In Group One, the performance of other members wasn't much better.
The once confident and high-spirited members of the academy now wore frowns, their faces stiff with bitterness and deep-seated resentment.
When they concentrated, the patterns from the Black Rock Inscription would gradually emerge in their minds.
No matter how they looked at it, they felt as if their heads were about to burst, unable to comprehend at all.
The lines were more chaotic than ghost talismans, making their eyes ache and swell.
Yet, after staring at them for a long time, they inexplicably understood the meaning within those patterns.
The members became unusually excited.
What is a supernatural phenomenon?
This is it!
It's not necessarily about wielding thunder and fire, stepping on clouds, or flying on the wind.
Things that current technology can't explain might be called supernatural phenomena!
The first group of members gradually realized that each pattern transferred from the Black Rock Stele to their minds contained a considerable amount of information!
In a small pattern, thousands of bytes of information were hidden.
Time ticked by second by second.
The first batch of members deciphering the inscriptions struggled but finally managed to hold on for an hour.
"Whew... This is too hard, isn't it?"
"More exhausting than doing twenty exams with no breaks."
"Comparing this to rushing a thesis is child's play!"
"Haha, I've almost calculated the position of the first acupoint! Give me half an hour more, and I can refine essence into Qi, officially stepping into martial arts!"
"Awesome! I need about two more hours to calculate the first acupoint..."
"This stele is really something... When you're beside it, it feels like you're on amphetamines, but once you leave, you immediately wilt like you've been up for three days and nights, just wishing to lie down on the floor."
"Are you showing off your stamina? If you have enough energy to talk, I think you're not tired enough!"
Members who were genuinely weak had no strength to banter here.
Each of them was drenched in sweat, lying on the stool panting heavily like a dead dog.
Looking at them, someone might believe they just finished running five kilometers.
Perhaps due to his extensive world travels, Dong Huaiming had good stamina, or maybe because his brain was overloaded, his face was flushed, and white steam was emitting from his head, yet his spirit was more vigorous than before.
"Go, Brother Ran!"
Although they had only known each other for two days, Xiao Ming already considered Ma Ran a friend and was more excited about Ma Ran deciphering the inscriptions than when he had gone up himself: "I'm sure you're the kind of genius who can calculate an acupoint in just an hour!"
"I believe in you!"
Hearing this, Su Qiangwei pursed her lips, wanted to say something, but eventually didn't.
She resisted the urge to be sarcastic.
It's better not to tempt fate.
If she turns out to be a loser who takes three to five days to calculate an acupoint and gets mocked for it later, wouldn't it be embarrassing?
They didn't have much time for idle chatting.
The second batch of twenty-four members, guided by the military brothers, took their seats in an orderly manner, forming a circle around the Black Rock Stele.
Sitting in front of the Black Rock Stele, Ma Ran leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed and unruffled.
This had nothing to do with confidence.
He was cheating.
As a Reincarnator, Ma Ran had memorized the positions of all the acupoints in his body and couldn't possibly forget them.
Even if things took an unexpected turn and all old calculations became null, requiring a start from scratch, the multiplication ability [Academic Demon] wasn't just for show.
One glance.
With just one look, Ma Ran immediately grasped all the information on this inscription.
There was no difference from before his rebirth.
To him, the Black Rock Inscription was like a uniquely styled, single-function supercomputer, with its hard drive storing some vital information and being used to compute acupoint positions.
To be cautious, Ma Ran still substituted known answers to verify once.
After verifying everything and confirming no errors, Ma Ran glanced at his phone to check the time.
Just fifty-six minutes had passed.
He looked outside the academy.
President Huang Weiguo was on a call.
"Comrade, what's going on with you?"
"I'm not getting the complete data!"
"Earlier, a young guy named Ma Ran asked me a question, which caught me off guard, and I didn't know how to answer."
"Whether or not I'm embarrassed doesn't matter; it's our Grass Hut Academy that's losing face."
"I advise you to..."
Halfway through the rant, the researchers felt wronged.
Ma Ran could fully understand this grievance.
After all, the grading of inner Qi isn't directly proportional to one's combat power, nor does it mean having a higher grade is necessarily stronger.
Combat power and attribute data are heavily linked to factors such as weight, age, gender, foundational physical quality, and genetics.
Can a ninety-pound, 4'9" Second Rank weakling beat a 180-pound, 6'3" First Rank muscleman?
The answer is obviously no!
Therefore, it's tough to standardize metrics like strength and speed.
There's no formula where "First Rank inner Qi equals a hundred pounds of force, Second Rank equals a hundred and fifty, increasing sequentially."
Reality isn't a video game. The effect of inner Qi on human attributes isn't a fixed value or percentage increase but is influenced by numerous factors.
"Hahahaha!"
"Fifty-eight minutes! I calculated the first acupoint!"
Su Qiangwei jumped up from her small stool, attracting angry glares from the second group members.
"Sorry! Sorry!"
"Brothers, sisters, little brothers, little sisters, I didn't mean it!"
Su Qiangwei made a cute apology with her hands together, sticking her tongue out: "I didn't expect to be the first to figure it out, I apologize... Hee hee..."
The members felt like they had a mouthful of dung hearing that.
A well-meaning statement from her mouth, why does it sound so annoying?
After receiving the report, President Huang immediately hung up the phone and jogged in.
He was visibly excited, his face flushed: "What?"
"Fifty-eight minutes?"
"The previous fastest domestic record was by Zhu Hanyi of Qinglian Academy, who calculated an acupoint in sixty minutes!"
Some people exist to raise the upper limit of averages.
Calculating an acupoint in under an hour can only be described as...
No!
Su Qiangwei is currently the fastest on record domestically!
After entering the academy, the second batch of members had also completed their first calculations.
They still needed another round to successfully pinpoint their first acupoint.
Then, using the Black Rock Stele, they could refine their first strand of inner Qi.
Wan Haihao, like Dong Huaiming, was slightly behind, needing around another hour to calculate their first acupoint.
"A genius!"
Old Huang's face lit up with a smile, finding Su Qiangwei more pleasing the more he looked.
Initially, he had higher hopes for Ma Ran.
After all, Ma Ran scored full marks on the impromptu high school test.
Now it seems Su Qiangwei had taken the lead, with perhaps greater talent in martial arts!
"I'll chat with you later; let me go say a few words to my friend."
Su Qiangwei casually responded to Old Huang, then cheerfully skipped over to Ma Ran.
Her eyes sparkled with glow and ambition as she smilingly asked: "How did it go?"
"If there's anything you don't get, feel free to ask me!"
The sky cleared up.
The rain stopped.
Qiangwei felt confident again.
On hearing this, Ma Ran slightly raised an eyebrow, hesitated for a moment, and said steadily: "Five hundred and twelve acupoints, all calculated."
???
Su Qiangwei looked utterly confused.
She spread her hands, rubbed her ears: "I think I suddenly went deaf, say that again."