Afternoon soon arrived, and ability training was already underway. Unlike the other classes, they belonged to a special class and had been assigned the best training grounds.
They were no longer at the academy, because ability training required them to use their abilities rather than simply listen to lessons in a classroom.
If many of their abilities went uncontrolled, they might cause enormous damage, which would naturally be the academy's loss.
Li Chen frowned at the eight islands floating in the air before him and murmured, "Canglan really lives up to its reputation. It actually controls a Secret Realm for its students to train in."
Secret Realms were mysterious spaces that had appeared after descending alongside the meteorites sixteen years ago. They contained things humanity had never seen before.
Some of those spaces were harmless, while others were dangerous. This Secret Realm was clearly harmless, though it might once have been dangerous and presumably had been cleared.
Li Chen could feel that ever since entering the Secret Realm, his body had been absorbing an unknown energy at every moment, constantly improving itself. It felt wonderful.
No wonder the academy sent its students here to learn how to use their abilities.
There were nine islands in the Secret Realm.
Eight of the islands each had a different environment. One lay beneath a scorching sun, while another was covered in ice and snow. The environments here filled many students with excitement.
The island beneath their feet had been built by the academy as a place for students to rest.
Yu Qingnian stood before the entrances to the eight islands. He said nothing, merely looking at the eight doors.
Each door bore numerous warnings.
Once inside, they could only enter and leave using the student badges issued by the academy. This was also how Canglan kept others from entering the Secret Realm.
Li Chen and the others sat on a bench and waited. After all, the doors had not yet opened, and quite a few students had yet to arrive.
"Chen-ge, how come I don't feel hungry after coming in here?" Su Zhe asked in some confusion. Ever since awakening his Get Stronger by Eating talent, he had felt hungry from time to time, but this was the first time he had felt what it was like to be full.
Li Chen raised his eyes and said calmly, "There's plenty of energy in the Secret Realm, probably far more than outside. Your body absorbed the energy here without you knowing, so you're not hungry. You've eaten your fill of energy."
"Damn, just the air here can fill me up? Then, Chen-ge, do you think it would work if I packed some of the air up and took it outside?"
Su Zhe scratched his head, looking as though he thought himself a genius.
Li Chen smiled and teased, "You can try. Maybe it'll work."
He wasn't sure whether the energy here could be packed up and taken outside either. If it really could, there were plenty of possibilities.
But then a cool female voice suddenly rang out.
"You two sure have some ideas! That's the first time I've heard of someone packing it up."
Li Chen turned to look. The speaker was a very cute girl with her hair in a high ponytail, and another girl in a light blue dress stood beside her.
He thought for a few seconds and quickly recognized them as students in his class. The girl with the ponytail seemed to be the one who had asked a question in class that morning.
Su Zhe naturally saw the two of them as well and asked in confusion, "Why wouldn't it work? Have you tried it?"
The girl merely smiled and teased, "You can try moving air from one place to another. Don't you think only someone with something wrong in the head would do that?"
Jianping, who had silently been holding his wife all this time, said quietly, "Su Baozi, I think you might be the one with something seriously wrong in the head."
Su Zhe: "..."
Seeing the two tease each other, the girl walked over to Li Chen and smiled. "My name is Meng Xi, and this is Luo Lin. We're students in the special class too."
"Um... Did you need something from us?"
Li Chen looked at the two of them, somewhat puzzled.
He didn't believe they had suddenly come to talk to them just to get acquainted. Everyone in the special class was in competition with one another.
Meng Xi froze for a moment, then said slowly, "We came to find you because we're looking to form a team, of course. Didn't you know that after entering the Secret Realm, you need a small team to enter those islands?"
"A team?" Li Chen blinked, thoroughly confused.
He hadn't known they needed to form teams to enter the islands.
Meng Xi nodded slightly and continued, "That's right. None of the islands are entirely safe. Their harsh environments are the greatest threat."
"Although Instructor Yu will guide and accompany us once we enter, he won't be at our side all the time. So one of the requirements for entering an island is to form a five-person team."
"With Luo Lin and me and the three of you, we have exactly enough. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you."
Li Chen frowned and thought for a moment. Rather than agree immediately, he looked at Jianping. There was no need to ask Su Zhe.
He needed to consider Jianping's opinion.
Jianping said nothing and looked at Su Zhe instead. Su Baozi was utterly baffled. Why was everyone looking at him? Had he gotten handsome again?
He said, "Don't look at me like that! Whatever Chen-ge thinks, I think too."
Jianping nodded as well. He didn't like thinking.
Meng Xi stepped forward with a smile. "In that case, we'll be a team from now on, but only within the Secret Realm."
"As for outside, we won't interfere with one another. How does that sound?"
Li Chen and the others nodded. They were quite satisfied with the arrangement.
At least forming a team really was a hassle.
Meng Xi smiled. "Let me introduce myself again. I'm Meng Xi, and my ability is Dream."
Li Chen replied calmly, "I'm Li Chen. My ability is Vector Manipulation."
The moment he named his ability, something seemed to change in Meng Xi's eyes, though she didn't show it.
Clearly, she knew the ability.
Luo Lin's expression also seemed to change slightly, as though she were a little surprised.
"Vector Manipulation?"
Meng Xi hesitated for a few seconds, looking somewhat puzzled. She naturally knew the ability well, but she hadn't expected it to suddenly appear before her.
"Mm..."
Just then, Su Zhe suddenly interrupted them with a conceited look. "I'm Su Zhe. You can call me a handsome, good-looking man. My ability is Get Stronger by Eating."
His words instantly shattered the serious atmosphere among them.
Luo Lin covered her mouth and smiled, then said, "I'm Luo Lin. My ability is Telekinesis. Please take care of me from now on."
Finally, they all looked at Jianping, because his was the only ability none of them knew yet.
He ranked fifth, after all. What kind of ability could rank fifth? Even Li Chen was a little curious.
Jianping opened his mouth, slung his case onto his back, and said, "I'm Jianping. My ability is..."