Jiangnan Pavilion

The Training Camp erupted into an uproar!

As soon as Chen Yuan and Luo Hai's information was entered into the Training Camp system, their rankings surged to the top. Chen Yuan took fifth place—or, more precisely, tied for fourth—while Luo Hai was even more terrifying, seizing first place with a Combat Power Amplitude of 30.8.

Since the Training Camp had abolished its combat merit point system and trainees no longer needed to go out and hunt Monsters, Limit Dojo had erected a ranking monument within the Training Camp as well. It stood in a highly conspicuous spot, meant to ensure that trainees always knew their rankings.

Thus, when two new names appeared on the rankings, with one of them even taking first place, the news spread like wildfire and swept through the entire Training Camp in no time.

For a moment, Luo Hai and Chen Yuan became the focus of everyone's discussion.

"Lu, your throne at the top has been taken. And by a newcomer, no less." The speaker was Darian Frost, a burly blond, blue-eyed white man. He wore a white tank top that clearly displayed the lines of his powerful muscles.

"The other newcomer is strong too. She tied with Miss Yu the moment she entered the Training Camp." The white man sighed in heartfelt admiration.

Standing opposite Darian was an Asian young man dressed in a black training uniform. His face was cold and stern, his black eyes deep and unfathomable. He was Lu Yuan, the man who had ranked first in the Training Camp for years.

Lu Yuan showed no reaction to being surpassed. He merely glanced at Darian and snorted. "Idiot."

Darian's face immediately darkened. "Lu, even if you're stronger than me, you can't insult me for no reason. I want an explanation."

"Open your eyes and look carefully at the name in first place. His name is Luo Hai!" Lu Yuan sneered. "Do you know what that surname represents?"

"Luo Hai, Luo Hai, Luo..." Darian's eyes suddenly widened. "Could he be a descendant of Earth Lord Luo Feng?"

"More accurately, he's Luo Feng's son." Lu Yuan's expression remained calm. That was precisely why he was not anxious. The resources available to Luo Feng's son were simply far beyond his own.

Though Lu Yuan was proud, he also knew that some gaps could not be crossed through talent alone.

"My God!" Darian was so shocked that he was momentarily speechless. "Why would someone like that come to the Training Camp?"

"Who knows? Maybe he came on a whim." Lu Yuan stared at Luo Hai's name on the rankings. "This is good too. With Luo Hai joining the Training Camp, I'm no longer sitting alone atop a solitary peak. Now I have a goal worth chasing."

At that moment, Luo Hai was the only one in Lu Yuan's eyes. He did not spare a glance for any other name, whether it was Darian or the other newcomer in the Training Camp.

Just then, the rankings suddenly refreshed. Chen Yuan's name abruptly jumped from fifth place to second, pushing Lu Yuan down to third with a Combat Power Amplitude of 17.28.

Lu Yuan's pupils contracted sharply.

Yet Chen Yuan and Luo Hai knew nothing of the commotion their rankings had caused in the Training Camp. At that moment, they were following Wei Wen toward Jiangnan Pavilion.

After crossing a wooden arched bridge, Wei Wen pointed at a cluster of antique-looking buildings in the distance. "We're here. Jiangnan Pavilion is up ahead."

"So this is what Jiangnan Pavilion looks like." Luo Hai gazed at the Hui-style garden architecture before him and could not help sighing. "So this was where my dad trained back then?"

Chen Yuan suddenly asked, "Uncle Wei, did you arrange for someone to meet us?"

"Meet us? No." Wei Wen followed Chen Yuan's gaze and saw an exquisitely featured young girl in green walking toward them from the distance. She looked about seventeen or eighteen. He could not help frowning in confusion. "Could Jiang Fang have arranged it?"

The girl in green approached the three of them, looked them over, then smiled faintly. "Looks like I guessed right. Luo Hai, Chen Yuan, you really did come to Jiangnan Pavilion."

The three exchanged glances. Wei Wen could not help asking, "Young lady, how did you know? Did Jiang Fang tell you?"

