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*It refers to a player with an average skill level or poor performance who is able to win effortlessly in a team game thanks to strong teammates.
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Black Mountain Secret Place.
This was one of the six low-level secret places of Lingtian Middle School.
Ever since his battle with the Thunder Flood Dragon, Wu Liang had been working diligently to improve.
That battle had shattered his confidence. He'd only been at Lingtian Middle School for one day, and he'd already encountered such a formidable opponent.
If that was the case, what would happen during the martial arts exam?
"Even a top ten student from Kyoto No. 2 Middle School can match me. I haven't worked hard enough. I need to use the remaining time to explore all the secret places and strive for another evolution!"
Although the next evolution required 30,000 evolution points, Lingtian Middle School had two intermediate-level secret places and six beginner-level ones. He might be able to gather enough in three months.
Besides his evolution, Wu Liang also needed to improve his level and skills.
He firmly believed that if he could improve his skills again, he could defeat that Thunder Dragon!
Boom!
Wu Liang's body suddenly grew larger, streaking across the sky like a colossal beast. Any beasts that appeared below were instantly swallowed by him.
The terrifying aura emanating from him caused several students from Lingtian Middle School to tremble on the ground.
"Exactly the same as in the video, so brutal! His strength is unmatched among Third Level magical beasts. Coming to a low-level secret place is like fishing in a barrel..."
"Damn it, why can't I be the one to contract this kind of beast? If I could contract one, I'd happily drive luxury cars and live in mansions!"
"Is that all? I'd be chased day and night by three thousand beauties if I had a chance to contract Master Liang!"
"I can accept Sister Qiao..."
The shock Wu Liang brought to Lingtian Middle School was immense; he was an invincible, terrifying existence among his peers.
As for Ling Qingxue, in their eyes, she was completely carried by Wu Liang.
Ling Qingxue was currently only at the Second Rank mid-stage, a level that was utterly unremarkable—at most, a minor genius.
She was roughly at the same level as Qin Hongyan, but with Wu Liang leading the way, she could easily secure a place in the top three Martial Arts Universities!
This was truly a case of "humans who can just lie down and win while being carried by the dog*"...
"Roar!"
Just as they were admiring Wu Liang's imposing figure, a Saber-Toothed Tiger appeared, its body wreathed in crimson. Its roar snapped them back to reality.
"A Third Level mid-stage magical beast? Are you kidding me! Isn't the highest level in this secret place only the Third Level early-stage?"
The group practically started fleeing without a second thought.
Faced with a magical beast of this level, they couldn't even fight back; a single second of hesitation would mean certain death.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger's body continuously unleashed berserk energy, its beastly eyes turning crimson.
"Why is it another beast going berserk? How many times has it happened this month?!"
Because of the Beast King Cult's experiments with half-beasts, the Lingtian Middle School secret places were being affected, occasionally causing magical beasts to go berserk and attack everyone.
Moreover, berserk magical beasts had a high probability of breaking through levels, their strength skyrocketing.
Wu Liang, flying in the sky, also spotted this exceptionally delicious-smelling food.
"Third Level mid-stage, quite a few evolution points!"
He changed direction and sped towards the Saber-Toothed Tiger.
On the ground, the tiger was so fast that only afterimages could be seen, and it caught up with the students in an instant.
"Brother Liang, save us!"
"Brother Liang, we're your loyal fans, save our lives!"
They couldn't beat it, they couldn't outrun it, and besides crying for help, they had no other options.
They were still far from the exit of the secret place, and it was too late to reach it.
The berserk Saber-Toothed Tiger pounced forward, its ferocious aura overwhelming.
Bang!
A huge black paw descended, grabbing the tiger at the last moment.
The berserk beast tried to struggle, but it was futile. It couldn't even compare to the Thunder Flood Dragon, which possessed the bloodline of the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon.
If ordinary Third Level mid-stage magical beasts were used as a unit of measurement, the Thunder Flood Dragon was worth at least ten of these beasts!
The Saber-Toothed Tiger breathed its last in Wu Liang's clenched fist before it was tossed into his mouth.
[Ding! Third Level mid-stage Saber-Toothed Tiger, consumed. Estimated digestion time: 6 hours!]
After upgrading 'Gluttonous Stomach' to Lv12, his digestion speed increased again; even a Third Level mid-stage beast would only require six hours to be digested.
Wu Liang licked his lips, then soared into the air once more, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Time was tight, and the mission was heavy. He was still thinking about overwhelming the Thunder Flood Dragon a month later.
The students collapsed to the ground, their eyes filled with awe for Wu Liang's strength.
"My god, that's insane! He crushed a Third Level mid-stage berserk beast with one claw!"
"How many moves do you think it would take Master Liang to crush us?"
"You little brat, you overestimate yourself. Can a mere Second Level early-stage withstand Master Liang's bloodline pressure?"
......
Five days passed in a flash.
A violent surge of vital energy emanated from the Spirit Gathering Room where Ling Qingxue was, subsiding within a few breaths.
She opened her beautiful eyes, a smile appearing on her face.
"Finally, I've broken through to the Second Rank late-stage!"
Just as she had expected, the Spirit Gathering Room's effect was truly astonishing.
Ling Qingxue used her spiritual power to sense the contract with Wu Liang in her mind. After confirming that his condition was alright, she left the Spirit Gathering Room.
Outside the door, Lin Zhennan and Shen Congwu were waiting.
Ling Qingxue looked surprised. "Principal Shen and Director Lin, is there something you need?"
Lin Zhennan gave a wry smile. "You've managed to cultivate so peacefully. Quite a few admissions officers from martial arts universities have come looking for you."
Those teachers, knowing Ling Qingxue's identity, first went to Linjiang Middle School before following the trail to Lingtian Middle School.
They had arrived two days ago, but seeing that Ling Qingxue was at a crucial moment in her breakthrough, they hadn't disturbed her.
The fact that they waited two days showed how much those teachers valued her.
Not many others would deserve the privilege to be waited for.
"Why are they looking for me? There's still a while until the martial arts exam, isn't it?"
Lin Zhennan looked surprised. "Didn't you know the video of your mock battle with Xuan Tianwen was leaked? It's been trending for days."
Ling Qingxue immediately realized that with so many students from Kyoto No. 2 Middle School watching that day, it was normal for the video to be leaked.
Wu Liang's ability to fight on par with Lei Jiao might secure his place in the top five of the martial arts exam.
And she was undoubtedly the target of those teachers' attention today.
"Have the Beiming University representatives arrived?" Ling Qingxue asked.
"They're here. The top three martial arts universities were the first to arrive, and all of them are here. But seeing that you've already set your sights on one, the other universities have probably made a wasted trip."
"Then, let's go. Let's not keep those teachers waiting too long."
...
Lingtian Middle School Conference Room.
A dozen or so martial arts university teachers were seated there, and Lin Yutang was nervously pouring tea for each of them.
Seated at the head of the table were the three martial arts universities: Longshen (Dragon God), Bing Huang (Ice Phoenix), and Beiming (Northern Sea). Their overall strength was far superior to that of the other universities.
Even the admission officers who came were powerful figures among the King Rank experts, their auras far surpassing the others.
The other martial arts universities were basically just there for the fun of it, hoping to try their luck. Normally, all ten top scorers in the martial arts exam would choose to enter those three universities, leaving the others to share the remaining geniuses.
Over time, the difference in strength became apparent.
Talented people and resources were the real factors that determined the ranking of martial arts universities!