Chapter 172 Contribution Points

"Di di di."

Xu Jingming and Li Miaomiao were kissing when a message alert interrupted them. They stopped, smiling at each other.

"Let me see," Xu Jingming said, tapping the screen. "It's an official summons from the virtual world for everyone in the top ten of the global rankings."

"An official summons? You should go quickly," Li Miaomiao said.

"No rush, it's in half an hour," Xu Jingming said, holding his girlfriend. "Our most important thing right now is tomorrow's wedding. Let's double-check and make sure everything is prepared."

Li Miaomiao also tapped her screen, looking at the checklist. "Invitations for family and friends, our outfits, the banquet menu..."

Xu Jingming checked alongside her.

Since the wedding was being held in the virtual world, the standards were naturally higher.

...

Half an hour later.

"Accept invitation," Xu Jingming said softly, accepting the invitation from the virtual world's officials.

*Whoosh.*

He arrived in a large conference room with a huge round table, where each person had their own seat.

"Hmm?" Xu Jingming sat down in his seat. His master, Liu Hai, was next to him, and Tiano Xili was on Liu Hai's other side.

"Hello," Tiano Xili said with a bright smile, flashing a set of white teeth as he greeted Xu Jingming and Liu Hai.

"Tiano," Xu Jingming and Liu Hai said, looking at the young man.

Tiano Xili was younger than both of them and progressing at a terrifying rate.

"I never expected you Xia Country to produce two such experts," Tiano Xili said with a can of drink in his hand, smiling. "Especially Liu Hai. You're so old, yet your strength is growing so fast. You were able to suppress me for several months. But... you're slowly falling behind. The battle for the strongest on Earth will likely be between me and Xu Jingming."

Liu Hai looked at Tiano and said with a smile, "Young man, admirable courage."

"My strength is also very high," Tiano Xili said smugly, turning his gaze to Xu Jingming with curiosity and anticipation. "Xu Jingming, your progress is much faster than your master's! You were so much weaker than me on the third level of the Star Cluster Tower, but you caught up to me and your master on the fourth level. I'm looking forward to fighting you."

"Anytime," Xu Jingming said.

"No rush, no rush," Tiano Xili said, shaking his head. "It's no fun fighting now. Let's wait until we break through to the fifth level."

As they spoke, the other experts in the top ten of the overall rankings also gathered. Ajinluofu, Tiger Fosson, John Pierre, Miyakawa Akari, Haru Singh, Zhao Fan, and Merritt all observed the conversation between the world's three strongest.

"Hello, Senior John. When I was young, the martial arts athlete I admired most was you. You never gave up on martial arts despite so many hardships," Haru Singh said to John Pierre with a hint of admiration.

"Haha..." John Pierre said with a laugh, "The suffering I've endured is nothing compared to yours."

"After my paralysis, I didn't dare to have any hopes for martial arts, and I didn't need to persevere. I just lived each day, eating and waiting for death," Haru Singh said, shaking his head. "The appearance of evolutionary methods changed my fate. But Senior John, your repeated injuries and comebacks, your dedication to martial arts, are even more admirable."

John Pierre said with a smile, "Those are all in the past. Now, countless people around the world are fighting hard, and the competition is much fiercer than it was back then."

Xu Jingming also noticed the middle-aged white man.

John Pierre was a legendary martial arts athlete from the White Eagle Federation. His past achievements were not as great as the three kings of the martial arts world, nor even as great as Tie Lianyuan. His fate was full of twists and turns, and his experiences had once inspired Xu Jingming.

Xu Jingming had broken his leg, but John's experiences were even more fraught with difficulties, and his injuries were far more serious.

John Pierre came from the slums of the White Eagle Federation. At that time, the Blue Star Alliance's welfare system was not yet widespread, and his early life was very difficult. John Pierre had extremely high talent. At the age of 25, he won first place in the world martial arts competition. Then, he suffered a broken leg and was forced to retire for three years to recover. After his comeback, he fought his way into the world's top four. This time, his left arm was broken, and he was forced to retire again.

He retired three times in total, and his body had dozens of injuries. There were three injuries that would have been enough to force a professional athlete to retire completely, but he persevered. He spent most of his career recovering from injuries, repeatedly making comebacks with his scarred body.

What the martial arts world admired most was that John Pierre never complained about his fate despite so many hardships, and he was never stingy with his guidance to the younger generation in the martial arts world. He was a martial arts kaleidoscope, and he had taught many professional athletes in the White Eagle Federation. Now, he was over fifty years old.

He had only barely passed the fourth level of the Star Cluster Tower recently, and he had fought Fang Yu, losing to him.

However…

John Pierre's martial arts courses had very high ratings, and with the support of the entire White Eagle Federation, his total score was ultimately eighth! Many players who were stronger than him had lower total scores.

"Master Liu Hai is proficient in all kinds of martial arts," Xu Jingming thought. "John Pierre is a weaker version of Master! He is also proficient in all kinds of martial arts and is good at teaching."

"Jingming."

Liu Hai looked around and sighed. "I thought that with billions of people competing, there would be very few professional athletes in the global top ten after half a year. But now it seems I was wrong. There's you, me, John, and Tiger Fosson, all professional athletes."

"The further you go in martial arts training, the more important it is to refine your heart," Xu Jingming nodded in agreement. "Many professional athletes have devoted half their lives to martial arts, investing too much emotion in it, which can make them more devout."

"Only a few professional athletes are truly devout to martial arts," Liu Hai said, shaking his head. "Many professional athletes only see it as a career, a way to make money."

He had taught many disciples and could see it clearly.

"Although the devout are few, there are still some," Xu Jingming said. "Now that countless people around the world are focusing on martial arts for long periods of time every day, there must be many who are devout, and many who are talented. The vast majority of professional athletes will be surpassed! But a very small number of professional athletes with high talent and decades of devotion may be able to stand at the peak for even longer."

"Like Master, Tiger Fosson, and John Pierre," Xu Jingming said. "You are all devout enough to martial arts."

Liu Hai nodded. "Only those who are truly focused on martial arts can achieve great things."

Focus was only one aspect; talent and comprehension were also very important.

Tie Lianyuan was also very focused and even crazy, but in this era of global competition, his growth rate was clearly slower.

"Everyone."

At the conference table, in addition to the ten people in the top ten of the overall rankings, were twelve officials from the virtual world. The twelve people were of various races, and the meeting was being hosted by a middle-aged black man.

The middle-aged black man said with a smile, "First of all, on behalf of the entire Blue Star Alliance, I thank you for your contributions to the people of Blue Star."

"You will also receive contribution points," the middle-aged black man said. "The first place will receive 100 contribution points, the second place will receive 60 contribution points, the third place will receive 50 contribution points, the fourth place will receive 40 contribution points, the fifth place will receive 35 contribution points, the sixth place will receive 30 contribution points, the seventh place will receive 25 contribution points, the eighth place will receive 20 contribution points, the ninth place will receive 15 contribution points, and the tenth place will receive 10 contribution points."

"To obtain contribution points, you must contribute to the entire Blue Star Alliance," the middle-aged black man said. "Every contribution point is very precious, so please cherish them."

"This is the exchange list."

As the middle-aged black man spoke, lists flew towards the ten of them, including Xu Jingming.

"You must think carefully about what resources you want to exchange for, because it will be very difficult to earn contribution points again," the middle-aged black man said. "There is no time limit for exchanging contribution points for resources. You can exchange them now, or in three or five years."

"But one thing, the resources you exchange for can only be used on yourselves," the middle-aged black man said.

Xu Jingming and the others were now looking at the exchange list.