However, after Jiang Lin spoke, no one responded.
The entire caravan was as silent as death.
Only the groans of the wounded could be heard.
The dead silence lasted for several seconds.
"You..."
Old Man Rekton was the first to break the silence.
He strode over, his eyes still filled with disbelief.
"Are you really 2nd-rank?"
When Jiang Lin had made his move, he hadn't deliberately hidden his presence. The magic essence fluctuations were indeed those of the 2nd-rank, pure and condensed.
But that terrifying combat power that allowed him to effortlessly kill 3rd-rank and instantly slay a 4th-rank bandit leader with a simple gesture...
How could this be 2nd-rank?
Even a 4th-rank powerhouse was only at this level!
Old Man Rekton now suspected that Jiang Lin was some high-level powerhouse pretending to be a newcomer to mislead others.
Jiang Lin nodded calmly.
"Of course."
"You should all quickly reorganize yourselves. Once you're ready, we will continue the journey."
Seeing how composed Jiang Lin was, Old Man Rekton took a deep breath and stopped questioning him.
Regardless, this kid could absolutely not be just 2nd-rank.
As for his actual rank, with his current eyesight, he couldn't tell for the time being.
However, with his decades of experience traveling the north, he could tell that Jiang Lin harbored no ill will.
Therefore, keeping the other party in the caravan posed no real danger.
Moreover, if Jiang Lin hadn't stepped in just now, even if the caravan had won, they would have suffered heavy losses, and that core shipment would likely have been lost.
This was a genuine favor.
He cupped his fists and gave Jiang Lin a solemn salute.
"Brother Matthew, words cannot express my gratitude! We owe you big time! On behalf of the Frost Wolf Caravan, I, Rekton, will remember this debt!"
"Leader Rekton is too polite. We are simply in the same boat," Jiang Lin replied with a slight nod.
"Quick! Treat the wounded, count the losses, and clear the battlefield! We shouldn't stay here long. Once we're done, we move out immediately!"
Old Man Rekton quickly regained his competence as a leader and issued orders rapidly.
The caravan became busy once again.
The guards bandaged their wounds. Fortunately, only three people were seriously injured and no one had died, so they didn't need to prepare any bodies for burial.
Afterward, they dragged the bandits' corpses to the side for a simple burial and collected any valuable items they might have had.
Watching their practiced movements, Jiang Lin could tell they had handled such things many times before.
However, they didn't chant the 【soul-passing incantation】, which made Jiang Lin feel as if something was missing.
While they were clearing the battlefield, Old Man Rekton walked toward Jiang Lin with a smile on his face.
"I didn't expect Brother Matthew to possess such strength. Our caravan members truly failed to recognize greatness before."
Old Man Rekton was at the 4th-rank, which was considered a relatively high level among ordinary civilian adventurers.
Furthermore, his combat strength among 4th-ranks was considered elite, much like Teacher Groot.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the leader of the Frost Wolf Caravan.
During the battle just now, Old Man Rekton could clearly see that Jiang Lin's strength was not below his own.
There was even a tendency for him to surpass him.
When traveling abroad, strength and background often determined the level of respect others showed you.
Old Man Rekton spoke again.
"If I had known Brother Matthew had such strength, we wouldn't have charged you a caravan fee under any circumstances."
"I'll have my men refund the fee to you in a moment."
"Also, I wonder if Brother Matthew needs anything?"
"Items like gear or skills... our caravan has been trading for many years, and we have some stock in our pockets."
"I just don't know if there's anything you need."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin fell into thought.
"What level are your skills generally at?"
Most skills at the academy ranged from no-rank to high-tier, covering most abilities used in combat. The stock of super-tier skills was small and lacked variety, and after checking, Jiang Lin found they didn't suit his combat style.
After all, most students at a Middle Magic Academy were 1st or 2nd-rank.
In the elite class where Jiang Lin was, those who reached the 2nd-rank by the fifth year were a minority.
Those who could reach the 3rd-rank or higher before graduation were even rarer.
Therefore, only the library of the advanced academy branch of the Saint Brilliance Magic Academy would have higher-tier skills in stock.
He estimated that most of the super-tier skills from the middle academy had been moved there.
