The morning mist had yet to fully clear, but the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy's public Training Ground was already bustling with people.
Lin Fan wore a training uniform faded from countless washes. In a corner of the grounds, he was working through his daily required practice: the Basic Fist Technique.
One punch, two punches, three punches...
His movements were textbook-perfect. Each punch cut through the air with a sharp whoosh, yet he controlled his strength precisely, never wasting too much stamina. It was a habit he'd formed after awakening the system: accumulate proficiency whenever he could.
[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1] [Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1] [Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]
The numbers constantly ticking upward on his Status Panel were his greatest motivation.
A short distance away, several other freshmen who had gotten up early to train kept glancing over at Lin Fan, their expressions complicated.
"Is that Lin Fan? The one who snatched the loot back from the Mad Wolf Squad yesterday?"
"Yeah, that's him. I heard Zhang Kuang broke his right hand. He'll need at least a month to recover."
"What a savage... A freshman beat a second-year student up that badly."
"I heard he only used the Basic Fist Technique. That's ridiculous."
Their voices weren't loud, but in the quiet of the morning Training Ground, they carried clearly. Lin Fan paid them no mind and continued practicing. He knew that, since yesterday, his standing at the academy had quietly changed.
He was no longer a freshman no one cared about. Now he was someone to watch, assess, recruit, or suppress.
"Brother Fan!"
A deep, rough voice called out. Chen Dahu walked over with a long saber slung over his shoulder, sweat beading on his forehead. He'd clearly been training for a while.
"Finished training?" Lin Fan lowered his fists, his breathing steady.
"Yeah, I'm in good form today. My saber technique's improved again." Chen Dahu grinned, then lowered his voice. "Have you heard? Word about yesterday got around. The whole Regular Class is talking about us now."
"Expected." Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel. "After losing face that badly, Zhang Kuang and the others couldn't keep it quiet. That's fine by me. Maybe it'll keep the next fool from bothering us."
"But..." Chen Dahu hesitated. "I heard Zhang Kuang has a cousin in the Genius Class."
Lin Fan paused. "The Genius Class?"
"Yeah. Zhang Kuanghu. He's at the 2nd Grade, 9th Level, and supposedly has one foot over the threshold into the 3rd Grade." Chen Dahu's expression grew serious. "The Zhang Family's a third-rate lineage in Jiangnan City, but they have a few Martial Artists in the family, so they've got some influence at the academy. I'm worried..."
"When the soldiers come, we'll meet them with our own; when the waters rise, we'll hold them back with earth." Lin Fan spoke calmly. "As long as we're strong enough, we don't need to fear anyone's influence."
Seeing how composed Lin Fan was, Chen Dahu felt some of his unease fade. He nodded. "Right, Brother Fan. You're right. Strength is what counts."
As they talked, a commotion suddenly rose from the Training Ground entrance.
A group of boys and girls in dark blue training uniforms walked in. They were striking in appearance, their steps steady, and each of them gave off an aura far beyond that of ordinary students.
Students from the Genius Class.
The public Training Ground was separate from the Genius Class's private one, but students from the Genius Class occasionally came here. Sometimes it was to "inspect" the Regular Class, sometimes to find someone in particular, and more often than not, to show off the gap between them.
"Why are the Genius Class students here?"
"Look, that's Wang Chao! The top student in the Genius Class!"
"Lin Xue'er's here too! Oh my god, she's even prettier than the rumors said..."
"And that fatso Zhao Ritian. How'd he end up in the Genius Class?"
The attention of the crowd shifted in an instant.
Lin Fan looked over as well.
At the front walked a young man with sharp brows and bright eyes, around eighteen years old. His tall, straight figure stood like a pine, and his gaze was as keen as a sword. The crowd naturally seemed to revolve around him as he walked, while the students nearby instinctively kept their distance.
Wang Chao, the top student in the Genius Class and the Wang Family's eldest legitimate son. He was at the 2nd Grade, 9th Level, and was said to be on the verge of breaking through to become a 3rd Grade Martial Master.
