C47 Everyone Was Shocked

The Hunting Ground was not far from the city center.

It took Wei Junyu some time to come to terms with Wei Lulin's true identity. After all, Lulin's achievements were astonishing, his talent unparalleled in Yao Country for millennia.

Being born into the Wei family alongside such a prodigy was a source of immense pride for Junyu.

With this in mind, Junyu gestured to the Wei's disciples, who had been standing by, and commanded, "Come here, all of you."

"Mr. Fanzhou, is he really the same failure from a year ago?" The Wei's disciples had overheard the exchange between Wei Lulin and Wei Junyu clearly.

They had never met Lulin before and, while his recent accomplishments astounded them, they didn't feel the impact as profoundly as Junyu did. They recovered quickly from the surprise.

Eager to converse with a genius like Lulin, they had waited for Junyu's go-ahead. Upon receiving his signal, they gathered around eagerly.

One particularly striking girl from the Wei family spoke up.

"Wei Xiangxue, watch your language!" Junyu's face darkened and he scolded sharply when he heard the group's only girl refer to Lulin's past as 'trash.'

Junyu wasn't fully acquainted with Lulin's temperament. Although Lulin now seemed affable, if he took offense to being called 'trash,' his anger could be lethal to everyone present.

"Junyu, I apologize." Wei Xiangxue immediately regretted her remark and hastily apologized to Junyu.

"Junyu, it's alright. I truly was worthless a year ago," Lulin responded nonchalantly to Xiangxue's comment about the past.

To Lulin, his inability to cultivate due to damaged meridians a year prior was merely a talking point, a stark contrast to his current status as a Peak Expert. He believed that no one else could achieve such a dramatic transformation in just one year.

Lulin's down-to-earth demeanor quickly eased the tension among the Wei's disciples, allowing them to relax and introduce themselves to one another.

At the same time, they were extremely curious about how Wei Lulin managed to repair his meridians so quickly and achieve such astonishing progress.

Wei Lulin was open with them, sharing all details except for his ability to copy and paste.

Upon learning that Wei Lulin had only been cultivating for an additional two months, the Wei family's disciples were so shocked and ashamed that they nearly knocked their heads against the ground in dismay.

Wei Junyu, in particular, felt this deeply. Although his Low Level Grade Eight talent wasn't on par with Wei Lulin's, the difference between them wasn't stark in the early stages. He had diligently cultivated for nearly two years and had only reached Qi Refining Stage Level Six, still some distance from a breakthrough.

In contrast, Wei Lulin had not only attained the Peak of Level Four in the Qi Refining Stage within two months, but his strength had also surged to Qi Refining Stage Level Eight, which only fueled Junyu's determination to intensify his efforts.

Then came the issue of addressing Wei Lulin. Since everyone present was older than him but not as strong, it was somewhat awkward. This was to be expected, as most of the contestants in the Hunting Competition had been training for nearly two years.

Those who had been cultivating for only a year were either prodigies with exceptional talent and rapid progression or individuals with average talent, lacking any significant background or resources, who were striving to make their mark in the competition.

Luckily, Wei Lulin wasn't concerned with formalities. He proposed they organize themselves by age, which resolved the issue.

"Junyu, how many Jade Plates do you currently have?" Wei Lulin inquired once everyone had become acquainted.

His question abruptly shifted the mood, replacing the warm atmosphere with a sense of gravity.

Noticing the Wei family disciples' displeased looks and the distaste on Wei Xiangxue's face, Wei Lulin realized they had misunderstood him.

Before he could clarify, Wei Junyu, with a hearty laugh, produced five Jade Plates from his possession and cheerfully handed them to Wei Lulin.

"Lulin, I've got only five Jade Plates. I'm giving them to you now to boost your chances of clinching the championship."

Wei Lulin didn't accept the Jade Plates. Instead, he took out his own and placed five of them into Junyu's hands before he began to explain.

"Junyu, you misunderstood me earlier. When I asked about the number of Jade Plates you have, it wasn't because I wanted to claim any—I intended to give them to you."

"Lulin, what's this about?" Wei Junyu was utterly baffled as he looked at the five additional Jade Plates in his hand.

He had genuinely offered up his Jade Plate earlier, with heartfelt sincerity. The Wei family hadn't clinched the championship in fifteen years, but now, with a prodigy like Wei Lulin emerging, boasting strength well beyond the Qi Refining Stage Level Seven Peak, it was crucial for the Wei family to capitalize on this opportunity to win. Otherwise, future chances might be slim to none.

Given Wei Lulin's talent, it was anyone's guess how formidable he'd be in a year. By then, with his overwhelming power, he might not even be interested in competing in such events.

"Junyu, with the level of strength I possess now, gathering Jade Plates should be a breeze, right?" Wei Lulin said cheerfully, pocketing the remaining fourteen Jade Plates.

"Absolutely," Wei Junyu affirmed, still somewhat dazed. Tuan Jiuhuan had declared before his departure that Wei Lulin was the undeniable favorite for the championship, a testament to his exceptional prowess.

"If winning the championship is a sure thing for me, then why not increase the Wei family's share of the benefits this time around?"

The annual Hunting Competition was when the major forces of Yao Country redistributed their interests. Before the competition began, all powers—except for the royal family, which automatically retained a 10% share—had to pool their benefits together.

The top ten finishers in the Hunting Competition, whether first or tenth, each had the right to claim 10% of the profits.

Wei Lulin's gesture of giving Wei Junyu five Jade Plates was strategic; he wanted to help Junyu secure a spot in the top ten, ensuring that the Wei family could claim an additional 10% of the benefits for the upcoming year.

With a total of 100 Jade Plates in play this year, Wei Lulin now held 14, and Wei Junyu had ten. These ten Jade Plates virtually guaranteed a top ten finish for Junyu, possibly even top seven.

Beyond these two, the Wei family also had Wei Luchong, a formidable Qi Refining Stage Level Seven practitioner. Moreover, most of the Wei family's contestants were rallying behind him. Leveraging his strength to secure a top ten spot seemed well within reach. If things went according to plan, the Wei family stood to be the grand victor of this year's Hunting Competition.