In the Virtual Pod access room on the first basent level, a silver-gray, top-of-the-line Virtual Pod stood silently.
The pod door slid open, and Xu Wuyi lay down inside. Its internal, ergonomic support structure automatically adjusted to fit his body.
With a soft hum and the faint sensation of the neural interface connecting, the scene before him changed. He now stood in his familiar personal space on the Star Martial Battle Network.
Compared to the Basic Level Virtual Pod he had used before, the environnt here was far more realistic. The subtle sensation of air flowing, the feedback from the ground under his feet—everything was nearly indistinguishable from reality.
’An 85% Simulation Level. It really lives up to its reputation.’
"First-ti user login detected. Comncing basic physical data scan..." a system notification echoed in his mind.
An invisible wave scanned his entire body, and a few seconds later, a data panel unfolded before his eyes:
[Life Energy Level: 16.1]
[Spiritual Strength: 13.0]
Xu Wuyi’s gaze flickered as he looked at the two values.
’My Life Energy Level has risen from 15.5 during the entrance exam to 16.1. I guess I haven’t been slacking off on my training.’
’My Spiritual Strength has also grown steadily to 13.0, which is about average.’
’Enter the "Freshman Challenge,"’ Xu Wuyi thought.
A silver-gray icon appeared in his field of vision. He confird his selection, and the environnt around him instantly twisted and reassembled.
When he regained his senses, he was standing in a vast virtual space.
This place looked nothing like the real world. The sky was a deep, dark purple, dotted with sparse pinpricks of silver light.
The ground underfoot was solid black, its texture remarkably similar to real rock.
In the distance stood a massive luminous gate, and floating above it were four large, gilded words: Star Beast Hunting Ground.
To the left of the luminous gate, a massive holographic screen floated in the air, clearly displaying the words "Freshman Challenge Leaderboard."
Xu Wuyi’s gaze swept across it, only to see that the ranking columns on the leaderboard were completely blank, with no nas or data whatsoever.
He wasn’t surprised.
The acceptance letters had only been officially sent out yesterday. Most new students would choose to rest at ho for a while, not reporting to campus until late July or early August.
Very few people would have moved in this early, as he had.
’Since no one’s here, I might as well test the waters.’
Xu Wuyi stretched his arms and legs. The sensations from his virtual body were nearly identical to his real one, and the circulation of his Qi and Blood was just as smooth.
He could clearly feel that this virtual body had perfectly replicated everything about his physical self, including the searing Qi and Blood from his Hundred Refinents lting Furnace technique.
He strode toward the luminous gate. The mont his body touched it, a gentle force enveloped him, and the scene before his eyes changed instantly.
The next second, he found himself standing in a dense forest.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, their trunks so thick it would take several people to link arms around them. Sporadic beams of light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The air was filled with the rich scent of plants and soil, mingled with a faint, gamy stench. The chirping of unknown insects echoed in his ears; everything was so realistic it felt as if he were actually there.
’So I have to fight in this kind of environnt?’ Xu Wuyi was sowhat surprised.
Fighting in a forest was completely different from battling in an open arena. For anyone without prior experience, this would be a major test of their adaptability.
"Welco to the first level of the Star Beast Hunting Ground. Challenge Target: Star-Spotted Wolf (x3)."
"Clear Condition: Kill all Star-Spotted Wolves within ten minutes. Failure Conditions: Exceeding the ti limit without killing all targets, or your own death."
"For this level, the challenger’s Life Energy Level is fixed at: 13."
The system notifications echoed in his mind.
The voice had barely faded when three low howls, filled with bloodthirsty aggression, echoed from deep within the forest.
Xu Wuyi’s expression hardened. He quickly adjusted his stance, his hands forming fists as if gripping a weapon, and silently began to circulate the Qi and Blood in his body.
He hadn’t brought a real weapon with him, but on the Star Martial Battle Network, he could simply manifest a virtual one.
With a re thought, a virtual longspear materialized in Xu Wuyi’s hands. Its shaft shone with a faint silver light, and its weight and texture were indistinguishable from a real spear.
