124: When did I ever say I wanted to join you?

“There are only ten minutes left... Lu Sheng still hasn’t arrived!”

Lan Zhan frowned, looking at his watch, his heart growing anxious.

Regardless of whether Lu Sheng could Breakthrough to the Viscera Refining Realm.

If he didn't arrive at the appointed time... that would be somewhat inexcusable.

It would inevitably have some impact on Lu Sheng’s reputation, which was not what Lan Zhan wanted to see.

Nightingale was already displeased about Lu Sheng joining the Night Owl.

And now, if Lu Sheng missed the time, Nightingale’s perception of Lu Sheng would naturally worsen.

At that point, even finding the principal would be difficult to explain!

Lan Zhan’s heart was anxious, and time seemed to flow faster, accompanying his anxious emotions.

In the blink of an eye, several minutes passed.

However, through the classroom door, Lu Sheng’s figure was nowhere to be seen. Lan Zhan, whose brows were already tightly furrowed, now had them even more drawn together.

He looked extremely agitated.

Nightingale glanced at the time, her brows slightly raised, and she lazily spoke, “It seems your student doesn’t dare to come after all!”

At this moment, only two minutes remained until the appointed time.

“I thought someone valued by Xu Changqing would at least have some backbone, but looking at it now... I overestimated him after all!”

Nightingale stood up, smiling as she spoke to Lan Zhan.

“What are you doing?”

Lan Zhan watched Nightingale stand up, a bad premonition rising within him.

“Naturally, I’m leaving! Am I really supposed to wait until the very last moment?”

Nightingale spoke casually.

“He hasn’t arrived by this time, so it’s highly probable he doesn’t dare to come. Our Night Owl team has many things to do. Giving him a week was already very generous. We can’t possibly waste time waiting for such a trivial matter, can we?”

With that, Nightingale prepared to leave the classroom.

“Wait a moment!”

Lan Zhan called out to Nightingale.

Lan Zhan took a deep breath. Although he had little hope for this grand gamble, Lu Sheng was still his student after all.

No matter what, he needed to fight for his student.

“No matter how busy the Night Owl is, two minutes isn’t a very long time. What if you leave and Lu Sheng arrives?”

Lan Zhan said in a deep voice, looking at Nightingale’s back.

Nightingale’s steps paused slightly. She turned around and smiled faintly at Lan Zhan, “Senior, some things we both know very well. I’ll say it now: Lu Sheng cannot Breakthrough to the Viscera Refining Realm in seven days.”

“As for the time...”

Nightingale shook her wrist at Lan Zhan, pointing to the watch on her wrist and saying, “Isn’t there only one minute left?”

“I know you value your student greatly, but... that doesn’t mean I have to give him Face.”

“Speaking of which, it was the principal’s idea to have him join the Night Owl. I’ve never expressed that I’m willing to let him join our team.”

Nightingale spoke indifferently. Then, disregarding Lan Zhan’s somewhat displeased expression, she strode out of the classroom with her long legs.

“This fellow...”

Lan Zhan looked at Nightingale’s retreating figure, a flicker of displeasure appearing in his eyes. However... Lan Zhan also understood that although Nightingale’s words were harsh, they were ultimately the truth!

Not to mention the time limit, just the challenge facing Lu Sheng was something no one in the entire Great Xia could achieve!

Lan Zhan himself knew this very well.

“Alas!”

Lan Zhan finally sighed.

“Forget it, forget it. I’ll find Elder Li to arrange another combat team for Lu Sheng then!”

Lan Zhan rubbed his temples, muttering helplessly in his heart.

At this point, it seemed there was no other option.

However, Lan Zhan’s peripheral vision suddenly noticed that Nightingale, who had already reached the classroom door and should have left, seemed to have seen something and stopped at the classroom entrance.

“Hmm?”

Lan Zhan’s brows raised slightly. His gaze passed through Nightingale’s body, and vaguely, he seemed to see a figure standing in front of Nightingale.

“Captain Ye, the time isn’t over yet. Are you leaving already?”

A calm voice sounded from outside the classroom.

The moment Lan Zhan heard this voice, his eyes immediately lit up.

He was all too familiar with this voice!

However, looking at the scene before him, for some reason, a very familiar feeling emerged in Lan Zhan’s heart.

He... seemed to have experienced something like this before.

“You actually showed up!”

Nightingale stood at the classroom door, gazing at the white-clad youth before her, a complex look appearing in her eyes.

After exchanging glances with the white-clad youth, Nightingale turned around and re-entered the classroom, casually finding a chair to sit down.

She spoke faintly towards the door, “I’ll give you thirty seconds to display your cultivation. If you’ve reached it, the Night Owl team welcomes you. If not, I’m sorry, but as we agreed before, the Night Owl team has nothing to do with you!”

Nightingale had once again returned to her previous indifferent demeanor.

Lu Sheng’s appearance was unexpected for Nightingale, but even so, Nightingale remained extremely calm.

At most, she merely paid a little more attention to Lu Sheng.

But she still had no intention of letting Lu Sheng join the Night Owl.

