48: Chapter 48 I Achieve the Third Grade! I Desire to Ride the Wind and Return
Although the Pantheon Cult's interception squad had been wiped out, the heavy armored train named "Ruling" was still severely damaged.
In particular, the magic pattern circuits of the power system had been blown apart, and the accompanying artificers were rushing to make repairs.
The carriage was silent.
Everyone was still savoring the thrill of the battle just now, except for the cabin where Lin Yuan was staying, which was tightly closed with a "Do Not Disturb" sign hung on it.
Inside the cabin, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his eyes closed tightly.
If someone could see through his sea of consciousness, they would see a shocking scene.
That eternal chaos grinding mill was spinning crazily at an unprecedented speed, emitting a roar like thunder.
And beneath the millstone were strands of black mist so thick they could not be dissolved.
That was the remnant soul energy he had plundered from the cardinal and dozens of dead soldiers during the battle just now using Soul Search and his devour ability!
This was the lifelong spiritual essence of a Fourth Grade Peak cultist!
For an ordinary Mentalist, this mixed and resentment-filled energy was deadly poison.
But for Lin Yuan, who possessed the system, this was the most nourishing "experience pack" in the world.
【The grinding mill turns, all things return to their origin!】
Rumble—!
With every crushing motion of the grinding mill, those black mists filled with baleful energy were forcibly shattered and purified, finally turning into drops of crystal-clear liquid spiritual power that dripped into Lin Yuan's parched sea of consciousness.
Drip.
Drip.
As time passed, these droplets became more numerous, gradually converging into a small stream, and finally turning into a shallow lake.
Spiritual power liquefaction!
This was the iconic threshold for crossing from the Second Grade to the Third Grade!
It meant that spiritual power was no longer an ethereal gas, but had become materialized liquid! Density increased tenfold! Carrying capacity increased tenfold!
When the last wisp of black mist was crushed.
Hum—!!!
A shattering sound came from deep within Lin Yuan's brain, as if some shackle had been broken.
A terrifying spiritual storm centered on him instantly swept through the entire carriage, making even the instructors repairing the train outside feel a palpitation.
【System prompt: Congratulations, Host! Spiritual power has broken through the critical value!】
【Current realm: Third Grade Mentalist (Initial Stage)!】
【Divine sense coverage: 1000 meters!】
【New ability unlocked: Telekinetic Flight!】
Lin Yuan opened his eyes abruptly.
At that moment, two bolts of cold lightning seemed to flash in his eyes, and the air inside the entire cabin made a booming sound because it could not withstand this pressure.
"Third Grade... reached."
Lin Yuan clenched his fists, feeling the lake of spiritual power in his sea of consciousness that was as heavy as mercury.
If his spiritual power at the Second Grade was a pistol, then now, it was a heavy artillery piece!
"Telekinetic Flight..."
Lin Yuan stood up, looked at the wilderness outside the window, his eyes flashing with eagerness.
"It is said that only a Sixth-Rank Grandmaster can rely on their powerful physical body and vigorous energy to defy gravity and fly freely."
"But for a Mentalist, as long as their spiritual power is strong enough to lift their own weight..."
"At the Third Grade, one can take to the skies!"
A few minutes later, Xiang Lie, who was on guard duty, suddenly felt an unusual fluctuation from above his head.
He looked up subconsciously, then froze in place, the beef jerky in his mouth falling to the ground.
"What... the hell?"
He saw that in the air more than ten meters above the ground.
Lin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering, hovering steadily there!
He defied Newton's laws just like that, like a feather, or like a god, floating freely in the wind.
"Rise!"
Swish! Swish!
Two flying knives as thin as a cicada wing instantly appeared under his feet, supporting his soles.
In fact, with his current spiritual power, he could completely envelop his whole body to fly.
But to save consumption, and also to be more stable and faster, stepping on the flying knives to borrow force was the most cost-effective choice.
"Is this the feeling of flying?"
Lin Yuan looked down at the earth beneath his feet, his field of vision becoming incomparably broad.
The wind whistled in his ears, and the clouds drifted above his head.
A sense of pride, "The sky is high for birds to fly," arose spontaneously.
"Now, enemies who cannot reach me at this height..."
"Are experiencing a true dimensionality reduction strike."
