Chapter 91: Lin Chuan, Re-evaluation, Emperor-tier Talent Shocks Dongzhou!
"Stop, right here."
Thunder King Yue Jinglei pointed at the screen and had the staff zoom in on the image.
In the image, Lin Chuan was holding the tier 4 thunder saber in his right hand, raising his left index finger as a purple thunder light just began to shine.
The same video recording had already been replayed several times.
The provincial top scorer's results had been announced, but what kind of talent Lin Chuan truly possessed still had to be re-evaluated.
The C-Level Bone-Eroding Poison Physique on his original file clearly could not explain all this.
"Look at his left hand; the thunder came right out from there."
Thunder King Yue Jinglei said directly.
"The tier 4 thunder saber is merely a weapon used to carry power. He didn't even use the blade for that single finger strike; you surely can't still credit the blade, can you?"
An expert flipped through the records in his hands.
"Is it possible that the power of the thunder bead was stored in his body beforehand?"
"I am very well aware of how much power a third-tier thunder bead holds."
Thunder King Yue Jinglei shook his head.
"He first killed a fourth-tier heavenly demon, and then killed a fifth-layer Grandmaster; that thunder bead cannot support this kind of outbreak. Moreover, both of his strikes had the exact same thunder power, showing no signs of depletion or fading at all."
Speaking of this, he glanced at the video recording once more.
"Why did that blade keep ringing just now? It was precisely because the thunder poured into it was too strong. The blade was basking in his glory!"
Beside him, Pei Wubing listened as the corners of his mouth kept curling upward.
If anyone else said these things, he would still have to weigh them carefully.
But Thunder King Yue Jinglei was the Thunder King.
Since even he said so, there was nothing left to argue about.
Ning Zhaoyue pulled up another segment of footage.
"And here, don't miss his Mental Strength."
Six demonic blades spun as they charged into the swarm of heavenly demons, killing three third-tier heavenly demons one after another.
"Soul-Burning Pierce, at Perfection! He can simultaneously control six demonic blades to execute it, and immediately pivot to pursue targets after the kills without a single disorder in between!"
As Ning Zhaoyue spoke, she couldn't help but shake her head.
"When I last saw him, his Mental Strength wasn't this strong. Only a short while has passed, and it has surged forward by a huge margin. His current pure mental strength probably has already reached the level of a second-transition Spirit Reader!"
"A thunder attribute talent surpassing S-Level, a second-transition Spirit Reader, and all sorts of cultivation techniques at super-speed Perfection!"
An expert looked over Lin Chuan's profile.
"Why do all the good things grow on just one person?"
Pei Wubing was amused.
"Don't ask me about that; I only found out today as well that he was hiding so many skills."
Several experts checked the energy records of the two battles once again.
The thunder on the tier 4 thunder saber, the thunder on the demonic blades, and that Meteor Thunder Finger.
All came from Lin Chuan himself!
One of them put down the documents and said:
"Solely judging by the thunder power he displayed this time, S-Level is definitely not enough, and SS-Level cannot explain it either. Based on existing records, I suggest rating it as SSS-Level."
The room fell silent for a moment.
SSS-Level!
This was no longer within the scope of ordinary geniuses.
"I agree." Thunder King Yue Jinglei nodded first.
The rest of them also expressed their stances one after another.
Finally, the evaluation result was written down.
[Thunder Attribute Talent Rating: SSS-Level!]
[Potential Evaluation: Emperor-Tier!]
[Current Realm: Martial Artist!]
The person responsible for releasing the news looked at these three lines of text and couldn't help confirming them once more.
"Emperor-tier potential, are you sure we should write it like this?"
"Just write it like that."
Thunder King Yue Jinglei said.
"Distinguish between talent and Realm. He is expected to become a Martial Emperor in the future, which doesn't mean he is already a Martial Emperor right now. Right now, he is still merely a Martial Artist."
...
As soon as the announcement came out, Dongzhou, which was still discussing the 1.3 million points, directly exploded.
SSS-Level Thunder Attribute Talent!
Emperor-Tier Potential!
Quite a few people who had just opened the announcement thought they had misread it.
"Three S's? Not one?"
"Holy crap, no wonder he killed heavenly demons so easily! I thought Pei Wubing stuffed some treasure into his hands!"
"The Thunder King personally participated in the evaluation, and both the video and energy records were fully verified. Could this still be fake?"
"Isn't Lin He's Six-Color Ancient Thunder S-Level? Turns out his older brother is so much higher than him!"
Previously, quite a few people couldn't figure it out.
Being both Martial Artists, Lin He led six people and was so exhausted from killing two heavenly demons that he couldn't stand up.
How could Lin Chuan alone slaughter even a fourth-tier one?
Looking at that evaluation again now, everyone instantly felt it was reasonable.
That was Emperor-tier potential!
If someone like this were still the same as ordinary Martial Artists, that would be abnormal!
Haicheng No. 1 High School.
Several teachers gathered around a computer. After reading the announcement, they dug out Lin Chuan's Awakening record.
"What was measured back then was clearly the C-LevelBone-Eroding Poison Physique; who could have imagined that he also had such a thunder attribute talent!"
"He didn't reveal it before, so we kept looking at him with the poison attribute's Level; didn't we misjudge him there?"
The principal stood to the side and didn't speak for a long while.
Being the provincial top scorer was already enough to make him happy.
As a result, it didn't end there, and an Emperor-tier potential came along as well!
Recovering his wits, he immediately picked up the phone.
"Compile Lin Chuan's profile separately, and complete his original talent rating as well!"
...
Candidate settlement area.
Lin He also saw the news.
Those three S's displayed on the screen made him not want to say a single word.
Previously, what he was most confident in was his Six-Color Ancient Thunder.
S-Level!
His parents liked him, his teachers valued him, and wherever he went, people praised him.
Now, right above Lin Chuan's head hung three S's directly.
Even that last bit of lingering unconvinced sentiment had nowhere to be directed.
Someone nearby murmured in a low voice.
"No wonder he cultivations so fast; with Emperor-tier potential, he is simply not in the same league as us."
Lin He gripped his phone tightly and didn't reply.
He was unwilling to admit it, yet he couldn't find any other explanation.
Growth speed, thunderous power, and killing enemies across Realms.
All those things that previously made people rack their brains to no avail were now all attributed to his Emperor-tier talent.
As for the Enemy Rebound System truly hidden behind the scenes, still no one knew about it.
...
When Lin Chuan received the evaluation result, he was eating something in the lounge.
After tossing and turning for half a day, he was finally able to sit down and have a meal.
Pei Wubing handed the result to him.
"Take a look. You are now the most famous person in our Dongzhou."
Lin Chuan lowered his head to look, still chewing his food, and chuckled first.
SSS-Level?
They even shorted me two.
Forget it; three are already causing this much uproar, and if five were announced, it would be endless.
His Purple Heaven Divine Thunder was, after all, SSSSS-Level!
The power displayed in this action was still far from reaching the limit of such a talent.
However, since the outside world was willing to recognize it this way, he had no objections.
Whenever anyone else felt he Cultivated fast or was strong in the future, he wouldn't even need to speak; they would figure it out themselves.
Emperor-tier potential, after all.
Pretty good, saves the trouble of explaining.
"Is that your only reaction, you brat?"
Seeing him place the evaluation aside and pick up another chopstick of vegetables, Pei Wubing was somewhat speechless.
"Do you know how many people outside are inquiring about you right now?"
Lin Chuan swallowed the food in his mouth.
"Shifu, I have some idea of my own talent. I can't possibly follow them in acting shocked all over again, can I?"
Thinking about it, Pei Wubing realized that was true.
This kid had known what level he was at long ago; only they had been kept in the dark all along.
As they were speaking, Lin Chuan's phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, classmate Lin Chuan. We would like to talk with you about cooperation regarding Cultivation resources. Funds, potions, and equipment can all be provided. Would it be convenient for you to meet?"
Before Lin Chuan could figure out the other party's background, another phone call dialed in.
Immediately after, messages also started popping up.
There were chambers of commerce, martial arts conglomerates, and top-tier factions from all over.
They had been paying attention to Lin Chuan beforehand, and now that the official evaluation was out, each one was more anxious than the last.
This was a person who had the chance to grow into a Martial Emperor!
Being able to establish a connection now was far better than not even being able to meet in the future.
As soon as Lin Chuan replied to two of them, several more special enrollment invitations appeared in his inbox.
This time, even Pei Wubing leaned over to take a look.
"They move fast enough."
As soon as his words fell, another invitation popped out.
It was a top-tier educational institution abroad.
Lin Chuan glanced at the school's introduction—it was ranked in the global top ten.
"Even someone from so far away has come to find me?"
"You think only our domestic country watched this live stream? Top-tier global institutions are all looking for good seedlings; when they encounter someone like you, who would be willing to let go?"
As Pei Wubing spoke, his own communicator also rang.
Seeing clearly who was calling, he directly laughed.
