Read Let Me Game in Peace - Chapter 1 - Abandoning Himself to Vice online free - Novel Full
Chapter 1: Abandoning Himself to Vice
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"After the dimensional storms decades ago, multiple dimensional zones appeared across the world—gods, immortals, ghosts, monsters, angels, devils, elves, etc. All kinds of legendary dimensional creatures were discovered. Via hunting these dimensional creatures, humans acquire their powers…" As the grizzled Yu Qiubai lectured, he would occasionally cast his gaze to the corner seat at the back of the classroom.
The other students were listening attentively, but the boy in the corner had his textbook in front of him while sleeping with his arm lay outstretched on the table. From time to time, one could hear faint snoring.
Yu Qiubai shook his head indiscernibly as he sighed inwardly. So what if you are talented? What can you accomplish if you falter from a single setback? Although the setback from that failure was big, not recovering from it really doesn't make him live up to the former principal's approbation of him.
Yu Qiubai recalled what the former principal had said to him before his retirement. Looking back at the boy sleeping soundly on the table with drool hanging from the corner of his lips, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"Qiubai, I've seen many geniuses in my life. In summary, there are two types of geniuses." The former principal back then had very bright eyes.
"What are the two types?" Yu Qiubai had asked curiously.
"One type of genius is called Zhou Wen, the other type is the other geniuses."
The former principal's words left a deep impression on Yu Qiubai, but the student who was given heaps of praises by the former principal was now a degenerate, one who had no intention of improving himself. All he did was sleep in class. After class, he would be gaming on his cellphone.
Yu Qiubai had attempted to bolster Zhou Wen's confidence in the past, hoping that he could rally him up. But despite the numerous pep talks, Zhou Wen remained the same. He continued sleeping in class and gaming out of class. He didn't focus on cultivation as though he had lost all sense of enterprise.
Ring!
With the bell ringing to mark the end of class, Yu Qiubai saw Zhou Wen sit straight up, having awoken from his sweet slumber. Without even turning back, he grabbed his phone and rushed out of the classroom. This only disappointed Yu Qiubai as he muttered with a sigh, "Principal, I've tried my best. Unfortunately, Zhou Wen is a hopeless case."
Zhou Wen jogged the entire way and soon left the building before coming to a secluded corner in the school compound.
He wasn't oblivious to the strange looks his teachers and schoolmates gave him, but he didn't take it to heart.
Others believed that Zhou Wen had wallowed in self-misery because he had failed to handle the setback, but he knew very well that he had never taken the defeat to heart. The reason he was "abandoning himself to vice" was due to an incomprehensible reason that even he couldn't explain.
After unlocking his phone, with great familiarity, Zhou Wen launched a game program called "Ant Nest". Soon, the phone's screen revealed the dark interior of an ant nest. The meandering paths had countless black ants crawling about.
After ensuring that no one was looking at him, Zhou Wen pricked his finger and dripped a drop of blood onto the screen.
A strange scene happened the next second. The drop of blood seeped into the screen as a blood-colored avatar appeared in the game screen of Ant Nest. Beside the blood-colored avatar was a stat window.
Zhou Wen
Age: 16 years
Lifeform level: Mortal
Strength: 9
Speed: 5
Constitution: 8
Primordial Energy: 4
Primordial Energy Art: Ascetic Meditation
Primordial Energy Skills: None
Primordial Energy Pet: None
Ever since the dimensional storms, all sorts of dimensional life forms had appeared. They were roughly categorized as Mortal, Legendary, Epic, and Mythical. Humans stood at the bottom of the totem pole as Mortals. By cultivating in Primordial Energy Arts, they could raise their constitutions and evolve to higher life forms.
However, simply cultivating in a Primordial Energy Art to hone one's body and evolve was extremely slow. Hunting dimensional creatures and robbing them of their dimensional crystals for one's own use allowed accelerated evolution.
Pan-dimensional creatures lurked in dangerous places. Other than the zones where humanity had explored, the other zones were almost a sure ticket to death. Not everyone was willing to risk their lives.
Furthermore, Earth's federation had clear rules—underaged youths were forbidden entry into the dimensional zones.
The Ascetic Meditation, which Zhou Wen had cultivated, was also a Primordial Energy Art. It solely relied on arduously tempering one's body to cultivate Primordial Energy without the reliance on external forces.
In the federation, there were plenty of sixteen-year-old geniuses who could produce Primordial Energy from cultivation, but few people on Earth could do it simply by cultivating Ascetic Meditation and tempering his body to produce Primordial Energy, especially without any external help. He was the only one capable of doing so in the history of the small town of Guide City 1 .
Shortly after, every teacher and student in Guide High School believed that Zhou Wen would achieve great things in the future. Then, one day a transfer student came to Guide High School and challenged him. To everyone's surprise, the transfer student defeated him in one strike. Furthermore, it was done by a girl.
Zhou Wen stopped cultivating arduously after that. He appeared to abandon himself to vice. People imagined that he was mentally weak and couldn't suffer the setback, but Zhou Wen knew very well that his change had nothing to do with the failure. It was completely because of the mysterious phone in his hand.
Zhou Wen looked down at his phone as he kept controlling the blood-colored avatar on it to slay the black ants in an Ant Nest.
"Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant… Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant… Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant…"
Notifications quickly flashed past as he killed every ant.
Ding!
After killing countless Vigor Ants, he suddenly heard a crisp sound as a special notice appeared on the screen: Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant. Discovered Primordial Energy Crystal.
Zhou Wen focused his gaze and saw a crystalline body resembling a diamond that appeared after a Vigor Ant was killed. On it was the number five.
He was delighted as he hurriedly controlled the blood-colored avatar to pick up the Primordial Energy Crystal. The moment the Primordial Energy Crystal touched its fingers, it immediately transformed into a strange aura that drilled into the blood-colored avatar's body.
Simultaneously, Zhou Wen felt strength surge into his body from his phone as though he had been struck by lightning. It caused the Primordial Energy within him to be rapidly replenished.
The Primordial Energy entry in the blood-colored avatar's stats went from four to five.
After killing a dimensional creature, there was a chance that various kinds of crystals would drop. The most common crystals were Strength, Speed, Constitution, and Primordial Energy Crystals.
The usage of Strength Crystals enhanced the Strength of humans, while using Speed Crystals increased one's speed. The other crystals had similar effects.
But in reality, crystals didn't have numeric displays. Humans couldn't see their own stats and only knew that their Strength increased after using a Strength Crystal without knowing the exact quantitative increase.
The mysterious phone in Zhou Wen's hand not only allowed him to obtain dimensional crystals that others had to risk their lives in dimensional zones to obtain, but it also allowed him to see the numeric values of the dimensional creatures, himself, as well as the dimensional crystals.
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Chapter 2: Ant Nest
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Ever since he had obtained that phone, Zhou Wen had spent nearly every moment grinding on it with a game. In turn, he received all kinds of dimensional crystals.
In the past, his Strength was 7, Speed was 4, Constitution was 7, and Primordial Energy was 1. After receiving the dimensional crystals from grinding, he had raised all these values in slightly more than a month. If it were in the past, it might have taken him years to even develop so quickly.
After using large numbers of dimensional crystals, Zhou Wen realized a set of rules. No matter which dimensional crystal it was, as long as its value was higher than his, using it would result in his stats directly rising to the same value as the said dimensional crystal.
But if the dimensional crystal's value was lower or the same as his, it could only replenish some of his energy. Then, by cultivating the Primordial Energy Art, he could raise his own stats instead of a direct raise.
This also meant that the higher the dimensional crystal's value was, the better. Its effects on Zhou Wen would also be amplified. However, having killed so many Vigor Ants in the Ant Nest, the highest Strength Crystal he had seen was a 9. The highest Constitution Crystal was only an 8. Speed Crystals were all low in value. Primordial Energy Crystals were extremely rare. The 5 he had received today were the highest valued he had seen to date.
Zhou Wen had considered the possibility that it had something to do with the Vigor Ants' natural makeup. They were outstanding when it came to their Strength and Constitution, but their Speed was lacking. This was also why the Strength Crystals that he received were relatively high in value, while Speed Crystals weren't much to speak of.
However, even low-valued dimensional crystals could be used as energy supplements, allowing Zhou Wen to quickly cultivate Ascetic Meditation; thus, it wasn't completely useless.
The only regret was that the crystals that dropped in the game were directly absorbed upon contact with the blood-colored avatar. They couldn't be brought to the real world; otherwise, just the sale of the low-valued crystals he had no use for would be enough to make him quite a wealthy person.
There were many ants in the Ant Nest, and whenever they discovered Zhou Wen's blood-colored avatar, the number that gathered only increased.
After killing over a hundred Vigor Ants, another dimensional crystal dropped. Unfortunately, it was a Strength Crystal 3 and could only be used for energy replenishment.
The drop rate of dimensional crystals wasn't high, and most of them were valued at 3 or lower. The higher-valued ones had extremely low drop rates, so Zhou Wen could only rely on massive amounts of grinding to raise the chances of him getting them.
This was also the reason he often slept in class and stopped cultivating—apart from classes, he spent the rest of his time grinding, even at night. He didn't have the time or energy to cultivate or pay attention in class.
Even so, the rate at which he strengthened himself was incomparable to the past. If he had only cultivated Ascetic Meditation like before, the time it took to raise his Primordial Energy to 5 would have been several times or even dozens of times longer.
As the number of Vigor Ants increased, Zhou Wen was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Before long, the blood-colored avatar was inundated by Vigor Ants, and the screen went black.
Zhou Wen had no choice but to restart the game by dripping a drop of blood onto the game's screen. His blood was akin to a 1-Up in games—one drop of blood was a life.
With the game launched, he embarked on his grinding again, killing one Vigor Ant after another. However, Zhou Wen wasn't too lucky this time. Not a single dimensional crystal dropped despite killing over a hundred Vigor Ants.
Since Zhou Wen was a sedate person and not quick-tempered, he continued to patiently grind in the Ant Nest.
Suddenly, he saw a somewhat special Vigor Ant amidst the hordes.
This Vigor Ant was blood-red in color as though it was completely covered in blood. It stood out among the other black Vigor Ants, and its head was slightly bigger. Zhou Wen noticed it immediately.
Upon noticing the red Vigor Ant gearing for a charge, Zhou Wen cautiously probed it and found its Strength and Speed was far greater than other black Vigor Ants. However, it was still manageable for him.
After positioning the blood-colored avatar several times, it managed to hit the red Vigor Ant, but only dealt minor damage to it. He had failed to slay it.
However, there was still clear progress—the red Vigor Ant's health bar was slowly dropping. Perhaps about a hundred strikes were needed to slay it.
Thankfully, the red Vigor Ant was only slightly faster than the typical black Vigor Ant. The blood-colored avatar had enough time to position itself and dodge, so killing it was only a matter of time.
However, the black Vigor Ants were increasing in number. The development worried Zhou Wen because, at this speed, he might be swarmed by the ant horde before he successfully killed the red Vigor Ant.
However, no idea came to mind for the time being. Zhou Wen could only do his best to control the blood-colored avatar's speed to deal damage to the red Vigor Ant.
Just as the red Vigor Ant's health bar almost depleted to zero, the surrounding Vigor Ants increased, giving the blood-colored avatar no space to circle around the former.
Crack!
The blood-colored avatar failed to dodge in time and was bitten by a black Vigor Ant. Instantly, its health bar was almost halved.
Zhou Wen knew that he was at the end of the rope. All he could do was to use the blood-colored avatar to deliver one final strike with all its might at the red Vigor Ant.
Boom!
When the punch landed, the red Vigor Ant's vital spot was struck. Its final bit of health was depleted and its red carapace instantly exploded. Two crystals burst out from its carcass.
Zhou Wen didn't have the luxury to see what type of dimensional crystals they were. His blood-colored avatar was in a critical state as the two crystals were picked up.
Moments after the blood-colored avatar picked up the two dimensional crystals, it was swarmed by the Vigor Ant horde, and before long, the screen went black.
Zhou Wen looked at the two notifications that appeared on the screen. He heaved a deep sigh of relief for he had had similar experiences. As long as he could pick up a dimensional crystal before dying, the effects would be applied.
"Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant. Discovered Primordial Energy Crystal."
"Killed Mortal creature, Vigor Ant. Discovered Vigor Ant Crystal."
Upon seeing the two notifications on the screen, Zhou Wen couldn't help but be taken aback. He had seen a Primordial Energy Crystal drop plenty of times, but a dimensional crystal named after Vigor Ants was a first.
After a brief pause, Zhou Wen reacted. Although he had never seen such dimensional crystals, he had heard of their existence. In textbooks and videos on the Internet, people had used similar crystals. However, they weren't Vigor Ant Crystals, but crystals of other dimensional creatures.
Could it be that this is one of those legendary dimensional crystals? While Zhou Wen was feeling exhilarated, he felt a strange force from his phone spread through his body.
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Chapter 3: Vigor Divine Fist
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
A force surged through Zhou Wen's body like a bolt of lightning. He was no stranger to such a feeling for it was the feeling he received when absorbing Primordial Energy Crystals. However, this absorption was far more intense than anything he had previously felt. It was many times more intense than his past absorption of the five-valued Primordial Energy Crystal.
What's the value of this Primordial Energy Crystal? Why is it so intense? As Zhou Wen reeled in delight, he felt another force surge into his body.
Unlike the Primordial Energy Crystal, this force surged through his body like an electric snake, opening up his originally sealed meridians, opening up a strange new path.
It's true… The Vigor Ant Crystal is a Primordial Energy Skill Crystal as spoken in legends… However, I wonder what this Vigor Ant's Primordial Energy Skill is… Zhou Wen was filled with anticipation.
As the electric snake-like force flowed through his body, Zhou Wen's Primordial Energy was being stirred as it began circulating in the newly opened pathways.
Zhou Wen was surprised to discover that with the circulation of the Primordial Energy, his hands turned blood-red with a metallic sheen. Furthermore, he had a strange swollen feeling. Although his palms didn't increase in size, it made him feel that his hands contained an immense strength, one that was eager to blast out his palms.
Now, Zhou Wen had the urge to deal a punch, but he ultimately held back. He was on campus, and it wasn't in his best interest to cause a commotion. Furthermore, any damage to public property required him to pay compensation.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the swelling feeling gradually subsided. His hands recovered to normal as the Primordial Energy in him stopped circulating. However, Zhou Wen knew that this Primordial Energy blast skill had been imprinted deep in his body and soul. It had seemingly become innate to his body, something he could not forget no matter how he tried.
Zhou Wen couldn't wait to look at his phone. The game interface had already gone black. He immediately restarted the game and dripped a drop of blood in. When his in-game avatar appeared, he immediately checked his character stats.
Zhou Wen
Age: 16 years
Lifeform level: Mortal
Strength: 9
Speed: 5
Constitution: 8
Primordial Energy: 9
Primordial Energy Art: Ascetic Meditation
Primordial Energy Skill: Vigor Divine Fist (Rank 7)
Companion Beast: None
Zhou Wen was overjoyed. His Primordial Energy had risen all the way to 9. It meant that the Primordial Energy Crystal he had absorbed was valued at 9. And the Rank 7 indicated behind Vigor Divine Fist was similar to seven-valued stat crystals. Without any cultivation, Zhou Wen's Vigor Divine Fist had reached a rather high rank.
As Primordial Energy Skills were relatively rare, they were rather expensive. However, after receiving this Skill, he would make use of it. He could greatly enhance his various abilities, unleashing combat strength that far exceeded his normal standards. It gave him the important means to protect himself and kill enemies. No one would dislike having too many Primordial Energy Skills.
In the past, Zhou Wen had lacked the finances to purchase Primordial Energy Skill Crystals and with him fully focused on cultivating Ascetic Meditation, he lacked the time and energy to practice the Skills. This Vigor Divine Fist was his first Primordial Energy Skill, and from its name and effects, it was likely a skill that enhanced the strength of both his fists.
Indeed, the Ant Nest in the game is identical to the dimensional zones in the real world. Does this mean that the game will also drop Companion Beasts? Zhou Wen felt slightly pumped.
As he began grinding again in the game, his avatar was similarly able to use Vigor Divine Fist. Eagerly, Zhou Wen made his avatar use Vigor Divine Fist to see its might.
Boom!
The blood-colored avatar struck a Vigor Ant, bashing its head into its body. Then, its body exploded due to the immense pressure. Its flesh, blood, and carapace splattered everywhere, reducing it to a blob.
Zhou Wen was alarmed and delighted upon seeing this. The blood-colored avatar was equivalent to a clone. If it could produce such might, it also meant that he could do the same in reality.
In the past, he had needed several strikes to kill a Vigor Ant, and that had needed him to strike a vital spot. Vigor Divine Fist could ignore the Vigor Ant's carapace's defense and directly blast them apart. Its strength was frighteningly potent.
However, although Vigor Divine Fist was powerful, this punch expended 4 Primordial Energy. With Zhou Wen's maximum Primordial Energy at 9, he could only deliver two strikes before he was drained.
Although Primordial Energy could recover on its own, it happened rather slowly. Zhou Wen took an hour to recover one point, so it was sorely insufficient to keep up with his expenditure.
Of course, he could also use Primordial Energy Crystals to quickly recover Primordial Energy. To most people, this was an extremely extravagant act.
Although he had received a Primordial Energy Skill, he could only use it as a trump card for now. Zhou Wen continued patiently grinding as before, hoping that a more magical drop would appear.
Grinding was undoubtedly dull and boring. However, for a person who could hone his body and cultivate Primordial Energy through Ascetic Meditation before the age of sixteen, this boredom was nothing.
While Zhou Wen was holding his phone and engrossed with grinding, he suddenly sensed someone approaching him. Looking up, he saw a tall girl in a high-school uniform walk over.
Zhou Wen turned to look around her. Students typically didn't come here, and it was the same at present. He was apparently the only person around for dozens of meters, and it was for this reason that he chose this spot to game.
Don't tell me Fang Ruoxi is looking for me? Zhou Wen looked at the girl walking straight towards him, and in response, he could only put away his phone for he didn't wish for anyone to see what was on it. Otherwise, it could invite huge trouble for him.
Fang Ruoxi was tall, standing at a height of 1.75 meters. At this age, she wasn't short among men and would stand out among women.
Although she was tall, her body proportions were excellent. Together with her slender body and constant training, she didn't seem too big in size. Her long, slender legs and exaggerated curves gave quite a strong visual impact. She had a primal charm of a feral nature.
Fang Ruoxi's name was quite a demure name for a girl, but it didn't match her character. She was a rather proud girl. Before An Jing transferred over, Fang Ruoxi and Zhou Wen were considered the two most illustrious geniuses in Guide High School.
However, the two of them weren't in the same class. They both had asocial characters, and as Zhou Wen spent most of his time focusing on cultivating Ascetic Meditation and honing his body, the two never had much interaction other than the polite greeting from time to time.
Fang Ruoxi was clearly here for Zhou Wen. It left him perplexed, unsure why she was looking for him.
"Zhou Wen, I wish to invite you to join my team for the combat test at the end of the graduation exams." Fang Ruoxi came before Zhou Wen and said those startling words to him.
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Chapter 4: Fang Ruoxi's Invitation
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
The cultivation of Primordial Energy Art already played an important role in the Earth Federation's physical education system. Apart from the ordinary subjects tested at the college entrance examinations, there was a special combat test.
As combat tests were dangerous, not every candidate needed to participate, and the results weren't included in the overall score of the entrance examinations. It was completely voluntary to participate, but to apply for some special schools, the results of a combat test was necessary for standardization purposes.
In the past ten years, more and more famous schools used the results of the combat test as one of the standards for student recruitment.
Of course, to get a job involving dimensional zones, the results on the combat test was a very good prerequisite.
Although Zhou Wen could obtain dimensional crystals from the phone without him risking his life to enter dimensional zones, he still planned on taking the combat test and enter a school focused on cultivation. This would aid him in getting a job related to the dimensional zones in the future.
If Zhou Wen didn't involve himself in any dimensional zone work, he wouldn't have the sources or channels to obtain dimensional crystals. This would make it difficult for him to explain his rapid growth or any Companion Beasts he might receive in the future.
By hiding in plain sight he would not garner the notice of others, just as a diamond would be lost in a sea of crystals.
Zhou Wen didn't wish to risk his life at the dimensional zones, but he needed to have a job involving such matters. At the very least, he needed a channel to obtain dimensional items. This way, he wouldn't be suspected when he used large numbers of dimensional crystals in the future.
The combat test wasn't a solo affair. Instead, it was carried out in a team of four. Apart from one's individual combat prowess, teamwork, leadership, and other traits influenced the final results.
If one were to be the final man standing in the combat test, with the other teammates dropping out ahead of time or an accident happening, one's score would be greatly affected, even if the individual did very well to receive high individual scores.
Zhou Wen had quite a good reputation in Guide High School in the past. He was an ideal teammate, but in the past month or so, his image and reputation had drastically declined. There were also significant doubts about his abilities.
It was still understandable if an ordinary student were to team up with him, but for Fang Ruoxi who had a chance of coming first in the Guide City combat test, there wasn't a good reason for her to recruit him.
Zhou Wen had been famous because of his cultivation of Ascetic Meditation. But when it came to actual strength, there were a few sixteen-year-olds in Guide High School who had cultivated Primordial Energy. However, they were not like Zhou Wen who simply relied on honing his body to cultivate Primordial Energy. They had more or less absorbed Primordial Energy Crystals to supplement their cultivation.
"Why are you recruiting me?" Zhou Wen asked Fang Ruoxi with piqued interest.
Fang Ruoxi and Zhou Wen locked gazes. Her eyes were clear and untainted like a mountain spring.
"I want to do my best to get a high score on the combat test, so I need a strong teammate. And you have that strength," Fang Ruoxi said calmly.
"You are referring to me from a month ago, right?"
Fang Ruoxi's glimmering eyes stared at Zhou Wen intently as she said firmly, "From what I see, Zhou Wen is Zhou Wen. He has never changed. You are still the only person in Guide High School that I view as my match."
Zhou Wen was slightly taken aback. He was rather surprised that Fang Ruoxi thought so highly of him. He couldn't help but feel some indescribable, odd feelings.
"What's An Jing if you say something like that?" Zhou Wen said in a self-deprecating manner. Although he wasn't concerned about his defeat under An Jing's hands, he had to admit that she was much stronger than he was.
Fang Ruoxi sighed. "I said the only person in Guide High School. An Jing was never one of us. Also, she will not be participating in the college entrance exams here."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Wen was taken aback.
"Don't you know? She has already transferred out." Fang Ruoxi paused and continued, "Although I don't know An Jing's origins, I'm certain that she has exceeded the Mortal stage. To reach such a stage at her age, she must have quite a remarkable background. And with that strength of hers, it was completely unnecessary to challenge you. Furthermore, her arrival and departure happened so suddenly. It gives the feeling that she just came here to beat you up. I even imagined that you were acquainted with her and had crossed her somehow."
Zhou Wen had never thought too much about it previously. Now, on careful thought, it did seem to be the case. He could, however, be sure that he had never met An Jing before, much less have crossed her.
"How is that possible? I've never met her before. How could I have crossed her?" Zhou Wen tried carefully recalling, but couldn't figure out how he could have had bad blood with her.
"Perhaps I was just overthinking it." Fang Ruoxi didn't continue on the topic as she looked at Zhou Wen and asked, "So, what's your answer?"
"Since you are willing to team up with me, I naturally don't mind cozying up to someone powerful," Zhou Wen said with a shrug.
"Then it's a deal. I've already found the other two teammates. Starting today, the four of us will train together during cultivation classes in the afternoon. We need to ensure that we have the necessary teamwork and coordination during the combat test." Fang Ruoxi looked at her wristwatch and turned to say to Zhou Wen, "Come on. Cultivation classes are about to begin."
When Li Zhi and Tian Xiangdong watched Fang Ruoxi return with Zhou Wen, they were quite surprised. They knew that she had gone to find their fourth teammate, but weren't aware of who she had in mind.
Now, upon realizing that it was Zhou Wen, they felt puzzled. They all knew of Zhou Wen's antics over the past month.
Cultivation was in an ever-regressive state, especially combat. Even frequent practice made it difficult to seize fleeting opportunities in battle. The lack of practice for a few days greatly slowed down one's reflexes. Considering how Zhou Wen hadn't practiced for over a month with him completely engrossed in gaming, to the point of looking pale and sickly, it was almost a certainty that his combat abilities had drastically fallen.
It was just like a professional boxer. They needed enough time to recover and train after a period of zero practice to compete in matches again. No one could become stronger doing nothing. They only became weaker.
They weren't that far off from the college entrance exams, and even if Zhou Wen made a comeback like a prodigal son, it would be very difficult for him to recover his original combat prowess.
"Ruoxi, don't tell me the fourth teammate is Zhou Wen? Is this a joke!?" Tian Xiangdong rubbed his nose and said in an exaggerated manner.
"I'm not joking. Zhou Wen will be our fourth teammate," Fang Ruoxi said in all seriousness.
Tian Xiangdong looked at Fang Ruoxi and then at Zhou Wen. He habitually rubbed his nose and said, "Ruoxi, all of us know how talented and capable Zhou Wen is, but he hasn't been training for more than a month. Even if he were to restart his training now, it will be difficult for him to recover his former standards. Our goal is to be first in Guide City's combat test. I don't think Zhou Wen is the best candidate? Why don't we do this? I have some ties with Zheng Yi. If you feel uncomfortable asking him, I'll do the invitation. How about that?"
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Tian Xiangdong's words were clearly directed at Zhou Wen, but the latter wasn't angered.
The combat test at the college entrance exam was key to the latter half of an average person's life. Anyone would hope to do their best and not have others affect their own results.
Whether one could attend a reputable school, find a decent job after graduation, or even have the chance of entering high society, was highly tied to the test.
Furthermore, the strength of a teammate affected one's safety. No one wished to use their lives as a joke.
Even Zhou Wen had aimed for a reputable school before he obtained the mysterious phone. This gave him more opportunities to become stronger and not let his talent go to waste. Therefore, Zhou Wen could fully comprehend Tian Xiangdong's rationale for saying such things.
