Chapter 027 — Xu Ran: Lacking Divine Skills? All of Mine Are Divine!

Upon seeing Xu Ran’s youthful yet handsome face, the mothers’ expressions turned peculiar in an instant. They instinctively held their breath, casting worried glances at their own children. At this very moment, the words "immense pressure" were clearly written on their foreheads.

"Ning Lan’s mom, are you feeling that much pressure?"
"Qi Qi’s mom, it’s clearly you who is under the most pressure; look at the sweat on your forehead..."
The mothers accused each other of being anxious.
"No! Why should we be afraid?"
"Little Liuli was defeated; he surely cannot maintain his undefeated record!"
"After the age of six, human children can break the second shackle. Not only does the conversion rate of blood energy to physical strength jump from 10% to 50%, but they can also fully master the power of their innate bone structure! With both combined, their strength surges dozens of times over! Haven't you seen that Little Liuli, who used to be like a god of war, has been defeated over fifty times today?"
"Yes, yes! Today is different from the past! Our children’s strength growth is like riding a rocket! They are very powerful!"
"Mentor Li Qinghong once said that the second shackle imposed by the cosmic rules on human cubs breaks at the age of six. Countless geniuses will soar to the skies during this period!"
"Exactly! By the age of eight, when the third shackle breaks and they formally embark on the path of cultivation, the gap between our children and Little Liuli will widen once again!"
"Well said! Little Ran used to be invincible because, before the age of six, gifted cubs carried two shackles! Now that the second shackle is broken, they will definitely be able to defeat Little Ran!"

The mothers kept encouraging and cheering them on. Unfortunately, the thirteen children on the sparring ring retreated a few steps in unison, shielding Zhu Yuheng, Feng Yan, Bian Yue, Bie Jingqiu, and Zhuge Huangjin behind them. They were terrified. Although Xu Ran had the privilege of not attending class often, every time he did, he taught them a lesson. Two and a half years! Two and a half full years of suppression had already branded the belief that "Xu Ran is invincible" deep into the children's minds. How could they dare to charge forward?

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! They kept the others protected behind them.
Seeing this, the white-haired, white-browed little girl Zhu Yuheng: "..."
Feng Yan: "..."
The heroic-looking Bian Yue: "..."
Bie Jingqiu: "..."
The chubby Zhuge Huangjin: "..."
The worried mothers: "..."

"It's over; our children have completely lost their fighting spirit... What should we do?" They looked at Xu Ran with lingering fear, their eyes complex. This child was only four years and nine months old, yet his combat talent was suffocatingly high. Mentor Li Qinghong had marveled at him several times, the headmaster praised him from time to time, and a group of super geniuses had been left with deep psychological shadows. He was a towering mountain, inducing despair.

The mothers waved their fists and cheered loudly: "Don't be afraid, babies! You are already six years old, you have fully mastered the power of your innate bones, and if you can beat Little Liuli, you can definitely beat Little Ran."
"Conquer your inner demons and be reborn from the ashes!"

Amidst the constant encouragement, the children lost themselves, and fighting spirit ignited in their eyes once more.
"That's right! We are six years old now! Our physical strength conversion rate has reached 50%!! We have mastered our innate bone power; we can definitely do it!"
"We defeated Little Liuli; can't we beat Little Ran?"
One child shouted: "Little Ran, come up here! We will definitely defeat you this time! We are the strongest geniuses!"
The thirteen children stepped forward aggressively. Although they still kept Zhu Yuheng, Feng Yan, Bian Yue, Bie Jingqiu, and Zhuge Huangjin protected behind them, this was already a huge improvement.

Xu Ran: "..."
He glanced at the geniuses on the ring. Ignoring them, he searched for Tiger Girl.
"Hmm? Where is Tiger Girl?"
Xu Ran looked around and only saw Aunt Chen. Looking closely, he realized that the moment the door pushed open, Tiger Girl had nimbly slipped behind Aunt Chen, burying her little head into the small of Aunt Chen's back and even covering her face with her tiny palms. She had hidden herself so thoroughly; no wonder he couldn't find her.

Xu Ran and his mother walked over.
"Good morning, Aunt Chen."
"Little Liuli? Are you not going to greet me?"
"Little Ran brother..."
Tiger Girl refused to show her face, her voice lacking its usual vigor. Xu Ran couldn't help but laugh.
"How is it? Does it hurt?"
Tiger Girl: "What hurts? I don't know..."
Hiding behind Aunt Chen, Tiger Girl spoke with a light tone, pretending nothing had happened, but her head remained buried deep like an ostrich, with only her reddened little ears visible.

