Ring, ring...
As Zhang Wensi and Ma Hai argued, Ning Chuan's phone rang.
Gu Tianyu had called to tell him that an agent from the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp had arrived at the police station.
"Uncle Gu, got it."
After putting down his phone, Ning Chuan stopped browsing the class group chat and headed straight downstairs. He hailed an economy taxi at the entrance to his residential complex and went straight to the police station.
He was looking forward to the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp.
It ranked first in the Donglin Administrative Region, so it was bound to have something that set it apart.
Perhaps, like those top private training camps, it offered an unlimited free supply of high-tier vicious beast meat.
At the thought, Ning Chuan couldn't help smiling.
It wasn't that he lacked ambition.
It was just that his assets of over twenty million wouldn't last long.
The police station.
Gu Tianyu's office.
Ning Chuan met the agent from the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp. His surname was Li, and he was in his thirties, with an average build. He sat upright, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and gave off a capable air.
"If you're ready, we can begin."
Agent Li looked at Ning Chuan, picked up a slim tablet, and drew out its stylus.
"No problem. Go ahead."
Ning Chuan nodded.
Agent Li said, "Please state your personal details, including your name, sex, age, ID number, and place of origin."
Ning Chuan froze.
The rest was fine, but what the hell was with asking his sex?
His features were somewhat delicate, but surely not so much that someone couldn't tell he was a man.
Seeing his reaction, Agent Li explained, "Ning Chuan, don't misunderstand.
"Every year, the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp accepts only a hundred trainees from the nearly ten million candidates in the Donglin Administrative Region.
"Every single spot is of the utmost importance!
"I have to check everything carefully. There can't be the slightest mistake."
One in a hundred thousand!
Ning Chuan was secretly surprised and quickly recited his personal details.
"Everything matches."
Agent Li raised his stylus. "Tell me your current strength realm, including the specific minor stage."
Ning Chuan thought for a moment. "Awakening Stage Six. As for the minor stage, the early phase, I suppose."
In truth, Ning Chuan didn't know whether he was in the early phase.
After switching breathing techniques, he had to repeat all the tempering he had undergone before Awakening Stage Six using the Ancient Dragon Elephant Scripture.
The gap between the two breathing techniques was enormous.
He wouldn't be able to break through to Awakening Stage Seven anytime soon.
But Ning Chuan wasn't in a hurry.
A breakthrough in realm was, at its core, an outward manifestation of an increase in strength.
As long as his strength improved, his realm didn't matter.
In fact, breaking through later would be better. It would mean his foundation was solid.
A divine general of the Federation had once said that, to a certain extent, advancing through martial realms was like constructing a building: only a solid foundation could support higher floors.
"Only Awakening Stage Six?!"
Agent Li blurted out in shock.
He had worked for the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp for over a decade, and this was the first time he had seen a trainee with such low strength.
Forget Awakening Stage Six; there hadn't even been anyone at Awakening Stage Seven or Eight.
They all started at Peak Awakening Stage Nine.
Suddenly, Agent Li seemed to think of something and asked tentatively, "Do you have an ability?"
"No."
Ning Chuan shook his head.
He knew why Agent Li had asked.
An ability was a special power a person gained after unlocking certain genetic locks.
Some of the better-known ones included controlling fire, forming ice, and wielding lightning.
Combined with martial arts, these abilities gave an enormous boost to combat power, allowing their users to fight opponents at higher stages with ease.
Of course, not every ability could be used in combat.
The awakening of abilities was unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Take Zhao Weiping, whom Ning Chuan had killed. His Clone Ability had little killing power.
It could only serve to confuse others to some extent.
And that was one of the better ones.
Some abilities were so useless that they were laughable.
The Long Hair Ability, for example.
It let the user make their hair grow longer at will.
Its only use was making them spend more money on haircuts.
Fortunately, going bald meant losing the ability.
The Nimble Tongue Ability was similar.
The user's tongue became unusually flexible and could flick hundreds of times in a second.
What use was that?
Spitting?!
But what puzzled some people in the Federation was that certain women's clubs were extremely fond of the Nimble Tongue Ability, even offering annual salaries of a million to recruit users.
"Agent Li, abilities aren't the only way for someone to fight above their stage."
