Not far from where Zhang Wen and Linoah stood, the battle between the humans and the monstrous beasts continued fiercely. With the Sea God’s Wrath in hand, Douglas easily broke through the first circle of the beasts’ encirclement. Talier and the others behind him were also fortunate enough to escape along with him. However, just as they thought they had narrowly escaped death, they suddenly discovered several mid-tier beasts blocking their path.
Although for Douglas, an elite eighth-tier warrior, and Talier, who had also reached the eighth-tier level, a few mid-tier beasts posed no real threat, the time wasted in defeating them could be deadly. After eliminating the beasts blocking their way, Douglas and the others were shocked to find themselves surrounded by beasts once again!
By the time Douglas used the power of the Sea God’s Wrath to break through the encirclement again, the same situation repeated itself. They were once again blocked by mid-tier beasts that suddenly appeared before them and then surrounded by the beast army.
“If this continues, all four of us will die here!” Feeling the nearly depleted battle energy within the Sea God’s Wrath, Douglas angrily muttered to Talier while dealing with the beasts before him.
“I understand,” Talier panted, gritting his teeth hard, his cold gaze sweeping over Lashti and Seline beside him.
“Alright, now! Charge!” Douglas shouted again, swinging the Sea God’s Wrath in his hand to release the final and sharpest battle-energy blade he had ever unleashed.
The massive fan-shaped energy blade instantly carved a bloody path through the beast horde. Douglas charged forward first, exerting all his strength to follow the blade and break through the outermost ring of encirclement.
Seeing Douglas’s action, Talier naturally didn’t want to fall behind and sprinted after him. Lashti, carrying Seline, also desperately followed the two.
Just like previous attempts, the four of them managed to break through the encirclement before the beasts could close the gap. As expected, several mid-tier beasts, each at least sixth-tier in combat power, appeared before them.
However, this time, Douglas and Talier did not charge forward as usual to break through the mid-tier beasts’ blockade. Instead, they slightly slowed down, allowing Lashti and Seline to catch up.
Then, just as the four were nearly upon those mid-tier beasts, Douglas suddenly veered sideways in a shocking move. Immediately after, Talier grabbed Lashti’s arm tightly and pushed her and Seline straight toward one of the beasts!
Although Lashti had mentally prepared herself, she never expected Douglas and Talier to do something so ruthless and heartless!
“Ahh!” Seeing the giant mouth of the mid-tier beast rapidly approaching, Lashti could only grit her teeth, scream, and pour all her battle energy into a powerful strike against the beast.
Boom! Lashti’s psychic wave hit the mid-tier beast, sending it tumbling backward. Seizing the opportunity, Douglas and Talier accelerated again, breaking through the encirclement of three mid-tier beasts. However, after releasing her psychic wave, Lashti was too exhausted to speed up again and could only watch helplessly as two other mid-tier beasts rushed forward and blocked her and Seline once more.
In the blink of an eye, other beasts surged from behind the two like a tide, quickly surrounding them completely.
“Douglas! Talier! You bastards!” Lashti shouted furiously, slamming her fists into the ground. Then, a pale blue psychic shield rose from her body, enveloping both her and Seline.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Several winged small beasts slammed forcefully into Lashti’s psychic shield. Lashti glared angrily in the direction where Douglas and Talier had fled, but as she looked, she couldn’t help but feel astonished.
Just a hundred meters away from her, Douglas and Talier stood side by side, and beside them, several new figures had appeared.
“Zhang Wen? Jina?” Seeing Zhang Wen and the others suddenly appear, Talier was greatly shocked, his sprinting steps abruptly halting.
“Linoah-sensei? How come you’re here?” Douglas, too, looked surprised at Linoah.
“Strange that we’re here?” Linoah casually replied.
“Oh, of course not strange at all. I guess Linoah-sensei also broke through the beast horde, right?” Douglas smiled, quickly stepping to Linoah’s side. There were no students around Linoah, and her combat uniform was extremely dirty and disheveled. In Douglas’s eyes, this clearly meant that Linoah had also been attacked by a large group of beasts. As for her students, they were naturally used as bait for the monsters.
“More or less,” Linoah nodded, answering Douglas’s question. But soon, Linoah lifted her head, gazing toward Lashti and Seline, who were surrounded by beasts not far away.
“Hehe,” Douglas awkwardly chuckled, quietly saying to Linoah, “Earlier when we broke through, Lashti and Seline were accidentally surrounded by beasts. With so many beasts here, we couldn’t save them. Linoah-sensei, we should leave here quickly.”
“That’s right! Those two women won’t last long. Hurry up and run! Otherwise, once the beasts finish them off, none of us will be able to escape!” Talier glanced anxiously at the large group of beasts behind him, urging them.
“Oh, is that so? If you’re in such a hurry, you can go ahead. Zhang Wen and I still have something to do. We need to finish it before we leave,” for some reason, Linoah’s tone suddenly carried a sharp, sarcastic edge.
