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On a scorching summer day, east of the Federation, fog emanated through Pond Cloud Rainforest like thin chiffon. Ancient towering trees interlocked each other, and birds would occasionally flit through the lush tree crowns, chirping as they flapped their wings and flew across the horizon.
High in the sky, the sun, which had seemed capable of existing eternally, no longer appeared anything like how people remembered. Instead, it had been penetrated by an ancient greenish-bronze sword—one so indescribably massive—many years ago! Only a small portion of the sword's tip was exposed!
The ancient sword had come from the cosmos and seemed to express its antiquity. There was a potent suppressive force that formed a halo, which enveloped the firmament as though it held the land in place, letting all life revere it!
The Sword Sun and the rainforest looked picturesque from afar but was disturbed by a humming sound that came from a distance. A red hot-air balloon flew slowly toward the rainforest.
The hot-air balloon's hull was very large, capable of holding hundreds of people. In there, many young men and women in groups of three or four chatted happily.
They were new students of Ethereal Dao College, one of the four great Dao Colleges in the Federation. They hailed from Phoenix City and were onboard Ethereal Dao College's cruiser, traversing thousands of kilometers, to seek higher education.
Perhaps because they were all greatly anticipating their upcoming education—not to mention the unspoken attraction between men and women—the students had plenty of fun on the five-thousand-kilometer voyage.
Due to the long distance, the cruiser was equipped with dining halls, cultivation chambers, medical facilities, and many other amenities.
There were quite a number of students in the cruiser's dining hall. Sitting at a table was a young fatty with his belly bulging out.
He was about seventeen years old, and he wore a blue baggy robe. His tiny rotund face could barely be considered to have intricate features. As he created smacking sounds while patting his belly, he gazed at the eight empty plates in front of him, a little regretful.
I'll have gained another one and a half kilograms after this meal. Why didn't I bear with it? I can't die early if I want to become the Federation President. The fatty frowned with a grimace as he felt filled with regret, burping in the process.
The young fatty's name was Wang Baole. He was also one of the students who had recently been accepted into Ethereal Dao College. His lifelong dream was to become an official, or more precisely, become the Federation President. The reason he had such an ambitious dream was intricately tied to a childhood experience of his.
In his memories, his father would frequently pat him on the head while speaking earnestly and sighing wistfully.
"Baole, being an official is the best. Remember, although money can solve everything, you can still be bullied by others. If you do not want to be bullied, the only way is to be an official, becoming a person who lords over the rest."
Wang Baole did not understand his father's words until he entered elementary school. One fateful day, he failed to hand in his homework on time and ended up being berated by the class monitor. Despite giving the class monitor two sweets, his name was still jotted down, and the class monitor snitched on him. All of this left a permanent mark in his young heart.
Hence, he wished to become the class monitor from that moment forth. It was not to bully others, but to ensure that he would not be bullied by others.
But as he grew up, he realized that many people bullied the class monitors. Therefore, he felt that only by becoming the highest official—the Federation President—could he ensure that no one would dare bully him. The reason he had racked his brains to enter Ethereal Dao College was because all the Federation's high officials had graduated from the four great Dao Colleges.
However, he did not lead a blessed life. His family clan's bloodline was quite an oddity. He even remembered that night one year ago when his father, who could be described as a bag of bones, had shown him the family tree.
It was the first time Wang Baole had seen it. He realized that all his ancestors had died early—before the age of thirty-five—if their body weight exceeded a hundred kilograms.
That night, Wang Baole had a dream… He had reunited with his fat forefathers before he successfully became the Federation President.
The matter of losing weight was elevated to something of great importance over the following year. The Spirit Inception Era meant rich Spirit Qi and a renewed interest in ancient martial arts; therefore, there were many weight-loss techniques. However, Wang Baole's weight remained stable, despite the new era. He even experienced a slight rise in weight even after he attempted all of them.
As his memories surfaced, Wang Baole gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve to begin losing weight the next day.
Having made up his mind, Wang Baole immediately felt relieved. As he picked his teeth, he hummed a tune while looking at the distant blue sky outside the windows. His mind became active again.
I wonder if Physician Lu likes the gift I gave him. That is an antique I got from home. That old geezer will probably like it. Wang Baole comforted himself and guessed that if he managed to win Physician Lu's favor, it would be equivalent to him having a tiny backer in the Dao College.
