Who Could Possibly Handle This?

Gong Shiyue noticed Luo Jun as well.

She had also been chased into a corner and had stumbled into this room by accident. Looking up, she saw a young boy leaning against the headboard, his head tilted as he stared at her blankly without moving.

Gong Shiyue smiled softly. She had great confidence in her own charm, especially when it came to boys of eighteen or nineteen—few could resist. Still, it was rare to see one staring so foolishly.

Gong Shiyue's ears twitched as she heard the sounds of people closing in downstairs. In her current state, she probably could not escape. But the young man before her was a rather good medicine for her wounds...

With that thought, she rose and gracefully walked to the bedside, propping her knee against the edge of the bed as she climbed up.

Every tiny movement she made was loaded with ulterior motives!

"Little brother, do I look good?"

Good-looking, my ass! Luo Jun cursed inwardly, but he did not dare speak. He could only speed up the circulation of Vital Energy within his body, striving to break through as quickly as possible!

Now he understood why this breakthrough had a difficulty rating of eighty-eight!

Seeing Luo Jun's eyes widen further, Gong Shiyue smiled proudly. She raised a hand and wrapped it around his neck, letting the boy catch the scent of her body.

As long as this brat became infatuated with her, she could absorb his essence to heal herself. Once her injuries recovered, shaking off those Official Organization lapdogs would be easy.

Gong Shiyue looked down at Luo Jun's body... Mm, quite sturdy. He should be able to provide her with quite a bit of essence!

Just then, another figure flew in through the window. He was a cold-faced, athletic young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five.

The young man held a Ring Pommel Ancient Blade and pointed it at Gong Shiyue, letting out a cold snort. "You demoness!"

Gong Shiyue yanked Luo Jun in front of herself as a shield and smiled at the young man. "Lu Fei, you really are impressive, worthy of your reputation as a genius. But you're too arrogant. Can you really hurt an innocent passerby just to capture me?"

Lu Fei frowned slightly. The blade in his hand did not waver, but neither did he take another step forward.

From Luo Jun's angle, however, he could see over two feet of Blade Light extending and retracting from the tip, less than ten centimeters from his nose...

Good grief. He had been sitting at home, and trouble had dropped from the sky. Why did he have to get dragged into a battle between Vital Energy Cultivators at a time like this?

Luo Jun was anxious, but he did not stop circulating Vital Energy through his body. By the ninth cycle, there was almost no Vital Energy left within him. Only the last wisp remained, still continuously tempering his body.

"Let him go!" Lu Fei said coldly. The tip of his blade shifted slightly, attempting to aim at Gong Shiyue behind Luo Jun.

Gong Shiyue dodged along with it, bringing Luo Jun's face toward the Blade Light and forcing Lu Fei to hurriedly withdraw his strength.

"Don't try any tricks with me." Gong Shiyue raised a finger and waved it. "Honestly, there are so many murderers and arsonists outside for you to catch. I only occasionally take things when the opportunity arises. Is it worth chasing me so relentlessly?"

"Occasionally taking things?" Lu Fei snorted. "Let's not even mention how many treasures you've stolen before. This time, the Hell Creek Family has put up a twenty-million Federal Credit bounty for you. What exactly did you steal from them?"

"Take a guess." Gong Shiyue gave him a sly smile. "Maybe it was Old Rex's manhood?"

"I advise you to surrender!" Lu Fei said. "Bounty Hunters all over the world have their eyes on you now. Even if you escape Ningdong, you won't evade the Hell Creek Family's pursuit. Compared to that, the Yuan Cultivation Society's prison is the safest place!"

"You're all cut from the same cloth!" Gong Shiyue snorted. She leaned forward, pressing her chest against Luo Jun's back as she deliberately and inadvertently teased the boy's nerves. "I only trust myself!"

Lu Fei frowned and warned, "Little brother, don't let her confuse you. If you entertain lustful thoughts, she'll be able to control your mind and drain all your essence!"

