Volume 1: Bo'an Awakening & The Calamity Storm
Chapter 30
Practical Exam Conclusion & The Magic Shield Talisman
Early morning mountain winds roared down from the jagged peaks of Cang Lei Ridge, sweeping across the ramparts of Frontier Outpost No. 9 with a bone-piercing chill that cut straight to the marrow.
Towering granite crags clad in eternal ice and snow pierced through the swirling, translucent sea of clouds, thrusting upward like ten thousand titan greatswords plunged inverted into the boundless azure dome. At the mountain roots, the frontier garrison base of Cang Lei Ridge crouched like a gargantuan prehistoric behemoth resting within the desolate depths of the primeval wilderness. Its slate-gray granite ramparts rose over twenty meters into the sky, their surfaces scarred by deep claw-trenches and scorched black by magical blasts—harrowing relics of countless desperate sieges repelling beast tides across decades. Atop fortified steel watchtowers, garrison standards emblazoned with blood-red lightning bolts snapped violently against the howling mountain gales.
Upon the vast cobblestone parade grounds before the central command headquarters, nearly two hundred students of Feng Lan Magic High School’s elite experimental classes had assembled in rigid formation.
After three grueling days of wilderness survival in the depths of Luyuan Valley, the glamorous, pristine veneer of these sheltered scions of high society had been stripped completely away. Most were reduced to a thoroughly wretched state: their tactical uniforms were splattered with dried mud and brackish marsh-slime, hemlines shredded by wild thorn thickets, their faces gaunt, soot-streaked, and hollow with exhaustion. Many had yet to recover from the waking nightmare of the forest at night; their eyes stared vacantly into space, and their knees buckled in involuntary shudders whenever the distant, guttural roar of a beast echoed from the treacherous mountain passes.
Yet the solemn silence blanketing the plaza was soon shattered by a flurry of urgent whispers, buzzing through the ranks like an enraged hive of hornets.
Every eye in the assembly was drawn toward the left flank of the staging ground, where Squad 1—led by Ling Bai—stood in formation.
News of yesterday afternoon’s horrifying incident in the crystal mining cavern had swept like wildfire through the barracks since late last night: a peak Servant-class Black-Horned Demonic Wolf—a bloodthirsty apex predator capable of slaughtering an entire squad of basic mages in the space of a single breath—had breached the frontier surveillance grid, launching a surprise ambush inside the very cavern where Squad 1 was conducting its mission!
“Did you hear? Yesterday, Young Master Ling’s squad actually ran into an honest-to-god Black-Horned Demonic Wolf!”
“Good heavens, a Black-Horned Demonic Wolf?! Their hides are as thick as armored plate, and a single claw swipe can snap an ancient tree in two! How in the world did they make it out alive?”
“Do you even have to ask? Young Master Ling Bai was in that squad! Word has it that Ling Bai cast Ice Frost to freeze the entire ground solid, keeping that monstrous brute pinned until the instructors and garrison cavalry arrived as reinforcements!”
“As expected of a great clan’s chosen son! Awakening for barely a year, yet already standing toe-to-toe against a peak Servant-class terror... his reputation truly precedes him!”
The nonstop stream of fawning praise and reverent awe drifting into his ears caused Li Peng, standing at the edge of the rank, to feel his chest puff up with boundless arrogance.
Licking his cracked, chapped lips, he tugged at his mud-encrusted collar and took half a step forward, deliberately raising his voice to boast to the students of neighboring classes:
“Hmph! Are you only now opening your eyes to Young Master Ling’s terrifying prowess? Let me tell you, yesterday afternoon was a crisis hanging by a razor’s edge! If not for Brother Ling’s peerless Ice magic sealing off that beast’s charge, the entire cavern would have become our communal tomb! We stood as one, fighting with fearless valor until we forced the monster to retreat!”
Jerking his thumb disdainfully toward the tail of their squad, Li Peng sneered with dripping scorn:
“As for impoverished trash like Lin Feng and that fat pig Zhang Hu? The second the giant wolf showed its face, they were scared out of their wits! They stood there like wooden dummies, hiding behind our backs and shivering in their boots! If deadweights like that manage to pass this exam, the heavens must truly be blind!”
Li Peng’s shameless bluster brought a subtle smirk to Ling Bai’s lips.
The young master of the Ling Clan maintained an aloof, aristocratic posture—arms folded over his chest, chin tilted upward as he gazed haughtily toward the sky. Yet beneath that composed veneer, a careful observer would have noticed that his complexion remained pallid and sickly pale. Under his tailored woolen combat coat, cold sweat still prickled down his spine in clammy trickles.