Teachers have limits to their authority, but I still have to give them some gifts in the future. Being so old, Physician Lu definitely has quite a wide social circle. I have likely taken the right step. Upon thinking of this, Wang Baole felt delighted. In his mind, he was one step closer to the position of the Federation President.
In regard to becoming the Federation President, he was very confident. This confidence stemmed from his research of the autobiographies of high officials, which he had gathered from a young age. He had even figured out a few trump cards needed in order to become a high official.
He was in a good mood as he looked at the blue skies outside the window, finding it especially beautiful.
But then, his eyes suddenly widened. He noticed that a black cloud was gathering in the distant sky. It spread out, covering the sky as lightning bolts flashed within it. The cloud slowly approached, and it also gained the attention of many as they exclaimed.
"It's an electromagnetic pulse!"
Wang Baole was alarmed as well. After the Spirit Inception Era was ushered in, the appearance of Spirit Qi caused many stunning phenomena to arise in the world. Flying crafts from the past could no longer ensure safe travel. It resulted in the production of hot-air balloon cruisers propelled by Spirit Stones.
Amid constant exclamations, a rumbling thunder suddenly boomed. The black electromagnetic clouds burgeoned in size rapidly as the lightning within began spreading outward. Like a black net, it illuminated the horizons in a dazzling manner, causing the hearts of the spectators to race. Even the cruiser slowed down.
Just as people were feeling apprehensive, the door to the dining hall was pushed open. As though a cool wind had rushed in, a white-robed elder entered. His face was covered in wrinkles, but he had an ethereal air to him. His appearance exuded a feeling of propriety, especially his shimmering eyes, making him look like a person of righteousness. The moment he arrived, his domineering voice resounded throughout the dining hall.
"Everyone is to immediately report to the Spirit Cultivation Chamber. Wear your Magnetic Spirit attire, for we will be entering the electromagnetic domain in less than three minutes!"
The moment he spoke, all the students in the dining hall hurriedly stood up reverently.
Wang Baole's eyes lit up. The elder in front of him was Physician Lu, the person he had previously gifted. From how he walked with flair, Wang Baole was increasingly convinced that his investment from before was right. He thought to himself that the old man was likely someone extraordinary, and he had really made the right move.
Just as he was reveling in his delight, the old physician swept his gaze across the room and saw Wang Baole. With a snort, he walked over, took out half a black mask, and threw it at him.
"Don't waste your efforts on such inane acts when you are still so young. To think you have already learned the art of gifting before you've even entered the Dao College. I'm quite a learned person with experience. Keep the mask for yourself." The old physician's expression was solemn. He reprimanded Wang Baole with an honest and upright demeanor, as though he expected better from him.
Wang Baole received the mask as his heart skipped a beat. He turned somewhat worried, as he could tell that the old physician was angry. Just as he was about to give an explanation, he suddenly recalled one of the trump cards he had learned from the high officials' autobiographies. One of them was that it was wise to thicken one's skin to admit one's mistakes in front of a superior. Typically, that would reduce a major issue to a minor one.
Therefore, he took a deep breath and hurriedly took on a contrite and penitent look to admit his fault.
"Teacher, you are right; I was at fault!"
The old physician turned a little intrigued. He could not deliver his planned tirade when the student had admitted his mistake so readily.
Wang Baole heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the old physician's expression. He felt a little smug, thinking how useful the high officials' autobiographies were.
The old physician snorted, raised his head, and scanned all the students in the dining hall. He raised his right hand and pointed at them.
"And all of you. All of you are future students of our Ethereal Dao College, but look at what you have been doing the past few days. You have to forever remember that, as warriors, we should first establish ourselves, watch our speech, and finally mind our conduct!"
The vice-abhorring physician's words resounded through the dining hall. Everyone who heard it could not help but lower their heads in shame. As for Wang Baole, his eyes immediately lit up. He felt it was the appropriate moment for him to shine.
He quickly took out a tiny notebook and began writing on it. From time to time, he would raise his head to look at the old physician with a diligent and attentive look on his face. At times, he would even nod seriously as though he was trying to remember every single word. Obviously, this was also from the teachings in the high officials' autobiographies.
When his other classmates saw this, they looked at Wang Baole as though they were looking at a man of God.
The old physician momentarily fell into a daze when he saw this. An unprecedented sense of oddness arose in his heart. This was the first time he had encountered such an oddity after enrolling so many batches of students. He could not help but take a few looks at him before he slowly sneered.
