After hearing the story, the countless thoughts swirling in Wu Shan’s mind coalesced into a single sentence. "Jiang Qiu," he breathed, "you truly are a genius."

He had heard legendary tales of those who rose from the bottom, but he never imagined such a prodigy would actually appear right before his eyes.

Most of the students in Eighth Middle School’s regular classes were born in the Shantytown. Their natural resources and conditions were poor, and their chances of getting into Northwest Martial University were practically nonexistent. Even among the top students, more than half would be eliminated.

Rather than have them go to their deaths in the college entrance exams, it was better to just let the matter drop.

But who would have thought a student like Jiang Qiu would emerge? He had insisted on clawing his way up, fighting his way into the Tianjiao Project and placing first in the Military Department’s test.

The boy he hadn’t even considered for the list of outstanding students at first glance had since walked further and further down the path of a prodigy.

Perhaps regretting his initial attitude, he was only now paying attention to the others. Liu Zili, who had come with him, had decent Talent. Hu Ye’ye was also showing a trend of improvement. And Qian Cheng, who had been kicked off the list by Liu Zili last time, had actually cultivated Mingjin and secured the single extra spot, managing to squeeze into Training Ground No. 8.

Looking at them, although they didn’t have Jiang Qiu’s heaven-defying rate of progress, it was as if they carried a shadow of him...

At this thought, Wu Shan slowly exhaled. He pressed his left hand against his stitched-up left eyelid, and a searing pain, like a steel spike driving into his brain, shot through him. "Ever since I retired from the Military Department, this injury has affected my judgment. Director Zhao was right. I’m no longer fit to teach Martial Arts; I’m just holding back talent."

’But my mind is perfectly clear now,’ he thought. ’I can’t waste Jiang Qiu’s potential any longer.’

’I have to get my hands on Advanced Su Fragrance, and I have to make sure he utilizes the Tianjiao Project’s resources with maximum efficiency.’

Thinking of this, Wu Shan’s voice turned serious. "Jiang Qiu, with your performance—ranking first in kills and disabling one of King Niu’s arms—you’ll definitely be chosen as an Optimizer. That means you’ll be able to enter a Virtual Training Pod."

"Our Gao Yuan City Tianjiao Base’s Virtual Training Pods primarily have three training paths: Spear Dao, Archery Dao, and Body Technique."

"Although there’s only one month left until the college entrance exams, with your Talent and the efficiency of the Virtual Training Pods, you can still make significant progress."

"You’ve already reached Mastery in Archery Dao and even developed your own Bow Skill that can kill a One-eyed Owl in two shots. In the context of the college entrance exams, that’s already a top-tier level, second only to a few freaks of nature who specialize in Archery Dao. There’s not much need to refine it further."

"As for Spear Dao, since you were able to disable King Niu’s right arm despite being a level below him, you might be one of those freaks of nature yourself when it comes to Spear Skills. It will be very difficult to improve further, but with your Talent, you could try to develop another type of Spear Skill."

"Finally, there’s Body Technique. Not many people in the entire Tianjiao Project can even cultivate it. It’s actually something to consider after getting into Northwest Martial University. One month is nowhere near enough time for you."

"However, cultivating a Body Technique does temper the body more effectively. It’s possible you could use this opportunity to break through another stage of the Steel Bone Realm within a month."

"So, I recommend either Spear Dao or Body Technique. Also..."

The voice from the speaker in the break room flowed on and on, an eloquent and endless torrent of words, explaining everything from the Virtual Training Pods to how to spend Contribution Points.

Jiang Qiu tried to speak several times but stopped himself, merely nodding and murmuring in acknowledgment.

"In short, for this last month, you can spend your Contribution Points to redeem Bone Su Fragrance, then collect the Bone Su Fragrance you earned for placing first in the Military Department test. Make your body as tough as possible. Once the Advanced Su Fragrance is developed, your Martial Arts potential will be elevated to an astonishing degree."

"Do you understand?"

The final words landed, striking Jiang Qiu’s chest like a hammer. "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."

"Good, as long as you understand. You haven’t become a Martial Artist yet, which means your Martial path hasn’t truly begun. Right now, it’s all about maximizing your potential. Alright, you should get some rest. If you run into any trouble at the Military Department, you can ask me."

