After the Exam

Where was I supposed to find someone named Yiyi?

The shop had actually turned up this fragment of information without a beginning or an end, and rated it "Rare" to boot!

Forget it.

I'd leave the information for now and deal with it later.

I needed to change my luck—go do something else, then come back and refresh the goods!

Xu Yuan made up his mind.

It was a little like losing at cards, stepping out for a cigarette or a meal, then coming back for another round.

Superstition or whatever else it might be, it didn't matter.

The point was,

he needed to change his luck!

All right. On to the next reward.

The competition had three rewards: a nightmare delay, a shop placement, and a historical branch!

Now the historical branch was the only reward left!

Xu Yuan willed it.

Faint lines of text immediately appeared again:

"Congratulations."

"You have obtained a Blank Historical Branch (item type)."

"Use it?"

It was a Blank Historical Branch concerning an item.

How was he supposed to use it?

Xu Yuan suddenly remembered something and could not help touching the silver ring on his hand.

"Final Enlightenment Ring."

"One piece of the ?? set (1/2)."

"Effect: Increases cultivation speed by thirty percent. Limited to the Qi Refining Realm."

"Obtaining the other piece of equipment in the set will activate the set effect and the corresponding Identity Legacy."

"—At the right time, the ring will guide your way."

A set, huh.

This ring was one piece of it.

If he could obtain the other, he could activate the set effect.

What would that effect be?

There was not just a set effect. He could gain the corresponding identity, too!

Honestly, he was quite interested.

In that case,

what was there left to think about?

Find the other piece, complete the set, and boost his combat strength—

that was what mattered most!

"Are you going home at noon?"

Yang Xiaobing asked.

She had finished eating, returned both her tray and Xu Yuan's to the collection window, and come back to sit across from him.

"No time. I need to bring food to the hospital, then head back to school," Xu Yuan said.

"Okay. Say hello to your mom for me. I'll visit her another day. See you this afternoon," Yang Xiaobing said.

"See you this afternoon." Xu Yuan waved.

Yang Xiaobing gave him a radiant smile, waved back, and left the cafeteria.

Xu Yuan was about to leave as well.

Then a tall boy hurried over and sat down across from him.

"You are—?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Wang Minggang, Class Four. Third in the school in Swordsmanship Class, fifth in Artifact Refining. I've got a set of Battle Armor and two fine swords," the boy said.

He set two drinks on the table and pushed one toward Xu Yuan.

The cup had the words "Immortal Drink" printed on it.

It was made by the Spirit Botanist in the cafeteria's private kitchen. Its ingredients were high-grade and nutritionally balanced, and drinking it helped develop the body's meridians and speed up the circulation of spiritual energy.

It was expensive.

Xu Yuan usually could not afford it.

Zhao Afei would treat him to a cup sometimes, when he came into money.

"My treat. I can treat you every day from now on, and cover your breakfast and lunch too," Wang Minggang said.

"Wang, that's too generous of you." Xu Yuan smiled.

"I was watching you even before the exam began. You fought Jiang Xueyao without losing, and in the end you even brought strong fighters like her and Yang Xiaobing together into a combat team."

"You're no ordinary guy."

"I hope you'll put me on your team for the next monthly exam."

Wang Minggang spoke.

"But our team's full," Xu Yuan said, looking troubled.

Wang Minggang leaned forward and said earnestly:

"Zhao Afei only reached his cultivation level because his family poured resources into him. He's timid, and he can't fight with spells. I'm genuinely good at combat. I could work well with you."

"You can kick him out and take me instead."

"I'm sure Jiang Xueyao and the others won't object."

Xu Yuan looked at him and suddenly realized something.

Of course.

Jiang Xueyao ranked first in their year!

Yang Xiaobing, meanwhile, was a rising star who had only begun to make her mark in her final year.

She had awakened late, but her progress was astonishing.

Who would not want support from someone who excelled at both talismans and Spirit Plants in a fight?

Even in the team battle that had just ended—

Yang Xiaobing had held up the collapsing tunnel at the critical moment, keeping everyone safe. She had also released a flying crane that spotted the monsters' every move in time and supplied intelligence for the fight.

A teammate like that would make an excellent support fighter and scout on any team!

Add her abilities to Jiang Xueyao's extraordinary combat strength—

who would not want those two as battle partners?

No wonder Song Huaijin had stopped at nothing to pull Yang Xiaobing onto his team.

"We only threw a team together for the moment."

Xu Yuan said with a smile:

"In fact, we might disband next time and team up with other people."

"So, sorry. I can't do what you're asking."

"Can't you find a way to persuade Jiang Xueyao to team up again next time?" Wang Minggang asked.

"She left without even eating with us just now," Xu Yuan said.

Wang Minggang thought for a moment. "Did you offend her during the exam? Perform badly?"

"We disobeyed our superiors' orders and didn't go to the rendezvous point. As for me, I ran into a powerful demon and got so scared that all I could do was fire my gun. I spent the whole time looking for a car to escape in, and in the end a monster chased me until I could only run circles around a pill furnace."

Xu Yuan sounded a little embarrassed.

