Chapter 76: Three Universities Arrive Together, Fighting Over People!
The staff member quickly handed a Inheritance chip to Lin Chuan.
"Spiritual secret skills are different from ordinary Martial Techniques. Do not forcibly interrupt the reception process."
"Also, the Inheritance can only be bound once. If the chip is damaged, the Martial Arts Association is not responsible for reissuing it."
Lin Chuan took the chip and pressed it directly against the center of his brows.
A wave of mental fluctuation entered his mind.
A large amount of text, graphics, and Cultivation methods rapidly unfolded.
"Thousand-Thread Mind Control Method" will not increase the total amount of Mental Strength.
Its true effect is to split the complete spiritual telekinesis into strands of mental thread that can be independently controlled.
Previously, when Lin Chuan controlled six magic blades, it looked quite intimidating.
With six blades flying together and besieging from different directions, it was hard for an ordinary Martial Master to get close.
However, those six blades always executed a single primary set of commands.
Attack together.
Turn together.
Retreat together.
When encountering a fast-reacting expert, the six magic blades could easily interfere with each other.
When he went to the Spirit Reader training room for testing before, his micro-control Level was only level four.
His Mental Strength was certainly enough.
However, his control was like embroidery with a sledgehammer.
It was definitely enough to smash an embroiderer to death, but if he were really asked to embroider a flower with it, that would be a bit difficult for the sledgehammer.
The Inheritance lasted for more than ten minutes.
The light on the chip gradually dimmed.
[Acquired A-Level Spiritual Secret Skill: "Thousand-Thread Mind Control Method"!]
Lin Chuan opened his eyes and put away the scrapped chip.
He bought it for five thousand contributions.
Even if it could no longer be used, it would still hurt a bit to throw it away.
After returning home, Lin Chuan went straight into his private training room.
The protective walls rose.
The six magic blades flew out of their scabbards and hovered in front of him.
Following the Inheritance method, Lin Chuan slowly split his spiritual telekinesis.
The first mental thread wrapped around a magic blade.
The second mental thread controlled another.
It went smoothly at the beginning.
When he issued turning and acceleration commands simultaneously, the six magic blades instantly became chaotic.
Clang!
Two magic blades collided together.
The third one flew past the wall, almost splitting the surveillance camera in the training room in half.
The alarm sounded immediately.
[Detected attack deviating from the training area!]
[Do not damage surveillance equipment!]
Lin Chuan glanced at the camera.
"An accident."
"Move a little higher, and you will be safe."
Of course, the surveillance camera wouldn't listen to him.
Lin Chuan could only recall the magic blades.
He started with just one.
One mental thread controlled the direction, and one mental thread controlled the speed.
After getting familiar with it, he increased it to two.
Four.
Finally, he increased it back to six.
A full twelve mental threads were connected with the six magic blades.
This time, the six magic blades did not continue to collide chaotically.
The first moved left.
The second suddenly accelerated.
The third stayed in place.
The remaining three circled towards the back of the training room simultaneously.
For the first time, the six blades executed six different sets of commands.
Lin Chuan practiced for more than an hour and increased the mental threads to thirty-six.
Each magic blade was controlled by six mental threads.
Acceleration, deceleration, turning, and recovery were all completely separated.
He raised his hand to activate the moving targets.
Twelve metal targets appeared simultaneously from the walls and the ground.
The six magic blades immediately scattered.
Two accelerated from the front.
Two circled around the back close to the ground.
The fifth intentionally grazed past a metal target, forcing the target to change direction.
The last one stopped ahead of time on its moving path.
Puff!
The blade tip pierced through the bullseye.
The remaining five magic blades were also rapidly changing directions.
As the first round of attacks ended, the twelve moving targets stopped almost simultaneously.
On each of the twelve bullseyes, a piercing hole was left behind.
[All twelve moving targets hit!]
[Time taken: 4.7 seconds!]
[Spiritual micro-control ability reached the first-stage standard!]
The System prompt appeared at this moment as well.
["Thousand-Thread Mind Control Method" proficiency increased!]
["Thousand-Thread Mind Control Method" mastered at beginner level, added to personal skill panel!]
For an A-Level spiritual secret skill, an ordinary person would need a very long time just to adapt to splitting the first mental thread.
Lin Chuan possessed an SSSSS-Rank Talent and was assisted by the proficiency System.
Only half a day after spending five thousand contributions, he was already starting to get his money's worth.
Lin Chuan looked at the six magic blades hovering in different positions.
Previously, these six blades...
looked like they were running separately, but they shared a single brain.
Now, they each finally grew a brain of their own.
After the magic blade test ended, Lin Chuan activated the Phantom Art again.
Thunderlight flashed.
Six thunder-shadow Avatars appeared in the training room.
Previously, these Avatars would similarly execute a single set of commands.
When Lin Chuan told them to attack, they would all charge together.
When he told them to self-detonate, they would all blow up together.
Now, mental threads were respectively connected to the six Avatars.
The first Avatar attacked from the front.
The second circled to the left.
The third was responsible for defense.
Another deliberately slowed down, revealing an opening to hide all the remaining Avatars behind it.
The six Avatars constantly changed positions in the training room.
Two of them even cooperated with each other to complete a front-and-rear pincer attack.
The final hurdle that the Phantom Art had originally been stuck on was spiritual micro-control.
A prompt popped up before Lin Chuan's eyes again.
["Phantom Art" proficiency increased!]
["Phantom Art" broke through to Perfection!]
[Perfection Effect: Thunder-shadow Avatars can act independently, cast up to B-Level Martial Techniques, and possess 60% of the main body's attributes!]
After reading the prompt, Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction.
