It was a painful, agonizing, and helpless process.
Although Lu An knew that everything before him had already been set in stone and nothing would change, his heart still felt as if it were being cut by a knife every time he re-experienced the situation.
Just at the tenth repetition, his Mental Energy had already weakened to the extreme. And at that very moment, the voice of the Black Mist Person began to echo in his mind.
"I don't want you to feel pain, but to feel the changes in your heart. Carefully experience how your heart beats and remember this feeling. Only then can you directly enter the Demon God Realm in the future without recalling any painful memories."
Heaven knows how tormenting it was to meticulously experience his own pain, but Lu An did it.
He felt every minute and every inch of change and pulsation in his heart, trying to remain as conscious as possible within the Demon God Realm. Even so, five hours of torment nearly killed him.
If not for the Black Mist Person, he would have fainted long ago.
"Lu An! Don't scare me, wake up!" Kong Yan's voice became a little panicked. She thought Lu An's severe injuries were the cause of his current state, and she quickly reached out to carry him on her back and leave.
Just as Kong Yan was about to carry him, a very weak voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Yan Jie..."
Kong Yan's body tensed, and she quickly turned to look at Lu An, finding him lying against the earthen wall with his eyelids half-closed and his eyes unfocused.
"You're awake?!" Kong Yan was overjoyed and quickly asked, "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." Lu An struggled forcefully but couldn't sit up, weakly saying, "I had a terrible dream... I'll be fine after a short rest."
Listening to Lu An, Kong Yan placed a hand on his pulse. After finding that Lu An's body was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then you should clear your head for a while. Once you're well-rested, we'll leave here."
"Mm." Lu An nodded, closed his eyes, and leaned against the earthen wall to rest.
Half an hour later.
After half an hour of rest, Lu An's Mental Energy had recovered considerably. Although he still felt dizzy occasionally, it was countless times better than his initial dazed state. However, Kong Yan noticed that Lu An's mood remained somewhat low. Could it be that he really had a very terrible nightmare?
Seeing that Lu An had rested enough, Kong Yan stood up and said, "Let's go. Can you move on your own?"
"Yes." Lu An also stood up. Although this action pulled at the severe pain in his back, he still nodded and said, "Don't worry, Yan Jie."
Kong Yan looked at Lu An worriedly and instructed, "If you feel unwell, tell me, and I'll carry you."
"Okay." Lu An smiled, not refusing, and said softly.
A three-meter high pit couldn't trap Kong Yan and Lu An. The two quickly climbed out of the pit, and by then, the bright moon was in the sky, with stars everywhere.
There were no clouds in the sky, and the moon's light illuminated the entire Gongxu Mountains. Kong Yan and Lu An looked around and found that Wang Zhenggang and the others were long gone. This was to be expected, as the Gongxu Mountains at night were too dangerous, and they had no need to risk it.
"Let's go!" Kong Yan lowered her voice and whispered, "Try to be as quiet as possible to avoid startling the surrounding Strange Beasts."
"Mm." Lu An nodded in response.
Soon, the two rushed quickly towards the academy. Kong Yan, after all, was the leader of the Yan Hunting Group, and over the years, she had a good understanding of the terrain in the outer regions of the Gongxu Mountains. They didn't encounter a single Strange Beast along the way. The few wild beasts they occasionally met were all killed by Kong Yan. However, the Gongxu Mountains were very large, and by the time the two returned to the academy, it was already early morning.
By then, it was already dawn, and people were starting to move around in the academy. The two quickly arrived at a wooden house belonging to the Yan Hunting Group. After washing up, Lu An looked refreshed again. At this moment, the bloody wounds on Lu An's back had already begun to clot. Kong Yan was first surprised by this Prodigy's healing speed, then took out a new set of clothes for Lu An to change into.
"You should go back and rest first. You were too tired yesterday." Kong Yan said after watching Lu An put on his clothes, "You don't need to worry about Wang Zhenggang; I'll handle it."
Lu An looked at Kong Yan after putting on his clothes and smiled, saying, "Okay."
With that, Lu An turned and walked towards the door, ready to leave.
"Thank you."
A voice suddenly came from behind him. Lu An's body stiffened, and he turned to look at Kong Yan.