It was just that Jiang Lin didn't have the borrowing rights, and since his skills were sufficient last semester, he hadn't looked for a way to borrow them.
Jiang Lin's question made Old Man Rekton pause for a moment before he let out a hearty laugh.
"Our caravan travels to many places, so we've collected quite a few skill scrolls and manuals."
"However, most of them are mid-tier or high-tier, suitable for 1st to 3rd-rank adventurers."
"Occasionally, we have some rare super-tier skills and even higher-tier ones, but the numbers are extremely low, and they aren't usually for sale unless there's an equivalent exchange."
Jiang Lin wasn't surprised. After all, the price of a super-tier skill book was usually several thousand or even tens of thousands of gold coins.
They generally didn't circulate in the lower-level markets.
If he had only saved a bit of their property and lives, it indeed wouldn't be enough for them to just give him a complete super-tier skill book.
Thus, Jiang Lin said, "I don't need to own the skill book. If you have any super-tier sword techniques, defensive skills, or evasion skills, just letting me read them for a few moments would be fine. Additionally, I'm interested in anything regarding space-attribute applications or skills that can enhance perception and prediction."
"If you have any, I can pay in gold coins or use items of equivalent value to borrow them."
Old Man Rekton was quite shocked upon hearing this.
From Jiang Lin's words, the implication was that he could learn skills that normal adventurers needed months or even years to initiate in just a few glances?!
He pondered for a moment before saying, "Since Brother Matthew puts it that way, there's no reason for our caravan to keep things hidden. However, super-tier skills are too precious, and I only have two scrolls in my possession."
"One is 【Frost Wolf Consecutive Slashes】, which is a skill passed down within our caravan for many years. It has impressive power when paired with ice-attribute magic essence."
"The other is 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】. It is said to be a remnant fragment excavated from an ancient ruin, recording techniques that combine movement with aura sensing to evade attacks in extreme conditions."
"Although it's incomplete, the movement methods and flow of energy in the evasion portion are very exquisite, enough to reach the level of a super-tier skill."
"It is perfectly sufficient for 3rd to 5th-rank adventurers."
"If it were a complete manual, I estimate its power would be several levels higher."
"I wonder which skill Brother Matthew is more interested in?"
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Lin said, "Brother Rekton is far too kind. I am a bit more interested in the 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 skill."
Old Man Rekton wasn't surprised. He took a dark gray leather scroll wrapped in mithril thread from his spatial ring. The surface was branded with faint, flickering wind runes.
The scroll wasn't fully unfurled, but one could feel the faint fluctuations of space and wind essence within it.
"This scroll was originally intended to be taken to the Frost Kingdom to exchange for some resources there."
"But since Brother Matthew has done us a great favor, and it's only for a brief reading..."
"I don't believe this violates the caravan's rules."
Old Man Rekton handed the scroll to Jiang Lin.
"You can read it here, but please do not copy it or spend too much time memorizing its specific rune structures. This is a remnant and is very fragile. Over-interpretation might trigger the scroll's self-destruction."
As soon as Jiang Lin's fingertips touched the leather surface, a cool sensation like a breeze spread up his arm, as if invisible currents were gently swirling around him.
He didn't hesitate and gently unfurled a corner of the scroll.
What greeted his eyes were dense, complex, and profound characters and symbols.
With just one glance, Jiang Lin felt a wave of dizziness.
This was the first time Jiang Lin was learning a super-tier skill.
The basic knowledge from the Middle Magic Academy had helped him bridge most of the gap for low-tier to high-tier skills.
However, Jiang Lin had not yet encountered most of the knowledge required for super-tier skills.
After staring at it for a moment, he quickly reached a conclusion.
He couldn't understand it!
He confidently pulled Little Black out from his robes and had it learn the remnant scroll of the skill named 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】.
Meanwhile, he stood ready to turn the pages whenever Little Black gave the signal.
Soon, Jiang Lin began to flip through the pages one by one, wearing a thoughtful expression.
When Old Man Rekton heard Jiang Lin choose this skill, he had already prepared himself for the youth being unable to understand it.
After all, while this skill was at the super-tier in terms of power, its learning difficulty was no less than that of a king-tier skill above the super-tier.