"Okay."

The call ended. Jiang Qiu let out a long, turbid breath. His palms were warm, and his Bright Eyes were like mirrors washed clean—clear and resolute.

’So the Virtual Training Pods teach Martial Arts through virtual combat,’ he thought. ’Their efficiency is far greater than ordinary training.’

’And Contribution Points are like an internal currency for the various bases, mainly circulating among the country’s Martial Arts-related organizations. You can exchange them for resources that are simply unavailable on the open market, like Wusu Fragrance and Bone Su Fragrance. If you have the opportunity and the right channels, you might even be able to trade for the main ingredients of Advanced Su Fragrance from some major figures.’

’The Military Department really does have a lot of good stuff. The Tianjiao Project is the perfect chance for an ordinary student like me to get access to it all. I absolutely cannot waste this opportunity.’

Jiang Qiu clenched his fists, his eyes shining. ’To earn the title of number one among the Ten Great Prodigies and gain the strength to defeat King Niu...’

’I’ll do as the teacher said. I’ll choose the Body Technique path in the Virtual Training Pods, and then use my Contribution Points to redeem as much Bone Su Fragrance as possible to improve myself.’

’I’ll strive to make a breakthrough in the Steel Bone Realm before the college entrance exams!’

The setting sun outside the window cast itself across the right side of his face. The shadow of his nose fell over his left eye, making the faint, starlike glint within it stand out even more.

RUMBLE...

Suddenly, it was as if someone had set off firecrackers in the conference room. A clamor of noisy shouts slammed against the walls and seeped into the break room. The meeting must have ended.

Jiang Qiu strolled out. Just as he turned his head, the front door was thrown open with a BANG. The rising and falling shouts burst forth like a mountain flood breaking through a dam, and the youths inside, a sea of heads at different heights, poured out one after another.

Qiu Hu and Sun Yongsheng were at the very front, running over with their right hands raised high. "Brother Jiang, it was a unanimous vote! After General Mo voiced his support, several executive committee members of the Tianjiao Base also raised their hands in approval via remote conference projection! You’re being entered into the system as an Optimizer tonight!"

"Holy shit, Brother Jiang, you’re awesome! General Mo thinks really highly of you! He even decided to add some extra resources to your original Optimizer reward as encouragement!"

The eyes of the prodigies from the Inner City all flashed with varying degrees of envy, and even Yang Yu was no exception. However, as she gazed at Jiang Qiu, who was surrounded by the prodigies from the Outer City, she couldn’t help but sigh softly. "He dared to save me from King Niu, and he even disabled King Niu’s right arm in a single move. He deserves to be an Optimizer."

"Yeah, even Yang Yu was the first to raise her hand. What’s there to criticize?"

"From now on, our Tianjiao Base has another legend who disabled the arm of a Top Tier Demon Beast from a level below~"

Laughing and joking, the Inner City prodigies gradually dispersed. The Non-commissioned Officers who had participated in the vote also grinned and left, supporting each other as they went.

"Jiang Qiu."

A spirited shout cut through the group around Sun Yongsheng and the others. Liu Qi walked over, accompanied by Yang Yu who was draped in a light blue jacket. The look of gratification on his face was plain to see. "Congratulations on passing the Military Department test and securing the status of an Optimizer."

"I was supposed to take you to register your information and get you familiar with the Virtual Training Pods, but my injuries are a bit serious, so I need to go get them checked out."

"For tonight, Yang Yu can take you instead. She knows the registration process and has been to the Virtual Training Pods before, so she can help you get acquainted."

Standing beside Liu Qi, Yang Yu’s chin lifted slightly. Her face was like frost, her eyes like Ice Souls, and her beautiful cheeks resembled a blood-stained Ice Lotus.

The pupils of Sun Yongsheng, Qiu Hu, and the other Outer City prodigies gathered nearby contracted. They shot a look at each other.

’Seriously, man?’ ’Officer Liu Qi was fine after being jolted around in an armored car for hours. He was even able to come back for a meeting.’

’So why does he need a check-up now?’