Chapter 113: The No. 1 Spiritual Blood Genius in History
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
Under everyone's attention, Luo Shuihan walked toward the stone and placed her tiny hand on it.
"Beep!"
The stone gradually lit up, with its splendor getting brighter, and finally formed 26 light rings in total.
The students below were stunned speechless.
"Level 26 Spiritual Power at the age of 17?" Though Elder Yue Jingchan was prepared for this result, he was nevertheless surprised.
He had only reached level 39 after specializing in Spiritual Power for over 80 years. There was barely anyone in the 36 commanderies of the Omen Ridge who was his rival.
"The young students are getting stronger each year. We're getting old!" Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua sighed.
Looking upset, Duanmu Xingling stared at Luo Shuihan and murmured, "Freak!"
Both she and Huang Yanchen's Spiritual Power were above level 20. That was enough to mark them as outstanding but now they appeared so much weaker compared to Luo Shuihan.
The three female devils were far more talented than ordinary warriors and they shared a common point: they all became first-ranked freshmen before turning 16. Huang Yanchen became one when she was 16, Duanmu Xingling at 15, and Luo Shuihan at 13.
Something went off in Zhang Ruochen's head as if he had figured something out.
He also became the first-ranked freshman at the age of 16, so the three female devils could accept him as No. 1 of the Yellow Board in Dragon Martial Temple.
Everyone's gazes shifted toward Zhang Ruochen. He was the only one who had not been tested by the Sacred Testing Stone yet.
Prince Huo Xing glanced at him and smiled. "Didn't someone claim that his Spiritual Power has reached level 25? Why isn't he going to verify it?"
Xue Ling scoffed. "How can you believe what his nonsense? You really think he's more talented than Senior Sister Luo?"
Prince Huo Xing laughed and said, "That might not be true. The Ninth Prince is a talented genius of Martial Arts. I'm sure his Spiritual Power will exceed everyone's expectations, reaching above level 25."
Zhang Ruochen didn't concern himself with their sarcasm. He walked toward the stone and placed his palm on it.
Everyone turned their attention to the stone.
Though they didn't believe his Spiritual Power had reached level 25, they thought he would at least reach level 20 considering his ability to cultivate the realm of Sword Following the Mind. That was the best assumption they had for him.
"Swish!"
The surface of the Sacred Testing Stone lit up.
One ring, two rings, three rings... 10 rings, 11 rings...18 rings, 19 rings, 20 rings...
When the Sacred Testing Stone reached the 20th ring of light, Prince Huo Xing, Xue Ling, and Yuchi Tiancong turned pale. They couldn't believe what they had just seen.
Yet the rings of light on the stone didn't end but continued to grow.
21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th...
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to show off. He might bring himself more trouble if his Spiritual Power ended up surpassing Luo Shuihan, so he decided to stop.
When the stone revealed the 25th light streak, he took his palm away and rejoined the crowd.
"Impossible... He made it to level 25." Huang Yanchen bit her red lips, staring at Zhang Ruochen with a complicated expression.
"He's a freak like Luo Shuihan! This is absurd!" When Duanmu Xingling saw that Zhang Ruochen was walking past her, she forcefully stepped on his foot.
He didn't foresee her sudden attack, leaving his foot to suffer in pain. He glared at her as if he was saying, "Crazy woman! Why did you step on me?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her snow-white chin, looking rather pleased.
"Amazing. He almost caught up to Luo Shuihan." Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua stared at Zhang Ruochen, finding him incredible. She reminded herself to focus on training him in the future.
She laughed. "Elder Yue Jingchan, both Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan can be ranked in the top 10 students with the highest Spiritual Power in the history of the school, can't they?"
Elder Yue Jingchan nodded with a smile. "Luo Shuihan's Spiritual Power is strong enough to be ranked as No. 3 among all the geniuses in the history of the school. Zhang Ruochen can be ranked as No. 4."
Duanmu Xingling asked, "Who's the No. 1 genius of Spiritual Power? And No. 2?"
Elder Yue Jingchan responded, "The No. 1 student reached level 28 when he was 16 but he was a Weapon Refiner specializing in Spiritual Power. He, therefore, can't be compared to warriors who focus on Martial Arts."
"The No. 2 student was Luo Xu. When he was 16, he elevated his Spiritual Power to level 27 and became the No. 1 genius among warriors specializing in Martial Arts. No one was able to surpass him since then."
Just as everyone was stunned by the strength of Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan's Spiritual Power, the latter raised a point that caused another wave of shock.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen. "Junior fellow, you're holding back. Level 25 isn't the complete strength of your Spiritual Power."
