The freshman Soul Forging Tower challenge concluded, and the rankings were immediately displayed on the large screen:
1st Place, Liu Ruyan, 42nd Floor
2nd Place, Shen Han, 42nd Floor
3rd Place, Su Yifeng, 40th Floor
4th Place, Mu Bingyao, 40th Floor
5th Place, Lu Yanlin, 40th Floor
...17th Place, Li Tianhao, 38th Floor
"There are 5 people above the 40th floor, and two broke the record. This year's batch is Heaven-Defying!"
"Our batch only had two people reach the 40th floor at most. Comparing ourselves to others is infuriating," some older students sighed.
"It's you again, Shen Han. You're truly a persistent ghost."
Lu Yanlin was almost unable to control his expression. Being suppressed by Shen Han repeatedly, he was truly unwilling. He, who loved to show off, had encountered nothing but setbacks since meeting the people from Yang City.
"Congratulations! You've earned 900 academic credits," his roommate Li Tianhao came over to congratulate him.
"You're not bad either."
Shen Han saw an ethereal girl standing beside him, quiet and still, like a snow lotus blooming on a snow-capped mountain, pure and refined. Her long, waterfall-like hair was casually draped over her shoulders, swaying slightly.
"That's Liu Ruyan. Not long after enrolling, she was hailed as a goddess by many. She's also from your Nanjiang," Li Tianhao introduced, seeing Shen Han's gaze fall upon Liu Ruyan. "You're not smitten, are you? The line of people who want to pursue her could probably circle the campus several times."
"What are you thinking? If you can even get a Senior Sister, why don't you go try?"
At the same time, Shen Han activated his «Sniff» skill on Liu Ruyan. He had been very curious about Mental Special Abilities after hearing about them.
Name: Liu Ruyan
Mental Energy: Martial Spirit Fifth Rank
Special Ability Rank: Mental Element - SS Rank, Ice Element - SS Rank
"A Mental Element Special Ability, huh? I'll take it. «Copy»—"
He already had so many elements. If he were to Cultivate several skills for each element, the resources required would be immense.
Especially for extremely rare ones like Space Element and Mental Element, their corresponding skills could probably sell for exorbitant prices.
"Next, I'll probably have to frantically take on missions to earn academic credits and exchange them for Martial Skills," Shen Han muttered to himself. "Speaking of which, the Earth Rank Martial Skill promised by the school should be delivered soon, right?"
"Hey, brother, don't zone out—" Li Tianhao suddenly patted Shen Han and winked at him. "Did you see over there? That beauty, that's Mu Bingyao, the great beauty of our batch. She has an excellent temperament and is also a dual SS Special Ability user, Wood Element and Ice Element. Amazing, right?"
Following Li Tianhao's guidance, Shen Han looked over.
Mu Bingyao stood tall and graceful, as elegant and refined as a secluded orchid in an empty valley. Her cool temperament held a hint of gentleness, and her every movement exuded an extraordinary bearing.
"Martial Dao is my path; women will only slow down my blade," Shen Han calmly retracted his gaze, his tone indifferent.
"Good heavens, that's a Domineering statement!" Li Tianhao exclaimed, giving Shen Han a thumbs-up. "Awesome, brother!"
Shen Han also conveniently «Copy»ed Mu Bingyao's SS Rank Wood Element.
Wood Element Special Ability not only possesses powerful healing capabilities but is also an excellent recovery method in combat. When in a stalemate with an enemy, it can subtly restore physical and Mental Energy, making it an absolutely strategic auxiliary skill.
However, he wasn't particularly interested in the Ice Element for now—he had tried it a few times and always felt that he was more suited for Special Abilities with strong direct explosive power, like Lightning Element and Fire Element.
Name: Shen Han
Mental Energy: 2591 / 2600 (Martial Spirit Fourth Rank)
Special Ability Rank: Chaos Element - SSS Rank, Lightning Element - SS Rank, Dark Element - S Rank, Fire Element - S Rank, Space Element - B Rank, Mental Element - SS Rank, Wood Element - SS Rank
Looking at these dazzling Special Ability elements, Shen Han was both happy and pained. While so many Special Abilities gave him immense potential, fully mastering them would not be easy.
"When my Cultivation is stronger and I have enough self-preservation ability, I won't need to hide these abilities anymore," he mused.
Facing the current situation and the layers of potential hostility, he understood that at this stage, he still needed to "play the pig to eat the tiger" and silently strengthen his power in the dark. These precious Special Abilities were his trump cards for future rise.
The next day
Shen Han received a message from his mentor, Chen Ziyang, saying it was related to the Martial Skill promised by the school.
"So, have you decided which element's Martial Skill you want to exchange for?" Chen Ziyang asked with a smile, full of interest in this student who had entered the Soul Forging Tower and broken records.
"How many academic credits does it usually cost to exchange for a Lightning Element Martial Skill?"
"Common Profound Rank Lightning Element Martial Skills generally require 5000 academic credits, while Earth Rank ones cost at least 10000 academic credits or more, fluctuating depending on their destructive power."
Shen Han took a sharp breath, not expecting Martial Skills to be so expensive, and this was just for a relatively common Lightning Element.
"Will the exchange record be made public?" Shen Han still had some concerns, worried about exposing himself too early.
Chen Ziyang smiled and explained, "You can rest assured about that. Exchange records are a student's personal privacy and will not be disclosed externally. Unless you use it in actual combat, others will have no way of knowing."
Shen Han breathed a sigh of relief, his heart stirring, and then asked, "What's the approximate price for an Earth Rank Space Element skill?"
"Space Element? You're interested in Space Element?" Chen Ziyang showed a hint of doubt. "Skills of this Special Ability element, especially at the Earth Rank level, would cost at least 100,000 academic credits on the market, or even more."
"That's exaggerated."
"What Space Element skills are currently available for exchange at our school?"
"Are you playing a trick on me?"
Shen Han directly used a small-range Space Teleportation. Anyway, it would be exposed sooner or later. What was linked to the Space Element was Wang Gang's identity. Once the Lu family learned of Wang Gang's identity, he would no longer fear the Lu family.
"Are you a natural dual-element user? Lightning Element and Space Element?" Chen Ziyang was shocked. "Currently, there are two Space Element skills available for exchange. One is «Dimensional Space», which can open up a new independent space for storage or escape. The other is an offensive skill, «Space Ripple», which, once mastered, can project invisible Space Ripples, striking targets from a distance with immense power."
Shen Han thought for a moment and decisively said, "I choose «Dimensional Space»."
Offensive skills like «Space Ripple» could be completely replaced by his current Lightning Element and Dark Element skills. Shen Han was not lacking in offensive means at this stage. At this moment, escaping was a priority. Moreover, if «Dimensional Space» could be used for storage, he wouldn't have to carry a Storage Ring and Storage Pouch every time he went out, making him much less conspicuous.
After completing the exchange procedures, Shen Han excitedly accepted the skill scroll for «Dimensional Space», a surge of joy in his heart.
"Remember, it must be returned within a month and cannot be «Copy»ed for others, otherwise you will face severe punishment from the school," Chen Ziyang finally reminded him solemnly.