Surrounded by everyone’s enthusiasm, Xu Wuyi felt a bit overwhelmed but still responded to each person’s congratulations.

He could sense that, besides sincere congratulations, his classmates’ attitudes now held an added layer of solemn respect.

"Alright, alright, stop crowding around Xu Wuyi. Let him breathe," Yu Peiling said with a smile, coming to his rescue. She walked over to Xu Wuyi’s side.

"You’re really famous across the Federation now. My communicator was about to explode just now; so many friends from other places are asking about you."

The words had barely left her mouth when her own communicator lit up again.

She glanced down, a hint of surprise on her face. Then, she smiled at Xu Wuyi and said, "See? There’s another one. It’s a few people from Linjiang—Chu Shanhe, Shen Wei, and the others. They’re asking if you’re here and want to come see the legendary ’number one first-year’ for themselves."

Xu Wuyi was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected the news to travel so fast that it had even reached his friends in Linjiang.

Zeng Bonan laughed. "That’s a great thing! Let them come. Let them see the genius our Dongjiang Province has produced!"

Before long, light flickered at the entrance to the rest area, and a figure was the first to appear.

The newcomer was tall with a stern face and a saber at his waist. It was Shen Wei, who strode forward and offered his congratulations in his usual boisterous manner.

"Just luck," Xu Wuyi said modestly, then asked, "What was your rank?"

"In the eight-hundreds. I didn’t make it to the finals," Shen Wei announced, sounding helpless.

In truth, for a newly enrolled first-year student, this rank was already an outstanding achievement, enough to prove the sharpness of his "Seven Kills Saber."

As the two were talking, light flickered at the entrance again. This time, a larger group entered, led by none other than Chu Shanhe.

Compared to when they took the college entrance exams, Chu Shanhe’s aura seemed more reserved, but a faint, almost imperceptible trace of fatigue lingered between his brows.

Following behind him were several other young geniuses he had met a few times back in Linjiang, all top talents from other cities in Dongjiang Province.

Chu Shanhe spotted Xu Wuyi at the center of the crowd right away. A warm smile appeared on his face as he walked straight over.

"Xu Wuyi, congratulations." Chu Shanhe’s tone was sincere. "Top 100 in the preliminaries, and a Martial Master as a first-year. Your name is now famous throughout the younger generation of the Federation."

"You flatter me," Xu Wuyi said, his attitude toward Chu Shanhe quite serious.

He still remembered Chu Shanhe’s advice about points and resources after the college entrance exams, which had had a profound impact on him.

"It’s not flattery; it’s well-deserved," Chu Shanhe said with a wave of his hand. The people behind him also cast curious glances at Xu Wuyi, murmuring among themselves.

Xu Wuyi looked at Chu Shanhe and said earnestly, "I also have to thank you for your advice back then. It turns out that school points are indeed enough, and it’s a much safer path than accepting what seemed like generous sponsorships from the outside."

This was his heartfelt gratitude. If not for Chu Shanhe’s reminder, he probably would have accepted the resources from both the Lin Family and the Qin Family.

And he likely never would have imagined that he himself could advance to the Martial Master Realm in just a single year.

After reaching the Martial Master Stage, even if the Qin Family were willing to offer twenty million Federation Credits a year, it wouldn’t be as helpful to him anymore. That deal would have been a huge loss for him.

Hearing this, Chu Shanhe smiled faintly, as if he had expected it all along. "I’m glad it was useful. The Three Greats have deep reserves and are never stingy with resources for students with true potential. External sponsorships come with too many strings attached, which is less than ideal."

He spoke in a calm tone, but Xu Wuyi keenly sensed that the flow of Qi and Blood around Chu Shanhe’s body wasn’t as smooth and harmonious as usual. There was a subtle hint of obstruction.

Combined with the unconcealable fatigue in his expression, something clicked for Xu Wuyi.

He wasn’t one to pry into others’ private affairs, but he felt a sense of mutual admiration with Chu Shanhe, so he asked directly, "Chu Shanhe, I noticed your aura seems a bit... unstable. Are you having some kind of problem with your cultivation?"

Chu Shanhe was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Xu Wuyi’s observation to be so sharp.

Then, Chu Shanhe smiled. It was still a gentle smile, but it held a hint of complexity.

He raised his hand and gave a slight wave, explaining, "It’s nothing serious. I’m just studying an Ancient Technique. I’ve only recently reached the Entry Level and have just scratched the surface. My Qi and Blood circulation isn’t completely under my control yet, so I still need some time to consolidate it."

He said it casually, but Xu Wuyi could feel that things probably weren’t that simple.

’An Ancient Technique causes an unstable aura right at the Entry Level?’

’With Chu Shanhe’s foundation and talent, no ordinary Cultivation Technique could possibly cause such a noticeable decline in his condition.’

However, since Chu Shanhe was unwilling to discuss it further, Xu Wuyi wasn’t tactless enough to press the issue.

Everyone has their own path and their own secrets.

"I see," Xu Wuyi said thoughtfully.

"Thank you for your concern, but I have it under control," Chu Shanhe said with a nod, gently changing the subject. He then asked, "Have you set a goal for the finals tomorrow?"

Xu Wuyi’s attention was pulled back. He mused, "The preliminary rankings are just an entry ticket. The finals are where it truly begins. The competition is filled with experts, so I can only do my best, take it one match at a time, and gain experience."

For contestants who weren’t as strong, the finals involved a large element of luck.

Aside from the thirty-two seeded contestants, someone with the thirty-third best raw strength could still get knocked out in the first round if they had bad luck.

One could say the format was quite brutal; only the ultimate champion’s victory was truly worth its weight in gold.

Shen Wei interjected from the side, "With your current strength, as long as you don’t run into the top guys early on, getting through the first few rounds shouldn’t be a problem."

"I hope so," Xu Wuyi said in a low voice.

In the rest area, the young people from Red River and Linjiang gathered together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Immersed in the group, Xu Wuyi felt a warmth spread through him as he felt the support from his companions from back home.

But at the same time, Chu Shanhe’s seemingly calm yet latently troubled state remained in the back of his mind like a tiny thorn.

He had a faint premonition that there was more to the story behind Chu Shanhe’s so-called "research on an Ancient Technique."

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, his gaze lost focus for a moment. He pulled up the preliminary results and checked Chu Shanhe’s rank.

Just as he expected, Chu Shanhe was ranked at an impressive 473rd, also making it into the finals!

This year, only a paltry forty spots in the finals were reserved for Martial Artist students, even fewer than in previous years. Chu Shanhe’s rank was already extremely high!

...

The next morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp, the dedicated channel for the Star Martial Battle Network Youth Tournament opened once again.

After six hours of fierce competition and elimination in yesterday’s preliminaries, the list of the top 500 contestants on the point rankings had been finalized.

Today marked the beginning of the even more brutal finals stage: single-elimination. Each match was do-or-die, leaving no room for luck.