《Monster Logger》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Shocking! The Ancient Barbarians have appeared and declared that they want to reclaim the glory of the former warring tribes!¡± ¡°Strange! A descendant of the sun appeared at a pancake and fruit stall in Nanming City!¡± ¡°Amazing! A clinic in Shunchang City is treating all kinds of illnesses. It¡¯s suspected that the successor of a divine doctor has come out of seclusion!¡± ¡°How terrifying!¡± In a classroom, a student was fiddling with his phone by the window. His fingers swiped the screen of his phone skillfully as news messages flashed past. ¡°It¡¯s all old news. Change to a more exaggerated title and it¡¯ll be hyped up again. Do these people really have nothing to write about?¡± Although Qin Ming muttered this, his fingers were still mechanically swiping the screen, wanting to find something interesting. At this moment, a small pop-up window suddenly appeared on the screen. ¡°You have a new message!¡± He casually opened the window. ¡°Dear XX user, congratulations on winning the lucky draw. Click to redeem your prize!¡± Qin Ming¡¯s face was expressionless and he did not get excited at all. He received three to five such emails about lucky prizes every day. Don¡¯t ask him how he got hit with them. He had been so lucky all his life. He planned to throw this email into the trash. He had also dealt with previous emails about grand prizes in this simple and clean manner. This time was no exception. Don¡¯t question. If I do, I¡¯m treating money like dirt. His nimble fingers shook as he clicked on the email link. ¡°System loading, please wait a moment.¡± Qin Ming looked at the screen that had suddenly turned dark and thought to himself that something strange might pop up. The cursor kept spinning, showing that the system was still loading. Five to six seconds later, the loading ended and a few simple words in golden font popped up. ¡°Monster login device¡±. Is it a mobile game link? Qin Ming was not surprised by this. He did not think that this was a lucky prize. Getting a mobile game link was not too bad. If something shameful accompanied by sound popped up, he would not be able to explain himself to his teacher. He tapped twice and was about to close the mobile game when his phone did not respond. No way. It crashed? Qin Ming finally could not maintain his composure as a joyful mythical beast flashed on his screen. Crack! Just as he was about to forcefully turn off the phone, a crack appeared in the middle of the screen. Before he could react, a beam of light suddenly shot out from the crack in the screen and entered his eyes. Buzz! Qin Ming felt his head sink and he lost consciousness the next moment. ¡­ When he regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was heat. His body felt extremely hot, as if it was being roasted on a grill. An extremely primitive memory surged in his mind. It was a unique memory that did not belong to him. The content in his memory was very simple. Foraging, eating, following the group, fighting, and resting. It went on for three years. I actually became an ant! After receiving this memory, Qin Ming was stunned. I was still playing with his phone in class a moment ago, but the next moment, I became an ant? Am I dreaming? This was Qin Ming¡¯s second reaction. However, that primitive memory was so real and detailed, and so was the heat in his body. These seemed to be telling him that dreams could not do this. Did I transmigrate? Or did I awaken something strange? Recalling the beam of light from the cracked phone screen, his human memory was interrupted here. Is it that beam of light? Lucky prize? Monster login device? Countless questions flashed through his mind. Although he had not completely sorted out his thoughts, he had already realized that his ordinary life seemed to have taken an awkward turn. The burning sensation was gradually becoming unbearable, and his body seemed to be getting burned. He opened his eyes immediately. Yes, although he had become an ant, he also had eyes that could see. Don¡¯t ask why. He himself did not understand what was going on. The sunlight was quite dazzling. After he got used to it, he realized that he was in a boundless yellow desert. The fireball hanging above his head was several times larger than the sun in the real world. He turned his head slightly. Beside him was a huge rock. A group of yellow and red-spotted ants were gathered in the shadow under the rock to avoid the scorching sun. He was the only one who was exposed to the fireball. In his memory, these ants with the yellow and red spots were the race he had been following previously. Ardent Sand Ants was the name of their race. They were not ordinary ants. From his memories, he could tell that this group of ants did not simply rely on their instincts. They had a certain level of intelligence, especially the leader of the group, the largest Ardent Sand Ant. It was the leader of the group and made the top-level decisions. Its intelligence was higher than the average Ardent Sand Ant. For comparison, ordinary Sand Ants were about the size of a human thumb. The leader was almost the size of a fist. Unable to withstand the high temperature, Qin Ming immediately moved his body. He had inherited the memories of this Ardent Sand Ant, so it was not difficult for him to control his body. He crawled under the rock while panting. The approaching Sand Ants only glanced at him before ignoring him. It¡¯s comfortable¡­ Hiding from the sun, Qin Ming felt a little satisfied. At least he did not die from the heat. According to past experience, they would start moving when the sun set to prevent themselves from dying from the heat. In other words, he would have to stay under this rock for a few hours, just like the other Sand Ants. It gave him time to organize its thoughts. At this moment, a translucent interface suddenly popped up in front of him. [Monster Login Device, welcome!] [Current login time is three days.] [Mission 1: Survive for three days.] [Mission 2: Get along well with the Ardent Sand Ants.] [Mission 3: Obtain the submission of all the Ardent Sand Ants and become the new leader of the Ardent Sand Ants.] [Remarks: Completing the mission will increase the final reward score. Failure will reduce the final reward score.] Scanning the contents of the interface, he was completely certain that this was the doing of that f*cking stupid game! Why did I click on that link! Sizzle¡­ A few Ardent Sand Ants at the side were alarmed. They watched as their companion, who had just crawled in, suddenly gestured wildly and shouted as if he was having a seizure. The leader of the Ardent Sand Ants at the front turned around and glanced at the troublesome Qin Ming before crawling over. Its long antennae wrapped around Qin Ming nimbly. ¡°Hey, Boss, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding¡­¡± Qin Ming realized that he had been pulled up by the antenna and immediately explained himself. However, the leader of the Ardent Sand Ants ignored him. He dragged Qin Ming, who was in the air, to the empty space at the front and placed him beside himself. It did not do anything to Qin Ming. Instead, it used its antennae to comfort him very gently. Seeing that he was fine, Qin Ming heaved a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that this leader would do something to him. He immediately lay down beside the leader and stopped messing around. The interface that appeared earlier had disappeared, but when he wanted to find it again, it popped up. The login time is three days. Does that mean I can go back in three days? Qin Ming felt that that should be the case. As for the three missions, it was written that success would affect the final reward score, but there was no other punishment. In other words, it did not matter if he did not complete them. It was just that the reward score would be lower. Compared to those crazy systems that easily erased the user¡¯s score, his login device clearly paid more attention to user experience. Another question worthy of his attention was, where exactly was he? An alternate world? Or is this the game world itself? He was not sure for the time being, but he was more inclined to think that this was a real alternate world and not a virtual game world. After all, be it this desert, this group of Sand Ants, or the primitive memory he had received, every detail was extremely real. He could not treat this as an illusion. For the time being, he determined that this was a different world. He decided to survive for three days first. After three days, he would see what the outcome was and whether he could return to his original world as he had thought. Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He continued to size up this translucent interface and realized that there was another page. With a thought, the interface flipped to another page. This was quite convenient. Name: Qin Ming Monster: Ardent Sand Ant Combat Strength Rating: Level One inferior-grade Growth Potential: Level One superior-grade This was the rating of the Ardent Sand Ant that Qin Ming had possessed. It had to be said that even though he had become a monster ant, he was still very small in terms of size. A Level One inferior-grade combat power score was enough to explain the problem. Qin Ming suspected that this was the lowest combat strength evaluation. And his growth potential was only at Level One superior-grade, which was probably not high. He glanced at the leader of the Ardent Sand Ants beside him and realized that he could also see the rating of this leader on the interface. Name: None Monster: Ardent Sand Ant Leader Combat Strength Rating: Level One middle-grade Growth Potential: Level One superior-grade In terms of combat strength, the Ardent Sand Ant Leader was a level higher than him. Of course, this could be seen from its size. In fact, it should be strong enough to crush him. As for their growth potential, they were both at Level One superior grade. He looked at the other Ardent Sand Ants and realized that all of them had Level One inferior-grade combat scores like him. A small number of them had Level One inferior-grade potential, and most of them were at Level One. There were only one or two with Level One superior-grade potential. In Qin Ming¡¯s opinion, the Ardent Sand Ant was a Level One monster, the lowest level. As for whether there were any in this race who had broken through the first level, he had no way of knowing. He lay on the ground and waited quietly for the sun to set. Several hours later, when the sunlight became less scorching, the leader of the Ardent Sand Ant beside him let out a cry. The group of Ardent Sand Ants behind it immediately moved. The leader of the Ardent Sand Ants led the way, and the ants behind it immediately followed. Qin Ming walked out of the shadow of the rocks. In this endless desert, they appeared very puny. Qin Ming read his memories and knew that this was an endless journey. In the past three years, their group had been running around and moving in a direction with difficulty. This was something that could not be helped. In the desert, they needed to find an oasis that they could rely on to survive and use it as their nest to reproduce and expand. However, this desert was too huge. After three years of searching, they still could not find any traces of an oasis. What a difficult journey¡­ Qin Ming thought to himself as he followed. When the sun had completely set, night fell on this desert. The heat of the day was quickly swept away, replaced by bone-chilling cold. A cold wind blew, swirling a large patch of yellow sand. The ant colony crawled out of the piled-up sand stubbornly and continued forward. They stopped when they found a large cactus. The Ardent Sand Ants clung to the surface of the cactus and began to gnaw. Soon the poor cactus was riddled with holes. Qin Ming followed suit and took two bites. The cactus was crispy and contained a lot of water. As for the taste, he could not tell anyway, so he couldn¡¯t care less. These teeth are quite sharp, Qin Ming thought. Apart from being covered in spikes, the surface of this cactus was also very hard. It was all thanks to his sharp teeth that he could easily chew through the surface. After a full meal, the ants continued to set off. Night was the best time to move forward. They naturally would not miss it. He looked up slightly. In the night sky, the stars were abnormally bright, so much so that under the starlight, the desert night did not seem so dark. Some silver light shone down and imprinted itself on the yellow sand, creating a strange sense of beauty. They traveled like this for the entire night. When the sun rose the next day, the surrounding scenery was still endless yellow sand. Because of his small size, Qin Ming¡¯s vision was rather limited, and he could not see far at all. When the air became hot again, the ants found the next rock and took a break. The second day after becoming an anta€| Qin Ming lay under a shadow. His front limbs pulled at the sand twice, forming a comfortable pit. He looked at the leader who was resting in front of him. The third mission on the interface was to become the next leader of the ants and make all the Ardent Sand Ants submit to him. He had no idea what to do with this mission. In fact, what he was most concerned about now was not whether this mission could be completed, but whether he could successfully return to his original world tomorrow. Just as he was thinking about this in boredom, there was a rustling sound from the top of the rock, and a few pieces of gravel fell down. Huh? Qin Ming immediately stood up and looked at the edge of the rock. A huge creature suddenly fell from the top of the rock. It had a hideous mouthpart and a black shell that was as hard as metal, and its long tail with barbs was held high. Holy sh*t! It was a scorpion, a black scorpion the size of a washbasin. From Qin Ming¡¯s point of view, it was a huge and terrifying monster. It was as if it had seen a nest of food. In the desert, food and water were the most precious. In the eyes of this scorpion, they were the best rations. Sizzle! The leader of the Ardent Sand Ant let out a warning hiss at the scorpion. The leader was considered super-large among the Ardent Sand Ants, but compared to this scorpion, it was still a small thing. Qin Ming thought that they would choose to retreat and escape as if they had seen their natural enemy, but he did not expect all the Sand Ants to stand on the spot and warn the scorpion. They were going to war! Are they that fierce? Qin Ming thought. Name: None Spirit: Black Steel Scorpion Combat Strength Rating: Level One superior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two middle-grade In terms of combat power, this Black Steel Scorpion was definitely stronger than a group of Ardent Sand Ants like them. Naturally, it would not let go of this group of rations. It stretched out its large pincers and dug under the rock. Several Ardent Sand Ants were immediately flattened. At the same time, under the direction of the leader, the ants swarmed and crawled towards the scorpion, wanting to eat it instead. Qin Ming was not sure what would happen if he died in this alternate world, so he did not dare to rush over. He lingered around the periphery. However, the hiss of the leader of the Sand Ants made his blood boil instantly, as if he had entered a certain state. A strange power that he had never felt before surged in his body. F*ck! He nimbly raised his limbs and circled to the back of the scorpion, climbing up his black shell. He opened his mouth and bit down. Ka! It could only be said that he was worthy of the name of Black Steel. His sharp teeth could not bite through the shell. The other Ardent Sand Ants could not bite through this layer of shell and could not cause any effective damage. After regaining some rationality, Qin Ming immediately climbed down from his back. In just a short while, many Sand Ants had already been eaten by the Black Steel Scorpion. He carefully circled to the scorpion¡¯s abdomen. This was not a black shell, but a layer of soft gray armor. Feeling that it was a good place to sink his teeth, he immediately bit down. A small piece of soft armor was torn off, and green fluid flowed out. Sizzle! Seeing that he could cause damage, Qin Ming immediately called his friends over. Those Ardent Sand Ants could understand the meaning of Qin Ming¡¯s cries. They crawled to the scorpion¡¯s abdomen and bit it one by one. Immediately, the scorpion went completely crazy and began to roll on the sand. Unfortunately, Qin Ming¡¯s legs were broken and he was thrown out. He lay there and moved much slower. Fortunately, the scorpion began to spray green fluid and was seriously injured. Some of the Ardent Sand Ants even burrowed into the scorpion¡¯s stomach and bit it. A few minutes later, the scorpion stopped moving. It had been bitten to death by the Ardent Sand Ants. There was strength in numbers. Although this Black Steel Scorpion was strong, it could not withstand the bite of nearly a hundred Ardent Sand Ants. Of course, many Sand Ants had died too. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With a few broken legs, Qin Ming¡¯s mobility became very difficult. However, he still slowly moved to the side of the dead scorpion¡¯s carcass and began to eat it like the other Sand Ants. He only stopped when he could no longer eat. A group of Ardent Sand Ants dismembered the remaining scorpion carcass and moved the parts under the rock. After eating the scorpion meat, Qin Ming felt his body gradually heat up, and his broken legs gradually regained some feeling. He was not surprised by this. From his past memories, he knew that as the lowest-level monster, the Ardent Sand Ant could achieve varying degrees of improvement or even evolution by devouring the flesh and blood of most other monsters. The current leader of the Ardent Sand Ants was only an ordinary Ardent Sand Ant two years ago. It only became the new leader of this group because it had evolved after devouring a large amount of monster flesh not long after the death of the previous leader . Just as Qin Ming was digesting the scorpion meat he had swallowed, there was some movement in the sand not far away. In the next moment, another Black Steel Scorpion emerged from the sand and charged towards the ants. Meanwhile, the Ardent Sand Ants¡¯ desire to fight was unexpectedly strong. They did not have the slightest awareness of being inferior-level monsters. The battle resumed. Qin Ming had broken a few legs. Although he had regained some feeling, he could not move nimbly for the time being. Therefore, when he saw that these Ardent Sand Ants already knew how to attack the soft shell on the scorpion¡¯s abdomen, he did not intend to attack anymore. But at this moment, there was a sudden movement in the sand under the rock. Before he could react, a Black Steel Scorpion crawled out of the sand. It grabbed Qin Ming, who could not move in time, and threw him into its mouth. He felt his vision go dark and there was nothing else. ¡­ ¡°Qin Ming, Qin Ming¡­¡± When he opened his eyes in a daze, what he saw was no longer that terrifying mouth filled with mucus. He could see the corner of the table below and the cracked phone that had fallen onto the floor. He could hear the soft call of his deskmate. Qin Ming touched his forehead as he stood up. Seeing this, Han Qingqing could not help but blink and ask, ¡°Are you alright, deskmate? You seemed to be in a deep sleep. I couldn¡¯t wake you up no matter how hard I tried.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m alright,¡± Qin Ming replied after sorting out his thoughts. He picked up his phone from the floor. After the screen cracked, the phone was completely useless. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I only wanted to wake you up because I saw your phone drop. Fortunately, the teacher didn¡¯t hear anything. Otherwise, you would be in trouble,¡± Han Qingqing reminded him softly. Qin Ming looked at the podium. A white-haired teacher was slowly explaining the topic. It was still that history lesson. He looked at the clock on the wall. The minute hand had only moved by about five minutes. In other words, only about five minutes had passed since he became an ant in that alternate world. With a thought, he silently called up the interface. The translucent interface really popped up in front of him. He tried his best to maintain a calm expression as he glanced at his female deskmate. Seeing that she did not have any reaction, he knew that only he could see this pop-up window. No one else, including the monsters in the other world, could sense the existence of this pop-up window interface. [Reward settlement: Basic score is F+.] [Mission 1: Survive for three days. Mission failed.] [Lower the reward score to F- grade.] [Mission 2: Get along well with the Ardent Sand Ants. Mission accomplished.] [Raise the reward score to F+ grade.] [Mission 3: Obtain the submission of all the Ardent Sand Ants and become the new leader of the Ardent Sand Ants. Mission failed.] [Lower the reward score to F- grade.] [The final reward is F- grade.] [Reward 1: Possess 2% of the life essence of a monster.] [Reward 2: Constitution of an Ant.] [Do you want to receive them?] Qin Ming did not receive his rewards immediately. After all, he was not sure what would happen to him after receiving them. He planned to think about it after school. ¡°Students, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not unfamiliar with the three special professions now. Great Martial Artist, Spirit Nurturing Master, and Weapon Spirit Warrior. Among them, the martial artists have the longest history. The profession has been around for more than a hundred years. Next is the Spirit Nurturing Master. It has a history of more than 60 years. Only the last profession, Weapon Spirit Warrior, is a product of this new era. It has only been less than 20 years since it emerged. Although these three special professions have different systems and philosophies, we can still refer to the people in these three professions as cultivators. They are the most popular professions at the moment and are valued by various countries in the world. If any of you becomes a cultivator in the future, it will be our school¡¯s honor¡­¡± The bell rang. ¡°It¡¯s finally over. Old Man Xu¡¯s history lesson is really torturous. I fell asleep after listening to him for three minutes.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s much more effective than ordinary sleeping pills.¡± ¡°Do you think Old Man Xu¡¯s hypnosis ability is that powerful? Could he be a secret Spirit Nurturing Master?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. How can the old man be a Spirit Nurturing Master? Which Spirit Nurturing Master would teach in a high school?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next class?¡± ¡°The form teacher¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Qin Ming, what happened to your phone?¡± Ma Zhiwen, who was sitting in front, happened to see Qin Ming fiddling with his lousy phone and could not help but ask. ¡°I accidentally broke it.¡± After confirming that the phone was hopeless, Qin Ming shook his head and put it away. It seemed that he would have to buy another one in two days. He wondered if the Kidney 19 model was user-friendly¡­ ¡°Did you see the news last night?¡± Seeing that the form teacher had not arrived, Ma Zhiwen turned around and continued chatting with Qin Ming. ¡°What news?¡± Qin Ming asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? There was a huge explosion at a chemical plant in the North Street District last night. I heard that many people died,¡± Ma Zhiwen said with a surprised expression. After all, this matter had already caused an uproar, and the news had long spread like wildfire. ¡°I heard about it too. It¡¯s said that that area has been burned to the ground. There¡¯s nothing left. The pictures posted online are simply too scary. Fortunately, that¡¯s not a residential area. Otherwise, more people would have died.¡± Han Qingqing continued. Clearly, she had also seen the news. Qin Ming scratched his head. He had not paid attention to this matter last night. ¡°The chemical plant had never exploded before. Why did such an accident suddenly happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are many rumors online, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re credible.¡± Han Qingqing shook her head and took out her phone to let Qin Ming read the explosion news she had seen before. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really scary.¡± Qin Ming flipped through a few photos that were taken from a distance. The fire had spread across a large area, and the flames lit up the night as if it was daytime. ¡°Now everyone is worried that the energy pollution from that chemical plant will continue to spread to the residential area and affect the air quality.¡± Han Qingqing was quite concerned about this matter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I learned from my father that after the chemical plant exploded, not much of the energy was leaked. As long as that area is sealed off, it won¡¯t affect other places,¡± Ma Zhiwen assured them. The rumors online were not trustworthy. His father was a rather famous entrepreneur in the city, so he knew some inside information that others did not. In this era, a successful entrepreneur was still quite powerful. When the bell rang, they stopped discussing. A middle-aged man hurried into the classroom. ¡°Students, the college admission season is imminent. Don¡¯t get distracted by other things in the outside world, understand?¡± Zhang Yu stood on the podium and reminded them.¡± Clearly, he knew that the explosion last night would distract his students. ¡°Especially those students who are aiming for the Martial Academy. Don¡¯t screw up at the last minute.¡± After the form teacher repeatedly reminded them, he began the day¡¯s class. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the first martial artist appeared in front of everyone, the ability he displayed was almost omnipotent. He could split mountains and shatter rocks. He was invulnerable to swords and spears. With the appearance of a creature with such combat power, the military naturally would not sit back and do nothing. However, bullets, mortars, and other firearms could not threaten this martial artist. Even when they got the best sniper to shoot from two kilometers away, that martial artist always dodged the bullets in time. When the martial artist shattered several tanks with his bare hands and sank a few battleships, the world was shaken. Superman, mutant, superhuman, Saiyan, Ultraman¡­ At first, people addressed martial artists in a variety of ways. After this martial artist was exposed, people could not help but wonder if there were other martial artists hiding among them. When this became a concern with every country, the truth gradually surfaced. There was indeed such a group of martial artists in the world who had been hiding in the cities. The powerful martial artists were capable of feats like cruising the skies and overturning the rivers and lakes. As for the weaker martial artists, their power was less overwhelming, but their physique was much stronger than ordinary people. When martial artists went from the dark side to the light, regardless of whether various powerful nations were willing or not, the era had already begun to drift toward another trajectory. There was friction and conflict during this period, but this was a collision of the old and new eras in the course of events. After that, martial arts became popular. After a relatively tumultuous period, new rules were born out of the chaos. The martial cultivation era officially dawned. One by one, talented people began to stand out and blossom in their respective eras. With the rise of the Martial Dao, some mighty figures were not satisfied with a single cultivation path. Therefore, the cultivation systems of Spirit Nurturing Masters and Weapon Spirit Warriors were set up. In Qin Ming¡¯s current era, these were the three major cultivation systems. The cultivation era was neither good nor bad. The people in it were powerless to stop the wheels of history from moving forward, nor could they change anything. They could only drift along like fish in the rivers and seas. The last class ended. ¡°See you tomorrow then.¡± ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± After saying goodbye to a few classmates, Qin Ming left the classroom and prepared to return to his residence. The No. 1 Experimental Middle School he attended was the best middle school in Shanze City. Although he played with his phone in class, his cultural class grades had always been tops among his peers in school since he was young. He had gotten into this middle school purely based on his ability. His parents lived in a small town on the outskirts of Shanze City. In order to go to school, he had to rent a place near the school. Don¡¯t ask him why this high school didn¡¯t have a student dormitory. He had wanted to know three years ago. Fortunately, the rent around the school was not too expensive. There were student accommodations for rent, which was economical for him. Qin Ming rented a place there. As he walked towards his residence, he looked at the translucent interface in front of him. He was mainly looking at the rewards he had obtained after becoming an Ardent Sand Ant. The first reward was 2% of the life essence of a monster. The so-called monster possession should be referring to his Ardent Sand Ant. As for what the 2% of life essence was, he did not know. From the literal meaning, the essence of life should be a good thing. Otherwise, it would not be used as a reward. However, 2% was not a lot. It should be of average value.ant He was more concerned about the second reward, ant constitution. Ordinary Sand Ants could lift heavy objects that were dozens or hundreds of times their weight. However, if this power was added to Qin Ming, it would probably not be that powerful. After all, the physical makeup of a human was completely different from that of an Ardent Sand Ant. It was not realistic to do a conversion for comparison. Of course, this was all Qin Ming¡¯s own speculation. As for what this reward was, he would only know after he received it. In addition, he also discovered that this interface was different from when he was still an Ardent Sand Ant. A few characters on the monster login device were now grayed out. If one observed carefully, one would notice that the word ¡°essence¡± had a golden glow to it. Regarding this, Qin Ming guessed that after this line of words completely returned to its previous glistening gold color, he would be able to enter that other world again and transform into a monster. Before that, this login device was in a cooling off period. ¡°It even has a built-in anti-addiction system¡­¡± Qin Ming muttered to himself. Of course, it was more likely that the login device needed to recover the energy it had consumed to travel to the other world. ¡­ The sun was setting in the west, illuminating the sky with hues of faint yellow. There was a river between Qin Ming¡¯s residence and the school, and a few stone bridges connected both sides. At this moment, a girl was standing on a stone bridge. She was wearing light yellow slim-fit sportswear. She had short black hair and looked youthful and full of vitality. When she saw Qin Ming approaching from afar, the girl¡¯s eyes lit up as if she had seen hope. ¡°Um, how are you?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, and a bright smile appeared on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Ming had been studying the interface in front of him and did not notice anyone approaching. ¡°Can I borrow your phone?¡± the girl said. Qin Ming was stunned. This cute little girl in front of him did not look like a scammer. From her childish face, the girl should be a year or two younger than Qin Ming. If it were any other time, Qin Ming, who was determined to be a gentleman, would have lent her his phone. Unfortunately, his phone was in a useless state now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my phone happened to be broken too. If you want to make a call, I might not be able to help you.¡± As Qin Ming spoke, he took out his phone corpse that was almost split into two, indicating that he could not help. ¡°Alright, sorry to disturb you.¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s dejected expression, Qin Ming felt guilty for no reason. It was as if he had accidentally made his relative¡¯s child cry. ¡°I have an outdated phone at home. If it¡¯s just a call, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± With that, the girl, who was about to leave, turned around again. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Come with me. It¡¯s right in front.¡± Qin Ming led the way. ¡°You¡¯re such a good person.¡± Unguarded and innocent, the girl followed him with a smile. On the way, they got to know each other. The girl¡¯s name was Gu Tao. She came here from Gulan City yesterday. Unfortunately, she had fallen asleep on the long-distance bus. After getting out of the bus, she realized that her wallet and phone were gone. Before meeting Qin Ming, she had tried to borrow phones from other passers-by, but she was basically given the brush-off because they were in a hurry. As a result, before she approached Qin Ming, she struggled internally for a long time, afraid that she would be rejected again. ¡°So you haven¡¯t eaten since yesterday?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Sleeping on the streets?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Gu Tao looked a little aggrieved, as if she had never experienced such a thing. ¡°Then why not ask the police for help?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find the police station¡­¡± Qin Ming scratched his head helplessly and walked to a vegetable stall by the street. ¡°Uncle, some vegetables and radishes. Auntie, cut a piece of pork rib. I want more this time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He carried a few bags of ingredients and walked towards his residence with the cute girl. Along the way, he attracted the attention of many people. ¡°Niu Niu, if you dare to fall in love in high school, watch how I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± A mother who was passing by pointed at Qin Ming and the girl¡¯s backs as a negative example and began educating her daughter. Qin Ming vaguely heard that mother¡¯s voice behind him and was speechless. How stereotyped. Does a girl you bring home have to be your girlfriend? Can¡¯t you be a kind person doing a good deed? He glanced at the girl beside him. She was touching her stomach with a distressed expression. It seemed that she was really hungry. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can have a meal at my place. I¡¯m about to make dinner too,¡± Qin Ming said. ¡°Really!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up again. ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Ming nodded. It was just an additional bowl of rice. At least, that was what he thought now. With Qin Ming¡¯s nod, the girl immediately became excited. The changes in her emotions were all evident. He had to admit that she was a very predictable girl. Qin Ming lived on the third floor. There was a room and a living room in his apartment. Although it was not spacious, all the necessary furnishings were available. After entering, he found the phone that he had discarded previously, inserted his SIM card, and handed it to the girl. ¡°You use it first. I¡¯m going to cook,¡± Qin Ming said as he turned around and walked into the small kitchen connected to the living room. He was not living with his parents. In the past three years, Qin Ming had been cooking for himself most of the time, so he was more adept at it now. Gu Tao took the phone and hurriedly thanked him before dialing a number. ¡°Hello, Dad, it¡¯s me¡­ Yes, yes. I lost my wallet and phone. I¡¯m using someone else¡¯s phone now. He¡¯s a kind person. Not only did he lend me his phone, but he also cooked for me. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m at his house now. Oh, it¡¯s a boy. He should be around my age. What? There¡¯s no need to send anyone. I can go back myself. I¡¯m already 16 years old¡­¡± As Qin Ming cooked, he pricked his ears. Although he could not hear the voice on the other end of the phone, the girl seemed to be explaining something anxiously. ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I can definitely handle it.¡± The call went on for ten minutes. Then the girl came over and patted Qin Ming¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°No, um, my father wants to talk to you¡­¡± Gu Tao said awkwardly. Qin Ming understood after thinking about it carefully. After all, his daughter had lost her phone and wallet in another city. It was no wonder that her parents were anxious when she suddenly said that she was in a stranger¡¯s apartment. ¡°Hello, hello.¡± When the person on the other end of the line heard Qin Ming¡¯s voice, he fell silent for a moment before his strong voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯m her father. Thank you very much for helping my rash daughter. I¡¯ll get her brother to pick her up as soon as possible. In the meantime, can I trouble you to take care of her?¡± Fortunately, this girl¡¯s father was reasonable and did not say anything extreme. Qin Ming glanced at the girl beside him. The girl was staring at the stew in the pot with glowing eyes. She opened her mouth slightly as if she was absorbing the fragrance of the meat in the air. She no longer looked embarrassed. Compared to her father on the other end of the phone, this pot of stew seemed to be more attractive to her. ¡°Yes, no problem.¡± Qin Ming agreed without much thought. Since someone was already on the way to pick up the girl, it was fine for him to let her stay for a while longer. After that, the two of them chatted for a while. Most of the time, it was the girl¡¯s father thanking Qin Ming. However, Qin Ming noticed that while this father was thanking him, he was also trying to find out more about him. Although he said that he was not worried, her father was still worried. He just did not express it. Qin Ming also learned from this father that the girl had sneaked out of the house. It was the first time she had wandered far from home. He could not tell that such a cute girl was also a brat. He told her father what he could and consciously avoided what he could not tell him. After all, the other party was someone with an unknown background to him. He could not possibly tell him everything about himself. The call only ended when the girl¡¯s father realized that he could not get anything out of him. It doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary family¡­ Qin Ming looked at his old phone and thought to himself. Through their conversation just now, he sensed that the other party did not seem like an ordinary person in terms of his manner of speech. Just a few minutes of conversation made him feel a little pressured. The girl sensed that his call was over and immediately pointed at the stew in front of her. ¡°Can we have this pot of soup now?¡± She looked like a glutton in her impatience. ¡°Another half an hour¡­¡± Qin Ming said casually and continued to prepare the other dishes. Meanwhile, the girl seemed to be very interested in his cooking. She leaned on the dining table at the side and watched him cook. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Gu Tao¡ªit means peach.¡± The girl gave her name without hesitation. ¡°Your name is Qin Ming, right? I heard you talking to Dad just now,¡± Gu Tao said. ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of them knew each other now. ¡°May I ask who your father is¡­¡± Qin Ming could not help but ask. ¡°My father is an instructor in Gulan Academy.