Just as Gao Neng was reeling from the shock that Shen Ning'Er truly existed, the students on the training ground, who had just quieted down, transformed into a legion of rabid fanboys.
"Wow, that Shen Ning'Er is gorgeous!"
"The best part is, she's our age! I'm so hyped..."
"Hyped my ass. You got money? You got the looks? All you can do is stand here getting hyped. A short, poor, ugly loser like you is a simp at best!"
A wave of chatter erupted.
Qin Tianxiong's brow furrowed. He was about to quiet them down, but Shen Ning'Er paid them no mind, slowly walking over to the piece of metallic ore that had already turned gray.
"What are you waiting for? Get Young Master Shen... get Shen Ning'Er a new one!" Qin Tianxiong shouted at the two soldiers when he saw this.
"No need to trouble yourselves. The Alliance's resources have always been scarce. This one will do," Shen Ning'Er said, shaking her head to stop the two soldiers who were about to haul over another raw metal ore.
"..." Qin Tianxiong shut his mouth.
Shen Ning'Er then extended her right hand. Unlike Qin Tianxiong, she didn't place it on the raw ore. Instead, she held it about ten centimeters away.
RUMBLE!
The gray raw ore trembled once more.
Black liquid gushed out wildly.
Like a geyser, it pooled beneath her palm without touching her body.
All the students' eyes widened again.
'Extracting energy from a distance?!'
'And from a "scrap ore" that Qin Tianxiong had already extracted from once?!'
"Actually, the amount of energy extracted isn't directly related to one's power level. The fact that I can extract more iron energy from this ore doesn't mean my power is greater than Lieutenant Qin's," Shen Ning'Er explained.
"..." Qin Tianxiong's lips clamped even tighter.
In truth, what else could he do but keep his mouth shut?
High school students were long past the age of "following a stranger for a lollipop." They could naturally see that Shen Ning'Er's control over iron energy was far superior to Qin Tianxiong's. Otherwise, what she just did would have been absolutely impossible.
It truly had nothing to do with one's power level.
But it was far more terrifying than a simple difference in power.
Looking at Qin Tianxiong, the students could almost feel the sting on his face.
Because this represented immense talent, a terrifying affinity for energy. It meant that at the same power level, Shen Ning'Er could annihilate Qin Tianxiong in an instant.
Of course, there were other possibilities. For example, maybe Qin Tianxiong's real strength wasn't controlling iron energy, but gold, copper, or aluminum. Or perhaps he was a gaseous-type Warrior?
However, those possibilities were extremely unlikely.
After all, iron was one of the most fundamental types of energy.
Watching Shen Ning'Er on the stage, the students grew even more excited. A girl who not only possessed stunning looks but also immense talent instantly captured their budding hearts.
"From this day forward, Shen Ning'Er is my goddess!"
"I want to be her hand warmer!"
"Don't hold me back! I need to shine, I need to burn bright..."
The chatter grew louder and more chaotic.
But Shen Ning'Er, on the stage, seemed completely oblivious, her bright eyes fixed on the iron energy gathering beneath her palm.
"The first step of energy manifestation is to make the extracted energy take on a specific shape according to your will. Lieutenant Qin's 'spike' was a change in form, but it was a 'fixed' form. To achieve true energy manifestation, the form must be 'non-fixed'." As Shen Ning'Er spoke, her body slowly spun around. The black iron energy, flowing like water, was drawn into a black silk ribbon that wrapped around her.
Shen Ning'Er spun again.
The black iron energy transformed once more.
It made her look like a black-robed fairy from mythology, performing a dance.
"It really changed! It's as smooth as a ribbon!" The students' jaws dropped, but in truth, their gazes were almost entirely fixed on Shen Ning'Er. No one was really watching the transformation of the black iron energy.
Until...
A bestial roar echoed!
ROAR!
The ribbon-like black iron energy instantly changed.
Legs grew from its belly, and horns sprouted from its head.
In a mere instant, it had transformed into an "Iron Dragon"?!
The plates of black Scale Armor vibrated with a low hum. Its four iron claws glinted with a cold light so sharp one dared not look directly at them.
ROAR!
The Iron Dragon soared into the air.
Although this Iron Dragon was less than three meters long, its world-devouring aura sent a tremor through every student's heart.
"Ah... Holy shit?! It's a dragon!"
"What the hell! The iron energy turned into a dragon?!"
"My god, am I dreaming, or am I watching a nature documentary?"
The students standing closer were so scared they scrambled backward.
Gao Neng was also stunned.
The Iron Dragon had appeared too suddenly, and it was too real. It seemed to have a life of its own, a faint red glow flowing within its eyes like two iron-smelting furnaces, exuding a terrifying aura.
"Energy manifestation?! Is this energy manifestation?"
