When I first entered high school, the system insisted that I was destined to be an emperor in my lat

After a strong feeling of weightlessness, the light in front of Jiang Feng and the other two gradually faded, accompanied by a putrid stench.

"Is this the secret realm for the new student trials?"

Jiang Feng landed first and looked around.

Before them lay a dark, sunless swamp of decaying bones.

The sky was obscured by a gray-black miasma, and the surrounding area was filled with black, withered trees whose trunks were entwined with a large number of eerie vines.

"Gurgle gurgle..."

Bubbles occasionally rise from the black mud.

"roar!!!"

From the depths of the distant mist, a mournful roar could be faintly heard.

Jiang Feng looked down at the tactical terminal on his wrist, where a map of this secret realm had been automatically generated.

The entire secret realm is divided into three major areas:

The upper part is a dark and treacherous forest.

The lower half is the swamp of decaying bones where they are now.

At the heart of the intersection of the two regions stands a crimson castle bathed in a scarlet glow.

"drop!"

A soft beep came from the tactical terminal.

As the team leader, Jiang Feng saw a mission command pop up on his screen:

[Mission triggered: Endless Hunt]

[Mission Objective: Lead your squad to kill ten level 5 or higher mutated beasts and three aberrant monsters.]

[Mission Reward: Upon completion of the basic objective, all team members will receive an additional 3000 merit points.]

[Note: Several hidden quests have been released within the secret realm area. Teams must explore and trigger them on their own. Completing them will reward you with generous special rewards.]

"The basic reward of 3,000 merit points seems to be pretty good for this freshman trial."

He casually closed the task panel, his eyes sharpening.

"Jiang Feng, have we arrived?"

Just then, Tangtang finally recovered from her dizziness.

It was clearly her first time visiting such a secluded place, and her eyes shone with an irrepressible curiosity as she reached out to touch the twisted, withered trees.

"Don't move!"

Ji Fan adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, a data stream flashing across the lenses: "Right side, underground, there's a response!"

Before he could finish speaking, the black swamp beside him exploded with a roar!

"roar!!"

Amidst a spray of black mud, a colossal beast covered in scales burst forth from the sky!

Fifth-tier peak - Mudscale Poisonous Lizard!

Its speed was astonishing, like a bolt of lightning.

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

too fast!

It's so fast that people can't even react.

Tang Tang's mind went blank, her body stiffened, and she froze in place in fright.

At this critical moment.

"Clang!"

A clear, sharp sound of a blade suddenly pierced through the miasma!

Jiang Feng's figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.

The next second, a dazzling blade of light slashed out diagonally from below!

"Pfft!!!"

The Mudscale Poison Lizard's body suddenly froze in mid-air, and then it was cleaved in two from head to tail!

"Pfft!"

The foul-smelling blood cascaded down like a waterfall!

As the internal organs and intestines fell to the ground with a "clatter," a strong stench emanated from them.

[Defeat the Tier 5 Beast 'Mudscale Poisonous Lizard' and gain 50 Merit Points.]

Jiang Feng casually flicked the blood off the blade, then sheathed the sword with fluid, effortless movements.

It was only then that Tangtang suddenly woke up.

Looking at the pile of intestines still wriggling slightly at her feet, she felt a churning in her stomach and barely managed to hold it in.

"Jiang... Brother Jiang Feng, thank you, I just..."

"Haven't you killed any monsters before?"

Ji Fan slowly walked forward, his brows furrowed tightly.

In his opinion, Tang Tang's reaction just now was simply too stupid.

"I...I've killed."

Tang Tang lowered her head in grievance, her voice slightly choked with sobs.

"These are just low-level beasts from the outermost edge of the abyss... I've never seen anything this ferocious..."

"This is the Zhenyue Martial Arts University's trial realm, not a training ground for you to play house!"

Ji Fan said without any mercy.

"If we encounter a high-level beast, you will not only die, but you will also become a burden to us!"

"If all else fails, just crush the token and teleport back now. This trial isn't for you."

Upon hearing this, Tangtang could no longer hold back her tears.

