After a thousand years of cultivation, he returns at the pinnacle!

Chapter 18: First Direct Encounter with a Monster

On the playground, Jiang Chen yawned boredly.

"Brother Chen, look over there." Wang Kai nudged him lightly with his elbow and gestured towards Class 1.

Jiang Chen followed his gaze.

In the front row of Class One's formation, a tall boy was chatting and laughing with his classmates. He was wearing a crisp combat uniform, and a finely crafted longsword hung at his waist. The scabbard was inlaid with tiny crystals that reflected a faint halo in the sunlight.

Zhou Minglang.

Jiang Chen remembered him.

Three years ago, when they first enrolled, Zhou Minglang and Jiang Chen were in the same basic training class.

Back then, Zhou Minglang was proud, competitive, and intolerant of any wrongdoing. In his first real sparring match, he challenged Jiang Chen and was knocked to the ground within three moves.

Zhou Minglang never challenged him again, but every time they met, his eyes held a complex mix of emotions: resentment, jealousy, and a deep-seated awe.

On the day of awakening, Zhou Minglang awakened his A-level swordsmanship talent. Although it wasn't S-level, it was enough to rank him in the top ten in the entire Jiangzhou Academy.

Jiang Chen, however, became a person without abilities.

"I heard he's gotten really arrogant now," Wang Kai said in a low voice.

"The vice class monitor of Class 1, a favorite of the teachers. Just a few days ago he even declared that he would get first place in the whole school in this year's college entrance examination."

Jiang Chen remained silent.

His gaze shifted from Zhou Minglang and swept across the entire playground.

Those who once called him brother, those who once followed him around calling him Brother Chen, now stood in the ranks of Classes One through Three, wearing dark blue combat uniforms, their spirits high. Occasionally, they would glance over at Class Five, and when their eyes fell on Jiang Chen, their expressions varied—some were indifferent, some were sarcastic, and some carried a hint of inexplicable pleasure.

Several people quickly looked away, pretending not to see him.

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze, his expression calm.

Having cultivated immortality for a thousand years, he had witnessed far too much of the coldness and warmth of human nature. This bit of worldly indifference was not even a speck of dust on his Dao heart.

"Quiet!"

A deep male voice came from the front of the playground.

A burly middle-aged man walked onto the makeshift platform. He wore a dark gray combat uniform, and a hideous scar ran diagonally from his brow bone to his jaw on his left cheek. Standing there, he resembled a drawn sword.

Zhang Laibao.

The head of the senior class at Jiangzhou Academy, an A-level Awakened, is said to have fought against Apostles on the front lines in his youth and made great contributions. He later retired due to injury and came to the academy to teach.

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the entire room, and all the students unconsciously straightened their backs.

"Without further ado, I will only emphasize three points in today's combat training."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"First, safety first. All training areas are equipped with monitoring crystals, and teachers will patrol the entire area. If you encounter any danger, immediately crush the teleportation talisman, and you will be automatically teleported back to the school."

He paused, his gaze lingering on the combat students for a moment.

"But I must warn you—teleportation talismans are not foolproof. It takes about three seconds from when you crush it to when the teleportation takes effect. In those three seconds, if a monster bites your throat, you'll only be transported back as a corpse."

A collective gasp filled the air on the playground.

"Second, obey orders," Zhang Laibao continued.

"Each class teacher will tell you today's task. The combat department's task is practical combat; each person must independently kill at least one E-rank monster and obtain the specified materials. Those who perform exceptionally well will have their performance counted towards their college entrance examination practical combat score."

His gaze shifted to the Department of Life Skills.

"The task of the Life Skills Department is observation and recording. You will follow behind the teacher to observe the habits and attack methods of monsters up close. At the same time, you will assist the Combat Department in transporting supplies, recording data, and processing collected materials."

"To put it bluntly, they're just doing odd jobs," someone in Class 5 muttered quietly.

Zhang Laibao's gaze swept over like a knife, and the muttering student immediately shrank back.

"Third," Zhang Laibao's voice trailed off.

"In today's training ground, there is no distinction between geniuses and trash. There is only the distinction between the living and the dead."

The entire room fell silent.

"Whether you have S-rank talent or C-rank life skills, in the eyes of monsters, you're just a piece of meat. The only difference is how easy it is to eat."

His gaze slowly swept across the playground, finally pausing for a moment in a certain direction.