¡± Gu Tao divulged information about her father without much thought. An instructor from Gulan Academy? No wonder¡­ Qin Ming thought. Although Gu Tao made it sound casual, the faculty of Gulan Academy were not ordinary instructors. As the number one academy in the Southeast Province, Gulan Academy had been established for more than 50 years. Its quality of teaching was excellent, and its faculty were top-notch talents in their fields. There were countless geniuses who graduated from this academy, and some had even become famous big shots. As a result, the prestige of Gulan Academy was well-known in the entire country. To Qin Ming, who was about to graduate from high school, it was the college that he wanted to enter the most. Unfortunately, admission to Gulan Academy was highly competitive every year. There were too many people who wanted to enter. Although Qin Ming¡¯s cultural class grade was not bad at the school level, his achievement was considered mediocre at the provincial and national levels. It was virtually impossible to get into the humanities department of Gulan Academy. As for the three major cultivation departments, they had always been popular not only in Gulan Academy, but in all the colleges in the country. With the cultivation talent he had displayed today, it was impossible for him to enter even the cultivation department of most of the ordinary colleges. To put it bluntly, he was just an ordinary person without any cultivation talent. In the current martial arts era, one could obtain good achievements and social status in other professions through hard work and dedication. However, if one wanted to reach the pinnacle of one¡¯s life and pursue the essence of the world, one had to be a cultivator. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, it was impossible for Qin Ming not to be envious of those students who could enter a cultivation department. Who did not want to have power and strength, and shine in this era? The reality was, innate cultivation talent could not explain everything. Many students with similar talents to Qin Ming had large amounts of cultivation resources because of their good family background. As a result, not only did they enter a martial academy¡¯s cultivation department, but they could also successfully join the ranks of cultivators in the future. In any era, money was not omnipotent, but it was impossible to do anything without money. As long as a person¡¯s aptitude was not too poor, he could rely on cultivation resources to become a cultivator. He would be deficient in the academics but proficient in the martial arts. For someone like Qin Ming, who came from an ordinary family, his parents naturally could not fork out much money to help him become a cultivator. Therefore, when he realized this, he did not complain to his parents. Instead, he silently gave up on the unrealistic idea of getting into a martial academy¡¯s cultivation department. At home, he never mentioned cultivation resources. Even if his parents asked about his college application, he would only smile and say that it was impossible for him to enter a martial academy with his qualifications. He did not want to put more pressure on his parents to the point of making them feel guilty. He was a child of an ordinary family and should live an ordinary life. That was what he had always thought during his three years in high school. Until today, when the appearance of the monster login device caused ripples in his placid heart. Smelling the aroma, Gu Tao¡¯s stomach could not help but growl. ¡°Qin Ming, is the food ready?¡± She lay her chin on the dining table like a puddle of mud and called out weakly. She had not eaten for almost two days and was starving. ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± Qin Ming said as he brought a few dishes to the dining table and scooped a bowl of rice for each of them. ¡°I¡¯m eating¡­¡± After the dishes were served, Gu Tao straightened her body as if it was a conditioned reflex. She stared without blinking at the few dishes that looked good. She was almost drooling. ¡°Okay, eat up.¡± After Qin Ming sat down, Gu Tao began to eat. She picked up a piece of pork rib and stuffed it into her mouth. Then a blissful expression appeared on her face. ¡°Delicious!¡± When a starving foodie finally ate a delicious meal, it was not too much to cry. Although Gu Tao did not cry, she had been thanking Qin Ming for this meal with her actions. With extraordinary speed, she quickly swept up the entire dining table. Although her mouth was not big, she could gobble food in big mouthfuls. Anyone who had cooked before knew that it was most satisfying to watch others eat one¡¯s food with relish. Qin Ming would have felt happy, but when the girl in front of him ate three large bowls of rice and all the dishes on the table, he had no other expression other than shock and disbelief. On the other hand, Gu Tao was squinting her eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Although I¡¯m not full, I have to say that your culinary skills are amazing!¡± Gu Tao first touched her still flat abdomen. She felt that it was a pity that she was only 70% full. Then she praised Qin Ming¡¯s culinary skills. Cold sweat broke out on Qin Ming¡¯s forehead. This girl is not full yet. ¡°Oh right, is there any more food?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± The girl¡¯s three large bowls were all super large. One bowl was equivalent to two regular bowls of rice. The food he had intended to keep for tomorrow was already consumed. ¡°Is that so? What a pity.¡± Hearing this, Gu Tao seemed to give up completely. ¡°Have you always had such a big appetite?¡± After the meal, although it was rude, Qin Ming could not help but ask. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that after becoming a cultivator, I usually need to replenish so much energy, so I eat more¡­¡± Gu Tao blushed and explained herself softly. ¡°You¡¯re already a cultivator?!¡± Qin Ming exclaimed. He would not know if he did not ask, but he was shocked to hear that the girl in front of him, who was one or two years younger than him, was actually a cultivator. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Weapon Spirit Warrior,¡± Gu Tao said as she opened her right hand, which radiated a ray of golden light. If Qin Ming were a martial artist, he would have sensed the intense energy fluctuations emanating from Gu Tao¡¯s body. However, he was only an ordinary student now, so he only felt a breeze on his face. In the next moment, a small three-legged cauldron suddenly condensed in Gu Tao¡¯s right palm. It was golden and emitted a faint halo. Under Gu Tao¡¯s control, the circular cauldron spun above her palm. Qin Ming took a closer look and realized that this Golden Cauldron was a little illusory. It was not a solid object. But even so, it was enough to shock him. Although he was not an Weapon Spirit Warrior, he was a student of the new era who had received an education. He had some knowledge about Weapon Spirit Warriors. Weapon Spirit Warrior, Spirit Nurturing Master, and Great Martial Artist were the three mainstream cultivation systems. Great Martial Artists were the first to emerge. They tempered their bodies and absorbed Qi to temper their bodies. Great martial artists could unleash immense power with a single punch and kick. It was not difficult for them to split mountains and overturn rivers. As for Spirit Nurturing Masters, they tempered their minds and completed the sublimation of their souls. Often, powerful Spirit Nurturing Masters could kill people invisibly and even toy with them. Although they did not have the terrifying physical body of a Great Martial Artist, the destructive power they could cause in battles was not inferior to that of Great Martial Artists. It could be said that a Great Martial Artist and a Spirit Nurturing Master were two completely different cultivation paths. As for the Weapon Spirit Warrior cultivation system that had risen rapidly in the past 20 years, it was actually a melding of the two cultivation systems, the Great Martial Artist and the Spirit Nurturing Master. According to Qin Ming¡¯s teacher, without the Great Martial Artist and Spirit Nurturing Master, there would be no Weapon Spirit Warrior. They were inextricably linked. The path of cultivation for a Weapon Spirit Warrior required both powerful physical strength and unique mental strength. It could be considered the best of both worlds. It sounded impressive and scary to young people who had just entered high school. Weapon Spirit Warriors were a novelty of this era. To young people, the profession was new and appealing. Many children dreamed of becoming Weapon Spirit Warriors. Even Little Qin Ming had such a dream. When he grew up and understood more, Qin Ming knew that there were only a few children who could become Weapon Spirit Warriors. Unfortunately, he was not one of them. In the cultivation system of the Weapon Spirit Warrior, the weapon was the focus. Refining a divine weapon, condensing its soul, and forging the Great Dao! The weapon was the key. The small golden cauldron in Gu Tao¡¯s hand was the artifact she had condensed. The reason why Qin Ming was shocked was that Gu Tao was not only a Weapon Spirit Warrior, but she had also forged a weapon. How old is she¡­ It had to be known that not every Weapon Spirit Warrior could forge their own weapon. It was definitely impossible for someone who had just become a Weapon Spirit Warrior. This also meant that the girl in front of Qin Ming was not as simple as a little cultivator who had just stepped onto the path of a Weapon Spirit Warrior. In terms of cultivation and strength, she was probably much stronger than he had imagined. If it were anyone else who was slightly older, Qin Ming would not be so surprised. The key was that Gu Tao was so young. To have such cultivation at such a young age, it was obvious that she was an extraordinary genius. When he thought of the father the girl had mentioned previously, he vaguely felt that he was not simply an instructor at Gulan Academy. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t my cauldron beautiful?¡± Gu Tao raised her head slightly and was a little smug, like a child showing off her toy. ¡°In the future, when it solidifies, I¡¯ll use it to cook ingredients. The food would be delicious¡­¡± To this little girl, the original intention of condensing this cauldron seemed to be to enjoy delicious food. ¡°So¡­ this is only a boiler?¡± Qin Ming was dumbfounded. He had thought that this cauldron would be a murderous weapon in the future. Who knew that Gu Tao¡¯s words did not seem to be what he thought. ¡°Not really, probably¡­¡± Gu Tao said uncertainly. ¡°Daddy is very satisfied with this cauldron.¡± ¡­ Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After chatting for a while, just as Qin Ming was about to clean up the mess on the table, the doorbell rang. He glanced at the girl and stood up to walk to the door. It was late at night, and no one would look for Qin Ming at this time. He guessed that someone was here to look for the girl. He opened the door and saw a dark-skinned man standing outside. The man was wearing a black leather jacket. The moment Qin Ming opened the door, his gaze immediately became extremely sharp. Only when he saw that the girl at the table was fine through the door crack did his gaze gradually soften. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Although he had expected this, Qin Ming asked. ¡°I¡¯m looking for my sister,¡± the man said. Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Tao looked toward the door. ¡°Brother!¡± Seeing this, Qin Ming did not say anything and moved to the side. ¡°Why are you here? Come back with me quickly. The old man is very worried about you,¡± the man said immediately when he saw Gu Tao walking out. His tone was slightly reproachful. As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Ming, who was at the side, as if he was sizing up the relationship between this boy and his sister. ¡°No, I know what mission you¡¯re going on this time. I want to go with you.¡± Gu Tao frowned and refused to go home. She had a motive for sneaking out. It was just that she was confused and felt a little awkward without her wallet and phone. ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. I won¡¯t agree to it.¡± The man rejected Gu Tao¡¯s suggestion without even thinking. ¡°That¡¯s why I sneaked out. Brother, I¡¯m already very powerful. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Gu Tao muttered softly at first. Then she stood her ground, looking very adamant. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when we get back.¡± Knowing that he could not persuade his sister for the time being, the man shook his head and looked at Qin Ming. ¡°I understood everything over the phone. My name is Gu Hong, and I¡¯m this girl¡¯s biological brother. May I know how to address you?¡± the man asked. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Qin Ming,¡± Qin Ming nodded and replied. ¡°This girl has been very muddle-headed since she was young. She is always losing her bearings. I¡¯m very grateful to you for helping her.¡± Gu Hong glanced at the dissatisfied Gu Tao and thanked him sincerely. ¡°Brother, who¡¯s being careless? This is just an accident.¡± Gu Tao pouted and explained herself softly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It was nothing.¡± Since he was so polite, Qin Ming naturally had to be polite. Gu Tao¡¯s cultivation level was not low, so her brother was most likely a cultivator as well. His cultivation level might be higher than Gu Tao¡¯s. He did not want to provoke such a person. Fortunately, after this man confirmed that his sister was fine, he showed that he was easy to get along with. After thanking him, he prepared to leave with Gu Tao. ¡°Then we¡¯ll meet again next time.¡± Gu Tao waved at Qin Ming and followed Gu Hong. Qin Ming shook his head. He did not think that they would have the chance to meet again. After all, the two of them were not in the same city, and their paths did not intersect. They walked out of the building. ¡°Brother, is Uncle Hai really here?¡± Gu Tao could not help but ask as she walked. ¡°Don¡¯t call him uncle anymore. He¡¯s a lunatic now.¡± Speaking of this person, Gu Hong¡¯s face darkened. ¡°But¡­¡± Gu Tao wanted to say something, but Gu Hong shoved her into the car. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when we get back. If the old man doesn¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll send you home no matter what,¡± Gu Hong said. On the other side, Qin Ming looked down from the balcony and watched the siblings get into the car before looking away. Even though he did not know much about the current luxury car market, he could tell at a glance that the car Gu Hong drove was definitely expensive. He shook his head. They were not from the same world. Who is Gu Hong? He seemed to be on a mission in Shanze City, and it seemed to be a dangerous mission. However, because he deliberately avoided Qin Ming, he did not elaborate when they talked about it just now. After confirming that they had left, he temporarily forgot about the siblings. He had more important things to do now. That was the rewards mentioned in the login device interface. He closed the door and windows and drew the curtains. He was not sure how the rewards would change him, but he decided to give it a try. After all, this monster login device had indeed allowed him to experience becoming an ant in another world. It proved that this login device had unique abilities and functions. [Reward 1: Receive 2% of the life essence of a possessed Sand Ant.] [Reward 2: Receive the constitution of an ant.] [Do you want to receive it?] ¡°Receive!¡± After returning to the bedroom, Qin Ming received the first reward. 2% of the Ardent Sand Ant¡¯s life essence. The next moment, the word ¡°reward¡± on the interface slowly dimmed until it disappeared. What followed was that Qin Ming¡¯s body gradually became hot. It felt like he had returned to the desert of another world. If a cultivator was beside Qin Ming at this moment, he would definitely be surprised to discover the surging energy fluctuations on Qin Ming¡¯s body. Although the energy fluctuations were not strong, it was a little strange for them to appear in an ordinary person. Fortunately, the fluctuations only lasted for less than 10 seconds before they stopped. At the same time, the heat in his body quickly calmed down. If there was any change, it was that the vitality in Qin Ming¡¯s body had become slightly stronger. Of course, Qin Ming could not sense such a small change. That¡¯s it? He felt that after the heat subsided, it was as if nothing had happened. He touched his body. It was still the same. Could it be that the life essence of the Ardent Sand Ant is so weak that it¡¯s useless to me? Qin Ming thought about it and felt that it was very likely. After all, even if the Ardent Sand Ant was a monster, it was only a monster on the bottom rung. The life essence it could give was definitely limited. Not to mention that it was only 2%. It would not have any effect on him. However, he was more or less relieved that he did not grow tentacles or other strange things. After all, he still wanted to be a normal person. Seeing that the effect of the first reward was minimal, Qin Ming¡¯s high spirits lowered slightly. Then he received the second reward. Ant Constitution. This reward should be slightly better than that Life Essence. Just as he was thinking this, the line of words on the interface gradually faded and disappeared. The next moment, he felt that heat in his body again. Unlike before, the heat this time was even more intense. It was as if a fireball had exploded in his body. Even his muscles and bones let out crisp sounds as if they had broken apart. Qin Ming had never experienced this burst of energy before. He thought that he was going to die and could not help but complain inwardly. This state of firecrackers going off lasted for a full minute before stopping. By this time, Qin Ming had already collapsed weakly on the floor. He was drenched in sweat. I¡¯m not dead, I¡¯m still alive¡­ Qin Ming lay motionless, only his chest kept rising and falling like an old smoking machine. Fortunately, although his entire body was aching unbearably, he still had his senses with him. His bones were not completely shattered. After resting for about an hour, the soreness subsided a little. He forced himself to get up and went to the bathroom to take a shower before lying on the bed and falling asleep. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When he woke up the next day, Qin Ming realized that the soreness from last night had alleviated a lot. Only the muscles in his limbs still hurt a little, but it was not unbearable. He carefully sensed the changes in his body. The first thing he discovered was that his strength had indeed improved significantly. It did not take much effort to move the big freezer in the kitchen. It had to be known that this freezer weighed at least 100 kilograms. Ordinary people could not lift it easily, let alone an ordinary high school student like him. His strength alone had more than doubled. The greatest change was in the strength of Qin Ming¡¯s limbs. Even his jumping power and explosive power had increased in varying degrees. This also proved that the ant¡¯s constitution he obtained yesterday had indeed strengthened his body. Although he did not seem like a real Sand Ant that could lift a heavy object a hundred times its weight, Qin Ming was already very satisfied. After all, the body structures of humans and ants were completely different, so the effects of this physique were naturally different. ¡°What an amazing thing!¡± After the test, Qin Ming muttered to himself. He was shocked by the various magical features of the monster login device. This is only an F-grade reward. If I can obtain a reward with a higher rating in the future, won¡¯t that be¡­ He looked at himself in the mirror. He had a head of black hair. Although his facial features were not particularly outstanding, when put together, he did not look annoying. Instead, he looked like a scholar. His body, which was not very strong at first, had become a little more robust. Clearly, it was one of the changes brought about by the ant constitution. His eyes were filled with joy. The hope in his heart that had long been hopeless gradually reignited after the magical performance of the monster login device. Perhaps I still have a chance of getting into a Martial Academy¡­ If one wanted to enter a Martial Academy¡¯s cultivation department, other than cultural class results, the most important thing was their own indicators. The size of his initial Qi Sea, his initial mental strength, the tempering of his muscles and bones, and so on. In the cultivation system of a Great Martial Artist, the first level was the Qi Sea Realm, also known as the Qi Refinement Realm. In fact, everyone had a closed Qi Sea in their bodies. As long as they opened this Qi Sea, they could embark on the path of cultivation. This was also the first key step in the cultivation of a Great Martial Artist. In the eyes of martial artists, the size of one¡¯s initial Qi Sea often determined one¡¯s future cultivation potential. Most people¡¯s initial Qi Sea was not big. An ordinary person¡¯s Qi Sea was the size of a soybean. In that case, those who were truly talented would basically have Qi Sea the size of a date. It might be several times or even dozens of times larger than ordinary people¡¯s Qi Sea. As for the students that the Martial Academy wanted to recruit, their Qi Seas had to be at least larger than ordinary people¡¯s. This was almost equivalent to the hard conditions. As for Spirit Nurturing Masters and Weapon Spirit Warriors, they were also better than ordinary people in terms of mental strength. According to the ratio, cultural classes accounted for 30% of the admission criteria of the various colleges, and the tempering of the muscles and bones accounted for 20%. As for the initial cultivation talent, it was either one¡¯s Qi Sea or mental strength. In fact, if one¡¯s cultivation talent was especially outstanding, one could even be specially recruited into a Martial Academy as long as the degree of tempering of one¡¯s muscles and bones was not too bad. It was obvious how much martial academies valued students with cultivation talents. It was not that there were no late-developer students who were not thought highly of when they were young but soared and became famous later on. However, that was an extremely small number after all. Most people still believed that the greater the initial potential, the further one could go in the path of cultivation in the future. At the thought of his Qi Sea, Qin Ming shook his head, and his eager heart gradually calmed down. Although his strength and various physical attributes had increased a lot, he was still an ordinary person when it came to his Qi Sea or mental strength. To get into a Martial Academy, one¡¯s physical fitness only accounted for 20%. Admission mainly depended on one¡¯s Qi Sea and mental strength. These two did not meet the requirements. There was still no possibility of him gaining admission. I wonder if this login device can expand my Qi Sea or mental strength, Qin Ming thought. After a simple breakfast, he prepared to go to school. When he passed by the stone bridge, he could not help but think of the siblings from last night. If he remembered correctly, their surname was Gu. He could check if there was an instructor with the surname Gu in Gulan Academy. After all, that girl could become a Weapon Spirit Warrior at such a young age. She should be quite famous in Gulan City. The instructor from Gulan Academy who had spoken to him on the phone had also left a deep impression on him. ¡­ At noon, in a large classroom in school, Qin Ming and his classmates gathered together. In the middle of the classroom, two large devices were placed neatly. The form teacher, Zhang Yu, stood beside the devices with a log sheet. ¡°Next, I¡¯ll call out the students¡¯ names for the test. Everyone, remember to calm down during the test. Don¡¯t be too nervous. This will affect the result of your mental test.¡± ¡°The first is Zhao Qiang.¡± A muscular student walked to the devices with a faint smile on his face. ¡°Is the first tester Zhao Qiang? I remember that the potential value of his Qi Sea was 85 the last time,¡± a student commented. ¡°It might be higher this time. After all, it has been a month since the last test.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zhao Qiang is moving up. With the Qi Sea value that this guy tested last time, he has a good chance of getting into a Martial Academy,¡± Ma Zhiwen said with a smile. Qin Ming glanced at the guy beside him. ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean that your own chance of getting into a Martial Academy is steady?¡± ¡°No, one has to be more humble. I can only say that there¡¯s a little hope, hehe.¡± Ma Zhiwen pretended to be humble. After sitting in the same class for three years, Qin Ming had some understanding of this guy and knew that he was probably feeling smug. However, he did have the right to be smug. In the previous Qi Sea test, Ma Zhiwen had measured a value of 97, the highest in the class. This was already quite a good result. Even in the entire grade level in school, he ranked among the top few. According to the admission situation in the past years, this fellow was indeed confident of entering a Martial Academy as Qin Ming had said. For students who were about to graduate, the school organized a round of physical assessments every month, hoping to unearth more students with potential to enter a Martial Academy. The two devices in this classroom tested the students¡¯ Qi Sea and mental strength. Everyone¡¯s initial Qi Sea¡¯s size and mental strength were not completely fixed. They would change according to the situation, either increasing or decreasing. For example, if a person suddenly fell seriously ill, his Qi Sea would definitely be much weaker. If his body was weak, his Qi Sea might also shrink greatly. On the contrary, if a person knew meditation techniques and persisted in tempering his mental strength every day, he would improve. His Qi Sea would expand with the strengthening of his physique. Of course, because it was a closed initial state, this expansion would be very limited. However, to those students who were aspiring to enter a Martial Academy, it was good enough to expand their Qi Sea a little. The more talented a student was, the more obvious the subsequent expansion of his Qi Sea. Some super geniuses could even expand their Qi Sea even when they were eating and drinking every day. As for ordinary people like Qin Ming, even if they persevered every day, the expansion of their Qi Sea was quite limited, and they might not even improve. He had no choice. The truth was infuriating. Sometimes hard work was useful, but sometimes it was useless. The key was where to channel his hard work and strife. Blind effort was useless. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°86 points for Qi Sea and 63 points for mental strength. Not bad, the value of the Qi Sea has increased a little compared to the last time.¡± Zhang Yu was quite satisfied with the results of Zhao Qiang¡¯s Qi Sea test. As for the mental strength value, he did not pay much attention to it. After all, Zhao Qiang was gunning for the Martial Arts Department and not the Spirit Nurturing Master Department. The mental strength value was not too important. ¡°Keep it up. Don¡¯t slack off before the college entrance examination,¡± Zhang Yu reminded him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Teacher.¡± Zhao Qiang nodded. Everyone knew the importance of the college entrance examination, so he naturally could not relax. He even wanted to increase his usual training and strive to increase the value of his Qi Sea before the college entrance examination to improve his chance of gaining admission. ¡°Yes, next, Chen Huaming.¡± ¡°12 points for Qi Sea and 49 points for mental strength. It¡¯s the same as the last test.¡± Zhang Yu did not offer any reminder to this student. This student¡¯s test results were destined to be hopeless. Therefore, as the form teacher, he would at most comfort him by saying that he should prepare for the cultural examination. Most of the students had a Qi Sea value between 10 to 15, while their mental strength value was between 40 to 60. It was within the range of a normal person¡¯s physical test. Compared to Zhao Qiang from before, the difference was obvious. His Qi Sea was several times higher than Chen Huaming¡¯s. This was the difference between a person with cultivation talent and an ordinary person. Although he was already mentally prepared, this student could not help but feel a little disappointed. His eyes dimmed as he retreated. ¡°Next, Han Qingqing.¡± ¡°Qi Sea 42, Mental Power 81.¡± Zhang Yu nodded. ¡°If you pull up the mental strength value further, you still have a chance of being selected to the Spirit Nurturing Master department. All the best.¡± ¡°Alright, Teacher. I¡¯ll fight for it.¡± Han Qingqing smiled and walked down. ¡°Next¡­¡± One by one, the students were called up for the assessment. Basically, there was not much difference from the results of the previous test. There were some people who had the chance to enter a Martial Academy. Most of the students were still within the range of ordinary people, and there was little improvement. ¡°Next, Ma Zhiwen.¡± When Zhang Yu called out his name, all the students looked at the dear friend beside Qin Ming. After all, according to the results of the previous test, he was the student with the most potential in the class. It was normal for him to attract attention. Ma Zhiwen seemed extremely relaxed. He even tidied his hair like an idol before walking up. Zhang Yu smiled and nodded at him. ¡°Perform well. The school thinks highly of you students with potential. If you get into the martial arts department of Shanze Academy, the school will give you a generous cultivation scholarship.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Teacher. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Ma Zhiwen nodded with a smile. Zhang Yu¡¯s words made the other students look envious. Shanze Academy was the best college in Shanze City. At the same time, it was ranked fourth among all the academies in the Southeast Province. The bar to admissions was not low either, especially for the Martial Arts Department. Over the years, countless students had failed to get into Shanze Academy. Students who could get into the Martial Arts Department of Shanze Academy would basically have high future achievements. Getting selected was almost equivalent to success. It was impossible not to be envious. Soon, Ma Zhiwen¡¯s test results were out. Mental strength 72, Qi Sea 100! A month ago, his Qi Sea value was still 97. A month later, it had increased by three points, reaching the level of 100. This level of improvement was significant. After all, it had only been a month. No wonder this guy is so showy today. He probably already knows that his value will increase by so much, Qin Ming thought. Zhang Yu was also pleasantly surprised when he saw the results and was not stingy with his praise. If the students in his class could get into the Martial Arts department of Shanze Academy, as the form teacher, he would also benefit from it. At the end of the year, he would receive a considerable amount of education bonus. According to the recruitment situation of the Martial Arts Academy in the past years, the initial size of the Qi Sea was a watershed. If his Qi Sea could reach 100 points, he would basically be able to enter the Martial Academy barring any accidents. He could even apply to those colleges with the most competitive acceptance rates, such as Shanze Academy which Zhang Yu mentioned. ¡°If I remember correctly, the minimum threshold for admission to Shanze Academy last year was 101 points,¡± Qin Ming could not help but say when he saw Ma Zhiwen walking back. Right now, this Shanze Academy was within the reach of Ma Zhiwen. ¡°That was last year¡¯s threshold after all. God knows if it will rise this year.¡± Ma Zhiwen shook his head. However, he did not seem too worried. Clearly, he had other preparations and was confident. Even if he did not say it, Qin Ming knew that his entrepreneur father had most likely prepared something for him to help him increase the value of his Qi Sea. Good things that could have such an effect were mostly priceless. Ordinary families could not afford it. ¡°Next, Qin Ming¡­¡± After more than half of the students were tested, Qin Ming¡¯s name was finally called. Ma Zhiwen patted Qin Ming¡¯s shoulder and did not say anything. The results of the last two tests on Qin Ming were quite ordinary. There was nothing outstanding, so it was only natural that this time would be no exception. When most of the students heard Qin Ming¡¯s name being called, they stopped paying attention and started chatting. After all, everyone knew Qin Ming¡¯s level. He was just an ordinary person and had no expectations. ¡°Calm down and test it properly.¡± Zhang Yu glanced at the test results from the last time and reminded him symbolically. ¡°Alright, Teacher.¡± Qin Ming¡¯s gaze landed on the two instruments in front of him. The two screens were like radar, flickering with dots of light. In the center of the platform was a crystal. He raised his hand and pressed his palm on it. The surface of the crystal was incomparably smooth. As he touched it, it gradually became warm. At the same time, he felt that his Qi Sea in his abdomen was affected by the device and began to show abnormal movements, as if clouds were rolling in his Qi Sea. The dots on one screen appeared and gradually brightened. At the bottom of the screen, the number that had fallen to zero began to jump. Zero, one, two¡­ As the number continued to increase, a look of surprise gradually appeared on Zhang Yu¡¯s originally calm face. 11, 12, 13¡­ A month ago, Qin Ming¡¯s Qi Sea test value was 12. Just now, he had already surpassed the previous test value and was still steadily increasing. 14, 15, 16¡­ The value of an ordinary person¡¯s Qi Sea was between 10 and 15. Reaching 16 points for Qi Sea meant that Qin Ming broke through the limits of an ordinary person. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°This¡­¡± Zhang Yu did not expect such a change. He did not know what to say. In his career as a teacher, although he had ordinary students who broke through the limits, they were the minority. Moreover, even if they had broken through, the increase was one or two points, hovering between 16 to 17 points. As for Qin Ming, in just a short while, the value on the device had broken through to 20 points and was still increasing. This was not something an ordinary person could do! If the device was not broken and the data this time was accurate, then the truth was that Qin Ming, who was an ordinary person, had suddenly become an enlightened student with cultivation talent. This situation was not unheard of. Although it did not happen to the students he taught, he had heard of it before. For some students, due to a change in their physique or some major change, their Qi Sea or mental strength would suddenly increase greatly, just like Qin Ming¡¯s current situation. This was an extreme example. There would only be one or two in a year. Zhang Yu did not expect such a person to appear among his students. In the end, Qin Ming¡¯s Qi Sea value froze at 42. Zhang Yu thought it was a pity. Although this number was much higher than ordinary students, it was still not quite possible to get into a Martial Academy. However, it was not hopeless. After all, there was still more than half a month before the final college entrance examination. Perhaps when the time came, Qin Ming¡¯s Qi Sea would increase again. As long as his Qi Sea reached 80 points, he had a chance of entering a martial arts academy. To others, this was almost wishful thinking, but to Qin Ming, who was already an exception, it was not impossible for his value to soar again. Common sense did not apply to the current Qin Ming. Seeing the value freeze, Qin Ming sighed inwardly. Although the sudden increase in the Qi Sea value surprised him, he also understood that it was still difficult to enter a Martial Academy with a value of 42. Just a bit more. He retracted his hand and put on something that looked like a headset. After checking his Qi Sea, he began to check his mental strength. Similarly, the value began to jump. 55, 56, 57¡­ ¡°It has improved again!¡± Zhang Yuxin said. Last time, Qin Ming¡¯s mental strength test value was 55. This time, he broke through easily. 59, 60, 61¡­ The limit of an ordinary person¡¯s mental strength was broken again. In the end, the mental strength value stopped at 75. Compared to the huge increase in the value of his Qi Sea, it was more important and difficult to increase his mental strength to 75. As his initial closed Qi Sea and his undeveloped mental strength values were low to begin with, it was difficult to increase the values. The normal value of a person¡¯s mental strength was between 40 to 60. It was even more difficult to increase one¡¯s initial mental strength than the value of one¡¯s Qi Sea. As the genius representative of the class, Ma Zhiwen¡¯s mental strength score was only 72 points. Meanwhile, Qin Ming had reached 75. As a result, although Qin Ming¡¯s Qi Sea had increased by 30 points and his mental strength had only increased by 20 points, in the eyes of outsiders, the most shocking thing was the increase in Qin Ming¡¯s mental strength. Zhang Yu could not help but rub his eyes. He suspected that he had seen wrongly. It was not until he confirmed that the value on the device was 75 that he muttered in disbelief. As soon as he took off his earphones, Qin Ming heard a lot of discussion behind him. Those students who did not care much about Qin Ming¡¯s test results previously were shocked by his results this time. Of course, their understanding was not as deep as Zhang Yu¡¯s. They only knew that after his mental strength reached 75 points, he had a chance of entering a Martial Academy. They were more concerned about the cutoff score of the test and not about how difficult it was to increase the value. Seeing the results, Qin Ming was naturally quite happy. He also understood why his two test values had improved so much. It was most likely related to the monster login device. He guessed that whether it was the life essence of the Ardent Sand Ant or the Ant Constitution he had obtained, they had both changed him to different degrees. That was why his Qi Sea and mental strength had improved so much. He could not be considered an ordinary person after obtaining the ant constitution and life essence. After all, ordinary people could not obtain these things. His Qi Sea was 42 and his mental strength was 75. These were the results of Qin Ming¡¯s assessment. ¡°Is Qin Ming that powerful?¡± I remember that his value last time was slightly weaker than mine. Why did it increase so much now? ¡°That¡¯s right. A mental strength value of 75 points. Oh my god, he already has a chance of entering a Martial Academy.¡± ¡°How did he do it?¡± The students in the class surrounded him and craned their necks to look at Qin Ming¡¯s test results on the devices. They discussed animatedly. After the form teacher, Zhang Yu, calmed down, joy surged in his heart. After all, it was a good thing for him to have another student in the class who had a chance of entering a Martial Academy. Every time a student entered the Martial Academy, his bonus would be bigger. Of course, he also asked Qin Ming why there was such a huge change. Qin Ming casually found some reason to brush it off. The existence of the monster login device was too mysterious. He definitely wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. Perhaps even if he revealed the existence of the monster login device, Zhang Yu and the others would only think that he was spouting nonsense. As long as he did not say it, no one would be able to discover the real reason for his improvement this time. They would only think that he had changed because of some unforeseen event. After all, such things happened from time to time. It was just that Zhang Yu had only heard of it in the past, but now it was happening right in front of him. ¡°Work harder, Qin Ming. You have a chance of entering a Martial Arts Academy this time!