Chapter 8

Two minutes after Lin Feng left.

"Big Brother Long, we're rich! There are two, two corpses over there!"

"Damn it, seeing corpses won't make us rich. I was just about to go to the casino. What bad luck."

"No, no, Big Brother Long, those two corpses are wearing the legendary elemental battle armor!"

"Shit, are you serious!!!"

...

By this time, Lin Feng had already left the area.

The word 'greed' turns into 'poverty.' Lin Feng didn't have many thoughts about the elemental battle armor. Racing through the magnificent metal forest, Lin Feng's expression was solemn. He knew very well what today's events meant. If his strength had been just a bit weaker, the ones who would have died today would not have been the monkey spirit and the lustful snake, but himself.

"Strength is the foundation of everything."

"Without strength, there is no status, and in this world, one will be at the mercy of others."

The image of what he had seen at the Sunlight Combat Plaza flashed through Lin Feng's mind, and he still couldn't let it go.

If what happened today had happened to him, and he had been bullied and humiliated... his mother and sister would have suffered. The thought of this made Lin Feng feel a deep pain in his heart.

"I must become as strong as Big Brother!" Lin Feng clenched his teeth, his fists so tight that his fingernails dug deeply into his palms.

***

Returning home, Lin Feng went directly to the training room.

Become a guard!

At the moment, Lin Feng was very clear about his goal. Becoming a guard was not difficult for him. The guards were part of the military system, with strict ranks: ordinary police officer, senior police officer, police chief, district police chief, and so on. Besides seniority, strength was a crucial factor in advancing in rank.

The higher the rank of the guard, the better the benefits and the higher the status.

This was very important.

"Become a police chief in three months, and a district police chief in nine months."

"A district police chief earns 10 silver coins a month. By taking on some missions and joining an adventurer team to hunt in the wilderness, I can ensure my sister can train at the optimal speed and improve her brain domain."

Lin Feng thought to himself.

Although he really wanted to join a martial school, becoming a guard wasn't a bad choice either.

"After becoming a guard, I won't have as much time to train." Lin Feng sat cross-legged, took a deep breath to calm his mind, and thought, "I need to make the most of the last two months to improve my brain domain." With this thought, Lin Feng quickly entered a meditative state, and as the Nine Dragons True Scripture began to circulate, the dense energy of heaven and earth gathered once again.

...

In the Sunlight District, a beautiful and luxurious garden villa.

"Little Master." An old man dressed as a butler bowed his head.

"Uncle Wang, did you find anything?" Shi Wenhao, bare-chested, lay on a massage chair with his eyes closed. On either side, two beautiful young girls were carefully massaging him, and the air was filled with the scent of wine and seduction.

"Master, the police's preliminary investigation suggests it was a robbery." Uncle Wang respectfully said.

"A robbery?" Shi Wenhao opened his eyes in confusion.

"Yes, through the elemental battle armor code provided by Master, the guards traced and caught a few thugs led by someone nicknamed 'Big Brother Long.' They suspect these thugs shot down the magnetic levitation car to rob it. Such cases are not uncommon in the civilian area, and there are always people willing to take the risk." Uncle Wang's voice was hoarse.

"Is that so?" Shi Wenhao sneered and looked at Uncle Wang. "What do you think?"

"In my humble opinion, there are many suspicious points, and it might be more appropriate to consider it a revenge killing. Unfortunately, the guards always act based on evidence, so the thugs led by 'Big Brother Long' are out of luck." Uncle Wang slowly said, "According to what Master said, it is highly likely... that Lin Feng and Yang Li were responsible."

"It should be Yang Li." A sharp light flashed in Shi Wenhao's eyes. "Lin Feng is just a cripple now."

Uncle Wang said hoarsely, "According to the computer data, Yang Li indeed has the capability, but they were very thorough, even destroying the crystal watch, leaving no evidence."

"Hmph!" Shi Wenhao sneered. "Not bad."

Uncle Wang hesitated for a moment and then said, "Because the victims were two students, the academy has taken this matter seriously and is investigating. To avoid getting involved in the conflict and affecting the graduation exam in two months, I hope Master can stay at home and focus on training."

Shi Wenhao's face turned cold, and his eyes widened. "Just like that? What about my reputation?"

