Chapter 35: Summit! Freshman Rankings’ New King!

The Force-Testing Stone Monument's roar still reverberated through the hall. Golden light erupted as the First-Tier Monument's rankings reshuffled. Lin Ye's name blazed atop the list like an emperor's decree:

1st Lin Ye Strike Force: 4,720,000 Cal

2nd Zhao Fangzhou Strike Force: 3,920,000 Cal

3rd You Li Strike Force: 3,860,000 Cal

... 

Chu Xinghe lunged over, hoisting Lin Ye's arm skyward. "See this?! My bro! My damn bro!!" His zeal eclipsed even the record-breaker's.

"Quiet." Lin Ye shook off the human firecracker, only to find the crowd sealing all exits.

"Junior! Join Thunder God Society! 100 credits monthly guarantee!"

"Dragon Slayer Corps offers Abyss Ruins expeditions!"

A dozen club reps mobbed him. One golden-armored senior even deployed a holographic ad: "Check our perks! Private training pods! And… plenty of hot seniors!"

The frenzy stemmed from one truth: Lin Ye remained First-Tier Mid-Class, nowhere near peak. His record could shatter further.

Every prior top-10 name on the monument had plateaued at First-Tier Peak—their limits set in stone. But Lin Ye? His ceiling was the sky.

"Make way!" A melodic voice cut through the chaos. The Thunder Martial Hall staffer who'd escorted them earlier smiled at Lin Ye. "Lin Ye, your 1,000 credits for breaking the record have been deposited. Additionally, select one item from this list as our bonus reward!"

The Hall clearly sought to invest in his potential.

Lin Ye verified his updated credits balance before zeroing in on the prize list. "This one."

"Done." The staffer flicked a deep-blue ring into his palm. "Basic spatial ring. Usage manual sent to your interface."

"Finally." Lin Ye slipped the long-coveted spatial ring onto his left index finger, its functions assimilated instantly.

Chu Xinghe stared enviously. "Even basic spatial rings cost 800 credits!" He seized Lin Ye's hands. "You're my big bro now! I'm sticking with you!"

Lin Ye pried himself free before campus forums could meme their "compromising" grip photo. "I'm hitting the solo chamber. Don't wait up."

Solo Training Chamber

The spatial ring glowed faintly as Lin Ye unleashed Nine Heavens Thunder Prison. Nine thunder crystals materialized mid-air. A Skybreaker Thunderstrike lanced out, fracturing into a web of arcs laced with Soulshock Thunder Tone's psychic vibrations—a dual assault on body and mind.

"Not enough." Lightning Step conjured nine afterimages. When Thunder Fist merged with Nine Thunder Metamorphosis, reality itself warped. Thunder elements collapsed into a singularity, atomizing twenty alloy targets.

Time blurred. The training chamber lay in ruins as Lin Ye tested his fifth combo technique. Nine Heavens Thunder Prison liquefied into armor plating his body, Lightning Step scorching the air with smoldering afterimages. The final strike obliterated the last energy target, leaving no intact surface in the room.

Lin Ye wiped blood from his temple, thunder patterns swirling like galaxies in his eyes. Every Combat Skill meshed like precision gears, Nine Heavens Thunder Prison fueling this war machine's core.

Unbeknownst to him, blood-red headlines flooded Imperial Capital University's forums:

Breaking! Freshman Lin Ye Shatters 36-Year Record! (With Combat Footage)

Mysterious Thunder Prodigy: Qin Wuyan's Secret Disciple?

Freshman Combat Rankings Upended! Dark Horse Claims Throne!

The viral video looped his monument-shattering punch in 1,000x slow motion—a deceptively plain strike concealing cataclysmic force.

Library – Quiet Zone

"Xuexue, look! Isn't this Lin Ye?" Ma Dongxia, a bob-haired classmate, nudged Cheng Xue browsing Combat Skill manuals.

Cheng Xue studied the holographic post, her expression unreadable.

"Maybe… cancel your duel bet?" Ma whispered.

Cheng Xue's eyes flickered—not with worry, but exhilaration.

Dormitory – Mech Engineering Major

A red-haired youth punched through his holographic screen. "4.72 million Cal? Glitched sensors!" Flaming tattoos writhed across his chest. "Just wait, Lin Ye. I'll crush you in the Freshman Grand Exam and reclaim my glory!"

Sun Ping'an—Yunzhou Province's former top college entrance exam candidate—had spiraled since losing the provincial crown to an unknown like Lin Ye.

Lin Ye's Dorm – Evening

Steam curled from the bathroom as Lin Ye towel-dried his hair.

BANG!

Chu Xinghe burst in wearing dinosaur pajamas crusted with chip crumbs. "Boss! You're Freshman Combat Rankings numero uno!" He projected the holographic leaderboard, Lin Ye's name blazing atop.

"Out." Lin Ye's knuckles crackled with lightning. "Barge in again, and I'll hospitalize you for a month."

"Roger that!" Chu vanished faster than short-circuited nanobots.