She knew she had performed poorly, but how could she face her family's expectations if she was eliminated as soon as she entered the secret realm?

"Alright."

Jiang Feng stepped forward, shook his head, and said, "Everyone has a first experience of facing life and death."

"Once you've seen blood, you won't be afraid next time. Don't have any psychological burden."

Then, he changed the subject and asked, "Tang Tang, what are you good at?"

Tang Tang sniffed hard before whispering, "Although my combat power isn't strong, I can sometimes sense some very special auras."

"A peculiar aura?"

Jiang Feng and Ji Fan were both taken aback.

Just then, Tangtang suddenly seemed to sense something and covered her head with both hands, as if she was under great mental pressure.

She struggled to raise one hand and pointed in a certain direction deep in the swamp: "Brother Jiang Feng... in that direction, it seems... there's something strange there."

Ji Fan looked in the direction Tang Tang pointed with some skepticism, but apart from a thick black fog and withered trees, he could not see anything.

Jiang Feng didn't speak, but closed his eyes, and a powerful surge of divine sense suddenly erupted from between his brows.

Because the surrounding black mist had a blocking effect, his divine sense could only extend to about five kilometers.

But now, with the specific location given by Tang Tang, he focused all his divine sense into a line and frantically pierced through it into the distance!

Five kilometers... eight kilometers... ten kilometers...

suddenly!

Jiang Feng's divine sense touched upon a hidden aura.

"This is……"

He suddenly opened his eyes, deeply shocked.

"The scent of a containment object?!"

This rudimentary secret realm actually hides a containment item?!

What shocked him the most was Tangtang!

Under the suppression of the black mist, even he almost didn't notice it.

How could Tang Tang, a fifth-rank martial artist, detect the presence of a contained object across a distance of over ten kilometers?!

Jiang Feng glanced at Tang Tang, a smile playing on his lips.

Sure enough, none of those who could get into Zhenyue Martial Arts University were mediocre.

"Let's go, let's go in that direction."

He gave the order decisively.

……

at the same time.

The other end of the Bone Rot Swamp.

"Boom!"

It was accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder.

A crimson bolt of lightning tore through the miasma and struck a sixth-tier mud crocodile hard.

The raging lightning instantly charred it black, and its massive body collapsed with a crash.

Qin Hongye stood in the mud, dressed in a bright red combat uniform, looking heroic and spirited.

She held the long whip in one hand, casually wiping away a drop of black blood that had splattered on her cheek, her eyes filled with excitement.

"A sixth-tier beast is nothing special."

Just as she was preparing to lead the team to go deeper into the territory.

"what?"

"This aura... seems to be from a mutated monster?"

Qin Hongye narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

Thinking of the mission requirement to kill three mutated monsters, she did not hesitate at all.

"Let's go! There's a big truck ahead!"

With a flick of her thunder whip, she and her two teammates sped off into the distance without hesitation.

……

at the same time.

Miasma permeates the deadwood forest surrounding the Bone Rot Swamp.

Jiang Feng and his two companions were advancing at a leisurely pace.

On a withered tree just ahead, three powerful figures were lying in wait.

All three were senior students. In just half an hour after arriving in the secret realm, they had already taken down two teams of freshmen and made a fortune.

At this moment, they stared at Jiang Feng and his two companions as they gradually entered the ambush zone below, their faces beaming with excitement.

"The fish has taken the bait!"

"Let's do it!"

Without a word, Liu Qiang, who was in the lead, gave a low shout, and the three of them instantly plummeted from the treetop!

however.

"With such poor stealth skills, you dare to show your face and embarrass yourself?"

Jiang Feng didn't even raise his head, a mocking sneer appearing on his lips.

With his terrifying divine sense, comparable to that of a seventh-grade cultivator, he had already locked onto these three clowns.

"Gravity, stripping away."

Ji Fan pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and let out a cold snort.

"Buzz!"

With him as the center, the gravity vector within a ten-meter radius was instantly and forcibly reversed!

Liu Qiang and the other two in mid-air felt their bodies lighten, and then it was as if they were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, freezing them in mid-air.

"What the hell is that?!"

Liu Qiang was horrified.