Soon, three grayish-black figures darted out from the dense woods. They were the Star-Spotted Wolves.
They were a full size larger than real-world wolves, with a shoulder height of nearly a ter. Their pelts were covered in irregular silver spots that shimred with an eerie luster in the dim light.
Their sharp fangs were bared, their crimson eyes locked onto Xu Wuyi. With limbs slightly bent, they were poised to pounce at any mont.
This was the first ti Xu Wuyi had ever faced a Star Beast. Its aura was completely different from that of a human Martial Artist, and it made him tense up instinctively.
The Star-Spotted Wolves had never practiced any Martial Techniques, but their every movent was filled with lethal intent—an instinct honed through countless life-and-death struggles.
"ROAR!"
The lead Star-Spotted Wolf was the first to attack. It launched itself off its powerful legs, hurtling toward Xu Wuyi like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
Its gaping jaws lunged straight for his neck, carrying a foul wind with them.
Xu Wuyi’s pupils shrank. As he sidestepped the pounce, he simultaneously thrust his spear forward, the tip aid directly at the Star-Spotted Wolf’s belly.
He was accustod to fighting human Martial Artists, whose techniques followed discernible patterns. The Star-Spotted Wolf’s attacks, however, were entirely instinctual and faster than he had anticipated.
SHLICK!
The spear hit its target but penetrated less than half an inch. The Star-Spotted Wolf’s tough hide and thick muscles had absorbed most of the force.
The sharp pain caused the Star-Spotted Wolf to let out a bloodcurdling howl. It twisted its body violently in mid-air, raking its sharp claws toward Xu Wuyi’s arm.
Xu Wuyi retracted his spear and fell back, dodging the claws as his brow furrowed slightly.
’The Star-Spotted Wolf’s defense is stronger than I expected,’ he thought. ’It’s so thick-skinned that a normal attack can hardly cause a fatal wound.’
’More importantly, their attacks have no clear pattern. They’re completely unpredictable, which makes them difficult to adapt to.’
Seeing their chance, the other two Star-Spotted Wolves attacked simultaneously, flanking him from the left and right to form a pincer attack.
Their coordination was impeccable, clearly a habit honed by years of hunting as a pack.
Xu Wuyi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He stopped trying to find a pattern in the Star-Spotted Wolves’ attacks and instead pushed his Hundred Refinents lting Furnace to its absolute limit. Searing Qi and Blood surged through his body, causing his strength and speed to spike instantly.
At the sa ti, he infused himself with the True Intention of the "Mountain." His Heart and Spirit beca as solid as bedrock, unshaken by the wolves’ savage auras.
Facing the Star-Spotted Wolf attacking from his left, Xu Wuyi didn’t retreat but advanced, executing his Instant Shadow Step.
His figure dodged to the side like a phantom as he simultaneously swung his spear in a horizontal sweep. The shaft whistled through the air before smashing into the Star-Spotted Wolf’s head.
WHAM!
With a muffled thud, the Star-Spotted Wolf was sent reeling, dazed and off-balance.
Xu Wuyi seized the opportunity. His spear shot out like a bolt of lightning, and this ti he aid for the Star-Spotted Wolf’s eye, its most weakly defended point.
SQUELCH!
The tip of the spear plunged unerringly into the Star-Spotted Wolf’s left eye and deep into its brain.
The Star-Spotted Wolf let out a brief, agonized cry. Its body twitched a few tis before it collapsed, motionless, and dissolved into a ray of white light that dissipated into the air.
With one wolf eliminated, the remaining two grew even more savage, their attacks becoming more frenzied.
Thanks to his physical attributes, which were far superior to others of the sa level, Xu Wuyi handled the two-pronged assault with ease.
He no longer sought a quick kill but patiently searched for openings. Every attack was precise and ruthless, aid exclusively at the Star-Spotted Wolves’ vitals.
Not even half of the ten-minute ti limit had passed before the last Star-Spotted Wolf also fell beneath his spear, dissolving into a flash of white light.
"First Level cleared. Ti elapsed: 4 minutes, 27 seconds. Proceed to the second level?"
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