Chapter 14: Liu Hairen's Peak of Life

At the same time, several buses heading from Linjiang City to the Wilderness were bustling with excitement.

“Finally, we can go out and fight Fierce Beasts! I must make it into the top ten, obtain the Body-Tempering Liquid, and get into a top university!”

“Pfft! Give it a rest. You haven’t even opened an Aperture yet. Won’t you just end up as cannon fodder out there?”

“Damn, can’t I even brag a little?”

Compared to the excitement, more people were hesitant and uneasy. Some timid students had even begun to sob quietly.

Faced with the Wilderness and the Fierce Beasts, these greenhouse flowers were all growing restless.

Inside the bus for Class Three, Wang Zhong stared anxiously at the chat history on his phone, his fingers tapping incessantly on the armrest. Finally, he couldn’t resist typing a message.

“Jiang guy, still alive?”

“Not dead.”

The brief exchange made Wang Zhong sigh in relief, and the furrow in his brow eased.

On the bus, Chu Ming sat proudly in his seat, with several lackeys diligently massaging his shoulders.

“Congratulations, Young Master Chu! With your breakthrough to Body Tempering Perfection, you’re sure to secure a spot in the top hundred of this Joint Examination.”

“That’s right, Young Master Chu. With your strength, making it into the top hundred is no problem at all. Maybe you’ll even perform exceptionally well and make it into the top ten, earning that legendary Body-Tempering Liquid.”

“How dare you speak to our Young Master Chu like that? What do you mean ‘perform exceptionally well’? That’s just Young Master Chu’s true ability!”

Chu Ming was so flattered by their praise that he could hardly contain his smile.

After Jiang Yan broke his hand, his family spent a fortune to send him to a specialized Martial Artist hospital. After considerable effort, they managed to save his hand.

Although there were still some lingering aftereffects, at least it was preserved.

But because of this, he harbored a deep grudge against Jiang Yan. He had planned to settle the score with Jiang Yan upon his return, but to his surprise, that guy chose to drop out.

Even a fool knew the school would never expel a student who had opened an Aperture. The only explanation was—

Jiang Yan was afraid!

Jiang Yan feared his retaliation, so he dropped out and went into hiding somewhere.

Unable to vent his anger, Chu Ming spread rumors at school that Jiang Yan had only narrowly won by sneak-attacking him and later dropped out because he was afraid of a rematch.

Many people, eager for gossip, took the story with a grain of salt.

But afterward, the school made no effort to refute the rumors. Even the principal made subtle, Yin and Yang remarks about the dropout during assemblies.

Because of this, the rumor that Jiang Yan had fled to escape punishment was inexplicably solidified.

Chu Ming now wore an expression of confidence. Over the past two days, he had spent a fortune on a large batch of potions. Though not as effective as Body-Tempering Liquid, they had still helped him break through the Realm that had stumped him for half a year, successfully reaching Body Tempering Perfection.

Body Tempering Perfection, combined with the Talent unlocked after opening an Aperture.

Chu Ming sneered. “The advantage is mine.”

If he ever ran into Jiang Yan again, he would make him realize just how foolish it was to offend him.

Now, he was the only one in the entire Class Three who had opened an Aperture. If he didn’t act arrogantly, who would?

In a large conference room, several massive screens lined the walls, displaying images covering an entire area.

A round table stood in the center of the room, surrounded by people in suits and ties, all seated in their places.

At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man with a robust voice and a spirited demeanor. He wore a neat administrative jacket, had a slightly plump build, and a standard square face. Just a glance from afar would make one feel he held the highest official position among those present.

Shen Donglin, a high-ranking official dispatched from the provincial level, was specially stationed to oversee this Joint Examination.

His gaze swept over the people in the room before settling on his assistant beside him. “Is everything arranged?”

“The trial area has been inspected. There are no Fierce Beasts exceeding the third tier. As per your instructions, we did not expel the Wilderness Hunters active in that area.”