In the future, when encountering flying Heavenly Demons, he wouldn't need to grab his Avatars and throw them into the sky one by one.
Of course.
If he really encountered a particularly punchable one, he should still throw them.
After the training ended, Lin Chuan took out a purple thunder bead.
This was the only third-tier thunder bead in his hand.
He took out the repaired tier 4 thunder saber, installed a fixed card slot near the handguard, and embedded the thunder bead into it.
Purple Heaven Divine Thunder traveled along the blade body.
Stimulated, the surface of the thunder bead also lit up with purple electric light.
From the outside, the thunder power seemed to enter the thunder blade from the thunder bead, and then be amplified by the fourth-tier weapon.
In the future, when publicly using Purple Heaven Divine Thunder, as long as he made the thunder bead light up along with it, most people would naturally attribute the thunder power to the thunder bead and the thunder blade.
Since he obtained this thunder bead, the energy inside it had never been consumed.
What Lin Chuan needed was its thunder-attribute camouflage, and he didn't lack that little bit of thunder power inside it.
His phone suddenly rang.
Pei Wubing called him.
Lin Chuan answered the phone.
"Teacher, what is it?"
"People from Jiuli University, Longdu Martial Arts University, and the First War Academy have all arrived."
Pei Wubing paused for a moment and continued:
"The three top martial arts universities in Daxia have come to Haicheng together to fight over you. People have already entered the Lin family residence; hurry up and come out of the training room."
Lin Chuan glanced at the time.
"All three came together?"
"Right."
"What should I do? There's only one of me, I can't split into three!"
"Cut the nonsense and get out here right away! Any random admissions person from their side is a Grandmaster. Don't go making random promises when negotiating later; listen to what they can offer first."
Lin Chuan put away the six magic blades and reinserted the thunder blade into its scabbard.
"Understood."
"I am the best at negotiating; I am the Negotiation King of Haicheng."
He pushed open the door of the training room.
Pei Wubing was already standing outside waiting for him.
The two came to the Lin family's reception room together.
The door opened.
Three admissions persons in charge from top martial arts universities looked at Lin Chuan simultaneously.
The person in charge from Jiuli University stood up first.
"Student Lin Chuan."
"We came over today to talk to you about the matter of direct admission without examination."
Chapter 77: Frenzied Bidding!
"Special admission without examination?"
As the person in charge of Jiuli University finished speaking, a Lin Clan elder squeezed in through the doorway of the reception room.
"Xiaochuan, you must be prudent about such a matter. Let us stay as well and help you deliberate."
There were still seven or eight people following behind him.
With three top-tier universities visiting all at once, how could these Lin Clan elders possibly sit still?
Lin Chuan glanced outside.
"Elder Gu, Second Great Uncle, Fifth Great Uncle, and Third Sister, stay. Everyone else, go outside first."
Several elders opened their mouths, but in the end, they still retreated outside the door.
Lin Nan, however, stood there without moving.
"I am staying too."
"No need."
"I am your father!"
"The schools are fighting over me, not you. Besides, with that walnut-sized brain of yours, the suggestions you make have no reference value. Hurry up and go wherever you want."
After speaking, Lin Chuan waved his hand and then closed the door.
Lin Nan was blocked outside, his expression looking terrible to the extreme.
Whenever there was an issue in the Lin Clan before, it was only ever his place to chase others out.
Today, with three top-tier universities sitting in the Lin Clan, he, the head of the Clan, could only stand at the door and eavesdrop.
Mother Lin wanted to speak up for him, but she did not know what to say.
In the reception room, Gu Shanhe and the others sat in the back.
Originally, they wanted to help Lin Chuan vet them, but upon seeing the badges of the three universities on the table, none of them dared to speak first.
This was also the first time they had seen special admission of this level.
Pei Wubing sat next to Lin Chuan, holding three documents in his hand.
The first was the live broadcast of the city manhunt.
The second was Lin Chuan's Spirit Reader file.
The last one came from the Zhenyuan Division, and most of its contents were sealed.
The Triangle Heavenly Demon still belonged to classified information.
All that the admissions personnel could see was the final line of evaluation.
[Independently completed the core objective of a third-tier high-risk mission, actual combat evaluation: Highest Tier!]
The person in charge of the First War Academy tapped that line of text with his hand.
"The reason we came so quickly is primarily because of this evaluation. The Zhenyuan Division doesn't issue a highest-tier evaluation many times a year, let alone to a high school student."
The person in charge of Longdu Martial Arts University continued:
"A C-grade talent is just the data from the day of Awakening. A Spirit Reader and Martial Artist slaying a Grandmaster, coupled with this mission evaluation, is already enough to enter the core sequence of any university."
After hearing this, Gu Shanhe couldn't help but glance at Lin Chuan.
The Lin Clan had cultivated quite a few young people over the years, yet they had never seen such special admission conditions.
Bearing a C-grade talent, Lin Chuan had three top-tier universities coming over together to snatch him up.
The person in charge of Jiuli University pushed a resource table in front of Lin Chuan.
"Let me state Jiuli's conditions first. After enrollment, you will directly enter the Spirit Reader core sequence, with a vice president serving as your Soul Power mentor. The spiritual tower and Soul Power laboratory will also open their highest student privileges to you."
"Fifty million in spiritual cultivation resources per semester, for four consecutive years."
Lin Chuan glanced at the resource table.
"Fifty million, is it given in cash?"
The person in charge of Jiuli University paused for a moment.
"Soul crystals, potions, and spiritual tower cultivation time—you can choose them yourself. The money cannot be withdrawn to buy cars or houses."
"Then what about getting a membership card at a club?"
