4:00 AM, Lightyear Speed Internet Cafe.
While most people were still in their dreams, Lin Zhiran took off his helmet and gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The prolonged deep dive and high-intensity mental concentration made him feel a trace of fatigue, but his eyes were shining brightly in the dark.
Just now, he finished his last "Custom Match" in the Ladder.
Record: All wins. Experts who died under his spear: 108. Including three Platinum-Rank powerhouses who came attracted by his fame.
The myth of the "Three-Meter Restricted Zone" resounded throughout the entire Ladder Network overnight.
Lin Zhiran stood up and moved his somewhat stiff neck. The internet cafe was empty at this time; only the greasy-faced boss was sleeping soundly on the counter, with a tablet playing "Cold Light Highlights" on loop next to him.
No one knew that the "Spear God" who drove the whole internet crazy was just sitting in that corner, drinking a bottle of mineral water worth two bucks.
"Check out."
Lin Zhiran knocked gently on the counter.
The boss woke up groggily, looked at the time, and muttered, "Leaving so early? Students nowadays are really... Eh? It's you."
He recognized this teenager who had pulled all-nighters here for two consecutive days.
"Gone."
Lin Zhiran put down the change, pulled down the brim of his hat, pushed open the door, and walked into the pre-dawn darkness.
The streets were deserted, with only sanitation workers sweeping the floor.
Walking on the way home, Lin Zhiran's state of mind was unusually calm. The slaughter and glory in the virtual world last night seemed like a big dream. Now, he was just a brother going to buy breakfast for his sister.
Passing a breakfast stall, he bought Lin Qingyu's favorite soup dumplings and soy milk.
Returning home, looking at his sister's peaceful sleeping face, which had the healthy rosiness only possible after treatment with High-Grade Genetic Repair Serum.
"This is the life I want."
Lin Zhiran sat by the bed for a while, then returned to the living room, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his breathing technique to recover his spirit and energy.
The calm before the storm was the most precious.
...
However, the tranquility on Lin Zhiran's side did not mean the outside world was the same.
Jiangnan City, Ladder Branch Building, Top Floor.
Special Commissioner Ye Hongyu had not slept all night.
Her cold and glamorous face was now covered with frost, and a report in her hand was crumpled by her grip.
"Can't trace him?"
Ye Hongyu's voice suppressed her anger. "We used the military's quantum tracking technology and even applied for Level 2 authority of 'Skynet,' and you tell me you can't trace an IP?"
The head of the technical department standing in front of the desk was sweating profusely, saying with a bitter face, "Commissioner, it's really too weird. That 'Cold Light's' data stream appeared out of thin air, without any physical address. Every time we were about to lock on, we were blocked back by a higher level of encrypted garble... That encryption method even looks like..."
"Like what?"
"Like... the National Master Brain's self-protection program."
Ye Hongyu's pupils shrank suddenly.
Master Brain?
Could this "Cold Light" be a core disciple released by some top family in the capital? Or a "seed" secretly cultivated by the military?
If so, that would explain it.
"Phew..." Ye Hongyu rubbed her glabella and sighed helplessly. "Since we can't trace him, let it go for now. Anyway, as long as he is training for the College Entrance Exam, he will show his face sooner or later."
"By the way, how are the arrangements for that S-Rank genius Lin Zhiran?"
The assistant hurried forward to report, "Arrangements are made. The High-Grade Genetic Repair Serum has been delivered and used. Monitoring data shows his Vitality has stabilized above 2.0. Additionally, the slot for the Thunder Training Camp has been reserved. It opens in three days."
"Very good."
A trace of expectation flashed in Ye Hongyu's eyes. "If we can't catch that mysterious dragon 'Cold Light,' at least we still hold the uncut jade Lin Zhiran in our hands. Hope the intensive training in three days will give me more surprises."
...
At the same time, Jiangnan City Wealthy District, Zhao Family Manor.
