When Lu Yuan agreed to Rune's suggestion, it was obvious that Rune's previously slightly cloudy eyes lit up for a moment.

"Okay, okay!"

Rune stroked his beard excitedly and spoke with a smile.

"The Fire Forest Secret Realm will open in half a month. All the newly enrolled students will have to go to the secret realm to take the entrance exam. As long as you can successfully achieve a top-three ranking, our agreement will officially take effect!"

"The Fire Forest Secret Realm?!"

Lu Yuan's expression suddenly changed.

“That’s right!” Lu En thought Lu Yuan didn’t know the details, so he took the initiative to explain, “Dragon Academy has several small secret realms, most of which are used as examination venues. There are also two secret realms that have not been fully explored and developed. Only academies or teachers who have achieved results for the school can be rewarded with the qualification to enter the secret realms. The Fire Forest Secret Realm is a primary secret realm located in the southeast direction, and it is an examination venue exclusively for freshmen.”

Southeast direction?!

Fire Forest...

Lu Yuan's face lit up with joy.

Whether it's time, direction, or the attributes of the secret realm, the characteristics of the Fire Forest Secret Realm are very similar to the secret realm deduced by Bai Ze.

Could this be it?!

According to Rune, the Fire Forest Secret Realm should have been fully explored and developed. How come no one has discovered the Phoenix Blood hidden within it all these years?

Or perhaps... the secret realm prophesied by Bai Ze is not actually the Fire Forest Secret Realm?

But no matter what, he was going to go and see.

"I understand, I will be there on time."

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Lu En nodded repeatedly.

"Good lad, I'm really looking forward to your performance!"

After confirming the enrollment details, Lu En asked some trivial questions, which Lu Yuan answered truthfully one by one.

The only time he lied was when Lu En asked Lu Yuan what his current Beastmaster level was.

"He has just broken through to the fifth level of the Profound Truth Realm."

Lu Yuan suppressed his level by a whole stage, falsely claiming to be at the fifth level of the Earth Spirit Realm when he was actually at the fifth level of the Profound Truth Realm.

Even so, Rune couldn't help but stand up excitedly after hearing it.

"Fifth level of Profound Truth?! I remember just a month ago you were only at the second level of Profound Truth, how could you advance three levels in such a short time?!"

Not only Lu En, but even Lu Zhaoming's breathing became rapid after hearing this.

Seeing the two incredibly excited people, Lu Yuan touched his nose somewhat guiltily.

If the fifth level of the Profound Truth Realm is this exciting, what would happen if they knew they had reached the fifth level of the Earth Spirit Realm? Would they faint from excitement?

Never mind!

To avoid unnecessary casualties, he decided to keep the matter a secret for a while longer.

"I just happened to get some opportunities."

Lu Yuan lied through his teeth without even bothering to write a draft.

Rune realized he had overreacted, coughed lightly to cover it up, and sat back down on the sofa.

"Good, good! Looks like you have a bright future ahead of you!"

After chatting and reminiscing with Lu En for a couple of minutes, Lu Yuan then took his leave.

Rune didn't try to stop him; he even watched him leave with a smile.

...

Lu Yuan only breathed a slight sigh of relief after he had completely left the hotel.

I don't know why.

This seemingly kind old man always gave him a sense of unfathomable depth. Although he did not sense any danger or hostility, he still subconsciously remained vigilant.

"Yuan'er, now that the matter at Longteng Academy is settled, I need to pack up and prepare to return to the capital."

Lu Zhaoming left the hotel with Lu Yuan. He had originally planned to stay in Yandu with him for a while longer, but the situation in the Lu family was not stable enough at the moment, so he could not leave for too long.

Lu Yuan naturally understood that Lu Zhaoming was not in control of his own destiny, and nodded without caring.

"OK."

Sensing Lu Yuan's rather cold attitude, Lu Zhaoming sighed inwardly, but didn't know how to respond, so he could only hesitate before speaking.

"I will find someone to help you gather information about the Fire Forest Secret Realm to ensure you get a top-three finish in the exam in two weeks. If you encounter any problems, remember to contact me anytime."

Thank you.

Lu Yuan expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

Although he was confident that he could get into the top three in the exam, his goal was the Phoenix Blood hidden in the secret realm.

If he had detailed information about the Fire Forest Secret Realm, he would be even more confident in obtaining the Phoenix Blood.

...

Back to the Divine Beast Pavilion.

Looking at the understated yet elegant plaque in front of him, Lu Yuan suddenly felt as if he hadn't seen it in a long time.

Even though only three days had passed since the beast tide, it felt like an eternity to him.

Push open the door and step inside the store.

Zheng Meng, who was cleaning, immediately put down what she was doing and greeted him with a smile.

"Welcome... Manager?!"

The moment Zheng Meng saw Lu Yuan, her expression instantly turned to surprise and delight.

"Manager, you're back! Have you been discharged from the hospital? Have your injuries fully healed?"

Faced with Zheng Meng's three questions in one breath, Lu Yuan smiled helplessly but with relief.

"Have you forgotten what attribute my beast possesses? A mere fatal wound is no problem at all!"

Upon hearing this...

Zheng Meng covered her mouth and giggled.

"That's true! The shopkeeper's beast-taming healing ability is amazing. As soon as you wake up, your injuries will definitely heal instantly!"

"Of course!" Lu Yuan was infected by Zheng Meng's smile and laughed along. "Besides, the hospital smells too strong, I really can't stand it."

Although he was in the highest-class VIP ward, where the smell of disinfectant and other medicines was relatively weak, he still felt inexplicably resistant to the hospital.

"Home is the best!"

Lu Yuan leaned back casually in his chair and let out a satisfied sigh.

He then scanned the store.

"Hey? Where's that kid Wu Mingxu?"

Lu Yuan suddenly realized that Wu Mingxu was not in the store.

Wu Mingxu and Zheng Meng usually take care of the shop, chattering away like two sparrows, never stopping for a moment.

But when he came back this time, he didn't hear Wu Mingxu's voice. No wonder he always felt like something was missing.

“Mingxu hasn’t been to the store for several days,” Zheng Meng recalled with a pout. “I haven’t seen him since the day the beast tide came. I can’t get through to him on the phone, and he doesn’t reply to my messages. I don’t know what happened.”