Just now, when he was practicing the Scarlet Thunder Palm, he already felt some discomfort in his body, as if there was a mass of cold energy in his head that wouldn’t dissipate. This was probably one of the side effects of using battle spirits.

Goji berries nourish the kidneys and replenish essence, enrich the blood and calm the mind, boost vitality and strengthen yang, and their medicinal properties are very mild. They are something many martial artists take regularly nowadays.

After finishing his meal, Ryan Lincoln picked up his practice sword again and headed once more to the backyard.

The process of mastering three grandmaster-level martial arts was simply too easy for him—so easy that it made him uneasy.

Ryan Lincoln wanted to practice diligently in the coming days to consolidate his skills and truly make them his own.

Right after Ryan Lincoln left, Sean Lincoln picked up that strand of white hair from the ground with a complicated expression, wrapping it tightly in a napkin.

Sean Lincoln was thinking about the emergency news bulletin that had just interrupted the TV program.

Was her ‘brother’ the so-called Celestial Star person mentioned in the news?

And that sentence Ryan Lincoln had just said—‘We siblings will never be separated.’

It was clearly a warm and affectionate statement, yet it sent chills down Sean Lincoln’s spine.

※※※※

The next morning, Ryan Lincoln walked through the gates of Mingde University, where he studied, his expression slightly grave.

Ryan Lincoln had originally been in a great mood.

That magical skull ring on his hand had not only resolved his imminent crisis, but also gave him the confidence to stand firm in this era.

Yesterday, he had practiced until midnight, discovering that the grandmaster-level Scarlet Thunder Blade and Scarlet Thunder Palm were not only much more powerful, but also had many more variations, with the transitions between moves becoming incredibly smooth.

However, this good mood only lasted until the moment he and his sister drove past Colonel Bennett’s house.

When Ryan Lincoln saw the three-story villa cordoned off with yellow police tape, a surge of grief, anger, and hatred welled up uncontrollably in his chest, along with a strong urge to kill that condensed in his mind.

Fortunately, Sean Lincoln’s floating motorcycle was very fast, and in an instant they sped past the villa, so the turmoil in Ryan Lincoln’s heart only lasted a moment.

It wasn’t a big deal, but Ryan Lincoln was very alert.

Just as Ryan Lincoln was deep in thought, his personal terminal system received a message.

Ryan Lincoln opened his smart terminal wristband, projecting a virtual holographic screen in front of him.

Weirdo Kid: Ryan, where are you? The assessment is about to start, why haven’t I seen you yet?

Weirdo Kid’s real name was Sam Warren, his classmate and best friend. Weirdo Kid was his online handle.

Ryan Lincoln glanced at the time and realized it was almost eight o’clock.

He snapped to attention and strode quickly toward the exam hall.

At that moment, Sam Warren sent another message.

Weirdo Kid: Ryan, did you see the notice from the school board? Damn, the class group is blowing up.

Ryan Lincoln was slightly taken aback after reading this, and immediately opened the school website to check.

Sure enough, he saw the school board’s announcement on the website.

Ryan Lincoln glanced at the class group again—it really was blowing up.

Frank Young: As long as your practical exam score is in the top 300 citywide, this year’s tuition is completely free, and you can also get a free Type 1 gene enhancement drug from the school. Is this for real?

Jason Chase: It’s weird, why is the school suddenly being so generous? This reward is amazing!

Kirk Yates: I heard it’s related to the latest policy from the Education Center. Education subsidies will be distributed based on school rankings. Our school’s Altered Body Department hasn’t had anyone make it into the city’s top 100 for ten years straight, and our total score has always been at the bottom among the nine altered body academies. The board members must be getting anxious.

Jason Chase: Heh, they never wanted to spend money on us before, and now they’re scrambling at the last minute—what’s the point? Even with these high rewards, how many of us can actually make it into the city’s top 300? At most, our class has two: Ryan Lincoln, Linda Warren, and maybe those in the top ten of our grade.

Julia Lewis: Ryan Lincoln can’t do it. His talent is good, but the quality of his implanted artificial meridians is only level two. His combat power is already starting to fall behind. Linda Warren has an eighty to ninety percent chance, maybe even a shot at the top 200.

At this moment, Sam Warren sent another message.

Weirdo Kid: Ryan, I have a gene drug here. Do you want to use it? Your grades are great, you could give it a shot. If you’re lucky, you might make it into the city’s top 200. Then, besides the gene drug, the school will also give an extra set of first-class artificial meridians or cash of equal value.

Ryan Lincoln was slightly moved.

This best friend of his truly had his back.

He replied, ‘Thanks, but don’t worry, I’m confident,’ and then looked again at the board’s announcement.

He focused on the rewards for making it into the city’s top 100 in the assessment.

—A set of top-grade artificial meridians, three Type 1 gene enhancement drugs, free tuition, and a 30,000 federal credit scholarship.

A strong desire appeared in Ryan Lincoln’s eyes.

Artificial meridians are one of the foundational implants for martial arts with prosthetics.

After the Earth Federation suffered a crushing defeat on Celestial Star, they learned their lesson and began to study the power of the Celestial Star people.