Chapter 25 : Competition begins

"You all, come with me for a second," Ning Jian pointed towards our group of five. We followed him.

"You can use your unique abilities, but try not to expose them in front of the Lin clan. And as for you, Ning Feng, you can also participate. Ning Rong has taken responsibility for keeping you safe. She is convinced you can help with your runes. Plus, these jade tablets will ensure your safety," Ning Jian instructed.

Keep me safe? Ning Feng thought, his eyes twitching. I looked towards Ning Rong, who was smiling at me innocently.

"Thank you, Ning Rong," I replied with a forced smile.

She nodded and turned towards Ning Jian “ father when is it going to start ?”

“You all should get ready we are bout to begin the competition in a few minutes.” Ning Jian replied.

After sometime of explaining rules and discussions among groups Ning Jian gave the signal “Move out”.

The moment he said a semi circle shaped gap appeared in the dome and all of us moved in .

With that, we set off into the wilderness, each of us clutching our jade tablets. The blue dome above us shimmered in the morning light, a constant reminder of the boundaries and the rules that would guide our training.

As we ventured deeper into the island, the sound of waves crashing against the shore faded, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of wild beasts.

The island was a mix of dense forests, rocky outcrops, and open meadows, providing a varied terrain for us to navigate.

The air was fresh and filled with the scent of pine and earth, invigorating our senses and heightening our awareness.

"My name is Lin Ji and I am the leader of my group for this competition." The oldest looking kid said.

"Who is your representative?" He asked .

Ning Rong stepped forward confidently " my name is Ning Rong and I am the representative of our group." She said with her head held high.

She is definitely enjoying this. I mused to myself.

Everyone introduced themselves one by one.

"Do you want to cooperate in the beginning? We all will get a smoother start that way," Ning Rong asked politely, well, as polite as she can sound.

Lin Ji seemed to ponder the suggestion for a moment and then replied, "I think we will do it on our own."

"Brother Lin Ji, we will be taking this route then. I wish you good luck," Ning Rong said, acting as our leader. After she said that, our team moved in the east direction while they moved northward.

"Hey, don't move too fast. I can't use a movement technique yet," I reminded them, feeling a bit left behind.

Ning Rong turned around and smirked, "Don't worry, Ning Feng. We'll slow down for you, after all you are our supplies."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just remember, this supply still need some energy to use runes."

Ning Rong laughed. "Do you want me to carry you in my arms ."

I tried to keep a straight face. Damn Kids, on the side two pair of eyes were trying to drill holes in my skull.

"Sure, sure. Anyway, what's the plan, oh fearless leader?" I said trying to change the topic . " I can also create the traps around our camp to ambush beasts who come to attack us ," I offered.

She rolled her eyes but then turned serious. "We need to set up a camp near a water source and hide it using formations. When beasts come there to drink, we can ambush them."

Ning Rong continued, "It’s the most strategic place I can think of, but we should survey our surroundings and study their behavior first. We can keep an eye on the beasts and set up runic traps according to their habits, ensuring we fight an advantageous battle."

Lu Jing, who had been quietly listening, nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. Plus, we can refill our water supplies with runes, so we only need to look out for food for the next few days."

We trudged on for a while until we found a small stream with clear, flowing water. The area was surrounded by dense foliage, providing good cover for an ambush. I had to admit, it was a nice idea; she was being surprisingly cautious.

"We should try to hunt down high-level beasts, or maybe even peak-level ones, but only after studying their strength. That's the fastest way for us to accumulate points," Ning Rong added.

And here I thought she was being cautious.

"Alright, this looks like a good spot," Ning Rong said, surveying the area. "Let's set up camp over there."

Despite my grumbling, I knew Ning Rong was right. This spot was ideal for our needs; we could keep an eye on the water source and be ready for any beasts that came our way. Plus, it was a good opportunity for me to practice my runes in a real-world setting.

As we finished setting up, the sun was at its zenith. We gathered around, and Ning Rong looked at Wang Mie. "Sister Mie, can you please set up a formation to conceal us from the beasts' senses?" Then she looked at me.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Ning Feng, you set up runes for water now and be ready to create the fire ones on demand," she ordered.

"No problem," I replied. Then she started to instruct everyone. She makes a fine leader.

We were doing our stuff when I saw Wang Mie struggling to find the correct position for the node. Just then, Ning Rong pointed her finger towards a certain point in space over Wang Mie's head. "Place that node right there."

Wang Mie was confused but followed her instruction by instinct. Suddenly, a white dome in a pyramid shape appeared around our camp before turning transparent.

She had a shocked expression on her face as she turned towards Ning Rong. "How the hell did you do that? You are even better at formations than I am!" she almost yelled.

Ning Rong said with a proud smile, "I am not better than you. I can't even make grade 1 formations. It's just that I have studied formations for some time, and I am pretty good at node placement."

"Having someone like you who is well-versed in formations is already a huge advantage, and now we even have young miss," a young kid with black hair and black eyes said.

"Ning Po, stop trying to butter young miss up," Ning Ye, another one of our female members, said.

"Alright, everyone, let's form teams and divide our work. Ning Feng and I will go in the northern direction.

Wang Mie and Li Liang can guard this camp since Wang Mie needs to keep the formation functioning, even if we are using some resources to support it. Keep a lookout in this part of the forest.

