"Zhuge Qingchen!!! You did that on purpose, didn't you? You don't have to keep quiet for people to think you're mute!"
"Well, Brother Li, I gave it a great deal of careful thought for your sake!"
"Ha! You should remove the word 'great' from that sentence. That's how much thought you put into it!"
"Brother Li is truly a man of wit. I'm deeply impressed."
"..."
His beautiful dream had shattered, and the bitterness of it was impossible to put into words.
In the end, Hua Yunxiao had redesigned the Wind Spirit Dust Avoiding Armor and given it a similar "charging" activation mode, making it easy to refine.
Su Li, however, didn't wear it. After all, this Spirit Armor had been prepared for his "friend," not for himself.
He put the armor into his Universe Ring.
The Universe Ring, too, had been given to him by Hua Yunxiao in repayment for a favor. It also contained a protective formation.
Universe Ring (6-star Spirit Artifact): Wind Spirit Dust Avoiding Armor (9-star Spirit Artifact), Primordial Magnetic Evil Slaying Sword (9-star Spirit Artifact), White Universe Demon God Radiance Bow (8-star Spirit Artifact), Demon Slaying Talisman Seal (9-star Spirit Talisman/100 seals), Spirit Stones (top grade/1 million pieces), Qi Replenishing Pills (common grade/100,000 pills), Bone Tempering Pills... Tian Shu Pill (Saint grade 1-star/1 pill), Mysterious Pill (Saint grade 1-star/1 pill).
All these things had accumulated from gifts given by Hua Yunxiao, Yun Wanchu, and Hua Ziyan.
The only pity was that the trace of spiritual energy in his body, built up by the Qi Replenishing Pills, was almost gone.
Once his spiritual energy ran out, the Universe Ring would fall dormant and seal itself. It would be no different from an ordinary decorative ring.
And then he wouldn't even be able to look at all these things to soothe his longing.
Su Li brought up Light Blue to check. His Heavenly Secrets Value had reached 25,361. That was only after he'd worked Zhuge Qingchen over twice more, and Hua Yunxiao and Yun Wanchu once each.
Hua Yunxiao, though, was a man who kept his word. He spoke from the heart, and was difficult to provoke.
Yun Wanchu, on the other hand, excelled at flattery and fawning. He truly respected Su Li, so Su Li couldn't use Reasoning to Convince on him, either.
Zhuge Qingchen had been worked over so thoroughly that he was completely spent. A dignified Nascent Soul expert could barely walk without stumbling and had to be supported.
"Ah, being a transmigrator is really tough."
"Honestly, all I want is to be lazy and eat my fill until I die, with just enough power to protect myself. Why is even that so hard?"
"Why can't a few clueless prodigies go all out mocking me? Or look down on me in their hearts, at least? Then I could show them my strength, Reasoning to Convince, and rake in a huge haul of Heavenly Secrets Value!"
"Could it be that good looks are strength, and good looks are justice?"
"Maybe there'll be some tomorrow. Preferably a few more idiots, a few more who act one way to my face and another behind my back, and a few more who are about to die horribly. A few more whose fathers, mothers, older brothers, younger brothers, older sisters, younger sisters, or even their whole clans are about to die. Then I can save them all in one go!"
As Su Li's thoughts ran wild, the spiritual energy in his body quickly dissipated.
His limbs and bones, once clear and limber, immediately felt as if they'd been filled with paste. His light body grew heavy at once.
The ethereal feeling of "I yearn to ride the wind home" had now become the weighty feeling of "feet planted firmly on the ground."
At that moment, Su Li wanted to answer those questions on Bihu about "what it's like to cross into another world" — Thanks for the question. I'm in another world, and I've just been brutally beaten by reality...
Night passed, and dawn arrived.
After a night of jumbled, bizarre dreams, Su Li rubbed his bleary eyes and woke up.
He had just sat up when a soft knock sounded from outside.
