82: Chapter 82 First Place Can Only Be Mine

The sun slanted westward, dyeing the wide platform at the center of the secret realm—which served as the exit point—a warm golden yellow.

Many people had already gathered on the platform.

Compared to the state of being mixed with nervousness, excitement, and eagerness three days ago when they stepped into the secret realm, most of the freshmen now showed undisguised exhaustion.

Many people's clothes were covered in mud and dust, or even ripped open, appearing somewhat disheveled.

Some people still carried bandaged minor injuries on their bodies.

Their mental states also varied; some gathered together, talking loudly about something, their faces filled with the joy of harvest; others sat silently in corners, their eyes still lingering with the fear of encountering danger; more people were in a state of relief, talking to each other in low voices, waiting for the moment to leave.

Suddenly, a thin, tall boy seemed to remember something, looked around, and raised his voice: "Hey, have you guys noticed something strange?"

Several people around looked at him.

"Since yesterday afternoon," the thin, tall boy rubbed his chin, his expression somewhat confused, "I've felt that the wild beasts in this secret realm seem to be particularly afraid of fire."

"Afraid of fire? Fire-type suppresses Wood, Bug, and Ice, so it's not strange to be afraid of fire, right?" someone beside him said indifferently.

"It's not just ordinary fear!" The thin, tall boy shook his head repeatedly. "It's the kind where I just sent out my Fire-type beast, and those guys acted like they saw a ghost and fled without even looking back. This situation has happened more than once."

His words aroused the interest of several people nearby.

"Now that you mention it, I think it's also very strange." A girl with a ponytail spoke thoughtfully. "I contracted a Wind-type beast, and the wild beasts here also flee in a panic as soon as they see it flying over."

"Yes, yes, yes! Wind-type beasts too!" Another boy interjected. "So you all encountered this situation too; I thought it was just an isolated case."

"It's strange, these wild beasts weren't this cowardly before, right? They were very fierce on the first day." Someone rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "Could this be the underlying survival logic of this secret realm? Do wild beasts have an innate fear of Fire-type and Wind-type beasts?"

Just as everyone was speculating, two figures walked out one after the other.

"Phew—it's finally going to end." Yun Chuxiu yawned, his tone relaxed. "I've been sleeping so badly these past three days, my back aches. The big bed in the dormitory is still more comfortable."

Ye Zhen didn't pick up the topic, just glanced at the increasingly lively platform.

"Zhenzhen." Yun Chuxiu leaned over to him and lowered his voice. "Do you think you can take first place?"

Ye Zhen frowned, then immediately lifted his chin, his tone filled with strong confidence: "The first place will only be mine."

"Yes, yes, yes, our Zhenzhen is the most amazing." Yun Chuxiu's smile remained unchanged. "We teamed up to take down that leader-level Deep Pool Giant Crocodile yesterday, plus the scattered ones before, I estimate your total points must have exceeded four hundred, right?"

When he said this number, he himself took a light breath. "This number is a bit exaggerated."

Ye Zhen's expression didn't change. "Points are just the result. My goal has never been to simply surpass my peers, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, the grinning Yun Chuxiu interrupted: "I know, I know, your goal is to catch up with your brother, and then surpass him."

Ye Zhen gave a soft "Mn."

As the two were talking, the time to leave the secret realm arrived, and space ripples rippled across the platform.

For a moment, space ripples enveloped the freshmen, and their figures disappeared one after another.

In the following time, freshmen kept arriving from all directions of the secret realm, boarded the platform, and then left through the space ripples.

I don't know how much time passed, the sunset glow dyed the horizon a gorgeous orange-red.

On the distant horizon, a rapidly moving black dot suddenly appeared.

The black dot rapidly enlarged; the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture soared in the high sky, its flying posture unbridled.

Finally, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture folded its wings, dived downwards, and landed steadily on the platform.

"Phew." Lin Chen exhaled softly and jumped down nimbly from the back of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture.

On the way here, he also easily took care of a few more wild beasts.

In these three days, he himself couldn't remember how many beasts he had defeated.

From the initial first-order and second-order to the later leader-level... the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur, which had already broken through to the second-order seventh stage, told of the richness of wild beasts in this secret realm.

But from yesterday afternoon, the situation became a bit eerie.

Many wild beasts saw the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture carrying him from afar, or sensed the undisguised, terrifying dragon might of the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur, and didn't even dare to make contact, fleeing directly.