“Linoah-sensei, even now, are you still concerned about the badges?” Douglas completely failed to catch the hidden meaning in Linoah’s words and instead chuckled bitterly, trying to persuade her.
“Badges?” A sly smile, reminiscent of Zhang Wen’s, appeared at the corner of Linoah’s mouth. “When did I ever say I was interested in the badges?”
“Then what else could you possibly have to do?” Douglas blinked, puzzled.
“Of course, there’s something else. For example… saving people.”
“Saving people? Linoah-sensei, are you serious? You’re not joking, are you?” Douglas’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Of course,” Linoah casually smiled and nodded.
“Don’t dream!” Douglas chuckled bitterly again, misinterpreting her words. “Linoah, I understand your intentions well. Unfortunately, with this number of beasts, courage alone won’t be enough. Even if the native crystal veins here could boost your psychic abilities by one tier, it still wouldn’t be enough to deal with so many beasts. If my Sea God’s Wrath still had sufficient battle energy reserves, I might consider trying. But now… Linoah, I advise you to give up. Once you’re entangled by the beasts, it’s all over.”
“Is that so? Maybe. But, Professor Douglas, who exactly told you that it’s me who’s going to save them?” Linoah’s smile became even more charming.
“What? Not you? Then who else?” Douglas was stunned again.
“Of course, it’s me.” Zhang Wen also smiled slightly and stepped forward.
“You?” This time, not only Douglas but even Talier couldn’t help but laugh.
“Haha! Linoah-sensei, this isn’t the time to be making jokes at my expense. You really plan to let this seven-tier weakling fight those beasts? Come on, don’t be ridiculous! In less than three minutes, he’ll be devoured, not even leaving a bone behind! Hey, Mr. Zhang, it’s not bad that you want to save people, but don’t throw your own life away!”
“That’s right. There are always some people in this world who like to act like fools. It’s just unavoidable.” Zhang Wen smiled and shook his head.
“Haha! Exactly. You understand this principle, so…” Thinking that the “fool” Zhang Wen was referring to was himself, Douglas nodded repeatedly with a big laugh. But before his laughter had even faded, he was shocked to see Zhang Wen walking toward the beasts!
“You… what are you doing?” Douglas shouted in astonishment.
“Saving people, of course. Are you really that much of a fool?” Zhang Wen smiled without turning his head, and within moments, he had already reached the edge of the beast encirclement.
In the center of the beast swarm, Lashti was still maintaining her wobbling psychic shield. Although she couldn’t hear the conversation between Zhang Wen and Douglas due to the heavy rain, seeing Zhang Wen approach the beasts, she naturally couldn’t miss his intentions.
“Mr. Zhang, I appreciate your good intentions. But you’re no match for these beasts. Please leave quickly,” Lashti turned around and calmly said to Zhang Wen.
However, just as Lashti finished speaking, she was shocked to see all the beasts that had been surrounding her and Seline suddenly act as if they had encountered a deadly enemy, their fur standing on end. The continuous growls outside the psychic shield abruptly ceased, and all that remained in the air was the heavy breathing of the beasts.
“What… what is this…?” Lashti stared in shock as all the beasts slowly turned, seemingly ignoring her and Seline, and slowly moved toward Zhang Wen.
The change in Zhang Wen’s situation also caught the attention of Douglas and Talier’s group. They stared in astonishment at Zhang Wen, who stood calmly amidst the encircling beasts, unable to utter a single word.
Soon, in the tense atmosphere, the beasts’ patience was exhausted. Several mid-tier beasts took deep breaths and slowly approached Zhang Wen. Then, as they got within about five meters of him, three of the beasts suddenly accelerated, scattering in different directions before leaping toward Zhang Wen.
At the same time the beasts leapt, Zhang Wen also moved. He first shifted to his left side, then suddenly accelerated forward without warning. As he crossed paths with the beast charging from the front, the sharp crystal dagger reappeared in Zhang Wen’s hand.
Sss! With a sound like tearing paper, Zhang Wen had already passed the first beast. Immediately after, the second and third beasts arrived from both sides. Zhang Wen, now unsupported by the first beast’s body, raised both hands and slightly leaned forward. The two beasts leapt over Zhang Wen’s head, and two more “ss” sounds overlapped.
Pah! The three beasts leapt simultaneously and fell simultaneously. When they landed, two of them had their bellies sliced open, and the third had a massive gash along its right side. In the brief moment of crossing paths, all three mid-tier beasts were completely eliminated.
“What… what just happened?” The combat technique that completely defied their understanding left Douglas and Talier stunned.
Zhang Wen had actually defeated three mid-tier beasts in a single move, almost without using any battle energy! Remember, those were mid-tier beasts! Earlier, even with the Sea God’s Wrath, Douglas had to give his all to defeat just one!
However, the shock Zhang Wen delivered to Douglas and Talier that night was far from over.
