Invincible through Touching Corpses

The crowd below was both shocked by the scene before them, yet also felt it was perfectly normal.

While they had expected Lin Xinghai to win, they never imagined it would be so easy—it was a completely one-sided, crushing victory.

Moreover, Lin Xinghai had proven with his strength that he had no weaknesses. At the very least, his supposed "weakness" was not something that those in the Blood Qi Realm could exploit.

So, after a brief silence, a round of applause and shouts of congratulations erupted from below the stage.

Little Fatty and the others had already been cheering for some time.

Lin Xinghai successfully reaching the top of the Hero Ranking undoubtedly proved his strength. Never mind the new students; even the senior students couldn’t compare.

If the Xinghai Squad’s previous fame was only enough to make the veteran, powerful squads take them seriously, then it probably wouldn’t be long before those same squads would be looking up to them in awe.

Besides, a squad like this wasn’t something that would just end after graduation.

It was a web of connections. In the future, anyone who had been a part of the Xinghai Squad would share intricate ties, whether they joined the military, entered politics, or pursued other careers.

This was the real reason for their excitement. The more outstanding the Xinghai Squad became, the more they would benefit—not just now, but in the future as well.

Aside from the members of the Xinghai Squad, the most excited person was none other than Jian Hua. If not for his status as a tutor, he probably would have been dancing with joy alongside Little Fatty and the others.

A student from the class he led had reached the top of the Hero Ranking in just two months. It was a no-brainer what that implied.

He even started thinking, ’What should I say during my speech at the end-of-month summary? And I think I can start drafting my application for High Level Tutor ahead of time, too.’

Behind him, Yan Feijie and the others watched Lin Xinghai with complicated expressions.

If they had felt even a hint of competitiveness at the start of the semester, now they didn’t have the slightest trace of such a thought. They wouldn’t dare, for fear of being laughed at if they even mentioned it.

At this moment, they were thinking about what Jian Hua had told them before.

’Joining the Xinghai Squad really is our best option.’

’Saving face is important, but strength is even more so. Besides, with the terrifying combat power Lin Xinghai just displayed, no one would laugh at us for joining. They’d just be envious.’

"Congratulations on reaching number one." At this time, Wei Kai, who was on the stage, also congratulated Lin Xinghai.

His face was full of enthusiasm, not at all like a tutor facing a student.

In fact, in Wei Kai’s mind, he no longer saw Lin Xinghai as a student, but as a future Divine Demon Realm expert.

"Thank you!" Lin Xinghai first said to Wei Kai, and then he thanked the crowd of congratulating students below the stage.

However, compared to everyone else, Lin Xinghai was the calmest one there.

After all, reaching number one on the Hero Ranking was no challenge for him at all. He had known the outcome the moment he decided to issue the challenge.

Just as he finished his thanks and was about to step down from the stage, Cheng Tian, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes and shouted indistinctly, "Hold on... I can’t lose."

This scene made Lin Xinghai pause, slightly stunned. He knew the force of his blow. He originally thought the other man would be unconscious for at least a minute or two, but he hadn’t expected him to recover in just over ten seconds.

He could only marvel at the other’s willpower.

After shouting a couple of times, Cheng Tian glanced at his surroundings and seemed to understand something. He immediately stood up, but he couldn’t hide the look of dejection on his face.

"Don’t take it so hard. It’s just a match, nothing to fuss over," Lin Xinghai offered a word of comfort, respecting the other’s strong will.

"Winning or losing a match really isn’t a big deal. But this wasn’t just a match. This was a fight for the number one spot on the Hero Ranking," Cheng Tian said, shaking his head.

"If I remember correctly, the top ten all receive the same amount of Credit Points. You don’t need to be so fixated on first versus second place, do you?" Lin Xinghai was now intrigued.

"It’s not the same, especially with all the intangible benefits and the fame. People remember number one, but who makes an effort to remember number two?"

"Putting everything else aside, just when we go to the Mission Hall to accept missions, the attitude of the mission issuer is completely different if I say I’m number one on the Hero Ranking versus number two," Cheng Tian said.

"Ah... is that so?" Lin Xinghai genuinely didn’t know about this. After all, he didn’t rely on mission rewards to earn Credit Points, but on killing Zombies.

He thought for a moment and said, "Well, that’s not a problem either. Just wait a few days, and the number one spot on the Hero Ranking will be yours again."

Hearing Lin Xinghai’s words, not only Cheng Tian but even Wei Kai, who was standing to the side, was stunned.

’Is this guy really that generous? He’s just giving away the number one spot on the Hero Ranking?’

But as a tutor, Wei Kai couldn’t help but clear his throat and remind him, "The Hero Ranking is fair and just. We don’t allow any cheating or fabrication."

Cheng Tian, at the side, immediately gave Lin Xinghai a displeased look. ’He’s doing this on purpose,’ he thought. ’If he really wanted to give it to me, we could have just negotiated in private. I would have even been willing to offer some benefits in exchange!’

Lin Xinghai looked at Wei Kai and smiled, explaining, "Teacher Wei, you’ve misunderstood. I’ll be breaking through to the Body Shaping Realm in a few days, so naturally, I won’t be able to stay on the Hero Ranking."

Wei Kai was a little surprised, but he soon nodded in understanding. With Lin Xinghai’s immense Blood Qi Power, his foundation was absolutely solid. It was indeed time for a breakthrough.

However, Cheng Tian, who was standing nearby, was dumbfounded. He muttered to himself in a low voice, "All that effort I put into holding onto number one... what was it all for?"

In an instant, his gaze toward Lin Xinghai became extremely reproachful, like that of an abandoned bride.

Lin Xinghai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He instantly quickened his pace and leaped off the stage in the blink of an eye.

Now that the main attraction had left, the students gathered in the gymnasium also began to disperse and head back to class.

Even Lin Xinghai, for the first time in a long while, went to a classroom to experience the feeling of being a student.

After all, he didn’t need to focus on Cultivation for the next two days, just adjust his condition. It didn’t matter where he went, so he might as well spend more time with Liu Miaomiao.

Lin Xinghai was quite relaxed, but the news of him taking the number one spot on the Hero Ranking spread throughout the entire East Sea Academy in an instant, as if it had grown wings.

This time, it didn’t just circulate within East Sea Academy. The news traveled through various channels to the military, political circles, and the Mercenary Guild of East Sea Base. Even some factions with intelligence networks learned of a figure named Lin Xinghai.

It couldn’t be helped. Lin Xinghai’s achievement was simply too shocking—reaching the top of the Hero Ranking just two months after enrolling.

Anyone with some understanding of the academy’s system would know that Lin Xinghai’s potential couldn’t be described by the word "genius" alone.

Under these circumstances, Lin Xinghai’s past records were also dug up by interested parties.

As rumors continued to spread, the more people learned about Lin Xinghai, the more they marveled at his talent.

Almost everyone believed that as long as Lin Xinghai didn’t fall, he was practically a future Divine Demon Realm expert—and an extremely powerful one at that.

Under such circumstances, Lin Xinghai, a mere Blood and Qi Realm Martial Artist, quickly gained a certain degree of fame throughout the entire East Sea Base.

Moreover, this fame continued to spread outward with the teams from other Shelters that came to purchase supplies.

Lin Xinghai was also branded with the label of "East Sea Academy’s Number One Genius."