"That won't work either!" The person in charge of Jiuli University rolled his eyes.
"You guys are quite thorough in your consideration."
"Other students have asked that before."
"Birds of a feather!" Lin Chuan smiled.
Hearing the figure of fifty million, the breathing of several elders outside the door became heavy.
The Young Lord was usually used to running his mouth, but how come he was still acting like this when meeting the people in charge of these universities!
Fifty million a semester.
This was no small sum; in a year that would be one hundred million, and in three years that would be three hundred million!
The person in charge of the First War Academy leaned back in his chair.
"Jiuli is suited for conducting research. But once you enter university, can you really sit in the laboratory every day?"
Lin Chuan thought about it seriously.
"I can't sit still."
"Then come to the First War Academy."
The other party chuckled and handed him an explanation of academic credits.
"The military merits you obtained in the Zhenyuan Divisioncan be converted into academy credits. After enrollment, you can also apply for gray zone and war zone missions in advance."
"The school will give you a complete set of S-grade cultivation technique. Complete the training plan and pass the graduation combat examination, and the military will directly confer the rank of lieutenant."
Lin Chuan understood.
"Job placement guaranteed upon graduation?"
"Well, the military generally doesn't call it that."
"The meaning is pretty much the same."
The person in charge of the First War Academy couldn't be bothered to argue with him.
"You are suited for actual combat. Four years from now, as long as you maintain your current mission completion rate, your promotion speed will not be slow."
"That sounds a bit dangerous."
"You are worth fifty million now, and the Tianyi Cult has already set its sights on you. Can you stay safe by staying at an ordinary university?"
Lin Chuan nodded.
"That does make sense, huh."
The person in charge of Jiuli University glanced at the other party.
"Recruiting students is recruiting students, don't use the Tianyi Cult to scare students."
"What I said is the truth."
"Are the two of you done talking?"
The person in charge of Longdu Martial Arts University hadn't been in a rush to speak the whole time.
Waiting for the two to stop, he finally took out a list.
"Jiuli teaches Mental Strength, and the First War Academyteaches actual combat—that sounds pretty good. However, our Longdu Martial Arts University has abundant faculty strength and can teach both, and both are taught by Martial Kings."
"In addition, one Central Secret Realm quota, a source repository viewing permission, plus a complete set of third-tier Peak mental weapons. On the day of enrollment, all of them will be fulfilled."
Lin Chuan's gaze lingered on the last line.
"After reaching the Grandmaster realm, an extra reward of a fourth-tier weapon?"
"Correct, you can choose the type yourself."
The person in charge of the First War Academy sat straight up on the spot.
"You guys even brought out fourth-tier weapons this time?"
"They will be issued after becoming a Grandmaster, not given right now."
The person in charge of Longdu Martial Arts University looked at Lin Chuan.
"The array patterns of a fourth-tier weapon consume too much energy. If an ordinary Martial Artist uses it by force, two or three times can drain their True Qi dry, and their meridians are also easily injured."
"That thunder blade of yours right now is only suitable to be used as a trump card. Only when you enter the Grandmaster realm can you truly unleash the power of a fourth-tier weapon."
Lin Chuan did not explain.
As for the cracks that had previously appeared on his thunder blade, the reason was precisely the opposite.
The thunder blade could barely withstand his thunder power.
Fortunately, it had already been repaired now.
The person in charge of Jiuli University took out his mobile phone.
"Hold on, I'll contact the president."
The person in charge of the First War Academy also walked aside to make a phone call.
"Pause for a moment, I'm going to get a drink of water."
After two minutes, the two sat back down.
"Jiuli adds another Advanced soul pool baptism."
"The First War Academy adds a set of third-tier Peakbattle armor."
Pei Wubing listened until the corners of his mouth could barely be suppressed.
In order to snatch his student, the three universities had already started bidding up the price on the spot.
Lin Chuan leaned back against his chair.
"You guys can discuss for a while longer. I'm not in a hurry."
Pei Wubing picked up his teacup and listened slowly; he wasn't in a hurry either, as there was plenty of time today.
Those elders outside the door dared even less to make a sound.
Who could have ever imagined that a C-grade talent could actually prompt three top-tier universities to offer such conditions.
Lin Nan stood at the very back of the crowd, his fists gripping tighter and tighter.
Inside the reception room, the person in charge of LongduMartial Arts University flipped out another live broadcast screenshot.
In the image, Lin Chuan was holding the tier 4 thunder saber, a streak of purple thunder light splitting through half a street.
"There is one more question."
"Your registered talent is the Blood-Eroding Poison Body, where did this thunder power come from?"
Lin Chuan placed the tier 4 thunder saber on the table, revealing the third-tier thunder bead near the handguard.
"It comes right from here."
He injected a trace of Purple Heaven Divine Thunder into the tier 4 thunder saber.
The thunder bead immediately lit up with purple electric light, and thunder-type fluctuations spread along the blade body.
After sensing it for a moment, the three admissions personnel quickly made a judgment.
The third-tier thunder bead provided the thunder-type power, which was then amplified by the tier 4 thunder saber.
This set of equipment was enough to explain the thunder slash in the live broadcast.
The person in charge of the First War Academy looked at the thunder bead.
"Being able to drive a tier 4 thunder saber with a Martial Artist's cultivation, your meridians strength is even higher than on file."
"Good physique."
Lin Chuan withdrew the tier 4 thunder saber.
What the few people recognized was his combat record; where the thunder power came from turned out to be not that important.
All three families finished stating their conditions.
The person in charge of Jiuli University took the lead in pushing the special admission agreement over.
