"Should I call this technique 'Wave'?" Han Jue murmured to himself, his gaze distant as he replayed the final moments of the battle in his mind.
Wave, a sword technique Han Jue had created based on the foundational principles of the Everlasting Sword Technique combined with his newly comprehended Artistic Conception of Water. The move was still in its nascent stages, rough around the edges and unrefined, but it had proven devastatingly effective.
It was the strike that had slain the Purple Lightning Li Dragon.
This technique, infused with Han Jue's understanding of Water's Artistic Conception, mimicked the surging power of an overwhelming tsunami, all-encompassing, irresistible, and absolutely devastating.
After dragging the Purple Lightning Li Dragon's severed head to shore, Han Jue considered the situation for a moment before making a call to the training camp administration, requesting they recover the creature's remains from the lake bed.
Most of the monster's body had sunk to the bottom, making salvage difficult without specialized equipment or a Spirit Reader's telekinetic assistance. The corpse was worth tens of billions of Yuan and served as irrefutable proof of his combat achievement. It would be foolish to let such valuable materials go to waste.
Having finally grasped Water's Artistic Conception, it was time to return and claim his contracted rewards.
High above in orbital surveillance, Inspector Wang stared at the scene unfolding on his screens, his weapon slowly lowering from combat readiness. He remained motionless for a long moment, processing what he'd just witnessed.
"Young people these days are truly outrageous," he muttered, shaking his head with a mixture of disbelief and admiration.
Back at the training camp, Han Jue headed directly toward the Nine-Storied Building, intending to enter the Trial Tower and test how much his Combat Power amplitude had increased so he could officially claim his rewards.
"Han Jue! I challenge you!"
Renates blocked his path unexpectedly, his expression intense and confrontational as he issued the challenge without preamble.
"Challenge? Wait, I'm busy right now," Han Jue replied, giving the shorter warrior a puzzled look before slipping past him into the virtual reality chamber.
"Did he just... run away?"
Renates' face darkened, anger flashing across his features. Then his gaze shifted toward the closed door of the trial room, calculation replacing irritation as an idea formed.
"Candice, go check the Black Dragon Leaderboard and see if Han Jue's ranking has changed!" Renates ordered sharply.
He knew Han Jue had just returned from the hunting grounds today, and his curiosity about the newcomer's privileges and true strength had been burning for weeks. Han Jue had never entered the Trial Tower before arriving at the Extreme Martial Arts School, after winning all those challenge matches, he'd spent his time exclusively in the gravity chamber, keeping his actual capabilities a complete mystery.
Following Renates' instructions, Candice hurried directly to the Black Dragon Leaderboard and began monitoring the rankings.
"He's currently ranked 107th," Candice reported immediately. "Looks like he killed quite a few monsters in the hunting area today!"
Rankings on the leaderboard were determined by accumulated points, which combined both Combat Power amplitude and hunting achievements. Han Jue's currently displayed Combat Power amplitude was still showing only the basic level one, since the system hadn't yet registered his Trial Tower results.
Renates was preparing to make a dismissive comment when Candice suddenly spoke again, his voice rising with alarm.
"Wait, his ranking's still climbing!" Candice exclaimed, his eyes widening as he watched the numbers shift. "Thirty-fourth... He's surpassed you! Twenty-first... Fifteenth... Tenth..."
His voice trailed off into stunned silence.
"He's number one!"
"Number one?!" Renates stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the information.
His own Combat Power amplitude was 14.8, and combined with his consistent performance in the hunting grounds over months of training, he'd managed to surpass Chu Qiang and claim second place on the leaderboard, trailing only Eben, who'd joined the elite camp years earlier and had far more accumulated experience.
Even so, Renates had believed that with continued effort, the top spot would eventually be within his reach. It was only a matter of time, dedication, and one more breakthrough.
However, Han Jue's sudden appearance seemed to shatter that confidence like fragile glass.
"Hmm? Weren't you planning to challenge me?" Han Jue asked casually as he emerged from the trial room, looking down at Renates, who barely reached his shoulder. "Pick a time that works for you."
"No," Renates said, his voice hollow and distant. "I'm... not worthy."
Han Jue watched with mild surprise as Renates turned and walked away mechanically, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Shaking his head at the unexpected reaction, Han Jue returned to his quarters to contact Thunder God and arrange the reward delivery.
Elsewhere, Candice remained standing before the Black Dragon Leaderboard, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke to his companions.
"Number one... He's actually number one."
A wave of profound relief washed over him.
Fortunately, so very fortunately, he hadn't offended Han Jue when his friends had been pushing him to issue a challenge. If he'd been foolish enough to bet against this monster, he would have lost everything without even understanding how it happened.
"Wait, how is that even possible?" a stocky black youth questioned from nearby, his expression confused and slightly panicked. "What's his Combat Power amplitude? It has to be Exceptional level, right?"
"Exceptional level? That's an understatement," someone else murmured, their voice filled with disbelief.
Everyone present knew this had been Han Jue's first time entering the designated hunting grounds. Although he'd accumulated more combat points in a single day than most students earned in half a month, reaching the number one ranking required more than just hunting prowess.
Without an extraordinarily high Combat Power amplitude, something truly exceptional, competing for the top spot would have been mathematically impossible.
"This news needs to be reported immediately," Candice said, already pulling out his communication device.
The Black Dragon Leaderboard was monitored constantly by representatives from every major faction. Han Jue's sudden rise to first place sent shockwaves rippling through the global warrior community within minutes.
