BT

Meng Xi wore a look of confusion, wanting to press for more details.

Jiang Ran had already turned around and was walking toward the club entrance, saying, "Help me set up a meeting with Li Xintong. Tell her I'm free all afternoon."

Watching his back, Meng Xi pursed her lips and muttered, "So mysterious."

However, she didn't ask further, instead pulling out her phone to dial a number, saying with a smile, "Xiao Tong, come over quickly..."

After Jiang Ran went inside and found the locker room, he took out the anonymous SIM card Wang Zhenguo had given him and inserted it into his phone.

There was only one number in the contacts.

Jiang Ran opened the messaging interface.

"Start by collecting data on monsters and anything related to Transcendents."

He clicked send.

Jiang Ran then placed the phone on the bench and began to take off his jacket, preparing to change into sportswear.

But just as he unbuttoned the second button of his shirt, the phone screen lit up.

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow and picked up the phone.

Wang Zhenguo had replied quickly, and the content was far more detailed than he had anticipated.

"Received, Boss. Based on what I've gathered from forums and information exchanges, I've summarized the following:

Monsters have a probability of dropping three types of items: Spirit Crystal, Transcendent Inheritance Carrier, and Special Item.

The Federation has preliminarily established a Danger Zone Classification Map, which is currently circulating internally; I am attempting to acquire it.

The Federal Return Void Affairs Coordination Center has begun secretly recruiting and registering Transcendents, offering resource allocation and systematic training, though it requires signing strict agreements and accepting oversight. Most civilian Transcendents hide their identities, trading privately or forming small groups.

As for monster corpses, the Federal Research Institute and several large private conglomerates are purchasing them at high prices. Transactions are mostly settled in fiat currency or Spirit Crystal, though barter is also common.

Regarding Transcendents, there is no systematic intelligence yet, but I will continue to dig deeper."

Jiang Ran looked at the text on the screen, his brow slightly furrowed.

Wang Zhenguo's efficiency and ability to organize intelligence slightly exceeded his expectations.

His mindset had adjusted quickly, too.

It seemed the man knew exactly how to rapidly penetrate the information network of a new field.

However, he had already figured out most of the intelligence regarding monsters and Spirit Crystal himself.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Ran replied:

"Prepare an address. I will store some monster corpses there. Try to find a stable sales channel first, and prioritize trading for Spirit Crystal."

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

It was right on the edge of the Safe Zone.

Followed by a single line of text: "Understood."

Seeing this, Jiang Ran put his phone away without replying and quickly changed into his sportswear.

Just as he pulled open the locker room door, the door to the women's locker room next to it opened as well.

A tall, beautiful figure stepped out; it was Li Xintong.

"So fast?" Jiang Ran was a bit surprised to see her.

"I live nearby," Li Xintong said concisely, her voice calm.

Jiang Ran nodded, not asking further.

"Alright, let's go," he said, taking the lead toward the private training grounds behind the club.

Li Xintong followed silently by his side, her delicate brows knitting slightly as she saw the direction he was heading.

Jiang Ran could feel her gaze and gave a light cough: "Today, we're competing with compound bows."

Li Xintong didn't respond, simply watching him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Ran smiled and added, "Don't worry, today's training method is a bit different. You'll probably lose quite miserably."

Hearing this, Li Xintong fell silent.

This kind of minor provocation had always been very effective on her.

Behind the club was a vast outdoor training area, specifically used for equestrian and mounted archery training.

There were no horses at the moment; in the center of the empty field stood several fifty-meter standard targets, and in the distance, there were tracks for moving targets.

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

"The rules are simple," Jiang Ran said, pointing to the targets in the distance. "Today, we aren't just comparing scores. We're doing competitive shooting."

Li Xintong took the bow, skillfully checking the string and sight, and looked up upon hearing this: "Competitive?"

"Hmm." Jiang Ran walked behind the starting line and gestured for Li Xintong to stand beside him. "Ten arrows per round. My goal is to hit the bullseye. Your goal is to intercept my arrows."

Li Xintong's hand gripping the bow paused slightly.

"Intercept... in mid-air?"

"Correct." Jiang Ran nodded. "After one round, we swap roles. How about it? Any issues?"

Li Xintong's delicate brows furrowed tightly.

She looked at Jiang Ran, then toward the bullseye fifty meters away, and finally, her gaze fell back onto the bow in her own hands.

At fifty meters, the flight time of an arrow is less than half a second.

To judge the trajectory of an opponent's arrow in such a short time, then draw, aim, release, and accurately strike another arrow flying at high speed in mid-air...

This level of difficulty exceeded the scope of conventional archery; it was nearly a fantasy.

"Are you sure you aren't joking?" Li Xintong stared at Jiang Ran seriously.

Seeing this, the smile on Jiang Ran's face deepened.

"How will you know unless you try?"

Hearing this, Li Xintong remained silent for two seconds before spitting out a single word.

"Come."

The corners of Jiang Ran's mouth curled up slightly.

Hooked.

"First round, prepare." Jiang Ran stood behind the starting line, his voice calm.

