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nChen Yiming stopped for a moment before setting off again.

nPeople were coming and going on the streets. From the conversations of the passers-by, he heard that the tickets to the base city had been suspended. It was rumored that the train had been attacked by a group of mutant beasts and was forced to stop for repairs.

n“Sigh, I was just an hour late. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have rested on the road,” someone complained to the people around him.

n“I’m the one who’s unlucky. I happened to buy a ticket for the train that was suspended. I was waiting to get on when I was told to get a refund for my ticket,” a fierce-looking man wearing a gold chain said angrily.

nChen Yiming heard many similar complaints along the way. These people had rushed over from other provinces half a day late, and now, due to the unforeseen circumstances, they couldn’t go to the base city.

nNews of the situation in the stronghold and the surrounding area had already spread.

nMost people knew that if they were a few days late, the areas with a known risk would be cleared out. Those who came later could only go to areas with an unknown risk.

nThe first and second batches of people would have accumulated experience in the areas equivalent to a beginner village. The people in the later batches would have to start off in dangerous areas where information was incomplete. How could they not be frustrated?

n…

nWhen he passed by the bridge, he saw that the bridge was forcefully divided into two by iron bars. There were also armed soldiers guarding it, urging pedestrians to cross the bridge quickly to avoid the situation of having too many people staying behind.

nAt this moment, because there were too many people crossing the bridge, a long line had formed. Chen Yiming had no choice but to consider crossing the river directly.

nOn both sides of the bridge was a lakeside park. The originally beautiful and neat lawn had long been trampled into a scattered mess. Many young people had come here to practice their martial arts.

nChen Yiming had seen with his own eyes the matter of the rent increases and the contracts being destroyed. He could guess why these young people had come here to practice instead of going to a professional martial arts class.

nIt had to be known that during the initial stages of martial arts, it made a huge difference whether one had a teacher to guide them or not. If one was not talented, they would regret it if they practiced blindly on their own.

nHowever, at this time, the cost of everything was rising crazily. Young people from ordinary families might not be able to afford the expenses of the martial arts classes.

nBeside a pavilion, two girls with ponytails started chatting after a round of sparring.

nThe girl in a light blue school uniform complained, “Today, the teacher said that from this year onwards, the score calculation for the college entrance examination has been adjusted. The weightage of the martial arts component will increase.

nThis is putting me at too much of a disadvantage. I don’t even like martial arts. According to the score from the mock exam, I might not even be able to get into a university.”

nThe girl in white sportswear stabbed her sword into the grass. Her well-developed chest moved up and down as she panted. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and comforted her friend.

n“Shanshan, you don’t have to be afraid. There’s still more than half a year before the college entrance examination. It shouldn’t be too difficult to improve your score for the low-level theory and combat assessments.”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform said dejectedly, “I’m not afraid, but practicing martial arts is so tiring. I’d rather go home and read in bed.”

nThe girl in white sportswear said, “Why don’t you register for the martial arts training class, Shanshan? With a martial arts teacher supervising you, it’ll be easier for you to persevere.”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform sighed. “I heard that the registration fee has increased a lot. I’m not an only child, and I have two older brothers…

nIf only I could be like you, Mengmeng, and get just the top score every time just by practicing casually under a martial arts teacher. That way, I would also be guaranteed a place in the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy.”

nThe girl in white sportswear quickly explained, “That’s not true. I still have to go to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy to participate in the independent enrollment assessment. However, I heard that it’s very chaotic outside the city, so I don’t dare to go.”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform waved her fist and said, “Mengmeng, since you’re so powerful, what’s there to be afraid of? When you meet bad people, play the pig and eat the tiger. With one strike, cut off their… and turn them into eunuchs.”

nShe lowered her voice at the end.

nThe girl in white sportswear blushed and whispered, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform, on the other hand, had an excited expression on her face. She moved closer and asked in a low voice, “Are you secretly touching yourself at home? Look at me. If only mine were as big as yours.”

