Chapter 296: Ten Institute's Third Rank
Chapter 296: Ten Institute’s Third Rank (Requesting Monthly Vote)
“The school has decided to include Lin Qi in the Ten Institute rankings.”
Xu Wenji’s voice was calm, but an unmistakable authority radiated from him.
The others’ expressions darkened.
The deputy principal’s words were a veiled critique. Why add Lin Qi? Because the Ten Institute’s geniuses weren’t working hard enough. Their lack of competitiveness required stirring—a new “catfish” to shake things up.
“You’re all dismissed. Take a day to rest. The day after tomorrow, you’ll depart for Otherworld.”
“Oh, and Lin Qi and Huo Wanyang will be joining you.” Xu Wenji added after a pause.
Minutes later
On the ride back to Ten Institute, a suffocating pressure hung over the group.
Xiang Long’s rugged face was furrowed, his frustration palpable.
He’s overtaken me.
But this trip to Otherworld would prove who was truly stronger. That guy’s just lucky, he thought bitterly.
---
In a fortress at Azure Firmament Base—the largest war base in Xia Kingdom’s Otherworld—
A sleek, crimson-furred fighter jet descended onto the landing pad.
“Buzz!”
The cabin door hissed open. A tall figure in a black robe stepped out, his thick beard framing a chiseled face. He planted a boot on the concrete ground.
“Finally back,” Mu Hong exhaled, relief in his voice.
“Yeah, finally back!”
“Talk about a close call this time!”
Behind him, a woman in her thirties emerged, her sharp features softened by a white-and-green combat suit.
“Old Mu, congratulations on breaking into the Eighth Realm!”
“What’s next?”
Mu Hong grinned, feeling the torrent of power coursing through his body—nothing like his Seventh Realm days.
He felt like a god among mortals. Next time I face an eighth-level Disaster Beast, I’ll slaughter it instead of fleeing.
“I’m heading back to the academy. Been away too long. My students need my guidance.”
The green-clad woman chuckled.
“Must be thanks to your top disciple Lin Qi bringing you luck. Now that you’ve broken through, everything’s looking up.”
Mu Hong laughed heartily. “Maybe that kid really is my good omen.”
---
After acquiring the Mid-Tier Primordial Energy Martial Art, Lin Qi had prepared relentlessly for Otherworld.
He’d maxed out his training in the Spiritual Cultivation Arena and Gravity Chamber, absorbing every evolution technique he could.
By the 22nd, he stood in the dorm courtyard of Azure Firmament Six Colleges.
“Brother Qi,” Jiang Tao called, “when you get back, tell us what Otherworld’s like!”
“Once I hit Fourth Realm, I’m heading there to train in Mid-Tier Primordial Energy Martial Art too.”
Lin Qi nodded. Jiang Tao’s innate talent would let him break through post-Global Freshman Competition—and earn enough for the trip. His strength’ll skyrocket, Lin Qi mused.
“Whoosh!”
“Rumble!”
A crimson fighter jet roared into view.
“It’s the Falcon!” Jiang Tao recognized it.
As the cabin door yawned open, a white-robed figure with elongated earlobes appeared.
“Dean Liu!”
“Lin Qi, let’s go!” Liu waved him aboard.
Lin Qi hoisted his backpack and suitcase, nodding to his friends.
“See you.”
They watched him vanish into the jet.
Inside, two dozen ergonomic silver chairs filled the cabin, with a fruit-laden table at the center.
“Lin Qi!” Wan Ming waved from his seat, Xia Lian, Han Zhen, and Pei Jiu nearby.
A smart robot rolled over.
“Hand it over,” Dean Liu nudged, placing Lin Qi’s luggage on the bot. “Relax.”
“Rumble!”
The jet’s hum vibrated faintly as Lin Qi sipped tea beside Liu.
“Why’re you here?” Lin Qi asked.
“A few loose ends to tie up,” Liu replied, retreating to the cockpit.
Lin Qi surveyed the cabin. Thirteen geniuses—each radiating distinct auras: blazing heat, icy cold, surging vitality.
“Knew you’d join us,” Wan Ming slid beside him. “You’re number three in Ten Institute now—even overtook me.”
“Third?”
Wan Ming projected the Disaster Beast Hunting Competition rankings.
“You and Huo Wanyang got slotted in. Third and ninth. Xiang Long dropped to fourth—7,000 points behind you.”
Lin Qi glanced at Xiang Long’s brooding face, then at the top two: Pei Jiu and Yu Zhuoran, 20,000 points ahead.
“Deputy Principal used you as a stick to beat us with,” Xia Lian chimed in. “Work harder or he’ll leave us in the dust!”
Lin Qi shrugged. “Lucky, mostly.”
“Stop that humble act—Nine Brother does it too!” Xia Lian mock-scolded.
Pei Jiu chuckled, sharing a knowing look with Lin Qi.
“Tell us about Otherworld,” Lin Qi urged Wan Ming, who grinned.
“My parents worked there during the Great Expansion. I dug up loads of intel.”
The group leaned in.
“Before Spatial Gate tech, Otherworld was a death trap. Disaster Beasts poured through spatial fissures—we lived under their shadow.”
“In 2008 MD (Martial Dao calendar), we traded the Vermin Race for the gate tech. Then, the Red Emperor rose in 2019, becoming the first Ninth Realm title-holder. That’s when we launched the Otherworld Frontier Plan.”
Lin Qi nodded—no surprise the group knew of the Vermin Race.
“The early days were brutal. Martial artists carved out war bases from nothing—thousands died. But Otherworld’s a gem. The primordial energy density’s way higher than Xia Kingdom’s Ten Institute.”
Lin Qi’s curiosity spiked. How high?
“Survivors struck gold—Awakening Fruits, Transcendence Fruits, even treasures that let them leap realms. Otherworld’s a gold rush. Elixirs brewed from its materials and Disaster Beast flesh revolutionized martial arts. Even Ninth Realm cultivators multiplied.”
The group sat awestruck, envisioning that wild era.
Lin Qi thought of Mu Hong—Still no word after chasing that Eighth Realm chance.
Wan Ming sipped his drink.
“Now, War Bases are mapped, so you’ve got to venture deeper—and risk seven or eight-level beasts. It’s a gamble: wealth or death.”
The cabin fell quiet, the jet slicing through the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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