The young man dashed toward them with frightening speed, closing the distance in mere seconds. His fist was already drawn back, aimed directly at one of the two girls. Though both girls noticed the incoming threat, it was too late to react.
They stood frozen, unprotected.
But just as the punch was about to land, Yuan stepped forward with sharp reflexes. He grabbed the girls by their robes and pulled them down, yanking them out of harm's way just in time. The young man's fist cut through the air where their faces had been just moments earlier.
While the girls were still stunned, the two boys in the group snapped out of their shock more quickly. Seeing Yuan move first, they followed his lead.
One of the boys charged directly at the attacker, throwing a punch. The other positioned himself slightly to the side, watching for an opportunity to intercept any evasive movement.
As expected, the young man dodged to his right, right into the second boy's path. The trap worked. A flurry of punches followed as both boys attacked in tandem, forcing the young man to go on the defensive. He weaved and ducked, parrying where he could, unable to counterattack under their pressure.
However, the boys quickly began to tire. Their breathing grew heavier, and their attacks started to slow.
The young man's eyes gleamed with malice as he noticed their fatigue. His wild smile stretched wider. Then, without hesitation, he retaliated, launching a brutal punch aimed straight at one of the boys' faces.
But just before the strike could land, Yuan reappeared like a phantom.
He stepped between the attacker and the boy and caught the man's arm mid-swing. His expression was calm, even amused.
"Not so fast," Yuan said with a small smile.
His grip tightened around the attacker's wrist like iron. The young man's eyes widened in surprise as he found himself unable to pull away, Yuan's hold was firm and unyielding, locking his arm in place.
For the first time, the attacker faltered, caught off guard by Yuan's strength and precise timing.
The young man's eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to overwhelm Yuan with brute strength. He was two heads taller than the boy, and with that size came greater physical power, at least in theory. But despite exerting all his strength, Yuan remained unmoved, his grip like iron.
The attacker struggled, unable to break free. His failed attempt left him completely exposed.
Seizing the opportunity, the two boys lunged forward and struck at his legs. The sudden blow brought the young man crashing to the ground. One boy pinned him down with his body weight, while the other placed his foot firmly on the man's neck, restraining him.
Yuan stepped back and simply watched the scene unfold, calm and composed.
But before anyone could react further, a deep voice cut through the moment.
"Stop!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
To their surprise, it was their teacher, the man who had introduced himself earlier. He now stood a short distance away, his expression unreadable.
The two boys hesitated, confused by the sudden order. The girls, having recovered from their shock, were now standing. Though they hadn't contributed to the fight, they were no longer paralyzed by fear.
As tension began to fade, all five students looked warily toward their teacher, unsure of what to expect. Yuan, on the other hand, stood relaxed, wearing a faint, casual smile.
"Congratulations, Group Four," the teacher announced. "You've passed the first test of the Loose Long Camp."
The boys exchanged stunned glances.
"So... it wasn't a real enemy attack?" asked the boy who still had his foot on the young man's neck.
The teacher nodded with a satisfied smile. "Correct. No enemy, just a test. You may release him now."
Both boys hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded and stepped back. The young man groaned as he sat up, rubbing his neck and stretching his back. His arm still ached from Yuan's earlier grip.
"Are kids really this strong nowadays?" he muttered under his breath with a chuckle, shaking his head. He then walked over to the teacher and whispered something quietly, out of earshot of the others.
When they finished speaking, the teacher looked at Yuan with a curious and impressed expression.
"You saw through the test from the beginning?" he asked, a smile forming. "Impressive. Very impressive."
Yuan scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I just got lucky noticing that senior didn't really mean harm. He was kind enough to hold back."
The teacher chuckled at Yuan's modesty. "Humble too. That's good. Very good."
Hearing that, the young man laughed and simply shook his head before stepping back to stand behind the teacher.
