"Do you need help finding something?" Lu Shen asked casually.
She turned her head toward him, her expression cold. Then, pointing in his direction, she said,
"Yes, that one."
Lu Shen blinked, realizing she was referring to the very book in his hand. A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh, this one?" he asked, extending it toward her.
She nodded, taking the book gently.
"Thank you."
Her voice was soft and cold, almost enough to make Lu Shen feel momentarily lightheaded. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"It's nothing" he replied with a polite smile before turning away, heading toward the exit.
Despite her beauty and the allure of her voice, Lu Shen didn't linger. He knew exactly who she was Feng Yue, the mysterious girl with superior grade bloodline. He had heard rumors of her background, and the last thing he wanted was to be mistaken as someone trying to curry favor with her.
"It's best to keep my distance. I don't need unnecessary trouble" he thought.
As he walked away, Feng Yue's gaze followed his retreating figure. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Strange… How could someone who seemed so weak just two days ago suddenly become this strong?"
Most people sought her out, hoping to gain something from her status, yet Lu Shen remained indifferent.
This alone made him interesting for her.
With a thoughtful expression, she sat down at a nearby table, opening her newly acquired book.
"Interesting…" she smiled, a small smile that if Lu Shen was here he might not able to control himself or others too.
----
Early Morning
Over the past two days, Lu Shen had ventured into the Origin Land, searching for snake-type demon beasts to devour. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side, and he didn't find the creature he sought.
However, despite this setback, he managed to increase his strength to the Intermediate level of the Refinement Warrior Realm.
"In just two days, my strength has grown so much."
"With my power at the intermediate level, this trial will be much easier."
[Host: Lu Shen]
Beast Bloodline: Firewood Snake (Top)
Warrior Realm: Refinement (Middle) (43%)
Age: 18
Race: Human
Strength: 200
Endurance: 180
Agility: 140
Luck: 30
Cultivation Techniques: Five Element Refinement Technique [Small Success] (60%), Golden Body Technique [Small Success] (40%), Silent Breath Technique [Small Success] (39%).
Skills: Stealth, Swift, Inferno Strike, Binding wood
Equipment: Origin Bracelet
"Still, my technique proficiency is only at the small success level. How can I improve faster?"
As Lu Shen pondered, he asked the Origin Bracelet spirit.
"You should focus on mastering one technique at a time instead of trying to learn them all at once."
"So that's the trick... Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lu Shen asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"You fool. Even commoners know that. Sometimes, I wonder if you're really from this world."
Lu Shen's back tensed with cold sweat.
"Wait... What do you mean by that? You can read my mind?"
"Of course, I can. But don't worry, I won't go prying into your dirty thoughts mind."
Lu Shen's thoughts raced.
So he can't read my mind unless I allow it?
That's a relief... Otherwise, my secrets would be exposed.
"No, no, I was just asking!" Lu Shen quickly added.
With their conversation, he made his way to the academy.
At the Academy Gates
Arriving at the academy gates, Lu Shen scanned his surroundings and noticed something strange, there were no other students in sight.
"Am I too early?"
He furrowed his brows in confusion. As he go deeper into the academy ground, he spotted a figure approaching from the opposite direction.
An old man, appearing to be around fifty, dressed in a black suit, called out to him.
"Oh, you're here for the trial?"
"Yes, I am" Lu Shen responded.
"Then you should head to the back of the academy gates. There are buses waiting there. You can board one of them."
Lu Shen finally understood why he hadn't seen any students at the entrance.
"So that's why it was so empty here."
He gave the old man a polite nod.
"Thank you for the directions, sir."
With that, Lu Shen turned and made his way toward the buses.
The old man watched as Lu Shen disappeared into the distance, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Strange boy… I didn't see any unusual about him. But the most shocking thing is that, despite appearing at early Refinement Realm, he seems quite strong."
A glimmer of interest flickered in the old man's eyes.
"Interesting. If he performs well in this trial, we might meet again."
As a former great general who had fought countless battles against demon beasts, he possessed keen insight into assessing one's strength. Though he could only perceive Lu Shen's realm at early Refinement, he had a hunch there was more to him than met the eye.
What he didn't know was that after Lu Shen mastered the Silent Breath Technique to small success, he gained the ability to adjust his aura at will, concealing his true cultivation level.
With a final glance in Lu Shen's direction, the old man disappeared in a flash.
Lu Shen boarded a random bus, scanning the seats for familiar faces from his class and yet, he found none.
"I must have ended up on a different bus from my classmates… Not that I care" he thought as he moved toward the back.
Finding an empty seat, he sat down and only to realize that someone was already next to him.
It was Feng Yue.
She sat with her eyes closed, seemingly resting. Lu Shen's heart skipped a beat.
"Why is she here? And why do our paths keep crossing?"
"No, no… What am I thinking? She's out of my league… but she is beautiful."
Feeling conflicted, he quickly shut his eyes, pretending to rest.
Feng Yue's Thoughts
Feng Yue slowly opened her eyes, casting a glance at Lu Shen.
Him again?
