《After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up》


 CH 1

    Welcome! This novel will be co-translated by Yuzu and Icecherry. (??¥î?)?*:???


    Yuzu: Hi! We¡¯ll start uploading chapters once a week (Thursday) for a while before uploading more soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this novel! (¨R¨Œ¨Q)


    IceCherry: Hello, this is IceCherry. It will be my first time doing a Chinese project and I¡¯ll be collaborating with Yuzu. Please look forward to our project.


    Enjoy! Chapter 1


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shi An is the last Abyssal Dragon in the world.


    Since he was too bored, he hugged his treasure and pleasantly fell into a deep sleep.


    Fifty thousand years later, Shi An opened his eyes contentedly.


    ¡ª¡ª only to find himself transformed into a weak human form with short hands and feet.


    He looked down at his inexplicably shrunken body and then looked up around his empty cave:


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Where is my mighty and majestic body? Where¡¯s my big tail?


    And most importantly¡ª¡ªwhere is my treasure??!!!


    After tens of thousands of years of hard work, one sleep brought him back before liberation.*1


    ¡ª


    In 2202, the conflict between humans and monsters has become more and more intense.


    Although the monster camp is strong, the fantasy species that used to roam the continent have disappeared.


    Shi An, the youngest son of the Shi family, is a well-known 0-magic power person of the Ability Academy.


    The new semester started with the magic power re-test.


    Shi An looked at the three testers that exploded in front of him with an innocent face:


    ¡°Eh? Are they not of good quality?¡±


    During the practical training, the low-grade monsters fled before Shi An got close.


    Shi An watched their backs with a pure expression as they took off:


    ¡°Yay, what good luck.¡±


    Everyone: ¡­¡­?


    I must be dreaming.


    ¡ª


    Mu Heng, the only one remaining of the noble dragon slayer bloodline, is the most powerful person.


    ¡°Dragon? Extinction is the best place for them to go.¡± He said coldly and arrogantly.


    After a long time¡ª¡ª


    Mu Heng turned his head to look at the dragon cub lying behind him in the treasure pile, withdrew his gaze, and slowly said:


    ¡°Are there any more missions lately? One that pays well.¡±


    Extinction is impossible. It is only possible to earn even more money to support the family so that he will not be kicked out of bed at night.

 CH 2

    Translated by Yuzu


    The date for the banquet was set far earlier than expected.


    Soon, the news spread, and many celebrities received an invitation.


    ¡ª¡ªThe Shi family will hold an entrance ceremony banquet at the main residence.


    ¡¤


    In the corridor.


    The young man raised his hand and tugged at his collar, somewhat uncomfortably.


    The old butler walking beside him stopped and smoothed his bow tie back into place.


    Shi An pointed to the clothes he was wearing.


    ¡°Do I have to wear this?¡±


    The light from the banquet hall not far away shone through, coating the side of his face with a glazed, cold, delicate glow.


    The young man¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed, and his raven-black eyelashes were lowered. He was too beautiful to be a real person.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The old butler helped Shi An flatten the corners of his clothes and examined him lovingly, ¡°See, you look so nice.¡±


    Shi An whispered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    He thought of something and raised his eyes expectantly, ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    However, before Shi An could finish his words, the old butler interrupted him as if he was facing a big enemy:


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    When he thought of the ¡°good-looking¡± outfit that Shi An had chosen for himself, the old butler¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but turn a little green¡ª¡ª


    The body was embellished with glittering gold sequins and shiny metal jewelry that tinkled as he walked and reflected a bright light that made people unable to keep their eyes open.


    It¡¯s simply not ordinary and¡­¡­tasteless.


    After getting a firm answer from the other, Shi An¡¯s face could not hide his disappointment.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±


    He responded in a low voice. He lowered his eyes, and his long, thick eyelashes fluttered, as if he were some kind of furry little animal.


    Ugh¡­¡­what a well-behaved child.


    Just, besides his poor taste, there is nothing wrong with him.


    The old butler helped the young man straighten his shoulders and patted the dust off his body. There were mixed feelings in his heart, both feeling relieved and somewhat reluctant:


    ¡°Young master, you should be able to move back here after this day.¡±


    Although this was Shi An¡¯s nominal home, he doesn¡¯t live here, but in a small villa away from the main house.


    And now that Shi An has finally passed the test at the Ability Academy, he must finally be qualified to move back.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Then, can I wear¡­¡­¡±


    The old butler¡¯s eyebrows throbbed, and he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    The waiter standing by the door saw the arrival of the two of them and raised his hand to open the door of the banquet hall. Bright lights and the noisy sound of people poured out like an ocean.


    Shi Zechun, the father of human Shi An.


    He was currently standing in the middle of the banquet hall, talking to a young man with his head lowered.


    ¡°Go on!¡± The butler eagerly nudged Shi An.


    At this time, Shi Zechun raised his glass of champagne.


    He tapped the silver spoon against the glass and made a crisp ¡°tinkling¡± sound. The crowd instantly quieted down and turned their heads to look over.


    Shi Zechun cleared his throat and said:


    ¡°Today is a celebration for my son¡¯s official admission.¡±


    He pressed his palm on the shoulder of the teenager beside him, and a smile appeared on his cold, stern face: ¡°Xiao Rui passed this year¡¯s initial test, with an initial grade of B in magic power, and is among the top five freshmen this year.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The old butler froze, hardly believing his ears.


    ¡ª¡ªHe did not expect that the banquet was indeed held, but the main character was not Shi An.


    Everyone knows that Shi An was the only son of the Shi family.


    Shi Rui could only be an illegitimate child.


    And now that he is being pushed to the front with great fanfare by his father, everyone knows the meaning behind it ¡ª he will replace Shi An and be cultivated as the heir to the Shi family.


    After a brief silence, the sounds of praise and celebration rang out.


    Everyone tacitly sent their blessings and compliments, never mentioning the former only son of the Shi family, as if his existence had long been forgotten.


    In the midst of all the noise, the old butler subconsciously lowered his head and searched for Shi An¡¯s figure.


    He was speechless, his mind was in turmoil, and he couldn¡¯t put together any comforting words for a while.


    ¡ª¡ªUnexpectedly, Shi An seemed to be distracted.


    He seemed completely oblivious to the unspoken handover not far away. Instead, he stared unblinkingly at a corner at the edge of the banquet. The light and shadows moved across his face, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.


    The butler was stunned.


    He reflexively followed Shi An¡¯s line of sight and looked over.


    Only to see that not far away, in the shadow of the corner wall, there was a guest with his head down. He was silently leaning against the wall, as if he was asleep, and was out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.


    A waiter also seemed to have noticed something strange.


    He walked over with the tray and asked something in a low voice.


    There was peace and harmony all around.


    But it was as if there was some unsettling element surging under the air.


    Without warning, the guest¡¯s arm jerked violently!


    His skin crumbled in a flash, but what flowed out was not blood but an amber-colored liquid.


    ¡°Clang!¡± The sound of the tray hitting the ground was clear and piercing, tearing through the air like a sharp weapon, and miserable screams cut through the night:


    ¡°Ah ah ahhhhh¡ª¡ª¡±


    Boom¡ª¡ª


    The guest¡¯s previously whole and bloated body collapsed quickly like a squashed balloon.


    Fist-sized pitch-black insects gushed out from the cuts on his body, one after another. They were densely packed, like a torrent of water flowing onto the ground, scratching the carpet with teeth grinding sound.


    Monster! It¡¯s a monster!


    How is it possible! How could they be here!


    All of a sudden, panicked screams rose and rang through the hall.


    The frightened and chaotic crowd scrambled toward the exit, and the voices trying to maintain order were swallowed up, unable to get a single bit of attention.


    Shi Zechun¡¯s face was ashen. He shielded Shi Rui with one hand and retreated backward while yelling something. Those with abilities trudged forward against the flow of people, trying to contain the commotion in a small area.


    Boom¡ª¡ª!


    The lights blew out in the chaos, and the sudden descent into darkness once again brought forth panicked screams.


    Amid the crowd of people, the butler realized that he couldn¡¯t find Shi An anywhere.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shout in panic: ¡°Young master¡ª¡ª¡±


    In the chaos, no one responded.


    Among the people running aimlessly in all directions, there stood an impassive figure.


    He looked out of place with his surroundings.


    Shi An stood there without dodging. He looked calm, and his face was pale, as if all the emotions had been drained. His eyes were slightly narrowed, like a pitch-black abyss.


    With an ear-piercing squeaking sound, a fist-sized monster bug rushed in front of Shi An.


    The six small eyes on its head shone with a sinister and greedy light, and the sharp chelipeds shone with a cold light, as if looking forward to tearing apart the human in front of it.


    But the next second, it froze.


    There was a very ancient aura on that human.


    The monster bug got cautious.


    It tilted up its upper body and sniffed the air carefully.


    The young man in front of it was 100% human, from the skin to flesh to bones, emitting an appetizing fragrance of blood and flesh in the darkness.


    But ¡ª¡ª the soul that really bears the magic power takes on a horrifying form.


    Some kind of huge, unseen shadow clung to the back of the other party, with a cold, intimidating force, as if the abyss had cast a dark glance.


    An instinctive awe began to stir in the depths of its soul.


    Only to see Shi An look over with downcast eyes.


    Beneath the long eyelashes, the crimson shade lingered in the deep pupils.


    Although his expression is still calm and serene, the monster bug could just feel¡­¡­


    The other side is now in a bad mood.


    ¡ª¡ª£¡£¡£¡


    The monster bug¡¯s body shook for a moment before turning around and fleeing without hesitation.


    In fact, Shi An did feel very unhappy.


    All dragons are extremely territorial creatures. They are narrow-minded and arrogant and are wary of monsters other than themselves.


    The Abyssal Dragon is particularly impressive in this regard.


    Although Shi An has now lost his dragon form, that doesn¡¯t mean he can tolerate such foul, low-grade creatures that dare to shamelessly invade his territory ¡ª and recklessly turn it into a slaughterhouse without his permission.


    This was insulting.


    Amid the chaos, the teenager¡¯s slender form was almost swallowed by the sinking darkness. The soft, innocent, and fragile figure seemed like it would be easily crushed.


    He steadily moved forward one step at a time.


    The dark and heavy pressure on his body was released, and the air seemed to take on a touch of scorching ash-like heat.


    Like a flood that meets a reef, the monster bugs scattered around Shi An and fled, leaving a void around him.


    ¡ª¡ª Those who dare to ignore the presence of the evil dragon will have to suffer the price that comes with it.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    The monster bugs that crashed in: Who the hell knew there was a dragon here!

 CH 3

    Translated by Yuzu


    People from the Monster Management Bureau came quickly after receiving the news.


    At the head of the group is a woman in strong clothing.


    She was tall, with light brown skin and long, neatly tied hair behind her head.


    ¡°This is a high-class residential area, so how could there be monsters mixed in?¡± Behind her, one of the team members asked suspiciously.


    ¡°This thing is not simple¡­¡­definitely not an ordinary monster.¡± Wen Yao looked to the banquet hall not far away and frowned.


    The sound of insects crawling densely came from it, making it seem dark and depressing.


    She made an immediate decision, ¡°Contact Chief Mu immediately.¡±


    ¡°Just say that a species suspected to be from the abyss has appeared in the upper city.¡±


    Wen Yao said.


    ¡°¡­¡­£¡¡±


    What? Abyss?!


    Nowadays, humans have explored almost the entire continent completely, except for one place ¨C the abyss.


    There was a highly toxic fog in the air, and the depths of the endless abyss only promised unending darkness. No one has ever come out of it alive, and humans know very little about the monsters that live there.


    If it is true that monsters from the abyss appeared in the main city, the situation would be completely different.


    The team members did not dare to delay and responded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    At this time, an old man in a butler¡¯s uniform came over from the side and surprisingly rushed to the woman with a rash and desperate energy: ¡°Please, save my young master, my young master is still inside!¡±


    ¡°Disgraceful.¡± Shi Zechun¡¯s breath was unsteady as he scolded, ¡°Drag him back!¡±


    His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were torn. He looked like a mess, and his previous composure was gone, but he was still able to maintain his dignity.


    Several servants of the Shi family obeyed the order and pulled the tearful old butler back.


    Wen Yao¡¯s eyes lingered on his body for a moment before she gritted her teeth and said:


    ¡°Move.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t we wait for Chief Mu?¡±


    Wen Yao shook her head with a grave face and took a deep breath, ¡°It¡¯s too late, it¡¯s important to rescue the people first.¡±


    Shi An soon came to the center of the change.


    The guest fell to the ground, his jaws were torn wide open, and his dry skin was stretched over his bones, revealing a strange image of death. His belly had opened, and a steady stream of monster bugs was still pouring out of it.


    Shi An bent down.


    He used his fingers to peel away the dry tissue from the man¡¯s torso, revealing the large, crumbling hole.


    There were no internal organs in the large hole in the body. Instead, fine blood-red threads, like blood vessels, covered the ribs and occupied the entire chest and abdominal cavity.


    Hidden in the depths of the silk thread was a bug the size of a fingernail.


    It looked exactly the same as those bugs outside, but was much smaller, with pitch-black armor-like scales that shone with a cold, hard metallic luster. Situated at its head was an ugly face with human-like features.


    As if sensing the presence of danger, the face showed a hideous and panicked look and let out an ear-piercing scream.


    The blood-red threads trembled, and the surrounding monster bugs seemed to receive orders to gather in the direction of the corpse. However, due to the presence of Shi An, they did not dare to approach and could only make anxious rubbing sounds a few steps away.


    Shi An lowered his head and moved closer, and then he was slightly stunned.


    Some kind of sinister aura diffused from the corpse¡¯s chest area.


    Cold, dark, and like a finger silently touching the surrounding air.


    ¡ª¡ªAs the distance shortened, this perception became increasingly clear and distinct.


    It was impossible to ignore.


    The young man took a deep breath and squinted his eyes with enjoyment. His slightly narrow pupils shrank into a thin slit in that instant, and a crimson red light flashed from them.


    ¡­¡­so comfortable.


    Shi An subconsciously closed his eyes.


    In the darkness, some kind of strange feeling steamed up from the depths of his soul. His fingertips, spine, and tailbone were faintly itching, as if something was going to break through his current soft and fragile human shell and grow out from between his flesh and bones.


    It was not an illusion made by magic, but genuine scales, claws, and wings.


    Could it help to restore his original body?!


    Shi An opened his eyes and surveyed the bug in front of him with an astonished gaze.


    ¡ª¡ªHe changed his mind.


    Shi An stretched out his hand, his soft white fingertips were covered by the dark shadow of dragon scales, and his sharp nails flashed with cold light as he slashed to the inside.


    The thread broke at once.


    The swarm of insects in the distance seemed like puppets that had lost their strings. They clattered to a large area, and the rest fled chaotically, as if they were headless flies.


    The little bug was unavoidably fished into Shi An¡¯s hand. A look of horror appeared on its face as it squeaked and struggled wildly with its six legs, twisting and trying to escape.


    It¡¯s a bit annoying.


    Shi An rubbed his fingers together suggestively.


    As if sensing danger, the little bug stiffened slightly.


    It did not dare to move.


    Shi An restrained the impulse to squeeze it directly to death. He used his fingertips to cut his skin and squeeze out a small drop of blood.


    The blood bead stood tremblingly on top of the young man¡¯s fair skin. It was like a ruby the size of a grain of rice, emitting a strange and brilliant light in the darkness.


    Beautiful and dangerous.


    The little bug paddled its legs and shivered as it tried to move away.


    Shi An could not help but squeeze it, apply pressure to his fingers, and pass the bead of blood forward.


    Little Bug: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was forced to do nothing but hold the blood bead and swallow it down with tears.


    The moment the small drop of blood was sucked through, its legs stirred, its head tilted, and it collapsed in Shi An¡¯s palm, like a lifeless bead.


    In the next second, all the bugs in the hall were on their backs and died completely.


    The teeth-grinding and scratching sound stopped instantly.


    The silence was a little eerie.


    Shi An contentedly tucked it into his pocket.


    At that moment, there were the swaying lights, and the sound of footsteps from behind, accompanied by the cries of relief as those trapped were being rescued.


    It was then that a light came on at the entrance of the banquet hall.


    Wen Yao, who was standing in the doorway, was frozen.


    She didn¡¯t expect that there would actually be a living person trapped in the middle of the area occupied by the monsters.


    At this point, the other side turned its head and looked over.


    The young man¡¯s skin was very bright, his body had not yet fully developed, and his shoulders were slim, revealing a sense of fragility and fineness. His eyelashes and hair showed a soft golden brown color.


    He squinted, seemingly uncomfortable with the sudden bright light.


    The dark hall was filled with the smell of thick, wet blood.


    The ground was filled with densely packed insects, looking like hell on earth, which was shocking to the eyes. The cold darkness lurking inside filled the air with a sinister and unpredictable atmosphere.


    He looked so out of place.


    And¡­¡­was unharmed.


    Wen Yao tightened her hold on the flashlight and raised her voice to ask:


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Shi An nodded and looked well-behaved and pitiful.


    He narrowed his eyes naturally, and a light smile of satisfaction passed over his lips like a flash of light.


    ¡ª¡ªI couldn¡¯t be better.


    Twenty minutes later.


    Shi An was wrapped in a thick blanket, holding a cup of hot milk, and nestled on the side of the road, revealing only a furry head.


    The butler was rambling on and on about something on the side.


    Shi An absentmindedly kept his head down and answered every now and then.


    Suddenly.


    A pair of shoes appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Shi An, here you are.¡± The man¡¯s voice was exceptionally cold, without much emotion: ¡°Then, I don¡¯t have to find a second time to specifically talk to you.¡±


    ¡°£¿¡±


    Shi An held the milk and tilted his head to look over.


    ¡°I heard that you passed the test, not bad.¡±


    Shi Zechun took this matter lightly, and then immediately after, his words changed, with a bit of intimidation between his words: ¡°In that case, your brother Shi Rui will be enrolled with you this year, so you should help him a little more and don¡¯t compete with him. Put yourself in the right position, do you understand?¡±


    The butler clenched his fist on the sidelines and was almost out of breath:


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect that the master was really so indifferent ¡ª¡ª after his own son came back from the dead, the first thing he did was actually to knock Shi An out of the way of his illegitimate son.


    Shi An gave a slow ¡°oh¡±.


    He thought about it seriously for a moment and then embarrassedly asked:


    ¡°¡­¡­that, you are?¡±


    Shi Zechun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The veins on his temples tensed up, and his voice carried a bit of gnashing of teeth: ¡°Shi An, don¡¯t think that you can¡ª¡ª¡±


    Wen Yao¡¯s voice came from behind:


    ¡°Excuse me, sorry to interrupt.¡±


    Shi Zechun¡¯s anger was blocked halfway, and he turned around with a grim face ¨C and immediately after, he saw the man standing behind Wen Yao.


    At that moment, Shi Zechun felt as if all the blood in his body had been frozen.


    He subconsciously took a step back.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Wen Yao stepped to the side and greeted the person behind her, ¡°This person was the closest one.¡±


    The man was tall, upright, with a sharp-edged coldness and sharpness and a kind of murderous aura that could almost materialize.


    His skin was extremely white, and his long hair was tied behind his head, flowing down like a stream of silver.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes unhurriedly.


    Beneath the silver-white lashes, his eyes were an icy steel blue.


    His gaze was cold, like the light of a knife quenched in snow, silently sweeping over the two people before him.


    ¡°Shi An?¡±


    His voice was just as cool as himself, indifferent and low, with a bit of a metallic texture.


    Shi An raised his head and looked over.


    His eyes slowly widened.


    The instincts of a dragon took the absolute upper hand, crowding his mind without the slightest gap.


    ¡ª¡ªWow!


    ¡ª¡ªBright! Shine! Shine!


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    If our cub is not in human form, it¡¯s a completely different story.

 CH 4

    Faced with the other party¡¯s question, Shi An did not answer.


    The thick blanket almost wrapped up the entire teenager, revealing only a furry head. The creamy white mist crept up and steamed his face a thin layer of red.


    He tilted his head dully, and it was unknown what he was thinking.


    Shi Zechun suppressed his anger, barely managing to make an ugly smile, and said word by word: ¡°Shi An, Chief Mu is talking to you, you didn¡¯t hear?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Shi An had not yet returned to his senses. He subconsciously turned his head to look at Shi Zechun and let out a bewildered monotone.


    Shi Zechun: ¡°¡­¡±


    This brat didn¡¯t listen to him at all!!


    Shi Zechun was so angry that his veins palpitated, but because Mu Heng was still there, he suppressed his anger.


    Mu Heng obviously didn¡¯t mind the other party¡¯s absent-mindedness.


    He lowered his eyes.


    Under the silver-white eyelashes, the eyes that were like the steel-blue blade of a knife, reflecting the distant and lonely silver glow of the sky with a touch of deep inquiry, looked over.


    After staring at Shi An for a few seconds, Mu Heng retracted his gaze and looked at Wen Yao.


    ¡°Has the test been done?¡± He asked unhurriedly.


    ¡°¡­This!¡± Wen Yao was stunned: ¡°This, not-not yet.¡±


    Some monsters can imitate the human appearance and voices or even parasitize the human body, so in theory, people who have had close contact with monsters should be tested to ensure safety. But this kind of monster is extremely rare, with almost no cases, so people have gradually ignored the existence of this monster.


    ¡°Do you want me to test it now?¡± Wen Yao got nervous and said, ¡°The instruments should be here soon.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°No need.¡±


    Saying that, he stepped forward and looked down at Shi An.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    The bright shiny piece moved and said so.


    So, Shi An dully stretched out his hand.


    Mu Heng grabbed his slender wrist.


    He wore pitch-black tactical gloves, cold leather with a rough texture that scraped against his skin with an oddly painful sensation.


    Shi An was startled.


    He retracted reflexively but was firmly stopped halfway.


    Immediately afterward, a ¡°click¡± sound was heard, and a small silver ring was put on his wrist.


    Shi An came back to his senses.


    He lowered his head, and his gaze fell over the ring.


    The silver ring was placed on the delicate and smooth wrist, shining by the snow-white complexion.


    The patterns on the silver ring were changing, and it looked beautiful under the light.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Soon, the patterns stopped changing, and the pattern stayed in a certain shape.


    Mu Heng frowned. The pair of silver-blue eyes hidden under the long white eyelashes looked a little puzzled as his sight fixed on the surface of the silver bracelet.


    Shi An also looked at the bracelet and blinked.


    Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t understand.


    The mood was stagnant and heavy, and the flow of time seemed to slow down.


    Finally, Mu Hang lifted his eyes, took a deep look at Shi An, and said:


    ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡±


    He gently pressed on the surface of the silver bracelet, and with another ¡°click¡±, the bracelet opened.


    Wen Yao slowly relaxed and was secretly relieved.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the first time she had seen Mu Heng use that bracelet, which seemed like a red flag, but luckily everything was normal.


    Shi An followed the bracelet with his eyes and reluctantly said, ¡°You¡¯re taking it?¡±


    Mu Heng stopped for a moment.


    He looked at the bright look of disappointment on the face of the teenager in front of him and slowly asked, ¡°Otherwise?¡±


    Shi An said despondently, ¡°Not giving me?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shi Zechun¡¯s face changed, and knives seemed to fly out of his eyes, but he was still forced to be patient and said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°This kind of detection bracelet is costly, and only a few high-ranking members of the Monster Management Bureau have it. How could it be given away casually?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    He looked up at the man in front of him.


    Mu Heng had been silent since just now and looked at him thoughtfully.


    Silver-blue light settled in his eyes. In addition to the brilliant and pure magnificence, there was an icy and sharp cold version. Just now, the bright and shiny bracelet was in the other¡¯s hand, and it actually lost a few points of color.


    Shi An thought for a moment and asked, ¡°What about you? Are you also expensive?¡±


    Everyone gasped at his words.


    Shi Zechun: ¡°¡­¡±


    F-ck.


    His eyes closed, and he almost passed out on his back.


    ¡°Do you want to buy me?¡±


    Mu Heng ignored the crowd and looked straight at the boy.


    Standing at the side, Wen Yao¡¯s expression was horrified and in a trance, she could hardly believe her ears.


    Shi An: ¡°Actually¡­.¡±


    Just the hair is fine¡ª¡ª


    Shi Zechun stepped forward angrily and explained to Mu Heng while a little flustered:


    ¡°This¡­ this, don¡¯t take it seriously, this child has just been out of danger, and he¡¯s not thinking clearly¡­¡±


    At this time, the old butler also calmed down from a state of extreme shock. His old face was pale, and he suddenly raised his hand to pull up the blanket and cover Shi An¡¯s face.


    Seeing darkness in front of him, Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked blankly at the blanket in front of him and fell into deep confusion ¡ª¡ªwhat was going on?


    Shi Zechun squeezed a smile on his face:


    ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    At this point, an on-site inspection staff came running to report to Mu Heng, whispered a few words, and then handed over a file to him.


    Mu Heng took the file and flipped through it twice.


    He turned his head and looked deeply at the tightly wrapped young man. Then, he swept his eyes at Shi Zechun and faintly interrupted his incoherent speech.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    After saying that, he closed the file, turned around, and walked towards the banquet hall.


    ***


    Along the way back, Shi An absentmindedly listened to the butler¡¯s nagging and admonitions.


    He had no idea where he was wrong.


    Don¡¯t all humans like money nowadays! Obviously, tens of thousands of years ago, they were still fascinated.


    If not for the fact that Shi An has not yet recovered his body and strength, why would he need to buy? He would just grab it back!


    After finally handling the other side, Shi An went back to his room.


    The door to the room closed, shutting out the light from the hallway.


    Next, Shi An took a deep breath, and then slowly took a few steps backward¡ª¡ª


    Sprint!


    Crash!


    He flung himself onto the bed and rolled in bliss.


    The bed where the soft bedding should have been was piled high with shiny gold and silverware, both large and small, as well as ornaments that had been broken off hard from the walls or the furniture.


    They were piled up on the bed and clashed with a tinkling sound.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes contentedly and stuffed his body in.


    These were collected little by little in this villa after he became a human being ¡®Shi An¡¯, and it took a long time to finally make a bed to sleep on.


    Unfortunately, this human body is too spoiled and fragile. Shi An can not maintain releasing magic power all the time, so he often wakes up with red marks on his body.


    Shi An buried himself in his pile of treasure and rolled around for a while before he finally remembered his purpose.


    He sat up and took the monster bug out of his pocket.


    Shi An poked the bug¡¯s stomach.


    One of its thin legs stirred, but it still maintained a supine posture, playing dead seriously.


    A cluster of dragon flames rose up at Shi An¡¯s fingertips.


    ¡°¡­!!!¡± The bug stopped pretending to be dead, and it jumped up and squealed.


    Shi An smiled kindly and approached with his head down: ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Monster bug: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ahhhhhhhh don¡¯t you come over ah!!


    ***


    The Monster Management Bureau was located in the center of the Shangcheng District, in a tall and solemn gray building.


    As soon as Mu Heng walked into the building, he saw a researcher in a white coat running over pantingly:


    ¡°Chief Mu¡­¡±


    Mu Heng twisted his head and looked over. His calm eyes reflected the panicked look of the other party, as if silently questioning.


    The other party gasped: ¡°Mr. Zhuo told me to call you over as soon as you return. He said that there is something very important¡­¡±


    Mu Heng thoughtfully nodded his head, then turned and walked towards the research office.


    Zhuo Fu was already waiting there.


    He is the head of the research institute. He is responsible for studying the weaknesses of monsters, monitoring the movements of monsters and unusual magic fluctuations.


    At the moment, his cynical face was tightly tensed, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.


    ¡°The analysis results of the magic power fluctuations detected some time ago have just come out.¡± Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and slowly said: ¡°¡ª¡ªit¡¯s possible, it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s a fantasy species.¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned.


    Fantasy species, once the strongest from all of the monsters.


    They were powerful and terrifying, had the wisdom and longevity to surpass humans, and once ruled the continent.


    ¡ª¡ªand they have now disappeared for more than ten thousand years.


    Although rumors of imminent fantasies have been heard from time to time, they are only rumors. No one has actually seen the fantasy species that exist only in legends.


    And Zhuo Fu is a big fan of fantasy species research.


    He suddenly came closer and said mysteriously, ¡°It might be a dragon.¡±


    Mu Heng suddenly raised his eyes and looked over.


    The silver-blue eyes showed a steel-like gray, dark fire burning silently under the ice, revealing a strange concentration:


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Zhuo Fu shivered and raised his hands in surrender.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m just kidding la¡­¡±


    ¡°The data is only a possibility. Not to mention the ancient legendary fantasy species like dragons, maybe there is nothing at all. I just needed to inform you.¡±


    Zhuo Fu winked at Mu Heng: ¡°But it¡¯s also okay if it really appears, after all, you are here.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªMu Heng, the most capable human being today and the youngest chief of the Monster Management Bureau. He¡¯s also the only remaining noble dragon slayer bloodline.


    Seeing the man¡¯s expression sink in front of him, Zhuo Fu coughed dryly and forcibly changed the subject, trying to ease the atmosphere:


    ¡°By the way, that¡­ I heard that you went to deal with the task at Shangcheng? How was it? Were there any casualties?¡±


    Mu Heng gave him a deep look.


    Before Zhuo Fu sweated on his forehead, he finally spoke compassionately: ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Where is the monster sample?¡± Zhuo Fu asked naturally: ¡°Have you sent it to the laboratory?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his pupils shone with a metallic steel blue as he said, ¡°The monster escaped.¡±


    Zhuo Fu was taken aback: ¡°How can a monster escape from under your nose?¡±


    Mu Heng lifted his eyes and looked over the other side, not bothering to talk.


    Zhuo Fu cleared his throat and continued to ask: ¡°Have the results of the residual magic test come out?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°Not yet.¡±


    He paused and said, ¡°However, I think it¡¯s an abyssal species.¡±


    Abyssal species?!


    Zhuo Fu was taken aback.


    He never thought of questioning Mu Heng¡¯s judgment. This person has never made a mistake in magic detection so far.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes, ¡°The abyssal species have been appearing too often lately.¡±


    He glanced at Zhuo Fu and tapped the table gently with his fingertips: ¡°Put your delusion fantasy species aside first, the movement of the abyss is more urgent.¡±


    Zhuo Fu muttered something like, ¡°fantasy species are not a delusion¡± and reluctantly turned around and prepared to go into the research Mu Heng explained.


    But before he could take a few steps out, he was stopped by Mu Heng:


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Zhuo Fu turned back suspiciously, ¡°What?¡±


    Mu Heng frowned slightly, and after a long time, he asked, ¡°That portable human testing instrument that you designed, are you sure there is no problem with it?¡±


    Zhuo Fu was greatly insulted and raised his brows: ¡°What did you say? How is it possible! That is one of my best works! How could there be something wrong!¡±


    Mu Heng nodded: ¡°I see.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and walked out.


    Zhuo Fu realized that something was wrong and shouted: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened to you?¡±


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t answer and walked straight out.


    His eyes were slightly downcast, and his long silver-white eyelashes imprinted a light shadow under his eyes, making him look more mysterious and unapproachable.


    ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s nothing.


    It¡¯s just¡­ For the first time, his instincts seem to have gone awry.


    ***


    The monster bug cowered in the corner and looked at the ¡°human¡± in front of him in fear.


    He looks like an ordinary human being with his limbs and head. The smell on his body is completely human, but¡­


    Its gaze shifted to the flames at Shi An¡¯s fingertips.


    The red flame, burning silently in the dark, you could feel the terrible heat and burning sensation that emanates from it by just watching.


    With just a glance, it couldn¡¯t help but shake.


    Even though it was very confident that its shell could withstand most of any human attack, the fear that comes up in its instinct was roaring¡ª¡ªthat it would be burned, absolutely burned to death!


    However, this cluster of fire, which emits a dangerous aura, was being played with by this ordinary human teenager in front of him.


    It was squashed and flattened at Shi An¡¯s fingertips, gentle and tame as if it was just a glowing ball.


    ¡°You¡­what are you?¡± The monster bug curled up and asked tremblingly.


    Shi An blinked.


    It was at this moment that the wind was blowing, and the silver-white moonlight swept through the window, illuminating the room.


    The light swept across the teenager¡¯s face, falling into the scarlet vertical pupil. He looked cruel and strange. He raised his hand, his fingertips covered with a layer of hard and sharp scales, reflecting a cold metallic luster.


    Shi An smiled and said, ¡°Dragon.¡±


    Monster bug: ¡°¡­¡±


    It stared dumbly at the human scarlet eyes and sharp black scales.


    ¡ª¡ªImmediately after, its six legs stirred, and it fainted again.


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Monster Bug: Help me.

 CH 5

    ¡ª¡ªThe monster bug was awakened by the heat.


    There was a searing hot temperature under its feet, and its armor was emitting a sizzling sound under the heat.


    Ah ah ah ah I¡¯m going to die ah ahhhhhh!


    It squealed in fear, and its six thin legs kicked wildly in the air.


    ¡°¡­¡­you are noisy.¡±


    The human teenager¡¯s slightly impatient voice sounded very close by.


    Immediately afterward, a terrifying pressure descended, instantly strangling the throat of the monster bug.


    It froze in mid-air, staring blankly at the human in front of it.


    The terrible flame was so close by, beaming silently, radiating a terrible heat into the surroundings.


    Not, not burned?


    Seeing that the monster bug finally stopped screaming, Shi An extinguished the dragon flame at his fingertips.


    His appearance has returned to normal, except for a faint flicker of dark red light deep in the darkness of his pupils, like blazing coals, revealing some inhuman qualities.


    ¡ª¡ªThe memory of what just happened came like a tidal wave.


    Eyes, scales, flames.


    ¡­¡­dragon.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªbut, but all dragons are dead!¡± The monster bug screamed hysterically, its voice shaking and changing tone: ¡°There aren¡¯t any fantasy species left on this continent!¡±


    Shi An tilted his head in confusion: ¡°I¡¯m not dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The monster bug suddenly didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Twenty minutes later, Shi An finally understood the current situation of this era.


    After a long silence, he slowly spoke in disbelief: ¡°So, there are no elves now?¡±


    ¡°No more.¡±


    ¡°What about the mermaids? The lich¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all gone.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s pupils trembled.


    He really did not expect that after so many years, only the weakest species survived:


    ¡°How did this happen?!¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± The monster bug answered cautiously.


    ¡ª¡ªIt already began to believe that the one in front of it might really be a dragon that had survived from ancient times:


    ¡°None of us have lived that long.¡±


    It asked with trepidation, ¡°So¡­¡­you, you¡¯re really a dragon?¡±


    Shi An gave it a bad-tempered look.


    ¡°!¡± The monster bug trembled and hastily changed its wording, ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t mean to question your identity, just¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you, why did you become the way you are now?¡±


    From the inside to the outside, from the blood, bones, and skin, all are like a human smell ¡ª even if it was a powerful fantasy species, this disguise is a little too real.


    These words reminded Shi An, who finally remembered the reason he had brought this bug back.


    ¡°Earlier in the banquet hall, I smelled a¡­¡­smell.¡± Shi An held down the panicked monster bug that wanted to flee, pinched it in his hand, and carefully looked it up and down. Then, he frowned and said in confusion, ¡°¡­¡­but now it¡¯s gone.¡±


    Smell?


    The monster bug froze and stopped struggling, ¡°Yes, is this it?¡±


    The familiar dark aura silently filled the air.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­poison, poison gas.¡±


    The monster bug replied woodenly.


    The bottom of the abyss was filled with highly poisonous air. For the species that live in it, the poisonous gas can make them more ferocious and aggressive.


    All creatures that climb out of the abyss will habitually transform the air around them when they attack to make it suitable.


    But it was deadly for the creatures on the mainland.


    Logically speaking, dragons are no exception.


    The monster bug was delighted.


    Maybe¡­¡­this will be its chance to fight back!


    It flapped its wings and worked even harder to transform the air around it.


    The fingers of the young man in front of it slightly relaxed, but in the next second, it was once again pinched tight.


    Shi An stared at the bug in front of him with bright eyes, shaking it without mercy.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    Monster Bug: ????


    It was dizzy from the shaking, and suddenly, an ominous feeling struck it.


    ¡°So, that¡­¡­¡± it spoke cautiously, ¡°May I ask¡­¡­what kind of dragon you are?¡±


    Fire dragon? Agile, slender, blazing flames.


    Or is it a black dragon? Majestic, huge, and incredibly powerful¡­¡­


    Shi An smiled with his teeth showing, ¡°Abyssal Dragon.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªFierce, cruel, unpredictable.


    Even in ancient times, it was the toughest and most terrifying variety of all dragons.


    Most importantly, being born and raised in the abyss was a dominating figure no matter on which side of the continent.


    Monster Bug: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    F-ck.


    Sorry to disturb you.


    After the intention to fight back was extinguished, the monster bug obediently revealed everything it knew.


    After ten thousand years of slumber, Shi An felt the changes in this era.


    The abyss and the surface are two sides of the same continent.


    In his time, as long as they were strong enough, it was possible to shuttle around freely. After the disappearance of the fantasy species, the abyss was firmly sealed, with only a few cracks opening only occasionally, but the poisonous gas could not get out, only the abyssal species could.


    On the ground, after the disappearance of the fantasy species, humans created a civilization built by magic and technology and gradually became the dominant power on the continent. The conflict between them and other magical creatures has intensified to the point where it is now almost irreconcilable.


    But Shi An does not care very much about these.


    The things that he really cared about were not even halfway there.


    This bug neither knew information about his body nor the whereabouts of his treasure and because it was so weak, even the poisonous gas created was only a little.


    This concentration was too low, and there was no way for him to find the feeling he vaguely touched in the banquet hall earlier. His body still stubbornly remained in human form, and no tendency to recover halfway appearing.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well then.¡± Shi An sighed in disappointment, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not much use.¡±


    Monster Bug: ¡°?¡±


    Before it could react, a cluster of fire instantly rose up in front of it, and the rolling heat instantly hit it.


    The monster bug screamed, ¡°Wait, wait, wait!!!¡±


    Shi An paused his actions and asked nicely, ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡ª¡ªIf you ignore the dragon flame on his fingertips.


    Monster Bug: ¡°I¡¯m still useful! Still useful!¡±


    It flopped its six thin legs in the air and said shiveringly, ¡°I, I know there are stronger demons there that can create more poisonous fog in the abyss!¡±


    Shi An became interested: ¡°Where?¡±


    The monster bug carefully hugged Shi An¡¯s fingers and said pleasingly:


    ¡°I¡­the gap that I climbed out of, I¡­ I can take you there.¡±


    It paused and stammered, ¡°But¡­¡­it may be slightly more difficult.¡±


    ¡°Difficult?¡± Shi An frowned.


    The monster bug said, ¡°Its location is very secretive and guarded very strictly. I relied on my weakest larval form and parasitized three people in a row before I could barely sneak out.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the Ability Academy?¡±


    Shi An nodded.


    The monster bug said with grave seriousness, ¡°The crack is in the campus, so if we want to get close, we must disguise perfectly and then wait for the right moment¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and said, ¡°Or we can just wait for school to start.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ah?¡± The monster bug did not respond for a moment.


    Shi An pointed to the envelope he had casually discarded on his bedside table that had the seal of the Ability Academy and big words written on it- Admission Notice: ¡°Like a week away?¡±


    Monster Bug: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was surprising that the Abyssal Dragon could be admitted to the academy. It feels like humans are most likely doomed.


    ¡°You guessed right.¡± Zhuo Fu pushed a document over, with a rare gloomy expression on his face:


    ¡°The abyss has been unsettled lately.¡±


    Mu Heng flipped through two pages, his eyes sweeping over casually.


    ¡°For some time now, there have been endless reports of abyssal cracks appearing all over the place, and although they used to happen from time to time, the frequency has just been too high lately.¡± Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and said, ¡°Especially now, there is actually an abyssal species appearing in the upper city¡­¡­then there is only one possibility¡ª¡ª¡±


    Mu Heng closed the file:


    ¡°ÐµÄÁѺ۾ÍÔÚ¸½½ü¡£¡±


    ¡°The new rift is nearby.¡±


    Zhuo Fu narrowed his eyes, ¡°You knew it already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to guess.¡± Mu Heng pushed the file back: ¡°But it¡¯s hard to find.¡±


    He raised his eyes, his silver-blue eyes slightly narrowed, and he said unhurriedly, ¡°My men have been sent out to search throughout the city.¡±


    Mu Heng tapped the desktop with his fingers:


    ¡°Remember to get the approval documents done.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ªYou¡¯re f-cking squeezing the labor force!!!


    After sending Zhuo Fu away, Mu Heng was once again the only one left in the office.


    He lowered his eyes and picked up the information he was reviewing before Zhuo Fu entered the door.


    On the first page, a handsome young man shyly pursed his lips and smiled silently at him.


    Below are a few lines of small print that briefly summarized the first half of his life which had very little ripples in it.


    Except for ¡ª¡ª


    The inexplicable disappearance and the unexpected admission.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes subtly, and all his emotions were hidden under the blue-colored ice floes.


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Wen Yao cautiously pushed the door open: ¡°Sir, the Ability Academy sent another invitation letter. Shall we send out the rejection letter as usual?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Mu Heng said.


    Wen Yao obviously did not expect this surprising answer and could not help but be slightly stunned.


    She saw Mu Heng put down the information, carelessly crossed his long and pale fingers, and said, ¡°I will go to the opening ceremony this time.¡±


    A few days before the start of school, the butler has already started to help Shi An prepare the things he needs for school.


    He put every item on the list into the suitcase in an orderly manner. Then, he casually picked up Shi An¡¯s fully loaded backpack ¡ª and almost stumbled with the heavy weight.


    Butler: ¡°¡­¡­What have you packed?¡±


    Shi An firmly hugged his backpack into his arms and seriously said, ¡°¡ªpersonal items.¡±


    The butler looked at Shi An suspiciously but finally did not continue to ask questions and turned around to make other preparations.


    The wrinkles at Shi An¡¯s cuffs moved, and the monster bug quietly poked its head out.


    It looked at the suitcase that was pretty much organized in front of it and felt a bit ridiculous for a moment: ¡°You¡­¡­are really ready to go straight into the academy like that.¡±


    Shi An nodded rightfully, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I received the notice oh.¡± He emphasized.


    Monster Bug: ¡°That¡¯ s not what I meant¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It was said that the security measures of this academy are very strict, so are you not worried about¡­¡­¡±


    Realizing that it had said the wrong thing, it hastily flattered and said, ¡°Of course! With your ability, you certainly do not need to fear those weak ants, but they are, after all, an obstacle to our plans, and most importantly, although your current body should not matter, I am after all a demonic creature eh, I¡¯m afraid I can not fool that security¡ª¡ª¡±


    The monster bug sneakily raised its eyes to look.


    It saw the young man squinting lazily, his chin resting on his bag, looking extremely at ease.


    The monster bug suddenly realized: ¡°You already have a solution, right?¡±


    Shi An pondered for a long time.


    Then, he shook his head honestly, ¡°No.¡±


    Monster Bug: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    I f-cking¡ª¡ª


    At that moment, the sound of the doorbell ringing came from downstairs.


    ¡ª¡ªFrom the first day he arrived here, no one had ever rung the doorbell.


    Shi An got up and walked downstairs.


    He saw the butler standing in the doorway with a cold face, and in front of him stood a teenager whose features were three points similar to those of Shi Zechun, and his tone was polite and stiff: ¡°¡ªMay I ask what you¡¯ve come for?¡±


    Shi Rui stood in the doorway with an impeccable smile on his face, ¡°I heard that my brother and I are enrolled in the same batch this time? So I wanted to come and say hello in advance.¡±


    Shi An blinked.


    Um? Who is this person.


    Shi Rui smiled and said, ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know about the opening ceremony of the Ability Academy yet, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said to be an opening ceremony, but it¡¯s actually a large-scale practical assessment.¡±


    ¡°The assessment is several days long, and by then, classes will be divided according to the results of the assessment, so¡­¡­some means of fooling the machine may not be very useful.¡± Shi Rui¡¯s words and smile carried a hidden meaning.


    The butler¡¯s expression became even more gloomy.


    Shi Rui: ¡°So in order to deal with the test, father set up a place for us to conduct a simulation exercise. I came to call my brother to go with me this time.¡±


    His smile was perfect, without a hint of showing off.


    All the malice was hidden without a trace, appearing exceptionally close and friendly: ¡°Brothers should take care of each other.¡±


    The butler¡¯s brows furrowed even more.


    He was very aware of his young master¡¯s natural talent. Although he was able to barely pass the academy¡¯s magic test, he had never experienced any magic training, let alone drills¡­¡­ Although he was eager for his young master to emerge and win back the master¡¯s attention and status in the family, he was still more worried about Shi An getting hurt than that.


    Just as he was about to politely decline, he heard the clear voice of a young man from behind him.


    ¡°Eh? Simulation?¡±


    The butler was startled and turned his head to look.


    He saw the teenager come forward with a sincere expression, ¡°Then, can it simulate the security measures inside that entrance test¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡ª¡ªit¡¯s best if he can test whether he can get in with this kind of human-faced bug.


    Shi Rui was stunned, a little confused why the other party said so, and subconsciously replied.


    ¡°¡­¡­ probably?¡±


    Shi An brightened up: ¡°Okay oh, let¡¯s go then.¡±


    ¡ª


    The author has something to say:


    Shi An (serious): The security is not important, the main thing is that I want to get a good score on the test.


    Shi Rui: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Damn it if I believe you.

 CH 6.1

    Dragon Flame (1)


    The car was soundproofed and glided forward silently. The combination of magic and mechanics minimized the vibrations during the drive and was almost incomparable to the car assigned to Shi An.


    Shi Rui looked to his side without being unnoticed.


    The teenager in his sight was holding his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed while he looked intently out of the window, as if he had a superb interest in the ordinary street view.


    The light from outside filtered in the window, sweeping over the tips of his fine, soft hair. His fair face was enveloped in a layer of light golden light, looking particularly harmless.


    However ¡­¡­ he seemed to have an elusive aura about him somehow.


    This made Shi Rui feel inexplicably uncomfortable.


    The vehicle soon arrived at its destination.


    ¡±You probably don¡¯t know, the magic creatures in the academy entrance test are real,¡± said Shi Rui, stepping out of the vehicle and standing beside Shi An.


    With an impeccable smile on his face, he said to Shi An.


    ¡±However, because this is a simulation, most of the ones inside here are virtual magical creatures created with magic. Brother, you don¡¯t have to worry, you are absolutely safe here.¡±


    Shi An retracted his gaze that fell on the huge building in front of him, and looked at Shi Rui with some confusion:


    ¡±¡­¡­ you call me elder brother?¡±


    Speaking of which, this human seemed to ramble on about brothers and whatnot before setting out ¨C had he been talking to him?


    At that, the smile on Shi Rui¡¯s face froze.


    ¨CWas this a side-step to say that he was unworthy?


    He gritted his teeth and said somewhat reluctantly, ¡°If brother doesn¡¯t want me to, then I won¡¯t call you that in the future.¡±


    After that, Shi Rui made an ¡°invitation¡± gesture toward the door in front of him: ¡± However, you may need to test your magic power level again before entering.¡±


    There was a strange shaped sphere in front of the door, which looked very similar to the testing equipment at the school that day, but with some slight differences.


    Shi An put his hand on it.


    The instrument lit up and the door in front of him opened, revealing a long corridor that could only accommodate a single person.


    Looking at Shi An¡¯s back that disappeared into the corridor, the smile on Shi Rui¡¯s face melted like thin snow. His eyes were fixated on the closed door, and his expression was gloomy.


    The instrument this time was specifically requested by him. It was not tampered with, and although it could not measure the specific upper limit of magic power, it had 100% accuracy on whether the person being measured possessed magical power.


    So ¡­¡­ it¡¯s true.


    As the eldest son of the Shi family, the rightful heir, Shi An, really possessed magical power.


    Shi Rui¡¯s grim face had his lips tightly pursed in a stereotypical straight line. The thick, dark negativity was growing like a weed under his eyelids.


    He would not let what should have been his to be taken away again.


    His father¡¯s favor and attention, his position in the limelight.


    ¡­¡­ everything.


    Shi Rui pulled out his cell phone and dialed a certain number. He gritted his teeth, and said it out word by word.


    ¡±Get ready.¡±


    *.


    At the end of the corridor was a wide silver and white hall. The employee in charge of operating the simulation facilities looked at Shi An and asked, ¡°Which part of the simulation exam do you need?¡±


    Shi An blinked: ¡°Is there ¡­¡­ many sessions?¡±


    ¡±Yes.¡± The employee said, ¡°The first stage is the written test, the second stage is the interview, and the third stage is the actual battle against magical creatures.¡±


    Shi An let out an ¡°oh¡±.


    He thought for a long time and asked, ¡°Where is the security mechanism?¡±


    Employee: ¡°¡­¡­ huh?¡±


    Shi An thought the human in front of him did not hear him clearly, so he raised his voice and repeated: ¡°Where is the security mechanism?¡±


    Employee: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The corners of his mouth twitched, but he still answered, ¡°The written test.¡±


    ¡±Then that one.¡± Shi An gave his final decision.


    Employee: ¡°¡­¡­ Okay, please wait a moment.¡±


    This was the first time he met a terrifying person who used the expensive simulation equipment to simulate a written test.


    After the setup was over, the employees retreated and left the room, leaving Shi An alone in the whole hall.


    The insect crawled out from his sleeve and gasped for breath.


    It looked at the iron-gray, gate-like giant device not far away and squeaked excitedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s the one!¡±


    Just as Shi An walked over with the insect,  the surface of the gate lit up in red and the alarm blared loudly before he could get close.


    He thought for a moment and threw the insect into the distance.


    The gate immediately quieted down.


    ¡±You are indeed the amazing Lord Dragon! The human equipment really can¡¯t detect that you¡¯re in disguise!¡± Not far away, the insect staggered hard to stabilize itself and subconsciously began to fawn over him wildly.


    However, Shi An had a stern face and didn¡¯t seem to be very happy.


    Even that ugly bug was recognized!


    Yet he was classified by that garbage instrument as an ordinary human!


    He raised his eyes and swept a glance towards the insect that was still preparing to continue kissing his ass, and he blew a fuse.


    ¡±?!¡±


    Under the Dragon¡¯s unfriendly gaze, the insect trembled and its boot-licking immediately came to an end.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and gestured with his chin: ¡°Go ahead and try.¡±


    Insect: ¡°???¡±


    Shi An¡¯s expression was harmless.


    ¡±What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    As if feeling the heat of the flame, the insect instantly stirred:


    ¡±Yes, of course, yes!¡±


    It prepared itself and changed its form, trying to sneak past from all angles, but the door would always start blaring the alarm just before it reached the halfway point, seemingly not buying its trick at all.


    It sneakily took a peek at Shi An, who was not far away.


    Shi An found a seat and settled down. He laid back on the seat as though he had no bones, his chin resting on his arm, and lazily said as though it had nothing to do with him.


    ¡±Work hard.¡±


    The insect wanted to cry: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fuck. If I knew how to blend in, would I be in this state now!


    Shi An looked at its painfully struggling back with amusement. He certainly didn¡¯t expect it to find its way in. However, as a dragon who had not been outside for tens of thousands of years, most things were still very new to him, especially things like torturing and tormenting small creatures.


    However, Shi An gradually felt sleepy while looking at it. Well, he used to sleep for hundreds of years, but recently he had to adapt to human¡¯s lifestyle, so he could only sleep for about ten hours a day¡ªit was too uncomfortable. Shi An yawned, and adjusted himself into a comfortable position. Then, in the constant sound of the alarm, he peacefully closed his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ªRight now, it is a good opportunity to catch up on sleep.

 CH 6.2

    Dragon Flame (2)


    The other side of the door.


    Shi Rui¡¯s expression was gloomy, as if water could seep out, he asked through gritted teeth, ¡°So, when exactly will that good brother of mine make it to the third round?¡±


    Since it was a real battle, this round was the best to take action. Yet he waited and waited, but still did not see the notification that Shi An had entered the third round.


    The employee wiped away the sweat on his forehead as he also felt incredulous after making some inquiries, and slowly said, ¡°That ¡­¡­ Mr. Shi An is still taking the written test ¡­¡­¡±


    What? Shi Rui could hardly believe his ears. Three hours had passed and the guy was still taking the written test! Which one among those basic questions can take up three hours?!


    Shi Rui¡¯s heart suddenly thumped.


    Could ¡­¡­ that guy have found out his intention?


    The more Shi Rui thought about it, the more he thought something was wrong. He clenched his teeth, his heart was set¡ªnow that things had come to this, he could only continue this obstinately.


    ¡±Cut off the surveillance and start straight away.¡±


    ¡±But ¡­¡­¡±


    Shi Rui had a cold face: ¡°Did you not hear?¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­ yes.¡±


    Looking at the other party¡¯s disappearing back, Shi Rui had a gloomy expression on his face.


    ¡ª¡ªNo matter what, as long as the operation was properly executed, it was impossible to find out anything.


    *


    The alarm sounded loudly. Shi An¡¯s eyelashes moved and he slowly opened his eyes only to see a few very familiar insects standing a few steps away from him.


    Pitch black hard armor, vicious black eyes. Saliva dripped from the sharp, poisonous fangs and dripped onto the ground. However, compared to the time at the banquet, these worms that were once only the size of a fist, were now more than half-a-man tall, and looked hideous and ghastly, making one¡¯s skin tingle.


    But they seem to be concerned about something.


    Huge and thick tentacles were restlessly smashing the ground. Their desire to attack and instinctive fear was competing under their eyes, and they did not come forward for a long time.


    At that moment, there was a cry of misery not far away.


    ¡±Lord! This time it¡¯s not me! It¡¯s really not me!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s eyes moved, looking toward the panicking human-faced insect in the distance.


    He nodded good-naturedly, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    The insect who had expected to be killed off immediately froze: ¡°¡­¡­ eh?¡±


    Did Lord Dragon actually trust me so much?! Suddenly an inexplicable feeling of being moved rose up from the bottom of its heart.


    ¡±¡ªI fed you with my blood, so you are already my personal subject.¡± Shi An casually said.


    Personal subject? What? This ancient word had long been forgotten with the disappearance of the fantasy species. It took a few seconds for the insect to recall the meaning of these two words.


    It was a kind of contract. The strong provide protection, and the weak offer loyalty. Most importantly, it was one-way, forced, and unequal. The life and death of the subjects was under the control of the master, whether betrayal or disobedience, they would be punished a hundred times.


    Isn¡¯t this totally selling oneself!


    Fuck. The insect sadly hugged itself.


    Wuwuwuwu.


    The surface continent is so scary, I want to go back to the abyss.


    At that moment, one of the bugs let out a furious hissing sound and suddenly lunged at Shi An!


    Shi An stepped backwards. He only heard a loud crack, the table and chairs in front of him were smashed under the strong impact. Paper scraps fluttered and turned into blue flecks of light, disappearing in mid-air in the blink of an eye.


    In a grotesque interplay of light and shadow, the teenager silently placed his palm on the insect¡¯s dark, tough tentacle. His slender fingers and fair complexion contrasted with the uneven and ugly shell below, creating a strange sense of visual conflict.


    Shi An smiled.


    His features were soft¡ªround eyes, white and soft cheeks, lips hooked upward, eyebrows and eyes with some hints of a smile¡ªlooking extraordinarily innocent and harmless.


    There was only a loud ¡°boom¡±.


    The next second, blazing flame like a red lotus furiously rose several meters, the crimson dragon flame had an intense heat. The flame rolled, roared, devoured, ruthlessly and recklessly showed the horrendous aggressiveness ¨C those black bugs let out a miserable scream and hiss, their limbs were twisted and they struggled in vain.


    Everything fell into a dead silence.


    The only thing left in the air was the smell of burning charcoal floating, there was not even a corpse left.


    It happened too fast.


    If it were not for the residual heat in the air, one would almost suspect that everything was just a hallucination of theirs.


    The golden-red ashes floating in the air, reflected in the depths of the teenager¡¯s dark eyes, as if it was a blazing bright star in the night sky.


    Not far away, the insect rigidly crouched in the corner, while it stared dumbly at the scene before it.


    ¡­¡­ oh god.


    This, this was truly the fantasy species.


    It dared not imagine how terrifying it would be if Shi An restored to his fully strength.


    Shi An blinked his eyes, and the scarlet light disappeared from his eyes.


    He counted silently in his heart.


    Perhaps it was because of the close contact with the abyssal species during this period of time, he can now control the flame for fifteen seconds.


    When he first woke up, he had a hard time even for a second or two.


    Shi An was very satisfied with his recovery speed.


    He lowered his eyes, sweeping past his palms, and then briefly paused to stare.


    Only to see the fingertips belonging to a human had a shallow layer of black scales surfacing. The scale shimmered in the light and took on a metallic, hard and cold texture.


    It¡¯s not a magic illusion ¡­¡­


    It¡¯s a real, real, scale.


    Shi An opened his palm in disbelief, and repeatedly made a grasping motion with his hand.


    It¡¯s really not an illusion!


    Wait, maybe ¡­¡­


    Burning abyssal species brought this kind of effect?


    Thinking of this, Shi An slowly lifted his line of sight and looked towards the remaining bugs not far away.


    His eyes were amazingly bright, as though he was someone suffering from famine and had finally seen a big meal. The pair of beautiful black eyes moved with the movement of the worms, and the look in those orbs was that of extremely sincere and passionate longing and eagerness.


    ¨Cdamn, so piercing.


    After making an objective assessment, the magic bug shivered and shrank away.


    *.

 CH 6.3

    Dragon Flame (3)


    Outside the door.


    The sun was gradually setting in the west, and darkness gradually replaced the light to embrace the earth.


    Shi Rui, who was waiting outside, also became increasingly anxious and restless.


    Due to cutting off the surveillance, he could not observe what was going on inside. All he could do was to repeatedly go over his plan in his mind¡ª no problem, the plan was perfect.


    At the banquet that day, the authority did not manage to find these bugs¡¯ original control source.


    This also meant that that controlling agent can reside in anyone¡¯s body.


    And Shi An was the closest person to the source of contamination.


    At that time, the entire mansion cleared out tens of thousands of these bugs¡¯ corpses. There was only five of them that were still barely alive in the end.


    After being properly bred, and even maliciously catalyzed, they became what they are now ¨C lack of intelligence, out of control, and all but dominated by the desire to attack.


    Everything today could be treated as an accident as long as it was perfectly staged.


    ¨CThe parasitic egg residing in the teenager¡¯s body was stimulated by the magic in the enclosed space, therefore hatching, and then tore everything in the entire space to shreds ¨C even the video recording of the day was destroyed.


    However, a lot of time has passed so Shi An¡¯s small figure should have been chewed up entirely. According to these bugs¡¯ habits, it should have been the time to break through the door.


    Yet there was no movement at all, so what exactly happened inside?


    Shi Rui¡¯s patience reached its limit.


    He gritted his teeth and finally decided to take a risk to send someone inside to check out the situation: ¡°¡­¡­ Unlock the door and go in to take a look.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­ Yes, yes!¡±


    The underling followed the order and went forward, his face changing after he opened the door. He was so shocked that he took two steps back abruptly: ¡°You ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±Ah, it¡¯s open.¡±


    Shi An, who was drumming the door lock with his head down, raised his head and tilted it as an afterthought, ¡°I was wondering how to get out.¡±


    Shi Rui hardly knew how to manage his expression, his face already turned pale from shock.


    After a brief moment of panic, he barely calmed down and put on a somewhat ugly smile on his face while he spoke in a dry tone.


    ¡±Brother, we¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Did everything went well?¡±


    ¡±Mm.¡± Shi An nodded carelessly.


    He yawned and walked forward casually, glancing around, ¡°Where¡¯s the car? I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Shi Rui was startled: ¡°¡­¡­ go where¡±


    Shi An glanced at him as though he didn¡¯t quite understand why the other side was making such a fuss: ¡°Go home obviously, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Shi Rui showed a stiff smile:.


    ¡±The car is waiting outside.¡±


    Shi An said ¡°Oh¡± and walked outside.


    After losing sight of Shi An¡¯s back, Shi Rui turned his head to look in the direction of the door.


    After probing, the employee came out in a panic and shook his head towards Shi Rui: ¡°¡­¡­ No, no more!¡±


    Shi Rui froze: ¡°What?¡±


    The employee swallowed his saliva dryly and looked a bit dazed, as if he hadn¡¯t recovered from such a strange accident: ¡°In-inside, there¡¯s nothing left inside ¡­¡­.¡±


    As the time ended, the simulation also automatically shut down.


    No simulation, no magic bugs, no blood, no corpses.


    The entire huge metal-encased space was empty, clean and cold ¨C nothing was left.


    It was as if nothing happened.


    *


    After returning home, Shi An went straight upstairs.


    Once he was inside the room, he threw himself heavily onto the bed.


    Shi An yawned widely, his long, dark eyelashes were wet with tears and his eyelids drooped.


    ¨Cso sleepy.


    Since earlier, this soul-deep sleepiness spread from the depths of the body, like a wave splashing over his limbs and bones, pulling him downward.


    This feeling was completely irresistible.


    At the moment when Shi An closed his eyes, a thick, fiery aura was released from the inside of his body.


    As a sensitive abyssal species, the insect struggled to escape from Shi An¡¯s sleeve and fled with its six legs to the corner of the room. It pressed its back against the wall with a deadly force, wishing it could just bury itself into the wall.


    It looked towards the bed in terror.


    Only to see the teenager silent with his eyes shut.


    A brilliant glow reflected on his face, like golden waves of light that seemed to be flowing.


    No, not flowing.


    A layer of metallic scales surfaced lightly on his pale cheeks, looking strange and ghastly. The air in the room became clammy and heavy, as if something was writhing in the depths of darkness.


    *


    Mu Heng walked into the room.


    He took off his gloves, and threw them on the back of the chair. Using his fingertips, he hooked and loosened the collar that was tightly buttoned around his neck.


    The room was empty and dead, without a trace of human presence.


    Suddenly, he seemed to perceive something, and looked at something not far away.


    He saw an ancient and elegant silver longsword hanging on the wall, the hilt of the sword faintly humming.


    It seemed to be announcing the silent awakening of some mysterious existence.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were filled with a strange ripple, breaking his consistent appearance of indifference.


    How is this ¡­¡­ possible?

 CH 7.1

    ¡°If it¡¯s really a dragon¡­¡­then, what will you do?¡± (1)


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­¡­¡± Zhuo Fu was wearing a baggy white coat when he hurriedly came out of the laboratory, rubbing his eyes. His sleep-deprived face looks gloomy and grumpy. ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, do you people know what time it is¡­¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s remaining words got stuck in his throat when he opened the door. Mu Heng.


    The night chill wrapped around Mu Heng¡¯s coat and a pair of silver-blue eyes, calm and cold, silently looked over at him.


    Holy shit! Zhuo Fu jolted to full awakeness, all his sleepiness thrown out of his mind. He looked down to confirm the time¡ª¡ªWait, it¡¯s not working hours. Then why did this boogeyman suddenly appear at the doorway!


    Mu Heng slowly removed his gloves and entered the laboratory without invitation.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Staring at the empty corridor, Zhuo Fu¡¯s mouth twitched and said dryly: ¡°Come on in. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    After that, Zhuo Fu closed the door, took a deep breath and turned to look at the uninvited guest behind him. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    A blunt sound echoed when Mu Heng place something wrapped with cloth on the table.


    Zhuo Fu was surprised. ???


    Mu Heng did not answer. Instead, he uncovered the cloth layer by layer, revealing a shiny metal surface.


    It was a western-style longsword with a silvery-white blade as bright as mercury. A roaring dragon coiled around the hilt of the longsword. The dragon¡¯s huge wings were spread out and its barbed scaly long tail coiled around the sword.


    Zhuo Fu sucked in a breath. ¡°My God, is this¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mu Heng nodded. His eyes, which were darker than before, like deep undercurrents beneath the dark sea, glided intently over the longsword.


    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡­¡± Zhuo Fu complimented, then raised his eyes to look at the man in front of him and frowned in confusion. ¡°But why did you bring it here?¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t this kind of thing be hidden deep in some safe, so that it can be passed on to their future descendants or something like that?


    ¡°Just now, it moved,¡± Mu Heng said.


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± What the hell is ¡°it moved¡±?! A few seconds later, Zhuo Fu blinked. ¡°Erm, you know this is a sword, right?¡±


    Mu Heng stroked the pattern on the hilt of the longsword, lifted his eyes, and said something completely different. ¡°Earlier you said that the fantasy species this time might be dragons.¡±


    As colleagues who work together for so many years, Zhuo Fu immediately understood what Mu Heng meant with just that sentence. ¡°Wait, wait! That¡¯s not what I said earlier!¡± He exclaimed and hurriedly explained: ¡°It¡¯s been ten thousand years since the fantasy species appeared! This time, most likely, is also a false alarm. This type of thing happened before¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°But there is such a possibility,¡± Mu Heng interrupted.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence, Zhuo Fu replied dryly: ¡°Yes¡±.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Mu Heng put on his gloves. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this here for the time being to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Zhuo Fu stared at the precious hot potato¢Ù for a long without speaking. He had never regretted so much about what he said a few days ago until now¡ª¡ªWhy must I be so mouthy that time!


    Mu Heng turned to leave but Zhuo Fu, who finally came back to reality, stopped him. ¡°Eh, wait¡­¡­¡±


    Mu Heng looked back.


    ¢Ùhot potato: a controversial issue or situation which is awkward to deal with.


    ¡°If¡­¡­I mean if!¡± Zhuo Fu hesitated a little but continued: ¡°If it¡¯s really the fantasy species, of course, this possibility is small. But if it¡¯s real-really dragons¡­¡­then, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°Dragons?¡± Mu Heng repeated this word and lifted the corner of his mouth. He rarely smiles, but this action did not soften his icy facial lines. Rather, it¡¯s like an unsheathed blade with visible sharpness. ¡°Extinction is their best destination.¡±


    With that, Mu Heng left the laboratory.


    The laboratory was silent once again.


    Zhuo Fu stood frozen in the room, staring blankly at the doorway. He recalled the time he first met Mu Heng¡ª¡ªthat time, Mu Heng was not known as the strongest human being yet and not as ruthless as now. The most appropriate description of him at that time was¡­¡­battle maniac.


    *


    After that day, Shi Rui sent a few people to search the place inside out, but they did not find any marks. The most reasonable explanation would be that the monsters escaped after putting them in the stimulation room. However, he still felt that uneasy.


    But is it possible that Shi An killed those monsters and destroyed their corpses? Shi Rui thought for a moment, then scoffed and dismissed that idea. Impossible. Even if Shi An miraculously possessed magic power, there¡¯s no way he could have dealt with five savage monsters. Let alone destroying their corpses.


    However, that faint uneasiness did not disappear. So, during this period, Shi Rui quietened down and did not bother Shi An.


    For Shi An, however, it was not smooth-sailing for him lately. He confirmed with the insect many times, but the insect was adamant that when they came back that night, it saw solid scales emerge from Shi An¡¯s body.


    Yet, no matter how much Shi An tried, his scales would not emerge when he was awake. He sat cross-legged on the floor and stared at his empty hands in frustration.


    Still no good.


    Shi An¡¯s human palm looks fragile, his five fingers long and slender with no scales and talons; the entire hand felt strange and his skin was pale¡ª¡ªthe kind that has not seen the sun for a long time.


    No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s unpleasant!


    Shi An got angrier the more he stared at his hands. He clenched them into a fist and hit the floor beside him. ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing the young man¡¯s expression turn darker, the insect cautiously moved closer to comfort him. ¡°My lord, there¡¯s no need to hurry. Tomorrow, when school starts, we¡¯ll be able to sneak into the Academy and find the rift. We should be able to quickly¡­¡­.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s dark expression cracked a little and turned teary. He sniffed and rubbed the hand that hit the floor earlier. ¡°Painful.¡±


    When he was still a dragon, there were scales to protect him, so he rarely got hurt, let alone feel pain. But now that he lost that impenetrable armor, Shi An realized that¡ª¡ªI am super scared of pain!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Looking at the teary young man rubbing his hand, the insect fell into a long silence. It¡¯s impossible for me to connect this scared of pain and over-coddled human being with that killing machine that day!


    That day, in the blink of an eye, Shi An burned three monsters to death and left two alive. However, the insect could not bear to recall the scene afterward¡ª¡ªlegs tore off, blood drained out, stomachs cut open and heads wrung off.

 CH 7.2

    ¡°If it¡¯s really a dragon¡­¡­then, what will you do?¡± (2)


    Shi An used the most primitive method to control the monsters¡¯ magic power and sent it to the detection device to test for the minimum threshold of magic power the device could detect. What¡¯s more frightening was that, although Shi An was doing such a cruel and terrible thing, his face was full of innocent curiosity like a child¡¯s: pure and guiltless. The Abyss has many cruel and scary monsters, but this was the first time the insect met such a hair-raising one.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Shi An suddenly raised his eyes to stare at the insect. His expression didn¡¯t change, but his deep black eyes were unfathomable.


    ¡°!¡± The insect, who was lost in thought, felt a chill down its spine and stammered, ¡°Wha-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shi An¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. ¡°You just said that tomorrow we will sneak into the Academy?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Y-yeah?¡± The question perplexed the insect. Isn¡¯t that the case?


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®we¡¯,¡± Shi An said while smiling, ¡°Only you.¡±


    The insect: !!!


    Shi An¡¯s smile was sincere and harmless, but in the insect¡¯s eyes, it seemed like a call from the grim reaper.


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve figured out a way. I¡¯ll help you sneak in.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The mangled remains of the two monsters flashed through the insect¡¯s mind and its six legs started trembling in fear¡ªAHHHHHHHHHH I don¡¯t need that kind of help!


    *


    The next day.


    The old butler drove Shi An to the pickup point. Feeling worried for Shi An, he explained various aspects, from getting along with roommates to everything else.


    ¡°¡­¡­The Academy has already sent someone to pick up the luggage this morning. It will probably be sent directly to your dormitory¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­If you see Shi Rui at school, it¡¯s best to avoid him and don¡¯t get into any conflicts. Be careful and try not to get hurt¡­..¡±


    Finally, before Shi An dozed off, the pickup vehicle arrived. The old butler bid farewell with reluctance while Shi An looked desperate to leave¡ªit¡¯s unclear whether he was really eager for school life or he had enough of the old butler¡¯s nagging.


    The Mage Academy sent out vehicles to bring all the freshmen to the enclosed campus located outside the city. The interior of the vehicle was spacious; its engine was powered by magic power, ensuring a smooth and fast journey. Inside the vehicle, there were no individual compartments, but the space between each seat was cleverly designed with semi-enclosed glass partitions that would provide some privacy while allowing new students to get acquainted.


    When Shi An boarded the vehicle, the conversations inside instantly stopped. Everyone turned to stare at him. Their expressions were peculiar, unfamiliar, and aloof.


    Shi Rui sat in the middle row, surrounded by several freshmen, subtly becoming the leader of that group. He smiled and waved at Shi An, calling Shi An over to the seat beside him. ¡°Elder Brother, here.¡±


    The students¡¯ seating was arranged according to their enrollment test results. Despite that, the back row seats were almost full while the front row seats were empty except for a few students.


    New students are required to go through a few assessments before officially joining the Academy. The ranking achieved in those assessments would affect their overall rank later.  The assessments consisted of actual combat, due to which accidents happened every year. So new students were usually cautious and discrete because no one wanted to be a target. As for Shi Rui, it did not matter whether Shi An sat beside him or not¨C¨Cif Shi An sat, he was being presumptuous. If not, he was being unappreciative.


    Shi An sat down on the first empty seat he saw, which had been unoccupied since morning, yawned drowsily, and closed his eyes. Everyone in the vehicle sucked in a breath.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shi Rui froze on the spot. SHIT! He really did not expect Shi An to be both presumptuous and unappreciative.


    Shi An dozed against the vehicle¡¯s window and looked as if he would fall into a deep sleep soon. The insect stealthily climbed out of Shi An¡¯s sleeve, scanned the back row, and whispered, ¡°My Lord, erm¡­¡­why do I feel the mood seems a little off?¡±


    Shi An raised his eyes sluggishly. ¡°Does it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The mood in the air is very different!


    Shi An thought seriously about it then said: ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It must be because this outfit is too ugly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Huh??? What kind of reason is that?


    ¡°It¡¯s all because the old butler took out my favorite outfit from the suitcase. He wouldn¡¯t let me wear it and even forbade me from bringing it to school,¡± Shi An sighed dejectedly, then muttered with disapproval, ¡°That human being has a terrible aesthetic sense.¡±


    The insect recalled how its eyes were almost blinded when it first saw that outfit and felt: ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long silence, heartfelt gratefulness and relief arose from the insect¡¯s heart¡ªThank you, old butler. So much.


    *


    When Shi An woke up, the vehicle had already arrived at its destination. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, alighted from the vehicle, and followed the crowd in a half-asleep state.


    ¡°The first round of assessment will begin soon. Please get ready,¡± said a high-pitched male voice. According to the Academy¡¯s tradition, the written assessment was held on the first day of school. The lineup for the next two rounds of assessment had been determined by the written assessment¡¯s results. A teacher came and escorted the freshmen to a spacious hall.


    The hall had about eighty percent similarity with the combat stimulation room that day. A big metallic gray door stood just outside the hall. Freshmen walked through the door one by one to their designated seats.


    Shi An stood at the end of the line and grabbed the insect out from his sleeve.


    The insect looked at the familiar sight in front of it, then turned to glance at the familiar human grabbing it then. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It took a deep breath and closed its eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± But until Shi An released the insect, it didn¡¯t feel the expected pain. The insect opened his eyes in confusion. ¡°Eh¡­¡­? It¡¯s over?¡±


    Shi An glanced at the insect strangely. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    What? It¡¯s really over?! The monster hurriedly did a self-check. Sure enough, its magic power was controlled to a minuscule amount. Even the most sophisticated detection device could not detect it.


    ¡°But¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡± The insect¡¯s jaw dropped, then stammered out: ¡°But that day¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Shi An blinked. ¡°You are already my subject. It¡¯s not that troublesome to reduce your magic power. I just needed to determine the threshold of the detection device that day.¡± Before the insect could breathe a sigh of relief, Shi An continued speaking, ¡°¡­¡­plus, I am also curious about the internal body structures of current Abyss species.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Shi An seemed to have felt the insect¡¯s glazed stare and lowered his head to smile at it, looking both beautiful and sunny.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The insect shivered and slowly looked away¡ªPlease, don¡¯t smile. Any more of that smile and I will get human PTSD.


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 CH 8.1

    Perfectly Avoiding All the Right Answers (1)


    As expected, while Shi An walked past the iron-gray metal gate, the detecting instrument did not make the slightest sound. He sat down on the seat labeled with his name, propping his chin up with one hand. He looked bored as he zoned out.


    At that moment, the whispers of two candidates came from beside him.


    ¡°¡­¡­ In past years, weren¡¯t there only four examiners?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°But there are five positions up there, eh ¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An lifted his gaze toward the stage not far away, only to see that there were indeed five chairs, but one of them was empty.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the new examiner this year?¡±


    ¡°Possibly, but isn¡¯t it too exuberant? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that one can just not come.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think it will be? ¡­¡­¡±


    Immediately after, the test papers began to be distributed, and all the whispers immediately stopped.


    Shi An retracted his line of sight, then looked down at the test paper in front of him, and then fell into a long silence: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Among the rustling sound, only his table was a dead silence.


    The insect quietly peeked from his sleeve and asked in a very low voice, ¡°Lord Dragon, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    In a similarly low voice, Shi An replied.


    ¡°Can you read human texts?¡±


    The insect was stunned: ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah.¡±


    Shi An had a frown with a bitter expression, ¡°But I don¡¯t.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fuck.


    ¡ª you can¡¯t read!


    *


    The written test was long and torturous, especially when almost ninety percent of the words were completely unrecognizable. After it was over, Shi An felt even more tired than the day he burned the demonic creatures.


    Soon after, the academy teacher in charge of receiving them brought them back. Since the dormitory had two rooms, the housemates only shared the living room, and the living quarters were completely separated.


    As soon as he entered the dormitory, he saw his huge suitcase and backpack placed at the entrance hall. Seeing those, he felt as if his body and mind had been rejuvenated after the tiring day.


    The suitcase was packed by the butler, which included almost everything a freshman might need, and the corners were stuffed with all kinds of snacks that Shi An had strongly requested to be put in. The backpack, on the other hand, was packed by him. All the gold and silver accessories inside were carefully selected by him to be used for making the bed at school.


    In short, those were his precious babies!


    Shi An ran over with great enthusiasm. But as soon as he picked up the suitcase, he was dumbfounded.


    ¡­¡­ Wait.


    This, this is too light.


    Shi An had a sense of foreboding, and hurriedly opened his suitcase. He found that all the snacks inside were gone, and the backpack also¡ª


    The backpack was also¡ªempty.


    He looked around in confusion and saw a sticky note on the table. A few lines of human text was scribbled on it, which looked like a ghost had doodled on it.


    Shi An was instantly enraged. He pulled out the insect with a scowl and pointed angrily at the sticky note.


    ¡°What is written on it!!!¡±


    The insect, compelled by might, fearfully looked over.


    It carefully translated, ¡°That ¡­¡­ this says that the school is strictly checking all the items that students bring into the campus this year, and all the law breaking items were all sent back to the students¡¯ homes-¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An looked at the empty suitcase on his left hand side, and then looked at the empty backpack on his right hand side.


    ¡°No¡ª¡± he almost shed a tear in sadness.


    At this moment, the door of the dormitory opened from outside. A medium-sized brown-haired teenager walked in and met Shi An at eye level. The teenager hesitantly said, ¡°Hello?¡± Shi An, who was yet to recover from the sadness, looked at him in a trance.


    ¡°My name is Lin Yan Ming, we are roommates from today,¡± the teenager scratched his head, ¡°Uh, you are Shi An, right?¡± Although he was not familiar with the other freshmen, ¡°Shi An¡± was so famous that even he had heard of him.


    After thinking for a few seconds, Shi An listlessly nodded his head.


    Lin Yan Ming asked cautiously, ¡°Uh, did you bomb the exam?¡±


    Looking at the sluggish young man in front of him, and thinking about the news of the internal strife of the Shi family that was being spread among the freshmen, he couldn¡¯t help but feel pity.


    Lin Yan Ming weighed the food he had just packed from the canteen. It should be enough for two people to eat. He asked, ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± Shi An¡¯s dull eyes immediately lit up. ¡°No,¡± he replied. Ten minutes later, Lin Yan Ming stared blankly at the empty plates in front of him, his hand which was holding the chopsticks was still frozen in mid-air, unable to move for a long time. His gaze fell on the slender waist of the teenager in front of him, and he could hardly believe that such a flat little belly could actually hold so much food ¡­¡­ and in such a short period of time.


    Shi An was still not done. ¡°Is there more?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming came back to his senses and stammered, ¡°No, no more.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shi An sighed but not without regret.


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 CH 8.2

    Perfectly Avoiding All the Right Answers (2)


    He looked at Lan Yuan Ming and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you, you are a very nice human being.¡± After saying that, Shi An happily stood up, the dishevelment and sadness from before long gone, and dragged the two bags that were excessively large compared to his body into his room. He did not look at all like a person who had just gone through the strife of the gentry and failed his exams.


    Lin Yan Ming dumbly stared at the retreating back, then looked down at the plates in front of him that had been swept clean, whereas he did not move the chopstick even once, and fell into a deep silence.


    ¡­¡­ What is going on?


    Why was there a feeling of being duped?


    The second round of the test was three days after the written test, and during the gap in between, students could familiarize themselves with the facilities in the Ability Academy and also bond with their fellow classmates.


    Meanwhile Shi An had no interest in this, and slept for two days.


    On the third day, the insect could no longer bear watching this situation, and crawled next to his pillow then shouted, ¡°Lord Dragon, Lord Dragon.¡±


    Shi An groggily furrowed his brow, then raised a hand and slapped it to the ground.


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It persevered and rose again, climbing up again with difficulty, but this time it stopped out of Shi An¡¯s reach, ¡°My Lord, My Lord!¡±


    Shi An reluctantly opened his eyes and said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The insect replied, ¡°Abyssal crevices do not pop up out of nowhere! And because the connection between the abyss and the ground is not stable, so its spatial location is not fixed. Even I have to be nearby to detect where it is!¡±


    It crawled over, picking at Shi An¡¯s pillow: ¡°My Lord, you really don¡¯t ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Pak!¡±


    Shi An slapped it down again.


    The insect laid on its back while facing the sky and contemplated for a few seconds of its bug life.


    It¡¯s my fault for not remembering.


    Finally, under the continuous harassment of the insect, Shi An finally got up, albeit reluctantly.


    T_T I don¡¯t want to go out.


    But in order to go back to being a hermit dragon that can sleep for centuries ¡­¡­ let¡¯s work for it. With a woeful expression, the teenager sighed, then pulled open the door and shuffled out, in a slow and leisurely manner. At a long distance from the apartment, a man lowered his head and took out his cell phone to send a message-


    He went out.


    *


    The scores of the written entrance exam for the first year freshmen of the Ability Academy had all been sorted out. The two examiners casually went through the transcripts in front of them.


    ¡°The students¡¯ qualifications are quite good this year.¡± One of them lifted an eyebrow and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the theory part.¡± The other examiner snorted lightly and shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ll have to see the actual battle to know their exact level.¡±


    ¡°But you know what? Someone scored a zero this year.¡±


    ¡°Zero points?¡± This time the examiner was really shocked: ¡°Impossible, not a single question was answered correctly?¡±


    The test paper basically contained simple theoretical knowledge, and there were even multiple-choice and judgment type questions.


    How could anyone perfectly avoid all the correct answers?!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect it, did you? I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡± That examiner shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s that Shi An who was the center of attention before admission.¡±


    ¡°Oh, him.¡± Another person showed a look of sudden realization: ¡°Then, no wonder.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the way he passed the basic test is a bit fishy, but he still managed to sneak in. Seems like the Shi family is quite capable too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so true ¡­¡­¡±


    Just as the two were chatting with each other, a man rushed in from outside while panting.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± The two were taken aback by him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys know? There¡¯s a student this year who got the additional question correct!¡±


    The man wiped his sweat and said with great excitement.


    ¡°Wait, the additional question? For real?¡± The examiner had an incredulous expression and couldn¡¯t help but repeat, ¡°The one that no one has answered correctly in history?¡±


    This question was given by the dean, a magic spell written in a lost ancient language that no one had ever answered so far.


    The bonus score for this question was also very generous. For as long as you answer this question correctly, you are set to become the freshman with the highest score in this year, and may even set a new score record in the whole academy!


    ¡°Which freshman did it?¡± The examiner asked somewhat eagerly.


    This person¡¯s future is absolutely unlimited!


    ¡°The dean is the one who sent me to pick up this person¡¯s test paper. That person seems to be called ¡­¡­¡± The man took a breath, looked down at the slip of paper in his hand, and said, ¡°Yes, Shi An.¡±


    Examiner 1: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Examiner 2: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ah????


    After repeated confirmation, the few examiners finally reached a conclusion.


    Yes, that¡¯s right. Although no one knew how he managed to do it, Shi An definitely made it.


    Ò»Therefore, they were in an even bigger dilemma.


    The additional question awarded a 200% mark multiplication bonus, where as long as the question was correctly answered, the first place of the freshman would be secured.


    But the problem is that the score on Shi An¡¯s test paper was ¡­¡­ zero.


    Ò»Zero times 200% that is still zero!


    The examiners exchanged looks: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    How the fuck does this work?

 CH 8.3

    Perfectly Avoiding All the Right Answers (3)


    Shi An moved slowly and leisurely along the path.


    The Ability Academy was the most prestigious academy in the entire continent, and its facilities inside were also top-notch; with slender white towers lined up, and a net of magical power enveloping the entire academy. It was precisely why it became so difficult to forcefully invade from the outside.


    Shi An casually swept his gaze over the buildings and pursed his lips with disdain.


    The insect quickly sensed the change in Shi An¡¯s mood, ¡°Lord Dragon, what¡¯s wrong? Do you not like this place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Shi An said with some criticism.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bit ugly.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yeah, there was no need to ask any further. By now, it completely understood that in the legendary species¡¯ eyes, which has lived for tens of thousands of years and has unfathomable strength. The aesthetic sense is similar to that of a crowÒ»it must be expensive! Flashy! Bright!


    Shi An wandered aimlessly around the campus. Suddenly, the insect let out a shriek. ¡°Wait!¡± Shi An stopped in his tracks, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I sensed the location of the abyssal crevice!¡± The insect said with astonishment, ¡°But it is ¡­¡­ too far away, it may be a little blurry. Can you go further eastÒ»¡±


    Shi An let out an ¡°Oh¡±. But as soon as he turned around, he ran head-on into a group of people walking toward him. Shi An blinked, his gaze sweeping past their bodies.


    Yep, don¡¯t know who.


    However, just as he was about to go around the crowd in front of him, those people changed direction and blocked right in front of Shi An.


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    He looked over with some confusion.


    As a dragon who had lived in a deep and simple world for tens of thousands of years, Shi An did not know much about the human race. However, even a dense person like him could see the malice and ill will that almost overflowed from these people.


    Shi An hesitated for a moment. ¡± Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°Problem?¡± The leading male seemed to have heard some kind of joke and let out an arrogant snort, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you yourself know what¡¯s the matter we¡¯re looking for you for?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, how did you get in here?¡± The man bent down, his face filled with mockery. ¡°I heard that the testing machine happened to malfunction when it was your turn? What a surprise, you¡¯re a recruit that can actually affect the school¡¯s admissions ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after trying for so long, you still haven¡¯t recognized that you are not qualified for admission now?¡±


    The few people had smiles on their faces as they inched closer step by step.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard before? Every year, the combat test of the admission exam had rendered people with missing arms and legs, and some even went missing without a trace. Regardless of what family is backing you up ¡­¡­ danger is everywhere~¡±


    Malicious laughter followed.


    ¡°I advise you to be sensible, recognize your own level beforehand, and take the initiative yourselfÒ»¡±


    The leader bent down and rudely poked Shi An.


    The young man in front of him suddenly lifted his eyes, his gaze briefly paused on his face for a few seconds. There was not much emotion behind those dark eyes, but it somehow made people¡¯s hearts palpitate, and the hand that was ready to poke the other¡¯s shoulder involuntarily stopped in mid-air.


    The man¡¯s pupils suddenly dilated.


    What? What¡¯s going on?


    Why did he start trembling uncontrollably?


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, calm down!¡±


    The insect hidden in Shi An¡¯s sleeve hugged his finger in panic and learned the trick on how to communicate with his consciousness without a master, ¡°My Lord! You can¡¯t go crazy in school! You¡¯ll be discovered!¡±


    Shi An lowered his eyes and said with grievance, ¡°But they are so noisy.¡±


    Might as well just burn them down with a fire.


    ¡°Calm down! Calm down! At least we must find the abyssal crevice first before anything else, right?! If you leave the school now, it will be hard to come back in time ¡­¡­¡± The insect answered in a panic.


    Shi An thought about his once mighty and majestic body, as well as his own cave of treasures. After a long time, he sighed and reluctantly said, ¡°All right.¡±


    After those eyes shifted away, the brief panic and palpitations immediately receded, and the man came back to his senses. He could hardly believe that he had almost been frightened by a famous trash with almost no magical power, and couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed thus he stepped forward and reached to pull Shi An¡¯s collar: ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    A cold, indifferent voice could be heard from not far away. It was like shattered pieces of ice falling, and caused the surrounding temperature to drop a few degrees.


    This voice ¡­¡­ sounded a bit familiar.


    Shi An was stunned, and looked over the man¡¯s shoulder to the direction from which the voice came.


    He slightly widened his eyes.


    !!!


    It¡¯s the human with the bright shiny hair and eyes!

 CH 9.1

    The Perfect Collection (1)


    Mu Heng sat in the back of the car with his legs folded and his eyes downcast. An invitation from the Ability Academy was something many people dreamed of, but in Mu Heng¡¯s case, it was the opposite. After five consecutive years of refusal, he agreed to this invitation for the first time. The school took this very seriously and was extremely generous with the privileges offered to him. They even agreed that he could miss the first two rounds of the entrance test and only attend the third round, an actual battle against magical creatures.


    This time, however, Mu Heng came just for another confidential task by the Monster Management Bureau. The vehicle slowly moved forward, and the tightly closed windows isolated all noises from the outside world.


    Suddenly, Mu Heng seemed to have sensed something. He raised his eyes to look out of the car window. He saw that not far away, several tall students blocked a teenager in a corner; the atmosphere surrounding them was full of gunpowder.


    The teenager who was forced in the corner had his head down; his shoulders were frail and his chin were pale and sharp. He had an air of fragility, and looked extra vulnerable and pitiful surrounded by a group of people. Additionally, the top of his furry hair looked extra familiar.


    Mu Heng suddenly said, ¡°Stop for a while.¡±


    The driver was stunned, seemingly not expecting the person in the backseat to give such an order, but he still obediently slowed down the car.


    Mu Heng: ¡°Drive over there.¡±


    The driver did not dare to ask more questions and took a turn in the asked direction.


    The window was lowered slowly, revealing the face of the person in the backseat. The deep eyebrows with sharp-edged aggression along with the iconic silver hair tied behind the head, a pair of emotionless blue eyes slightly narrowed as he asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Those few people blocking Shi An turned their heads aggressively, ready to tell the newcomer to mind their own business.


    But the moment they saw who it was, their hearts almost stopped beating. Their faces paled miserably with beads of sweat dripping from their foreheads as they stammered, ¡°No, no, sir.¡± Mu Heng wordlessly watched the backs of those few people fleeing from the place, then turned his head, his eyes falling on the dazed teenager not far away and said, ¡°Get in.¡±


    The insect hidden in Shi An¡¯s sleeve also was in the same situation where its heart almost stopped beating. As a magical creature, it certainly knew Mu Heng¡¯s fierce reputation, and had also heard of this most powerful person¡¯s extraordinary intuition. It dared not pass any comments to Shi An, and only prayed silently in its heartÒ»


    Don¡¯t go! Do not go!


    Find an excuse to leave!!!!!


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Shi An looked at the bright and flash moving subject in front of him, and subconsciously agreed in one breath.


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fuck meÒ»


    It was so angry that it rolled its eyes, and wished that it could shake Shi An¡¯s shoulders hard to check if his ears were still working. Of course it was just a thought. It definitely dared not actually do it. Shi An walked to the other side, directly pulled open the door of the backseat, and slid in next to Mu Heng.


    The driver sitting in the forefront: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He had never seen such a ¡­¡­ self-conscious people.


    The vehicle slowly started moving.


    Mu Heng: ¡°Address.¡±


    The sunlight from outside fell on his silver hair, making the flowing hair look like melted silver. Within the confined space inside the car, it appeared shinier and brighter that Shi An fell into a bit of a trance. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The address of the dormitory.¡± Mu Heng repeated patiently.


    Shi An: ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the dorm.¡±


    He thought for a moment and continued, ¡°By the way, can you let me go back to the place where I got in the car just now?¡±


    After all, the rift should be right around there.


    Driver: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Then why did you just get into the car just now?!


    Mu Heng also didn¡¯t seem to have expected this answer. He was stunned and turned his head sideways to look at the teenager sitting next to him. That night, Mu Heng did not pay much attention to Shi An¡¯s appearance. This was the first time he took a careful look at the boy. The young man was very thin, but the lines of his features were soft and rounded. His two eyes were very dark, although they were bright and clear as if they were infiltrated with mercury, it made him look cute and obedient; an extremely harmless look. Mu Heng¡¯s brow slightly furrowed.


    Although the results of the test instrument was very obvious, and Shi An¡¯s resume also contained nothing suspicious, However, he always felt that something was off with this personÒ»it were as if there was a dark and deep whirlpool swirling underneath a calm and peaceful surface of still waters.


    Under the extremely focused gaze of those eyes, a vague sense of restlessness rose up in Mu Heng¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Did you consider my proposal last time?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡­ what?¡±


    Shi An responded naturally as though it was a matter of fact, ¡°Of course it¡¯s the matter of me buying you.¡± The driver in the front could not control his trembling hand from this revelation, almost swerving out of the lane, and only then barely had gotten a hold of his shaken emotionsÒ»this was the first time he served this legendary officer, but who would have thought that he¡¯d encounter such a shocking thing on his first day itself!


    Mu Heng¡¯s face was no different from the previous time. He rubbed the tip of his fingertips, lowered his dark cold eyes; underneath the dark blue colour, it was as though a storm was brewing in the distant sky. His voice had a kind of impassive silence.


    ¡°Tell me, why?¡±


    ¡°Of course because you look good.¡± Shi An replied without hesitation.


    Especially the hair and eyes.


    Dragons were all very vain and beauty-loving creatures, and they were never stingy in showing their love of beauty.


    Ò»Although, the way they expressed their love was often through robbery and plunder.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± The tires scraped across the ground with a harsh sound, even if the car was quite advanced, the body could not help but shake violently. Shi An did not have time to finish the rest of his words when he couldn¡¯t sit back and fell forward. A hand with a black tactical glove held him up. The fingers were long and smooth, as if they contained a force that cannot be underestimated, firmly holding the young man¡¯s thin shoulders. He was very strong. Even through the thin clothing, the rough leather texture was still deeply and heavily branded on the other side of the skin. The additional friction of the clothes brought a searing heated pain to him.


    Shi An could not stand being grabbed like that. He was super afraid of pain, so he instinctively struggled and protested bluntly, ¡°It hurts, let go.¡±


    Driver: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He had a look of despair. He had heard so many things, surely he¡¯ll be forever silenced, right?


    Mu Heng raised his eyes, and a pair of silver-blue eyes swept faintly in the driver¡¯s direction. The driver shuddered and immediately withdrew his sight, his eyes staring dead straight at the road in front of him, afraid of attracting the slightest attention from the back again.


    Mu Heng let go of his hand. He said, ¡°Turn around.¡± Very quickly, the vehicle made a U-turn and went back to the place where Shi An got in. Shi An opened the door, and happily got out of the car then waved behind him. ¡°Bye-bye, remember to consider my offer!¡±


    The person in the car did not answer, and the window that blocked the outside world¡¯s vision rolled up to cover the man¡¯s sharp facial lines. The vehicle started and continued to drive in the original direction.

 CH 9.2

    The Perfect Collection (2)


    Inside the car.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, and his sight fell on his hands. He did not like to make direct contact with anyone. It was precisely because of this that he preferred to wear gloves when he went out to avoid any physical contact. Generally, this was sufficient. But strangely enough, this time, even with a glove in between, he was still able to clearly and distinctly get a feel of the teenager¡¯s shoulder. It was thin-boned, like a bird, delicate and light, as if it could be broken in a snap.


    This made him feel ¡­¡­ very annoyed.


    Mu Heng clenched his fist, then placed his palm on top of his knee. His eyes were deep, like an icy lake shrouded in shadow.


    Troublesome.


    *


    Shi An stood in place and looked around. The few humans who were looking for trouble earlier were gone, and this place was inherently not lively, with only two or three students walking in the distance. At that moment, he felt his cuffs move, only to see the insect crawling out of his sleeve with difficulty.


    Shi An: ¡°You haven¡¯t moved for a long time, eh.¡±


    The insect stretched its feebly. ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s for sure!¡±


    It was said that this person named Mu Heng had a strong perception towards magical creatures. Let¡¯s not talk about it yet, since Shi An had not regained his full strength, it would be suicidal to face Mu Heng at this time. In that case, the insect could only force itself into a state of false deathÒ»previously, it was unable to do this but that day when Shi An controlled the level changes of the magical power in its body, it somewhat figured out the trick to this.


    The insect took a deep breath and finally regained some energy. ¡°Do you know who that human was just now!¡±


    Shi An thought over it seriously then guessed, ¡°¡­¡­ sparkling sparkle?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± the insect was able to resist the urge to roll its eyes, but couldn¡¯t resist to raise its voice. ¡°That¡¯s the strongest ability user in the entire human race!¡±


    Shi An was startled. After pondering for a long time, he asked dejectedly, ¡°So he shouldn¡¯t be short of money?¡± Now it seemed like the possibility of buying it with money was unlikely.


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    My heart is so damn tired.


    It scrutinized Shi An and asked in a puzzled manner, ¡°Lord Dragon, in the era you lived in, there should be many races with different colored hair and eyes, right?¡±


    Shi An nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± He counted on his fingers, ¡°Elves have the best looking hair, they have both silver and blonde colored hair, and mermaids have light blue hair that shines brightly like sapphires ¡­¡­¡±


    The insect had a face filled with shock, ¡°So, you snatched all of them back?¡±


    Shi An shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡± He answered as a matter of fact, ¡°Because there is no need, they are not worthy to be a part of my collection.¡± To a dragon, treasure and collection are two very different things. Treasures should of course be plentiful, but only the most beautiful and precious treasures are worthy of being called a dragon¡¯s collection.


    The insect froze.


    It suddenly remembered that Mu Heng¡¯s family also seemed to be a very ancient clan, and his ancestors seemed to be the dragon slaying clan. For no reason, a related rumor came to the insect¡¯s mind. It was said that there is a vague perception ¡­¡­ or one might say, attraction between fantastical species and their arch-enemies. But the insect had never taken these rumors seriously. After all, the fantastical species had disappeared from the continent for more than 10,000 years, and these rumors about them that have been passed down to the present were basically speculations of later generations.


    Take the Abyssal Dragon for example. After such a long time together, even though it was still very afraid of Shi An, it had already figured out a small part of the temperament of this legendary fantastical species. Of course, they were really super strong. But their love of sleep, beauty, food, and pampering ¡­¡­ luxury was not compromised. The insect put up a serious series of thinking.


    Ò»Wait, or maybe it¡¯s just the problem of this particular dragon?


    It sneakily took a peek at Shi An and started racking its brain for words, hoping to say something that would dissuade the dragon from his risky idea of getting close to Mu Heng. Meanwhile, Shi An pondered for a few seconds and said, ¡°Since that human is not short on money, then the previous approach won¡¯t work ¡­¡­¡±


    But the insect had yet to breathe a sigh of relief when Shi An frowned and continued: ¡°To gouge out the eyes, or peel off the scalpÒ»of course I have thought about it, but that requires a very fine technique. My own claws are too big, thus it¡¯s certainly not doable. But the most important thing is that it will reduce the gloss, therefore becoming ugly.¡±


    Insect: ¡°???¡±


    Huh?


    Suddenly, Shi An brightened up and rapped his knuckles in his open palm.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I know a magical creature that can secrete resin. As long as I turn him into a huge piece of amber, I can preserve his hair and eyes in their most beautiful state, and I will have the most perfect collection!¡±


    The insect was robbed of words: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Please don¡¯t say such ferocious words with such an innocent expression, thank you. It is everyone¡¯s responsibility to care for the mental health of magical creatures.


    Shi An seemed to have sensed the insect¡¯s disposition and said thoughtfully, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything until I regain my strength.¡±


    The insect said stiffly, ¡°¡­¡­ good, good.¡±


    Well, at least its initial goal had been achieved.


    Ò»Persuading Shi An to stay away from Mu Heng.


    Shi An continued, ¡°Well, you said you felt the location of the abyssal rift before. Which direction was that?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±


    The insect also finally remembered the purpose of their outdoor trip. It lifted its upper body and took a sniff in the air, then pointed towards one of the directions and said with certainty.


    ¡°There!¡±


    So, Shi An moved around the campus under the guidance of the insect. Eventually they moved towards an area with fewer and fewer people around, and the path also became more and more secluded. The grass grew from sparse to lush, almost blotting out towards the sky. There was only a miniscule amount of sunlight falling from overhead between the gaps.


    The road came to an end. Up ahead was a wall, built of some unknown steel-gray metal, both high and far away with almost no visible edges. The insect continued sniffing and said with certainty, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s behind this wall!¡± Shi An walked forward around the base of the wall. After more than ten minutes, he finally caught a glimpse of the gate from afar. However, he was stopped before he could walk up to it. There was a barrier that was automatically activated using magical power, and covered the air like a film.

 CH 9.3

    The Perfect Collection (3)


    The guard on the side saw him. ¡°Hey! Student? Not allowed to go in further!¡±


    Shi An meekly stopped in his place and uttered an ¡°Oh¡±. He pointed to the tall gray and green wall in front of him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± After seeing the fair and clean face of the young man in front of him, the guard¡¯s tone also subconsciously softened as he replied, ¡°This is the venue for the third round of the practical examination for the new students. It¡¯ll not be open until the day of the examination.¡±


    Shi An was stunned and turned his head to look at the wall.


    The Abyssal Rift ¡­¡­ is in the venue of the third round of the test?


    *


    On the day the results of the written test examination came out, although Shi Rui¡¯s face looked unconcerned, he still felt a great deal of apprehension in his heart. He could be sure that his score wouldn¡¯t be too bad, but what he couldn¡¯t be sure of was Shi An¡¯s performance. Shi An had not succeeded in passing the academy¡¯s entrance test for three consecutive years. If he was smart enough, he should have known to use this period to hone his theoretical knowledge. If he scored first in the written test, then in the most important part was the third round, which was the actual battle against magical creatures, he would have some advantage.


    After Shi Rui figured this out, he immediately understood why Shi An spent a full three hours on the written test that day. Of course it was to take advantage of this and cleverly circumvent his deficiency in magic power in the third round. Worse still ¡­¡­ that guy might even actually achieve a sufficiently good rank. Then his advantage in this competition would be lost. After all, ¡­¡­ he was the actual bastard son.


    Although Shi Rui had long understood his own identity, it didn¡¯t hurt him any less, as though his heart was pierced by needles and the flames of shame burned, when he had the moment of realization. However, now he could no longer do anything. Even the people he had secretly instigated to find fault with Shi An all returned without success, and stammered, unwilling to say what had happened. Although Shi Rui felt anxious, he still maintained a look of innocence on the surface, and did not pursue the issue.


    The day the results came out soon arrived. Shi Rui appeared calm on the surface but his eyes were anxiously sweeping from the top to the bottom of the list to look for Shi An¡¯s name. Before he found it, he saw his own name.


    Twenty-fifth place. It was a very good ranking.


    Most importantly, Shi Rui could be sure that Shi An was not one of the twenty-four people ahead of himself. He felt a huge burden in his heart falling to the ground, and could hardly restrain the impulse to lift the corners of his mouth. At that moment, Shi Rui heard one of his friends say in amazement, ¡°Eh, Xiao Rui, your loser brother¡¯s name isn¡¯t on this list?¡±


    Shi Rui was stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    He asked, ¡°Did you miss it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not, I¡¯ve looked over it twice.¡±


    Shi Rui quickly stepped forward and carefully, without missing a single name, scanned the list. Yes, Shi An¡¯s name wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Did he get disqualified for cheating?¡± His friend said carelessly. Shi Rui reluctantly smiled, but he looked a little disoriented. Although he very much wanted to believe this was the answer, but ¡­¡­There seemed to be something that spiraled out of control without him noticing it, and it made Shi Rui feel very uneasy.


    At that moment, there was a commotion from the front of the crowd. ¡¡Shi Rui was pulled out of his thoughts and subconsciously looked in the direction where the noise came from. Not far away, a man in a black coat with long silver hair walked unhurriedly onto the examiner¡¯s platformÒ»


    He sat down in the only vacant seat. Almost all the students subconsciously let out an incredulous gasp. They had never expected that the only examiner who didn¡¯t come was actually the legendary figure! The academy was actually able to invite him? Everyone was both excited and panicky, since this was the first time they had been able to see the legendary figure around them so close up.


    Mu Heng sat at the top and raised his eyes to look at the trembling freshmen in the distance. He slowly swept through the crowd, but did not find the person in his memory; the pair of cold eyes deeper than depression faintly released an invisible killing aura. The other examiners couldn¡¯t help but get nervous too. They communicated with each other with their eyes.


    Ò»Didn¡¯t they say this fiend will only arrive in the third round? Why did he appear now?


    Ò»How should I know!


    Shi Rui had yet to recover from his shock, only to see the people who were just joking and laughing beside him suddenly and violently took a step backwards. They almost panickedly hurried to hide themselves at the back, their faces were pale as dirt, with cold sweat oozing from their foreheads, and their pupils dilatedÒ»they were all showing an expression of extreme fear.


    Shi Rui: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The boy in the lead was called Duan Hua, also the one that Shi Rui had ¡®unintentionally¡¯ revealed Shi An¡¯s whereabouts to. Duan Hua was pale with a ghostly complexion, his lips shivering and eyes dodgy when he finally whispered the truth. ¡°That day ¡­¡­ we didn¡¯t tell you, we actually went to corner that waste of a brother of yours. He cheated to get into the academy, he doesn¡¯t deserve a placement here, but we didn¡¯t succeed ¡­¡­¡±


    Shi Rui anxiously pursued the issue, ¡°And then what? Tell me what happened?¡±


    Duan Hua trembled and said with difficulty, ¡°Then ¡­¡­ we were seen by Sir Mu.¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s nails dug into his palm fiercely, but his face still wore a look of worry against his will habitually, ¡°I¡¯ve told you all not to go looking for trouble with him.¡±


    ¡°Later, I heard, someone seemed to have seen Shi An getting out of Sir Mu¡¯s car.¡± Another person butted into the conversation. ¡¡Shi Rui felt the smile on his face seemed to crack, and his nails sunk deep into his palm, sending a hot stinging pain.


    Ò»His luck is really good.


    Not only did he have a good family, good birth, and good looks, but he always managed to avoid all the crises that came his way. It was the case during the simulation test, and now it¡¯s this case again. Haze clouded beneath his eyes, and he slowly clenched his teeth. I would like to see when your luck will run out.


    On the examiner¡¯s seat.


    Mu Heng withdrew his gaze, and indifferently lowered his eyes. The test machine snatched from Zhuo Fu was heavily weighed in his coat pocket; it had lost its meaning before he could pull it out. He frowned slightly and tapped the table with his gloved fingertips, making an even and dull tapping sound.


    Ò»It was a complete mistake to put off the follow-up on that secret mission and come specifically to come for the second round for interviews.


    *


    Meanwhile, inside a student dormitory, Shi An ran happily back into his room with a large bag of snacks hugged in his arms.


    A notice slip was casually thrown on the table.


    Ò»After a long and difficult deliberation, the examiners finally made a decision to exempt Shi An from the interview and directly allowed him to pass the second round and enter the third round, which was the actual battle.


    He contentedly threw himself onto the bed and turned on the game console he had borrowed from his new roommate. The cheerful background music of Mario played, and the plumber with the red beanie appeared on the screen.


    Ò»Games, simply the greatest invention in the human world other than snacks!

 CH 10.1

    This Place Was Really Too Well Chosen (1)


    The combat test against magical creatures was a traditional program that had existed at the Ability Academy since its inception. All the magical creatures in this test were bona fide, with thirty percent of them farmed and the remaining seventy percent caught and put into the huge test field built specifically for the occasion. The field was divided into multiple zones that simulated the living environment of a variety of magical creatures to make the confrontation with them more realistic.


    Although the whole test was visible and monitorable, there were still instances when the situation went out of control and accidents occurred. Therefore, all new students are required to sign a waiver of liability before taking the actual test. Even so, people who want to enter the Ability Academy still tend to rush into itÒ»after all, it is the most authoritative and influential school in the entire continent, and the resources and power involved behind it are equally strong, making it the top school that all ability users can only dream of.


    Shi An lowered his head, pretending to seriously scan through the long disclaimer in front of him. In fact, the words in this lengthy text were nothing but squiggly, meaningless lines to him. At the end of the disclaimer, Shi An pressed his hand seal on it. Then he stood back in line.


    Behind him was the tall, steel-gray wall that took on a cold, metallic luster under the sunlight, revealing a strange sense of interweaving at the top of the wall. That was the border where the magical simulation and the real world overlapped each other.


    Since he had only taken the exam once, Shi An entered from the bottom of the rankings.


    He stood drowsily at the end of the line, hanging his head wanly while listening to the names of the other freshmen being read out.


    Shi An had never missed the snacks and video games hidden in his dorm so much before as compared to now. It was unknown how much time had passed, and finally¡­


    ¡­¡­ ¡°Shi An!¡±


    As though he had just woken up from a dream, he looked up slowly in the direction where the voice came from and blankly reacted with a ¡°Huh?¡±


    There¡¯s actually a student that¡¯s not paying attention on this occasion?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The corners of the academy teacher¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Shi An, it¡¯s your turn to choose.¡±


    Although the interior of each magic area was connected, the initial choice of entrance location often determined the difficulty of the new students¡¯ pre-points accumulation.


    There were only two hundred quotas for direct passage in each area.


    The order of entry was arranged according to the combined results of the two previous examinations, and the higher ranked freshmen would have a greater chance to choose the area they want to enter. So this implied that the students at the bottom of the ranking would only be able to choose from the remaining areas.


    Shi An blinked and looked at the only two areas that were lit up in front of him. One area was bright golden yellow. The other had a grayish iron tone.


    Of course it¡¯s the first one!


    Shi An made his choice almost without hesitation.


    This time the examiner¡¯s seat was not set up in the field for simulated tests, but high above it, appearing as though it was a command room to coordinate everything. The oval-shaped room was very wide, and a whole curved inner wall was complete with a screen that could monitor the movements of the candidates in the real-world simulation.


    After hearing Shi An¡¯s answer, several examiners simultaneously showed an expression of incomprehensibility. Generally speaking, the area that remained until the end was not too good. It was either that the difficulty was really too high and direct death would be the result without any points. Or the difficulty was too low, the area was barren with a very low density of demons, and basically they were all farmed demons without much aggression. Therefore, the amount of points provided was so small that even if the whole area was fully combed, it might not have much impact on the ranking.


    And the area that Shi An chose ¡­¡­ Belonged to the latter type. A low-risk area without any high-threat magical creature.


    Although it was as expected, the examiners still felt some disappointment. They had certainly heard of Shi An¡¯s reputation as a waste since a long time ago, but the said person still did manage to answer the additional question in the written test, so most of the examiners had some hidden expectations for him.


    ¡­¡­ Maybe it was to conceal his abilities?


    But now, Shi An¡¯s choice made the examiners all begin to doubt their earlier thoughts.


    Ò»He was just lucky before, wasn¡¯t he?


    On the examiner¡¯s seat, Mu Heng¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed while he carelessly looked at the screen in front of him. There was an invisible aura around his body that made people instinctively hold their breath and dare not approach. Even the other examiners all had, intentionally or unintentionally, moved slightly away and were forced to become more reserved.


    Mu Heng¡¯s gaze fell on the back of the teenager striding forward, slightly narrowed his eyes without a trace. One of the examiners approached, and asked after carefully drafting his words, ¡°How was it, Mr. Mu? Are there any students that are worth your attention this year after looking at so many of them?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s movement of tapping his fingertips on the desk stopped unnoticeably. His expressions were unreadable as he replied with indifference, ¡°None.¡±


    *

 CH 10.2

    This Place Was Really Too Well Chosen (2)


    Shi An¡¯s eyes widened in mild surprise as he looked at the scene that had suddenly changed in front of him.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    He turned his head to look behind himself, and the door he had walked through had disappeared. In its place was a sky so bright that it was almost white, with a blazing sun hanging high above, and an endless, rolling golden desert.


    ¡°Humans are really good at this.¡±


    Shi An pondered for a long time and asked a serious question, ¡°Do you think they can make a super mario with this kind of look?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± the insect¡¯s mandible twitched.


    What to do, I really don¡¯t want to answer this question.


    It poked its head out of Shi An¡¯s sleeve and sniffed the air. After a long time of silence, the insect slowly spoke stiffly: ¡°¡­¡­ that, this is estimated to be the farthest district from the abyssal rift.¡±


    This place was really too well chosen.


    Shi An was shocked. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you remind me just now?¡±


    Insect: ¡°I didn¡¯t dare!¡±


    It was mainly because it was unsure if Mu Heng was nearby, so it could only maintain the fake death state hidden in Shi An¡¯s sleeve to be safe, and simply could not find the opportunity to remind him.


    After entering the actual battle, the scenery was mostly made up of magic, and it was filled with all kinds of magical creatures, so even if it was awake, it would not be noticedÒ»and perhaps because of this, that abyssal rift had remained undetected so far.


    Shi An thought about it and asked, ¡°Can the people outside see what happens here?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The insect puffed up its chest proudly. During the days when Shi An was engrossed in playing games, he went around the school and gathered a good amount of information about the third round of the test.


    ¡°But it¡¯s impossible for them to pay attention to every student. The equipment in here will automatically monitor the areas with frequent magic fluctuations, so as long as we don¡¯t act too out of place here, we won¡¯t be noticed.¡±


    Shi An nodded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He looked around and asked, ¡°What about now, which direction should we go?¡±


    The insect sensed the scent in the air and pointed in one direction with great conviction.


    ¡°That way!¡±


    It was very difficult to walk in the desert, and the quicksand underfoot would slide slowly, making walking very physically demanding. Under the sun exposure, Shi An walked forward with one foot deep and one foot shallow, leaving a trail of lonely footprints on the golden sand dunes. Not a single magic creature was encountered along the way.


    As a cold-blooded animal that liked to sleep in the cave, Shi An was worn out by the sun and walked slower over time. Finally, after twenty minutes of trekking on foot, he splatted face down onto the sand with his arms and legs spread out. The insect was thrown out and rolled several times on the sand in the process.


    It shook off the sand particles on its body and crawled back to Shi An¡¯s side: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m so tired.¡± Shi An¡¯s muffled voice came from the sand.


    The insect passionately encouraged him, ¡°My lord! Cheer up, we¡¯re almost there!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Shi An said breathlessly, ¡°That¡¯s what you said ten minutes ago.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to play games.¡± Shi An moaned sadly, ¡°I want to sleep.¡±


    He huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Are you really the legendary world-annihilating Abyssal Dragon!!!


    *.


    Inside the examiner¡¯s space.


    The battle in several other magical areas was already in full swing, and many of the freshmen already had a trend of alliances, with small dots crisscrossing the map in intricate positions. Several huge screens showed the battle situation, and the intense magic fluctuations could almost be transmitted to the command room. Several students with potential began to compete with each other as their points rose.


    ¡°The quality of the new students this time is not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are several good seedlings, we can pay more attention to the follow-up.¡±


    ¡°The top three are good.¡±


    ¡°That Shi Rui is also not bad. Even though his points did not rank in the top ten, it looks like it is already taking shape.¡±


    Several other examiners observed the battle and discussed it with great interest.


    Mu Heng indifferently raised his eyes and swept through the screen. He did not show any emotion on his face, and he didn¡¯t seem to be much interested in joining the discussions of several other examiners. Instead, he lowered his eyes, his gaze casually skimming over the most marginal desert area. A lone dot lit up in the middle, seemingly having not moved for a long, long time.


    Shi An¡¯s name was at the bottom of the list of all new students, and the point number was still a bright red 0 that looked alarming.

 CH 10.3

    This Place Was Really Too Well Chosen (3)


    The insect was glaring while breathing heavily, and stood fixedly in the desert. It had persuaded the dragon until its mouth ran dry, but Shi An was not affected by anything and remained lying motionless on the ground, allowing his body to sink a little into the quicksand. The sun blazed overhead, the wind howled behind, and soon buried the string of footprints left by Shi An, leaving only smooth golden sand dunes.


    The insect continued to rack its brain, then suddenly a bulb lit up in its head. ¡°Right, I remember that near the abyssal rift, there seems to be a nest of gray crows!¡±


    Gray crows are a half-abyssal half-continental species. They do not possess a strong single attack, but they are thick-skinned and often live in groups, making them very difficult to deal with.


    And most importantly ¡­¡­


    They are very fond of collecting bright and shiny things.


    Shi An¡¯s head moved, a thin layer of sand slid down from his hair, revealing half a white ear.


    The insect dragged its legs and came close to Shi An¡¯s ear, speaking in a mysterious and enticing tone, ¡°That nest is quite big, it is estimated that it has existed for quite a long time. I think there should be quite a lot of good things inside ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°!¡± Shi An immediately crawled up with a cracking sound from his joints, ¡°I¡¯ve rested enough.¡±


    It worked!!! The insect almost cried tears of joy.


    But Shi An lifted his head to look at the hot sun overhead, he withered away again. ¡°But it¡¯s so sunny ¡­¡­ why don¡¯t we leave a little later.¡±


    The insect wished he could faint right there. ¡°This is an artificial desert area! The sun doesn¡¯t set!!!¡±


    Shi An dropped his eyebrows sadly: ¡°¡­¡­ okay then.¡±


    At this time, a faint shout came from not far back. It was initially thought to be the sound of the whistling wind, but as time went on, they could gradually hear a person shouting at the top of his voice: ¡°Hey!


    Shi An turned his head and looked in the direction where the voice came from. A small black dot on the distant sand dunes was slowly approaching and seemed to be waving its arm hard at him. After realizing that he had been noticed, the person then released his magic power and performed a short distance instantaneous movement.


    Shi An blinked and recognized the incoming person. It was actually his roommate, Lin Yan Ming. The insect giggled and crawled into his sleeve.


    The moment he saw Shi An, Lin Yan Ming sighed with relief, ¡°Great, I thought I was the only one who had chosen the desert area.¡± He ruffled his hair, and a handful of sand fell down with his movements, looking extraordinarily wretched. ¡°I¡¯ve been walking for three hours, and you¡¯re still the first person I¡¯ve met.¡±  After walking for twenty minutes and lying down for two hours and forty minutes, Shi An nodded and agreed shamelessly.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Lin Yan Ming sat down beside Shi An with a frustrated look. ¡°I know my level very well, and I heard that this side is not very difficult, so I chose this place, but I didn¡¯t expect this place to be in such an almost insurmountable condition.¡± He sighed and looked at his watch. It showed the number of demons he had killed so far. 10. But the number of points gained was only 5.5, not even as much as a fraction of the number of points gained from killing a large demonic creature.


    Lin Yan Ming turned his head and asked, ¡°What about you, how many points have you got?¡±


    Shi An shook his head honestly and held out his hand to Lin Yan Ming. On the watch was a rounded and complete 0.


    Lin Yan Ming: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He thought he was already a noob, but he didn¡¯t expect to meet an even greater noob.


    He speechlessly looked at Shi An. The teenager crossed his legs, sitting on the ground carelessly without care for his image while his back was slightly hunchedÒ»the posture revealed the back of his white neck and the thin raised spine. His hair was disheveled, covered with a thin layer of yellow sand from head to toe, his cheeks red from sunburn, and a pair of clear eyes looked over wordlessly, as if he was some kind of pitiful little animal.


    Lin Yan Ming couldn¡¯t help but soften his heart. He sighed and compromised, ¡°Forget it, you follow me later, and we¡¯ll split the demons we kill equally afterwards.¡± At least they were dormmates, he should help whenever he can.


    Shi An thought about it and asked, ¡°Where are you going to go next?¡± Lin Yan Ming frowned from a rising headache, and answered with a bitter face, ¡°Of course to wherever there is a magical creature. There¡¯s no use killing these kinds of small magical creatures, the points won¡¯t go up at all.¡±


    Shi An recalled the abyssal rift location that the magic insect had just described to himself.


    Ò»It seemed to be that gray and black area.


    Was it called an S-grade danger zone or something similar? That place seemed to have lots of creatures around. When Shi An stood up, he looked at Lin Yan Ming with arched eyebrows and said happily, ¡°That¡¯s good, looks like we¡¯re heading in the same direction.¡±

 CH 11.1

    The sun was blazing, baking the earth with heat. Under the sky was land covered with yellow sand. Two people, one tall and one short, one ahead and one behind, trudged forward. The footprints left behind them were quickly smoothed by the wind and sand, like golden smooth silk.


    Shi An followed behind Lin Yan Ming with difficulty. He had never missed his wings so much. With his head hanging, Shi An asked listlessly, ¡°How much longer?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming looked down at the map displayed on his watch and replied, ¡°Soon. We¡¯ll be out of this hellhole in no time.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He said viciously, ¡°That¡¯s what you said twenty minutes ago!¡±


    Ò»Why do you all like to do that!!!


    The magic bug in his sleeve sneezed.


    ¡°This time it¡¯s true. If we move in this direction for another ten minutes or so we will ¡­¡­¡± Lin Yan Ming said while turning his head to look at Shi An, and abruptly paused with a look of disbelief on his face.


    ¡°You are not even sweating?¡±


    Walking in the desert for so long, Lin Yan Ming was already drenched in sweat, like a drowned mouse. The wet hair stuck to his cheeks, his sweat mixed with the dust was smeared on his face. However, the teenager behind him, who despite having looked sickly, still looked fresh, though dusty, as if he were a marble statue thrown into the dust.


    Shi An replied breathlessly, ¡°Because I am cold-blooded.¡±


    Lin Yan Ming was amused and laughed, ¡°Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, okay okay okay, cold-blooded animal it is.¡±


    The insect eavesdropping: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Can¡¯t believe it, can you little brother? He¡¯s really not kidding!


    Shi An asked, ¡°Where do we arrive after leaving here?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming, ¡°The Rainforest area.¡±


    He wiped off the sweat mixed with sand on his forehead and sighed. ¡°Alas, these four hours spent in the desert area are really not worth it, my points are only in the single digits ¡­¡­¡±


    Just halfway through the sentence, Lin Yan Ming suddenly realized something and immediately stopped talking. He looked at Shi An with some embarrassment, ¡°¡­¡­ sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡± To say such things in front of someone who still had zero points, wasn¡¯t that purposely rubbing salt on other¡¯s wounds?


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect ¡­¡­ that since we rendezvoused with you, we¡¯re so unlucky that we didn¡¯t encounter any of the magic creatures,¡± Lin Yan Ming patted Shi An¡¯s shoulder comfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when we get to the rainforest area, I will definitely help you break through this zero score!¡± The number of magic creatures in the desert area was small. It was something Lin Yan Ming already knew. However, after teaming up with Shi An, they still did not encounter a single magical creature even after such a long timeÒ» this was simply outrageous!


    Within a hundred meters radius, even a small magic lizard with 0.01 points had not appeared once ¡­¡­This was not reasonable! This was unreasonable!


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    This ¡­¡­ he probably knew why. Previously, he had purposely released his magic field along the way while rushing forward to increase the efficiency by keeping other creatures away. Looking at the friendly human in front of him who shared his snacks with and lent his game console, Shi An couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty, so he decided to make up for it within his power. Shi An communicated with the insect using his consciousness: ¡°You¡¯re sure that every new student in the command room won¡¯t be observed, right?¡±


    Insect: ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It suddenly became alert. ¡°Why? You, what do you want to do? You can¡¯t be too high-profile!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know the limit!¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Why do I feel more uneasy instead!!!


    Shi An tugged on Lin Yan Ming¡¯s sleeve, then pointed in another direction and asked,


    ¡°Can we leave the desert area in that direction as well?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming flinched, then he lowered his head to observe the map on his wristwatch and said, ¡°Yes, but the distance is the closest from here ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°But the sand dunes over there look the easiest.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s gaze was bright and focused. ¡°And I have a good feeling about that direction. Believe in me, I have good luck!¡± After staring at him for a few seconds, Lin Yan Ming went along with him. ¡°¡­¡­ okay.¡±


    It¡¯s just a little farther around! Since they had already wasted so much time earlier, spending a few more minutes now wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    A few minutes later.


    Lin Yan Ming stared in a daze at a huge lion-headed beast bursting out of a half-sanded crypt in front of him, and opening its bloody mouth to let out a deafening roar. The roar seemed to have moved heaven and earth, the air seemed to be shaking with it and caused people¡¯s hair to stand upright.


    The hell.


    You fucking called this good luck????


    The culprit felt very proud of this. Now if they have the points from this one, they should be able to make up for the points that had been on a standstill all along the way! Lin Yan Ming recovered from the shock and immediately turned around to run while dragging Shi An.


    Shi An was pulled and stumbled from that. He looked blankly at the human in front of him who was tugging him to flee frantically, and then turned his head to look at the lion-headed sacred beast that was coming from his back with huge stridesÒ»a look of confusion appeared on his face.


    What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°You don¡¯t fight it ¡­¡­ is it because the points from this magical creature are not high enough?¡± Shi An hesitantly guessed.


    Lin Yan Ming turned his head in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Look at the mark on that beast¡¯s neck!¡± Lin Yan Ming took the time to shout as he fled, ¡°The markings of the bred magical creatures are blue, the ordinary magical creatures yellow, and this one¡¯s red!!!¡±


    Against the wind and sand, Lin Yan Ming¡¯s scream was broken, ¡°This is the boss level magical creature of the whole area!!!!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­ eh?¡±


    Behind the two, the lion-headed sacred beast lowered its front body slightly. The developed muscles of its upper limbs tensed, and the beast¡¯s pupils flashed with a fierce light of a predator. The sand stirred and the terrifying pressure from the threat forced people to have difficulty breathing. The next second, its body was surrounded by floating waves of magical power. This was the precursor to its attack.

 CH 11.2

    You Fucking Called This Good Luck???? (2)


    In the Command room.


    A corner of the huge screen suddenly lit up with red light. This represented that a boss level magical creature in a certain area was being challenged by a recruit! The examiners who were following the battle in the forest and glacier areas were stunned. What? Starting a boss battle just five hours into the tournament? That¡¯s not a particularly wise action!


    ¡°It¡¯s the Desert Zone.¡±


    A calm and indifferent voice came from behind the crowd. The examiners were stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked in the direction where the voice came from, only to see Mu Heng slightly leaning forward with a pair of silver-blue eyes looking intently at the screen, his long and pale fingertip lightly tapped the table. ¡°Turn the camera over.¡±


    At the Desert.


    Suddenly, and without any warning, several silver arrows came out from the area where the lion-headed beast was about to pounce, emitting a sharp cracking sound. They fiercely flew towards the lion-headed beast, interrupting the magic casting just in time. The lion-headed beast jumped backwards agilely to dodge the arrow shot at itself. A pair of beast pupils shrank in anger, glazing over the two weak humans who had just invaded its territory and fell on a spot not far in front of them.


    A freshman withdrew his camouflage and roared at the two of them, Lin Yan Ming and Shi An.


    ¡°Hey! Have you guys gone mad?¡±


    Not only did they rampage and destroy the encirclement, but they even drew out this lion-headed sacred beast into the battle early! And to top it off, they were actually running in panic towards the direction they had laid out the ambush, completely disrupting their long-prepared battle plan! Lin Yan Ming¡¯s eyes lit up with hope and he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Sorry! Our entry into this area was just an accident! Can you guys pleaseÒ»¡±


    The sudden increase in numbers caused the magical creature to become agitated, and the lion-headed beast roared into the sky, then the spikes on its huge body resembling porcupines stood up, ready to strike. It would launch the long poisonous spikes on their bodies when they attacked, like a rain of swords, almost unavoidable.


    Not good!


    ¡°Take cover!!!¡± A man raised his voice and shouted!


    Lin Yan Ming stood frozen in place, his face pale.


    Oh no. He and Shi An were the closest to the lion-headed beast, and even if they found cover, they would not be able to withstand the penetrating power of its poisonous spikes. It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡­


    This time they may really die here. The sun was blazing, and the sand was boiling. Shi An stood all alone amidst the dust.


    He turned his head and shot a glance at the lion-headed sacred beast behind him. The depths of his pitch-black eyes burned red like a flame, as if scarlet blood swept in, and the round pupils constricted into narrow slits, like those of a snake¡¯s icy vertical pupils. The ancient spirits awakened in the human form, the top predator forgotten by the continent opened its eyes in the darkness.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and silently made his mouth shape.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    In the Command room.


    After a brief adjustment of the camera angle, a clear view of the place finally showed.


    Amidst a cloud of dust and yellow earth, only several freshmen could be seen scattered around the open field. There were no magical creature, no boss level beast. Besides the few arrows stuck in the ground, there was not the slightest trace of combat. The examiners looked at each other. What happened? Was it an equipment malfunction?


    ¡°The regional boss in the desert, can you see its location?¡±


    Mu Heng turned his head to look at the examiner at the side and asked indifferently.


    ¡°Of-of course.¡±


    That examiner looked like he was waking up from a dream and lowered his head to operate the device, only to see a small yellow dot lit up on the huge curved screen in front of him. Not only was there not only a short distance from where the signal had just come from, but it seemed to continuously move away.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a signal malfunction, right?¡±


    ¡°Send a crew to overhaul it.¡±


    ¡°What about the glacier area? How¡¯s the battle situation over there?¡±


    The command room quickly returned to the atmosphere earlier.


    Mu Heng frowned slightly, gazing at the place where the signal came from just then. Several red dots had gathered there now, and it should be the numerous freshmen gathering there. And on that long list of new students, Shi An¡¯s name was still at the very end. His points were still stuck on 0.


    *.


    At the Desert.


    Everyone was dumbfounded and stood still, almost unable to believe their eyes. That murderous lion-headed sacred beast, for some reason, froze for a second earlier. Immediately after that, the aura it built up like a pumped balloon quickly flattened out as if it had been punctured. There was a grunt emitted from its throat as if it had been hit by a painful blow, and then fled with its tail between its legs. It looked as though it wished it could just take flight on the spot.


    Moreover, that lion-headed sac beast seemed to possess a rare spatial talent. After a brief fluctuation of magical power, its huge figure had disappeared behind a billowing dust and sand, as if it had never existed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    In the empty wasteland, only a group of dumbfounded humans remained, looking at each other in disbelief and left speechless.


    What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on here? What exactly happened just now?


    Lin Yan Ming stood frozen in place, his eyes widened in bewilderment, as if he had not yet recovered from the overly dramatic situation that had just taken place. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his sleeve, subconsciously looking to his side. He saw Shi An tilting his head, his cheekbones were still faintly red from the sun, eyes slightly squinted from the strong sunlight. Those dark eyes looked at him from under those long eyelashes, and he didn¡¯t look the least offensive. Shi An came closer and said quietly, ¡°See? I told you I¡¯m lucky.¡±


    Lin Yan Ming: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At this moment, several other freshmen gathered around with unfriendly looks.


    ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± The leader of the group pointed to the direction where the lion-headed beast had disappeared, and snapped aggressively, ¡°We¡¯ve been preparing to ambush it here for a long time, and everything was already in place, but you came over and ruined it!¡±


    Shi An seriously examined all the freshmen in front of him and said with some doubts.


    ¡°But even if we didn¡¯t come, you guys couldn¡¯t beat it.¡±


    Lin Yan Ming: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    He looked at the group of people with fierce eyes in front of him, desperately wishing he could just shut both eyes and pass out. Big brother, you really know how to talk!


    The expression of the group of people immediately stiffened from embarrassment. The man at the head of the group had a fierce glint in his eyes. ¡°Those points should have been ours! Since you disrupted our plan, you have to compensate for it!¡±


    He gave a signal to the people behind him, and these people immediately circled them and grabbed the watches on Lin Yan Ming and Shi An¡¯s wrists without a word. Unexpectedly, the ones in front of them had an odd expression and did not make any move to deter them, letting them do as they pleased. The shorter one even took the initiative to extend his hand to them.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The freshman looked down at the two wrist watches that had been collected.


    He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and then fell into a long silence.


    One had 5.5 points.


    The other: Zero.

 CH 12.1

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he paid the price.¡± (1)


    Two days ago.


    Due to the lack of points to ¡°offset¡± the debt, Lin Yan Ming and Shi An were forced to join this team. To put it nicely, they were members, but to put it more bluntly, they were baits. Using the leader¡¯s words, ¡°When you help us earn enough points from that magical creature, I¡¯ll let you guys go.¡±


    Two days later.


    The squad handed the watch back to Lin Yan Ming and Shi An, telling them to get as far away as they could. Shi An looked reluctantly at the group¡¯s back as they fled and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t they moving with us anymore?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    You still have the nerve to ask?


    Ò»Since the two of them became the bait, the whole squad never encountered any of the magical creatures anymore. Most importantly, Shi An was eating too much. The whole squad¡¯s food stock was consumed by him alone after just two days of moving together. If they had continued to go on, then their points would definitely not be enough to cover their expenses.


    Basically the two were only burdens without being able to give or do anything. So the conclusion was them getting kicked out without hesitation.


    Lin Yan Ming sighed a long, long sigh of frustration, and for the first time he felt so hopeless about the next few days of the exam. Shi An looked down and studied his watch for half a day, and said, ¡°Next, go east.¡±


    Lin Yan Ming looked at the map. They were now at the boundary of the desert and rainforest areas. The difficulty of the rainforest area was a bit too high, and all those high-level freshmen were definitely there too. So the best way now was to skirt around the rainforest area and go to the forest area on the east where the difficulty was moderate, and they should be able to survive a little longer.


    Ò»Further east, there was a piece of gray area.


    Scorched earth area.


    S-grade danger zone.


    However, Lin Yan Ming did not even take a single glance in that direction.


    After all, how could any human with a sane mind voluntarily choose to go to that area?


    He replied directly, ¡°Fine, east then.¡±


    *


    On the other side.


    Zhao She led his team members forward. This was a small team formed temporarily by the freshmen. There were eight members in total, and although their performance was quite good, there were no outstanding ones either.


    It was because of this that they came together to take advantage of the terrain and numbers to ambush the creatures and earn points. They had originally stayed in the rainforest area before, but the rainforest area was occupied by another team that was stronger, so they had to move towards the edge of the area; to the border between the rainforest and the desert area.


    The atmosphere in the team was extraordinarily grave. No one could be happy after two consecutive days of no harvest and losing most of their food stocks. Suddenly, one of the team members sensed something, making her focused and cautious. ¡°Be careful.¡± The group of people turned serious at once.