Jiang Chen felt that gaze linger on him for less than a second before moving away.

"Alright." Zhang Laibao looked away. "Teachers, lead your teams and prepare to depart. The teleportation array will open in ten minutes."

The silence on the playground was instantly broken as each class began to line up and assemble.

In the very center of the playground, a huge stone platform has risen up at some point.

The platform is circular, about twenty meters in diameter, and its surface is engraved with densely packed runes. These runes shimmer with a pale blue light in the sunlight, and there is a faint sense of energy flowing within them.

Teleportation array.

This is one of the technologies that humanity reverse-engineered from the relics of the Apostles after the Awakeners appeared three hundred years ago.

By consuming spirit crystals, people or objects can be instantly teleported to a pre-marked location.

Jiang Chen looked at the teleportation array, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

In the world of cultivation, teleportation arrays are a very common thing.

However, the rune system here is completely different from that in the cultivation world. Although the functions are similar, the underlying principles seem to be quite different.

"Brother Chen, have you ever seen a teleportation array before?" Wang Kai asked quietly from the side.

"I've met you," Jiang Chen said calmly.

Wang Kai was taken aback, then realized that Jiang Chen had always been the top student in his grade before the Awakening, and had participated in various special training and visits, so it was not surprising that he had seen the teleportation array.

He nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The teams from each class lined up in front of the teleportation array one after another. Classes one through three were given priority, followed by classes four through six.

When it was the turn of Class 5, Jiang Chen stepped onto the platform with the team.

A slight coolness came from beneath my feet, and the runes began to light up, the pale blue light gradually becoming more intense, enveloping the entire platform.

Then, space distorted.

Everything before my eyes was like a crumpled canvas, light and shadow intertwined, colors stripped away. A low hum reached my ears, like the chanting of some ancient language.

Three seconds later, the solid ground beneath my feet was felt again.

Jiang Chen opened his eyes.

They are no longer in school.

Before me lay a vast valley, surrounded by undulating mountains covered in dark red vegetation, as if stained with blood. The sky was hazy and the sun was nowhere to be seen; only a thick layer of clouds shrouded the entire world.

A faint, sweet, fishy smell permeated the air, mixed with the odor of rotting vegetation.

"Alright, each group can now move around freely."

Zhang Laibao's voice echoed through the valley.

"Combat students, the monsters are scattered in the forest ahead. Remember, you are only allowed to move around in the outer areas, do not venture into the core area. Life skills students, stay with your respective instructors, do not act alone."

The combat students formed small groups of two or three and headed towards the forest. Each of them had a palm-sized crystal hanging from their waist.

That's a recording crystal; it automatically records the process of killing monsters, serving as proof of achievement.

Students from the Department of Life Skills were led by their respective teachers to designated observation areas.

The instructor for Class 5 was a woman in her forties surnamed Chen. She had awakened a C-level plant cultivation skill and had taught biology to Class 5 for three years.

"Stay close to me, don't fall behind."

Teacher Chen's voice was gentle, but carried an undeniable seriousness.

"You're here today to observe and learn, not to take risks. Anyone who wanders off will have their credits deducted."

The seventeen students from Class 5 followed her sparsely, heading towards a high ground at the edge of the forest.

Wang Kai walked beside Jiang Chen, glancing towards the forest from time to time.

"Brother Chen, what do you think those monsters look like?" he asked in a low voice.

"I've seen it on TV, and it looks pretty scary."

Jiang Chen glanced at him.

"You'll know when you see it."

Wang Kai swallowed hard, feeling both nervous and excited.

The high ground, located on one side of the forest's edge, offered a wide view, clearly showing parts of the forest's perimeter. Teacher Chen led them to a flat area and began explaining the precautions.

"There are many types of monsters, but today we'll mainly be observing two—Shadow Wolves and Thorn Monsters. Both are E-rank monsters, not particularly aggressive, but we still need to keep our distance..."

Jiang Chen wasn't listening attentively.

His gaze passed over Teacher Chen and looked towards the distant forest.

In that mountain forest covered with dark red vegetation, he could sense countless fluctuations of life force. Some were faint, some slightly stronger, but all were pitifully weak.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly sensed something.

Deeper into the forest, there was a unique aura. It was far stronger than those on the outskirts, and carried a faint, eerie quality.

Among the tamed monsters, there appeared to be some that were of a higher level.

"Alright, now you can observe freely." Teacher Chen's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You can wander around if you want, but only within sight; you are not allowed to enter the forest."