Half a step behind him on one side walked a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl. She wore the same dark blue training uniform, its fit tracing her figure perfectly. Her skin was pale as snow, and her features were so delicate they seemed like a work of art. Most striking of all were her eyes: deep-sea blue, yet utterly devoid of emotion, like a mountain of ice that had stood for millennia.
Lin Xue'er, the second-ranked student in the Genius Class. Of mixed Chinese and European heritage, her strength was unfathomable.
Behind them came a chubby boy with a smile always playing on his face and eyes narrowed into slits. He looked harmless, but no one who made it into the Genius Class was simple.
Zhao Ritian, son of a nouveau riche family. He'd made it into the Genius Class by piling resources on top of resources, though rumors said he had a few tricks of his own.
"Well, well. What wind blew the big shots from the Genius Class over here today?" a sarcastic voice rang out.
The crowd turned. Wang Hao was approaching from the other side with several lackeys. His expression was sour, especially when he saw Lin Fan; a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.
After word spread that Lin Fan had taken the loot back from Zhang Kuang, Wang Hao's standing in the Regular Class had taken a serious hit. He'd always regarded himself as the top student in the class, but now Lin Fan had stolen all the attention.
"Wang Hao, shut up." Wang Chao gave him a cool glance. "No one asked you to speak."
Wang Hao's face stiffened, but he didn't dare talk back. In the family, Wang Chao was the eldest legitimate son, gifted and highly valued by the elders. Wang Hao, meanwhile, was merely a collateral relative, with above-average talent. Their positions were worlds apart.
"Cousin, I was just—"
"Call me by my name." Wang Chao cut him off. "At the academy, we're classmates, not family."
Wang Hao gritted his teeth and lowered his head. "Yes, Senior Wang Chao."
The scene made the atmosphere turn subtle. Many people knew Wang Hao and Wang Chao were relatives, but Wang Chao had shown no regard for him at all. Clearly, he didn't think much of his cousin.
Lin Fan watched in silence, lost in thought.
It seemed the Wang Family wasn't one solid block. The strained relationship between these two might be a way in.
Just then, Wang Chao's gaze swept across the Training Ground and finally settled on Lin Fan.
Their eyes met.
For an instant, Lin Fan felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him. It wasn't an oppressive aura, but a pure spiritual pressure, like a drawn sword with its edge exposed.
Was this the strength of the top student in the Genius Class?
Lin Fan felt a flicker of wariness, but his expression remained calm. He circulated the [Basic Breathing Technique], moving his vital energy through his body and quietly dispelling the pressure.
A trace of surprise crossed Wang Chao's eyes.
His glance had seemed casual, but it contained a hint of sword intent. An ordinary 1st Grade Martial Trainee would have been shaken to the core and thrown off-balance by it. But this Lin Fan... had come through completely unscathed?
Interesting.
"You're Lin Fan?" Wang Chao asked. His voice was even, but carried an unquestionable authority.
"That's me." Lin Fan nodded.
"I heard about yesterday." Wang Chao said, "You defeated someone at the 2nd Grade, 3rd Level while at the 1st Grade, and you did it with the Basic Fist Technique. Not bad."
It was praise, but there wasn't a trace of admiration in his voice. He sounded more as if he were stating a fact.
"You're too kind, Senior." Lin Fan remained neither servile nor overbearing.
"However," Wang Chao continued, "Zhang Kuang may be a good-for-nothing, but he's still a member of the Zhang Family. You broke one of his hands. The Zhang Family won't let that go."
"So what are you suggesting, Senior?" Lin Fan asked.
"Join my Sword Pavilion," Wang Chao said bluntly. "If you join, I can help keep the Zhang Family off your back."
The Training Ground fell silent.
Everyone looked at Lin Fan, their expressions complicated.
Wang Chao's Sword Pavilion was one of the three major powers in the Genius Class. Its members were all talented swordsmen, and it had abundant resources and considerable influence. What an honor to be personally invited to join!
Many students from the Regular Class looked on with envy and jealousy.
But Lin Fan fell silent.
He needed to think.
Wang Chao's invitation looked like an olive branch, but there was clearly an ulterior motive. On one hand, it would protect him and help him avoid the Zhang Family's retaliation, at least for now. On the other, it was also a way to recruit and control him. Once he joined, he would have to answer to Wang Chao and would likely be expected to serve him in the future.
