Chapter 50: Chapter 50: It Seems We Are Lucky

「The next morning.」

The newly awoken Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy pestered Pei Ze for some nectar. He didn’t refuse. With a smile, he picked three rare plants, squeezed their nectar into a cup, and handed it to her.

Half an hour later, just as the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy finished digesting and was about to go rest, Pei Ze stopped her and placed her in front of a cup.

"Time to get to work."

The Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy looked reluctant. The process of producing the Ten Thousand Flowers Honey was truly awful.

But she was afraid the Great Demon King would get angry and stop giving her nectar, so after a moment of internal conflict, she relented.

A moment later, a fresh cup of Ten Thousand Flowers Honey was ready.

Having gone through this once before, Pei Ze had already overcome the mental block. He picked up the cup without a change in expression, drained it in one go, and then sat down cross-legged to quietly digest it.

When he opened his eyes again, his Spirit attribute had grown to 48.01.

’An increase of 1.13 to my Spirit. It looks like I can take it two more times.’

Even if the remaining two doses of Ten Thousand Flowers Honey only increased his Spirit by 1 point each, it would be enough. After all, he was already gaining nearly 0.3 points of Spirit each day just through Meditation.

In three days at most, he would definitely advance to a Third-level Wizard Apprentice.

A smile couldn’t help but spread across Pei Ze’s face at the thought.

As Jiang Weifang stepped out of her tent, she looked up to see Pei Ze smiling and couldn’t help but wonder to herself.

’How can Pei Ze still be smiling at a time like this?’

There were at least a thousand apprentices on the island searching for him right now.

After all, the bounty was 5,000 points!

Getting your hands on those points wouldn’t just guarantee you’d pass the trial; it would be more than enough to secure a spot in the top thirty.

Few apprentices could resist such a temptation.

To be honest, if they weren’t both members of the Star Spirit Society, and if she didn’t know for a fact that she was no match for Pei Ze, Jiang Weifang herself might have been tempted to make a move.

Shaking her head to herself, Jiang Weifang walked over to Pei Ze, intending to bid him farewell.

But before she could speak, a piercing cry cut through the air.

A Fog Crow flew out from the distant woods, circling above the camp.

Wuyu, perched on Pei Ze’s shoulder, gave a low caw and gently pecked his cheek.

Pei Ze’s eyebrow twitched, and an enigmatic smile played on his lips.

"They’re quick. Found me already."

Jiang Weifang froze for a few seconds before she realized what Pei Ze meant. Her gaze immediately shot toward the forest, full of caution.

"Are they here for you?" Jiang Weifang asked.

Pei Ze gave a slight nod.

According to the Fog Crow’s report, the newcomers were heading straight for the camp. They were moving extremely fast, without pausing at all. They clearly had a target, and it was undoubtedly him.

Soon, thunderous crashes echoed from the forest. Trees swayed violently, and flocks of birds scattered in alarm, as if some colossal beast were charging through the woods.

Before long, a massive dark figure leaped high out of the forest and landed with a loud THUD, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

Pei Ze focused his gaze and saw a giant frog, fiery red from head to toe and standing four to five meters tall.

"CROAK... CROAK... CROAK..."

The giant frog’s belly swelled and deflated slightly as it stared at Pei Ze and Jiang Weifang with its enormous eyes.

"A familiar..." Jiang Weifang’s expression faltered.

The presence of a familiar meant there was at least one Second-level Wizard Apprentice among their visitors.

"CROAK! CROAK!"

The giant frog crouched down, revealing three figures on its back.

Three apprentices in gray robes leaped down from its back.

To Pei Ze’s surprise, one of them was none other than Qi Meng, who had caused him trouble in the past.

Qi Meng’s eyes lit up when he saw Pei Ze. He boomed with laughter, "I’ve finally found you!"

"Looks like our luck is good. We got here before anyone else."

The other two apprentices snickered, their eyes on Pei Ze like predators cornering their prey.

Pei Ze remained perfectly calm in the face of their hostile stares.

Jiang Weifang, on the other hand, was inwardly panicking.

She recognized all three of them. Qi Meng, of course, but the other two were also Second-level Wizard Apprentices.

’Even if Pei Ze is powerful, there’s no way he can come out on top against three Second-level Wizard Apprentices at once.’

’This is bad.’

As for the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy, she had taken fright the moment the giant frog appeared and hidden inside Pei Ze’s hat, where she now cowered, motionless, playing dead.

Perhaps it was because Pei Ze’s calm demeanor was so unnatural, but the smiles on Qi Meng and his companions slowly faded, their gazes flickering with uncertainty.

"Pei Ze, hand over the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy, and I might consider making this less painful for you!" Qi Meng said grimly.

Pei Ze ignored him, turning to Jiang Weifang. "You should go. I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire."

Jiang Weifang knew she would be no help if she stayed. She hesitated for only a moment before nodding and turning to leave.

Qi Meng paid no mind to Jiang Weifang’s departure, but Pei Ze’s nonchalant dismissal of him made him furious.

"You’re as arrogant as ever! Do you really think you can beat the three of us alone?"

Qi Meng glared at Pei Ze, grinding his teeth.

He had never forgotten the humiliation Pei Ze had dealt him, not for a single moment, and constantly plotted his revenge.

Now that he finally had his chance, he would settle the score once and for all.

A red-haired apprentice beside him, who seemed to know about the grudge between Qi Meng and Pei Ze, whispered with a grin, "Qi Meng, want us to get rough with him?"

The other man chimed in with a wicked smile, "As long as we don’t kill him outright, it won’t be a violation of the rules, right?"

Qi Meng’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded with a cold smirk.

’Pei Ze killed my brother and publicly humiliated me. This grudge can’t be settled just by taking the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy.’

’I’m going to make sure Pei Ze dies on this island!’

’Of course, the rules say I can’t kill him openly. But I can injure him severely, then find a way to lure a group of savages to his location. That way, I can ensure his death!’

A thrill of excitement shot through Qi Meng at the thought.

Noticing the malicious looks from the three, Pei Ze instantly figured out their plan. A cold glint flashed in his eyes for a split second.

"Pei Ze, you..."

Before Qi Meng could say another word, Pei Ze, having lost interest in wasting any more breath on him, rapidly chanted a string of syllables and, with a raised hand, unleashed an Acid Splash.

With Pei Ze’s current Spiritual Power, casting his improved Acid Splash took less than a second.

He had attacked so suddenly that by the time Qi Meng reacted, a basketball-sized glob of acid was already upon him, causing the color to drain from his face in terror.

In the nick of time, the ring on Qi Meng’s right index finger flared. In an instant, countless rhomboid crystals materialized from thin air, rapidly weaving themselves into a translucent shield that almost completely covered his body.

The next moment, the acid slammed into the crystal shield.

HSSSSSS!

The crystal shield held for only a moment before the acid ate a large hole through it, causing it to shatter completely.

"How is that possible?!"

Qi Meng’s face paled in horror.

’My Magic Shield can block any attack with an instantaneous power below 10 degrees, yet that acid corroded it completely. Doesn’t that mean the power of Pei Ze’s Acid Splash reached 10 degrees?’

’That’s the power of a Third-level Wizard Apprentice!’

Qi Meng was utterly horrified. ’Could it be? Has Pei Ze already advanced to a Third-level Wizard Apprentice?’