Geng Xian's mouth twitched when he heard Lin Tian speak, then he opened his mouth.
"You are indeed very strong. I concede defeat."
"I don't know how strong you'll become after breaking through to Martial Dao Second Layer, but you definitely won't be a match for those freaks in the Imperial Capital."
"Freaks in the Imperial Capital? Tell me about them."
Lin Tian was immediately interested when he heard that.
Any genius whom Geng Xian called a freak had to be extraordinarily powerful.
"How do you think my strength compares?"
Rather than answering directly, Geng Xian asked Lin Tian a question.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Tian replied.
"Your strength should be about the same as Jiang Mingyue's, but your moves restrain hers."
Even Jiang Mingyue herself admitted that if she fought Geng Xian, there was a high chance she would lose.
"But with my strength, I can't even make it into the top five in the Imperial Capital."
Geng Xian's face was filled with bitterness. There were too many freaks in the Imperial Capital this year; a genius like him could not even enter the top five.
"What? You can't even make the top five?!"
The Experimental Class students were stunned when they heard this. They had witnessed Geng Xian's strength, enough to make Lin Tian alter his approach, wrapping his entire arm in an armor of vitality and blood.
Yet a genius like that could not even make the top five in the Imperial Capital.
"Interesting. Can you tell us anything about those people?"
Lin Tian was also surprised. Geng Xian truly was not weak.
"There isn't much information about them that I can tell you."
"However, three of them have already reached Martial Dao Second Layer Late-stage, and one of them is even about to break through to Martial Dao Third Level."
Geng Xian smiled bitterly.
Even he would not have believed it if he said it aloud, but that was the truth.
"Three Martial Dao Second Layer Late-stage martial artists, and one of them is about to break through to Martial Dao Third Level? Those are fucking monsters."
Jiang Cheng wore an utterly disbelieving expression.
Before the college entrance examination, reaching Martial Dao Second Layer was already enough to make someone one of the most outstanding geniuses.
But in the Imperial Capital, Martial Dao Second Layer Late-stage geniuses had actually appeared.
"It isn't just the Imperial Capital. Haven't you noticed? There have been especially many geniuses born this year, and their talents are even greater."
Geng Xian's words reminded everyone in the Experimental Class. Even Jiang Mingyue had only awakened her Starlight Body after entering her final year of high school.
"Freaks at Martial Dao Second Layer Late-stage have appeared in Magic City, the Ancient Capital, and Jiangnan Province this year as well."
"But I never expected Qing Province to produce an Extreme Martial Artist."
Geng Xian looked at Lin Tian with envy written all over his face.
In an era with an Extreme Martial Artist, no matter how heaven-defying the other geniuses were, they would only be supporting characters.
The eras in Blue Star's history when Pioneers of Martial Dao existed proved this point.
"Lin Tian, as an Extreme Martial Artist, you are very strong. But against those freaks, your cultivation level is your weak point."
Geng Xian felt somewhat regretful. Instead, he was looking forward to the clash between Lin Tian and those freaks.
"Then I'll have to wait until I enter a Martial Dao University."
Lin Tian spoke indifferently.
Dragon Nation was too vast. Every province was equivalent to the largest country in his previous life, so the college entrance examination only selected the provincial top scorer from each province.
As for a national top scorer, one had not appeared in over a thousand years. Dragon Nation was also unwilling to expend such enormous manpower and resources to judge a title like that.
"I'd rather hope they can keep this lead. Only then will I be able to muster even a little interest."
Lin Tian was somewhat expectant. According to Geng Xian, there was someone in the Imperial Capital who would likely break through to Martial Dao Third Level during the college entrance examination.
He was very much looking forward to fighting such a genius.
"The vitality and blood standard for Martial Dao Third Level is one thousand points. Even if I wanted to break through to Martial Dao Third Level, I would need to focus on cultivation for a month."
"They really are freaks."
Lin Tian had no choice but to admire that freak from the Imperial Capital.
He could only cultivate at such a speed with the help of the Heavenly Origin Technique, and he might even sign in for some cultivation along the way.
That freak in the Imperial Capital relied entirely on his own cultivation.
