A mere Zhou Fan was nothing to worry about!

"Paper Explosion Technique: Explode!"

"Paper Blizzard: Moon Wheel!"

With Li Mengyao in tow, Lin Qianqian tore through the Mutant Beast Forest.

Whether they were first-tier four-star or first-tier five-star mutant beasts, none could withstand a single blow from her.

Not a single mutant beast could break through her defenses.

Li Mengyao was being carried the whole way.

She barely had to lift a finger.

Lin Qianqian took care of all the mutant beasts.

Soon, another round of fighting ended.

"Xixi, you're way too amazing!"

"Aren't you at first-tier four-star? Why do first-tier four-star and five-star mutant beasts seem like total weaklings in front of you?"

Lin Qianqian said, "Because I have an S-rank superpower. Fighting above my level is perfectly normal."

"I only awakened a few days after you, but it feels like you've already left me miles behind," Li Mengyao said.

"S-rank talent really is something else. It's incredible!"

She wasn't jealous.

If anything, she was a little happy.

Her best friend was so powerful that if anyone dared bully her in the future, she could simply bring out Lin Qianqian!

"Mengyao, rest here for a bit. I'm going to farm a few more mutant beasts," Lin Qianqian said.

She still had plenty of stamina and spiritual energy.

"Xixi, you're already so strong. How are you still this disciplined and hardworking?"

Lin Qianqian was indeed very disciplined.

Although she had S-rank talent and was a one-in-ten-thousand genius, she knew that wasn't enough.

She understood very well that talent was only the starting point. To reach the summit, she had to cultivate hard!

Genius plus hard work plus a system's support.

Who could possibly compete with her?!

Lin Qianqian wasn't the type to slack off.

She simply liked working hard and seeing her efforts pay off. It gave her a real sense of accomplishment.

That had nothing to do with whether she had S-rank talent or had awakened a system.

There was a more common term for someone like her-a workaholic.

"Among everyone in our year, there probably isn't anyone stronger than you... Oh, right, Zhou Fan seems pretty impressive too." Li Mengyao thought of Zhou Fan.

Back at school, the strength and talent Zhou Fan had displayed were on par with Lin Qianqian's.

He was probably her only competitor.

Hearing Li Mengyao's words, Lin Qianqian paused briefly.

Zhou Fan... That jerk! He actually looked down on me that much in the secret realm. I haven't forgotten!

Now she had the system's support and a fifty-percent boost to her cultivation speed.

She had also mastered the Paper Explosion Technique.

A mere Zhou Fan was nothing to worry about!

One day, I'll make that jerk regret what he did that day!

There were only five days left until the system's first comparison.

She just needed to raise her strength over these last few days.

Then...

She would crush Zhou Fan mercilessly!

She would defeat Zhou Fan with overwhelming strength!

And prove she was the strongest!

"That guy isn't as strong as me."

Leaving those words behind, Lin Qianqian plunged back into battle in the Mutant Beast Forest.

"Achoo!"

Zhou Fan sneezed.

"Weird. Why have I been sneezing so much lately?"

He rubbed his nose, took out all the Crystal Cores he had collected that day, and began absorbing the spiritual energy inside them.

In just a few minutes, he drained more than a dozen Crystal Cores dry.

Zhou Fan successfully broke through to first-tier five-star!

At the same time, thanks to his breakthrough, something else happened.

As his summoned beast, Shukaku broke through alongside him, successfully reaching second-tier two-star!

"I finally reached first-tier five-star. That sure wasn't easy."

"There's only half a month left until the college entrance exam. To get a good result, I'll need to reach at least second-tier one-star."

"But my goal is to be the Top College Entrance Exam Scorer!" Zhou Fan's goal was clear.

Either he wouldn't take the exam at all, or he would take the top spot!

Only by taking the top spot could he shock the audience nationwide and stir their emotions.

He would go big in one fell swoop!

"But the college entrance exam means competing against Espers from the entire Southern District. Taking the top spot won't be that easy."

He had researched the Southern District's top scorers from previous years. Almost all had been second-tier two-star, with only a handful at second-tier one-star.

Awakening and then reaching second-tier two-star within a month-that level of talent qualified as genius anywhere!

As for Skysea City...

Originally, Zhou Fan had thought Lin Qianqian was the only person who posed a threat to his bid for the Southern District's top spot.

After all, she had S-rank talent, and her strength couldn't be underestimated.

However...

Just that day, Zhou Fan had unlocked Hashirama Senju and obtained several Wood Release techniques.

He had also gained several Water Release Ninjutsu techniques.

Now, he had Fire Release, Water Release, Wood Release, and the Sharingan all at once.

Not to mention that he also had Shukaku!

Zhou Fan wasn't the type to underestimate others.

But he genuinely felt that Lin Qianqian was no match for him now.

S-rank talent?

Get past my summoned beast, Shukaku, first!

"I just don't have enough emotion points. I still need to get more."

"I haven't streamed for a few days either. I can start streaming again tomorrow and milk the audience a little."

Zhou Fan hadn't streamed for several days.

It wasn't intentional.

Sometimes he was simply too busy to stream.

For instance, a couple of days earlier, he had gone to help the Esper Bureau with a mission.

He couldn't exactly stream while carrying out a mission, could he?

That would mean leaking confidential information!

During the days he hadn't streamed, people had sent him private messages on Douyang every day.

They said they'd send him flying if he didn't start streaming again.

Haters were terrifying!

The next day.

Zhou Fan arrived at the Mutant Beast Forest and started his livestream.

He had barely gone live when dozens of people entered the stream.

"Holy shit! The streamer is still alive?"

"Back from the dead? Why are you streaming again?"

"Didn't a bunch of first-tier four-star mutant beasts gang up on you last time? How are you not dead yet?"

The moment they arrived, his fans showered him with all sorts of greetings.

"Good morning, everyone! I, Zhou Fan, am back!" Zhou Fan greeted them enthusiastically.

The viewer count began rising rapidly.

In less than ten minutes, it had passed a thousand.

Everyone was surprised to see Zhou Fan streaming and offered him enthusiastic greetings.

[Surprise +1]

[Surprise +1]

[Disappointment +1]

Huh?

Why is there disappointment too?

Is someone disappointed to see I'm still alive?

He had to admit that livestreaming really brought in emotion points quickly.

Within ten minutes of going live, he had already earned a few hundred.

"Hey, streamer! During your last stream, several first-tier four-star mutant beasts attacked you. How did you break out in the end?"

"Yeah, we want to know how you won!"

"You hadn't streamed for days. I thought you weren't coming back."

Zhou Fan smiled and said, "Of course I won. Otherwise, how would I be here streaming?"

Just then, someone suddenly noticed the level displayed above Zhou Fan's head, revealed by the stream's level-detection feature.

First-tier five-star!

"Holy shit! How did you reach first-tier five-star so quickly?"

"Weren't you only first-tier three-star last time??"

"It's only been a few days! You're cheating!"