63: Chapter 63 Breakthrough to Second-Tier Martial Artist, Fluorescent Leopard
Xiao Fan was carried away by his four teammates. They headed to the nearby infirmary where there were specialized healing-type ability teachers on duty.
All the teachers present had witnessed Lin Yuan's battle just now and were still reeling from the shock.
Previously, they had thought Lin Yuan would be in big trouble facing ten people simultaneously.
But in the next second, five of them immediately surrendered, lacking even the courage to fight.
The other five did fight, but they were utterly crushed by Lin Yuan's might. They had no doubt that even if Wen Mang's five-person team had joined in, the result would have been the same...
"Heh heh—Dean Mu, where did you recruit such a heaven-defying prodigy? Your judgment is sharp; I admire you," Vice Dean Yuan said with a chuckle to Mu Qianqian. The three Vice Deans, though they hadn't said it aloud, had felt that letting Lin Yuan use the god-level fierce beast essence blood was a bit rash on Mu Qianqian's part.
But now, Vice Dean Yuan felt that Mu Qianqian was incredibly wise for discovering this prodigy, Lin Yuan.
"Vice Dean Yuan flatters me. Actually, Lin Yuan was recruited by Director Li from the Admissions Office," Mu Qianqian replied humbly.
"Oh? So it was him. It seems handing the Admissions Office over to him was indeed choosing the right person. However, Dean Mu's decision to focus on cultivating him shows she has a discerning eye for talent as well."
Vice Dean Yuan continued to flatter her. Mu Qianqian's cheeks flushed slightly; she hadn't agreed to give him the god-level fierce beast essence blood initially...
If Lin Yuan hadn't proven himself, she wouldn't have been so ready to give it to him.
"Not at all, let's keep watching," Mu Qianqian smiled slightly, and the two turned their attention back to the screen.
...After Xiao Fan's team left, Lin Yuan looked towards Wen Mang's group of five. The five instantly tensed up, looking at him nervously.
"Lin Yuan, we—we didn't attack. Can you let us go?" Wen Mang dared to ask. He didn't want to offend Lin Yuan. His body had just recovered, and he didn't want to end up bedridden for half a month like Xiao Fan.
Lin Yuan ignored them and turned to leave. They didn't have many points and lacked fighting spirit; Lin Yuan didn't want to bully those who had already given up resisting.
Watching Lin Yuan's retreating back, Wen Mang and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother Mang, what is Lin Yuan's actual strength? It feels even more terrifying than the last time we saw him, like he's bottomless," one team member exclaimed.
"How the hell should I know? His strength is beyond our ability to speculate. I wonder if the two most freakish ones can figure out his true extent..." Wen Mang thought of Huo Ping and Niu Zhen. In his eyes, those two were equally powerful, but he had a nagging feeling that even they might not be able to probe Lin Yuan's full capabilities.
...Lin Yuan ventured towards the central area. With Chu Yunfeng acting as a living radar, no fierce beast could escape his hunt.
Lin Yuan's ability points continued to increase, reaching 50,000. Lin Yuan glanced at the system panel; his Martial Arts Level could finally be upgraded.
"Lin Yuan, three kilometers to the northwest, there's a group of fierce beasts," Chu Yunfeng's voice echoed in his mind.
Lin Yuan, however, found a large rock and sat on it cross-legged. "No rush, I need to break through first."
"Hm? Break through? Are you advancing to Second Rank?"
"That's right."
Lin Yuan willed it, and his Martial Arts Level immediately increased. The system panel instantly changed.
[SYSTEM PANEL OPENING---]
[host]: Lin Yuan
[Ability]: SS-rank Spatial Ability
[Martial Arts]: Second Rank Warrior Initial Stage (0%)
[Combat Power]: 850,000 [Upgradable]
[Martial Arts]: Space Dimensional Slash A (Advanced) [Upgradable], Heaven Burning Body Refining Art S (Blood Burning Realm 50%), Spatial Rend and Kill S (Advanced) [Upgradable], Profound Crystal Spirit Armor S (Beginner) [Upgradable], Star Scar Nine Steps SSS (Beginner) [Upgradable]
[Skills]: Spirit Devouring, Swordsmanship (Advanced) [Upgradable], Breathing Method SSS, Fist Technique (Beginner) [Upgradable]
[ability points]: 20,000
"Breaking through to the Second Rank Initial Stage only consumed 30,000 ability points. Not bad. It seems cultivating diligently with the Breathing Method usually can save quite a few ability points."
"The Martial Arts I recently obtained, Profound Crystal Spirit Armor and Star Scar Nine Steps, are still at Beginner proficiency. I'll upgrade them to Advanced first."
With that thought, Lin Yuan spent 4,000 ability points to upgrade the two Martial Arts to Advanced.
"I often use my fists to attack. Since Fist Technique has reached the Beginner level, I should upgrade it too."
Lin Yuan spent another 2,000 ability points to upgrade Fist Technique to Advanced.
He preferred using his fists for attacks; they were fierce, domineering, simple, and direct, offering a kind of simple and brutal satisfaction...
"I have 14,000 ability points remaining. I'll save them for now. The returns from upgrading the Martial Arts Level are much higher than simply adding combat power with ability points. I'll keep them for unforeseen needs."
With that decided, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, stood up, stretched his limbs, and prepared to continue hunting fierce beasts.
"You broke through already?" Chu Yunfeng's confused voice came.
"Yeah, what else?" Lin Yuan asked, puzzled.
"Holy crap! What kind of monster are you? It takes others at least several hours of cultivation to break through smoothly, but you just managed it in the time it takes to fart! Was it that casual?" Chu Yunfeng exclaimed in shock. He had been with Lin Yuan for a while but always felt Lin Yuan was vastly different from martial artists in the conventional sense, someone even a powerful figure like him from the starry sky couldn't see through.
"I—I had cultivated enough. That was just a quick breakthrough," Lin Yuan offered a casual explanation.
Without waiting for Chu Yunfeng to question further, he quickly changed the subject. "Old Chu, you mentioned a group of fierce beasts over there just now. What kind are they?"
"It's a pack of Prairie Leopards, over a dozen of them. But among them is a mutated breed, the Fluorescent Leopard," Chu Yunfeng replied.
"Fluorescent Leopard? Heh heh—only women like that thing. As a man, I have no interest in it. In my eyes, they are just fierce beasts," Lin Yuan said with a faint smile. He had learned about the Fluorescent Leopard in his high school textbooks; it was a mutated strain of the Prairie Leopard.
It was an extremely peculiar fierce beast, not because of any special ability, but because its entire body glowed with fluorescence, shining even in darkness. Even after death, its fur and bones retained this beautiful fluorescent color, making it a favorite material for women making clothes and accessories.
Its dried flesh was also a rare spice. Alchemists could refine this spice into perfumes, which were highly sought after by young women due to their rarity and unique scent.
But for Lin Yuan, it was useless; it was merely a source of ability points.
"Heh heh—you kid, you really are a straight-laced man. This thing is a great tool for pleasing girls, yet you look down on it," Chu Yunfeng laughed.
Hearing this, a stunningly beautiful figure suddenly flashed through Lin Yuan's mind---
Mu Qianqian was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she possessed an ethereal, otherworldly temperament that no other girl could match.
Unconsciously, Lin Yuan seemed to have taken her to heart---
"Cough, cough—let's go take a look. We need to hunt fierce beasts anyway," Lin Yuan coughed to cover up his thoughts and sped rapidly towards the northwest—