Leaving the bewildered girl behind, Lin Fang headed down a path that led deep into the forest. His figure gradually disappeared into the dense woods, where new plans were already brewing.
Lin Fang cautiously scanned the deserted forest, confirming it was safe. There shouldn't be anyone around here, right?
Confident that no one was watching, he began to channel a dark purple magic from his hand, wondering if this new skill would affect plants. As soon as he thought it, the energy hit the tree in front of him, causing it to instantly mutate into a giant flower with monstrous sharp teeth.
Lin Fang observed the change, a bit disappointed at first. He scratched his head, remarking, "Looking at it, it doesn't seem that different from before, does it?"
But in the next second his eyes widened in shock as the tree began to shake violently. "Hold on. Wait a minute."
To his astonishment, the monster plant suddenly grew to an immense size, its vines morphing into giant tentacles that thrashed wildly, crackling with fearsome purple lightning.
Lin Fang couldn't hide his excitement, blurting out, "Oh my god, can you believe it? My crops can actually move on their own now."
Meanwhile, on a nearby treetop, a tracking device beeped as a figure dashed quickly through the branches. The spirit energy detector showed the target was getting closer.
The mysterious man landed on a large branch, smirking victoriously. "I knew my guess was right. I sensed the aura of a necromancer over here."
He jumped to the ground and strode right past Lin Fang. The two met face to face in the deserted forest, and the air immediately grew tense.
Suddenly the man reached out and grabbed Lin Fang's shoulder, holding him with incredible force. He squinted at his clothes, his voice full of contempt. "Hey. Judging by your clothes, you're a farmer. What is a farmer doing all the way out here?"
Seeing Lin Fang's calm expression, the man's face twisted with disgust, as if he'd just touched something filthy. He let go, growling. "Farmer, I'll ask you. Have you seen any strange people around here recently?"
Lin Fang rubbed his chin, pretending to think before nodding. "Yes, I actually have."
The man demanded, "Where?"
He casually pointed a finger directly at the man's face and replied nonchalantly, "Isn't he standing right here?"
Tricked by a simple farmer, the man roared in fury as flames erupted violently behind him. "You dare to insult me? I am an elite of the Sunwheel Academy, grandson of Duke Iron Lion."
He lunged forward with a flaming fist, shouting that for a lowly farmer to be so rude to a duke's grandson — "I'll make sure you die for that."
Deep in the forest, a lopsided battle between an arrogant nobleman and a mysterious farmer was about to begin. The noble activated his ability, transforming into a powerful half-beast with a menacing green aura and a threatening growl. "You lowly peasant, I'll make you pay for your foolish words and actions."
Lin Fang quickly crossed his arms to block the blow, getting pushed back but showing absolutely no fear on his face. He looked up at his opponent, his eyes cold and filled with killing intent. "The farmer you look down on can beat you with one hand."
The half-beast let out a roar, lunging at Lin Fang with terrifying speed, its sharp claws tearing through the air. Lin Fang leaned back, dodging by a hair's breadth, and quickly threw a powder into the beast's open mouth, saying with a smile, "Try some of this."
As he backed away, he remembered his previous experiment. The aconite plant in his field, for some reason, had developed a paralysing effect after being tainted by undead magic. The last time he tried eating it, he was paralysed for a whole day. Ground into a powder, it turned into a potent anaesthetic.
The beast, caught completely off guard, inhaled the entire cloud of powder that Lin Fang had thrown into its mouth. Immediately the drug took effect. He felt the world spin as stars circled his head, his vision blurring, and his entire body feeling weak. "What trick did you use? Why do I suddenly have no strength left?"
Lin Fang stood there casually, covering his nose to avoid the powder, and explained calmly, "It's just some common aconite powder from my fields." An overwhelming aura emanated from him, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. "This is my power as a farmer."
As his opponent staggered, Lin Fang rushed forward and grabbed him. He used his incredible strength to slam the arrogant noble into the ground, ending the fight in a single instant.
After dealing with the arrogant noble, Lin Fang tied him upside down to a tree, stripped down to just his heart-print boxers. He said coldly, "You can't even beat a farmer, yet you dare to call yourself an elite. I'll leave you here to cool off. By the time someone finds you, maybe you'll have learned your lesson."
Suddenly a voice echoed throughout the test area. "All candidates, please assemble in the auditorium for the mentor interview."
Lin Fang, startled, quickly straightened his clothes. "The interview is about to start. I have to hurry over there."
In the grand hall of the academy, the candidates had all gathered, the room buzzing with non-stop chatter. As Lin Fang walked in, judging eyes immediately fell upon him.
"Is that the guy who cleared the level five dungeon by himself? I heard he just ran away and mooched off a woman."
Another one sneered contemptuously. "He's nowhere near the level of Xi Yan or Bei You. He might be strong compared to normal candidates, but I'm a level five elite. The advantage is still mine."
Just then the pink-haired girl approached him, holding out a paper bag. "Here. This is yours."
Lin Fang waved it away, walking past her casually. "Just keep it. It's really no use to me."
Seeing the others celebrating their temporary stat boosts, Lin Fang thought to himself with disdain, I really don't get why these guys treat a temporary plus two to stamina like some treasure.