The Blue Smoke

[Advent Ends]

[Calculating Advent Settlement--

Settlement Details:

Explored beings in Lotus Valley, gained 16 Exploration Points. Discovered special location Autumn Moon Forest in Lotus Valley, gained +6 Exploration Points. Discovered Lotus Valley wonder, gained +3 Exploration Points.

Discovered Deity in Lotus Valley, activated character panel, gained 50 Exploration Points reward.

Calculating exploration rewards.

Received this exploration reward:

1: Soul Strength +3.1

2: Gained Special Character Favorability +2, unlocked character's personal information.

3: Special Character shared her insights with you, obtained Special Item--Nine-Tailed Spirit's Contract.

Congratulations, Summoner.]

The exploration progress was high, but the Soul Strength only increased by 3.1. However, Li Ke didn't find it strange. After all, he had noticed last time that exploration points didn't directly translate to Soul Strength increases.

But, Ahri's personal information and the Nine-Tailed Spirit's Contract?

Li Ke first glanced at his own panel.

[Name: Li Ke]

[Race: Human Soul]

[Soul Strength: 10.4 (Scattered Soul)]

[World Exploration Progress: 1.5%]

[Current Items: Nine-Tailed Spirit's Contract]

First, he looked at his item inventory. Li Ke saw a stone imprinted with a fox's paw print. After taking it out, Li Ke read its information.

[Nine-Tailed Spirit's Contract (Bound)]

[Quality: Red (Mythic)]

[Usage Level: None]

[Effect: Charm increased, Affinity increased]

[Description: A powerful Deity, intrigued by you, has left their mark. But is being noticed by a Deity truly a good thing?]

"Charm, Affinity?"

Li Ke toyed with the Nine-Tailed Spirit's Contract, then chose to use it.

Although the description said being noticed by a Deity wasn't necessarily a good thing, for Li Ke, he needed to become stronger and change Zaun. Power was indispensable. The Soul Blossom was his reliance, and besides, being branded by Ahri was better than being branded by Thresh, right?

Li Ke felt fortunate now. Damn it, it was a close call that Ahri saved him back then. If he had been branded by Thresh, could he still go to the Soul Blossom?

That old bastard!

Clicking open his character panel, Li Ke took a look. On the panel, besides the activated Thresh, there was also Ahri, wearing a long dress, her hand extended from a pink sleeve, playing with a pearl. Her charming face was smiling.

Li Ke reached out and touched Ahri, opening her panel, which displayed Ahri's personal information.

[Lotus Valley - Ahri]

[Soul Strength: ???]

[Personality: Gentle, kind, cheerful, possesses strong curiosity about this world]

[Likes: Listening to unheard stories, seeing unseen souls]

[Stage: Encounter]

[Status: Leading a newly-born soul towards the right path.]

It was different. Although Ahri's Soul Strength wasn't displayed yet, two new entries had appeared: Personality and Likes.

Was this indirectly telling Li Ke how to gain Ahri's favor?

She liked listening to stories.

Li Ke wondered if it was possible for him to bring things from the outside world into the Soul Blossom. If he could, bringing Ahri some books would probably make her happy, right?

Looking at Ahri's personality description, Li Ke felt very reassured.

How could an Ahri like this possibly harm him?

Li Ke could already imagine Thresh's personality: solitary, gloomy, perverted!

The thought of Thresh completely ruined his good mood. Li Ke cursed and closed the panel, then exited the Soul Blossom.

He still had one Advent opportunity left, but there was no need to rush. The three points of Soul Strength he had gained this time had already caused a qualitative change in Li Ke.

He could feel the obvious changes in his body. To put it this way, Li Ke estimated his speed had increased by at least double, and his strength by about double?

Bending a five-centimeter steel plate with his bare hands wasn't an impossible feat.

Keep in mind that the weapons Jinx manufactured could only barely shatter a two-millimeter steel plate. His current strength was truly beyond that of an ordinary person.

If the upper and lower cities weren't so dominant, and if Li Ke were alone, could anyone really stop him from doing whatever he wanted?

If there was anyone, it would probably be Camille?

And that Deity from Zaun, who disappeared without a trace and only appeared in murals?

With these thoughts, Li Ke awoke in the Material Realm.

As soon as he got up, he twitched his ears and heard sounds from outside.

His Soul Strength had surpassed ten points, and Li Ke's five senses were also enhanced. Even though he was inside the tent, he could hear the sounds outside.

"That's Jinx!"

"We have to go quickly, go call Li Ke!"

"Vi, calm down, I'll go call Boss..."

Before Malson could finish speaking, he stared blankly at Li Ke, who had suddenly appeared before him, and was startled. "Heavens, Boss, when did you get here?"

"Just now. What happened?" Li Ke looked at Vi.

Vi was also confused when she saw Li Ke suddenly appear.

She had personally watched Li Ke go to the tent twenty meters away. When she spoke to Malson, she had even pointed at the tent, but now Li Ke was here?

What was going on?

But Vi didn't have time to dwell on it. She looked at the blue smoke appearing in the distance in broad daylight and said, "That's Jinx, that must be Jinx. That's the signal flare I gave Jinx, we have to go find her now."

Vi was full of anxiety.

She had argued with Jinx yesterday, but now Jinx might be in trouble, and Vi was the most restless.

Li Ke looked up and saw the small blue smoke appearing intermittently some distance away from the Lian Hua Gang stronghold.

"Malson, didn't I tell you to have people protect Jinx?"

"Boss, the people I sent, Wright and Marvin, lost her. She led them away with Isha," Malson explained.

Li Ke didn't blame Malson any further. After all, it was Jinx.

If she could stay put, the twin cities wouldn't have had so many problems.

Being peaceful wasn't her nature.

"Alright, I understand. Get everyone up, grab your weapons, I'm going over there now."

"Wait, take me with you!" Vi reached out and grabbed Li Ke.

Li Ke hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pulled Vi into his arms. "My speed is very fast, you need to be ready."

Vi subconsciously wanted to retort, but then she remembered how Li Ke had suddenly appeared before her. She nodded and said, "I'm ready, wa-woo ah--"

A blur of afterimages flashed past. Malson closed his eyes and coughed. When he opened them again, he stared dumbfoundedly at the shadow that had already appeared dozens of meters away, darting across the rooftops, his mouth agape.

"What the fuck?"

No, he knew Li Ke was powerful, but was this still human?

Could that strange Alchemical Canned Man who had annihilated the Ci Mu Gang even be half as fast as Li Ke?

Malson's body began to tremble, and he felt a surge of excitement.

Following someone like this...

His future was incredibly bright!