Only Ling Bai himself knew how utterly, sickeningly humiliating yesterday afternoon had truly been.
The horrifying image of that cavernous, gore-slicked maw and the razor-sharp horn plunging straight toward his skull still gripped his soul like a waking nightmare. But in front of the entire school, he could never afford to show an ounce of weakness. Ling Bai cut a cold, sidelong glance toward the rear of the squad.
Lin Feng stood leisurely at the end of the line, hands casually buried in the pockets of his uniform pants, a dried blade of wild grass dangling loosely from the corner of his lips. His relaxed, indifferent posture made it seem as though the surrounding commotion had nothing to do with him. Beside him, Chubby Hu was happily breaking a bar of military rations in half, munching greedily with audible relish, occasionally casting a sideways sneer of profound disgust toward Li Peng.
“A runty clown who loves barking at shadows,” Chubby Hu muttered under his breath, swallowing down a mouthful of dry biscuit. “Who was the one who pissed his pants yesterday? The wolf let out half a growl, and he took off squealing like a headless duck! And now he has the gall to flap his gums about valor and battlefield glory!”
Lin Feng chuckled softly, clapping a hand lightly against his friend’s stout shoulder. “Pay him no mind. The harder the clown dances on stage, the harder he hits the flagstones when the curtain drops.”
At that precise moment, a piercing military bugle shattered the morning silence, ripping across the expanse of the parade grounds!
HOOO——OORN!!
The deep, resonant blast reverberated through the granite ravines, announcing the formal commencement of the practical examination’s debriefing ceremony.
The plaza fell instantly still. The students snapped to attention, holding their breath as they looked toward the three-meter-high command dais carved from monolithic bedrock.
From behind the reinforced steel doors of the garrison headquarters, the heavy, measured crunch of military boots descended the stone steps:
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Every tread carried an anvil-like weight, setting the pulses of the assembled youths hammering against their ribs.
A hulking, burly figure standing over a meter eighty-five strode to the edge of the parapet. It was the master of Frontier Outpost No. 9—Military Commander Lei Zhen!
He wore a moss-green officer’s greatcoat casually draped over his broad shoulders, its fabric weathered and bleached by years of harsh mountain gales. His unbuttoned collar revealed a chest forged like chilled iron, crisscrossed with jagged scars carved by beast talons. A hand-rolled cigarette dangled from his stubbled lips, its glowing red ember releasing drifting wisps of pale blue smoke into the freezing wind.
Lei Zhen did not channel an ounce of mana, yet as his eagle-sharp glare—the piercing gaze of a peak Intermediate Mage—swept across the field, an icy, suffocating battlefield killing intent washed over the entire assembly.
It was an aura forged through thousands of life-and-death bloodbaths against magical beasts along the border, so heavy and dense that the surrounding air seemed to freeze solid. Nearly two hundred students felt as though an invisible boulder had slammed down upon their chests. Not a single soul dared utter a whisper; even their breathing was choked back in instinctual dread.
Behind Lei Zhen stood silver-haired Principal Qin Qian alongside the homeroom advisors of Feng Lan High School, including Teacher Kang Mu, whose stern expression could not conceal the anxious, protective warmth in his eyes as he looked over his charges.
Lei Zhen stepped before the heavy iron microphone. He slowly exhaled a thick plume of gray smoke, his blade-sharp gaze raking over each tender, youthful face below.
Only when the cigarette in his mouth burned down by half did he speak, his deep, gravelly voice ringing out like a bronze bell:
“The three-day wilderness survival examination in Luyuan Valley has officially drawn to a close. Looking down at your bedraggled, pathetic states, the first thing I have to say to you can be summed up in a single word...”
Lei Zhen paused, biting off each syllable with freezing weight:
“Disappointment!”
That single word struck like a basin of ice water dumped over the entire student body!
Many students who had taken pride in their stellar academic marks blanched, hanging their heads in acute shame.
“Back in your classrooms, your teachers pamper you like fragile porcelain, singing praises of how you are the future archmages of our city! You memorize elemental theories forwards and backwards, and you trace Star Paths in cozy laboratories with effortless grace!”
