86: How much does it cost to challenge someone?

Imperial Capital.

"Hehe..."

Xia Zhou chuckled softly, his tone complex.

"I expected this little guy might make some big moves next."

"But I didn't expect his moves to be this big."

Jiang Mobai looked up.

"The ocean has been quiet for many years, and many domestic forces have long since rotted away."

"Brother Zhou, haven't you always wanted to conduct a comprehensive purge?"

"Now that kid has done some of it for us, why are you feeling conflicted?"

Xia Zhou glanced at him.

"He's repaying the favor for the position I gave him."

"Do you think that with the methods he's shown this time, the effect of going door-to-door directly would be worse than this?"

Jiang Mobai's expression turned to one of realization.

"No wonder, given his personality, he didn't go door-to-door this time."

"Instead, he pulled out all those vermin first."

Xia Zhou smiled after a moment of contemplation.

"That works too."

"At least it proves we really didn't misjudge him."

"In the future, Blue Star will sooner or later belong to this kid."

...[Insight into the root, interaction of courage and strategy. Host has uprooted human vermin across a large area and eliminated a second-class Family. domineering index: six stars. charge value: 120%.]

Sitting in the hovercar back to Chuan Prefecture, Lin Yan let out a soft sound of surprise in his heart.

He had already planned to focus his gains on the upcoming trip to Xiangtian Martial Arts Hall; he didn't expect to get six stars and 120% from this as well.

Combined with a similar situation that seemed to have happened before.

It seems that sometimes it's not necessarily about fighting to the death.

As long as one orchestrates an event with a wide enough scope and involving people of high capability, one can still reap good rewards.

That's very scientific.

He looked at his current 145% charge value, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Xiao Mo, change course. Go to Chuanwu University first."

"Got it, Brother Yan!"

Ke Mo, who was driving the hovercar, replied immediately without turning his head.

The other two people in the car twitched their lips simultaneously.

Yin Yi rubbed her temples with a headache.

Ke Mo, you were once a Prodigy, a seventh-rank Martial Artist in your thirties or forties. Can you have some dignity?

Mo Fan's face was filled with speechlessness.

Why did that "Xiao Mo" feel like the kid was calling him?

Was he freaking doing it on purpose?

"What are you going to the School for?"

Lin Yan glanced at him.

"Unconditionally obey the ruling..."

Mo Fan immediately raised his hand.

"Fine, fine, fine. You win."

Can't mess with him, can't mess with him.

Lin Yan's lips curled slightly as he looked away... Chuanwu University gate.

A tall, upright young man stood quietly, holding a box in each hand.

Many passing students looked on with curiosity.

"Is Senior Wu Ze waiting for someone?"

"Probably."

"Who could possibly make him wait!"

"Speaking of which, Senior Wu returning to School really excited me."

"Thinking back to those years..."

At this moment.

A hovercar arrived at the School gate, and a Youth in Black opened the door and stepped out.

Suddenly.

"Holy crap!"

Exclamations broke out.

"Lin Yan!!"

"So Senior Wu Ze was waiting for him?"

"Is it not enough that he soloed Magic Martial? Does he want to solo our School too?"

"God damn!"

"Isn't this bullying people too much?"

"Don't panic. It's hard to say about the future."

"The current Senior Wu Ze might not necessarily be afraid... Huh??"

Everyone's eyes widened.

They saw the calm Wu Ze watching the figure walking toward him, a smile appearing on his face.

He first handed over one of the boxes in his hand, then glanced at the hovercar.

"A mission?"

Lin Yan took it directly.

"Shouldn't I help you root out the vermin from back then?"

"Thanks."

Wu Ze laughed heartily.

"I said it that day, it's just a small favor."

"Besides, if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me thanking you."

He paused, his eyes curious.

"And I also want to see just how strong our strongest Prodigy really is."

Lin Yan tossed the box in his hand and smiled.

"Then you'd better watch closely."

He opened it directly and took out the martial skill stone inside.

"Ding!"

"Detected spear-type earth extreme Medium Grade Martial Skill. Consume 50% charge value for Fusion?"

"Fusion!"

A massive amount of information instantly flooded his mind, and Lin Yan's body emitted intense blood-qi fluctuations.

Boom—!

A powerful pressure flashed and vanished.

Wu Ze's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sixth rank, eighth layer?"

"You broke through an entire major Realm in the Spirit Pool?"

Lin Yan opened his eyes.

"Of course."

"Next one."

Wu Ze was silent for a moment, then handed over the other box.

"Ding!"

"Detected leg-technique earth extreme Medium Grade Martial Skill. Consume 50% charge value for Fusion?"

"Don't ask. The answer is yes."

Another wave of blood-qi fluctuations hit.

Although he didn't break through, he was clearly on the verge of it.

In other words, in just two moments, he had comprehended two earth extreme Medium Grade Martial Skills to at least Major Achievement or even Peak.

Wu Ze closed the two boxes and walked toward the School gate without looking back.

"I'm off."

He realized he shouldn't have been curious.

Lin Yan watched his retreating back.

"Prepare two more for me."

"I might be back in a while."

Wu Ze's footsteps paused, and he flipped him off without looking back.

Lin Yan smiled and turned toward the hovercar.

Perhaps friendship between men is just that simple.

After the Magic City incident ended last time, they chatted for a while. Though meeting for the first time, they felt like they'd known each other for years and naturally added each other as friends.

That was why this scene was happening now.

The reason he didn't do a lucky draw or choose to absorb the ninth-rank Spirit Medicine from the kings road was naturally that his cultivation had improved quite fast recently, while his Martial Skills had lagged behind, making his ability to fight above his level a bit weak.

For example, with his current sixth-rank eighth-layer cultivation, he could probably only fight against a seventh-rank seventh-layer.

Could he tolerate this?

His goal was the hidden stage of the Advanced kings road at the seventh rank, so maximizing his combat power while compressing it was the most important thing for him right now.

"Done?" Mo Fan looked suspiciously, scanning Lin Yan as he returned to the car. "You came to the School just to look at two Martial Skills?"

"Look?"

Lin Yan glanced at him.

"Be more precise with your words. It's 'learn'."

The car went silent.

Learn?

Are you kidding?

Was it even ten seconds?

The hovercar slowly started and disappeared from the Chuanwu University gate... In this era, martial arts halls were the top choice for many Geniuses and children of large Families to improve themselves outside of School.

Inside, besides the most common sparring partners and Martial Skill guidance, there were benefits like Martial Skills and resource supplies after joining the hall.

To put it bluntly.

A large martial arts hall was basically equivalent to a force that wasn't weak, though its cohesion was quite a bit worse than that of a Family force.

Xiangtian Martial Arts Hall.

As one of the top large martial arts halls in Chuan Prefecture, it was exactly such a place.

Lin Yan watched the figures coming and going through the grand entrance, a hint of sentimentality flashing in his eyes.

In high School, to earn money for food, he had worked as a sparring partner in a martial arts hall.

Those days... well, it was just that he was quite good at taking a beating and managed to pull through.

"Hello."

"Are you looking for a sparring partner or Martial Skill guidance?"

"Or would you like to learn about our membership..."

A young boy ran up and introduced enthusiastically.

Lin Yan withdrew his gaze, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Challenging the hall, what's the fee?"