Night Is My Turf

Shadow Cats were nocturnal, and their eyes could easily spot prey in the dark.

So most students chose to hide in corners they had prepared in advance after nightfall, avoiding the Shadow Cats that came out in large numbers at night.

Even the stronger students mostly did the same.

Without a large number of students to distract the Shadow Cats, they could easily find themselves surrounded.

Lu Chong, however, was doing the exact opposite. He planned to go against the grain and rack up points under cover of darkness.

The Golden Cicada Robe gave him more than just powerful defense. His eyes could also see easily in the dark.

As for the possibility of being surrounded by Shadow Cats, Lu Chong wasn't worried.

With his Nine-Shadow Step at mastery, he was every bit as fast and agile as Shadow Cats of the same stage.

The night was his turf, too.

He casually slapped away a Stage Two Shadow Cat as it pounced at him, then swiftly snatched the Positioning Device from its neck. For Lu Chong, it was just basic technique.

He didn't even need to hurt the Shadow Cats to easily intimidate them.

Most of the Shadow Cats he slapped away had experienced Lu Chong's aura up close, and wouldn't charge at him a second time.

"Just as I thought. Hunting at night is the most satisfying."

As he swept through the streets, Lu Chong adjusted his fighting style.

In the darkness, he didn't need to search for Shadow Cats at all. Plenty of them would naturally come pouncing over to give him points.

Even when more than a dozen Shadow Cats attacked him at once, Lu Chong could easily weave through them with his Nine-Shadow Step, coming and going as he pleased.

By nine that evening, Lu Chong had already scored 128 points and made it into the territory of the Stage Three Shadow Cats.

By then, the scores of the hundred students on the Scoreboard had begun to rise more slowly.

Xiang Yueya, who was in first place, had reached 356 points.

Qin Chuan, the student in hundredth place, had 201 points.

In the Monitoring Hall, Wang Tong still stared tensely, his eyes wide, switching back and forth between Lu Chong's live video feed and the Scoreboard.

Beside him, Li Chengjun laughed. "Don't be so nervous. Look how bold your student is. He still dares to hunt alone at night."

"He's really a fearless young calf."

Li Chengjun sighed. "At this rate, I don't think he'll make it through the night before they have to send him out."

Wang Tong ignored Li Chengjun, though he was also a little worried about Lu Chong.

He didn't think Lu Chong was the impulsive, reckless type, so why was he breaking the cardinal rule and deliberately going out at night?

"Even with his level of martial skill, moving around at night is still fraught with danger."

It was nearly ten o'clock, and almost all the students had gone into hiding.

They weren't just trying to avoid the large numbers of Shadow Cats that came out at night. They were also conserving their strength for the final push.

The Combat Assessment was a long ordeal, and endurance was one of the important factors being tested.

In the front row, Principal Fang of Third High School had also noticed Lu Chong's performance. Although he was surprised by Lu Chong's mastery of the Nine-Shadow Step, that was all.

He looked confidently toward Principal Wei beside him, only to find that his old friend was already asleep in his chair.

In the darkness, Lu Chong continued deeper into the Hunting Ground without stopping. No Shadow Cat could block his path.

By the time he entered the territory of the Stage Four Shadow Cats, his score had more than doubled again, reaching 271 points.

"I've finally made the top hundred. Time to keep pushing."

Lu Chong continued onward. The number of Shadow Cats charging at him began to dwindle, but they were growing ever stronger.

Even so, they still couldn't threaten him. His mastered Nine-Shadow Step and Monument-Splitting Palm were more than enough to handle them with ease.

Lu Chong stayed in this area for over an hour, bringing his score to 351 and vaulting into second place on the Scoreboard.

If the Stage Four Shadow Cats hadn't begun to grow scarce, and if the students ahead of him hadn't already taken their share, his score would have been even higher.

Still, Lu Chong didn't mind. He didn't rest and continued deeper into the Hunting Ground.

It was nearly one in the morning. In the silent Hunting Ground, only the occasional piercing cry of a Shadow Cat could be heard.

The Shadow Cats were growing even scarcer, and ever more powerful.

"Looks like I'll have to find them myself."

As Lu Chong thought this, he began actively searching the dark alleyways around him, following the Shadow Cats' scents.

The higher their stage, the smarter the Shadow Cats became. He couldn't simply overpower them; he'd have to learn to play hide-and-seek.

After climbing over a wall covered in vines, Lu Chong slipped into a dilapidated three-story building.

"It's in here."

Following a relatively fresh scent, Lu Chong arrived at the ruined living room on the building's third floor.

"Who's there?" a voice called out, lowered to a whisper.

Lu Chong took a closer look and found that it was Sun Ze, a classmate.

Aside from Sun Ze, two other boys were hiding in the living room, but Lu Chong didn't know them.

The three of them had probably come together into the territory of the Stage Five Shadow Cats and hidden here to rest after nightfall.

They all had injuries to varying degrees, which they'd roughly treated with bandages.

The Energy Talisman only activated when its wearer suffered a fatal injury, so they had managed to hold out until now.

If students felt they couldn't keep going, they could also call for help and leave the assessment with the points they had already earned.

"Brother Chong?" Sun Ze recognized him, and his face brightened a little.

Lu Chong had beaten him twice, and Sun Ze had watched him surge ahead to reach Martial Apprentice Stage 8. He had long since been thoroughly convinced, and joined the other students in calling him Brother Chong.

Lu Chong nodded, then gave the three of them a strange look and whispered, "How can you sleep so soundly?"

Sun Ze didn't understand. He stared blankly for a moment. "What do you mean, Brother Chong?"

Lu Chong pointed to the ceiling beam behind them and let them see for themselves.

Sun Ze sensed that something was wrong. His body froze in place as he slowly turned his head.

The moment he looked, his face went deathly pale.

Good heavens!

A Shadow Cat with glowing green eyes was crouched on the beam behind them, glaring down at them.

Sun Ze had been keeping watch just moments ago, yet he hadn't noticed it at all.

If Lu Chong hadn't arrived in time, the Shadow Cat would have struck a fatal blow while they were off guard.

"What do we do? If we fight it here, we might attract even more Shadow Cats."

The other two students had woken up as well. They saw the Shadow Cat waiting for its chance and were at a loss.

That was the terror of the night. Once the Shadow Cats discovered your whereabouts, you were almost certain to be eliminated, because no one could hold off the other Shadow Cats and help you escape.

Sun Ze looked to Lu Chong, clearly hoping he would take charge.

Lu Chong smiled. "It's fine. I think it hasn't attacked because it's waiting for its companions."

"Perfect. We can take them all out at once."

Sun Ze stared at him in disbelief. Did Lu Chong really think the few of them could turn the tables and surround the cats?

"You're crazy!" the other two students cried, terrified. "We don't want to be eliminated this early."