The night would eventually pass.
But the storm stirred up by last night's earth-shattering battle outside Wild Boar Forest was only beginning to ferment.
Linhai City Professionals Association Headquarters.
Inside the highest-level conference room, the atmosphere was so heavy it was nearly suffocating.
A slightly plump middle-aged man who resembled the Maitreya Buddha stared fixedly at the Holographic Projection before him, fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.
He was Zhou Yong, president of the Linhai City Professionals Association.
The projection was playing the final footage recorded by a Professional of Yang Yu's battle against the Abyss Demon Dragon.
That three-meter-tall Demon form, that Sword Light capable of destroying heaven and earth, that invincible figure who had single-handedly slain the World BOSS...
Vice President Jiang Zhenshan watched with an equally grave expression.
Yesterday, he had learned of Yang Yu from his daughter.
But he had never expected Yang Yu to be so monstrously powerful.
Now, it seemed he had still underestimated him. Everyone had underestimated him.
Sigh...
At this rate, Xiao Yue probably would never catch up to Yang Yu for the rest of her life.
And the Tan Lang War Band...
He knew it was the work of juniors from a collateral branch of the family.
He had always been too lazy to interfere.
But this time, they had caused a truly enormous disaster.
It looked like he would have to bleed heavily this time.
"Speak up. What do you all think?" The president's hoarse voice broke the dead silence.
"A monster! A complete and utter monster!"
"A D-Rank Warrior? This is supposed to be a D-Rank Warrior? Even an S-rank Profession couldn't achieve something like this on the first day after awakening!"
"Yeah. No.1 High School awakened two S-rank Professions this year, one of them an auxiliary Profession. The two of them teamed up to level, and the news I received two hours ago said they were only Level 13. The gap is just too huge!"
"The key is, he's Yang Yan's younger brother!"
"You all heard Lu Fei's report just now. For his sake, Yang Yan didn't hesitate to use a one-time Dimensional Teleportation Terminal to descend at the scene... This isn't merely deep sibling affection anymore. He's practically her reverse scale!"
That kind of thing could not be bought with money. What it required was military merit.
Zhou Yong took a deep breath and tried to calm his surging emotions.
"It seems another true dragon is about to rise from our Linhai City."
That conclusion left everyone silent.
After a long while, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table, a resolute ruthlessness flashing through his eyes.
"Pass on my orders!"
"First! Raise Student Yang Yu's confidentiality level to the highest classification! Seal all detailed information regarding his awakened talent, skills, and last night's battle! Strictly control all information about Student Yang on the internet!"
"Second! Contact Third High School immediately. At any cost, fulfill every request made by Student Yang Yu! Resources, money, Secret Realm Quotas—so long as our Association can provide them, approve them all!"
"Third! Immediately draft a detailed report, encrypt it, and submit it directly to the Imperial Capital General Association, bypassing the usual channels! The title will be: 'On the Birth of a Mythical Rank Genius and Protection Measures'!"
"Our Linhai City is too small to keep a true dragon like him. But before he takes flight, we must give him the east wind he needs!"
Inside the Jiang Family's luxurious villa.
Jiang Zhenshan stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the city's nightscape.
His heart was still far from calm.
He had already dealt with that collateral branch of the family in a high-profile manner.
He had also spent a fortune to custom-order a gift specifically for Yang Yu.
He had no choice. He could command the wind and rain in Linhai City only because this place was too small.
But Yang Yan had already grown strong.
It was impossible to gauge how deep her strength ran.
And although people like them were Level 50 or 60, almost all of them were failures.
They had been stuck at their levels and returned to small cities to live.
The truly strong tempered themselves on the front lines, constantly growing stronger.
Just like Yang Yan.
And now Yang Yu was so extraordinary as well.
There was absolutely no need to make enemies of those two.
"Dad, what are you thinking about?"
A cool voice came from behind him as Jiang Shuyue walked in, dressed in a full set of Rare grade equipment.
She had just emerged from the Misty Forest Secret Realm, and her level had already soared to 14.
Her expression was filled with confidence.
Because she felt that she had definitely surpassed Yang Yu.
She could hardly wait to see the broken expression on that man's face.
Jiang Zhenshan turned around and looked at his confident daughter, his gaze complicated.
"Xiao Yue, do you still remember that student named Yang Yu?"
"Yang Yu?"
Jiang Shuyue froze for a moment, then the confidence on her pretty face grew even stronger.
"Of course I remember him! Once I reach Level 20 and master stronger skills, I'll defeat him fair and square and wash away my humiliation!"
She clenched her delicate fists and spoke with absolute conviction.
Seeing his daughter's refusal to admit defeat, Jiang Zhenshan sighed and handed her a briefing on Yang Yu that had just been compiled.
"Take a look at this first."
Jiang Shuyue accepted it suspiciously. As her gaze moved from "possibly solo-cleared a Nightmare grade Dungeon" to "solo-killed the Abyssal Demon Dragon Projection," the confidence on her face gradually froze before finally shattering completely.
Thud.
The briefing slipped from her limp fingertips.
Her body swayed slightly, her pretty face turned deathly pale, and her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Th-this is impossible... This has to be fake!"
She murmured helplessly, her proud heart being brutally crushed once more.
She had fought bitterly in the Secret Realm for nearly an entire day, with the full support of her A-rank talent and her family's resources, just to barely reach Level 14.
But Yang Yu...
Somewhere beyond her sight, he had already... solo-killed a Level 20 World BOSS?
The gap between them was no longer something talent, hard work, or equipment could make up for.
It was a Natural Chasm.
An uncrossable Abyss that made her feel suffocated and hopeless.
Jiang Zhenshan looked at his daughter's devastated state, his heart aching, but he still said solemnly:
"Xiao Yue, remember this: the world is vast. Never become arrogant because of a temporary lead, and never lose heart because of temporary lagging behind."
"You and he may never have been on the same track from the very beginning."
"From now on, put away that meaningless desire to challenge him. Find a way to become his friend, or even... form a more intimate relationship with him."
"This is of vital importance to you and to our entire Jiang Family."
Jiang Shuyue did not answer.
She merely stood there blankly, Yang Yu's indifferent expression echoing through her mind again and again.
Noon.
Linhai City No.1 Professionals Hospital, intensive care ward.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
The monotonous, rhythmic electronic sounds echoed through the quiet room.
A strong smell of disinfectant mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance drifted into Yang Yu's nose.
His eyelids trembled a few times before slowly opening.
What entered his sight was a pure white ceiling, along with an IV bottle hanging beside him, its contents dripping slowly.
"...Where... am I?"
His body felt as though it had been run over repeatedly by more than a dozen trucks. There was not a single place that did not hurt, while his head felt like it was about to split apart, countless chaotic fragments of memory churning within it.
The Demon Dragon's roar, the agonizing pain of his body being torn apart, the Crimson Sword Light shooting into the sky, and that endless killing intent...
"Yo~"
A voice carrying three parts sickly sweetness, three parts teasing, and four parts danger came from beside the bed.
"Our great hero who challenged a World BOSS alone finally decided to wake up?"
Before you continue