The two arrived at the lounge. Jiang Tianhai raised a hand and knocked on the door, then said respectfully, "My lord, I've brought Lin Hao." As soon as he finished speaking, the door slowly swung open. Lin Hao was still baffled, wondering who wanted to see him. Inside the lounge, a middle-aged man in a cloak was sipping tea, smiling as he looked at Lin Hao.
Han Feng spoke. "You must be Lin Hao, right?" Lin Hao nodded woodenly. Han Feng then turned to Jiang Tianhai. "Old Jiang, you can go. I'd like to speak with Lin Hao alone."
Lin Hao was shocked. Anyone who could make a big shot like Jiang Tianhai bow his head had to be someone of considerable standing. Just who was this handsome middle-aged man before him?
Han Feng saw the confusion in Lin Hao's eyes and smiled. "My name is Han Feng. You can call me Uncle Han."
Lin Hao came to his senses and quickly replied, "Hello, Uncle Han."
Han Feng nodded, then pointed to the seat beside him, indicating that Lin Hao should sit. "There's no need to be nervous. I called you here today because I wanted to have a chat. I sensed a familiar aura from you. Can you tell me what your second awakened Martial Artist Profession is?"
Lin Hao thought for a moment, then answered, "Uncle Han, my second profession is the Sword Lord martial artist profession."
Hearing Lin Hao's answer, Han Feng murmured, "Just as I thought."
Then Han Feng said, "Lin Hao, have you heard of the Sword Saint from a hundred years ago?" Lin Hao froze. He really hadn't heard of him. When Lin Hao was little, neither his grandmother nor his aunt had ever told him anything about Martial Artists or Ability Users.
Seeing Lin Hao's expression, Han Feng continued, "It all began when the Fierce Beasts invaded Blue Star. About 120 years ago, unknown Extraterrestrial Fierce Beasts began invading Blue Star. The conventional weapons Blue Star had once taken pride in could barely harm them at all. As the Fierce Beasts invaded, spiritual energy on Earth began to recover as well, and humans started to awaken."
"There were two kinds of awakenings. Those who could cast spells were collectively called Ability Users, while those whose physical bodies grew stronger were called Martial Artists. Led by the awakened, we launched a counterattack against the Fierce Beasts. From then on, the tide of battle began to turn, if only slightly."
"About a hundred years ago, Xuanyu, the Sword Saint of the Xia Kingdom, drove back a million Fierce Beasts all by himself and kept the Outer Realm Sky Demons at bay. He bought precious time for the Xia Kingdom—and even Blue Star—to grow stronger. But after that battle, the Sword Saint himself vanished without a trace. The Xia Kingdom hailed him as a legendary hero, and he became the spiritual pillar of its people. Back then, I was still a fledgling Martial Artist, but I had the honor of fighting alongside Lord Xuanyu. That's why I came to take a look when I sensed your powerful aura."
Now Lin Hao understood why Han Feng had sought him out. His Sword Lord profession must have been extremely similar to the Sword Saint's awakened profession from a century ago.
"The Martial Artist profession you awakened is extremely similar to the one Lord Xuanyu awakened a hundred years ago. The aura I sensed near Vermilion Bird Fortress not long ago must have been yours too, right?" Hearing Han Feng's question, Lin Hao was momentarily stunned, then realized he meant the time Lin Hao had slain the Platinum rank fierce beast.
Lin Hao nodded. "The situation was extremely dangerous. There were about five hundred of us new students training in Fierce Beast Forest when a Platinum rank Three-headed Earth Demon Mastiff attacked us."
Han Feng nodded, understanding. "Lin Hao, what are your plans for the future?"
Lin Hao thought for a moment before answering, "I plan to keep training at Shancheng Martial University and improve my strength."
Han Feng shook his head. "Although Shancheng Martial University won the Hundred Schools League this time, it doesn't have the resources to raise you. My original plan for this Hundred Schools League was to find some promising talents and train you all together, piling resources on you to help you grow."
"The Fierce Beasts outside the Fortresses are watching us like tigers eyeing their prey, and our Human Race doesn't have many powerful fighters right now. But you've given me an unexpected surprise. True power isn't built by piling on resources; it's forged by emerging from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. I plan to gather all the talented students from this year and send you to the various Fortresses to temper yourselves. That's the best way to help you grow quickly."
Lin Hao nodded in agreement.
"I'll inform Jiang Tianhai of the details, and he'll let you know. It's getting late, so you should head back."
Lin Hao bowed to Han Feng and left the VIP lounge. Han Feng walked to the window with a smile. "Heaven has blessed my Xia Kingdom. This young fellow's talent is truly extraordinary." Then, in a flash, he vanished from the spot.
As soon as Lin Hao left the building, he saw Jiang Tianhai waiting at the entrance. "Uncle Jiang." Lin Hao went over to greet him. Jiang Tianhai hurried to meet him, and seeing how impatient he looked, Lin Hao spoke first. "Uncle Han said he plans to send me to a border Fortress to temper myself."
Jiang Tianhai stood frozen. It took him a long while to recover. "What did you call him?"
Seeing Jiang Tianhai's stunned expression, Lin Hao was confused. "Uncle Han."
"Heh, you little brat. You should know that even I have to call him Lord Han Feng. How come you're calling him Uncle Han?"
"Uncle Han told me to call him that. Is there a problem?"
Jiang Tianhai gave a bitter laugh. "Do you know who he is? He's the strongest person in the Xia Kingdom, and the only Legendary rank powerhouse we have. He's already over a hundred years old, and you're calling him uncle?"
Lin Hao was dumbstruck.
"Ah, forget it. Being favored by Lord Han Feng is a blessing for you, brat." Jiang Tianhai was at a loss for words. The seniority in this family was completely messed up now. If you call him uncle, then shouldn't I be calling you grandpa?
Jiang Tianhai then took Lin Hao to a meeting room at Shancheng Martial University. As soon as they entered, they saw that many people were already inside. Fang Wei sat in the main seat, with Shancheng Martial University's Principal, Jiang Weiwei, and a crowd of teachers and students below him. Fang Yao, Lin Yueyue, and Lin Xiaorou sat on the other side. When Lin Xiaorou saw Lin Hao, she hurriedly waved her adorable little hand at him. Lin Hao sat down beside her, while Jiang Tianhai took the seat beside Fang Wei.
Fang Wei spoke up. "First of all, congratulations on winning this year's Hundred Schools League. Your performance truly opened my eyes. I saw in you the strength and unyielding spirit of Martial Artists. The Military will now send the Hundred Schools League rewards to Shancheng Martial University. The university will also be reinstated among the top-tier Wu Universities."
Everyone cheered together.
Then Fang Wei turned his attention to Lin Hao. "Lin Hao, your performance truly shocked me. Earlier, Yaoyao told me she wanted to pull strings for a blockhead with E-class talent, and you have no idea how furious that made me. But through this Hundred Schools League, you've shown me your exceptional talent and immense potential."
At that, Fang Wei glanced at Fang Yao. "She really is my daughter. Her eye for talent is even better than her old man's."
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