"Well, look at that, they've found their way to me."
On the other side, Ning Zhaoyue had just finished her call with the school and pushed the door open to walk in.
"Lin Chuan, don't rush to agree to others just yet; the special enrollment invitation from Jiuli University has been sent to your inbox."
Lin Chuan scrolled down, and there really was one.
He raised his head and asked:
"What conditions are you offering?"
Ning Zhaoyue smiled.
"Definitely more than other institutions."
Lin Chuan put down his phone, finally growing interested.
"Alright."
"We can talk about it together then."
Chapter 92 What!
Haicheng, the Lin Clan.
Lin Nan looked over that talent evaluation several times.
SSS-Rank Lightning Talent.
Emperor-tier potential!
The TV was still broadcasting the footage of Lin Chuankilling the Qingyin Envoy; that Grandmaster fifth-layer expert of the Tianyi Cult was obliterated on the spot with a single wave of his finger.
Lin Nan sat on the sofa, not moving for a long time.
That was his biological son!
In the past, he wanted Lin He to win the provincial top scholar title and take him into the core circle of the Main Family in Longdu.
Now he realized that the Family had always harbored an even greater opportunity.
Emperor-tier talent!
Let alone entering the core circle, once Lin Chuan truly grew up, even the Elders of the Main Family would have to speak to him politely!
But this son wouldn't even let him sit in on the special recruitment conversation now.
Lin Nan picked up his phone, flipped to Lin Chuan's number, and his finger lingered on the dial button, unable to press it down for a long time.
What would he say if he called?
Praise him for doing well on the exam and ask him to come home for dinner?
A few days ago, he was still scolding him for being unfilial and gave Lin He 40 million to allocate additional resources, waiting for Lin He to suppress him.
"If I had known... If I had known he had this kind of talent, how could I have..."
Lin Nan murmured a couple of times, feeling more and more upset the more he thought about it.
Other people's children, no matter how capable, had to be won over with money.
His biological son used to be able to be happy for several days just from a casual compliment from him.
Such an easy thing to do, yet he didn't do it.
"Dad, what should we do now?"
Lin Qinghe couldn't help speaking.
"You always used to say he was selfish, narrow-minded, twisted inside, and had no future, and told us to take care of Lin He more. Now it's great, he has emperor-tier talent, and we've fallen out with him like this, how can we speak to him in the future?"
Lin Yuwei couldn't hold it in either.
"Exactly, back then for that mine, you cut off all cooperation with him and even said he would sooner or later come back to beg you. And what happened?"
"Does he need to beg anyone now? The top ten universities in the world are all actively looking for him!"
Lin Nan abruptly raised his head.
"Are you blaming me now?"
Lin Qinghe wanted to say more, but a slap had already whipped across.
Slap!
Her head was knocked to the side, and covering her face, she was completely stunned.
"Dad! What are you doing!"
Lin Yuwei reached out to pull him, and also took a hit on the face.
"Now you know he's your younger brother? Who was it before that called him a good-for-nothing at every turn, and who wanted to lecture him whenever they saw him?"
Lin Nan pointed at his two daughters, his voice changing from anger.
"You cursed him more fiercely than anyone else back then, and now you're pushing it all onto my head, you two bastards!"
"It's not like we didn't learn it from you!"
Lin Qinghe covered her face, and tears instantly fell.
"How you treated him at home is how we treated him! Now that something has happened, what's the use of you hitting us?"
Lin Nan's hand raised up again.
"Lin Clan Head, stop hitting!"
Gu Shanhe put his teacup down on the table.
"Instead of having this time, think about what to say when you meet Young Master Chuan in the future."
Finished speaking, he directly stood up.
Lin Rongchang unexpectedly followed up first.
"Elder Gu, wait a moment, I want to discuss something with you."
Lin Nan immediately looked at him.
This person had helped him speak up quite a bit at the Family meetings in the past!
Lin Rongchang didn't look at Lin Nan and followed Gu Shanhe to the door.
"What happened in the past was my foolishness. In the future, whenever the Young Clan Head needs people or money, just tell me. I will also support the Young ClanHead in all matters at the Family meetings."
"And us."
Several other Clan Elders nearby also stood up.
Last time the three major academies visited, two had already left.
This time, even the remaining people couldn't sit still.
Lin Nan wanted to call them back, but an old man turned his head first.
"Figure out your own way to resolve the matter between you and Xiaochuan. If Young Master Lin Chuan doesn't forgive you, next year we will not support you to continue being the Family Head."
With words spoken to this extent, there was nothing left to cover up.
The crowd followed Gu Shanhe out the door.
Lin Nan looked at the living room that had suddenly emptied by more than half, his expression helpless and desolate.
On the other side of the courtyard, several young people who had participated in the Family tournament were also looking at the announcement.
Lin Chengye flipped out the recording of his arena match, becoming more spirited the more he watched it.
Lin Gang leaned over and took a look.
"Why do you still keep this? I deleted it long ago."
"Delete what? Hurry up and ask someone to get it back!"
Lin Chengye saved two copies of the recording.
"This is evidence of me fighting an emperor-tier Genius! Fifty-eight seconds, just two seconds short of lasting a full minute!"
"Weren't you just getting beaten the whole time?"
"You have to see whose beating it is. How long did a Grandmaster fifth-layer last in his hands before being killed in a single move? I could! I was able to stand and walk down, so tell me if I'm awesome or not!"
Lin Gang opened his mouth.
Put that way, it seemed really quite awesome.
Lin Sanshan nearby had already taken out his phone and started searching for the segment where he was knocked over.
Previously, he found it shameful and didn't dare show it to others at all.
Now whoever asked, he was ready to talk about it thoroughly.
This kind of sparring opportunity might not even be available in the future no matter how much money was spent!
Medicine King Ye Clan.
"Qinghe, this child, has a really good eye!"
An Elder of the Ye Clan just finished reading the announcement and slapped his thigh, laughing.
"I used to worry whether she would suffer a loss having such a rigid fallout with Lin He. Looking at it now, she sees things much more accurately than we do!"
The people nearby also nodded repeatedly.
"At that time, one was S-Rank and one was C-Rank. If it were anyone else, who wouldn't be willing to get close to Lin He? Yet Qinghe insisted on seeking out Lin Chuan."
"Good, wonderful! When the child comes back, we must praise her well."
Medicine King Ye Tianxing listened for a long time, and finally shook his head with a smile.
"Now everyone is praising her for having a good eye? Who was it before that advised her that it's best not to offend either side?"
Several people felt a bit awkward.
"Weren't we just afraid the child would suffer a loss."
"Lin Chuan saved her life, so there was nothing wrong with her being willing to be on good terms with him in the first place."
Medicine King Ye Tianxing picked up his phone, the smile on his face never fading.
"However, this granddaughter of mine indeed has a better eye than you all."
The call connected, and hearing that Ye Qinghe was still busy on the other end, he first asked a few questions about her physical condition.
Confirming his granddaughter wasn't injured, he then continued:
"Come back early after you finish your work. If Lin Chuan is free, ask him to come have a meal together. But don't rush him either; there are definitely a lot of people looking for him today."
Tiangong Equipment Group.
Wei Ziang's home was close to the examination area, and he went home right after finishing the exam. At this moment, he stood in front of his father's office desk, not daring to even raise his head.
Back when he was beaten, his father was so angry that he immediately canceled the processing plant cooperation with the Lin Clan and even said he wanted Lin Nan to give an explanation.
But now, his father wasn't even willing to mention it anymore.
"The car is already prepared. Fifty million in cash, plus a batch of fourth-tier spiritual-type materials, you will come with me to deliver them."
Wei Ziang raised his head.
"Dad, I..."
"Go and apologize properly."
"Dad! The one who got beaten was me!"
"So what! He is an SSS-Rank, do you know what concept that is? Even if he can't achieve the status of a Martial Emperor, in the future even if he is just a high-tier Martial King, it's still not something our Wei Clan can afford to provoke!"
Saying this, Wei's father himself felt a bit stifled.
The fire he had flown back then was even bigger than his son's.
Thinking about it now, the other party had already shown mercy, yet they still used withdrawing cooperation to pressure the Lin Clan.
If Lin Chuan was truly angered, who could back them up?
"What if he refuses to see us?"
"Then we wait, I will wait with you."
Wei's father picked up his gift list and led his son outside.
"Remember, the gifts are to make amends to Lin Chuan, don't send them to Lin Nan's place; the father and son's relationship is very poor."
On the other side, the He Family's actions were even faster.
Eighty million worth of medicinal herbs had already been loaded onto the truck. When He Yunzhou was called into the car by his father, his lips were somewhat dry.
"Dad, you've always been reluctant to use those three calming Spirit Herbs!"
"What other choice is there!"
He's father glanced at him.
"I originally thought that it was the Lin Clan begging us to do business, and we could stop whenever we wanted. I didn't expect them to produce a Qilin, and now they don't lack our tiny bit of cooperation at all."
