Am I Too Overpowered?

As Xin Ming strode into the arena, a shadow amidst the glow of eager anticipation, the whispers of the crowd swirled around him like a tempest. Their eyes were fixated upon the favored competitor, Lu Shan, a 20-year-old prodigy whose reputation preceded him, already at the 1st stage of the Golden Core Realm. He is indeed destined to win this tournament, that is, if Xin Ming doesn't interfere today.

But he paid them no mind, my focus unwavering as he prepared to unveil the depths of his power. For in this arena of martial prowess and ambition, he was the dark horse, and perhaps it is better this way, as ge doesn't want to draw too much attention just yet, the only reason he was doing this is because of the Mythril grass, a legendary opportunity that only comes once in a century.

As Xin Ming stepped into the arena, my first opponent, Xia Lu, awaited him with a smirk playing on his lips. At the 9th stage of the Foundation Realm, he exuded an aura of confidence, his posture brimming with arrogance as he underestimates him.

"System, show me his stats" Xin Ming whispered.

[Name: Xia Lu]

[Cultivation Realm: Foundation IX]

[Cultivation Base: 12/1900]

[Cultivation Aptitude: 3]

[Martial Prowess: 2]

[Strength: 58 (+12)]

[Agility: 58 (+1)]

[Qi: 29 (+0)]

[Skills:]

[Serpent Palm Lv 3 (Level 1 Martial Power)]

[Field Footwork Lv 1 (Level 1 Martial Power)]

Wow… so weak?

I had expected that this city was weak but for this trash to be regarded as a genius is absurd..

He only has martial arts skills? He can't even utilize Qi!

Let me explain the stats:

For every cultivation realm you gain +1 stat point to your base stats and for a major realm your break through you gain much more (for Qi Gathering to break through to Foundation was 10 and then 100 for breaking into gold core and so on) and the martial prowess multiplies your stats accordingly except for your Qi stat. Let's just be clear here a normal human only has 1 strength, this is why cultivators set apart from normal mortals so much, even the weakest cultivator can crush 2 people with ease.

The martial power signifies the grade of the martial art that he is learning, as level 1 is the lowest of lowest, it can't even bring out to the full extent of his strength. The + stats in brackets mean the extra stats that you can either train for or by consuming an elixir or using an artifact to boost your stats.

He is way too slow as well…

"Hey!"

Xia Lu sneered, "Are you sure you're in the right place, little Qi Gathering cultivator? This arena is reserved for those of us with real talent."

With a casual flick of his wrist, Xia Lu beckoned Xin Ming forward, his demeanor dripping with disdain as he regarded me through narrowed eyes. In his mind, victory was assured, his superiority unquestionable in the face of what he perceived to be a mere novice at the Qi Gathering Realm.

As the tournament officials raised their hands to signal the start of the match, a hush fell over the arena, the tension palpable in the charged atmosphere. With a swift motion, they released a surge of energy, igniting the arena with a burst of dazzling light that marked the commencement of the first bout.

With a smirk playing on his lips, Xia Lu taunted Xin Ming, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Do you even know what you're doing here, weakling?" he sneered, his tone laced with contempt. "You should just give up now and save yourself the embarrassment."

His words cut through the silence like a knife, eliciting murmurs of amusement from the surrounding spectators.

Xin Ming met his gaze with a cool, calculated stare, a smirk of my own dancing at the corners of my lips. "Save your breath, Xia Lu," he replied, my voice dripping with confidence. "You're going to need it for when you're gasping on the ground." For defeating a Foundation Realm cultivator with no battle experience was something he could do with his eyes closed.

Xia Lu lunged forward with a flurry of strikes, each blow imbued with his anger. But Xin Ming was always one step ahead, anticipating his movements with a keen intuition born from centuries of combat experience. With a flick of my wrist, Xin Ming deflected his strikes with ease, his movements almost lazy in their execution. Xin Ming could see the frustration building in Xia Lu's eyes, his confidence wavering as he struggled to land a single blow.

"You're not in the Qi Gathering Realm," he grunted between breaths, his voice strained with effort. "But you lack true battle experience. You've never faced an opponent like me."

These canon fodders always like courting death, don't they.

Xia Lu was frustrated, his attacks coming in a relentless barrage. Sweat glistened on his brow as he fought with all the desperation of a cornered animal.

With a dark smirk, Xin Ming toyed with him, allowing him to come within inches of landing a blow before effortlessly evading his attack. Each near miss only seemed to fuel his frustration, his movements growing more erratic with each passing moment.

And then, in a single swift motion, with a lightning-fast strike, Xin Ming disarmed him, sending his weapon clattering to the ground.

As Xia Lu stumbled backward, his face pale with shock, Xin Ming moved in for the final blow. With a calculated precision born from centuries of combat experience he made sure he didn't do too much damage to him as he didn't want to cripple him in one blow for unwanted attention, Xin Ming delivered the finishing strike, sending him crashing to the ground in defeat.

As the dust settled and the tension lingered in the air, a startled official stepped forward, his expression a mixture of disbelief and awe. With trembling hands, he raised his voice, his announcement echoing throughout the arena with an air of incredulity.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice betraying a hint of disbelief, "the winner of this match is... Xin Ming!"

The words hung in the air like a sudden clap of thunder, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the crowd. The official's surprise was palpable, his eyes widening as he struggled to comprehend the unexpected turn of events. Never before had they witnessed such a stunning upset, and the shock of Xin Ming's victory reverberated through the arena like a seismic wave.

For a brief moment, the arena fell into stunned silence, the spectators struggling to process the reality of what had just transpired. But as the truth of Xin Ming's victory began to sink in, a thunderous roar erupted from the crowd, their applause and cheers echoing throughout the arena in a deafening cacophony of sound.

Lu Shan stood among the crowd, his expression a mask of cold indifference. Beside him, his friend glanced at him with a knowing look, curiosity dancing in his eyes.

"Do you think Xin Ming can beat you?" his friend ventured, his voice tinted with uncertainty.

Lu Shan's lips curled into a dismissive smirk, his gaze fixed on the arena below. "Xin Ming?" he scoffed. "He got lucky, that's all. There's no way he can beat me."

With that, Lu Shan rose from his seat, his movements deliberate and measured. He cast one last glance at the victorious Xin Ming, his eyes betraying no hint of emotion, before turning on his heel and striding away, his friend trailing behind him.