Modu, Divine Capital Prodigies

"Who awakened an SS-rank Talent!"

The middle-aged man crashed down in the center of the crowd, his immense force shattering the fine tiles beneath him. He paid it no mind, rushing over to Chen An and, looking down from his height, cupped the boy's small hands.

His unkempt, stubbly face broke into what he thought was a friendly smile. "Young friend, was it you who tested as an SS-rank Talent?"

Chen An gave an awkward smile and pointed to Jiang Yan beside him.

"It's him."

"Wow, what a handsome young man!"

The man darted over to Jiang Yan with surprising agility, gazing into his eyes with eager hope.

"Young man, was it you who awakened an SS-rank Talent?"

Jiang Yan blinked and replied, "Yes."

"Are you a local of our Linjiang City?"

"Yes!"

The man's face lit up with even more excitement. He eagerly clasped Jiang Yan's hands.

"My name is Ma Shan, the head of the Linjiang City Warrior Building. From now on, let's keep it casual—you call me Uncle, and I'll call you Bro."

Jiang Yan: "Uncle Ma?"

Ma Shan: "Bro Jiang!"

The onlookers: ...

"Come on, it's crowded here. Let's talk details in the office."

And so, the staff began dispersing the crowd while Ma Shan led Jiang Yan to a lavishly decorated office.

Ma Shan snapped his fingers, and a man in a suit and sunglasses walked in through the door, carrying a metal case of unknown contents.

"No beating around the bush—I'm a straight shooter, Ma Shan. Since you've awakened an SS-rank Talent, Bro Jiang, I'll naturally give you the rewards you deserve."

Giving gifts right off the bat? Jiang Yan indicated he liked it.

"Uncle Ma, what rewards come with an SS-rank Talent?"

Ma Shan smiled without elaborating, directly opening the case to reveal its contents.

Inside the case lay three neatly arranged medicine bottles, their bodies wrapped in a semi-transparent, semi-mechanical casing. The inner walls of the case were supported by soft, fine brackets to ensure the bottles wouldn't be damaged during transport.

"These are three bottles of Body Tempering Fluid, a special reward from the nation for SS-rank Talent martial artists."

Ma Shan stood up and continued, "What's more, your martial artist account will unlock the authority to choose one Heaven-grade Martial Skill of your own accord."

"A Heaven-grade Martial Skill?" Jiang Yan murmured. He hadn't expected that certifying his talent would come with perks like this—it was absolutely awesome, wasn't it?

"By the way, Bro Jiang, how old are you?" Ma Shan asked as he poured tea.

Jiang Yan: "Eighteen. Why?"

"Hiss—" Ma Shan's eyes widened. "Then you have the College Entrance Exam the day after tomorrow?"

"That's right."

"Holy crap! Heaven blesses Linjiang!"

Ma Shan's expression grew solemn. He then asked Jiang Yan about his strength.

Jiang Yan answered truthfully, and the realm of Blood Condensation Perfection left Ma Shan quite satisfied.

"Not bad. Aside from those freaks in Shendu and Modu, you'll hardly meet any opponents."

Ma Shan's heart raced, his hands trembled. He thought to himself that during his tenure, such a true dragon had actually emerged.

As an official organization, the Warrior Building was established in every city, wielding vast authority—equivalent to half a mayor's power, even exerting some restraint over the mayor himself.

It served as a means for the higher-ups to supervise local regions.

Jiang Yan's appearance was undoubtedly the pride of all Linjiang City. Ma Shan believed that by the time Jiang Yan returned home today, big shots from all sides would be vying to visit him.

An SS-rank Talent, once grown, would become one of Blue Star's pillars—someone everyone sought to curry favor with. Ma Shan clearly recognized this and immediately latched onto Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was curious about the "freaks" in Shendu and Modu that Ma Shan had mentioned, so he asked, "About what level are the examinees from those two places?"

Ma Shan's face grew serious at the question, but he still answered, "Very strong. Any one of them could sweep through examinees from other provinces."

Not wanting to discourage Jiang Yan, he explained, "Those two cities are independent of all provinces, possessing the richest educational resources on Blue Star."

"Family scions, hidden clan heirs, War Saint children... these prodigies have received the finest training since childhood. Even if an examinee from elsewhere awakens an SS-rank Talent, they can't compete."

As if afraid Jiang Yan might overthink it, Ma Shan smiled. "You grew up in a small place like ours without access to top-tier cultivation resources. It's normal that you can't match them. Just take the exam normally, and I believe your chances of getting into one of those two cities are still high."

"As long as you enter either Shendu Martial University or Modu Martial University, you can build up momentum and maybe surpass them later."

Ma Shan only meant to encourage Jiang Yan. As for surpassing those freaks?

He didn't dare to think about it, nor did he believe Jiang Yan could do it. This wasn't discrimination or belittlement—it was the truth.

Jiang Yan said nothing more, nor did he make any bold claims about surpassing those family scions.

Although his current strength seems monstrous within Linjiang City, it's hard to say how he'd measure up once he steps outside.

Think about it—your father is a Peak Martial Saint, your mother is a hidden sect's sacred maiden. You've been soaking in medicinal baths since childhood, awakening your talent naturally when the time came. Body Tempering Fluid, something others treasure like a gem, is just a flavored drink you've grown tired of.

You train in martial arts personally refined by your Martial Saint father, with your sacred maiden mother guiding your every move. Then one day, some brat from a backwater town jumps out and says:

"Hahaha, I'm the number one Prodigy of Such-and-Such City! I just awakened less than a month ago, and now I'm going to crush you under my foot with my strength!"

You don't get angry. You just laugh it off as a joke—until one day he storms the Heavenly Palace, one of your residences, and does a backflip right in front of you.

Then, with a flick of your finger, you swat him down to hell, as easily as squashing a mosquito.

How utterly despairing is that?

Other places have awakened SS-rank talents too, but so what? They still can't shake those freakish monsters from those two places.

Jiang Yan doesn't think he can beat those lunatics after just a month of hard training, but...

Why not give it a shot?

Seeking victory is just a reward for cowards; battle itself is the eternal, undying medal.

"Haha, I shouldn't have said all that. Actually, some of those ridiculous freaks have already been scouted into those two academies—they won't be taking the College Entrance Exam. You don't have to stress so much."

Ma Shan, afraid that his earlier words might shatter Jiang Yan's Dao Heart, quickly tried to console him.

But when he looked into Jiang Yan's eyes, his body suddenly stiffened, his scalp tingled, and a shiver ran through him.

Those eyes... held no trace of dejection or resentment, no hint of fear or retreat. Only surging battle intent—that indomitable spirit, the resolve to fight even if you're stronger than me!

Not about winning or losing, but about seeking the fight itself!

Ma Shan suddenly let out a relieved laugh, his eyes drifting into recollection.

"Looks like the one being suppressed isn't him, but eighteen-year-old me~"