4: Chapter 4 Debate with a Group of Confucian Scholars

"Skree!"

A piercing sound of breaking air suddenly tore through the sky.

The gale howled again as an Azure-scaled Wyvern with a wingspan of nearly fifteen meters broke through the clouds and slammed heavily onto the edge of the plaza.

Its massive claws plowed two deep furrows into the bluestone slabs, sending debris flying.

A middle-aged man wearing silver leather armor leaped down from the wyvern's back.

A Platinum-grade Badge was pinned to his chest, but it featured an additional emblem of crossed swords.

His gaze swept across the crowd like a hawk's, finally fixing on Qin Lan, and he walked over quickly.

"Group Leader Qin, my communicator received your emergency coordinate signal."

"What happened?"

The middle-aged man's voice was low and raspy, carrying a hint of the bloody aura from years of hovering on the edge of life and death.

Qin Lan didn't waste words and pointed directly at Su Xiaoli, her tone unprecedentedly solemn:

"Chen Rui, lead the team personally and immediately initiate the S-rank escort protocol to take her back to headquarters!"

Chen Rui's pupils constricted sharply. He forced down the shock in his heart and gave a standard Alliance military salute.

"Understood! I will arrange the highest-spec airship immediately!"

"Then I'll be going..."

This was the first time since childhood that she would be separated from Lin Mo.

The little girl's eyes were red, and tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"Xiao Li."

Lin Mo's voice was soft.

"Go ahead. I'll reunite with you very soon."

He would definitely go to the Core City, but not in a way where he was protected within a small world.

A trace of imperceptible disdain flashed through Qin Lan's eyes.

This kid at least had some self-awareness.

"Then... you must come find me quickly."

"Take her away."

Qin Lan waved her hand.

Su Xiaoli looked back with every step as she followed Chen Rui onto the wyvern.

Accompanied by the massive beating of wings, the wyvern soared into the sky and soon became a black dot on the horizon.

Only after Su Xiaoli's presence completely vanished did Qin Lan turn around and deactivate the soundproofing barrier.

Her gaze swept toward the students and teachers who were still whispering.

"City Lord!" Qin Lan barked coldly.

The City Lord of Shimmering City ran over, sweating profusely as if he had heard an imperial decree: "What are your orders, Lord Envoy?"

"Seal off all information."

"Everyone present today must sign the highest-level Alliance confidentiality agreement."

"Anyone who dares to leak a single word about Su Xiaoli's class will be charged with treason!"

"Yes! Yes!"

Wiping away cold sweat, the City Lord immediately ordered the City Defense Force to clear the area.

Qin Lan then looked back at Lin Mo. With a flick of her finger, a Teleportation Scroll shimmering with magical light appeared in her hand.

"Let's go. Our bet starts now."

Her tone was cold.

"I will personally take you to the hunting camp."

"Remember, if you can't do it, then stay in your lane and play your part."

With a flash of light, both of their figures vanished from the plaza.

Thirty kilometers outside Shimmering City: Heifeng Hunting Camp.

This was the front line of the City Defense Force's buffer zone against magic beasts, and also the location for the annual practical combat assessment for high school seniors.

The towering steel walls were covered in dark brown, dried bloodstains, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with rotting flesh.

After Qin Lan settled Lin Mo into a temporary single dormitory, she disappeared.

...

In the dead of night.

Lin Mo sat on the hard wooden bed, listening to the occasional roars of magic beasts outside. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

In his mind, he silently brought up the panel that emitted a faint golden glow.

[Lin Mo]

[Level: 0]

[Talent:]

[Talent: Level 1 Block (0/10)]

[Every time damage is taken, any damage received is reduced by 10 points.]

(For every level the talent increases, the Block effect increases by +10 points.)

[HP: 100]

[Mana: 100]

[Strength: 10]

[Constitution: 10]

[Spirit: 10]

[Speed: 10]

[Current Experience Multiplier: 10,000x]

[For every level increased: Multiplier +1,000.]

Is the Blocking Talent useless?

It doesn't matter.

As long as I level up fast enough, it'll be a god-tier skill that defies the heavens!

"It's time to test the power of my cheat. Don't let me down!"

"Ten-thousand-fold experience!"

"Let's see your limit!"

Lin Mo found a blade and made a cut on the back of his hand.

No wound appeared, as if he were cutting into extremely tough rhino hide.

-0! (Block activated! Damage -3)

[Blocking Talent Experience +10,000!]

[Ding! Blocking Talent has reached Level 2...]

[Ding! Blocking Talent has reached Level 3...]

[Ding! Blocking Talent has reached Level 4...]

(Omitted...)

With just one cut, Lin Mo's Blocking Talent shot up to Level 12!

The effect of the cheat was even better than Lin Mo had imagined.

Since talent experience is extremely difficult to obtain, if anyone else used Lin Mo's method...

