Lu Chen asked no more questions and simply stood quietly to one side, waiting.
Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to wander through the vast, empty wilderness of Nibelungen to see whether he could discover anything new.
His feet unconsciously stopped before that mysterious stone slab again. The next second, his eyes widened, his face filled with shock.
A series of percentages was clearly marked on the slab, ranging from ten to fifteen percent. Right in the middle, his current bloodline power was prominently displayed.
Thirteen point four percent.
Beyond the fifteen-percent threshold, another line was engraved that made his heart race: Reward: special Word Spirits-Time Zero, Word Spirit: Setsuna.
These rewards are practically heaven-defying! Lu Chen was overjoyed. This is pure profit, no losses.
Before long, Constantine came over carrying the modified Storage Soul Guidance Device and handed it back with a smile.
This time, the alchemical patterns had been engraved inside the Soul Guidance Device, exactly as Lu Chen had requested. From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary Soul Guidance Device; no one would discover the secrets within.
Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction. His consciousness instantly withdrew from Nibelungen and returned to the dorm room.
He glanced at Tang Wulin, who was still immersed in cultivation beside him, then paid him no further attention. He immediately calmed his mind and began circulating his Soul Power to cultivate.
A pure, immense golden power flowed endlessly into his body through his limbs and bones, every strand nourishing his meridians and Martial Soul.
Amazing! This feels absolutely amazing!
As for whether this power would affect Tang Wulin? Lu Chen had no intention of worrying about that. What the hell does that have to do with me?
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Chen and Tang Wulin had barely stepped out of the dormitory building when a group of aggressive upper-year students blocked their path.
Without a word, the group attacked. They had clearly planned this beforehand.
Why would Lu Chen put up with these bastards' rotten behavior?
He did not use any of those high-risk Word Spirits with their off-the-charts destructive power. His lips merely moved, and an extremely short chant spilled out: "Word Spirit: Chi!"
In an instant, a dazzling light burst forth. The upper-year students were blinded, unable to open their eyes, and staggered about like headless flies.
Now's our chance!
Lu Chen and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance and charged without a word. Their punches and kicks worked in perfect harmony, and within a few blows, they had knocked the whole group to the ground.
Lu Chen even found time to pull a long length of sturdy rope from his Soul Guidance Device and toss it to Tang Wulin. "Tie them up!"
Working swiftly, the two bound the upper-year students tightly in no time, trussing them up like rice dumplings.
But restraints like these were nothing to the upper-year students. Before long, they snapped the ropes and furiously prepared to strike back.
Just then, something happened on the other side.
Mu Xi felt a bone-chilling, icy presence lock onto her.
She whipped her head around and saw that Xie Xie had appeared behind her at some point. The Light Dragon Dagger in his hand gleamed coldly, its blade already pressed precisely against her neck.
Inside the intermediate division's disciplinary office, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Long Hengxu slammed the desk and glared indignantly at Lu Chen and the others. Every word out of his mouth favored the upper-year students, and both his direct remarks and insinuations accused Lu Chen's group of being too heavy-handed.
Lu Chen's brows drew tighter as he listened. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he stepped forward and spoke with a cold laugh:
"Teacher Long, that's a very interesting thing to say. Are you saying that when those upper-year students block the dormitory entrance and attack people, we're supposed to stand there and take a beating without even fighting back?"
His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he stared straight at Long Hengxu, making no effort to hide the mockery in his voice:
"Or is it because Mu Xi is the daughter of Mu Chen from the Eastsea Blacksmith's Association that you want to put her on a pedestal and curry favor with her, without even caring about right and wrong?"
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Having had his thoughts exposed, Long Hengxu flushed red with anger, his voice rising sharply. There was also a measure of humiliation and fury at having such an idea laid bare, along with the grievance of having had no intention of acting on it.
Lu Chen gave him no chance to argue. His voice grew colder, carrying an air that brooked no dispute:
"If they really injured me, I still need these hands for forging! Has the school not received the news? Master Zhen Hua has already accepted me as his personal disciple!"
At the words "Master Zhen Hua," Long Hengxu shuddered as though struck by a thunderbolt. The anger froze on his face, replaced by profound shock and lingering fear.
How could I have forgotten that? This boy isn't some ordinary new student. He's that Divine Craftsman's disciple!
Watching his expression change, Lu Chen curled his lips into a cold smile and spoke again slowly, a trace of nostalgia in his voice:
"The orphanage director, Mom, once told me that if I were an ordinary person and could defeat a Soul Master through my own abilities, that would mean I was capable. But if I used my status as a Soul Master to bully ordinary people for no reason, that would be utterly wrong, and she would teach me a harsh lesson."
At this point, his tone abruptly shifted. His voice was as cold as though tempered in ice, with a chilling edge:
"So I don't believe there was anything wrong with us defeating a group of students who are older than us, have higher Soul Power ranks than us, and were the ones who started trouble!"
"Well said!"
The moment Lu Chen finished speaking, a cool voice came from outside the door.
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw the office door pushed straight open. Dressed entirely in white, Wu Zhangkong strode in, his figure tall and straight. His gaze swept over everyone present before settling on Lu Chen, and he spoke with absolute conviction:
"I don't believe my students did anything wrong, either!"
At the same time, Wu Zhangkong did more than defend them with words; he also pulled them out of the office with one hand.
A sudden trace of nostalgia stirred in Lu Chen's heart. It seemed that his unreliable mother, Su Xiaoyan, had once defended him like this, too.
And Chu Zihang.
"Teacher, thank you," Lu Chen said softly, tears nearly spilling from his eyes.
"No need to thank me. Just don't hold up my class. Come on, keep up." For some reason, Wu Zhangkong's voice suddenly softened.
Lu Chen, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie obediently followed Wu Zhangkong toward the sports field.
They had just reached the field when the whistle signaling the start of class sounded.
Wu Zhangkong did not bother with anything fancy and gave his instructions directly. "Everyone, run ten laps around the field. Lu Chen, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, you three will run twenty."
At these words, quite a few students nearby secretly cast sympathetic looks at the three of them. Twenty laps-that was no joke.
But Lu Chen felt no pressure at all. He even felt that this level of exertion was no different from taking a walk.
His steps were light, his breathing perfectly steady, and he ran with complete ease. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, on the other hand, began panting after only a few laps.
While Tang Wulin and Xie Xie still had ten laps left to run, Lu Chen had already crossed the finish line. He strolled leisurely into the shade of a nearby tree to cool off and even had the leisure to take out a bottle of water and sip it slowly.
Just then, a girl slowly approached along the path connecting the intermediate division's sports field to the school gates.
She wore a clean school uniform, her figure slender and graceful, her features lively. There was a bright, youthful air about her that immediately drew the attention of quite a few people on the field.
Wu Zhangkong glanced up at her. His voice remained devoid of warmth as he asked flatly, "Which class are you from?"