Seizing First Place

"Completed cultivation of the Dragon Secret Art Fragment. Gained efficiency multiplier."

As this system notification rang out, Lin Mu felt as though he had cultivated this secret art tens of thousands of times.

Every detail, every point requiring deep understanding, he now grasped completely.

And in that brief instant, he had already cultivated the art to Minor Success (27%).

This was only because it was his first time practicing it, leaving him somewhat unfamiliar, with many circulations not yet perfectly executed.

Otherwise, the results would have been even better.

Lin Mu also realized that this secret art was incomplete; even cultivated to its limit, it could likely only reach Minor Success (50%).

Yet even so, he could sense the art's extraordinary nature.

As the secret art circulated, he felt like a flood dragon—both his physical strength and his self-healing ability had greatly increased.

Moreover, the side effects of this secret art were minimal.

Even when fully exerted, he would at most be weakened for half an hour.

Activating the art in normal use could steadily enhance his physical strength, making it an extremely powerful cultivation method.

A hint of excitement crossed his face as he slowly opened his eyes: "What a formidable secret art!"

Bai Mo, sitting beside him, stared with wide, incredulous eyes.

"How far have you cultivated it?"

"Almost finished," Lin Mu said.

"Finished!" Bai Mo's face was filled with shock.

This was a secret art!

And a three-segment secret art at that!

Secret arts were far rarer than martial skills or cultivation methods.

They usually had specific, unique functions.

As a result, secret arts commanded a high price.

To put it bluntly, a secret art like this could easily be worth more than a four-segment cultivation method or martial skill.

And they were extremely hard to obtain.

Furthermore, secret arts were notoriously difficult to cultivate.

Even a genius like Bai Mo would need two or three years to reach Minor Success.

Lin Mu had only been cultivating for how long!

And he had already stepped into Minor Success in an instant.

What terrifying talent.

Bai Mo's heart was filled with admiration, and she couldn't help saying, "I originally thought you were only strong in combat, but I didn't expect your cultivation to be this impressive too!"

A smile played on Lin Mu's face: "Probably just luck."

Bai Mo looked a little helpless but said nothing more.

Meanwhile, outside, the old man stared at the scene on the Virtual Screen, his expression shifting noticeably.

He could sense exactly how far Lin Mu had cultivated the secret art.

And he had only been practicing for a dozen minutes—what terrifying talent.

"What's going on? How can he cultivate so fast?" A trace of confusion appeared on the old man's face.

But he didn't dwell on it, knowing that the world was vast and geniuses were many.

Some people were simply exceptionally gifted at cultivating certain secret arts or methods.

Lin Mu achieving this level in such a short time was proof of his talent.

For a moment, a glint flickered in the old man's eyes.

Someone like this—if he could enter the Bai Family—might not be a bad choice...

Lin Mu, unaware of the old man's thoughts, stood up and stretched his body.

His injuries had fully recovered, and his Blood Qi Value had increased considerably.

Now, even facing a martial artist with a Blood Qi Value of 3.5, he felt no pressure.

"How many Fierce Beasts are left?" Lin Mu asked.

"Only three should remain."

"Good." Lin Mu nodded, and their figures moved forward.

One by one, the Fierce Beasts were hunted down.

Within just an hour, all the high-rank Fierce Beasts in the jungle had died by Lin Mu's hand.

This feat also brought his Points to an extremely staggering number.

"Name: Lin Mu, Points: 20,000+."

He stood at the top of the rankings!

This sight left many faces marked with shock.

In previous years, the highest Points ever recorded were just over ten thousand.

Lin Mu's result was truly dazzling.

"Who would have thought this year would turn out like this!"

"A real Dark Horse, indeed!"

"Amazing! He should be in Xiao Yu's class—she's really made a name for herself this year!"

"..."

Many murmured among themselves.

As Lin Mu's homeroom teacher, a hint of delight also appeared on her face.

As time passed, the trial came to an end.

One by one, the trainees emerged from the jungle.

The moment they came out, they all looked toward the Virtual Screen.

When they saw the name at the top of the list, many faces showed clear changes.

"Lin Mu!? Who's that!"

"Over twenty thousand Points, that's insane!"

"Holy shit, is he really that badass?"

"..."

Some found the name unfamiliar, because they had never heard of Lin Mu before.

And the Points he had earned were truly terrifying—over twenty thousand.

In all their time at the school, this was the first time they had heard of someone so fierce.

The faces of several Top Class trainees also shifted noticeably.

They knew that for Lin Mu to take first place, he must have killed quite a few Fierce Beasts with a Blood Qi Value above 3.0.

Earlier, they had assumed those beasts would be taken down by Zhao Hai.

Now that Zhao Hai's name wasn't on the board, it was clear something had happened.

"What a formidable guy—not only did he hunt multiple Fierce Beasts with Blood Qi Value 3.0, he also eliminated Zhao Hai and the others!"

"How do you know?"

"Guesswork! Zhao Hai gathered a bunch of people from the start, aiming for first place. Now all their names are wiped out—that can only mean they were all eliminated! And now this guy's name appears at the top. Can't you guess what happened?"

"Amazing! Who is this guy, and how is he so strong?"

"..."

The people in Lin Mu's own class were even more stunned.

Lin Mu!?

The Lin Mu they knew?

He got over twenty thousand Points.

Could the system be malfunctioning?

Many had that thought in their minds.

Because Lin Mu's performance truly caught them off guard.

After all, he was competing against many top students.

Those people were like Prodigies, with an insurmountable gap between them and the rest.

Yet Lin Mu had crushed them all beneath him.

Huang Da's face also showed a hint of astonishment. After a long pause, he couldn't help but say, "Amazing! My bro Mu!"

At that moment, Lin Mu and Bai Mo also walked out of the jungle. When he saw the ranking on the Virtual Screen, excitement flickered across his face.

Though he had sensed it earlier, he hadn't been certain.

Now, seeing the ranking, he finally realized just how strong he had become!

When Bai Mo saw the Points total, she remained perfectly calm, because she had followed Lin Mu the entire time and naturally knew how fierce he was.

That valiant figure was simply unforgettable!

Bai Fan then appeared before the crowd. His gaze swept around, eventually landing on Lin Mu. After pausing there briefly, he spoke to everyone present.

"This Monthly Examination is now concluded. All who completed the trial may go to the Academic Affairs Office to collect healing medicine. Although this was a wilderness trial with certain dangers, some of you performed quite disappointingly, not even bringing out thirty percent of your true ability!"

"With strength like that, how do you expect to step onto the battlefield in the future? I hope you will take this as a lesson, adjust yourselves well in the days ahead, overcome your psychological barriers, and unleash your true level during the Martial Arts Exam..."