    The jungle ahead looked very peaceful and quiet. The ferns here were so dense and jagged that they covered the sky, and the air was damp and dense, which gave off a sense of breathlessness. Not far away came the sound of rustling footsteps, and the vague magical fluctuations became clearer.


    A familiar figure appeared in front of the crowd. Zhao She slightly narrowed his eyes, ¡°Shi Rui, the rainforest area is already yours, what else do you want?¡± The rest had also put up two hundred percent spirit, vigilantly watching the few people in front of them, seemingly ready for a close combat.


    Shi Rui showed a faint smile. He looked somewhat similar to Shi An, but with more of a scholarly air than him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    ¡°I heard that recently you guys were acting together with my brother?¡±


    Zhao She narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t answer.


    Shi Rui: ¡°Don¡¯t be so wary, I¡¯m just looking for him to settle some old dispute.¡±


    He pointed to Duan Hua standing behind him and said, ¡°My friend had a little conflict with my brother before and wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to him.¡±


    Zhao She snorted coldly without giving the other face, ¡°Apologize? In the middle of the combat test? You guys certainly chose a right timing.¡±


    He heard plenty of those rumors, and despite having not much goodwill towards a loser like Shi An, he had seen plenty of people like Shi Rui. Although there was a good reason with the family¡¯s eldest son being weak, as an illegitimate son who can be brought back by the main family and even become a candidate as the heir, Zhao She didn¡¯t think this guy would be some kind of naive and kind type towards others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hostile to us, I just want to know where my brother is headed towards.¡±


    ¡°We separated from Shi An a long time ago,¡± Zhao She said coldly.


    ¡°As for where he went, it¡¯s out of our hands, and we don¡¯t want to care.¡±


    After saying that, he signaled the members of his team behind him. The few of them retreated backwards in an orderly manner, seemingly still on guard against a sudden attack from the other side. Shi Rui didn¡¯t do anything, and just watched them disappear from his sight.

 CH 12.2

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he paid the price.¡± (2)


    When those people¡¯s silhouettes disappeared into the jungle, Duan Hua opened his mouth somewhat anxiously and asked, ¡°Shi Rui, you didn¡¯t even pursue it a little more?¡±


    Shi Rui: ¡°No need for that.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes and smiled, ¡°I just wasn¡¯t sure if my brother was with them along the way, and now I¡¯ve got the definitive answer.¡±


    Shi Rui opened the map on his watch and examined it for a moment.


    ¡°Based on the direction this team came from, combined with the nearby terrain and the difficulty level of the areas, my brother is probably heading to the eastern forest area.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s follow them quickly!¡± Duan Hua looked even more anxious than Shi Rui.


    He had led people to block Shi An on that day but bumped into Mu Heng.


    This was already very unlucky, but now Mu Heng had actually become their examiner for the third round!


    This matter was like a shadow constantly haunting his heart, making him feel uneasy and unable to forget it even after a long time. No matter what, he must settle this matter before the end of the third round. He absolutely cannot allow this to affect his admission ¡­¡­ absolutely not!


    Duan Hua could not help but silently clench his fist, like a desperate man grasping at the only spider silk hanging in front of him.1


    ¡°What are you planning to do after finding him?¡± Shi Rui asked coldly.


    Duan Hua froze: ¡°¡­¡­ A-apologize.¡±


    ¡°Although I agree with your choice of action, what¡¯s the use of apologizing to him?¡± Shi Rui sighed and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t Officer Mu already see what you did?¡±


    Duan Hua was stunned.


    Yes, what¡¯s the use of apologizing to Shi An. He and Officer Mu were not even casual acquaintances. Plus, even if he gained Shi An¡¯s understanding, it would not change the impression he left on the examiner. The spider silk hanging in front of his eyes broke off and slowly fell down.


    Duan Hua seemed like he just woke up after being hit on the head, stood in the same spot with a dazed look and his eyes dull. Shi Rui patted his shoulder and said with regret and sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Although you may not believe me, I really understand you very well ¡­¡­¡± he had a despondent look on his face. ¡°I was also recently brought back to the family. Although my brother was not much older than me, he grew up enjoying all kinds of preferential treatment and privileges that I could not even think of. All I knew at that time was the gap between people is so big; all that we dreamed of, things we spent on, all the efforts to pursueÒ»they were all just a matter of spending some money, donating a building, and tinkering with the exams for others to obtain everything ¡­¡­¡±


    Shi Rui looked at Duan Hua and continued, ¡°Have you not noticed? Shi An¡¯s name did not appear on the list of written test results at all, nor did he participate in the second round of interviews; he directly entered the third round of actual combat.¡±


    Duan Hua was stunned and subconsciously recalled the previous two rounds of exams.


    That¡¯s right. What Shi Rui said was correct. Shi An had definitely cheated to get into the third round!


    ¡°Is that fair? Of course, it¡¯s not fair,¡± Shi Rui watched as anger towards the unfairness and extreme feelings of revenge for being put in a desperate situation surfaced on Duan Hua¡¯s face. A smile crooked up discreetly on Shi Rui¡¯s lips.


    ¡°But what can we do? We can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    He withdrew the hand placed on Duan Hua¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Still, an apology is in order, and we¡¯ll talk about everything when we see my brother, right?¡± After saying that, Shi Rui took the lead and turned around, walking forward. He listened attentivelyÒ»and five seconds later, a heavy footstep followed.


    Shi Rui smiled silently. Very well.


    *


    Shi An didn¡¯t like the rainforest. The space here was too cramped, and the air too damp and dense with moisture. It really wasn¡¯t a good place for him, who was used to extremely wide spaces. He was even starting to miss the desert area from earlier. Although the sun there was scorching hot, and it was hard to keep the pace, at least that place was spacious!


    Soon, they reached the edge of the rainforest area. Not far away was a triangular divider. To the right was the lush edge of the forest area that could be vaguely seen in the distance, but if you went further, there was the dark scorched earth area. Although it wasn¡¯t very close, the dark ominous cold land had a strong presence that could not be ignored.


    The insect said excitedly inside Shi An¡¯s sleeve, ¡°That¡¯s right! There it is! I can already feel it!¡±


    Hearing this, Shi An¡¯s spirit was uplifted. He took two steps forward, but then seemed to have thought of something and paused his steps: ¡°So ¡­¡­¡±


    Insect: ¡°?¡±


    Shi An secretly asked in a low voice, ¡°The gray crows nest near the abyssal rift, which direction is it?¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    You actually hadn¡¯t forgotten about that!


    It defeatedly sighed and answered tiredly without any spirit, ¡°It should be at the junction of the forest area and the scorched earth area, since the gray crows need a place to nest.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Good!¡±


    Footnote:


    1 Basically it meant grabbing the only chance he has left, like holding on tightly onto a thin rope to save his life from falling to death.

 CH 12.3

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he paid the price.¡± (3)


    Lin Yan Ming was surprised to find that Shi An, who had a tired face just now, suddenly perked up and became energetic. He hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Shi An thought for a long time, and seriously answered, ¡°It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ I¡¯m excited just thinking that I¡¯m finally going to break the zero point.¡±


    Heh, what use were the points? Treasure is the hard currency!


    It was getting dark. The two were prepared to rest and reorganize themselves at the border for the night, and then go out to the forest area before dawn break. It¡¯s not that Lin Yan Ming didn¡¯t want to take advantage of the night to hasten the journey, but he was very clear about his and Shi An¡¯s strengths combined. Many magical creatures will become more ferocious at nightfall, so traveling during the day was the most sensible choice for them.


    Ò»Of course, Shi An¡¯s strong demand for sleep was also part of the reason why.


    Shi An found a dry cave covered with rocks and carefully nestled himself inside.


    He yawned and said drowsily, ¡°Good night.¡± The night settled down, and the dark twilight enveloped the entire rainforest area. The tall, luxuriant plants casted distorted black shadows that looked like swaying, grotesque figures.


    All of the sudden, Shi An¡¯s eyes snapped open without warning. Within the depths of his dark eyes, a ray of crimson flashed by quickly, like a passing meteor. He stood up and looked in the direction. Lin Yan Ming was stirred awake and opened his droopy eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shi An did not answer him. The sound of footsteps came from the darkness.Immediately after, a face that seemed a bit familiar appeared in front of him. He was very tall, and seemed to be a bit embarrassed, with a certain strange nervous look in his eyes.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming immediately came to his senses, and reached out to pull Shi An behind him, subconsciously putting himself before the latter.


    Duan Hua: ¡°I ¡­¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath, as if to his mind, and looked towards Shi An behind Lin Yan Ming: ¡°We met that day, do you remember?¡±


    Before waiting for Shi An to answer, Duan Hua said somewhat impatiently beforehand, ¡°Actually I¡¯m here because I want to apologize to you. That day, I acted foolishly that day to even go looking for trouble with you.¡±¡¡Lin Yan Ming was stunned and turned his head to look at Shi An, ¡°You know him?¡±


    Shi An looked at the new face seriously for a few seconds, and suddenly realized: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Duan Hua¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. ¡°In order to show my sincerity, these are for you.¡± He handed over a backpack. Duan Hua was afraid that Shi An wouldn¡¯t take it and added, ¡°It¡¯s just some daily supplies that I exchanged with points.¡±


    Ò»For them who hadn¡¯t had the time to collect enough points to exchange for food after not being able to eat and drink for free, this was a timely help. Lin Yan Ming hesitated for a moment and turned his head to look at Shi An, seemingly asking something in a silent manner.


    Shi An thought for a moment then answered, ¡°Sure.¡± He stepped forward and took the backpack from Duan Hua¡¯s hand. Duan Hua nervously rubbed his palm against the seam of his pants, then held out his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s write it off?¡±


    However, Shi An stared at his outstretched hand strangely, as though he couldn¡¯t understand it. He simply ignored the other party¡¯s gesture of friendship and went over the extended hand, his cold fingers wrapping around the other¡¯s wrist instead and remained there for a moment.


    Ò»It felt like being pricked by a very small needle.


    Duan Hua lifted his brow. However, Shi An had already let go and smiled like nothing happened before he could react, ¡°Of course.¡±


    After saying that, Shi An turned around and returned to Lin Yan Ming¡¯s side with the bag.


    Duan Hua: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He smiled a little nervously, ¡°Then, then I¡¯ll leave you guys alone.¡± After saying that, Duan Hua turned around and his figure quickly disappeared in the darkness of the jungle as he left quickly as if there was someone chasing behind him.


    His pace was hurried, and his heart was beating extremely fast; it was to the point his ears were buzzing, and he was overwhelmed by the thrill of revenge. Only one thought remained in his mind.


    Ò»It was entirely normal for someone to disappear quietly during the practical test for admission.


    In the darkness, a small irregular red mark slowly appeared on the inner side of the boy¡¯s wrist where it wasn¡¯t seen. It looked like a cluster of burning flames.

 CH 12.4

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 12.4


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he paid the price.¡± (4)


    Lin Yan Ming turned his head to look at Shi An who was back to sitting and asked, "Don''t you want to talk about it?"


    Shi An was a little confused, "Talk about what?"


    Lin Yan Ming walked over and sat down next to him: "Why did that person suddenly look for you to apologize?"


    Shi An, "Oh, that."


    He recalled carefully and said, "He cornered me once before in the school, as if he wanted to threaten to make me quit?"


    Lin Yan Ming: "?!"


    He was taken aback and couldn''t help but raise his voice an octave, "What happened?"


    Shi An flashed him a smile, his fair face was still youthful and looked well behaved, "Don''t worry, he paid the price."


    Just this small bag of supplies and he was already forgiven? Wasn''t this too cheap?!


    Lin Yan Ming could not control the expression of heartache forming on his face. Poor little thing, why are you so gullible! He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Don''t worry, in the future, with me around, I won''t let others bully you anymore!" Lin Yan Ming''s eyes shone with a strong maternal glow.


    The insect curling up in Shi An''s sleeve: "......"


    Heh, human, you really are too naive.


    Creatures like dragons were narrow-minded, petty and vindictive, but also unreasonably strong. There''s only them bullying other people and magical creatures, never themselves being bullied!


    Whereas Shi An ......


    He wore an angelic shell, but was a demon in the core.


    The insect would never believe he would let himself suffer even if it was beaten to death. After Lin Yan Ming drifted back into dreamland, the insect quietly crawled out from Shi An''s sleeve. It curiously glanced at the backpack, "Lord Dragon ...... what did that human offer to you?"


    Shi An propped up his chin in boredom and unzipped his backpack with one hand, "Well ...... bread, jerky, canned food, drinking waterÒ»but no chips or jelly ......"


    Insect: "......"


    Because no one would trade points for that kind of snack. Period.


    Shi An''s hand felt the bottom of the backpack. Only the sound of a slight rip was heard, and the bottom of the backpack was ripped in a corner. Immediately after, Shi An pulled out his hand, and in his palm was an inconspicuous little gray paper bag, "Oh, and this."


    Insect: "???"


    It crawled into the bag and sniffed, then the human face on its head displayed a shocked expression: "This- this should be a spice to attract high-level magical creatures. This guy is trying to entrap you!"


    Shi An brightened up, "Really?"


    Insect: "????"


    Sorry what?


    Shi An said, "Even if I don''t release the magic field, those magical creatures instinctively did not want to approach me ......"


    He sighed somberly, "You see, I can''t even be a bait!"


    Insect: "......"


    I think you''re just craving for those two days of free food and drink!


    Shi An cheered up. "But this time with this, we should be able to find the Gray Crow nest!"


    The insect was silent. Fuck.


    You are really fucking gunning for this!


    Suddenly, the earth trembled violently for a moment without prior signs. Lin Yan Ming was shaken awake from the vibrations and he jumped up in shock, "What''s going on?"


    Shi An was stunned. He turned his head and looked in the direction of the scorched earth area. The edges of the dark night lit up with a strange crimson color, like an eerie eye quietly looking down below. It was as if the ground scorched by fire seemed to be slowly undulating, bulging, as if it had life, and emitted a strange, ominous feeling.


    *


    The third round of the practical combat test required a long time, usually taking up more than a week. Since Mu Heng usually had important business to handle, he didn¡¯t attend the evaluation very often. He basically only showed up on the first day, and then he was called away again on official business.


    Recently, there had been a significant increase in the traces of abyssal species in the city, indicating that an abyssal rift had opened up nearby. The people from the Magical Creature Bureau had already searched the entire city, but there was still no trace of the said rift.


    During this time, Zhuo Fu''s research on the sword also stalled. It remained silent for a long time, and did not move no matter how many experiments and tests were conducted on it. It was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary dead object. Zhuo Fu even mentioned once to Mu Heng implicitly, hoping he could rest more and give himself a break.


    Ò»Maybe he was too tired and hallucinated.


    Mu Heng sat in front of the table, his eyes scanning over the thick stack of reports on the table.


    It''s not that he didn''t need to rest. But if a crack was not closed in time, and the abyssal rift absorbed too much magic, it would continue to invade the surface world. If the situation continued to worsen, a small abyss may be created on the surface. If that kind of thing really happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Mu Heng moved the paper with his fingers, slowly turning it over, his focused gaze falling on every area that had been patrolled. Which places hadn''t been searched?


    Or ......


    There was a location with reasonably compliant magical power fluctuation somewhere, thus masking the anomaly? Mu Heng was stunned and jerked his head up. The report clattered and slid down from his fingertips, scattering all over the desk.


    He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and put it on, walking out of the office with quick strides.


    Wen Yao stood up, "Sir?"


    Mu Heng: "Contact the Ability Academy, immediately."


    *.


    Shi An slowly tilted his head and took a deep whiff of the air.


    A cold, dark, and highly toxic scent was spreading silently from afar.


    So comforting, so familiar, so ......powerful.


    He opened his eyes, the scarlet vertical pupils flickered under his long eyelashes, and a layer of smooth dragon scales faded in and out on his cheeks.


    It was the smell of the abyss.

 CH 13.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 13.1


    "Then, is fire okay?" (1)


    "What? What''s going on?"


    The person-in-charge of the third round''s practical test ran out in a hurry in his sleeping robe, his face filled with a mixture of bewilderment and confusion, "What''s going on?"


    "It''s a call from Officer Mu."


    The person-in-charge picked up the phone and his expression became increasingly shocked and grim. After hanging up the phone, he said in a stern voice, "Quick! Shut down the simulation in the battle area! Evacuate all the students there!"


    "I-I can''t!" The staff member panicked, his forehead covered with beads of sweat, "It''s impossible to shut down the simulation from the outside ...... Everything inside seems to be out of control!"


    The person-in-charge turned his head to look at the monitoring console on the side.


    Just five minutes ago, there was a frightening spike of abnormal magical reaction in one of the zones in the real-world simulation. Immediately after that, all the students'' communication devices went offline. The GPS collars of all the magical creatures were all out of commission. It was as if ...... in just a few minutes, the entire real-world simulation area was engulfed and subsequently isolated by some powerful force. No one could enter, and no one could leave either.


    The person-in-charge paled, his hands and feet cold, and his mind went blank. He turned his head to look at a staff member at the side, his unsteady voice carried a hint of tremble and fear, "Hurry up ...... call the crisis management office of the Bureau1."


    This matter had already developed beyond their capabilities, and now there was no other choice except the intervention of the Bureau.


    *


    Lin Yan Ming raised his head to look at the sky in front of him in confusion.


    It was still pitch black, but there seemed to be a subtle difference from before. The original simulated night sky was dark, but there was still a faint glow from starlight. However, right now it had become pure dark black, as if all the light was swallowed up by the black hole-like sky in front of them, bringing forth a sense of unpredictable danger.


    This ...... What happened?


    He turned on the alternate light source and lowered his head to look at his watch. The watch''s scoreboard was still lit, but the map and communications could no longer be used. This meant that ...... they could not contact the outside world and could not confirm their location.


    Lin Yan Ming panicked for the first time.


    "Shit, the magic activity in this area should be too frequent during this recent time, and the abyssal rift has expanded early," The insect hiding in Shi An''s sleeve said quietly.


    Shi An lowered his eyes, long and black eyelashes following peacefully and the pupils that were covered up slowly returned to their human state. He looked at his palm; his five fingers were still slim and white, with not a hint of abnormality.


    "But the concentration here is still too low."


    Shi An touched his palm, which had not changed too much, and said with some disappointment.


    "It''s still not enough."


    "Well ...... this area has just been tentatively dissimilated now, the concentration here is definitely subpar compared to the inner part of the abyssal rift." The insect paused and continued, "In fact, if we wait here more, we can wait until the degree of dissimilation increases to a state similar to the abyss, but I am worried that this gap will not last that long."


    After all, the area of the outbreak was concentrated at the epicenter, so the humans would certainly prioritize this. From a logical estimation, this gap would be closed by the Bureau before they could wait until the dissimilation was completed.


    "Or ...... would my Lord still follow the original plan and enter the abyssal rift?" The insect proposed.


    Shi An thought about it. "I like this."


    Then he seemed to have thought of something and his mood abruptly dropped, and said, "Then ...... we don''t have the time to find the Gray Crow nest, right?"


    The corners of the insect''s mouth twitched, "...... Yes."


    Shi An was totally depressed.


    "But ...... but ......" said the insect while racking its brain, "The Gray Crow nest can be found whenever, can''t it? The most important thing now is to restore your strength first. What treasure can you not get when the time comes, right?"


    With the explanation from the insect, a silver-haired figure flashed in Shi An''s mind. He finally pulled himself together. "You''re right."


    Ò»When his original body will be restored, what treasure can''t be snatched!


    Shi An turned his head to look at Lin Yan Ming, who was not far away, looking down and fiddling anxiously with his watch. But no matter how hard he tried, the positioning mode and communication devicRe could not be used ...... this was the end.


    Generally speaking, emergency exits were set up right in the middle of each area.


    But ...... they were now at the junction of three zones: the forest zone, the rainforest zone, and the scorched earth zone, making the distance from each zone very far. By now, it got so dark out that it was impossible to find the way to the emergency exit. If they went ahead blindly, they would have been heading towards death instead.


    Footnote:


    1 Bureau here refers to the same Monster Management Bureau in the earlier chapter than Mu Heng works in.

 CH 13.2

    ¡°Then, is fire okay?¡± (2)


    Shi An turned his head to look at Lin Yan Ming. ¡°Do you still want to go to the east side zone?¡±


    Lin Yan Ming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You know the way?¡±


    Shi An hummed and nodded his head, then said in a serious manner, ¡°I have a strong sense of direction!¡± With the backup light source, Lin Yan Ming raised his eyes to look at Shi An, who was standing not far from him. The young man¡¯s eyebrows were soft and calm, his dark eyes were quietly looking back at him from the shadows. It was as though there was nothing that could make him lose his current composure, giving people an inexplicable sense of reliability.


    It was puzzling how everyone said that Shi An was a once-in-a-lifetime loser, but Lin Yan Ming had always thought there was a kind of indescribable mystery to Shi An after interacting with him for so long. This sense of mystery was even subtly different from that of ordinary peopleÒ»which always made him want to believe what Shi An said.


    And most importantly ¡­¡­


    Except for following Shi An, the only option left was to stay in place and wait for rescueÒ»and who knows what condition it was outside. Since there was no way to locate their individual positions now, he¡¯d rather take this risk than leaving things up to fate. After thinking about it, Lin Yan Ming took a slow deep breath as he finally made up his mind and said, ¡°¡­¡­ Okay! I believe you!¡±


    Ò»Maybe, Shi An really knew the way to the forest area!


    Shi An happily flashed a smile at Lin Yan Ming.


    Ò»Of course he knew how to get to the gray and black area in the east. After all, there was an insect up his sleeve to secretly show him the way.


    *


    In the silent darkness, Lin Yan Ming walked forward with difficulty. As opposed to when they came, this time Shi An walked in the forefront. The young man¡¯s back was straight and slender, always not far from Lin Yan Ming¡¯s line of sight. The darkness that didn¡¯t even permit one to see their own hand stretched out in front of them didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on Shi An, and his pace was always smooth and steady without any hesitation. However, it was really too quiet around him.


    He could only hear the thumping sound from the heart and the rustle of the grass beneath their feet..


    Lin Yan Ming swallowed and carefully broke the silence by uttering, ¡°Uh ¡­¡­¡± He actually did not have anything to say, but he really couldn¡¯t bear the insufferable dead silence.


    However, in the instant he made a sound, Lin Yan Ming heard a strange echoing sound against the back of his neck, repeating the words he just uttered in an eerie hoarse voice: ¡°Uh ¡­¡­¡±


    Lin Yan Ming instantly felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately ducked and condensed a magic arrow, then threw it in the direction from which the voice came. It turned out that the arrow landed on an empty space and was swallowed up by the darkness.


    The alternate light source on the watch illuminated a small area behind him and the white light under the overwhelming shadows around them appeared small and faint.


    The monster was a three-meter-tall magical creature, its body was thin and long like noodles, but it had a huge, heavy head that hung on its neck. The head was hanging low and precisely at the height of the back of Lin Yan Ming¡¯s head. It turned its head, and the seven eyes irregularly arranged on its dark face stared deadly at the two humans in front of it. The same eerie, hoarse voice came out of its mouth, mechanically repeating.


    ¡°Uh ¡­¡­¡±


    Lin Yan Ming felt his hair standing straight, a mysterious chill running deep within his spinal cord. He had never seen such a creature all his life. And what was even more frightening was when his eyes fell on the neck of the magical creature. He swallowed hard.


    Ò»It was empty there.


    There was no school collar, nothing.


    Lin Yan Ming wasn¡¯t sure if it had broken free from its restraints or ¡­¡­ it wasn¡¯t one caught by the school at all?


    Whichever it was, he couldn¡¯t help but feel creeped out. The creature swayed its slender body and flew closer quickly in a weird posture, the seven eyes on its face blinking at different frequencies. Its face split open into a huge mouth with a ring of sharp teeth flashing with cold light.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Lin Yan Ming shouted in panic, turning around and immediately pulled Shi An to escape.


    ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡±


    The creature behind them repeated Lin Yan Ming¡¯s words mechanically over and over again while chasing them. Lin Yan Ming was drenched in sweat, and all he could hear in his ears was the sound of his own rapid panting and the murmurs of the tail2 behind him. The darkness swallowed his sense of direction, making him feel as if he were running through a swamp with no end in sight.


    Suddenly, sounds of footsteps came from all directions, and the exact same mechanical murmurs overlapped each other, echoing in his ears.


    ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Run ¡­¡­¡±


    Lin Yan Ming stopped abruptly. His pupils dilated, and his face turned white as a sheet, while beads of sweat slid down his cheeks. With the backup light source, he saw dozens of this slender strip of monster surrounding them from all directions. Each of those hanging, heavy head were staring at them intently, repeating two3 words: ¡°Run.¡±


    But ¡­¡­ there¡¯s no way out.


    Footnote:


    2 Tail here refers to the monster. It¡¯s tailing them like your own tail that you can¡¯t get rid of no matter what.


    3 Two here refer to the Chinese characters.

 CH 13.3

    "Then, is fire okay?" (3)


    "Try- try the light magic attack. It should- should work on these things." Lin Yan Ming said incoherently to Shi An. He released the attack towards the one closest to him, and it was effective, but only forced it back for a few seconds. After the magic wore out, the magical creature started to come closer again.


    It''s over, it''s over, it''s overÒ»


    Lin Yan Ming''s mind was left with only these two words.


    "Then, is fire okay?"


    At that moment, he heard the soft voice tinged with curiosity from the teenager next to him.


    "......"


    What? Lin Yan Ming did not react.


    "Just, something like this."


    The moment the words were spoken, searing flames rolled like a wave, instantly illuminating the darkness with fire. The flames were at an astonishingly high temperature and engulfed the monsters in front of him furiously!


    The raging flames seem to have intelligence, while roaring, it devoured the slender figures one after another. In the matter of a few seconds, the blazing flames rose and circled around the two of them, keeping them safe.


    The blazing fire dispelled the darkness and illuminated the expansive plains as bright as day. In the fire, the monsters let out a mournful scream as its body sizzled and madly swayed in the flames, trying to escape but always failed no matter how hard it tried.


    "......"


    Ò»How devastating, overwhelming, and aggressively powerful was that.


    Lin Yan Ming stood frozen in place. His face was red from the firelight, and although he was far away, he could still feel the temperature of the flames on his skin. It was so hot that he could barely think. After an unknown amount of time, maybe after just a few seconds, maybe after a few centuries had passed, the fire and the heat went out together. It was as if everything was just a cruel and grand illusion in his mind.


    In the pitch black darkness, only the faint brightness of the alternate light source remained. The light vaguely illuminated a clearing not far away, as well as a pile of ashes on the ground. Wait, that wasn''t an illusion? Lin Yan Ming felt his brain turn into mush.


    After a long time, as he cranked his head with difficulty, he could almost hear the crackling sound from the bones in his neck, and stiffly looked at Shi An''s figure beside him in disbelief. The teenager in front of him seemed to notice his gaze and turned his head to return the look. His facial lines appeared softer and softer in the darkness, a pair of eyes with rounded contours, when looking intently at people, looked as if he was in a petulant mood. Shi An pursed his lips and smiled shyly.


    "I really don''t know light magic, I only know this."


    Lin Yan Ming: "........................"


    *


    "The Bureau''s people are here!"


    "What? Please come in!" The person-in-charge was startled and hurriedly stepped out to welcome them.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, his long hair meticulously tied behind his head, his pale skin still covered by his overcoat and gloves, looking disciplined and ascetic. Wen Yao stood not far away. She had already changed into a battle attire. She had light brown skin, eyebrows that were heroically sharp, inquiring the staff in low whispers.


    The ones who came along this time were the elites of the Bureau''s combat department specially trained to deal with this particular situation. The person-in-charge extended his hand with an anxious face. "Officer Mu ......"


    Mu Heng swept a glance on the other party''s outstretched hand but made no movement. The person-in-charge then suddenly remembered that this person was reluctant to make physical contact with other people. He then withdrew his outstretched hand with some embarrassment. "I apologize ...... I am just too anxious."


    He asked, "What are you going to do next?"


    Mu Heng''s voice was cold and deep, seemingly half affected by the other party''s panic. "Did you set up emergency entrances and exits within the battlefield?"


    "Of course! It''s right in the middle of each area!"


    Mu Heng nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Are there teachers, or staff members familiar with the terrain of the battlefield?"


    "Yes, there are!"


    Mu Heng: "Arrange one for each area, and have them follow my squad in to rescue the trapped students."


    Person-in-charge: "Then ...... what are you going to do about that abyssal rift in the scorched earth area?"


    "Close it from the inside," Mu Heng said calmly.


    "I''ll go personally."


    Person-in-charge: "Then I will join you ......"


    Mu Heng interrupted him, "No need."


    The person-in-charge froze: "Why ......?"


    Mu Heng said succinctly, "It''s too dangerous."


    The abyss would continuously release poisonous gas outward, so one had to use magic to exert protection for oneself at all times. Even if it was him, he would still lose his home advantage and be somewhat weakened after going deeper into the rift, not to mention others with even weaker self-protection capabilities.


    "In addition, after the dissimilation begins, a guide won''t be useful in the area closer to the abyssal rift that had been even further transformed."


    Although the person-in-charge was still upset, he could only sigh and listen to the other party''s instructions, "You are right."  Mu Heng nodded his head and turned to walk forward. The person-in-charge immediately pursued in hurried steps. "Eh ...... then there is nothing else you need?"


    Mu Heng''s silver-blue eyes were calm and indifferent, without any semblance of arrogance, as if he was simply stating a fact.


    "No need."


    "Just me alone is enough."

 CH 14.1

    If Time Could Be Turned Back (1)


    The members of the Bureau of Administration were split into several teams and arrived at the emergency entrances of each zone in an orderly manner. Although the atmosphere in the control room was still tense, it regained its previous order.


    At the same time, with the emergency repairs of the appropriate technicians, some functions in the combat simulation system were finally restored.


    Although most of the large screen on the side was still dark, some zones had begun to light up. Although it was still impossible to locate the specific location of each student, it was now possible to see how many students were left in each zone, which at least eliminated the need for an inch-by-inch search.


    "Glacier zone, two people. Rainforest zone, forty-eight people. Desert zone, nine people. Forest zone..."


    The staff member looked down at the list, and suddenly paused: "Scorched earth zone, two people."


    "Scorched earth zone?" The head person  asked. Was that the zone where the abyss crack was said to be located¡­¡­?


    The staff member''s expression also became unsightly. He mumbled, "Yes."


    Although he didn¡¯t know anything about combat, he still understood¡­¡­.for these two students, the odds were against them rather than in their favor.


    The head person took a deep breath. He raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. His face seemed tired and old.


    He said, ¡°Go on, regarding the scorched earth zone, I''ll talk to Chief Mu about it.¡±


    After advising repeatedly about the plan of action, the head person walked towards Mu Heng, who was not far away.


    Mu Heng turned his head to look over, and raised his eyebrows questioningly.


    The head person spoke up, "Chief... there is a very unfortunate situation."


    He took a deep breath and said, "I just found out that two new students are also trapped in the scorched earth zone."


    The head person hesitated for a moment and continued, "Do you think they still have the possibility of surviving?"


    Mu Heng paused. "Maybe."


    "...Whatever the case, thank you very much." The head person sighed and passed over a watch. ¡°Hold onto this. Although the map¡¯s GPS has no use, it can still tell you if a student is within a hundred meters of you.¡±


    Mu Heng nodded. He accepted the watch and put it in his pocket: "I''ll try my best."


    Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, "What are the names of the two students trapped in the scorched earth zone?"


    The head person was taken aback for a moment, as if he did not expect the other party to ask such a question.


    He replied: "This... We don''t know yet, the system has not fully recovered. We only know the number of trapped students in each zone; we don''t know the specifics of who is trapped."


    The head person asked, "Which student are you looking for?"


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze. "No, I was just casually asking."


    *


    Lin Yanming kept peeking at Shi An who was walking in front of him.


    In the darkness, the adolescent¡¯s pale profile face was blurred and distant; he could only vaguely see the clear and neat outline of his lower jaw, which looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    Even though he had walked a short distance, the burnt smell still lingered in his nose.


    Lin Yanming blinked.


    The after-effects of the fire seemed to remain on the retina. The dark spots left by the hot light still loomed in front of him.


    He took a deep breath, did enough mental preparation, and finally spoke up: "Shi An..."


    Shi An turned his head and said heartlessly, "Hm?"


    The expression on his face was too natural, as if the terrifying fire had nothing to do with him.


    "Just now, that... your magic power, that fire..."


    Lin Yanming racked his brains to come up with adjectives.


    "Oh! That!" Shi An showed a stunned expression.


    You understand!


    You understand what I want to ask!


    Lin Yanming felt rejuvenated and looked at him expectantly¡­


    ¡­Only to see the adolescent scratching the back of his head embarrassedly, and saying,


    "It''s not that I didn''t want to listen to your suggestion before, but about this light, I really don''t know."


    Lin Yanming: "......"


    You understand my ass.


    Distracted for a moment, Lin Yanming suddenly mistepped.


    He was startled, and after staggering a few steps, he barely managed to stabilize himself and avoid falling directly to the ground.


    A backup light source illuminated the small patch of land in front of them.


    The soil was a thick and deep pitch black type, but had no moisture at all. It was as if it had been scorched. Irregular cracked lines spread across the land until it was engulfed by darkness.


    Wait a moment¡­¡­


    Lin Yanming froze.


    He suddenly realized that he didn''t seem to have encountered trees or rocks for a while. He didn''t know when his surroundings became empty, as if he was walking on a shelter-less plain.


    Lin Yanming felt like his brain was like a rusted gear which could no longer turn and made futile clucking noises.


    He raised his head sluggishly, and used the backup light source to illuminate the darkness in front of him, carefully discerning the road shrouded in darkness in front of him.


    Definitely not the rainforest zone.


    And certainly not the forest zone.


    Then, it could only be...


    "Shi¨CShi An," Lin Yanming heard himself say in a trembling voice.


    When Shi An heard him, he stopped and turned his head. Unaware, he asked, "What''s up?"


    "Are¡ªare you sure, you know the way?"


    Shi An: "I¡¯m sure, why?"


    "But, this¨Cthis place, I don''t think this is the forest zone." Lin Yanming said slowly.


    Unexpectedly, Shi An seemed to be unaware of his strangeness, and nodded very naturally: "Yeah."


    Lin Yanming: ¡°.......¡±


    ?


    ??


    ?????


    Lin Yanming was stunned. He could hardly believe his ears.


    He turned his head dumbfounded, staring blankly at the adolescent beside him.


    Only to see the innocent face of the other party continue in a matter of fact way, ¡°This is the easternmost zone. Don''t worry, I definitely didn''t go the wrong way!"


    The easternmost zone is...


    S-level danger zone, scorched earth zone.

 CH 14.2

    If Time Could Be Turned Back (2)


    "....."


    Lin Yanming felt like he had lost the ability to think.


    Shi An came closer, and waved his hand in front of Lin Yanming¡¯s eyes. "What''s wrong?"


    ¡ª¡ªWhat¡¯s wrong? What do you think is wrong?!


    Looking at the innocent expression of the other party, Lin Yanming felt that he urgently needed a CPR professional.


    He couldn''t even speak normally: "You...you...the east! I said go to the east side of the forest zone, not, not this¡ª"


    "Huh?" Shi An had a blank expression on his face. "But I thought we were on the way?"


    So you fucking planned to come here from the start?!


    ¡ª¡ªOn the way you big bastard!


    Lin Yanming almost broke down.


    After a long silence¡­


    "...Then let''s go over it again," Lin Yanming said slowly and stiffly. "The current situation is that I don''t know what went wrong in the simulated combat, and now I can''t contact the outside world at all. I can''t even use the positioning function. So¡­..where I want to go right now is to the emergency exit in the center of the forest zone. You, you understand now?"


    Shi An blinked and said in a quiet voice: "Understood."


    His voice was even quieter: "But, I don''t know how to get to the forest zone."


    "......"


    Lin Yanming felt that he was approaching the brink of falling apart again.


    Only he heard the other party continue, "Speaking of which, is there an emergency exit in every zone?"


    Lin Yanming: "......Every zone probably has one."


    Shi An: "Then what about going to the emergency exit in this zone?"


    Lin Yanming was taken aback.


    This...also seemed like a plan?


    Hesitating, he looked at the adolescent in front of him, wondering if he should board the other party''s pirate ship again.


    Before, when Shi An claimed to be lucky, they had not only encountered a lion-headed beast, but were also robbed by other students.


    And the time he claimed to have a good sense of direction, they came to the most dangerous scorched earth zone.


    However, Lin Yanming thought about it.


    His self claims were awful, but in fact he was laying low¡ªperhaps he really had a trick up his sleeve?


    And most importantly, he seemed to have no other choice now.


    Holding onto the last glimmer of hope, Lin Yanming seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his hand and wiped his face. Then, he said as if looking death in the face,: "¡­¡­Alright."


    Shi An squinted his eyes and smiled happily: "Yay~"


    Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, and continued: "Oh, by the way, further ahead is an area with poisonous gas, so you''d better wrap yourself up with magic power first. Otherwise you might die of poisoning before making it out."


    ¡°......¡±


    Lin Yanming fell silent again.


    Is it too late for me to regret it now?


    *


    Inside the laboratory of the Bureau of Administration:


    Zhuo Fu lowered his head and carefully handled the small sample of monster tissue in front of him.


    He already knew about the matter of the academy.


    Confirming the location of the abyss crack was, of course, a good thing, but it being inside the school, meant that after the abyss spreads, it would cause a lot of collateral damage.


    But these were not the issues that Zhuo Fu had to worry about.


    As the head of the laboratory, what he needed to do was to figure out why the abyss cracks had appeared so frequently recently, and why its power was far stronger than usual.


    Although the spread of the crack in the academy was inseparable from the high-level magic fluctuations in the academy, it could not be denied that this was the first time in hundreds of years that the crack in the abyss could develop to this level.


    This made Zhuo Fu feel a sense of crisis.


    Suddenly, without warning, the high-precision magic power monitor on the table beeped.


    Zhuo Fu was startled and turned to look.


    That¡¯s weird. In order to minimize outside interference, the laboratory was strictly protected and shielded. Why did the monitoring meter still respond like this?


    He reached out and picked up the monitor. He stood up, looking for the leak in magic power.


    The dial on the meter swayed erratically, and finally reached its peak at a certain moment.


    Zhuo Fu lifted his head¡ª


    Behind the protective layer of the glass in front of him, a long sword tightly wrapped by a cloth strip quietly sat in the darkness.


    A sort of invisible hum spread out, as if it were whispering in some ancient, unknown language.


    Zhuo Fu was stunned: "......."


    He almost dropped his jaw in shock. He was frozen in disbelief, as if he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Fuck¡­¡­


    What Mu Heng said was actually true.


    In the main control room of the academy:


    ¡°Beep beep beep beep¡ª¡ª¡± Wen Yao''s cell phone rang.


    She answered the phone, and Zhuo Fu''s noisy voice immediately came from the other side of the phone: "Where''s your superior? I can''t get through to Mu Heng''s phone! Go find him for me quickly¡ª"


    Wen Yao silently held the microphone away from her ear: "Is there an urgent matter?"


    "Bullshit!" Zhuo Fu said, burning with impatience.


    Wen Yao replied, "Chief has entered the quarantine zone."


    "..." The voice on the other end of the phone paused for half a second: "What?"


    Wen Yao raised her head and looked at the emergency access door not far away that had just been closed a few seconds ago. She said, "Just about... a minute before you called."


    *

 CH 14.3

    If Time Could Be Turned Back (3)


    The scorched earth zone had almost become a semi-alienated area, with poisonous gas escaping from the cracks in the abyss, constantly changing the surrounding environment.


    ??


    An ominous darkness shrouded the barren ground, and a disturbing aura pervaded everywhere.


    As the space on the ground was alienated and transformed, more abyss species crawled out.


    ??


    Lin Yanming felt likehe had never seen so many strange, ugly and terrifying monsters in his life.


    ??


    At first, he was nervous and frightened.


    ??


    Lin Yanming''s muscles tensed up, and his heart sat in his throat.


    Monsters were attacking from all directions, so he had to be vigilant at all times. He prepared for hand-to-hand combat, but later, he found that he couldn''t get involved at all.


    Every time a monster entered his line of sight, Shi''an set it on fire.


    ??


    Simple, violent, and amazingly efficient.


    ??


    The fiery flames flashed red on Lin Yanming''s cheeks from time to time, and his expression changed from shock at the beginning to calm and numbness now.


    ??


    After walking together for so long, he now believed that Shi An was not being humble.


    ¡ª¡ªHe really only knew this one spell.


    But¡­¡­


    It was fucking enough.


    Lin Yanming thought blankly.


    ?


    Not far away, a raven-black lizard crawled out of the crack in the scorched earth, but it had only just stuck its head out before being hit with a fireball to the face. After a violent crackling sound, only a pile of ashes remained.


    ?


    The adolescent lightly retracted his eyes from the ashes. His pale face was indifferent, as if he had just crushed an ant.


    Under the long and dense eyelashes, a golden-red light swiftly flew by.


    ?


    The demon insect shrunk into Shi An''s sleeve, staring tremblingly at the scene of this one-sided ruthless domination.


    Rather than massacre, the word "clean up" seemed more appropriate.


    ?


    This is the first time it had clearly realized how small and insignificant other monsters were to the mythical species - they were far from being a threat; rather, they were a kind of dirty, mood-ruining, lowly creatures.


    The demon insect couldn''t help shivering.


    ?


    It only now understood how lucky it was that it could survive from Shi An''s hands.


    ?


    However¡­¡­


    The demon insect suddenly remembered that in the last simulation test before entering the academy, Shi An only burned three monsters, and there was already a very significant change. Then why, after burning to death a countless number of monsters in the semi-alienated abyss area, there was not much change even till now?


    ??


    It cautiously asked: ¡°Um,¡­¡­Dragon Lord.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Hm?¡±


    "How are you feeling now?"


    ?


    Shi An lowered his head, rolled his fingertips, and suppressed the excitement in his voice: "Superb."


    ?


    He really did feel good.


    Every time he burned a monster, he felt that his strength increased a little bit, like a river flowing little by little into a sea that had already dried up¡ª¡ªas if he was using the flame to absorb the energy from the body of the plundering monster to help himself regain his original appearance.


    ?


    The demon insect didn''t dare to make a sound.


    It didn¡¯t know if it was just an illusion, but it felt like¡­when Shi An answered its question, there was an indescribable enthusiasm and happiness in his voice, as if he had entered some sort of floating state.


    ?


    It was like he was drunk.


    Or had gone mad from killing.


    They trudged across the dark plains.


    There was a strange crimson light in the distance ahead. The color was very deep, almost merging with the darkness behind it. The meandering slender strip, like a wound on the ground, was terrifying, and foul-smelling slime gurgled out.


    ??


    Lin Yanming was shocked.


    ??


    He stopped subconsciously and swallowed hard. "What¨Cwhat is that?"


    ??


    Shi An looked steadily in that direction, as if in a trance.


    His eyes drooped slightly, and the pupils under his eyelashes had completely turned a warm red gold, as if molten gold and flames were intertwined. In the center of his eyes were narrow vertical pupils, showing an inhuman cruel alienation.


    ??


    Even if there was no need to carefully feel it, he could perceive¡ª


    ??


    The gloomy, cold, and sinister odor silently surrounded and enveloped himself in it.


    At that moment, Shi An seemed to have returned to when he still had his majestic and beautiful dragon body, sitting in a spacious and clean cave with a large amount of treasure, sleeping whenever he wanted...


    ??


    "Hey, are you okay?" Lin Yanming''s voice entered his ear.


    Shi An came back to his senses. His red-gold vertical pupils disappeared more slowly than usual, but it was eventually replaced by pitch black.


    ?


    Looking down at his palm, his expression became visibly depressed.


    ?


    ¡ª¡ªDamn!


    There was nothing left! Nothing!


    ?


    "What''s the matter?" Lin Yanming approached him nervously.


    ?


    "Nothing." Shi An sighed.


    ?


    He raised his gaze, and seemed to remember the question the other party asked just now. He said absently, "Oh right, the thing ahead is the reason why these things are happening now."


    ?


    Lin Yanming: "......"


    He couldn''t tell whether he was shocked by the content of the other party''s words, or by the understatement of the way he was speaking.


    ?


    Shi An tugged at his sleeve: "Come on, we¡¯re not far from the center of the zone."


    ?


    Lin Yanming nodded and finally regained his spirits. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Amazing! Soon he¡¯ll be out!


    With only a few steps left, what else could go wrong¡ª


    ?


    Rumble rumble¡ª


    There was a faint, low roar from the horizon not far away.


    The ground began to vibrate without warning, as if thousands of horses were stampeding across the plain, bringing a certain heavy and terrifying sense of oppression.


    ?


    Lin Yanming was startled, and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.


    ?


    Although it was very dim, he could still see the black, overwhelming, almost suffocating number of monsters¡ªit was a  tide of monsters.?


    What the fuck.


    Why was there a monster tide???


    Lin Yanming officially broke down.


    What the hell! Was he being played!! Couldn¡¯t he get a break!!


    And¡­¡­those monsters were not those ugly and weird breeds he had never seen before, but serious ground monsters, all with cold silver-white collars on their necks, flashing all kinds of colors¨Cblue, yellow, and even red, which represented the boss of the zone. .


    ??


    Shi An suddenly regained his senses and exclaimed, "Aiya!"


    ??


    He seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and reached into his pocket.


    A small packet was taken out; it was stuffed with unknown spices.


    ??


    Shi An quietly said to the demon insect: "That... I think the gap in the abyss seems to be able to sharpen the sense of smell of the monsters on the ground."


    ??


    The demon insect: "......Haha, yes."


    You don¡¯t say!!!


    ??


    Lin Yanming noticed the small packet in Shi''an''s hand. Based on his previous experience, he suddenly had a very bad premonition in his heart.


    His throat tightened, his voice trembling and erratic: "What is¨Cis that thing you¡¯re holding?"


    ??


    "Oh, this, it was stuffed into my backpack by that boy before."


    Shi An scratched his head: "I don''t know exactly what it is, but it seems like it can attract monsters and make them go crazy."


    Lin Yanming: ¡°..............................¡±


    He closed his eyes, took a slow deep breath, and tried his best to restrain himself from the strong urge to slam his head on the ground.


    ?


    ¡ª¡ªIf time could be reversed, he would definitely go back to the moment when he formed a team with Shi An, and then punch himself!!!

 CH 15.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 15.1


    ¡°Can I Return to The Abyss After Jumping Down?¡± (1)


    Three hours ago.


    Somewhere in the Rainforest Zone.


    ??


    The trees rustled softly as Duan Hua emerged from the darkness.


    ??


    Shi Rui raised his head and looked in the direction from which the voice came.


    Seeing that it was Duan Hua, his face showed a seamless expression of surprise: "You¡¯re back so soon? Is the problem solved?"


    ??


    "Did elder brother accept your apology?"


    ??


    Duan Hua''s expression was weird, his eyes uncertain: "Yes."


    ??


    He subconsciously reached out to touch his wrist, which was covered by his sleeve, but stopped himself.


    ??


    The touch of his fingers still seemed to linger there¡ªvery cold, much lower than the body temperature of an ordinary person, like some kind of cold and soft cold-blooded animal, winding up silently. Although it was only a brief moment, the memory of being touched seemed to be burnt into his skin and bones, and could not be removed for a long time.


    ??


    A strange itch spread from that small piece of skin, making him want to scratch it.


    ??


    The expression on Shi Rui''s face was still immaculate:


    "You¡¯ve worked hard, take a rest."


    Then, without warning¡ª


    Something changed.


    Darkness engulfed the sky, and the GPS and communication systems were simultaneously paralyzed.


    From the depths of the dark rainforest came the manic howls and footsteps of the monsters, as if they were rampaging aimlessly.


    ??


    Duan Hua looked up in panic and stared at the dark sky above his head: "What¨Cwhat''s going on?"


    ??


    As a person with a guilty conscience, even if there was no evidence, he subconsciously associated the current abnormality with his actions just now, and the blood on his face faded away.


    Could¨Ccould it be.....


    ??


    Shi Rui was also flustered, and almost lost control of the expression on his face.


    He lowered his head to check the watch on his wrist, and quickly recovered from his brief panic.


    ??


    The current situation seemed more like the collapse of the system, rather than the academy discovering their little tricks.


    Right then, he realized that the paralysis of communication also meant the failure of monitoring - this time, even if Shi An got into some accident during the examination, no one could trace it back to him.


    It was as if God was on his side!


    Shi Rui calmed down.


    He said: "There¡¯s probably something wrong with the academy¡¯s system. Don''t panic, everyone. At most, the communication and monitoring are disconnected. It should be restored after a period of time."


    At this time, one of the freshmen said:


    "This doesn''t seem to be an ordinary system failure, haven''t you noticed, the color of the sky has become a bit scary... In addition, the school''s system is built with pure magic, and the probability of problems occurring is very small... Also, the response of the monsters seems to be different. Something''s not quite right."


    ??


    "Then, what do we do?" The others asked in a panic.


    ??


    "Either stay where we are and wait for rescue, or go to the emergency exit in the middle of the Rainforest Zone; there are only these two options."


    ??


    Duan Hua said almost impatiently:


    "I think we should take the initiative to find an emergency exit! After all, who knows how long it will take for the rescue to come; it is too unsafe to stay here, not to mention, we started from the center of ??the Rainforest Zone and have left traces along the way. It shouldn''t be difficult to find our way back."


    ??


    They were too close to Shi An here.


    Once something happened to him, as the last person who saw Shi An, Duan Hua would easily be the top suspect.


    More importantly¡­¡­


    He knew very well what would happen to Shi An next, so he didn''t want to stay nearby when he had an ¡°accident¡±.


    ??


    Coincidentally, Shi Rui agreed: "I think Duan Hua is right, this is the best plan now."


    ??


    Since Shi Rui had said so, the others naturally had no opinion.


    ??


    So, the group set off again and walked back along the path they came from.


    Duan Hua walked at the end of the line wordlessly.


    His face was pale, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his left hand was unconsciously pressing on his right wrist, and he looked extremely restless.


    ??


    He didn''t know when it started, but the vague itching gradually became unbearable.


    It felt that there were countless tiny bugs wriggling under his skin,  gnawing at his flesh and blood bit by bit, and a fiery burning sensation spread from that piece of skin.


    ??


    Duan Hua lifted his sleeves and looked towards his wrist.


    In the dim light, he could vaguely make out that the skin was smooth and flat, and it looked no different from before.


    Was¡­¡­.was it an illusion? Duan Hua thought in surprise.


    ??


    In the dark forest, the passage of time became difficult to measure.


    The team moved forward cautiously, feeling around slowly, looking for the path they had come from.


    During this time, they also encountered a few sporadic monsters head-on.


    Everyone was surprised to find that after the change in the sky, the monsters seemed to become more sensitive and agitated, and much more hostile. The same low-level monsters that were usually very easy to kill now needed the cooperation of several people to barely control.

 CH 15.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 15.2


    ¡°Can I Return to The Abyss After Jumping Down?¡± (2)


    "Roar!"


    Another monster fell down heavily.


    ??


    After the battle, several team members who participated in the battle turned their heads and looked at Duan Hua, who was not far away, in confusion.


    ??


    ¡ª¡ªHe made too many mistakes today.


    ??


    However, because Duan Hua usually acted arrogant and domineering, everyone dared not say anything for a while.


    ??


    Only Shi Rui stepped forward and broke the impasse:


    "Duan Hua, what''s the matter with you? Do you feel unwell?"


    ??


    Duan Hua smiled reluctantly. The sword he used to hold in his right hand had switched to his left hand at some point.


    He explained stiffly: "My¨Cmy condition isn¡¯t good today¡­"


    In fact, inside the sleeve hanging by his side, the length from his arm to his palm had begun to tremble violently and uncontrollably.


    ??


    As the number of times Duan Hua used magic increased, the burning sensation became stronger.


    It buried deep under his skin, burning him from the marrow of his bones. Bit by bit, the feeling gnawed on his muscles, as if it wanted to set him on fire from the wrist up.


    ??


    He was as flustered as an ant on a hot pan.


    ??


    But Duan Hua didn''t want to show this weakness, so he could only bear it.


    Was it Shi An?


    No, that was  impossible... How could he find out in such a short time? And so what if he found out?


    That bastard, he even needed to cheat on exams! How could it be possible for him to do such a thing?!


    ??


    While his thoughts were flying, a strange sound came from the darkness in the distance.


    Everyone was stunned and looked in the direction from which the sound came.


    ??


    It seemed to be some kind of roar.


    ??


    At first it was just a faint vibration.


    However, it only took a few tens of seconds before it turned into some kind of deafening violent sound.


    ??


    It seemed to come from the heart of the earth; at the same time, it resembled the sound of a thousand troops marching.


    The earth seemed to tremble, as did the surrounding trees under the strong pressure. The leaves rustled, and the terrifying sound approached from all directions, as if it could engulf them.


    ??


    Under the pressure of the terrifying sound, everyone stood there, forgetting to move.


    ??


    It was unknown who called out¡ª


    "Climb up the trees!"


    ??


    It was as if they woke from a dream, and they all hurriedly climbed up the trees.


    Holding onto the trunk, the freshmen looked down one after another.


    In such a dim environment, they could hardly see anything, except for countless flickering spots of light.


    Blue, yellow, a few red ones.


    ??


    The colors, which symbolized the difficulty level of a monster, glowed in the darkness, illuminating the shape of the monsters. They were like a tide, like dark ocean waves roaring towards the distance.


    ??


    For monsters, the trees did little to slow them.


    ??


    But unexpectedly, they didn''t stop at all, like they didn''t notice those people in the trees at all, but ran towards a certain goal with great unity.


    ??


    The students turned their heads dully and looked in the direction of the tide of monsters.


    ??


    They seemed to be heading...


    ??


    East.


    *


    Scorched Earth Zone.


    ??


    The heaven and the earth shook, everything was silent, and endless darkness surged, like poured ink, rushing in violently.


    ??


    In the open space at the front, there were two humans standing.


    Compared with the huge number of monsters in front of them, their bodies looked so small and fragile, as if they would be swallowed up in the next second.


    ??


    The monsters in the front of the tide were already close at hand.


    ??


    It was really over now.


    Lin Yanming closed his eyes in despair, waiting for the destined death to come.


    ??


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    ??


    ¡­¡­


    ??


    One minute.


    ??


    Nothing happened.


    ??


    ¡ª¡ªWait, what''s going on?


    Lin Yanming opened his eyes in astonishment.


    With the weak light of the backup power supply, he regretted his decision to open his eyes very much, and it took almost the courage of the cells in his body not to faint again.


    ??


    Too close, really too close.


    Murderous pairs of eyes with the desire to kill looked over from a few meters away, and they were so close to each other that he could smell the stench spewing from their bloody mouths.


    Lin Yanming swore that he had never seen such a situation in front of him even in his most terrifying nightmares.


    ??


    But...he didn¡¯t know why.


    It had already been so long, but the group of menacing, murderous monsters still hadn¡¯t launched any attacks.


    ??


    It was as if there was an invisible barrier between them, blocking their movements.


    The monster violently and furiously smashed the ground with their front feet, but as if hesitating about something, they could only roar unwillingly and angrily.

 CH 15.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 15.3


    ¡°Can I Return to The Abyss After Jumping Down?¡± (3)


    Lin Yanming stared blankly at the monsters not far away.


    He didn¡¯t know if he was seeing things; in the eyes of those monsters, he seemed to see....


    Fear?


    Suddenly, Lin Yanming felt a sudden pain in his wrist.


    He yelled out "Ouch," and looked down subconsciously.


    Only to see a black beetle the size of a fingernail had crawled onto his hand at some point. It had a weird face, and while its fangs were deeply embedded in the skin of his hand, it gave him a twisted and ugly smile.


    "..."


    Lin Yanming¡¯s eyes  rolled back and he fainted.


    The demon insect: "??"


    Wait, was my venom attack that fast?


    Shi An: "Well done."


    He gave a thumbs up: "You¡¯ve successfully scared him unconscious!"


    Devil: "..."


    It was unwilling to accept the fact that its ugliness was what caused him to faint, and it shouted angrily: "It was the poison! The poison!"


    Shi An said goodnaturedly, "Okay, he fainted from poison."


    The demon insect: ¡°.........Can you be any less perfunctory?¡±


    Shi An interrupted it ruthlessly: "Okay, don''t waste time, move him to the emergency exit, it shouldn''t be far away anyway."


    The demon insect sighed and shook its wings. A number of smaller black beetles emerged from under its wings. The moment they landed, they began to grow, and they didn''t stop until they reached the size of a fist.


    As if following a command, they all crawled under Lin Yanming''s body, lifted the unconscious human being, and laboring without complaint, carried him to the distance.


    Seeing Lin Yanming being transported to the exit, Shi An withdrew his gaze.


    He looked at the monsters in front of him curiously, then slowly and tentatively took a step forward.


    There was a turmoil in the group of monsters, and violent roars sounded one after another.


    However, the clear line between the monster and Shi''an very sharply concaved inward in an instant.


    When Shi An took a step to the left, the monsters took a step to the right.


    He took a step back, and the other side followed with one step forward.


    Just like a funny ballroom dance.


    Shi An blinked and raised his feet again.


    ¡ª¡ªHe didn¡¯t know why, but the reactions of these monsters felt a little familiar.


    Oh yeah, the reaction seemed to be exactly the same as those couple of demon insects he had encountered in the simulation exam?


    The demon insect took a deep breath: "Are you done playing?!"


    "Not yet." Shi An''s eyes sparkled.


    The corner of the magic insect''s mouth twitched: "My Lord, do you need me to remind you? The Abyss cannot be sustained for long."


    Shi An: "......"


    He looked at the group of monsters in front of him, then turned to look at the Abyss that was not far from him.


    After hesitating for a long time, he sighed sadly and reluctantly gave up the desire to continue playing:


    "Fine."


    But before the demon insect could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the other party''s bargaining:


    "But, at least there should be time for me to burn a few for fun!"


    "..." The demon insect: "....Go on."


    "Yay!" Shi An gave an eye smile.


    A cluster of crimson flames rose from his fingertips and fluttered out of his hand, like a ghost fire that could be blown out in one breath, but the huge energy contained in it was terrifying and suffocating.


    The monsters retreated away from the flames like dominoes, but there were so many of them that after they were crowded into a tight pile, there was no other road of escape.


    The second the flames approached, the ending was already clear.


    The moment he was hit by the flames, the ending was already doomed.


    The blazing flames wrapped around as if it had its own consciousness, chewing and devouring the unfortunately chosen prey. The flames used their flesh and blood as fuel, growing recklessly in the dark.


    Shi An waved his fingertips lightly.


    The flames exploded, and among the miserable roars of the prey, it mercilessly turned them into pitch-black coal.


    The raging fire was reflected in the dark and deep pupils of the young man; it was elongated into a golden-red pattern, which had a cruel and innocent beauty.


    "It looks like the monsters alienated by the Abyss are not completely useless."


    Shi''an licked his lips incessantly and concluded.


    The demon insect shivered for no reason.


    I''m sorry, you are really too scary.


    Shi An purposefully burnt monsters wearing red and blue collars.


    You must know, his dragon flame was very precious and consumed a lot of magic power, so it was not worth wasting on a weak monster.


    So after playing around for a while, there were not many monsters with outstanding strength left.


    Shi An retracted his gaze sullenly, and sighed, "This academy has such poor eyesight; of all the monsters I burnt, none put up a fight.."


    The demon insect lost it.


    Sir! How many monsters in this world can withstand your burning? !


    Shi An finally played enough.

 CH 15.4

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 15.4


    ¡°Can I Return to The Abyss After Jumping Down?¡± (4)


    He stretched out his hand to pick up the demon insect from the ground, and said excitedly, "Go! To the Abyss!"


    ??


    There should be a lot of burn-resistant ones there!


    ??


    The demon insect tightly grasped Shi An''s finger with its six legs and looked back from the gap between his fingers.


    The remaining monsters were still following behind Shi An, keeping a small distance.


    ??


    Each of them looked extremely torn.


    The human body in front of them exuded a feverish warm smell that stirred their appetite. The fresh and warm blooded walking meal tickled their appetite, but they could also feel the undisguised danger in him. The monsters were divided into two parties, one saying to run, and the other saying to chase.


    ??


    Looking at the group of monsters following them again, the demon insect hesitated to say something:


    ??


    "Then... what about the rest?"


    ??


    Shi An didn''t care: "Let them follow; as if they can eat me?"


    ??


    The demon insect: "..."


    Good fucking point.


    Soon, Shi An came to the edge of the Abyss.


    On the endless scorched black plain in front of him, without warning, a very deep and black crack opened up. The edge was steep, like a wound cut on the ground with a huge sword. Below was pure darkness, without light or sound. Gray-white mist slowly escaped from it, releasing deadly toxins outward.


    ??


    Shi An looked down and asked curiously, "I¡¯ll return to the Abyss after I jump down?"


    ??


    The demon insect: "The Abyss fissure doesn''t work like that."


    It pointed to the edge of the Abyss: "Did you see over there? Where the border is a little blurry?"


    ??


    Shi An blinked: "Yes."


    It was like two overlapping sheets of paper, with two different edges.


    "Actually, this is the process of the expansion of the Abyss crack. Its spatial meaning is slowly overlapping with the earth. Before this process is completed, the space in this crack does not belong to the Abyss or the ground. It is more like... a middle zone." The demon insect thought for a while and explained it in the most simple and easy-to-understand way.


    ??


    "However, when it is completely overlapped, it will no longer be a crack, but will become a passage between the Abyss and the earth."


    ??


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Shi An was a little surprised.


    He thought about it for a while, and was a little frustrated: "Then I can''t go back to the Abyss for a while now?"


    Back in Shi An¡¯s time, the Abyss and the earth were a complete whole. As long as one was strong enough, they could travel between the two worlds at will, but now, not only was the Abyss and the earth divided into two areas that must be connected by a channel, he had also lost the power he once had¡ª¡ª


    As an Abyss Dragon, he couldn''t even go back to the Abyss!


    Damn it!


    ??


    The demon insect rested a thin leg on Shi An''s shoulder: "My Lord, don''t worry, when you regain your strength, you will be able to directly tear open a hole in the Abyss, then kill all the humans who want to stop you. Once it spreads and becomes a channel, you can go back to the Abyss!"


    ??


    Shi An: "You''re right!"


    ??


    ¡ª¡ªThe most important thing now was to restore his strength!


    ??


    Although he hadn¡¯t fully entered the gap yet, even just standing on the edge for a while, Shi An could already feel a familiar power slowly filling him up.


    ??


    Shi An was full of confidence.


    At this rate, he should be able to return to the Abyss to find treasure very soon!


    ??


    Thinking of the mountains of jewels in his cave, he felt very impatient. He wished to immediately restore his original body and return to the Abyss¡ª¡ªAfter so many years, you must all still be there!


    While Shi An was in a trance, the demon insect suddenly noticed something was wrong.


    There seemed to be some unusual traces on the edge of the cliff not far away.


    After carefully examining it, it was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood what it had found¡ª¡ªThis was clearly a trace of magic left by humans!


    ??


    And the opponent''s magic power was so powerful that it could even tear apart the corner where the Abyss and the earth overlapped.


    ??


    Among the human beings who could achieve this, there was only...


    ??


    Uh oh! Mu Heng had arrived! And had probably entered the crack!


    ??


    The demon insect was startled.


    It suddenly remembered that he hadn''t had time to tell Shi An about Mu Heng¡¯s true identity as the dragon slayer!


    ??


    The demon worm opened his mouth and was about to remind him.


    But the next second, a sense of weightlessness struck without warning.


    ??


    The wind whistled and the sky was spinning.


    ¡ª¡ªIt took the devil two seconds to realize what Shi An had done.


    ... This little ancestor actually jumped right the fuck off!!


    ??


    The words stuck in its throat turned into a scream, echoing like in an cave: ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª¡±


    ??


    Deep in the cracks.


    ??


    Mu Heng lightly brushed off the jet-black blood droplets on his silver sword, and behind him, another corpse of an Abyss species crashed to the ground.

 CH 16.1

    Always Look at Me (1)


    ¡°AHHHHHHHH¡ª¡ª¡± The insect¡¯s six legs clung onto Shi An¡¯s shirt tightly while screaming uncontrollably.


    ¡°You¡¯re noisy!¡± Shi An grumbled loudly in the roaring wind.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who¡¯s crazy AAAAHHHH!¡± The insect screamed even more hysterically than before.


    The abyssal rift, by nature, repels all intruders. Those who directly jump down from above, like now, would be recognized as enemies and any magic power released during the descent is nullified.


    So¡­...don¡¯t drag me along if you gonna goddamn commit suicide!!!


    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡ª¡± Suddenly, the falling speed slowed down.


    The harsh wind earlier became heavy and dense, keeping Shi An firmly airborne.


    Insect: ¡°???¡± Overwhelmed by the sudden change, its shivering legs clung even more tightly onto Shi An¡¯s shirt.


    Rhythmic flapping sounded from behind.


    The insect slowly turned around and look in the direction where the sound came from.


    Two huge black dragon wings flapped slowly and gracefully¡ª¡ªpitch-black scales gleamed with a metallic shine, cold hard wing bones were slightly raised and several meters wide when spread out¡ª¡ªgiving off an eerie sense of stunning beauty.


    ¡°That¡­...this¡­...you¡­¡­¡± The insect¡¯s jaw dropped, its words faltered. ¡°......when¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An landed on the ground gently and pondered for a moment before saying: ¡°Around the time when we were reaching the rift, I felt it should be ok.¡±


    The insect dully repeated: ¡°Sh-should? Meaning you¡¯re not sure too?¡±


    Shi An nodded and replied in a practical tone: ¡°Yeah. If I don¡¯t jump down, how will I know whether I can fly.¡±


    Insect: ¡°......¡± What to do, I really want to hit him. But hitting him is impossible, too weak.


    Shi An caressed his dragon wings cherishedly. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have enough power now, so they are only this big. My wings last time can cover an entire plain when they were fully spread out.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªHowever, although my wings now are small, at least they are no longer just a silhouette.


    Shi An raised his head and closed his eyes.


    The concentration of the poisonous air from the rift is ten times more than that from the outside. Grayish-white poisonous fog as thick as liquid enshrouded the depths of the rift like a barrier, silently enclosing Shi An within it. Familiar power slowly poured into his body as if welcoming their brethren, friend, and master.


    ¡ª¡ªAt this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time until full recovery.


    Shi An slowly opened his eyes. Reddish-gold light shone in the depths of his pupils. He could feel that deep in this rift, there is a more powerful, purer, and darker magic fluctuation. It is silently beckoning him from afar, exuding an irresistible scent of temptation.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go deeper into the rift.¡± Shi An blinked, his clear voice a little hoarse. After that, he folded his two large pitch-black dragon wings and retracted them back into his body. He walked two steps forward, then halted.


    The insect was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Didn¡¯t you say to go deeper into the rift?


    Shi An stretched out his hand and touch his back. ¡°Erm, about the flying, I think I might not have given it enough thought¡­¡­¡± He whispered hesitantly.


    ¡°?!¡± Realization dawned on the insect and it turned around sharply to look at Shi An¡¯s back.


    The dragon wings had torn apart the back portion of Shi An¡¯s shirt, leaving only a few strips of clothing dangling in the air. His pale and delicate back could be seen vaguely in between the dangling strips.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cold,¡± Shi An said gloomily.


    Insect: ¡°......¡± Fuck.


    *


    In the grayish-white fog, Mu Heng walked steadily forward.


    Another monster snarled and lunged towards Mu Heng. But before it could get near, a silver blade flashed across silently and drew a beautiful arc in the air. The thick fog was sliced open for a moment, leaving behind a narrow gap in the middle.


    With a thump, the body parts fell to the ground. Pitch-black blood spurted out from the neatly cut areas, evenly coating the jagged stones on the ground.


    The man¡¯s leather boots stepped on the blood unconcernedly, his pace did not even hesitate for a second.


    Mu Heng looked at the detection device in his palm. This abyssal rift had stretched open to the widest in history, with the distance between the two sides of the cliff exceeding ten meters. The reading on the device was also the highest ever, astonishing even him. If left unattended, this rift might stretch open into a complete passage.


    The situation this time seems to be more serious than what Mu Heng thought. In the past, just a few centimeters wide rifts could unleash many difficult Abyss species.


    And this time, the unleashed monsters, not only in numbers but in size as well, were also unprecedented. These monsters were locked inside the Abyss for tens of thousands of years. He is not sure the human species is capable enough to deal with these unfamiliar species.


    However, the top priority now is closing the abyssal rift.


    Mu Heng carefully examined the palm-size device in his hand.


    The magic fluctuations within the rift were too strong to be detected by conventional means. This device is used exclusively by the Crisis Management Office and can handle the maximum threshold of magic power.


    Only by using this detector could the Eye of the Abyss be found.

 CH 16.2

    Always Look at Me (2)


    The Eye of the Abyss is usually at the heart of the rift. It will continuously release the unique magic power from the depths of the Abyss. As long as the Eye is there, the abyssal rift will continue to exist. Therefore, the only way to close the rift was to destroy the eye of the Abyss.


    The Bureau had tried to bring the Eye back for research. However, the power in the Eye was too dark and violent that the moment it leaves the rift, it will self-destruct. So far, no one had succeeded in obtaining any samples from the Eye.


    Mu Heng stopped walking and frowned slightly in confusion. He raised his eyes and scan the steep cliff in front. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a place several meters above him¡ª¡ªthere, a strip of cloth dangled on a sharp stone blackened by magic power.


    Mu Heng¡¯s pupils turned slightly dark, fleeting suspicion in his eyes. He gently bent his finger and that strip of cloth, pulled by an invisible force, slowly floated down into his hand.


    ......it was a fragment of human clothing.


    *


    Shi An suddenly stopped walking and raised his head to stare in a direction.


    Someplace nearby, numerous dark and rigid thick vines held up a dais with a dark red light shining at the top of the dais. The light was from a small sphere.


    In the darkness, the dark red light seems eerie and treacherous, a thin black slit span across the center of the sphere, making it look like an eye.


    Shi An could feel it clearly. Yes, this is it. This is what I have been looking for. That thick, wonderful, and tantalizing dark aura flowing out from the Eye filled his body and limbs in an instant. A strong desire flowed out from his soul.


    Shi An gazed at the Eye and could not resist walking towards it¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Hey, hey! Wait!¡± The insect sensed something wrong.


    But Shi An continued walking towards the Eye of the Abyss as if he had not heard the insect.


    Somehow, the young man¡¯s eyes beneath his long black eyelashes had turned completely red, like blazing lava, with pale golden patterns shining around the narrow pupils. His inhumane traits were displayed blatantly, appearing perverse and cruel.


    As the distance shortened, a thin layer of black and gold scaled texture appeared on his soft and white skin. The texture becomes more conspicuous as Shi An moves forward.


    Dark and cold scales grew out from Shi An¡¯s eyes and spread downwards from his face and deep into his neck, covered by his clothing.


    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡ª¡± Two huge black dragon wings extend out from the young man¡¯s shoulder blade with a sharp wind sound. A gentle flap and he was instantly high in the air.


    Without warning, the insect was thrown off Shi An¡¯s shoulder and rolled on the ground. It was slightly dazed and covered in dirt when it finally got up and saw Shi An had flown up to the top of the dais.


    The insect shrieked: ¡°My lord! Wait!! You can¡¯t touch that!!¡±


    Before the insect could finish, Shi An had already stretched out his hand and, without hesitation, grabbed that dark red eyeball into his palm.


    ¡°......¡± The insect was stunned.


    The young man slightly lowered his head to stare at his palm, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    The insect suddenly had a sense of foreboding. ¡°Touch¨Ctouching is okay, but you must not¡ª¡ª¡±


    Shi An tilted his neck and swallowed the eyeball.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªeat it.¡± The insect finished the sentence dully.


    A terrifying force stirred up the slow-moving grayish-white fog, making it churn and roar like waves in a stormy sea. As if a mad beast smashing the depths of a canyon.


    The fog gathered from all directions to form a thick and viscous wall that flowed like a liquid, decimating visibility.


    In the storm, the insect was swaying wildly, all of its six  thin legs struggled to hold onto the grassroots beneath it, barely keeping itself from being blown away.


    A deafening roar sounded from above and instantly resounded through the entire valley.


    It was a sound that had not been heard on the entire continent for over ten thousand years.


    The insect froze and raised its head.


    The heavy fog rolled and spread as if possessing life¡ª¡ªthe next second, a huge black dragon suddenly broke through the fluid-like fog and leaped into view!


    Golden red vertical pupils burned like flames in the darkness, pitch black scales shimmered with light and huge dragon wings were lithe and elegantly spread out, almost covering the valley.


    The dragon lifted its neck and let out a long dragon roar again.


    The formidable aura of a fantasy species dominates the entire valley, blatantly displaying its power.


    Aboveground, the monsters near the abyssal rift were in turmoil. They cowered and trembled. Fear that had been forgotten for ten thousand years reawakened, leaving them frightened and bewildered.


    The monsters instinctively lowered their heads and bodies in the rift''s direction, bowing down to that absolute power.


    Inside the main control room.


    After all-out reparations, the data signal on the big screen was reconnected.


    ¡°Beep¡ª¡ª¡± the screen lit up again and a list of freshmen names appeared.


    A personnel stared at the list on the screen and asked in hesitation: ¡°Erm¡­¡­is the system malfunctioning somewhere?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The lead frowned and looked in the direction the personnel indicated.


    The ranking of each freshman is listed neatly on the side of the screen.


    At the top of the list was a familiar name¡ª¡ª ¡°Shi An¡±.

 CH 16.3

    Always Look at Me (3)


    The 0 point since the start of the assessment had become a string of numbers so high that it was frightening. Ranking Shi An firmly at the top of the list.


    The lead was stunned. Although he had paid little attention to this year¡¯s freshmen, he vaguely remembered hearing that name before.


    Shi An¡­¡­isn¡¯t he that infamous loser who failed the entrance test for three consecutive years?


    ¡°Di Di Di Di¡ª¡ª¡± A nearby detection equipment suddenly emitted a sharp alarm.


    Everyone panicked and fumbled about.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± The lead was shocked and angry.


    ¡°This¡­¡­this is¡­¡­¡± All the personnel showed the same perplexed expression. ¡°A few moments ago, the abyssal rift¡¯s signal suddenly disappeared, b-but¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°But what!¡±


    ¡°A, a higher fluctuation of magic appeared! Its location is at the abyssal rift!


    The lead rush over and almost could not control his expression when he saw the magic statistic on the screen. ¡°This, this is impossible!¡±


    *


    Deep within the abyssal rift.


    Mu Heng suddenly looked in the direction where the dragon roar was. This¡­¡­is¡­¡­


    He was rarely this agitated¡ª¡ªa crack appear in his normally indifferent expression with a hint of disbelief in his eyes.


    When the second dragon roar sounded, Mu Heng¡¯s magic-condensed sword shattered into balls of light, and the magic power in his body immediately skyrocketed. The space under his feet folded and within seconds, he moved more than a hundred meters in distance.


    He lifted his silvery-white eyelashes and stared in the direction where the dragon roar was. A blazing radiance glowed at the bottom of his icy eyes.


    Closer and closer to the roar.


    Nearby, the airborne, enormous body of the fantasy species was faintly visible in the fog. Its pitch-black scaled armor shone with a cold metallic luster, appearing strong and free with breathtaking beauty.


    Dragons.


    A species that only exists in fantasies and legends. There are no traces of them on the continent after their extinction ten thousand years ago.


    Mu Heng still remembers the thrill and excitement that welled up in his heart when he first saw the records of dragons in his clan ruins.


    ¡­¡­Powerful, terrifying and yet beautiful


    In that moment, the obsession and fervor that had been dormant in his soul and bloodline awakened. It was like an irresistible force was pulling him, urging him and tempting him.


    Over the years, Mu Heng had been through countless amounts of corpses and blood. He harvested the lives of monsters and walked past their corpses indifferently, like a tireless death god.


    The world fears him more than respecting him¡ª¡ªsome describe him as strong, a protector, others called him a devil, lunatic.


    But there is one thing that Mu Heng knows very well¡ª¡ªthese painless killings can never satisfy his desires; the more you kill, the emptier you become.


    The desire to hunt dragons was buried deep in the darkest corners of his soul, like a whisper from the ancient past, restlessly urging him at every second.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The dragon seemed to have sensed Mu Heng¡¯s presence.


    Amid the poisonous fog, the dragon lower its head. Golden-red vertical pupils looked over from afar and saw the man¡¯s silvery-blue eyes.


    Mu Heng gripped the hilt of the sword.


    A tremor rose from deep within his chest. He could feel the intense, overwhelming and terrifying beauty pouring out without restraint.


    A strong killing intent surged in him¡ª¡ªSuch a beautiful creature must die under my sword.


    Shi An blinked. Despite the surrounding darkness, he still recognized the other person at a glance.


    It¡¯s my future collection!!


    Shi An checked his current state. Although he is still far from his heyday, he was much stronger than before.


    Now all that was missing was a monster that could secrete resin, and I could preserve my future collection in perfect condition and make him part of my treasure!


    Shi An flapped his wings and flew up. He vaguely remembered seeing the tracks of those kinds of monsters when he was in the rainforest area before. No time like the present, might as well today¡ª¡ª


    However, when Shi An flew out from the rift, he suddenly had an ominous feeling. Like a balloon with a hole, his just-restored magic power was steadily flowing out of his body and into nothingness at an extremely fast rate.


    ¡­¡­Eh?


    Shi An was stunned.


    And the moment he was distracted, he flew sideways and his left wing hit the side of the cliff.


    It hurts!


    Shi An gasped in pain with tears in his eyes.


    Wait, no. It is impossible for me to feel pain from such a small impact after regaining my original form with the protection from my scales!


    On the ground, the insect struggled to chase after the shadow cast by the dragon''s wings overhead. It did not have time to tell Shi An that although the Eye of the Abyss can temporarily provide a lot of magic power in the rift; the problem is¡­as soon as they leave the rift, the magic power will cease to have effect!!


    The insect cried internally. After being carried in the pocket for so long, it had not exercised for a long, long time. So, running is really fucking tirinnnggg!!


    *


    ??¡¡¡¡Mu Heng saw the enormous dragon glance at him from afar, then stretched its wings and flew out of the abyssal rift.


    The corners of his lips lifted and started moving to catch up to the dragon. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, but his silver eyelashes could not hide the fervent fighting intent in his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ªIt doesn''t matter. After I hang your head in my room, you will forever look at me.

 CH 17.1

    Fuck, it¡¯s over. (1)


    Shi An felt his head getting more and more dizzy.


    The route he flew was crooked, and the scenery in front of him rotated and changed, as if covered with a layer of fog.


    No, I¡¯m about to fall¡­


    Shi An shook his head and pushed his last strength through his wings. He suddenly rushed upward, and the whistling wind sounded straight into his ears.


    Suddenly, a feeling of a churning river came from the depths of the body.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh no, this is bad.


    But before he could think of a solution, the impulse struck again, even stronger.


    The pitch-black dragon flew in midair for a few seconds, and then¡­


    ¡°Blergh!¡±


    A black-red sphere shot out from his mouth and plummeted straight to the ground.


    Without warning, the eyeball-shaped sphere hovered in mid-air and suddenly exploded deafeningly.


    The magic power that was imprisoned in it swelled and sent waves of power in the air.


    The gray mist with strong fluctuations rolled and roared, spreading out to the distance in an instant and bringing strong winds and abyssal magic.


    Shi An took a deep breath.


    Thank goodness this thing didn¡¯t explode in my stomach.


    However, before he could rejoice in his luck, a strange sense of weightlessness suddenly struck and pulled him toward the abyss below him.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    BOOM!


    Not far away, the strong impact from the explosion of the Eye of the Abyss forced Mu Heng to stop.


    In the next second, a dense poisonous mist crept in like a serpent, Mu Heng raised his sword to greet it, and a cold blue magic barrier suddenly appeared.


    Like a torrent hitting the reef, the gray mist rushed behind him.


    In a wall of fog so dense that he couldn¡¯t see his own fingers, Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were glacial, as if frozen over.


    Such strong magic fluctuations would completely mess up his perception, making it almost impossible to track his target in the fog.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and took out the instrument.


    The arrow skittered around, obviously affected by this violent fluctuation and unable to point him in the right direction at all.


    His five fingers tightened around the instrument silently, so strong in magnitude that his fingers lost blood circulation.


    It seemed that now, he could only wait for the fog to clear.


    Due to the loss of the carrier, the poisonous mist and abyssal power were already draining out. After a short surge, they gradually calmed down and dispersed little by little, slowly revealing the true appearance of the terrain in front of them.


    Although the abyss fissure disappeared, a long and deep canyon was still left on the ground.


    The rock walls were steep and uninviting, and the sky was dark below the cliff. The sinister aura that belonged to the abyss still permeated the land, and it would take at least a few months to completely dissipate.


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked around.


    The plains were dead silent, and no trace of the dragon could be seen in the sky.


    However, Mu Heng was never one to give up easily.


    He closed his eyes to feel a tug, then opened his eyes and looked fixedly in one direction.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were very dark, like the cold and distant sky on the snowy mountains, revealing a kind of obsession that would not stop until the goal was achieved.


    Although there was the interference of abyssal fog, as a fantasy species, the dragon¡¯s flight path had a distinct and strong trail. Like a patient hunter, he would never give up tracking his prey.


    Obsession and desire mixed together and turned into a terrifying killing intent that was unstoppable.


    Mu Heng grasped a long sword in his hand and stalked in the direction of the wave.


    Navigating the spacetime rift, which sucked in all the magic power around him, seemed to be thoughtless for him. His steps were steady, but the scenery around him changed at every step, and in just a few seconds, the sky and the ground were flipped.


    Suddenly, Mu Heng stopped.


    He was standing on the edge of the cliff, and the other end of the canyon was shrouded in mist. He could only barely estimate that the distance between the two sides was over fifty meters.


    This should be the passage where the dragon entered the overworld.


    Mu Heng raised his head, and the furrow between his brows deepened.


    For some reason, the other party¡¯s breath fluctuations suddenly stopped here.


    He took two steps forward slowly.


    Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a cave on the cliff. The cave was deeply recessed. Through the mist, he could only see a dark hole, and he couldn¡¯t see what was inside at all.


    The cave entrance had piles of gravel in front of it, leaving a barely two-meter-tall entrance, and the dragon would not have been able to enter.


    And there was not much obvious magic fluctuation inside.


    It looked extremely ordinary, and there was nothing that could attract his attention.

 CH 17.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 17.2


    Fuck, it¡¯s over. (2)


    But for some unknown reason, Mu Heng just had a strange feeling, as if something was  dragging him in the depths of the cave.


    This feeling was not clear, but it made him feel unexpectedly uncomfortable.


    Since it was so, he went to take a look.


    Mu Heng had always acted decisively.


    He jumped down and controlled the magic power to hold himself firmly on the opposite rock wall.


    It was dark in the depths of the cave, and a cold wind blew out from it.


    The fringes of the gravel rolled in the wind, making sporadic sounds.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes, looked inward thoughtfully, and then walked towards the cave.


    At that moment¡ª


    "Roar!"


    Suddenly, a roar came from the distant sky, and an intimidating dragon''s roar echoed between the sky and the earth.


    Mu Heng was startled and immediately turned his head to look in the direction from which the voice came.


    Through the heavy clouds, the huge body of the giant dragon was faintly visible in the distance, its dark wings stretched gracefully.


    After a long silence, Mu Heng let out a long breath.


    The spiritual-magical sword in his palm shattered into light spots. and slowly dissipated in the air.


    Although he was very unwilling, Mu Heng knew very well that he would not be able to catch up to the dragon.


    He laughed softly and briefly, but the faint smile, so like ice floating down a river, did not reach his eyes.


    It doesn''t matter, we will meet again sooner or later.


    Mu Heng straightened his gloves slowly, turned around, and prepared to leave.


    But the moment he raised his hand, he inadvertently glanced at the watch he was wearing on his wrist¡ªit was shoved to him by the person in charge before he entered the test. Although the GPS temporarily failed in the area covered by the abyss rift, as long as the wearer got close enough, the watch could track and detect nearby students.


    At this moment, the indicator light on the watch was on.


    Mu Heng was slightly startled and looked in the direction indicated.


    It led deep into the cave.


    In the clouds¡ª


    The insect¡¯s wings flapped continuously in the air, falling down little by little.


    It was panting violently, almost exhausted.


    This was the first time that the demon insect had controlled so many puppet insects at one time.


    However, the size of the dragon was really too big.


    Not to mention making them into strict shapes and making them rub their wings in sync to create a dragon¡¯s roar.


    Fortunately, the distance was really far, and the whole appearance was quite decent.


    It should have been no problem to fool humans from kilometers away.


    After the whole process, the demon insect felt that it had lost half of his life.


    It landed on the top of the rock wall, gasped until it caught its breath, and then climbed towards the cave where it had put Shi An down.


    In the distance, the demon insect saw a man standing at the entrance of the cave.


    He was tall and had bright silver hair.


    Wasn''t that the human being that it didn¡¯t want to see the most?


    Insect: "..."


    It watched helplessly as Mu Heng walked towards the depths of the cave.


    Insect: "..."


    Fuck, it¡¯s over.


    The depths of the cave were dark and icy, and the rock-strewn ground was extremely uneven, making a screeching crunch under hard-soled boots.


    The inside of the cave was much larger than it looked outside, and the sound of footsteps echoing through the rock walls sounded hollow and distant.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and pressed the indicator button on the watch.


    "Beep beep beep-"


    A faint electronic sound came from the depths of the cave. It sounded vague and intermittent, as if it had been destroyed.


    Mu Heng followed the direction of the sound and looked.


    He was stunned.


    A young man was lying quietly on a flat surface. His slender back was slightly arched, and the whole person seemed to be shivering from the cold.


    The worst thing was¡­¡­


    He had no clothes on him.


    Or rather, it was worse than not having clothes.


    The clothes were torn into pieces of cloth clinging onto his body, revealing large expanses of dazzling white skin that seemed to glow in the dark.


    The rips and tears were from waist to legs.


    Almost subconsciously, Mu Heng immediately turned his head and looked away.


    The electronic sound of the watch was still ringing indistinctly, echoing in the dark cave, and it sounded particularly irritating.


    Mu Heng paused and stepped forward.


    He took off his overcoat and wrapped it around the unconscious figure.


    The dazzling white was finally completely covered.


    Mu Heng turned his head and looked in the direction from which the sound came.


    He saw that the broken watch was lying on the ground, making intermittent and struggling sounds.


    He raised his foot and placed it back down, only to hear a "click", and the annoying beeping sound finally stopped.


    The cave was dead silent again.

 CH 17.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 17.3


    Fuck, it¡¯s over. (3)


    Mu Heng took a deep breath, raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    For some reason, that upsetting feeling still hadn¡¯t gone away, but at least it had allowed him to think.


    Mu Heng looked at the boy who was lying under his coat at the moment.


    The other party was sleeping soundlessly, most of his face was hidden in the shadows. Only his slender face down to his smooth chin was exposed. The whole body looked thin and delicate, almost submerged by the cloak covering him, and his slender legs were exposed outside, fair and lustrous. His frame was slender, and the bloodstains on it were particularly striking.


    Although the light was dim, it did not affect Mu Heng''s recognition of the other party''s identity.


    After all, they had met too many times during this period of time.


    Shi An


    The human who made him suspicious but left behind no evidence.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Inside the Management Bureau Laboratory.


    Zhuo Fu''s cell phone rang.


    The moment he saw the caller ID, he immediately jumped up from his seat, picked up the phone without hesitation, and shouted at the caller in a hurry.


    "Oh my God, I''ve finally been able to get in touch with you! Do you know how many calls I made to you before! I even called your subordinates! But she said that you were on the mission. I was so anxious! Did you know!!! You''re absolutely right...that sword does react! I''m fucking stunned!"


    He spoke like a machine gun, rambling endlessly.


    "I think we may really have to plan for the worst, the magic anomaly detected before may really be a fantasy species, and! And! Really! It could be a dragon, you have to be careful¡ª"


    The man''s low, cold voice came from the microphone.


    "I have seen it."


    Zhuo Fu was stunned: "Huh?"


    "Dragon." Mu Heng''s voice was still and calm.


    Zhuo Fu: "..."


    What the fuck?


    "But I didn''t come to you because of this."


    Zhuo Fu looked like he was struck by lightning.


    "Wait, to you, there is something more important than the dragon?"


    Mu Heng: "..."


    "I''m sorry, just keep talking."


    Five minutes later.


    Zhuo Fu was floored.


    He asked, "So, you mean, Shi An appeared unconscious from the abyss, and he was completely naked...?"


    Mu Heng paused for a moment and corrected, ¡°Half naked.¡±


    "Same thing! Are you still carrying the prototype machine I gave you earlier?"


    "Mm."


    "Since you called me, you should have done the test, right?"


    "Mm."


    "So, is there anything unusual?"


    After a long silence, a cold and deep voice came from the microphone.


    "No."


    "That''s it!¡±


    Zhuo Fu said, "Trust me, this prototype is completely different from the previous one! It can detect abnormal magic fluctuations of 1/10,000th frequency. If the test machine shows no problems, then he should be fine, but..."


    "But what?" Mu Heng asked.


    "There may be something a little different about your little friend."


    Zhuo Fu grasped at his chin and asked, "Have you noticed any scratches on his body just now?"


    There was a long silence over the phone.


    "Are you embarrassed to look at it?" Zhuo Fu asked innocently.


    Mu Heng was still silent.


    But this time Zhuo Fu was keenly aware of his undeterrable anger.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry,¡± he coughed dryly, skilled at admitting mistakes.


    "Back to business. "


    "I mean, your little friend may have been robbed by the dragon."


    Zhuo Fu stood up and strode around his office, continuing, "During the time we lost contact, I carefully checked the relevant information about the dragon class. I have to say that even among the many fantasy species, dragons are mysterious creatures. There aren¡¯t many records about them, but all the existing ones contain similar things..."


    "Dragons are creatures with cruel temperaments, and they love beauty and treasure."


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu paused and continued: "But I''m just guessing. After all, you said just now that his current position is near the rift where the dragon left the abyss, right?"


    "Is it possible that the dragon wanted to bring him back to the abyss, but before he could go back, the passage was closed?"


    "Speaking of which, that little friend of yours looks pretty nice, doesn''t he?"


    Before he could finish speaking, the call was cut off mercilessly.


    "..."


    Zhuo Fu stared at the phone screen in front of him and fell silent.


    This was too heartless!


    Mu Heng put the phone back in his pocket.


    He should have known that Zhuo Fu would not be serious about anything.


    He obtained no valid information from this phone call.


    Mu Heng turned to look at the young man beside him.


    The other party seemed to be completely undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of the outside world and was still asleep.


    He stretched out his hand, pinched the other''s pointed chin with his gloved fingers, and turned the boy''s face toward him.


    ¡ª¡ªHowever, at least on the last point, Zhuo Fu wasn¡¯t wrong.

 CH 18.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 18.1


    "Er, it was the Chief who carried you outside..." (1)


    Shi An felt like he had been roused from a long dream.


    He dreamed that he had traveled back ten thousand years.


    The wide, dry cave was full of glittering treasures. He himself lay comfortably in the heap, and his long tail swept around to put his most beloved treasures under his claws.


    The bright sea of treasures drowned him.


    Shi An could call out the name and origin of each of his treasures.


    The sapphire crown near his left claw was snatched from the mermaid kingdom five hundred years ago, the silver-white diamond chain under his head was stolen from the sprites, and the tons of gold pieces next to the tip of his tail were human tribute.


    His scales were so indestructible that the hardest pile of treasure tickled his sides.


    Looking at his nest, Shi An felt a rare sense of happiness and satisfaction.


    He was an abyss dragon, the last one in the world.


    This became an established fact since Shi An broke the shell of his egg.


    In all of his life, he had never seen any of his own kind.


    Being awake became less and less interesting as he lived longer.


    Shi An let out a big yawn and rested his head on the tip of his tail.


    So bored.


    Shi An blinked and decided to sleep.


    Sleep for longer.


    The pitch-black dragon coiled in the treasure pile slowly opened his mouth, and a string of ancient spells echoed in the empty cave, like a whisper from ancient times. As the sound fell, the dragon''s eyelids drooped down, covering his red-gold vertical pupils. With his body crouched on the pile of treasure, he fell asleep.


    The passage of time lost its meaning from that moment.


    An unknown amount of time later¡ª


    From the darkness, Shi An heard a subtle call¡ªsoft and weak, like crying or whispering.


    He flew lightly in the direction from where the voice came.


    In the vast darkness, Shi An saw a small human standing in the distance.


    Standing alone in the cave, he lowered his head and slit his wrist with a knife. Drops of scarlet blood splashed into the dust, carefully dropped into a complete circle, and an extremely complex magic array appeared in the center of the cave. It was exactly the same as the pattern drawn on a paper lying on the side.


    Immediately afterwards, humans stood beside the magic circle and whispered long-forgotten incantations, over and over again.


    They used the ancient dragon language, which was even older than Shi An himself. It could wake up a sleeping dragon and control its appearance and arrival. This spell was very powerful, but in the same way, it required human sacrifice and a lot of magic power. In ancient times, it had even required the magic power of an entire human kingdom to complete it.


    Logically speaking, this spell was impossible to complete.


    But the last dragon in the world had slept too long and his soul had entered its weakest state.


    Shi An, who saw the whole process from the side, was angry:


    "Hey, I want to continue sleeping, what are you doing, don''t wake me up!"


    But he could only watch helplessly as he was dragged over, closer and closer¡ª


    So, Shi An was awakened by anger.


    He opened his eyes suddenly, only to see a snow-white ceiling and hear the regular beeping sound of a snow-white ceiling ringing in his ears, which was particularly clear in the empty room.


    What happened?


    Shi An blinked and tried to move his arms.


    He hissed.


    Shi An''s expression twisted with pain.


    It hurt so much!


    It hurt everywhere!


    Under the stimulation of pain, his memories before the coma slowly returned.


    Shi An remembered that he spit out the ball,was forced to change back into a human appearance, and fell straight from the air¡ª then what?


    Shi An held his aching head in his hands, and he was unable to remember anything, no matter how hard he tried.


    At this moment, the sheet next to his hand moved, and the insect stuck his head out and looked at Shi An with a look of resentment, "Sir, are you awake?"


    Shi An vaguely remembered what happened before he swallowed the ball.


    He whispered with a little guilty conscience, "Oh..."


    The insect continued distressedly, "That ball is the Eye of the Abyss, and it is the key to keeping the entire rift open. The most important thing is that once it leaves the abyss rift, it will self-destruct!"


    Shi An''s voice was even softer, "Now I know."


    "And that Mu Heng was still chasing you at the time!" The more the insect said, the more emotional he became, "Do you know how much effort I had to spend in order to hide from him!"


    Shi An blinked and whispered, "I''m sorry..."


    He apologized too readily, and the insect was startled into silence.


    The young man in front of him lowered his head in frustration, his slender body wrapped in a large hospital gown. He looked cute and pitiful, and he didn¡¯t seem at all like the ancient behemoth that made monsters bow down to him!

 CH 18.2

    "Er, it was the Chief who carried you outside..." (2)


    "..." Damn, this dragon was too good at pretending to be pitiful!


    The insect was very angry.


    But mainly angry with himself.


    ¡°Why was he always deceived by the appearance of this dragon!


    Was he weak? Weak my ass!¡±


    "Oh, by the way,¡± Shi An suddenly remembered something,, "I had a dream when I passed out. "


    He summarized his dream.


    After listening, the demon-insect thoughtfully guessed,


    "If that spell was successful, it could summon your body in full bloom, right? But if it failed, it wouldn¡¯t do anything at all.


    Because the summoner was very weak, he should have used some kind of magic augmentation, which is available in current human technology. This spell was only half successful, which led to these results. "


    The insect asked, "But why did you become a human? I¡¯m not too clear."


    Shi An had a vague notion.


    On this continent, a name itself was powerful.


    Only powerful fantasy species had names, and they gave their followers the right to know their names as symbols of blessing and protection.


    Therefore, it was impossible for him to have the same name as this human being by accident.


    The spell that caused him to become what he is now was probably related to this.


    Shi An suddenly exclaimed, "I''ve decided!"


    The magic insect replied, startled, "Wha¡­What?"


    Shi An said,


    "I''ll have to find where this human saw this spell¡ªit''s ancient even to me, let alone a normal human. So if I can find the place where this spell was documented, maybe I¡¯ll know how to transform back!"


    Shi An was full of confidence again.


    At this moment, the door of the ward was pushed open.


    Lin Yanming, who was also wearing a hospital gown, walked in from outside.


    When he saw that Shi An was awake, his eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward, "My God, you finally woke up! You know, you have been sleeping for more than three days¡­How are you feeling now? Is there any pain?"


    Shi An said pitifully, "It hurts everywhere..."


    Lin Yanming poured a glass of water and handed it to him.


    Shi An took the water and sipped carefully, then asked, "Did anything happen in the three days I was in a coma?"


    Lin Yanming replied, "Not much. The field for the true combat test was closed and martial law was imposed. Recently, people from the management bureau were investigating the situation. Apparently, it¡¯s really serious this time. All students are strictly prohibited from approaching the vicinity."


    He touched the back of his head.


    "I really didn''t expect that in true combat that day, I would be frightened and faint..."


    Insect: You were bitten by me! Bitten!


    Not scared!


    Shi An felt that the demon insect beside him was agitated.


    He pushed it subtly.


    "...I only heard after I was rescued that you were actually trapped in the most terrifying core area, alas, fortunately¡ª"


    Lin Yanming suddenly stopped talking.


    His expression suddenly became a little strange, and he glanced at Shi An instead of continuing.


    Shi An noticed something was wrong and asked, "What''s wrong? Fortunately what?"


    Lin Yanming hesitated for a moment and said,


    "Uh, you just woke up, so you probably don¡¯t know yet, but it¡¯s like..."


    "What is it?" Shi An asked.


    Lin Yanming glanced at Shi An, and he lowered his voice.


    ¡°Er, it was the Chief who carried you outside..."


    Shi An asked, "Which Chief?"


    Lin Yanming glanced at him strangely and replied, "Mu Heng, Chief Mu."


    Shi An:


    "......"


    Lin Yanming was silent for a longer time this time, then hesitantly said, "And, um, it seems that your clothes were damaged for some reason."


    Shi An:


    "......"


    Lin Yanming pointed to the chair next to him. A dark coat was draped on it.


    "Well, this is his coat."


    When Lin Yanming left the ward, Shi An took the insect out of the quilt:


    "Spill."


    "..."¡£


    The insect struggled helplessly in midair, kicking its six thin legs, then said weakly,


    "That is, I didn''t lie to you just now, I really helped you to hide, I just..."


    Its voice lowered more, "...I just didn''t say the last part."


    It really didn¡¯t expect Mu Heng to do so in the cave!


    Shi An stared at it for two seconds and let go.


    He sighed.


    "Forget it. It¡¯s my fault I didn¡¯t listen to your advice."


    And it doesn''t matter if he was carried out by that shiny human being¡ªhe will eventually enter his treasure hoard!


    Shi An suddenly felt at ease again.


    -------------


    On the other side¡ª


    With the intervention of the crisis response department of the management bureau, the abyss rift clean-up went much more smoothly. In just a few days, the poisonous gas had been cleaned up, but unfortunately, because the rift was too expansive, many abyss species released from the cracks could not be completely eradicated.


    The school had been able to officially resume teaching, but in order to avoid accidents, students were still not allowed to approach the abyss rift.


    The freshmen placement test was once again on the agenda.


    The proctors really did not expect that, after reluctantly finishing the second round of additional questions, the same difficult questions were put in front of the students again.


    And it was all caused by the same person! ! !


    It stood to reason that the final class placement would largely be determined by the results of the third round.

 CH 18.3

    "Er, it was the Chief who carried you outside..." (3)


    However, in the third round of true combat, there was a completely unexpected situation. The abyss rift interfered with the test proctoring, and all the students were trapped in the true combat arena.


    Of course, during this period of time, there must have been conflict, and some students'' points must have increased.


    But no one¡¯s points had increased as outrageously as Shi An¡¯s!


    He went directly from 0 points in last place to 130,000 points in first place! !


    How the fuck was this possible? !


    All the proctors guessed that there must have been a problem with the student''s wristband, but when they carefully asked Mu Heng if he saw the other party''s wristband when he brought Shi An out of the danger zone, they got the other party''s understated reply:


    "Yes, my foot broke it."


    Everyone: "..."


    This was fucking awkward.


    If the freshmen were ranked according to the points before the abyss rift appeared, it was very unfair to the students whose points rose when they were trapped, but if the ranking were based on the current points...


    Thinking of Shi An''s 130,000 points, all of the proctors felt faint.


    Looking at the score sheet in front of them and then looking at each other, they saw the same headache and pain in each other''s faces.


    Fuck, was this a test for the students or test for them?!


    -----------------------------


    Due to the particularity of the school, the Ability Academy was very advanced in terms of medical treatment. Other schools may only have a simple infirmary, but the Ability Academy built a hospital on the campus.


    Although he fell from a very high place, some of his scales that hadn¡¯t yet faded away protected him. Shi An only had flesh wounds, which healed quickly due to the combination of magic and technology, but the doctors were worried about the poisonous mist. Because of the follow-up effects, they decided to keep him under observation for a few days.


    Shi An had no opinion on this.


    After all, no matter where he was, he happily ate snacks and played video games.


    Lin Yanming couldn''t stand it any longer, so he forcibly confiscated his game console.


    "If you stay like this and play games every day, your eyes will be damaged, and even if the damage doesn¡¯t show up now, the root of the disease will remain."


    Lin Yanming nagged and looked at Shi An with a strangely motherly expression on his face, "At least go out for a walk, be active, bask in the sun."


    Shi An eagerly looked at the game console in the his hand.


    "I don¡¯t wanna¡­¡­"


    Lin Yanming resolutely said, "No! You have to go out for half an hour, and I will return the game console to you when you come back!"


    Shi An reluctantly walked out of the ward.


    He strolled downstairs slowly, but when he passed the front desk, he was suddenly stopped by the nurse behind the stage.


    "Hey, are you Shi An?"


    Shi An nodded.


    The nurse rummaged on her desk for a while, then handed a card to Shi An:


    "The management bureau entrusted it to you."


    She tapped the phone number on it, continuing, "They told me to pass it on to you and tell you to call this number as soon as you recover."


    Shi An was a little confused and asked, "Who gave it to you?"


    The nurse thought for a while and said, "A brown-skinned girl, I heard someone call her Leader Wen. Very good-looking and neat, she looks like a very important person in the Administration. Her style is super cool. "


    Shi An thought for a while and found this person''s information in the corner of his mind.


    Wen Yao.


    In the villa that day, she was the one who took him out, wrapped him in a blanket, and handed him warm milk.


    Shi An had a good impression of her.


    He smiled at the nurse and said, "Thank you."


    The nurse looked at the young man''s retreating back with kindness in his eyes¡ª¡ª


    This child was good-looking and well behaved¡­ he was too likable.


    ---------------------


    Shi An looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.


    There was only a string of numbers on it.


    Just as he was thinking about it, a hysterical scream came from one of the wards not far away.


    "Shi An! It must be him! Himmm!"


    Hearing someone inexplicably calling his name, Shi An looked in the direction of the voice.


    He saw two doctors standing at the door of the ward, frowning and talking carefully:


    "He¡¯s still shouting?"


    "Yes."


    "Has the cause been found?"


    "No, he kept shouting that he¡¯s burning up, but we did a very careful inspection, and all his vitals ??were fine."


    "Then what¡¯s the matter?"


    "It may be caused by some stimulus. After all, the previous incident will probably leave a psychological shadow."


    "Let¡¯s observe him for a few more days. If there¡¯s no improvement, we should turn him over to the psychiatry department..."


    Shi An felt the voice was a little familiar.


    He took a few steps forward and peeked into the ward.


    He saw Duan Hua tightly bound to the hospital bed. His pupils were dilating, his hair was matty, and his expression was haggard and crazy. He shouted hysterically, "Devil! He is a devil!"


    The devil himself stood in the doorway, trying to recall who this patient was. He suddenly realized.


    Oh ya¡­


    It''s you, I almost forgot about you!

 CH 19.1

    ¡°Shhh. This is our secret.¡± (1)


    At the door of the hospital room-


    Two worried doctors were whispering about the treatment of this patient, when suddenly, a strange voice sounded beside them, interrupting their conversation.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    They turned their heads and saw a teenager wearing a hospital gown and wrapped with bandages on his arms and legs. He also seemed to be the victim of the accident.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t find the way back?¡± One of the doctors asked kindly.


    Shi An shook his head and pointed to the name tag sewn on his hospital gown.


    When the doctors saw it, they were stunned.


    Wasn¡¯t this the name that the patient in this ward had been shouting for the past two days?


    ¡°I think there may be some misunderstanding between me and this classmate. Can I go in and see him?¡±


    Shi An asked.


    The young man in front of him looked young, his face pale, and his eyes dark and deep. Against the drape of the overlarge hospital gown, he looked slender and fragile¡ª so pitiful. Compared to their big lug of a patient¡ªthe freshmen at this school were so different


    This made them more and more certain that their patient just had a big shock.


    The two doctors looked at each other, then back at him, and their tone subconsciously softened.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I don¡¯t think your body has recovered yet. Be careful lest he hurts you with his brute strength.¡±


    Shi An replied obediently, ¡°It¡¯s alright, haven¡¯t you already tied him up?¡±


    The insect hidden in Shi An¡¯s sleeve:


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was possible to hurt anyone but Shi An.


    Others didn¡¯t know, but it clearly knew¡ª that freshman acting up was completely due to the seemingly innocent persona right here!


    Still, he deserved it.


    Hearing the screams coming from the ward, the insect felt very comfortable.


    ¡ª¡ªServes that backstabbing freshman right!


    Inside the room¡ª


    Although he was tightly bound to the bed, Duan Hua kept struggling.


    He felt his internal organs starting to burn¡ª every inch of his body was on fire, as if his whole body had been thrown into the fire to be roasted.


    However, all the doctors who examined him said that it was not caused by any monster, and there was nothing parasitic.


    They said he was simply shocked and had psychological aftereffects.


    Psychological aftereffects my ass!


    Duan Hua knew very well that the torture he felt was definitely not an illusion!


    And it only started that night, after he bumped into Shi An!


    His pupils dilated with hatred and he gritted his teeth.


    It must have been him! That trash couldn¡¯t die peacefully and was torturing him from the afterlife!


    ¡°Shi An¡ª¡± He flailed again, hissing and howling.


    At that moment, a soft voice sounded in Duan Hua¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here.¡±


    At that moment, although his body was still on fire, Duan Hua felt his scalp explode, and a burst of coldness traversed his body and ended at his feet. He slowly and stiffly turned his bloodshot eyeballs, one by one toward him. Looking in the direction the sound came from¡ª


    A young man with a clear face was sitting quietly next to the hospital bed, staring at him with his depthless eyes, his pale lips curling into a warm smile. He looked elegant and soft, as innocent as an angel without the slightest bit of aggression.


    His voice caught in his throat, and he gurgled.


    Duan Hua¡¯s eyes widened in horror, and he started to tremble from head to toe. He muttered, ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible, aren¡¯t you dead? You should be dead! Impossible!¡±


    Shi An raised a finger and rested it on his lips.


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    He winked at Duan Hua.


    ¡°This is our secret.¡±


    Se¡­ secret?


    What did he mean?


    Duan Hua¡¯s brain buffered, and he couldn¡¯t react for a long time.


    Shi An lowered his eyes warmly and quietly, and his long eyelashes fluttered.


    His originally dark pupils were instantly dyed with the hue of fire. The pupils were narrow, inhuman and grotesque, with the kind of playfulness and cruelty of a predator at the top of the food chain. At this moment, he looked down at Duan Hua condescendingly.


    Duan Hua¡¯s face turned pale. He suddenly opened his dry lips and tried to scream.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that~¡±


    Shi An frowned in annoyance, shook his head, and tapped his fingertips together.


    In the next second, Duan Hua felt as if his throat were being choked by an invisible force. Even though his legs were kicking frantically on the bed, he still couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    The doctor standing outside the door heard the movement, knocked on the door, and asked with concern:


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I¡¯m not okay! Not okay!


    This man is a monster! A monster!!!


    Duan Hua¡¯s face was distorted, and he screamed wildly in his heart. He kicked the bed with his feet, trying to make a noise to attract the attention of people outside.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s alright.¡±


    While answering, Shi An glanced at him lightly and continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that he was a little overwhelmed when he saw me.¡±


    Almost immediately, Duan Hua felt that his torso could no longer move.


    An indescribable panic slammed into the head.

 CH 19.2

    ¡°Shhh. This is our secret.¡± (2)


    He lay stiffly on the bed like a corpse, unable to make a sound or a movement. Imprisoned in this heavy body of flesh, he could only turn his eyes and stare at the demon insect in front of him in horror.


    The sound of footsteps drifted away from the door.


    Duan Hua watched in despair as Shi An returned to the position just now and even adjusted the height of the chair unhurriedly so that he could sit more comfortably.


    Immediately afterwards, Shi An turned to look at him curiously.


    He asked, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Duan Hua was trembling, staring at the ¡°evil ghost¡± with frightened eyes.


    Shi An placed his elbows on the table, resting his cheeks in his palms and tilting his head slightly. He seemed puzzled and said, ¡°I understand that humans are very complex creatures, but it¡¯s really strange. We don¡¯t even know each other. If I had been eaten by monsters, what good would it have been to you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me? Alright, whatever.¡±


    After all, Shi An didn¡¯t really want to know the answer that much.


    Humans were really weird. When he regained his strength and took that shiny human into his collection, he would never deal with humans again.


    He would find another cave and continue his unfinished dream from last time.


    Shi An thought about it and asked, ¡°By the way, how did you get that monster bait?¡±


    He felt that it was not the first time he had encountered such a thing.


    In the last simulation test, he encountered a few puppet worms. After losing their queen, they continued to survive. They must have been powered by something else. The behavior of those puppet insects was very similar to the monster group in the true combat arena that day.


    Duan Hua was silent, staring at him with trembling eyeballs.


    Shi An tilted his head, a little distressed, ¡°Still not gonna tell me?¡±


    He stretched out his hand, and his cold fingers fell lightly on the other¡¯s wrist, just like that day.


    ¡°Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!¡±


    Duan Hua¡¯s whole body trembled violently, as if his whole body was thrown into the flames, and his noises turned to suppressed and painful grunts in his throat.


    But he remained silent.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°MMMMMMMMMMM¡­¡±


    This time, Duan Hua barely made a sound. His pupils rolled up until only the whites of his eyes were showing. He twitched.


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but admire him.


    Although he deliberately restrained the intensity of his flames, it was not easy for an opponent to endure two waves.


    It seemed that humans are not as weak as he had thought before.


    Just as he was about to continue, the insect couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said, ¡°I think it might not be that he doesn¡¯t want to say it, it¡¯s that he can¡¯t say it.¡±


    Shi An was stunned.


    Oh right¡­


    He suddenly remembered that he had restricted Duan Hua¡¯s vocal organs just now to prevent Duan Hua from screaming.


    Shi An quickly removed the restrictions and looked at the human guiltily, embarrassedly whispering,


    ¡°Sorry, I forgot¡­¡±


    Duan Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t even have the strength to roll his eyes.


    ¡°So, are you willing to tell me?¡±


    The young man in front of him put on a negotiable expression, but Duan Hua now knew very well what a terrifying monster was hidden under that seemingly-harmless skin.


    Under such overwhelming power, he was like fish on the chopping board, and there was no other option except for cooperation.


    Almost as if he were afraid of the other party¡¯s repentance, he nodded weakly and said in a hoarse and trembling voice,


    ¡°I¡­ I am willing, I will tell you anything¡­ please¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Shi An walked out of the ward and closed the door behind him.


    The two doctors were walking down the corridor. When they saw Shi An, they greeted them with concern, ¡°How was it? Your visit is over? Has the misunderstanding with your classmate been resolved?¡±


    Before waiting for Shi An¡¯s answer, the doctors suddenly realized that the patient who had been whining non-stop was extraordinarily quiet


    Shi An smiled at them and said, ¡°Yup, it¡¯s resolved.¡±


    After speaking, he waved at the doctors and walked in the direction he came from.


    Behind Shi An, the two doctors opened the ward, only to see Duan Hua sitting up¡ªhis face ashen, eyes dodging and shrinking.


    ¡°How do you feel, do you still feel burning?


    ¡°N¡­no.¡±


    Duan Hua shuddered and shook his head, saying ¡°Before, before, I was just frightened, so I was talking nonsense. In fact, these are all my hallucinations, I understand¡­¡±


    Further away¡ª


    The insect crawled out of Shi An¡¯s sleeve, a little unsatisfied, and asked ¡°Sir, you¡¯re letting him go already?¡±


    Shi An said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He glanced at the insect reproachfully.


    ¡°What do you think I am? A murderer?¡±


    He continued solemnly, ¡°We live in a society ruled by law.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Was the TV program about court processions actually helpful?


    Shi An continued, ¡°Also, I left a drop of my blood in his body. As long as he has any unruly thoughts or actions, no matter how far apart we are, I can instantly turn him into ashes, and I can guarantee that the process is very long and painful.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Apparently not.

 CH 19.3

    ¡°Shhh. This is our secret.¡± (3)


    Shi An noted thoughtfully, ¡°But that Shi Rui is quite interesting.¡±


    Insect: ¡°Bah!¡±


    It was full of righteous indignation, ranting, ¡°I think he is a bad person! He¡¯s definitely manipulating things behind your back and hoping that you fail. I had a bad feeling about him the first time I saw him!¡±


    Just after speaking, the insect regretted what he said, and urged, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t burn him on the spur of the moment! Unlike Duan Hua, this person is your brother in name. Mu Heng is watching us closely, so if Shi Rui dies, it will be very difficult for you to escape notice!¡±


    Shi An sighed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Insect: ¡­


    Were you really prepared to brand your ¡°brother¡± just now?


    We live in a society ruled by law, my ass!


    Shi An muttered, ¡°He¡¯d better pray that I won¡¯t catch him again.¡±


    The young man in front of him had a rare fierce look on his face, but his facial features were soft and childish, so he looked like he was throwing a tantrum like a spoiled child.


    But only the insect knew that this little boy was serious.


    If someone really annoyed him, that person wouldn¡¯t even know how they died.


    Thinking of Duan Hua¡¯s tragic situation just now, it shivered in fear. This was the first time that the insect was glad it became a loyal underling so quickly.


    After walking around the hospital building, Shi An returned to his room.


    In the past two days, he had been transferred from the high-risk section to the observation area. Lin Yanming was his roommate yet again.


    Lin Yanming put down the book in his hand and turned to look at Shi An. He asked, ¡°Have you gotten enough sunshine?¡±


    Shi An nodded guilelessly.


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    Lin Yanming glanced at him suspiciously and looked at his watch.


    He did go out for more than an hour.


    Only then did he relax. He took out the game console from under the pillow and handed it back to Shi An. He worriedly warned, ¡°Don¡¯t play for too long, you¡¯ll have to get up and do some stretches in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Shi An cheered.


    He took the game console, jumped back onto his bed, and started gaming intently.


    ¡­Lin Yanming¡¯s advice went in one ear and out the other.


    Lin Yanming rubbed his temples, staving off a headache, and picked up the book again.


    According to the notice, the results of this examination and the class divisions would be announced tomorrow.


    After the announcement, classes would start.


    They would have to study a lot.


    Lin Yanming turned to look at Shi An, who was still playing games.


    Although right now the only person who knew that Shi An was not a waste of space but rather a genius was Lin Yanming, he believed that¡ª¡ª


    After school started, Shi An would definitely become the strongest student in the entire grade and even the most dazzling new star in the entire academy!


    Lin Yanming¡¯s gaze towards Shi An relieved and kind, like an old mother watching her child getting ahead.


    On the adjacent bed¡ª


    Shi An frowned at the characters on the screen and secretly asked the magic bug, ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It means that this thing can heal your HP.¡± It sighed and asked, ¡°Sir, shouldn¡¯t you start learning human writing?¡±


    Shi An didn¡¯t even lift his head and said, ¡°Later, later.¡±


    The insect looked at him sadly with eyes full of worry, like an old mother who watched an illiterate child who didn¡¯t study and still played games every day.


    What will you do after school starts?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Management Bureau


    Mu Heng¡¯s bloody windbreaker wrapped around him, and he hurried into the building.


    His frosty brows were etched into a permanent scowl, like twin blades whose killing intent has not retreated.


    Mu Heng lowered his long silver eyelashes, slowly took off his blood-stained gloves, and threw them into the trash can beside him.


    Zhuo Fu leaned over and asked, ¡°Done?¡±


    Mu Heng glanced at him uncaringly, as if he had no intention of answering such an innocuous question.


    Zhuo Fu was accustomed to Mu Heng¡¯s attitude and continued, ¡°So, there are no more high-level fluctuations in the city that require your leadership. Let others handle them.¡±


    He placed a new task file on Mu Heng¡¯s table.


    ¡°By the way, there are also a lot of top-level tasks that have been commissioned recently by the big families, and the rewards are generous. They have come to inquire every day if you are willing to accept them¡ªbeen bothering Wen Yao to no end. When I came in, she told me to hand these to you.¡±


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t even think about it and muttered, ¡°Give it to someone else.¡±


    Zhuo Fu flipped through the to-do lists and couldn¡¯t help clicking his tongue ¡°Tsk tsk, you really treat money like dung. I¡¯m so moved by these amounts, but you don¡¯t even look at it?¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyes with ill intent and glanced over


    ¡°You have nothing else to do?¡±


    Zhuo Fu quickly reclaimed the task files and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    He asked sternly, ¡°I heard that all the students in the hospital have woken up. Has that little friend of yours called you?¡±


    Mu Heng froze in place.


    After half a second of silence, he said, ¡°¡­No.¡±

 CH 20.1

    As if A God Descended (1)


    ¡°You haven¡¯t?!¡±


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s voice raised an octave, and he looked at Mu Heng in disbelief.


    ¡°How is that possible? Did you give him your number?¡±


    Mu Heng glanced coldly at Zhuo Fu.


    He was silent for a few seconds but still reluctantly replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhuo Fu suddenly realized something and asked, ¡°Tell me, how did you give it?¡±


    ¡°Wen Yao sent to the hospital and asked the front desk to help convey it to him.¡± Mu Heng said.


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    He took a slow deep breath and massaged his temples.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyebrows creased imperceptibly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did you tell Wen Yao to put down her name?¡±


    This time, Mu Heng was silent for a longer time.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°On a blank piece of paper, there is nothing but a phone number. It doesn¡¯t say from who or to who or why. Who would call this number?¡±


    Zhuo Fu continued to massage his aching forehead and said sadly, ¡°It seems more like a scam or a prank than a legitimate government summons.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably already forgotten all about that note, so now you can only directly call him.¡±


    Saying that, Zhuo Fu pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a series of numbers on it, murmuring ¡°Well, this is the internal line of the hospital. After calling it, you can transfer the call to Shi An¡¯s ward.¡±


    Mu Heng pinched a corner of the note to examine it. His eyebrows quirked, again imperceptibly.


    ¡°Internal line? How do you know this?¡±


    Zhuo Fu pat the back of his own head and smirked frivolously.


    ¡°I dated the nurse there for a few weeks.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu coughed delicately and suddenly became serious.


    ¡°You know, according to our current information, Shi An may be the only human who has had close contact with the fantasy species. He may help us study the habits of dragons and even track their whereabouts. Now, the fantasy species is in this world. This kind of thing must be kept strictly confidential, so we cannot ask for his cooperation in the name of the authority. It has to be a personal favor.


    But it should be fine!¡±


    Zhuo Fu returned to his charming playboy persona and winked at Mu Heng.


    ¡°Anyway, aren¡¯t you still someone¡¯s lifesaver as the saying goes, a life-saving grace can¡¯t be repaid, so you should¡ª¡±


    Mu Heng expressionlessly raised his head a quarter inch.


    Beneath the silver-white eyelashes, his cold gaze was like the edge of a sharpened blade, piercing through Zhuo Fu with a murderous aura.


    Zhuo Fu skillfully dropped his train of thought.


    He coughed dryly and excused himself to slip away: ¡°Well, I still have things to do in my research lab, so I¡¯ll be going.


    ¡ªDon¡¯t forget to get in touch!¡±


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s voice diminished in volume the farther he got.


    Mu Heng¡¯s office door closed.


    Without Zhuo Fu¡¯s chattering, the office became extremely quiet.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, and his gaze fell on the note. There was a rare line of hesitation between his brows.


    He frowned slightly and lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, a habit he still hadn¡¯t been able to break himself of.


    Even though it had been proven many times that Shi An himself was fine, but¡­


    He didn¡¯t know why every time he thought about that person, Mu Heng had an indescribable feeling of doubt and irritability.


    In other words, a vague sense of loss of control.


    Very troublesome.


    And Mu Heng didn¡¯t like trouble.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rustle, rustle.


    After a few seconds of silence.


    RUSTLE RUSTLE


    The insect was awakened again by the movement of Shi An turning over, and it couldn¡¯t bear it any longer:


    ¡°I beg of you, My Liege, why are you still not sleeping?¡±


    Shi An stopped.


    He whispered aggrievedly, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    This was the first time in his life that he felt insomnia.


    Although his injury was not deep, the wound area was not small, and it was in the critical recovery period. The wound was strangely itchy. It was fine during the day but became unbearable at night.


    Under the protection of his scales, Shi An had never been hurt before, let alone suffered such a travesty.


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but want to reach out and scratch, but he was too afraid of the pain. The more he resisted scratching, the more he wanted to, so the more he couldn¡¯t sleep.


    The insect sighed wearily, planted itself on Shi An¡¯s pillow with its six legs facing the sky, and let itself go.


    If it went on like this, it would grow dark circles under its eyes.


    The insect turned its head and looked at Lin Yanming on the next bed.


    Although Shi An tossed and turned and rustled around every night, the other party didn¡¯t seem to hear it and slept soundly, like a dead pig.


    The insect never imagined that one day it would be so envious of a human being.


    Shi An said sadly, ¡°I want to sleep too.¡±


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An buried his face in the soft pillow and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I miss my old bed so much.¡±


    ¡°The bottom layer was gold, at least five hundred tons of it, enough to cover the entire cave.


    Further up, there were pearls, amber, diamonds, all kinds of handicrafts of various species, glamorous and shiny. I could bury myself deep inside the piles of treasure and roll around¡­


    And then a layer of silver ornaments¡­


    Further up was-¡±


    The insect¡¯s face was full of suffering.


    I beg of you, stop whining.


    Finally, as if it had finally made up its mind, it took a deep breath and said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    The insect turned over and said solemnly, ¡°I was going to tell you after you recovered, but now it seems that it is impossible not to tell you.¡±


    After all, I¡¯m going to be bored to death if I don¡¯t do something.

 CH 20.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 20.2


    As if A God Descended (2)


    The insect took a deep breath and said, "Two days ago, when you were playing games, I saw a bird parked on the window sill outside. I thought it was just an ordinary bird, but the smell was wrong, so I spied on it."


    Shi An looked at the magic insect through the gap between the pillow and his face.


    "Then I found that it was completely pitch-black. Although it looked like a crow, it was three times the size of an ordinary crow, with green eyes and strong barbs that could pierce through solid bedrock.¡±


    Shi An''s eyes widened slightly.


    "You mean..."


    The insect nodded deeply.


    "Yes, the ash crow was not eliminated thoroughly by the group of people in the management bureau. These wiley, sly creatures probably could sense that something was wrong, so they moved their nests ahead of time. They aren¡¯t strong by themselves, so I guess they haven¡¯t been noticed yet."


    Before it could finish speaking, Shi An jumped up.


    A pair of dark eyes sparkled in the dim room.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    The insect was caught off guard, got flipped over by Shi An''s sudden movement, fell under the bed, and rolled a few times on the ground.


    It turned its back to the sky and began to reconsider its life choices*.


    Didn¡¯t this trend look familiar?


    It always gets flipped over like this.


    Shi An bent down and stuck his head under the bed.


    "Are you alright?"


    The insect flailed, kicking its six legs in the air, trying to turn itself over.


    "Never been better, let''s head out quickly."


    When you have a new bed, you can finally sleep soundly!


    I¡¯m begging you!


    Shi An put the insect in his pocket and sneaked out of the hospital in the dead of night.


    The Ability Academy was very large. In addition to the dorms and classrooms, there were more unexplored areas. The huge campus was lush with green forests, vertical cliffs, and deep blue lakes. This scenery hardly even looked like a school campus.


    Shi An''s foot hurt when he walked.


    He looked at the brightening horizon and asked wearily, "How much longer?"


    "Almost there!"


    The insect replied cheerfully, "Judging by the magic tracker I left on that ash crow, we just need to climb over the mountain in front of me."


    Shi An whined, "I really want to fly."


    Insect: "..."


    It recalled the last time it was carried by Shi An ¡°flying¡± and couldn''t help shivering subconsciously.


    I don''t want to, please and thank you very, very much.


    "Don''t worry, it''s really close," the insect comforted.


    "Don''t you want to find the ash crows¡¯ nest and use their gold and silver to make a new bed?"


    "... I do." Shi An replied reluctantly.


    He sighed, braced himself, and walked in the direction indicated by the insect.


    Before he could climb down the mountain, he felt a sudden wave of magic power rush over his head.


    Not monster magic, but human magic?


    Shi An blinked suspiciously.


    He hid behind the conveniently-located boulder in front of him and stood on tiptoe to look in the direction of the wave.


    In the air, a group of black ash crows circled, screeching and diving towards the bottom of the valley.


    Three humans at the bottom of the valley were barely visible through the mass of ash crows. They seemed to be students from the Ability Academy, and they struggled to resist the ash crow attack.


    Shi An looked around.


    He saw a huge tree on higher ground not far away, and among the dense branches and leaves on the tree, there was an ash crow''s nest.


    Although it was far away, Shi An could still clearly see the brilliant reflection of the rising sun on the shiny treasures.


    "!"


    Shi An immediately became excited, as his whole body was suddenly energized.


    "My liege, what are you going to do?" the insect asked in a low voice.


    "Rush in, of course!"


    The insect tried to reason with him.


    "Wait, there are other humans below and the ash crows are in their attack state. Your old injury is not healed yet¡ª"


    "Burn them to death! The treasure is mine!"


    Insect: "..."


    Please don''t say such horrible words with such a cute face, thank you.


    A dragon fixated on the idea of treasures did not listen to others.


    The insect felt like he had exhausted his life''s worth of words.


    "It''s no good for you to rush in now. Although Mu Heng is no longer in the school, the risk has not been completely eliminated¡ª"


    Shi An stood there, staring intently at the ash crow''s nest.


    The insect continued bitterly, "In my opinion, you''d better not reveal your identity. You might as well take the opportunity to sneak into their nest, take the treasure, and leave before they notice.¡±


    Shi An turned to look at it with a thoughtful look on his face.


    "I think what you said is right."


    The insect was stunned.


    It really didn''t expect that Shi An would really listen to it.


    Is this what it felt like to be recognized?


    "But..." Shi An continued.


    Insect: "?"


    Shi An innocently pointed behind the insect.


    "I think it might be too late."


    Insect: "..."


    It slowly turned its head and looked behind it.


    On the rock not far behind them, many, many ash crows had landed. They were like a black carpet, covering the rock wall with plush, shiny feathers, and pairs and pairs of green eyes silently stared at them.


    Insect: Holy fuck.


    Ash crows were very ancient creatures that existed on the mainland before Shi An fell asleep.


    Their most significant characteristic was that they did not know fear.


    In the face of an enemy who might threaten their nest, the ash crows would attack brazenly to defend their treasure.


    Shi An appreciated this trait very much.


    But that did not prevent him from bullying the weak and robbing ash crow nests in his heyday.


    He smiled brightly at the ash crows.


    "Sup!"


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    TL Notes:


    *In the original, this was a(n admittedly hilarious) pun on the Chinese way of saying to reconsider one¡¯s human-life choices. The author replaced human with bug, so the direct translation would be something to the effect of, ¡°The insect reconsidered its bug-life choices¡±.

 CH 20.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 20.3


    As if A God Descended (3)


    Under the intensive attack of the ash crows, Wang Li struggled to hold on, but he could feel that he was down to the last dregs of power. His companions obviously felt the same.


    "Have you contacted help?!¡± Wang Li shouted at the top of his voice, his words barely audible under the flapping of wings and sharp caws.


    "No!!" his friend yelled back. "These monsters are too shrewd! The first thing they attacked was our communicator!


    After hearing his friend¡¯s answer, Wang Li''s heart sank.


    He really didn''t expect that he would encounter such a life-threatening situation right after taking on a high-level mission.


    He had never seen the monster in front of him at all, and based on what had happened recently, he probably had encountered the unexpected fish that slipped through the net.


    Now, they had no backup and could not escape.


    The road ahead was so dark, Wang Li couldn''t help but despair.


    Would it...


    Would it end like this?


    Suddenly, Wang Li heard a piercing whistle not far away, and the commotion began to spread among the ash crows overhead.


    The pressure of sharp beaks and claws on their heads was instantly relieved.


    There seemed to be something not far away that distracted the ash crows.


    Wang Li suddenly cheered up.


    He took a deep breath and said excitedly to his other companions: "Let¡¯s go, take this opportunity, let''s get out¡ª"


    The rest of the words were stuck in his throat.


    Wang Li''s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up at the shocking scene in front of him.


    The roaring flames leaped to the sky, the scorching temperature seemed to ignite the air, and the ash crows screamed shrilly, but they could not escape this terrifying sea of ??fire.


    In the distance, the morning sun rose over the horizon and was shadowed by the light of the fire in the sky.


    The ash crows fell from the sky, and scarlet embers floated everywhere, like a storm of fire instead of rain.


    As if a god descended.


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Shi Rui already knew about the news of Shi An¡¯s safe return and subsequent recovery.


    He really didn''t expect that under such extreme circumstances, Shi An could still escape that catastrophe and was even rescued by the legendary Mu Heng himself!


    Shi Rui couldn''t believe this luck, which made him even more indignant than before.


    Shi Rui didn''t think that his opponent would see through his machinations.


    He acted carefully and never did the dirty deeds himself.


    But there was one thing that made him very uneasy.


    Ever since he was rescued, that useless Duan Hua began to shout that he was burning and in pain. After being sent to the intensive care unit, it became even more severe, and he started to call out Shi An''s name.


    This idiot couldn¡¯t finish the mission and dared to whine about it. Wasn¡¯t he scared of being found out and getting caught?


    After tossing and turning for several days, Shi Rui finally couldn''t take it anymore.


    He decided to go to the hospital and try to get on Shi An¡¯s good side.


    Regardless of the situation, superficial emotions should be displayed to the fullest.


    So, early the next morning, Shi Rui walked towards the medical area with expensive condolence gifts.


    He first went to Duan Hua''s ward.


    Unexpectedly, the other party seemed to have completely returned to normal, but it was clear that he had lost weight. His eyes looked dodgy, and his face was extremely haggard.


    "How have you been lately?" Shi Rui sat on the head of the bed and asked with great concern.


    Duan Hua''s face paled, and he replied in a low voice, "Al-alright."


    After a few simple greetings, Shi Rui asked casually, "By the way, I heard that you kept calling other people''s names when you were recovering? What happened?"


    "Well, that was just a misunderstanding." Duan Hua smiled forcefully, "I was frightened, that''s why I talked nonsense."


    Shi Rui was very satisfied with his answer.


    This is a smart answer, otherwise, it would be bad if Shi An or others found clues and went to investigate.


    After a bit more small talk, Shi Rui put one of the condolence presents at the head of the bed and left Duan Hua''s ward.


    Looking at Shi Rui''s back, Duan Hua''s expression turned gloomy.


    He now fully understood what happened before.


    The reason why he was so intent on framing Shi An was completely provoked by this poisonous snake.


    He even only stole the medicine from Shi Rui¡¯s backpack because he heard Shi Rui "inadvertently" say that he had the means to attract monsters.


    Now he had offended the monster, and his life was in Shi An¡¯s hands...


    But the man behind the scenes was Shi Rui!


    Duan Hua stared fiercely at the closed door and spat.


    You just fucking wait.


    I can''t deal with Shi An, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can''t deal with you.


    After leaving Duan Hua''s room, Shi Rui walked towards Shi An''s ward.


    He pushed open the door, but unexpectedly did not see Shi An. Lin Yanming sat alone on the bed, reading a book.


    Shi Rui was a little surprised and asked, "Where''s Shi An?"


    Lin Yanming raised his head indifferently, "I don''t know."


    Although he didn''t know Shi Rui and didn''t get any information from Shi An, Lin Yanming was naturally unimpressed with this person.


    "Then when will he be back?"


    Lin Yanming said, "I don''t know."


    Shi Rui smiled at him as if he didn''t feel any embarrassment.


    "Well, I''ll wait for him here."


    "Oh."


    He turned the page and said without looking up, "You do whatever."


    Shi Rui sat beside the other bed and waited idly, but as time passed by, Shi An still didn¡¯t come back.


    Lin Yanming had also gone out for breakfast, so Shi Rui couldn''t find out anything from him.


    He finally couldn''t wait anymore and stood up to leave.


    Just then, the phone in the hospital room rang.


    Shi Rui hesitated for a moment, then reached out and answered the phone: "Hello?"


