By the time Lu Ling returned, the exchange matches between the two academies had already ended.
"How did it go? The Imperial Capital Academy people didn't crush you, did they?"
"No way, Senior Lu!" Zhao Manyan immediately sidled up like a lapdog.
"We won both matches!"
"Huh?" Lu Ling was a little surprised. Under normal circumstances, shouldn't it have been one win and one loss?
Seeing Lu Ling's confusion, the helpful Zhao Manyan explained everything to him in painstaking detail.
In the first match, Imperial Capital Academy had been arrogant and looked down on everyone. With a "suggestion" or two from Lu Ling himself thrown into the mix, they had managed a lucky win.
As for the second match, Mo Fan had revealed his innate dual element. With brutal magic from both the lightning and fire elements, plus his Ghost Wolf Beast supporting him from the sidelines, he had beaten the opposing side black and blue.
"Tch, if our captain hadn't had something come up, how could you possibly have beaten us?!" Having overheard Zhao Manyan, Lu Zhenghe looked thoroughly unconvinced. Clearly, he had not attributed his defeat to his own lack of strength.
In the end, nobody paid him any attention, leaving him even more desperate for a hole to crawl into.
"Pretty impressive." Lu Ling sincerely praised the group. They had actually changed what would originally have happened.
"But the exchange matches are only a small matter. Your real challenge is the wilderness training coming up in a while. There won't be any mages protecting you then. The only people you'll be able to rely on are yourselves."
"What?!"
Lu Ling's words were like a basin of cold water poured over their heads.
A few days later.
On departure day, the students from Imperial Capital Academy and Pearl Academy gathered.
Dean Song He was responsible for explaining the matters concerning their training.
Just then, Qiu Yuhua suddenly came over to Lu Ling and whispered, "Lu Ling, Dean Xiao asked me to tell you to go along on this training trip too."
Go along?
Lu Ling froze briefly, then turned to take a careful look at the elderly Professor Qiu Yuhua. He found the professor's expression utterly serious.
"I understand. Don't worry." Lu Ling smiled calmly, giving Qiu Yuhua a thoroughly reassuring look.
"Good." Qiu Yuhua relaxed.
Dean Xiao really had been right. Lu Ling truly was an extremely dependable junior. Before long, he would probably become his senior.
Go along, huh? Lu Ling grew thoughtful.
Lu Nian must have come by. That great madman, who had created the power to resist all the injustice in this world!
But a madman was a madman in the end. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, disregarding human decency and morality.
So Dean Xiao wanted him to protect Mo Fan.
Before they came, Dean Xiao had already known that Lu Ling had broken through to the advanced level, so he could be completely assured of his strength. He was the most suitable person to carry out this little task in secret.
As they prepared to board the plane, the Pearl Academy group finally noticed something strange.
Lu Ling and Netherworld had joined their party.
"Lu Ling, why are you coming with us?" Mu Nujiao asked curiously.
"There's something I need to come along for. Don't worry. Even if any of you are in danger, I won't step in." Lu Ling controlled his voice perfectly, just loud enough for everyone to hear him.
"..."
For a moment, everyone from Pearl Academy was rather speechless. He might as well have said nothing.
Lu Zhenghe, over on Imperial Capital Academy's side, gave Lu Ling another contemptuous look.
"Acting all mysterious. Just don't end up begging someone else to save you!"
Because Mu Ningxue was close to Lu Ling, Lu Zhenghe, who had always liked her, was filled with hostility toward him.
Lu Ling raised his eyes and glanced lightly at this nobody who did not know how high the heavens were or how deep the earth ran.
An invisible spiritual pressure swallowed Lu Zhenghe whole. A chill instantly ran down his spine, and his body dropped to its knees as though beyond his control.
"What are you doing, Lu Zhenghe? No need for such a grand salute." Xu Dalong was a little puzzled.
The spiritual pressure targeted Lu Zhenghe alone, so the others had no idea what was happening. Some who knew him even laughed.
To Lu Zhenghe, that laughter was simply the most grating insult imaginable.
Gritting his teeth, he stood up, his face full of humiliation.
Then... his legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees again.
What? Lu Zhenghe's eyes widened, and fury surged within him!
Who was behind this?!
"Trash." Lu Ling's gaze was mocking. The casually delivered word packed a devastating punch!
"It's you?!" Lu Zhenghe raised his head with a savage expression, staring fixedly at Lu Ling.
"Badass." Zhao Manyan gave Lu Ling a thumbs-up.
Everyone from Pearl Academy could see it now. Lu Ling was the one making Lu Zhenghe kneel!
All they could say to that was: he deserved it!
It was bad enough that he had looked down on everyone before the exchange matches. Now, even after becoming a beaten dog, he remained arrogant and domineering, treating everyone as beneath him.
Nobody liked someone who acted so arrogantly without the strength to back it up.
Lu Ling could not be bothered with him anymore and pulled Netherworld toward the plane.
This dramatic turn instantly made Lu Zhenghe everyone's laughingstock. The faint snickers were light and airy, yet they landed in his ears with crushing weight.
"Just you wait! I don't care who you are! I'll make you repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!" Lu Zhenghe raged.
"What should I call this move...?" Without turning around, Lu Ling pondered aloud.
"Royal Authority."
An immense pressure suddenly descended, pressing down on Lu Zhenghe's already kneeling body.
"Ah!"
Lu Zhenghe's head slammed heavily against the ground. He lay prostrate in abject submission, the lowliest slave beneath Royal Authority!
The students who had still found it funny instantly stopped laughing at the sight. They stared at the white-haired young man not far away with lingering fear, secretly grateful that they had not offended him.
Lu Zhenghe really had some balls. He had clearly kicked an iron plate, yet he had still gone and poured oil on the fire.
Nobody from Imperial Capital Academy dared plead for Lu Zhenghe. As for Pearl Academy, that went without saying. They were already showing him courtesy by not cheering from the sidelines.
The group slowly boarded the plane. Only after everyone had finished boarding did the pressure on Lu Zhenghe gradually disappear.
His face filled with resentment, Lu Zhenghe wanted to leave outright. But remembering the task his elder brother had given him, he had no choice but to endure the humiliation and board the plane.
"Can I sit here, Lu Ling?" Mu Nujiao pointed to the seat beside him.
"Go ahe-"
"No." Mu Ningxue stared at Mu Nujiao with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
An invisible clash had already begun.
Lu Ling sighed helplessly.
A little later.
Mu Ningxue sat on Lu Ling's left, and Mu Nujiao on his right. Netherworld had been shooed off by him to a window seat on the other side.
"I heard you didn't take part in the exchange students' matches. Why?"
"They said they didn't need me to participate, so I got some proper rest," Mu Ningxue said.
Hearing that simple answer, Lu Ling nearly laughed aloud.
This time, Mu Ningxue had no connection whatsoever to Mo Fan. Naturally, she would not deliberately enter the match upon hearing that he was here.
"You two knew each other before?" Noticing that Lu Ling and Mu Ningxue seemed unusually familiar, she could not help asking.
"She grew up with me and Xin Xia."
Childhood sweethearts?!
Mu Nujiao was dumbstruck.