Xu Ran laughed out loud. *You little thing, you've been running wild for two and a half years, and now you’ve finally been beaten back, haven't you?*

Of course, laughter aside, Xu Ran stood unconditionally on Tiger Girl's side: "It's okay, brother will go up and avenge you."
"Don't go! They have fully mastered their innate bone powers; you can't beat them!" Tiger Girl urged anxiously, accidentally revealing her little head—she was bruised and battered, her eye sockets as dark as a panda cub's, her left eye half-closed, and her already chubby cheeks were swollen even further. There were even bumps piling up on her head.

Xu Ran laughed out loud again. He understood; Tiger Girl must have refused to admit defeat on the ring, stubbornly climbing back up to charge even after being knocked down, which was why she had received dozens of extra beatings. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in such a miserable state.
"Are you stupid? Wouldn't it have been enough to just admit defeat?"
"I didn't lose! I didn't lose. I just didn't eat enough this morning... From now on, I'll eat three pieces of meat every meal!"
After her stubborn retort, she hid back behind Aunt Chen, burying her face deep, clearly not wanting Xu Ran to see her disheveled state.

Just as Xu Ran was about to offer more comfort, the little kids on the free-sparring ring, now fueled by fighting spirit, became increasingly noisy.
"Little Ran, get up here!"
"You're just a little brother now!"
"Yes, a little brother!"
"???"
*Fine, fine, so that's how you want to act? Looks like your skin is itching!*

Xu Ran put on his gloves and hopped onto the ring. Tiger Girl panicked and trotted over to grab him: "Little Ran brother, come down quickly!"
Xu Ran waved his hand and turned to face the group of little geniuses: "All of you, come at me together!"

Zhu Yuheng, Feng Yan, and Bie Jingqiu looked at each other. How could he be so confident? Not even wearing protective gear?
The white-haired, white-browed little girl Zhu Yuheng said: "I... I will freeze him..."
Feng Yan jumped to the front, adopting a defensive stance with golden light surging over his body: "I'll take the lead!"
Bie Jingqiu: "I'll handle the mental attacks to disrupt his offense."
"Bian Yue, the attacks are up to you."
Zhuge Huangjin: "What about me? I... I'll speed you all up."
The top five super geniuses efficiently formed a "battle formation."

The first to move was Zhu Yuheng. Ripples like flowing water bloomed from the heart of this naturally white-haired girl. In an instant, Xu Ran felt as if he had been dragged into a slow-motion space, his movements becoming sluggish.
"Hmm? This seems to be an ability related to time? To think she possesses such a miraculous innate bone structure," Xu Ran thought, slightly surprised. "Bie Jingqiu is using a mental attack. However, mental attacks at this stage are about as effective as a tickle. Funny."
"Bian Yue has the Sword God bone? At only six years old, she already has an incomparably sharp sword intent. That's interesting."
"Zhuge Huangjin is making them faster..."
"As expected of super geniuses who have mastered their innate bone powers after the age of six. They fight quite impressively; they could probably defeat an adult cultivator with 3,000 points of blood energy now."

Xu Ran analyzed them like a mentor, his eyes filled with the praise one might have for a junior. At this moment, the five-person "battle formation" was high in spirits, attacking Xu Ran step by step.
Xu Ran narrowed his eyes: "How much strength should I use? One-fiftieth? One-fiftieth should be enough."
Skills like his perfected "Paper Folding Telepathy" or "Little Xu Flying Daggers" were completely unnecessary; using them would be like using a dragon-slaying sword to kill a chicken. It wasn't necessary—truly not necessary. It would be too much bullying.

He suppressed his agility and employed entry-level "Shadow Steps" combined with "Grass-Skipping Lightness Skill." Even so, he moved as if strolling through a garden, breaking free from Zhu Yuheng's time suppression. Then, a handsome figure flickered, passing through the defenses of Feng Yan and Bian Yue, and walked right up to Zhu Yuheng.

The wind picked up! Zhu Yuheng’s white hair blew back, revealing her wide, fair forehead. She stared at Xu Ran, who was within arm's reach, with wide eyes. Like a frightened little rabbit, panic flooded her eyes.
"H-how can this be..."
Xu Ran grabbed her arm, gave her two solid punches to the eyes, and then tossed her to the edge of the ring like a shot put.
"Ah..."
She tumbled off the stage, dizzy, with little stars seemingly spinning around her head. Once a mage was closed in on, they were as fragile as a doll—shattered at a touch.

Bie Jingqiu was the same; the mental attack had no effect on Xu Ran.
*Bam! Bam!*
After receiving two black eyes, she immediately became a bowling ball, rolling over ten meters and crashing into Zhu Yuheng.
Zhu Yuheng: "Ah..."
Bie Jingqiu: "Ah..."
Stars began to spin around the heads of both little girls. The two control-type fighters were taken out.

Bian Yue was dumbfounded: "You... you... you... don't come over here!"
"Get down!"
Xu Ran gave her two black eyes and kept playing bowling.
Zhu Yuheng: "Ah..."
Bie Jingqiu: "Ah..."
Bian Yue: "Ah..."

