Two Tail Scorpion

"Lu Shen comes from a humble background" he admitted.

"He's quite poor and lacks the same resources as his peers… but this?"

Confusion and disbelief flickered across Teacher Tang's face. Even with a high-grade bloodline, achieving such a lead in so little time was nearly impossible.

Supervisor Lin nodded thoughtfully.

"Even so, he's quite talented, isn't he?"

Before Teacher Tang could respond, Teacher Lu Lu interjected, her voice filled with skepticism.

"He must be lucky. The trial only started a few days ago."

The other teachers nodded in agreement.

"True, true… Maybe he just lucked out."

But as Supervisor Lin's gaze shifted, his brow furrowed in concern.

He had noticed something disturbing.

The students with top-grade and superior-grade bloodlines, who should have been dominating the rankings, had significantly lower scores.

And as his gaze shifted to the other students, Supervisor Lin's brow furrowed in concern. He couldn't help but notice that the top grade bloodline students and even the superior grade bloodline students had lower scores.

"Tangsu Ming... only 70 points?" His eyes narrowed.

"Looks like he didn't quite live up to expectations. But this Feng Yue... she's doing remarkably well."

----

Meanwhile, Lu Shen remained unaware of his growing reputation. By merely slaughtering hundreds of Bloody Wolves, he had unknowingly secured first place on the leaderboard. At that moment, inside a cave, he was carefree, savoring roasted Bloody Wolf meat.

"Achoo! Who's talking about me?"

The Next Morning,

Lu Shen woke from his meditation and checked the time and it was already past 9 AM.

He thought whether it was worth going to the Origin Land, but after a moment of thought, he shook his head. His warrior realm was close to breaking through, and facing stronger demons would grant him valuable combat experience.

The Origin Land might offer battle practice, but it lacked real danger. If death wasn't a possibility, the intensity of battle would be diminished. Here, in reality, every fight carried true consequences. That's why he chose to seek out stronger demons, he wanted to temper himself through genuine life-and-death struggles.

Elsewhere…

"Is the news true?" Chen Lang asked his teammate.

"Yes. Right now, he's battling a low-level beast."

A cold smile appear crossed Chen Lang's lips.

"Let's move. I want to test him."

Deep down, Chen Lang harbored a darker motive. Tangsu Ming's offers had spread among his circle, and his family always sought to maintain favor with the Tang Clan. If he killed Lu Shen, he would undoubtedly gain Tangsu Ming's favor.

The thought sent a surge of excitement through him.

A Few Moments Later

Chen Lang and his team spotted Lu Shen engaged in battle with a low-ranked demon beast. They approached cautiously.

Chen Lang's eyes glinted with killing intent. However he's expression hardened as he watched Lu Shen effortlessly kill the demon. Even so, he thought that with four against one, he might have a chance.

"Look at him."

"He thinks he's so strong, taking on these weaklings."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll show him what true power looks like."

Chen Lang clenched his fists. After watching Lu Shen for a while, his confidence grew. Surely, four against one would be an easy victory.

Host: Lu Shen

Age: 18

Race: Human

Beast Bloodline: Firewood Snake (Top)

Warrior Realm: Refinement (Late) (60%)

Strength: 210

Endurance: 180

Agility: 140

Luck: 30

Cultivation Techniques: Five Element Refinement Technique [Small Success] (75%), Golden Body Technique [Small Success] (44%), Silent Breath Technique [Small Success] (47%)

Skills: Stealth, Swift, Inferno Strike, Binding Wood

Equipment: Origin Bracelet

After a full night of cultivation, Lu Shen's realm had increased by 10%. His techniques provided a massive boost, and he had successfully advanced to the late stage of the Refinement Realm.

"Not bad. I might be the strongest among the students in this trial ground."

But his thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of movement nearby. His eyes sharpened as familiar figures emerged from the shadows.

Chen Lang.

Lu Shen's expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was on high alert. He knew that Chen Lang was closely connected with Tangsu Ming.

"Chen Lang" Lu Shen said flatly.

"What brings you here?"

Chen Lang stepped forward, flashing a smug grin.

"Lu Shen, you've offended someone you shouldn't have."

Lu Shen remained unfazed. "Is that so?"

"Even if you're strong, can you take on all of us at once?" Chen Lang's tone was full with arrogance.

Lu Shen's gaze flickered, But he simile inside.

Chen Lang gave a slight nod signaled his teammates to attack, and in an instant, his teammates rush forward.

The air grew tense as four figures rushed toward Lu Shen.

Still, Lu Shen didn't panic. He had already activated his Origin Bracelet, a quick scan revealed their warrior realms.

All middle-stage Refinement Realm.

Not a threat.

Lu Shen wanted to end this quickly. He silently channeled his spiritual energy, preparing his bloodline skill.

"Binding Wood!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The ground erupted as thick vines shot up like serpents, wrapping around his Chen Lang and his teammates. Before they could react, their limbs were restrained, their bodies immobilized.

Their faces paled in horror. No matter how much they struggled, the vines only tightened.

"W-what kind of ability is this?!" Chen Lang gritted his teeth, trying to break free.

"Let us go, Lu Shen!" Wang Xiang, the strongest among them, roared in frustration, his massive muscles twitching as he struggled.

Lu Shen smiled coldly. "Humph. You think an middle-stage refinement Realm bloodline warrior can break free from my late-stage bloodline skill?"

He took a step closer, his eyes sharp as blades.

"Chen Lang, we have no personal grudge. So tell me… who sent you?"

Chen Lang clenched his jaw, refusing to answer.

Lu Shen's gaze darkened. The vines tightened further.

"Speak, or die."