Li Xintong stood two meters to his right, also raising her bow, but her arrow tip was not pointed at the target; it hung slightly downward, her muscles tensed, her focus entirely locked onto Jiang Ran's hands and bow.

"Start!"

The moment Jiang Ran's voice fell, his right hand moved in an instant.

Whoosh!

The black carbon arrow tore through the air, lunging straight for the bullseye fifty meters away.

Almost at the same moment, Li Xintong's bow also rang out.

Her movements were equally astonishingly fast; the instant Jiang Ran's arrow left the string, her arrow had already been released, its direction aimed precisely at the path ahead of Jiang Ran's arrow.

However...

Her arrow was too slow.

It wasn't that her movements were slow, but that judgment and decision-making require time.

Even though she was fully focused, the moment Jiang Ran's arrow left the string, she still needed a fleeting instant to confirm the trajectory and adjust her aim.

It was that fraction of a second that determined the outcome.

Jiang Ran's arrow embedded itself firmly into the bullseye, right in the center of the ten-ring red dot.

Li Xintong's arrow, meanwhile, missed the target entirely.

She bit her lower lip, said nothing, and quickly drew another arrow.

By the end of the first round of ten arrows, after Jiang Ran had finished shooting, Li Xintong had only managed to fire seven.

Not to mention successfully intercepting Jiang Ran's arrows in mid-air.

She couldn't even match Jiang Ran's rate of fire.

"Second round." Li Xintong's voice was somewhat hoarse. "It's my turn."

Jiang Ran smiled, stepped to the side, and made a gesture of invitation.

"Fine. Now, you shoot for the bullseye, and I will intercept."

The two swapped positions.

Next, Li Xintong would fire ten arrows, and Jiang Ran would be responsible for the interception.

For the first nine arrows, Li Xintong successfully hit the bullseye every time...

But when the tenth arrow was fired.

Snap. Li Xintong remained in her drawing posture, but her pupils dilated slightly as she looked ahead.

She saw her final arrow snap into two pieces in mid-air.

Jiang Ran's voice sounded from the side.

"Looks like my luck is good."

Listening to him, Li Xintong turned around to look at the chuckling Jiang Ran and remained silent for a while.

"Again."

Jiang Ran looked at Li Xintong's unyielding gaze and felt delighted inside.

He glanced at the panel.

The experience points for Compound Bow Shooting and Moving Target Shooting were jumping and increasing at an astonishing speed.

[Compound Bow Shooting experience +5]

[Moving Target Shooting experience +3]

[Prediction skill experience +2]

It seems I won't even need until tomorrow; I can max out the experience for the compound bow today.

This kind of high-intensity, targeted training is far more efficient than conventional instruction.

4:50 PM.

Jiang Ran fired his final arrow, watched it embed firmly into the bullseye, and then lowered his bow.

"Let's call it a day," he said.

Li Xintong, standing beside him, lowered her bow at almost the exact same time.

After several consecutive hours of high-intensity archery, she had nearly reached her limit.

Yet she remained silent, merely looking down at the records on her phone.

This afternoon, they had conducted a total of 28 rounds of competition.

The score...

2 rounds were draws.

Jiang Ran had won 26 rounds.

And she hadn't won a single one.

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

Watching her silent demeanor, Jiang Ran found it somewhat amusing, yet felt a twinge of sympathy.

He walked over to her side and gave a light cough. "Uh, actually, you've already made great progress today."

Li Xintong didn't turn around, still looking at her phone.

Jiang Ran rubbed his nose and continued, "Besides, I've been practicing longer than you, so our foundations are different. Also, I've undergone a long period of specialized training regarding dynamic vision and trajectory Prediction.

So, you don't need to dwell on winning or losing. This training method itself is meant to push you to your limits and help you adapt to shooting under high pressure. Winning or losing is secondary; the point is the process of adaptation."

Hearing this, Li Xintong finally turned around slowly.

There were still traces of sweat on her face, a few stray hairs clinging to her cheeks, and her eyes were clear and bright as she looked straight at Jiang Ran.

After staring for several seconds, she squeezed out two words in a low voice:

"Pervert."

Jiang Ran: "..."

This was the first time he had heard her curse since he had known Li Xintong.

Although her voice was very soft and the tone wasn't exactly intense—even creating a strange sense of contrast with her cold, aloof face—it was indeed a curse.

Jiang Ran's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and for a moment, he didn't know how to react.

After speaking, Li Xintong seemed to feel she had been a bit uncomposed. She quickly turned her face away, stopped looking at him, and began to silently disassemble her bow and pack up her quiver.

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

He also began to pack up his things.

Silence fell between the two once more.

However, halfway through packing, Li Xintong suddenly stopped her movements and asked casually:

"Have you seen the news online?"

Jiang Ran was in the middle of putting his arrows back into the quiver one by one. Hearing this, his movements paused, and he nodded. "It would be hard not to; it's spreading like wildfire online. Abyssal Void, Second World, Transcendents... I bet even the ladies at the vegetable market are talking about it now."

Li Xintong gave an "mm" and continued to tidy up her bowstring in a slow, measured manner.

After a few seconds, she asked again:

"If you were given a chance to enter that world, would you go?"