Still, Lin Mo now understood what Wang Xiao had said while chatting on the road earlier.
"True geniuses are different from ordinary martial artists."
Those words were indeed correct.
Not only were their talents different, even their ways of thinking were completely different.
When ordinary martial artists encountered the strong, their first instinct was to retreat, submit, and worship.
But when geniuses encountered the strong, they only saw them as targets to surpass, their fighting spirit blazing.
The burning heat in those geniuses' eyes made Lin Mo understand this.
They had already regarded him as a target to challenge.
On the stage, Lu Li watched this bunch of brats' restless fighting spirit and nodded in satisfaction.
"Later, you will be sent to this Martial Alliance Elite Camp. I hope you can pass every round of the Elite Camp's assessments and achieve good rankings.
Remember, no matter what your future achievements may be, do not bring shame upon Southern Province.
All right, from this moment onward, the Martial Alliance Elite Camp's assessment begins.
Now, board the buses in order according to your number tags and prepare to depart."
Lu Li did not say much. After giving a few instructions, he left directly.
The crowd then began boarding according to their number tags.
They were being transported in large coaches.
Each bus could seat forty people.
Twenty-five modified passenger buses had long been parked beside the square.
After Lin Mo boarded, he discovered that Lin Dabao, who had spoken to him earlier, happened to be sitting beside him.
"Hey, Brother Lin Mo, what a coincidence. We're seatmates."
The moment he saw Lin Mo, Lin Dabao beamed with delight.
"Hehe, it is quite a coincidence."
"Fate, huh? We're both surnamed Lin too. Five hundred years ago, we were family! Hahaha." Lin Dabao seemed to be in an especially good mood.
Before long, the bus was full. It started up and headed toward the Martial Alliance Elite Camp.
Along the way, Lin Mo truly realized that this overly familiar Lin Dabao was incredibly talkative, practically a chatterbox.
The others exchanged a few words, then closed their eyes to rest.
But not him. From the moment Lin Mo sat down, his mouth had never stopped, talking about this and that, chatting from north to south and everything under heaven.
However, Lin Mo also noticed that Lin Dabao seemed to know an extraordinary amount.
It seemed this kid's background was anything but ordinary.
River City, shantytown district.
Zheng Heping leaned on his cane, his face weary as he walked home.
"Old Zheng, you're back?"
"Yeah, Aunt Liu."
"Oh my, you missed a huge piece of good news today."
"Oh? What good news?"
"Your nephew Lin Mo was really in the spotlight today. The principal of Second High brought the teachers and students from their school to see him off..."
"Hm? See him off? What do you mean?"
"Huh? You don't know?" Aunt Liu froze.
Normally, Zheng Heping and Lin Mo were as close as father and son. How could he not know about this?
"???"
Zheng Heping looked at Aunt Liu, utterly baffled.
"Lin Mo was selected for the Martial Alliance Elite Camp this time."
"What!"
Upon hearing that, Zheng Heping was completely shocked.
As a former Grade 2 Martial Artist, he knew about the Martial Alliance Elite Camp.
That was Huaxia's premier genius training camp. Lin Mo had actually been selected?
Was that real?
Weren't only Awakened who had reached Grade 3 or above before the age of eighteen eligible to enter?
Could it be that his nephew had already reached Grade 3?
And he was an Awakened too?
For a moment, Zheng Heping's mind was filled with question marks.
"Is everything you said true?"
"Of course. All the neighbors in our shantytown know about it. Early this morning, Little Mo's doorstep was bustling—drum and gong troupes, reporters, people everywhere.
This time, Little Mo has brought honor to our shantytown. Look over there, there are even reporters interviewing people."
Following the direction Aunt Liu pointed, Zheng Heping indeed saw several people carrying cameras and holding microphones as they conducted interviews.
Just as Zheng Heping stood there in confusion, a group of people approached.
"Mr. Zheng Heping, correct?"
"You are?" Seeing the visitor, Zheng Heping felt that he looked familiar, but could not recall where he had seen him.