He Yunzhou didn't dare to respond.
He still remembered when he had cream all over his face, shouting at Lin Chuan that the He Family wouldn't let the matter rest just like that.
Today the He Family really had come.
Bringing medicinal herbs, begging him to let that matter go.
Longdu, the Lin Clan Headquarters.
An Elder meeting was temporarily convened, and Lin Xuance stood before the table, already unable to say a single word from the questioning.
"I sent you to Haicheng to take a look, what on earth did you see?"
The Grand Elder in the main seat pushed the materials in front of him.
"The report clearly stated that Lin He's potential far exceeded Lin Chuan's, and recommended focusing on cultivating Lin He. Take a look at this now!"
Lin Xuance looked at those three Ss, unable to save face on his face.
"At that time, everyone thought his lightning came from the thunder bead. I checked the equipment records, and indeed..."
"So you only looked at the equipment?"
An Elder nearby directly interrupted him.
"A poison-type Martial Artist who could practice body tempering, use Mental Power, and had such a high level of Martial Technique proficiency—did you never think to investigate more?"
Lin Xuance lowered his head, not explaining any further.
Whatever was said was already too late.
When he went to Haicheng back then, his mind was more focused on the ore vein, and he even wanted to use the identity of the Main Family to trade for thirty percent of Lin Chuan's revenue.
Going again now, it was hard to say whether the other party would even be willing to see him.
"How much resources were allocated to Lin Chuanbefore?" the Grand Elder asked.
"One hundred million in cultivation resources has already been dispatched. Lin He received the exact same share."
An Elder flipped through the records and felt a bit regretful just looking at it.
"If we had given him a few hundred million more back then and arranged for someone to provide dedicated guidance, even if it just made him feel that the Main Family had always valued him, it would still be better than this!"
"Now the national college entrance examination is over, and the announcement of imperial-level potential has also been released. If we go to invest in him now, who knows how many people are already lined up in front of us."
One hundred million was a generous reward for the former Haicheng branch.
But compared to an imperial-level Genius, this investment was simply too little.
"Our Lin Clan can produce a few S-Rank Talents every year. But an SSS-Rank? Going up how many generations, who has ever seen one?"
"Yet one actually appeared, and we let him slip right past us!"
The more the Elders talked, the more restless they became. Someone had already picked up the family treasury catalog, preparing to select items all over again.
"Is it necessary to be in such a rush?"
Lin Shaoting, sitting on the right, suddenly spoke.
He was thirty-six years old, possessed an S-Rank Talent, and was now an Elder of the Main Family headquarters.
Watching these people acting as if they couldn't wait to move the entire Clan treasury over, he felt very uncomfortable inside.
Ever since he was young, he had worked for the Family, but up until now, he had never enjoyed such treatment.
"Talent is talent. For a Junior who just finished the college entrance examination, several Elders are putting aside their matters to personally deliver resources. What would it look like if word got out?"
On the video call, Lin Jingyao nodded along.
He also possessed an S-Rank Talent and had already been in university for two years.
"I also feel it's unnecessary. He is just a Martial Artist after all, not a real Martial Emperor. With the Lin Clan's status, do we need to curry favor with him like this?"
The Grand Elder raised his head and glanced at the two of them.
"Lin Jingyao, how many moves do you think you can take from him right now?"
Lin Jingyao's expression stiffened.
He had also watched that video of him killing a level-five Grandmaster barehanded.
"But after all, he hasn't grown up yet—"
"By the time he grows up, will you still be able to sit here and talk?"
The Grand Elder put down the pen in his hand.
"Do you know how the Qin Clan fell out of the Four Great Families of Longdu back then?"
Lin Shaoting frowned.
Of course, he had heard about this matter.
"Back then, the person from the Ji Clan awakened an SS-Rank Talent."
The Grand Elder looked at the two of them.
"When he was just starting to show prominence, the Qin Clan also thought: how strong could a young person possibly get? And what happened later?"
"He established his own sect and single-handedly brought up the Ji Clan. The Qin Clan's businesses were snatched, their Secret Realm shares were squeezed out, and all their former partners turned around and went to the Ji Clan."
"In the end, a spot among the Four Great Families of Longdu was forcibly replaced!"
The conference room fell silent.
Lin Shaoting did not continue the conversation.
"And that was still just SS-Rank."
The Grand Elder tapped on the evaluation on the table.
"Lin Chuan is SSS-Rank! Before even entering university, he can already kill a level-five Grandmaster. Right now is precisely the time when he needs cultivation techniques and resources. If we don't go, are we waiting for other families to give him everything?"
An old man next to him took over the conversation.
"His surname is Lin, originally making him the easiest child for us to close the distance with. When he truly establishes his own Clan in the future, do we still expect him to return and work for the headquarters just because of the same surname?"
No one answered.
Even Lin Xuance felt his back tighten as he listened.
If that day truly came, if these people from the Main Familythought of his report again, they would probably curse him to death.
The Grand Elder made the decision directly.
"First prepare one billion in funds, and separately select high-tier resources suitable for him from the family treasury. I will personally go to Haicheng, and Xuance will follow."
"You can explain the matter of the mineral vein to him yourself. Once we get there, put away the Main Family's airs. Make sure they don't feel like we are going to take advantage of them."
Lin Xuance hurriedly acknowledged the order.
Lin Shaoting and Lin Jingyao exchanged a glance. Though they were still unconvinced in their hearts, they did not dare to try and stop it again.
...
Candidate rest area.
Shen Ye sat alone in a chair. The combat video on his phone had finished playing and automatically looped back to the beginning.
He didn't press pause.
After being beaten by Lin Chuan, he had still thought about regaining his face during the provincial examination.
As a result, once he actually entered the examination hall, even joining forces with Lu Lingxiao, they had fought desperately to kill just two third-tier beasts.
With a single blade strike, Lin Chuan had slaughtered that hundred-meter-tall prince.
"How on earth did I dare to fight him back then..."
Shen Ye touched his chest, recalling that kick at the banquet, and actually felt a bit of fortune inside.
If Lin Chuan had been serious that day, would he even have had the chance to sit here and watch the video?
...
In the Lu Clan's car.
Lu Lingxiao placed the poyue spear on his lap and remained silent the entire way.
The family members who came to pick him up persuaded him with a couple of sentences.
"Third place is already very good. Who could have expected Dongzhou to suddenly produce an imperial-level talent this time?"
Lu Lingxiao shook his head.
"Before coming here, I even thought about taking the top scholar title and going right back, completely not taking these people in Dongzhou seriously."
Lu Lingxiao lowered his head to look at his spear.
He had once felt that being twelfth among his peers in Longdu was merely his temporary position.
Change places slightly, and wouldn't taking first place be effortless?
Now he didn't even have the thought of competing again.
"This time, I submit."
Lu Lingxiao leaned back against the backrest and let out a breath.
...
In the lounge arranged by the Tang Family.
Tang Hanyi wiped the Hanyue Sword clean, placed it back on the table, and her phone rang again.
Her Clan members had already finished watching her video.
"Hanyi, did you know long ago that Lin Chuan's thunder was out of the ordinary? Thirteen heavenly demons surrounded him, and you still dared to stay behind."
"How would I know?"
Tang Hanyi felt somewhat helpless.
"At that time, I wanted to pull him away and had even prepared my ice domain. He actually told me to step back and said he would show me something."
The other end of the phone paused for a moment.
"And then?"
"And then I really stood at the back and watched it all."
Tang Hanyi looked at the Hanyue Sword on the table and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
The heavenly demons that she and several others had fought for half a day and barely managed to take down couldn't even escape in front of Lin Chuan.
In the past, she had felt that her Extreme Cold Domain would not be inferior to any of his methods.
Only now did she realize how far apart they truly were.
"After going back, I need to practice more."
Tang Hanyi said softly.
The next time they met, she definitely couldn't just stand around watching again.
...
On the other side, in the former training camp, Xu Dongyang, the hard-qigong Martial Artist with a pointed head, had also been staring at that announcement for a long time.
Inside the training camp's group chat, messages popped up one after another.
Someone dug up the old records from the entrance test and specifically circled his and Lin Chuan's punch strength.
[Xu Dongyang: 2,641 kg.]
[Lin Chuan: 2,642 kg.]
"Back then, I was only short by a single kilogram!"
"Now, the gap is already this huge!"
"If I had known earlier, I would have used a bit more strength back then, and I could have won against him once. What a pity!"
The more Xu Dongyang thought about it, the more regretful he felt; now the gap was growing ever wider.
That person was already of imperial-level potential and could kill a Grandmaster with a flick of his hand.
He was still trying to figure out how to cultivation his next Martial Technique to Minor Achievement.
Xu Dongyang clicked open that initial group photo of Lin Chuan from the training camp, searched for a while, and finally found himself standing right beside him.
Fortunately, he hadn't ducked away when the picture was taken.
He saved the photo and sent it to his Clan.