After Tian Xiangdong said his piece, he stopped looking at Fang Ruoxi and stared at Zhou Wen.
Fang Ruoxi looked at Zhou Wen and said, "Zheng Yi might be outstanding as well, but I think Zhou Wen is the best candidate."
By the side, Li Zhi thought and said, "We know you have an eye for talent, Ruoxi. Zhou Wen is indeed outstanding, but the combat test results are very important to all of us. We have to treat it with utmost seriousness. Let's do this. If Zhou Wen doesn't mind, we can do a simple test. Once the results of the test are out, it will be obvious if Zhou Wen suits our team."
"Li Zhi's right. I agree," Tian Xiangdong said immediately.
"What kind of test?" Fang Ruoxi asked.
"Wouldn't that be simple? I'm the weakest among the three of us. Let Zhou Wen fight me in combat. As long as he wins me, he will naturally be qualified to join our team. You wouldn't call that bullying, right?" Tian Xiangdong hurriedly said.
Fang Ruoxi didn't say a word and looked at Zhou Wen.
Zhou Wen knew that he needed to voice his opinion at such times; otherwise, it would be difficult for him to join the team. Although he wasn't too interested in joining this team, he still wished to get good results for the combat test. Fang Ruoxi's team was likely considered the strongest team at Guide High School, so there was definitely no harm in joining them.
"I'm fine with that. However, actual combat has risks. It would be terrible if anyone gets injured," Zhou Wen said with a nod.
Tian Xiangdong laughed in response. "Zhou Wen, I know you've been cultivating Ascetic Meditation. Your Constitution and Strength must be extraordinary, but your Speed must be lacking. I won't take advantage of your weaknesses. Why don't we determine the winner through a Strength competition?"
Fang Ruoxi couldn't help but frown when she heard Tian Xiangdong.
Tian Xiangdong cultivated Lightning Art and it was also a Primordial Energy Art that primarily unleashed massive bursts of strength. Tian Xiangdong had also coupled Lightning Art with a Primordial Energy Skill, Lighting Fist. Tian Xiangdong's Lightning Fist had only reached Rank 1, however, among typical high school students, the chances of them coming into contact with a Primordial Energy Skill was rather low. To grasp one Primordial Energy Skill, especially one that matched their Primordial Energy Art, was very rare.
Fang Ruoxi didn't know Zhou Wen's family background, but from the way he cultivated a Primordial Energy Art like Ascetic Meditation, without ever purchasing any supplementary Primordial Energy Crystals, it was highly likely that his family wasn't well-to-do. If he couldn't even afford Primordial Energy Crystals, how could he have the money to buy the expensive Primordial Energy Skill Crystals?
Furthermore, in his battle with An Jing, he hadn't used any Primordial Energy Skills.
Fang Ruoxi's lips quivered, but she didn't say a word. She thought inwardly, "Let's see how Zhou Wen will handle this."
Zhou Wen looked at Tian Xiangdong and asked, "How do we compete in Strength?"
"Although the school has a Strength-measuring device, those lifeless numbers don't mean much. Let's exchange blows. Whoever retreats loses. How about that?" Tian Xiangdong said with squinted eyes.
"I think it's better we use the school's Strength-measure device," Zhou Wen said after some thought.
"Why? Are you afraid of me injuring you?" Tian Xiangdong said, curling his lips.
Zhou Wen smiled without a word. He was more afraid of killing Tian Xiangdong with one punch.
Tian Xiangdong's Primordial Energy Skill, Lightning Fist, wasn't a secret at school. Just relying on strength alone probably couldn't beat him. Therefore, if Zhou Wen used Vigor Divine Fist, he was afraid that a single punch would obliterate Tian Xiangdong's arm as well as his body.
"Alright. Since you're afraid, let's use the Strength-measuring device," Tian Xiangdong said, feeling some regret.
For the past three years in high school, all the teachers and students had claimed that Zhou Wen was the number one genius of Guide High School. Tian Xiangdong naturally wasn't very accepting of this accolade and had long wished to prove himself by defeating Zhou Wen.
This was a tiny wish many top students at the school had. After Zhou Wen was defeated by An Jing's single blow, this desire subsided significantly.
However, since there was a chance to defeat him, Tian Xiangdong still held some anticipation and excitement. After all, Zhou Wen was once honored as Guide High School's number one genius.
The only thing that left Tian Xiangdong regretful was that he couldn't personally defeat Zhou Wen as An Jing did. All he could do was defeat him with numbers on a Strength-measuring device.
Now that it was lunchtime, the device room didn't have any students. As always, Yu Qiubai was inspecting the various devices personally, checking to see if there were any problematic ones that could receive timely repairs.
Just as Yu Qiubai sat inside a spacecraft-like Primordial Energy-measurement device, he heard someone push open the door. Following that there were footsteps.
It's lunchtime. Who would come here? Yu Qiubai looked out the observation hole from inside the device and discovered that it was Fang Ruoxi, Tian Xiangdong, Li Zhi, and Zhou Wen. He couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.
These four students could basically be considered the top elites of Guide High School's graduating class. Apart from Zhou Wen's wallowing in self-misery, the other three were highly anticipated to do well.
For the four to come to the device room, including Zhou Wen, left Yu Qiubai curious. He had no idea what they were doing here.
Four… Could these four be forming a team to participate in the combat test… But with Zhou Wen's current state… How could Fang Ruoxi and the rest be willing to form a team with him? Yu Qiubai's heart stirred as he remained inside the Primordial Energy-measuring device. He was curious as to what they were up to.
"Who's going first? You or me?" Tian Xiangdong walked to the Strength-measuring device and turned to look at Zhou Wen.
"Anything works," Zhou Wen said indifferently.
"Anyway, everyone gets three tries. The highest one shall count. Since it doesn't matter who goes first, I'll do the honors first," Tian Xiangdong said as he walked in front of the device.
Tian Xiangdong took a deep breath as he circulated his Lightning Art and gathered his strength before smashing his fist into the pressure board on the Strength-measuring device.
The pressure board was made up of a metal alloy with hydraulic machinery behind. Based on the different amount of strength delivered, the board would jerk back and produce a figure onscreen.
When Tian Xiangdong threw the punch, a series of numbers lit up on the display one after another. It only stopped when it reached 7.
Tian Xiangdong hadn't used Lightning Fist and had only relied on pure Strength. With regard to that, he was rather satisfied with the value of 7.
For the average high-school student, a Strength value of 7 was undoubtedly head and shoulders above their peers.
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Tian Xiangdong having 7 for his Strength surprised Zhou Wen slightly.
The Strength-measuring device's value was slightly different from the Strength stat in the game on the phone. However, the difference wasn't that much. They could basically be considered as sharing the same unit.
Before Zhou Wen received the mysterious phone, his Strength was only a 7 as well.
"It's your turn," Tian Xiangdong took a step to the side and said to Zhou Wen.
Zhou Wen stood in front of the Strength-measuring device as the trio's eyes landed on him. All of them wanted to know how much strength this former number one genius of Guide High School had left.
Inside the Primordial Energy module, Yu Qiubai shared the same sentiments. After spending more than a month as a wastrel, how much more strength did Zhou Wen have?
Although Strength wasn't something that declined as quickly as one's reaction in combat, having it was one thing, and delivering it was another.
Skills to deliver Strength required plenty of practice before one could perfectly release one's Strength. Over time, one would get rusty; therefore, even if one still had Strength, they could hardly release it completely.
Zhou Wen stood in front of the pressure board, taking on a pose to deliver an Inch Punch. It wasn't a Primordial Energy Skill, but an ordinary combat skill. It was part of the school's normal teachings.
However, Inch Punch was easy to pick up but difficult to master. It was used to deliver the greatest amount of strength at the shortest distance and was one that needed plenty of practice to achieve a certain level of mastery. Furthermore, it was delivered at short distances, so Inch Punch didn't have any beautiful or cool poses. The typical student was more willing to practice something that showed its effects quickly and punching techniques that appeared domineering.
Of course, even more students chose to train in weapons. After all, the damage from weapons in actual combat was far greater than one's limbs.
Upon seeing Zhou Wen nearly plaster his fist to the pressure board, Fang Ruoxi and company realized that he was using Inch Punch.
Tian Xiangdong curled his lips and said, "The explosive strength delivered by Inch Punch is very strong indeed, but it's not something easily mastered without years of strenuous training. Let's hope Zhou Wen doesn't end up overshooting his mark."
Although Tian Xiangdong's words weren't pleasant, Yu Qiubai agreed. Inch Punch wasn't easily mastered. Zhou Wen didn't seem to practice much and in the recent month, he had engrossed himself in gaming. Therefore, to use Inch Punch for a Strength test might end up giving him worse results.
Bang!
As the quartet was still in thought, they saw Zhou Wen's fist tremble at an extremely fast speed. It was so fast that they might have imagined themselves seeing things if not for the explosive bang from the pressure board. It was as though Zhou Wen's fist had never moved.
Their eight eyes quickly looked towards the screen. They wished to know the results of Zhou Wen's punch.
The gap's too tiny! The same thought came to the minds of Tian Xiangdong, Fang Ruoxi, and Li Zhi simultaneously.
The distance he threw his punch from was too tiny. Although Inch Punch is about delivering the most amount of Strength with the shortest distance, it's very difficult to deliver any Strength when the gap is too tiny, just like a person can jump higher when squatting down or retracting an arm to deliver a more powerful punch. Inch Punch goes the whole way. Only true Inch Punch experts can deliver that much Strength at such short distances… Yu Qiubai had a lot more going on in his mind.
When all of them saw the number on the screen, their eyes widened immediately.
They saw one number after another light up, and soon 10 was lit up. Zhou Wen's Inch Punch had delivered 10 points of Strength.
10! It's a 10! How is this possible? Yu Qiubai was pleasantly surprised.
Yu Qiubai had been teaching for years.The thought of a high-school student delivering a punch with a Strength of 10, without using any Primordial Energy Skills, was terrifying.
Even if the typical student had Strength Crystals to use, it was very difficult for them to reach such levels during high school. This was because typical Strength Crystals were limited when it came to enhancing one's Strength. Beyond 7, using a typical Strength Crystal was practically useless.
One couldn't have their Strength improve unless one had extremely high-quality Strength Crystals; otherwise, they could only cultivate a Primordial Energy Art to constantly hone their bodies to slowly grow their Strength.
But that was just too difficult. Before evolving to the Legendary stage, it was very difficult for the typical human to have Strength reaching a value of 10. Most humans were at 7–8 at the Mortal stage.
Zhou Wen was clearly still in the Mortal stage; yet, he could deliver Strength valued at 10 with just his muscles alone. This was considered extremely rare even in the entire League. It was probably not an exaggeration to call it one in a million.
Could it be that Zhou Wen didn't wallow in his self-misery? The reason he's constantly sleeping in class is because of the fatigue from training himself even more excessively? The more Yu Qiubai thought about it, the more he was convinced of his theory. The look he gave Zhou Wen was mixed with approbation and cherishing, as well as relief. It has to be the case. The former principal knows better indeed. I had mistaken him. To have 10 Strength at the Mortal stage is not something anyone in Guide City can match. Even among all the high school students on Earth, he will still be top-class… What a good child… It must have been hard on him…
The more Yu Qiubai thought about it, the more he fondness he felt for Zhou Wen. He felt that not only was Zhou Wen talented, but the latter also had a good temperament. Ever since he was defeated by An Jing, many people had been wagging their tongues at him. Under such immense pressure, he hadn't tried to defend himself but had actually managed to cultivate such an impressive step in a short period of time. Such a state of mind and talent was very rare among high school students.
"No way? Delivering 10 without using any Primordial Energy Skills? Don't tell me this fellow is hiding at home daily and honing his Strength?" Tian Xiangdong couldn't help but gulp. To deliver 10 Strength at the Mortal stage was just too shocking. It was rare for a tiny city like Guide City to produce such a person.
Li Zhi and Fang Ruoxi looked at Zhou Wen with odd looks. Although Fang Ruoxi never believed Zhou Wen to be someone who would wallow in self-misery and that he had trained arduously in private, she had never expected him to attain such progress.
From the looks of it, the numbers from the Strength-measuring device are a little different from the game. In-game, my Strength is 9, but in the real world, it's 10. Zhou Wen thought to himself.
"To be able to deliver 10 Strength, you do live up to your reputation as the number one genius of Guide High School. However, if you believe that you have defeated me, you're wrong," Tian Xiangdong said as he looked at Zhou Wen.
Upon seeing Zhou Wen's result, Tian Xiangdong was already willing to let the former join their team.
Although Tian Xiangdong could deliver more than 10 Strength with Lightning Fist, it was something that expended Primordial Energy. At this present level, he could only deliver one punch in a short period of time, preventing him from using it for long.
As for Zhou Wen, he had delivered 10 Strength. He could engage in combat for long periods of time, a huge boon to the team. It was even more useful than Tian Xiangdong's Lightning Fist.
Another reason was Zhou Wen's Inch Punch. To be able to use that, it was obvious that Zhou Wen hadn't given up on himself. He must have been secretly cultivating and hadn't suffered from being rusty with his skills.
However, Tian Xiangdong wasn't willing to admit defeat. He still planned on defeating Zhou Wen before magnanimously voicing out his acceptance of Zhou Wen into the team.
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Chapter 7: Destroying the Machine With One Punch
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"Xiangdong…" Li Zhi was just about to say something when Tian Xiangdong waved his hand to cut him off.
The benefits were obvious if a person with Strength 10 could join their team. Li Zhi believed that since Zhou Wen had shown enough of his prowess, there was no need to continue. Making things ugly was not beneficial to any party.
If Tian Xiangdong were to use Lightning Fist to defeat Zhou Wen; thus, causing him to leave. It would be a loss for them.
Upon seeing Tian Xiangdong walk to the pressure board, Li Zhi had wanted to say this but was stopped by Fang Ruoxi.
"Is this really fine?" Li Zhi looked at Fang Ruoxi and said.
"It's fine. That fellow has already accepted Zhou Wen. He just doesn't want to lose," Fang Ruoxi said softly.
Li Zhi was slightly taken aback before he was enlightened. He cursed in amusement before falling silent, "That fellow just can't bear to play second fiddle."
Tian Xiangdong began the second round of Strength tests.
Tian Xiangdong's expression was heavy as he stood in front of the pressure board. He slowly lifted his fist as veins protruded from it. Lightning bolts seemed to mesh together, making it look ferocious and terrifying.
Bang!
The fist slammed heavily into the pressure board. The special metal alloy pressure board jerked back obviously as the numbers on the screen rapidly lit up, eventually stopping at 11.
"How's that?" As he reeled from expending all his Primordial Energy, Tian Xiangdong secretly wiped sweat from his brow.
His Strength was only a 7. And with a Rank 1 Lightning Fist, it could raise his Strength by about half. It wasn't extremely stable, allowing him to dish out 10 or 11 randomly. He had done pretty well today, allowing him to defeat Zhou Wen.
"That's impressive." Zhou Wen was indeed a genius when it came to cultivation. However, he wasn't a sensitive person. He didn't notice Tian Xiangdong's emotional changes and was caught up with the notion that he couldn't join the team unless he defeated Tian Xiangdong. Therefore, he walked towards the Strength-measuring device again.
However, Zhou Wen didn't immediately throw out his punch. Instead, he began studying the Strength-measuring device.
"What are you looking at? Just tell us if you can't do it. It's not embarrassing losing to me." Realizing that Zhou Wen wasn't delivering the punch, Tian Xiangdong was imagining that Zhou Wen lacked the confidence and was hesitant about delivering the punch.
Zhou Wen looked at the Strength-measuring device and asked worriedly, "The school won't ask me to pay for it if I break it, right?"
The moment Tian Xiangdong heard Zhou Wen, he burst out in exasperated laughter. "Bro, nice bragging. This is a Strength-measuring device. It's specially made for Strength-measuring. Although it's only a low-end model meant for high schoolers with an upper limit of 20, few high schoolers can hit the limit, much less destroy it. Let's do this. If you really destroy it, I'll pay for the damages."
"Makes sense." Zhou Wen nodded. The device did seem rather solid, so it was unlikely it be damaged.
Zhou Wen didn't hesitate further as he raised his fist. The skin on his fist gradually turned red with a metallic sheen. It looked like it was wrapped in a red metallic membrane.
"Primordial Energy Skill… So Zhou Wen has already learned a Primordial Energy Skill…" Tian Xiangdong was instantly somewhat disappointed.
Without a doubt, with Zhou Wen's Strength, the knowledge of a Primordial Energy Skill—no matter how weak it was—could dish out Strength that was far greater than Tian Xiangdong's. Therefore, the latter knew that his loss was a certainty.
Fang Ruoxi and Li Zhi were somewhat surprised that Zhou Wen knew a Primordial Energy Skill. It enabled them to earn higher points at the combat test.
Bang!
Zhou Wen slammed his fist heavily into the pressure board and as though it was hit by a sledgehammer, it jerked back. The numbers on the screen kept lighting up, instantly surpassing 11.
I wonder what his final score will be through the use of a Primordial Energy Skill, Fang Ruoxi thought, but she saw the numbers lighting up at a blisteringly fast rate. In a blink of an eye, all of the numbers were lit up as her expression changed.
Boom!
Before the spectators could have any thoughts, the Strength-measuring device produced a strange sound. At some spot, the back of the device cracked as pale yellow liquid spewed out like a fountain.
Tian Xiangdong and company widened their mouths into an O shape as they stared blankly at Zhou Wen and the liquid-spewing Strength-measuring device. There was silence.
Yu Qiubai's eyes widened as well, eager to rush forward to personally determine if the Strength-measuring device was really broken.
He naturally wasn't wanting payment from Zhou Wen, but that he was filled with disbelief that a high schooler's Primordial Energy Skill could be this strong.
Tian Xiangdong trembled. At the thought of the punch's might, he couldn't bring himself to imagine what would have happened if he had battled Zhou Wen in a Strength test.
The upper limit of the Strength-measuring device was 20, but it didn't mean that it could only withstand Strength 20. In fact, to burst the hydraulic mechanism needed Strength that far exceeded 20.
Even with Strength 10, Zhou Wen probably needed a Primordial Energy Skill at Rank 8 or 9 to deliver such damage.
If he hadn't learned of Zhou Wen's background from the former principal, he would even have suspected that Zhou Wen had used high-level Primordial Energy Skill Crystals; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to possess such Strength.
However, with Zhou Wen's background, it seemed impossible for him to possess such high-level Primordial Energy Skill Crystals.
If he had truly mastered a Primordial Energy Skill to such a level by himself, that's way too terrifying! Yu Qiubai couldn't help but recall the former principal's evaluation of Zhou Wen: "There are two geniuses in the world. One type of genius is called Zhou Wen, the other type are the other geniuses."
"You said that you'd be paying if it's damaged. You're a man of his word, right?" Zhou Wen was taken aback as he looked at Tian Xiangdong.
He hadn't expected Vigor Divine Fist to really be vigorous enough to destroy the Strength-measuring device.
He was poor and really didn't have the money to compensate the school if it really pressed him for damages.
"Yes, I'll pay for it. Bro, any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem. We are old classmates and a team. Leave this to me," Tian Xiangdong said with a beaming smile as he came round.
Tian Xiangdong came from a rich family and could easily afford it. However, a second teammate like Zhou Wen was probably impossible to find in a small city like Guide City.
With Zhou Wen joining the team, Tian Xiangdong believed that perhaps they weren't only able to obtain first at the combat test in Guide City, but that they could even raise their targets.
Li Zhi and Fang Ruoxi were in a good mood as well. Having a powerful teammate like Zhou Wen join the team brought them one step closer to their goals.
This fellow is more interesting than I imagined. Fang Ruoxi narrowed her eyes as she looked at Zhou Wen.
With Zhou Wen officially joining the team, the four submitted an application form for the combat test. Many of the teachers and heads in the school were rather surprised to see Zhou Wen's name on the list.
The teachers of Fang Ruoxi, Li Zhi, and Tian Xiangdong had even spoken to them privately, openly and covertly trying to get them to select another teammate. They didn't want Zhou Wen to be a burden on them. However, the trio refused, adamant about having Zhou Wen in their team. It left their teachers vexed.
Only Yu Qiubai drank his tea calmly. He knew very well that Zhou Wen was the strongest among the four.
Just wait and see. After the test, we will know who's the burden. Yu Qiubai drank his tea as he thought.
Zhou Wen was his student, so he was naturally displeased that the other teachers spoke ill of him behind Zhou Wen's back.
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Chapter 8: Zhou Lingfeng
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhou Wen didn't think too much about it. The thoughts of others had nothing to do with him. All he wanted was to score well at the combat test during the college entrance exams. From that, he could enter a reputable school before focusing on gaming. After cruising through college and graduating, he could then get a job related to the dimensional zones.
However, there was one thing that Zhou Wen took notice of. Fang Ruoxi's mention of his defeat under An Jing's hands had made him realize something was amiss. It was something he hadn't thought too deeply about previously.
An Jing was about his age and was perhaps a little younger; yet, she was very likely already a Legendary stage expert. Although they were just separated by one stage, it was a night and day difference between the Mortal and Legendary stages. It was almost impossible for someone at the Mortal stage to defeat a Legendary stage expert.
The clearest indicator of a Legendary stage expert was the opportunity to obtain a Companion Beast. And at the Mortal stage, it was very difficult to obtain Companion Beasts. Even if one did get a Companion Egg, they lacked the Primordial Energy to carry out the incubation.
There were also many opaque differences. For example, after a human advanced to the Legendary stage, they would awaken their Legendary Life Providence, greatly augmenting their constitutions. It also widened the gap between Mortal stage and Legendary stage.
Unless there was any reason that prompted action, the typical Legendary stage expert found it beneath them to attack people at the Mortal stage. For An Jing to challenge him, a student at the Mortal stage, and then transfer out of the school shortly after the challenge, it appeared as though she had specially come to beat him up.
"I've never left Guide City all my life. How could I have offended someone like her? Could it be Dad…" As Zhou Wen thought about it, he came up with one possibility.
Zhou Wen's mother had passed away during childbirth, causing him to be brought up in a single-parent family. As for his dad, he was an unreliable man.
Zhou Wen's father was named Zhou Lingfeng. Like the word 'feng' symbolizing 'wind' in his name, he was like a gust of wind. From the age of five, Zhou Wen learned to be independent. He had to do simple cooking, laundry, and the management of household matters, as well as do groceries.
And in the words of his unreliable dad, this was to nurture his survivability as a man. It would also be the foundation on which he would use to get a wife.
Although his dad was very lazy, there was something that left Zhou Lingfeng slightly relieved. Zhou Lingfeng had never missed out on paying his living expenses.
As a polyglot, Zhou Lingfeng did translation work. When Zhou Wen was young, his father often translated documents from home. However, with the improvement in technology, translation software became much better and Zhou Lingfeng's work reduced as a result.
When Zhou Wen grew a little older, he became more independent, so Zhou Lingfeng took on interpretation work. He often went out of town for a week or even as long as a few months.
The latest instance was more ridiculous. Zhou Wen hadn't seen his father in half a year. If it wasn't for his monthly living expenses being transferred into his account, he would have been worried his father had died.
This was because Zhou Lingfeng often went to relatively remote places. The reception conditions there were often terrible, so it was common for him to be uncontactable. Zhou Wen was used to it.
Even if he wasn't used to it, it wasn't as though he could do anything about it other than waiting for Zhou Lingfeng's return.
Their home was made up of two men. Zhou Wen had no chance to offend a figure like An Jing, so he was highly suspicious that his dad had offended her. Failing to find him, all she could do was to vent her anger on his son.
Zhou Wen had zero confidence in his dad. He was the kind of person that indulged in pleasures. He was also someone who often spent time at bars. He had often hit on chicks in the past, only to be beaten up by the woman's male partner.
Luckily Zhou Wen was able to fend for himself. If not, he wondered if Zhou Lingfeng would even have had the ability to raise him.
As he thought about it, his phone suddenly rang. With his mind wandering, Zhou Wen jumped. After taking out his ordinary phone, he realized it was from his father, Zhou Lingfeng.
Speak of the devil. Zhou Wen hurriedly picked up the call. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Zhou Lingfeng's voice: "Son, I'm getting married. Will you be coming to my wedding?"
Thankfully, Zhou Wen wasn't drinking any water; otherwise, he would have spewed it all out.
"You're getting married? To who?" Zhou Wen wasn't against Zhou Lingfeng getting married. After all, he had been single for so many years, so it was very normal for him to find a partner. Besides, he might become more reliable after his marriage, so it could be a blessing in disguise.
"I'll send Sweety's photo to you," Zhou Lingfeng said. Before Zhou Wen said a word, the phone hung up and a photo was sent.
Zhou Wen glanced at the photo and saw Zhou Lingfeng with a young woman. The woman looked to be in her thirties at most. She was elegant and beautiful, and she had a rather good presence. She looked different from the so-called beauties on the Internet. This lady had a sensual aesthetic and a unique presence that could hardly be described with words.
"How's it? Your new mom isn't too bad, right? Her name is Ouyang Lan," Zhou Lingfeng called again and said smugly.
"Not bad, but she's not my mom," Zhou Wen said.
Although he didn't mind Zhou Lingfeng getting remarried, he didn't plan on acknowledging a new mother at his age. After all, Zhou Lingfeng wasn't home most of the time and he was already accustomed to living alone. It was also not necessary that the lady would like baggage like him, so it would be quite nice if they led their own separate lives.
"My wife is naturally your mom. That's an undeniable fact. By the way, my wedding is in a few days. You have to come, alright?" Zhou Lingfeng said indifferently, as though he took nothing to heart.
"Where is it? When is it?" Zhou Wen asked.
"Luoyang. In a week," Zhou Lingfeng said.
"I'll be taking the college entrance exams in a few days. The period you mentioned happens to clash with the combat test which I plan on participating in. I won't be able to go even if I wanted," Zhou Wen said helplessly.
He was willing to participate in the wedding, but he really couldn't go.