nAs she spoke, she turned around and happened to spot Chen Yiming by the river.

nHer eyes lit up as she tugged at the corner of the girl’s shirt, indicating for her to look at the young man by the river.

nThe girl in white sportswear was about to explain that it would be a burden on her to practice martial arts if they were too big. She followed her friend’s direction to take a look, then hurriedly looked away.

nThis was an instinctive response due to embarrassment. Of course, if the other party looked ordinary, she would naturally not avert her gaze.

nSeeing this, the girl in the light blue school uniform suggested with a smile, “Mengmeng, how about I invite him over to be your sparring partner? I think he’s even more handsome than Li Yibo from the school.”

nThe girl in white sportswear glared at her. “Shanshan, don’t do anything rash. Others will misunderstand later. My mother said that I’m not allowed to be in a relationship before graduation.”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform ignored her and turned to walk towards Chen Yiming.

nChen Yiming was preparing to sneak to the other side of the river. There were also soldiers patrolling the riverside. A plaque was erected every few dozen meters to remind passers-by that there might be aquatic mutant beasts in the river and that they were not allowed to go into the river without permission.

n“Hello, can I help you?” the girl in the light blue school uniform asked sincerely. Since she was helping her friend to find a sparring partner instead of finding one for herself, she was still able to remain calm.

nChen Yiming turned around and saw a girl standing behind him.

nThe girl’s facial features were quite delicate, and she had the air of a goddess. She was wearing a loose light blue school uniform that could not hide her tall figure. The only flaw was that her chest was flat.

nHe looked away and said calmly, “What is it?”

nThe corners of the girl’s mouth curled up as she said, “My friend is a martial arts genius, but I’m too weak to spar with her. I’ve only practiced for a while, but now I can’t even raise my hands.

nBut she’s about to take the assessment to enter the martial arts academy, so I want to ask you for a favor on her behalf. Can you be her sparring partner?”

nHearing this, Chen Yiming didn’t even bat an eyelid.

nA martial arts genius? Assessment to enter the martial arts academy?

nThe people who needed to go through the assessment before being admitted were only so-so. The true geniuses should have been invited directly by the academy… He suddenly remembered that whether he joined the Mantis Snake Sword School and the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he had gone through the official assessments.

nAt this moment, the girl in white sportswear ran over shyly and apologized, “She likes to talk nonsense. Don’t mind her.”

nWith that, she tugged at the corner of her friend’s shirt and gestured for her to leave.

nChen Yiming saw that it was another girl with delicate features.

nThe advantage she had over the girl in the light blue school uniform was that not only did she have a pair of big eyes, but she was also very well-endowed for her young age. According to his past experience, she was of a size that he could not hold in one hand.

nHe asked, “How many transformations have you completed?”

nThe girl in white sportswear did not say anything. She tugged at the corner of her friend’s shirt and wanted to leave, but the girl in the light blue school uniform did not budge and replied, “Shen Mengwei is a warrior candidate. If it wasn’t for the fact that she started studying two years late and was disadvantaged, she would have skipped a grade and entered the martial arts academy already.

nBut don’t you worry, Mengmeng will stop once she makes contact. She won’t hurt you.”

nWhen she said this, her tone was unprecedentedly confident, as if she herself was a warrior candidate.

nHearing this, Chen Yiming almost laughed out loud.

nAfter subtracting two years, a warrior candidate at this age was equivalent to an outer sect disciple of a large sect.

nIn the high school world of Jiangdu City, she might be considered a little bit of a genius, but in the entire Jiangnan province, she immediately became someone mediocre, let alone in the entire Daxia Kingdom.

nHe took out the peach wood sword and waved it around, and the leaves that happened to float in front of him were reduced to dust by the Sword Aura. He continued, “With all due respect, you, her and the people around us are all the same to me.”

