12: Chapter 12 Trial Tower

The middle-aged man was completely terrified, losing all courage to fight; he turned around, intending to flee.

But how could Jiang Ling allow that?

He caught up in a single stride and slashed down, his speed as fast as a lightning bolt.

Wind Thunder Slash not only stimulated lightning-type Supernatural Abilities to enhance its power, but also activated wind attributes to accelerate the speed of the swing.

The middle-aged man brandished his axe, wanting to turn and block, but it was already too late.

Puchi!

One of the middle-aged man's arms was sliced clean off!

"Argh!"

The middle-aged man let out a wretched howl.

Jiang Ling immediately followed up with another slash.

Puchi!

The middle-aged man's head went flying.

The remaining members of the Azure Dragon Society tried to run, but Jiang Ling swiftly pursued them, taking them down one by one and easily resolving the threat.

Jiang Ling gently flicked the blood off his horizontal saber and sheathed it. Turning around, he saw the landlord shivering there.

"Well, about that..."

"You don't need to compensate for the house!"

The landlord was clearly frightened by Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling broke into a cold sweat and said, "I'm not an unreasonable person!"

"Since your house was destroyed, it's only natural that I should provide compensation!"

"These people were villains who came to kill me, so naturally, I showed no mercy!"

Jiang Ling took out his phone and called the police.

After slaughtering so many people at once, he had to report it to the police; after all, this wasn't inside a Secret Realm.

Within human cities, killing at will was strictly prohibited.

Before long, following the sound of sirens, a team of SWAT officers arrived.

Although Jiang Ling had already stated on the phone that he was the victim, the SWAT officers still aimed their guns at him as soon as they arrived.

In this world, the strength of Martial Artists was too great, so the SWAT officers didn't dare to be careless.

"You killed all these people?"

The leading SWAT officer, who held a blade and was clearly a Martial Artist himself, inquired.

"Yes!"

Jiang Ling nodded and pointed at the corpses. "They are members of the Azure Dragon Society!"

"Previously inside a Secret Realm, they tried to rob me and I killed them in retaliation, so we developed a grudge!"

"This should count as legitimate self-defense, right?"

...

"Are you... certain you killed all these people?"

The SWAT officer carefully inspected the scene, took a deep breath, and his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Yes!"

Jiang Ling nodded.

"There were level-ten-plus Martial Artists among them, and you look like just a high school student. How did you kill them?"

The SWAT officer didn't believe Jiang Ling had the ability to kill these Azure Dragon Society members.

"I just killed them like that!"

Jiang Ling shrugged. "Their strength wasn't actually that great!"

"Fine, then take a strike from me!"

The SWAT officer suddenly slashed toward Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling's pupils constricted slightly as he drew his long saber to meet the attack.

Bang!

A surge of power erupted, and both of them were pushed back seven or eight steps.

"What?"

The SWAT officer was stunned.

He was a Level 20 Martial Artist, yet in a clash against Jiang Ling, he actually retreated seven or eight steps?

What kind of freak was this kid?

He hadn't heard of any exceptionally powerful Enhancement-type Genius Martial Artists appearing in this Awakening ceremony!

"What is your name?"

The SWAT officer took a deep breath and asked.

"My name is Jiang Ling!"

Jiang Ling said.

"Jiang Ling? From the Jiang Family?"

The SWAT officer asked.

"I am no longer a member of the Jiang Family!"

Jiang Ling said indifferently.

"It seems there's an inside story!"

The SWAT officer didn't press further.

The Azure Dragon Society was originally a criminal organization with a notorious reputation.

The SWAT officer naturally knew this.

Now that they had come to kill someone and were killed instead, they got what they deserved.

Thus, Jiang Ling was only taken to the station to record a statement before being released.

Jiang Ling returned to his new rental, made some food, and then began preparing for tomorrow's hunt.

Just then, he received a notification from the school.

"The trial tower opens tomorrow. All students please come to school to collect your trial bracelets!"

"The trial tower is opening?" Jiang Ling's eyebrows arched.

The trial tower was actually a Secret Realm, but it wasn't real; it was virtual.

