Moreover, Xia Zhen was promoted to a full-fledged superhuman at the Superhuman Headquarters after only two years of internship. Her astonishing talent and rapid progress are truly unprecedented. Most superhumans need to intern for at least four years, undergoing rigorous examinations and selection processes before they have the opportunity to officially become a member of the Superhuman Headquarters and begin carrying out special and confidential missions.
The selection process for official ability users at the Superpower Headquarters is extremely rigorous and involves a certain ratio. Not all trainee ability users who participate in the selection process can become official users after passing the assessment. Trainee ability users who rank lower in the assessment are ruthlessly eliminated and continue their internship until the next assessment. Ordinary trainee ability users have no hope of passing the assessment in less than four or five years, let alone competing for a place with those who have already made their rankings. This, in turn, highlights Xia Zhen's excellence, making her an unattainable role model and the perfect girl in the hearts of many ability users.
However, it was surprising that such an outstanding and beautiful girl would show such unexpected attention to a boy who looked several years younger than herself. How could this not surprise Shui Zhu'er? She kept looking at Ling Yun's face, but no matter how she looked at him, Ling Yun did not show anything unusual. He was as ordinary as a drop of water in the ocean. If he were to blend into the crowd, he would be indistinguishable. The only thing that seemed a little special was the boy's eyes, which were clear and bright, like a bottomless pool of water.
While her telekinetic control is decent, it's still somewhat immature. She can maintain balance when undisturbed, but mistakes occur when disturbed. This may seem like a minor difference, but the difference is enormous. Moreover, her water control ability is rather limited. In terms of overall strength, she's probably far inferior to the soldier who tracked Gu Xiaorou with the Heavenly Eye. Furthermore, judging from Shui Zhu'er's demeanor, she clearly hasn't experienced the profound aura that comes from real combat among superhumans and life-or-death trials.
This was Ling Yun's immediate judgment upon seeing Shui Zhu'er, and it was almost certainly true. But Ling Yun then chuckled to himself. Even if it wasn't something he had experienced, others would. Even Xia Zhen was just an ability user who had grown up in a warm nest, and she was not on the same level as those real ability user killers. His judgment seemed a bit too harsh.
Since he was Xia Zhen's subordinate, Ling Yun naturally had to be polite, so he took the initiative to extend his hand: "Hello, Shui Zhu'er, my name is Ling Yun, please take care of me."
Xia Zhen chuckled: "Ling Yun, why do you talk like a Japanese person?"
Shui Zhu'er extended her hand and gently shook his. In that instant, she subtly used a bit of her mental energy to sense him. She was genuinely curious about this ordinary-looking boy, but she couldn't discern Ling Yun's true strength with the naked eye. She couldn't resist the urge to secretly probe him. This was impolite and might displease Xia Zhen, but if Ling Yun's strength was far inferior to hers, she could only swallow her anger and remain silent. Even if he complained to Xia Zhen later, it would only make Shui Zhu'er despise him more. What kind of superhuman was a man who relied on a girl for support?
This kind of perception, trying to ascertain the other person's true strength, is like a man asking a woman sensitive questions about her age, weight, appearance, and family background as soon as they meet on a blind date. Although both parties secretly wish to know immediately, asking these questions would be considered extremely rude and offensive. Although Shui Zhu'er felt it was somewhat inappropriate, Ling Yun didn't seem like a formidable person based on his appearance, and new interns with superpowers were generally considered to be below the seniors. Therefore, even though Shui Zhu'er felt it was inappropriate, she didn't think it was anything terribly wrong.
"You're welcome. You don't seem very old, are you twenty-one this year...? Huh?" Shui Zhu'er was about to ask Ling Yun's age, but as soon as her hand separated from his, she couldn't help but open her round little mouth and let out a surprised cry. Her probe, which had just been transmitted to Ling Yun's hand, not only failed to return any information, but also completely disappeared as if it had sunk into the sea. It was as if his mental field was a black hole that could absorb her mental field.
This was something Shui Zhu'er had never seen before. Startled, she thought Ling Yun had used some strange magic on her, and she took two steps back in disgust and fear, glaring angrily at Ling Yun.
