Firefly Journey

Chapter 207 The Contest of Prodigies (8)

At dawn, after traveling all night, Lin Yuanran arrived at the approximate location of the treasure described by the two-winged people.

Before us stands a majestic earthen hill, barren of vegetation, its slopes not very steep, but the fierce winds blowing from above posed a considerable obstacle to those who wished to climb it.

If the winged people's intelligence is accurate, then the "Earth Element Crystal" is located on the earthen hill.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and it was still hazy. Lin Yuanran wasn't in a hurry and decided to find a place to hide first.

If we wait another hour or two and there are many participants, it means the winged man's information is correct. He can blend into the crowd and see if he can make a profit.

Having come up with an idea, Lin Yuanran immediately set to work. He spotted a small mound and, just like when he camped a few days ago, crawled inside, leaving only a tiny hole for his eyes so he could observe the situation.

However, within just half an hour, unusual noises were heard from the surrounding area.

Some unfamiliar faces, some in groups and some alone, were braving the wind and sand as they headed towards the mountaintop.

It seems the news about the winged people is true. Lin Yuanran is also planning to set off. It's better to find out the situation as soon as possible. If he falls behind, he won't even get a sip of soup.

After watching a group of people walk up the mountain, Lin Yuanran was about to hatch when he sensed a murderous aura.

To be precise, it was a divine decree.

The mound he used for disguise was blasted open by a beam of purple light, sending sand flying and exposing him completely.

Is there any expert?

Did he discover I was spying?

Lin Yuanran was a little flustered; the feeling of having one's underwear exposed in front of others was really unpleasant.

Amidst the swirling sandstorm, Lin Yuanran spotted the spellcaster.

"Thank goodness..." Lin Yuanran felt relieved after seeing the other person's face clearly.

"Uh, hello, Miss Finney, I didn't expect we'd meet again in such an unusual way," Lin Yuanran said with a laugh.

Finne Roberts, who had been holding his staff with a look of great readiness, lowered it after seeing that the infiltrator was the same small-town boy from before.

“It’s you, you’re the ‘Earth Mage’?” Finne asked.

Durant Pippen was selected for the Eklin Academy's competition list and became teammates with Robert's siblings. Finney knew a little about Lin Yuanran.

"No." Lin Yuanran smiled. "Just to be on the safe side, I dare not show myself easily."

Fene said, "Well, it's definitely wise to be careful in here."

"Are you alone? Haven't found any teammates yet?" Lin Yuanran looked around at her and saw that she was all alone.

Fene sighed, "Yes, not to mention our eldest brother, even the people from our Eklin Academy haven't encountered him, and we haven't heard a word about him."

Lin Yuanran's mind raced. Since they were all alone, why not temporarily form a team?

"Me too, sigh!" Lin Yuanran looked annoyed, a genuine expression of his feelings, after all, he had been alone all this time.

"If you don't mind, how about we team up?"

Lin Yuanran had many reasons for asking her to team up with him.

Firstly, neither of them has found an organization yet, and if they continue to work alone, they might be killed at any time.

Secondly, Lin Yuanran clearly remembered that this girl was a "diviner" who had reached the second level of enlightenment, and could foresee danger in advance and thus avoid it.

Third, and most importantly, back in Torreg Town, she and Jamie didn't leave a bad impression on Lin Yuanran.

Jamie is portrayed as a steady and reliable older brother, while Finney is the naive and innocent young lady from a wealthy family.

Lin Yuanran trusted the two men's character, and believed that once they teamed up, he wouldn't have to be on guard all the time.

Faced with Lin Yuanran's suggestion, Fine paused for a moment, considering its feasibility.

Her ability to remain in the "Spring of Nakas" was largely due to the nature of the profession of "diviner".

However, she herself doesn't possess strong combat abilities. If she encounters an event that she can't avoid through precognition, she'll be completely helpless. In such situations, she would need a bodyguard with combat capabilities.

Through his interactions with Torreg and Durant's mentions, Finney had little doubt about Lin Yuanran's character.

“Okay, we can work together until the other side finds its teammates,” Fine agreed.

"Okay!" Lin Yuanran was overjoyed and added, "During this time, if we encounter any events that can accumulate points, we can split them equally."

In fact, the rules for obtaining points are difficult to determine. Taking hunting monsters as an example, Lin Yuanran did not know whether points were earned by killing them or by putting them in his pocket. However, he still had to make it clear to maintain the balance of the team.

Fene had no objection and nodded slightly.

She doesn't have much combat power herself, so she's not hoping to gain many points for now. She'll wait until she finds her classmates from Eklin Academy and then use her abilities to help.

"Then... how about we go up the mountain first?" Lin Yuanran suggested. "Quite a few people know there are treasures up there. If there are more people, we might be able to find our teammates."

Fene readily agreed, and the two of them set off together toward the mountaintop amidst the sandstorm with extremely low visibility.

……

……

At the mountaintop, the sandstorms were not as intense as they were at the foot of the mountain; the area was relatively calm.

On the flat sandy ground, there was a very abrupt, large, sunken pit. The surrounding yellow sand kept flowing into it, like a gaping maw, ready to devour everything around it.

No one knows when the earth element crystal inside will take shape and be born.

But everyone knows that the moment it takes shape and is born, a bloody storm will surely erupt here.

That's a huge amount of points! There's no reason not to be envious!

Among the small groups of people waiting, there was one person whose clothing and appearance were quite unique.

Actually, it's not that he's unconventional.

His clothing was very common in Eastern countries, considered everyday wear, but in a world where most people dressed casually, it made him stand out.

He was from the State of Chu, but he did not represent Chu in the competition.

Lu Jianming sat alone on a small mound of earth, his long sleeves, belt, and the jade pendant of magic artifact all swaying behind him. At first glance, he actually had an otherworldly air about him.

He was mentally calculating how he should choose when his baby was born.

Should I step forward and become the target of everyone's criticism?

That would be absolutely unacceptable. If you were attacked by the masses, no one could emerge as the final winner.

We need to proceed gradually.

But composure has never been a word that describes him.

He sighed softly.

"If only I had a teammate here, I could have grabbed the loot and given it to him, and I would have stayed behind to deal with everyone else."

It must be said that Lü Jianming's personality is completely different from Lin Yuanran's. He is never careful and is always arrogant, which is directly related to his background.

During the wait, Lü Jianming wasn't simply resting; his eyes were constantly searching for a potentially powerful opponent.

He wouldn't consider lone wolves like himself, unless it was Wind Chime; otherwise, he could fight even Locke from Ecklin Academy.

He found his target among those who were in groups.

Not only him, but probably everyone present saw them as the biggest threat.

Because there were five of them, all dressed in the same style, they were clearly from the same faction.

Some knowledgeable participants knew their backgrounds.

They came from the southern part of the continent and were members of the Dark Temple.