More importantly, Lin Fan didn't like being controlled.
"Thank you for the offer, Senior," Lin Fan said slowly. "But I'm used to working alone. I don't plan on joining any faction for now."
A commotion swept through the Training Ground.
He'd refused?
Wang Chao had personally invited him, and Lin Fan had actually refused?
A gleeful look flashed across Wang Hao's eyes. His cousin hated being defied more than anything. Lin Fan was finished.
Sure enough, Wang Chao's gaze turned cold.
"Do you know what happens when you refuse me?"
"I do," Lin Fan said calmly. "But I still want to walk my own path."
The air seemed to freeze.
Everyone held their breath, watching the two face off.
The top student in the Genius Class, at the 2nd Grade, 9th Level, eldest legitimate son of the Wang Family, leader of the Sword Pavilion.
A freshman in the Regular Class, at the 1st Grade, from a poor family, who had only just begun to make a name for himself.
By any measure, this was a lopsided confrontation.
Yet Lin Fan stood perfectly straight, not a hint of retreat in his eyes.
A few seconds later, Wang Chao suddenly smiled.
It wasn't a happy smile, but a cold, mocking one.
"Interesting," he said. "It's been a long time since anyone dared talk to me like that."
He turned around and didn't look at Lin Fan again.
"I hope you can keep that backbone."
With that, he led the Sword Pavilion students away from the Training Ground, as if nothing had happened.
But everyone knew this wasn't over.
Wang Chao's parting words were both a warning and a promise.
"Brother Fan, you..." Chen Dahu started, then trailed off.
"It's fine." Lin Fan shook his head. "What's coming will come. There's no avoiding it."
He'd long understood that, in this world, becoming stronger and protecting the people he cared about meant he couldn't hide behind others forever. Some roads had to be walked alone; some passes had to be crossed alone.
"But Wang Chao..."
"He's strong," Lin Fan admitted. "But I'm not weak either."
It wasn't arrogance. It was confidence.
With the Martial Arts Panel, he could grow stronger without limit, as long as he was given time. Wang Chao was stronger than him now, but what about the future? Three months from now? Half a year from now?
Just then, Lin Fan suddenly felt someone watching him.
He turned his head and met a pair of deep blue eyes.
Lin Xue'er.
She hadn't left. Instead, she stood at the edge of the Training Ground, quietly watching him. She'd seen everything that had happened, but hadn't said a word or shown the slightest emotion.
Now, their gazes met.
It was the first time Lin Fan had seen her eyes from so close. They were truly beautiful, like the purest blue gemstones, yet so cold they held not a trace of warmth. It wasn't indifference, but something... empty.
It was as though the girl they belonged to had lost all hope in the world.
They held each other's gaze for three seconds.
Then Lin Xue'er turned and left, her silver hair tracing an arc through the morning light.
From beginning to end, she hadn't said a word.
"So that's Lin Xue'er..." Chen Dahu murmured. "I heard she's mixed-race. Her mother was a noblewoman from the European Alliance, and her father was a Chinese businessman. But both her parents died in a Demonic Beast attack. The Lin Family took her in and raised her as a pawn for marriage alliances."
"A pawn for marriage alliances?" Lin Fan frowned.
"Yeah. The Lin Family wants to use her to get in good with a more powerful family." Chen Dahu lowered his voice. "So she trains like crazy, hoping her strength will earn her the right to choose her own future. When she first enrolled last year, she was only at the 1st Grade. Now she's at the 2nd Grade, 8th Level. Her progress is terrifying."
Lin Fan watched Lin Xue'er's retreating figure, a feeling of wistfulness rising in his heart.
So even the second-ranked student in the Genius Class had her own troubles.
In this world, everyone had their own hurdle to face. Some worried about resources, some were trapped by their families, and some struggled against fate.
And what about him? Wasn't he the same?
"Brother Fan, what do we do now?" Chen Dahu asked.
"Keep training." Lin Fan turned away. "The monthly tournament's coming up soon. We need to be as prepared as possible."