"Wow, time passes so quickly. You are already having your college entrance exams." Zhou Lingfeng clearly didn't remember this as he made a poignant comment.
Zhou Wen didn't expect his father to know it, but he was still somewhat disappointed hearing him say that. Perhaps Zhou Lingfeng had even forgotten that he was graduating from high school this year.
"Dad, do you know that metal biscuit tin inside our wardrobe?" Zhou Wen suddenly asked.
"Biscuit tin? What biscuit tin?" Zhou Lingfeng asked in puzzlement.
"The one that's about thirty centimeters long. It's a biscuit tin that's squarish and made of metal. It has a picture of a cartoon bear…" Zhou Wen described the biscuit tin's characteristics in detail.
"Oh, that bear biscuit tin. I often ate from it when I was little. However, that brand of biscuits isn't sold anymore. The one we have at home was probably left behind. Why are you asking about it?"
"Inside that bear biscuit tin is a cellphone. Did you put it in?" Zhou Wen's heart raced slightly. That cellphone was the mysterious phone he was using.
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Chapter 9: Mysterious Phone
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"Cellphone?" Zhou Lingfeng was somewhat puzzled. Only after quite some time did he suddenly say, "Is the phone you're talking about one with a completely white metal case and a black screen without any buttons. About five to six inches big?"
"That's right. Is that phone yours?" Zhou Wen asked in surprise.
"No, it's your grandfather's. I'd have already forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it," Zhou Lingfeng said with a laugh. "That phone was your grandfather's baby."
"Grandfather's baby? Where he did get it from?" Zhou Wen seemed to notice something amiss with Zhou Lingfeng's tone as he pressed on.
Zhou Lingfeng recounted the phone's origins, leaving Zhou Wen quite surprised.
Zhou Wen's grandfather was a carpenter years ago; however, he wasn't a carpenter who made tables or chairs. He could do those, but his focus was on building wooden buildings that mimicked ancient structures.
In the past, when Guide Ancient City was being rebuilt, they needed to preserve the ancient city's former state, so the construction of many wooden buildings in the ancient style was needed. Zhou Wen's father had taken the job and spent more than a year in the City.
During this period, an ancient dried well was excavated from the ancient city's site. It was the graveyard shift, so there weren't any outsiders around. Only Zhou Wen's grandfather and a few workers were present.
When the ancient well was dug out, there was a glow that emitted from below. Imagining that they had dug out treasure, the workers came to an agreement and headed down to dig for it, hoping to strike it rich.
After they went down the well, they discovered an ancient rotting wooden case. The case had almost disintegrated, and there were many holes in it. It was from these holes that the light shone out.
The few workers brought the case up, imagining that there was some treasure in it. With just a few of them, they could split it and end up living in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives.
To their surprise, it was a cellphone. Although cellphones had just become widespread back then, it was no longer anything rare.
Furthermore, the phone was still lit in the beginning. After they took it out, the screen went black as though it had lost power. There weren't any buttons on the phone, nor was there any charging port.
Zhou Wen's grandfather and company were greatly disappointed, imagining that it was a prank. Since it looked broken without any value, everyone lost interest in it. Eventually, Zhou Wen's grandfather threw it into a tool bag.
Later, it was brought back home. Zhou Wen's grandfather didn't throw it away and kept it in the storeroom. When Zhou Lingfeng was young, Zhou Wen's grandfather had even told him the story. However, it was recounted like a horror story; thus, leaving quite a deep impression on Zhou Lingfeng.
"That crappy phone can't even be turned on. When I was young, I took it to a phone repair shop, hoping to sell it for a few packets of cigarettes, but the boss said it was worthless. So I just threw it into the biscuit tin. Don't tell me you plan on selling it for money? Cellphones have such a short lifespan and they aren't considered antiques. Old models aren't worth anything," Zhou Lingfeng said.
Zhou Wen thought to himself, Thankfully, you didn't manage to swap the phone for cigarettes; otherwise, me crying would be an understatement.
"The phone has never lit up before?" Zhou Wen asked further.
"How could it? It's been sitting there for years. Ignoring the fact that it's broken, even if it isn't, it would have long run out of charge." Zhou Lingfeng cut off Zhou Wen and said, "Alright. I have many things to tend to over here. Since I've already informed you, it's up to you to come to the wedding."
With that said, Zhou Lingfeng hung up.
Something dug up from Guide Ancient City? Unfortunately, that place has already become a dimensional zone. Ordinary people have no way of going close. However, Guide City's combat test is inside Guide Ancient City. I wonder where that ancient well is or if I have a chance of heading over to take a look. Zhou Wen thought about it but was without any clues.
Just as Zhou Lingfeng had said, phones were something that were made in the last few decades. It was impossible for them to be antiques. Even if they were antiques, they couldn't possess any mystical power.
"Damn it. I forgot to ask dad if he had offended anyone." Zhou Wen was planning on calling again, but after some thought, he decided against it.
Since An Jing was gone and hadn't really done anything to him, there was no point in raising it now the matter was already over.
Taking out the mysterious phone, he opened the Ant Nest app and once again started his grinding.
The ants were killed by the blood-colored avatar as his in-game character behaved like him. Zhou Wen received all the experiences and lessons learned from combat.
Now, Zhou Wen was getting more experienced at killing Vigor Ants. He lasted much longer and could now kill four to five hundred Vigor Ants with just one life. In the past, he would usually succumb after killing about a hundred.
Unfortunately, his luck today was nothing to speak of. Two Strength Crystals and a Constitution Crystal dropped. Furthermore, they were low in value and could only be used for energy replenishment. He wasn't able to upgrade himself directly with them.
As he was getting pumped from the killing, he suddenly saw a red Mutated Vigor Ant appear. Delighted, he controlled the blood-colored avatar to rush over.
Before he had mastered Vigor Divine Fist, killing Mutated Vigor Ants was somewhat difficult, but this time, he delivered one Vigor Divine Fist immediately, blasting its head apart. Following that, he threw out another punch to blast its body apart.
Ding!
A crisp sound was heard as a dimensional crystal dropped. Unfortunately, there was only one.
"Killed Mutated Vigor Ant. Discovered Constitution Crystal."
Zhou Wen took a careful look and saw that it had a value of 9, delighting him.
His Constitution was at 8, and with this Constitution Crystal, he could improve once again.
Constitution involved a person's resilience and endurance. Only with high Constitution could someone fight prolonged battles without becoming exhausted. One would also be able to better withstand blows. The Ascetic Meditation he cultivated in mainly strengthened his Constitution and Strength.
Picking up the Constitution Crystal with the blood-colored avatar, a strange force was transmitted from the phone, instantly spreading across Zhou Wen's body. It made every cell in him seem to come to life.
As he watched his in-game Constitution change to 9, Zhou Wen felt his body become significantly tougher. When ordinary Vigor Ants bit at his blood-colored avatar, the amount of health he lost was much less.
Zhou Wen continued grinding and discovered that such Mutant Vigor Ants occasionally appeared in the nest, but its spawning spot was random. Furthermore, they didn't always drop dimensional crystals.
Later, Zhou Wen encountered two Mutated Vigor Ants again, but nothing dropped.
Time quickly passed amidst his grinding. Nothing changed. He slept through his classes and gamed after classes. Only during cultivation classes did he hone his teamwork with Fang Ruoxi and company.
However, over the past few days, Zhou Wen often felt that Yu Qiubai looked at him strangely. The latter was often smiling at him with narrowed eyes, creeping him out.
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Chapter 10: Companion Egg
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Tian Xiangdong was training his fist techniques on the field, but from time to time, he would sneak a glance at Zhou Wen who was under a tree. He had been training for nearly an hour while Zhou Wen had spent the same amount of time gaming on the phone.
"It's really exasperating to compare. We spend so much effort training, but that fellow just games." Tian Xiangdong felt more depressed the more he looked.
After the past few days of training, Tian Xiangdong had learned something. The reason Zhou Wen was considered the best genius in Guide High School wasn't solely because of his cultivation talent.
Tian Xiangdong had originally thought that cultivation akin to sailing against a current was suitable for all humans since humans weren't machines. It was very easy to regress if one didn't train daily.
It was especially so when putting theory into practice in actual combat. Some level of deviation would affect the timing of opportunities and distance placement.
But Zhou Wen was different. As long as he learned something, regardless of whether he trained or not, he appeared very skilled and natural when actually putting it to practice.
Over the past few days, Zhou Wen would join them when the quartet trained together. But when it was time for individual training, Zhou Wen would run to the side to game.
If it wasn't because Zhou Wen's performance was impeccable when cooperating with the rest and, in fact, was the most outstanding one among the four, Tian Xiangdong might have taken on a teacher's responsibility to teach the former a good lesson, inculcating in him the importance of daily practice and improvement.
But now, all Tian Xiangdong could do was sneak glances at Zhou Wen sitting there gaming while he had to engage in strenuous training.
"Where are you looking at? Focus. Your actions aren't right," Li Zhi said as he walked over.
Tian Xiangdong glanced at Zhou Wen who was just gaming and said in envy, "How nice it would be if I had talent like Zhou Wen. Cultivation is so miserable. Who doesn't want to just game daily?"
Li Zhi said with a laugh, "Do you think Zhou Wen is really just gaming all day?"
"Isn't that so? He has so much fun gaming daily. It's obvious for us all to see," Tian Xiangdong said.
Li Zhi shook his head and said, "We can only see him when he's in school. We have no idea what he does after school."
"Are you telling me that he's cultivating hard at home after school?" Tian Xiangdong understood what Li Zhi was getting at.
"There's no free lunch in the world. A person like Zhou Wen might appear harmless as though he cares about nothing, but deep down in his bones, he's extremely prideful. He suffered such a terrible defeat under An Jing's hands, and although there might be extenuating circumstances for his defeat, with his character, he probably couldn't accept it. He must have worked very hard at cultivation. This can be seen from how adept he is in actual combat. He's definitely just putting on a farce that he's decadent and engrossed in gaming," Li Zhi said with a severe countenance.
"Then why does he act so decadent in school? There's no need for him to do so. Isn't it better to spend time gaming than on cultivation?" Tian Xiangdong was doubtful.
Li Zhi shot a glance at Zhou Wen and said, "I believe that he suffered quite a psychological setback when he was first defeated by An Jing, causing people to mistake him for wallowing in self-misery."
"But that doesn't explain why he games in school?" Tian Xiangdong was still puzzled.
"Think about it. If everyone believes you to be trash, and you end up scoring shockingly well on the college-entrance exams, taking first place in the city, wouldn't it feel awesome to look back at the naysayers with a beaming look of success?" Li Zhi said.
"Holy sh*t, Zhou Wen has such nefarious thoughts? That scumbag…" Tian Xiangdong instantly came to a realization as he nearly exclaimed. Thankfully, Li Zhi cupped his mouth in time.
Zhou Wen obviously wasn't as Tian Xiangdong imagined. Gaming similarly allowed him to grow stronger. Furthermore, the in-game character was equivalent to another him. When the in-game character was in combat, he would acquire the experience and skill familiarity from combat; therefore, he had no need to train.
"Mutated Vigor Ant!" Zhou Wen was grinding happily when he saw a blood-red Vigor Ant appear.
Over the past few days, he had killed more than ten Mutated Vigor Ants, but the outcome wasn't anything desirable.
Apart from the first Mutated Vigor Ant dropping two dimensional crystals, the subsequent ones dropped dimensional crystals at a much lower rate. Their qualities were also worse.
Ignoring the Primordial Energy Skill Crystal, even dimensional crystals with a value of 9 were rare. They didn't appear even after about ten Mutated Vigor Ants were killed.
Now, Zhou Wen wasn't as excited as before when he saw Mutated Vigor Ants. He very calmly controlled the blood-colored avatar to proceed forward and deliver two Vigor Divine Fist strikes to kill it.
Ding!
He heard a familiar chime. Something had dropped this time.
Zhou Wen wasn't too excited. Even if a dimensional crystal dropped, it was useless even if it was valued at 7 or 8, unless they were Speed Crystals. They could only replenish his energy expenditure.
However, when Zhou Wen identified the item that dropped, he was slightly taken aback. It was because the word "Crystal" wasn't in the name of the item.
"Killed Mutated Vigor Ant. Discovered Companion Egg."
A game notice popped up at the bottom left of the screen. It left Zhou Wen surprised and delighted.
Having a Companion Egg drop meant that he had a chance of possessing a Companion Beast. But based on what he knew, it was very rare for Companion Beasts to appear at the Mortal stage. One could usually only have one after reaching the Legendary stage.
It could be said that Companion Beasts were a manifestation of one's strength and status. Humans that would take their Companion Beasts on the streets were basically experts at the Legendary stage or higher. They were respected and envied by others.
The reason people at the Mortal stage lacked Companion Beasts was that Mortal stage dimensional creatures almost never dropped Companion Beasts. Even Legendary stage dimensional creatures had a relatively low probability of dropping one. Furthermore, Legendary stage Companion Eggs required one to provide Legendary stage Primordial Energy to incubate it. Therefore, even if Mortal stage humans obtained a Companion Egg, they had no means to incubate it.
Companion Beasts that hatched after incubation would live and die with their masters. It was very difficult for them to be transferred. If a forceful transfer was made, an extremely huge price needed to be paid. The typical person had no way of achieving that.
In a tiny city like Guide City, Zhou Wen had never seen a human at the Mortal stage have a Companion Beast.
The Companion Egg was about the size of the fist of the blood-colored avatar. It was completely milky-white and translucent. It was oval in shape and inside some red lights were flickering. It looked mysterious and beautiful.
Zhou Wen eagerly made the blood-colored avatar pick up the Companion Egg. The moment it made contact, Zhou Wen felt a jolt through his body. As though extracted by a needle, his Primordial Energy instantly flowed towards the phone.
And in-game, the blood-colored avatar's Primordial Energy instantly went from 9 to 0.
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Chapter 11: Mutated Vigor Ant
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhou Wen felt exhausted as though he had been sucked dry. The color in his face instantly drained as beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead.
In-game, the Companion Egg's red stream of light brightened after it absorbed the Primordial Energy, dyeing the entire Companion Egg red, making it look like a blood crystal.
Crack!
It cracked open and a blood-colored Vigor Ant's light projection flashed and entered the blood-colored avatar's body.
At this moment, Zhou Wen felt an odd force surge into his body. It was as though the force had a life of its own. Although it was indescribable, it was transmitting information to Zhou Wen in a magical manner.
"Pledge my life to follow you… Pledge my life to follow you… Pledge my life to follow you…"
As the voices sounded in Zhou Wen's mind, the force in him gathered towards the back of his left hand. Slowly it formed a blood-colored ant symbol like a tattoo made from blood.
Zhou Wen subconsciously pulled his sleeves down and shrank his left hand in to prevent others from seeing the ant symbol on the back of it.
Companion Beasts had an extremely mystical existence. They were like parasites that live on humans, living and dying with their masters.
Zhou Wen took a look at the in-game information. Indeed, there was an additional entry of Mutated Vigor Ant at Companion Beast. Then, he took another look at the Mutated Vigor Ant's stats.
Mutated Vigor Ant: Mortal
Strength: 9
Speed: 5
Constitution: 9
Primordial Energy: 9
Talent Skill: Vigor Divine Fist (Rank 9)
Companion Form: Boxing Glove
Zhou Wen was delighted seeing this. A Mutated Vigor Ant's stats could match a top Mortal stage human and it had a Rank 9 Vigor Divine Fist. If he summoned it out, it was equivalent to having another hatchet man as strong as him. It could even be more ferocious than Zhou Wen since his Vigor Divine Fist was Rank 7 while it was at Rank 9.
Zhou Wen was eager to immediately summon the Mutated Vigor Ant to see what it looked like in real life, since all he saw in-game was a Mutated Vigor Ant drawn in a cartoon style. He had no idea what it really looked like.
However, with him being in school, Zhou Wen could only resist his desire.
A Mortal stage Companion Beast would probably attract plenty of attention if he summoned it in school. Furthermore, Zhou Wen didn't have any good explanation for the Mutated Vigor Ant's origins.
Tian Xiangdong couldn't help but sneakily size up Zhou Wen. Upon seeing him, he said in a depressed tone, "Look at Zhou Wen. He's gaming until he's pale and breaking out into a cold sweat. He looks so frail. If I hadn't seen his Strength and Primordial Energy Skill with my own eyes, I would really think that he was a sickly fellow."
Little did he know that the reason for Zhou Wen's sickly look was because he had been using his blood to revive himself in-game over the past month. Although one drop of blood each time wasn't a lot, the numerous times he did so still caused him to lose a shocking amount of blood. This made Zhou Wen look somewhat pale and weak as though he was malnourished or suffering from anemia.
This was also one of the reasons why Yu Qiubai and the others believed that he was being decadent. That pale face was like a perfect example of someone wallowing in self-misery.
After returning home from school, Zhou Wen drew the curtains. Only then did he summon the Mutated Vigor Ant in his living room.
The symbol on the back of his hand burst out in a resplendent sanguine light. The symbol's blood color seemed to come to life as it turned into a stream of blood that flowed over his palm and soon enveloped it within, turning it into a boxing glove that was neither gold or jade. On the back of the boxing glove was the symbol of a Vigor Ant.
Zhou Wen looked at the boxing glove on his left hand. He felt an explosive force fill his left fist as though he could blast apart a tank if he threw it out.
Indeed, it's just like the livestreams on the Internet. Companion Beasts provide an augmentation effect in a companion state. A Vigor Ant augments Strength, right? Unable to test the augmented effects of the boxing glove at home, Zhou Wen could only put it away and switch to summoning the Mutated Vigor Ant.
As the Mutated Vigor Ant symbol on the back of his hand shimmered, a strange blood-colored projection appeared in front of him. The projection gradually materialized, turning into a blood-colored ant the size of a racehorse.
A Mutated Vigor Ant in real life was in no way as adorable as the cartoon version in-game. Its blood-red carapace appeared to be cast from metal. Its physical contours seemed to contain infinite explosive strength. Its long, slender ant legs were like saws. The feelers on its head looked like resilient steel pieces.
Ignoring being pierced by its leg, just being slammed by its body would probably result in fractures and debilitation.
It left a strong impact on him when he observed it up close. It had a dangerous beauty that looked somewhat demonic. While it left one shuddering in fear, it also prompted one to subdue it.
The game's depiction really can't be counted on. Such a ferocious killing machine actually looks so cute in-game. Zhou Wen swung himself onto the back of the Mutated Vigor Ant and made it circle the living room.
Unfortunately, the living room was too small, making it difficult for the Mutated Vigor Ant to turn around. He didn't experience much of a thrill as a result.
I'll try riding you out when I next have a chance. Unless necessary, Zhou Wen didn't plan on letting others know of the existence of the Mutated Vigor Ant.
Although Mortal stage Companion Beasts were rare, they were much weaker than Legendary stage Companion Beasts. It was pointless showing it off.
However, the dropping of the Companion Egg made Zhou Wen more diligent. He continued striving hard with the phone, hoping to see what other drops he could get from the Ant Nest.
With the college entrance exams approaching, Zhou Wen went into school earlier, hoping to sleep in class. The moment he reached the school's entrance, he saw Tian Xiangdong standing there with an odd expression.
Seeing Zhou Wen walk over, Tian Xiangdong hurriedly came forward, wearing an odd look on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, "Zhou Wen, I'm sorry. My friend invited me to join his team. I can't be in the same team as you."
With that said, Tian Xiangdong didn't wait for him to say another word before running off.
Zhou Wen was slightly taken aback, unsure what was wrong with the fellow. The test was about to begin, yet here he was switching teams.
I wonder if Fang Ruoxi has any backup plans for Tian Xiangdong quitting the team. It's not easy to find another teammate this late. Zhou Wen walked into the school as he thought about the matter only to find Li Zhi standing in front of him.
"Li Zhi, do you know about Tian Xiangdong quitting the team?" Zhou Wen asked.
Li Zhi was taken aback before he looked at him with an odd expression. "I'm sorry. For some reason, I can't take the combat test with you either."
Zhou Wen looked at Li Zhi and felt an ominous feeling rise in him.
"Why?" Zhou Wen looked at Li Zhi and asked.
"Don't ask. It's my bad." Li Zhi wore a look of guilt and bowed before quickly walking away.
When Zhou Wen saw Fang Ruoxi, he could tell from the look on her face what she was about to say.
"I'm sorry, Zhou Wen. I can't take the combat test with you." Fang Ruoxi came in front of him and remained silent for a long while before speaking.
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Chapter 12: The Influence of One Sentence
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"Why?" Zhou Wen stared into Fang Ruoxi's eyes and asked.
Fang Ruoxi's gaze dodged his, unwilling for their eyes to meet. She shook her head slightly and said, "Don't ask. In short, it's my fault."
Zhou Wen smiled and reached out to press onto Fang Ruoxi's head. He ruffled her hair and said, "I should be the one apologizing. Someone is out to get me; thus putting you, Tian Xiangdong, and Li Zhi in a difficult position. Now that there's still time, get another teammate. Make sure to do well, or I'll feel uneasy. Also, help me apologize to Tian Xiangdong and Li Zhi."
Fang Ruoxi stared at Zhou Wen blankly. Her face wore a complicated expression. It was a lost, guilty, confused look with a hint of abnormality.
"Alright, move along. I need to work hard as well." Zhou Wen retracted his palm as he left with a smile.
Fang Ruoxi stood there watching his back and after he had walked quite a distance away, she said with her body trembling, "Zhou Wen, I've no idea who you offended, but that person wields great power. You have to be careful."
Zhou Wen didn't say a word. All he did was turn his head and smile at her before briskly walking away.
Zhou Wen knew that he didn't have much time left. Li Zhi's family was ordinary, but Tian Xiangdong belonged to one of the most powerful families in Guide City. Furthermore, Fang Ruoxi's family was even better. Rumor had it that her father was a high official in the city and someone with plenty of power.
Someone who had the ability to influence; all three must wield extraordinary power.
Zhou Wen couldn't figure out who he could have offended, but connecting it to An Jing's transferring to fight him had clues left behind.
Coming to a spot devoid of anyone else, Zhou Wen took out his phone, thinking of asking his father if he had offended anyone.
However, there was only the voice message that the phone was not in service. He didn't know what Zhou Lingfeng was up to for him to not even switch on his phone in the day.
After hanging up, Zhou Wen contemplated his subsequent plans.
The most important goal now is to find three students who are willing to join me in the combat test. Zhou Wen frowned in thought.
The combat test was different from the other subjects in the college entrance exam. As it was held in the dimensional zone and although humans had already obtained control over the dimensional zones, reducing the dangers involved, there were still a number of casualties from the yearly test. Therefore, the combat test needed to be voluntary and the team formed freely.
Zhou Wen didn't know what method of testing the League government would choose for the test. Every year, the result of casualties would result in a massive debate, but the combat test still continued every year. There weren't any signs of the League changing the situation.
Zhou Wen didn't mind danger. With his present strength, even if he were to join the combat test alone, he was still bound to receive stellar results.
However, it was a rule by the League government. It required four students from the same school to participate. Therefore, before the application deadline, he needed to find three students who were willing to form a team with him.
I'm still a few days away from the college entrance exam. The students who are willing to take the combat test probably already have their own teams. How am I to find people to form a team? Zhou Wen was rather vexed.
In the beginning, all he wanted was to apply to a reputable school and find a stable job. Then, he could game in peace, but someone didn't seem willing to give him his peace. They were bent on messing things up.
"Zhou Wen, follow me." Just as Zhou Wen reached the classroom, Yu Qiubai called out to him.
He had a nasty expression as he took Zhou Wen back to his office. After closing the door, he looked at him and with a grave expression, asked, "Zhou Wen, do you know Overseer An?"
"Who is he?" Zhou Wen asked blankly.
"Overseer An is an honorific title that also includes his rank. His real name is An Tianzuo. Do you really not know him?" Yu Qiubai asked Zhou Wen again with glaring eyes.
"No." Zhou Wen shook his head firmly.
Noticing that Zhou Wen didn't seem to be hiding anything, Yu Qiubai revealed a look of puzzlement. "That's strange. If you do not know Overseer An, why did he criticize a high schooler like you when he came to inspect Guide City?"
"What kind of background does An Tianzuo have?" Zhou Wen got a rough idea about the reason Fang Rouxi and the rest had quit the team. It was likely to do with An Tianzuo.
Yu Qiubai wore a bitter smile. "I'm only a teacher. I have no chance of coming close to a figure like that. I've only heard the principal mention a person like that. Earth's League is split into four districts—north, south, east, and west, and Guide City is just a tiny city in East District. Although Overseer An Tianzuo is young, he comes from an illustrious family. In his twenties, he enjoys a high rank and is a high official in the East District's military. He wields plenty of power and is an impressive figure."
"Sir, are you implying that An Tianzuo is targeting me?" Zhou Wen asked with a frown.
"Perhaps not, but he said one sentence criticizing you. However, the people who were trying to be cozy with him are free to think and do many things," Yu Qiubai said helplessly.
"As a high official, doesn't he know that a mere sentence is enough to destroy the future of a high schooler?" Zhou Wen said coldly. "Could this Overseer An be related to An Jing?"
"From the looks of it, probably. As for what the exact relationship is, I've no idea either." Yu Qiubai thought for a moment and said, "We can figure this out later. It's imperative we find you a team to participate in the combat test. The day after tomorrow is the deadline. We don't have time to spare."
Zhou Wen said helplessly, "At this point in time, the students who are willing to take the combat test already have their teams. How am I to find others? Besides, even if I found one, can't the dismantling of my team happen a second time?"
"Therefore, the teammates you will be finding this time must not be ordinary students." Yu Qiubai appeared to already have a plan.
"Not ordinary students?" Zhou Wen was slightly taken aback, confused as to what Yu Qiubai was getting at.
Yu Qiubai pondered for a moment and said, "The combat test requires four students to freely form a team. This rule has a huge loophole, but the League has insisted on keeping it without changing it for decades. Under such rules, many students who aren't too strong but have extremely powerful teammates have obtained results that don't match their ability."
