Two days later.
In the early morning, Lu An woke up from his sleep, but his face showed no sign of restful comfort; instead, it was covered in cold sweat, and his complexion was as pale as paper.
He struggled to get out of bed; now, sleeping was the beginning of a nightmare for him.
The pain of ice and fire, two extremes, was incomparable to the heart fire. These past few days, Lu An slept, woke, and then desperately tried to sleep again. Finally, after enduring two days, he had tempered his body once.
Of course, this was just the beginning. The Black Mist Person had said that Body Tempering was an extremely important Foundation, largely determining one's future potential. Therefore, Body Tempering had to be done slowly. Although he was helping, it would probably take some time to reach the Celestial Master Realm.
However, the effort paid off. After two days of inhumane torment, the Black Mist Person told him that he had already become a Second-Level Sky Realm, but in terms of strength, with his Three Life Wheels, he was certainly not limited to this Realm.
Not only that, after two days of repeated practice, Lu An could now quickly release his Destiny Wheel. Although there was still some gap before instant release, he only needed three seconds to release it!
Taking a deep breath, Lu An sat up from the bed, looked at his palm, and then clenched his fist tightly.
The feeling of having power was truly great!
After getting up and tidying himself, Lu An went out. Although his clothes were torn, the bloodstains were gone after washing. Walking on the road, he did not head towards the classroom but instead went to Zhou Chengkun's dormitory.
The dormitory area was very large. When he arrived in front of Zhou Chengkun's dormitory, the latter had just walked out, and many people were waiting around him. Zhou Chengkun saw Lu An at a glance, and a cold expression immediately appeared on his face.
Soon, Zhou Chengkun's subordinates surrounded Lu An, but Lu An had no intention of escaping. He stood quietly in the middle of the crowd, watching Zhou Chengkun walk towards him.
"You're quite bold," Zhou Chengkun said with a sneer as he approached Lu An. "You even dare to come here to me. Are you looking down on me?"
Lu An looked up at the sinister-looking Zhou Chengkun, not answering his question. He said directly, "Gao Dashan and the others have no intention of opposing you. Everything is just a grudge between you and me. Don't involve anyone else."
Zhou Chengkun was startled, frowning as he looked at Lu An. If it was truly as Lu An said, and those guys from Gao Dashan no longer opposed him, then it would indeed be a good thing.
Although his family had considerable influence, this was Starfire Academy after all. Starfire Academy was, in a sense, a transcendent existence, having cultivated many powerhouses, and his family dared not act presumptuously. With those people from Gao Dashan no longer causing trouble, it would be much easier for him to do things.
"Alright," Zhou Chengkun said with a sneer. "What about you?"
As he spoke, everyone around him took a step forward, and the atmosphere immediately became more oppressive.
Facing the pressure from the crowd, Lu An remained unmoved. He said calmly, "Our matter can be resolved once and for all. I heard that there's a 'Grudge Meeting' at the end of each month. How about we settle it there?"
Grudge Meeting?
Upon hearing these three words, everyone couldn't help but frown.
The Grudge Meeting was a very special event at Starfire Academy, held on the last day of each month. Its purpose was simple: if two parties had a grievance and both agreed, they could duel on stage, with all teachers and students of the school as witnesses. It was the only legitimate way to duel within the academy!
On the Grudge Stage, wagers could be placed! Regardless of winning or losing, all grudges had to be settled!
Zhou Chengkun frowned deeply. He had successfully released Tian Yuan Power on the afternoon of the first day, making him the second fastest among all new students, second only to Chu Ling. To this day, he hadn't heard that this kid in front of him had successfully released Tian Yuan Power. How dared he challenge him to a duel?
"Kid, life and death are disregarded on the Grudge Meeting. Are you looking for death?" Zhou Chengkun took a step forward, looking down at Lu An, who was half a head shorter, and asked sinisterly.
"Doesn't that suit your intentions?" Lu An looked at Zhou Chengkun, his gaze calm, and said indifferently.
Zhou Chengkun's frown deepened upon hearing this. He wasn't foolish; something abnormal indicated something sinister. He stared intently into Lu An's eyes, trying to discern what trick the other party was playing.
But no matter how he looked, Lu An's eyes and expression remained calm, without a single ripple.
Could it be that he was overthinking things?
