Section 052: Formidable Opponents: [Mirror Supreme], [Thousand Thunders Purging Sins], [Eight-Armed Nascent Soul]!

Eight years old.

While Xu Ran was still deep in his dreams, the hand of time, harboring some mysterious and mighty power, silently and imperceptibly ushered him into his adolescence.

Sleeping sweetly, he was unaware of any change, as if everything were happening like a gentle spring rain that moistened the earth in total silence.

At six o'clock in the morning, Xu Ran slowly woke up. He felt refreshed, full of vitality, and in a state of high excitement, much like a giant bamboo shoot shooting up after a spring rain.

Yet, the moment he opened his eyes,

he froze. The earth-shaking transformation within his body left him both stunned and shocked.

Suspended magnetically against the ceiling, Xu Ran immediately turned his consciousness inward to examine his meridians and bones.

How could he describe the sensation?

The formless shackles of the universe had silently shattered at the very instant time reached its fullness. The structural integrity of his bones was now initially formed, allowing vital qi and blood to circulate within his meridians! He could now mobilize qi and blood to temper his physical vessel! He could now practice arcane techniques!

If Xu Ran's qi and blood had previously been like a scattered band of irregular soldiers dispersed among sixty trillion cells,

then at this very moment, those scattered soldiers had converged to form an indestructible military array!

Having completed three innate baptisms during his infancy, Xu Ran's refined physical body had finally cast off its dust, gleaming brightly and radiating brilliance!

Driven by the powerful core of his heart, the more than thirty thousand wisps of qi and blood within his body automatically surged into his meridians, galloping and frolicking along them!

He was just one cultivation method away from ascending to "divinity"!

Yet, even without having yet touched any cultivation method, Xu Ran could already feel his own immense strength.

Within his physical body, a divine dragon with infinite potential seemed to be coiled.

After the qi and blood surged through his meridians over and over again, an invincible aura condensed within his internal organs.

He could not help but recall a famous phrase: "Shurima, your emperor has returned."

"This confidence brought by one's own strength is simply too intoxicating. No wonder I love self-discipline!"

He had already loved self-discipline to begin with, and now he loved it even more!

Xu Ran smiled faintly, dropping down from the ceiling. With a slight flick of his mind, he condensed an invisible wall of air just above the bed, then walked through the void until his feet touched the floor.

His pace was as poised as that of a grandmaster of an era.

Only his face and facial features remained utterly youthful, clearly marking him as a wet-behind-the-ears child.

Of course,

none of that mattered.

What mattered was that he was now eight years old. He could now claim his cultivation method and officially collect the rewards for slaying the 【Nightmare Resentful Mother】: a supreme-tier arcane technique and a supreme-tier weapon!

Once he mastered the cultivation method, he could learn the Qi and Blood Illumination Technique, then enter the alien battlefield, secure the golden achievement 【Murderous Heart Ablaze】, and forge the Myriad Tribulations Flame—his physical Nirvana was right in front of him...

"The period ahead is a favorite for a self-discipline fanatic like me."

A smile played across Xu Ran's youthful features as he bounced around to warm up.

Warming up all the while, he hopped his way out of the room.

After washing up!

With his mother still asleep, he called out a greeting outside her door and headed to the cafeteria by himself.

He feasted heartily on crystal beast meat, gaining +5 qi and blood points.

After eating his fill, Xu Ran gave a light leap and bounced up into the clouds. Bouncing around among the clouds, he landed on the balcony of the headmaster's office building and crawled in like a gecko.

"Headmaster, Headmaster, stop sleeping."

Groroggy and heavy-eyed, the headmaster muttered, "You brat, what are you doing crawling through my window?"

Glancing up at the clock with his slightly graying temples, the headmaster said, "Only six o'clock? You brat, your daily routine is so regular, coming to exhaust an old man like me who has a million things on his mind, sleeps late, and hates waking up early, aren't you?"

"Do you want a beating with bamboo shoots and pork? Hurry up, go play by yourself. Let me sleep a bit more."