After a pause, Yu Qiubai continued, "Our school has a student named Li Xuan. If you are willing to form a team with him, and as long as he's willing, I doubt anyone will make it difficult for you. However, you have to ensure that he receives good results in exchange. Furthermore, he needs to be the one doing the best on the team."
"Are you telling me I'll be carrying Li Xuan?" Zhou Wen wasn't a fool, so he naturally understood what Yu Qiubai was getting at.
"Under normal circumstances, you naturally wouldn't have to do so. But in the present circumstances, although you won't get first in the team, you will still receive quite remarkable results. You just won't be first. This will be much better than not being able to participate at all."
Zhou Wen wasn't a stubborn person. Without any hesitation, he said, "Sir, I'll be troubling you to help me then. However, does our school really have a student named Li Xuan?"
If Guide High School really had a student with such a striking background, there was no reason for him not to know.
"Although Li Xuan is a student at our school, he has never come to school except on matriculation day. It's normal that you don't know him. Even amongst the teachers, few of them know of him," Yu Qiubai said with a smile. "In short, let's get over this obstacle first. You can leave any considerations to the future."
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Chapter 13: Step-Siblings
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
After leaving Yu Qiubai's office, Zhou Wen took out his phone and tried to call his dad, Zhou Lingfeng. No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible for him to offend a figure like An Tianzuo.
For An Tianzuo to know him, a high schooler from a tiny city, and then criticize him by name was truly inexplicable.
This time, the phone call connected as Zhou Lingfeng's voice sounded. "Son, missing daddy so soon?"
Zhou Wen was already used to Zhou Lingfeng's character. Unmoved, he directly asked, "Dad, do you know a person named An Tianzuo?"
"Tianzuo? Of course." Upon saying that, Zhou Lingfeng exclaimed in surprise. "Hey, how do you know that Tianzuo is your elder brother? I don't think I've introduced the two of you."
"My elder brother?" Zhou Wen was left somewhat stunned.
"That's right. Tianzuo is Little Lan's son. I married Little Lan, so he's naturally your stepbrother. By the way, you also have a stepsister named An Jing…" He had slipped effortlessly into addressing his fiancée by an affectionate diminutive.
Zhou Wen didn't manage to hear the rest of what Zhou Lingfeng had to say. It was because he was so shocked. The development had exceeded his imagination. Zhou Lingfeng had actually married such a woman.
"Dad, how's your relationship with An Tianzuo?" Zhou Wen tried probing.
"Great. Tianzuo and Little Jing honor me greatly. We have a very good relationship," Zhou Lingfeng answered without much thought.
Zhou Wen understood his father's character. It was unlikely that he was lying. However, he couldn't help but feel bitter deep down. If An Tianzuo and An Jing really have a good relationship with Zhou Lingfeng, why would they be treating me this way? Could it be that they aren't agreeable to dad's marriage with Ouyang Lan?"
Zhou Wen could sense Zhou Lingfeng's good mood and how happy he was about his impending wedding. He didn't wish to affect Zhou Lingfeng's wedding because of his matters, much less be a burden on him.
If An Tianzuo and An Jing had treated him that way because they didn't want Zhou Lingfeng to marry Ouyang Lan, he didn't want his problems to affect Zhou Lingfeng's wedding. Otherwise, he would fall into their plans.
Although he hadn't met An Tianzuo before, nor did he know what motives An Tianzuo had, Zhou Wen had a terrible impression of him.
Regardless of how powerful the An family is, it has nothing to do with me. I have no plans on benefiting myself through the An family. This family is really going too far. Although Zhou Wen now knew the underlying reasons, it was meaningless.
It wasn't as if he could tell others that An Tianzu was pissed off because his dad had hit on her mom, thus also making him a sore sight to An Tianzuo, right?
Not only couldn't he say it, but even if he said it out loud, it wasn't going to change the situation he was in.
An Jing was able to defeat me with one strike. An Tianzuo's one sentence nearly made me lose the qualification to take the combat test. At the end of the day, it's because I'm too weak. I can only be bullied when I lack strength. If I were an Epic stage expert, would they dare do this to me? Zhou Wen wasn't someone to bemoan his fate. He quickly put the matter aside and focused on grinding on the mysterious phone.
Guide High School's former principal once commended Zhou Wen for being the most focused person he had ever met.
Focused sounded like a very ordinary commendation, but to truly be focused was an insurmountable feat.
Humans weren't saints. They had all kinds of desires and emotions that made them prone to enticement and disturbance. Even gods were no exception. Buddha suffered the temptation of Mara the demon, so what chance did mere mortals have?
Many people claim studying to be difficult, but that was because they were unable to fully focus on their studies, nor did they have the ability to maintain that focused state.
However, Zhou Wen was different. No matter what he did or no matter what the environment was, it was very easy for him to enter a focused state as he put a hundred percent into it. It was very difficult for him to be influenced by external factors; thus, the reason the former principal had made such a remark about Zhou Wen.
In-game, Zhou Wen summoned his Companion Beast, the Mutated Vigor Ant. Although it also had 9 for Constitution, this fellow's carapace was hard and its defense was much stronger than Zhou Wen.
The blood-colored avatar rode on the Mutated Vigor Ant, storming through the Ant Nest. Even a horde of Vigor Ants besieging him was no longer a worry.
When the Mutated Vigor Ant struck with its front pincers, it killed ordinary Vigor Ants with one strike. With its hard carapace, it remained invincible amongst the hordes.
"If only I had a spear." Zhou Wen discovered that by riding on the Mutated Vigor Ant's back, the blood-colored avatar could hardly hit the Vigor Ants around it due to the distance. It had to jump off the Mutated Vigor Ant's back and fight alongside it.
Ever since he had obtained the mysterious crystal, Zhou Wen had never had such a good time grinding. The man and ant basically wiped out everything in their path as they stormed through the map. Whenever they met Mutated Vigor Ants, they could quickly kill them with their combined forces.
In the past, Zhou Wen was only able to grind in the opening area, dying before he could reach deeper. Now, he was able to storm all the way in, quickly allowing him to enter areas he had never entered before.
With so many Vigor Ants killed, two dimensional crystals dropped, but they were of very low values. Zhou Wen only replenished some of his energy after absorbing them.
Ding!
After killing another Mutated Vigor Ant, Zhou Wen heard a familiar sound. On careful look, he was delighted. This time, it was a dimensional crystal—a Vigor Ant Crystal at Rank 9.
Zhou Wen got the blood-colored avatar to pick it up, instantly feeling a jolt of electricity surge into his body as it blasted through his circulation.
His Vigor Divine Fist instantly rose from Rank 7 to Rank 9.
His Vigor Divine Fist might raise once again at Rank 9. However, the amount of Primordial Energy drained increased as well. Each usage expended 5 Primordial Energy. With only 9 Primordial Energy points, he was unable to use Vigor Divine Fist twice in short periods of time.
With this new addition, Zhou Wen lost himself to grinding. The man and ant slaughtered through the Ant Nest, leaving a wake of destruction as they forged deep into the nest.
The Ant Nest was like a huge underground maze. After nearly two hours of killing, he finally saw its end. The cave ahead seemed to become broader as the passageway became wide as though he was entering a large warehouse.
As he was storming through the horde of ants, he suddenly saw a silver glimmer of light. All Zhou Wen saw was a strange ant with silver wings sweep above the blood-colored avatar, and the next second, the latter's head flew into midair. The game screen then went black.
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Chapter 14: Li Xuan
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
A silver ant that can fly. Could it be a Legendary stage dimensional creature? Zhou Wen thought.
He had planned on reviving the blood-colored avatar and heading for the area where the silver flying ant had appeared, but with noon almost approaching, Zhou Wen could only put it on hold.
Although Yu Qiubai had tacitly allowed him to skip classes, he had arranged for Zhou Wen and Li Xuan to meet at noon. Therefore, Zhou Wen needed to make the trip.
Zhou Wen originally imagined that they would meet in school, but to his surprise, Yu Qiubai drove Zhou Wen out of school after morning classes and arrived at a private club east of the city.
"Li Xuan is quite someone with an ostentatious character, but he's not a bad person. You are only here for the test, so don't take anything else to heart." Before entering the club, Yu Qiubai exhorted Zhou Wen with deep underlying tones.
"Sir, don't worry. I know what I should do," Zhou Wen said with a nod.
Although Zhou Wen was already mentally prepared, he was still somewhat surprised when he saw Li Xuan inside a luxurious private room.
A teenager who looked about sixteen was sitting on a huge sofa. His shirt was untidy and frivolous and around him were beauties.
"Lao Yu, come and have a drink," the teenager raised his glass of alcohol when he saw Yu Qiubai, slipping effortlessly into addressing him by an affectionate diminutive.
"There's no need for that. I still have classes this afternoon." Yu Qiubai seemed accustomed to this. As though not noticing the sexy ladies, he pointed to Zhou Wen and introduced, "Li Xuan, this is the Zhou Wen I mentioned before. He's very capable and should be of some help for your test."
"Lao Yu, don't worry. On your account, I'll let him join me. Getting a pretty good result won't be a problem," Li Xuan downed his alcohol and said indifferently.
"Hearing you say that puts me at ease. I still have lessons so I'll be heading back to school. Have a discussion with Zhou Wen about the combat test," Yu Qiubai said.
"Lao Yu, are you really not going to have any drinks? The alcohol and women here are really good." Li Xuan said with a chuckle.
"Thanks for the offer. I still have classes, so I'll be heading back." Yu Qiubai waved his hand and said to Zhou Wen, "Leave the application to me. Stay here for the next few days to familiarize yourself with Li Xuan and the rest. It will be good for you during the combat test."
"Thank you, Sir." Zhou Wen was rather moved.
Yu Qiubai had no ties with him; yet, he was helping him at the risk of offending An Tianzuo. It left him feeling very grateful.
"By getting into a reputable school and having a decent future is a way to not let me and the former principal down." Yu Qiubai patted Zhou Wen on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll be heading back. Have a good discussion with Li Xuan about the details."
After Yu Qiubai left, Zhou Wen looked at Li Xuan who was reveling amidst the embraces of the beauties. He asked, "Do we get the other two teammates here and do some teamwork training before the test begins?"
Li Xuan narrowed his eyes and said to Zhou Wen, "Zhou Wen, right? I've heard of you, the number one genius in Guide High School."
"Just some random rumors. Don't treat it seriously," Zhou Wen said.
"That's right. In a small city like Guide City, how can there be a real genius? If you were really a genius, you wouldn't have been defeated by An Jing's single strike," Li Xuan said languidly. "There's no need for any teamwork practice. I'm allowing you to join my team solely because of Lao Yu. When the time comes, make sure you follow obediently behind us and not give us trouble."
"That works," Zhou Wen said, unfazed.
"Do you drink? If you can finish this bottle, I'll let you choose from them." Li Xuan placed a bottle of alcohol in front of Zhou Wen.
"I don't drink." Zhou Wen shook his head.
"Up to you." Li Xuan found Zhou Wen boring and ignored him as he began having fun himself.
Zhou Wen found a corner to sit down and began gaming on his phone, continuing his grinding fest.
He wasn't interested in staying here, but since Yu Qiubai had requested he stay behind, he didn't think it was right to leave. Therefore, he just stayed behind to game.
Seeing Zhou Wen sitting motionless in the corner gaming, Li Xuan had a feeling of contempt for him. To wallow in self-misery just because of a little setback. For this good-for-nothing, Lao Yu had to beg me. It wasn't worth it.
Suddenly, Li Xuan's heart stirred. He whispered to a sexy girl beside him.
"You're naughty." The girl jokingly snapped back as she walked towards Zhou Wen with her hips swaying.
Zhou Wen was busy grinding, eager to rush back to where the Silver-Winged Flying Ant was. He wanted to know what level the dimensional creature was.
Just as he was getting into it, he suddenly felt a softness touching his arm. Then, a sweet voice rang in his ear. "Hey Handsome, what's this game? Is it fun?"
"Yes." Zhou Wen continued grinding without looking up. After all, even if they saw the game, the cartoon-styled ants and the interface made it difficult for one to connect it to the dangerous dimensional zones.
Besides, Zhou Wen had never heard of a dimensional zone that was an ant nest.
When the girl saw Zhou Wen ignoring her, she subconsciously bit her lip. Then, she reached out to caress his cheek. She slightly used some force as she turned Zhou Wen's head towards her as she leaned into his ear and breathed out. "What's so fun about the game? Why not play a game with me?"
As Li Xuan drank, he watched Zhou Wen's reaction with piqued interest. He thought to himself, Zhou Wen is such a gaming addict. He probably has never touched a woman's body, much less a woman as coquettish as Xiaoya. Will he end up with a nose bleed as a result?
Xiaoya had only thought of turning Zhou Wen's face slightly. Under such situations, men would automatically look at her, but despite doing so, Zhou Wen's face was unmovable, like a rock. His eyes were still peeled to the phone screen.
A little peeved, Xiaoya exerted some strength, and forcibly turned Zhou Wen's head. As she used too much strength, Zhou Wen's cheeks were a little deformed from the squishing.
Zhou Wen was grinding and was unwilling to be unfocused. The blood-colored avatar was amidst a horde of Vigor Ants, so any moment of distraction led to possible death—the loss of one drop of blood.
Over the past month, Zhou Wen had been using his blood to game. With so much blood being expended, he was beginning to suffer from anemia; therefore, he didn't even wish to lose one drop.
Although Zhou Wen was facing her because of her twisting, Xiaoya realized that his eyes were still diagonally peeled to his phone screen. Enraged, she reached out her other hand and held his face with both hands. She turned his head even more, making Zhou Wen have no choice but to look at her. Then, she revealed a mesmerizing smile and said sweetly, "Stop gaming. Let's have some drinks, alright?"
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Chapter 15: Don't Disturb My Gaming
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
When Zhou Wen's gaze was forced away from the phone screen, he immediately frowned.
He had just seen a Mutated Vigor Ant rush over and if he didn't control his blood-colored avatar to take on the battle, it could easily lead to a "GAME OVER."
Without having the luxury of time to think, Zhou Wen only wished to shift his gaze back to his phone. He instantly extended his hand and pressed it against Xiaoya's face. With a slight nudge, he said, "Don't disturb my gaming."
Zhou Wen didn't use much of his strength, but he had forgotten how substantially his Strength had increased recently. Xiaoya hadn't cultivated at all, so her physical constitution was inferior to even the typical high schooler.
This casual push ended up pushing Xiaoya entirely backward as she plopped to the ground.
"Pfft!" Upon seeing Zhou Wen pushing Xiaoya to the ground with a look of contempt, Li Xuan spewed out a mouthful of alcohol as he choked and coughed.
The room instantly fell silent as the eight sexy girls looked at Zhou Wen as though he was a monster.
Xiaoya was half-slumped on the ground as she wore a look of disbelief. She next felt aggrieved and furious. As she got to her feet, she cursed, "Why resort to violence? Serves you right to be single!"
Zhou Wen was focused on killing the Mutated Vigor Ant and hadn't noticed her rage. He ignored her and continued rapidly firing commands into his phone.
Upon seeing Xiaoya's aggrieved look, Li Xuan was amused. This punk's quite interesting!
Xiaoya was a headliner at this private club. Although her demeanor was inferior to the top escorts in the big cities, her figure was unparalleled. Even Li Xuan found Xiaoya excellent in everything other than her demeanor, speech, and actions. She left him rather mesmerized.
However, Zhou Wen's look of contempt when he pushed her amused him greatly.
If it isn't because this punk is a naturally insensitive man, there's a high chance that he has gynophobia because of the beating he suffered under An Jing, a woman. Li Xuan thought without any ill intent.
Zhou Wen sat there gaming the entire time. Li Xuan quickly lost his interest in him and began reveling in fun again.
The entire club's top floor had been reserved by Li Xuan. There was everything one needed. Li Xuan's ignorance of Zhou Wen was something the latter enjoyed as well. He could keep grinding in-game.
After storming the Ant Nest for an hour, Zhou Wen once again arrived at the area he had previously spotted the Silver-Winged Flying Ant. Indeed, it had grown a pair of silver wings and its entire body was silver like the typical flying ant.
It was extremely fast and even though Zhou Wen was prepared, he wasn't able to last long against it. Soon, he had his chest impaled by the Silver-Winged Flying Ant as it flew across the sky.
It was extremely fast and it was very agile in midair. It was able to change trajectory like a bat, causing Zhou Wen's Vigor Divine Fist to be of no use against it. He couldn't hit it.
Although the Silver-Winged Flying Ant is powerful, it's unlikely to have reached the Legendary stage. Killing it isn't impossible, but I need to make careful plans. Zhou Wen thought.
From his observations, the Silver-Winged Flying Ant's Strength and Constitution were not weaker than that of the Mutated Vigor Ant. Furthermore, its speed was much faster than the Mutated Vigor Ant. This was also why it was so difficult to beat.
Rank 9 Vigor Divine Fist was likely capable of injuring the Silver-Winged Flying Ant, but without being able to touch it, no amount of Strength mattered.
Also, the ant horde's influence on Zhou Wen was significant. Although Zhou Wen and his Mutated Vigor Ant weren't afraid of a huge group of Vigor Ants, it severely restricted his freedom of movement, making him unable to dodge the Silver-Winged Flying Ant's attacks in the confined space.
From the looks of it, to kill it, I need to deliver the attack at the moment it approaches. However, it's not easy to grasp the opportunity. Zhou Wen entered the game again and as he stormed towards the area where the Silver-Winged Flying Ant resided, he considered how he could seize the opportunity to deliver a counterattack.
After about an hour, Zhou Wen once again arrived in front of the Silver-Winged Flying Ant. At the instant the latter charged and appeared above the blood-colored avatar, Zhou Wen threw out Vigor Divine Fist in a bid to kill it.
However, the Silver-Winged Flying Ant's body did a bizarre twist when it was less than half a feet from Zhou Wen's fist. While dodging the Vigor Divine Fist, its blade-like claws decapitated the blood-colored avatar from the back.
Zhou Wen made repeated attempts, but all of them ended with failure. The Silver-Winged Flying Ant was just too nimble and his Vigor Divine Fist just couldn't touch it.
The only time he hit the Silver-Winged Flying Ant was when he used Inch Punch. He threw out the punch when it was extremely close to him and had successfully hit it.
However, Inch Punch wasn't augmented like a Primordial Energy Skill. It wasn't too effective when hitting the Silver-Winged Flying Ant and failed to seriously damage it.
If only Vigor Divine Fist can deliver strength just like Inch Punch. That way, I don't have to waste so much time swinging my arm. I'll then have the chance of releasing my strength instantaneously when it's in close proximity to kill it. Unfortunately, Vigor Divine Fist is an in-game technique… That's not right… The in-game character is no different from me. If I'm able to use Vigor Divine Fist like Inch Punch, I'll be able to deliver explosive strength at short distances. As such, my in-game character will also be able to do it… Realizing this, Zhou Wen put away his phone and began experimenting with how he could deliver Vigor Divine Fist using the principles of Inch Punch.
Vigor Divine Fist was a very open and showy move, a Primordial Energy Skill that delivered a critical strike. When delivering it, he had to make some huge retracting moves, somewhat different from Inch Punch. Clearly, to modify Vigor Divine Fist's delivery to be similar to Inch Punch's was very difficult.
Zhou Wen made repeated attempts and although it was very difficult, he wasn't willing to give up.
Li Xuan woke up from his nap and saw Zhou Wen throwing out punches again and again in the corner as if he was practicing punching.
He didn't pay much notice at first, imagining that Zhou Wen was tired from gaming and was simply stretching his body. However, when he realized Zhou Wen was still punching two hours later, he couldn't help but observe.
This is Inch Punch? But the way strength is delivered and the magnitude of the movement is too much. It's terrible. Li Xuan lost interest after watching for a moment. Zhou Wen's punches weren't anything worth watching.
Two days before the college entrance exams, Zhou Wen kept trying to fuse the Vigor Divine Fist and Inch Punch together. He had a brief inkling of what was needed but was unable to fully master it.
Time quickly passed and the college entrance exams began. The first three days were ordinary high school subjects. After Yu Qiubai came with their candidate passes, Zhou Wen and Li Xuan headed for their exam centers separately and completed their own examinations.
On the fourth day, Zhou Wen came to the combat test venue and met up with Li Xuan.
The combat test was held in a dimensional zone. As every dimensional zone was different, there were some differences in the combat test across districts.
Guide City's combat test was held in Guide Ancient City. In the dimensional storms decades ago, a dimensional rift opened, turning the area into a dimensional zone.
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Chapter 16: Downloading
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
The vegetation outside the ancient city was abnormally luxuriant. The moat's banks were lined with willow trees, all more than ten meters tall. Even the normal grass on the roadside was half an adult's height.
The moat's surface was filled with lotuses the size of boats. The lotus flowers were the size of a face washbasin and they presented a strange redness as though they were dyed in blood.
Due to the influence of the dimensional zone, the nearby animals had experienced different levels of mutations. However, the mutations weren't as serious as those inside the dimensional zone.
Stationed outside the ancient city were armed soldiers with tanks patrolling the area. Without an entry pass, no one was allowed into the ancient city.
There were even surface-to-air missiles installed in the vicinity. However, Zhou Wen had never seen those missiles launch.
In fact, the threat firearms had on dimensional creatures was highly limited. Little damage would be incurred even if a nuclear bomb were to explode inside a dimensional zone. It would lead to more dimensional creatures absorbing the radioactive energies and mutating to become more terrifying.
Ordinary bullets were even more useless. When shot at dimensional creatures, they would be devoured and fuse with them.
Only bullets made from special materials could generate damage on dimensional creatures, but those materials were very rare to begin with. Making such expendable bullets was wasteful, so they were typically made into melee weapons like swords and sabers.
Firearms were not very useful against dimensional creatures, but they still dealt plenty of damage on humans. These days, the main usage of such weapons was solely to maintain order in human society.
Zhou Wen didn't have an entry pass, but his candidate pass could be used as one. During the combat test, these passes allowed a single entry into Guide Ancient City via the north gate.
Guide Ancient City had four gates at the four directions. It wasn't a small city, and circling the entire city didn't even cover more than five kilometers.
However, after the dimensional storms, Guide Ancient City became a dimensional zone. The space within became several times bigger than it originally was. To date, humans had yet to completely explore the whole of it.
Entry via the different gates allowed one to encounter different dimensional creatures. The creatures encountered from the north gate were the weakest. Typically not much danger, as long as one didn't venture too deep.
As the candidate pass only allowed four people to enter together after a verification process, Zhou Wen could only stand outside the ancient city's gate to wait for Li Xuan and the two other teammates who Zhou Wen had never met. Luckily there was still some time before the entrance closed.
The ancient city's north gate was ancient and mysterious. Its bricks were mottled and worn, with many spots having signs of weathering.
However, Zhou Wen had heard of stories in which the troops had bombarded Guide Ancient City with massive amounts of ordnance for more than ten minutes. Yet, not a single tile, from the seemingly desolate ancient city, shattered.
Above the city gate was a board with the words "Guide City" written in traditional text. They had an ancient and vigorous flair with a lingering charm that went back a thousand years.
Zhou Wen's gaze finally fell onto the strange symbol at the end of the gate's board.
The symbol looked like a palm-sized indentation left by a baby's palm. However, inside the mark was an engraved pattern that looked like a bulb of garlic or onion.
Guide Ancient City naturally hadn't had such a symbol in the past. Legend had it that this strange symbol appeared after the dimensional storms, but no one knew the meaning of it. Nor did anyone know who had engraved it.
Zhou Wen was studying the symbol when he suddenly felt the phone in his pocket vibrate.
Believing that Yu Qiubai or Li Xuan was looking for him, Zhou Wen reached into his pocket to take it out. But he was left momentarily stunned.
This was because the phone inside that pocket wasn't the phone he usually used. Instead, it was the mysterious phone. It didn't have any calling functionality, nor had it ever vibrated. So why would it suddenly do so now?
Seeing no one around him was looking, Zhou Wen took out the phone from his pocket and saw that the screen had automatically lit up. A camera icon was flashing on it.
Why didn't I see this camera app in the past? What use does it have? Does it want me to take a selfie? Zhou Wen was puzzled as he tapped the camera icon.
Like an ordinary phone, it entered photography mode. However, it wasn't taking a picture of Zhou Wen. The rear camera had been activated.
Thankfully, the ancient city didn't restrict photography. Therefore, the soldiers didn't approach to stop him despite seeing him taking out his phone to take a picture.
Zhou Wen raised the phone and pointed it at the vegetation beside him in an attempt to figure out the uses of the photography function.
He quickly realized that it was apparently broken. There was no way for him to press the shutter button to take the picture.
The phone still wouldn't take a picture of the scenery despite Zhou Wen's finger tapping the screen. There wasn't any reaction.
What exactly is it? Zhou Wen raised his phone and waved it around. When the city gate's tiny hand symbol appeared on screen, there was a beep. Surprisingly, the phone responded.
Zhou Wen was alarmed as he took a careful look. He realized that there was a green box that appeared on screen that locked onto the strange palm symbol above the city gate.
After three consecutive beeps, the palm symbol was zoomed in. The ancient city in the background gradually blurred and the words beneath appeared: "Loading…"
Could it be… Zhou Wen looked at his phone with the loading screen as a thought flashed across his mind. This thought gave him a fright as he found it unbelievable.
But before long, the phone proved that his guess was correct. The loading completed and the hand symbol turned into an icon that appeared on the phone's home screen. It was right beside the Ant Nest logo, with the three words: "Ancient Imperial City."
It's really become a game dungeon? Zhou Wen was pleasantly surprised as he held back his excitement and tapped the Ancient Imperial City icon.
Indeed, the screen displayed the familiar loading screen of the game. After a while, the interface changed into Guide Ancient City's north gate. Unlike reality, the door to the ancient city was already open.
Zhou Wen dripped a drop of blood on the screen which manifested into the blood-colored avatar that directly walked through the gates.
The sights that welcomed him were ancient stone pavements and antiquated old wooden buildings. Although Zhou Wen had never entered Guide Ancient City, he had seen videos of its interior on the Internet. It was identical to what he was seeing.