"We'll take you back."

Jiang Feng took a step forward, his figure transforming into a bolt of lightning, and unleashed both fists simultaneously!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three muffled thuds rang out, and Liu Qiang and his two companions were blasted away like sandbags.

The teleportation token effect is triggered.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three white lights flashed by.

These three aggressive second-year students vanished without even touching Jiang Feng's clothes, turning into pillars of light.

Their merit points were also reduced to zero in that instant, becoming the spoils of Jiang Feng's team.

……

In the square outside the secret area.

With a flash of light, Liu Qiang and his two companions fell to the ground with a thud.

What's going on?

I was eliminated?

They stared blankly at their surroundings, completely bewildered.

A few seconds?

Still ten seconds?

They weren't even able to see how their opponent attacked before they were instantly killed?!

By this time, the square was already surrounded by elderly people watching the spectacle.

Upon seeing the disheveled appearance of Liu Qiang and his two companions, a burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Hahaha! Isn't that Liu Qiang? He was eliminated after only half an hour?"

"What a disgrace! Three sophomores went to ambush freshmen, only to get killed and even their underwear stolen!"

"My attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly! The 5,000 merit points I spent on the ticket are completely wasted. This is a huge loss!"

"This is hilarious! You guys are going to the freshman trial to buy supplies? I think you're going there to offer them some comfort!"

……

Hearing the laughter and ridicule around them, Liu Qiang and his two companions wished they could disappear into the ground.

Five thousand merit points!

That was their life savings accumulated over half a year, and it's all gone just like that!

At the same time, the screen in the center of the square was replaying the scene of Liu Qiang and the other two being eliminated.

When they saw Ji Fan's uncanny ability to control the situation and Jiang Feng's devastating explosive power, the discussions in the square gradually changed.

"Truly worthy of being this year's S-rank prodigy, his strength is ridiculously powerful!"

"Pshaw, what a load of rubbish!"

Someone immediately retorted, "Liu Qiang and his two companions were already at the bottom of the class in their sophomore year. If it were Lu Ming's team, would these freshmen still be so arrogant?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the image on the big screen changed.

The scene shows Lu Ming, Tong Shan, and Wen Qian facing off against a team of freshmen.

And the captain of that team was none other than Chen Jiahao, the top scorer in the college entrance examination in the northern province!

Facing three formidable figures ranked in the top fifty of the Earth Ranking, Chen Jiahao showed no sign of backing down. Instead, he arrogantly raised his chin and sneered, "I thought the so-called Earth Ranking experts were really that powerful, but it turns out they only come to the Freshman Trial to bully newbies!"

"You scum dare to call yourselves geniuses?"

"If I were given a year to cultivate, I would definitely step on your heads and climb to the top of the Heavenly Ranking!"

These words caused an uproar in the square.

"Holy crap, this freshman is way too arrogant!"

"They've gotten so used to being local tyrants in this small place, they're courting death!"

"Lu Ming, teach him a lesson!"

Even Shi Meng, standing on the high platform, couldn't help but shake his head and frown, saying, "Chen Jiahao's talent is indeed top-notch, but he's too arrogant; he'll suffer a great loss!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Just then, two whooshing sounds came from the air.

In an instant, two imposing figures descended upon the square.

The man on the left had wild, fiery red hair and a thick red beard, radiating a fierce fighting spirit like a volcanic eruption.

Hong Lie, a senior instructor in the combat system.

The person on the right is a stunningly beautiful woman.

Shen Qingdai, a senior instructor in the Alchemy Department.

Upon seeing the two men, Shi Meng immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, mentors."

These two are both genuine peak seventh-grade Martial Emperors!

Moreover, they have all completed the remodeling process at least three times!

In the martial arts cultivation system, if a seventh-grade Martial Emperor wants to break through the shackles and enter the eighth-grade Martial Saint realm, he must purify and compress the violent true energy in his body and transform it into spiritual power of a higher dimension.

This process is called "spiritual transformation," and it requires at least six transformations to trigger the tribulation of heaven and earth and successfully break through.

Each successful turn will bring about a dramatic qualitative change in strength.

