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*Lü Bu, a prominent Eastern Han dynasty warlord, was widely considered nearly invincible in personal combat and unrivaled in martial prowess, often dubbed the "Flying General".
Lingtian Middle School Auditorium.
Flashing camera lights illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.
On the stage, Hong Lie handed a jade tablet to Ling Qingxue, smiling.
"Faced with the sudden attack of the Beast King Cult, Ling Qingxue remained calm and composed, exceeding her limits to set up a mid-grade spirit formation. Her magical beast, Taotie, even activated its bloodline divine skill to slay the Ninth Protector of the Beast King Cult!
She protected the lives of thousands of teachers and students of Lingtian Middle School and defended the dignity of our Nanchuan Province!
This honor is well-deserved!"
Hong Lie's voice, steady and powerful, filled the hall through the loudspeaker, greeted by the clicks of reporters' cameras.
Ling Qingxue stood there calmly, her expression unchanged.
To be honest, she would have rather spent that time honing her vital energy.
However, in Hong Lie's eyes, this was a golden opportunity to promote Nanchuan Province, and he was not about to let it slip by.
Hong Lie swept his gaze over the numerous reporters below the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, Ling Qingxue has limited time and can only answer a maximum of three questions. Please understand."
Reporters began to scramble forward.
"Hello, Miss Ling Qingxue. What was your first thought when facing a Seventh Rank beast-hybrid martial artist?"
Wu Liang, perched on her shoulder, was slightly displeased.
"Of course, we took him down. He couldn't claim to be better than me!"
Ling Qingxue lowered her eyes and said calmly, "To kill him."
The reporter was slightly taken aback, then his eyes lit up.
He immediately picked up a pen and paper and began to take notes.
"Faced with a formidable foe, her heart was as still as water; her only thought was to stop killing with killing! Ling Qingxue frankly admitted that at that moment, she wasn't thinking about her own safety. Her only thought was to kill the enemy and protect the teachers and students behind her. She eats ordinary food, but she is a thousand times more selfless than those incompetent people who eat bird's nests and sea cucumbers!"
Wu Liang's eyes widened.
My god, he's a professional!
"You can glean so much from just three words? Your reading comprehension is absolutely perfect!"
"Excuse me, Miss Ling, what level is your Gluttonous Beast now? And how did it kill the Ninth Protector of the Beast King Cult?" a reporter continued.
Ling Qingxue briefly replied, "Third Rank mid-stage. He killed it with his claws."
The reporter's breath hitched, and he wrote:
"Miss Ling Qingxue herself is only Second Rank late-stage, but her magical beast Taotie has already reached an astonishing Third Rank mid-stage. A typical doting mother figure; even if she were starving, she wouldn't eat a single bite before making sure her magical beast was well-fed. Her selflessness is heartbreaking!
Hereby, we strongly condemn certain individuals. How can the vast Nanchuan region not afford to support a single high school student? Is it due to the inaction of certain leaders, or is someone embezzling educational resources? The real reason is thought-provoking..."
Shen Congwu's face darkened.
Damn it, there's not a single hair left in the warehouse. What's there to embezzle?
"Blacklist that media outlet! Where did they find this shady reporter? They're ruining our school's reputation!"
The reporter continued writing, completely oblivious to Shen Congwu's dark expression.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already been blacklisted.
"Excuse me, Miss Ling, how did you set up a spirit formation that surpasses your limits? Is there any special trick?" the reporter asked again.
"To practice a little more," Ling Qingxue replied.
"Um, isn't there anything more detailed?"
"No."
The reporter gripped his pen tightly, his eyes seemingly deep in thought, and then began to write.
"Practice more? Is it really that simple? Only Ling Qingxue knows the hardships involved! A few words, yet they resonate deeply, revealing the true essence of martial arts cultivation: countless repetitions are needed to break limits and reach the pinnacle!
What Ling Qingxue wants to tell us is that the real secret is that there is no secret. Only persistent practice can achieve great things, like water dripping on stone, finding a possible path from the impossible. This is a genius's statement. Perhaps this is the world of geniuses!"
Ling Qingxue was starting to lose her composure.
This wasn't just over-interpretation; it was pure fabrication!
"Since all questions are answered, I'm going back to cultivate."
With that, Ling Qingxue left.
Many reporters looked disappointed, but with Hong Lie present, they could only remain seated.
The novice reporter, sitting at the back, hadn't even seen Ling Qingxue's face properly. While fretting, an idea suddenly struck him.
"Miss Ling, is there anything you'd like to say to the other martial arts examinees?"
But Ling Qingxue had already left, leaving him only with her retreating figure.
He picked up his pen and began to write.
"Faced with this question, Ling Qingxue offered no answer, leaving us only with her proud, aloof back. Was she afraid? No, she feared no opponent. What she wanted to convey was that in the end, everyone would only see her back. She would surpass all her rivals and claim the crown of supremacy. Those who wish to challenge her can come—Ling Qingxue shall meet them on her own!
Ling Qingxue may not have spoken, but this was precisely what highlighted her solitude. When she walked out of the hall, her right shoulder was slightly lower than her left. This was no accident; perhaps she was waiting for an opponent, waiting for someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her. With this love for martial arts, what is there to fear in reaching the pinnacle of cultivation? Her future is the vast universe, the starry sky is her journey. Call her the new queen of our time!"
He closed his notebook, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Phew, job done! Another day of successfully completing my work!"
The man next to him stared wide-eyed.
Was this the spirit of Lu Bu*, the invincible general?!
"Brother, you were born for this!"
The rookie reporter raised a hand.
"Not to apologize, but bro, you still need to practice.
Life is tough. I have to perform just to make a living. I learned it from my master, but don't try to copy me."
You shouldn't have said that—now I want to do it!
Wow, with this kind of skill, next time you don't even need to come; you can just write whatever comes to mind.
Anyway, the reporters who came were just writing nonsense.
......
Kyoto No. 2 Middle School.
Xuan Tianwen and Lei Jiao dragged their injured bodies out of the Thunder Tide Secret Place, their bodies covered in charred wounds.
"We did it! We did it!" Xuan Tianwen cried tears of joy.
Lei Jiao's original bloodline was already at the King Rank, and he had even activated part of his divine beast bloodline. With gradual cultivation, he could fully activate his bloodline, but it would take a very long time.
This time, he spent over twenty days gritting his teeth, venturing deep into the Thunder Tide Secret Place, finally helping Lei Jiao fully activate the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon divine beast bloodline.
At this moment, the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon bloodline divine skill was unleashed; among the Third Ranks, no one could fight against him unless they could also use a bloodline divine skill.
Like Liu Fufeng, Beiming Yan, Mu Bing, and others.
"I also have to thank Ling Qingxue; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to activate the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon bloodline so quickly. I will win this battle in three days!"
Xuan Tianwen's face was filled with confidence.
The principal of No. 2 Middle School handed him several pills, his expression somewhat grim.
"Tianwen, why don't we cancel the martial arts competition three days from now? You don't need to be so fixated about winning or losing."
Xuan Tianwen shook his head. "No! I'm very grateful to Ling Qingxue for boosting my decision to enter the Thunder Tide Secret Place, but as a martial artist, losing to me will only fuel her drive to catch up. So we must fight!"
"But her Taotie beast not only activated its bloodline divine skill, but also killed the Ninth Protector of the Beast King Cult!"