interview transcript” would be broadcast in writing that night. This shocking news caused the number of registered members on the Nanhua Jianghu List to soar from less than six thousand to over nine thousand. People from nearby academies flocked to apply to join the Nanhua Jianghu List.

However…

Kai Xin, who was overjoyed, became a hands-off boss and returned to the game to claim his own rewards. By the mansion commander in Gusu City, Kai Xin saw Nan Gong Ying from the Dragon and Tiger Gate—she was wearing a veil, sitting blankly by the threshold as if waiting for someone. Hearing the noise, Nan Gong Ying’s eyes lit up, and she quickly stood up.

“I knew you would definitely win in the end. Congratulations, you’ve won the championship of this offline martial arts tournament.”

“Mm.”

Kai Xin replied indifferently; he had no interest in the congratulations from his former enemy. Nan Gong Ying didn’t mind either. She stepped lightly toward Kai Xin, her fragrance reaching his nose. Frowning slightly, Kai Xin didn’t show much impatience, only feeling that this woman changed too quickly, making it hard for him to adapt.

He took a stack of silver bills and a silver-bound martial arts manual from the mansion commander. On the latter were a few golden characters—“Demonic Subduing Staff Technique”! It was actually an advanced martial art from Shaolin Temple’s “Arhat Staff Technique”. Kai Xin was slightly disappointed. Staff techniques weren’t his favorite; he would need to find an opportunity to exchange it for a swordsmanship or blade technique manual.

However…

The champion of the martial arts tournament also got another reward: the chance to request an advanced martial art. Without hesitation, Kai Xin chose “Flower Hero Swordsmanship”’s advanced version, “Flower Hero’s Song”. After taking the manual, he tossed it into his Qiankun Bag without even looking, preventing Nan Gong Ying from seeing it, then left the mansion without looking back.

Nan Gong Ying stood there in a daze. It took a long time before she realized Kai Xin had disappeared. She huffed angrily. At 23 years old, this was the first time she had been treated like this by a man!

“What’s so great about him? Just better martial skills, handsomer looks, and a bit of personality? So arrogant! Hmph! I’ll show you someday!” Nan Gong Ying muttered angrily before storming out of the mansion.