"Did you see that? I was in the same training camp as him before, standing right next to him."
...
The internet was in an even greater uproar.
Lin Chuan's talent evaluation, the video of him killing a Grandmaster barehanded, and his previous Clantournament videos had all been dug up.
"A provincial top scholar with 1.3 million points, SSS-Rank imperial-level potential—Haicheng has truly produced a big figure this time!"
"My younger brother was among the second batch of people who got sucked in, and Lin Chuan was the one who saved him. I don't understand anything else, but our whole Clan owes him a life."
"Those arena videos from before used to make me laugh non-stop. Looking at them now, Lin Chuan really held back back then."
"Some people brought up the tier 4 thunder saber, but as a result, his empty hand beat a level-five Grandmaster to death. Everyone should finally see it clearly now, right?"
"Schools in the global top ten are all coming to snatch people, yet I haven't even received a single call from our city's Martial Arts University admissions office."
"I heard the Lin Clan used to give all their resources to Lin He and kept wanting to strip Lin Chuan of his position as Young Patriarch?"
"Really? Pushing away a biological imperial-level son? Is the Lin Clan head an idiot?!"
Soon, a comment was voted to the top.
"Don't just interview the top scholar anymore; go interview Lin Nan. I really want to know if he regrets it now!"
The replies underneath surpassed ten thousand in the blink of an eye.
"I want to see this too!"
"Remember to release it after asking; I will definitely watch it from beginning to end!"
Chapter 93: A Tier-6 Demon King Publicly Calls Out, the Returns Are Too Much to Dare Claim!
After the online comment interviewing Lin Nan was pushed to the top of the hot list, early the next morning, some reporters actually went to the Lin Clan.
Three interview cars blocked the entrance outside, waiting for a full morning.
The gates of the Lin Clan did not open even once.
The guard said the head of the Clan was not present, but the car Lin Nan usually rode in was clearly parked in the courtyard.
The reporters couldn't take pictures of anyone, nor could they keep guarding a single door.
Just in the past two days, the college entrance examination scores of various provinces across the country were announced successively, and they quickly turned their lenses towards the new top scorers in various places.
As a result, these top scorers quickly discovered that something was a bit off.
It was clearly their own interview, yet whenever the reporters opened or closed their mouths, they asked entirely about Lin Chuan.
At the interview site in Xichuan Province.
Han Zheng had just received the certificate from the hands of the Examination Academy, and the host handed over the microphone.
"Four hundred sixteen thousand points, breaking Xichuan's record of the past nearly eight years. But now people online are comparing the top scorers of all provinces with Lin Chuan. How much do you think you lag behind him?"
The smile on Han Zheng's face stiffened for a moment.
From the time he came out of his house today until now, this was already the fourth time he had heard this question.
"I definitely can't beat him right now; he can even instantly kill a Grandmaster Fifth Stage, what else can I say."
When Han Zheng said this, he felt somewhat suffocated again.
He was, after all, the top scorer of a province; he couldn't possibly do an interview for half a day only to leave behind a few words in the end—Lin Chuan is much stronger than me!
"However, the college entrance examination has just ended, and the four years of university haven't started yet. Just because he is stronger than me now, I won't feel that I'm going to lose to him for a lifetime!"
"When I cultivation for a bit longer, given the fated opportunity, I will definitely find him for a fight. Even if I lose, I must personally test how big the gap actually is."
The host's eyes lit up.
"So, are you publicly issuing a battle challenge to Lin Chuan?"
"F*ck! Don't make up random titles for me!"
Han Zheng quickly pushed the microphone outward.
"I'm talking about the future, not today. How could I go look for him to fight right now, am I sick in the head?!"
This interview quickly spread online.
[Xichuan top scorer Han Zheng publicly challenges Lin Chuan to a battle!]
Seeing the title, Han Zheng was so angry that he called the reporter on the spot.
But the news had already gone viral.
The top scorers of other provinces hadn't originally intended to get involved, but people in the comment section quickly sought them out.
"Both are S-Rank Talent, Han Zheng even dares to issue a battle challenge, why aren't you speaking?"
"Aren't you acclaimed as Nanzhou's strongest top scorer in nearly a decade? How do you compare to Lin Chuan?"
"Can this year's top scorers from all provinces combined force Lin Chuan to use a second move?"
Who could look at words like these and not have any temper?
Not long after, a few more people stood out.
"Lin Chuan is very strong, but I haven't fought him; besides, who can say for sure about future matters, maybe I can encounter some great fated opportunity and soar ninety thousand miles up!"
"I plan to apply to Jiuli University. As long as he goes, after school starts, I will look for him for a spar."
"An Emperor-level talent is not unbeatable. I am eighteen years old this year, and there is plenty of time ahead."
Some people genuinely wanted to compete.
There were also those who were initially just being stubborn, but being egged on by those around them, they harbored a burst of drive inside, preparing to personally reclaim their prestige in the future.
...
Haicheng Martial Arts Association.
Lin Chuan had just finished a round of special admission calls, and before he had even eaten two bites of his boxed meal, the System prompt suddenly popped up.
[Detected a new bindable target!]
[The target possesses an S-Rank Talent and has generated a clear intention to personally defeat the host!]
[Do you want to bind?]
"Who is it?"
Lin Chuan glanced at the name and didn't recognize it at all.
He casually searched for it and only then saw Han Zheng's interview whose title had been randomly altered.
"So it's an out-of-province top scorer."
"Bind, bind."
[Binding successful!]
Lin Chuan had just put down his phone when another one came.
In less than half a minute, the third one arrived as well.
He simply pulled out the interview compilation and watched it while eating.
Every time one more person on TV said they wanted to find him for a fight in the future, the System would quickly follow up with an entry on this side.
It wasn't until evening that the prompts finally quieted down.
Lin Chuan flipped the record to the very top and counted again.
Sixty-six people.
All S-Rank.
Moreover, these people were all newly chosen top scorers from various provinces, and behind them were either families or they would soon be heavily nurtured by top academic institutions.
In the future, they wouldn't have to worry about resources at all.
Looking at that list, Lin Chuan suddenly felt that the reporter who interviewed Han Zheng was quite pleasing to the eye.
What a great question.
Simply a little expert at stirring up trouble without fear of big spectacles and drawing hatred for oneself.
The phone rang again at this moment.
It was from Pei Wubing.
"Kid, the Tianyi Cult just raised your wanted tier up another notch, your bounty is almost catching up to mine now. I've sent the stuff to you."
Lin Chuan clicked open the image.
Last time's Hidden Dragon Assassination Order had a bounty of fifty million, three drops of high-grade Devil Blood, plus a Tier-4 magic artifact.
This time, the color on the wanted poster had turned blood red.
[Bounty: Five hundred million!]
[Ten drops of high-grade Devil Blood!]
[One Tier-5 magic artifact!]
Lin Chuan looked at it carefully.
"Holy crap, my net worth has increased tenfold!"
"You're actually quite happy?"
Pei Wubing was infuriated by what he said.
"That's money to buy your head; this time quite a few Grandmasters are tempted. Stay obediently in the Martial Arts Association these few days, and don't run outside by yourself."
"Got it, it's not like I'm tired of living."
Lin Chuan agreed readily with his mouth, but right before his eyes, prompts started popping up again.
As soon as the new Blood Slaughter Order spread out, a batch of Tianyi Cult members who hadn't originally taken the task immediately began inquiring about his location.
Five hundred million, ten drops of high-grade Devil Blood, and a Tier-5 magic artifact.
Whoever got this stash could save many years of striving.
[Detected Tianyi Cult members generating clear murderous intent toward the host!]
[Meets binding conditions!]
[Newly added bindable targets this time: 327 people!]
"Bind all."
[Binding successful!]
As soon as Lin Chuan finished speaking, the returns followed right after.
In order to take this task, someone swallowed a bottom-of-the-box Body Tempering potion.
Someone felt their strength was insufficient and started Cultivating the Tianyi Art overnight.
There were also a few Grandmasters polishing a combined lethal move, preparing to trap and kill Lin Chuan directly upon seeing him.
Just as they practiced a little something over there, Lin Chuan could receive hundreds of times the returns on this side.
Pei Wubing was still exhorting him over the phone to pay attention to safety.
While listening, Lin Chuan suppressed the newly surging Qi pressure back into his body.
"Shifu, rest assured, I definitely won't run around blindly."
"How come you're being so obedient this time?"
"What you said makes sense, of course I'll listen."
Pei Wubing always felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it for a moment.
...
The Tianyi Cult's Blood Slaughter Order hadn't even finished spreading when movement came from the Demon Realm as well.
The hundred-meter Celestial Demon killed by Lin Chuanwas a prince with a quite decent bloodline among the royal Clan.
After his royal blood plaque shattered, the news was sent back to the royal Clan that very day.
A revenge and pursuit order was quickly sent to various Demon Race stations.
As long as one could kill Lin Chuan, they would obtain the royal Clan's reward.
