Chapter 32: Hunting for Magic Cores

Jianchen looked out the window at the sky. The sun was already high in the sky, and it was no longer early.

Today was a special day for Kagas Academy, as the school would be holding a large event that all teachers and students had to attend. The event was called the Wilderness Survival Battle. All students had to go to a small forest twenty miles away from Kagas Academy and stay there for three days. Students who had not yet reached the Saint level had to obtain at least two first-tier magic cores during these three days to pass, while those who had reached the Saint level had to obtain at least two second-tier magic cores. There was no limit to the number of magic cores that could be submitted, but the student who submitted the most magic cores would receive a very rich reward: a fourth-tier earth attribute magic core and a spatial ring.

Such a generous reward would be enough to make even the wealthy children from prominent families feel moved.

Moreover, all students who passed the test would have the right to read various combat techniques and cultivation methods in the fourth floor of the library. This reward was even more attractive to students from ordinary civilian families.

Combat techniques are powerful combat skills that can unleash strong attacks. By uniquely utilizing Holy Power, one can enhance their strength to 120% or even unleash moves that far exceed their own strength.

Cultivation methods, on the other hand, can only be used by those who have reached the Saint level. In some civilian families, even the lowest-level cultivation methods are not available. Children from these families generally rely on the most basic breathing techniques to cultivate Holy Power. This breathing technique is widely spread throughout the entire Tianyuan Continent, and its content is extremely simple, almost every civilian family knows it. The only drawback is that this breathing technique can only cultivate up to the tenth level of Holy Power, and it is of no use to those who have already advanced to the Saint level. Therefore, a combat technique or cultivation method is already an invaluable treasure for students from civilian families.

On the Tianyuan Continent, all combat techniques and cultivation methods are divided into four levels: Saint, Heaven, Earth, and Human, each of which is further divided into three sub-levels:初级, 中级, and 高级.

After leaving the dormitory, Jianchen walked straight to the playground. The event had been announced three days ago, and after three days, almost all the students had completed their preparations and adjusted their strength to their peak state.

When Jianchen arrived at the playground, it was already crowded with people. However, they were clearly divided into two camps. One camp was made up of wealthy students, while the other was made up of students from ordinary civilian families with no background.

All students who had not yet advanced to the Saint level were holding weapons that emitted a cold light. Since this was a battle against magical beasts, the school had allowed them to choose their own defensive weapons.

Jianchen walked straight to the weapon rack, but when he saw the few remaining weapons, his brows couldn't help but furrow. The good weapons had almost all been chosen by the students in front, and the remaining weapons were either of poor quality or heavy weapons that required brute force to wield, which were not suitable for him.

His gaze slowly swept over the weapon rack, and when he noticed a finger-thick broken iron rod stuck in the weapon rack, his eyes suddenly lit up. He immediately reached out and pulled it out with some effort. The iron rod was about three feet long and finger-thick, covered in brownish-yellow rust, with a very sharp tip at one end.

Jianchen weighed the rusted iron rod in his hand and tested its hardness, then nodded in satisfaction. Although using this iron rod was somewhat inconvenient, its weight and length were just right for Jianchen. Among the remaining weapons here, this iron rod was undoubtedly the one that would allow Jianchen to maximize his strength.

At this moment, Tielu emerged from the crowd. He was now carrying a giant axe that was slightly larger than his body, making him look even more imposing.

Tielu came to Jianchen and, when his gaze fell on the rusted iron rod in Jianchen's hand, a look of confusion appeared in his eyes. He asked in puzzlement, "Hey, Changyang Xiangtian, what are you doing with this iron rod?"

Jianchen chuckled and said, "What else? It's a weapon, of course."

"Are you serious, Changyang Xiangtian? You're actually using this broken iron rod as a weapon? You... you... are you okay in the head?" Tielu was full of surprise.

Jianchen smiled lightly but did not explain further.

Although Tielu was very puzzled by Jianchen's choice of a broken iron rod as a weapon, he did not dwell on the issue. He continued, "Changyang Xiangtian, how about we team up? If we work together, no first-tier magical beast will be a threat to us, and we might even be able to kill second-tier magical beasts. Besides, I've been fighting beasts in the forest since I was young, so I've learned some survival skills. If you team up with me, you'll suffer a lot less."

Hearing this, Jianchen thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. The school did not prohibit students from gathering in groups of three or five to hunt magical beasts, so most students could form teams of three or five.

