Lu Chen lies low within the undergrowth, his body pressed against damp earth as he slowly raises his head.
Ahead, the forest opens into a shallow clearing.
Iron-claw wolves.
They lie scattered across the clearing, thick hides rising and falling with slow, heavy breaths.
The larger wolves position themselves naturally along the perimeter, bodies angled outward, ears twitching even in sleep.
Their claws—dark, metallic, and curved—glint faintly under filtered sunlight.
In the centre, smaller wolves curl together, half-grown pups whose bodies still lack the hardened muscle and dense aura of adults.
Lu Chen does not rush.
He counts.
One… two… three…
His eyes move carefully, measuring shoulder width, muscle density, claw length, and breathing rhythm. From the way spiritual energy faintly leaks from their bodies, he estimates their cultivation.
He withdraws slowly, careful not to disturb a single leaf.
Behind him, his teammates do the same, retreating into the cover of bushes and tree roots.
Mu Yue is the first to whisper.
"I counted twenty."
The others nod.
He Shoumie whispers, "Same here."
Lu Chen also counted twenty. No discrepancy.
Zhang Ling adds quietly, "But only fourteen are combat-capable. Six are pups."
Bu Shou's voice is low and steady. "Even so, a frontal clash would be dangerous."
Lu Chen nods.
"The Alpha's cultivation is likely late first-stage demon," he whispers.
The academy's demon-classification system flashes through all their minds. Late first-stage demon beasts are equivalent to experienced mid-stage cultivators—fast, resilient, and deadly in close combat.
They fall silent.
Chao, the village guard who followed them at a distance, crawls over and whispers urgently, "The pack is stirring. You need to decide now."
Lu Chen glances back toward the clearing.
A surprise attack could thin the pack drastically.
But if they fully wake—
The terrain, numbers, and speed would overwhelm them.
Hesitation flickers across every face.
Then, He Shoumie's eyes harden.
"Use the sleeping incense," she whispers.
Zhang Ling's eyes widen. "Are you crazy? That thing cost us a hundred academy points!"
He Shoumie glares at him. "We bought it for situations exactly like this. Or do you want to die with a full pouch?"
Zhang Ling opens his mouth to argue.
Lu Chen grips his arm gently but firmly.
"No," Lu Chen whispers. "Any of us getting injured will cost far more than points."
Zhang Ling clenches his jaw. "But—"
"No buts," Lu Chen cuts in quietly. "Remember what the teacher said. Wizards solve problems with intelligence, not brute force."
Zhang Ling exhales slowly.
Then nods.
Lu Chen pulls off the pouch at his waist and opens it carefully.
Inside is a small glass bottle, sealed with layered wax. Within it coils a thin wick submerged in dark incense oil.
He looks at Zhang Ling.
"Ready with the wind."
Zhang Ling nods, placing his palms forward.
Lu Chen forms the familiar blue flame.
He lights the wick.
Soft smoke unfurls instantly—thin, pale, almost invisible as it drifts upward.
Zhang Ling channels wind gently, carefully, ensuring the breeze remains steady and controlled. The incense smoke slides forward like a living thing, creeping low across the ground toward the clearing.
The five apprentices circulate Qi around their noses, forming crude filtration barriers.
They stand.
They wait.
Moments pass.
Then the wolves begin to stir.
One of the larger wolves lifts its head, shakes slightly, and rises unsteadily. Another follows. Their movements are sluggish, coordination dulled.
Lu Chen whispers, "Mu Yue."
She nods.
Stepping forward, she reaches into the inner pockets of her robe and scatters seeds along the clearing's edge.
"Vines—hold."
The ground trembles.
Green shoots burst upward violently, thickening in seconds into twisting vines. They lash out, wrapping around the legs, torsos, and necks of the perimeter wolves.
The wolves howl.
Metal claws rake at the vines, tearing chunks free—but the vines regenerate, fed by Mu Yue's Qi and the earth beneath.
Then the Alpha rises.
Its aura surges.
With a roar filled with killing intent, it snaps the vines binding it with brute force and lunges straight toward them.
"I'll hold it," Bu Shou growls.
He steps forward and throws off his sling bag.
With a thunderous shout, his clothes rip apart, muscles swelling instantly. His body grows larger, denser, skin darkening as stone-like patterns spread across it.
A wild, ancient aura erupts.
Rock Ox bloodline.
Lu Chen watches, envy flashing through his mind.
During Life Sense training, Bu Shou discovered the dormant bloodline within him.
Lu Chen thinks bitterly, Why didn't my ancestors marry a demon beast…
He refocuses.
The Alpha slams into Bu Shou.
Claw meets hardened flesh.
The impact shakes the ground.
Bu Shou braces, muscles bulging as he absorbs the blow, then swings a massive fist.
The Alpha dodges and slashes back, claws tearing across Bu Shou's side, blood spraying.
"Shoumei," Lu Chen says calmly.
"Got it."
He Shoumie raises her hand, chanting softly. Water-element Qi gathers, glowing pale blue, wrapping around Bu Shou's wound.