"There are many great families in the Imperial Capital. Powerful families all possess special cultivation techniques. Those freaks are probably in that situation."
Seeing Lin Tian fall silent, Jiang Mingyue explained. She thought he had been dealt a blow by those words.
"So they have cultivation techniques."
Lin Tian came to a sudden realization.
Geng Xian, having become Lin Tian's defeated subordinate, could only remain in the Experimental Class at Qing City First High School with a helpless expression.
There was nowhere for him to go in the Imperial Capital. After coming to Qing Province, he had even been thrashed by Lin Tian. If word got back to the Imperial Capital, the others would surely laugh at him.
"Looks like I need to spend all my remaining time cultivating."
That night, inside the teachers' apartment, Lin Tian was circulating the Heavenly Origin Technique.
He was still quite interested in that Martial Dao Third Level freak from the Imperial Capital.
"Which of Dragon Country's Four Great Universities should I choose?"
Even now, he had not decided which Martial Dao University he wanted to attend.
Dragon Country's Four Great Universities had roughly equal resources. It made no difference which one he attended; the main question was whether it suited him.
"I really need to see what conditions they can offer."
This cultivation session lasted until the early hours of the morning.
"System, sign in."
He had been waiting for this sign-in reward.
"Ding! Sign-in successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill 'Blood Devouring Armor.'"
"Skill 'Blood Devouring Armor'?"
This sign-in had actually given him a skill, and Lin Tian was somewhat surprised.
He immediately began examining how to use this skill.
"It actually requires burning one's own vitality and blood. What a strange skill."
The description of Blood Devouring Armor stated that using the skill required burning one's own vitality and blood as a medium to form a sturdy suit of armor.
The armor's strength depended on how much vitality and blood was burned.
"Vitality and blood are precisely an Extreme Martial Artist's greatest advantage. This 'Blood Devouring Armor' suits me perfectly."
An Extreme Martial Artist's vitality and blood far surpassed those of martial artists at the same cultivation level, and burned vitality and blood only needed a period of rest to recover.
This was entirely a skill created for Extreme Martial Artists.
"Blood Devouring Armor strengthens my vitality-and-blood defense, but it is still only a defensive measure. My offensive methods are still lacking. Should I rely on physical strength?"
After thinking about it, Lin Tian entered the Small World.
"The Small World has changed a little, but it is still bare and barren."
Looking at the faint greenery on the ground within the Small World, Lin Tian knew it was all the work of the Martial Saint Fancang.
But everywhere else was still bare and barren. The Small World only had this trace of green on the ground; not even a single tree could be seen, much less any buildings.
Then Lin Tian said to the Martial Saint Fancang.
"Fancang, do you have any suitable physical combat methods?"
"Also, teach me some techniques while you're at it."
In the Small World, he had a ready-made Martial Saint teacher. The guidance of a Martial Saint was far better than exploring on his own.
"Yes, Heavenly Lord!"
Inside the Li Family residence in Qing City, an old man looked over the report from one of his subordinates.
"I told you to investigate the cause of death of Xiao Ming and his father. Why have you brought me information on a student?"
The old man was somewhat enraged. His son and beloved grandson had died, yet his subordinate had not even followed his orders.
"Family Head, this Lin Tian is an Extreme Martial Artist."
The subordinate spoke fearfully.
"Lin Tian, an Extreme Martial Artist... Isn't he the one who attacked Xiao Ming when he first entered high school?"
"Wasn't he a cripple? How could he possibly be an Extreme Martial Artist?"
The old man demanded furiously. A powerful aura burst from his body, directly crushing the subordinate reporting to him onto the ground.
"Family Head, it's all true! Lin Tian is an Extreme Martial Artist. Every final-year student and teacher at Yicheng Second Middle School witnessed it."
"An Extreme Martial Artist, and a brat with a grudge against Xiao Ming..."
"How could a piece of trash who was still a cripple last month become an Extreme Martial Artist in just one month?"
The old man's expression grew somewhat crazed.
"Lin Tian, Lin Tian!"
"Xiao Ming is already dead, so why are you, you piece of trash, still alive?"
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