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform was dumbfounded, and so was Shen Mengwei.

nHe had only waved the sword. Although they did not understand what they just saw, they somehow felt that he was very powerful.

nChen Yiming couldn’t help but show off. “Jiangnan province is about to enter a new era. Your friend calls you a martial arts genius. I’ll demonstrate a sword technique, and see how much you can learn.”

nShen Mengwei met Chen Yiming’s gaze and immediately felt terrible. She tugged at her friend’s sleeve again and wanted to leave.

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform slapped her hand away and said in a low voice, “What are you afraid of? You won’t be at a disadvantage. At most, I’ll give you away…”

nShen Mengwei quickly covered her friend’s mouth and interrupted her words.

nChen Yiming didn’t care about this. He assumed a stance on the spot. Like an old man, he made each move steadily, neither too fast nor too slow. The way he exerted his strength with his sword was clearly displayed. His rhythm was smooth and natural, and there was no signs of him stopping between moves.

nHe demonstrated the Mantis Snake Sword Technique with the standard teaching method.

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform had a confused expression on her face as she muttered, “Why are you so slow? You’re just like an old man in the park. Are you trying to trick us?”

nWith that, she looked at her friend.

nShen Mengwei seemed to be in a daze as she stood rooted to the spot.

nChen Yiming displayed every detail of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique in a way that even those at the disciple realm could understand. If she really had talent in swordsmanship, teaching her this way just once would be enough.

nChen Yiming’s figure as he danced with his sword appeared in Shen Mengwei’s mind, and she felt enlightened.

nThe scene of the young man and girl sparring by the river attracted more and more attention. At first, they were attracted by the girl’s looks and figure, but later, they were attracted by the young man’s swordsmanship.

n“Slow but deliberate. Looks like things aren’t that simple,” someone thought for a while and said uncertainly.

n“Of course. After all, he came from that place.”

nThose who recognized him did not say anything in case they said something wrong and caused trouble for themselves.

nJiangdu City was completely different from usual. A large number of martial arts practitioners were gathered there, and many of the onlookers were very knowledgeable. Some of them even recognized that this sword technique came from the Myriad Phenomena Sect.

nThis was incredible. Currently, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was a famous martial arts faction throughout Jiangnan province and even in the entire Daxia Kingdom. Even an ordinary disciple in the sect had an extraordinary status outside.

n“How is it? How much did you remember?”

nChen Yiming looked like a young grandmaster. Of course, he couldn’t slap himself in the face. No matter what, he had to end things perfectly.

n“I’ve memorized everything.”

nShen Mengwei nodded with a serious expression.

nChen Yiming’s simple teaching of swordsmanship was completely different from the teachers in her class who taught martial arts. Due to her limited knowledge, she didn’t know what level he was at.

nMemorized it all? Do you think you’re me!

nThe appearance of the girl in white sportswear reminded Chen Yiming of the first day he went to the eastern branch of the Mantis Snake Sword School. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was 90% similar.

nChen Yiming decided to give his opponent a chance. “Use the sword technique I taught you to attack me. Let me see how much you’ve learned.”

nShen Mengwei took a look around her and saw that there were more and more onlookers. She was a little nervous. Fortunately, she was also the center of attention in the school and could instantly adjust to the situation.

n“I’m starting.”

nWith that, she raised her training sword and briefly recalled what she had just learned, using the opening stance of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.

nHer entire body was like a snake, and her speed was extremely fast. Before many of the onlookers could react, she had already covered a distance of several meters in one step.

nChen Yiming naturally wouldn’t bully his opponent on purpose. He didn’t use his internal force and suppressed his body’s strength to counterattack with the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.

nChen Yiming quickly exchanged more than 10 blows with his opponent.

nOn the surface, he remained calm and collected, but he felt a little awkwardness in his heart. The other party was not lying. Although she had not reached the level of perfection, she had indeed learned everything.

nHowever, he said, “You don’t have a good grasp of your explosive power, and there are some problems with your swordsmanship. The flow between moves is too stiff.”

