The Medium Cultivation Talent had been successfully copied.
Almost immediately, an inexplicable force acted on Ryan's body, washing over him from head to toe.
Pain!
A sharp pain spread throughout his entire body.
"Damn, I didn't expect the copied talent to be so painful to fuse!"
Ryan gritted his teeth and walked away from the crowd while enduring the pain.
Fortunately, the pain came and went quickly.
After several minutes, the pain gradually dissipated, replaced by a burst of comfort.
Ryan immediately checked his talent.
Human: Ryan Ashford
Cultivation Talent: Medium + Weak
Seeing the information before his eyes, Ryan couldn't help but become excited.
Finally, he was no longer limited to Weak Cultivation Talent.
His talent had truly changed.
That meant his future had changed as well.
Rank 1 Blood Warrior, Rank 2 Blood Warrior, Rank 3 Blood Warrior...
None of these needed to be his limit.
As long as he continued integrating new Cultivation Talents in the future, he might eventually reach a level he couldn't even imagine right now.
"One month. I have to wait another month before I can copy a talent again!"
This was information Ryan instinctively received from his copying ability.
After every successful copy, he would have to wait one month before he could copy another talent.
The cooldown began immediately after a successful copy.
Aegis Martial Academy's management was relatively loose, and it didn't pay much attention to daily attendance.
Even if students didn't come to the academy every single day, it wasn't much of a problem.
In fact, after students learned the fundamentals of cultivation and saber combat, most of their training was done independently.
After all, the academy instructors didn't have enough time to personally supervise every student's cultivation.
This was the current situation at Aegis Martial Academy, and it was quite different from the First Martial Academy.
Strictly speaking, the First Martial Academy operated more like a traditional academy, while institutions such as Aegis placed much greater emphasis on independent cultivation and combat training.
"Let's try the cultivation speed brought by Medium Talent first!"
Ryan couldn't wait any longer.
Over the past year, the original Ryan had cultivated diligently, but unfortunately, the results had always been extremely poor.
It was precisely because his Cultivation Talent was so weak that despite all his effort, he had fallen behind the other students and failed two assessments.
Ryan immediately began cultivating according to the cultivation method taught by the academy.
As he cultivated, Original Essence entered his body.
Soon, a stream of heat slowly flowed through him, continuously strengthening his physique.
"It really is worthy of being Medium Talent. The effect is far stronger than cultivating with Weak Talent. No wonder Julian Cross became a Blood Warrior Apprentice in only half a month and progressed so quickly!"
Ryan was very satisfied with Medium Cultivation Talent.
But he also knew that even greater talents existed above Medium.
The cultivation speed of those true geniuses was something he couldn't even imagine at the moment.
So he had to work hard.
Even harder than before.
Cultivation consumed a great deal of energy, and there was a limit to how much the body could safely endure each day.
After finishing his cultivation, Ryan's entire body was covered in sweat, along with faint traces of black impurities expelled from his body.
Ryan first went to bathe and then ate a large amount of food.
Cultivation consumed enormous amounts of energy, so he needed to eat more to replenish what his body had lost.
A month later.
A grove within Aegis Martial Academy.
It was already approaching evening, and the area was quiet and deserted.
Ryan was cultivating here.
This was also one of the places he frequently used for training.
"Whew, today's cultivation is finished!"
Ryan stopped cultivating and walked toward Training Ground No. 3.
There were many testing stones arranged around the training ground.
Some weighed 50 kilograms.
Others weighed 100 kilograms.
There were even stones weighing 150 kilograms.
If someone could lift the 50-kilogram stone above their head and hold it there for three seconds, it meant they possessed roughly 50 kilograms of lifting strength.
Likewise, lifting the 100-kilogram stone represented approximately 100 kilograms of lifting strength.
It was the academy's simplest method of testing basic physical strength.
As early as the eighth day after obtaining Medium Cultivation Talent, Ryan had successfully lifted the 50-kilogram stone and officially stepped into the Blood Warrior Apprentice stage.
"I should be able to lift the 100-kilogram stone today."
Ryan looked toward it.
"Julian is being personally taught by Mentor Hale, so his cultivation speed is very fast. But I'm not bad either."
"My Cultivation Talent is Medium plus Weak. Theoretically, it should be slightly better than Julian's pure Medium Talent."
