Return to School

After awakening his Mental Power, Lin Zhen checked the time. It had taken only nine hours.

Anything under ten hours could be called genius-level. Nine hours was exceptionally impressive, especially since Lin Zhen was not yet seventeen. He had awakened remarkably early.

Most Martial Artists first took Gene Serum to improve their physique. The timing of a Mental Power awakening varied, but the earlier one awakened, the greater their future achievements would be.

For the next two days, Lin Zhen stayed home and adapted to his mental strength.

With the experience of his previous life, the process was not difficult. Two days later, Lin Zhen's Mental Power had completely stabilized. As long as he trained diligently, it would gradually improve.

Soon, the day of the graduation exam arrived. Lin Zhen left home and headed for school.

By the time he arrived, the place was already bustling with voices, and all kinds of luxury cars filled the campus.

Just as he reached the school gates, someone appeared before him.

"Lin Zhen, you're here."

Lin Zhen looked up and saw a tall, burly boy over six feet three standing before him, a guileless smile on his face.

Lin Zhen smiled. It was Meng Dong, his good friend from school—a fine young man with exceptional talent for martial arts. They had known each other since childhood, and he had been Lin Zhen's closest friend at school.

Meng Dong possessed Heavenly Strength. Lin Zhen knew that in this graduation exam, Meng Dong would be selected by Raging Wind Martial Hall and become a trainee. Less than two months later, he would become an official Martial Artist, gaining quite a bit of fame throughout the Northern Region.

In this graduation exam, Lin Zhen had only entered Azure Sky Martial Hall. With Ouyang Yu interfering behind the scenes, his status had been low, and the gap between him and Meng Dong had widened. Feeling inferior, Lin Zhen stopped contacting Meng Dong, and the two gradually drifted apart.

Seeing his old friend again filled Lin Zhen with joy. He walked over and patted Meng Dong on the shoulder. "Dongzi, you came so early today. Looks like you're full of confidence."

Meng Dong scratched his head. "Lin Zhen, I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else. I was so nervous yesterday that I didn't sleep all night. What if I mess up and don't get selected? My parents will be so disappointed. They're still waiting for me to make money and buy them a big house."

"Don't worry yourself over nothing. I think Raging Wind will definitely pick you this time."

Meng Dong immediately broke into a wide grin. "If Raging Wind really picks me, I'll treat you to a feast. We'll go have Roasted Boar with Tusks—no, you have to join Raging Wind Martial Hall too."

"I'll do my best."

Lin Zhen smiled. He knew his strength had improved considerably, but he still did not know exactly how much. There were no testing conditions at home, so he could only find out during the graduation exam.

"How did you prepare for this morning's Cultural Class? At the very least, you have to make sure you pass," Lin Zhen reminded Meng Dong.

"Don't worry. I've memorized almost everything."

The two chatted as they walked, but Lin Zhen suddenly paused.

A beautiful figure appeared ahead. Her Beautiful Hair was silky, her brows and eyes picturesque. Though still young, she already possessed a charm capable of captivating all who saw her. Her lovely eyes flickered as she looked at Lin Zhen.

"Lin Zhen, it's An Ning. She's looking at you."

Meng Dong grinned rather suggestively beside him. As Lin Zhen's friend, he knew how Lin Zhen felt about An Ning, and he hoped his friend would get what he wished for.

Now that he had been reborn, facing the girl he liked again, Lin Zhen felt only a faint joy. Those who had never experienced such a feeling of being separated by a lifetime could never understand it.

"Lin Zhen, how is your preparation?" An Ning asked, her voice crisp and clear, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"Not bad. I'm not under much pressure," Lin Zhen replied with a smile.

"That's good. As long as you perform normally, getting into a Martial Hall shouldn't be a problem. But you should still be careful. I heard that..." An Ning hesitated, as though she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Lin Zhen smiled faintly. "It's fine. I'm confident. These Martial Halls hold an exceptional status. No one person can simply control everything with a few words."

An Ning nodded, knowing that Lin Zhen understood what she meant.

At that moment, another boy walked over.

His long hair was somewhat messy, and there was a faintly reddened handprint on his handsome face. It seemed to have been left two days ago, yet it had not fully faded, showing just how angry the person who hit him had been.

The newcomer was Ouyang Yu. There were three people in Class Three whom everyone thought highly of: Ouyang Yu, Meng Dong, and Lin Zhen. They were known as The Three Carriages of Class Three.

Lin Zhen ranked last among them, while Ouyang Yu was vaguely considered first. He had always drawn considerable attention at school.

Ouyang Yu walked up to An Ning and said softly, "An Ning, why did you come here? I've been looking everywhere for you. People from Dragon Slayer Martial Hall are over there. Uncle Zhang is good friends with my dad, so I'll introduce you to him. He's quite a famous figure in the Martial Artist circles of our Base City."

An Ning frowned slightly. "Why would you introduce your father's friend to me? We're just ordinary classmates. There's absolutely no need for that."

"An Ning, do you really not understand how I feel? Did you see the post I made the night before last? I wasn't trying to show off. I just wanted to prove my feelings for you. For you, money is nothing but dirt in my eyes."

"How childish. Whatever you want to do is your business. It has nothing to do with me. And I hate people who waste things. What you did was simply immature!" An Ning showed Ouyang Yu no courtesy at all.

Meng Dong and Lin Zhen stood to the side with smiles on their faces, looking thoroughly pleased by Ouyang Yu's misfortune.

Ouyang Yu was furious inside, but he could not take it out on An Ning. He immediately turned his fire on Lin Zhen. "Lin Zhen, I remember warning you to stay away from An Ning. Were my words just in one ear and out the other?"

Lin Zhen's expression suddenly turned cold. "Ouyang Yu, you really think too highly of yourself."

Meng Dong cracked his knuckles. "Ouyang Yu, want to test your skills? Everyone says you're number one in Class Three, but I'm not convinced."

Facing Meng Dong and Lin Zhen together, Ouyang Yu was genuinely somewhat intimidated. His reputation was greater than theirs, but in terms of strength, he did not dare claim he could definitely overpower Meng Dong. As for Lin Zhen, while he was confident he could win, for some reason Lin Zhen's gaze was particularly sharp today, making him afraid to meet it directly. With the graduation exam so close, he did not want to create more trouble either.

"Fine, fine! Lin Zhen, you've got nerve. Remember what I said. Your grades don't qualify you to join a good Martial Hall. Even if some small Martial Hall takes you in, I have ways to make sure you amount to nothing."

"Haha! You throw your weight around with your father's power, yet you still have a handprint on your face. Hearing you say that is really ridiculous."

Lin Zhen laughed, then turned to Meng Dong. "Meng Dong, if some wastrel sold something worth five million for a hundred, and you were that kid's father, what would you do?"

Meng Dong was straightforward by nature, but after years together, he and Lin Zhen understood each other perfectly. He immediately swung his hand. "I'd slap the hell out of that brat. I should've dumped him into a sewer and washed him away back then."

Lin Zhen could not help laughing. Meng Dong really suited his taste.

Sure enough, Ouyang Yu's face turned livid. The slap mark on his face had been left by his father. He had never dared tell anyone about that blunder, yet Lin Zhen somehow knew about it.

"Lin Zhen, you'll pay for what you said today. Just wait and see!"

Ouyang Yu no longer had the face to stay. He turned and left in embarrassment.

An Ning was a little worried, but she said nothing. After all, she and Lin Zhen were merely ordinary classmates. Though she knew Lin Zhen might like her, he had never said so. What could she, a girl, possibly say?