As soon as he finished speaking, the students scattered, found places to sit down, and started chatting and playing on their phones.

It's just a formality anyway; who would really observe carefully?

Jiang Chen gestured to Wang Kai, and the two walked to the other side.

"Brother Chen, where are we going?" Wang Kai asked.

"Just taking a walk."

They walked slowly along the edge of the forest, gradually moving away from Class 5's observation area.

Wang Kai was a little nervous, glancing into the forest every now and then, afraid that something might suddenly jump out.

"Brother Chen, have we gone too far? Teacher Chen said we can't."

"fine."

Jiang Chen's tone was calm, yet it inexplicably reassured Wang Kai.

The two walked for a while longer when they heard laughter and chatter coming from ahead.

After turning past a thicket of bushes, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a clearing in the woods, where seven or eight students dressed in dark blue combat uniforms were gathered. They were in a circle, and someone in the middle was practicing some kind of move, the sword flashing, which drew cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Class 1.

Jiang Chen's gaze swept over the group, lingering for a moment on one of their familiar faces.

Zhou Minglang.

He also saw Jiang Chen.

The smile froze on his face, then transformed into a subtle expression—surprise, amusement, and a hint of barely concealed smugness.

"Oh, look who's here."

Zhou Minglang sheathed his sword and walked towards Jiang Chen. Several of his classmates stopped chatting and laughing, and all looked over at him.

"Isn't this our school's legendary figure?" a boy with a pointed chin said sarcastically, "The world's only person without superpowers, Jiang Chen!"

Wang Kai's expression changed, and he subconsciously stepped in front of Jiang Chen.

But Jiang Chen reached out and gently pushed him aside.

He looked at Zhou Minglang and his group calmly, without any change in expression.

Zhou Minglang walked closer and looked Jiang Chen up and down. His gaze lingered for a moment on Jiang Chen's ordinary school uniform, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Jiang Chen, it's been a long time."

His tone was casual, as if he were greeting an old friend. But there was an indescribable light shining in his eyes.

"I heard you got assigned to Class 5? Hanging out with those students from the Life Skills Department?"

He shook his head and sighed, "What a pity. You were the top student in the grade back then, and I even got beaten up by you. At that time, I thought I would probably never catch up with you in this lifetime."

He paused, then smiled.

"I never imagined that God would play such a big joke on me."

Several students around him laughed.

The boy with the pointed face and monkey-like features came up to him and said, "Brother Minglang, why are you telling him all this? He's just a good-for-nothing now. He's in Class 5, and after graduation, he'll probably just end up working in some factory."

"You can't say that," another student laughed. "He's a historical figure, after all. It'll be written in textbooks from now on—the world's first person without capacity for manhood. How glorious!"

The laughter grew even louder.

Wang Kai was trembling with anger, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. But when he glanced at Jiang Chen and saw that he remained calm, he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

Zhou Minglang waved his hand, signaling the others to be quiet.

He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said in a volume only Jiang Chen could hear:

"Do you know, I've been waiting for this day for three years."

His eyes finally revealed, without any attempt to conceal, the long-suppressed jealousy and pleasure.

"Back then, you were the one who overshadowed me; everyone only saw you. I thought I'd live in your shadow for the rest of my life. But look what happened!"

He chuckled softly.

"As a result, you became a waste. As for me, I have A-level swordsmanship talent. This year, I will get first place in the entire school in the college entrance examination, enter the best awakened university, and then go to the front line to kill apostles and make great achievements."

He took a step back and put on that casual smile again.

"And you, just stay in Class 5. If you ever can't make it in society, you can come find me. I need someone to carry my bags. The pay isn't high, but it's better than starving."

The surrounding students burst into laughter again.

Jiang Chen looked at him with a calm gaze, as if he were looking at a noisy frog.

The opponent I defeated three years ago is still the opponent I defeated three years later.

However, Zhou Minglang will never know how big the gap is between him and himself now.

This gap is not the gap between A-level talent and someone with no ability.

Rather, it is the difference between ants and gods.

Jiang Chen was about to turn and leave—

"Awooo—!"

A mournful wolf howl echoed from the depths of the forest.

The sound was sharp and piercing, with a chilling penetrating power. Immediately following was the crack of a branch breaking, the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground, and the sound of hurried running.

Everyone's expression changed; this would be the first time in their lives they had faced a demon directly.