"But what about Wang Chao?"
"He won't openly attack me at the academy," Lin Fan reasoned. "He's the top student in the Genius Class. He has an image to maintain. Most likely, he'll turn the tournament into a stage for dealing with me."
"You mean..."
"He'll beat me in front of everyone at the tournament, humiliate me, and show off his authority," Lin Fan said. "That's the approach that best suits his position."
Chen Dahu's expression grew serious. "Then we need to be careful. Wang Chao has plenty of experts under him. If they target us during the tournament..."
"When the soldiers come, we'll meet them with our own." Lin Fan repeated the words. "As long as we're strong enough, we don't need to fear any challenge."
He looked toward the Strength Testing Monument in the center of the Training Ground, determination flashing in his eyes.
"Dahu, I'm going to start special training. Five-times-speed training might be brutal. Want to join me?"
"Of course!" Chen Dahu answered without hesitation. "If you say train, Brother Fan, then I'm in!"
Over the next few days, Lin Fan went into full-on grind mode.
He attended classes during the day to study martial arts theory; in the afternoon, he went to the Mission Hall to take on missions, earning Academic Credits while building up Combat Experience; at night, he trained at five-times speed, grinding proficiency like crazy.
[Basic Fist Technique: Minor Accomplishment Level (2547/5000)] [Basic Footwork: Mastery Level (3821/5000)] [Basic Breathing Technique: Mastery Level (2987/5000)] [Iron Body Skill: Proficient Level (412/500)] [Gale Sword Technique: Beginner Level (87/100)]
The numbers on his Status Panel ticked up every day, and his strength steadily improved.
Rumors about him were also spreading farther and farther around the academy.
"Have you heard? Lin Fan took a mission to hunt three Wind Wolves by himself yesterday and finished in less than two hours!"
"Seriously? Those were three peak 1st-grade Demonic Beasts!"
"Absolutely! The Mission Hall staff saw him drag back all three carcasses."
"That's insane... He's only been enrolled for a month!"
"And there's more. Someone saw him practicing punches on the Training Ground from dawn to dusk, with only a ten-minute break!"
"A maniac. He's a total training maniac..."
These rumors naturally reached the Genius Class as well.
"Interesting." Wang Chao listened to his subordinate's report, lightly tapping his fingers on the tabletop. "Either he's training so desperately because he has some secret, or he's genuinely gone mad."
"Boss, want me to go sound him out?" a lanky young man asked.
"No need." Wang Chao shook his head. "The monthly sparring matches are about to begin. Someone will test him then. All we have to do is... give things a little push."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Get in touch with Zhang Kuanghu. Tell him I can help with his brother's situation. In return, he needs to 'take good care' of Lin Fan at the matches."
"Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, in another cultivation room.
Lin Xue'er sat cross-legged, a faint chill surrounding her. A short, ice-blue sword hovered before her, its crystalline blade radiating a frigid aura.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes. A flicker of emotion stirred in her azure gaze.
"Lin Fan..."
She murmured his name, the scene from the Training Ground that day rising in her mind.
The young man had stood before Wang Chao, neither humble nor arrogant, his gaze unwavering. In that moment, she had seen something familiar in him—
The will to break free from the shackles of fate.
Just like her.
"What will you do?" she murmured to herself. "At the upcoming matches..."
Outside the window, the sun sank in the west, dyeing the sky a golden red.
And at the public Training Ground, Lin Fan was still working up a sweat.
One punch, then another.
Every punch gathered the strength of his whole body; every punch added to his proficiency.
He knew the peaceful days wouldn't last much longer. The monthly sparring matches would be his first true test.
He would have to face not only the experts from the Regular Class, but also the pressure and schemes coming from the Genius Class.
But he wasn't afraid.
He believed that if he trained enough, pushed himself hard enough, there was no obstacle he couldn't overcome.
"I'll do one more set."
That was Lin Fan's catchphrase, and his creed.
Night deepened, and he was the only one left on the Training Ground.
Moonlight spilled down, stretching his shadow long.
In the distant shadows, a silver figure stood silently, watching the tireless young man. For the first time, a faint flicker of emotion stirred in their eyes.
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