The sun had already begun to sink when Lin Yi returned to Jianghe City.
The massive steel gates of the frontier city lood ahead, their reinforced structures glowing faintly under the orange evening light. Hunters were still flowing in and out of the entrance checkpoint, so returning with bloodstained armor, others carrying monster materials or newly acquired equipnt.
To most of them, today had been another ordinary hunt.
To Lin Yi, however, the day had been anything but ordinary.
He had t the Dragon Knight of Jianghe City.
A level 189 S-Rank Dragon God Tar.
A national guardian whose na alone could shake the entire region.
And more importantly...
He had rejected that man’s invitation.
Lin Yi walked calmly through the security gate and into the bustling city streets. The familiar sounds of rchants, adventurers, and academy students filled the air.
No one around him had the slightest idea that the quiet freshman passing by had just turned down an opportunity that thousands of hunters dread of.
Lin Yi wasn’t particularly emotional about the decision.
His reasoning had been simple.
A guild invitation could always co again.
But the academy tournant would only happen once during this stage of his life.
And more importantly...
His path would not begin under soone else’s shadow.
...
Night had fully fallen when Lin Yi finally returned to the dormitory building of Jianghe Hunter Academy.
The dorm corridor was noisy as usual.
Students were discussing equipnt purchases, elimination round predictions, and rumors about the upcoming matches.
Lin Yi ignored most of the noise and walked toward his room.
The mont he pushed open the door—
Wang Hao was lying on the bed scrolling through his phone.
The mont he saw Lin Yi, the scout imdiately sat upright.
"Brother Lin! You’re finally back!"
Lin Yi closed the door behind him calmly. "You’re still awake," he noted, glancing at his roommate.
Wang Hao snorted loudly. "Of course I’m awake! How could I sleep with the elimination round coming up?" He tossed his phone aside and stretched slightly, but then his eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously. "Wait. You went to the wilderness again today, didn’t you?"
Lin Yi nodded. "Yes."
Wang Hao stared at him like he was looking at a monster. "Brother... you are insane. Two days before the elimination round and you’re still grinding monsters?"
Lin Yi sat down on the chair near the desk and poured himself a glass of water. "The wilderness is good practice," he replied simply.
Wang Hao shook his head helplessly. "You really are sothing else." He suddenly leaned forward, his curiosity getting the better of him. "So? Did you find anything interesting?"
Lin Yi paused for a mont, then answered casually, "I t soone."
Wang Hao raised an eyebrow. "Soone? Another hunter?"
Lin Yi took a sip of water before replying, "The Dragon Knight."
For a full three seconds, Wang Hao didn’t react. Then, a scream nearly shattered the dorm window. "WHAT?! You an Long Tianyu?!"
Lin Yi nodded calmly. "Yes."
Wang Hao’s eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his head. "THE Dragon Knight?! The national guardian?! The level 189 monster?!"
Lin Yi shrugged slightly. "That one."
Wang Hao grabbed his own hair in disbelief. "Brother Lin... you’re joking, right?"
Lin Yi looked at him steadily. "Do I look like I’m joking?"
Wang Hao stared at him for several seconds, then slowly sank back onto his bed. "Holy... hell." His brain clearly needed ti to process this information. After a long pause, he asked again, "So... what happened?"
"We talked," Lin Yi answered honestly.
Wang Hao blinked. "...You talked?"
Lin Yi nodded. "He invited to join Heavenfall Guild."
The dorm room fell silent. Then Wang Hao suddenly jumped up again like he had been struck by lightning, his voice cracking completely. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! HE INVITED YOU TO HEAVENFALL GUILD?!"
Lin Yi nodded again. "Yes."
Wang Hao’s hands began trembling. He grabbed Lin Yi’s shoulders and started shaking him violently. "BROTHER! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT ANS?! That’s Heavenfall Guild! The strongest guild in Jianghe City! People fight for ten years just to get an interview there!"
Lin Yi calmly removed Wang Hao’s hands. "I know."
Wang Hao stared at him desperately. "So?! What did you say?!"
"I declined," Lin Yi answered calmly.
For the second ti that night, Wang Hao completely froze. The room beca silent again. Ten seconds passed, then twenty. Then, Wang Hao grabbed a pillow and slamd it repeatedly against the wall.
"AAAAAAAAAA! You rejected it?! You REJECTED it?!"
His face looked like he had just witnessed the destruction of the world. "Brother Lin! That’s not a job offer! That’s not a part-ti position! That’s HEAVENFALL GUILD!"
Lin Yi leaned back in his chair. "I know."
Wang Hao looked like he was about to cry. "You could’ve gotten a direct recomndation to a Regional Elite Academy! You might have even reached Heavenly Phoenix Hunter Academy!"
Lin Yi nodded. "Yes."
Wang Hao stared at him helplessly. "...And you still rejected it?"
Lin Yi folded his arms and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Yes."
Wang Hao collapsed onto his bed like a defeated man. "My God... my brother has lost his mind..." After several seconds, he turned his head slowly toward Lin Yi. "...Why?"
"Because of the tournant," Lin Yi answered simply.
Wang Hao blinked. "The tournant?"
Lin Yi nodded. "If I join the guild now, I’ll miss the finals."
Wang Hao stared at him like he had just heard the most ridiculous explanation in human history. "You... rejected Heavenfall Guild... for a school tournant?"
Lin Yi smiled slightly. "It’s not just a school tournant."
Wang Hao rubbed his forehead. "I swear... you are the strangest person I’ve ever t." Suddenly he sat up again, his eyes narrowing. "But wait. You’re not planning sothing crazy, are you?"
Lin Yi looked at him. "What do you an?"
Wang Hao pointed at him dramatically. "You’re not trying to win the entire tournant, right?"
Lin Yi didn’t answer. That silence was enough. Wang Hao’s mouth slowly opened. "...Brother Lin."
"Yes?"
"...You really are planning to win it."
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