    The other side was silent for a while.


    Then, a low voice sounded.


    "Is Shi An there?"


    The voice on the other side was very pleasant to the ear, but with the coldness of broken ice that pierced the ear of the listener.


    Shi Rui replied, "He went out. I''m his younger brother, Shi Rui. Is there anything I need to convey?"


    "Let him call me back, he has my number."


    "You are¡­?"


    "Mu Heng."


    After speaking, the other side hung up.


    Shi Rui squeezed the landline in the ward tightly until his fingertips bloated blue and white. He slowly turned his head and saw his sinister, twisted face reflected in the mirror not far away.


    ¡°Shi. An.¡±


    He growled, gnashing his teeth in a low voice.

 CH 21.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 21.1


    The Damn Shams of Humans (1)


    When Lin Yanming came back, Shi Rui had already packed away his facial expressions.


    He smiled at Lin Yanming, "I''m sorry, I still have something to do, so I''ll go first."


    Shi Rui put the condolence present on the bedside.


    "I hope you can help me convey my greetings to my brother."


    "Bye." Lin Yanming replied indifferently, still seemingly paying him no mind.


    When Shi Rui reached the door, he seemed to suddenly think of something and turned to look at Lin Yanming.


    "By the way, when you were out for dinner just now, I received a call that wanted my brother to call them back."


    "Who?" Lin Yanming frowned.


    "It seems to be from the Management Bureau," Shi Rui said lightly.


    After saying that, he turned to leave.


    The door of the hospital room closed behind Shi Rui, and his expression instantly turned gloomy.


    He didn''t want to give Shi An this news.


    However, Shi Rui was not stupid, he had clearly stated his name and identity just now. If the information were not conveyed, it would be easy to pin the blame on him, so he could only choose a relatively compromised method.


    Shi Rui''s expression twisted slightly.


    He didn''t know what kind of magic Shi An had, already able to forge a relationship with that official.


    And by Mu Heng''s tone, Shi An should already have his number.


    Why was this happening?


    What part went wrong?


    Shi Rui closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    It didn¡¯t matter, maybe it was just a simple greeting to the people he had saved.


    But no matter what, until he found out the closeness of the relationship between Shi An and Mu Heng, all his machinations must be tucked away. Even if he wanted this obstacle to disappear, he can''t risk being discovered by anyone, especially not that official.


    Shi Rui clenched his icy hands and gritted his teeth.


    He knew that their father had high hopes for Shi An and even donated a building to the Academy of the Ability to enroll him. This kind of investment wasn¡¯t easily made, but when they found out that Shi An was really, really incapable, Shi Zechun sent someone to find Shi Rui.


    He couldn''t believe that in the more than ten years of his growth, his father had not heard the slightest news about.


    It''s just that he gave up on Shi An, so he had to find another heir.


    Shi Rui knew very well that everything he had now was based on the premise that "Shi An is trash".


    Therefore, he must maintain the status quo.


    "¡­What is going on here?"


    Wang Li stared dumbfounded at the magnificent yet cruel spectacle in front of him.


    His face was hued blood red by the light of the fire in the sky, and a strong burning smell filled the air. The crows turned into ash while the burning crackled, and little sparks fell down beside them.


    With the disappearance of the ash crows, the fire in the air was immediately extinguished, and sprinkled down in the light of the rising sun.


    "...S-so strong." Wang Li murmured.


    ¡ª¡ªTo accomplish such a feat, how much terrifyingly destructive power and how much precise control was required?


    How many people in the academy could do that?


    Who exactly saved them?


    Farther away¡ª


    Shi An lowered his head and looked at his palm in amazement.


    He could feel that the intensity of his dragonflame had almost doubled compared to before!


    And, more importantly...


    Shi An moved slightly and longingly, only to see a cluster of crimson flames rising from his fingertips.


    Under the light of the fire, the base of his palm to his fingertips was covered with a thin film.


    That layer of film shone with a metallic brilliance, and the lines of scales were faintly visible.


    Since burning the puppet worms to death in the previous simulation training, Shi An had not been able to successfully recall the scales again.


    That day, the layer of scales that appeared on his fingertips seemed to be a hallucination and never appeared again.


    Until now.


    Shi An flexed his fingers, and the palm of his hand returned to the white and soft human skin that he had previously.


    He flexed his hand again, and the scales appeared again.


    It didn''t fail!


    Shi An¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked at his palm in surprise.


    Although the color was not dark enough, and his scales were not fully revealed, Shi An was very familiar with this texture. These were the scales that he was covered with when he was still a young dragon.


    After several molting periods, his scales became pitch black and razor-sharp.


    It seemed that although he spit out the eye of the abyss, he had absorbed a lot of the magic power that had been released.


    Although he was still far from his heyday, it was a very good sign!


    The demon insect looked blankly at the young man in front of him, and the corners of his mouth twitched.


    ¡°How long are you going to wait?"


    In its eyes, the other party had been staring at his palm for at least five minutes, opening and closing it, and there was a happy smirk on his face.


    ¡ª¡ªIt looked like he had a problem.


    "Oh yeahhh!"


    Shi An pulled himself out of his musings with a stunned expression, "The ash crows¡¯ nest!"


    Demon insect:  ¡­


    You remember now?...


    Shi An stretched out his hand to pick up the magic insect and then crawled up the rock.


    Without the ash crows in the way, the path to the nest was unobstructed.


    Soon, Shi An climbed in.


    Just as he got upright, Shi An was dazzled by what was in front of him.


    The rising sun in the distance reflected dazzling rays of light on countless smooth surfaces. Seeing those familiar, long-lost sparkles made Shi An almost cry with joy.


    Great!


    There was finally hope for his new bed!

 CH 21.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 21.2


    The Damn Shams of Humans (2)


    ¡°Um,¡± the worm''s hesitant voice sounded.


    Shi An looked dazed.


    "Huh?"


    "No-nothing."


    The attitude of the demon insect was a bit strange.


    Shi An blinked.


    The sunlight that had shone in just now faded, revealing the true appearance of the nest.


    Shi An: "..."


    He looked around dully and fell into a long silence.


    There were broken glass pieces, can pull tabs, glass beads, pen tips, and metal fragments with various strange coatings stacked in the nest in front of them.


    In short, basically, they were all inferior products of modern industry production.


    The demon insect was as quiet as a chicken by the side, daring not to make a sound.


    Although gray crows were able to live in the abyss and on the mainland, they were still abyss species after all, and had basically never come into contact with humans.


    They themselves were a species dominated by instinct alone and did not have independent individual intelligence, so they were naturally stunned by the damn shams of humans...


    They scavenged a pile of rubbish as treasure.


    The demon insect secretly looked at Shi An.


    The other party didn''t seem to have recovered from such a big blow and stood there with a gloomy face, as if his soul had left his body. He stared at the gray crow''s nest in front of him sluggishly and desperately.


    Awful.


    It was too awful.


    The demon insect sighed and silently put his slender legs on Shi An''s shoulders in order to comfort: "How about, we sort through these?"


    Shi An: "..."


    Sort my ass! ! !


    Shi An was extremely sad.


    The sleepiness of staying up late for a few days, the exhaustion of traveling for most of the night, the ups and downs of great joy and great sorrow, all rose to the top of his mind at this moment.


    He sniffed: "Why¡ª"


    Far away.


    Several of Wang Li''s companions were counting their belongings and checking their injuries.


    Wang Li, on the other hand, stood by himself, looking around him.


    The valley was quiet and peaceful. If it weren¡¯t for the scorched ashes scattered around their feet, they would hardly believe that they were being besieged by a group of terrifying monsters just now.


    But...one thing they could be sure of.


    They were definitely rescued, but for some reason, the powerful and kind person didn''t show up until now.


    As a second-year prefect, Wang Li knew very well that those who could make such a move were definitely not ordinary people.


    He searched around in his mind for information about strong people in the academy, but none of them matched the way of releasing the magic power just now.


    Was it a teacher?


    "Hello¡ª" Wang Li raised his voice and shouted:


    "I don''t know if you are still here, but thank you very much for your rescue just now!"


    However, the only answer he received was silence.


    Suddenly, one of his companions said, "Hey, did you hear something?"


    "Eh?" Wang Li was taken aback.


    He listened carefully, and sure enough, there was a sound coming from not far away, very thin and low, surreal, but it was there.


    Wang Li turned his head and looked in the direction from which the voice came.


    There was a huge, ancient tree in the valley. Between the branches of the tree, there was a huge nest, which should be the habitat of the creatures that had just attacked them.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Inside the nest.


    The boy squatted in the corner, sobbing sadly.


    He looked thoroughly robbed of all happiness.


    Demon insect : "..."


    If it hadn''t just seen the other party set fire, it really wouldn''t believe it was the legendary abyss dragon.


    It sighed, jumped down from Shi An''s shoulders, and tried to flip through the ash crow''s nest. Its entire upper body was buried in the depths of glass and metal garbage, and its back legs kicked and clanked.


    Shi An: "You, what are you doing?"


    The demon insect tried to turn over for a few more minutes, and then finally got out.


    There was a small ruby ??in its front claws.


    "Look. Ash crows generally migrate in whole nests. Although they have accumulated a lot of human waste, there should be some previous inventory we can rummage for!"


    Shi An''s eyes lit up, and he immediately regained his spirits.


    He used to raid ash crow nests and kill the ash crows on the side. Except for their attraction to shiny treasures, the characteristics of ash crows had remained a mystery to Shi An. After all, after a tongue of dragon fire, they would disintegrate, so a study of their habits was unnecessary.


    "Yay!" Shi An cheered, rolled up his sleeves, and began to flip through the nest energetically.


    "..."


    Wang Li and his party stood under the big tree, looking up at the nest above their heads.


    WIth a tinkling sound, countless strange things smashed down indiscriminately and landed on the grass under their feet.


    Wang Li looked down.


    Rubbish.


    ¡­¡­What was going on?


    The corners of his mouth twitched and he raised his voice and shouted, "Hello?"


    The clinking above the head suddenly stopped.


    "Hello?" Gan Li called out again.


    Still no reply.


    But this instead confirmed their guess¡ªtheir savior was indeed in the nest.


    "Anyway, thank you for your help just now." Wang Li shouted.


    "We actually just took a B-level mission this time. We didn''t expect to encounter these monsters. If it wasn''t for you, we might have been buried here. If you want, can we talk to you?"


    A muffled voice came from overhead:


    "Don¡¯t want to"


    Wang Li replied with a good temper:


    "Okay, but at least let us give you the reward for the task. After all, you also indirectly helped us complete the task, and this reward should be yours!"


    Shi An crouched in the lair and blinked.


    "Task? Reward?"


    Wang Li: "Yes, in order to cultivate the students'' true combat ability, the Ability Academy will regularly release different tasks, some on-campus and some off-campus. After receiving the tasks and completing them, you will get a lot of rewards."


    Shi An: "!"


    Rewards?


    Money!


    Treasure!


    Shiny!

 CH 21.3

    The Damn Shams of Humans (3)


    The demon insect glared at him.


    Shi An had to reluctantly part with his love: ¡°No, no need, I was just passing by this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Well then, I respect your decision, and I hope we have a chance to see you again!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Wang Li did not pester him, but politely bade Shi An goodbye and left with his companions.


    As the sound of their talking faded away, Shi An turned his head and looked at the demon insect expectantly: ¡°Reward!¡±


    The corner of the insect¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°At least wait until you¡¯re fully recovered.¡±


    It thought about it for a while, and continued to ramble uneasily: ¡°However, if you want to take a task, try to take it as far away from the school as possible and a low-level rating¡ªit is best not to attract other people¡¯s attention¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The big tree gradually disappeared from view.


    One of Wang Li¡¯s companions couldn¡¯t help but speak:


    ¡°Uh, we¡¯re just leaving like this? Then, the candidate for that plan¡­¡±


    ¡°No hurry.¡± Wang Li opened his mouth to intercept the other party¡¯s words.


    He adjusted his glasses and said calmly, ¡°Only after the admission process is completed, students are allowed to receive assignments, and he has not even heard of the assignments of the academy, which only means that he is still a freshman. He hasn¡¯t had time to go through the whole process yet.¡±


    The companion was stunned, ¡°Freshman?¡±


    Wang Li nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be such a strong candidate in this year¡¯s freshmen.¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s a freshman, wouldn¡¯t he be unsuitable for such a high-risk action?¡± The companion showed a hesitant look on his face.


    ¡°On the contrary.¡±


    Wang Li¡¯s eyes gleamed behind the lens.


    ¡°Before he has received any systematic training, he already has such amazing magical power, and he could release such terrifying spells. Think about it, if he received training from the academy, how amazing this person will become! I can¡¯t imagine a better candidate!¡±


    His companions fell into contemplation.


    After a long time, he sighed.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°This kind of powerhouse will not be buried, we will definitely be able to see him again!¡±


    Wang Li said with certainty.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    After the humans left, Shi An carefully turned the entire nest inside out.


    Finally, among the piles of man-made garbage, there was barely half a bag of treasure.


    It¡¯s impossible to make a bed with, you could only fit a pillow like this at most.


    Shi An sighed, summoning a fire to burn  away the traces of his presence, and then turned to leave.


    As soon as he returned to the ward, he was stopped by Lin Yanming:


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re finally back. It¡¯s already afternoon. Where have you been for so long?¡±


    Shi An scratched his head: ¡°Just, went around.¡±


    As he spoke, he put his new pillow on the head of the bed with a thud, and the pillow cover rattled.


    ¡°Oh, forget it, put this aside for now,¡±


    Lin Yanming didn¡¯t seem to notice the other party¡¯s movements, but continued with a serious look:


    ¡°This morning, your brother in name came to see you and brought a bunch of things. But I tell you, I have a bad feeling about him. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like this person doesn¡¯t have good intentions. In short, if he comes to you again later, you must be more careful, don¡¯t lose your vigilance, and don¡¯t be fooled like last time¡­¡±


    Shi An absently replied with an ¡°mm¡±, then took off his shoes and climbed into the bed.


    ¡°By the way, when you were away, someone seemed to be looking for you, they said they called from the Administration Bureau and wanted you to call them back¡ª¡±


    Lin Yanming realized that there was no movement on the other side.


    ¡°Shi An? Shi An?¡±


    There was an even sound of breathing from the bed beside him.


    Shi An had closed his eyes, and his long eyelashes fluttered on his pale face. The soft strands of hair were scattered on his new pillow, and his expression was extraordinarily serene and serene.


    ¡°Call them back, do you hear me?¡± Lin Yanming repeated worriedly.


    Shi hummed, turned over with a mumble, and fell asleep again.


    Lin Yanming stared at the young man not far away, and his eyes fell on the pillow jingling as he turned over: ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell?


    Why does this pillow make noises?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    A few days later.


    Zhuo Fu came to Mu Heng¡¯s office again.


    He asked straight to the point, ¡°How is it? Did you get a call back?¡±


    This time, Mu Heng¡¯s face obviously darkened.


    He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhuo Fu couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath.


    He had known Mu Heng for so many years, and this was the first time he saw someone who would not suck up to Mu Heng¡ªand more than that, simply ignore him!


    He was obviously a little worried.


    ¡°Well, what to do then?¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked over. His silver-blue eyes seemed to be cold and high in the sky, without any superfluous emotion, he briefly twisted the corner of his lip.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the Academy of Ability.¡±


    Fuck.


    The star of bad omens smiled.


    Zhuo Fu was taken aback.


    Although he knew it had nothing to do with him, his mind went blank and he asked subconsciously, ¡°An-and then?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°The Academy handed me an invitation letter.¡±


    He slipped on his gloves slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go this time.¡±

 CH 22.1

    A Fated Person (1)


    Due to an accident in the true combat test, the entrance ceremony was postponed.


    Even so, the hosting specifications were still not much different from previous years.


    However, to the surprise of the school, at this entrance ceremony, Mu Heng actually agreed to their invitation.


    This was really strange.


    Before, the school had sent invitation letters to Mu Heng¡¯s office every year, but the other party had never agreed.


    They were all used to it.


    However, this year, it was a rare surprise that Mu Heng had been invited as a practical training instructor, and on top of that, the other party actually agreed to the invitation to the entrance ceremony?


    The school could hardly believe it.


    What was going on?


    Why was Mu Heng so genial this year?


    After a round of private discussions, they were still at a loss and couldn¡¯t guess the reason at all, so they had to apply 120% of their spirit in organizing this entrance ceremony.


    Above the top, in the VIP viewing area.


    Mu Heng sat on the right hand side of the old principal, casually lowered his eyes, and calmly listened to the master of ceremonies reading the school rules not far away.


    The headmaster of the Academy of Ability, surnamed Pei, was nearly 300 years old this year.


    Due to his advanced age, he basically no longer participated in the management of the school, and rarely showed up at the school except to attend major ceremonies.


    Nowadays, most of the senior combat members of the Administration were once his students.


    Only Mu Heng had a different route.


    He didn¡¯t enter any academy but rather came from the famous ancient family, the Mu family.


    Although the Mu family had decayed and the population has withered, the tens of thousands of years of history are still incomparable to other families. The number of unique and strange books in the private library was even comparable to the internal high-level library of the Ability Academy.


    In addition, Mu Heng himself was a rare fighting genius, who had traversed countless dangerous and extreme battlefields, and had been tempered by the mountains of corpses and seas of


    blood.


    He was the only non-academic mage among the famous Administrators.


    However, although he was not the other party¡¯s student, Mu Heng still respected Old Principal Pei.


    Old Principal Pei smiled and turned to look at Mu Heng and said,


    ¡°I heard about the accident that happened in the actual combat test before. Thanks to the help of Chief Mu, this matter could be solved in time before it was irreversible. Thank you very much.¡±


    Mu Heng shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t dare to take this praise.¡±


    He was indeed not being humble.


    In this incident, his role was really limited, and the disappearance of the eye of the abyss was also very inexplicable.


    Principal Pei continued to ask with a smile,


    ¡°Speaking of which, I heard that you promised to be the instructor of the true combat test?¡±


    Mu Heng nodded slightly.


    ¡°How is it? Have you seen any good seedlings?¡± asked old Principal Pei.


    Mu Heng paused and replied politely,


    ¡°Your students are all good.¡±


    Old Principal Pei laughed out loud, ¡°Why are you still talking like this in front of an old man like me?¡±


    He coughed twice and continued, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t paid attention to incoming freshmen for many years, I really heard something interesting this year¡ª¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyes, lake-deep and pond-calm, and fixedly looked at the other person.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Old Principal Pei narrowed his eyes slightly, the wrinkles on his face stretched out, and he said meaningfully, ¡°It is said that one of the new students this year has solved the additional question I gave.¡±


    Mu Heng was startled.


    This was something he really hadn¡¯t expected.


    Although he had never studied at the Ability Academy, he caught wind of the additional question that no freshman can solve. There were very few old scholars knowledgeable about this language , so a freshman who could understand it was unheard of.


    ¡°Luck? Ability? Or cheating?¡± Old Principal Pei stroked his beard and said to himself with a smile. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. After a long time, the truth will naturally surface.¡±


    He looked at Mu Heng, and his eyes hidden behind the lenses were deep, still ponds.


    ¡°Chief Mu, I wonder if you are interested in teaching?¡±


    Before Mu Heng could speak, Old Principal Pei waved his hand and said with a smile,


    ¡°Of course, I know that you are busy with official business, but the school can follow your schedule to adjust and meet all your needs. I hope you can think about it, and more importantly¡­¡±


    You don¡¯t have to reject me now.¡±


    Mu Heng sipped the amber liquor in the glass and replied, ¡°Okay, I will consider it.¡±


    At this point, the master of ceremonies finally finished reading the school rules and turned to leave the stage.


    ¡­


    Below the viewing station, among the students attending the ceremony.


    Lin Yanming calmly shoved Shi An, who was dozing beside him, and lowered his voice.


    ¡°Hey, wake up.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s head jerked, it seemed that he woke up from his sleep, looked at Lin Yanming beside him with a pair of hazy eyes, and voiced a vague question.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lin Yanming was a little helpless and reprimanded ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to fall asleep on this occasion.¡±


    He sighed and continued, ¡°The principal will speak soon, and he will leave when he finishes speaking. The result of the class will be announced at that time, so don¡¯t fall asleep yet.¡±


    Shi An rubbed his neck and whispered, ¡°Oh.¡±


    For some reason, since he changed pillows, although the quality of sleep had improved significantly, his neck would be sore and aching after he woke up.


    Strange, obviously this didn¡¯t happen when he was lying in the treasure pile before.


    ¡­

 CH 22.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 22.2


    A Fated Person (2)


    When the principal spoke, Mu Heng lowered his eyes and glanced down silently.


    Suddenly, his eyes stopped.


    Although separated by a heavy crowd, his vision still captured a familiar figure.


    It was as if there was an inexplicable magnetic force on the other party''s body that firmly caught his gaze.


    The black-haired boy lowered his head halfway as if he were dozing off just now, rubbing his eyes drowsily and secretly yawning.


    From his angle, he could see a small half of the back of his neck, thin and white, looking fragile and easy to break.


    For some reason, Mu Heng suddenly remembered what he saw in the cave that day.


    His eyes froze, subconsciously wanting to look away.


    In the next second, the young man suddenly raised his eyelashes without warning. His quiet gaze cut straight through the crowd, like a sharp, piercing arrow, looking in this direction impartially.


    Mu Heng startled.


    At that moment, his heart seemed to stop involuntarily.


    He did not expect that this young boy would have such a keen sense of perception that he could feel the gaze of others from such a distance.


    ¡­


    Shi An scratched his head and looked around in confusion.


    Eh? Strange, was it an illusion?


    Why did he feel that someone was looking at him just now?


    Shi An put the strange feeling aside, yawned again, and blinked the tears away from the corners of his eyes.


    At this moment, he saw the man sitting next to the old principal, who was speaking.


    What! It''s him!


    His own future collectible item!


    Shi An''s eyes lit up, and he instantly felt awake.


    The dragon''s desire to plunder and safeguard began to overcome his logical reasoning, and his eager eyes were fixed on the other party. In his heart, he had begun to fantasize about how to keep the shiny-shiny (shiny-shiny!) and make it his own.


    Where should it be placed then?


    Near the tip of his tail? This way he could wrap his tail around his treasure even when he slept.


    ¡­


    On the high platform, Mu Heng lowered his eyes and tapped the table subconsciously with his fingertips.


    Even if he didn''t need to look up, he could still feel Shi An''s strong presence, warm and focused, like a small fire, bringing a distinct burning sensation.


    The familiar irritability rose again.


    Soon, the principal''s speech ended.


    He touched his white beard that grew to his chest, grabbed the cane beside him with his old wrinkled fingers, and then slowly turned around and walked back.


    Mu Heng shook himself out of his absent-minded state.


    He also stood up, "I''ll see you off."


    ¡­


    Seeing his collectible leaving with the old principal, Shi An was a little disappointed.


    He knew that with his current ability, he might not be able to snatch that shiny human being into his collection, but couldn¡¯t he just look?!


    Lin Yanming next to him nudged Shi An with his elbow and lowered his voice, reminding, "Don''t get distracted."


    They watched as the person in charge of the actual combat test walked on the stage. He cleared his throat and said, "I understand that everyone has been looking forward to this classification, but the incidents that occurred during the test session this time cannot be denied. It not only affected our point compilation, but also caused a certain degree of equipment failure. After a brainstorming session with the tutors, we have decided, this time, that there will be no classes for the first years."


    There was an uproar in the audience.


    Although they knew that this accident would definitely affect the third round of tests, but why did it have to go so far? There wouldn¡¯t be different classes?


    This was the first occurrence since the establishment of the Academy of Ability.


    "Of course," the person in charge raised his voice and overwhelmed the whispers below, "after the end of this school year, the final assessment will still be carried out in accordance with the usual practice, and the class distinctions and classifications will resume as usual in the second school year."


    The Ability Academy was a six-year system.


    Eligible students aged sixteen and up could only enter after passing through layers of screening.


    At the beginning of enrollment, students would go through three rounds of tests to decide the class placement in the first academic year, but this class placement was not fixed for all six years.


    Now it seemed that just that the first academic year was no longer divided into classes. After the assessment in the second academic year, the previous system will be restored.


    The freshmen breathed a sigh of relief.


    Although there were changes, they were not too big and still acceptable.


    On the stage, the person in charge also breathed a sigh of relief.


    This problem was really a dilemma for them. Whether they added true combat results or not, it would be unfair to some students, so they could only use the method of delaying the classification to solve it.


    There would be another assessment at the end of the year anyways!


    ¡ª¡ªThere wouldn¡¯t be another incident next time!


    Mu Heng helped the old principal outside of the auditorium and watched the other party tremblingly being helped into the car.


    Suddenly, he thought of something and said, "By the way..."


    Principal Pei stopped and turned his head, "Hm?"


    Mu Heng asked, "Who was the student who solved your additional questions?¡±


    "Oh, that."


    Old Principal Pei smiled and continued, "Speaking of which, you and him have some sort of fate."


    Hearing this, Mu Heng couldn''t help but be startled.


    Principal Pei divulged, "The child you rescued from the contaminated area, Shi An."

 CH 23.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 23.1


    In Fact, There Was Nothing Wrong with Stealing a Human (1)


    Although the Administration had confirmed that the abyss rift was closed, in order to be safe, the academy decided to temporarily close down for a week after the ceremony.


    So it''s rare, even though the school just started, the students got a week of vacation.


    After the ceremony, Shi An left with the crowd.


    Lin Yanming sighed, "We freshmen are really in trouble. I didn''t expect that we would not only postpone the class placement for a whole year, but now school has started for half a month, and class has not yet started and will be delayed for another week..."


    Shi An blinked and asked, "Eh? Isn''t it good?"


    Wouldn''t that give him more time to sleep and play games?


    Lin Yanming: "..."


    I knew I shouldn''t have expected you to be motivated!


    Outside the auditorium.


    Obviously, the notice from the academy was also conveyed to the parents who came to watch the ceremony.


    Many people have already picked up their own children and left, one after another.


    After separating from Lin Yanming, Shi An stood there, looked around, and frowned in confusion.


    Um? Didn''t the old butler come?


    At this moment, a majestic and indifferent voice came from behind him.


    "Shi An, what are you looking for?"


    When Shi An turned his head and looked in the direction of the voice, he saw a gloomy middle-aged man standing not far away, frowning at him.


    He seemed a little familiar, as if Shi An had seen him somewhere...?


    "Who are you?" Shi An asked suspiciously.


    The middle-aged man''s expression turned dark in an instant; he took a deep breath slowly, and gritted his teeth and said, "Shi An, have you made enough trouble? Don''t think that because I tolerated you the first time, I will tolerate you again the second time. ¡ª"


    This tone... was also very familiar.


    Shi An turned his head to look at Shi Rui, who was walking in this direction, and suddenly realized.


    Oh, it seemed to be his nominal father, whom he met twice at that banquet before.


    ...But he didn¡¯t seem to be an important character.


    So he didn''t remember at all.


    "Father."


    Shi Rui analyzed Shi Zechun¡¯s face with a glance and called him politely.


    Shi Zechun''s face finally looked better.


    With a "hmm", he raised his hand and pressed Shi Rui''s shoulder: "I heard about the class placement, don''t worry, when the class placement is done after the end of this school year, with your qualifications, you won''t be buried."


    Shi Rui nodded and smiled, "Thank you, father."


    After finishing speaking, Shi Zechun turned to look at Shi An, and his tone instantly became cold.


    "As for you..."


    His emotionless gaze paused for a second on Shi An, and he sneered, "Just don''t embarrass me too much."


    Shi An thought for a while and asked, "How can I embarrass you?"


    Shi Zechun: "..."


    His tone was not like he wanted to avoid it with sincerity and fear, but more like¡ª


    He was eager to try?


    Fuck.


    Shi Zechun felt a nameless fire rise again in his heart.


    For some reason, his eldest son always seemed to know how to provoke him easily.


    But before he had time to get angry, a cold and low voice came from not far away:


    "Mr. Shi."


    Shi Zechun was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look behind him.


    He saw Mu Heng standing not far away, his silver hair was meticulously tied behind his head, and he was gazing over at them.


    Shi Zechun was stunned.


    "Mu, Chief Mu?!"


    His attitude changed, and his tone even brought a bit of surprise and panic.


    "May I ask what you are looking for¡ª"


    Mu Heng''s eyes shifted slightly, and his heavy gaze fell on Shi An.


    "Can I borrow some time from your eldest son?"


    ¡ª¡ªThis was something Shi Zechun really did not expect.


    He was stunned for a while, as if he couldn''t believe his ears, and it took him a long time to realize that he was not hallucinating.


    That Chief Mu took the initiative to talk to Shi An, his own useless son?


    Under Mu Heng''s silent gaze, Shi Zechun stammered and replied, "Yes, of course there is no problem."


    After answering, he immediately pulled Shi Rui and walked away quickly.


    Although Shi Zechun really wanted to know what Mu Heng wanted to talk about with Shi An, he was also very conscious that the other party obviously needed to talk to Shi An alone, and he wouldn''t stay so rudely.


    But before taking two steps away, Mu Heng''s cold and calm voice still entered his ears.


    "...You still didn''t contact me in the end."


    Shi Zechun''s feet staggered.


    He could hardly control the collapse of his expression, showing a look of shock.


    What was this situation? !


    When did Shi An get so close to that Chief? !


    And the most important thing was that the tone of his voice was indifferent and distant like always, but when he said those words, why did they sound so strange?


    We haven¡¯t met for a few days, what happened? !


    Shi Rui, who was being dragged along by him, also heard that sentence.


    Just as he had guessed, Shi An did not call Mu Heng after he evaded the message.


    But what Shi Rui didn''t expect was...


    Mu Heng would actually come in person because of this!


    You must know what status Mu Heng had and what status Shi An had.


    In what way did Shi An deserve this?


    Shi Rui couldn''t help clenching the roots of his teeth so hard that he could almost feel the pain.


    Shi An stood there, blinking a little blankly.


    ¡­Huh?


    What?


    What was this shiny human talking about?

 CH 23.2

    In Fact, There Was Nothing Wrong with Stealing a Human (2)


    He looked at Mu Heng with an unadulteratedly bewildered look on his face, as if he had no idea what the other party was talking about.


    Mu Heng couldn¡¯t help frowning: ¡°The hospital didn¡¯t give you my number?¡±


    Shi An was stunned for a moment. He thought about it, and suddenly recalled,


    ¡°Ah, that!¡±


    The note given to him by the nurse at the front desk of the hospital!


    He scratched his head.


    ¡°Is that your number?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Mu Heng spoke straight to the point.


    ¡°The accident at the school was caused by the expansion of the abyss crack. You should already know about that, but there is one thing we have concealed. During this mission, we discovered a trace of a fantasy species that has been extinct for thousands of years.¡±


    He looked at Shi An with deep blue eyes and an unpredictable expression.


    ¡°It was a dragon.¡±


    ¡°!¡± Shi An was shocked.


    ? ? ?


    Was he exposed?


    That shouldn¡¯t be right!!


    Shi An hurriedly recalled the situation carefully.


    After that brief recovery, he didn¡¯t seem to have done anything too outrageous recently, and he has tried very hard to restrain his desire to hoard, let alone to stare at the other party uncontrollably. Mu Heng shouldn¡¯t have any reason to look for him?


    The only thing Shi An wasn¡¯t clear about was if he changed back from a dragon to a human before he was rescued by Mu Heng.


    The urge wanted to ask the demon insect.


    But¡­ since Mu Heng was already standing in front of him, the insect must be playing dead, so it for sure couldn¡¯t answer him.


    While Shi An was thinking hard, he heard Mu Heng continue:


    ¡°We suspect that the dragon was trying to take you away.¡±


    The giant dragon himself standing in front of him: ¡°¡­¡±


    Huh? ? ? ?


    Mu Heng continued, ¡°Because of fear of causing unnecessary panic, this matter is now a secret. Even within the Administration, there are fewer people who know about it than fingers on my hand.¡±


    He lowered his silver-white eyelashes, and his eyes shone like the sky above the snow field.


    Mu Heng¡¯s brows and eyes were etched deeply into his fance, and when he stared at a person intently, he always emitted a sword-like power that made him almost impossible to refuse.


    ¡°So I can only use my own personal name and hope to get your help.¡±


    ¡°¡ªThis may be the key to hunting the dragon.¡±


    The giant dragon himself who was being hunted: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An blinked and finally figured out in his mind why the other party came to him.


    Mu Heng did not discover that Shi An was a dragon. Rather, he suspected that Shi An was the one who was taken away by the dragon, that is, the role of the legendary princess.


    Shi An was very angry.


    This was pure stereotype!


    Why did everyone think dragons liked to steal princesses!


    As the only abyss dragon in the world, Shi An could pat his chest and say that he didn¡¯t like princesses at all, he just liked shiny treasures!


    Before he fell asleep, he had encountered such a misunderstanding.


    A human kingdom paid tribute to him, hoping to exchange their submission for his blessing.


    After Shi An got the news, he went happily.


    But there was no gold and silver jewelry that he fancied sitting on the altar, only a blonde beauty, who seemed to be the princess of their country.


    At that time, Shi An was so angry that he turned his head and flew away, and he never went back despite the country¡¯s summons.


    ¡ª¡ªDid you think he was not tired from flying all the way there! !


    He gave up precious sleep time for that!


    Since then, Shi An had hated this stereotype.


    They didn¡¯t put out so much shiny treasure, so what was the point of hoarding a weak human!


    Did humans think they were stupid!


    The expression of the young man in front of him gravitated between happy and angry for a while, and he didn¡¯t know what to think.


    But what Mu Heng was sure of was that the other party was definitely distracted.


    He took a deep breath and asked again, ¡°So what? Your answer?¡±


    Shi An was called back from the mind-wandering.


    From the beginning, he tried his best to avoid looking directly at the human being in front of him so as not to be tempted again.


    But now, Shi An subconsciously raised his head and looked in the direction of his voice.


    And then was immediately dazzled by the other party¡¯s shiny appearance¡ª¡ª


    In fact, there was nothing wrong with stealing a human


    If the human kingdom had paid him a sacrifice like Mu Heng, he would have been willing to accept it.


    Shi An thought without restraint.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Obviously, the other party did not hear his words at all, but fell into the same sluggish state as before.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself down and said, ¡°Are you still listening?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Oh, um.¡±


    He regained his senses and carefully recalled what Mu Heng had just asked.


    Although he had not recovered his strength yet and could not kidnap and hoard him back to his collection, he really, really, really wanted to stay next to this shiny treasure for longer.


    But Shi An knew very well that the other party was obviously his main threat.


    Cooperate?


    Must be dreaming.


    He looked at Mu Heng and shook his head extremely perfunctorily.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Mu Heng quirked an eyebrow.


    For some reason, he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    Although that guy Zhuo Fu swore that Shi An would never refuse his benefactor¡¯s request, Mu Heng didn¡¯t think so.


    Even though they had only met a few times, Mu Heng had a strange premonition.


    The other party was not the type who would be bound by secular moral values.


    Mu Heng stared at the young man in front of him.


    With ebony hair and striking eyes, a slender stature and pale, fair skin, he was a rare beauty.


    He was also a rare trouble.

 CH 23.3

    In Fact, There Was Nothing Wrong with Stealing a Human (3)


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Mu Heng nodded calmly.


    Shi An said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    He took a few steps, but when he turned his head, he found that Mu Heng was still following behind him: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°Mm.¡±


    He was still indifferent and aloof, as if he didn¡¯t mind Shi An¡¯s ruthless rejection just now.


    ¡­but there seemed to be something strange.


    Shi An was speechless.


    He was not the type to be very articulate, and he was not good at dealing with complex humans. In the face of humans who went their own way, Shi An could only be in a fluster.


    At this moment, the Shi family¡¯s father and son, who had been observing this side from a distance, greeted him.


    Shi Zechun asked, ¡°Are you finished with the dog?¡±


    Mu Heng nodded naturally.


    ¡°For now.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    What did he mean for now!


    He knew that this human did not take his rejection to heart just now!


    Shi Zechun asked cautiously, ¡°Since this is the case, do you have time to come to our humble house for a light meal?¡±


    When asking this question, Shi Zechun did not expect Mu Heng to agree at all.


    After all, it was Mu Heng!


    Apart from missions, he never participated in any communication. Even the most powerful and prestigious family would not dare invite him. This time, it was shocking that he agreed to the invitation of the Ability Academy. Out of the parents who attended the ceremony, who knew how many were trying to build a relationship with Mu Heng. With the status of the Shi family, it was impossible to successfully invite him¡­


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mu Heng replied.


    Shi Zechun: ¡­?


    Wait, he agreed? Was he for real?


    Shi An was sitting in the back seat, listening to the sound of Shi Zechun¡¯s excitement in front of him.


    The other party was calling the house at the moment, and it seemed that he was instructing the chefs and servants to prepare a dinner party of the highest standard.


    Mu Heng had his own car, so he didn¡¯t go with them.


    He just said that he was going to deal with some chores next, and he would see them in the evening.


    Shi Rui, who was sitting in the back seat with Shi An, had an unmistakable friendly smile on his face, and asked Shi An without a trace, ¡°Older Brother, I think you have a good relationship with Chief Mu?¡±


    Shi An glanced at him indifferently.


    Giant dragons were a race of vengeance, especially against those dirty manipulators.


    Although it was difficult to get rid of him because the other party is too close to him, this did not prevent Shi An from treating him harshly.


    What¡¯s more, he was still in a bad mood.


    Shi An said coldly, ¡°Who is your older brother?¡±


    Shi Rui didn¡¯t expect that the other party would be so disrespectful. The smile on his face froze involuntarily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business who I have a good relationship with.¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    No, Shi An¡¯s attitude towards him was not so bad before, could it be that¡­


    Impossible, there was absolutely no trace of his machinations.


    He didn¡¯t dare to talk to Shi An again.


    He made up his mind secretly to go talk to Duan Hua again.


    After no one disturbed him, Shi An fell back into the listless state he had been in just now.


    The insect secretly encouraged him in his sleeve.


    ¡°Sir, it doesn¡¯t matter, you did a good job! As long as you don¡¯t agree, I believe that Mu Heng can¡¯t force you to help!¡±


    Shi An replied lazily.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hm.¡±


    Although it was said¡­


    But he didn¡¯t know why, he just had a feeling.


    That shiny human being didn¡¯t seem to be the type to give up so easily.


    When the car reached the Shi property, Shi Zechun¡¯s attitude towards Shi An was obviously several grades better than before¡ªit was almost considered pleasant.


    ¡°I just asked the servants to pack up your previous room, and you will move in later. Come back and live in the main house, I have to prepare downstairs, you can go upstairs first to familiarize yourself with the environment.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Moving here?


    He didn¡¯t think about it, and refused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Shi Zechun¡¯s smile froze, but he didn¡¯t get angry immediately.


    ¡°What nonsense, you are also a member of our Shi family anyway, and now you should also go back to the main house. I was too busy a while ago and forgot to make arrangements. .¡±


    Before Shi An had time to speak, Shi Zechun took the lead.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to make some more arrangements.¡±


    He beckoned to Shi Rui.


    ¡°Take your brother to his room.¡±


    After speaking, Shi Zechun hurriedly turned and left.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hey, I want to go back to sleep with the treasure.


    Shi Rui did not call Shi An his brother this time.


    ¡°Come on, Shi An, I¡¯ll take you to the second floor.¡±


    Shi An lowered his head and followed slowly.


    After bringing the other party to the room, Shi Rui didn¡¯t dare to do any more unnecessary things, but just left.


    Shi An turned around and looked at the room in front of him.


    The lights were not turned on, and an almost chaotic darkness enveloped the empty room. The bed was neat, the flat sheets were wrinkle-free, and there was a thin layer of dust on the table. Everything looked like it had been forgotten in time.


    There was a picture on the wall. It depicted someone who looked like Shi An in the past.


    There was dust all over the place and it looked like it wasn¡¯t tidy.


    Obviously, the servant was not very concerned about the eldest young master who had returned to his room.


    But Shi An didn¡¯t mind either.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t going to really live back here.


    Shi An threw himself on the bed and buried himself face down.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ouch.¡±


    A muffled cry of pain came from the pillow.


    Shi An raised his head aggrievedly, and groped under the sheet pressed under him.


    ¡°It¡¯s so weird.¡±


    After a few seconds, he took out a small box that looked very old and decrepit.


    It was only the size of a palm, and it looked inconspicuous, but there was a hidden trace of magic power on it, which did not seem to be a common product.


    Eh?


    Shi An sat up straight and stared curiously at the thing that was hidden by the human who used to live here.


    What was this?


    He tugged at the lid of the box, but the lid was so fastened that it didn¡¯t move at all.


    Shi An frowned impatiently.


    A layer of hard scales suddenly coated his fingertips, flashing a sharp cold light in the dimly lit room.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s fingertips violently smashed the lid of the box.


    Immediately afterwards, a puff of dark smoke gushed out, engulfing the entire room in the blink of an eye.


    A sinister, low voice sounded from all directions, saying in the ancient language, ¡°Here again, fresh food¡ª¡±


    ¡°Food?¡±


    The boy raised a pair of dark eyes and pinpointed the opponent¡¯s position in the darkness.


    He smiled very novelly.


    ¡°Talking to me?¡±

 CH 24.1

    It was a dragon! There was a fucking dragon! AHHHHHH! (1)


    A hoarse laughter came from the thick black fog, ¡°Naturally¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, it suddenly realized something, and the voice suddenly stopped, ¡°Wait, can you understand me?¡±


    Shi An smiled and replied in the same language:


    ¡°Who else?¡±


    His voice had a peculiar rhythm, the articulation was clear, as if he were singing some kind of long-forgotten song.


    The black fog paled in shock.


    This was impossible!


    The language it spoke in was so ancient that it did not believe an ordinary human being could understand it.


    After carefully looking at the human being in front of him for a few seconds, the black fog couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Shi An looked slightly doubtful.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    The black fog fell into a deep shock.


    The reason it can recognize this human was because¡­ he did a deal with this human.


    And now that the transaction had been successful, how could he appear in front of him in such a vigorous manner again?


    Shi An showed a thoughtful look, ¡°No, it should be the other one.¡±


    The other one? What did that mean?


    Why didn¡¯t it understand?


    An overwhelming sense of unease struck the black fog, as if something were beyond its control.


    Under the stimulation of fear, the black fog decided to cut through the mess with a quick knife, strangling the threat in the cradle¡ª¡ª


    Although the other party could understand his own language, the smell on his body was just like a human, with a warm body temperature, flesh, and bones, and since it is flesh and blood, it could definitely become his own food!


    ¡°No matter what you say, just die!¡±


    Its voice was cold and evil, echoing in the space like an ice blade.


    The amount of turbulent dark smoke in the room suddenly skyrocketed!


    All the light was swallowed up in an instant, leaving only the endless darkness, like a slowly rotating vortex, with a strong pulling force that confused people.


    The whole room seemed to fall into another dimension in an instant, dominated by an invisible huge force.


    Low whispers sounded from all directions, quietly approaching the boy in the dark center.


    ¡­


    Go to sleep.


    Go to sleep.


    Fall into eternal slumber, fall into boundless dreams¡­


    Against the backdrop of the huge smoke around him, the human boy looked extremely fragile and small.


    As the sound continued, he lowered his head little by little and sat silently in the middle of the darkness, as if he had been successfully captured by a deadly trap.


    The black fog breathed a sigh of relief.


    It worked.


    Although there was no deal and it was impossible to eat the soul of the other party, but he thought it was not bad to change his taste occasionally and eat some bloody food.


    A huge mouth opened silently in the smoke, and his throat was like a dark abyss, rushing towards the boy.


    In the next second, the black fog felt that he was being strangled by his throat.


    It was caught off guard and squeaked miserably.


    ? ? ?


    What happened?


    The black fog looked down in horror.


    It saw that the finger joints belonging to humans were slender and fair-skinned, and at this moment, they were tightly pinching the position below its mouth.


    When did he-?


    The young man in front of him raised his dark eyes, and a scorching scarlet fire speckled with gold flashed in the depths of his eyes.


    He thought about it and asked,


    ¡°This is it?¡±


    The black fog: ¡°¡­¡±


    Angered by the contempt in the other party¡¯s tone, the black fog let out an angry bellow.


    It tried to fight back, but for some reason, its body seemed to be fixed by some extremely powerful force and could no longer move.


    Shi An laughed softly.


    Immediately afterwards, the black fog felt as if the body he was holding was being burned by flames, and the burning sensation imprinted in the depths of his soul made it uncontrollably scream:


    ¡°It¡¯s hot! It¡¯s hot! I¡¯m going to die of these burns!¡±


    With its screams, the darkness surrounding it was instantly diluted and shrunk, slowly revealing the original appearance of the room.


    ¡°So you look like this.¡± Shi An smirked.


    The black fog was still trying to struggle, and it shouted fiercely: ¡°You better let me go, or else I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Shi An interrupted it, ¡°You should be a soul-type monster, right?¡±


    The black fog was startled.


    How could a human who was only eighteen or nineteen know about soul-type monsters?


    They had been extinct on the mainland for tens of thousands of years!


    Shi An tilted his head, ¡°Then, how about you take a closer look at me?¡±


    The same strange ominous feeling originated in the depths of the black fog¡¯s soul.


    The black fog controlled his instinct to retreat, opened his spiritual eyes in fear, and looked at the human in front of him¡ª¡ª


    The black fog: ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    It, it saw¡­


    Those red vertical pupils flecked with gold, the huge and terrifying figure, the breath like hell fire¡ª¡ª


    It was a dragon! There was a fucking dragon! AHHHHHH!


    Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 CH 24.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 24.2


    It was a dragon! There was a fucking dragon! AHHHHHH! (2)


    The demon insect lying in Shi An''s sleeve listened with schadenfreude and turned over in extreme comfort.


    Haha, this feels cool!


    Shi An pointed to himself, "Have you ever made a deal with this human?"


    "¡ªAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" The black fog was still screaming.


    Shi An pinched it hard with his fingertips.


    "Peep." The black fog shut up.


    Shi An shook it and asked impatiently, "Answer me now."


    The black fog shivered and said tremblingly, "Y-yes"


    Shi An nodded.


    No wonder.


    He knew that the human Shi An would not have the ability to find a way to summon a giant dragon on his own.


    However, this did not solve all of Shi An''s doubts.


    He was about to continue asking when he heard Shi Zechun''s extremely penetrating joyful voice coming from downstairs.


    Although it wasn''t very clear what he said, Shi An immediately understood what was going on downstairs - here came Mu Heng!


    "Sir, you..." the black fog continued cautiously.


    But before it could finish speaking, the young man in front of it suddenly tightened his fingers and shoved it back into the previous small box.


    The black fog stared at the inside wall of the familiar box in front of him and fell silent: "..."


    ?


    Shi An pulled the demon insect out of his sleeve and said, "Watch it, don''t let it run away."


    In persecuting the same kind, the demon insect was very active.


    It was gearing up and cheerfully replied, "No problem!"


    As soon as the order was finished, there was a knock on the door.


    Shi Rui''s voice came through the door.


    "The guest is here, father asked me to call you down."


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Downstairs.


    In order to welcome Mu Heng, the Shi family prepared a dinner party of the highest standard. Everyone was ready to wait on the guests, and even the father and son of the Shi family changed their clothes and seemed to be low-key, but they were actually quite classy and suitable for formal occasions. They waited with smiles on their faces at the door.


    Mu Heng stepped into the hall.


    His eyes swept around the hall without a trace, but he couldn''t fail to see the familiar figure.


    After a brief exchange, Mu Heng asked directly, "Where''s Shi An?"


    Shi Zechun''s smiling face froze.


    Although it was inconceivable, his previous conjecture was confirmed, the reason why Mu Heng agreed to their invitation this time was because of his eldest son, who was not a success.


    What was it about Shi An that attracted this important man? After all the calculations, only that face could still be used.


    Was it...?


    Shi Zechun was the first to deny this possibility in his heart.


    Impossible.


    What level of character is Mu Heng? As long as he wanted, there would be no shortage of beauties of any type around him.


    Shi An, who only looked somewhat good on the surface level? Absolutely impossible.


    But¡­¡­


    Shi Zechun''s face raised a smile again, "I have already sent someone to call him to come down here."


    But¡ª¡ªif Shi An really had  this ability, whether it were relying on his face or something else, to let the Shi family join Mu Heng''s line... He was still very willing to reclaim this son who had been disappointing him all the time.


    Shi Zechun smiled and led Mu Heng into the seat while thinking with satisfaction in his heart.


    Behind the maid, Shi An walked into the hall one step at a time.


    He was still wearing his school outfit, his brows were drooping listlessly, and he looked haggard.


    Shi Zechun enthusiastically pulled him over and placed him in a position close to Mu Heng: "You sit here."


    Shi An inexplicably glanced at this fickle human being.


    This person was too strange, he changed expressions faster than flipping pages of a book.


    He stood there and shook his head, "No."


    Shi Zechun was stunned, "What?"


    He couldn''t hold the smile on his face. He didn''t expect his eldest son to be so ignorant and rude in front of Mu Heng.


    Shi Zechun stretched out his hand and grabbed Shi An''s arm, scolding with dark intent,


    "You child, what nonsense are you talking about..."


    He tugged, but Shi An didn''t move.


    Although the young man in front of him looked slender, he seemed to be solid, and Shi Zechun almost used all his strength to pull him, but there was no sign of movement.


    He raised his eyes, and Shi Zechun stopped for a second when his eyes were dark, with a look of pure puzzled doubts in the depths of his eyes,


    "Nonsense? What nonsense"


    Shi Zechun could almost hear the sound of his mental springs snapping in anger.


    But because of Mu Heng, his face still maintained a smile, but it looked ugly and reluctant, almost distorted, "You¡ª"


    At this moment, Mu Heng said:


    "It¡¯s alright."


    His voice was low and cold, easily breaking the stagnant atmosphere at the moment.


    Mu Heng raised his eyes, a pair of eyes as calm as a lake fixedly looked at the young man not far away.

 CH 24.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 24.3


    It was a dragon! There was a fucking dragon! AHHHHHH! (3)


    "You can sit anywhere."


    Now that Mu Heng had spoken, Shi Zechun couldn''t hold on, so he let go of Shi An''s wrist.


    Mu Heng continued, "But I want to know, why don''t you want to sit in that position?"


    Shi Zechun''s heart instantly raised into his throat.


    He has seen Shi Ann''s ability to make people angry. His son didn¡¯t pay attention to occasions and common sense, and he didn¡¯t save face.


    Shi An thought about it and decided to tell the truth.


    "You''re so beautiful, I''ll be distracted sitting next to you."


    ¡ª¡ªIf you were bedazzled by the other party''s shiny appearance, it would be troublesome if you accidentally agreed to the other party''s request.


    "Cough cough cough cough!!!"


    Shi Zechun couldn''t control his expression. He choked on his saliva and let out an earth-shattering cough.


    Mu Heng was also startled.


    The reason he asked this question was very simple. He was a little curious as to why the other party rejected his invitation earlier, and whether there was any hidden meaning in it.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was completely unexpected for him to get such an answer.


    Mu Heng was no stranger to praise and acclaim.


    He didn¡¯t know how many people have praised and admired his strength, ruthlessness, and power in person.


    He was also no stranger to the jealousy, envy, utility, and fear hidden behind those compliments.


    But a compliment that was simple and straightforward to the point of offense.


    It was the first time that Mu Heng heard something like it.


    But unexpectedly, it was hard for him to say he hated it.


    Seeing the suddenly strange atmosphere in the hall, Shi An blinked blankly.


    Did he say something wrong?


    He recalled it carefully, but found nothing.


    He didn¡¯t seem to say anything strange!


    Don''t people like the word "beautiful" nowadays?


    However, when Shi An walked towards the position at the end, Shi Zechun did not stop him this time.


    The people at the table who had other motives didn¡¯t taste the food.


    The only one who was happy was probably Shi An.


    In his current position, he was able to appreciate the shiny mans to his fullest without being influenced by the other party, and because of the distance, he wouldn''t get caught up in conversations that he couldn''t handle.


    And more importantly...


    This meal was really delicious! ! !


    Shi An felt that he had eaten a lot of delicious food during his time in human society, and the quality of the food tonight was still beyond his imagination.


    Was this what money tasted like!


    After the meal was over, Shi An hiccupped happily.


    Watching the dishes on the table being removed, he suddenly realized that Mu Heng didn''t mention the previous incident during the whole dinner party.


    Did he give up?


    Shi An looked in the direction of Mu Heng suspiciously.


    He could see that at that time, Shi Zechun would probably not refuse any of Mu Heng''s requests.


    If he mentioned it lightly at the table, Shi Zechun would agree without asking Shi An at all and would even tie Shi An up in a fancy package with a bow on top to send him over.


    In order not to resist excessively and cause suspicion, Shi An might have to bite the bullet and agree.


    Mu Heng seemed to sense Shi An''s gaze and looked at him.


    His eyes were so beautiful.


    Shi An lost his concentration.


    He decided that when Mu Heng was made into his figure in the future, he would not put him at the tip of his tail because it seemed too far. The most suitable place to put him in would be the left paw, so that he could see him as soon as he opened his eyes.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze and stood up.


    He straightened the edge of his work gloves and said goodbye to Shi Zechun coldly but without rudeness.


    Shi Zechun gave Shi An a wink.


    Shi An looked back blankly: "...?"


    Shi Zechun winked at him again.


    Shi An thought for a while, then asked suspiciously, "What''s wrong? Are your eyes cramping?"


    Shi Zechun: "..."


    This traitorous son!


    He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice, "Shi An, go send him off."


    Seemingly aware of the awkwardness here, Mu Heng turned his head and looked over.


    In front of him, the servants have helped to open the door. The dark night sky was deep and far away, and the icy moonlight shone silently. Mu Heng''s silver hair was like a burning white flame, shining with a pearly luster.


    Shi An''s eyes flashed, and he subconsciously agreed, "Okay."


    By the time he reacted, it was too late.


    Shi An sighed.


    In the silent night, only he and Mu Heng were left, and the two walked forward together without speaking.

 CH 24.4

    It was a dragon! There was a fucking dragon! AHHHHHH! (4)


    When he was about to walk out the door, the other party took the lead in breaking the silence:


    ¡°Whenever you change your mind, you can contact me anytime.¡±


    With that said, Mu Heng took out a box from his coat pocket and handed it over.


    Shi An took it subconsciously.


    He glanced at it.


    Inside was a weird-looking cube that seemed to be made of glass and steel. It took Shi An two seconds to find relevant information from his poor understanding of human society¡ªit seemed to be something called a cell phone?


    ¡°It has my number in it.¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his icy blue eyes and stared calmly at the young man¡¯s soft curls.


    His voice was low and hoarse, with a bit of metallic coldness and magnetism.


    ¡°Of course, you can ask for any payment.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    At Shi An¡¯s insistence, Shi Zechun finally sent a car to take him back to the small villa where Shi An had been living before.


    After briefly saying hello to the tearful old housekeeper, Shi An went straight to his room.


    After he closed the door, he took out the small box that came back from the Shi Mansion.


    The demon insect reported gloatingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it didn¡¯t escape.¡±


    Sure enough, when the black fog was released, it spilled all the details.


    Human Shi An got this box just before he was about to be driven out of the Shi manor.


    He had not shown any magic fluctuations for several years in a row, and his father¡¯s attitude towards him had become more and more indifferent. At that time, he already knew that he was about to be abandoned and replaced. Out of desperation, under the temptation of the black fog, he agreed to a deal between them.


    He wanted to get great power.


    And the black fog was not a good thing.


    It was just a monster that could eat human souls, not a lamp genie like in fairy tales, so the way it satisfied human desires was to create a similar illusion and feed on humans¡¯ souls when they let down their guards.


    However, when Shi An released it, it had been locked in that box for too long, and in the long years, it had become weak and unable to create any illusions.


    Therefore, the black fog gave Shi An a spell that could fulfill his wish but was absolutely impossible to complete.


    The black fog never thought that this impossible spell was actually completed.


    After all, who the hell knew there were still dragons now! !


    And because Shi An¡¯s own soul dissipated in this successful sacrifice, it didn¡¯t get the slightest food, and could only stew in the dark, quietly waiting for the next victim to appear.


    After listening, Shi An asked,


    ¡°Before the other Shi An let you out? You didn¡¯t know where you were at all?¡±


    The black fog shook his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Shi An picked up the black fog and shook it, ¡°Then how did you know the spell that summons the dragon?¡±


    He frowned suspiciously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have lived that long.¡±


    That spell was ancient even for Shi An, and according to the monster¡¯s self-report, it thought that all fantasy species had disappeared, so logically, it was impossible for it to know this spell.


    The black fog hesitated for a while.


    Demon insect: ¡°Cough!¡±


    It coughed twice, raised its slender legs and wiped its neck, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to spill?¡±


    The black fog was anxious.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you¡ª¡±


    It opened its mouth slowly, wider and wider until it was about to be bigger than its head, and then¡ª¡±Blergh!¡±


    The insect¡¯s face turned green.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I fucking told you to talk, not vomit!


    The black fog squirmed twice and then spit out a book much larger than it.


    Shi An picked up a corner of the book with his fingertips in disgust.


    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±


    ¡°I swallowed it down before I was locked in this small box.¡± The black fog continued weakly, ¡°There were so many books outside at that time, I just wanted to swallow one, maybe there was a way to escape. So I picked the one that looked the oldest and used the most expensive writing material¡ª¡±


    Generally speaking, the deeper the spell recorded in the older book, the higher the probability of aiding its escape.


    But it grew more and more sad, and cried out in a hoarse voice:


    ¡°Who would have thought that everything in there was about dragons!!!¡±


    Moreover, why would someone use such expensive enchanted paper to write a book that records the dragon race, appearance, habits, and even the time of molting!


    Was this some kind of fetish? !


    Insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    It suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    At this time, the insect couldn¡¯t care less about the unsavory appearance of the book.


    It scrambled up to the thick book, slammed the cover open with its thin legs, and searched eagerly for any location where useful information might appear.


    The insect suddenly stopped.


    His gaze fell on the end of the page, and he saw a dark red handwriting written on the browning yellow page. The brushstrokes were complicated, and it seemed to use a variant of some ancient script.


    Although the insect didn¡¯t know much about ancient languages, it could recognize the word according to modern-day language. The word was¡ª


    Mu.

 CH 25.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 25.1


    "Dragons¡¯ Mating Cycles and Heats" (1)


    Looking at the word not far away, the insect fell silent: "..."


    Fuck, it really was your family!


    Shi An stopped the action of stretching and squeezing the black fog in the screaming and came over.


    "What happened?¡±


    The demon insect just remembered that he didn''t seem to have told Shi An about the rumor about Mu Heng.


    After all, it wasn''t sure at the time whether the dragon slayer''s statement was a catch-all, but now...


    The insect looked down at the hardcover tome under his feet, and the corners of his mouth twitched.


    Ah, basically stable.


    Unexpectedly, there would be a family obsessed with dragons to such an extent that they would use expensive enchanted paper to record such useless things.


    It cleared its throat and looked at Shi An solemnly, "Sir, there is something I need to tell you."


    Shi An was infected by the other party''s serious attitude and sat up involuntarily.


    He squeezed the black fog.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Black fog: "..."


    I¡¯m suffocatingggggggg!


    After five minutes.


    Shi An threw away the dying black fog and asked thoughtfully, "So, do you think Mu Heng is actually a dragon slayer?"


    The demon insect nodded solemnly.


    "Yes."


    It sighed and gritted its teeth, "I originally thought that after all the fantasy species disappeared, all the human families related to the fantasy species also declined, but I didn''t expect that one actually remained... and it was the most troublesome dragon slayer! Your lord, this Mu Heng is definitely a threat to you..."


    Shi An: "Threat?"


    He tilted his head and asked, "Do you think humans can threaten me?"


    The insect was stuck.


    According to common sense, this answer was absolutely no. After all, no matter how powerful humans were, they were powerless to fight back against fantasy species, especially the dragons with the peak force in the fantasy species.


    But things were different now!


    Dragon slayers and dragons were destined enemies, and such things as fate cannot be explained by logic and common sense!


    But looking at the harmless young man in front of him, the insect finally chose to suck up to his leader¡ª¡ª


    "No no no, of course not possible! No human being can compare to you!"


    "However," the insect paused and asked tentatively, "That''s a dragon slayer after all. It''s very likely that the ancestors of the human race killed someone who couldn''t match yours. Don''t you plan to take revenge...?"


    Shi An looked at the monster in front of him doubtfully.


    "Vengeance? Why?"


    Demon insect: "Huh?"


    Shi An said matter-of-factly, "The dragons that are killed by humans are not worthy of living in the world."


    Dragons did not have such a strong sense of family. They were all arrogant and selfish creatures. Being killed could only mean that they are too weak. Even if they were not killed by humans, they would be killed by other creatures. In that case, it was better to die early. After all, that would be one fewer competitor for the world¡¯s treasure.


    Demon insect: "..."


    It really didn''t expect that after knowing Mu Heng''s identity, Shi An''s reaction would be so calm.


    The demon insect said cautiously, "Then, how are you going to deal with this Mu Heng?"


    Shi An pondered for a while, then said, "Find a high-quality amber."


    Demon insect: "..."


    It voiced a dry syllable, "Huh?"


    So you are still ready to turn people into collectibles in the end!


    It''s just that it seemes to have changed from an ordinary collectible to a high-end collectibles...but that''s not the point!


    This was not difficult for Shi An to understand.


    After all, whether Mu Heng were a dragon slayer or not, Shi An was not going to let him live.


    Living humans were too troublesome and very unsuitable for collection.


    And most importantly...


    The human lifespan was too short¡ª the longest was only five hundred years. For dragons, that was equivalent to a blink.


    Shi An felt heartbroken at the thought that as time passed, Mu Heng¡¯s beautiful hair and eyes would become dull and cloudy.


    Therefore, it was the perfect option to make a collectable that could be kept forever after killing it!


    The demon insect gave up on reading the dragon''s brain circuit.


    It sighed wearily and climbed down from the thick book, "You, just be happy."


    Shi An''s eyes fell on the tome.


    ...He felt a little disgusted at the thought that it was spit out from the mouth of the black fog.


    Shi An turned his head to look at the black fog that was squatting aside quietly, trying to reduce his sense of existence, and then reached out and grabbed it.


    The black fog: "Huh?"


    Immediately afterwards, it felt its body being crushed and pulled violently, and then... like a rag, it was used to wipe the book cover.


    The black fog screamed, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"


    The demon insect squatted aside, showing a schadenfreude smile.


    Is this what it felt like when the victim was not himself?


    Haha, so cool.


    Two minutes later, Shi An finally let go of the dying black fog, and picked up the book without any psychological obstacles.


    The black fog was ruthlessly thrown aside.


    It dragged its pale body and crawled sadly back into the small box where it had been for tens of thousands of years.


    If God gave it a second chance, it would rather never be released!

 CH 25.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 25.2


    "Dragons¡¯ Mating Cycles and Heats" (2)


    Shi An turned the pages of the book.


    Not paper, but a specially tanned monster skin, and then through complex enchantments, it could be preserved for a long time.


    This book is almost as old as he was. Although it used the common language of the human world at that time, it would be almost unreadable by today''s human beings, but for Shi An, there was basically no reading impediment.


    Shi An stared at the text above, showing a look of nostalgia.


    He sat on the bed and turned a page at random.


    "..The number of scales on a dragon?" Shi An frowned.


    What the hell.


    He turned a few pages back impatiently, and read from the middle of the page¡ª


    "Detailed classification and living habits of giant dragons"..."Bathing methods of giant dragons"..."Colors preferred by different dragons"...


    The more Shi An looked, the more wrong he felt.


    He turned straight to the second half of the book.


    "Development stages of dragons"..."How dragons find mates"... ¡°Dragons¡¯ senses of aesthetics"...


    Shi An: "..."


    The sound of his page turning was astonishingly loud.


    The demon insect squatted on the side quietly like a chicken but couldn''t help but secretly look in the direction of Shi An curiously.


    The speed of the young man turning the book was getting faster and faster, and his expression was gradually getting worse, and it seemed that he was on the verge of erupting¡ª¡ª


    Shi An looked at the chapter in front of him and fell silent.


    "Dragon''s Mating Cycles and Heat"


    "Dragonial Procreation and Inter¡ª"


    With a loud "bang", Shi An slammed the book shut with a grim expression on his face as if he were about to set the book on fire.


    The demon insect shrank back silently, trying to get out of the area affected by Shi An''s anger.


    Shi An''s eyes have completely turned into vertical red slits, lines of scales faintly appeared on his cheeks, and the tips of his ears also became red as fire for some reason.


    Only to hear him say fiercely,


    "Perverts!"


    Demon insect: "..." Fuck, so curious.


    What could be written in that book!


    Shi An murderously glared at the black fog and gritted out word by word, "Have you finished reading this book?"


    The black fog: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Er, I¡¯d love to say I didn¡¯t¡­


    But after being locked in that small box for tens of thousands of years, it became so bored that it had locked down every word, even the notes on which page and whether there were any creases were clearly remembered.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and leaned closer.


    For the first time, the black fog felt such a strong sense of urgency - if he didn''t say something, he would really be killed!


    At this juncture of life and death, it racked its brains, and finally had an epiphany, screaming, "That! That! Didn''t you ask me where the spell I summoned is! In the last chapter! The last chapter!"


    Shi An calmly glanced at it and finally decided to focus on the most important things first.


    He took a deep breath and, following black fog''s instructions, turned to the last chapter.


    After a brief glance, Shi An suddenly cheered up.


    The person who wrote the book was obviously genuine. There were hardly any major mistakes in the method of summoning dragons written, and the spells and spellcasting methods were very accurate.


    After so much bullshit before, he finally saw something useful.


    If the latter content was so practical...


    Perhaps, this book could really help him regain his original shape!


    Shi An''s eyes were sparkling.


    He turned to the next page with anticipation¡ª


    Gone.


    Gone? ? ? ?


    Shi An blinked dully.


    Impossible!


    According to what he just read, the author still had a lot to write! !


    How could it be gone? ?


    Shi An closed the book in disbelief and looked at the cover of the book¡ª¡ª


    He saw a small golden label branded in an inconspicuous corner on the thick, dark red glossy old book cover:


    First half.


    Shi An: "..."


    There was still a next volume! ! ! !


    His brain was buzzing with anger.


    The demon insect on the side quietly probed over.


    "That...sir, have you found any useful information?"


    Shi An stared at him in a bad mood and growled, "What do you think?"


    At this moment, the black smoke cautiously whispered, "Sir, if this book doesn''t contain what you want, there is actually a book¡ª"


    Shi An: "!"


    He looked over in surprise.


    "Really! Then vomit it out!"


    The black fog looked distinctly embarrassed.


    "Well, I didn''t eat it..."


    Shi An: "..."


    Seeing that the other party was on the verge of anger, the black fog hurriedly continued, "Listen to my explanation! I remembered! Before I was caught and stuffed into this black box, it was in a library, where there were two books like this, and I only swallowed one due to the critical situation! If it hasn''t changed over the years, that book should still be in that library¡ª"


    The insect was startled.


    "Hey, I seem to have heard that the Mu family has a very ancient library, and many of the books in it are preserved from ancient times!"


    "Crack", Shi An broke the railing at the head of the bed.


    The boy''s palm looked so white and slender, but it left five deep gouges in the hard wood, which looked shocking.


    The insects and the black fog immediately quieted down and stepped back silently, for fear of being caught by Shi An in this state.


    Shi An exerted another force, and the bedpost in his palm immediately turned to dust and fell down.


    He said fiercely:


    "That group of perverts! They wrote two books!"


    ¡ª¡ªAnd, and they were illustrated!

 CH 26.1

    As the prefect of the second years, Wang Li was there on the day of the entrance ceremony.


    He originally wanted to find the student who saved him based on the results of the classification, but what he didn¡¯t expect was that due to an accident in the true combat test this year, the school not only did not issue the admission results of the freshmen but also did not divide the classes of different levels as usual. Instead, they set up parallel classes.


    Therefore, Wang Li wanted to use this plan to find someone to declare bankruptcy.


    ¡°Then¡­ what should we do next?¡±


    Zhao She asked helplessly.


    He was also one of the companions who were attacked by the ash crows with Wang Li that day, so he was one of the few people in the entire team who had seen the strength of the mysterious freshman.


    Wang Li stood outside the venue, watching the people coming and going, lost in thought.


    Outside the ash crows¡¯ den that day, they didn¡¯t see the face of that mysterious freshman¡­ Were they going to talk to all the freshmen one by one and recognize people by their voices?


    This method was not only unreliable but also very time-consuming.


    And they were now very pressed for time¡ªalmost every second counted.


    Chen Meng frowned and interjected, ¡°Do we have to find that freshman?¡±


    ¡°I understand that we really have to find a powerful fire wielder this time, but no matter how powerful the person you are talking about, isn¡¯t he still a freshman?¡±


    Zhao She shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°Alas! You weren¡¯t there that day, so you didn¡¯t see it with your own eyes¡­¡±


    The rain of fire seemed to be a divine punishment, and anyone who saw it would not be able to forget it.


    It was a terrifying power. Even now, he seemed to be able to feel the scorching heat that almost  melted his eyeballs¡ªto be honest, Zhao She had a hunch that even if they looked through in the entire academy, there would be no one that could cast such powerful fire magic.


    Apparently Wang Li thought so too.


    That¡¯s why he gave up the original plan to contact senior fire wielders. Even though several other people on the team objected, he still went his own way and insisted on bringing the mysterious freshman into the team.


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Chen Meng sneered disdainfully, not taking Zhao She¡¯s words seriously.


    Even a genius who didn¡¯t go through systematic study and training couldn¡¯t amount to much.


    Wang Li was probably grasping for straws because he was too eager for success.


    At this time, the fourth person in the team, who had not spoken yet, suddenly said,


    ¡°Look! Is the person in the distance Mu Heng?¡±


    What?


    Everyone dazedly subconsciously looked in the direction the other party pointed.


    Even from a long distance away, they saw the man who stood out in the crowd at a glance, not only because of his iconic silver hair but also because of the powerful aura of the other party that could not be ignored. This could be no one else but Mu Heng.


    ¡°The school can actually invite this great god, I really didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, these freshman are really lucky.¡±


    ¡°Lucky? Did you forget the accident of the true combat test?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about another aspect!¡±


    A few people abandoned the idea of


    scouting for new talents and chatted with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Hey, who is Chief Mu talking to?¡±


    To be able to talk to Mu Heng in such a public place, one must be rich and have a high position and great authority.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± A few people turned their heads and looked in that direction, trying to see the face of the person who was talking to Mu Heng.


    Dark hair, pale skin, and a slender figure¡ª he looked pretty young.


    ¡°Ah! I remember!¡± Wu Huancheng suddenly shouted: ¡°It¡¯s that person!¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Several others were startled by him.


    ¡°Shi An! Have you forgotten? Didn¡¯t we discuss him a while ago?¡± Wu Huancheng gestured, ¡°That¡¯s Shi An!¡±


    Chen Meng was startled.


    ¡°That trash who hasn¡¯t been admitted to the exam for several years?¡±


    Although they were not freshmen, they had heard of Shi An¡¯s name. After all, his family donated a whole building to the school but they still didn¡¯t detect magic in him. It was very strange that he passed the test this year, so a heated discussion started in the academy.


    Several people were stunned and looked at each other confusedly.


    Shi An?


    How could it be him?


    How could such a person be qualified to talk to Chief Mu?


    Just as everyone was gossiping, Wang Li turned around with his phone in his hand. His eyes were shining behind his glasses, and he said excitedly, ¡°I know how to find that new student!¡±


    The other three stopped gossiping and looked at him.


    ¡°How?¡±


    Wang Li: ¡°I pulled some strings and asked around. In fact, the results of the freshmen have already been totaled, but due to a system failure, they were not used.¡±


    He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and continued:


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you later to see if I can get the contact information of the highest freshmen from this  session.¡±


    Chen Meng shrugged: ¡°Okay, it¡¯s definitely the best way to find him. I want to see with my own eyes how strong the person you are talking about is.¡±


    As the vice-principal¡¯s nephew, Wang Li had some connections and privileges in the school, such as at this time¡ª


    He took the note from the teacher in front of him with the methods of the top performing freshmen and thanked him respectfully:


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

 CH 26.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 26.2


    "It doesn''t matter."


    The teacher waved his hand to him cheerfully: "Well, these data were not used, so there is no problem with giving them to you."


    "However, I''m a little curious..."


    Wang Li glanced down at the note in his hand and asked with some doubts, "Aren''t these results normal? I can''t see that there is a system failure there?"


    "Huh," at this, the teacher sighed.


    "Because I only gave you the data of normal students. A student whose total score was 0 before the accident soared to 130,000 after the system was repaired! It''s scary, right? None of the tutors expected this result, and the system repair couldn''t find any problems, so they could only use the current solution..."


    Wang Li thought for a while. "What''s the name of that freshman?"


    "He seems to be called Shi An." The teacher replied indifferently.


    Wang Li was startled.


    For some reason, the chatter of several other players outside the venue appeared in his mind.


    Strangely, he asked, "Can you give me his contact information too?"


    Shi An caught the black smoke and shook it: "Do you remember the location of the library?"


    The black smoke was shaken, dizzy and nauseous, and forced out


    "No, I really don''t know!"


    It had been tens of thousands of years. If it had remembered, that would be super strange!


    Shi An stopped and stared at the black smoke in the palm of his hand in confusion.


    "Then what''s the use of you?"


    The demon insect rejoiced and agreed, "That''s right, garbage."


    Black smoke stared at the demon insect as if he wanted to use his own eyes to devour the other party.


    The demon insect relied on the protection of the dragon and insidiously fanned the flames.


    "My lord, I think you should just burn it. No matter how small the mosquito''s legs are, it''s still meat, right?"


    Seeing that Shi An was in deep thought, as if he was seriously thinking about the suggestion of the magic insect, the black smoke panicked.


    "Sir! No no no no! Listen to me! I am useful! Very useful! I... I can help you with reconnaissance and create dream illusions to trap your enemies..."


    Shi An: "Dream illusions?"


    He thought for a while: "Anything works?"


    Black Smoke: "...?"


    But for the sake of life, it still said without hesitation: "Of course! Anything is possible!"


    Shi An pulled apart the black smoke ball like cotton candy.


    "Okay, then tonight I''m going to have a sweet dream with a lot of treasures, oh yes, and a game console and snacks."


    The black smoke: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Don''t fucking use me like that!


    Shi An ruthlessly stuffed it back into the box: "I''ll let you out at night."


    Looking at the black box lid in front of him, the black smoke almost burst into tears.


    Is this my retribution?


    OH MY GOD¡ª


    Shi An threw the box aside and continued to stare fiercely at the thick ancient book placed in the center of the bed as if he wanted to burn a hole in the cover of the book with his own eyes.


    The demon insect crawled over: "Sir, what are you going to do next?"


    Shi An wilted like an eggplant hit by frost. "...I still need the next volume."


    Since the method of summoning the dragon wass in the first volume, the second volume might help him figure out why the summoning spell was successful¡ªafter all, no matter how advanced the modern magic devices were, a human without magic power summoning a real ancient dragon was impossible.


    The demon insect was worried.


    "But, if the black smoke just now is right, the second volume should be in the Mu family''s library, but..."


    Mu Heng was a dragon slayer!


    And he was a dragon slayer who wanted to exterminate the giant dragons!


    Was there a more dangerous place in the world than his library?


    The demon insect suddenly looked like it was scared of a big enemy: "Well, don''t be impulsive! Don''t steal it! Not only do we not know the exact location of the library, but who knows if the Mu Heng family will be protected by some ancient spell. This is too dangerous!"


    Shi An was silent for two seconds.


    After a long time, he sighed and said reluctantly, "Okay."


    Demon Insect: "..." Oh, I knew you were going to use this idea!


    After getting along for so long, it now understood the dragon''s thinking pattern too well.


    If you wanted something, just grab it¡ªeverything in this world was his, anyways.


    Simply unreasonable robber logic.


    Shi An: "Then, there is only one last plan left."


    Insect: "?"


    Shi An reached out and took out a slender box from his pocket, took out the thing made of glass and metal called a mobile phone, and said thoughtfully:


    "Speaking of which, I seem to be able to ask for any payment...?"


    Insect: "Wait..."


    This method was more dangerous! ! !


    It said with difficulty, "Yes, but Mu Heng wants you to help and catch yourself!"


    Shi An was serious: "This is called breaking into the enemy''s interior."


    In short, no matter what means he used, he must get the second volume!


    Shi An''s expression became grim.


    The first volume was already so bad, who knew if there would be anything strange in the second volume!


    So no matter what, such a perverted book must not fall into the hands of others!


    It must be destroyed!


    --------------------

 CH 27.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 27.1


    Inside the Administration Bureau.


    Mu Heng: "How is the research progress?"


    Zhuo Fu shook his head and sighed, "No progress."


    Since that day when the abyss fissure expanded and the giant dragon appeared, the sword seemed to fall into a deep sleep again. Even though Zhuo Fu tried everything he could, there was still no movement. If Zhuo Fu hadn¡¯t seen the fluctuation of the sword¡¯s magical power with his own eyes that day, he would have assumed it was just some ordinary iron block.


    At this time, Zhuo Fu looked at Mu Heng:


    "By the way, I remember you sent someone to search in the direction where the dragon disappeared? Did you find any clues?"


    Mu Heng: "No."


    Zhuo Fu frowned and continued to ask:


    "Then... what happened to Shi An? Did he reply to you?"


    Mu Heng paused and said, "No."


    A look of disappointment appeared on Zhuo Fu''s face.


    Not only did the long sword make no movement, but they also found nothing from the search, and the only witness could not be contacted...


    Every road was blocked, and this was really a dead end.


    He timidly suggested, "If I want to cut a little sample from the sword..."


    Mu Heng looked at him coldly.


    Zhuo Fu took a half step back and replied weakly: "I, I understand, I was just thinking about it!"


    At this time, the sound of a ringtone came from Mu Heng''s coat pocket.


    Mu Heng nodded at Zhuo Fu in farewell and, pulling his phone out of his pocket, turned to leave.


    Zhuo Fu was stunned.


    Generally speaking, the internal communicator would only be used for the release of internal tasks of the Administration Bureau, and the device the other party just pulled out was definitely not the internal communicator.


    Speaking of which, this was the first time he had seen Mu Heng answering a private phone call inside the Bureau.


    After five minutes.


    Mu Heng walked in from the research room.


    He still had that stern look, but his eyes seemed to be blazing.


    "Shi An agreed."


    Zhuo Fu was startled, and it took him two seconds to realize what the other party was saying.


    He immediately jumped up from his seat, overjoyed:


    "Really!"


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the first human to have close contact with a fantasy species!


    He actually agreed to cooperate, which is a great thing!


    An hour later.


    Shi An''s new phone vibrated.


    Under the guidance of the demon insect, he poked the screen awkwardly and connected the phone unskillfully.


    On the other side of the microphone, the man''s low, slightly distorted voice sounded.


    "I have arrived."


    Shi An nodded: "Okay, I''ll be right down!"


    He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.


    The demon insect squatted on the head of the bed, looking at the boy who was preparing to go out in front of him.


    Since this time he was accompanied by Mu Heng to the Administration Bureau, in order not to be discovered, the demon insect could not follow him, and could only be left at home to wait for Shi An to come back.


    It exhorted anxiously:


    "My liege, you must be careful, this is the core department of human beings, human beings are very treacherous, you must not be tricked, in short, everything is as we said before..."


    Shi An replied perfunctorily: "I know, I know."


    He waved at the demon insect: "I''m going out, bye!"


    The demon insect stared at the young man''s back sadly like an old mother watching her child go away.


    Downstairs.


    A car was parked at the door, the back seat window was half open, and a man''s graceful profile was faintly visible.


    Shi An walked straight over, opened the car door, and sat down.


    A warm voice came from the front row: "Hi!"


    Shi An blinked, raised his eyes, and looked forward.


    Zhuo Fu turned his head from the driver''s seat and smiled brightly at Shi An. "Nice to meet you, my name is Zhuo Fu, just call me Brother Zhuo, I should have been waiting for you at the research institute, but I was so excited, so I just followed directly..."


    Mu Heng''s cold voice sounded: "Drive."


    "Okay, okay..."


    Zhuo Fu turned his head reluctantly and made a zipper action in front of his mouth.


    After all, Mu Heng¡¯s condition for Fu Zhou to accompany him was to keep his mouth shut and not make a fuss.


    The vehicle started and moved forward silently.


    Through the rearview mirror, Zhuo Fu looked back curiously.


    Although he didn''t pay attention to what happened outside the bureau, after the dragon appeared in the world, he did some investigation...


    As expected, Shi An did have a rare good face.


    His facial structure was slender, his skin was pale, and the outline of his facial features was excellent, but the innocent round eyes diluted the bright and aggressive lines of the facial features, bringing a bit of cuteness and childishness.


    However, what surprised Zhuo Fu was not this.


    There was an unusual temperament from the boy... It was hard for him to say what it was.


    In short... it seemed that he was different from the rumors.


    When he arrived at the research institute, Zhuo Fu couldn''t wait to drive the other staff out.


    Soon, only the three of them were left in the huge space.


    He suppressed his excitement, coughed lightly, and said, "Let¡¯s, let''s start from the beginning..."


    "What happened before you were trapped?"


    Shi An was sitting on the sofa with a cup of steaming tea in front of him, hands on his knees, looking very well-behaved: "At that time, my roommate and I were trapped in the scorched earth area, and I wanted to go to the center of the area to find the scorched earth¡¯s emergency exit, but I unexpectedly encountered a wave of monsters..."


    Zhuo Fu straightened his back, looked intently at the young man in front of him, and held his breath subconsciously:


    "And then?"


    Shi An¡¯s face didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Then, I don''t remember."


    Zhuo Fu: "..."


    Huh?


    He was silent for a while, then asked incredulously, "What? Don''t remember? What do you mean?"


    Shi An thought for a while and replied, "It means that I was in the hospital when I opened my eyes again."


    ¡°Wait wait wait wait wait¡­¡± Zhou Fu massaged his temples. ¡°Then how did you escape from the monsters?¡±


    Shi An gazed at him solemnly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

 CH 27.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 27.2


    ¡°What about the dragon?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Oh, this I remember.¡±


    Fu Zhou: ¡°!¡±


    He perked up again and urged, ¡°Hurry up and spill!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s face didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Very large, very pretty, very dashing!¡±


    Fu Zhou exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! When did you see it?¡±


    Shi An blinked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it¡±


    Zhuo Fu: "?"


    Shi An said seriously, "But I feel that they should be this kind of creature!"


    Zhuo Fu: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    After continuing to question him for 20 minutes, Zhuo Fu finally realized in frustration that he couldn''t get any information from the human mouth in front of him.


    "We... let¡¯s rest for a few minutes and continue later."


    Zhuo Fu said weakly.


    He stood up, walked to Mu Heng who was not far away, and said wearily, "Well, I can''t find out anything about it!"


    Mu Heng nodded calmly, "Yes."


    Looking at the unsurprised expression of the man in front of him, Zhuo Fu was taken aback, "Wait, you wouldn''t have guessed it, right?"


    "No." Mu Heng shook his head.


    "But..." He paused and continued, "I''m not very surprised."


    Zhuo Fu: "What do you mean?"


    He seemed to have thought of something, and was stunned: "Do you mean that the reason why he refused your invitation before was not because he didn''t want to help, but because he knew that he couldn''t help?"


    Mu Heng was noncommittal.


    "Maybe."


    "So that''s the case, and I remember you said that when you saw Shi An in the cave, he was in a coma, so it actually matches what he just said..."


    Zhuo Fu showed a thoughtful look, whispering, "But I think he may not have completely lost his memory."


    Mu Heng raised his long silver eyelashes.


    "Why do you say this?"


    Zhuo Fu: "When I asked him about his memory of dragons, he answered almost without hesitation. Generally speaking, if only from his feelings and impressions, he wouldn¡¯t answer so decisively, so I think he did see a dragon, but perhaps due to the self-protection of the body, he was forced to forget this memory..."


    He touched his chin and continued, "Most people''s impression of dragons is strong and evil, right? But the impressions left in Shi An''s mind are all positive, so I guess..."


    "It''s possible, it''s just possible, it was actually the dragon who rescued Shi An from the tide of monsters.


    So even though he lost the memory of this period, he still had a good impression of dragons. "


    Mu Heng''s eyes darkened. "You mean, a kind dragon?"


    "No, no."


    Zhuo Fu shook his head and denied it.


    "I still maintain my previous opinion. There may be something about this Shi An that attracts dragons..."


    Mu Heng huffed mockingly, "You mean, princess?"


    Zhuo Fu: "Hey! What''s your tone!"


    He said angrily, "Dragons and dragon slayers both exist, why do you say that my guess is wrong!"


    He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and continued,


    "In any case, Shi An is the only clue we can grasp now, so during this time, I will try to evoke his forgotten memories."


    And investigate the Shi family as well.


    Zhuo Fu narrowed his eyes slightly¡ªalthough this family had only just risen during this time, it had unexpectedly rich financial resources. If Shi An really had some kind of bloodline that had not yet been discovered, they could find clues from his family heritage.


    "Oh yes! One more thing."


    Zhuo Fu suddenly thought of something, and his face became solemn.


    "Although we have worked hard to block the news of the dragon''s appearance, the school is also a public area after all, and there should be other people who also witnessed it..."


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked over.


    "Recently, some mercenary gangs have become active, and they seem to be searching for information everywhere, and even many clan forces are just around the corner..." Zhuo Fu frowned tightly.


    A fantasy species that had not appeared in ten thousand years, a giant dragon that was unique in the world, no matter from which perspective, was an extremely rare existence, and it was also a unique and wonderful opportunity.


    Humans who were greedy for profit could not see the terrifying risks behind dragon hunting. What they pay more attention to was the priceless dragon scale and dragon armor, as well as the opportunity to stand out and become famous.


    Although it looked calm now, there were dark tides beneath this peaceful surface, and countless eyes were waiting for an opportunity in the dark.


    "We must be the first to hunt the dragon before it can''t be recovered."


    Zhuo Fu said seriously.


    After all, if the dragon hunting craze appeared, who knew what kind of bloodshed it would cause.


    Zhuo Fu shuddered when he thought about those stupid humans blinded by their immediate interests taking the initiative to seek out legendary existences and rushing to die.


    Mu Heng replied coldly, "You are right."


    His eyes were gloomy, as if some kind of terrifying storm was brewing, and the killing intent revealed a cold light:


    "The dragon is mine."


    "Everyone else who wants to get their hands on it is my enemy."


    After spitting out that bloodthirsty sentence, the man turned and left, his coat streaming out behind him like a rolling black wave.


    Zhuo Fu: "..."


    Wait?


    Was that the meaning of what I said just now?


    That''s right my ass!


    You''re fucking wrong! ! !


    Zhuo Fu turned around tiredly and walked back into the room again.


    The young man still sat upright in the same place, raised a pair of clear and bright eyes to look over, and said obediently,


    "I have cooperated well."


    Zhuo Fu was taken aback for a moment


    "Well... oh, yes, thank you, thank you."


    Shi An tilted his head and asked, "When will the reward be given?"


    "..."


    Zhuo Fu felt his head hurt again.


    ¡ª¡ªFuck, why are you even more difficult to deal with!

 CH 28.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 28.1


    Shi An: "Eh? No payment?"


    Looking at the doubtful face of the young man in front of him, Zhuo Fu felt a lot of psychological pressure.


    But... how did he know what kind of reward Mu Heng had promised the other party!


    Zhuo Fu could only bite the bullet and said, "Well, um, in fact, this matter is not so easy to end, there are still many pieces of information that we have not fully pieced together for the time being, and you may need to continue to cooperate in the future, after everything is over, um, let''s talk about payment."


    Shi An lowered his eyes in disappointment.


    "So it¡¯s like this."


    Zhuo Fu felt that on top of his own psychological pressure, there was another layer of guilt.


    He couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, what did Mu Heng promise you?"


    Shi An thought about it and said, "I haven''t had time to tell him yet."


    At that time, he called and asked, "Is there any payment?"


    Mu Heng replied, "Yes."


    Shi An: "That''s good."


    ¡ª¡ªSo, in this way, he was inexplicably confused.


    "..."


    After listening to Shi An''s story, Zhuo Fu fell silent.


    He didn''t expect that Mu Heng would agree directly without knowing what the other party''s conditions were. Either he was confident enough that he could easily do whatever Shi An asked him to do, or... it was because of his obsession with dragons, deep to the point where he didn¡¯t care about other things at all.


    According to Zhuo Fu''s understanding of Mu Heng, it was very likely that both were true.


    Shi An said with understanding, "Don''t worry, I won''t deliberately make some embarrassing demands. The reward I want is very small."


    It was just a book, plus at least ten tons of gold and silver treasures!


    Looking at the innocent-looking young man in front of him, Zhuo Fu sighed with relief, and couldn''t help reaching out and rubbing the top of the other''s soft hair.


    Oh, what a gracious child!


    *


    Shi An returned to the villa.


    The old butler immediately greeted him and looked over with a worried look, as if he had just returned from some tiger or wolf''s den.


    "Young master, are you okay? Is anyone threatening you?"


    Shi An: "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    The old butler looked Shi An up and down, and after confirming that his arms and legs were in good condition, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and revealed, "By the way, young master, the master called just now."


    Shi An frowned and said impatiently, "What does he want?"


    The housekeeper did not correct Shi An''s extremely disrespectful tone, but sighed and continued earnestly, "Master hopes you will move back today, and someone will be sent to pick you up after a while."


    Shi An yawned: "No."


    Old butler: "But..."


    "Not going.


    At this moment, the sound of an engine stopping came from outside the door, and then the doorbell rang.


    The butler glanced at Shi An, hesitated for a second, then turned around and opened the door.


    Shi Rui stood at the door, still with a gentle and meek look: "Hello, my father asked me to pick up my brother and take him back to the main house."


    Before waiting for the butler to reply, a boy''s impatient voice came from behind him:


    "Ah... it''s so troublesome."


    The butler stepped aside.


    The slender boy walked out from behind him, his brows furrowed, his dark eyes fixed on him.


    There was a look of extreme doubt on his face: "Are you all incapable of understanding human speech?"


    Shi An thought that his accent was fairly standard and there shouldn¡¯t be any language barrier with humans.


    But those two people, one calling him brother with every breath, the other insisting that he move away¡­


    ¡ªthey¡¯re really annoying!


    Shi Rui: "But..."


    The young man in front of him narrowed his eyes slightly, and deep in his dark pupils, a crimson light flashed.


    He smiled, and his beautiful face without any aggression seemed to glow in the sun. His emotionless voice was inexplicably chilling: "But what?"


    For some reason, Shi Rui felt as if something was stuck in his throat.


    His heart rate soared rapidly in a short period of time. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.


    What, what was going on?


    Panicking, Shi Rui looked at Shi An, who wasn¡¯t far away.


    The distance between them was very small, just a few steps wide, but it inexplicably gave Shi Rui a lingering illusion¡ª¡ª


    Between those short steps, there seemed to be a bottomless pitch-black abyss.


    "Some things only need to be said once, don''t make me repeat them all the time."


    Shi An turned around, but his eyes still fell on Shi Rui. In the depths of his dark eyes, there was a little scarlet fire, like a dark fire burning at the bottom of the abyss:


    "Don''t bother me again."


    The boy''s soft tone seemed to be coquettishly complaining, but there was a bit of terrifying coldness in it.


    Shi Rui stood still.


    It wasn''t until Shi An turned around and left, and the door mercilessly closed in front of him, that he finally came back to his senses.


    The sun above his head was blazing hot and burning his shoulders, but it couldn''t dispel the chill from Shi Rui''s body.


    Unable to move for a long time, he looked suspiciously at the closed door in front of him,.


    Was it just... an illusion?


    Shi An, that trash Shi An, why did he have such a terrifying gaze?


    *

 CH 28.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 28.2


    Shi An turned around and returned to the villa.


    He yawned and stretched enormously.


    Although the amount of exercise today was not large, it did not prevent him from going back to sleep.


    Shi An walked upstairs, but before he took a few steps, the phone on the round table beside him rang, and the piercing bell sound reverberated in the empty room.


    Again!


    Shi An''s expression darkened immediately.


    - Those two humans were so annoying! ! Just burn them to crisps!


    He stepped forward menacingly, reached out to answer the phone, and said viciously, "Hello?!"


    The other part of the phone was silent for a while.


    A few seconds later, a familiar-sounding voice sounded from the microphone: "That... Is this Shi An''s house?"


    Eh? It wasn¡¯t Shi Zejun?


    Shi An was startled.


    He hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"


    "Hello, I''m Wang Li." The other party sounded polite and kind.


    "I want to thank you for helping that day¡ª"


    Fuck.


    Shi An remembered.


    This voice was the human being he rescued from the ash crows that day!


    Shi An quickly replied, "Wrong number!"


    Then, he quickly hung up the phone.


    Listening to the busy tone from the microphone, Wang Li took a deep breath and smiled.


    "How was it? Are you sure?" Zhao She probed over and asked curiously.


    Wang Li: ¡°90% sure."


    Zhao She looked unconvinced.


    "Are you serious? Shi An?"


    Although the other people didn¡¯t say anything, judging from their expressions, they probably had exactly the same idea as Zhao She.


    Shi An? That Shi An who the Academy didn¡¯t detect any demon from for three consecutive years and was put into the academy only because of his connections?


    There must have been some misunderstanding here.


    *


    Chen Meng looked down at the score sheet in Wang Li''s hand, and when he saw the string of amazing numbers hanging after Shi An''s name, he couldn''t help but sneer: "No way? You just rely on this? This is the system. Something went wrong, right?"


    Wang Li shook his head: "It''s not entirely based on this."


    Although the voice of the other party was indeed similar, it was difficult to confirm completely based on memory alone, so he tried to deceive him a bit - without knowing any cause and effect, he just hung up the phone so he could avoid a confrontation. This attitude was exactly the same as the mysterious benefactor who saved them that day.


    "Wait¡­¡­"


    Zhao Meng reacted and raised his brows incomprehensibly: "No way, do you think this is Shi An''s real achievement?"


    Wang Li touched his chin and said, "If the person who saved me that day was really him, then I don''t think it''s impossible."


    Several other people stared at the impossible figures in front of them and fell into silence.


    They didn''t believe that Shi An was really the person Wang Li was looking for, but the possibility that Wang Li suggested still surprised them.


    Such a terrible result! What if it were true?


    *


    Shi Zechun glanced behind Shi Rui, who had returned alone, and frowned deeply: "Where''s Shi An? Didn''t you come back with you?"


    Shi Rui returned to his usual perfect appearance at this moment, and he shook his head and said:


    "Father... I''m sorry, brother, he doesn''t want to come back, and, moreover, he said..."


    Shi Zechun: "What did he say?"


    Shi Rui: "He hopes you don''t bother him again in the future."


    Shi Zechun''s expression became particularly gloomy, and he gritted his teeth and said, "What? Bother him?"


    He admitted that he really wanted to pay more attention to this son now. After all, the other party didn¡¯t seem to be as useless as before. However, after being rejected several times, even a clay figurine will have three points of anger, not to mention him.


    Shi Zechun''s face was covered with darkening clouds, and an outburst of anger was brewing: "You go and tell him that if he doesn¡¯t come back this time, he won''t come back in the future!"


    Unexpectedly, Shi Rui, who had always been very obedient, stood there and didn''t move.


    A hesitant look appeared on his face, as if a hint of¡­ refusal appeared in response to Shi Zechun''s request?


    Shi Zechun frowned, "What''s wrong?"


    Shi Rui: "No, nothing..."


    He returned to normal in an instant and said, "I think that if you tell brother like this, it will arouse his rebellious mood, maybe..."


    Shi Zejun was startled, lost in thought.


    It was true.


    According to the dog temper that Shi An showed, if he said so, the other party might really rebel to the end.


    And he didn''t really want Shi An never to come back. After all, he and that chief seemed to have a really close relationship, and such a good opportunity to climb up must not be missed.


    Shi Rui: "But brother... is so unfilial to be disobeying you now that father provides food and shelter..."


    Oh, yes.


    Shi Zechun was awakened.


    He sneered and said, "Rui''er, you''re right, I give him everything, what right does he have to be disobedient?"


    Since he didn''t want soft treatment, he could only have hard treatment.


    As long as he cut off the source of income over there, Shi Zechun believed that in a few days, Shi An would beg to find him!


    *

 CH 28.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 28.3


    Shi An threw himself on the bed and rolled around happily.


    His pillows were brought back from school, full of treasures collected from the crow''s den, while the mattress under him was stuffed with the gold and silver he collected in the villa and got returned after failing to pass security.


    They all tinkled crisply under his body.


    Ah, what a wonderful sound!


    What a happy sound!


    Shi An buried his entire body in treasures and let out a satisfied sigh.


    He turned over on his back and looked at the ceiling, sighing "What a pity, I thought I would get paid today..."


    Demon insect: "..."


    "That would be impossible any way you think about it!"


    After all, you hardly said anything!


    Shi An blinked and said, "However, they seem to want to invite me to dinner in the future."


    "And it''s even the highest standard, the kind that I eat!"


    He fumbled and took out his mobile phone from his pocket, turned on the screen, and showed Fu Zhou¡¯s most recent message to the demon insect.


    The demon insect leaned over and took a look: "...No."


    It said blankly, "It says, ¡®I hope you will cooperate with the investigation every week in the future¡¯... etc."


    Shi An: "Eh? It¡¯s like this?"


    He sighed in disappointment.


    "Human language is so hard to learn."


    The corners of the insect''s mouth twitched.


    No, even if you didn¡¯t know human writing, you shouldn''t treat your cooperation with an investigation as a dinner invitation!


    How bad did your eyes have to be! !


    So¡­¡­


    You just wanted to be invited to dinner! ! ! !


    Shi An reached out to touch the bedside table and fished out the small box.


    The black smoke watched helplessly as its hiding place was pulled away...! !


    It shouted inwardly and turned its head with nostalgia to the box that it had despised for tens of thousands of years, but had recently inexplicably become the love of this life.


    I don''t want to leave-


    But he couldn''t twist his arms around his thighs, and the black smoke was forcibly pulled out of the small safe space.


    It looked at the seemingly harmless young man in front of it, and asked tremblingly, "Lord Giant Dragon, what are your orders?"


    Shi An pinched the black smoke¡¯s body and carelessly pulled:


    "Come on, I''m going to sleep."


    The black smoke: "?"


    Shi An: "I want treasures, snacks, and game consoles."


    The black smoke: "..."


    Shi An shook it ruthlessly and commanded, "Don''t you make people dream? Hurry up."


    The black smoke: "Boohooo-"


    I¡¯m really not used like that!


    Just as it was preparing to meet its own destiny sadly and began to create a dream for Shi An, suddenly, the noisy doorbell rang downstairs again.


    Shi An frowned.


    What? Did Shi Rui dare to come again?


    He smiled, his eyes blazing with fire, and the lines of dragon scales on his fingertips protruded.


    The insect and the black smoke noticed the murderous atmosphere on Shi An''s body and shrank back subconsciously.


    Shi An jumped out of bed and walked downstairs.


    He waved to the butler who came out with a harmless and friendly smile on his face: "I''ll do it."


    ¡ª¡ªand send annoying insects to hell on the way.


    Opening the door, Shi An saw an unfamiliar face waiting outside.


    Shi An: "...?"


    It wasn¡¯t Shi Rui?


    He looked out in confusion: "Who are you?"


    Wang Li: "Hello, my name is Wang Li, I just got on the phone-"


    Before he could finish speaking, the door in front of him was swinging shut.


    "Wait!" Wang Li took a quick step forward and blocked the door with his foot, "Listen to me first¡ª!"


    "Not interested." The boy''s muffled voice came through the door.


    This tone¡ªhe was definitely right.


    Wang Li was relieved.


    While holding the door with all his strength, he said at the fastest speed: "You should remember the school assignment I told you before! Basically, first-year freshmen can''t receive any good rewards. So, if you need to finish tasks, you can consider us-"


    When it came to the word reward, Wang Li was keenly aware that the force pushing the door was slightly weaker.


    He hurried to seize the opportunity and continued,


    "We recently got a very precious but also very dangerous mission by accident. We urgently need fire-ability powerhouses to join us. The mission location is a former abyss rift site. According to the information I have collected, I think there may be the treasures of a relic of the elves¡ª"


    The door was completely released.


    The young man cautiously stuck out half of his head. He was fair-skinned and looked meek, and he didn''t seem to have the slightest attack power. A pair of beautiful black eyes blinked slightly, looked over from the door, and repeated in a low voice,


    "Treasure?"


    ¡ªAt the same time.


    Within the Bureau.


    Zhuo Fu strode into Mu Heng''s office again and habitually disturbed the silence of the room with his loud voice:


    "Chief Mu, Chief Mu! I have a mission here¡ª"


    Mu Heng didn''t lift his head, "Not interested."


    Zhuo Fu: "It wasn''t released by those previous families, but I have read it carefully. The rewards of the task are very good..."


    Mu Heng: "Close the door as you go out."


    Zhuo Fu didn''t move.


    He pretended to sigh, lifted the folder containing the task, and tapped his shoulder lightly, "Ah since this is the case, shouldn''t I tell you that this task is actually related to the mercenary group that the Bureau has been concerned about recently? They seem to have been using all their connections to search for this location recently, oh yes, there is one more thing I forgot to mention, this mercenary group seems to be... oh, yes, they have been searching for the trail of the dragon¡ª"


    Mu Heng stopped.


    He raised his eyes, and his icy and calm gaze was directed at Zhuo Fu, who was still standing at the door.


    The man''s voice was low and hoarse, and he repeated clearly,


    "Dragon?"


    --------------------

 CH 29.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 29.1


    Inside the cafe.


    The clear sunlight came in from the window and silently fell on the fluffy and soft hair of the young man, burnishing it a brilliant golden brown.


    Shi An bit the spoon, pushed the cleaned glass away, blinked, and asked carefully:


    "Can I have another drink?"


    "..."


    Looking at the four empty glasses on the table, Wang Li''s eyes twitched, but he still beckoned to the waiter not far away: "Jumbo chocolate parfait, another serving."


    He hesitated for a moment: "No, let''s have two."


    ...it always felt like one serving might not be enough.


    Shi An glanced approvingly at the human in front of him.


    Nice and promising! Very good eyesight!


    Finally, when he started to eat the fifth ice cream, Wang Li couldn''t help but raise his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, how are you thinking?"


    He looked up at the teenager sitting opposite and asked in his most sincere attitude, "Would you like to join?"


    Shi An nodded: "Okay."


    But before Wang Li could breathe a sigh of relief, the other party continued,


    "But I want half."


    Wang Li was taken aback. "What?"


    Shi An licked the milk foam at the corner of his mouth, raised his innocent eyes, and said with the most harmless expression, "I want half of the spoils."


    Wang Li was secretly shocked, and his face showed a look of struggle and hesitation, "This..."


    Shi An used a small spoon to scrape the remaining chocolate at the bottom of the cup and tilted his head,


    "There should be a lot of powerful fire students in this academy, right? You came to me, this freshman, not just because I saved you. I guess there should be something that must be done by me, but you don''t really want to tell me what. right?"


    He blinked and said earnestly, "Half isn¡¯t even that much!"


    Being willing to give up half of the spoils was already a big concession for him.


    ¡ª¡ªAfter all, as a dragon, Shi An still preferred to take everything himself.


    Wang Li stared at Shi An for a few seconds, and finally gave a wry smile and sighed: "...Well, you guessed right."


    Unexpectedly, this seemingly soft and ignorant young man had a beast-like intuition and could directly see through his intentions and win the most extreme benefit for himself.


    Trash?


    ...All the rumors were completely wrong about him.


    Keeping a low profile and deceiving everyone''s eyes, he could even be called a monster.


    Wang Li took a deep breath and said, "Yes."


    Although 50% was indeed too much, as someone who had been trained since childhood in a powerful family, Wang Li had a keen premonition in this regard that cannot be matched by ordinary people.


    The person in front of you shouldn¡¯t be offended.


    Before the other party acted up, Wang Li would take the opportunity to befriend him, even if that meant that he had to give up some benefits.


    "But¡­¡­"


    Wang Li paused and continued, "Although I am the captain, I am not the only member of this team, you have to meet the other people."


    In order for the other members to agree to such an uneven distribution, he must convince them with logic.


    Or strength.


    Shi An wiped out the two chocolate parfaits in front of him. He licked the sweet spoon with satisfaction, raised his eyes to look at Wang Li, and replied gently and skillfully, "Okay, when will they have time?"


    *


    "Why did the captain suddenly call us over?" Chen Meng frowned slightly and asked with his arms crossed, "And go to the training ground?"


    Zhao She shook his head, expressing that he was not sure.


    Wu Huancheng said in a roundabout way, "Now that we can''t come to a conclusion, let''s just go first."


    While the three of them were talking, they all walked into the Wang family''s private training ground.


    The dome of the training ground was extremely high, and the spacious venue allowed people to fully show their strength. All the magic training equipment was top-notch, and the training ground wass considered one of the best on the entire continent.


    In the center of the venue, Wang Li was talking to a young man with his face tilted sideways.


    The young man sat on a high platform, his two slender legs swayed leisurely, and his fluffy head bobbed up and down. He was intently eating ice cream from a paper cup in his hand.


    Hearing their footsteps, Wang Li turned his head and looked over, beckoning to the three of them, "Over here!"


    After the three of them came forward, Wang Li introduced them to the boy.


    "Chen Meng, fourth grade, ice wielder."


    "Zhao She, third grade, strength ability."


    "Wu Huancheng, third grade, light wielder"


    He turned his head to look at his three members and said, "Shi An, fire wielder."


    Although they had already guessed who was coming, the other three¡¯s hearts still sunk in their chests.


    They really didn''t expect that Wang Li would actually invite Shi An over. Although they never met Shi An in person, they had heard a lot of rumors about this person.


    Chen Meng looked up and down at the slender young man in front of him, and a trace of contempt flashed in the slightly raised foxy eyes.


    "So, it was you who saved the captain and the others that day?"


    Zhao She pinched Chen Meng.

 CH 29.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 29.2


    "Hey."


    Although he stopped Chen Meng from continuing to speak, Zhao She couldn''t help but feel a little confused when he saw the true face of the young man in front of him.


    With his stick arms and skinny legs, he looked liable to be knocked over when the slightest wind blew. Was this really the mysterious person who unleashed the fire that day?


    There must have been a mix up, right?


    Shi An thought for a while, then nodded, "I suppose."


    After all, he wasn''t trying to save the people at the time.


    The veins on Chen Meng¡¯s face bulged.


    I suppose?


    What type of fucking answer was this?


    Shi An turned to look at Wang Li, "So, if I want half of the spoils, I have to fight them?"


    All three of them looked shocked.


    Half the loot? ! !


    They looked at Wang Li in disbelief.


    "Captain, are you serious?"


    A wry smile appeared on Wang Li''s face.


    He originally wanted to introduce Shi An first, then let him show his strength, and finally bring up the matter of profit sharing, but he didn''t expect Shi An to be so straightforward and go straight to the topic.


    Wang Li bit the bullet, "No, it''s not exactly like this..."


    Shi An breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s great, I don''t want to fight them."


    Wang Li was stunned.


    "?"


    Shi An jumped off the high platform, put on that cute and beautiful face, and said in a soft voice, "If I can''t control it, it won''t be good to hurt them."


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    This time, everyone''s faces turned dark, and they stared viciously at the boy who was bragging wildly. The atmosphere immediately dropped to freezing point.


    Chen Meng sneered, "Is that so? Let''s try it, don''t worry, don''t go easy on us."


    She said the last words through gritted teeth.


    Looking at the tense scene in front of him, Wang Li felt his head hurt even more.


    I just wanted them to meet, how could things develop like this?


    In order to prevent things from getting further out of control, Wang Li quickly stood up, "Our primary purpose is not to compete, have you forgotten? It is the last week before the mountain is closed. If you want to enter the abyss ruins, this is our last chance, time is running out, we must prepare for the completion of the next task..."


    At this moment, Wu Huancheng, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up, "Captain, I don''t think it''s right."


    He looked at Shi An who was standing not far away, and narrowed his eyes slightly,


    "The time is indeed pressing now, and we all understand the importance of the fire wiedler of this mission. 50% of the share is not completely unacceptable, but our new teammate must prove that he has the corresponding strength, right? "


    Although the other two did not speak, the expressions on their faces showed their attitudes very clearly.


    Chen Meng said vehemently, "I¡¯ll do it, I want to see¡ª"


    Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Wang Li, "No, I don''t agree with you."


    Chen Meng looked at Wang Li in shock and said, "Captain!"


    Wang Li shook his head firmly.


    It was only a few days before the mountain was closed. If anyone were accidentally injured at this juncture, it would be a great loss to their entire team.


    More importantly, as the captain, Wang Li must ensure the harmony of the atmosphere in the team - only in this way could he firmly entrust his back to the others after entering an extreme environment, and now no matter what the result is, the seeds of discord would be planted.


    However, looking at the current situation, it was impossible not to prove his strength.


    Wang Li thought for a while, then raised his eyes, glanced at the training ground in front of him, and said, "Well, I have a solution."


    He came to the control room and tapped the screen a few times.


    Immediately afterwards, two metal bins that could only accommodate one person each rose from below.


    This was a virtual device that allowed two people to have a direct magical confrontation. Although it could not fully simulate a real battle, it could intuitively make the participants feel the difference in strength between the two of them.


    "Who will come?" Wang Li asked.


    Chen Meng was about to speak, but was interrupted by Zhao She, "I''ll come."


    After all, true combat required strategy and adaptability, but the decisive factor for a duel in this way was the power of magic.


    Although Chen Meng did not lose to anyone in true combat, in head-to-head confrontation, Zhao She from the Power Department was slightly better.


    She gritted her teeth and reluctantly agreed.


    Shi An didn''t care about who he faced.


    He nodded, "Okay."


    The two walked into different magic warehouses, and the metal doors slowly closed to form a closed space.


    The demon insect took the opportunity to climb out of Shi An''s sleeve and said, "Sir, you have to be careful, don''t show too much strength, otherwise..."


    Shi An nodded perfunctorily and said, "I know, I know."


    He pressed the insect¡¯s head back and pouted, "It''s not the first time I''ve pretended to be a human, I don''t need you to remind me again and again!"


    It had been so long, how could he not know the importance of restraining his strength?


    Shi An raised his hand and stretched towards the metal ball in front of him.


    But before he could touch its surface, Shi An''s expression suddenly changed, and his pupils shrank slightly.


    Wait¡­ Wait! This feeling!


    What was happening¡­


    Shi An couldn¡¯t stabilize his body, stumbled a bit, and fell on his stomach.


    The next second, outside the metal warehouse.


    "Winner and loser... it''s decided."

 CH 29.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 29.3


    The others were stunned and looked at Wang Li in unison.


    Chen Meng was stunned, "No, how is it possible to decide the winner in such a short time? Is your device broken?"


    Wang Li stared blankly at the screen in front of him and did not speak for a long time.


    "So, who won?" Chen Meng asked anxiously.


    Wang Li was silent for a long time and said, "Shi An."


    "Bah!" Chen Meng sneered, "I don''t believe it, it''s only been three seconds, how is it possible..."


    In the next second, there was a loud bang, and the entire training room trembled.


    The two metal silos in front of them vibrated, and a cracked pattern spread from the connection below. Sparks burst from the partition, and it seemed that something was broken.


    The three people outside the metal warehouse were all taken aback.


    Chen Meng ran in the direction of the metal warehouse in panic and said as she ran:


    "Why is this happening? Is there something wrong with your device?"


    "Now is not the time to talk about this!" Wang Li pursed his lips tightly and shook his head, "Quick, save them first!"


    He didn''t know what was wrong with the device. First, Shi An''s victory was announced in just three seconds, and then it short-circuited, with a small-scale overload and explosion occurring inside the line.


    It was fine before, why did it suddenly fail?


    The three of them hurried over and worked together to forcibly open the door of the metal warehouse from the outside.


    With a loud "clang" sound, the two thick metal doors turned into twisted iron blocks and were thrown out with force.


    In the metal warehouse on the left, Zhao She stood upright, with his hands on the metal plate in front of him. His head drooped, and his expression was unclear.


    In the metal warehouse on the right, Shi An was lying on the ground, trembling like a leaf in the wind.


    Seeing that both of them were fine, Chen Meng breathed a sigh of relief.


    As she walked in the direction of Zhao She, she frowned and said, "Look, there is definitely something wrong with your device, how could it be that Zhao She lost¡ª¡ª"


    At this moment, Wu Huancheng''s hand fell on Zhao She''s shoulder.


    With just a light touch, the other party''s whole body fell softly. At this time, everyone could clearly see Zhao She''s pale face and the corners of his bloody lips.


    Zhao She coughed and panted hard, his fingers trembling involuntarily.


    He smiled bitterly and said in a hoarse voice,


    "Yes... I lost."


    In the metal warehouse just now, Zhao She could feel an overwhelming difference in power for the first time.


    Under the pressure of such overwhelming magical power, even just facing it for a few seconds made him feel as if his whole body was crushed in pain, and his soul trembled under the terrible threat, screaming away in horror.


    It was almost like...human beings against nature itself.


    In the face of natural disasters like landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes, he lost the will to escape and could only tremble and wait for death to come.


    Although it was only three seconds, it seemed like three long centuries had passed.


    What kind of monster was this...


    Zhao She was even very surprised that he was still alive. He coughed twice with difficulty and closed his eyes tiredly.


    He was convincingly defeated.


    Zhao Meng was stunned.


    She couldn¡¯t figure it out what happened¡­


    On the other side.


    Wang Li hurried forward and carefully helped the curled up boy to a sitting position.


    He held the other person''s slender shoulders and was slightly startled. Shi An''s body was so cold that there was hardly any heat in it. His fragile shoulder bones trembled slightly under his palm, as if it they be broken in the next second.


    Shi An was still shivering.


    There was cold sweat on his pale forehead, his beautiful eyes drooped slightly, a little tear was slipping from the bottom of his eyes, and his long eyelashes trembled, as if he was suffering indescribable pain.


    "What''s wrong?" Wang Li''s heart leapt in his throat. He looked at the young man in front of him with great concern and asked in a low voice.


    Shi An took a breath and slowly raised his head.


    He clutched his abdomen tightly with one hand and said with difficulty, word by word:


    "My- my stomach hurts."


    Wang Li: "..."


    Huh?


    In the effects of the overload of this device, there should be no option of stomach pain.


    There might be a splitting headache, dizziness, or even a surge of qi and blood from a ruptured blood vessel. Why would his stomach hurt?


    Suddenly, a strange idea appeared in Wang Li''s mind.


    He took a deep breath and asked slowly,


    "By the way, well, those chocolate parfaits were super large, how many cups did you eat?"


    Shi An blinked weakly and whispered,


    "Eight, eight cups."


    He ate six cups at the coffee shop and brought out two more.


    Wang Li: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Damn you, how dare you eat too much ice cream and catch a cold! ! ! !


    --------------------

 CH 30.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 30.1


    Outside the hospital bedroom.


    "Yes, it''s just a cold."


    The doctor handed the inspection list to Wang Li and then stuffed the pen into his jacket pocket, "The medicine has been prescribed, and he should be fine soon. He ate too much ice cream, so it is best to stay in the hospital for a day for observation."


    Well, it was as expected.


    Wang Li thanked the doctor, then pushed the door and walked into the ward.


    He saw Shi An lying on the snow-white hospital bed, with a pale face, tears in his beautiful dark eyes, and saying weakly,


    "I''m dying."


    Wang Li: "..."


    The corners of his mouth twitched.


    "Don''t worry, you can''t die, you just caught a cold from eating too much ice cream."


    Looking at the sick boy in front of him, Wang Li couldn''t help sighing.


    This time he was wrong too.


    He thought that the other party could eat so much ice cream and know when to stop, but he didn''t expect that it was just a lack of self-control.


    He asked,


    "I''m going to go out and talk to the team. Do you have anything you want me to bring?"


    Shi An thought for a while and whispered,


    "This afternoon, cool and sweet..."


    Wang Li: "..."


    You still want to eat it!


    His brows couldn''t help jumping down, and he gritted his teeth, "This is impossible!"


    Shi An closed his mouth pitifully.


    Wang Li felt angry, but it was also funny to his strange sense of humor.


    "I''ve never seen anyone hospitalize himself by overeating chocolate parfaits. Is this the first time you''ve eaten them?"


    Shi An blinked and nodded, "Yes."


    Now Wang Li was stunned, "...Eh?"


    Shi An said seriously, "It''s the first time I''ve eaten this, it''s super delicious."


    Wang Li was startled, and looked up and down at Shi An lying on the hospital bed with unexpected eyes.


    The young man was very thin, and he had almost no body mass under the quilt. It looked as if he was about to be swallowed up by the snow-white hospital bed.


    Thinking of the infighting in the Shi family that he had heard of before, Wang Li''s thoughts became complicated.


    Obviously, Shi An had been neglected to a certain extent in the Shi family.


    After all, the Shi family was also a wealthy family, so why did they abuse their eldest son so harshly?


    Was it...


    Was it because of this that he hid his strength in obscurity?


    Shi An didn''t know what kind of grief Wang Li was making up about him.


    ¡ª¡ªBecause this time, he was really just greedy.


    Shi An shivered slightly under the sheet and sniffed sadly.


    He was terrified of pain.


    Wang Li gave Shi An a deep look with complicated eyes.


    He took a long sigh, and then said in a soft voice, "You take care of yourself first, then you can eat as much chocolate parfait as you want."


    Shi An: "Really?"


    Wang Li nodded. "Really."


    He softly turned and left the ward, closing the door behind him by the way.


    Zhao She and Shi An were in different areas of the same hospital. One was in a general bedroom, and the other was in a special ward for magic-caused injuries.


    Wang Li walked down the empty corridor, and when he thought of the other three companions waiting in another area of


    the hospital, he felt a dull pain in his head.


    Ah... how should I explain to them that Shi An actually just ate too much ice cream?


    Just as he was about to leave the room, he suddenly noticed something buzzing in his pocket.


    Wang Li reached out and took out a mobile phone.


    He was slightly startled, and then he reacted.


    This was Shi An''s phone.


    Just now, because he was in a hurry to bring Shi An to the hospital, he put the mobile phone he found on the ground into his own pocket.


    The screen of the phone lit up, but there was no caller ID.


    Wang Li answered the phone and said politely, "Hello? May I ask who you are?"


    The microphone was silent for a few seconds.


    Immediately afterward, a man''s low and magnetic voice sounded, "Where''s Shi An?"


    Wang Li: "I''m sorry, Shi An is in the hospital right now, so I''m afraid it''s not convenient for him to answer the phone. Is there anything I need to convey?"


    The caller hung up.


    Wang Li glanced at the screen of the phone. There was only a string of numbers, and he couldn''t see anything.


    ¡­¡­Never mind.


    He shook his head, found a nurse, and put the phone in the other''s hand, asking her to deliver it to Shi An. He left the hospital in a hurry.


    *


    Mu Heng put down the phone.


    His eyes fell on the screen for a few seconds, and there was no extra emotion in his deep eyes.


    "Wen Yao." Mu Heng said suddenly.


    Wen Yao, who was preparing to report the progress of the mission investigation, raised her eyes, "Yes."


    "Confirm the location of this number." Mu Heng threw the phone over.


    Wen Yao was startled.


    Location¡­¡­?

 CH 30.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 30.2


    However, as a competent subordinate, Wen Yao did not ask too much, but immediately began to invoke her authority to complete what Mu Heng asked.


    Soon, Wen Yao raised her eyes and reported, "The final location is shown in the Western District Private Hospital."


    "Hm." Mu Heng nodded slightly, lowered his eyes, and focused on the mission report in his hand.


    "You¡¯re dismissed." He said lightly.


    "Sir." Wen Yao turned to leave Mu Heng''s office, and closed the door behind her.


    The office returned to silence, and the sound of the mission report being flipped was not heard for a long time.


    Fifteen minutes later.


    The door of the office opened from the inside, and Mu Heng walked out with his coat draped between his arms, looking like he was about to go out.


    Wen Yao was a little stunned, but she stood up immediately, "Sir, do you have any other orders?"


    Mu Heng shook his head, "No."


    He put on gloves while walking, glanced at Wen Yao, and said, "Let''s disband and leave work early today."


    Wen Yao was startled, a confused look on her face.


    Obviously, the other party had just returned not long ago... Was there any urgent reason for leaving suddenly?


    *


    On the other side.


    Wang Li bent his knuckles and knocked on the door of the room,


    "How''s it going?"


    Chen Meng and Wu Huancheng stood beside the hospital bed, while Zhao She, who was as tall as an iron tower, sat weakly on the bed. Although his face was still very pale , it was much better than when he just came out of the metal warehouse.


    Zhao She nodded at Wang Li, "It''s better."


    Wang Li asked, "What did the doctor say?"


    Chen Meng replied, "The qi disorder and concussion were caused by the excessive magic shock. Zhao She''s physical fitness is strong, so he should be able to recover in the next day, and it should not affect our mission progress."


    Wang Li nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.


    At this juncture, any teammate left behind was a loss.


    Wu Huancheng said from the side, "Where is Shi An?"


    Wang Li hesitated for a while, and finally decided not to tell the truth, "It''s just a skin injury, it''s not serious."


    Chen Meng frowned.


    "Captain, what''s going on with that system? Why did such a serious malfunction occur suddenly?"


    Wang Li shook his head and said apologetically, "I don''t know why yet, but I have asked the maintenance personnel to overhaul it. It should take a while to know the cause."


    Chen Meng: "If that''s the case, the result of this competition can''t be counted..."


    Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by She Zhao on the hospital bed.


    "I lost."


    Chen Meng was stunned and turned to Zhao She in shock, asking, "What?"


    Zhao She propped himself up beside the bed with both hands and struggled to sit up.


    He looked at the three partners in front of him seriously and said, "I said so when I just came out of the warehouse, this time I lost..."


    Wu Huancheng frowned. "But..."


    "No but." Zhao She shook his head and smiled bitterly: "No matter whether the equipment was faulty or not, I could feel that in the magic confrontation, I am definitely not his opponent."


    He raised his eyes to look at Wang Li, and said solemnly, "Captain, I support Shi An joining the team."


    The trip was dangerous, but with such a strong member on the team, they would be even more powerful.


    The room was quiet for a few seconds.


    Wang Li turned to look at the other two members.


    After a long time, Wu Huancheng sighed and said, "Since Zhao She, who participated in the battle himself, acknowledged the opponent''s strength, then I agree too."


    Chen Meng frowned and looked at the people in front of her. After being silent for a few seconds, she reluctantly said, "Okay, then I agree."


    Wang Li breathed a sigh of relief.


    At this point, the members of the team are basically determined, and the next things can be arranged.


    He nodded towards the three people in the ward and said, "In that case, I will start preparing resources. You can take advantage of this time to adjust yourselves to the best state. The time to seal the mountain is very close. There is a race against time.¡±


    After a brief greeting, Wang Li walked out of the ward.


    He made several calls in a row, succinctly instructed people to prepare the materials needed for the next trip, and contacted the checkpoint to prepare a pass.


    After everything was ready, Wang Li remembered that he hadn''t told Shi An the news.


    He turned around and walked towards Shi An''s room.


    Wang Li turned a few corners in the hospital according to the route he remembered, and he saw Shi An''s room not far ahead.


    Suddenly, an unfamiliar figure appear in his sight.

 CH 30.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 30.3


    The man was wearing a long, jet-black coat. He was tall, with a strong and straight back. The most eye-catching thing was his long silver-white hair like a waterfall.


    Wang Li was startled and subconsciously stopped his footsteps.


    Impossible... was he really the one?


    How could Chief Mu Heng appear here?


    At this moment, Wang Li suddenly remembered the scene where Mu Heng and Shi An had a whispered conversation at the entrance ceremony that day.


    Did the two of them actually know each other privately?


    Thinking of this, Wang Li stepped up and stepped forward, saying, "Chief Mu!"


    The man walking in front stopped and turned sideways.


    The deep eyebrows were hidden in the blend of light and shadow, and a pair of silver-blue icy eyes lowered slightly, looking towards him.


    A kind of invisible pressure poured head-on in an instant.


    Wang Li subconsciously held his breath and said in a cautious and respectful manner, "Hello, may I ask... Are you here to find Shi An?"


    Mu Heng: "Yes."


    His voice was deep, with a bit of cold sharpness in his magnetic tone.


    He sounded a little familiar?


    Wait... wasn''t that the sound of the caller just now!


    Just as Wang Li was shaking his head, Mu Heng continued to ask, "What happened?"


    Wang Li came back to his senses immediately.


    He glanced at the closed door of the ward not far away. Wang Li felt that he was not a very nosy person, but...


    For some reason, Shi An''s slender figure and his previous conjectures all appeared in his mind.


    "It''s not a big deal, it''s just an improper diet." Wang Li said respectfully, "Speaking of this incident, I was careless for a while¡ª"


    He sighed, "I just really didn''t expect that, as the son of the Shi¡¯s, he had never tasted ice cream."


    Although there was still not much change on Mu Heng''s face, his brows were slightly furrowed.


    Wang Li knew that there were some things that were better left unsaid.


    He said, "Since you are here, I won''t bother you."


    Mu Heng: "Hm."


    Wang Li gave him a salute, then turned and left the hospital.


    Mu Heng fixedly glanced at the place where Wang Li disappeared, then withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked into Shi An''s room.


    The door was pushed open silently, and Mu Heng stepped in.


    The room was very quiet, everything that could be seen was pale, and the air was filled with the tingly, sharp smell of disinfectant.


    After taking the medicine, Shi An had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Half of his face was buried in the soft pillow, and his soft, short hair was spread out on the pillow, revealing a clear jawline.


    Even when he was asleep, the other party curled up subconsciously, a small ball under the quilt.


    It was a very insecure sleeping position.


    This reminded Mu Heng of what the person he met outside the room just now said. His blue eyes darkened slightly, like the distant sky before the storm.


    Seemingly feeling the gaze, Shi An moved under the sheet and tightened again.


    The neckline and quilt spread out with the movement, and a small half of the neck and the clavicle that was deeply sunk due to the sleeping position were particularly eye-catching.


    After a few seconds, Mu Heng realized where he was looking.


    He frowned, looked away, reached out, and grabbed Shi An''s quilt to pull it up until it reached the other''s chin.


    After the dazzling white skin was covered, Mu Heng''s brows loosened slightly.


    But the next second, the boy on the bed let out a soft, vague grunt, frowned unconsciously, then turned over, reaching out and hugging the thing that had disturbed his sleep in his arms.


    Mu Heng froze all over.


    Although he was wearing gloves, the skin of his wrist was inevitably touched, and an instinctive sense of resistance rose in the bottom of his heart.


    However, before he could immediately pull his hand out, Mu Heng suddenly discovered¡ª


    Perhaps it was because of the cold, Shi An seemed to be trembling.


    Mu Heng''s movements couldn''t help but pause.


    He maintained his awkward posture and looked down.


    Under the effect of the medicine, Shi An did not open his eyes. His long eyelashes drooped, casting a deep shadow on his pale face.


    He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but his brows were wrinkled.


    As a cold-blooded animal, and a cold-blooded animal who ate eight cups of chocolate parfait and caught a cold, Shi An pulled his body into a tight ball to preserve heat, shivered, and instinctively approached the warm source.


    Even through layers of cloth, the temperature radiatig from the human body was still so clearly warm and hot.


    Shi An tightened his grip to prevent the heat source from escaping.


    In the drowsiness, Shi An dreamed of a dry, spacious nest, full of treasures, dark and warm eggshells.


    He pressed his forehead against it and rubbed it dazedly.


    In his embrace, the muscles on his arms seemed to suddenly tighten.


    While half asleep, Shi An seemed to realize that something was off. With difficulty and drowsiness, he propped his heavy, lead-like eyelids and looked at the blurry, shaking scene.


    A dazzling silver light glowed brilliantly against the dim background.


    "...Parfait." Shi An mumbled in his sleep.


    And shiny.


    He snuggled up contentedly and then fell back into sleep again.


    --------------------

 CH 31.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 31.1


    When he opened his eyes again, the sky was bright.


    Shi An lazily rolled over and stretched out on the bed.


    He just caught a cold, which was not a big problem. After taking the medicine, he slept solidly for one night, and there was no trace of the pain.


    The sunlight outside the window was dazzling, and the room was bright and cheerful.


    Shi An slowly got up.


    It felt like a long dream.


    In the dream, he seemed to see his long-lost treasure, shining brightly in a dark and dry cave.


    He jumped up and hugged and didn''t let go.


    For some reason, but the treasure that was supposed to be cold and hard actually felt warm when he hugged it, and it was even a little hot, which quickly dispelled the darkness of cold and pain.


    Speaking of which, what kind of treasure could have this texture?


    Fire gems? Warm jade?


    Hmm, that didn¡¯t seem right.


    Shi An leaned against the head of the bed, yawned, and kept thinking about it.


    At this moment, the door of the room was pushed open, and Wang Li followed behind the doctor and walked in.


    He looked at Shi An and said, "I talked to the doctor just now. Your body index tests are all normal, and you should be able to leave the hospital this afternoon."


    Shi An cheered up: "Okie!"


    Wang Li pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Shi An''s bed. He briefly told him what the other three agreed to, and then instructed him in detail on what to prepare for the next task. Finally, he concluded,


    "The ruins of that abyss fissure are very far away. Since the mountain season is ending soon, we must leave as soon as possible."


    Shi An''s mouth was full of buns, and he asked vaguely, "How fast?"


    Wang Li handed a glass of warm water over:


    "We''re leaving tomorrow afternoon."


    Shi An took the warm water and gulped it down.


    Wang Li frowned uneasily, "Slow down, don''t choke."


    At some point, he seemed to have started worrying about the other party¡¯s concerning behavior subconsciously.


    Shi An put the half-empty cup on the bedside and answered cheerfully:


    "Tomorrow? No problem!"


    Although his face still had a bit of unfading pallor, his eyes shone with eager brilliance.


    Treasures, the sooner he got them, the better.


    Wang Li nodded.


    He stood up to leave but hesitated for a few seconds as he turned.


    Finally, he decided to ask the question in his heart, "By the way, how was your chat with Chief Mu yesterday?"


    Shi An: "...Ah?"


    He blinked and stared blankly at Wang Li as if he didn''t understand the meaning of the other party''s words. "What?"


    Wang Li was startled.


    The doubts on Shi An''s face are very real, and there was no fraudulent element.


    Could it be that Chief Mu didn''t come in yesterday?


    That wasn¡¯t right.


    Wang Li''s mouth twitched slightly.


    He pointed to the corner of the blanket that was being held down by Shi An and pulled out a dark sleeve, "Then, what is this?"


    "Huh?" Shi An seemed to notice this.


    He moved to the side, then pulled a coat from underneath his body forcefully.


    The fabric was thick and luxurious, and it seemed to be hand-tailored, but it was crumpled and wrinkled at the moment, and there was still a little warmth on it.


    "Whose is this?" Shi An was greatly puzzled by this.


    Wang Li: "..."


    This was definitely the coat that Chief Mu wore yesterday!


    He couldn''t help but raise his hand and pinch the bridge of his nose. Afterwards, he told Shi An about the encounter with Mu Heng outside the ward yesterday.


    Shi An showed a stunned expression, "Oh, no wonder, I thought it was so familiar!"


    After all, Mu Heng''s last coat was still with him.


    The old butler washed it carefully and asked him to return it, but Shi An forgot.


    As a result, not only had it not been returned, but now there was an additional piece in hand.


    "Anyway, we haven''t talked." Shi An scratched his head, "I should have been asleep when he came in."


    After getting an exact answer, Wang Li didn''t think much, he nodded at Shi An, then turned and left the room.


    Before taking a few steps, Wang Li suddenly stopped.


    Standing in the empty hallway, he suddenly realized a problem.


    Huh?


    Since Shi An was not awake when Mu Heng arrived yesterday, how did the chief¡¯s coat get into Shi An''s arms?


    Wang Li shook his head vigorously to dispel the strange thoughts in his mind.


    It must be a misunderstanding, a kind of misunderstanding that he couldn¡¯t think of but could be perfectly explained!


    *


    After forcibly turning the black smoke into his own subject, Shi An left it at home to look after the house.


    After all, the bed and pillows in the room were made by Shi An, who worked hard to collect the treasure. Who knew if those two humans would take his treasure for themselves while he was gone? !


    After everything was ready, Shi An waved his hand to say goodbye to the butler and turned to the car that Wang Li drove over.


    The interior was far more spacious than it looked from the outside.


    Wang Li looked up and was about to say hello to Shi An who had just gotten into the car, but was startled by the huge backpack stuffed behind him.


    He was stunned for two seconds, and in the end he couldn''t hold back and asked,


    "That...you are all, what did you pack in there?"


    Wang Li seriously reflected on it in his heart.


    After all, most of the supplies were prepared by him, and others should be able to set off with just some personal belongings.


    Could it be that there was something else that he had not considered?

 CH 31.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 31.2


    "Wait a sec!¡±


    Shi An took off the backpack and placed it on the seat heavily, making a muffled thunk sound. He unzipped the backpack, took out a package of small biscuits from it, and tore it open.


    Shi An handed it over with a sincere face and asked, "Do you want to eat some?"


    Wang Li: "..."


    The other three group members: "..."


    What do you think we¡¯re doing on this trip?


    Far away.