Forget ten thousand points; they might not even get a single point of experience even if they wore the blade down to a nub.

But the cheat forcefully set the minimum experience he could gain to 1 point.

That was how he gained 10,000 experience points just by nicking himself.

Realizing how broken the cheat was, Lin Mo's mouth began to twitch.

Sometimes, trying to hold back a laugh is truly painful.

If he weren't afraid of being seen as a lunatic by those nearby, he really wouldn't have been able to hold it in.

One cut was ten thousand experience. If he spent the whole night cutting himself, what level could he reach?

...

The next morning.

The hall of the hunting camp was bustling with noise.

Thousands of Awakened high school seniors from various middle schools in Shimmering City had already assembled.

They were in small groups, wearing brand-new low-level equipment prepared by their families, nervously and excitedly discussing the upcoming assessment.

In the world of class-transferees, not forming a party is a death wish.

Only by dividing labor and making the most of one's strengths can people survive together in the wilderness.

This was common sense.

When Lin Mo walked into the hall empty-handed, wearing the standard gray casual clothes issued by the school.

He looked at the talent level on his panel, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

[Block (Level 563): Every time damage is taken, any damage received is reduced by 5,630 points.]

(For every level the talent increases, the Block effect increases by +10 points.)

This was the result of his hard work for an entire night!

He had put in countless hours of struggle and sweat to earn these stats!

It was all well-deserved!

The cacophony in the entire hall paused for a strange moment.

Although a confidentiality agreement had been signed regarding yesterday's events at the plaza,

the news that "Lin Mo awakened as a Blank Slate Warrior and Su Xiaoli was taken away by a big shot" had long since spread through all the student circles.

After a brief silence, there were irrepressible sneers and whispers.

"Look, it's the guy who was number one in mental power for the past three years. I heard he awakened as a Blank Slate Warrior."

"It really is him."

"He isn't planning to participate in the City Siege Hunt, is he?"

"How pathetic. No one is even willing to party up with him."

Suddenly, the crowd automatically parted to create a path.

At the end of the path, a boy with a bandage wrapped around his forehead and a slightly pale face blocked Lin Mo's way.

It was Zhao Tai, the class monitor of the Elite Class who had been slapped into a wall by Su Xiaoli yesterday.

Thanks to the treatment from a high-level priest, he had survived, but the venom in his eyes was so thick it almost seemed to drip.

He had awakened as a rare class: Thunder Swordsman.

He was currently wearing a set of shimmering fine-grade plate armor, with a longsword that had faint arcs of electricity jumping across it hanging at his waist. He was followed by four fully equipped lackeys—a standard five-man elite squad.

"Lin Mo, I really admire your courage."

Zhao Tai's mouth curled into a mocking sneer, and he deliberately raised his voice.

"Yesterday you had a woman protecting you. What about today?"

"You don't think anyone's going to coddle you here in the Heifeng Camp, do you?"

Lin Mo scoffed. He had always disdained speaking with clowns.

This attitude of being ignored made Zhao Tai feel like he was punching cotton, and the malicious fire in his heart flared up.

For three years in high school, Lin Mo had looked at him with that same gaze.

Now that Lin Mo had awakened as a mere Blank Slate Warrior, how did he still dare to look at him like that?

"Stop putting on your damn act!"

Zhao Tai took a sudden step forward, his hand resting on his sword hilt, his eyes cold.

"Without that woman, you might not even be able to beat a wild dog! If you come and beg us like a dog, maybe we'll help you out!"

"Am I right, everyone?"

"That's right!"

"Hahaha! If he acts like a dog now, he won't have to be one once we're out there!"

The surrounding people quickly joined in the jeering.

Lin Mo rolled his eyes.

I have a cheat, why shouldn't I act cool?

With your shitty attitude, if you had a cheat, you'd be acting even more arrogant than me.

"What I can beat has nothing to do with you."

"Is your name missing from your family tree? Why else would you run in front of me just to feel relevant?"

"Or were your ancestral graves built under a public toilet? Is that why you can't stop spewing shit from your mouth?"

"A bunch of idiots."

Abandoning personal standards and enjoying a wicked life.

When someone insults you, of course you have to insult them back!

Why would I just stand there and take it?

I will attack everyone who attacks me with equal fervor!

"Fuck you, Lin Mo!"

The laughter of the crowd came to an abrupt halt as they erupted in rage.

On the observation deck on the second floor of the hall.

Qin Lan stood with her arms crossed, looking down from above at the crowd engaged in their heated exchange.

"Lord Envoy, should I go down and intervene?"

Camp Director Zhang of the Heifeng Hunting Camp, a man with a face full of scars, asked in a low voice.

Qin Lan watched Lin Mo as he fought a war of words against the crowd, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

"Go and stop them before they start a fight in here."