After Zhang Wen instantly eliminated the three mid-tier beasts, the already restless beast horde could no longer endure. With the howls of several other mid-tier beasts, the entire horde surged forward like a tidal wave toward Zhang Wen.
Hundreds of beasts, from the sky and the ground, from all directions, charged wildly at Zhang Wen. At this moment, not even Douglas and Talier, not even Lashti, who had just begun to regain a little confidence in Zhang Wen, could help but feel despair.
Yet, just as everyone was certain that Zhang Wen had no way of withstanding such an attack, a brilliant blue flame suddenly erupted from his body.
Every beast that touched the blue flame was as if struck by a heavy blow, howling in pain as it was sent flying backward. In the blink of an eye, the beasts that had charged so fiercely toward Zhang Wen rained down around him like falling leaves. Without hesitation, Zhang Wen charged forward, lightly flicking the crystal dagger in his right hand.
A thin, bright strand of battle energy, like a thread, appeared before Zhang Wen and then suddenly snapped forward like a horizontally fired laser beam. The last few beasts blocking Zhang Wen’s path were instantly sliced neatly in half as the thread passed over them.
“Let’s go!” Zhang Wen reached Lashti and Seline, grabbed Lashti, and before the other beasts could roar and surge forward again, he took the two and soared into the sky.
“Ten… tenth tier?!” Seeing Zhang Wen floating in midair, Douglas was nearly speechless with shock.
Talier, on the other hand, was in a panic. Only now did he recall why he had felt so strange when he first saw Zhang Wen and Linoah.
According to the information Vent had given him, Zhang Wen and Linoah shouldn’t have been here at all! Yet here they were, proving one thing clearly—Vent had been discovered and had betrayed him. Thinking about the consequences of Zhang Wen reporting his cheating to Governor Termiso, Talier couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
“Alright.” A moment later, Zhang Wen had already brought Rusty and Seline back to the group.
“Hehe. Teacher Zhang, I’ll remember this life-saving favor. If I ever get the chance, I’ll definitely return the favor,” Rusty thanked Zhang Wen as soon as his feet touched the ground.
“Thank you,” Seline added softly with her ethereal voice.
“Hmm. You’re safe now, so what are your plans next? Given the current situation, I doubt this year’s survival competition will continue,” Linoah shrugged at Rusty.
“You’re right. This situation is just too strange. Even if we returned to the town now, we couldn’t guarantee we wouldn’t encounter packs of monsters along the way. So, we’d like to join forces with you. Also, please help us find the students who got separated from us earlier. We’ll leave that to you,” Rusty said cheerfully, then promptly took off his badge and handed it to Linoah.
“What about you two?” Linoah asked, shifting her gaze to the others after accepting Rusty’s and Seline’s badges.
“I’m coming with you,” Douglas declared first.
“As for me… I plan to search nearby for any lost students, then head back to the town. Since Zhang Wen already cleared out most of the local monsters, I should be able to handle whatever’s left,” Taler hesitated slightly before answering.
“So you’ll definitely be staying to keep him company, right?” Linoah asked Jena with a half-smile.
“No! I’m going with you,” Jena replied firmly, surprising Linoah with her decision. “Taler, I’m going with them, is that okay? I’ve had enough! I don’t ever want to see those monsters again.”
“Do whatever you want,” Taler waved his hand impatiently. He was already in a terrible mood and had no patience for Jena’s whims.
“Great, then it’s settled. Let’s split up first and search the area for any students who got separated. Since there are no more packs of monsters around, I believe each of you can handle any solitary ones you encounter,” Zhang Wen glanced around at the group.
“Alright,” Zhang Wen said moments later, as he returned with Lasty and Celine to the group.
“Ha ha. Teacher Zhang, I’ll remember your life-saving grace. If there’s ever a chance in the future, I’ll definitely repay this favor,” Lasty thanked Zhang Wen as soon as her feet touched the ground.
“Thank you,” Celine added with her ethereal voice.
“Mm. You’re out of danger now. What’s next? Given the current situation, I doubt this year’s survival competition can continue,” Lenoa shrugged at Lasty.
“True. This situation is just too bizarre. Even if we head back to town now, there’s no guarantee we won’t run into hordes of demon beasts. So, we’ve decided to stick with you. Also, we’d appreciate it if you could help us find the students who got separated from us earlier. We’ll leave that to you,” Lasty said straightforwardly, taking off her badge and handing it to Lenoa.
“And what about you?” Lenoa asked, accepting the badges from Lasty and Celine, then turning her gaze to the others.
“I’ll stay with you,” Douglas was the first to speak up.
“I… I plan to look for the missing students nearby and then head back to town. The demon beasts around here were mostly taken care of by Zhang Wen earlier, so there shouldn’t be many left. I think I can handle it,” Taler hesitated before speaking.
“Then you’re definitely staying with him, right?” Lenoa asked Jinna with a teasing smile.