"The supplementary conditions can all be written into the agreement. If you are willing, you can sign it right now."
Lin Chuan took the agreement, flipped to the section on retaining rewards, and his fingers suddenly stopped.
"After signing this, can I still participate in the Dongzhou Province examination?"
The person in charge of Jiuli University looked at him.
Lin Chuan asked another question.
"Can I still get the reward for the provincial top scorer?"
Chapter 78: I Want It All
"I can participate."
The person in charge of Jiuli University did not immediately take back the agreement.
"However, you need to figure out how many types of special admissions there are first."
He turned to the second half of the agreement and pointed at two lines.
"The first is the exemption protection agreement. If you choose the school now and withdraw from the Dongzhou Province exam, the school will immediately send someone to pick you up. The resources, mentors, and permissions we just discussed will all be written into the formal contract."
"The second is the pre-admission intention. All three schools can reserve your special admission qualifications, and you can continue to participate in the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination. After the province exam is over, you can decide which one to go to."
Lin Chuan understood.
"One is to take the money and leave now, and the other is to continue bidding after the exam?"
The person in charge of Longdu Martial Arts Universityglanced at him.
"That's roughly what it means, but pre-admission also has evaluation conditions."
The person in charge of the First War Academy took over the conversation.
"We recognize your current combat record. The Spirit Reader file, the city assassination live broadcast, and the highest-level evaluation from the Zhenyuan Division are all not fake."
"However, the province exam lasts for eight hours, testing long-term hunting, route judgment, and True Qidistribution. That is not the same kind of evaluation as hunting down a Bronze Captain."
He tapped on each of the three condition sheets.
"If you enter the top three in the province, all the conditions discussed today will be retained. If you win the province top scholar, you can also ask us to add more."
"For fourth to tenth, only eighty percent of the on-site additional conditions will be retained. If you drop out of the top ten in the province, the extra resources and special permissions will be halved. The special admission qualification will not be canceled, but the final cultivation Level needs to be re-evaluated."
Lin Chuan nodded.
This was normal.
Even if the three top universities were willing to snatch people, they wouldn't throw money around blindly.
What is being given now is the Genius price.
If he couldn't even make it into the top ten in the province exam, others would naturally wonder how many equipment factors were in his previous combat records.
The person in charge of Jiuli University continued:
"There is one more thing. The Hidden Dragon Assassination Order has been posted with a bounty of fifty million. We would prefer you to sign the exemption protection agreement."
"As long as you choose a school, a Grandmaster will escort you out of Haicheng today. No matter how good the province exam rewards are, there is no need to risk your life for them."
Gu Shanhe hadn't interrupted the whole time.
Hearing this, he finally put down his teacup.
"Young Master, I don't understand how universities cultivation students, but the bounty from the Tianyi Cult is no small matter. If you sign with one now, the conditions are already good enough."
Lin Chuan's third sister also looked at him.
"I'm not worried that you won't do well in the exam."
She paused for a moment.
"I'm worried that the Tianyi Cult will make a move in the gray areas of the province exam. The area is so vast that even if the Grandmasters outside discover it, they might not be able to rush to your side in time."
The exam was conducted in the catacombs, and the gray areas were some of the relatively safe regions occupied by humans.
These words were more useful than persuading Lin Chuanto secure a baseline.
Lin Chuan knew that the two of them didn't distrust him.
They were just afraid that he would risk his life just to get the rewards.
"Third Sister, Grandpa Gu, I know what I'm doing."
Lin Chuan put the agreement back on the table.
"The Tianyi Cult wants to kill me, and they won't stop just because I take one less exam. If I hide in a university today, they will still find an opportunity in the future."
"The province exam is monitored throughout at least, and there are Martial Arts Association members and Grandmasters watching outside. If I really encounter danger that I cannot handle, I will naturally save my life first."
The third sister said, "Why are you always pushing yourself so hard and acting so brave!"
"Maybe my male hormones are secreting too much, hehe."
Hearing the last sentence, the third sister raised her hand and patted him.
"Speak properly."
"Third Sister, I really considered this seriously."
Pei Wubing, sitting to the side, finally spoke: "I support you in participating."
Gu Shanhe looked at him.
Pei Wubing directly explained that hunt clearly.
"After the Bronze Captain noticed something was wrong and fled first, Lin Chuan chased him across several streets, forced him into the ruins, and finally resolved him with his own hands."
"At that time, it wasn't a Grandmaster chasing after him, but rather he was chasing a Grandmaster. The gray area province exam is indeed dangerous, but we can't let him stop doing anything just because there is a bounty."
Speaking to this point, he turned his head to look at Lin Chuan again.
"However, the equipment, routes, and communication methods before the exam must all be checked by me. If you dare find it troublesome, I will break your legs first and save the Tianyi Cult fifty million."
"Teacher, you're snatching their business."
"Shut up."
Gu Shanhe did not continue to persuade, and only said one sentence.
"If you really have confidence, go ahead. Tell me in advance if you need the Lin Clan to prepare anything."
The third sister also didn't stop him anymore: "I just want you to come back safely."
"Rest assured."
Lin Chuan picked up the agreement again, but did not sign it.
The person in charge of Jiuli University asked:
"You aren't even choosing the pre-admission intention?"
"Keep all three for me."
Lin Chuan said it very directly.
"If I choose now, I'm taking today's price. When I win back the province top scholar, won't you be able to keep adding more?"
The three persons in charge looked at each other.
This kid really wasn't polite.
The person in charge of Longdu Martial Arts Universitywas not angry, however.
A Genius daring to talk conditions wasn't a bad thing; people without ability wouldn't even dare to speak up.
"Is your insistence on winning the province top scholar for the resources?"