"In addition, I haven't wasted a single day this month. I've cultivated every day."
"My progress might not necessarily be slower than Julian's. It might even be faster."
Ryan thought quietly.
After resting for a while and recovering most of his strength, he walked toward the 100-kilogram stone.
"Up!"
Ryan exerted force through both arms.
He lifted the stone from the ground and slowly raised it upward with all his strength.
The stone passed over his head.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Bang!
Ryan threw the stone back onto the ground and collapsed beside it, completely exhausted.
But a smile appeared on his face.
He knew that he now possessed 100 kilograms of lifting strength.
"This is a good start. With my current talent, I might be able to become a Rank 1 Blood Warrior within this year!"
Ryan clenched his fists, filled with anticipation.
The following morning.
At one of Aegis Martial Academy's several large training grounds, more than two hundred boys and girls dressed in academy uniforms gathered in small groups.
They were full of youthful vigor, and many carried a trace of arrogance.
They were all students from the same year as Ryan.
Ryan had barely entered the training ground when a tall, thin boy stepped forward and blocked his path.
The boy had brown hair and freckles across his face.
The moment he saw Ryan, a mocking expression appeared on his face.
"Get out of the way."
A flash of anger crossed Ryan's eyes as he spoke coldly.
The person standing before him was none other than Derek Holt.
He was the culprit responsible for injuring the original Ryan.
The instant Ryan saw him, an intense feeling of loathing emerged from deep within his body.
Clearly, these were emotions left behind by the original Ryan.
"Why bother?"
Derek smirked.
"You'll be expelled soon anyway, so you might as well use the time you have left to plan what you're going to do afterward."
He deliberately emphasized the word "expelled," and the mockery in his voice was unmistakable.
"Derek, you're going too far. We're all classmates, and you and Ryan are even from the same city."
A boy with flaxen curly hair walked over.
It was Elias Mercer.
"Elias, you'd better stay out of our business."
Seeing who had spoken, Derek's expression immediately darkened.
Standing beside Ryan and looking at Derek, Elias sighed inwardly but still spoke without hesitation.
"Ryan is my friend, and you're telling me to leave him alone?"
Although Elias naturally valued profit and loss, he also stood by the choices he made.
If an investment failed, then it failed.
But once he had chosen to invest in someone, he wouldn't immediately abandon them just because there was a possibility of failure.
Moreover, even if he refused to stand up for Ryan, his relationship with Derek wouldn't improve much.
Given Derek's narrow-minded personality, sooner or later he would direct his resentment toward Ryan's friends as well.
"So it seems you're determined to oppose me?"
Derek's voice carried a trace of coldness.
"So what if I am?"
Elias stepped forward without retreating.
Although he might not be Derek's match alone, if he and Ryan worked together, they might still have a chance.
More importantly, in a situation like this, showing weakness would only make Derek more aggressive.
"You should think carefully about whether it's worth going against me for such a piece of trash."
Derek's voice was icy, and his gaze remained fixed on Elias.
"Whether it's worth it or not is my business, Derek. Don't forget that there are guests attending today's class. If anything goes wrong, even the person you're with can't save you."
"You..."
Elias's words clearly struck a nerve.
Derek's face first flushed red and then turned pale.
Finally, he glared at Elias.
"Very well, Elias. I'll remember this!"
After throwing out those words, Derek turned and left.
"Who are those three people?"
The confrontation between Ryan and Derek naturally attracted the attention of many nearby students.
Some looked toward them with great interest.
Although everyone here belonged to the same year, there were more than two hundred students.
It was impossible for all of them to know one another.
Someone nearby chuckled.
"The one with flaxen hair is Elias Mercer. He's pretty well known and can get along with almost anyone."
"As for the one with brown hair, that's Derek Holt. I heard he's recently become one of Victor Langford's sidekicks."
"Victor Langford's henchman? He's lucky to have gotten close to Victor. What about the other one?"
"The other one?"
The student glanced toward Ryan.
"I think it's better if you don't bother remembering him. You might not see him around much longer."
"Won't see him? Uh, could it be..."
The other student froze for a moment before suddenly understanding.
Aegis Martial Academy offered extremely generous prospects to those who successfully graduated.
Correspondingly, its requirements for students were also extremely strict.
Strength assessments were held regularly, and students who repeatedly failed to meet the academy's requirements faced expulsion.
