Jing Ziyan's Exclusive Power Bank

Ji Juechen's pupils contracted to their limit in an instant.

An even greater shock than when he had activated the system earlier exploded in his heart like thunder. He had lived for twenty years, immersed in the world of swords for twelve of them, believing his heart to be as still as an Ancient Well, undisturbed by any ripple.

But now, that Ancient Well had been thoroughly stirred into chaos by a girl named Jing Ziyan, in a way he could not understand at all.

"Love?"

To Ji Juechen, this word was more obscure than the most complicated sword technique and more intangible than the most distant god. He only knew that this emotion seemed... full of energy.

[Ding! "Love" emotion detected. Source: Jing Ziyan.]

[Emotion intensity: 90. Special emotion reward triggered...]

[Congratulations, Host: God-Tier Soul Ring Experience Card (three minutes) obtained!]

[Note: You may freely designate the age and attribute to experience the power of a God-class Soul Ring. The soul ring will disappear after the effect ends.]

Ji Juechen's breathing stopped for a moment.

A God-class Soul Ring!

That was something that existed only in legends, the mark of a god! Even if he could experience it for only three minutes, it would be enough to overturn a battle or even change a person's fate. And the reason he had received this experience card was merely Jing Ziyan's "love" for him?

This was simply... absurd.

"Ji Juechen? What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?" Seeing that he had remained silent and merely stared at her blankly, Jing Ziyan could not help growing flustered. She reached out, intending to touch his forehead.

Ji Juechen instinctively took a step back, avoiding her hand.

The movement left Jing Ziyan's hand frozen in midair. The light in her eyes dimmed at once, and she looked as wronged as a kitten drenched by rain. "You... still hate me?"

[Ding! "Grievance" emotion detected. Source: Jing Ziyan.]

[Emotion intensity: 80. Sword Intent Points +800.]

[Ding! "Disappointment" emotion detected. Source: Jing Ziyan.]

[Emotion intensity: 85. Random reward triggered... Congratulations, Host: Skill Self-Healing Sword Qi obtained!]

Ji Juechen: "..."

He looked at the numbers constantly jumping across the system panel, then at the girl before him, whose emotions had collapsed because of one small movement from him. For the first time, an utterly absurd feeling arose within him.

So this girl's emotions were an inexhaustible treasure trove.

"I don't." He finally spoke. His voice remained hoarse, but it carried a trace of complexity that was hard to detect.

He did not hate her. He simply... did not know how to deal with this walking "Power Bank."

Hearing him speak, Jing Ziyan's eyes brightened again, as though the rain had passed and the sky had cleared. "Really? That's wonderful! Hurry and try the soup I made for you. I added lots of good things to it. It'll help your body recover!"

She opened the food box as if presenting a treasure, and a rich fragrance instantly spread through the room. Ji Juechen had intended to refuse, but a thought flashed through his mind.

If he drank it, would she be happier? And if she were happier, would her emotions become stronger? Would the rewards improve?

The thought felt foreign even to himself. In order to grow stronger, he had actually begun actively considering how to make use of another person's feelings.

"Leave it there." He coldly tossed out those three words, then turned and walked aside, picking up his sword to begin wiping it down.

Jing Ziyan did not get angry. She obediently placed the soup on the stone table, then sat not far away with her chin propped on her hands, gazing at him with starry eyes. To her, as long as she could stay by his side, it was the happiest thing in the world.

As Ji Juechen wiped his longsword, he opened the System Mall in his mind.

[Myriad Worlds Emotion Feedback System Mall]

[Current balance: 2300 Sword Intent Points]

The mall interface was simple, with only a few categories. Ji Juechen opened the [Skills] tab.

Sword Qi Projection: Requires 5000 Sword Intent Points.

Instant Sword: Requires 8000 Sword Intent Points.

Clear Sword Heart: Great Perfection: Requires Sword Intent Points.

Law Breaking Eye: Requires Sword Intent Points.

...

Every skill tempted him greatly, but the prices also made him click his tongue. With his current 2300 points, he could not even afford the cheapest skill.

He then opened the [Constitution] tab.

Body Immune to All Poisons: Requires Sword Intent Points.

Heart of Absolute Focus: Requires Sword Intent Points.

Dragon Elephant Power: Requires Sword Intent Points.

"Truly... expensive," Ji Juechen assessed inwardly. He finally understood why the system had given him a "God-Tier Soul Ring Experience Card." It was bait, meant to let him witness the might of power and then drive him to desperately "farm energy."

His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Jing Ziyan in the distance.

The girl seemed to notice his gaze. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she asked in a soft voice, "Ji Juechen, you... why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"

[Ding! "Shyness" emotion detected. Source: Jing Ziyan.]

[Emotion intensity: 70. Sword Intent Points +400.]

Ji Juechen immediately withdrew his gaze, but he had already worked something out in his mind.

It seemed that the way to maintain this "Power Bank" was to look at her once in a while.

At that moment, the doors to the training ground were pushed open again. Xu Tianchen had returned, and this time, he had brought a teacher with him.

The newcomer was a teacher from the Intermediate Soul Master Teaching and Research Group. His surname was Wang, and he usually looked down on others. He was particularly partial to noble students like Xu Tianchen.

"Teacher Wang, it's him! This freshman has no respect for teachers and elders, and he even talked back to a senior!" Xu Tianchen pointed at Ji Juechen as he exaggerated his complaint.

Teacher Wang adjusted his glasses and looked at Ji Juechen arrogantly. "Ji Juechen, is it? Is what Senior Xu Tianchen said true?"

Ji Juechen could not even be bothered to look at him. He merely said flatly, "Boring."

"You!" Teacher Wang flew into a rage, feeling that his authority as a teacher had been challenged. "How very boring! It seems the academy has been far too lax in disciplining you freshmen! I sentence you to three days of solitary confinement for reflection!"

Jing Ziyan panicked and rose to defend him. "Teacher Wang, it has nothing to do with Ji Juechen. Xu Tianchen was the one who provoked him first!"

"Shut up! Is this a place for you to speak?" Teacher Wang barked. "Talk back again, and I'll punish you along with him!"

[Ding! "Anger" emotion detected. Source: Jing Ziyan.]

[Emotion intensity: 88. Sword Intent Points +900.]

Ji Juechen finally frowned.

He did not care about being humiliated by others, but he could not tolerate the girl who provided him with "energy" being treated unfairly because of him.

Besides, Xu Tianchen's and Teacher Wang's emotions... seemed rather "delicious" as well.

He slowly rose to his feet, gripping the freshly polished longsword in his hand.

The cold blade glinted with dangerous light beneath the lamps.

"Teacher Wang, is it?" Ji Juechen's voice was not loud, yet it clearly echoed through the entire training ground. "You want to punish me?"

Teacher Wang felt a chill crawl over his scalp under that icy gaze, but he still forced himself to say, "What? Are you planning to defy orders?"

Ji Juechen did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Xu Tianchen, and an almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Perfect. My sword has been wanting someone to test it on too."

He silently recited in his heart, System, use the God-Tier Soul Ring Experience Card!

[Ding! God-Tier Soul Ring Experience Card activated! Please designate the soul ring's age and attribute!]

Without hesitation, Ji Juechen issued the command in his mind.

"Age: Million Years! Attribute: Ultimate Edge!"

The next instant, a terrifying pressure capable of destroying heaven and earth erupted from Ji Juechen's body!