"Ooh, big brother knows quite a lot about me, doesn't he?" Gong Shiyue giggled. "For an eighteen-year-old boy, that restless heart isn't something he can control just because he wants to!" As she spoke, she rested her chin on Luo Jun's shoulder and drew in a breath beside his temple.

Not good! Lu Fei sensed Gong Shiyue activating her ability. This boy was about to suffer! He tried to approach, but Gong Shiyue's fingers around Luo Jun's neck tightened.

If his essence was drained, he would at most fall unconscious for a few days, suffer malnutrition, and remain weak for several months. But if Lu Fei rashly rushed forward, the boy might lose his life.

Lu Fei gritted his teeth but did not dare act rashly.

Yet after absorbing for two seconds, Gong Shiyue showed a look of astonishment.

She had failed to absorb anything? What's going on? This brat hadn't been tempted?

A sense of frustration surged up inside her. Whether because she was eager to recover from her injuries or because she wanted to prove her charm, Gong Shiyue angrily increased her efforts. The hand around Luo Jun's neck slid across his chest muscles, then down along his abs...

But right then, Luo Jun suddenly roared, "Absorb this, you fucking old hag!"

Before his words had even faded, he grabbed Gong Shiyue's arm. Gong Shiyue had not expected the boy to dare resist. She instinctively tried to break free, only to find his grip astonishingly strong. She tried to mobilize her Vital Energy, but her injuries made it circulate poorly, leaving her unable to resist for the moment!

Luo Jun gave her no chance. Mustering all his strength, he threw Gong Shiyue over his shoulder, swinging her like a great hammer before slamming her onto the floor with a bang!

The throw was no light one. The floorboards cracked and buckled from the impact. Gong Shiyue had never excelled at close-quarters combat, and with her injuries, she felt as if all her internal organs had shifted. The little Body Protecting Qi she had just managed to gather was instantly scattered!

Seizing the chance, Lu Fei stepped forward and placed his blade against Gong Shiyue's neck, completely subduing her!

At that moment, the door to the Rental House was suddenly smashed open. A strangely dressed Muscular Man rushed in from outside, while almost at the same time, a young man in a tracksuit and headscarf climbed in through the window.

"Hao, Brother Meng?" Luo Jun looked over. Weren't they both familiar faces?

After the two entered and saw Gong Shiyue had already been subdued, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Then they turned and saw Luo Jun, and froze as well. "This is your home?"

Lu Fei, who was restraining Gong Shiyue, looked at them. "You know each other?"

Hao Yong chuckled. "He's Luo Jun!"

Lu Fei's eyes lit up at that. "You're the Body Refinement Realm cultivator who got dragged into a Tier B Mission, survived, and even received a reward? No wonder your mind is so steady. You still had the strength to counterattack in a situation like this!"

Luo Jun was rather confused too. "Am I really that famous?"

"You didn't know?" Xiao Meng leaned closer. "Your story was trending a while back!" As he spoke, he opened his phone, scrolled a few times, and showed Luo Jun a forum page.

A post was displayed on it: "Shocking! An innocent citizen encounters a Polluter and is dragged into a Tier B Mission, fate unknown!"

Below was an account of that incident. It was well-written, vividly told, and gripping. There were also countless comments underneath, with people discussing it heatedly.

"What is this?" Luo Jun looked utterly baffled.

"A post. Sha Sha made it. Pretty well written, right?" Xiao Meng looked proud.

"No, I mean, what forum is this?" Luo Jun pointed at the phone. "Aren't matters related to Vital Energy and Chaos Missions not allowed to be posted online?"

"Oh, this is an internal forum for Vital Energy Cultivators. It's the information age—pretty normal, isn't it?"

"Can I register?" Luo Jun asked expectantly.

