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Reborn for a second time.
Ling Zhan was past the hot-blooded, greenhorn stage of his youth.
From the moment he claimed the top spot on the Provincial Trial Ranking as a Jobless Freelancer,
he had known that he was destined to face doubt and contempt in the future.
The admissions officers from these Key Combat Academies were cold toward Ling Zhan.
By contrast, they were much warmer toward Sun Ze and Su Rou.
Was Ling Zhan angry about it?
Naturally, he was a little annoyed.
But not so much that he would spout clichés like, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west."
He was still weak, so he understood the value of keeping a low profile and growing stronger.
With Ling Zhan's results, he could easily get into a second-rate academy.
As for those so-called Key Combat Academies, he could take them or leave them.
He had a system, after all. Did he really need those so-called educational resources?
What a joke! Did they really think he couldn't grow stronger without them?
It was just...
Ling Zhan hadn't expected this girl, whom he'd met only once, to show up.
Even less had he expected her to declare, "You don't want Ling Zhan? Then Tianyan Academy does!"
Ling Zhan wasn't the only one taken aback.
Everyone present was stunned.
They hadn't expected Zhu Yaoguang to appear here.
Nor had they expected her to say, "Tianyan Academy."
Did that mean she was here representing Tianyan Academy's admissions office?
At the thought, the faces of the other Key Combat Academy admissions officers darkened.
Zhu Yaoguang was the one they truly considered the top student on the Provincial Trial Ranking!
And she had chosen Tianyan Academy?
By rights, Zhu Yaoguang should have been in her high school's office, carefully weighing the offers from various academies before making her decision.
"Yaoguang, don't fool around."
Just then,
a voice came from behind Zhu Yaoguang.
Everyone turned to look. It was a middle-aged man around forty, dressed in a suit and carrying himself with poise.
"Zhu Xiaoshan! Isn't he the director of Tianyan Academy's admissions office? What's he doing here?"
One of the teachers recognized the man at once.
"Director Zhu, what brings you to Yundong City?"
Mu Yutian stood up in surprise.
Like the other teachers, he thought Zhu Xiaoshan had no reason to be here.
The reason was simple.
Yundong City was nothing more than a third-tier city.
Sure, it had produced the top student on the Provincial Trial Ranking, but so what?
This year's top student had no merit whatsoever. He was just a Jobless Freelancer who liked to show off.
Given Zhu Xiaoshan's position, he should have been recruiting in other provinces, looking for prodigies on Zhu Yaoguang's level.
No wonder all the admissions officers were surprised to see him here.
"My niece insisted I come. She was worried another academy would snatch away Nanzhou Province's top student."
Zhu Xiaoshan looked at Zhu Yaoguang fondly and shook his head before asking, "What's this? From the sound of it, none of your academies wants this top student?"
"Teacher Zhu, you don't know the whole story. Ling Zhan is a clown who chose to become a Jobless Freelancer just to attract attention."
"Which academy would want a clown with no future to speak of?"
"Even if an academy admitted him, he'd probably run away if they sent him to the front lines at the Dark Night Plains."
Before Mu Yutian could speak,
a student beside him cut in.
The name on the badge on his chest was Fang Bo. He wore a haughty expression, and his tone was scornful.
He had spoken up because he wanted to impress the teachers.
Of course, the main reason was that Zhu Yaoguang was here!
And Su Rou, too!
It was like a couple of pretty girls had shown up to watch a game of basketball. The boys on the court would naturally try to show off and catch their attention.
Clearly,
Fang Bo thought he was the prettiest peacock on the court.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Zhu Xiaoshan hadn't expected that answer.
His gifted niece had been surpassed, and he'd assumed the other person was some extraordinary talent.
He hadn't expected a Jobless Freelancer...
"My student is indeed a Jobless Freelancer, but he's no attention-seeking clown."
Just then,
Qi Mu stepped forward and said sternly, "I've seen this student's performance with my own eyes. He's strong. I hope you won't slander him without knowing the facts."
"How did I slander him? I'm just telling the truth."
With his own teacher present, Fang Bo wasn't afraid. Instead, he sneered and pressed on. "The teachers from Hastings Academy didn't even bother to come. I don't know why, but I'd guess they look down on Nanzhou Province's top student."
"We only came because your Yundong City managed to produce someone in the provincial top hundred."
Fang Bo had gone too far.
He'd directly accused Ling Zhan of being undeserving of his reputation.
He'd also looked down on Yundong City for being a small place.
But Sun Ze was delighted by Fang Bo's praise.
He glanced at Ling Zhan and thought, I thought you were something special. Turns out the top student is just a hollow title. Not a single academy wants you.
Zhong Wenshan's face had gone pitch-black.
Zhu Xiaoshan, meanwhile, turned his attention to Ling Zhan, the focus of everyone's scrutiny.
Zhu Yaoguang blinked her lovely red eyes and looked at Ling Zhan, who remained silent. She couldn't help sneering inwardly.
Still pretending to be harmless, are you? I've already stood up for you, and you're still hiding? Fine, don't blame me.
Then, as if making an idle suggestion, she said, "Since you all doubt Ling Zhan's ability, why doesn't this senior have a spar with him? That'll show us just how overrated this top student really is."
At those words,
"No!"
Zhong Wenshan and Qi Mu immediately shook their heads.
Fang Bo was a university student at Huaqing Academy. He'd finished his first year and was about to start his second.
That meant his Level couldn't be low.
He was at least Level 20.
And his gear and skills certainly weren't beginner-level.
Ling Zhan, by contrast, was only Level 14, wasn't he?
His equipment was probably poor, too.
If they fought, Ling Zhan was bound to lose.
It simply wouldn't be fair.
"Haha, you're awfully quick to refuse. I knew he was a nobody with no real ability."
Fang Bo looked scornfully at Ling Zhan, who had remained silent, and let the cruel words fly. "I bet this Provincial Trial Ranking champion's parents were useless, too. How else would they have raised an attention-seeking clown like him?"
That was even more outrageous.
Zhong Wenshan and Qi Mu weren't the only ones whose faces darkened. Even Zhu Xiaoshan and the other teachers looked grim.
Ling Zhan had kept his head down, wearing a simple, honest expression. But at that moment, he suddenly raised his head.
His clear, bright eyes fixed on Fang Bo, like a starving wolf that had spotted its prey!
Zhu Yaoguang and Su Rou had been watching Ling Zhan the whole time. When they felt his astonishing killing intent,
their delicate bodies trembled slightly.
In that moment,
they finally realized.
Beneath the honest appearance of the young man before them lurked a vicious dragon!
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