The Qixing Mountains cover an extremely vast area and connect four surrounding cities, including Jiangcheng.
They were specially developed by powerful figures from various factions. Many low-level monsters were captured from different regions and placed here in controlled habitats for breeding.
The main purpose is to allow warriors to enter, gain combat experience, and improve their strength.
At this time, Lin Chen had arrived at the entrance to the Qixing Mountains near Jiangcheng.
At the entrance stood a twenty-meter-high defensive wall.
The main gate was open, and just inside was a checkpoint with guards responsible for security inspections.
In front of the checkpoint, there was a huge crowd.
They were all warriors preparing to enter the Qixing Mountains for training.
"We're still short one person for the Level One zone. Qi and Blood must be above 200!"
"Forming a team for Level Two! Only those with more than 500 Qi and Blood!"
"I've got 180 Qi and Blood, a pretty face, and a sweet voice, and I can yell 'Boss, you're amazing!' the whole time. Please take me!"
"Get lost!"
…
Shouts and recruitment calls came one after another. Everyone was looking for teammates.
Even though the Qixing Mountains are a controlled training area, the danger inside is still very real.
Warriors are often killed by monsters in there. The overall mortality rate is as high as 40%.
So, in order to reduce the risk of death, most warriors form teams before entering.
However, Lin Chen did not plan to team up.
He'd always preferred to act alone — and more importantly, he didn't want anyone seeing his system ability.
If word of that got out, it could easily become a death sentence.
He was holding an iron sword in his hand and carrying a hiking backpack over his shoulder.
The backpack was filled with supplies he had brought from home: pots and pans, seasonings, basic cooking tools, and so on.
Of course, it also held the last twenty buns he'd just spent all his money on…
He'd prepared like this because he planned to stay in the Qixing Mountains for a few days and see what he could gain.
His main goal was to increase his strength. Earning some money on the side would be even better.
Thinking this through, Lin Chen approached the checkpoint and explained his purpose to the guard.
Since he was a recent graduate, he qualified for one free training entry.
If he were just an ordinary civilian, the entry fee alone would have been 10,000 yuan.
Soon, the guard waved him through, and he arrived in front of the Level One portal.
After stepping through, Lin Chen felt his surroundings twist for an instant — then, in the blink of an eye, he was standing in the Level One zone of the Qixing Mountains.
The Qixing Mountains are divided into ten zones based on danger level. The higher the number, the more dangerous the monsters — and the stronger the rewards.
It's said that in the Level Ten zone, there's even a powerful giant beast living there.
Lin Chen knew that with his current Qi and Blood of 300, he could only safely train in the Level One zone.
If he wanted to go deeper and get higher-level rewards, he would have to improve his strength as fast as possible.
Just then, he heard a faint rustling in the grass nearby.
Lin Chen immediately crouched, drew his iron sword, and moved in quietly.
As he got closer, he saw it: a matsutake rabbit crouching in the grass.
"I've heard matsutake rabbit meat is delicious. I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know the taste."
Lin Chen's appetite instantly sharpened.
He lunged forward in a single step.
With one clean strike of his sword, the matsutake rabbit fell.
The matsutake rabbit was extremely weak — there was no way it could compete with Lin Chen's current strength and 300 Qi and Blood.
Lin Chen picked up the rabbit, which weighed around five kilograms.
Then he swung off his backpack, took out a portable grill and charcoal, and started setting up to cook it.
Soon, under the heat of the fire, the dressed rabbit began to turn a beautiful golden color.
Oil sizzled on the surface, carrying a rich roasted aroma with a hint of matsutake.
Lin Chen sprinkled chili powder, salt, and other seasonings over the meat, and the smell immediately became even more mouthwatering.
As Lin Chen lifted the roasted rabbit, a line of text appeared in front of his eyes:
[Roasted Matsutake Rabbit. Flavor Rating: 10/10. (Grants Qi and Blood and Attribute Points. Gains increased by 10% due to cooking quality.)]
"So the tastier the food is, the more attributes it gives."
Without hesitation, Lin Chen tore off a rabbit leg and bit in.
The outside crackled with crisp char. The inside was juicy and tender. Fat and spice ran over his tongue and dripped from the corner of his mouth.
In almost no time, he had eaten the entire matsutake rabbit.
[Consumed: Matsutake Rabbit. Qi and Blood +11. Attribute Points +5.5!]
"Looks like a whole rabbit gives way more than a single meat bun."
Satisfied, Lin Chen opened his status panel.
[Host: Lin Chen][Qi and Blood: 311][Realm: First-Class Warrior (Breakthrough to Second-Class possible at 500 Qi and Blood)][Attribute Points: 5.5][Strength: 22 (Qualitative change at 100. Can be increased.)][Constitution: 20 (Qualitative change at 100. Can be increased.)][Spirit: 20 (Qualitative change at 100. Can be increased.)][Agility: 21 (Qualitative change at 100. Can be increased.)][Stomach Capacity: 4 / 160 (Can be increased.)][Digestion Speed: 5 (Can digest 5 points of Stomach Capacity per hour. Can be increased.)]
Lin Chen noticed that the entire matsutake rabbit had only taken up 4 points of Stomach Capacity. He still had plenty of room left to eat.
His eyes flashed.
He drew his sword again and went hunting.
Before long, he had tracked down ten more matsutake rabbits from nearby bushes, burrows, and nests.
Four of them had even been in the same den — rabbit father, rabbit mother, and two little rabbits all huddled together.
The whole family.
Lin Chen added more charcoal to the grill and roasted all ten rabbits in rapid succession.
Then he ate them all.
[Consumed: Matsutake Rabbit. Qi and Blood +10. Attribute Points +3!][Consumed: Matsutake Rabbit. Qi and Blood +10. Attribute Points +5!][Consumed: Matsutake Rabbit. Qi and Blood +10. Attribute Points +4!]…
After eating all ten matsutake rabbits, Lin Chen calculated his gains.
In total, he'd gained roughly 100 Qi and Blood and 30 Attribute Points.
His Qi and Blood had already reached 410.
Less than 100 more, and he would break through 500 — the requirement to advance to Second-Class Warrior.
Once that happened, his strength would make a huge leap.
That thought alone filled him with energy.
He packed up his gear and continued deeper.
Mainly because he had just wiped out every matsutake rabbit in this area, so it was time to move on.
While Lin Chen was busy hunting monsters and eating to get stronger, his high school classmates' group chat was very active:
"What do you think Lin Chen is going to do now that we've graduated?"
"With how poor his family is, he can forget about Warrior University. He can't even afford tuition."
"Without any way to improve, I bet his Qi and Blood will stay around 200 forever. At best, he'll end up as a security guard."
"He actually had a shot at qualifying for mecha commander selection. If he became a mecha commander, he could've changed his life completely."
"But now? He's just going to be some low-level worker. Kind of sad, honestly."
"Who would've thought the top student in our class would fall the hardest?"
"Alright, that's enough. Lin Chen's still in this group."
"No he's not. He left the group yesterday right after graduation."
"Maybe he was too embarrassed to stay."
"Hahaha."
The chat kept going, full of fake sympathy and cheap superiority.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen was out in the wild, killing monsters and eating meat to build power — with zero time or interest left for those so-called "classmates."