"Of course. Didn't you register at the branch last time?" Xiao Meng smiled. "Whether you're a Yuan Cultivation Society member, a disciple of one of the major sects or families, or a Rogue Cultivator, as long as you're registered with the authorities, you can apply for a forum account. But you have to pass real-name verification."

As he spoke, Xiao Meng downloaded the app for Luo Jun and helped him register an account.

Real-name verification was for the backend to confirm a cultivator's identity, but browsing the forum still required a screen name. After thinking it over, Luo Jun named himself "Jianbing Guazi with Chicken Cutlet."

"Browse the forum more often. You'll find plenty of information from within the circle. Your story was quite popular a while ago. Lots of people said you stayed calm in danger, were blessed with great fortune, and had a promising future..."

As he spoke, Xiao Meng turned to look at Gong Shiyue, who had truly been sealed by Lu Fei. "I didn't expect you to be such a trouble magnet. Gong Shiyue is a famous Heretical Cultivator. Since you helped capture her, you'll probably make the headlines again tomorrow."

Luo Jun patted his chest. "It's what any good citizen should do."

After cleaning up the scene, the three prepared to escort Gong Shiyue away. As for the damaged door, window, and smashed floor, they said the Cleanup Department would return later to assess the damage and provide compensation. Since Luo Jun had helped with this capture, Hao Yong said he would also apply for a bonus for him.

Hearing that, Luo Jun's eyes lit up. "I heard she had a bounty of twenty million Federal Credits? That's more than a hundred million Zhendan Coins. How much can I get?"

"That's the black market bounty." Hao Yong shook his head. "The Yuan Cultivation Society is an Official Organization. We're capturing her to bring her to justice, not sell her to the black market. But I'll do my best to apply for something for you. Even if it isn't fifty thousand, I'll try to get you thirty thousand."

"Oh..." Luo Jun pursed his lips in disappointment.

By the time the Cleanup Department had left, it was already very late. Only then did Luo Jun have the chance to carefully savor the improvements brought by his breakthrough.

Gong Shiyue really was formidable. With all that teasing just now, what ordinary restless young man could have withstood it? Luo Jun had nearly lost his resolve, but it was probably the Dice of Heavenly Secrets' effect that steadied his mind at the critical moment. That was how he successfully broke through to the Second Layer and pulled off a counter-kill!

In Vital Energy cultivation, the foundation laid in the First Layer was extremely important. The boosts gained from every subsequent layer would reference the First Layer. Thus, upon reaching the Second Layer of the Body Refinement Realm, every aspect of Luo Jun's body had been strengthened by another hundred percent!

Not only that, but because the difficulty of this breakthrough had been so high, he gained a large amount of experience after succeeding and leveled up again. This time, his luck had finally turned around, and he rolled a perfect ten-point attribute.

The fifteen attribute points were randomly distributed. Luo Jun's current attributes were as follows:

Level: 12 (676/1300)

Strength: 39 points

Agility: 31 points

Perception: 31 points

Spirit: 33 points

Luck: Level 6

Skills: All Things are Dice, Beginner Point Correction, Regret (some details in earlier chapters have been revised; the penalty-waiver skill has been changed to Regret. The effect is basically the same: you can refuse to carry out an event once per day. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause)

Item: Wealth Ring

Chips: 40

Uses: 5/5

All four primary attributes had improved to some extent. Combined with the tempering of the Second Layer of the Body Refinement Realm, Luo Jun's raw physical capabilities were enough to match an Ordinary Person's thirtyfold. Looking at physical strength alone, with the training he had undergone During This Time, even forty times the strength would not be an exaggeration!

That did not even include the aid provided when his Vital Energy was circulating!

At his current level, the attributes gained from simply leveling up no longer felt particularly noticeable. But the improvements brought by breaking through a layer of the Body Refinement Realm would not be diluted. Every breakthrough was a complete transformation!

