"Three thousand jewels, and you still have to bow your head and apologize?"
Chen An's expression darkened upon hearing his father's words.
"Circumstances are stronger than people." Chen Weimin sighed and said, "This was only achieved because the head of the Jin Family fought for it for you. That Martial Academy expert originally wanted you to pay 10,000 gold coins in compensation."
"Ten thousand gold..." Chen An frowned. That Mud Leg had only just revealed his talent, yet he was already worthy of such protection from the Martial Academy's bigwigs?
"Isn't there any other solution?" he couldn't help but ask, unwilling to accept this situation and unwilling to bow down to a Mud Leg he had never taken seriously.
"This is Lord Cao's wish; he hopes you can reconcile," Chen Weimin said. He added a few more words, advising his son to swallow his pride and bear the insult for now, otherwise he would be the one to suffer in the end.
"I'm afraid of him?" Chen An couldn't help but whisper.
"That's Super First-rate physical talent, comparable to Cao Qingzhi."
Upon hearing this, Chen An was taken aback, and his clenched fists slowly loosened.
For the first time, he felt frustrated and powerless.
Why do you look so pale?
In the rest area of Group B, Jin Ze raised an eyebrow upon seeing his friend return.
Chen An remained silent, saying nothing.
"But is it related to Jiang Ping?" Jin Ze asked, knowing that his friend had some grudges with that top- First-rate Genius.
"Yes." Chen An nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then recounted the events.
"I see." Jin Ze chuckled and said, "It's just Super First-rate innate talent."
"Talented people emerge in every generation, but it's only this little Martial Academy teacher who's so eager to curry favor."
"This matter may be explained."
"Oh?" Chen An's eyes lit up.
Jin Ze said, "I have an elder brother who also cultivates at the Black River Martial Academy; his physical talent is also Super First-rate."
"Is this true? I've never heard Brother Jin mention this before." Chen An's expression gradually softened.
Jin Ze shook his head. "No matter how talented someone is, they belong to someone else. What good will it do me to bring it up?"
He went on to say that his elder brother had not only mastered the Golden Skin and Golden Bones in his youth, but had also developed some Jade Bone and Divine Might. In terms of Martial Dao foundation, he was far stronger than Jiang Ping, who only practiced the Golden Skin, and would go much further in the future.
"Don't think about anything else for now. Focus all your energy on preparing for the scientific expedition. I'll write a letter to the Martial Academy. It's a simple matter; it's just a matter of a word from that person. Jiang Ping will have to swallow this anger forever; there will be no day when he can finally relax."
Jin Ze Road.
Chen An nodded, then bowed respectfully in thanks. After that, he went to find his father.
Watching Chen An's retreating figure, Jin Tao couldn't help but whisper, "Brother, why help Chen An? Offending a Super First-rate is never a good idea."
Jin Ze said indifferently, "You must understand that we have a relationship with Chen An, so Jiang Ping can't possibly be on our side. In that case, what's wrong with offending him? He's just a Mud Leg after all; how could he dare to be an enemy of our aristocratic families?"
"Moreover, the Martial Academy is not a peaceful place for cultivation. The struggles there are far more brutal than you imagine. Once you go there, you'll most likely find yourself on the opposite side. We should try to recruit more obedient geniuses so that we can gain a foothold in the Martial Academy."
Group A rest area.
Chen Qingyan came looking for her.
She stood in the crowd, yet she was the most radiant, with a fair, oval face, beautiful, clear, and bright eyes, glossy red lips, and a delicate and sweet appearance.
Her appearance immediately attracted the attention of some young people, and even Cao Qingzhi, who had been to the Imperial City and seen more dazzling women, couldn't help but take a second look.
"Sit down." Jiang Ping wiped the empty seat next to him.
The girl didn't hesitate and sat down directly, very close to Jiang Ping.
"What is it?" Jiang Ping asked, bathed in the fragrance.
"Want to learn Innate Blood Technique?" Chen Qingyan's voice was clear and crisp.
"Of course I want to." Jiang Ping nodded. The more he came into contact with geniuses in the world, the broader his horizons became.
The Innate Blood Technique is not only unparalleled at the Sixth Grade, but can also be used as a powerful true technique within the Fifth Rank.