Outside the classroom door, Lu Sheng, dressed in white, slowly walked in and bowed slightly to Lan Zhan.

“Teacher!”

Lan Zhan took a deep breath, his previous anxiety having vanished.

But his heart was still somewhat turbulent, so he could only take a deep breath and nod to Lu Sheng.

“Since you’re here, then display your cultivation.”

“We can’t... let others look down on the students of our forty-fifth class!”

Lan Zhan’s words were clearly directed at Nightingale.

After all, Lu Sheng was his student. Although Nightingale’s previous blunt words were all true, it didn’t prevent Lan Zhan from feeling some dissatisfaction towards Nightingale.

And listening to Lan Zhan’s very purposeful words, Nightingale didn’t care, merely raising her chin slightly at Lu Sheng.

“Thirty seconds!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Sheng glanced at Lan Zhan, then smiled indifferently.

Without any hesitation, an extremely surging wave of Qi and blood instantly erupted from Lu Sheng’s body.

Rumble!!!

In an instant, it was as if a surging river of Qi and blood was constantly washing through Lu Sheng’s limbs and Hundred Meridians.

A series of roars echoed.

Streams of Qi and blood, like long blood snakes, instantly emerged from Lu Sheng’s body.

They coiled around Lu Sheng’s body, emanating an extremely terrifying pressure.

“This is...”

Both Nightingale and Lan Zhan couldn’t help but slightly contract their pupils when they felt this extremely terrifying pressure emanating from Lu Sheng’s body.

Although this pressure was insignificant to them, it was clearly at the Viscera Refining Realm level!

And that Qi and blood, like numerous ferocious blood-colored long snakes, was a power that only a Martial Artist in the Viscera Refining Realm could unleash!

“Impossible!!”

The moment the Qi and blood were released, Nightingale immediately stood up from her chair, her gaze fixed on Lu Sheng, as if she wanted to completely see through him.

In her beautiful eyes, an expression of disbelief instantly filled her pupils. She seemed to have seen something extraordinary.

So much so that... her pupils began to constrict continuously at this moment.

“Viscera Refining Realm fluctuations, how is that possible!!”

“In a week’s time, how could you Breakthrough to the Viscera Refining Realm!!”

Nightingale exclaimed in disbelief.

In one week, to Breakthrough from the sixth layer of the Hundred Meridians Realm to the Viscera Refining Realm, the difficulty of this was unimaginable, even for Nightingale and Lan Zhan, who were already powerful Qi Refining stage experts!

Nightingale’s previous bet with Lu Sheng was clearly meant to make things difficult for him, to make him retreat in the Face of difficulty.

And when Lu Sheng agreed at the time, Nightingale merely thought that Lu Sheng was just agreeing to save his Face, putting on a brave front.

Now, Lu Sheng stood before her with a Viscera Refining Realm cultivation, which truly unsettled Nightingale.

As a successfully graduated student of Star Academy and the captain of the elite squad Night Owl, Nightingale naturally had a very high perspective.

However... no matter how high her perspective was, she had never seen an existence as terrifying as Lu Sheng!

Facing Nightingale's incredulous expression, Lu Sheng merely smiled indifferently, spread his hands, and said with a laugh, "If Captain doesn't believe it, you can personally inspect it!"

"Of course, if you think I achieved this by taking some Medicinal Pill with side effects, I can also let Captain examine me thoroughly!"

"After all... it's important to put Captain's mind at ease!"

Lu Sheng's words reached Nightingale's ears.

The issues Lu Sheng mentioned were precisely the ones Nightingale suspected.

The moment she saw Lu Sheng's Viscera Refining Realm cultivation, she was shocked, and then many suspicions arose in her heart.

For example, using some secret methods to damage one's Foundation, thereby forcibly entering the Viscera Refining Realm.

For example, taking some Medicinal Pills that forcibly boost cultivation to enter the Viscera Refining Realm.

But as these questions came from Lu Sheng's mouth, Nightingale's doubts in her heart also disappeared.

It took several minutes for Nightingale to calm her emotions, and a hint of complexity appeared in her eyes.

"No need, I believe you!"

Although Nightingale had many suspicions before, she also knew that as a student of Star Academy, Lu Sheng would naturally be aware that taking such Medicinal Pills and using secret methods were strictly forbidden at Star Academy.

It was impossible for him to resort to such a rule-breaking method just to join the Night Owl squad.

After all, once discovered, it wouldn't just be a matter of not being able to join the Night Owl squad; he would even be directly expelled from the academy.

No normal person would make such a move.

Let alone a Prodigy like Lu Sheng.

Now, it could only mean one thing... that Lu Sheng's cultivation truly came from his own diligent practice, bit by bit!

However... Nightingale truly couldn't understand what kind of talent could allow someone to Breakthrough from the sixth layer of Hundred Meridians Realm to the Viscera Refining Realm in just one week.

This was something even the Ten Saints of Great Xia might not be able to achieve!

Yet, it had happened to Lu Sheng!

Lan Zhan, observing this scene from the side, also felt dumbfounded, but this feeling was extremely familiar to him.