"Waterdrop, what's wrong with you? Why are you being so rude to Team Leader Xia?" Just then, the four men and one woman walked up to Xia Zhen and Ling Yun. Hearing Waterdrop's surprised voice, the sturdy young man named Tianma frowned and said. He was one of Xia Zhen's silent admirers and was usually very respectful. Naturally, he didn't want others to be rude in front of his goddess.
"That's right, Shuizhu'er, you didn't just scream because you fell for Team Leader Xia and brought back another handsome young man, did you?" The girl named Yun Cai teased, covering her mouth and laughing so hard she almost fell over, immediately causing a burst of laughter from the others. This girl had a round face, pretty features, and looked a year or two older than Shuizhu'er. She was cheerful, lively, and loved to joke.
Xia Zhen frowned. She had vaguely sensed something just now, but it wasn't very clear. "Shuizhu'er, what's wrong?" She then turned to look at Ling Yun, who smiled slightly at her and waved his hand, indicating that nothing was wrong.
The four men and one woman then noticed Shui Zhu'er's unusual behavior and gathered around, asking, "What's wrong, Shui Zhu'er?" Fang Zhen and Li Zhongli were closest to Shui Zhu'er, and while looking at her with concern, they also glanced at Ling Yun. It had been a long time since any unfamiliar faces had appeared in headquarters; this young man must be a new intern with superpowers recommended by Team Leader Xia, perhaps a bit arrogant and ignorant of the rules, and had offended Shui Zhu'er. Thinking of this, a hint of dislike flashed in their eyes.
Shuizhu'er angrily pointed at Lingyun: "He just used a very strange technique on me, which devoured my senses."
"Devour?!" Everyone was stunned, their expressions turning cold as they glared at Ling Yun with hostility. The rules of the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters strictly prohibited the use of corrosive or mental attacks against colleagues. While they didn't know exactly how Ling Yun had devoured Shui Zhu'er's senses, they were certain Shui Zhu'er wouldn't lie. This stranger was far too arrogant. Since they were close friends, they naturally sided with Shui Zhu'er.
"Perception?" Xia Zhen was clearly a cut above the rest, immediately grasping the key point in Shui Zhu'er's words. "Shui Zhu'er, you used perception on Ling Yun? Why?"
"Ah! I...I didn't mean to." Water Droplet, still in a state of shock and disgust, had completely forgotten her initial offense against Ling Yun. Only when Xia Zhen questioned her did she realize her mistake, remembering her impolite probing action. Her pretty face flushed crimson, and she hurriedly explained, "I just wanted to see his strength...I really didn't mean to..."
The expressions on the faces of the others immediately became quite interesting. They had initially thought that Ling Yun had offended Shui Zhu'er by not knowing the rules, but little did they expect that Shui Zhu'er hadn't properly assessed the other person's strength and had rashly tried to probe him. As a result, she was not only exposed by the other person but also suffered a small loss. Furthermore, she was exposed in public by Team Leader Xia, which was both embarrassing and a loss of face.
"But even so, he shouldn't have retaliated with that kind of method, right? And he even devoured the water droplet's senses, that's too much!" Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Zhongli quickly pointed at Ling Yun and loudly changed the subject.
"Yes, that's a despicable tactic," Fang Zhen chimed in.
"Even if I detected it first, you shouldn't have absorbed my senses." Seeing someone come to her rescue, Shui Zhu'er immediately became more confident. Although she knew she was in the wrong and wasn't sure if Ling Yun had absorbed her senses, the important thing at this moment wasn't right or wrong, but her pride as a girl. Even if she had wronged Ling Yun, she couldn't do it. Besides, Li Zhongli was speaking up for her, and she couldn't admit her mistake no matter what.
Ling Yun sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat disappointed. He hadn't expected the trainee superhumans at the Superhuman Headquarters to be so petty and concerned with saving face, which greatly diminished his initial pilgrimage-like mood. He didn't want to explain, but seeing the slight doubt in Xia Zhen's eyes, he thought for a moment and then sincerely said, "I'm sorry, Water Pearl, I think you've misunderstood. I didn't absorb your senses."