"Here you go." The girl took a very new book from her bosom and handed it to the young man.
Jiang Ping was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're going to give me a ride?"
"My uncle gave it to me," Chen Qingyan said.
Jiang Ping nodded. That's true. If the other party wanted to give it to him, they would have done so already.
"He thinks highly of you." The girl frowned slightly, recalling some of the things her uncle had said.
"Thank you very much, Jiang I would be impolite to refuse." Jiang Ping accepted it; he was still in his developmental stage and needed resources very much.
Moreover, he had a good impression of both the girl and her uncle; well, having more friends means having more options.
After receiving the book, Jiang Ping couldn't resist turning to the first page. He discovered that it wasn't a new book; the paper was somewhat worn, and there were many annotations in the content, written in neat and elegant handwriting.
Hearing Chen Qingyan speak, "There are some annotations of mine on it."
"Yes, very detailed and easy to understand, not bad." Jiang Ping nodded.
"You two!"
Just then, a sound came from nearby. Jiang Ping quickly closed the book and looked in the direction of the sound.
It's Wei Rou.
At this moment, she was in a state of confusion, and looking at the two of them, this scene seemed strangely familiar.
"Innate Blood Technique." Song Yuanshan, standing beside Wei Rou, looked at the book in Jiang Ping with a complicated expression.
He once pursued Chen Qingyan passionately because he had an inappropriate desire for this Blood Art. If he could master it, he could probably break into the top ten of the Martial Examination Ranking and win fame and fortune.
As a result, the classic texts that he himself craved were easily given to him by Jiang Ping simply by displaying his talent.
I'm so envious.
The two greeted each other and then walked towards Ji Baichuan.
"I look forward to this skill shining in your hands."
Chen Qingyan said something and then hurriedly left.
Jiang Ping carefully put away the books; this was not the time for cultivation.
He took the recovery pills prepared by the Government Office and began to regulate his breathing, preparing for the final battle.
Not long after.
Under the cover of night.
The Group A Arena went from intense to calm.
A Sixth Grade genius, his face deathly pale and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, uttered, "I lost."
"Thank you for your kind offer."
Jiang Ping clasped his hands in a fist salute, panting heavily.
This battle was even harder to win than Ji Baichuan's, as his opponent had mastered the Three Viscera and possessed a variety of Blood Art, all of which were quite powerful.
Jiang Ping won by using his Master Realm skills to wage a war of attrition.
Of course, suppressing himself was also very difficult, and many times he wanted to use his Innate Blood Technique or Autumn Leaf Saber Intent to crush him directly.
That's all for today, we'll continue tomorrow.
Not long after Jiang Ping stepped off the stage, the proctor appeared and called a halt to the match.
"Finally, I can rest."
Many geniuses breathed a sigh of relief. The competition was intense and fast-paced, leaving them little time to rest and feeling exhausted.
"You are not allowed to leave the Government Office during the Martial Examination period. We have prepared superior rooms for you."
An official led the group of geniuses to the Inner Courtyard.
Jiang Ping did not go to see Escort Huang and the others. After taking a bath and having a meal, he returned to his room and took out the books.
Innate Blood Technique!
However, it is only an incomplete piece.
"Flawless ones are too few; most are passed down by Martial Bone Prodigy themselves. Those that Incompleteness are mostly due to bone removal," Jiang Ping said solemnly.
Then, he began to carefully peruse the classic texts.
This is a powerful Innate Blood Technique that does not rely on external objects for cultivation, but rather on a kind of essence to enhance physical strength.
Furthermore, the body-refining process causes the five internal organs to resonate, the muscles and bones to vibrate, and Thunder Sound to be produced, hence it is also known as the Thunderclap Body Refining Technique.
"This essence naturally exists within the human body, generated from qi, blood, body fluids, essence, and blood vessels; it is also known as Acquired Essence of Water and Grain," Jiang Ping read the description in the classic text.
Before long, he had thoroughly understood the contents and had begun to refine his body, collecting vital energy.
Knock knock knock.
Thunder rumbled intermittently.
At one point, Jiang Ping opened his eyes and whispered, "This kind of energy is extremely cold."
"It's related to the Fifth Rank!"
His eyes gleamed as he read the description in the ancient texts.