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

The next morning, Lin Ran went into the classroom as usual.

Zhao Meng looked up and saw him, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer, "Brother Ran, good morning."

"Good morning." Lin Ran nodded and walked to his seat.

Chu Xining glanced at him sideways, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath and slowly said, "Brother Lin Ran, don't be discouraged. Even if it's only F-rank talent, it doesn't matter. I can protect you from now on!"

Lin Ran turned her head, looking puzzled. "Do I look disheartened to you?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xining carefully examined his expression and replied seriously, "You seem distracted."

"You've misunderstood. I was thinking about something else." Lin Ran shook his head.

If he didn't leave the Lin family directly yesterday, it will be even more complicated for him to find an excuse to leave in the future.

Perhaps he needs to get the Lin family used to his presence.

This mainly refers to the three Lin sisters and Lin Haozhe, since the Lin couple are currently treating him quite well.

Sun Jinghuan, who was standing nearby, interjected, "Although most F-level cultivators stop at the Qi Opening Realm, there's always a chance of a miracle."

"Moreover, as the eldest son of the Lin family, Young Master Lin will inherit the Lin Group in the future, so he doesn't need to worry about his own strength."

At this point, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly: "After all, the Lin family is the number one conglomerate in Xinhai. With such a large and powerful family, there will always be people willing to risk their lives for Young Master Lin."

Lin Ran turned to look at Sun Jinghuan, his tone casual: "Believe it or not, I can beat you down without using any special abilities?"

Back when he was only at the first level of Qi Refining, he was able to kill a fourth-tier mineral crystal toad.

Now that he has reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, dealing with martial artists in the Qi Opening Realm is like child's play for him.

After all, a martial artist at the Tongqiao Realm is only equivalent to a second-tier mutated creature.

Even though humans with martial arts skills are generally stronger than mutants of the same level, Sun Jinghuan is no match for a Claw Rat King.

Sensing Lin Ran's disdain, Sun Jinghuan's expression stiffened slightly before returning to normal.

"Hmph! How rude!" he said, forcing a smile. "You awakened a power talent, not an elemental one. Do you think you can just stop using it like that?"

Lin Ran revealed a mocking expression: "What, Young Master Sun, a dignified S-rank Awakened One, are you afraid of my F-rank talent?"

"How...how could I be afraid of you!" Sun Jinghuan's face flushed red, but his tone remained firm.

Lin Ran leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "Since you're not afraid, how about we make a bet? I don't ask for much, just a third-tier crystal core."

Seeing this, Sun Jinghuan sat up straight and said sternly, "How can a student gamble?"

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow: "Oh? So Young Master Sun is considering his student status."

"Of course. Otherwise, do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Sun Jinghuan said seriously.

"Hehe, what a pity."

Chu Xining, standing beside her, blinked and asked curiously, "What's a pity?"

Lin Ran shrugged: "Of course it's a pity to lose a third-tier crystal core."

"Is Brother Lin Ran short of money?" Chu Xining pressed. "Has the Lin family treated Brother Lin Ran badly? They can't even spare two hundred thousand for you?"

"Cough cough cough...not really."

Lin Ran cleared his throat and continued, "They just think that directly using crystal cores for cultivation will affect a martial artist's physical and mental state, and may even make them stupid."

"Brother Lin Ran, don't you know?" Chu Xining's tone became serious.

"We learned this in our basic courses. Mutant beast cores cannot be absorbed directly because they contain residual spiritual matter from the mutated beasts. Over time, this can cause martial artists to become mentally unstable or even turn into monsters."

"Um...aren't there exceptions?" Lin Ran felt a little guilty and couldn't help but touch his nose.

Chu Xining nodded: "Indeed, some families have mastered special methods so that absorbing crystal cores with specific attributes will not be severely affected."

As she spoke, she glanced at Sun Jinghuan on Lin Ran's other side.

"For example, the Sun family's 'Flame Devouring Technique' can help them absorb fire-type crystal cores, which is why the Sun family members can break through faster than others with the same talent level."