Chapter 156 Let me show you my skills
As he spoke, Ling Yunping stretched out one palm, palm up. With the surge of his mental energy field, a constantly changing silver ball of light appeared out of thin air above his palm, forming a perfect silver sphere. The outside of the sphere was covered with countless tiny stars jumping back and forth and silver threads, as if Ling Yunping was holding not a ball of light powered by telekinesis, but a celestial body or planet shrunk countless times.
"You can sense it. I adjusted the protective structure of my mental field, and its strength is exactly the same as the water droplet's perception of me. So, in reality, when she was probing me, my mental field only served to shield her perception, not to devour her. Although it may seem somewhat similar to devouring, perhaps the water droplet didn't notice for a moment and misunderstood me," Ling Yun explained with a slight smile.
Everyone present, including Xia Zhen, used their telekinesis to sense the adjusted silver ball of mental energy in Ling Yun's hand. A moment later, an expression of disbelief and astonishment appeared on everyone's faces. Indeed, as Ling Yun had said, the silver ball of mental energy was merely a shield, not a devouring force.
However, everyone immediately realized another shocking fact: the detection process of the water droplet only lasted for a very short moment. In this extremely short time, they adjusted their mental field to the same level and then blocked the other party's detection.
How difficult would this be? And how exquisite and precise would the telekinetic control be? Not to mention that those present could not match it, even many senior, officially certified superhumans could not do it. Doesn't this mean that the strength of this ordinary-looking stranger far exceeds that of these trainee superhumans?
Although it seemed completely unbelievable, and Ling Yun was indeed far too young—while everyone present was young, the youngest was at least the same age as Xia Zhen, and this boy appeared to be under twenty—such a young age and such unfathomable abilities could not help but leave everyone astonished. If the facts weren't right before their eyes, everyone would have exclaimed: Impossible!
Although Xia Zhen remained calm on the surface, she was extremely shocked inside. Ever since killing the psychic, she had never seen Ling Yun display his true power, nor did she know how he cultivated. She only knew that the honest boy was still her good younger brother, whose strength was inferior to hers. Therefore, she wanted to send Ling Yun to the Superpower Headquarters for further training, hoping that Ling Yun could quickly become stronger so that he could work and fight with her in the future. Of course, she meant work and battle. If she had some free time, Xia Zhen would not mind inquiring about her brother's private life.
It wasn't until today, at this very moment, that Xia Zhen realized that Ling Yun had undergone a tremendous change without her noticing. His power even far surpassed her own. She really didn't know when this guy had started cultivating. His talent shouldn't be as good as hers, so how could he have progressed so quickly? However, the girl felt no doubts, but rather a deep joy. It seemed that Ling Yun becoming stronger made her even happier than her becoming stronger.
An awkward silence followed. After the truth came out, everyone looked at Shui Zhu'er, whose face was unusually pale. Not only had she not retaliated against her rudeness, but she had also remained silent in the face of her increasingly unreasonable accusations, only reluctantly revealing the truth under questioning. This not only further exposed Shui Zhu'er's rudeness but also revealed her ignorance, mistaking someone's skillful mental energy shield for absorption—a truly shameful act.
Even if Li Zhongli and Fang Zhen wanted to defend her, they could only awkwardly open their mouths, speechless. They all wondered if, if it weren't for Shui Zhu'er, even if they themselves had personally come into contact with Ling Yun's mental field, would they have been able to tell if it was a shielding attack or a absorption attack?
After comparing for a long time, despite everyone's pride, they still had to come to a disheartening conclusion: it was impossible.
Xia Zhen's pretty face hardened: "Shuizhu'er, have you memorized all the rules for superpowered individuals? Recite Article Thirty-Five from memory." Her tone carried a hint of sternness and annoyance. Although she was usually amiable and cheerful, without any airs of a team leader or superior, the title of team leader and the aura of a powerful figure naturally gave her a stern demeanor. Moreover, seeing Ling Yun being unable to detect anything and almost being wrongly accused, Xia Zhen was secretly furious, and her tone became sharp.
