85: Chapter 85 The First Step in Sweeping Through the Campus!

Chapter 85: The First Step to Sweeping the Campus!

On the early morning of September 1st.

Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, and the air was fresh and slightly cool.

Lin Chen and Yun Chuxiu woke up early, put on their school uniforms, left their dormitory, and joined the crowd heading toward the teaching area.

Unlike when the freshmen reported a week ago, the campus today was a literal sea of people.

Students from all grades had finished their vacations or internships and were returning to school.

Students wearing various department uniforms, or casual or formal attire, either walked quickly alone or chatted and laughed in groups of two or three. Accompanied by pet beasts of all shapes and sizes, they surged toward different areas.

"There are so many people—"

Yun Chuxiu raised an eyebrow as he looked at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd before him.

The distance from the South Campus dormitory area to the teaching building complex in the center of the academy was quite far, taking at least forty minutes on foot, so transportation was necessary.

There were two main roads on campus: one was a relatively traditional vehicle lane, while the other was an extremely wide mount pet beast lane with a specially reinforced surface and clear guardrails on both sides.

Looking around, the sheer number and variety of mount pet beasts here were staggering.

The most eye-catching were several giant pet beasts that looked like moving small hills. These were public mounts specially trained by the academy for public commuting.

One of them was a giant beast covered in thick, ice-blue long fur, resembling an ancient mammoth. Its name was the Frost-Hoof Colossus.

Its body was as massive as a mountain, causing the ground to tremble slightly as it walked. On its platform-like back, several rows of seats with simple guardrails were fixed. At this moment, it was already filled with twenty to thirty freshmen who looked full of novelty, moving steadily along the mount lane at a decent speed. It was clearly very popular.

"Tsk tsk, what a grand display."

Yun Chuxiu crossed his arms, looked at the scene before him, and turned to ask Lin Chen, "How are we getting over there?"

Lin Chen asked, "Can't you fly on a sword?"

Yun Chuxiu's eyes widened. "???"

"That's a cultivator's ability. What does that have to do with us Beast Tamers?"

Lin Chen smiled, his eyes sweeping across the various mounts on the mount lane, and his heart stirred.

Since the mount lane could accommodate a giant beast of the Frost-Hoof Colossus's size, the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur should be fine too.

Although the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur was not as convenient as a flying mount, among land mounts, its speed, endurance, and intimidation were absolutely top-tier.

Then, with a slight thought, he connected with his Beast Taming Space.

The next moment, the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur descended onto the mount lane with a boom, its heavy claws hitting the ground and making a dull, vibrating sound.

Its crimson round pupils slowly scanned the surroundings. Although its majestic dragon might was intentionally restrained, its massive size, domineering appearance,

and naturally radiating wild aura still caused the surroundings to instantly fall silent.

Nearby students turned their heads to look one after another.

"What kind of pet beast is this?!"

"It's the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur! The one mentioned on the forum!"

"Is that the brand-new evolutionary form of the Flame Claw Beast that the monster freshman researched by himself?"

Yun Chu stood beside the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur, looking up at this wild and powerful giant beast. Even though he was prepared, feeling it up close still shocked him.

Lin Chen had expected this, and his expression remained unchanged.

He had no intention of keeping the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur hidden. Since it had evolved, he should announce the birth of the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur with high profile.

Subsequently, he leaped up, easily flipping himself onto the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur's broad shoulder, and pulled up Yun Chuxiu, who was still a bit dazed.

"Let's go." Lin Chen patted the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur's shoulder.

"Ya-gu."

The Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur growled softly, took a step with its pillar-like thick limbs, adjusted its pace, and rumbled onto the wide mount lane.

Heavy footsteps followed, but its steps were steady and powerful.

The Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur began to accelerate. Although its start was not as swift as those flexible small and medium-sized mounts, once it got running, its stride was huge, and its speed quickly increased.

Sitting on the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur's shoulder, the view was extremely broad.

Lin Chen could easily look down at many of the small and medium-sized mounts and walking students below, with the road ahead completely unobstructed.

The Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur's running posture was unexpectedly stable. Its thick footpads and powerful limb control minimized any bumping sensation.

It was just that compared to the lightning-fast aerial speed of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur's running speed was much slower, but it was more than enough for commuting.

Lin Chen even imagined a warm picture: on the boundless wilderness, Lin Chen rode on the shoulder of the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur, holding the Songsong Dog in his arms, with the horizon showing a slowly setting sun.

Along the way, more and more students recognized the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur.

