By the window, Jiang Ruochan sat quietly reading beneath the sunlight. Black strands of hair fell beside her ears, obscuring her cheeks, while her exposed profile was breathtakingly beautiful.
However, after hearing Zong Zheng Nanmo's exclamation, Jiang Ruochan spoke again.
"You don't need to care too much about that data. The Combat Power Ranking mainly exists as motivation, letting Reserve Force members see how their strength changes every day."
"Fifty percent of the rating comes from realm, thirty percent from abilities and talent, and the rest from the targets you've killed on missions and the enhancement resources you've redeemed and used."
"So combat power is heavily inflated. Even at the same Third Order, someone with ten thousand combat power might not beat someone with eight thousand."
"...No wonder. I was wondering why the gap between the Second Order and Third Order was so huge." Zong Zheng Nanmo suddenly understood.
While the two were talking, Jiang Hou opened the redemption page at the top of the Combat Power Ranking.
Six extraordinary resources were listed there, each with its own description.
"Energy Crystal: low-grade. Stock: 25. Greatly increases the energy concentration and maximum capacity within an extraordinary individual after use. Redemption requirement: 20 points."
"Demon Power Crystal: low-grade. Stock: 3. Contains dense demon power and can accelerate an extraordinary individual's Demonization progress. Redemption requirement: 30 points."
"Inheritance Fragment: Stock: 1. Water Attribute. Exclusive to God Inheritance. Contains a portion of an incomplete inheritance. Redemption requirement: 300 points."
"Di Sha Power: Out of stock!"
"Soul Imprint Crystal: Stock: 2. No requirements. A special item with no usage limit. After refinement, it can increase vitality and purify mental will. Redemption requirement: 40 points."
"Supreme Yang Golden Sand: Out of stock!"
Five of the six extraordinary resources corresponded to specific awakening systems. Only the Soul Imprint Crystal was the most unusual.
Not only did it have no power-system requirements, it also had no usage limit. This meant that a person could redeem and use it endlessly, continuously strengthening their vitality and purifying their mind.
Of course, that was assuming they had enough points.
Moreover, extraordinary resources were highly sought after. Two of the six were already out of stock, while the others had very little remaining stock. No, wait...
Just then, the Soul Imprint Crystals that had shown a stock of two also changed to out of stock.
At that moment, Zong Zheng Nanmo opened the redemption page as well. After seeing the Energy Crystal's description, he looked eager to try it. "President, how do we get points? By completing missions?"
Jiang Hou's strength had been improving dramatically every day, and today he had already caught up to him. If Zong Zheng Nanmo kept standing still, Jiang Hou might be so far ahead in a few days that he would not even see his tail.
Brothers had to grow stronger together. Preferably, he would always be stronger than Jiang Hou.
After all, that guy had a beautiful and capable childhood sweetheart.
Without even looking up, Jiang Ruochan said flatly, "That's right. Completing missions earns you points to redeem resources. That is also why many extraordinary individuals want to join Sky Punishment."
"At present, only the Sky Punishment Division, which steadily controls five major passageways, can reliably excavate resources from the ruins with top-tier experts stationed deep inside."
"However, after several decades, there are simply too many rifts. Some extraordinary factions within the country have also gained control of one or two small passageways."
"These passageways are unstable, and they can only enter the ruins at fixed times. On top of that, those factions are weak, so they obtain even fewer resources."
"As for taking missions, don't even think about it for now."
"Although you appear to be in the late First Order, you have no combat experience and are unfamiliar with your abilities. Taking missions would be nothing but suicide. You probably couldn't even beat an early First Order Pollution Monster."
"President, am I really that weak?" Zong Zheng Nanmo asked, somewhat unconvinced.
The black-haired girl nodded without mercy. "Very weak."
Feeling crushed, Zong Zheng Nanmo turned and gave Jiang Hou a resentful look. It made goosebumps rise all over Jiang Hou's body, and he said bluntly.
"What does you being weak have to do with me? Get lost."
"Damn... You won't even comfort your brother a little?" Zong Zheng Nanmo raised his middle finger.
