Chapter 27 - 26: The Minimum Standard

The battle-hardened Ma Ran could use a thousand ways to hang Wu Di up and pound him mercilessly.

Here, we must give a shout-out to Black Rock Martial Arts.

Although its upper limit is quite low, Ma Ran has to admit, Inner Qi is a great thing!

Wu Di, having reached the Second Rank of Inner Qi realm, isn’t great in other aspects, but his ability to withstand blows is truly impressive.

He’s tough, and can take a beating.

"Why did they suddenly start fighting?"

The members of the Grass Hut Academy, who had been waiting peacefully in the small auditorium, all rushed out, ready to mediate.

In the officially sanctioned Grass Hut Academy, fighting is a serious violation that would result in severe punishment!

If the nature of the fight is egregious, it could even lead to expulsion!

Therefore, the two must be separated quickly!

When the crowd stepped out of the small auditorium and saw the scene, it seemed like Ma Ran was one-sidedly beating up a kid.

Oh, well then...

No problem.

Mediation?

This can’t even be called a fight!

They are all practitioners of Black Rock Martial Arts, what’s wrong with a friendly spar?

Without communication, learning, or the collision of thoughts and practice, one will struggle to make progress!

Inner Qi cultivators should be like this!

More sparring, more actual combat, so as not to become the kind of theoretical strategist like Zhao Kuo.

The members of the Grass Hut Academy, along with He Nanguang and Liu Huadie from the Fulan Academy, quietly waited on the side.

Two-faced, one and all.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

The friendly sparring ended.

"That’s it for today."

Ma Ran brushed off the dust on his uniform, vibrated his Inner Qi to ensure his hands were absolutely clean, then smiled and said, "In terms of courage, I acknowledge you."

"If you’re free in the future, feel free to spar with me often."

"I’ll be waiting anytime."

Wu Di sat slumped on the ground, gasping for breath.

After a while, he barely managed to get up.

With panda eyes, Wu Di was swollen from the beating, making him look like he had a personal grudge against the world.

Sullen people, usually, would easily be isolated and ostracized.

Unless there’s a motive, no one wants to stick around someone full of negative energy.

But now...

The members of the Grass Hut Academy seemed to understand Wu Di, even feeling a bit sympathetic toward him.

After all...

Anyone who gets thoroughly beaten definitely wouldn’t be smiling afterward.

If they did, they’d surely have a mental issue.

Though extremely displeased, Wu Di was someone who accepted his losses.

Wu Di, eyes swollen into slits, staggered over to Ma Ran.

"Men don’t become friends without exchanging blows."

He said in a muffled voice, with one hand behind his back, "From now on, you are my... big brother."

Ma Ran was much stronger than him, qualified to dominate their friendship.

Finding excuses was also an option.

For example, saying he was travel-weary, experiencing adverse reactions to the environment, or that Ma Ran had the home advantage of the Grass Hut Academy.

But Wu Di disdained finding excuses.

A loss is a loss!

Weakness is weakness!

Losers have no right to make excuses!

Ma Ran was truly stronger than him, an all-round crushing victory!

Even though everyone displayed a similar speed and power level, Ma Ran’s experience, technique, and combat awareness were in a completely different dimension!

The gap was just too wide!

Even if they fought another hundred times, Wu Di wouldn’t have the slightest chance of winning!

Therefore, Wu Di sincerely accepted his defeat.

He folded both hands behind his back, standing proudly next to Ma Ran like a little sidekick.

Not far away, Liu Huadie and He Nanguang were surprised to find that the members of the Grass Hut Academy actually had a pretty good first impression of Wu Di...

Did getting beaten have its benefits?

No!

Instead of saying it’s the benefit of being beaten, it’s better to say...

Under Ma Ran’s high-pressure presence, Wu Di, who was disliked by both humans and ghosts at the Fulan Academy, finally revealed a likable side to his personality.

The problem child Wu Di...

Was rescued by the beating.

His situation in the Grass Hut Academy would undoubtedly be much better than it was at the Fulan Academy!

If Ma Ran and Wu Di’s interaction was coincidental, that would be one thing.

But if all of this was within Ma Ran’s calculations...

Liu Huadie and He Nanguang looked at each other, simultaneously taking a deep breath.

Hiss...

Could someone really plan to such an extent?

Wait!

There’s something off about this person!

Liu Huadie suddenly snapped back to reality.

"He just said that he only used his Inner Qi from two acupoints, equivalent to one-tenth of his power..."

How long has Ma Ran been in contact with Black Rock Martial Arts?

He has already filled twenty acupoints?

Sixteen acupoints correspond to the Fourth Rank of Inner Qi, right?

...

The friendly spar between Ma Ran and Wu Di had now been recorded and uploaded to the DJI APP, sparking heated discussions.

"This young man said he has filled twenty acupoints, is that true?"

"Besides him, who can tell? Currently, the biological energy detector can’t precisely measure the specific value of Inner Qi."

"Intelligence shows that Ma Ran indeed reached the Fourth Rank of Inner Qi a while ago."

"His combat skills... are truly exceptional! Simple, efficient, ruthless. If he wanted, that kid named Wu Di could have been killed dozens of times already."

"It’s worth mentioning that Ma Ran has a strong Academic Ability, finishing all sections of the entrance tests ahead of time and scoring full marks."

"That impressive?"

"That’s nothing! It’s said he deduced five hundred and twelve acupoints using the Black Rock Stele in just one hour, and verified them."

"???"

"This is too ridiculous to be fake! I also heard that he reached the Second Rank of Inner Qi within that hour... Even if he created the Black Rock Guiding Technique, the Grass Hut Academy wouldn’t resort to fabricating such claims for stardom, would they?"

"When I first heard about Ma Ran, I had the same reaction as you. Unfortunately, every bit of information, including those just mentioned, has been proven true."

"After checking Ma Ran’s records myself... sigh, sometimes, one has to admit, the disparity between people is greater than that between humans and monkeys."

"This young man’s talent is pretty terrifying. A cultivation genius, creator of martial techniques, divine in his fighting style..."

"If Ma Ran was born in the birthplace of Black Rock Martial Arts, he might become a master founding his own school."

"That’s too high praise and potentially harmful glorification. The Black Rock Guiding Technique is merely a small skill, not a self-created martial art."

"In today’s Inner Qi cultivation system, everyone takes the same path, no such thing as an ’Inner Power Heart Method,’ every bit of progress is invaluable! Keep your mindset grounded!"

"Alright... I admit I got a bit unbalanced. It’s embarrassing to say, but Ma Ran’s contributions are indeed greater than mine."

Seeing this, President Huang Weiguo locked his phone screen, lifted his head, and looked in Ma Ran’s direction.

The phrase "like stars surrounding the moon" inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

Four or five days ago, that cold young man with an aura that warded off strangers had unconsciously become an irreplaceable key figure in the Grass Hut Academy.

No need for heart-stealing speeches.

No need to be approachable, constantly concerned with others’ well-being.

Ma Ran is like a cold magnet, irresistibly drawing the society members as if they were iron shavings gathering around him.

Bang!

The staff finally managed to move the heavy lead alloy box onto the stage.

Huang Weiguo immediately stood up, walked quickly to the microphone, and announced loudly, "The minimum standard test for Superpower Awakening starts now!"