18: The list of geniuses has been released. Who is number one?

A few days later, Qin Lang's Personal Terminal vibrated softly.

He swiped open the screen, and the Sender's name made him pause.

Su Muyue.

"Qin Lang! Congratulations!"

A clear, pleasant voice full of sunny vitality came from the terminal, carrying a smile that could melt ice and snow.

"Not only did you unlock all eight Gene Locks, but you also Awakened such a powerful Mythical Gene!"

"I knew you weren't a piece of trash!"

"It's great that we can go to a Top Academy together again!"

The girl's joy seemed to overflow from the terminal.

Qin Lang leaned back on the soft sofa in his dorm room, and listening to her words, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

"How are things on your end?"

"Me? I'm doing great!"

Su Muyue's voice was still full of Origin Qi, but Qin Lang still noticed a subtle pause.

"My mom took me to the Capital City and even visited a Five-Star Gene Physician."

"That physician said that for my Star Spirit Gene to be successfully activated, it requires a Rare Energy called 'stellar source energy'."

"I heard that this kind of energy can only be found in the 'Deep Space Ruins,' and my mom is searching everywhere to buy it."

Her tone was relaxed, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

Qin Lang, however, heard the difficulty hidden within.

The Deep Space Ruins—that's a Restricted Area where even a Six-Star Great Power risks falling.

stellar source energy is a Legendary Treasure that is priceless and unobtainable.

"But you don't need to worry about me!"

Su Muyue seemed to guess his thoughts and quickly switched to a playful tone.

"I have Special Privileges! As long as I activate my gene before the age of twenty-five, I can enter Kunlun Academy directly at any time, so there's no rush."

"Oh, right, I helped analyze things for you."

"As a Gene Warrior, Olympus Academy is actually a better choice for you; their Martial Dao Legacy is more complete."

The girl's voice suddenly dropped, carrying a hint of subtle shyness and anticipation.

"But..."

"If you are willing to come to Kunlun Academy for me, I... I will be very, very happy!"

This sentence was like a feather, gently tickling Qin Lang's heart.

After the call ended, Qin Lang's thoughts drifted far away.

stellar source energy.

He recalled the "Original Gene Catalyst" that the System had once rewarded him with; it was that item that helped Shangguan Xue activate the Ice Emperor Gene.

If he could Bind Su Muyue, would the System also reward him with a portion of "stellar source energy"?

This thought flashed through his mind.

[Ding! The host needs to Breakthrough to the Second Stage to unlock the second binding slot.]

The System's notification sounded right on time, cold and mechanical.

The Second Stage, huh... Qin Lang sensed the eight Gene Circuits within his body, as vast as rivers, and the Chaos Gene dormant deep inside.

Rushing wouldn't help.

On Monday, the Early Admission Lists for Kunlun Academy and Olympus Academy were officially finalized.

Gao Meng's name was prominently displayed on the list.

This guy, during the final sprint, actually managed to unlock the eighth Gene Lock and obtained the Recommended Admission Qualification.

He chose Olympus Academy, which was more suitable for Gene Warriors, without hesitation.

This year, Tiandu First Gene Academy achieved brilliant results, with a total of eight students being admitted early by the two top academies.

Besides the three Gene Warriors—Qin Lang, Gao Meng, and Feng Rui, who was so angry he spat blood—there were five other Geniuses who successfully Awakened Elemental Genes.

This also starkly reflected a reality of the New Era.

On the Path of Evolution, aside from talent and effort, resources and background are often the more crucial decisive factors.

Without exception, all eight students came from wealthy and prominent families.

The Grand Examination arrived as scheduled.

For Qin Lang, who had already been admitted early, this exam, which determined the fate of countless people, no longer held any meaning.

He chose to continue his 'Lying Flat' life with a clear conscience.

Gao Meng, however, seemed energized and enthusiastically participated in every test.

A week later, the results were released.

Holding an excellent Report Card, he proudly demonstrated to Qin Lang that even without recommended admission, he could still legitimately pass the exam and enter a Top Academy based on his own strength.

After the Grand Examination, the Official Authorities quickly released the relevant data.

This year, among the millions of Candidates across the entire Eastern Alliance, only two hundred and eighty-five successfully Awakened a Mythical Gene.

The proportion of Geniuses was truly rare.

Online, discussions regarding the identity of the "Top Genius of the Current Cohort" also soared to the Trending Topics List.

Unlike previous years where one person dominated, the Competition for the Top Spot this year was exceptionally fierce.

Two unparalleled Geniuses possessing the "Ten Great Mythical Genes" burst onto the scene, driving everyone wild.

One was Shangguan Xue, who Awakened the "Ice Emperor Gene."

The other was Xiang Kunlun, from the Capital City, who Awakened the "Sun God Gene."

The Sun God Gene ranks above the Ice Emperor Gene among the Ten Great Mythical Genes, and its Combat Power is widely recognized as utterly dominant.

Furthermore, Xiang Kunlun is only twenty years old, giving him an age advantage over the twenty-five-year-old Shangguan Xue.

Therefore, Xiang Kunlun garnered more support online.

For a time, various versions of the "Genius Ranking of the Current Cohort" emerged like mushrooms after the rain.

Qin Lang lay bored on his bed, casually browsing on his Personal Terminal.

He found a rather insightful Ranking List that placed him in third place.

Only behind Xiang Kunlun and Shangguan Xue.

Furthermore, on a less popular Ranking List, someone defied public opinion, insisting that Qin Lang should be the undisputed number one.

The Creator of that Ranking List pointed out with deep anguish.

"A bunch of Common Folk!"

"You only see the size of the Phenomenon's range, but you completely ignore the supreme Concept contained within the Phenomenon of 'Chaos Giving Birth to the Azure Lotus'!"

"That is the scene of the creation of heaven and earth! It is the beginning of the Great Dao! How can the Ice Phoenix or the Sun compare?"

Unfortunately, his cry was quickly drowned out by the mainstream noise.

On most other mainstream Ranking Lists, because the System shielded Qin Lang's Life Signal, the range of his Phenomenon did not look particularly large, and his ranking was relatively low, often outside the top ten.

Qin Lang himself was completely unconcerned about this.

He was even somewhat relieved.

He closed his terminal, rolled over, and the corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied arc.

He didn't want to attract too much attention, so he could continue his happy and leisurely 'Lying Flat' life.