Her brow furrowed slightly: "But... the Lin family shouldn't have this kind of technique, right?"

"No? Hmm, the Lin family certainly doesn't have any." Lin Ran leaned forward and lowered his voice, "But I do have some."

Chu Xining's eyes widened slightly: "Really?"

"Of course." Lin Ran nodded, and said seriously, "That supreme secret technique was something I found when I accidentally fell off a cliff back then!"

Chu Xining's brows furrowed immediately, her voice filled with worry: "You fell off a cliff? When did that happen?"

"Is that the important point?"

"Falling off a cliff must have hurt a lot, right?" Chu Xining's eyes reddened slightly.

Lin Ran slapped his forehead and sighed, "Sigh...you really are! I was just kidding you, couldn't you even tell?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xining was slightly taken aback, blinked, and pouted, "Don't ever joke like that with me again!"

"Alright, alright." Lin Ran waved his hand.

"Hmph!" Chu Xining pouted, pulled out a tissue, and wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Sun Jinghuan, who was standing nearby, gripped his pen so tightly that it made a clicking sound.

However, Lin Ran's joke reminded him.

If he can defeat a martial artist at the Tongqiao Realm, does that mean he actually possesses some kind of cultivation technique that ordinary people can practice?

When class ended, Bai Ruolin and Zhao Meng walked over.

"Brother Ran, well... actually, F-rank isn't such a big deal. My dad says that talent doesn't completely determine your ceiling; hard work can make up for a lot of it."

Zhao Meng spoke cautiously, his tone revealing concern.

"What exactly are you worried about?" Lin Ran asked, looking puzzled.

Bai Ruolin was quite straightforward: "Stop pretending. We all know you only awakened an F-level talent. But talent doesn't represent everything, so don't be too sad."

Seeing their serious expressions, Lin Ran shook his head helplessly: "Have you ever thought that I'm just an ordinary person? I'm already very happy to have awakened!"

Bai Ruolin was slightly taken aback, and Zhao Meng also showed an expression of sudden realization.

They were all originally highly talented geniuses, and they only felt a sense of disparity when they compared themselves to F-level talents.

Lin Ran was just an ordinary person who couldn't awaken on his own, so being able to awaken through the potion was indeed something to be happy about.

"Okay, then we can rest assured." Zhao Meng breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Ran laughed and said, "Besides, even if I only have F-level talent, I can still beat you up."

"Brother! You're my brother! Can we not talk about this?"

During the afternoon practical training session, Qin Hanzhong stood at the front of the line with a recorder in hand, his expression solemn.

"Today's training is a ring match. You'll be paired up, and your opponent will be chosen by drawing lots. As usual, you're not allowed to attack vital organs. If one of you is on the ground for more than three seconds or voluntarily surrenders, you lose."

Squad leader Liu Ming carried the cardboard boxes and walked past them one by one.

Qin Hanzhong called out the numbers in order, and groups of students walked onto the stage one by one.

Zhao Meng and Zheng Hong fought, and Zhao Meng narrowly won due to his speed advantage.

Bai Ruolin faced off against a fire-type boy. Wind blades and flames clashed on the arena, and the battle was over in three minutes.

Chu Xining's opponent was an earth-type, and his ice spear pierced right through the earthen wall, winning decisively.

"Next match: Lin Ran vs. Sun Jinghuan."

Lin Ran thought to himself that his opportunity had arrived, and he had to make sure he collected some interest this time.

He turned to Sun Jinghuan and smiled, "Young Master Sun, we really are destined to meet."

Having said that, he stepped onto the arena with light, quick steps.

Sun Jinghuan followed behind, each step feeling like stepping on nails.

The two stood facing each other in the center of the arena. Lin Ran flexed his wrists and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry, Young Master Sun, even though you're unwilling to offer a third-tier crystal core as a wager, I won't hold back."

Sun Jinghuan snorted coldly: "Don't be too smug. The outcome is still uncertain."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran's lips curled up slightly: "I'm really looking forward to Young Master Sun's performance."

Qin Hanzhong raised his right hand and blew the whistle.