¡± Zhang Yu began to encourage Qin Ming. ¡°If your mental strength reaches 78 points during the college entrance examination, you will have a chance to enter the Spirit Nurturing Master Department of the Martial Academy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best¡­¡± Qin Ming smiled and said. As for whether his mental strength could reach 78 points before the college entrance examination, to be honest, he was not sure. After all, who knew how long the login device would be in cooling off mode? If he did not have the next round of rewards, it was hard to say. After Qin Ming walked away, Ma Zhiwen could not help but say, ¡°You really scared me. Not to mention the Qi Sea value, what triggered you that your mental strength became so strong?¡± ¡°I probably won a prize. It¡¯s the kind of lucky prize that comes every day on my phone.¡± Qin Ming shrugged and told the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡­¡± Ma Zhiwen curled his lips. He did not take it seriously at all. Qin Ming did not say anything else. It was fine if he did not believe him. After the first round of tests ended, those students with potential to enter a Martial Academy more or less increased their scores. As for those ordinary students, other than Qin Ming, their numbers did not change much. It was less than a month before the final deadline for the college entrance examination. Basically, these ordinary students had already given up on the unrealistic dream of getting into a Martial Academy. They were thinking about how to strive to improve their cultural scores and get into a good school. Of course, there were also many students who began to get close to Qin Ming, wanting to ask him how he could suddenly increase his values. Fortunately, Zhang Yu did not want the current Qin Ming to be affected by the other students and took the initiative to explain to them. ¡°Students, as I¡¯ve said repeatedly, the path to success is not limited to getting into a Martial Academy. Even if you can¡¯t become a cultivator, you can still succeed through other means. Student Qin Ming¡¯s situation is an exception. It can¡¯t be replicated, so there¡¯s no need for everyone to ask or follow suit. For most of you, the most important thing now is to get into an ideal academy and learn more advanced knowledge, understand¡­¡± After receiving the form teacher¡¯s chicken soup advice, the group of students who had harbored some hope left in disappointment. Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Back home from school. Qin Ming sat on the sofa in the living room with a plate of cut fruits. He turned on the television and ate while watching. He was still thinking about the test results during the day. The login interface instantly popped up in front of him. After a day of cooling down, the word ¡®essence¡¯ on the interface had almost recovered half of its golden light. The remaining few characters were still gray. At this speed, he estimated that it would take nearly half a month to restore the gold color of the words. It¡¯s a little slow¡­ Qin Ming thought to himself. After tasting the benefits for the first time, he was no longer so resistant to this monster login device. Instead, he was looking forward to what would happen the next time he became a monster. ¡°The following is the latest news about what happened in Shanze City¡­ Just an hour ago, a huge explosion occurred in another chemical plant in the North Street District. The impact range reached two kilometers. According to the latest news received from the front, this is a man-made disaster! Many people claim to have seen the culprit who caused the chemical plant to explode. He¡¯s suspected to be a cultivator. Currently, the Security Bureau of Shanze City has already intervened in the investigation¡­¡± Qin Ming¡¯s attention was immediately attracted to the latest information on television. In the image, a surging fire was burning in the distance with huge momentum. The red light was like blood against the night sky, and like a violent ferocious beast. Just as the reporter at the scene was reporting updates on the situation, another explosion sounded in the distant sea of fire. Clearly, the situation was not under control yet. What Qin Ming did not expect was that this explosion was actually caused by someone. Thinking back to the chemical plant explosion two days ago, he could not help but be shocked. It was very possible that this was a long-planned terrorist operation. Looks like Shanze City hasn¡¯t been very peaceful recently, Qin Ming thought to himself and stuffed the fruits on the plate into his mouth. It was hard for him to imagine who would be so crazy as to make things difficult for the chemical plant. They even wanted to blow up a second one. But that was also why it was so shocking. After all, to be able to successfully blow up the second chemical plant under the investigation of the city¡¯s guards and cause such a huge commotion, it could be seen that this person was definitely not a pushover. As for the ultimate goal of this group of people doing such a crazy thing, no one knew. He opened the class group chat on his cell phone. Sure enough, a group of people was already discussing this big news. ¡°F*ck, two chemical factories were blown up in a row. It¡¯s so terrifying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually arson!¡± ¡°The terrorists are here?!¡± ¡°It feels so dangerous. I don¡¯t want to go to school anymore. What if the school is bombed next time!¡± ¡°Yeah, is there anyone who wants to skip class next week¡­¡± ¡°+1¡­¡± ¡°Doggy Li, come to my office next Monday!¡± The form teacher, who had been lurking, suddenly appeared and nabbed a naughty child. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry too much. I believe the city will deal with this matter as soon as possible. I¡¯ll say it again. This is a critical moment in your lives. Don¡¯t be distracted by the outside world. Remember.¡± Zhang Yu¡¯s appearance undoubtedly caused the heated class group chat to quickly cool down. The students who had spoken earlier all lost interest in discussing. The college entrance examination was imminent. Even if the explosion was a huge matter, the form teacher had to put it aside first. He could not let his students be distracted by it. After putting down his phone, Qin Ming continued to look at the flashing images on the screen. A few reporters in front were reporting nervously and excitedly. In order to obtain this firsthand information, they had gone all out. They were not too far away from the location of the sea of fire. If the wind direction changed, the flames would spread over at any time. ¡°We can see that the city has already mobilized a large number of troops. I believe the fire will be controlled soon. Please rest assured¡­¡± On the screen, black delivery vehicles were speeding down the street, heading toward the fire ahead. There were a number of helicopters in the sky. They were circling the night sky, their lights flashing from time to time. He believed that it would not be long before the scene of the fire was completely sealed off for investigation. Huh? Qin Ming suddenly saw several black shadows flashing past behind the reporter. He was not the only one who noticed it. Even the news director suddenly exclaimed. ¡°I think a few figures rushed out of the sea of fire!¡± The director¡¯s voice interrupted the reporter. When the reporter looked back, those figures had already disappeared into the night. ¡°Could we have seen wrongly? How could anyone be able to rush out of such a huge fire?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure. There was someone there earlier. It¡¯s impossible to be wrong,¡± the director said confidently. As he had been staring at the scene, Qin Ming knew that the director was not wrong. There were indeed some blurry figures jumping out of the sea of fire, but they only appeared for a short time. He could not tell if they were men or women. Not long after, because the scene was sealed off, the broadcast ended. After turning off the television, Qin Ming packed up and prepared to sleep. Tomorrow was the weekend. He was going to buy a new phone. He had been using his old one since the one he was using had broken down. Now this old phone seemed to be on the verge of being scrapped. It could die at any time. ¡­ On the other side, while Qin Ming was thinking about the monster login device, a few tramps were curled up in a corner. They were wrapped in a few pieces of rags. Their hunger made it difficult for them to sleep tonight. They had already rummaged through the trash bin at the side. Unfortunately, they were not so lucky tonight and did not find dinner. They didn¡¯t care about the fire situation in the North Street area. They were only concerned about whether they could fall asleep later in the night. Tap tap tap. Slow footsteps suddenly sounded at the entrance of the dark and remote street. The homeless people ignored them and changed to a more comfortable position on the ground. Their chests were covered with a tattered newspaper which acted as a blanket. They thought that it was just a passerby who would leave soon. Unexpectedly, the footsteps became clearer and headed straight for them. One of the homeless people opened his eyelids slightly and scanned the intersection with his turbid eyes. A man in a long black trench coat and a big hat was standing there. In the moonlight, the man¡¯s shadow kept lengthening. He raised his head slightly, revealing a slightly old face. His white stubble seemed to have been carefully groomed, and a thin layer spread from his chin to his cheeks. He looked like an old man in his fifties with status and had a unique temperament that ordinary people did not have. The homeless people found it a little strange. Logically speaking, an old man dressed like this should at least be rich. He shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this smelly remote intersection. Even ordinary passersby would cover their noses in disgust and rush past this area when they passed by. They would not stay for long. Only vagrants frequented this place because there would be a lot of trash piled up here every day. If they were lucky, they would be able to find a day¡¯s worth of food. They might even be able to find some leftover trash that could be sold for some money. The old man took a piece of bread from his pocket and threw it in front of the homeless men. One of the homeless men was quick to react. He crawled over and grabbed the piece of bread. He was really hungry. When he saw that there was food, he couldn¡¯t care less. The other homeless people also rushed over with red eyes and started fighting for this piece of bread. ¡°Bastard, you actually want to eat alone!¡± ¡°Spit it out!¡± The originally harmonious scene instantly became chaotic. Only the old man¡¯s expression did not change much. He slowly said, ¡°Do you want more food?¡± The old man¡¯s voice was flat, but it sounded heavenly to the homeless people. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re willing to give us food?¡± A homeless man bent down and asked carefully. ¡°If you still want to eat, come with me.¡± The old man lowered the brim of his hat slightly and turned to leave. The homeless people looked at each other. Although they were not sure where the old man was taking them, they were tempted when they heard that there was food. They immediately hobbled after the old man¡­ Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On Saturday, after a night of hard work, the fire in the North Street District was finally completely extinguished. But the impact of this explosion was far from over. The huge explosions at two chemical factories in a row already explained the problem. Even the stupidest person could sense that something was wrong. No one would believe that it was an accident. Clearly, this was an extremely nasty terrorist incident. The city¡¯s Security Bureau, the City Defense Department, and the garrison had all mobilized manpower to jointly launch a large-scale investigation and search. Qin Ming walked on the street. Police cars parked by the road could be seen everywhere. Some police officers were interrogating some suspicious people. The morning news was also reporting this news. The commotion even overshadowed the news of the annual college entrance examination. ¡°Welcome, sir. How can I help you?¡± As he walked into a phone shop, an associate immediately walked over with a smile and greeted him. ¡°I¡¯m buying a cell phone,¡± Qin Ming said simply. His gaze swept across the various phones on the cabinets. ¡°Buying a cell phone? Then take a look at the latest model of Kidney 19. It¡¯s top-notch in terms of performance and appearance. After all, the brand is a trusted brand. I think there¡¯s no need to say anything else. The quality is also quite good. It won¡¯t break even after three to five years. Even a bullet can¡¯t penetrate it¡­¡± When the associate heard that he was buying a cell phone, he immediately started promoting the latest model in the shop. Qin Ming ignored him and glanced at the Kidney 19 phone on display in the cabinet. It was indeed exquisite, but the price was also not low. When Qin Ming was in school, he often worked part-time. In addition to the living expenses his parents usually gave him, he had some savings. However, he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who spent money recklessly. There was no need to buy the best cell phone. It was fine as long as the phone met his needs. The price of the Kidney 19 phone was beyond his budget, so he chose to ignore it. In the end, he bought a mid-range phone and made a simple call in the shop to log in his phone number. Before he could familiarize himself with his new phone, a long list of missed messages popped up. He had been offline for the past two days, so he did not know that there were so many missed messages. ¡°Hello, Mom. Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Child, why couldn¡¯t I get through to you these two days? I thought something had happened to you!¡± Qin Ming¡¯s mother¡¯s familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Oh, my phone was broken. I just got a new phone today,¡± Qin Ming explained. He didn¡¯t expect his parents to suddenly call in the past two days. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fine. We don¡¯t have anything to do. We just heard on the news that the city doesn¡¯t seem to be peaceful, so we called to ask.¡± Qin Ming could feel from his mother¡¯s tone of voice that she was obviously relieved. He even suspected that if he didn¡¯t call back in a few days, his parents would call the police directly and look for their missing son. ¡°Yes, I think two chemical plants exploded. But don¡¯t worry, the explosion happened far from my school. It¡¯s not dangerous. That¡¯s right. The college entrance examination is in a dozen days. I still have the same goal of getting into Shanze Academy¡¯s Faculty of Arts. Yes, my grades have been the same recently. As long as I can maintain them, there¡¯s still hope¡­¡± Qin Ming briefly explained his recent situation, grades, and so on. Of course, he did not mention the huge changes in his Qi Sea and mental strength. After all, he was not confident that he could enter a Martial Academy yet. If he told their parents now to give them hope, they would inevitably be disappointed if he did not make the grade. It would be better to give them a surprise after he really got in. ¡°Little Ming, after you bought the phone, did you run out of money? Mommy will send you some money later.¡± His mother was concerned about him, whether he was eating well outside. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Mom. Cell phones aren¡¯t that expensive now. I still have money, so there¡¯s no need to send me money,¡± Qin Ming said. After that, they chatted for a while before hanging up. He shook his head. He knew his mother. Even if he said so, the money would still be transferred in two days. Fortunately, although his family was not rich in town, they were not particularly short of money. They belonged to an ordinary family, so at least they had no problem paying for his education. After paying for the phone, Qin Ming prepared to go back. However, at this moment, there were suddenly a few screams in the distance, accompanied by a commotion. He looked in that direction through the glass window and saw several cars colliding as if they had lost control. They rolled and smashed into a wall by the street. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Qin Ming had never encountered such a serious car accident scene. He was dumbfounded. ¡°Holy sh*t! What happened!¡± The employees in the shop also heard the commotion and walked over. When they saw this scene, they looked like they had seen a ghost. ¡°Who are those people!¡± A female clerk covered her mouth and pointed at a dozen agile and fast figures in the distance. Qin Ming also saw the dozen or so figures speeding over and frowned. This was the group that had caused this massive traffic accident. With their abnormally agile speed, they sped through the traffic on the street. The cars that were about to hit them were directly smashed by their bare hands. The drivers forcefully changed the direction of the cars and rushed towards both sides of the street. The figures were like human-shaped tanks. Oncoming vehicles were smashed by them. With such terrifying power, there was no doubt that they were a group of cultivators. It was rare to see someone acting so recklessly on the streets of the city. ¡°What are these lunatics trying to do!¡± an employee in the shop exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± When the passers-by on the street saw that the situation was bad, they were afraid of being implicated and fled into the shops on both sides. Many people squeezed into Qin Ming¡¯s phone shop. The dozen or so cultivators ran very quickly. In a moment, they rushed past the street in front of Qin Ming and disappeared. The passers-by who were taking refuge in the shop heaved a sigh of relief when they saw this. Then they started cursing. After all, it was normal to vent their anger when they were suddenly scared out of their wits while walking on the streets. Recently, Shanze City seemed to be a little chaotic. As Qin Ming thought about it, he walked out of the shop and looked at the accident scene in the distance. Some passers-by were not so lucky. They could not dodge in time and were knocked down by the cars that lost control and suffered serious injuries. The glass windows of several shops were shattered by the cars that came charging in. It was unknown how much of the items on the shelves were damaged in this disaster. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t pass through!¡± At the other end of the car crash, several police cars were forced to stop. The large number of cars in front of them were blocking their path, making it impossible for them to continue the pursuit. ¡°Everyone, get out of the car and continue the pursuit!¡± A police officer punched the steering wheel angrily. Then he opened the car door and rushed to the other side of the street with the pursuing team. ¡°Contact the other pursuit teams and provide us with a location for that group of people!¡± ¡°Inform the City Defense Department to send reinforcements!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the sky, several helicopters flew swiftly overhead, chasing after the group. Looks like this is not an ordinary malicious incident. I wonder if it has anything to do with the explosion of the chemical plant, Qin Ming thought to himself. The city¡¯s response was quite fast. A large number of rescue cars and police cars drove over and began to handle the situation and save the injured. The crowd quickly dispersed. Qin Ming didn¡¯t want to stay any longer and walked home. It was still not safe outside. Although his physique had been strengthened, he was only stronger than ordinary people and his reaction was faster. He was still far inferior to those true cultivators. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The deputy mayor sat in his office and said with a frown, ¡°Dispatch Si Xiangming over immediately. We can¡¯t let the situation worsen!¡± On one of the screens in the office, the situation was being broadcasted from an angle. The dozen or so fleeing cultivators on the street were moving at high speed. The police cars behind could not keep up with those people. Only the helicopters in the sky could follow closely. ¡°Si Xiangming has already gone over, and that person has also rushed over. I believe we would be able to arrest this group of people soon,¡± the counselor standing at the side said after receiving the news. Hearing this, the deputy mayor¡¯s tense face relaxed a little. ¡°Can you confirm that these people are the real culprits who destroyed the two chemical factories?¡± The counselor nodded and said, ¡°After the past two days of questioning, we can¡¯t be wrong that it¡¯s them. As for where they came from, what their identities are, and why they did this, we don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°No matter what their motives are, we have to find out which faction they represent this time!¡± the deputy mayor said solemnly. ¡­ After turning two streets, Qin Ming was about to return to the school district where he lived. This time, for the sake of convenience, he chose to purchase a new phone from a shop nearby. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. From time to time, there would be loud noises in the distance. This time, the cultivators¡¯ intrusion was not far from his school and residence. This made him think of the possibility mentioned in the class group chat last night. Something might really happen to the schoola€| To be honest, he did not care much about the safety of the school. He was more concerned about his own safety. I¡¯ll hurry back to the apartment. He could already see the buildings in the school district in the distance. However, at this moment, two figures suddenly descended from the sky and landed not far from him, giving him a fright. To be precise, the two of them suddenly jumped down from the rooftop that was more than ten meters high. After landing, they were unscathed. It was as easy as going down a step. To be able to do this, they were clearly not ordinary people. He thought that he was unlucky to have encountered that group of terrorists. Fortunately, when he looked closely, he realized that they were the Gu siblings. He remembered that these two siblings were also cultivators. He didn¡¯t expect to meet them here again. ¡°Qin Ming, it¡¯s a little dangerous here. You should go back quickly. Don¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± After Gu Tao came down, she urged Qin Ming to get away. From their expressions, it was obvious that they had discovered Qin Ming when they were passing by, so they specially came down to sound the alert. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m planning to go back.¡± As soon as Qin Ming finished speaking, her brother had already jumped up. He stepped on the wall and lightly jumped onto the tall building on the other side. They quickly rushed towards the source of the sound in the distance, looking a little anxious. ¡°Ah, Brother, wait for me!¡± Gu Tao saw that her brother had left without saying goodbye and immediately followed. The siblings came and went in a hurry. It seemed like it was really just a coincidence that they met him halfway. From the looks of it, they were most likely rushing towards the group of cultivators. This made him even more curious about the identity of the siblings, especially that brother. Previously, he had mentioned something about carrying out a mission. He wondered if it was related to this group of cultivators. Of course, Qin Ming didn¡¯t stop and continued walking towards his residence. As for what would happen over there, he didn¡¯t want to know at all, let alone follow them to take a look. God knew how destructive a battle between a group of cultivators could be. It was definitely not something he could ward off. After crossing the stone bridge, he was back in the school park. He could no longer hear the commotion in the distance and felt much more at ease. However, just as he approached his residence, a figure suddenly flashed out of a small forest in the distance. His speed was astonishing. In a few breaths, he approached Qin Ming. This figure was wearing a long black trench coat. It was the person Qin Ming had encountered previously. At the same time, there was another man who was also abnormally strong. He held a short dagger in his right hand and a black pistol in his left. When Qin Ming saw this sudden situation, all the hairs on his body stood up and a chill ran down his spine. After all, he was just an ordinary high school student. What was slightly special was that he had once possessed an ant spirit. Bong! The pistol spat fire. A large-caliber bullet shot out of the muzzle and pierced the air, about to hit the man in the vest in front of him. If it were an ordinary person, he would not be able to dodge this bullet safely. However, this man in the black trench coat was not an ordinary person. He turned around and dodged the bullet at the critical moment. The street lamp beside him was hit by the bullet and exploded. Bang! Bang! Bang! Several bullets were fired again. This time, the man in the trench coat could not dodge and chose to turn around and swing his arm. Several bullets hit his thick arm, but there was no bloody wound as expected. On the contrary, it was as if it had hit a thick layer of metal, causing a small spark. Those bullets were directly blocked. ¡°Huh?¡± Si Xiangming, who was chasing him, let out a soft cry when he saw this situation. He seemed to be a little puzzled. The trench coat man¡¯s expression did not change. He stepped on the ground and tried to jump onto the balcony. ¡°Could he be a cyborg?¡± Si Xiangming muttered to himself softly. He also exerted strength under his feet and caught up to the man in the trench coat. He kicked in the air and collided with the trench coat man¡¯s iron arm. Thud! An extremely muffled sound could be heard even by Qin Ming, who was standing hundreds of meters away. In terms of strength, although the trench coat man¡¯s arms were very thick, he did not seem to be a match for this cultivator who was chasing after him. He was kicked onto the ground. ¡°Damn it!¡± After this confrontation, the trench coat man¡¯s expression finally changed. He did not expect the guy chasing after him to be so strong. ¡°Lie down!¡± Si Xiangming was not prepared to let go of this suspect who he had been chasing for a long time. He fell from the sky, his blood and qi surging, and his feet landed with a gust of wind. Boom! A hole in the asphalt ground resulted from his fall. Although the man in the trench coat avoided being hit in the vital parts of his head, he was sent flying. His chest was slightly caved in, and he was seriously injured. After coughing up two mouthfuls of blood, he removed his windbreaker with an ugly expression, revealing two strange arms. There were several tiny blue metal tubes embedded in his arms. They were a glowing blue color. Under this fluorescent light, the muscles on these two arms looked as firm as rocks. Thick veins could be seen clearly on them. It was a strange pair of arms that had just proven to be able to block a round of bullets without being injured. ¡°You guys are indeed a group of transformers. I knew it. Your cultivation is clearly ordinary, but you have such a powerful physique. It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Si Xiangming said as he stared at the two exposed arms. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Cyborgs!¡± Qin Ming¡¯s hearing was much better than ordinary people. He heard Si Xiangming¡¯s words from afar and could not help but be shocked again. Privately modifying the human body using technology was prohibited by most countries in the current era. It was especially unacceptable to conduct underground human experiments. There had been some crazy researchers who captured people to conduct live experiments. Countless test subjects had died because of this. The end result was the creation of some modified and twisted lives. They had lost their humanity and obeyed their instincts like beasts. This kind of transformation was undoubtedly wrong. It was only after these things were exposed that their repercussions caused a stir around the world. A large number of people were condemned, and the researchers were finally arrested. After that, various countries kept a tight watch on various big laboratories. Until now, there were no more related news incidents. Unexpectedly, another modified human experiment appeared in front of Qin Ming. How could he not be shocked? Human body experiments are prohibited by the country. It seems that this vicious incident is not as simple as I thought, Si Xiangming seemed to have thought of something and frowned. ¡°Hmph, this is my new life. It was His Excellency who gave me the chance to cultivate and become a new person. You will never understand His Excellency¡¯s greatness!¡± The cyborg gritted his teeth, seething with hatred for the world. His two clenched fists suddenly loosened. The next moment, four metal blades shot through the flesh of his hands. No blood flowed out. The insides of these two arms were like metal machinery and were only wrapped in a layer of human skin. Then the cyborg stopped talking and suddenly rushed towards Si Xiangming. The blue tubes embedded in his arms suddenly emitted more light, even enveloping his entire arms. The exposed veins seemed to be absorbing the fluorescent light, constantly contracting and expanding. ¡°Go to hell!¡± When the cyborg approached, he shouted, his voice roaring like thunder. He threw a punch at Si Xiangming. The force of the punch erupted and tore through the air. Facing such a ferocious punch, Si Xiangming did not show any fear. It was as if his feet were rooted to the ground and he did not move at all. The blood essence in his body surged again, emitting a momentum that was not inferior to that of the modified person. He also threw a punch, ignoring the sharp blade on the modified person¡¯s full fist. The two fists collided in the air. Thud! After a sonic boom, the sharp blade was directly shattered by Si Xiangming¡¯s fist force. The modified person was also sent flying and slammed into the wall of a building, creating layers of cracks. Fortunately, this was a load-bearing wall made of solid material. If it were an ordinary tofu-like project, the wall might have collapsed directly. Although the man in the trench coat was a cyborg, Si Xiangming was clearly much stronger as a cultivator. Qin Ming witnessed the entire battle from afar. After his physique was strengthened, his vision became extraordinary. He could clearly see that the fallen cyborg¡¯s arm was completely twisted. It had clearly been crippled after the hard hit. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Is it an earthquake?!¡± The nearby residents opened their windows and stuck their heads out to look at the battle below. Seeing that this cyborg had lost the ability to resist, Si Xiangming stepped forward and picked him up like trash. He glanced at Qin Ming, who was watching from afar, and prepared to leave. However, at this moment, he suddenly felt the body of the cyborg in his hand gradually become hot. The small blue tubes on his arms suddenly shattered, and the fluorescence emitted directly entered the modified human¡¯s body. Thud, thud, thud¡­ Si Xiangming had an ominous feeling and his expression changed drastically. He suddenly threw the cyborg in his hand towards the empty forest and retreated quickly. The cyborg, who had lost the ability to resist, was forcefully stopped in midair. He had lost his pupils which were replaced by a strange blue light which looked rather terrifying. He stuck the sharp blade that popped out from his left hand into the ground with all his might. Then he exerted great force using his feet and rushed towards Si Xiangming at a speed that far exceeded his previous speed. ¡°If we die, we die together!¡± A beast-like growl came from his mouth. For some reason, Qin Ming was vigilant. He could clearly see that the skin of the modified human began to crack inch by inch when he moved. A large amount of blood instantly stained his entire body red. He looked as terrifying as a ghost that had rushed out of hell. ¡°These lunatics!¡± Si Xiangming cursed under his breath. He had already discovered the abnormality in this modified human¡¯s body. At this moment, he was even more certain that this modified human was going to explode on the spot and take him down with him. ¡°Run, this guy is going to explode!¡± Si Xiangming was running in the direction of Qin Ming. There were tall buildings in the other directions and a large number of residents lived there. It was impossible for him to lure the unknown human bomb over there. If it destroyed a residential building, the casualties would be much worse. When Qin Ming saw the two bastards rushing in his direction, he reacted quickly and immediately ran. However, before he could take two steps, he felt a gust of wind behind him. In the next moment, he felt himself being picked up. Before he could react, he was grabbed by the arm. The sheer force of it immobilized him. Looking up, it was the man who was fighting with the cyborg. A gust of wind blew at him. At this moment, the man was carrying him and moving at high speed. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Si Xiangming felt Qin Ming¡¯s struggle and couldn¡¯t help but shout. His speed increased. In just a few seconds, Qin Ming realized that this man had already brought him out of the school park. There was a sudden roar from behind. Qin Ming felt his ears buzz and his head swell. At this moment, Si Xiangming placed him on the ground. He shook his head involuntarily and looked back. Dozens of meters behind him, the modified human had transformed into a human bomb. The destructive power directly razed everything within a radius of more than ten meters to the ground. This scene of devastation made Qin Ming feel a lingering fear. If Si Xiangming had not brought him along just now, he would probably have been injured or even died miserably in this wave of self-destruction. ¡°This is too crazy¡­¡± Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. This level of explosion was enough to completely destroy a building. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re indeed crazy. These people have most likely been brainwashed.¡± Si Xiangming said as he stood beside Qin Ming. Seeing Qin Ming looking at him, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here now. You¡¯d better get out of here as soon as possible.¡± With that, he walked to the ashes and looked for anything that the cyborg had left after the explosion. Unfortunately, other than some splattered flesh, there was nothing else. He could not even find a slightly intact body part. Shaking his head, Si Xiangming quickly left. He still had to chase after the other cyborgs. I¡¯m not optimistic¡­ he thought. It was very likely that the other modified humans also had considerable self-destruction abilities. With such destructive power, once they detonated in an important venue in the city center, the consequences would definitely be dire. As an official of the Shanze City Security Bureau, he had to do his best to prevent this situation from happening. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Ming originally wanted to ask Si Xiangming some questions, but unfortunately, this person was as fast as the Gu siblings. He didn¡¯t have time to ask. Boom! At this moment, another explosion suddenly sounded from afar. It was the same sound as when the modified person self-destructed. It was obvious that other cyborgs had been forced to self-destruct. These lunatics were completely fearless of death. In a sense, such people were the most terrifying. A helicopter that was still flying in the sky suddenly exploded as if it had been attacked. Fragments of its wings fell off. The pilots inside were clearly doomed. The chaos in the city had intensified, and the impact was getting greater and greater. Qin Ming had never seen such a scene since he went to school in Shanze City. Meanwhile, in a large research laboratory in a southern district in Shanze City, the doors and windows were shattered as if they had been blown up. Glass shards were everywhere. Some black smoke drifted away from the lab. A rather young-looking man was walking slowly out of the laboratory. He was wearing the same black trench coat as the modified people who were wreaking havoc in the North Street District. His leather shoes made a soft sound as he stepped on the glass shards. He took off his hood, revealing a mop of yellow hair. There was a smug smile on his lips. With a small white metal box in his other hand, he walked out of the laboratory unhurriedly and left quickly. Bong! After returning to his residence, Qin Ming closed the door tightly. The familiar nest in front of him made him feel much more at ease. He searched on his phone. Indeed, people were all discussing this vicious incident. The residents who lived in Shanze City, especially those who lived near the school park, were panicking. That day, the police department¡¯s phones were ringing off the hook. The two chemical factories were destroyed. A total of ten serious explosions occurred near the school area, causing heavy losses. Hundreds of people were injured. The city mobilized a large number of guards and only managed to control the situation by nightfall. Donge Clock Tower. This was one of the iconic buildings in Shanze City. It had a total of 120 floors and was also the highest architectural attraction in the city. At this moment, at the top of the tower, that old man in the black trench coat was standing there, looking down at the entire Shanze City. Those night-black eyes were deep and unfathomable. The evening breeze lifted the hem of the old man¡¯s shirt. Behind him stood several mysterious figures in capes and black trench coats. Tap tap tap. At that moment, the yellow-haired man slowly walked up the stairs. ¡°How is it? Did you get it?¡± The old man was not surprised to see the person. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you trust me? However, there¡¯s no way a local laboratory can stop me,¡± the yellow-haired man said with a smile and a relaxed expression. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The old man smiled when he saw the metal box in the yellow-haired man¡¯s hand. He nodded gently. He continued to gaze into the distance. He was looking at the place where the last cyborg had self-destructed in despair. A group of police officers were busy processing the scene. Si Xiangming was among them. ¡°I heard that Gu Hong and Gu Tao also came to Shanze City. A few of the Experimentals were killed by them.¡± The yellow-haired man said as he approached. Seeing that the old man only smiled, the yellow-haired man continued, ¡°They should be looking for you, right? I remember that Gu Hong is from the National Security Bureau. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°What could go wrong? I only want this experimental report. Since we¡¯ve already obtained it, it¡¯s time for us to leave this place. Let them continue their investigation,¡± the old man said, his expression still very calm. He was someone who had been through a lot. No matter how big the problem was, he could face it without batting an eyelid. ¡°What about the homeless people?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been taken by our people,¡± the blond replied. