51: Chapter 51 Even a small mosquito is still meat!

"Chen An!!!"

After Shen Qinglan received her rewards, Head Elder Wei Linyuan turned his gaze to Chen An, his eyes filled with approval.

He waved his hand, gesturing for the Instructor holding the rewards behind him to step forward, before saying, "These are the rewards given to you by the County Magistrate and the County Academy: one Profound Rank Medium Grade Martial Skill, one bottle of Profound Rank Medium Grade Return to Origin Qi-Accumulating Pills, and three bottles of Profound Rank Low Grade qi condensing pills!"

"With the Five Prefectures Joint Examination just around the corner, I hope that after receiving these rewards, you will Cultivate diligently, stabilize your Foundation, temper your martial path, and win glory for our Wurong County Academy!"

Hearing the rewards this time, Chen An could not help but feel a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Not to mention a Profound Rank Medium Grade Martial Skill and three bottles of qi condensing pills, just that bottle of Return to Origin Qi-Accumulating Pills alone was the best auxiliary cultivation Medicinal Pill for the Qi Condensation Realm, worth around five thousand yuan crystals on the market.

Add to that a Profound Rank Medium Grade Martial Skill worth about ten to twenty thousand yuan crystals, and three bottles of qi condensing pills worth three thousand yuan crystals.

In total, the rewards this time added up to nearly thirty thousand yuan crystals.

It seemed that the Wurong County government and the County Academy had indeed invested heavily for the upcoming Five Prefectures Joint Examination.

Thirty thousand yuan crystals!

If he had obtained this sum of yuan crystals three days ago, he might have been too excited to sleep.

However, not only was his cultivation already at the Grandmaster Realm Perfection, but he also had a balance of one hundred and seventy thousand sitting in his System, making him feel rather indifferent toward these rewards.

Still, even a tiny mosquito is meat.

Chen An still stepped forward with a seemingly respectful expression, accepting the rewards with both hands, and said, "Yes, thank you, Elder. Thank you, County Magistrate and Head Instructor!"

"This student will definitely Cultivate diligently, strive to bring glory to our Wurong County, and live up to the expectations of my Elders!"

"Good, a teachable youth!"

Hearing Chen An's words, Head Elder Wei Linyuan stroked his long beard, nodded slightly, and then turned around to continue handing out rewards to the other ranked students in order.

Zhou Shuyan, who placed third, received only one Low Grade Martial Skill and one bottle of qi condensing pills.

By the time all the rewards were fully distributed, the setting sun had dipped below the horizon, the twilight deepened, and a faint, dim haze had draped over the world.

Instructor Fan Suiyun stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the thirty ranked students below, and spoke in a clear, loud voice: "Alright, this Martial Examination has come to a successful conclusion!"

"You all have a three-day holiday for now. You may return home to rest and reunite with your families. But remember, do not indulge in play or neglect your cultivation. The path of cultivation values perseverance above all."

"Three days from now, the Lord County Magistrate and I will personally lead the team to guide you on your journey to the Prefecture City."

"You are dismissed!"

"Yes!!!"

The students responded in unison, their voices echoing across the martial school square.

With excitement and joy written on their faces, carrying their newly acquired rewards and filled with anticipation for the upcoming Five Prefectures Joint Examination, everyone turned around in an orderly fashion and strode toward the gates of the County Academy with light steps.

...

As twilight fell, the vermilion gates of the County Academy slowly opened.

The thirty ranked students who had just received their rewards on the square walked out in groups, each standing tall and straight, their brows filled with the spirited pride of successful youth.

The area outside was already packed to the brim, crowded with ordinary citizens who had rushed over upon hearing the news, disciples from various influential families, and eagerly waiting parents.

The crowd jostled and squeezed, with discussions and exclamations of praise rising and falling in a noisy clamor.

"They're out, they're out! The Martial Examination has concluded, and the ranked students are coming out!"

"To be able to stand out from thousands of youths in the entire county and get into the Prefectural Academy, their futures will be absolutely limitless!"

"As expected of the favored children of heaven from our Wurong County. Once they step onto the future path of martial arts, their Families will bask in their glory!"