Every year, a number of students were forced to leave the academy.
Some even came from Greyhaven's powerful families.
But Aegis Martial Academy never compromised on this rule.
On the one hand, the academy had the backing of the Windsor family, the most powerful family in Greyhaven City.
There was no major family in Greyhaven willing to openly challenge the Windsors over an expelled student.
On the other hand, the strict system ensured the quality of Aegis graduates.
Only students capable of meeting the academy's standards were allowed to remain.
"Thanks."
Ryan said gratefully to Elias.
"What are you saying? Let's go, it's almost time."
Elias smiled and patted Ryan on the shoulder.
The two then walked toward the gathering area together.
Time passed slowly.
When it was exactly eight o'clock, six men dressed in red training armor and boots appeared.
Each of them carried a fierce aura.
They were the instructors responsible for the six classes in Ryan's year.
As specially appointed instructors of Aegis Martial Academy, every one of them possessed the strength of a Rank 1 Blood Warrior.
Moreover, they had all experienced real combat outside the safety of Greyhaven and had genuinely fought against fierce beasts.
Only an academy with resources like Aegis could afford to assign a Rank 1 Blood Warrior as the dedicated instructor of every class.
Students at many other academies couldn't enjoy such treatment even if they belonged to elite classes.
The six instructors arrived before the gathered students.
However, they didn't immediately begin the lesson.
Instead, they stood solemnly and turned toward the same direction.
A woman wearing golden light armor was walking toward them.
She had long blond hair.
Although her figure was slender, she didn't appear frail in the slightest.
The golden light armor fitted closely around her body, while a pair of intimidating green eyes swept across the training ground.
A saber hung at her side.
She walked forward step by step, her boots striking firmly against the ground.
The sharp aura surrounding her was even stronger than that of the six instructors standing before the students.
"Lady Aurelia?!"
"Could this be... Aurelia the Golden Saber Maiden?"
"The guest today is actually Lady Aurelia!"
Several students from Greyhaven's founding families immediately exclaimed in surprise.
They stared at the blond woman approaching them with expressions filled with admiration.
Those students who didn't recognize her quickly received explanations from the people around them, and their expressions soon became equally excited.
"It was her!"
Hearing the surrounding chatter, Ryan's eyes also revealed a look of awe.
Aurelia Voss.
The Golden Saber Maiden.
Despite her young age, she was already a powerful Rank 4 Blood Warrior.
She had ventured alone into extremely dangerous territories outside Greyhaven on numerous occasions and accumulated considerable battle merit.
She had slain a Bronze-Backed Crocodile and had even fought two Rank 4 Shadow Leopards at the same time.
Not only had she survived, she had successfully driven both beasts away.
Her exploits were widely known throughout Greyhaven City.
Some writers had even turned her story into inspirational books, and their sales were extremely impressive.
This alone demonstrated just how great Aurelia's influence within Greyhaven had become.
"Quiet."
Among the six instructors, the oldest—a stern-faced middle-aged man—coughed lightly before speaking.
"We are honored to have Lady Aurelia as our guest today. Now, please welcome Lady Aurelia to say a few words."
His name was Edwin Harrow.
He was the instructor responsible for Adrian Blackwood's elite class and also the head instructor of Ryan's year.
He supervised the other five instructors as well as all the students of their year.
The students were all extremely intimidated by him.
The moment Edwin spoke, everyone immediately fell silent.
"Hello, I'm Aurelia..."
Aurelia's gaze swept across the gathered students.
Everyone her eyes passed over instinctively lowered their gaze.
Even someone as proud as Adrian Blackwood didn't dare directly meet her eyes for long.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all here."
"To be honest, I'm also your senior. Ten years ago, I was standing where you're standing today."
"So, juniors, keep going! I hope that ten years from now, you will be standing where I am now."
Clap clap clap!
As Aurelia finished speaking, applause erupted throughout the training ground.
Everyone, including Ryan, had been captivated by the presence of this legendary senior.
Many of the younger students looked at her with undisguised admiration.
The Golden Saber Maiden truly possessed extraordinary charisma.
Although she had spoken only a few sentences, her words ignited the passion of the students gathered before her.
Who was willing to admit they were inferior to others?
And who among them didn't dream of someday reaching the level Aurelia Voss had reached?
Clearly, her words resonated with nearly everyone present.