Lightning-type E-rank? My Space-time-type S-rank can't be hidden anymore!

Eighteen years old.

Ten days ago, he was a useless F-rank.

Today, I fought a Blood Eye Cult runemaster at level 5 of the second tier head-on and held out until reinforcements arrived.

"You've done enough," Shen Man said, her voice unusually serious.

"A level 7 first-tier opponent against a level 5 second-tier opponent, and he managed to hold out for so long, even smashing the opponent's jaw. I could hear the sound even outside the fog. It was quite crisp."

Lin Yuan laughed, but the laughter aggravated the wound on his shoulder, causing him to gasp in pain.

"I was quite satisfied with myself that time," he said honestly.

Shen Man didn't say anything more. She turned around and waved towards the street corner. Two medical personnel in white uniforms carried a stretcher and ran over quickly.

"There's a burn on the right shoulder; the area isn't large, but the depth is quite deep," one of the medical staff reported to Shen Man.

"His superpowers are overdrawn, his stamina is exhausted, and he has several soft tissue contusions. There are no fractures or internal bleeding. With his number of Bone Tempering Wheels, he should be able to recover after two days of rest."

Shen Man nodded.

As the stretcher was being lifted, Lin Yuan suddenly called out to her.

"Teacher Shen."

Shen Man stopped and turned around.

Lin Yuan lay on the stretcher, tilting his head to look at her, his expression half serious and half joking:

"Those benefits you promised me at the admissions office yesterday—the Shanghai University's lightning-based major is the strongest in the entire country, I can easily conquer the Abyss Sea, my dorm room is always available, and I get a 20% discount at the bubble tea shop. Do those still stand?"

Shen Man blinked.

Then she laughed.

It wasn't the lazy, slightly upturned smile from before, but a smile that said, "You're pretty good, kid," with a hint of admiration.

"It counts. And that's not all."

She reached into her hoodie pocket, which resembled Doraemon's four-dimensional pocket, pulling out all sorts of things.

He pulled out a folded piece of paper, unfolded it, and found it to be a confirmation of admission benefits stamped with the official seal of a prestigious university in Shanghai.

"You didn't read the form carefully when you filled it out yesterday, did you?" She held up the confirmation form in front of Lin Yuan.

"Let me read you through the benefits of being an S-class student."

She cleared her throat.

"S-level freshman benefits at Shanghai's top universities:"

First, a full scholarship, covering tuition and accommodation fees.

Second, it's a detached villa with a private cultivation room.

Third, the monthly S-level resource allocation—ten high-grade bone-tempering pills, etc.

Fourth, with S-level library access, one can borrow all non-public martial arts materials.

Fifth, one-on-one mentorship, with mentors matched by the academy based on the student's ability type and fighting style.

Sixth—a lifetime 20% discount at milk tea shops. This is an extra bonus I added for you personally.

"There are some benefits that require you to undergo an assessment at the school before the professors can make a final decision."

Lin Yuan stared at the densely packed terms on the confirmation form and remained silent for several seconds.

Why didn't you show me this yesterday?

"You didn't ask yesterday either," Shen Man said matter-of-factly.

"..."

"And let me compare it with the other three companies for you." Shen Man put the confirmation letter back into her pocket, put her hands in her pockets, and walked slowly beside the stretcher.

"Let me show you how wise your decision to choose Magic City was."

She held up one finger.

[Kyoto Academy, Qin Ruolan's conditions - full tuition waiver, monthly living allowance of 3,000, double room dormitory, A-level library access, and a rotating mentor system, changing mentors every semester.]

It's decent, but its strength lies in its stability. Kyoto has the strongest ice-type characters in the entire Dragon Kingdom, but you're a lightning-type, so going there would be a mismatch between your skills and your abilities.

She held up another finger.

[The National Martial Arts Academy, Lei Meng's offer—free room and board, ample physical training resources, and he'll personally mentor you. Sounds good, right?]

However, the dormitories at Guowu University don't have air conditioning, and in the summer, when it's 40 degrees Celsius, you can only rely on your supernatural abilities to cool yourself down. Moreover, their theoretical courses are the weakest among the four universities, and their library access is only at level B.

Lei Meng is a good teacher, but his students all share one thing in common—they can fight, but all they know how to do is fight. Do you want to be a thug for life?

The third finger.

[At Shenzhen University, Ye Lin offered the following conditions: direct entry into the military, graduation as a second lieutenant, the most combat opportunities, and the greatest support from military resources.]

But the price is freedom. Students at Shenzhen Academy are soldiers from the very first day of enrollment; obedience to orders is their duty. All your actions must be reported, and all your cultivation paths must be approved by your superiors.

Someone like you, used to roaming the wilderness, could you handle that kind of constraint?

She pulled three fingers back and then pointed to herself.

Shanghai. A perfect match for your major, the strongest in the lightning element. Resources are plentiful, and the opportunities for real-world combat in the Abyss Sea are just as plentiful as in Shenzhen.

It offers a high degree of freedom, regardless of your secrets or how you become stronger.

The cafeteria food is delicious, and milk tea is 20% off.

She looked down at Lin Yuan.

"Tell me yourself, did you make the right choice?"

Lin Yuan lay on the stretcher, looking at the sky with a smile on his face.

"You made the right choice."

"Speak louder."

"You made the right choice."

"Louder!"

"Teacher Shen, my shoulder hurts."

Shen Man nodded in satisfaction and patted his uninjured left shoulder with just the right amount of force.

"Take good care of yourself. I'll pick you up in two days and take you to Shanghai."

As the stretcher was being lifted onto the medical vehicle, Lin Yuan suddenly remembered something.

"Teacher Shen."

"Um?"

"The other three companies probably offered Su Qingyue better terms than they did for me, right?"

Shen Man paused for a moment. Then she turned around, a meaningful smile on her face.

"Of course. S-rank Ice Phoenix, eighteen years old, six rounds of bone tempering—although you took her down with one shot, that's because you're too monstrous, not because she's weak."

The four universities offered her the best possible conditions. Qin Ruolan even offered her the top spot as the chief disciple of the Ice Department at Kyoto University.

She paused.

"But that girl still hasn't made a decision. She's been to the admissions offices of all four universities and talked to them, but she just hasn't signed the contract."

Why?

Shen Man glanced at him, her eyes conveying a sense of "Do you really not understand, kid, or are you just pretending?"

She said she wanted to know which one you would choose.

Lin Yuan was taken aback.

The back door of the medical vehicle closed, the engine started, and the vehicle vibrated slightly.

Through the car window, he saw Shen Man standing on the side of the street, waving at him, and then turning to walk to the other end of the street.

The dark red hoodie stood out like a flag in the sunlight, the drawstring at the back of the hood swaying back and forth.

Lin Yuan leaned back in the medical vehicle seat and closed his eyes.

The wound on my right shoulder was still throbbing, and the emptiness left by the overexertion of my lightning-based abilities was dull and oppressive.

But my mind was very clear.

The Blood Eye Cult's target is Su Qingyue.

The runemaster said before he died, "The people of the cult have arrived."

Although Shen Man and her men captured them, the Blood Eye Sect wouldn't have sent just one group if they dared to target an S-level ability user.

Today's batch consists of forwards; there will be more later.

Donghai City is no longer safe, and neither is Su Qingyue.

And the only thing he can do now is to become stronger.

His journey is still long.