Ning Po and Ning Ye will go in the southern direction. Lu Jing, you will go in the west direction.

But you all should remember this is only a scouting mission, so don't engage unless absolutely necessary," Ning Rong ordered.

Li Liang wanted to reject the idea but still nodded. I could only feel pity for him. After a while, everyone started to move.

Both Rong and I moved towards a relatively less dense part of the forest.

"You were grinning so wildly back on the ship. Have you mastered a concept?" I asked with an annoying smile.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb; I know you already guessed. I think I am very close to gaining initial insight into my lightning concept, and I also reached an intermediate level in my movement technique thanks to Father's advice.

I recalled my previous experiences, and it all became a lot clearer.

Now I have every kind of technique I use in a battle at an intermediate level. Get ready for a beating next time we fight."

So that's what this is all about. Kids and their useless pride.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "We'll see about that. Just make sure you don’t trip over your own feet again."

She shot me a glare but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Keep talking, Ning Feng. One day, I'll surpass you, and then we'll see who's laughing."

"I look forward to it," I said, genuinely

..........

Lu Jing's POV

In the western direction,

I moved swiftly toward a lake where I had seen some movement not long ago. The anticipation of a fight thrilled me, but I am feeling a bit frustrated with the fact that I had been instructed not to engage. The importance of caution was clear, but the prospect of battle ignited a fire within me that was hard to quell.

The area around the lake was serene, almost picturesque. Tall, ancient trees surrounded the water, their leaves forming a dense canopy that allowed only slivers of sunlight to reach the forest floor. The lake itself was crystal clear, reflecting the green of the surrounding foliage and the blue of the sky.

Birds chirped in the distance, and the air was filled with the gentle rustle of leaves swaying in the breeze. Despite the beauty, there was an underlying tension, a sense of lurking danger.

I activated my sensory technique, my soul sense spreading out like an invisible web, seeking any signs of life. My brows furrowed in concentration, but to my frustration, I found nothing. The forest seemed empty, as if the creatures had sensed my presence and fled

"Ba-dump Ba-dump". But suddenly my heart started beating faster for some reason ,one I can guess If there is one thing people with weapon concepts were known for was their uncanny danger sense .

Just then, a blur of movement caught my eye. Before I could react my body moved on it's own due to sheer instinct which even my master praised me for. I snapped my head towards right as I jumped towards a tree for cover and a shadow passed over me. I quickly rose to my feet.

Before I could react, the shadow lunged at me from the left side of my back. I barely had time to counter, instinctively raising my arm to deflect the attack. Claws, sharp and deadly, scraped against my forearm as I twisted my body, sliding back to create distance between myself and my assailant.

This was too close for my comfort , I can't believe I just brushed shoulders with death. It was so close.

Standing before me was a monstrous beast, a massive feline with dark, sinewy muscles rippling under its fur. Its eyes glowed with a predatory gleam, and its claws, now stained with a trickle of my blood, gleamed menacingly.

This was a beast at the middle of the Body Tempering stage, while I was only at the limit of the low level in that realm.

Realizing I couldn’t outrun the beast, my heart raced with a mix of fear and exhilaration. The only choice left was to fight, and truth be told, that was what I wanted to do anyway.

With a swift motion, I drew my sword, the blade catching the light and flashing brilliantly. I took a stance, feet firmly planted, my body poised for battle. My eyes locked onto the beast, and a fierce grin spread across my face. My fighting intent soared to the sky, a palpable energy that seemed to electrify the air around me.

"Come on, then," I muttered under my breath, my voice steady and filled with determination. "Let's see what you've got."

The beast growled, a deep, rumbling sound that resonated through the clearing. It crouched low, muscles coiling in preparation to strike. I tightened my grip on my sword, every sense heightened.

It lunged towards me like a bolt of lightning, attacking with its claws. I calmly waited for the claws to arrive within striking range and then, when it was about one meter from me, I swung my sword.

Claw and sword clashed, the attack was stopped but I was pushed back a few steps.

The feline disappeared, and I sensed another attack from my right side and parried it again. This happened a few more times.

I understood that this monster relied heavily on stealth and speed, which meant it should have weak defenses. Its attacking power wasn’t too great either, as I was able to deflect its attacks without losing too much ground.

This time, instead of parrying, I used my movement technique to create some distance between us. I concentrated qi in my sword and slashed a few times in the beast's direction.

This was my ‘Heaven Rend Technique’. It easily evaded my long-range slashes.

The beast growled as it shone white with qi and moved towards me again. We continued this game of cat and mouse a few more times.

"I guess pressure is indeed the most effective tool," I said as I sheathed my sword, made some distance between us, and took another stance while closing my eyes.

I felt something in my mind shatter, and my concentration skyrocketed.

The beast, enraged by the persistent prey, dashed towards me with full speed once again. The qi around me moved, and my sword hummed melodiously.

When the beast was within striking range, I opened my eyes. This time, the world in my eyes was different.

I could see my reflection in the beast's eyes, its mouth starting to open and its feet leaving the ground. Everything slowed down in my vision, and I could see a shining white string. It started from my sword and went all the way to the beast's neck in an arc.

It was not a string but a path, the path of my sword.

I drew my sword, and all the qi concentrated on it exploded, taking its speed to unprecedented levels. There was a white flash, and then there was silence.

My sword concept had finally taken shape and reached the initial level.