Back home, Glenn Clark had already cleaned a basin of fish meat.
"Bro, the mutated beast you're raising eats more than I do. It keeps growing bigger and bigger. Will it end up eating our family into bankruptcy?" Glenn voiced his concerns with some anxiety.
He felt that the quality of their meals had worsened recently, and it was probably all because of the mutated beast his brother was raising.
In the past, he could eat meat and be satisfied every day, but since half a month ago, although there was still meat every day, it seemed to disappear after just a few bites, with only vegetables left on the plate.
It was also during this time that he started cooking for himself, which was partly why he was eager to go home and cook every day.
With this thought, Glenn suggested for the sake of his own stomach, "Bro, why don't we just eat that mutated beast? I heard mutated beast meat is very nourishing."
Jack Clark gave him a sideways glance, his look amused, "That suggestion doesn't sound bad. What flavor do you think would taste good?"
Glenn's eyes lit up, thinking there was a chance, and he excitedly suggested, "Bro, I think barbecue and garlic flavors would be more delicious. Of course, spicy is also good."
"Bro, wait a sec, I'll go grab a knife." Saying this, Glenn dashed back to the kitchen, picked up a kitchen knife, and was about to go upstairs to slaughter the Six-legged Salamander.
Jack Clark said irritably, "You're taking it seriously? Put that knife down."
"Ah? Bro, we're not eating it?" Glenn sounded disappointed.
Jack Clark waved his hand dismissively, "All you ever think about is eating. This is the mutated beast I raised myself."
"But your worries are not without reason. The mutated beast has been eating more and more lately. I plan to set it free in a couple of days."
"...set it free." Glenn felt it was such a waste all of a sudden.
What a waste, that's mutated beast meat...
"Alright, no more regrets."
Jack Clark patted his shoulder, "You're still young. There are things you don't understand. Just listen to me and go cook."
"Okay then."
Although Glenn didn't understand why his brother wanted to release the beast, the trust he had in him from a young age kept him from overthinking.
Ignoring Glenn's conflicted feelings, Jack Clark carried the basin of fish meat upstairs.
In the room, the Six-legged Salamander, now sixty-eight centimeters long, lay on the floor, looking even more majestic, especially with the three pairs of red feather horns spread on its sides.
Whether it was due to an evolution or just getting bigger, the Six-legged Salamander's vision had also improved quite a bit.
Through the salamander's low perspective, Jack Clark could clearly see his own reflection, the room's furniture; everything looked huge and oppressive.
After ensuring his avatar was well-fed and hydrated, Jack Clark cultivated once more before resting for the night.
...
The next day, on the way to class, there were still enforcers around; it seemed the two cultists had not been caught yet. Jack Clark thoughtfully considered this.
As soon as he entered the classroom, he noticed it was much livelier than usual; everyone was discussing the ranking competition.
A few students who had just reached Foundation Establishment were complaining about the unfairness. They had just entered the First Layer Heaven a few days ago, while many classmates had already been cultivating for half a month.
In such a competition, they were at a considerable disadvantage in terms of both basic physique and skill proficiency, with no hope of standing out.
On the other hand, those who had made the breakthrough half a month ago were eager and excited, believing this was their chance to make a name for themselves in the school.
In the case where everyone was at the First Layer Heaven, they felt that if they tried hard enough, they might even have a chance to break into the Top 50.
As for those students who hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment yet, they could only watch enviously.
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"I think the Class Leader should have no problem making it into the top ten this time," someone said.
"You're underestimating the Class Leader, I think she has hope for the top five, she defeated Bryant Ryan and two others who teamed up against her in yesterday's combat training," another chimed in.
"Yeah, I also think the Class Leader's strength could put her in the top five, her swordsmanship is too formidable," added a third.
Many classmates surrounded Crystal Lewis in the front row, expressing their admiration when talking about how she single-handedly overpowered three classmates the afternoon before.
Following the fight between Jack Clark and Justin Welan yesterday noon, Crystal and the others also recognized the issue with practical combat experience.
As a result, yesterday afternoon, she summoned all the Foundation Establishment students of her class in the name of the Class Leader.
Officially, it was to enhance the overall strength of the class, aiming to secure good positions in the upcoming ranking competition by organizing a combat training session.
Most people had no objections to this proposal, plus they were itching to practice after so much cultivation, making the afternoon training session a lively one.
"I think Matt should be able to make it into the top ten as well, he's a genius who established his foundation just as quickly as the Class Leader, within three to four days," someone speculated.
"Right, committee member Matt is also very strong. Justin Welan was easily defeated by him in yesterday's training session, he'll definitely make the list easily," agreed another.
"Haha... you guys are praising me too much, my strength is actually pretty average, and my victory yesterday was just luck," Matt replied modestly.
"Besides, we're all just students, the competition is about friendship first and rankings are actually not that important, as long as we can learn from each other and improve," he added.
As Jack Clark sat down at his seat, he gave Justin Welan, who was at the front, a curious look, "What's going on, you got beaten by the committee member yesterday?"
Justin Welan felt a bit defensive, "It wasn't a beating, it was just a spar, and I had not fully recovered from my injuries from fighting you, so I just lost focus and made two mistakes."
"Is that so?" Jack felt he was just being stubborn.
After his fight with Justin Welan yesterday, he had gone to a Personal Cultivation Room to deeply practice Dragon Elephant Power, so he didn't join the training session.
Curious, Jack asked, "Hey, Justin, how do you rank committee member Matt and the Class Leader's abilities?"
Justin hesitated slightly, "...very strong. I haven't practiced against the Class Leader, but I feel like she's out of my league. Her aggressive and fierce swordsmanship is particularly difficult for me to handle."
"As for Matt, he's slightly better than me, maybe just by a little bit," he added.
"I see," Jack nodded slightly.
Although Justin was reluctant to admit it, geniuses who broke through to Foundation Establishment in just a few days were indeed very strong, capable of overpowering a student like him who also practiced Advanced Skills.
Whimpers started coming from the front suddenly.
Justin quickly turned around to comfort, "Ah, Moon, it's okay, even if you can't cultivate True Martial Arts, you can still go to a prestigious university."
"Look at General Emma Louise, she didn't cultivate True Martial Arts either, and now she's become a Federation Major General at just thirty years old, I'm telling you..."
It wasn't just the girl in front of Justin's desk at that moment.
While those Martial Cultivation students were excitedly discussing the ranking competition, the emotions of those students who had been cultivating for almost a month and were still at the Sixth or Seventh Stage were somewhat low.
Jack saw this and felt for them, but there was nothing he could do, as talent issues wouldn't change just because it was hard to accept.
Moreover, they were actually very lucky already, having the opportunity to systematically learn True Martial Arts in high school.
In some allied nations, information about True Martial Arts and cultivation resources are hoarded by the upper echelons, ordinary people have no chance to access them, which is why those smaller countries have been increasingly chaotic over the past two years.
After all, not everyone is content with living as the lower class forever.
At four o'clock, as the school dismissal bell rang, Jack slowly opened his eyes, ready to head home.
Since starting the cultivation of True Martial Arts, it was his first time leaving school so early to go home. The reason was simple, his Avatar was about to start its second evolution.
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