Avoid Decades of Detours

【Second-Tier Martial Artist Yang Sanjin is shocked by your Mental Strength. Reputation Value +200】

“Your mental strength… were you training this from the womb?”

Yang Sanjin wasn’t especially surprised by Shen Tianling’s S-rank talent.

Anyone personally selected by the Hall Master couldn’t possibly be mediocre.

Awakening an S-rank talent was expected—Yang Sanjin wouldn’t even be surprised if it turned out to be SSS-rank.

What would be strange is if the test came back completely normal.

But that Mental Strength value—16.0—stood out like a sore thumb.

A martial artist who hadn’t even entered the basic threshold, with a Physical Fitness of only 4.3, had already reached First-Order in Mental Strength?

And not something low like 11.0 or 12.0—but an absurdly high 16.0?

Was that normal?

Was that reasonable?

Was that even human?

His own Mental Strength was only around 24.5, wasn’t it?

“Brother Yang, is my Mental Strength abnormal?”

Shen Tianling stepped out of the white chamber and looked up at the large central screen.

Seeing that his Spiritual Talent was just S-rank Strength Amplification, he sighed in relief.

“At least only one showed up. Otherwise, how would I even explain it?”

Just as he relaxed, his eyes remained fixed on the Mental Strength section, refusing to move.

“F*cking hell. Why can this machine even measure Mental Strength?”

The Seven Star Alliance didn’t lack geniuses.

Just from what Xiao Yu’er had told him, Shen Tianling had heard of at least a dozen.

Things like sixteen-year-old Second-Order Origin Martial Artists weren’t rare at all.

Most martial artists started training in junior high, with their Spiritual Talents awakened during a standardized school event at thirteen or fourteen.

Aside from late bloomers like his sister, Xiao Yu’er—who awakened her SSS-ranked Spiritual Talent at eighteen—most people awakened theirs on the first or second attempt.

He himself had awakened his D-rank Spiritual Talent in his third year of middle school, according to his memories.

He deeply understood how hard the martial path was.

The college entrance exam required a Physical Fitness of 5.0.

When he first transmigrated, Shen Tianling was only at 2.6.

Now, even with multiple Spiritual Talents, he’d barely pushed that to 4.3.

So here’s the real question: What level of Mental Strength corresponds to a Physical Fitness of 4.3?

5.0? 6.0?

Definitely not 16.0!

“I’ve trained for thirty years, and my Mental Strength is only 24.5. You really think yours is normal?”

Yang Sanjin muttered as he adjusted the machine’s interface.

He began altering the data on the big screen, deleting and modifying values until the Mental Strength field read 11.0.

Only then did he click to upload it to the main database.

Shen Tianling stood silently by the side, not daring to comment.

That green-haired Liu Sheng was right after all.

Yang Sanjin really was someone who abused his position for personal gain.

Editing official test data right in front of the test subject.

Though, admittedly, it was done with good intentions.

“Think I lowered it too much?”

Yang Sanjin laughed.

“You’re trying to get into the research lab, aren’t you?”

“Let me tell you a secret.”

“I’m actually not even staff here.”

“You’re not staff?”

Shen Tianling stared at the middle-aged man in front of him, who looked so calm and composed.

A bad feeling crept into his gut.

Was this a joke?

How could a non-staff member freely enter this place?

Especially a location like the Spiritual Awakening Chamber—even if the test was just a re-examination, outsiders shouldn’t have access.

“Let me reintroduce myself.”

Yang Sanjin pulled out a cigarette, lit it out of thin air, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“I’m a nobody. A Second-Order Origin Martial Artist.”

“Name’s Yang Sanjin.”

“You can think of me as that guy’s direct rival.”

“As for how I got in here, I bent the rules a little—just to get a read on you.”

“It won’t be long before Hall Master Yao realizes something’s off.”

“You sure have… interesting hobbies, Brother Yang.”

Shen Tianling responded blandly.

“But how do you know about Liu Sheng?”

Unbelievable!

The Star-Picking Martial Hall seriously needed to shut down.

People could just waltz in pretending to be staff?

“Simple.”

“I just took a peek at the recent personnel files.”

Yang Sanjin flicked some ash from his cigarette and looked at Shen Tianling with a smile.

