"Completed the cultivation of the Dragon Secret Art Fragment, gained an efficiency multiplier."
As the system's voice rang out.
Lin Mu felt as though he had cultivated this Secret Art tens of thousands of times.
Every detail, every part that required deep understanding, was as clear to him as the palm of his hand.
And in that brief instant, he had cultivated this Secret Art to Minor Success (27%).
That was only because it was his first time cultivating it, and he was still somewhat unfamiliar with it. Many parts had not been circulated perfectly.
Otherwise, the effect would have been even better.
Lin Mu also realized that this Secret Art was incomplete. Even if cultivated to its limit, it would probably only reach Minor Success (50%).
But even so, he could sense how extraordinary this Secret Art was.
As the Secret Art circulated, his entire body seemed to become like a dragon. Both his physical strength and self-healing ability were greatly enhanced.
Moreover, this Secret Art had very few side effects.
Even if he used it at full power, he would only be weakened for half an hour at most.
Simply circulating the Secret Art normally could slightly enhance his physical strength. It was an exceptionally powerful cultivation method.
A trace of excitement appeared on his face as he slowly opened his eyes. "What an incredible Secret Art!"
Bai Mo, seated beside him, had eyes filled with disbelief.
"How far have you cultivated it?"
"I've practically finished cultivating it," Lin Mu said.
"Finished cultivating it?!" Bai Mo's face was full of shock.
This was a Secret Art!
And a Third Stage Secret Art at that!
One had to know that Secret Arts were far rarer than Martial Skills and cultivation methods.
They usually had certain specific effects.
Therefore, Secret Arts were also extremely expensive.
It was no exaggeration to say that the true value of a Secret Art like this could very well surpass that of a Fourth Stage cultivation method or Martial Skill.
And they were very difficult to obtain.
Furthermore, Secret Arts were quite difficult to cultivate.
Even a genius like Bai Mo would need two or three years to reach Minor Success.
How long had Lin Mu been cultivating it?
Yet he had stepped into Minor Success in a single stroke!
What terrifying talent that was.
Bai Mo's heart was filled with admiration, and she could not help saying, "I originally thought you were only good at fighting. I never expected your cultivation talent to be this strong too!"
A faint smile appeared on Lin Mu's face. "I was probably just lucky."
Bai Mo looked somewhat helpless, but she did not say anything more.
Outside, the old man watched the scene within the Virtual Screen, and his expression changed noticeably.
He could sense just how far Lin Mu had cultivated this Secret Art.
And he had done it in barely over ten minutes. What terrifying talent.
"What is going on? Why can he cultivate so quickly?" A trace of doubt appeared on the old man's face.
But he did not dwell on it, because he knew the world was vast and full of geniuses.
Some people were simply exceptionally suited to cultivating certain Secret Arts or cultivation methods.
The fact that Lin Mu could achieve this in such a short time also proved his talent.
For a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes.
Someone like this entering their Bai Family seemed like quite a good choice!
Lin Mu, naturally, knew nothing of the old man's thoughts. He stood and stretched his body.
His injuries had fully recovered, and his Blood Qi Value had also increased considerably.
As he was now, even facing a martial artist with a Blood Qi Value of 3.5 would pose no pressure at all.
"How many Fierce Beasts are left?" Lin Mu asked.
"There should only be three left!"
"Alright." Lin Mu nodded, and they headed forward.
One Fierce Beast after another was hunted down by them.
In less than an hour, all the high-level Fierce Beasts in the forest had died at Lin Mu's hands.
Such results brought his points to an utterly astonishing number.
"Name: Lin Mu, Points: points."
Ranked first!
This sight left many people looking shocked.
In previous years, the highest score had only been a little over ten thousand points.
Lin Mu's result was truly dazzling.
"I never expected this year to turn out like this!"
"What a true dark horse!"
"Damn, he should be from Xiaoyu's class. Xiaoyu really made a splash this year!"
"..."
Many people discussed it animatedly.
As Lin Mu's homeroom teacher, her face also showed a hint of delight.
As time passed, the trial also came to an end.
One student after another emerged from the forest.
The moment they came out, they looked toward the Virtual Screen.
When they saw the name at the top of the rankings, many faces changed noticeably.
"Lin Mu!? Who's that?"
"More than twenty thousand points—damn!"
"Holy shit, he's that insane?"
"..."
Many people found the name unfamiliar, because they had never heard of Lin Mu at all.
And the points he had earned were truly terrifying—more than twenty thousand in total.
After being at the school for so long, this was their first time hearing of someone so fierce.
The students from several Top Classes also had obvious changes in expression.
They knew that if Lin Mu had taken first place, he must have killed quite a few Fierce Beasts with Blood Qi Values above 3.0.
Previously, they had thought those Fierce Beasts had been killed by Zhao Hai.
Now that Zhao Hai's name was nowhere to be seen, something had clearly happened.
"What an incredible guy. Not only did he hunt multiple Fierce Beasts with Blood Qi Values of 3.0, he even eliminated Zhao Hai and the others!"
"How do you know that?"
"I guessed! Zhao Hai gathered a lot of people from the very beginning because he wanted to fight for first place. Now, all their names have been erased, which can only mean they were all eliminated! And now this person's name is at the top of the rankings. Can't you guess what happened?"
"Damn! Who is this guy? How is he so fierce?"
"..."
The people from Lin Mu's class were even more shocked.
Lin Mu!?
The Lin Mu they knew!
He had gotten more than twenty thousand points.
Could the system have malfunctioned?
Many people had such thoughts in their hearts.
Because Lin Mu's performance had truly caught them off guard.
One had to know that he had been competing against many top students.
Those people were like heaven's favored sons, separated from them by a gulf that could not be crossed.
Yet Lin Mu had ruthlessly crushed them beneath his feet.
Huang Da also looked rather astonished. After a long while, he finally could not help saying, "Damn! My Brother Mu!"
At that moment, Lin Mu and Bai Mo emerged from the forest as well. When he saw the rankings on the Virtual Screen, excitement also appeared on his face.
Though he had sensed it beforehand, he had not dared to be certain.
Only now, upon seeing the rankings, did he realize that he had become this strong!
Bai Mo remained very calm when she saw the score, because she had followed Lin Mu the entire time and naturally knew just how fierce he was.
That valiant figure of his was simply unforgettable!
Bai Fan appeared before everyone at that moment. His gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Lin Mu. After lingering there briefly, he addressed everyone present.
"The Monthly Examination ends here. Everyone who completed the trial may go to the Academic Affairs Office to collect injury medicine. Though this was a wilderness trial and carried a certain degree of danger, some of your performances were truly unsatisfactory. You did not even display thirty percent of your actual ability!"
"With strength like that, how will you ever go to the battlefield in the future? I hope you will take this as a warning, adjust yourselves properly in the days ahead, overcome your psychological barriers, and display your true ability in the Martial Arts Exam..."
Before you continue