Walking side by side with Gu Lian down from the school building, Gu Lian spoke in a soft voice:
“Su Nan, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard your name.”
“Before this, my mom mentioned you more than once—always with high praise.”
As she spoke, Gu Lian looked toward Su Nan.
Her elegant brows furrowed slightly, and in the dim lighting, her delicate face looked even more ethereal.
Her gaze was hard to read—there was admiration, a hint of affection, and maybe even some subtle resentment.
After all, what girl wouldn’t feel drawn to someone their mother constantly praised?
Then suddenly, her tone shifted:
“Later on, my mom even wanted to make you her goddson!”
“And you actually refused?”
“What—do you look down on my mom? Or do you think me being your older sister is beneath you?”
“Uhh…”
Su Nan was immediately enlightened.
No wonder Gu Lian had been acting cold toward him—this was the reason.
But wait—wasn’t it normal for someone to not want to suddenly gain an older brother?
He returned to the base camp not long after, everything seemingly normal.
The three girls were still asleep.
As for Gu Lian—she had long gone off on her own.
***
The next morning, training resumed.
Despite staying up nearly all night, Su Nan was full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue.
The three girls, on the other hand, felt guilty—and each gave him a warm “nutritional hug” in apology.
“I think you’re all just using that as an excuse to take advantage of me.”
Soon after—
As they ventured deeper into the high school ruins, they ran into Gu Lian again.
Su Nan gave her a friendly smile…
Gu Lian responded with a cold snort and completely ignored him.
This was rare.
Usually, any girl who got smiled at by Su Nan would either blush or get flustered.
But this school belle Gu Lian was clearly different.
“Something’s fishy here,” Tu Suya whispered.
Meanwhile, the overly cutesy Luo Feixuan stepped up, her enormous assets bouncing as she leaned in close, breath warm and sweet:
“Senior~ What were you up to last night~?”
Su Nan ignored the obvious temptation, flicked her on the forehead, said nothing, and walked away.
“There’s definitely something going on,” Mu Qing declared with certainty to the other two girls.
***
In just a blink, all the ghosts and spirits within the 1,000-meter range of the high school were cleared out by the freshmen.
Even the Pen Fairy had been slain by Gu Lian. If anyone wanted more points, they’d have to venture beyond the boundary.
The instructors didn’t set any hard restrictions—it was all up to the students.
Su Nan’s team didn’t hesitate and marched beyond the 1,000-meter mark.
The moment they stepped out, the sinister, oppressive atmosphere intensified.
This was the true unknown-level zone of the trial.
As the four entered, their wristbands lit up. Once tapped, the voice of Dean Xi Qinyu came through:
“Beyond the 1,000-meter boundary lies an unknown difficulty map. Unpredictable dangers may appear at any time. Survive one day in this region and the challenge is considered complete. Proceed with caution.”
Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, all the instructors were on high alert—ready to intervene at any moment.
The moment Xi Qinyu’s voice cut off, several dark figures suddenly appeared in the fog.
Looking closely—they were all B-rank evil ghosts!
Combat erupted instantly.
Every team that had entered this zone was now locked in battle.
And these B-rank ghosts were clearly stronger than their earlier counterparts.
Many teams were instantly overwhelmed.
But Su Nan’s team?
Still led by Su Nan at the front.
They cut down everything in their path.
Even these enhanced B-rank ghosts were no match for him—one punch from him, under the shadow of the dragon, and they vanished into black mist.
Soon, Su Nan’s team pulled far ahead of the rest, roaming the unknown region freely.
Near the high school, they came across abandoned roads and wild forests.
They hadn’t gone much further when suddenly—a shrill scream echoed from the woods.
Su Nan’s expression shifted.
He immediately led the girls toward the source of the sound.
Within the forest, the air was dense and oppressive, the light dim and shadowy.
Just stepping into the woods made all four frown slightly from the pressure.
The scream echoed again.
Su Nan’s eyes glinted like lightning as he picked up speed.
The three girls followed quickly behind.
Breaking through the trees, they found an open clearing.
There—a girl had collapsed to the ground, surrounded by her unconscious teammates.
At least five or six of them.
And before her stood a huge white shadow—hideous, with claws extended and a half-visible body radiating waves of icy chill.
“A-rank Ghost King!”
Tu Suya immediately recognized the ghost’s strength and charged forward without hesitation.
She—and the others—hadn’t gotten much action in earlier battles.
Su Nan had taken down most enemies solo.
Now that an A-rank Ghost King had appeared, they refused to miss their chance.
Luo Feixuan and even the usually aloof Mu Qing followed suit, rushing forward with her.
“Careful!” Su Nan shouted.
He could clearly feel it—the ghost before them was powerful, far stronger than anything they’d seen yet.
But it was too late.
The ghost king let out a furious roar.
From its body burst waves of icy cold air, like an avalanche of frost.
A frigid current surged toward the girls before they even got close—hitting them hard and sapping their strength in an instant.
The ghost king vanished, then reappeared right in front of Tu Suya, claws slashing down.
At that moment—
Su Nan roared, punching forward with all his might.
A shadowy dragon accompanied his strike, mixed with blazing pure yang qi, smashing into the ghost king and forcing it back.
“You three fall back!”
Su Nan said as he stepped protectively in front of the girls.
“I’ll handle this.”
Knowing they couldn’t win, the girls didn’t press forward.
After all—what girl would really want to charge into danger, when there’s a gorgeous young man to block for them?
Mu Qing might’ve stood a chance.
But the other two?
It was time to act again.
***
On the other side—
Su Nan summoned his full power, his energy surging outward.
The pure yang qi within him erupted, clashing head-on with the ghost king’s cold energy.
With a flash, Su Nan launched another punch straight at the A-rank Ghost King.
The ghost king roared and swung its claws, meeting Su Nan’s attack directly.
With a loud boom, Su Nan was pushed back a step, blood churning within him.
The ghost king’s body flickered—its form briefly unstable.
Su Nan was shocked.
He was already a Level 5 Martial Artist, and yet this ghost king was far stronger than any A-rank ghost he’d encountered before.