Before Zhou Wen could do a comparison, a ragged-clothed skeleton holding a bone club appeared on the streets. It ran straight for the blood-colored avatar.
Zhou Wen had seen this creature before in the videos. It was none other than Guide Ancient City's dimensional creature, Skeleton Soldier.
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Chapter 17: Ancient Imperial City
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Skeleton Soldiers were rather weak dimensional creatures. They had slow Speed, medium Strength, and weak Constitution. They had been taught in school how to deal with them. A typical high schooler who wasn't too terrible at cultivation had no trouble dealing with one or two Skeleton Soldiers.
Although Zhou Wen had never fought with a real Skeleton Soldier before, he could tell that they were much weaker than Vigor Ants. He didn't know how much Strength or Constitution it had, but its Speed was at a max of 3.
Controlling his blood-colored avatar to rush over, Zhou Wen met the Skeleton Soldier as it struck down with the club but due to its extremely slow speed, it was reduced to scattering bones by the blood-colored avatar before it could even land a hit.
Ding!
Amidst the pile of broken bones, a dimensional crystal dropped. Upon scrutiny, it was a Skeleton Soldier Crystal.
Zhou Wen was pleasantly surprised. The chance of a Primordial Energy Skill Crystal dropping was very low. To have one drop almost immediately meant he was very lucky.
Unfortunately, the Skeleton Soldier's Primordial Energy Skill is supposedly Skeleton Palm. It can only boost some Strength and its effect isn't very strong. Besides, it's typically a low Rank 1 Primordial Energy Skill. Zhou Wen recalled the information he learned from school and felt somewhat disappointed.
Getting the blood-colored avatar to pick up the Skeleton Soldier Crystal, caused it to instantly transform into a gray stream that bored into the blood-colored avatar's body.
Zhou Wen also felt a cold aura go from his phone to his palm. Then, it circulated through his body, forming a strange Primordial Energy circulation path.
Obtained Primordial Energy Skill: Skeleton Palm (Rank 1). Expends 1 Primordial Energy.
Skeleton Palm expends 1 Primordial Energy per use. It uses much less than Vigor Divine Fist but is much weaker. It should be one of the weakest Primordial Energy Skills. Zhou Wen knew that typically, the stronger the Primordial Energy Skill, the more Primordial Energy it used. Something that only expended 1 Primordial Energy was definitely weak.
Since it wasn't convenient to test the might of Skeleton Palm, Zhou Wen made the blood-colored avatar continue walking deeper into Ancient Imperial City.
Zhou Wen didn't know why Guide Ancient City would be renamed as Ancient Imperial City in-game. Based on what he knew, Guide City was an ancient city with a long history. In ancient times, it had the names of Yingtian and Shangqiu, and its history traced back to the mythical times of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Emperor Zhuan Xu of the Five Emperors had once set up his capital here before moving it to Diqiu. The leader of the Three Sovereigns, Suiren was born here. Likewise for Emperor Ku of the Five Emperors and his son, Xie of Shang.
A name like Emperor Ku was probably unfamiliar to the average person, but Emperor Ku was the underlying archetype in which Emperor Dijun was depicted in the classic text of mythic creatures, Classic of Mountains and Seas.
These were all myths and no one knew if they truly existed. However, after the dimensional storms, Guide Ancient City became a dimensional zone, and to date, it hadn't been fully explored.
A few years ago, powerful humans at the Epic stage stormed deep into Guide Ancient City, never to return. From that moment forth, no one dared to venture deep into it.
Over the past few decades of evolution, the strongest human was only at the half-step Mythical stage. In fact, that only meant the peak Epic stage. The disappearance of such an expert spoke volumes of how terrifying the deep depths of the ancient city were.
Thankfully, the dimensional zones seemed to have powerful restrictions, making it difficult for the dimensional creatures to rush out of the zone's confines. Otherwise, human society would probably be in pandemonium, and wouldn't be as calm as it was.
Summoning the Mutated Vigor Ant, he charged deep into Ancient Imperial City with it. From time to time, Skeleton Soldiers would charge up to him only to be easily slain by him and the ant.
However, apart from the first Skeleton Soldier encounter, no other crystals dropped. The drop rates of Skeleton Soldiers were lower than Vigor Ants.
In the game, Zhou Wen tried the might of the Skeleton Palm, and unsurprisingly, it was much weaker than Vigor Divine Fist. It boosted his Strength by about 10–20%, making it significantly weaker than Tian Xiangdong's Lightning Fist.
However, there was a pro to Skeleton Palm. It had a mildness to it, and the amount of motion required when delivering it was minimized. It was agile and quick, unlike Vigor Divine Fist which required open and exaggerated actions.
Skeleton Palm is more suitable for fusing with Inch Punch. However, Skeleton Palm is too weak. Even if I fuse it, the damage against the Silver-Winged Flying Ant will be limited. As Zhou Wen was in thought, he sensed someone walking towards him.
There were quite a number of students gathering for the combat test. However, Zhou Wen had chosen a corner, so anyone who walked over was highly likely to be looking for him.
Thankfully, there weren't many Skeleton Soldiers, so the Mutated Vigor Ant was more than sufficient to handle them, making it possible for Zhou Wen to divert his attention. He looked up and took a glance.
Believing that it was Li Xuan, Zhou Wen was surprised when he identified the person. It was An Jing who he hadn't seen since she had defeated him in one move.
An Jing was a girl who didn't have the modern interpretation of beauty. She didn't have a sharp chin, double eyelids, or a high nose. She looked more like a classic beauty with a petite nose and a slight chubbiness to her face that wore a sharp, masculine air. She had feline-like eyes and her gaze was firm and forceful.
She was taller than Fang Ruoxi and was almost Zhou Wen's height. To men, a woman this tall exuded a suppressive feeling. It was especially so with An Jing's demeanor that automatically warded off strangers. Boys with slightly weaker willpower might not even dare to look her in the eye.
An Jing walked straight to Zhou Wen and, without waiting for him to say a word, she threw a USB drive at him.
"What's this?" Zhou Wen caught it and asked An Jing in puzzlement.
"Uncle Feng got me to give this to you." An Jing glanced at the phone Zhou Wen was holding and said in a seemingly mocking tone, "However, I think Uncle Feng's painstaking actions were for nothing. Anything, no matter how good it is, is a waste when given to someone who wallows in self-misery."
Before Zhou Wen could say a word, An Jing turned and walked a few steps before pausing. Without looking back, she said, "In the future, don't you say that you're from the An family. Our family does not want such a weakling like you."
With that said, An Jing walked off without turning back. Once she had left the warning zone, she left in a car with a military license plate.
Zhou Wen stared blankly as the military vehicle left. Only then did he shake his head and mutter, "I'm not from your family to begin with. Neither did I plan on rubbing off some of your family's glory. Perhaps you guys are overthinking things."
Placing the USB drive into his pocket, Zhou Wen continued grinding the Ancient Imperial City dungeon and kept killing Skeleton Soldiers.
Even if nothing good dropped, it allowed him to familiarize himself with the environment inside Ancient Imperial City.
Although the school had provided them with the information and a map of the ancient city, the map was only limited to the vicinity around the northern city gate. On the one hand, the map wasn't complete and on the other hand, it was to prevent the students from venturing too deep into the ancient city for fear of any mishaps.
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Chapter 18: Skeleton General
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
If Zhou Wen didn't have the phone or the game dungeon, he wouldn't have ventured deep into the ancient city either. It would be risking his life for nothing and there was no need to do so.
But things were different now. He could venture deep into the game dungeon and figure out the situation inside. When he later entered the ancient city, he would naturally be familiar, reducing his risk.
It was quite similar to the information and maps given by the school. The region in the vicinity of the north gates had some Skeleton Soldiers. These Skeleton Soldiers were slightly stronger than adult men who had never cultivated. Against high schoolers who had cultivated, they were only in for a beating. Unless one courted death and charged into a horde of Skeleton Soldiers, it typically wouldn't be too dangerous.
Without much holding him back, Zhou Wen made the blood-colored avatar ride on the Mutated Vigor Ant and storm in. Even if he encountered Skeleton Soldiers that formed a group of a dozen or so, the Mutated Vigor Ant was easily able to kill the horde. It wasn't something Zhou Wen needed the blood-colored avatar to take action on.
Soon, Zhou Wen rushed outside of the map given by the school.
The ancient city's interior was filled with stone-paved streets and ancient buildings. The further he ventured, the more ancient the style of the buildings.
Zhou Wen only dared to proceed along the streets and avoided the ancient buildings that lined them. In the education curriculum, it had been repeatedly mentioned that it was best that one didn't enter the buildings of dimensional zones. Many buildings were connected to dimensional rifts, so entry might lead to getting lost in a different dimension.
The drop rate of Skeleton Soldiers was extremely low. He had killed more than two hundred, but other than his first Skeleton Soldier, nothing else had dropped.
Zhou Wen wasn't surprised by this. He had previously heard that Skeleton Soldiers seldom condensed dimensional crystals because of their low level.
Although Skeleton Palm was weak, it was really rare to obtain a Skeleton Palm Crystal.
While in thought, he suddenly saw a group of Skeleton Soldiers on the street up ahead. There were about twenty to thirty of them. This was the biggest horde of Skeleton Soldiers he had seen since he had stepped in.
Unlike the Skeleton Soldiers from before, this horde of Skeleton Soldiers was surrounding a skeleton horse. Riding it was a Skeleton General wielding a bone spear.
The Skeleton General on the skeleton horse was clearly taller and stronger than the typical Skeleton Soldier. It was at least one head taller. Furthermore, its skull was especially thick. It wasn't the ordinary grayish-white color as it had an ivory sheen to it.
The armor he wore was ragged, but he wore a dark red cape over his back. Although it was somewhat old, it was complete.
The bone spear was about two meters long and its surface was rough. Its tip was sharp like a thorn and it was barbed. If one was stabbed by the spear, it would probably lead to incessant bleeding.
When Zhou Wen saw him, the Skeleton General had also seen the blood-colored avatar and Mutated Vigor Ant controlled by Zhou Wen. However, he wasn't like the typical dimensional creature who immediately charged forward. Instead, he continued riding on his skeleton horse as though he loathed the idea of attacking. It was the horde of Skeleton Soldiers that charged forward like savage tigers and wolves.
The Mutated Vigor Ants front claws sliced like Death's scythe and in one revolution, cleaved through the Skeleton Soldiers, killing around ten of them.
The fellow on the skeleton horse finally couldn't put up with it and it roared into the sky, letting out a harsh, terrifying cry before charging forward.
The skeleton horse's speed wasn't something the typical Skeleton Soldier could compare with. It even took Zhou Wen by surprise for it was faster than the Mutated Vigor Ant and the blood-colored avatar. It swept over like a tornado in no way slower than the Silver-Winged Flying Ant.
In the blink of an eye, the skeleton horse landed in front of the Mutated Vigor Ant. Zhou Wen commanded the Mutated Vigor Ant to meet the enemy with its claws, hoping to hold back the bone spear before the blood-colored avatar leaped up to strike at the enemy's head.
But to his surprise, the bone spear accelerated, turning into a blur in Zhou Wen's vision as though it had vanished for a moment.
By the time Zhou Wen could see again, the bone spear had penetrated the Mutated Vigor Ant's claws, stabbing straight into the blood-colored avatar's chest.
Boom!
Blood spewed out as the blood-colored avatar was thrown off the back of the Mutated Vigor Ant. The game screen instantly went black. Clearly, he had died an instant death.
That powerful? Zhou Wen felt a little delighted. Challenges were meant to be met and overcome. Killing the ordinary Skeleton Soldiers was meaningless as they didn't drop anything fancy.
Just as he was about to restart the game, he saw Li Xuan walking over with two similarly aged youths.
Zhou Wen had never met them before. They didn't appear to be students of Guide High School, and there was a high chance that they were like Li Xuan, being a student of Guide High School in name, but had never schooled there.
"When we enter the ancient city, you don't have to do a thing. Just follow by my side, leave the rest to them." Li Xuan didn't introduce Zhou Wen to the two youths. All he did was give a casual warning.
"Alright." Zhou Wen nodded in agreement. Since he could easily pass the combat test, he had no plans on stealing the limelight.
With the two youths having no intention to greet him, Zhou Wen was happy to be free of the small talk. He stood by the side as he continued gaming.
While the two youths discussed the combat test with Li Xuan, they kept assuring him, claiming that with them around, Li Xuan was definitely getting first on the Guide City combat test.
Their tone made it seem as though obtaining first in the Guide City combat test was as easy as drinking water.
"That may be so, but you have to do it well for me. Nothing must go wrong. I have to be first in the Guide City combat test at all cost," Li Xuan said.
"Brother Xuan, rest assured. What kind of true experts can there be in a small place like Guide City? Ignoring the fact that I'll be joining forces with Jiang Hao, just me alone would be able to guarantee that you get first," Xu Miantu said without any concern.
Seeing Li Xuan frown slightly, Jiang Hao hurriedly said, "Brother Xuan, rest assured. We will do our best. We guarantee you that nothing will go wrong."
"Good." Only then did Li Xuan nod slightly.
Xu Miantu was still about to say something when he saw someone walking over.
The four turned their heads over. It was a tall beauty who easily lit up the eyes of others.
"Zhou Wen, it's great that you can find a team," Fang Ruoxi came in front of Zhou Wen as she said in relief.
Zhou Wen smiled and said, "That's all thanks to Li Xuan. I'm able to join the combat test thanks to him."
Fang Ruoxi didn't know Li Xuan, nor did she know Xu Miantu and Jiang Hao. However, she felt a weight lift off her chest that Zhou Wen was able to participate. She said with a smile, "I thought I could still try my luck at first, but with you around, I guess first is impossible."
Xu Miantu wasn't too happy when he heard that. Fang Ruoxi's words sounded as though them teaming up with Zhou Wen was them taking advantage of him.
"Babe, with Zhou Wen joining us, you can be at ease. Although he has no hopes of getting into the top three, it's still easy to guarantee that he gets fourth thanks to the team," Xu Miantu said to Fang Ruoxi with a grin.
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Chapter 19: Entering the Ancient City
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Fang Ruoxi glanced at Xu Miantu before ignoring him. She continued looking at Zhou Wen and said, "Zhou Wen, what school do you plan on attending?"
"I haven't thought about it yet," Zhou Wen said.
Fang Ruoxi nodded and said, "That's right. With how capable you are, you can attend any school you wish. There's no rush. That's good too. I'll try my best to complete this test. I hope my results aren't too far from yours."
With that said, Fang Ruoxi waved her hand at Zhou Wen, turned around and left. From beginning to end, she had ignored Xu Miantu.
Xu Miantu was displeased with this treatment, but it wasn't the right place to flare up. All he did was shoot a glance at Zhou Wen and said to Jiang Hao and Li Xuan, "People from small cities really have limited horizons. What a waste of her good looks, too bad she lacks brains and eyes."
Jiang Hao didn't say a word, but Li Xuan's interest in Zhou Wen was slightly piqued. He asked Zhou Wen, "I heard that you were once Guide High School's number one genius. From the looks of it, that's true. That chick seems to hold you in high regard."
"It's just encouragement between fellow students. She's excellent herself and no way weaker than me. Placed anywhere, she will be one of a handful of cultivation geniuses," Zhou Wen said.
Xu Miantu could naturally tell that Zhou Wen was rebutting him. He said in disdain, "If you were really excellent, why would you need us to carry you?"
Li Xuan hadn't informed Xu Miantu and company about Zhou Wen. All he had said was that he was helping a friend to take a student along with them for the participation of the combat test.
Zhou Wen didn't defend himself, finding an argument with Xu Miantu beneath him.
Li Xuan cut off Xu Miantu who still hadn't said his piece. "Enough, cut it out. It's about time we enter. All of you are to focus."
With Li Xuan saying so, all Xu Miantu could do was swallow the words he was about to say. He gave Zhou Wen a pissed look.
The examiners were already verifying the students' candidacies. With four people a team, they each brought their candidature passes to a verification machine. They gathered their fingerprints, scanned their passes, and checked the items on them. Only when they were confirmed to be the candidate in question and that they hadn't brought any item that aided in cheating, were they allowed entry into the ancient city.
Most of the students weren't nervous. Instead, it was the family who came with them who were almost fainting while standing beyond the warning line. They watched helplessly as the students entered the ancient city, some almost having a cardiac arrest.
Zhou Wen and his team lined up to go through the inspection, passing through a secured passage, before arriving in front of the ancient city.
The gates to the ancient city had already opened, but everything inside seemed to be a blurry mist. There was no way to discern the interior.
Guarding the ancient city's gates, the soldiers who were armed to the teeth urged, "Stop looking and enter quickly. There are plenty of people lining up behind you."
Zhou Wen followed Li Xuan and company to walk towards the ancient city's gates. With the trio walking into the ancient city, he followed closely behind them. However, when they passed through the gates, he realized he couldn't see them.
He hurriedly walked through the blurry gates and felt a strange giddiness overwhelm him as he got goosebumps all over him.
But with just one step, the scene before Zhou Wen's eyes opened up. The mist inside the ancient city was gone. He could clearly see the stone-paved streets and ancient buildings with blue tiles and red walls lining the streets. Li Xuan and the other two were right in front, just a few steps away from him.
Those scientists have theorized that the dimensional zones are equivalent to another spatial dimension. It does seem to make sense from the looks of it.
After most students had entered, they curiously sized up the ancient city just like Zhou Wen.
Although they had watched some of the footage inside Guide Ancient City from the school's video material, to truly step in here gave them a different feeling. The antiquity and feeling that seemed to span the entire gamut of human experiences were things that video footage couldn't capture.
The examiner gathered the batch of candidates and mentioned a few key things to take note of. When that was done, the combat test officially began.
All the students who participated in the test rushed for the ancient city's streets and alleys, hoping to kill the most number of Skeleton Soldiers to obtain a better result.
Of course, there were people who had the hope that a few dimensional crystals would drop during the test. That would make things even better.
The Earth League had made it clear that any dimensional crystals that dropped during the combat test were the property of the students themselves.
However, the examiner had also made it clear that the student was to be responsible for whatever happened during the test.
According to the League's laws, after reaching the age of sixteen, one could freely choose to take the combat test. The responsibility was theirs to undertake. Even if death was to occur, the League wouldn't provide a single cent of compensation.
Compared to the other subjects in the college entrance exams, only a few hundred students from the city actually participated in the combat test. Inside the transformed ancient city, they appeared inconspicuous.
Zhou Wen and Li Xuan headed deep into the ancient city. In the beginning, there were plenty of students, so the Skeleton Soldiers that appeared weren't enough for them to kill. Li Xuan and company didn't intend to snatch the mobs with the other students, so they circled around the battlefields and ventured deep into the ancient city.
Xu Miantu and Jiang Hao took point and every Skeleton Soldier they encountered was taken down with one strike. Mobs of Skeleton Soldiers were nothing worth mentioning due to the huge disparity in strength.
Amidst the skeleton of the Skeleton Soldiers, there was a bone the size of a rice grain. Each Skeleton Soldier only had one of those, and one's score in the combat test was determined by the number of bones that had been gathered.
However, the number of bones could only determine a team's ranking. The ranking within the team was determined by the number of dimensional crystals.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the direction the quartet was heading in happened to be the one Zhou Wen had attempted while in-game. As they stormed their way through the ancient city, all the scenery was identical to the one in-game.
It wasn't only the ancient buildings in the ancient city. Even the number of Skeleton Soldiers that appeared was identical to the game.
Does this mean that we will be meeting that fellow on the skeleton horse? However, Zhou Wen quickly had another idea. That area had exceeded the confines of the test, so it was unlikely Li Xuan and company would risk entering.
But things exceeded his expectations. Xu Miantu and company stormed their way through without stopping when they reached the boundary of the test. They went straight out of the test's boundaries.
"Li Xuan, we have already left the test boundaries. Should we be heading back?" Zhou Wen said to Li Xuan.
Before Li Xuan said a word, Xu Miantu said in contempt, "The area of the test is so tiny. The number of Skeleton Soldiers is extremely limited. Even if we could get all of them, how many can we get? If you're afraid, just wait here until we return. There's no need for you to follow us in."
Li Xuan also said with a smile. "Don't worry. We have the complete information of Guide Ancient City. All we will encounter for the next ten to fifteen kilometers are Skeleton Soldiers. There won't be any Legendary stage dimensional creatures appearing. The test's area is rather conservative because they do not wish for students to get into accidents. Just as Miantu said, with that small number of Skeleton Soldiers in the test area, it's not enough for us to get a high score. It's almost necessary that we continue forward."
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Upon seeing the trio's expression, Zhou Wen knew that his persuasion was completely useless.
He did have the intention to stay behind, ignoring whatever the trio might encounter. However, his results would be severely impacted if they were to die inside. He might even be removed from the list of candidates from the top schools.
Also, Yu Qiubai had introduced him, so he had the responsibility to help Li Xuan attain good results. Although Li Xuan didn't think so, Zhou Wen didn't wish to see Li Xuan sending himself to his death. That would affect Yu Qiubai's reputation and it was highly likely that the Li family would blame it on Yu Qiubai.
Let's hope they don't venture too deep. As long as they don't approach the area where the Skeleton General is, there shouldn't be much of a problem. Zhou Wen thought without saying another word as he followed Li Xuan and company.
Seeing Zhou Wen silent, Xu Miantu imagined that it was because Zhou Wen didn't dare be alone. He scoffed in contempt. "When one's a burden, one should realize that. Just follow us obediently and cut the nonsense."
Zhou Wen didn't have the interest or time to bother with him. Taking out his phone, he secretly dripped a drop of blood before entering the Ancient Imperial City game dungeon.
He wanted to venture ahead to test the Skeleton General's strength. It was best if he could find a way to kill him, and even if he failed, he could at least find a way to ensure his survival in front of him.
After all, Jiang Hao and Xu Miantu were taking point, killing all the Skeleton Soldiers that rushed at them. There was nothing Zhou Wen needed to do.
The danger was nonexistent. Even if a Skeleton Soldier were to rush at him, he could easily finish it off with his present strength.
Zhou Wen kept walking behind, unafraid that they would see his screen since they were unlikely to recognize it.
The game interface followed a cartoon style, making it very disparate from real life. The typical person wouldn't make the connection.
Li Xuan was like Zhou Wen; he had nothing to do. When he saw Zhou Wen taking out his phone to game in such an area, he quipped, "You are really a gaming addict. You still feel like gaming in here?"
"It's not like I have anything else to do, so I'm just playing games to kill time," Zhou Wen replied without looking up. His eyes were peeled to the screen as he controlled the blood-colored avatar, blazing a trail while riding the Mutated Vigor Ant.
The ordinary Skeleton Soldiers were unable to block the Mutated Vigor Ant at all. Their bodies scattered from the impact and they weren't as fast as it was.
Zhou Wen also couldn't be bothered to kill them. All he wanted was to rush to the spot where the Skeleton General was.
"That's right. I shall game as well," Li Xuan said as he took out his phone. He tapped on the screen; the game he played a mystery.
Li Xuan's gaming could be ignored, but Zhou Wen was also playing. This pissed off Xu Miantu.
"What the hell? Is this the number one genius of Guide High School? He's like a gaming nerd," Xu Miantu cursed under his breath in great displeasure.
Although Xu Miantu and Jiang Hao were powerful, they were still made up of flesh and blood. They were still susceptible to fatigue and injury; therefore, when they encountered relatively large hordes of Skeleton Soldiers, they had to be very careful. This slowed down the speed of their advancement.
As for Zhou Wen, he was charging the entire way in-game. His rate of progress was far faster than their progress in real life. In just half an hour, he arrived at the spot where he had met the skeleton horse-riding Skeleton General.
Like the last time, that fellow immediately charged when it saw the blood-colored avatar and Mutated Vigor Ant. Its speed was terrifying, in no way something Zhou Wen and the Mutated Vigor Ant could compare with.
This time, Zhou Wen was fully focused. He was thinking of ways to deal with the spear attacks, but when he saw the bone spear thrusting at him, he failed to dodge it. He didn't have the opportunity to extend his hand to block the attack before being penetrated in the chest.
That was fast. This spear attack must be some type of Primordial Energy Skill. Zhou Wen could already confirm that the spear attack was a Primordial Energy Skill; otherwise, it was impossible that he had failed to even react.
A speed-type Primordial Energy Skill? This fellow is more difficult than the Silver-Winged Flying Ant. However, that Silver-Winged Flying Ant apparently never used Primordial Energy Skills. As Zhou Wen pondered over the matter, he revived the blood-colored avatar, rode the Mutated Vigor Ant, and charged into the depths of Ancient Imperial City.
As Zhou Wen rushed over, he carefully recalled the details of his previous two deaths. He hoped to find a strategy to deal with the Skeleton General by studying the details.
By doing so, he came up with a few possibilities. However, their viability needed him to test them out to know if they worked.
When he saw the Skeleton General charge at him again, Zhou Wen deliberately dodged the skeleton horse's direct charge. He wanted to know if the Primordial Energy Skill was only capable of a frontal thrust.
The facts proved that he was wrong. When the blood-colored avatar dodged to the side of the skeleton horse under Zhou Wen's control, the bone spear tip swept a crescent arc like a stream of light, instantly decapitating the blood-colored avatar's head. It was no doubt an instant kill.
Making mistakes wasn't a terrifying problem. What was terrifying was the lack of opportunity to amend strategies. However, the mysterious phone was what gave Zhou Wen this opportunity for amendments.
His Primordial Energy Skill is not only a thrust, but it's also capable of side cleaving. This makes it difficult. Zhou Wen wasn't discouraged; instead, he secretly dripped another drop of blood on the phone's screen.
Perhaps it was because of his severe loss of blood in the past month or so, Zhou Wen felt a little giddy.
I need to think of means to replenish my blood in the future. If this continues, I might really end up dying from anemia. Zhou Wen felt a slight headache, but he couldn't think of a good solution.
With the first experiment failing, all Zhou Wen could do was switch methods. Thankfully, he was only making attempts in-game. If it happened in real life, there was no way he would do something beyond his means. After all, he only had one life. He couldn't just bet on it.