"Little fellow, it's not that easy to suck up to me. You ought to thank the electromagnetic pulse. If not for that, I would have reprimanded you for three days and three nights. I would be rather interested to see if you can write all of that in your tiny notebook!"
The moment he said those words, the mood immediately changed. The aura of an expert emanated from his body as it seemed to manifest as a suppressive force that blanketed the entire dining hall. Every student became alarmed. They all felt that the old physician clearly had the upper hand in the battle of wits.
Wang Baole blinked as he touched the recording jade slip in his pocket. After weighing the situation and noticing how they were approaching the electromagnetic pulse steadily, he gave up the thought of taking it out. He felt that backing down in front of a superior was nothing embarrassing.
The old physician became delighted when he saw the expressions on everyone. He generously threw them a few more words of motivation.
"Remember, put all your effort into cultivating. In the future, you must not be greedy or deceitful. Don't even think about finding girlfriends. I have to make it known to you that lust and danger are just two sides of the same coin! The way all of you have been acting for the past few days has been preposterous!"
Just as he said that, a sweet voice suddenly sounded from the old physician's voice transmission bangle.
"Grandpa Physician, where are you? Where do the Magnetic Spirit clothes go on? What should it cover? Quick, come and help me."
The charming voice made the old physician tremble involuntarily. He barely forced a dry cough as he stared sternly at everyone. Only then did he turn around in a rush, and at the same time, he spoke excitedly into the voice transmission bangle. "Oh, I'm coming. Baby, don't fret. I'm coming to help you right now."
The turn of events had simply happened too quickly, and the contrast was striking. Everyone was dumbfounded, and even Wang Baole was taken aback. He drew a deep breath moments later. Following that, there was an uproar as Wang Baole clenched his teeth and cursed.
Shameless! What that old pervert said was utter bullshit! There are only so many female schoolmates. There aren't enough for all of us, but he is actually trying to snatch resources from us at his age. Isn't it all because he's some kind of official?
Wang Baole became more infuriated the more he thought about the matter. He joined in the conversations with the classmates around him. It only strengthened his determination to become an official.
Another alarm sounded, ending everyone's conversations. All of them immediately rushed to the Spirit Cultivation Chamber.
The Spirit Cultivation Chamber was located in the core region of the cruiser, and like its name, it was a place for students to cultivate. At the same time, it was the place where the most security was deployed whenever the cruiser crossed any special zones.
As people gathered in the Spirit Cultivation Chamber, they were made to sit in rows under the direction of the Ethereal Dao College teachers. They were dressed in the Magnetic Spirit clothes that Ethereal Dao College had handed out.
Wang Baole was still dwelling on his anger toward Physician Lu even after he changed into the Magnetic Spirit clothes. He casually looked up and surveyed his surroundings. His depression immediately turned for the worse when he spotted a certain someone. He could not help but furrow his brows as he gave a look of disparagement.
Sitting where his sight had landed was a girl with long, slender legs. She looked charming, but she had her brows knitted and a look of disgust, too. Clearly, they were very familiar with each other but also hated each other from the looks they were giving one another.
What bad luck!
Both of them grumbled inwardly as they looked away. It was as though just a glance of each other was a sore sight.
"I see that flat-chested Du Min, everywhere I go. How irritating!" Wang Baole muttered under his breath. He had been classmates with the girl, Du Min, ever since he began schooling. She was usually proud and aloof, and she constantly made things difficult for him as her role as class monitor. She also happened to be the receiver of the two sweets he had given back then.
"What's so impressive about her? Isn't she just some lame class monitor? When we arrive at the Dao Colleges, I'll use the teachings of the officials and get some kind of official role!" snorted Wang Baole.
Soon, everyone had changed their clothing. The teachers in the Ethereal Dao College cruiser checked everyone's attire and explained certain important matters. They also warned everyone that things could become dangerous once the cruiser entered the electromagnetic domain. The risk of death was not negligible.
After everyone's expression changed, the teachers left solemnly. The door to the Spirit Cultivation Chamber was sealed as the lights dimmed.
Although there were murmurs in the Spirit Cultivation Chamber, the nervousness people felt turned more intense over the passage of time. Gradually, no one spoke as the chamber fell into silence.
It got so quiet that they could hear their own heartbeats. Even Wang Baole, who still felt disgruntled, turned nervous. As the remaining minutes counted down, the entire cruiser suddenly shook, signifying its entry into the electromagnetic domain!
