One Finger Astonishing Swan and a New Beginning

Silence.

A silence so profound that a pin drop could be heard.

The thousands of students in the entire Mission Hall stood frozen as if under a spell, staring at Wang Chen, who was writhing in agony on the ground below the arena, and then at the young man on the stage, who was slowly retracting his finger, his expression as calm and serene as still water.

Everyone's mind had gone blank.

What happened?

It's over?

It's over just like that?!

From the moment Wang Chen aggressively launched his attack to him falling to the ground with broken bones and a miserable howl, the entire process was so fast it barely took a single breath!

And Lin Xiao had only used one move from beginning to end.

No, it couldn't even be called a move.

He had simply extended a single finger.

One finger to defeat the enemy!

That casual demeanor and the overwhelming result created an incredibly absurd yet shocking visual impact that was deeply etched into the hearts of everyone present!

"Gulp."

Someone, somewhere, swallowed with difficulty. The sound was exceptionally clear in the dead silence.

Immediately after, the crowd exploded like an ignited powder keg, erupting into a mountain-shattering roar of exclamations and discussions!

"I... I'm not seeing things, am I? Wang Chen... defeated with one finger?" "What kind of Martial Skill was that? I didn't even see how he made his move!" "This is terrifying! Is this really the strength a student from Yellow Class Nine can possess? How much has he been hiding?!" "A monster! This guy is definitely a monster!"

All the contempt, mockery, and schadenfreude turned into intense shock and fear at this moment. The way they looked at Lin Xiao was no longer filled with any disdain; instead, it was replaced by awe for a prodigy of their own generation.

Below the stage, Li Mo and his cronies were already pale and cold all over.

The smug smiles and arrogance on their faces had completely frozen, replaced by endless horror. They knew Wang Chen's strength better than anyone, and that "Tidal Wave Palm" was his signature move. Yet, such a full-power attack was as fragile as paper in front of Lin Xiao!

Li Mo stared intently at Lin Xiao, his heart pounding. He finally understood why he had been subdued by the opponent in two moves at the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. It wasn't luck; it was an absolute crushing of strength! This guy had been playing the pig to eat the tiger from the very beginning!

And the senior student in charge of registration was so scared he almost fell off his chair. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looking at Lin Xiao with a gaze full of flattery and fear.

Under everyone's shocked gaze, Lin Xiao slowly walked off the stage and approached the registration area.

He didn't look at Wang Chen, who was like a dead dog, nor did he pay attention to the pale-faced Li Mo. He calmly said to the senior student, "Can the Merit Points be settled now?"

"C-can! Of course, we can!" The senior student seemed to snap out of a daze, nodding and bowing repeatedly. The hand operating the artifact was trembling slightly.

Soon, a massive amount of three thousand Merit Points was forcibly transferred from the jade tokens of Li Mo, Wang Chen, and four others to Lin Xiao's jade token on the light screen.

Looking at the Merit Points on his jade token, which had instantly soared to over three thousand and thirty points, Lin Xiao finally showed a hint of a satisfied smile.

This was his true purpose for coming here.

"You... you... you..." Li Mo looked at his instantly emptied Merit Points, trembling with anger. He pointed at Lin Xiao but couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Xiao glanced at him indifferently, his gaze like he was looking at an insignificant ant.

"A bet is a bet. Or are people from your Earth Class sore losers?"

Li Mo's face turned red with anger. Under the gaze of countless spectators, he ultimately didn't dare to say another word, forcing himself to swallow his pride.

"Let's go!"

He cast a venomous glance at Lin Xiao, then called out to his equally stunned followers. They picked up the still howling Wang Chen and shamefully squeezed out of the crowd.

After this battle, the news of Lin Xiao defeating Wang Chen with one finger and gambling three thousand Merit Points spread throughout the entire outer court like wildfire within half a day!

The name "Lin Xiao" once again became the focal point of discussion for all new and even senior students in an incredibly dominant manner.

His image had transformed from a "fallen dark horse" to a "bottomless, formidable dragon"!

When Lin Xiao walked out of the Mission Hall, Shi Lei and Su Yue, who had already received the news, were waiting excitedly at the entrance.