While Zhou Wen made his attempts, Xu Miantu and company were continuing their push forward.
The dimensional creatures in the dimensional zone were nearly endless. As the zone was connected to dimensional rifts, even if the creatures were wiped out, the area would be occupied again by new creatures. There was no way of killing them all.
However, the dimensional rifts weren't stable. Pan-dimensional creatures didn't appear at random, so after clearing an area, there wouldn't be any Skeleton Soldiers appearing for a short period of time. Xu Miantu and company's advancement was still pretty good.
The chances of Skeleton Soldiers producing dimensional crystals were quite small, with one Strength Crystal being dug out from the Skeleton Soldiers' bodies every two to three hundred Skeleton Soldiers.
Unfortunately, this wasn't a game. They could only roughly identify the Strength Crystals, but had no idea what their values were.
The Strength Crystal was naturally Li Xuan's. In fact, as long as he had one, he would be first in the team.
"We've already hunted enough Skeleton Soldiers. We are very far from the determined region of the test. We need to rush back before the end. Can we not continue proceeding forward?" Upon noticing that they were approaching the Skeleton General's region, Zhou Wen said once again to Li Xuan.
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Chapter 21: Unexpected Development
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Before Li Xuan could say a word, Xu Miantu said, "It's still early, and the number of bone beads we have isn't enough to guarantee us first place. We naturally need to proceed forward."
Jiang Hao also looked at the map and said, "Based on the map, this area is still the safe zone. We can proceed another ten kilometers without encountering much danger."
Li Xuan opened up the map on his phone and nodded after taking a look. "Based on the information, there aren't any Legendary stage creatures in the vicinity. It should be ok if we proceed forward a little. We need to obtain enough bone beads to be the bona fide winners of Guide City. We cannot afford otherwise."
Zhou Wen knew that he needed to dissuade Li Xuan and company from proceeding forward; otherwise, the death of any one of them when they encountered the Skeleton General would drastically affect his results.
Although Zhou Wen didn't have any plans to enter high society via the university he attended, he still wished to enroll in a reputable university.
If any of the four of them died, the chances of entering a top reputable university became extremely slim. No matter how well he did in his other subjects, he would only be able to enroll in a first-rate university. That wasn't something Zhou Wen wanted.
"Li Xuan, do you believe in the sixth sense?" Zhou Wen pondered for a moment and asked Li Xuan.
"What are you getting at?" Li Xuan didn't directly answer as he asked with piqued interest.
"I find my sixth sense better than most people. Since I was little, I would have a vague feeling just before encountering danger. This feeling leaves me very uncomfortable. Although I'm not sure if it's a premonition for danger, I usually encounter trouble soon after." Zhou Wen continued, "And I just had a very uncomfortable feeling."
"Just admit to being afraid. Why use sixth sense as an excuse?" Xu Miantu spoke with contempt.
Li Xuan sized up Zhou Wen for a moment before casting his gaze at Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao thought and then said, "The bone beads we have at present can't guarantee us first place. It might be a little inappropriate if we were to head back now."
Clearly, Jiang Hao was supportive of continuing forward.
Seeing Li Xuan somewhat persuaded, Zhou Wen hurriedly said, "Li Xuan, please trust me. Although this feeling of mine doesn't happen every time danger rears its head, great trouble is certain once I have this feeling. If I'm just a coward, I could have just retreated to the entrance and waited for you guys. There isn't a need for me to tell you this."
After a pause, Zhou Wen continued, "Just as Xu Miantu said, Guide City is a small city. There aren't many high schoolers who are that strong. I doubt many high schoolers will dare to venture past the designated zone to kill Skeleton Soldiers. We have already obtained a sizable number of bone beads and can always return to the designated zone to kill more. First place is practically guaranteed without taking any risks. After all, we only have one life. There's no harm in being cautious."
"What you say makes sense." Li Xuan seemed to be moved by Zhou Wen's words as he nodded. "Let's do this then. We shall head back before heading elsewhere to hunt Skeleton Soldiers."
"Come on, there's no need for that." Xu Miantu grumbled but didn't dare disobey Li Xuan's decision. He turned around and headed back with the team.
Jiang Hao also followed and walked by Li Xuan's side.
Obviously, Zhou Wen had already turned around to head back, but after taking two steps, he suddenly heard Jiang Hao exclaim. "What's that?"
He gave everyone a shock as they turned to look. They found him looking at an ancient building with a bewildered look as though he had seen something most terrifying.
Zhou Wen, Li Xuan, and Xu Miantu subconsciously turned their heads to look when a glint flashed in Jiang Hao's hands. A strange jade dagger appeared in each of his hands.
The jade dagger in Jiang Hao's left hand struck like a venomous snake's tongue, instantly stabbing Li Xuan. The foot-long blade plunged into his waist completely.
This sudden development happened so abruptly that Xu Miantu didn't even realize what was happening when the other jade dagger in Jiang Hao's right hand swiped at his neck.
Xu Miantu had retreated quickly but had failed to avoid being injured. Although none of his arteries were severed, his neck was instantly dyed red with blood.
"Jiang Hao… What are you doing…" Xu Miantu wore a look of alarm as he covered the wound on his neck, shouting as he retreated. He was filled with disbelief over what had just happened.
Jiang Hao ignored Xu Miantu as he clenched the pair of jade daggers with both hands, staring intently at the wound on Li Xuan's waist.
He was responsible for the wound and he knew what kind of effect such a wound would have; however, the flesh and fat at the wound seemed to possess a certain force that exerted pressure on the wound. The tiny amount of blood that had seeped out was nearly impossible for a wound this deep.
"I never expected that the promiscuous third scion of the Li family would have mastered something that would require being a virgin—the Invincible Connate Divine Art," Jiang Hao said slowly as he glared at Li Xuan.
Zhou Wen was similarly alarmed when he heard "Invincible Connate Divine Art."
Primordial Energy Skills and Companion Beasts could be obtained by hunting dimensional creatures, but Primordial Energy Arts weren't things that could be obtained by dimensional crystals.
Legend had it that Primordial Energy Arts stemmed from ancient arts like Chinese qigong , battle qi , or Japanese ninjutsu . However, due to the lack of Primordial Energy Crystals in the past, those arts lacked the support of Primordial Energy, preventing them from expressing their true might.
It was only when the dimensional creatures appeared, allowing humans to absorb dimensional crystals, that these arts grew in use, gradually developing into present-day Primordial Energy Arts.
Primordial Energy Arts had significant effects on humans. Absorbing dimensional crystals allowed humans to grow stronger and evolve, but this wasn't sufficient at advancing between stages. Instead, it was Primordial Energy Arts that possessed the power to allow a breakthrough of such restrictions.
For instance, if Zhou Wen wanted to advance from the Mortal stage to the Legendary stage, simply absorbing dimensional crystals would be insufficient. He would need to advance Ascetic Meditation to a whole new realm before his body would evolve to the Legendary stage.
However, Primordial Energy Arts had their differences. Ascetic Meditation could, at best, advance Zhou Wen to the Legendary stage—the maximum it could go. It was unable to advance Zhou Wen to the Epic stage no matter how much more he cultivated in it.
Among the known Primordial Energy Arts, there were fewer than twenty that allowed humans to advance to the Epic stage. Invincible Connate Divine Art was one of them.
Furthermore, Invincible Connate Divine Art had a strange cultivation requirement. It required the cultivator to be a virgin.
Once one was no longer a virgin, the Invincible Connate Divine Art would become ineffective, losing all of its original might.
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Chapter 22: Legendary Companion Beast
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Due to the strange cultivation requirement, the Invincible Connate Divine Art was also known as a Virgin Divine Art. It was the least cultivated among all the Epic stage-capable Primordial Energy Arts.
Firstly, Invincible Connate Divine Art could only be cultivated by men. Women who took up slightly more than half of the human population were incapable of cultivating it. Furthermore, with the requirement of being a virgin, even fewer people cultivated in it.
No matter how potent the Invincible Connate Divine Art was, to become useless the moment one lost their virginity was a fatal flaw.
Of course, the typical person didn't have the chance to acquire it, so they had no chance of cultivating it even if they wished to.
Zhou Wen wouldn't be too surprised if someone else had cultivated in it, but Li Xuan was a man who found himself swimming amongst women daily. Therefore, it was truly unbelievable that he had managed to master the Invincible Connate Divine Art.
Li Xuan didn't look at the wound on his waist. In fact, due to the compression and suppression of his muscles, the wound had basically stopped bleeding.
"Did my second brother send you?" Li Xuan glared at Jiang Hao as he asked. He didn't wear the blank, ignorant look that Xu Miantu wore.
Jiang Hao nodded and said, "I originally thought that it wasn't necessary for him to take such actions, but from the look of it, your second brother has quite a discerning eye. For you to maintain your virginity, despite swimming in pussy daily, you are truly an incredible genius. You will definitely be a thorn in his side."
"Jiang Hao, are you mad? You are actually helping Li Mobai kill Brother Xuan? Do you not know that if Brother Xuan dies here, there will be no way we can answer to Godfather. Don't forget how much we owe Godfather for his kindness. He also dotes on Brother Xuan the most, so how can you bear to make him sad?" Xu Miantu said as he held his wound.
His injury was a lot lighter than Li Xuan's, but unfortunately, he hadn't cultivated in the Invincible Connate Divine Art. The blood that he had lost was enough to make his head spin.
Jiang Hao ignored Xu Miantu as he gripped his dangers tightly, staring intently at Li Xuan like a ravenous wolf.
Xu Miantu still wasn't done when he was interrupted by Li Xuan. Li Xuan looked at Jiang Hao and said, "I've never fought Brother for anything since I was little. To prevent him from second-guessing me, I spent all my time with women and never paid attention to any Li family matters. Yet, he still is unwilling to let me off."
"Two tigers cannot share one mountain. A family can't have two heads. If there's anything to blame, it's that you only acted like a pig instead of being a real one. Otherwise, none of this would be necessary," Jiang Hao said.
"Jiang Hao, do you really believe you can kill me?" Li Xuan said coldly.
"By telling you this much, it shows how determined I am to kill you. Your mastering of the Invincible Connate Divine Art has indeed exceeded my expectations, but unfortunately, you are only at the Mortal stage and have yet to advance to the Legendary stage. Your death is a certainty today," As Jiang Hao spoke, he tore off his left sleeve, revealing his entire left arm.
There was a spiraling blue-green tattoo that nearly covered Jiang Hao's entire left arm—a coiled snake.
The snake tattoo was shimmering with a demonic green-blue glow as though it was alive. Green-blue scales surfaced and enveloped Jiang Hao's entire left arm and hand, making his arm appear like a bizarre venomous snake exuding extremely uncanny vibes.
"Explosive Scaled Snake, a Legendary stage Companion Beast… Impossible… You are only at the Mortal stage… How could you incubate a Legendary stage Companion Beast? Don't tell me that you have already advanced to the Legendary stage? To reach the Legendary stage at sixteen… That's impossible…" Xu Miantu stared at Jiang Hao's left arm as he exclaimed, a look of horror plastering his face.
Jiang Hao shook his head slightly. "I haven't advanced to the Legendary stage. I'm just capable of using the Explosive Scaled Snake."
"How is it possible to incubate one without advancing to the Legendary stage? The Primordial Energy needed by an Explosive Scaled Snake is enough to suck dry anyone at the Mortal stage. It's impossible to incubate one…" Xu Miantu still found it unbelievable.
Li Xuan harrumphed and said, "Brother sure went for broke in order to kill me. There's only one way to possess a Legendary stage Companion Beast at the Mortal stage without incubating it yourself—it's to let a Legendary stage expert with a Legendary stage Companion Beast transfer it to the person at the Mortal stage, even at the cost of their lives, "
"You are indeed smart. Unfortunately, you will have to die today." Jiang Hao no longer hesitated as he rushed towards Li Xuan. Meanwhile, his arm that resembled a snake slashed down with the jade dagger.
He was exceedingly fast as his snake-like arm seemed to phase away. It was almost impossible for one to use the naked eye to capture its trajectory. As an uncanny green-blue stream of light, it flashed across Li Xuan's neck.
It was at a speed so fast that it even exceeded the Skeleton General's spear attack. It gave Zhou Wen the impression that Li Xuan was doomed.
But to his surprise, he heard a clang. Li Xuan had gripped the lightning-fast jade dagger, holding it right in front of him.
Li Xuan's hand holding the dagger, or perhaps it should be said that most of his body, was enveloped by black iron armor.
"Black Knight, a Legendary stage Companion Beast. So you have also used the same method to obtain a Legendary stage Companion Beast at the Mortal stage. It's no wonder you held no fear." Jiang Hao instantly recognized what the black iron armor on the Legendary stage represented.
"No, you are wrong. I don't have to use such a cruel method to obtain a Legendary Companion Beast. Nor do I have such a need to." Li Xuan exerted strength, immediately snapping the dagger in his hand and leaving Jiang Hao to retreat rapidly with the remnants of the jade dagger.
"The Invincible Connate Divine Art is the Primordial Energy Art that has the most amount of Primordial Energy amongst its peers. Even though I'm only at the Mortal stage, I still have the chance of incubating a Legendary stage Companion Beast despite them being the weaker ones and me needing to take on some risk. However, it's more than sufficient when dealing with your Explosive Scaled Snake." Li Xuan had a sharp glint in his eyes as he approached Jiang Hao.
"It's no wonder Second Brother views you as a threat. Such talent is indeed terrifying," Jiang Hao said as he retreated. After saying that, he turned around and ran deep into the Ancient City.
Li Xuan didn't hesitate as he immediately pursued him.
"Don't chase after him!" Zhou Wen hurriedly yelled to stop Li Xuan when he saw Jiang Hao fleeing in the direction of the Skeleton General.
However, Li Xuan was bent on killing Jiang Hao. There was no hesitation in his huge strides.
The two probably had Speed valued at 8 or 9, making it too late for Zhou Wen to catch up with them. Soon, they vanished around a corner.
Zhou Wen slowed down his pace without continuing his pursuit. Instead, it was Xu Miantu who handled the wound on his neck before chasing after them.
"What are you waiting for? Why aren't you chasing after them to help Brother Xuan?" Xu Miantu yelled at him when he saw Zhou Wen stop.
Zhou Wen held his phone and launched the Ancient Imperial City dungeon as he said to Xu Miantu, "After you."
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Chapter 23: You Have Two Minutes
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
"Coward," Xu Miantu cursed under his breath before ignoring Zhou Wen. He immediately continued his pursuit.
Zhou Wen didn't mind really. He wished to help Li Xuan, but heading over was of zero use.
Jiang Hao and Li Xuan had Legendary Companion Beasts, while he had none. Death was a certainty for him when facing the Skeleton General. It was probably more beneficial for him to find the means of dealing with the Skeleton General in-game.
The reason Zhou Wen wanted to help Li Xuan was that deep down he knew that Jiang Hao would silence him and Xu Miantu after he had successfully killed Li Xuan to ensure his own safety.
Jiang Hao's attack on Xu Miantu had already revealed this thought of his. If Li Xuan was successfully killed, there was no way he would spare Zhou Wen.
Therefore, Zhou Wen was inevitably helping himself by helping Li Xuan.
However, any help he rendered was useless. The might of a Legendary Companion Beast was not something he could equal at present. Be it against Jiang Hao or the Skeleton General, the chances of him being killed was extremely high.
As Zhou Wen proceeded forward slowly, he controlled the blood-colored avatar and stormed deep into Ancient Imperial City.
He didn't know what kind of developments might happen after Li Xuan and Jiang Hao encountered the Skeleton General; therefore, he needed some preparation.
Before encountering the Skeleton General with his blood-colored avatar in-game, he heard a blood-curdling roar coming from deep within the ancient city. "Pledge my life to defend the city… Pledge my life to defend the city…"
Zhou Wen's expression changed slightly. This voice was clearly not from Jiang Hao or Li Xuan. However, he had not heard the Skeleton General speak while gaming.
With a mere thought, Zhou Wen had composed himself as he continued focusing on his game.
His surroundings were unable to influence his line of thought. Soon, the blood-colored avatar found the Skeleton General in-game and after repeated failed attempts, Zhou Wen had a general understanding of the Skeleton General's strength and Primordial Energy Skill.
He knew very well that his strength was insufficient to resist the Skeleton General, especially when it came to Speed. The difference was too disparate, making it difficult for him to even dodge.
The Skeleton General is stronger than me in every aspect. There's a high chance that he's a dimensional creature at the Legendary stage. It's definitely impossible for me to fend him off. However, he's not without flaws. His bone spear is too long, making it unconducive for him to fight in close-range. Furthermore, the skeleton horse he's sitting on would affect his attack trajectory beneath the waist. This results in an offensive blind spot… Zhou Wen controlled the blood-colored avatar and approached the Skeleton General once again, trying to put theory into practice.
When the Skeleton General charged over, Zhou Wen advanced instead of retreating with the blood-colored avatar. With a forward roll, he rushed under the skeleton horse's belly.
Zhou Wen grasped the opportunity perfectly. Despite the Skeleton General having the Strength and Speed, he was unable to attack due to the skeleton horse's obstruction.
After the Skeleton General raised his spear and stabbed downwards again, Zhou Wen had already rolled over to the other side of the skeleton horse's underside.
The skeleton horse was not part of the Skeleton General, making it difficult for them to act perfectly as one. This gave Zhou Wen a slim chance of survival and several possibilities.
Unfortunately, the Skeleton General was just too strong. Zhou Wen had to constantly circle around the skeleton horse to avoid being stabbed by the bone spear. He had no means to launch a counterattack.
Even so, this lasted less than thirty seconds before the blood-colored avatar was stabbed by the Skeleton General on the ground. Blood immediately splattered as the avatar died on the spot.
As he watched the screen go black, Zhou Wen carefully recalled the battle.
He soon heard shouts and clashing sounds. Going around a bend, he immediately saw Li Xuan and Jiang Hao fighting each other on the other end of a stone-paved street.
And in real life, the Skeleton General was around as well. He wore a cape and the skeleton horse he sat on was tall and mighty, its body akin to jade. The bone spear had terrifying barbs and there were blood-colored flames flickering in the skull's eye sockets. He looked formidable.
This was a completely different existence to the comic-version of the Skeleton General in-game. Zhou Wen nearly failed to recognize him.
What left Zhou Wen even more intrigued was that the Skeleton General was charging everywhere with the skeleton horse, but his target was ultimately fixated on Li Xuan. He ignored Jiang Hao, never attacking him even once.
Odd. Why would the Skeleton General only be attacking Li Xuan? Seeing the miserable Li Xuan, who kept retreating with his body covered in injuries, Zhou Wen couldn't help but frown slightly.
However, when Zhou Wen's gaze carefully observed Jiang Hao, he immediately came to a realization.
On Jiang Hao, there was an additional bone breastplate. The grayish-white ribs penetrated out of his clothes, protecting his chest and back, making him look odd.
From the looks of it, the reason the Skeleton General isn't attacking Jiang Hao stems from the bone armor he's wearing. Zhou Wen knew that it was likely a manifestation of a Companion Beast, but the type was unknown to him.
Although Xu Miantu had a nasty tongue, he didn't seem to have a bad character. He rushed over to help Li Xuan when he found the latter in trouble.
But the outcome was nothing surprising. Upon clashing, he was sent flying by the Skeleton General, tumbling far away across the street and stopping only when he hit a wall.
Xu Miantu bent his back like a shrimp, his hands clasping his abdomen. His mouth was filled with blood and there was cold sweat covering his forehead. The grimace he wore spoke volumes of the pain.
"Be patient. Once I kill Li Xuan, I'll send you off to hell," Jiang Hao said coldly, as the dagger in his hand stabbed at Li Xuan's vital spot.
Li Xuan was fighting two adversaries alone, and he wasn't even at the Legendary stage. By relying solely on the Legendary Black Knight Companion Beast, it was taxing on him to hold out in battle. The black armor that encased him was damaged in multiple places and blood seeped through.
However, he was a tenacious person. Despite such a perilous situation, he was still able to maintain clarity in thought and avoided most of the lethal strikes.
Unfortunately, he just wasn't a Legendary stage expert. He was already a stage lower than the Skeleton General and with Jiang Hao taking opportunistic jabs at him, every second placed him in extreme peril. If not for the potent defensive capabilities of his Black Knight armor and the Invincible Connate Divine Art's ability to slow down the deterioration of his injuries, he would have long been killed.
After watching for a moment, Zhou Wen suddenly shouted at Li Xuan, "Li Xuan, if I can help you distract the Skeleton General, how long will it take for you to finish off Jiang Hao?"
Zhou Wen's words shocked the trio. In this battle, it was no longer something that a person at the Mortal stage could interfere in, much less that of a regular high-schooler.
Xu Miantu imagined that Zhou Wen was mad, but unfortunately, he didn't have the energy to say a word. Otherwise, he would definitely have ridiculed Zhou Wen.
Jiang Hao didn't share the same thoughts, he didn't believe Zhou Wen was capable of the proclaimed feat. He believed that Zhou Wen would be sending himself to his death if he really rushed over to help Li Xuan.
"Two minutes. I need that much time," Li Xuan said as he fought for his life. There was no hesitation in his voice.
"Alright. Then, I'll give you two minutes." Zhou Wen put away his phone and headed for the battlefield.
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Chapter 24: Who the Hell is He
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhou Wen picked up his pace and entered the battlefield in a most ingenious manner, appearing behind the Skeleton General.
The Skeleton General keenly noticed Zhou Wen's appearance and gave up attacking Li Xuan. It struck backward, transforming the bone spear into a cold beam that stabbed at Zhou Wen's head.
Without waiting for the Skeleton General to raise his spear, Zhou Wen crouched down and lunged for the underside of the skeleton horse. This prevented the bone spear from locking onto him; thus, resolving the Skeleton General's thrust.
Xu Miantu struggled to his feet as he looked at Zhou Wen with a look of disbelief. Zhou Wen had actually managed to hold back the Skeleton General!
Zhou Wen oscillated between the skeleton horse's sides, occasionally tumbling to the ground. It looked extremely pathetic, but his actions worked.
Xu Miantu knew how difficult it was. He had the same idea as Zhou Wen earlier, hoping to hold back the Skeleton General to give Li Xuan time to finish off Jiang Hao.
However, he had been swept away the moment he approached the Skeleton General and nearly died from severe injuries. It made him deeply realize the huge differences between the Mortal stage and the Legendary stage.
Zhou Wen was likewise at the Mortal stage, but he had managed to hold back the Skeleton General. It might look pathetic, but he remained unharmed the entire time. It left Xu Miantu amazed.
Thinking back to his mockery of Zhou Wen, his originally pale face blushed an abnormal red.
Jiang Hao was alarmed to see Zhou Wen hold back the Skeleton General. Despite all his plans, he had never expected a Mortal stage high-schooler to be capable of holding back a Legendary Skeleton General.
In fact, Jiang Hao long knew of the existence of the Skeleton General in the vicinity. He had planned on taking Li Xuan nearby and letting the Skeleton General finish him off.
Unfortunately, this plan had been foiled by Zhou Wen. Jiang Hao had no choice but to take action himself, but he ultimately failed.
While Zhou Wen was holding back the Skeleton General, Li Xuan had already rushed towards Jiang Hao. He unleashed a barrage of punches that shimmered like shooting stars at him.
He knew that it wasn't pragmatic to expect a Mortal stage hold back the Skeleton General for extended periods of time. He had to finish off Jiang Hao before Zhou Wen was killed by the Skeleton General.
Jiang Hao now truly realized how terrifying this intemperate scion, Li Xuan, was. Despite using similar Legendary Companion Beasts—even with him having two—he was still completely overpowered by Li Xuan.
"I don't believe I can't last two minutes. We are both at the Mortal stage and are using Legendary Companion Beasts!" Jiang Hao battled Li Xuan with gritted teeth.
Bang!
In less than twenty seconds, Jiang Hao was hit on the left elbow by Li Xuan, snapping the bone armor in two.
The color in Jiang Hao's face drained as he rapidly retreated. However, upon seeing Li Xuan pursue him like a leech, his eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. With a swing of his left arm, the Explosive Scaled Snake tattoo shimmered as a brightly-colored blue-green venomous snake tore out from his arm, coiling towards the pursuing Li Xuan.
Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Hao pushed his speed to the limit, allowing him to traverse four to five meters. He was attacking Zhou Wen from behind with a dagger!
"Ah!" This sudden development caused Xu Miantu to cry out.
Zhou Wen was already in a perilous situation while holding back the Skeleton General. Now, with Jiang Hao sneaking an attack on him, death seemed inevitable for him.
Li Xuan was alarmed and furious as well. However, with the Explosive Scaled Snake blocking him, he didn't have the time to rescue Zhou Wen.
While the bone spear thrust around at lightning speed, a dagger stabbed at Zhou Wen's waist from the back. At this critical moment, Zhou Wen exerted strength into his legs, allowing him to do a sharp turn. A powerful twisting force erupted from his waist muscles as his body twisted at an odd angle.
Zhou Wen's feet were still facing the Skeleton General's side, but his torso had already turned to face Jiang Hao.
The bone spear stabbed at Zhou Wen, just brushed past his cheek. This left a faint wound on Zhou Wen's cheek, but he remained stoic. Without even blinking, he threw a punch at Jiang Hao's dagger.
A look of mockery flashed in Jiang Hao's eyes. Although the Explosive Scaled Snake had left his body, he still had the bone breastplate protecting him. It was also a Legendary Companion Beast and, although it wasn't a Strength-type, it augmented his Strength a little. It wasn't something a typical Mortal stage human could withstand.
Furthermore, the jade dagger was made of special materials. Not only did it have the ability to kill dimensional creatures, but it also had a terrifying sharpness to it.
"Die!" Jiang Hao steeled his heart as he exerted all his Strength, gathering it at the blade tip. He wanted to slice through Zhou Wen's fingers.
"Dodge! You can't handle it!" Li Xuan cried out in panic.
Xu Miantu spewed another mouthful of blood—a result of his anxiety, not his injuries.