Quite a few Celestial Demons accepted the order on the spot.
Some went for the reward, some wanted to use this matter to enter the royal Clan's line of sight, and others simply felt that a human Martial Artist killing a prince was slapping the face of the entire Celestial Demon Race.
As soon as Lin Chuan hung up the phone, new Systemprompts linked together into a continuous piece.
He originally thought it was still people from the Tianyi Cult, but after clicking it open, he discovered that this time they weren't even human.
[Detected a Celestial Demon enemy!]
[Detected a Celestial Demon enemy!]
[Newly added bindable targets this time: 1187!]
Over a thousand Celestial Demons were all preparing to take his life with their own hands.
"Bind."
As soon as the System completed the binding, a few achievements currently being Cultivated were returned first.
[Bound enemy cultivations Tier-4 Secret Technique "Celestial Demon Blood Armor", triggered twelve hundred times returns!]
[Congratulations to the host, "Celestial Demon Blood Armor" has reached Perfection!]
[Bound enemy cultivations Tier-4 Secret Technique "Soul-Suppressing Demon Seal", triggered eight hundred times returns!]
[Congratulations to the host, "Soul-Suppressing Demon Seal" has reached Great Mastery!]
[Bound enemy cultivations Tier-4 Secret Technique "Demon Shadow Escape", triggered two thousand times returns!]
[Congratulations to the host, "Demon Shadow Escape" has reached Perfection!]
Devil Blood pollution and the royal Clan brand were directly stripped away by the System.
The parts of the secret techniques that originally could only be used by Celestial Demons were all converted into operational methods suitable for humans.
Lin Chuan closed his eyes to digest for a while.
When he opened his eyes again, more than a dozen secret techniques were still lined up behind waiting to be claimed, among which six were Tier-4.
This gang of Celestial Demons was much richer than those people from the Tianyi Cult.
...
Deep within the Demon Realm.
Inside a black grand hall, the blood mirror used by the royal Clan for long-distance communication suddenly lit up.
The Celestial Demon guarding in front of the mirror hurriedly knelt down.
In the mirror, a man in black armor was sitting on a huge throne.
"How is Number Seven's side?"
"Have all fifty thousand people been sent over? To what stage has his royal blood evolved?"
The guard lowered his head, not daring to reply for a long time.
Sensing something was amiss, the man in black armor slowly straightened his body.
"I'm asking you a question."
"Your Highness, the fifty thousand human examinees have already entered the Gray Zone, but before the Seventh Highness had time to complete the evolution, his royal blood plaque shattered."
"Shattered?"
The man in black armor stared at it.
"He brought so many subordinates, and there were cultists from the Human Realm responding to him, who could kill him?"
Not daring to delay any further, the guard quickly transmitted the combat footage over.
A purple sword shadow slashed across the sky.
The hundred-meter devil body's protective devil light, chest armor, and devil core were all pierced through in one breath.
The man in black armor watched this footage three times.
"What is this human called?"
"Lin Chuan."
Bang!
The man in black armor struck down with a palm, and the armrest of the throne shattered on the spot.
He was the elder brother of the deceased prince, and also a true Tier-6 Demon King.
The one who died was his own younger brother, and also one of the people in this generation of the royal Clan with the highest hope of re-evolving their bloodline.
For this bloodline evolution, they had prepared for so long, and even spared no effort to take risks, plotting under the noses of human powerhouses during the provincial examinations, wanting to swallow fifty thousand young Martial Artists in one fell swoop.
As a result, now his younger brother was dead, the things were gone, and even the face of the royal Clan was trampled onto the ground by a human.
"Give me his information."
"Contact that group of cultists in the Human Realm again, I want to go over and catch him personally."
The guard was startled.
"Your Highness, a Tier-6 true body cannot pass through the current boundary wall. If you forcefully enter..."
"I know how to enter."
The man in black armor directly interrupted it.
"Do as I say."
Inside the Haicheng Martial Arts Association.
A new prompt suddenly appeared before Lin Chuan's eyes.
[Detected a new hatred target!]
[Target: Celestial Demon Royal Clan, Tier-6 Demon King!]
[The opponent possesses the realistic conditions to threaten the host, meeting the binding requirements!]
[Do you want to bind?]
After reading it, Lin Chuan was also shocked!
During this period of time, he had already figured out the System's binding requirements quite well.
There were so many people scolding him online, yet the System hadn't recognized a single one.
Only when the opponent possessed the capability to grow, genuinely wanted to personally defeat or kill him, and truly had the fated opportunity to threaten him, would the System give a prompt.
According to the situation currently grasped by humans, it was utterly impossible for a Tier-6 Demon King to enter the real world in its true body.
Yet the System recognized it.
That meant the opponent truly had a way in their hands.
"Bind."
Lin Chuan picked up his phone, just about to remind Pei Wubing.
Yet the television in the room suddenly experienced screen static.
The news playing disappeared, and only a large patch of snow remained on the screen.
A few seconds later, the face of that black-armored Demon King appeared in the picture.
Utilizing the radio waves emitted by the Demon Realm's communication device, it forcefully squeezed into the television signals being used by humans.
The voice was somewhat distorted, yet it could be heard extremely clearly.
"In the human world, that kid called Lin Chuan."
"You killed my younger brother and ruined the blood sacrifice that the royal Clan had prepared for many days."
"It won't be long before I personally enter your world and take you back to the Demon Realm alive."
"You'd better not die in advance."
The picture disconnected right here.
This public call-out of less than half a minute quickly spread across major online platforms.
People who were just discussing the top scorers of various provinces instantly shifted their attention over.
"A Tier-6 Demon King? Isn't that the Martial King level!"
"It said it can enter the real world, the authorities should hurry up and send people to protect Lin Chuan!"
"The Tianyi Cult's five-hundred-million bounty, plus the Demon Realm royal Clan's public pursuit—he just finished the college entrance examination, who did he offend?"
Ning Zhaoyue and Pei Wubing also quickly rushed to Lin Chuan's room.
"Since it dared to say it in front of so many people, it won't just be trying to scare you."
"I know."
Lin Chuan nodded.
"What needs to be guarded against still must be guarded against."
Seeing that he was still quite clear-headed, Ning Zhaoyuewas just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she discovered that Lin Chuan stared into the empty air for a while and actually laughed out loud, "Hahaha".
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, I suddenly thought of a good thing."
Naturally, the two of them didn't understand.
Over in the Demon Realm, after the public call-out ended, the black-armored Demon King went directly into its Cultivation hall.
"Send all the royal Clan's Devil Blood in the warehouse over."
The elderly servant beside it changed expression slightly.
"Your Highness, that Devil Blood is what you kept for breaking through to the Late Stage. To refine it now for a human Martial Artist, isn't it a bit too early?"
"The second spiritual body I condensed, after entering the Human Realm, won't be able to stay for very long."
The black-armored Demon King took off the black armor on its upper body, revealing devil patterns all over its body.
"I want to catch him in the shortest amount of time without any accidents happening, so my true body must become even stronger. Bring it here."
Several large jars of royal Clan Devil Blood were quickly moved into the Cultivation hall.
The black-armored Demon King grabbed with its hand, and the entire jar of Devil Blood turned into a bloody mist, drilling into its body along the devil patterns on it.
Its devil body began to grow stronger, and its Mental Strength was also rising rapidly.
On Lin Chuan's side, the System prompts appeared almost simultaneously.
[Bound enemy refines royal Clan Devil Blood, physique and Mental Strength obtained enhancements!]
[Triggered three thousand times returns!]
A massive amount of power surged into his body.
Just as Lin Chuan finished digesting this portion, the returns from the other Tianyi Cult members and Celestial Demons arrived again.
From morning all the way until late at night, the Systemdidn't stop much at all.
[Current Mental Strength: 3700 Ke!]
In one day's time, his Mental Strength directly surged from 1225 Ke to 3700 Ke!
This was still just the total amount.
His soul-casting was not completed, so he still couldn't be considered an official Second-Turn Spirit Reader.
The returns accumulated on the martial arts side were even more.
Lin Chuan estimated that as long as he was given a suitable Grandmaster-tier cultivation technique right now and swallowed all these returns, his accumulation would already be enough for him to rush all the way to Grandmaster Ninth Stage.
Yet new prompts were still popping outward.
Lin Chuan didn't dare to claim them anymore.
"System, store all subsequent Mental Strength and Realmreturns for now."
He had to first complete the Second-Turn soul-casting, and also obtain a suitable cultivation technique for martial arts. After officially stepping into the Grandmaster Realm, he would slowly consume them downward.
Otherwise, with so many things pouring in in one breath, he really feared that he would explode first.
With so many existences, and all of them being hundreds or thousands of times returns, this surge of energy was simply too strong!
It was no longer something a Martial Artist like him could digest.
He must enter the Grandmaster Realm first.