"Lin Xiao! You... you're too awesome!" Shi Lei immediately gave Lin Xiao a bear hug, his face flushed with excitement. "One finger! Just one finger! I thought people were exaggerating when I first heard it! Wang Chen, that scumbag, probably doesn't even know where to cry right now!"

Su Yue's beautiful eyes also sparkled. She looked Lin Xiao up and down as if seeing him for the first time. "You fellow, how many more secrets are you hiding? What Martial Skill did you use for that finger? I feel... like there are shadows of several different Martial Skills within it."

As expected of a genius from Heaven Class, her insight was indeed sharp.

Lin Xiao had "scanned" over a thousand Human-Tier Low-Grade Martial Skills in the Library Pavilion, memorizing their principles and weaknesses. That finger strike, which seemed simple, was actually an instantaneous deciphering of the energy structure of "Tidal Wave Palm," integrating the essence of dozens of finger-based Martial Skills to achieve such a shocking effect by attacking a single point to break through the whole.

"It's just a small trick of integrating everything at once," Lin Xiao replied casually with a smile.

"And you call that a small trick?" Shi Lei exclaimed dramatically. "If that's a small trick, then what we've been practicing is just amateur stuff?"

The three of them chatted and walked towards the Library Pavilion.

"By the way, Lin Xiao, you won so many Merit Points at once. What are you planning to do with them?" Su Yue asked curiously.

"Go to the Library Pavilion, of course," Lin Xiao's eyes gleamed with a thirst for knowledge. "I've read most of the books on the first floor. It's time to check out the second floor."

Go to the second floor!

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei and Su Yue both showed envious expressions.

They knew that the second floor of the Library Pavilion was the real treasure trove! It housed cultivation techniques and Martial Skills of Human-Tier Mid-Grade and even High-Grade! For cultivators in the Body Refinement Realm, these were treasures that would cause frenzied competition.

However, entering the second floor not only required a "ticket" costing one hundred Merit Points per entry but also demanded that the student's level be Earth Class or above.

Soon, the three of them arrived before the ancient pagoda once more.

The same two senior students were guarding the entrance. When they saw Lin Xiao, their expressions clearly changed. The previous contempt was gone, replaced by a hint of curiosity and apprehension.

"Senior, I'd like to enter the second floor," Lin Xiao said, directly presenting his jade token.

The senior student took the token and, out of habit, was about to say, "Yellow Class Nine isn't qualified," but he swallowed the words back forcefully. He remembered the widely spread rumor from today.

He swiped the token on the magical artifact, half-believing it.

"Beep! Yellow Class Nine, Lin Xiao. Granted permission to enter the second floor of the Library Pavilion by special approval from a tutor. One hundred Merit Points deducted."

A crisp notification sound actually came from the magical artifact!

Both senior students were stunned.

Special approval from a tutor? A student from Yellow Class Nine actually received special approval from a tutor to enter the second floor? What an incredible honor!

Little did they know that this was a "backdoor" specially opened for him by Vice Principal Chu Tianxing, thanks to Lin Xiao's performance during registration when he unleashed nearly nine units of force with a single punch.

Under their shocked gazes, Lin Xiao calmly retrieved his jade token, nodded to Shi Lei and Su Yue, and then strode up the stairs leading to the second floor.

The moment he stepped onto the second floor, a completely different aura from the first floor washed over him.

The space here was much smaller than the first floor, but it was more elegant and quiet. The bookshelves were crafted from precious rosewood, and the books displayed on them were made from beast hide or special jade slips, emitting faint spiritual energy fluctuations.

The number of students here was also much smaller, with each person deeply focused, immersed in their own world. The entire space was filled with a rich academic atmosphere.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, sensing the fragrance of books and spiritual energy permeating the air. His eyes were filled with an unprecedented brilliance.

He knew that from this moment on, a door to a vaster world had slowly opened for him.

Without any hesitation, he quickened his pace and began his new round of "scanning" frenzy.

[System Notification: Scanned Human-Tier Mid-Grade cultivation technique Thunderous Strength. Learn?]

[System Notification: Scanned Human-Tier Mid-Grade Martial Skill Seven Star Steps. Learn?]

[System Notification: Scanned Pill Dao insights Pill Dao Introduction. Record?]