The arrival of the two men quieted down the unruly senior students in the square.

Hong Lie laughed heartily: "Shi Meng, no need for formalities. We're just here to see the quality of this year's freshmen."

"If we find any promising talents who catch our eye, we'll recruit them into our combat department and train them thoroughly!"

Shen Qingdai retorted without backing down: "That won't do. Our alchemy department is also short of a few promising talents with keen spiritual senses this year. Old Hong, don't even think about taking them all for yourself."

Seeing that the two big shots were about to start arguing over the person, Shi Meng quickly pointed to the big screen and interrupted, "Mentors, the battle on the screen has begun."

Everyone looked up.

In the scene, Lu Ming didn't even take off the spear on his back; his figure shot out like a silver lightning bolt!

"Bang! Bang!"

With just two punches, Chen Jiahao's two teammates didn't even have time to react before they were eliminated in a flash of white light.

"Holy crap! That was fast!"

"As expected of Lu Ming, who is hailed as the Silver Flash!"

"Hmph! I knew Lu Ming could easily beat these freshmen!"

……

A secret realm, nestled within a dense forest.

Chen Jiahao's expression finally changed as he watched his two teammates being instantly killed, a look of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

Lu Ming stood still, looking at him calmly: "Surrender. Your two teammates are already out. You have no chance of winning alone."

Wen Qian also revealed a gentle smile: "Little brother, listen to my advice, just admit defeat."

"You're this year's S-class prodigy. If we beat you black and blue later, it'll be too embarrassing for you."

"surrender?"

Chen Jiahao seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and suddenly shouted coldly, "I am an S-class prodigy! The word 'surrender' has never existed in my dictionary!"

"Whoosh!"

He yanked off the hood of his black trench coat and abruptly looked up.

His originally black pupils had turned into a dazzling, deep blue!

Chen Jiahao took a deep breath, and countless violent blue lightning bolts appeared out of thin air, coiling around his body like lightning snakes.

"Give me a gun!"

He stretched out his right hand, clenched it in the air, and the thunder in the sky instantly condensed into a crackling blue lightning spear.

"Lightning Flash!"

"Whoosh!"

Chen Jiahao vanished instantly, leaving only a streak of lightning in the air.

"So fast!"

Wen Qian's expression changed drastically.

The next moment, the blue lightning spear pierced straight into her chest!

This strike was ruthless and decisive, showing no mercy or hesitation just because the other party was a girl.

"Copper Mountain!"

Lu Ming frowned slightly and shouted.

"boom!"

A figure as large as a mountain of flesh suddenly appeared in front of Wen Qian.

Tongshan roared and slammed the Xuan Tie Heavy Shield hard into the ground.

"Sizzle!!!"

The lightning spear pierced the heavy shield, bursting into dazzling sparks.

Lu Ming, his face cold, reprimanded sternly, "How many times have I told you? Don't underestimate the enemy on the battlefield! That's the most basic mistake!"

Suppressing her inner panic, Wen Qian, her back soaked with cold sweat, quickly nodded, "Yes, Captain!"

When his first attack missed, a glint of madness flashed in Chen Jiahao's eyes.

He quickly created distance, roared in mid-air, and a pair of lightning wings actually condensed behind him amidst the intertwining of thunder!

Speed ​​surged again!

"Nine Heavens Thunderous Assault!"

From his elevated position, Chen Jiahao, in coordination with Lei Yi's dive, unleashed his most powerful flight technique.

He transformed into a pillar of lightning connecting heaven and earth, crashing down with tremendous force!

"Snap!!!"

With a crisp sound, the heavy iron shield was pierced through!

"Pfft!"

The thunder spear, still powerful, plunged deep into Tongshan's chest, splattering blood everywhere!

"what!"

However, Tongshan's physical defense is extremely abnormal.

Instead of retreating a single step, he widened his eyes, endured the excruciating pain, gripped the gun tightly with both hands, and roared, "Wen Qian! Do it!"

"die!"

Wen Qian reacted extremely quickly, her figure moving like a ghost to the side, the dagger in her hand turning into a cold light, aiming straight for Chen Jiahao's throat.

