The Azure Tide Forest outer safety zone consisted of the coastal forest belt and the gentle slopes at the valley entrance. It was home only to Tier 1 and Tier 2 monsters, with occasional Tier 3 sightings.
With his current strength, he could take down Tier 2 monsters with a single strike, and even Tier 3 ones could be handled with a bit of effort.
As long as he didn’t cross the demarcation line between the weak and strong zones, he would be perfectly safe.
He was in dire need of ability points.
His Law of the Thunder Emperor was only at the Practiced level, and Thunder Walk Through Nine Heavens had been stuck at 68% Proficient for days. He needed real combat to grind his proficiency.
His space-time system was also just a hair away from breaking through to Tier 2. Once it leveled up, the effects of both 【Sands of Time】 and Gravity Control would strengthen.
Then there was the dark red light core inside him. It had been quiet, but there was no telling when it might go berserk.
He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible to handle whatever trouble came next.
As he was thinking, a small beach appeared at the end of the reef ahead.
The beach was triangular, surrounded by jagged rocks with only the side facing the sea open. The ground was covered in dead branches and seaweed; it was clearly a place where no one ever came.
Lin Yuan was about to turn back when a powerful surge of ability energy suddenly exploded in the night ahead!
It wasn't the aura of a monster—it was a human ability!
There were five of them in total, with strengths ranging from Tier 1 Peak to Tier 2.
One signature was fleeing in panic, moving extremely fast with a chaotic aura.
The other four were in hot pursuit, their auras steady and their coordination seamless.
Lin Yuan stopped in his tracks, his right hand quietly dropping to his side.
The sound of frantic footsteps drew closer, and a figure burst out from behind the reef in a state of distress.
The white hem of his clothes was particularly striking under the moonlight. His hair was a mess, and his face was scuffed with scratches, but Lin Yuan recognized that delicate face instantly.
It was He Junze!
He Junze rushed onto the sand. Seeing Lin Yuan, he froze for a second before his eyes lit up with hope.
He scrambled behind Lin Yuan in a few quick steps, gripping Lin Yuan’s shoulders tightly and shrinking back until only half his face was visible.
“Holy crap, brother! Talk about fate! We only split up yesterday, and I run into you here!”
Hearing this, Lin Yuan turned his head and looked at him expressionlessly. “Did you cause trouble again?”
“It really wasn’t my fault this time!” He Junze whispered, his words tumbling out rapidly.
“I just took an extra look at that girl’s ankle and mentioned how pretty her ankle bone was, and now she wants to kill me!”
Lin Yuan fell silent for a second before coldly spitting out, “Quite the talent, aren't you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of whistling wind echoed.
Four figures lunged out of the darkness and landed steadily on the beach. Two men and two women—all of them were incoming freshmen around eighteen or nineteen years old.
They wore deep red uniforms with gold trim on the cuffs and collars. On their left chests was an embroidered emblem of a fist and a shield.
They were from the National Martial Arts Academy!
Among the four great academies, their combat prowess was second only to Shencity Academy. Every student was a fierce fighter.
The four of them quickly spread out, blocking any path of retreat in a semi-circle.
The buzz-cut boy on the far left was burly, wearing dark bronze gauntlets that glowed with fire-type light—A-rank fire ability, Tier 1, Level 8.
The tall, thin boy on the far right carried a long blade on his back, the blade wrapped in wind energy—A-rank wind ability, Tier 1, Level 8.
In the middle were two girls.
The girl on the left was tall with a high ponytail. Faint tiger patterns appeared on her forearms, and her fingernails were long and sharp with an amber glow—A-rank beastification system, tiger ability, Tier 1, Level 8.
Right now, she was glaring at He Junze, her eyes filled with rage.
The girl on the right was slender with ear-length short hair. She wore thin silver-framed glasses and had a low presence, leaking no ability energy.
But the moment Lin Yuan saw her, his pupils constricted slightly.
Tier 2, Level 1!
The composition of this group was luxurious for incoming freshmen!
The tiger-markings girl spoke first, pointing at He Junze and shouting, “You pervert, why did you stop running? You think you can use some random passerby as a shield?”
He Junze quickly poked his head out. “I already apologized! I only looked once, and you guys chased me for four kilometers! He’s not a passerby, I know him, he’s...”
“You know him?” The tiger-markings girl sneered, her gaze falling on Lin Yuan as she sized him up.
The youth before her wore a dark jacket and stood empty-handed. He showed no ability fluctuations at all and looked completely ordinary.
“Since you’re together, you can take a beating together!”
Before the words even finished leaving her mouth, she lunged forward, her body turning into a blur as she charged straight at Lin Yuan!
The explosive power of an A-rank beastification system was on full display!
The sand beneath her feet was kicked into a deep pit. Her fist clenched, the tiger patterns condensing into amber keratin that whistled through the air as it smashed toward Lin Yuan’s chest!
She didn't hold back at all with this punch!
A full-power strike from a Tier 1, Level 8—no ability user of the same rank would dare to take it head-on!
The other two boys from the National Martial Arts Academy wore contemptuous smiles.
This black-clad youth was, at most, at the beginning of Tier 2. Trying to take a punch from a beastification user barehanded was simply suicidal!
They waited to see Lin Yuan sent flying in a pathetic heap.
But Lin Yuan didn’t even dodge!
He stepped aside to push He Junze out of the way, slowly raising his right hand and clenching his fist.
The dark gold Profound Gold Pale Thunder was tightly compressed onto the surface of his fist, revealing only a faint glimmer.
He threw a punch!
Boom!
The two fists collided, and a massive bang erupted!
A shockwave rippled out from the two of them, kicking up a circle of dust on the beach. He Junze was shaken and stumbled back several steps.
Seeing this, the girl with glasses had a sudden change in expression and shouted, “Wait!”
But it was already too late!
The tiger-markings girl felt an overwhelming, terrifying force surge from her opponent’s fist!
The beastified keratin she was so proud of was as fragile as paper.
The force traveled straight up her arm, making the bones of her entire limb let out an overburdened hum.
Her body lost control and she was sent flying!
She flew a full ten meters before her back slammed into a palm tree. She slid down the trunk and collapsed to her knees.
Her right arm hung limply at her side, the tiger patterns completely faded, and her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
This was with Lin Yuan holding back.
If he had fully released the Profound Gold Pale Thunder, the girl’s arm might have snapped on the spot.
The beach fell into a sudden, deathly silence.
The two boys who had been sneering were now completely frozen, their eyes wide with shock!
One punch!
He had met an A-rank beastification user’s full-power strike head-on and sent her flying ten meters, yet he hadn’t budged an inch, and even his breathing was steady!
What kind of monster was this?!
He Junze poked his head out, looking at the miserable tiger-markings girl. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg as he muttered under his breath:
“I told you I knew him, but you guys just wouldn't believe me.”
Lin Yuan slowly lowered his hand. The dark gold lightning on his fist gradually dissipated, leaving only a few faint arcs of electricity crackling.
His fist was completely unharmed.
A fight of this level didn't even count as a warm-up.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the two shocked boys before landing on the tiger-markings girl. He spoke in a flat tone.
“Actually... who even are you?”
Those five simple words were even more painful than the punch from moments ago.
The tiger-markings girl had just managed to stand up by leaning against the tree. Hearing this, her face flushed bright red with a mix of shame and anger, but she couldn't say a single word.
She was the one who attacked first, she was the one who acted without reasoning, and as a result, she had been crushed in a single blow. She didn't even have the right to talk back.
He Junze muttered from behind Lin Yuan, “Brother, thanks for the help, but those words were a bit of a low blow.”
Rate on N.U.