Outside, the black electromagnetic clouds looked extremely grand. It resembled a huge mouth that seemed to devour the tiny hot-air balloon cruiser.
This phenomenon contained a destructive might that could sweep away everything. Perhaps only the stunning Sword Sun above the heavens could ignore such destruction, as though it could weather that turmoil and anything else thrown at it for millennia to come.
This year was the 37th year of the Spirit Inception Era.
In A.D. 3029, Earth's technology progressed rapidly, and the world was united with no national borders. It entered a federation era, and it was during this period that the massive sword flew from the cosmos and penetrated the sun, sending shockwaves across the world.
The hilt of the sword might have been damaged from the beginning, but the powerful impact shattered it into numerous fragments, which scattered across space, with portions of it landing all over the Earth.
Accompanying the arrival of the greenish-bronze sword and the falling of the fragments, the Earth suddenly had a perpetual new source of energy that permeated everywhere. It was later named… Spirit Qi!
Spirit Qi was like air. Some places were denser and others thinner. The Federation and other factions obtained the scattered fragments, and through them, found the relevant information needed for cultivation training and cultivation artifacts, pill refinement, and Spirit Stone refinement. The text on the fragments looked ancient, which made people's interest in ancient texts become mainstream.
The appearance of Spirit Qi quickly eliminated the need for all existing resources. It changed the lives of people and formed the Spirit Internet. It also changed the progress of Earth's civilization. It initiated a cultivation civilization all over Earth.
From then on, ancient martial arts became popular as a revolutionary change happened throughout the world. Thus, the era of immortal cultivation began.
History called it the Spirit Inception Era.
In the black electromagnetic cloud, the red hot-air balloon cruiser slowly proceeded forward. Lightning flashed continuously as bolt after bolt struck the cruiser incessantly. Thankfully, there was a soft halo surrounding the cruiser, allowing it to fly stably.
As for the Spirit Cultivation Chamber in the cruiser's core, all the students, including Wang Baole, were in there. They had unknowingly fallen asleep as though there was a strange power that pulled them into a dream.
At the cruiser's helm were eight teachers. Some of them were drinking tea while others were smiling. They were having light-hearted conversations, looking completely different from when they frightened their students.
Their leader was an elder with a face covered in wrinkles. He held a smoke pipe as he sucked on it. If Wang Baole was here, he would definitely have recognized him as the shameless Physician Lu.
The old physician smiled faintly when a middle-aged teacher asked, "Chancellor, everything is in order. Shall we begin the trial for this student cohort?"
"Begin!"
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The bright moon illuminated the nearly starless evening sky.
It was still the same Pond Cloud Rainforest, but there was an additional chilly air to the night. Occasionally, one would see rivers formed from the accumulation of rainwater, which appeared charming under the moonlight. However, the cries of beasts or birds easily left one feeling uneasy.
In a corner of the Pond Cloud Rainforest beside a river, there were two girls who looked a little wretched, but still innocent. One of them was tall, and the other looked adorable, each possessing a unique charm. The tall girl was watching her surroundings nervously while the adorable girl took off her undergarments, revealing her snow-white skin. She winced as she massaged the wound around her armpit. She had a chaotic look in her eyes as she muttered softly, "Du Min, it has been three days. Who knows when rescue will come? Our camp is quickly running out of food."
The tall girl, Du Min, fell silent when she heard that. She felt her life had changed completely over the past three days. She had been a student of Ethereal Dao College three days ago, but now, she was lost in a land filled with danger.
The Pond Cloud Rainforest looked beautiful, but in fact, its ground was moist and filled with decay. Animal bones could be seen from time to time, and there were many foot-long centipedes and colorful snakes making their occasional appearances. The sight left one's scalp tingling.
Animals had also evolved rapidly, like humans, ever since the Spirit Inception Era. They had great strength and were extremely savage. It made the wilderness a forbidden zone for humans.
As the two girls agonized over their predicament, a fatty who had an unyielding look on his face stood not far from them under a tree. With his head up, he stood there peeing.
The fatty was none other than Wang Baole. He had not noticed the two girls, nor did he see the tiny flowers beneath his feet. They had originally stood tall and proud, but now, the flowers were swaying wildly because of the stream of pee.
Darn it. I, Wang Baole, have always claimed to be able to read people, seeing through the hearts of all. I never expected that I would fall for Ethereal Dao College's scheme!