[You have defeated a super genius, Juvenile Supreme progress +1...]
[You have defeated a super genius, Juvenile Supreme progress +1...]
[You have defeated a super genius, Juvenile Supreme progress +1...]

Xu Ran turned his gaze to Zhuge Huangjin. The little chubby boy slid to his knees: "I surrender, please don't hit my face."
"Heh."
With two punches, Zhuge Huangjin rolled off the ring with black eyes. Only Feng Yan remained of the top five. He was left for last because, with his golden glow, Feng Yan defended like a Xuanwu guarding a monument, making it difficult to throw him off. Xu Ran kicked him a few times, slowly knocking the mountain-like defender off the ring and piling him onto Zhuge Huangjin.

Feng Yan didn't make a sound, like a silent mountain. Zhuge Huangjin, however, complained with full vigor: "Ouch... why are you doing that!"

Afterward, Xu Ran strolled about, dealing out thirteen pairs of panda eyes. They couldn't dodge; they simply couldn't dodge. The geniuses were devastated. Deep down, the psychological imprint that "Xu Ran is invincible" deepened once again.

[Progress +1...]
[Progress +1...]
[Progress +1...]

In just a few minutes, the progress toward the golden achievement "Juvenile Supreme" had reached 53 points.

"Lit—tle Ran—Bro—ther~"
"Heh heh heh heh heh! Lit—tle Ran—Bro—ther!"
Under the ring, the bruised and battered Tiger Girl grinned broadly, clapping her little hands vigorously. Seeing her daughter bruised but still excitedly cheering, the frustration in Tiger Girl's mother's heart vanished: "Well done, Little Ran!"

However, as Xu Ran’s biological mother, Lin Qian only nodded slightly, showing little excitement. She was already accustomed to Xu Ran's excellence—her son always got a hundred on his exams; it was always a hundred, and this time he got a hundred again. *Stay calm, alright? It's just basic operation!* she thought, looking completely nonchalant.

In stark contrast to her were the other mothers. They closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.
"They lost so miserably; it was almost a crushing defeat..."
"Six-year-olds who have broken the second shackle and mastered their innate bone powers... and they still couldn't win? These are the strongest geniuses in Jing Province, and they were beaten to a pulp..."
"His combat techniques are truly too brilliant! He’s like a cultivator who has spent ten years honing his movement skills!"
"Is this the horror of the Enlightenment Bone? Sigh..." The mothers sighed in despair.

A group of guards: "..."
Li Qinghong took a deep breath: "Headmaster, what exactly is going on? I thought Xu Ran was going to fall behind... but he's still crushing them?" She couldn't help but be confused. What exactly was the level of Xu Ran's Enlightenment Bone? She had thought this intangible, invisible talent would be overshadowed by the innate bones of Zhu Yuheng and the others, but now it seemed it wasn't that simple.

The headmaster leaned in to whisper: "I don't know, it's hard to tell for now."
"I remember three years ago, he could communicate with birds and summon a flock of them! With his enlightenment, perhaps he has been hiding strange abilities all these years."
"Anyway, ever since he entered the Demigod Kindergarten, he has been feeding animals, swimming, mountain climbing, reading in the library, folding paper, practicing darts—rain or shine—every single day. Two years ago, he even secretly ate the bones of Tier 7 crystal beasts. Even now, he eats a few pieces every day..."

Li Qinghong's eyes widened: "Ah? Eating crystal beast bones? What is he doing that for?"
The headmaster spread his hands: "I don't know. He must have his reasons. As the headmaster, I don't pry into his privacy. I've only glanced at him when I was curious."
Li Qinghong became even more confused: "...He also practices darts? How is his dart skill? And what is he doing with the paper folding?"
The headmaster pondered slightly: "His dart skill is pinpoint accurate. As for the paper folding, I suspect he might be gaining insights into something, but exactly what, I can't fathom."

Li Qinghong was shocked: "So he's actually been hiding his trump cards?"
The headmaster smiled faintly: "It's not hiding trump cards; it's that no one has been able to force him to use them. If they aren't needed, how can you call it hiding?"
Li Qinghong was astonished, but also felt increasingly sorry for him.
"Headmaster, can an Enlightenment Bone, which is so ethereal that even its magnetic field strength cannot be detected, provide a cultivator with a heaven-sent powerful divine skill or a heaven-sent boost?"

The headmaster pondered briefly. "Theoretically, no. If the magnetic field fluctuations cannot be detected, it means there is no high-core energy. Without high-core energy, there is no way to manifest divine skills or obtain heaven-sent boosts."

Hearing this, Li Qinghong couldn't help but feel pity: "If that's the case, Xu Ran is missing two divine skills compared to the other geniuses. Does that mean that no matter how hard he tries in the future, he won't be able to make up for this gap in talent?"