Xu Ran didn't budge an inch. "...Headmaster, I've got good news for you. I've turned eight, and my qi and blood are now circulating automatically through my meridians..."

Hearing this, the headmaster instantly snapped to full alertness. He opened his sleepy eyes, stared at Xu Ran, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out considerably.

"You're eight? Come to think of it, you really are eight..."

"H-huh? Qi and blood circulating automatically in your meridians?! I remember your qi and blood value is around 5,500 points, right? How could it possibly circulate automatically in your meridians?!"

"Zhu Yuheng has 6,000 qi and blood points and hers doesn't circulate automatically yet, nor do any of the other super geniuses. How is it different for you?"

The headmaster sat straight up, staring intently at Xu Ran. "Automatic circulation of qi and blood requires at least 10,000 points. Tell me the truth, what is your exact qi and blood value?"

Xu Ran brushed it off with a laugh, "Maybe my qi and blood are just relatively pure."

"Of course, that's not the main point... You know what I mean, Headmaster!"

The headmaster replied, "The main point is that you want to get the qi and blood cultivation method, right? I understand. The other super geniuses have all started practicing, and both you and little Liuli are in a rush..."

Xu Ran corrected him righteously, "Headmaster, it's not just the cultivation method, but also the reward for slaying the 【Nightmare Resentful Mother】—a supreme-tier arcane technique and a supreme-tier weapon."

"I also want a top-tier Qi and Blood Illumination Technique... Of course, if you're willing to give me a few extra divine techniques, I won't turn them down."

Xu Ran puffed out his chest, looking completely justified.

The headmaster snorted, "In your dreams! Aren't two supreme-tier rewards enough? Don't you understand the proverb about biting off more than you can chew? First master the qi and blood cultivation method, get proficient with it, and then study supreme-tier techniques..."

Xu Ran curled his lip. "Headmaster, you haven't woken up yet. Is that kind of cliché line something you should say to a super genius who possesses the golden comprehension bone? Have you forgotten who taught me the Stealth Technique? Who taught me the Phantom Movement? Who taught me the Three Thousand Thundering Movements?"

The headmaster composed himself. "..."

"Right, you have the comprehension bone... but still, don't be too greedy."

Xu Ran retorted, "Not greedy at all, not a single thing I'm owed should be missing."

The headmaster got out of bed. "Don't worry, nothing will be missing."

Xu Ran beamed. "That's wonderful then. I can't wait to see what kind of speed a comprehension bone achieves when learning cultivation methods and arcane techniques."

His high-level comprehension progress had already reached 60,000 out of 100,000...

He was only four hundred days away from unlocking the next sequence: 【Adept at Epiphany】.

With a high-level comprehension progressing at such a rate, learning arcane techniques should yield twice the result with half the effort. He hoped to grasp them at a single glance!

As he was pondering, the headmaster finished dressing.

"You brat, sigh... Three hundred and thirty days from now is the God-Slaying Squad Selection Tournament... The outlook is grim..."

"Last night, I received the latest intelligence. Capital City, Demon City, and the Northwest have all hidden a few terrifying geniuses..."

"I was originally counting on you guys to soar straight to the sky in next year's selection tournament and let me hold my head high for once, but looking at it now, it's going to be tough."

The headmaster sighed as he spoke.

Xu Ran remarked, "Building up others' morale while crushing our own prestige—Headmaster, in ancient times when leading troops into battle, behavior like yours would get you beheaded to serve as a sacrifice for the banner."

The headmaster paused. "..."

"What nonsense! I'm just feeling a sense of powerlessness when I look at those geniuses. Sigh!"

Xu Ran remained calm. "What kind of level are these geniuses? Is there detailed intelligence? Tell me about it."

Though he was already strong enough, "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles" remained his motto. If he went into battle without even knowing the opponent's abilities, no matter how strong he was, there was a chance he'd be sliced into pieces...