Despite being in dire straits, Chen Jiahao remained completely calm.

He tilted his head back, his face filled with a morbid madness!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Cool!"

"That feels so good!"

"Since that's the case..."

"I will make sure this sky can no longer block my view!!!"

"boom!!!"

The power of the Thunder Beast bloodline within Chen Jiahao's body erupted with a roar!

Its entire body radiated a light as bright as the sun!

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

The raging lightning surged wildly along the spear towards Tongshan, threatening to severely damage him!

"Damn it!"

Lu Ming finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He ripped off the black cloth behind him, and the Silver Dragon Spear emerged from the sea, transforming into a superior divine power, "Dragon Lock Kill," which directly deflected the lightning spear.

At the same time, Wen Qian had already arrived in front of Chen Jiahao.

Lu Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Wen Qian's attack was enough to trigger the opponent's teleportation mechanism, ending the battle.

However, the next second, his pupils suddenly contracted!

Instead of dodging, Chen Jiahao extended his left hand!

"Pfft!"

The sharp dagger pierced his palm, and blood dripped down the blade.

"This madman! Does he not even care about his life?!"

Lu Ming's expression changed drastically.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Despite his hand being pierced, Chen Jiahao seemed oblivious to the pain, laughing wildly as he looked up at the sky!

"I am an S-class prodigy!"

"The destiny of a king is to shoulder the burden of this shattered world alone!"

Even if my hands are stained with blood, I will still... annihilate you!!!

"Boom!!!"

A terrifying, destructive power of lightning, so powerful that even Lu Ming felt a chill, surged wildly within Chen Jiahao's body!

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

Lu Ming felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively tried to pull Tong Shan and Wen Qian away.

This kid is terrifying!

however.

The terrifying power of the thunder was so violent that, by sheer coincidence, it shattered the token in Chen Jiahao's arms.

"Snap!"

The crisp cracking sound stood out starkly against the thunder.

Chen Jiahao, who was about to unleash his ultimate move, was taken aback.

Immediately afterwards, an irresistible beam of white light enveloped him.

"what?"

Chen Jiahao was stunned for a second before he composed himself.

In the final moments before his body vanished, he covered half his face with one hand, revealing a 45-degree angled profile to Lu Ming and the other two, gazing up at the sky, a wicked smile playing on his lips:

"Is this... the curse of fate?"

"What a pity, I couldn't let you witness my strongest form!"

"Whoosh!"

A beam of white light shot into the sky, and the imposing Chen Jiahao teleported himself away.

……

Outside the secret area, the square was deathly silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape.

A full half minute passed before the square erupted in chaos!

"Holy crap! Holy crap! What just happened?!"

"Catching a dagger with his bare hands? Forcibly unleashing his bloodline despite a penetrating wound?! This Chen Jiahao is a battle maniac!"

"What kind of power was the lightning that appeared at the end?"

"And what about his strongest form... Could it be that he was actually hiding his true strength when he fought three top-ranked experts in one battle?!"

"Damn it, what kind of monsters are these S-class lads?!"

Just as the entire audience was shocked and discussing the incident...

Hong Lie slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and pointed at the screen, roaring:

"This kid's arrogant! Crazy! Just my type!!!"

"What 'fate curse in my form'? It sounds so powerful!"

"I'm getting my hands on this kid!"

"He has to come to our combat department!"

……

at the same time.

Deep within the swamp of decaying bones.

"Bang!"

A mutated crocodile covered in pustules was violently whipped away!

"Fresh...flesh and blood...eat...eat you all!"

"Damn it! What kind of monsters are these? They've even developed intelligence after being mutated!"

Qin Hongye's two teammates stood back to back, panting heavily.

After a fierce battle, although they managed to kill three crocodiles, they themselves were seriously injured and their energy was almost depleted.

"Step back! You two, get out of the way!"

With a cold shout, a dazzling fiery red figure swept in like a whirlwind.

Thunder and fire clashed in Qin Hongye's eyes, and the Crimson Thunder Whip in her hand seemed to transform into a fire dragon.

She didn't use any fancy moves; a whip flash tore through the air, creating a piercing sonic boom!

