Age of Evolution

“Shocking Supertalent found in Gale Martial Arts Hall! Private Custom Potion increases physical attributes by 99%!”

“A new Hua Xia record is set, a 99% miracle, Gale Martial Arts Hall’s rise is imminent!”

“Promotion after gaining four levels, Gale’s second-class student Lin Zhen advances to a first-class student, sparking a craze for customized concoctions in Base City.”

Post after post appeared on the martial arts forum of Ice City, triggering a frenzy and drawing the attention of countless people across Base City.

The people posting these messages were mostly martial artists from Gale, who had witnessed Lin Zhen’s performance firsthand that day.

This was a blockbuster event, resulting in many people wondering how Lin Zhen prepared his potion ratio. If this method can be spread, it would be a huge blessing for the entire martial arts community, as every 99% increase would significantly strengthen the group as a whole.

But how could Lin Zhen possibly supply an answer? He only remembered his own trial data and couldn’t match it to anyone else. All he could do was smile and attribute it to his good luck.

However, the internet was not just one-sided in its praise of Lin Zhen. There were also many dissenters out there.

For example, Ouyang Yu of the Dragon-slaying Academy, who posted on the internet with the pseudonym Meteor Rain.

“Although a 99% increase in gene potion is indeed impressive, at the end of the day, it’s just about helping the martial artist save some time, whether it’s three months, half a year, or a year. Lin Zhen’s rapid improvement could easily lead to overconfidence, reckless behavior in the Wilderness Area, and possibly even death. Only a living martial artist has value, dead geniuses are no use. So, Lin Zhen, you’d better stay put, obediently play the role of the genius at the martial arts hall. As for me, I’m getting ready to enter the Wilderness Area.”

Shockingly, this post actually resonated with some people, mainly students from various martial arts academies, who raged at Lin Zhen online.

Lin Zhen, once a second-class student, now enjoys increasing fame and attention. All of the students are proud and consider themselves above the rest, and as a result, numerous posts challenging Lin Zhen surfaced on the internet.

Lin Zhen naturally wouldn’t bother with them, but their silence only made his detractors bolder, claiming that Lin Zhen was just lucky and couldn’t amount to much in actual combat, and that he would eventually fade into obscurity.

On the positive side, the events spurred the students of various martial arts academies to train harder in hopes of advancing faster and surpassing Lin Zhen.

Later, there were reports of more people taking customized concoctions but without success.

Every martial artist has the heart to reach the peak. However, the success rate of private customization is disheartening, as no one could realize Lin Zhen’s level of improvement. Instead, some talented students became less exceptional due to recklessly taking the customized potions.

The day after Lin Zhen’s breakthrough, Chen Jingchou from Long Wind Martial Arts Academy successfully took a private concoction and increased his attributes by 79%, advancing to a seventh-level warrior.

On the third day after Lin Zhen’s breakthrough, Lei Ming, a first-class student of the Dragon-slaying Academy, successfully consumed a private concoction, increasing his attributes by 75% and advancing to a seventh-level warrior.

Although these two achievements were not as striking as Lin Zhen’s 99% improvement, they were still extraordinary in Ice City Base City and invigorated the students of Long Wind and Dragon-slaying Academy, who continued to challenge Gale and Lin Zhen online– especially Ouyang Yu, who became firmly anti-Lin Zhen.

In the Dragon-slaying Academy, Ouyang Yu finished another post slandering Lin Zhen and immediately received a call from Zhang Huai.

“It’s time to meet up with Lin Zhen and the others. It was your idea to get people to attack Lin Zhen’s father at my bar, so you should come with me.”

“Brother Zhang, there won’t be any danger, will there?” Ouyang Yu was somewhat afraid of Lin Zhen after being knocked down by three punches while drunk.

“Don’t worry, when I was out hunting monsters, Lin Zhen was still just a student. Even though he’s made a name for himself now, he won’t dare to cause trouble with me. My Butcher title isn’t just for show. If I can’t even protect you, I have no business mixing in martial arts circles. Besides, this time the entire Blood Hand Squad will be there. Let’s see what tricks the Gale Martial Arts Hall can pull off.”

With Zhang Huai’s assurance, Ouyang Yu felt much more at ease. Zhang Huai’s Blood Hand Squad was led by a four-level War General, Lei Ming; now a senior student, he had also joined the Blood Hand Squad. With these people there, Ouyang Yu fearlessly confronted Lin Zhen.

Traveling in two modified off-road vehicles, the five members of the Dragon-slaying Academy’s Blood Hand Squad, along with Ouyang Yu, headed straight for the meeting point agreed upon with Lin Zhen.

