Chapter 174: 161, Wang Jianfang excels in both calligraphy and painting (seeking monthly subscription tickets)
Lu Lin stared at the scene before him, unsure of what to do next.
It was supposed to be an ordinary Star Skill, yet it had affected everyone this way.
Hang Jianshe’s face was pale.
Cong Xiaolong was unsteady on his feet.
Yao Zongheng and six other students had fainted outright.
No one had expected a perfectly fine challenge to end up like this.
"Old Wu, end the match. Bring Lu Lin to my office later."
A voice reached Wu Hongming’s ears. It wasn’t a secret transmission, but a voice message sent to his Personal Terminal by Wang Jianfang, the principal of Iron Blood College.
Wu Hongming nodded slightly, then turned and walked over to Lu Lin.
"Student Lu, congratulations on your victory."
"You can now be called the scholar tyrant of this year’s Iron Blood College."
"Stay for a moment; the principal wants to see you."
"Principal?"
Lu Lin looked directly at Wang Chunyu, who had been hosting on the arena. He thought he’d heard someone call him Principal Wang earlier.
"Ahem, not him. I’ll take you there later."
Wanting Lu Lin off the arena quickly, Wu Hongming had the unsteady Hang Jianshe and Cong Xiaolong, along with the other unconscious students, sent to the infirmary. Then...
He called Wang Chunyu up to continue hosting the subsequent matches.
Wang Chunyu: ...
He’s fucking leaving me with this mess! All the students selected by Iron Blood College have been defeated by Lu Lin, and there are still nine people from Luse Alliance College who haven’t been challenged yet. What the hell am I supposed to host for this match?
Wu Hongming paid him no mind, leading Lu Lin towards Wang Jianfang’s principal’s office.
「Later, at Golden Sword High School」
"Students, did you see that?"
"Lu Lin, a graduate from our school, took on fifty challengers in the Challenge Match, accomplishing a feat never before seen!"
"He is the pride of our Golden Sword High School! He is our Golden Sword High School’s signature!"
"Therefore, I have decided to build a statue of Lu Lin on campus."
"I hope that with Student Lu Lin’s presence inspiring you, it will greatly increase everyone’s Awakening success rate!"
The principal of Golden Sword High School roared passionately from the stage. It was the first time he had ever witnessed someone defeat fifty opponents from Iron Blood College in a challenge.
Crucially, he knew Lu Lin well.
Previously, at the Dragon Battle Hotel, the principal of Golden Sword High School had mentioned preparing a reward for Lu Lin, which is how they came into contact. Later, when he heard from Teacher Li that Lu Lin’s initial refining level wasn’t high, he hadn’t broken his promise and had fully delivered the reward.
Moreover, the school’s logistics department still had two vacant positions waiting for Lu Lin’s parents.
Oh, right. Since Lu Lin is now an unparalleled genius, it’s probably not appropriate for his parents to work in the logistics department anymore. So... how about appointing them as Vice Principal and Chief Financial Officer? As for whether Lu Lin’s parents can handle such positions, who cares?
「Meanwhile, with Lu Lin’s parents」
"Old Lu, Old Lu, our son really won! He really won!"
Meng Yu hugged Lu Ping excitedly, jumping up and down. In the Star Core Era, even women possessed considerable strength. In her excitement, Meng Yu actually picked Lu Ping up as she jumped.
"Ahem, I know, I know! Can you put me down first?"
"No! This stinky boy has been deceiving me for so long, claiming to be some genius. Can a genius go to Luse Alliance College? When he gets back, I’ll show him!" Meng Yu said, though the smile on her face was impossible to hide.
After speaking, she tossed Lu Ping aside and turned to the women next to her.
"Hey, Sister Wang, Sister Zhang, Sister Li, let me tell you..."
「At Maolin Training Base」
"Mr. Lu is mighty!"
"Mr. Lu is awesome!"
