20: Zhao Yanan was shocked. Is this still the cousin I know?

Watching Li Ziyu's figure disappear from sight, Xia Lin walked towards the lounge.

As soon as she arrived at the lounge, Zhao Yanan and the baby-faced girl excitedly stood up from the sofa and quickly walked towards Xia Lin, asking impatiently as they approached.

Zhao Yanan and the baby-faced girl looked at Xia Lin with admiration.

They were classmates from the same school and good friends.

Moreover, Xia Lin was someone they had always admired!

The school beauty and super genius of Second High!

Their constant goal!

In their hearts, apart from the few top students in First High's elite class, no one among the current Martial Exam candidates in the entire Xu Jiang City could compare to Xia Lin!

However, seeing Xia Lin's low spirits, Zhao Yanan cautiously asked:

"Sister Xia Lin, did the certification not succeed?"

"It succeeded."

Xia Lin sighed.

"But, during this test, I encountered a monster, the same age as us, with a Qi and blood of 5.99, and a combat power of 999..."

Zhao Yanan was stunned by the words, and it took her a while to react. She subconsciously glanced at the baby-faced girl, and seeing that the other person was as bewildered as herself, she instinctively spoke.

"Sister Xia Lin, how much Qi and blood, and how much combat power did you just say?"

Xia Lin repeated it helplessly.

Zhao Yanan and the baby-faced girl's beautiful eyes instantly widened, their red lips agape as if they could swallow a duck egg, and they exclaimed in disbelief:

"How... how much!!?? 5.99 Qi and blood!? 999 combat power!!!? Isn't that almost exceeding advanced?"

"Oh, not just that, he also mastered Intermediate Blade Technique and a First Grade attack Battle Skill."

They were stunned, Zhao Yanan and the baby-faced girl were completely stunned, so shocked that for a moment they didn't know what to say.

After a moment, they recovered, their voices filled with intense curiosity as they pressed on:

"Who is that young man? What's his name?"

"His name is Li Ziyu, a student from Class 6 of Third High," Xia Lin replied with a faint tone.

Zhao Yanan was startled; why did that name sound so familiar?

"Li Ziyu?? Sister Xia Lin, is it that young man who was about 1.9 meters tall, wearing casual clothes, with black hair, and handsome, well-defined features?"

The baby-faced girl beside her seemed to recall something as well and quickly asked.

"Yes, it's him. I just ran into him by the elevator entrance."

"I originally wanted to say hello, but he looked too cold, so I didn't dare..."

Xia Lin looked at the baby-faced girl in confusion and said.

The baby-faced girl swallowed, her mouth wide open, and with a blank expression, she turned to look at the equally blank Zhao Yanan beside her.

She spoke in a faint voice:

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Xiaoya's cousin..."

"Xiaoya, you're too inconsiderate, you actually tricked your good friend into thinking his Qi and blood test was 0.8..."

"However, you were also doing it for my own good. A genius like him might not even be interested in me."

"..."

After a moment of shock, Zhao Yanan was also stunned.

Wasn't her cousin a dull, inarticulate, honest, and ordinary person with no martial artist talent?

She couldn't possibly associate him with the dazzling genius Xia Lin described.

If she hadn't just personally witnessed Li Ziyu's transformation, Zhao Yanan would have truly thought it was a case of having the same name.

And when Li Ziyu was talking to the Martial Arts Association staff earlier, she even thought Li Ziyu was working part-time at the Martial Arts Association now.

Now that she thought about it, the Martial Arts Association staff member was clearly giving Li Ziyu a warrior badge!

"This Martial Exam is going to be exciting. Judging by the talent and strength Li Ziyu has shown, the top scorer of this Xu Jiang City Martial Exam will undoubtedly be Li Ziyu!"

"He might even contend for a spot in the top ten of the Jiangnan Province Martial Exam!"

The baby-faced girl said with emotion.

Zhao Yanan also nodded in agreement.

However, Xia Lin did not respond, as if she had thought of something. When the two looked at her, she shook her head and said:

"Li Ziyu will certainly be able to get into the top five in Xu Jiang City, but it's probably impossible for him to take first place."

"Ah? Sister Xia Lin, what are you saying? With 5.99 Qi and blood and 999 combat power, he can't get first place in the Xu Jiang City Martial Exam?"

"That's impossible, isn't it?"

The baby-faced girl was stunned and looked over in surprise, and Zhao Yanan's expression also showed some confusion.

"There's a piece of news that the vice-principal secretly told me."

"It is said that Nangong Ao, the class monitor of First High's elite class and the top genius, also advanced to a First Grade Intermediate Warrior a month ago."

"And he also awakened a talent, becoming a talented martial artist!"

"Furthermore, what he awakened was the speed talent, which ranks third in actual combat!"

"Ah!?"

Upon hearing this news, Zhao Yanan and the baby-faced girl both froze, then showed expressions of surprise.

If that were the case, then Li Ziyu really couldn't possibly defeat Nangong Ao.

After all, at the same level, a speed-type talented martial artist's ability in actual combat far exceeds that of an ordinary martial artist.

...

By the city wall of Xu Jiang City, it was noon, and the sun was high.

The towering city wall, hundreds of meters high, blocked the direct sunlight, casting a large cool shadow on the ground.

At this moment, within the cool shadow, several young men and women, dressed in combat uniforms and holding various weapons, surrounded their squad leader, complaining discontentedly:

"Comrade, we are Martial Exam candidates! We have the ability to protect ourselves, why won't you let us leave the city?"

"Yeah, look, our combat uniforms and weapons are all complete. It's easy to go out and hunt fierce beasts. Quickly let us out!"

Looking at the chattering young men and women in front of him, the squad leader looked helpless and spread his hands to explain:

"Students, it's not that I won't let you out; it's because Xu Jiang City indeed has regulations."

"Those below First Grade Warrior can only leave the city once a month, unless you are accompanied by a martial artist. Otherwise, it's very dangerous to go out, and I'm thinking of your safety!"

"You've already been out once this month, you can't go out again."

The squad leader patiently explained, but the young men and women's faces were still dissatisfied. One of the cute-looking girls grumbled:

"What's the big deal? The first time we went out, we had no experience and just wandered around without even encountering a Red-Eyed Rabbit. This time we're prepared, we're going to hunt real fierce beasts!"

The others echoed her.

The squad leader looked helpless. These students were all future prodigies; he couldn't hit them, nor could he scold them.

Perhaps after they graduated from martial arts university, they would join the army and fight fierce beasts with him. He could only try to persuade them kindly.

Just as the squad leader was racking his brains on how to resolve the situation, a young man's voice came from behind him:

"Captain Wang, I'd like to go out into the wilderness. Please open the city gate for me."

The squad leader was startled, about to say that he couldn't go out without martial artist certification.

But then he wondered how this voice knew his surname was Wang, so he instinctively turned his head.

He saw a young man in a short-sleeved T-shirt, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, carrying a large battle blade horizontally on his back, smiling at him:

"Li Ziyu? You're leaving the city again?"

"Alright, I'll have someone open the city gate immediately."

The person who arrived was precisely Li Ziyu, who had just come out of the Xu Jiang City Martial Arts Association.

After leaving the Martial Arts Association, he quickly ate some breakfast and then rushed to the city wall without stopping.

He planned to take advantage of the good weather to hunt some fierce beasts and improve his Battle Skill.

A moment later.

Three heavy gates, each weighing ten thousand jin, opened one by one.

Li Ziyu thanked the squad leader and walked out.

As soon as Li Ziyu left, the group of young men and women who had been clamoring to leave the city exploded into a frenzy.