Chapter 124: The Beast Tide

The following day at noon, in the Blue Emperor Academy cafeteria, Luo Chen and Shi Feng were having lunch. As he ate, Luo Chen ruminated on the light-body techniques he had learned the previous day, especially the "Mind Explosion" technique, which he found particularly fascinating. Everything Nicole taught him was novel and intriguing, making the learning process a pleasure rather than the tedious drudgery he was accustomed to.

Shi Feng was long used to Luo Chen’s contemplative moods and didn't disturb him. Feeling a bit bored, his eyes suddenly lit up—a beauty had arrived. He tapped Luo Chen on the shoulder and said, "Stop daydreaming, a beauty is here."

Luo Chen snapped out of his thoughts to see Joanna and Alize sitting at the table in front of them. He quickly greeted them, "What a coincidence."

Joanna replied bluntly, "Not a coincidence at all. I came looking for you!"

"Looking for me?" Luo Chen asked, surprised. "What for?"

Shi Feng, meanwhile, let his imagination run wild. Could it be that this was the woman who had worn out "innocent" Luo Chen the night before? It was entirely possible; a woman as fierce as Joanna was likely a tigress in bed, and with Alize added to the mix, it was no wonder Luo Chen was exhausted. Perhaps the two beauties were hooked and wanted to drag him off for another round.

Alize interjected, "We wanted to tell you something..."

Before she could finish, Joanna cut her off. "Wait, Lily, let me ask him a question first. Luo Chen, is it true that you’re having an affair with Zhuo Yuqing from our class?"

Joanna shared the intense gossiping nature of most women. Having heard the rumors at the academy, she hadn't been able to corner Luo Chen until now, and she wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

Alize looked troubled. "Joanna, 'having an affair'? Can't you be a bit more refined?"

Joanna curled her lip. "To hell with refinement! Lily, you know what I'm like."

Luo Chen felt a bit perplexed. It seemed Joanna was indeed a gossip. He coughed and said, "There's nothing to it. It’s purely a rumor!"

Joanna was skeptical and pressed further. "But she admitted it publicly herself! How can it be a rumor?"

"It’s true that she slept in my bed, but..." Before Luo Chen could finish, Joanna gasped, covering her mouth. "My god, is Zhuo Yuqing blind?"

Even Alize looked disbelieving. "Are you serious, Luo Chen?"

Luo Chen was left speechless. Joanna’s comment was a real blow to his ego. *Fine*, he thought, *even if I have a bit of self-awareness, could you at least spare my feelings a little?*

"Let me finish! Yes, Zhuo Yuqing slept in my bed," Luo Chen pointed at Shi Feng. "But that night, I slept in this guy’s bed!"

Joanna gasped again. "Oh my heavens, I didn't realize you were gay!"

Alize’s gaze turned peculiar. *So that was it.* No wonder the two were so close; they were the ones "having an affair."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!" Shi Feng immediately jumped up to deny it. If this rumor spread, his reputation as the academy’s premier playboy would be ruined, making it impossible for him to pick up girls. He even pointed toward the ceiling solemnly. "I swear, I am an absolutely normal man! There are plenty of people who can vouch for me—Aurora, Dale, Evelyn, Giselle, Hanni..."

To prove his innocence, Shi Feng reeled off a list of over a dozen female students he had been involved with back at Weston Academy. He added indignantly, "If you don't believe me, you can ask them yourself. If that’s not enough, there’s Joey, Leona, Mulin..."

Joanna quickly cut him off. "Alright, Shi Feng, I don't have time for your history of flings. I believe you. Just tell me what actually happened!"

"Remember that thunderstorm the other night?" Shi Feng said, eager to clear his name. "That night, Zhuo Yuqing came to our dorm to warm the bed for 'little innocent' Luo Chen..."

Luo Chen immediately stuffed a piece of fatty meat into his mouth. If he let Shi Feng explain, he might prove he wasn't gay, but he would certainly make everything else much more complicated.

"Let me handle this," Luo Chen said, gathering his thoughts. "Zhuo Yuqing came to our dorm to escape the rain. It poured all night with lightning and thunder, and she couldn't get back, so she stayed the night. I didn't feel right making her sleep on the sofa, so I gave up my bed and went to bunk with Shi Feng. That’s the whole story!"

"Exactly! The beauty practically threw herself at him, and he didn't even take it, insisting on bunking with me instead," Shi Feng complained. "I couldn't sleep a wink all night!"

"Bunking?" Joanna gave them a suggestive look. "And you still say you're not gay?"

Realizing his poor choice of words, Shi Feng quickly added, "Joanna, that’s just an exaggeration!" He then changed the subject. "You two be the judge—isn't this guy a beast? What normal man would refuse a flower delivered to his door?"

Alize finally understood the situation and laughed. "It seems you're very accustomed to projecting your own nature onto others, Shi Feng."

Joanna added, "I was just wondering, how could a fresh flower be stuck in cow dung?"

"I'm the cow dung?" Luo Chen felt a bit depressed again. "Joanna, isn't that a bit harsh on my self-esteem?"

"Oh, stop it, Luo Chen, she's just joking," Alize said with a smile. "We actually came to talk to you about something serious. A beast tide might break out in the Forest of Terror near Miracle City soon. You should be careful when you go hunting."

Luo Chen and Shi Feng’s expressions changed instantly. A "beast tide"—a term that spelled terror and disaster.

Under normal circumstances, beasts were relatively docile, staying within their own territories and rarely harming humans unless disturbed. But during a beast tide, everything changed. The beasts became fiercer, their strength increased exponentially, and they might even mutate. Their aggression spiked, and they were often joined by creatures far more dangerous than ordinary beasts—fire spirits, electric essences, tree demons, stone giants, plague carriers, phantoms, nether-beings, dark knights, necromancers, skeleton warriors, bone dragons...

These were phenomena that life science could not explain. They were either pure energy, composed of inanimate matter, or living things that defied the laws of nature. They were bizarre entities, much like the randomly spawning monsters in ancient online games, but these possessed consciousness, could think, and unfortunately, held immense power and aggression. People generally referred to these creatures as "spirit beasts."