However, Lin Chuan felt that his current accumulation was so vast and strong that perhaps the moment he entered the Grandmaster Realm, he would directly be at the Grandmaster Perfection level.
Chapter 94: The Tianhe Consortium Arrogantly Challenges, Backed by the Grand Elder of the Lin Clan!
The next morning, as Lin Chuan just emerged from his room, he found that the Haicheng Martial Arts Associationwas even livelier than last night.
In the corridor stood a dozen people—some carrying potion cases, some holding contracts, and two middle-aged men in suits were pulling staff members aside to ask when Lin Chuan would wake up.
The three reception rooms downstairs were also completely filled.
Gu Shanhe had rushed over early in the morning.
"Young Master, we can't keep going like this!!"
"The gray zone hasn't been dealt with yet, and the Martial Arts Association's own people are already overwhelmed. We can't keep clearing out space for us to meet guests indefinitely."
"I've already had people clean up the ancestral residence. The place is big enough, and security can be rearranged. Let's invite everyone over there."
"Wait a little longer."
"The mental secret technique for the provincial top scorer hasn't arrived yet. I'll take it and then leave."
Staying at the Martial Arts Association for the night, what he was waiting for was the Myriad Phenomena Soul-Casting Diagram.
The complete Inheritance in the national Martial Arts Association's source diagram room could not be copied, so Dongzhou applied for a one-time soul imprint last night, which was delivered to Haicheng overnight by a dedicated courier.
At a little past eight in the morning, a car bearing special Martial Arts Association license plates drove into the courtyard.
Two staff members carried down a silver metal box, and after passing three consecutive identity verifications, they finally retrieved the grayish-white soul crystal inside.
[S-Level Mental Secret Technique: Myriad Phenomena Soul-Casting Diagram!]
[One-time Inheritance soul imprint, User: Lin Chuan!]
Lin Chuan pressed his hand onto it.
The soul crystal lit up with a white light, and a massive amount of Soul Power circulation methods poured directly into his consciousness.
Sabers, swords, chains, armor, and wings—one soul diagram after another unfolded, only to dissipate simultaneously in the end, leaving behind only a formless soul embryo.
Formless Soul Embryo!
This was precisely what Lin Chuan needed the most.
With it, those 3,700 strands of Mental Strength could finally begin the second-turn soul casting.
As the Inheritance concluded, the grayish-white soul crystal split down the middle, and the soul imprint inside vanished along with it.
Seeing Lin Chuan standing still, Pei Wubing reached out and waved his hand in front of him.
"Have you finished looking? You aren't planning to cast your soul right here, are you?"
"Of course not."
Lin Chuan withdrew his Mental Strength.
"So many people are waiting for me. If I don't go back, they'll eat all the boxed meals at my house."
"Why are you such a stingy brat!"
Pei Wubing pointed downstairs.
"Hurry up and go, the people from the Zhenyuan Divisionhave already arrived. There are quite a few people wanting your life lately, so don't run around alone after you get back."
"Rest assured."
...
Half an hour later.
Protected by Pei Wubing and a dozen personnel from the Zhenyuan Division, Lin Chuan returned to the Lin Clanancestral residence.
From the intersection to the gates of the Lin Clan, both sides of the road were already packed with cars.
The Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce, the Provincial Potion Group, the Wuxie Weapons Group, the Martial Artist Bank, and several major families from the provincial capital had all sent people over.
"Number 47, Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce."
"Number 48, Provincial Potion Group."
"People from the Weapons Group, don't go in yet. The discussion inside isn't finished; I'll call you when it's your turn."
An overseer from a provincial capital Clan wanted his assistant to step forward and say a word, but Third Sister and the elders of the Lin Clan directly handed over a number tag.
"There are too many people today, everyone is treated the same."
Seeing the Vice President of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce sitting in front, the overseer obediently accepted it.
As soon as Lin Chuan sat down, the people from the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce pushed a black-gold card and a transfer receipt toward him.
"Three hundred million yuan in unconditional training funds has been deposited into this dedicated account."
"In addition, starting today, Mr. Lin is granted access to the Chamber of Commerce's highest-tier internal procurement privileges. Potions, Demonic Beast materials, and ores from all regions, as long as they are within the Chamber's channels, will all be settled at the lowest internal prices."
In the past, for the Haicheng Lin Family to enter the core procurement channels of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce was practically an impossible feat.
But today, the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce was eagerly delivering the privilege card to his doorstep, terrified that Lin Chuan wouldn't accept it.
This was Lin Chuan's potential!
"What do I need to do for these three hundred million?" Lin Chuan asked.
"Nothing at all."
The Chamber of Commerce Vice President replied quickly.
"There are no endorsements, nor is there a cooperation term. We only hope that when Mr. Lin needs to procure large batches of resources in the future, you will consider us first."
Pei Wubing took the contract and flipped through it from beginning to end.
"There's no problem with this one."
"However, I'll make this clear beforehand: whoever dares to play dirty in the contract, don't blame me later for bringing people over to your company for a chat."
The Chamber of Commerce Vice President hurriedly waved his hands.
"Rest assured, King Pei, we are here with sincere intentions to make friends."
The second batch to enter was the Provincial Potion Group.
What they brought was even more direct.
The potion case opened, with eight potions neatly placed inside.
Three Tier-4 Thunder Marrow Potions.
Five Tier-4 Soul-Nourishing Liquids.
Ye Qinghe put on gloves, picked up one of them, and checked the batch number.
"They were all produced just last week."
She checked the seal again before nodding at Lin Chuan.
"A while ago, my grandfather wanted to apply for two more Tier-4 Soul-Nourishing Liquids, but the group made him wait until next month."
Hearing this, the chairman of the Provincial Potion Group immediately said:
"The share required by Medicine King Ye will be rearranged by me when I get back. These are prepared for Mr. Lin; if they are not enough, there are more in the provincial capital's warehouse, and I can transfer more today."
"No need to transfer any for now."
Lin Chuan closed the potion case.
"I might not even finish using all of these immediately."
"It doesn't matter. For the next five years, the group's highest-tier private customization quota will always be reserved for you. Whatever attributes or purposes you need, just give me a call in advance."
What the Wuxie Weapons Group brought was a complete set of design plans.
"We can customize a set of Tier-4 Mental Thought Weapons for you for free."
"Your current seven sabers can also be sent entirely to the group headquarters for re-forging. Whatever materialsneed to be replenished, the group will provide. The casting fee and subsequent three-year maintenance fees will likewise be borne by us."
Afterward, the Martial Artist Bank delivered a top-tier black-gold account and a one-billion-yuan unsecured cultivation quota. Several provincial capital families also brought out medicinal herbs, Secret Realm slots, and cultivation grounds.
Lin Xiuxiu led a few people nearby to collect the items and check the list.
Ye Qinghe wasn't idle either.
Gu Shanhe categorized and registered the gifts and cooperation conditions separately.
The boxes in the living room piled higher and higher.
Lin Xiuxiu was busy until sweat beaded on her forehead, but she was overjoyed. Her younger brother had made something of himself, and as a sister with a close relationship, she naturally shared in the glory.
Beside the second-floor railing, Lin Nan and Lin He had been standing for a long time.
Lin Nan kept staring at that potion case.
In order to help Lin He cultivation the Six-Color Ancient Thunder, he had previously visited the Provincial Potion Group in person, hoping to apply for a Tier-4 Thunder Marrow Potion.
But the other party simply didn't give it to him.
Later, he increased the price by thirty percent, but still couldn't buy it.
Now the exact same group delivered three at once, and the chairman was still asking if they needed more transferred over.
Lin Nan felt as though something was blocking his chest.
If he had treated Lin Chuan a bit better in the past, the person sitting downstairs negotiating terms for an emperor-tier Genius today should have been him; how could it ever be Gu Shanhe's turn?
Yet he had stood here for half a day, and no one downstairs had even asked whether the head of the Lin Clan was present.
Lin He's gaze fell upon those gift boxes.
When he awakened the S-Level Six-Color Ancient Thunder, the Lin Clan added forty million in resources for him.
That day, he was so happy he couldn't sleep all night. Now, casually opening any box downstairs, its value was almost catching up to those forty million.
A young assistant delivering materials came down from upstairs, and when passing by Lin He, he only said:
"Excuse me, please make way."
The other party had no idea at all that he was the second-place scorer in this Dongzhou gaokao.
Lin He moved aside by a step, his expression turning even uglier.
Before the people from within the province finished being received, a burst of car horns suddenly sounded outside the door.
Six black off-road vehicles drove directly to the entrance of the Lin Clan residence.
On the sides of all the vehicle bodies was a silver river emblem.
"Beiyuan Province's Tianhe Consortium?"
Seeing the emblem clearly, the smiles on the faces of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce people faded a bit.
The Tianhe Consortium was one of the largest resource consortiums in the northern provinces, controlling channels for medicinal herbs, transportation, and high-tier weapons, with Martial King and imperial capital factions backing them up. In front of them, Dongzhou could only be considered a small market.