"Teacher Jiang didn't tell me. I guessed it all myself. After all, the name 'Luo Hai' easily makes one think of Lord Luo Feng." The girl in green shook her head. "And Lord Luo came from Jiangnan City. Plus, Teacher Jiang went out early this morning, so I guessed that she might have gone to pick you up."

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Yu Qinglan. I'm the only trainee here at Jiangnan Pavilion."

As she spoke, Yu Qinglan folded her hands together and slightly bent her knees in a graceful old-fashioned salute. The gesture carried the distinct charm of a woman from the Jiangnan water towns, immediately endearing her to the three people from Jiangnan City.

"Yu Qinglan, you're the Yu Qinglan ranked third?" Chen Yuan remembered the name because he had been tied with her when he first appeared on the rankings. "So you're from Jiangnan Pavilion. What a coincidence."

"Oh, right. I'm Chen Yuan, and he's Luo Hai." Chen Yuan introduced himself and Luo Hai, then pointed at Wei Wen. "This is Uncle Wei. He's our elder."

"Hello, young lady. My name is Wei Wen." Wei Wen grinned, while Luo Hai merely nodded in greeting.

Yu Qinglan smiled faintly. "Please follow me. Jiangnan Pavilion is just ahead."

Chen Yuan and the other two then followed Yu Qinglan to Jiangnan Pavilion.

They pushed open the courtyard gate.

Chen Yuan looked around. The courtyard of Jiangnan Pavilion was several dozen meters across, with white walls and black tiles. Dragon designs were carved along the tops of the walls, making it a standard Hui-style building.

Apart from the garden, Jiangnan Pavilion consisted of three towers. Besides the one in the center, there was one tower at each of the eastern and western corners.

"This is Jiangnan Pavilion." Yu Qinglan introduced the place. "I live in the western tower. The central and eastern towers are still empty, so you can each choose one."

She paused, then added, "Oh, and I heard that Lord Luo Feng lived in the eastern tower back then."

"I'll take the eastern one." Luo Hai's eyes lit up at Yu Qinglan's words, and he immediately spoke first.

Chen Yuan was not picky about accommodations and said casually, "Then I'll take the central tower."

Seeing that the two had chosen their rooms, Wei Wen felt that his task was complete. "All right, Xiao Yuan, Xiao Hai. Train hard here from now on and strive to reach the Planetary Level as soon as possible."

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back first."

"Goodbye, Uncle Wei." Chen Yuan and Luo Hai watched Wei Wen leave Jiangnan Pavilion, then each returned to their rooms to unpack.

What Chen Yuan had not expected was that just after he set his backpack down in his room, Jiang Fang's voice came from downstairs.

"Is Chen Yuan here?"

"Teacher Jiang, I'm here!" Chen Yuan poked his head out from the second floor of the tower. Seeing Jiang Fang standing in the courtyard below, he leaped from the window and landed lightly on the ground.

At the same time, a figure leaped down from each of the eastern and western towers. They were Yu Qinglan and Luo Hai, both looking curiously at Jiang Fang, wondering why their teacher had come looking for Chen Yuan.

"Teacher Jiang, what is it?" Chen Yuan walked up to Jiang Fang and asked.

Jiang Fang looked deeply at Chen Yuan before saying, "Headquarters has replied. Come with me. The inspector wants to see you."

Chen Yuan was slightly stunned when he heard this, but then nodded and followed Jiang Fang away from Jiangnan Pavilion.

Yu Qinglan was somewhat confused. She asked Luo Hai, "Junior Brother Luo, what did Teacher Jiang mean? Do you know?"

Luo Hai nodded thoughtfully. "If I'm not mistaken, the special contract Teacher Jiang applied for from the dojo on Chen Yuan's behalf has received a reply."

"A special contract?" Yu Qinglan blinked, looking a little lost.

"Oh, Teacher Jiang seemed to mention it before. She said it was Limit Dojo's 'Official Recruitment Contract.'" Luo Hai added.

"What? An Official Recruitment Contract?!" Yu Qinglan was instantly shocked.