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go,¡± the old man said and walked to the elevator on the top floor. The few people behind him immediately followed. Clang! The bell on the tower rang out. It was midnight. That night, most of the higher-ups in the city stayed up all night. ¡°So the research report on bone mutation was also stolen?¡± the deputy mayor asked after listening to the report. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very likely that their goal is this research report. As for the unrest caused near the school park, it¡¯s probably just to distract us so that they can steal it.¡± Si Xiangming sat on the sofa in his office and analyzed the situation. ¡°What about the chemical plants? The real culprit who destroyed the two chemical plants should be this group of people, right?¡± The deputy mayor continued to ask. ¡°Yes, the chemical plants might have what they need, or it might just be a distraction. They must have a complete plan behind them to carry it out,¡± Si Xiangming said. ¡°Then how should we catch the mastermind behind this vicious incident? We¡¯ve still found nothing so far. We don¡¯t even have a clue,¡± the deputy mayor said unhappily, emphasizing his words. ¡°At this point, we can only investigate using the clues from the cyborgs,¡± Si Xiangming shook his head and said helplessly. The deputy mayor glanced at him and said, ¡°Cyborgs? Didn¡¯t those modified people already self-destruct? How are we going to investigate?¡± ¡°Well, this time I talked to a member of the Security Bureau who came from above. This incident seems to be related to a case they¡¯re investigating, but because it involves mission secrets, he didn¡¯t reveal much to me. I don¡¯t have the authority to find out what his mission is.¡± Si Xiangming explained as the process of talking to the young official appeared in his mind. ¡°But now that this vicious incident has caused us major losses, I need to know who did it!¡± The deputy mayor said angrily, unable to control his emotions. Clearly, he was rather unhappy with the Security Service officer¡¯s silence. ¡°Then only you or the mayor can ask about it personally. In any case, in my position, I won¡¯t be able to get any more information.¡± Si Xiangming shrugged, indicating that his official position was too low. ¡°Hmph, alright. Then bring him to me. I want to see what kind of mission he¡¯s on. It¡¯s so important that even I can¡¯t know.¡± The deputy mayor snorted. He felt that as the person in charge, he was definitely qualified to know more about the situation that had caused such a huge impact in Shanze City. Just as Si Xiangming stood up to invite the person over, the phone in front of the deputy mayor¡¯s table suddenly rang. It was the mayor of Shanze City. ¡°What? The National Security Agency is in charge of this incident and we can¡¯t interfere?!¡± The deputy mayor picked up the phone and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t ask too many questions. This is the decision of the higher-ups. Hurry up and make arrangements. Restrain those media outlets. Don¡¯t let them report anything. Understand?¡± The mayor¡¯s exhortations came through the phone. He had no choice but to do as he was told. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not as simple as we thought,¡± Si Xiangming said. Clearly, there was no need for him to invite that official over. After the deputy mayor hung up, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°Forget it, try to do as you¡¯re told. Gather everyone for a meeting.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Si Xiangming nodded and walked out of the office. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios For several days after that, although there weren¡¯t as many reports of this incident in the news, they quickly spread. Even Qin Ming¡¯s school was suspended for three days. It was not until another week later, with the college entrance examination around the corner, that the heat of this vicious incident gradually subsided. At this moment, there were only less than two weeks left before the final college entrance examination. During this period, the school conducted another physical test. The results of Qin Ming¡¯s test were the same as the last time. His Qi Sea value was 42 points and his mental strength value was 75 points. There was no further increase. This disappointed Zhang Yu a little because he had already received some news that the admission requirements of the various martial arts academies this year would be higher than last year. Last year, the minimum admission requirement of the Martial Academy was about 81 points for Qi Sea, and 78 points for mental strength. If the scores and body tempering of the cultural class were very outstanding, there was a chance that he would be accepted even if his score was one or two points lower. Of course, this chance was a little slim. After all, what the Martial Academy valued the most were the two hard indicators of the Qi Sea and mental strength. Although cultural classes and physical tempering were also considered for admission, they were not valued. For example, a student with a Qi Sea of 80 points had average results in cultural studies while another student had a Qi Sea of 78 points. His cultural results were quite outstanding, and his overall results were higher than the former. In such a situation, the Martial Academy would very likely choose the former student. The Martial Academy valued the Qi Sea and mental strength cultivation over the overall results. Of course, Zhang Yu still encouraged Qin Ming to maintain a positive mindset and not be depressed. He even tactfully expressed that if necessary, he would ask Qin Ming¡¯s parents to fork out a sum of money to buy a bottle of mental stimulation medicine. Perhaps it could increase his mental strength by a little before the college entrance examination. Qin Ming only said that he would consider it and didn¡¯t mention it to his parents. Such mental stimulants cost at least 30,000 to 50,000 yuan per bottle on the market. If he wanted something of better quality, a bottle would cost 70 to 80 thousand yuan, or even more than a hundred thousand yuan. With his family¡¯s situation, it was still a little difficult to come up with this money at once. Most importantly, if he managed to get into the Martial Academy in the end, this investment would be worth it. However, the problem was that when this kind of medicine was used on different people, the effect would also be different. Even if he took a bottle of mental stimulation medicine, he might not be able to pass. In fact, it was still very likely that he would not be able to pass. With his current 75 points of mental strength, unless he increased it by seven or eight points before the college entrance examination, it was not stable enough. Not to mention a bottle of mental stimulant, considering his resistance and possible side effects, three bottles might not even be enough to increase his strength by seven or eight points. Therefore, he only thought about it and did not expect to be able to get into a Martial Academy with such an expensive potion. His parents couldn¡¯t fork out hundreds of thousands to buy him potions either. There¡¯s less than two weeks left, Qin Ming thought. With a thought, a translucent pop-up window appeared. After more than ten days, the golden halo had mostly lit up again. What could be seen was that the last word was still grayish-white, and half of the words were embellished in gold. It should be soon. Whether I have a chance to enter a Martial Arts Academy depends on whether I can obtain another round of monster rewards before the college entrance examination, Qin Ming thought. Now he could only place his hopes on this strange login device. If this login device could not help him, he had to give up on the idea of applying to a Martial Arts Academy. That night, he might have been dreaming. He dreamed that he was transformed into a dragon and was smoking in the sky. Occasionally, he would transform into a phoenix and rise up from a volcano with spewing magma. At times, he would transform into an underwater beast and overturn the sea. ¡­ The next day, he went to school as usual. ¡°Qin Ming, I heard that the admission requirements of the various martial arts academies have become more stringent this year, especially Shanze Academy. It¡¯s said that the Qi Sea threshold of the Martial Arts Department has reached 105 points this year, and the mental strength threshold of the Spirit Nurturing Department has also reached 102 points.¡± Ma Zhiwen had heard some rumors from somewhere and whispered to Qin Ming and the others. Everyone knew that his goal this year was to enter the Shanze Martial Arts Academy. If they raised the recruitment threshold this year, it would naturally not be good news. ¡°Didn¡¯t the test results of your Qi Sea reach 108 points last week? There shouldn¡¯t be a need to worry too much, right?¡± Qin Ming said. ¡°God knows if they will raise the threshold further in the end. The cultivation environment is getting better and better now, and more and more talented cultivators appear every year. This year, it¡¯s even more explosive, especially those famous martial arts academies.¡± Ma Zhiwen said. It was obvious that even he felt the pressure. ¡°Who did you hear this from? Is the news reliable?¡± A student asked nervously. He was also a student who was going to take the examination this year. When he heard that it would be especially difficult this year, he could not help but worry. ¡°This is also what my father heard when he was drinking tea with a few deans in the city. It¡¯s the same for all the martial academies in the country. The recruitment threshold will increase this year. I think it can¡¯t be wrong.¡± As soon as Ma Zhiwen said this, those students who wanted to enter the Martial Academy started complaining. ¡°How can I live like this? My luck is too bad. It just has to be this year¡¯s turn to raise the recruitment threshold¡­¡± ¡°I want to be alone¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, if this is true, then people like me are most likely hopeless.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ma Zhiwen didn¡¯t expect that sharing this news would make so many people become negative. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged so early. The recruitment threshold hasn¡¯t been officially announced yet. Everything is still uncertain.¡± ¡°Even if you say so¡­¡± Until class started, the students in the class who were aiming for the Martial Academy did not calm down after being rattled by the news. The form teacher noticed that the atmosphere in his class seemed to be a little off today, so he asked his students about it. A student couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Teacher, how¡¯s the recruitment requirement for the Martial Academy this year? Have you heard anything?¡± Qin Ming glanced at Ma Zhiwen, who was sitting in front of him. As expected, he had covered his face and lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed. He was already regretting revealing this news before the college entrance examination without thinking too much about it. It had indeed affected the confidence of many people. ¡°I was just about to tell everyone about this today so that you can be mentally prepared. I received a notice from the education department that the recruitment requirements of the various martial arts academies in the country will become more stringent this year. The points might be the highest in the past decade, especially for those famous martial arts academies.¡± Although it affected the students¡¯ confidence, Zhang Yu still said it with a responsible attitude. After all, this was news that the education department was about to release publicly. Even if he didn¡¯t say it now, these news would appear on the television and cell phone news in two days. The students would still know about it. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Yu¡¯s words completely confirmed what Ma Zhiwen had said previously. Now, those students had no choice but to believe him. Qin Ming even thought that after this news spread, many students who had wanted to apply to a martial arts academy would give up. After all, the martial arts examination cost about 3,000 credits per person. This fee was not much. Ordinary families could afford it for their children. However, the problem was that if he did not have much confidence in taking the college entrance examination, spending these 3,000 credits would undoubtedly be a waste of money. Just like in Qin Ming¡¯s class, there were already some students who wanted to back out. Compared to the admission threshold last year, it was a little difficult for them to get into the Martial Academy this year. They even needed luck, let alone the higher threshold this year. They completely abandon any thoughts of applying for admission. Qin Ming was actually the same. If his two attributes didn¡¯t increase in the end, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to the martial arts school. Instead, he would have obediently taken the liberal arts course. Zhang Yu did not say anything to the students who chose to give up. He had taught for many years and knew what results would get them into the Martial Academy and what results would not. Those students who were already at the bottom of the threshold did not have much hope this year. When it was time to motivate them, he would definitely encourage them. He would even take the initiative to contact the students¡¯ parents to talk. However, if they really couldn¡¯t get in, he wouldn¡¯t force them. It would be a waste of the students¡¯ money and energy. Two days later, the news of the Martial Arts Academy¡¯s recruitment threshold finally being raised was announced and quickly spread throughout the country. Naturally, it caused a heated discussion among the public. During this period of time, the college entrance examination was already trending. Coupled with this piece of news, it instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. It could be said that this year¡¯s college entrance examination was the most closely watched in recent years. Even the higher-ups of the country were paying special attention to this year for some reason. These days, even the aunties who sold vegetables would ask Qin Ming questions. Under such attention, the visible benefits that Qin Ming received as this year¡¯s college entrance examination student were that those aunties who sold vegetables would give him some vegetables for free after chatting. This was their way of showing encouragement. Some communities would even raise banners to encourage this year¡¯s college entrance examination students. On the Internet, the most talked about were the outstanding children among this year¡¯s college entrance examination students. The country had martial academies all over the country, and the most famous one was Emperor Xia¡¯s Academy in the capital, Daming City. The teachers were the most outstanding. The students who could get in were all geniuses. Over the years, the recruitment requirements were naturally one of the highest. Every year, people would talk about which talented students had the chance to enter Emperor Xia¡¯s Academy or other famous schools. If it was in the Southeast Province, they would definitely talk about the new students with potential who could enter Gulan Academy. Some geniuses were even quite famous in the local cities. After being hyped up by some news, it spread online. The thing that those netizens liked to do the most at this time of the year was to compare outstanding freshmen. Some busybodies would even list their rankings and discuss them. Of course, this had nothing to do with the current Qin Ming. He was not in the mood to pay attention to the content of these online catfights. At the moment, his main concern was the login device that was about to finish cooling down. Two days later, there were only eight days left before the final college entrance examination. Meanwhile, the discussions about the college entrance examination on the Internet were getting more and more intense. Who would be the top scholar of the national martial arts department this year? On the interface, the words ¡°monster login device¡± finally returned to its previous golden glow after 16 days. He lay in bed at night. When the translucent interface popped up again, three white treasure chests appeared under the words ¡°monster login device¡±. Qin Ming noticed them at a glance. He was sure that these three treasure chests had never appeared before. Clearly, this was the first time they had appeared after the monster login device was restored. The three treasure chests looked exactly the same. They were completely white and looked ordinary. ¡°Why does it look like a treasure chest item in some games? What¡¯s the use¡­¡± Qin Ming muttered to himself. He realized that an option had popped up while he was staring at one of the treasure chests. [Do you want to open the white treasure chest?] Open. Out of curiosity, Qin Ming opened it in his heart. The first white treasure chest slowly opened. There was no golden light flashing, and there was a natural phenomenon. It was very ordinary, as if a wooden box had been opened. A yellow rat jumped out of the treasure chest and lay on top of it. Its small head turned around, full of vigilance. Name: None Spirit: Spirit Devouring Rat Combat Strength Rating: Level One superior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two, inferior-grade This is¡­ a monster? Qin Ming had once possessed a monster, so he recognized it at a glance. Compared to ordinary animals and beasts, the most important characteristic of monsters was that they had intelligence that ordinary animals and beasts did not have, followed by their extraordinary size and strength. From the little rat¡¯s eyes and appearance, Qin Ming could tell that it was a monster. Unlike the Ardent Sand Ant, this monster called the Spirit Devouring Rat had higher combat strength and growth potential than the former. This was a little thing that had a chance of becoming a Level Two inferior-grade monster. [Do you want to possess the Spirit Devouring Rat?] Another row of options appeared above the little rat¡¯s head. Qin Ming was starting to understand. Unlike the last time when he was inexplicably sent to the other world, this time, the monster that appeared out of the treasure chest would become the monster that he possessed. If there were three treasure chests, it meant that he could choose from three types of monsters. Curious about what the other two treasure chests would give, he immediately opened them one by one. Name: None Monster: Moon Dew Grass Combat Strength Rating: Level One inferior-grade Growth Potential: Level One, superior-grade Name: None Gremlin: Wind Speed Dog Combat Strength Rating: Level One superior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two middle-grade This was like a lucky draw. It seemed like whether the monsters that were drawn were good or bad purely depended on one¡¯s luck and bloodline. From the two scores alone, the monster named Wind Speed Dog that appeared from the third treasure chest was undoubtedly slightly better. His growth potential could reach Level Two middle-grade. As for the Moon Dew Grass, its score was the lowest. After all, it only looked like ordinary grass. If there was something unusual about it, it was that this grass grew exceptionally straight. Its jade-green color did not seem to have any impurities and carried a faint fluorescent light. Although he was surprised that there was a plant among the monster options, this Moon Dew Grass was clearly inferior to the other two¡ªdog and rat. If I choose to possess one of the monsters, I¡¯ll most likely enter that other world. Looking at the three monster options, Qin Ming prepared himself mentally. [Do you want to possess the Wind Speed Dog?] ¡°Possess.¡± In the end, Qin Ming chose the Wind Speed Dog with the best score as his possession target. In the next moment, Qin Ming felt the golden words on the monster login device instantly become dazzling, causing him to close his eyes. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When he regained consciousness, the scene in front of him was no longer his bed, but a huge forest. There were towering trees that were dozens of meters tall, with lush branches. The leafy canopy blocked out most of the sunlight, so it was rather dim in the forest. The ground felt wet and soft under his feet. His silver-gray claws dug into the soil. The grass and pollen in the air smelled raw and organic. This was something that urban dwellers could not experience in a big city. Qin Ming¡¯s entire body was covered in short gray fur. His limbs were not long, but they were exceptionally solid and had a lot of explosive power. Although he couldn¡¯t see his current appearance, Qin Ming knew that he had already become a spirit monster. It was worth mentioning that although he had possessed the Wind Speed Dog this time, he did not receive the memories of this monster like the last time. What he received was only some of the habits and instincts of the Wind Speed Dog. These allowed him to adapt to his current body as quickly as possible. It had to be said that there were many differences between the second time he entered a different world as a monster and the first time he inexplicably possessed an Ardent Sand Ant. Becoming an Ardent Sand Ant for the first time was more like the tutorial level that a gamer entered at the beginning, which was just to let new players experience the fun of the game and learn how to play. After fiddling with his front paws and wandering around twice, Qin Ming wanted to try out his current body. He suddenly kicked his hind legs and jumped twenty feet high. Ka! His sharp front claws sank into the tree trunk, giving him a firm grip on the tree. He exerted strength again, as if his feet were stepping on flat ground. He ran up the vertical tree trunk, and his speed was not slow. He jumped onto the first thick branch that was more than 20 meters tall. Agility, swiftness. This was Qin Ming¡¯s first thought. Spirit monsters are really extraordinary. Qin Ming sighed. Standing on high ground, he looked into the distance. Unfortunately, the dense vegetation obstructed his view and he could not see very far. Thick, long vines weaved their way through the trees. There were abundant thorny shrubs which could cause lacerations if one was not careful. This was a true primeval forest, and it was incomparably huge. In such a place that was teeming with life, Qin Ming thought there must be a large number of monsters living here. He was just one of them. He imagined the survival of the fittest in the food chain. If he was not careful, he might become food for other monsters. Just like how the Black Steel Scorpion in the desert had hunted the Ardent Sand Ants. Although dying in this alternate world was not real death, dying early would definitely lower the final reward score. After waiting for so long, he did not want to die without obtaining anything. He brought up the mission interface. [Monster Login Device, welcome!] [Current login time is five days.] [Mission 1: Kill five Level One superior-grade monsters.] [Mission 2: Find a group of Wind Speed Dogs.] [Mission 3: Complete an evolution.] [Remarks: Completing the mission will increase the final reward score. Failure will reduce the final reward score.] Character Interface: Name: Qin Ming Gremlin: Wind Speed Dog Combat Strength Rating: Level One superior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two middle-grade This time, the login time was increased from three days to five days. Like the previous time, there were three missions issued. According to Qin Ming¡¯s experience, these three missions were tiered according to difficulty level. The first mission was the easiest, and the third mission was the most difficult. He speculated that the reward for completing the first mission would be less than the final reward for completing the third mission, which would be quite good. Of course, if possible, it was best to complete all three missions. After all, failure would lower the final reward score. ¡°Complete an evolution¡­¡± The first two missions were acceptable, but Qin Ming was indeed a little worried about the most difficult third mission. As far as he knew, it took time for a spirit monster to complete an evolution. It also needed to devour the flesh and blood of a large number of other spirit monsters. Heavenly treasures were not something that could be completed overnight. How could he complete this evolution in five days? It¡¯s meaningless to issue missions that can¡¯t be completed. There¡¯s most likely an evolution method that I don¡¯t know about, Qin Ming thought calmly. Leaping down from the tree, he decided to wander around the forest first and look for dog food for the day. Why am I hungry so soon¡­ Wind Speed Dogs, as the name suggested, were known for their speed and agility. Even if Qin Ming didn¡¯t do it on purpose, the sound of his feet stepping on the mud was almost inaudible. It was as if he were walking on wind. His footsteps were very light. This also reduced the danger of being detected by the other spirit monsters to a certain extent. As a newcomer, Qin Ming was quite cautious. He was always in a highly focused state. He kept turning his head and looking around to observe the surroundings. His superstrong sense of smell was his greatest security. Yes? His nostrils twitched slightly as he smelled a faint fishy smell coming from the front. Something was happening! After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he decided to go over and take a look. Two minutes later, Qin Ming lay motionless on a patch of grass. The surrounding tall grass was his cover. Through the gaps in the grass, his silver-gray eyes saw a spirit monster a hundred meters away lowering its head and chewing hard on the carcass lying on the ground. The smell of blood that Qin Ming smelled came from here. This spirit monster looked like a bull, but it was twice as strong as an ordinary black bull. There were three horns on its head, which were arranged like an inverted triangle. The ends were slightly curved like hooks. Its tail, which was as long as a hemp rope trailed on the ground, slapping it from time to time. Name: None Spirit Monster: Trihorn Bull Combat Strength Rating: Level Two inferior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two middle-grade In this alternate world, Qin Ming had the ability to detect the attributes of other spirit monsters. A panel appeared above the monster¡¯s head. ¡°Level Two inferior-grade combat strength score.¡± Without a doubt, this was a Level Two spirit monster. Judging from the combat power stated on the interface, he was no match for this monster. However, this was in theory only. There were too many uncertain factors in a real fight. It did not mean that one would definitely win if one¡¯s combat strength score was high. The first mission was to kill five Level One superior-grade spirit monsters. There was one in front of him, but to be safe, he did not want to fight it head-on. Since I can sense the bloody smell, the other monsters will definitely sense it too. I can secretly observe them. If there¡¯s a chance to reap the benefits, I mustn¡¯t miss it. Qin Ming was hatching his scheme. Although he had the appearance of a spirit monster, he was still himself inside. He knew how to think and avoid danger. Sizzle! In a few minutes, a faint sound came from not far away, which was captured by Qin Ming, who had his ears pricked up. Looking up, his dog¡¯s face changed. A huge black snake head had reached down from a few thick branches. It was on the head of the three-horned ox and was spitting out its tongue. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The head of the snake was almost the size of a millstone, and its body that was gradually revealed was as thick as a water tank. This was a large python! At some point, it had coiled above him. If not for the slight sound it made when it poked its head out, Qin Ming would not have noticed it. With such a huge body, it had come so stealthily. This concealment ability made Qin Ming shudder. Pop! The three-horned bull, which had been eating quickly, seemed to have sensed an uneasy aura. It suddenly raised its head and let out a low roar when it discovered the python coiled above it, as if to warn the python. Name: None Spirit Monster: Black-Striped Python Combat Strength Rating: Level Two inferior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two superior-grade This Black-Striped Python was also a Level Two spirit monster. Although its potential was higher than the Trihorn Bull, its current combat strength score was indeed comparable. It was no wonder that the Trihorn Bull was not afraid when it discovered the giant python in the dark. Ci. The Python stared down at the Trihorn Bull with its scarlet eyes. Its head shook slowly from time to time, as if it was hesitating to attack. It had just woken up and was already famished. It was unwilling to give up on the prey in front of it and leave. It was assessing the combat strength of this prey and did not attack rashly. This made Qin Ming, who had been watching, anxious. He was worried that if this dragged on, more spirit monsters would appear. At that time, he might not be able to reap the benefits. Perhaps hunger had overcome its rationality. The Python finally opened its bloody mouth and pounced at the Trihorn Bull below. It swooped down very quickly. Pop! The Trihorn Bull was not afraid at all. It found an angle and suddenly raised its head. Its slightly curved horns pierced the flesh below the snake¡¯s head, almost ripping through it. A lot of dark colored blood gushed out. The Black-Striped Python let out a sharp cry. After its 10-meter body landed, it began to swing about crazily. In a few moves, it wrapped around the entire body of the Trihorn Bull and quickly contracted, as if it wanted to imprison it. However, the Trihorn Bull¡¯s body was far stronger than ordinary black bulls. The force of its struggle did not allow the Black-Striped python to succeed. As for the three horns that pierced deeply just under the snake¡¯s head, they seemed to be hooked. No matter how hard the Black-Striped Python tried, it could not free itself, let alone open its mouth to bite. On the contrary, when faced with the entangled snake body, the three-horned bull opened its mouth and bit. Its mouth was filled with fangs and had an astonishing bite force. The scales on the black-striped python¡¯s skin could not protect it at all. Qin Ming couldn¡¯t observe the entire battle clearly from afar. He could only see the two spirit monsters rolling on the ground, raising mud and dust everywhere. This lasted for about a minute before the commotion slowly died down. Just as Qin Ming was about to take advantage of the situation, another spirit monster appeared. It was a black ape. It grabbed a vine and jumped onto a tree. It stared at the Bull and Python that were rolling on the ground, looking restless. Name: None Spirit Monster: Astral Ape Combat Strength Rating: Level Two middle-grade Growth Potential: Level Two superior-grade When Qin Ming saw the battle score of this Astral Ape, he wanted to curse. After he had waited for a long time, another fellow who seemed to be stronger came along. It looked like it was not to be trifled with. The key was that not only did this ape have a higher combat strength score, but it also wanted to take advantage of the situation like him. Standing on the tree, its dark eyes darted around. Seeing that the bull and snake had not discovered it, it held its breath and hid there, waiting for them to decide on the victor. It clearly had higher intelligence than the other two monsters and knew a better way of obtaining benefits. The battle on the other side was followed by an intense rolling on the ground. The Black-Striped Python finally broke free from the Bull¡¯s horns and bit it. A few minutes later, its venom paralyzed the Trihorn Bull. In the end, the Black-Striped Python defeated the Trihorn Bull. If not for the Ape that had been hiding, it might have been able to have a full meal today. Unfortunately, it was not destined to be the final victor. The Astral Ape that had been watching the show finally made its move. It jumped from a branch more than ten meters tall and grabbed the vines that were wrapped around in midair, moving agilely. Screech! The Black-Striped Python warily let go of the dying Trihorn Bull and hissed at the approaching Astral Ape. The Astral Ape suddenly swayed in the air. After rolling twice, it quickly leaped down. Roar! Like a cannonball, it dived towards the Black-Striped Python on the ground. With an extremely dull bang, the Black-Striped Python¡¯s head was directly smashed into the mud by the Astral Ape. Perhaps because it had experienced a desperate battle, the Black-Striped Python was already exhausted. At this moment, it was being beaten up by this Astral Ape and could not get up for a long time. In less than a minute, the Black-Striped Python was smashed to death by the Astral Ape. Its Level Two strength was fully revealed. The Astral Ape was too strong. Even though it was much smaller than the Black-Striped Python, the absolute suppression it displayed did not give the Black-Striped Python a chance to resist. Qin Ming could imagine that if he pounced forward now, his outcome might be even worse than the Black-Striped Python. After weighing the pros and cons, Qin Ming chose to give up and turned around to leave. That was a Level Two spirit monster battlefield. Since he had been beaten to it, he could not pick up the spoils anymore. But no matter what, witnessing a battle between spirit monsters was still quite shocking for Qin Ming, who had just arrived. Compared to human society, these spirit monsters seemed more cruel and direct. To ensure the survival of their species, they fought with their lives on the line. Based on what he had seen so far, that was true. However, this was only an action between Level One and Level Two spirit monsters after all. As for what higher-level monsters would do, he was not sure, nor did he make any conclusions. Roar! From time to time, the cries of mutated beasts could be heard from the depths of the forest. Qin Ming could hear that they were very far away. Because of the Black-Striped Python, he became even more cautious now. Every two steps he took, he would look up at the surrounding trees, afraid that there were other spirit monsters lurking above his head. This forest was very big, so big that it had no borders. It was impossible to know what was outside the forest. It was just like the desert where he possessed the Ardent Sand Ant. At that time, he felt that the entire world was a desolate desert. Of course, this was due to his own limitations. There was no way to see beyond the forest and desert. Half a day later, beside a small river. Qin Ming¡¯s silver-gray pupils stared at the lake. A breeze blew past, causing his gray hair to flutter, but his body remained motionless. It was only when a few bubbles suddenly appeared on the surface of the water that he instantly exploded and jumped towards the water. He slammed his front claws down, causing a big splash. At the same time, a fat fish was slapped out and landed on a rock at the side, jumping up and down in despair. Qin Ming, who had fallen into the water, quickly returned to the shore. Shaking the water droplets off his short fur, he felt much more fluffy under the sun. He slapped the fish to death, then gathered some wooden sticks and branches and piled them together. Although he could eat raw food after possessing the body of a spirit monster, his heart was still human after all. He could not accept this beast-like way of eating. He picked up a few long-stemmed plants that were fiery red. He had discovered them by accident. These red plants contained rich fire elements. If they were rubbed against the rocks, they would release those fire elements and burn. Qin Ming fiddled with them and easily built a small fire by the river. He placed the fish on the fire and roasted it. Soon he could smell the fragrance of meat. Chapter 20 - Spirit Monster with Unknown Combat Strength Chapter 20 Spirit Monster with Unknown Combat Strength By the river, where the rocks piled up on the shore. A dog was sitting there roasting fish in a decent manner. No matter how one looked at it, such a scene looked very unusual. After about twenty minutes, the surface of the fish was already charred, and the fragrance of meat gradually became stronger. Qin Ming, who was already starving, couldn¡¯t wait to scratch a few deep marks on the grilled fish with his claws. revealing the steaming hot and tender white fish meat. Although this fish was not a spirit monster, it might be a creature that lived in this world all year round. The nutritional content contained in its meat far exceeded that of ordinary fish that Qin Ming had seen. He took a bite. The texture was crisp and smooth. There was no fishy smell, but more of a fresh fragrance. Delicious! Qin Ming sat on the ground with his back against the rock. He held the steaming fish with his two front claws and gnawed at it. This was his first meal after entering this forest. Perhaps it was because he was hungry, but he quickly finished the fish. He felt that it was not enough. Qin Ming, who was still unsatisfied, immediately went into the water to fish out seven to eight fish and placed them on the fire to roast. He decided to eat before acting. At this moment, a white crane flew over from the sky. The white crane was snow-white all over. It had a slender neck and a red mark on its forehead. When it stretched its wings, it seemed to be dancing in the air. Elegant, beautiful. As it flew past the small river below, it stopped and stood atop a tall tree. Looking at the Wind Speed Dog roasting fish below, its phoenix eyes were filled with curiosity. It was only when the fragrance from the fire dissipated into the sky that it perked up and glided down. Hearing the sound above his head, Qin Ming suddenly stood up and let out a low growl, trying to warn the flying white crane. However, the white crane ignored his warning and landed on the shore. It stood up much taller than Qin Ming. Without a doubt, this was a spirit monster, and it seemed to be quite intelligent. That gaze as it sized up Qin Ming made him think that a human was standing in front of him. Name: None Spirit Monster: Mysterious Heavenly Crane Combat strength score: Unknown Growth Potential: Unknown ¡°Unknown?¡± Qin Ming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. There was only the type of spirit monster on the interface. Its combat strength score and growth potential were both unknown. This was the first time he could not find out the scores of a spirit monster. He sensed that the few Level 2 spirit monsters from before seemed to be a little unusual. Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back. The white crane suddenly cawed at Qin Ming, seemingly not showing any hostility. Compared to Qin Ming, it seemed to be more concerned about the fish that were still roasting on the fire. With a flap of one wing, one of the grilled fish was lifted by an invisible wind and floated in front of it. Its red sharp mouth opened and swallowed the entire steaming fish. It smacked its lips and seemed to find it delicious. It flapped its wings again and, one by one, the remaining grilled fish were swept up by the wind. The flames below were flickering the wind, as if they would be extinguished at any moment. Qin Ming didn¡¯t care that the few fish he had painstakingly roasted were all snatched away. He was more concerned about how this unknown spirit monster would deal with him. If these grilled fish could fill its stomach and make it have no thoughts about him, that would be the best. Just from the control the White Crane had over the wind, he knew that it was a ruthless character. After swallowing several grilled fish, the white crane was still breathing hot air. Its wings flapped twice on the spot, as if it was still not satisfied. It suddenly flapped its wings over the small river at the side, and a stream of fluorescent light poured out with an invisible wind. When it landed on the river, it exploded as if a torpedo had been thrown there. Qin Ming, who was at the side, was shocked by this scene. This spirit monster could unleash such destructive power with just a move. Judging from the power of the explosion just now, it was no less than the crazy self-destruction of those cyborgs! A large amount of water splashed up, and dozens of fresh fish were sent flying onto the rocks by the shore. Croak The white crane seemed to have done nothing. It casually pointed at the fish on the ground with its wings and cawed at Qin Ming. Although he didn¡¯t understand its cry, Qin Ming surprisingly understood what it wanted to express. It wanted Qin Ming to roast more fish. So this is a superior-level spiritual monster! Qin Ming thought to himself. At the same time, he followed the white crane¡¯s instructions and placed the fish on a wooden stick around the fire. He had no choice. In order not to die at the hands of other spirit monsters so early, he could only serve this big shot like a lackey. Perhaps because of the commotion just now, some spirit monsters quietly popped their heads out from behind the trees in the distance. However, when they discovered the white crane¡¯s existence, they quickly retreated with fear and did not dare to walk out. Instinctively, they sensed a terrifying dangerous aura from the white crane. Even though the fragrance of the grilled fish was tempting, they did not dare to offend it. Thud! Thud! Just as Qin Ming was adding firewood to the fire, the ground suddenly trembled. The small stones trembled along with the vibration. In the distant forest, a mutated beast slowly crawled out. Its solid limbs made a dull sound as they stepped on the ground, leaving deep footprints on the ground. The vibration just now was caused by this mutated beast. From its appearance, it looked like an ancient crocodile, but it was much larger. From afar, Qin Ming estimated that it was at least twenty meters long and had considerable tonnage. Name: None Spirit: Violent Lion Combat strength score: Unknown Growth Potential: Unknown Qin Ming was also unable to detect the combat strength score of this spirit monster called the Violent Lion. Although he was not sure how it compared to the white crane beside him, just from its size and aura, it was undoubtedly a superior-level spirit monster. It was not something a lowly Level One spirit monster like him could provoke. The white crane, which was standing on the boulder, also sensed the approach of the Violent Lion. It did not show any panic and still looked calm and elegant. Roar! The Violent Lion roared at the White Crane. Its voice shook the sky, and its angry mouth was filled with a stench. Its eyes were filled with brutality. It was the overlord of this forest area. Which of those spirit monsters did not kneel and bow down to it? For several years, it rarely encountered opponents. However, today, it felt a sense of pressure and fear from this slender white crane. This feeling, which it had not felt for a long time, made it furious. This was its territory. Even the other overlord-level spirit monsters in the forest had to greet it before entering its territory. What¡¯s the background of this white crane? It came here quietly and did not even lower its head to show respect. This was intolerable to the lion. There was a rigid class system among the spirit monsters. As the overlord of this territory, it felt that this was provocation. Bong! Its long tail swung casually, shattering a boulder beside it. Chapter 21 - Forest Overlord Chapter 21 Forest Overlord Just as the Violent Lion stepped into the small river menacingly, the white crane, which had been calm and collected, suddenly flapped its wings and cried loudly. The invisible sound waves were like sharp knives that stunned the Violent Lion. Its huge body froze like a statue. A hint of fear appeared in its tyrannical eyes. At this moment, a powerful pressure emitted from the white crane¡¯s body. Qin Ming, who was at the side, also felt this pressure. His muscles subconsciously tensed up and he tried not to tremble. The White Crane was like an emperor in disguise, high and mighty. No one dared to provoke it. The spirit monsters hiding in the distance were scared out of their wits and quickly dispersed. The Violent Lion roared repeatedly, but it did not dare to step into the small river again. Its roar was much gentler than before. The White Crane had stared out the Violent Lion. With a flap of its wings, a white light shot out. The Violent Lion¡¯s neck suddenly retracted, and it took two steps back. Poof. The white light streaked across the ground in front of it, creating a bottomless crack. This was like a warning to it that if it dared to step over this crack, it would have to fight. The White Crane¡¯s power made the Violent Lion hesitate. It thought that the spirit monsters it encountered this time were at most on the same level. Unexpectedly, the other party seemed to be far stronger. The Violent Lion was one of the most powerful spirit monsters in this forest and had dominated for many years. This White Crane, which it had never seen before, had probably flown here from somewhere other than the forest. With its current intelligence that was not much inferior to humans, it could weigh the pros and cons. After thinking about it repeatedly, the Violent Lion chose to turn around and leave. Without the confidence to defeat this White Crane, it had to gather the other overlords in the forest to discuss alliance. If this White Crane was only passing through this forest and would be leaving in two days, it would not matter to them. Their status would not be challenged. However, if this White Crane wanted to occupy this forest and seize territory, they would have to join forces against outsiders as the original owners of the forest. As the Violent Lion was the first to admit defeat and leave, the battle between the high-level spirit monsters that was about to erupt stopped. Qin Ming heaved a sigh of relief. As a Level One spirit monster, if these two big shots started fighting, he might be implicated. He wanted to run away quietly, but he was worried that the White Crane would discover him and he would die faster. What kind of world is this¡­ Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help thinking after seeing so many unheard-of mutated beasts. After the Violent Lion left, the White Crane restrained its aura and continued to urge Qin Ming to roast the fish. Hurry up¡­ This White Crane seems to like fish. In the next hour, it gobbled 20 to 30 grilled fish before it was satisfied. Gugu¡­ It walked to Qin Ming¡¯s side and patted his back with its wings like a human. Is this praise for me? Qin Ming looked up at the White Crane at a close distance. Its snow-like feathers were very beautiful, and it had an otherworldly aura. It was like a crane in a fairy tale. Of course, thinking back to the way it ate the grilled fish, Qin Ming¡¯s impression of it became worse. The crane in legends would not eat grilled fish like this. After eating and drinking its fill, the White Crane soared into the sky and flew leisurely towards the forest. When Qin Ming, who was a sidekick to the big boss, saw this, he was just glad to be alive. At the same time, he prepared to leave quickly. However, the White Crane, which had already taken off, seemed to have thought of something. It circled in the air and flew back. As it glided, its two claws grabbed Qin Ming¡¯s body. ¡°F*ck, Boss, spare me!¡± Qin Ming felt his body being lifted into the air. He cried out uneasily, but he didn¡¯t dare to move. In a few breaths, the White Crane had already flown a hundred miles into the sky with him. He was afraid that he would accidentally fall. Seeing that the White Crane was ignoring him, he could only fly obediently with it. Looking down, there were many tall trees below. The White Crane did not fly fast. Occasionally, he could see spirit monsters and wild beasts running in the forest below. Qin Ming raised his head slightly and felt a gust of wind. He squinted and looked into the distance. Even from a high altitude, he still could not see the edge of the forest. In the distance, he could vaguely see some black shadows. They were like mountains, faintly discernible in the hazy white fog. The sky was blue, and the sun that looked slightly larger than the sun in the real world was overhead. It was exactly the same as the last time he possessed the Sand Ant Queen. However, the sunlight was not as unbearable as the heat at that time. Qin Ming didn¡¯t know where the White Crane was taking him. Since he couldn¡¯t do anything, he could only look around. With his own ability, he couldn¡¯t fly in the air to observe what this world looked like. If one looked carefully, apart from the sun in the sky that was thrice as large, there were also some exceptionally bright stars. Even during the day, with the brilliance of the sun, he could still see them. From time to time, some multicolored phenomena would appear in the distance. They would bloom and fade at times. There were even meteor-like objects that tore through the sky. These phenomena were extremely rare in real life. They could only be seen in specific times and places. Although they weren¡¯t common in this alternative world, they did not seem to be rare phenomena. What¡¯s that! Qin Ming suddenly widened his eyes. Somewhere to his left, a huge creature was moving through the forest. Its limbs were like huge stone pillars. Even a tree that was 20 to 30 meters tall only reached half the height of its legs. Its upper body was in full view of Qin Ming. From its appearance, it looked very much like a giant mammoth from the primordial era. It was a thousand feet tall and completely gray. It looked like a huge monster. Standing next to the trees, its visual impact was huge. Even the Violent Lion from earlier was like a little bean in front of this giant mammoth. In terms of size, it was completely incomparable. This¡­ is also a spirit monster¡­ Qin Ming was a little shocked. The mammoth did not move quickly, but with every step it took, it destroyed the trees that were in its way. It blazed two trails as it moved through the forest. Qin Ming wanted to check the attributes panel of the mammoth, even if he could only find out the name of this spiritual monster. Unfortunately, due to the distance, he could not detect the attributes panel of the giant mammoth. The White Crane that was flying with him also glanced at the giant mammoth walking in the distance. Seeing that its route was different from the mammoth, it did not pay much attention to it. Chapter 22 - Forced to Become Big Boss Little Brother Chapter 22 Forced to Become Big Boss¡¯ Little Brother After flying for a while, Qin Ming could no longer see the mammoth. It was not until the sun set that a lake appeared in the forest below. The White Crane brought him down. The lake in front of him was very big. It was oval, and at least 10 miles in diameter. The lake was blue and bottomless. On the calm lake, spots of fluorescent light slowly floated into the sky until they were more than 30 feet high. When he was still flying in the sky, Qin Ming thought that the fluorescence was similar to the phenomenon of fireflies flying. Now that he was observing it up close, he realized that the fluorescent lights came from this lake. Standing on the edge of the lake, he looked down. There were rays of blue light in the water, swimming nimbly like slender water snakes. The fluorescent light was the halo produced by the blue light swimming in the water. Such a phenomenon made Qin Ming know that the lake in front of him was clearly extraordinary. It was impossible for it to be as simple as an ordinary lake. After the white crane landed, it first preened its feathers unhurriedly before calling out to Qin Ming, indicating for him to stay away from the lake. Looks like this White Crane came here for this lake, Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but think to himself when he saw this. At the same time, he retreated obediently. It seemed like the White Crane was about to do something. He wanted to see what it was doing here. The next moment, the White Crane flapped its wings and flew above the lake. It circled the lake a few times, seeming to be looking for something. A moment later, it suddenly shot the white fluorescent light that he had seen previously into the lake below. The shocking destructive power he¡¯d expected did not appear. The white light flashed and disappeared. Just as Qin Ming was confused, ripples began to appear on the originally calm lake. Immediately after, the surface of the water began to churn like boiling water. A large number of bubbles emerged from the bottom of the lake. This commotion was not small. Bong! A huge fish nearly two meters long suddenly emerged from the bottom of the lake. It jumped into the air and kept twitching its tail. This big fish was dark blue and emitted cold air. The moment it appeared, it was blown to the ground by a gust of wind from the White Crane. After seeing this big fish, Qin Ming suddenly understood why the White Crane brought him along The big fish attempted to jump back into the lake when Qin Ming pounced on it immediately, wanting to catch it. However, he had underestimated the power of this fish. He thought that after leaving the water, the big fish would be like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Unexpectedly, after seeing Qin Ming pounce at it, it suddenly swung its tail and slapped Qin Ming. Qin Ming cried out in pain as he was sent flying Name: None Spirit Monster: Nether Fish Combat strength score: Unknown Growth Potential: Unknown It was no wonder that Qin Ming was sent flying. This was another spirit monster with unknown combat strength. Now, he more or less understood that these spirit monsters whose combat strength score he couldn¡¯t detect were most likely much stronger than him. He could still detect a Level Two spirit monster. From the looks of it, this Nether Fish was at least a Level Three spirit monster. It was two levels higher than his combat strength. Seeing that the Nether Fish was about to jump back into the lake, the white crane flapped its wings and a gust of wind hit the fish, knocking it back. With the same unknown combat strength, the Nether Fish had no way of resisting the White Crane. In just a few moves, it was beaten to the ground. The White Crane pointed at the fish and called out to Qin Ming. As he had thought, the White Crane brought him along so that he could continue roasting fish for it. Since it was the big shot¡¯s request, Qin Ming naturally didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He nodded obediently and walked towards this miserable Nether Fish. Seeing that the Nether Fish was about to die, he immediately quickened his pace and went over to finish it off. Just like that, this big fish with unknown combat strength died in the hands of a Level One spirit monster like him. [Mission 1: Kill five high-grade Level One or above spirit monsters. Current Progress: 1/5] Indeed, such an attack was useful. He was the one who killed this big fish. One of Mission 1¡¯s hunting tasks had been completed. There were still four spirit monsters left. All that was left was to roast this big fish. Looking at the huge fish that was nearly two meters tall, he knew it was not so easy to roast it. The White Crane stood on a boulder beside the lake and grooming its feathers. It did not seem to have any intention of helping. Well, the grilled fish was all done by the underlings. The big shot only needed to be responsible for eating at the end. Qin Ming didn¡¯t delay and quickly gathered a large amount of wood. However, he didn¡¯t find any fiery red long-stemmed plants that could be ignited by the lake. He had no choice but to walk a little further to gather them. During this time, he entertained thoughts of running away, but when he thought of the White Crane¡¯s divine power, he quickly dismissed the idea. A few kilometers from the lake, he finally found a few fireweeds. When he returned to the lake, the White Crane was still standing on the huge rock with a nonchalant look, as if it didn¡¯t care about Qin Ming walking away. He lit a fire and built a simple grill with a few sturdy sticks. He placed the big fish on the grill to roast. However, to Qin Ming¡¯s surprise, even though this big fish was already dead, it emanated a large amount of cold air from its body, so the fire could not roast it at all. The flames could not even get near the big fish¡¯s carcass. At the side, the White Crane seemed unable to stand it. It flapped its wings gently, causing a breeze to blow at the bottom of the fire. The fire suddenly rose and became exceptionally strong. Qin Ming, who was close to the fire at first, was so frightened that he backed off after almost getting his hair burned. The rising flames pushed out the drifting cold air, and sizzling sounds could be heard as the fish got roasted. If Qin Ming activated his spiritual perception, he would be able to sense the special energy fluctuations contained in the flames. However, at this moment, he felt that the temperature of the flames had increased a lot after being fanned by the breeze summoned by the White Crane. He did not discover anything else. From time to time, he would flip the fish on the grill so that it would not be completely charred. With the help of the White Crane, this big fish was being roasted much faster than expected. In less than half an hour, the fish skin was charred. A large amount of heat mixed with the fragrance of meat wafted out. He used its claws to cut a few incisions on the surface, revealing the tender flesh inside. The fragrance that dissipated in the air became stronger. The White Crane couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. It loved fish. It even ate those ordinary fish that were not spirit monsters with relish. Now, it was drooling over this high-quality spirit fish when it smelled its fragrance. Qin Ming called out a few times, indicating that it was almost done. Chapter 23 - Nether Fish Chapter 23 Nether Fish The White Crane flapped its wings and another gust of wind easily extinguished the fire. If it was an ordinary fish, it would have swallowed it whole. However, this spirit monster fish was nearly two meters long, so it was naturally impossible for it to swallow the entire fish. The smart Qin Ming immediately used his claws to filet the fish. It was his duty to serve the big shot. The White Crane glanced at Qin Ming and croaked a few times. It seemed to be quite satisfied with him and happily ate the sliced fish. After eating to its heart¡¯s content, it even called Qin Ming over to eat with it. After all, with the size of this fish, it couldn¡¯t finish it at one go. This was what Qin Ming was waiting for. He had been serving the big shot well so that it would be satisfied. At the same time, he wanted to eat a mouthful of this spirit monster fish¡¯s meat. His third evolution mission required him to eat various herbs and ores or devour the flesh and blood of other spirit monsters. These were all necessary steps before the evolution. The flesh and blood of a high-level spirit monster was a huge treasure for a low-level spirit monster. To Qin Ming, who was only a Level One spirit monster, this unknown spirit monster fish was a huge treasure. It was good enough to have a bite. After obtaining the White Crane¡¯s agreement, Qin Ming immediately went up and started eating Soon after eating the fish meat, he felt his body gradually become hot. Every cell seemed to be trying its best to absorb the nutrients and spiritual energy contained in the fish meat. His heart gradually beat faster, and the blood in his body flowed faster. Qin Ming knew that this was a normal reaction after he ate a high-level spirit monster. He could feel the changes in his body. This was a good sign. It meant that his body was slowly strengthening. At the side, the White Crane had stopped eating. It seemed to be full. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water from the lake, it squatted on the boulder and took a nap. It wasn¡¯t surprised by the changes in Qin Ming¡¯s body. It knew the value of this Nether Fish. Although the fish was just a daily meal for the White Crane, it was very helpful for Qin Ming. He felt a swelling sensation in his body, like a hot air balloon expanding to its limit. Only then did he stop eating. There was still some fish meat left, but unfortunately, he could not eat anymore. Be it the fish meat or the spiritual energy that was constantly released from the fish meat, he had already reached the peak that his body could withstand. Too much was as bad as not enough. If he ate more, he might have to pay the price for his greed. He felt his entire body become extremely hot, and there was even some heat rising from his body. Weakly, he found a spot and lay down, quietly digesting the fish meat he had just eaten. It was not until noon the next day that Qin Ming felt the heat in his body subside. The fish meat he ate was almost digested. Due to the presence of the White Crane, no other spirit monsters dared to approach the lake the entire night, which gave him a safe environment to rest. He could feel the changes that came about overnight. Although the fish meat yesterday did not allow him to directly complete an evolution, the benefits were still real. Firstly, his body was much stronger than before. His muscles had become more solid, and his bones were more tenacious. Even his physique seemed to have become bigger. Looking at his reflection in the lake, Qin Ming found these changes unbelievable. It was simply unscientific that such changes could happen in just one night. The grayish-white short fur on his body had also grown a little longer, especially the furry patch on his lower neck. This was an obvious change. Although his combat strength score was still Level One superior grade on the interface, he had grown remarkably compared to yesterday. When the White Crane saw Qin Ming, it flapped its wings twice and flew away. This time, it didn¡¯t take Qin Ming along. It was just a passerby in this forest. It had no intention of staying here for long. It had thought that Qin Ming was very interesting and had a spirituality that other low-level spirit monsters did not have. A feast of fish had satisfied its craving, and having observed Qin Ming, it naturally wouldn¡¯t delay when it was time to leave. After watching the big shot leave, Qin Ming glanced at the remaining fish on the boulder. Without a word, he decisively went up and gnawed on it. It was a shame to waste food. With his fine dining etiquette, he definitely had to finish the rest of the meal. The remaining fish meat eventually entered his stomach. He felt the heat that had just subsided surge again. Although it was not as intense as last night, he still felt the soreness in his muscles and bones. Without the forbidding presence of the white crane, the surroundings of the lake were no longer safe. Qin Ming chose to leave without much hesitation, leaving behind a pile of fish bones. After losing the high-level spirit monster fish, the blue fluorescent light on the lake gradually dimmed, turning the lake into an ordinary one. It could be said that the Nether Fish was the owner of this lake. It was the source of the lake¡¯s unusual growth potential. Unfortunately, after suffering this calamity, it became someone else¡¯s meal. Qin Ming found a hole in a tree trunk and crawled into it, silently digesting the last of the fish. This time, the digestion was faster. Halfway through the afternoon, the heat in his body slowly decreased. His physique was enhanced again. With a wave of his claws, he could easily leave a deep claw mark on the tree. The combat power on the interface showed no signs of breaking through to the next level. However, he was more confident in his first hunting mission now. After all, he knew his physical condition best and how much his combat strength had increased compared to before. With the help of the detection function, he quickly killed four Level One superior grade spirit monsters. Although he suffered some injuries himself, they were not serious. During this period, he encountered many spirit monsters of a higher level than him. Fortunately, he had safely avoided them and did not take too much risk. In addition, he also discovered that not all spirit monsters were ferocious creatures that killed each other when they crossed paths. There were also many spirit monsters with high combat strength that were benign and fed on worms, grass, and other plants. Compared to the flesh and blood of other spiritual monsters, they were more willing to find natural treasures to devour. Even if Qin Ming passed by them, they would not attack him as long as he did not provoke them. On the other hand, some plant-type spirit monsters were not so benign. Their motionless appearance belied their ferocity. Qin Ming witnessed a Level One spirit monster being devoured by a huge flower. From then on, when he chanced upon suspicious plants, he would first investigate before deciding whether to approach them to avoid falling into the trap of the plant spirit monsters. Chapter 24 - Wind Speed Dog Pack Chapter 24 Wind Speed Dog Pack It was the third day since he came to the world of spirit monsters. [Mission 1: Kill five Level One superior spirit monsters. Quest Number: 5/5. Completed.] [Mission 2: Find a group of Wind Speed Dogs. Uncompleted.] [Mission 3: Complete an evolution. Uncompleted.] Qin Ming looked at the mission interface. He had completed the first mission yesterday. However, the next two missions were still unfinished, which made him a little anxious. Obtaining a good reward score and having a chance to enter the Martial Arts Department would depend on his achievement on this trip to the world of spirit monsters. Whether these two missions could be completed would determine the final reward. The third evolution mission depended on luck. Qin Ming did not have a good solution at the moment. His current goal was to find a group of Wind Speed Dogs to complete his second mission. When he was hunting other Level One spirit monsters yesterday, he tried to find traces of his own kind. He had found a little clue. He came upon a bush nearby. Half of a Wind Speed Dog¡¯s body was lying there. It had died quite miserably. Parts of its body had been eaten by other spirit monsters. From its remains, Qin Ming could tell that this Wind Speed Dog had not been dead for long. Even the blood hadn¡¯t completely dried and solidified. It had probably died in the last two days. There were quite a number of Wind Speed Dogs in this forest. Usually, they would appear in packs. Other than the odd one like Qin Ming, there were very few that went about alone. Therefore, he speculated that a group of Wind Speed Dogs must be nearby. If there was a battle with other spirit monsters, there should be more signs of fighting, Qin Ming thought to himself and searched the area surrounding this carcass. It was already late at night when he found this carcass yesterday. Because the environment was too dark, he did not continue searching because he was worried that there would be danger. Now that he was searching again, he found other traces. He keenly smelled something familiar from the direction east of the carcass. As he ventured in the direction, he saw the carcass of another Wind Speed Dog. Qin Ming immediately proceeded in this direction, and gradually came upon more carcasses of Wind Speed Dogs. Some of them only had a little fur and blood left. If not for the fact that Qin Ming could distinguish the scent of Wind Speed Dogs, it would have been difficult to find them in this forest. Half a day later, he found a total of five carcasses with blood traces of Wind Speed Dogs. After that, the search trail was cut off. He did not discover any other carcasses. Fortunately, the lingering smell allowed him to continue tracking them down. This also meant that the other Wind Speed Dogs were not very far from where he was. Half an hour later, under a few big trees, he saw dozens of gray-haired Wind Speed Dogs squatting or resting on the ground. Some of them had obvious wounds and were licking each other¡¯s blood. One of the Wind Speed Dogs was much larger than the others. It was like a lion, and its fur was different from the ordinary grayish-white color. Instead, it was pale yellow. It made him stand out from the rest of the pack. It was the leader of this group of Wind Speed Dogs. It had just led its group in escaping a calamity. I¡¯ve finally found them¡­ When Qin Ming saw this group of Wind Speed Dogs, the joy in his heart was indescribable. His efforts had not been in vain. At the same time, Mission 2 on the interface showed that it had been completed. Of the three missions, only the final evolution mission was left. When the Wind Speed Dogs sensed Qin Ming¡¯s presence, they all stood up with some hostility. Some even let out low growls, warning Qin Ming not to approach. Although they were of the same kind, the other party did not seem to welcome him. This made Qin Ming a little vexed. Among spirit monsters, not everyone would accept you. Different species would also fight. Even if they were of the same species, they might become enemies for various reasons. This was similar to humans. The outsider Qin Ming was a threat to them. Initially, Qin Ming wanted to hang out with the pack for a while. After all, in this dangerous forest, it was definitely safer to be in a group than to be alone. Now it seemed unlikely. Sensing this hostility, Qin Ming prepared to turn around and leave to avoid being attacked by a group of Wind Speed Dogs. Anyway, the second search mission had been completed. He could stay or leave. On the other side, the big, yellow-haired wind dog suddenly stood up. Name: None Spirit: Wind Speed Dog Leader Combat Strength Rating: Level Two inferior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two middle-grade Qin Ming instinctively probed into the leader¡¯s combat strength. As expected, this Wind Speed Dog Leader was a Level Two spirit monster. Its eyes swept towards Qin Ming, who was about to turn around. Could it be that it wants to deal with me? Qin Ming was shocked. There was no enmity between them. Moreover, they were of the same kind. He thought that it shouldn¡¯t attack him. The leader¡¯s gaze lingered on Qin Ming for a few seconds before it looked around. A pair of ears perked up, as if listening intently to their surroundings. At this moment, Qin Ming also felt that something was wrong. He heard some footsteps and the faint rustle of grass. Are spirit monsters approaching this place, and are there many of them? Roar! The leader stood still and growled. It crouched slightly and bared a few sharp fangs. It looked ready to attack. When the dozens of Wind Speed Dogs heard their leader¡¯s low growl, they also got into a fighting stance. As the rustling sounds approached, Qin Ming couldn¡¯t care less about anything else and sought refuge where the Wind Speed Dogs were. Perhaps because there was a greater threat, these Wind Speed Dogs didn¡¯t have the time to bother with Qin Ming for the time being. They were staring at the bushes. Why do I feel like I¡¯m being ambushed? When Qin Ming heard the sounds, he felt a little uneasy as he looked in the direction of the bushes. He speculated that this group of Wind Speed Dogs must have had an intense battle with other spirit monsters before he came. When he saw them resting just now, he thought that the battle was over. From the looks of it, they were not out of danger yet. He had accidentally gotten himself into this mess. Soon, spirit monsters, one after another, appeared from the long grass. Name: None Spirit Monster: Two-tailed Leopard Combat Strength Rating: Level One superior-grade Growth Potential: Level Two superior-grade This was a group of very robust-looking spotted leopards. Their tails were very strange. They had two slender tails that oscillated like snakes. There were red spots on their eye sockets. They looked at the Wind Speed Dogs with their beastly eyes, as if they were hunters eyeing their prey. Since Qin Ming was among them, he was naturally one of their prey. Chapter 25 - Battle of the Species Chapter 25 Battle of the Species There were quite a number of Two-Tailed Leopards. In fact, there were dozens of them. At some point, they had formed an encirclement around them. When the Wind Speed Dogs saw this group of Two-Tailed Leopards, they immediately became agitated. Their previous opponents were this group of Double-Tailed Leopards. After a few rounds of intense fighting, the two groups had suffered losses. Overall, the Wind Speed Dogs had suffered more losses. Now, when the foes met again, their eyes blazed with hatred. The yellow Wind Speed Dog Leader was even more ferocious. It walked at the front of the pack to confront the group of Two-Tailed Leopards. Only one of the Wind Speed Dogs looked worried. If possible, Qin Ming really wanted to prove that he was not in cahoots with these Wind Speed Dogs and ask the Two-Tailed Leopards opposite him to let him off. Regrettably, however, looking at the other party¡¯s cannibalistic demeanor, this was most unlikely. Howl! Not only was the dog leader not afraid, but it even took the lead to attack the Two-Tailed Leopards. With a low growl, it lunged. After all, it was a Level Two fighter. Compared to this group of Level One spirit monsters, his momentum was quite strong. The Two-Tailed Leopards jumped away in fright and did not dare to bite the charging Wind Speed Dog leader. However, they quickly pounced forward. Once again the spirit monsters of both species were engaged in a battle, and the scene was quite chaotic. Soon the ground was covered in blood. Although this group of Two-Tailed Leopards did not have a Level Two leader, their individual combat strength was stronger than the Wind Speed Dogs. A group of Level One superior-grade spirit monsters could be further categorized into different levels. In comparison, the Wind Speed Dog¡¯s combat strength could only be considered average among the Level One superior-grade spirit monsters. However, the Double-Tailed Leopards were different. As they were natural hunting experts, their combat strength was considered top-notch among Level One superior-grade spirit monsters. Fortunately, the Wind Speed Dogs had a Level Two leader. Otherwise, they might have been wiped out by the Two-Tailed Leopards. In the chaos, Qin Ming was extremely vigilant. He tried his best to not let the Two-Tailed Leopards notice his existence. A Wind Speed Dog in front of him was bitten by a Two-Tailed Leopard that suddenly pounced on it from behind. It immediately fell to the ground and rolled around in pain. Once it got bitten by the Two-Tailed Leopard, it was difficult to break free. Qin Ming knew that without the help of his own kind, this Wind Speed Dog was most likely doomed. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly made up his mind. Although he had nothing to do with this group of Wind Speed Dogs, the Two-Tailed Leopards would definitely not let him off now. If this group of Wind Speed Dogs failed to defeat the Two-Tailed Leopards, he would become its next target. Whether he was willing or not, he was already tied to this group of Wind Speed Dogs. If he did not have a chance to escape, there was only one choice in front of him. Help this group of Wind Speed Dogs defeat the Two-Tailed Leopards. After weighing the pros and cons, Qin Ming stopped slacking. He exerted strength in his limbs and jumped up extremely quickly. His big claws sank hard into the head of the Two-Tailed Leopard that was biting and refusing to let go. Bong! The Two-Tailed Leopard, who could not react in time, was pressed down firmly by Qin Ming. Its head hit the ground, making a muffled sound. The Wind Speed Dog in its mouth managed to break free. Roar! The Two-Tailed Leopard struggled wildly under Qin Ming¡¯s claws. Only at this moment did Qin Ming truly feel how much his strength had increased after eating those two meals of fish meat. He exerted strength again and sank his sharp claws into the leopard¡¯s head, easily creating a few bloody holes. This Two-Tailed Leopard was killed by Qin Ming in an instant. There was a certain element of sneak attack, but most of it came from Qin Ming¡¯s control of his strength. Ordinary Level One spirit monsters did not have the chance to eat high-level spirit monster meat like the Nether Fish. Only Qin Ming was lucky enough to share the food with the White Crane. This was a rather rare opportunity. The Wind Speed Dog that had escaped death struggled to its feet. It seemed to know that Qin Ming had saved it. It no longer looked at Qin Ming with hostility but with gratitude. Qin Ming could feel the other party¡¯s gratitude as vividly as human emotions. At this moment, another Two-Tailed Leopard pounced on Qin Ming from behind. Qin Ming had killed one of its companions, making its pounce especially aggressive. The Wind Speed Dog that survived reacted immediately. Even though the wounds on its body were very serious, it head-butted the Two-Tailed Leopard that attacked Qin Ming. Qin Ming, who lacked combat experience, finally reacted. He immediately took his cue from the Wind Speed Dog and killed the Two-Tailed Leopard that pounced on him. The two Wind Speed Dogs cooperated well in this chaotic battle. It seemed that because Qin Ming had saved its life, this Wind Speed Dog kept following him. When Qin Ming pounced at the Two-Tailed Leopard, it would follow him and bite the leopard without hesitation. With the two of them working together, not only was it much safer, but the lethality of their attacks was also greatly increased. Although these Level One demons had a certain level of intelligence, it was still difficult for them to cooperate with each other to kill enemies. Most of them were biting each other in the chaos without any cooperation. Qin Ming and this Wind Speed Dog had the most tacit understanding in the battlefield. Of course, this was also thanks to Qin Ming¡¯s intentional cooperation. This was because Qin Ming was an exceptionally powerful Level One spirit monster. They also had the advantage of having a Level Two Wind Speed Dog leader. The victory of this battle gradually tilted towards the Wind Speed Dogs. After more than 10 Two-Tailed Leopards died, the remaining leopards finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and chose to escape. Only then did the chaotic battle between the species stop. The Wind Speed Dogs were about to continue chasing and biting the leopards, but the leader roared and stopped them. They obeyed their leader¡¯s orders and stopped. Qin Ming glanced around. After all, the individual combat power of the Two-Tailed Leopards was stronger than that of the Wind Speed Dogs. Although they had suffered heavy losses this time, the Wind Speed Dogs had also suffered greatly. There were more than 10 carcasses of their species lying on the ground, their bodies covered in wounds and bites. Qin Ming wasn¡¯t injured, but the Wind Speed Dog that had been fighting with him was trembling, having sustained serious injuries. The Wind Speed Dog leader looked back at its pack members that were dead. Qin Ming could feel the sadness from its expression. Its emotions were very vivid, like a human¡¯s. It could not retrieve the carcasses of its companions. It knew that they did not have much time to mourn. The other powerful spirit monsters in the forest might come here at any time. If they stayed too long, they would be in greater danger. What made Qin Ming feel a little emotional was that some Wind Speed Dogs walked silently to their dead companions lying on the ground, lowered their heads, and nudged their motionless bodies, as if they were bidding farewell. Chapter 26 - Golden Resin Chapter 26 Golden Resin Soon, with a low growl from the leader, the remaining Wind Speed Dogs slowly left with their leader. The Wind Speed Dog that Qin Ming had saved walked a few steps with the team. Suddenly, it turned around and looked at Qin Ming, who was standing on the spot, and whimpered. It was calling for Qin Ming to follow. Qin Ming thought for a moment. Those Two-Tailed Leopards might not have gone far. Now that they had formed a grudge, it would be difficult for him to escape if he encountered them alone in the future. Now, he was confident that he could kill a Two-Tailed Leopard one-on-one. If it was one against two, he could at most win with some injuries. If it was one against three, he could run even if he couldn¡¯t win. But if there were more Two-Tailed Leopards, it was hard to say if he could escape. It was already the third day. Even if there was no hope of completing the third evolution mission, he wanted to stay alive for five days. The leader glanced at Qin Ming and did not say anything. Clearly, Qin Ming had fought against the Two-Tailed Leopards alongside them just now, which had more or less brought them closer. At the very least, those Wind Speed Dogs no longer had any resistance towards Qin Ming and seemed to have accepted him. He followed the Wind Speed Dogs on a long journey. An hour later, they came to a huge tree. This tree was bronze in color and about 50 meters long. It was so thick that even five or six adults holding hands would not be able to reach all the way around it. It was much larger than the surrounding trees and was quite conspicuous. This was the lair of the Wind Speed Dog Pack. In addition to the Wind Speed Dogs that were out, there were also 30 to 40 Wind Speed Dogs waiting under the tree. When they saw that it was Qin Ming and the others, they first looked up before lying back down. Clearly, they were all companions of the same pack and were very familiar with each other. The Wind Speed Dog that was saved by Qin Ming took the initiative to come to Qin Ming¡¯s side and brought him to the tree to rest. Qin Ming saw that the leader had also come under the tree. It stretched out its front claws and dug at the thick tree trunk. A few cracks appeared on the bark, and some golden resin flowed out from these cracks. Then, one by one, the injured Wind Speed Dogs came to the leader¡¯s side and smeared the golden resin on their wounds. The resin was like honey that gradually solidified on the wounds of these Wind Speed Dogs. What is this? Qin Ming was puzzled. The Wind Speed Dog that Qin Ming saved had already returned to his side covered in resin. It barked at him. It meant that he should apply some too. Curious, Qin Ming walked over to the leader. When the leader saw Qin Ming coming over, it did not reject him. It also applied resin on a few wounds on Qin Ming¡¯s body. Qin Ming felt a cooling sensation on his hot and painful wounds. Not only did it quickly stop the bleeding, but his wounds also gradually healed and became less painful. Qin Ming realized that this golden resin actually had a healing effect. And the effect seemed to be quite good. Some of the subtle wounds scabbed over in a few minutes and completely healed. No wonder these Wind Speed Dogs chose this tree as their base, Qin Ming thought. If he discovered that the resin of this big tree had such an effect, he would also take it for himself. With such a huge tree, the resin was almost inexhaustible. This was a treasure tree. Qin Ming looked at the bronze tree again and again, studying the resin. Although this resin was a treasure, it was a pity that it only had the ability to treat external injuries. If a spirit monster swallowed it, it would be useless. He thought, If this resin is beneficial to the evolution of spirit monsters, it¡¯d probably have been devoured by other powerful spirit monsters long ago. Why would it continue to be here? Late at night, Qin Ming rested in the lair of the Wind Speed Dogs. He decided to follow this group of Wind Speed Dogs for a while and observe how they usually moved around. At the same time, he would try to find any traces of natural treasures that might appear. At this point, the only way he could think of to evolve was to devour rare heavenly treasures. Even if the chances of him finding them were slim, he had to try. That was the plan, but something unexpected always happened in reality. The next morning, before dawn. The group of Two-Tailed Leopards followed their trail and found the Wind Speed Dog¡¯s lair. This time, there were even more of them. There were nearly a hundred of them. This was the first time Qin Ming had seen such a large-scale operation. The first to notice the commotion was the Wind Speed Dog leader. He let out a warning roar. Only then did Qin Ming open his eyes in a daze. It was dark all around, but behind the bushes in the distance, he could vaguely see dozens of pairs of slightly red beastly eyes staring at him. The Two-Tailed Leopards had made a comeback so quickly and had directly surrounded the Wind Speed Dog¡¯s lair. This was something Qin Ming had not expected. There are so many of them. It¡¯s a huge problem¡­ Qin Ming looked around and felt a headache coming on. He didn¡¯t expect there to be so many Two-Tailed Leopards. There were only about 50 Wind Speed Dogs here, but there were nearly 100 of them. In terms of numbers, they were already completely crushed. The Wind Speed Dogs were in a very dangerous situation now. This was the cruelty of the spirit monster world. If one was not careful, one might be exterminated. Their only advantage was that they had a Level Two leader. Among the Two-Tailed Leopards, there was no such Second Realm combat power. But even so, Qin Ming still didn¡¯t think highly of the Wind Speed Dog Pack. He had seen the strength of that leader before. It was very strong, but it was far from enough to make up for the difference in numbers. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have suffered such a huge loss when they fought the Two-Tailed Leopards. Qin Ming saw that the Two-Tailed Leopards¡¯ encirclement was the same as the previous encounter. They planned to capture them in one fell swoop and completely cut off the Wind Speed Dogs and Qin Ming¡¯s escape route. Even if Qin Ming wanted to escape, he didn¡¯t have the chance. He was prepared to die in battle. Thus, the death battle of the pack officially began. This time, Qin Ming didn¡¯t hold back at all. In order to protect himself, he went all out to kill as many Two-Tailed Leopards as he could. The scene quickly became bloody. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Even though the Wind Speed Dogs were at a complete disadvantage in terms of numbers, they were very cohesive. With a command from the leader, no one except Qin Ming wanted to escape. A few minutes later, after Qin Ming severely injured five or six Two-tailed Leopards, a long wound was torn open on his back by the Two-Tailed Leopards. It was enough to affect his subsequent movements. He endured the pain and jumped onto a tree branch to catch his breath. His claws cut open the bark and saw the golden resin flowing out. He immediately rolled on the branch twice to let the resin cover the wound on his back. Although it wouldn¡¯t heal for a while, at least the bleeding stopped. Chapter 27 - Respect of the Wind Speed Dogs Chapter 27 Respect of the Wind Speed Dogs From the corner of his eye, he saw more than 10 Two-Tailed Leopards chasing and biting the Wind Speed Dog leader. At this moment two Two-Tailed Leopards were on its back. It was facing a huge crisis and could not help its pack members much. Roar! Qin Ming stood on the tree for a few seconds before the Two-Tailed Leopards below caught up to him. They also had sharp claws that could help them climb trees. Yes! Seeing them catch up, Qin Ming¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. Every main branch of the tree was very solid. It was strong enough for Qin Ming to stand on it and roll around without falling. However, it was not that wide. At most, only two Two-Tailed Leopards could stand side by side on it. This meant that as long as Qin Ming remained up on the tree, it was impossible for five or six Two-Tailed Leopards to jointly pounce on him and bite him. As expected, four Two-Tailed Leopards came up, but they all jumped onto the main branch where Qin Ming was. Qin Ming was not afraid of them. Without hesitation, he charged forward and slapped them with his big claws. The first Two-Tailed Leopard that pounced on him was easily slapped down. The remaining three also came up one by one. Two of them were killed and one was injured by him. Roar! On the branch, Qin Ming let out a provocative roar at the Two-Tailed Leopards below. Immediately, the Two-Tailed Leopards became agitated. They growled from below and rushed forward. This was the effect he wanted. They occupied a narrow spot and were either killed or injured by Qin Ming. After beating them up, he didn¡¯t forget to lure the other Two-Tailed Leopards up to play. As for those red-eyed Two-Tailed Leopards, they did not have much rationality left. They really went up the tree to deliver themselves, one by one. Killing all the Wind Speed Dogs present was their ultimate mission today. This included Qin Ming on the tree. The Wind Speed Dogs, which were about to die, regained some opportunities under Qin Ming¡¯s sudden show of strength. After half an hour of battle, Qin Ming alone killed more than 20 Two-Tailed Leopards. mo As for the Wind Speed Dog leader, he killed more than 10 Two-Tailed Leopards although he was covered in injuries and blood. Because of Qin Ming and their leader, the Wind Speed Dogs persisted without being wiped out. Perhaps the Wind Speed Dogs below were giving pressure to the remaining Two-Tailed Leopards, so no matter how Qin Ming stood on the tree and provoked them, none came up. Seeing this, Qin Ming took the initiative to jump down the tree and join the battle on the ground. Ten minutes later. The remaining 40-odd Two-Tailed Leopards chose to retreat. The Wind Speed Dogs miraculously defended their lair. In the end, fewer than 15 Wind Speed Dogs survived. All of them were injured, even the leader. They survived with great difficulty. Qin Ming stuck out his tongue. He was quite tired. He had contributed a lot this time. It could be said that without him, this group of Wind Speed Dogs would have been wiped out. The Wind Speed Dog leader hobbled to Qin Ming¡¯s side and lowered its blood-stained head slightly. Wuwuwu¡­ Woof! Wuwuwu¡­ Accompanied by the leader¡¯s deep voice, the remaining 10 or so Wind Speed Dogs also let out low cries at Qin Ming. They sounded like sobs, but also like gratitude. This was their most respectful gratitude to Qin Ming Qin Ming was the Wind Speed Dog who had killed the most Two-Tailed Leopards in this battle. These Wind Speed Dogs had seen his bravery. The leader knew that without Qin Ming, this pack would be finished. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Qin Ming, an outsider, had saved them. Therefore, this time, it lowered its proud head in front of Qin Ming to express its respect. The low cries of the Wind Speed Dogs gradually rose and echoed in the forest. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Brother.¡± Qin Ming was a little embarrassed when he saw this. The reason why he worked so hard to kill the enemy was mostly to save himself. After all, his life and death were tied to these Wind Speed Dogs. If the Wind Speed Dogs died, then he would most likely die too. (Ding! Received the respect of a group of Wind Speed Dogs. Final reward score increased!) This message suddenly popped up on the interface, making Qin Ming¡¯s eyes light up. He did not expect the reward score to increase. This also meant that other than the three missions that were issued at the beginning, there were other ways to increase the final reward score. This time, he had saved this group of Wind Speed Dogs and obtained their respect. It could be considered a way to increase his reward score. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to obtain respect and increase his reward score if he used the same method to help the other groups of spirit monsters. It might work, but it might not. First of all, he was a Wind Speed Dog. If he saved other spirit monsters, he might not be able to obtain their respect so easily. Of course, if such an opportunity presented itself, he would still try it without taking risks. Currently, he was still exploring this reward mechanism on his own. He had to try different things to understand more. The carcasses of the dozens of spirit monsters on the ground gradually emitted a strong smell of blood. Although Qin Ming hadn¡¯t rested enough, he knew that it was no longer safe here. He couldn¡¯t stay here for long. He had to leave before other spirit monsters arrived. The Wind Speed Dog leader of the pack was also very decisive. He led the remaining 10 or so Wind Speed Dogs and evacuated their lair. This time, Qin Ming did not intend to follow this group of Wind Speed Dogs. Knowing that this place was no longer safe, the Wind Speed Dog leader had to find a suitable place to rest and strengthen his pack. As for Qin Ming, he wanted to find natural treasures and obtain the opportunity to evolve. Their goals were different, so they had to part ways. Of course, Qin Ming¡¯s strength was obvious to everyone. The Wind Speed Dog leader had invited him to join them, but he rejected it. For the remaining two days, Qin Ming ran around the forest. It was not that he did not see any natural treasures, but there were always powerful spirit monsters guarding those precious natural treasures. The weakest of these spirit monsters had a Level Two superior grade combat strength, and most of them had unknown combat strength. He could not possibly compete with them for the treasures. Once the natural treasures that were growing matured, these powerful spirit monsters would devour them without hesitation. By the fifth day, he had very little time left to log in. Qin Ming chose to risk his life trying to snatch food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. He chose a Level Two superior grade spirit monster, a ferocious beast that looked like a wild boar. It was huge, and there was a layer of white bones covering the surface of its scalp. There was also a layer of spikes sticking out. At first glance, it looked like a cool-looking spiked helmet. Name: None Spirit Monster: Bone Carving Beast Combat Strength Rating: Level Two Superior-Grade Growth Potential: Unknown This Bone Carving Beast was resting beside a green plant, seemingly unaware of Qin Ming, who was observing from afar. There were two leaves on the green plant. The leaves alternated between golden and blue colors. It was strange. This plant was not a spirit monster. It contained rich spiritual energy and was very enticing to spirit monsters. If Qin Ming swallowed this spiritual object, there was a high chance that he could evolve. After all, this was a spiritual item that even a level two superior-grade Bone Carving Beast coveted. Its quality was definitely not low. Chapter 28 - Reward Settlement Chapter 28 Reward Settlement After Qin Ming observed the Bone Carving Beast for a long time, it continued lying there without moving. It had no intention of leaving the spiritual object. This made Qin Ming a little anxious. The interface showed that he had less than three hours of login time left. There was not much time left for him. If he forcefully rushed out at this moment, it would likely be suicidal. Even though his strength had increased quite a bit after eating the Nether Fish, he was still a level one spirit monster after all. He was far inferior to a level two superior-grade Bone Carving Beast. He had thought that he would wait and see. Perhaps this Bone Carving Beast would leave for a short while because of hunting or other reasons, but now it seemed unlikely. Perhaps before the spiritual object fully matured, this Bone Carving Beast would not leave. Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. Qin Ming sighed in his heart. He retracted his steps and quickly moved to the other side. An hour later, the Bone Carving Beast, who was taking a nap, suddenly raised its head and looked to the right. A group of Two-Tailed Leopards was chasing a Wind Speed Dog. The Wind Speed Dog looked back and assessed the distance between it and the Two-Tailed Leopards. It deliberately closed the distance between them bit by bit. It looked as if they were about to catch up to it. When there were less than 20 meters between the two, the Two-Tailed Leopard chasing it got more excited and roared repeatedly. The Wind Speed Dog was naturally Qin Ming. In the past hour, he had gone to find other spirit monsters in an attempt to lure them here. It was to create chaos and distract the Bone Carving Beast so that he could have a chance to snatch that spiritual item. Unexpectedly, he actually bumped into a pair of Two-Tailed Leopards that he had fought previously. When the two sides met, there was naturally nothing to say. There was no need for Qin Ming to provoke them. Seeing that Qin Ming was the only Wind Speed Dog around, the Two-Tailed Leopards immediately chased after him. After passing through a few bushes, Qin Ming saw the Bone Carving Beast getting up in a rage. After the two-tailed leopards passed through the bushes, they also saw the Bone Carving Beast. Fear appeared on their faces and they wanted to halt their pursuit. The spiritual object was about to mature. At this critical moment, the Bone Carving Beast seemed quite sensitive and directly charged towards Qin Ming. The ground shook with its footsteps. Qin Ming had no intention of stopping. When he saw the Bone Carving Beast rushing over, he immediately turned around and disappeared into the bushes at the side. The hatred of the Bone Carving Beast was immediately directed at the Two-Tailed Leopards. The Two-Tailed Leopards did not expect to encounter such a powerful and violent spirit monster when they were chasing Qin Ming. It had to be said that the Level Two superior-grade combat power of the Bone Carving Beast was indeed very powerful. After charging into the group of Two-Tailed Leopards, it easily killed several Double-Tailed Leopards. It was quite valiant. Other Two-Tailed Leopards were sent flying like locomotives. The terrified Two-Tailed Leopards completely lost their will to fight in the face of this Bone Carving Beast. They all chose to escape. Qin Ming knew that he only had that one chance. When the Two-Tailed Leopards escaped, the Bone Carving Beast would not chase them for a long distance before returning to the spiritual object. After observing for a moment, the moment the Bone Carving Beast¡¯s back was facing him, he immediately rushed out from the darkness. He exerted strength in his limbs and charged towards the spiritual plant. Roar! A furious roar suddenly sounded, causing Qin Ming¡¯s ears to buzz. He had underestimated how protective the Bone Carving Beast was of that spiritual item. The moment he rushed out, he was caught by the Bone Carving Beast. It seemed that it didn¡¯t expect a mere Level One spirit monster to dare to snatch spiritual items from it. Its violent aura spread out. It abandoned the Two-Tailed Leopards and turned around to charge at Qin Ming. Although Qin Ming was fast, it was a Level Two superior-grade spirit monster, so it was even faster. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar ceiling, and felt the soft touch of the mattress and pillow under him. The quiet room was no longer filled with the violent roars of spirit monsters. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was back¡­ Yes, he was back in the student apartment where he lived. Outside the window, the night was dark. Only about 10 minutes had passed. After calming down, he recalled the scene from a moment ago. In the end, he did not succeed. When he was less than 30 meters away from the spiritual plant, the Bone Carving Beast caught up to him. He was killed by the beast¡¯s giant hoof. It was quite a pity, but Qin Ming was mentally prepared. He knew that the possibility of snatching that spiritual item was not high to begin with, so he could accept it. He sat back on the bed and opened the login interface. The words ¡°monster login device¡± had grayed out again. If he wanted to enter again, he would have to wait for these words to regain their golden light. He glanced at his reward score. (Reward settlement: Basic score is F.] [Mission 1: Kill five Level One superior-grade spirit monsters. 5/5. Completed.) [Raised the reward score to F+ grade.] [Mission 2: Find a group of Wind Speed Dogs. Completed.] [Raised the reward score to F+ grade.] [Mission 3: Complete an evolution. Uncompleted.) (Lowered reward score to F+.] (You killed a Nether Fish above your level. Raised your reward score to E-.] [Obtained respect from a group of Wind Speed Dogs. Increased reward score to E.] [The final reward is Grade E!] [Reward 1: Possess 5% of the vitality essence of a spirit monster.] [Reward 2: Two black-iron treasure chests.) (Do you want to receive them?] ¡°Receive.¡± Qin Ming, who had previous experience, received the reward first. He would possess 5% of the vitality essence of a spirit monster, which was 5% of the vitality essence of the Wind Speed Dog he had possessed. It was two percent more than the last time. Qin Ming guessed that the ratio of this vitality essence should be related to the final score he obtained. In the previous novice tutorial, he had received an F-level final reward score. And the ratio of the vitality essence of the spirit monsters obtained that time was 2%. This time, his final reward score was Grade E, which was 5%. In other words, as his rating increased, the ratio of the spirit monsters¡¯ vitality essence would also increase. If Grade E- was 5%, then E+ was very likely 6%. E- was 4%. From this, it was not wrong to say that Grade F- was 2%. After receiving it, the 5% vitality essence was injected into Qin Ming¡¯s body. This time, he could clearly feel the change in his body. First of all, his originally exhausted spirit seemed to have been refreshed and his mind felt cool. His body felt comfortable from the inside out, and even his breathing became much calmer. ¡°Is this the change brought about by the vitality essence?¡± Qin Ming muttered to himself as he silently felt the improvement in his body. In fact, the changes he could feel were only superficial. He had yet to step onto the path of cultivation and could not sense the true changes brought by the vitality essence. His vitality gradually became vigorous, his blood gradually became pure, and his five senses became clear. The most important vitality essence of a spirit monster was that it could bring about improvement in all aspects. However, the vitality essence of the spirit monster that Qin Ming had possessed was limited by its level, so the effect was not obvious. Chapter 29 - Black Iron Treasure Chests Chapter 29 Black Iron Treasure Chests ¡°Black iron treasure chests?¡± After receiving the first reward, Qin Ming looked at the two treasure chests on the interface. They were black iron treasure chests with a rusty surface. They looked like old iron boxes. This was what he received as his second reward. Two black iron reward treasure chests. This was somewhat similar to the demon treasure chests he had to draw before entering the other world. However, one was a white treasure chest and the other was a black iron treasure chest. ¡°After passing the novice tutorial, even the method of receiving the reward is different.¡± Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but complain. Clearly, he needed to obtain the second reward by opening the box. Without much thought, he opened one of the black iron treasure chests. [Obtained Black Iron Reward: Big plate of fish (Nether Fish)] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Qin Ming looked at the plate of steaming fish in his hand and didn¡¯t know what to say. He was quite familiar with this fish. It was the Nether Fish that he had eaten before. He did not expect the Black Iron Treasure Chest to give him such a reward. Although the amount of Nether Fish meat on the plate was not much, it was a Nether Fishof unknown combat level. In reality, he was just an ordinary high school student who had yet to embark on the path of cultivation. He did not have a strong physique like a spirit monster. If he ate this Nether Fish, his physique would definitely improve greatly. He had to admit that it was a good reward. Smelling the fragrant fish meat, Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help picking up a piece and stuffing it into his mouth. Unlike his simple roasting back then, this plate of Nether Fish had clearly been cooked very well. The taste was even more exquisite and delicious. After eating one piece, Qin Ming suppressed his appetite and silently sensed the changes in his body. After all, it was a human body in the real world. He was not sure if he could withstand the impact of the spiritual energy contained in the Nether Fish. He ate the next piece cautiously to see how effective it would be. Soon a heat began to brew in his stomach and quickly spread throughout his body. Even his head felt a little dizzy, as if he had drunk fake wine. In a short while, he was drenched in his own perspiration. Feeling the heat, Qin Ming decided to take off all his clothes. Since he was alone in the house, no one would disturb him. This situation lasted for about 10 minutes before the heat slowly subsided. His mind regained clarity, and Qin Ming felt comfortable all over, as if he had enjoyed a sauna and a full-body massage. The comfortable feeling made Qin Ming a little sleepy. He perked up a little. He did not plan to sleep yet. It was a little unbearable if he did not receive the reward. He placed the remaining fish on the table and proceeded to open the second black iron treasure chest. [Obtained Black Iron Chest Reward: Physical Characteristic: Lightness] The second black iron treasure chest opened, emitting a ray black light which danced above the treasure chest. [Do you want to receive it?] ¡°Receive!¡± Confused, Qin Ming simply accepted it. This black light shot out from the interface, entering his body through his glabella. Information appeared in his mind,piece by piece, which was quickly absorbed and memorized. This physical characteristic came from the Wind Speed Dog. They could control their bodies very well. Be it their ability to hover or jump, they were quite outstanding. They walked silently on the ground. The black iron reward that Qin Ming had received allowed him to be like a Wind Speed Dog. His control over his body had increased by several levels, and he became agile. After digesting the large amount of information in his mind, Qin Ming stood up in the room. When he felt the changes in his body, he actually felt a subtle sense of familiarity from when he possessed the Wind Speed Dog and controlled its body. How wonderful¡­ A moment later, Qin Ming squatted down slightly and suddenly jumped up. It was as if an eagle had jumped nearly two meters into the air and was suspended by a rope in the air for a moment. This jumping ability could be said to have exceeded the level of ordinary people. He only made a faint sound when he landed on the floor. It was just his first attempt, but Qin Ming¡¯s control over his body was already very different. It was as if he could use every inch of his muscles appropriately. This jumping ability was far better than before. Earlier he did not jump with all his might. Otherwise, it would be higher. In addition to jumping, he believed that the speed at which he erupted had definitely increased greatly. However, he could not use it in the room, so he stopped trying. It had to be said that the items obtained from these two black iron treasure chests were quite helpful to his improvement. Be it the plate of Nether Fish or the agility of the Wind Speed Dog. He had more or less found some patterns. The items obtained from this reward treasure chest were not completely random rewards. They were closely related to the good things he had experienced or obtained in the spirit monster world. He took a look at the plate of Nether Fish on the table. He had just eaten one piece, and now there were 19 pieces of fish left. Swallowing his saliva, Qin Ming picked up another piece and stuffed it into his mouth. A large amount of heat surged through his body again until the effect subsided. This time, Qin Ming felt clearly sleepy. His eyelids were about to close uncontrollably. He immediately forced himself to take a quick shower as he did not want to fall asleep. He only woke up the next morning. After making himself breakfast, he packed up and went to school. The remaining Netherworld Fish was carefully stored in the freezer by Qin Ming. Although this Nether Fish was good, he seemed to be unable to finish it in one go. While strengthening his physique, the fatigue that surged made him fall asleep. This was a side effect of consuming too much energy during enhancement. After last night¡¯s experience, eating two pieces at once was probably the limit of his body. After all, he was not a spirit monster now. On the way to school, Qin Ming felt that his body had never been in such a good state. It was as if a furnace containing huge energy in his body would instantly erupt with terrifying power when he exerted strength. He knew that the vitality essence of the spirit monster and the two pieces of Nether Fish had strengthened his physique, but he was not sure if his vitality energy and mental strength had increased. Should I look for the form teacher and check the two values again? Qin Ming thought to himself. This concerned whether he had a chance to enter the Martial Academy. He still had some thoughts about it now. Nas 1. There was more and more news about this There was more and mo year¡¯s candidates on the Internet. Some famous genius martial artists easily attracted everyone¡¯s attention. In fact, as the son of a big entrepreneur in Shanze City, Ma Zhiwen also garnered a certain amount of attention in Shanze City. Ever since his Qi Sea hit 108 points, he had become the top student in the cohort. He suppressed the top students. Among the students who graduated from the No. 1 Experimental Middle School that Qin Ming was in, the record for the highest Qi Sea value was 115 points. It had been maintained for nearly 10 years. In the past 10 years, no outstanding martial arts student had broken this record. Ma Zhiwen¡¯s Qi Sea value had recently begun to rise under his father¡¯s strong financial support. It was rising quite quickly, so he might have a chance to approach this school record during the college entrance examination and even break this 10-year record. It was also because of Ma Zhiwen that the school leaders often came over to visit Qin Ming¡¯s class. From time to time, they would give symbolic encouragement on the podium However, most of them just wanted to know about Ma Zhiwen¡¯s latest results. Chapter 30 - Top Scholar of the Martial Arts Department Chapter 30 Top Scholar of the Martial Arts Department ¡°Look, Ma Zhiwen¡¯s report is out.¡± Han Qingqing sat in the classroom and scrolled through a report on her phone. When the surrounding students heard this, they all looked at her phone. Qin Ming also glanced at him. It was a city news report. A column specially listed the candidates with more potential in Shanze City this year. Ma Zhiwen¡¯s name was on the list. There was also a photo of him and an introduction. ¡°Oh, I think Dad mentioned this two days ago,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. Although his tone was calm, the corner of his mouth that could not suppress the crazy smile had already revealed his happy mood. ¡°The photoshopping technique of this photo is not good. I almost didn¡¯t recognize it,¡± Qin Ming complained from the side. ¡°Tsk, forget it. I¡¯m more handsome in person than in photos,¡± Ma Zhiwen shook his head and said smugly. ¡°That Wang Liao from No. 2 High School is also here. I heard that this guy is also a super genius.¡± A student stared at the report on his phone and pointed at a name on it. ¡°And this Lin Mao from No. 3 High School. It¡¯s said that this guy¡¯s mental strength score was 107 points two months ago.¡± The group became interested and began to discuss the report. Although No. 1 High School had been established in Shanze City for the longest time and had received a lot of honor and praise in the local areas, in recent years, other middle schools had gradually developed and could nurture many outstanding students every year. No. 1 High School¡¯s status in the hearts of many parents in Shanze City was no longer so unique. The competition between the various schools had never stopped all this time. The college entrance examination every year was when these schools would determine the victor. They were competing based on the admission rate of famous schools, the rankings of the college entrance examination students, and who the top scorer would be. ¡°I think Ma Zhiwen can compete for the position of the top scholar of the martial arts department in Shanze City this year,¡± a student suddenly said as they were chatting. ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t dare to think about that. There are so many students in Shanze City. I¡¯m nothing.¡± Ma Zhiwen waved his hand and shook his head with a smile. Although he said that he didn¡¯t dare to think about it, Qin Ming was sure that this fellow definitely had designs on becoming the top scholar of the martial arts department in Shanze City this year. ¡°Speaking of the top scorer of the Martial Arts Department, have you forgotten about the strong man from No. 7 High School last year?¡± a student said as he remembered something When everyone heard what this person said, their expressions changed. Even Ma Zhiwen was the same. Then they sighed. ¡°How could I forget? This is a monster with 150 points of mental strength. It¡¯s too terrifying. I remember that the entire Shanze City was filled with news about this genius.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This mental strength score has never appeared in the past 30 years in Shanze City. He was undoubtedly the top scorer of the Martial Arts Department that year.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s precisely because such a super genius appeared in No. 7 High School last year that even their principal was promoted,¡± Ma Zhiwen chimed in. Qin Ming had quite an impression of the top scholar of the martial arts department in Shanze City last year. After all, the news about this top scholar was so popular at that time. It was impossible for these students not to know. The mental strength test value was as high as 150 points. Without a doubt, this was a rather high result. Even in the entire country, his results were ranked. It was said that he was among the top 10 in the country. At that time, all the major academies, including Emperor Xia Academy in the capital, had invited this top scholar to their martial arts department. In the end, because he did not want to be too far away from home, he chose the Gulan Academy, which was closer to Shanze City. This choice was not a bad one. Although the overall ranking of Gulan Academy was not as good as Emperor Xia Academy in the capital, when it came to the Spirit Nurturing Masters department, and especially the Weapon Spirit Warrior department, their instructors¡¯ strength and reputation were not much inferior to Emperor Xia Academy. With his extremely high mental strength potential, it was not impossible for him to choose Gulan Academy. ¡°If such a super genius suddenly appears this year, even people like us will have to stand aside.¡± Ma Zhiwen smiled helplessly. ¡°How is that possible? It¡¯s already unbelievable for such a strong person to appear in our Shanze City. It would be incredible if there was a second one.¡± A student interrupted. The other students agreed. As a third-class city in the Southeast Province, Shanze City was not an outstanding place to begin with. Every year, there were very few outstanding students who were noticed by other regions. This could be seen from No. 1 High School¡¯s college entrance examination record. The highest score in the history of Qi Sea was only 115 points. This might be considered good in Shanze City, but in the entire Southeast Province and even the entire country, this result was quite inconspicuous. In recent years, there were very few college entrance examination students in Shanze City. There were very few students who entered the Gulan Academy in the provincial capital, let alone Emperor Xia Academy. It was already a miracle that there was such a person last year. Otherwise, the principal of No. 7 High School would not have been specially summoned by the mayor and promoted in a few days. At noon, Qin Ming looked for the form teacher and asked if he could use the school¡¯s testing equipment. In the end, he was rejected. Not only was it expensive to build such a precision instrument that could detect the values of the Qi Sea and mental strength, but it also required special energy to activate it. For example, the Year One and Year Two students would have a routine collective test at the end of the semester. In the past, graduates like Qin Ming would have a collective test every month during the semester before the college entrance examination. Due to the special circumstances this year, the school¡¯s Education Bureau paid a lot of attention to this year¡¯s college entrance examination. As a result, in the end, the school made an exception for those students who wanted to take the martial arts examination to take the examination once a week for free. They always paid attention to the students¡¯ two key results. Not long after the test ended, the school naturally couldn¡¯t activate it again for Qin Ming alone. There were only eight days left until the college entrance examination. What Qin Ming wanted to know the most now was how many potential points he had. After thinking about it, Qin Ming decided that it was necessary to go for the test now. Since the school didn¡¯t allow it, he would pay for it. The major hospitals in the city usually imported equipment for potential testing. As long as one paid enough fees, they could be tested. The accuracy was also quite high. He checked the fees of the various hospitals on his phone. The cheapest one cost more than 1,000 credits. To Qin Ming, who was still a student, this fee was not cheap. However, in order to confirm if he was qualified to enter the Martial Academy, he decided to spend this money. He still had the money that his mother had wired him the last time. He hadn¡¯t touched it yet. Now it would come in handy. Chapter 31 - The Second Increase Chapter 31 The Second Increase After school, he found the nearest hospital and realized that there were many people who wanted to be tested. Most of them were parents who brought their children here. The college entrance examination was imminent, and this trend would continue for a while. After paying 1,500 credits, he sat in the waiting room with the queue number. People went in and out of the testing room. The parents and children who came out of the room had different expressions. Some were disappointed, some were happy, and some children were even sobbing as they were taken away. Clearly, the test results were not ideal. After waiting for a long time, it was finally Qin Ming¡¯s turn. As he approached the testing room, he saw two middle-aged doctors in white coats. Beside them was a testing device that was similar to the one at school. ¡°Have you been tested before?¡± a doctor asked. Qin Ming nodded. Although he had never been tested in the hospital, the school had tested him many times. The doctor nodded and said, ¡°Alright, then you should be more familiar with this instrument. Get ready and tell us when you can start.¡± The high schools in the city were basically equipped with testing equipment now. These doctors knew about the situation and were not surprised ¡°Okay, let¡¯s begin.