Jiang Yuan and Ji Feiyue returned to Chongming Martial Arts Hall.
"Even though I knew you could win, I didn't expect it to be so easy." Luo Yi sat cross-legged on the floor, a can of beer in her hand. "I didn't even get to see your skills. What a shame."
Lei Na said excitedly, "Yihan told me you're already LV9. I had no idea you were this strong now! Want to spar with me?"
Her bright eyes gleamed with excitement.
Jiang Yuan was tempted, too.
A third-tier Shadowless Assassin would be perfect for testing his current strength.
"Stop messing around, Lei Na," Ji Feiyue said. "Don't you still have work to do?"
"Oh!"
Lei Na slapped her forehead.
"I still have to deliver takeout! I completely forgot!"
"I still have to deliver takeout, so I'll get going. See you next time, little brother Jiang Yuan."
With that, she vanished without a trace. Even Jiang Yuan only caught a glimpse of a dark blur.
"That was a great way to blow off some steam. I'm treating everyone today. Let's go eat at Purple Moon Pavilion."
Xu Yihan's smile was impossible to hide as she spoke to the group.
Luo Yi raised her hand excitedly. "Yay! Yihan rarely treats us, and it's Purple Moon Pavilion, too. We won't hold back!"
Jiang Yuan had only heard of Purple Moon Pavilion. It was an upscale restaurant where the average bill topped ten thousand, and it only served Class-Transferred Warriors with reservations.
Ji Feiyue smiled. "Even if we're only getting to go thanks to Jiang Yuan, it's a rare chance. We won't hold back, either."
"I can afford to treat you all to one meal."
"By the way, there's this, too."
Xu Yihan traded Jiang Yuan a rare chain-like weapon and a skill book.
"These were yours to begin with. You should have them."
Jiang Yuan didn't refuse. He accepted them readily and checked their attributes. Since they weren't suited to him, he asked Ji Feiyue to help sell them.
Ji Feiyue smiled and nodded. "You're in the guild chat now, so if you have anything you can't use, you can put it in the guild warehouse. If someone else needs it, they can buy or trade for it. Likewise, if there's something you need, you can trade with the others to get it."
"Got it."
Jiang Yuan nodded. "Besides these, I actually have two more things."
He took out the Bone Spear and Blood Lion Ring.
After showing them their attributes, Ji Feiyue looked surprised. "That's a Bone Beast's tailbone. I can't believe you managed to get something this good. It's only first-tier, but it's expensive on the market and quite rare."
"Even ordinary top-grade rings are rare. Looks like you made quite a haul in the Abyss this time."
"Are you planning to sell them both?"
"I'd like to have the Bone Spear reforged. If no one in the guild wants the Blood Lion Ring, I'll sell it," Jiang Yuan said.
Ji Feiyue nodded. "Its attributes are good, but its level is too low, so you're better off selling it. As for the weapon, I happen to know a blacksmith. Leave both matters to me."
"Thanks, President."
At that, Ji Feiyue's eyes flickered. She leaned forward, her alluring upper body pressing against the white dress, and drew close to Jiang Yuan. Her breath was sweet as she said, "As a condition for helping you, you're not allowed to call me President anymore. It sounds too cold. Call me Sister Feiyue."
They were so close now that even a slight dip of his head would bring his gaze to the snowy-white cleavage right in front of him.
Jiang Yuan looked a little flustered. "All right... Sister Feiyue. I'll leave it to you..."
"Haha, he's blushing!" Luo Yi teased as she drank her beer, giving Jiang Yuan a hard smack on the back. "You're such a blushing virgin!"
Lan Xue covered her mouth and chuckled, too.
The group headed to Purple Moon Pavilion in high spirits and had a feast. It wasn't until evening that Jiang Yuan returned to the martial arts hall with Xu Yihan.
Before they parted, Luo Yi, drunk as a skunk, put an arm around Xu Yihan. "Yihan, you—hic—you can't take advantage of living together and, and make a move on little brother Jiang Yuan. O—hic, otherwise, I won't let you off..."
"I-I wouldn't!" Xu Yihan's face flushed red.
She stole a glance at Jiang Yuan, only to find him asleep against the car window.
"Maybe Lieyuan Wine is a bit strong for a minor?" Ji Feiyue said with a smile as she looked at him.
"Maybe. Sister Feiyue, have you decided when we're going back to the Abyss?" Xu Yihan asked.
"Mm, sometime in the next few days."
"What about Jiang Yuan...?"
"This time we're going to a fourth-level Abyss. His level is still too low, and he also has to prepare for the college entrance exam. Let's leave him out this time," Ji Feiyue said with a smile.
Xu Yihan nodded. She'd had the same thought.
"Then we'll head back first."
"Mm, be careful on the way."
Meanwhile.
As clips from Moyu's livestream spread that battle across the Star Domain Network, Jiang Yuan's handsome looks, his languid, mysterious air, his unfathomable fighting methods, and his ability to take Liang Cheng down in a single blow twice drew widespread attention and sent his popularity soaring.
After returning home from the Abyss, Lin Qingyan saw the news online. She sipped her coffee and said,
"What's the point of teaching that trash a lesson? And making such a big fuss about it... If I have time for something like this, I might as well go to the Abyss and kill monsters to level up."
Thinking back to what had happened in the Abyss,
a layer of frost clouded her delicate, pale face.
"That bastard. Does he think beating me once means he can keep pushing me around?"
"Just you wait."
Xia Family Manor.
"Jiang Yuan? Fifth Prodigy? Paying attention to that is utterly pointless."
Inside the enormous training room, trenches ten meters long scarred the floor. Xia Qinghou, drenched in sweat, faced away from the butler and spoke coolly.
"Among my peers, whoever they are, all they'll ever see is my back."
Outside Nanjiang City, somewhere in the suburbs.
Qin Nansun sat on a stone in the distance, looking at the tablet in his hand. The corners of his mouth lifted.
"Oh?"
"Jiang Yuan... He's pretty interesting."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground shook.
"Roar!"
Three enormous Pig-headed Men charged toward him, gripping giant axes.
Qin Nansun didn't even look at them. He raised a hand and pointed upward with two fingers.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Six black iron swords shot up. Their intersecting flashes sliced through the air like hot knives through tofu, instantly draining the health bars of all three enormous Pig-headed Men.
"I wonder how many of my strikes he could withstand," Qin Nansun said, a hint of interest in his eyes.
"I can't wait."
In a room in the basement of White River Group,
Lin Junhao lay naked in a pool of emerald-green medicinal liquid, with a woman who looked utterly spent lying beside him.
He raised his arm. Green tendrils like willow branches emerged from his flesh and swayed. As if alive, they plunged into the medicinal liquid and greedily "drank," bubbling away. One tendril pierced the beautiful woman beside him.
"Mm..."
Her face was full of pleasure, but her body rapidly shriveled. In just a few seconds, she had become a dried corpse, a satisfied smile still on her face as she died. It was all terribly sinister.
"Power... I can feel power surging through me."
Lin Junhao greedily absorbed it. His handsome face, pale as paper, was full of wickedness, nothing like how he'd looked during the awakening ceremony.
"No one will be able to beat me in this Martial Dao College Entrance Exam. Hahahahaha!"
Gurgle, gurgle.
As he laughed wildly, the flesh at the back of his head rippled, and a purple eye squirmed into view.
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