"It's mainly for a secret technique."
Lin Chuan brought up this year's Dongzhou Province exam reward catalog and pushed one of the pages over.
[S-Level Spiritual Secret Technique: All-Phenomena Soul-Forging Diagram!]
In addition to meritorious deeds, contributions, and cultivation resources, the province top scholar could also enter the National Martial Arts Association Source Diagram Room and select an S-Level secret technique from the designated catalog.
The All-Phenomena Soul-Forging Diagram was right inside.
After Mental Strength reaches one thousand units, a Spirit Reader could begin the second transformation.
Mental Strength and Soul Power merge to transform into soul thoughts capable of interfering with reality.
Ordinary Spirit Readers needed to control spiritual weapons if they wanted to kill.
Soul thoughts, however, could directly condense swords, chains, armor, wings, and beast shapes, and could also carry attributes such as thunder, fire, poison, and wind.
Ordinary soul-forging secret techniques could only fix one soul form.
Some forged blades, and thereafter always walked the soul-blade path.
Some forged armor, and their defense would be very strong, but their changes would be restricted.
The All-Phenomena Soul-Forging Diagram was different.
What it condensed was a formless soul embryo, which could continuously record new soul constructs.
The six magic blades, the Phantom Art, the Bone-Eroding Poison Physique, and the Purple Heaven Divine Thundercould all be linked into a set through this secret technique.
Lin Chuan pointed at the catalog.
"Can you give me this?"
The person in charge of Jiuli University shook his head.
"We cannot give it. The complete Inheritance is preserved in the Soul Mark Mother Diagram of the National Martial Arts Association. The Inheritance chip cannot be copied, and contributions cannot purchase it."
"Top universities likewise do not have the authority to invoke it."
"Then there's no choice."
Lin Chuan closed the agreement.
"I will participate in the province exam, and I must also have the top scholar position."
The person in charge of the First War Academy reminded him:
"Don't think of the province exam as too simple. The exam does not restrict the Levels of weapons, armor, potions, and spiritual weapons. As long as it is registered in advance and no outsiders make a move, it is not a violation."
"Those families in the provincial capital have been preparing for years, and Tier 3 Peak weapons are just the baseline. There is also news that someone from Longdu is processing temporary exam registration to come to Dongzhou to fight for the province top scholar."
Lin Chuan smiled.
"I've also used Tier 4 weapons."
"No matter how high the weapon Level is, it's useless if the candidate can't wield it."
The three persons in charge did not persuade him further.
Finally, all three universities left him a special admission qualification certificate.
Its validity period lasted until the day the Dongzhou Province exam results were announced.
The three persons in charge signed and sealed it on the spot, with the conditions and reduction standards just discussed attached to the back. No one could go back on their words after the results came out.
The conditions were also written clearly.
Top three in the province exam: all retained.
Province top scholar: renegotiate the price.
As soon as several people left the reception room, Lin Chuan's cell phone rang.
Ye Qinghe sent a photo of a document.
In the lower right corner of the document was the red seal of the Longdu Examination Institute.
"The Dongzhou Examination Institute just received this."
"A Longdu Genius is currently processing qualifications for the Dongzhou temporary examination zone."
Chapter 79 Pressure
As soon as the cars from the three universities drove out of the Lin Clan estate, the Clan elders swarmed into the living room.
"Jiuli University is offering fifty million in mental resources per semester, and they've even arranged for a vice president to personally mentor him."
"Longdu Martial Arts University is even more ruthless, offering a central Secret Realm and a third-stage Peakthought-weapon. Once Lin Chuan becomes a Grandmaster, he can get a fourth-stage weapon as well."
"First War Academy is offering an S-grade cultivation technique and a future in the military. Three universities fighting over a single person—how many years has it been since Dongzhou saw something like this?"
The Clan elders spoke with increasing excitement.
Lin Nan sat in the main seat, but he hadn't taken a single sip of the tea in his hand.
With every condition he heard, his expression grew a fraction uglier.
The potential Lin Chuan was currently displaying already far exceeded that of the younger generation of the Lin Clan.
As long as he was willing to stand on Lin Nan's side, the Lin Clan's business, status, and connections would all rise accordingly.
What were the Four Great Chambers of Commerce in Haicheng compared to that?
Once Lin Chuan entered a top university and became a Grandmaster, Lin Nan could even use this son to enter the core circle of the Main Family.
In the future, when attending the Main Family's annual banquet, he wouldn't have to sit in the last two rows anymore.
What the Main Family valued above all else was martial arts strength.
Lin Nan served as the president of the chamber of commerce in Haicheng, but upon returning to the Main Family, he was only responsible for business matters. When it came to resource allocation and Clan decision-making, he rarely even had the qualification to speak.
Yet, a core Genius from a top university was enough for the Main Family to proactively reserve a position for him.
Yet just now, when the three universities discussed special admission, Lin Chuan would rather let Gu Shanhe and a few elders stay behind than let his own biological father through the door.
He could only stand outside the door and listen.
An elder glanced at Lin Nan and finally spoke up.
"Clan Head, what I'm about to say might not sound pleasant. Lin Chuan was always very obedient to you when he was a child. For things to turn out like this today, you parents also bear some responsibility."
Another person sighed along with him.
"To have your own biological son pushed further and further away—you really can't entirely blame the child for holding a grudge. If it were anyone else, they probably would have completely cut ties with the Lin Clan long ago."
Lin Nan raised his head.
"Are you teaching me how to be a father?"
The two elders shut their mouths.
The living room quieted down.
Lin Nan leaned back against the sofa, but his mind recalled many things from the past.