¡± Qin Ming didn¡¯t waste time and walked to the equipment. The doctor had prepared him because he wanted him to regulate his emotions and relax for a better status test. Seeing this, the doctor did not say anything else and turned on the device. ¡°Let¡¯s test the Qi Sea first. Just put your hand on that flat crystal,¡± the doctor said. Qin Ming nodded and did as he was told. The crystal gradually heated up. At the same time, he was more sensitive than ever to the movement of the Qi Sea in his dantian. He knew from experience that this detection crystal had formed a connection with his Qi Sea. The test had begun. He stared at the value that had begun to rise. Last time, his Qi Sea test result was 42 points. He wondered if it had improved. 10¡­ 20¡­ 30¡­ 43! After the value jumped to 42, it did not stop. It crossed over and reached 43 points. It was still rising 44¡­ 45¡­ 50! 60! 70! At 71, the value finally stopped. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s still a little lacking.¡± The two doctors at the side didn¡¯t know about Qin Ming¡¯s previous test data. After seeing this Qi Sea value, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh. They were in charge of the two potential tests, so they naturally knew the standards of the college entrance examination every year. Typically, the Qi Sea and mental strength values had to be above 80 before there was hope of entering a Martial Academy. Although Qin Ming¡¯s current Qi Sea value of 71 points far exceeded that of ordinary people, he was still a little short of the threshold of 80 points. ¡°Child, you can discuss with your parents about buying some body tempering medicine and do the final sprint in the remaining few days. It¡¯s not hopeless,¡± one of the doctors couldn¡¯t resist offering a suggestion out of goodwill. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll consider it when I get back.¡± Qin Ming smiled, but he wasn¡¯t too disappointed. He had never thought that his Qi Sea would reach 80 points. After all, his previous score was too poor. He knew that his surge in value was not a special case of enlightenment. It was caused by the settlement rewards from those logins. Instead of being disappointed, he was surprised. The rise in his Qi Sea value at least proved the benefits of receiving the rewards. What he really cared about was whether his mental strength score could meet the requirements for entering a Martial Academy. After all, his previous mental strength test result was 75 points. It was not far from 80 points. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s test your mental strength. I hope the results will be good,¡± the doctor encouraged. ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Ming nodded and put the device on his head. He also hoped that there would be a good outcome this time. Soon the value representing mental strength on the screen began to jump. 20¡­ 40¡­ 60¡­ When the value reached 75, Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. He stared at the rising value without blinking. 76, 77, 78¡­ 81, 82, 83¡­ With the equipment on his head, he could not hear the doctors¡¯ exclamations, but when he saw that the value had exceeded 80, he slowly relaxed. He knew that his trip to the spirit monster world had not been in vain. He really had a chance to enter a Martial Academy this time! After 80, the value was still rising. Finally, it stopped at 95 points. His Qi Sea value was 71 points, and his mental strength value was 95 points! These were the two potential test results that Qin Ming had obtained this time. ¡°Congratulations, student.¡± ¡°Congratulations, congratulations.¡± Qin Ming took off the device on his head and heard the two doctors clapping and congratulating him. 95 points for mental strength. Even if the Martial Academies raised the bar for admission this year, this mental strength value would be enough to enter a Martial Academy. The two doctors received a large number of students for testing every day. There were not many students who had a potential value of more than 90 points, so it was normal for them to congratulate him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Ming took his test report, thanked them, and walked out of the room. ¡°Little student, how are the results of your test?¡± A few parents who were waiting could not help but ask when they saw Qin Ming walking out in a good mood. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Qin Ming said. ¡°Whoa, 95 points of mental strength. That¡¯s so high.¡± A sharp-eyed parent saw the test report in Qin Ming¡¯s hand and was shocked. Everyone in the waiting area looked at Qin Ming. ¡°Uh.¡± Qin Ming was speechless. That auntie was making a fuss over nothing. He immediately left in a hurry. Although 95 points was not low, it was not high. Other things aside, there was still Ma Zhiwen in the class. Only his test value of more than 100 was worth bragging about. When he returned to his residence at night, he ate two more pieces of Nether Fish before sleeping. He was quite energetic at first, but after consuming the energy in his body, he quickly became fatigued. Sleepiness overtook his body, and the effect was much better than sleeping pills. Eating two pieces of Nether Fish every day was the best supplement for his body. He felt that his physique was getting stronger by the day. He felt that on the day of the college entrance examination, his two potential values might show improvement. He set a small goal to enter the martial arts department of Shanze Academy! At the moment, it was still a little difficult. If he wanted to enter Shanze Academy¡¯s Spirit Nurturing Department or the Weapon Spirit Warriors Department, his mental strength had to exceed 100 points. It all depended on the effectiveness of this Nether Fish now. On the other side, in a military district in Shanze City. ¡°Brother, I want to go too!¡± Gu Tao raised her eyebrows and protested firmly. Gu Hong was forcing her into a military vehicle. ¡°What are you going to do? The old man has already called. He wants you to go back.¡± Gu Hong closed the car door tightly. ¡°You! You promised to bring me along. How can you go back on your word now?¡± Gu Tao was so angry that she stomped her feet in the car. ¡°That was before. Didn¡¯t you see how crazy those cyborgs were? It¡¯s too dangerous. Go back quickly,¡± Gu Hong said seriously. He went back on his word without any psychological burden. ¡°I¡¯m already very powerful, Brother!¡± Gu Tao emphasized her strength again. ¡°Powerful my *ss. Have you done your summer homework? Hurry up, go back and do it.¡± As Gu Hong spoke, he patted the man in military uniform standing at the side. ¡°I¡¯ll leave my sister in your hands. On the way, um, she might be a little naughty¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Officer Gu. I¡¯ll definitely send the little girl back safely.¡± The man in military uniform promised him. Knowing that it was impossible to persuade Gu Hong to change his mind, Gu Tao had no choice but to sit in her seat and sulk. As he watched the car drive out of the military district, Gu Hong¡¯s calm gaze gradually turned cold. ¡°Modifying the human body, living experiments, what exactly do you want to do¡­¡± Chapter 32 - The Eve of the College Entrance Examination Chapter 32 The Eve of the College Entrance Examination From two pieces of Nether Fish a day to three pieces a day, Qin Ming felt that his body was becoming stronger and stronger. There were obvious changes almost every day. This change happened mostly inside his body. In terms of appearance, he had gained some muscles, and his body looked much more solid. He was also growing taller. Qin Ming was not short to begin with, but now he looked even taller and more balanced. Even his entire temperament had changed slightly. In fact, not only did Qin Ming discover these changes in himself, but his classmates also more or less noticed his difference. To outsiders, Qin Ming¡¯s explanation was that he was still growing. It was normal for him to change. On this day, in the gymnasium of No. 1 High School. A heavy sandbag was lying quietly on the ground. There was a hole on one side, and fine black and yellow sand was scattered all over the floor. Qin Ming stood beside the sandbag with an innocent expression. The students in the class were looking at him with dumbfounded expressions. Today, Zhang Yu brought the students who were preparing for the Martial Arts Academy test to the school gymnasium for their daily exercise class. Unexpectedly, Qin Ming kicked a sandbag. The explosive power made Zhang Yu and the other students in the class confused. No matter how high their Qi Sea was now, they were still in a closed state and had not cultivated. They were still ordinary people, including Ma Zhiwen. And Qin Ming¡¯s kick just now was not something an ordinary high school student could do. ¡°Qin Ming, how¡­ did you do it!¡± Zhang Yu held it in for a long time before saying this. ¡°Uh, Teacher, perhaps the quality of this sandbag isn¡¯t too good. No matter what, I can¡¯t break it with a kick, right?¡± Qin Ming explained. He was actually shocked himself. He had wanted to test his current strength, but he did not expect the sandbag to fly away with a single kick. ¡°Yes, these sandbags have indeed been used for several years. However, the strength of your kick just now did seem very strong. You must have exercised a lot recently.¡± Zhang Yu also felt that there was something wrong with the sandbag itself, but the power of Qin Ming¡¯s kick was not small either. ¡°After all, the college entrance examination is coming soon. I have to force myself.¡± Qin Ming added to what Zhang Yu said. However, he felt that if he had an intact sandbag, he might still be able to kick it away. After all, his Nether Fish was not for nothing. ¡°I say, your kick just now was too cool, and you seemed to have jumped very high.¡± Ma Zhiwen had observed Qin Ming and walked to his side. ¡°Hehe, I keep a low profile. I¡¯ve hidden my skills for many years and don¡¯t want to expose them at this time,¡± Qin Ming said pretentiously, his tone as low as a hermit. ¡°Come on.¡± Ma Zhiwen couldn¡¯t help but complain about Qin Ming¡¯s clumsy acting skills. The two of them argued. After that, Qin Ming consciously controlled the strength of his punches and kicks. He didn¡¯t want to kick the sandbag again. After all, he didn¡¯t have that much money to compensate the school. Before school ended, they returned to the classroom. ¡°Students, the final college entrance examination is the day after tomorrow. I know that many students have been working very hard during this period, but in the end, we still have to maintain our best state for this college entrance examination. School is closed tomorrow. Everyone, have a good day off. All the best the day after tomorrow.¡± Zhang Yu looked at the students and kept encouraging them. ¡°Alright, Teacher. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°God, bless me, you must let me get closer to the Department of Literature in Shanze Academy.¡± ¡°I feel like the 3,000 yuan was wasted¡­¡± The students had different emotions about this college entrance examination. Some were uneasy, while others were confident. Qin Ming had tested his two potential values, so he was confident and didn¡¯t panic. At least, when he paid the application fee to the Martial Arts Academy a few days ago, he was not too reluctant. The day before paying this fee, he had informed his parents. After all, if he didn¡¯t say it now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it on the day of the college entrance examination. Since he had a chance of entering a Martial Arts Academy and had decided to take the exam, he had to tell his family about such a big matter so that they would be mentally prepared. At first, his parents didn¡¯t believe what Qin Ming said and thought that he was joking. But when he took out the test report from the hospital and showed it to his parents on the other end of the phone, they had no choice but to believe him. As parents, they were naturally extremely excited that their child had a chance to enter a Martial Academy and become successful in life. They were even happier than Qin Ming when they saw the test results. His mother was sobbing on the other end of the line. Qin Ming¡¯s feelings were complicated. That night, he chatted with his family for a long time. He told them about his recent situation and the college entrance examination, and even discussed future prospects. After that, almost every night, his parents would call him to tell him not to feel pressured. Even if he didn¡¯t pass in the end, they could accept it. ¡°Little Ming, the college entrance examination is the day after tomorrow. Mom and Dad will visit you tomorrow.¡± Her mother¡¯s voice sounded on the phone. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you and Dad have to work? I¡¯m fine here. Just wait for the news at home,¡± Qin Ming said immediately, not expecting his parents to come. ¡°Of course I¡¯m taking leave from work. As your parents, we have to be present on such an important day. I¡¯ll make you a few delicious meals in the next two days,¡± Xia Ya said. She was quite confident in her culinary skills. When his mother had nothing to do, her greatest hobby was making delicacies. As the number one target for tasting her food, Qin Ming was chubby when he was young. It was only when his father couldn¡¯t stand it anymore that Xia Ya restrained herself from over-feeding Qin Ming. Otherwise, Qin Ming¡¯s physique wouldn¡¯t be like this now. However, it was also because of his mother¡¯s hobby that Qin Ming had mastered some culinary skills since he was young. Coming to Shanze City alone, he could thus live independently and not starve to death. ¡­ The next day, his parents came over with their luggage. When Qin Ming was in school, his parents had come many times, so they were familiar with the place he rented. ¡°Dad and Mom will stay here for the next two days. Adjust your state of mind and leave the trivial matters in your life to Mom.¡± Xia Ya looked around the relatively neat small room and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, Teacher said that we¡¯ll take a day off today. You guys can do whatever you want. You can walk around the city. It¡¯s not good to work all year round.¡± Qin Ming sat cross-legged on the sofa and picked up the game controller to start a new adventure. After eating the last three pieces of Nether Fish at night, Qin Ming fell asleep. His parents slept on a spare bed in the room. This spare bed was specially used whenever his parents came to the city to visit him. Chapter 33 - The First Day of the College Entrance Examination Chapter 33 The First Day of the College Entrance Examination On the first day of the college entrance examination. The exam was for liberal arts subjects, which included political science, geography, and history. It lasted two days. The various examination venues in Shanze City were filled with people today. Most of them were parents who were sending their children for exams. It was the same for Qin Ming¡¯s family. ¡°I¡¯m going now,¡± Qin Ming said to his parents. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Little Ming. Have you brought all the stationery? I brought a few pens. Do you want to drink water after you go in?¡± Xia Ya said, looking more nervous than anyone else. ¡°Perform steadily. Liberal arts is not a problem for you.¡± Father Qin was quite confident in his son and did not say much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been revising very well these few days.¡± Qin Ming smiled and walked into the examination hall calmly. He was right. He had indeed revised quite well these few days. He also remembered some complicated knowledge very quickly. This was all thanks to the Nether Fish. Not only did it strengthen his physique, but it also improved his memory and processing speed. This made his final sprint revision very efficient. As the scripts were being collected, the sky outside had already turned dusky orange. The four liberal arts exams ended. ¡°Qin Ming, how did you do?¡± A classmate who was assigned to the same examination hall as Qin Ming came over and asked. ¡°Not bad,¡± Qin Ming said truthfully. He did feel good. He had filled in the answers to the basic questions. Other than a few uncertain questions, he was confident that he had answered most of them correctly. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to get a high score in these four subjects today. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m in trouble. I couldn¡¯t answer a few big questions. My final grade will probably suffer badly.¡± That classmate seemed to feel that he didn¡¯t perform well and was a little depressed. ¡°The results aren¡¯t out yet. Let¡¯s not think about the results of today¡¯s exams first. There are still three more exams tomorrow,¡± Qin Ming reminded. If he did not regulate his emotions, tomorrow¡¯s exams would be affected, and it would really be over. After walking out of the examination hall, he saw Father Qin standing in the distance, waving at him with a smile. ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡± Qin Ming looked around but couldn¡¯t see his mother. ¡°She has gone to buy groceries and cook dinner. She said that it will be ready when you get back,¡± said Father Qin. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Ming nodded, feeling a little warm. ¡°How did you do this time?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t too many difficulties. I should have done well.¡± ¡°After this exam, take a good rest. I know you¡¯ve done well.¡± ¡°This is nothing. The most important martial arts examination has yet to begin. Yes, I can¡¯t relax now.¡± The conversation between the father and son was very calm. Ever since Qin Ming entered high school, Father Qin rarely asked him to do anything Even when Qin Ming called home and suddenly said that he wanted to apply for the Martial Academy, he didn¡¯t say anything. He felt that when a child reached a certain age, some life choices should be made by the child himself. As long as he didn¡¯t watch the child go astray, anything was fine. Fathers tended to be stricter than mothers, but in Qin Ming¡¯s family, his father was the more tolerant parent. On the other hand, his mother was stricter. When they returned home, they saw that the dining table was laid with dishes. The air was filled with the pleasing aroma of steamy food. Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva. Looking at the table full of dishes, his stomach started to rumble. He reached out to grab a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, but Mother Qin caught him. She slapped Qin Ming¡¯s hand and said angrily, ¡°How old are you already? Why are you still acting like a child? Go wash your hands before eating.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he replied. He ran into the bathroom, washed his hands, and sat down excitedly. He picked up the chopsticks she had prepared and started eating. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Mom¡¯s culinary skills aren¡¯t any worse than back then.¡± Qin Ming said with steamy food in his mouth. ¡°Hehe, as long as you like it.¡± Mother Qin smiled. Ever since Qin Ming entered high school, the family of three had fewer meals together. He could only go back during the weekends and summer breaks. Other than that, he was attending classes. At the dining table, Qin Ming talked about the exams, and told Mother Qin not to worry. ¡°Little Ming, to be honest, I still feel that it¡¯s too unrealistic. Why do you suddenly have the hope of getting into a Martial Academy?¡± Mother Qin couldn¡¯t help asking as Qin Ming was stuffing himself with food. She had said this several times in the past few days. As the person closest to Qin Ming in this world, she naturally felt the changes in Qin Ming the most. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t I say that my situation is a very rare exception? I didn¡¯t have any talent for cultivation in the past, but at some point, I suddenly underwent a huge change as if I had awakened. This was what our form teacher said.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mother Qin still found it difficult to accept. ¡°Of course.¡± What else could Qin Ming say? He could only brace himself and continue talking nonsense. The login device was too mysterious. Even if he told his parents, it would only increase their worries. It was better to say that his transformation was a rare exception. ¡°There won¡¯t be any bad side effects, right?¡± Even though Qin Ming had assured her, Mother Qin was still instinctively worried. It was just like when you woke up and suddenly found a huge sum of money in your account. Apart from being happy, you would definitely feel uneasy about this huge sum of money. V ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry. Although this situation is very rare, it still happens every year. Those people who suddenly have cultivation talents are still fine. No one has reported that an accident happened because of this.¡± Although he knew that he wasn¡¯t in such a situation, Qin Ming tried his best to dispel Mother Qin¡¯s worry. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve been asking around about this recently. It¡¯s indeed as Little Ming said. This is a good thing. Don¡¯t worry for nothing.¡± Father Qin couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. Mother Qin didn¡¯t like hearing that. ¡°What do you mean by worrying for nothing? How can you call this worrying for nothing? This is a mother¡¯s concern for her child!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Although Father Qin¡¯s physique was not small, he did not dare to speak loudly when his wife got angry. He just continued eating ¡°Qin Kongbo, do you have something against me recently? Do you still remember the last time I didn¡¯t let you go out to play cards?¡± Mother Qin muttered, refusing to let Father Qin off. ¡°How is that possible? Actually, I didn¡¯t really want to play cards that time. It was Old Zhang who insisted on dragging me along.¡± Father Qin was very skilled. Seeing that the flames were about to reach his head, Father Qin immediately gave Qin Ming a look. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Just take it that I won a big prize and can enter a martial arts academy.¡± Qin Ming smiled and picked up the piece of meat under Father Qin¡¯s chopsticks. ¡°That¡¯s good, but you have to pay attention to your health. If there¡¯s a problem, tell Mom immediately, okay? You¡¯re an adult now. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Mother Qin¡¯s nagging sounded annoying when he was young, but now that he had grown up and left his parents¡¯ home to live alone outside, he couldn¡¯t get tired of hearing it. ¡°Got it. I know what to do.¡± Qin Ming smiled. After dinner, Qin Ming returned to his room to continue revising the contents of the exam tomorrow. Although he felt that his liberal arts results were quite stable, it was still necessary to consolidate them in the end. Even if it was not of much use, it could at least let him sleep in peace tonight. The next day, after finishing the remaining three subjects, many students ended their college entrance examination this year. The remaining physical fitness check-ups and two cultivation potential tests were for the students applying to Martial Academies. Chapter 34 - Physical Quality Test Chapter 34 Physical Quality Test ¡°How did you do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just hope my answers to the last few questions aren¡¯t too wrong.¡± ¡°The exam is finally over. Let¡¯s go and relax. My treat!¡± ¡°Go, go, eat, sing, play video games all night. You have to look like you¡¯re on vacation.¡± When they returned to class, many students were already shouting and preparing to enjoy the holidays after the tribulation. Meanwhile, the students who were preparing to take the martial arts examination were still sitting obediently in their seats. They looked at their classmates cheering but did not participate. For them, the real difficulty had yet to be overcome. ¡°Ahem, students, calm down.¡± The form teacher, Zhang Yu, came to the podium and controlled the situation. He had seen such a scene several times, so he was not surprised. After some encouraging words, he released the students who did not apply to the Martial Academy, leaving behind more than 10 students, including Qin Ming. ¡°I believe I don¡¯t have to say much about what you¡¯re going to prepare next.¡± Zhang Yu looked around at the remaining students and said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t have any regrets in the enda€¡± After Zhang Yu¡¯s speech, some of the uneasy students relaxed a little. They had already done their best. Whether they could get into the Martial Academy next would depend on fate. As usual, the toughest and most important project, the test of the Qi sea and mental strength, was scheduled on the last day. The physical examination was on the third day of the college entrance examination. Early in the morning, Qin Ming followed hundreds of candidates to the designated physical examination venue. A large medical center. The physical fitness examination mainly tested if their body structure was outstanding, and if their bones, muscles, meridians, and other organs were compatible with their future cultivation. Their underlying risks and conditions would also be detected. There were actually many factors that affected a person¡¯s future cultivation potential. Physical testing like this was only a part of it. There were even more unknown factors. The cultivation path had developed for more than a hundred years, but it was still quite difficult for people to accurately evaluate the cultivation potential of a child. It was not difficult to pass this round. In fact, most of the students had already gone to the major hospitals to undergo testing several times. Basically, those who had any hidden illnesses had already received treatment. Those who had yet to recover would most likely give up on the assessment of the Martial Academy and not waste their energy and time. It was the same for Qin Ming. A few days ago, his parents had brought him to the hospital for a full checkup. Eating the Nether Fish and the two vitality essence enhancements he had obtained from the spirit monsters, coupled with the ant power of the Ardent Sand Ant and the lightness and agility characteristics of the Wind Speed Dog, were enough to make his physique and various physical attributes surpass most of the martial artists who had trained until now. The round of testing ended. Qin Ming¡¯s overall score of physical fitness test: A+ An A+ was a perfect score. It was the physical fitness of a top high school student! After the test, the medical staff who were assisting gasped and attracted the attention of others. ¡°This child¡¯s bones are really tough. In my impression, he¡¯s almost comparable to a Great Martial Artist who has stepped into cultivation!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for the other projects. His blood essence is exuberant, and his body¡¯s energy is abnormally surging. Heavens, is he still an ordinary person who hasn¡¯t cultivated?!¡± ¡°Rare. It¡¯s really rare. Even the other A+ students are not as outstanding as him.¡± Soon news of Qin Ming¡¯s A+ physical assessment results spread. As the first A+ student in the entire medical center, there was no doubt that Qin Ming had caught the attention of others. This was especially so for the students and teachers of the other schools. At first, when they saw Qin Ming, they were very unfamiliar with him. After all, most of the candidates with potential in Shanze City had been reported before, but Qin Ming had never shown his face. ¡°Not bad, Qin Ming. Last time when you were training in the gym, I felt that your physique might be very strong. I didn¡¯t expect you to be the first A+ here,¡± Ma Zhiwen immediately said when he saw that Qin Ming had returned from the test. ¡°That¡¯s right. In that case, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that the sandbag exploded.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really something. We¡¯ve been classmates for three years, but you can actually hide it so deeply.¡± Qin Ming scratched his head. This was the first time he had become the center of attention. He was not used to it. ¡°Not too bad, I guess.¡± ¡°Qin Ming, can you tell me how you did it?¡± Some students were really curious and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s mainly eating. I ate seafood every night some time ago and felt that it nourished me a lot. After that, I slepta€¡± Qin Ming thought for a moment and said ambiguously. ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t believe you.¡± A few students rolled their eyes and couldn¡¯t be bothered to complain about Qin Ming. In their opinion, this was obviously not true. They would rather believe that this was the result of his hard work over the past three years. In fact, Qin Ming was just being vague, but he might not be lying. That Nether Fish was indeed seafood. There was nothing wrong with his answer. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we heard of that student from No. 1 High School before?¡± A school leader of No. 2 High School looked at Qin Ming and asked curiously. On the side, a teacher leading a team answered, ¡°Uh, I heard that this No. 1 High School student who got an A+ is called Qin Ming.¡± ¡°Qin Ming?¡± The school leader was stunned for a moment before he reacted. ¡°The awakened talent student?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be wrong. In addition to those top students who have been reported, No. 1 High School would be able to recover from the decline of the past two years.¡± The teacher-in-charge nodded and frowned. ¡°Forget it, we just have to take care of ourselves. I hope that there won¡¯t be a super genius like last year¡¯s No. 7 High School appearing this year. Otherwise, not to mention No. 1 High School and us, the schools in Shanze City will be robbed of their limelight.¡± The school leader sighed, as if he regretted why that student didn¡¯t appear in his school last year. ¡°That¡¯s right. After what happened at No. 7 High School last year, many outstanding freshmen went to their school. Now, No. 7 High School is really like the sun in the sky in the city,¡± the teacher-in-charge said softly. There would also be competition from these schools. It was not just the school leaders and teachers of No. 2 High School who were discussing Qin Ming. The teachers from the other schools who came to participate in the physical examination also discussed Qin Ming, this A+ student, for a long time. It was only when a few more A+ students appeared that everyone¡¯s attention on Qin Ming weakened. No matter what, today¡¯s physical fitness test was not the key to the Martial Academy¡¯s assessment. As long as one could obtain a B grade or above assessment, one would be able to pass. People paid more attention to the two cultivation potential tests tomorrow. As expected, the students in Qin Ming¡¯s class all had physical fitness scores above B. Among them, Ma Zhiwen was second only to Qin Ming. His physical fitness grade was A, which was quite good. Chapter 35 - Test of Potential Chapter 35 Test of Potential After Qin Shu¡¯s parents found out about their son¡¯s results, they were quite happy even though they already had some idea how the results would turn out. They reminded Qin Ming to maintain his condition and complete the last test tomorrow. The test of potential score would be the combined results of the two major tests. On the third day, almost the entire country was paying attention to this test. What kind of superstars would appear this year and who would become this year¡¯s national top scorer? These were undoubtedly topics of discussion. Early in the morning, Qin Ming followed the school teacher to the medical center. This was also the location of today¡¯s assessment of potential. However, compared to yesterday, the atmosphere today was clearly much more solemn. Not only were the students nervous, but even the teachers and leaders were constantly paying attention to their students¡¯ condition, afraid that their emotions would affect the final test results. A group of armed guards stood guard outside the medical center¡¯s main entrance in case anything unexpected happened. ¡°Wow, as expected of the most important exam. They actually mobilized the city¡¯s garrison to maintain public order.¡± Ma Zhiwen smiled. He was one of the few candidates who could still maintain a calm state of mind. His target was Shanze Martial Arts Academy. As long as he performed well today, there would not be much of a problem, so he did not have to worry too much. Qin Ming was the same. Only those candidates who were hovering at the edge of the lowest admission threshold of the Martial Academies were the most nervous now. ¡°Is there really someone causing trouble here?¡± Qin Ming looked at the garrison and asked curiously. ¡°Of course. There was a terrorist attack a few years ago on the day of our college entrance examination in Shanze City. It¡¯s said that many candidates suffered a tragedy that time,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. ¡°Really?¡± Qin Ming was skeptical. At that time, he was probably still in junior high school in the town and hadn¡¯t heard much about the news in Shanze City. Therefore, he really hadn¡¯t heard of this attack a few years ago. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡± Seeing that Qin Ming didn¡¯t believe him, Ma Zhiwen leaned closer and whispered, ¡°Let me tell you, Qin Ming, although society is generally harmonious and orderly, if you become a cultivator in the future, you will know that many mysterious underground organizations are not as simple as you think.¡± Ma Zhiwen spoke very cautiously, as if he really knew something. If it were the Qin Ming from a few months ago, he might have only laughed it off when Ma Zhiwen mentioned the mysterious organizations. After all, even if it was true, it was too remote from him. It was almost impossible for them to cross paths. But now, after hearing Ma Zhiwen¡¯s words, he could not help but think of the group of crazy cyborgs he had seen, as well as the Gu siblings and the cultivator from the City Security Bureau. Si Xiangming thought that Qin Ming did not hear the conversation between him and the cyborg at that time. God knew that although Qin Ming looked like an ordinary high school student, his ears and eyes were abnormally sharp. He heard their conversation clearly from afar and learned about the cyborgs. The attack by the group of cyborgs at that time seemed to be an organized and premeditated operation. This made Qin Ming believe that there was an unknown underground organization behind this group of cyborgs. Qin Ming didn¡¯t ask Ma Zhiwen how he knew this. As a big entrepreneur in the city, it was normal for his father to know things that ordinary people didn¡¯t. He might even have business dealings with those mysterious organizations in private. Of course, this was only Qin Ming¡¯s speculation. He didn¡¯t know if there were any. Ma Zhiwen was just saying it casually. This topic was too sensitive, and he didn¡¯t want to continue chatting with Qin Ming. At the entrance of the medical center, Si Xiangming walked over from afar. ¡°Sir.¡± A member of the garrison saw Si Xiangming walking over and immediately took a few steps forward. ¡°How is it? Is there a problem?¡± Si Xiangming put his hands in his pockets and said in a laid back manner, as if he had just woken up. ¡°Nothing at the moment. I¡¯ve already spread the police force out. We¡¯ll be the first to notice if anyone suspicious approaches this medical center,¡± the guard reported solemnly. ¡°What about the other test locations?¡± ¡°All deployed.¡± Si Xiangming nodded. In the past, as the director of the Security Bureau, there was no need for him to participate in missions like the examination halls. But this year was different. The vicious incident caused by the cyborgs had just ended. In order to eliminate the potential risks, they naturally had to strengthen the security this year. His gaze swept across the candidates who were entering the medical center. Suddenly, he saw Qin Ming in the crowd and felt that he looked familiar. Eh, I didn¡¯t expect this kid to be this year¡¯s candidate, Si Xiangming thought. Although he had not seen Qin Ming since he saved him that day, he still had an impression of him. It was mainly because Qin Ming had seemed too calm at that time. In the face of the cyborg¡¯s self-destruction, an ordinary high school student was very likely to pee in his pants, or even lose control of his emotions and collapse. In comparison, Qin Ming¡¯s calmness at that time was extraordinary. Of course, if he knew what Qin Ming had experienced when he transformed into a spirit monster in the other world, he would feel that his reaction was reasonable. As they walked into the waiting room of the medical center, they saw that many high school candidates had already gathered inside. Some familiar school leaders led their teachers to greet each other. On the surface, it was a harmonious scene. There were a total of 50 instruments used to test the Qi Sea and mental strength. In other words, these candidates were tested in batches of 50. As for everyone¡¯s test results, they would not be announced to the public immediately. Instead, they would only be posted after the results of the national examination were tabulated. ¡°Qin Ming, tell me honestly, how high is your mental strength now?¡± While waiting, Ma Zhiwen suddenly asked Qin Ming. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard to say. The last time I went to the hospital, the result was 95 points,¡± in Ming said truthfully. In fact, after eating the Nether Fish, he really did not know how much mental strength he had now. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s already above 90. This is really unbelievable.¡± Ma Zhiwen sighed. A few months ago, Qin Ming was still an ordinary person. Now that he had changed so much, anyone who knew him would be surprised. ¡°What about you? Is there a chance that your current Qi Sea might break the school record?¡± Qin Ming asked. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. If my Qi Sea value could break the school record, I would have gone to Gulan Academy. Why would I want to enter the Shanze Academy?¡± Ma Zhiwen shook his head and said with a regretful expression. An hour later, Ma Zhiwen entered a designated testing room with his admission ticket. On the other side, in the mayor¡¯s office, the mayor of Shanze City, Lu Changhua, was staring at the huge screen in front of him. On the big screen, the images of the hundreds of testing rooms were projected. Even the results of the candidates who entered would be displayed. Chapter 36 - The Effect of the Nether Fish Chapter 36 The Effect of the Nether Fish ¡°It¡¯s been an hour. Why hasn¡¯t a student with a value above 100 appeared?¡± Lu Changhua frowned slightly, as if he was quite dissatisfied with the results. The Director of Education wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of embarrassment. In fact, the test had only started for an hour. How could an excellent martial arts student with a value of more than 100 appear so easily? It¡¯s just that a super genius appeared last year, but don¡¯t you know how the situation in Shanze City is every year? the Director of Education thought aggrievedly. ¡°Yes, this child is not bad. His Qi Sea value has reached 110. He¡¯s a good seedling.