As soon as the cars came to a halt, a dozen bodyguards stepped out first.
"Drive these two cars in front away."
"Move the potion cases aside too; don't block the way."
A bodyguard instructed the servants of the Lin Clan, preparing to move away the cases the Provincial Potion Group had just delivered.
Gu Shanhe's men immediately blocked him.
"The items cannot be moved. If you want to see the Young Master, go register and get a number over there first."
The bodyguard acted as if he had heard some joke.
"The Tianhe Consortium has to take a number too?"
"Whoever comes today has to take a number."
"Then make the people in front stop talking for now."
The bodyguard reached out to push someone, and two Zhenyuan Division personnel brought by Pei Wubingwalked over simultaneously.
Before the two sides clashed, the door of the second car already opened.
Zhao Chongshan, the vice president of the Tianhe Consortium, stepped down.
Without even glancing at the number tag in Gu Shanhe's hand, he walked inside and asked directly:
"Where is Lin Nan?"
"What we want to talk about is Young Master Lin Chuan," Gu Shanhe said.
"Lin Chuan is just a puny brat, what does he know about negotiating business? Lin Nan is both his father and the head of the Lin Clan, so I'll look for him first."
After speaking, Zhao Chongshan sat down straight away next to the main seat in the living room.
Just as the Vice President of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce was about to speak, someone beside him reminded him: Several batches of high-tier medicinal herbs procured by the Chamber of Commerce from the north this year all had to go through the Tianhe Consortium's transportation lines.
Not long after, Lin Nan walked down from upstairs.
Hearing that the Tianhe Consortium was willing to fork out two billion yuan to cultivation Lin Chuan, his gaze noticeably shifted.
Two billion! Adding together everything given by those previous factions might not even amount to this much.
Furthermore, the first person Zhao Chongshan looked for was him.
As long as the cooperation was signed through his hands, whenever people mentioned Lin Chuan in the future, they still couldn't bypass him as his father and the head of the Lin Clan.
"How does President Zhao plan to cooperate?"
Lin Nan sat down, his tone growing much more polite.
"It's very simple. Lin Chuan's cultivation funds for the next ten years will be entirely covered by our Tianhe Consortium."
Zhao Chongshan pushed the contract in front of him and had someone hand over a pen.
"First sign the guardian consent form, and we can discuss the specific details slowly later."
Just as Lin Nan opened the first page, Gu Shanhe reached out and took the contract away.
As he read through it page by page, his expression grew colder and colder.
"Two billion yuan, distributed over ten years, at two hundred million per year. As long as the Tianhe Consortium believes the Young Master hasn't fulfilled the cooperation, subsequent funds can be halted at any time."
"Within ten years, all of the Young Master's commercial partnerships must be approved by you, and half of all earnings generated must be handed over to you!"
Gu Shanhe flipped forward another two pages.
"A forty percent priority procurement right for the Mystic Gold ore, and the price is still determined by you."
"After entering university, he must complete at least three high-risk missions for you every year."
He slammed the contract back onto the table.
"What kind of cultivation do you call this?"
"Treating our Young Master like a slave?"
Zhao Chongshan picked up his teacup, didn't even touch it to his lips, and put it back down with disdain.
"The higher the risk, the higher the return. Otherwise, why should he take 2 billion from our Tianhe Consortium!"
"Besides, you're just a lowly butler-level person in the Lin Clan. When we are talking business with the head of the Lin Clan, when did it become your turn to speak? Get lost far away!"
He pushed the pen back in front of Lin Nan.
"Head of the Lin Clan, sign it."
Lin Nan looked at the two billion, then looked at the clauses behind it.
He truly wanted to sign.
But after his hand touched the pen, it still stopped.
He had no right to manage Lin Chuan at all!
"I can't make the decision on this matter."
Zhao Chongshan laughed.
"You can't even make decisions for your own biological son; being this Clan head of yours is truly interesting."
"No wonder the Haicheng Lin Family has only been cooped up in such a small place for all these years."
Lin Nan's face flushed hot, yet he was unable to refute it.
At this moment, Lin Chuan walked over from the side hall.
Gu Shanhe handed the contract to him.
In less than two minutes of Lin Chuan flipping through it, the contract landed back in front of Zhao Chongshan.
"Two billion isn't even enough to buy me for a year."
"You still want the Mystic Gold ore and want me to do three high-risk missions for you every year—what stray-dog consortium came running here to make blind wishes?"
Zhao Chongshan's expression darkened.
"Young man, I advise you to understand the Tianhe Consortium first before speaking to me."
"Get lost."
Lin Chuan pointed toward the door.
"Thinking I'm young and trying to trick me with a crappy contract, do you think that's possible?"
The living room suddenly fell silent.
This time, Zhao Chongshan stopped pretending to be polite.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping sequentially across the people from the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce, the Provincial Potion Group, and the Weapons Group.
"The Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce's medicinal herb transportation in the north this year is under our jurisdiction."
"Over thirty percent of the Provincial Potion Group's high-tier raw materials are sourced from us."
"And for the Weapons Group, the cooperation between Beiyuan refined iron and the three forging plants must also go through the channels provided by the Tianhe Consortium."
The expressions of the few people whose names were called all changed.
Zhao Chongshan looked back at Lin Chuan.
"If you dare to reject me today, the moment I walk out this door later, all cooperation will be completely halted."
"Whoever continues to provide you with resources shouldn't even think about getting a single item from the Tianhe Consortium's channels in the future."
The living room that was just so lively completely lost all sound.
No matter how high Lin Chuan's potential was, right now he was only a Martial Artist. Yet the Tianhe Consortium could cause them losses of hundreds of millions or even billions by this afternoon.
The chairman of the Provincial Potion Group hesitated, and the Vice President of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce also fell silent immediately.
The Tianhe Consortium's influence was simply too massive; they couldn't afford to provoke them either.
Seeing everyone's reactions, an arrogant expression hung on Zhao Chongshan's face once more.
This wasn't the first time he had done such a thing.
No matter how good the talent of a young man coming from a Haicheng Clan was, he had never seen how truly major consortiums operated.
If I cut off all the paths around you, won't you end up having to come back and sign?
That's right!
Our Tianhe Consortium is going to make you, Lin Chuan, our lackey.
Pei Wubing stood up from the sofa.
"Threatening my disciple right in front of me."
"Fine, I've remembered the name of the Tianhe Consortium, and the Zhenyuan Division will remember it too."
Zhao Chongshan looked at him, his expression carrying a hint of apprehension, yet he didn't back down.
"King Pei, this is normal commercial game theory."
"No matter how strong you are as a Martial King, you can't force others into business, right?"
Having spoken, he glanced at his watch.
"Lin Chuan, I'll give you one last chance."
"Sit down and finish discussing the contract. Or once I walk out the gates of the Lin Clan, all commercial blockades will begin immediately."
Hearing that the Lin Clan's industries might also be implicated, Lin Nan finally couldn't hold back.
"Xiaochuan!"
"The Tianhe Consortium's channels are indeed very important. Even if you don't sign, at least sit down and discuss it slowly. Your personality shouldn't be too sharp; sometimes, enduring a bit does no harm."
Lin Chuan turned his head and glanced at him.
"If you like enduring so much, then you can have Lin Hesign a ten-year contract with them."
"Lin Chuan! Don't toast only to drink a forfeit!" Zhao Chongshan was thoroughly infuriated.
A puny kid—if he personally stepped forward and still couldn't handle it, how could he make a living in the business circle from now on?
Outside the door, however, the sound of a car driving in rang out once more at this moment.
A motorcade bearing imperial capital license plates parked right behind the Tianhe Consortium's cars.
The door of the first car opened.
Lin Xuance stepped out quickly, walked around to the back row, and personally pulled open the car door for an elderly man with graying hair.
The Vice President of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce also recognized the newcomer.
"The imperial capital! The Grand Elder of the Lin Clan!"
Leaning on a black cane, the elderly man walked into the gates of the Lin Clan.
Zhao Chongshan's words outside about blockading Lin Chuan's resource channels had been heard crystal clear by him outside.
The Grand Elder raised his head and asked only a single sentence.
"Who said they are going to cut off the path of my Lin Clan's descendants?"
Chapter 95: The Overbearing Grand Elder of the Lin Family!
"Who says they are going to cut off the path of a member of the Lin Family?"
Upon hearing these words, the anger on Zhao Chongshan's face vanished instantly.
Of course he recognized the old man before him.
The Grand Elder of the Imperial Capital Lin Family!
Usually, even the big figures behind the Tianhe Consortiumhad to respectfully address him as Elder Lin upon meeting him.
Yet, Zhao Chongshan never expected that Lin Chuan, a young man from a Haicheng branch family, could actually mobilize this big shot!
He hurriedly went up to greet him.
"Elder Lin, you've got this all wrong."
"We are just discussing a normal contract. The young man is full of vigor and, at a disagreement, talked back a bit. Really, no one is trying to cut off his path."
