A week after the chaos, Lam Minh returned to school with a fully recovered body and new strength at the Mid-stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Although he tried to hide it, his aura had undergone a distinct change. It was still the same lazy demeanor, but his eyes now held a deeper layer of profoundness, the confidence of one who wielded power.
This change did not escape the notice of two people. One was To Quyen, who grew increasingly curious about his secrets. The other was Teacher Hoang 'Iron Hand'.
On Friday afternoon, just as Lam Minh had predicted, Teacher Hoang called him to his office.
"The inter-school combat competition is coming up," Teacher Hoang got straight to the point. "Our school has five slots. I've put your name down."
Lam Minh wasn't surprised at all; he just smiled. "You have that much faith in me, sir?"
"It's not about faith," Teacher Hoang shook his head. "It's that I want to see just how strong the monster inside you really is." He pushed a form towards Lam Minh. "I saw the security footage from that day. That kid Tran Tuan calls himself a Judo champion, but I guarantee, if he were in your situation, he would have been torn to shreds in the first 30 seconds."
Lam Minh glanced at the list.
Captain: Nguyen Hoang Long (Class 12A1) - City-level Taekwondo.
Member: Le Van Hung (Class 12A4) - Vovinam Specialist.
Member: Tran Tuan (Class 10A1) - City-level Judo.
Reserve 1: Lam Minh (Class 10A1).
Reserve 2: Do Manh Cuong (Class 11B2).
Coaching Staff - Tactical Analyst: To Quyen (Class 10A1).
"I'm just a reserve?" Lam Minh raised an eyebrow. He didn't care about the title, but this position didn't seem to offer many opportunities to compete.
"This is the preliminary list," Teacher Hoang explained. "Next week, there will be an internal selection to decide the final lineup. You're new and have no notable achievements. Putting you on the reserve list will avoid gossip. Use your strength to earn your spot."
"And To Quyen..." Lam Minh pointed to the last name.
"That girl's brain is more dangerous than Hoang Long's fist," Teacher Hoang said with a note of admiration. "Our school is physically weak, so we must be strong in tactics. With her analyzing our opponents' weaknesses, our chances of winning will be much higher."
Lam Minh nodded, a faint smirk on his lips. This was exactly what he wanted. A legitimate stage to display his power, to crush the arrogant and self-important.
"Alright. I'm in," he said decisively.
Leaving the office, a cold smile appeared on Lam Minh's lips.
The combat competition?
In the eyes of others, it was a contest for elite students. But in his eyes, a Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, it was no different from a wolf wandering into a flock of lambs.
He didn't need to farm points by losing. He would farm points by... winning with overwhelming dominance!
"System, if I crush a strong opponent, do I get points?" he asked silently.
[System Note: Of course. Defeating a higher-rated opponent, or winning in an overwhelming and spectacular fashion in front of a crowd will also grant Immortality Points. The system encourages the Host to display his dominance!]
"Excellent!" Lam Minh chuckled to himself.
This tournament wasn't a place for him to "play the pig" and get toyed with by the "tiger." This was a place for him, the "pig" in disguise, to reveal his true form as a Tyrannosaurus Rex and devour all the "paper tigers"!
"Since it's a single-elimination tournament, one loss and it's all over. Then there's only one path: win every single match!"
He walked and plotted, a perfect script already forming in his mind. He wouldn't reveal his full strength from the beginning. He would use just a small fraction, enough to win with "difficulty," leaving his opponents and the audience astonished. As he advanced deeper, he would reveal more, creating unbelievable comebacks.
Glory, admiration, classic "face-slapping" moments, and experience points... He wanted it all!
He was so engrossed in his plan that he bumped squarely into someone.
"Ouch! Watch where you're going!"
A familiar, sharp voice. Lam Minh looked up and came face-to-face with the pink hair and piercing gaze of Quynh Nhu.
"What are you doing here?" Lam Minh frowned.
"I'm here to scout 'talent' for Blacklight's recruitment drive," Quynh Nhu crossed her arms, a smirk on her face. "I heard your school has a new rising 'hero.' I came to see what he looks like. Didn't expect it to be my debtor."
Her eyes fell on the form in his hand, and her smile became even more mocking.
"Oh, you even made it onto the team? As a reserve, no less. Did you get special treatment for that little rescue mission the other day? Be careful on the stage, you don't want to get beaten up and end up in the hospital again."
Lam Minh didn't bother to argue. He knew that bickering with this girl would only lead to his own suffering. He tried to sidestep her and leave.
"Hey, where's the fire?" Quynh Nhu blocked his path. "Heard the news? I'm the special supervisor for this year's tournament. Every match has to go through me."
She leaned close to his ear and whispered with a suggestive tone, "Put on a good show, little kid. If you can make it to the quarterfinals, I'll consider... forgiving your five-million-dollar debt."
With that, she gave him a wink, whistled, and walked away, leaving Lam Minh standing there, stunned.
"Forgive the debt?" he muttered.
Then he laughed.
"Five million? You think I care about that? What I want... is this entire tournament!"
His gaze shifted towards the bustling city, where the city stadium was being renovated in preparation for the competition. That would be his first stage on the path to conquering this world. A stage where he would be the one and only star.