Mental Skills!

Chen Ming merely sighed over it.

Either way, the result was about the same.

He figured Qin Zhixue had reached Level 3 today as well.

Her leveling speed should be about the same as his.

Besides, who said he wouldn't gain abilities this "flashy" in the future?

There were still a whole bunch of SSS-Rank skills waiting for him.

The three of them returned to the city together.

"You're on your own?"

On the way, Qin Zhixue asked curiously.

"Yeah. Before the dungeon opens, I prefer to hunt alone," Chen Ming said with a nod.

Hearing that, the girl silently following behind them glanced at Chen Ming curiously.

A C-Rank Shield Guard hunting alone in the wild?

Was he serious?

Qin Zhixue fell silent for a moment, then spoke up:

"You don't have to push yourself. I can level up with you, and we'll reach Level 5 and enter the dungeon faster."

She hesitated for a moment, her expression growing more serious.

"This month is important for you. It's the key to whether you can change your fate."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Chen Ming turned his head toward Qin Zhixue, somewhat surprised.

He had thought she was merely being polite to him, her nominal "team leader," but she seemed serious.

Change his fate?

In the eyes of others, Chen Ming was just a C-Rank Shield Guard, as ordinary as they came.

What could possibly let someone with a C-Rank class change his fate?

"Spiritual potential... can awaken skills too."

Qin Zhixue's offhand remark made Chen Ming's expression tighten. He stopped in his tracks.

"Spiritual potential can awaken skills too?"

He blinked. He genuinely hadn't known that.

Qin Zhixue clearly knew some secrets about spiritual potential.

She explained, "Just like how reaching a certain level in your class can awaken a skill, reaching a certain level of spiritual potential gives you a chance to awaken one too."

"However, most people can't awaken a mental skill, even if their potential reaches the required level."

Chen Ming caught the key point and asked, "What level of potential is required?"

"Twenty percent," Qin Zhixue replied.

Chen Ming was stunned.

His spiritual potential was currently... 19%!

So he was already close.

But from what Qin Zhixue said, reaching 20% didn't guarantee success.

In fact, most people still couldn't awaken one.

"Your spiritual potential is high—extremely high. You might really be able to awaken a mental skill. But, just like class skills, it also requires rare resources."

"And rare resources for mental skills are even more precious. Fortunately, there's a way to obtain them right now."

Chen Ming was still turning Qin Zhixue's words over in his mind. At that, his interest immediately piqued.

"What way?"

"The Grand Exam."

Qin Zhixue answered directly, without beating around the bush.

"The Grand Exam's leaderboard rewards can include rare resources for mental skills. That applies to the rankings for the first seven days, the dungeon rankings, and the final rankings."

That was why Qin Zhixue had said this month was so important for Chen Ming.

She was reminding him that if he wanted rare resources for mental skills, he had to compete for the rankings!

Only by awakening a mental skill could he escape the mediocrity of a C-Rank class.

What Qin Zhixue hadn't said was that every mental skill someone managed to awaken was powerful.

Chen Ming nodded.

"Thanks. This information really helps."

It seemed his goal of reaching Level 3 today had been exactly right.

At Level 3, a top-three ranking was all but guaranteed.

The top three on the rankings received the highest-tier rewards for level rankings.

Maybe he'd get a rare resource for mental skills today.

Dusk was drawing near.

On the outskirts of the city.

The orange-red sun sank beneath the horizon, silhouetting the vast outline of the Exotic Beast Forest in the distance.

Class Changers returned from the outskirts one after another.

They gathered outside the various guilds, buying and selling equipment, trading beast cores, and sharing stories about their day.

"Damn, today's finally over. I'm exhausted."

"Those exotic beasts were a pain in the ass to kill. I teamed up with a B-Rank Warrior and a C-Rank Mage, and we only killed twenty-five all day. I didn't even make it to Level 2."

"Ugh, it's brutal. I heard there were casualties, too."

Everyone sighed. After experiencing the strength of the exotic beasts in the wild, they'd taken quite a blow.

"Anyone who reached Level 2 on the first day must be an A-Rank or higher prodigy from Cloud Sea City."

"Not necessarily. Those with money at home can get a full set of equipment and start off with stats and combat power a level ahead."

"I wonder how the rankings look on the first day. Aside from the S-Rank and A-Rank folks, there should still be a few dozen spots in the top 100. B-Rank Class Changers are going to have a fierce competition."

The moment the first-day rankings came up, the discussion grew heated.

Nobody could turn down the Grand Exam rewards. There were coins, equipment, resources—everything.

"Song Chuan, you should be able to secure a top-three spot today, right?"

Outside a guild, Song Chuan and Jiang Yi were surrounded by quite a few people.

"Song Chuan's an S-Rank, and Jiang Yi's an A-Rank Mage. Who could possibly beat them?"

"If you ask me, Song Chuan and Jiang Yi are the strongest duo in Cloud Sea City."

Song Chuan wore a smile, clearly enjoying all the praise.

He waved a hand and modestly replied, "That's too much praise. I wouldn't dare claim we're the strongest duo."

"Don't forget, there's still an SS-Rank Class Changer above us."

Everyone knew who Song Chuan meant.

Qin Zhixue, the only SS-Rank Class Changer in all of Cloud Sea City this year.

"By the way, Song Chuan, why aren't you teaming up with Qin Zhixue?"

"An SS-Rank and an S-Rank together—I can't even imagine how strong that'd be. They wouldn't just stand out in Cloud Sea City. They'd shine across all of Jiangnan Province!"

At that, Song Chuan's face stiffened.

Just had to bring that up...

He gave an awkward laugh. "Haha, for anyone S-Rank or higher, it's more efficient to level up separately before Level 5."

"I see. So you've already agreed to form a team with Qin Zhixue after Level 5, then?"

"Um, I'm an A-Rank Assassin. Could you ask Qin Zhixue if she'd let me join?"

"Me too! Me too!"

"Do I have a chance?"

A crowd immediately surged forward.

The scene grew lively in an instant.

It wasn't often that Cloud Sea City produced an SS-Rank Class Changer. Everyone wanted to seize the opportunity.

Even just joining the team for a while could raise their Grand Exam rankings by a lot!

"That's still up for discussion..."

Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, Song Chuan could only give a vague answer.

Behind him, Jiang Yi's expression was clearly off.

On closer inspection, her face had even turned a little green.

Thinking about what had happened that morning made Jiang Yi feel awful.

She'd gone out of her way to ask Chen Ming for the "team leader" position so she could team up with Qin Zhixue.

Instead, she'd been kicked out on the spot, then witnessed Qin Zhixue invite Chen Ming to team up with her.

Chen Ming was only a C-Rank. What gave him the right?

"Look, Qin Zhixue's back!"

Someone cried out and pointed toward the outskirts.

Quite a few people turned their attention to the city gates.

Qin Zhixue walked through them, dressed in a pristine white coat of armor, her bearing cool and aloof.

A young woman followed close behind her.

Beside Qin Zhixue walked a man draped in a radiant Feather Garment.