    The butler stood at the door with a look of relief and melancholy, watching the vehicle become smaller and smaller in his field of vision.


    He wiped the corners of his eyes in an unnoticeable manner.


    Alas, the child has grown up.


    Not only has he made friends, but he was even going on outings with friends.


    Oh, it was nice to be young.


    *


    Zhuo Fu raised his hand, knocked on the door, and walked in.


    "The final location of the target mercenary group has been determined, and based on other relevant information, we have finally determined their next target location."


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked over.


    "Talk."


    Zhuo Fu flipped the task document in his hand and put it on Mu Heng''s desk.


    "It was a site of an abyss fissure, from seven or eight years ago. Because the area is not small, the bureau attaches great importance to it, but since it was shut down, no abnormal fluctuations have been detected, so surveillance there has been relaxed."


    He frowned in confusion.


    "What is that mercenary group doing there?"


    During this period of time, the mercenary group had been looking for traces of dragons in various underground intelligence stations and the black market


    Could it be that there is something in that fissure that could help them find the dragon?


    Zhuo Fu seemed to suddenly think of something and looked at Mu Heng.


    "By the way, I remember that the fissure was handled by you? Did you find anything unusual?"


    Mu Heng did not answer.


    His deep-set eyebrows were lowered, and he glanced at the information on the folder in front of him.


    Zhuo Fu has long been used to the other party''s indifferent attitude.


    He continued, "In short, if this task is to be taken up, it should start today at the latest because the mountain will be closed in a few days. Don''t worry about the specific materials, I will talk to the person in charge over there."


    Mu Heng nodded, stretched out his hand, and closed the task document in front of him: "Thank you."


    Saying that, he stood up and picked up the coat that was on the side.


    Zhuo Fu blinked strangely and said, "Eh? Did you change your coat?"


    Mu Heng''s coat was custom-made to defend against magic discharge and attacks.


    Although they were all of the same style, Zhuo Fu could still keenly see that this one seemed to be much newer than the one Mu Heng wore a few days ago.


    He couldn''t help laughing, "I remember that the last time you lost your coat, it was at the Ability Academy. What happened? You saved a child again?"


    Mu Heng put on his jacket with a slight pause.


    At that moment, the memory that was not too long passed came back to life again.


    There seemed to be a warm and soft touch on his wrist, and an imperceptible itch stayed on that piece of skin, making Mu Heng subconsciously tense up as if he had returned to the helpless few minutes.


    Mu Heng''s eyes were glacial.


    He turned his head and glanced at Zhuo Fu, who was doing nothing behind him, and asked, "I thought you were very busy? How is the research on that sword going?"


    Zhuo Fu: "..."


    He slumped like an eggplant hit by frost and gritted his teeth unwillingly.


    "There must be some ancient magic attached to it, but you won''t let me sample..."


    Mu Heng sneered and turned to go out.


    "Wait, what¡¯s your meaning! Do you look down on me?" Zhuo Fu exclaimed in exasperation.


    Mu Heng didn''t look back. The office door closed behind him, blocking the other party''s voice behind him.


    He lowered his eyes indifferently, slipped on the gloves, and pulled them up firmly.


    That small patch of skin was tightly covered.


    *


    Originally, Wang Li was worried that the heavy luggage would slow down Shi An''s movements, but what he didn''t expect was that before reaching the destination, more than half of the bag, which was still bulging, had deflated.


    ...He practically ate it all by himself.


    Wang Li glanced at Shi An''s flat belly in disbelief. He couldn''t understand. Could a normal human stomach really hold so many snacks?


    "That... don''t you want to leave a little bit to eat when you return home?"


    Wang Li asked vaguely.


    Shi An took a second to open a jelly cup and suddenly looked at Wang Li in horror, "Wait, does that mean I won¡¯t have anything on the return trip?"


    Wang Li''s mouth twitched.


    "That''s not what I meant..."


    Shi An heaved a sigh of relief.


    "That''s good."


    Wang Li continued, "I mean, aren''t you worried about getting stomach pain from eating too much?"


    After all, he had seen the other party''s glorious deeds of killing eight cups of super-sized ice cream at one time and then going straight to the hospital.


    "Don''t worry, it was just an accident last time!"


    Shi An paused, then continued solemnly: "Besides, I only have the energy to work when I¡¯m full!"


    Wang Li: "..."


    As long as you were happy¡­


    They hurried on the road for a full eight hours and changed transportation three times before finally reaching their destination.


    As soon as he got out of the car, Shi An was caught off guard by the oncoming cold.


    The whistling, lingering wind carried thin ice shards and snow, and this mixture cut towards them like a knife blade.


    Shi An shivered and stared blankly at the scene in front of him.

 CH 31.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 31.3


    Thick snow was piled up on the ground, the sky was dark, and as far as the eyes could see, there was an uninhabited ice field. The storm was whistling and swirling on the ice field, and his vision was limited to a few dozen meters.


    Shi An: "..."


    When he was a dragon, he was not afraid of the cold at all. After all, unlike humans, who had to keep warm to survive, he had thick scales to protect his body, so it was no problem for him to roll on the highest snow-capped mountains.


    But since becoming a human, there were no scales, no body that is not afraid of severe cold, but the low body temperature of cold-blooded animals was still preserved for some reason.


    He, he was so afraid of the cold!


    Shi An looked at Wang Li with tears in his eyes, "You, didn''t you say we''re going to the Aiwen area?"


    Wasn''t Aiwen a valley that seemed like spring all year round? !


    Wang Li nodded as a matter of course: "Yes, Aiwen Snowfield."


    Shi An: "..."


    He forgot that he had slept for too long, and the terrain of the entire continent had became different from what he remembered!


    Wang Li distributed the clothes that applied thermal insulation magic to the team members and then said, "It is very difficult to enter the mountain this season, especially at night. We will rest outside the mountain tonight and enter the mountain tomorrow morning."


    The group walked toward the only hotel in the distance, leaving a long series of footprints on the thick snow.


    Shi An shrank his head in the thick padded jacket, his head drooping sadly.


    It was better than before, but he was still cold...


    He sniffed, his ears and the tip of his nose were frozen red in just a few seconds, and his dark eyes were teary and looked pitiful.


    Chen Meng on the side said coldly, "You know how to pack so many snacks, don''t you know what to prepare to keep warm?"


    Saying that, she raised her hand and threw something towards him, "Catch."


    Shi An hurriedly caught it and looked down.


    It was a pair of fluffy earmuffs, white and pink, with a cute pattern of cartoon rabbits and hearts on it.


    Chen Meng''s tone was still blunt, "I have an extra pair, so I''ll lend it to you."


    Before waiting for Shi An to thank her, she turned around and quickened her pace to keep up with the person in front of her.


    Soon, the group of five entered the hotel.


    The hotel was brightly lit, and the magic-powered fireplace was burning warmly. The warm orange light enveloped the small storefront, which was completely different from the desolate and icy snowfield outside.


    Wang Li tore off his gloves, turned to the front desk, and negotiated with the staff in a low voice.


    The other four were waiting in the waiting area.


    The fireplace on the side crackled and sparks flew around, but it seemed to have encountered some invisible barrier and disappeared before jumping out.


    The waiter brought warm honey water.


    The warmth that had long disapparated returned to their bodies again, and several people unbuttoned their jackets to breathe, only Shi An still wrapped himself up tightly, as if he hadn''t recovered from the severe cold just now.


    Zhao She asked suspiciously, "Aren''t you a fire element?"


    Shi An held the cup and said weakly,


    "This doesn''t conflict with my fear of being cold..."


    At this time, Wu Huancheng, who was on the side, said, "The temperature outside the mountain is still warm. The environment inside the mountain is even harsher than it is here, and in the vicinity of this mountain, no natural flame can burn, only the flame condensed by magic power."


    Shi An took a sip of the honey water, and his originally pale face was steamed with heat and finally turned a little ruddier.


    He asked curiously, "That''s why you have to bring a fire wielder?"


    "Not only that," Wu Huancheng shook his head and elaborated, "Besides that, there¡ª"


    Before he finished speaking, Wang Li turned around and walked over.


    His face had turned bleak, a clear contrast from his previous at-ease expression, as if a layer of dark clouds shrouded his face.


    Wu Huancheng stopped talking, stood up, frowned, and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Wang Li tiredly raised his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath, "I just talked to the front desk when I checked in, and the front desk said that they basically had no one in this season of the past year, but just recently, they got a group of guests.¡±


    The others were surprised. "What?"


    Wang Li solemnly explained, "A few days ago, a team of more than ten people also stayed here. They checked out and left this morning, and they seemed to be heading into the canyon."


    Wu Huancheng''s expression also became dark, "You mean..."


    Wang Li nodded.


    "Yes, it is very likely that there are more people than just us who know the treasure information, and it is obvious that they are one step ahead of us now."


    "What are we going to do?" Chen Meng asked with a frown.


    Wang Li seems to have already prepared the answer.


    He gave a copy of the permit to enter the mountain to each of the four in front of him and then said, "Although it will be more dangerous at night, according to the current situation, we can''t stay in the hotel, and we can only travel at night."


    ¡ª¡ªThings like treasures, of course, were obtained by who discovered them first.


    Three of the team were startled.


    Wang Li said with relief, "Don''t worry, the fire wielder in our team is very strong, so there should be no problem."


    With that said, he turned to look at Shi An, "Right, S¡ª"


    The young man not far away looked like he was struck by lightning. He asked with a desperate expression on his face, "We have to leave n-now?"


    "... Won¡¯t we even eat dinner?"


    --------------------

 CH 32.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 32.1


    The high canyon tip was hidden in the blizzard, but the dark and steep rock walls were piled with thick snow. The sky was dark and the visibility was extremely low.


    The passage below the canyon was slender and rugged, and it was also covered in heavy snow.


    The wind shrieked as several people trudged through the snow with difficulty, leaving footprints that were swallowed up in just a few seconds and disappeared into the vast snowy night.


    They didn''t use any light sources.


    After all, in the frozen valley in the middle of the night, it was not only the low temperature that was dangerous.


    Shi An shrank into himself in his thick snow suit, and his whole body was tightly wrapped.


    The fluffy rabbit earmuffs on his head didn¡¯t protect his whole face, flushing with cold. The long eyelashes had condensed snow melting on them, and when he blinked, a little half-melted ice drop fell.


    It was so cold...too cold...


    Shi An''s head felt a little sluggish from the cold. Although the pace under his feet was still moving, it was more like a subconscious mechanical movement, making a regular creaking sound.


    At his strong request, everyone had dinner in the hotel.


    But the heat stored then was so insignificant that there was nothing left after being dissipated by the severe cold shortly after entering the canyon.


    ¡ª¡ªThat elf treasure better be a lot!


    Shi An thought fiercely.


    At this time, a shadow suddenly passed over the high sky above, and the stinky breath belonging to a monster wafted through the air.


    "Prepare to fight."


    Wang Li lowered his upper body cautiously and whispered to the other team members.


    A group of bird-like monsters flew low above their heads, the sound of their wings flapping echoed in the empty valley, and their scarlet eyes looked eerily in the darkness.


    Everyone became vigilant and pulled out their weapons.


    Shi An was frozen into a trance and subconsciously raised his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.


    The sound of flapping wings suddenly became chaotic.


    There was a commotion in the group of monsters, and a few monsters chirped. Then, they turned around direction in a panic and flew into the distance as if they were fleeing.


    It looked like they were being chased by ghosts.


    The people below who were ready to fight: "..."


    ? ? ?


    What happened?


    We haven''t even fought yet, why did you run away?


    Watching the direction in which the monsters disappeared, Wang Li was silent for a while, then guessed, "Maybe... they saw food elsewhere?"


    The other three: "..."


    In this windy and snowy day, besides them, where else would there be other better food?


    But apart from this, they couldn¡¯t seem to think of any other explanation.


    "Let''s go." Wang Li withdrew his weapon.


    At this moment, he felt his cuff suddenly being pulled.


    Wang Li was startled and turned his head.


    He saw Shi An standing behind him, tugging at the corner of his sleeve with a hand with thick fluffy gloves. The tip of his nose was frozen red, his skin became more and more white, and his eyes were dark.


    He sniffed and asked pitifully, "Um, can we light a torch?"


    Looking at the hopeful young boy in front of him, Wang Li couldn''t help but soften.


    But he still sighed, shook his head, and said, "It''s too dangerous to light a torch in the canyon at night, it makes us a living target. We''re not only guarding against monster attacks."


    Shi An lowered his eyes in disappointment.


    Wang Li couldn''t bear his pitiful slumped shoulders and comforted,


    "Don''t worry, the journey is not far. At our speed, it should take at most six hours."


    Shi An raised his head with hope: "How much longer will it take?"


    Wang Li: "...Five and a half hours."


    "..." Shi An''s eyes darkened instantly.


    What? We have only been walking for half an hour? !


    The demon insect was hidden in Shi An''s sleeve, and was also shivering with cold. It encouraged Shi An, "Sir, come on! You can do it!"


    Shi An replied angrily, "It''s easy for you to say, I also want to be smaller and carried around in my sleeves!"


    Aware of Shi An''s grievances, the insect dared not speak.


    It sighed and shrank itself against Shi An¡¯s jacket. Who would have thought that Shi An''s body temperature would be so low? It was still cold even when hidden in the sleeves!


    For the first time, the insect actually envied the black smoke left behind at home.


    Shi An reluctantly followed Wang Li''s footsteps and asked,


    "Then, if I encounter monsters, what if I set them on fire? That shouldn''t matter, right?"


    ...Why was this description so strange?


    Wang Li thought for a while and said, "There''s no other way. After all, our lives are more important than our whereabouts. If that happens, we will naturally use all means to ensure our survival."


    Shi An raised his eyes in regret and looked in the direction where the group of bird monsters disappeared just now.


    ... Ao angry! !


    Live firewood! Just ran away!


    In the next part of the journey, Shi An held his breath a lot, hoping to meet a few monsters who didn''t sense.


    However, for some unknown reason, for the next two full hours, not a single shadow of a monster was seen.


    Shi An followed listlessly at the end of the team, and he had already started a losing fight against his eyelids.


    Affected by the habits cold-blooded animals, Shi An was prone to drowsiness when he was cold.


    Little by little, his head bobbed subconsciously.


    Ah... I really want to hibernate.


    Now, his only driving force was the legendary elf treasure.

 CH 32.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 32.2


    Suddenly, the snowdrift in front of him moved, and the movement amplitude was very small. It almost made one suspect that his vision was affected by the wind and snow and he was hallucinating.


    "Wait! Stop!"


    Wang Li immediately stopped the team''s progress.


    Everyone cheered up and looked ahead vigilantly.


    The tremors of the snowdrift became more obvious, and it was completely impossible to explain it as just being tired eyes.


    ¡ª¡ªThe thick snow rose higher and higher, gradually revealing a huge figure.


    There were traces of blue-purple muscles hanging on a bleached-white skeleton, dark flames burned deep in the dark eye sockets, thick snow caked on its body and fell rustling with its movements.


    Wang Li''s heart tightened instantly.


    Shoot, it was an undead monster!


    Due to the cracks in the abyss, the dark aura tainted by this land could not be dissipated for several years. Therefore, in addition to monsters adapted to the cold climate, it would also attract many monsters of the undead species.


    These monsters lingered at night, and when they saw light or smelled the vitality of humans, they would be attracted to them.


    They had no intelligence, felt no pain, and would not stop hunting as long as they looked for their prey.


    Except for spells of the light, there was no way to kill them. At most, they could only slow down their movements, which was very difficult.


    This is why Wang Li was reluctant to act at night.


    But he didn''t expect that after deliberately restraining their movements, he would still actually attract this skeleton horse!


    "Hold it!" Wang Li looked at Wu Huancheng and gave an order in a succinct manner.


    He turned his head and shouted to the others, "Let''s go another way!"


    In the snowy night, Wu Huancheng''s light spells lit up, the only beacon in boundless chaos.


    The skeleton horse turned its head, a pair of dark eye sockets staring at the sacred light aura not far away, the bones on the body knocked against each other, creating a grating, scalp-tingling sound.


    The gloomy cold that seemed to penetrate the depths of his soul rushed towards him.


    Wu Huancheng felt even more pressure.


    He frowned slightly and strengthened the light from his spells.


    The skeleton horse in front of him loomed terrifyingly in the dark night.


    It seemed to be trying to get closer, but it was afraid of the magic power of the light system.


    The atmosphere was tense.


    "You go first!" Wu Huancheng shouted.


    In the midst of the chaos, Shi An raised his eyelids sluggishly.


    The skeleton in the distance was white, and it was particularly conspicuous in the turbid dark night¡ª¡ª


    Firewood! It was firewood!


    Shi An''s eyes lit up.


    He went against the wind and stepped forward, step by step.


    Wang Li, who was retreating in the distance, suddenly realized that something was wrong. He turned his head and saw Shi An walking in the direction of the skeleton horse.


    Facing the biting snowy blizzard, he shouted, "Shi An! Come back soon--"


    Wu Huancheng turned his head when he heard the words and immediately saw Shi An appear not far behind him.


    A small cluster of orange-red flames rose from the center of the other''s furry gloves, looking tiny and weak.


    "This monster is not afraid of fire!" Wu Huancheng shouted anxiously.


    Undead monsters were only afraid of the light, and other magic powers had no effect on them.


    Shi An blinked, showing a puzzled look:


    "Eh? Does it not work?"


    The skeleton horse in front suddenly raised its front hooves and neighed!


    In the next second, the blizzard blew violently, howling like a wolf. The whistling sound pierced his eardrums, and the whole group of people had to crouch on the ground to avoid being blown away in the terrifying wind.


    The strong wind lifted the boundless snow, obscuring the view like a hood.


    No one could see anything.


    Everyone''s heart sank.


    The monsters who could use other types of powers to defeat opponents are definitely not ordinary undead monsters.


    Wu Huancheng struggled to maintain his light spell, and the fragile wall supported his body, becoming the only narrow eye that was not affected by the storm.


    He turned his head to look for Shi An but couldn''t see him anywhere.


    Immediately afterwards, a piercing roar sounded in front of him!


    Wu Huancheng was taken aback.


    At a very close distance, a burst of flames suddenly penetrated the dark night and exploded!


    Entangled in the whistling of the wind, it hovered and danced in the air like a fiery snake.


    The extremely scorching temperature instantly hit.


    The originally icy, knife-sharp wind was now infused with a layer of scorching heat, and the snow melted and vaporized so quickly that warm moisture hit his face and didn¡¯t even freeze from the temperature.


    Wu Huancheng was stunned.


    He slowly lowered the staff in his hands, and the faint light he emitted was swallowed up by the fire in an instant.


    The wind gradually stopped blowing.


    In front of him was a field of dark, scorched earth.


    The knee-deep snow had been melted by the heat, exposing charred rocks that stood out among the canyons.


    "What''s wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?"


    The other people hurried forward and asked anxiously.


    The wind had blocked their view of the events just now, so they only saw a flash of vermillion  smoke amidst the blizzard, and then the wind disappeared, so they immediately stepped forward to support Wu Huancheng.


    But¡­¡­


    It looked like he didn¡¯t need their support now.


    Wang Li looked around the scene in front of him, and a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.


    He didn''t expect that in such an extreme environment, Shi An''s fire magic could still expel such a terrifying effect.


    It was simply unheard of.

 CH 32.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 32.3


    "Where''s the skeleton horse?" Zhao She asked.


    Only then did Wu Huancheng recover.


    He looked around and found that the skeleton horse had disappeared.


    He hesitated for a moment then shook his head, "I don''t know."


    Under the disturbance of the strong wind and fire, Wu Huancheng had only seen glimpses of the situation.


    However, in one of those moments, he had vaguely glimpsed the figure of the skeleton horse. It  was screaming and struggling violently, as if it were dominated by some extreme fear, and then it disappeared into the blizzard.


    It looked like it was... running away in fear.


    But how was that possible?


    How could the undead feel pain and fear?


    He must have seen it wrong or hallucinated.


    "Wait, what about Shi An? He''s not with you?" Chen Meng frowned.


    Wu Huancheng was stunned for a moment and hurriedly turned his head to look at the place where Shi An had been just now.


    However, the teenager who was supposed to be standing behind him had disappeared without a trace.


    "I, I don''t know."


    Wang Li said decisively, "Find him first."


    The surrounding snow banks were vast and dark, and nothing could be seen.


    "Shi An!"


    "Shi An!!"


    The team split up around the scorched earth, anxiously calling out Shi An''s name.


    "What? Children? Can''t find someone?" Suddenly, a rough voice sounded from above their heads.


    Everyone was shocked and subconsciously pulled out their weapons before looking in the direction of the sound.


    An unshaven middle-aged man was squatting on the rock wall, face lined with scars, wearing a full set of cold protection equipment. He seemed to have been looking down at them for some time.


    He scoffed and jumped down.


    His burly body fell nimbly on the snow.


    Wang Li caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his chest and was shocked.


    He was a mercenary.


    This would be the group of people mentioned in the hotel earlier.


    Unexpectedly, the other party left a whole day earlier than them, but they were in the same place now.


    This road was the only way to enter the mountain. When thinking of the skeleton horse on the road, Wang Li had a vague guess in his heart.


    They were probably also blocked by this undead monster and could not move forward.


    "What are you doing here, little ones?" The man narrowed his glittering eyes and looked at the teenagers in front of him inquiringly. His eyes fell on Chen Meng, who had a beautiful face, and his eyes paused on her figure for two more seconds.


    There was a very uncomfortable hunger in the other party''s eyes, so Chen Meng frowned and glared back fiercely.


    Wang Li calmed down.


    He smiled slightly at the man in front of him, "We are just traveling through. I heard that this is a good place to practice magic, so we came here in a group."


    "Is that so¡­"


    The man looked at them, but they couldn¡¯t tell whether he believed Wang Li''s words.


    The man laughed and looked back lightly, "It''s very dangerous to rush around snowy areas in middle of the night."


    "How about you guys come to our camp for a night''s rest and start on the road tomorrow morning. ?"


    Wang Li squinted his eyes, and answered without revealing anything, "Not yet, our companion has not been found yet. We are very worried about his safety. I am afraid that we will not be able to rest well in your camp."


    "Hey," the man shook his head, still with that uncomfortable smile on his face, "then I will insist even more."


    Seemingly not feeling the hostility from the other side, the man continued,


    "Someone¡¯s life is at stake, right? For the safety of your teammate, I think you''d better let us help, okay?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, several figures with the same mercenary marks on their clothes appeared behind the other surrounding rocks.


    ¡ª¡ªThe meaning of the threat was self-evident.


    Chen Meng clenched her weapon tightly, gritted her teeth, and stared coldly at the mercenary in front of him.


    Wang Li turned his head and shook his head at her almost imperceptibly.


    He looked at the middle-aged man who was still smiling in front of him, and a polite smile appeared on his face, "If you insist, then it is better for me to be respectful and obey."


    "I will also trouble you to leave your associates to help search for our teammate."


    Since neither of them had shown their true thoughts yet, the mercenaries on the other side didn¡¯t mind indulging their thoughts.


    He told a few people to stay nearby and search for a young man named Shi An. The rest followed him and walked towards the mercenary camp with Wang Li and company.


    Soon, the shadows of the canyon disappeared, leaving only a patch of snow.


    The blizzard was still going strong, and the scorched rock formations were soon covered with a thin layer of snow, mixing with the melted water and turning into a gray-black mud.


    Three minutes later.


    In the distance came the crunch of snow as it was trampled on.


    Footsteps approached, and the figure of a young man appeared.


    He was slender, and his figure was engulfed by the blizzard instantly. A beautiful, peaceful face was hidden in thick fluff, and a pair of pink bunny earmuffs were on his ears.


    However, the boy was holding a huge leg bone that was still moving.


    That leg bone was simply giganormous, almost half the height of a human being, forming an absurd and stark contrast to the bearer.


    A cluster of bright yellow flames was burning above the leg bone, radiating heat continuously.


    "..."


    Shi An looked around blankly, looking at the mess in front of him, and asked in great confusion:


    "Where are the people?"

 CH 33.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 33.1


    Shi An stood there, looking around blankly.


    The bottom of the canyon was silent, only the leg bones that were still struggling in his hands were clicking, and a small cluster of orange-yellow flames burning at the top of the canyon looked particularly bright in the darkness.


    At this time, a loud shout came from behind, "Who¡¯s there!"


    Shi An turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound.


    A few men in mercenary uniforms gathered around him.


    The leader looked up and down the young man who was alone in front of him, and asked, "Shi An?"


    Shi An tilted his head and looked at the leader suspiciously, "You know me?"


    "Of course."


    The man laughed, revealing his smoke-stained yellow teeth, and his eyes, sunken deep in their sockets, radiated light.


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you to meet your companions."


    Saying that, he started to tug on the boy''s arm.


    The young man in front of him looked so weak, but unexpectedly... he didn''t move.


    The mercenary frowned and turned his head to look behind him.


    The boy''s face was red from the cold, the pink fluff on the rabbit ear muffs fluttered in the cold wind, his beautiful round eyes sparkled, dark and moist, and he looked harmless to humans and animals. He sniffled, the sound covered up by the winds, and said,


    "I don¡¯t believe you."


    The mercenary was a little annoyed.


    He frowned, subconsciously increasing the strength of his arm, and his tone also became tough and impolite, "If you won¡¯t come quietly..."


    Shi An frowned, "You hurt me."


    "Kid, you''d better follow me obediently, or it will actually hurt later¡ª" The mercenary grinned, his eyes flashing fiercely.


    A few others burst into laughter.


    In the dark night, the boy glanced at with pitch-black eyes, and in the chaotic blizzard, his look was inexplicably penetrating.


    For some reason, the mercenary suddenly panicked.


    He frowned angrily, as if to hide the fact that he was actually frightened by a child. His grip on Shi An¡¯s arm increased a little bit in revenge, and he shouted rudely and viciously, "What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you believe I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes? "


    Suddenly, the boy raised his hand, covered in a cute plush glove, and placed it lightly on the man''s arm.


    His palm was not big, and his hand could even be considered petite compared to the man''s muscular arms. When he put it on his arm, the mercenary didn¡¯t even feel much weight¡ªit was as if a snowflake had fallen, silently and quietly.


    At that moment, the mercenary suddenly felt shivers down his spine, and his whole body stiffened.


    A sense of danger was menacing and came quietly, like a beast in the dark night baring its fangs against his face, and it was already too late when he realized it.


    The next second¡ª


    "Crack."


    A crisp bone crack sounded in the snowy night.


    In an instant, everything quieted down.


    The mercenary didn''t even react.


    He looked down blankly and saw that his arm was twisted in the opposite direction. The apparent abnormal angle was bone-chilling to see. Then, his nerves caught up to the situation¡ªa severe pain followed, and a sharp howl broke through his throat, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡±


    The rest of the people were stunned. They didn''t expect that the young man in front of them would be so vicious.


    Shi An rubbed the place where he was grabbed just now and complained,


    "I said, you hurt me."


    His voice was soft and almost coquettish.


    But no one could forget that the other party twisted the arm of a mercenary several times stronger than himself in this way, and the expression on his face did not even change.


    The rest of the people reacted immediately. They looked at each other solemnly, and assumed a fighting posture.


    The innocent-looking boy was definitely a ruthless character, much more difficult to face than his companions were.


    Shi An raised his eyes and looked thoughtfully at the murderous people in front of him.


    He blinked, eyelashes wet with snow, and his eyes appeared raven-dark and shiny in the dark night.


    "Looks like you should know the whereabouts of my comrades?"


    The boy raised his eyebrows and showed an extraordinarily harmless smile,


    "Tell me, okay?"


    *


    Wang Li and the other three team members sat in one of the mercenary tents.


    The magic-fueled charcoal fire would bake the small tent warmly, like a small haven in the snowy night.


    But even in this precious warmth, everyone seemed uneasy.


    There were mercenaries patrolling outside the tent at all times, giving them no possibility of escaping at all.


    An hour ago, they had just negotiated with the leader of this team of mercenaries.


    The other party seemed to be dubious about the excuse of studying abroad, but they could not find any loopholes for a while.


    During the confrontation and chat, Wang Li revealed a bit of the family power behind him.


    However, it was hard to say whether it would work or not.


    In the face of absolute great interests, all scruples would disappear.


    Moreover, due to the confidentiality of this trip, they did not apply for a report to the school this time, which meant...


    Once these outlaws discovered this, they would probably attack them in order to hide the treasure information.

 CH 33.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 33.2


    Although they were all leaders in their respective fields and would not lose to any of the opponents in that regard, their enemies were still mercenaries who had fought with real swords and guns. They were also superior in numbers.


    More importantly, Shi An''s whereabouts were still unknown.


    Even if they escaped from the mercenary camp, they would not be able to move an inch¡ªShi An was the most important element of the team with his fire magic.


    "Captain, what are we going to do next?" Zhao She approached and asked in a low voice beside Wang Li''s ear.


    Wang Li looked down at the hot tea in his cup, and a layer of water vapor appeared on his glasses.


    He shook his head quietly.


    "Wait."


    Now there was no other way but to hold back.


    The leader of the mercenaries may have discovered that in their squad, the whereabouts of the core fire element is unknown.


    And among all the teams that came to the canyon, the fire element in the team must be the strongest member.


    So even if the mercenaries wanted to kill them, out of caution, they wouldn¡¯t until they found Shi An. After all, the mercenaries didn¡¯t know how strong Shi An was, so they had to leave hostages to contain the opponent.


    "Why hasn''t Chen Meng come back?" Zhao She frowned and asked.


    The other people were also stunned, and looked up at the only clock in the tent.


    Chen Meng just left the tent to go to the toilet, but strangely, it had been nearly twenty minutes, but she still hadn¡¯t come back.


    Zhao She stood up abruptly, "No, I have to find her."


    He frowned, looking particularly grumpy.


    Wu Huancheng cut in, "Wait, didn''t the captain just say that it''s better not to have a conflict with these mercenaries at this juncture? I¡¯ll go-"


    Wang Li stood up, "Don''t worry, I''ll ask."


    But before he could reach the door, the tent was suddenly lifted, and a gust of snow rolled in through the gap.


    The leader walked in, followed by the stubborn man who was talking to them in the canyon.


    Wang Li stopped and watched them vigilantly.


    Immediately afterwards, a slender figure was thrown in.


    It was Chen Meng.


    She fell to the ground with mussed hair, breathing heavily, half of her face swollen and bloody.


    "Stupid c*nt." The stubborn man spat. His eyes were bloodshot, his hands were trembling, and three of his fingers had disappeared. There were frostbite bruises on the wounds.


    Chen Meng straightened her hair and looked up.


    Her eyes were bright, shining like sharp knives, and she laughed, "How is it? Is it still fun to play with a female student?"


    Wang Li paled.


    Thinking of the look in the eyes of the other party directed towards Chen Meng before, he had a good grasp of what had happened just now.


    The leader said slowly, "Your companion has hurt my underlings like this, you must give an explanation."


    Wang Li took a step forward, skillfully blocked Chen Meng''s figure, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "With all due respect, I''m afraid your companion deserves it this time."


    After a brief stunned moment, Zhao She and Wu Huancheng immediately rushed forward to help Chen Meng up and led her back vigilantly.


    The man with the beard stared at him and stepped forward angrily, "You fucking¡ª"


    The leader raised his hand and stopped the other party''s curse.


    He snorted and threw the backpack that he had been carrying in his hand. It was Chen Meng''s backpack, which had been torn into rags at this moment, and the contents fell to the ground with a clanging sound.


    Immediately afterwards, he crouched down and took out a map.


    Wang Li''s heart sank.


    Chen Meng''s voice was slightly choked. She gritted his teeth, and whispered behind him, "Captain, I''m sorry..."


    The other party unfolded the map slowly, pointing to the note on it with his index finger: "Study travel? Huh?"


    He smiled contemptuously, "I didn''t expect¡­ It''s really unbelievable that you''re here for the dragon?"


    Wang Li was startled.


    ¡­¡­Dragon? What dragon?


    What does this treasure... have to do with dragons?


    The atmosphere was tense and ready to explode.


    At this moment, a mercenary came in and said something in the ear of the leader.


    The leader laughed, "Really? The fire wielder has been found? Okay, open the north gate and let them in."


    Wang Li clenched his weapon slowly.


    Damn.


    It seems that Shi An had been found, so the mercenaries'' last scruples about killing the team had disappeared.


    The leader relaxed his hands, and the map fluttered down and lay in the debris.


    "Take them away."


    The teammates were already prepared, and they pulled out their weapons one after another. The impact caused by the fluctuation of magic power roared in a tangible force field around them, and the tent sides flapped out. At this moment, a sharp neigh suddenly came from the depths of the snowy night and broke the tense.


    Then, there was a commotion outside.


    The leader was stunned, and the expression on his face changed immediately.


    He remembered that sound.


    This... this was obviously the sound of that skeleton horse!


    How could it be!


    He had very carefully set up a spell to hide the magic signature of the camp and attached the light spell that the dead flesh-spirits feared most to the outside. How could that skeleton horse have found their camp? !

 CH 33.3

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 33.3


    Screams rang out in the snowy night, and the sound of four hooves thudding heavily on the ground reverberated throughout the camp like the sound of a war drum. It seemed to be heading straight in this direction!


    "Quick! Prepare to fight!" The leader drew his weapon and turned around¡ª


    However, before he could do anything, the tent in front of him was suddenly crushed from top to bottom.


    The bone-white hoof was the size of a bowl, and it smashed straight down.


    Its body was huge and terrifying, and the dark eye sockets were flashing with blue light, but for some reason, the tendons that had still been embedded in its body earlier had disappeared, replaced by charred burn marks.


    The skeleton horse snorted.


    It stomped down fiercely, and the mercenary leader didn''t even have time to react. His head was completely smashed, and his milky white brains spattered out, steaming in the cold temperature.


    His body twitched and lost all signs of life.


    "Run! Run!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the other mercenaries fled.


    Behind the skeleton horse was an empty and boundless dark night.


    The storm it summoned had completely destroyed the entire camp, leaving the ground and the sky indistinguishable.


    Wang Li clenched his teeth, fighting the chills that swam all over his body under the terrifying aura of the skeleton horse.


    The mercenaries were either dead or fleeing, leaving only the four of them to confront the terrifying undead monster.


    The instinct to run screamed in his head.


    "Get ready..." His voice cracked.


    The skeleton horse stomped on the ground twice with its front hooves and snorted. The dark eye sockets eyed the humans for a few seconds, but then the horse turned around, running in the direction from which it came and disappearing into the depths of the dark night.


    The four teammates just looked at each other.


    ...Just now... what had happened?


    *


    On a snowy slope not far from the camp.


    A small fire was burning, radiating warm heat.


    Shi An was very afraid of the cold and curled up in front of the fire. He shrank into a small ball and draped three coats on top of him.


    Opposite him, the four mercenaries hugged themselves tightly and shivered in front of the fire.


    The four of them were shabbily covered with a single coat.


    The shrill screams and the neighing of the monster echoed in the valley in the distance, and this ambience became a chilling background sound.


    They trembled, unwilling to think about what was happening in that mercenary camp.


    They huddled together in horror, daring neither to be angry nor to speak, just wishing that the other party would save their lives for the sake of their cooperation.


    Clack, clack, clack.


    The rhythmic skeletal impact sound gradually amplified.


    The terrifying skeleton horse appeared within view.


    It hesitantly stopped, staring at the fire and the human who dismembered it, violently took away its leg bones, and then put it back together again.


    Shi An beckoned to it, "Come here."


    The skeleton horse stepped forward cautiously and lowered its pale head.


    Shi An patted its head, "Good job."


    The other four mercenaries trembled even more.


    This young man was so strong that he was completely out of the category of human beings and more like a monster!


    Half an hour ago.


    After they spilled out all the information about the mercenary camp, the young man pondered for a few seconds and said, "Come with me."


    Immediately afterwards, Shi An took them to a snow-covered field and instructed,


    "Dig here."


    "That... May I ask what we are going to dig?" The mercenary whose arm was broken had completely lost his arrogance and asked tremblingly.


    Shi An shook the rattling leg bones in his hand, "This."


    The four mercenaries: "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Only then did they realize that the torch that the other party had been holding in his hand was actually a huge leg bone!


    And¡­ It looked kind of like a horse''s leg.


    They swallowed hard, and suddenly there was an ominous feeling in their hearts.


    The mercenaries did not dare to make a sound, but began to dig in the snow, more and more bones appeared, and the shapes became more and more familiar¡ª¡ª


    Fuck! Isn''t this the skeleton horse that kept their entire team in place for nearly a day! !


    The skeleton horse, which lacked a hind leg, struggled on the spot, neighing sharply, and a dark fire burned in its dark eye sockets, staring at the four humans in front of it.


    The four mercenaries couldn''t help but take a step back.


    The memory of being crushed and beaten by this undead species was revived, making them tremble even now.


    "Oh right!" Shi An, who had been waiting not far away, seemed to have thought of something.


    He slapped his forehead and walked over.


    The ferocious skeleton horse became quiet the moment it saw Shi An, and the blue flames in its eyes were a little weaker, and it seemed... as if it were afraid.


    Shi An shook the leg bone in his hand, and the flame at the top of the leg bone went out immediately.


    Immediately afterwards, he squatted down and reattached the leg bone in his hand onto the skeleton horse, "That''s it!"


    Four mercenaries: "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    They stared blankly at the unreasonable scene in front of them and could hardly believe their eyes.

 CH 33.4

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 33.4


    At the beginning, they could still deceive themselves. Maybe they were wrong? How could that undead monster express fear of a human being? But when they saw that the skeleton horse was heading in the direction of the camp to attack it according to Shi An''s instruction, everyone lost the ability to speak.


    ...Was¡­  was this what it felt like to have a paradigm shift?


    Shi An stood up and stretched.


    Seeing this, the skeleton horse took two steps back in fear.


    Shi An said kindly, "Don''t worry, I won''t burn you this time."


    He patted the horse''s head, "You go."


    The skeleton horse lowered its head, rubbed its head against Shi An''s shoulder, then snorted, turned, and disappeared into the blizzard.


    The four weak and pitiful mercenaries looked numb.


    Sometimes... when people are exposed to shock after shock... they become acclimated.


    Shi An turned to look at them, "As for you¡ª"


    The four mercenaries were shocked and looked up in horror at the young man in front of them as if they had been beaten up.


    "You can go too."


    Shi An said mercifully.


    The reason why he asked the skeleton horse to save his teammates instead of going himself was to prevent other people from discovering his true strength.


    Now that the goal had been achieved, it would be troublesome to keep these mercenaries, so he wanted them out of his sight.


    "You know what to say and what not to say?"


    A harmless smile appeared on the boy¡¯s face.


    The four people in front of them were startled and hurriedly kowtowed¡ªeven if they told people about it, nobody would believe it!


    A high-level undead species capable of summoning a blizzard could actually be tamed by an ordinary human teenager... This level of nonsense would get them imprisoned in a mental hospital if they revealed it.


    The four of them were still sharing a coat. They stood up awkwardly and stared at the three coats on Shi An''s body, "That... may I ask you..."


    Shi An blinked, with a harmless look on his face, "What? Or do you want me to change my mind?"


    "No no no no no!!" The mercenaries in front of him frantically shook their heads.


    They maintained a funny posture of hugging each other and ran in the opposite direction of Shi An, as if they were running away.


    Soon, only Shi An was left in front of the fire.


    He stretched out his hand, baked it in front of the fire, and then leaned forward again.


    Ah, it was so warm, he really didn¡¯t want to leave...


    He sniffed and sighed sadly.


    Alas, for the treasures of the legendary elves, he still had to endure the cold and move on.


    Shi An made sufficient psychological preparations, then slowly donned the clothes layer by layer, extinguished the fire in front of him, and then walked towards the camp.


    He had to hurry up and join the others.


    At this moment, Shi An noticed something moving.


    He was slightly startled, and turned his head to look in the direction of the movement- it seemed to humans, and those people didn''t seem to be very weak.


    Was it the support group of those mercenaries?


    At this moment, Shi An heard a voice not far behind.


    "Report, Chief, the magic wave came from the front."


    This voice... seemed a little familiar.


    Shi An blinked, and a long-sleep memory was suddenly awakened.


    Wasn¡¯t this the young woman who took him out of the dinner party and gave him hot milk to drink!


    Wait, now that she was there, then...


    Shi An panicked.


    Oh no! If Shiny found him here, his plans to find the treasure would be in vain! ! !


    According to what he knew about that human being, the other party would definitely drag him back to the academy! !


    Gotta run now!


    Shi An hurriedly accelerated his pace, walking forward with one foot deep and one shallow.


    He could see the mercenary camp just ahead, but the four large padded jackets on his body slowed down his progress.


    In a foggy blizzard, he was like a round ball, trudging through the snow with difficulty.


    Behind him, a familiar aura gradually approached.


    Shi An was anxious, and he tripped over the thick snow under his feet.


    Shi An: "!!!"


    Shi An was about to roll down the snowy slope, but suddenly, a slender hand stretched out from behind and gently grabbed Shi An''s back collar.


    Eh¡­¡­?


    Shi An felt that his feet were hanging and his whole body was carried into the air.


    He struggled for a while, but the four padded jackets held him tightly like shackles, making him look like a tortoise turned upside down, kicking its legs helplessly.


    He struggled desperately to the end, but he could only flutter in the air, unable to shake off the force behind him.


    Shi An: "..."


    He slowly turned his head and looked at the man behind him who was holding back the treasure of his destiny.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were lowered, the silver-white eyelashes covered with ice and snow of the same color, and a pair of glacial blue eyes fixedly looked over. His fathomless deep eyes fell on Shi An''s body cuttingly. Thin lips pursed tightly into an inhumanly straight line.


    Shi An greeted dryly,


    "What... what a coincidence, hahaha."


    Mu Heng''s voice was low, and the ending was slightly raised, but there was not much joy in his voice with a hint of coldness that seemed to cut to the quick,


    "Truly."


    --------------------

 CH 34.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 34.1


    "Report, sir, the trapped students have been rescued successfully!" Wen Yao reported.


    Behind her were Wang Li and the others.


    They looked particularly embarrassed, and their clothes were still splashed with frozen blood clots, but fortunately, they were only a little frightened and not injured.


    Mu Heng walked forward with a cold air in his body, his blue eyes with no warmth slightly lowered, and his gaze fell on the four people in front of him.


    An invisible pressure pressed heavily on the shoulders of the students in front of him.


    They swallowed involuntarily and had difficulty breathing.


    Even though they were trapped in the heartland of mercenaries just now, they didn''t feel so powerless.


    This... was this what it felt like to be caught?


    Suddenly, Chen Meng exclaimed in a low voice, "Shi An!"


    The rest of the people were stunned and looked up.


    The young man stood not far from Mu Heng, his face flushed red from the cold, looking pitiful.


    Of course it was nice to have a missing companion safe and sound, but...


    . . . How many pieces of clothes did a person have to wear to wrap himself in a ball?


    Several people slowly showed the same delicate expression.


    "Tell me." Mu Heng''s voice was low and light, "Why did you guys go up the mountain this season."


    The four looked at each other and were speechless for a moment.


    Chief Mu is different from those mercenaries. The school year trip or something similar was a lie that could instantly be shot through in front of the other party.


    But...did they want to tell the truth?


    Wang Li gritted his teeth and fell silent.


    Unexpectedly, Mu Heng did not press them for answers.


    He beckoned to Wen Yao, "Assign them a tent, provide dinner, and let them rest for the night."


    However, before waiting for the team to breathe a sigh of relief, Mu Heng continued, "Early tomorrow morning, send them down the mountain."


    Wang Li was startled: "But...!"


    He raised his head to meet Mu Heng''s gaze, and swallowed the second half of the words stuck in his throat.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze: "Go out."


    No matter how reluctant they were, the four of them could only bow to Mu Heng, and then followed Wen Yao out.


    Shi An crept up to keep up, preparing to take the opportunity to sneak out with them.


    But before he took a few steps, he felt that the collar of his clothes was being grabbed.


    Shi An: "..."


    He turned his head, and what caught his eyes was Mu Heng''s calm face and his silver-white eyelashes. He asked coldly,


    "What are you doing with them?"


    Shi An: "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    The figures of Wang Li and the others have disappeared from sight, and only he and Mu Heng were left.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and looked at Shi An, who hung his head in a guilty conscience, as if he had been caught for doing something wrong.


    "Why did you follow them in?" He frowned and looked cold.


    Shi An raised his head: "?"


    Eh?


    This sentence sounded like the other party felt that he was being tricked over...?


    The young man raised his head, his dark eyes were puzzled, and he seemed extraordinarily ignorant and innocent.


    Mu Heng''s gaze stopped for a moment on the plush rabbit earmuffs the other party was wearing, and his original question stopped at his mouth.


    "Are you feeling better?" he asked.


    It took Shi An a few seconds to realize that the other party was talking about his previous hospitalization.


    Although he didn''t know why Mu Heng suddenly changed the subject, he still answered obediently, "It''s better."


    Mu Heng glanced up and down at Shi An, and landed on the three layers of the boy''s body, wrapping himself tightly on the padded coat.


    Suddenly, he subconsciously remembered that the other day in the hospital, the other party was shivering and holding his arm and not letting go.


    Mu Heng: "You¡¯re so susceptible to the cold?"


    Shi An nodded honestly.


    "Then what are you doing in the mountains this season?" Mu Heng raised his eyebrows, his expression still cold.


    Shi An: "..."


    If it weren¡¯t for the treasure, he wouldn''t have come to this cold and frozen wasteland!


    At this moment, Wen Yao opened the curtain and walked in.


    She said, "The students¡¯ living quarters have already been arranged, and the mercenaries who have escaped have also been captured. One of them seems to want to be able to talk you. It seems that he has the information you need."


    Mu Heng nodded and walked out.


    After taking two steps, he stopped, took out a palm-sized ball from his pocket, and threw it to Shi An.


    Shi An hurriedly caught it.


    The ball was heavy in his hand, and even through the thick fleece gloves, he could still feel a constant and steady heat radiating into his palm.


    He looked down.


    It was a light red sphere, shining brightly in the dark, looking warm and round.


    This, this was... a fire gem!


    Shi An held the gem in front of him, and his eyes slightly widened.


    Legend has it that a precious gem containing the ancient fire element, even a small piece, could radiate heat constantly.


    Even in the past, Shi An only had two pieces in his cave, and they were all about the same size as the one in his hand.


    Almost instantly, Shi An felt a warm tingling in his frozen fingers.


    He blinked, looked up at Mu Heng''s back, and asked hesitantly,


    "For me?"


    Last time, Shi An thought that the shiny silver bracelet was for him.


    But in the end, he found out that it was actually a testing instrument, which disappointed him for a long time.


    "Ok."


    Mu Heng paused, and said lightly, "Keep it."


    After speaking, he opened the curtain of the tent and walked out.


    Wen Yao followed Mu Heng''s side and couldn''t help but turn her head to look behind her.


    The curtain of the tent fell, covering the figure of the young man.


    After all, she still couldn''t hold back and hesitantly said, "That...sir, isn''t that gem a gift from the governor of this Aiwen area?"


    Mu Heng was in a hurry this time, so except for a few trustworthy juniors, he didn¡¯t bring many people. All the materials and equipment were provided by the Aiwen Regional Administration.


    Due to Mu Heng''s status, the others naturally tried to please him in every possible way. In addition to the necessary action materials, a lot of rare treasures were given to him by the leaders of the territory to avoid the cold, and this fire gem was one of them.


    ¡ª¡ªExcept for this gem, Mu Heng took nothing, and directly returned the other gifts to the original owners.


    Mu Heng glanced down at Wen Yao and said lightly:


    "I don¡¯t need it."


    What Mu Heng said was the truth.


    Contrary to his cold and indifferent appearance, his body temperature had always run high, and he almost never felt the cold. Even though he came to this canyon for a mission, he was only wearing a slender windbreaker.


    Wen Yao endured and swallowed the doubts in her heart.

 CH 34.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 34.1


    "Report, sir, the trapped students have been rescued successfully!" Wen Yao reported.


    Behind her were Wang Li and the others.


    They looked particularly embarrassed, and their clothes were still splashed with frozen blood clots, but fortunately, they were only a little frightened and not injured.


    Mu Heng walked forward with a cold air in his body, his blue eyes with no warmth slightly lowered, and his gaze fell on the four people in front of him.


    An invisible pressure pressed heavily on the shoulders of the students in front of him.


    They swallowed involuntarily and had difficulty breathing.


    Even though they were trapped in the heartland of mercenaries just now, they didn''t feel so powerless.


    This... was this what it felt like to be caught?


    Suddenly, Chen Meng exclaimed in a low voice, "Shi An!"


    The rest of the people were stunned and looked up.


    The young man stood not far from Mu Heng, his face flushed red from the cold, looking pitiful.


    Of course it was nice to have a missing companion safe and sound, but...


    . . . How many pieces of clothes did a person have to wear to wrap himself in a ball?


    Several people slowly showed the same delicate expression.


    "Tell me." Mu Heng''s voice was low and light, "Why did you guys go up the mountain this season."


    The four looked at each other and were speechless for a moment.


    Chief Mu is different from those mercenaries. The school year trip or something similar was a lie that could instantly be shot through in front of the other party.


    But...did they want to tell the truth?


    Wang Li gritted his teeth and fell silent.


    Unexpectedly, Mu Heng did not press them for answers.


    He beckoned to Wen Yao, "Assign them a tent, provide dinner, and let them rest for the night."


    However, before waiting for the team to breathe a sigh of relief, Mu Heng continued, "Early tomorrow morning, send them down the mountain."


    Wang Li was startled: "But...!"


    He raised his head to meet Mu Heng''s gaze, and swallowed the second half of the words stuck in his throat.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze: "Go out."


    No matter how reluctant they were, the four of them could only bow to Mu Heng, and then followed Wen Yao out.


    Shi An crept up to keep up, preparing to take the opportunity to sneak out with them.


    But before he took a few steps, he felt that the collar of his clothes was being grabbed.


    Shi An: "..."


    He turned his head, and what caught his eyes was Mu Heng''s calm face and his silver-white eyelashes. He asked coldly,


    "What are you doing with them?"


    Shi An: "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    The figures of Wang Li and the others have disappeared from sight, and only he and Mu Heng were left.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and looked at Shi An, who hung his head in a guilty conscience, as if he had been caught for doing something wrong.


    "Why did you follow them in?" He frowned and looked cold.


    Shi An raised his head: "?"


    Eh?


    This sentence sounded like the other party felt that he was being tricked over...?


    The young man raised his head, his dark eyes were puzzled, and he seemed extraordinarily ignorant and innocent.


    Mu Heng''s gaze stopped for a moment on the plush rabbit earmuffs the other party was wearing, and his original question stopped at his mouth.


    "Are you feeling better?" he asked.


    It took Shi An a few seconds to realize that the other party was talking about his previous hospitalization.


    Although he didn''t know why Mu Heng suddenly changed the subject, he still answered obediently, "It''s better."


    Mu Heng glanced up and down at Shi An, and landed on the three layers of the boy''s body, wrapping himself tightly on the padded coat.


    Suddenly, he subconsciously remembered that the other day in the hospital, the other party was shivering and holding his arm and not letting go.


    Mu Heng: "You¡¯re so susceptible to the cold?"


    Shi An nodded honestly.


    "Then what are you doing in the mountains this season?" Mu Heng raised his eyebrows, his expression still cold.


    Shi An: "..."


    If it weren¡¯t for the treasure, he wouldn''t have come to this cold and frozen wasteland!


    At this moment, Wen Yao opened the curtain and walked in.


    She said, "The students¡¯ living quarters have already been arranged, and the mercenaries who have escaped have also been captured. One of them seems to want to be able to talk you. It seems that he has the information you need."


    Mu Heng nodded and walked out.


    After taking two steps, he stopped, took out a palm-sized ball from his pocket, and threw it to Shi An.


    Shi An hurriedly caught it.


    The ball was heavy in his hand, and even through the thick fleece gloves, he could still feel a constant and steady heat radiating into his palm.


    He looked down.


    It was a light red sphere, shining brightly in the dark, looking warm and round.


    This, this was... a fire gem!


    Shi An held the gem in front of him, and his eyes slightly widened.


    Legend has it that a precious gem containing the ancient fire element, even a small piece, could radiate heat constantly.


    Even in the past, Shi An only had two pieces in his cave, and they were all about the same size as the one in his hand.


    Almost instantly, Shi An felt a warm tingling in his frozen fingers.


    He blinked, looked up at Mu Heng''s back, and asked hesitantly,


    "For me?"


    Last time, Shi An thought that the shiny silver bracelet was for him.


    But in the end, he found out that it was actually a testing instrument, which disappointed him for a long time.


    "Ok."


    Mu Heng paused, and said lightly, "Keep it."


    After speaking, he opened the curtain of the tent and walked out.


    Wen Yao followed Mu Heng''s side and couldn''t help but turn her head to look behind her.


    The curtain of the tent fell, covering the figure of the young man.


    After all, she still couldn''t hold back and hesitantly said, "That...sir, isn''t that gem a gift from the governor of this Aiwen area?"


    Mu Heng was in a hurry this time, so except for a few trustworthy juniors, he didn¡¯t bring many people. All the materials and equipment were provided by the Aiwen Regional Administration.


    Due to Mu Heng''s status, the others naturally tried to please him in every possible way. In addition to the necessary action materials, a lot of rare treasures were given to him by the leaders of the territory to avoid the cold, and this fire gem was one of them.


    ¡ª¡ªExcept for this gem, Mu Heng took nothing, and directly returned the other gifts to the original owners.


    Mu Heng glanced down at Wen Yao and said lightly:


    "I don¡¯t need it."


    What Mu Heng said was the truth.


    Contrary to his cold and indifferent appearance, his body temperature had always run high, and he almost never felt the cold. Even though he came to this canyon for a mission, he was only wearing a slender windbreaker.


    Wen Yao endured and swallowed the doubts in her heart.

 CH 35.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 35.1


    However, before Shi An could find the place, he was the first to be found.


    "Shi An?" Wen Yao was startled and looked at the young man in front of her, "I just sent someone to look for you, but I didn''t expect to bump into you directly."


    Shi An tilted his head in confusion. "Looking for me? Why?"


    "That''s right, we wanted to wait until tomorrow morning, but the chief seems to have changed his mind and wants to leave right now."


    Wen Yao looked at Shi An apologetically, "We will leave some people to escort you out of the mountain. You can still use the tents and food in this camp. Chief Mu asked me to come and let you know that if you need anything when you¡¯re off the mountain, you can contact Zhuo Fu."


    She handed over a piece of paper.


    "This is Zhuo Fu''s contact information."


    After seeing that Shi An took the piece of paper, Wen Yao bid him goodbye and turned around and left in a hurry.


    The camp, which had been quiet and peaceful just now, was now being deconstructed.


    Most of the people who were going were the juniors that Mu Heng had brought from the Administration, while most of the members from the Aiwen District were staying behind.


    Shi An stood there, watching Wen Yao¡¯s figure disappear.


    After a long time, he nodded firmly.


    "It must be related to dragons!"


    When it was confirmed that Mu Heng and his party had left, Shi An sneaked out of the camp while the others were not paying attention.


    He returned to the place where he was now intercepted by the undead, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Hey¡ª"


    "Are you still there¡ª"


    There was silence all around.


    "I''m going to set you on fire if you don''t come out!"


    Boom!


    The snow slowly swelled again, the piled up snow fell, and the tall skeleton horse appeared in the snowy night. The faint blue light in the eye sockets was burning, and it looked majestic and terrifying¡ª if you could ignore the mottled scorch spots.


    Shi An patted its head with satisfaction.


    "Good."


    After thinking for a while, he took out the fire gem from his pocket and put it in front of the other person''s nose: "This scent? Can you trace it?"


    Skeleton Horse: "..."


    Devil: "..."


    After a long silence, it couldn''t help but speak, breaking the awkward situation in front of it, "Er, my lord, that is not a dog..."


    Shi An sighed, put the gem back in his pocket, and muttered unhappily


    "I just wanted to try..."


    Demon Insect: "The ability of undead species tracking living creatures by scent is very strong, so why don''t you try to let it follow instinct?"


    It had now given up on persuading Shi An to go down the mountain.


    Once this dragon had made up his mind, he would never be able to turn his back. Instead of resisting, it might as well help finish things ahead of time... so that it could leave this hellish place where the weather was cold and the ground was frozen!


    Shi An''s eyes lit up, "You''re right!"


    He dragged the skeleton horse and said matter of factly,  "Let me climb onto you, I don''t want to walk."


    The dignified undead monster, in the face of absolutely overwhelming power, could only lower its body in humiliation and let the human in front of it climb onto its back.


    Shi An found a comfortable spot and sighed, "I shouldn''t have burnt it so cleanly before..."


    It was a bit bony.


    Demon insect: "..."


    Save some face for others, please.


    The snowy night was dark, and the surroundings were chaotic. Looking out from afar, there was no color at all except for the whiteness of the snow, and there was no trace of any living creatures.


    Shi An became sleepy on the back of the skeleton horse.


    He already slept a lot more than average humans and didn¡¯t like to go outside, plus it was so cold there, it just doubled his desire to hibernate.


    His vision was swaying, as if everything were moving on horseback, and the world became pale and distant.


    Time seemed to have lost its meaning.


    Shi An''s eyelids drooped down a little bit, and his vision gradually became blurred.


    He felt as if he had returned to the place where he felt safest.


    Dark, dry caves, mountains of treasure.


    Hmm...seems like there was still something missing.


    That''s right, there was still a glittering human being missing, tightly sealed in amber and placed securely in his left paw.


    Ahhh¡­ So good...


    A sudden shaking woke Shi An from his half-lucid state, and he realized that the skeleton horse under him had stopped at some point.


    Had they arrived?


    He blinked dazedly, raised his eyes and looked into the distance.


    Sure enough, on the snow not far away, a team of humans appeared very abruptly against the white backdrop.


    The silver-haired man clad in black stood at the front of the team, and even though they were far away, he could still clearly identify the other party.


    Shi An felt refreshed.


    They were really here!


    He patted the skeleton horse under him, "Well done!"


    Mu Heng looked at the magnificent mountain in front of him.


    The huge pale stones looked extraordinarily huge, and they were firmly piled up at the bottom of the canyon, blocking the road in front of them, making it impossible to move forward at all.


    He turned his head to look beside him, "Is it here?"


    A mercenary with a scar on his face was tightly handcuffed, and there were still traces of half-dried blood on his face. "Yes, yes, it is here! You need to infuse fire magic to open the door."


    Mu Heng gave him a fixed look.


    He slowly took off his gloves and pressed his slender, pale hand against the cold stone wall.


    The stone wall turned crimson under the his palm, and scorching flames burst out.


    The people at the front of the party were forced to take a few steps back.


    The surrounding snowdrifts melted rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the surrounding air fluctuated under the high temperature.

 CH 35.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 35.2


    After a few minutes, Mu Heng stopped.


    He retracted his hand, but the stone wall in front of him remained motionless.


    Wen Yao pressed the mercenary''s shoulder hard, frowning, "Tell the truth."


    The mercenary whimpered emotionally, "Really! Really!"


    As if he were afraid that the few people in front of him would not believe him, he explained his words under Wen Yao¡¯s firm chokehold, "Maybe, maybe it''s not enough, you still need... you also need a stronger fire magic power, so the wall, the wall will¡­"


    Wen Yao sneered, "Not enough?"


    She mercilessly increased the strength of her hand and watched the mercenary''s face twist slightly, "Do you know who is standing in front of you?"


    The mercenary fell silent.


    Indeed, in this world, if Mu Heng''s magic power was not enough, then nobody¡¯s was.


    He seemed to suddenly think of something and stammered, "I, I know, it''s not the amount of magic power that''s wrong, it''s the wrong type¡ª"


    The mercenary looked at Mu Heng eagerly, "I, er¡­ One of the leaders brought a prop to seal fire magic. I thought he was worried about not having enough magic, but now it seems that maybe I have misunderstood. What this door needs is not human fire magic, but the flame of a dragon!"


    Wen Yao, "Where is your leader now?"


    The mercenary was suddenly speechless.


    After a long time, he said, "D¡­Dead."


    And that prop should still be on the corpse.


    Wen Yao had no choice now.


    She turned to look at Mu Heng, "Sir, what should I do now?"


    "It doesn''t matter."


    Mu Heng unhurriedly put the gloves back on. A sword condensed from magic power appeared in his palm and flashed a cold and sharp blue light in the dark night.


    "Since the door won''t open, I¡¯ll just remove the door."


    He raised his hand, creating a gust of wind that blew up the hems of his clothes, and the sword, driven by an extremely violent magic power, smashed against the thick stone that was up to 100 meters tall.


    Click.


    The sound of rubble cracking exploded in the dead silence, and cobweb-like cracks quickly spread from the place of contact.


    *


    On the other side¡ª


    In order not to collide with Mu Heng, Shi An, riding the skeleton horse, came to the inner side of the canyon. He stared at the rock in front of him. Something felt off.


    Why¡­ did he always feel it was a little bit familiar somehow?


    At this moment, he opened his eyes slightly, struggled to jump off the back of the skeleton horse, and then climbed onto a high rock beside him.


    From a higher perspective, Shi An seemed to have finally discovered something.


    He gradually, little by little, widened his eyes.


    This place was familiar indeed.


    It couldn''t be more familiar.


    This was his cave! The cave where he had slept for tens of thousands of years! ! ! !


    It seemed to be the reason for the abyss rift that had once opened here, which just happened to connect the cave and the ground. Although it had been closed in the nick of time, more than half of it was left on the mainland.


    And because it was closed, that half was cut straight in the middle, leaving only the sharp corner, pointing straight to the sky.


    Shi An''s expression was sluggish, and his pupils trembled.


    Seventy percent of his caves were isolated on the mainland, and thirty percent were stranded at the bottom of the abyss.


    And more importantly¡ª


    Now that his cave was outside, then, then, what about the treasure he put in the cave! ! ! !


    Shi An panicked.


    He rushed to the rock wall below with his fastest speed, and a cluster of dragon flames rose from his palm and slowly floated into the rock wall in front of him.


    Boom!


    There was a sound of friction between moving stones.


    Immediately afterwards, a passage was split open on the huge rock in front of him, as if welcoming its long-awaited master home.


    Shi An rushed in.


    After 10,000 years, his own cave had become almost unrecognizable. Due to the shifting of tectonic plates, the originally wide place had become narrow and rugged, with gravel strewn everywhere. The terrain in the cave was very complicated, and Shi An used up almost all his strength to find the way to his main cave.


    Finally, the cave in front of him became familiar and gradually took on the appearance in his memory.


    Shi An took a deep breath and walked inward.


    Please...


    His treasure must be¡­


    In front of him was a huge nesting cave.


    Layers and layers of hard, ancient rocks¡ªicy rocks, built up with thick snow¡ª were wrapped in the cover of the shadows.


    There was a narrow gap at the top of the high cave, and thin light poured down from above, barely dispelling the darkness in the cave and illuminating the space to his weak human eyes.


    It was as barren as an icy wasteland.


    Shi An: "..."


    Fucking here my ass.


    A strong anger shot straight to his forehead instantly, looking at the empty cave in front of him, Shi An went crazy.


    Not a single item was left! ! !


    Nothing was left! ! ! !


    It was all, All, ALL gone! ! !


    He clearly remembered that before he fell asleep, his body was surrounded by gold, gems, and crystals¡­ It was like a flowing golden hill that created a crisp and charming collision sound as he moved about to find a comfortable position. The brilliant golden light reflected on his scales, which illuminated the entire cave.


    But now¡­¡­


    It was all gone!


    Everything was moved cleanly, and at a glance, he knew that it was not lost naturally, but was stolen!


    "NO¡ª!"


    Shi An''s eyes were red.


    The boy''s voice was hoarse, as if hot and rough sand was rolling through his throat, and his originally clear voice shattered in extreme anger,


    "Thief! Burglar! Robber!"


    --------------------

 CH 36.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 36.1


    Shi An was furious.


    He originally thought that he just lost his body, and all his other treasures were still safely stored in the cave. As long as he found his body and regained his strength, he could go back to the abyss and see his treasures again.


    However, the sight before him shattered his dream.


    After a good night''s sleep, his house was robbed!


    Those who stole his treasures¡­ They would pay for their greed and ignorance!


    Crack, crack.


    The sound of rock breaking sounded, amplified by the empty cave, and echoed between the rock walls.


    Shi An barely recovered from his anger.


    He turned his head and looked in the direction from where the sound came.


    On the icy rock wall, fine cracks spread like a spider web, and a deep palm mark was branded on it. The surrounding rocks melted due to the high temperature, like magma shimmering faintly red.


    Shi An was stunned for a moment, then looked down at his hand.


    Under the weak light reflected from the snow, the back of his hand shone with a layer of cold metal light, and a pattern of dragon scales was lightly etched on it. The film that originally only covered the palm and fingertips had doubled in area, and it seemed like it spread deep over his wrist.


    It was a symbol of his restoration of strength.


    But¡­¡­


    What was the use?


    Shi An threw down his hands and stared at the empty grotto in front of him with a sad face, feeling as if a hole had been dug in his heart.


    Gone, all gone.


    At this moment, Shi An felt a sudden tremor under his feet.


    The entire mountain was rumbling, and the sound of breaking rocks could be heard from far away. It seemed that the stone wall not far behind was violently damaged and was collapsing at the moment.


    Such a big movement finally pulled Shi An back from the state of restlessness.


    He turned his head to look in the direction of the sound behind him.


    Across the thick stone wall, he could vaguely hear the sound of the mountain gate opening and the cold wind whistling.


    Shi An sighed listlessly.


    If a human dared to destroy his cave like this, he would definitely be furious.


    But now that there was no treasure, there was only an empty shell left in this cave. Break in, break in, destroy, destroy, what was there to lose?


    After all, the most important thing was gone! !


    The demon insect stuck its head out of Shi An''s sleeve and hurriedly urged, "Sir! What are you waiting for! Let''s get out of here now, or when Mu Heng arrives, we can''t explain why we are here!"


    It pulled at Shi An''s sleeves with its six thin legs.


    Although Shi An didn''t want to admit it, what the insect said was right.


    He nodded dejectedly and glanced at the empty stone cave in front of him with nostalgia, then turned and walked towards the direction from where he came.


    Halfway through, Shi An suddenly stopped.


    For some reason, he suddenly had a... very strange feeling.


    Something seemed to be urging him.


    Some invisible magnetism came from the darkness.


    Shi An stood there in a daze, not moving no matter how much the insect urged him to.


    He slowly turned his head, looked in the direction of the magnetic force, and walked over there step by step.


    He was already in the depths of the cave, and the farthest was the end. Thick stones sealed the road tightly, leaving no space to pass through.


    The young man raised his pale and slender palm and pressed it lightly on the stone wall.


    A scorching flame that seemed to devour everything rose from the darkness.


    When the rock wall was exposed to the high temperature, it slowly turned into fiery red magma, which fell to the ground, flowing along the ground.


    The demon insect was startled and instinctively crawled towards the depths of Shi An''s sleeves.


    This, this was the Dragon Flame.


    Expelled without any restraint.


    Even without fuel, the terrifying flame was still burning, emitting a terrifying aura.


    After a few seconds, the thick stone wall in front of him completely melted away.


    Shi An stepped inside.


    The demon insect wanted to follow, but there was some invisible barrier blocking it, dragging it out of Shi An''s sleeve abruptly, and it fell to the ground in embarrassment.


    The sound of human footsteps could already be heard behind him, and they were rapidly approaching here at this moment.


    Shi An''s back slowly disappeared into the darkness.


    The demon insect fell to the ground with his back to the sky, his mind empty and a look of despair.


    Ah... why was he so cursed.


    Shi An walked into the cave.


    It was pitch black on all sides. Only the top was open to the sky, and heavy snow fell inside.


    In the center of the spacious cave stood a huge dark rock, covered with snow and completely covered in a vast patch of white.


    Shi An raised his hand and placed it on the bulge of the rock.


    In the next second, perfectly controlled flames soared, and the thick layer of snow melted instantly, turning into warm water and flowing down.


    Washed clean by the water, the huge rock in front of him revealed its true face.


    It was a huge pitch-black dragon.


    His body was curled up in a quiet sleep position, with the tip of his slender tail resting under his head. The wings that could cover the sky after unfolding were tucked behind him, covering most of his body. The indestructible dragon scales glimmered with a metallic icy sheen in the morning light.


    There was a kind of shocking majesty about him, which makes people instinctively afraid for fear of disturbing the sleep of the dragon.


    Shi An¡¯s feet were rooted to the ground.


    He stared at his former self for a long time.


    *

 CH 36.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 36.2


    When he rushed in, Mu Heng was slightly startled when he saw the scene in front of him.


    There was no snow in the entire cave, the temperature was terrifyingly high, and there were flames burning everywhere, exerting a terrible pressure and heatwave in the air.


    "Dragon, it''s a dragon!" the mercenary screamed.


    He stared in horror at the firelight floating in front of him, his eyes slack, "This, this is the dragon''s cave!"


    Everyone subconsciously took a breath and instinctively took a step back.


    Although they didn¡¯t know what was going on, the fear that came from the depths of the soul wasn¡¯t fake. The trembling feeling bone deep came from the instincts of their far ancestors.


    They subconsciously knew that if they went close to that terrifying flame, their souls would be torn from their bodies and devoured.


    ¡ª¡ªExcept Mu Heng.


    He stared at the scene in front of him, and his deep blue eyes reflected the burning flame like a ghost fire quietly lit in the depths of an abyss ruins.


    A strong trembling and excitement rose from the depths of his soul.


    The dragon was here.


    Mu Heng stretched his fingers and slowly clenched the long sword in his hand again.


    He turned his head to look at Wen Yao behind him, and there was something chilling in his low voice.


    "Just wait here."


    Wen Yao shivered when she caught the gaze of the other party.


    Mu Heng''s eyes were very scary.


    She could clearly feel that the other party made them stay there, not because he knew they were incapable of facing existences like giant dragons and worried about their safety, but more like...


    He was warning them.


    Warning to others not to interfere, not to touch his prey.


    Otherwise, he would go ahead of the dragons and kill them himself, without hesitation.


    That kind of terrifying frenzy surged in the man''s icy lake-deep eyes, which was downright creepy.


    Mu Heng gripped the sword in his hand and walked towards the passage.


    In the darkness, he glimpsed the crouching figure of the giant dragon.


    ¡ª¡ªThat beautiful, huge creature was less than 100 meters away from him.


    However, suddenly, a touch of surprise flashed across Mu Heng''s eyes.


    He saw a familiar figure standing beside the dragon.


    The boy''s figure was so slender, he looked as if he would be swallowed up by the giant in front of him in the next second. His profile was pale, and it was as clean as the first snow in the morning light.


    He stood there, looking up.


    Those dark eyes were calm and solemn, with a deep shimmer, as if a galaxy were flowing under them.


    Mu Heng was only distracted briefly, and the sound of a boulder falling came from overhead. The melted rock wall collapsed, and the narrow passage was completely filled in a blink of an eye.


    The strength of the rock inside the cave was comparable to rock in the outside world. Ten thousand years of abyssal poisonous gas seeping into the natural cracks in the rock left by erosion also gave it an extraordinary degree of hardness, which could last for quite a few seconds even under dragon flame released by a dragon with all its strength.


    Even if Mu Heng came back to his senses, his path was blocked.


    At this moment, his eyes wandered, and he noticed something on the ground - it was a pale red gemstone, emitting a smooth shimmer in the darkness.


    That was the stone he had given Shi An earlier.


    Mu Heng subconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword.


    The last look of the other party flashed in his mind.


    A strange sense instantly emerged.


    It was like... destiny.


    *


    Shi An was taken aback by the collapse of the rock, and the huge sound of the impact finally let him recover from the extreme shock just now.


    He really didn''t expect to see his former body.


    Neither did he expect that Mu Heng would appear at this juncture.


    He turned his head to look at the abyss dragon sleeping in front of him, frowning slightly.


    This... what was going on here?


    Shi An could be very sure that it was not his soul that left his body.


    Although he was now trapped in the form of a human, the essence of his body was still a dragon¡ª at most, he was limited by his form and became more human-like.


    Then... why could he see his own body?


    Shi An couldn''t help but to raise his hand to touch the head of the giant dragon in front of him.


    The scales felt cold and hard, exactly the same as his original scales.


    It was all absolutely accurate.


    Shi An leaned on the head subconsciously.


    The giant dragon in front of him moved.


    Eh? ?


    Shi An was stunned.


    He didn''t use any strength just now, so how could he push his original body?


    It was at least thousands of tons!


    Shi An grabbed one of the dragon''s claws, and with no struggle, he lifted it above his head¡ªthis was too light!


    He seemed to suddenly realize something.


    Shi An hesitated for a moment, then slowly curled his fist and rapped on the dragon in front of him with his knuckles.


    A hollow sound hit his ears.


    A memory that had been slumbering for thousands of years was awakened, and Shi An remembered the three molting periods he had experienced and finally understood what the dragon shape he was looking at was.


    This was his shed skin.


    But...didn¡¯t dragons only have three molts?

 CH 37.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 37.1


    ¡¾Most dragons will experience one to three molting periods in their lifetime, and after a short period of weakness, their strength will increase substantially. The more pure a dragon¡¯s bloodlines, the more strength they had, and that would result in more and longer molting periods.


    After long-term research and observation, the fire dragon molts twice, the black dragon once, and the rock dragon once...


    There is currently no data for the abyss dragon.


    ¡ª¡ªExcerpt from Mu Family Notes¡¿


    Shi An stared at the huge, pitch-black dragon in front of him and fell into deep thought.


    Since breaking through his eggshell, he had never seen other abyss dragons.


    Therefore, Shi An didn¡¯t know how many times an abyss dragon had to molt to reach the peak of its strength. Most dragons molted three times at most. In addition, after molting three times, he entered a period of stable strength that lasted for 10,000 years. So he always thought that he, like other dragons, only shed his skin three times.


    So, that 50,000 year period of sleep was actually a molting period?


    Shi An suddenly thought of something and looked down at his palm.


    In the distance, a thin light filtered in through the snow.


    His slender palm opened, and a silvery-white film slowly coated his fingertips to his palm, the tiny and delicate scales reflecting the slight luster of metal.


    Could it be that¡­¡­


    This was actually the first round of scales that grew back after he molted?


    The reason why Human Shi An''s call was successful was actually because he encountered  the dragon¡¯s fourth molting period?


    That''s why he was trapped in this human form when he was weak.


    Shi An blinked.


    Although he never experienced such a long and strange molting period, but... there should be something similar to the previous ones, right?


    For example-


    Shi An slowly leaned forward, opened his mouth cautiously, and bit a piece of his molt.


    What a shame!


    Shi An frowned and spit it out, a look of disappointment on his face.


    What! His molt was not edible!


    He used to be able to eat it every time!


    There was a clanging sound of a sharp weapon hitting the rock wall from behind, and the huge impact caused by the fluctuation of magic power reverberated in the cave..


    Although the hardness of the rock wall is indeed extraordinary, under the continuous high-intensity attack, it would not last long.


    Shi An sighed.


    Time to go.


    He raised his scaly palm and patted the head of the dragon molt in front of him with nostalgia.


    It slammed into empty air.


    Eh?


    Shi An was stunned and looked up.


    The huge, pitch-black dragon body as tall as a hill seemed to fade, dissolving into spots of light echoing in the huge pitch-black cave. They rushed towards Shi An like a bright whirlwind.


    The light poured into the boy''s slender chest and disappeared in an instant.


    "Boom--!"


    A huge vibration resounded through the mountain, and the solid rock that blocked the passage was violently destroyed.


    The boulder¡¯s rubble was sent flying, and dust poofed into all directions.


    Behind the collapsed rock wall, a man''s cold and solemn face was revealed.


    Mu Heng''s brows were cold and deep, his long silver hair was flowing behind him in the strong wind, and his blade-sharp killing intent became even more unmasked.


    Not far behind the man, Wen Yao raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose and coughed amidst the dust and rubble flying in the air.


    Across the cloud of dust, she looked eagerly towards the other side of the passage.


    The cave in the distance was dark and empty.


    The rocks above were cracked, revealing a pale gray sky, and there was no snow below.


    Wait, the dragon... where did the dragon go?


    Wen Yao was stunned.


    She took a step forward subconsciously and looked closely toward the center of the cave.


    The cave was empty except for a small human figure where the dragon had been.


    There was a boy lying on his back.


    He lay there quietly, covered in a thin layer of snow.


    Wen Yao was startled.


    That was¡­¡­


    At this moment, a strong wind blew past her ear. She turned her head in astonishment, only to see that Mu Heng quickened his pace without warning.


    The man walked like the wind, and the hem of the clothes behind him snapped up, drawing a sharp arc.


    In the time it took Wen Yao to process what was happening, the other party had already reached the young man.


    Mu Heng squatted down.


    He lowered his gaze onto Shi An¡¯s pliant body.


    The boy''s body was slightly curled up, his hair was disheveled, and his pale skin almost blended in with the thin layer of snow on him.


    The second time.


    It could be explained by coincidence for the first time, but now, Mu Heng couldn''t deny that they seemed to be firmly bound by some kind of hidden thread.


    Somewhere, an invisible, irresistible magnetic force pulled them together.


    It was as if fate lay in his ears, whispering quietly in a language that mere humans could not understand.

 CH 37.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 37.2


    Mu Heng leaned down and brushed the boy''s hair away from the other party¡¯s eyes with his fingertips.


    Shi An¡¯s slight breath fell on his gloves, leaving behind a layer of light white mist. Although there was a layer of cloth specially made for battle between them, Mu Heng seemed to be able to feel the itch that seemed to be both real and illusory. His thick gloves quietly rested on the other¡¯s skin, causing a hidden irritability in his heart.


    Zhuo Fu''s explanation flashed subconsciously in Mu Heng''s mind.


    ...A princess?


    Dragons and princesses were both involved.


    What was his role in this role play?


    An absurd answer emerged.


    Mu Heng felt that his heart was in turmoil.


    At this moment, Wen Yao''s cautious voice came from behind, "Sir, what are your next orders?"


    Mu Heng came back to his senses immediately.


    As if to hide something, he stood up abruptly, pulled back, and stood half a meter away, as if the unconscious boy in front of him were some kind of dangerous beast.


    "The dragon should no longer be nearby. Let the technical members waiting outside come in and search the entire cave carefully, without missing any information."


    The man returned to his previous indifference, and all his emotional fluctuations were deeply hidden under that inhumane cold appearance. He calmly and rationally ordered,


    "Contact headquarters, we need support here."


    Wen Yao: "Yes Sir!"


    She turned around, but before taking a few steps, she turned back and asked, "Sir, do I need to contact the medical team stationed in the camp?"


    Mu Heng subconsciously looked down at the young man in front of him, then quickly withdrew his gaze,


    "Hm, yes."


    Wen Yao hesitated for a few seconds and said, "That...er¡­ sir, the stretcher probably won¡¯t be here for a while. Should we move Shi An away from there?"


    The ground was full of melted snow, which had already soaked into Shi An''s clothes.


    The temperature here was extremely low, and the originally melting snow was freezing at an extremely fast speed. Shi An¡¯s face was pale and blue, his lips bloodless, and he seemed to be shivering immensely.


    Wen Yao had a good impression of this handsome, well-behaved, polite young man. Seeing him like this, she couldn''t bear it.


    She looked at Mu Heng, and when her gaze came into contact with his cold and tense face, she seemed to suddenly realize something,


    "I understand that you don''t want to have too much physical contact with people. I''ll deal with this matter..."


    Unexpectedly, Mu Heng didn''t even think about it and interrupted her directly,


    "No, you still have a mission."


    Wen Yao was taken aback.


    Although she did have a mission, but... it wasn¡¯t so immediate, right?


    Although Wen Yao was full of doubt, since Mu Heng had already spoken, she hurriedly turned around and left.


    After all, Wen Yao believed that no matter what, the chief would not let the victim lie in ice water. He would probably order someone else to do it after she left.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze.


    He stared at the young man in front of him for a few seconds, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took a few steps forward, shortened the distance between them, and bent down to carry him.


    In his sleep, Shi An felt the warmth emanating from the other¡¯s body, and he shrank towards Mu Heng''s arms.


    He arched his velvety head over the man''s chest, as if trying to rub himself into the other''s clothes.


    Mu Heng''s body stiffened slightly.


    ¡ª¡ªHe couldn''t help but remember the last time he found Shi An unconscious in a cave.


    At that time, the other party was also like this, snuggling into his arms as if Shi An were afraid of the cold.


    The only difference is that at that time, the other party barely had any clothes on.


    Although they were separated by his gloves and coat, he could still vaguely feel the soft and pliable texture of the boy''s waist. To him, who didn''t like physical contact, it was as uncomfortable as a branding iron, and he wanted to throw Shi An down immediately and leave.


    However, since only he was around at that time, Mu Heng couldn''t leave Shi An alone in that dangerous area, so he had to bring the other party out as quickly as possible.


    This time was obviously much better than last time.


    At least Shi An was wearing thick layers. If Mu Heng really wanted to, he could direct others to carry Shi An or put the boy down in a drier, nearer place.


    But for some unknown reason, Mu Heng felt more upset than last time.


    The boy in his arms was trembling.


    Although the clothes were thick, the unconscious tremors of the slender limbs were clearly transmitted. It was almost like Shi An was some kind of small animal with wet fur, subconsciously burrowing into the arms of people, shivering and relying on instinct to absorb warmth.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and looked into his arms.


    During his brief distraction, Shi An seemed to have finally found the most suitable position.


    He curled up his whole body and nestled in comfortably. The picture was just missing him wrapping his tail around the other''s waist.


    Although his skin was still bloodless and his lips were pale, his frowning brows finally loosened a little.


    Half of his face was buried in Mu Heng¡¯s clothes, revealing only his smooth jaw and beautifully shaped lips. With his eyel, looking lipids shut, his eyelashes cast fantastic shadows on his face, making the whole image seem like some kind of fragile art.


    Mu Heng''s eyes paused slightly.


    Inexplicably, Zhuo Fu¡¯s inappropriate joke rang in his ears again.


    The act of saving a life cannot be repaid, unless...?

 CH 38.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 38.1


    Soon, Wen Yao came in a hurry, followed by the medical team.


    When she saw Shi An in Mu Heng''s arms, she was slightly taken aback - although she knew that the chief would not leave Shi An in the snow, she did not expect him to pick the other party up himself.


    After a brief period of stunned silence, Wen Yao quickly returned to a calm and professional state.


    She stepped forward quickly, wanting to take the sleeping boy from Mu Heng''s arms, but he seemed to have not seen her outstretched hands and asked calmly, "Where''s the medical tent?"


    Wen Yao was shocked for two seconds and replied subconsciously, "Er, outside the cave..."


    "Mm." Mu Heng nodded, carried Shi An, and walked straight out.


    Wen Yao stared at Mu Heng¡¯s slender and upright back as he left and did not return to her senses for a long time.


    Wait a minute, didn¡¯t Chief hate physical contact with people? !


    ...But, why did he seem to have rejected her just now?


    Was it an illusion? Was it really an illusion? !


    Mu Heng brought Shi An to the medical tent but encountered great resistance in the step of "putting the other side down".


    The young man''s seemingly thin body was somehow detachable from Mu Heng¡¯s arm. His head of short hair continued to rub against Mu Heng''s chest.


    The outer clothes on Mu Heng''s body were all torn, revealing the black dress shirt inside. The strong, muscular lines of his chest were clearly visible through the rips.


    The picture got worse.


    Medical staff: "..."


    They froze in place, staring at Mu Heng''s icy profile with flickering expressions, feeling a little uncertain how to help in this situation in their hearts.


    More importantly, was this kind of thing really something they could watch?


    There was still no expression on Mu Heng''s face, and his voice was indifferent and low.


    "You can go out."


    The medical staff rushed out of the tent as if they had been granted amnesty and disappeared in front of Mu Heng in the blink of an eye.


    They seemed to fear being silenced.


    Only Mu Heng and Shi An were left in the medical tent.


    Mu Heng looked down at the young man in his arms, frowning slightly.


    It was the same in the hospital before¨Cthe other party didn''t let go no matter what, and he had to take off his jacket to get out.


    Surprisingly, this was not annoying to him.


    Mu Heng paused, stretched out his hands expressionlessly, and undid the buttons of his coat one by one.


    Then, he skillfully wrapped Shi An up and stuffed him into the medical bed in front of him.


    Another one of his coats was in the other¡¯s possession.


    The young boy on the bed frowned slightly.


    Mu Heng stopped mid-turn.


    He reached for the fire gem in his pocket. In the palm of the hand, the gemstone shone with a pale red luster, emitting a steady stream of heat.


    Mu Heng bent down and lightly stuffed the gem back into Shi An''s pocket.


    Then, he casually took a different coat from the medical tent and draped it over his body. He turned and walked out.


    The medical staff who had been snooping earlier suddenly pretended like they hadn¡¯t seen anything. Why had the chief changed? What was he doing inside?


    They didn¡¯t know, and they were too afraid to ask.


    Mu Heng glanced at them, and his eyes were inscrutable,  "Go in."


    After that, he strode quickly towards the cave.


    The previously charred ground had been covered with a thick layer of snow, crunching under his feet, and light spilled in from the gradually .


    Mu Heng stopped in the center of the cave.


    Where did the dragon go?


    More importantly, why did it avoid confrontation with humans?


    Wen Yao walked over, "Sir, you are here."


    "Mm."


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze and nodded calmly, his tone was cold and deep, revealing nothing about his feelings.


    "What did the technical team find?"


    Wen Yao reported, "According to the current preliminary inspection, this cave has existed for at least 10,000 years. There are traces of abyssal energy here as well as marks of dragon flame. This cave might have come into the overworld from the abyssal rift, and the traces of dragon flame span from recent years to tens of thousands of years ago. It probably became a dragon cave a long time ago.¡±


    She was summarizing the findings methodically when suddenly, one of the technicians in the outer cave exclaimed:


    "This, this is¡ª!"


    *


    Wen Yao was startled, then turned her head to look in the direction from which the voice came.


    The technician who seemed to have found something gathered the equipment, ran hurriedly in their direction, and hurriedly said, "Sir, sir, look at this¡ª!"


    Mu Heng lowered his silvery eyelashes and looked at the instrument in the opponent''s hand.


    "Just now, I was able to detect traces of recent activity! It isn¡¯t super recent, there has probably been a period of time since they were here, but they were definitely here after the cave emerged from the abyss."


    Wen Yao, "So you mean..."


    The technician nodded affirmatively:


    "That''s right, we weren''t the first humans to discover this cave.


    Someone discovered this place before we did. "


    *

 CH 38.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 38.2


    Shi An had a terrible nightmare.


    He dreamed that he woke up one day and suddenly turned into a human with weak limbs. Not only did he lose his original huge and mighty body, but he couldn''t even go back to the abyss. The most terrifying thing was that when he returned to his cave, it was empty and all the treasures were gone! !


    Shi An was startled awake.


    It was black all around him, and he was wrapped in something warm and cozy. A good smell filled his nose, like the smell of a snowy forest, herbal yet cooling. The darkness gave him a comfortable sense of security that made him drowsy again.


    Great, it was a dream.


    He yawned, his eyelids drooping slightly.


    "My liege! You are finally awake!"


    A familiar, somewhat noisy voice rang in his ears.


    Shi An frowned, turned over, and buried his head in the pillow, trying to block out the sound.


    However, the noisy voice went to the other side and continued to screech, "My liege? My liege?"


    Shi An opened his eyes irritably.


    A beetle the size of a fingernail stood on the pillow in front of him. It had six thin legs and an ugly human face. It was smiling flatteringly at him at the moment.


    Shi An: "..."


    In that instant, all the memories flooded back to his mind.


    So¡­ it was not a dream.


    Those terrible things actually happened! !


    The demon insect saw that the expression of the young man in front of him suddenly darkened. His eyes lost focus, and his whole body seemed to immediately fall into the abyss of despair and sadness and was dyed with a dull color.


    It was startled by Shi An.


    Demon insect: "..."


    Although it knew that it was not as dazzling as that terrifying human being Mu Heng, at least Shi An could save it some face!


    Was it so disappointing at first sight!


    As if escaping from reality, Shi An slowly closed his eyes.


    Wouldn''t everything be back to the way it was if he got some more sleep?


    The noisy voice of the demon insect sounded again, "My liege, I saw your eyes open, you must be awake..."


    "..."


    Shi An suddenly opened his eyes, sat up from the bed, stretched out his hand to grab the demon insect, and said viciously, "Do you want to die!"


    Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and turned his head around the room.


    "Eh?"


    Shi An was stunned, "Where is this place?"


    The demon insect struggled and kicked its legs futilely, "Shi Manor!"


    Shi An: "...Huh?"


    He blinked and realized that he was now in the main house of the Shi manor, but the room he was inhabiting had been cleaned up beyond its original state of disuse.


    Shi An looked around blankly, "Why am I here?"


    The demon insect looked at Shi An sadly, "Do you know how long you have for?"


    Shi An: "...I don''t know."


    The demon insect broke free from the other''s stiff fingers, spread out its wings, and fluttered to Shi An''s ear. It said sadly, ¡°Well, school starts tomorrow.¡±


    Shi An''s eyes widened.


    "You, are you kidding?"


    The demon worm shook his head solemnly.


    Shi An: "..."


    He didn¡¯t get the elves'' treasure and was frozen for two days. Now, he¡¯s even losing out on the chance to play video games? Was this whole trip a waste?


    Suddenly, Shi An seemed to have suddenly thought of something!


    At least it wasn''t for nothing this time!


    He hurriedly closed his eyes and felt the power in his body.


    - After each molting period, dragons entered a period of weakness for a long time.


    To make matters worse, this period of weakness would get longer the more times they molted.


    Therefore, most dragons would eat their precious molts to regain some power.


    This was Shi An¡¯s fourth molt.


    He probably remained trapped in this human form for so long because he was missing this crucial step.


    Shi An patiently absorbed one of the remaining light spots in his body.


    He felt a familiar energy rising warmly from his limbs¡ªhis strength was slowly recovering.


    Although there was still around seventy percent of those light spots left, Shi An already had a mysterious premonition.


    He felt that his body was slowly changing. His soft human skin was replaced by indestructible scales, the wings and dragon horns were pushing out little by little, and his majestic exoskeleton gradually appeared.


    Shi An opened his red vertical pupils.


    The soul imprisoned in the human body finally got its most suitable shell, and the comfort of returning to his original shape spread from the tips of his claws to the roots of his wings.


    He blinked in disbelief, looking down at his paws.


    He really changed back? ?


    The dry voice of the demon insect sounded, ¡°My liege?¡±


    What was wrong? Could it be that it was petrified by his huge and majestic body?


    Shi An turned his head to look in the direction from which the voice came.


    Shi An: "..."


    He tilted his head in confusion, "How did you get so big?"


    The corner of the insect''s mouth twitched, "No, my liege, my body has not changed."


    In the distance, dim moonlight poured in from the window, illuminating half the room.


    A dragon the size of a palm perched on the soft bed. Its scales shone in the moonlight, its small claws were curled under the round belly, and its pair of red vertical pupils blinked, seemingly at a loss to his current situation.


    "Er...you''ve become smaller."


    --------------------

 CH 39.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 39.1


    After a while, Shi An realized what the other party was talking about.


    He raised his head dully, looked around at the furniture that seemed several times larger, then lowered his head and looked at himself.


    Shi An raised a paw, blinked, and blinked again.


    ¡­¡­Eh?


    He finally reacted.


    "Why, how could this be...!" Shi An was so frightened that he jumped back and stammered.


    During this period of time, he already became familiar with the way humans walk. Suddenly changing back into his dragon body¡­ well¡­when he jumped back, he accidentally stepped on the tip of his tail and fell over.


    The insect squatted on the quilt, silently watching the legendary abyss dragon trapped in the soft pillow, two small claws fluttering in the air in a panic. His bat-sized wings fluttered with difficulty, and it took him a long time to finally break free.


    "..."


    The demon insect felt like it needed a rest too, after watching that struggle.


    Shi An took a breath and finally regained his balance.


    He spread his wings and turned in a circle in disbelief, still unable to accept the fact that although he did recover his dragon body...it was so small! ! !


    However, at least his previous speculation about the fourth molting period was proved.


    His originally pitch-black scales turned into bright silver, shining in the moonlight.


    Although Shi An still missed his dark scales and his majestic and terrifying appearance, silver was not bad either.


    After all, it fits his aesthetic perfectly.


    "...So, this is your body?"


    The wisp of black fog came out of the small box it was hiding in. As if it were holding back a smile, it said, "I thought it would be more majestic."


    Shi An: "..."


    The miniature dragon slowly narrowed a pair of red-gold vertical pupils, then opened his mouth and spewed out a flare of flames without warning.


    The black fog was startled and floated higher, but the flames were like a living creature and chased him down.


    Fuck! There¡¯s even this kind of thing?


    And¡­ it didn¡¯t know if it were right or not, but the black fog thought that the dragon flame was even stronger than before.


    The black fog realized it was in a dire situation and wanted to escape, but the flames chased it relentlessly, burning it and circling around it until it wept tears of misery and pain.


    The demon insect watched the black fog with schadenfreude and felt relaxed.


    All of the dragon¡¯s sadistic tendencies were focused on the black fog and not itself.


    Something that dared to be sarcastic to Shi An was something that had a death wish.


    It simpered to Shi An, ¡°My liege, don¡¯t listen to it. Even in this stature, you are very majestic, and also very cute!... ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°...What did you say? Cute?¡±


    A cold feeling went down its spine.


    The demon insect was paralyzed, staring at the mini dragon in front of it in cross-eyed fear.


    It was over for it. It would suffer.


    A minute later, the black fog and the demon insect both ran pell mell around the room, chased by a ring of glowing flames. The flames followed them, unhurriedly sticking to them just enough to occasionally singe their rear ends. The two followers panted, crying out, ¡°My liege, my liege, please forgive us. We won¡¯t dare to do this in the future!¡±


    Shi An finally felt a lot better.


    He habitually poised himself with his tail curled on his claws under his stomach and tried to reverse engineer the shifting process.


    Five minutes later, Shi An opened his eyes.


    The ceiling was still the same degree of distance, and the furniture was still the same size. The black fog and the demon insect were still suffering the same misery. He slumped his head, resting it dejectedly on his front claws.


    Hm, it was still the same mini.


    Shi An trembled in fear.


    He couldn¡¯t change back!


    At this time, footsteps sounded outside the door.


    Right afterwards, someone knocked, and a familiar voice asked, ¡°Has older brother awaken yet?¡±


    Ever since he was sent back to the Shi Manor, Shi An had been unconscious.


    Shi Rui was directed to watch over him carefully. He seemed to have heard some noises in the room¡ª had Shi An woken up?


    Shi Rui knocked to find out.


    But, when he appeared, the sounds stopped.


    It was unbelievably quiet.


    Shi Rui reached out his hand to open the door.


    The room was spotlessly neat just like the last time he entered. There had been no disturbance.


    Shi Rui walked up to the bed and looked down at Shi An.


    The pale faced youth was lying quietly on the bed, deeply immersed in this sleep or coma.


    What was going on?


    Did Shi Rui hear wrong? Probably not.


    Shi Rui raised his head doubtfully, but he couldn¡¯t see anything amiss.


    Of course, if Shi An never woke up, that would be the best, but¡­


    Shi Rui heard that if Shi An didn¡¯t wake up before school started, someone from the Bureau would come pick him up and experiment on him


    Looking at the sleeping youth, something sinister flashed in Shi Rui¡¯s eyes.


    Even so, it would be good to clean up thoroughly.

 CH 39.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 39.2


    Shi Rui bent down, put on some gloves and opened the nightstand drawer, unlocking a secret compartment and pulling out a pitch-black stone. It was fingernail sized, as dark as the everlasting night, and it seemed to suck in all light.


    After that, he put the stone into a special box and left.


    Dragon-form Shi An perched on the bed, curiously looking at Shi Rui¡¯s crazy actions¡ªstanding there dazedly for five minutes, then marching jerkily out of the room.


    So, people in a trance looked like this on the outside.


    After Shi Rui left, the door slammed behind him.


    Shi Rui startled and rubbed his temples, not knowing why he suddenly felt woozy.


    The footsteps gradually faded.


    Inside the room.


    The black fog floated down to Shi An, saying, ¡°My liege, this alleged brother of yours seems to harbor ill intentions towards you.¡±


    The demon insect harrumphed, ¡°That¡¯s been established, next.¡±


    Shi An wagged his tail, saying, ¡°So, what did you see?¡±


    The black fog conveyed the illusion it conjured for Shi Rui.


    ¡°Nightstand drawer? Secret compartment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± The black fog replied courageously.


    Shi An tried to walk towards the dresser in one jump, but he estimated the distance wrong and fell on his face, splaying his awkward limbs all over the bed. It took him a while to get back up.


    Shi An: ¡°...¡±


    Damnit!


    The demon insect looked up, the black fog looked down, and they both pretended to not have seen anything embarrassing.


    Shi An was so mad that he curled up on the bed.


    He commanded, ¡°You guys go get it.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The insect and fog leapt to action, as if they were afraid a seconds¡¯ delay would cause them to be scorched by flames.


    Very quickly, they opened the secret compartment and placed the stone in front of Shi An.


    Shi An startled, patting the stone with his wings. His hardened scales tinged against the surface of the stone: ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, you know what it is?¡± the black fog swooped in to ask curiously.


    Shi An nodded.


    He didn¡¯t just know what it was. It couldn¡¯t be more familiar to him¡ª it was a material from the abyss, although not a treasure, still pure in composition and powerful in aura. Shi An had had several large pieces of it in his hoard as decoration. The abyssal eura emitted by these stones were deadly to humans, but to him, it was very beneficial.


    Insect: ¡°... So this is accidentally doing something good with bad intentions?¡±


    Shi An tightly clutched the stone with his claws, shoving it under his belly to try and power his transformation magic.


    Sorry, he wouldn¡¯t ever think that the humans were weak again. They were still better than this.


    At this time, the black smoke thought of something, ¡°Oh yeah, just now, I dug through the brain of that human.¡±


    Shi An raised his head and asked, ¡°What did you find out?¡±


    ¡°That is, it seems¡­¡± the fog trailed off, ¡°if you didn¡¯t wake up today, people from the Bureau would take you away¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    He suddenly realized something, whipping his head around to look at his palm-sized body with wide eyes, ¡°Wait? What? NOW?¡±


    But¡­but he couldn¡¯t change back yet!!!


    *


    Mu Heng walked into the lab with blood all over his body.


    Zhuo Fu, long accustomed to sudden visits from the other party, greeted lazily, "Yo, you¡¯re here?"


    He rubbed his eyes, which had been suffering from eyebags for a while, threw a thick stack of research reports on the table in front of the other party, and then started chattering,


    "Your sword is finally a little bit more visible. It does seem to be able to sense some kind of magic power related to dragons, something like resonance, and I did a little test during this time¡ª"


    Mu Heng reached out to pick up one of the folders, casually flipped through it, and interrupted him, "Alright, I can read the reports myself."


    Zhuo Fu pouted a little unwillingly and said, "...I finally have some success, can''t I show off?"


    Mu Heng threw the folder back into the pile and asked quietly, "Where is Shi An?"


    Zhuo Fu seemed to remember this matter. He hurriedly took a look at his phone and shook his head, "There isn¡¯t any notification from Shi manor, so he probably didn''t wake up, why? Should I send someone to pick him up?"


    Mu Heng: "No need."


    His face was cold and indifferent, and he turned to walk out, "My mission has just ended, and this happens to be on the way."


    "Okay!" Zhuo Fu Fu nodded and turned back to the research in front of him.


    After about ten minutes, he seemed to suddenly realize something. His hands stopped moving, his whole experiment paused, and he slowly raised his head with a confused look on his face.


    ¡­How was this on the way? What was it on the way to?

 CH 40.1

    Shi An looked towards the black fog eagerly: ¡°Can you¡­¡±


    The black fog¡¯s face soured, and it said pitifully, ¡°My liege, I can¡¯t, I really can¡¯t!¡±


    It was very sure of its own (in)abilities.


    Tricking weaklings like Shi Rui was fully within its grasp, but it really didn¡¯t have the ability to face those battle-hardened Bureau members.


    Not to mention Mu Heng¡­


    It would rather prefer a quick death now.


    Although Shi An already knew this, hearing it confirmed made him even sadder.


    He lowered his head to look at his claws and his flightless wings.


    Not being able to change into a dragon was bad enough, so when he changed, couldn¡¯t he have changed into a strong one.


    If that were the case, maybe he would have put the Mu Heng kidnapping plan into effect earlier.


    But now, he couldn¡¯t even fly, not to mention steal anyone.


    Shi An closed his eyes dejectedly and thumped his whole body into the pillow, playing dead


    The demon insect landed on one of the corners of the pillow and said encouragingly, ¡°My liege, don¡¯t give up. How about you think back to how you changed forms in the first place? Maybe you can use the same method to turn back?¡±


    ¡°... I didn¡¯t give up.¡±


    The little dragon snuggled its head back into the pillow and grumbled, ¡°Also, I already tried that.¡±


    But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t unabsorb the balls of light.


    Just like his dragon transformation couldn¡¯t be undone.


    Shi An thought of something, raised his snout, and sat up in a tumble.


    What if¡­ he completed the whole process?


    Shi An shut his eyes, earnestly trying to absorb that 70% of light left.


    The power gradually spread throughout his whole body, and he felt that he had ascended into a floaty, hazy state.


    The moonlight streamed into the room, reflecting on his dragon scales as if it were attracted to it. He was enclosed in a layer of dazzling light, seeming to glow in the darkness.


    The insect and fog watched Shi An anxiously, so much so that they forgot to draw breath.


    At this time, the doorbell rang downstairs.


    The insect balked, then flew to the window to see.


    Damn! People from the Bureau were here!


    The crescent moon glowed above the scattered clouds, emitting beams of silent light.


    A tall, slender man disembarked from a car, his silver locks disturbing the tranquility of the night scene.


    The insect felt lightheaded.


    The worst case scenario happened.


    That superhuman Mu Heng, the pillar of the Bureau? Why was he so free on time? Every time they interacted with the Bureau, he would be there!


    Mu Heng raised his eyes to glance at the Shi manor in the distance.


    He didn¡¯t know that Shi An was transported here after the other fell into unconsciousness. On the way over just now, Fu Zhou had called him and said that Shi Zechun had brought Shi An into the manor for better treatment.


    When Fu Zhou told him this, Mu Heng thought of the scene he had overheard outside the hospital.


    Someone who had never eaten ice cream in his whole life¡­ well, it was obvious what type of treatment they got at home.


    In conjunction with all the rumors that had even spread to his ears¡­


    Mu Heng squinted, his ice cold eyes glinting.


    Shi manor had already caught wind of his arrival and was welcoming him grandly.


    Shi Zechun smiled and walked forward.


    The man in front of him scrutinized him. Although Mu Heng¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t show any emotions, but Shi Zechun still unconsciously held his breath, and the smile froze on his face.


    ¡°Shi An still hasn¡¯t woken up?¡± Mu Heng asked lightly, casting his gaze away. He strode towards the property, not waiting for Shi Zechun to lead him or even catch up.


    Shi Zechun: ¡°Er¡­yes.¡±


    He hurriedly caught up with Mu Heng and simpered insincerely, ¡°Shi An hasn¡¯t woken up for so long, as his father, I have been so worried. I¡¯m so thankful that you came, or else I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do.¡±


    The two men had already reached the living room.


    Shi Zechun finally noticed Shi Rui standing in the corner and said, ¡°Oh yes, recently, it has always been little Rui watching over Shi An. This child is super kind, and has been nothing but thoughtful and hardworking during this time¡­¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyebrow creased severely.


    What?


    This man let his bastard son watch over his unconcious firstborn son?


    Shi Zechun thought of something, beckoning frankly,


    ¡°Come here, little Rui, bring Mu Heng to see your brother¡­¡±


    Mu Heng felt disgusted to the extreme.


    Shi Rui originally plastered a smile on his face, but under the extreme glare from Mu Heng, his footsteps faltered.


    ¡­The look in the other¡¯s eyes was too scary.


    It was a look of a man who waded through corpses and blood to train himself. The glacial pale blue eyes looked down on him, and the heavy pressure in them seemed to differentiate them as species, making Shi Rui feel like a termite.

 CH 40.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 40.2


    Shi Rui felt the cold sweat appear on his hands.


    It felt like people were beating war drums in his chest¡ªhis heart pounded loudly and he struggled to breathe.


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice cut through his panic, ¡°No need.¡±


    He asked for Shi An¡¯s room¡¯s location and went up the stairs himself.


    Even though he had left behind that father-son duo, the oppressive aura on Mu Heng¡¯s body did not lessen.


    He should not have let Fu Zhou arrange this matter.


    In the future, he would manage everything to do with Fu Zhou himself.


    ¡ªMu Heng didn¡¯t realize that he subconsciously put Shi An in his small bubble of people to protect.


    He walked down the hall in the direction that Shi Zechun had pointed out.


    Suddenly, Mu Heng¡¯s footsteps slowed down.


    He wrinkled his eyebrows, staring at the shut door.


    He had some strange premonition that a familiar yet dangerous magic signature was behind that door, but when he got closer to investigate, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything off.


    A natural instinct urged him forward.


    Mu Heng subconsciously quickened his footsteps.


    He raised his hand to push open the door¡ªit would not budge.


    It seemed that it had been locked and blocked from the inside.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled, and he raised his fingers, preparing to summon his magic.


    At this time, a voice laced with panic sounded from behind the door. ¡°Don¡¯t come in!¡±


    The youth¡¯s sound was a bit raspy and soft. Instead of sounding alarmed, it was almost¡­ coquettish.


    It was Shi An.


    Mu Heng: ¡°Why can¡¯t I enter?¡±


    It was silent for half a second, then Shi An¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not wearing clothes.¡±


    This was an answer that Mu Heng had not expected.


    He hesitated, forcing himself not to picture it in his mind, to not let those previous events filter through his head.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Mu heng paused, answering hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°...¡±


    His voice was softer, ¡°But I¡¯m awake already and I don¡¯t need an inspection.


    What he wasn¡¯t saying but clearly meant was¡­ hurry up and leave.


    But Mu Heng didn¡¯t want to give up. His tone was soft yet commanding, clearly set on getting his way, ¡°It has nothing to do with that. Regardless of whether you woke up or not, we have to do the inspection.¡±


    He had asked around, but no one knew how or when Shi An disappeared.


    Although he was sure that Shi An was the key piece to everything that happened, there were a lot of questions left answered.


    Most importantly, this wasn¡¯t just for his work. It was for Shi An¡¯s personal wellbeing.


    Physically, Shi An was perfectly fine.


    But, if he weren¡¯t mistaken, there was still a magical aspect to it. No one knew how the magic and Shi An were reacting.


    This could only be tested after Shi An woke up.


    There was no response from behind the door.


    Mu Heng waited patiently.


    Finally, after a long time, the door swung open.


    It was an automatic door, so it could be opened even from the bed.


    Shi An huddled on the bed, with a large, mismatchingly buttoned dress shirt covering him. The collar was crooked and showed a patch of white skin, luminescent under the moonlight.


    Mu Heng immediately looked away, coughing lightly, ¡°Did you just wake up?¡±


    Shi An ¡°mm¡±-ed, lowering his head and looking out of focus.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    The youth¡¯s head lowered even more, and his eyelashes fluttered.


    He thought about it and nodded, ¡°... Alright¡±


    Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t seen the sunlight in a few days, but Shi An¡¯s face was overly pale and bloodless.


    The blanket was pulled snuggly to his waist as if he were afraid of the cold.


    The only thing visible on his body was the upper half covered by the shirt, and he seemed bony and fragile. He looked reakable with one snap, blowawayable with one gust of wind, super super pitiful.


    Because his head was lowered the whole time, Mu Heng could only see the top of his head, which looked soft and inviting to touch.


    His hand spasmed slightly at his side, and he vehemently forced down the urge to pet the other¡¯s head.


    Where Mu Heng couldn¡¯t see, Shi An¡¯s back tensed.


    Because of his anxiousness, cold sweat appeared on his hands.


    Shi An finally figured out how to change back into his human form when he heard Mu Heng come up the stairs.


    His explanation wasn¡¯t an excuse just now. After changing back into a human, he did have to put on clothes.


    But...that wasn¡¯t why it took him so long.


    Shi An secretly clenched the sheet tightly and wiped the sweat from his palms on it.


    Under the boy''s blanket, a large dragon''s tail stuck out from the hem of his shirt, and the tip of the slender tail wrapped around his calf. He was careful not to move for fear of being noticed by the other party.


    ¡ª¡ªHis tail couldn¡¯t be retracted! !

 CH 41.1

    The tail extended from the end of his spine. The upper end was thick and round, the lower end was thin and pointed, and the top was covered with thick dragon scales. In comparison, the scales on the bottom appeared fine and smooth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mu Heng noticed Shi An¡¯s restlessness and asked with a frown.


    Shi An¡¯s tail flicked under the quilt uncontrollably. He was slightly startled and quickly pressed it with his hands:


    ¡°No¡­nothing.¡±


    His sensitive tail rubbed against the sheets, causing him to shiver subconsciously.


    Mu Heng looked at Shi An.


    The teenager buried his head, and from this angle, he could only see a small part of his face. The tips of his ears turned red.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mu Heng pursed his lips, looked back very quickly, then turned around and walked out, ¡°Pack up, I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    Before leaving, Mu Heng paused slightly, turning his head to glance at Shi An¡¯s bedside table.


    The door closed again.


    The steady and even footsteps of the man gradually faded away and finally disappeared.


    Shi An let out a long sigh of relief. His tense back slowly relaxed, and he slid under the covers.


    It was alright, he didn¡¯t expose himself.


    Shi An lifted the quilt, reached out and grabbed the extra dragon¡¯s tail behind him, and began to worry.


    ¡°How can you shrink back?¡±


    Even in human form, his tail would peek out, and it would even wag itself according to his mood¡­


    It was an extraordinary hindrance!


    While thinking about it, Shi An moved his hand up along his tail until he reached the point where the scales and the skin meet.


    A jolt of electricity ran through his spine.


    Shi An shivered, and his waist immediately sagged.


    What, what was going on?


    Very strange!


    Shi An¡¯s ears were burning hot and red, and he hurriedly released his hands, staring at his tail in disbelief.


    This had never happened before!


    The black fog quietly stuck its head out, its expression conflicted and hesitant.


    As a monster that has been locked in a small box for tens of thousands of years, the only thing it could use to kill time was the codex of the Mu family. It pretty much memorized the entire book. There might be no one in this world that was more familiar with dragons than it.


    Although the black fog knew the reason, but¡­ it didn¡¯t dare to say.


    Although the number of molting periods of each dragon was different, no matter what kind of dragon it was, the last molting was the most critical.


    ¡ª¡ªBecause after the last molt, the dragon would be in heat.


    The rarer the race and the more powerful the dragon, the more ferocious the heat would be.


    In many legends, dragons were portrayed as lustful, and this was not without basis.


    However, due to the peculiarity and rareness of abyss dragons, when the black fog saw Shi An for the first time, it really did not expect that the other party had not passed the fourth molting period and could not be regarded as an adult dragon.


    The Mu family¡¯s handwritten codex recorded information about almost all the dragons. The only dragon they didn¡¯t have information on was the abyss dragon.


    So the black fog could not be completely sure.


    However, it was certain that Shi An was not completely done with the mold.


    What he was experiencing now was just a foreshadowing.


    After all the energy from the previous dragon molt had been digested and the strength before molting was generally restored, the molting period was officially over.


    And by that time, the real heat would come.


    Looking at the panic-stricken, dazed young man not far away, the black fog couldn¡¯t help but fall into contemplation.


    Although Shi An had been lived for a very long time, but in the previous tens of thousands of years, the other party had no experience in these matters¡­


    More importantly, he was now the last dragon in the world.


    How could he find a partner?


    ¡ª¡ªThe black fog really didn¡¯t expect that it would worry about a dragon¡¯s marriage one day.


    Could this be the power of the civil contract?


    The demon insect had no idea how many complicated thoughts had passed through its heart in the short few seconds just now.


    It flapped its wings, flew to the bed, and asked suspiciously, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong?¡±


    Shi An glanced at his tail with a lingering fear and stuffed it under the sheet.


    That strange feeling finally subsided.


    Shi An sighed in relief.


    But one thing was resolved, and another, more pressing thing was brought back to the front of his mind.


    Shi An frowned worriedly and said, ¡°Mu Heng is waiting for me downstairs, but my tail won¡¯t go back¡­¡±


    Only then did the black fog pull himself back from its thoughts.


    It floated out of its little box and said, ¡°My lord, I have an idea!¡±


    The black fog dragged the thick book out again, flipped to one of the pages skillfully, and then poked out a wisp of translucent smoke, pointing to a line of magic spells in it,


    ¡°Look at this, I think it should work!¡±


    Fifteen minutes later.


    Mu Heng turned his head and looked in the direction of the stairs.


    The boy was neatly dressed and walked down, looking much better than before, but for some reason, it seemed that the others¡¯ limbs were stiff and eyes were wandering.


    Shi An¡¯s tail still didn¡¯t change back, so he had to wear a pair of low-waisted trousers. His long tail drooped down.


    Based on the ancient magic spell recorded in that book, he cast  some blindfolding spells. Based on the current level of human understanding of profound ancient magic, there should be no flaws.

 CH 41.2

    Mu Heng¡¯s gaze swept past Shi An¡¯s tail.


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but get nervous.


    Although Shi An knew that the other party should not be able to see it because of the curse, he couldn¡¯t help but feel an indescribable sense of shame when the other party¡¯s eyes passed over it.


    Mu Heng frowned, looked at Shi An¡¯s empty hands, and then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you pack your things?¡±


    Shi An was stunned, ¡°Eh? What am I packing?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°School starts tomorrow, did you forget?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An frowned in confusion: ¡°I didn¡¯t forget¡­¡±


    However, didn¡¯t this mean he had to go to the Authority for inspection?


    ¡ª¡ªOf course, when he arrived, he would definitely not be tested in this form obediently. It was not too difficult for him to do some tricks on the instrument and pretend that everything is normal.


    Mu Heng: ¡°There is no need to come back after the inspection.¡±


    With a calm expression, he said some shocking words, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there tomorrow morning.¡±


    Shi An was stunned. For a while he didn¡¯t connect the two sentences.


    ¡°I have informed your father, he has no opinion.¡± Mu Heng continued.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to have any opinion.


    There was a hint of coldness in the man¡¯s eyes.


    In Shi An¡¯s room just now, although the traces were not serious, he felt a little bit of the magic power of the abyss.


    That kind of residue was very mechanical and weak, not like trails of an abyssal monster, but more like the magic power attached to some kind of prop.


    If he was just hesitating before, now he was really worried about letting Shi An stay here again.


    Although he hadn¡¯t decided where put Shi An, he definitely couldn¡¯t let him stay here.


    Shi An tried to protest,  ¡°That¡­it doesn¡¯t need to be so troublesome. I¡¯ll just go back to where I lived before.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s face was still calm, ¡°No trouble.¡±


    He adjusted his sleeves and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s on my way.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ?


    *


    On the way to the Administration Bureau, Shi An¡¯s back was tensed and straight, and the big tail with applied concealment spells was stuffed to the side opposite Mu Heng, for fear of being touched by the other party in the narrow space.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze from the window, turned his head, and glanced at Shi An, who was sitting not far from him.


    The other way completely different from how he was last time.


    That time, as soon as Shi An got in the car, he scooted right against Mu Heng unconsciously, but this time, he shrank far away, sticking tightly to the other side of the car door, as if he was afraid that the distance between the two was not big enough.


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t care about this deliberately widened distance.


    After all, an infinite number of people were afraid of his identity and ability and also knew that he didn¡¯t want to have close contact with people, so they never dared to get too close.


    However, for some unknown reason, when he saw Shi An like this, a trace of unpleasantness passed through his heart.


    Soon, they arrived.


    Zhuo Fu had obviously been reprimanded by Mu Heng for agreeing to let Shi An be taken away by the Shi family, so this time he looked serious, much more professional than the last time.


    He symbolically asked Shi An a series of questions again and then took him for a full set of tests.


    Mu Heng was waiting outside during the inspection. Zhuo Fu himself was a person whose research strength was much higher than his actual combat ability, so it was a piece of cake for Shi An to deceive him.


    Soon, the full set of tests was done.


    Zhuo Fu lowered his head and wrote something on the document.


    ¡°It should take a week to get the results, and I will inform you when the time comes.¡±


    After he finished writing, he pressed the pen, put it back in the pocket outside the white coat, and looked up at the two people in front of him,


    ¡°Mr. Mu, what plans do you and An An have tonight?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes darkened.


    ¡°An An?¡±


    Zhuo Fu couldn¡¯t help but startle when he caught the eyes of the other party, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, so cute.¡±


    At this time, he suddenly thought of something, ¡°By the way, I heard you brought An An out of the Shi manor? Why don¡¯t you just stay at my house before going to school tomorrow? It¡¯s near here, tomorrow I can take him directly to school¡­¡±


    When Shi An thought about it, it seemed¡­ not bad?


    He was about to agree.


    But then, Mu Heng spoke coldly, interrupting Zhuo Fu¡¯s words, ¡°No need.¡±


    Zhuo Fu raised his eyebrows, showing a puzzled look.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°I¡¯ll take charge.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­Ah?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression was indifferent: ¡°It¡¯s on my route tomorrow.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    What? Which route was he going?


    He highly suspected that the other person was tricking him.


    Suddenly, Zhuo Fu thought of something and was shocked.


    He knew that the Ability Academy had always hoped to invite Mu Heng as a professor and offered a very generous salary, but Mu Heng had never agreed. Could it be that this time¡­?


    He said, ¡°Then, where will An An live tonight?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s tone was cold and his eyes were unpredictable. ¡°My house.¡±

 CH 42.1

    Shi An followed Mu Heng downstairs in a daze.


    When he saw the car parked in front of him, he realized that something was wrong.¡­¡­


    Wait, why did it suddenly become that he was going to live in Mu Heng¡¯s house!!!


    At this time, Mu Heng had already walked to the other side and opened the door of the driver¡¯s seat.


    Looking at the car in front of him, Shi An was in a dilemma for a while.


    Mu Heng: ¡°Get in the car.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He secretly glanced at the big tail that hadn¡¯t disappeared behind him in embarrassment, and then his heart twinged.¡ª¡ª


    Since it had not been discovered before, it would not be discovered after that.


    As for the fact that he just wanted to go home, it could be discussed after he got in the car.


    As long as his attitude was firm enough, the other party should not refuse!


    Shi An¡¯s mind was made up. He moved to the back row and reached out to the door of the car.


    He tugged at the handle, but it did not move.


    The man¡¯s deep voice came from the opposite side ¡°Come to the front. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Why was this human being so difficult to deal with?


    He slowly took a deep breath, turned around and walked to the passenger seat, stretched out his hand to open the car door, and sat inside.


    Although Mu Heng himself didn¡¯t care very much about things on the surface level, as a high-ranking official of the Bureau, the vehicles assigned to him were naturally the top configuration and were very spacious.


    However, even if the space in the car is spacious, the distance between the passenger¡¯s and the driver¡¯s seat was still fixed.


    Therefore, Shi An was completely unable to lean aside as he had just done, but was forced to sit in a place not far from Mu Heng.


    Bad, bad.


    There was not enough space for the tail!


    Shi An secretly moved his bottom, trying to put his tail on the side away from Mu Heng.


    Mu Heng sat in the driver¡¯s seat and looked sideways at Shi An.


    The light in the car was dim, and the boy¡¯s skin became more and more porcelain-white. The short curve from the side of his face to his neck was soft and beautiful. He lowered his eyes, straightened his back, and stayed obediently at an arm¡¯s distance.


    The irritability in him that had just been caused by the other party¡¯s deliberate distance calmed down at this moment.


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze.


    Although the expression on his face still hadn¡¯t changed much, he seemed to be in a better mood somehow.


    Shi An didn¡¯t notice that although he had already got into the car, Mu Heng didn¡¯t start the engine immediately, but seemed to be waiting for something.


    The other party¡¯s low voice sounded in his ears, ¡°Seat belt.¡±


    Shi An: ?


    He was taken aback for a moment and fell into contemplation.


    Excuse me? Seat belt? It sounded a bit familiar¡­ what was it again?


    At the moment, when Shi An was stunned, the other party seemed to be tired of waiting.


    The man leaned over, his wide shoulders cast a whole shadow, just in time to cage Shi An in his arms. His long silver hair was like flowing moonlight, and a lock fell in front of Shi An¡¯s eyes, soft and cold, shining with a brilliant shimmer in the dark.


    So¡­ so beautiful.


    Shi An shook his head, and immediately all his attention was caught by the brilliance in front of him.


    The breath from the opponent¡¯s body came from the end of his nose, which smelled very nice, as cold and fresh after the first snow, but it was warmed by the scorching body temperature of humans, bringing a strong sense of tightly wrapped aggression.


    There was a ¡°click¡± sound from the side, and a crisp metal collision broke the dead silence of the car.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Mu Heng sat back.


    When he started the vehicle, he looked at his palm on the steering wheel and frowned without a trace.


    Just now¡­¡­


    It seemed that he touched something cold and soft.


    But because he was wearing gloves, Mu Heng was not sure if this feeling was real or just some kind of fleeting illusion.


    The vehicle drove slowly through the junction of light and shadow.


    Shi An sat stiffly in the passenger seat, his whole body tight, his mind blank.


    Just now, just now¡­ his tail was touched!


    It was touched!!!


    The man was wearing gloves designed for combat. The leather surface was hard and rough, and it rubbed against the sensitive layer of skin between his scales. At that moment, Shi An shivered as if he had been electrocuted, and the whole dragon froze.


    Okay, that was weird.


    He instinctively wanted to curl up.


    But the thing called a seat belt that Mu Heng had just tied to him was firmly attached to Shi An¡¯s shoulders and waist, making him unable to move, forcing him to maintain an unfolded posture, just like a clam that was pried open, revealing its unsuspecting white soft meat.


    Shi An¡¯s head felt hot and swollen, and the depths of his skull buzzed.


    He couldn¡¯t help but secretly stretch out his hand and rub his tail, as if the only way to get rid of that strange touch.


    Finally, as time passed, the strange feeling slowly subsided.


    Shi An breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thinking of the previous events, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried.


    Just now, he accidentally looked at Mr. Cold and Satisfying and was bewitched. If he hadn¡¯t been rubbed, his tail might have rolled over subconsciously and automatically.¡­¡­


    It was alright.


    As Shi An was distracted by his thoughts, he felt that the speed of the vehicle was slowing down a little bit.


    The engine went out.


    Shi An blinked: ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mu Heng turned his head and glanced at Shi An, ¡°Get out of the car, here we are.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    What???


    He hadn¡¯t had time to tell Mu Heng that he actually wanted to go home!


    Mu Heng turned his head and glanced at the young man who was following him, moving slowly like a tortoise.


    He was a person who paid great attention to space and distance. Even too much physical contact with people could make him uncomfortable, and it was absolutely impossible for him to bring any outsiders to a private place like his own residence.


    Shi An was the first.


    To be honest, even he himself did not expect this direction.


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t use his residence as an alternative plan at first, but when he heard Zhuo Fu¡¯s proposal, he instinctively felt uncomfortable. When he recovered, things had already developed to this point.


    He stared at the young man in front of him steadily, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.


    ¡­It was really weird.


    It seemed that every time something involved Shi An, he would always behave in ways that would even surprise himself.

 CH 42.2

    Mu Heng retracted his gaze and opened the door of the house.


    The room was very large, but the decoration was very minimal, to the point where it looked deserted and silent.


    This is his residence in the city, and the Mu family manor was outside the city. Even he rarely went back.


    For him, a house meant a place to rest, as long as it could do that, it was fully functional.


    Mu Heng led Shi An to the guest bedroom.


    The guest bedroom had almost the same decoration style as outside, and because no one had ever lived in it, it was particularly cold and empty.


    Shi An looked at the room in front of him and asked, ¡°¡­I live here? ¡±


    Mu Heng paused and nodded, ¡°Mm. ¡±


    Shi An shivered.


    It was just like an empty cave without treasures, and at first glance, it looked impossible to sleep in.


    He turned his head and glanced at Mu Heng, who was standing next to him.


    The other party took off his coat at this moment, revealing a thin black inner shirt, which made him become and more muscular and smooth. He was like a heat source even though he was just standing aside. He was constantly radiating his warm body temperature.


    Shi An¡¯s tail swayed subconsciously behind him.


    He was slightly taken aback, and quickly stretched out his hand to hold the tip of his tail to prevent it from automatically sticking to the heat source.


    Mu Heng was not clear about Shi An¡¯s psychological activities.


    He asked, ¡°Are you ready for everything to go to school tomorrow?¡±


    Shi An shook his head listlessly.


    Most of his things were in the original small villa, and when Shi Zechun moved him to the main house, it was obvious that he didn¡¯t think far enough to bring those things.


    Mu Heng nodded: ¡°Make a list for me tomorrow, and I will ask my subordinates to send it to you. ¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An suddenly realized something and raised his head to look at the other, ¡°Eh? Is there no need to go through the school inspection procedures in this way? ¡±


    Mu Heng paused, ¡°Mm. ¡±


    Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up and he stared at the other expectantly, ¡°Then, can I bring things that are not allowed to be brought in¡­? ¡±


    None of the things he prepared for the last admission to the school passed the inspections, and all of them were returned.


    Mu Heng raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What do you want to bring?¡±


    Shi An counted seriously on his fingers, ¡°My pillow, chocolate, jelly, potato chips¡­¡±


    Mu Heng listened carefully for a long time, then fell silent.


    In the end, most of them were snacks.


    He lowered his eyes to look at the young man in front of him. His eyes were slightly soft, and finally let go of his impulse control, raised his hand and pressed it on the top of the other person¡¯s soft hair, and gently patted his head, ¡°Yes. ¡±


    Shi An cheered, ¡°Yay! ¡±


    *


    Late into the night.


    Shi An lay on the bed and turned over and over.


    When he became a dragon, he didn¡¯t feel that when he was in human form, it was too inconvenient to drag a big tail behind him.


    Even when sleeping, it was difficult to find a comfortable position.


    He shrank into the quilt.


    The room was still too cold. Even if he was covered in a thick quilt, it was still cold, and he shivered from the chills.


    It was too uncomfortable to sleep here. The temperature was not high enough, and there were no shiny treasures to hold to sleep.¡­¡­


    Shi An stared at the ceiling in the dark and suddenly realized something.


    Wait, what a great opportunity it was now!


    He was in Mu Heng¡¯s home, and the thing he had always wanted to find, the second volume of the Mu family codex, was very likely to be here!


    Shi An suddenly became excited.


    He got out of bed in the dark and quietly left the door.


    Facing Mu Heng¡¯s tightly closed bedroom door, the young man closed his eyes slightly, and a complex and ancient language came out of his mouth in a low voice, floating in the air.


    With the chanting, the whole room entered a dark and quiet state, as if even the air had fallen into a deep sleep.


    At the end of the chanting, Shi An opened his eyes and hooked the corners of his lips happily.


    This spell was one of his most proud masterpieces.


    Because he loved to sleep so much, Shi An created this hypnotic spell, which was completely harmless and effective, and it was specifically aimed at dragons with super high magic resistance. It was more than enough for humans, and even Mu Heng couldn¡¯t resist it.


    Shi An quietly opened the door and looked inside.


    He did fall asleep.


    Perfect!


    After confirming that the other party was still asleep, Shi An entered Mu Heng¡¯s study.


    The entire wall of the study room was full of bookcases, all of which were full of books, both ancient and modern. Many of them were very precious documents, and they were all neatly arranged on the shelves.


    Shi An hurriedly scanned it.


    Nothing?


    He frowned suspiciously, took out every book on the entire bookshelf, looked at them seriously, and then finally came to the conclusion¡ªit really wasn¡¯t there.


    What was going on?


    Shi An took out the small box and forcibly pulled the black fog out to ask.


    Five minutes later.


    After the black fog stammered an explanation, Shi An realized that the study room and the library were two different things. The place where the black fog saw the next volume should be in the library of Mu Manor, not this obviously portable and streamlined study room.


    Ah, it was not here¡­¡­


    Shi An deflated and turned around wiltingly, walking back to the guest bedroom.


    When he crossed the door of the master bedroom, Shi An stopped in a daze. He thought for a while and looked into the room thoughtfully.


    Although the master bedroom was larger in area than the second bedroom, the layout was similar.


    The man reclined on the bed, his long silver hair spread out unconstrained, adding a bit of softness to his sharp and profound facial features. Several documents that had not yet been read were spread out on his lap, and the slender,, gloveless fingers fell on it. His silver-white eyelashes hung down, and it was obvious that he had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Under the light, his long hair shone brightly, as brilliant as ever.


    Since turning back into a dragon, Shi An felt that his dragon instincts were much stronger than before.


    He couldn¡¯t control himself and walked in.


    Yes, it was shiny.


    And there was still a warm temperature.


    Shi An pondered for a few seconds, then quietly touched the bed and lay down.


    The young man leaned towards Mu Heng.


    He leaned back again.


    It didn¡¯t seem to be enough.


    In the next second, the long big tail stretched out under the quilt, and the tip of the tail circled around, secretly circling the man¡¯s thin and sturdy waist.


    The temperature on Mu Heng¡¯s body was higher than that of ordinary humans. He was like a human heater, and warm heat was transmitted from the place where Shi An¡¯s tail came into contact with his skin.


    Shi An yawned drowsily and contentedly, blinking tears from the corners of his eyes.


    Anyway, sooner or later this human would become part of his own collection!


    It didn¡¯t matter if they slept together in advance.


    He thought with peace of mind.

 CH 43.1

    Mu Heng frowned and slowly opened his eyes.


    The sky outside the window was already bright, and the sunlight was dazzling, bringing a kind of pain that seemed real and phantom.


    Mu Heng startled slightly, and it took a few seconds to realize where he was.


    He sat up and scanned the clock on the table.


    The light green numbers flickered in the dark background.


    10:45


    Mu Heng raised his hand and pressed his forehead incredulously.


    Yesterday he actually¡­ fell asleep while looking at the files? And slept for so long?


    Since his own memory, Mu Heng has never slept so deeply. Even when he was resting, he still remained alert. As long as he slept for the most basic sleep time, he would wake up naturally, and a situation like today almost never happened.


    Mu Heng vaguely remembered fragments of his dream.


    He dreamed of a dragon.


    The huge black dragon looked down at him, a pair of red-gold vertical pupils were like a dark fire burning at the bottom of the abyss, and the dark dragon scales gleamed in the darkness.


    Mu Heng knew its power.


    The dragon flame could melt rocks and burn humans into dust.


    The dark dragon looked majestic and terrifying, with a deadly, breathtaking beauty.


    They looked at each other in an eternal silence.


    The dragon moved.


    It stretched out its long tail and wrapped Mu Heng¡¯s waist with the tip of its thin tail.


    He blinked his golden eyes, lowered his head, and rubbed Mu Heng with his kiss.


    Mu Heng was stunned.


    He subconsciously stretched out his hand and pressed it on the tail of the dragon that was rolling him.


    The touch of the dragon scales was so real, cold and hard, and the edges of the scales are sharp, giving him almost the illusion of being scratched.


    However, a little further up, it was much softer than imagined?


    It was almost a bit like human skin.


    The dragon¡¯s tail trembled, as if it wanted to shrink back.


    But the ghost made a difference, Mu Heng tightened his palms and firmly grabbed the tip of the opponent¡¯s tail.


    The dragon didn¡¯t seem to expect it either. It moved stiffly and looked down at him blankly.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes and looked back steadily.


    ¡ª¡ªDon¡¯t think about running.


    What a strange dream.


    Mu Heng frowned and brushed away the remaining pictures in his mind.


    He got out of bed, bent over, and picked up the documents scattered on the ground one by one, frowning slightly.


    Was his sleeping position this bad?


    *


    Shi An was late for the first day of school.


    Although Mu Heng solemnly apologized to him, Shi An was not very angry, because he knew very well that it was his fault.


    He only lifted the spell on the other after he woke up naturally. It would have been strange if they weren¡¯t late.


    Shi An sat in the passenger seat, his head lowered, and yawned slightly.


    Mu Heng observed it sharply: ¡°What? Didn¡¯t sleep well? ¡±


    Shi Anan shook his head indifferently: ¡°¡­ Not really¡­ ¡±


    He really didn¡¯t sleep well.


    The temperature of the humanoid pillow was indeed very suitable, with moderate softness and hardness, and it was very comfortable to hold. In addition, it was shiny and very in line with his aesthetics. Overall, Shi An was very satisfied.


    ¡ª¡ªIf it weren¡¯t for the other party always touching his tail.


    The temperature of the human palm was scorching and hot, and the feeling of being branded on the scales was very distinct. It penetrated and spread along the texture between the scales, with a kind of aggression that could not be ignored at all.


    He was even groping upward unconsciously.


    Shi An never thought that the scales on his tail would be so sensitive.


    Every slight friction between the dragon scales and the human palm rushed through his body like a burst of electric current, causing him to tremble from head to toe to the tip of his tail.


    Don¡¯t touch it anymore¡­¡­


    He blushed, the tips of his ears were hot, and he loosened the man¡¯s waist a little bit, cautiously trying to pull his tail back.


    ¡ª¡ªAh, can¡¯t I stop hugging?


    It turns out that he couldn¡¯tt.


