Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

Seeing Sun Jinghuan kill a phantom mushroom, Lin Ran couldn't help but shake his head: "Oh dear... I miscalculated. I failed to keep my promise."

Of course, even so, Sun Jinghuan could only take the opportunity to kill some first-tier mutated creatures, and his points increased slowly.

Once the six hours were up, a notification sounded indicating the end of the assessment, and all candidates were forced to exit the virtual environment.

Lin Ran stepped out of the holographic capsule and immediately opened the ranking page.

The first place winner is Chu Xining, with 31260 points.

An ice-type awakener at the Innate Realm was a veritable harvester in the valley; even a third-tier Abyss Blade Beast couldn't get close to her. First place was no surprise.

The second place went to Su Jin, a student from Xinhai No. 7 Middle School, with 28290 points.

Lin Ran glanced at the profile picture next to the ranking; it was a boy with a cold and arrogant expression.

Lin Ran himself came in third place with a total score of 26470.

A lot of time was wasted trying to target Sun Jinghuan, causing him to miss out on first place.

Fourth place Qin Wuyai and fifth place Bai Ruolin are very close in points, with one having 16300 and the other having 15720.

Sun Jinghuan ranked fifteenth with 9574 points, most of which were accumulated during the first half of the exam.

Lin Ran failed to take first place, and Sun Jinghuan also failed to make it into the top ten, so it can be said that both suffered losses.

However, this result had no impact on Lin Ran.

All he wants is to make it into the top ten and participate in the national tournament.

Whether it's first or tenth, the difference isn't significant.

In contrast, Sun Jinghuan was different.

The guy walked out of the holographic pod looking completely dejected, as if all his bones had been removed.

An S-level talent, ranked fifteenth in the city, feels like a joke.

This score probably won't meet the admission standards of Kyoto Martial Arts Academy, so I'll have to settle for Shinkai Martial Arts Academy instead.

If Lin Ran knew what he was thinking, she would definitely comfort him, saying, "Don't worry so much, you can't go to any college anyway. Because you won't live to see the start of the semester!"

Chu Xining jumped out of the holographic pod and ran to Lin Ran, exclaiming, "Brother Lin Ran, I'm number one!"

"I saw it." Lin Ran closed the ranking page and smiled. "You're already at the Innate Realm, what's so strange about getting first place?"

Chu Xining stuck out her tongue: "Can't you praise me?"

"Okay, okay, Xining is the best," Lin Ran said dismissively.

"Hmph, not sincere at all." Chu Xining crossed her arms and pouted.

A group of students emerged from the holographic capsule and lined up in the plaza according to their schools.

Some people kept refreshing the ranking page, some hugged their classmates and laughed and jumped, and a few people squatted in the corner and remained silent.

At Xinhai No. 1 Middle School, Qin Wuyai remained quietly leaning against the wall, as if his fourth-place ranking had nothing to do with him.

Bai Ruolin stood not far away, looking down at the points details on her wristband.

Zhao Meng stood in front of Zheng Hong, chin held high: "See that? I'm ranked eighteenth in the whole city!"

For a B-level Awakened, this achievement is something to be proud of.

A soft cough came from the loudspeaker.

The noise in the square gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to the podium.

City Lord Zhang Qichuan stood in front of the microphone, dressed in a dark blue suit with a gold badge of the City Lord's Mansion pinned to his chest.

As expected of Zhang Yingying's biological father, this city lord was also eight feet tall and had a majestic presence.

His gaze swept over the tens of thousands of young faces below the stage, and he slowly began to speak.

"Fellow young martial artists, first of all, on behalf of the City Lord's Mansion, I congratulate you all on successfully completing this martial arts examination."

"However... rankings on the list are only a temporary assessment, and are by no means the end of martial arts."

Those who pass the exam with flying colors will be admitted to top colleges for further studies, but they must not be arrogant or complacent. Those who fail should not be discouraged, but should study diligently and quietly, and their day will come.

