Trial in the Magical Beast Mountain Range

"Huh, someone's stepped into the arena. 😲♞"

As soon as Lin Feng and Dixie entered the academy's public arena, some sharp-eyed students noticed them.

"Is that Lin Feng? The peerless genius who went from a level-one mage to a level-four mage in just one year?" someone suddenly cried out.

Though Lin Feng was famous at Ernst Academy, he almost never appeared in public except for his daily wind-magic classes. The fact that he had shown up at the arena today was big news. Some students still clearly remembered the last time Lin Feng had entered the arena, when he had beaten Land into a pulp. That duel had been brief, but it had been spectacular. Now that Lin Feng was back in the arena, everyone was intensely curious about who his opponent was. Had someone actually dared to challenge Ernst Academy's top genius? Were they looking to die?

"Whoa! The person standing across from Lin Feng is Dixie, another genius from Ernst Academy! Oh my god, am I seeing this right? The academy's two peerless geniuses are standing in the arena together! Oh my god!"

Lin Feng and Dixie seemed not to hear the uproar below. They met each other's gaze, their fighting spirit surging.

"Make your move. Since you're Delia's brother, I'll give you three chances."

Lin Feng's words instantly set off an uproar below. Sure, he was a genius, but did he have to be so arrogant?

Dixie's expression barely changed. He simply forced two icy words through his teeth: "No need."

"Since you insist, I won't hold back."

The moment Lin Feng finished speaking, he shot toward Dixie like a leopard. At the same time, he cast the wind spell "Extreme Speed" on his legs.

Dixie saw a dark blur flash before his eyes. Then he landed on the ground. By the time he realized what had happened, he was already standing below the arena.

The crowd below was stunned. What kind of speed was that? Lin Feng had knocked his opponent off the arena before he could even react. How was that possible? Dixie was a level-four mage! When had level-four mages become so weak?

Delia, who had been anxiously watching the arena, also stared wide-eyed. She knew better than anyone how strong her brother was, yet Lin Feng had knocked him off the platform in a single move. He hadn't even had a chance to strike. Delia stared at Lin Feng's smiling face in disbelief. At the same time, his image grew even greater in her eyes.

Of everyone present, only Lin Feng and the other person involved, Dixie, had even a vague idea of how Lin Feng had knocked him off the platform. Lin Feng hadn't used magic at all. He'd relied entirely on his physical strength and explosive power, then used the level-two wind spell "Extreme Speed" to close the distance between them in an instant before knocking him off with a deft maneuver. The entire sequence had flowed as smoothly as running water, without the slightest hitch.

"I didn't expect you to be a formidable warrior as well as a mage. I lost. I'm entrusting Delia to you. I hope you'll protect her. If you let anything happen to her, I'll kill you, no matter the cost."

Dixie wasn't a sore loser. A loss was a loss; it was no big deal. Though he was constantly surrounded by the aura of a genius, he had never considered himself one. Every remarkable achievement he had earned so far had come from taking one step at a time and working hard.

"Don't worry. If Delia gets hurt, I won't forgive myself, even without you killing me."

After saying that, Lin Feng led the dazed Delia away from the arena.

The next day, when Lin Feng applied to the academy for permission to go on a trial, he was told that only fifth- and sixth-year students were eligible to go on trials outside the academy. In other words, they had to be at least level-five mages. With no other choice, Lin Feng demonstrated his strength again, casually casting a spell that only a level-five mage could use. His display left the instructor stunned. Ten years old and already a level-five mage—there were no words for such a genius. He could only be called a freak or a monster. If the instructor had known that Lin Feng was already a level-six mage at the peak of the level, on the verge of breaking through to level seven, and a level-five warrior to boot, he probably would have been so ashamed of himself that he took his own life.

In just one day, word of Lin Feng's status as a level-five mage had spread far and wide. The news sent shock waves through all of Ernst Academy, and Dixie's title as the academy's top genius passed directly to Lin Feng. For a while, no one at the academy could rival Lin Feng's fame.

But Lin Feng himself knew nothing about any of that. By then, he had already set off with Delia and Beibei on a trial in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Delia was only a second-year student and wasn't eligible to go on trials outside the academy. In the end, at Lin Feng's suggestion, she applied to take a leave of absence.

Only the other three brothers of dormitory 1987 saw Lin Feng and Delia off when they left. Their departure didn't attract anyone else's attention. Even Delia's brother, Dixie, didn't show up.

It was the year 9992 of the Yulan Calendar. Lin Feng was ten years old, and Delia was nine.

"Squeak!" Beibei excitedly poked his head out of Lin Feng's clothes, leaped onto his shoulder, and waved his paws as he spoke to Lin Feng through Soul Transmission. "Boss, hurry up! I can't wait any longer. I really want to see what the Magical Beast Mountain Range looks like!"

"Settle down. Even if I wanted to hurry, Delia's body wouldn't be able to keep up," Lin Feng replied through Soul Transmission. Delia wasn't a warrior, so her physical fitness naturally couldn't compare with Lin Feng's, a level-five warrior. Her magic level was also quite low, so they couldn't travel very fast.

At that, Beibei immediately drooped, looking dejected. "Boss, I really don't get it. Why bring Sister-in-law to such a dangerous place as the Magical Beast Mountain Range? If anything happens to her, it'll be too late to regret it."

"Hehe, so this is Beibei?" Delia had spent more than a year hanging around with Lin Feng and had long since gotten to know Beibei. She adored him. After all, no girl could resist Beibei's adorable appearance, and Delia was no exception.

"Delia, let me introduce you properly. This is Beibei, my good brother. He's also a little troublemaker."

Hearing Lin Feng's introduction, Beibei was very displeased. He bared his teeth at Lin Feng, making Delia laugh delightedly.

As the two of them and the magical beast chatted and laughed along the way, a man dressed entirely in green, his face smeared with green juice, watched them coldly from the woods more than a hundred meters off to their rear flank. He held a powerful compound longbow.

The man's lips moved continuously, as if he were silently reciting a magic incantation.

At the same time, he drew the longbow to its full span. Suddenly, the arrow shot out at Extreme Speed. A faint Azure Light shimmered at the tip of its conical arrowhead. The arrow flew at a terrifying speed, tearing through the air and streaking across the sky. In the blink of an eye, it had crossed more than a hundred meters.