    Before Shi An was about to withdraw his tail, the man who had been sleeping suddenly tightened his palm and firmly grasped his tail.


    Shi An¡¯s waist softened, and his whole body curled up.


    He was looking at Mu Heng¡¯s face suspiciously. In the dark, the opponent¡¯s eyes were still tightly closed, as if he hadn¡¯t woken up from the spell, but his slender and hot palms were still tightly clutching his tail, and he even pinched it carelessly.


    When Shi An tried to pull it a little, it would be pulled back with double the force.


    In the end, his whole dragon body seemed to be ripe, even his toes couldn¡¯t help curling up, his eyes were misty, and he shrank pitifully, burying his face in the pillow.


    Regret.


    He just really regret it.


    If he had known it was like this, he would rather sleep by himself¡­¡­


    Shi An regretted it so much that his intestines were blue.


    In the end, due to the exhaustion of his physical strength, he finally fell into a deep sleep in a daze.


    *


    The vehicle drove very smoothly, and the humming sound of mechanical operation was monotonous and low, making him drowsy.


    Shi An yawned again and blinked the sleepy tears from the corners of his eyes.


    He was uncomfortable and wanted to sleep.


    Mu Heng¡¯s low voice sounded in the closed carriage,


    ¡°Do you want to sleep for a while? ¡±


    Shi An opened his eyes abruptly and straightened his back reflexively, ¡°No, no need! ¡±


    Mu Heng glanced at Shi An suspiciously, as if he didn¡¯t know why the other party¡¯s reaction was so sudden.


    Shi An stiffly changed the subject, ¡°Well, have we arrived yet? ¡±


    Mu Heng retracted his gaze,


    ¡°Soon. ¡±


    Twenty minutes later, the vehicle slowly drove into the Academy. Because they recognized Mu Heng¡¯s vehicle, they were admitted directly.


    Mu Heng glanced down at the information on his phone, drove the vehicle around two corners in the campus, and stopped in front of one of the strange-looking buildings.


    Was his class here today?


    After Shi An thanked him, he got out of the car and walked in the direction of the building.

 CH 43.2

    A minute later, Shi An slowly turned his head and looked at Mu Heng, who had been following him since he got out of the car, and asked with some uncertainty, ¡°That¡­are you going here too?¡±


    Mu Heng shook his head calmly, ¡°No, I¡¯m going to find the principal next. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He pointed to the building in front of him suspiciously, ¡°The principal is here? ¡±


    Mu Heng shook his head, ¡°No. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ???


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and stared at the dazed young man in front of him, and his fingertips twitched slightly.


    He suppressed his urge to touch the other¡¯s hair and said calmly, ¡°Your tardiness this time is my reason, so this time I will accompany you in. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He said dryly, ¡°This, this is really not needed. ¡±


    Shi An¡¯s time in human society was not short. Although he still lacked some common sense, he still knew what a compelling thing it was to let Mu Heng show up with him on the first day of school. This was simply contrary to his original intention of keeping a low profile.


    Finally, at Shi An¡¯s strong insistence, Mu Heng compromised.


    He nodded, ¡°Okay. ¡±


    Shi An breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the strange building with an empty schoolbag.


    Inside the building was a huge independent and wide hall, which was somewhat similar to Wang Li¡¯s training grounds that he had been to before.


    He was quite late, and the first class of had obviously begun.


    Since all of them were parallel classes this time, they were all freshmen in class together.


    The teacher is a middle-aged, short, gloomy man. A pair of gray eyes are pressed under the eyebrows of the same color, and his gaze always made people feel cold.


    His name is Xu Chengwen, and the course he taught was the foundation of primary magic training.


    Due to his bad attitude and his habit of often maliciously failing students, he was the most unpopular teacher in the entire first grade.


    Xu Chengwen¡¯s eyes were sharp when he saw Shi An sneaking in from behind the training ground.


    He sneered, raised his voice, and said, ¡°Look, late for the first day of school. If I didn¡¯t know anything, I would think you were some kind of genius. ¡±


    ¡°You, come here. ¡°Xu Chengwen pointed to the position next to him with obvious mockery on his face.


    Shi An walked over obediently.


    ¡°Hm, let me think about it, isn¡¯t this Shi An? I heard that you were very famous before you entered the school, so you were late on the first day? Hmm? ¡±


    Xu Chengwen said strangely.


    There was a snicker in the group of students below.


    No one didn¡¯t know Shi An because he was a waste without magic power. He had not successfully been enrolled in school for several years. This year, they didn¡¯t know what method he relied on to finally get in.


    ¡°Come on, try it. ¡±


    A trace of mockery flashed across Xu Chengwen¡¯s eyes, he bent down, picked up one of the balls, and threw it into Shi An¡¯s hand.


    This is part of the basic training of primary magic power. The more magic power was infused, the greater the brightness of the ball.


    He said,


    ¡°Since you were late on the first day, you should be very confident in your magic, right? ¡±


    There was a burst of laughter in the audience.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze stayed on Shi An¡¯s body, without a trace of kindness in their eyes, waiting to see him as the butt of their joke.


    There was even a freshman who had the courage to heckle and said, ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t embarrass him. This is probably a wrist-training ball in his hand!¡± ¡±


    The laughter became louder.


    ¡°Boom! ¡±


    A violent explosion sounded in the spacious training room.


    Like a clear rest, the entire training room was quiet.


    Shi An was also taken aback.


    Since he changed back to his dragon dragon, his strength had been a bit unstoppable.


    But¡­why were these people reacting so much?


    Shi An blinked blankly, looked down at the remains of ball in his hand, and then turned to look at the stunned group of students, some of whom didn¡¯t quite understand why the room was silent now.


    Wasn¡¯t it wrist training ball?


    The expression on Xu Chengwen¡¯s face also stiffened.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Shi An didn¡¯t infuse magic into the ball, but directly tightened his fingers and pinched the ball directly.


    The ball didn¡¯t even light up, but it was shattered to pieces.


    And the biggest question was, how was this possible?


    Although the ball was used to detect the control of magic power, as teaching equipment, the magic pressure and physical pressure that it could withstand was very powerful.


    What kind of strange power was this?!


    He frowned, took away the wreckage of the control ball from Shi An a little rudely, and muttered in a low voice, ¡°There must be something wrong with the equipment¡­¡±


    At this moment, Xu Chengwen¡¯s phone rang, and he looked at Shi An irritably, ¡°You wait, if I find out what you did¡­¡±


    He sneered, then walked aside and answered the call.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shi An secretly moved a few steps, came to Lin Yanming who was standing in the first row, and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Speaking of which, what kind of class is this class? ¡±


    Although the timetable was delivered to him, Shi An didn¡¯t even look at it and stuffed it directly into his schoolbag.


    However, there was such a big field, and it was a wrist training ball.¡­¡­


    Shi An thought for a while and guessed with some uncertainty,


    ¡°Physical education class? ¡±


    Lin Yanming£º¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    At this moment, Xu Chengwen came back after answering the phone.


    His attitude changed drastically, and he said strictly but with a kind face, ¡°Oh, it turns out that you were late to help Chief Mu. You are really a good boy. Why didn¡¯t you say so just now?¡±


    He looked at Shi An kindly, ¡°Hurry up, return to the class. ¡±


    The entire training ground was silent.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Chief Mu asked me to tell you to give him a call after class and he will pick you up. ¡°Xu Chengwen said peacefully.


    Shi An was dumbfounded.


    He stopped secretly yawning and froze in place.


    The moment he heard this familiar name, he couldn¡¯t help but recover the memory of last night.


    The tips of Shi An¡¯s ears turned red, he shrank back a little unnaturally, and he turned his head viciously to look at the dragon tail behind him.


    In short, it was all your fault!


    And¡­ he would see that human again later¡­ Shi An was even more worried.


    As if feeling the mood of its owner, the big tail drooped down and swayed listlessly.


    ¡ª¡ªSo when will it retract?

 CH 44.1

    As if nothing had happened just now, Xu Chengwen continued to teach the students.


    Shi An stood at the end of the team, hanging his head absentmindedly. The sound of the teacher¡¯s lecture was white noise, and he didn¡¯t pay attention at all.


    He closed his eyes and felt the molting magic that had not been fully absorbed in his body.


    Things like absorbing magic power were all uphill climbs.


    Yesterday, in order to quickly change his form back to human, Shi An forcibly pushed his progress forward by 20%.


    Although he had changed back, it left his dragon tail out.


    After that, in order to retract his tail back, Shi An seized every opportunity to absorb the dragon molt in his body. However, it seemed that the previous absorption was too rapid, so his current progress became stagnant.


    Until now¡ª¡ª


    Shi An didn¡¯t expect that after just one night, his progress seemed to be going forward again¡£


    He opened his eyes with a puzzled look.


    It was strange. He didn¡¯t do anything except sleep with Mu Heng last night, so why did the absorption of dragon molt suddenly become faster?


    Just as Shi An was distracted, Xu Chengwen stopped lecturing.


    He smiled at the freshmen in front of him with an ill-intentioned smile and said, ¡°I have basically told you the trick of controlling magic power, and now it¡¯s time to actually operate it. ¡±


    With that said, Xu Chengwen turned on the controller and pressed it skillfully a few times.


    Accompanied by obvious fluctuations in magic power, the sound of the machine running echoed in the huge training room.


    As the blue light wove through, simulated monsters appeared not far from the eyes of the freshmen, arranged in a neat queue. This kind of monster was called a rock-armored beast. It had a huge body and an extremely thick carapace. It was almost indestructible and was accustomed to hitting the enemy in a ball.


    Of course, they were not without weaknesses. There was a piece of light-colored skin on the right rear side of each rock-armored beast, which was their stomata. As long as one could control the magic power to attack that place, they could force the rock-armored beast to leave the combat state.


    But the operation was far from as simple as it sounded.


    The speed of the rock-armored beast¡¯s attack was very fast, and in that state of high-speed rolling, it was even more difficult to hit the stomata.


    Although the rock-armored beasts in front of them were simulated, and both the attack speed and the attack ability were greatly reduced, the pain would still persist for about ten days and a half.


    Looking at the whole row of rock-armored beasts in front of them, the freshmen couldn¡¯t help but feel numb.


    Although they had heard of Xu Chengwen¡¯s reputation a long time ago, they really didn¡¯t expect that he would actually start this type of practical exercise in the first class.


    The metal ground on the side of the rock-armored beast slowly raised, forming a slope between the monster and the student.


    Looking at the rows of students in front of him, Xu Chengwen said, ¡°Although each rock-armored beast only tracked one student, be careful not to be hit by other people¡¯s rock-armored beasts. After all, they don¡¯t have eyes. ¡±


    With that said, Xu Chengwen snorted and clicked the operation board again.


    The simulated rock-armored beasts at the top of the slope curled up into a huge sphere and rumbled down the slope. The roar was deafening and terrifying.


    When Shi An returned to his senses, the other freshmen had already scattered, fighting with their own rock-armored beasts.


    He blinked and looked at the huge stone that was rolling straight at him.


    Eh?


    What happened?


    Because he didn¡¯t sleep well last night, his mind was a bit sluggish.


    In just a few seconds, the stone had rumbled in front of him.


    Shi An was taken aback and subconsciously wanted to set it on fire, but the voice of the demon insect rang in his ears hurriedly, ¡°My lord! No way! ¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThe strength of the dragon flame was too great, and it could even directly burn through this simulated rock-armored beast.


    But this was definitely not the strength that an ordinary freshman would have. Being so advanced in full view of the public was contrary to the word low-key.


    Shi An: ¡°! £¡ ¡±


    ¡°Oh!


    He abruptly stopped his intention to set fire and flashed to the side in embarrassment, barely avoiding the attack of the rock-armored beast.


    The rock-armored beast obviously targeted for Shi An. After rolling for a distance, it stopped, slowly turned its direction, and continued to rush towards Shi An.


    The demon insect shouted in his ear: ¡°Stomata, right there! ¡±


    Shi An was upset by its noisy voice. Not only did he have to control his strength to not burn through the rock-armored beast directly, but he also had to find the stomata in the rapidly rolling rock-armored beast¡ªas a dragon who had been accustomed to solving problems simply and rudely since he was born, this kind of fine work was really not suitable for him.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Shi An gritted his teeth.


    Demon insect, ¡°Eh, my lord! You¡­¡­¡±


    Shi An grumped, ¡°I said, you shut up¨C¡±


    ¡°No, pay attention to your back! ¡°The demon insect screamed anxiously.


    ¡­¡­Eh?


    Shi An was startled and turned to look.


    The rock-armored beast was right behind him.


    Compared with the huge and ugly monster in front of him, the young man who was about to be run over looked so slender and fragile.


    The visual impact¡ªit was like witnessing a disastrous tragedy. This kind of situation always made people completely unable to look away. It was both unbearable and expected.


    The passage of time seemed to slow.


    However, the beast suddenly stopped in front of Shi An and was firmly locked one step away from him.


    ¡°Kacha, kacha¡­¡­¡±


    A faint sound sounded from the body of the rock-armored beast.


    The young man slowly retracted his hand. His fingers were slender, the back of his hand was white, and a layer of silver-white shimmer flashed slightly, like a metallic film, which disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°Crack.¡±


    A clearer shattering sound sounded, and thin fragments of rock fell down.


    The others slowly looked at the rock-armored beast in amazement.


    A fist-sized hole sunk deeply into its stomata, and spider web-like cracks spread from the monster¡¯s thick armor.


    It turned out to be¡­ directly pierced by his fist.


    The rock-armored beast twitched twice, its huge body sprawled out, and it turned into a light blue spot of light and disappeared in place.


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    You really didn¡¯t use magic power.

 CH 44.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 44.2


    Xu Chengwen, who was watching from the side, also startled.


    Although he was very willing to see the students suffer, he knew that Shi An was going to see Chief Mu next. Any injury the other suffered was not a good thing for him.


    But unexpectedly, before he had time to make a move, the matter was already resolved.


    Thinking back to the scenario of Shi An directly crushing the magic ball just now.¡ª¡ª


    Xu Chengwen paused the test, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he said dryly.


    ¡°Well, I didn''t expect that Shi An found his own ability so quickly. The strength system is not bad, and it has great potential. ¡±


    Other students: ¡°......¡±


    Fuck.


    Strength ability?


    The strength ability was also a kind of development direction for able people. This branch focused on melee hand-to-hand combat, and all magic power was used to strengthen physical strength.


    It''s just that most students in the strength system were tall and buff.


    And Shi An¡­¡­


    The young man was still standing in place blankly, fluttering his eyelashes. He didn''t seem to have recovered yet, his eyes were clear and ignorant, and he looked extremely weak and harmless¡ªif others hadn''t seen him just punch through a monster armor known for its defensive power with his own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t believe it either.


    This strength ability that looked weak and pitiful, but could punch people to death with one punch¡­¡­


    Not to mention freshmen, even Xu Chengwen hadn¡¯t seen anything like this before.


    Moreover, most students generally didn¡¯t fully find their position until after their second year.


    As a freshman who had just entered the school, Shi An was already ridiculously fast.


    Shi Rui stared at Shi An, took a deep breath and retracted his gaze.


    Shi An was already several years late to enroll in school, and he was older than everyone else. Wasn¡¯t it normal for him to find a system?


    Besides, the strength system has the worst development potential. No matter how strong one was, what about it? Wasn¡¯t it still hand-to-hand combat?


    Shi Rui found a reason to comfort himself and abruptly suppressed the negative emotions tumbling in his heart.


    Lin Yanming moved over, lowered his voice, and said in disbelief, "Wow, aren''t you a fire wielder? ¡±


    Shi An thought for a while and finally replied ambiguously, ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯m both¡­¡±


    After all, he was a dragon.


    He could breathe fire, and his anti-magic resistance was super high.


    *


    After class, Shi An tilted his tail and happily walked out with Lin Yanming¡ªthe other party promised to lend him the game console for a few more days, which made Shi An stunned with joy. He completely forgot about calling Mu Heng.


    However, with the experience of being stood up several times before, Mu Heng had obviously expected this.


    As soon as Shi An went out, he was stopped by Wen Yao who was already waiting at the door, ¡°Shi An! here! ¡±


    She waved at Shi An,


    ¡°The chief asked me to take you to the principal. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°......¡±


    Oh, he couldn¡¯t escape.


    He waved goodbye to Lin Yanming dejectedly and got into Wen Yao''s car.


    Soon, they arrived at the principal''s residence.


    It was a tall minaret, which looked exceptionally old. The stairs extended upward in circles, fine dust particles floated in the air, accompanying the pervasive smell of old books. It was extremely quiet, as if the passage of time had been delayed.


    The spire had a big room full of books.


    The white-haired and white-bearded old principal was sitting in a stuffed chair, the small table in front of him was piled full of tall books, and his glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose.


    Mu Heng stood at the table, lowered his eyes, and whispered something to Principal Pei.


    Wen Yao raised her hand, knocked lightly on the door with her knuckles, and said politely, "Chief, Shi An¡¯s here. ¡±


    After speaking, she turned around.


    Shi An followed far behind, struggling to stumble up the last few stairs. His pale face was blushing from excessive exercise, and he was panting with fatigue.


    Why on earth did you live so high!


    He thought sadly in his heart.


    Looking at the tired young man in front of him, Mu Heng frowned without a trace.


    Lack of exercise.


    Principal Pei smiled kindly at Shi An, "Hello, young man. ¡±


    Shi An: ¡°......¡±


    You are the young man, the young man who is less than a fraction of my age!


    Principal Pei didn''t know Shi An''s thoughts. He smiled and said, ¡°I remember you. You were the one who could solve my additional question, right? ¡±


    He stroked his beard, shook his head, and sighed, "The next generation is truly much stronger than we are. As long as you cultivate this skill well, you will be quite accomplished in ancient languages. ¡±


    Although Shi An obediently thanked him, he didn''t take this seriously in his heart.


    After all, this was ancient language to mankind, but to him, it was just language.


    Principal Pei continued kindly, ¡°It just so happens that today Chief Mu came to me for help and about ancient texts, so I thought of you. I didn''t expect that you and Chief Mu were also old acquaintances. It just so happens that I also think your joining will be of great benefit, so I invited you to come and see if you would like to help.¡±


    Shi An blinked, ¡°What are you busy with? ¡±


    Principal Pei pushed the glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, stretched out his wrinkled fingers, and slowly turned a page of the book in front of him.


    ¡°The translation of this ancient book. ¡±


    Shi An''s gaze fell on the book spread out on the desktop¡ªthe thick, burgundy cover, the ancient plating style, the precious writing materials, and the familiar enchantment preservation methods¡­


    ¡°...¡± Shi An fell silent.


    The tips of his ears slowly turned red.


    ¡ª-Yes, it was that perverted book!

 CH 45.1

    His heart felt like it had been tickled by something soft, a feeling that was new and strange. (1)


    Principal Pei tapped the cover of the book on the table with his long, wrinkled fingers and looked through the glasses on the bridge of his nose with his grey eyes, saying, ¡°This is an ancient book passed on from Chief Mu¡¯s clan. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to find another old-age book like this anymore. According to reason, I should personally handle it, but I¡¯m already old and not as strong as I wish to be¡­..¡±


    He coughed a few times and waited for his breath to settle before looking at Shi An, saying, ¡°What is your thought about it?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..¡±


    He looked at Mu Heng, standing by with an unreadable expression, turned his head to look at the kind-hearted old principal, and finally looked at the book he had been searching for a long time on the table.


    What else could he do?


    Shi An reluctantly nodded and said dryly, ¡°N-No problem.¡±


    Principal Pei smiled kindly.


    He looked carefully at the young man standing before him and said, ¡°That¡¯s good then. I will let the assistant look at your school timetable and arrange the time.¡±


    Mu Heng looked at Old Principal Pei and said, ¡°Sorry to have bothered you.¡±


    Principal Pei smiled and shook his head. ¡°Chief, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. If you didn¡¯t help with the incident last time, I¡¯m afraid we were unable to end it quickly, yet I haven¡¯t thanked you officially.¡±


    Mu Heng nodded at Principal Pei and turned to say goodbye.


    Shi An was still standing in the same place, his eyes fixed on the ancient book not far away, seemingly lost in thought.


    Mu Heng dropped his eyes, and his gaze fell on Shi An for a moment.


    He naturally lifted his hand, and his palm fell on the top of the young man¡¯s soft hair with firm pressure. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.. Oh!¡±


    It was then that Shi An came back to his senses.


    He turned his head and cast one last glance at the ancient book that had been left inside the principal¡¯s office before sighing and reluctantly following Mu Heng¡¯s lead.


    The tower where the principal lived was narrow and tiny, with curved and steep steps; going up the tower was difficult enough, and going down was even more arduous.


    Shi An hung his head, a little absentminded, and stepped on empty air in a moment of unawareness.


    His eyes widened slightly, and he lost his balance instantly, plunging forward.


    He was about to hit his opponent¡¯s straight, broad back when Mu Heng halted his step as if he had eyes in the back of his head.


    He turned his body slightly to the side and gently lifted his hand to scoop up Shi An.


    Mu Heng loosened his grip around his thin waist and dropped his eyelashes, covering his dark blue eyes.


    ¡°Pay attention to your steps. Don¡¯t be absent-minded.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s heart and lungs stopped in shock, and he nodded with trepidation. ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    Mu Heng slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at Shi An thoughtfully.


    What was going on here?


    Shi An¡¯s heart was pounding, and his back tensed up subconsciously.


    Only to see Mu Heng frown, saying, ¡°Too thin.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°Besides, too lacking in physical strength.¡± Mu Heng¡¯s merciless gaze fell on Shi An¡¯s body with an undertone of rational assessment.


    He said, ¡°Give a copy of your school timetable to Wen Yao later.¡±


    A sudden feeling of foreboding came over Shi An, and he asked warily, ¡°For what?¡±


    Mu Heng withdrew his eyes and turned to continue down the path. ¡°Training.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..¡±


    His expression went blank, and he fell into a daze.


    No, I don¡¯t want!


    He just wanted to sleep and roll around in a bed made of treasures while eating snacks and playing games in passing!


    Soon, the two left the principal¡¯s tower and established themselves downstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to, but I just entered the school recently. I¡¯m super busy¡­..¡± Shi An tried to argue.


    Mu Heng pondered for a few seconds.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    But before Shi An could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the man before him sweep him a faint glance. ¡°In the morning then.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ???


    *


    Six o¡¯clock the next day.


    A sleepy-eyed Shi An was picked up by Mu Heng and brought to the training ground on time.


    The academy had assigned Mu Heng a private training ground with a complete set of equipment, which was not less thoughtful.


    The young man drooped his dishevelled head, looking as if he hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Mu Heng glanced at him. ¡°Do you need a demonstration?¡±


    Shi An struggled to keep his eyelids up and nodded.


    However, when Mu Heng finished the demonstration, he turned his head to find that the person was gone.


    After looking around for some time, he finally found the familiar figure on a bench nearby. The young man had curled himself into a ball, his dark eyelashes drooping quietly, his breathing steady and his expression peaceful, having fallen into a deep sleep long ago.


    Mu Heng¡¯s outstretched hand paused and eventually slowly withdrew.


    By the time Shi An opened his eyes again, it was already lunchtime.


    He rubbed his eyes and sat up as a pitch-black overcoat slid off his shoulders.


    Shi An blinked and spent two seconds before reacting to where he was.


    -- Boom!


    A loud bang rang out not far away.


    Shian was taken aback and looked in the direction where the sound had come.


    The man was slender and tall, his long silver hair tied up in a high bun, looking calm and cold, and his five fingers in black gloves held a long sword made of magical power. He was surrounded by a circle of demons, the highest level ones that the entire training system could simulate, superior to real demons in attack patterns and strength.


    They looked fierce, as tall as a small mountain, and let out a deafening roar as they lunged at the human in the centre!


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were dark blue, and his demeanour was calm and indifferent, barely hinting at his murderous aura. Still, there was an inexplicably strong aura and sense of oppression that was as compelling as a magnetic field even when he stood still.


    The sword blade brought up a harsh wind sound.


    His style was unlike that of an educated man trained in a proper academy; it was precise and ruthless, extremely efficient, not for show or display, only for killing.

 CH 45.2

    His heart felt like it had been tickled by something soft, a feeling that was new and strange. (2)


    The strong wind raised the man¡¯s silver hair, glittering like the light of a shining blade.


    The howling and hissing of the demons resonated throughout the training ground.


    Scattered pieces of broken corpses turned into pale blue magical lights and were retrieved.


    The intense sunlight fell through the sunroof, sprinkling on Mu Heng¡¯s long silvery hair and enveloping his entire body in a bright and dazzling glow.


    As Shi An gazed at the brightly shining human not far away, a red-gold fire flashed across the pupils of his dark eyes, and the large tail hanging behind him wagged restlessly.


    --Mine!


    The longsword in Mu Heng¡¯s hand turned into dots of magical light.


    He switched off the mode that simulated a real-time battle and stepped toward Shi An.


    The two men¡¯s eyes met in mid-air.


    The young man¡¯s eyelashes were dark, the light under his eyes blazing and focused, gazing at him with an extremely passionate look.


    Under such ardent gaze, Mu Heng felt his heart beating quick suddenly.


    He pursed his lips, unnaturally averted his gaze, coughed lightly and asked, ¡°Awake?¡±


    Shi An nodded and handed over the coat in his arms.


    Mu Heng looked down and took it.


    Suddenly, a loud, distinct rumble sounded.


    Mu Heng¡¯s hand rested in mid-air and slightly paused.


    Shi An rubbed his empty stomach and asked expectantly, ¡°When are we going to eat?¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyebrows, ¡°Hungry?¡±


    Shi An nodded and gazed expectantly at the human in front of him.


    ¡­.. Although he hadn¡¯t done anything all morning, he quickly got hungry.


    Mu Heng glanced at him and slung his coat over his arm, saying helplessly, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Twenty minutes later.


    Compared to his listless appearance this morning, Shi An was now fully refreshed.


    He was stuffing food into his mouth, not even bothering to lift his head.


    It had to be said that the food here was much better than in the school canteen, not in the same league.


    ¡°Eat slower. Don¡¯t choke yourself.¡± Finally, Mu Heng couldn¡¯t put up with it any longer and reminded him.


    The young man¡¯s cheeks were bulging, and he seemed to have thrown himself into his fight with food, not listening to his words.


    Soon, Shian had swept the food off the table.


    He squinted his eyes in contentment like a cat that had had its fill of sunbathing.


    Mu Heng looked at the young man in front of him, his gaze slightly deepening.


    He seemed to have thought of something and raised his hand to beckon the waiter. ¡°One ice cream.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s entire dragon body perked up again, his eyes brightly shining as he looked at the human before him, exuding the word anticipation all over his body.


    Ice cream?


    ICE CREAM!!!


    Soon a H?agen-Dazs was delivered. Shi An¡¯s eyes were fixed as he watched without blinking while the waiter came over and placed the tray of ice cream onto the table.


    ¡°Is it for me?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    When Mu Heng¡¯s words fell, Shi An let out a cheerful yelp and devoured the small bowl of ice cream in a flash.


    With a silver spoon in his mouth, he looked over at Mu Heng wistfully and whispered. ¡°Can I have another cup?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Have you forgotten about your hospitalisation matter?¡±


    Shi An dropped his eyes in defeat, and his entire dragon turned dull and dejected, looking pitiful.


    He licked the spoon and reluctantly scraped the bottom of the cup.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­..¡±


    He sighed. ¡°¡­.. The last cup.¡±


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Hehe.¡±


    In a split second, his heart felt like it had been tickled by something soft, a feeling that was new and strange.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and he moved his gaze away.


    *


    Shi An followed behind Mu Heng and walked outside.


    He seemed to suddenly think of something and slightly lowered his eyes, feeling the progress of the dragon moult absorption.


    --There was no way it could be an illusion this time.


    The progress that had been stagnant had risen upwards. If this rate could be sustained, he should be able to retrieve his tail soon.


    Could¡­.. it truly be related to this human?


    Shi An raised his eyes and looked inquiringly towards Mu Heng, who was walking ahead of him.


    At that moment, however, the other party suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    Shi An hurriedly stopped his pace and narrowly avoided knocking against him.


    Mu Heng put his phone in his pocket and slightly turned his head sideways, saying, ¡°It¡¯s from Principal Pei. The workshop has been tidied up. The translating work can be started this afternoon.¡±


    Only after walking forward a few steps did he notice that Shi An was not following him.


    Mu Heng was a little puzzled and turned his head to look over.


    Then, he noticed that the tips of the young man¡¯s pale ears were tinged with a thin layer of red at some point, his lips pursed, and his eyes averted as if he was a little reluctant.


    Mu Heng: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Mu Heng looked at him fixedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Principal Pei is waiting for us.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s nodding stopped, and he repeated half-heartedly, ¡°Us?¡±


    He jolted in response, widening his eyes as he stuttered and asked, ¡°That, Y-You¡¯re also going?¡±


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    He didn¡¯t notice the young man¡¯s strange expression and continued, ¡°Although I¡¯m not as good as Principal Pei in the ancient language, I know a little of it. Principal Pei is mainly responsible for directing, and the main work is on you and me.¡¯


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    In other words¡­..


    He couldn¡¯t even talk nonsense with his eyes open anymore!


    --------------------

 CH 46.1

    Come, read it for us. (1)


    Although said to be a workshop, it was more like an alchemy workshop or something like that.


    Narrow, cramped, and crowded.


    Old scrolls were piled high on a huge wooden table, ceiling-high bookshelves were embedded in all four walls, their grey spines drowning in shadow, and the musty smell of books hung in the air.


    The young man sat cautiously before the table, his dark eyelashes lowered and his eyes fixed on a small spot before him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and looked over, saying in a deep, reassuring voice, ¡°You can feel free to translate. Don¡¯t need to be worried about mistakes.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­.. O-Okay.¡±


    He slowly took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.


    It¡¯s okay, stay calm!


    Shi An recalled what he had seen previously in the first book. The last section of the previous book covered the part about summoning dragons, so the next book would probably get to the main point right away!


    It didn¡¯t matter if it didn¡¯t get to the main point immediately. He had the whole book in front of him and could flip through it!


    --Then, he might soon find a way to recover his powers.


    As for the translation ...... he would follow along and take it easy.


    Anyway, he was now an ordinary new human student. He guessed the principal wouldn¡¯t have high expectations of him¡­.. right?


    Shi An felt that his mind was finally much more stable.


    At this moment, Principal Pei came out of the workshop, holding a stack of papers between his withered fingers, and faltered to the table.


    He divided the papers in his hands into three piles, one of which he placed in front of Shi An.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­.. Eh?¡±


    He blinked, reached out, and lifted the stack of papers before slowly asking, ¡°Wh-Where is the original book?¡±


    Principle Pei amiably looked at the young man in front of him and explained, ¡°The original book is truly too precious, so we usually progress the translation using the transcribed version. But you don¡¯t have to worry. My assistant was in charge of the transcription, and I guarantee one hundred per cent restoration.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..¡±


    This is what I¡¯m worried about!


    He took another deep breath and looked down at the transcribed text in his hands with the last shred of hope.


    What if, what if?


    What if what was written in it was exactly what he needed?


    Shi An¡¯s eyes fell on the paper and swept over it with a single glance.


    Scrape¨C


    His fingers tightened abruptly, making a few creases in the paper.


    On the side, Principal Pei pulled out his glasses and put them on the bridge of his nose, examining the transcript in front of him in the dim light. ¡°Oh¡­.. This should be the language used by humans during ancient times, but there were many variations in the grammar. Our previous estimation of when the book was written has to be pushed back. Besides, if I¡¯m not wrong, there should also be quite a lot of dragon language used, which is very complex.¡±


    He held his glasses upright with his fingers, his grey eyes narrowed behind the lens, and briefly scanned the text before him.


    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t seriously translated each line and sentence¡­.. according to my language experience, this section should be about the dragon species¡¯ life habit.¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and replied quietly, ¡°As expected of you.¡±


    Principal Pei put the text down, looked at the indifferent silver-haired man in front of him with his deep, pale grey eyes through the lenses, and slowly said, ¡°Although I¡¯m already old now, I have heard something about the strange situation that happened during the real combat test that day¡­.. Of course, I won¡¯t seek confirmation about your rumour¡¯s validity. However, since you have come to seek help from me, I¡¯m afraid you have no intention of hiding it, right?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He omitted the information that should not be revealed and briefly explained the current situation to Principal Pei.


    Given Mu Heng¡¯s obsession with dragons, he was reluctant to share this information voluntarily.


    However, the last brief contact with the mercenaries conveyed a terrible message.


    -- There were more forces besides him that coveted the dragon¡¯s existence.


    Since this was the case, he could only put his paranoia aside, mobilise all resources and forces, and use all methods, even extreme means, to be the first to find the dragon.


    After listening to Mu Heng¡¯s description, Principal Pei fell into deep thought.


    He deliberated his words before slowly saying, ¡°After ten thousand years, for a fantasy species to appear on the continent again¡­.. the matter is of great weight, indeed. Even some as old as me couldn¡¯t stay out of it. Chief, if you have something that needs my help, you can say it anytime.¡±


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°So, do you think the key to this whole matter lies in this book that your ancestors left behind?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Mu Heng said.


    Principal Pei thought for a few seconds, then picked up the transcript and said, ¡°Then, this section¡­.. do we need to skip it? The thing we need to find is perhaps a magic spell or other more practical things¨C¡±


    Mu Heng thought for a moment and replied, ¡°No need?¡±


    Principal Pei: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°Since my ancestors chose to record these things, they shouldn¡¯t be completely useless. Even the slightest, easily overlooked detail could be a crucial clue. This was the reason I came for your help.¡±


    After all, the amount of work required to translate the whole piece meticulously was too large.


    Principal Pei pondered for a long time before nodding. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

 CH 46.2

    Come, read it for us. (2)


    At this point, he seemed to suddenly think of something and whipped his head around to look at Shi An. ¡°Speaking of which, is he¡­..¡±


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Principal Pei revealed a dazed look.


    No wonder.


    Whether it was the ancient language talent that Shi An had displayed or that Mu Heng didn¡¯t hide such important information before him, it all seemed to make sense.


    Principal Pei looked carefully at the young man not far away.


    He had not said a word since a while ago, burying his head behind a few thin pages, with his soft hair hanging down, covering most of his fair face, and seemed to be translating intently all along.


    Such a good child.


    Principal Pei¡¯s expression softened slightly as he lowered his voice and asked kindly, ¡°Child, how is it? How is your progress?¡±


    Shi An was slightly startled and looked up towards Principal Pei with a fake calm look on his face.


    ¡°N-No progress.¡±


    Such a modest child.


    Principal Pei¡¯s eyes became even kinder as he said, ¡°Hah, your talent is already one in a thousand. You must have self-confidence in yourself.¡±


    He encouraged, ¡°Come, give it a try. Try to translate the first paragraph and read it for us. Young people shouldn¡¯t be worried about trials and errors.¡±


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°True.¡±


    He lowered his silvery white eyelashes, his clear blue eyes gazing at the young man who looked fidgety before him and said, ¡°If there¡¯s any mistake, the senior will correct you. No need to be afraid of mistakes.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­..¡±


    He turned his head to look at Principal Pei, who had an expectant face, then at Mu Heng, whose eyes contained encouragement, weakly and helplessly squeezing the paper in his hand.


    This¡­.. This¡­..


    Shi An resumed lowering his head, evasively dropping his own eyes on the paper in his hands, and stammered as he spoke.


    ¡°D-D-Dragons are¡­..¡±


    The young man¡¯s white, delicate ears quickly filled with blood, the redness spreading from his cheeks to his neck like some ripe fruit that would break its skin and ooze sweet juice at the slightest touch. His voice grew smaller and gradually became almost as small as a mosquito.


    ¡°Li-Licentious¡­..¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes slightly darkened.


    The fingertips hanging at his side couldn¡¯t help but move, barely resisting the urge to go up and squeeze it.


    Principal Pei obviously didn¡¯t think much of it.


    He stroked his beard and laughed heartily. ¡°See, your translation isn¡¯t bad. No need to be embarrassed. You can do it after trying a few more times later.¡±


    Shi An lifted the paper to cover his face and gave a muffled ¡°hmm.¡±


    *


    Since Mu Heng and Principal Pei were experts in this field, so the work progressed quickly. However, they lost track of time as they got busy with their work, and by the time they came out of the workshop, it was late at night.


    The moon was round and extremely bright.


    The moonlight spilt and spread over the ground like white frost and snow, making it dazzlingly bright.


    Shi An hung his head and followed behind sullenly without saying a word.


    He had been earnestly pretending timid all afternoon, but the ¡°academic exchange¡± between the other two still reached his ears unstoppably, especially when they were discussing...... such strange content in such a severe tone. It was too humiliating. AHHH!


    After being tortured for a whole afternoon, Shi An felt as if his soul had gone out of his body.


    He followed behind Mu Heng numbly, his long tail drooping without spirit. His entire dragon being was like a frosted aubergine, listless like a walking corpse.


    Mu Heng stopped in his tracks, turned his head to look at the teenager behind him, and asked, ¡°Your dormitory has a restriction, right?¡±


    Shi An nodded absentmindedly.


    Mu Heng looked down at his watch.


    At this hour, I¡¯m afraid it is impossible to return.


    He seemed to have thought of something, raised his eyes, and asked, ¡°Oh, right. How did you feel this afternoon?¡±


    Shi An was startled and jumped backwards violently. ¡°W-What?¡±


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t expect such a big reaction from the other party either. He raised his eyebrows and said calmly, ¡°Translating.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­..¡± Shi An breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes and examined him steadily.


    Under the moonlight, the man¡¯s silver hair dazzled like a pure white flame, his eyes were deep, the pupils of his dark blue eyes were hidden in the shadows, and his expression was one of concentration.


    ¡°What did you think it is?¡±


    As Mu Heng asked the question, snippets of unpleasant content burrowed into his head uncontrollably.


    Shi An stammered, ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Mu Heng took a step in Shi An¡¯s direction without warning.


    His legs were long and the distance between the two immediately shortened.


    The impulse that had been forcibly suppressed a moment ago began to rise and act.


    It was like a dark, deep current surging through his heart, bringing with it a strange desire that was hard to describe, forcing him to make a move that he himself felt was out of place.


    Mu Heng lifted his hand and cupped the young man¡¯s thin, white chin, forcing the other man to tilt his face up towards him with a slight force.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± His voice was low and calm, repeating without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Whether intentional or not, the rough leather glove absently rubbed the young man¡¯s jaw, causing a faint red colour despite the lack of force.


    Mu Heng frowned slightly and trailed off, seemingly in genuine heartfelt disbelief.


    ¡°Why do you blush so easily?¡±


    He lowered his eyes, his dark, inscrutable gaze landing on Shi An¡¯s face, and his highly existential sight wandered intrusively.


    It really made people...... want to see more.


    --------------------

 CH 47.1

    I¡¯ll never hurt you, baby. (1)


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Isn¡¯t that your fault?!


    Even if you want to study dragons, why do you even have to research that aspect?


    You, humans, practically have no shame!


    Mu Heng looked fixedly at the young man before him, then let go of his hand as if nothing had happened.


    He took a step backward, turned around, and walked forward.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    The man in the distance stood with his back lit from behind by the light of the moon, his deep eyes hidden in the shadows, looking obscure, and his silver hair shining under the moonlight. ¡°You have passed your lockout time, have you forgotten?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh, right.


    Inside the room.


    Mu Heng stripped off his coat, loosened the collar, and removed his gloves.


    He lowered his eyes and his gaze fell on his fingertips.


    It was bizarre.


    Although wearing gloves, the sensation of touching the other person¡¯s skin just now remained on his fingertips. Still, there was an indefinable sense of ambiguity due to the soft layer of leather. It must be said that at that moment¡­


    A strong desire to explore was aroused within him.


    He wanted to take off his gloves, let the skin of his fingers touch his cheek, and rub the red, delicate skin to see if it felt like what he imagined it would feel like.


    Even worse¡­


    The feeling of restlessness that had been repressed in his soul since he saw the other man gradually revealed itself in the form of fierce, sharp claws, and teeth as time passed.


    An inexplicable, tyrannical desire arose in him out of nowhere.


    It flowed silently through his heart like a dark undercurrent.


    A voice in the back of his mind was screaming.


    To strangle the other man¡¯s throat, snap the thin white neck in his palm, let out a dying gasp and whimper, and stain the white skin more beautifully with blood.


    --To become his trophy and possession.


    Two completely different emotions, tenderness and bloodlust, tug at his heart and soul.


    Although Mu Heng forced himself to withdraw his hand and instantly suppressed the fleeting impulse, the grotesque feeling remained clear and vivid in his mind.


    That said, even if a student had restricted access, as long as he casually went on the phone and told the person in charge of the dormitory that Shi An was late due to academic reasons, given his status, the person in charge there couldn¡¯t possibly refuse.


    But... When he learned about the matter of the lockout, Mu Heng¡¯s first reaction was to bring the person back to his place.


    Without any thought at all, it was an utterly subconscious decision.


    This state of mind was indeed not right.


    Mu Heng took out his phone and called Wen Yao, giving a few brief and concise instructions.


    Soon, several S-rank mission files were sent over.


    These mission documents were all related to the mercenary group they met that day. Some pointed to their leader, others to their previous assignments, and many more connected to their next whereabouts.


    That time in the Aiwen District, excluding the few mercenaries who had died, most of the rest had been captured by them.


    But they did in fact get the container to store the flames of the leader¡¯s body.


    According to Zhuo Fu¡¯s evaluation, it was indeed the Dragon Flame.


    However, the sole leader had already died and the remaining mercenaries were not high enough in rank. Although they had been ordered to come to the valley, they did not know the source of the information, let alone the whole dragon flame thing.


    Principal Pei had already started working on translating the ancient book.


    There was no need for him to get any more involved.


    More importantly... Mu Heng decided he had to leave now.


    He was too deeply affected by those inexplicable emotions.


    After washing up, Mu Heng flipped through the mission documents Wen Yao had faxed. It was still too early for him, nowhere near time to rest, but strangely enough, a familiar feeling of sleepiness overcame him, pulling him toward an irresistible slumber.


    In the darkness of his half-asleep, Mu Heng seemed to hear a distant voice faintly.


    It was as if it was murmuring and whispering and coming from ancient times, inaudible, but he somehow had a feeling... that it was a dragon.


    Soon, the room fell into silence, leaving only the sound of the man¡¯s even breathing.


    The door to the room was pushed open and the young man peeked in.


    Very good, asleep.


    Shi An was barefoot, his body loosely covered with a shirt, and his long silvery-white dragon tail stuck out from the hem of his shirt, swinging behind him.


    He stood by the bed, looking down toward the man sleeping in it, then sighed slowly.


    Actually... Shi An wasn¡¯t going to come back for a second time.


    Although Mu Heng was shiny and his body heat was comforting, he had such a poor sleeping posture that he would unconsciously touch his tail.


    -- At least until Mu Heng was made into an unmoving amber, Shi An wasn¡¯t prepared to sleep with him again!


    However, Shi An tried to feel the remnants of the dragon molt magic in his body after returning to his room and found that the absorption progress had increased again after an afternoon.


    There was still a possibility that it had been a coincidence once or twice, but the third time made this less of a possibility.


    So, to recover his strength as soon as possible, Shi An thought about it and finally sneaked over.


    Most importantly, he had to retrieve his tail!


    It was too much of a hindrance.


    No matter what he did, he had to always be on his guard, afraid that his tail would touch something or someone. It was fine for a day or two but not for much longer.


    Especially since he was supposed to be in class next, something would happen sooner or later if he didn¡¯t retract his tail.


    Shi An took a deep breath and cautiously climbed into bed.


    To prevent what happened last time, Shi An turned around, returned to his room, and brought another quilt over.

 CH 47.2

    I¡¯ll never hurt you, baby. (2)


    Shi An wrapped the sleeping man up tightly in the quilt, then got himself under the one next to him and tucked himself in firmly.


    He closed his eyes.


    This time, instead of falling asleep, Shi An lay beside Mu Heng and diligently began absorbing the dragon molt¡¯s magical power.


    When Shi An opened his eyes again, the sky was glowing with an early rising sun.


    Although he had not slept all night, Shi An felt refreshed for the first time.


    The dragon molt¡¯s absorption progress had reached sixty percent. As he had guessed correctly, the absorption rate would be much faster and the efficiency would significantly increase when he was at Mu Heng¡¯s side.


    He rolled on the bed, his big silver-white tail wagging happily behind him, breaking free from the confines of the blanket.


    Sitting up, Shi An caught the tip of his tail in his hand and closed his eyes.


    With a flash of light, the shimmering silver dragon tail finally disappeared.


    Shi An opened his eyes and reached out impatiently to touch his tailbone.


    The skin beneath his palm was smooth.


    He almost wept with joy.


    At last! It had finally shrunk back!


    He didn¡¯t have to worry about his tail getting in the way every time he turned around!


    Shi An sighed with relief. The heart he had been carrying since he woke finally was less heavy.


    With his most urgent crisis resolved, Shi An¡¯s spirit came to life again.


    He shifted forward and looked at the sleeping man in the faint morning light outside through the window.


    Unaware that he had been used as a tool for the night, Mu Heng slept deeply, with his face slightly tilted to the side, half of his face in shadow, his silvery white eyelashes drooping quietly. His long hair of the same color lay unbound and gently spread out on the pillow, shimmering in the half-bright morning light.


    Shi An buried his head and rubbed his cheek against them.


    It was ice-cold and soft, like smooth satin or lukewarm flowing water.


    It had a fresh, distant smell that reminded Shi An of the icy wastelands he had once flown across on wings.


    After enough tossing and turning, he finally sat up.


    Shi An thought for a moment and reached out his hand.


    His fingertips were covered with the cold glint of dragon scales and the tips of his nails shone with a bit of metallic sharpness. He sneakily picked up a lock of silver hair, which dropped into his palm with a flash of cold light at his fingertips.


    Shi An took the lock of silver hair and looked at it, left and right, in the shadows and under he morning light.


    But for some reason, although the silvery light shone just as brightly, it didn¡¯t feel right as if something was missing. However, Shi An couldn¡¯t say what it was.


    ¡°...¡±


    He stared at the silver hair in his palm in deep thought.


    Could it be that it had more to do with the person than the color?


    Shi An lifted his eyes and looked down toward the sleeping Mu Heng on the bed.


    When his gaze reached the other man, he felt his dragon¡¯s innate radar go off precisely. The familiar desire to plunder and collect began to work, stirring in his heart ¨C so much so that he wanted to snatch him home, turn him into a specimen, and keep him at his claws for all eternity.


    However, that intense desire immediately became muted when Shi An lowered his head and looked at the silver hair in his hands.


    Indeed, the main reason for this was this human.


    At that moment, Shi An suddenly realized that, unconsciously, most of his body had leaned over, half lying on the man¡¯s chest.


    The other man¡¯s quilt had fallen apart in his earlier movements, revealing cold white skin, well-defined collarbones, and beautifully smooth lines of muscle half-hidden beneath an open collar.


    Although the distance between them was not too close, he could still clearly feel the heat radiating outwards from the skin that passed through it.


    Shi An tentatively placed his fingers on it.


    His body temperature was already low and the other man¡¯s chest was a little hot for him, rising and falling gently in rhythm with his breathing, and he could feel the heart beating strongly in his chest cavity.


    The feeling in his hand was genuinely new and odd.


    Shi An pressed his palm against it, moving curiously and slowly upwards, his fingertips landing on the other man¡¯s neck.


    He could feel the apparent protrusion of the throat bone beneath the thin skin and slowly moved his fingertips along the knot to the side of the throat, where he could feel the artery, the warm blood rushing through the vessel, with its throbbing pulse.


    The young man¡¯s fingertips rested gently against the vital spot.


    With a single stroke...


    The strongest man in the human race would be killed on the spot.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes drooped and those dark eyes beneath his long black eyelashes turned into crimson vertical pupils, like a blazing fire in the darkness, with inhuman evil and greed.


    As if sensing the impending danger, the man¡¯s sharp eyebrows furrowed slightly in his sleep, his eyeballs rolling under his eyelids as if struggling under a magic spell, trying to escape the grip of sleep.


    Shi An was a little surprised.


    As the founder, he knew very well the power of his magic spell. Even he could sleep for a hundred years under the effectiveness of this magic spell, whereas a mere human could actually perceive danger in his sleep and even try to fight against the magic spell was something he never expected.


    But it was not like he was going to do anything about it.


    Shi An gently let go of his hand and plopped back down on the man¡¯s body again.


    The young man¡¯s face was fair and his countenance well-behaved.


    He nuzzled against the other man¡¯s hot neck as if he were a clingy kitten, curling a lock of hair around his slender fingers and playing with it innocently and harmlessly. His clear, dark eyes raised slightly, gazing intently and cherishingly at the sleeping human in front of him with a sense of pure affection.


    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never hurt you, baby.


    --You are my most precious treasure.

 CH 48.1

    Unless¡­ Let the Dragon Appear on its Own (1)


    Since Shi An revealed his power, his life at school immediately became more manageable.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he slept in theory classes or did his homework poorly because the strength system didn¡¯t focus on theoretical studies but physical training.


    Those who wanted to get into trouble with Shi An were also silenced.


    After all, no one wanted to be pinned down and beaten by a slender boy after seeing him punch through a rock-armored beast in one go.


    There was no more movement from Shi Rui and Shi Zechun either.


    Since Mu Heng had taken him out of the main residence that day, Shi Zechun, who had been persistent in wanting him to move back into the main residence, had never contacted him again and Shi Rui had become more subdued.


    This was a good thing for Shi An.


    After all, these two humans were too much trouble, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about them because of his status.


    It was best if they didn¡¯t come to him and Shi An was happy to be left alone.


    Work on the translation side also progressed steadily.


    Since Mu Heng had left the Ability Academy to attend to the Bureau¡¯s affairs, Shi An felt less ashamed of the translation process.


    Although there were times when the graphics were too detailed¡­


    Translating the ancient human language was a massive project. Even Principal Pei, as an expert in this field, had a tough time translating it and only less than one chapter had been translated in two months...


    The chapter was utterly devoid of any information that Shi An wanted to see.


    He couldn¡¯t show his exceptional expertise in the ancient language, so he could only watch the slow progress of Principal Pei.


    Overall, Shi An had a pretty good time during the two months.


    Except for¡­


    The temperature gradually dropped as the months went by.


    Although the Ability Academy was located in the warm plains, it was slowly beginning to show signs of winter.


    The temperature dropped every day and Shi An was constantly dozing off.


    Today, he sat in the back row of the theory classroom, his shaggy head hanging low, his eyelashes blinking sluggishly, his eyelids getting heavier, and his body swaying, slowly falling a little.


    Before Shi An¡¯s eyes were about to close, Lin Yanming, sitting next to him, nudged him and said softly, ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    Shi An opened a crack in his eyes with difficulty and let out a sleepy grunt.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t want. So sleepy.¡±


    Looking at the young man who seemed never to wake up, Lin Yanming didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh.


    ¡°Say, why do you always sleep in the theory class? Theory class also has an exam at the end of the semester and the percentage of credits is also very high. What are you going to do if you can¡¯t graduate?¡±


    Shi An lazily slumped on the table, his soft white cheeks deformed by the pressure.


    ¡°Not doing anything¡­¡±


    The school year at the Ability Academy was a six-year system.


    By the time graduation came around, he would probably have regained his strength, robbed the humans of their treasures, and brought Mu Heng back to the cave to go back to sleep.


    Who cares about graduation?


    Lin Yanming: ¡°¡­¡±


    As expected of you.


    While this was happening, a knock sounded out on the classroom door.


    The teacher on the podium raised his head and his eyes fell precisely on Shi An in the last row.


    ¡°Shi An, follow me outside for a while.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    No way. Was he so unlucky that he was directly caught dozing off in class?


    But it wasn¡¯t the first time, so Shi An was familiar with the process.


    Outside the classroom, the corners of the teacher¡¯s mouth twitched as he watched the sincere and tactful young man apologizing and solemnly promising not to do it again ¨C I don¡¯t believe a damn word you¡¯re saying.


    This was the epitome of: ¡°I was wrong, but I¡¯ll do it again.¡±


    The teacher was too lazy to care by now and even when he saw Shi An slacking and dozing off, he turned a blind eye to it all and let him go.


    However, that was not why he wanted to see Shi An.


    The teacher scanned the communicator and then looked at the teenager before him, asking somewhat incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re in the strength system?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and nodded.


    ¡°Go to this location,¡± the teacher said as he sent a message to Shi An.


    Shi An said, ¡°This is¡­ ¡±


    The teacher replied, ¡°You will know after you go there.¡±


    He hurriedly turned around and returned to the classroom after saying that, continuing with the theory lesson he had just gotten halfway through.


    Shi An was a little at a loss.


    He looked down at the half-comprehensible human text on the screen and secretly called out for the demon insect.


    The insect poked its head out to look and briefly told Shi An the location.


    It was not far away - about five minutes away.


    Not far, but¡­


    Shi An turned his head to look out the window at the bleak and chilly scene and sighed ¨C Ah, I do not want to move at this temperature.


    Twenty-five minutes later.


    Shi An finally arrived in slow motion.


    There was a huge stadium and many people were already waiting there. They were all tall and sturdy, wearing only single clothes even in this weather. Standing in the middle of them, the slender and short Shi An looked like a thin sapling in the middle of a huge rock, looking extraordinarily weak, pitiful, and helpless.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    His neck was a little sore from tilting his head.


    Damn it, you guys. Wait for me to regain my original form!


    ¡°Student, did you walk to the wrong place?¡± A nearly two meters tall third-year student lowered his head and spoke to Shi An in a friendly manner.


    Shi An looked down at the location on the screen and frowned in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t think so...?¡±


    He had followed the directions exactly ¨C he had stopped for a few hot drinks and snacks and sat on a rock for a while, but he hadn''t deviated from the route!


    At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind him, ¡°Eh? Shi An?¡±


    Shi An turned his head and looked in the direction of where the voice came from.


    Only to see Zhao She standing not far away, looking at him in surprise.


    ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡± The third-year student raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.


    Zhao She nodded and enthusiastically patted Shi An¡¯s back with his palm, almost causing him to stagger. ¡°This is my first-year friend, Shi An. Don¡¯t look at him like this. He¡¯s very strong!¡±


    After returning from the Aiwen district, Shi An reunited a few times with Wang Li and the others.


    Although the number of times was not that many due to the busy schedule of their studies, Shi An ate very well each time they met up.

 CH 48.2

    Unless¡­ Let the Dragon Appear on its Own (2)


    Shi An steadied himself with difficulty.


    He looked around the circle and spoke with slight confusion. ¡°Speaking of which, what are you guys doing?¡±


    Zhao She raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Shi An replied honestly, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Every academy in the continent will conduct an academic exchange yearly. The exchange path will be different each time and the place it is held changes. It¡¯s coincidentally the strength system¡¯s turn this year.¡± Zhao She sighed. ¡°Although it is by turn, the importance level isn¡¯t the same as usual. After all, the strength system relies mainly on physical stamina and defense, which is not very exciting to watch and not as important as the other abilities in tactics. So you see, there¡¯s not much publicity for this year¡­¡±


    Shi An suddenly had a bad feeling about this.


    He slowly looked down at the still-lit screen in his hand. Although his progress in learning the human language was still sluggish, he had learned quite a bit then. Shi An struggled to distinguish a few words in a pile of text.


    ¡°Participate¡­ strength system¡­ chosen¡­ competition¡­¡±


    Hold on? Wait a minute? It wasn¡¯t what he thought it was!


    Shi An was dumbfounded at the spot as if there was a bolt from out of the blue that was punishing him.


    Was this what he got for disguising himself as someone with strength ability this whole time?


    He had nothing to do with the strength system at all!


    After turning into a human, his body was slender and weak and his physical strength was still poor. The reason he could break the shell of the rock-armored beast with one punch last time was not because of how strong his physical strength was but because he had mobilized his magic power and covered his fist with an impenetrable layer of dragon scales.


    Zhao She suddenly thought of something and added, ¡°Oh, right. Speaking of it, it¡¯s very coincidental. The conductor this time will be the academy from Aiwen District.¡±


    Aiwen District.


    Aiwen District.


    These two words awakened memories that Shi An could not stand to look back on.


    It had been bitterly cold and difficult to survive there two months ago, so now¡­


    Shi An shuddered.


    I won¡¯t go! Absolutely not going!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You seem to be afraid of the cold¡­¡± Zhao She scratched his head.


    The same tall student who had just started a conversation came over and said, ¡°Afraid of cold? Hey, you might need something like the fire gem. If you have one, you don¡¯t need to be afraid of the cold, even if you have a weak constitution. Speaking of which, several fire gems had appeared at the auctions over in the Aiwen District. Unfortunately, they¡¯re extremely expensive, and we shouldn¡¯t be able to get our hands on them at our level¡­¡±


    ¡­ Several?


    Shi An was a little doubtful.


    The mineral resources of fire gems had pretty much been extinct in the time of his existence, and he only had so many of them even in his collection, so how did humans ¨C


    Shi An¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    Hold on?


    ***


    Inside the Aiwen District.


    Mu Heng was clad in black, his eyes icy.


    He sat in his office, looking down at the papers on his desk.


    During this period, Mu Heng had been tracking down the movements of the mercenaries and his men had destroyed several of their dens. Although the other group¡¯s leader was cunning and had not yet been traced, they had caught many of the mercenary group¡¯s high-ranking members. They had been able to piece together bits and pieces of information to get a good idea of what exactly was happening.


    He had also noticed the fire gems that had recently appeared in auctions.


    This kind of gemstone was so rare that it hadn¡¯t appeared on the market for at least a hundred years and now it was circulating so intensively and in such large quantities at this critical moment, which was rare.


    Mu Heng sent someone to buy a piece and send it to Zhuo Fu for research.


    In the report given by the other side, there were remnants of poisonous Abyssal mist in the subtle patterns on the surface of the fire gem, which should all have come from the Abyss.


    Linked to the Dragon¡¯s Lair in the Aiwen Canyon and the old human traces in the lair¡­


    The answer was almost revealed.


    The dragon¡¯s treasure had come along with the cave from the Abyss to the continent. The dragon had emerged from that gap in the Abyss within the school this time, probably after its treasure.


    The dragon¡¯s existence had already leaked out and many high-rank officials had already learned of it.


    Those humans who had once hijacked the dragon¡¯s treasure and were now afraid of retribution from the dragon were naturally eager to encash what was in their hands and destroy the evidence in case they were found out.


    A fervent, dark light swept across the bottom of Mu Heng¡¯s eyes.


    The dragon must have had a reason for not showing itself for so long.


    Now that the continent was covered with human traces, hiding in some wilderness was not easy, and the dragon¡¯s absence had instead verified his other suspicion.


    Dragons could take on human form.


    In fact, most fantasy species were recorded in the relevant books as having this ability, only that they preferred to remain in their original forms out of pride.


    To find the dragon¡¯s human form on the continent would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    Unless¡­


    Let the dragon appear on its own.


    ¡°Chief, the news has already been spread.¡± Wen Yao knocked gently on the door and reported briefly.


    Mu Heng nodded his head.


    Wen Yao¡¯s expression was a little hesitant. ¡°But¡­will the dragon come out?¡±


    Mu Heng said indifferently, ¡°It will.¡±


    ¡ª Dragon¡¯s obsession with treasure was almost written deep into the soul of this species. Since it had left the abyss to come to the continent in search of its lost treasure, it would not be able to ignore the news with such a clear direction. It would not be able to control its urges to come here, even if it knew it was a trap.


    Treasures for dragons were like dragon hunting for him.


    It was an irresistible instinct.


    Wen Yao turned to walk out the door but halfway through her walk, she seemed to think of something suddenly, turned her head to look over, and cautiously asked, ¡°Speaking of which, was the gift sent by the Aiwen District¡¯s leader for you a fire gem?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s vision faltered for a moment.


    A familiar figure appeared in his mind. Things had been so busy for some time, coupled with his deliberate dismissal, that Shi An¡¯s form had almost stopped appearing in front of his eyes. He had finally returned to his normal state, calm, efficient, and untouched by any emotion.


    And now, the feeling of being disturbed reappeared without warning.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    However, the expression on Mu Heng¡¯s face remained stoic and restrained and it didn¡¯t seem to fluctuate for even a little bit.


    However, the man¡¯s long, slender knuckles curled up slightly and tapped on the tabletop.


    This was a subconscious tic of his whenever he got annoyed.


    ¡°Then¡­ if that fire gem is also a dragon¡¯s treasure as we guessed, will Shi An¡­¡± Wen Yao asked hesitantly.


    Mu Heng¡¯s movements stopped.


    A dead silence fell in the office.


    He raised his eyes, the color of his eyes obscure, and although his voice was still smooth and calm, it took on a bit of unnoticeable impatience.


    ¡°Call the Ability Academy.¡±

 CH 49.1

    Give Me Back My Treasure, AHHH! (1)


    On the plane.


    A faint buzz echoed in the big metal space and the air currents skimming the aircraft¡¯s surface brought a not-so-subtle vibration.


    The cabin was filled with big, strong students from the strength system. Although there were not many of them, the inside of the plane looked full and crowded.


    The slender boy sitting by the window looked out of place among his peers.


    In fact, Shi An was not too short for his age, but his body frame and his face were small, his eyes were round, his skin was white, and he was thin and slender, so he looked frail and pathetic when he was squeezed into this group of sturdy students who were on average 1.9 meters.


    Zhao She turned his head to look at Shi An, sitting beside him, and lowered his voice, saying with some incredulity, ¡°Why are you in the strength system?¡±


    Zhao She didn¡¯t think anything of it when he saw Shi An in the field earlier, thinking he was simply passing by.


    Until¡­


    He saw Shi An walking toward the registration desk, choosing the first flight leaving that night.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and looked over. ¡°You don¡¯t think I look like I belong here?¡±


    Zhao She: ¡°¡­¡±


    Do you think you look like you belong here?


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡± Shi An scowled and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Do you want to arm wrestle me right now?¡±


    Zhao She¡¯s eyes fell on the young man¡¯s white and slender wrist as if it would break at the slightest strength, and then he looked at his own robust and muscular arm, the corners of his mouth twitching.


    ¡°N-No need.¡±


    Shi An snorted, turning his head to look out the porthole.


    He was now seething with anger.


    It was one thing to know that his treasure had been stolen and another to hear that it had been contaminated with his own two ears.


    He had worked so hard, carefully selected, and finally saved up a cave of treasures, but those thieves had removed everything while he was sleeping. As a dragon, Shi An couldn¡¯t accept this.


    He didn¡¯t know about this before, but now he had a chance to catch those filthy vermin who had gotten their hands on his treasure and make those nasty ants pay!


    Zhao She spoke cautiously. ¡°However, I never thought that you would come to participate in this academic exchange¡­¡±


    After all, the destination this time was the Aiwen District. As companions who had traveled together, Zhao She was too aware of how much the cold made Shi An feel lazy and afraid. But as a result, he never expected Shi An to not only attend but also to sign up for a flight that was leaving that night. All of this was very unlike him.


    Shi An unblinkingly said, ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to win an honor for the school.¡±


    He would be willing to do anything, even on a mountain of daggers and a sea of fire, for the sake of his lost treasure, not to mention a world of snow and ice.


    Zhao She: ¡°¡­¡±


    Damn it. I don¡¯t believe it.


    Through the thick snowy white clouds, the plane descended slowly and the frozen landscape of the Aiwen District appeared outside the portholes.


    The light blue sky and the snow-covered snowfields, with dark mountain ridges rising and falling, wound through a blanket of white. The extremely low temperature could be felt just by looking at them.


    ¡°¡­¡± Shi An subconsciously shriveled in his seat.


    In fact, if it was a mountain of daggers and a sea of fire, it might have been a little friendlier to him¡­


    At this time, Shi An couldn¡¯t help but start to miss Mu Heng.


    The warm, burning temperature of the human body was simply the perfect heater in this freezing place.


    As soon as he left the airport, Shi An saw a familiar figure.


    The man was tall with an upright figure, his long silver hair tied high, his icy blue eyes hidden beneath his eyelashes, and a powerful, imposing aura surrounding him that made the already low-temperature drop slightly more.


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    What? Do I have the ability to make my wishes come true?


    He closed his eyes and made a reverent wish.


    ¨CMy lost treasure, appear!


    But when Shi An opened his eyes, he was somewhat disappointed that the space in front of him remained unchanged from five seconds ago.


    Damn it!


    After realizing that Shi An might become the dragon¡¯s target, Mu Heng immediately contacted the Ability Academy, but after the call was answered, he received an unexpected reply.


    ¨C Shi An had already left the academy and was on a flight to Aiwen District.


    The plane had already taken off and it was impossible to reach Shi An. Thus, Mu Heng sent someone to contact the airport and get information about the plane¡¯s arrival time.


    Mu Heng looked at the young man, who was not too far away, narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Why are you staring blankly there? Come here.¡±


    Only then did Shi An return to his senses and walk over quickly.


    He looked at Mu Heng, followed by Wen Yao, and frowned with some confusion on his face. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±


    Wen Yao opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Mu Heng.


    The man¡¯s voice was indifferent and calm.


    ¡°I have bought a return plane ticket for you. After returning, someone will fetch you at the airport and send you to the academy next.¡±


    Although the incidence of the Abyssal Rift had occurred within the academy last time, Mu Heng still knew the external defense system of the academy very well. As long as Shi An was within the Ability Academy, his safety should be guaranteed.


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    He froze and took a couple of seconds to respond, ¡°Ah? Do you want me to return?¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shi An refused firmly. ¡°No way! I want to win an honor for the school!¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±

 CH 49.2

    Give Me Back My Treasure, AHHH! (2)


    Wen Yao then had a chance to interject, briefly explaining the dangerous situation that Shi An might be facing now, and then said, ¡°The dragon can appear at any time. The chief is also worried about your safety.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Actually, the dragon had already appeared.


    He pondered for a long time and said distressingly, ¡°Then, I will return the gem to you guys.¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes to watch the young man before him, his attitude unconsciously softening.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the point.¡±


    They would have to lay in wait in the Aiwen District next and if the dragon did come, there would inevitably be a big battle here.


    If Shi An were an ordinary person, it would be fine, but with the previous two experiences, Shi An himself was the one who would attract the dragon. If he was allowed to stay in the Aiwen District, there was a good chance his life would be in danger.


    Wen Yao boldly said, ¡°But, I think leaving Shi An behind will be better¡­¡±


    Mu Heng glanced at her coldly, interrupting Wen Yao before she could say anything further,


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shi An interjected in a small voice, ¡°I also think it will be better for me to stay. Besides, aren¡¯t you very strong?¡± Shi An naturally concluded, ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you protect me?¡±


    Wen Yao interjected at the right time, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Chief, as far as Shi An is concerned, there¡¯s no safer place in this world except beside you.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s gaze met Shi An¡¯s expectant eyes.


    The young man tilted his head, his clear, dark eyes reflecting Mu Heng¡¯s face with pure trust and dependence. His voice was on the soft side, the end of his voice slightly drawn out as if he was acting spoiled. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He said, after a long silence, ¡°Stay in the Aiwen Academy during this time and keep your cell phone on. We have to be able to contact you at any time.¡±


    Shi An squinted his eyes and smiled. ¡°Okay!¡±


    He cheerfully waved at the two humans before him before turning around and walking toward the line of the Ability Academy in the distance.


    As soon as he turned around, the friendly, harmless smile on the young man¡¯s face disappeared.


    Like the remnants of snow under the sun, it melted away without a trace in an instant.


    Shi An lowered his eyes, revealing a thoughtful expression, with a scarlet shadow flickering under his eyes.


    Although the conversation just now did not reveal all that much, Shi An got two very important pieces of information.


    The first was that the treasure was real.


    Although the Bureau had released the news, it was clear that there was no doubt about the authenticity. They likely had already gotten hold of the location and where his treasure had gone.


    Secondly, the Bureau knew more about him than he thought and had even used it to lay a trap, waiting for him to arrive.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and breathed into his hand.


    As expected, the Dragon Slayer¡¯s bloodline was not to be underestimated.


    It was better to be more cautious next.


    In the distance, Wen Yao stood and watched as Shi An¡¯s figure faded.


    It was the second time Mu Heng had dismissed her proposal just now.


    ¨C not even letting her finish her sentence.


    If Shi An could attract the dragon, then, apart from those treasures, Shi An might be a more suitable bait, and if they had Shi An¡¯s help, their plan to trap the dragon might have a higher success rate.


    Wen Yao knew that she wouldn¡¯t be putting Shi An¡¯s life at risk since she believed their plan would be foolproof.


    However, Mu Heng refused.


    If it was just a guess earlier, she had fully confirmed that Chief Mu¡¯s attitude toward Shi An was not ordinary.


    ***


    The opening ceremony of the academic exchange was held at Aiwen Academy.


    As the shortest person there, Shi An stood at the front of the entire queue. Almost all the eyes in the room fell on him as if they hadn¡¯t expected there would be such a strength ability attending.


    It was as if Shi An didn¡¯t feel the eyes on all sides of him and was dropping his head, dozing in the cold temperature.


    At that moment, he felt Zhao She beside him gently touch him with his elbow. ¡°Hey, wake up. The principal is talking.¡±


    Shi An yawned and raised his head, looking toward the podium, which was not far away.


    The principal of Aiwen Academy was a short, middle-aged, bald man dressed in a thick brocade coat with ornate embroidery. His five short, thick fingers were covered in rings, looking very ostentatious.


    Shi An blinked subconsciously as the harsh reflections of the light struck him.


    Suddenly, he was slightly struck by the sight of a huge silver-white gemstone on the thumb of his right hand, the color of which was extremely transparent. At first glance, it looked extremely precious and invaluable, set in a gold ring, finely woven with an extremely exotic and rare craft, elegant and mysterious in shape.


    Shi An knew very well the craft¡¯s origin.


    It was made by elves.


    It had been forged by the elf artisans and had been blessed by the priests with a powerful blessing, so precious that there was no other one in the whole world. It was one of the Elf King¡¯s treasured possessions, who later gave it to Shi An as a gift of friendship.


    This elf ring was one of his favorite treasures and was placed at the tip of his tail for a long time.


    That. Was. His.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were red with anger, the depths of his dark eyes churning with fiery flames. His round pupils narrowed like a thin slit and intense anger burned under his eyes.


    To hell with being cautious.


    Give me back my treasure. AHHH!

 CH 50.1

    Are Other People¡¯s Things Nice To Look At? (1)


    ¡°¡­ Shi An? Shi An?¡±


    Zhao She¡¯s concerned voice sounded in his ear, ¡°What happened? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?¡±


    No, at least not right now.


    Shi An slowly took a deep breath.


    He lowered his eyes and shook his head slowly, his soft hair swaying slightly with his movements, his long dark eyelashes hiding the fierce scarlet pupils, his voice low and calm. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhao She glanced at Shi An with some hesitation.


    The young man¡¯s head was half-lowered, half of his face hidden in the shadows, revealing only a thin white chin and tightly pursed lips.


    He looked well-behaved and harmless at this time.


    ¡­ Was he mistaken?


    Zhao She withdrew his gaze and looked up toward the podium again.


    The principal of Aiwen Academy had just finished his last sentence. With a smile on his fat face, he raised his short, ringed hand and waved it slowly and haughtily toward the bottom of the stage to punctuate the end of his speech.


    The audience applauded continuously.


    Shi An lifted his hand and slowly clapped along with the rest of them.


    Out of sight, a few tiny black dust-like insects fell from Shi An¡¯s sleeve and crawled toward the headmaster of Aiwen Academy at a speed invisible to the naked eye, quickly disappearing under his thick brocade robe.


    Five schools participated in the event and although the Department of Strength was not given much attention, it was still an academic exchange event. Aiwen Academy, as the host, had to do an excellent job on the surface.


    After the principal¡¯s speech, the person in charge took the students from the other four schools to their respective rooms.


    The exchange would officially begin in three days.


    Until then, the students from the other four academies could walk around the campus and familiarize themselves with the environment.


    The Ability Academy¡¯s students stayed on the east side of the lounge.


    It was a spacious tower, not too high, with rough shapes and thick walls, very characteristic of the Aiwen campus.


    Magic flames blazed in the fireplace and the building was warm, unlike the freezing temperatures outside.


    Zhao She took off his coat and stretched his muscles.


    Although it was admittedly cold here, it was still much more comfortable than the canyon area they had visited earlier, which humans could still endure at least.


    At that moment, the same student, who was 1.9 meters tall and had talked to Shi An in the plaza earlier, walked over.


    His name was Wei Bocheng and he was a third-year strength system student.


    He greeted Zhao She and also took a seat by the fireplace. ¡°Speaking of which, that junior in the plaza earlier, is he your friend?¡±


    Zhao She said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wei Bocheng shook his head with a bit of awe in his eyes. ¡°He is actually in the strength system. I didn¡¯t think so when I first saw him.¡±


    Zhao She: ¡°¡­¡±


    Not to mention, I didn¡¯t expect you here either.


    Wei Bocheng lamented, ¡°But you even said his strength is powerful, so he must not be an average person. You indeed can¡¯t judge a person by their appearance now. I was too preoccupied with my first impression¡­¡±


    Zhao She: ¡°¡­¡±


    Very strong indeed.


    But what Zhao She had said earlier was a fire wielder.


    Zhao She opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but finally fell into silence with a subtle expression on his face.


    ¡­ He didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Wei Bocheng looked at Zhao She and smiled brightly. ¡°Haha. Speaking of which, when will you help me to apologize to your friend? I¡¯m usually not someone who judges people by their appearance, but he truly looked¡­¡±


    He suddenly got stuck and seemed slightly unsure how to end the sentence without offending anyone.


    Shi An¡¯s slender and soft appearance appeared in Zhao She¡¯s mind right then.


    He sighed and patted Wei Bocheng¡¯s shoulder very empathetically. ¡°No problem, brother. I understood.¡±


    After all, he also hadn¡¯t expected it at first.


    Even after seeing the other party use flames to burn the sky full of gray crows, a subconscious question still surged in Zhao She¡¯s heart whenever he saw Shi An.


    Just him?


    Impossible, right?


    ¨C Then, in the training ground of Wang Li¡¯s house, he was directly affected by the other party¡¯s surging magical powers and vomited blood, ending up in the hospital with dirt clinging to him, which went on to convince him even more.


    Even though the other party was now participating in this academic exchange as a strength ability, Zhao She quickly accepted the fact after a brief moment of surprise.


    For some reason, after all this time, Zhao She had a strange feeling that no matter how unbelievable it was as long as it was Shi An, it seemed¡­


    Nothing was impossible, right?


    Wei Bocheng then thought of something and as he looked around the room, he asked in confusion, ¡°Eh? Speaking of which, where is your friend?¡±


    Zhao She was stunned and also straightened up slightly, looking around the tower.


    Shi An, who had been in the group earlier, had disappeared at some point.


    He scratched his head. ¡°Maybe he went to rest?¡±


    ¡°So early?¡± Wei Bocheng showed a surprised expression.


    Zhao She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    From what he knew about Shi An, the other party was probably already in bed by now.


    Shi An, who should have been lying under a warm blanket, was currently trudging through the snow, one foot deep and one foot shallow.


    His earmuffs, gloves, and scarf were all in a full pink bunny pattern ¨C a complete set Chen Meng had provided him after his return from the Aiwen District.


    Shi An didn¡¯t think he would use them again so soon.


    He used the pink gloves to hold the earmuffs of the same color in place and sniffled.


    Damn, it was cold.

 CH 50.2

    Are Other People¡¯s Things Nice To Look At? (2)


    Shi An had wrapped himself up tightly and stuffed the fire gem Mu Heng had given him into the pocket of his inner clothes, but he still couldn¡¯t fully resolve the chilly weather of the Aiwen District.


    It was unforgivable that he had been forced to come to this hellhole and go out in this harsh weather!


    Shi An¡¯s anger at the thieves increased a few degrees.


    He lifted his eyes, the crimson tide in his dark eyes that had never gone away ever since discovering that one of his treasures was in the Aiwen Academy principal¡¯s hands.


    The young man¡¯s voice was clear and soft. ¡°Hey, is this direction correct?¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°My Lord, don¡¯t worry. My puppets are already there. It¡¯s absolutely correct!¡±


    ***


    The principal of Aiwen Academy was called Lu Yuanyi.


    There were five academies on the continent and each academy¡¯s principal had their speciality in studies: Principal Pei of the Ability Academy specialized in ancient languages while the principal of Aiwen Academy specialized in magical defense.


    His residence was in the center of the academy, a very elaborate and ornate tower.


    The interior of the tower was luxurious and extravagant.


    Thick carpets covered the floor, fireplaces were ablazed, and the walls were intricately and elaborately decorated. Every piece of furniture was crafted to satisfy one¡¯s desire for the most extravagant and glamorous pleasures.


    Lu Yuanyi sat on a recliner and stretched his short, thick fingers to stroke his half-bald head.


    Looking into the light, he admired the rings he wore on his five fingers, his eyes slowly tracing them one by one before finally settling on the white gemstone ring he wore on his thumb.


    The clear stone shone brightly in the light and was simply mesmerizing.


    Lu Yuanyi smiled faintly with pleasure and satisfaction as he looked at the collection that belonged to him.


    The gold thread-encrusted rocking chair swung back and forth, creaking under his heavy body.


    ¡°Is it nice-looking?¡± An unfamiliar young man¡¯s voice rang through the room without warning.


    The tone was clear, with a soft ending that rose slightly, sounding cheerful and gentle. But for some reason, it made people feel inexplicably creeped out.


    Lu Yuanyi¡¯s scalp tingled and he broke into a cold sweat as he jerked up from his recliner and summoned his magical defensive shield out of habit.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡±


    Beads of sweat seeped from Lu Yuanyi¡¯s half-bald head, reflecting greasily in the light.


    How could it be?


    Although he wasn¡¯t exactly proficient in other areas of expertise, he wasn¡¯t so bad as to let his enemy sneak into his room unnoticed.


    There was still not a single figure in front of him, but his instincts were alerting frantically, signaling the approach of danger.


    But it did not matter.


    Lu Yuanyi took a deep breath and calmed himself down.


    In the field of magical defense, if he called himself second, no one would dare to call themselves first. This time, his opponent was still too naive and careless to give him time to release his magical shield. Since that was the case, there was no possibility of the opposite side hurting him anymore.


    At that moment ¨C


    The young man¡¯s soft voice rang out behind him. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t want to tell me?¡±


    W-What?


    Lu Yuanyi¡¯s eyes snapped wide, subconsciously turning to look behind him.


    Before he could catch a glimpse of the actual shadow, a bright silvery-white flash of light swept past his eyes, the light so dazzling and brilliant that it made his eyes hurt instantly.


    The next second, there was a sound of scraping a sharp nail against a metal surface.


    Clack ¨C clack ¨C


    The bits of shattering sound gradually became clear, intense and symbolic of ominousness like a hastening of footsteps trampling on Lu Yuanyi¡¯s heart.


    B-Bad!


    Lu Yuanyi was horrified and hurriedly used his magic power in an attempt to strengthen the defense in front of his body ¨C


    It was already too late.


    ¡°Clack!¡±


    A crunching sound resounded in the room.


    A lone hand suddenly clenched, forcibly crushing Lu Yuanyi¡¯s magic shield!


    The bones were slender, the skin was white, and the nails were neatly trimmed and rounded, with a soft pink tint.


    Such a beautiful hand, encased in a thunderous force, passed straight through the shattered magic shield and strangled the middle-aged man¡¯s thick, fat neck.


    Under the light, the back of the white hand shone with metallic silver as if covered with a layer of delicate but tough scales.


    The fingers tightened slightly and slowly lifted upward.


    Lu Yuanyi¡¯s toes gradually left the ground, fluttering in mid-air with difficulty. His eyes were bloodshot, his mouth wide open from lack of oxygen, gasping for breath. He used his short, thick fingers to get rid of the hand around his throat.


    But the hand seemed to clasp around his throat as if it were made of iron.


    W-Who is it?


    How could there be a human in this world that destroyed his defense magic with only his bare hands¡­?


    Lu Yuanyi lowered his head with difficulty, opened his eyes, which had begun seeing black, and looked at the man who had lifted him ¨C


    The other man¡¯s form was shrouded in black smoke and could not be seen except for a pair of crimson vertical pupils that looked steadily over in the darkness, like flames blazing in the depths of the abyss, flickering with a ghastly light that chilled him to the bone.


    The look under those eyes was cold and fierce as if it was a predator scrutinizing its prey.


    ¡°Ignoring people¡¯s questions is not a good habit.¡±


    The young man¡¯s gentle, innocent voice rang in his ears. ¡°So, I will ask one last time.¡±


    The fingertips slowly applied force and the throat bones made an overwhelming creaking sound as if they would be crushed hard in the next moment.


    ¡°Are other people¡¯s things nice to look at?¡±

 CH 51.1

    We, Dragons, Are All About Losing a Point and Demanding Ten More (1)


    Lu Yuanyi could not answer.


    He felt the fingers around his throat tighten and although his mouth was wide open, the air was being pushed out of his lungs. His thick clothes were already drenched in cold sweat under the fear of suffocation.


    Finally, just before Lu Yuanyi was about to faint, his opponent mercifully let go of his hand.


    The fat middle-aged man fell heavily to the ground with a muffled thud.


    He held his burning throat and coughed violently, breathing heavily and frantically.


    In his blackened vision, Lu Yuanyi saw a figure slowly walking toward him.


    The horrific pressure he had felt earlier was like a vast mountain weighing down on him. The feeling that his life hung in the balance was a death grip on his throat as if the hand had yet to be removed from his neck, making him gasp for breath.


    Lu Yuanyi crawled backward in desperation but felt his palm being gently stepped on by the hard surface of the shoe.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m asking you.¡± The young man¡¯s clear voice came from overhead.


    The next second, he applied force to his foot, crushing down hard and without mercy.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Lu Yuanyi used his other hand to grasp the soles of his opponent¡¯s feet, his face scrunching up, and he threatened, ¡°Y-You don¡¯t know who I am. If you offend me, the force behind me will make you suffer! If you stop now, I-I maybe can let bygones be bygones and let you die nicely¡­¡±


    The shoe on his hand gave a slight pause, but before Lu Yuanyi could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the other party¡¯s slightly puzzled voice again, with a somewhat high tone, as if he was baffled. ¡°¡­ Let bygones be bygones?¡±


    Suddenly, a burning pain rose from his body without warning.


    There was not a single flame on his body, but his soul felt as if it was being roasted by karmic fire and the indescribable pain was almost more than every human being could endure.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Lu Yuanyi¡¯s eyes were wide with anguish as a harsh scream escaped from his throat.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    His body was always internally protected, so how could his magical defenses be destroyed so easily?


    ¡°Let bygones be bygones?¡± the other person repeated in a calm tone.


    Although not much emotion was in his voice, Lu Yuanyi stiffened as he heard a hint of eerie coldness.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The unmistakable sound of cracking bones rang out as the man¡¯s short, thick palm, covered in rings, contorted and deformed in excruciating pain.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    This time, Lu Yuanyi didn¡¯t even make a sound, panting with his mouth wide open, his body curled up into a shrimp.


    The young man¡¯s voice took on a hint of fury.


    ¡°You guys, a bunch of shameless thieves, would unexpectedly dare to tell me to let bygones be bygones?¡±


    At that moment, the crimson vertical pupils he had just glimpsed flashed through Lu Yuanyi¡¯s mind.


    No, it was not human.


    It couldn¡¯t be human.


    Lu Yuanyi¡¯s teeth were chattering and his body couldn¡¯t stop shivering. Large globs of sweat seeped from his greasy forehead and trickled down his trembling cheeks, dripping onto the carpet.


    Dizzy with pain in his head, Lu Yuanyi saw the bright white jewel on his thumb. It shone brightly in the light but glittered at the edge of his vision.


    In that instant, as if he suddenly realized something, his eyes slowly widened, and an expression of utter horror appeared on his face.


    A sinking, cold truth was laid out before him.


    I-It was a dragon.


    Dragons that had vanished on the continent for ten thousand years. They were considered the top fighters even among fantasy species.


    The vicious desire for revenge that had just risen was replaced by boundless fear.


    He immediately understood why he had been approached.


    Lu Yuanyi reached out, shivering, and ripped all the rings from his crushed and deformed hand with a fierce force, and he couldn¡¯t care less about the pain as he held them in one hand and offered. ¡°M-My lord, I-I-I-I-I didn¡¯t know these belonged to you¡­¡±


    Lu Yuanyi lied.


    He certainly knew where the treasure came from.


    But there were no more dragons in this world and the endless greed brought on by the unowned treasure overtook him, so he offered his help and got a share of it ¨C a small share of the whole treasure, but enough for him to take a risk out of desperation and do something outside the rules.


    Shi An did not take them.


    He crouched down, locked eyes with the wretched middle-aged man before him, and asked, ¡°What else?¡±


    Lu Yuanyi hurriedly said, ¡°I-I¡¯ll take you there!¡±


    Shi An watched the middle-aged man before him with a fixed glance and slowly withdrew his feet. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    He followed Lu Yuanyi to the tower¡¯s underground warehouse.


    The other man stretched out his hand, shivering and wiping the sweat mixed with blood and mud from his forehead, before extending his hand and channeling his magic into the treasury.


    Lu Yuanyi stumbled in and opened the first inner chamber, the door to the treasure vault slowly opening to reveal a room full of brilliant gold light.


    ¡°My lord, everything is here¡­¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°Not enough.¡±


    Lu Yuanyi froze. ¡°But, my lord, these are all I¡¯ve gotten from your belongings¡­¡±


    Shi An turned his head towards the other party, his red-gold vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and he hooked his lips to reveal an innocent and harmless smile, sounding gentle and soft.


    ¡°I said it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡ªWe, dragons, are all about losing a point and demanding ten more.


    ***

 CH 51.2

    We, Dragons, Are All About Losing a Point and Demanding Ten More (2)


    Inside the secret conference room of the Aiwen Regional Administration.


    Mu Heng sat at the seat of honor, gazing at a group of influential and high-ranking officials from the Aiwen District nearby.


    Although they were all calm and collected, there was still a hint of fear that could not be concealed in their eyes.


    They had all heard some rumors and were clear about why Mu Heng had called them here this time.


    However, only a small number showed a willingness to cooperate with the plan after Wen Yao¡¯s speech. At the same time, most members continued to play dumb, obviously not ready to hand over their possessions so easily. They still had a bit of hope in their hearts, either because they thought the dragon would not come after them or because they were extraordinarily confident in their defense and thought they would not suffer a loss.


    How foolish. How greedy.


    A hint of impatience swept across the bottom of Mu Heng¡¯s eyes.


    At this moment, Wen Yao received a short message. She was slightly stunned and came over, lowering her voice and saying something at Mu Heng¡¯s side.


    Mu Heng was also slightly startled.


    He lowered his eyelashes, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Release this news.¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She coughed lightly, raised her voice, and said, ¡°We have just received news that Lu Yuanyi, the Principal of Aiwen Academy, has just been attacked inside the academy and has now been taken to the hospital for treatment.


    ¡°He is badly injured, with crushed fractures all over his body that appear to have been broken with a forceful crush. Besides, the overexertion of magical power makes the healing process long and painful. Even under the best medical care available, it will take him years to recover. To make matters worse, Principal Lu has been screaming at the hospital that he has been burned. Still, the doctors have not found any traces of burns on his body, most likely magical trauma at the soul level. This trauma may not heal completely and the after-effects will perhaps be with him for life.¡±


    Wen Yao reported in a calm and steady voice unhurriedly.


    The entire secret meeting hall fell silent and everyone¡¯s faces showed stunned expressions as they stared at each other in disbelief, unable to believe their ears for a moment.


    They knew, of course, about Lu Yuanyi.


    He was probably one of the most respected experts in the entire continent in the field of defense and as long as he unleashed his magical defense, he could be considered almost invincible. Of all the people here, no one dared to say they could be sure of their ability to break through Lu Yuanyi¡¯s defense¡­


    A person unlikely to be injured was attacked to the point of serious injury in what they thought was a very safe academy.


    How¡­ How was this possible?


    Wen Yao spoke up at the right time. ¡°Our personnel have been sent to the hospital while another was sent to the academy. Although we have yet to learn any relevant information from anyone, Principal Lu¡¯s underground warehouse seems to be in an open state. All the property inside has likely been looted and disappeared.¡±


    This statement had an almost decisive effect.


    Many who had been reluctant to cooperate since a while ago gradually showed a wavering expression on their faces.


    They hesitated as if they were contemplating the pros and cons.


    Right when Wen Yao was about to ride the wave of victory and continue to speak further, Mu Heng, who was at the side, stood up and calmly interrupted her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you all think about it and give me an answer in three days?¡±


    ¡°I have other related things to attend to next, so I will not be able to accompany everyone.¡± After saying that, Mu Heng gave a slight nod to the crowd before him, then walked out without a second thought.


    Wen Yao froze for a couple of seconds but still reacted very quickly.


    She stood up and finished professionally and cordially, escorting these influential and high-ranking officials of the Aiwen District out of the secret meeting hall one by one.


    Mu Heng walked down the corridor outside the conference hall toward the door outside, the stiff soles of his shoes tapping on the floor with a smooth and hasty sound.


    As he walked, he took out his cell phone.


    The interface popped up, and Shi An¡¯s contact information appeared on top of the screen.


    However, before Mu Heng could dial the number, a familiar voice came from behind him. ¡°Chief Mu¡­ here you are.¡±


    Mu Heng paused his movement and turned his head to look.


    Only to see the Local Governor of the Aiwen District hurriedly walking fast in this direction. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead and said, ¡°This ¨C I am very supportive of your plan and am willing to cooperate. If you need it, I¡¯m willing to help you persuade others. I believe they will be willing to give me face¡­¡±


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t come here to tell you this¡­¡±


    The Governor of Aiwen District took a step closer and lowered his voice, saying, ¡°I¡¯m hoping that I can make a small transaction with you. If your dragon slaying plan is successful, will you be willing to give me face and sell the dragon scales to me? Not only the dragon scales, the internal organs or dragon bones will also be good¡­¡±


    The man with silver hair and blue eyes slowly narrowed his eyes, which were cold and mysterious.


    His tone was still calm and quiet, but his low voice inexplicably carried a bit of creepy coldness, chill, and indifference.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The Governor of Aiwen District was utterly unaware of the approaching danger.


    He had a flattering smile, but a greedy look flashed under his eyes.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be willing to offer you a very fitting price for your troubles.¡±

 CH 52.1

    From Today Onward, You Will Move In to Live with Me (1)


    Before the Aiwen District Governor could continue, Mu Heng ruthlessly interrupted him, ¡°There¡¯s one thing you guys may not have figured out yet.¡±


    The tall man before him lowered his silvery-white eyelashes as he slowly took a step forward, his icy hostility after a long history of killing pouring out without restraints.


    ¡°You guys were the ones who touched the dragon¡¯s treasure. So what qualifications do you have to negotiate with me?¡±


    His eyes were cold, like the grayish-blue sky before a storm.


    Mu Heng took another step forward.


    The soles of his boots landed on the floor with an unmistakable thud.


    The sound was like an invisible rope, tightly strangling the other party¡¯s heart, with a heavy sense of oppression slamming down on his head.


    The Aiwen District Governor¡¯s breath hitched and he subconsciously tried to back away.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who needs your help.¡±


    Mu Heng looked at the man before him with a condescending gaze, his eyes like the glint of a snow-dipped blade, giving someone the illusion of being cut.


    ¡°But you guys ask me to come here and save your lives, understand?¡±


    ¡°Cooperate or die. There¡¯s no other way.¡± The man¡¯s voice was still calm and gentle, but the cruelty in his words was chilling.


    The Aiwen District Governor¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted, beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and his voice tensed and trembled.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°The dragon is my prey, understand?¡± The look in Mu Heng¡¯s eyes was dark and unpredictable, like a dark stream beneath a thin sheet of ice, showing the tip of a crazy paranoia iceberg. ¡°From the skins till the bones, they¡¯re all mine.¡±


    ¡°To snatch my prey is to oppose me.¡±


    ¡°Want the dragon? Do you deserve it?¡±


    The Aiwen District Governor opened his mouth, but his voice was stuck deep in his throat. His back was cold and sweaty and chills poured into his bones as he shrank back in instinctive fear.


    Mu Heng looked at him fixedly, then indifferently withdrew his gaze.


    He straightened his combat gloves slowly and calmly and said in a low, steady voice, ¡°I will take it as I never heard it this time. But, the matter won¡¯t end this easily next time.¡±


    After the words were spoken, the silver-haired, blue-eyed man gave a slight nod to the Aiwen District Governor in front of him with dull, distant politeness. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    He turned and walked steadily away.


    As he watched Mu Heng¡¯s tall, straight back fade out of sight, the Aiwen District Governor relaxed as though he had survived a calamity, reached up to the wall with some weakness in his legs, and took a deep breath with lingering fear.


    ¨CHe could feel that his opponent truly wanted to kill him at that moment.


    The killing intent was clear and sharp as if the blade was at his throat, giving him the illusion that he would be splattered with blood in the next moment.


    ***


    Shi An had returned to the academy¡¯s rest area.


    Water flushed with a crash, echoing through the empty bathroom.


    The cold, clear water splashed against the sink, wisps of blood flowing down the drain in little swirls.


    Shi An seemed to be in a happy mood.


    He hummed softly as he carefully cleaned the blood from his palm lines and fingers.


    The young man¡¯s voice was thin and soft, intermittently echoing in the small space.


    ¡°¡­¡± The demon insect shivered for no reason.


    Fuck, he looks honestly like a pervert.


    Shi An yanked off the towel and wiped his hands.


    He noticed the demon insect¡¯s eyes and asked briskly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The demon insect couldn¡¯t help but think of the scene just now.


    It shivered for a moment. ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and pulled the black smoke out of his sleeve.


    He tugged on the black smoke¡¯s tail and shook it. ¡°Spit out the white gem ring.¡±


    Earlier at Lu Yuanyi¡¯s place, Shi An had not only retrieved his portion of the treasure in the other person¡¯s hands but also swept away the other person¡¯s inventory in the process, completely raiding the warehouse.


    And, of course, there was no way for Shi An to carry that much treasure on his back, so he went for the idea of the black smoke¡¯s four-dimensional stomach ¨C let the black smoke swallow everything and he could take it all with him!


    Black smoke: ¡°¡­¡±


    Huhuhu, this is slavery. Shameless slavery!


    But it opened its mouth obediently with a bitter face and slowly spat out the ring that Shi An requested.


    Shi An placed the ring under the tap and rinsed it gently as if treating his cherished lover.


    After more than ten minutes of careful scrubbing, the human¡¯s blood and residual scent were finally cleaned before Shi An turned off the tap.


    He looked at his long-lost treasure with genuine joy and nostalgia in his eyes.


    Finally¡­


    After all this time, he could finally touch his long-lost treasure with his hands again!


    Although it was only a tiny portion, Shi An still felt overwhelming exhilaration and joy.


    Apart from recovering a portion of his treasure at Lu Yuanyi¡¯s place, Shi An had also received quite a lot of valuable information.


    He found that the treasure in the Abyssal Rift had not been taken by one person alone but had been divided up among several forces. Apart from the influential people and families in the Aiwen District, there were also the Black Market and the mercenary troops. Meanwhile, Lu Yuanyi was only responsible for secret transportation and his involvement wasn¡¯t too deep. He knew who in the Aiwen District had gotten hold of that part of the treasure, but he had no way of knowing about the Black Market and those outside the Aiwen District.


    From Lu Yuanyi¡¯s mouth, Shi An got all the names and addresses the man knew about.


    He gently touched the bright white glossy edges of the jewel and a crimson glint swept across the bottom of his eyes.


    Don¡¯t worry, baby. You will all be back with me soon.

 CH 52.2

    From Today Onward, You Will Move In to Live with Me (2)


    At that moment, the cell phone in Shi An¡¯s pocket buzzed.


    He was startled and reached out to take out his phone, looking at the contact displayed on it ¨C it was Mu Heng.


    Although Shi An still wanted to spend some quality time with his other treasures, he had, after all, promised Mu Heng that his phone would stay open and accessible to people at all times during this period.


    He sighed and picked up the call.


    Mu Heng¡¯s cold, low voice came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Come out for a while.¡±


    Shi An froze. ¡°Eh?¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°I¡¯m in front of your rest area now.¡±


    After saying that, the call was hung up.


    Although Shi An was puzzled, he still walked outside.


    After ensuring that all the magic residue and blood stench on his body had been cleared away, he put on his layers of heavy overcoat and headed out.


    Snow was already falling outside.


    The sky was dark and gray, and snowflakes sprinkled down, covering the ground with a thick layer of snow.


    In the middle of the gray-blanketed sky, Mu Heng, clad in a black cloak, stood upright in the snow.


    He lifted his eyelashes and looked towards Shi An, who was waddling over to him.


    He saw the young man lift his snow-white face with red lips and translucent dark, round eyes.


    His head was covered in pink rabbit earmuffs, his scarf, and gloves both furry, looking good and soft, as if he were some young, soft little animal.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking for me?¡± Shi An asked, letting out a white puff of air.


    Only when he saw that the other party was safe and sound did Mu Heng¡¯s heart finally relax slightly.


    He habitually lifted his hand and pressed the top of the young man¡¯s hair, rubbing it hard. ¡°Go pack up your things.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    He tilted his head, saving his messed-up head from the other man¡¯s hand, and asked in confusion, ¡°Pack up my things? Why?¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, his pale blue eyes looking deep and dark in the dim light. ¡°It was my misjudgment. Aiwen Academy isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    What happened to Lu Yuanyi had given him a wake-up call.


    Mu Heng had not expected that with the Aiwen Academy¡¯s level of defense, it would still be invaded by a dragon unknowingly. Now it seemed that even forcing Shi An back to the Ability Academy would not improve his safety much. Even Lu Yuanyi, an expert in defense as the Aiwen Academy¡¯s principal, could be caught by the dragon, so he was afraid that invading the Ability Academy wouldn¡¯t be a problem for such a dangerous creature.


    ¡°From today onward, you will move in to live with me,¡± Mu Heng said in an irrefutable tone.


    Shi An said, ¡°Huh?¡±


    B-But then, he wouldn¡¯t be able to act alone!


    Mu Heng said, ¡°The academic exchange will still be held as normal. If you want to participate in it, I can arrange for people to send you.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¨CDidn¡¯t that block out his excuse?


    Shi An was going to keep insisting on refusing, but at that moment, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something.


    Although he had gotten quite a few addresses and names of people from Lu Yuanyi, they were all too widely scattered and not necessarily complete.


    He had learned last time at the airport that Mu Heng was probably also contacting the guys in the Aiwen District who had gotten his treasure and was perhaps trying to set up a trap.


    Then why not¡­


    He would wait for Mu Heng to get that group together and collect the treasure so he could take it all in one go.


    More importantly, Mu Heng was now unsuspecting of him, so if he could get around the other person and figure out the Bureau¡¯s plans. He might even get a chance to do the dirty on another villain.


    Although the risk was not small, the reward was also excellent.


    After thinking about it, Shi An said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I have one request.¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyebrows. ¡°Say it.¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°Can we sleep together at night?¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned. ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­ What?


    Shi An was aware that he could subdue Lu Yuanyi quickly this time, mainly because of the intense anger he had built up in his heart. After leaving Lu Yuanyi¡¯s place, he could feel the magic power in his body had been nearly half depleted. If he was dealing with ordinary humans, it was certainly more than enough, but if he was dealing with Mu Heng and the Bureau¡­ the chances of winning were very slim.


    Shi An was sure he could recover faster when Mu Heng was around.


    It was not impossible to cast a spell, but there were risks.


    On the one hand, his and Mu Heng¡¯s routine was too different. If Mu Heng got up late every day, he would probably get suspicious.


    Another reason was¡­


    Perhaps it was because of his bloodline talent, but Mu Heng was resistant to dragon magic and had already shown his resistance last time. Shi An didn¡¯t want to be caught in an embarrassing situation where his opponent¡¯s eyes were already open before he woke up.


    So, the best thing to do was to get the other party to agree.


    Looking expectantly at the human in front of him, Shi An negotiated. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be every night. Every other night is also okay.¡±


    He leaned his upper body forward slightly, his eyes shining brightly, and raised the end of his speech, naturally acting spoiled.


    ¡°All right?¡±


    ***


    It was night.


    Mu Heng pushed open the door to his room.


    The young man, wearing only a shirt, sat on the large bed, his two thin white legs crossed, with a massive pillow in his arms. His hair was semi-damp and his collar was loose, revealing his slender collarbone and beautifully defined neck.


    He raised his eyes and looked toward Mu Heng, his dark eyes dyed a soft amber by the light.


    Shi An patted the spot beside him and chirped, ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know why he had inexplicably agreed to the other man¡¯s request earlier.


    ¨CWhat he did know was that he was now beginning to regret it.

 CH 53.1

    Act Indecently (1)


    Seeing that Mu Heng had not come over, Shi An raised his eyes and looked toward the door.


    The other person was standing in the doorway quietly, his eyebrows slightly knitted, his expression unpredictable and he had no idea what this person was thinking about.


    Shi An rested his chin on the pillow in his arms and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mu Heng looked at him fixedly but eventually moved his eyes away and walked into the room.


    ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡±


    He stepped over to the side of the bed and sat down.


    The bed in the master bedroom was large enough to accommodate almost three or four people at once. Although they slept in the same bed, the distance between them was still considerable.


    This was fine with Shi An.


    When he saw that Mu Heng had moved to the other side of the bed, he happily unfolded his quilt and got in, tucking in the corners and rolling himself up into a round barrel.


    Shi An pulled the quilt up to the tip of his nose, raised his eyelashes, which were tinted golden brown by the light, and said, ¡°Good night!¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s gaze met the other man¡¯s dark, clear eyes, and his heart rhythm was slightly disrupted.


    He averted his eyes. ¡°Get up first.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Shi An squinted his eyes warily, shrinking under the blanket. ¡°You have to do it after agreeing to it. You can¡¯t back out.¡±


    Mu Heng said,¡°¡­ Your hair is still wet.¡±


    The young man¡¯s semi-damp black hair was scattered on the pillow, staining the surface and giving it a slightly darker shade of color.


    Shi An pulled the quilt under his eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Regardless, it will dry up quickly!¡±


    Mu Heng beckoned at Shi An. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s icy face slightly thawed, revealing a little helplessness. ¡°I won¡¯t back out.¡±


    Only then did Shi An skeptically get out of the blanket and move in Mu Heng¡¯s direction.


    Mu Heng reached his hand to him, pausing at a distance, and the moisture instantly evaporated in the next second.


    He was not wearing gloves. His fingers were pale and slender, his joints sharp and well-defined, lean and vigorous.


    Although not touched directly, the heat of the human palm still came through clearly and distinctly. Shi An¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he subconsciously pressed himself toward the direction from which the heat was coming.


    The soft ends of the young man¡¯s hair swept past Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips.


    Mu Heng¡¯s hand was steady, never trembling even in life-and-death situations, but it involuntarily trembled slightly at this moment.


    He quickly withdrew his hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Shi An rubbed his dry hair and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He burrowed back under the covers, curling himself into a ball as he had done earlier.


    The familiar cold scent of the man faintly lingered in his nose.


    The exhaustion caused by the ups and downs of the day¡¯s moods and the excessive consumption of his magic was now like a tidal wave that swallowed Shi An entirely.


    He lifted his heavy eyelids and in his blurred vision, he could faintly see the bright, shiny silver hair of a human not far away.


    Shi An yawned contentedly and buried his head in the soft pillow, muttering something in a muffled voice before falling very quickly into a deep sleep.


    A dead silence fell over the room.


    After a long time, the man¡¯s low, slightly muffled voice rang out. ¡°¡­ Good night.¡±


    ***


    When Shi An opened his eyes the following day, it was long past dawn and the bed beside him was empty. Presumably, the person had left long ago.


    He stretched and rolled around in the big bed, flopping down on the soft covers as if he had no bones.


    Ah¡­  Sure enough, the sleep was satisfactory.


    A large portion of the magic power that had been depleted was now slowly making its way back up to replenish.


    It was a pity he couldn¡¯t pile out the treasure he had just acquired, or it would have counted as a perfect night¡¯s rest.


    It was just that for some reason¡­  he seemed to be dreaming again about his tail being pinched by Mu Heng the other night.


    But it should only be a dream. After all, his tail has long since been retracted.


    Shi An slumped over and reached for his phone.


    When he switched on the screen, a series of messages popped up, scaring him.


    Although his knowledge of human script had increased daily, he still had some difficulty reading a large amount of text, so he didn¡¯t bother reading it and called Zhao She directly.


    As soon as the call was answered, Zhao She¡¯s impatient voice came through, ¡°My God, I finally found you. You didn¡¯t even inform me and disappeared last night, scaring me. I was insanely anxious after you were gone. After looking for the person in charge, I eventually found out that the people from the Bureau had taken you. What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen? Are you okay now?¡±


    Shi An silently held the phone a little further away.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ it¡¯s just that some previous matters hadn¡¯t been dealt with.¡±


    Zhao She sighed with relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Speaking of which, did you know something significant happened in the Aiwen Academy? Do you still remember the principal making a speech that day? He had been attacked and is still in the hospital now. I¡¯m not clear about the details, but he seems quite miserable¡­¡±


    Shi An grunted coldly.


    ¡ªThat is what he deserved!


    Zhao She did not catch it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. You¡¯ve misheard it.¡± The young man¡¯s voice was soft and clear, and it was impossible to tell that he was the one behind the attack on the principal.


    Zhao She said, ¡°But speaking of which, I don¡¯t understand something¡­¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhao She¡¯s voice carried a bit of suspicion.


    ¡°The news is firmly blocked this time. Although I don¡¯t understand, it should involve a significant major event. I initially thought the strength system¡¯s academic exchange would be postponed or canceled after such a severe accident. After all, we were also aware that the strength system¡¯s academic exchange has never been that esteemed before¡­ However, someone from above informed us today that the event would still be held as usual.¡±


    Shi An revealed a thoughtful look.


    Zhao She¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Speaking of which, will you still participate in the academic exchange this time?¡±


    Shi An returned to his senses and said, ¡°Of course. Inform me quickly if there¡¯s any news.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After confirming again that Shi An was fine, Zhao She hung up the call.

 CH 53.2

    Act Indecently (2)


    Shi An sat up with messy hair.


    Could it be¡­ that this entrapment plan would have something to do with the exchange?


    He hopped off the floor on his bare legs and walked out of the bedroom in slippers.


    Mu Heng¡¯s residence in the Aiwen District was large and it took Shi An two turns before he found the location of the study. He pushed the door open and walked in after ensuring that nothing was arranged inside for magic-tracking precautions.


    The study was tidy and did not look like there was any sign of work or any vital mission documents left behind.


    But Shi An wasn¡¯t discouraged and finally found an object that looked a little suspicious.


    It was a simple map with many strange symbols and lines drawn.


    Shi An tilted his head and looked left and right but couldn¡¯t identify any clues as to what it was or where it was.


    Although he couldn¡¯t figure out what the map was for, he took a picture of it with his cell phone and saved the image in a photo album to be on the safe side.


    Maybe it would prove helpful later on.


    ***


    Mu Heng was handling official business within the Bureau.


    After the incident of the attack on Lu Yuanyi, it was only the second day. Still, many influential people in Aiwen who had attended the meeting yesterday had already come to contact them privately and agreed to cooperate with their plans in exchange for the Bureau¡¯s protection.


    They seemed to have caught wind of the clash between the Aiwen District Governor and Mu Heng the previous day. This time, no one dared to make a similar request of wishful thinking.


    At that moment, Wen Yao knocked on the door and walked in.


    ¡°Although Lu Yuanyi¡¯s injury isn¡¯t light, his vital sign is already stable.¡±


    She reported briefly to Mu Heng on the current liaison process. More than half of those willing to cooperate had already done so and it would not matter that the rest did not participate.


    ¡°The bait has already been prepared.¡±


    To trap a formidable fantasy species, relying on the right bait alone was not enough. The opponent was unlikely to stick its head directly inside the lasso, so all they needed to do was to set up the illusion to make the opponent think they could get away in one piece. When the dragon let down its guard, that was when they would close the net¡­


    Wen Yao said, ¡°The Aiwen District¡¯s side proposed that we could use the Aiwen Academy¡¯s academic exchange this time¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Mu Heng barely gave it much thought and outright rejected it. ¡°No.¡±


    The exchange was a good time, with the diverse magical power sources and participants coming from all over the continent, making it very convenient to set up and conduct operations secretly. It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t considered this direction.


    However, the problem was that the participants of the academic exchange were all students. If the dragon were lured here, it would probably cause uncontrollable casualties and losses.


    Mu Heng tapped the desk with his fingertips. ¡°Do it according to the initial plan and release the auction¡¯s news.¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She turned around and walked out the door but hesitated before she left, turning her head to look at Mu Heng. ¡°Chief, do I need to dispatch people to protect Shi An?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He shook his head. ¡°No need.¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°But¨C¡±


    Mu Heng said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve already fetched the person to my place.¡±


    Wen Yao: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Well, it was indeed unnecessary then.


    After Wen Yao left, the office was quiet again.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the document in front of him, but he didn¡¯t move an inch for a long time.


    The name Wen Yao had unintentionally mentioned just now was like a stone that disturbed his already calm state of mind.


    He could barely contain himself as he recalled last night¡¯s scene.


    Mu Heng had initially assumed that with another person at his side, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep. But he did not expect that, as the young man¡¯s deep, steady breathing sounded out from his side in the darkness, he slowly fell into a deep sleep.


    He accepted it as if his body had long remembered this feeling.


    When Mu Heng opened his eyes at the scheduled moment, the morning light outside the window spilled hazily.


    A furry head rested on his shoulder and the sound of tiny breaths tickled the side of Mu Heng¡¯s neck like a feather, bringing a delicate tickle.


    Mu Heng stiffened and his mind went blank for a moment there.


    He discovered as an afterthought that his hand¡­ was currently pressed tightly against the other man¡¯s lower back.


    The hem of the young man¡¯s shirt was lifted because of his improper sleeping posture, revealing a narrow and soft slight curvature as if it was suitable to be pinched with the palm of one¡¯s hand and played with delicately.


    H-How¡­


    Exactly¡­


    Mu Heng had frozen under extreme shock and had completely lost the ability to think.


    He slowly turned his head and looked to his side.


    ¨CThe previously sparse distance before falling asleep had long since disappeared.


    The quilt had fallen apart at some point, leaving the two of them in a single bed and the young man was close enough to bury a small part of his face in his loose hair.


    The other man¡¯s body temperature was low but cool like a snake in fear of the cold, nestling intimately against his side.


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips moved subconsciously for a moment.


    The skin beneath his palm was delicate, soft, and warm from being covered with the quilt as if it could melt into his palm.


    In the next second, a mumble spilled out of the young man¡¯s throat and he subconsciously curled himself up a little tighter, frowning slightly as he murmured softly and in a grievance.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t touch it anymore¡­¡±


    ***


    Inside the office.


    Scrap¨C


    Mu Heng¡¯s gloved fingers tightened abruptly and uncontrollably.


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression was stern, his lips pursed, his body taut as if a bowstring that was about to fire.


    The man¡¯s eyes were grave and gloomy and a cold, murderous aura radiated from his body.


    The document in his palm was crumpled, the edges torn by uncontrollable force, and fine scraps of paper fell and scattered on the table.


    He honestly didn¡¯t think that he could be such an asshole.


    To think that¡­  he would act indecently in his sleep.

 CH 54.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 54.1


    To Keep A Mistress in a Luxurious House (1)


    The Aiwen Auction House was one of the four largest auction houses on the continent, with tremendous backing and a significant role.


    Especially since it had auctioned off fire gems several times in a row this year, more and more people were paying attention to it.


    At this very moment, the Aiwen Auction House suddenly released the news that¨C


    --An extremely prestigious auction would be held in seven days.


    Meanwhile, the Aiwen Auction House had released a partial list of the items to be auctioned.


    Everyone was shocked by the items on the list.


    Every item on the list was invaluable. Many were legendary items that had been lost for thousands of years and were no longer available worldwide. And more importantly, given the custom of auction houses in the Irvine District, the list of items released in advance accounted for only thirty percent of the total number of items on offer.


    That would mean... they had many more items of the same rank not listed!


    What a massive amount of money that must be!


    The news spread like wildfire.


    Soon after the news spread, all the treasure lovers and speculators who wanted to make a fortune by selling and picking up the pieces all flocked to the Aiwen District like sharks who had detected blood in the waters. All the hotels near the Aiwen Auction House were full, even though the prices were too high to be booked.


    Shi An was at Mu Heng¡¯s house playing a game when he heard the rumor.


    The horse on the screen had died on the spot once again.


    He threw away the console and stretched, then fumbled with his phone.


    After talking to Zhao She the other day, he had been asked to join a group of strength system students from the Ability Academy so that he would be the first to know about the progress of the exchange.


    Shi An was shocked by the message notification that filled the screen just after he swiped the screen.


    However, since he couldn¡¯t read all the human languages, he scanned through them hastily and clicked on a picture posted by one of them.


    ¡°Crack.¡±


    A crack appeared on the phone screen.


    Shi An stared intently at the pictures on the screen, breathing hard, his fingertips slightly white from the force.


    It was all his.


    Every single treasure in the picture.


    It was all his.


    A scarlet fire glowed under his pitch-black eyes and an intense, dark, formidable demonic pressure poured out of him.


    The demon insect, basking in the sun and sleeping on the side, jolted awake and jumped up.


    It stumbled and rushed over. ¡°Calm down! My lord! Calm down!¡±


    Shi An gritted his teeth. ¡°¡­Thieves!¡±


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    A second crack appeared on the phone screen.


    ¡°M-My lord, don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± Black smoke also scurried out at this moment, trembling and shivering as he advised.


    These brazen humans, not only had they stolen his stuff, but they dared to take it out and sell it grandly!


    Shi An was so angry that his eyes turned black and he was eager to rush out and burn this group of people.


    ¡°This is a ploy! A ploy by those humans to lure you in!¡±


    Black smoke held Shi An¡¯s left leg and the demon insect tugged at Shi An¡¯s right leg, fearing that Shi An might do something impulsive in his anger.


    ¡°Have you forgotten? You can¡¯t act blindly without thinking now!¡±


    Shi An looked down at the phone he held.


    The screen¡¯s glass had shattered, cobweb-like cracks spreading, the light underneath turning blue one moment and flashing wildly the next and the previous picture had now been largely covered. Only a bit of the original color patch could be seen.


    The intense feeling of anger rushing straight to his head had gradually been suppressed.


    Shi An took a deep breath and the burning golden-red color under his eyes receded a little.


    He said, ¡°I knew, but¡­¡±


    Shi An¡¯s voice carried extreme anger again. ¡°I¡¯m angry!¡±


    The demon insect was finally relieved to see Shi An¡¯s sanity return.


    It fluttered its wings and flew to the young man''s shoulder, patting his shoulder with its thin legs. ¡°Alas, My lord. I understand you.¡±


    His master¡¯s treasures had been stolen from his possessions for tens of thousands of years and the items had even been sold and divided up.


    Not to mention the dragons, who regarded treasure as their life, the insect couldn''t stand it either.


    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you already make up your mind to do the dirty on another villain?¡±


    The demon insect waved its two thin legs. ¡°Those humans had thought of a perfect plan. To arrange the trap, they used your belongings to lure you over. Humph! We will make them lose the dragon and the treasure all at once!¡±


    Black Smoke echoed, ¡°Exactly. Exactly.¡±


    The demon insect that had been so mild and gentle to Shi An just now turned its head and rolled its eyes, harshly scolding him.


    ¡°Why are you here to join the crowd? Get lost.¡±


    Black smoke said, ¡°Even if the Lord bullies me, who are you to do that?¡±


    Demon insect said, ¡°I¡¯ve been at the Lord¡¯s side longer than you. You should¡¯ve called me senior!¡±


    Black Smoke glared at it angrily. ¡°Pah!¡±


    The two demons soon wrestled with each other over who was the number one Shi An¡¯s minion.


    As they did so, Shi An managed to calm down.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t remember this, but his dragon instincts got the better of him when he got angry.


    Shi An began to think of a plan.

 CH 54.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 54.2


    To Keep A Mistress in a Luxurious House (2)


    He needed more information about the auction to deal with the problem at hand.


    As he thought of this, Shi An subconsciously reached out his hand and touched the phone that was sitting next to him.


    Gazing at the phone with a shattered screen in front of him, Shi An fell into silence. ¡°¡­¡±


    T-This is embarrassing.


    I shouldn¡¯t have used so much force just now.


    However, Mu Heng had not returned since they slept together that day, using the excuse that he was too busy with work, so he stayed at the Bureau.


    Although Mu Heng never showed up in front of Shi An again, he always granted whatever Shi An asked for.


    Whether it was the game console that Shi An wanted, or the three big meals a day, all would be delivered on time ¨C but he was very insistent on the ice cream, one cup a day at most, and no more.


    But now his phone was broken...


    Shi An mulled it over in his head. He wrapped himself tightly, squatted at the door, and began to wait.


    Finally, at mealtime, a courtesy knock came from the door.


    This was basically what they usually did: put his things down, knock on the door, and then leave.


    For one thing, it was out of efficiency and for another, it was because it was clear that Mu Heng was someone who resented having too much contact with others and, most importantly, he resented people prying into his privacy, so the visitor had always been very proper, not poking into anything they weren¡¯t supposed to know.


    But this time, before his hand could be lowered, the door to the room was pushed open from within.


    Mu Heng¡¯s subordinate hurriedly held onto the package they hadn¡¯t fully put down yet and subconsciously looked up.


    Surprisingly, the person who came out was a strange young man.


    His hair was dark brown, his eyes transparent, his skin fair, and his cheeks still had a bit of soft baby fat. Although he had wrapped himself up tightly, it could be seen that his bones were thin and his body slender.


    Hold¡­ Hold on?


    ¡­ From the chief¡¯s house?


    The helper¡¯s mind went blank and he stood frozen in place, unable to move.


    He saw the young man hold out his hand to him. ¡°Do you have a phone? Lend it to me for a bit.¡±


    His gesture was calm and unashamed. The man subconsciously pulled out his cell phone and dazedly handed it over.


    Shi An lowered his head and expertly entered a series of numbers.


    The call was soon answered and the man¡¯s low and cold voice came over the line. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The other side of the phone went silent.


    Shi An said, ¡°My phone fell on the ground and was broken. I have no way to contact you, so I can only borrow other people¡¯s.¡±


    As he said that, he jumped upwards and gently sat down on the high platform at the entrance.


    The young man wiggled his two slender little legs as he grumbled, ¡°You haven¡¯t returned for quite a while. Did you forget about our agreement? Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t back out?¡±


    His voice was clear with a soft rising tone, exceptionally innocent and natural in his petulance.


    The other side of the line was silent for even longer.


    Shi An took the phone away from his ear in confusion and glanced at the screen.


    That¡¯s right. The call was still ongoing. It hadn¡¯t been dropped.


    At last, Mu Heng¡¯s calm voice came from the opposite side. ¡°... I will return tonight.¡±


    Shi An aid, ¡°Remember to bring ice cream!¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    His voice was low and slightly hoarse. ¡°What flavor do you want?¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°Chocolate!¡±


    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he changed his mind. ¡°No, strawberry is better.¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and asked cautiously, ¡°Can I have both?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice unconsciously softened. ¡°¡­ Just once this time.¡±


    Shi An squinted his eyes happily. ¡°Yay! I knew it. You¡¯re the best!¡±


    He hung up the phone and tossed it to Mu Heng¡¯s subordinate, who had been petrified not far away. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He dumbly watched as the young man turned and walked back to his room, clutching the package he had just delivered, unable to utter a single syllable for a long time.


    He didn¡¯t recover until the door to the room closed in front of him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What had happened just now?


    Was it the chief on the other side of the phone? It couldn¡¯t be, could it?


    Was it a hallucination? No. It should be a dream.


    He lowered his head and his eyes fell on the record of the call earlier. Big words in bold and black slowly emerged in his blank mind:


    To keep a mistress in a luxurious house.


    ***


    Mu Heng soon returned.


    Shi An rushed out. ¡°Ice cream! Ice cream!¡±


    Mu Heng pointed to the box on the table and said, ¡°Here.¡±


    Shi An let out a cheer and quickly unwrapped it.


    Mu Heng¡¯s motion of taking off his coat paused slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too fast. You¡¯ll be frozen.¡±


    ¡°Ummmmmm.¡±


    Shi An answered vaguely and Mu Heng wasn¡¯t sure if he was listening or not.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyelashes were slightly lowered and his eyes were on the young man''s body for a moment, saying, ¡°I still have to deal with some matters. I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Shi An raised his eyes and licked the milk foam from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Do you want to leave now?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you return at night?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An stared at him with round eyes. ¡°How can you be like this? You promised me¨C¡±


    Mu Heng sighed and a small crack appeared on his icy face. ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    He raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, remaining silent for a few seconds, seemingly having some difficulty speaking.


    Finally, Mu Heng took a deep breath and raised his eyes to look at Shi An, his face wearing a solemn look.


    He slowly said, ¡°That night¡­ if I did anything to you¡­ that overstepped your boundaries, please forgive me.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    It took him a few seconds to finally understand what Mu Heng was talking about.


    After thinking about it, Shi An said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    However, before Mu Heng could sigh in relief, he heard Shi An continue in a lighter tone, ¡°You can touch it.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°...¡±


    He looked at the calm, earnest young man in front of him in shock.


    ¡°I like your hand. It¡¯s warm. So, it¡¯s okay if you touch it more.¡±


    As if entirely unaware of his shocking remark, Shi An thought seriously for a moment, then continued, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t pinch it.¡±


    --That would make the tail feel weird.

 CH 55.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 55.1


    Living Sacrifices (1)


    Shi An¡¯s words were like a lightning bolt and Mu Heng was shaken into blankness.


    The innocent and naive Shi An in front of him did not seem to feel that there was anything wrong with what he had just said.


    With almost no warning, the image deliberately forgotten earlier came to mind vividly.


    Touch, warmth.


    Sound, color, light, image.


    It all came to mind most vividly.


    The soft and delicate touch of the other person¡¯s waistline still lingered on his fingertips like a blazing fire that burned straight from the end of his nerves to his bones, burning him to the core.


    Mu Heng was momentarily agitated.


    He subconsciously took a step back, his voice low and slightly trembling, with a hint of hoarseness. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe?¡±


    Shi An blinked and jumped out of his seat.


    He frowned, seemingly offended by Mu Heng¡¯s distrust, and reached out to take Mu Heng¡¯s hand with no further ado, then naturally snuggled his body over, saying earnestly, ¡°You can touch¨C¡±


    Before finishing his sentence, the man before him jerked his hand out as if he had been scalded.


    Mu Heng retreated several steps.


    ¡°¡­No need.¡± He gritted his teeth and his voice was hoarse.


    For as long as he could remember, Mu Heng had never been in such a state of distress.


    Shi An was a little confused as to why the bright shiny human in front of him was acting so strangely.


    He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Are we sleeping together tonight?¡±


    The man in front of him stood a few paces away as if deliberately distancing himself. His brow was high and furrowed, his eyes hidden in the shadows, his expression not entirely clear, his lips tightly pursed, all his emotions hidden under a deep sea of ice, impossible to see the slightest hint of them.


    After a long silence, he gave a calm ¡°hm.¡±


    The night was uneventful.


    The next day, Mu Heng opened his eyes at 6 a.m.


    His eyes were clear, not half asleep.


    --Although he had kept his promise, he could not let what had happened last time happen again.


    He had often worked for days on end on assignments and it was easy for him to stay awake all night long.


    Mu Heng sat up silently.


    He paused, taking in the faint morning light from the window, and turned his head to look at the young man beside him.


    Shi An was curled under the blanket, covering himself tightly, half his face buried in the fluffy pillow, his dense black eyelashes hanging down, casting a slight shadow.


    He was enveloped in the hazy, uncertain light, looking still and serene.


    The young man slept freely, guileless of the person beside him.


    The faint morning light filled the room with a specific, instantly recognizable silence.


    Mu Heng leaned over almost uncontrollably.


    His fingertips dangled in front of the boy¡¯s cheek, stopping short of contact.


    The man pursed his lips tightly, the line of his lips forming an impersonal, cold, hard line, his eyes slightly deep, the dark color of the sea rolling under them.


    After a long time, he slowly took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    But at that moment, the sleeping young man stirred restlessly, mumbling as his cheek brushed against the man¡¯s fingertips which were about to pull away.


    The little patches of skin touched and parted briefly in a flash of lightning.


    Like a spark falling into a wildfire, it exploded into a searing flame that could consume everything, crackling and destroying rationality.


    By the time Mu Heng realized it, his fingertips had already dropped.


    This time, it was not an unintended accident but contact was made in a fully conscious state.


    There was no barrier between the fingertip and the skin.


    The young man¡¯s cheek was slightly cool and soft.


    The touch he had explored and fantasized about in his mind was now real and vividly burned into the end of his fingers.


    An inexplicable, ambiguous impulse began to fester in his heart.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were incomprehensible, his pale blue pupils indistinctly cloudy and as deep as an abyss.


    His fingertips slid silently, the belly of his thumb pressed against the boy¡¯s lower lip, applying slight pressure as a crimson color emerged from beneath the twisted lips, his fingertips resting against the white, hard rows of teeth.


    Like a clam shell.


    If you pry it open gently, you can touch the soft flesh.


    Warm, soft, and moist.


    Shi An frowned slightly in discomfort, his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a muffled mumble escaped his throat.


    Only then did Mu Heng flinch and he withdrew his hand as if waking up from a dream, jerking back to pull away.


    His brow was furrowed, his expression cold and hard with resistance, and he forced himself to look away.


    Only the drumming of his heart gave off some unpleasant signal.


    ***


    When Shi An opened his eyes, Mu Heng had left and a new phone had been placed on the pillow.


    He examined the remnants of the dragon molt in his body and was surprised and delighted to find that he had one final bit to go before he could fully absorb all the magic in it. Although it was still far from his strength before he fell asleep, it was far better than when he had just woken up.


    Immediately afterward, Shi An received a call from Zhao She.


    ¡°Hello? Shi An, are you there?¡± Zhao She sounded a little anxious on the other end of the phone.


    Shi An was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao She¡¯s voice sounded a bit indistinct in the wind and snow. ¡°We have just been notified that the academic exchange conference will be held earlier this year.¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°Earlier?¡±


    Zhao She replied, ¡°Yes. If you want to participate, you have to hurry up here! The vehicles will leave soon!¡±


    After hanging up, Shi An squeezed his phone and fell into deep thought.

 CH 55.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 55.2


    Living Sacrifices (2)


    Five days later was when the auction would be held. If he wanted to snatch his treasure back, he had to do it during this period. It was obvious that the humans knew this very well and their traps must have been set up during this time.


    With such a tight schedule, it was logical that he should not attend this academic exchange.


    But¡­ he always felt that there was something not quite right somewhere.


    Shi An thought about it, sent a message to Mu Heng, straightened up his things, and contacted his driver.


    He arrived at Aiwen Academy just in time to catch the last wave of vehicles heading to the competition venue.


    In the car, Shi An wrapped himself up tightly, complete with ear muffs, gloves and scarf, and the fire gem tucked into the inside of his shirt, but he was still shivering from the cold.


    Zhao She looked at the lofty snowy mountain in front and lamented, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we had just left this place not long ago and would return so soon¡­ Although this place isn¡¯t the same as the Abyssal Rift ruins, it still feels wonderful.¡±


    Shi An sniffled and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I don¡¯t like it here...¡±


    Zhao She said, ¡°¡­ I saw that you were pretty energetic when you signed up.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have come if it weren¡¯t for his lost treasure!


    Shi An sighed and changed the subject.


    He opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Speaking of which, what is the situation of the academic exchange conference this time?"


    Thus, Zhao She informed Shi An in detail of the news he had now learned.


    It turned out that this year¡¯s academic exchange conference followed a similar pattern to the Ability Academy combat tests.


    The venue for the event was set in the Aiwen Snowfield.


    In previous years, the Aiwen Snowfield had been closed for the season, but a canyon near the southern end was opened this year for the conference. Although this canyon was still a part of the Aiwen Snowfield, the temperature was far less extreme than that inside the snowfield. It was relatively sealed off, making it a perfect natural venue for the event.


    Shi An was slightly stunned as he listened.


    The Aiwen Snowfield?


    Wasn¡¯t this place close to the cave he once occupied?


    Although his phone had been destroyed, the picture he had taken earlier in the study was still saved in the cloud. Shi An pulled up the image and searched for a map of the Aiwen Snowfield. Sure enough, it was the same.


    However, there seemed to be something subtly different about the two maps.


    Shi An compared them carefully.


    Both maps marked the location of the Abyssal Rift ruins. But near the very end of the Abyssal Rift site on the map in the photo, the place where his cave had been moved to on the continent with the Abyssal Rift, there was a marked rift around the curve that led to¨C


    A small canyon in the southern part of the Aiwen Snowfield.


    Shi An frowned.


    He tugged on Zhao She¡¯s sleeve beside him and pointed out the exact location on the official map. ¡°Are we going to this place?¡±


    Zhao She looked at it and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ***


    Soon, Aiwen Academy sent people to send all the participants to the canyon outside the Aiwen Snowfield.


    Shi An kept his head down as he followed Zhao She forward, thinking seriously.


    The timing and location of this academic exchange were too strange, but... wasn¡¯t the trap laid by the Bureau over there on the auction house? And the news was already out, so there was no way it could be changed at such short notice.


    He took out his phone and the screen lit up.


    However, Shi An found that the phone¡¯s signal grid had cleared to zero.


    It seemed that¡­ there was no way to contact the outside world.


    He froze and the puzzled look in his eyes deepened.


    After the rules had all been announced, the students from each academy entered the canyon in batches.


    The thick snow beneath their feet crunched under their footsteps and the canyon was deadly silent, with the extremely low temperature changing the sky to a light gray color that now looked frozen.


    Shi An was in a group with Zhao She and Wei Bocheng.


    The other two were chatting without realizing what was going on, heading deeper into the canyon, one after the other.


    At this moment, Zhao She turned his head to look at Shi An, who had been silent since a while ago, and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You have been preoccupied since a moment ago.¡±


    Shi An shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    At that moment, he suddenly felt a strange magic wave coming from within the canyon.


    Shi An jerked his head up and looked in the direction where the fluctuation came from.


    Several distinct figures slowly emerged from the white snow in the distance.


    The faces of those people were unfamiliar, but the overcoats they wore were very familiar to Shi An. He had personally strapped on three sets of the same clothes and wrapped them around his frozen self.


    It... was the group of mercenaries.


    Zhao She also realized that something was wrong. He frowned and assumed an attacking stance, unobtrusively moving Shi An toward his back. ¡°What do you guys want?¡±


    The several men on the other side did not answer.


    One of them had a shady look, his gaze falling on the three students before him as he slowly asked, ¡°Just them?¡±


    The other one cowered and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The living sacrifices to summon the dragon are already enough. As for these people¨C¡±


    The man sneered, a grim look sweeping across his eyes.


    ¡°The people above have already given the orders. They made us suffer heavy losses last time. We can¡¯t let them die so easily this time.¡±


    He waved his hand and commanded.


    ¡°Take them.¡±

 CH 56.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 56.1


    But Looking into It, I¡¯m the Best at Fire-wielding (1)


    Living sacrifices?


    Summoning a dragon?


    The soon-to-be summoned dragon, Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell?!


    At that moment, several mercenaries in front of them had already made their moves and attacked fiercely in their direction.


    Zhao She and Wei Bocheng had already prepared for battle and met the opponents when they struck, directly fighting with them.


    However, Zhao She could feel that the mercenaries¡¯ strength was more powerful than the previous ones they had encountered in the Abyssal Ruins. With more people on the other side who had more experience in combat, they soon felt overwhelmed and could only retreat under the mercenaries¡¯ progressively more aggressive attacks.


    Zhao She shouted, ¡°Hey! Shi An! Come here to help!¡±


    At that moment, the leader of the mercenaries seemed to notice Shi An, who had been wandering at the edge of the battlefield since a while ago.


    He glanced up and down at the slender, pretty-faced boy not far away and let out a mocking snort.


    ¡°Do you also have strength ability?¡±


    Shi An lifted his dark eyes to look at him and nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± A roar of laughter erupted among the skillful mercenaries.


    The leader of the mercenaries laughed scornfully and raised his hand, beckoning at the two strength abilities in his group. ¡°Go and get the child.¡±


    Wei Bocheng was startled and snapped his head around to look.


    He saw those two tall, fierce-looking mercenaries walking toward the frail, fair young man with sinister smiles on their faces.


    Although he had heard Zhao She say that Shi An was not a bad fighter, he could not help but worry.


    Beside him, Zhao She, also fighting miserably, shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t let your mind wander!¡±


    Wei Bocheng said, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Zhao She said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Shi An!¡±


    The leader of the mercenary group laughed out loud. ¡°No need to worry? Hahaha! I don¡¯t know you guys¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard several clear bone-cracking sounds accompanied by miserable howls, instantly piercing the gray sky.


    The mercenary leader turned his head to look in shock.


    The boy remained where he stood, his face docile, his pink fluffy bunny earmuffs and gloves making him look even more childish and harmless¨Cif one ignored the two other mercenaries who had fallen to the ground screaming in agony.


    Their limbs were snapped in opposite directions, the white bones piercing the skin and dripping with blood, looking horrible.