Seeing their team leader's anger, the young people immediately stopped breathing and stood in a row, waiting for instructions. Shui Zhu'er, her face flushed, lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, filled with regret. She shouldn't have rashly tried to probe Ling Yun; not only had she failed to ascertain his strength, but she had also angered Xia Zhen, making her appear presumptuous in challenging a powerful figure. She hadn't expected this unassuming young man to possess such unfathomable strength, while she, several years older than him, was weaker. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment.
Hearing Xia Zhen's stern rebuke, Shui Rou'er pouted and almost mumbled in a wronged tone, "Article Thirty-Five..."
"Didn't you eat enough? Or are you speaking in sign language? Besides, when I assign you training tasks, do you always keep your heads down? Raise your heads!" Xia Zhen immediately interrupted her, shouting sternly with a serious expression, looking every bit like a strict instructor.
"Yes, team leader!" the six people shouted in unison. Water Droplet raised her head and said, "Article 35 of the Code of Superpowered Individuals states that without permission, one shall not use perception or related superpowers on colleagues or groups of friendly superpowered individuals. It is strictly forbidden to use detection or any superpowers that may be harmful or cause mental fright on ordinary people. Violators will be punished appropriately according to the circumstances."
“You recited it well, not a single word was wrong. It seems you have been studying hard all along. But why did you still break the rules?” Xia Zhen’s beautiful eyes shot out two sharp beams of light. “It’s because you don’t have a strong awareness of this aspect in your minds, and it’s also because I, as the group leader, haven’t supervised you enough. Don’t think that being a superhuman makes you so great. You are also members of humanity, just one in tens of millions of lucky ones. Other than that, there is nothing to be proud of.”
Ling Yun had never seen Xia Zhen so serious before. Seeing the pitiful young people standing there, not daring to move, being scolded, he couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted. However, this was the time for Xia Zhen to establish her authority and discipline her subordinates, and he absolutely couldn't interrupt her. Otherwise, not only would Xia Zhen's dignity be affected, but it would also make it seem like his relationship with Xia Zhen was a bit too close. He would still be studying and working here in the future, and he couldn't let people look at him with prejudice.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind: if he were to intern here in the future, and Xia Zhen were the group leader of the internship team, wouldn't that mean he would be under her leadership? Thinking of this, Ling Yun couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. The young girl must have been waiting for this day for a long time. However, he usually treated her as a friend, and it would be a little strange to become her leader.
Xia Zhen's cold voice continued to ring in my ears: "This afternoon, everyone will do one hundred sets of standard C-level supernatural skill training. Shui Zhu'er will get double the training. No food is allowed until you finish."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. One hundred sets of standard C-level supernatural training? Truly, the most poisonous heart is a woman's; the team leader looks like a beautiful young woman, yet she's so ruthless. Everyone was on the verge of tears. The round-faced girl, Yun Cai, said with a bitter expression, "Team Leader Xia, you might as well just make us commit suicide!"
"Hehe, suicide would be too easy for you. If you really want to commit suicide, finish your training first. Besides, I'll train with you this afternoon, setting an example. No one can slack off. How about that?" Xia Zhen crossed her arms and smiled at the group. But no matter how you looked at it, there was a cunning glint in her smile.
"Great! Great!" Among the crowd, only Tianma raised his arms and shouted in response. He was content as long as he could see Xia Zhen. No matter what Xia Zhen said, he responded enthusiastically, which immediately earned him a round of eye rolls from the crowd.
“Ling Yun, you’ll be training with them this afternoon too. From the moment you stepped into this place, you’ve been an intern at the Superpower Headquarters, so there can be no exceptions.” Xia Zhen suddenly turned around and said to Ling Yun with a smile.
"I want to do it too?" Ling Yun was taken aback and pointed to his nose. "There's no need to be in such a hurry." He tried his best to dissuade him. Although he didn't know what C-level supernatural training was, he knew from everyone's bitter faces that it was definitely not a good thing. Moreover, Xia Zhen seemed to have a tendency to want to become his leader right now, which was not a good sign.