“Had to do my homework, right?”

“Shen Tianling, I’m quite satisfied with you. Join us.”

“I can offer you an S-rank contract—1 billion Blue Star Credits a year, for six years.”

“Martial Hall contribution points included, plus a personal gift of 5 million Blue Star Credits from me.”

“All you have to do is sign this contract and become a probationary member of the Star-Picking Martial Hall.”

As he spoke, Yang Sanjin pulled a printed contract from his robe and handed it over.

An S-rank contract?

1 billion Blue Star Credits per year?

Shen Tianling took it and glanced through.

Didn’t his sister get an unlimited budget per year?

Why was his capped at 1 billion?

It’s not like he wanted to be a freeloader, but this offer felt… cheap.

“Hall Master Yang, I’m afraid I have to decline.”

“I was personally invited by Hall Master Yao. It wouldn’t be right to accept your invitation.”

【Second-Tier Martial Artist Yang Sanjin admires you, and feels it’s time to apply pressure. Reputation Value +300】

“Not going to work out, huh?”

Yang Sanjin pondered aloud.

“You’re smart—you must’ve guessed why I’m really here.”

“Shen Tianling, don’t you want to grow stronger?”

“The path of the martial artist… talent and hard work matter, sure. But what matters most is resources.”

“Not everyone has a sister like yours.”

“You do realize you’ve become a burden to Xiao Yu’er, right?”

Crack—

Shen Tianling’s grip tightened around the contract.

The paper crinkled and tore audibly under the pressure.

“Brother Yang.”

“I’ve always hated people who think they have everything under control.”

“And I hate being threatened.”

His face was expressionless.

With a violent swing of his arm, he hurled the shredded paper into the trash.

“Especially if they’re using my sister to do it.”

Without looking back, Shen Tianling stepped out of the Spiritual Awakening Chamber.

Yang Sanjin stood silently, his gaze following the metallic door as it opened and closed.

His expression turned heavy.

He reflexively took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

A ring of smoke curled from his lips.

Then, without a word, he pulled out his phone and opened Q-Signal.

With slender fingers, he tapped out a few lines on the screen.

Moments later—

He exhaled deeply and tapped [Send].

【IJustSmoke】: The task you assigned is done. Shen Tianling’s test data has been sent to you.

【Miss Song】: Mm, thank you.

【IJustSmoke】: I have a question.

【Miss Song】: Go on.

【IJustSmoke】: Miss Song, why did you have me intentionally provoke him? His reaction was exactly as you predicted. How did you know?

【Miss Song】: Woman’s intuition.

【IJustSmoke】: ……

【Miss Song】: More accurately, it was a deliberate tactic.

【Miss Song】: I saw the data you sent. An S-rank Spiritual Talent is excellent. No man with any pride would willingly be a burden to his sister.

【Miss Song】: That’s the first phase of our cooperation. Your next step is to carry out the second phase—until he joins the Star-Picking Martial Hall.

【IJustSmoke】: Understood.

Yang Sanjin stared blankly as he locked his phone.

Then he slumped back into the soft leather chair, his face full of troubled exhaustion.

He lit another cigarette.

The swirling smoke mirrored the confusion clouding his heart.

One after another, he smoked until the box was empty.

Only then did he stop.

He slowly stood up.

“In the end, he’s going to join the Martial Hall anyway.”

“I don’t get it. Why piss the kid off first? I could’ve just offered straight up.”

“Now it’s a mess.”

“If Miss Song didn’t happen to have that [Starshine Origin Crystal], I wouldn’t have agreed to any of this.”

“What a headache. Truly a pain…”

“Teacher Song, did your plan succeed?”

“Not yet.”

“Then what now?”

“Sister Xiao keeps giving him her resources. It’s really holding back her own cultivation.”

In the hotel suite, Su Wanrou lay luxuriously across the wide bed.

Her body sank into the soft mattress like a dream, reluctant to move.

“Don’t worry.”

“As long as Shen Tianling’s still a man, my plan will succeed.”

Song Yuxin sat on the sofa, gently sipping her freshly brewed coffee.

“So what’s next?”

Su Wanrou’s voice was drowsy.

“Lead him down the path of strength.”

“Not into the arms of dependency.”

Song Yuxin smiled.