    ¡°One more time?¡± Shi An looked down at one of the mercenaries in front of him and grinned.


    He stepped forward and lightly stepped on the leg bone of another man.


    ¡°Crunch¨C¡±


    The gnawing sound of breaking bones resounded again.


    ¡°AHHH!¡±


    The young man narrowed his eyes and whined petulantly. ¡°This won¡¯t do?¡±


    The mercenary leader: ¡°¡­¡±


    An instinctive alarm that sensed danger went off and his expression froze.


    He then realized that perhaps what the student had just said was true and that this seemingly softest member was the ruthless one.


    The mercenary leader didn¡¯t dare to take him lightly this time.


    --Let¡¯s get rid of this little demon first!


    He winked at his strongest companions in the group and they abandoned their fight with the other two strength-ability students and charged in unison in Shi An¡¯s direction nearly at the same time!


    He narrowed his eyes evilly.


    So what if he were more powerful? Wasn¡¯t it still the strength system?


    As long as the angle of attack was tricky enough and the attack was vicious enough, it would be impossible for a single strength-ability student who was good at physical combat to fend off so many enemies at once!


    As the distance rapidly decreased, Shi An did not dodge or evade.


    The fluffy pink furry fur lined the young man¡¯s white face. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were frozen red by the cold wind, making his eyes more transparent and his posture more serene. He raised his lips, revealing a bit of fine white and neat teeth, his eyes slightly narrowed, his smile sweet and soft.


    Wh...What?


    The mercenary leader¡¯s pupils constricted slightly and a hint of incredulity swept across the bottom of his eyes.


    However, before he could think of a reason, he saw the young man before him raise his hand. A cluster of scarlet flames leaped from his fingertips, the danger-emitting fire reflected in his dark eyes like a golden-red fire lighting up at the bottom of an abyss.


    ¡°I indeed have a little strength ability.¡±


    The young man smiled coyly.


    In the next second, the fire that could burn down heaven and earth burst into a frenzied and furious display of horrific destructive power.


    ¡°But looking into it, I¡¯m the best at fire-wielding.¡±


    ***


    Deep in the snow-covered canyon, a hidden tunnel in the stone wall was covered with magic, hiding all traces of the artificial work.


    The tunnel was so deep that a line of the gray sky was faintly visible overhead.


    The thick stone walls were rugged and jagged, blocking out the sounds of the storm.


    Passing through the rocky tunnel, the scenery abruptly opened up.


    Scarlet blood formed a vast circle beneath a huge, pale stone dome. Several men in mercenary uniforms were drawing on the ground with human blood.


    A man in a luxurious cloak walked through the tunnel and into the cave.


    He removed his snow-covered hat to reveal a distraught face.


    The visitor was none other than Aiwen District Governor Chen Yanming.


    He removed his gloves and walked straight towards the cave. Soon, he stood in front of a man who appeared to be the leader of the mercenaries and asked, somewhat impatiently, ¡°How are things going?¡±


    The leader answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is going smoothly.¡±


    Chen Yanming turned twice in place somewhat distractedly. ¡°Are you sure this will work? You have to know that I¡¯ve taken a very high risk¡­¡±


    The leader replied, ¡°The higher the risk, the higher the earnings.¡±


    He laughed lightly and slowly continued, ¡°As for the price¡­ I think you¡¯ve already decided in your heart when you chose to work with us instead of cooperating with the Bureau, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Chen Yanming¡¯s expression slightly darkened as he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°¨CYou guys better succeed.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, what the other party said wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Since they decided to deceive Mu Heng and cooperate with the mercenaries to trap the dragon, they had no other choice.


    It was also because Lu Yuanyi was now sent to the hospital and was unconscious until now.


    Although this guy had also shared part of the treasure and wasn''t considered clean, Lu Yuanyi would probably not agree to let him turn the students of this school and other academies into living sacrifices to lure the dragon in, even for the sake of his reputation and that of Aiwen Academy.


    And now, it seemed that Lu Yuanyi lost his control over the academy so that the senior officials of the Aiwen District could reach out and manipulate this academic exchange.


    In any case, the most unappreciated strength system attended the academic exchange and even if they grew, they would not be able to grow much. They could use the natural disaster as an excuse when the time came.

 CH 56.2

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 56.2


    But Looking into It, I¡¯m the Best at Fire-wielding (2)


    Most of the influential and high-ranking officials in the Aiwen District were involved in the division of the dragon treasures.


    They held all the power of speech and it couldn¡¯t be easier to blame for an incident down to a mishap.


    Gazing at the enormous blood-colored spell formation in front of him, Chen Yanming breathed deeply and consoled himself in his heart.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault.


    If anything, it was Mu Heng¡¯s fault too.


    If he hadn¡¯t refused to hand over the dragon¡¯s ownership, he and the other influential people in the Aiwen District wouldn¡¯t have had to take such a dangerous step.


    By working with the mercenaries, they could keep all their original treasures and divide up every part of the dragon¡¯s precious raw materials.


    A dragon that had disappeared from the continent for 10,000 years! The legendary fantasy species, the mythical creature of creation.


    Whether it was the legendary indestructible dragon scales, the claws, horns, bones, liver, and gallbladder innards...


    Every single part could fetch an unimaginably high price.


    However, Chen Yanming personally would prefer to capture the dragon alive.


    Coming from an experimental aristocratic family, he knew well how much value a living fantasy species could bring.


    Unfortunately, they were fully aware of the difference in power between dragons and humans. It was difficult enough to kill a dragon, but even more so to capture it alive.


    So, for the time being, their goal was to kill the dragon as intact as possible.


    If the plan succeeded, they would reap immeasurably huge profits.


    Chen Yanming¡¯s eyes glowed with enthusiasm. His fear of dragons had disappeared, leaving only boundless greed and fervor.


    Moreover, the forces involved in this secret plan were all high-ranking officials and influential people in the Aiwen District, who held the resources and voice of the entire district. As long as they wanted it¨C


    The snow of the Aiwen Snowfield could cover up all sins.


    ***


    In the auction house.


    Mu Heng lowered his head and opened his phone.


    The message from Shi An appeared first on the screen.


    He paused and tapped on the message.


    ¡­ Exchange conference? Held earlier?


    Mu Heng furrowed his brows.


    The intuition cultivated from years of killing and fighting immediately began to alert.


    He immediately thought of the proposal rejected earlier by the Aiwen District Governor Chen Yanming¨Cabout where to hold the academy exchange meeting. Where will it be? In what way? Everything was still unclear.


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips tightened abruptly as a foreboding rose in his heart.


    He dialed Wen Yao¡¯s number and ordered briefly and concisely, ¡°Check out the matter with the academic exchange conference.¡±


    Wen Yao was very efficient in her work.


    Soon, the relevant information was sent to Mu Heng''s phone.


    He lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the location of the canyon in the southern part of the Aiwen Snowfield on the map, and was slightly stunned.


    He knew this place.


    Although that Abyssal Rift was already a ruin, it was still under the Bureau¡¯s surveillance for a long time. Since those people in the Aiwen District could transport so many unclaimed treasures from it, they must have had a way to bypass the Bureau¡¯s surveillance.


    Based on all the information and intelligence, Mu Heng concluded that they should have entered through this canyon, broken through the stone wall of the central mountain range, and transported the treasures out.


    To deliberately hide the exchange from him, hold it temporarily in advance, and set the location at this place¡­


    The intentions of these people in the Aiwen District were clear to see.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    He turned and walked outside, his pitch-black cloak raised behind him in a fierce, distinct arc.


    However, before he could walk out the door, he was stopped by someone from the auction house.


    The auction house was run by Chen Yanming¡¯s younger brother, Chen Yankang.


    He did not look very much like his brother, but the same kind of greed was under his eyes.


    Chen Yankang smiled and said, ¡°Chief, where are you going?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    Seeing this look on the other man¡¯s face, Chen Yankang immediately knew that things might have fallen through, and his smile faded. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m very sorry. I received an order not to let you leave...¡±


    The silver-haired, blue-eyed man narrowed his eyes slightly, his aura remaining undiminished even in the face of an enemy several times his own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±


    Looking at Mu Heng, Chen Yankang couldn¡¯t help but feel scared.


    Remembering what he had heard of his opponent¡¯s fierce reputation, he subconsciously took a step backward as he tried to persuade and soften his icy attitude.


    ¡°My lord, why are you unwilling to work with us?¡±


    ¡°With your help, we could perhaps capture the dragon alive. At that time, we can carry out many magical experiments on the dragon¡¯s body and get an endless supply of dragon scales and blood¨C¡±


    A look of excitement appeared on Chen Yankang¡¯s face and the look of endless greed seemed to be a fixture in his eyes.


    ¡°As long as you bypass the Bureau, you can obtain more.¡±


    ***


    The mercenary leader watched as the blood-drawn formation before him was completed and tilted his lips into a smile of satisfaction.


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered something, turned his head to the person beside him, and asked, ¡°By the way, why haven¡¯t the people who went to catch those students who disrupted our operation earlier returned?¡±


    That mercenary froze. ¡°My lord, they have already returned.¡±


    The mercenary leader was stunned. ¡°What?¡±


    The mercenary beside him gestured toward a corner of the cave not far away and said, ¡°It seems that they¡¯ve captured them but let them escape because they didn¡¯t watch closely enough. So, they sent several people back to report first and the rest went outside to chase after these students.¡±


    The mercenary leader frowned. ¡°Nothing more than a few students, but they could let them escape? This is too humiliating¨C¡±


    But before he could finish his words, his eyes fell on the few people in that corner.


    Looking at those unfamiliar faces, the mercenary leader was stunned.


    ¡°Hold on. Something is amiss¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, several miserable-looking men rushed in from the tunnel, all stripped naked, covered in green and black frostbite and dirt, shivering from the cold, their faces purple.


    ¡°¡­ M-M-My lord, it¡¯s bad!¡±


    The mercenary leader jolted with surprise and jerked his head toward the young faces.


    One of the young men scratched his head.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect they could wear so little without freezing to death. That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    He blinked and gave a shy, light smile. His face was childish and cute, his tone innocent, but he said something genuinely chilling, ¡°¡­ It seems that it¡¯s better also to peel their skin next time.¡±

 CH 57.1

    After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up Chapter 57.1


    The Dragon is Here (1)


    Zhao She: ¡°¡­¡±


    He blinked slowly, looking in horror toward the young man beside him who had unconsciously uttered that horrible comment.


    He saw Shi An''s eyes narrow as he raised a harmless smile. ¡°I was only joking.¡±


    The corner of Zhao She¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°¡­¡±


    No, it didn¡¯t sound like a joke at all.


    Shi An said, ¡°Speaking of which, you can leave now with Wei Bocheng.¡±


    Zhao She was startled. ¡°Then you¨C¡±


    Shi An interrupted, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear what these people said just now?¡±


    Zhao She was stunned and fell silent.


    ¡°These people are preparing to use every student in this competition at this canyon as living sacrifices.¡± The young man¡¯s voice was light, but his words were ruthless. ¡°There¡¯s still time to evacuate everyone since they haven¡¯t finished the spell yet.¡±


    Zhao She and Wei Bocheng clenched their teeth hard.


    Although they hated to admit it, what Shi An said was right.


    They had to decide in the face of the imminent crisis before them.


    Finally, they drew a deep breath as if they had made up their minds.


    ¡°We will bring reinforcements back. You have to hold on!¡± he said solemnly.


    ¡°¡­ Wait for us!¡± Wei Bocheng said with tears in his eyes.


    Shi An smiled and waved at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be okay by myself here.¡±


    The mercenaries gathered around, their wolf-like eyes staring at the young man left alone in the enemy line and their faces showing sardonic smiles.


    ¡°How touching.¡±


    The leader of the mercenaries applauded, wearing a hypocritical smile on his face. ¡°You stay behind alone to hold us up to let the other students escape their fates of becoming living sacrifices. Such a noble character and unquestionable integrity. I can¡¯t help but be moved by it.¡±


    The mercenaries burst into laughter.


    The smile on the leader¡¯s lips widened. ¡°But¡­ little friend, you¡¯re too na?ve. To let your comrades leave first and notify the others? To bring reinforcements? Hahaha! Do you know why I didn¡¯t stop your two friends from escaping? Because there¡¯s no use. It¡¯s only a deathbed struggle.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we only have these few people in this cave? No. We have twenty times more outside.¡±


    ¡°The mountain has been sealed. No reinforcement will come to save you.¡±


    ¡°You not only can¡¯t save those students outside but also you, yourself, are in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Those students? Protecting them?¡±


    The young man spoke abruptly, interrupting the other man¡¯s words.


    His clear voice rose slightly as if he was genuinely puzzled.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Shi An cocked his head and tugged at his pink scarf with his furry bunny gloves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about them.¡±


    His cheeks and the tip of his nose were red from the cold and his dark eyes were clear and bright with a kind of innocent ignorance of the world. ¡°The weak will be killed. Isn¡¯t it only natural and righteous for the weak to be killed?¡±


    The leader: ¡°¡­!¡±


    He was slightly startled, not expecting the other party to say something like that.


    Shi An scrunched up his nose. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s troublesome. I can¡¯t let go of myself fully if they¡¯re by my side.¡±


    He grumbled in a pouty tone as he slowly and methodically removed his gloves, revealing his slender white fingers.


    A strange sense of danger rose in the mercenary leader¡¯s heart.


    He narrowed his eyes hard and subconsciously tensed his spine as he slowly asked, ¡°... Who are you?¡±


    A student? With such an aura¡­ it couldn¡¯t be.


    The young man raised his eyes and smiled faintly.


    His long, dense black eyelashes blinked slowly and a blazing gold-red fire rose in his eyes as if a blazing fire had burned out the long night. His round pupils became thin and narrow as deceptively strange as if they were that of a cold-blooded animal.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys want to summon the dragon?¡±


    ¡°The dragon is here.¡±


    ***


    Mu Heng gazed at the few people in front of him calmly as he put his gloves back on and stepped forward.


    ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t know I had talked about this with your brother before.¡±


    Chen Yankang resisted the urge to step back and stammered a little in response, ¡°I-I knew, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it seems that I don¡¯t need to make myself repeat it.¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his silvery white eyelashes wordlessly.


    ¡°That dragon, whether alive or dead, is mine.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    Before Chen Yankang could finish his words, he felt a chill on his left arm and was frozen for a couple of seconds as he subconsciously turned his head to look over.


    The sight was crimson.


    It took several seconds for the intense pain to finally hit him.


    Chen Yankang held his empty left arm as he fell to the ground, letting loose screams of agony from his throat. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The man casually kicked the left arm that had fallen to the ground away from him and flung the tip of his sword, splashing the remnants of blood in a scarlet arc across the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit to covet other people¡¯s prey.¡±


    Mu Heng looked down at him condescendingly, the tip of his sword moving slowly forward.


    The sharp blade glinted with a bit of cold, shiny light, reflecting in the bottom of the other man¡¯s constricted, trembling pupils.


    ¡°Skinning? Bleeding?¡±


    Mu Heng asked absently and rhetorically, the sword¡¯s tip sliding down a little. The sharp front edge was just a few short millimeters from the skin, moving down the other man¡¯s face to the front of his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. This time, the matter won¡¯t end so easily.¡±


    Chen Yankang could no longer speak. He stood on two legs, his face pale with cold sweat.


    The knot in his throat twitched as a thin glint of blood showed on his skin.


    ¡°Tell your men to stop immediately,¡± Mu Heng said coldly, ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll lose more than one arm.¡±


    At that moment, something in Chen Yankang¡¯s lapel began to vibrate.


    ¡°Ha, haha¡­ Hahaha!¡± Chen Yankang¡¯s face was contorted with fear but a slow, low laugh came out; his laughter grew louder and more rampant, almost sounding sinister.


    ¡°¡­ Too late. It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that signal? This means that the detector we placed in the cave senses the magic power of a dragon¡­¡±


    His expression was ugly, his eyes trembling with a touch of madness. ¡°The spell is completed. Hahahahaha. The living sacrifices are completed. The dragon is already summoned¡­¡±


    ¡°Even your little friend, hahahahaha, is already dead. Dead!¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    Taking advantage of this moment of distraction from the other party, Chen Yankang jerked up violently, turned around, and ran outward.

 CH 57.2

    The Dragon is Here (2)


    The tip of Mu Heng¡¯s sword had already sunk deep into Chen Yankang¡¯s backside, but no blood seeped out of the opponent¡¯s clothes.


    Chen Yankang twisted his head and the corners of his mouth pulled up to reveal a hideous smile.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized sapphire staff. The gem already cracked with a deep crack and shattered to the ground with a clatter.


    ¡°This thing seemed to have received some blessings and could return the fatal wound received by its master. I have to say, that dragon has a lot of good things¡­¡±


    Scarlet blood blotted across the silver-haired man¡¯s chest.


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression did not change, but on the contrary, he smiled gently.


    The sharp silver-white blade swept by with a sharp sound that broke the air as if it was a silent rustling breeze and as if it was a lightning bolt that swiftly swept through the night.


    Chen Yankang¡¯s hideous expression was frozen on his face.


    A thin trail of blood slowly appeared on his neck.


    The next second¨C


    ¡°Plop.¡±


    A heavy head rolled to the ground and the body that had lost its head convulsed and plunged to the ground. A stream of hot blood splattered out from the flattened and broken wound, staining the entire ground into a scarlet and messy curtain.


    The other men were stunned, their hands trembling with weapons but not daring to launch any attack, even though the man before them was already wounded. They could only watch as he came forward and bent down to retrieve the communicator from the corpse that had lost its head.


    ¡°The canyon.¡±


    Looking at the location displayed on it, Mu Heng narrowed his eyes.


    Carrying his bloodstained longsword, he stepped smoothly outward.


    As the space shrank beneath his feet, his figure disappeared instantly in front of the


    dumbfounded crowd who had lost their fighting will.


    ***


    Inside the cave.


    Fiery dragon flames burned everywhere, the temperature had risen to a terrifying level, the ice and snow around them all melted, and black muddy water mixed with blood flowed freely across the ground.


    Scorched bodies lay all over the ground.


    Their faces had long been burnt beyond recognition, their expressions hideous and horrific, as if they were letting out a silent scream, frozen in a moment of utmost terror and pain by death.


    Chen Yanming¡¯s body fell to the ground, dragging his limp body backward in horror.


    It was as if the hellish sight of what had just happened still lingered in the bottom of his eyes.


    That¡­ overwhelming might was almost beyond the realm of human imagination, not a battle, not a duel, but a one-sided massacre.


    Terrifying¡­


    So terrifying.


    W-Was this the strength of the fantasy species?


    Was this the giant dragon?


    Chen Yanming shivered, cold sweat soaked through his lapel, and his brain was blank. He felt that he had never regretted so much¨Cif time could be turned back, he would instead not have gotten his hands on that enormous amount of treasure and would not be driven by greed to want both the dragon and the money.


    But now¡­ it was too late. Everything was too late.


    The young man stood quietly in the blazing fire not far away, looking calm and seemingly used to the scene in front of him long ago.


    The silvery white texture of dragon scales faintly emerged from his cheekbones and his fair face was covered with a layer of pink glimmer. His pair of golden-red vertical pupils drooped, locked mercilessly on the only living person in the cave.


    Shi An turned around and walked in Chen Yanming¡¯s direction with steady steps.


    He had a kind and gentle smile on his face. ¡°Hi!¡±


    Chen Yanming did not reply.


    He shivered and shook all over, and a fishy smell filled the air as a patch of his crotch slowly got wet.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An frowned and took a step back with some disgust.


    ¡°Ah! So dirty!¡±


    He blinked, a childish puzzlement appearing on his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see me? Why did you not seem too happy after seeing me?¡±


    Only then did Chen Yanming wake up from his dream this time.


    With a thud, he fell to his knees in his excrement and his face was filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯m begging you, please, please let me go¨C¡±


    To Chen Yanming¡¯s surprise, the young man before him thought for a moment and said without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡±


    Chen Yanming froze and looked at the other party incredulously, letting out a monotone sound in disbelief. ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    Shi An lowered his eyes, with a dark look within the fiery pupils of his eyes.


    ¡°As long as you tell me where you guys hid my things, I will agree to it,¡± he said in a soft, chit-chatting tone.


    Chen Yanming was overjoyed at the good news.


    With barely the slightest hesitation, he immediately revealed all his plans¨Cfrom the location of the treasure, who was involved in the division of this treasure, to the Bureau¡¯s plans and the set up in the auction house, without hiding anything at all from Shi An.


    Shi An said, ¡°So, my things are inside the warehouse of the auction house?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Chen Yanming repeatedly nodded as if he feared the other party would think he was lying. ¡°You have to believe me. I didn¡¯t hide anything!¡±


    Shi An looked at him with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Oh, indeed, you didn¡¯t look like you were lying to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Of-Of course! I also don¡¯t dare to lie to you¨C¡±


    Chen Yanming¡¯s face showed a delighted expression.


    However, he saw only a cluster of bright red flames leap from the other party¡¯s palm before he could finish.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The young man coyly pursed his lips and smiled.


    ¡°Bye-bye.¡±


    Chen Yanming¡¯s eyes were wide open, his expression ashen and frantic as he shook his head violently. ¡°D-D-Don¡¯t. Y-You said¡­¡±


    A fiery flame that seemed to be able to set the air on fire rose, the horrendous heat almost capable of melting rock. Almost instantly, the skin and bones of the human in front of him separated and he barely had time to let out a scream before he was already turned into pitch-black charcoal.


    ¡°I¡¯m a dragon. My words can¡¯t be taken seriously,¡± Shi An said in a gentle tone as he lowered his eyes and gazed at the corpse in front of him.

 CH 58.1

    F**k, That Monster (1)


    The vast cave was deadly silent, with the smell of burnt flesh in the air.


    The scorching fire destroyed the scarlet spell in the center, leaving nothing but a tattered and blurred pattern.


    Shi An glanced around the room, his eyes indifferently passing over the charred bodies lying on the ground, and sighed with regret.


    ¡­ It was only a pity that his former cave was changed beyond recognition with all this filthy blood.


    The fire¡¯s residual heat had already dissipated and the temperature inside the cave began to cool gradually.


    Shi An put his hand to his mouth and breathed in the warm air before pulling the pink bunny gloves out of his pocket and putting them on.


    According to the information provided by the human, his treasure should be in the auction house. He had also told him about all the settings and arrangements of the Bureau in the auction house, so it would be easy to get his treasure back.


    Shi An stood still and thought about it.


    Which way to get out of the mountain?


    One was how he had entered this place: through the tunnels to the southern canyon where the exchange was being held.


    Another path was the one he had taken the last time he had come to Aiwen, through the ruins of the Abyssal Rift and into the outer Aiwen Snowfield.


    In terms of temperature, the first one was better.


    It had been outrageously freezing the last time he was in the Aiwen Snowfields. Now that the mountains had been closed for over three months, it was hard for Shi An to imagine how cold it would be this time.


    But¡­


    If the mercenary¡¯s words were correct, they had sent men to seal off the entire canyon and had twenty times as many people lined up outside than inside the cave. Other Academy students might recognize him, so it would be awkward to be seen if there were a confrontation¡­


    And transportation was also a problem.


    Shi An looked in the direction of the second road with great reluctance.


    Sure enough¡­ he had to endure the bitter cold all over again.


    He stepped over the corpses on the ground, climbed with difficulty over the rubble, and followed the route he remembered, heading out of the cave.


    Soon, Shi An was standing on top of the tundra of the Aiwen Snowfield.


    The sky here was even gloomier than in the southern canyon, with white snow falling from the sky, gray color on all sides, with no visible boundaries. The air seemed frozen as if the whole world had forgotten this place and it was quiet.


    AHHHHHHHH, so cold!


    Shi An screamed in his mind.


    He shivered and shrank back into his cotton clothes, somewhat regretting that he had struck too hard just now¨Chow could he have burned the cotton clothes on the mercenaries together? At least peel it off first. It was such a waste. Hoo hoo hoo.


    Shi An¡¯s nose was red from the cold and the warm white breath he exhaled seemed to be frosted.


    He took two deep and shallow steps into the snow and closed his eyes. Threads of magic were drawn from his body and woven into a great net, probing in every direction with a silent call.


    Finally, a vast familiar silhouette emerged not far from the vast expanses of whiteness.


    A skeletal horse¡¯s tall form gradually became more apparent, its heavy hooves smashing into the ground and splashing snow foam. Ghostly blue flames burned within its large black eyes as it looked in Shi An¡¯s direction.


    Good, then the transportation will be this.


    Shi An reached out and broke a rib from the skeleton horse¡¯s body.


    Good, the torch is available, too.


    Skeleton horse: ¡°¡­¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Black smoke: ¡°¡­¡±


    You must be the devil.


    Shi An lit the torch, climbed onto the back of the skeleton horse, and patted its head with his hand. ¡°Send me out of this mountain.¡±


    The skeleton horse let out a neigh and swooped down, speeding up. If it wasn¡¯t for Shi An holding the neck of the skeleton horse in time, he might have been blown down by the swift cold wind.


    Shi An steadied himself and patted the skeleton horse underneath him with great relief.


    ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t know you regarded my command so much. How obedient.¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    I guess it wants to send you, the demon, away for good.


    The skeleton horse was perfect for running through the snow. It wasn¡¯t afraid of the cold, wouldn¡¯t get tired, and wouldn¡¯t shy away from high slopes of gravel. It was simply the most efficient vehicle.


    The scenery around him sped backward and the cold wind whistled with snowflakes like cold, sharp blades.


    If Shi An¡¯s torch had not been burning with dragon flames, it would have been extinguished.


    Suddenly, the skeleton horse¡¯s pace slowed abruptly.


    It slammed its front hooves against the ground with some unease and grunted, looking very agitated.


    Shi An was startled and raised his head from his hunched-up state to look not far away.


    Eh? The smell of humans?


    ***


    A group of twenty or so mercenaries entered from between the gorges.


    ¡°Why are we suddenly called to provide support from above? And even from this hell place? Did something happen in the cave?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not clear. Anyway, they can¡¯t be contacted anymore.¡±


    That person was shocked. ¡°But the people we arranged outside¡­¡±


    ¡°It was Mu Heng.¡±


    Another mercenary interjected abruptly as he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but the news seemed to have been leaked. This guy broke out directly from the front of the southern canyon and wiped out most of our main force.¡±


    ¡°Besides, according to the information sent from our brothers in the auction house, Mu Heng seemed to have been wounded¡­ even a fucking fatal injury.¡±


    He spat and cursed viciously, ¡°Fuck, that monster.¡±


    The remaining few were stunned and somewhat incredulous. ¡°What?¡±


    A frontal breakout in such circumstances, even gaining the upper hand and wiping out most of their main force?


    ¨CHow was that possible?


    The mercenary opened a mouthful of yellow teeth and smiled. ¡°However, now¡¯s our chance.¡±


    ¡°We can take his life, taking advantage of his injury, understand?¡±


    He rubbed the tip of his nose and continued, ¡°Our people are holding back the support from the Bureau¡¯s side. As Mu Heng is forcing his way into the enemy camp alone with wounds, there¡¯s no better chance if we want to eliminate him¡­ Reinforcements have also been sent to the southern side of the canyon. Meanwhile, we are responsible for advancing from here, attacking him from both sides.¡±


    His eyes were sinister as he slowly said, ¡°Mu Heng must die this time.¡±


    In the past, they would not dare to clash head-on with this most powerful human being, but this time was different.


    Mu Heng was not only injured, but he had also fought against the entire frontier team.


    This time, it might be their only chance.

 CH 58.2

    F**k, That Monster (2)


    It was at this moment that a few heavy footsteps came from ahead.


    A huge skeleton horse slowly emerged from the blizzard ahead.


    ¡°On guard!¡±


    The mercenary group took up a vigilant stance.


    They had heard that a challenging undead species was on the road into the mountains and had deliberately bypassed that section to avoid it. Still, they had never expected to encounter it at all.


    When the skeleton horse came closer, all the mercenaries froze.


    Hold on¡­


    But why was there a person sitting on the back of this undead species?


    What was going on?


    They saw a heavily wrapped human sitting on the back of the skeleton horse¡¯s spine, his pink bunny fleece earmuffs and scarf standing out in a blanket of wind and snow, holding a lit rib in his hand. Most of his face was hidden in the scarf, but his voice sounded young.


    The other man said in a muffled voice, ¡°Hello, robbers.¡±


    Mercenaries: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ten minutes later, Shi An stood next to a field of charred corpses.


    The snow was still falling silently and thick stacks of cotton-padded clothes were piled into small mountains around him.


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    As expected of a dragon, he was skilled at robbing homes, murdering people, and arson.


    Shi An found two pieces of cotton-padded clothes that looked cleaner and draped them over his body, then used his dragon flame to set the rest on fire.


    The fire flared up in the snow, releasing a warm heat that dispelled the cold.


    He inhaled and looked towards the canyon¡¯s exit a short distance away.


    He could leave the Aiwen Snowfield after just ten more minutes in the direction he was going, and once he was out of the snowfield, he could head for the auction house, where his long-lost treasure awaited him in its underground storage. Moreover, Shi An now knew what the Bureau had set up in the auction house and according to the information those mercenaries had just given him, Mu Heng was not in the auction house.


    The only person capable of stopping himself had left his post and there was no better time than now to retrieve the treasure.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An paused and slowly turned his head in the direction of where he had come from.


    The wind and snow had covered the way back and the snow was so smooth that there was no sign of where he had come from, nor could he make out the scene in the distance.


    The young man¡¯s dark eyes carried a rare look of hesitation.


    ***


    Outside the tunnel.


    Hot blood splattered on the snow and the heat hadn¡¯t been extinguished by the bitter cold yet.


    The corpse¡¯s eyes were open in death, grimacing, the body still in the position it had been in when it was attacked.


    Broken limbs and flesh were frozen in the white frost and snow, revealing the cruelty of their killers.


    Snow fell silently from the sky, lightly covering the wreckage with a cold, clean layer of snow.


    The canyon was deadly silent.


    No one was left alive.


    Inside the tunnel.


    Mu Heng walked forward unhurriedly, his pace still steady, but as he turned a corner, he still reached out to hold the wall.


    His pitch-black cloak had been soaked in blood, the blood of his enemies and his, mixed indistinguishably, all frozen into blackish-red ice shards by the cold temperatures of the Aiwen Snowfield, becoming one like the solid ground.


    Initially tied in a high bundle, his silver hair had fallen apart during the battle, with several locks drenched in blood and cascading over his shoulders.


    The magical longsword in his hand was still snowy and white, completely invisible from how many throats it had kissed and how much hot blood it had drunk.


    Mu Heng¡¯s brow furrowed slightly and his pale blue eyes half narrowed beneath his long silver eyelashes.


    He released his grip on the wall and straightened his spine as he continued to walk deeper into the tunnel.


    A few more steps forward and the view immediately opened up.


    Mu Heng¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    The cave¡¯s devastating state appeared before his eyes, with charred corpses, melted rocks, and the ground scorched by fire.


    Although the flames had already disappeared, the traces were something Mu Heng could never have recognized wrong.


    The dragon¡­ had already been here.


    He slowly took a few steps forward.


    He only saw the faint remnants of spell formations drawn in scarlet blood on the dirty black ground.


    Mu Heng bowed his head, his eyes deep and dark.


    Ah, it seemed that the living sacrifice had been completed.


    No wonder he hadn¡¯t seen any of the students along the way.


    Then¡­


    The young man who had acted spoiled and pitiful in front of him. The one who always asked to have more ice cream¡­


    The man stumbled and would¡¯ve fallen to the ground if he hadn¡¯t braced himself with his long sword.


    The heart he had been carrying was hanging empty by a thin thread and now, the thread was broken, but the heart could not fall, hanging empty in mid-air, cold and hollow. It did not feel much pain but could not entirely fall into place.


    Mu Heng¡¯s arm trembled slightly from the force, his knuckles clutching the hilt of his sword with a loud rattling sound.


    He tried to brace himself but lost all the energy in his body.


    Mu Heng lowered his head and glanced toward his chest.


    The magic that had been holding the wound since a moment ago was now draining away and warm blood was slowly soaking outward, gradually dampening his clothes.


    He knew exactly how heavy the blow that was given to him was.


    A penetrating, fatal wound.


    Mu Heng blinked slowly, his vision dimming and blurring as if the world was spinning.


    To kill his way into here in this state¡­


    ¡­ It was still too forced, after all.


    Before the darkness swallowed up the light, he vaguely saw what appeared to be a blurred figure not far away.


    Who is it?


    But his vision seemed as if a foggy gray curtain shrouded it and he could not see through this curtain no matter how.


    Mu Heng felt the darkness come over him, dragging him down toward the abyss.


    The sword in his palm shattered into specks of light and disappeared as he lost the last of his strength.


    ¨CBefore he could fall, a pair of pink fluffy gloved hands reached out and held him up.

 CH 59.1

    Not Even Death Can Snatch You from my Hands (1)


    Shi An lowered his head and took a look at Mu Heng on his shoulder.


    The other man¡¯s eyelashes drooped down and closed tightly, his face pale from blood loss and the outline of his brow bones was hard and deep. Even though unconscious, his lips were still tightly pursed, appearing cold and indifferent, continuing to shut people out.


    ¡°¡­ Hey,¡± Shi An shouted tentatively.


    The other person did not answer.


    The man¡¯s breath was weak and his long silver hair was unbound, sliding down like a waterfall and spreading over Shi An¡¯s shoulder.


    Shi An¡¯s movements paused slightly as his eyes fell on Mu Heng¡¯s body.


    So far, he had never seen Mu Heng look so frail.


    The young man inhaled and his dark, bright eyes slowly lit up.


    ¡­. Great!


    If he wanted to make Mu Heng into a shiny amber, now was the best time to do it!


    No need to make an effort at all!


    Although he had given up on going to the auction house to get his treasure back temporarily, it was more important to be here in the cave right now. If Mu Heng died or fell into someone else¡¯s hands, his plans to make his perfect collection would be ruined forever.


    Shi An lowered his head, carefully rubbed his cheek against the top of the other man¡¯s hair, and narrowed his eyes slightly in happiness.


    Baby, you¡¯re about to be mine forever.


    He let out a whistle.


    A minute later, the huge skeleton horse appeared in the cave with its white-bony head hanging low. Its ribs were still scorched and it gazed at the unconscious human in front of him with its dark gaping eyes, its dark blue flames leaping wildly, stirred by the blood.


    Shi An saw right through the mind of the undead species before him.


    He smiled, a ray of crimson fire glinting in the depths of his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡±


    ¡°If you dare to lick him, I will break every bone in your body and turn them into firewood, understand?¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice was soft with a smile, but there was a look of cruel intent in his eyes.


    The skeleton horse: ¡°¡­!¡±


    As if it understood the threat of the demon before it, it immediately restrained its salivating hunger and lowered its head in a submissive gesture.


    Seeing that the skeleton horse had suppressed its unpleasant desires, Shi An withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    He laid a looted cotton-padded coat on the skeleton horse¡¯s back, then shook the demon insect and black smoke out of his pockets and directed them both to carry the unconscious Mu Heng onto the horse¡¯s back.


    As if sensing the approach of a strange scent, Mu Heng¡¯s stern brow furrowed and his gloved fingers twitched slightly as if he was trying to break out of his drowsiness and assume a fighting stance.


    Shi An leaned forward and rubbed the tip of his nose against the other man¡¯s cheek, his tone gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just sleep.¡±


    The man¡¯s brow relaxed a little and he drifted off again.


    Black smoke cautiously moved over and said to the demon insect confusedly, ¡°That¡­ the Lord Dragon and this human should be enemies, right?¡±


    Demon insect said, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Black smoke replied, ¡°I heard it when those humans were chatting just now. So, did Mu Heng come here to save the Lord Dragon?¡±


    Demon insect said, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Black smoke answered, ¡°Then, did the Lord give up going to the auction house and turn back to save Mu Heng?¡±


    Demon insect responded, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Black smoke was silent for a while. ¡°¡­ You know what I¡¯m going to ask.¡±


    Demon insect answered, ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°But you also don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Mm.¡±


    Shi An settled Mu Heng down and turned his head toward the demon insect and black smoke.


    ¡°Why are you guys frozen there? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two demon creatures opted to unanimously forget about the earlier conversation and flew into Shi An¡¯s sleeve as the three demons, one man and one dragon, walked outside the cave.


    Soon, the large cave was empty.


    ***


    Twenty minutes later.


    Heavy shadows loomed and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the tunnel.


    A group of mercenaries soon walked in.


    He stepped forward, stopped before the blood-stained scene, and looked around.


    The cavern before him was scorched and blackened by the flames, corpses were everywhere, and the spell in front of him had been destroyed.


    He knelt, his gloved fingers brushing over the sword marks on the ground and the frozen, bloody remnants of ice.


    ¡°Mu Heng is injured and won¡¯t be able to leave far.¡±


    The mercenary leader stood up and said, ¡°Everything has been arranged by above. We have received the approval of the Aiwen District¡¯s upper ranks and since Mu Heng killed two of the Chen family¡¯s sons, the whole Chen family in Aiwen District has allowed us to move. He won¡¯t be able to escape anymore this time.¡±


    He ordered, ¡°Continue to seal the mountain. Don¡¯t let even a housefly escape. Begin to search all over Aiwen Snowfield. No matter the cost, you must find this person for me!¡±


    ***

 CH 59.2

    Not Even Death Can Snatch You from my Hands (2)


    The heavy snow had finally stopped falling, but the sky was still gray and gloomy and seemed to be brewing for the next blizzard.


    With the horse¡¯s back occupied by the wounded person, Shi An had to walk beside the skeleton horse.


    Taking care to mind Shi An, the skeleton horse intermittently walked and stopped so that his master could keep up.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were downcast as he pondered something.


    A demon that could secrete resin would not be found in a place as cold as the Aiwen Snowfield.


    But since Shi An had already started thinking about this and because he was becoming more proficient in using his mobile phone, he had checked the location of that kind of demonic creature after entering the Aiwen district.


    Beyond the Aiwen Snowfields was an eastern canyon close to the Luosi District, where traces of such demon activity seemed to have been reported some time ago.


    After crossing the remains of Abyssal Canyon eastward from here and then over the Aiwen Snowy Mountains, they could arrive there.


    Shi An turned his head toward the unconscious Mu Heng on his horse with a happy smile.


    It would be cold on the way, but it was all worth it for the sake of his precious collection.


    At this point, Shi An suddenly noticed something and was stunned slightly, halting in his steps.


    ¨CMu Heng¡¯s vital signs were much weaker than they had been a moment ago.


    He stepped forward and raised his hand to feel the pulse on the side of the man¡¯s neck.


    Shi An shivered from the heat the moment his fingertips came into contact with him.


    Mu Heng¡¯s body temperature was already higher than normal human beings and now, it was even hotter when he touched it as if his skin could burn a person.


    His pulse beat weakly and chaotically.


    Shi An was startled.


    To make perfectly preserved amber, the human couldn¡¯t be turned into a corpse. Death would make the eyes cloudy, the limbs stiff, and the hair dull. If Mu Heng were dead, that would make for a completely worthless collection!


    At this point, the demon insect interjected at the right time, cautiously reminding, ¡°That, my lord, is because humans need to treat their wounds after being injured¡­¡±


    Only then did it dawn on Shi An.


    Oh right. The human body was very fragile and needed careful care after being injured.


    Not many creatures could genuinely hurt him when he was a dragon, so Shi An was practically clueless about what to do for an injury.


    He hesitated momentarily and turned his head to look at the demon insect. ¡°Can you treat wounds?¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    You are reaching beyond the scope of my knowledge.


    ***


    Aiwen Snowfield, the eastern end of the Abyssal Rift ruins, in a makeshift camp for mercenaries.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A blast of flame exploded through the snow and ice. An insane blaze swept through the sky with a heat capable of melting human skin and bones, roaring through the heavens and the earth with reckless abandon as if the flames had an independent mind and life, raging mercilessly through the camp. The sound of wretched screams echoed beneath the heavens.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The young mercenary leader, startled and angry, heard the commotion and sprang to his feet, grabbing his weapon.


    But before he had time to step outside, a man covered in blazing fire lunged in from outside without warning. The man¡¯s mournful screams stopped when he touched the ground, convulsed twice, and died.


    A look of horror came over the face of the mercenary leader.


    Let alone the fact that such a fire was lit in such extreme cold but to cause so much damage¡­


    Who could actually be responsible?


    The flames surrounded the area on every side, releasing a terrifying force outward.


    A narrow path suddenly parted between the flames and a slender young man strolled through the fire toward the tent.


    Terrifying flames surrounded the young man¡¯s back and his dark eyes glowed bright red from the flames, like the blazing fires that burned silently in the depths of a dark abyss.


    He lifted his hand and pulled the pink scarf around his neck, revealing a fair and beautiful face.


    The young man smiled shyly. ¡°Hello? Is there a doctor here?¡±


    ***


    Outside the tent, the mercenary camp had long since been reduced to rubble, with heavy snow falling to cover the burning fire¡¯s terrible traces.


    Inside the tent.


    Dragon flames crackled inside the fireplace, warming the entire tent extraordinarily.


    Under the dim light, the tent¡¯s floor could be seen soaked in layers of blood and the shapes of human arms were faintly visible in the fireplace.


    ¨CHuman limbs were stacked and became the sustenance for the flames to engulf.


    In a deep coma, the silver-haired man¡¯s eyelids were tightly closed on the bed.


    His upper body was bared with solid and dense muscle lines from countless battles, his bone lines strong, his undulating body containing strong explosive power beneath his skin. Deep and shallow scars acquired in battle covered his bare skin, looking wild and fierce, each symbolizing a battle fought for his life.


    The wound on Mu Heng¡¯s chest was thickly wrapped in layers of gauze, with faint traces of blood seeping through.


    The leaping flames reflected the man¡¯s pale profile, coating him with a crimson shimmer.


    Shi An yawned and climbed onto the bed, curling up beside Mu Heng.


    He rested on Mu Heng¡¯s shoulder, pressing intimately against the burning, hot body of the man beside him, and raised his eyes, his red-gold vertical pupils glowing in the darkness.


    ¨CBefore becoming my collection, not even death can snatch you from my hands.


    Shi An naturally curled his entire body into the other man¡¯s arms.


    He smiled and rubbed himself against the other man¡¯s chest.


    Then, Shi An closed his eyes and began transforming and absorbing the last bit of energy left in his body from the dragon molt.


    ***


    Not far away, black smoke and demon insect gazed silently at the bizarre scene.


    Black smoke said, ¡°Speaking of which, does the Lord still plan to kill Mu Heng?¡±


    Demon insect answered, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Black smoke said, ¡°Then does Mu Heng still plan to slay dragons?¡±


    Demon insect responded, ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Black smoke looked at the intimate man and dragon before him and slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think their relationship is slightly perverted?¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    It pondered for a few seconds and slowly said, ¡°Mm.¡±

 CH 60.1

    The Familiar Tail (1)


    Wen Yao¡¯s face was grave, her heart burning with anxiety.


    ¡°How is the situation in the south canyon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not clear.¡±


    The subordinate shook his head. ¡°The officials there said a blizzard broke out at the south canyon and every external communication and path had been cut off, but we haven¡¯t detected any large-scale weather disaster in that direction¡­¡±


    He gritted his teeth and said grimly, ¡°Aiwen District¡¯s higher-ups must¡¯ve known something but have been giving us perfunctory statements to delay time!¡±


    ¡°What about the unit dispatched earlier?¡±


    ¡°They met a small group of mercenaries and are in a fight with them, advancing extremely slowly.¡±


    Wen Yao took a deep breath, her brows tinged with a bit of weariness. ¡°What about Chief Mu? Were you able to contact him?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    The senior officials of the Aiwen District had a negative attitude toward them and the relevant authorities only shifted their responsibilities. Due to its remote northern location, this district usually didn¡¯t receive much attention from the central district, resulting in a twisted and corrupted local authority that had perfunctorily written them out by now.


    The Bureau¡¯s team was already short-handed and Mu Heng could not be reached, so the matter had fallen into a deadlock.


    As the deputy, all the burdens rested alone on Wen Yao¡¯s shoulders.


    Now, she had to make a decision. One wrong move and she would probably lose everything.


    Her brow furrowed as she gazed at the map before her.


    The auction house, south canyon¡­


    Eventually, Wen Yao slowly took a deep breath and raised her head.


    Her expression was resolute as if she had already made up her mind and she said in a calm and determined tone, ¡°Leave a few people to stay at the headquarters. All the remaining combat staff follow me.¡±


    If her guess was correct, it was likely that the mercenaries and Aiwen District¡¯s higher-ups had joined forces this time to target the dragon¡¯s capture plan. The southern and western entrances to the canyon were guarded. With their human resources, they were afraid that they would not be able to fight the other parties on multiple fronts, so they could only concentrate their strength and break out from the location that was most likely to be the weak zone.


    Wen Yao pointed her finger at the eastern side of the Aiwen Snowfield, bordering another district.


    ¡°Go here.¡±


    ***


    The firewood had almost burned out and the dragon flame in the fireplace gradually weakened.


    Shi An¡¯s eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened in time.


    His eyes had turned into pure golden-red dragon pupils, narrow and slender, like burning scarlet flames.


    The dragon molt¡¯s absorption had finally been completed after such a long time.


    Shi An sat up, relaxed his body, and stretched.


    He yawned, blinking away the sleepy tears at the corners of his eyes, and turned his head toward the man beside him.


    Mu Heng was still unconscious.


    His sword was made of magic, so the wounds inflicted were far more severe than ordinary lethal weapons and a harsh chill would continue to invade the depths of the injury. While the doctors in the mercenaries were able to treat the superficial wounds, they could do nothing for the more profound magical damages that were inflicted on him. Not to mention that he had run thousands of miles with such a fatal wound and forcefully mobilized his magic, even more so to wipe out all the mercenary group¡¯s leading forces in the southern canyon.


    Although his vital signs were stable, it would be tough for him to wake up immediately.


    However, it should be enough to make it to the eastern canyon alive.


    Shi An touched the man¡¯s long silver hair scattered on the pillow and climbed up.


    With the help of the demon insect and black smoke, he helped the unconscious Mu Heng put on his clothes.


    Although Mu Heng typically looked slender and not exactly burly, that weight could practically crush a dragon after being in a coma, a dead weight. After barely wrapping Mu Heng tightly, a layer of sweat had already appeared on Shi An¡¯s forehead.


    He gasped heavily and sat on the edge of the bed for a while before recovering his strength.


    At that moment, Shi An heard the skeleton horse outside the tent make a restless kicking sound and its loud snorts were apparent on this silent snowy night.


    Shi An was slightly startled and squinted his eyes in one direction.


    ¡­. There was a human smell.


    Heavy snow poured down, turning the ground and sky a uniform grayish-white color.


    The mercenaries responsible for tracking Mu Heng¡¯s whereabouts were already in pursuit, the heavy snow crunching beneath their feet as the group leader led several porcupine-like demonic creatures in his hands. These creatures could sniff through the snow to search for the smell of blood, the only way to find the injured in such extreme conditions.


    Suddenly, the creatures stopped in their tracks and looked in one direction simultaneously.


    They pawed uneasily in place, harsh grunts emanating from their snouts and a fearful glint in their tiny eyes.


    The mercenaries gazed suspiciously at the group of demonic creatures behaving unusually.


    Had they found a clue?


    It didn¡¯t look like it¡­


    But no matter how much they scolded and prodded, the demons wouldn¡¯t take even one more step in that direction.


    What a strange situation.


    The mercenary¡¯s team leader twisted his head and signaled to the few men behind him. ¡°Go take a look.¡±


    The mercenaries¡¯ pupils flinched as they passed through the blizzard.


    Most of the destroyed camp was covered in wind and snow and faintly visible frozen green and black bodies poked out of the snow piles that had not yet accumulated thick enough as if they had been subjected to an inhumane massacre, with scorch marks from the blazing fires all around them, looking extremely gruesome.


    ¡°Quick, call someone! We have found him!¡±


    The noise and chaos of footsteps approached the only tent in the entire camp that was still intact.


    The air seemed to freeze and stagnate with the heavy hostility and murderous aura coming from all directions.


    ¡°Chief Mu, we know you¡¯re inside.¡±


    The mercenary¡¯s team leader narrowed his eyes and looked fixedly into the deadly silence of the tent, his sinister voice echoing through the snow and wind. ¡°I have to say that I admire you for running so far in that condition and could even pillage this camp. But you should¡¯ve known that you¡¯re only making a last-ditch fight now¡­ We respect an unyielding man. As long as you cooperate with us, we¡¯d be willing to befriend you¡­¡± he said while gesturing toward the other mercenaries.


    The remaining two teams sneaked around the side and approached the tent.


    Even though they knew that the other side was already severely wounded, the mercenaries did not dare to take it lightly.


    They knew the more wounded a beast was, the more vicious its bite would be. The almost wholly destroyed camp in front of them confirmed their suspicions.


    However, they didn¡¯t intend to leave anyone alive from the start.

 CH 60.2

    The Familiar Tail (2)


    The two teams of approaching mercenaries had already come into position and were only waiting for the leader to give the word to attack together.


    The team leader slowly raised his hand.


    But before he could give the order, all that could be heard was an unfamiliar voice from inside the tent.


    ¡°¡­ You guys are very noisy.¡±


    The voice was childish and clean, grumbling softly.


    The team leader froze.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t seen Mu Heng in person, he was very clear that the voice speaking was in no way coming from Mu Heng.


    Could it be that they were chasing the wrong person? Or¡­ did Mu Heng have another companion?


    Shi An looked down at Mu Heng at his side.


    Even in his unconsciousness, the man still felt the presence of a strong murderous aura, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, his silvery-white eyelashes twitching slightly as if he was struggling to wake up.


    Shi An used his fingertips to rub Mu Heng¡¯s brow flat.


    Shi An lifted the tent curtain and poked his head out, saying in a soft voice, ¡°Be a little quieter. You will wake the wounded person if you go on like this.¡±


    The mercenaries looked through the gap between the curtains and saw Mu Heng¡¯s trademark silver hair.


    He was truly here!


    And more importantly, Mu Heng looked like he was severely injured and had fallen into a coma.


    The other man looked completely defenseless¡­ This was simply the perfect opportunity!


    The mercenary leader was overjoyed and his hand that gave the order fell sharply.


    ¨CDo it!


    The mercenaries on either side of the tent suddenly attacked, their sharp blades cutting through the tent, revealing a snowy, sharp, cold glint as they struck with lightning speed!


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it already¡­¡±


    The teenager¡¯s voice was still soft, trailing slightly as if he were whining. ¡°You guys are too noisy.¡±


    Flames flared up abruptly the moment his words fell.


    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± Miserable screams rang out as they were engulfed in the next instant.


    The blazing flames engulfed the human bodies. The scarlet water snakes were controlled with extreme precision. All the enemies had been turned into blackened residual ashes in the blink of an eye, but the tents on the side were not even half scorched.


    ¡­ Such a terrifying killing power and fearsome control.


    All the mercenaries froze.


    Even if they were beaten to death, they did not expect the soft-looking young man before them to be so powerful.


    How could it be that they had never heard the name of such a fire wielder on the continent?


    Shi An lowered his head and glanced toward his palm, the corners of his lips curling up slightly.


    Sure enough, his strength had advanced by a large margin after the dragon molt had all been absorbed.


    Although he was still far from being at his peak, he was still more than capable of dealing with these people.


    Suddenly, he frowned fiercely.


    ¡­Weird.


    Shi An took two steps back and lost interest in continuing the fight.


    He waved at the skeleton horse hiding in the snow and wind in the distance. ¡°They¡¯re yours.¡±


    The undead species let out a neigh of excitement and swooped down towards the crowd that reeked of blood and flesh before it.


    Harsh screams cut through the snowy night.


    But Shi An hung his head somewhat distractedly as if he didn¡¯t hear any of it.


    Sensing something wrong, the demon insect came over and quizzically questioned him, ¡°My lord, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shi An seemed to abruptly pull himself out of his delirious state as he froze, looked down at his palms, and then slowly shook his head.


    ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡±


    Very quickly, the skeleton horse, having drunk its fill of blood, came over in the direction of the tent, ethereal blue flames fluttering insatiably in its eyes, leaving a long trail of bloody footprints the size of a bowl after its hooves hit the snow, and it snorted, dropping its head meekly.


    Shi An appeared to have returned to normal.


    He patted the skeleton horse¡¯s head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a mountain to cross.¡±


    The unconscious Mu Heng was placed on the horse¡¯s back and they set off again as they had done earlier.


    In the blanket of wind and snow, no matter how far they went, it seemed as if they were still walking in place and striding forward in this way gradually became a mechanical subconscious effort.


    Shi An kept his head down and walked on without saying a word.


    ¡­ Strange.


    His head was dizzy.


    A strange sensation never felt before was fighting inside his torso, cold at one moment and hot at another as if his mind and body had been split hard in two or as if some unknown and strange impulse was screaming and brewing in the depths of his soul, silently urging him to reach out and seize, to plunder, to get¨C


    But¡­ to get what?


    He didn¡¯t know.


    Shi An frowned a little in confusion, blinking sluggishly and slowly.


    A light flush climbed up his cheeks like a burning peach cloud, and his dark, clear eyes were covered with a layer of foggy water mist, with slightly lax vision, looking extraordinarily naive and dazed.


    ¡­ Truly strange.


    What¡¯s wrong with me?


    Shi An tried to come up with some reason in his dizzy head, but it was as if he was searching for a thread in a knotted ball of wool, fumbling for half a day and still coming up empty.


    A little¡­ painful.


    So uncomfortable.


    Shi An tripped over his left foot and accidentally stumbled in the snow. He might have fallen headfirst into the snow if he hadn¡¯t reached out to hold onto the skeleton horse on one side.


    ¡°My¡­ my lord¡­¡± Demon insect¡¯s trembling voice rang out behind him.


    Shi An shook his head and said vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°N-Not this¡­ B-Behind you¡­¡±


    Behind me? What¡¯s wrong?


    Shi An craned his head suspiciously to look behind.


    ¨CA large, familiar tail appeared in his slightly blurred vision.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An blinked sluggishly.


    The dragon tail behind him waved subconsciously, its silvery-white scales shining brightly and brilliantly in the heavy snow.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Eh?

 CH 61.1

    Generally Speaking, It¡¯ll be Okay After Finding a Female Dragon (1)


    ¨CEh?


    Shi An¡¯s eyes snapped wide, retreating several steps back with a thud, his spine slamming hard into the skeleton horse.


    The skeleton horse snorted, the crushed snow pelting down beneath its hooves. It steadied itself at the edge of the cliff, the unconscious man on its spine slipping a few paces slightly with its sudden movements.


    Mu Heng frowned in his slumber, his silvery white eyelashes fluttering slightly as he showed some signs of awakening.


    Shi An turned his back to him, gazing at the dragon tail behind him with a blank expression.


    ¡°How¡­ How could it be?¡±


    Didn¡¯t the tail retract after most of the dragon molt had been absorbed?


    And he had clearly absorbed all the magic in the dragon molt by now, so how could it come out again¡­?


    Shi An reached over in disbelief and caught the tip of his tail in his palm.


    It was cold, hard, and smooth.


    It was solid, with not even a hint of imagination.


    Shi An stood perplexed, seemingly unable to understand the strange phenomenon before him.


    At that moment, his body suddenly stiffened slightly and a muffled whimper escaped from his throat. ¡°¡­ Woo!¡±


    That strange feeling¡­ came again.


    Shi An¡¯s legs went limp and he fell to the ground unsupported, his tail slipping out of his hands and flicking restlessly behind his back, his tail shuddering slightly, instinctively bucking upward.


    It was uncomfortable¡­


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but curl up as if that was the only way to counter the strange sensation that assaulted his body.


    The demon insect panicked. ¡°M-My lord, are you okay?¡±


    The young man in front of him curled up further as if he had not been listening. Even through his thick cotton coat, one could still feel his lean back shivering violently and the tips of his ears were already red under his soft black hair, which looked particularly blinding in the blanket of snow.


    Shi An rested his cold forehead against his wrist, his quivering eyelashes drooping to hide his dazed red-gold pupils, his initially pale cheeks tinted a brilliant scarlet, his lips pursed, trying to suppress the gasp coming out of his throat.


    The demon insect on the other side anxiously turned around. ¡°My lord, say something! What actually¨C¡±


    At that moment, Black Smoke, who had not said a word since a moment ago, sighed deeply before speaking slowly. ¡°Perhaps, what I worried about still happened in the end.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The demon insect stared at it and dashed toward Black Smoke with a fierce look, its six thin legs catching the other side in a deadly grip. ¡°I knew it! It must be you, this scoundrel! Say it! What did you do to the Lord?¡±


    Black Smoke was caught off guard by the attack.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    It desperately tried to break free from the demon insect¡¯s grasp, furiously saying, ¡°Pah! Don¡¯t make unfounded attacks! Why would you say I did something? I also suspect you were the one doing something!¡±


    Seeing that the two unreliable demons were about to wrestle again, the skeleton horse on one side hit the snow heavily with its front hooves and puffed out a breath from its nostrils. The dark blue flames in the depths of its dark eyes danced for a moment as if making a silent threat.


    Only then did the demon insect and Black Smoke part in indignation, no longer continuing to cling to their grudge.


    Black Smoke took a deep breath and said, ¡°You also knew I had been locked up for thousands of years in that tiny box. The only thing accompanying me was that book about dragons. After such a long period, I practically know that book by heart, so I¡­¡±


    The demon insect interrupted it impatiently, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Can¡¯t you get straight to the point?¡±


    Black Smoke: ¡°¡­¡±


    It clenched its teeth and decided not to bicker with the demon insect but bluntly said, ¡°I suspect that the Lord has entered the estrus period.¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was silent for a long time before finally letting out a dry monosyllable, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Black Smoke said ¡°Every dragon¡¯s species will enter the estrus period once they finish the last molting process. However, the Abyss dragon was the only species not mentioned before, so I could only guess. Only until this time was I certain¡­¡±


    Demon insect echoed, ¡°¡­ Estrus period?¡±


    Black Smoke showed a lofty look and said, ¡°The more powerful the lineage and more precious the dragon¡¯s species, the stronger the magical power accumulating in their bodies. Therefore, their breeding success will be lower. Theoretically, to make up for this, the more powerful and rare the dragon¡¯s species, the longer the estrus period and the more difficult to resist the effects caused¨Cif it is something commoner like the black dragon, even without finding a mate after entering the estrus period, they will be fine after enduring it for a while. Meanwhile, the Abyss dragon¡­¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Black Smoke said with some uncertainty, ¡°For such a rare dragon species like the Lord to endure his estrus period, it¡¯s possible to have unpredictable risks. Secondly, his strength might regress. It might even prove to be a danger to his life.¡±


    Demon insect immediately tensed up. ¡°Then, then what should be done?¡±


    Black Smoke: ¡°Generally speaking, it¡¯ll be okay after finding a female dragon.¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fuck you.


    The fantasy species hasn¡¯t appeared on the continent for thousands of years and the Abyss dragons have been gone for longer.


    Find a female dragon? Aren¡¯t you talking fucking shit?


    It strongly suppressed its urge to fight. It took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. ¡°If there¡¯s none?¡±


    Black Smoke fell into contemplation. ¡°Mm, this is a good question.¡±


    The demon insect was so angry that its face was twisted and was close to rushing up, tearing Black Smoke apart, and eating it.

 CH 61.2

    Generally Speaking, It¡¯ll be Okay After Finding a Female Dragon (2)


    Black Smoke hurriedly floated backward, out of the demon insect¡¯s attack range.


    It said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Aren¡¯t I thinking of a way now¡­¡±


    At this moment, Black Smoke suddenly seemed to think of something.


    ¡°Oh, right. I remember there was a method written in that book. We could temporarily delay and suppress a dragon¡¯s estrus period if it¡¯s successful.¡±


    Of course, there are a few side effects¡­


    However, I¡¯m afraid that this is the only viable solution in this current situation.


    Black Smoke said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should find a cave and settle the Lord inside first.¡±


    Soon, they found a deep and safe-looking cave nearby. It was dark, with strong, cold stone walls, and although it was somewhat rudimentary, it would at least shelter them from the wind and snow.


    Shi An¡¯s head was half-lowered, his long bangs hanging down to cover most of his crimson cheeks.


    Mu Heng was also moved off the horse, lying beside Shi An with his eyes squeezed shut.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There are many materials needed. We have to split up and search for them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ with the Lord¡¯s state now¡­¡±


    The demon insect glanced with some hesitation at Shi An, curled up in the corner of the cave.


    ¡°How about I stay behind to take care of him?¡±


    Black Smoke said, ¡°We don¡¯t have too much time. Let the skeleton horse stay behind. Although it doesn¡¯t have high intelligence, it has the strongest force value out of the three of us. It should be enough to protect the Lord.¡±


    The demon insect pointed to Mu Heng at the side and asked with a bit of caution, ¡°Then what about him?¡±


    Black Smoke answered, ¡°What about him?¡±


    Demon Insect said, ¡°What if he suddenly wakes up?¡±


    This human had always wanted to slay dragons, so wouldn¡¯t it be bad if he happened to wake up and bump into Shi An in his weakest state?


    Black Smoke replied, ¡°With such severe injury? Impossible.¡±


    It pondered. ¡°However, it¡¯s better to be safe.¡±


    Black Smoke drifted over and a puff of gray smoke spread out from its body, enveloping the already unconscious man in it and drifting into his mouth and nose.


    Mu Heng¡¯s brow furrowed as if trying to ward off the effects of the strange magic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I naturally couldn¡¯t deal with him when he was awake. But in his weakest state now, my illusion will be enough,¡± Black Smoke said smugly.


    The demon insect sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±


    The demonic creatures added a layer of concealing magic outside the cave to prevent the people inside from being discovered.


    The skeleton horse stayed outside the cave, hiding under the snow, killing any enemy that might approach this cave.


    Then the two demonic creatures left in haste, splitting up to search for materials.


    Soon the dimly lit cave became very quiet.


    The sound of the wind and snow was blocked out as if it were a part of the world cut off from the whole continent.


    Shi An opened his eyes in a daze.


    His face was hot and red, the burning flush spreading from his ears to his neck, his breathing rapid and shaky.


    It was unbearable.


    Shi An looked around sluggishly and slowly. His vision felt fogged up and he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly.


    But, he could faintly see the bright shimmer of silver in the dimness.


    It was beautiful.


    ¡­. mine.


    He curled his whole body up and leaned harder toward his treasure as if he could banish this strange and unfamiliar feeling from his body by just wrapping his arms around it.


    The silver-haired man¡¯s brow furrowed and his eyelashes fluttered slightly.


    He felt as if he were deep in a murky ocean, propelled by invisible forces. No matter how hard he tried to poke his head out, he could not resist going with the flow.


    Memories shattered into fragments that could not be pieced together.


    Blood, bodies, winds, blizzards, death.


    All of it stirred together into a bottomless whirlpool, pulling him around in the darkness of his half-awake dreams.


    It was as if a crack had opened in the darkness and a faint light shone through.


    Mu Heng felt a cool, soft body come over and press against his arm.


    He opened his eyes and looked over in bewilderment.


    ¡­ Shi An.


    It¡­ was Shi An who should have been dead.


    A voice in his heart was sure and firm.


    This is a dream.


    Mu Heng slowly lifted his hand and held the other man¡¯s waist.


    ¡°¡­.. Wuu.¡± The young man shuddered and went limp as if he had lost his strength but instinctively arched his waist and pushed himself into the man¡¯s burning, hot palm.


    The waist in his palm was thin and soft and shivered unconsciously with his movements.


    So cold.


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips rubbed against the soft and delicate waist of the other party and even through the layer of clothing, he could still feel the cold temperature of the other person¡¯s body that did not resemble a living person¡¯s.


    Why did you die?


    Mu Heng lifted his other hand and slid it along the curvature of Shi An¡¯s earlobe and jaw, silently lifting the other man¡¯s face.


    He lowered his eyelashes, his chaotic, dark blue eyes hidden deep in the shadows, gazing steadily at the young man lying in his arms.


    Because I didn¡¯t protect you.


    The young man¡¯s brow was furrowed, with a watery mist under his eyes, like the glistening of tears that would not fall. His thin, white throat trembled beneath the other man¡¯s palm, emitting a pitiful, helpless whimper as he burrowed unconsciously into the other man¡¯s arms. His lower lip was bitten scarlet and looked wet and soft, opening and closing.


    Even if it would take his life¡­


    Mu Heng lowered his head and let his instincts drive him to kiss Shi An¡¯s lips.


    He acknowledged it.

 CH 62.1

    Beast! (1)


    The young man¡¯s lips were cold and soft, with a slight chill, like snowflakes falling on his lips and melting instantly, tempting him to take more.


    Mu Heng pressed his hot palm against the back of the young man¡¯s neck, forcing him to lean forward.


    ¡°¡­.. Wu.¡±


    Shi An shivered at the heat emitting from the other person¡¯s body.


    A faint mumble escaped from his throat, his long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and watery glints floated under his eyes.


    He tried to retreat in a daze at the onslaught of unfamiliar sensations, curling up instinctively like a small animal cornered in a desperate situation. Still, he was stopped by the arms around his waist and was forcibly confined in his embrace.


    Mu Heng rubbed his thumbs over the young man¡¯s cheeks.


    The delicate, icy contact melted underneath his touch, tinged with the warmth of his fingertips.


    It was like the line between life and death was blurred.


    It was as if he had pulled the other man from the cold underworld back to the human world, carried him in his arms, and warmed him up in his palms.


    It was as if¡­ he had never died.


    Mu Heng tightened his fingers.


    Beneath the silvery white eyelashes, his eyes grew darker, like the gloomy gray-blue sky before a storm.


    He couldn¡¯t help becoming violent, his sharp canine teeth gnashing together, tasting the faintest hint of blood between his lips and teeth, the taste of rust spreading out.


    Under the pressure of his palm, the young man was forced to tilt his head and accept the rough and painful kiss.


    ¡­ Painful.


    Shi An frowned, a glimmer of clarity sorted through his dazed pupils.


    He looked at the man close by, blinking blankly.


    ¡­?


    What kind of¡­ situation is this?


    As if to punish him for his lack of attention, Mu Heng nibbled lightly on the young man¡¯s lower lip.


    ¡°Wuu.¡± Shi An frowned and subconsciously flinched slightly.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyelashes fluttered.


    He let go of Shi An, his eyes dropping as he gazed at the young man¡¯s kissed lips, pressing his fingertips against the other man¡¯s lower lip and rubbing it as if he wanted to rub away the bloody smear.


    ¡°¡­ Did it hurt?¡±


    Blood sacrifice, did it hurt?


    A hint of pain flashed under Mu Heng¡¯s eyes.


    His breath hitched and he subconsciously clenched his teeth, feeling a dense painful sensation spreading from his heart.


    Was death painful?


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Only then did Shi An react as an afterthought.


    Human body heat invaded his senses at his waist, the back of his neck, and his lips. A hot sensation spread instantly.


    His face burst into heat as if flames were burning under his skin and his brain began to buzz.


    Shi An scrambled backward.


    Luckily, Mu Heng was still injured and his strength had not yet been fully restored, allowing Shi An to break free from his arms.


    Shi An covered his bitten lip, breathing heavily, his mind in a state of confusion.


    W-What is going on?


    Why are things turning out this way?


    Shi An was the last of his species and didn¡¯t know much about how the Abyss dragons interact.


    However, after being in human society for so long, even he knew what a ¡°kiss¡± was.


    It seemed to be a significant act, a way of expressing intimacy among humans.


    So¡­ why?


    Why would Mu Heng do this?


    The dark cave, already small in size, seemed to have become even more cramped and narrow now, the air frozen and filled with a certain unspeakable, highly saturated tension that made him feel uncomfortable all over.


    In a brief moment of stimulation, Shi An snapped out of his muddled state of estrus and regained a certain degree of sanity.


    Suddenly, Shi An¡¯s eyes snapped wide open as if he had thought of something.


    Ah!


    T-The tail!


    Shi An subconsciously reached out and touched behind himself.


    Sure enough, as desired, the giant dragon¡¯s tail had not been retracted and was swinging from side to side following his intention.


    Shi An sucked in a breath of cold air.


    He lifted his head and looked across the room toward Mu Heng.


    However, strangely enough, the man in front of him did not seem to react too much to this as if he did not notice it at all¡­


    It was almost as if he was under an illusion.


    Shi An was perplexed and cautiously moved forward.


    Mu Heng slowly raised his eyes, gazing at the young man before him with those deep, dark blue eyes, his vision slightly out of focus, his voice low, with a little imperceptible hoarseness. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    Mm?


    As Shi An was lost in thought, the man in front of him reached out again, tugging him by the wrist and dragging him back.


    Shi An was startled. ¡°Hold¡­ Hold on!¡±


    The other man did not seem to hear him and dragged Shi An straight into his arms.


    He wrapped his arms tightly around Shi An¡¯s waist, his hot forehead resting against the other party¡¯s shoulder nook, his voice dark. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Shi An was stunned.


    The familiar cold scent of the man¡¯s body surrounded him and the warmth of his body heat enveloped him in a tight embrace.


    He hesitantly reached out his hand and touched Mu Heng¡¯s long, smooth silver hair, saying with some uncertainty, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing?¡±


    However, this act seemed to trigger the other party¡¯s stress response and Shi An felt the arm around his waist suddenly tighten.

 CH 62.2

    Beast! (2)


    His tail¡¯s sensitive and fragile root was brushed against and a strange current ran through his body.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t contain his shriek of surprise as his waist went limp again and his entire body melted into the other man¡¯s arms.


    He slumped over Mu Heng¡¯s shoulder; his cheeks flushed and bewilderment and clarity struggled and fought under his watery eyes.


    No¡­


    No, no, no¡­


    Mu Heng¡¯s hot palms moved down and caught Shi An¡¯s tail.


    He frowned with a puzzled look, seemingly unsure of what he was touching in his hand.


    The warm body heat of the human burned the cold scales.


    The man¡¯s fingertips were not precisely delicate, with a slight callus, carefully feeling their way through the gaps between the dragon¡¯s scales. The soft fingertips applied slight pressure and the hard nails scraped gently over them as if probing without malice. Still, the strokes were extraordinarily detailed, stretching the process and making it extra slow.


    ¡°Let¡­let go. Let go quickly!¡±


    Shi An was on the verge of tears of desperation.


    He gasped at a loss for words, his cheeks burning hot, his body shivering as if he was invaded by the intense, strange sensation that would consume his sanity.


    It was terrible, so terrifying.


    However, he had long since lost his strength and could not break free from the other man¡¯s grasp, no matter what.


    The look in Shi An¡¯s eyes became increasingly lax as time passed.


    A crimson light shone under his eyes.


    The scarlet vertical pupils and the pitch-black human pupils alternated under his eyes as if two forces were competing.


    The body¡¯s instincts gradually took over the torso.


    Shi An felt like he was drifting in a vast ocean, unable to break free from his massive swamp-like fall.


    The other man¡¯s palm was hot against the side of his waist, radiating heat as if it would warm him up and his muscles became limp, unable to muster any strength in his body.


    Want to escape¡­


    But then, he wanted to be touched more.


    Shi An gasped hard, restraining the urge to bring himself forward, his slender finger bones clenching subconsciously, showing a vague hint of white from the effort.


    Mu Heng raised his fingertips and gently lifted his chin, his fingertips gently pressed against his lips, nudging the column of his teeth a little bit. His fingertips kneaded and teased the tip of his wet, soft tongue, his eyes dark as if he could devour the young man in front of him with a very aggressive gaze.


    He leaned down and silently kissed away the remnants of tears on the young man¡¯s cheeks.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were teary as he allowed the other man to move.


    Somehow, he had a vaguely strange feeling.


    If he didn¡¯t leave now, something¡­


    Something terrible was going to happen.


    Shi An blinked hard, doing his best to snap his sanity out of the state of confusion before him.


    To get away.


    To run.


    He began to chant something intermittently, the indistinct, ancient language spilling from his throat and echoing through the small cave.


    Finally, when the long chant had passed, Mu Heng¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly and his breathing subsided.


    He seemed to have fallen back into sleep.


    Only then did Shi An stumble and break free of the other man¡¯s hand.


    He clutched his large tail pitifully, curled up in the corner of the cave, and blinked back large tears that fell.


    The drops of water smashed against his tail and he would slightly shiver with each splatter, looking so aggrieved.


    This was the scene the demon insect and Black Smoke saw when they returned.


    The young man¡¯s clothes were in disarray, his eyes were red, his lips were red with bite marks, and he was clutching his big tail with tears falling from his eyes.


    The demon insect: ¡°!!!¡±


    It rushed over nervously. ¡°My lord, what happened to you?¡±


    Shi An sobbed and shook his head, clutching his tail.


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    The demon insect and Black Smoke looked at each other blankly.


    Due to the situation¡¯s urgency, they used their fastest speed to search for the materials. Besides, one of them could divide into countless puppet insects and the other was a cloud of smoke in its own body, which was pervasive, so they should not have been away for too long. How could¡­


    Suddenly, they seemed to realize something.


    The demon insect slowly turned its head to look at Mu Heng sleeping on the other side.


    The man¡¯s eyelids were shut, but his posture was completely different from when they had left earlier, with his long, flowing silver hair hanging over his shoulders and his lapels also slightly disheveled.


    It was almost as if one could tell what had just happened at a glance.


    The demon insect was extraordinarily shocked and furious. ¡°¡ªBeast!¡±


    Black Smoke was similarly indignant. ¡°Right, beast!¡±


    Bastard, really too much of a bastard.


    Shi An sniffled, with a bit of sobbing in his voice. ¡°He actually didn¡¯t do anything¡­ Besides, it shouldn¡¯t be intentional. I think he wasn¡¯t very sober then.¡±


    ¨CIn fact, Shi An wasn¡¯t lying.


    Nothing happened just now and Mu Heng didn¡¯t seem aware of what he was touching, more like an unconscious action than sober immoral behavior.


    Moreover¡­


    Shi An pursed his lips, suddenly remembering the two ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± sentences the other man had uttered.


    The man¡¯s eyes were downcast, staring at him with an extremely complex gaze and he had some emotion under his eyes that Shi An couldn¡¯t understand, like a dark, heavy sea that swallowed up all the light.


    But the sadness and vulnerability in him were unmistakable.


    Even now, thinking about it, it was like being softly tickled in some part of his heart, making Shi An feel unaccustomed to it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The demon insect and Black Smoke looked at Mu Heng with even more anger and contempt like they were looking at a scumbag who had cheated on their child¡¯s feelings.


    ¨CWorse than a beast!

 CH 63.1

    It¡¯s Just That¡­ There¡¯s a Little Side Effect (1)


    The young man sat in the corner of the cave, clutching his tail.


    His eyes were downcast, a hazy mist clouding the depths of his dark eyes, and a faint reddish halo remained in the corners of his eyes, which looked particularly luscious against his fair skin.


    Shi An gazed at the potion before him, his voice slightly muffled with a soft, nasal sound.


    ¡°So, can this thing temporarily suppress my current condition?¡±


    Black smoke nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yes.¡±


    It thought for a moment and then added, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ there¡¯s a little side effect.¡±


    ¡°Side effect?¡±


    ¡°It could only temporarily suppress a dragon¡¯s estrus but couldn¡¯t help you get through it. After the potion¡¯s effects fade away, the estrus period¡¯s symptoms will return stronger. Thus, it¡¯s only used in extreme emergencies. The most basic method is to¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Find a female dragon.¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    As the world¡¯s last dragon, Shi An felt his intelligence had been insulted.


    But¡­ at the moment, it seemed that there was no other method than this.


    Shi An sighed and looked steadily at the dark green slimy potion in front of him. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he frowned and drank it all in one gulp.


    So bitter, so unpleasant to drink¡­!


    Shi An¡¯s face twisted slightly as if his mouth and throat were on fire. The moment the liquid hit his stomach, a burning sensation spread through his limbs, causing him to subconsciously lean forward and slump to the ground.


    It hurt!


    The scene before him spun, broken blocks of color piled up, and the sounds in his ears became distant.


    Finally, after who knows how long, the pain passed like a tidal wave. The desire and craving that was constantly tormenting Shi An disappeared miraculously, calming his mind and leaving no trace of the agitation that comes with estrus.


    Wow, it¡¯s genuinely working!


    It seems that they aren¡¯t that unreliable after all.


    Shi An opened his eyes happily.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The sky was dark gray in front of him and snowflakes fluttered down from overhead, coloring the area within sight an infinite blanket of white. The dark ridges exposed from beneath the snowy peaks could be vaguely seen in the distance and the icy air wrapped in snowflakes whistled past him, but strangely enough, Shi An didn¡¯t feel much of the cold.


    Eh?


    Why does it always feel like something is wrong?


    He was just inside a cave, wasn¡¯t he? Why was he outside when he opened his eyes?


    And his range of vision seemed to have changed.


    He felt like he could see farther than before¡­


    Shi An slowly lowered his head.


    He saw his hard, silvery-white scales, sharp, pointed claws that could crush rocks, and¡­ the cave that was destroyed mainly by himself.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ???


    ¡°Boom¨C¡±


    ¡°Crack¨C¡±


    The ground shook as the cave crumbled and countless pieces of debris fell, dust falling along with the snow, smashing and shattering against the magical shield barely holding it up in front of him.


    The demon insect slowly looked up, gazing at the claws of the giant dragon in front of him, and fell into a long silence.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Black Smoke laughed dryly twice and said, ¡°Haha¡­ haha¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that there is more than one side effect.¡±


    The demon insect slowly turned its head to look aside at Black Smoke and its expression became grim. ¡°¨C One of us will be gone today.¡±


    In the distance.


    The loud rumbling of snowy mountains collapsing resonated throughout the Aiwen Snowfield.


    On the western side of the mountain range, the mercenaries struggled to keep their balance and looked in the direction of the avalanche.


    Suddenly, one of them shouted out in alarm.


    ¡°T-Team leader, look!¡±


    Only a majestic and massive silhouette could be seen in the distance on the snowy mountain, between the blanket of snow and white mist.


    ¨CIt was a giant dragon!


    The mercenaries gazed in shock and awe at the giant dragon on the snowy mountain.


    Although they had heard rumors of the dragon¡¯s appearance, it was the first time they had ever witnessed one with their own eyes. For the first time in tens of thousands of years after they disappeared from the continent, the dragon had finally reappeared, a legendary creature almost synonymous with power, beauty, and danger. One could feel the soul-shaking sensation just by seeing it from afar.


    A glimpse of awe passed through the eyes of the mercenary leader, followed by an endless desire.


    They wanted to slay dragons, not only for the show of power but also for the considerable wealth behind them¨Cespecially now, tens of thousands of years after the disappearance of the fantasy species, the economic value of a dragon was almost impossible to measure in figures.


    I had thought the blood sacrifice had failed and that there was no way to lure the dragon in again.


    Unexpectedly¡­


    This was simply an unexpected pleasant surprise for them.


    The mercenary leader made an immediate decision. ¡°Give up searching for Mu Heng and go to the snowy mountain to look for the dragon first!¡±


    The eastern side of the Aiwen Snowfield.


    The magic detector in Wen Yao¡¯s palm almost simultaneously began to sound a frantic alarm.


    She looked in the direction the sensor was pointing and her breath subconsciously choked slightly.


    The giant dragon¡¯s form was hidden halfway up the mountain between the blizzards and even though it could not be seen very well, one could still clearly feel the instinctive sense of shock.


    Wen Yao had long been aware of the existence of dragons, but this was the first time she saw this legendary species with her own eyes.


    She quickly snapped out of her brief moment of daze.


    ¨CNo one knew better than Wen Yao how obsessed her chief was with dragons.


    Wherever the dragon was, Mu Heng was probably there.


    She whipped her head around to look at the other members of the Bureau behind her and ordered, ¡°Go to the snowy mountain!¡±

 CH 63.2

    It¡¯s Just That¡­ There¡¯s a Little Side Effect (2)


    Shi An unfolded his wings and flapped them, his silvery-white dragon scales shining brightly against the snow.


    It took a few seconds before he finally accepted that he had changed into his original form.


    He dropped his head and gently pulled his claws out of the cave before carefully pulling apart the collapsed cave away.


    Although the cave had caved in, the demon insect and Black Smoke were still smart enough to run over to the unconscious Mu Heng and support him with their magical shields, leaving one person and two demons largely untouched by the impact.


    He looked to Black Smoke, took a deep breath, and asked in a seemingly calm tone, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Black Smoke haltingly said, ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    Its voice grew smaller. ¡°After all, the environment was limited and the blending process wasn¡¯t too accurate¡­¡±


    The dragon before him slowly bent down, the huge head covered with scales hanging low, a pair of red-gold vertical pupils slightly narrowed; that huge and suffocating oppressive feeling instantly poured down without reservation. His voice was no longer crisp and gentle as when he was human. The resonance at the throat cavity made his voice seem heavy and ancient.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    Black Smoke trembled under the dragon¡¯s icy gaze, fearing the other side would spew a mouthful of dragon flame.


    It stammered, ¡°This should be temporary!¡±


    ¡°I-I-I guarantee that the side effects will be gone quickly!¡±


    As Black Smoke was about to faint from fear, Shi An finally withdrew his sight with great mercy.


    At that moment, he slowly turned his head as if he sensed something and looked toward the foothills. After transforming back into his dragon form, his eyesight had become extremely good, and although he was far away, he could still see two teams on the snowy ground coming in that direction.


    On one side were the mercenaries and on the other was the Bureau, led by Wen Yao.


    The commotion when he transformed himself was too great, not only causing an avalanche but also attracting the attention of all the forces on the Aiwen Snowfield.


    Although these humans were not enough to be feared, Shi An was aware that his current original form was too conspicuous.


    Plus, he wasn¡¯t sure exactly when the side effects of this potion would pass or if there would be anything worse after they wore off, so the best thing to do now was to find a place to hide and emerge when he was sure all the side effects were gone.


    He lowered his head and looked at Mu Heng lying among the rubbles and rocks.


    The man¡¯s face was pale, his eyes tightly closed, and his long silver hair cascading over his shoulders, looking unusually handsome and shiny.


    Shi An sighed.


    Although he was very reluctant, he was afraid it would be too late to take Mu Heng to the eastern canyon and make him into his eternal collection this time.


    Moreover¡­


    The other party already tended to rouse earlier, so there would be many hidden dangers if he took him away.


    Besides, he had not yet found all his treasures. Thus, his hidden identity in the human world could not be revealed for the time being.


    He summoned the skeleton horse and told it to go to the west to block the group of mercenaries while he was not going to bother with Wen Yao in the east. They should find their chief once they arrive here.


    Mu Heng should be safe once the group of humans from the Bureau found him.


    Shi An dropped his head and gazed intently at the human before him with icy vertical pupils.


    Be sure to take care of yourself before being mine forever, baby.


    After setting everything up, the dragon caught the demon insect and Black Smoke between its claws and slowly spread its silvery-white wings.


    The dragon¡¯s wings created a violent current of air that carried the snowflakes with it, bringing with it the sound of the wind.


    The icy wind swept up Mu Heng¡¯s long hair, making it seem like he was lying in the middle of a blizzard.


    Amid the blizzard, the man¡¯s brow furrowed, his eyelashes trembling slightly, his intense blue eyes opening a little, looking out through snow-covered lashes.


    In his semi-blurred vision, the shadow of the dragon overhead was faintly visible.


    The silvery-white giant dragon took off on its wings.


    The glistening dragon scales were hard and smooth, the curves of its wings were smooth and elegant and its form was majestic, carrying with it an ancient, terrifying sense of intimidation, showing off its power and beauty without a care in the world.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes in the wind and snow and subconsciously raised his hand, his long, pale fingertips reaching up into the air.


    The tip of the dragon¡¯s tail was just a hair¡¯s breadth away from his fingers.


    It was as if he could reach it with his fingertips and hold it firmly in his palm.


    But before he could do so, the dragon had already flapped its wings without hesitation as if it belonged to the sky. In the blink of an eye, it had merged into the silvery white snowstorm, falling into the arms of the sky.


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingers remained in mid-air, slowly tightening a little.


    ***


    Shi An flew up.


    The harsh wind whistled and scraped across his dragon scales.


    The wind, which had been too cold and sharp for humans, was like a gentle caress to him now. At this height, there was no longer any fear of humans catching up. The high altitude was so vast and far away that it made Shi An feel as if he had returned to his hometown with a sense of closeness.


    The demon insect asked, ¡°My lord, where are you going next?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and replied, ¡°¨CThe auction house.¡±


    It was perfect that both the mercenaries and the Bureau were still in the Aiwen Snowfield.


    Although he had lost the chance to turn Mu Heng into a collection¡­ he absolutely couldn¡¯t surrender the part of the treasure that had been stolen readily!

 CH 64.1

    Humans, You Guys Have Taken Things That Don¡¯t Belong to You (1)


    Mu Heng sat on a pile of rocks, his long legs slightly bent, the upper half of his shirt spread out, faintly revealing the dressing of white bandages.


    His head was tilted back, staring steadily at the distant sky, his dark blue eyes reflecting a corner of the sky covered in snow and wind.


    As Wen Yao arrived, she saw this exact scene.


    She consciously slowed her pace and slowly said, ¡°¡­ Chief.¡±


    Mu Heng withdrew his gaze and turned his head to look over.


    His face was pale from blood loss, almost blending in with the remnants of snow behind him, making his profile look colder and harsher, his eyes sharp. ¡°Have you dispatched people to the southern canyon?¡±


    Wen Yao was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°I have, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But you guys dispatched the main staff to find me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mu Heng¡¯s voice was cold and harsh.


    ¡°¡ªStupid.¡±


    Wen Yao hung her head, her expression as calm as steel. ¡°¡­ This subordinate is incompetent.¡±


    Even if she were given another chance, Wen Yao would still make the same choice.


    The students trapped in the southern canyon were also in danger, but as Mu Heng¡¯s subordinate, the chief¡¯s safety was her top priority.


    Mu Heng stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wen Yao was stunned. ¡°¡­ Go where?¡±


    In this state, the best place for Mu Heng to go was the hospital, but looking at his expression, he didn¡¯t look like someone who was planning to rest.


    The man put on his dusty and snow-covered coat. His eyes were like unmelting ice.


    ¡°Cleaning-up operation.¡±


    ***


    The auction house.


    Chen Jia ordered, ¡°Quick! Move quicker!¡±


    He commanded the group in front of him, looking impatient. ¡°Do you guys never eat rice? Hurry up!¡±


    Looking at the men lined up before him carrying the treasure chests, Chen Jia¡¯s brow furrowed, seemingly impatient.


    The auction house was originally the Chen family¡¯s property.


    But Chen Yankang was killed by Mu Heng with his sword here while Chen Yanming was still in the Aiwen Snowfield without any news and the family¡¯s power had been severely damaged.


    Chen Jia was the son of a branch of the family.


    After Chen Yankang¡¯s death, he was forced to step in and take charge of the auction house for the time being.


    So they had to move the treasures before the Bureau¡¯s people returned and wait for the opportunity to rise again.


    At this moment, Chen Jia suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shake slightly.


    He was somewhat stunned and for a moment, he could not tell if he was imagining things.


    The next second, a more distinct shaking sensation immediately came and dust fell from the dome with a rustle. Messy sounds of heavy objects falling to the ground were heard as the crowd looked around in panic.


    This was definitely not an illusion.


    Wh-What was going on?


    Chen Jia reached for the wall, barely able to steady himself, looking confused and bewildered.


    Was that an earthquake just now?


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The sound of crumbling rocks rang overhead, spiderweb cracks spreading across the specially reinforced dome.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    A giant, sharp, pointed claw sank in deep, then retracted with force!


    The ceiling shattered into pieces under the monstrous force, accompanied by crackles of dust and rock. The auction house, which had just been tidy, immediately became messy and shattered.


    The humans below screamed and fled in all directions.


    Daylight poured in, clearly outlining the majestic and terrifying silhouette.


    A silvery-white dragon stood silently on top of the dome, its icy golden-red pupils looking down on the tiny, powerless humans scattered before it as if they were mere dust particles beneath its feet.


    Chen Jia¡¯s legs were already weak and he could only rely on the support of the wall behind him to keep from falling to the ground, drenched in cold sweat under the pressure of such a monster.


    ¡°A-Attack!¡±


    He heard himself scream in a voice that changed its pitch in horror.


    Beams of magically integrated attacks rained down on the dragon before him like arrows, landing on the opponent¡¯s steely silver scales with a heavy sound like gold and stone striking against each other.


    However, the powerful magical energy fell on the opponent¡¯s body without appearing to cause it any damage.


    Instead, the dragon was enraged.


    Its claws were so strong that the heavy rocks were crushed like paper soaked in water.


    A huge hole was torn in the ceiling.


    The dragon opened its mouth, its teeth sharp and white, glinting coldly in the sunlight.


    It seemed to know exactly where all the barricades in the auction house were located.


    Scorching golden-red flames spewed out from his mouth, waves of fire roaring as if they could set the air on fire. All the machinery and guards in the auction house were reduced to nothing instantly. Under such overwhelming power, the humans were no match to it.


    What¡­ a horror this was.


    The giant dragon folded its wings and stepped into the auction house. The ground trembled as if the sky was falling apart.


    ¡°Humans,¡± he said in a low, deep, thick voice.


    ¡°You guys have taken things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    The dragon bowed its head, its vertical pupils glowing in the darkness with a fiery glow, its breath smelling of burning smoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you guys to pay the price.¡±


    As an afterthought, Chen Jia looked around the room and realized he was the only living person. Only then did he wake up as if from a dream and flung himself down on his knees, begging in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you! Y-Your treasures are all here¨C¡±


    He pointed, shivering, to the sealed treasure chests in the hall.


    The humans who had carried them earlier had scattered and fled, leaving them abandoned in the middle of the hall.


    The dragon stretched out its claws, the sharp points of its talons slashing across. In a flash, the treasure chests crumbled, pouring out golden treasures that glittered enticingly and brilliantly in the half-lit hall.


    ¨CBut the amount was far from enough.


    ¡°Where are the rest?¡± he asked.


    ¡°T-The rest are in the warehouse!¡± Chen Jia stammered, gesturing in one of the directions.


    He was flustered and pulled a shimmering blue metal magnetic card out of his pocket.


    ¡°This is the key¨C¡±


    ¨CA wisp of black smoke poured out of the dragon¡¯s palm, which opened its mouth and devoured all the treasure chests on the ground before flying back to the dragon¡¯s side.


    Shi An nodded and said politely, ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±


    However, before Chen Jia could sigh in relief, he only saw scorching hot flames spewing from the dragon¡¯s throat. Before he could even let out a scream, he was already turned into flying ashes in the blink of an eye.

 CH 64.2

    Humans, You Guys Have Taken Things That Don¡¯t Belong to You (2)


    The flames had been controlled so delicately that they only burned up the human body but left his clothes unharmed.


    No one was left in the entire hall and all the equipment, including the monitors, had been destroyed.


    Shi An could feel the side effects on his body slowly fading away.


    Soon, the dragon¡¯s place was empty and was replaced by a slender human teenager.


    The young man stepped gingerly into the pool of blood, his toes round and lovely, his fingertips glistening with a slight pink, the contrast of scarlet and pale striking.


    His body was untouched, his limbs long and slender, his complexion white and as clean and soft as the first snow, except for his eyes, which still maintained their dragon-like appearance.


    Standing naked amidst the wreckage and corpses, the young man had a frightening and hair-rising beauty.


    Shi An walked forward without a care in the world, unhurriedly stepping over the corpses on the ground to reach for the only intact clothing lying around.


    He bent down and picked up the garment, gently shaking off the blackened dust on it, and put on the clothes, which were one size larger than his figure. His slender waist and long, soft limbs, all of which were quickly covered by the oversized clothes.


    Shi An pulled up the slightly longer sleeves and trouser legs, stepped into shoes one size too large, and then walked in the direction the man had just pointed.


    He walked through a long corridor, which ended in a vast vault.


    The vault door opened slowly with a click of the magnetic card.


    Shi An stepped into the vault.


    His eyes moved around the room with countless piles of gold and treasures and his face became increasingly sullen.


    From a distance, an ability guard stationed inside the vault subconsciously turned his head to look and saw the familiar clothes of the visitor.


    He subconsciously thought to open his mouth in greeting, but before his mouth could open, he realized with a jolt that something was wrong¨Calthough the clothes were the same, they were completely different in height and build.


    He was suddenly on guard. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Shi An didn¡¯t answer.


    The ability user attacked, transforming into hundreds of shadows, attacking the young man in front of him from all sides, hitting him from all angles, each move deadly.


    The young man raised his eyes and beneath his long eyelashes were a pair of flaming vertical pupils that looked in this direction without a sound.


    His gaze was cold and calm and he focused straight on the only entity among the hundreds of shadows.


    How could that be?


    The ability user was instantly horrified.


    However, before he could reflect, his body felt like it was being held down by some invisible pressure and his bones and muscles whimpered as they were held down by something, unable to move in any way.


    The other man slowly walked up to him, his long fingers pinching his throat and lifting him straight up.


    Shi An asked softly, ¡°Where are my things?¡±


    There was a lot of gold, silver, and jewelry in the vault. Still, none of it was of high value, nothing close to the collection he had so carefully gathered over the years while the precious gems listed in the inventory of his collection were completely missing.


    The treasures in the chest outside were indeed his.


    But it was too little.


    The dozen or so chests contained, at most, a bit more than the treasures in the Aiwen Academy¡¯s principal¡¯s warehouse and Shi An didn¡¯t believe there was only so much treasure here.


    His fingertips tightened slowly and he felt the other man¡¯s throat bones cackle between his fingers.


    A choking ¡®huh¡¯ sound escaped the ability user¡¯s throat and his eyes bugged out as he helplessly grasped the other man¡¯s deadly grip at his neck.


    The young man squeezed his throat and moved slightly closer, a harsh, cold light glinting within the pupils of his golden-red eyes.


    ¡°Where are the dragon treasures you guys stole?¡±


    ***


    With a flip of Mu Heng¡¯s sword tip, scarlet blood fell on top of the white snow, looking like a red flower in full bloom.


    Another mercenary¡¯s headless corpse plummeted, blood spurting from its neck cavity, frozen to ice before it even hit the ground, wrist broken, and a leg thrown half a meter away, looking miserable.


    Wen Yao followed behind Mu Heng, her lips pursed and eyes worried.


    Although Mu Heng¡¯s actions did not suggest that he was wounded in the slightest, as a subordinate who had followed him for several years, Wen Yao could feel the chief¡¯s current state was very wrong.


    In the past, Mu Heng¡¯s fighting habits were fast, vicious, and accurate, like the God of Death who had become accustomed to killing, never inflicting too much pain, all in the service of efficiency.


    But this time¡­ Mu Heng seemed rough and brutal.


    Not like he was trying to achieve a specific goal, but more like¨C


    Revenge.


    The man¡¯s eyes were cold, like a dark blue vortex in which no trace of light could shine through, with a certain bone-chilling coldness, like a mercilessly sharp blade that would subconsciously cause a phantom pain as if being cut before being swept with it.


    He indulged himself in killing.


    It was as if every mercenary in front of him was an enemy as he vented his fury on his enemies.


    Wen Yao felt panic but didn¡¯t dare to go forward to ask Mu Heng what had happened.


    Or¡­ who had gotten into trouble.


    At this moment, a Bureau member hurriedly approached Wen Yao¡¯s ear and said something.


    Wen Yao was stunned and a hint of delight rose to her cheeks.


    She turned her head to look at Mu Heng and said, ¡°Chief, good news! The students trapped in the southern canyon have been found!¡±


    Mu Heng froze and twisted his head to look over.


    The long sword in the man¡¯s hand was still dripping blood slowly downward and his emotionless eyes were fixed on Wen Yao, who was not far away.


    He spoke in a hushed voice and slowly asked, ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that some students realized something was wrong with the academic meeting and notified the other students, so they could hide in time and weren¡¯t involved in the fight!¡±


    ¡­ Are the students still alive?


    In other words, the blood sacrifice didn¡¯t work?


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were slightly dazed.


    He subconsciously raised his hand and briefly touched his lower lip with his cold fingertips.

 CH 65.1

    The Dragon Took Him Away (1)


    The cave was grim and cold, with members of the Bureau registering and rescuing trapped students one by one.


    The cave entrance was narrow, wind whistling and snow pouring in, and several frozen corpses lay in the doorway, their blood long frozen and dried, signifying the fierce battles that had occurred here.


    The sound of arguing came from inside the cave.


    ¡°Hold on! Hold on! The wounds on your body haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! We still have a friend trapped there. His situation is more critical than ours out here!¡±


    Zhao She looked anxious, with blood dripping from his right arm¡¯s laceration. He appeared to be in a bad state, his face pale, his body covered in signs of battle, but he stubbornly broke free of the Bureau¡¯s staff and looked anxiously around.


    ¡°Where is your boss? Where is the reinforcement?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be anxious. They will arrive soon, but before that, you have to¨C¡±


    At that moment, a tall, silver-haired man walked in through the snow and wind, his face pale, his expression cold and sharp, like a sheathed blade, with a strong, hostile aura that no one dared stare directly at.


    The cave was silent for a moment under the other man¡¯s powerful aura.


    Zhao She took the opportunity to break free from the hands of the Bureau members in his way and stumbled forward, shouting urgently, ¡°Chief Mu! You must help me to save Shi An¨C¡±


    Upon hearing this familiar name, Wen Yao, who instinctively wanted to stop the person coming, couldn¡¯t help but stop moving.


    She subconsciously turned her head toward Mu Heng and looked over.


    Mu Heng raised his hand, stopping the subordinate who tried to step forward.


    He took a step toward Zhao She.


    Looking at the man walking toward him, Zhao She stopped his impulse to step back and stood up straight to meet him.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, the expression in his eyes devoid of sadness and joy, and he said succinctly, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ***


    Inside the vault of the auction house.


    Shi An gazed at the Ability in front of him, slowly loosened up a little of the air in his fingers, forced his anger down, and squeezed a short syllable out between his teeth. ¡°¡­ Speak.¡±


    The Ability finally had a little room to breathe. He coughed and gasped twice with difficulty. His eyes looked at the monster-like teenager in front of him with horror, stammering, ¡°S-Six hours ago, someone brought a group of people with Chen family¡¯s order¡­ T-They made me divide the treasures into two: the smaller portion and the auction house¡¯s goods were put together in the vault to wait for land transportation while the larger portion was taken away directly using an airship¨C¡±


    Shi An was stunned.


    Taken away?


    But the man in the hall had pointed directly to the location of the vault when he had asked where the treasure had gone¨Cit didn¡¯t look like he was lying in a life-and-death situation like that.


    So what happened?


    At this point, Shi An felt the buzzing in his shirt pocket.


    He paused slightly and then remembered that the clothes were not his own.


    Then perhaps it was someone else trying to contact the owner of the clothes?


    Shi An reached into his buzzing pocket and pulled out a black satellite communicator.


    As soon as it was connected, a distraught voice rang out from across the room, intermittently muffled by the rustling of electricity. ¡°Chen Jia! Chen Jia! Have you arrived at the auction house¡¯s warehouse?¡±


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and gave a brief ¡°mm¡± into the microphone.


    ¡°Quickly inspect the goods!¡±


    The man on the other end cursed. ¡°Damn it! Those stinky mercenaries! They suddenly changed sides before the battle and raided Chen¡¯s family¡¯s base six hours ago. Moreover, they cut off communication. Our staff are all outside and have only realized something was wrong.  The old man was taken to the emergency unit and every seal disappeared. Fuck! This bunch of dogs has trapped us¨C¡±


    The young man¡¯s slender white fingers tightened slightly.


    Crack¨C


    The hard metal casing of the communicator creaked, a few cracks spreading out, and was easily crushed into crumbs that flopped to the ground.


    The sound of electricity rattled for a few moments before falling into permanent dead silence.


    The Ability stared in horror at the seemingly harmless young man before him, unable to make any sound for a moment.


    Shi An turned his head to look over, a fiery hue still lingering under his eyes, and there was an intimidating sense of inhumanity.


    ¡°What else do you know?¡± He shook the Ability in his hand and narrowed his eyes as he pressed the question.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know anything else!¡±


    Suddenly, he seemed to think of something with a jolt and said, ¡°Oh, right! I remember the airship they drove here. Although it was covered tightly, I still saw a bit¡­ The Aiwen District¡¯s rear turbines are under the metal casing, but this ship¡¯s turbines are on the rear side of the casing. This feature sh-should be a characteristic of the Luosi District¡¯s airship!¡±


    Luosi District.


    Located on the eastern side of the entire continent, bordering the Aiwen District.


    ¨CCrossing over the highest mountain range in the Aiwen Snowfields, one could enter the eastern canyon of the Luosi District, which was populated by the magical creatures that Shi An knew could make amber resin.


    ¡°Luosi District¡­¡±


    Shi An murmured.


    He twisted his head to look at the Ability in his hands and earnestly said, ¡°Thank you. This information is very useful.¡±


    After the words, his knuckles tightened slightly.


    ¡°Crack.¡±


    A crisp bone-cracking sound rang out in the large vault, and the Ability¡¯s neck was broken into a bizarre angle, falling softly to the floor without a sound.

 CH 65.2

    The Dragon Took Him Away (2)


    ¡°So, Shi An held up the mercenaries by himself, buying time for you guys to escape?¡± Wen Yao asked, somewhat incredulously.


    ¡°But, he isn¡¯t¡­.¡± Halfway through the sentence, Wen Yao realized something was wrong and hastily closed her mouth.


    ¡°I knew of the rumors circulating outside, but I can guarantee with my honor that they are fake,¡±


    Zhao She said solemnly.


    ¡°Shi An is powerful, even more than us. If it weren¡¯t for his family treating him unfairly and persecuting him, he wouldn¡¯t hide his power until now¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Zhao She gritted his teeth and nodded slowly. ¡°If not for him, we might have all been hostages in the hands of that group of mercenaries. After leaving the cave, we gathered all the trapped people to stop the counterattack. Although we killed some of the mercenaries, we couldn¡¯t break out at all. The surrounding communication has also been cut off, so we were trapped¨C¡±


    He smacked his thigh hard, his voice slightly choked. ¡°I-I have promised him that I would do my best to return with reinforcement, but¡­¡±


    Zhao She¡¯s eyes were red and he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.


    Wen Yao pursed her lips, somewhat overwhelmed by the impact of such a massive amount of information.


    She subconsciously twisted her head toward Mu Heng, who had not said a word since a moment ago, and glanced to the side.


    ¨CSurely, the person the chief fell for must not be any ordinary person.


    Wen Yao withdrew her gaze and said to Zhao She seriously and earnestly, ¡°We knew. We will immediately organize a rescue team. You can rest assured and recuperate now.¡±


    After finally persuading the injured student to get medical treatment, Wen Yao looked at Mu Heng.


    ¡°Chief, I will organize people at once¨C¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect Mu Heng to interrupt her, saying, ¡°No need.¡±


    Wen Yao was stunned. ¡°What?¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Shi An is not inside the canyon anymore.¡±


    A look of extreme confusion appeared on Wen Yao¡¯s face. ¡°Do you mean that you knew about Shi An¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    Mu Heng raised his eyes. His dark blue eyes were as deep as the abyss,and his voice was low and slightly hoarse, with a bit of biting chill.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    From a while ago, he had been stuck with several unanswered questions.


    For example, who had saved him and healed his wounds?


    But after Mu Heng woke up, despite his puzzlement, the rage and powerlessness he felt when he lost Shi An took over, making him unable to distract himself from thinking about it.


    Nor did he dare to think about it.


    ¡­ including the kiss that seemed to have come from a dream when he was unconscious, not knowing if it was unreal or real.


    And now, there was one more question.


    The first image Mu Heng had seen after awakening flashed before his eyes.


    The giant dragon with its wings spread out in the snowstorm, its metallic scales shining silvery in the snow and wind as if shrouded in a bright glow.


    ¡ª If the blood ritual had not been completed, why had the dragon appeared?


    The answer was on the verge of coming out into the open.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were cold and intense, a searing dark fire burning silently in his eyes like a dark blue flame in the abyss.


    He said slowly, ¡°The dragon took him away.¡±


    Wen Yao froze. ¡°¡­ The dragon?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°The one appearing now and before didn¡¯t seem to be the same, did they?¡±


    She remembered that the giant dragon that appeared within the Ability Academy was a black dragon with a pitch-black body. At the same time, just now, even if it was only a brief glimpse, Wen Yao could still confirm that the dragon that appeared on the foothills was silvery white.


    Did it mean that two dragons had appeared?


    Her heart could not help but sink slowly.


    One dragon was already so strong. If there were two dragons, would it be possible for humans to deal with them?


    Mu Heng said, ¡°No, it¡¯s the same.¡±


    Although the color of the scales was different, no matter the shape, the aura, or the feeling it gave him, they were no different from before.


    He did not know why the dragon¡¯s color had changed, but one thing he was sure of was that there was only this one dragon, unique in the entire continent.


    At this point, a Bureau member hurriedly came running in from outside the cave.


    The mercenary squad had basically been cleared out, the communication equipment had been restored, and messages from outside could finally be received within the snowy plains.


    He leaned over to Wen Yao¡¯s ear and whispered a few words.


    Wen Yao¡¯s face showed a look of horror. ¡°What? The auction house? The dragon has appeared?¡±


    ***


    Shi An sat on the seat, propping his chin up with his hand in boredom.


    Not far away, Black Smoke painstakingly and slowly swallowed the gold and gems inside the auction house¡¯s vault into its stomach.


    It looked at Shi An with tears in its eyes. ¡°M-My lord, I can¡¯t eat anymore¡­¡±


    Shi An said mercilessly, ¡°Keep eating.¡±


    Although his treasure was not found, he could not just return empty-handed.


    Therefore, he unceremoniously accepted the other treasures inside the auction house.


    Dragons were a greedy race. As long as a treasure came into sight, even if it were not as precious as the one he once had, he would never let it go.


    At this moment, an unusual sound suddenly came from outside the vault.


    Shi An frowned.


    Strange, he had sensed no human scent coming after him.


    He stood up and walked outside the vault.


    He saw a screen that had fallen halfway down the largely destroyed hall not far away, lit up by remote manipulation.


    A man with silver hair and blue eyes appeared on the screen.


    Although he looked pale, it was clear that his life was in no danger.


    Shi An drew a corner of his lips.


    He knew that his collection would not die that easily.


    He saw Mu Heng within the screen looking over, his sight straight and sharp as if he could penetrate all the entities and spaces between them.


    ¡°Lord dragon, good day.¡±


    His voice was very calm, without a half ripple of emotion. ¡°Although we had several brief confrontations before, I believe this is the first attempt for me to communicate with you.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, as a human or the only existing dragon slayer, I long to kill you but also to be killed under your claws.¡±


    ¡°This is predestination. No matter what the ending, I will gladly accept it.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his expression hinted at icy hostility.


    ¡°But now, I believe you have taken away a very important friend to me.¡±


    The lord dragon and Mu Heng¡¯s important friend, Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ???

 CH 66.1

    The Rescued ¡°Princess¡± (1)


    Shi An quietly shrank back, twisting his head to look at the demon insect. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be able to see here, right?¡±


    The corners of the demon insect¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    Shi An had burned up all the cameras and surveillance lines in the auction house in one go and what was on the screen now should have been the images put in by the remote control.


    Mu Heng said very little during the conversation and his manner was cold and courteous.


    To sum it up, he knew that Shi An had something that appealed to the dragon, but he also wanted the dragon to understand the consequences. He knew that the dragon had not recovered its strength and the treasure in the auction house had been smuggled away by the mercenaries, so he wanted to make a deal with the dragon to let his friend go. At the same time, he was the one responsible for returning the dragon¡¯s part of the treasure in the Aiwen District.


    The screen went black and the video cut off.


    Demon insect came over. ¡°My lord, what do you plan to do?¡±


    Black Smoke, lying on the ground trying to catch his breath, also said, ¡°I think it¡¯s not bad. Let the humans trace my lord¡¯s treasure whereabouts while my lord seizes this opportunity to return to the human world. It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone, perfect.¡±


    It was pretty perfect.


    Shi An knew that he was not yet strong enough to compete with the human race and as his skin had just molted, his magic levels also fluctuated.


    Plus, that estrus suppressant that they didn¡¯t know when it would wear off. If he went to war now, not only would he not be able to include Mu Heng in his collection, he might not even be able to find his lost treasure again.


    So if he still wanted to use his human identity as ¡°Shi An¡± afterward, it would be best to pretend to agree to Mu Heng¡¯s plan.


    Otherwise, he would have to explain how he had escaped from the ¡°dragon¡± alone.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were downcast, appearing to be in deep thought.


    But¡­


    He didn¡¯t believe Mu Heng would put his hopes on the dragon¡¯s benevolence to save him.


    On the other side.


    Mu Heng ordered, ¡°Contact every influential family and tell them that I¡¯ve personally killed two Chen family¡¯s power figures. They must cooperate with this operation if they don¡¯t want to follow in their footsteps.¡±


    ¡°Distribute the scent suppression devices. Team A will approach the auction house from the south side while Team B lies in an ambush on the west side on my command.¡±


    ¡°Air units to be on standby.¡±


    ¡°Install anti-dragon magic equipment and enter from the underpass.¡±


    Wen Yao had never imagined that the alliance, which had previously fallen apart like sand, would be reorganized quickly. Mu Heng¡¯s presence was like a booster and everything seemed to be under control as long as he was there, out of fear or awe. Under the swift and decisive organization of the other party, everything became orderly and efficient again.


    Looking at Mu Heng¡¯s unhesitating actions, she asked, ¡°So, are you preparing to attack?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s face was paler than before, but his voice was cold and calm. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Making a deal with a dragon? How was that possible?


    As the only remaining bloodline of Dragon Slayers, no one knew the dragons¡¯ cunning, fickleness, and greed better than he did.


    If their earlier speculation was true, then with the dragon¡¯s paranoia about its possession, there was no way it would let Shi An go so easily, so his contact this time was to confirm the dragon¡¯s location and stall for time.


    Mu Heng took the new black combat gloves from Wen Yao¡¯s hand and put them on slowly and deliberately.


    He raised his eyes and gazed at the auction house not far away, perched on top of the mountain range and his eyes darkened slightly.


    Mu Heng had never expected a compromise from the dragon.


    ¨CHe would take back his people himself.


    ***


    Shi An lay in ruins, looking out at Black Smoke and taking a deep breath. ¡°Do it!¡±


    The demon insect crouched aside and gazed at Shi An, not far away, with a frown. ¡°Do you plan to use this position?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    The demon insect said thoughtfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t the princesses in the fairy tales supposed to lie in a big flowery bed, with both hands folded on the belly, waiting for a knight¡¯s kiss to wake up¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Under the other party¡¯s increasingly icy death stare, the demon insect¡¯s voice grew smaller until it was finally completely inaudible.


    It took two retreating steps back ashenly and said abashedly, ¡°My lord, I was wrong. Take it as I never said it.¡±


    Shi An looked at Black Smoke. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Black Smoke said, ¡°Eh! Here they come!¡±


    It floated above Shi An and slowly exhaled a puff of gray smoke at the young man in front of it, followed by Shi An¡¯s eyelids drooping a little and finally falling into a deep, restful sleep.


    ¨CBut this state of rest was only for the outside world.


    Although asleep, Shi An was conscious and could decide when to wake up by regulating his magic powers.


    As long as there were no surprises, his plan was foolproof.


    It was not the first time that the demon insect had impersonated his dragon form and with the help of Black Smoke, who could cast illusions and suggestions this time, it was much easier to make a scene for his forced escape than last time.


    However, as the distance was much closer than last time and Mu Heng¡¯s intuition was very sensitive, Shi An also took the rare step of slitting his wrist and contributing some of his dragon¡¯s blood to prevent any mistakes.


    As the ¡°princess¡± who was about to be rescued, Shi An himself only needed to lie in the rubble and pretend to be unconscious.


    However, he could not help but clench his fists in anger at the thought that his role was that of a princess.


    ¡­ You guys just wait!


    Shi An lay in the ruins, overcome with boredom while waiting.


    Although his eyes were closed, he could feel the ground shaking and hear dust and debris falling all around him. The strong magical fluctuations outside made the whole building tremble. The howling wind raised by the dragon¡¯s wings and the roaring sound mixed with the human¡¯s shouts made it somewhat difficult for Shi An to imagine what was happening outside.


    I wonder how much time has gone by.


    It seemed only a few minutes, but then at the same time, it seemed like a century had passed.


    The world outside fell silent.


    Shi An was a little apprehensive and couldn¡¯t help but let his imagination run wild.


    Did the demon insect succeed?


    So did the faint trick work or not? Although the demon insect said that he had been unconscious every time he was ¡°rescued,¡± could Mu Heng be fooled like the previous times?


    And most importantly¨C


    Why did he choose to lie in the rubble?


    Shi An hadn¡¯t transformed himself into a dragon at all this time, so he was only using the strength of an ordinary human body to lie on the rubble.


    ¡­ It hurts!


    My back hurts!

 CH 66.2

    The Rescued ¡°Princess¡± (2)


    When Shi An was about to resist the urge to release his unconsciousness early and move his already sore body, eager footsteps sounded, hurrying in this direction.


    He was coming!


    Shi An¡¯s spirits lifted.


    The footsteps stopped beside him.


    Mu Heng looked down and examined the young man before him.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, his face a delicate pallor as if he had lost too much blood. His long raven-feather lashes were lowered, reflecting a light shadow as if about to dissipate into the pale daylight behind him.


    He reached out tentatively and gently touched his counterpart¡¯s cheek.


    Real, alive¨C


    Shi An heard, from overhead, a low sigh suppressed with some strong emotion.


    ¡°¡­ Fortunately.¡±


    Shi An froze.


    Immediately afterward, he felt himself being gently picked up by a pair of strong arms, the familiar burning human body coming from his firm chest, the fresh and nice smell wrapping him up in his embrace.


    He heard Wen Yao shouting for the paramedics and the noisy and chaotic footsteps of the humans soon after.


    Shi An mentally sighed in relief.


    It had worked.


    The arms that encircled him were steady and strong, barely allowing Shi An to feel any vibrations and the only thing that indicated that he was still being led away from the auction house was the bright light he felt on his eyelids.


    Shi An could smell the familiar smell of disinfectant water with the sound of a curtain lifting.


    Must be inside the medical tent? Shi An guessed.


    The medical staff soon examined him carefully and meticulously¨Calthough there were signs of frostbite on his body, his vital signs were intact. Even though he had fallen into an unexplained coma, he should be fine after some time.


    Mm, perfect.


    It would be good enough to get by.


    Wen Yao¡¯s hushed voice rang out from the corner of the tent as if she was persuading Mu Heng to accept the treatment but was rejected by the opposite party.


    Immediately afterward, the messy sound of footsteps slowly moved away and the tent soon became extremely quiet.


    However, Shi An could tell perfectly well that he was not the only one left behind.


    ¡­ Who the other person was was self-explanatory.


    ¡°Clack, clack, clack¨C¡±


    The man¡¯s footsteps sounded steady and even, the soles of his boots tapping the ground with a familiar sound.


    Shi An¡¯s heart slowly lifted.


    It was followed by a silence and stillness that seemed to be able to swallow everything.


    Although he could not hear any sound, Shi An could feel the presence of his opponent¡¯s eyes falling on his body and subconsciously tensed up, uncomfortable in every way.


    Hey! If you want to go and heal your wounds, then go! What are you doing here? Come on, you can go ahead to leave any day now!


    It¡¯s perverted to watch people sleep!


    How am I supposed to wake up secretly while you¡¯re here?


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and gazed at the peaceful sleeping face of the young man before him.


    His eyes fell on the lips of the other man.


    The young man¡¯s lips were thinner, with soft, rounded lines and with not much blood, appearing pale and dry.


    However, Mu Heng could vividly depict in his memory that the young man¡¯s lips had been opened for a kiss until they were plump and crimson, with vague teeth marks on the lower lip and a wet, messy spit, revealing a bit of snow-white tooth surface and a soft, moist tongue.


    He remembered the wet, foggy eyes, the slightly furrowed brow, the frozen red tip of his nose, the soft mumble that had escaped from his throat, tickling his heart softly, making him feel inexplicably distracted and tempted to swallow the sound whole or force more out of him.


    Mu Heng remembered the hollow, cold echoes of his heart when he thought the other man was dead, the desire to kill fuelled by illusionary pain and intense rage.


    And¡­ his subconscious first thought upon hearing that the student had been successfully rescued¨C


    The blood sacrifice had not been completed.


    Shi An should still be alive then, too.


    Mu Heng clearly remembered the intense joy that rose in his own heart when he realized this.


    It was also then that Mu Heng understood.


    The reason why he had felt intimidated at first sight of Shi An, why he had always felt a vague attraction and pull from the other side at all times.


    The reason he never seemed to be able to refuse the other¡¯s request.


    And why his heart would feel so strongly affected when he saw him smile: soften and fidgety simultaneously.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were slightly glazed over, a bit of complicated and dark emotion brewing underneath them as he gazed deeply at the young man in front of him.


    That strange emotion was so overwhelming and unstoppable that it struck fear into his heart and he instinctively tried to stay away, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to get closer¡­ and seize more.


    For the first time, he did not restrain his desire.


    Shi An felt his chin being gently lifted by the fingers of his opponent, shadows covering him down, the body heat and scent belonging to a human being enveloping him as densely as a net.


    He suddenly panicked a little.


    This, this, this¡­ what was going on?


    The script, script does not have this paragraph!


    Wasn¡¯t Mu Heng supposed to go off and get busy with something else after saving him?


    Why did it develop into this?


    Could¡­ could it be¡­


    For some reason, what the demon insect had mentioned emerged clearly in Shi An¡¯s mind.


    Princess, knight, kiss, something like that.


    ¡­ Can it be?


    ¡­ It can¡¯t be!


    The scent of the opponent was getting closer by the second.


    Shi An¡¯s head was in a mess, and in a panic, he subconsciously released his restraints, his eyelashes fluttering as he opened his eyes.


    Mu Heng was stunned as he let out a low laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Shi An sighed in relief.


    Right, right, right! So there¡¯s no need for you to¨C


    But the next second, there was a burning soft touch on his lips.


    ¡°¡­¡± Shi An¡¯s eyes slowly widened.


    He only saw Mu Heng¡¯s face leaning in extremely close, his silver-white eyelashes dropping affectionately as he kissed him calmly and silently.

 CH 67.1

    A Common Courtesy (1)


    For a split second, Shi An¡¯s mind went blank.


    The only thing apparent and distinct in his mind was the touch on his lips.


    The other man¡¯s lips were not soft but dry and extremely hot. The invasive breath pressed down on him, instantly invading and taking over all of his senses.


    The touch on his chin was rough and slightly painful through a layer of gloves, forcing him to lift his head forcefully and irresistibly.


    Immediately afterward, the tip of a hot, wet tongue licked across Shi An¡¯s lower lip.


    Like a spark in a dry wasteland, forcing everything into the fiery flames that burned heaven and earth.


    Shi An felt his mind stop spinning.


    He could not understand what was happening.


    His thoughts became sluggish and chaotic like rusty gears twisting together with an overwhelming creaking sound.


    Unexpectedly, however, Mu Heng stopped after taking just a sip.


    He gave a low chuckle against Shi An¡¯s lips and released him.


    The man¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly and his voice trailed off. ¡°Fairy tales don¡¯t lie.¡±


    Mu Heng rubbed his fingertips over a little wet mark on the young man¡¯s lower lip. ¡°Princess can indeed wake up with a kiss.¡±


    His voice grew softer as it became almost inaudible at the end.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes. His silver-white eyelashes trembled twice and slowly closed.


    The man¡¯s face was ashen from the blood loss and his body was already at the limit of its exhaustion from fighting while severely wounded. After finally being relieved, the energy he had been holding on to was finally relaxed.


    Shi An silently gazed at Mu Heng, half-pressed against him, his expression slightly twisted. ¡°¡­¡±


    Don¡¯t faint if you have the guts to force a kiss!


    And who are you calling a princess?


    I¡¯m a dragon, a dragon!


    You¡¯re the princess. Your whole family is a princess!


    Wait, that¡¯s not right.


    I don¡¯t even like princesses. You, humans, framed me!


    Shi An took several deep breaths before he could suppress his raging, unspeakable emotional turmoil.


    He lowered his head and gazed at the man before him confusedly.


    There was a subtle smell of blood on his body, his breathing was light, and his ordinarily stern and cold demeanor was now falling apart, revealing a rare weakness.


    Shi An lifted his hand and gently touched his own lips.


    That previous incident had occurred in a semi-hazy state when he was in estrus and although Shi An knew it had happened, his memory was fragmented and fractured. Despite his efforts to recall it, it was only a vague and disconnected fragment.


    But not this time.


    This time, it had happened while he was fully awake and the memory of those few seconds earlier had been too clear to be erased from his mind, even if he did try to forget.


    Shi An frowned, revealing a look of bewilderment and confusion.


    At that time, Mu Heng should have fallen under Black Smoke¡¯s illusion and mixed up his dreams with reality.


    But he was awake this time, ah?


    Shi An couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Had¡­ he misunderstood?


    After all, Mu Heng himself had said earlier that he was an ¡°important friend.¡±


    It was like for a dragon to rub its head on another dragon¡¯s wings or rub each other¡¯s snout. It was a way of showing friendship. Meanwhile, rubbing the tail was a more serious matter as it was a sign that the dragon wished to have sex with the other dragon. Although Mu Heng had also touched his tail, he did not know how dragons got along, nor did he know that he was a dragon. Therefore, Shi An would never think of it in that direction.


    So¡­


    For humans, kissing was perhaps not that remarkable but some very common courtesy.


    Shi An took the opportunity to stroke Mu Heng¡¯s long silver hair a few times before moving the unconscious man off his body and putting on his jacket to step outside the tent.


    Soon, medical professionals hurriedly poured into the tent, the beeping sound of medical instruments coming through the cracks of the tent.


    Wen Yao walked out of the tent and her voice subconsciously softened as she looked at Shi An. ¡°Although you¡¯re awake now, the medical tent is too crude and simple. I will arrange for someone to send you to the hospital for a full body inspection later.¡±


    Shi An nodded obediently.


    Wen Yao couldn¡¯t help but reach out and rub the top of the young man¡¯s soft hair. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the Chief here. We will take care of him.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why does this sentence sound a bit strange?


    ***


    In the hospital.


    Shi An had just pushed open the ward door when he heard a vaguely emotional voice ring from a short distance away.


    ¡°Shi An!¡±


    The next second, Shi An was hugged by Zhao She, who rushed up like a whirlwind.


    ¡°Too great! You¡¯re all right!¡±


    The tall, strong student before him was covered in bandages and although he appeared to be in an awful state, he was still immensely intimidating. Still, his eyes were filled with tears and he looked particularly emotional right now almost as if he was at a loss for words. ¡°G-Good gracious! I¡¯ve been worried to death. There was no news about you after so long and the Bureau¡¯s people didn¡¯t get in touch with us. I almost thought something had happened to you!¡±


    Zhao She looked remorseful and gnashed his teeth. ¡°It was all my fault. I said to you that I would return with reinforcements at the fastest speed, but in the end¨C¡±


    Right then, he heard Shi An say in a weak voice in his arms. ¡°¡­ You, too tight¡­¡±


    Only then did Zhao She snap out of his dream, hurriedly releasing Shi An and asked nervously, ¡°How are you? Are you okay?¡±


    Shi An took a deep breath. ¡°¡­ N-Not bad.¡±


    It¡¯s just that I was a little out of breath.

 CH 67.2

    A Common Courtesy (2)


    When he wasn¡¯t transformed into a dragon, his physique was, at best, an average human who was slightly weaker than average, so he couldn¡¯t afford to be embraced with the full force of a strength system.


    Shi An was finally able to catch his breath and looked up.


    He saw that the ward had been filled with strength-system students for some time and more were coming in that direction when they heard the commotion, a steady stream of tall, muscular men pouring into the ward, looking spectacular.


    They were all wounded in some way or another and bandaged and they were all students from the strength system of the Ability Academy and some were even from other academies.


    At this moment, they all had one thing in common. Their moist eyes and excited expressions said it all.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    His eyelids twitched and he suddenly had a sense of foreboding.


    ¡°Student Zhao She and Wei Bocheng already told us everything.¡± One of them spoke slowly, with tears in his eyes. ¡°You chose to stay behind and face the enemy¡¯s attack to let them leave and notify the others, saving people¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    No, I let them go then, mainly because they were in the way. In order for me to exert my full strength I had to find some sort of excuse to chase them away.


    ¡°Especially, facing such fiendish enemies¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I was a bit more fiendish toward them.


    ¡°¡ªSuch a noble and selfless act¡­ Such an act of fearless courage¡­ I¡¯ve never seen something like this before!¡± The student finished a whole paragraph full of emotion.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I am speechless.


    The others nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°In the future, you can look for me anytime you come to our place!¡± One of the students, who was 2.1 meters tall, patted his chest and said boldly, ¡°As long as it is something I can help with, you can say it!¡±


    Another burly man, 1.9 meters tall with a full beard, raised his thick palm, patted Shi An on the back, almost causing him to stagger, and said emotionally, ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. I was boasting to them earlier that the quality of the contestants sent by the Ability Academy this time was so poor that I could have killed them with one finger, but now it seems I¡¯ve misjudged them, misjudged too far! I have to apologize to you¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, me too,¡± another strength trainee said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re very strong!¡±


    ¡°Even though this academic exchange has been interrupted, we have agreed that you¡¯re the winner this time!¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re the winner, you must be treated like one!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Shi An felt his ominous premonition being fulfilled step by step.


    He took a seamless step back and stammered. ¡°No¡­ no need¡­¡±


    But as if they hadn¡¯t heard him, the crowd came forward in unison and lifted him, tossing him hard into the air.


    ¡°Shi An! Shi An! Shi An!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Save me.


    In the end, Zhao She came forward and stopped the over-enthusiastic approach of the other strength trainees. ¡°Everyone, calm down. Shi An has just returned and hasn¡¯t recovered fully yet. Everyone should return to your ward first¨C¡±


    Finally, the overly enthusiastic welcome ceremony ended.


    The ward also finally reverted to silence.


    Zhao She scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would be so excited¡­ How are you? Are you all right? Were you injured anywhere?¡±


    Shi An finally recovered from the dizziness he had just experienced.


    He shook his head and said, ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    Hilarious, not even hurt.


    Even the only wound on his body was cut by himself.


    Immediately afterward, Zhao She briefly told Shi An about his and Wei Bocheng¡¯s actions after Shi An left. He still regretted that he hadn¡¯t brought help in time, looking very guilty.


    ¡°Oh, right. After we left, how was the situation in your place? How did you get out of danger?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and said, ¡°Roughly¡­ I found a place to hide and waited for help?¡±


    Zhao She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank heavens that you¡¯re all right. If not, I¡­¡±


    The young man before him smiled as he narrowed his eyes slightly. His soft hair was gilded with a layer of pale gold. He looked pure and harmless like an angel that had fallen to the earth and his voice was soft and gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I said I could deal with it, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    Zhao She looked at Shi An emotionally.


    My God, he was so kind and strong. What a good boy!


    Winter in the Aiwen District was a time of short days and long nights.


    As they chatted, it was getting dusky outside.


    Zhao She escorted Shi An outside, but before he could take a few steps, Shi An seemed to think of something and turned his head toward Zhao She somewhat hesitantly, asking, ¡°Right, you guys¡­ Such an act like kissing, is it some kind of courtesy?¡±


    Zhao She was stunned, obviously not expecting Shi An to ask this question.


    He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes. In some places, kissing is a very important courtesy.¡±


    Zhao She looked at the young man in front of him suspiciously. ¡°But why are you asking about this?¡±


    Shi An seriously shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just casually asking.¡±


    He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.


    Thankfully, it was all right as long as it was a courtesy.


    He was the one who had reacted too much before, so it seemed that he would have to return the courtesy properly the next time he saw Mu Heng.

 CH 68.1

    Taking Advantage of Someone¡¯s Difficulties (1)


    As a result of the accident, the academic exchange was canceled.


    After receiving medical treatment, all the participating students were sent back to the academy in groups.


    On the plane, Zhao She looked down through the porthole window at the gradually shrinking Aiwen Snowfield, a frozen land slowly covered by wispy clouds, soon disappearing out of sight.


    He sighed with some complexity and touched the bandages on his head that had not yet been removed, lamenting.


    ¡°Alas, I didn¡¯t expect the academic exchange would end like this¡­¡±


    Wei Bocheng, at the side, echoed, ¡°Yes. Who would have imagined it?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­ What happened in the Aiwen Snowfield?¡± Zhao She asked with some confusion.


    Regarding the forced cancellation of the academic exchange, the official explanation was that a massive blizzard had occurred in the southern canyon due to poor weather conditions. The trapped students were successfully rescued without any casualties.


    All suspicions were downplayed.


    But it was clear to Zhao She that things were far from simple.


    The students trapped in the southern canyon, the mysterious appearance of a large number of mercenaries, the hidden cave deep in the canyon, and the ¡°living sacrifice to summon the dragon,¡± as the mercenaries put it¡­


    Wei Bocheng shrugged. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    He turned his head toward Zhao She and said carefully, ¡°But no matter what happened in the Aiwen Snowfield, it was unrelated to us. The water is deep here and not something that students like us should be concerned about. Even if it¡¯s solely for safety reasons, it¡¯s best for us not to continue investigating it.¡±


    Zhao She was deep in thought.


    Although he was reluctant¡­ he had to admit that Wei Bocheng was right.


    After being rescued, Zhao She noticed two seemingly unrelated pieces of information.


    The first was that the auction house in Aiwen District had been robbed and the second was that the government had organized a special investigation mission to Aiwen District to investigate the matter of the top officials of Aiwen District taking bribes due to corruption.


    Whether or not there was a connection between these two pieces of information and the crisis they had experienced earlier and what the link was, Zhao She did not know.


    He could only confirm that many forces were involved, which gave him a dangerous feeling.


    Zhao She sighed. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    He propped his chin up and looked out the window as he said, ¡°Speaking of which, do you think the dragon summoning thing they talked about is real or not?¡±


    Wei Bocheng answered, ¡°It must¡¯ve been fake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also right. The fantasy species had, after all, disappeared for ten of thousands of years.¡±


    ¡°So those mercenaries must be cult members, worshiping the dragon species.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I have heard that these kinds of people seemed to have an incurable obsession for the fantasy species, which had disappeared for ten of thousands of years, thinking of how to awaken the fantasy species, replace the humans, and restore the ancient times¡¯ glory¡­¡±


    ¡°I think they are that kind of people.¡±


    ¡°These people are too stupid. Something like the dragons only exists in legends¡­¡±


    The fantasy species that had disappeared for tens of thousands of years, the legendary Abyss dragon, Shi An, was curled up on the seat beside them.


    He curled himself up a little tighter under the blanket, yawned sleepily, and closed his eyes drowsily.


    Since all the magic in the dragon¡¯s molt had been absorbed, Shi An felt his sleepiness had increased significantly.


    Not sure if it was a side effect of the estrus suppression potion or the fact that the body needed to rest longer because it was slowly regaining strength¡­ Shi An was even more sleepy than before.


    When he woke up, the plane had landed.


    The climate in the Central District was mild and although there was a little bit of fine snow in the air, it was still considered comfortable and pleasant compared to the cold weather of the Aiwen District.


    The Ability Academy had also been informed. Instead of asking too many questions of the students attending the academic exchange, they arranged for a complete medical check-up service.


    Although Shi An was basically unharmed, he went with the flow to the hospital, returned to his former single ward, and changed into the familiar hospital gown.


    Shi An was happy about this.


    It was nice to be patient, to be able to play games, eat snacks unlimitedly, and not attend classes. This was really perfect.


    Just as Shi An was about to start his sinful day, the ward door was suddenly thrown open from the outside and a familiar figure rushed in.


    Lin Yanming examined Shi An up and down for a while and after confirming that he didn¡¯t have any missing arms or legs, he sighed with relief and pulled out a chair to sit next to the hospital bed.


    ¡°I saw the news of the blizzard happening in the Aiwen District and became worried¡­ Fortunately, nothing happened to you.¡±


    The young man sat cross-legged on the bed, his hospital gown hanging loosely from his shoulders, looking delicate, frail, and pitiable.


    Lin Yanming sighed.


    Apart from this academic exchange meeting, he had never seen Shi An so eager to attend any event.


    But the result was¡­


    Lin Yanming said in a warm and relieved voice, ¡°I knew the academic exchange was forced to be canceled this time, but you don¡¯t have to feel too sad¡­¡±


    Shi An tilted his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m good.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t lying.


    Perhaps for others, the academic exchange would be a fruitless trip.


    But for Shi An, the journey to the Aiwen district was satisfying.


    Not only had he recovered some of his treasures, but he had also ransacked the vault of the Aiwen Academy¡¯s principal and the Aiwen District auction house¡¯s warehouse. Most importantly, he had obtained important information about the whereabouts of his other treasures.


    Of course, there was a bit of regret.


    ¡­ such as not successfully turning Mu Heng into a collection of his own.


    But other than that, Shi An was very satisfied with his trip.


    Lin Yanming gave a compassionate smile. ¡°Mm, I understand.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    No, you don¡¯t understand.


    Lin Yanming said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve carefully taken notes for the lessons you missed when you went to the Aiwen District.¡±


    He patted his chest and made a bold statement. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯ll never fall behind as long as I¡¯m here!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    No, I¡¯m never worried about that.