This Ethereal Dao College is way too wicked. They managed to put on such a realistic act. To convince us of the situation, they even made everyone see the cruiser explode!
Wang Baole was infuriated deep down. The past three days had truly put him on tenterhooks.
Three days ago, he and his schoolmates had fallen asleep in the Spirit Cultivation Chamber without even realizing it. They were awoken by a loud bang and before they could even get their bearings, their bodies were thrown right out of the cruiser by a powerful impact.
Thankfully, the Magnetic Spirit attire had the ability to reduce shock and repel lightning. He had landed in the Pond Cloud Rainforest safely but had then witnessed the cruiser explode amid the electromagnetic pulse.
Wang Baole and the others found themselves scattered across the forest. There was a lack of food, and the beasts were ferocious. Their future was still a question mark, and the horror the students faced made them change drastically. Some revealed their true characters. Others formed groups, and a few forged ahead alone. Some were decisive, and some were weak.
The concept of survival of the fittest was just too jarring and sudden for these students who had just been enrolled into Ethereal Dao College. But under such a drastic change, it seemed to trigger certain things in them. Be it greed or ferocity, selflessness or kindness, all of them sprouted and were magnified.
"Shameless!" Wang Baole grumbled deep down. He had believed everything he encountered the past three days to be real. He had been so frightened that he had put up with the thought of staying in the camp of his archrival, Du Min, when he bumped into her.
After three days passed, he realized that by not eating proper meals, he had miraculously lost about three kilograms through his voice transmission ring's weight-measuring feature. His shock from the revelation turned into suspicion.
This was just too different from the experience Wang Baole had in the past. He had once fasted and worked out crazily for a month in order to lose weight, but for an unknown reason, not only did he not lose weight, he even gained one and a half kilograms!
Now, he had lost about three kilograms in three days. That was completely impossible for him!
Especially when he recalled the autobiographies he had read. In them, people reminisced on their days in their respective Dao Colleges and seemed to mention, in vague terms, that the Dao Colleges would have so-called freshman tests from time to time.
If not for Wang Baole's thorough research, it would have been very difficult for him to have noticed this point. Having connected the dots together, he was baffled by how everything that had happened was done so realistically by Ethereal Dao College. It was very likely that there had only been a slip up because they had designed the experience based on an ordinary person. But clearly, he was no ordinary person.
He was fifty percent certain that everything he saw in front of him was an illusion.
And the evidence that fully convinced him of his theory was… the black half-mask that the old physician had returned to him!
With this thought in mind, the peeing Wang Baole could not help but lower his head to look at his chest. An indescribable sense of peculiarity arose in his heart.
He acutely remembered that he had casually kept the black half-mask close to his chest before he stepped into the Spirit Cultivation Chamber. After the terrifying turn of events, he'd had no time to even think about it. It was only moments ago that he realized by sheer chance that his hand could pass through the mask, despite it looking normal. It was as though he could not touch the mask.
It seemed like the virtual world, which could replicate almost anything, found it difficult to decompose the mask's components to model it.
And with the passage of time, even its external shape had begun to turn unreal. At the same time, it exuded some blurry fragments of text.
Although he could not read it clearly, the changes in the mask made Wang Baole's confidence in his theory go from fifty percent to a hundred percent!
If he continued analyzing according to his theory, it was not hard to guess the goal of the test with the fake catastrophe as its backstory.
It's impossible for it to be a measure of strength. After all, everyone has yet to study any ancient martial arts. Then, the goal of this test must be to test one's mettle in the face of danger. Perhaps it's also to test one's confidence in the Dao College?
As Wang Baole peed, his mind whirled constantly. From time to time, he would even have a few pee shivers.
As the tiny flower in front of him was getting pelted into a mess, Wang Baole's breathing hastened a little. He felt that he had to grasp the opportunity in front of him to gain bonus points.
That's what I'll do! Upon coming to this conclusion, Wang Baole shook himself vigorously, and just as he was about to pull up his pants, he suddenly saw the tiny river not far away.
Under the moonlight, although Du Min was standing there, Wang Baole's eyes were not on her. They were fixated on the adorable girl who was cleaning her wound.
There's a humanoid beast! Wang Baole's eyes widened as he gasped. His heart raced when he
caught sight of them. Du Min, who remained vigilant of her surroundings, sensed the gaze. She looked over, and her eyes met Wang Baole's. After a moment of shock, her expression changed, but before she could scream, Wang Baole glared at her, pulled up his pants, and shouted first.
