This was... a sensation that Qian Jin could not comprehend, feeling the Battle Sequence within his body—what in the world was happening? Uncle Enlake once mentioned that if a Battle Sequence shattered, it could unleash at least double its power. If it was a high-level Combat Skill, shattering it could yield even greater might, but once shattered, it vanished completely, requiring re-cultivation.

Yet, before his eyes, this recently shattered Fen Jin Lian Zhan (Splitting Gold Sequential Slash) Combat Skill sequence was actively re-ordering and combining itself, without him needing to cultivate it anew. It had already recovered over eighty percent, and it was still healing; it looked like it would soon reach... ninety percent...

This... Qian Jin watched with his own eyes as the Fen Jin Lian Zhan Combat Skill sequence within him went from complete disintegration to full, intact presentation in less than a minute.

Once again, Fen Jin Lian Zhan returned to its full, ten-tenths state! And it appeared sturdier, more solid than before.

"Tie Nan! Are you trying to beat my precious boy to death? Believe it or not, I'll pluck every last one of your ape hairs!"

Isabella moved her feet, gliding at high speed across the air. Her arms spread wide like a Phoenix rising from a volcano, her imposing aura nearly enveloping half of the Conquest Academy.

Tie Nan looked up at Isabella, and all the black hair on his body bristled.

"Headmistress, Headmistress..." The dull-witted Tian Ce hurried forward, waving both hands above his head repeatedly: "No! Absolutely do not make a move! He is my only good retainer."

Isabella landed on the dueling platform but didn't actually attack Tie Nan; she didn't even spare him a glance. She rushed directly to Qian Jin, fumbling over his blood-soaked body with both hands: "Kid, are you alright?"

Alright? Qian Jin's lips twitched, managing a slight smile. Every bone in his body felt like it was falling apart. There had to be some massive gap between a Demon-Slaying Warrior and a Demon-Exterminating Warrior! If he hadn't been constantly drinking the Volcanic Potion, building a foundation in the Four Seasons Valley and the Ancient Desolate Sea, and if it hadn't been for Qian Zhan Xuan Yin's treacherous assistance, perhaps that punch might have truly shattered his Battle Meridian.

"It's nothing." Qian Jin felt a bit dizzy, a short-term effect from expelling too much blood: "I still have to thank that punch; it made me understand a lot."

"Understood a lot? Could it be..." Isabella's beautiful eyes scrutinized Qian Jin repeatedly: "You weren't that lucky, were you?"

"Lucky?" Qian Jin lifted his left hand, pointing to his whole body covered in blood, and the right arm clearly injured from the recent clash: "Does this count as lucky?"

If only he could have merged the Steel Body Realm of the Feng Yun Jin Shen (Wind and Cloud Golden Body) technique into his arm simultaneously while using Fen Jin Lian Zhan, that punch shouldn't have resulted in a fracture. What a pity! Feng Yun Jin Shen and Fen Jin Lian Zhan really couldn't overlap.

Isabella shook her head looking at Qian Jin's massively injured arm. For someone who was merely competing on the Hundred Battles Ranking to have the misfortune of fighting Tie Nan, that black ape, truly wasn't considered lucky. However, sustaining only this much injury could be seen as fortunate.

"Glad you’re okay." Mu Ne Tian Ce assessed Qian Jin, patting Tie Nan's chest: "Hey Tie Nan, why did your combat power suddenly increase just now? I told you to help, not to fight seriously."

Tie Nan, still retaining his Bloodline Battle Form, wore a wronged expression, one that could almost compete with Mu Gui Wu Xin for the title of the ugliest warrior in Eternal Flow City.

"You can't blame me for that. In that instant, I felt I couldn't suppress him with my Demon-Slaying Battle Form," Tie Nan pouted, truthfully recounting his thoughts: "If I had gone head-to-head with him in the Demon-Slaying Battle Form, I might have been injured or suffered a loss."

The surrounding students stared at Qian Jin with the collective gaze reserved for monsters.

Hard fighting against Qian Jin in the Demon-Slaying Battle Form might lead to a loss? What kind of concept was that?

Who was Tie Nan? The students of Conquest Academy might not fully grasp his true combat power, but they all knew his personality: extremely straightforward and honest, and incomparably loyal to Mu Ne Tian Ce, never uttering a single lie to him.

Isabella looked at Qian Jin strangely: "Just now, you shattered your Combat Skill?"

Qian Jin nodded slightly. The difference in their strength was simply too vast. But if the shattering of the Fen Jin Lian Zhan Battle Sequence was so potent, how much more powerful would the subsequent Combat Skills in that sequence be? It truly made one look forward to it!

"What a shame... that Combat Skill must be incredibly difficult to master." Isabella glared fiercely at Tie Nan, her eyes like hooks, as if she wouldn't be satisfied until she carved two chunks of flesh from him.

Tie Nan even felt a pang of pain in his lower abdomen, as if two pieces of flesh had genuinely been gouged out by hooks. He could only offer a simple, apologetic smile.