She had noticed him multiple times now, and what intrigued her most was the rapid increase in his strength.
Due to her bloodline ability, she could naturally sense people's auras and determine their true power level and even if they tried to conceal it.
Though Lu Shen was suppressing his aura, she could still feel it. And strangely, his aura was similar to her own.
Normally, people sought her out for gain and trying to get closer for personal benefits. But Lu Shen was different.
"Strange. He ignores me, then I will ignore him too."
Despite her curiosity, she decided to leave things as they were.
Little did Lu Shen know, if he had realized Feng Yue's true thoughts, he might have found the courage to speak to her freely, without fearing her background.
Unlike others, Feng Yue had also lived in isolation due to her powerful family and unique bloodline, making it difficult for her to form friendships.
An awkward silence filled the air between them as they sat side by side, lost in thought.
Finally, Lu Shen couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"Are you in a team or not?"
Feng Yue opened her eyes slightly and answered,
"No team for me."
Lu Shen silently nodded.
With her strength, she might not even need one.
Silence fell between them again, broken only by the murmurs of students chatting nearby.
Then, unexpectedly, Feng Yue spoke again.
"Anyway, Lu Shen, you should be careful of Tangsu Ming."
Lu Shen raised an eyebrow. "Tangsu Ming?"
"I've heard students say he's cruel toward those he dislikes."
"But… I haven't even had a fight with him?" Lu Shen said, confused.
Feng Yue shook her head. "True, but sometimes, just showing potential is enough to make certain people feel threatened."
"Tangsu Ming is from a prestigious clan. He likes to act high and mighty. You, on the other hand, come from a humble background… and yet, you're challenging him in talent. That alone might make him hostile toward you. So be careful."
Lu Shen was surprised by her warning, but he smiled slightly.
"Thanks for the heads-up. You should be careful too."
Feng Yue gave him a cold yet composed look. "No need."
She suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, why did you need the book on The History of divine beast star?"
Lu Shen blinked. "For… uh…"
And just like that, their conversation shifted.
As they talked, Lu Shen learned that Feng Yue had never left her home base since childhood, yet she had a deep love for adventure. She had been reading about divine beast star history to understand the world better.
However, Lu Shen found it odd, despite coming from a powerful clan, she seemed to lack basic knowledge about the continent and its current affairs. But seeing her reluctance to say anything of her past, he refrained from asking further.
As the elders say, when two people destined to meet cross paths, a bond is bound to form.
Though no romantic feelings developed between them yet, they grew closer, forming a deep friendship for the time being.
After a two-hour journey, the students finally arrived at their destination.
As students and teachers stepped out of the buses, a stern voice called from behind.
"Lu Shen! Feng Yue! Where were you?"
Turning around, they saw Teacher Tang, his face filled with both concern and anger.
Shit.
We got caught.
"Sorry, sir" they both said at the same time. "We got on a random bus by mistake."
Teacher Tang sighed but didn't press further.
"It's fine. Now follow me."
He led them to a large gathering area, where hundreds of students stood, anxiously waiting.
"You two, stand in that line. The teachers will announce the trial rules shortly."
Lu Shen and Feng Yue nodded, moving toward the crowd.
A moment later, a man appeared at the front. With a wave of his hand, his voice boomed, amplified by spiritual energy.
"All 300 students, listen well!"
"In this dangerous world, without strength, you are nothing!"
"You must have the courage to face demon beasts in the wilderness. Be warned, if you are careless, you may die in this trial."
The crowd fell silent.
"You will all be given a Void Watch, which will track your ranking and how many monsters you've killed."
The man's expression darkened.
"And remember, killing fellow students is strictly forbidden."
"If anyone dares to break this rule, no matter if they are the child of a warrior or a noble clan, the academy will punish them and they may even be executed."
He raised his hand, tossing an object into the air.
A brilliant light spread across the students as hundreds of Void Watches descended from the sky.
Lu Shen caught one, his eyes narrowing as he examined the device.
"Void Watch… So this is the latest tech from Dark Nest Company?"
"It runs on spiritual energy and even low-level warriors can use it… No wonder it costs nearly $10,000 in the market."
The instructor spoke again.
"If you want to quit, press the quit button on your watch."
"You will all remain in the wilderness for half a month."
"Now, BEGIN THE TRIAL!"
With that, chaos erupted.
"Join my team! We need one more member!"
"Buy a safe area map for just 5 dollars!"
"I'm a beautiful girl! Who will protect me?"
While students scrambled to form teams, the stronger ones simply headed straight for the wilderness.
Among them,Tangsu Ming, his group, and of course, Lu Shen and Feng Yue.
----
Lu Shen ventured from the open space into the dense forest, where all he could see were plants of different species surrounding him.
After traveling for some time.
Lu Shen activated his stealth skill, concealing his presence as he moved deeper into the forest in search of demonic beasts. After traveling for some time, Lu Shen finally encountered a lone wolf.
Lu Shen narrowed his eyes.
He approached the creature and checking its status carefully.
The Blood Wolf had bloody red fur all over its body, and its eyes were as red as bloody gems.