Uncle Wang said solemnly, "Master's father places great importance on the graduation exam. I hope Master will prioritize this and not disappoint him. I have reviewed Lin Feng's background, and dealing with him can wait. Once he leaves the academy in two months, it will be up to Master to decide his fate."

Shi Wenhao's eyebrows lifted slightly, and he nodded in satisfaction.

That makes sense. Killing a civilian is much easier and safer than killing a student.

"Alright, Uncle Wang." Shi Wenhao smiled coldly, closed his eyes, and continued to enjoy the massage. "Let Lin Feng live for two more months."

"Then... I'll deal with him slowly!"

...

...

As autumn turned to winter, the arrival of the cold season meant graduation was drawing near.

On December 1st, Lin Feng gave Yang Li the last bottle of gene liquid and immediately returned to the training room to continue his seclusion. Lin Feng knew very well that starting to retrain as an ancient martial artist at 17 was already much slower than others. To catch up, he had to work ten or even a hundred times harder!

With firm determination and astonishing perseverance, Lin Feng steadily moved toward his goal.

"I must become an ancient martial artist as soon as possible!" This was Lin Feng's only thought. He wished he could turn every hour into ten.

As for the graduation exam on January 1st, Lin Feng didn't care at all.

It was designed for the outstanding geniuses in the academy. He used to be one, but now...

He wasn't.

...

Two months passed quickly.

Fireworks lit up the Sunlight Combat Plaza, and countless people chanted the New Year's countdown. The giant screen displayed colorful animations, and the wheel of time officially moved from the 101st year of the Combat Era to the 102nd year.

January 1st, a day to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

"This is the last time." Lin Feng walked on the gravel path of the academy, looking at the new and magnificent teaching buildings, the floating magnetic castles, and the capsule houses. His eyes sparkled with a hint of nostalgia. Today was the last day he would enter here as a student. Six years had passed quickly, and there were many memories here.

From a naive little boy to the person he was now.

There were hardships and joys, happiness and sorrows.

"Ten-grade genius?" Lin Feng smiled faintly, still hearing various gossip and strange looks, but his heart was as calm as water. He had endured such a heavy blow a year ago, so how could he care about what others thought?

"The first three months of training as an ancient martial artist were quite smooth, but there was a bit of a block later on. I wonder if my brain domain has improved, and by how much?"

"5.3%? 5.4%? Or even... higher?"

Lin Feng smiled and stepped onto the magnetic levitation stairs.

Based on his past training, his brain domain improved by about 1.1% to 1.2% per year on average. Of course, the initial training speed was naturally faster. However, the training speed of ancient martial artists was much slower than that of gene warriors. Although he had maximized his time in the past three months, it probably didn't match even half the efficiency of absorbing gene liquid.

"It doesn't matter, as long as there's improvement."

"Even if it's just 5.01%."

Lin Feng walked up the stairs with a relaxed and contented mindset.

Only students applying to the three advanced gene academies would take the graduation exam seriously. For him, it was simple: go through the process, complete the test, endure the final bit of ridicule, and then, like most students, apply to the Sunlight District police force. The police valued practical combat skills, not brain domain width.

Lin Feng was very confident in his practical combat skills.

"Here we are." Lin Feng's eyes brightened. At the end of the magnetic levitation stairs was a semi-elliptical magnetic castle made of shiny metal frames and reinforced glass, resembling a giant fortress, a masterpiece of modern technology, floating high in the air but as stable as a mountain.

The brain domain width testing center.

"Beep~" Palm scan, Lin Feng confirmed his identity.

Palm prints were more complex and precise than fingerprints.

"Oh, so many people." Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Looking around, he saw a dense crowd. Every year at this time, he watched other students graduate, and this year it was finally his turn. The most bustling area in the testing center was undoubtedly the two 'VIP stands' on either side.

These two VIPs only appeared on January 1st every year.

"Sunset City Gene Academy." Lin Feng's gaze swept over the right VIP stand and then focused on the left one, where the instructors from the Crown Elite Academy sat, arms crossed, with a haughty expression, in stark contrast to the instructors from the Sunset City Gene Academy.

The Crown Elite Academy, ranked first among the three advanced gene academies in Sunset City, but in recent years, the Sunset City Gene Academy had been catching up, and the gap between them was getting smaller.

The competition between the two advanced gene academies was intense, including the competition for talent.

"Afeng!" A joyful and loud voice came, and Lin Feng couldn't help but smile wryly.