Gu Tianyu sat behind his desk and smiled faintly.
"Chief Gu, I didn't mean to look down on Ning Chuan. I was just asking as a matter of routine."
Agent Li explained, "If Ning Chuan has a powerful ability, the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp will allocate him additional resources."
Hearing this, Ning Chuan's eyes flickered.
It seemed there was fierce competition within the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp as well.
That suited him just fine.
He consumed resources at a tremendous rate. If they were divided equally, it would actually hinder his growth.
"Agent Li, please continue," Gu Tianyu said.
Agent Li nodded and looked at Ning Chuan. "What martial arts do you practice?"
Ning Chuan pondered briefly, then asked, "Do I need to state my realm in them too?"
"No."
Agent Li smiled confidently, a hint of pride entering his voice. "Whatever realm you're at, the instructors at the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp are capable of guiding you!
"That's the confidence that comes from ranking first in the Donglin Administrative Region year after year."
Gu Tianyu gave Agent Li a meaningful look.
He knew Ning Chuan's true level.
Gale Step, Perfect Realm.
There was also a B-rank fast saber technique. His mastery of it was extremely high as well, either at the limit of the Expert Realm or at the Perfect Realm.
Most instructors at the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp had reached the Expert Realm in their martial arts.
Very few had reached the Perfect Realm.
When the time came, it wasn't certain who would be guiding whom.
Gu Tianyu suddenly found himself looking forward to that scene, though it was a pity he wouldn't be able to see it for himself.
"The martial arts I practice include Gale Step..."
Ning Chuan quickly listed them.
Agent Li raised his stylus. More than ten seconds passed without anything further, so he asked, "What about your breathing technique?"
To be able to work for the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp, he was naturally highly skilled. He had recognized the type of every martial art Ning Chuan had named at a glance.
"Do I have to tell you?"
Ning Chuan hadn't forgotten Father Guo's warning.
But he couldn't brush the question aside with Savage Bull Force, either. As soon as he showed his physical capabilities, he would be found out.
Unless he refrained from fighting the entire time he was at the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp.
That clearly wasn't realistic.
Agent Li looked at Ning Chuan. "It would be best if you told me!
"The more complete your information, the better suited the instructor the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp can match you with.
"If you're worried about someone coveting your breathing technique, there's no need.
"Quite a few trainees admitted to the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp practice S-rank breathing techniques."
"It's not an S-rank breathing technique."
Ning Chuan thought for a moment, then grinned. "It's an unnamed breathing technique passed down to me by a white-bearded grandpa.
"According to him, this breathing technique is very unusual.
"It can evolve by merging with other S-rank breathing techniques!
"Every S-rank breathing technique it merges with makes it stronger!
"If it can merge with all forty-nine on the rankings, it'll evolve into the strongest breathing technique under heaven and earth, across the four seas and eight wildernesses!"
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Gu Tianyu couldn't help laughing out loud.
He suddenly understood a little why Lu Zhan had complained yesterday that Ning Chuan was nothing but an extra mouth.
Evolve, my fucking ass!
Agent Li's face twitched, and his capable air nearly fell apart. "I'll put it down as an unknown breathing technique," he said dully.
With that, Agent Li hurried on to the next question.
He was afraid Ning Chuan might come up with some prehistoric breathing technique next.
More than ten minutes later.
The questioning ended.
Agent Li put away his tablet, took out a blue-gray card, and handed it to Ning Chuan. "This is your trainee ID," he said solemnly. "Whatever you do, don't lose it.
"Also, you must arrive at the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp on April 1.
"If you're late, you'll be considered to have forfeited your place!
"The exact location will be sent to your phone later."
"Thanks for the reminder."
Holding the trainee ID, Ning Chuan hesitated for a moment. "Agent Li, could you tell me about the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp? There's very little information about it online."
What he really wanted to ask was whether the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp had an unlimited supply of free vicious beast meat.
But that was too embarrassing.
He simply couldn't bring himself to ask.
"Once you arrive at the camp, an instructor will explain everything to you personally!"
Agent Li looked at Ning Chuan, a radiant smile spreading across his face.
A kid this cheeky would surely learn plenty of the Mountain and Sea Genius Training Camp's rules.
Just thinking about it made him happy.