BT

Meng Xi looked utterly confused and was about to ask more.

But Jiang Ran had already turned and was heading for the club's entrance. "Help me get in touch with Li Xintong. Tell her I'm free all afternoon."

Meng Xi watched him go, pursed her lips, and muttered, "So mysterious."

But she didn't press him. Instead, she pulled out her phone, made a call, and said with a smile, "Xintong, come over..."

After Jiang Ran went inside and found the changing room,

He took out Wang Zhenguo's prepaid SIM card and put it in his phone.

There was only one number in the contacts.

Jiang Ran opened the messaging app.

"Start gathering information on the monsters and Transcendents."

He tapped Send.

Then Jiang Ran set his phone on the bench and started taking off his jacket, ready to change into his workout clothes.

But he had barely undone the second button of his shirt when the screen lit up.

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow and picked up his phone.

Wang Zhenguo had replied quickly, and his message was much more detailed than Jiang Ran had expected.

"Got it, boss. Based on what I've gathered from the forums and the information I've traded for, here's a summary.

Monsters can yield three types of items: Spirit Crystals, Transcendent Inheritance Carriers, and Special Items.

The Federation has made an initial Danger Zone Classification Map, which is circulating internally. I'm trying to get my hands on it.

The Federation's Return Void Affairs Coordination Center has begun secretly recruiting and registering Transcendents. It offers resource support and systematic training, but recruits have to sign strict agreements and submit to supervision. Most independent Transcendents conceal their identities, trade privately, or form small groups.

The Federal Research Institute and several large private organizations are buying monster corpses at high prices. Most transactions are settled in cash or Spirit Crystals, though some involve bartering.

As for Transcendents, there's no systematic intelligence yet. I'll keep digging."

Jiang Ran looked at the message on his screen, his brow furrowing slightly.

Wang Zhenguo's efficiency and ability to organize information had exceeded his expectations.

He'd adapted quickly, too.

It seemed he knew how to find his way into a new field's information network.

However, Jiang Ran had already figured out most of what there was to know about the monsters and Spirit Crystals.

After thinking for a moment, he replied:

"Get an address ready. I'll store some monster corpses there. First, try to find a steady buyer, preferably one who'll trade in Spirit Crystals."

This time, Wang Zhenguo took a few minutes to send an address.

It was near the edge of the Safe Zone.

Then came a message: "Understood."

Jiang Ran put his phone away without replying and quickly changed into his workout clothes.

He had just pulled open the changing-room door

when the door to the women's changing room beside it opened at the same time.

A tall, beautiful figure stepped out. It was Li Xintong.

"That was quick," Jiang Ran said, a little surprised to see her.

"I live nearby." Li Xintong was brief, her voice calm.

Jiang Ran nodded and didn't ask anything else.

"All right, let's go." He headed toward the club's private training grounds out back.

Li Xintong followed quietly beside him. When she saw where he was going, her brows knitted slightly.

Jiang Ran could feel her gaze. He cleared his throat. "Today, we're competing with compound bows."

Li Xintong didn't respond. She simply watched him, waiting for him to explain.

Jiang Ran smiled and continued, "Don't worry. Today's training will be a little different. You'll probably lose badly."

Li Xintong fell silent at that.

This kind of provocation always worked on her.

Behind the club was a vast outdoor training area used for horseback riding and mounted archery.

There were no horses at the moment. Several standard fifty-meter targets stood in the middle of the open field, with moving-target tracks farther away.

Jiang Ran took two identical competition compound bows from the equipment room and handed one to Li Xintong.

"The rules are simple." Jiang Ran pointed toward the targets. "Today, we're not just competing for points. We're doing a shooting drill against each other."

Li Xintong took the bow and expertly checked the string and sight. At his words, she looked up. "Against each other?"

"Yeah." Jiang Ran walked behind the shooting line and motioned for Li Xintong to stand beside him. "Ten arrows per round. My goal is to hit the bull's-eye. Yours is to intercept my arrows."

Li Xintong's hand paused slightly on the bow.

"Intercept them... in midair?"

"Right." Jiang Ran nodded. "After each round, we'll switch roles. Any questions?"

Li Xintong's brows drew together tightly.

She looked at Jiang Ran, then at the bull's-eye fifty meters away, before finally looking down at the bow in her hands.

At fifty meters, an arrow took less than half a second to reach its target.

In that short time, she would have to judge the other arrow's trajectory, draw her bow, aim, release, and hit another arrow flying through the air at high speed...

That was beyond the scope of ordinary archery. It was practically impossible.

"Are you sure you're not joking?" Li Xintong stared seriously at Jiang Ran.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Ran's smile only deepened.

"How will we know unless we try?"

Li Xintong fell silent for two seconds, then said one word.

"Let's."

The corner of Jiang Ran's mouth lifted slightly.

She'd taken the bait.

"First round. Get ready." Jiang Ran stood behind the shooting line, his voice calm.

