Exotic Battlefield: I Can Activate Dual Talents

Lu Lin stood before the car door, speechless for a moment. After some thought, he decided not to reply to her. He started the car, set the destination, and departed.

「In Chongnuo City's Star Guide Association」

After Guan Yue sent the message, her heart began to tangle with anxiety.

Will Lu Lin reply to my message? What's Lu Lin doing right now? Lu Lin has reached the Third Level; does he need any Star Skill Guidance? Has he undergone Star Skill Guidance yet? Did he ask someone else to guide his Star Skills? Why hasn't he replied to my message yet?

Waiting anxiously, Guan Yue checked the time; three minutes had already passed. Lu Lin still hadn't replied.

Could it be that he has someone he likes? Is he not replying to my message to avoid suspicion? Impossible. Lu Lin is like a block of wood; he wouldn't like anyone else. Is he cultivating? No, that doesn't seem likely either. Would he really go cultivate right after the competition? He wasn't even that diligent back on Saturn.

Another three minutes passed, and Guan Yue could no longer bear the wait.

"Lu Lin, I heard you reached the Third Level. I was wondering if you need any Star Skill Guidance."

"I have a classmate in Chongnuo City who is quite skilled. If you do, I can put you in touch with her to guide you."

After typing the message, Guan Yue felt the pronoun "he" she had initially considered was inappropriate.

What if Lu Lin thinks this 'classmate' is a boy and gets the wrong idea?

Guan Yue deleted "he" and replaced it with "she."

Click. Send.

Sitting in the car, Lu Lin heard another message notification. He opened his Personal Terminal to check. It was from Guan Yue again.

Seeing that Guan Yue was still worried about his Star Skill Guidance, a smile touched Lu Lin's lips. Then… he focused on the road ahead and continued driving.

I really don't know how to reply to her texts.

Lu Lin felt that he didn't have much emotional entanglement with Guan Yue. They had only been on two field assignments together, Guiding Star Skills for many people. In Lu Lin's eyes, this was a completely normal superior-subordinate relationship.

At the Promotion Banquet, Jiang Yamin must have been crazy to say that Guan Yue liked me. The situation was urgent back then, so I didn't pay much attention to it. But later, for some reason, I couldn't help feeling somewhat indebted to Guan Yue. It's not like I did anything wrong, right? That's just my personality. If I feel there's no need to explain something, I simply don't. Time can dilute everything. Besides, I'm about to have lunch with Guan Kuang. If I reply to Guan Yue's message now, I'll feel like I'm sneaking around.

Arriving at the Jinchao Barbecue headquarters, Lu Lin parked his car. He subconsciously glanced at his Personal Terminal. Good, Guan Yue hadn't sent any more messages.

Walking into the restaurant, he immediately spotted several people at a table, feasting heartily. Zhou Ziqiang, Fang Gang, Chen Xiran, Bai Buyi, and Han Fei were there. To his surprise, Zuo Yiming and Luo Ling were also present. Lu Lin had planned to invite Zuo Yiming and Luo Ling for a meal after today's challenge matches, but Wang Jianfang had taken him home, and the matter had slipped his mind.

Besides these familiar faces, Guan Kuang was at the table, along with two middle-aged men who looked quite a bit older. One of them had a finger-length scar at the corner of his eye. The other wore a dogskin hat; Lu Lin wondered how the man managed in such hot weather, especially in a barbecue restaurant with all its hot grills.

"Lu Lin, over here!" Zuo Yiming, with his sharp eyes, spotted Lu Lin instantly and stood up, waving.

"Coming," Lu Lin replied, weaving past several food-delivery robots to reach the table.

"Brother Guan, I've troubled you this time, and put you to expense."

"Sit, sit! No need for such formalities. Jinchao Barbecue is a restaurant owned by our Jinchao Pioneering Team," Guan Kuang said. "Come, let me introduce you. This is our Pioneering Team's leader, Wang Ming." Guan Kuang gestured towards the middle-aged man with the scar.

"Hello, Leader Wang."

"Hello, Student Lu Lin. Your match this morning was brilliant. Congratulations on your successful admission to Iron Blood University."

"You're too kind, Leader Wang."

Guan Kuang allowed them some time to get acquainted, as Lu Lin would be Guiding Wang Ming's Star Skills later.

Seeing they had familiarized themselves, he pointed to the man in the dogskin hat. "This is Mr. Chen—Chen Yuqiong. Like me, he's also a deputy leader in the team."

Chen Yuqiong? The name piqued Lu Lin's curiosity. Is he trying to become poorer, perhaps inspired by Dugu Qiubai's naming philosophy? Just how rich must his family be?

"Haha, young brother, don't overthink it. I'm actually very poor," Chen Yuqiong said, apparently guessing Lu Lin's thoughts. "Back then, my dad, who wasn't very educated, wanted to give me a poetic name. He took the 'Yu' and 'Qiong' from a poetic line about wishing to see a great distance. Since I'm the eldest, he named me Chen Yuqiong."

"My younger brother fared much better; he's called Chen Qianli."

"Coincidentally, I also have a younger sister named Chen Mu."

After Chen Yuqiong finished speaking, everyone at the table couldn't help but smile. This gentleman was rather interesting, making fun of his own name like that.

"Brother Chen, you're being modest. I actually think your name is very well chosen—Yuqiong, Yuqiong," Lu Lin said. "Only a person of great wealth and status would dare to use such a name." Seeing that Chen Yuqiong seemed like a decent person, Lu Lin offered a couple of compliments.

"Haha, little brother, you're my kind of person! Come, let's have a drink." Chen Yuqiong raised his cup. Lu Lin, of course, couldn't refuse. He cheerfully poured himself a glass of wine, clinked glasses with Chen Yuqiong, and downed it in one gulp.