"...It was Tangsu Ming" Chen Lang finally spat out. His voice was filled with reluctance, but fear overpowered his pride.

Lu Shen's expression grew colder. So it was him.

Tangsu Ming had made a grave mistake. If he thought sending others to kill Lu Shen would go unnoticed, he was sorely mistaken.

Just as Lu Shen was about to deal with them, one of Chen Lang's companions spoke urgently.

"Wait! Lu Shen"

Lu Shen's gaze snapped to the speaker.

"What?"

The man took a shaky breath before blurting out, "Tangsu Ming is going after a Peak Rank-One Demon Beast."

Lu Shen's heart skipped a beat.

A Peak Rank-One Demon Beast?

In a trial ground where only low-ranked beasts roamed? That could only mean two things:

A deadly challenge… or a priceless opportunity.

Lu Shen's eyes gleamed. There was no longer a reason to waste time with Chen Lang's group. His focus shifted.

If Tangsu Ming was after a Peak Rank-One Demon Beast, then Lu Shen would take it first.

Tangsu Ming had made the first move.

"Is the news true?" Lu Shen asked, his voice steady.

"Indeed" Chen Lang nodded.

"We just received word from other students. The students from Class C and Class D joined forces to take down a peak rank-one Two-Tail Scorpion, but they failed. Now, Tangsu Ming and his team are among those besieging the beast!"

Lu Shen's eyes sharpened. "Which direction?"

"The northern region of this trial ground!" Chen Lang pointed.

Swish!

Lu Shen wasted no time. In a blink, he was gone, vanishing into the wilderness.

Chen Lang watched his Lu Shen disappear and sighed, he felt tension in his body finally ease. As the vines restraining him and his teammates receded, he couldn't help but feel more fear on what had just happened.

"To think I once believed Lu Shen was only as strong as me... I never imagined he had been hiding his true strength so well. With that level of talent, he's bound to become a formidable warrior. Perhaps he even has a shot at entering an elite university."

He felt deep envy and regret in his heart. But envy was meaningless in this world, this was an era where bloodline talent determined everything. His own bloodline was merely mid-grade, and no amount of jealousy would change that.

Still, he didn't blame his teammate for revealing the information about the Two-Tail Scorpion. In the end, it had saved their lives.

"Let's go" he said at last.

"We're heading back."

"Back? Are we just going to stop hunting beasts?" a student was unwilling.

"There's no point" Chen Lang said flatly. "Even if we worked together, we wouldn't stand a chance against that Two-Tail Scorpion. In fact, I should have realized sooner, this so-called trial isn't meant for everyone. It's an opportunity for the top bloodline students to shine."

All the other students did not speak, they tacitly agreeing.

"Our academy only cares about producing elite warriors as quickly as possible" Chen Lang continued, his tone bitter.

"Do you really think the higher-ups care about the lives of weak warriors? Whether we live or die means nothing to them."

The students exchanged glances but said nothing, tacitly agreeing.

They had seen it firsthand, the world was cruel. For powerful warriors, the lives of weaker ones were insignificant. This trial was nothing more than a test for top-tier bloodline students.

The reason they dared to try and kill Lu Shen was simple, even though the teachers had warned them not to harm each other, everyone knew the truth.

The teachers were not actively monitoring the students in person. Instead, they only tracked their points remotely. A teacher would only intervene once a student pressed the 'quit' button, they will arriving as quickly as possible to help them.

Since this trial was held in a low-danger zone, the teachers never expected any truly dangerous demon beasts to appear.

They turned and left, their figures slowly fading into the distance.

The world is cruel, and for warriors, the lives of ordinary people and low rank warriors are really nothing.

"But isn't Lu Shen's bloodline supposed to be from a fire-element beast?" 

---

Lu Shen rush through the dense forest, covering ground at an incredible pace. After a few minutes, he slowed his steps.

BOOM!

A series of powerful shockwaves rippled through the air. Even from a distance, Lu Shen could tell that the battle ahead was intense.

"Could it be that the Two-Tail Scorpion is still being besieged?" Lu Shen murmured.

"I just hope it hasn't been killed yet" he thought, excitement stirring within him.

Three Minutes Later

Lu Shen arrived at the battlefield, but what he saw made his pupils shrink.

This is…

In the clearing ahead, dozens of students were surrounding a wounded Two-Tail Scorpion. Some of the top-ranked students on the leaderboard were there, including Tangsu Ming.

Although a peak rank-one demon beast was formidable, many of the students here were in the late Blood Refinement Realm. If they worked together, taking it down wouldn't be impossible.

However, the most surprising thing was that some students had already reached the late stage of the Refinement Realm.

Ah... rich kids.

However, something was wrong.

This wasn't a peak rank-one demon beast.

It had broken through to rank two.

"This isn't what Chen Lang described..." Lu Shen frowned, his senses sharpening.

The Two-Tail Scorpion had undergone an evolution. Though still a weak rank-two demon beast, its power had increased significantly.

"It must have recently broken through" Lu Shen speculated.

"Ranked beasts need time to adjust to their new power after breaking through... this one is still in its adaptation phase."

Despite its new rank, the Two-Tail Scorpion's strength hadn't yet reached its full potential. That was the only reason these students, despite their injuries, they were still holding their ground.

Still, Lu Shen found it odd.

"Why would a rank-two beast appear in the outer region of this trial ground?"

He wasn't the only one who found it strange, other students exchanged wary glances. However, none of them dwelled on the mystery for long. Right now, all that mattered was hunting the scorpion.

A peak rank-one Two-Tail Scorpion was worth 500 points.

But a rank-two beast?

1,000 points.