Lei Zhen let out a cold, mocking laugh, his tone dripping with venomous sarcasm:
“Yet the moment you are tossed beyond the city walls, the moment your nostrils catch the foul stench of the wild woods, your soft, coddled nature is laid bare for all to see! Over half of the squads panicked and hurled away their survival packs, fleeing like headless fowl the second they heard the distant roar of a low-tier Servant beast! When confronted by a monster, some of you trembled like leaves in a storm—fumbling the connection of seven measly Stars five or six times over, unable to release a single basic spell!”
Lei Zhen’s glare swept across the squads with the most atrocious records, causing those students to shrink their necks in sheer terror:
“If this were a real war on the frontier, eighty percent of the people standing here would have already been digested into bleached bones inside the belly of a demon beast! Let me make one thing crystal clear: magic is not an acrobatic circus trick performed on a stage! Magic is a weapon forged to slaughter beasts and protect human lives! Anyone who lacks practical combat competence is nothing more than a walking pile of fertilizer on the battlefield!”
The garrison commander’s coarse, unvarnished, yet indisputable condemnation dragged the entire assembly into absolute silence. Even Principal Qin Qian could only offer a bitter sigh, unable to mount a single counterargument.
Yet Lei Zhen’s tone suddenly shifted, a peculiar gleam of amusement tugging at the corner of his lips:
“And yet, amidst a flock of spineless rabbits, my Cang Lei Ridge Garrison still managed to unearth a few true seeds worthy of becoming warriors!”
At those words, a ripple of intense curiosity surged across the parade ground.
Lei Zhen picked up the military assessment file presented by his adjutant, flipping through the pages:
“Yesterday afternoon, an unforeseen crisis erupted within the crystal mining sector of Luyuan Valley. A peak Servant-class Black-Horned Demonic Wolf breached our containment perimeter and infiltrated the cavern. Squad 1 of your experimental class directly engaged this apex predator.”
Every eye in the plaza instantly snapped toward Ling Bai’s squad!
Standing at the edge of the rank, Li Peng’s eyes blazed with boundless excitement. He hurriedly smoothed down his disheveled hair, puffing his chest out even higher, gloating in his thoughts: Here it comes! Our hour of glory is finally here! Commander Lei Zhen is definitely going to announce our names first!
Ling Bai also took a deep, steadying breath, smoothing the lapels of his wool coat, his eyes brimming with haughty confidence. He was the nephew of Ling Zhuofeng, the pride of the Ling Clan’s branch bloodline. That coveted Basic Magic Shield Talisman would undeniably be placed in his hands today!
Yet the words that boomed through Lei Zhen’s microphone fell like a sudden thunderclap out of a cloudless blue sky!
“I will now announce the individual combat evaluations for Squad 1!”
Lei Zhen glanced down at the roster, his voice ringing with cold disdain:
“First member: Li Peng!”
Li Peng grinned ear to ear, eagerly taking half a step forward.
“Practical Evaluation: Grade F! Lowest mark in the entire grade! All scholarship qualifications and academy recommendation privileges for the upcoming academic year are hereby revoked!”
BOOM——!!
Lei Zhen’s thunderous declaration detonated across the parade grounds like a high-explosive artillery shell!
The ecstatic grin on Li Peng’s face froze dead. He stood petrified, his eyes bulging as though they might tear free of their sockets. His voice squeaked in shrill, trembling hysteria:
“Wh-What?! Grade F?! C-Commander, sir... has there been some sort of mistake?! I... I was part of the squad that fought the demonic wolf!”
“A mistake?!”
Lei Zhen gave a harsh, guttural sneer, looking down at Li Peng as if looking upon a vile insect crawling in the mud:
“You still have the shameless gall to ask me if there was a mistake?! The moment the wolf’s roar echoed outside the cave, your legs turned to water and you pissed your pants right in front of your peers! When your teammates stepped up to fight, you were the very first to turn tail and bolt like a stray mongrel!”
Lei Zhen swept his arm outward, his bellow crashing like rolling thunder:
“Worse and more disgraceful still—in your frantic, cowardly flight, you dropped the squad’s only emergency distress flare into a mud pit! If the others hadn’t risked their lives to block that beast, your craven treachery would have buried the entire squad inside that dark cavern! A spineless, shameless coward who abandons his comrades to save his own pathetic hide is the very scum my Cang Lei Ridge Garrison despises most! Handing you a Grade F is already showing excessive mercy to the name of Feng Lan High School!”
ROAARR——!!
The parade ground erupted into a storm of stunned gasps and uproar!
In the next instant, hundreds of derisive jeers, shrill whistles, and scorching stares rained down upon Li Peng from every corner of the plaza!
