Lucky to Be Alive

Boom—!

A dazzling golden light tore through the sky, piercing the Azure Wing Demonic Eagle's head like divine punishment.

Its enormous body stiffened abruptly in midair before crashing heavily to the ground, sending dust billowing everywhere.

The freshmen who had been fleeing in every direction stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the scene.

That was a Tier 3 Demonic Beast, a terrifying existence comparable to an Eight-star Great Battle Master—yet it had been killed in a single strike?!

"Calm down!"

A steady voice rang out.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a tall middle-aged man walking over. He wore Jia Nan Academy instructor robes, golden sword patterns embroidered on his cuffs. His face was resolute, and his eyes were as sharp as blades.

"It's Instructor Mo, 'Golden Edge'!"

Someone cried out.

Mo Cang swept his gaze over the crowd. Wherever his eyes passed, the panicked freshmen quieted down. His tone was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"What are you panicking for? Since you chose to come out and hunt Demonic Beasts, you should have been prepared for this!"

He walked to the Azure Wing Demonic Eagle's corpse, planted a foot on its head, and spoke coldly.

"Jia Nan Academy's Trial Area has never been some greenhouse garden! Those who are too slow or too weak can die at any time!"

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads.

The freshmen who had still been shaken by the danger lowered their heads and clenched their fists.

Seeing that they had calmed down, Mo Cang softened his tone slightly.

"Still, since you're alive, it means you were lucky."

He pointed toward the distant forest.

"Now, everyone gather up and count the numbers. Send the injured back to the academy for treatment immediately!"

Only then did the freshmen snap out of their daze and begin moving.

Some helped the wounded, some gathered scattered equipment, while others secretly glanced at Mo Cang with reverence in their eyes.

"Instructor Mo, why did an Azure Wing Demonic Eagle appear in the trial area?"

A bold student could not help asking.

Mo Cang narrowed his eyes and looked into the depths of the forest as he replied indifferently.

"There have been some abnormalities deep in the forest recently. The academy is already investigating."

He paused, his voice turning stern.

"Remember this: for the rest of the trial, you must be even more cautious! If you encounter anything unusual, retreat immediately!"

Everyone nodded, feeling both lingering fear and relief.

Fortunately, an instructor had been there. Otherwise, they might not have survived today.

Mo Cang withdrew his gaze, turned, and flew toward the edge of the forest, leaving behind a final sentence.

"Now, pull yourselves together! True strong people do not survive by hiding behind others!"

Jiang Donghua and the other two had just emerged from the dense woods when they happened to witness that golden Battle Qi shooting through the heavens.

All three of their pupils contracted as they held their breath in unison.

"Battle Qi Wings!"

Liu Mingyu swallowed, his voice dry as sandpaper scraping together.

"Though they're faint, they really are Battle Qi Wings!"

Liu Yuting unconsciously clenched the ice crystal pendant, her knuckles turning white.

"At least Dou Ling Peak... no, he's probably already half a step into Dou Wang."

Jiang Donghua narrowed his eyes as he watched the tall figure in the distance.

Instructor Mo Cang was folding away the pale golden wings behind his back. Those feathers formed entirely from pure Battle Qi flickered in and out of sight beneath the sunlight, radiating a suffocating pressure.

"Now that's a real powerhouse."

Jiang Donghua smacked his lips, a trace of longing flashing through his eyes. Then he grinned and patted Liu Mingyu's bulging Storage Ring.

"But we didn't do too badly ourselves!"

Compared to the other freshmen who had fled in a sorry state, the three of them could practically be called richly rewarded.

Liu Mingyu touched the Wood Element magic core in his robes, then felt the abundant Battle Qi within him after his breakthrough. He could not help smiling.

The camps they passed along the way were in complete disarray.

Many students in ragged clothes sat collapsed on the ground. Some held injured companions and sobbed quietly, while several others lay beneath white sheets, clearly left in this forest forever.

"Make way! All of you, make way!"

Several senior students hurried past with medical supplies. The student on the stretcher had a mangled, bloody abdomen and had already fallen unconscious.

Liu Yuting turned her face away, unable to bear the sight.

Jiang Donghua remained composed, though his pace unconsciously quickened.

He understood all too well that in this world where the strong preyed upon the weak, simply returning alive was already the greatest fortune.

"Stop!"

A student from the Enforcement Team stopped them.

"Please show us your gains. The academy needs to tally the casualties and losses."

Jiang Donghua generously took out his Storage Ring and poured out the corpses of more than a dozen Wood Swallowing Rats, along with two Wood Element magic cores.

The Enforcement Team member raised his brows in surprise.

"You... didn't encounter the beast tide?"

"We did. We were just faster at running."

Jiang Donghua shrugged and pointed at his scorched sleeve.

Liu Mingyu added at the right moment.

"Thanks to Senior Brother Jiang, we found a safe cave."

His tone was sincere, and his eyes held undisguised gratitude.

After finishing the registration, the Enforcement Team member gave the three of them a meaningful look.

"You're quite lucky. Go get a simple checkup at the medical tents, then you can head back."

As they walked out of the camp, Jiang Donghua gave a huge stretch, his bones cracking loudly.

"Let's go! Second floor of the dining hall! Tonight, we drink until we drop!"

Liu Mingyu and Liu Yuting exchanged smiles and answered in unison.

"Alright!"

On the Battle Qi Continent, strength and luck were both indispensable.

The three headed straight to Jia Nan Academy's Mission Hall, an ancient stone hall with a plaque hanging above its entrance bearing the three bold characters: Merit Pavilion.

The hall was bustling with people, and many students were handing in or accepting missions.

"Turning in a mission."

Jiang Donghua swaggered up to the counter and slapped his Storage Ring onto the surface.

The registrar was a Senior Student with a goatee. He casually accepted the Storage Ring and swept it with his spiritual sense, only for his eyes to widen at once.

"Se... seventeen Wood Swallowing Rats? And two Wood Element magic cores?!"

His voice rose several octaves, drawing the attention of several freshmen waiting nearby.

"What? Is there a problem?"

Liu Mingyu asked in a deliberately calm tone, though he could not hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.

The registrar hurriedly shook his head and fumbled for the record book.

"No, no, no. It's just—"

He lowered his voice.

"You're freshmen, right? You got this much in just one day and one night?"

Liu Yuting smiled and handed over the mission scroll.

"Please inspect it, Senior Brother."

The registrar took the scroll and checked it carefully. After confirming that everything was correct, the surprise on his face deepened.

He could not help looking up to study the three of them.

"In previous years, freshmen would already be doing well if they finished their first mission within five days."

The registrar took out three bronze tokens and engraved merit points onto them.

True to their promise to drink until they dropped, the three went straight to the dining hall's second floor.

"Order food!"

Jiang Donghua slapped down a bag of gold coins.

"Flying Cloud Crane, Drunken Immortal Brew, and one Roasted Cold Water Fish!"

Liu Mingyu rubbed his hands together.

"We can finally have a decent meal."

He grabbed a freshly served roasted pheasant leg and started gnawing on it, grease running down his chin.

Liu Yuting took small sips of soup before suddenly laughing softly.

"It's much better than dried rations."

Jiang Donghua tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of Drunken Immortal Brew, liquor spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Wonderful!"

A good meal could comfort these young people who had only just gone through a life-and-death ordeal.