After a night of public opinion fermenting, the popularity of this Freshman Grand Competition and Lin Chen's terrifying points grew higher and higher in the academy. Everyone from the freshmen to the teachers and professors was discussing it heatedly.

Moreover, besides the students of this academy promoting his title as the strongest freshman of the year, Lin Chen's popularity gradually spread to several other academies in Qiming City, triggering a heated discussion about who was the strongest freshman in the Northern Border.

But all this online fuss had nothing to do with Lin Chen. He met the gazes of the crowd with a smile, feeling secretly pleased in his heart.

Soon, the towering teaching building complex appeared ahead.

The Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur slowed down and finally came to a steady halt at the entrance of the main teaching building.

Recalling the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur into his Beast Taming Space, Lin Chen and Yun Chuxiu walked into the teaching building.

This building mainly housed classrooms for freshman classes. At this moment, the lobby and corridors were bustling with people, filled everywhere with freshmen wearing brand-new uniforms with excited and curious expressions.

And when Lin Chen appeared, enthusiastic greetings rose and fell one after another.

"Classmate Lin Chen! Morning!"

"Big shot! Over here!"

"Whoever is next to him, please move aside. I want to take a photo with Big Shot Lin Chen."

Yun Chu's lips twitched, and he left silently.

Pushing through the crowd, the two finally arrived at the classroom.

Pushing the door open, the classroom was spacious and bright, and about twenty people were already sparsely seated.

Seeing Lin Chen and Yun Chuxiu enter, the chatter in the classroom paused slightly, and many gazes immediately focused on them, mostly landing on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen's gaze quickly swept across the room.

He saw Zhou Ming sitting in the front row, waving at him excitedly, and Zhang Xiaoxiao nodding with a smile, as well as some faces he had met once in the secret realm or were completely unfamiliar.

But he did not see Su Qingyuan.

Even when the class bell rang, Su Qingyuan still hadn't arrived.

Lin Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "So bold, skipping class on the very first day of school?"

The first class of the freshman year was "Introduction to Pet Beast Potential (I)", and the content was far deeper and more systematic than the basic knowledge Lin Chen had encountered in high school.

Instead of reading straight from the textbook, the instructor analyzed the principles and misconceptions of pet beast potential development from multiple dimensions such as energy essence, bloodline inheritance, and environmental adaptation, combining many real cases, which made the freshmen below find it highly satisfying.

Actually, the curriculum of the Combat Academy was very loose.

There weren't many theory classes each week. More time was left for students to train independently, complete missions, explore secret realms, or participate in various practical courses.

After some time, the Combat Academy would also organize the freshmen in batches to conduct their first true outdoor comprehensive practice.

It was understood that the practice location was not a common wilderness, but would go deep into the explored areas on the inner side of the Wall of Eternal Night.

The first class soon ended, and the freshmen left the classroom in twos and threes.

"Brother Chen, which cafeteria are we going to?" Zhou Ming leaned over.

"Any is fine." Lin Chen packed up his notes.

The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path leading to the cafeteria.

"Brother Chen, I find something a bit strange," Zhou Ming said, lowering his voice and looking left and right.

"Huh?" Lin Chen looked at him.

"During this Freshman Grand Competition, I felt Su Qingyuan was very strange." Zhou Ming organized his words. "I always feel her wilderness survival experience is too rich. Even though it was everyone's first time entering, she seemed to have a walkthrough beforehand, being extremely familiar with everything and not nervous at all. She gave me the feeling of a max-level big shot accidentally entering a starter village."

"And also, she can always find breeding resources hidden in various places. No matter how deeply they are hidden, she can locate them with precision."

Lin Chen's steps paused slightly.

"Do you think..." Zhou Ming's eyes lit up, his tone excited. "Brother Chen, if we go to the wild for training in the future, if we can drag Su Qingyuan along with us, wouldn't we be able to find a ton of resources?"

Lin Chen understood.

This fellow Zhou Ming was treating Su Qingyuan as a treasure hunter. This mindset was simply too utilitarian!!!

However, he thought it was a pretty good idea.

While chatting, the two had already walked to a fork on a main road.

Suddenly, a figure blocked the path in front of them.

Ye Zhen, with his youthful baby face, was tightly pursing his lips at this moment, staring straight at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen stopped, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Who is this?

Zhou Ming immediately leaned to Lin Chen's ear, quickly reminding him, "Brother Chen, this is Ye Zhen, the fourth place of the Freshman Grand Competition."

Hearing the word "fourth," Ye Zhen's already expressionless face suddenly stiffened. He clenched his fists, preparing to issue a battle challenge.

But just at this moment, four or five young men and women wearing training uniforms walked over.