n“Your style is too rigid. Every person has a different physique. The standard sword technique also needs to be adjusted accordingly to maximize its power.”

nChen Yiming pointed out the shortcomings of the girl in white sportswear. Facing someone who had such talent in swordsmanship, Chen Yiming had the intention to invite her back to the sect.

nHowever, the talent required at the warrior realm and above was far more than what had been displayed in front of him. It involved the internal force and spiritual power.

nInstantly, he recalled how the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School had taken in Liu Qingqing as a core disciple when he was still in East Lake City.

nHe was no longer an ordinary disciple, but the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. If he brought a fake back, he would be thoroughly embarrassed.

nAfter the sword technique demonstration ended, Chen Yiming took the initiative to come to a stop. Shen Mengwei was too embarrassed to continue sparring, so she had no choice but to stop as well.

n“Let’s stop here. You’re quite talented. No martial arts academy will reject you. Work hard.”

nChen Yiming gave his evaluation.

n“Yes, thank you! I’ll work hard.”

nWhen Shen Mengwei fought Chen Yiming, even though he had suppressed his strength to the limit, there was still a difference in their strength, speed, agility, and so on. Even if they separated at the first contact, it would still consume a lot of her stamina.

nAt this moment, she was drenched in sweat. Her white sportswear was completely soaked, revealing the curves of her body. Chen Yiming almost raised an eyebrow.

nHowever, his self-control was strong, and he did not show any signs of abnormality on the surface.

n“I still have something to do. I’ll leave first.”

nChen Yiming retracted his gaze. There were several rows of onlookers around him, and he wanted to escape quickly.

nShen Mengwei was about to wave goodbye when the girl in the light blue school uniform reached out and stopped her. She rushed to say, “If there’s anything Mengmeng doesn’t understand in the future, and wants to ask you for guidance, how can she contact you?”

nThe discussion among the crowd made the girl in the light blue school uniform realize that this was a rare opportunity for her friend. Her own talent for martial arts was limited and she easily got tired from practicing martial arts, but her mind was especially rational. No matter what kind of emotional situation she was facing, she could almost always maintain a logical train of thought.

nShen Mengwei was grateful for the other party’s guidance, but the girl in the light blue school uniform was thinking about how the other party had no intention of leaving behind his contact details at all.

n“…”

nChen Yiming was just about to leave when he was forced to come to a stop.

nTo be honest, his admiration for the girl in white sportswear had only lasted for a short moment. After all, her level was only at the disciple realm, which was too low to catch his attention, unless she could continuously increase her talent like him.

nThere were many people watching, so he naturally could not leave a stain on his reputation.

n“Which school are you from? I’ll look for you when I’m free,” Chen Yiming asked.

nThe girl in the light blue school uniform wanted to ask for his contact details instead, but after being pressured by Shen Mengwei, she could only tell Chen Yiming that they were both students from Jiangdu City First High.

nChen Yiming nodded. He took out the map he had drawn when exploring the graveyard and flipped to the blank page on the back.

nThe mission required him to draw an area of at least 10 kilometers that had yet to be explored. Most of the area within three kilometers was still an area that he had yet to explore, so he couldn’t turn it in.

nHis internal force seeped out of his body onto his finger. With a swish of his finger, he left behind a concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.

nThis was not the simplified version, but the most difficult version after optimization. In his opinion, without the potential to break through to the peak of the warrior realm, no one was worth his attention.

nIf the girl in white sportswear was stuck before breaking through to the warrior realm, there was no need for him to spare her another glance.

n“What!”

nThe onlookers widened their eyes and did not dare to make a sound.

nHis control over his internal force was not something that ordinary warriors could achieve. Were the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect that powerful?

n“Go back and try to practice with this.”

nChen Yiming stuffed the map into the girl’s hand. Before she could speak, he had already disappeared from everyone’s sight.

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