“No! I’m coming with you,” Jinna replied firmly, surprising Lenoa. “Taler, I’m going with them, is that okay? I’ve had enough! I never want to see those demon beasts again.”
“Do as you please,” Taler waved his hand impatiently. He was too agitated to deal with Jinna’s moodiness.
“Good, then it’s settled. Let’s split up and search for the missing students. There are no more hordes of demon beasts around, and I believe everyone can handle a single one,” Zhang Wen glanced around at the group.
“Of course!” Lasty nodded without hesitation, then dragged Celine into the forest in a random direction.
Thanks to the badges worn by the survival competition participants, Zhang Wen and the others didn’t waste much time searching. Perhaps because Douglas and his group had drawn most of the demon beasts’ attention, the scattered students, though injured to varying degrees, had mostly survived the attacks. Only the Moore student who had been dragged into the forest by the beasts met an unfortunate fate.
Following the empire’s tradition, Taler and a few students from Moore Academy stayed behind to handle the deceased student’s body. After a night of battle, Zhang Wen and the others continued their pursuit of Jaret’s direction, guided by Lenoa’s sensing.
Perhaps Agate didn’t want his sister to suffer too much in the pouring rain, as the badge representing Jaret finally stopped after moving rapidly for most of the night.
Zhang Wen briefly wondered if Agate and his group had discovered Jaret’s badge and discarded it, but Lenoa assured him that wasn’t the case. The survival competition badges contained components of raw stone, making them highly sensitive to psychic fluctuations. The waves emitted when worn were distinctly different from those when discarded.
“I see,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly after Lenoa’s explanation. “How far are we from Jaret?” he asked after a moment of thought.
“About thirty kilometers,” Lenoa replied after carefully sensing.
“Hmm… I think we should set up camp and rest for now.”
“Rest?” Lenoa frowned.
“Yes, rest. In our current state, even if we catch up, we won’t be able to do anything about Agate. So, let’s wait for now,” Zhang Wen said, stretching lazily. After half a night of running, even Zhang Wen, who practiced the Spring Water Technique, felt exhausted.
“Alright,” Lenoa thought for a moment and agreed. But she soon frowned again in confusion. “Wait? What are we waiting for?”
“Hmm, who knows?” Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile.
After a night of running, Zhang Wen and the others were thoroughly exhausted. Upon returning to the camp, the team from Temis Academy didn’t waste any time and immediately retreated to their tents. The camp quickly fell silent again.
Zhang Wen also returned to his tent on the far right of the camp. Unlike most, however, he didn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he adjusted his breathing and began practicing the Spring Water Technique. For Zhang Wen, practicing this technique was an excellent way to rest.
But once he entered the state of cultivation, Zhang Wen was greatly surprised.
Since Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique had reached the second level, he would enter a serene and mystical state during his daily practice. In this state, his senses became ten times sharper than usual! He could clearly perceive every movement within a radius of several dozen meters. Even the rustling of leaves in the wind was audible to him. Zhang Wen often joked to himself that he became a human radar when practicing the Spring Water Technique.
On this raw stone vein, Zhang Wen’s combat energy had been amplified several times over. This made him somewhat hopeful that his “human radar” range would expand during cultivation. However, when he actually began practicing, Zhang Wen was shocked to find that his senses had not only failed to become sharper but were actually duller than when he wasn’t practicing!
Moreover, Zhang Wen felt a strange sensation. To put it metaphorically, it was as if the once clear and pure world had suddenly been filled with opaque slime, making everything around him feel hazy.
Startled, Zhang Wen hastily stopped his practice, and his senses returned to normal. But when he calmed down and tried again, the hazy sensation remained unchanged.
What was going on? Was the raw stone negatively affecting his Spring Water Technique practice? Or had the technique, amplified by the raw stone, entered a new realm he hadn’t yet mastered, causing this? Or was it the psychic energy released by the “Soul Maiden” Lenoa mentioned, interfering with his practice?
With these distracting thoughts, Zhang Wen could no longer maintain his calm and serene state of cultivation. He opened his eyes, and the slimy sensation from his practice immediately receded like a tide.
“Hmm?” Just as Zhang Wen was about to carefully investigate what had gone wrong with his Spring Water Technique practice, he suddenly tensed up and sat upright.
Thanks to the badges worn by all the students participating in the survival competition, Zhang Wen and the others didn’t waste much time searching. Perhaps because Douglas and his group had drawn most of the monsters’ attention, although many of the scattered students had suffered minor injuries, most of them had survived the monster attacks. Only the Moore student dragged into the forest by the monsters had met with a tragic fate.
According to imperial tradition, Taler and several students from Moore Academy stayed behind to handle the unfortunate student’s remains. Meanwhile, Zhang Wen and the others, exhausted from a night of battle, continued to pursue Karite’s direction based on Linoah’s sensing.
Perhaps Agate couldn’t bear to let his sister travel through pouring rain for too long, but whatever the reason, Karite’s badge finally stopped moving rapidly after speeding through the night.
