Martial Skill Pavilion

Zhu Ping'an picked up the business card and glanced at it, unable to help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

Because the first line of the card clearly displayed a shocking number—36, followed by a large E!

On this small card, the proud three-dimensional attributes were succinctly and vividly laid out, leaving Zhu Ping'an utterly captivated.

Putting something like this on a business card was simply indecent. Zhu Ping'an decided that sooner or later, he would find a dark and windy night to give it a proper scolding.

After finishing with the card, Zhu Ping'an took out his own identity token.

The token was carved from Jade Marrow, with the words "Zhu Ping'an" inscribed on it. With a Warrior Identity Token, he could go to the Quest Hall to take on missions and earn generous rewards.

Beyond the towering city walls, alien demons and monsters roamed everywhere, fraught with danger. But along with the peril, these creatures had also brought considerable wealth to humanity—hunting monsters yielded immense profits.

For example, there was a monster called the Ram Devilman, naturally lecherous and capable of mating with any species. As a result, the Ram Devilman's kidneys were highly effective for virility and were deeply favored by many wealthy merchants.

A fresh Ram Devilman kidney could easily sell for a hundred thousand, and one Ram Devilman had six kidneys.

That meant hunting a single Ram Devilman was equivalent to an income of six hundred thousand.

However, the strength of a Ram Devilman rivaled that of a peak First-Rank Warrior, and they always moved in groups of several. So this was something Zhu Ping'an couldn't provoke for now.

After all, Ram Devilmen had no preference for gender, and Zhu Ping'an had no desire to go from being a * to an O.

He first headed to the Martial Skill Pavilion. The martial skills within were a vital crystallization of countless human warriors' knowledge, making it one of the most important places in Green City.

Once one became a warrior, they could freely browse the martial skills in the pavilion and choose one to take away.

When he arrived at the Martial Skill Pavilion, the surrounding noise noticeably dropped. Even when people spoke, it was in hushed tones, contrasting with the lively scene outside.

Two old men in Security Uniforms were dozing off, one on each side of the pavilion's entrance, sleeping so soundly that drool dripped from their mouths.

Between them, the two old men had fewer than four teeth combined, but Zhu Ping'an dared not underestimate them. Anyone guarding the entrance of the Martial Skill Pavilion might well be some kind of returning dragon. He respectfully performed a student's salute and spoke clearly.

"Two seniors, this student Zhu Ping'an has fortunately become a First-Rank Warrior and wishes to enter the Martial Skill Pavilion to select a martial skill."

After he spoke, neither old man acknowledged him, continuing to snore loudly. Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an bowed again.

"Thank you, both seniors."

Only then did he step into the Martial Skill Pavilion.

As he passed through the entrance, the old man on the left opened his eyes and spoke in a sinister tone.

"That kid just now was quite polite. His Qi and Blood Value is close to two hundred, isn't it?"

The old man on the right nodded.

"About that. He's probably taken quite a few Qi and Blood Pills, plus his natural talent is decent."

Hearing this, the left old man's murky eyes flashed with a glint of sharpness, then he turned over and went back to sleep.

After entering the Martial Skill Pavilion, Zhu Ping'an headed straight for the area where martial skills were displayed. There, rows of ancient texts were neatly arranged for browsing.

"Leg Techniques... Fist Techniques... Palm Techniques... Blade Techniques... Sword Techniques... Spear Techniques..."

All kinds of martial skills dazzled his eyes, nearly blinding him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The choice of his first martial skill directly affected his performance in the College Entrance Examination. He had to consider it carefully. He quieted his mind and began browsing through the various skills.

"Soaring Dragon Swordplay—when executed, the body moves like a soaring dragon, ethereal and shadowless, the sword strikes and the enemy falls."

"Lightning Five-Consecutive-Whips—legend has it passed down by the War God. One whip startles ghosts and gods, two whips shatter mountains and rivers, three whips annihilate life, four whips pierce the sky, five whips split heaven and earth!"

"Iron Mountain Lean—practice leaning your back 36,000 times daily for two and a half years to reach great mastery. At mastery, the shoulder becomes like gold and jade, impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire. With one lean, mountains crumble and earth splits."

"Joyful Three Swords..."

Just as Zhu Ping'an was earnestly selecting a martial skill, a long sword descended from the sky, piercing straight through the roof of the Martial Skill Pavilion and heading directly for him.

"Who dares cause trouble here!" x2

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously. The two old men in Security Uniforms at the pavilion's entrance rose at once, charging toward the long sword.

They struck together, a Yin-Yang Taiji appearing in their palms, blocking the sword as solid as a fortress.

Watching the two old men suspended in midair, Zhu Ping'an inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he hadn't truly dismissed these sickly old men as mere security guards. Being able to float in midair required at least being a Fifth-Rank Warrior.

A Fifth-Rank Warrior, no matter which city they were in, was considered a notable figure.

"Mistake, both teachers, mistake! This sword ran out on its own again!"

An old man with graying hair rushed over in a panic. Zhu Ping'an recognized him at once—this was the old man who had stuffed him with Qi and Blood Pills that day. This guy... was the mayor of Green City!

"Lin, what's the matter with you? A grown man like you can't even control a sword?" one of the security old men barked, spraying saliva all over Mayor Lin Zhao's face. Yet Lin Zhao just forced a smile, not daring to speak up.

"Old Yang is right to scold me, but this student has no choice either. This sword has already birthed a Sword Spirit and absolutely refuses to submit to me," Lin Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Oh?"

The other security old man, who had remained silent, seemed intrigued. He reached out and grabbed the sword, examining it briefly before lowering his gaze to Zhu Ping'an.

"This sword already has a master it favors. Lin, kill that kid, or this sword will never submit to you."

That look sent a chill through Zhu Ping'an's heart. An old man who could address the mayor of Green City as "Lin"—what level of existence was that? And someone like that wanted to kill him?

But he quickly steadied himself. The plot was like the will of heaven itself. Not to mention these two old men, he believed that even a legendary Ninth-Rank Warrior couldn't kill him.

"Old Yin, don't joke with me. To snuff out a genius of the Human Race over a sword—would I, Lin Zhao, still be fit to sit in the mayor's seat?" Lin Zhao said with a wry smile.

"No matter. I'll do it for you!" Old Yin's form moved like a ghost, and in an instant, he was before Zhu Ping'an. Zhu Ping'an could even clearly see the wrinkles like orange peel on Old Yin's face, yet his expression remained utterly unruffled.

Seeing Zhu Ping'an's calm demeanor, Old Yin let out a soft exclamation, as if puzzled by his composure.

"Kid, aren't you afraid of death?"