Following the principle that the less he said, the fewer mistakes he would make, Jiang Hou rarely spoke during today's club "activity." It was mostly Zong Zheng Nanmo curiously asking about this and that.
Unlike Zong Zheng Nanmo, Jiang Hou had little interest in those missions.
He could grow stronger simply by entering the ruins and hunting vicious beasts, so there was no need to run errands for the authorities. To him, this club was merely a place where he could access information about the extraordinary.
Five thirty.
Before leaving, Jiang Ruochan added both of them to a small group called Wind Chime Squad and sent them two "instructional" videos.
One taught Zong Zheng Nanmo how to control and train his own abilities, allowing him to reach the standard level as soon as possible.
The other video, sent to Jiang Hou, covered an ancient boxing technique. Learning it would allow him to better unleash his physical strength and improve his combat ability to a certain degree.
At six, Jiang Hou returned home. As soon as he entered, Qin Siyu, who was setting out bowls and chopsticks, asked curiously.
"Jiang Hou, why did you suddenly decide to join a club?"
After school today, Jiang Hou had sent Qin Siyu a message saying that he had joined a club and would be coming home late.
"Don't you always tell me not to squat around at home all day and to exercise more? So I found a club. I'm planning to practice boxing and work out."
As he spoke, Jiang Hou tossed his backpack onto the sofa.
"Boxing? Are you sure?" The ponytailed girl looked doubtful.
It was not as though Jiang Hou had never tried to "pull himself together" before, but he always worked at it for three days and rested for two. Even when he bought boxing gloves, he only exercised for two days before becoming too lazy to move.
"You don't believe me? In a few days, I'll show you my eight-pack."
"You're bragging again." Qin Siyu clearly did not believe him. Getting abs in a few days sounded far too fake. Then, happily, she began sharing what had happened while filming videos today.
At the same time, Jiang Hou learned from Qin Siyu that her classmate was named Shen Gong Feirou.
After dinner, Qin Siyu finished showering early and sat on the sofa in her pink pajamas, holding the remote and preparing to find something to watch.
Jiang Hou sat beside her, put on his earphones, and opened the video Jiang Ruochan had sent him.
An elderly man wearing a black training uniform appeared in the video. He looked stern and carried the air of a master as he began his introduction in a low, measured voice.
"The ancient boxing technique I teach is called the True Martial Seven Kill Fist. Its movements are fierce and domineering, broad and forceful, with more than three hundred years of history."
"However, the core of ancient boxing is tempering the body, refining strength, and fighting enemies. You cannot cultivate the legendary inner energy from it, nor can you leap across roofs and scale walls.
"Those things were all fabricated in folk novels. They simply do not exist."
"Of course, while True Martial Seven Kill Fist cannot cultivate inner energy, as long as you become proficient in the forms, beating two or three ordinary people will be no problem."
"If you go a step further and unify the strength of your entire body, gathering the power of your waist and legs into your fists with every movement, then beating around ten ordinary people will still be no problem."
"For instance, I am fifty-seven this year. Three years ago, while taking a walk, I encountered a group of hooligans bullying a couple. In righteous anger, I stepped in and defeated nine of them by myself."
At this point, the old man's face was filled with pride and confidence. As expected of a great master of a boxing school—he was still able to fight nine people alone in his fifties.
But then, a pained expression appeared on the old man's face in the video. "Though I did win that time, I ended up paying more than a hundred thousand in medical expenses..."
Cough, cough! The sudden turn nearly made Jiang Hou choke on his saliva.
"What happened to you... Huh! Jiang Hou, are you really planning to practice boxing?" Qin Siyu turned her head and saw the video open on Jiang Hou's phone, looking somewhat surprised.
As she spoke, the girl leaned closer and rested her chin on Jiang Hou's shoulder.
They were so close that their faces were practically touching. Jiang Hou could smell the faint jasmine scent from her hair and feel the warm air of her breath.
Of course, that was not her natural body scent.
High school girls at this age did not usually have the habit of using cosmetics. Any fragrance on them generally came from laundry detergent, body wash, or shampoo.
Third update complete. Brothers, remember to vote and support me.
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