For a while, Zhang Wen suspected that Agate and his group might have discovered the badge on Karite and thrown it away. But Linoah firmly assured Zhang Wen that this wasn’t the case. Because the survival competition badges themselves were tools containing raw stone components, extremely sensitive to mental energy fluctuations. When worn on someone’s body, the fluctuations they emitted were distinctly different from when they were discarded.
“I see,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly after hearing Linoah’s explanation, then asked after a brief pause, “How far are we from Karite now?”
“About thirty kilometers,” Linoah replied carefully after sensing again.
“Hmm… I think we should set up camp and rest first.”
“Rest?” Linoah frowned.
“Alright,” Zhang Wen said, and moments later, he returned with Lasti and Celine to the group.
“Haha. Teacher Zhang, I’ll remember your life-saving grace. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll definitely repay this favor,” Lasti thanked Zhang Wen as soon as her feet touched the ground.
“Thank you,” Celine added with her ethereal voice.
“Mm. You’re out of danger now. What’s next? Given the current situation, I doubt this year’s survival competition can continue,” Linoa shrugged at Lasti.
“True. This situation is just too bizarre. Even if we head back to the town now, there’s no guarantee we won’t run into hordes of demonic beasts. So, we’ve decided to stick with you. Also, we’d appreciate it if you could help us find the students who got separated from us earlier. We’ll leave that to you,” Lasti said straightforwardly, handing her badge to Linoa.
“What about you?” Linoa asked, taking the badges from Lasti and Celine, then turning her gaze to the others.
“I’ll stay with you,” Douglas was the first to speak up.
“I… I plan to search nearby for the missing students and then head back to town. The demonic beasts around here were mostly dealt with by Zhang Wen earlier, so there shouldn’t be many left. I should be able to handle it,” Taler hesitated before speaking.
“Then you’re definitely staying with him, right?” Linoa asked Jinna with a teasing smile.
“No! I’m coming with you,” Jinna firmly replied, surprising Linoa. “Taler, I’m going with them, is that okay? I’ve had enough! I don’t want to see those demonic beasts ever again.”
“Suit yourself,” Taler waved his hand impatiently. He was too agitated to deal with Jinna’s moodiness.
“Good, then it’s settled. Let’s split up and search the area for the missing students. There are no large groups of demonic beasts around anymore, and I’m sure you can handle any stragglers,” Zhang Wen glanced around at the group.
“Of course!” Lasti nodded without hesitation, then dragged Celine into the forest, choosing a random direction.
Since all the participants in the survival competition wore badges, Zhang Wen and the others didn’t waste much time in their search. Perhaps because Douglas and his group had drawn most of the demonic beasts’ attention, the scattered students, though some were injured, had mostly survived the attacks. Only the Moore student who had been dragged into the forest by the beasts met an unfortunate end.
Following imperial tradition, Taler and a few students from Moore Academy stayed behind to handle the deceased student’s body. After a night of fighting, Zhang Wen and the others continued their pursuit of Carlet, guided by Linoa’s senses.
Perhaps Agate didn’t want his sister to suffer too much in the pouring rain, as the badge representing Carlet finally stopped moving after a long night of rapid travel.
Zhang Wen briefly wondered if Agate and his group had discovered Carlet’s badge and discarded it, but Linoa assured him that wasn’t the case. The badges from the survival competition were made with raw stone components, highly sensitive to psychic fluctuations. The waves emitted when worn were distinctly different from those when discarded.
“I see,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly after Linoa’s explanation. “How far are we from Carlet now?” he asked after a moment of thought.
“About thirty kilometers,” Linoa replied after carefully sensing.
“Hmm… I think we should set up camp and rest for now.”
“Rest?” Linoa frowned.
“Yes, rest. In our current state, even if we catch up, we won’t be able to do anything about Agate. So, let’s wait for now,” Zhang Wen said, stretching lazily. After half a night of running, even someone who practiced the Spring Water Technique like Zhang Wen felt exhausted.
“Alright,” Linoa thought for a moment and agreed with Zhang Wen’s suggestion. However, she soon frowned again in confusion. “Wait? What are we waiting for?”
“Hmm, who knows?” Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile.
After a night of running, Zhang Wen and the others were thoroughly exhausted. Once back at the camp, the team from Temis Academy didn’t waste any time and immediately retreated to their tents. The camp quickly fell silent again.
Zhang Wen returned to his tent on the far right of the camp. Unlike most, he didn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he adjusted his breathing and began practicing the Spring Water Technique. For Zhang Wen, practicing this technique was also an excellent way to rest.
However, once he entered the state of cultivation, Zhang Wen was greatly surprised.
Since reaching the second level of the Spring Water Technique, Zhang Wen had always entered a serene and profound state during his daily practice. In this state, his senses became ten times sharper than usual. He could clearly perceive every movement within a radius of several dozen meters. Even the rustling of leaves in the wind was audible to him. Zhang Wen often joked to himself that he became a human radar when practicing the Spring Water Technique.