The headmaster mused, "The intelligence is already here. But are you sure you want to hear it? Every single one of these super geniuses is suffocatingly impressive."

It was clear that the headmaster was filled with anxiety.

Xu Ran urged, "Spit it out."

The headmaster said, "Listen carefully, these few are your formidable opponents. Their bone structures and innate divine abilities are nothing short of monstrous. Let's see if your comprehension bone can help you find a counter-strategy."

With that,

the headmaster turned dead serious in a second.

"The first threat is the 【Mirror Supreme】 Qin Yihou. She can replicate the divine abilities of multiple practitioners and slowly strengthen them within her mirror world. It is said that she has now fused over a dozen innate divine abilities spanning defense, attack, speed, enhancement, and healing... among which are even innate divine abilities belonging to golden bones."

Xu Ran raised an eyebrow. That was a rather formidable bone structure.

Mirror replication followed by enhancement, possessing over a dozen innate divine abilities in defense, attack, speed, enhancement, and healing simultaneously—she might even be concealing even more bizarre replication abilities. No wonder the headmaster had been sighing.

She was indeed formidable.

Seeing Xu Ran raise an eyebrow, the headmaster shook his head slightly, "Surprised? Replication alone wouldn't be much. The crucial point is that she can refine them. Having perfected more than a dozen abilities, she is like a hexafunctional warrior. The key is that she is already ten years old—she has practiced for a full two years longer than you."

"Over the past two years, her battles against crystal beasts, resentful beasts, and phantoms have been nothing short of breathtaking. The powerhouses in the Capital City all believe she will be the undisputed number one of this cohort."

Xu Ran remained indifferent. "What is her qi and blood value?"

The headmaster replied, "Her qi and blood value is around 43,000 points."

Xu Ran feigned respectful awe, "Having cultivated two years longer than me and reaching a qi and blood value of 43,000... Impressive, impressive!"

Well... to be honest... a qi and blood value of just over 40,000 was completely insignificant in front of Xu Ran.

Two years ago, he was already capable of slaying crystal beasts with a qi and blood value of 40,000.

Now, two years later... as long as he went out to net a batch of new souls and upgraded the Assassin Mantis, he could slay opponents with 100,000 qi and blood points.

The Mirror Supreme?

Xu Ran smiled without a word.

"And the second one?"

The headmaster knitted his brows. "The second troublesome opponent is named Chi Mengli. She possesses the innate divine ability 【Microscopic Myriad Phases】. She can produce all sorts of fine toxic powders, sleeping powders, and anesthetic powders. Even if they merely brush against someone's skin, they cause the victim to lose the ability to act. What's even more terrifying is that she seems to have never used her full strength. Some speculate she possesses even more bizarre methods."

Xu Ran murmured, "Hmm... This one is indeed rather difficult to guard against..."

It certainly sounded tricky.

Still, his 【Purifying Spirit Body】 should completely counter it.

Thinking of his trump card, Xu Ran smiled faintly. "And the third one?"

The headmaster continued, "The third formidable competitor is named Huo Yuan. He possesses the innate divine ability 【Sin-Purging Thousand Thunders】, mastering multiple types of lightning forces that come with purification, ferocious attacks, extreme lightning speed, and even divine thunder armor. He is also an all-around hexafunctional warrior integrating offense and defense."

"The fourth is Chang Jun, who possesses the bone power of the 【God-Slaying Armor】, capable of creating an indestructible god-slaying armor..."

"The fifth is Bai Huang, who possesses the mental power bone 【Eight-Armed Infant Primordial】. Her mental power bone is several times superior even to Bie Jingqiu's. Back when she was eight years old, she could already manifest an eight-armed spirit body outside her body, and the impact of that spirit body could cause practitioners of the Hill Realm to feel dizzy."

"Their advantages lie not only in their bone structures but also in the fact that all of them have cultivated two years longer than you. In my view, these five form the top tier. You'll probably only be able to compete for the top ten..."

Xu Ran smiled, "Headmaster, be bolder—I am going to be number one."