At Maolin Training Base, the many sergeants who had received Lu Lin’s Guiding Star Skill shouted at the top of their lungs, despite being chased by Monroe and several Level 2 Black-Backed Wolfhounds.
Ever since they learned Lu Lin was participating in today’s Challenge Match, Hu Nan had allowed the soldiers in training to watch. However, their training could not stop.
Watching Lu Lin’s match, not only these sergeants but even Monroe and the four Black-Backed Wolfhounds couldn’t stay focused, occasionally lifting their heads to watch the enlarged match video projected on the dormitory building.
Hu Nan saw this but didn’t intervene, a smile playing on his lips.
Lu Lin is a genius from Saturn. Previously, Cen Xian had even given him an honorary soldier medal. In that case, Lu Lin could also be considered one of my men, right?
"You little bastards! Are you all wallowing in the mud?!"
"Get up and crawl, faster!"
"Machine guns, fire! Monroe, bite him!"
「Back at the arena venue」
When Guan Yue saw Lu Lin being led away by Wu Hongming, she lost interest in watching further. She turned and left the scene.
She didn’t speak to Zheng Yulong.
For some reason, Zheng Yulong’s gaze towards Lu Lin feels a bit off, as if... he has ill intentions,
Guan Yue mused.Zheng Yulong watched Guan Yue leave without saying anything, his interest still fixed on Wang Chunyu’s awkward attempts at conversation on the arena.
Looks like I can’t contact Guan Yue for a while, he thought. This woman is a Senior Star Guidance Master, possessing intuition and sensitivity in mental perception far beyond ordinary people. In that case, I’ll find some time to chat with Lu Lin. After all, we’re old classmates!
「Iron Blood College Principal’s Office.」
Upon entering, Lu Lin immediately felt the office was much larger and more imposing than Han Ya’s office at Mingli Academy. More importantly, it was grander.
A desk made of Yellow Flower Pear Wood stood there, a clean sheet of rice paper spread upon it.
An old man stood before the desk. Hearing Lu Lin and Wu Hongming enter, he neither spoke nor looked up. He held a brush, and after dipping it into the inkstone, his calligraphy brush danced across the rice paper like dragons and snakes.
Behind the old man were several well-tended potted plants—not rare or expensive species, just common ones like pothos, gladiolus, and lucky bamboo.
On the wall hung a painting of eight steeds. Lu Lin glanced at it; the eight horses were painted so lifelike they seemed ready to gallop out of the frame.
Wait a minute!
Lu Lin blinked. He sensed that the eight steeds in the painting seemed to be truly alive. He could even perceive the breathing and heartbeats of the eight horses.
How could this be possible? Eight living horses embedded in a painting? Or did the eight horses in the painting suddenly come to life?
Only after Wang Jianfang finished writing did Lu Lin shift his full attention to him.
He couldn’t detect any Star Power fluctuations from him.
He couldn’t be Unawakened, so he must be at Level 9 Unleaked.
Zhao Lei, Long Qianli from the Star Investigation Office, Long Qiansu from the War God Alliance, and now Wang Jianfang from Iron Blood University. In such a short time, he had met so many ninth-level experts.
It was said that in the Federation’s thousand-year history, fewer than five hundred Martial Artists had reached Level 9. Across the Nine Planets and the Exotic Battlefield, with a population in the trillions, how could he so easily encounter so many ninth-level experts?
"Student Lu Lin, welcome to Iron Blood College," Wang Jianfang said, having finished his calligraphy and finally looking up at Lu Lin.
"Hello, Principal Wang."
Lu Lin’s demeanor was natural. After meeting so many ninth-level experts, he no longer felt the same excitement he had when he first met Zhao Lei.
Wang Jianfang walked over, gestured to the painting of eight steeds on the wall, and asked, "You noticed?"
Lu Lin knew what he meant. He nodded and asked, "Principal Wang, the eight horses in this painting... they seem to be... alive?"
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad! You indeed noticed it."
Wang Jianfang laughed heartily, his neatly combed silver hair becoming slightly disheveled.