At the instant the fist and blade met, a sanguine glow shimmered across Zhou Wen's fist. The red carapace instantly wrapped around his fist, condensing like a dark red boxing glove.
"Companion Beast!" Jiang Hao's eyes constricted as an ominous feeling arose in him.
As Mortal stage Companion Beasts were rare, he had subconsciously imagined the Companion Beast to be at the Legendary stage. This alarmed him greatly.
However, the distance between the fist and blade was just too narrow. Just as the thought came to Jiang Hao, Zhou Wen's fist had already struck the blade of the jade dagger.
Crack!
The mighty force tore through the blade as cracks rapidly extended, shattering the entire dagger, turning them into countless fragments.
Bang!
Zhou Wen's punch didn't pause as it struck Jiang Hao's dagger-wielding fist. It smashed the bones in his hand and arm.
The fractured bone tore out of Jiang Hao's flesh as blood gushed out. Without the protection of the bone armor, his arm popped like popcorn. He flew out with a tragic cry.
All of this happened in a split second. As Xu Miantu watched, he glared with a wide-open mouth, momentarily speechless.
Li Xuan was thrilled. Ignoring the Explosive Scaled Snake that embroiled him, he charged forward and smashed open Jiang Hao's head in midair. There were no more chances for him.
Zhou Wen was calm. After destroying Jiang Hao's arm, his body twisted around like a loach and, using the momentum, lunged for the skeleton horse's back. This made the Skeleton General miss once more.
Everything happened with such fluidity, as though it had been practiced countless times. It was a beautiful sight.
"Who the hell is he?" Xu Miantu snapped to his senses as his mind was filled with puzzlement. He refused to believe that Zhou Wen was merely an ordinary high-schooler from Guide City.
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Chapter 25: Weakness
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Jiang Hao's death signified the dissipation of his Companion Beast. The Explosive Scaled Snake and the bone armor Companion Beasts exploded, turning into bits of Primordial Energy that scattered across the land.
Li Xuan didn't have the luxury of time to entertain nonsensical thoughts like Xu Miantu. After finishing Jiang Hao, he rushed straight for the Skeleton General. At the same time, he shouted, "Zhou Wen, I'll attract his attention. Try to find an opening to deliver the lethal strike."
"Alright." Zhou Wen retreated. Just as the Skeleton General was about to chase after him, Li Xuan had already delivered a punch to the skeleton horse's head.
This contained the Strength of a Black Knight, but all it did was cause the skeleton horse's head to flinch and its feet to stagger for a moment.
"Pledge my life to defend the city…" The Skeleton General was enraged as the glow in his eyes burgeoned. He let out a furious roar as he charged at Li Xuan with his spear.
Li Xuan could barely kite the Skeleton General with the Black Knight's powers, but he was completely suppressed. He had no means to counterattack.
Zhou Wen circled around the skeleton horse without giving the Skeleton General a chance to attack him. From time to time, he would deliver a Vigor Divine Fist at the horse's legs or body. It affected the skeleton horse's mobility, giving Li Xuan a breather.
The two besieged the Skeleton General, but everything remained in a tizzy.
The Skeleton General in-game doesn't seem this powerful? Zhou Wen was quite puzzled. He was certain of his judgment.
It wasn't only aspects like Strength or Speed, most importantly, the Skeleton General in-game was rather uniform in his attacks. It was obvious he was a NPC 1 in a game. But in real life, the Skeleton General was clearly more intelligent and autonomous than in-game. His combat experience seemed to be honed from multiple battles, making him completely different.
Zhou Wen hadn't seen this phenomenon on the ordinary Skeleton Soldiers. Be it in-game or in real life, the Skeleton Soldiers shared the same rigidness.
What's the reason? Zhou Wen was momentarily unable to figure out the reason.
Bang!
Li Xuan was sent flying by the Skeleton General's spear sweep, but he managed to stop himself after tumbling about eight meters.
He got to his feet and charged forward once again while enduring the pain. Meanwhile, he shouted, "This Skeleton General is a little odd. He appears to be getting stronger!"
If any other Mortal stage were to suffer such injuries, they would probably be dead, even if they had a Legendary Companion Beast protecting them.
However, Li Xuan's Invincible Connate Divine Art was indeed formidable. It allowed him to continue battling with full force.
Zhou Wen had heard of how potent Epic stage Primordial Energy Arts were in the past, but it was only today that he realized how disparate things were.
The Ascetic Meditation he cultivated had similar benefits to the Invincible Connate Divine Art. They were Primordial Energy Arts that strengthened one's Constitution, but the differences were huge when a comparison was made. If he had suffered injuries as terrible as Li Xuan's, it would be unlikely that he could get back on his feet.
As expected, I need to cultivate in a top-grade Primordial Energy Art. But where am I to get one? These things aren't like Primordial Energy Skills that can drop from the game. Zhou Wen was slightly vexed.
In the schools of Earth's League, especially in university, different Primordial Energy Arts would be taught. However, they were capped out at the Legendary stage. There weren't any Epic stage Primordial Energy Arts to be taught. Zhou Wen had no chance of cultivating in such Primordial Energy Arts even if he wanted to.
"Bro, stop daydreaming. Help me finish him quickly!" Li Xuan was running about yelling while being pursued by the Skeleton General. The black armor that encased him had nearly shattered.
Zhou Wen had no intention of helping. Instead, he said, "It's useless. My Strength isn't enough to injure it. I think it's better we flee."
"Don't you have a weaponized Companion Beast?" Li Xuan exclaimed.
"It's only a Mortal Companion Beast. Although the augmentation to Strength is great, it wouldn't be very effective against such a Legendary stage dimensional creature," Zhou Wen explained.
"Mortal Companion Beast?" Li Xuan immediately felt speechless.
The higher the grade of a dimensional creature, the easier it could condense a dimensional crystal. The chances of producing a Companion Egg was also higher. Therefore, it was the low-grade dimensional creatures that could hardly produce Companion Eggs.
Therefore, a Mortal Companion Beast could be more expensive than his Black Knight Legendary Companion Beast, but at this juncture, money meant nothing.
"That's bad. Although my Black Knight also augments my Strength, it mainly augments my defense. It's not great when it comes to Strength… Damn it… I should have learned a few Primordial Energy Skills with potent destructive forces… Or I should have incubated a Strength-type Legendary Companion Beast…" Li Xuan said in regret.
"If not for your black armor protecting you, you would have died a couple of times. Having a Strength-type Legendary Companion Beast is useless," Zhou Wen said with a shake of his head.
Li Xuan no longer had the time to chat with Zhou Wen for the Skeleton General almost stabbed him in his thigh.
The Black Knight Companion Beast didn't enhance his Speed, so Li Xuan was unable to dodge the Skeleton General's thrusts. All he could do was rely on the black armor to resist the blows. It seemed quite tragic for it appeared as though he would be stabbed to death at any time.
The skeleton horse was too fast and, with Li Xuan not being at the Legendary stage, there was no way of escaping.
"Zhou Wen, I beg you to save Brother Xuan." Xu Miantu struggled to get up as he pleaded with Zhou Wen.
At this moment, Xu Miantu no longer had the arrogance from before. Instead, he treated Zhou Wen as a pillar of support.
Deep down, he no longer treated Zhou Wen as a higher schooler from a small city. Just the Mortal Companion Beast was not something the typical person could possess. From his point of view, Zhou Wen definitely had an extraordinary background.
And his previous actions made Xu Miantu believe that the former could save Li Xuan if he so wished.
Zhou Wen pondered for a moment and said, "It's not completely impossible, but I'm not sure if it will work."
"We have to try it regardless," Xu Miantu said.
Zhou Wen nodded slightly as he observed the Skeleton General but was thinking about the Skeleton General in-game.
He had fought the Skeleton General several times in-game. It wasn't without any benefit because through his observations, he had noticed a weakness on the Skeleton General.
However, Zhou Wen wasn't certain if the weakness in-game was the same in real life. After all, the Skeleton General was a lot more powerful in real life.
But at this moment, Zhou Wen could only give it a try.
Seeing Li Xuan being pursued by the Skeleton General, Zhou Wen silently circled to the back and gradually approached to await an opportunity.
Without needing Zhou Wen to say a word, Li Xuan knew that he needed to create a window of opportunity for Zhou Wen. Li Xuan gritted his teeth and used his black armor to envelope the left area of his abdomen to take on the Skeleton General's thrust.
When the sharp tip plunged into the black armor, it ripped apart Li Xuan's flesh. However, before the spear could be retracted, he gripped the stone spear tightly.
Without any hesitation, Zhou Wen leaped up and jumped onto the Skeleton General's back. He rode on the skeleton horse just like the Skeleton General while reaching out his hand at his target's neck. Lodging the head up to the sky, he used his other hand which wore the Vigor Ant's boxing glove, slamming it heavily at the Skeleton General's eye sockets.
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Chapter 26: Sun Strafe Art
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Bang!
With the combined forces of Vigor Divine Fist and the Vigor boxing glove, the Skeleton General's eye sockets cracked as Zhou Wen's fist plunged straight in. The sanguine flame scattered immediately like splattering blood.
The Skeleton General, who had been retracting the spear with all his might, came to an abrupt halt. The next moment the bone spear fell to the ground, as all his bones scattered around him. Even the skeleton horse crumbled to a pile of rotting bones.
And inside the skull which Zhou Wen had collapsed, there was a slight red glow.
Zhou Wen flipped the skull around and saw the red Companion Egg. It was the size of a goose egg, its entire body crystalline, like jade. Blood flames seemed to burn in it.
"A Companion Egg? Your luck ain't bad. Unfortunately, you don't have enough Primordial Energy to incubate a Legendary Companion Egg. Besides, that Skeleton General was a little odd. It's best you don't incubate it randomly." Li Xuan was covered with wounds, but regardless of their sizes, they were beginning to close up and stop bleeding. It was clearly thanks to the Invincible Connate Divine Art.
"Don't you want it?" Zhou Wen asked Li Xuan.
Li Xuan shook his head. "If it wasn't for you, Miantu and I would be dead. Also, what use is a Companion Egg? Besides, I don't really take a mere Legendary Companion Egg to heart. You should take it for yourself."
Zhou Wen nodded without any intention of standing on ceremony. He directly stuffed the Skeleton General's Companion Egg into his pocket before looking at Jiang Hao, whose head had ruptured. "Jiang Hao deserved this, but his death will definitely affect our results. It will probably be difficult for us to get into a reputable school."
Li Xuan laughed when he heard that. "Rest easy. Once we leave, apply to any reputable school you like. I guarantee you your admission.."
Xu Miantu suffered grievous injuries and, although Li Xuan's wounds didn't worsen, they weren't trivial either. He was also in need of medical attention. The trio stopped hunting Skeleton Soldiers and left Guide Ancient City directly after gathering all the bone beads.
After the invigilator inspected the number of bone beads and dimensional crystals, he sent Li Xuan and Xu Miantu for treatment. As for Zhou Wen, he headed home alone on public transport.
On the way back, he used his phone to enter the Ancient Imperial City dungeon once more. He wanted to confirm that the Skeleton General in-game was weaker than the one in real life.
As expected. It's not an illusion of mine. The Skeleton General in-game is much weaker. It's no wonder I suspected that he wasn't a Legendary creature.
But even so, without Li Xuan to divert the Skeleton General's attention, Zhou Wen was only capable of circling around the Skeleton General in-game. Killing him by his strength alone was almost impossible. The blood-colored avatar that Zhou Wen controlled had zero chance of getting close enough to smash through the Skeleton General's eye sockets.
However, Zhou Wen didn't mind. He continued circling around the Skeleton General with the blood-colored avatar. Since Zhou Wen knew the Skeleton General's weakness, a solo-kill was just a matter of time. He just needed to do the best he could.
Back home, Zhou Wen continued his daily lifestyle. Apart from sleeping, he would be gaming even while eating or using the bathroom.
After repeated attempts, he finally relied on a perfect positioning to kill the Skeleton General.
Although the Skeleton General in-game didn't drop a Companion Egg, it gave Zhou Wen a pleasant surprise—a Speed Crystal valued at 13.
Zhou Wen absorbed the Speed Crystal and immediately felt a jolt run through his body. It made him feel as if he was on cloud nine.
After a while, the feeling gradually dissipated. When Zhou Wen looked at his in-game stats, he was stunned.
He had absorbed a Speed Crystal valued at 13, so logically speaking, his Speed should have risen to 13. However, his Speed had only increased to 9, much lower than he expected.
After some thought, Zhou Wen roughly understood why this was happening.
I was taught that although the effects of absorbing Legendary stage crystals are good at the Mortal stage, that doesn't allow one's body to rise to the level of a Legendary stage. Only by raising one's Primordial Energy Art to a new realm would the absorption of a Legendary stage dimensional crystal raise one's stats. From the looks of it, this is the reason. Zhou Wen couldn't help but frown when he thought of this.
He originally intended on relying on Ascetic Meditation to advance to the Legendary stage, but after witnessing how formidable the Invincible Connate Divine Art was, it was apparent to him that advancing to the Legendary stage with Ascetic Meditation wasn't the best choice.
But if I don't use Ascetic Meditation to advance to the Legendary stage, how am I to obtain an Epic stage Primordial Energy Art? Zhou Wen was at a loss.
A few days later, the examination results were announced. Zhou Wen's results in his various subjects put him amongst the top. He got second on the combat test, one spot below Li Xuan. He was ranked even higher than Xu Miantu, so it did seem that Jiang Hao's death hadn't affected his results.
While pondering over the matter, his phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.
Picking up the call, Li Xuan's voice sounded over the phone. "Zhou Wen, have you seen the results? I should have given you first place, but I have some special use for being first place. So please forgive my shamelessness in taking first. I'll make sure to compensate you in the future."
"We agreed on being fourth, so getting second is good enough. I don't really care for my placing as long as it doesn't affect my university enrollment."
"Let's not talk about that. I owe you one, so I have to repay you one day." Li Xuan paused before continuing, "I'll be studying at Sunset College in the future. Are you interested in joining me there? We can take care of one another as friends."
"Sunset College?" Zhou Wen revealed a pensive look.
Sunset College was one of the top schools in the East District of the League. At the very least, it was ranked within the top ten. And there were dimensional zones inside Sunset College; therefore, students of Sunset College could enter them during their college years for actual combat. This was a boon compared to the typical university.
Entering Sunset College wasn't a bad choice. The only thing that held Zhou Wen back was that Sunset College was located in Luoyang City and the An family was in Luoyang as well.
Zhou Wen didn't wish to have close ties with the An family; thus, leaving him hesitant about choosing Sunset College.
Li Xuan did his best to persuade Zhou Wen to attend Sunset College, but all Zhou Wen said was that he would consider it.
After hanging up, Zhou Wen recalled something. An Jing had given him a USB drive, claiming that it was given to him by Zhou Lingfeng. Zhou Wen had been spending the past few days trying to take down the Skeleton General, so he had forgotten all about it. He had no idea what was on it.
After finding the USB drive, he inserted it into his computer and opened it. There was only one folder in it, labeled—Sun Strafe Art.
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Chapter 27: Elder
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhou Wen was slightly alarmed. He had heard of Sun Strafe Art. It was a Primordial Energy Art that reached the Epic stage and was in no way inferior to the Invincible Connate Divine Art when it came to fame. However, in comparison, the Sun Strafe Art was far more precious.
After all, the Invincible Connate Divine Art's cultivation requirements were excessively harsh. In contrast, the Sun Strafe Art didn't have that many requirements. As long as one was willing to work hard at it, even the most mediocre person could attain certain levels of achievement.
Furthermore, Sun Strafe Art was an extremely potent offensive Primordial Energy Art. It was far more popular than the Invincible Connate Divine Art that only strengthened one's Constitution.
However, based on what Zhou Wen knew, the Sun Strafe Art was an exclusive Primordial Energy Art of some bigwig in the League. Apart from this bigwig's descendants, no one else had the chance of obtaining it.
How did Dad get the Sun Strafe Art? It's most likely obtained thanks to the An family, right? Zhou Wen had a guess in mind.
He didn't reject the Sun Strafe Art because of this guess. Since Zhou Lingfeng had given it to him, he must have paid the corresponding price even if it was thanks to the An family. Zhou Wen naturally didn't have any reason to reject it and couldn't ignore Zhou Lingfeng's well-meant intentions.
After all, the number of things that Zhou Lingfeng had given him since he was young—apart from his living allowance—was limited to a handful.
He actually remembers that he has a son. Zhou Wen didn't immediately look at the Sun Strafe Art. Switching off his computer, he pulled out the USB disk and prepared to get some food.
Cultivating a Primordial Energy Art wasn't something that could be done in a day. Even though he had a 9-valued Primordial Energy as a foundation, making it faster for him to cultivate other Primordial Energy Arts, it still wasn't something that could be mastered in a month or two. There wasn't any rush.
Opening the fridge, he found nothing inside. Looking at the cardboard boxes in the corner of the living room, there wasn't a single packet of instant noodles left.
Zhou Wen hesitated for a moment and gave up the thought of getting a delivery. He washed his face, changed his clothes, and prepared to head out to get something to eat. He could also buy some food to stock up on the way.
At almost nine in the evening, there weren't many pedestrians on the street.
Zhou Wen had heard from his grandfather when he was young that before the dimensional storms happened, even a small city like Guide City was lit up for the entire night. However, such scenes were very rare these days.
The dim street lamps left Zhou Wen a little uncomfortable. His anemia was also getting worse.
He had lost too much blood recently. Thankfully, he was young and sufficiently strong. If he were an elderly man, the amount of blood he expended was definitely something his body's self-replenishment wouldn't be able to keep up with. Things would have deteriorated much earlier.
"I'll head to the supermarket to buy some brown sugar and make it into a syrup for drinking. Let's hope this old wives' tale can help in replenishing my blood," Zhou Wen muttered to himself.
He also knew, deep down, that it wasn't going to be of much use. Even if he visited the doctor, it was unlikely to resolve the problem.
The only way to resolve the excessive loss of blood was to prevent his blood-colored avatar from dying frequently in-game. As long as it didn't die, he wouldn't need to waste his blood.
Cough! As Zhou Wen was walking, he heard a man cough in front of him. Looking up, he saw an elderly man walking over with a hunched back. He had his head bowed, holding one hand to his mouth as he coughed from time to time.
Zhou Wen didn't think too much of it as he continued proceeding forward. But to his surprise, the elderly man collapsed to the ground when he was less than three meters away from him.
"Uncle, are you alright?" Zhou Wen walked over to check on the elder.
The elder seemed weak as he sat on the ground without getting up. He said feebly, "I'm fine. Old age is getting at me. I'll be fine after resting for a while."
"Let me help you to the side." Zhou Wen saw that there was a bus stop nearby which had benches for commuters to sit on.
With the elder nodding, Zhou Wen reached out, held him by the arm and helped him to the bench.
He observed the elder from the side and guessed that he was in his seventies to eighties. His hair was gray and his face was covered in wrinkles. However, from his thin face and facial features, this elder had probably been a handsome man in his prime.
Zhou Wen felt some pity for him. An elder at this age was truly from the most tragic generation.
When the dimensional storms descended upon the world, it created pandemonium. That decade or two was the most chaotic and darkest period of human history.
And the source of this chaos wasn't the terrifying dimensional creatures, but humanity itself.
Most dimensional creatures were unable to leave the dimensional zones; therefore excluding those zones, humans in the other zones weren't in too much danger.
However, when humans realized that they could have superpowers with the help of dimensional crystals, those who obtained these powers revealed the darkest side of humanity.
In this dark era, many vile and ambitious people who struck fear into people were produced. The number of deaths that arose among humanity's infighting could be said to be awash with rivers of blood.
At the elder's age, he was a person who had survived the dark era but he was also beyond his prime for cultivation during the same period. Back then, there weren't any systematic education or resources available. Most men his age had never cultivated. And even if they did, their achievements were extremely limited.
To be lucky enough to not die in that dark and chaotic era and live to this day wasn't something worth being happy about either.
Humans nowadays who cultivated from a young age not only had a strong immune system that made them less prone to falling sick, but the speed at which they aged was reduced. They also experienced an extension of their lifespan, something incomparable for the elder from that era.
Now, most people in their forties and fifties looked no different from the twenties or thirties of yesteryear.
Even if one grew old in the future, they wouldn't be so frail like this elder in front of him.
"Uncle, if you're fine, I'll be taking my leave." Seeing how the elder's condition had improved, Zhou Wen planned on leaving.
"Lad, it's a lucky coincidence that we meet other. Why don't you have a chat with me?" the elder looked at Zhou Wen with his turbid eyes as he spoke with his feeble voice.
"I'm not good at chatting." Zhou Wen wasn't declining the elder's request. He really wasn't good at chatting.
"It's fine. Let me ask you a few questions." The elder smiled, only to break into a coughing fit a moment later.
"Go ahead," Zhou Wen said and stood in front of the bench.
He usually only gamed and seldom communicated with people. Therefore, it didn't seem like a bad thing to have someone willing to chat with him.
Of course, this was under the premise that the elder didn't ask questions that stumped Zhou Wen.
"Do you like women with big or small breasts?" The elder's question left Zhou Wen taken aback.
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Chapter 28: Jing Daoxian
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhou Wen was still a pure and innocent virgin who had never been in a relationship before. Furthermore, always being focused on cultivation, he had never considered this problem.
The elder's question was somewhat odd, but Zhou Wen answered after some serious thought, "Women with smaller breasts."
The elder was delighted to hear that as he said with a smile, "That's exactly what I think too. Only women with smaller breasts are beautiful. What's so nice about big-breasted women? They are no different from cows. Only babies who still suck on their mother's tit will like cows."
Although Zhou Wen didn't agree with the elder, he didn't think it worth arguing with him. He chose women with smaller breasts because having big breasts made it unsuitable for combat. It would affect one's sense of balance.
The elder's complexion seemed a lot better once he broached the topic of women. He continued asking in excitement, "Lad, let me ask you another question. Do you like gentle women who are docile and obedient or women who are shrewd and unreasonable?"
This old man sure is odd. Does he have a screw loose? Who wouldn't like a docile and obedient woman and instead like an unreasonable shrewd?
Zhou Wen had the intention of answering that he preferred docile women, but he felt that choosing this would only excite the elder even more. There would then be no end to the conversation. Besides, Zhou Wen had no interest in continuing his chat with the elder.
"I like shrewd and unreasonable women," Zhou Wen swallowed the words he wanted to say and spoke against his will.
To his surprise, the elder smacked his thigh before Zhou Wen could even finish his sentence. He said in great excitement, "Not bad! Not bad! It's only when women are shrewd and unreasonable that they are cute and fun. Those docile and obedient women are no different from dead fish. What's so fun about that? I never expected a young lad like you would have such refined taste in women…"
The way the elder treated Zhou Wen as though he was a confidant left him bewildered. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
He's a lunatic indeed. Zhou Wen was increasingly convinced that the elder wasn't mentally sound. Otherwise, how could he have said such inane stuff?
If Zhou Wen had chosen honestly, he definitely wouldn't have chosen unreasonable shrewd women.
"Uncle, where do you live? Do you need me to take you home?" Zhou Wen really didn't want to be caught up here. All he wanted was to send the elder off and find somewhere to eat so that he could return to his gaming.
The elder ignored Zhou Wen and continued rambling, "Lad, you have exquisite taste when it comes to women. You are a genius. However, you don't look good and your body condition isn't great. One's body is crucial when hitting on chicks. If you don't have a good body, you will be lacking in the strength needed, despite having good taste…"
What the hell? You call this good taste? Zhou Wen regretted agreeing to the elder's request for a chat.
Having said that, the elder groped around before pulling out a tattered diary. "You are quite a fine lad and are rather compatible with me. Written in here is a Primordial Energy Art. If you cultivate it, it will be beneficial for you. As long as you can master it, you will have the strength to deal with any problematic women in the future."
A dark cloud hovered over Zhou Wen. The elder seemed to be implying that the cultivation of Primordial Energy Arts was meant to deal with unreasonable shrewd women.
"Uncle, thanks for the offer. However, I've already cultivated in a Primordial Energy Art. I don't need any others." Zhou Wen already had the Sun Strafe Art, so he naturally wasn't very interested in other Primordial Energy Arts. Furthermore, he doubted that the elder's Primordial Energy Art was anything impressive.
The elder glanced at Zhou Wen and said in contempt, "Although this Skyfiend Treatise isn't a top-grade Primordial Energy Art, it's not anything your crappy one can compare with. Useless Primordial Energy Arts like Ascetic Meditation are meant for trash. You are a lad with exquisite taste. You shouldn't be cultivating in such a trashy Primordial Energy Art."
"How do you know I cultivate in Ascetic Meditation?" Zhou Wen was alarmed.
The elder curled his lips. "Although you don't look well, there's a yellow jade-like luster suffusing your skin and flesh. Your eyes are spirited and your bones are huge. Clear signs of cultivating Ascetic Meditation. However, it's also at the beginner level. It's good that you are still a beginner; otherwise, cultivating such a trashy Primordial Energy Art would have been a waste of your youth. It would have ruined your entire life."
Zhou Wen sized up the elder. He hadn't noticed before that this sickly old man was so keen.
As though reading his mind, the elder said, "Dazed? This Skyfiend Treatise is hundreds if not thousands of times better than Ascetic Meditation. It's stronger than any Epic stage Primordial Energy Art at present. As long as you master it, you would definitely amount to much in the future. Although it wouldn't make you invincible, it wouldn't be difficult for you to advance to the Epic stage."
"Thank you. I can't accept something this valuable from a stranger. I'm very grateful for your kind intentions, but if there's nothing else, I'll be making a move now." Zhou Wen didn't know about the authenticity of the elder's Skyfiend Treatise for he had never heard of such an Epic stage Primordial Energy Art.
Regardless if it was one, Zhou Wen already had the Sun Strafe Art. There was no need for him to cultivate in the Skyfiend Treatise of unknown origins.
With that said, Zhou Wen turned around as he prepared to leave. With the elder's queer actions, he didn't wish to attract more trouble. It was best he left as soon as possible.
"Stop right there." Just as Zhou Wen turned around, he heard the elder's cold bellow.