According to the estimates of several master appraisers, the complete version of this remnant was a king-tier skill!
Super-tier skills generally corresponded to 3rd to 5th-rank adventurers.
King-tier skills corresponded to 5th to 7th-rank powerhouses.
As for anything higher, there were emperor-tier skills used by 7th to 9th-rank powerhouses, and forbidden spells that only 9th-rank powerhouses could use.
Seeing Jiang Lin flipping through the pages at such a rapid pace, Old Man Rekton grew even more shocked.
Could he actually understand this ancient scroll?!
Was this some kind of joke?!
But he quickly suppressed the shock in his heart.
He guessed that the other party was likely looking at it with a face full of confusion right now.
After all, a king-tier skill wasn't something civilian adventurers below the 5th-rank could understand.
The other party had likely realized he couldn't understand it after looking for a while, so he chose to skim through it quickly.
Otherwise, even if a true powerhouse above the 5th-rank came, they wouldn't necessarily have such speed.
Jiang Lin soon validated his thoughts.
He saw Jiang Lin close the remnant scroll after flipping to the last page.
Then, he started flipping through it from the beginning again.
As expected! He didn't understand it!
Old Man Rekton secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Then, after Jiang Lin flipped through it a second time even faster than before, he closed the scroll again and handed it back to Old Man Rekton.
"Thank you."
However, this "thank you" instantly confused Old Man Rekton again.
Wait... did he understand it or not?
If he did, then his comprehension speed was simply too exaggerated.
The caravan hadn't even finished clearing the battlefield yet!
Thinking back to when his caravan acquired this super-tier skill, and how he and several other powerhouses in the Frost Wolf Caravan had stared at it for months without understanding a thing, he began to doubt himself and speculate about Jiang Lin's strength.
Could he be a powerhouse above the 5th-rank?
Seeing Old Man Rekton dazed on the spot, Jiang Lin asked with some confusion, "Brother Rekton, what's wrong? Do you have something on your mind?"
Hearing this, Old Man Rekton finally snapped out of it, coughed twice, and took the skill scroll from Jiang Lin's hand.
"Brother Matthew... you're finished already?"
In the end, he couldn't help but ask tentatively.
Jiang Lin nodded.
"Of course."
Old Man Rekton stared intently into Jiang Lin's golden eyes, trying to see any emotional fluctuations.
However, he was disappointed to find that Jiang Lin's gaze was as calm as the surface of a lake, without the slightest ripple.
"Then, what does Brother Matthew think of the power and efficacy of this super-tier movement technique?"
He then saw Jiang Lin rest his chin on his hand and think for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Well... this 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】..."
"As a movement skill, the concept is indeed ingenious."
"Especially the part where prediction is combined with airflow sensing. It can significantly improve the survival capabilities of adventurers below the 5th or even 6th-rank."
"It utilizes the natural rhythm of wind-attribute magic essence, combined with the fluctuations of hostility during battle, to adjust one's position in the blink of an eye. Theoretically, it can evade about seventy percent of non-locking attacks in combat against opponents of the same rank."
"However..."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward the dimly visible gray sky outside the pass.
"The limitations of this remnant are also very obvious."
"First, it relies too heavily on the caster's own 'aura sensing' talent, and the requirements for mental strength are harsh. It isn't something everyone can learn."
"Second, the core 'Shadow Wind' portion—the technique that uses high-speed movement to leave afterimages to confuse the enemy and briefly interfere with the spatial flow in a small area—is missing the key magic circuit construction diagrams and at least twenty-six types of super-tier rune integration formulas."
"This causes the existing 'Phantom Step' portion to be more like an enhanced evasion skill rather than a true phantom movement technique capable of creating 'dual visual and sensory misdirection'."
Jiang Lin's tone was calm, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact, but it left Old Man Rekton completely frozen in place, his hand holding the scroll trembling slightly.
Everything this golden-haired youth said... were indeed the strengths and weaknesses of this skill. Yet these conclusions were things he had only barely learned after other famous appraisers had studied it for nearly one or two weeks.
And this guy in front of him had actually seen all of this just by looking at the scroll twice...
Rate on N.U.