“So he pissed his pants and ran! And he had the nerve to stand here bragging like he was a hero!”
“Despicable coward! He even dropped the distress flare—he almost got his entire squad killed! Absolute human trash!”
“Thick-skinned and shameless! He’s a walking disgrace to the entire school!”
Every sneer and barbed taunt struck Li Peng’s heart like a poisoned dagger. His whole body convulsed, his complexion shifting from bright red to ghostly white, then to a sickening, bruised purple. His knees gave way, and with a heavy crash, he collapsed onto the stone flags, burying his face in his hands as tears and snot poured down in absolute humiliation. In that moment, he wished the earth would crack open and swallow him whole!
Standing right beside him, Ling Bai felt a bone-chilling wave ripple from the soles of his boots straight to the crown of his head.
His hands clenched tightly inside his pockets, his palms slick with greasy cold sweat. A suffocating dread seized his windpipe.
And his worst nightmare materialized in the very next heartbeat.
Lei Zhen shifted his gaze away from Li Peng, fixing his glare squarely upon the rigid face of Young Master Ling:
“Second member: Nominal Squad Leader—Ling Bai!”
Ling Bai’s heart thudded violently against his ribs. He swallowed a mouthful of bitter, dry saliva, forcing his trembling posture upright.
“Practical Evaluation: Grade C-minus! Fifty percent of all accumulated examination points are deducted!”
Like a sledgehammer smashing into his sternum, Ling Bai stumbled back half a step, the blood draining from his face until it was as white as a corpse!
“C... C-minus?!” Ling Bai could no longer contain the burning indignation surging in his chest. He snapped his head up, yelling in fierce protest: “Commander Lei Zhen! I protest! I was the squad leader! I bravely unleashed Ice Magic to confront the beast! My Ling Clan—”
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!”
Lei Zhen roared, a tempestuous bellow that rattled the foundations of the command dais!
The frontier commander’s fury whipped the cold mountain air into a violent vortex. The invisible aura bore down so heavily that Ling Bai was left gasping for air, every arrogant word regarding the prestige of the Ling Clan choked back into his throat!
Lei Zhen braced both hands against the stone balustrade, leaning forward, his savage glare looking ready to tear Ling Bai to shreds:
“Is this how your clan teaches you to command a battle?! You squandered the finest cultivation resources in Bo’an City, carrying the title of squad leader while holding the lives of others in your hands, yet the moment the Black-Horned Demonic Wolf appeared, you panicked so severely that your Ice Star Path fractured three consecutive times!”
Lei Zhen sneered coldly, each biting word ripping away every shred of pretense:
“Only on your fourth attempt did you manage to scrape together a feeble layer of frost—as thin as a cicada’s wing! The second it grazed the beast’s claw, it shattered into dust! You stood frozen in the middle of the cavern like a wooden stake, obstructing your teammates’ line of sight and letting that ravenous predator barrel right down upon you! If someone hadn’t risked his life to shove you aside and deliver a counterstrike, that empty, arrogant head of yours would have been resting in the wolf’s stomach! You dare think a C-minus is unjust?! I gave you a C-minus solely because you didn’t turn tail and run like that worthless mongrel beside you!”
CRACK——!!
Within Ling Bai’s mind, something sacred and inviolable shattered into dust!
His dignity, his pride, his reputation as the premier prodigy of the Ling Clan’s branch bloodline... everything he had meticulously cultivated was ruthlessly flayed away by Lei Zhen before the eyes of every student, teacher, and frontier soldier!
The gazes directed at him were no longer filled with reverence or awe; they were saturated with pity, ridicule, and sheer contempt!
Ling Bai bit his lower lip until blood welled up, the metallic tang flooding his mouth. His fingernails dug deep into his palms, puncturing the skin as he trembled with searing fury and humiliation. He hung his head toward the dirt, not daring to meet a single eye, his ears ringing beneath the mocking murmurs of the crowd!
The atmosphere across the parade ground was wound taut to the breaking point. No one had anticipated that the two youths with the most distinguished backgrounds would be dragged through the mud with such ruthless finality.
Yet Lei Zhen’s harsh expression suddenly softened. He took a long drag of his cigarette, exhaling a plume of white smoke, his gaze warming with genuine appreciation as he looked toward the three figures at the tail of the rank:
“Third member: Xiao Min! Practical Evaluation: Grade B-plus! Maintained psychological composure under extreme duress, providing timely Fire support to cover her comrades!”
