I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 145 Breakthrough
The reputation of the No. 1 Restaurant under Heaven is so great that the once-every-five-years Qingyun Ranking competition is a grand event that attracts countless people to watch the spectacle.

Not only were the streets packed with people, but the rooftops of the surrounding buildings were also almost overflowing with people.

Many young disciples from the White Feather Sect also came to watch the excitement. Li Jinchuan was pulled over by a close senior brother. He stood at the back, listening to the discussions of his senior brothers and sisters, his eyes searching through the crowd.

He joined the group relatively late, and was the youngest among those present.

One of the younger disciples said expectantly, "I wonder if we'll be able to witness the splendor of the Five Steeds of Jiangzhou today."

Another older senior student teased, "Then you've come for nothing today; you definitely won't see them."

"Why?"

"Let alone figures like the Five Heroes of Jiangzhou, even renowned young masters like Young Master Jiang, Young Master Li, and Young Master Ji received invitations to participate in the World's Number One Pavilion competition long ago."

The young disciple said disappointedly, "Ah, so that's how it is. I wish I hadn't come."

"Those who came here today to compete for a spot in the competition are either relatively unknown young experts or people who are confident enough in their abilities. Most of them come from various counties in Jiangzhou..."

Another young disciple asked curiously, "How does the Number One Pavilion Under Heaven test these people?"

"See that big door? It will open in a moment. Once you go through the door, as long as you can pass through the training ground and enter the main hall, you'll have passed."

Li Jinchuan also became curious, wondering what difficulties might lie beyond the gate.

At this moment, the man asked again, "Why isn't Second Senior Brother here? I remember he's not even twenty years old yet, right? He's also a fifth-rank, he should be able to pass the test, right?"

As soon as this topic was brought up, everyone from the White Feather Sect fell silent.

Li Jinchuan glanced at this simpleton. Even someone as clueless as him could guess that his second senior brother didn't want to participate, so he went into seclusion.

It’s really a matter of which pot should not be opened.

With my second senior brother's strength, qualifying wouldn't be difficult, but getting on the Azure Cloud Ranking is probably still a long way off. So he simply decided not to come.

Just then, I heard someone shout, "It's open!"

Li Jinchuan looked up instinctively and saw the gate of the No. 1 Building under Heaven slowly opening.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became restless.

The gate was very large, and inside the gate was a huge training ground, which was empty and deserted.

"Why is there no one?"

He was somewhat puzzled. He had originally thought that the Number One Martial Arts Hall would arrange for experts to block them at the training ground, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Could there be some kind of trap inside?"

At this moment, a middle-aged man who had been guarding the door spoke up, "The same old rules apply. Anyone who wants to qualify for the competition should enter through this door. As long as you can get into the main hall, you've passed. Let's begin."

This middle-aged man looked unremarkable, but his voice carried far and wide, drowning out the discussions of the thousands of people present and reaching everyone's ears clearly.

Many people's expressions changed upon seeing this; such skill was at least at the fourth rank.

This middle-aged man is just a gatekeeper, yet he possesses such cultivation.

"It's starting!" "It's here!" "..."

Soon, some people couldn't resist rushing through the gate and into the training ground.

With the first example set, others rushed in eagerly.

Li Jinchuan kept guessing where the trap would be, or when the World's Number One Restaurant would send someone to stop it, but neither of these scenarios occurred.

Strangely, those who rushed through the gate became slower and slower, as if they had encountered an invisible obstacle and were stuck in a quagmire. Their movements were sluggish, and every step they took was extremely difficult.

He was somewhat surprised, "What...what's going on?"

Then, he heard a voice full of superiority, "Don't you know this? This is the intention of a top expert from the Number One Pavilion Under Heaven. What's the big deal?"

meaning?
Li Jinchuan certainly knew that after reaching the second rank, one could master a kind of intent. Some people had sword intent, some had knife intent, some had spear intent, some had fist intent, and so on.

Once you master the essence of swordsmanship, you can injure people invisibly, which is quite terrifying.

He hadn't expected that a martial artist's intent could be used in such a way, enveloping the entire courtyard and maintaining it for such a long time.

The "intention" of a supreme expert is truly incredible.

After a while, those who had rushed in first were almost at their breaking point when they had traveled about a third of the way. They were shaking like leaves and sweating profusely.

In the end, these people fell down, and were then thrown away by an invisible force, flying over everyone's heads and crashing outside the gate.

The sight of these people in such a disheveled state drew a burst of laughter.

……

After a while, people finally began to cross the training ground and enter the hall.

"That's the third young master of the Wu family in Dai County. Everyone says he has exceptional talent, and he really is extraordinary."

"That's the Li family of Yujie County..."

"That's the Lin family of Tianhai County..."

"..."

Whenever someone passed the test and entered the main hall, acquaintances would call out their identity. These were almost all the most outstanding scions of prominent families from their respective prefectures, well-known throughout their own counties. They were simply unknown in Jiangzhou City.

After all, this is Jiangzhou City. Apart from the four major sects and three great families, people from other counties are regarded as country bumpkins.

Suddenly, many people noticed a black figure in the training ground, who strolled past people as if taking a leisurely walk and entered the main hall with great ease.

This immediately attracted the attention of many people.