Zhou Chengkun frowned, thinking that Lu An probably just wanted to resolve this matter once and for all by taking a beating. What kind of trick could a child from a poor family have? Thinking of this, the sneer on his lips became more pronounced.
"Alright," Zhou Chengkun laughed loudly. "There are still eleven days until the end of the month. I hope you can successfully release Tian Yuan Power by then. Otherwise, if you can't even produce a spark, I won't even have the desire to kill you."
"As you wish," Lu An said, looking at Zhou Chengkun, then turned and left the crowd.
Everyone made way for Lu An. Zhou Chengkun watched Lu An's receding figure, the sneer on his lips growing more intense.
After leaving the dormitory area, Lu An did not go to class but instead headed directly to the Hunter Alliance.
The Black Mist Person had said that combat experience could not be compensated by talent, and actual combat was a path that all powerhouses could never stop pursuing. Powerhouses' hands were stained with blood because they had survived countless life-and-death situations.
For Lu An now, hunting Strange Beasts was the best option.
Arriving at the entrance of the Hunter Alliance, Lu An wasn't sure if Kong Yan would be there. He entered the hall and looked around, then frowned in frustration when he didn't find the person he was looking for.
Lu An turned to leave, but just as he turned, he almost bumped into someone's arms.
Lu An stared blankly at the seemingly bottomless cleavage in front of him, then looked up. Who else could this person be but Kong Yan?
"Yan Jie," Lu An quickly took a step back, his face flushing, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I want to go hunting Strange Beasts with you all."
As he spoke, Lu An looked behind Kong Yan. Many strong men followed her, most of whom he had seen before. He knew they were all members of the Yan Hunting Group.
"Two days without seeing you, I thought you were angry with me and weren't coming," Kong Yan leaned down, her alluring face close to Lu An, their faces only a palm's distance apart.
A blood-pumping scene was exposed before Lu An, making his face flush even more. He turned his head away to avoid looking.
"I'm not angry," Lu An took a light breath and said with a frown.
Seeing Lu An's reaction, Kong Yan decided not to tease him further. She stood up and surveyed Lu An's attire, saying, "I'll have someone get you a set of clothes, otherwise people will think that everyone in my Yan Hunting Group is poor."
Lu An gave an embarrassed smile upon hearing this, and could only nod and say, "Thank you, Yan Jie."
Just then, Kong Yan's willow-like brows suddenly furrowed as she looked ahead. Lu An also looked back and saw Wang Zhenggang approaching with a dozen people.
These people were all wearing uniform clothing, and each had a bag on their back, clearly indicating they were heading out. As members of the Hunter Alliance, they were naturally going to hunt Strange Beasts.
"Kong Yan, we meet again," Wang Zhenggang walked up to Kong Yan, his eyes shamelessly sweeping over Kong Yan's breasts and shapely buttocks. A wicked smile appeared on his lips as he said, "It seems you've also received the news."
Kong Yan felt a wave of disgust upon seeing Wang Zhenggang, and her brows furrowed deeper. She said, "What, are you also going to the Gongxu Mountains?"
"Of course, a fire-element rebirth crystal core can sell for a lot of money!" Wang Zhenggang raised an eyebrow, looking down at Kong Yan, and said, "And if I consume it myself, I might directly become a First-Level Celestial Master, without even having to wait these last few months."
Kong Yan's face turned icy upon hearing this. If Wang Zhenggang's team were to compete with her for it at the same time, her chances of success would be too small. Although Wang Zhenggang's character was poor, the strength of his team was indeed undeniable.
"How about this? Be my woman, and I won't just not compete with you for this rebirth crystal core, I'll even help you get it. How about it?" Wang Zhenggang reached out, intending to cup Kong Yan's chin.
Slap.
Kong Yan slapped Wang Zhenggang's hand away and said coldly, "Thank you for your kindness, I can get it myself!"
Wang Zhenggang's face darkened upon hearing this, then he saw the young man beside Kong Yan, and his expression grew even more grim.
"Last time, I thought you were angry with me, but now it seems you're really more interested in this kind of novice," Wang Zhenggang said, then turned to Lu An and said coldly, "Kid, there are many wild beasts in the Gongxu Mountains. Be careful not to lose your life!"
Lu An looked at Wang Zhenggang's blatant threat without anger. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "You too."