Chapter 11 : Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Genius? Knocked Down with One Punch
【Ding! Detected that the host has slain a Demon Beast at the Ninth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm above his level. Reward: 1200 Slaughter Points (base Slaughter Points: 900 + above-level bonus: 300)】
【The title First Showing of One’s Edge has been activated. Additional Slaughter Points obtained: 120】
【Congratulations, Host. You have additionally obtained the talent—Gluttony】
【Ding! Detected that the host has slain 2 Demon Beasts at the Eighth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm above his level. Reward: Slaughter Points...】
【Ding! Detected that the host has slain a Demon Beast at the Qi Condensation Realm...】
...
The flood of system notifications was dazzling, so Lu Zhan carefully sorted them out.
Name: Lu Zhan
Realm: Qi Condensation Realm, Seventh Heaven
Spirit Root: Mortal Spirit Root
Title: First Showing of One’s Edge (Equipped)
Cultivation Method: Basic Qi Refining Art
Martial Art: Iron-Slaying Saber Art (Entering the Divine)
Slaughter Points: 6000
Weapon: Longevity Saber (Unique, Growable)
Fixed Talent: Gluttony (Rare, Growable)
Limited-Time Talent: Windshadow Step (Can Undergo Talent Permanence)
Talent Fragments: 0
The first thing was the generous amount of Slaughter Points. It looked like the most ordinary reward, but in truth, it was the key to Lu Zhan’s rise.
What concerned him even more, however, was the Fixed Talent—Gluttony.
Fixed Talent: Gluttony
Talent Grade: Rare
Growth Potential: ★★★★☆
Duration: Permanent
Status: Fixed
【Effect: When consuming food imbued with qi, blood essence, and Spiritual Energy, the user can absorb an additional 100% of its energy to nourish the body.】
Lu Zhan’s eyes lit up. Unlike a Limited-Time Talent, this was the first permanent talent he had obtained.
And it was even a Rare one.
Talents were actually divided into six grades.
They were, respectively: Common, Rare, Elite, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic.
A Rare talent might not count for much, but Gluttony was extremely practical.
More importantly, Gluttony seemed to have considerable potential and could continue to grow.
Once it was upgraded in the future, it would surely become even more powerful.
“Hello, you’re Lu Zhan, right?”
A voice interrupted Lu Zhan’s thoughts.
He came back to himself.
The speaker was a young man in a short-sleeved T-shirt, with a jade bead bracelet on his wrist.
He wore designer labels from head to toe, and his wealth was impossible to miss.
“Lu Zhan, I saw that you scored quite high on the assessment. Your strength should be pretty impressive. I was wondering whether you might have time to spar with me sometime in the future.”
Shangguan Ling’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.
He wanted to see just how strong Lu Zhan really was. After all, what the assessment tested was talent.
Generally speaking, among people in the same realm, the greater one’s potential, the more points one would receive.
But talent was talent, and strength was strength. To know how strong someone truly was, they still had to exchange blows.
In fact, many wealthy young masters in Linhai City liked inviting geniuses to spar with them in order to sharpen one another’s real combat ability.
Most people would not refuse.
For one thing, both sides could benefit. For another, it helped expand their connections.
But Lu Zhan had no interest in that sort of thing, so he refused without hesitation.
“No time.”
Shangguan Ling was not angry when he heard that.
“It won’t be for nothing. If you beat me, I’ll give you 100,000 yuan for every win.”
In his eyes, Lu Zhan was only at the Seventh Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm, while he himself was a full level higher. There was no way he could lose.
Wang Botao looked as though he wanted to say something, then stopped. “Shangguan Ling...”
Shangguan Ling turned his head and smiled confidently. “Old Wang, do not worry. I will not hurt him.”
Wang Botao: ...
On the other side, Lu Zhan turned around, a trace of interest appearing in his eyes.
Then he crooked a finger at him.
Shangguan Ling froze for a moment. “Right here? Forget it. We still have to go collect our Demon Extermination Bureau identity tokens and some supplies in a bit.”
“If we fight, there definitely will not be enough time.”