"Who is this person? How did he get in so easily?"

"Finally, a formidable expert has arrived."

"This kid is no ordinary person."

"I know him; he's the eldest son of the Huang family in Huangshi County. I never expected his strength to be so high. It seems there are differences between geniuses."

"..."

Listening to the discussions around him, Li Jinchuan felt his eyes were opened; he had made the right choice coming this time. But why hadn't Brother Chen arrived yet?
……

…………

The restaurant closest to the "Number One Restaurant Under Heaven" had no one on its roof.

Soon, someone discovered this auspicious place and excitedly tried to jump up. While he was in mid-air, a burst of energy suddenly struck him, sending him flying.

When he landed, he barely managed to steady himself, then covered his face and disappeared into the crowd. He finally understood why there was no one up there.

To be able to knock him down from a distance using true energy, one must be at least a fourth-rank expert, someone not to be trifled with.

On the second floor of the restaurant, in a private room, a beautiful young woman dressed in luxurious clothes sat by the window, sipping a sweet melon while casually watching the assessment across from her, her eyes showing a hint of boredom.

Behind her stood two pretty maids, around fourteen or fifteen years old.

Beside him stood a swordsman carrying a long sword.

The appearance of the young man in black finally piqued the girl's interest. "What's his name?"

A maid in yellow answered fluently, "This person is named Huang Zhuochen, from the Huang family of Huangshi County. He is exceptionally talented and began learning martial arts from a third-rank master of the Huang family at the age of ten. It is said that his swordsmanship is also quite remarkable. He is a strong contender for this year's Qingyun Ranking."

"Ah."

The girl memorized the name, then suddenly remembered something, "I saw that person outside Changqing Hall the other day, did you find out his background?"

The swordsman holding the longsword in his arms spoke up, "Master, that man is named Chen Ming, and he comes from Qingfeng City."

Then, he stopped talking.

Sure enough, the maid in yellow had already recited the man's information: "Chen Ming, 24 years old, of humble origin. He started learning martial arts in his teens, but after several years of practice, he achieved nothing. It wasn't until he was 20 years old, when he was framed and imprisoned, that his strength improved by leaps and bounds. In just four years, he had already reached the fifth rank of cultivation."

A look of surprise appeared on the girl's face. "You mean, he only took four years to break through from the ninth rank to the fifth rank?"

"It is certain that he was not yet a member of the rank when he was imprisoned."

"interesting."

An interested gleam flashed in the girl's bright eyes. "No wonder he was interested in me. Did you find out why he went to Changqing Hall?"

The swordsman replied, "No."

The maid said, "He's probably here for the Azure Cloud Ranking. Rumor has it that he's a martial arts fanatic who loves to spar with others. He certainly won't miss such an opportunity."

The girl smiled and said, "If he's a martial arts fanatic, then that makes things easier. Let Diao Da try to win him over."

As they were talking, she saw the young man she had met at "Changqing Hall" a couple of days ago. He stepped through the door and said, "He really came. I wonder if he can get through..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Ming walked inside step by step, not fast, but giving off a very relaxed feeling.

After a while, he entered the main hall.

The swordsman commented, "This boy's cultivation is no less than that of Huang Zhuochen."

With his discerning eye, he could naturally see that although Chen Ming took twice as long as Huang Zhuochen, he did it with equal ease; this young man was simply intentionally hiding his strength.

The girl suddenly asked, "How long has it been since he broke through to the fifth rank?"

The maid in yellow replied, "He broke through to the fifth rank more than three months ago, and it has been about a hundred days since then."

One hundred days?

The girl became even more interested in the man and said, "I'll go myself."

……

"Who is that man in blue?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of such a person anywhere."

"Could they be from out of town?"

"..."

Chen Ming's entry into the main hall and his qualification for the competition naturally attracted a lot of attention. Many people inquired about his identity, but surprisingly, no one knew who he was, which only fueled their curiosity.

Just then, someone shouted, "I know him! He's Chen Ming from Qingfeng City. He's from no sect, a self-taught genius, and a peerless prodigy."

It was Feng Siyuan who spoke, and at this moment, he naturally wanted to flatter his friend.

This statement sparked another round of discussion.

"Qingfeng City? And it has no sect or faction? Is that true?"

"A peerless genius? Isn't that just empty boasting?"

"It's been so many years since anyone from Qingfeng City has participated in the Qingyun Ranking competition..."

"..."

Most of those present had doubts.

Feng Siyuan got angry and started arguing with them, "Do I need to brag? His strength speaks for itself, he entered the main hall with ease..."

"Four years ago, he wasn't even a rank-5, but now he's already a rank-5. Doesn't that make him a peerless genius?"

This only drew more ridicule.

Four years ago, it wasn't even a grade, and now it's a grade five. This is getting more and more absurd.

The people of Jiangzhou City possess profound knowledge of martial arts, and such boasting is laughable to them.

is it possible?

Even Ji Baichuan, who was the undisputed number one on the Qingyun Ranking five years ago and was known as a genius that Jiangzhou saw only once in a century, entered the rank at the age of ten and reached the fifth rank at the age of eighteen.

Does that mean that Chen Ming's aptitude is much higher than Ji Baichuan's?
is it possible?

P.S.: Tomorrow is the last day, please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)