    Lin Yanming reached out and rubbed Shi An¡¯s hair as he examined the slender young man before him and said distressingly. ¡°Alas, you¡¯ve lost weight.¡±


    The demon insect, who had been listening earlier, fell silent. ¡°¡­¡±


    In fact, Shi An was fed well by Mu Heng every day in the Aiwen District during his stay there. He had not only not lost weight but had even gained two pounds.


    Did this human not have good eyes?


    ¡°Do you have any snacks you want to eat? I also brought you a game console. If you have something you want to play, you can tell me.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°!!!¡±


    He nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, I have lost weight.¡±


    He held out his hand and showed his bandaged wound to the other man. ¡°Besides, I am injured and need to replenish well.¡±


    Demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    My lord, you are a bit thick-skinned.

 CH 68.2

    Taking Advantage of Someone¡¯s Difficulties (2)


    A pale fluorescent blue light poured down and landed inside the magical treatment chamber.


    The upper half of the man¡¯s body was naked, his firm, well-proportioned muscular lines covered with deep and shallow scars, the latest of which was located on the left side of his chest patch in a perilous position. A slight faint blue glow shone from the wound, which had not yet healed but had at least stopped bleeding.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyelashes twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Finally awake?¡±


    With a crooked white coat draped over his body, Zhuo Fu looked down at Mu Heng, lying in the treatment chamber.


    Mu Heng frowned, his voice hoarse. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The Central District, of course.¡± Zhuo Fu rolled his eyes. ¡°Your subordinate realized they couldn¡¯t treat your wound, so they hurriedly sent you back.¡±


    ¡°I saw the remnants of magic on your wound. You were the one who did it, weren¡¯t you?¡± He shook his head with a condemning look. ¡°I say, Sir Mu, Wen Yao and the others didn¡¯t know how severe this wound was, but would you not know it yourself? The wounds created by your magical power can¡¯t be treated by standard medical treatment and with such a bad position¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu sighed. ¡°Showing off your ability to hold on for so long under such circumstances and personally participating in the battle¡­ Sir Mu, are you worried that you¡¯ll live too long?¡±


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t answer, propping himself up against the edge of the healing chamber and sitting up.


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s face showed a proud look of self-boasting. ¡°But fortunately, I was here. Although I don¡¯t understand the medical treatment, I¡¯m at the top for magical power, so you don¡¯t have to worry about having any sequelae¡­¡±


    ¡°So noisy.¡± Mu Heng frowned, interrupting him ungratefully.


    Zhuo Fu wasn¡¯t angry either as he moved closer, a gossipy look on his face.


    ¡°Hey, speaking of which, I¡¯ve heard that Sir Mu got this wound because he wanted to save someone.¡±


    He hooked the corners of his mouth and lowered his voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s Shi An again.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu smiled a little wider. ¡°I¡¯ve said it, dragons, princesses, and knights are the standard features in a fairy tale. Once or twice could be ignored. With you dragging such a wound to save people this time, I don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have any improper thoughts for the other person¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and slightly cold, with magnetic huskiness.


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­ Mm?


    After two or three seconds of silence, Zhuo Fu finally reacted as an afterthought that something was wrong and he slowly stared with wide eyes, hardly able to believe his ears.


    He gazed blankly at the man in front of him.


    ¡°¡­ Hold on, fuck. It can¡¯t be. Is it true?¡±


    Mu Heng coldly swept a glance over, his eyes appearing ever darker and deeper blue and unfathomable under the cold blue light surrounding him.


    However, his intimidation did not work this time.


    Zhuo Fu was still in a state of extreme shock and disbelief.


    Although he had a vague hunch earlier, feeling that Mu Heng¡¯s attitude toward Shi An didn¡¯t seem to be the same¡­


    Surprisingly, it was true.


    And Mu Heng himself did not deny it¡­?


    Was he dreaming, or was it the end of the world?


    Mu Heng was too lazy to care about him as he rolled over, sat up from within the healing chamber, and walked down.


    Although the wound had not fully recovered yet, the work related to the Aiwen District was still waiting for him to handle, and¡­


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, remembering the kiss he had made before he passed out.


    He pursed his lips.


    A restlessness that was hard to suppress arose from the bottom of his heart.


    Earlier, he had lost consciousness before he had a chance to say anything.


    Where was Shi An? What would he think? Would he¡­


    All the thoughts about the other party swirled in his mind, making it impossible for Mu Heng to calm his mind.


    As Mu Heng was about to walk outside, Zhuo Fu snapped out of his dream and jumped up.


    He ran over with speed rarely seen in his life and blocked Mu Heng¡¯s way. ¡°Hold on, wait a minute! You can¡¯t do this now. I won¡¯t let you leave before your wound recovers completely!¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    Zhuo Fu stubbornly said, ¡°Unless you step over my dead body!¡±


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes.


    Zhuo Fu hurriedly added, ¡°Besides, I think Shi An also wouldn¡¯t want to see you injured so badly because of him. Also, you just got your wounds treated!¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu mentally cursed out at Mu Heng¡¯s hesitant look for a split second.


    I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s fucking useful.


    Awesome.


    Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and cautiously asked, ¡°Speaking of which, what happened in the Aiwen District? What actually happened between Shi An and you¡­¡±


    Seemingly worried that Mu Heng had misunderstood, he hastily added, ¡°I swear that I¡¯m not asking out of being gossipy. This matter might be related to the fate I¡¯ve mentioned before. I¡¯m only gathering materials right now!¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu observed the other¡¯s face and said cautiously, ¡°Besides, something like falling in love¡­ maybe I can help to give you some advice. Perhaps I can help you with something?¡±


    He added, ¡°You must¡¯ve cared for him, right? You should also want everything to go smoothly, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    His expression faltered a little.


    Mu Heng¡¯s mind flashed back to the shocked and bewildered look on Shi An¡¯s face before he lost consciousness.


    There was some truth in what Zhuo Fu said.


    Not only was he the first person to propose the theory of predestined attraction, but he was also highly experienced in relationships¡­ although not very reliable at times, perhaps he could help in such matters?


    Ten minutes later.


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­ So, did you kiss him?¡±


    Mu Heng answered, ¡°Mn.¡±


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°And then you fainted?¡±


    Mu Heng replied, ¡°¡­ Mm.¡±


    Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand to cover his face.


    After a long time, he rubbed his face and raised his head. ¡°Let us start from the beginning.¡±


    Zhuo Fu raised a hand to rub his temples and said with a headache. ¡°Although I¡¯ve joked about this before, to give one¡¯s heart to the other for saving one¡¯s life, this only happens in fairy tales or other fictional literature. Do you know what this is called in the real world?¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu looked at him in a grievance.


    ¡°It¡¯s called taking advantage of someone¡¯s difficulties.¡±

 CH 69.1

    Inside the ward.


    Lin Yanming was about to leave with the list of snacks Shi An had given him and had just reached the ward door when the door was pushed open from outside.


    A familiar figure appeared at the ward door.


    Lin Yanming¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Shi Rui said, ¡°Naturally, to visit my brother¡­¡±


    His expression stiffened and he subconsciously looked at Shi An, changing his tone. ¡°¡­ to visit Shi An.¡±


    He had heard that Shi An had participated in the Aiwen District Academy Exchange as a member of the strength system but hadn¡¯t given it much thought. After all, with Shi An¡¯s size and strength, he would be at the bottom of the list even if he went.


    The blizzard in the southern canyon had been on the news and Shi Rui had been looking forward to it for a while, but unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been any casualties, only a cancellation of the event.


    Shi Rui turned his head toward Shi An and said, ¡°After Father had heard about the Aiwen District¡¯s matter, he was worried about you, so he told me to come and see how you are.¡±


    He walked around Lin Yanming and displayed the gift box he was carrying.


    ¡°A little consolation gift.¡±


    ¨CFor some reason, when he found out about the accident in Aiwen District, Shi Zexun seemed very nervous about it, urging Shi Rui to come and visit Shi An, finding out what had happened at the academic conference.


    This alerted Shi Rui and a strong sense of crisis came to mind.


    Could it be that¡­ Shi Zexun decided to pay attention to Shi An again?


    However, no matter what Shi Rui thought in his heart, he still had to do an excellent job on the surface.


    Not far away, the young man was sitting on the hospital bed and concentrating on his game, not even raising his head and seemingly not even noticing this.


    Shi Rui walked around Lin Yanming, went to the bedside, pulled out a chair, and sat down, asking in a friendly manner, ¡°How do you feel now? If there¡¯s anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. I will help you to explain it to Father¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh, by the way, Father entrusted me to ask you: what happened in the Aiwen District during the academic exchange? Even if he¡¯s like that, he cares a lot about you. Stop fighting with each other,¡± Shi Rui said with a smile on his face, totally faking it the entire time he was speaking to Shi An.


    The game¡¯s sound stopped abruptly.


    Shi An paused the game and looked up in Shi Rui¡¯s direction.


    The young man before him had dark eyelashes and his pitch-black eyes didn¡¯t carry much emotion, but they were inexplicably haunting.


    ¡°You¡¯re very noisy.¡±


    The words that Shi Rui hadn¡¯t spoken were stuck in his throat subconsciously.


    He swallowed hard and suddenly felt the urge to turn and run, but he reluctantly pulled at the corners of his mouth, getting ready to say something to break the ice.


    It was at this point that Shi Rui heard the sound of the doorknob turning behind him.


    A firm voice rang out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    Shi Rui slowly turned his head and looked up.


    He saw a nearly two meters tall man with a strong, sturdy body and a gloomy face standing behind him. Although he still had wounds on his body, they did not affect his aura.


    As Shi Rui remembered, this would be the third-year senior, Zhao She, one of the top figures in the strength system of the entire Ability Academy.


    Zhao She narrowed his eyes and looked over towards Shi An. ¡°Did this kid bother you?¡±


    Shi Rui: ¡°!!!¡±


    He hurriedly opened his mouth to try to explain something. ¡°No, no, don¡¯t misunderstand¡­¡±


    A gentle voice came from behind Zhao She. ¡°Zhao She, don¡¯t scare people.¡±


    A slender, handsome and gentle young man came out from behind Zhao She, carrying comforting gifts in his hand, with a smile on his face but not much warmth in his eyes. ¡°This student must have also come to visit the patient, right? But it would help if you also considered the patient¡¯s mood in this situation, such as whether he is willing and wants to receive a visitor at this time, am I right?¡±


    Shi Rui: ¡°¡­¡±


    He also recognized this one.


    Wang Li, the second-year grade leader, was very talented, born into a famous family, and knew how to conduct himself well. He had already gained a vague reputation and prestige within the academy.


    ¡°Why bother to exchange pleasantries?¡± A cold female voice interrupted him. ¡°Shi An doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to receive him. He is the one stubbornly hanging out here.¡±


    Shi Rui: ¡°¡­¡±


    He stood still, his mind spinning a bit for a moment.


    T-This was¡­


    Fourth-year Chen Meng was a famous ice beauty. She was beautiful and powerful with a good family background but very arrogant and unapproachable.


    How could they be here¡­?


    C-Could it be?


    No way!


    Shi Rui turned his head incredulously to look at Shi An, who was not far away, only to see the young man on the hospital bed flashing a smile at the few people in front of him. ¡°You guys are here?¡±


    ¡°Did you bring ice cream for me?¡± he asked, eyes shining brightly.


    Chen Meng frowned as she walked in. ¡°You only know how to eat.¡±


    She tossed the bag she was carrying to him, the expression on her face still cold. ¡°Here. Chocolate parfait.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to bring it for you. You have a criminal record in this aspect,¡± Wang Li said with a smile. ¡°Cheng Meng was softhearted¨C¡±


    Chen Meng grimaced. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Shi Rui stood dumbfounded in the doorway, feeling awkward and redundant as he could neither enter nor retreat.


    Wang Li turned his head to look at Shi Rui, still wearing a polite smile on his face, but it was noticeably fainter.


    ¡°Junior, don¡¯t you have anywhere to go next?¡±


    Shi Rui responded with a few words dryly, then turned around wretchedly and left.


    The ward door closed behind him, blocking out a room of cheerfulness behind him.


    Shi Rui¡¯s eyes were gloomy and his face was expressionless as he left the hospital.


    He couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ how Shi An had been able to get everything so easily, whether it was a flawless birth, a different treatment from the number one strongest man, even perfect interpersonal relationships, and now even his father¡¯s attention was on the line¡­


    He went to an unoccupied corner and reached into his pocket for his long-unused contact device.


    Two beeps later, a man whose face was shrouded by the shadow of a hood appeared on the screen, his voice processed by a machine with a zippy current. ¡°Have you figured it out?¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s face twisted slightly. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

 CH 69.2

    Demand a Favor in Return (2)


    There were video games, countless snacks, and humans who volunteered to run errands for him.


    Shi An was having a blast staying in the hospital.


    Until that day when he suddenly received a call from Zhuo Fu.


    ¡°An An, you have to help me! Chief Mu¡¯s body hasn¡¯t recovered yet, but he already wants to work. He didn¡¯t listen to our persuasion. You¡¯re the only one who could persuade him now!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    Huh?


    But before he could think clearly about its relevance, he was unceremoniously escorted by Zhuo Fu to the Bureau.


    He was familiar with this area of the Bureau as he had been brought here by Mu Heng for a medical check-up last time.


    As Zhuo Fu led Shi An forward, he rambled on about how traumatizing Mu Heng¡¯s arrival had been ¨C not only did he not listen to medical advice, but he was also mentally violent to the person responsible for treating him, namely Zhuo Fu himself, making him the most difficult patient in the world to deal with.


    A translucent, inorganic glass door was at the end of the corridor.


    A dark silhouette of a man was faintly visible inside.


    Soon, the glass door opened with a loud ¡°beep.¡±


    Wen Yao, holding a stack of documents, came out of it.


    She had recently been in charge of collecting information related to the dragon and the mercenaries, including part of the follow-up process on the Aiwen District. Although Mu Heng¡¯s body had not yet completely healed, he had returned to the intensity of his work before his injury. As subordinates, Wen Yao and the others were very concerned, but they were powerless to stop their chief from acting irrationally. The most they could do was not yield on the ¡°no field trips¡± part.


    At the sight of Shi An, Wen Yao was surprised for a moment and turned her head to look at Zhuo Fu.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu winked at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Chief Mu¡¯s health? Isn¡¯t the solution here now?¡±


    Wen Yao froze and revealed a look of dawning realization.


    She smiled at Shi An and side-stepped out of the way, a trace of eagerness hard to see what was going to go down now that the young man was here. ¡°Hurry up and enter. Chief has waited so long for you.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    You, humans, are so hard to understand.


    What is all of this?


    Zhuo Fu pressed his palm on a switch to the side and the door opened with just a beep.


    Mu Heng sat on the hospital bed, his long silver hair unbound and cascading down like a brilliant waterfall. He was not wearing his usual jacket but still customarily covering every inch of his body.


    His face was pale, his stern brow furrowed as he glanced down at the papers before him.


    When he heard the door open, Mu Heng raised his eyes quizzically and looked over in the direction where the sound came from.


    Mu Heng faintly froze the moment he saw Shi An.


    He seemed to have realized what was going on in the next second and his eyes suddenly turned stern, glaring straight at Zhuo Fu beside Shi An with a gaze so sharp it was like that of a cold blade.


    Zhuo Fu had the sense to shrink behind Shi An. ¡°Hahahaha. I suddenly remember that I still have things to do in the lab. You guys can chat first. Hahaha!¡±


    He escaped from the room and was out of sight in the blink of an eye.


    Shi An and Mu Heng were left in the large magic treatment chamber.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He raised his hand and pinched his brow, gritting his teeth and saying in a cold voice, ¡°Zhuo Fu, this guy¡­¡±


    Shi An walked over to the hospital bed and examined the man in front of him up and down.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see much from the outside, he could sense through the vague fluctuations of his magic power that Mu Heng was still in a fragile state.


    Zhuo Fu was right.


    Shi An suddenly became solemn.


    This would not do!


    As his future collection, he must protect his body before that day comes!


    He frowned slightly and said seriously, ¡°You should have a proper rest now.¡±


    Mu Heng looked at the young man in front of him, and under the other man¡¯s solemn gaze, he subconsciously softened his voice.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t listen to their nonsense.¡±


    Shi An asked, ¡°So, have you rested properly?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°Your hair will lose its luster if you¡¯re too tired.¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned. ¡°¡­¡±


    He had not expected Shi An to use this reason to persuade him, so he could not help but be baffled.


    However, the other party looked earnest.


    Mu Heng finally gave in and sighed, closing the document in front of him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pushed the document away and raised his eyes to look at Shi An.


    The young man before him had a fair face. His eyes were ultra-clear and black, and the curves of his eyes were round and curved, looking well-behaved and soft without being lush. His light-colored lips were slightly pursed, the corners of his mouth set down in a slight curve, looking very soft and suitable for a kiss.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were slightly dark and his blue eyes were like a bottomless abyss beneath the sea¡¯s surface.


    The next second, his mind flashed back to Zhuo Fu¡¯s words that day.


    You can¡¯t scare someone until you know whether they are interested or not.


    One must not take advantage of someone¡¯s misfortune and demand a favor in return.


    Mu Heng averted his eyes with some unease.


    He took a deep breath and said with some difficulty in a low, slightly hoarse voice. ¡°That day¨C¡±


    Shi An was stunned.


    ¡­ Right!


    Mu Heng had just said two words before getting stuck, his eyes flickering slightly, his expression hesitant.


    What to say¡­


    At that moment, a little shadow suddenly pressed down.


    Mu Heng regained his senses and his pupils suddenly constricted.


    He saw the young man droop his eyes, his long eyelashes covering his dark eyes, and gently and silently leaned down to approach him.


    A little warm and soft touch fell on his lips.


    The muscles in Mu Heng¡¯s body tensed instantly, his finger bones clenching fiercely.


    Time seemed to stop flowing.


    Shi An¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as he raised his eyes and gazed into the slightly hazy dark blue eyes of the man in front of him, frowning a little in confusion.


    ¡­ Eh? Shouldn¡¯t it be like this?


    He was following Mu Heng¡¯s way! Could it be that something was done wrong?


    Shi An pondered seriously for a few seconds, then blinked and tried to draw back.


    But in the next second, the man¡¯s long, strong fingers clasped the young man¡¯s slender waist and applied force to his palm, violently bringing him forward.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he was thrown off balance, stumbled forward, and then was trapped firmly in the other man¡¯s arms.


    With his chin pinched, Shi An was forced to lift his head and open his mouth to withstand the other man¡¯s fierce licking and nibbling.


    His lips were numb and aching, his breath was suppressed, and the wet, watery sound of lips and tongue entwined was heard in his ears.


    The corners of the young man¡¯s eyes reddened while his mind was muddled and confused.


    ¡­?


    H-Hold on?


    Something didn¡¯t seem right about where this was going.


    Beneath the silvery white eyelashes, the man¡¯s eyes burned with a hot, dark fire, fierce and violent, swirling with a devouring heat.


    So what if he did take advantage of someone¡¯s difficulties and demanded a favor in return?


    As long as he gets the person.

 CH 70.1

    Couldn¡¯t Stand it Anymore (1)


    W-What happened to human etiquette?


    Shi An¡¯s mind went blank for a moment, panicking as he pressed his hand against Mu Heng¡¯s chest.


    The other man¡¯s clothes were thin and the heat of his body spread out from where they were pressed together, making him a little overwhelmed.


    There was always a feeling that something wasn¡¯t right¡­


    The man¡¯s long, firm fingers pressed against the back of the young man¡¯s neck, his fingers burning, causing a vague shiver to run through him.


    ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was husky, low, and magnetic, with a coaxing tone.


    He ran his fingers over the back of the other man¡¯s delicate white nape and gave it a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Be good.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s body went limp and a tiny whimper spilt out of his throat.


    He felt as if his whole body had been thrown into the hot, bubbling water, and his mind was dizzy.


    His teeth were pried open in confusion.


    The tip of his tongue felt numb from the sucking and saliva he couldn¡¯t swallow slid down the corners of his mouth.


    A burning heat emanated from the contact, snaking its way through every inch of skin as if it were burning from the inside out.


    Strange.


    It was a bit like being in heat, but not quite the same. His mind wasn¡¯t burned to a crisp as earlier, but this half-awake, half-dazed sensation left more of an impression.


    Without realizing it, Shi An was already pressed into the other man¡¯s arms.


    The man¡¯s hands were firm around his waist, his warm, hot palms pressed against the soft, taut waistline, sliding in along the hem of his shirt.


    ¡°Wuu!¡±


    The young man shuddered slightly and instinctively tried to curl up tighter. The corners of his eyes flushed red, looking more pitiful and cute.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes darkened.


    He knew very well that if he didn¡¯t stop, he might lose total control of himself.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and gazed deeply at Shi An in his arms.


    Shi An¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, his dark eyes covered in a layer of watery mist, his eyes dazed, his breathing rapid, like a small animal that had been bullied so badly that one could not help but want to bully it a little more.


    Mu Heng felt a hot sensation rise from his lower abdomen.


    Not now, at least.


    And not here, either.


    He closed his eyes and stopped himself from taking the next step with great self-control, ending the kiss.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were deep and dark, with a bit of aggression that was hard to contain.


    He slowly raised his hand and wiped away the wet mark on Shi An¡¯s lips with his fingertips, pausing slightly without a trace the moment his fingertips swiped the corner of the other¡¯s lips.


    So soft.


    Mu Heng tilted the other party¡¯s chin and gently sucked down on Shi An¡¯s lips, his voice low and muffled. ¡°¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. You can practice it in the future.¡±


    I will teach you little by little.


    Shi An blinked his eyes and gasped for air.


    He finally didn¡¯t hold back and snapped, somewhat bewildered. ¡°¡­ A-Are you also like this with other people?¡±


    Is that truly etiquette?


    It wasn¡¯t right, was it?


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips paused slightly, and he frowned. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Was that the impression he had left on Shi An?


    ¡­?


    So, it was etiquette, but not to everyone?


    Shi An was truly confused at this point.


    Something wasn¡¯t right, was it? There was something not quite right somewhere, wasn¡¯t there?


    Mu Heng rubbed his fingertips against the other party¡¯s jawline, narrowing his eyes slightly as he said, ¡°So you¡¯re not allowed to do this other than with me, either. Do you understand?¡±


    Under the other party¡¯s intense stare, Shi An nodded confusedly.


    At that moment, the door was opened from the outside. Zhuo Fu stood in the doorway and fell silent, gazing at the scene before him that could not help but make people overthink. ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I interrupting you guys?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s hand that was clasped around Shi An¡¯s waist tightened without any half-hearted intention of loosening it and his pair of ice-cold blue eyes narrowed slightly as he said slowly and deliberately, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Say it.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t stand it.


    If the situation weren¡¯t urgent, he would never bother Mu Heng at this time.


    Zhuo Fu said as quickly as he could, ¡°Traces of a new abyss rift have been detected in the southern part of the Central District. The magic fluctuation isn¡¯t small, so we might need to send someone over to have a look at it.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were shocked. ¡°What?¡±


    ***


    When Wen Yao received the news and arrived, she was met with a chaotic scene.


    Mu Heng had draped himself in his coat, leaving Zhuo Fu on the side to grind his teeth, indifferent to the situation, clearly having decided to take matters into his own hands. The other person, Shi An, was sitting on the bed with his head down and she was unsure of what he was thinking.


    When Zhuo Fu saw Wen Yao coming, he seemed to have seen his savior. ¡°Yao Yao, you¡¯re finally here! Please persuade your chief. He¡¯s not fit to go out on fieldwork with his injury yet¡­¡±


    Wen Yao frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Yao Yao.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuo Fu had a hurt expression on his face.


    Wen Yao whipped her head towards Mu Heng and said, ¡°But what Zhuo Fu had said earlier is right. Sir, you¡¯re not suitable for fieldwork in your condition now. The fluctuation of the abyss rift has just appeared and shouldn¡¯t have expanded yet. Why don¡¯t you let me take charge of this survey work and bring people¨C¡±


    Mu Heng put on his gloves and raised his eyes coldly. ¡°With the current manpower?¡±


    The several battles in the Aiwen District had taken a considerable toll on Mu Heng¡¯s men and the number of wounded was high, with many not yet returned to their positions.


    And more importantly, Mu Heng had a premonition about it.

 CH 70.2

    Vi5-7 minutes 06.10.2021


    Couldn¡¯t Stand it Anymore (2)


    Although the Bureau had not fully understood the cause and pattern of the appearance of the abyssal rift until now¡­


    The appearance of the abyssal rift has been far too frequent recently.


    In the past, it might be years or even decades before an abyssal rift appeared once in an area. In contrast, he had just dealt with the abyssal rift within the Ability Academy this year and not even half a year later, a second one had appeared in the same district.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a coincidence.


    ¡°¡­¡± Wen Yao choked.


    She looked toward Shi An for help, hoping the other party could say something.


    Only to see that the young man had raised his head at some point, looking thoughtfully in this direction, his eyes dark, unable to tell what he was thinking.


    Only to hear Shi An open his mouth and ask. ¡°That¡­ Can I also go?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wen Yao and Zhuo Fu¡¯s eyes widened, not expecting the other party to make such a request.


    Mu Heng frowned and flatly refused. ¡°No.¡±


    Recently, when he had been recuperating in the hospital, Shi An had found out that he had not seen any hint of growth in strength ever since he had absorbed all the magic power in his dragon molt.


    As for what the reason was, Shi An could not have understood it better.


    The magical power within the abyss and that on the continent were different in their essential composition.


    Although he was not like the other abyssal species that would be weakened after coming to the continent, the growth of magic power was limited.


    He could use his magic power and dragon flame without worries when he was in the Aiwen District earlier because the dragon molt still provided him with a constant supply of magic power.


    Although the dragon molt had been absorbed now, he was much stronger than the time when he had just woken up.


    However, Shi An knew clearly that waiting for his magic power to return naturally on the mainland was too slow. If he could not find a new way to recover his magic power, the magic power stored in his body now would be depleted sooner or later.


    At that time, not to mention recovering his strength and grabbing back the treasure, it might not even be easy to protect himself.


    And the appearance of the abyssal rift this time was like timely assistance for him.


    Shi An remembered what he had found in the last abyssal rift. The thing called the Eye of the Abyss.


    The magical power it contained from the abyss was very pure. Last time, due to his recklessness, he did not have time to carefully study how to absorb the magical power contained in it before he was forced to spit out the Eye of the Abyss due to leaving the abyss.


    If he could get a closer look this time, he could find a way to absorb it.


    However, it did not matter, even if it could remain unabsorbed this time.


    After all, for Shi An, standing inside the abyssal rift was already a boost to his strength.


    Shi An said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m very strong.¡±


    Wen Yao was stunned and suddenly recalled the words Zhao She had said earlier in the Aiwen District.


    He said that Shi An was very strong, maybe even stronger than them.


    Plus¡­ Shi An had also been in the southern canyon and he alone with the power of his own two fists had drawn away the attention of a large army of mercenaries.


    Wen Yao inexplicably recalled the scene when she first met Shi An.


    It was in the banquet hall of the Shi family¡¯s main residence. In the darkness, countless human-faced insects were on their backs, completely dead, and right in the middle of the densely-packed corpses of the deteriorating insects stood a teenager who looked out of place in the surroundings.


    He looked calm and unharmed.


    Perhaps¡­ Zhao She wasn¡¯t exaggerating.


    Shi An wasn¡¯t lying either.


    Wen Yao thought seriously for a long time and slowly said, ¡°I approve.¡±


    Mu Heng frowned and raised his eyes in Wen Yao¡¯s direction.


    Wen Yao flinched slightly but insisted and continued, ¡°Sir, what you said is right. We¡¯re indeed short of staffing, so maybe we can use every extra hand we can get. Moreover, Shi An has also displayed his strength in the Aiwen District¨C¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s brows knitted tighter together.


    Wen Yao had a straight face. ¡°Or do you not believe in Shi An?¡±


    This time, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Mu Heng, including Shi An¡¯s.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, he pinched his brow, took a deep breath, and said helplessly, ¡°¡­ All right.¡±


    Shi An gave a cheer and jumped off the hospital bed. ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Awesome, truly awesome.


    Zhuo Fu stood by the side and clicked his tongue in amazement.


    This was the first time he had seen Mu Heng back down. It was a world wonder. He should have recorded the scene before him and passed it on to future generations for preservation.


    Shi An followed quickly, tilted his head up, and looked at Mu Heng with his bright eyes.


    ¡°Can we go eat ice cream after we¡¯re finished?¡±


    Mu Heng pursed his lips, not holding back from rubbing his palms in the other man¡¯s soft hair. His pale blue eyes softened a little and the corners of his lips unconsciously rose slightly.


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    He was like a different person from the unreasonable persona he had put on display just now.


    Wen Yao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Can¡¯t stand it anymore.

 CH 71.1

    Vi6-7 minutes 06.10.2021


    What Did You Just Say? Say That Again (1)


    A nervous voice came from inside the communicator with the sound of zipping electricity. ¡°Reporting, sir, this¡­ the abyssal rift fluctuation¡¯s speed is faster than what we originally imagined. Many abyssal species have left the rift. Asking for emergency support!¡±


    The communicator¡¯s voice cut off.


    Wen Yao whipped her head around and looked at Mu Heng inquiringly. ¡°Sir, what should we do next?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression was cold and solemn as he frowned slightly.


    No one had anticipated that the situation would be so dire before the departure. It would actually take some time to mobilize the staff from other departments of the Bureau to the site.


    Moreover, the location of the abyssal rift was in a residential area at the edge of the city and the people involved were all civilians. Hence, evacuation and rescue was the most urgent matter.


    ¡°I will bring Team A into the abyssal rift, destroying the Eye of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Wen Yao, take the other team members to the residential area and evacuate the scattered crowd.¡± Mu Heng commanded briefly.


    Wen Yao looked at Shi An and asked, ¡°What about you? Why don¡¯t you stay with me?¡±


    Shi An thought it over for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He wanted to go into the depths of the abyssal rift and study the Eye of the Abyss.


    But Mu Heng was too much of a problem to be around.


    And the abyssal species were a little more sensitive than the demons on the continent, so it would be hard to explain if they all avoided him.


    Plus, with the amount of abyssal magic contained in the rift, Shi An could not guarantee that he would not be triggered to take on some dragon-like trait.


    It was best to play it safe.


    It would be good to regain some magic by burning the abyssal species in the surrounding area.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, lingering on Shi An for a moment, his voice cold and deep, without much emotional fluctuation. ¡°Be safe.¡±


    After saying that, he led the Team A members to turn around and leave.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The other members of the Bureau left behind stood at the same spot, glancing at each other afterward with bewildered looks on their faces.


    Be safe?


    Just now¡­ was Chief Mu concerned about people?


    They d-didn¡¯t hear wrong, did they?


    Wen Yao didn¡¯t seem to notice these details.


    She quickly and professionally commanded and led the team efficiently, quickly, and skillfully, assigning areas and tasks.


    ¡°Shi An, follow and move along with me.¡± Wen Yao rubbed the top of the other person¡¯s hair, her voice subconsciously softening. ¡°You can shout for me if something happens.¡±


    Team members: ¡°¡­¡±


    Captain Wen, you don¡¯t seem right today, either.


    The calm and professional Wen Yao, who never mixed too much personal emotion in the workplace, was suddenly so gentle today!


    Who was this new kid?


    Although it was not yet nightfall, only approaching dusk, the entire residential area in front of them was already plunged into dull darkness, with light black particles floating in the air like iron pins. It was like a black fog symbolizing bad luck and enveloping a large area in front of them.


    The well-trained team headed into the area.


    It was at this point that a scream came from not far away.


    The members of the Bureau were startled and looked in the direction from which the sound came.


    They saw a young boy standing in the narrow passage between the buildings. He stood there frozen, seemingly dumbfounded by the vision not far away, his face pale and terrified, only standing still and shivering.


    Wen Yao reacted quickly. ¡°Where¡¯s the gas mask? Quick!¡±


    Abilities could cover their whole body with magic to prevent the invasion of poisonous gas within the abyssal rift, but ordinary people would have to use special gas masks.


    Several members of the team ran in the direction of the young boy. ¡°Child, come here quickly¨C¡±


    Before their words could fall, a flash of raging flames swept straight overhead and slammed into the helpless little boy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¨C¡±


    Only a booming explosion could be heard as the intense fire engulfed the little boy instantly.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± One of the team members turned around in shock and anger as he grabbed the man who had casually cast his magic by the collar in a deadly grip. ¡°You fucking¨C¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the ground beneath his feet began to shake.


    The advanced team members in front of them realized something was wrong and took several giant steps backward.


    The muddy ground they were about to step on began to bulge slowly and the dark soil poured down to reveal huge, thick, pitch-black leaves.


    Immediately afterward, a huge ugly flower emerged from below the ground. Between its dark, fat petals were mouthparts covered in razor-sharp teeth, from which viscous saliva dripped. At the same time, a flesh-red ligature dangled loosely between them, at the end of which was the little boy whose face had been burned beyond recognition and which had almost melted away to reveal the black and red gelatinous substance beneath.


    The victim who had just asked them for help¡­ was the tongue of this demonic creature!


    ¡°Hey, it hurts where you¡¯re pulling me.¡±


    That team member¡¯s expression remained frozen as he subconsciously looked at Shi An in front of him.


    The young man looked innocent, his eyelashes slightly drooping, looking extremely out of place with his surroundings as he lifted his thin white fingers to poke the team member¡¯s stiff palm. ¡°Let go.¡±


    The team member blankly let go of his hand.


    After a brief moment of stunned silence, the other members of the Bureau reacted quickly and attacked.


    Under the crowd¡¯s attack, the demon wailed and hissed as it collapsed, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.


    Several advanced team members returned to the group and solemnly thanked Shi An.


    Anyone with eyes could see that they would have become flower fodder if it weren¡¯t for Shi An.

 CH 71.2

    What Did You Just Say? Say That Again (2)


    Wen Yao turned around and looked at Shi An with an astonished expression on her face.


    ¡°¡­ How did you know about it?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and said, ¡°The scent isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Honestly, this had nothing to do with the scent.


    Rather, it was because¡­  this abyssal species had one thing in common.


    It was that their tongues all looked the same.


    After several thousand years, Shi An had grown tired of seeing this little boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    All the members stood in awe.


    They only knew that Chief Mu was a powerful person who was very sensitive to scent, but they never thought they would be lucky enough to see a second person with the same ability today.


    No wonder the Chief and Captain Wen looked at him in a different light!


    Wen Yao sheathed her sword, looked around the unusually quiet residential area in front of her, narrowed her eyes slightly, and said, ¡°Something is wrong.¡±


    According to reason, the Bureau¡¯s combat team members would not normally be so careless.


    However, the abyssal rift had only just been discovered this time and it was logical that the level of spread contamination should not be too deep and the strength of the abyssal species that escaped from it would not all be much stronger.


    Moreover, they had only just entered the area and their main objective was to rescue people, so they would never have expected that the first ¡°victim¡± they encountered would be a demon bait in disguise.


    Such a large abyssal species had already appeared in the outer areas¡­


    As she gazed at the quiet residential area in front of her, Wen Yao¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.


    ¡°Level one alert status,¡± she ordered.


    ¡°Yes!¡± the team members looked solemn and said in unison.


    On the other side.


    Zhuo Fu frowned, gazing at the level report submitted before him. His expression was rare, grave.


    Something was wrong. Something definitely was not right.


    How could an abyssal rift that had just appeared present such readings?


    Only an abyssal rift that had appeared for at least ten days would release such powerful magical fluctuations, so could it have been catalyzed? Or was it¡­


    He held out his hand to his assistant. ¡°Show me the perimeter index report for this area over the last ten days.¡±


    ***


    Wen Yao¡¯s team continued deeper into the contaminated area.


    They cleared the abyssal species that had escaped from within the abyss, freeing the stranded commoners and Abilities from it.


    Shi An restrained his aura, preventing the abyssal species from sensing his presence.


    He did not show much strength but kept a low profile and burned the demonic creatures.


    The ones that were too low-level were left to the Bureau¡¯s people to deal with. The higher-level abyssal species demons were burned to death by Shi An before they could even get close.


    The more demons he burned to death, the more magic power he drew from them.


    The golden-red flames rose, reflecting in his dark eyes¡¯ depths.


    Shi An narrowed his eyes slightly in contentment, a hint of insatiable satisfaction sweeping across the bottom of his eyes.


    More and more.


    I can still eat more!


    Because he was having so much fun killing, when Shi An returned to his senses again, he suddenly realized that he had wandered away from the Bureau¡¯s group.


    He blinked and sensed the human¡¯s scent.


    ¡­. It was not far, a couple of steps after them and he could catch up.


    That put Shi An¡¯s mind at ease.


    Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and squinted his eyes slightly, looking in a direction overhead.


    Shi An took an unhurried step back.


    The next second, the ceiling above his head suddenly collapsed and huge pieces of rubble fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A huge claw covered in scales was seen pressing down, stepping heavily on top of the rubble and ruins.


    A several-meter-tall demonic creature appeared in front of Shi An. Its body was pitch black, its pupils were thin and narrow, and it carried two wings on its back, looking extraordinarily fierce and terrifying.


    The demonic creature opened its mouth and spoke human words. ¡°Human, you shall die daring to look straight at a dragon.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He squinted his eyes and a ray of red-golden light flashed under them.


    To the demonic creature¡¯s surprise, the human before him, who looked as if he could be killed with a single claw, did not seem to have much fear on his face. Instead, he slowly took a step forward and asked nonchalantly, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    The young man¡¯s face had no other expression, looking almost curiously at the demonic creature several times his size, his lips raised in a real smile, and he repeated in a crisp voice, ¡°Say that again?¡±


    ***


    Inside the abyssal rift.


    A dark, poisonous mist filled the air, reducing visibility to almost nothing.


    The silver-haired man stood with his sword, dark blood sliding slowly off its tip and hitting the ground with a dripping sound, the shattered bodies and limbs of the demons of the abyssal species at his feet.


    At that moment, one of the subordinates, wearing a gas mask, ran over.


    Although an Ability could cover their body with magic to protect them from the poisonous fog, the fog in the rift¡¯s depths was so concentrated that even an ordinary Ability would need to wear a mask for protection.


    The only person with the ability to survive in such extreme conditions without the need for other equipment was Mu Heng.


    The Bureau member stood in front of Mu Heng, his voice coming from under his mask. ¡°Reporting, sir, we didn¡¯t find any trace of the Eye of the Abyss!¡±


    Mu Heng frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°Continue searching.¡±


    He raised his eyes and looked around the canyon covered in poisonous mist in front of him and a wisp of doubt swept across his gray-blue eyes.


    How could this be?


    An abyssal rift without the Eye of the Abyss?

 CH 72.1

    You¡¯re So Heartless, But I Like It (1)


    The young man before it tilted his head, his lips curved, eyes smiling, and face fair and clean.


    But for some reason, the dragon-like creature¡¯s heart jumped. It had an inexplicable urge to run.


    But the scent was indeed that of an ordinary human.


    ¡°This dragon¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The young man¡¯s voice trailed off slightly. ¡°Dragon?¡±


    Shi An raised his eyes and smiled brightly.


    The demonic creature: ¡°¡­¡±


    Something was wrong. Something was certainly wrong!


    A feeling of fear rose from the depths of its soul, urging it to flee.


    However, the next moment, the slender young man suddenly released a terrifying pressure like a heavy mountain range pressing directly on its body. Its bones and flesh were soon wailing and every cell in its body was screaming at the top of its lungs to run away. Still, its feet felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, somehow unable to move half a step.


    ¡°It is said that dragon scales are indestructible.¡±


    The young man placed his hand lightly on its claw, his soft white fingertips glinting with a sharp silver light, and slashed downward.


    The scales on the claw were ripped off hard, splashing blood everywhere.


    ¡°AHHH!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡±


    Shi An twirled a piece around his fingertips, sizing it under the light.


    The next second, his fingers exerted a slight force and the scales were crushed into dust.


    The demonic creature: ¡°!!!¡±


    Fuck, this isn¡¯t right!


    It couldn¡¯t care less at the moment and turned to flee with a flap of its wings, but before it could take flight, it felt its tail being pulled.


    The demonic creature: ¡°¡­¡±


    Immediately afterward, with a spin, it was yanked back by its black and massive body and crashed heavily into the rubble.


    The young man stepped forward over its body and crouched down at its throat.


    The creature¡¯s eyes widened in terror and the human¡¯s kind smile was reflected in the depths of its crimson pupils.


    He pressed his long, thin fingers against the creature¡¯s mouth and with the force of his fingertips, he pried it open a little.


    ¡°It is said that dragons could spew fire.¡±


    Shi An leaned down, gazing at his reflection in the depths of the other¡¯s pupils, and smiled slightly.


    ¡°Since you are a dragon, you should be able to do that, right?¡±


    He tapped his knuckles against the creature¡¯s teeth and withdrew his evil aura. ¡°Come, spew one for me to see.¡±


    At the same time, the creature found that the horrible weight weighing down on it had disappeared. It could move again.


    A fierce look passed through its eyes.


    So what if the opposite side might be stronger? After all, it was still a human!


    It had a chance to win from this proximity!


    A blazing red color emerged near its throat and its throat flared with fire. In the next instant, blazing flames erupted from its mouth! The air was distorted under the influence of the heat.


    No being can survive such an onslaught of flames.


    Turn you into charcoal, you mere ants!


    A glimpse of joy passed through the demonic creature¡¯s eyes.


    Suddenly, a slender white hand reached out from the flames in front of him without warning and grabbed the creature¡¯s throat.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The creature¡¯s eyes bulged, the throat beneath its scales squirmed twice, and the flames that had not yet finished spewing from its mouth were forcefully pressed back.


    The flames disappeared.


    The young man sat down on his knees, eyes downcast, and smiled pleasantly. ¡°Ah, you could do it unexpectedly.¡±


    The creature was truly panicking now.


    What kind of monster was this? How could its attacks be completely ineffective?


    This was clearly¡­ an authentic dragon flame!


    ¡°But¡­ to attack me with my fire¡­¡± Shi An lowered his eyes and leaned closer, his smile gentle and harmless, crimson flames of light swirling under his eyes, wrapped in a devouring hostility. ¡°Do you think it will be useful?¡±


    The demonic creature: ¡°¡­¡±


    It froze in place.


    What?


    W-Was it hearing things? How could¡­?!


    ¡°How about I teach you how to use it?¡± Shi An asked in a whisper.


    A cluster of orange-yellow flames rose from the young man¡¯s slender white fingertips, burning silently in the darkness around them, the horrific aura released from them being palpable even without getting so close.


    ¡­ Yes.


    Right!


    The demonic creature widened its eyes and revealed a hard-to-believe look.


    In the next second, Shi An felt the massive body beneath him suddenly disappear. He was caught off guard and widened his eyes slightly as he was thrown to the ground.


    It hurt!


    Shi An furrowed his brow as tears welled up under his eyes.


    He looked up angrily.


    All he saw was a round dark red eyeball, the size of a ping-pong ball, in the clearing before him, with two thin legs and two thin hands growing out from it.


    It went down on its knees in a poof, threw its two thin hands, and crawled on the ground.


    ¡°Lord dragon!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Was it his illusion? He felt a little disgusted.


    The Eye approached ingratiatingly. ¡°Lord dragon! Don¡¯t you remember me?¡±


    A small suspicious blush flushed upon its face.


    ¡°You once did that, that kind of thing to me¡­¡±


    Shi An took a slow step back. ¡°¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an illusion.


    ¡°You are the first being I saw since I was conscious! So powerful, beautiful, and dazzling!¡± The Eye exclaimed in an aria-like tone. ¡°From the first time I saw you, your beauty has fulfilled me. I am so happy that I am about to burst!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I remember that you did burst.


    Burst in a physical sense.


    ¡°But your beauty let me survive and hold on until I reached this abyssal rift! After swallowing that ignorant and stupid Eye of the Abyss, I could finally get a physical form. As you are so magnificent and enchanting, I have chosen to take on your form to show my love for you!¡±


    Teardrops slipped from the Eye of the Abyss.


    It reached out and tugged at the corner of Shi An¡¯s coat, wiping its tears. ¡°Unexpectedly, I was able to see you again! Please accept my confession and allow me to serve you by your side, becoming your slave! You can do anything to me as you please!¡±


    A blush once again spread across the Eye¡¯s face.

 CH 72.2

    You¡¯re So Heartless, But I Like It (2)


    Shi An¡¯s face was expressionless as he pulled his coat back from the Eye¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡±


    The Eye was devastated. ¡°Why?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re a bit disgusting.¡±


    The Eye was struck by lightning. ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An lowered his eyes in contemplation for a moment. He suddenly realized something, looking up, and asked, ¡°So this abyssal rift doesn¡¯t have the Eye of the Abyss anymore?¡±


    The Eye seemed to have not yet recovered from the grief of having just been rejected in a confession and said in a very depressed manner, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Shi An frowned and poked his fingertips at the Eye of Abyss in front of him, a little disappointed.


    ¡°Then do you still have much magical power in your body?¡±


    Most importantly, could it still be used?


    The Eye thought seriously. ¡°The Eye of the Abyss only contains abundant magical power as an unliving being. As for now¡­ it is only a common demonic creature¡¯s body. Although I have lost my power, to think I can stay by your side forever, I¡­¡±


    It became excited again.


    Shi An slowly took a step back.


    The Eye shyly said, ¡°Of course, if you want to try and absorb me as you did before, I can give myself up for you¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He withdrew his hand and slowly wiped it on his shirt, rejecting it with an expressionless face. ¡°Forget about it.¡±


    The Eye: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hoo Hoo. You are so heartless.


    But I like it.


    Shi An stood up with a lack of interest and sighed.


    He already had a premonition when he saw the Eye.


    After all, if it was a real Eye of the Abyss, it should have exploded long ago after leaving the abyssal rift for so long, but it was still nicely staying here, so that meant that its way of existence had changed.


    Moreover, the Eye of the Abyss in this abyssal rift had disappeared and the rift¡¯s disappearance should only be a matter of time.


    He might as well hasten to burn a few more demonic creatures while the abyssal rift was still there.


    If he didn¡¯t burn them, he wouldn¡¯t get another chance.


    Shi An turned around and headed out.


    The Eye followed on two tiny legs, shouting fawningly, ¡°My lord! My lord! Please wait for me!¡±


    At that moment, Wen Yao¡¯s anxious call rang out nearby. ¡°¨CShi An? Shi An?¡±


    Shi An walked toward the place where the voice came from.


    Wen Yao was relieved to see him. ¡°Luckily, nothing happened to you. If not, I wouldn¡¯t know how to explain to the Chief.¡±


    ¡°Look, the rift is disappearing.¡± She raised her finger and pointed to the sky.


    The previously gray, black, and hazy poisonous mist had dissipated, gradually revealing a clear sky. As the night disappeared along with the poisonous mist, the sky took on a pale and slightly bright morning color, with a bit of brilliant sunlight faintly peeking out from below the horizon.


    Wen Yao smiled.


    ¡°Chief should have wiped out the Eye of the Abyss.¡±


    The corner of Shi An¡¯s mouth twitched.


    No, he hadn¡¯t.


    That Eye had just chased after him.


    He whipped his head around unobtrusively to look.


    It wasn¡¯t there now.


    But for some reason, Shi An always felt that the other side wouldn¡¯t just give up so easily.


    ¡°We have cleared this area. Even if something slips through the net, it will be stopped by the incoming support team.¡± Wen Yao sheathed her sword and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Chief is waiting for us.¡±


    Shi An sighed willfully. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Soon, the group rushed to the arranged location.


    Mu Heng was already waiting there.


    Behind him was the rising sun, his light-colored silver hair was gilded with a golden glow, and the profile of his face was beautiful and cold, like a sculpture immersed in the morning mist.


    Hearing the sound of footsteps, Mu Heng lifted his eyes and looked in that direction.


    His eyes first fell on Shi An¡¯s body and only after scanning him carefully from top to bottom and finding that Shi An was indeed unharmed did the look in Mu Heng¡¯s eyes relax slightly.


    ¡°How is it?¡± he looked at Wen Yao and asked.


    Wen Yao briefly reported the mission this time.


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    This time, something was odd about the abyssal rift, so he would have to find Zhuo Fu and ask him carefully when he returned.


    The group of people got into the car.


    Mu Heng, Wen Yao, Shi An, and a few other squad leaders rode in one vehicle.


    The vehicle moved smoothly and the spacious cabin was silent for a while. Only the humming sound of the engine could be heard.


    The bumps were gentle. The hypnotic motions were beginning to lull Shi An into a sleep, who had become increasingly sleepy recently.


    Coupled with the fact that he hadn¡¯t slept all night, his eyelids drooped a little and his head followed the rhythm of the vehicle¡¯s swaying bit by bit.


    The several squad leaders sitting across from him had their hearts lifted.


    After last night, they all felt good about this highly talented and cute-looking young man.


    One must know that it was Mu Heng sitting beside Shi An.


    No one knew better than them how much Chief Mu disliked physical contact with people. What if¡­


    One of the squad leaders lowered his voice and coughed lightly, sending signals at Wen Yao sitting on the other side of Shi An.


    Quickly wake him up!


    Wen Yao received the other party¡¯s eye signal but turned her head expressionlessly and pretended not to see anything.


    The squad leader was a bit anxious.


    Captain Wen was normally quite smart, so how could she be so slow now?


    At this moment, the vehicle gave another small lurch.


    The young man¡¯s head hung lower and the upper half of his body tilted vaguely over in Mu Heng¡¯s direction.


    At this moment, Mu Heng, who had been closing his eyes since a while ago, opened his eyes and turned his head to look over with an indifferent expression.


    The squad leader¡¯s heart rose to his throat.


    It was over. It was over¨C


    Only to see Mu Heng lower his eyes and calmly raise his hand, pressing Shi An¡¯s head onto his shoulder.


    The squad leader: ¡°¡­¡±


    The young man dazedly rubbed his cheek against the man¡¯s shoulder and naturally snuggled his entire body over, adjusting a comfortable position and sleeping more soundly.


    The squad leader: ¡°¡­¡±


    Someone wake me up, hurry up!

 CH 73.1

    Yes, It¡¯s a Love Relationship (1)


    Inside the Bureau, the research laboratory.


    Mu Heng looked down and examined the papers laid out on his desk.


    These were all the magical readings and reports from the area near the abyssal rift over a recent period.


    ¡°Is there any result?¡±


    Zhuo Fu came forward with more papers in his arms and placed them heavily on the table with a thud.


    He wiped the sweat from his forehead, shook his head, and said, ¡°The data analysis and process should need a few more days, but you¡¯re right. This abyssal rift was, indeed, unlike an ordinary one.¡±


    Zhuo Fu reached over and pulled out a report from his desk, pointing out a line of data to Mu Heng. ¡°Before that, there were no unusual alerts in that area till yesterday¨C¡±


    His finger moved down and landed on the abnormally spiked figures that followed.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes.


    All the victims rescued from the area were still unconscious in the hospital, unable to be questioned.


    However, generally speaking, an abyssal rift would have a slow expansion period after appearing and a one-day intervention could not have caused the high pollution levels in the surrounding areas.


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to the research institute in the surrounding area to investigate. I think maybe something was wrong with the instrument.¡±


    He scratched his head. ¡°However, I did not detect any signs of Eye of the Abyss.¡±


    Mu Heng draped his jacket over his arm and turned to walk out the door.


    ¡°Contact me if anything turns up.¡±


    Zhuo Fu watched the other man¡¯s back and laughed. ¡°In such a hurry to leave?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s pace faltered slightly.


    Zhuo Fu was fearless and added, ¡°Accompanying your family¡¯s child?¡±


    The man turned around and looked at him with a pair of cold, unwavering blue eyes.


    Zhuo Fu subconsciously took a step back.


    He laughed dryly. ¡°You guys play by yourselves. I still have work to do and won¡¯t bother you guys.¡±


    After saying that, Zhuo Fu turned around and darted toward the lab with great foresight.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He withdrew his eyes, pushed open the door, and walked outside.


    Outside the research lab, the young man was slightly curled up and dozing in his chair.


    He seemed sleepy, his head lolling little by little as if he would slip out of the chair in the next second.


    His long eyelashes drooped, casting deep shadows on his fair face, which looked fluffy.


    Mu Heng felt a gentle sweep of feathers brush against his heart.


    ¡°Wake up, don¡¯t sleep here.¡±


    Shi An raised his half-asleep eyes and looked sleepily toward the man in front of him, a slight soft nasal sound in his clear voice as he whined, ¡°So sleepy¡­¡±


    Mu Heng said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will send you back.¡±


    He thought briefly and added, ¡°Or should we go eat ice cream?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Catching the familiar keyword, the sleepy Shi An suddenly woke up and sat upright. ¡°Ice cream!¡±


    Mu Heng chuckled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The sky outside was already brightening and the whole city was shrouded in a pale blue morning mist.


    The sun gradually climbed high into the sky and the city became lively and noisy again.


    Inside the dessert shop.


    Shi An looked fidgety as he gazed anxiously toward the counter.


    Mu Heng sat opposite him calmly, seemingly unaffected by Shi An¡¯s impatience.


    As it was still too early, there was no one else in the dessert shop but them.


    Soon, the shop assistant came over with a tray and placed the items on the tray on the table piece by piece.


    The ice cream in front of them had a sweet, creamy, cold, and milky aroma mixed with a rich, mellow chocolate fragrance, making it very appetizing.


    Shi An stared at the large cup of chocolate parfait in front of him and gripped the small silver spoon.


    But before he could start, the man¡¯s long, gloved fingers reached over and pressed the base of the glass, moving it in the opposite direction of Shi An.


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    He looked up in confusion.


    He saw the man across from him dropping his long silver eyelashes and unhurriedly pushing a sandwich toward him.


    ¡°Eat breakfast first.¡±


    Shi An turned his head and eyed the ice cream. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You will get a stomachache if you eat it before meals.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He remembered the painful experience he had last time in the hospital because he had eaten too much ice cream.


    Although he truly wanted to eat it¡­


    He was truly super afraid of pain.


    Shi An sighed reluctantly.


    But he still wolfed down the steaming hot fried eggs and sandwich before him before impatiently dragging back the chocolate parfait that Mu Heng had pushed out of the way, holding the little spoon and digging right in.


    Mu Heng sat across from him, holding a coffee cup between his fingers, sipping it little by little, his eyes stoic, his gaze always falling on the young man in front of him.


    The hot steam thickened the dark, bitter coffee flavor.


    Shi An sniffed the air and paused as he bit into his spoon.


    He lifted his eyes, his eyes falling on the coffee in Mu Heng¡¯s hand, and asked curiously, ¡°Is it tasty?¡±


    Mu Heng dropped his eyelashes without saying anything.


    He put down his coffee cup, the bottom of the cup clinking on the table with a tinkle, turned it around, and pushed it over with his fingertips.


    Shi An couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and reached out to take it, bringing the cup to his lips.


    The young man¡¯s lips were pale as he carefully sucked the cup¡¯s rim.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes deepened as he watched the other man¡¯s lips gently pursed to the spot he had touched earlier.


    As soon as the clear black liquid entered his mouth, a strong bitter taste spread instantly. The rich aroma he had smelled earlier seemed an illusion. All that remained was a slightly sour, astringent taste. Shi An¡¯s face instantly scrunched up.


    Until a minute ago, Shi An had thought that all food made by humans was delicious. Until now¡­

 CH 73.2

    Yes, It¡¯s a Love Relationship (2)


    He stared at the coffee cup in his hand with a twisted expression, greatly shocked.


    Why did humans make this stuff?


    And more importantly¡­


    Why would anyone volunteer to drink it?


    Shi An looked up blankly and slowly at Mu Heng sitting across from him.


    Mu Heng raised his eyebrows. ¡°How was it?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He lowered his head to look reluctantly at the rest of the chocolate parfait in his cup, then pushed it over with a sympathetic look.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure of the reason, but he could sense an odd look from the other party.


    He lowered his eyelashes, swept his eyes over the ice cream pushed in front of him, and then raised his eyes to look at Shi An. ¡°For me?¡±


    Shi An nodded.


    His collection was pathetic. One could tell that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything delicious before.


    Mu Heng shook his head. ¡°No need. You can eat it.¡±


    Shi An asked, ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s truly delicious.¡±


    Mu Heng nodded his head.


    Shi An dragged the ice cream back when Mu Heng nodded and said vaguely as he ate it, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Soon, Shi An devoured all the ice cream on the table.


    He narrowed his eyes insatiably, stood up, and followed Mu Heng outside.


    However, Mu Heng¡¯s pace suddenly stopped and his voice was low and calm. ¡°I did regret it a little.¡±


    The man in front of him turned around, his eyes backlit, appearing dark and deep.


    Shi An said, ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    Mu Heng leaned down and slightly curved his fingers, hooking up Shi An¡¯s chin and lowering his eyes to kiss him.


    Perhaps it was because he had just eaten ice cream, but the young man¡¯s lips were cold and sweet, with a little chocolate aroma and the smell of fresh milk and a hint of bitter coffee.


    Mu Heng licked the corner of Shi An¡¯s lips and released a soft smile.


    ¡°Indeed, not bad.¡±


    After speaking, he let go of Shi An and calmly turned to walk out. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you to return home.¡±


    Shi An stood in place with a frown on his face.


    He pursed his lips, the burning body heat of a human seemingly still lingering on the surface of his lips, not dissipating for a long time.


    Shi An couldn¡¯t help but start thinking about his life.


    Where on earth would this etiquette apply?


    Something didn¡¯t feel right.


    ***


    Shi An was sent back to the small villa he had lived in.


    The old butler hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time and although he tried to restrain himself, he couldn¡¯t help but cry when he saw Shi An. He wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled Shi An to ask him some questions until he was so sleepy that he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open before reluctantly letting him go upstairs.


    As soon as he entered the bedroom, Shi An flung himself onto his bed.


    The treasures hidden under the mattress made a clanging metallic sound, which was very pleasant to the ears.


    Shi An yawned and dazedly began to imagine what it would be like to get all the treasure back, pile it up into a huge bed, and bury his whole body underneath it.


    Ah¡­ Looking forward to that day.


    ¡°Hu hu¡­ hu hu hu¡­¡±


    A whining, sobbing sound reached Shi An¡¯s ears.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He opened his eyes expressionlessly and looked in the direction where the sound was coming from.


    He saw a large, dark red-eyed figure with two thin legs propping up a disproportionate body standing at his window, crying sadly with two thin hands covering its eyes.


    Shi An slowly clenched his fists.


    Damn it, he knew this thing wouldn¡¯t give up that easily.


    But Shi An was just too sleepy now.


    He yawned, blinked away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and asked in an extremely sleepy voice, ¡°What on earth do you want¡­¡±


    The Eye cried even louder.


    ¡°Hu hu hu¡­ I-I know I¡¯m not a match for you and I can understand why you rejected my confession. You¡¯re beautiful and formidable, a perfect being in this world. B-But¡­ what¡¯s so good about that human? Hu hu hu hu!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    What the hell are you talking about?


    The Eye crawled through the window, tears falling to the floor, and looked at Shi An with grief.


    ¡°W-Why would you do that kind of thing with that human?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­ W-What thing?¡±


    A delicate blush spread across the Eye¡¯s face, and its two delicate hands were placed together. ¡°T-That muah muah*.¡±


    *T/N: Kissing sound.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    That¡¯s a little disgusting.


    However, he quickly caught the point of the other party¡¯s words and frowned slightly as he repeated.


    ¡°Muah muah?¡±


    Five minutes later.


    Shi An was sleep deprived and sat blankly on his bed.


    He slowly turned his head to the Eye. ¡°So, kissing isn¡¯t a human etiquette?¡±


    The Eye replied, ¡°That isn¡¯t wrong, but it¡¯s only limited to the cheeks and the back of the hand. The mouth-on-mouth one is only done between lovers.¡±


    Shi An asked, ¡°L-Lovers?¡±


    He repeated it dryly and asked, somewhat incredulously, ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a love relationship.¡± The Eye covered its face shyly.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hold on?


    Wait a minute?


    Memories of the previous days came to his mind like a tidal wave.


    Shi An was dumbfounded.


    So he, the world¡¯s last Abyssal Dragon, had unexpectedly established a love relationship with Mu Heng, the world¡¯s only remaining dragon slayer and his future collection, without his knowledge?

 CH 74.1

    Isn¡¯t This Taking Advantage of Cultural Differences to Bully Dragons? Shameless! (1)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An felt like his entire body was unwell.


    His eyes lost focus as he sat on the edge of the bed, his mind going blank.


    So¡­


    WHY! DID! THINGS! TURN OUT! LIKE THIS!


    The demon insect crouched on the cabinet with a twisted expression and gritted its teeth. ¡°¡­ That damned human! To take advantage of someone¡¯s difficulties! Taking advantage of the Lord!¡±


    Before today, whenever Mu Heng was present, the demon insect and Black Smoke would fake dead together to prevent their scent from being detected.


    Only today, the demon insect discovered that Shi An had somehow established a relationship with Mu Heng.


    And they were furious.


    Isn¡¯t this taking advantage of cultural differences to bully dragons?


    Shameless!


    Black Smoke tried to smooth things out. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry. Don¡¯t get angry. That human didn¡¯t know my lord is a dragon¡­¡±


    The demon insect screamed, ¡°Despicable!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± A cold snort came from the side.


    The big-eyed creature sat on the window sill, crossed its legs, and clasped its two thin arms, saying grimly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys follow after lord dragon every day? How incompetent of you to let that insidious human take advantage of the situation! Why didn¡¯t you guys reflect upon this matter? If not because you guys failed to educate the lord about human social customs nowadays, would things turn out this way? Bah!¡±


    The demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    Black Smoke: ¡°¡­¡±


    Who the hell are you?


    The Eye bounced over proudly. ¡°Although the lord had rejected my confession, my heart for the lord isn¡¯t fake. Moreover, as the former Eye of the Abyss, I am more professional than you!¡±


    It gave a sinister and evil look. ¡°So from today onward, I am the lord¡¯s number one sidekick!¡±


    The demon insect¡¯s nose flared up in anger.


    ¡°Do you want to fight? See if I don¡¯t poke your eyeball out!¡±


    Black Smoke pulled him along and advised him, ¡°Big bro, calm down. Calm down!¡±


    The three demons in front of him were tearing each other apart, making Shi An¡¯s brain hurt from all the noise.


    ¡°You guys shut up!¡±


    The three demons in front of him immediately shut up and were as quiet as chickens.


    In this moment of peace, Shi An finally had time to sort out his thoughts carefully¡­


    Sorting the hell out!


    There was no thought to sort at all!


    He raised his head, looked at the three unreliable demonic creatures in front of him with the last sliver of hope, and slowly asked, ¡°Say, is it possible that Mu Heng did not think much about it? M-Maybe¡­ he also thinks this is a common etiquette?¡±


    The three demonic creatures: ¡°¡­¡±


    The demonic creatures that had been bickering earlier fell silent in unison.


    The demon insect slowly asked, ¡°So, four times of muah muah?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    What¡¯s with that expression?


    It¡¯s disgusting.


    Are you all infected by that eyeball?


    Although reluctant, Shi An nodded.


    ¡°Three times under a sober situation?¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and nodded hesitantly.


    Almost?


    Although there was one time when Mu Heng passed out straight away, could it be counted?


    ¡°And once was initiated by you?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was silent for a long time and nodded with utter grief on his face.


    I¡¯m so stupid, seriously.


    I only knew humans would use kissing as etiquette, but where would I have gotten the idea that different parts represented utterly different meanings?


    He did remember something at first but having been in the cave for so long, he wasn¡¯t sure about his long-lost vague knowledge and the word Mu Heng had used that day was ¡°friend,¡± so he was immediately led into a ditch.


    It was all Mu Heng¡¯s fault!


    Oh yes, and Zhao She!


    Shi An clenched her fist in anger.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The several demonic creatures looked at each other.


    ¡°This¡­ is not very likely.¡± The demon insect broke the silence and said dryly, ¡°How to say it¡­ hm¡­ this¡­ according to humans, this is almost like a confirmed relationship.¡±


    Despite having a hunch, Shi An¡¯s entire being was in a dull state.


    Big Eye suggested maliciously, ¡°My lord, why don¡¯t you burn that vile human? Anyway, isn¡¯t he unguarded toward you now? We can take advantage of the situation¡­¡±


    Shi An thought it over for a moment.


    Mu Heng¡¯s long silvery hair and eyelashes flashed in his mind, and then he thought about the other party¡¯s eyes that seemed as brilliant and bright as sapphires.


    He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Big Eye asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Shi An said honestly, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to do it.¡±


    This was his future collection, a precious treasure to be placed in his left talon position and circled by the tip of his tail!


    If he burned it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it in its most whole and prettiest form to preserve it.


    The Eye: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hu hu hu hu.


    It covered its eyes sadly, large teardrops falling as if it were a preteen girl whose heart had been broken.


    The demon insect revealed a gleeful expression.


    It looked at Shi An and said comfortingly, ¡°Actually, my lord, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. This matter isn¡¯t as severe as you thought.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    They were supposed to be a relationship between dragon and collection, dragon slayer and prey, so simple, pure, and healthy!


    And now¡­ they had unexpectedly become lovers without knowing it?!


    It was too awful, so wrong.


    Shi An felt like he was about to crack again just thinking about it.

 CH 74.2

    Isn¡¯t This Taking Advantage of Cultural Differences to Bully Dragons? Shameless! (2)


    The demon insect said, ¡°No, no, no. I didn¡¯t mean this.¡±


    Shi An cocked his head in confusion. ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    The demon insect coughed quietly and said, ¡°I know that until you fully recover your strength and officially go to war with the humans, you aren¡¯t ready to reveal your identity for the time being and there is no way to break the relationship through this method. However, according to my understanding of humans, your relationship is unstable now and could be said as an ambiguous period. It¡¯s very easy to break it off!¡±


    He continued with a plan, ¡°So as long as you¡¯re willing to go through with it, you can randomly look for a reason and express that you guys are unsuitable and it¡¯ll be okay!¡±


    That was what happened in all those dramas he secretly watched some time ago!


    Shi An revealed a thoughtful look.


    Although the demon insect was not very reliable most of the time¡­ indeed had a good idea this time.


    Anyway, the subject hadn¡¯t been discussed yet, so it would be better to just end things and get away from it!


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Shi An nodded solemnly. ¡°Let¡¯s do it like this!¡±


    The weight was finally off his mind and sleepiness returned.


    With a yawn, Shi An turned and climbed into bed, burying himself inside a bed made of gold and silver jewelry.


    The focus of the conversation turned to sleep.


    The Eye stopped crying and just glared viciously at the demon insect in front of him, who was also defiant and glared back menacingly, looking like a fight was about to break out.


    Black smoke: ¡°¡­¡±


    I genuinely don¡¯t feel like mediating the quarrel.


    It floated back into its little box and closed the lid with a snap, not paying attention to outside matters, just wanting to sleep.


    The two remaining creatures were staring at each other and the atmosphere was very tense.


    ***


    The sun was setting when Shi An finally woke up with his eyes open.


    He yawned and lazily sat up from the bed.


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re awake!¡± The demon insect was the first to rush over. ¡°Do you want to drink water? Or eat snacks?¡±


    The Eye was passive-aggressive. ¡°Bah! Kissing up!¡±


    It handed over a bouquet of flowers and said in an aria-like tone, ¡°Oh, my lord, you¡¯re still beautiful after not seeing you for a long time! You were so prestigious when you were a dragon that even the sun wasn¡¯t as splendid as you. When you were a human, nothing in this world could compare to your eyes¨C¡±


    The demon insect¡¯s expression was twisted. ¡°Bah! Artificial!¡±


    One side of the Eye¡¯s eyelid was swollen and one side of the demon insect¡¯s cheek was bruised.


    It looked like they had a vicious fight.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I think both of you are seriously ill.


    He didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to the two crazy demons in front of him and lifted the covers, getting out of bed.


    Shi An reached over to his phone and opened the screen.


    A few messages came from Wang Li and Zhao She, who had learned that Shi An had now been discharged from the hospital and had all sent messages expressing concern for his recovery.


    There were also a few messages from Lin Yanming, who, apart from asking about his health, also asked how long it would take for Shi An to return to class.


    He said he was distraught because it was now very close to the first academic year examination and the official classification of their classes would be based on the results of the academic year examination, so he advised Shi An to take it seriously.


    One was from Shi Rui, but Shi An didn¡¯t even look at it and pressed the delete button.


    The last one was from Mu Heng.


    ¡°See you at the door at 6:20.¡±


    In his usual style, it was concise, without any unnecessary and lengthy messages.


    Shi An looked at the time.


    It was already 6:12 and Mu Heng should be arriving soon.


    Before leaving, Shi An nodded solemnly to the three worried demonic creatures behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    It would be easy to break things off straight away! Piece of cake!


    After descending the stairs, Mu Heng¡¯s car was already parked there.


    He was standing with his back against the car door, his long silver hair tied high behind his head, his eyelashes drooping in silence, looking as if he were a silent statue.


    Mu Heng lifted his eyes and looked in the direction where the footsteps were coming from.


    The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the young man¡¯s slender form with a thin layer of gold, and his fair, soft cheeks were marked with a bit of red as if he had just woken up.


    Mu Heng stepped forward.


    But unexpectedly, the young man in front of him suddenly took a step back, putting some distance between them.


    Shi An raised his eyes, looked toward the man in front of him, and said in all seriousness,


    ¡°I don¡¯t like your coat.¡±


    It was black and didn¡¯t look good at all.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­?¡±


    Shi An said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re very suitable.¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned for a moment, then chuckled lightly.


    He took a step forward with his long legs, instantly reducing their distance.


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    Why is this different from what I thought it would be?


    The man lowered his eyes to gaze intently at him, his voice low and calm. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mu Heng gazed at the young man in front of him and said, ¡°After all, all my favorite coats are at your place.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wait, this didn¡¯t seem like the right direction.


    He thought for a moment and tried to bring the conversation back on track, stammering, ¡°T-Then I will return them to you.¡±


    Mu Heng leaned down and gave the young man a quick peck on the corner of his lips. ¡°No need.¡±


    The man¡¯s blue eyes were gilded with soft golden light from the setting sun, like a burning fire leaping in the night.


    His voice was low and muffled, without a ripple, with a hint of bitter aggression.


    Mu Heng said calmly, ¡°If you want it, this body is also yours.¡±

 CH 75.1

    So What? (1)


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Shi An was deep in thought.


    He could not understand what had just happened.


    He felt that every step seemed correct, but the ending was completely different from what he had imagined.


    What was going on here?


    Only when the car stopped did Shi An pull himself out of his thoughts.


    He realized that he had no idea where they were going and what they were doing.


    ¡°¡­ Where is this?¡± Shi An asked, blinking in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯re following along even if you don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going?¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and scanned him with a rare bit of flirtation in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re too easily kidnapped.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I was merely distracted for a bit too long!


    Shi An raised an eyebrow and argued, ¡°But isn¡¯t this because you¡¯re leading the way?¡±


    What evil intentions could the shiny collection have?


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes darkened slightly upon hearing this as he was stunned.


    The young man in front of him was not even half conscious of what he had unintentionally said, completely unaware of how¡­ dangerous such an attitude of pure trust and dependence could be.


    Mu Heng withdrew his gaze, his voice slightly muffled, and changed the subject without batting an eye.


    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s get out of the car.¡±


    In front of them was a huge, round building that looked similar to the Wang family¡¯s training ground that Shi An had previously visited, but it was much more vast and grand.


    Zhuo Fu stood in front of the building and waved at them.


    ¡°This is the Mu family¡¯s private training place.¡± As they entered, Zhuo Fu introduced the place to Shi An. ¡°Even though it looks high-tech now, it¡¯s hundreds of years old and has been renovated from generation to generation.¡±


    ¡°I must thank Chief Mu for lending this place and permitting me to test my testing device.¡±


    Shi An asked, ¡°A testing device?¡±


    Zhuo Fu nodded and said enthusiastically, ¡°That¡¯s right. It can intelligently customize the most suitable training method for the subject based on the individual¡¯s unique magic level, guaranteeing twice the result with half the effort!¡±


    Shi An turned his head toward Mu Heng and looked over.


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Wen Yao told me everything happened outside the abyssal rift last time.¡±


    He lowered his eyes to look at Shi An, eyes inexplicable. ¡°She said you were very powerful.¡±


    After suitable training, he could become more powerful.


    ¡°Fire system?¡±


    Shi An didn¡¯t know exactly what the other party was trying to do, but he nodded cautiously.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mu Heng said lightly and turned to walk off the field.


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    A glass wall rose, blocking Mu Heng and Zhuo Fu out.


    Immediately afterward, the ground slowly opened up nearby and a faceless machine puppet appeared.


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice came from overhead. ¡°Give it a try.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°?¡±


    Wait a minute?


    I haven¡¯t even said anything yet. How come I¡¯m supposed to start training?


    Noticing that Shi An hadn¡¯t moved for a while, Zhuo Fu¡¯s voice sounded out, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You can attack the puppet using fire magic¡­¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand the process!


    But it had come to this, so Shi An forcefully summoned a cluster of flame and threw it at the puppet¡¯s head.


    He didn¡¯t use the dragon flame.


    The dragon flame was too strong and wouldn¡¯t be a power that any human could possess. It would be okay to use it for external battles only where others could see that it was strong but didn¡¯t know how strong it was.


    But fooling others would not be possible once faced with the testing device.


    However, despite not planning to use the dragon flame, Shi An, as a dragon, could still produce a more powerful burst even if he just used the firepower alone.


    So this time, Shi An was very cautious in applying his power.


    Zhuo Fu said, ¡°Mm, not bad.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was cold and low, quickly drowning out Zhuo Fu¡¯s voice. ¡°Only this?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­ What kind of tone is that?


    Shi An slowly narrowed his eyes.


    How could someone question his strength in the fire system?


    Although he wouldn¡¯t use the dragon flame, Shi An, a proud dragon, couldn¡¯t hold back his anger!


    ¨CIt seemed that he was finally getting serious.


    Mu Heng withdrew his eyes and looked at Zhuo Fu. ¡°You can continue.¡±


    Zhuo Fu froze: ¡°O-Okay!¡±


    He lowered his head and tapped several times on the operation panel.


    The floor in the middle of the field opened up at several corners and a full array of eight puppets emerged from below, surrounding the young man.


    Shi An lifted his hand and a golden flame leaped from his slender palm.


    It was not dragon flame but a simple fire spell.


    In the next second, the meteor-like falling fire exploded in the air with a loud boom before falling with swift precision, the flames roaring and exploding in the enclosed field as they surged into the sky with a roar.


    Zhuo Fu¡¯s pupils constricted.


    The young man stood in the middle of the flames, his slender form seemingly swallowed by the monstrous flames around him like a dark, stark shadow wedged hard into the brilliant, flamboyant colors. His fair side was tinted with a golden-red light, his dark eyes beneath long eyelashes reflecting the leaping fire, looking dangerous and contradictory.


    Mu Heng took a slow step forward.


    His eyes fell on the young man in the distance, the color of his eyes reflecting a brilliant blue by the firelight, the undisguised aggression and violence shining under them.


    His predatory instincts were stirring, tumbling, screaming.


    He subconsciously lifted his hand and pressed it against the glass.


    The desire had never been so clear and strong.


    ¨CTo yank him down, break his wings, lock him up beside him, and become his sole possession.


    Then, Zhuo Fu reacted, looking hastily down toward the panel.


    The magic strength and the killing power values were all so high that he was stunned, almost unable to believe that this was a flame unleashed by a student of the Ability Academy who had just come of age.

 CH 75.2

    So What? (2)


    Shi An looked in that direction and put up a good-natured, innocent smile. ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    Zhuo Fu came up to the microphone and stammered a little.


    ¡°Er¡­ e-excellent. It¡¯s enough¡­ now try the training program that has been generated.¡±


    He turned off the speaker and craned his head to look aside at Mu Heng, lamenting while lost in thought.


    ¡°Such a good seedling, excellent seedling.¡±


    Zhuo Fu recalled the scene just now and couldn¡¯t help smacking his lips. ¡°It¡¯s enough to become an official member of the Bureau.¡±


    At this moment, Mu Heng had already gathered all the emotions he had shown for a moment and withdrew his palm pressing on the glass, calmly raising his eyes towards Zhuo Fu. ¡°I want your prototype.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°You can set the price.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    The problem is not the price. It¡¯s that I don¡¯t want to sell it!


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes and looked at the time.


    ¡°We should leave now.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Leaving now?¡±


    Zhuo Fu was stunned. ¡°Do you have to go to another place next?¡±


    Mu Heng draped his jacket over his arm and said coldly, ¡°Ability Academy.¡±


    Zhuo Fu paused and asked tentatively, ¡°¡­ Sending people?¡±


    Mu Heng gave a ¡°hm¡± and said, ¡°I have a class.¡±


    Zhuo Fu was now honestly shocked.


    He knew that Mu Heng had become an honorary tutor of the Ability Academy, but he didn¡¯t expect Mu Heng to go to class.


    Although all instructors of the Ability Academy had course assignments, with Mu Heng¡¯s status, no one could force him to go as long as he didn¡¯t want to. The Ability Academy could barely rope him in, much less pester him about this matter.


    The only person who could make Mu Heng go to class on his initiative was¡­


    Zhuo Fu slowly turned his head and looked out the glass.


    Zhuo Fu slowly frowned and looked to the side at Mu Heng.


    Although he had teased Mu Heng about this matter more than once, his voice carried a rare hint of solemnity this time.


    ¡°It seems that he¡¯s unordinary in your heart.¡±


    Even¡­ might be more extraordinary than he had imagined.


    But it was because of this that Zhuo Fu finally abandoned his usual frivolous attitude and he hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Sir, do you still remember the words I told you last time?¡±


    Mu Heng stood still and did not turn around.


    His jet-black, upright back looked exceptionally calm and cold.


    Zhuo Fu took a deep breath, weighed his words, and slowly spoke. ¡°Although I¡¯m not an expert in this aspect, I can see that¡­ Shi An¡¯s feelings for you haven¡¯t reached¡­¡±


    Mu Heng tilted his head, his steel-blue icy eyes hidden under silver-white lashes as if they were the sharp edge of hardened snow.


    His voice was indifferent.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He seemed to laugh silently. ¡°So what?¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was speechless and didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    The man before him retrieved his gaze and walked out the door at a steady pace.


    Zhuo Fu was left standing dumbfounded.


    It took a long time for Zhuo Fu to regain his senses as he slowly turned his head and looked out of the glass.


    He saw the tall, silver-haired man walking toward the young man in the middle of the field.


    He lowered his head, dropped his eyes, and said something to Shi An, then raised his hand, leaned down and gently brushed a smudge of dust and smoke off his opponent¡¯s cheek with his fingertips, and withdrew his hand without a trace before his opponent could felt uneasy.


    The young man seemed used to this kind of affectionate behavior.


    He smiled up at the man in front of him in confusion, not realizing how intimate it was.


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    He had known Mu Heng for a long time, not only in the Bureau, but they also had a great family relationship in private.


    It could be said that he and Mu Heng did not just work together but could even be called friends.


    In the eyes of outsiders, Mu Heng paid little attention to the outside world, had no material desires, was disciplined and focused, highly efficient in battle, flawless, aloof and reserved, practically a flawless God-like figure, the perfect face of the Bureau, and the number one powerful man that everyone respected and feared.


    However, no one knew the nature of this man better than Zhuo Fu.


    Beneath that indifferent, almost divine appearance was someone who was obsessive, dangerous, and would do anything to get what he wanted.


    Zhuo Fu looked at the backs of the two men and could not help but grimace.


    Due to his superb research talent and impressive family, he had always been unafraid of the sky and the earth and the only one he was afraid of offending was Mu Heng.


    But in reality¡­


    What was worse than offending Mu Heng was to be on Mu Heng¡¯s mind.


    Although it is said that the first to fall in love would be the loser.


    But this was not applicable in the case of Mu Heng.


    He was a composed madman, a perfect hunter.


    From the moment he identified his target, all the rules that once applied in front of him no longer applied and all the moral standards that should be followed would give way to the prey itself.


    At one point, Mu Heng¡¯s prey was only dragons.


    But it was different now.


    Now there was an additional Shi An.


    He would never stop until he got his prey and he would plan calmly and thoughtfully, moving step by step toward it, even if he had to use all means to make it his own.


    The word ¡°defeat¡± did not exist for him.

 CH 76.1

    Desire to Monopolize (1)


    ¡°Is it true? Is Chief Mu coming to give us a practical drill lesson?¡±


    ¡°Must be a rumor?¡±


    ¡°I also think so. One has to know that this is Chief Mu¡­ It¡¯s impossible, no matter what!¡±


    The students¡¯ whispers echoed through the field.


    At that moment, the training ground¡¯s metal gates made a loud sound and slowly opened in both directions.


    Although everyone believed the news was a rumor, they subconsciously fell silent and looked toward the door with bated breath.


    A young man¡¯s form emerged at the end of the passage.


    ¡°Shi An! Here!¡±


    Lin Yanming¡¯s eyes lit up and he hastily waved at him.


    The others were secretly relieved.


    What a shock. It was Shi An, who hadn¡¯t shown up for a long time. Entering at this time, he truly scared everyone.


    ¡°Shi An, why are you late again?¡±


    Although Shi Rui had a caring smile, a trace of hidden mockery swept under his eyes. ¡°Luckily, the teacher isn¡¯t here yet. If not¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, unhurried footsteps came from the passage behind Shi An and a tall man walked in.


    The words that Shi Rui hadn¡¯t spoken yet were stuck in his throat.


    The training ground immediately fell silent as the students, dumbfounded and almost in disbelief, stared in awe at the man who had appeared behind Shi An.


    Silver hair and blue eyes, his expression indifferent.


    The man¡¯s aura was extremely strong as if his body had a sharp and biting intent that could be materialized. He calmly swept his eyes across the room. The depths of those extremely deep blue eyes did not have much emotion but inexplicably made everyone feel awe and subconsciously hold their breath.


    ¡­ I-It was truly Mu Heng?


    That Chief Mu would come to give them a lesson?


    The expression on Shi Rui¡¯s face froze and his face became slightly ugly.


    Other people did not know, but he was clear, Shi An and Mu Heng¡¯s relationship was not ordinary.


    Then just now¡­


    Shi Rui could barely restrain the desire to back away as Mu Heng¡¯s eyes raked over his body.


    Mu Heng expressionlessly withdrew his gaze as he lowered his eyes and rested his palm on Shi An¡¯s shoulder for a split second. ¡°Return to your group.¡±


    He walked to the front of the students.


    Mu Heng¡¯s footsteps were unhurried, the soles of his hard boots tapping on the hard metal floor, making a smooth and regular sound. Each step he landed made people¡¯s hearts tremble.


    Standing a short distance away, he spoke up to break the silence and said, ¡°I will take over this practical drill lesson.¡±


    Mu Heng looked at the students in front of him, his voice indifferent and low. ¡°Actual combat is entirely different from what you imagined it might be or what you¡¯ve experienced in the meticulously designed simulation that is set up by the school. On the battlefield, every theory and knowledge you learn in the classroom won¡¯t be useful. Instant changes will determine your life and death.¡±


    ¡°Only two things are practical, experience and intuition.¡±


    He calmly fixed his gloves and said, ¡°Instead of explaining the techniques, I prefer to let you guys experience it by yourselves.¡±


    As Mu Heng talked, several members in Bureau uniforms walked in carrying several oddly shaped machines.


    They bent down and installed them directly in the school¡¯s training ground.


    The students looked at each other, simultaneously seeing a similar uneasiness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    W-What was this preparation for?


    Was this some sort of simulation too?


    But something about it felt not quite the same as what they had experienced before¡­


    One of the members in charge of the installation spoke up and introduced, ¡°This is the latest achievement within the Bureau¡¯s research institute, capable of reproducing a complete replica of a real battle that a Bureau member has experienced. After the simulation is turned on, even pain or death will be reconstructed.¡±


    The students were in shock.


    A real-life¡­ battle simulation?


    What was that?


    Soon, the first group of students entered the simulation.


    Almost as soon as they entered, they noticed a sudden change in the scene.


    The sky was dark, blood-red, the four sides were barren and bare with pitch-black rock, and countless grotesque demonic creatures crawled out of the half-lit, half-obscure junction line, a chilling gleam of malice and hunger in the depths of their eyes.


    ¡­ It was completely different from the real-life drills they had experienced.


    The school¡¯s real battle simulations had included actual magical creatures, but they wore collars that could stop them from wreaking havoc and could be readily braked. The species and the strength, even the density of their distribution, had been carefully calculated to be more like a gentle flower garden than a real battle.


    Instead, a fight that was just like the real thing was being played before their eyes.


    There were no calculations, rehearsals, patterns, or strategies, and only a fight for life and death in the blink of an eye.


    One second you might be fighting off a demon and the next second another one will come along and bite your throat off soundlessly.


    Within five minutes of the start, some students had already pressed the emergency evacuation button, fleeing from the simulation and crouching at the outer edge of the field, dry heaving.


    The second group of students waiting outside the field watched the scene unfold, their faces pale, their hands and feet cold, and their eyes slightly glazed over.


    The first group of students lasted less than half an hour in total.


    Soon, the second batch of students entered.


    Shi An was among them.


    He stepped into the simulation field.


    The scene in front of him changed instantly.


    The blood-colored sky appeared before his eyes.


    Shi An felt something was wrong. His vision always felt much higher than what he was usually used to.


    He glanced down.


    He saw himself wearing a pitch-black combat windbreaker, with gloves of the same color on his hands and a cold longsword in his hand.

 CH 76.2

    Desire to Monopolize (2)


    Shi An said, ¡°Eh?¡±


    He subconsciously touched the back of his head and felt a hand full of long, cold, water-like silver hair.


    Shi An: ¡°!!!¡±


    It was then that he realized what ¡°each of you will be an actual participant in one of the actual battles¡± meant.


    So this was literal!


    Each student¡¯s place in the simulation was to be the real combatant who had participated in the actual battle.


    Shi An blinked and picked up the longsword in his hand.


    However, his position was Mu Heng, eh? Was it random?


    It was a bit novel.


    He smoothly slashed a demonic creature lunging at him and raised his eyes to look around.


    At that moment, Shi An saw the face of one of his ¡°team members.¡±


    The faces of all the others were the unfamiliar faces of the Bureau¡¯s members, realistic simulations of their faces straight from the battlefield despite the students behind them, blood and dust on their faces, serious and tense, each of them looking experienced.


    Only one face was clean, terrified, and cowering¨Cand that was Shi Rui¡¯s.


    Shi An curled his lips into a harmless smile.


    Hehe.


    Isn¡¯t that a coincidence?


    ***


    The second batch of simulation battles was over.


    Shi Rui rushed to the edge of the field and vomited profusely.


    He grimly grabbed one of the Bureau members, his face white and voice hoarse. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your thing? Why would there be a battle between humans?¡±


    The Bureau member was forced back a few steps by him and said, ¡°The simulation is all about reality. If you think about it, it¡¯s not impossible to fight among humans¡­¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s face was twisted. ¡°You fucking¡­¡±


    At that moment, Mu Heng stepped forward. He lowered his eyes and asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Shi Rui¡¯s eyes met the other party¡¯s face, he instinctively cringed and took several steps back as if he had a psychological trauma.


    The Bureau member briefly recounted what had happened to Mu Heng.


    Mu Heng said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve said it. Anything could happen on the real battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Even a parasitic demon infesting your comrade and manipulating them to attack you.¡± The depths of the man¡¯s blue eyes were emotionless. ¡°Who killed you?¡±


    Shi Rui mumbled twice and shook his head with a blanched face.


    The words ¡°it was you¡± were stuck in his throat and he dared not say them even if he had the guts to.


    ***


    The lesson was over.


    Mu Heng stroked Shi An¡¯s head and asked softly, ¡°Did you have a good time?¡±


    Shi An narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°It was super fun.¡±


    He had been putting up with Shi Rui for a very long time. If not for his close relationship with this human identity, Shi An would not have been able to hold back his temper and set him on fire.


    This time, even though it was not an actual fight, it had made him happy.


    However, it was more interesting for Shi An to participate in the battle from Mu Heng¡¯s point of view, more fascinating to him than making Shi Rui die a few times.


    This was the first time he had fought as a human, not a demonic creature.


    The feeling of not having a demon that feared his scent and having other comrades at his back to protect him was truly new to Shi An.


    However, the thought that someone from the previous group of students had drawn Mu Heng¡¯s identity made Shi An very unpleasant.


    It was like something that belonged uniquely to him had been touched by someone else.


    He thought about it and asked, ¡°Is every character in this a random one?¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes to look at Shi An. ¡°Only mine isn¡¯t.¡±


    Shi An blinked. ¡°?¡±


    Mu Heng said to him, ¡°Only you can use my character.¡±


    Shi An was immediately subdued.


    This statement was very comforting to him as a dragon that was extremely possessive of all its possessions.


    The more he looked at the human in front of him, the better he looked.


    Not only was it shiny and extremely aesthetically pleasing to him, but it was also very self-conscious as a collection, so it was perfect!


    He smiled happily, his pleasure almost oozing out of his eyes.


    Mu Heng gazed at the young man in front of him.


    The color of his eyes deepened slightly as his eyes fell on the other man¡¯s smiling lips.


    Good.


    It was fine, even if it was a bit too selfish or intense¡­


    It was okay to want a little more, no matter how much.


    Until it was no longer possible to escape from him.


    But until that day came, he would hide all his dark and extreme desires deep and unveiled, taking his time.


    With patience.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Shi An¡¯s pace suddenly lurched, his eyes widening as he seemed to think of something with a jolt.


    Hold on¡­


    Hadn¡¯t he originally intended to end this strange and ambiguous relationship by bluntly distancing himself from Mu Heng?


    Why did it not only not end but seem to have gotten closer?


    This was not right!


    Mu Heng stopped walking and turned his head to look at Shi An. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shi An was slightly distracted.


    How should I turn the conversation around this time?


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes dropped slightly, his deep gaze falling on Shi An¡¯s body. ¡°What do you think of the training plan Zhuo Fu let you try last time?¡±


    Shi An recalled for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    It was true.


    Although it was only a preliminary and brief attempt, he could feel that magic power absorption from those demonic creatures he had burned earlier on the periphery of the abyssal rift was faster.


    Unknowingly, Shi An was sidetracked from his thoughts again.


    Mu Heng stroked his head and asked casually, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Shi An: ¡°!!!¡±


    His eyes lit up. ¡°Hungry!¡±


    Mu Heng silently curled his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the same place as last time.¡±


    His eyes were obscure and unpredictable, but his voice was very soft.


    ¡°There¡¯s ice cream after the meal.¡±

 Chapter 77.1

    Have You Seen the Dragon¡¯s Human Form? (1)


    At night.


    Shi An¡¯s brow was furrowed as he sat on the edge of the bed in deep thought.


    The air was tranquil, with a touch of tenseness.


    Finally, after a long time, the demon insect slowly spoke. ¡°So, my lord¡­ you failed?¡±


    Shi An nodded slowly.


    ¡°?¡±


    The three demonic creatures in front of him looked at each other.


    ¡°Why?¡± The demon insect asked in great confusion.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    I want to know too!


    Although the three demonic creatures were still at odds with each other, they were united in fighting when facing an external enemy.


    The Eye asked, ¡°That¡­ how did you propose wanting to keep a distance?¡±


    Shi An told them exactly what had happened earlier.


    The three demonic creatures fell into silence in unison.


    The demon insect: ¡°¡­¡±


    True. It suggested a random reason to indicate how the two men were unsuitable and how Shi An did not like his clothes¡­


    But was too casual!


    Anyone would think that was a joke!


    The Eye glared hatefully at the demon insect on the side. ¡°Look at your bad plan!¡±


    The demon insect was pissed off and fought him furiously. ¡°What do you mean? As if you made any good suggestions! To burn Mu Heng? Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±


    The two demonic creatures fought together again.


    Black Smoke sighed wearily as he looked at his two unreliable companions.


    So tiring. Let them destroy each other.


    Shi An shouted, ¡°¡­ Be more serious!¡±


    With Shi An giving the word, the two demonic creatures reluctantly stopped fighting.


    The demon insect took a deep breath and slowly said, ¡°T-This time, it was indeed my mistake, not explaining in regard to what others might think is a random reason¡­ but what happened next? Have you mentioned it again later?¡±


    After all, that happened just after Shi An had come downstairs, but he had left for a long time. Had it not occurred to Shi An to bring the subject up again during the time he was out?


    Shi An was deep in thought.


    After a long time, he opened his mouth with shame. ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    The three demonic creatures: ¡°?¡±


    The Eye was heartbroken and cried out, ¡°M-My lord! Could it be that you genuinely have feelings for this human? Huhuhuhu!¡±


    Shi An got a headache from all the noise. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The Eye burped and looked over with tears in its eyes.


    Shi An thought for a moment, his voice getting smaller. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just that I truly forgot about it.¡±


    Even now, Shi An still felt puzzled when he thought about it. It seemed that every time he thought about mentioning it, he was constantly distracted by something else. At last¡­ he had forgotten about it altogether.


    The Eye said conclusively, ¡°That human must have done it on purpose!¡±


    It glared viciously as if it wanted to pierce the human with its gaze from a distance. ¡°He must have had bad intentions for my lord since long ago!¡±


    ¡°Do you also know about this?¡±


    The demon insect sneered. ¡°Before speaking of others, why don¡¯t you look at yourself first? You¡¯re also not a good thing.¡±


    The two demonic creatures wrestled together again.


    Black Smoke had long been used to this.


    It floated over and landed in front of Shi An, giving him an idea. ¡°In my opinion, you can think of what the other person hates, then walk in that direction. Rather than let my lord say this thing, why don¡¯t you let the other party initiate it first? Am I right?¡±


    Shi An thought about it.


    Mm, that seemed to make sense!


    He nodded solemnly. ¡°Right!¡±


    ***


    When he got home, Shi Rui held the toilet and vomited.


    Although there wasn¡¯t a single wound on his body, the phantom pain he had experienced earlier in the simulation remained as though it was still writhing under his skin.


    He wiped his mouth, lifted his head weakly, and walked to the sink.


    The mirror showed a contorted face covered in snot and tears, his eyes red and bloodshot, no longer the disguised composure they once were. He squeezed his fingers together in a death grip, staring into his own sinister eyes reflected in the mirror.


    Though there was no proof, Shi Rui knew it.


    It had to be Shi An.


    It couldn¡¯t be anyone else.


    Shi Rui washed his face and dragged himself out of the bathroom on two legs.


    He fished a communicator out from under his bed.


    A man whose face was obscured by shadows appeared on the screen and a voice processed by a voice changer came through. ¡°Have you gotten the items?¡±


    Shi Rui took a deep breath. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The man on the other side said, ¡°We will send someone to take it.¡±


    ¡°Still the same method.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    Shi Rui gritted his teeth.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time.


    The first time the other man had initiated contact with him, the man on the other side of the communicator had asked Shi Rui a question.


    ¡°Do you want to change your current situation?¡±


    Shi Rui grasped at the straw that was held out to him.


    The next day, he was picked up by the Shi family and transformed from a poor, penniless, illegitimate son who didn¡¯t know who his biological father was into the second young master of the Shi family and perhaps even the future heir to the Shi family.


    If it weren¡¯t for the other side, Shi Rui might never have passed the Ability Academy test.


    He might have always been the bastard struggling in extreme poverty.


    The taste of ascending to the top in one step was too good to be true.


    The kind of taste that could never be forgotten after just a single try.


    That day at the Shi family dinner, Shi Rui had brought in the man with the Abyssal seed in his body.


    He didn¡¯t know who the man was or the purpose. All Shi Rui knew was that if he did as he was told, the opposite side would continue to help him.


    As long as the current position could be maintained, Shi Rui was willing to pay any price.


    So, after discovering that Shi An was not the loser he initially thought he was, Shi Rui became genuinely panicked.


    He began to ask for help from the other side more and more frequently.


    Whether it was collecting the insect corpses that had invaded the Shi family banquet and cultivating them unnoticed before releasing them into the simulation field or the small sachet that could attract demons and the poisoned gem he kept on Shi An¡¯s bed¡­

 Chapter 77.2

    Have You Seen the Dragon¡¯s Human Form? (2)


    The power and resources required for this were beyond the reach of a bastard son with no background like Shi Rui.


    The borrowed power was so powerful, dangerous, and addictive to him.


    Even though he knew that working with such a mysterious power was like working with a tiger, Shi Rui could not help but take the initiative to seek cooperation again and again.


    He was not concerned, nor did he want to be involved with what the other side wanted.


    Like a demon, he only wanted to see the person constantly in his way disappear.


    Shi Rui lifted his hand and wiped his face, an intense malice growing under his eyes.


    He clenched his teeth and said hoarsely, ¡°This time, Shi An must die.¡±


    The man on the other side seemed to smile, and his voice, obscured by the voice changer, carried a hint of highly subtle emotion. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    He cut off the visual communication.


    Behind him was a vast room, shrouded in darkness, with only a faint glow in the center of the room, where a bright red totem was etched into the floor as though it were a spell written in blood.


    Dark figures in the same attire could be seen standing a short distance away in the darkness that enveloped the room.


    ¡°Has he agreed to it?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°Everything has been prepared.¡±


    A low murmur resounded on all sides of the room in unison as if it were the ramblings of extreme fervor.


    ¡°My lord dragon, come again to exterminate the world.¡±


    ***


    For the next few days, Mu Heng seemed so busy that Shi An never saw the other man again.


    However, Shi An wondered if Mu Heng had said something to the school authorities as he no longer had to go to class with the regular students. The school gates, which wouldn¡¯t let anyone come and go as they pleased, were now open to him, allowing him to either rest in the dormitory or return to the small villa he had been living in.


    Moreover, the private cafeteria, which had previously been reserved for Mu Heng¡¯s use, was also open to Shi An alone, so he could eat whatever he wanted.


    But apparently, Mu Heng had also spoken to the person in charge.


    No matter how much Shi An asked, he was only given one cup of ice cream a day and no more.


    During this time, apart from helping Principal Pei translate ancient books, the rest of the time was free for Shi An to allocate.


    Inside the studio.


    Shi An slumped on the desk, eyes listlessly staring at the stacks of old papers stacked in front of him, and yawned tiredly.


    Old Principal Pei pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and looked over from above the frames of his glasses with his old, wise eyes.


    ¡°Tired?¡±


    Shi An shook his head. ¡°Still okay¡­¡±


    Although the recent progress of the translation no longer contained the strange content that made the dragon uncomfortable, there had been nothing worthy either.


    Old Principal Pei put the translation down and said kindly, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough work today. You can go back if you want.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he seemed to think of something and added, ¡°Oh, right. Chief Mu will send someone to fetch you later.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    He blinked and asked, ¡°For what?¡±


    Old Principal Pei squinted at Shi An and gave a mysterious smile. ¡°That is a matter between you, young people.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if it was just him, but he always felt that the words sounded a little strange.


    Soon, Shi An was sent to the Mu family¡¯s training ground.


    Zhuo Fu was waiting there.


    His testing machine was ready and the training program for Shi An was already out.


    Shi An entered the training ground and tried it out.


    Although he was not using his dragon flame, even so, Shi An could keenly feel that his absorption of the various magical powers of the previous abyssal species was progressing faster.


    Sure enough. It wasn¡¯t his illusion last time. It was indeed working!


    After the first round, Shi An stretched his back and prepared to go outside the venue to take a break.


    As he raised his eyes, he saw a familiar figure waiting at the edge of the field.


    Shi An: ¡°!!!¡±


    It was unexpectedly Mu Heng, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for days!


    The man was tall and slender, his pitch-black jacket almost blending into the darkness behind him.


    His eyes were deep and his silver hair was sparkling.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Mu Heng asked.


    The tip of Shi An¡¯s nose was covered in a tiny bit of shiny sweat and his eyes squinted slightly as he nodded and smiled unrestrainedly. ¡°Very good!¡±


    He sat down on a chair as Mu Heng handed over a glass of water.


    Shi An took it naturally, holding the cup and sipping it.


    He raised his eyes to Mu Heng and asked, ¡°Did you guys have any clues about the dragon recently?¡±


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, his gaze skimming over the young man¡¯s moist lips.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was calm and impassive, seemingly continuing with the topic casually. ¡°Why? Do you like dragons that much?¡±


    At that moment, Shi An remembered the advice Black Smoke had given him and immediately brightened up.


    If there were one thing that a dragon slayer hated, it would be dragons!


    After all, dragons were enemies to him!


    Shi An thought seriously and said, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were deep, like a vast ocean with no boundaries. ¡°Oh?¡±


    Shi An nodded and began to rack his brain to recall the adjectives that the Eye had used earlier. ¡°The dragon is¡­ mighty, majestic, and enchanting. When he is in dragon form, the sun isn¡¯t as brilliant as him. When he is in human form¡­¡±


    The more Shi An spoke, the more he stammered and flushed his face.


    Although dragons were arrogant, narcissistic creatures¡­ that Eye¡¯s wording was too corny!


    It was okay when it came out of its mouth.


    When he said it himself¡­ i-it was too shameful!


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the other man¡¯s reddened cheeks.


    The young man¡¯s skin was fair and the scarlet color became more conspicuous as if it was a ripe fruit that could ooze out sweet juice when pinched.


    His voice was extremely calm. ¡°Have you seen the dragon¡¯s human form?¡±


    ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only


    The fastest way to make a man hate himself was to praise his enemy!


    Shi An thought for two seconds and said firmly, ¡°Very tall and handsome.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were dark and inscrutable, without joy or anger.


    His voice was soft like a breeze sweeping by, with no audible fluctuation of emotion.


    ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡±

 Chapter 78.1

    ¡­ Don¡¯t touch it anymore. (1)


    After the training, Shi An lowered his eyes and felt that the magic power he had obtained some time ago near the abyssal rift had been completely absorbed.


    Great, it looked like he could be lazy after that.


    He breathed a sigh of relief unnoticed.


    Although whatever training Zhuo Fu had designed did work for him¡­


    It had been too tiring indeed!


    After all, Shi An preferred lying on his bed, playing games, and eating snacks rather than sweating on the training ground.


    If it were not for recovering his strength as soon as possible and turning back into the resident dragon with an immense treasure, Shi An would not have done such a painful and tiring thing.


    Shi An dragged his sore and weak body out of the training ground.


    Mu Heng was still standing in the same position as before.


    His steely blue eyes were half-hidden under his long eyelashes and he was staring intently in this direction, his eyes dark and cold, unable to tell what he was thinking.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± he asked.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes were downcast as if his strength was exhausted.


    He did not open his mouth to answer Mu Heng¡¯s question but gave a slight nod.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes twitched slightly.


    The young man in front of him was flushed, perhaps because he had just finished his workout, his breath was a little uneven and a thin layer of sweat covered his forehead to the tip of his nose.


    For unknown reasons, he suddenly recalled his dream in the Aiwen District.


    The dream was so vague that all that remained when he woke up were broken fragments.


    Even when he tried to recall it, it was like being separated by a veil and he couldn¡¯t see what had happened in any way.


    But for some reason, more images were coming out of the depths of memory now.


    The tips of crimson ears, the escaping and quivering whimpers, the hazy mist of dark eyes.


    The young man lay defenseless in his arms, his forehead resting against his shoulder, shuddering ,gasps spilling out and sweeping softly and gently across his heart, shivering from head to toe.


    And in his hand¡­


    Mu Heng frowned slightly, lost in thought.


    What was he squeezing in his hand?


    It was impossible to recall, at any rate.


    At that moment, Zhuo Fu, clad in a white lab coat, stepped aside from the control room and broke the silence floating in the air.


    ¡°Awesome, truly awesome.¡±


    He shook his head and smacked his lips. ¡°Truly, this is the first time I have see such a rapid improvement in all of my life¡­¡±


    Zhuo Fu looked at Shi An with fiery eyes as if he wanted to rush up and study him up and down. ¡°An An, when will you come again?¡±


    Mu Heng frowned, his eyes slightly cold.


    Shi An answered honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be coming back anytime soon.¡±


    As if being hit by a bolt out of the blue, Zhuo Fu was dumbfounded. ¡°Not coming? W-Why?¡±


    Shi An¡¯s face did not change. ¡°Too tired.¡±


    And most importantly, the magic power he had previously devoured had been wholly absorbed and there was no need to return.


    Zhuo Fu hurriedly took a few steps forward to chase after him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop coming. I-I can help you adjust the intensity¡­¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and asked rhetorically, ¡°Can it be lower than sleeping?¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    That¡¯s beyond my capabilities.


    He took a few steps forward, undeterred. ¡°Speaking of which, I have several projects here. An An, have a look and see if you¡¯re interested¡­¡±


    Before Zhuo Fu could finish his words, he was interrupted by Mu Heng.


    The other party took a calm step forward, his gloved palm naturally resting on Shi An¡¯s shoulder, revealing a hint of impassive dominance. ¡°Don¡¯t you have another thing to do? We will leave now.¡±


    Zhuo Fu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fuck.


    He swallowed the rest of his words in his mouth in stifled frustration.


    Shi An was oblivious to the dark tide between the two humans in front of him.


    He waved his hand at Zhuo Fu before turning around and walking out the door.


    Mu Heng did not follow immediately.


    He gazed at Zhuo Fu and said calmly, ¡°An An, this nickname, don¡¯t use it anymore in the future.¡±


    Zhuo Fu froze and did not respond for a moment.


    ¡°Eh? Does Shi An not like it?¡±


    Mu Heng looked indifferent. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and walked out, leaving Zhuo Fu standing alone in silence.


    Gazing at the man¡¯s fading back, Zhuo Fu slowly gritted his teeth.


    ¡­. You are sick!


    As if someone would dare to snatch a person from your hand!


    I wouldn¡¯t dare even if you lent me eight guts!


    Shi An wandered outside the door.


    For some reason, he had praised the dragon so many times, but as the dragon¡¯s enemy, Mu Heng¡¯s attitude toward him seemed to have not changed¡­ Could it be that praising the enemy wouldn¡¯t work for Mu Heng?


    Shi An was worried.


    Then how to make it work?


    At this point, Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up and something seemed to have suddenly occurred to him.


    He took out his phone, typed the word ¡°Mu Heng¡± into the browser and pressed the search button.


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    As the number one powerful human being, there was much information about Mu Heng on the Internet, but most of it was about his achievements and status. At the same time, there was very little information about him personally.


    After searching for a long time, Shi An could not find anything related to Mu Heng himself.


    He thought for a few seconds and re-entered the search keywords.


    ¡°What does Mu Heng hate?¡±


    The browser interface stopped spinning in circles and a new page popped up.

 Chapter 78.2

    ¡­ Don¡¯t touch it anymore. (2)


    No more official websites were popping up this time. All that appeared were forum posts.


    But the answer to that question was still a mystery.


    It seemed that no one understood this man or that he concealed himself too well, never revealing any of his preferences to the outside world.


    But then, Shi An suddenly noticed one of the not-so-obvious posts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite know what Chief Mu hates, but as a low-level member of the Bureau, I can conscientiously say that Chief Mu does not like physical contact.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard of this before. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Could this be why Chief Mu always wears gloves? I thought it was because he was wounded¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wound, you¡¯ve overthought. Who could injure him? My friend in the Bureau said Chief Mu did this because he was oversensitive to touch, so he didn¡¯t like to make physical contact with others.¡±


    After reading the post, Shi An fell into deep thought.


    Mu Heng did look like he wore gloves all the time¡­


    But to hate physical contact?


    It didn¡¯t seem like it. At least he hadn¡¯t noticed it the few times they had touched before.


    Or could it just be that the other party was hiding his emotions too well?


    Considering how normally Mu Heng was emotionless, Shi An thought it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    At this moment, Mu Heng walked out from the training ground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    Shi An nodded absentmindedly and the two walked forward side by side.


    He thought about the post he had just seen and subconsciously lowered his head, his eyes falling on the other man¡¯s palm hanging at his side.


    The man¡¯s palms were broad, his fingers long and slender, but every inch of skin was tightly wrapped in pitch-black combat gloves, looking stern and ascetic.


    Shi An suddenly spoke, ¡°By the way, can you take off your gloves?¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned and stopped his pace, deeply glancing at the young man in front of him.


    He didn¡¯t answer, nor did he ask why, but he tugged at the fingertips of his gloves with his other hand and unhurriedly pulled the combat gloves away from his hands.


    Mu Heng extended his hand over.


    Shi An thought for a moment and raised his hand to take hold of the other man¡¯s fingers.


    Unlike his cold body temperature, the other man¡¯s fingers were hot and burning. Although he had been prepared for it, Shi An was still slightly burned.


    Shi An tugged the other man¡¯s hand over and examined it.


    The outline of Mu Heng¡¯s knuckles was distinct and sharp, his fingers were long and slender, and green veins were faintly visible on the back of his pale hand.


    Well, it¡¯s not unpretty.


    Shi An was a little disappointed.


    There were no hard scales or sharp talons, not even the scars he had been somewhat expecting.


    Still, it looked that much better than his own hands¡­


    Shi An subconsciously spread out his own palm.


    It was white, thin, and slender.


    It always felt like it would break at the first touch, not half as impressive as a dragon¡¯s.


    Shi An was a little frustrated.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes dropped, his gaze falling on the young man before him.


    The back of his neck was faintly visible at this angle, the soft flesh wrapped around the slightly convex vertebrae, the curves fragile and graceful, a few strands of dark hair stuck to the sweat-stained skin, causing one to feel the urge to imprint one¡¯s teeth on it and grind it with the tip of one¡¯s teeth.


    At that moment, there was a cool touch on his palm.


    The other man seemed to be tentatively touching his palm, rubbing it delicately, the cold fingertips lightly touching the warm skin, bringing an odd slight tickle.


    But more than that, it was hot.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes deepened and the knot in his throat rolled up and down involuntarily.


    The hand that had been at his mercy a moment ago suddenly flipped, its strong knuckles gripping Shi An¡¯s wrist backwards, its hot fingers burning into his wrist-bone skin.


    The man¡¯s voice came from overhead, seemingly suppressing some sort of emotion, his voice tense and husky. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t touch it anymore.¡±


    Oh!


    Shi An was happy.


    It seemed the rumors were correct that Mu Heng didn¡¯t like having physical contact with others!


    Shi An was a bit gloating.


    When I told you not to touch my tail, you didn¡¯t listen, and now you¡¯re getting your retribution!


    Mu Heng let go of Shi An¡¯s hand, looking away, his voice still a bit raspy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The car is just in front.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and walked straight toward the parking spot in front of him.


    Mu Heng was tall and had long legs, pulling the distance between them in just a few seconds.


    Shi An watched the other party¡¯s bolting back, slightly curling his lips and revealing a winning smile.


    Unexpectedly, in the end, it was Black Smoke¡¯s advice that worked.


    At this rate of progress, it should be a matter of time before the other party hates him.


    By then, even if he didn¡¯t take the initiative to say so, Mu Heng would still subconsciously stay away from him.


    Plan made!


    In the distance, Mu Heng, whose back was turned to Shi An, had his thin lips pursed, his dark eyes were frighteningly dark, and the heavy, devouring lust was finally no longer suppressed and concealed, tumbling wildly under his eyes.


    Almost.


    He almost couldn¡¯t hold back.


    It was a touch without any emotion, but his self-control seemed to collapse at the first touch.


    But¡­ Mu Heng knew well that it wasn¡¯t time yet.


    He could not frighten people.


    He slowly took a deep breath and closed his eyes forcefully.


    A few seconds later, Mu Heng opened his eyes and the usual calmness returned under his eyes.


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    He hesitated for a moment and lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on his splayed palms.


    Somehow, at that moment, he seemed to pick up a piece of the broken fragment from his previous dream again.


    It seemed¡­ to be in that dream.


    He had also touched something¡­ cold and smooth, seemingly hard, but soft and tender.


    What could it be?

 Chapter 79.1

    The Dragon Descended with a Monstrous Flame Capable of Extinguishing the World (1)


    Inside the principal¡¯s studio.


    The sky outside the window was dark and the large studio was shrouded in a layer of faint twilight.


    The narrow, cramped room was filled with old scrolls and a few candle flames were placed in various parts of the room high and low, the dim light of the candles illuminating the crowded studio.


    Old Principal Pei sat alone in a dark red armchair.


    His eyes were downcast as he flipped through the translation before him. As he clutched a ballpoint pen in his hand, he proceeded to scribble on a piece of paper.


    The rustle of the pen¡¯s tip against the paper echoes in the quiet studio.


    After a long time, he put the pen down and turned his head to look out of the narrow, slender window.


    It was late in the day.


    Old Principal Pei stood up shakily and straightened the scroll in front of him with his pale hands.


    He took the script from Shi An¡¯s seat and casually glanced down to scan it.


    It had to be said that Shi An was the most gifted student in the ancient language he had seen since his teaching career.


    Although the other party¡¯s recent translations were elementary, they were all very accurate.


    A hint of appreciation passed under Old Principal Pei¡¯s eyes.


    At this moment, his gaze suddenly gave a slight pause and his eyes lingered on a particular place on the parchment.


    There was a random circle drawn there, with a few scribbles outlined next to it, looking like a duck with its beak open, with childish strokes that made people smile when they looked at it.


    However¡­


    Old Principal Pei showed a thoughtful look.


    He had an impression of this location.


    The main reason he left the studio late today was because of this.


    He had difficulty translating this whole paragraph.


    Old Principal Pei caressed his fingertips on the location where the other party had drawn a circle and fell into deep thought.


    After a long time, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something and could not help but be slightly baffled.


    Old Principal Pei reached out for the walking stick at one side and went to the top of the spire alone.


    The ancient book brought by Mu Heng was somewhere here.


    As the ancient books were extraordinarily precious and challenging to preserve, they had to be stored in a small, closed, dark space and there were also strict requirements for the concentration of magic values in the air. To protect the ancient books and reduce the damage caused by frequent turning, the translations they used to carry out were not done directly on the books.


    However, some ancient books could be photographed and some could not.


    This was determined by the material of the writing paper and the type of magic power attached to it.


    The book Mu Heng had brought with him could not be photographed as the magic attached to it could interfere with the machine¡¯s ability to take images, so they could only use the most primitive method, which was to transcribe it by copy.


    The assistant in charge of the transcription had been working with Old Principal Pei for more than twenty years and was experienced in this area and had made virtually no mistakes his entire career.


    But¡­


    As long as one is human, one can make mistakes.


    As Old Principal Pei gazed at the original ancient book in front of him, he lowered his head again and looked at the transcript he was holding.


    A tiny dot was missing above one of the symbols in the spot circled by the scribble.


    Although the difference between the two was only slight, the effect this had on the entire passage was almost fatal due to the peculiarities of the ancient human language.


    Old Principal Pei gazed in awe at the original text before him.


    Since the mistranscribed version could also be translated, even he had not associated the possibility of a transcription error.


    But¡­ Shi An not only found it but even circled it precisely.


    Soon, Old Principal Pei returned to his senses.


    He took out the pen from his pocket and did the quickest possible translation from the original version.


    After a long time, he stopped his pen and looked at the paper covered with scribbled notes before him.


    After a brief translation, the whole passage had been roughly shaped, talking about something related to dragons and fire-breathing.


    Old Principal Pei thought of something and twisted his head to look at Shi An¡¯s manuscript.


    That duck with its mouth open, could it be¡­


    A fire-breathing dragon?


    Old Principal Pei stood frozen, gazing fixedly at the paper in front of him, almost in disbelief.


    How could he have found the slightest error in the transcript without him noticing it and managed to figure out the whole meaning of the passage. In this case¡­


    No matter how talented he was at translating ancient texts, an ordinary young adult student would never have been able to do what he did.


    Was it truly possible for such a thing to happen?


    Or was he overthinking it?


    ¡­ Whatever the reason, he had to figure it out.


    Old Principal Pei pondered for a long time before craning his head toward his back and calling out his assistant¡¯s name.


    ¡°Help me look for Shi An¡¯s contact information.¡±


    However, his voice was like a stone thrown into the bottom of a well and there was no reply for a long time.


    Strange.


    When he came in, the assistant was waiting outside, so had something happened?


    Old Principal Pei frowned and turned to walk out.


    As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw his assistant lying face down on the floor, crimson blood slowly spreading out from his body and soaking the wooden floor.


    Old Principal Pei¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    This¡­ This¡­


    At that moment, several figures clad in black robes slowly emerged from the surrounding darkness, their bodies seeming to merge with the shadows behind them, their faces covered by hoods, their aura dark and dangerous.


    ¡°Mr. Old Pei, good evening!¡±


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    The group leader said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here at this time¡­ It seems that our source has made a mistake.¡±


    The white-haired elder¡¯s expression suddenly turned stern.


    Like a gushing river, a tremendous amount of magic power exploded.


    The wooden construction in the tower emitted a cracking sound and wood chips and pieces of paper flew and raged under the powerful force.


    Several people were instantly knocked off their feet, their bones shattering as their backs hit the walls hard.

 Chapter 79.2

    The Dragon Descended with a Monstrous Flame Capable of Extinguishing the World (2)


    ¡°This is my school.¡± The old principal looked solemn as he slowly gripped the cane in his palm, his voice stern and solemn. ¡°Not a place scumbags like you guys could enter and go as you please.¡±


    The black-clad leader of the group spat out a mouthful of blood as he tumbled backward.


    He raised his head grimly and looked at the old man not far away.


    Although he was old, Old Principal Pei had, after all, been a renowned powerhouse on the mainland over a century ago and looked tough even now.


    However¡­


    He slowly drew a slight smile in the shadows.


    Flowing lines floated in the air behind the old man and an all-black shadow emerged silently.


    In the next second¨C


    A blossom of blood bloomed at the lapel of his chest.


    A deep, dark stain of blood slowly spreads across the ground.


    The air suddenly fell silent.


    Old Principal Pei¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, his body swayed and he fell to the ground with a plop.


    ¡°This breath-concealing gem is powerful, isn¡¯t it?¡± The man in black wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly stood, walking forward.


    He lowered his eyes to gaze at the old man at his feet and whispered, ¡°Mister, I think you have something we want here¡­ I advise you to hand it over earlier. If you do that, I can let you die painlessly.¡±


    Old Principal Pei coughed and choked on the blood that gushed up his throat, his breath faint.


    ¡°Dream on¡­¡±


    At that moment, several men dressed in the same dark coat came out of the narrow room.


    They gestured toward the man at the head of the group, signaling that the item had been found.


    The old man¡¯s gaze fell on the ancient book in the man¡¯s hand.


    He seemed to realize something suddenly and his eyes snapped wide open.


    He coughed twice, his voice faint. ¡°The thing you want to summon absolutely can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°No, mister. The thing we want to summon has already succeeded.¡± The man in black at the head of the group lowered his head and whispered.


    His voice took on a slight tinge of fervor.


    ¡°It has already come.¡±


    Pure souls had offered themselves as sacrifices and the path to the future had long since been paved.


    At the call of its followers, the dragon descended with a monstrous flame capable of extinguishing the world.


    The fire cleansed away filth and engulfed sin so that the whole world would be reborn in a divine retribution that would burn the heavens.


    The sword¡¯s sharp, glittering blade swept across the old man¡¯s chest, spurting out warm blood.


    Looking down at the old man¡¯s slowly losing breath, the man in black smiled and said, ¡°What we want to do now is to help it regain its power.¡±


    ***


    The entire Ability Academy was in a state of trepidation and panic.


    The Bureau closed off the entire academy and the ear-piercing sirens of ambulances echoed through the campus.


    Nobody knew what was going on.


    But the atmosphere of anxiety was spreading uncontrollably.


    Inside the tower.


    Members of the Bureau in uniform hurried in and out of the half-damaged tower.


    They sealed off the scene, collected evidence, and took photographs.


    The corpses had been removed, but the dried, dark red bloodstain stood out clearly and harshly on the old wooden floor.


    Mu Heng stood in the middle of the messy and chaotic scene, gazing with downcast eyes at the box that was already empty in front of him.


    ¡­ The book was gone.


    At that moment, a member of the Bureau in charge of surveying the scene came to report the current situation to him.


    After silently listening to the existing clues, Mu Heng nodded and waved his hand to indicate that the other party could leave.


    Watching the other party¡¯s back as he left, Wen Yao hesitated momentarily and opened her mouth to ask.


    ¡°Aiwen Academy¡¯s principal has also been attacked. Could this time be¡­¡±


    ¡°The dragon again?¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was indifferent and calm.


    He said, ¡°No.¡±


    The scene created by the dragon was violent and overwhelmingly destructive, unlike this¡­ Targeted.


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked around the room.


    It was messy, but apart from the stolen books, there was hardly any more damage.


    He slowly and carefully straightened his gloves and said, ¡°There are no abnormalities in the Ability Academy¡¯s defense system. The other party didn¡¯t invade forcefully.¡±


    Wen Yao was stunned. ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mu Heng nodded as he looked down. His eyes were cold as if they were deep night.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Someone let them in.¡±


    ***


    In the dormitory.


    Shi An frowned and looked out the window.


    Lin Yanming opened the door to his room and walked out barefoot, looking in the direction the sound came from in disbelief.


    ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shi An shook his head and said honestly, ¡°I also don¡¯t know.¡±


    After separating from Mu Heng, Shi An returned to his dormitory and fell asleep almost as soon as he hit his pillow.


    It was not until late at night that he woke up abruptly.


    There was silence all around.


    What woke Shi An up was not a sound but more like a¡­ scent of some kind.


    But the scent was weak, distant, and faded abruptly before Shi An could catch the source.


    Very strange.


    Not long after that, a noisy, loud sound came from outside.


    As for what was going on, Shi An was not sure, but there was always an indefinable sense of danger in his heart.


    Lin Yanming raised his hand to touch his mobile phone as he frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no signal.¡±


    At that moment, Shi An suddenly lifted his head and jolted toward a particular direction.


    ¡­ That scent had reappeared!


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    It was chilly and sinister, dark and serene, slowly rising out of the night, floating far away.


    It was like a silent call to him.


    Shi An sprang to his feet.


    ¡°¡­ Hey! Hey!¡±


    Lin Yanming¡¯s bewildered and puzzled voice rang out behind him. ¡°Shi An, where are you going?¡±

 Chapter 80.1

    The Dragon Has Descended (1)


    There were no stars in the sky and the thick black clouds piled overhead that became torn by the wind, turning into strange shadows in the night sky.


    Shi An walked alone in the darkness.


    The darkness was all around him and the young man¡¯s dark eyes glittered with light.


    He seemed to know exactly where he was going next, and his pace was swift and steady without hesitation.


    ¡°My lord! My lord¨C¡±


    A faint shout came from behind.


    Shi An¡¯s pace faltered and he turned his head to look behind him.


    He saw Black Smoke floating in the air with the demon insect and the Eye was running behind them on two short legs, shouting, ¡°My lord! Wait for me!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    This scene is truly bizarre.


    Soon, the three demons caught up with him.


    ¡°My lord, why did you suddenly rush out without saying anything?¡± The demon insect broke free from Black Smoke and fluttered its wings to land on Shi An¡¯s shoulder, asking worriedly.


    Shi An was stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys feel it?¡±


    The three demonic creatures looked at each other blankly. ¡°¡­¡±


    The demon insect hesitated for a moment, asking in return. ¡°Feel what?¡±


    The scent of darkness, accompanied by a whisper from far away, was faint but unmistakable.


    Shi An thought for a moment and struggled to describe it.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s very fragrant.¡±


    It was a bit like an abyssal rift but didn¡¯t quite seem like it.


    At that moment, the Eye suddenly cried out, ¡°Ah! It seems that there really is!¡±


    The demon insect whispered, ¡°Tch, you only know how to climb the pole.¡±


    The Eye snorted. ¡°I used to be the Eye of the Abyss. No creatures in the world are more sensitive to the abyssal rift than me. I think you¡¯re just being jealous!¡±


    It looked at Shi An and solemnly said, ¡°It seems there is an abyssal rift nearby here, but the scent is faint because it has only been generated recently. Even I have just sensed it now.¡±


    Shi An was slightly surprised.


    After losing his power and being confined to human form, although he c ould still sense the scent of the abyss, he was far less sensitive than the abyssal species that initially came from there. But this time¡­


    It seemed to be the other way around.


    He turned his head and looked thoughtfully in the direction from which the scent was coming from.


    The demon insect asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Shi An shook his head, scooped up the three demonic creatures, and put them in his pocket, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    The dark and cold aura became more distinct the further he went.


    Shi An swallowed unconsciously.


    Finally, he came to the source of the scent.


    Shi An stopped and looked into the darkness before him.


    A narrow fissure stretched out before him not far away.


    As the Eye had said, this abyssal rift had not long been formed, not wide or deep enough, with blurred edges, and only overlapping with the mainland, with just a hint of an inconspicuous scent flowing from it.


    Shi An paused, bent down, and picked up a dark stone from the edge of the abyssal rift.


    The surface was smooth and as black as eternal night as if no trace of light could be reflected.


    This was a mine from the¡­ abyss.


    Not quite a gemstone, but it contained pure dark power, the same type as the one Shi Rui had placed at his bedside earlier.


    Although it was indeed possible for such a stone to appear in an abyssal rift that had completed its growth, but to appear on the periphery of such an abyssal rift¡­?


    The possibility was probably unlikely.


    Most likely, then, it was placed here by someone.


    It was also likely that such an induction had summoned the rift in front of him.


    But¡­ that was not the first thing Shi An thought of.


    For him, who had once been in his prime, these stones did not affect his growth in strength like pouring a cup of water into the ocean. It would not bring any change, but the scent would still make him feel very comfortable, so Shi An had once moved quite a few of these mineral deposits to his cave for decoration.


    After several previous encounters and seeing these stones in front of him, Shi An¡¯s first thought was¡­


    Could these things be his?


    Shi An slightly narrowed his eyes.


    He recalled his last encounter with those brazen human thieves in the Aiwen District and slowly tightened his fingers slightly.


    And more importantly¡­


    Could the thieves have taken something else if the ores were indeed his?


    Shi An¡¯s eyes went cold.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The stones crumbled into powder between the young man¡¯s slender white fingers, fluttering down, and were swallowed by the darkness.


    The three demonic creatures cowered in silence, almost subconsciously shrinking away from Shi An¡¯s direction.


    Although the lord dragon usually seemed easy-going and lazy as if he were very chill about everything, he would become highly terrifying if anyone touched his Achilles¡¯ heel.


    For example, right now.


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    Although they didn¡¯t know what was happening, the aura on Shi An¡¯s body became extremely frightening and at such a close distance, they could barely breathe.


    Shi An lightly patted the stone crumbs between his fingers and walked toward the abyssal rift.


    The darkness swallowed the young man¡¯s slender figure in the rift.


    In that instant, the initially narrow and blurred rift suddenly split wider.


    A clearer and more distinct wave of magic escaped from it.

 Chapter 80.2

    The Dragon Has Descended (2)


    Not far away.


    Mu Heng seemed to sense something suddenly and jerked his eyes up, looking in a specific direction.


    At that moment, a member of the Bureau stumbled through the door and reported breathlessly, ¡°S-Sir! The detecting machine has sensed an abnormal magical fluctuation!¡±


    He gasped and continued, ¡°It seems to be a newly-formed abyssal rift¨C¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was cold, interrupting the other man¡¯s unfocused report. ¡°Location?¡±


    ¡°I-In the academy!¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s expression was grim.


    He calmly and concisely ordered the students to evacuate, sealed off the scene, and organized the squad.


    Gazing at the orderly scene before him, Mu Heng¡¯s eyes sank slightly.


    He paused and took out his mobile phone from his pocket.


    The screen lit up and the signal bar still showed nothing.


    Since a few hours ago, the signal towers within the Ability Academy had been interfered with in some way, unable to receive any signal.


    Mu Heng knew this newly born abyssal rift was not very harmful and the readings were not very high. It would never spread, especially with himself and the immense forces of the Bureau present.


    And he knew very well that with Shi An¡¯s strength, he should be able to handle this crisis easily.


    But¡­


    This feeling of not being able to take the other party under his protective wing was something that Mu Heng disliked.


    He put the phone back into his pocket and raised his eyes to the neatly arranged squad in front of him, his voice cold and low.


    ¡°Set off.¡±


    Since that was the case, it would be better to do it quickly.


    As long as the source of the danger was solved, there would be no need to worry about the safety of those he cared about.


    ***


    Step by step, the young man stepped deeper into the abyss.


    He was slender and pale, fragile, and petite against the darkness of the surrounding wall.


    Beneath his long, dark eyelashes were vertical pupils of a golden-red color.


    Flames blazed in the depths of his narrow pupils, a treacherous and cruel sight against the surrounding darkness.


    The terrible aura of the dragon poured out without restraint, covering the whole area like a powerful aura.


    It was as if a vast dark shadow was brewing behind the slender form of the human boy.


    The aura was ancient and dangerous as if a long-sleeping beast had opened its eyes in the abyss and cast a cold, indifferent glance.


    It was an oppression that came purely from the soul and bloodline.


    One could feel the intense fear that awoke from the depths of one¡¯s instincts just by being close.


    Usually, when an abyssal rift opened, the smaller abyssal species would begin to rush out of the gap toward the mainland¡¯s surface.


    But this time, it was different.


    The abyssal species fled in fear at the bottom of the abyss, desperate to get back to where they had come from, not daring to take a step closer to the human boy with his terrifying aura.


    Shi An gazed at the rift that had just been born before him.


    Now he could perceive it.


    The sweet-smelling scent did not come from the abyss itself but from the bottom of it.


    The closer he got, the thicker it became.


    Shi An abruptly stopped in his tracks.


    Through the pitch-black poisonous mist, he saw a black and red eye shining between the cliffs not far away.


    Below the Eye of the Abyss, pitch-black minerals were arranged in grotesque shapes and blood was spreading across the magically eroded and blackened ground, the half-dried traces of blood shimmering in the darkness in a strange faint haze.


    It was a spell painted in blood.


    The aroma in the air became thicker and more substantial like an invisible hand urging and driving him forth.


    Shi An subconsciously took a step forward.


    The spell formation drawn in blood suddenly lit up when his feet landed!


    Scarlet distorted lines stretched toward the outside.


    Only then did Shi An realize that the spell formation at the bottom of the Eye of Abyss was the core of the entire spell formation, with the blood-colored lines lighting up from the stone walls and the ground, spreading to his feet.


    Not far away, the Eye of the Abyss appeared to sense something abruptly. The black slit in the center of the eye constricted abruptly and trembled violently.


    Crimson light was pulled out of the Eye of Abyss and was pulled hard into the spell formation.


    In that instant, Shi An¡¯s eyes widened.


    He could feel the¡­ pure magical power of the abyss pouring into his body in a steady stream.


    It washed over his body like a river merging into a dry canyon.


    The young man¡¯s eyes turned an extremely pure red, with a light golden aura running through them as hot and fiery as molten lava.


    Clear patterns of scales emerged on his fair face, silvery scales reflecting streams of fiery light.


    His face was still as beautiful and harmless as ever, a paradoxical and dangerous contrast to this inhuman trait.


    High up on a distant rock ledge, figures in black hoods emerged from the night.


    Due to their limited strength, they could not enter the abyssal rift directly but stood far from its outer edge and looked down.


    A red light could flicker below through dark, poisonous mist layers.


    A strong wave of magical energy rippled out from the center of the fissure.


    The thick clouds in the sky overhead tumbled with a strange blood-red glow faintly streaming out from them.


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    The black-robed men fell to their knees at the edge of the cliff.


    They rested their foreheads on the cold rocks and bowed with immense devotion, muttering fervent words under their breath.


    The ground shook violently and a giant dragon¡¯s form was faintly visible in the dark, poisonous mist.


    ¡°The dragon has descended!¡±


    Ecstatic voices converged into a torrent that shot up to the clouds.

 Chapter 81.1

    Mine (1)


    The intense magic fluctuations stirred and rolled like ash-like black dust floating in the air.


    A pair of giant red-gold vertical pupils slowly opened in that thick poisonous fog.


    The cruel oppression came quietly.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The ground shook, and rocks crumbled.


    With every step forward, the earth and sky seemed to be trembling.


    The dragon in the fog revealed its huge figure, casting a deep shadow on the earth in front of it.


    Under the black poisonous fog, the hard and cold dragon scales reflected a metallic luster. The dragon¡¯s horns were slender with cold and hard lines.


    Its eyes were like lava flames.


    The humans on the cliff crouched their bodies lower, trembling in fear and ecstasy.


    The leader of the men in black raised his head and gazed with fascination and fervor at the dragon in the distance.


    It was a powerful ruler from ancient times, a horrible being that exists only in human fantasies and nightmares.


    ¡°Lord dragon¨C¡±


    The man in black stood up in the gale, his black robe tossed and rolled.


    His voice was torn apart by the wind and his tone was frenzied as he cried out, ¡°Please send down divine punishment!¡±


    From overhead came the low voice of the dragon, resonating faintly in its throat, incredibly majestic in the hurricane. ¡°Divine punishment?¡±


    ¡°Lord Shi An! The human race is fortunate to be destroyed by you. Under your guidance, this world will end with a smile!¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hm?


    Destroy the human race? The end of the world? What¡¯s all this?


    When did I say I wanted to destroy the world?


    But this human just said something that made him concerned¡­


    ¡°You knew my name?¡± Shi An asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The man in black tilted his head up to gaze at the dragon before him and said in a morbid tone, ¡°Only the willing sacrifice of a chosen soul could awaken you from your chaotic slumber and descend to this world!¡±


    Shi An revealed a thoughtful look.