"Indeed..." Qian Jin nodded awkwardly. Fen Jin Lian Zhan was indeed difficult to master. He supposed he wasn't lying, and it was better to conceal this bizarre situation. If no warrior in the Zhen Ce Dynasty had ever encountered this, they might be captured by those mysterious apothecaries and warriors for dissection and research.

"You should still practice to get it back when you have time." Isabella smiled sweetly at Qian Jin: "The power of that Combat Skill is truly immense. Kid, are you interested in contributing it to the Academy? I can find a group of Combat Skill research teachers to help analyze and improve it. Furthermore, your contribution can be exchanged for abundant resources based on the skill's assessed level."

Resource rewards? Fen Jin Lian Zhan was a Saint-level Combat Skill; the benefits gained from contributing it probably wouldn't be small. Qian Jin pursed his lips and shook his head slightly. He should probably forgo this method of acquiring resources. Contributing Fen Jin Lian Zhan meant contributing the Feng Yun Dou Qi (Wind and Cloud Battle Qi), the 108 Battle Aperture Secret Art, and the ability to simulate a Bloodline Warrior's Combat Skill. What resources could possibly be exchanged for something like this?

The Conquest Academy was certainly wealthy, but not wealthy enough to this degree, surely? Perhaps only the Royal Family could afford the price.

If the Royal Family offered conditions capable of rescuing his father and ensuring his father's lifelong peace, exchanging the Feng Yun Dou Qi might not be out of the question. His father had sacrificed so much for him; how could a set of Feng Yun Dou Qi, however precious, compare to a father's love?

"Really not considering it?" Isabella clearly hadn't given up, her exquisite face holding a hint of devilish temptation: "The rewards from Conquest Academy have always been extremely generous. Much, much more generous than the prize money for rank thirty on the Hundred Battles List."

"I'm really not considering it." Qian Jin sighed, looking at his injured arm: "I planned to immediately challenge rank twenty right after finishing rank thirty. Now, it seems I'll have to slow down a bit and go in a few days."

Challenging rank thirty immediately followed by challenging rank twenty? The students gathered nearby doubted their hearing. Had this Qian Jin truly gone mad? He was on the Genius List before the dance last night, and by this morning, he was already ranked fortieth on the Hundred Battles List. By noon, he had pushed *** to thirtieth place. Now that he had barely secured his seat at thirtieth place on the Hundred Battles List, he was already aiming for *** in twentieth place?

In the Academy, apart from the top four seeded warriors who stood there from the moment the Hundred Battles List was first drawn, no one had ever risen through the rankings with such terrifying speed.

Qian Jin moved his somewhat stiff and very painful body, walked up to Mu Ne Tian Ce, raised his hand, clenched it into a fist, and suspended it motionless in front of him.

Mu Ne Tian Ce stared blankly at Qian Jin's suspended fist. The faint confusion in his eyes instantly cleared, replaced by an interested look. He slowly raised his own fist and lightly tapped Qian Jin's, completing the gesture of thanks exchanged between warriors expressing goodwill.

"Thanks. I'll treat you to drinks another day." Qian Jin massaged his aching shoulders and hopped off the platform. He turned back toward Mu Ne Tian Ce, who still held a hint of an amused smile on his lips: "How do I find you?"

"The Academy has a large communication board. Write on it that we're going for drinks, set a meeting place, and I'll be there on time."

"Alright! See you later."

Qian Jin rotated his equally aching neck and sauntered toward the Academy bathhouse. In this state, covered in gore, he was sure to be kicked out by the teachers before he even entered the classroom that afternoon.

"Hey, kid!" Isabella quickened her pace to keep up with Qian Jin, still not giving up her persuasive efforts: "I mean, what are you thinking? Let's talk. I can use my Headmistress privileges to make a trade with you. Conquest Academy has plenty of excellent Combat Skills too."

"I know that. That's why I'm fighting on the Hundred Battles List. I remember that if one becomes number one on the Hundred Battles List, one gets the qualification to view any Combat Skill recorded by the Academy."

Number one on the Hundred Battles List? The students lingering near the platform began to confirm that Qian Jin had truly gone insane. Who currently held the first rank on the Hundred Battles List? The Thunder Lion King, Tian Lian Ling Guan! A student warrior whom the Academy viewed as the most likely contender to win the Rookie King competition!

Qian Jin was going to challenge him? A common warrior wouldn't even dream such a dream while sleeping—what was this if not madness?

Bathing, attending classes, and after school, Qian Jin spent his very first day in the environment of a Higher Academy. Stepping out of the classroom, he found two young warriors waiting outside. The insignia on their chests showed they were... fifth-year students!

"Are you Qian Jin?"

Both fifth-year students spoke simultaneously, their voices carrying a slight undertone of malice.

Qian Jin observed the two before him: short green hair, fair skin, and an indescribable heroic aura between their brows. However, their eyes were not aesthetically pleasing—they were standard, sharp, triangular eyes, almost comparable to the triangular rulers wielded by the engineering students at the Zhen Ce Dynasty's School of Engineering.

"I am." Qian Jin looked at them with some confusion: "Two Seniors, may I ask...?"