《After Turning Into A Little Skeleton, I Got Contracted By A Goddess》 Chapter 1 Boom! In the sky, huge lightning illuminated. A giant winged figure loomed between the lightning and thunder, its colorful long tail constantly fluttering. After that, a dragon head with a huge forked horn and fluttering beard emerged from the clouds. Its winding body kept drilling in and out of the sea of clouds. The ground was constantly shaking violently as if a super volcano had erupted. Its huge body, which was as large as a mountain, shook the ground, leaving deep trenches. Under the light of the lightning, four legs that looked like heavenly pillars stood on the ground under the huge angular turtle shell. In various places on earth, Holy Spirits of different races and forms began to hide in panic due to the sudden change in the world¡¯s rules after a large number of mythical-level Holy Spirits appeared. At this moment, countless light spots quickly gathered in the void, and a skeleton was formed in the blink of an eye. ¡°Where is this?¡± At the moment Zhou Mingrui regained consciousness, the skeleton¡¯s black eye socket lit up with two white soul flames. A stream of information rushed into his mind. The illusionary spirit world. He didn¡¯t know when it was born. All the powerful creatures that existed in history, legends, and myths would be born in the illusionary spirit world and would continue to exist without dying out. Only when they were summoned by the creatures in the other twin world would they be able to sign a contract and leave this illusionary spirit world. The moment Zhou Mingrui, the little skeleton, was born, all the living beings around him, be it dragons, phoenixes, black tortoises, white tigers, angels, or demons, all came to a spot not far from him. Even further away, the other Holy Spirits, who were originally hiding in a panic, also secretly found a position to look over. Upon seeing so many life forms that he had only heard of in myths but had never seen before, Zhou Mingrui was stunned. However, while he was in a daze, the mythical creatures around him all knelt or prostrated on the ground, expressing their submission to Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui snapped out of his daze. He could even see fear and other inexplicable expressions in the eyes of some of the living beings who were relatively behind him. From the faint soul information they were sending out, it seemed that they were calling him ¡°Illusionary Spirit Soul Lord¡±. He did not know what that meant. But one thing was for sure, these mythical Holy Spirits were all subservient to him and were worshiping him. Zhou Mingrui scratched his bald head. An interface that allowed him to view his attributes had suddenly appeared in his mind. Hence, he immediately gave it a try. [Life Type: Undead Creature] [Life Attribute: Strength 3, Constitution 3, Agility 3, Intelligence 3, Endurance 3, Soul 4] [Life Level: LV1] [Life Talent: None] [Contract Status: None] This¡­ Zhou Mingrui, who had played many online games, was instantly dumbfounded. The growth of his talent was simply too pitiful. Furthermore, he did not have any talent at all. It was too tormenting. When Zhou Mingrui saw the appearance of these mythical Holy Spirits, he thought that he had been reborn into an impressive existence. [The host¡¯s mind is detected to be completely awake, and the system is starting the matching.] At that moment, a loud voice suddenly rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. ¡°System!¡± Having read novels, he naturally understood what this meant. It was the standard of transmigrators! [The system has successfully started the matching process. The host is officially bound to the system. The system will now begin the complete sublimation of the host.] Dense dots of light appeared out of thin air and immediately enveloped Zhou Mingrui¡¯s skeletal body, forming a gigantic cocoon of light. Seeing this scene, the surrounding mythical Holy Spirits immediately knelt even lower, appearing even more pious. [Sublimation complete, 100% completion rate.] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui immediately reopened his talent interface after he regained consciousness. He wanted to see what changes would happen to him after the system¡¯s transformation. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks [Life Type: Undead Spirit] [Life Attribute: Strength 10, Constitution 10, Agility 10, Intelligence 10, Endurance 10, Soul 20] [Life Level: LV1] [Life Talent: Devour, Upgrade, Lotus Flower] [Contract Status: None] Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui was immediately amazed by the power of the system. Compared to the undead creatures, the undead spirits were more than one level higher. Then, his attributes increased by more than two times, and three new talents appeared in his talent bar. Just as he had this thought, a square frame suddenly appeared in front of him. [Devour: Any life form killed by the host will turn into ¡°Undead Essence¡± for the host to absorb. After devouring, the host will gain a certain amount of attribute points from the target, and there is a chance to obtain one of the skills of the target. Can be advanced.] [Upgrade: Every time the host achieves 10 levels, one talent will be automatically awakened. There is a chance of awakening two talents. If the talents are of the same type, they will be automatically merged to become a stronger skill talent.] [Lotus Flower: For every level up, the host will receive five times new attribute points.] Upon seeing the contents of the three talents, Zhou Mingrui immediately raised his head and laughed out loud. ¡°The system is indeed powerful!¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but sigh in his heart. Both of these two talents were extremely useful for one to become stronger. Even a pig would be able to fly. The surrounding mythical creatures looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was smiling foolishly. However, they did not show any dissatisfaction. Instead, they continued prostrating themselves on the ground. In the following period, Zhou Mingrui initially spent his time under the respectful gazes of all the Holy Spirits in the illusionary spirit world. In the beginning, he found it very interesting, but as the days passed, he began to feel bored. After all, he was only seeing these mythical Holy Spirits every day and had never seen any other creatures. Any normal person would feel bored and depressed. The illusionary spirit world appeared to be huge. Even when Zhou Mingrui was riding on the back of a gigantic dragon, he could not find the edge of the illusionary spirit world even after flying for a few days and nights. However, the surrounding scenery was the same and had not changed much. Zhou Mingrui began to feel anxious. Even though the place occupied a large area, it gave off the feeling of a prison. Finally, after an unknown number of days, Zhou Mingrui, who could no longer hold it in, suddenly felt his mind come to a stop. A strange feeling began to linger. He immediately closed his eyes and began to actively search for this feeling. Soon, the feeling became stronger and stronger. In the end, he locked onto his target. There were a total of five blue light orbs, which were suspended in the void at the highest point of the world. Most of the Holy Spirits in the illusionary spirit world were attracted over. However, those powerful existences didn¡¯t seem to care at all, as if they were not interested. Zhou Mingrui, who had grown tired of this world long ago, chose the most unique blob of light without any hesitation. In the next instant, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s figure disappeared from the illusionary spirit world. Qianling World. Heavenly Saint Academy. Today was the opening ceremony of the Heavenly Saint Academy. Countless students were standing in the square, and not far away were their parents and relatives. At this time, under the hubbub of voices, tens of thousands of students and parents were whispering to each other. However, they quickly quieted down. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only This was because six old men wearing long robes with golden edges and dark patterns had almost reached the stage. The powerful aura that they faintly emitted immediately shocked everyone in the square. They looked at each other and nodded. Then, the old man in the middle shouted, ¡°Let the entrance ceremony begin and conclude the summoning ceremony.¡± Every person from the Qianling continent could activate a synchronized summoning once when they reached adulthood. The Holy Spirit that was summoned would also determine the student¡¯s future path, occupation, and so on. It could be said to be a crucial link. It was also a step from the previous equality to the beginning of class division. Chapter 2 Looking up, young and energetic faces under the sun and the familiar teachers on the stage could be seen. Some young parents in the audience were looking at her with eager eyes. All of this made Yan Wuyue feel a little unreal. It was as if she was in a fantasy. Three days ago, she was still in the most terrifying stage of the ¡°great calamity¡±. Those strange and terrifying monsters were all over the sky and ground. Yan Wuyue had also become one of the leaders of the future human race through continuous fighting and meritorious deeds. She was called the ¡°God of Redemption¡± and had a great reputation. However, in the final battle, she had led the last hope of mankind to fight against countless monsters and died of exhaustion. When she woke up, she realized that she had been reborn and returned ten years before the great calamity. This year was also the year she began her career as a Summoner. Since she was reborn, Yan Wuyue naturally wouldn¡¯t waste this precious opportunity. She quickly sorted out all her memories before her rebirth and quickly identified what she needed to change next. The most important thing was naturally the first summoning. The Summoners in the Qianling continent were divided into grades, and every grade could help their summoned spirits to improve their strength. With every 10 levels, the summoned spirit¡¯s rank would also increase. There was a total of nine ranks, from Black Iron to Mythical, and the highest level was level 100. Unfortunately, even though Yan Wuyue had reached the Diamond grade, she was still helpless in the face of such horror. Therefore, the most important thing in this life was to make up for this. Otherwise, no matter how much effort she put in other places, it would be useless. The summoned spirit was the foundation of Qianling World¡¯s strength. After her rebirth, Yan Wuyue calculated the time of the summoning ceremony and made some changes to her summoning array in advance. In the history of Qianling World, the summoning array had been perfected and modified by thousands of heroes over the years. It had been improved to a near-perfect state. In fact, everyone had already gotten used to it and thought that this was the most perfect summoning array. Yan Wuyue¡¯s change came from an ancient and broken sheepskin book that she had obtained by chance before her rebirth. It became incomplete literature that had been baptized by the passage of time. Although it was incomplete, Yan Wuyue used her power to get more than ten ancient language experts to analyze it together according to the ancient characters left on it. Later on, she discovered that as long as she followed the method recorded on it, she would be able to strengthen the connection between the summoning array and the legendary illusionary spirit world where the summoned creatures were. In fact, to put it another way, it meant that by replacing the bait that everyone had been using with a better one, they could attract bigger fish. After receiving the news, Yan Wuyue arranged for a group of newly awakened Summoners. Later, she found that the change did raise the evaluation of the first summoned spirit by one or two ranks. Just as she was about to work with several other human leaders to promote it in the race, the outbreak of the great calamity came early, which caused this matter to be delayed. Now, it could be used here. This time, she raised the rank of her summoned spirit to Resplendent, and Yan Wuyue was confident that she could enter the Legendary grade completely. If she could get a Glory grade summoned spirit, she was confident that she could even reach the Epic grade that no one had been able to reach in her previous life! In this way, even if she had to face another great calamity, Yan Wuyue would still have enough confidence! ¡°Wuyue, you can rest assured. With the talent you have shown before, this time you will definitely be able to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat.¡± At this moment, several female students standing next to Yan Wuyue began to flatter her. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Yeah, Wuyue, unlike you, I¡¯d be so lucky if I could summon a spirit with D rank potential. I envy you so much.¡± ¡°Hmph, you must know that Wuyue is the pride of the newcomer department of Heavenly Saint Academy. Almost all the teachers in the department say that Wuyue can at least summon a C rank or even a B rank potential spirit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s a C rank summoned spirit, one can directly become the top student in the academy¡¯s first year. If it¡¯s a B rank summoned spirit, one can directly enter the core class.¡± ¡°With Wuyue¡¯s talent, needless to say, it must be a B rank potential or above!¡± Yan Wuyue only nodded slightly to acknowledge the flattery of the people around her. Her former status and power had made her almost immune to these things. Soon, after the teachers finished their speech, the summoning ceremony officially began. As the promising candidate favored by the teachers, Yan Wuyue was naturally arranged to be one of the first five in order to summon a powerful spirit and inspire the confidence of the other students. Under the teacher¡¯s guidance, Yan Wuyue and the other four students quickly came to their respective positions. After finding the right position, she and the other four took out the summoning materials that they had already prepared, but when they squatted down, they quickly began to modify the summoning array. In the end, Yan Wuyue only got up a dozen seconds later than the other students, and the teachers didn¡¯t care about it. ¡°The summoning ritual begins!¡± When the senior teacher¡¯s voice fell, the five of them immediately began to concentrate, and the energy in their bodies continued to flow into the summoning array under their feet. When it received the energy from the five of them, the summoning platform also began to stimulate its own energy reaction. The originally dull summoning array suddenly lit up with a gradually dazzling light. Then, under the constraint of the summoning array, the light condensed into five beams of light that soared into the sky. The straight momentum even scattered the clouds in the sky. At first glance, the light of the five people¡¯s summoning array seemed to be the same. But if a Summoner who was higher than Pride grade carefully observed it, he would find that the light of Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoning array was more solid and without fluctuations, as if it was about to become a real entity. Just as everyone on the field was eagerly waiting, Yan Wuyue noticed that something was wrong with the summoning array under her feet. Although the energy fluctuations were still very stable, her strong sixth sense told her that something was happening to the summoning array that she could not understand. A moment later, the summoning array under Yan Wuyue¡¯s feet began to tremble slightly. Then, tiny electric snakes flickered around the summoning array and spread in all directions. The surrounding audience couldn¡¯t help but exclaim when they saw this scene! ¡°As expected of Yan Wuyue. Even her summoning ritual is different from others. The difference is too obvious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Is she going to summon a high-rank spirit?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°D rank? C rank?¡± ¡°Perhaps, she can even summon a spirit with B rank potential!¡± ¡°Then she¡¯ll be able to become the top student of the academy in an instant!¡± At this moment, except for Yan Wuyue, the light pillars of the four Summoners began to shrink and then slowly dimmed back into their respective bodies. Only Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoning light pillar was still in the field. Chapter 3 Like a crane in a flock of chickens, she naturally became the focus of everyone¡¯s discussion. After more than ten minutes, the other four students had already left the stage, and only Yan Wuyue was left. At this time, everyone was watching anxiously as the light pillar gradually shrank and finally disappeared into the air. ¡°This, this is a skeleton?¡± ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t playing tricks on me, are they?¡± When the light dissipated, what came into everyone¡¯s eyes was Yan Wuyue and the Jade-white skeleton in front of her. Not only were the onlookers dumbfounded, but even Yan Wuyue herself was stunned. Skeletons were undead summoned spirits, and they were one of the lowest grades. At that moment, the energy detection pillar behind the summoning platform activated its automatic detection. However, no one noticed that at the bottom of the detection pillar, several electric snakes suddenly appeared in the core device used to measure energy levels. Then, it underwent a dramatic change and dimmed. The performance of the detection pillar was that the energy bar that was about to rush up instantly fell back down and stabilized at the toughness point. ¡°This, the energy indicator has stopped moving at F rank.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw this scene. The teachers from the newcomer compound immediately rushed up to the high platform, ready to check on the situation. However, the summoning array on the summoning platform had been destroyed by the energy just now, and the energy detection pillar had also stopped, so there was no problem at all. The teacher did not give up. With a wave of her hand, a light flashed, and a butterfly with a colorful tail appeared behind her. ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± Through the communication with the summoned spirit, the teacher¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yan Wuyue, who had come back to her senses, quickly asked. This teacher had been taking care of her since she entered the academy, and she was very good to her. ¡°Sigh, Wuyue. I¡¯m powerless.¡± The teacher sighed, shook her head, and walked down the stage with a disappointed look on her face. Yan Wuyue frowned, but it would be a joke to stay here in such a situation. So she stepped down from the summoning platform and left the ceremony. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the most dazzling star in the newcomer academy, the highly anticipated genius Yan Wuyue, would actually summon a skeleton?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone originally thought that she could at least summon a spirit with D or C rank potential. Who would have thought¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, doesn¡¯t that mean that she won¡¯t be able to make a comeback in the future?¡± ¡°Of course. No matter how much of a genius she is, summoning a spirit with F rank potential will take her a long time to reach D rank.¡± ¡°Sigh, a genius that everyone has their eyes on has been crippled for life.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I was worried about what would happen if I summoned an E rank spirit. Now I¡¯m not worried at all. There¡¯s already someone worse off than me.¡± The moment Zhou Mingrui regained his vision, he heard the various conversations in the crowd. From the initial whispers, it quickly escalated to normal communication, and some people even deliberately raised their voices. ¡°These guys seem to be laughing at the girl who summoned me because my potential level is too low?¡± Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment before he came up with a rough analysis of the situation. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that these snobs don¡¯t know my true strength.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to release his aura, a figure quickly walked past him. He had no choice but to ignore these noisy guys and quickly follow Yan Wuyue. When he passed by the crowd, Zhou Mingrui noticed that the girls had made way for him. Their faces were filled with disdain, and a few of them even had looks of disgust. However, Zhou Mingrui did not know that these girls were the ones who had been surrounding Yan Wuyue and constantly flattering her. Otherwise, with his personality, he would definitely spit at these guys who turned hostile faster than flipping a book. He followed Yan Wuyue all the way to a deserted place. Then, he saw the girl sitting on a relatively flat stone with an expressionless face, staring at the distant scenery in a daze. ¡°Um, may I ask for your name?¡± After some time, Zhou Mingrui, who felt that his presence was too low, spoke up to break the awkwardness. ¡°You can speak?¡± Yan Wuyue turned around and asked curiously. ¡°Ahem, I feel that your words are rather impolite.¡± Zhou Mingrui faked a pose and coughed. ¡°So what if I¡¯m impolite? You¡¯re just a skeleton, so what? You¡¯re not a high-rank summoned spirit.¡± ¡°Forget it. It has nothing to do with me. There¡¯s no hope for mankind anyway.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue turned back to look at the distant scenery. ¡°It seems that she¡¯s very angry with me, but I didn¡¯t offend her. I was going to tell her that I¡¯m not a low-rank summoned spirit but forget it,¡± he thought. Zhou Mingrui was an ordinary person, so he was very displeased to be rebuked for no reason. ¡°Look, Yan Wuyue actually came here!¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s probably crying secretly after summoning a little skeleton.¡± ¡°Sigh, to think that I liked her before, but now it seems that she¡¯s just a pretty face.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going a little too far by saying that.¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s too much? People who can only summon F-rank trash are trash. I don¡¯t believe she can do anything to me.¡± ¡°You were so arrogant and ignored us before, but now it seems like you¡¯re just so-so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, she summoned a little skeleton with low-rank potential. She must be so angry that she wants to cry now.¡± At this moment, two boys passed by and saw Yan Wuyue sitting on a rock and enjoying the scenery. They started to mock her. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue frowned, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she took a deep breath and quickly got up and left. Zhou Mingrui was displeased to hear this, but he had no choice but to follow Yan Wuyue. After all, as a summoned spirit who had just arrived at the Qianling World, he could not be too far away from the Summoner. ¡°Those two fellows said that to your face, and you¡¯re still indifferent?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was following behind, could not help but ask. If it were him, he would have attacked long ago. What the hell! ¡°A dog is barking beside you. Do you want to bite back like a dog?¡± Yan Wuyue answered without turning her head. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°You¡¯re right, but I can see that you¡¯re not more than fifteen years old. You shouldn¡¯t have such thoughts.¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed his boney, fleshless chin. Using his point of view before his rebirth, how could a girl in her puberty tolerate such a situation? ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of brats. I don¡¯t have the time or mood to deal with these guys.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui thought. Yan Wuyue walked away resolutely. Behind her, Zhou Mingrui tilted his head. The soul flames in his eyes flickered as if he was thinking about something. Chapter 4 As he followed Yan Wuyue out of the academy, Zhou Mingrui experienced what it meant to be bullied by a dog when a tiger land on a field. Whether it was the students or the teachers, those who were walking on the road all avoided Yan Wuyue as if they had seen the God of Plague. However, Zhou Mingrui realized that Yan Wuyue did not even bother to look at them. He thought, ¡°This girl called Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care about those guys¡¯ mockery at all. No matter how you look at it, her mental age didn¡¯t seem to be a teenager.¡± As he followed Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui could clearly sense that the girl in front of him was not ordinary. She must have a story. However, he didn¡¯t ask any questions and just followed behind quietly. Not long after, the two of them arrived at the entrance of a manor. ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°The old master is waiting for you in the living room.¡± As the door opened automatically, an old butler in a suit and leather shoes with a head full of silver hair respectfully greeted Yan Wuyue. ¡°Alright, Grandpa Wei.¡± Yan Wuyue only nodded slightly, and then she walked in with Zhou Mingrui. When he passed by the old butler, Zhou Mingrui felt a sharp aura by his side. He turned his head and realized that the source of the aura was the old butler. Zhou Mingrui glanced at him and then shifted his gaze to a tree not far away. After a glance, he retracted his gaze and followed Yan Wuyue into the manor. ¡°Sit over here.¡± When the door of the living room door was pushed open, a dignified and steady voice sounded. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say much. She went straight to the owner of the voice and sat down. Zhou Mingrui took a look and saw a stern-looking middle-aged man with a square face. He was sitting on the sofa and sipping tea from a cup. ¡°This is your summoned spirit?¡± After putting down his teacup, the middle-aged man looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± Yan Wuyue responded. ¡°Wuyue, why don¡¯t you put aside signing a contract with this little skeleton? After a week, he will naturally return to the illusionary spirit world, and you can resummon.¡± At this time, a luxuriously dressed young woman also walked in. She had a face that was 60% similar to Yan Wuyue¡¯s, but she had a more graceful and luxurious aura and demeanor. ¡°No matter what price your dad has to pay, he will help you summon a better spirit. By then, with our family¡¯s power, we can use a huge number of resources to help you fill in the gap!¡± The woman sat next to Yan Wuyue and put her arm around her shoulder. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t summon a better one, Mom and Dad will take care of you for the rest of your life.¡± Yan Wuyue gently pushed her mother¡¯s arms away and then said solemnly, ¡°Dad, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡­ ¡°The room next door is yours. The trial will start tomorrow, and I need to prepare well, so please don¡¯t disturb me.¡± In the attic, Yan Wuyue closed the door after she finished speaking, leaving Zhou Mingrui with a dumbfounded look on his face. ¡°Tsk!¡± Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth and pushed open the door to his room. He walked into his room unhappily. In the room, Yan Wuyue was preparing all kinds of combat supplies for tomorrow. Of course, they were basically what she needed. In her assumption, the skeleton would be a burden for tomorrow¡¯s trial, and she could only rely on herself. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks However, when she was about to finish, Yan Wuyue paused and prepared a few life-saving supplies. Since she was the one who had summoned him, she would send him back safely and end this fate. The next day. Thousands of new students gathered in the academy¡¯s public square once again. Beside them, on their shoulders, and in their arms, there were all kinds of summoned spirits, all of which had been obtained at the summoning ceremony yesterday. ¡°Look, that Skeleton Girl is here!¡± Just as Yan Wuyue entered the square, a female voice was heard not far away. Immediately, many gazes shifted to her. Almost no one paid attention to Zhou Mingrui, who was following behind her. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was expressionless. All kinds of whispers were like a spring breeze. She didn¡¯t care about these things at all. ¡°Alright, everyone, pay attention. The [Trial of Obstacles] is about to start. After you enter the trial secret realm, you must work together with your summoned spirits. Don¡¯t be arrogant and face danger alone!¡± ¡°You must believe in your summoned spirit. It is your most loyal companion, your comrade!¡± ¡°If you encounter any life-threatening danger, the secret realm¡¯s space will teleport you out directly, so you must treasure this trial opportunity.¡± On the stage, the teacher¡¯s voice resounded through the square with the help of the loudspeaker, but it did not affect the enthusiastic anticipation of the new students. Soon, an old man walked up to the summoning platform with a cloud of pitch-black mist following him closely. If one¡¯s vision was good enough, they would find that the black mist was so dark that they couldn¡¯t see through it, but there was some distorted starlight floating on the surface of the black mist. ¡°That¡¯s the vice dean. I heard that his summoned spirit is Diamond grade. In the entire academy, only the dean and a few others are stronger than him!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a rare type of summoned spirit, the space spirit. Although its combat power isn¡¯t that high, it¡¯s famous for its strangeness!¡± Upon hearing the conversation, Zhou Mingrui glanced at the space-type summoned spirit. ¡°This feeling is similar to the roc I saw before. The only difference is that the space fluctuations are different.¡± Rubbing his chin, Zhou Mingrui no longer looked over. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± On the high platform, the vice dean who was about to summon the entrance of the secret realm was stunned because his summoned spirit had just sent him a thought. His consciousness was filled with fear and panic as if he had seen the most terrifying natural enemy. [I-I¡¯m fine. It disappeared.] The information that came from his consciousness made the vice dean scratch his head in confusion. He could only continue his preparations to summon the entrance to the secret realm. Soon, an oval-shaped spatial gate appeared in front of the vice dean. ¡°Alright, after you step into the teleportation circle, you will be sent directly to a random location in the secret realm. I hope you can work hard to pass the trial!¡± As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the students began to step into the portal in an orderly manner and disappeared from the square. ¡°Don¡¯t run around later. You must follow me closely!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only When it was Yan Wuyue¡¯s turn, she turned to Zhou Mingrui and gave him some instructions, but the latter just shrugged his shoulders and didn¡¯t answer. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue frowned slightly, but then she turned around and walked into the portal. After Yan Wuyue disappeared, Zhou Mingrui strode into the portal leisurely. After an instant of darkness, Zhou Mingrui quickly realized that he was in an environment similar to an ancient forest. The people around him had already disappeared, leaving him alone. Chapter 5 The moment he entered the space of the secret realm, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sharp senses detected the changes in the space before and after. He also sensed the monsters¡¯ ¡°scent¡± that filled the air. This wasn¡¯t the smell that ordinary people had, but the ¡°smell¡± that belonged to the soul. Twenty-four hours had passed, and he could now leave Yan Wuyue for a certain distance without being restricted. However, if one were to sense carefully, they would be able to lock onto the other party¡¯s position through the connection between them. Although he would return to the illusionary spirit world in a few days if he did not sign the contract, Zhou Mingrui would not give in to the other party. At the same time, he did not owe her anything. Why would he act friendly only to be snubbed? Zhou Mingrui did a silent whistle as he randomly picked a direction and strode forward. As soon as Yan Wuyue entered the secret realm, she immediately took out a foldable alloy knife from her backpack. She was no longer the Goddess of Redemption before her rebirth. Without a contract with her summoned spirit, her physique was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. The only thing she could rely on now was her rich combat experience. After carefully advancing a few hundred meters in the forest-like environment, a roar suddenly erupted beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, Yan Wuyue saw a black shadow flash by, and then a huge force directly hit her and sent her flying several meters away. After rolling on the ground a few times, Yan Wuyue finally stabilized her body. At this time, Yan Wuyue saw the true face of the black shadow. It was a mutant lion nearly four meters in size. The mutant lion opened its mouth and roared, staring at the human in front of it. Shaking her numb arm, Yan Wuyue began to control the frequency of her heartbeat by breathing quickly, forcing herself to calm down. At this moment, panicking was the same as committing suicide. The mutant lion would not give Yan Wuyue time to calm down. After waiting for a few seconds, it rushed over with its big feet. The strong airflow brought about by its body swept out like a hurricane, and the sharp fangs in its open bloody mouth came with a foul smell. The two sides collided in the blink of an eye. Five minutes later. Yan Wuyue stabbed her alloy knife into the ground and sat on the ground, gasping for air. ¡°If I had a summoned spirit, I wouldn¡¯t be so tired after the various attributes were added.