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "The monsters in the secret realm have been causing trouble for years, and we martial artists are the last line of defense for Blue Star."

"Please do not forget your responsibility to protect our land and its people. In the future, it will be your mission to defend against otherworldly monsters and safeguard our people."

"May you all be benevolent and martial, forge ahead with determination, and one day be clad in the aura of the warriors, protecting our land and ensuring its safety."

Thunderous applause erupted in the square.

As the applause subsided, Zhang Qichuan and the others turned to the side and waved to those behind them.

Several staff members carried the prizes onto the stage.

At the front are three dark gray wristbands, and behind them are ten silver briefcases.

The top ten will each receive a set of potions, while the top three will receive an additional nano suit bracelet.

"Now, please welcome the top ten winners from across the city to the stage to receive their awards."

A suppressed murmur arose from the audience.

"One set of Star Moon Potion costs 20 million, so ten sets would be 200 million."

"The top three will receive an extra holographic bracelet with a nano suit attached, which is a rare and priceless item."

"Yes, this is military equipment and is not available on the market at all."

"It's said that they're selling for 50 million each on the black market, which is much more expensive than any potion!"

Based on the estimated prices mentioned by the crowd, these rewards cost approximately 350 million, which is quite a sum for the City Lord's Mansion.

Lin Ran followed the top ten teams onto the stage and stood in the third position.

When he received the dark gray metal wristband, he had only one thought in his mind: if he had known there would be this reward, he shouldn't have spent his own money to buy the bracelet in the first place.

He glanced down at the Boundless M80 Pro on his wrist, then at the brand-new Nano Suit Bracelet in his hand, his expression slightly helpless.

Zhang Qichuan presented the prizes to each student and then said to the top ten students, "Three days later, you will all come with me to Kyoto to participate in the national tournament. There will be a private plane to pick you up, and the specific arrangements will be communicated to you by your respective school teachers."

After the awards ceremony, the queue began to loosen.

As staff prepared to remove the long table, Lin Ran took a step forward: "I want to report this! Someone tampered with my holographic pod!"

The previously agitated crowd instantly fell silent, all turning to look at Lin Ran.

Zhang Qichuan was about to step down from the side of the podium when he heard this and stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Ran's face, and remained silent for a moment.

"Lin Ran, right? I don't know what you mean by 'tampering'?" Zhang Qichuan walked up to Lin Ran, his tone calm.

"Someone adjusted my speed conversion ratio," Lin Ran admitted. "Throughout the assessment, I could only utilize about 30% of my normal speed."

Zhang Qichuan nodded slightly, his expression remaining unchanged: "To achieve a top-three finish with only 30% of the speed, Lin is indeed exceptionally talented."

"How should we handle this?" Lin Ran steered the conversation back on track.

"Don't rush me." Zhang Qichuan raised his hand and continued, "You suspect someone tampered with your holographic pod, but why would they do that?"

Lin Ran frowned: "Naturally, it's to limit my performance in the martial arts exam."

"What is the purpose of restricting you?" Zhang Qichuan pressed.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran vaguely sensed something was amiss and narrowed his eyes slightly: "They must have a grudge against me."

He knew perfectly well that the Sun family was behind this, their only goal being to ensure that Sun Jinghuan would pass the martial arts exam smoothly.

But there are some things you can do but can't say.

If he were to tell the truth directly, it would be tantamount to telling everyone that he was targeting Sun Jinghuan.

In this way, he, the victim, became the one who bullied the weak.

Even if he doesn't care about other people's opinions, he can't give Sun Jinghuan a chance to clear his name.

Zhang Qichuan stared into Lin Ran's eyes and said seriously, "If it's confirmed that someone tampered with your holographic pod, your score might have to be invalidated!"

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Lin Ran, are you sure you want to investigate?"

Lin Ran paused slightly, his brows furrowing.

What does that mean?

Is Zhang Qichuan protecting the Sun family?

No, Zhang Qichuan would never go to such lengths for the Sun family.

What went wrong?