    So¡­


    The human Shi An was the so-called ¡°chosen one.¡± Their name was not a coincidence and the human could obtain the method of summoning the dragon and complete the summoning ritual under such extreme circumstances was also not accidental. Still, it had somehow been secretly manipulated by this strange organization.


    ¡°There are no longer any humans in this world that could stop you!¡± The black-robed man¡¯s voice echoed in the wind.


    ¡°We have retrieved the ancient book. The only person capable of deciphering the ancient book is already dead!¡±


    He knelt on both knees, slowly opened the cloth bag at his feet, and took a head from it.


    Blood dripped from the broken neck cavity, wetting the old man¡¯s long, snow-white beard and trickling down the black-robed man¡¯s fingers, instantly absorbed by the earth.


    The depths of the dragon¡¯s red-gold eyes reflected the tiny head held in the hands of the human before him.


    ¡°The only human who could harm you, the rumored dragon slayer¡¯s bloodline, we have already sent people to handle him.¡±


    The black-robed man bowed his head deeply before the dragon and said, ¡°From today onward, no existence in the continent could harm you anymore!¡±


    ***


    The man with silver hair and blue eyes stood in the vast darkness, gazing at the several black-robed men who stepped out of the night.


    ¡°Chief Mu.¡±


    The group¡¯s leader said softly in a hoarse voice, ¡°I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were as calm as an ice-cold moonlight and the longsword in his palm flashed with a compelling sharp cold light.


    He lowered his eyes, and his voice was low and cold. ¡°¡­ It seems that the Bureau needs to be cleansed.¡±


    Behind him, several squads of Bureau members raised their weapons in unison, the sharp tips of their swords pointed at the man¡¯s back.


    ¡°Cleanse?¡± The black-robed man sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you no longer have this chance anymore.¡±


    Before the words fell, a murderous aura suddenly rose in the pitch-black night.


    Several people leaped up and attacked Mu Heng at the same time!


    ***


    The black-robed man could not hear the sound overhead for a long time.


    He paused, hesitantly lifted his head, and tentatively looked toward the giant dragon not far away.


    Only to see the dragon dropping its gigantic silver head, exhalation wrapped in the scorching smoke breath, voice low and gruesome. ¡°This human.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡±


    He had lived less than a fraction of the long years he had lived but always gazed at him with the loving look of an elder.


    Not only did he have to tolerate the other man¡¯s slow and sluggish translation speed, but he also had to pretend he didn¡¯t understand anything, trapped at the top of the cramped tower for long, boring, and dull hours.


    Before the black-robed man had time to snicker, he felt the shadows slowly enveloping him.


    The dragon¡¯s eyes glowed the color of a blazing fire in the darkness, and its sharp, pointed teeth opened and closed with the words revealed, reflecting brilliant, snow-white light.


    ¡°But it seems that you don¡¯t understand something.¡±


    A powerful and horrible oppression came from the dragon¡¯s body and an utterly sheer aura of darkness escaped from its body.


    ¡°This is my territory.¡±


    It was like invisible ropes strangling the throats of all the humans in front of it.


    ¡°This human belongs to me.¡±


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    ¡°¨CMine.¡±


    The dragon leaned down, blazing fire brewing deep in its throat, golden-red veins spreading out along its scales, the ghastly temperature instantly steaming, almost setting the air on fire.


    His voice was low and majestic, bringing a vague vibration in the air.


    ¡°Anyone who dares to touch a dragon¡¯s belonging will have to pay the price.¡±


    The next second, a furious blaze rolled up as if it were flowing lava, instantly engulfing the entire crevice in front of him!

 Chapter 81.2

    Mine (2)


    The human figures were so small under the overwhelming force that they could barely do anything before they were swallowed up. The dragon flames were like intelligent creatures, climbing up the bodies of those humans, cruelly prolonging their torture, slowly devouring their lives.


    Mournful screams echoed in the wilderness that was set ablaze.


    Countless twisted black shadows struggled and howled in the flames until they were reduced to pieces.


    Black smoke curled around the demon insect and the Eye and floated in the air, gazing in awe at the scene before them as if it were an inferno on earth.


    Such a terrible, mighty¡­ such beautiful blaze.


    Burning, devouring, and purifying the entire wilderness.


    At this point, the Eye suddenly realized something and looked toward the bottom of the abyss.


    Only to see the light of the blood spell at the feet of the dragon gradually dimming.


    The Eye of the Abyss began to tremble and struggle violently as if trying to escape from something that was about to happen.


    The Eye shrilled, ¡°N-Not good!¡±


    The demon insect was startled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The Eye spoke extremely fast and bounced in rapid succession outward. ¡°The Eye of the Abyss is somewhere between living and non-living things. Meanwhile, its existence is also between the abyss and the mainland. Although we can now see it on the mainland, it can never be brought out of the abyssal rift. The magical existence contained in the Eye of the Abyss is precarious. A spell formation should stabilize the magic in the Eye of the Abyss and transform it into a form the dragon can absorb.¡±


    It slowed down and continued, ¡°Now that the spell formation is destroyed, the magic power is no longer stable, but the transmission remains unbroken¡­¡±


    The demon insect slowly widened its eyes and immediately understood what the Eye wanted to express.


    The magic power transmitted now was unstable even in the way it existed, between abyssal and non-abyssal magic power.


    The consequences could be unimaginable.


    It cried out in dismay, ¡°We have to stop¨C¡±


    But before the demon insect¡¯s words could be heard, the pupil of that Eye of the Abyss suddenly dilated and then violently disintegrated!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Scarlet light surged into the spell formation.


    The giant dragon¡¯s body shook.


    It tilted its head up and let out a long roar.


    The sound was wrapped in a terrifying aura and the heavens and earth trembled.


    Dragon flames roared.


    The dragon unfolded its wings behind it and powerful air currents lifted it. In an instant, it disappeared into the dark, raging clouds.


    The three demonic creatures stared blankly at the scene before them and fell silent in unison.


    After a long time, the demon insect shuddered and asked, ¡°That¡­ What will the consequences be if it¡¯s not stopped in time?¡±


    The Eye dryly laughed twice. ¡°This, I also don¡¯t know¡­.¡±


    At best, it¡¯s the end of the world.


    ***


    Icy gale whistled in the high altitude.


    Shi An spread his wings and let the wind brush his scaly armor.


    Where is this place?


    What am I going to do?


    I don¡¯t know.


    His chaotic mind was filled with unanswered questions and all that remained was the endless instincts driving his body internally.


    Rage.


    This was the only emotion Shi An could perceive.


    There was no place to vent the anger deep in his chest as if a fire was blocked in his throat, longing to set the world on fire so that everything in front of him was buried in a sea of fire along with the intense anger.


    Horrendous flames burned in the depths of the dragon¡¯s golden-red vertical pupils.


    Burning, destroying, and destructing.


    This was the innate instinct of all dragons.


    They were born aggressive, ruthless predators. Wherever they go would be turned into fire and ashes, and they brought terror, death, pain, and wailing everywhere they went.


    Dragons were inherently evil.


    Shi An flapped his wings and gradually flew low, his cold eyes gazing at the silent campus.


    Red-gold lines spread across the scales of his throat.


    Dragon flames rolled and surged deep in his throat, eager to paint the ground in front of him with scorched black and crimson colors.


    Suddenly, his movements stopped.


    The depths of his vertical pupils reflected a figure on the ground not far away.


    In the endless night, the silver glimmer appeared extraordinarily cold, shiny, and beautiful.


    A word flashed through Shi An¡¯s mind.


    Mine.


    ***


    Corpses were scattered and blood flowed, staining the ground red.


    A man like the god of killing stood in the middle of the corpse, his cold longsword dripping drops of blood downward.


    Mu Heng lowered his pale blue eyes, calmly gazing at the hellish scene in front of him.


    He was the only living person.


    Pale severed limbs scattered on the ground and both black robes or the Bureau¡¯s uniform were dyed in the same color.


    The man¡¯s brow and eyes were deeply defined, with shadows covering his eyes.


    His black boots stepped on top of the corpses and his white cheeks were splashed with a bit of scarlet blood, staining his cold face with a layer of treacherous cruelty.


    He lifted his hand and gently wiped the blood off his cheek with his tactical gloved fingertips.


    The assailants¡¯ and betrayers¡¯ bodies were all mixed messily at his feet.


    It was like an indiscriminate, one-sided massacre.


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    At this moment, Mu Heng seemed to sense something.


    He turned his head and looked toward the sky behind him.


    The giant dragon was flying high in the sky.


    It looked down with its eyes downcast, the dark clouds floating around it, its fiery pupils appearing extraordinarily clear in the night.


    The next second, the dragon swooped down.

 Chapter 82.1

    Why Couldn¡¯t He Behave as a Collection and be Taken Away by Him? (1)


    The heat wave came with the smell of smoke and burning.


    The dragon¡¯s wings cut through the clouds, eyes like a blazing fire glaring in the sky¡¯s darkness, and suddenly swooped down.


    It let out a deafening roar¨C


    In an instant, the wind howled, and the earth shook.


    The silver-haired man stood holding his sword, his deep blue eyes reflecting the magnified shadow of the dragon.


    His pupils were slightly dilated by excitement as if catching the scent of bloody beasts.


    A feverish light swept under his eyes. The external hostility was like a sharp blade, cutting through the surface of indifference, tainted with a very aggressive desire to kill.


    It was a dragon.


    The dragon attacked in the blink of an eye. Its wings lifted a strong airflow and giant sharp claws were directed straight toward the human on the ground!


    But before the claw tips touched the human, the opponent¡¯s body suddenly disappeared.


    The next second, the air behind the dragon was flooded with powerful magical fluctuations.


    The man¡¯s slender and upright figure appeared in mid-air.


    The steel-blue eyes glittered with bloodthirsty shimmer and the corners of his thin lips subconsciously lifted upward to reveal the tips of his sharp snow-white teeth.


    The long sword condensed with magic power, cutting through with a bright white light.


    In the darkness, the sword light was the only source of light, with a force of 10,000 pounds, straight to the dragon¡¯s defenseless back¨C


    However, the dragon seems to sense the intense murderous aura behind it.


    It let out a roar and swung both wings fiercely, pulling up from the ground. The high-heat air flowed fiercely toward the human, lifting the other away.


    Mu Heng landed lightly on top of a jagged mountain rock.


    He looked up at the dragon overhead, revealing a cold smile without warmth.


    Hello, my prey.


    ***


    On the other hand, Wen Yao led the Bureau members and urgently organized the evacuation of the students.


    Without a detector, one could still perceive the magic fluctuations coming from near: intense, dangerous, dark, and horrible.


    The ground trembled with it like a landslide and one could not help but feel frightened.


    Wen Yao clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to worry about the battle not far away, concentrating on the work in front of her.


    The good news was that they shouldn¡¯t worry about information leakage this time.


    The Ability Academy had been completely sealed off for a hundred meters, the darkness released from the abyssal rift enveloping the entire area, and the signal was blocked entirely.


    But at the same, this also brought with it terrible news.


    The communication between sub-teams was utterly cut off and each team could only fight independently with no backup and no light.


    Even the Bureau headquarters could not fully control the current battle situation.


    The Ability Academy was too big and the various areas were severely divided from each other.


    Fortunately, it was curfew time when it happened, which created great convenience for their evacuation work.


    After all, the students were also Abilities and had some competence in crisis management. They maintained order and calmness and cooperated with the Bureau members as quickly as possible.


    Soon, Wen Yao and the others evacuated the first-year students.


    There were several more familiar faces in the crowd.


    Wen Yao gazed in one direction in the crowd and rested her gaze slightly on one of the students.


    This face¡­ should be Shi An¡¯s half-brother?


    He looked as if he was frightened out of his mind and his eyes were evasive.


    Although the other students also looked equally alarmed, Shi Rui always looked¡­ odd.


    Wen Yao frowned and withdrew her gaze.


    Was it an illusion?


    While she was lost in thought, a commotion suddenly came from the side of the line.


    A student was seen standing in the same place and trying to communicate with the Bureau¡¯s staff.


    ¡°¡­ My roommate hasn¡¯t returned yet! Can you ¨C¡±


    At this time, Wen Yao saw with hindsight that Shi Rui, who had just been keeping his head down, suddenly raised his eyes and looked in the direction from which the chaos came.


    That pale, cowering, weak face slowly blossomed into a small, untraceable smile.


    That smile seems to carry an extreme pleasure, grim and malicious. Although only for a moment, it made one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Wen Yao frowned.


    She turned around and walked toward the student who was pestering them.


    When the Bureau staff saw her arrive, they made way for her. ¡°Captain Wen.¡±


    Wen Yao looked at the student and asked in a smooth and calm tone. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The student settled down and replied, ¡°Lin Yanming.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lin Yanming took a deep breath. A worried and anxious look showed from under the surface of forced composure. ¡°Before the Bureau arrived, my roommate suddenly left the dorm and hasn¡¯t returned. I wonder if you could send someone to look for him. I¡¯m distraught¡­¡±


    A member of the Bureau on the side frowned and asked, ¡°Why would your roommate choose to leave at this time? Where did he go?¡±


    Lin Yanming was momentarily dumbfounded. ¡°¡­¡±


    After two seconds of silence, he said, ¡°I also don¡¯t know.¡±


    The Bureau member sighed. ¡°We¡¯re severely short-staffed now. You don¡¯t have a specific direction, so we also can¡¯t¨C¡±


    He did not finish his words, only to see Wen Yao on the side raise her hand and interrupt the other party¡¯s following words.


    She asked, ¡°Who is your roommate?¡±


    Lin Yanming looked at Wen Yao expectantly and said, ¡°Shi An.¡±


    Although she already had a hunch, Wen Yao still couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly stunned.


    She twisted her head and looked toward the stream of people behind her.


    Shi Rui¡¯s figure was already drowned out and had disappeared into the crowd.


    Wen Yao narrowed her eyes.


    She turned her head to look at Lin Yanming.


    ¡°I will see what we can do.¡±


    Watching the other party turn to leave, Wen Yao pursed her lips.


    Although she said so just now, no one knew better than her that they could not afford to spare any staff to search for the missing Shi An in this current situation.


    Everything could only start after the most important work was finished.


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    Wen Yao closed her eyes forcefully.


    At least¡­ Shi An was powerful, even more so than many of the official members of the Bureau.


    Although temporarily unable to send someone to find him, there were some things she could do now.


    Wen Yao turned around, called one of her men to her, and said, ¡°After the evacuation, let the first-year Ability named Shi Rui stay behind and wait for me to interrogate him.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 82.2

    Why Couldn¡¯t He Behave as a Collection and be Taken Away by Him? (2)


    In the wilderness.


    The blood beneath the shattered corpse had been burned dry, black, scorched, and stuck to the ground.


    Wildfires blazed in all directions in the wilderness.


    The air temperature had become unbearable for humans and fluctuating lines could be vaguely seen.


    The traces of destruction created by magic power were deeply burned in the plains.


    Claw marks and sword marks were messily interlaced. Some may even be several meters deep like an ugly scar extending across.


    Shi An flew in the air.


    He lowered his eyes and gazed uncomprehendingly at the silver-glittering humans not far away.


    To not destroy his belongings¡¯ integrity, he subconsciously did not wholly hit with deadly force. However, in Shi An¡¯s vague and chaotic memory, human beings who could last so long under his dragon flame¡­


    It seemed that there was none.


    What is this human all about?


    A sense of anxiety rose involuntarily in Shi An¡¯s heart.


    Why couldn¡¯t he behave as a collection and be taken away by him?


    Why did he have to resist?


    Obviously¡­


    Obviously¡­


    The dragon was somewhat confused.


    Somehow, he always had a strange illusion as if the other party was supposed to give him what he wanted.


    Below, Mu Heng stood on the scorched earth with his longsword in hand.


    His pitch-black jacket has been torn into tatters in the battle, vaguely revealing the taut pale muscles beneath it.


    The man¡¯s expression remained stoic and indifferent.


    Between the half-broken combat gloves, his slender fingertips held the hilt of his sword smoothly, scarlet blood flowing down the tips of his fingers, dripping along the cold, snowy edge of the longsword.


    That was his blood.


    Mu Heng raised his eyes toward the giant dragon not far away.


    This was the first time.


    He was wounded in the battle, but the other side remained unharmed.


    ¨CHowever, this situation would not last long.


    Mu Heng¡¯s gaze was frenzied, his battle intent blazing.


    He could feel that the other party was slowly losing patience, gradually becoming careless and irritable.


    It was almost time.


    The time has come.


    ***


    Zhuo Fu walked around the laboratory.


    He gazed at the longsword on the table in front of him, his impatience overflowing.


    He knew that Mu Heng had gone to deal with the Ability Academy this time, which was supposed to have nothing to do with the dragon, but¡­


    Shortly after the other party left, the longsword that Mu Heng had brought with him began to radiate strange magical fluctuations outward.


    This could only mean one thing: the dragon was also involved.


    The sword had also appeared like this when Mu Heng set out for the Aiwen District.


    In theory, Zhuo Fu shouldn¡¯t be so worried.


    But¡­


    Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and lowered his eyes to look at the long sword in front of him.


    The cold, dazzling blade trembled, emitting a pleasant buzzing sound as if resonating with some alien presence and seemingly impatient to deliver some message to the outside.


    The original glass shield that covered the surrounding area had been torn apart by the sword light and even Zhuo Fu did not dare to come forward at this time.


    The sword¡¯s reaction had never been so intense.


    It was almost as if¡­ the long sword was in anticipation, eager, and worried.


    As if this battle could not do without it.


    Gazing at the longsword in front of him, Zhuo Fu had a sense of foreboding floating in his heart.


    He took a deep breath and raised his hand to wipe his face.


    I hope¡­ my premonition doesn¡¯t come true.


    ***


    The dragon swooped down, searing fire spewing from its mouth, almost turning the entire wasteland into a sea of fire.


    Violent, irritable, impatient.


    This time, Mu Heng raised his eyes and madness and obsession flashed in the bottom of his eyes.


    The instinct to fight drummed in the depths of his soul.


    Silently telling him: Now is the time.


    The next second, he stopped dodging and went straight for the tip of his opponent¡¯s claw¨C


    The sharp claws cut through the clothes and tore through the skin, spurting out fiery blood.


    He could have ripped the human¡¯s arm off if he had exerted one more push.


    Sizzling blood landed on the tip of the dragon¡¯s claws and the surprisingly high temperature scalded him for a moment.


    ¡­ ah.


    Unexpectedly, Shi An hesitated for a moment.


    The other side was extremely keen to catch this opportunity.


    The man¡¯s figure seemed like a sharp blade.


    He passed through the gap between the dragon¡¯s claws, like an arrow leaving the string, directly, precisely, ruthlessly rushing toward the other party¡¯s heart.


    The cold murderous aura was released unrestrainedly and the bloody hostility brewed from the murderous intent reached first.


    Magical power condensed into a long sword flashing cold light, cutting straight into the gap between the dragon¡¯s chest-scale armor.


    The tip of the sword did not enter.


    Nevertheless, it could not advance an inch.


    ¡°Crack¨C!¡±


    A clear cracking sound rang out from the longsword in his hand.


    Mu Heng¡¯s face showed a hint of astonishment for the first time.


    This sword blade was a weapon that he had condensed with his magical power and could easily cut through any existence, no matter how hard it was.


    And this situation before him¡­ had never happened before.


    The dragon regained its senses.


    With an angry roar, it flung the human before it, striking him in the chest with blunt force.


    The man was knocked out of the way and smashed his back against the rugged rocks of the mountain.


    The rocks all rumbled under this violent impact. Spider web-like lines spread rapidly from behind the human.


    Mu Heng covered his stomach with one hand and slowly slid down the stone wall.


    His breathing was disordered and he gritted his teeth tightly, but a trickle of scarlet blood still spilled from his lips, sliding down his chin and dripping down his feet.


    His dark blue eyes reflected the gradually enlarged figure of the dragon.


    Mu Heng stared at it intensely as if to burn the beautiful and powerful creature in front of him forever in the bottom of his eyes.


    Devoured by the flames, what an excellent way to die.


    He laughed briefly and delightfully.


    It¡¯s such a pity¡­


    A young man¡¯s face passed through his mind, quickly taking over his thoughts.


    Mu Heng closed his eyes.


    I can¡¯t see him anymore.


    However, a slender tail that shone with a silver-white sheen reached out amidst the fierce winds flapped by the wings.


    ¡°¡­!¡± Mu Heng opened his eyes in astonishment.


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    He looked down, only to see the giant dragon firmly curling its tail around his waist.


    This¡­


    Mu Heng was stunned.


    He heard the dragon let out a long roar.


    Tilting its head up, it lightly unfolded its wings and took off with its trophy in the sea of wind, disappearing into the vast night.

 Chapter 83.1

    Shi An Carefully Poked the Human in Front of Him with the Tip of his Claw (1)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The three demonic creatures gazed silently at the land burnt to a crisp before them, then slowly raised their heads and looked toward the sky¡¯s edge.


    The shadow of a giant dragon loomed in the clouds and a human figure was vaguely visible, swept up in its tail.


    What direction was it heading?


    It was not until the demon insect reacted first, jumping impatiently and saying, ¡°Why are you just staring blankly? Chase after them!¡±


    The Eye also returned to its senses, pulling Black Smoke, and said urgently, ¡°Right! Quick! My lord hasn¡¯t gone far yet!¡±


    They didn¡¯t know the side effects after absorbing the unstable magic power from the Eye of the Abyss.


    Now they could only follow closely and improvise.


    Black smoke with some difficulty. ¡°¡­¡±


    It sighed, resigned to roll up the two demonic creatures before it, floated up by the wind, and flew in the direction of the dragon¡¯s departure.


    Soon, apart from the raging wildfire, there was no life in the wilderness.


    The black poisonous fog overhead dissipated in the gale, gradually revealing a distant dark blue sky.


    The Bureau¡¯s temporary headquarters was located outside the Ability Academy.


    Wen Yao was busy with a heavy workload.


    Due to the staff shortage, the command office atmosphere was tense.


    At this moment, a member of the Bureau hurriedly came in from outside the tent, reporting,


    ¡°Captain! The readings in the academy have normalized and the reaction of the abyssal rift has disappeared!¡±


    Wen Yao¡¯s heart, which had been heavy for a long time, was slightly relieved.


    The chief seemed to have eliminated the Eye of Abyss in the rift.


    After the most urgent crisis was taken care of, the rest was manageable.


    She turned her head and gave a concise order to the team behind her, ¡°Count the names of the students and teachers safely evacuated to prevent the search and rescue team from continuing to look for trapped people.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Wen Yao looked toward the technician on the other side. ¡°Has the Internet network in the Ability Academy been repaired?¡±


    The technician looked up and nodded.


    ¡°The magical interference source has disappeared. The internet signal has been restored!¡±


    Wen Yao sighed with relief.


    After the communication was restored, several teams in the Ability Academy contacted the headquarters.


    Soon, six of the seven teams had briefly reported back to the headquarters.


    In the end, only the last squad remained without any news.


    ¨CThe last one was the one led by Mu Heng.


    Wen Yao tightly pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and gazed at the communicator in her hand.


    After the communication was restored, she tried to contact Mu Heng many times, but all the messages sent were like throwing mud into the sea, and there was no reply.


    Looking at the orderly situation in front of her eyes, Wen Yao took a deep breath and walked over to the technician.


    She asked concisely, ¡°Where was the last time Chief Mu¡¯s communicator signal appeared?¡±


    The technician was slightly troubled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that access¡­¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°I¡¯m the commander of the operation this time.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The technician looked at the capable woman with brown eyes and tan skin before him with some hesitation.


    The other party looked calm, her eyes firm as if she was a rock that remained unshaken in the storm, giving a powerful sense of security.


    Finally, after a brief pause, the technician settled down and began to locate on the computer the position where Mu Heng¡¯s communicator had last appeared.


    Wen Yao organized the small team and rushed toward the location point.


    She subconsciously slowed her pace and gazed at the scene in front of her in shock.


    Rocks were crumbling, the ground was scorched black, and only ruins and wreckage remained.


    Although the fire had died out, the concentration of residual magic in the air was strong enough to make people feel suffocated.


    Deep carvings were everywhere like scars deeply embedded in the ground, looking appalling.


    Looking at it with the naked eye, one could guess how terrible a battle had been fought here.


    The team members behind her could not help but lower their voices. ¡°Captain, this¡­¡±


    This sound snapped Wen Yao out of her dazed state.


    She collected all the emotions on her face and ordered, ¡°Search.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go of any clues.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The squad members scattered in an orderly manner and began to conduct a thorough search on the scorched earth.


    Wen Yao slowly stepped forward and walked toward the sword marks.


    Suddenly, her pace gave a slight lurch.


    Wen Yao slowly moved her feet away and looked down.


    Under her feet, she saw several charred black limbs, which had been burned and completely unrecognizable, and the blood was burned and baked dry with a strong, pungent smell of char.


    She leaned down and pulled up a piece of remnant fabric.


    It was the Bureau¡¯s uniform.


    Wen Yao felt her heart sink.


    At this moment, a shout from the team members came from behind, ¡°Captain! Chief Mu¡¯s communicator has been found!¡±


    Wen Yao turned around, only to see one of the team members dashing over.


    The evidence bag in his hand contained a completely crushed communicator and was almost impossible to put back together.


    Wen Yao closed her eyes firmly and said, ¡°¡­ I got it.¡±


    Soon, all the severed limbs and remains in the wasteland were collected and transported to the autopsy office in unison.


    The elderly autopsy officer bent down, picked up one of the body pieces, and placed it in front of his eyes for half a day to carefully examine it.


    He raised his head and said to Wen Yao, ¡°Well¡­ Although severely damaged, the victims should have probably died before being burned.¡±


    He pointed to the smooth, broken surface at the edge and showed it to Wen Yao. ¡°A cut from a sharp weapon.¡±


    Sharp, swift, and ruthless.


    Wen Yao was stunned and frowned.


    All the clues confusingly tangled into a ball in her mind.


    The corpses of the Bureau members, Mu Heng, who lost contact, the burn marks on the land¡­


    Working for such a long time made Wen Yao a bit exhausted.


    She took a deep breath and raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.


    Suddenly, she recalled something.


    ¡­ It could be an entry point.


    Wen Yao¡¯s spirit revived.


    She turned around, walked quickly outside, and hurried to call her subordinate. ¡°Where is the student I told you to stop before? Where is he now?¡±


    The narrow interrogation room.


    Shi Rui fidgeted and waited there.


    It had been a long time since he was brought here, but the Bureau people would not let him go no matter what he did and what excuse he used.


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    He clenched his teeth, twisted his fingers around the corner of his shirt, and comforted himself repeatedly in his heart.


    The group had assured him.


    No one would know that he had let the people in.


    Nobody would.


    ***

 Chapter 83.2

    Shi An Carefully Poked the Human in Front of Him with the Tip of his Claw (2)


    Shi An flapped his wings and glided slowly in the swift wind.


    Suddenly, he slowed down.


    The depths of the dragon¡¯s red-golden eyes flashed with a hint of confusion.


    Now he should return to the cave with the spoils of war.


    But¡­


    Where was his cave?


    Shi An remembered he initially had a cave.


    A vast, dry, dark cave filled with shiny gold, silver, and jewels to sleep in for a long time after burying himself in it.


    But then, a fuzzy picture emerged in Shi An¡¯s mind.


    The cave was gone and so was the treasure.


    Where did they go?


    ¨CThey were stolen.


    The dragon¡¯s flame-like pupils burned with violent hostility and the restlessness that had just been soothed rose in his heart. His strong desire for destruction rose again and the flaming red color floated between the scales from his chest to his neck.


    At this moment, he felt his tail being tugged.


    Shi An was stunned.


    He lowered his eyes and looked in the direction of his tail.


    The shiny silver light was reflected in his eyes and the warmth of human body heat slowly seeped into the gaps between the scales, sinking in and inexplicably giving him a strange sense of satisfaction.


    My trophy.


    Mine.


    Shi An forgot about his anger in the blink of an eye and became happy again.


    The scent of humans and the noisy sounds of the city made Shi An feel instinctively unhappy, so he flew in the direction away from the people, away from the dust and noise.


    Finally, Shi An saw an extremely high, barren mountain at the city¡¯s edge.


    He examined the mountain in front of him with a discerning eye.


    It was barely okay.


    Let¡¯s make a new nest here.


    After making up his mind, the dragon opened his mouth and hot flames spewed from deep in his throat.


    The air was burned and distorted by the high temperature and the dark rocks were instantly melted into black and gold magma, flowing down the cracks of the rocks of the deserted peaks.


    This was not the first time Shi An made a nest and he was already very skilled at it.


    He used his claws to crush the rock pieces in the way, dug them out, and threw them aside.


    Soon, a big and deep cave took shape.


    Shi An folded his wings and landed inside with satisfaction.


    The ground hadn¡¯t wholly cooled, slightly burning.


    Shi An alternated between his left and right talons and bounced around the cave twice as the mountain shook and debris that hadn¡¯t quite set in fell from overhead and crackled on the ground.


    His head was smashed squarely.


    Shi An got angry. He lifted his head and let out a roar toward the place where the falling rocks came from.


    The stone finally stopped falling.


    Shi An squatted down gleefully, curled his paws under his belly, then wrapped his tail around his body and gazed at the human trophy he had brought back to his new nest.


    The man¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, silver eyelashes casting deep shadows on his pale face.


    He had passed out on the way here.


    Shi An laid down, put his head forward, and carefully poked the human in front of him with the tip of his claw.


    Mu Heng¡¯s scattered silver hair was stained with dust and blood, his jacket was torn and tattered, and there were still bone-deep claw marks on his shoulders.


    Under Shi An¡¯s touch, the wound on the human¡¯s shoulder broke apart, and the blood gushed out more fiercely.


    However, there was no movement.


    The eyes were so beautiful. Why not open them?


    Shi An gazed at the human in front of him in confusion, feeling very bewildered.


    He always felt that he had to do something else.


    Although the collection had arrived, for some reason, it seemed that there was still a process missing¡­ a necessary process.


    What is it?


    He couldn¡¯t remember.


    Shi An probed his claws.


    The sharp claw tip that can crush rocks rested on the man¡¯s head and the golden-red vertical pupils were cold and cruel.


    Should he rip him off?


    Shi An thought carefully and finally withdrew his claws.


    ¡­ It seemed not.


    That would be unattractive.


    However, the harder Shi An tried to recall, the more chaotic his mind became. No matter what, he could not find half a clue.


    Not sure if it was due to the excessive consumption of magic power, he began to feel sleepy.


    Shi An yawned and blinked his red-gold eyes, lying down again.


    He poked out his silver-white tail and wrapped the tip of his spiky, thin tail around the human¡¯s waist, circling him firmly and dragging him to his side.


    Think about it again after waking up.


    ***


    After a long time, the three demonic creatures finally arrived while gasping for breath.


    The Eye asked, ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The demon insect nodded.


    As the longest subordinate who had followed the dragon, he was the most sensitive to Shi An¡¯s scent.


    ¡°What should we do now? Follow inside?¡±


    Black Smoke was a bit hesitant. ¡°The lord wouldn¡¯t kill us, would he?¡±


    After all, it was very self-aware of its strength.


    Nobody in this world could have a back-and-forth fight with the dragon except for Mu Heng.


    And if they were found out¡­ they would probably be burned to a crisp.


    A dragon who lost his senses would not show any mercy to them.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be discovered if we¡¯re a bit quieter.¡±


    ¡°Right. After all, we must ensure the lord¡¯s safety.¡± The Eye agreed.


    ¨CIt would be best if that human were dead.


    It prayed in its heart.


    The three demonic creatures sneaked closer, carefully poked their heads out, and looked down through the gap above the cave.


    In the empty cave, the dragon huddled between the junction of shadow and light, its scales shimmering with the faint glow of the morning sun.


    The silver-white tip of his tail wrapped possessively around the man¡¯s waist, firmly encircling the other side.


    The dragon cradled its only treasure and fell into a deep, restful sleep.


    The whole scene looked both peaceful and eerie.


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    The three demonic creatures: ¡°¡­.¡±


    It was something they couldn¡¯t understand abd it greatly shocked them.


    ***


    The author has something to say.


    Dragon: Snatch the princess home and sleep with the princess.

 Chapter 84.1

    What¡­ Is This Dragon Doing? (1)


    Wen Yao pushed open the door and looked at Shi Rui sitting alone in the interrogation room.


    From the narrow window, a dim light shone in and the small questioning room was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.


    Carefully looking at him, Shi Rui and Shi An had a few similarities in their eyebrows and eyes. Still, their temperaments were so different that it was almost hard to believe they were even related.


    Not sure if it was the lighting, but Shi Rui¡¯s face looked oddly pale.


    Although he tried his best to suppress it, the anxiety and restlessness still showed up in his eyes.


    Wen Yao walked in and sat down before Shi Rui.


    She lowered her head, flipped open the file in her hand, and scanned it. ¡°Shi Rui?¡±


    Shi Rui habitually curled his mouth, smiling at the other person. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Smiling.


    He was good at making this expression.


    The upturned corners of his mouth could soften the contours of his face, narrowing the shape of his eyes and hiding all the emotions underneath them.


    As long as the angle of control was right, a smile would be the perfect disguise and an unbeatable weapon.


    ¡°I wonder¡­ why did you call me here?¡±


    Shi Rui paused. A trace of vulnerability passed over his face. ¡°I¡¯m already drained after the accident just now. I¡¯m sure my father is also worried for my safety. May I ask¡­ when I will be able to leave?¡±


    He said these words cleverly.


    In addition to placing himself in the victim¡¯s position, he also pointed out his family background without a trace.


    However, the tan-skinned, brown-eyed woman in front of him did not seem to be affected.


    Her face had a minimal expression and her eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a pool of silent lake water.


    Shi Rui subconsciously clenched his fingers.


    He had heard the famous name of the woman in front of him.


    Wen Yao.


    While still very young, Mu Heng¡¯s confidant, the head captain of the Combat Division, had already made outstanding achievements and was highly valued.


    Even though Shi Rui was confident that he would not leave any traces, he could not help but feel some apprehension.


    Wen Yao retrieved her gaze and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a casual Q&A. You can leave after answering my questions.¡±


    Although Shi Rui nodded to show his cooperation, every muscle in his body was tense.


    Wen Yao asked, ¡°How is your relationship with your half-brother, Shi An?¡±


    Although Shi Rui did not expect the other party to be so straightforward, he was prepared for this question.


    ¡°Mm, not bad?¡± Shi Rui pursed his lips, hesitating a bit.


    ¡°At least, I think so.¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Oh?¡±


    Shi Rui took a deep breath as if getting ready to open up and awkwardly laughed. ¡°You should also already know that I am, after all, an illegitimate son. Brother, he¡­ it¡¯s normal for Shi An not to like me very much. Although we have the same father, we¡¯re quite estranged and couldn¡¯t be counted as close. However, there¡¯s also not much conflict.¡±


    Wen Yao nodded her head. ¡°So it¡¯s like this.¡±


    She did not continue this topic but turned to ask, ¡°Shi An¡¯s whereabouts are now unknown. Do you know where he might have gone?¡±


    In that instant, Shi Rui sighed with relief in his heart.


    ¨CSo, that¡¯s it.


    It¡¯s to find Shi An.


    A look of concern passed over his face. ¡°What? Has brother gone missing?¡±


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shi Rui furrowed his brows, lowered his eyes for a few seconds of contemplation, and then slowly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ like I said, my relationship with my brother, Shi An, isn¡¯t very close. I don¡¯t know where he might have gone.¡±


    He raised his eyes and suggested sincerely, ¡°Perhaps you could ask his friends? Lin Yanming, Wang Li, Zhao She, these few people. Maybe they might know where my brother has gone.¡±


    Wen Yao nodded and pushed a piece of paper over. ¡°Their names.¡±


    Shi Rui swiftly wrote those names on it.


    He put down the pen and hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°Although I know I¡¯m not in a position to say this¡­¡±


    Shi Rui raised his head. The worry and concern in his eyes were unmistakable. ¡°Please find him. If not, Father will¡­¡±


    His throat choked up.


    Wen Yao nodded, took the note back, and said, ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    The moment the other party¡¯s words fell, it was as if a heavy boulder had been removed from his chest and Shi Rui felt that he could immediately breathe easily again.


    With his face still maintaining that look of a worried brother, he bowed at Wen Yao.


    Wen Yao¡¯s cold voice came from overhead.


    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t seem like you want to know what happened at the school.¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s heart thumped.


    He raised his head and met the woman¡¯s calm gaze.


    Wen Yao¡¯s eyes were deep. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask any questions about this accident from the beginning to the end.¡±


    After a brief moment of panic, Shi Rui once again raised his smile out of habit and said, ¡°After all¡­ even if I ask about this matter, I will probably not receive an answer, so I might as well not ask.¡±


    Wen Yao fixedly looked at him.


    She seemed to accept this explanation, nodded, and withdrew her gaze. ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s back disappeared outside the interrogation room door.


    Wen Yao picked up the note on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the waste paper bin.


    She came this time not to ask where Shi An was going nor to get any valid information from the other party¡¯s mouth.


    It was only to observe.


    After finding out that he was brought here because of Shi An, Shi Rui¡¯s next state became more relaxed and natural.


    He was so intent on seeing a good show that he lost control of the whole picture.


    This student, Shi Rui, not only hid something about Shi An but might have even tried to cover up more secrets.


    Wen Yao called her subordinate in.


    ¡°Find someone with the best concealment magic and follow him.¡±


    ¡°No matter whom he contacts and talks to, report everything back to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The subordinate left.


    Wen Yao took a deep breath and raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.


    Mu Heng¡¯s guesses surfaced in her mind.


    The external protection of the Ability Academy had not received any damage and it was likely that they were even let in.


    A student supposedly would not have this authority.


    Hopefully¡­


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    Her guess was wrong.


    Wen Yao didn¡¯t give herself any time to rest as she stood up and walked quickly toward the door.


    She was ready to make a trip back to the Bureau.


    Although Zhuo Fu was unreliable, he was now her last hope for finding Mu Heng.


    ***

 Chapter 84.2

    What¡­ Is This Dragon Doing? (2)


    Mu Heng felt like he had fallen into a profound, distant dream.


    This dream was broken and chaotic like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    In front of his eyes was bottomless darkness.


    The young man leaned over and pressed against his ear, his fair arms silently wrapping around his shoulders.


    His eyes were dark, his waist was slender, and his lips were cold and soft.


    His arms twisted a little tighter.


    Mu Heng heard his bones cackling.


    The darkness around him was as deep as a mire, pulling him down toward the depths of the abyss.


    Mu Heng woke up before he fell.


    He snapped open his eyes.


    The air that suddenly rushed into his chest was cold and dry as if thousands of small knives were cutting at his throat, bringing a sharp stinging sensation.


    Mu Heng coughed as his memory returned and his mind flashed back to the last scene he saw before he passed out.


    Darkness, howling gales, the approaching dragon, the tail curled around his waist.


    He steadied his breathing, raised his eyes, and surveyed the place he was now in.


    This was an enormous cave, empty and cold. The rock showed a strange brown-black like being melted and then solidified again, with an irregular circular hole at the head. Cold light spilled in from outside, vaguely illuminating the scene inside the cave.


    Mu Heng instantly realized that he had been taken back to the dragon¡¯s lair.


    Could this be the dragon¡¯s hiding place all along?


    Mu Heng frowned.


    He had seen a dragon massacre. Slaying humans was as indifferent to the dragon as stepping on ants beneath his feet


    ¡­ Why didn¡¯t the dragon kill him?


    Mu Heng did not know the answer and did not need to know the answer.


    He only knew that not killing him immediately this time would be the dragon¡¯s biggest mistake.


    Mu Heng took a deep breath, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to Shi An¡¯s body and his mind, which had been tense, finally had a moment of relief.


    Since the dragon was here, it could not have the opportunity to lay hands on Shi An again.


    Although he was temporarily in prison, there would be no more threats to Shi An¡¯s existence, at least in the entire Ability Academy.


    The abyssal rift was small before it disappeared and the demons that escaped from it weren¡¯t enough to be feared with Shi An¡¯s strength.


    Mu Heng closed his eyes.


    However, he was still desperate to leave even so.


    The young man¡¯s face swept past before his eyes, dark eyes, smiling lips, wholeheartedly trusting eyes.


    It had been long since they had last seen each other, so long that Mu Heng instinctively felt annoyed and displeased.


    Although he told himself that this time it was on campus and there were still Bureau personnel stationed there, Shi An would not have an accident¡­


    But¡­


    Mu Heng did not want to experience the thing happening last time in the Aiwen District.


    He opened his eyes.


    The bottom of his eyes was cold and dark like an unfathomable abyss.


    Mu Heng held his vaguely painful chest and carefully examined his wounds, a few broken displaced ribs, deep bone visible claw marks on his shoulder, severe but not fatal.


    Mu Heng spread his hand, his fingertips void of anything.


    The magically condensed sword did not appear in his palm. After all, having seen his sword break twice, Mu Heng had been aware that general weapons would not be able to slay the dragon.


    That sword.


    Only that sword could tear the dragon¡¯s impenetrable scale armor, cut open its chest, and pluck out the hot and bloody heart.


    Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked at the narrow patch of sky above his head.


    Before the dragon returns, he must leave here.


    However, after taking a step, Mu Heng sensed something was wrong.


    He raised his hand and slowly pressed his palm into the void.


    An invisible magic barrier blocked his way.


    Was this¡­ made by the dragon?


    Mu Heng was stunned.


    But, at that moment, the sound of regular wings beating came from the air above his head.


    The wind was swept up and roared between the rock walls with a shrill sound. In the next second, he heard a loud boom, a shadow covered the hole overhead, and the whole mountain seemed to tremble.


    The dragon grabbed the edge of the rock wall with its sharp and terrifying claws and pieces of shattered rock fell in fragments, crashing at the bottom of the cave, emitting a hollow reverberation.


    Mu Heng looked up.


    Only to see the silver-white dragon land at the cave entrance.


    It lowered its head, golden-red vertical pupils like blazing fire, with an intense invisible sense of oppression, silently looking toward the human who was there all by itself in the cave¡¯s depths.


    In that instant, Mu Heng felt a strange shudder climb up his spine.


    It wasn¡¯t fear.


    It was as if the blood all over his body was churning and boiling. Every cell in his body was yearning to bathe in the other¡¯s blood and watch the other side howl miserably.


    It was as if the pull of fate was at work in the invisible. The desire to kill whispered in the ears.


    The words Shi An once described swept through his mind.


    Mu Heng slowly narrowed his eyes and the killing intent under his eyes became more intense.


    In the next second, he saw the dragon that had landed at the top of the cave take a step backward and the shadow cast on the ground disappeared.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Before he could react to what had happened, the shadow reappeared and began to descend.


    Mu Heng reflexively stepped backward.


    He jerked his head up and his pupils suddenly constricted.


    ¨CThe next second, he saw a large handful of golden hay floating down from the top of his head.


    Mu Heng could not dodge in time and was sprinkled all over.


    He stiffened. ¡°¡­¡±


    Immediately afterward, more hay fell with a clatter, like a strange downpour, flooding in a flash and covering the entire cave.


    Soon, the rain finally stopped when the hay was piled up to where Mu Heng¡¯s calves were.


    Shadows covered the cave entrance overhead once again.


    The giant dragon flapped its wings and elegantly and lightly fell through the hole overhead.


    The hay at the bottom of the cave was swept up by the strong air currents, flying wildly in the narrow, semi-enclosed space.


    The dragon bent down and surveyed the straw-covered cave in front of him with a dignified gaze.


    Immediately afterward, it poked out its claws, cautiously grabbed a bundle of hay, then carefully placed the grass on a relatively thinner area, making the entire cave even.


    The giant dragon happily grabbed the hay below with its claws, then comfortably curled itself in.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He gazed at the scene before him silently as if he had turned into a statue that could not speak or move.


    ¡ª except that his shoulders and hair were covered with crumbs of hay.


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    This dragon¡­


    What is it doing?


    ***


    The author has something to say.


    Dragon is working hard to build a love nest with you.

 Chapter 85.1

    Was the Dragon Holding Him in Captivity? (1)


    Shi An was currently focusing on making his new nest more comfortable.


    He loved to bury himself in shiny golden things, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t find anything like that right now, so he had to use these dried grasses to make his nest for the time being.


    Looking at the cave covered with straw in front of him, Shi An¡¯s mood fell to the bottom again.


    He originally thought he could replace it, but¡­


    It was not the same at all.


    It was bright and golden outside under the sun, but after putting it in the dark cave, how did it become¡­


    So shabby?


    Shi An was very unhappy.


    Shattered images and memory fragments emerged in his mind.


    An empty, dilapidated cave, the snowflakes falling into the ruins, a man¡¯s short fingers on the flashing elven ring, the gold and silver jewelry that belonged to him piling up in the warehouse, the precious gems displayed in the presentation sheet.


    Humans¡­


    ¡­ Thieves!


    The sunlight spilled in from the hole overhead, falling on the silver-white spine of the dragon as if winding down a river of glittering light.


    The red-gold vertical pupils were slightly narrowed and the bottom of the eyes flickered with some restless and terrifying shade, like a blazing fire casting a shadow that brought a sense of tyrannical oppression.


    Mu Heng fixedly examined the dragon in front of him.


    He leaned on the side with his fingers clenched but empty palm, a vague wave of magic brewing silently, muscles tense, eyes deep and cold, unable to see what he was thinking.


    The dragon turned its head and looked in Mu Heng¡¯s direction.


    The slender man stood in the corner of the cave, with flowing silver hair and blue jade eyes.


    His face was indifferent, but his body language was alert and defensive, like a bowstring ready to fire.


    Surprisingly, the flickering fire in the depths of the dragon¡¯s vertical pupils faded and the golden-red eyes shone like some glazed gem.


    It wagged the tip of its tail happily.


    Ah, shiny.


    So beautiful.


    The anger just now was instantly forgotten.


    Shi An leaned down and stretched his tail, habitually trying to wrap his arms around the man¡¯s waist and drag him to his side.


    However, before his tail touched the other party, cracks of the air¡¯s magic fluctuation emitted a clang. A sharp silver-white blade sliced down violently, landing on top of the scales of the dragon¡¯s tail with a crisp metallic impact.


    The tip of his tail bounced away.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes and looked at his opponent coldly.


    Shi An looked at the human before him and then at Mu Heng¡¯s sword that had bounced off of it.


    Why?


    Obviously¡­


    He vaguely remembered that the human before him did seem to hate being wrapped around his tail.


    Shi An sat bitterly at the bottom of the cave, deep in thought.


    Mu Heng gazed at the giant dragon, his voice low and hoarse, and slowly spoke. ¡°What is your purpose?¡±


    He was clear that the giant dragon understood him.


    The huge beast in front of him was not an ordinary magical creature but a fantasy species that could take human form. Although their traces had disappeared from the continent for a long time, it was impossible for the dragon not to understand human language after hiding in human society for so long without giving off the slightest hint of their existence.


    The silvery white dragon blinked and looked as if it understood.


    In the next second, it unfolded the wings on its back.


    ¡°Whus¨C¡±


    Countless golden-yellow hay was swept up by the gale and fluttered at the bottom of the cave.


    Mu Heng had to squint his eyes to make out the dragon¡¯s figure.


    It flew towards the cave entrance overhead and disappeared instantly, leaving only the quietly falling straw and half of the clear, blue sky.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Understood a damn.


    However, the departure of the giant dragon was a chance.


    Mu Heng collected his thoughts and surveyed the magical barrier that trapped him.


    He pressed his palm into the air, slowly touched it, and then slightly frowned.


    Such a spell should have been lost long ago.


    Although it was condensed from magic, no magical power fluctuation could be felt before touching it, which meant that it could not be broken from the inside.


    Then, violent destruction¨C


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The sharp blade and the air wall fiercely collided together, emitting a sound like gold and stone striking against each other, echoing in the large empty cavern with layers of humming for a long time.


    However, nothing happened.


    Mu Heng covered his vaguely painful ribs, forcing the taste of blood back into his mouth, and he frowned.


    No surprise.


    It was not working.


    He gave up on breaking through the barrier and instead began exploring this barrier¡¯s end.


    The air wall stretched upward against the stone wall, seemingly to prevent Mu Heng from damaging the rock wall or leaving through the hole above his head.


    However, there was more than one exit path.


    The cave was a hollowed-out peak and there were also several large and small caves near the ground that led to the outside, with a whirring cold wind pouring in from outside and curling up the corners of his robe.


    Mu Heng tentatively walked toward the outside of the cave.


    It was not blocked.


    He walked smoothly to the outside of the cave.


    There were huge barren mountains surrounding him, with walls of thousands of feet and steep, straight edges, and dead silence as far as the eye could see; only the sound of the wind reverberating between the peaks could be heard, and not a single trace of human activity could be seen.


    Mu Heng kept going outward.


    Until a new air barrier blocked his way.


    Thus, he changed direction and walked along the edge of the invisible wall¨C


    After ten minutes, Mu Heng raised his eyes, and the cave he had just left reappeared.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


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    Although the space to move around was wide and ample, indoors and outdoors, it did not change the fact that he could not leave this nearby area.


    He was silent for a few seconds and then raised his eyebrows in disbelief.


    So¡­


    Was the dragon holding him in captivity?


    ***

 Chapter 85.2

    Was the Dragon Holding Him in Captivity? (2)


    Inside the Bureau.


    Zhuo Fu walked around the research room irritably while Wen Yao frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around. I¡¯m dizzy.¡±


    Zhuo Fu took a deep breath and stopped in his tracks.


    He said, ¡°So¡­ Mu Heng is gone? Shi An is also gone?¡±


    Wen Yao nodded and added, ¡°Besides, there are remnants of burn marks on the ground. The magic detection test is still going on, but I think¨C¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Zhuo Fu understood what the other party meant.


    It was the dragon.


    Zhuo Fu raised his hand and scratched his hair, cursing with a frustrated face. ¡°¡­ Damn.¡±


    The worst premonition was still fulfilled.


    During this period, outside his daily work, Zhuo Fu had been carefully studying the information, conducting various tests based on the literature provided by Mu Heng, the dragon flame, and his magic samples, using that longsword as the core.


    Two days ago, the results of the experiment just came out.


    The results were very shocking to Zhuo Fu.


    Mu Heng¡¯s resistance to the dragon flame was terrifyingly high as a human. That was magical protection from the bloodline so that he could resist, to a certain extent, the terrible flames that could burn his soul to ashes.


    And this rule was equally valid in the opposite.


    Unless using the right weapon, Mu Heng¡¯s magic could not destroy the dragon¡¯s scale armor.


    But¡­


    Zhuo Fu slowly twisted his head and looked toward the long sword lying quietly on the side.


    The sword was here with him.


    Going up against the dragon without a weapon, Mu Heng would be at a very extreme disadvantage.


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Do you have any method for now?¡±


    Zhuo Fu sat down in dismay and said dryly after a long silence. ¡°¡­ We can only send people to search.¡±


    He did not say the next sentence.


    Although the continent was already covered with human traces, the territory that had not been fully explored and developed was still vast in size and inhabited by all demonic creatures.


    And¡­ according to his current understanding, the flight speed of such a giant dragon of such a large size could be equally amazing.


    As long as it wanted, it could reach any place in the continent within a few days.


    Meanwhile, they did not have the staff and resources to search the entire continent thoroughly.


    ¨CSo, there was little hope.


    ***


    Mu Heng sat inside the depths of the cave.


    This was not the first time he had been injured in such harsh conditions.


    To preserve his battle strength, Mu Heng took off his jacket, ripped it into strips of cloth, and skillfully bandaged and treated the wounds on his body after a simple disinfection by magic.


    Soon, the claw marks on the shoulder no longer bled and the broken ribs at the chest had been fixed.


    Mu Heng used his teeth to tie the cloth in a knot and then re-draped his clothes.


    The air was filled with a faint smell of blood.


    At that moment, the familiar whistling wind came from outside the hole overhead.


    The dragon had returned.


    Mu Heng raised his icy blue eyes, reached out to lean on his longsword, and stood up with difficulty.


    He habitually tensed up his muscles like a beast that never rested, making sure he was ready for battle at any time.


    The silvery-white dragon descended like it did last time.


    ¡°Plop.¡±


    An enormous, black fur boar-like demonic creature was heavily dropped at the bottom of the cave.


    The ground shook.


    The creature let out a wail and the bones on its body seemed to have been broken from the fall just now, gasping for breath with difficulty among the straw.


    The giant dragon fluttered his wings and landed.


    He opened his mouth and spewed blazing flames out of it.


    The flames illuminated the man¡¯s pale side profile and his dark blue eyes reflected the burning flames like a blue sea and sky that was ignited.


    However, the flame was controlled with great precision and the straw below the creature was not scorched.


    A strong, burning smell permeated the cave.


    A few seconds had passed.


    The dying furry demonic creature had turned into a large, grilled meat.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked down at the meat before him and then at the giant dragon in front of him.


    The silver-white dragon was majestic and gigantic, with cold vertical pupils and a powerful and terrifying aura that enveloped his body, able to scare off almost all the demons that approached.


    Shi An gazed expectantly at the human in front of him.


    ¨CHurry up and eat!


    After being rejected earlier, he thought seriously for a few seconds and concluded.


    His collection was so cranky and it must be because he was hungry.


    Because when he was hungry, he would also be in a bad mood.


    Shi An waved the tip of his tail happily.


    I¡¯m so smart!


    After roasting at least ten demonic creatures to ashes, Shi An finally learned how to control the precision of the flame.


    So he decided to bring the last one back to the cave to show off his strength in front of the trophy.


    However, for some reason, the human stood still and looked at him with a strange look as if he was very puzzled.


    Not only did he not praise his might, but he also did not even touch the roasted meat before him for a moment.


    Shi An cocked his head and made a puzzled grunt in his throat.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He pointed to the demonic meat before him and slowly, almost unbelievably, asked, ¡°For me?¡±


    Shi An seemed to understand.


    He poked out his claws and pushed the small mountain of roasted meat before him toward the human, gazing expectantly at the other side.


    Hurry up and eat.


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    When you¡¯re full, we can sleep together.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The author has something to say.


    Strange captivity play increased.jpg


    ¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 86.1

    Don¡¯t Run (1)


    The demonic creature¡¯s flesh emitted a suffocating smell, charred and sour with bitterness.


    All the mane on the spine was burnt and stuck tightly to the flesh.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    Although he had experienced tougher conditions and had used worse things to feed his belly¡­


    This kind of demonic creature was poisonous.


    Mu Heng momentarily could not grasp whether this dragon wanted to feed him or wanted to use a more alternative way to get him killed.


    Shi An saw the human in front of him not eat for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but use his tail to beat the ground anxiously.


    The dried hay crumbs rose with the vibration, flying in the air.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Why won¡¯t he eat?


    Why are humans so troublesome?


    Shi An moved slowly and fell into deep thought.


    I always feel like I had a perfect plan¡­ but I can¡¯t remember what it was now.


    The impatience rose again and a trace of violence swept through the depths of his crimson eyes.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyelashes twitched slightly.


    He seems to have thought of something, raised his head towards the dragon before him, abruptly opened his mouth, and asked, ¡°Is your goal related to Shi An?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and cold, with dark and inexplicable meaning.


    Shi An blinked, pulled himself out of the intense negative emotions, and looked down at the human in front of him.


    Although this human currently spoke words he could not understand, the syllables of these two words were very familiar to Shi An.


    This was his name.


    Shi An hid his claws under his belly, gently wiggled the tip of his tail, leaned down, and looked at the human in front of him curiously.


    This human knew his name!


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold.


    The dragon¡¯s reaction before him confirmed his suspicions.


    Although it was unclear why the dragon did not kill him and bring him to the cave in captivity, one thing was certain: the dragon did so for purposes related to Shi An.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes slightly sunk as if a gust of wind swept over the snowy mountains.


    He lightly laughed and said nothing more but turned around and walked straight to a corner of the cave to sit down.


    The man lowered his silver-white eyelashes. His countenance was distinctly profound, half hidden in the shadows, becoming more indifferent and aloof.


    Shi An crouched in place, tilting his head in bewilderment.


    He did not understand.


    Why did the human who just called out his name suddenly seem unhappy¡­?


    However, Shi An¡¯s stomach suddenly grumbled before he could think of a reason.


    The sound echoed in the depths of the large, empty cave, very clear and deafening.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyelashes fluttered slightly and he opened his eyes to look at Shi An.


    So hungry.


    Shi An moved his talons and subconsciously grabbed the thick hay on the ground.


    He thought about it, leaned down, held the roasted demonic creature in his mouth, raised his neck, and swallowed it whole.


    Shi An slowly scrunched up his dragon face, and his expression gradually twisted.


    This taste¡­


    He fiercely flapped his wings and rushed out of the cave.


    ¡°Blech!¡±


    The retching sound echoed across the valley and reached Mu Heng¡¯s ears clearly through the rock wall. ¡°¡­¡±


    He was a little unsure of what to think.


    Soon, Shi An flew back shakily from outside.


    His whole dragon body shriveled up a bit.


    Although he could not remember very well, he always felt that he should not eat such awful strange things¡­ At least, it should have to be the cool, sweet kind.


    Shi An yawned, lay down, and curled himself up.


    The dragon rested its chin on its claws and closed its eyes.


    After a short time, its spine began to undulate rhythmically and uniformly. Its breathing was even and it seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.


    Mu Heng sat at the farthest corner from the dragon, keeping a discreet distance from it.


    His eyes were slightly narrowed, looking toward the dragon in the center of the cave, his long eyelashes obscured the look under his eyes, and it was impossible to see what he was thinking.


    The entire cave was enveloped in dark and heavy silence.


    This silence was tense and fragile as if it could shatter at first, revealing the raging tide beneath it.


    After a long time, he withdrew his eyes and closed his eyes as well.


    ¨CFor now, he had to recover his strength.


    ***


    As time passed, the sky above the cave darkened gradually.


    The cave, which was not sufficiently illuminated, became even darker as semi-bright, semi-dark shadows fell.


    In his half-asleep state, Shi An felt like he was caught in a dream he couldn¡¯t break free from.


    The fire burned and the darkness haunted him.


    It was as if he had swallowed a huge, indigestible ball of fire, sinking deep into his body, making him feel extremely violent and irritable.


    His body contained infinite power and desire to destroy, screaming and yearning, attempting to vent his anger outward indiscriminately.


    Shi An opened his eyes abruptly.


    In the dimly lit cave, the crimson vertical pupils flickered in the darkness, giving a chilling and intense sense of oppression.


    Some angry voice screamed in his ears.


    Burn!


    Burn everything, destroy everything! Kill everyone!


    But, in the next second, Shi An paused and slowly turned his head to look in the direction of the humans.


    He caught the scent of blood.


    The man¡¯s silver hair fell scattered on his shoulders, flickering faint shining light in the dark cave.


    The fire in the bottom of the dragon¡¯s eyes was slightly quenched.


    Every time Shi An saw this human, his heart had a wonderful feeling of closeness.


    It seemed that it was not just because of his appearance.


    What was it?


    Shi An couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    But he instinctively wanted to be closer to this bright and shiny human.


    Only then would the desire to kill tormenting him all the time be lessened.


    He would not be so tempted to turn the whole world into a sea of fire.


    The dragon blinked and the silver-white tip of its tail silently poked through the darkness.


    Because of physical exhaustion and severe injuries, Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were tightly closed and his breathing was hot.


    Rather than slumber, it should be more appropriate to describe it as semi-consciousness.


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    The tail quietly wrapped around Mu Heng¡¯s waist.


    The man¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled hard and his eyelids trembled slightly as if he wanted to struggle to wake up.


    Even if the injury were more severe, in a place of extreme danger, Mu Heng would not indulge himself in unconsciousness.


    But¡­ somehow, the aura surrounding his body vaguely gave him a familiar and reassuring feeling.


    Mu Heng frowned but did not open his eyes eventually.

 Chapter 86.2

    Don¡¯t Run (2)


    Shi An slowly dragged Mu Heng to his side and let the human lean on his body.


    The human¡¯s body heat properly burned a small part of the scales on his side, warm and scorching, very familiar.


    Shi An wordlessly wrapped his tail around the human¡¯s body, yawned, and closed his eyes in satisfaction.


    Intense sleepiness overcame him, pulling him down toward the dark and dreary dream world.


    Strangely enough, although he fell into a deep sleep, this time, Shi An could finally perceive the evil desire deep inside his body.


    It was an enormous and chaotic amount of magic power.


    It was not from the continent nor the abyss, but somewhere in between, a chaotic and polluted gray-black, rushing fiercely to the right and left in his body, looking for a way out.


    Shi An tried to digest and absorb it.


    No, no way.


    There was¡­ no way¡­


    Like a chronic disease that resided deep and firm in the body, unable to be removed.


    Inside the dark cave, the dragon¡¯s breathing gradually accelerated with eyes tightly closed, seeming to be hovering in some extremely restless state.


    Its tail was subconsciously tightened.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes snapped open as the wounds on his body were touched.


    The hard, cold touch of the dragon¡¯s scale armor came from behind his back and he was tightly confined from his waist to his back.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It took him two seconds to realize exactly where he was.


    Mu Heng¡¯s body suddenly stiffened.


    Almost subconsciously, a sharp blade with a cold glint emerged from his palm and attacked the giant dragon behind him.


    But before the tip of the sword touched the other¡¯s scales, Mu Heng abruptly stopped moving.


    First, he had already tried this kind of attack more than once.


    Experience told him that it was useless.


    Secondly¡­


    Mu Heng paused and raised his eyes to look at the dragon sleeping close to him.


    The other party¡¯s giant body seemed to be shivering, the rise and fall of its back harsh and uneven, claws subconsciously clutching. The straw below was messily rolled up, revealing the cold, dark rocks at the bottom.


    The dragon appeared to be in pain.


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes, long eyelashes covering the deep dark blue eyes.


    The identity of the black-robed people he met that day in the school was clear to Mu Heng.


    That was a group of fanatical cultists entrusting the world¡¯s rebirth to the already vanished fantasy species. Although it may seem crazy, the history of this force has been very long. The Bureau had been trying to monitor the movements of this radical group. Still, they were rich in resources and acted in a low profile, so the information had been pathetically scarce.


    The appearance of the giant dragon was bound to alarm this group as well.


    They were the ones who invaded the Ability Academy, killed the principal, and stole the books, most likely in an attempt to take control of the dragon.


    And the reason why the giant dragon appeared in the school was probably related to this.


    Mu Heng revealed a thoughtful look and subconsciously tapped the dragon scales with his fingertips.


    Only after doing so did he realize what he was doing. His body stiffened slightly and he immediately took his hand back.


    He took a deep breath and raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose to clear his mind.


    More unconventional details flooded his mind.


    Every time they met before, the dragon seemed to be avoiding direct conflict with them, but it was different this time, being extremely direct and rough to attack him.


    Also, the dragon, who should be familiar with human language, did not react to what he said as if he did not understand it.


    A jumble of clues combined in his mind and a single reasonable guess surfaced.


    The dragon¡¯s current state was not normal.


    The cultists had probably succeeded in some way but did not bring the affected dragon under control, allowing him to break free in the condition of losing his mind.


    Mu Heng looked down at the tail around his waist, his lips pursed.


    A thought flew through his mind.


    This strange behavior of the other side, trying to get close to himself, could it be¡­


    Asking for help?


    Asking for help from a dragon slayer with a fierce killing intent¡­


    Was such a thing possible?


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were deep.


    He lifted his head and looked sharply toward the giant dragon in front of him in the darkness.


    The giant dragon was still sleeping.


    A slight wariness swept over its body. Moonlight fell from overhead, flowing over its silver-white scales, bringing up a shimmering and pure light.


    By a mysterious miracle, Mu Heng raised his hand and pressed his burning palm to the dragon¡¯s tail around his waist.


    The touch under his palm was smooth and cold. The dragon scales were densely lined up, the narrow, sharp edges scraping against his palm, giving him a slightly painful illusion.


    This gave Mu Heng an unexpected sense of familiarity.


    It was as if he had touched it a long time ago¡­ some area of his mind shrouded in gray mist was slightly triggered, bringing a powerful sense of dissonance.


    But no matter how he could not remember exactly where it came from.


    Strange thing.


    Mu Heng pursed his lips and instinctively stopped himself from continuing to think in this direction.


    The moment the human body heat fell, the tip of the dragon¡¯s tail trembled slightly.


    Shi An, who had been trying to absorb the gray magic, shivered in his sleep.


    For some reason, the magic power appeared less stubborn than it was and slightly dispersed when touched.


    At the same time, the thick layer in his mind, the barrier that prevented him from thinking, seemed to have loosened a bit at this moment.


    Shi An¡¯s breathing accelerated a bit, and his eyes subconsciously moved.


    This feeling was very familiar for some reason as if it had happened before.


    The shame, embarrassment, distress, and trembling.


    Strange fragments flooded his mind, giving him the urge to curl up.


    The dragon¡¯s tail that had been tightly wrapped around Mu Heng was now slightly loose and seemed to have the intention of retreating.


    Mu Heng did not even think about it and subconsciously tightened his fingers, clutching the tip of the tail and tugging it back.


    Don¡¯t run.


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    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The author has something to say.


    Chief Mu is getting soberer when he¡¯s acting rascally.


    And this kind of thing tends to be called complementary magic ( justified ).


    ¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 87.1

    Isn¡¯t it Just a Matter of Letting Mu Heng Touch More? (1)


    Shi An: ¡°!!!¡±


    The tug was all too familiar and the burning body heat of a human penetrated his scaly armor, causing him to stiffen slightly.


    At the same time, the stubborn gray magic finally showed signs of loosening in front of him.


    As the magic was absorbed, the shadows in his mind began slowly dissipating as his eyes opened. Shi An felt himself becoming a little more awake.


    A large number of familiar images flooded his mind.


    The artificial abyssal rift, the suspected ore that belonged to him, the strange black-robed man, the white beard dyed red under the old man¡¯s head¡­


    And then what?


    ¡­ He couldn¡¯t remember.


    Shi An frowned, trying hard to recall.


    But the next memory seemed covered with a thick layer of fog, leaving only a layer of shadows.


    He had a vague notion that he was seeing Mu Heng everywhere.


    It should be an illusion. After all, he was now a dragon¨C


    Shi An habitually tried to shake his tail, but it was not withdrawn at once as if imprisoned by some force.


    What?


    He subconsciously turned his head to look.


    The next second, he locked eyes with Mu Heng.


    The silver-haired man was half leaning on his body, with a pair of light blue eyes half squinted, appearing cold and distant in the darkness.


    His tail was loosely wrapped around the other man¡¯s waist, and the other man¡¯s hand was¡­


    The other person¡¯s hand was at the tip of his tail.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was like a blow to the head, hitting his head hard and making him dizzy. His mind went blank.


    In that instant, the layer of fog in his mind dissipated.


    Mu Heng saw that the dragon that had been sleeping seemed to be awakened, suddenly opened its eyes and turned its head in this direction to look at him.


    An instant delay occurred when the pair of golden-red vertical pupils fell on his body.


    The next second, that pair of flame-like eyes widened slightly and the original narrow pupils suddenly enlarged and became round.


    That look was almost like¡­


    Panic?


    Mu Heng was stunned and could not help but slightly pause his movements.


    As he was lost in thought, Mu Heng felt that his hand that was clutching the tip of the tail was suddenly jerked away with force.


    Immediately after that, a feeling of vertigo hit him.


    Mu Heng was caught off guard in the harsh whistling wind and fell backward.


    He subconsciously used his long sword to stabilize himself.


    When Mu Heng raised his head again, he saw the dragon heading toward the cave overhead with great speed and disappeared from his sight in the blink of an eye.


    It was as if it was fleeing.


    Mu Heng momentarily failed to react. ¡°¡­¡±


    After a long time, he lowered his head and glanced at his empty palm.


    The touch of the other side¡¯s tail remained in his palm, cold, hard, with a bit of imperceptible flexibility. By the moment the tip of the tail was drawn out from the center of his palm, it brought an almost tingling pain.


    Mu Heng was sure that this was the first time he had touched a dragon.


    But somehow, this feeling¡­ was inexplicably familiar.


    ***


    The harsh, icy wind whistled past his face.


    After almost hitting a few peaks on the side in a daze several times, Shi An finally slowed down.


    He flapped his wings and landed on a jagged and perilous peak.


    Gazing at the quiet night before him, Shi An began to think seriously about his dragon life.


    Then, the stupid things he had done in the past two days came back to his mind little by little.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    The wind from above was icy, but it couldn¡¯t even half reduce the heat surging up madly under his scales.


    He wanted to bury himself into his wings and let out a miserable scream.


    AHHHHH!


    At that moment, a few wind-blown shouts came from the distant night wind.


    ¡°My lord¡­ my lord¨C¡±


    Shi An was stunned and opened his eyes to look in the direction where the voices came.


    Only to see Black Smoke swirl the demon insect and the Eye with the fastest speed, panting and drifting toward his direction.


    Shi An was surprised and delighted.


    ¡°You guys have followed me here!¡±


    The demon insect cried out. ¡°To tell the truth, my lord, we have been doing it for these past two days.¡±


    They had been trying to get close to the dragon for two days, but in his new state, Shi An was highly hostile to all the creatures that came near him.


    Other than the first day when they barely got close to the dragon¡¯s lair, after that, every time they tried to get close, they almost got burned to death.


    So, in the end, the three demonic creatures had to crouch in the mountains not far away, constantly watching the movement of this side.


    Until today, upon seeing Shi An staggering and hurriedly flying out, only then did they hold on to the hope that Shi An had recovered and secretly followed.


    Shi An asked, ¡°So, did you guys see all those things I¡¯ve done in an unsober state during this time?¡±


    The three demonic creatures looked at each other and nodded their heads.


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­ Isn¡¯t this a public execution? Damn it!


    He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.


    Shame was one thing, but more importantly¡­ how could this matter end now?


    He couldn¡¯t leave Mu Heng in the cave as there were spells he cast when he was not clear-headed.


    His strength had not recovered and they were too far from the Luosi District. Meanwhile, the Bureau should also be looking for him and Mu Heng all over the mainland¨C


    So, there was no way to turn him into an amber now.


    Should he sneak back and release the people?


    But, as a dragon, he didn¡¯t have any reason to do so¡­ Mu Heng could easily become suspicious.


    Shi An was caught in a dilemma.


    Neither stay nor let go.


    The worst thing was that he was the one who created this dilemma.


    He looked at the three demonic creatures before him with hope. ¡°So, do you guys have any ideas to solve this?¡±


    The three demonic creatures: ¡°¡­¡±


    They fell into silence in unison.


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    Shi An wilted down.


    He should have known that these three magical creatures were useless except for coming up with bad ideas.


    Shi An closed his eyes in despair.


    Is it possible to turn back time?


    Please!

 Chapter 87.2

    Isn¡¯t it Just a Matter of Letting Mu Heng Touch More? (2)


    At this point, the Eye thought of something and openly asked, ¡°By the way, my lord, how do you feel now?¡±


    Then, it briefly told Shi An about his understanding of the Eye of Abyss and its magical powers.


    Shi An sensed it and told the matter of the chronic disease-like magical power in his body.


    The Eye said, ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s that. You won¡¯t be able to absorb this magical power. It would be best if you hurriedly let this magic out of your body. If not, your state now is only temporary. These days¡¯ manic and muddled state will return¨C¡±


    Shi An tilted his head in confusion. ¡°It can¡¯t be absorbed?¡±


    The Eye nodded affirmatively. ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    Shi An thought for a moment and said, ¡°But when I was by Mu Heng¡¯s side, I clearly felt that¡­ a bit has been absorbed.¡±


    The Eye: ¡°!!!¡±


    It incredulously widened its eyes and carefully examined Shi An for a long time before slowly saying, ¡°¡­ Is this true?¡±


    Shi An nodded affirmatively.


    Although his state was not very good then, he could not be wrong about such things.


    Even if it was only for a short moment, during the contact with Mu Heng, that magic power tended to melt away and fill up the strength in his body.


    The Eye was quiet for a long time and then said in an awed tone, ¡°My lord, you also know that I am susceptible to the abyssal magic. Those magic you absorbed in the abyssal rift and were successfully transformed are, at most, only twenty percent of the entire Eye of the Abyss while the remaining eighty percent is inside your body.¡±


    It took a deep breath and said with a slight tremor, ¡°If you truly have a way to transform and absorb this magic, then¡­¡±


    The rest of the words were self-explanatory.


    The Eye said fervently, ¡°So long as you absorb another two or three Eye of the Abyss, you might be able to return to your peak state!¡±


    Shi An was also stunned and his golden-red pupils slightly lit up.


    ¨CThe peak state!


    The demon insect suddenly had a sense of foreboding. ¡°Hold on. You wouldn¡¯t have suggested the Lord to¡­¡±


    The Eye said, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    But just as the words left its mouth, it regretted it.


    Isn¡¯t this the same as letting the Lord return to that ill-intentioned human and have more contact with each other?


    Huhuhu. No way!


    Shi An pondered for a long time and finally made up his mind. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    At present, all the dilemmas he faced could be solved with enough strength.


    Then, as long as he returned to his peak state, any problems could be solved!


    Isn¡¯t it just a matter of letting Mu Heng touch more?


    Anyway, I had touched him before, too!


    However, it was a bit difficult in dragon form.


    The identity of ¡°Shi An¡± could not be absent for long or would be very troublesome afterward.


    The best way now would be to reveal a little trail in front of the Bureau and let them come looking for it, and then let Mu Heng go.


    Plus, Mu Heng was the type that did not like to be in direct contact with people.


    If he used human form and frequently stuck to the other party, he would probably soon be unable to tolerate and leave!


    It was a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone!


    The demon insect then thought of something and told Shi An. ¡°By the way, my lord, you burned down a bunch of weird black-robed people in the center of the abyssal rift that day, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Shi An answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The demon insect said, ¡°After you had left, I took a trip back there again. I saw that the leader of those black-robed people is still alive.¡±


    It pondered and added, ¡°It seemed that he had an artifact to protect him from the fire.¡±


    Because when that man in black got up from the ashes, something shattered inside his clothes and fell to the ground, turning into charred ashes.


    Shi An¡¯s eyes went somber.


    That¡¯s right.


    These people stole his treasure!


    I¡¯m so pissed off!


    When he thought of the various rare gems he had collected over the past tens of thousands of years being used by humans in such a tragic manner, Shi An was unable to breathe from the pain in his heart.


    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°¡­ I got it.¡±


    When he regained his strength, this group of shameless thieves must die!


    Shi An looked at Black Smoke and said, ¡°Go and spread the news among humans. In short, it¡¯ll be enough to let the Bureau know Mu Heng¡¯s position.¡±


    Black Smoke knew illusion magic. Creating a little illusion was not too difficult for it.


    The Eye squirmed and said, ¡°My lord¡­ what about you?¡±


    It prayed in the bottom of its heart ¨C you should not go looking for that human, my lord!


    Shi An gritted his teeth. ¡°Return to the nest! Recover my strength!¡±


    The Eye: ¡°¡­¡±


    Huhuhu.


    Prayer didn¡¯t help at all!


    Shi An flapped his wings and took off again and soon, his figure was swallowed by night.


    The Eye sighed and turned his head to look at Black Smoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t you have to spread the news? We will help you¡­¡±


    Black Smoke pulled out of his distracted state.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh!¡±


    The demon insect looked at Black Smoke curiously. ¡°What are you thinking? I haven¡¯t seen you talking since just now.¡±


    Black Smoke replied, ¡°¡­ I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    In fact, just now, it suddenly thought¨C


    The essence of that estrus-inhibiting potion was to use a magical barrier to mask the dragon¡¯s body perception. In other words, it made the dragon¡¯s body think it was not powerful enough to reach the estrus stage.


    It was not precisely a potion but more like a magical tool.


    Therefore, the potion acted quickly, had a significant effect, and lasted a long time.


    Although Black Smoke could not specify the specific time limit, maintaining a three to five years unaffected should not be a problem.


    However, the item also had disadvantages.


    That it would be susceptible to the effects of unstable magic.


    Black Smoke looked up in the direction where Shi An disappeared and thought with some uncertainty.


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    Even if the current state of the Lord was not very stable¡­ the potion should not expire so quickly¡­


    Right?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Shi An (scowls): Can you curse me less?

 Chapter 88.1

    ¡°You¡¯re Not Allowed to Touch Me!¡± (1)


    Shi An flew high in the sky, the cold wind sweeping past him.


    He thought seriously about his plan and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed feasible.


    But something was missing.


    He slowly flew lower, manipulating his magic to shrink his body and soon transformed from a giant dragon that could cover the sky to a mini dragon that was only arm¡¯s length.


    In this way, even if someone witnessed his trail, they would think it was just a tiny flying magical creature and would not speculate in the direction of a dragon.


    Shi An found a random country house where no one lived and broke in.


    The country house was lavishly decorated, with an abundance of food storage and almost the entire room was stuffed to the brim, almost filling up to the ceiling.


    Shi An happily filled his stomach and then went to the bedroom.


    He found a whole set of clothes and stuffed the clothes into a travel bag with his paws with difficulty.


    After all, the one he was wearing earlier had been destroyed when he turned into a dragon and after waiting for Mu Heng to be picked up by the Bureau, he had to hurry back to his human form and rush back as fast as he could.


    Shi An carried the travel bag with clothes, spread his wings, and prepared to leave.


    But, he suddenly hesitated before he was about to fly out along the route he came in.


    Shi An turned his head, looking toward the half-open door of the storage room.


    Although he had already eaten enough¡­


    His mind flashed back to Mu Heng looking at the charred magic meat with a subtle look on his face.


    Shi An sighed.


    Humans were genuinely such picky eaters.


    But because Mu Heng had invited him to eat ice cream many times, he couldn¡¯t let other people starve.


    Shi An selectively ignored the fact that he spat it out after taking a bite.


    ¨CHe peacefully flew over and plundered the entire pantry.


    The next, he thought for a few seconds and pulled out the medical first aid kit below, grasping it with difficulty between his paws.


    This should not be a problem now.


    Shi An flapped his wings, passed through the large hole in the ceiling and flew out of the house that looked like a tornado had passed through.


    ***


    ¡°Captain! Captain!¡±


    A panting Bureau member ran in from the door, his forehead was all sweaty, but his face was suppressed with excitement and thrill. ¡°There¡¯s a clue!¡±


    Wen Yao was shocked. ¡°What?¡±


    The Bureau member gasped for air and continued, ¡°That¡¯s right! Someone in the west reported that they seemed to have witnessed traces of dragons in the deeper wasteland area, and then we pulled up the magic tracking reports of all the unoccupied areas around that direction¨C¡±


    He unfolded the map in front of Wen Yao and pointed his finger to the location of one of the barren mountains.


    ¡°According to the estimation, the dragon will likely be here.¡±


    Wen Yao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    She fixedly looked at the location on the map and then twisted her head to scan the values on the magic tracking report, and a ray of hope lit up on her face.


    Wen Yao took a deep breath and ordered, ¡°Gather the team members, quick!¡±


    ***


    Mu Heng closed his eyes and leaned against the cold, dark rock wall.


    At that moment, the sound of the mountain wind being swept up by wings came from overhead.


    A second later, he heard the sound of ¡°fluttering¡± and something heavy was thrown to the ground, rolling along the surface¡¯s curvature.


    Mu Heng opened his eyes and looked in the direction where the sound came from.


    The ground was scattered with all kinds of food that could be stored for a long time: canned food, ham, mineral water, and even several bags of raw rice, all thrown haphazardly in front of him.


    Mu Heng was stunned.


    He lifted his head and looked overhead.


    He saw the silver-white dragon landing on the edge of the hole above his head, slowly gathering its wings, with a pair of golden-red vertical pupils slightly drooping, quietly looking over.


    The next second, he heard another heavy sound landing.


    A not-very-big medical bag was thrown in front of him.


    Mu Heng gazed at the items almost piled into a small mountain before him and fell silent.


    His eyes were half narrowed and the look under his eyes was covered by long silvery-white eyelashes, which could not be seen too clearly in the half-light and half-obscure shadows.


    While the dragon before him did not look too different from before, for some reason, Mu Heng was still able to perceive that the hostility and fury burning in the other party¡¯s eyes from time to time seemed to have been quelled, and the previous chaotic, almost completely incomprehensible state of human speech had changed.


    So¡­ what happened?


    Mu Heng showed a thoughtful look.


    Only to see the dragon lower its head, open its mouth, and say in a low, resounding voice,


    ¡°Human, let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


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    Mu Heng¡¯s face was pale from blood loss, but his demeanor remained calm and indifferent.


    He did not answer, only slowly raising his eyebrows, his intense eyes fixedly gazing at the distant dragon.


    ¡°Due to some reasons, I need your help to heal.¡± The dragon¡¯s massive form cast shadows within the cave, the pupils of its red-gold eyes glowing with the light at its back. ¡°At the same time, you also need my help to leave this place.¡±


    ¡°So, how about making a temporary truce?¡±


    ¡°You help me to heal and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

 Chapter 88.2

    ¡°You¡¯re Not Allowed to Touch Me!¡± (2)


    After a long time, the silence was finally broken.


    Only the man¡¯s low and cold voice rang out, echoing in the cave, ¡°What injury did you suffer from?¡±


    His eyes were a dark blue, appearing as if they were a bottomless lake of ice. ¡°Why do you need my help to heal your injury?¡±


    Shi An maintained his apparent majesty and composure.


    ¡°Human, you¡¯re too nosy.¡±


    He fanned the wings behind him. ¡°In the end, do you agree to it or not?¡±


    Mu Heng stared intensely at the dragon before him, his finger bones clenching slightly.


    In normal circumstances, he would never be able to agree to such a deal, but¡­


    A young man¡¯s vivid face swept by in the depths of his mind.


    The man¡¯s eyes deepened slightly.


    Although the other side¡¯s strength would not get him into trouble as the time lengthened, the strong sense of urgency to confirm the other person¡¯s safety rose in his heart. In the past few days, it burned him internally, making him highly irritable and restless.


    After a long time, Mu Heng took a deep breath, and his voice was quiet and cold. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Shi An sighed in relief.


    Although he seemed confident of victory on the surface, his heart was a bit mixed. After all, he was not quite sure about Mu Heng¡¯s attitude toward dragons. If it were the kind of ¡°I refuse to cooperate with an evil creature like you even if I die,¡± then it would be much more challenging.


    Mu Heng said, ¡°So, how can I¨C¡±


    How can I help you?


    But before he could finish his words, he saw the dragon standing at the mouth of the cave fanning its wings and slowly flying down. The further down, the smaller it became, and when it landed in front of Mu Heng, it looked only a little bit bigger.


    Mu Heng was stunned, the rest of the words stuck in his throat.


    The little dragon before him shone with silvery light, the scales on its body fine and exquisite.


    Even if the wings behind it spread, they were only half a meter long at most. Its tail was thin and pointed, with a pair of large and round golden-red vertical pupils. It was more like an expensive handicraft or doll than a horrible creature that could devour everything with its flames.


    The dragon crawled into Mu Heng¡¯s arms on its own.


    It plowed through the man¡¯s coat and spun around, pressed on it with its claws, found a comfortable position to lie down, let its cold body cling to the other side¡¯s burning, firm chest, wrapped its tail around its body, and balled itself up.


    Mu Heng stiffened. ¡°¡­¡±


    Every inch of muscle in his body was tense and all his energy was hanging on the verge of exploding at the threshold, like a bowstring poised to strike.


    The little silver dragon commanded solemnly, ¡°Human, you¡¯re not allowed to move.¡±


    After saying that, it yawned, rested its chin on the tip of its claws, and closed its eyes.


    Soon, the cave was silent and only the monotonous sound of the air flowing outside the mountain peak could be faintly heard.


    Mu Heng did not seem to have returned to his senses.


    Slowly, almost incredulously, he lowered his head and looked down into his arms.


    The dragon was solidly pressed into his arms, bringing an extremely real, completely infeasible heaviness.


    The solid, cold touch of dragon scales came through the thin layer of fabric and the undulation of the other party¡¯s back and steady breathing could be vaguely felt.


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes firmly but could not expel that heavy sense of absurdity from his mind.


    So, the purpose of this dragon from the beginning to the end was¡­


    To sleep in his arms?


    Shi An rubbed the stiff, taut chest of the human below and buried his head.


    The warmth of human body heat enveloped him and the familiar cold breath came over him, making him feel very comfortable.


    Shi An closed his eyes and began concentrating on the gray magic inside his body.


    Sure enough, when touching Mu Heng¡¯s skin, this stubborn and unabsorbable magic power tended to soften and disperse, and he gradually made a breakthrough little by little.


    Shi An could feel that entire process.


    It was like a long dried riverbed continuously wetting and a tiny stream trickled into an empty valley.


    This feeling was subtle and slow, but Shi An could sense that he was getting more powerful with Mu Heng¡¯s help.


    However, he wondered if it was his illusion¡­


    Shi An always felt that with the increase in magic power, a strange heat seemed to be faintly spreading in his body¡­


    But once he checked it out carefully, that feeling disappeared again.


    So strange.


    ***


    After a long time, twilight began to fall.


    Mu Heng felt the dragon in his arms move and open his eyes.


    The little silver dragon said in a solemn tone, ¡°Human, many thanks for your help.¡±


    He flapped his wings and flew out of Mu Heng¡¯s arms.


    Mu Heng glanced toward his arms and inexplicably felt some¡­ emptiness in them where the dragon had been.


    He frowned and suppressed this strange emotion.


    Shi An changed back to his average size.


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    He thought for a moment, hung his head, and asked in an ancient, low voice. ¡°Do you have anything you want to eat? I can get it for you.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    He never thought that a dragon would ever ask him this question.


    The man glanced at the supplies piled up into a small mountain not far away, then said calmly with no expression on his face. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be needing anything else anymore.¡±


    That was true.

 Chapter 88.3

    ¡°You¡¯re Not Allowed to Touch Me!¡± (3)


    Shi An used his claws to pluck away the straw on the ground, revealing a smooth rocky ground, then piled up a firewood heap in the center.


    He opened his mouth and a cluster of golden-red flames spat out of his mouth.


    A crackling sound was heard as the firewood blazed up, the cave was illuminated, and the stone walls were imprinted with jumping lights.


    Shi An kindly said, ¡°You can use it to roast something.¡±


    He flapped his wings and flew toward the outside of the cave.


    But before he could fly far, Shi An seemed to think of something, stopped, turned his head toward Mu Heng, and said, ¡°Although dragon flame is difficult to extinguish, you must remember to add firewood repeatedly.¡±


    Mu Heng: ¡°¡­¡±


    An even stronger sense of bizarreness came over him.


    He no longer knew what to make of it.


    ***


    Shi An flew out of the cave.


    The three demonic creatures were waiting for him in the mountainous area.


    Seeing Shi An flying in, the demon insect asked with some concern. ¡°How is it? How is it?¡±


    Shi An was able to flap his wings elegantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mu Heng didn¡¯t suspect anything. The plan is carried out perfectly.¡±


    He looked at Black Smoke and asked, ¡°What about the job I asked you to do? How is progress on that?¡±


    Black Smoke said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lord. I have already made a plan to leak your hideout to the Bureau. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they arrive here.¡±


    Shi An asked, ¡°How long?¡±


    Black Smoke pondered for a few seconds and calculated. ¡°Two to three days.¡±


    Shi An showed a thoughtful look.


    According to the speed of today, only about one-third of the magic power could be absorbed in two to three days, but it was enough. He should not be too greedy.


    He nodded his head. ¡°Pretty good!¡±


    Black Smoke hesitated for a moment and asked vaguely, ¡°By the way, my lord, how does your body feel today?¡±


    Shi An didn¡¯t quite understand why Black Smoke was suddenly asking this question but still answered, ¡°Quite good. Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel anything strange or uncomfortable?¡±


    Shi An tilted his head. ¡°No.¡±


    The heat that he felt before¡­


    It was probably an illusion.


    ***


    There was almost no difference between the next two days and the first.


    For most of the day, Shi An made himself smaller, nestled in Mu Heng¡¯s arms, and slept. Then he left at night and returned with more food in the early hours of the next day.


    The two barely communicated much more in the process as if they were conducting a simple and uneventful transaction.


    Another day early in the morning.


    Shi An took advantage of the night to loot a watermelon field and grabbed a bunch of watermelons before flying back.


    Feeding Mu Heng was only the second most important thing.


    The most important thing was¡­


    That he also wanted to eat.


    When Shi An was happily flying in the direction of the cave, a sudden, strange vertigo struck him like a blazing fire rolling deep in his body, spreading stealthily along the course of his blood and veins.


    ¡°Boom¨C¡±


    Shi An dizzily crashed into a mountain peak.


    He shook his head somberly and it took him a long time to stabilize.


    Strange¡­


    What¡¯s going on?


    Shi An opened his eyes but found his paws loosened when he was caught off guard and the round watermelon plummeted toward the bottom of the abyss.


    His watermelon!


    Shi An fiercely stared with wide eyes, threw the strange phenomenon earlier into the back of his mind, and dived straight down.


    Inside the cave.


    Mu Heng looked up from time to time toward the cave entrance overhead.


    In the previous days, the dragon was back at this time, but this time, for some reason, it was much later than before.


    Inexplicably, Mu Heng felt somewhat anxious.


    It should be because of the fear of the dragon breaking the contract, he concluded in his heart.


    After another ten minutes or so, the familiar sound of rolling wind and billows came, and the vast and majestic figure of the dragon appeared overhead. It flew down and placed a solitary watermelon in its claws in front of Mu Heng.


    Not sure if it was Mu Heng¡¯s illusion, he always felt that the dragon before him looked as if¡­ it was a little upset?


    Then the dragon spoke, its low and resounding familiar voice echoed in the cave, instantly eliminating the strange speculation in Mu Heng¡¯s heart. ¡°Okay. Human, today is the last day.¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Is your injury healed?¡±


    Shi An answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He lied.


    It would be long before the magic was absorbed and he wanted to end it today because Black Smoke and the demon insect had sent him the message that the people from the Bureau would probably find the place this evening.


    Mu Heng looked indifferent and the expression in his eyes was devoid of joy or anger. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°I will let you go tonight.¡±


    As he spoke, he shrunk himself again and familiarly nestled into Mu Heng¡¯s arms.


    Mu Heng lowered his head and looked toward the dragon in his arms.


    The little silver dragon tilted its head, its red-gold eyes slithering round and clear as if they could reflect his face.


    It said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This dragon is a noble and graceful being. I won¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    Mu Heng gazed at him for a long time and then laughed lightly.


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    ¡°Since it¡¯s like that, let¡¯s not waste any time.¡±


    Shi An nodded earnestly, pressed himself in Mu Heng¡¯s arms, found a suitable position, and skillfully curled himself into a small ball. Then he closed his eyes and began to continue absorbing the magical power.


    This time, Mu Heng did not close his eyes to rest but gazed thoughtfully at the dragon in his arms.


    There was always a strange sense of dissonance recently.


    It always felt like¡­ it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way.

 Chapter 88.4

    ¡°You¡¯re Not Allowed to Touch Me!¡± (4)


    It always felt like¡­ it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way.


    The speed of magic absorption in his body was the same as Shi An had expected and nearly one-third of it had been carried out. Although there were many residuals, the progress of this strength recovery had been much faster than when he burned the magical creature.


    Shi An absorbed the magic power earnestly.


    At this time, the feeling of fire burning rose again without warning.


    It was as if some small platform had loosened and a strange and treacherous heat seeped from it.


    Shi An frowned and curled himself up a little tighter with some difficulty.


    He hoped this strange feeling would disappear automatically like in the previous days. But unexpectedly, this feeling did not fade over time, but it seemed like it was piling up in his body, gradually growing little by little.


    It felt¡­ a little dangerous.


    Mu Heng found that the little dragon in his arms suddenly began to stir up.


    Although it tightly closed its eyes, the wings behind it began to open and close frequently, its body curled up a little tighter and the tip of its thin tail swung often.


    The tips of the dragon¡¯s claws unconsciously tugged at Mu Heng¡¯s clothes, bringing a faint trace of pain through the thin fabric.


    Mu Heng lowered his head and subconsciously raised his hand to hold the dragon to prevent it from falling out of his arms.


    After doing this action, he faintly froze.


    This was the first time he had actively touched the dragon in the past few days.


    The scales under the palm of his hand were cold and smooth. Compared to the last touch, the smaller dragon was softer to the touch than when the other side was a standard size. Although the scales attached to the outside were still stiff, he could distinctly feel the soft and rigid little body under the scales.


    The little dragon naturally snuggled up to it as if feeling the warmth of a human hand.


    It unconsciously rubbed its head against the other¡¯s chest, shivering slightly, and continued approaching in the direction where the warmth came from.


    Mu Heng pursed his lips, pressing his stiff spine against the wall behind him.


    He could feel that the tiny silver dragon was instinctively burrowing toward his arms, almost as if¡­


    As if hoping to be touched.


    Strange, it was the first time¡­


    Why would he have a familiar feeling of it¡­ that strange closeness seemed deep in the soul and instincts, causing Mu Heng to feel resistance instinctively.


    Mu Heng frowned slightly and slowly pressed his fingertips on the other party¡¯s protruding ridges.


    It was the first time he touched the dragon in his arms and he did so tentatively and hesitantly, without any other emotions.


    This was the first time he touched and explored the physiology of a species that had disappeared from the entire continent for 10,000 years, at such a close distance and in such an unusual way.


    The scales at the back of the dragon¡¯s spine were the toughest and Mu Heng could perceive the formidable power within them even just by touching them.


    Then came the wings.


    The dragon¡¯s wings were supported by solid bones that could cover the entire body after unfolding, the bones were covered with a thin film, soft and tough, like a delicate and thin silk ribbon, and the scales on them were also the most delicate like some soft metal, shining with an icy luster.


    ¨CMu Heng had felt the strength of the scales pretty clearly.


    Even his maximum magic-power-condensed blade could not pierce through them and be easily broken.


    He could not slay the dragon if he could not penetrate the scale armor.


    Mu Heng¡¯s mind was clear and calm.


    He ran his fingertips along the dragon¡¯s spine, looking for any possible weak points.


    Unfortunately, there was none.


    The dragon scales were like thick and tight armor, covering the dragon¡¯s body completely, leaving not a single gap that the enemy could seize.


    It was worthy of the fantasy species that once roamed the continent and dominated the top of the food chain many years ago.


    Mu Heng¡¯s brows were furrowed in contemplation.


    Unknowingly, his fingers brushed the dragon¡¯s long silver-white tail.


    He had touched it once before, but for a very short time and the dragon did not curl up in his arms obediently for him as he did now.


    When Mu Heng¡¯s finger landed on the dragon¡¯s tail, the silvery white dragon suddenly shuddered.


    It fiercely glared, with a fire burning in the depths of its red-gold vertical pupils, narrow pupils shrinking into a slit, looking shocked and angry.


    Shi An fiercely turned around and viciously bit the tip of Mu Heng¡¯s finger.


    Rice grain-sized teeth embedded deeply in the other¡¯s skin. Although the dragon¡¯s teeth were very sharp, because of the size difference, the wound left was not significant, just deep.


    The bright red blood oozed out of the wound and dripped down.


    The human¡¯s blood was hot and red, dampening the fabric beneath in a flash.


    ¡°Human, how audacious of you!¡± The dragon gritted its teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch me!¡±


    Mu Heng didn¡¯t move a muscle and let him bite.


    He dropped his eyes, long silver-white eyelashes imprinted deep shadows on his face and his blue eyes were cold, without any shade.


    ¡°According to my guess, your healing is related to touch, am I right?¡± he said in a calm, low voice.


    These days, Mu Heng has been thinking about this question. Although not entirely sure, now at the moment, it seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.


    ¡ª Skin to skin with one¡¯s nemesis.


    What an unconventional and bizarre method of healing.


    The little dragon was slightly stunned and subconsciously loosened his clenched teeth.


    Mu Heng pulled his fingers out of the other¡¯s mouth and slowly and methodically wiped away the blood.


    His voice was not much different from before, only slightly lower. ¡°Haven¡¯t I said it before?¡±


    The next second, the man¡¯s burning palm lightly covered the dragon¡¯s spine and the temperature from the human instantly scalded Shi An to a shiver. A part of his body wanted to get closer while the other parts tugged at him in an attempt to escape.


    Mu Heng¡¯s brow line was deep and his eyes were hidden in the shadows, looking distant and indifferent.


    His voice was the same.


    Low, calm, moral, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.


    ¡°No need to waste any more time.¡±


    He pinched Shi An¡¯s wings and stroked down the little dragon¡¯s spine, rubbing his fingertips against the other¡¯s belly.


    Shi An froze from head to claw, his pupils dilated and turned round as if in shock.


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    Mu Heng asked softly, ¡°The faster it¡¯s finished, the better it is. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The author has something to say.


    Bah! You just want an excuse to fondle the dragon!


    ¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 89.1

    Offer It to My Princess (1)


    Shi An: ¡°¡­?¡±


    The temperature of Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips was searingly hot, with a sense of sheer cold probing silently falling on his body.


    But Mu Heng was right about one thing, his active touch as a dragon slayer was more conducive to the magic absorption.


    But as the speed of magic absorption accelerated, strange and weird sensations rose in the depths of his body.


    Shi An subconsciously curled up his body, trying to shrink himself into a ball.


    At that moment, the demon insect¡¯s anxious voice suddenly came to his ears. ¡°My lord! My lord!¡±


    Shi An blinked and it took him two seconds to realize that the demon insect should be communicating with him through his soul.


    ¡°The Bureau¡¯s speed is faster than we thought!¡± Its voice was urgent and desperate. ¡°They have found a way up the mountain and should arrive at your place in about 20 minutes!¡±


    Shi An sobered up from his confused state.


    He broke free from Mu Heng¡¯s grasp and tried his best to say in his calmest and most majestic voice, ¡°H-Human, your job here is done. Our deal has ended. You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    However, unexpectedly, Mu Heng did not let go but only tightened the force of his hand.


    He lowered his eyes, gazing at the dragon in front of him with deep, dark eyes and his voice was calm. ¡°Since it was like this, we can fight each other for our lives without any qualms the next time we meet again.¡±


    ¡°At that time, my sword won¡¯t break at your scales anymore.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was soft as if he was quietly telling a fact. ¡°I believe your claws also won¡¯t halt before tearing me apart.¡±


    Shi An was stunned and confused about what the other party wanted to say.


    ¡°So, I need to say something in advance.¡±


    Mu Heng narrowed his eyes and suddenly recited two familiar syllables lightly, ¡°¡ªRegarding my friend, Shi An.¡±


    Having suddenly been called by his name, Shi An¡¯s heart subconsciously tightened as he lifted his eyes toward Mu Heng.


    ¡°Since you have already taken him several times, I think you should be familiar with this name.¡±


    The man dropped his long silver-white eyelashes and his blue eyes were unfathomable.


    ¡°He has been involved in this battle, am I right?¡±


    The corners of Mu Heng¡¯s lips were lifted faintly, revealing a shallow smile tinged with hostility. ¡°A species like a dragon won¡¯t be able to resist its natural instinct.¡±


    His voice trailed off. ¡°Coincidentally, I am like that, too.¡±


    ¡°So, I will cut open your chest, scoop out your heart, and offer it to my princess before you can take him away again next time.¡±


    ¡°The deal is done.¡±


    After saying that, Mu Heng slowly let go of his hand.


    ¡°¡ªI look forward to our next meeting.¡±


    Shi An¡¯s brain was a bit chaotic, unable to process such a hefty amount of information for a moment there.


    At this moment, the demon insect¡¯s voice came to his ears. ¡°My lord! My lord, have you come out of the cave?¡±


    Only then did Shi An come back to his senses as an afterthought.


    Have to go.


    The giant dragon unfolded the wings on its back and flew toward the outside of the cave overhead.


    When its figure disappeared into the cave overhead, the externally applied spell dissipated instantly.


    ¡°Quick! They should be out front!¡±


    Noisy voices and messy footsteps approached the cave at the top of the mountain.


    Wen Yao led her subordinates to come with the fastest speed.


    As she approached the cave, she saw a familiar figure slowly walking out of the cave from afar.


    Wen Yao was surprised and happy. ¡°Chief!¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s jacket had been torn, the clothes on his body still carried dried blood, and his silver hair was scattered over his shoulders, a wretched mess that Wen Yao had never seen before, but, although his face was pale, the look on the man¡¯s face was still the usual indifference and calmness as if all crises were not enough to be feared.


    At the moment of seeing the other side, that familiar, powerful sense of reassurance finally returned.


    Wen Yao sighed with relief and her eyes were almost damp. ¡°Great, you¡¯re all right.¡±


    She looked around and frowned somewhat doubtfully. ¡°That¡­ dragon¡­¡±


    Mu Heng flippantly interrupted her, ¡°He left.¡±


    With a steady, composed step, he surpassed Wen Yao and walked downward. ¡°Help me contact Zhuo Fu.¡±


    The man narrowed his dark blue eyes.


    ¡°He has something to return to me.¡±


    Although these few days were brief, one thing had become very clear to Mu Heng¨C


    Without the sword, it was impossible to slay the dragon.


    The dragon¡¯s body was covered with indestructible scales without any weak points. The reason it was so relieved to stay in his arms was also probably because it was aware that, with his current means, he could not hurt it in the slightest.


    Because of this, Mu Heng decided to ¡°cooperate¡± with the dragon.


    After spending a few days with the dragon, Mu Heng¡¯s desire to kill the dragon became more urgent.


    This desire was deep and pure, not mixed with any love, hatred, likes, or dislikes.


    He just had to get it done.


    And before this purpose was accomplished, except for death, nothing could make Mu Heng stop the pursuit.


    He took off his jacket, threw it away, took a new pair of gloves from Wen Yao¡¯s hand, and walked downward while giving orders efficiently and quickly.


    ¡°Where is Shi An?¡± Mu Heng asked as he withdrew his eyes and looked at Wen Yao.


    At this moment, he noticed that Wen Yao suddenly stopped her pace, revealing a hesitant look of desire to speak.


    A hint of an unsettling premonition rose in Mu Heng¡¯s heart.


    He slowly narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wen Yao took a deep breath, gathered enough courage, and said with difficulty, ¡°Sir, this subordinate is incompetent¡­¡±


    She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Shi An¡­ hasn¡¯t been found until now.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s complexion suddenly became cold.


    His voice was extremely sharp like an ice blade that had been polished sharp. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Since the dragon had been staying with him these days and Shi An¡¯s strength was not bad, Mu Heng always thought Shi An had long been out of danger.


    Wen Yao spoke with difficulty. ¡°I-I have dispatched a search party during the day that abyssal rift disappeared and searched everywhere within the school, but the school¡¯s area is too large and without enough personnel¨C¡±


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    ¡°After you¡¯re treated, I will use every force¡­.¡±


    Wen Yao worriedly gazed at her superior and assured with an extremely earnest attitude.


    However, Mu Heng acted as if he didn¡¯t hear her.


    His face was cold and sullen as he gritted his teeth word by word and said, ¡°Gather everyone at once.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 89.2

    Offer It to My Princess (2)


    Three hours later.


    Wen Yao walked quickly toward Mu Heng, her eyes lit up, and her breathing was rapid from excitement.


    She had a phone in her hand, covering the microphone with one hand, and said, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve found him!¡±


    Mu Heng was stunned, stood up, and walked over with big steps.


    After a simple wash, his clothes and gloves were all new. Except for his pale face, Mu Heng looked almost indistinguishable from his usual self.


    He took the phone from Wen Yao¡¯s hand and put it to his ear.


    The old butler¡¯s voice came from the other side of the microphone. ¡°Sir, are you looking for Shi An?¡±


    Mu Heng gave a simple ¡°mm.¡±


    ¡°He had already returned home two days ago. But probably because he was too tired, he has been sleeping.¡± The old butler¡¯s old and vibrant voice came through the microphone. ¡°Do you need me to get him to answer the call¨C¡±


    Only then did Mu Heng feel his heart drop slightly.


    He lifted his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Mu Heng hung up the phone and looked at Wen Yao with a steady gaze. ¡°So, you guys have never considered calling Shi An¡¯s home during this long period?¡±


    Wen Yao: ¡°¡­¡±


    She lowered her head in shame.


    The truth was, for the past few days, all the members of the Bureau had focused most of their attention on finding Mu Heng. No matter how good Wen Yao was to Shi An, one missing student was not worth mentioning compared to Mu Heng¡¯s whereabouts¨Ceven for Wen Yao.


    Mu Heng was aware of this point as well.


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°There will be no next time.¡±


    The phone was tossed into Wen Yao¡¯s hands and her superior¡¯s cold voice came overhead. ¡°His safety will be the priority of your work, understand?¡±


    Wen Yao was stunned and nodded her head dumbly.


    After saying that, Mu Heng pulled up his coat that was hitched to the back of the chair, turned around, and hurriedly walked out.


    ***


    Next to the phone, Black Smoke and the demon insect breathed a sigh of relief in unison.


    Great, just in time.


    ¡°Are you sure the illusion you created will be enough?¡± The demon insect asked with a bit of uncertainty in its voice.


    Black Smoke answered, ¡°Are you questioning the level of my power?¡±


    The demon insect coughed, looked in the other direction, and muttered, ¡°¡­ Just in case!¡±


    After flying out of the cave, Shi An found the clothes he had hidden outside earlier with difficulty, then flew back distortedly, leaving the job of creating an alibi to Black Smoke.


    It implanted memories for the housekeeper downstairs while Shi An ran straight upstairs to sleep.


    The Eye looked worriedly in the direction of upstairs and said, ¡°Speaking of which, is the Lord okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What happened to the Lord? It seems he¡¯s not doing so well.¡± The demon insect showed a thoughtful look.


    Black smoke suddenly thought of something and let out a shout of realization.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Could it be the potion¡­¡±


    The demon insect was shocked. ¡°Could it be? So fast?¡±


    Black Smoke said, ¡°It won¡¯t be so fast normally, but if the magic power happens to be unstable, the potion¡¯s effectiveness will also be unstable¡­¡±


    The demon insect exclaimed, ¡°¡­ Fuck! Why didn¡¯t you fucking mention something earlier?¡±


    The Eye was bewildered. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    At this moment, the doorbell suddenly rang.


    The unaware old butler ran to open the door.


    The three demonic creatures fell silent abruptly.


    The demon insect asked dryly, ¡°I remember¡­ Mu Heng seemed to say he would be here soon, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ***


    The silver-haired man stood outside the door, his eyes calm, his spine upright.


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re here.¡± The old butler bowed and let in the other party with a smile on his kind face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come here personally¡­¡±


    Mu Heng shook his head. ¡°I insist.¡±


    He raised his eyes, glanced toward the top of the stairs, and asked, ¡°Is Shi An upstairs?¡±


    The butler nodded his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°Since returning, he never came downstairs. I¡¯m very worried¡­¡±


    Mu Heng said, ¡°I will take a look at him.¡±


    He was led inside the villa.


    Since he had long known the way to Shi An¡¯s room, Mu Heng politely refused the old butler¡¯s lead.


    He had his coat on one arm and walked up the stairs.


    The corridor was silent and not far from the end, the door of Shi An¡¯s room was closed.


    Mu Heng walked to the door and bent his knuckles to knock, but at that moment, he frowned.


    A heavy and painful gasping could be heard through the door panel.


    Mu Heng¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Before he had time to think, his hand had already moved.


    The door of the room was pushed open.


    Shi An¡¯s room was very dim, the curtains were haphazardly covered, and faint shadows enveloped the limited space.


    The bed and the young man in the quilt were vaguely visible in the sinking darkness.


    ¡°Shi An?¡± Mu Heng frowned, his voice subconsciously softened. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He subconsciously closed the door behind himself and stepped towards the bed.


    The young man¡¯s small face was immersed in shadow, appearing as fine white as porcelain. His long and dense eyelashes hung low, quivering and trembling. His eyes narrowed into slits and gleamed with water.


    Mu Heng gently sat on the edge of the bed, took off his gloves, and touched the sweaty forehead of the other party with his fingertips.


    ¡°Unwell?¡±


    At the moment of being touched by the man¡¯s dry and warm fingers, Shi An¡¯s body trembled. He raised his eyes, and his breath was delicate and disordered.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    His voice was hoarse, with a little bit of a seducing sob in it.


    ¡°Uncomfortable.¡±


    Mu Heng¡¯s fingertips paused slightly.


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    The knot in his throat involuntarily rolled up and down and his voice became slightly hoarse. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    However, before he could retract his hand, it was clutched by the young man¡¯s slender, cold fingers.


    Shi An drowsily pressed his face over.


    Unlike the temperature of his fingers, his face was hot and tender. ¡°¡­ Not going to the hospital.¡±


    The young man mumbled instead, ¡°Touch me.¡±

 Chapter 90.1

    A Vicious Cycle (1)


    The room was dimly lit.


    Hazy, semi-dim light shrouded the small space. The air seemed to have come to a standstill, silently frozen there.


    Half of the young man¡¯s small face was buried between the soft pillows, and scattered hair covered his cheeks, appearing excessively white in the semi-dark room.


    His eyes were half open and his lips were moist.


    Trembling tiny breaths sprayed in the man¡¯s palm.


    Mu Heng felt a dry, parched fire burning deep in his throat, and his heart beat extremely loud.


    It was as if there was an unsatisfied, bloodthirsty beast stirring inside.


    Even so, Mu Heng knew something was wrong with Shi An.


    He heard himself ask in the steadiest voice he could, ¡°How long have you been like this?¡±


    The man¡¯s fingers were pale and strong, gently and irresistibly holding up the young man¡¯s cheek.


    Mu Heng lowered his eyes, examining Shi An with an unfathomable gaze.


    ¡°Did you eat something?¡±


    Shi An opened his eyes blankly. The dark pupils under his eyelashes seemed to have been washed with water, clear and unfocused.


    He shook his head and nodded again.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    Not even half of Mu Heng¡¯s words entered his ears.


    Mu Heng bent down, lifted the young man¡¯s slender back with his palm, and picked him up from between the messy bed sheets.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you¨C¡±


    Before the words were finished, there was a sudden heavy pain in his neck.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.


    Shi An opened his mouth and fiercely bit on his collarbone. His teeth were fine, white, and sharp, but he lost his strength after the first blow, and instead of venting, it was more like flirting.


    Mu Heng¡¯s breathing was stifled.


    The palm of his hand pressing Shi An¡¯s spine subconsciously tightened for a moment.


    The back of his slender and robust hand rippled with veins, like a dark river of blue winding under the pale skin as if he was using all of his will power to contain some impulse.


    Shi An was oblivious to this.


    He used his teeth to hold the thin piece of flesh, softly nibbling as if this would give vent to this strange and uncontrollable feeling.


    Mu Heng took a deep breath.


    He lifted his hand, covered Shi An¡¯s mouth, and pushed him away from his neck.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t fool around.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and had become hoarse.


    The next second, a wet, soft touch swept through his palm, and the tongue tip was ice-cold as it brushed between the lines of his palm.


    Mu Heng¡¯s muscles all over his body stiffened and tensed.


    He slowly lowered his eyes and looked at the young man he was holding in his arms. The other person¡¯s eyes were half-open and confused, completely unaware that he had just licked someone¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Very uncomfortable?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice became calm and soft.


    Shi An nodded.


    The palm covering the mouth was withdrawn and replaced by warm, burning fingers.


    The other party¡¯s fingers forcefully pressed on the flesh of his lips and twisted, probing into the mouth little by little, groping and exploring with great patience.


    Mu Heng¡¯s eyes were lowered and his deep blue eyes were suppressed into an eternal night-like ink color.


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    Shi An blinked his eyes.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on right now.


    He wanted someone to help him, but an instinctive sense of danger rose in his heart, making him hesitate a little.


    Mu Heng leaned down and kissed the young man¡¯s hot and delicate ear, his voice low and muffled with a bit of coaxing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Shi An was surrounded by warm body heat and the scent lingering at the end of his nose was familiar and smelled good.


    He nodded his head in a daze.


    Mu Heng pressed one hand on Shi An¡¯s spine, feeling the tiny trembling of the other¡¯s body, opened his mouth to bite the glove on his other hand, and slowly and methodically freed the other hand from the confinement of the fabric.


    Flames silently flickered in his dark blue eyes like the fire that burned darkness.


    Mu Heng¡¯s voice was soft and gentle.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°Relax.¡±


    ***


    Shi Rui paced the room with difficulty, anxiously gnawing at his fingernails. After a long time, he finally seemed to have made up his mind, gathered all his courage, and pulled out the communicator from under the pillow with trembling fingers.


    After the last separation, the other party deliberately instructed him never to initiate contact.


    However, it had been too long and Shi Rui had been unable to get any reliable news, which made him very uneasy.


    He tried to dial the opposite side.


    Black screen.


    No one answered.


    Shi Rui clenched his teeth and the bottom of his eyes was slightly moist.


    He vaguely had a feeling.


    He seemed to have become a castaway.


    The other side.


    The black-robed man lowered his eyes and scanned the communicator in his hand, indifferently turning it off and tucking it inside his robe.


    Immediately after, he slowly walked toward the dark cave not far away.


    The cave was dark and dim and the narrow cave road was very dark, with an old stone fire platform at every short distance. Although there was light, the flame was small and could only vaguely dispel some darkness, barely illuminating the road in front of him.


    The road in front of him had been walked a thousand times, but the black-robed man still walked very slowly.


    Not because of the light.


    He seemed injured, half dragging a leg and brushing it on the ground with a rustling sound.


    After an unknown time, the black-robed man finally reached the cave¡¯s depths.


    In the center was a bright red totem, but beyond that, it was shrouded in darkness, impossible to see clearly.


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    ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± A gloomy voice came out of the darkness.


    The black-robed man knelt on one knee with difficulty. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But you have failed.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the black-robed man replied in a hoarse voice.


    If he hadn¡¯t been carrying a prop from the dragon, he might not have been able to save his life, but even so, the terrifying extent of the dragon flame was something a human like him couldn¡¯t afford.

 Chapter 90.2

    A Vicious Cycle (2)


    The burned location, neither medicine nor magic could heal, was dripping pus downward all the time.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the man in the darkness asked.


    ¡°Lord dragon didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with our plan.¡± The black-robed man hung his head mournfully and replied in a deep, pained voice.


    He pressed one hand on his injured knee and his body trembled slightly.


    Yet, it was as if he did not feel the pain but more like he was trembling in joy.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I have thought of a plan.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I hope you can let me use those treasures from lord dragon¡¯s cave.¡±


    ¡°This time, I will live up to your expectations.¡±


    ***


    Mu Heng leaned down and kissed the young man¡¯s moist and trembling lips.


    ¡°I will wait for you downstairs.¡±


    After saying that, he straightened his disheveled collar, turned around, and walked toward the door.


    Shi An was left alone in the room.


    He blinked his eyes and the final faltering tear fell, landing with a snap on the pillow, staining a small wet mark.


    Shi An finally broke free from the previous state of being half awake and groggy.


    The images just now rushed into his mind in a messy and crowded manner.


    Shi An felt his face flushing quickly, hot to the point of being painful. His face was damp, not knowing whether it was sweat or tears.


    It¡¯s just hands.


    It¡¯s just¡­


    Ahhhhhhhhhh, what was that just now?!


    Shi An buried his head deep into the pillow and closed his eyes in despair.


    Although he was not exactly familiar with how humans got along with each other, even so, he knew very well that what had just happened was not supposed to happen.


    And the worst of it was¨C


    Mu Heng had asked.


    And he agreed.


    It was even¡­ he who had initiated the request.


    Shi An curled himself into a ball in shame.


    However, the memory of being touched could not disappear even so.


    The texture of the other¡¯s fingers, the temperature, the rough calluses, the delicate fingertips, the hot palm, the edges of the nails that were neatly trimmed.


    It was powerful and flexible, with an irresistible toughness.


    It was as if it was branded on his body, with no sign of dissipation.


    In that chaotic and hot atmosphere, the young man¡¯s vision was blurred, and he looked confused.


    The excessive pile of pleasure seemed to outweigh the pain, and large tears coalesced and fell one after another.


    His back was weak, his legs were limp, and his toes trembled and curled.


    This is not right.


    It wasn¡¯t right.


    He strained backward, trying to escape from the strange and magnified perception but was pinned lightly in place.


    Shi An forced himself to stop thinking back.


    He buried himself in the soft, dark bedding, and closed his eyes evasively, wishing he could burrow back to the bottom of the abyss and sleep for another 50,000 to 60,000 years.


    At that moment, Shi An was slightly stunned and opened his eyes.


    He found that the gray magic had dissipated faster and his body¡¯s power had made a fantastic leap.


    ¡­ Could it be?


    Was this even possible?


    Shi An sat up and began to think carefully.


    The only explanation would be that as his magic power increased, the drug that inhibited the estrus period gradually failed.


    It should not have started immediately because this feeling came and went quickly. After the last experience, he feared that he would have no lucid interval if the estrus began.


    While Mu Heng¡¯s touch would make his magic power grow faster, the estrus period would come more quickly, and the reaction would be greater¡­


    Then¡­ it was simply a vicious circle!


    Shi An was stupefied.


    ***


    Downstairs, Mu Heng raised his eyes and looked toward Shi An, who was walking down slowly.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Shi An was startled. ¡°???¡±


    Mu Heng asked, ¡°Do you still feel anything weird in your body?¡±


    Shi An pursed his lips, shook his head slightly, and moved in the direction away from Mu Heng.


    However, Mu Heng unhurriedly unfolded the e-folder in his hand and spread it out on the desktop in front of himself.


    ¡°Come here and take a look.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He stiffened his face and reluctantly moved over.


    ¡°Have you accidentally eaten any of these things?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and calm, without any abnormalities, but Shi An couldn¡¯t help but feel his ears start to heat up.


    He remembered that the other party was whispering in his ears just now upstairs with such a gentle and considerate voice.


    Shi An blushed and averted his eyes.


    He hurriedly swept through the introduction files and pointed to one of them haphazardly.


    Mu Heng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital, but it¡¯s still better to examine it if you¡¯re willing¨C¡±


    ¡°No, no, no need.¡± Shi An shook his head vigorously.


    Mu Heng intertwined his fingers and said lightly, ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can wait until your body metabolizes it naturally, but there should be a few more recurrences.¡±


    He stood up and walked to stand beside Shi An.


    Shi An restrained himself from the urge to step back.


    The man lowered his silver-white eyelashes, his eyes distant and blue, with an imposing and impenetrable lust and coldness.


    He raised his hand and gently swept his fingertips over the bite mark on the young man¡¯s lower lip.


    The other person¡¯s voice was clear and cold, calm and indifferent, with a little, if any, smirk.


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    ¡°Next time, I can use my mouth to help you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The author has something to say.


    Shi An (pupils tremble)


    ¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 91.1

    ¡°To Settle an Account¡± (1)


    ¡­ What did he say?


    Shi An stood frozen, staring blankly at the human being in front of him.


    It took a full ten seconds for him to react finally.


    The burning red spread from his fair cheeks and the heat that could burn the entire face was emitted from the delicate veins on his face, hot and vivid, spreading wildly.


    In a flash, the images he had deliberately forgotten seemed out of control and came back in a rush.


    Shi An¡¯s brain exploded as if he was growing unhinged.


    The smile on Mu Heng¡¯s lips widened.


    His lips were thin with sharp lip lines, extremely light in color, with a cold color like ice and snow.


    The man leaned down and pressed the lips that spit out the sinful words to Shi An¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I have a feeling that you will like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Only then did Shi An wake up from his dream. His face was red as fire and his eyes rounded in fear. He jumped up in fright and stumbled back several steps.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ I¡­¡±


    At this moment, Mu Heng¡¯s communicator suddenly rang.


    The ear-piercing and sharp ringing were like a sharp knife stabbing into the ambiguous to almost sticky air before him, breaking up the current atmosphere.


    Mu Heng knew how to stop after getting something good.


    He regrettably stopped, withdrew his gaze, and did not approach anymore.


    The name displayed on the communicator made him frown slightly.


    Mu Heng picked up the communicator.


    The microphone¡¯s sound insulation was excellent. If they were ordinary humans, they couldn¡¯t hear half the words on the other side of the communicator.


    But Shi An was not an ordinary human being.


    Although he was once almost regarded as one, after absorbing the magic of the dragon molt and the Eye of the Abyss, his eyesight, hearing, and sensitivity to magic perception had been greatly improved, and he was gradually approaching his original self.


    Even though his head was now a mess, Shi An still caught a few familiar keywords from that subtle voice.


    ¡°¡­ Shi Rui¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Followed his tracks¡­ discovered¡­¡±


    Shi An blinked, sobering up from his chaotic thoughts, and the heat on his face decreased slightly.


    He looked in the direction where the voice came from.


    He saw Mu Heng give a simple ¡°hmm¡± and then cut off the communicator.


    He looked at Shi An and said goodbye.


    ¡°It¡¯s an affair in the Bureau. I¡¯m afraid they need me at headquarters.¡±


    While Shi An was lost in thought, Mu Heng took a step forward, his fingers lifting the young man¡¯s fair chin, and his thin lips dropped a kiss lightly on his lips. ¡°You know my number.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°???¡±


    Before he could react, the other party let go of him and elegantly retreated.


    Watching the other party¡¯s back disappear out of sight, Shi An returned to his senses only as an afterthought.


    He slowly blinked his eyes and the conversation just now leaped into his mind again.


    His face, which had become less hot, became hot and burning again.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    S-Shameless!


    How can humans¡­ how can they be so brazen?


    Shi An was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    He angrily scrubbed the corner of his lips.


    But no matter how hard he tried, the light, burning touch was like it had been branded on a small piece of skin and could not be dispelled no matter what.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shi An began to sulk.


    At this time, a tiny gap in the window was pushed open from the outside and Black Smoke drifted in with two other demonic creatures wrapped in it.


    As long as Mu Heng was present, they dared not approach and could only hide far outside the house. They waited until they watched Mu Heng¡¯s car drive away before hurrying back.


    The Eye has long since learned from Black Smoke of the crisis that Shi An might face.


    It rushed over with one single stride, rounding its big dark red eyes and asking anxiously, ¡°M-My lord, your estrus period shouldn¡¯t have flared up, has it?¡±


    Shi An jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.


    ¡°No!¡±


    The other three demonic creatures were startled by his violent reaction.


    Black Smoke breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Great! Great¨C¡±


    As long as there were no flare-ups, it was good.


    Shi An thought for a moment and hesitantly asked in a small voice. ¡°Can you make a drug like the last one again?¡±


    Black Smoke said, ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­¡±


    Shi An¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s useless.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was silent for two seconds and slowly said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This kind of drug is only effective for the first time. After that, your body will be resistant to the effect.¡± Black smoke spoke in an increasingly smaller voice. ¡°So, even if I make it again, it¡¯s probably useless.¡±


    Shi An: ¡°¡­¡±


    His expression became ashen.


    At this time, the Eye seemed to notice the blind spot, glaring its eyes wider. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re asking this question, could it be¡­¡±


    Shi An unhesitatingly said, ¡°No!¡±


    But the Eye did not speak, merely saying in a trance-like manner. ¡°Then you and that human in the room just now¡­¡±


    Shi An¡¯s voice got louder. ¡°No!¡±


    He stared viciously at the demonic creature in front of him. ¡°I will eat you if you randomly guess again!¡±


    The Eye cried, ¡°Huhuhuhu.¡±


    It wept in its heart.


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    Not because of being threatened.


    Rather¡­ because he could only watch as that despicable and shameless human get his way!


    Shi An took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.


    He then settled down and began to think seriously.


    ¡­ Shi Rui?

 Chapter 91.2

    ¡°To Settle an Account¡± (2)


    Why would Shi Rui be called to the Bureau? And what would it have to do with Mu Heng?


    At this very moment, he was suddenly struck.


    Shi An remembered the black ore that Shi Rui secretly placed in his room while unconscious in the Shi family¡¯s main residence.


    Back then, Shi An didn¡¯t think much about it. After all, although this kind of ore was considered rare on the continent, it wasn¡¯t valuable.


    But this time, connected with the abyssal rift opened by men in the Ability Academy and that group of strange humans with the crazy talk to ¡°let him regain his strength to destroy the world,¡± Shi An began suspecting¡­


    Could it be that Shi Rui and the people who stole his treasure have a connection?


    Thinking of his own stolen and wasted treasures that were freely abused, Shi An felt intense anger begin to rise in his heart, suppressing all emotions.


    He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We will go out for a trip.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Right now?¡±


    The demon insect froze and asked in confusion, ¡°Go to where?¡±


    Shi An slowly revealed a harmless smile.


    ¡°To settle an account.¡±


    ***


    Upon being called to the Bureau for the second time, Shi Rui was ready.


    Looking at the tan-skinned, sharp-eyed Wen Yao before him, Shi Rui took a deep breath and pulled out the pitch-black communicator from his pocket before the other party opened his mouth to speak, placing it on the table.


    This time, it was Wen Yao¡¯s turn to be slightly stunned.


    Immediately afterward, Shi Rui told Wen Yao about his ¡°experience¡± with a miserable look.


    In his story, he became a poor victim of deception and deceit. The other side tempted him with boundless glory and benefits, leading him astray little by little and making him think that the other side was a savior with good intentions. Under his delusion, he handed over his pass to enter the school and informed the loopholes within the Ability Academy.


    However, after seeing the appearance of the abyssal rift and hearing about the death of the principal, Shi Rui then finally sobered up.


    He was immensely remorseful but terrified, not only of his actions but also of his family¡¯s safety.


    But after a long struggle, the good side finally overcame his cowardly instincts.


    At the end of the day, Shi Rui was still determined to stand up and do the right thing.


    That was why he came to the Bureau and told the whole story.


    In the end, Shi Rui said in tears, ¡°I am willing to pay the price for my actions, but¡­ but, I¡¯m begging you. Please help me. Don¡¯t let those people harm my family. I have never experienced  family love since I was little and they¡¯re my everything now¡­¡±


    Wen Yao lowered her eyes and did not speak for a long time.


    She took a deep breath, raised her hand to pick up the communicator on the table, and said, ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Shi Rui nodded with tears in his eyes.


    Wen Yao turned around and left the questioning room.


    Outside the door, the silver-haired, blue-eyed man stood in front of a vast one-sided mirror, his cold, ice-like eyes narrowed slightly, gazing thoughtfully at Shi Rui in the questioning room.


    Wen Yao said, ¡°Sir, what do you think?¡±


    Mu Heng withdrew his gaze and indifferently said, ¡°He¡¯s not telling the truth.¡±


    It was not precisely the truth.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Wen Yao spoke tentatively.


    Mu Heng said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch him yet.¡±


    He looked at the black communicator in Wen Yao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Give it to Zhuo Fu. Let¡¯s see if he can think of a way to find any clues or locations.¡±


    Wen Yao exclaimed, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ***


    Shi Rui was released from the Bureau.


    Although his face was still sad and burdened, his heart was relaxed like never before.


    He grew up susceptible to other people¡¯s emotions and attitudes. After being questioned by Wen Yao that day, Shi Rui immediately realized that he had screwed.


    Once he was suspected, he might not be able to hide the fact that he had snuck people into the Ability Academy any longer.


    At first, Shi Rui had hoped that the group there would be able to rescue him, but it was clear that the mysterious power there had abandoned him.


    So, after thinking about it for a long time, Shi Rui finally made up his mind.


    Instead of being treated as an outcast, he might as well take the initiative to cooperate and lower the suspicion on himself first.


    Although this move was risky, if he could do a good job, he might be able to get out of it.


    Now it seemed that he was still very wise.


    Looking at the sinking sunset before him, Shi Rui slowly exhaled, feeling a rare relief for the first time.


    Due to the accident at the Ability Academy, the academy had not yet opened, so the students had temporarily returned to their homes. Shi Rui had also returned home to live in the Shi family¡¯s main residence.


    By the time Shi Rui returned home, it was already completely dark.


    He walked into the house, but the butler and maid did not come up to greet him.


    Shi Rui frowned, his expression slightly sunken.


    Due to the experience of being neglected and despised since childhood, he was particularly sensitive in this regard and the negligence of these servants made him feel greatly upset.


    However, he had just returned from the Bureau and should keep a low profile now instead of letting some strange whispers mess up his plans.


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    Shi Rui closed his eyes and suppressed the dark fire rising in his heart.


    He walked toward his room upstairs.


    The corridor was long and the carpet underfoot was thick and soft, absorbing all the sound of footsteps.


    Shi Rui felt significant fatigue coming like a tidal wave.


    The whole day¡¯s ordeal had strained his spirit, and he desperately needed sleep and rest.

 Chapter 91.3

    ¡°To Settle an Account¡± (3)


    He pushed open the door and subconsciously tried to reach out to turn on the light.


    But, for unknown reasons, an indescribable creepy feeling came over him, pinning his feet to the spot.


    The darkness ahead was blurred and chaotic, and a dim twilight fell through the window.


    ¡°What? What are you waiting for?¡±


    A familiar, calm voice rang in his ears.


    Shi Rui was stunned and almost subconsciously screamed out.


    An arm reached out behind Shi Rui in the next second and gently crossed over his stiff body.


    ¡°Snap.¡±


    The overhead light lit up.


    Soft and warm light spilled down, illuminating the entire room.


    A young man could be seen crossing over to Shi Rui¡¯s side and striding naturally toward the room.


    It was Shi An.


    The bright light fell on the top of his hair, gilding his hair and eyes with a honey-like light brown, looking soft and calm, no different from usual.


    But¡­ wasn¡¯t he supposed to be dead already?


    Seeing the dead man appear before him, Shi Rui instantly felt cold from head to toe.


    He forcefully calmed down, revealed a slightly stiff smile, and said dryly, ¡°S-Shi An, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great. I haven¡¯t heard from you for so long. Father and I were worried. Thank goodness that nothing happened to you¡­¡±


    Shi An said, ¡°Something happened?¡±


    He thought for a moment before seemingly realizing what Shi Rui was referring to and it dawned on him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about the school.¡±


    Shi Rui felt a bit of dryness in his throat.


    He saw Shi An look around the room and conveniently sit down on the bed, saying lightly, ¡°Nothing happened to me.¡±


    Although the young man before him did not look any different from before, a strong sense of foreboding still came over Shi Rui¡¯s heart, causing him to feel instinctively defiant and annoyed.


    Shi Rui steeled himself.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re home, shouldn¡¯t you greet Father?¡±


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    Shi An lifted his eyes and a tiny smile appeared. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    A creeping dread climbed up Shi Rui¡¯s spine like an icy snake.


    Even though he persuaded himself in his heart how many times over and over again that Shi An did not know his plan and that even if he did, it did not matter. Shi An was just an untalented strength system and he would not be disadvantaged even if they did fight¡­


    But these reasons appeared bland, causing Shi Rui to feel an unprecedented sense of panic.


    ¡°T-Then, what are you going to do now?¡± Shi Rui heard himself ask in a forced, feeble voice.


    Shi An replied, ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    ¡°I only want to ask you a question. I hope you can answer truthfully,¡± he said with a smile on his face.


    The young man in front of him pulled out a dark stone from his pocket, something Shi Rui dared to touch only when he was wearing gloves, but it was so easily held in the other party¡¯s hand, unobstructed against the skin of his palm.


    Shi Rui¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    It was casually thrown on the table with a soft thud.


    Didn¡¯t he already take this stone from Shi An¡¯s room? H-How did it get here¡­?


    Shi Rui felt cold sweat seeping from his back, wetting his clothes a little.


    ¡°W-What is this?¡± he asked with a strong sense of composure.


    Shi Rui made up his mind that no matter what Shi An said next, he would never acknowledge it until the end. There was no way¡­ Shi An could have proof of this matter! He will never be able to prove what he did!


    Shi An asked, ¡°Where are the people who gave you this thing?¡±


    Shi Rui fought the urge to step backward and said with a wan smile, ¡°Shi An, what are you saying? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The young man in front of him frowned gently.


    ¡°Sometimes, humans are so troublesome. It¡¯s obviously a simple matter to resolve, but you guys would complicate it.¡±


    Shi An sighed.


    ¡°Such a waste of time.¡±


    It was a pity that Black Smoke could create and implant illusions and visions but could not read humans¡¯ memories and thoughts from too long ago.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t need to go to such lengths to ask in-person.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After several seconds of being frozen, Shi Rui felt his brain jammed and it took him a few seconds to catch the keywords in the other party¡¯s words¨C


    ¡­ Humans?


    W-What did he mean?


    He stood frozen in place, bewildered, and at a loss for words as he gazed at the young man before him. His ears could only hear the cacophony of his own heart beating violently. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    Only to see Shi An stand up.


    His footsteps were light as elegant and soft as a cat and his eyes seemed to burn just as bright.


    There was something under his eyes that Shi Rui could not read but instinctively felt great fear.


    The knot in his throat moved up and down and he subconsciously stepped backward, only to hit the door panel behind him with a dull and hollow thud.


    The young man stood a step away from him.


    His face was fair and harmless and he spat out gentle words. ¡°Since it¡¯s like that, I¡¯ll tell you directly.¡±


    ¡°I knew someone gave you that stone. I need to know everything about them, whether the communication method or any address. Don¡¯t lie, or else I will know.¡±


    Shi Rui was dripping with cold sweat but managed to steel himself and say, ¡°I truly don¡¯t know¨C¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


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    The young man clicked his tongue.


    Inexplicably, a powerful force descended and strangled Shi Rui¡¯s throat so deadly that he could not utter another half-syllable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m talking.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Shi Rui¡¯s eyes widened in shock and his mouth opened slightly, revealing an incredulous look of panic as he realized he could no longer utter a single word.