This was only the Second Layer. With the Dice of Heavenly Secrets in hand, reaching the Seventh Layer would absolutely not be a problem. Even if he never cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he could become a superhuman with immense strength and an invulnerable body through his physical body alone!

Tomorrow, he would definitely give Master a surprise!

Looking forward to his performance tomorrow, Luo Jun tidied the bedding Gong Shiyue had messed up and prepared to sleep.

"Huh? What's this?"

Luo Jun found a plush doll with a clasp in the blanket. It was palm-sized, like the kind girls usually attached to their phones or bags.

There should not have been anything like this in his home. Had Gong Shiyue dropped it?

Luo Jun suddenly recalled Lu Fei mentioning that Gong Shiyue was a master thief who had even stolen treasures from cultivator families. Could this doll be a Treasure Tool too?

Luo Jun's heart began to race. If it really was a powerful Treasure Tool, regardless of whether he could use it himself, he would receive a substantial reward if he handed it over to the organization.

But after fiddling with it for a long time in eager anticipation, he found nothing special about it. Injecting Vital Energy into it produced no response at all, and the Hundred Treasure Box could not store it either. The prompt stated that the item was not a Treasure Tool and could not be stored...

It seemed this really was just an ordinary decoration. Gong Shiyue was a young girl too, so it was normal for her to carry something like this around.

Disappointed, Luo Jun tossed the doll onto the head of the bed, washed up, and went to sleep.

The next day, halfway up Trial Peak, Luo Jun stood facing a three-headed, six-armed Mechanical Puppet in an open clearing.

"You're sure you want to challenge the fifth setting directly?" Old Yuan looked at his disciple in disbelief.

"Don't worry, Master!" Luo Jun confidently patted his chest.

Old Yuan was hesitant. The five settings of the Advanced Mechanical Puppet corresponded to fifteen, thirty, fifty, seventy, and one hundred times the strength of an ordinary adult male!

Luo Jun was exceptionally talented. After being tempered by the First Layer of the Body Refinement Realm, coupled with his training During This Time and the assistance of Vital Energy in his body, his maximum output was probably slightly above the second setting but certainly below the third. The reason he could barely handle the third setting was the combat awareness and techniques he had developed through training.

But against the fifth setting, he would be crushed by nearly three times the strength. That was no longer a gap skill could overcome.

What was more, the fifth setting unlocked even more techniques, making it even harder to deal with.

Was this kid getting a little too confident?

Watching Luo Jun warm up, Old Yuan thought that giving him a lesson would be good. After all, this was a training machine. It would pull its punches at critical moments; at worst, a few bones would break. His treatment device could set them back, and it would not delay the exam the day after tomorrow.

Then let him witness the power of a top-tier Mechanical Puppet!

After the adjustments were complete, the Mechanical Puppet's circuits lit up. As Old Yuan announced the start, the massive mechanical sparring partner charged toward Luo Jun!

It was much faster than the third setting, and its attacks were incredibly fierce!

But Luo Jun abandoned his previous strategy of predicting and maneuvering around it. He planted himself in place without dodging, circulated Vital Energy through his body, sent it upward from his heels, channeled strength into his right arm, and blocked head-on!

"Idiot!" Old Yuan cried out. If he were struck during a drawn-out fight, the Mechanical Puppet could still pull back. But in a long-distance charge like this, the huge inertia built up by its speed was not something it could stop at will!

He had never imagined that, facing a Mechanical Puppet at maximum output, this brat would choose a direct clash!

He could not let the boy fool around any longer! Old Yuan's feet left the ground, and propelled by Vital Energy, he shot toward Luo Jun at a speed far beyond the Mechanical Puppet's. But the incident had happened too suddenly, and he was too far away. In the end, he was still one step too late!

Less than two meters before his eyes, Luo Jun and the Mechanical Puppet collided head-on!

Thanks to guzhenrenlf for the 200 Origin Point Coins!

Thanks to Zui Qu Ren for the 100 Origin Point Coins!