"Snapped!"

The mutated crocodile at the very front didn't even have time to scream before its head was smashed open like a watermelon!

Immediately afterwards, Qin Hongye moved like a leaping flame, weaving through the remaining five or six mutated crocodiles.

Wherever the long whip passed, thunder and fire raged, and the stench of burning filled the air.

In just a dozen or so breaths.

When she retracted her whip and stepped onto the corpse of a crocodile, there was no monster left standing around.

The ground was littered with charred remains of limbs and torsos burned to a crisp by lightning.

The two teammates, clutching their wounds, stared in disbelief, swallowing hard.

These are all fifth-tier aberration monsters!

The two of them faced numerous dangers when fighting the three-headed monsters together, while Qin Hongye alone slaughtered all the monsters!

"Is this... is this the strength of an S-rank prodigy?"

The two teammates exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with awe.

Just as Qin Hongye shook the blood off her whip, preparing to have her teammates bandage her wounds on the spot.

"Boom!!!"

The black swamp ahead suddenly began to boil!

A jet of water as thick as a bucket shot skyward!

Qin Hongye's expression changed drastically, and she took several steps back.

"You lowly human ants...you should not have come here."

The swamp parted, and a massive Sky-Splitting Crocodile slowly emerged from the water.

It also stood upright, covered in a tattered suit of armor.

What's most unsettling is that it holds a 'golden harpoon' that gleams with golden light in its right claw.

"A seventh-tier...mutated monster?!"

Qin Hongye gasped.

This is a terrifying existence equivalent to a human Martial Emperor!

Moreover, the harpoon in its hand is definitely not an ordinary weapon!

"die!"

Without uttering a single word, the Sky-Splitting Crocodile swung its golden harpoon across the air.

"Buzz!"

There was no violent surge of energy, nor any earth-shattering explosion.

But the moment the harpoon was swung, the gravity and space around Qin Hongye seemed to be distorted.

That's a power of rules that's completely unreasonable!

"Containment Item!!"

Qin Hongye instantly realized why this mutated monster possessed such terrifying pressure; it was relying on the power of the rules of the contained object!

"Captain, we're here to help you!"

Seeing Qin Hongye in danger, her two teammates drew their swords and charged forward with a roar from either side.

"A foolish insect that doesn't know its own mortality."

The Sky-Splitting Crocodile didn't even glance at them, and its golden harpoon paused in the mud.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two powerful forces collided instantly with the chests of the two men.

"puff!!!"

Both of them coughed up a mouthful of blood and flew backward.

"Snap! Snap!"

Two blinding white lights flashed, instantly teleporting the two out of the secret realm.

"asshole!"

Seeing her teammates instantly killed, she finally realized that she was no match for a monster wielding a containment artifact!

"We must evacuate!"

Qin Hongye gritted her teeth and chose to burn her essence blood. Her thunder and fire wings suddenly unfolded, and she transformed into a fiery red streak of light as she fled.

"Can you escape from my territory?"

The Sky-Splitting Crocodile suddenly raised its golden harpoon and slashed it through the air in the direction Qin Hongye was fleeing.

"Space, confinement."

"Buzz!"

A muffled "bang"!

"puff!!!"

Qin Hongye was thrown back and slammed heavily into the mud. Her internal organs churned, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Can't escape!

As the Sky-Splitting Crocodile approached step by step, a desperate, bitter smile finally appeared on her face.

"Am I going to be eliminated right at the start?"

However, the expected fatal blow did not fall.

"boom!"

A dazzling crescent-shaped blade of light slashed fiercely at the Sky-Splitting Demon Crocodile, causing it to stagger back more than ten meters.

"Who goes there?!"

The Sky-Splitting Crocodile turned its head in fury.

Not far away, on a withered tree, Jiang Feng held the Dragon Fang in his hand, his eyes cold and piercing.

Behind them, Ji Fan pushed up his glasses, while Tang Tang nervously peeked out with half her head.

"Finally found it."

"A seventh-tier aberration monster and an A-class containment object? This is a big fish!"

Jiang Feng revealed an excited smile.