"Since you've all passed the test," the teacher said, "you'll now be given the real directions to your assigned house."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small book, then tossed it toward Yuan. Yuan caught it smoothly without any trouble.
As Yuan held the book, the teacher looked at the group and added firmly, "If this lad hadn't acted quickly, most of you would've failed the test. So be sure to show him your gratitude."
At his words, the two boys and two girls sighed, looking somewhat disappointed in themselves. But none of them spoke, they simply nodded quietly.
"Anyway, see you all tomorrow!" the teacher said with a wave, turning to leave. The young man followed behind him, throwing the group one last playful wink and a bright smile.
"Bye!" he called out cheerfully.
With that, the two of them disappeared from view, leaving the five students alone once more. Now they had two guidebooks, one lying on the ground, and the new one in Yuan's hands.
"Well, that was something I really didn't expect," said the boy who had nearly been punched in the face. He gave a sheepish laugh, then turned to Yuan. "Anyway, thank you, Brother, for saving us! Ah, now that I think about it, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?"
Yuan gave a small smile and nodded quietly in response.
"Indeed, we haven't really introduced ourselves yet, have we?" Yuan said with a small smile. "Well then, let me start. My name is Longwei Luanyuan, 'Luan' as in disorder, and 'Yuan' as in origin. Nice to meet you all."
"Hahaha, so your name is Luanyuan? What an interesting and unique name, Brother!" said the boy who had nearly been punched earlier. "I'm Longyi Haoran, 'Hao' meaning vast, and 'Ran' meaning righteousness! Nice to meet you, Brother Yuan!"
"Then let me go next!" the short girl said quickly, flashing a bright smile. "My name is Longbi Yuxin, 'Yu' as in rain and 'Xin' as in heart. Nice to meet you all!"
"Hehe, what a beautiful name you have, Sister Yuxin!" the energetic boy chimed in. He was the one who had led them through the forest earlier. Smiling brightly, he said, "I'm Longshou Tianyu, 'Tian' meaning heaven and 'Yu' meaning blessing. Nice to meet you all, hehe!"
After that, all eyes turned to the final girl, who had remained silent until now. She looked at them coolly and then said in a flat voice, "Longtui Meilan."
Hearing her name without any explanation, Tianyu tilted his head and asked curiously, "'Mei' as in beautiful, and 'Lan' as in waves?"
Meilan simply nodded, offering no further comment.
Tianyu blinked, then muttered under his breath, "Doesn't like to talk, huh?", only to realize a second later that he had spoken aloud.
Meilan's icy glare snapped to him instantly, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
Panicking, Tianyu quickly ducked behind Haoran's back, making Yuxin chuckle at his silly behavior.
Yuan chuckled along with the others, but inwardly, he began to recall their names and identities. He quickly remembered who most of them were. At least three of the four were well-known within the Loose Long Family, intelligent and promising youths who had already gained some fame at a young age.
The only unfamiliar one was Tianyu. Yuan had never heard of him before. Still, he didn't question it too deeply and simply played along with their group dynamic, leading them toward their assigned house.
This time, there was no hidden test or ambush, just a small wooden house with a simple door.
The house itself wasn't anything special. Modest and plain, it lacked any decorations or distinctive features. When they first laid eyes on it, the group was a little surprised by how simple it looked. But they approached the door anyway, inserted the key, and unlocked it.
Inside, there was only a straight hallway lined with five doors. No furniture. No decorations. Just a corridor and the rooms.
Without saying much, they walked down the hall and entered their assigned rooms. One side of the hallway had two rooms, while the other had three.
Naturally, the two rooms were larger, as they weren't split into thirds. Yuan's room was at the end of the left-hand side, the side with three rooms. It was smaller, but he didn't mind.
It had everything he needed, a bed, a table, and just enough space to practice his Royal Dragon Breathing Discipline.
Yuan was satisfied with that.
After closing the door behind him, he sat down, pulled out the book the teacher had given him, and began to read through its contents carefully.