The five major powers, the HR Alliance, the Extreme Martial Arts School, the Thunder Dojo, every significant faction found themselves asking the same urgent question:
Where did this Han Jue come from?
Within hours, comprehensive dossiers on Han Jue were compiled and placed on the desks of decision-makers around the world.
"A student from the Thunder Dojo? Why is he training at the Extreme Martial Arts School? Is he Thunder God's personal disciple?"
"He's from the Han family! Han Hechang's nephew! Don't antagonize him, do everything possible to establish friendly relations!"
"Damn it, why is it another Chinese genius? Didn't Luo Feng just emerge last month?"
"Luo Feng can't compare to him. This Han Jue is destined to become at least a councilor-level warrior, possibly even Speaker-level. And he's only sixteen years old!"
"Can we find a way to recruit him..."
"That's completely unrealistic. Han Hechang and Thunder God have a close relationship, they were comrades-in-arms during the Great Nirvana Period. Besides, Han Jue entered the Thunder Dojo first, which means there's a high probability he's already Thunder God's direct disciple. I wouldn't dare attempt anything against Thunder God's student."
And just as debates raged across communication channels worldwide, another development occurred that silenced all speculation:
Han Jue's name disappeared from the Black Dragon Leaderboard entirely.
This meant one of two things, either he was dead, or he'd graduated from the elite training camp.
Given his performance, only one option seemed remotely plausible.
"Kid, you certainly made quite the commotion!" Thunder God said with exasperation as the fighter craft cut through the sky. "Everyone's talking about your achievements. The whole world knows your name now."
He'd been preparing to head directly to Antarctica to investigate the ruins situation, but Han Jue's call requesting his rewards had forced him to make a detour back to the training camp first.
The third and fourth milestone rewards under their contract belonged to Han Jue, and Thunder God insisted on personally delivering such significant items rather than trusting them to subordinates.
"However, your strength is improving at an absolutely insane rate," Thunder God admitted, genuine amazement coloring his voice. "It seems I made the contract conditions far too easy."
"Indeed," Han Jue agreed with a slight smile.
"I give you a compliment and you immediately get arrogant!" Thunder God glared at the young warrior, though there was no real heat in his expression. He reached beside his seat and pulled out a large reinforced container.
"Here. Your rewards are inside. Take them and get out of my aircraft," Thunder God said, though the gruffness was clearly feigned.
Han Jue ignored the theatrical grumbling and carefully opened the container, curiosity burning in his chest.
The box was divided into two separate compartments. In the upper section lay a snow-white longsword that seemed to radiate an aura of profound cold, as if the weapon had been forged from captured winter itself.
At first glance, Han Jue was certain it was a Force weapon, a blade that could channel and amplify energy far beyond what normal materials could withstand. The exact rank was difficult to determine without testing, but it was likely first or second rank based on the intensity of the chill emanating from it.
His fingers gently brushed along the flat of the blade, and a faint icy mist immediately formed around his skin, delicate frost patterns spreading across his fingertips. Han Jue lifted the longsword from its housing, feeling its perfect balance and surprising lightness despite the weapon's substantial size.
If he were to encounter the Purple Lightning Li Dragon again, Han Jue was absolutely confident he could slay it with a single strike using this blade!
"How is it? That thing's exceptional, isn't it?" Thunder God laughed, obvious pride in his voice. "It's unfortunate my Thunder Dojo doesn't have any truly skilled swordsmen who could make proper use of it. You're lucky I happened to have this just sitting in storage. This weapon is considerably superior to any SS-level equipment you could purchase on the open market."
"Not bad," Han Jue said appreciatively, testing the sword's weight with a few experimental swings. "Though it does lack a proper scabbard."
Setting Frost aside carefully, Han Jue picked up a black ring resting in the second compartment, deceptively simple in appearance but radiating subtle power.
The legendary Black God armor set, the standard first-rank Force equipment for the Meteorite Star lineage. Even among planetary-level warriors, this armor was considered invaluable protection.
Sliding it onto his finger, Han Jue activated the device with a thought. Instantly, black liquid metal erupted from the ring, flowing across his entire body with supernatural speed. Within seconds, it had formed a seamless protective layer that covered him completely from neck to toe, leaving only necessary openings for breathing and vision.
The sensation was remarkable, rather than feeling encumbered by heavy armor, Han Jue felt as though the Black God suit was a natural extension of his own body, responding to his intentions with perfect synchronization.
Thunder God nodded approvingly. "With these two pieces of equipment, plus the Millennium Ice Marrow Crystal you'll receive, you should be considered equivalent to an invincible War God in actual combat capability. I'll arrange an inspector position for you with the Thunder Dojo later, and you can register officially in Jiangnan Base City."
"Founder, haven't you forgotten something?" Han Jue asked with a knowing smile.
"What?" Thunder God's brow furrowed in confusion.
"The Antarctic ruins," Han Jue reminded him. "You promised to take me there once I fulfilled the fourth milestone of my contract. Or were you planning to conveniently forget about that?"
Thunder God's expression shifted through several emotions, surprise, resignation, and finally grudging acceptance.
"You really don't forget anything, do you?" he muttered. "Fine. But we'll need to investigate the current situation first. Inspector Jiang got himself trapped inside when the ruins sealed unexpectedly, and there's been unusual monster activity around the perimeter. We'll head there together, but you follow my orders once we arrive. Understood?"
"Understood, Founder," Han Jue agreed readily, though his eyes gleamed with barely contained excitement at the prospect of exploring ancient civilization ruins firsthand.
The fighter craft adjusted its trajectory, banking toward the south as it accelerated toward Antarctica and whatever mysteries awaited them there.