The commoners stood on their tiptoes to watch, their eyes filled with envy and admiration as they looked at the students, praising them repeatedly.

The parents of each Family were even more excited, squeezing into the front row early on. The moment they spotted their children, their faces lit up with joy, and they waved and called out to them.

Some parents had red rims around their eyes, their hearts overflowing with relief and pride.

Some clansmen quickly stepped forward to welcome their younger generation, asking after their well-being and showering them with praise.

Someone in the crowd recognized Shen Qinglan, and a wave of awe immediately rippled through the onlookers.

"That's Shen Qinglan, Miss Shen! The top scorer of this Martial Examination. She truly has an extraordinary temperament and is peerlessly elegant!"

"To have a cultivation of the Acquired Realm Middle Stage at such a young age, her future achievements will surely be immeasurable!"

Some also noticed Chen An, who was keeping a low profile alongside her, and began to whisper among themselves.

"Is that Chen An?!"

"I heard he's only at Condensing Qi Stage 6, but this time, he fought above his level all the way, sweeping through the Qi Condensation Realm students. Even that Genius from the Zhou Family, who trained a Profound Rank Martial Skill to Minor Achievement, was no match for him!"

"Hiss!!!"

"To possess such combat power at such a young age, he is truly terrifying!"

"I heard he and Shen Qinglan are childhood sweethearts. One is the top scorer, and the other is second in the Martial Examination. It's truly enviable!"

Amidst the surging crowd and bustling noise outside the County Academy, an elegant middle-aged couple stood early in the front row of the crowd. They were Shen Qinglan's parents, Shen Zongyue and Lin Xueyan.

"Xiao An, Xiao Lan!"

Seeing Chen An and Shen Qinglan walk out, Shen Zongyue and Lin Xueyan came forward to meet them. Lin Xueyan reached out to take Chen An's hand, saying with a face full of concern and doting affection, "Xiao An, the Martial Examination must have been hard on you. Did you get hurt? Are you tired?"

"Mother, my dear mother, I am your actual daughter!"

Seeing her own mother immediately fuss over Chen An with warm concern while completely leaving her out in the cold, a trace of grievance mixed with a slightly coquettish helplessness flashed across Shen Qinglan's pretty face. Her lips puckered slightly as she grumbled in annoyance.

Her cold and ethereal brow was tinged with a bit of a young girl's petulance. Clearly, she was the one who had taken the top spot in the Martial Examination and should have been the one praised, but her mother's eyes had instead focused on Chen An first. For a moment, she found it both irritating and amusing.

"You child, of course I know I'm your mother!"

Lin Xueyan was amused by her daughter's slightly coquettish complaint. She raised her hand and lightly tapped Shen Qinglan's forehead, her eyes gentle and filled with a bit of teasing:

"You are already at the Acquired Realm, and you are the top scorer of this Martial Examination; there's no need for me to worry about you at all. But Xiao An is different—he is only in the Qi Condensation Realm!"

As she spoke, she turned to look at Chen An again, her tone still filled with affection: "Besides, Xiao An has been coming to our house since he was a child. In my heart, he has long been no different from my own child."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Feeling Lin Xueyan's heartfelt affection, a warm current welled up in Chen An's heart. He even deliberately turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Shen Qinglan, making her cheeks puff up with anger instantly.

On the side, Shen Zongyue watched his daughter sulking after being deflated and his wife's gentle teasing with a faint smile on his lips. He then looked at Chen An, a look of gratification flashing in his eyes, and said,

"Xiao An, I heard about your performance in the Martial Examination. Well done!"

"I didn't expect that not only would your cultivation break through to Condensing Qi Stage 6, but your Martial Skills would also be fully integrated and highly proficient, making you virtually unmatched among your peers!"

"If Brother Chen knew about this, he would definitely be extremely happy!"

Chen An knew that the 'Brother Chen' Shen Zongyue spoke of was his father in this life, Chen Yan.

"It's also thanks to the bottle of qi condensing pills and the "Mountain Crushing Force" you gave me, Uncle..."

"Chen An!!!"

Before Chen An could finish his sentence, a sudden furious roar echoed from afar. Immediately after, a figure burst through the crowd, knocking people over left and right, charging toward him with an aggressive Aura...