Two days had passed since Lin Yi returned from the Celestial Emperor’s Abode, and the academy had grown restless. With the Round of Sixteen approaching, nearly every student was either training, preparing equipnt, or venturing into the wilderness to sharpen their combat abilities. Lin Yi had chosen the simplest path. Grinding. For him, the wilderness was still the fastest way to grow stronger.
Early morning sunlight spilled across the outer walls of Jianghe City as Lin Yi stepped through the hunter gate once again. The guards barely spared him a glance, as academy students frequently went out to hunt monsters during training weeks.
The wilderness stretched endlessly beyond the walls, tall grasslands giving way to scattered forests and rocky hills, with monsters lurking throughout. Lin Yi moved calmly across the plains, his footsteps light and almost soundless, Phantom Void Step occasionally flickering beneath his feet as he traveled faster than ordinary hunters could perceive.
The Celestial Lord Blade rested quietly at his waist. Even sheathed, the mythical weapon radiated a faint pressure. A weapon like this could easily cause chaos if revealed in the city, but here in the wilderness there were fewer eyes. Still, Lin Yi preferred not to draw unnecessary attention.
He had just reached a small clearing when he heard the sound of combat ahead. tal clashing, monster growls, and the crisp crack of ice. He stopped, his gaze shifting toward the forest clearing. Two figures were fighting alongside each other against a single monster.
A Demon Dog. The beast was roughly the size of a large wolf, its dark fur covered in patches of rough bone-like armor, its red eyes burning as it snarled viciously. But it was already injured, deep frost covering parts of its body and several sword wounds bleeding across its side.
Lin Yi recognized the hunters imdiately. The first was Su Qinghan, her long hair flowing behind her as icy energy gathered around the blade in her hand. Her class, B-Rank Frostblade, ant every slash she delivered carried freezing power that slowed the monster’s movents. The second hunter stood several ters away. Older, a third-year student by her aura, her stance calm and confident. Her weapon moved like flowing wind and each strike forced the Demon Dog to retreat. Her class rank was obvious. A-Rank. Her na was Zhao Lingshuang.
The battle didn’t last long. The Demon Dog boss lunged desperately toward Su Qinghan, but before it could reach her, Zhao Lingshuang appeared in front of it and her blade flashed.
SLASH!
The monster’s head fell to the ground and its body collapsed instantly. Silence returned to the clearing as the corpse slowly dissolved into scattered drops. A few glowing items appeared on the ground, rare materials and a weapon.
Su Qinghan exhaled lightly. "That was the last one."
"A level five Demon Dog boss isn’t bad training," Zhao Lingshuang agreed. But then she frowned and her gaze shifted toward the edge of the clearing. Su Qinghan followed her eyes. A figure stood there, calm and watching. Lin Yi.
"Lin Yi?" Su Qinghan blinked slightly.
Zhao Lingshuang’s eyes narrowed. "So you know him?"
"He’s from my class."
Zhao Lingshuang’s expression turned slightly cold as her gaze slowly scanned Lin Yi, then moved toward the monster drops on the ground.
"You’ve been standing there watching this whole ti."
Lin Yi said nothing.
Her voice turned colder.
"...Planning to steal the drops?"
Su Qinghan looked slightly surprised but didn’t interrupt. The wilderness was dangerous, and drop stealing did happen.
Zhao Lingshuang stepped forward slowly, her eyes locked onto Lin Yi, her voice carrying clear disdain. "Freshman. You should understand your place. These drops belong to us."
Lin Yi looked at the items on the ground, then back at her. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Those?" His tone was calm. "...They’re junk."
Zhao Lingshuang blinked. "...What?"
"Rare rank materials. Low-level monster core." Lin Yi shrugged lightly. "They’re useless."
She stared at him as if he had said sothing absurd, then laughed. "Rare rank treasures... junk? Freshman, do you even understand what you’re talking about?"
Before she finished speaking, Lin Yi moved. Phantom Void Step activated instantly and his figure vanished. The next mont he appeared directly behind her. Zhao Lingshuang’s pupils shrank and her reaction speed was fast, her blade drawn imdiately.
CLANG!
tal rang through the clearing. Lin Yi had already drawn his own weapon, and the mont the blade left its sheath, golden light burst across the clearing. The air itself seed to tremble. Zhao Lingshuang froze, her eyes locked onto the long golden blade in Lin Yi’s hand, covered in ancient runes and radiating terrifying power. Her voice ca out unsteady.
"...That..."
Su Qinghan’s eyes widened too. "...Lin Yi?"
"Th-that weapon..." Zhao Lingshuang stamred. "...Where did you get that?"
Su Qinghan looked at him seriously. "That blade... it feels different."
"It was a drop," Lin Yi said.
Zhao Lingshuang shook her head imdiately, her voice rising. "That’s impossible! To obtain a weapon like that you would need to kill a monster at least level ninety!" She pointed at him. "You’re a freshman! There’s no way you could do that!"
Su Qinghan’s brows furrowed and she looked at him carefully. "...Where did you get it?"
Lin Yi’s expression changed. His eyes turned cold. "Su." His voice carried a sudden sharpness. "You dare question my strength?"
Then, a heavy pressure spread outward from him. Su Qinghan instinctively stepped back, her heart skipping slightly. Lin Yi’s aura had changed completely, and even Zhao Lingshuang felt it, staring at him with open shock.
Lin Yi had been impressive in the tournant, yes. But he was still just a Laborer class freshman. To possess a mythical weapon, what kind of absurd luck was that? Zhao Lingshuang’s eyes slowly drifted back to the Celestial Lord Blade, and sothing began rising inside her chest.
A mythical weapon. Even many senior hunters didn’t possess one, and here it was in the hands of a freshman. Her thoughts raced. This idiot doesn’t even understand the value of what he’s holding. If a weapon like that appears in the hunter market, it would cause a massive bidding war. Even guild leaders would fight over it. Her breathing slowed and her expression softened deliberately.
She sheathed her sword and walked toward Lin Yi with a calm, gentle smile.
"Junior." Her tone had changed completely. "That weapon... may I take a look?"
Su Qinghan frowned slightly but said nothing. anwhile, a darker voice echoed inside Zhao Lingshuang’s mind.
This fool. He’s just a freshman. Sowhat talented, but still inexperienced. Once the blade is in my hands, I’ll activate my movent skill and leave imdiately. He’ll never catch . Her eyes flashed briefly with greed. A mythical weapon. With this blade, my strength will skyrocket. I could even join a top guild. This opportunity... I absolutely cannot let it slip away.
She smiled softly and extended her hand toward the Celestial Lord Blade.
"Junior... let see it."
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