This reaction was as if the beasts here had shared information.

Later on, wherever he and the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur passed, it could be called silent, with no birds or beasts to be found.

Thoughts flashed by, Lin Chen turned and walked to the front of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture.

Despite the hard labor of three days, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture showed no fatigue, instead appearing shiny and spirited from having rubbed off some energy cubes.

Lin Chen reached out and patted the neck feathers of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, a smile appearing on his face: "Thanks to you these few days, let's see each other again if we have the chance."

"Li—!" The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture couldn't help but let out a nearly sobbing cry; it lowered its head, rubbed its side against Lin Chen's arm, its movements carrying obvious attachment and reluctance.

In three days, it had food and drink, and even taught its old rivals a lesson.

Since birth, it had never experienced such a happy life.

As Lin Chen walked towards the platform, inexplicable courage occupied its brain, it moved its body forward, staggering behind Lin Chen.

Lin Chen looked back: "You don't want to go out with me, do you?"

"Li~" The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture nodded repeatedly.

Leaving Lin Chen, where would it find such a paradise?

Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, then took a half step back, deliberately straightening his face: "Hm? You actually still want to keep sponging food and drink?"

"Li! Li Li!" The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture shook its head hurriedly, calling out eagerly a few times.

Looking at it like this, Lin Chen couldn't help but laugh: "I'm not kidding. You have your life, and this is your home."

"Stay here properly and work hard to become stronger. If you are strong enough in the future, maybe we will have a chance to meet again."

"Take care."

After saying that, Lin Chen didn't stay any longer and turned to leave.

The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture looked at Lin Chen's back, a low wail in its throat, but it didn't follow again.

When Lin Chen stepped onto the platform, space ripples oscillated, and his figure quickly blurred and disappeared.

The platform returned to calm, leaving only the lonely figure of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture and its long shadow stretched by the sunset.

It stared at the place where Lin Chen disappeared for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the dense forest, in the bushes, behind the rocks not far below the platform...

Beast after beast carefully poked their heads out, staring fixedly at the lonely black bird on the platform.

They held their breath, pricked up their ears, widened their eyes, and used all their perception to confirm whether the human with the terrifying beast had really left.

Time passed second by second.

The sunset finally sank completely into the mountain ridge, and the sky darkened rapidly.

On the platform, except for the dazed Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, there was no human aura left.

Silence lasted for a full quarter of an hour.

"Ao!!" "Zhi zhi—!!" "Gu wa—!!" "Sss sss!!"

The successive sounds of surprise erupted like a long-suppressed volcano.

That human finally left!

Countless pairs of eyes glowing with eerie light lit up in the darkness, slowly approaching from the forest, from the grass, from behind the rocks, and from the sky!

At this moment, countless angry gazes were like cold arrows, nailed firmly onto the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, which had just come back to its senses from its loss.

It was it!

"Ai——?!" The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture's feathers exploded instantly; it turned around fiercely, looking at the ferocious faces appearing from the darkness in all directions, the slight sadness raised by the parting was instantly replaced by boundless terror.

It shrank its neck, its wings subconsciously protecting its head, its feet involuntarily stepping back, and a wail with tremors sounded in its throat: "Li——!!!"

Outside the secret realm.

When Lin Chen returned to the outside world, the freshmen had already gathered.

Zhao Honggang's tower-like figure still stood on the high platform at the very front.

He didn't speak, just slowly scanned the young faces below.

The noise in the square quickly subsided under the scanning of this gaze, finally becoming silent, with only the sound of the evening wind blowing the flags.

The silence lasted for a few seconds.

Zhao Honggang's loud voice spread across the square covered by twilight: "Congratulations to you all."

"This year's Freshman Grand Competition officially ends here."

As the words fell, the crowd stirred.

Zhao Honggang raised his hand and pressed it down, and the square returned to silence.

His expression remained serious: "This trial is an important attempt at the academy's teaching reform."

"In these three days, some people were forced to withdraw early due to injuries, and some voluntarily gave up their qualifications, but..."

He paused, his eyes becoming deeper: "More people chose to persist until the end."

His tone gradually softened, and his serious corners of his mouth even pulled upwards.

"I am proud of you, and I hope you are proud of yourselves for persisting until the end."

"Alright, no more words."

Zhao Honggang's smile faded: "Now, the academy is conducting the final point statistics and checks. In at most two hours, the point rankings will be announced on the school's official website."