On this raw stone vein, Zhang Wen’s combat energy had been amplified several times. He had even wondered if his “human radar” range would expand further during practice. However, when he actually began cultivating, Zhang Wen was shocked to find that his senses had not only failed to become sharper but were actually duller than when he wasn’t practicing!
Moreover, Zhang Wen felt something strange. To put it metaphorically, it was as if the once clear and pure world had suddenly been filled with opaque, viscous liquid, making everything around him feel hazy and indistinct.
Startled, Zhang Wen hastily stopped his practice, and his senses returned to normal. But when he calmed himself and began cultivating again, the hazy sensation remained unchanged.
What was going on? Was the raw stone negatively affecting his Spring Water Technique practice? Or had the technique, greatly enhanced by the raw stone, entered a new realm he hadn’t yet mastered, causing this effect? Or was it the psychic energy released by the “Soul Maiden” Linoa mentioned, interfering with his practice?
With these distracting thoughts, Zhang Wen could no longer maintain the serene state of cultivation and opened his eyes. As soon as he did, the viscous sensation from his practice receded like a tide.
“Hmm?” Just as Zhang Wen was about to carefully examine what had gone wrong with his Spring Water Technique practice, he suddenly tensed and sat up.
“Alright,” Linoah thought for a moment and could only agree with Zhang Wen’s suggestion. However, she soon furrowed her brow in confusion again: “Wait? What exactly are we waiting for?”
“Who knows?” Zhang Wen’s mouth curled up again.
“Alright,” Zhang Wen said moments later, having brought Lasty and Celine back to the group.
“Ha ha. Teacher Zhang, I’ll remember your life-saving grace. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll definitely repay this favor,” Lasty thanked Zhang Wen as soon as her feet touched the ground.
“Thank you,” Celine added in her ethereal voice.
“Mm. You’re out of danger now. What’s next? Given the current situation, I doubt this year’s survival competition can continue,” Linoa shrugged at Lasty.
“True. This whole situation is just too bizarre. Even if we head back to town now, there’s no guarantee we won’t run into hordes of demon beasts. So, we’ve decided to stick with you. Also, we’d appreciate it if you could help us find the students who got separated from us earlier. We’ll leave that to you,” Lasty said straightforwardly, handing her badge over to Linoa.
“What about you?” Linoa asked, taking the badges from Lasty and Celine, then turning her gaze to the others.
“I’ll join you,” Douglas was the first to speak up.
“I… I plan to search nearby for the missing students and then head back to town. The demon beasts around here were mostly taken care of by Zhang Wen earlier, so there shouldn’t be many left. I should be able to handle it,” Talier hesitated before speaking.
“Then you’re definitely staying with him, right?” Linoa asked Jinna with a teasing smile.
“No! I’m coming with you,” Jinna replied firmly, surprising Linoa. “Talier, I’m going with them, is that okay? I’ve had enough! I never want to see those demon beasts again.”
“Do as you please,” Talier waved his hand impatiently. He was too agitated to deal with Jinna’s whims.
“Good, then it’s settled. Let’s split up and search the area for the missing students. There are no more hordes of demon beasts around, so I trust everyone can handle any stragglers,” Zhang Wen glanced around at the group.
“Of course!” Lasty nodded without hesitation, then grabbed Celine and headed into the forest in a random direction.
Since all the students participating in the survival competition wore badges, Zhang Wen and the others didn’t waste much time searching. Perhaps because Douglas and his group had drawn most of the demon beasts’ attention, the scattered students, though injured to varying degrees, had mostly survived the attacks. Only the Moore student who had been dragged into the forest met an unfortunate fate.
Following imperial tradition, Talier and a few students from Moore Academy stayed behind to handle the deceased student’s body. After a night of fighting, Zhang Wen and the others continued their pursuit of Carlet, guided by Linoa’s senses.
Perhaps Agate didn’t want his sister to suffer too much in the pouring rain, as the badge representing Carlet finally came to a stop after moving rapidly for most of the night.
Zhang Wen briefly wondered if Agate and his group had discovered Carlet’s badge and discarded it, but Linoa assured him that wasn’t the case. The badges from the survival competition were made with a component of primal stone, making them highly sensitive to psychic fluctuations. The waves emitted when worn were distinctly different from those when discarded.
“I see,” Zhang Wen nodded after Linoa’s explanation. “How far are we from Carlet now?” he asked after a moment of thought.
“About thirty kilometers,” Linoa replied after carefully sensing the distance.
“Hmm… I think we should set up camp and rest for now.”
“Rest?” Linoa frowned.
“Yes, rest. In our current state, even if we catch up to Agate, we won’t be able to do much. So, let’s wait for now,” Zhang Wen said, stretching lazily. After running around for half the night, even someone like Zhang Wen, who practiced the Spring Water Technique, felt exhausted.