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed in the luxurious living room.
Zhao Tai clutched his swollen cheek, kneeling on the ground, trembling. In front of him sat a burly middle-aged man with sinister eyes—the Head of the Zhao Family, Zhao Tianba.
"Trash!"
Zhao Tianba shouted angrily, smashing the teacup in his hand at Zhao Tai's feet. "The family spent millions to pile resources on you, only for you to be beaten looking for teeth all over the floor by an F-Rank poor kid at school? That's one thing, but you actually let him turn over and become an S-Rank right under your nose?!"
"Dad, I..." Tears swirled in Zhao Tai's eyes due to grievance. "I didn't know how he suddenly became so strong, and that tester..."
"Shut up! A loss is a loss, don't make excuses!"
Zhao Tianba took a deep breath, the gloom in his eyes thick enough to solidify.
Lin Zhiran's rise wasn't just about Zhao Tai losing face; it was a slap in the face for the entire Zhao Family. Moreover, a civilian S-Rank with no background, once he grew up, would be a ticking time bomb for the Zhao Family who had offended him.
"Patriarch, should we..."
The butler standing in the shadows made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Idiot!" Zhao Tianba glanced at him coldly. "Now the military treats him like a treasure, and that Ye Hongyu personally escorted him. Acting now, do you think the Zhao Family isn't dying fast enough?"
"Then... we just let it go?"
"Let it go? Hmph, how could it be that easy."
Zhao Tianba turned the jade ring on his thumb, his eyes flashing with light like a venomous snake. "Three days later, the elites of the whole city will gather at the 'Thunder Training Camp' for closed intensive training. That is military territory, and also a place outside the law."
"Although we can't kill him openly, accidents happening during training, or crippling his martial arts foundation, are common occurrences."
He looked at Zhao Tai kneeling on the ground and threw out a dark red potion.
"This is 'Berserk Potion Type III,' got it from the black market. Although it has side effects, it can triple your combat power in a short time."
"Once in the Training Camp, stare him to death for me. Find a chance, I want him to become a true cripple!"
Zhao Tai took the potion with trembling hands, the fear in his eyes gradually replaced by resentment.
"Yes, Father! I will definitely make him regret coming into this world!"
...
Three days later.
Jiangnan City's largest military base—Thunder Base.
Buses loaded with young martial artists slowly drove in. This place gathered the top geniuses from various high schools in Jiangnan City, as well as elites recommended by major dojos, totaling five hundred people.
Lin Zhiran walked off the bus carrying a simple bag.
Compared to the other students' large bags and excited chatter, he seemed exceptionally quiet. Dressed in a black tracksuit with a baseball cap, he tried to lower his presence as much as possible.
But some lights could not be covered.
"Look! That's Lin Zhiran!" "Which one? That S-Rank Talent?" "Yes, that's him! Heard he was F-Rank a few days ago, then suddenly awakened a Weapon Soul, ascending to the heavens in one step!" "Tsk tsk, he looks quite handsome, just a bit cold."
Countless gazes instantly focused on him. Some envious, some jealous, and some purely curious.
Lin Zhiran looked calm, as if he didn't hear these discussions.
But his keen perception caught a few malicious gazes.
In the crowd, Zhao Tai was standing with several teenagers wearing Thunder Dojo uniforms, pointing at him with vicious eyes.
And on the high platform further away, several soldiers in instructor uniforms were looking down at this group of freshmen. One of them let his gaze linger on Lin Zhiran for a long time, a playful smile on the corner of his mouth.
"It seems the days in this Training Camp won't be too boring."
Lin Zhiran lowered the brim of his hat, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.
Open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to defend?
No.
For him, possessing the "Heart of the Spear God," whether it was an open spear or a hidden arrow, as long as they dared to come...
Then break them all.
"Assemble!"
A roar like thunder resounded through the playground.
The cruel elite selection officially kicked off.