It was the truth, after all.

"Anyway, I can't tell her what to do." Xu Yuan sighed. "I'm in no position to insist that she team up with me."

"She's first in our year."

Wang Minggang fell silent for a moment, then said with pained exasperation:

"Man, you can't lose your head the moment you see a demon. Jiang Xueyao can't stand spineless cowards."

Xu Yuan nodded.

"By the way, you're pretty close with Yang Xiaobing?" Wang Minggang asked.

"That I am," Xu Yuan said.

"Then how about doing me a favor and recommending Yang Xiaobing for my team?" Wang Minggang asked.

"No. She's on my team, and she'll stay with me," Xu Yuan refused at once.

The corner of Wang Minggang's mouth twitched.

"All right, then. Hope you get a good result next time."

Under Xu Yuan's gaze, Wang Minggang picked up the Immortal Drink he had placed in front of him.

He took both cups from the table and left.

Xu Yuan smiled and thought nothing of it. He got up, packed some food, and prepared to head to the hospital.

The great river divided north from south.

Human cities lined its banks.

Amid that vast, splendid land stood an island city in the river's current.

For hundreds of years,

cultivators had used formations and the arts of controlling the five elements to manage the flood season, gradually turning the island into a land of fish and rice.

And because the island lay closer to the river's southern bank, it had ultimately been assigned to Jiangnan Province.

This was Jiangbei City.

It stood on the northern side of the great river's southern bank, not north of the great river itself.

Besides this city, Jiangnan Province had many other well-known metropolises.

For example—

Nanjiang City.

Famed for its abundant spirit grain, the city also bordered the mountains of a neighboring province, where numerous mineral deposits had been discovered over the years. It was the most prosperous city in Jiangnan Province.

Nanjiang City.

Jiangyuan High School.

A classroom in the final-year building.

The monthly exam had just ended.

A boy was opening a love letter.

It could not be helped.

He ranked first in his year, was good-looking, had already reached the Qi Refining Third Layer, and had even had his spiritual roots tested.

It was only natural that he was popular.

The boy glanced absently at the delicate handwriting on the letter, his mind returning to the exam.

As team leader, he had led his squad into the subway station and avoided the Flood Dragon's attack.

He had also explored the underground tunnel alone.

He had rescued a little boy

and taken him to Drum Tower Street Subway Station.

The little boy's older sister had thanked him in person and promised a generous reward.

Yet he had received nothing.

He had been teleported straight out, back to the school athletic field.

The teacher had told him he had completed every question on the exam.

Judging by the approval on the teacher's face, it was easy to guess how many points he would get this time.

The boy shook his head.

He could not afford to be careless.

The written exam was tomorrow.

He had to aim for the highest score.

Then his record would be just about enough to meet the score threshold for independent admission to universities like Nine Luminaries and Luofu!

He was still thinking when he suddenly sensed someone watching him.

Seriously?

Was it not lunchtime?

What class was this girl from, coming to find him now of all times?

The boy sighed, composed his expression, rose from his seat, and went to the window.

"We're on the fourth floor, after all. It's a little dangerous. Come inside and talk."

Maintaining his composure, he opened the window.

He waited a breath.

A playful girl should have climbed in from outside and greeted him with a grin.

But no one did.

The boy leaned forward and peered out curiously.

Click.

A faint sound.

All at once, he felt his whole body grow lighter.

It was like shedding an impossibly heavy coat, and never having to worry about so many things again.

Life suddenly felt impossibly far away. Everything seemed absurd and laughable.

Studying and taking exams were so boring.

I just want to sing at the top of my lungs!

The boy couldn't help smiling. He wanted to share the "truth" he had just grasped with everyone else.

Then he saw a headless body fall past the window.

His heart clenched. The headless body was so pitiful. He wondered who had chosen this moment to jump from the building.

The body struck several branches on its way down before hitting the ground. Blood gushed from its neck.

The boy shook his head and was about to find a teacher when he glanced at it again.

The body looked strangely familiar.

Why does it look familiar?

Is it one of my friends?

He stared at it more closely.

That black shirt, those blue jeans, those orange sneakers—

...It's me.

It's... me...

But where's my head?

The boy seemed to sense something and instinctively looked up.

A huge black centipede clung to the eaves. A faint haze shrouded its body, and it held something in its mouth.

—His head.

No.

This is all too fake.

It must be someone's illusion.

The centipede's body covered the entire roof.

If a Demon that enormous appeared at school—

The Warding Array would have sounded long ago!

Every cultivator in the city would have come to surround and attack the monster.

But no one came.

Whose prank is this, anyway? It's so lifelike I feel like I'm really here.

Could some great master have taken an interest in me? Is this a test?

Clinging to that last hope, the boy turned the thought over in silence.

Then the centipede spat out his head. It extended a long tongue, slowly reaching toward him.

The tongue writhed and changed shape until it took the form of a young girl.

"I've peeled off your shell. Now I'm going to eat you."

The girl spoke in a soft, delicate voice.

Then she shot through the boy like lightning and dragged him, still struggling, back into the centipede's mouth.

(The end of this chapter.)