"Who awakened an SS-rank Talent?!"
The middle-aged man crashed down into the center of the crowd, his immense force shattering the exquisite tiles beneath his feet. Paying them no mind, he rushed to Chen An and, looking down at him, held up his small hands.
A self-proclaimed kindly smile appeared on his unkempt, stubble-covered face. "Little brother, was it you who tested as having an SS-rank Talent?"
Chen An smiled awkwardly and pointed at Jiang Yan beside him.
"It was him."
"Wow, what a handsome young man!"
The man nimbly darted in front of Jiang Yan and gazed into his eyes with eager anticipation.
"Young man, did you awaken an SS-rank Talent?"
Jiang Yan blinked. "Yes."
"Are you a local of Linjiang City?!"
"Yes!"
The man's face grew even more excited as he eagerly clasped Jiang Yan's hand.
"My name is Ma Shan, the man in charge of Linjiang City's Warrior Building. From now on, we'll address each other however we like. You call me Uncle, and I'll call you Brother."
Jiang Yan: "Uncle Ma?"
Ma Shan: "Brother Jiang!"
The onlookers: ...
"Come on, there are too many people here. Let's head to my office and discuss this properly."
Just like that, the staff began dispersing the crowd while Ma Shan led Jiang Yan to a luxuriously decorated office.
Ma Shan snapped his fingers, and a man in a suit and sunglasses immediately entered through the door, carrying a metal case whose contents were unknown.
"I won't beat around the bush. I, Ma Shan, am straightforward. Since you, Brother Jiang, awakened an SS-rank Talent, I will naturally give you the rewards you deserve."
Giving him something right away? Jiang Yan rather liked that.
"Uncle Ma, what rewards does an SS-rank Talent get?"
Ma Shan smiled without saying much and directly opened the case, revealing what was inside.
Three medicine bottles lay neatly arranged within. Their bodies were wrapped in translucent, semi-mechanical casings, while soft, fine brackets along the inner walls of the case held them in place, ensuring they would not be damaged during transport.
"There are three bottles of Body Tempering Fluid here, a special national reward for warriors with SS-rank Talents."
Ma Shan stood and continued.
"Moreover, your warrior account will be granted permission to choose one Heaven-grade Martial Skill."
"A Heaven-grade Martial Skill?" Jiang Yan murmured. He had not expected talent certification to come with such benefits. This was simply too cool.
"By the way, Brother Jiang, how old are you?" Ma Shan asked as he poured tea for Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan: "Eighteen. Why?"
"Hiss—" Ma Shan's eyes widened. "Then your College Entrance Exam is the day after tomorrow?"
"That's right."
"Holy shit! Linjiang is blessed by the heavens!"
Ma Shan's expression became several degrees more solemn before he turned to ask about Jiang Yan's strength.
Jiang Yan answered truthfully, and Ma Shan was exceedingly pleased to hear that he had reached Blood Condensation Perfection.
"Not bad. Aside from those freaks in the Divine Capital and Modu, you will hardly find another opponent."
Ma Shan's heart raced and his hands trembled as he thought that, during his tenure, such a true dragon had actually appeared.
As an official organization, the Warrior Building had branches in every city. Its authority was immense, making it comparable to half a mayor, and it even possessed a certain degree of power to restrain the mayor.
It was considered one of the higher authorities' means of supervising local regions.
Jiang Yan's appearance was absolutely an honor for all of Linjiang City. Ma Shan believed that once Jiang Yan returned home today, powerful figures from every direction would compete to visit him.
An SS-rank Talent, once grown, would become one of Blue Star's pillars. Such people were the targets everyone fought to latch onto. Ma Shan had clearly realized this and immediately forged a connection with Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan was very interested in the freaks Ma Shan had mentioned from the Divine Capital and Modu, so he asked, "Roughly how strong are the examinees from those two places?"
At those words, Ma Shan's face became somewhat grave, though he still answered, "Very strong. Any one of them can sweep through the examinees from other provinces."
Not wanting to discourage Jiang Yan, Ma Shan explained, "Those two cities stand apart from all provinces and possess Blue Star's richest educational resources."
"Children of Lineages, hidden clans, children of Martial Saints... these geniuses receive the finest training from childhood. Even if examinees elsewhere awaken SS-rank Talents, they still cannot contend against them."
As though afraid Jiang Yan would overthink it, Ma Shan smiled. "In a small place like ours, you did not enjoy superior cultivation resources. It is perfectly normal if you cannot match them. As long as you take the exam properly, I believe you still have a very good chance of getting into one of those two cities."
"As long as you enter either Shendu Martial University or Modu Martial University, you may yet accumulate strength in silence before bursting forth and surpass them."
Ma Shan only wanted to encourage Jiang Yan. As for surpassing those freaks?
He did not dare imagine it, nor did he believe Jiang Yan could do it. It was not discrimination or belittlement, but fact.
Jiang Yan said nothing more, nor did he make any grand declaration that he would surpass the children of those great Lineages.
Although his current strength looked monstrous within Linjiang City, it was hard to say how he would fare outside.
Think about it carefully. Your father is a Peak Martial Saint, your mother is the holy maiden of a hidden Sect, and from childhood, you have soaked in Body Tempering medicinal baths. Once you reach the proper age, you naturally awaken your Talent. To you, Body Tempering Fluid—the treasure others covet as dearly as life—is merely a flavored drink you have grown sick of drinking.
You cultivate martial skills personally refined by your Martial Saint father, while your holy maiden mother meticulously guides your training. Then one day, some greenhorn from a small place jumps out and tells you:
"Hahahaha! I am the number one Prodigy of some city or another! I only successfully opened my apertures less than a month ago, and now I will crush you beneath my feet with my strength!"
After hearing him, you are not angered. You simply take it as a joke and laugh it off—until one day, he suddenly storms the Heavenly Palace, one of your residences, and performs a backflip before you.
Then, with a flick of your finger, you slap him down into hell, as easily as crushing a mosquito.
What kind of despair was that?
It was not as though no one elsewhere had ever awakened an SS-rank Talent, but so what? They still could not shake those monstrous freaks from those two places.
Jiang Yan did not believe that, after cultivating diligently for only a month, he could defeat that pack of freaks, but...
Why not give it a try?
Victory was merely a reward for cowards; battle was the badge that never perished.
"Hahaha, I shouldn't have told you so much. Actually, some absurdly monstrous freaks have long since been specially admitted to those two academies and will not take the College Entrance Exam, so you don't need to feel so much pressure."
Ma Shan feared that his earlier words had shattered Jiang Yan's Dao Heart, so he immediately tried to comfort him.
But when he looked into Jiang Yan's eyes, his body suddenly froze. Then his scalp went numb, and a shiver ran through his entire body.
Those eyes... held not the slightest dejection or resentment, not a trace of fear or retreat. There was only towering Battle Intent—the unyielding aura of, Even if you are stronger than me, I will still fight you!
No need to determine victory or defeat—he only sought a battle!
Ma Shan suddenly smiled in relief, his eyes sinking into memories.
"Looks like the one being suppressed was not him, but eighteen-year-old me..."
Before you continue