¡± However, when she thought about how she had summoned a skeleton, she felt helpless. It was impossible to sign a contract with that skeleton. The growth attribute of that kind of summoned spirit was too poor. A summoned spirit with high growth potential could even give the summoner more attributes than the summoner of a higher level, even if their level was lower than others. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely think of a way to solve this!¡± Yan Wuyue encouraged herself again. Then she stood up from the ground, brushed off the grass and soil on her body, and continued to move forward. For this trial, they had to reach their destination within the stipulated time. Of course, the first to arrive was not the winner, but the one who killed the most monsters in the trial secret realm and earned the most points would be the winner. Of course, in the current situation, Yan Wuyue could only guarantee that she would try not to be at the bottom. Roar! At this moment, pairs of eyes kept appearing in the shadows of the tall trees in the forest. ¡°It¡¯s been less than half a minute, and they¡¯re already here following the smell of blood!¡± Yan Wuyue was helpless. She also wanted to move immediately after killing the mutant lion, but she was surrounded again in less than ten seconds. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks One mutant lion after another walked out of the forest. Their eyes had locked on Yan Wuyue, and it was full of hatred. Feeling helpless, Yan Wuyue could only pick up her alloy knife again and put on a fighting posture to face the six mutant lions that suddenly surrounded her. ¡°I will not fall here!¡± She gritted her teeth and charged at one of the mutant lions with a low roar. Just as Yan Wuyue was surrounded, Zhou Mingrui arrived at a cave. Just as he walked tens of meters deep into the cave, giant pythons as thick as an adult¡¯s waist appeared from various holes in the cave and surrounded Zhou Mingrui. Seeing dozens of pythons surrounding him, Zhou Mingrui raised his hand unhurriedly. A purplish-black light flickered as a long bone saber appeared in his hand. As though they had seen an opening, the dozens of pythons launched a rapid attack at Zhou Mingrui almost simultaneously. The python that was as fast as lightning in the eyes of ordinary people was now in slow motion in his eyes. Waving the bone saber in his hand, the skeleton that looked thin was like a butterfly in a flower bush. It easily dodged the python¡¯s attack and at the same time, slashed at their heart. The moment Zhou Mingrui lowered the bone saber in his hand, dozens of pythons lay motionless on the ground amid a series of plopping sounds. All of them showed no signs of life. [Detected that the host has successfully killed creatures, and the talent, Devour, is activated] The dozens of pythons turned into gray Undead Essence. Following that, they flew to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side like magnets before fusing into his body. [Level increased to LV1!] [Level increased to LV2!] ¡­. [Level increased to LV5!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body began to glow faintly. His height increased from 1.5 meters to around 1.63 meters. His bone armor, which was only as thick as a finger, also began to gradually thicken. The feeling of leveling up made Zhou Mingrui groan in joy. When the light stopped, he immediately turned his head to look in the southeast direction. There was a strong smell of monsters there. As he sprinted, Zhou Mingrui came to the side of a group of feasting monsters. The ferocious beasts that were tearing the fresh meat of their prey suddenly turned their heads to look at him. Without another word, Zhou Mingrui charged forward with his bone saber. With a swing of his blade, these strong fierce beasts were like little chicks. They couldn¡¯t fight back at all as they fled in all directions. However, in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes, these ferocious beasts were adorable experience babies. How could he let them escape just like that? After a series of chaotic pursuits, the ferocious beasts were eventually killed by Zhou Mingrui, who was in the mood to kill. [Level increased to LV6!] [Level increased to LV7!] ¡­. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Without thinking about it, Zhou Mingrui turned his head to look at the group of mutant lions that had been attracted by the smell of blood. When they first saw the blood-soaked skeleton, they all shivered and ran away without hesitation. Zhou Mingrui was not about to let go of these experience babies either. He immediately chased after them as fast as he could. With the help of his talent, the Lotus Flower, his attributes were higher than a normal level 20 monster after he reached level 7. Like a tiger among a flock of sheep, Zhou Mingrui began slaughtering the monsters. Chapter 6 Five minutes later. The mutant lion¡¯s body covered hundreds of meters in the cave, and the smell of blood was so strong that it made people nauseous. As for Zhou Mingrui, he stood still with his bone saber in hand. At that moment, the tip of the saber was dripping blood onto the ground. [Level increased to LV10!] [Detected that host¡¯s level has increased to LV10, talent upgrade activated!] [Congratulations to the host for obtaining the talent ¡°Contract Coherence¡±.] This notification jolted Zhou Mingrui out of his joy of rapidly leveling up. He quickly opened his attribute panel and tapped into the talent list. [Contract Coherence: After signing the equality contract, the host will receive triple the experience of the other contractor.] Upon seeing the talent¡¯s description, the soul flames in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eye sockets flickered. Contracts were generally divided into equality contracts, master-servant contracts, slave contracts, and so on. Summoned spirits with the lowest talent were generally slave contracts. After all, their intelligence might not be too high. This talent made Zhou Mingrui, who originally didn¡¯t want to talk to Yan Wuyue, hesitate. If he had this talent, in addition to his Lotus Flower attribute, then no matter if it was the speed of leveling up or the extent of growth, it would be unprecedented. At that moment, a roar suddenly came from the front of the cave, interrupting Zhou Mingrui¡¯s thoughts. ¡°To be able to have such an aura even at such a distance, this monster is much stronger than the others!¡± With this in mind, Zhou Mingrui immediately strode toward the source of the sound. At the same time, at the other end of the cave. Looking at the orangutan that was as big as a hill, Yan Wuyue¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. It had not been easy for her to escape from the encirclement of the six mutant lions, and she had even managed to kill two of them. However, after running for some distance and shaking off the remaining four lions with great difficulty, she accidentally entered the orangutan¡¯s territory before she could catch her breath and recover her strength. Yan Wuyue¡¯s white neck moved up and down, and her whole body was in a state of tension. The orangutan in front of her was more than four meters tall, and the outline of its strong muscles was extremely obvious. It stood there like a thick wall. Roar! With a roar, the orangutan hammered its chest several times, sending a warning signal to Yan Wuyue. Frowning slightly, Yan Wuyue wanted to retreat. But just as she moved, the orangutan punched the ground. With this punch, even the cave shook slightly, and the gravel at the top of the cave fell. The originally flat ground was directly blasted into a big pit of about half a meter under this punch. It could be seen how terrifying the orangutan¡¯s explosive power was. Yan Wuyue stopped. She knew that it was impossible to run away now, so she had to face the orangutan. However, even at this point, she did not have any fear or worry. She had experienced many big scenes, so her hands did not even shake. However, no matter how calm she was, she couldn¡¯t find the orangutan¡¯s weakness in a short time. It wasn¡¯t that the orangutan didn¡¯t have a weakness, but with Yan Wuyue¡¯s current strength, she really couldn¡¯t find a weakness that she could break. Its thick fur was like a natural armor, protecting the orangutan well. Ordinary attacks could not hurt it at all. Even if its fur was scratched, it was still protected by its thick and strong muscles. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The orangutan seemed to have noticed that its prey had been frightened by it. It opened its mouth and started to cry out. Then, it suddenly jumped with its legs. She rolled to the ground without hesitation, but she was still sent flying several meters away by the aftermath of the orangutan¡¯s landing. Yan Wuyue landed on the ground and gritted her teeth to withstand the intense pain. She quickly got up and pounced forward, once again avoiding the orangutan¡¯s fist. Just like a cat toying with a mouse, the orangutan kept chasing Yan Wuyue around, unwilling to attack her. ¡°Could it be that the assessment is going to end like this?¡± Yan Wuyue began to doubt herself as she kept running away. However, just as she was about to dodge again, she saw from the corner of her eye that the orangutan had stopped chasing her and turned to look behind. Yan Wuyue stopped. Covered in wounds and dirt, she began panting. The continuous dodging had consumed a large part of her physical strength. Seeing the orangutan¡¯s vigilance and complete disregard for her, Yan Wuyue stopped her plan to turn and leave. Roar! The orangutan seemed to have been angered by its own fear. It suddenly raised its fist and hammered its chest continuously, letting out a series of roars. Under Yan Wuyue¡¯s confused gaze, the orangutan lifted its feet and rushed into the cave, only to be swallowed by the darkness in the cave. Boom! Bang! Creak! In a few short seconds, violent tremors and roars came from the cave. Yan Wuyue could hear that there was a fierce battle going on in the cave at this time. The continuous roars of the orangutan proved that the other party was very strong. However, less than ten seconds later, the sound in the cave had a 180-degree change. The orangutan¡¯s roar instantly turned into a series of pained cries, and eventually, it became a wail. In the end, the sounds and movements in the cave completely stopped. And it had only been less than a minute and a half since the orangutan had entered the cave. After waiting for more than ten seconds, Yan Wuyue still didn¡¯t hear any sound from it. Just as she was about to take the risk and enter the cave to find out what was going on, a figure slowly walked out of the dark cave. Creak, creak, creak. It was like the sound of armor colliding with each other when soldiers wearing armor walked. The strong sense of oppression came straight to Yan Wuyue. When the sun shone on the figure, Yan Wuyue, who had been calm since her rebirth, revealed a shocked expression for the first time. At 1.8 meters tall, the other party was wearing exquisite bone armor, which reflected a faint white light under the sunlight. The exquisite craftsmanship made the bone armor look like a white jade carving, crystal clear and warm. By the time the sun fully shone on it, it could be seen that a ferocious bone helmet was covering his face. In his right hand, he was holding the orangutan¡¯s head, which was still dripping with blood, and slowly walked toward Yan Wuyue. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only But Yan Wuyue was not afraid at all, because she felt a familiar fluctuation from the other party. ¡°I know you¡¯re the little skeleton I summoned before.¡± Looking at the other party, who was one head taller than her coming toward her, Yan Wuyue opened her mouth and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me.¡± Zhou Mingrui had no intention of denying it. He reached out and grabbed his ferocious-looking bone helmet. Chapter 7 When the bone helmet was taken off, even Yan Wuyue was shocked. This was because Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current appearance was no longer that of a simple skeleton. The soul flames in his eye sockets had already transformed into a faint blue energy layer that enveloped his entire head, turning it into a head similar to that of an ordinary person. His appearance was so handsome that even Yan Wuyue¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster when she first saw him. His extraordinarily handsome appearance, coupled with the faint soul flame halo around him, made him look even more domineering. ¡°You, what¡¯s with your change? And when did you actually kill that orangutan?¡± Yan Wuyue was really confused and had no idea what had happened. She could only ask subconsciously. ¡°I¡¯m indeed the skeleton from before, but I don¡¯t have to answer your questions.¡± Zhou Mingrui removed his bone helmet and revealed his true appearance. Unlike his previous appearance as a skeleton, the light blue soul flame had spread from his eyes to his entire head, forming a translucent layer of energy. The energy layer outlined the shape of his facial features. With the long hair condensed from energy, it formed an extremely handsome appearance. Even from Yan Wuyue¡¯s point of view, she had to admit that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current handsome appearance made her heart flutter. In addition to the imposing manner of the bone armor, it added an indescribable temperament to him. ¡°He¡¯s directly evolved into an Undead Knight. How long have we been apart? What is going on?¡± At that moment, she was extremely puzzled. Even with her experience from her previous life, she could not tell what had happened to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Alright, all the monsters around here had been killed by me. That should be the boss of this territory. Let¡¯s go elsewhere.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not answer. Instead, he used an indifferent tone to remind her. ¡°I understand.¡± Yan Wuyue did not refute and readily agreed. At this moment, she no longer had her previous arrogant attitude. The hatred she had for Zhou Mingrui from the bottom of her heart had also disappeared. It was unknown if it was because Zhou Mingrui had become more powerful or because of his handsome face. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t know this either. Could it be like what the women around her had said, a handsome appearance could easily lower the guard of the opposite sex? ¡°Based on the strength he displayed just now, he had already reached the peak of B rank and was close to an A rank.¡± ¡°As long as I can sign a contract with him, with the addition of powerful attributes, my strength will definitely become stronger than before, and it will not be just a little stronger!¡± ¡°In that case, with the advantage of my rebirth, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to reach the Epic grade. I might even touch the Legendary grade!¡± ¡°As long as I can reach the Legendary grade, I¡¯ll have a great chance of turning the tide and solving the disaster even if I¡¯m faced with a great calamity!¡± ¡°But with my previous attitude towards him, if I speak rashly now, he will definitely ignore me. What can I do to ease our relationship?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s heart began to struggle. It was the first time she felt so conflicted that she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Focus your attention. Next, you will attract the monsters¡¯ attention and then gather them together as much as possible.¡± ¡°Ah, alright.¡± Yan Wuyue quickly agreed, but for the first time, she felt uncomfortable. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks In the past, she had always been the one to say these words to her subordinates or the weak. No one had ever said this to her. This feeling gave her a strange feeling that she had never felt before. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui was also thinking about the matter of ¡°Contract Coherence¡±. He was thinking about how he could have a conversation with the girl in front of him without losing his dignity and grace regarding the signing of the contract. After all, with the other party¡¯s attitude from before, Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t possibly be eager to get them to sign the contract. That would be embarrassing. However, before Zhou Mingrui was reborn as an Undead Spirit, he was just an ordinary person. He was not a Sea King or a Master of Psychology. Thus, the two of them didn¡¯t speak at all, and they embarked on the journey to hunt down the monsters in the secret realm. ¡­. At the endpoint. ¡°Old Liu, who do you think will get first place in this group of newcomers?¡± A third-year student sitting next to the gate of the finish line yawned in boredom and asked another student next to him. ¡°It should be the guy who summoned the spirit knight and then tested for a C grade growth talent.¡± ¡°I think his name is Zhang Shenglong, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. To be honest, if we wait for him to reach third grade, we might all be hung up and beaten by him.¡± ¡°Hey, I remember that the first place should have been a girl, Yan Wuyue, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She summoned a skeleton with the lowest talent. What else can she do?¡± ¡°What a pity. She¡¯s so beautiful, and everyone had high hopes for her.¡± ¡°Who can you blame for this? Before this, she always gave everyone a sour face, as if she was a white swan while everyone else were toads. It¡¯s infuriating just looking at her.¡± ¡°Yeah, her teacher had been on her side because of her talent, but yesterday¡¯s summoning made her so angry that she left. She must not want to waste her energy on a piece of trash.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I really want to see how that self-righteous woman looks when she comes here.¡± ¡°Me too, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll even make it to the finish line. Hahahaha.¡± Just as the two of them were bantering with each other, a figure appeared at the end. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡± The two students guarding the door immediately stopped talking and got up to welcome the person. After all, the student in front of them might be a big shot in the future. If they didn¡¯t suck up to this person now, when else would they do it? However, when they saw the appearance of the person who had come, the two of them were stunned. With Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hearing, he could naturally hear the conversation between the two. However, he did not mind it. After all, they were just two clowns. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Junior Yan, as your senior, it¡¯s my duty to remind you that if you don¡¯t kill enough monsters, you won¡¯t be able to get a ranking even if you¡¯re the first to arrive.¡± One of the taller senior students warned with a stern expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. Junior, you can¡¯t let us break the rules, right?¡± A short and fat senior student next to him sized up Yan Wuyue with a perverted look. Yan Wuyue suddenly had a look of disgust. She wasn¡¯t a fool, and she knew what the other party¡¯s gaze meant. Chapter 8 ¡°However, if you¡¯re willing to have some fun with us after the trial ends, then we don¡¯t mind helping you get a rank, even though it¡¯ll be a bit lower.¡± The tall guy didn¡¯t wait for Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer. He walked to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°After all, you also know that if your ranking is too low and your results are too bad, it¡¯s very likely that you¡¯ll be expelled from the academy.¡± ¡°Junior, I don¡¯t think you would want that to happen, right?¡± Yan Wuyue immediately stepped back, but the tall guy quickly caught up and grabbed her arm. ¡°Junior, be careful and don¡¯t fall. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be very sad.¡± The tall guy¡¯s face showed an expression that made Yan Wuyue feel extremely disgusted. Just as she couldn¡¯t help but prepare to attack, a thick and strong hand directly grabbed the tall guy¡¯s wrist. ¡°It hurts, it hurts, let go!¡± The tall guy immediately cried out in pain, then turned to the short fatty beside him and shouted, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you attacking, you damn fatty!¡± The short fatty was startled by this roar, and he immediately waved his hand to quickly draw in the air. Immediately after, the void flickered with light, and an array was formed. Following that, a rock spirit covered in crimson rocks stepped out of the summoning array. The moment it appeared, it sensed its master¡¯s command and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. When Zhou Mingrui saw this, he snorted coldly. As he exerted his strength and flung the tall guy away, he raised his leg and kicked the rock spirit. ¡°You even want to kick away my summoned spirit?