Yang Li's loud voice instantly attracted everyone's attention, but he didn't seem to notice, waving his hand vigorously.

Smiling helplessly, Lin Feng walked over.

"Look, it's Lin Feng!"

"Really? He actually came to test, isn't he embarrassed enough from last time?"

"You idiot, today is the graduation test, how can he not come? Even if his brain domain has regressed and his genes are damaged, we know, but others don't. At least he can get a graduation certificate from the academy and find a job. It's better than those ancient martial artists who can't break the threshold."

"What a pity, such a talented person."

...

"A bunch of gossips!" Yang Li glared at the surrounding students.

"Words come from others, we can't control them. Let them be." Lin Feng smiled faintly.

Yang Li snorted, "They can only show off their superiority now. Once they leave the academy, they'll be stuck as police officers for life."

Six years in the academy, and it was clear who was a dragon and who was a snake. Those with potential wouldn't be buried, like Xiao Shiyuan, who stood out despite his poor family background; like Yang Li, who still had hope for the future; but for most students, this was their life. Becoming a gene warrior was already the limit.

"What about you?" Lin Feng smiled. "Did you break the 9% brain domain width?"

"No problem!" Yang Li patted his chest confidently. "If I can't reach the second grade brain domain width, I'll be letting down the three bottles of gene liquid you sponsored."

"That's good." Lin Feng's gaze fell on the two VIP stands, which were crowded, especially around the instructors from the Sunset City Gene Academy, where many students were asking questions. One familiar figure was Shi Wenhao, who was usually haughty and arrogant, now smiling obsequiously like his two lackeys.

"Want to get closer?" Lin Feng asked.

"My brain domain width is just barely in the second grade, they wouldn't look at me." Yang Li said nonchalantly. "My old man often taught me that self-awareness is important. What's the point of being a lapdog? After the graduation test, I'll apply to the Combat Academy."

Combat Academy.

Ranked last among the three advanced gene academies.

Every year, the Crown Elite Academy and the Sunset City Gene Academy would compete for the best first-grade brain domain students, and then select some second-grade brain domain students. The remaining second-grade brain domain students would apply to the Combat Academy, which had a strict selection process, a tradition that had become almost a rule.

"Confident?" Lin Feng asked.

"Not really." Yang Li deflated like a punctured balloon, his face full of worry. "Sunset City has sixty districts, and with the students from the main city, over four hundred apply to the Combat Academy each year, but only one hundred are accepted. An 80% rejection rate, 80%!"

He shook his head repeatedly, clearly lacking confidence.

Lin Feng understood Yang Li's concerns, but it was understandable. In the Sunlight District, Yang Li was just barely above the qualifying line, almost at the bottom. It was even worse when considering all the students from Sunset City applying to the Combat Academy. With only one hundred out of four hundred being accepted, an 80% rejection rate was indeed brutal.

However, things can change.

"The three advanced gene academies..." Lin Feng's eyes flickered with a hint of longing. If he could enter one of them, he would not only receive guidance from instructors but also have access to countless resources and an excellent training environment. Even the basic benefits included two bottles of gene liquid per month, with excellent treatment.

But all of this was like a mirage, out of his reach.

Lin Feng's eyes flickered with determination, and a contented smile appeared on his face.

He had already let go.

At this moment, the doors of the testing center opened again, causing a wave of exclamations. Lin Feng looked over and saw a middle-aged man with a commanding presence, his temples slightly gray, his steel-like muscles intimidating, and his bronze gene armor exuding a powerful aura. He walked with the confidence of a lion, radiating the might of a strongman.

"Dean Shi!" Lin Feng's heart raced, and he stood straight, his brows showing respect and admiration.

Dean Shi Shi, the legend and pride of the Sunlight District, was the most admired and respected figure among the students.

His appearance became the center of attention. The previously noisy testing center fell silent, and even the haughty instructor from the Crown Elite Academy stood respectfully. Behind Dean Shi, seven instructors, including Yin Roshuang and Li Mang, and dozens of teaching staff followed closely, creating a grand scene.

"Dean Shi." The instructors from the Crown Elite Academy and the Sunset City Gene Academy bowed respectfully.

"Hmm." Dean Shi acknowledged them casually, walking like a lion king, exuding a domineering aura as he strode past them.

His appearance marked the official start of the graduation exam for the Sunlight District's primary gene academy.

...