"Err...Miss, did you specifically come looking for me just to say all that?" Ji Mo scratched his head and asked.
Without hiding anything, Lan Qingcheng snorted and said, "Who specifically came looking for you? I'm just curious to see you. I didn't think that you'd also be a Tianyuan Academy disciple. If I knew that we were under the same academy that day, I might've helped your business." That being said, Lan Qingcheng let out a cynical smile.
"Err...Don't bring up the past, alright?" Ji Mo's forehead was full of cold sweat.
"Oh yeah, I thought I saw Huo Lin'er just now. Are you very close to her?" Lan Qingcheng asked. Huo Lin'er had a great reputation at Tianyuan Academy. Everyone knew who she was, and those who were seldom at the academy like Lan Qingcheng had heard of her.
"More or less. Oh, did you specifically come back to the academy this time for tomorrow's Hunting Competition?" Ji Mo quickly changed the topic.
"Yes, I signed up too," she said with a nod. Then, she suggested to him, "Oh right, since I don't really know anyone at the academy, let's form a team tomorrow. What's your cultivation base like? Which tier of tempered body are you at?"
"Sixth-tier tempered body," said Ji Mo truthfully.
"Oh, you're just on the sixth-tier tempered body." Lan Qingcheng looked dejected. She did not come to the academy very often, hence she was not clear about the academy and its people. She also had never heard about Ji Mo or anything related to him.
If she knew that Ji Mo was the wimp that everyone was talking about in the academy, Lan Qingcheng might not have said those words.
"Oh, forget it. Sixth-tier is better than fighting alone." Lan Qingcheng looked at Ji Mo and concluded, "We shall be in a team for tomorrow's Hunting Competition. Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Otherwise, with your sixth-tier tempered body, you may be eaten by the demonic beast."
"A team…" Ji Mo looked puzzled. He did not know why she invited him despite only having met him once. With Lan Qingcheng's appearance and qualities, if she asked, many experts would have flocked over even if she was not familiar with anyone at the academy. There was no need to waste time on him.
"It's decided then. By the way, what's your name?" Lan Qingcheng asked.
"Ji Mo."
"I'm Lan Qingcheng. See you tomorrow." She smiled and waved at Ji Mo, then turned around and headed towards the academy.
Until Lan Qingcheng disappeared from his sight, Ji Mo stood dumbfounded in the same spot. What did that even mean? In his confusion, he had formed a team with someone without finding out the situation. As he looked at the direction where Lan Qingcheng left, Ji Mo giggled and left quietly.
The Hunting Competition was usually held once a year. The venue would be chosen on Mount Luofu which was 150 kilometers away from Tianyuan Academy. Mount Luofu stretched for thousands of kilometers and there was an ancient forest within it. Many powerful demonic beasts were bred there and there were also some small-scale demon tribe activities. Tianyuan Academy always selected it as the venue for the Hunting Competition.
The demonic beasts in Mount Luofu varied in strength. Some weaker demonic beasts had abilities that were comparable to the human race's third-tier tempered body. These demonic beasts had not formed their Neidan. The more powerful demonic beasts had formed their Neidan and some of their talents were developed, enabling them to exhibit some divine power. However, their ability was not that advanced, so they were only comparable to the human race's eighth-tier tempered body.
Those demonic beasts that had morphed into the human form possessed the same abilities as a Qi Plundering Boundary master. With tremendous divine power, they were known as the demonic tribe. When encountering these creatures, the outer disciples of Tianyuan Academy could only detour around them.
Therefore, the Hunting Competition had a certain degree of danger. In every Hunting Competition, Tianyuan Academy would lose a portion of their disciples. Nevertheless, this was a reliable platform to cultivate the disciples from a practical angle. Without real experience, one could never be an inner disciple of the Tianshan Sword Sect.
The next day, Ji Mo went back to the academy and gathered with some outer disciples who were joining the hunt. A large group of people left Tianyuan Academy and headed towards Mount Luofu which was 150 kilometers away which was not considered too far. By nightfall, they reached the foot of Mount Luofu. They set up camp and started a fire to prepare for the night before scaling the mountain the following day.
A group of boisterous people gathered around, drinking and having fun around the campfire. Everyone knew that there would possibly be casualties after entering Mount Luofu. Survival depended on one's skills. Two people could be drinking together today but could end up dead in Mount Luofu a few days later and end up as demonic beast food.
The men gathered to drink, and once they drank too much, they started bragging to one another. That was a given with every one of them.
Meanwhile, the girls had heart-to-heart conversations.
Ji Mo did not join the group of people. He did not have many friends at the academy, so nobody looked for him and he could only stand afar, watching Mount Luofu in front of him quietly.
"Hi, Ji Mo. I was looking for you." A crisp voice came from behind and Lan Qingcheng stood there with her hand stretched out as she patted Ji Mo's shoulder.
Ji Mo turned around and saw that she had changed into her training suit which completely brought out her exquisite figure. She had an ample bosom and a perky bottom firmly cinched by a tiny waist. She had little boots on her feet and her squeaky clean appearance garnered many men's hot-blooded gazes.
"Huh? Why are you here alone and not with the others to drink and chat?" Lan Qingcheng asked curiously.
"I...I don't have any friends, so I'm alone," Ji Mo simply replied.
"No friends? That's strange. How did you survive at the academy all these years?" she said amusedly.
At this point, there were many people staring at Lan Qingcheng and Ji Mo. Her nubile body grabbed lots of attention.
"Who is this girl? Why have I not seen her before?"
"That's Lan Qingcheng, a Lan disciple. Although she's a disciple at the academy, she doesn't come to the academy very often, so we don't have any impression of her. I've only seen her once 6 months ago."
"She's the disciple from a prestigious family, but why is she so close to Ji Mo? It looks like they're in the same team."
"This chap's fate with women is good. At the academy, he has a good relationship with Senior Sister Huo, and when he leaves the academy, he's with another pretty girl. Man, why don't I have such luck?"
There were many admiring looks cast at Ji Mo, but there were also jealous glances as though he was an enemy.
"Ji Mo, I didn't know that you have good fates with women. Even Lady Lan is willing to be on the same team as you." At that moment, an unfriendly voice was heard. Dong Hao, Nangong Ye, Xia Jiaojiao, and a few other disciples sat together nearby, looking at Lan Qingcheng and Ji Mo.
"Hmph, this group of children again!" Ji Mo scowled and a murderous instinct arose.