"A normal contract?"
The Grand Elder completely ignored him, walked straight to the table, and picked up the contract.
The living room was so quiet that even the drop of a pin could be heard.
The Grand Elder flipped through a few pages and simply read it out loud.
"Ten-year cooperation term. During these ten years, all of Lin Chuan's businesses must be approved by the Tianhe Consortium."
"Half of the money Lin Chuan earns belongs to the Tianhe Consortium."
"After entering university, he must also run three high-risk missions for the Tianhe Consortium every year."
"Forty percent of the Mystic Gold mine's goods will be taken with priority by the Tianhe Consortium, and how much they cost will be decided by the Tianhe Consortium."
Reading up to here, the Grand Elder shut the contract with a'slap'.
"The money is paid over ten years, but the contract takes effect on the very first day. You can cut off the money whenever you want, and if he wants to leave, he has to compensate you three times the amount."
"Oh, holy crap! Bullying people right onto the head of our Lin Family members?"
"Is this fucking bullshit supposed to be a normal negotiation? Huh?!"
The smile on Zhao Chongshan's face was starting to slip.
"Elder Lin, this is just a first draft, the terms can all be discussed. Besides, the Tianhe Consortium is genuinely pulling out two billion, there has to be some return, right?"
"Do I look eighty years old, or do I look eight years old, that you still dare to try and fool me."
The Grand Elder threw the contract onto the table.
"The Haicheng Lin Family is not big, but Lin Chuan also carries the surname Lin."
"If you do business properly, my Imperial Capital Lin Family won't say an extra word. But if you want to rely on your size to make forced purchases and sales, then today, the Imperial Capital Lin Family is definitely going to meddle in this matter."
As these few words landed, Zhao Chongshan's expression changed completely.
He had originally made up his mind that the Imperial Capital Lin Family would at most just come and take a look.
For a newly emerging branch-family Genius, the Main Family wouldn't bother falling out with the Tianhe Consortium over him.
Yet the Grand Elder's attitude was far tougher than he had imagined.
Zhao Chongshan was silent for a few seconds, still unwilling to give up.
"Elder Lin, you are a Senior in the martial arts world, but business is business."
"Whether the Tianhe Consortium supplies goods to Dongzhou or not, we should be able to make that decision ourselves, right? No matter how big the Imperial Capital Lin Family is, you can't force us to sell goods to anyone."
"Fine."
The Grand Elder nodded.
This single "Fine" actually left Zhao Chongshandumbfounded.
The Grand Elder turned his head to look at Lin Xuance.
"Get him a list."
"Make him write down clearly, item by item, the factories, goods, and quantities they plan to cut off supply for."
Lin Xuance immediately took out an electronic recorder and placed it in front of Zhao Chongshan.
Only then did the Grand Elder slowly continue.
"For every one the Tianhe Consortium cuts off, the Imperial Capital Lin Family will take over."
"However many contracts you withdraw, we will sign. Medicinal herbs, refined iron, transportation lines—if you find them too troublesome to handle, the Lin Family will do it."
"If the Tianhe Consortium still doesn't feel satisfied and wants to expand their operations, that's fine too."
"Those businesses of yours in the Imperial Capital and the south, I'll have people dig them out one by one to settle accounts. By then, we'll see who holds out longer before coming back to sit down and talk."
Zhao Chongshan's mouth moved, but not a single word came out.
The Tianhe Consortium was indeed used to throwing its weight around in the northern provinces.
But the Imperial Capital Lin Family had operated for hundreds of years, and its businesses spanned the entire country.
If it truly came to mutual destruction, the one who would run out of breath first would definitely not be the Lin Family.
The vice president of the Dongzhou Chamber of Commerce, who had been silent just now, immediately stood up.
"The three hundred million and procurement authority promised by the Chamber of Commerce to Mr. Lin will not be a single penny short."
"If the northern channels are truly cut off, we will turn around and re-sign with the Imperial Capital Lin Family."
The chairman of the Provincial Pharmaceutical Group also pushed the medicine box closer to Lin Chuan.
"Three Thunder Marrow Potions and five Soul-Nourishing Liquids all belong to Mr. Lin."
"We will fill the raw material gap ourselves, and the customized quota for the next five years will remain valid."
The people from the Weaponry Group also expressed their stance accordingly.
The living room, which had been deathly silent just a moment ago, suddenly became lively again.
Didn't Zhao Chongshan use cutting off supplies as a bargaining chip precisely because he was certain these groups couldn't afford the losses?
Now that someone was patching the hole, that little threat in his hand instantly became a joke.
"This contract... it's most likely that the legal department took the wrong one."
Zhao Chongshan's brain spun fast; he reached out and took the contract back immediately.
"I'll have them redraw it when I get back. Since today is unfortunate, I'll pay another visit another day."
Shifting all the blame onto his subordinates, he turned around and walked outside with his people.
When they came, the bodyguards of the Tianhe Consortium shouted arrogantly, making people move cars and boxes, too lazy to even take parking tickets.
When they left, the group didn't even dare to turn their heads back, and the motorcade drove faster than rabbits.
The reporters at the entrance broadcasted this entire scene out.
The bullet comments in the livestream instantly flooded the screen.
"The contract was taken by mistake? The legal department hid it from the vice president and wanted to buy an imperial-grade Genius back to be a slave, huh!"
"Noses pointing to the sky when entering, not even daring to leave a contract behind when leaving, hilarious."
"Weren't you just clamoring to cut off supplies earlier? The list was handed right to you, why didn't you write it down?"
"The Grand Elder came in person, he's really protecting Lin Chuan as one of his own people!"
Just as Zhao Chongshan left, Lin Xuance had people carry several boxes down from the car.
"Lin Chuan, these are prepared for you by the Main Family."
"One billion in cultivation funds has already been wired into your account. The remaining boxes contain lightning-type, poison-type, and psychic-type resources picked out from the clan treasury."
When one of the boxes was opened and the lightning-type crystals just peeked out, the lightning-attribute Martial Artists in the living room felt their skin go numb.
The other two boxes were tightly sealed.
Things that could enter the treasury of the Imperial Capital Lin Family were simply not goods that could be bought outside with money alone.
Lin Xuance wasn't in a hurry to hand over the gift list.
He first lowered his head toward Lin Chuan.
"Last time I came to Haicheng, relying on the identity of the Main Family, I opened my mouth and demanded thirty percent of the Mystic Gold mine's revenue. That was my fault."
"This time's money and resources have no additional conditions attached, nor do you need to exchange them with the mine's revenue."
Apologizing in front of so many people, Lin Xuance's face felt a bit burning hot.
But with the Grand Elder staring right beside him, he didn't dare to muddle a single word.
The Grand Elder didn't take the opportunity to persuade Lin Chuan to acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan.
"Whether you return to the Imperial Capital or not can be discussed later. Whatever requirements you have for the Main Family, feel free to bring them up slowly."
"I made this trip today precisely so that outsiders wouldn't think you have no one backing you up, and that you're a soft persimmon that anyone can step on."
They came to the door bringing one billion plus a batch of high-tier resources, and blocked the Tianhe Consortium for him. This attitude was already generous enough.
Naturally, Lin Chuan wouldn't push away this face and goodwill.
"I accept the items."
"I'll also remember today's favor. Future cooperation is fine, but making me listen to the Main Family in everything is impossible."
Hearing this, the Grand Elder laughed instead.
"Good, good, good. Making things clear in advance is always better than agreeing readily on the surface and turning hostile later."
Lin Chuan beckoned toward Gu Shanhe.
"Grandpa Gu, please trouble yourself to register them."
Gu Shanhe immediately led people forward to tally them.
Lin Nan stood to the side, unable to insert a single word from beginning to end.
The more the Imperial Capital Main Family valued Lin Chuan, the more it highlighted how blind he was back then.
Such a huge pie had originally fallen right into his own household.
Yet he personally forced his son to become at loggerheads with him.
Now, when the Main Family wanted to speak with Lin Chuan, they didn't even need to go through him, his biological father!
Lin He stared fixedly at those resource boxes.
He was also a member of the Lin Family.
He also had an S-Rank Talent and was the second-place scorer in the Dongzhou College Entrance Examination!
Yet from the moment Lin Xuance entered until now, he hadn't even glanced at him properly.
Just as he was thinking this, the sound of cars rang out again outside the Lin Family's door.
On the lead car hung the emblem of the First War Academy.
As the car door opened, a tall middle-aged man walked down.
The reporters at the entrance only glanced at it before shouting out excitedly.
"The President of the First War Academy!"
Immediately following, the car from Longdu Martial Arts University also arrived.
The person who arrived this time was similarly the current president himself!
Before everyone could recover their senses, Ning Zhaoyuepersonally supported a white-haired old man as he got out of the car.
Someone recognized the old man's identity at a glance.
"The former old president of Jiuli University!"
"Hasn't he been retired for eight years?!"