"Indeed, Student Lu Lin, your Spiritual Strength is remarkably keen to have detected this."
"Many people come and go through my office, but you are only the twelfth person to notice something amiss with this painting upon first entering."
Hmm.
Twelfth? What’s there to be proud of about that? Lu Lin grumbled internally.
"Haha, you’re probably thinking there’s nothing impressive about being twelfth, aren’t you?" Wang Jianfang chuckled. "Young people these days! You can’t hide a single thought."
"Of the eleven before you, eight are Titled Kings. The ninth was Long Qianli. The tenth was a master from the Black Shark Society who came to assassinate me. And the eleventh is..."
"Old friend, come on out. Still hiding back there like a bashful maiden?"
Wang Jianfang called out, and the air beside him suddenly rippled.
A figure slowly materialized.
The man was about 1.65 meters tall, with a wizened, thin frame. He wore a smile, but Lu Lin found his appearance rather sly and shifty-eyed. His hair was a mix of black and white. He wore a Tang suit, but it couldn’t conceal his somewhat sleazy aura.
Wang Jianfang said to Lu Lin, "This is the eleventh person to spot the peculiarity—Wan Shushan, President of the Star Guide Association."
Lu Lin quickly bowed. "Greetings, Chairman Wan."
As an official Star Guide of the Star Guide Association, how could Lu Lin not know the renowned Wan Shushan? This senior was the founder of the Designated School. It was he who steered the Star Guide Association away from its previously lax approach to guidance, urging all Star Guides to diligently research, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Over the years, Wan Shushan had compiled hundreds of books on Star Guide studies, advancement, constructing Star Power Domains, and guiding both conventional and unconventional Star Skills.
Although Lu Lin hadn’t read a single one, it didn’t lessen his admiration for Mister Wan.
"Good, good, good. Just as I guessed, you’re also a Star Guide," Wan Shushan said. "Not bad, not bad."
Though Wan Shushan’s appearance wasn’t striking, his kind and gentle demeanor made Lu Lin feel as if he were meeting a friendly neighborhood grandfather.
"Mr. Wang, I’ve made my introduction to you; now let me introduce you to him," Wan Shushan said, turning to Lu Lin.
"Lu Lin, this is Wang Jianfang, the principal of Iron Blood University. He’s a Level 9 Anuttara-sammasambodhi expert, and his Innate Attribute is Calligraphy and Painting."
"Within the Federation, he’s renowned for his ’Double Excellence in Calligraphy and Painting.’ If you’re interested, you could learn a lot from him."
"The Calligraphy and Painting discipline is related to the mental aspect; studying it would benefit you in the future."
"If you hadn’t guided Mountain Breaking King Zhao Lei with his Star Skill, allowing him to break through to become a Titled King, Mr. Wang here would have been the Federation’s ninth Titled King."
Wan Shushan spared no effort in praising Wang Jianfang, causing Principal Wang’s face to beam with pleasure.
What could be more delightful than being praised by an old friend of the same age and level? If there is, it’s being praised by...
Just then, the Space fluctuated again, and the sisters Long Qianli and Long Qiansu arrived in Principal Wang’s office.
Both looked at Lu Lin simultaneously.
"Not bad. Truly worthy of being a team leader in my Star Investigation Office," Long Qianli stated.
"Not bad. Truly worthy of being a Level 4 Member in my War God Alliance," Long Qiansu added.
The two appeared almost simultaneously and spoke almost in unison. After speaking, they glanced at each other, snorted coldly, and turned away.
"Hey, you two old witches, don’t put on this act in front of your own people," Wan Shushan interjected bluntly, completely ignoring Lu Lin’s presence. "How old are you? Still the same as you were three hundred years ago. Heh heh."
"You!"
"You old rat-face! Say that again if you dare!"
The Long sisters protested coquettishly in unison, making Lu Lin shudder involuntarily.
The world of these Bosses was truly terrifying.