Time to Put on a Show

No wonder Principal Fang of Third High School was suspicious. Anyone with a decent eye could tell that Lu Chong was clearly entering the Hunting Ground for the first time.

More precisely, this was his first time coming into real contact with a living Exotic Beast.

It wasn't just because Lu Chong had been petting the cat and studying it. His complete lack of vigilance after entering the Hunting Ground also made him look nothing like an experienced hunter.

If anything, he seemed incredibly green.

The other students, including those with better Martial Arts Foundation scores, had all proceeded cautiously after entering the Hunting Ground, constantly on guard against ambushes by Exotic Beasts.

Some of the more capable students, with plenty of experience, had even begun figuring out their own routes and hunting methods, earning points efficiently.

Lu Chong, by contrast, had been wandering around near the entrance with carefree swagger for almost half an hour.

This wasn't a case of being skilled enough to be fearless. It was more like a newborn calf that didn't know to fear a tiger.

Everyone present knew that even in an area occupied by first-stage Exotic Beasts, they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

If they were surrounded by a horde of first-stage Exotic Beasts, even Eighth or Ninth Stage Martial Disciples could be trapped and worn down until they eventually ran out of strength and lost.

These lessons were taught in class all the time, but many students either didn't take them seriously or forgot them as soon as they stepped into an exam hall or onto a battlefield.

That was exactly how Lu Chong looked right now.

But in response to Principal Fang of Third High School's doubts, Wei Jianguo simply lifted his teacup, took a leisurely sip, and said with a chuckle, "Old Fang, after all these years, you still haven't learned to judge people."

"Damn it!" Principal Fang was immediately riled. "You old coot, quit acting like you're some big shot."

"Tell me, what's so special about this student of yours?"

Principal Wei smiled. "How about this? I heard Third High School has a few promising students this time, too."

"Let's compare the practical results of this Mock Exam."

"If any student from Third High School scores higher than Lu Chong, I'll call you big brother whenever I see you from now on."

Principal Fang immediately perked up. He'd been kept under Old Wei's thumb for so many years, and he'd long wanted to turn the tables.

"Bring it on. Who's afraid of whom? Don't underestimate us just because he's an Eighth Stage greenhorn. We're not afraid of those few students from First High School's key class, either."

"Wait." Wei Jianguo looked at Principal Fang. "I'm making quite a sacrifice here. If you lose, you'll have to put something on the line, too."

Principal Fang widened his eyes, then laughed. "I knew you weren't up to anything good."

"Go on, what do you want?"

Only then did Wei Jianguo chuckle. "Old Fang, that Tiger Roar Skill you developed yourself is pretty good. How about passing it on to my student?"

"Heh..." Principal Fang chuckled. "You think calling me big brother is enough to get you my prized Tiger Roar Skill? You're asking for a bit much."

"You can trade me your Golden Cicada Robe for it," Principal Fang added immediately.

"Fine!" Wei Jianguo said without a care. "Then it's settled. But during special training, you'll personally coach my student. No problem, right?"

"Likewise," Principal Fang replied quickly, adding his own condition.

"Colonel Huang, you heard all that, right? Do us two old men a favor and witness the deal." Wei Jianguo looked toward the middle-aged officer with a square face sitting nearby and spoke casually.

The colonel stationed with the military at the Guanyun City base stood up and saluted. "Understood, teacher."

Colonel Huang had once been Principal Wei's student, too. Now over forty, he was a genuine peak Martial Master.

Still, he was curious about what his teacher, a man with exceptionally high standards, saw in this somewhat green-looking junior fellow student.

In the back row, Li Chengjun had also noticed Lu Chong's carefree manner. He glanced at the scoreboard on the right side of the screen.

"See that, Old Squad Leader?" Li Chengjun said to Wang Tong. "Your precious student has only scored one point so far."

"Look at Xiang Yueya and Zhao Longfei. They're way out in front, already past a hundred points."

That was true. It wasn't just students from Class 1; all the students with higher cultivation levels had already charged through the outer area and entered the territories of fourth- or even sixth-stage Exotic Beasts to hunt.

After all, though there were plenty of Exotic Beasts in the outer area, they were worth very few points. They were also scattered far apart and hard to find if they hid, which greatly reduced hunting efficiency.

Wang Tong glanced at the scoreboard, then at Lu Chong, who had finally let go of the Shadow Cat. He rallied himself and said, "What's the rush? Sharpening your axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. There are still five days left. We'll see who has the last laugh."

Li Chengjun could tell that Wang Tong was nervous, too, so he didn't keep making sarcastic remarks. He didn't want to truly anger the old squad leader.

What was all that about sharpening an axe not delaying the work of chopping wood?

This was an exam. Even with five days, every second counted.

Lu Chong had no idea that so many people were watching him. After unhurriedly releasing the Shadow Cat, he continued along the street he'd chosen, heading straight toward the inner area.

He'd spent time studying a Shadow Cat that was only at the First Stage of Level One not because he didn't know time was short, nor because he was holding back on purpose or overestimating himself.

He knew that the Mock Exam's Hunting Ground contained only one kind of Exotic Beast: the Shadow Cat.

So he wanted to infer the whole from a single detail. By studying this Shadow Cat and comparing it with the information in his textbooks and videos, he could understand the beast more thoroughly.

Now, he had a fairly good idea of what to expect.

Most importantly, Lu Chong had memorized the Shadow Cat's scent—or, more accurately, its aura.

Ever since his Golden Cicada Robe had reached the Microscopic level, his five senses had become especially sharp. As long as he remembered this aura, he'd be able to find prey much more easily and efficiently later.

As he made his way deeper along the street, Lu Chong still didn't rush. He simply strolled along, taking the Tracking Monitors from the first-stage Shadow Cats he encountered.

From beginning to end, he used only the most basic Monument-Splitting Palm and Nine-Shadow Step. And because he controlled them with such ease, hardly anyone could tell that both Martial Skills had reached perfection.

It wasn't until nightfall that Lu Chong entered the territory of second-stage Shadow Cats.

By then, his score was only thirty-six.

Using the SOS Device issued to all participants, he could also see that the student at the top of the scoreboard had already earned 232 points. It was Xiang Yueya from First High School.

The student in second place wasn't Zhao Longfei or Huang Junyan, but Xue Cheng from Third High School, who had scored 218 points.

"It's dark. Looks like I'd better hurry up and put on a show." Lu Chong glanced at the sky, took a bite of a Nutrition Bar, then sped up as he headed toward the inner area.