“Alright,” Linoa thought for a moment and agreed with Zhang Wen’s suggestion. However, she soon furrowed her brow again in confusion. “Wait? What are we waiting for?”
“Hmm, who knows?” Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile.
After a night of relentless pursuit, Zhang Wen and the others were thoroughly exhausted. Upon returning to the camp, the team from Temis Academy didn’t waste any time and immediately retreated to their tents. The camp quickly fell silent once more.
Zhang Wen also returned to his tent on the far right of the camp. Unlike most, however, he didn’t immediately fall asleep. Instead, he adjusted his breathing and began practicing the Spring Water Technique. For Zhang Wen, this was an excellent way to rest.
But once he entered the state of cultivation, Zhang Wen was in for a surprise.
Ever since Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique had reached the second level, he would enter a profound, ethereal state during his daily practice. In this state, his senses became ten times sharper than usual. He could clearly perceive every movement within a radius of several dozen meters. Even the rustling of leaves in the wind was audible to him. Often, Zhang Wen jokingly compared himself to a human radar when he entered this state.
On this primal stone vein, Zhang Wen’s combat energy had been amplified several times over. This made him wonder if his “human radar” range would expand during cultivation. However, when he actually began practicing, Zhang Wen was shocked to find that his senses had not only failed to become sharper but were actually duller than when he wasn’t cultivating!
Moreover, Zhang Wen felt something strange. To put it metaphorically, it was as if the once clear and pure world had suddenly been filled with opaque, viscous liquid, making everything around him seem hazy.
Startled, Zhang Wen hastily stopped his cultivation, and his senses returned to normal. But when he calmed himself and began cultivating again, the hazy sensation remained unchanged.
What was going on? Was the primal stone negatively affecting his Spring Water Technique? Or had the technique, amplified by the primal stone, entered a new realm he hadn’t yet mastered, causing this effect? Or was it the psychic energy released by the “Soul Maiden” Linoa had mentioned, interfering with his cultivation?
With these distracting thoughts, Zhang Wen could no longer maintain the serene state of cultivation and opened his eyes. As soon as he did, the viscous sensation from earlier receded like a tide.
“Hmm?” Just as Zhang Wen was about to investigate what had gone wrong with his Spring Water Technique, he suddenly tensed and sat up.
Zhang Wen also returned to his tent on the far right side of the camp. However, unlike most people, Zhang Wen didn’t fall asleep immediately after entering the tent. Instead, he adjusted his breathing and began practicing the Spring Water Technique. For Zhang Wen, practicing the Spring Water Technique was also an excellent way to rest.
However, after entering the meditative state, Zhang Wen felt a great surprise.
Since Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique had entered the second stage, every time he practiced, he would enter a state of emptiness and mystery. In this state, his five senses became ten times more sensitive than usual! He could clearly sense every movement within a dozens of meters range. Even the sound of wind rustling leaves could be heard clearly. Many times, Zhang Wen himself couldn’t help but joke self-mockingly that after entering this meditative state, he was practically a human radar.
On this vein of raw stone, Zhang Wen’s battle energy had been enhanced several times. This made Zhang Wen somewhat expectant that after entering the meditative state, the detection radius of his “human radar” might also expand. However, when the practice actually began, Zhang Wen was astonished to find that not only did his five senses not become more sensitive, but they were even less acute than when he wasn’t practicing!
Moreover, Zhang Wen experienced a very strange feeling. To put it in an analogy, it was as if the previously clear and pure world had suddenly been filled with opaque mucus, making everything around him feel hazy and indistinct.
Startled, Zhang Wen hurriedly stopped practicing, and his five senses immediately returned to normal. But when he calmed down and began practicing again, that hazy feeling remained unchanged.
“Alright.” Moments later, Zhang Wen returned with Lasti and Celine to the group.
“Ha ha. Teacher Zhang, I will remember your life-saving grace. If there’s ever a chance in the future, I will definitely repay this favor,” Lasti thanked Zhang Wen as soon as she landed on the ground.
“Thank you,” Celine also expressed her gratitude with an ethereal voice.
“Hmm. You’re out of danger now. What are your plans next? Given the current situation, I doubt this year’s survival competition can continue,” Lenora shrugged at Lasti.
“Exactly. This situation is too bizarre. Even if we return to the town now, we can’t guarantee we won’t encounter large groups of demonic beasts. So, we plan to move with you. Also, please help us find the students who got separated from us earlier. We’ll leave this to you,” Lasti promptly took off her badge and handed it to Lenora.
“What about you?” After receiving the badges from Lasti and Celine, Lenora turned her gaze to the others.
“I’ll join you too,” Douglas was the first to respond.
“I… I plan to look for the missing students nearby and then return to the town. The demonic beasts around here were mostly dealt with by Zhang Wen earlier, so there shouldn’t be many left. I should be able to handle it,” Taler hesitated before speaking.