********

At the Gale Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Liang and three other martial artists waited in front of the small practice dojo.

“Liang, Lin Zhen has been in that small dojo for three days now. This guy is really devoted to training, huh?”

Speaking was the captain of Zhao Liang’s Demon Hunter Squad, Shi Lei. He was a third-level War General, skilled with the longsword, and practiced the Gale Sword Skill, making him a typical Gale martial artist.

“Yeah, practice in moderation is best. Training here can’t be as effective as hunting monsters in the field, right? Liang, later you have to talk to Lin Zhen. Actual combat experience is what counts. A flower nurtured in a greenhouse can’t grow big.”

This man is called Gao Yan, a First-level War General, and the team’s sniper.

Usually, a martial artist team will be equipped with one or two martial artists who use firearms. Long-range sniping is a very necessary means, but those who use firearms basically have no possibility of advancing to War God. Their main purpose is to kill monsters to earn money. Many people will choose to retire when they have earned enough money.

“Gao Yan is right. Although Lin Zhen has improved by 99%, he hasn’t proven his combat abilities yet. Killing monsters and bar brawls are completely different concepts. Zhao Liang, you recommended Lin Zhen so highly, don’t let us down. If he drags the team down, I have no obligation to take care of him.”

This man’s name is Ye Tiancheng, a Second-level War General who wields dual swords and follows the agility route.

“You guys can rest assured. I know Lin Zhen well. His combat awareness and mental will are both strong. If it wasn’t for my friendship with him, this talent would probably not have joined our squad. Just wait, the time is almost up, he should be coming out soon.”

The few people did not make a sound, silently waiting for the genius Lin Zhen that Zhao Liang spoke of to appear.

At this time, Lin Zhen was in a critical moment.

After sealing himself in a small training field for three days, Lin Zhen’s entire energy was spent on practicing his spear skills.

Nine Layers Spear River is an ancient book, no one knows how it came into being, but the techniques recorded in it are extremely strong.

In his previous life, Lin Zhen had bought the first book, which mainly recorded the basics of spear skills and a unique move. It was because of this unique move that martial artists could not directly learn the second level without mastering the first level, as they would be unable to connect with it.

Lin Zhen had been practicing for three days straight, and in those three days, he had basically found the feeling of using a spear from his previous life.

What he lacked now was to re-master the first level of spear skill he had learned before.

Lin Zhen was drenched in sweat as he sat cross-legged on the ground, mist rising from his body. The Black Dragon Spear was placed in front of him, and he closed his eyes tightly, recalling the essentials of the first level of spear skills in his mind.

“Nine Layers Spear River, it is said to be divided into nine unique moves, they are: Gale, Storm, Waterfall, Long River, Overturning River, Sea Treading, Sky Splitting, Star Fall, and Collapse. In my previous life, I had learned Gale. What I need to do now is to re-master it.”

“I have already realized the mystery of Gale, the only flaw is that this body is still a little weak. Although after three days of bitter training, my strength has reached the peak of a Seventh-level Warrior, it’s still not enough.”

“However, this physical flaw is not critical. As long as I re-master Gale, I can rely on this spear skill and my outstanding nerve reaction to deal with Level Nine Warriors and even save my life in front of an early-stage War General.”

In his mind, he recalled the insights from his previous life. Even though Lin Zhen was inside the room, his heart was already filled with raging gales.

“Snap!”

He reached out a hand, holding the 150-pound Black Dragon Spear horizontally in front of his chest. Lin Zhen slowly opened his eyes.

“Gale, a spear skill realized in the wind, is like a raging storm when facing an enemy. It has unexpected effects when dealing with weaker opponents. With the advantage of a long spear, short weapons cannot resist. This is the advantage of a spear!”

“Ha!”

Lin Zhen felt that he had touched the essence of Gale again, and suddenly jumped up. With a flick of his hand holding the long spear, he aimed directly at a soft dummy ten meters away.

Soft dummies are made of new rubber material and have a special composition inside which can automatically restore after being hit, making them the best materials for training.

Lin Zhen flicked the long spear in his hand, and the Black Dragon Spear drew an arc. It seemed like an ordinary spear, but then it suddenly changed!

“Whoosh!”

A gale suddenly rose out of thin air. The spear tip moved in front of him like a large cluster of spear flowers, rolling forward like a fireball exploding in the dark night. Even before the spear tip touched the dummy’s body, there were already shallow pits appearing on the dummy’s soft body, injured by the spear’s aura!

The wind rose!

The feeling from his previous life had returned!

“That’s it, to regain my peak and surpass myself, it starts now!”