"Good! You're refreshingly straightforward, little brother!"

The meal didn't last long, but all the dishes served were substantial. The Exotic Beast meat brought back from the Exotic Battlefield was a thorough delight for Lu Lin. However, he only had two glasses of wine at the very beginning. After all, Lu Lin still had to Guide Wang Ming's Star Skills.

After instructing Zhou Ziqiang to take Zuo Yiming and Luo Ling back to No. 11 Keming Street first, Lu Lin followed Guan Kuang and the other two men to the Cultivation Room behind the Jinchao headquarters.

"Lu Lin, this time we initially just needed you to help guide the Leader's Star Skills. However, Mr. Chen from the Second Team happened to return last night. He heard you're excellent at Guiding Star Skills and wanted to try as well."

"But don't worry, the guidance fee…"

"Brother Guan, between us, that's too distant," Lu Lin immediately interrupted. "Don't mention money. If you say it again, I'll leave right now. If you need Star Skill Guidance, go to the Star Guide Association; they have many masters there."

Guan Kuang, taken aback, clapped Lu Lin on the shoulder. "Alright, then I'll accept this favor. As for you and Guan Yue, well, that's for you two to figure out."

With that, Guan Kuang pushed Lu Lin into the Cultivation Room, giving him no chance to explain.

Really, this grandfather and grandson are cut from the same cloth, Lu Lin grumbled internally. He saw Wang Ming and Chen Yuqiong already seated on cushions, eyes closed in meditation.

"Leader Wang, Brother Chen, which of you will go first?"

"Let the Leader go first. I'll watch from the side for now," Chen Yuqiong said.

"Alright."

Lu Lin also sat down and, as per routine, inquired about Wang Ming's attributes and existing Star Skills. He told him that upon entering the Star Power Domain, he should demonstrate all his current Star Skills, as this would help him comprehend ones suitable for him.

Wang Ming's Innate Attribute was Wood System. He possessed many Star Skills, mostly focused on healing and attack types: Life, Recovery, Growth, Wooden Arrows, Wooden Thorns, Precision, Concealment, Communication... His Star Skills were relatively independent of each other.

It was said that before he reached the Fourth Level, he primarily focused on the healing path, comprehending Star Skills like Life, Recovery, Growth, and Healing in his youth. Later, after joining the Jinchao Pioneering Team and facing the complex environment of the Exotic Battlefield, healing abilities alone were far from sufficient. He sought out a Star Guide from a Designated School and spent a considerable sum to comprehend two offensive skills: Wooden Arrows and Wooden Thorns.

However, as his status rose, eventually becoming the leader of the Jinchao Pioneering Team, his Star Skill requirements changed again. He needed control-type and restrictive-type skills. Yet, despite several advancements, he hadn't acquired any. This time, his goal was to comprehend such skills, transforming himself into an all-powerful Pioneering Team leader proficient in attack, defense, healing, and control.

Frankly, this was a rather demanding requirement, especially since he was at the critical juncture of Level 6 Peak. If another Star Guide were to take this job, the guidance fee would be at least five million, with no guarantee of success.

Originally, neither Wang Ming, Chen Yuqiong, nor Guan Kuang had considered seeking Star Skill Guidance at this stage. At their level, each advancement could take ten, twenty years, or even longer. When Comprehending Star Skills, they would only proceed if they were at least 80% confident. A Star Skill might be used for twenty, thirty years, or even longer; who would want to be careless about it?

But a few days ago, they heard news about the leaders of the neighboring city's Three Talents Wilderness Team. Not only had they obtained their desired Star Skills during a Star Skill Guidance, but they had also managed to break through to the Seventh Level Golden Body Realm. Especially the third brother, Gao Ling—that man was a daredevil. Among the Pioneering Teams in the dozen or so nearby cities, people might not know Gao Shan or Gao Feng, but they definitely knew Gao Ling.

A true powerhouse. A man who dared to engage in close combat with exotic beasts and Alien Races on the Exotic Battlefield. Many Alien Races would subconsciously steer clear of the Three Talents Wilderness Team just because of him.

However, although Gao Ling was formidable, many knew that his chances of advancing to the Seventh Level were slim. It would have been considered good if he could have maintained his Sixth Level abilities for a few more decades. His foundation and vital energy had been too greatly depleted. Trying to advance was, without a doubt, like daydreaming.

Yet, unexpectedly, such a person had advanced to the Seventh Level. All the surrounding Pioneering Teams who knew of this were, of course, desperate to find out how. At first, Gao Ling was unwilling to speak about it. But he couldn't do anything about it; those who sought opportunities with Pioneering Teams were relentless in achieving their goals. Gao Ling could only attribute it to the War God Alliance.

The War God Alliance, wanting to expand its influence among Pioneering Teams, briefly mentioned that a new master had joined their league. However, they never revealed Lu Lin's name from beginning to end. But Guan Kuang had somehow gotten the information and was convinced that Lu Lin was that master. Using Guan Yue's connection, he had finally managed to invite Lu Lin. And the crucial point was… Lu Lin had said no fee was necessary.

This alone saved the Jinchao Pioneering Team at least ten million in expenses. If Wang Ming, by some chance, also advanced to the Seventh Level Golden Body Realm like the Gao Brothers, that would be truly remarkable.

"No worries, Brother Lu. Just do what you think is best later. Mr. Chen and I both trust you," Wang Ming said.

"Mm-hmm." Lu Lin nodded, saying no more. He gestured for Wang Ming to close his eyes and enter the Consciousness Universe.

Releasing the Star Power Domain.

As Lu Lin watched Wang Ming practice his Star Skills within the domain, his eyes were constantly recording every detail. I need to figure out what kind of Star Skill would be most suitable for Wang Ming, Lu Lin thought.