Students could enter the trial tower to fight monsters and Martial Artists simulated from reality, using it to hone their combat skills and the application of their Martial Skills.

Inside the trial Secret Realm, the simulation was completely lifelike, almost no different from reality. However, dying inside didn't mean actual death; it gave you a chance to try again.

For students, the trial tower was an excellent place to practice.

Even some experts who had reached the seventh or eighth rank would sometimes go into the trial tower to hone their Martial Skills.

"I can go try it out in the trial tower, just in time to hone my Wind Thunder Slash!"

"I just don't know if fighting in this Secret Realm counts as true combat, and if it will grant the doubled leveling effect!"

...

Early the next morning, Jiang Ling took the bus to school.

Ever since the talent Awakening ceremony, the students had been on break, Cultivating on their own.

Now that a month had passed, seeing each other again was inevitably very cordial, and the atmosphere was lively everywhere.

When Jiang Ling entered the classroom, the originally boisterous room fell silent for a moment.

Many people knew about Jiang Ling being expelled from the Jiang Family!

The classmates looked at Jiang Ling with strange expressions, then turned their heads to look elsewhere, clearly distancing themselves from him.

It's said that the bond between classmates is the purest, but in reality, it's also mixed with many utilitarian factors.

Previously, Jiang Ling was a scion of the Jiang Family. Even though he was an illegitimate son, many people tried to flatter him.

But now, those who once flattered Jiang Ling all adopted an attitude of keeping their distance.

On the other hand, Yang He, Dong Cheng, and the others whom he had met in the Secret Realm a few days ago looked at Jiang Ling with complex emotions in their eyes.

Everyone thought that since Jiang Ling was expelled by his Family and was a waste with an F-grade Supernatural Ability, his future would surely be bleak and miserable.

Only they knew that Jiang Ling was still a Prodigy.

No, he was even more of a Prodigy than before!

Jiang Ling didn't feel much about this fickle nature of human relationships; having spent so many years in the Jiang Family, he had long grown accustomed to it.

He silently went to his seat, waiting for the bracelets to be distributed so he could go to the trial tower for his trial.

"Jiang Ling, if you need any help, just come to us!"

"We've been wanting to find you, but unfortunately, we couldn't get in touch!"

A few students approached Jiang Ling's side.

These were Jiang Ling's close friends in class, Wang Hu, Qian Jun, and the others!

A bright smile appeared on Jiang Ling's face; as expected, there were still sincere friends in this world.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!"

Jiang Ling said with a smile, "You all know my situation in the Jiang Family; leaving is actually better!"

"I've just settled down, and I've changed my phone number too!"

"I'll tell you in a bit!"

...

Jiang Ling chatted with Wang Hu and the others about his current situation, his expression very relaxed.

Seeing that Jiang Ling wasn't that despondent, Wang Hu and the others also felt relieved.

Before long, their Teacher, Wang Quan, arrived.

"Come, I'll be distributing the trial tower bracelets to everyone today!"

"Those who are able should go to the trial tower more often to practice and hone your combat skills. This will be of immense help for the upcoming College Entrance Exam!"

"This will also serve as your identification for entering the trial tower in the future. Do not lose it, or it will be very troublesome!"

...

After Wang Quan finished speaking, he began distributing the bracelets to the students one by one.

Once the distribution was complete, school was dismissed, and students were free to head to the trial tower.

When he reached Jiang Ling, Wang Quan looked at him with a complex gaze and said, "Jiang Ling, if you have any difficulties, remember to find your Teacher!"

"A Teacher for a day is a Teacher for a lifetime!"

Because Jiang Ling's grades were exceptionally outstanding at school, he was Teacher Wang Quan's pride and joy, and Wang Quan had taken great care of him.

When Jiang Ling awakened an F-grade Supernatural Ability, Wang Quan felt even worse than Jiang Ling did.

He had also comforted Jiang Ling multiple times, saying that Supernatural Abilities didn't represent everything; as long as one had determination, even with a low-grade ability, one could still become a powerful Martial Artist.

Hearing these words from Wang Quan, Jiang Ling couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude.

"Thank you, Teacher. If I need anything, I will come to you!"