The headmaster waved his hand. "Number one is exceptionally difficult; I won't put too much pressure on you. If you can make the top five, I'll burn incense and kowtow to my ancestors."

Xu Ran laughed heartily. "Headmaster, let's put it this way: if I take first place, will there be a special reward?"

The headmaster looked at Xu Ran with utter seriousness. "If you can take first place, then I will reveal a supreme fortuitous encounter to you."

"I have buried this fortune in my heart for a hundred and fifty years and told not a single soul. Inside it likely lies a divine-level treasure capable of uncovering an entirely new realm never before understood by humanity."

Xu Ran raised an eyebrow. "What kind of thing is so mysterious? Give me the details."

The headmaster replied, "Win first place first."

Xu Ran said, "I'm already going to be number one, just spit it out!"

The headmaster chided, "Stop spouting nonsense. Once you defeat all the super geniuses under the witness of the mentors from all provincial kindergartens and take first place, I'll tell you everything. It certainly won't disappoint you."

Xu Ran waved his hand, too lazy to argue with the headmaster.

First place was definitely his, after all; he had to complete the golden achievement 【Juvenile Supreme】.

For the sake of that golden achievement, no one could stop Xu Ran.

"Fine, fine. After I take first place, I'll come listen to your secret."

"First, take me to collect the reward for the 【Nightmare Resentful Mother】? I can't wait to start cultivating!"

The headmaster stood up. "Alright, let me wash my face."

With that, the little old man quickly washed up and led Xu Ran into the inner vault of the collection room.

"You should have read the knowledge points in your books. Human practitioners discovered that engraving arcane techniques onto the precious bones of crystal beasts like the Heavenly Spirit Tortoise makes them much easier for people to understand. Moreover, if there's any flaw, the Heavenly Spirit Tortoise bone can even provide prompts."

"Therefore, we have engraved many high-tier arcane techniques onto the highest-quality Heavenly Spirit Tortoise shells to make it easier for children to study."

"In the Jing Province Kindergarten, there are a total of sixteen supreme-tier qi and blood cultivation methods stored here. This is the crystallization of wisdom from the upper echelons of Huaxia. Only children in semi-god kindergartens can choose them unconditionally; anyone else requires first-class merits, special merits, or sufficient enemy kills and accumulated points."

"As a child of the semi-god kindergarten, pick one!"

The headmaster pushed open the door to the innermost vault.

A resplendent space came into view, with golden light refracting from custom-built glass display cases.

Looking closely, palm-sized Heavenly Spirit Tortoise shells rested inside the glass cases, the characters upon them gleaming with brilliant colors and emitting bizarre ripples.

Beneath the glass cases were attached detailed descriptions of the cultivation methods. As long as one could read, they could understand at a glance the origin of the precious bone, the engraver, its strengths, weaknesses, and advantages.

Xu Ran's eyes brightened: "The qi and blood cultivation method most compatible with sword-type bones..."

"The qi and blood cultivation method most compatible with mental-type bones, coming with mental power tempering techniques..."

"The qi and blood cultivation method most suitable for shield-type bones..."

"The qi and blood cultivation method most suitable for wind-type bones..."

"Unique cultivation method, created by Chen Fan, exceptionally high difficulty, please choose at your own discretion..."

Xu Ran looked toward the final red tortoise shell.

The headmaster explained, "Chen Fan, Chief of the Xia State. The pioneer of human cultivation. The unique cultivation method he created is the most abstruse and difficult, yet the enhancements Chen Fan gained from practicing this unique method were terrifying. Do you want to choose this one?"

"Actually, very few people choose it because its personal characteristics are too distinct. I suggest you pick..."

Xu Ran interrupted, "Headmaster, I have a special request, and I hope you'll agree."

The headmaster raised an eyebrow, his left eyelid twitching wildly. He had a faint, creeping premonition that the naive little imp before him was about to pull off something utterly outrageous: "Tell me first. As long as it's not too outrageous, I'll consider it..."