When Lu Sheng had broken through the Qi and blood limit before, he, like Nightingale, had not believed Lu Sheng.

As a result, Lu Sheng had slapped him hard in the Face.

And now, Lu Sheng had delivered another slap, but this time it wasn't on his Face, but on Nightingale's Face.

Thinking of Nightingale's confident assertion that Lu Sheng couldn't do it, and then seeing Nightingale's incredibly expressive Face now.

Lan Zhan felt as if he had eaten ice cream in the height of summer.

Refreshing!!!

Hmph, you dared to look down on my student!

Now, it's good; I don't even need to step forward, my student can slap your Face!!

In Lan Zhan's heart, there was a hint of small pride, which even diluted some of his shock.

"I didn't expect... you actually did it!!"

Nightingale sat back down on her chair, a complex expression in her eyes as she looked at Lu Sheng.

She had originally thought that this request would make Lu Sheng retreat in the Face of difficulty.

But who knew, Lu Sheng actually did it.

The current situation made Nightingale feel somewhat caught in a dilemma.

Just as she had said to Lan Zhan before, whether Lu Sheng had broken through to the Viscera Refining Realm or not, in the Night Owl squad, both the Hundred Meridians Realm and the Viscera Refining Realm were the same.

They would both only drag down the Night Owl squad.

If possible, Nightingale didn't really want Lu Sheng to join her squad.

But then she remembered the bet she had made with Lu Sheng.

Now that Lu Sheng had won, she had no chance to go back on her word!

As soon as she thought of this, Nightingale couldn't help but mutter to herself.

However, Nightingale was not someone who couldn't accept a loss. After a moment of silence, she stood up and extended her hand to Lu Sheng.

"In that case, let's proceed as we discussed before..."

"Now, welcome to our Night Owl squad!"

Nightingale's expression was somewhat serious.

She had also figured it out: the reason Lin Xuan and the others wanted the 45th batch of students to follow the combat squads for the third phase of training.

To put it plainly, it was to allow the students of the 45th batch to have better training and develop more effectively.

This had never happened before in Star Academy.

And the reason for doing this was precisely because the Prodigy level of this batch of students had already surpassed that of other batches at Star Academy.

While it was said they were to gain experience by following the combat squads, in essence, it meant making the combat squads their nannies.

To allow these young ones to grow as much as possible.

And for Lu Sheng, it was even planned for the elite squad Night Owl to become his nanny, or rather, his Protector of the Dao.

Nightingale actually understood this point, but as the captain of an elite squad, her inherent pride still made her somewhat unwilling to be a child's nanny.

However... the talent Lu Sheng displayed this time had completely convinced Nightingale.

Breaking through to this Realm in a week was something not just anyone could achieve.

Once Lu Sheng matured, his impact on the entire Great Xia Human Clan would definitely not be comparable to that of an elite squad, or even a demon-slaying squad.

It wouldn't be a big deal for her to make a small sacrifice.

As long as Lu Sheng was useful to the Great Xia Human Clan!

Therefore, Nightingale quickly changed her mindset and extended an olive branch to Lu Sheng.

However... looking at Nightingale's outstretched hand, Lu Sheng merely smiled.

Lu Sheng stood still, not moving.

"Hmm?"

Nightingale's brows furrowed slightly. She had already gone this far, and Lu Sheng was still putting on airs?

Could it be that she had to go over herself?

Just as Nightingale felt a hint of displeasure, a voice that completely infuriated Nightingale slowly sounded.

"Captain Ye, I think you seem to have made a mistake!"

"My bet with you was only whether I could Breakthrough to the Viscera Refining Realm in seven days. If I didn't, then I, Lu Sheng, would naturally have no connection with your Night Owl squad."

"But... if I did achieve it, joining the Night Owl squad was merely your wishful thinking!"

Upon hearing these words, Nightingale's heart sank abruptly, and she stared intently at Lu Sheng before her.

"So... what do you mean?"

Nightingale's voice carried a hint of ill will.

Damn it, she had already agreed, what kind of trouble was Lu Sheng still trying to stir up?

Could it be that he thought her Night Owl squad wasn't worthy of him, Lu Sheng?

What a joke!

Nightingale suppressed the anger in her heart.

Facing Nightingale's hostile voice, Lu Sheng's expression remained unchanged, a smile still gracing the corner of his mouth.

"What I mean is... I never said I wanted to join the Night Owl squad!"

A faint voice echoed in the classroom.

Instantly, the entire classroom became incredibly silent.

Both Lan Zhan and Nightingale looked at Lu Sheng with an incredulous expression.

What the hell??

You said you never said you wanted to join the Night Owl squad??

So, you're just looking down on Night Owl?

No matter what, Night Owl is an elite squad of Star Academy, right? A team that can be called elite, and you actually look down on it?

In an instant, an unknown anger ignited in Nightingale's heart.

She had already lowered herself, yet Lu Sheng was still being relentless, even saying such words. This made the usually proud Nightingale completely unable to sit still.

"Lu Sheng!!"

Nightingale's furious voice instantly exploded.