Chapter 370 - 366: Upgrade—SS-level Genius
Imperial Capital. Headquarters of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo, Blue Star.
Within a large conference room for the upper echelons, one that was normally opened only for important matters.
In the center of the conference room was a circular table made of a special black alloy.
Of the more than twenty seats, nineteen were already occupied.
Four of the seats were occupied not by people, but by 3D projections.
Everyone present was middle-aged. Both men and women exuded an overbearing aura that saturated the air, creating a heavy pressure that weighed down on the weaker individuals.
Every person present was a High Realm Martial Artist, each one progressing toward an Extraordinary transformation at a fundamental level of their being.
Meng Wu was burly, with muscles that looked as if they were forged from refined steel. His eyes were sharp, and his entire body seemed to contain an explosive power.
His Martial Arts Realm had reached the very Peak of the Eighth Realm.
Throughout all of Xia Country, aside from those in the Ninth Realm, he was among the handful of the strongest individuals.
He was one of the people closest to the apex of the pyramid in Xia Country, and even on all of Blue Star!
He was also the Southern Patrol Envoy, vested with the authority to oversee the southern provinces. He had both power and strength.
He was a true heavyweight in the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo and a high-ranking figure in Xia Country.
In every high-level meeting, he always sat in the most central position.
But today, he was not in the seat of honor; he had yielded it.
An invisible pressure enveloped him, and he lacked his usual high-and-mighty demeanor.
Similarly, several other auras in the air were by no means weak; they all belonged to Eighth Realm Martial Artists.
Beside him sat a tall, upright middle-aged man with resolute features that looked as if they were carved from stone.
He had a head of white hair, and his aura was unyielding. To everyone present, it was as if they were facing the Great Wall itself—immense and vast.
Under his overbearing aura, even a Peak Martial Artist of the Eighth Realm like Meng Wu was firmly suppressed.
This was a suppression on the level of life itself.
Meng Wu looked at the man and said with a slight smile,
"Hall Master, it’s getting late. The meeting should begin."
Not far away, the projected image of Special Envoy Qin, a woman with delicate features and an icy temperament, also spoke slowly,
"Vice Hall Master Liy, let’s begin the meeting."
"Very well."
Liy Qifeng, one of the Vice Hall Masters of the Imperial Capital Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo headquarters, the current Principal of Azure Sky Martial Arts University, and a Ninth Realm Title Level Martial Artist, nodded.
He glanced around the room. Everyone present was a high-level executive of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo.
Among them were several Branch Hall Masters from major cities, all of whom were Eighth Realm Martial Artists.
"I will cover three matters."
"First, the situation on Blue Star has grown increasingly grim in recent years, and the Calamity Beast invasions have become more severe."
"Just recently, North River Province experienced a Super Large Disaster Beast Tide launched by six Ninth-Level Calamity Beasts."
"It was only thanks to the North River Sword King successfully advancing to the Ninth Realm that North River Province was spared even greater casualties."
"Under these circumstances, we at the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo need to discover more geniuses."
"I must emphasize the principle of our Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo: fairness and justice!"
"I hope what happened with Zhang Tai will not happen again."
"If this principle is violated again, don’t blame us for being merciless."
As Liy Qifeng finished speaking, a terrifying pressure erupted from him.
Meng Wu, in particular, found it difficult to breathe, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead uncontrollably.
’He must be targeting me.’
"Second, after joint discussions, the Grandmaster and the leaders of the two other Top Level Martial Arts Dojos—Chongming and Black Brilliance—have reached a decision. Effective today, the signing bonuses for all contracted geniuses will be increased across the board."
"D-level Contracts will be increased from 500,000 to 1,000,000 Xia Country Coins per year, and the allocated resources will be doubled."
"C-level Contracts will increase from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 per year, with resources also doubled!"
"B-level Contracts, from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000..."
"A-level Contracts, from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000..."
As he spoke, a large volume of data and documents was projected over the center of the conference table, showing the exact changes for each contract level.
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
The cash and resources for nearly every contract had doubled. It seemed the higher-ups intended to increase their investment in nurturing new talent.
With the situation so grim, the demand for geniuses was higher than ever!
With more money and resources from these contracts, geniuses could improve their strength and build a deeper Foundation.
For an Ordinary genius, this was absolutely fantastic news.
For the Martial Arts Dojos, however, it meant a much greater expenditure of money and resources.
But given the current climate, spending more money was perfectly normal.
They exchanged glances; it was a good decision.
After letting everyone discuss it for a moment, Liy Qifeng continued,
"The third and final matter."
"It concerns the proposal to upgrade Lin Qi, a freshman at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy’s Sixth Institute, to an SS-level genius."
As soon as he said this, the entire conference table fell silent.
"As the Principal of Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, I’ve had quite a few administrators bring this matter to my attention."
"An Unawakened genius who has managed to master a Little Divine Power."
"Under the watch of millions of spectators at the Global Freshman Tournament, he defeated one SS-level genius after another to take the final championship."
"He shattered the all-time record for the Global Freshman Tournament, becoming the first Unawakened genius to ever accomplish such a feat."
Hearing this, the attendees couldn’t help but nod.
They, too, had never seen such a genius before.
Principal Liy continued,
"So today, I want to ask for everyone’s opinion."
"Should we set a new precedent and make Lin Qi the first-ever Unawakened SS-level genius?"
"Please, speak freely. I want to hear your thoughts."
"I approve!"
The words came from a man appearing as a virtual projection in the corner.
"It’s Wuu Lingyun from the Celestial Sea Branch in Cang Province!"
"State your reasoning," Principal Liy said calmly.
Wuu Lingyun, his expression as serene as ever, began to speak slowly,
"Although Lin Qi is not Awakened,"
"But the very fact that he can defeat SS-level geniuses is proof enough that his Cultivation Talent and Comprehension are superior to theirs."
"And don’t forget, he accomplished all this without the advantages other SS-level geniuses have."
"We can fully expect him to awaken a Special Ability at the Seventh Realm. With that, on top of his existing Talent, he will not be any worse than other SS-level geniuses."
The other executives nodded upon hearing this. His argument was sound and well-reasoned.
After speaking, Wuu Lingyun sighed internally.
’To think I’d go on one trip to the Otherworld and come back to find our Martial Arts Dojo has produced such a Top Level genius.’
’No matter what, I have to give him a hand.’
"I disagree!"
Just then, Meng Wu suddenly spoke up.
"Explain your position."
Principal Liy’s expression was calm, betraying none of his true feelings.
Meng Wu organized his thoughts before speaking,
"Our country’s slots for SS-level geniuses are incredibly precious. Every single one is reserved for an Awakened, Top Level genius."
"The moment they Awaken, the path they will walk in the future is already set and clear."
"Their path is clear, so there is no fear of them going astray!"
"They have an unparalleled advantage when it comes to comprehending Mental Realms and even Domains."
"Everyone here is an Awakened genius. You all understand this better than anyone."
...