Absolute Strength

Worried about his own safety, Lu Jun had no mood to listen to class for the rest of the day.

After school, Gu Yue Na was heading to the Mecha Design Association.

"You should work harder too. Reach Level Five in your secondary profession soon, and we can make Battle Armor faster."

Gu Yue Na encouraged Lu Jun.

"...I'm still far from that."

Lu Jun did not have much in mind regarding the advancement of his Second Profession.

He had practically become a god of lopsided builds.

As long as he kept choosing Ice Attribute metals, his Second Profession would definitely improve like crazy.

What he lacked was skill.

After parting ways with Gu Yue Na, he planned to return to the dormitory and cultivate properly.

Naturally, because of the Ultimate Attribute debuff, he wished he could cultivate harder every second of every day.

The road back to the dormitory was naturally not peaceful either.

"Brother Lu! Wait!"

Hearing someone call him, Lu Jun turned around and saw Long Chen panting as he chased after him, fine beads of sweat hanging from his forehead. He had clearly jogged all the way here.

"Need something?" Lu Jun asked flatly without slowing down.

Long Chen hurried to keep pace. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke as though he had made up his mind.

"Brother Lu, could you... give me special training?"

Lu Jun paused and glanced sideways at him.

"Special training?"

"Yes!" Long Chen nodded forcefully, his eyes carrying a hint of pleading. "I know I'm not strong enough. If I hold everyone back in the competition a month from now..."

"What do I get out of training you?"

Lu Jun cut him off directly, his voice cold.

"Do I look like some kind person who helps others for free?"

Long Chen froze. He had clearly not expected Lu Jun to refuse so bluntly.

He opened his mouth, only to realize that he truly could not think of anything he could offer Lu Jun in return.

As a super genius, Lu Jun's strength far surpassed that of his peers. Resources, status, talent—he lacked nothing.

And what about himself?

Other than a fairly decent Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, he had almost nothing.

Compared with Lu Jun, Long Chen felt as though he was behind others by more than just one starting line.

It was countless starting lines.

He had thought he was already outstanding, exceptionally outstanding. Yet before a true monster, he was still not enough!

Long Chen clenched his fists. His eyes struggled for a moment before he finally gritted his teeth.

"If... if you can make me stronger, then my life is yours!"

"At the tournament, I... I don't want to make a fool of myself!"

"I used to think I was pretty strong, but after meeting you, I don't think that anymore."

Lu Jun frowned slightly, turned, and looked straight at him. For once, his tone carried a trace of seriousness.

"Long Chen."

"Huh?" Long Chen was taken aback.

"Don't casually wager your life on a stranger," Lu Jun said calmly. "You only have one life. Don't hand it over so cheaply."

Long Chen stood there blankly, confusion and astonishment appearing on his face.

He had thought Lu Jun would mock him or simply ignore him. He had not expected to hear those words instead.

Yet this only made Long Chen's fists clench until they turned white, his nails digging deeply into his palms.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long, making the anxiety in his heart grow even stronger.

"But you're not just anyone!" he suddenly raised his voice, and it echoed through the air. "You're someone who can truly convince me!"

"Please, I want to know the secret to becoming stronger. Make me as strong as you are."

Lu Jun stopped in the middle of turning away.

This loud and boisterous guy now possessed a desperate resolve, like he was staking everything on one throw.

"Long Chen, don't misunderstand."

Lu Jun spoke quietly.

"I'm not powerful. If I ran into a One-Word Dou Armor Master, I'd probably be like you were against me—unable to last even a single exchange."

Soul Kings of this era were generally already One-Word Dou Armor Masters.

The boost in combat power provided by Battle Armor was simply too great.

"I know!" Long Chen shouted. "Brother Lu is working hard to cultivate and become stronger too. What I need to do is keep up with your footsteps!"

"So, can we go to the Training Ground?"

Meeting Long Chen's gaze, Lu Jun sighed softly.

Fine.

Letting him lose heart would not be a bad thing either.

"Then let's go."

Lu Jun agreed.

Long Chen's eyes instantly lit up. He quickly led Lu Jun at a jog toward the Training Ground.

Beneath the Training Ground's metal dome, the cold-white Soul Guiding Lamps looked remarkably warm.

Long Chen stood in the center of the field, his entire body tense. He released the Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, while two yellow Soul Rings slowly revolved beneath his feet.

Lu Jun had one hand in his pocket, while the other hung casually at his side. He watched Long Chen with indifferent eyes.

"I'll ask one last time." His voice was calm to the point of cruelty. "Are you sure you want to fight?"

"I'm sure!" Long Chen nodded without hesitation, blazing battle intent in his eyes. "Brother Lu, I know I'm weak right now, but if I don't even have the courage to challenge the strong, then I'll always be nothing but trash!"

Lu Jun stared at him for two seconds and shook his head.

"Fine. Since you're determined to get yourself killed..."

He raised his right hand slightly, palm facing downward, and a wisp of dark-blue chill suddenly appeared in the air.

"Buzz."

A crystalline longsword condensed out of thin air. Its blade seemed carved from Ten Thousand Year Ice. Though its edge had yet to move, the surrounding temperature had already plunged, and even the air seemed frozen.

Ice Abyss Sword!

Long Chen's pupils contracted. He instinctively felt a tremor run through him, but he clenched his teeth and forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart.

"Brother Lu, here I come!"

He let out a low roar, and his First Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

Dragon Claw!

Golden Dragon Scales covered both his arms, and his five fingers transformed into sharp dragon claws. Carrying a fierce tearing whistle, they lunged directly at Lu Jun's face.

Facing this attack, Lu Jun did not even move his feet.

He merely raised the Ice Abyss Sword lightly, pointed its tip downward, and tapped the ground.

In an instant, terrifying frost erupted like a tidal wave!

Centered on the sword tip, frost spread wildly. The ground, walls, and ceiling—within the blink of an eye, the entire Training Ground had become a world of Ice Crystals.

Long Chen's dragon claws were still half a meter from Lu Jun, yet his entire body had already been frozen into an Ice Sculpture. Even his expression was fixed in the instant he threw his punch.

Lu Jun waved the Ice Abyss Sword, and the Ice Crystals quietly dissipated. Long Chen dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling all over, his lips frozen purple.

"Do you understand now?" Lu Jun looked down at him, his voice still calm. "Before an absolute gap in strength, so-called courage and resolve are meaningless. You can't accomplish anything on nothing but hot blood."

"Overall, you picked the wrong training opponent."

"I'm not suited to be your sparring partner. You should find someone at your level, or an opponent who is only somewhat stronger than you."

Long Chen panted heavily, both hands braced on the ground, his knuckles white from the cold.

Yet when he raised his head, his gaze was even more determined than before.

"...I understand." His voice was hoarse, but carried unprecedented seriousness. "Brother Lu, I've got it. I've absolutely got it!"

"I'll go find someone else to spar with right away! I'll become stronger!"

"Oh, right."

Lu Jun nodded in satisfaction.

He could still be taught.

It was good that he had gotten it.

As long as he did not bother him anymore.

Lu Jun silently swept his gaze around.

The Ice Crystals in the Training Ground had not completely dissipated. Chill still permeated the air, and the ground, walls, and ceiling were all covered by a thick layer of frost, like a glacial world in the Extreme North.

"Ah, this Ultimate Ice of mine is hard to control."

Thinking that, he prepared to slip away.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance, accompanied by an enraged roar.

"Who the hell did this?!"

That shout even startled Lu Jun.

Holy shit, this guy's got super-male genes.