Chapter 40

Night fell as Lu Ming and Feng Wu followed the trail of the Vermillion Bird pattern for another ten kilometers.

They were greeted with a huge bunch of bonfires as the flames leaped and danced in the night.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

A few shadows appeared out of nowhere and stopped them from going further.

“Who are you? This is a Vermillion Bird Hall gathering. Are you the Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices?” one of the shadows asked.

“That’s right. We’re the Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices. My name’s Feng Wu,” Feng Wu replied.

“Haha, oh, it’s you, Junior Sister Feng! This way.”

A burst of laughter rang out near the bonfire area as a young man walked toward Feng Wu. This young man was tall and lean. His arms were lanky and his eyes glinted, emitting a dangerous aura.

“Yin Kai, it’s you!” Feng Wu was stunned as she laid eyes on the young man.

‘So, this is Yin Kai?’ Lu Ming’s eyes flickered.

Before the test started, Lu Ming had gathered some information from Feng Wu. The famous Yin Kai was known as the number one expert among all of Vermillion Bird Hall’s new apprentices.

Legends had it that he had only been seventeen when he awakened a Fifth Level blood meridian, and achieved a cultivation of Fourth Grade Master Realm.

Yin Kai’s gaze swept past Lu Ming without lingering and landed on Feng Wu as he invited her, “Junior Sister Feng Wu, let’s talk over there.”

Yin Kai led them to one of the bonfires. There were about five bonfires where nearly fifty Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices were gathered.

The bonfire they were led to had eight people seated around it. All eight of them had great presence and were Master Realm experts.

A few of them had such an abnormally strong presence that they seemed like they were far beyond being in First Grade Master Realm.

They nodded when they saw Feng Wu. Since no one knew Lu Ming or had heard his name before, he was automatically disregarded.

“Senior Brother Yin Kai, did you guys carve all those Vermillion Bird patterns?” Feng Wu asked.

“That’s right. I ordered someone else to do it. Junior Sister Feng Wu, I suppose you guys followed the carvings here, am I right?” Yin Kai replied with a faint smile.

“Yep, we’re here only because of the Vermillion Bird carvings and we wanted to know what’s up. Senior Brother Yin, why have you gathered the Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices with the Vermillion Bird carvings?”

“Junior Sister Feng, I’m sure you already knew that there was a 500-point metal piece this time around,” Yin Kai’s eyes sparkled as he replied.

“A 500-point metal piece? Did you guys find out where it was?” Feng Wu was shocked.

Lu Ming was also caught by surprise.

The 500-point metal piece! Everyone wanted to get their hands on it because it signified that its owner could get the first place. It was essential.

“That’s right!” Yin Kai nodded and continued, “Apart from us at the Vermillion Bird Hall, the White Tiger Hall, the Azure Dragon Hall, and the Onyx Tortoise Hall found it too. That’s why I’m gathering people because this 500-point metal piece mustn’t fall into the hands of the other three halls. We haven’t won since eight years ago.”

“You want to get your hands on this 500-point metal piece so that you’ll be the Apprentice Champion, Senior Yin?” Feng Wu’s eyes flashed.

“Of course!”

From the side, a stony-faced young man said, “Other than Senior Yin Kai, who else in the Vermillion Bird Hall is worthy of being the Apprentice Champion?”

Feng Wu pursed her lips and refused to respond to the stony-faced young man’s statement and asked, “Do you have any idea what kind of demonic beast has the 500-point metal piece?”

“It’s on a mutated black-scaled monitor lizard. This black-scaled Monitor Lizard is a Ninth Grade Second Level demonic beast. If we were to combat it head-on, no one in all the four halls could take this metal piece away.

“So, we’ve come to an agreement. Since the black-scaled Monitor Lizard loves to eat silver-eyed rabbits, as long as we manage to capture and spike these rabbits, the lizard will fall into a deep sleep. By then, all four halls will fight for that 500-point metal piece.

“What do you think, Junior Feng? Stay back and help me, won’t you?” Yin Kai coaxed.

“What do we get after helping you?” Lu Ming asked unexpectedly.

“What will you get? What do you mean?” Yin Kai frowned.

“The reward for helping you out, of course! Let’s make a deal. We’ll help you get the 500-point metal piece so that you’ll be the Apprentice Champion, but you’ll give us the Spirit-condensing Fruit when you’ve claimed your first place reward. What do you say?” Lu Ming answered.

Lu Ming aimed to get the Spirit-condensing Fruit. As long as he could get it, what harm was there in giving Yin Kai a boost?

“You want the Spirit-condensing Fruit?” Yin Kai’s face darkened.

“You brat, you really don’t know any better. Assisting Senior Brother Yin so he becomes the Apprentice Champion is a corporate glory for all Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices! As long as you’re in the Vermillion Bird Hall, you should just help out unconditionally. Yet, you still want a reward for helping out? Delusional!” the stony-faced young man uttered darkly.

His name was Yuan Lang, a well-known genius in the current batch of new Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices. He was a Third Grade Master Realm.

“Hurhur!” Lu Ming chuckled coldly. He finally understood. Yin Kai carved the Vermillion Bird pattern, gathered the Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices, and expected them to help him grab the Apprentice Champion title for nothing.

Lu Ming did not have the habit of blindly helping someone out. Besides that, he was not even close to them in the first place!

“Corporate glory for all the Vermillion Bird Hall apprentices? What a pompous sounding phrase.” Lu Ming looked at Yuan Lang mockingly and taunted, “Since it’s for the glory of the Vermillion Bird Hall, sure thing! When we get the 500-point metal piece, give it to me so that I’ll be the Apprentice Champion for the Vermillion Bird Hall’s glory.”

Upon hearing that, Yin Kai, Yuan Lang, and his followers’ faces darkened like an impending thunderstorm.

“Who the heck do you think you are? You, the Apprentice Champion?” Yuan Lang barked.

“Oh?” Lu Ming’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He turned and looked at Feng Wu with such disdain as he asked, “Senior Brother Feng, are you gonna stay? I’m done entertaining them.”

“Nope, not interested. Let’s go then!” Feng Wu replied and was about to leave with him.

“You two! Stand right there!” Yuan Lang bellowed.

Swoosh!

His body moved quickly as he prevented Lu Ming and Feng Wu from leaving.

“What does this mean, Yin Kai?” Feng Wu turned and questioned Yin Kai in rage.

Yin Kai answered with a malicious smile, “This time, I must be the champion, so take out all the metal pieces you have right now!”

“Yin Kai, you…” Feng Wu was so mad. She did not expect Yin Kai to be so despicable.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna fight with us. Just leave your point-worthy metal pieces with me.” Yuan Lang looked at Lu Ming scornfully.

“Who are you to block my way? F*ck off like the dog that you are!” Lu Ming raised his voice.

“What an arrogant brat! Well, to be this arrogant, you’ve gotta have what it takes. Let’s see what you’ve got!” Yuan Lang mocked, forming his hands in the shape of an eagle’s claws, and assaulting Lu Ming.