novelraw Chapter 262 255: Bombshell News
Chapter 262 255: Bombshell News
Time flew by, and the day of the Martial Arts Association's establishment was finally approaching.
In recent days, reports about the Martial Arts Association were everywhere. It seemed the official media had eased its restrictions and begun promoting the association's establishment. Even First News aired a special bulletin about it.
This was the day the Martial Arts Association's founding ceremony was officially set to begin, and Shangjing Prefecture was particularly lively.
The Martial Arts Association's establishment was more than just a simple ceremony; it also included a three-day conference. Renowned schools and Martial Artists from all over the country had been invited to Shangjing Prefecture. They were to discuss the operational details and future direction of the association, ultimately reaching a consensus that would be put into action.
This level of influence and appeal was truly unprecedented, so privately, many in the Martial Arts Realm were calling the founding ceremony the "First Donghua Martial World Convention."
The Martial Arts Association headquarters was located in the West Suburb of Shangjing Prefecture, converted from a high-end golf course. The spacious grounds were outfitted with various facilities to accommodate future tasks like ranking and testing.
The Chief Commissioner did not make an appearance at the conference. In fact, given his current state, it wasn't appropriate for him to appear before ordinary people. Moreover, his path had long since diverged from the pure Martial Dao. Therefore, the position of president of the Martial Arts Association was actually held by Chen Qingmu, who was also in charge of handling its specific affairs.
As the association's honorary vice-president, Zhou Yuanjue naturally had to participate in the three-day conference. Although he had no interest in such tedious meetings, Zhou Yuanjue deeply understood the principle that to gain something, one must give something in return.
Since he wanted to promote the prosperity of the entire Martial Arts Realm, there were some prices he had to pay.
Fortunately, his participation was rarely needed during the conference. He only had to sit in his seat and listen quietly. As a result, he spent most of his time either lost in thought or continuing to study the mysteries of the Southern Dipper Magnetic Field.
As the conference proceeded, the confirmed measures and regulations were announced to the public one by one.
"The Martial Arts Association's ranking system is confirmed! The president and vice-presidents are all 'S' Level Martial Artists! There are at least five of them!"
"The Martial Arts Association will open branches in the capitals of all fifty-two prefectures. B Level and lower Martial Artists can get ranked in their respective prefecture capitals. The testing standards for each level have been released too!"
"The Martial Arts Association has confirmed it will implement a mission system! In the future, Martial Artists will likely assist police and other relevant departments in maintaining social order and national security!"
"The stipends and benefits for each rank in the Martial Arts Association have been released! Oh my god! Coach, I want to learn martial arts!!"
"..."
One piece of news after another spread rapidly across the internet, blowing the minds of online onlookers and members of the Martial Arts Realm and sparking a massive uproar.
Everyone knew that a new era for the Martial Arts Realm was truly dawning.
Online onlookers were stunned. Upon seeing the benefits available to Martial Artists, parents everywhere declared that cultivating their children's martial abilities would become their top priority, second only to academic performance. Martial arts schools across the country were suddenly flooded with people, with an endless stream of applicants signing up.
The major schools also began establishing branches within their spheres of influence to recruit students. However, their admission standards were much stricter than those of the small, money-grubbing schools, requiring prospective students to pass an aptitude test.
This was especially true for the schools that had made a name for themselves at the now-famous Southern and Northern Martial Arts Gatherings. Their dojos were swamped with applicants. Many parents even treated their child's acceptance into one of these major schools as a source of bragging rights. As the Martial Arts Association's regulations were finalized, a new pro-martial arts trend began to sweep the nation.
On the third day, the conference was nearing its end.
The impact the conference had on the Martial Arts Realm in just these few days made all the attendees understand that the Martial Arts Association's scale and influence were on the level of an absolute behemoth. As a result, discussions on various topics grew more cautious, because every decision they made could affect the future direction of the Martial Arts Realm.
"Everyone, we have discussed nearly all the topics on our agenda. Now, I have one final item left. This topic is extremely important. Its impact on the entire Donghua Martial Arts Realm will be no less significant than the establishment of the Martial Arts Association itself. For the remainder of today, our entire discussion will revolve around this single issue."
As the third day of the conference began, Chen Qingmu, seated at the presidium, addressed the dense crowd of several hundred attendees below him.
Upon hearing this, everyone straightened up, looking at one another in surprise.
Over the past two days, they had all personally experienced the immense power of the Martial Arts Association. Its impact on the Martial Arts Realm could be described as epoch-making. But now, the president was saying that the importance of the next topic was comparable to the establishment of the association itself. 'What kind of topic could possibly carry such weight, and require a full day of discussion?'
The entire hall fell silent as everyone looked quietly toward the presidium, where Chen Qingmu, Lei Yi, Zhao Beidou, Zhou Yuanjue, and Li Zhaonan were seated.
"The topic for discussion is for everyone here to deliberate on matters related to the Martial Arts Association spearheading the official establishment of the 'Donghua Martial Arts University.'"
Chen Qingmu paused for a moment, then made the announcement in a resounding voice.
A Martial Arts University?!
Hearing Chen Qingmu's words, the hall instantly erupted into commotion and uproar. Everyone was left reeling from the bombshell announcement.
Although physical education reforms were currently underway across the country, introducing Martial Dao courses, these classes only taught the basics. Not only did they pose no threat to the legacies of the various schools, they actually helped screen for promising candidates, a development the schools were happy to see.
But a Martial Arts University was different. Since it bore the title of "University," it certainly wouldn't be teaching mere basic knowledge, but rather more profound Martial Dao legacies—perhaps even top-tier secret techniques!
Everyone present knew full well how much influence and appeal a university established by the Martial Arts Association with official government backing would have. 'If this university is really founded,' they thought, 'how many of the top prospects who should have joined our schools will be snatched away?'
Furthermore, who would teach at this Martial Arts University? And what would they teach? All of these were open questions, giving the various schools reason to suspect that this was a move by the state to weaken their power, or even strip them of their legacies!
Chen Qingmu's expression remained calm as he watched the commotion unfold. He had long anticipated this reaction.
"Please, quiet down and let me finish,"
Chen Qingmu said, his voice calm and steady. He projected his magnetic field, and the hall instantly fell silent.
"According to the current plan, the proposed candidate for president of this Donghua Martial Arts University is Mr. Zhou Yuanjue. Therefore, to begin our discussion on this topic, I will ask Mr. Zhou Yuanjue to give everyone a detailed introduction."
Chen Qingmu said, gesturing for Zhou Yuanjue to begin.
In an instant, hundreds of pairs of eyes in the hall all fell upon Zhou Yuanjue.