More importantly, he felt that fighting like this would not be satisfying enough.
“Do not worry. It will still be about five minutes before the supplies are handed out. There’s enough time.”
Seeing Lu Zhan throw a punch without hesitation, Shangguan Ling laughed in exasperation. Anyone who did not know better would think Lu Zhan was the one at the Eighth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm.
“Lu Zhan, you may have taken first place in the assessment, but you are looking down on me, Shangguan Ling, a little too much, are you not?”
“But if you insist on fighting here, then I’ll go along with it. I’ll settle you within five minutes.”
Looking at Lu Zhan’s utterly ordinary punch, Shangguan Ling could not help revealing a confident smile. He would definitely win this one.
However...
The next moment, BANG! A terrifying force surged through his arm.
WHOOSH!
Shangguan Ling was blasted straight into the air by a single punch.
Wang Botao could even see a trace of bewilderment still frozen on his face.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Shangguan Ling’s mind went blank.
Then he felt a chill at his neck. A crimson long saber was pressed against his throat.
“You lost. Pay up.”
Although Shangguan Ling had been sent flying with one punch, Lu Zhan had clearly held back, so he was not injured.
That was the precision of Iron-Slaying Saber Art at the Entering the Divine stage.
Even without holding a saber, he knew how to apply force with exquisite skill.
That was why his strength had been so perfectly controlled.
“Oh. Right.”
Shangguan Ling’s gaze was empty, his eyes unfocused.
He answered blankly, but made no move at all.
Lu Zhan raised a brow, slightly displeased.
This fellow was not thinking of reneging on the bet, was he?
Wang Botao burst out laughing, openly delighting in Shangguan Ling’s misfortune.
He had known Lu Zhan would win, but even he had not expected such a clean and decisive victory.
“Hahaha, Shangguan Ling, this is what you get for showing off all day. Now you know that there is always someone stronger, and always a sky beyond the sky.”
Seven days ago, Shangguan Ling had entered the Eighth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm one step ahead of him, and he had not stopped flaunting it in front of him since.
Now he had obviously been dealt a heavy blow by Lu Zhan.
Still, as his friend, Wang Botao naturally had to clean up his mess for him.
“Boss, I’ll pay the money he lost for him. Let him catch his breath first. Look at the poor fellow—you hit her so hard her own mother would not recognize her.”
Wang Botao struggled to suppress his laughter.
Lu Zhan did not care who paid.
He held out a payment QR code.
“Ding. 100,000 yuan has been received on Feixin.”
A pleasant chime rang out from his phone. As Lu Zhan looked at Wang Botao, a little more interest entered his gaze.
“There’s still time. Do you want a match too?”
Wang Botao’s expression turned somewhat unnatural as he shook his head.
What a joke.
“Boss, it is not as though I do not know how strong you are. Let us forget it.”
He had seen with his own eyes how Lu Zhan had cut down a Demon Beast with a body at the Aperture Opening Realm in a single slash.
Asking him to fight Lu Zhan was not as though he had some tendency toward self-torture.
Disappointment flickered in Lu Zhan’s eyes.
“Young people should have the courage to strive. Look at your friend here. He’s quite good.”
“Very brave.”
Wang Botao: ...
After quite a while, Shangguan Ling finally came back to himself.
“Well, well, Shangguan Ling, you’re awake. You are not hurt, are you?”
Wang Botao teased him.
Just now, Shangguan Ling had been absolutely certain when he said he would not let Lu Zhan get hurt.
And yet he himself had been flattened with a single punch.
Naturally, Wang Botao could not resist mocking him.
Shangguan Ling gave a bitter smile and cursed, “Damn, I think I just saw my great-grandmother.”
“Oh, right. You were not surprised by the result at all. Tell me the truth—did you already know how strong Lu Zhan was, and deliberately keep it from me just now?”
Wang Botao only smiled without saying a word.
Shangguan Ling ground his teeth in anger.
“Good, very good, Wang Botao. I’m cutting ties with you.”
Soon after, a staff member came over and led the candidates who had passed the assessment to an underground base.