Lin Chuan back then had indeed been very obedient.
Several years ago, Lin Nan's head had been injured by someone. Even after his injuries healed, he often suffered from headaches in the middle of the night. He had seen quite a few doctors in Haicheng and consumed boxes of medicine, but nothing ever worked.
Lin Chuan was only fourteen back then.
He dug out a few medical books from the Lin Clan's old library, ran to a medicine shop to consult an old master, and guarded the medicine stove every night to brew medicine.
Sometimes Lin Nan attended chamber of commerce banquets and didn't return home until the early hours of the morning.
Lin Chuan would sit in the living room and wait.
Whenever the medicine grew cold, he would reheat it again.
After drinking it continuously for over twenty days, Lin Nan's headaches actually really improved.
At the time, he only said "Not bad" without even giving a word of thanks.
Yet Lin Chuan was happy for several days.
Later on, the old master at the medicine shop told him that that prescription required changing the fire three times a day, and even a moment's lack of attention could ruin the brew.
In order not to delay daytime cultivation, Lin Chuan only slept three to four hours a night for half a month straight.
When Lin Nan heard that back then, he merely felt that it was only right for a son to take care of his father.
If the father-son relationship were still the same as before, what kind of situation would today be?
Lin Chuan would have shown him the three agreements, asked him which university to choose, and brought those connections back to the Lin Clan.
Thinking up to this point, Lin Nan felt a bit of regret for the first time in his heart.
He even thought of Lin He.
Before Lin He was brought back to the Lin Clan, although he was strict with Lin Chuan, he at least raised him as his biological son.
After Lin He arrived, the inner thoughts he heard were all grievances and concessions.
Whenever Lin He fell, he would think in his heart whether he had taken his older brother's place.
Whenever Lin He was injured, he would also worry that his parents would blame Lin Chuan because of it.
Having heard this too much, Lin Nan increasingly felt that Lin Chuan was jealous and narrow-minded, and even the way Lin Chuan looked at him became displeasing to his eyes.
If back then he hadn't brought Lin He back...
The moment this thought popped up, Lin Nan straightened his body.
No.
Lin He was just a child back then; what could he possibly have done wrong?
The fact that Lin Chuan was so formidable now proved that he had the ability long ago.
Yet he had kept it hidden all along, refusing to tell the Clananything, and only taking things out one by one after falling out with him.
He simply wanted everyone to watch me, Lin Nan, make a fool of myself!
As for why Lin Chuan didn't dare to speak out in the past, Lin Nan was entirely unwilling to think any further down that path.
As long as the fault lay with Lin Chuan, he, as a father, wouldn't need to lower his head.
That trace of regret from earlier quickly turned into anger.
Mother Lin walked over from the side.
"Darling, why don't we go talk to Xiaochuan? The things in the past... we might have really gone too far."
Lin Nan raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Talk about what?"
"He is my son, yet he dares to hold a grudge against me—that is unfilial! Now that he has ability, instead of thinking about helping the Clan, he even locked his own biological father outside the door."
"Are you expecting me to beg him and lower my head to apologize to him? Where is the logic in a father apologizing to his son? That is simply turning the natural order upside down!"
Mother Lin's lips moved slightly.
"But he no longer listens to us."
"Then let him see clearly: without him, the Lin Clan can still produce a provincial top scorer!"
Lin Nan took out his phone and dialed the number for the provincial capital's training center.
"I am Lin Nan."
"Allocate an additional batch of high-tier lightning-attribute potions to Lin He with a budget of forty million. Transfer it from the Lin Clan's cultivation account today."
The head of the training center checked the records.
"Mr. Lin, Lin He is still in the enclosed Lightning Pool and cannot be interrupted temporarily. However, Thunder Kinghas already prepared the final Lightning Pool Body Tempering for him."
"In addition, there is a high-tier lightning-attribute equipment that has a high degree of compatibility with the Six-Color Ancient Thunder. Once he finishes Body Tempering, Thunder King will personally teach him how to use it."
When an ordinary Martial Artist forcefully activated a high-tier weapon, their True Qi would quickly be exhausted, and their meridians would not be able to bear it.
Lin He possessed the S-grade Six-Color Ancient Thunder, and his physical body had undergone the tempering of the Lightning Pool, making him just right to shoulder this kind of consumption.
After listening to all this, the anger in Lin Nan's heart smoothed out a bit.
"Transfer the forty million as usual. The potions can be used after he comes out."
"The Lin Clan has spent so much on him; for this provincial exam, he must bring back the top scorer spot."
The head of the training center paused for a moment.
"I will pass the words along to him."
"Not to do your best—it is a must."
Lin Nan hung up the phone and completed the transfer on the spot.
[Transfer successful: Forty million yuan!]
Just as the notification on his phone disappeared, Gu Shanhe walked into the living room with two Clan elders.
These two people had always followed Lin Nan in the past.
Whenever the Clan held a meeting, regardless of what Lin Nan proposed, they would basically support it.
Now, however, the two of them followed closely behind Gu Shanhe, one on the left and one on the right, and their tones were extremely courteous.
"Elder Gu, we've discussed it just now."
"Our two families will first take out thirty million to set up a cultivation resource account for Young Lord Lin Chuan. From now on, every year we will take a portion of the profits from our respective industries specifically to supply his cultivation."
Gu Shanhe said, "Don't move the money around recklessly just yet. Wait until the Young Lord determines the school and the resources he needs, and then hand it over for him to arrange."
"Understood, we will listen to you in everything."
Lin Nan's expression sank.
"You come before me to say all this—what is the meaning of this?"
The two elders exchanged glances.