"This dragon... it can't be alive, can it?"
"It's too terrifying!"
The students no longer paid any attention to Shen Ning'Er's movements. Everyone's eyes were glued to the Iron Dragon.
Because only at this moment did they begin to understand what Shen Ning'Er meant by "non-fixed form"!
"The so-called non-fixed form consists of 'form' on one hand, and 'essence,' 'qi,' and 'spirit' on the other. Not one can be missing," Shen Ning'Er spoke again, and at the same time, her right hand swiped down sharply.
A terrifying scene unfolded in an instant.
The soaring Iron Dragon suddenly dove toward the wooden stage, snatched the iron plate that Qin Tianxiong had shattered with his fist, and, with a CRUNCH, CRUNCH, swallowed it whole.
At the same time, the black Iron Dragon began to turn a vivid red, starting from its head. The crimson color spread rapidly to its abdomen, and then to its tail.
"It ate it?!" the students exclaimed.
CRACK!
The wooden stage let out a cracking sound.
Even though the Iron Dragon wasn't actually standing on the wooden stage, a black scorch mark had appeared on it, looking as if it could burst into flames at any moment.
ROAR!
The Iron Dragon roared again, and the crimson on its body instantly receded.
A pile of snow-white powder fell to the ground.
'The impurities in the iron plate were purged in an instant?!'
'A furnace!'
'This Iron Dragon is a furnace made of molten iron!'
And the most terrifying part was that after eating the iron plate, the Iron Dragon's body had more than doubled in size, growing from less than three meters to a full seven or eight meters long.
As the Iron Dragon grew, its aura and oppressive presence surged wildly, causing even the students who had retreated to a distance to break out in a cold sweat.
"No, don't come over here!"
"I don't want to die!"
The students scrambled back one after another.
Shen Ning'Er seemed to sense the students' distress and quickly tapped a finger on the Iron Dragon's forehead.
BAM!
The majestic Iron Dragon in the sky trembled, dissolving back into liquid iron energy. It flew rapidly to gather beneath Shen Ning'Er's palm, finally coalescing into a "black capsule."
"This is manifestation's 'assimilation'—assimilating the same type of energy. This method is relatively simple. There is also another technique called 'devouring,' which allows iron energy to merge with other energies. As you all should know from a scientific perspective, it's not just energies of the same type that can be compatible. For example, if you put a tree and a piece of iron together, they can fuse over time. Theoretically, if one is powerful enough, 'devouring' could allow for the infinite fusion of all kinds of energy. Of course, that is just a theory."
After this explanation, Shen Ning'Er said no more. Clutching the "black capsule" in her hand, she slowly stepped back and sat down again in the chair at the side of the stage.
But the entire training ground had fallen completely silent.
There was no more boisterous chatter.
The students stared blankly at the black scorch mark left on the stage. They had seen the Energy Extraction Technique before, as Principal Li Qingping was also an Energy Warrior.
But energy manifestation...
And manifestation into a dragon, no less.
This was the first time they had experienced it so up close.
The shock of it all sent a surging impulse through every student's heart, inspiring them to become an Energy Warrior, to become as powerful as Shen Ning'Er.
Even a deadbeat can dream.
"I'm going to become an Energy Warrior!"
"I'll master energy manifestation and dedicate my life to the Alliance!"
"Don't hold me back! I'm going to study hard for this year's college entrance exams and get into the best school, the Alliance Military University!"
After a brief silence, the entire student body erupted.
"Good, very good!" At this moment, Principal Li Qingping stood up again at just the right time. His gaze subconsciously fell on Shen Ning'Er's black military uniform, where he noticed her rank was merely that of a new recruit. He immediately cleared his throat twice. "Ahem, Soldier Shen has truly opened our eyes today!"
Although Li Qingping addressed Shen Ning'Er as a soldier, his tone was extremely respectful. After all, Shen Ning'Er had earned everyone's respect with her own power.
Moreover, the people of the Forgotten Land were not like those in the City of Hope. Years upon years of despair had filled the people here with all sorts of negative emotions.
Grayness and darkness!
These were the dominant colors here.
'Maybe these students can still be saved?' Li Qingping hadn't seen such a passionate and stirred-up scene in a long time, and the thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"This year, our Third Senior High School must produce ten university students!" Li Qingping loudly proclaimed his grand goal.
At that very moment, the familiar voice rang out once again in Gao Neng's mind.
"Do you want to possess the most powerful ability in the world?"
"I do! I fucking think about it every day! So just give it to me already!" Gao Neng, perhaps influenced by the surrounding atmosphere, yelled this out subconsciously.
"Ding. The host has chosen to accept the trial. Please prove your strength. 'Sacrifice' Shen Ning'Er. Use flames and blood to ignite your youth and illuminate the darkness on the path ahead."