"What are you looking at? Have you never seen a man pee?"
The moment he said that, Du Min choked from all the things that she wanted to say. She trembled in rage, for she had never met another man as shameless as Wang Baole. She could not help but curse.
"Darn Fatty, you call yourself a man?"
Wang Baole nearly swelled in anger when he heard that. The snarky Du Min had been his archrival since he was young. They felt repulsed by the sight of each other, and in a twist of fate, they had always been in the same class. Now, they had both enrolled in Ethereal Dao College. Wang Baole took a deep breath and scoffed.
"Darn Washboard, you call yourself a woman?"
Du Min nearly spat out a mouthful of blood when she heard the biting remark. A vein protruded from her forehead, and just as she was about to charge over, Wang Baole let out a long sigh.
"My untainted body has been completely seen by the two of you. How can I live on?" He looked as though life held nothing more for him as he pulled up his pants and ran off. His heart was racing while cold sweat covered his back. He complimented himself for being quick to react, or else he would have been in trouble.
Du Min widened her eyes angrily when she saw Wang Baole escaping. In response, she chased after him. As for the adorable girl in the river behind her, she had a bewildered look after hearing the duo's biting exchange. She did not feel like Wang Baole had sexually harassed her. When she saw Du Min run off in pursuit, she donned her clothes and quickly chased after the duo with her face red.
Du Min's angry tirade broke the Pond Cloud Rainforest's silence. People from the temporary encampment up ahead rushed over when they heard the disturbance, blocking Wang Baole from proceeding further.
The person leading the group was a torch-wielding youth dressed in white. He had a burly build with eyebrows like swords and eyes like stars. He stood out from the crowd with many students surrounding him. Clearly, he was the leader.
This person was Liu Daobin, the person who had united everyone in this encampment over the past three days, showcasing his personal charm.
"Wang Baole, what did you do!" Liu Daobin noticed Du Min rushing over furiously at a glance. And Wang Baole, who was being pursued, was holding up his pants as he proceeded forward. Liu Daobin had been taken aback by such an odd scene. He had long taken a liking to Du Min, so he instinctively loathed Wang Baole.
"All I did was pee…" Before Wang Baole could finish his sentence, they heard a loud scream coming from the two girls far away.
A stench instantly permeated the area as soon as they heard the scream. Swashing sounds like waves crashing into the beach spread quickly like a storm passing through.
Wang Baole jerked his head around, and at the same time, the expressions of Liu Daobin and the other students changed. They saw countless snakes slithering out from the ground and tree branches around Du Min and the adorable girl!
The snakes looked extremely venomous, judging from the myriad of colors they could see. The numbers were just too great, and it looked like a sea of snakes was surrounding the two girls.
The duo had a drastic change in expression when they saw the snakes surround them. It was even worse when the snakes opened their mouths lined with venomous fangs. Venomous liquid dripped down as they hissed. The stench was revolting.
Liu Daobin jolted. He did not have the time to bother with Wang Baole. He charged straight for Du Min. There were a few other students who ran over to help with reddened eyes.
All of this happened too quickly. At the instant everyone rushed over to help, there was an infantile cry coming from the distant forest. It left one's heart palpitating. A red line, which was as thick as a human's arm, could be seen clearly despite the darkness. It flitted over at an astounding speed.
The body that leaped occasionally revealed a pale white head. It no longer looked like a snake's head; it resembled that of a baby. However, the look in its eyes made everyone's heart thump heavily.
"Red Bone White Neonate Snake!" One of the students recognized it. Everyone panicked, and people retreated amid shocked exclamations.
Liu Daobin became flustered as his hair stood on end. He felt his heart palpitating furiously. The Red Bone White Neonate Snake was simply too infamous. It was listed as one of the top thousand dangerous creatures in the Spirit Inception Era. Although its body was weak, it was very fast, and its venom was potent. Just being tainted by a sliver of its venom was enough to reduce one to a pool of blood, leaving the victim with only red bones. That was also how it had earned its name.
Even though he liked Du Min, he instinctively felt that she was not worth losing his life for. He subconsciously took a step back to avoid the Red Bone White Neonate Snake, afraid that he and the rest would perish while it reveled in its murderous deeds.
Wang Baole took a deep breath when he saw this scene. Following that, he immediately recalled that everything was, in fact, fake. He immediately relaxed as his eyes lit up. He knew his opportunity to shine in front of the teachers had appeared.