"Clan Head, we are merely coming over to give a notification. Starting today, we will be doing things under Elder Gu."
"You! Are you trying to betray me?" Lin Nan stood up and pointed at the two of them, rebuking them.
"We are not leaving the Lin Clan," one of them reminded him. "Young Lord Lin Chuan was originally the heir designated by the Old Master."
The other elder also spoke up.
"All of our families have Juniors. Supporting you in the past was because we believed you could lead the Lin Clanupward. Now that all three top universities are fighting over Young Lord Lin Chuan, following Young Lord Lin Chuan is the right choice."
"Lin He gets so many resources, easily exceeding a hundred million every year, yet everything for Young LordLin Chuan has to be fought for by himself. This isn't fair, so from now on, we want to keep a portion of the money from our own industries for Young Lord Lin Chuan."
Finished speaking, the two of them no longer looked at Lin Nan and followed Gu Shanhe out of the living room.
Lin Nan stared at their retreating figures, so angry that the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
He dialed the number for the training center once again.
"Pass along one more sentence to Lin He for me."
"If he cannot bring back the provincial top scorer spot, he needn't come back to see me!"
Chapter 80: Longdu Genius Lu Lingxiao
After Gu Shanhe left with two clan elders, Lin Nansnatched the teacup on the table.
Bang!
The teacup smashed against the wall, shattering all over the floor.
"A bunch of opportunists!"
No one answered in the living room.
The two clan elders took money from their own family's industry, nor did they leave the Lin Family.
They simply changed the person they supported.
No matter how much angry Lin Nan had, he couldn't stop them.
At the same time.
The Dongzhou Examination Institute held an impromptu meeting.
On the big screen, a red-stamped document just sent from Longdu had been turned to the last page.
After reading it, the dean of the examination institute directly closed the document.
"Rejected."
"Registration ended long ago. The numbers, entrances, and monitoring equipment for more than 50,000 candidates have all been arranged. Adding someone at the last minute does not comply with Dongzhou's procedures."
The person in charge of candidate record review did not take the document.
"Dean, he is not going through supplementary registration."
Several attachments were projected onto the screen.
[Temporary Candidate Record Application for Cross-Province Transfer Students!]
[Longdu Examination Institute Candidate Record Transfer Certificate!]
[Special Review by the National Martial Examination Joint Conference!]
[Passed Review by the Martial Arts AssociationHeadquarters!]
Every single one had a red stamp at the bottom.
Before the registration deadline, the Lu Family had already submitted a transfer application to a martial arts high school in Dongzhou.
Although the formal student status had not been completed, the temporary candidate record could be processed first.
A vice dean's expression darkened as he looked at it.
"A student from Longdu, why come to Dongzhou to transfer schools?"
The reviewer pulled up the candidate's profile.
"He is here to take the provincial top scorer position."
A photo of a young man appeared on the screen.
Lu Lingxiao.
A direct descendant of the Longdu Lu Family, with a Martial King holding down the fort at home.
Ranked twelfth in the same cohort in Longdu, he had already entered the core preliminary list of Longdu Martial Arts University.
[Martial Artist Nine Heavens!]
[S-Rank Talent: Tiangang Battle Physique!]
[Spear Technique Skill: Stage One!]
Seeing the last item, several high-level executives stopped talking.
Being able to practice spear techniques to reach a graded stage during high school could likewise be considered a Genius in Longdu.
The dean continued flipping down.
"What about his weapon?"
"A third-tier Peak S-Rank Mountain-Breaking Spear, custom-made by someone commissioned by the Lu Family."
The reviewer paused.
"Three hundred million yuan."
A high-level executive nearby almost choked on his tea.
"Bringing a three-hundred-million-yuan spear to snatch our Dongzhou's rewards?"
The deans were all quite distressed.
At the end of the profile was Lu Lingxiao's combat record from half a month ago.
Solely killed a third-tier Peak Demonic Beast, the Mountain-Moving Great Ape.
This year's Dongzhou Province top scorer could enter the National Martial Arts Association Source Map Room and choose an S-Rank Secret Technique.
Lu Lingxiao only ranked twelfth in Longdu, making it very difficult to take first place there.
Therefore, the Lu Family changed an examination district for him.
A vice dean slammed the table.
"This is aimed right at our quota! This reward was painstakingly applied for by Dongzhou, why should someone from Longdu take it away?"
"We have already raised objections."
The reviewer pulled out two more official letters.
Dongzhou gave three reasons.
Registration has already ended.
The carrying capacity of the Seventh Gray Zone has been determined.
The rewards applied for by this province should prioritize cultivating local candidates.
Dongzhou hurriedly tried to stall.
But it was useless!
Longdu was the administrative center of Daxia, the big boss, and local places all had to listen to them.
Dongzhou talked about rules, but it was useless, because they were the rules themselves.
If they wanted to, they could implement a new rule at any time.
Longdu submitted the gray zone carrying capacity assessment that very day.
The conclusion was just one sentence: increasing candidates would not affect the operation of the examination room.
As for the ownership of the reward, the other party replied even more directly.
[According to the latest regulations, the temporary candidate record approval is valid, and the candidate belongs to the Dongzhou Examination District.]
[Anyone who enters the Dongzhou overall ranking is eligible to receive the corresponding ranking reward.]
[Local examination institutions shall not refuse valid candidate records from participating in the unified martial examination on the grounds of original student status, household registration, or transfer time.]
Three red stamps were pressed at the bottom.
The meeting room fell silent.
Everyone knew the Lu Family had pulled strings.
Even if Dongzhou continued to appeal upward, it was useless.
The dean stared at the three seals for a long time, finally picked up his pen, and sighed.