Zhang Ruochen was caught off guard. He didn't expect her to notice that.
"He's at level 25 but he has been holding back?" Huang Yanchen was in disbelief. For her, level 25 was already an unbelievable achievement.
Could it be his Spiritual Power was higher than level 25?
Now that his secret was exposed, Zhang Ruochen was feeling embarrassed. He smiled and said, "You indeed have a sharp eye, Senior Sister. I can't hide anything from you, can I? It's true I'm holding back but not by a lot. I don't see the point of fully demonstrating my ability."
Luo Shuihan responded indifferently, "Were you worried about overshadowing me? Don't worry. I won't be jealous if your talent is incredible. Rather I would admire you even more."
Even Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua was stunned to hear the words 'admire' coming from Luo Shuihan and she kept giving Zhang Ruochen a meaningful look.
No one understood the nobleness of Luo Shuihan's status more than Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua. If Zhang Ruochen showed a magnificent talent and obtained Luo Shuihan's appreciation, he would definitely be a great warrior in the future with one word from the latter.
Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua said solemnly, "Zhang Ruochen, you should demonstrate your high talent if you're gifted with it. The School of the Martial Market is the place for you to show your talent in its entirety. Only the truly talented students will receive more resources and get better endeavors in their journey in practicing Martial Arts. If you can surpass the No. 1 Genius of Spiritual Power in the history of the Omen Ridge, I'll immediately get 10 drops of Half-Saint Essence from the School for you."
Prince Huo Xing, Yuchi Tiancong, and Xue Ling had been planning to humiliate Zhang Ruochen with this test but now they were embarrassing themselves instead.
If Zhang Ruochen truly surpassed the No. 1 Genius of Spiritual Power in the history of the school, he would definitely gain Luo Shuihan's recognition and receive great attention from the senior school officials. His achievement would truly go through the roof then.
The 10 drops of Half-Saint Essence was too important for Zhang Ruochen to give up on.
He walked toward the Sacred Testing Stone again. As he lifted his palm, he turned around and asked, "Deputy Headmaster, are you sure you can get those 10 drops of Half-Saint Essence for me?"
Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua had the sudden urge to punch Zhang Ruochen. He was only willing to demonstrate his true talent just to get the Half-Saint Essence! What an insolent brat!
She scoffed. "Don't you worry. If you truly show a high talent, the school will never mistreat you."
"Good then."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and placed his palm on the stone.
"Swish!"
The stone brightened up again, reaching 20 rings of lights in just a second but not stopping until it reached 25 rings.
The speed of the light began to slow, stopping momentarily before lighting up the 26th ring, and then the 27th ring...
Of course, Zhang Ruochen wouldn't really demonstrate the full extent of his Spiritual Power. Though he would receive more resources and better fostering if his Spiritual Power was higher, he knew it would just bring him disaster if his Spiritual Power was shown to be at level 30.
He played smart this time. He pretended to be strained, struggling to reach even more rings. His forehead was full of sweat and his body was shivering. The stone finally lit up with the 29th ring.
"Pfft!"
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and retrieved his hand. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he said to Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua and Elder Yue Jingchan, "I've tried my best and can only reach 29 rings of light."
When he lifted his head, he realized both of them were looking at him, as if they had become petrified.
He then looked at the students below and saw their facial expressions were even more exaggerated. They looked at him as if they were looking at a monster.
Oh no!
Zhang Ruochen knew something was wrong. He had thrown himself into a trap to get those 10 drops of Half-Saint Essence.
Just then, he saw Luo Shuihan looking at him calmly. She nodded at him, giving him an admiring and appreciative look.
Elder Yue Jingchan was the second to snap out of his shock. He laughed heartily, saying, "Great! There's an incredible young student in Western Campus! Looks like your school should be ranked No. 1 in terms of the quality of your freshmen, not No. 2!"
Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua looked flushed with pride. "Zhang Ruochen, you have my word. I'll definitely get those 10 drops of Half-Saint Essence for you."
Prince Huo Xing's face was twisted with envy. In front of Zhang Ruochen, he was nothing more than a mediocre person.
"What's wrong with the assassins of the Hades Department? Why haven't they killed Zhang Ruochen yet?" Prince Huo Xing said, his teeth clenched. He felt a deep sense of irritation whenever he saw Zhang Ruochen.
Deputy Headmaster Qing Hua said, "We've spent too much time on testing your Spiritual Power. Now, enter Divine Power Palace to practice. Remember, you only have two hours. You must make good use of your time inside."
The 12 genius students entered Divine Power Palace.
For the four freshmen, they found it mysterious and exciting to finally have the opportunity to practice in Divine Power Palace.
...