Xiao Min let out a soft sigh of relief, a radiant smile gracing her lips. Her lovely eyes instinctively drifted toward the silhouette of the plain-clothed youth standing beside her, brimming with heartfelt gratitude.
“Fourth member: Zhang Hu! Practical Evaluation: Grade A, Excellent!”
“WHAT?!”
The entire parade ground gasped in disbelief once more! The plump, indolent boy from the experimental class—the one who spent his days eating and napping—had actually attained a prestigious Grade A in practical combat?!
Lei Zhen praised him in a booming, resonant voice:
“In the direst moment of life and death, this boy did not yield half a step! He charged forward courageously to shield his comrades, casting Earth Ripple to raise an earthen berm with pinpoint precision! His timely terrain obstacle deflected the demonic wolf’s lethal pounce, saving the lives of those two frozen deadweights and carving out a golden offensive angle for the primary firepower to erupt! Brave coordination, commendable grit—well deserving of Grade A!”
Down in the formation, Chubby Hu was so thrilled his round cheeks flushed crimson. Scratching his head with an goofy grin, he puffed out his chest, basking in the crisp applause and admiring looks of his classmates.
“And the final member...”
Lei Zhen paused.
The entire square held its breath with the commander’s cadence. Even the mountain winds seemed to still in that singular moment.
“The one who single-handedly overturned an impossible, desperate crisis... Lin Feng! Step forward!”
The resonant summons rolled across the heavens like summer thunder!
Under hundreds of pairs of eyes fixed upon him—filled with shock, awe, and disbelief—Lin Feng lightly spat out the dried blade of grass from his lips. With hands still casually resting in his pockets, he strode out of the formation, his steps as calm and unshakeable as a monolith as he climbed the stone stairs leading directly to the command dais.
The sixteen-year-old youth’s bearing remained astonishingly tranquil—neither arrogant nor self-satisfied, standing like an immovable mountain that nothing could sway.
When Lin Feng stood face-to-face with Lei Zhen, the garrison commander looked straight into his dark eyes, barking with supreme authority before the microphone:
“Lin Feng! Practical Evaluation: Absolute Grade A-plus!”
“Standing alone against a frenzied Black-Horned Demonic Wolf charging at point-blank range, his mindset remained as cold and unyielding as tempered steel! Releasing ‘Fire Burst: Burning Starlight’ in under one second, landing a pinpoint strike straight into the beast’s left eye! Then, without a single wasted movement, immediately following up with a second Fire Burst tearing into the critical wound, successfully suppressing a peak Servant-class beast until myself and the faculty arrived as reinforcements!”
Lei Zhen drew a deep breath, his voice brimming with unvarnished admiration:
“Such tactical instinct and nerves of steel—even the veteran vanguard scouts of my Cang Lei Ridge Garrison might not have performed better than you! You are a natural-born warrior!”
This supreme commendation from the formidable frontier commander sent shockwaves coursing through every student and teacher present, leaving them breathless!
Behind him, Teacher Kang Mu was so moved that his eyes reddened, his fists clenching tight with overwhelming pride. His impoverished student, the boy who had endured countless jeers and condescending sneers, now stood proudly at the absolute summit of the practical examination!
Lei Zhen turned toward the adjutant standing at rigid attention beside him.
The officer respectfully carried forward a silver platter draped in crimson silk.
Upon the platter rested a palm-sized amber jade talisman. Its polished surface was inscribed with intricate, ancient defensive runic scripts, shimmering with steady, earthy waves of ochre mana—solid and immovable, like a miniature rampart.
The Basic Defensive Magic Tool: The Magic Shield Talisman!
A priceless treasure capable of activating instantaneously to form an impervious barrier of energy, sufficient to withstand the lethal strike of a Servant-class beast, boasting a market valuation exceeding three hundred thousand magic coins! A coveted relic that any basic mage dreamed of possessing for wilderness survival!
Lei Zhen personally lifted the silk-wrapped Magic Shield Talisman. Striding before Lin Feng, he brought a broad, calloused, warm hand down in a heavy, approving slap on the youth’s shoulder, pressing the jade talisman firmly into his grasp.
Lei Zhen’s hearty laugh echoed across the heavens of Cang Lei Ridge:
“Take it! Defensive magic tools belong only in the hands of those who dare stand tall before the fangs of demon beasts! Little brat Lin Feng, Old Lei thoroughly appreciates you!”
The cool, dense pulse of surging mana within the jade talisman immediately seeped into Lin Feng’s palm. Gripping the talisman tightly, he looked straight into the weathered, admiring eyes of the frontier commander, offering a calm, composed smile:
“Thank you, Commander Lei.”