"Receive."
He signed his name on the document and added a few more clauses.
"Equipment must be re-registered in Dongzhou, and entrances will be randomly arranged by the System. No one from the Lu Family is allowed to contact the monitoring and scoring System."
"Tell the people below, whoever dares to grant him convenience, I will dismiss them."
Since he couldn't be stopped, they could only let him come and take the exam according to the same rules.
Less than two hours after the temporary candidate record was approved, Lu Lingxiao arrived in Dongzhou provincial capital.
The airport exit was already crowded with reporters.
Lu Lingxiao was very handsome, with scattered black short hair, looking like a star. He had a tall and slender figure, reaching 1.9 meters, wearing a black-and-gold combat uniform with the Lu Family badge pinned to his chest.
Two guards carrying a long metal box followed behind him.
Dozens of cameras aimed at him simultaneously.
"Student Lu, why did you suddenly transfer to Dongzhou to take the provincial exam?"
Lu Lingxiao stopped in his tracks.
"Dongzhou's provincial top scorer reward this year is quite good."
"Just right, I happen to lack an S-Rank Secret Technique."
The reporter asked again: "Lin Chuan has killed a Grandmaster, and Lin He possesses the S-Rank Six-Color Ancient Thunder. Who do you think will be your main opponent?"
"It's all the same."
Lu Lingxiao looked into the live broadcast camera.
"The provincial top scorer's S-Rank Secret Technique quota is mine."
"As for second place, I'll leave it for them to fight over."
The scene instantly became chaotic.
Someone immediately pressed on: "Do you think Lin Chuan's record of killing a Grandmaster poses no threat to you either?"
"I watched that live broadcast."
Lu Lingxiao signaled the guards to put down the metal box.
"His mental control is not bad, and his courage is big enough. But to put it bluntly, the reason he was able to pierce through the Bronze Captain in the end relied on a third-tier thunder bead and a tier 4 thunder saber."
"Thunder attribute restrains evil spirits, but it's not that useful. Can his thunder bead be used continuously for eight hours?"
A reporter pointed at the metal box.
"Your third-tier Peak Mountain-Breaking Spear is rumored to be worth three hundred million yuan."
Lu Lingxiao lifted the metal box with one hand and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
"My Mountain-Breaking Spear has a might approaching fourth-tier weapons, but its consumption is only third-tier. This is also my advantage!"
Looking at the camera, he continued:
"Using the Mountain-Breaking Spear, I can fight for a whole day, but as for Lin Chuan, how long can his thunder bead last?"
"Genises of Dongzhou, remember this: I, Lu Lingxiao, have arrived, and no one needs to consider first place anymore."
After saying that, Lu Lingxiao got straight into the car.
This interview quickly spread all over Dongzhou.
In the hotel where Lu Lingxiao was staying, Shen Yearrived even earlier than many members of the Lu Family.
He brought three document boxes, but the hotel manager wouldn't let him go upstairs.
"Young Master Lu is not seeing outsiders today."
Shen Ye opened the topmost document box.
"Please help me pass along to him: I have the beast herd migration maps of the seventh gray zone for the past five years here, as well as complete information on this year's main competitors."
Ten minutes later, Shen Ye was led into the top-floor suite.
Lu Lingxiao flipped through a few pages of the map.
"Young Master Lu, these things are not in the public information of the examination institute."
"The provincial capital training center reviews every year. I have re-verified the records of the past five years."
Shen Ye pointed to several water sources and canyons.
"Demonic Beasts will be driven away again, and their positions might change, but many terrains cannot change. This water source, lair, and migration direction generally will not change. After entering the field, just look at the traces of water, and you can judge which road has more Demonic Beasts."
Lu Lingxiao raised his eyes to look at him.
"What do you want?"
"I have already obtained the opportunity to enter a prestigious school. Rankings don't mean much to me; I just want to make contact with a Longdu Genius in advance."
Shen Ye directly stated his purpose.
Lu Lingxiao looked at him for a few seconds and pushed the data back.
"Alright, reorganize the routes of the past five years, mark the areas with the highest repetition rate, and bring them tomorrow."
"No problem."
Shen Ye hugged the materials and left the suite.
On the other side, Tang Hanyi also finished watching the entire interview.
Lin Chuan, Lin He, Shen Ye, plus a Longdu twelfth place.
Dongzhou's top three this year were much harder to fight for than in previous years.
Her teacher placed a route map in front of her.
"Prepare according to this route first. The targets in the outer and middle layers are stable. With your strength, keeping in the top five won't be much of a problem."
Tang Hanyi looked at it twice, picked up her pen, and circled the inner canyon.
"Walking the safe route, I will be at most fifth."
"I want the top three."
The teacher pressed down on the map.
"There are third-tier Demonic Beasts in the inner layer. Qi recovery potions can only be used once in a short time, and the second bottle has no effect. If you push yourself like this, it will be even more dangerous."
"I know."
Tang Hanyi put down the pen.
"Change all the training of these few days to sustained combat, and I will specifically improve my endurance."
The teacher looked at her for a moment and put away the safe route map.
"Alright."
The Tang Family sent a third-tier Meridian Nourishing Liquid that day and replaced her with a new armor. The training center also increased her daily training time from six hours to ten hours.
Late at night.
Deep inside the provincial capital training center, the Six-Color Thunder Pool, which had been sealed for many days, suddenly vibrated.
Six kinds of thunder liquids boiled simultaneously.
Thunder light surged more than ten meters high, and the values on the monitoring screen rose all the way.
[Thunder Pool Load: One hundred and eighty percent!]
Center of the Thunder Pool.
Lin He opened his eyes.