“Then you must be staying to accompany him, right?” Lenora asked Jinna with a teasing smile.
“No! I’ll go with you,” Jinna firmly gave an answer that surprised Lenora. “Taler, I’m going with them, is that okay? I’ve had enough! I never want to see those demonic beasts again.”
“Suit yourself,” Taler waved his hand impatiently. He was too agitated to deal with Jinna’s whims.
“Good, then it’s settled. Let’s split up and search for the missing students around here. There are no large groups of demonic beasts nearby, and I believe everyone can handle a single one,” Zhang Wen glanced around at the group.
“Of course!” Lasti nodded without hesitation, then dragged Celine into the forest in a random direction.
Since the students participating in the survival competition were all wearing badges, Zhang Wen and the others didn’t waste much time searching. Perhaps because Douglas and his group had drawn most of the demonic beasts’ attention, the scattered students, though somewhat injured, mostly survived the attacks. Only the Moore student who was dragged into the forest by the beasts met an unfortunate fate.
Following the empire’s tradition, Taler and a few students from Moore Academy stayed behind to handle the deceased student’s body. After a night of fighting, Zhang Wen and the others continued their pursuit of Carlet’s direction based on Lenora’s sensing.
Perhaps Agate didn’t want his sister to suffer too much in the pouring rain, as the badge representing Carlet finally stopped after moving rapidly for most of the night.
Zhang Wen once suspected that Agate and his group had discovered Carlet’s badge and discarded it, but Lenora assured him that wasn’t the case. The survival competition badges contained components of raw stone and were highly sensitive to psychic fluctuations. The fluctuation emitted when worn was distinctly different from when it was discarded.
“I see,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly after Lenora’s explanation. “How far are we from Carlet?” After a moment of thought, he asked again.
“About thirty kilometers,” Lenora replied after careful sensing.
“Hmm… I think we should set up camp and rest now.”
“Rest?” Lenora frowned.
“Yes, rest. In our current state, even if we catch up, we won’t be able to do anything about Agate. So, let’s wait for now,” Zhang Wen said, stretching lazily. After running around for half the night, even Zhang Wen, who practiced the Spring Water Technique, felt exhausted.
“Alright,” Lenora thought for a moment and agreed with Zhang Wen’s suggestion. However, she soon frowned in confusion again. “Wait? What are we waiting for?”
“Hmm! Who knows?” Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile.
After a night of running, Zhang Wen and the others were thoroughly exhausted. Once back at the camp, the team from Thames Academy didn’t hesitate and immediately retreated to their tents. The camp quickly fell silent again.
Zhang Wen also returned to his tent at the far right of the camp. Unlike most, he didn’t fall asleep immediately upon entering the tent. Instead, he adjusted his breathing and began practicing the Spring Water Technique. For Zhang Wen, practicing the Spring Water Technique was also an excellent way to rest.
However, once he entered the state of practice, Zhang Wen was greatly surprised.
Since Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique reached the second level, he would enter an ethereal and profound state during his daily practice. In this state, Zhang Wen’s five senses became ten times more acute than usual! He could clearly sense every movement within a radius of tens of meters. Even the rustling of leaves in the wind was audible to him. Often, Zhang Wen jokingly mocked himself, saying that after entering the state of practicing the Spring Water Technique, he was practically a human radar.
On this raw stone vein, Zhang Wen’s combat energy had been enhanced several times. This made Zhang Wen somewhat expectant that his “human radar” observation radius would also expand after entering the state of practice. However, when the practice truly began, Zhang Wen was shocked to find that his five senses not only didn’t become more acute but were even less sensitive than when he wasn’t practicing!
Moreover, Zhang Wen felt a strange sensation. To make an analogy, it was as if the originally clear and pure world had suddenly been filled with opaque mucus, making everything around him feel hazy.
Startled, Zhang Wen hastily stopped his practice, and his five senses returned to normal. But when Zhang Wen calmed down and began practicing again, the hazy sensation remained unchanged.
What’s going on? Does raw stone have a negative impact on the practice of the Spring Water Technique? Or is it because the Spring Water Technique has been greatly enhanced by raw stone, entering a new realm that I haven’t mastered yet, causing this? Or is it the psychic energy released by the “Soul Maiden” that Lenora mentioned, interfering with the practice of the Spring Water Technique?
With these distracting thoughts, Zhang Wen could no longer maintain the calm and ethereal state of practice and had to open his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes, the mucus-like sensation from his practice receded like a tide.
“Hmm?” Just as Zhang Wen was about to carefully investigate what had gone wrong with his Spring Water Technique practice, he suddenly tensed up and sat up.
As these thoughts arose, Zhang Wen could no longer maintain the calm and empty meditative state, and had to open his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes, the feeling of being submerged in mucus from his meditation instantly receded like a tide.
“Hmm?” Just as Zhang Wen was about to carefully investigate what was wrong with his Spring Water Technique practice, he suddenly sat up tensely.
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