"Hello, I'm Wang Xiao from the Martial Artist Building."
"Wang Xiao?" Zheng Heping frowned and racked his brain.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "Director Wang?"
"That's right, it's me! I came this time at Lin Mo's request, to give you this."
Wang Xiao smiled as he took out a box and handed it over.
"Lin Mo? This is for me?"
Wang Xiao nodded.
Zheng Heping took the box suspiciously and opened it.
Three items lay inside.
A card, a bottle of medicine, and a contract.
"This is..." Zheng Heping looked up at Wang Xiao.
"This bottle is Ink Jade Paste. Applied externally, it can repair bone injuries.
There is one million in this card. Lin Mo left all of this for you.
As for this contract, take a look yourself."
Wang Xiao said with a smile.
Upon hearing Ink Jade Paste, Zheng Heping's whole body shook.
A single bottle of that cost ten million and was unavailable even at a price.
It was a top-tier healing medicine for mending broken bones.
With it, he would no longer need to rely on a cane.
And with the one-million bank card, that was a full eleven million?
"Th-this is worth eleven million. Where did Lin Mo get so much money?"
Zheng Heping could not help crying out, looking at Wang Xiao with concern.
"Hehe, it's actually not that much. Today, Lin Mo received a five-million reward from the school, then asked me to purchase this Ink Jade Paste. Actually..."
Actually, this was thanks to Wang Xiao.
Using his own privileges, he had once again given Lin Mo a seventy-percent discount.
Through special channels, he had obtained this bottle of Ink Jade Paste, normally worth ten million, for just three million.
Leaving behind one million also counted as a bit of living expenses Lin Mo had given Zheng Heping.
Over the years, Zheng Heping had done a great deal for him.
Now that Lin Mo had made something of himself and had money, he naturally wanted to repay him at the first opportunity.
Of the five million the school had given him, he kept one million as emergency funds and gave the rest, in effect, all to Zheng Heping.
After hearing Wang Xiao's explanation, tears welled up in Zheng Heping's aged eyes, and his heart was deeply moved.
"That foolish boy. He has money, yet he doesn't keep it for himself. What use is it giving it to a cripple like me? Martial artist cultivation will require money in far too many places down the road."
Though he was delighted inside, he still could not help muttering aloud.
"Hahaha, you needn't worry about that. Once he enters the Martial Alliance Elite Camp, resources are supplied free of charge.
Besides, with his aptitude, will making money be difficult for him in the future?"
Wang Xiao chuckled in response.
"Director Wang is right. Hehe, I was overthinking it."
Zheng Heping smiled as well, then opened the final contract.
[Jiangcheng Martial Artist Building Employment Contract]
Those ten words were the first thing that entered his eyes.
"This is for me?"
Zheng Heping looked at Wang Xiao again in shock.
Getting into the Martial Artist Building required connections.
Who inside was not someone with backing?
Ordinary people had to undergo layer upon layer of assessments and screening for even the slightest chance of being hired.
To put it plainly, it was hundreds of times harder than taking the civil service exam on the Earth Lin Mo had crossed over from.
Yet now, such a contract—something ordinary people could only dream of—lay before him.
"That's right. Lin Mo prepared this for you."
"This..."
For a moment, Zheng Heping's throat tightened, and he did not know what to say.
"Also, Lin Mo asked me to bring you a message. He said that one day, he would definitely make you truly stand again!"
Those words from Wang Xiao made Zheng Heping unable to hold back any longer. Tears streamed down his face.
Though Ink Jade Paste was extraordinarily precious, it could only heal his bone injuries. The severed tendons and the long-term blockages caused by their rupture could not be cured by this medicine alone.
But according to legend, there was a type of Rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that could heal them.
However, obtaining it was exceedingly dangerous and difficult.
For an ordinary martial artist like Zheng Heping, even if he had not been injured, he could never obtain it in an entire lifetime.
Yet Lin Mo was thinking of curing him and letting him stand again.
How could Zheng Heping not be moved!
Before you continue