The bleeding slows. Flesh begins to knit.
Lu Chen's palm ignites again.
The blue fire compresses, elongates, and reshapes into an arrow of pure flame.
He releases it.
The arrow streaks forward and detonates against the Alpha's waist.
The explosion throws the beast sideways, scorching fur and cracking ribs.
The Alpha howls in pain.
Bu Shou seizes the opening.
He charges and slams his fist into the Alpha's skull with full force.
The beast staggers.
He Shoumie fires an ice arrow.
It pierces the Alpha's leg, freezing muscle and bone.
The Alpha collapses.
Bu Shou roars and brings his fist down again.
The Alpha's skull caves in.
Silence.
The rest of the wolves are still entangled, weakened by incense and vines.
Zhang Ling steps forward, wind blades flashing.
Mu Yue reinforces the vines.
Lu Chen coordinates calmly, issuing quiet commands.
Within minutes, the clearing is still.
The Iron-claw pack is eliminated.
The apprentices stand there, breathing heavily, bloodied but alive.
Lu Chen looks at his teammates.
This is what it means to be a wizard outside the academy.
The clearing is silent now, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the distant drip of blood soaking into the soil.
Zhang Ling looks at the six living pups huddled together at the edge of the clearing, their small bodies trembling, eyes wide and confused.
"What are we going to do with the pups?" he asks.
Lu Chen's gaze shifts from the corpses of the adult wolves scattered across the ground.
"They can be used for life engineering experiments," he says thoughtfully.
"For Bu Shou and me."
Bu Shou shakes his head.
"I don't need them," he says.
"I haven't even tapped the full potential of the Rock Ox bloodline yet."
Lu Chen shoots him an envious glance.
Once again, his thoughts drift toward demon beast bloodlines.
Why did no demon beast choose his ancestors as life partners?
He narrows his eyes slightly.
"Were they not handsome like me?"
The thought almost makes him grin.
He stops himself.
He wasn't always like this.
A few months ago, he was cautious. Quiet. Reserved.
But his strength has increased too fast.
Praise follows him wherever he goes—teachers, peers, even seniors calling him a once-in-a-generation talent of the Wizard Academy.
Confidence hardens into arrogance before he realises it.
Lu Chen shakes his head, forcing his thoughts back on track.
He turns to the village guard.
"Brother Chao," he says, "go and call the village guards."
Chao straightens instantly.
Being called brother by a wizard apprentice sends a rush of pride through him.
"Yes!" he says with a wide smile.
"I'll go right away!"
He runs off toward the village.
Zhang Ling frowns.
"What are you doing?"
Lu Chen feels irritation rise.
Zhang Ling questions every decision he makes.
He exhales slowly, steadying himself.
I need him, Lu Chen reminds himself.
Among the academy students, Zhang Ling is one of the three best in runic formations.
One of the others joined Gu Yun, his rival.
The last is a solitary student from Chen Village who rarely interacts with anyone.
Suppressing his annoyance, Lu Chen answers calmly.
"We can't carry the wolf corpses ourselves," he says.
"We need the villagers' help."
Zhang Ling studies him for a moment, then nods.
Not long after, villagers arrive with carts and ropes.
They stare in awe at the dead Iron-claw wolves, fear and gratitude mixing on their faces.
The corpses are dragged away.
The pups are bound gently and placed into crates.
As the sun sets, the five apprentices leave Nuri Village behind.
After selling the corpses in the city.
By evening, they cross the Xinyi River by boat, its waters reflecting fading sunlight.
When their feet touch the academy ground again, exhaustion finally sets in.
They walk through the main gate and enter the central castle.
The corridors are quiet.
The academy is closed for the night.
They reach the mission hall—a large chamber with notice boards lining both walls and a wide counter spanning the far end.
Only one staff member sits behind one of the three counters, flipping through records.
Lu Chen steps forward.
"Sir," he says, "we have completed the Nuri Village mission."
The man looks up, adjusts his glasses, and checks the file.
"Yes," he says calmly.
"The mission is completed."
He closes the book.
"Identity cards."
They hand them over.
The man activates a formation, scanning each card.
"Each of you receives fifty academy points," he says,
"and a D-rank mission clearance card."
The cards glow briefly as they update.
Mission clearance cards are different from academy points.
Points can be traded.
Clearance cards cannot.
Certain resources, techniques, and areas require clearance—not currency.
With the cards in hand, the apprentices bow slightly and leave.
They head toward their dormitory, too tired to speak.
Elsewhere in the academy, Veena sits in the library.
Wizard rune books lie open before her.
She traces symbols with her finger, eyes sharp and focused.
Then footsteps approach.
The academy worker bows deeply.
"Lord Veena," the woman says,
"The Crow Hall requires your assistance."
Veena closes the book slowly.
The Crow Hall.
The intelligence centre of the Tang Kingdom.
Information from within the kingdom—and now from the Chen Kingdom—is gathered there.
Why would they need her?
She stands, curiosity flickering in her grey eyes.
And follows the worker.
END