The leader was tall and straight, about twenty years old. His face was actually sixty to seventy percent similar to Ye Zhen's, but his features were tougher and more mature, and he had slicked-back hair.

With a gentle, spring-breeze-like smile on his lips, he first glanced at Ye Zhen, whose face was tense, and then his gaze landed on Lin Chen.

"Senior Captain Ye Xuan!" Some surrounding students recognized the newcomer's identity and gasped in low voices.

"Captain Captain Ye Xuan! Why would he come here?"

"He must be here to invite that monster freshman to join the school team!"

Captain Ye Xuan nodded to the surroundings in greeting, then walked up to Lin Chen, extended his hand, and smiled gently and sincerely, "Hello, Junior Lin Chen. Let me introduce myself, I am Captain Ye Xuan, the captain of the Qiming Beast-Taming Academy school team."

Lin Chen reached out and shook hands with him. "Hello, Senior Captain Ye Xuan."

Captain Ye Xuan withdrew his hand and got straight to the point, "First, congratulations on winning first place in this Freshman Grand Competition. 1,450 points, what an amazing achievement."

Hearing this, before Lin Chen could react, Ye Zhen clenched his fists.

"Secondly, I came this time on behalf of the academy school team to officially invite you to join the school team."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding students who had their ears perked up listening immediately broke into a commotion.

Lin Chen understood.

In the Qiming Beast-Taming Academy, there were numerous clubs and organizations, but the school team was undoubtedly the most prestigious and high-status existence among them.

The school team not only represented the highest level of combat power of the academy's students, but also bore the heavy responsibility of representing the academy in important competitions such as the "Northern Border College Beast-Taming League" and the "National College Student League" to fight for glory.

Especially in such a top academy, the resume of a school team member was practically a golden brand.

Many large enterprises, the military, or special departments would prioritize recruiting graduates with school team experience.

"You should have some understanding of the school team," Captain Ye Xuan said with a smile. "By joining the school team, you will not only get the best growth environment, but more importantly, for the Northern Territory Freshman Exchange Tournament in two months, you won't need an assessment and can directly represent the academy."

The surrounding classmates all cast envious looks at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen fell silent for a moment.

He had some understanding of the Northern Territory Freshman Exchange Tournament. It was a Beast Tamer competition that all freshmen from Beast Taming Academies in the Northern Border could participate in, aiming to determine the strongest freshman.

But the world was about to be shrouded in the Dark Crisis. How could he have the leisure to participate in such a baby cup?

But just at this moment, the system's voice rang out right on cue:

[Ding!]

[Mission Content: The player is currently suffering from bullying by upperclassmen. Please defeat three upperclassmen, show them how formidable you are, and complete the first step to sweeping the campus!]

[Mission Rewards: EXP x30, triple exp card x3, Giant Horn Impact Move Learning Machine]

Lin Chen:

"

""

The system's judgment had a huge problem as always. Captain Ye Xuan's attitude was clearly very polite, and his invitation was very formal. No matter how one looked at it, it had nothing to do with bullying.

Certified as a highly sensitive system.

But then again...

Lin Chen raised his head to meet Captain Ye Xuan's gaze, a brilliant smile blossoming on his face. "Senior Captain Ye Xuan, we can talk about the school team later. Right now, I would rather..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Captain Ye Xuan waved his hand, a "just as expected" smile appearing on his face. "I know. A battle, right? Of course."

Pausing, he added, seemingly with emotion, "Every generation of freshmen comes through like this. Back then, I also wanted to personally test the strength of the school team members."

"But don't worry, our strength will definitely satisfy you, making you join us willingly."

His smile was bright, and his tone was filled with deep confidence.

Lin Chen nodded.

"Brother!"

Ye Zhen suddenly stepped forward, looking straight at Captain Ye Xuan. "I want to go too!"

"Come, come. I was planning to invite you anyway." Captain Ye Xuan nodded. "The top ten freshmen will all receive our invitation."

Speaking of this, he scratched his head, looking puzzled. "It's just that the freshman named Su Qingyuan hasn't responded yet."

Subsequently, led by Captain Ye Xuan, Lin Chen and the others walked toward the school team's dedicated battle hall.

Upon hearing the news, other students called their friends and followed closely behind.

By the time the group arrived at the battle hall, the spectator stands in all directions were already packed with students joining in the fun. The atmosphere was lively, just like watching an official match on short notice.

Lin Chen sighed with emotion, "The battle atmosphere here is really great."

At the thought of the Flame-Spine Tyrannosaur being able to show off its powerful posture in such an arena, Lin Chen felt a bit of anticipation.

But his first opponent was unexpected.

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