¡± Lu Changhua¡¯s expression softened after the new test results were out. The Director of Education immediately looked over. It was Ma Zhiwen¡¯s test results. ¡°This is the son of the chairman of the Ma Corporation. He studied in No. 1 High School in the city. This child has indeed been very outstanding. Although the admission threshold for the Martial Academy this year has been raised, he should have no problem entering Shanze Martial Academy this year,¡± the Director of Education introduced Ma Zhiwen. Since the higher-ups placed so much importance on the college entrance examination this year, he had naturally done his research. He more or less knew about those outstanding students. Ma Zhiwen was one of them. ¡°So he¡¯s Ma¡¯s son. When we were drinking tea with him some time ago, he did mention this son of his. It seems that he¡¯s really not bad.¡± Lu Changhua nodded. Then he asked reluctantly, ¡°Are there really no talented students like last year?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Director of Education did not know how to respond. He had already reported this matter several times, but Lu Changhua refused to give up. ¡°According to my investigation, there shouldn¡¯t be any this year. Mayor, you also know that there aren¡¯t many geniuses like that in the entire country. I¡­¡± ¡°Alright, stop talking.¡± Before the Director of Education could finish, Lu Changhua interrupted him angrily. ¡°I gave you a lot of funds last year. Even if you can¡¯t produce such a genius this year, the effect of the funds has to be reflected. Otherwise, you have to think carefully.¡± Lu Changhua¡¯s tone was obviously more serious. ¡°O-okay,¡± the Director of Education said with a reluctant nod, but he was cursing again. He gave the funds last year and wants to see obvious results this year. How could it be so fast? It¡¯s driving me crazy. As time passed, the candidates were tested, batch after batch. The mayor¡¯s face gradually darkened again. He was clearly dissatisfied with the results of these tests. It was late afternoon. ¡°Is this your explanation to me this year?¡± the mayor said with an unfriendly expression. ¡°This¡­¡± The Director of Education swallowed his saliva. His back was already drenched in sweat. The sofa was clearly very soft, but he had been sitting on it all day. Although each school produced some outstanding candidates, the proportion was not large. Most of the results were not ideal. At least, they were far from meeting the mayor¡¯s requirements. He saw a few candidates that he originally thought highly of. However, because they were too nervous during the test, the results were not as good as the results of the school¡¯s test. Lu Changhua slammed the table and said, ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Out of the remaining candidates, if 30 of them test with more than 100 points, you¡¯d have reached the mission target I set last year. if they don¡¯t, you can do as you see fit.¡± The Director of Education swore that as long as he could get through this crisis, he would definitely reorganize the major schools in the city this year. If he continued to ignore them, he was afraid that he would lose his official position. Qin Ming looked around. Most of the candidates had already left after the test, and the waiting room had become much emptier. The remaining candidates became even more nervous. This anticipation was not a good feeling Even Qin Ming wanted to finish the test as soon as possible. God knew why he was ranked so far behind. After waiting for a long time, it was finally his turn. He took his admission ticket and walked into test room 32. There were white walls and detection equipment that were even more sophisticated than the ones in school. Two inspectors in white coats were sitting there waiting for the next candidate. ¡°Qin Ming, is it? Just give me your admission certificate.¡± When the female inspector saw Qin Ming walk in, she stood up and went forward. Qin Ming nodded and handed over his identification. The inspector checked it and confirmed that the information was correct. Then he took Qin Ming¡¯s identification card and inserted it into a slot in the instrument. Exam Candidate Information: Name: Qin Ming Gender: Male Age: 17 Candidate number: SZ4396 The device sent out the information for proofreading. Then the male examiner began to explain the use of the device and the things to pay attention to. After going through the procedures, Qin Ming¡¯s test officially began. ¡°First, check your Qi Sea. Remember to relax your body and try not to resist the effects of the crystals,¡± the female examiner instructed gently. ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Ming heaved a sigh of relief and placed his palm on the crystal device. ¡°Test initiated!¡± This time it was the electronic voice of the instrument. Accompanied by this voice, the crystal gradually became hot. A warmth also entered Qin Ming¡¯s body through his palm and enveloped his closed Qi Sea at his dantian. His Qi Sea began to rise. Then the Qi Sea value on the instrument began to rise. The last time Qin Ming tested at the hospital, the result was 71 points. This time, he thought that it should only be higher and not lower. As expected, the value quickly rose to 71 points. It did not stop and continued to rise. It didn¡¯t take long for him to break through 80 points. This meant that with this Qi Sea test score, he would have a chance of entering a Martial Academy. However, this was not the end. Although he had predicted that there would be an improvement after eating the Nether Fish, he did not expect it to increase so much. After 80 points, his Qi Sea value quickly reached 90. Then he approached 100 points and broke through. 122 points! That was right, Qin Ming¡¯s Qi Sea test results reached 122 points. ¡°Heavens!¡± The female examiner did more than cover her mouth. Her eyes widened. After a day of testing, this was undoubtedly the highest test result she had ever seen. Not to mention the two of them, even Qin Ming was shocked. He did not expect that the final test result of his Qi Sea would reach more than 120 points. This result was really quite impressive. Previously, he was still asking Ma Zhiwen if he had the possibility of breaking the highest record of No. 1 High School¡¯s students. In the end, he was the one who broke it first. It had to be said that the plate of Nether Fish was very helpful to him. He had never heard of any medicine or treasure that could help people increase their Qi Sea by so much. That Nether Fish was definitely unique! Chapter 37 - Who Is This Child? Chapter 37 Who Is This Child? ¡°Great! Who is this child? He actually has such a high Qi Sea value!¡± Mayor Lu Changhua suddenly slammed the table and pointed at a testing room on the screen. ¡°Qin Ming? A Qi Sea value of 122?!¡± The Director of Education was stunned when he saw the latest test results. Who is Qin Ming? He had never heard of him. The Director of Education was dumbfounded. He repeatedly searched his mind for information about the students he had browsed. However, Qin Ming was indeed not on the list of top students. ¡°A student from No. 1 High School? Hmm, No. 1 High School is quite good this year.¡± Lu Changhua looked at the information displayed on the screen and couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°No. 1 High School¡­ Qin Ming¡­¡± The Director of Education finally remembered a piece of news he had heard about Qin Ming some time ago. ¡°I have an impression of this Qin Ming. When he was in No. 1 High School, he had always been an ordinary student. He didn¡¯t have any talent for cultivation. It was during a test just before the college entrance examination that the value of the two tests suddenly increased greatly. It was said that he suddenly awakened his talent,¡± the Director of Education said. ¡°Oh? Another student who suddenly awakened his talent.¡± He was no longer surprised to hear about such a phenomenon. As the mayor, he knew that there were a few such people in Shanze City every year, in addition to the number of cases in the entire country. It was just like how there were always people who won the lottery at every draw. But very few ordinary people knew these people. ¡°What a lucky child. Even among those ordinary people who have awakened their talent, very few of them have a value of more than 100 points, let alone a Qi Sea of 122 points like his.¡± The mayor sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect this Qin Ming to be able to reach this stage,¡± said the Director of Education. No matter what, Qin Ming, this dark horse, made him very happy. At least, he could tell that the mayor was very satisfied. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s going to take the mental strength test.¡± The mayor was already staring at Qin Ming¡¯s every move on the screen, waiting for the results of his other test. As Qin Ming put on the device, the value of his mental strength gradually began to rise. After reaching the 95 points that he had previously tested, his value rose again and broke through 100 points without stopping. 110 120 130 138 139 The value jumped twice at 139 points. Then it reluctantly came to 140 points before stopping completely. 140! Qin Ming¡¯s mental strength test result was 140 points! ¡°This¡­¡± The female examiner opened her mouth and was stunned. On the other side, in the office. The mayor and the Director of Education had similar expressions when they saw the numbers climb. When the value froze at 140, Lu Changhua suddenly stood up. After being stunned for a moment, he smiled. Unexpectedly, after a super genius appeared in Shanze City last year, another one came this year. To outsiders, the first time might seem like a coincidence. If it happened two years in a row, it took on a new meaning. Could it be that the education level of Shanze City was really so high? Some people would have similar doubts, but no matter what, it was a good thing for Shanze City. ¡°Haha, if I can produce another student like this next year, I might consider you for the position of the next deputy mayor.¡± Lu Changhua smiled and patted the Director of Education¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. This year, I will definitely do my best to improve the education level of the entire city.¡± Although he knew that the mayor was making an empty promise, he still had to accept it graciously. As for whether there would be another one next year, God knew. Qin Ming and the super genius from last year had appeared for no reason and had nothing to do with him. This was not something he could control. Even if he secretly mobilized a large amount of resources to nurture a student with potential, he would most likely not be able to reach Qin Ming¡¯s talent. After all, the higher the potential value, the harder it was to increase. Usually, after breaking through the 100th point barrier, if one wanted to increase it again, it mainly depended on one¡¯s talent. External resources would only play a supporting role. Of course, that was unless he also had super supplements like the Nether Fish. But no matter what, with the appearance of Qin Ming, his position as Director of Education was saved this year. At this moment, Qin Ming looked pleasing to the eye on the screen. After walking out of the medical center, Qin Ming felt relieved. The college entrance examination that had been weighing heavily on his heart was finally over. He felt more relaxed than ever. ¡°Qin Ming, how are the results?¡± Ma Zhiwen immediately went up to Qin Ming and asked him. ¡°Pretty good.¡± Qin Ming smiled. ¡°How many points?¡± Ma Zhiwen asked curiously when he saw Qin Ming¡¯s expression. ¡°You might not believe me.¡± Qin Ming said, ¡°My Qi Sea is 122 points, and my mental strength is 140 points.¡± ¡°Damn, Qin Ming, aren¡¯t you a little too thick-skinned? Why don¡¯t you say 200? No one has ever done it before and no one will ever do it again.¡± A classmate who was on good terms with him couldn¡¯t help but complain. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Qin Ming emphasized again, but it amused a few girls who were listening ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡± The girls waved their hands and smiled. ¡°Forget it. Looking at how smug he is, the results of the test probably aren¡¯t bad.¡± Ma Zhiwen also smiled. The college entrance examination was completely over. Those present who had achieved their ideal results were naturally in a good mood. As for those who did not achieve their ideal results, they quietly left the medical center and went somewhere to wallow in their disappointment. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal at a big hotel!¡± Ma Zhiwen shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Eldest Young Master is treating us. We have to support him!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I haven¡¯t had a good meal in a long time. I have to eat everything today. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be letting myself down!¡± Seeing that everyone was in high spirits, Qin Ming didn¡¯t want to disappoint them by going back alone. Ma Zhiwen was indeed the son of a rich family. He went to the hotel immediately after saying that he would treat them to a meal and even booked the entire place. Even though he hadn¡¯t eaten yet, Qin Ming knew that the cost of this meal was probably an astronomical figure. At the dining table, the group of students chatted about almost everything, from eating to life and looking forward to the future. Even though they were not very familiar with each other in class, they still joked with each other at this time without any scruples. Everyone knew that they would all be going their separate ways soon. It would be very difficult to get together and have a meal like this in the future. Some people would even find it difficult to meet again in this lifetime. Their high school days had completely ended with this exam. Chapter 38 - Results Announced Chapter 38 Results Announced When he returned home that night, he told his parents about his test results during the day. Although Qin Ming¡¯s parents didn¡¯t know how high his results were, they knew that he had very good results. They were happy that their son could get such results. Father Qin drank a little and commented that his son had grown up. He reminded him to bring honor to his ancestors in the future. Mother Qin also said a lot. She felt that when her son grew up, he was destined to forge his own path and go far. As a mother, she was strict with him when he was young and she yearned for her son to become successful. However, she would be more or less reluctant to cut the apron strings when the time came. The next day, after the college entrance examination ended, Father and Mother Qin went back. As he watched his parents leave, Qin Ming felt a little emotional. No matter how mature he was, he was still a 17-year-old child. He knew very well that with the results of his test, he could basically choose any martial arts academy in the country, even the Emperor Xia Martial Arts Academy in the capital. A mental strength score of 140 definitely exceeded the admission standards of all the martial academies in the country. In other words, in the future, he would most likely leave Shanze City and his parents to go to school in another city. Regarding this, he had talked to his parents last night. As parents, they naturally supported his choice. A better school meant that there would be better prospects in the future. How could he not go? ¡°So, which academy should I go to¡­¡± Qin Ming muttered to himself. To be honest, he did not expect to achieve such a high mental strength value in the exam. At first, he thought that it would be good enough if he could get into Shanze Martial Arts Academy. Now that he had more choices, he was a little conflicted. Since his mental strength was high, he would undoubtedly choose the Spirit Nurturing Master or Weapon Spirit Warrior program. Although his Qi Sea value was also very high, reaching 122 points, it was still much lower than his mental strength value. He did not consider the Great Martial Artist program. Speaking of the best martial arts school in the country, it was naturally the famous Gulan Academy in the Southeast Province. There were countless Spirit Nurturing Masters and Weapon Spirit Warriors nurtured by this martial arts school, and many of them had become famous experts. Among them, there were also many genius students who received a lot of attention. To Qin Ming, Gulan Academy was a good choice. It was not far from home. The other choice was naturally Emperor Xia Academy in the capital. As the number one martial academy in the country, its status in the country was naturally high. Many outstanding people who joined the ranks of international experts were from Emperor Xia Martial Academy. Generally speaking, the admission threshold of Emperor Xia Academy was also the highest in the country every year. The selection of students was very stringent. Many martial arts students could not enter this academy no matter how hard they tried. If Qin Ming wanted to enter the Great Martial Artist Department, there was no doubt that Emperor Xia Academy, which was ranked first, was his first choice. There was basically no suspense. In the Great Martial Artist Department, the faculty of Emperor Xia Academy completely crushed their counterparts at the other academies. The faculty at this academy comprised many top-notch martial artists from diverse countries. Moreover, the academy had a long history. There was no need to say how deep and strong its foundation was. Emperor Xia Academy was known as the holy land for martial artists in the country. However, in terms of Spirit Nurturing Master and Weapon Spirit Warrior programs, the reputation of the Gulan Academy was not inferior to Emperor Xia Academy at all. The Gulan Academy had surpassed Emperor Xia Academy in the Weapon Spirit Warrior program over the years. This was also what Qin Ming was conflicted about. Should he choose the number one academy, Emperor Xia Academy, or Gulan Academy which was more suitable for him? In fact, some other famous schools also had their own strengths. They were considered good choices and were all within Qin Ming¡¯s consideration. After thinking about it for the entire night, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind. This morning, when he watched his parents leave, he suddenly felt a little emotional. Unknowingly, his parents were gradually getting old. Perhaps it would be better to enter Gulan Academy. At least he would be closer to his parents. He might go further in the future, but for now, it was good to have the opportunity to spend more time with his parents. Thinking of this, he more or less understood why the top scorer of the college entrance examination in Shanze City last year went to Gulan Academy to be close to home. Everyone had their own considerations. The strongest might not be the best. If he wanted to enter the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department, Gulan Academy might be his best choice. No matter what, the final results of his college entrance examination were very ideal. These days, the only thing that made Qin Ming resentful was that the cooldown time of the spiritual monster login device seemed to have increased. Previously, he had been focused on the college entrance examination. It had been about 11 days since he logged in. However, only about half of the words on the interface had regained their golden light. At this rate, he estimated that he would have to wait for more than 10 days before he could enter the spirit monster world again. Compared to the previous cooldown time, it was about five to six days longer. In this way, his idea of continuing to strengthen himself through the rating reward of the login device would undoubtedly be delayed for some time. However, on second thought, he could use these few days to rest instead of preparing to survive in the cruel spirit monster world right after the exam. The results of the college entrance examination would only be released in two days. However, when Qin Ming was browsing the news on the Internet, there was already a lot of news coverage about the highly anticipated results of the genius students. There were all kinds of versions of scores. It was unknown if they were true or not. Although Qin Ming¡¯s mental strength was extremely high, he was not famous previously, so very few people knew about his test results. Qin Ming had nothing to do and spent two days of leisure time happily. Of course, he still persisted in his daily training. It was impossible for him to waste his time like this. After all, he would become a cultivator in the future. Two days later, the official version of the college entrance examination results was finally announced. Qin Ming immediately checked his results. Qin Ming scored 1,297 marks out of 1,500 marks for the comprehensive liberal arts exam. This result was within his expectations. It was quite good, much better than his previous mock exam results in school. Physical fitness test: A+ rating Key Potential Test Scores: Qi Sea value: 122 points Mental Strength score: 140 points This result was quite outstanding, even by national standards. After checking the results, Qin Ming was not too excited. After all, he had already known what he needed to know during the test. ere As for his liberal arts results, they were not very important to him now. Everyone knew that the Martial Academy did not value humanities results. Not long after, Qin Ming¡¯s phone rang. ¡°You actually have such a high score!¡± Ma Zhiwen¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°That¡¯s right, but none of you believed me.¡± Qin Ming smiled. ¡°¡­¡± Ma Zhiwen held it in for a long time and could only say, ¡°Pervert.¡± Qin Ming¡¯s amazing results quickly spread among the students. It was impossible not to take note of his scores. There were countless curses in the class group chat. At this moment, those students who were lamenting about the top scorer of last year¡¯s college entrance examination with Qin Ming a while ago felt like they had been deceived. How did it feel to suddenly have a super genius like Qin Ming in the class? The feelings must be quite complicated. Incredulous, envious, surreal¡­ Chapter 39 - The Best Graduate Chapter 39 The Best Graduate After that, the form teacher, Zhang Yu, also contacted Qin Ming. As soon as the call connected, he praised him. ¡°What extraordinary talent! What a super genius! When you first entered school, I could tell that you had extraordinary potential and thought very highly of you.¡± Qin Ming was speechless. ¡°Teacher, have you been drinking?¡± ¡°Ha, you even noticed that. Your observation skills are indeed extraordinary. I was happy, so I drank a little.¡± Zhang Yu laughed heartily. Clearly, this was a lot for him to take. Otherwise, he would not have started spouting nonsense. Of course, Zhang Yu was really happy. After all, every teacher dreamed of teaching a genius student like Qin Ming, and he was no exception. As the form teacher, he would definitely get a promotion and bonus from the school. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m going to have a meal with the principal and school leaders tonight. At that time, I¡¯ll recommend you to them as the most outstanding graduate this year and give you an award at the graduation ceremony. Hehe.¡± As Zhang Yu said this, he was already slurring. ¡°Alright, thank you, Teacher. Also, you¡¯ve drunk so much now. Can you still go tonight?¡± Although Qin Ming was not interested in this award, he said a few polite words. After being reminded, Zhang Yu immediately said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯m not drinking anymore. I¡¯m not drinking anymore. I can¡¯t delay business.¡± Whether he could get a promotion or a raise this year depended on tonight¡¯s meal. It meant a lot to him. After hanging up, Qin Ming contacted his parents again and told them his results so that they would be at ease. It was not until the next day that he received invitations from the various martial arts academies. Every year, only students with outstanding college entrance examination results would receive invitations from the Martial Academy. No matter which school you applied to for the college entrance examination, you could reconsider and accept the invitation of a famous school to become a student of that school. Of course, there was a limit to the number of invitations in each academy, so these were not sent randomly. There were not many students who received invitations every year. Looking at the dozen or so invitations on the table, Qin Ming couldn¡¯t help but rub his chin. Each envelope bore the emblem of the Academy. On these dozen or so invitations, every academy badge was quite famous and could be recognized at a glance. One of them was the emblem of Gulan Academy and Emperor Xia Academy. In the future, no matter which school badge he wore, he would become the target of envy. Now he needed to decide within a week of the results which academy to accept. Of course, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry now. He was still a long way from making a decision. He had plenty of time to think it through. The huge Gulan Academy was located in Gulan City. The unique white architectural style was very dazzling and magnificent. Its reputation throughout the country made it the most iconic place in the city. Basically, when outsiders talked about Gulan City, they would immediately think of the various honors that Gulan Academy had received Undoubtedly, he would be lucky to be a student of this academy. In a villa in the academy, a man in a white robe was sitting on a chair with some information in his hand. ¡°You wanted to see me, Teacher?¡± At this moment, a clear voice came from outside the door. A tall woman walked in. ¡°Yes, Little Wen, take a look at this child.¡± The man handed over a document and gestured for the woman to take a look. ¡°Whoa, this kid¡¯s talent is not bad!¡± The woman glanced at the information and a look of surprise appeared on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go home in the next two days? Go and help me see how this child is doing. If you can, try to bring him over.¡± The man smiled gently. When the woman heard this, she immediately understood what her teacher meant. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re not the only one who has taken a fancy to this child. The other academies should have already sent out invitations. In the end, it still depends on this child¡¯s own plans.¡± The man nodded and said without changing his expression, ¡°Don¡¯t force him. If he has already made up his mind, don¡¯t stop him.¡± ¡°Alright, Teacher¡­¡± On this day, Qin Ming put on his formal suit and went to school to attend the graduation ceremony. As soon as he arrived at school, he was brought to see the principal and the leaders by the form teacher. He received a lot of praise. If he was not thick-skinned, he would really feel embarrassed. ¡°Alright, the graduation ceremony is about to begin. Student Qin Ming, come with us,¡± the principal said with a smile. ¡°Alright, Principal.¡± Qin Ming nodded. The group filed out of the office. The principal and Qin Ming walked in front, chatting and laughing. The school leaders walked on both sides. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that the principal was meeting an important leader. It showed how much they valued Qin Ming. Moreover, Qin Ming was very likely to be the top scholar of Shanze City this year. With the talent Qin Ming exhibited, there was a high chance that he would rank and stand out among the experts after entering a Martial Academy in the future. It was obviously inappropriate to treat Qin Ming as an ordinary student at this time. If they could befriend him, they definitely would do so. The graduation ceremony was held in the school gymnasium. It was the same every year. In addition to this year¡¯s graduates, the Year One and Year Two students would also be gathered to watch the graduation ceremony of the seniors. When Qin Ming and the others arrived, the entire gymnasium was already filled with students waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin. After seeing the principal and the others appear, the host immediately went on stage to host the event. The school leaders also began to speak on stage according to the procedures. After waiting for a while, it was Qin Ming¡¯s turn. ¡°Next is the award for the best graduate of our school this year. Our principal will personally award it. We welcome Student Qin Ming to the stage to receive the award.¡± Following the host¡¯s words, Qin Ming immediately walked up and took the golden certificate from the principal. The students below all focused their gazes on Qin Ming ¡°Have you seen this senior¡¯s college entrance examination results? He¡¯s so amazing!¡± ¡°That goes without saying. The news has long spread in the class group. Who doesn¡¯t know about No. 1 High School now?¡± ¡°With Senior¡¯s results, I think the top scorer of the college entrance examination in Shanze City this year is guaranteed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really envious. I¡¯m afraid that he can choose any Martial Academy in the entire country. I¡¯m really courting death if I compare myself to him¡­¡± This was the first time in his life that he had been on such a large podium and was being stared at by thousands of people. Although Qin Ming was a little uncomfortable, he didn¡¯t show it. He still looked calm. ¡°Thank you very much for the award given to me by the school¡­¡± Previously, Zhang Yu had given him a simple speech to memorize. Now he just had to follow the script. On the other side, outside the door at the back of the stadium, a tall woman walked over. She stood at the door and looked at Qin Ming, who was giving a speech on the stage, with a faint smile on her face. To her, this scene was not unfamiliar. Last year, she experienced what Qin Ming was experiencing this year-receiving the award for the most outstanding graduate. This tall and beautiful woman was Ye Wen, the top scorer of the college entrance examination in Shanze City last year. Chapter 40 - Ye Wen Chapter 40 Ye Wen After his speech ended, Qin Ming walked off the podium with the award. The graduation ceremony was finally over. At the end, after receiving his graduation certificate from the form teacher, 17-year-old Qin Ming officially graduated from high school. ¡°Congratulations, Qin Ming. I¡¯m afraid your college entrance examination results will be on the news soon,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. Although he was not too happy about Qin Ming¡¯s excessive exposure, he could not stop the news from being published. He could only choose to accept it silently. ¡°By the way, have you thought about which academy you¡¯re going to?¡± ¡°I have some thoughts, but I haven¡¯t made a final decision,¡± Qin Ming said as he looked at the award and graduation certificate in his hand. ¡°If it were me, I would definitely choose Emperor Xia Academy. After all, it¡¯s the number one academy in the country. I don¡¯t know how many people dream of entering it,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. Clearly, he also had hopes for the number one academy, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the aptitude and potential. When the two of them walked out of the school gate, Qin Ming suddenly saw a girl not far away waving in his direction. ¡°Qin Ming, is she looking for you?¡± Ma Zhiwen also noticed the girl waving at him and suddenly felt that this girl looked familiar. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know her.¡± Qin Ming was also a little puzzled. ¡°Could she be your admirer?¡± Ma Zhiwen said with a knowing smile. ¡°Uh¡­ Although I don¡¯t know her, I feel that this woman looks a little familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before,¡± Qin Ming said. He had the same feeling as Ma Zhiwen. ¡°You think so too?¡± Ma Zhiwen was stunned. Taking a few steps closer, the girl¡¯s face became clearer. Qin Ming finally remembered. ¡°Could this girl be the top scorer of No. 7 High School last year? I remember her name is Ye Wen.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± When Ma Zhiwen heard Qin Ming¡¯s words, he immediately remembered. Didn¡¯t we see a photo of this college entrance examination top scholar in the news last year? No wonder she looks familiar at first glance. ¡°But the question is, why did she suddenly appear here? She seems to be looking for you,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. That seemed to be the case. Qin Ming looked around and saw that the other party was indeed staring at him. After some thought, Qin Ming walked over. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, Qin Ming.¡± Ye Wen smiled, looking very friendly. ¡°Is this Senior Ye Wen?¡± Ma Zhiwen asked carefully. ¡°Aiya, I didn¡¯t expect anyone to know me here.¡± Ye Wen chuckled. ¡°Really. Last year, you scored so high that all the students in the city knew you,¡± Ma Zhiwen said. ¡°According to my understanding, Student Qin didn¡¯t do badly either.¡± Ye Wen¡¯s gaze landed on Qin Ming again. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re here to look for Qin Ming?¡± Ma Zhiwen said thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Wen was extremely calm. ¡°Student Qin, can we have a chat?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Ming thought about it and guessed what Ye Wen wanted to talk to him about. Ye Wen was an outstanding student of Gulan Academy. The two of them did not know each other previously. It was most likely that she was looking for Qin Ming because of the academy. Not far from Qin Ming¡¯s school, there was a caf¨¦ with a cheap and good environment. It was a place where student couples often hung out. Ye Wen and Qin Ming came to this cafe and ordered a cup of coffee before sitting opposite each other. At this moment, as the graduation ceremony had ended and school was closed, there were not many students and customers in the cafe. No one noticed Qin Ming and Ye Wen. ¡°I believe you would have received invitations from many famous schools by now. How is it going? Have you decided where you want to go?¡± Ye Wen was not someone who beat around the bush. She went straight to the point. The questions were as Qin Ming had expected. After thinking for a moment, Qin Ming said, ¡°I haven¡¯t made a decision yet. Senior, do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a suggestion, but as someone who has been through it, I understand some things about the academy. I can tell you a thing or two. As for where you want to go in the end, that will be up to you,¡± Ye Wen said. ¡°When I was choosing an academy back then, I vacillated between Emperor Xia Academy and Gulan Academy. In the end, I chose Gulan Academy. Your results are not that different from mine back then. I wonder if you¡¯re like me?¡± Ye Wen asked. Qin Ming nodded. In fact, he had already eliminated the other academies in the past two days. He was also only torn between Emperor Xia Academy and Gulan Academy. ¡°Then you should also know that the strength and focus of Emperor Xia Academy is the Great Martial Artist Department, followed by the Spirit Nurturing Master Department, and the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department. Gulan Academy¡¯s focus is the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department, followed by the Spirit Nurturing Master Department, and the Great Martial Artist Department. The difference in the focus of this kind of education will inevitably cause the resources of the academy to be tilted to a certain extent. From this point of view, if you want to unleash your greatest potential in the spiritual aspect, it¡¯s undoubtedly better to choose the two major departments of Gulan Academy. However, Emperor Xia Academy is the top academy in the country after all. Moreover, it¡¯s located in the Imperial Capital and has a transcendent status. The various resources in its school surpass Gulan Academy in the Southeast Province. This is also an indisputable fact.¡± Ye Wen simply analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of these two academies that were most suitable for Qin Ming. These were also the reasons why Qin Ming was conflicted. ¡°Actually, I came to you this time because I was entrusted by the academy¡¯s professor. He thinks that you¡¯re very suitable for the cultivation of the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department. He hopes that you can join Gulan Academy.¡± After analyzing the situation, Ye Wen bluntly stated her purpose for coming. Qin Ming¡¯s expression did not change. Ye Wen¡¯s recruitment was also within his expectations. ¡°The cultivation of a Weapon Spirit Warrior requires both powerful mental strength and a strong physique to unleash your combat strength. Other than your mental strength potential, your Qi Sea also reached more than 120 points. This is also one of the reasons why you are suitable for the cultivation of the Weapon Spirit Warrior.¡± Ye Wen explained. She had the same thoughts as her professor. In her opinion, Qin Ming¡¯s college entrance examination results were most suitable for the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department. Speaking of the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department, Gulan Academy was undoubtedly the first choice in the country. ¡°Yes¡­¡± In fact, Qin Ming had thought about it for a long time between the Spirit Nurturing Master and the Weapon Spirit Warrior programs. The Weapon Spirit Warrior program was a new cultivation system of the current era, and it had the shortest development time. Naturally, among the cultivators, the Weapon Spirit Warriors formed the smallest group. In terms of perfection, they were also inferior to the other two cultivation systems. However, the combat power displayed by the experts among the Weapon Spirit Warriors was quite astonishing. It was not inferior to the other two cultivation systems at all. In fact, it was even superior in some aspects. When Qin Ming was young, he yearned to become a Weapon Spirit Warrior. Now that he really had the chance to enter this cultivation path, he was a little hesitant. Is the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department really suitable for me? Seeing that Qin Ming was deep in thought, Ye Wen calmly took a sip of coffee. She had already explained her purpose for coming here. As for whether Qin Ming wanted to come to the Gulan Academy in the end, that was his own decision. She didn¡¯t want to interfere further. Anyway, her professor said that she shouldn¡¯t force him. ¡°If I choose the Weapon Spirit Warrior Department, I will go to Gulan Academy. If I choose the Spirit Nurturing Master Department, I will go to the Xia Emperor Academy¡­¡± Qin Ming felt that it was time for him to consider carefully. It wasn¡¯t his character to keep hesitating. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve already made a decision.¡± Ye Wen couldn¡¯t help but say when she finished the cup of coffee. ¡°Yes, I have to thank Senior Sister this time.¡± Qin Ming nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. Some things in the academy will be clear when you are really there.¡± Ye Wen smiled meaningfully. She didn¡¯t ask what Qin Ming¡¯s final decision was. ¡°By the way, Senior Sister, are you specially here to look for me?¡± Qin Ming suddenly asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s summer vacation. I want to go home to visit my parents. I was entrusted by my professor to have a chat with you,¡± Ye Wen said bluntly. If she wasn¡¯t in the same city as Qin Ming, she wouldn¡¯t have accepted her professor¡¯s request. ¡°Then is Senior Sister going to stay in Shanze City for a period of time?¡± Qin Ming asked this because he wanted to approach this senior sister if he had any questions about cultivation and the academy in the future. ¡°I can¡¯t stay for long. I still have to finish my summer homework in a few days.¡± Ye Wen shook her head. ¡°Summer homework?¡± Qin Ming was stunned. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll know in the future. I¡¯ll leave you my contact number. If you have any problems in the future, you can contact me.¡± Ye Wen took the initiative to tell Qin Ming her contact number. She took good care of this junior who came from the same city. Perhaps the two of them would have many interactions in the future.