Li Xintong stood two meters to his right, bow raised, but her arrow pointed slightly downward. Her muscles were taut, her attention fixed entirely on Jiang Ran's hands and bow.

"Begin!"

The moment Jiang Ran spoke, his right hand moved.

Whoosh!

The black carbon-fiber arrow tore through the air, shooting toward the bull's-eye fifty meters away.

Almost at the same instant, Li Xintong's bow twanged.

Her movements were just as fast. The instant Jiang Ran's arrow left the bowstring, she released her own, aiming at a point ahead of its flight path.

But...

Her arrow was slower.

Not because her movements were slow, but because judging and deciding took time.

Even with all her concentration, she still needed a fraction of a second after Jiang Ran's arrow left the string to confirm its trajectory and adjust her aim.

That tiny gap of a few tenths of a second decided the outcome.

Jiang Ran's arrow sank neatly into the center of the bull's-eye, the red ten-ring.

Li Xintong's arrow missed the target.

She bit her lower lip without a word and quickly nocked another arrow.

By the end of the first round, Jiang Ran had shot all ten arrows, while Li Xintong had only managed seven.

And she hadn't come close to intercepting any of Jiang Ran's arrows in midair.

She couldn't even match his rate of fire.

"Second round." Li Xintong's voice was a little hoarse. "My turn."

Jiang Ran smiled, stepped aside, and gestured for her to go ahead.

"Sure. Now you aim for the bull's-eye, and I'll intercept."

They switched places.

This time, Li Xintong would shoot ten arrows while Jiang Ran tried to intercept them.

She hit the bull's-eye with each of her first nine arrows...

But when she released the tenth,

there was a sharp crack. Li Xintong still held her bow in shooting position, but her pupils widened slightly as she stared ahead.

Her final arrow had broken in two in midair.

Jiang Ran's voice came from beside her.

"Looks like I got lucky."

Li Xintong turned to look at Jiang Ran, who was smiling faintly, and stayed silent for a moment.

"Again."

Jiang Ran was delighted to see the unyielding look in Li Xintong's eyes.

He glanced at the panel.

His Compound Bow Shooting and Moving Target Shooting experience points were climbing at an astonishing rate.

[Compound Bow Shooting experience +5]

[Moving Target Shooting experience +3]

[Prediction skill experience +2]

It looked like he wouldn't have to wait until tomorrow. He could max out his Compound Bow Shooting experience today.

This kind of high-intensity, targeted training was far more effective than ordinary instruction.

At 4:50 p.m.,

Jiang Ran released his final arrow. He watched it sink neatly into the bull's-eye, then lowered his bow.

"Let's call it here," he said.

Li Xintong lowered her bow almost at the same time.

After several hours of intense archery, she was nearly at her limit, too.

But she remained silent, looking down at the results on her phone.

They had competed for a total of twenty-eight rounds that afternoon.

The score...

Two rounds had ended in a tie.

Jiang Ran had won twenty-six.

She hadn't won a single round.

Li Xintong stared at the results on her phone, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Seeing her standing there without a word, Jiang Ran found it a little funny, but he also felt a bit bad for her.

He walked over and cleared his throat. "Uh, you actually improved a lot today."

Li Xintong didn't turn around. She kept looking at her phone.

Jiang Ran rubbed his nose and continued, "Besides, I've been training longer than you, so we don't have the same foundation. And I've spent a long time training specifically in dynamic vision and trajectory Prediction.

"So don't take the results too seriously. This kind of training is meant to push you to your limits and help you adapt to shooting under pressure. Winning and losing are secondary. The important thing is getting used to it."

At that, Li Xintong finally turned around slowly.

Her face was still damp with sweat, and a few loose strands of hair clung to her cheek. Her eyes were bright and clear as she stared straight at Jiang Ran.

She stared at him for several seconds before managing to squeeze out two quiet words:

"Such a freak."

Jiang Ran: "..."

This was the first time he'd heard Li Xintong insult anyone.

Her voice had been quiet, and her tone wasn't particularly harsh. Paired with her cool, composed face, it even felt strangely at odds.

But it was definitely an insult.

The corner of Jiang Ran's mouth twitched. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

After saying it, Li Xintong seemed to realize she'd let herself go a little. She quickly turned away, no longer looking at him, and silently began dismantling her bow and packing her quiver.

Jiang Ran rubbed his chin and decided to pretend he hadn't heard.

He started packing his things, too.

Silence fell between them again.

But halfway through packing, Li Xintong suddenly stopped and asked casually:

"Have you seen the news online?"

Jiang Ran was putting his arrows back in the quiver one by one. At her words, his hands paused, and he nodded. "It's hard not to. The whole internet's gone wild. The Abyssal Void, the Second World, Transcendents... Even the old ladies at the market are probably talking about it."

Li Xintong hummed and continued calmly organizing her bowstring.

A few seconds later, she asked again:

"If you had the chance to enter that world, would you?"