Kong Yan's sexy and proud face was now very calm, with a hint of light in her eyes, and she said softly, "Thank you for helping me get the rebirth crystal core and for saving my life."
Lu An heard this, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "It was only right."
With that, he turned and left.
Kong Yan watched the door slowly close, her eyes subtly moving, and she took a light breath, ultimately saying nothing.
Seven days later.
In the Gongxu Mountains, a figure swiftly moved through the forest. This figure performed various complex and difficult movements in the air, on trees, and on the ground, continuously releasing flames and ice from his hands. Wherever they struck, they were either incinerated or covered in ice.
This person was precisely Lu An.
During these seven days, Lu An spent all his time in the Gongxu Mountains, except for attending theoretical classes and sleeping. At night, the Black Mist Person performed Body Tempering on him, helping him refine his Demon God Realm. Not only that, but he also taught him many practical combat experiences and techniques. During the day, Lu An would come alone to the outer regions of the Gongxu Mountains and Cultivate while meditating in the forest. Any wild beast that actively attacked him would become his practical combat target. After a few days, the number of wild beasts in this mountainous area significantly decreased, which also surprised the Hunter Alliance members in the academy.
Bang!
Lu An jumped down from a five-meter-high tree, landing steadily. Feeling an indescribable sense of clarity throughout his body, Lu An took a deep breath, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
The feeling of his strength gradually improving made him feel that his efforts were not in vain.
In seven days, his strength had rapidly advanced from a Second-Level Sky Realm to a Fourth-Level Sky Realm. This speed could already be called Prodigy-like. Although the Sky Realm is lower than a First-Level Celestial Master, the speed of Cultivation in the Sky Realm is directly proportional to future Cultivation speed.
For students in the academy, reaching Fourth-Level Sky Realm within a year was already considered a Genius. Very few could Cultivate to Seventh-Level Sky Realm within two years, and those who could Breakthrough the Sky Realm to become a Celestial Master within three years would be specially nurtured. As for someone like Lu An, who reached Fourth-Level Sky Realm in less than half a month since the start of school, it was probably unheard of.
Lu An knew all this, but he never thought of himself as a Genius, because the Black Mist Person didn't think he was that outstanding.
The Black Mist Person had told him that while his Cultivation speed was outstanding in such a small academy, it was nothing compared to the vast Eight Ancient Continent. In those Holy Lands of Cultivation, everyone could achieve his Cultivation speed. Moreover, the Black Mist Person said he once saw someone go from Sky Realm to Celestial Master in just one day.
"I have Three Life Wheels, yet my Cultivation speed is still slower than others." Lu An looked at his palm, slowly clenched his fist, and said with a frown.
Taking a deep breath, Lu An lowered his hand. It was almost noon, and he had a class in the afternoon, so he had to return to the academy immediately, or he might not make it in time.
Thinking this, Lu An quickly packed his things, took a steamed bun from his backpack, and ate it while rushing on his way.
An hour later, Lu An finally rushed back to Starfire Academy. When he arrived at the classroom, it was already full of people, but the teacher had not yet arrived. Gao Dashan and the others immediately surrounded Lu An when they saw him, as they had already known what Lu An had done eight days ago.
"Lu An, where on earth did you go? We couldn't find you at the Body Tempering Tower, nor at the Hunter Alliance. What have you been doing for over a week?" Gao Dashan asked quickly after walking up to Lu An.
Lu An looked at his caring companions, a smile on his face, and said, "I was Cultivating by myself for a few days."
"Cultivating? But I couldn't find you at the Body Tempering grounds either!" The tall and thin Li Dongshi couldn't help but say, "Don't forget the battle agreement you made with someone!"
Battle agreement?
Lu An was startled. Just as he was a little slow to react, he suddenly heard a dense sound of footsteps from behind him. At the same time, the expressions of Gao Dashan, Li Dongshi, and the others became serious, even showing a hint of fear.
Lu An frowned slightly, turned around, and met the eyes of the approaching person.
"Kid." Zhou Chengkun stopped, standing in front of Lu An, with a group of people behind him, dressed in fine clothes, looking down at Lu An with disdain, and said, "The 'Grudge Meeting' is the day after tomorrow. Shouldn't we make a bet?"