CHAPTER 302: CHAPTER 302: ABNORMAL_1

"Where is everyone?"

A moment later, Steward Lu led Lu Feng out. Discovering that the two men and the wolf had vanished, his face filled with astonishment and doubt.

A man in black timidly said, "They escaped using a portal."

"Useless trash!"

Lu Feng’s anger flared, and he slapped the man in black across the face.

The men in black all felt aggrieved.

Those two humans and the wolf were so cunning, and they even had a portal; how could we possibly have stopped them?

"This matter isn’t urgent. As long as they are still in State City, they can’t get away," Steward Lu said. "However, the fact that they possess a portal indicates their backgrounds are not simple. Before we deal with them, I’m afraid we must first investigate their identities thoroughly."

After speaking, Steward Lu looked at Lu Feng and added, "Young Master Lu Feng, the Family Head is furious. You best prepare yourself."

Lu Feng’s heart sank, and his hatred for Qin Feiyang and the others intensified.

Steward Lu waved his hand, and they took to the sky, departing with Lu Feng and the group of men in black.

Once they left, the street in front of the Treasure Pavilion erupted with chatter.

"Not only did they kick Lu Feng where it hurts, but they also peeped on Miss Lu bathing! How brazen can those two and that wolf be?"

"Do you know their names?"

"I don’t."

"I don’t know either. I’ve never seen them before."

"This is getting interesting. They look young, yet their strength is outrageous. They must have powerful backers!"

「Before the Governor’s Mansion gate.」

SWOOSH!

Two men and a wolf appeared out of thin air.

"Huh?"

The four guards at the gate were startled. Upon recognizing Qin Feiyang and his group, they relaxed, only to be shocked again moments later.

They teleported here!

Indeed, as friends of the Young Miss, they were clearly very wealthy.

Qin Feiyang smiled at the four guards, then looked down at the Wolf King, preparing to scold him severely.

But just then, his Image Crystal Stone showed activity.

Qin Feiyang took it out. As he infused it with Battle Intent, a stunningly beautiful apparition swiftly formed.

It was Ren Wushuang!

However, her face was currently full of anger. She looked at Qin Feiyang and demanded, "What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to go to the Holy Temple? Look what time it is now!"

Qin Feiyang gave an embarrassed smile. "Sister, please don’t be angry. A small mishap occurred. I’m heading to the Holy Temple right away."

"Sister?"

The four guards exchanged glances, their eyes wide with astonishment.

They had assumed the two men and the wolf were merely friends with Miss Wushuang.

Who would have thought their relationship was so close!

Instantly, a greater measure of respect appeared in their eyes.

"Then hurry up," Ren Wushuang urged. "And while you’re at it, remind those four guards not to leak anything about our relationship. One last thing: don’t you dare go around using my grandfather’s name to swagger and deceive people. Especially Fatty and White-Eyed Wolf—tell them to behave. If my grandfather finds out, the consequences will be severe."

"Understood," Qin Feiyang nodded.

"You’re truly a handful." Ren Wushuang glared at him in annoyance, and her phantom swiftly dissipated.

Qin Feiyang put away the Image Crystal Stone and glared angrily at the Wolf King. "Did you hear that? No more causing trouble."

The Wolf King managed an awkward smile.

Qin Feiyang rolled his eyes at it, then looked up at the four guards.

"Rest assured, young man, our lips are sealed," one guard quickly said.

"Yes, and we hope young brother will look out for us in the future," another added, his tone flattering.

Before Qin Feiyang could speak, all four chimed in with similar assurances.

"Many thanks to you four elder brothers." Qin Feiyang cupped his hands and asked, "Could you please tell me how to get to the Holy Temple?"

"Turn around and go straight," one of the guards explained. "You’ll quickly reach a crossroads. Turn left there. After a few kilometers, turn right. Continue straight for a while longer, and you’ll see the Holy Temple."

"Thank you."

Qin Feiyang cupped his hands in thanks again, then, with Lu Hong and the Wolf King, turned and quickly departed.

Once they were far from the mansion, Lu Hong looked at Qin Feiyang and chuckled. "It seems your newfound sister isn’t aware of our exploits in East City."

Qin Feiyang said, "The two city districts are too far apart; news wouldn’t travel this quickly."

Still, when Ren Wushuang does find out, she’ll definitely scold me again.

He lowered his gaze to the Wolf King and asked, frowning, "Why did you go to the Lu Family last night?"

"I just wanted to see how remarkable the Lu Family really was," the Wolf King grumbled. "But after I finally managed to sneak into the Lu Family, I stumbled upon that little brat Lu Tingting taking a bath. If I hadn’t escaped quickly, I’d probably have fallen into her hands by now. Damn it, what terrible luck!"

"Impressive, managing to escape from the Lu Family," Lu Hong said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Are you kidding? I’m the peerless Divine Wolf! How could those fools ever catch me?" The Wolf King preened, instantly smug again.

The self-satisfied look on its face made Qin Feiyang roll his eyes.

Peerless Divine Wolf? This fellow is always bringing up those words. Could there really be something to it?

Shortly after, a long stone staircase came into Qin Feiyang’s view.

The stairs were wide, at least five or six meters, and also very high. Qin Feiyang looked up and estimated there were about a thousand steps.

Hundreds of figures were on the stairs. The youngest were fourteen or fifteen years old, while the oldest were in their thirties. They were all struggling step by step towards the top, clearly finding it very strenuous.

At the summit of the staircase stood a colossal Stele, over ten meters tall. Two large, glittering golden characters were carved onto the Stele:

HOLY TEMPLE!

