Two Paths of Transcendence

Ma Ran was the first person Wan Haihao didn't know how to address.

Junior?

Xiao Ma?

Xiao Ran?

Theoretically, any of these would work.

But Wan Haihao felt that using them would be too flippant, not respectful enough.

Damn it!

Who knew why he felt the need to respect a high school student younger than him with no outstanding social contributions!

Wan Haihao couldn't understand his own inexplicable urge to please.

In the end, he decided to use Ma Ran's name directly.

"Ma Ran, what do you think?"

Hearing this, Ma Ran finally put down the chicken leg bone, not a shred of meat left, and gave Wan Haihao a meaningful look before speaking in a low voice, "The answer is simple."

As soon as he spoke, the three people around him fell silent, listening intently.

"Times have changed."

The four words, usually seen in comments on major media outlets, websites, forums, and video apps, seemed to carry a mysterious magic when spoken by Ma Ran.

The three were confused but didn't interrupt, simply listening quietly.

"It's not just Gulunzhong in Xiangyang that has become a restricted area due to supernatural phenomena and superpowered individuals."

Ma Ran said in a low voice, "According to the intelligence I've gathered..."

"Huangshan in Anhui, West Lake in Hangzhou, Yangtze River Qutang Gorge, Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan Province, the Terracotta Army area in Xi'an..."

"These places were successively sealed off and temporarily closed within four months, with the official reason being scenic area maintenance."

"And societies like 'Caolu Academy' have also appeared one after another."

Having said that, Ma Ran stopped talking. He picked up his plate again, taking five steaming, fragrant crispy chicken legs and a portion of braised beef with potatoes, and began to eat leisurely.

Dong Huaiming, who had already eaten his fill, heard this and his appetite was whetted. He grabbed a bottle of Sprite, took two gulps, and said excitedly, "I knew it!"

"No investigation, no right to speak!"

"Brother Ran must have conducted meticulous investigations and rigorous analysis to conclude that superpowered individuals do exist in the world!"

As he spoke, Dong Huaiming lowered his head and muttered with fanatical devotion, "Caolu Academy really... I guessed correctly... Oh my god!"

Wan Haihao, who had initially just wanted to chat with Ma Ran about something, suddenly felt the situation spiraling out of control.

Looking at Ma Ran, he didn't seem like someone who joked around...

Years of materialistic education made it difficult for Wan Haihao to accept what Ma Ran was implying.

"Since we've become members of Caolu Academy, we should soon truly encounter those supernatural phenomena."

"Don't overthink it."

After saying this, Ma Ran lowered his head and continued to enjoy his meal.

In the final period before his rebirth, life on Earth was not easy for humans; even eating a can of luncheon meat was considered a sign of good living conditions.

Su Qiangwei, who had only ordered a plate of shredded pork with vinegar, seemed to no longer feel carsick after replenishing her vitamins.

She blinked, her gaze falling on Ma Ran, who was eating. Her focus was clearly different from the two male companions: "How do you maintain that physique?"

Ma Ran's eating was very refined, but he ate very quickly and efficiently.

Others hadn't paid attention, but she had been observing.

A plate of stir-fried rice with green peppers and shredded pork, a bowl of mushroom ramen, two steamed buns with meat filling, six crispy chicken legs, two tea eggs, a large bone soup, and a portion of braised beef with potatoes.

How to put it...

A meal exploding with carbs and protein.

The portions at Caolu Academy's cafeteria were very generous; a single plate of fried rice could fill Su Qiangwei to the brim.

Ma Ran's meal was equivalent to Su Qiangwei's usual three-day intake!

"This appetite... it's not scientific."

Ma Ran didn't engage in much strenuous physical activity usually, right?

Apart from PE class, she hadn't seen him exercise additionally.

Setting aside her preconceptions, Su Qiangwei objectively felt that Ma Ran's physique was quite good.

Not bloated, nor too thin, possessing a golden ratio aesthetic.

This appetite was completely mismatched with his physique!

Ma Ran looked up and glanced at Su Qiangwei, "My mental activities are demanding, so my energy consumption is quite high."

After speaking, he wiped his mouth, took his tray to the cleaning area, turned, and left the cafeteria, heading towards the dormitory.

Su Qiangwei agreed with this statement.

People who engage in a lot of mental labor indeed get hungry easily, and no matter how much they eat, they don't gain weight.

It's said that top Go players can even lose five catties (2.5 kg) after a single match!

That five catties of weight could absolutely not be all water.

This was also why many people in their student days could eat and drink freely without their figures expanding, but after starting work, even though they ate less, their weight would steadily increase.

"Hey! I haven't finished asking my questions yet! Wait up!"

Su Qiangwei stood up and was about to chase after him.

Dong Huaiming quickly followed, annoyed, "You were on the car for so long, and you still haven't finished asking? Why are you, a girl, running to the boys' dorm?"

He still had many questions and speculations about superpowers that he wanted to discuss privately with Ma Ran.

It was inconvenient to delve into such private topics with a third party present.

Su Qiangwei sneered and retorted, "What business is it of yours if I go to Ma Ran's room? Don't tell me you're his roommate. I've already asked; all members of the academic society have single rooms."

"Why are you being so unreasonable!"

Dong Huaiming was anxious, "How about this, Brother Ran belongs to me today, and tomorrow he belongs to you, what do you say?"

"I say no! He's mine today, and you can have him tomorrow!"

"You just want to ask how to lose weight and maintain your figure, right? We've both joined Caolu Academy, why would you ask such a low-level question? It's so uncool!"

"Hmm? Could it be that you want to ask how to become a superpowered person? You've been working hard on this path for so long, and if you had any talent, there should be some signs of success by now. The answer is obvious—you have no talent at all. So, don't waste Ma Ran's time! It's better for everyone this way!"

Seeing the two suddenly start arguing in front of him, Wan Haihao sighed and silently deleted the message he had intended to send on WeChat, changing it to "Let's have breakfast together tomorrow."

That aloof junior is really popular...

The single rooms provided to members by Caolu Academy weren't large, but the decor gave a cozy feeling.

The walls were painted a royal blue. Perhaps the person in charge of planning the renovation had accessed Ma Ran's viewing history through a large database, as the walls were adorned with posters of Ultramen like Tiga, Taro, Leo, Seven, and Mebius.

The furniture included everything from a computer, television, and desk to a bathtub.

After seeing Su Qiangwei and Dong Huaiming out, Ma Ran locked his door, lay down on the bed, and began to organize his thoughts.

Caolu Academy was a supernatural society disguised as an academic society, possessing an official nature.

Among the many supernatural groups in the country, Caolu Academy was considered top-tier.

By joining Caolu Academy, one could immediately access two extraordinary paths.

① Awaken superpowers through the "Victory Encounter Stone."

② Cultivate inner energy by studying alien inscriptions and calculating acupoint locations.

There wasn't much to say about superpowers.

This was an extraordinary path that followed the principle of equivalent exchange, ranging from the manipulation of the five basic elements—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—to solidified forms, from flying to burrowing into the earth, covering a wide variety of strange and wonderful abilities.

The ability awakened had nothing to do with genes or personal desires; it was purely a matter of luck, a joyous journey for gamblers and lucky emperors.

The second extraordinary path, however, had some aspects worth pondering