Great Xia Five Great Academies

"Let's forget about meeting. I can no longer be considered a True Meaning Disciple."

Zhang Xinyin first shook her head, then looked at Lin Rou with blazing eyes. "When I was your age, Junior Sister, I was nowhere near as skilled as you. Your talent is no less than mine—perhaps even greater. In the future... forget it, it's too early to talk about that. In any case, Senior Sister has only one piece of advice for you."

"I would be grateful to hear it," Lin Rou said respectfully.

"Cherish the time you have now. Whether it is your family or your martial school, when the day comes that you have no choice but to make a decision, at least you will have no regrets."

Zhang Xinyin's tone was complicated, and her words were somewhat obscure.

Yet Lin Rou seemed to understand what Zhang Xinyin meant. She shook her head. "For me, there has never been any choice to make. Nor is there anything that can stand alongside my family."

"Perhaps."

Zhang Xinyin neither agreed nor disagreed.

From the two women suddenly fighting at first, to recognizing each other as fellow disciples midway through, and finally ending in an utterly baffling conversation, Lin Hai, standing to the side, was completely out of the loop.

Lin Xuan was much the same, though he had guessed slightly more than Lin Hai.

Especially when Zhang Xinyin mentioned "True Meaning Disciple," Lin Xuan became certain that his eldest sister Lin Rou's abilities were indeed connected to True Meaning.

As for Zhang Xinyin's riddle-speaker remarks, and what she had just said to Lin Rou, Lin Xuan had roughly formed a few guesses as well.

As an official special department, Crimson Flame's formal member Zhang Xinyin is a true-blue Imperial Hound. Perhaps that is where her conflict with her martial school came from? Lin Xuan secretly guessed.

But this time, he really was just guessing blindly. He had no basis for it.

Over on the other side, Zhang Xinyin probably had not expected to encounter Lin Rou, a junior sister she was meeting for the first time, here. It had stirred up some rather unpleasant memories.

So before long, she bade Lin Hai farewell and prepared to leave first with Duo Duo.

The little girl in Zhang Xinyin's arms was still waving reluctantly at Lin Xuan.

"Xuan Xuan Younger Brother, goodbye—"

"Baby, hurry and say goodbye to Sister Duo Duo."

Lin Hai crouched beside Lin Xuan, took his hand, and waved it at the little girl as well. Smiling at her, he said, "When Uncle has time, I'll bring Little Brother over to play with you again, alright?"

"Alright!" Duo Duo nodded repeatedly.

Seeing how happy the little girl was, Zhang Xinyin shot Lin Hai a grateful look before finally leaving with Duo Duo.

After Zhang Xinyin had left, Lin Hai looked at Lin Rou. "Not bad, daughter. You actually managed to go toe-to-toe with an official Crimson Flame member?"

"She wasn't serious just now. At most, she used thirty percent of her strength." Lin Rou looked in the direction Zhang Xinyin had departed, deep in thought.

"No wonder. When we surrounded and exterminated those beasts last time, I was wondering why she seemed so much stronger than she did now."

Lin Hai suddenly understood, then continued, "Even if she didn't go all out, it's still amazing that our daughter could go toe-to-toe with her. She's already graduated from Jinglong Academy, while you're still so young. By the time you reach her age, you'll definitely—"

"I only used ten percent of my strength," Lin Rou interrupted.

"Ten percent is still very impressive. Being able to use ten per—what?!"

Lin Hai got halfway through before realizing something was wrong, and his expression became wonderfully colorful.

"Looks like I wasn't mistaken. Eldest Sister really didn't use her full strength either." Lin Xuan, however, was not nearly as surprised as Lin Hai.

That was because he had already seen that neither Lin Rou nor Zhang Xinyin had gone all out. He had his newly acquired Toddling talent to thank for that; otherwise, he likely would have struggled to see their movements clearly.

Yet precisely because his eyes could keep up with their movements, he had clearly seen how relaxed both women had looked while fighting.

If they had truly gone all out, they could not possibly have worn such expressions.

Besides, he had been practicing boxing at home with Lin Rou for so long. The force behind Lin Rou's attacks just now had been even weaker than when she practiced boxing at home.

It was obvious she could not have been using her full strength.

Even so, not even he had expected Lin Rou to have used only ten percent of her strength.

As expected of Eldest Sister.

Lin Xuan became even more determined to properly practice boxing under Lin Rou.

What Lin Xuan had not expected was that only a few days after he secretly resolved to train properly with Lin Rou, Lin Rou was preparing to travel far from home.

From the sound of it, her teacher intended to take her out for training in preparation for the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination half a year later.

This so-called Martial Arts College Entrance Examination was actually part of the college entrance examinations as well, except it was specifically intended for martial arts students like Lin Rou.

From what Lin Xuan currently understood, this world might appear somewhat similar to his previous life on the surface, but beneath that surface, there were far too many differences.

The college entrance examinations alone were divided into three major categories and five minor categories.

The Martial Arts College Entrance Examination was one of the three major categories, and also one of the most closely watched examination categories every year.

Its final trial was even broadcast live nationwide, allowing everyone to witness the ultimate outcome of the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.

"With Eldest Sister's circumstances, her goal definitely isn't as simple as getting admitted to one of the Great Xia Five Great Academies. She might even be aiming for the top hundred nationwide."

After learning that his eldest sister Lin Rou would soon be traveling, Lin Xuan got over his brief astonishment and understood the reason behind it.

The Great Xia Ancient Kingdom was the name of the nation in which Lin Xuan now lived, and one of the foremost superpowers on Earth Origin Star.

The Great Xia Five Great Academies were the five most renowned institutions of higher learning in the Great Xia Ancient Kingdom. Every one of them was a cradle for Great Xia's elite.

The Jinglong Academy Lin Hai had mentioned when introducing Zhang Xinyin was one of those Five Great Academies!

As a student of Jinglong Academy, even if Zhang Xinyin had not joined Crimson Flame, she could have done well anywhere.

But judging from the previous encounter, Eldest Sister Lin Rou might already have been stronger than Zhang Xinyin, a graduate of Jinglong Academy.

How could someone with such strength possibly fail to enter one of the Five Great Academies?

Therefore, Lin Rou's goal definitely was not merely to gain admission into one of the Five Great Academies.

However, she had always had her own ideas, so neither Lin Hai nor Ye Hongyu interfered much in her affairs.

Once Ye Hongyu learned that she would soon be traveling, she swiftly helped prepare everything she would need for the journey.

"Big Sister is leaving. When I get back, I'll practice boxing with you again." After slinging her backpack over her shoulders, Lin Rou smiled and pinched Lin Xuan's nose.

"Big Sister, bye-bye—"

Lin Xuan waved at Lin Rou.

This was the first time Lin Xuan had said goodbye to someone without being taught to do so, immediately drawing another round of surprise from Lin Hai and Ye Hongyu.

Even Lin Rou, who was usually calm and detached, was pleasantly surprised. She picked Lin Xuan up and spun him around twice.

"Little Brother is the best-behaved!" Lin Rou said with a soft laugh.

"Big Sister, you're way too biased!" Lin Long muttered from the side. "I've never seen you be this affectionate with the two of us..."

Hearing this, Lin Wu quietly shifted one step to the side, making it clear that this was solely the opinion of his foolish younger sister Lin Long and had nothing to do with him.