At this moment, a handsome young man with a hint of arrogance in his eyes approached Tielu and said with a smile, "Hello, Tielu. My name is Xi Mi, and I have reached the peak of the tenth level of Holy Power. How about we team up? I believe we will have an easier time hunting magical beasts together."

Tielu glanced at Xi Mi and shook his head. "No, Tielu and I are enough. We don't need anyone else to join us."

Xi Mi did not lose heart at Tielu's refusal. He turned to Jianchen, and his expression became a bit more arrogant. "This must be Changyang Xiangtian, the fourth young master of the Changyang family in Luer City. Indeed, you are a talented person. Changyang Xiangtian, I am from the Xi Mi family in Zijin City, and my father is the head of the Xi Mi family. Would you welcome me to join your team?"

Zijin City is a royal city, and for the Garsen Kingdom, it is an imperial city because the royal palace is located in Zijin City.

Hearing the threatening tone in Xi Mi's voice, Jianchen frowned. His gaze calmly swept over Xi Mi's handsome face, and he said indifferently, "Sorry, we don't need anyone else to join us. After all, we are facing first-tier magical beasts, and we don't have the extra time to take care of others."

Xi Mi's face turned a dark liver color, and he glared at Jianchen's calm face. He then coldly snorted and walked away.

After Xi Mi left, several other people of no small status came one after another. Some greeted Tielu, while others wanted to join Tielu's team, but all were rejected by Tielu. Tielu had no good feelings towards these people and did not even want to talk to them.

When everyone had left, a tall, strong young man, not much smaller than Tielu, approached Jianchen with three other students of medium build, all in their twenties. He came straight to Jianchen, patted his shoulder hard, and laughed, "Fourth Brother, you're now a celebrity in the academy. I bet no one in Kagas Academy doesn't know your name. Great job, you haven't disgraced the Changyang family, and even I have benefited from your success." The tall, strong young man was none other than Jianchen's older brother, Changyang Hu, who was now beaming with pride.

Jianchen smiled. "Big Brother, stop teasing me. By the way, you came just in time. How about we team up for this event?"

Changyang Hu shook his head, a smile on his face. "Fourth Brother, if you had said this seven days ago, I would have been happy to team up with you. But now, it's not possible. Seven days ago, I finally succeeded in forming a Holy Weapon and became a Saint. This event involves hunting second-tier magical beasts in the third layer of the forest, so I can't be with you." As he spoke, powerful Holy Power surged from Changyang Hu's body. A double-bladed giant axe appeared in his hand, glowing with a yellowish-brown light. The axe was enormous, with a blade much larger than a washbasin, and the entire axe glowed with a yellowish-brown light.

"Fourth Brother, isn't it great? After forming a Holy Weapon, I discovered that my Holy Power is earth attribute," Changyang Hu said proudly. In a battle between a Holy Weapon with an attribute and one without, the one with an attribute usually has a significant advantage. If two people of equal strength duel, the one with an attribute Holy Power is almost always the winner.

One can only discover the attribute of their Holy Power after forming a Holy Weapon. Therefore, before becoming a Saint, it is almost impossible to determine the attribute of one's Holy Power. However, the probability of having an attribute Holy Power is very low, with only one in a thousand people having a Holy Weapon with an attribute.

Kagas Academy gathers the most promising students from the entire Garsen Kingdom, so it is normal for several students among the thousand to have attribute Holy Power.

Looking at the double-bladed axe in Changyang Hu's hand, Jianchen smiled. "Big Brother, congratulations on successfully forming a Holy Weapon and advancing to the Saint level, and it's even an attribute Holy Weapon."

Changyang Hu was very pleased and then pointed to the three young men who had come with him. "Fourth Brother, let me introduce you. They are all outstanding members of the Changyang family. They are Changyang Aojian, Changyang Feng, and Changyang Xiaotian."

"Fourth Young Master!" The three young men bowed to Jianchen, showing great respect. The hierarchy in the Changyang family was very strict, so even though they were all direct descendants of the Changyang family, their status was lower than Jianchen's. Despite some of them being older than Jianchen, they still treated him with great respect.

Moreover, they felt no resentment about bowing to Jianchen, who was younger than them. Instead, they felt a sense of pride because Jianchen, with only 80% of his Holy Power, had defeated the Saint-level Kadu without using a Holy Weapon, and had fought to a draw with Luo Jian without using a weapon. In the end, he had even forced Luo Jian to use his Holy Weapon. Jianchen's achievements amazed all the teachers and students in Kagas Academy.

As members of the Changyang family, they felt even more proud because Jianchen was one of their own, the fourth young master of the Changyang family.