Rendered as if by iron hook and silver brushstroke, they emanated a powerful and astonishing aura.

Lu Hong looked at the Stele and then at the stairs, asking doubtfully, "Could this staircase be like the one at the Elixir Palace, a test for everyone?"

Qin Feiyang smiled. "Why don’t we ask and find out?"

At the foot of the stone staircase, two groups of people were gathered.

They were all very young and stood out from the crowd, their demeanor far surpassing those on the staircase. They all wore uniform attire, distinguished only by color. The group on the left wore long white robes, while the group on the right wore long black robes. However, a small sword was embroidered on the chest of each uniform. The small sword was the emblem of the Holy Temple. This meant that these two groups were Disciples of the Holy Temple.

"More people have arrived."

"And is that... a wolf?"

As the two men and the wolf approached, the two groups also noticed them, their expressions somewhat bewildered.

When they reached the foot of the stone staircase, Qin Feiyang glanced at the two groups. He was surprised to see a table placed in the center of each group, piled high with Gold Coins.

What’s this all about? Qin Feiyang wondered.

At this moment, Lu Hong asked, "Excuse me, everyone, may I ask the significance of this stone staircase?"

"Not only beautiful, but her voice is lovely too!" A young man in white robes brightened and said with a smile, "Beautiful lady, is this your first time at the Holy Temple?"

Lu Hong nodded.

"Then I must give you a proper introduction," the youth in white approached Lu Hong, smiling eagerly as he explained, a fawning tone in his voice. "This stone staircase has a total of one thousand steps. There’s a suppressive force on it, and the higher you go, the stronger the pressure. Only those who reach the summit are considered to have successfully completed the assessment."

"Is it that simple?" Lu Hong asked, surprised.

"Simple?"

The two groups stared, then burst into laughter.

"Beautiful lady, it may look simple, but it’s not simple at all," the youth in white chuckled. "See those hundreds of people up there? At most, only a dozen or so will make it to the top. And even if they reach the top, it doesn’t guarantee they can enter the Holy Temple. This staircase is just the first assessment; the real trials are yet to come. I can tell you responsibly, no more than three will ultimately become Disciples of the Holy Temple."

"Enough talk, place your bets!" someone shouted.

"I bet they’ll last at most an hour on the staircase—fifty Gold Coins!"

"I’ll bet they last less than an hour—thirty Gold Coins!"

"You guys are no fun, betting on such long times. I bet they won’t even last a hundred breaths—one hundred Gold Coins!"

The members of both groups eagerly took out their Gold Coins, chattering and causing a commotion.

So they’re gambling here, Qin Feiyang realized.

"How about you three place a bet too?" one of them called out. "If you can reach the summit within a hundred breaths, all the Gold Coins on these two tables are yours!" The two groups began to goad them.

Lu Hong glanced at the two betting tables, shook her head, and said, "Too little. Not interested."

Actually, it wasn’t a small amount. Combined, the two tables likely held tens of thousands of Gold Coins. But to Qin Feiyang and his companions, tens of thousands of Gold Coins didn’t even count as pocket money.

"That’s too little?"

The two groups were dumbfounded.

Could these two people and the wolf actually be big spenders?

"You think so little of us? I’ll bet all my Gold Coins!" A youth in black clothes took out a Qiankun Bag and slammed it onto the table.

"I’ll bet all my Gold Coins too!"

"Me too!"

The people in both groups also took out their Qiankun Bags, tossed them onto the betting tables, and looked at Qin Feiyang’s group provocatively.

Lu Hong walked over, inspected the bags one by one, then turned back to Qin Feiyang and smiled. "It’s just over five million in total."

Qin Feiyang said, "Then let’s bet. I happen to be out of pocket money anyway; it’d be a shame to pass this up."

"Such big talk!"

"Kid, don’t be so arrogant. You’ll be crying soon enough!"

The two groups seethed with indignation.

Lu Hong waved her hand, and a huge pile of Gold Coins appeared, like a small mountain on the ground.

"Damn, that’s so much!"

Could she be the legendary fair-skinned, rich, and beautiful woman?

The two groups stared, dumbfounded. Their expressions when they looked at Lu Hong changed.

Lu Hong smiled. "I don’t know exactly how much is here, but it certainly won’t be less than yours."

With that, she turned and walked to Qin Feiyang’s side.

At that instant, the onlookers’ expressions shifted again. They now clearly regarded Qin Feiyang as a love rival.

"Hehe, Xiao Hong, perhaps among them is your future ideal suitor," the Wolf King transmitted with a sly laugh.

"Them?" Lu Hong shook her head, a hint of disdain in her demeanor.

"Let’s go!" Qin Feiyang said with a faint smile, taking the first step onto the staircase.

Indeed, a suppressive force enveloped him. But it was entirely negligible.

This paltry pressure is child’s play for me, who has opened the Door of Potential! the Wolf King thought.

The Wolf King snorted disdainfully, then bounded off, sprinting wildly towards the summit.

Qin Feiyang and Lu Hong exchanged a smile and also quickly chased after the Wolf King.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"What’s going on?"

"They’re actually running?"

The two groups below were utterly dumbfounded. Ever since the Holy Temple was established, nothing like this had ever happened.

The hundreds of people painstakingly climbing the stairs also stared, dumbfounded.

This is too monstrous! Can’t they feel the pressure?

Barely ten breaths later, the two humans and the wolf reached the summit. Throughout the entire process, they hadn’t paused for even a moment and looked completely at ease.

"Freaks!"

Those two groups, as well as the hundreds on the staircase, all stared with wide eyes, their mouths agape enough to fit an egg.