"Master Su, you're awake, aren't you? Those prodigies owe you their lives, and they're all waiting outside to pay their respects. Master Su, perhaps you could take a look at them, too?"
Yun Wanchu's familiar voice came from outside, rich with warmth and tinged with a fear of death.
"Just a moment."
Su Li's heart stirred. Just like that—he'd been wondering how to farm Heavenly Secrets Value, and someone had delivered it right to his door.
He immediately shook off his grogginess and sprang up like a carp flipping out of water...
Well, he didn't make it up and nearly threw his back out.
Su Li rubbed his back, grimaced, then cupped his hands, breathed into them, and sniffed.
"Mm, not bad. Still pretty fresh. I'll skip brushing my teeth."
"Ah, if I'd succeeded in Qi Refining, none of this nonsense would be necessary!"
Feeling utterly aggrieved, Su Li took a sip of spiritual water to rinse his mouth, then swallowed a Qi Replenishing Pill to stave off hunger.
Then he donned a custom-made Spirit Silk Python Pattern Robe and a pair of custom Spirit Snake Skin Boots before strolling out.
The Spirit Silk Python Pattern Robe and Spirit Snake Skin Boots had been made from the hides and fur of ninth-level Golden Core Realm demonic beasts, combined with formations and sewn with Sky Snow Spirit Silkworm silk. Hua Ziyan had made them with Mu Yuxi, working through the whole night out of gratitude.
Though clothes made from top-grade materials like these lacked some comfort and fit, and offered less protection in a few places, they looked exceptionally refined, dignified, and luxurious.
Hua Yunxiao was intensely envious of such handcrafted custom pieces, but could only sigh as he watched them go: "Ah, a daughter is no longer yours once she's grown. Not only did this old father not get anything like this, I even had to provide the materials..."
"Creak—"
The door swung open, and sunlight spilled over Su Li, making it seem as though he wore a golden glow.
Outside stood ten handsome young men and women, their bodies suffused with a misty aura of spiritual energy. They stood quietly in two neat rows in the courtyard.
As Su Li looked at them, their gazes immediately settled on him, too.
Their eyes brimmed with curiosity, excitement, and anticipation, along with a hint of respect and admiration?
Su Li's expression stiffened slightly.
His gaze swept calmly across the ten young prodigies. Then he realized he hadn't triggered the "Reasoning to Convince" ability at all!
"Master Su."
Their voices rang out together, crisp and full of youthful energy.
Su Li was slightly shaken by their vigorous, forceful voices, so pleasant to hear.
"Master Su, these are currently the core True Disciples of Wanli Holy Land. As for the Saintess, we have only Saintess Li. Mu Yuxi is a provisional candidate for the position. We don't currently have a Saint Son, but we do have one candidate."
As he explained, Yun Wanchu pointed at a sunny, adorable-looking boy among the ten. "Fang Yueheng, come here."
The boy named Fang Yueheng immediately lit up with anticipation and excitement.
"Master Su."
He came forward and bowed at once, perfectly respectful, without the slightest trace of arrogance or haughtiness.
Su Li nodded and studied the boy carefully.
The boy looked extremely young and innocent, perhaps only fifteen.
He wore an elegant blue robe, and his hair was bound with a blue-glass jade hairpin, with locks cascading down both the front and back. He looked remarkably spirited.
At that moment, Su Li's handsome face was even reflected in his large, bright eyes.
Deep in his gaze, there seemed to lie a curiosity about everything and a yearning for the future.
Su Li instinctively opened the boy's Life Archive.
[Name: Fang Yueheng, male, 15 years old.
Realm: Golden Core Realm, early second level.
Talents: Withered Forest, Earth Pulse.
Constitution: Mysterious Wood Spirit Body, Mysterious Earth Spirit Body.
Fate: About to die (ambushed and murdered during a duel by an enemy seeking revenge).
...]
"Here it comes!"
"Just as I thought—an auspicious start!"
Su Li's heart stirred. He immediately thought, "Light Blue, check this person's Life Archive for the next seven days!"
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