Chapter 24

After making up his mind, Lu Jing gave his family a heads‑up in advance, saying he was going out traveling to relax.

He didn't tell the truth, for fear his parents would worry.

"Mom, Dad, I'm leaving; you don't need to see me off."

"Alright, come back early; the training camp is about to start, right? And did you bring enough money? When you get there, let the family know you're safe."

There was still half a month before the genius training camp began—enough time for Lu Jing to gain experience in Huāngshén Cónglín.

"Don't worry, Mom—I'm not a little kid anymore."

After listening to Feng Qinru nag for a few minutes, Lu Jing finally hoisted his backpack and prepared to leave.

Just before leaving, Lu Jing saw Lu Leyi looking a bit depressed nearby, went over and ruffled her hair.

"Hurry up and finish breakfast, then go to school; while I'm away these few days, you must behave at home."

I had thought Lu Leyi would talk back as usual, but this time she replied softly, "Okay, I got it, bro."

Lu Jing blinked slightly, a faint smile touching his lips.

Looks like this little girl has grown up too.

Anwu City is also over five thousand kilometers from the nearest entrance to Huāngshén Cónglín.

Fortunately, the high‑speed rail in this world is very fast; it only takes two days to get there.

On the speeding high‑speed rail.

Two rows of facing seats held two men and two women, all looking about twenty years old.

"I don't know what the school's thinking, actually posting a commission for Huāngshén Cónglín—we've only just broken through to first‑realm martial artist; aren't we in danger?"

One of them, a pink‑haired girl wearing a bunny‑ear hood, petite and cute, suddenly spoke up to complain.

The girl sitting beside her had the opposite demeanor—black hair hanging to her waist, a tight white tee with denim shorts, looking very aloof and crisp.

The aloof girl withdrew her gaze from the window and said softly, "I heard that because demon beasts in Huāngshén Cónglín have been acting strangely lately, many martial arts universities have posted corresponding commissions; with our strength, hunting a few low‑level demon beasts on the outskirts is still quite safe."

"Don't worry, I've got you—I'll guarantee your safety," said Huáng MáO opposite, patting his chest: "I'm a second‑realm martial artist; on this commission I'll take you guys flying."

"Gee, my Blood Qi just broke through to 26 ka—I feel I'm not far from the third‑realm martial artist standard..."

Huáng MáO kept bragging nonstop, clearly eager to show off in front of the girl.

The cute bunny‑ear girl opposite him kept nodding, her face full of admiration.

Meanwhile, the aloof girl Lóu Wǎnqīng flashed a hint of disgust in her eyes, seeming thoroughly annoyed by Huáng MáO.

Lóu Wǎnqīng was about to be driven mad by this talkative Huáng MáO; originally she and the cute girl had taken the commission alone, but Huáng MáO insisted on joining, claiming he'd protect them while actually having other motives.

She and the cute girl were just freshmen this year, with only first‑realm martial artist strength; going to Huāngshén Cónglín together is indeed somewhat dangerous.

Although Huáng MáO is a second‑realm martial artist, he's already a senior, three years older than them; such ability is only average in the martial arts university.

So Huáng MáO can only bluff in front of them; among seniors he's absolutely at the bottom.

I just didn't expect Huáng MáO to be so thick‑skinned, constantly showing off over the slightest thing.

However, this commission actually does need his help, so Lóu Wǎnqīng has been putting up with it and hasn't blown up.

But she doesn't regret this trip, because besides Huáng MáO there's an unfamiliar guy opposite who is very good‑looking.

This guy had already been seated there before they boarded, sitting opposite by the window.

He looks about her age, around eighteen or nineteen.

Besides his outstanding looks, his behavior is also unusual—he's been keeping his eyes closed and resting the whole time.

This lets Lóu Wǎnqīng freely admire his handsome face.

His features are exquisitely refined, his contours sharp as if carved by a knife; dressed all in white, in the sunlight he seems to glow, making him unforgettable at a glance.

It's precisely because of this guy's presence that Lóu Wǎnqīng has tolerated Huáng MáO for so long.

Just as Lóu Wǎnqīng was stealing glances at him with her peripheral vision.

Suddenly a uniformed attendant walked up the aisle and announced, "Huāngshén Cónglín station is coming up—please prepare to disembark!"

The guy seemed to have been woken by the noise; his lovely lashes twitched slightly, then he opened his eyes.

Lóu Wǎnqīng, afraid of being noticed, was about to look away when she was suddenly drawn in by his clear eyes.

Good heavens, what kind of eyes are those!

Lóu Wǎnqīng swallowed, thinking she had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life.

The guy's slender brows and eyes lifted; his dark, deep pupils shimmered with a hint of haze, as if he'd just woken up.

Even more astonishing, his pupils seemed to hold a strange power that was gradually drawing in Lóu Wǎnqīng's mind and spirit.

She couldn't help but stare, transfixed.

"Are you all right?"

Only when the guy spoke did Lóu Wǎnqīng snap back to reality; at that moment he looked at her with concern, leaning forward slightly.

"I'm fine…… I was just really sleepy, so I spaced out a bit……"

Catching his scent, Lóu Wǎnqīng felt her face flush, reddening all the way to her ears; she hadn't expected her covert glance to be noticed—how embarrassing.

"As long as you're okay."

Lu Jing nodded and sat back in his seat.

Just now, bored on the high‑speed rail, he had begun practicing the New Martial Era Contemplation Method; after finishing he hadn't fully withdrawn his mental power, which caused Lóu Wǎnqīng's reaction.

"Hello, I'm Zhāng Méng. You sleep a lot—I haven't seen you wake up once this whole trip. Are you also here to do a commission for the martial arts university?"

The cute bunny‑ear girl greeted Lu Jing, easing Lóu Wǎnqīng's embarrassment.

Lu Jing had no interest in getting to know them, but out of politeness he replied, "I'm Lu Jing, just a high‑school student; I came to Huāngshén Cónglín for training."

"A high‑school student coming for training? Are you alone?"

Lóu Wǎnqīng was surprised; Lu Jing was even younger than she'd imagined. "Huāngshén Cónglín is really dangerous," she said. "I suggest you wait until you get into the martial arts university before coming to train."

Huáng MáO to the side glanced at Lu Jing, then moved closer and said, "Huāngshén Cónglín isn't a place just anyone can go; even though I'm a second‑realm martial artist, you still have to be careful in there—I'd advise you to just turn back where you came from."

When he mentioned that he was a Second‑Realm Martial Artist, Huáng MáO unconsciously raised his volume, revealing a proud smile, as if he had already foreseen Lu Jing's admiring gaze.

Lu Jing was somewhat speechless; if those two girls still cared about him, then this Huáng MáO was just showing off.

Such people are like someone who just bought a new phone or put on a brand‑name watch, wanting to check the time every minute, afraid others won't know how impressive they are.