Zhou Wen wanted to ignore him and leave, but just as he opened his stride, he felt as though his body was being grabbed by a huge invisible hand. It yanked him back, turning him around to face the elder.
The elder's turbid eyes were shimmering with a fearsome glint that resembled light bulbs.
He sat on the bench as he coughed slightly with his hand over his mouth. However, Zhou Wen could only stand motionless in front of the elder due to the invisible hand.
"I, Jing Daoxian, have reigned supreme for decades and no one has ever lived to say no to me." The elder glared at Zhou Wen as he spoke coldly.
He found the words "Jing Daoxian" familiar; however, it was only when he matched this name to a memory did his expression change drastically.
When the dimensional storms first happened—in the period before the League government was established when it was the most chaotic period in human history—there had been a vile and bloodthirsty people. The most terrifying and evil of them all was named Jing Daoxian.
The legends of Jing Daoxian's cruelty was enough for a novelist to write an epic tale, spanning ten million words or more.
Jing Daoxian was most infamous for storming the League government's office, killing twenty-seven Epic experts. The rest of the lower-stage experts were too numerous to count. He had turned what represented the highest authority of the League into a river of blood.
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Chapter 29: Lost Immortal Sutra
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Many of the history books in the League had depicted that battle, the Day of the Fiendish Calamity. As for Jing Daoxian, he had the nickname of Fiend King. The number of Epic experts back then weren't as numerous as the number these days, so to kill twenty-seven Epic experts basically meant slaughtering most of humanity's strongest experts. It set back humanity's strength by at least ten years.
Zhou Wen stared at the elder in front of him, finding it difficult to put this sickly old man with the terrifying Fiend King of legends.
"You are Fiend King Jing Daoxian?" Zhou Wen didn't feel horrified because of his restrainment. This was because he knew very well that it didn't make a difference.
"Do you now want it?" Jing Daoxian said to Zhou Wen with a faint smile.
"Yes." Zhou Wen didn't hesitate in answering for he had no intention of dying at the hands of this devil.
When Jing Daoxian heard Zhou Wen's reply, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You may say so, but you don't want it deep down. Even if you take it, I'm afraid you wouldn't cultivate in it."
Is this guy nuts? Zhou Wen thought. "I'm naturally not going to cultivate in it. If that Skyfiend Treatise is really a Primordial Energy Art of yours, wouldn't the League's government believe that I'm related to you if I were to master it? I would also be wanted."
Jing Daoxian fell silent for a moment before his eyes lit up as though he had thought of something. Putting the notebook away, he took out something else.
It was a violet, metal box that resembled copper. However, it didn't have the luster of copper with its dark, brushed-metal texture.
Looking small and exquisite, the metal box was squarish, about the size of a cigarette case. Carved on it were strange and messy patterns with three words written vertically in the middle.
"Lost Immortal Sutra!" Zhou Wen recognized the three words but didn't understand what they meant.
The elder held the tiny box in front of Zhou Wen before lifting the lid. At this moment, Zhou Wen realized that it wasn't a box but pieces of violet metal sheets that were connected to one another. They were like violet metal name cards.
There was a total of thirteen extremely thin, violet sheets. Each one was engraved with words the size of a fly's head. Due to the tiny text, Zhou Wen wasn't able to read the words on them.
Jing Daoxian didn't look at the words on them. After opening it, all he did was wave the sheets in front of Zhou Wen before stacking them back together, turning them back into the violet metal block that resembled a cigarette case. Finally, he stuffed it into Zhou Wen's hands.
"A Primordial Energy Art is written on it. It's rather interesting, so take your time to cultivate it." Jing Daoxian gave an odd smile, revealing his white teeth. It gave Zhou Wen the creeps.
Jing Daoxian stuffed the Lost Immortal Sutra into Zhou Wen's hands before walking away amidst coughs with his back hunched. Soon, he vanished from the dark street.
Only then did Zhou Wen feel the invisible force around his body dissipate. Having regained control of his body, he glanced at the direction in which Jing Daoxian had vanished. Unable to see him, he hurriedly looked down at the metal slab in his hand.
The history books speak of Jing Daoxian as having an eccentric and unreasonable temperament. He does things as he pleases. It's really an apt description. Legend has it that Jing Daoxian was capricious, killing people in a way no different from having his meals. He had no sense of morals. Zhou Wen didn't believe that Jing Daoxian was nice enough to give him a high-grade Primordial Energy Art due to a lucky encounter.
Zhou Wen observed the metallic slab but failed to find anything special about it. Without opening it, it looked like a metal cigarette case.
After some thought, Zhou Wen didn't check the Lost Immortal Sutra's contents. He had the mysterious phone and Sun Strafe Art that destined him to become an expert. There was no need for him to take the risk of cultivating a Primordial Energy Art given to him by Jing Daoxian.
Hesitating for a moment while holding the metallic slab, Zhou Wen carefully placed it in his pocket.
Firstly, he was afraid that Jing Daoxian was watching nearby. If he were to throw it away, he was afraid that Jing Daoxian would flare up into a rage and kill him.
Secondly, Zhou Wen didn't know if there were any harmful traps in the Lost Immortal Sutra. He wasn't sure if others would be harmed if he just threw it away.
Looking in the direction that Jing Daoxian had vanished, Zhou Wen turned around and headed for the supermarket.
At the moment he turned around, Jing Daoxian, who was standing on another street, curled his lips. He sneered with an odd expression. I originally wanted to give you an opportunity for catching my fancy. Who knew that you are such a philistine. No one can live comfortably in this world after rejecting me. You'll die regardless of whether you cultivate the Lost Immortal Sutra. If there's anything to blame, blame it on yourself for not knowing better.
Suddenly, Jing Daoxian frowned slightly. Did they catch up that quickly?
With that said, Jing Daoxian walked towards the other end of the city, quickly vanishing from the city's landscape.
Before Zhou Wen walked far, he saw people running toward him from the street ahead. They were wearing black uniforms that resembled a police uniform, but there were some differences. Despite carefully looking at it, he failed to recognize the uniform.
There were men and women in the group, with all of them looking to be in their twenties or thirties. The person leading them was a man in his thirties. He was clean-shaven other than the thin mustache above his lips. He was thin, with a hooked nose, and his eyes were as sharp as a blade.
"Hey there, did you see an elder in his seventies or eighties when you came from there?" The person ran past Zhou Wen without giving him a second glance. However, before they went far, the man who led the group stopped and turned to ask Zhou Wen.
"I think there was one. He headed in that direction." Zhou Wen pointed in the direction where Jing Daoxian had left.
The man observed Zhou Wen for a moment before he nodded and said his thanks. Then, he led the group of uniformed personnel in the direction Zhou Wen had pointed.
Zhou Wen waited until they were a distance away before he turned around and briskly walked off. He really didn't wish to embroil himself in such trouble. He sought a life of gaming in peace while schooling.
This time, he finally arrived at the supermarket without any mishap and bought plenty of food. Like always, Zhou Wen headed home and continued his grinding fest.
He gamed past one in the morning before he forced himself to put down the phone and go to bed.
Zhou Wen's sleep quality had always been good. This might have something to do with his talent in being able to get into a focused state when learning something. It was the same with sleep. He could fall asleep within three seconds of lying down.
Zhou Wen imagined that he would be able to sleep till daybreak, but he felt something amiss while sleeping in the middle of the night.
In the past, Zhou Wen was able to sleep the entire night unless roused up by someone. But today was different. The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop; yet, Zhou Wen woke up.
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Badump! Badump!
Zhou Wen felt his heart beating like a drum as it raced faster and faster. It gave him a feeling that his heart would literally leap out of his chest.
Could this heart arrhythmia be a result of my frequent loss of blood? Zhou Wen had never experienced this before. He intended to open his eyes and get up to ease the discomfort.
However, he could neither open his eyes nor sit up. He wasn't even able to move his fingers. The feeling was akin to the desire to urinate while dreaming, but being unable to get up.
What's happening? Zhou Wen felt an ominous feeling rise up in him. He was certain that he wasn't dreaming for his mind was extremely lucid.
What made him feel worse was that he felt as though something was pressing down on him. It was growing in weight, leaving him stifled. He could hardly breathe.
Even so, Zhou Wen still couldn't open his eyes. Nor could he move. It appeared as though he couldn't wake up from his dream.
Could this be the ghost oppression that Grandfather was speaking of when I was little? He thought.
As Zhou Wen's father was very busy with work and he lacked a mother, he was brought up by his grandfather from a young age. Every evening, his grandfather would tell him stories to coax him to sleep.
As for his grandfather's stories, they were mostly ghost stories. Perhaps one of them was the story of the mysterious phone. However, Zhou Wen was still young back then, so he didn't remember most of them. Only a few especially frightening ones had left a deep impression on him until today. One of them was about ghost oppression.
Zhou Wen felt that his present situation was very similar to the ghost oppression his grandfather had spoken of. His mind was very lucid, but he couldn't wake up or move.
It felt as though a heavy object was pressing on him as his heart raced. It left him extremely uncomfortable, to the point of retching. Yet, he couldn't do so.
This feeling continued from the middle of the night until just after six in the morning. Only then did Zhou Wen recover the control of his body. He instantly got up, ran to the bathroom, and vomited into the toilet.
Even as he was about to vomit his bile, he remained somewhat in discomfort.
What's wrong? It couldn't be as simple as food poisoning, right? Zhou Wen suddenly thought of his encounter with Jing Daoxian last night. He couldn't help but be alarmed. Don't tell me it has to do with Jing Daoxian?
Zhou Wen washed his face before heading to the living room. He picked up the stack of violet metal sheets he had stored away in a drawer.
It hadn't experienced any changes and the words were clearly engraved on the metal, neither too deep nor too shallow.
Jing Daoxian is known for being capricious. He definitely wasn't up to any good by giving me the Lost Immortal Sutra after I rejected him. Perhaps the problem stems from this metal slab. Could it be that he poisoned me? Zhou Wen suspected that Jing Daoxian had placed some form of hallucinogen on the violet metal slab that could seep into the body through contact.
He had learned such general knowledge in school, and he did pretty well in his studies. Using tweezers, he placed the violet slab in a glass container and did a simple test. However, he didn't find any poisonous reactions.
There isn't any poison? Or could the poison be relatively special and prevent ordinary methods of discovering it? Zhou Wen frowned slightly.
With all of that done, Zhou Wen felt that his body had recovered. His heart had calmed down and he no longer felt nauseous.
He suspected a case of food poisoning, so he took some digestive medicine. His body seemed to fully recover and there weren't any further abnormalities.
As he took note of his body, he began grinding in-game. Now, Zhou Wen was already capable of singlehandedly killing the Skeleton General in-game. He just required quite a bit of time, taking nearly an hour to kill the Skeleton General once.
Nothing dropped when he killed the Skeleton General in-game a second time. It left him somewhat disappointed.
Unwilling to waste his blood to restart the Ancient Imperial City dungeon, he decided to venture deeper into it.
The ancient buildings were connected like a massive maze. Zhou Wen had the intention of heading into one of the ancient buildings to take a look, but he was afraid of dying, making it a waste of blood.
The deeper he headed into Ancient Imperial City, the more Skeleton Soldiers he encountered. Towards the end, he had encountered tides of Skeleton Soldiers that he couldn't clear no matter how hard he tried. Yet, there was no sight of a Skeleton General.
This continued late into the night and the streets were filled with endless numbers of skeletons. Giving up, Zhou Wen stormed out of the area and chose to quit the game.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep the previous night, so his fatigue was getting to him. He decided to sleep early to spruce himself up for tomorrow's continued efforts.
It didn't take him long to fall asleep, but not long after, he snapped awake again. He was suffering from sleep paralysis again.
His heart raced as something heavy pressed down on him. He felt extreme discomfort.
Damn it… It's definitely not as simple as food poisoning… It must have been Jing Daoxian… Zhou Wen had the urge to curse.
He had no grudge with Jing Daoxian. He had just declined Jing Daoxian's offer of the Skyfiend Treatise and this was the outcome. He was truly loathsome.
After enduring through the night, the feeling vanished at dawn. Roughly at the same time as the day before, Zhou Wen once again regained control of his body.
He got up again and rushed to the bathroom. The vomiting was worse than yesterday, making him feel as though he was about to vomit out his stomach.
Like yesterday, the discomfort quickly vanished. If it wasn't because of the excruciating pain from before and his vomit still in the toilet, Zhou Wen would have thought that his discomfort was nothing but an illusion.
He was very certain that the problem was likely a result of Jing Daoxian.
To seek him out was clearly unpragmatic.
The entire League had Jing Daoxian on a wanted list for decades but had failed to apprehend him. It was nearly impossible for a higher schooler like Zhou Wen to find him.
Even if he were lucky and ended up finding Jing Daoxian, Zhou Wen didn't believe that he possessed the means to redress this injustice.
After some thought, he took out the Lost Immortal Sutra slab. Without any hesitation, he flipped through it and read its contents.
Jing Daoxian had told him that it recorded an interesting Primordial Energy Art that he should cultivate in. This made Zhou Wen believe that the resolution to his problems lay in the Lost Immortal Sutra.
Although this thought didn't seem to hinge on anything reliable, Zhou Wen was without options. All he could do was first figure out what Lost Immortal Sutra was before making a decision.
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Chapter 31: Unmemorable Sutra
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Thirteen violet metal sheets were connected to each other like a mini-comic book. Its contents were viewable the moment he opened it. There were tiny words densely packed on every page and on both sides.
Zhou Wen began reading from the back of the first page. It was indeed the opening of a typical Primordial Energy Art. It mentioned things like the human magnetic field and Primordial Energy Art. As he read it, Zhou Wen suddenly felt hungry. Recalling that his favorite salted eggs were among the food he had bought yesterday, he put down the Lost Immortal Sutra and peeled one to add it to a bowl of instant noodles.
After he had finished eating, he returned to read Lost Immortal Sutra, only to realize that he had forgotten his reading progress.
Zhou Wen frowned slightly. He was confident in his memory and although it wasn't a photographic one, he wouldn't forget anything he read for a couple of years.
Yet, in less than ten minutes, he had forgotten the few lines he had just read.
Reading the Lost Immortal Sutra again, he was astonished to realize that it wasn't as simple as forgetting his reading progress. When he read it from the beginning, he found the content equally unfamiliar as though it was the first time he was reading it. He had apparently forgotten all the content he had read just minutes ago.
There's indeed something odd about this! Zhou Wen continued reading before finding himself feeling hungry again. He needed some more food.
This moment of distraction was enough to make him forget his reading progress in Lost Immortal Sutra. When he read from the beginning, he found the content he had just read unfamiliar once more. He had forgotten the content again.
Zhou Wen refused to have his beliefs shaken as he picked up his phone, opened its notes app, and began recording the content he read from the violet sheet.
However, whenever Zhou Wen memorized a sentence and turned his gaze to the phone, he would find his thoughts a blank when he tried to input the content. He couldn't recall the line he had just memorized.
After attempting to memorize the Lost Immortal Sutra again, Zhou Wen quickly discovered that he could clearly remember the content when reading it, but once he moved his gaze away in a bid to record it, everything would be forgotten.
Zhou Wen attempted to write as he read, but it was useless. Just any level of distraction was enough to wipe his memories of Lost Immortal Sutra's content.
He tried using his phone to snap pictures of the Lost Immortal Sutra, but after taking a few pictures, he found that the pictures only showed the metal sheet being a uniform violet color without any engravings.
This Lost Immortal Sutra is indeed odd. Not only can't I divert my attention to read it, but I'll be affected by the text within when focusing, getting distracted by my various emotions. It's truly bizarre. Zhou Wen thought as he looked at the Lost Immortal Sutra engraved on the metal sheets.
Unbeknownst to him, this Lost Immortal Sutra wasn't only simple but bizarre. He just experienced distractions in the beginning, but towards the end, it escalated to something far more fatal.
Many Epic stage experts in history had died because of reading of Lost Immortal Sutra. Even if they were lucky to survive, they would go crazy and become no different from an idiot.
Even Jing Daoxian wasn't able to finish reading Lost Immortal Sutra after obtaining it. He closed it after reading it midway without daring to continue. If it wasn't because the Lost Immortal Sutra had a magical connection to its owner, making it impossible to forcefully abandon it, Jing Daoxian wouldn't have kept it on him.
If it wasn't because of the influence that Lost Immortal Sutra exerted on him, Jing Daoxian wouldn't have been injured inside a dimensional zone. He had originally planned on finding a way of disposing of it.
When Zhou Wen declined Jing Daoxian's Skyfiend Treatise, the latter was insistent that Zhou Wen cultivated in the Primordial Energy Art he had given. Not only did he want Zhou Wen to cultivate it, but he also wanted Zhou Wen to suffer for his actions. He even wanted him to die a tragic death. This was the reason why he had given the Lost Immortal Sutra to him.
His vile nature was absolutely nothing the average person could compare with. He was truly a devil.
Due to the strangeness of the Lost Immortal Sutra, Zhou Wen didn't continue reading. He even wanted to experiment if anything would happen to him if he distanced himself from the metal slab and the Lost Immortal Sutra.
In a hotel suite in Guide City, a few people were sitting around a table, discussing something. If Zhou Wen were around, he would have recognized them to be the uniformed personnel he had met that fateful night.
"We let Jing Daoxian escape once again. Damn it," a man said angrily.
It hadn't been easy for them to acquire clues of Jing Daoxian's whereabouts. Furthermore, the latter was heavily injured, giving them their best chance of apprehending him. Yet, they had still failed to catch up to him.
"Despite being so heavily injured, how did he break through our blockade and escape without us realizing it," a woman said, perplexed.
"Regardless of how injured he is, he is still Jing Daoxian nonetheless. We shouldn't take it to heart. If we had locked down all of Guide City in the beginning, we might have stood a chance of finding him."
Everyone exchanged their views, except for a man who remained silent. At the seat of honor, he rhythmically tapped the table's surface as he hung his eyelids low, seemingly in thought.
"Minister Qiao, what's your take on this?" a blonde, green-eyed lady gave the man a teasing look as she asked with a coquettish voice.
Qiao Siyuan looked up slightly when he heard her question. Stopping his tapping of the table, he swept his gaze across everyone.
"How long did Jing Daoxian spend in Guide City, from the moment he entered until he left?" Qiao Siyuan didn't reply to the lady's question and returned with a question.
The woman switched on her tablet and said after taking a look at the information. "For a person like Jing Daoxian with extremely powerful perception, it won't be easy for cameras to capture any traces of him. Thankfully, the Eye in the Sky is a rather well-refined system. There are certain areas that make it impossible to escape surveillance. From the video feed we have at present, we can determine that Jing Daoxian entered Guide City at approximately 8:30 p.m. and left at 9:20 p.m., spending a total of fifty minutes in Guide City.
After Qiao Siyuan heard this, he picked up his pen and drew out a red line on Guide City's map. "This is the path we took while pursuing Jing Daoxian. Based on the information we have at present, he has suffered grievous injuries, so he can't advance too quickly. In addition, there are no reports of him using any transportation."
"Based on the snapshots occasionally taken by the Eye in the Sky, that's indeed the case. Jing Daoxian didn't walk very quickly, reaching the square's vicinity at approximately 8:55 p.m…." the lady briefed him in detail.
"Then, did you notice that the distance between Xiangjun Road to Changjiang Road only takes up less than 5% of his entire trajectory in Guide City. Yet, he spent nearly ten minutes there. Can someone tell me why?" Qiao Siyuan glared at everyone as he asked.
"Perhaps he needed to tend to his wounds?" a young man suggested.
Qiao Siyuan said stoically, "Does anyone of you remember our encounter with a high-schooler on that stretch of road?"
Everyone took some time to recall. When the lady realized what he was talking about, she hurriedly said, "The youth who you asked about Jing Daoxian's direction of escape?"
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Chapter 32: Sunset College's New Discovery
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Qiao Siyuan nodded gently. "That's right. He's the one."
"Minister, do you think that youth is in cahoots with Jing Daoxian?" the blonde, green-eyed lady asked Qiao Siyuan.
Qiao Siyuan focused on the laid-out map on the table before saying, "No. He's likely an ordinary high-schooler. However, since he met Jing Daoxian in that period of time, perhaps we might be able to understand why Jing Daoxian had spent abnormal amounts of time in that area through him. Think of a way to find that high-schooler."
Everyone exchanged looks. They hadn't especially taken note of the youth that passed them by. Furthermore, it was in the evening and the youth hadn't worn anything that made himself stand out. To seek him out without a clue left them somewhat at a loss.
"I'll sketch up the youth for you. To appear in that vicinity at that time while wearing home clothes means that he lives nearby. Check the nearby cameras to see if they managed to capture him. Bring him back as quickly as possible," Qiao Siyuan said.
With the Lost Immortal Sutra in hand, Zhou Wen originally had the intention of leaving it somewhere far from home. However, the moment he left his doorstep, he saw a car parked along the street. Li Xuan was inside the car, waving at him.
"Is there something wrong?" Zhou Wen walked over and asked.
"Get in the car first." Li Xuan opened the door and moved inside, gesturing for him to get in.
Zhou Wen thought for a moment and got in.
Li Xuan closed the door and rolled up the window. Then, he unlocked his phone and handed it to Zhou Wen. "Take a look at this."
Zhou Wen gave him a suspicious glance and discovered that there was a picture shown on the screen—a document.
As the text was too tiny, Zhou Wen had no choice but to swipe across the phone's screen to zoom in. Only then did he see what the document was about.
It appeared to be a draft, indicating that a new dimensional zone had been found in the vicinity of Ancient Inlet. Furthermore, Companion Beasts in the form of organs had been discovered inside. The report then provided some data and analysis.
"Why are you showing me this?" Zhou Wen asked Li Xuan with a perplexed look.
Li Xuan answered in excitement, "Ancient Inlet is inside Sunset College. This newly discovered dimensional zone will be Sunset College's in the future."
"So what?" Zhou Wen still didn't get Li Xuan's excitement.
"So what? It means that students of Sunset College will have the opportunity of entering this newly discovered dimensional zone in the future. They will have a chance of obtaining organ-type Companion Beasts."
Seeing Zhou Wen's unfazed expression, Li Xuan continued, "Companion Beasts in the form of organs are extremely rare. You might not have heard of them, but I can very responsibly tell you that those things are a lot more precious than the typical Companion Beast. Let me put it this way. If your heart were to be wrecked by someone or if you were on your deathbed with a heart disease, having a Companion Beast in the shape of a heart means it could fuse with your heart and replace your original heart. It would enhance your heart's functionality…"
"It does sound useful." Zhou Wen finally had a chance to speak after listening for a period of time.
"It's far from useful. Let me ask you. Do you know how many elderly people in the League die a year from heart diseases? And how many people die from tumors in their organs? Organ-type Companion Beasts can be sold for astronomical prices. Besides, even if you don't sell it and keep it for yourself, it will be equivalent to having an additional life when you adventure in dimensional zones…"
Li Xuan droned on before ending with one statement. "The benefits of that dimensional zone producing organ-type Companion Beasts is something only members of Sunset College can enjoy. Don't hesitate any further. Follow me to Sunset College. Delay any further and it will be too late. If this piece of news is officially announced, all the top students across the country will swarm to apply at Sunset College. That special admissions quota won't be enough."
"Alright. I'll head back and do the registration." Zhou Wen didn't hesitate and agreed to it.
Although he didn't wish to have ties with the An family, he also didn't wish for the An family to affect his normal life. Since applying to Sunset College brought about so many benefits, there was no reason for him to give it up, much less give it up because of the An family.
"Fill in the application on the Internet before handing me your identification card. Leave the rest to me," Li Xuan hurriedly said.
In fact, after Zhou Wen had his college entrance examination results, all he needed to do was apply at Sunset College's official website and await admission.
With Zhou Wen's results, it wasn't a problem for him to be admitted under ordinary circumstances. However, things were no longer the same. Once the discovery of organ-type Companion Beasts had been announced, competition for the limited number of spots would become intense. Zhou Wen might not be admitted as a result.
Li Xuan took Zhou Wen's identification card and planned on using some of his connections to get him admitted to Sunset College.
Zhou Wen didn't speak further. After registering on the website with his phone, he gave his identification card to Li Xuan.
"That should be it. I'll be heading back to Luoyang. If there's nothing else for you here, pack up and head with me to Luoyang. I'll take you around to familiarize you with Luoyang and Sunset College's campus," Li Xuan said as he put away the identification card.
"Alright. Wait a moment." Zhou Wen got out of the car and headed home to pack up.
"Wait? I'll help you with the packing." Li Xuan got out of the car and followed Zhou Wen home.
Zhou Wen didn't have much to pack to begin with. After packing up some of his daily necessities and clothes, he left Guide City with Li Xuan.
Guide City wasn't too far from Luoyang. Before the dimensional storms happened, it took about three to four hours by car.
However, many areas these days had turned into dimensional zones. Circling around them doubled the journey time at the very least, so it took them more than ten hours to get there.
Li Xuan had wanted to have a good chat with Zhou Wen, but to his dismay, Zhou Wen began gaming the moment he got into the car. His eyes stayed peeled to the screen, leaving Li Xuan somewhat depressed.
Is this guy for real? Does he have such skills despite being so obsessed with gaming? Li Xuan was very experienced when it came to acting—especially when it came to playing the pig to prey on tigers.
But regardless of how he looked at it, Zhou Wen didn't seem to be acting. He truly looked obsessed with gaming.
Li Xuan sat there watching Zhou Wen game for quite a while before becoming extremely bored. Wasn't it just the constant grinding of some monster ants? Such repetitive and boring games had lost favor decades ago.
"Zhou Wen, is that game so fun?" Bored after watching for a while, Li Xuan asked.
"It's fun," Zhou Wen said without looking away from the screen.
As he was afraid that Li Xuan had noticed something, he didn't enter the Ancient Imperial City. Instead, he kept grinding at the Ant Nest.
After obtaining the mysterious phone, Zhou Wen had already looked up most of the dimensional zones on Earth. Although there were a few dimensional zones that resembled the Ant Nest, they were different from the one in-game. Vigor Ants didn't exist either.
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