Speaking of this, he specifically emphasized: "The credits for the ranking rewards will be issued to your academy accounts immediately, without the need for additional applications."

Hearing this, many freshmen's eyes lit up.

"Now," Zhao Honggang waved his big hand, pointing to several flying mount beasts parked on the side: "Let's go, the academy has prepared a sumptuous welcome banquet for you."

"Ooh—!!!" "Long live the Dean!" "Let's go~"

After a brief silence, cheers erupted like a tsunami.

Soon, one flying mount beast after another carried the freshmen, took off in the night, and flew towards the academy.

When the flying mount beasts landed on a vast lawn specially cleared within the academy, night had completely fallen.

Hum— A pleasant ringing sound like swaying wind chimes flowed in the air.

Looking up, one could see hundreds of elegant, translucent, jellyfish-like creatures, each emitting halos of various colors, quietly hovering more than ten meters above the lawn.

They drifted slowly, their umbrellas spreading, their glowing tentacles swaying gently, like stars suspended under the night sky, illuminating the entire lawn like a dreamlike ocean, and reflecting the real galaxy in the deep sky above.

"It's the Streaming Light Jellyfish! So beautiful!" a girl exclaimed.

In the center of the lawn, a long row of long tables covered with white tablecloths had already been set up.

The tabletops were filled with dazzling items, fragrant and mouth-watering.

A group of Meow Butlers wearing well-tailored black small dresses and bow ties shuttled among them.

They stood upright on their hind legs, their ears turning, and they held silver trays filled with drinks and snacks steadily with paws covered in soft meat pads, moving nimbly through the crowd: "Meow wu~"

And in a corner of the lawn, several round Fierce Fire Pigs were lined up in a row, facing the large pieces of meat placed on a special grill in front of them, alternately spitting out orange-red flames of just the right temperature from their nostrils, roasting constantly.

Grease dripped into the fire, bursting out with a richer aroma.

Looking at the scene before them, all the freshmen were almost stunned.

"What are you still stunned for? Start eating." Zhao Honggang arrived on the lawn at some point, with a smile on his face.

"Ooh—!!!"

Cheers erupted again.

The freshmen no longer stood on ceremony, and according to their classes and familiar circles, they sat down at the long tables one after another.

At first, some people tried to maintain a little image, but when the first bite of delicious food went down, the memory of compressed biscuits and simple food from the past three days was instantly activated, and most people cast aside their reserve and began to wolf down their food.

"Gulp— Ha!"

Zhou Ming drank a large glass of iced fruit drink, breathed a sigh of relief, and tore off a large piece of roasted lamb leg and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly to Lin Chen beside him: "This is too awesome! Brother Chen, this meat is amazing!"

Pleasant singing sounded quietly.

Lin Chen looked up, his gaze falling on the spire of a steeple clock tower.

A slender and beautiful green bird beast with long tail feathers was standing quietly.

It tilted its head slightly, its beak opening and closing, and strings of ethereal and melodious singing flowed like an invisible stream, gently sprinkling over the entire lawn, acting as the most harmonious background music.

"Clear Sound Green Luan—"

Lin Chen recognized this rare beast known for its beautiful singing; it could soothe emotions with its singing, and even had a mental soothing effect.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of crisp explosions sounded from the high sky.

Everyone looked up subconsciously.

In the pitch-black night sky, countless incomparably gorgeous fireworks suddenly bloomed.

For a time, lights of various colors intertwined, spread, and fell, illuminating the entire academy sky like daylight.

The light of the fireworks illuminated every upturned face on the lawn.

Zhao Honggang walked to a small podium in the center of the lawn, he looked around the audience, and his voice sounded slowly: "This fireworks display was set off by the academy for you."

"Welcome," his gaze swept across the audience, paused slightly on a few figures, and finally said loudly: "to officially become a member of the Qiming Beast-Taming Academy!"

In an instant, cheers and applause erupted like a tsunami.

Zhou Ming clapped his hands hard, looking at the dreamlike scene around him, he couldn't help but sigh in a low voice: "Brother Chen, do you think this is a bit like the entrance banquet of a magic academy? The kind written in stories."

Lin Chen looked at everything in front of him, the corners of his mouth also raised slightly, and nodded.

"Mn, it is a bit like it."

The banquet atmosphere reached a climax at this moment, until a voice suddenly rang out: "Look at the academy's official website! The leaderboard is out!"