Since it's all fake, what's there to be afraid of? Upon coming to this conclusion, Wang Baole immediately puffed out his chest and looked at his schoolmates, who were running away contemptibly.
"Although the flat-chested Du Min, has a biting tongue and is ugly, and she is her always using her privileges to make things difficult for me, I, Wang Baole, am a person of sublime character, a righteous person, a man not afraid of sacrifice, a person who has transcended mediocrity, and someone who is willing to help his schoolmates!
"In such a dangerous environment, how can I retreat? Others might be afraid to forge forward for fear of death, but… for my schoolmates, I have no fear!"
The shameless fatty nearly moved himself with his own words. Did he forget that he was only in a virtual world? It appeared he had forgotten the fact. He immersed himself completely in his acting.
"Washboard, I'll show you what it means to be a man today!"
When everyone else was retreating in horror, not only did Wang Baole refuse to retreat, he even roared and puckered his lips. He raised his chin as though his rotund face was as sharp as a blade. Filled with manliness, he strode forward and charged into the snake horde with indomitable might.
The figure with extraordinary might and an imposing stance seemed to represent righteousness. He ran straight for the two girls!
This scene immediately left Du Min dumbfounded. Even though she was amid the snakes, she still found the situation jarring. However, the adorable girl beside her could not help but become excited.
As for the rest, they were astounded by Wang Baole's roar and imposing might. At the instant the Red Bone White Neonate Snake approached the girls, Wang Baole arrived like a descending god. He grabbed the snake that struck horror into the hearts of many and threw it far away.
He exuded a mighty and overbearing aura, as though a saint had possessed him that very instant. He emanated an awe-inspiring air, and without even hesitating, he carried the excited girl and stuffed the dazed Du Min under his armpit before rushing back toward the crowd.
However, there were just too many snakes. On his journey back, he got bitten in the ass several times. His face was already black by the time he returned. However, he endured it by gritting his teeth. Only when he had safely brought the girls back did he lose his footing. Completely enervated, he collapsed.
It seems I was a little foolhardy… My ass hurts. It's proof that being a real man is very difficult, Wang Baole lamented inwardly. He saw Du Min still looking at him; she seemed to have fallen into a daze. As for the adorable girl, her eyes contained gratitude, as well as a peculiar look. The crowd around him looked at him as if they had seen a ghost. Although he found his eyelids heavy, he still felt a little proud of himself.
When the painful wounds on his ass began to turn numb, Wang Baole immediately grabbed Du Min's hand.
"Du Min, I saved your life. I can't feel my ass now. I heard that one can be saved if the venom is sucked out. Help me…" Without finishing his sentence, Wang Baole fainted. Just as his head toppled, he saw that he was about to fall on Du Min's chest. He realized something and forcibly changed directions, landing on the adorable girl's breasts.
Upon seeing this scene, the crowd had odd looks on their faces. Du Min's face turned grim when she saw how Wang Baole still had a repulsive look on his face despite being unconscious.
At that moment, in the Federation's dominion—a great distance away from the Pond Cloud Rainforest—a red cruiser was approaching Ethereal Dao College. Inside the Spirit Cultivation Chamber, hundreds of students were sleeping peacefully. Wang Baole was among them, too. He seemed to be having a beautiful dream—evident from the pleasant smile at the corner of his lips—as his head was cocked to the side.
In the main hull of the cruiser, all the teachers, including the old physician, were staring blankly with widened eyes. They were looking at one of the crystal screens floating in front of them.
The screen showed the unconscious Wang Baole, who had just saved Du Min in the Pond Cloud Rainforest.
"What's this fatty's name?"
"Although they are in a Hallucination Nexus, it feels no different from reality. His performance in there must stem from his true character!"
"Such bravery and the fearlessness when it came to saving his schoolmates makes him a good seedling, one not seen in a hundred years! He's the kind of excellent student that our Dao College yearns for the most!"
The teachers exclaimed one after another as they marveled at Wang Baole. There were even a few teachers who were moved as they considered if they should rope in Wang Baole immediately to join their faculty.
Even the old physician, also known as the Chancellor of Ethereal Dao College, was slightly dumbfounded. He hesitated, as he had a hunch that something was not right.
Did I really make an error in my judgment? As he pondered over it, he took out Wang Baole's file from the students' dossier and began reading it.