On the ground, one could only be considered an expert.
But once one flies into the sky, that is a god!
"Old Lin! Aren't you being too monstrous?!"
Xiang Lie on the ground came back to his senses, his eyes red with envy: "You're flying already? Didn't we agree to be ground-dwelling chickens together? How did you secretly evolve into an eagle?!"
Wang Ye looked at the young man in the sky, stroked his beard, his eyes full of gratification and shock.
"An eighteen-year-old Third Grade Mentalist... and can even fly."
"When we go to the Imperial Capital this time, those old guys are probably going to be scared into having heart attacks."
Two hours later, Imperial Capital Base City, Bird's Nest Stadium.
This magnificent building that could accommodate 100,000 people was already crowded with people, and the sound of gongs and drums filled the air.
Countless media reporters set up their long lenses and cannons, waiting at every entrance.
Representative teams from hundreds of martial arts academies across the country were entering one after another.
"Look! It's the team from Imperial Capital Martial Arts University!"
With a cry of surprise, the whole venue boiled over.
In the sky, three luxury airships stamped with golden dragon patterns slowly descended.
The red carpet was rolled out, and the Imperial Capital Martial Arts University New Student Ye Fan, wearing a custom-made white and gold battle armor, walked down like stars surrounding the moon.
He held his head high, enjoying the screams of countless fans and the baptism of flashlights, with a reserved and arrogant smile on his face.
"Ye Fan! Ye Fan! Unrivaled in the world!"
"Imperial Capital Martial Arts University! Champions! Champions!"
The deafening cheers resounded through the clouds; this was the style of playing at home, and also the confidence of Imperial Capital Martial Arts University as a hegemon.
Director Li Zheng walked in front, waving to the media with a beaming face.
Just then.
A black armored train covered in traces of smoke and fire slowly drove into the special platform.
"It's Modu Martial Arts University!"
"I heard they were attacked by the Pantheon Cult on the way? The train is blown up like this?"
The reporters' lenses instantly aimed at the train door, preparing to capture the embarrassed side of Modu Martial Arts University.
Ye Fan also stopped, standing on the high platform, looking down at the broken train: "Lin Yuan, I hope you haven't peed your pants in fear yet."
The train door opened slowly.
Wang Ye led Xiang Lie, Su Xiaoxiao, and others out.
Although their momentum was not weak, the lingering smell of smoke and exhaustion on their bodies indeed seemed a bit shabby compared to the glamorous Imperial Capital team.
"Eh? Where is that captain named Lin Yuan?"
Director Li Zheng saw this and immediately mocked loudly: "Director Wang, where is your ace? Don't tell me he was so scared his legs went soft and he couldn't get off the train?"
However, Wang Ye was not angry, "Him? He felt stuffy in the car and came out for some fresh air."
In the sky?
Everyone looked up subconsciously.
In the next second, the entire square outside the Bird's Nest Stadium fell into a deathly silence.
In the high air dozens of meters up, a slender figure, with hands behind his back, clothes fluttering, was walking step by step from the clouds, treading on the void!
The sunlight shone behind him, gilding him with a golden outline.
He was like an immortal descending from the heavens, carrying a transcendent aura of looking down on the world.
"He... he flew up?!"
"Is that a Grandmaster?! No! Look at that face... That's Lin Yuan!!"
"My god! He can fly?! He can fly at the Third Grade?!"
The whole audience was in an uproar!
Ye Fan, who was originally the center of attention, stared at the figure in the sky, his eyes full of disbelief and jealousy.
He still needed to take an airship, and Lin Yuan... flew over by himself?!
In the countless shocked gazes, Lin Yuan slowly descended, but he did not land.
He just hovered at a height of three meters from the ground—which was just above the head of Ye Fan, who was standing on the high platform.
Looking down.
Absolute condescension.
Lin Yuan looked down, looked at the Imperial Capital New Student who was still arrogant just now, and smiled faintly.
"Sorry, I'm used to taking the air route."
The tone carried a sense of self-evident disdain: "The air down there is a bit turbid."
"I won't come down."
The competition hadn't started yet.
But at this moment, everyone in their hearts understood a fact.
In terms of this air of superiority.
Lin Yuan had already won completely...