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP-CLAP-CLAP——!!
The moment the Magic Shield Talisman was placed into Lin Feng’s hand, the entire parade ground erupted!
Thunderous applause surged from hundreds of students and teachers, crashing through the mountain pass. Chubby Hu leaped into the air down below, waving his arms wildly and roaring at the top of his lungs: “Brother Feng is invincible! Brother Feng stands at the peak!!”
Xiao Min smiled brilliantly, clapping her hands non-stop, her radiant gaze glued to the young man standing atop the command platform.
Amidst that roaring ocean of rapturous ovation, Ling Bai remained rooted to the earth, his bloodshot eyes glaring murderously at the amber talisman resting securely in Lin Feng’s palm.
The life-saving magic tool he had craved with every fiber of his being, the pinnacle glory he had believed was already his to bring honor to the Ling Clan... had now been publicly bestowed upon the very person he despised and looked down upon most!
Blood dripped from Ling Bai’s clenched palms, pattering against the cold flagstones. Humiliation, venomous hatred, and burning envy consumed him like toxic flames devouring his innards. Yet before Lei Zhen’s towering might and the unvarnished truth laid bare, he could only swallow his rancor, too humiliated to raise his head before the crowd!
Dusk gradually settled over the Cang Lei Ridge valley.
The dying sun cast a blood-crimson twilight, dyeing the snow-capped mountain peaks on the distant horizon in deep scarlet.
A convoy of heavy-duty, olive-green armored mana buses roared to life, churning out plumes of white exhaust as they rumbled past the colossal iron gates of the frontier base, heading straight back toward Bo’an City.
The stormy wilderness combat trial had officially drawn to a close. The three-month summer break of their first year of high school had begun.
Inside the climate-controlled bus cabin, weary students leaned back against their seats, resting and chatting excitedly, discussing their plans for leisurely indulgence over the upcoming three months.
Lin Feng sat in the window seat at the back of the bus. Leaning his head against the thick bulletproof glass, he silently watched the majestic snow-capped peaks recede into the distance.
His right hand rested deep within his jacket pocket, his fingertips gently caressing the smooth, cool contours of the newly acquired Magic Shield Talisman.
And against his chest, beneath his worn, frayed shirt, the dark-gray Ancient Dragon Pendant resting against his flesh suddenly gave a subtle, rhythmic pulse.
A gentle, pure current of warmth, like a quiet mountain spring, flowed smoothly into Lin Feng’s limbs and meridians. After silently devouring the entire Soul Remnant of the Black-Horned Demonic Wolf yesterday afternoon, the slumbering spirituality of the Dragon Pendant had awakened another layer deeper. The seven Fire Stars within his spiritual stardust now blazed with dazzling brilliance, their mana reserves far denser and more concentrated than ever before!
Lin Feng closed his eyes slightly, a bold, audacious plan crystallizing clearly in his mind.
Three months of summer vacation.
Wealthy scions like Ling Bai would undoubtedly return to their opulent estates, soaking in expensive medicinal baths and receiving private tutoring from elite mages within state-of-the-art training facilities.
Yet Lin Feng had no access to such luxuries.
His thoughts drifted back to the leaky brick cottage in the South Street slums. He remembered the fragile figure of his adopted younger sister, Lin Xiaomo, sitting in her battered wheelchair, her gentle, clear eyes always welcoming him home with a warm smile. Xiaomo’s crippled legs required exorbitant magical elixirs costing hundreds of thousands—perhaps even millions—of magic coins to stand a chance of healing.
Furthermore, the countdown to his life-and-death duel against the Ling Clan’s prodigy, Han Yi, on their graduation day at age eighteen was ticking away with each passing day!
If he merely remained trapped within the four walls of his bedroom meditating like an obedient student, he would never amass the astronomical resources needed to nourish both his Fire and Lightning elements simultaneously, let alone harvest enough Monster Soul Essences to strengthen the Stars of the Ancient Dragon Pendant!
To become truly formidable, to crush the suffocating oppression of titanic clans like the Ling family underfoot, the only path was to step into perilous hunting grounds and bathe himself in blood and fire!
A cold, razor-sharp grin tugged at the corner of Lin Feng’s lips as his gaze pierced through the night, looking toward the dazzling neon lights of Bo’an City emerging in the distance:
“Bo’an Magic Hunter Union...”
“This summer... Hunter Lin Feng is coming for you!”