“Monitoring, medical facilities, and other necessary arrangements are all in place.”

“Good. We’ll begin once everyone has arrived.”

Fierce Beasts, the Wilderness, and Wilderness Hunters were all part of this Joint Examination. Shen Donglin hoped to witness an authentic trial.

Below the head seat, the others fell silent, not daring to utter a word, even breathing more slowly than usual.

Among them, every one was at the level of principal or vice-principal, yet in front of Shen Donglin, they all had to act subserviently. A single word from him could strip them of their positions.

Liu Hairen was among them. Sitting directly across from Shen Donglin, he buried his head like a turtle, afraid of drawing the attention of this powerful figure.

“I’ve heard this big shot has a peculiar temper. I hope nothing goes wrong.”

For some reason, Liu Hairen’s eyelids kept twitching, giving him an uneasy feeling.

Coincidentally, Shen Donglin noticed Liu Hairen. Frowning slightly, he asked directly, “That person over there…”

Liu Hairen quickly rose from his chair, slightly bowing his waist with an ingratiating smile. “Just call me Little Liu.”

Ignoring his suggestion, Shen Donglin casually inquired, “How many Talents does your Linjiang First High School have this year?”

“Reporting to the Director, we’ve been fortunate this year. We’ve cultivated 21 Talents in total, including one student named Ai Ning who Awakened his Talent in his first year of high school.”

The other principals’ eyelids twitched, all looking at Liu Hairen with envy.

Twenty-one Talents was no small number. This Liu fellow had unexpectedly struck gold this year. It seemed Linjiang First High School was about to take off.

Some principals thought to themselves.

Shen Donglin’s interest was clearly piqued. “What Realm has that child who Awakened his Talent in his first year of high school reached now?”

A slight smile curled at the corner of Liu Hairen’s lips, as if he had long anticipated such a question. “Blood Coagulation Middle Stage, with the potential to strive for Blood Coagulation Late Stage before the College Entrance Exam.”

“Hiss—”

A few sharp intakes of breath echoed in the office, making a negligible contribution to global warming on Blue Star.

The Martial Way was long and arduous. The Body Tempering Realm alone stumped a great many people. The gap between Body Tempering and Blood Coagulation was vast, with many Martial Artists stuck at Body Tempering Perfection, unable to advance further and relying only on extensive time to accumulate progress.

The earlier one Awakened, the greater the advantage. The human body held infinite mysteries. Around the age of eighteen, a certain physical shackle would be broken, allowing one to soar thereafter.

Those who Awakened before eighteen were Talents; after eighteen, the hope of Awakening became slim, and they were known as Aperture Openers.

Before Awakening one’s Talent, progress in Realms was extremely slow. This was why countless people scratched their heads, desperate to Awaken their Talents early.

Awaken early, Breakthrough early, get into a good university, obtain cultivation resources, become a powerhouse—forming a perfect ecosystem.

Ai Ning awakened his Talent at the age of fifteen, a genius among geniuses, and even in a major city he would be considered a standout figure.

“By the way, my student recently went to the Martial Artist Tower to verify his Talent, and his test Rank is A.”

Liu Hairen’s casual remark made everyone present unable to sit still any longer.

The other principals’ gazes shifted from envy to jealousy.

Shen Donglin, however, felt somewhat disinterested, wondering if coming here had been a mistake.

But then he remembered this was just a small city, and he shouldn’t judge these students by the standards of prodigies from major cities. So he nodded to Liu Hairen as a gesture of acknowledgment.

Liu Hairen felt as though he had achieved a life-defining moment of transcendence.

Three years! A full three years!

Why had Linjiang First High School harbored such a genius without widely publicizing it?

It was all for today!

Why had he let go of Jiang Yan, an Aperture Opener? Under normal circumstances, he would have shamelessly tried to keep Jiang Yan, but now it was different. With a genius like Ai Ning, his mind was already soaring elsewhere.

An Aperture Opener? Sorry, never heard of him.