¡± When the short fatty saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actions, he immediately sneered in disdain. The power of his rock spirit¡¯s charge was no less than a truck¡¯s head-on collision. He didn¡¯t believe that a noob¡¯s summoned spirit could withstand his level 35 summoned spirit. However, the result left the short fatty stunned. This was because Zhou Mingrui had really only used one kick to send the rock spirit that had charged forward flying. The tall guy seized the opportunity and summoned his spirit. A double-horned rhinoceros clad in metal armor emerged from the summoning array and charged at Zhou Mingrui at high speed. The rock spirit stood up at this moment and charged at Zhou Mingrui as well. Seeing that he was being surrounded, Zhou Mingrui calmly extended his skeletal hand and slowly drew a bone saber from his waist. His right foot suddenly stomped on the ground, and he quickly turned around and used the bone saber with inertia to ruthlessly slash at the armored rhinoceros¡¯ body. The bone blade and the metal collided, immediately producing dazzling sparks. However, the armored rhinoceros¡¯ momentum was forcefully halted by the slash. Following that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fist landed heavily on the armored rhinoceros¡¯ head. Bang! The armored rhinoceros was immediately pressed to the ground by the power of the punch, and the ground caved in from the terrifying weight of the armored rhinoceros. At this moment, the rock spirit had arrived behind Zhou Mingrui and slammed its head into the latter. ¡°Success!¡± The short fatty¡¯s face revealed a happy expression, and his fists were clenched tightly. At this time, he seemed to see the scene of this damned guy who suddenly appeared and was ruthlessly knocked away by his summoned spirit. However, the next moment, the short fatty¡¯s happy expression froze on his face. This was because Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body remained unmoved on the spot, while his summoned spirit was sent flying from the impact. It rolled several times on the ground before coming to a stop. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Do you know the consequences of attacking a student from the same school? Not to mention that we¡¯re staff members of this trial!¡± The tall guy stepped forward and pointed at Zhou Mingrui as he questioned him angrily. ¡°I remember that you were the ones who harassed her first, and you even wanted to do something indecent to her.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his eyebrows behind his helmet and spoke in a mocking tone. ¡°You, what evidence do you have!¡± The tall guy said through gritted teeth. ¡°What happened?¡± At this moment, the sunlight above them dimmed. A flying bird that was six to seven meters wide quickly descended from the sky. A male student wearing the academy¡¯s elite uniform jumped down from the back of the bird. ¡°Leader Xu, the two of us asked her to show evidence of her assessment, but not only did she refuse to give it to us, but she also got her summoned spirit to attack us!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The tall guy immediately complained, not giving Yan Wuyue a chance to speak first. ¡°Really?¡± When Leader Xu heard this, he frowned and looked at Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Look at fatty¡¯s and my summoned spirit. They¡¯re already beaten up like this. How would we dare to lie to you?¡± The tall guy pointed at his and fatty¡¯s summoned spirits and cried, squeezing out a few drops of tears. ¡°Do you know that it¡¯s a serious violation of the school rules to attack the staff of the trial secret realm for no reason?¡± Leader Xu asked Yan Wuyue in a low voice. ¡°Xu Hao, do you think I, Yan Wuyue, would do such a thing? You must know better than me what these two disgusting guys are like!¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t even bother to explain and said unhappily. ¡°If you don¡¯t explain, I¡¯ll take it as you agree tacitly!¡± Xu Hao narrowed his eyes, but he wasn¡¯t moved by Yan Wuyue¡¯s words. ¡°Are all the academy staff like this, accusing without any evidence?¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had been silent all this while, spoke. ¡°The evidence is here. Do you have any objections?¡± Xu Hao shot a nonchalant glance at Zhou Mingrui as he pointed at the armored rhinoceros that had collapsed not far away. The giant bird behind him stepped forward and stood behind its master. It glared at Zhou Mingrui with a pair of extremely fierce eyes. ¡°I object!¡± Zhou Mingrui unsheathed his bone saber and retaliated without holding back. ¡°It seems that the two of you are prepared to resist arrest. In that case, I can only make you go back obediently.¡± Xu Hao walked forward. With a flash of light, two long guns appeared in his hands. He raised the black muzzles and aimed them at Zhou Mingrui. The bird next to him flapped its wings, and a strong airflow instantly swept out, blowing the surrounding sand. ¡°Wait!¡± Just as the two sides were hostile to each other, Yan Wuyue stopped them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xu Hao sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want evidence? I have it.¡± Yan Wuyue took out a miniature black button from her combat suit and pressed it lightly. A light screen was projected on the ground. The scene and conversation that had just happened were instantly reenacted. The tall guy and the short fatty were shocked when they saw this! Who the heck would bring a miniature camera to the trial? The academy did send unmanned robotic cameras to monitor the students in the trial field, but they would also evacuate when they reached the important areas. ¡°Xu Hao, you should give me an explanation, right?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s tone began to sound angry. Xu Hao¡¯s expression calmed down after he saw what had happened. He patted the bird¡¯s head and turned around. Just when everyone thought he was going to leave, Xu Hao suddenly moved and appeared in front of the tall guy, punching him in the stomach. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Then, he moved again and kicked the short fatty. ¡°When you go back, go to the academy¡¯s disciplinary office and explain clearly. If I find out that you try to hide, I will make you regret coming to the academy.¡± Having said that, Xu Hao jumped directly onto the back of the bird. Then, before it flew away, he turned to look at Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll see each other on the field.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the bird flapped its wings and rushed into the sky. Chapter 9 Watching Xu Hao leave, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t take it to heart. After all, he was only an elite student. Puke! The tall guy was kneeling on the ground and retching. Xu Hao¡¯s punch was not light, and he could not stand up for a while. ¡°Is there no one else who can help to register? Then I¡¯m going to go directly to the academy¡¯s administrative office to complain about your trial secret realm team!¡± Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui walked back to the registration counter. Seeing that the two guys had not returned, Yan Wuyue snorted. ¡°There is¡­¡± The short fatty could only stand up from the ground with great difficulty. He endured the pain and limped to the registration desk while touching his thigh. Yan Wuyue was expressionless. She took out a package from her backpack and threw it on the counter in front of the short fatty. The short fatty quickly steadied the bag, then opened it and poured out all the certificates inside. The certificates covered the table with a rustling sound. While he was marveling at the amazing number of certificates, the fat on his body suddenly trembled. This was because he saw the most eye-catching one among all the certificates. It was also a unique one in the entire secret realm, and it belonged to the leader of the secret realm. ¡°This, this, this ¡­¡± The short fatty trembled and became incoherent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, fatty?¡± At this time, the tall guy had also recovered and came behind the short fatty. When he saw the only certificate in the entire secret realm, he was stunned. In the previous four batches, not a single student had been able to take down the leader of the secret realm. It was clear how powerful the leader was. But this time, he didn¡¯t expect that it would be defeated by Yan Wuyue, who summoned a skeleton. It was truly unacceptable and unimaginable. ¡°Is there a problem with the certificate?¡± Yan Wuyue immediately asked with a frown. ¡°No, no problem. With your battle record, you¡¯re undoubtedly the first place in this trial. Congratulation.¡± The short fatty quickly complimented Yan Wuyue while registering, completely forgetting the fact that the two of them had wanted to take advantage of her. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care. Since she had already registered, she could go to the rest area at the back. In the resting area, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui found a corner to sit down in, and they began to close their eyes to rest. Very quickly, as the trial time ended, more and more students began to enter the lounge. ¡°Why did Yan Wuyue arrive first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, didn¡¯t she summon a little skeleton? How can she be the first to arrive even with a piece of trash?¡± ¡°Could it be that she deliberately went around those monsters to be the first to reach here?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s no use coming here first. This result doesn¡¯t count. However, she should have been eliminated directly.¡± ¡°Could she have used something in exchange to make the people bring her here?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Who knows.¡± There was a burst of whispering around, completely ignoring the fact that Yan Wuyue was still in the lounge. The most unpleasant words came from the female students who had been constantly fawning over Yan Wuyue in the past. Zhou Mingrui turned to look at Yan Wuyue, but he saw no change in her expression. It was as if she had not heard anything. She looked calm. This scene changed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s opinion of her. After all, the fact that she was able to achieve such a level of calmness despite all the gossip was enough to prove how strong her heart was. ¡°Silence!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks At this moment, a majestic voice sounded from the door, and the entire classroom immediately fell silent. Everyone¡¯s gazes turned to the door. A middle-aged man wearing a red robe with golden patterns walked in. His facial features were firm, and he exuded an aura of might without being angry. ¡°It seemed like all of you are very happy, right?¡± After the middle-aged man entered the lounge, he looked around at the students inside and said with a frown. Other than Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue, the other students couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight when his gaze swept across them. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your results.¡± The middle-aged man raised his hand and waved the report card in his hand. He then said angrily, ¡°As the dean of the Heavenly Saint Academy, I have presided over almost ten trials, but this is the first time I have seen such a terrible result!¡± ¡°In the end, you still have the face to be self-satisfied here. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± All the students present lowered their heads at this scolding, except for Yan Wuyue, who looked at this scene calmly. ¡°Of course, only one person¡¯s grades were passable in my eyes. If the others were to follow my standard, everyone would all fail!¡± The dean looked at Yan Wuyue, who was sitting by the window in the corner. ¡°This student is in the first place in this year¡¯s freshmen trial. And also the first student to defeat the leader of the secret realm in four consecutive years!¡± ¡°Her score is ahead of the second place by a full sixty percent. You can say that she crushed all of you!¡± ¡°She¡¯s Yan Wuyue!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone immediately turned to look at Yan Wuyue in the corner. Almost everyone had a look of disbelief on their faces. After all, her summoned spirit was only a small skeleton. Moreover, looking at the skeleton¡¯s current appearance, it had obviously reached a certain level and was about to evolve into the next level of skeleton knight. ¡°All of you should know about Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit, but she still won first place in the trial and killed the leader of the secret realm.¡± ¡°Look at yourselves!¡± At the dean¡¯s reminder, the students present were terrified after thinking about it carefully. It could be said that Yan Wuyue had completed all these with her ability while carrying a burden. The way everyone looked at Yan Wuyue had changed from the previous contempt to astonishment, and then the eyes of most students quickly turned into admiration. There was no joy or sorrow on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face as if this matter was nothing to her. However, at this moment, her heart was in a completely different state. This was because 90% of these battle results were attributed to Zhou Mingrui. Even with her personality from two lives, it was already good enough that she could control herself and not blush. Furthermore, it was useless for Yan Wuyue to explain this matter. First of all, Zhou Mingrui was still her summoned spirit in the eyes of others. No matter how powerful Zhou Mingrui was, the results would only be counted on her. Therefore, Yan Wuyue could only go against her conscience and accept the results. At that moment, her impression of Zhou Mingrui had undergone a 360-degree change. She no longer had any conflicting feelings towards him. Of course, she had also been trying her best to kill the trial monsters and had even helped to attract monsters and aggro. She had also put in a lot of hard work. Therefore, she was still qualified to enjoy the attention and glory. Hmm, she wasn¡¯t consoling herself. Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t saying anything either. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Zhou Mingrui felt Yan Wuyue¡¯s gaze and gave her a strange look, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Did you see that? Even though she won first place, Yan Wuyue is still humble and doesn¡¯t have any arrogance. You have to learn from her!¡± ¡°However, this trial secret realm is only an appetizer. The main purpose is to test the tacit understanding between you and the summoned spirit.¡± ¡°The interschool championships next month will be the place where all of you will truly display your talents!¡± ¡°I hope that all of you will be able to learn from your mistakes and continue to improve yourselves. I hope that all of you will be able to achieve a result that will make you, your family, and the academy proud!¡± Chapter 10 Walking out of the lounge, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care about those guys who came to get close to her. In her eyes, these guys were as annoying as flies. ¡°Yue Yue!¡± Just as she was walking halfway, a familiar female voice sounded. Yan Wuyue turned around and saw Zhou Yanyan, who had claimed to be her best friend in front of outsiders. For the first time, Yan Wuyue, who had always been indifferent, showed an unpleasant expression. Before her rebirth, Yan Wuyue had really regarded this girl, who looked very innocent, as her best friend. In her previous life, her best friend had used her name to flaunt her power everywhere, and Yan Wuyue had even come out to solve her problems many times. Moreover, in this life, after seeing her summon the skeleton that day, she decisively cut off contact with Yan Wuyue and drew a line. Yan Wuyue felt very uncomfortable thinking about it. ¡°Yue Yue, my friend lied to me two days ago and said that you were talking bad about me behind my back. I was furious when I heard that, so I haven¡¯t contacted you for the past two days.¡± ¡°Today, after I asked clearly, I found out that it was that fellow who was spouting nonsense. I¡¯ve already scolded her and cut off all contact with her.¡± Zhou Yanyan said as she walked forward, ready to hold Yan Wuyue¡¯s arm like before. But Yan Wuyue suddenly took two steps back. ¡°Yue Yue, please believe me. I was really deceived. Please forgive me.¡± Zhou Yanyan stepped forward again, faster this time. Having known Yan Wuyue for several years, she knew her character weakness. However, she had miscalculated this time. ¡°Stop. If you come any closer, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± Yan Wuyue immediately scolded in a low voice, and Zhou Yanyan stopped in her tracks. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the show from the side, picked his ears. He left after saying that he would take his leave first and that the two of them could continue chatting. Zhou Mingrui was not interested in knowing what they were going to say. ¡°From this moment on, you and I are no longer friends. Don¡¯t interfere with my life anymore.¡± ¡°Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what I would do. You should know my personality.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue left, leaving Zhou Yanyan standing there in a daze. Back home, Yan Wuyue removed her disguise in front of outsiders and trotted up to the attic. On her way home, she had already made up her mind to sign a contract with Zhou Mingrui. Whether it was for the future of mankind or herself, this was something she had to do. She had already come up with several plans in her mind. How should she approach Zhou Mingrui to get him to agree? At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s room door was open, and he was packing his things. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yan Wuyue quickly asked. ¡°You can¡¯t even tell? I¡¯m packing up my things and leaving!¡± Zhou Mingrui wrapped a cup and placed it in his luggage. He didn¡¯t even turn his head as he spoke. ¡°Leave? Why should you leave? Aren¡¯t you doing well?¡± Although Yan Wuyue really wanted to ask what an Undead Spirit wanted a cup for, she still asked what she really wanted to ask. ¡°In any case, we have not signed a contract. After a while, I will be automatically transported back to the illusionary spirit world. I want to take advantage of this time to travel.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had finished packing his luggage, carried it over his shoulder and was about to leave the room. But when he turned around, he found Yan Wuyue blocking the door. ¡°What are you doing? I can¡¯t even pack my things and leave?¡± Seeing that Yan Wuyue had no intention of stepping aside, Zhou Mingrui said unhappily. ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave!¡± Yan Wuyue immediately said with a determined look. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I¡¯ve helped you complete the trial and got first place, so I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you want me to help you win this year¡¯s freshmen tournament before letting me go? That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Even those capitalists aren¡¯t as outrageous as you!¡± Zhou Mingrui snorted and reached out to push Yan Wuyue away. ¡°We can sign a contract. That way, you won¡¯t have to return to the illusionary spirit world.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice softened as he stared at Zhou Mingrui with her big eyes. ¡°Sign a contract?¡± ¡°Hmph! You didn¡¯t even bother to look at me when I was useless before. Now that I¡¯m useful, you want to sign a contract. Do you really think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Zhou Mingrui repeated before he snorted coldly. ¡°You!¡± Yan Wuyue was so angry that she felt suffocated. After all, as a top human expert in the past, it had been many years since she had met someone who dared to speak to her in such a tone. But now that she had a favor to ask of him, she couldn¡¯t let her temper flare-up. Otherwise, she would really drive him away. ¡°It was indeed my fault at that time, but when we tested your growth talent, it was the lowest level, and I was also confused at that time.¡± ¡°If this has caused you any trouble, I¡¯m here to apologize.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue even took the initiative to bow and apologize to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°If an apology is useful, why do we need the law-enforcement officers?¡± Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui only grinned and did not say anything. ¡°I¡¯m already like this. Why are you still saying this!¡± Upon hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned red with anger. She wanted to reprimand him, but she could only suppress her anger. ¡°Oh, since you don¡¯t like it when I say that, then I¡¯ll leave.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders and picked up his luggage indifferently. He was about to leave again. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Zhou Mingrui!¡± Yan Wuyue quickly called out and grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm. ¡°What now?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked, despite knowing the answer. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll tell you a secret! It¡¯s a secret that only I know in this world.¡± Gritting her teeth, Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°You can say it first. I¡¯ll decide if I want to leave after I hear it.¡± Zhou Mingrui was not someone who would be easily fooled. He spoke decisively. Phew! Yan Wuyue closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths. She was trying hard to calm herself down from the urge to pull out a knife and stab Zhou Mingrui. After opening her eyes, she first walked to the door to take a look before looking out the window. After confirming that there was no problem with the environment, she walked to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I am a reincarnated person!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only After Yan Wuyue finished speaking, she let out a long breath and looked at Zhou Mingrui. At the same time, a huge burden was lifted from her heart. After all, those who were reincarnated usually had to bury this secret at the bottom of their hearts. It was almost impossible for them to tell others, and they had to bear a lot of psychological pressure. Then, she looked expectantly at Zhou Mingrui. It was as though he would sign a contract with her without any hesitation after hearing her words. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reaction was completely beyond her expectations. ¡°Why do you being a reincarnated person have anything to do with me?¡± Chapter 11 ¡°You, you don¡¯t know what a reincarnated person is?¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t believe it, as if she was looking at an alien. However, she suddenly recalled that Zhou Mingrui came from the illusionary spirit world. It was normal for him not to know what a reincarnated person was. At this moment, Yan Wuyue finally came to her senses. It turned out that she had been mistaken all along. Zhou Mingrui was a summoned spirit, not a Summoner like her. ¡°I¡¯ll explain to you what a reincarnated person is. For example, if I have the memories of the present and suddenly go back to time and space ten years ago, then I¡¯m a reincarnated person.¡± Yan Wuyue tried to explain to Zhou Mingrui in the simplest words. ¡°You have to know that in 10 years, the entire human race will face terrifying monsters from unknown places. Endless monsters will fight with us humans, fighting for territory.¡± ¡°Even if I become the leader of the entire human race ten years later, the Goddess of Redemption with top combat power, I will not be able to turn the tide and kill all those monsters.¡± ¡°But now that I¡¯ve been reincarnated and summoned you, with your growth potential and my reborn identity, we can definitely raise our strength to an even more powerful realm before the great calamity arrives.¡± ¡°In that case, we will have hope to defeat those monsters, take back the territory we lost, and save all mankind!¡± ¡°As long as you sign the contract with me, we can become the saviors of the world, the benefactors of all mankind!¡± The more Yan Wuyue spoke, the more emotional she became. In the end, she even raised her hands and began a passionate speech. ¡°But what does this have to do with me? If this world falls, I can just return to the illusionary spirit world. I don¡¯t believe that they can still go to the illusionary spirit world to find me.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and denied Yan Wuyue¡¯s words. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned pale with anger. She felt as if there was blood in her throat, and her chest felt extremely tight and uncomfortable. However, Yan Wuyue still endured it. She knew that she was now shouldering the hope of the entire human race and couldn¡¯t be buried by her anger. Therefore, Yan Wuyue kept taking deep breaths to suppress the volcano that was about to explode in her heart. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face, which was originally so angry that it almost erupted like a volcano, was forcibly transformed into an amiable expression in just a few seconds. The twitching muscles on her face proved how much force she was putting in and enduring it in her heart. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you about the reincarnated person. If you sign a contract with me, I can bring you to find more good equipment and relics.¡± ¡°That was all planned before I was reborn. Some of the things are very precious. They might even be unique in this world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one who knows their current location or the method to obtain them.¡± ¡°Those things can help you and me to quickly increase our strength and surpass the people around us!¡± Looking at Yan Wuyue¡¯s change of attitude, Zhou Mingrui was laughing in his heart, but he still maintained a serious expression. ¡°Although you¡¯re a rare undead creature, I still know many treasures that belong to you.¡± ¡°As long as you sign a contract with me, I¡¯ll definitely give you a share of the treasure hunt. However, if you don¡¯t sign a contract with me, then these things can only be left aside covered in the dust.¡± Looking at Zhou Mingrui, who seemed to be deep in thought, Yan Wuyue continued to increase her offensive power, trying to take down the entire mountain in one fell swoop! ¡°I understand your reasoning, but why should I believe you? There¡¯s no assurance for me when there¡¯s no evidence.¡± ¡°And after signing the contract, you can go back on your words, and I can¡¯t hold you responsible.¡± ¡°Do you think you would do such a thing if you were in my shoes?¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and retorted with a solemn tone. In fact, this was just a test. After all, the innate talent ¡°Contract Coherence¡± was a passive existence, and he really wanted to sign a contract. However, he had to keep all this in his heart and couldn¡¯t show any flaws on his face. ¡°Then what do you want!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Yan Wuyue was completely at her wit¡¯s end. She stopped pretending to be kind, revealed her pair of tiger teeth, and asked fiercely. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s more like it. This is the real you. I felt embarrassed when you were acting like that before.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud, making Yan Wuyue¡¯s right cheek twitch. ¡°Actually, I quite like this world too. After all, the illusionary spirit world is really too boring. It¡¯s just the same things that never change.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders and put down his luggage. ¡°So, you¡¯re willing to sign the contract?¡± Yan Wuyue was surprised at first, and she looked happy for the first time. ¡°Well, I can sign the contract. You¡¯re already so sincere. It would be unreasonable if I don¡¯t sign it.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s handsome features formed from energy smiled. ¡°That¡¯s it. Signing with me will only bring you benefits and no harm.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded and said with confidence. ¡°But let¡¯s get the serious stuff out of the way first. Although we can sign the contract, we have to agree to three rules!¡± Zhou Mingrui raised three fingers and spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°What three rules? I¡¯ll say this first, don¡¯t you raise any excessive conditions, or I¡¯d rather not sign with you!¡± Suddenly, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face showed a vigilant look, and then she took several steps back. ¡°What are you thinking¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui was speechless. What was this woman thinking? ¡°I have three conditions.¡± ¡°The first one is that we can only sign an equality contract. No other contracts are allowed.¡± Zhou Mingrui extended a finger. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re signing other kinds of contracts, and I can¡¯t bring myself to say it either.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded in agreement. ¡°The second condition is that all the spoils of war from now on will split to 30 ¨C 70. I¡¯ll take 70%, and you¡¯ll take 30%. I¡¯ll have the priority to choose what benefits me.¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he extended a second finger. ¡°This is too much. It¡¯s clearly an equality contract, so why should we split the spoils 30 ¨C 70?¡± Yan Wuyue was immediately displeased. Was this an equality contract or a slave contract? ¡°The third condition. From the moment the contract is signed, you have no right to demand me to take the initiative to fight unless I¡¯m willing.¡± Zhou Mingrui extended his third finger and spoke with a calm expression. ¡°What! Are you kidding me?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Hearing this, Yan Wuyue immediately exploded! ¡°You mean, according to the second condition, if you refuse to fight, I have to give you 70% of the spoils of war for no reason?¡± ¡°And I, the one who contributed, can only get 30%?¡± ¡°Are you trying to insult my intelligence?¡± Yan Wuyue was so angry that she covered her chest with her hand. She had never met someone who could be so shameless! Chapter 12 ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. If you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to sign it, then I¡¯ll leave.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui got up and prepared to leave with his luggage. ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Wuyue spoke again. This time, she had calmed down. ¡°I didn¡¯t control my temper just now. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°But I just want to ask, if you only take the loot and don¡¯t level up, what will you do with your combat power if you level up like this?¡± The expression on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face returned to its previous look. After all, she was also a reincarnated person who had experienced big scenes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. You only need to know the contents of my three conditions. If you can accept them, then sign the contract. Otherwise, forget about it.¡± Of course, Zhou Mingrui could not tell Yan Wuyue about his ¡°Contract Coherence¡± talent. Otherwise, Yan Wuyue would blow up. Yan Wuyue narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face as if she was trying to figure out something from it. However, after looking at him for a long time, she couldn¡¯t see any flaws in his face. Taking a deep breath, Yan Wuyue immediately made a decision. ¡°Alright, I agree to your three conditions!¡± After all, she was once the Goddess of Redemption, and she still had this bit of courage and decisiveness. As long as she could sign a contract with Zhou Mingrui and receive a synchronized enhancement in her attributes, it would not be a problem for her to level up alone. As for the spoils of war, based on the number she had in her memory, it would not matter even if she gave Zhou Mingrui 70% of it. After all, they had already signed a contract. No matter how strong Zhou Mingrui was, he was still her contract summoned spirit. The one who would benefit from it would be her and not anyone else. Yan Wuyue did not believe that Zhou Mingrui would not save her if she was in danger. And the main reason was that in the freshmen tournament a month from now, the things that the first place would get would be very important to her! ¡°Very good. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so bold. Alright, let¡¯s start signing the contract.¡± Zhou Mingrui stood up and pushed his luggage to the side. Yan Wuyue also stood up and began to chant an incantation. At the same time, she drew a strange magic array in the air with her fingers. Soon, the magic array was successfully constructed. As the light flickered, faint water ripples began to appear in the space, and a magic array that seemed to be in the water took shape. Yan Wuyue stepped forward and reached her hand in. Soon, she took out a scroll made of animal skin. After taking out the scroll, Yan Wuyue unfolded it and put it in front of her. The scroll automatically floated in the air. Yan Wuyue raised her hand, bit her finger, and signed her name on the bottom left side of the contract. Once the signing was done, the entire piece of animal skin reacted, then it emitted a faint golden light. Then, with Yan Wuyue¡¯s prodding, the scroll floated in front of Zhou Mingrui. After carefully reading through the contents of the contract, Zhou Mingrui raised his hand and gathered energy on his finger. After he signed his name, the contract suddenly glowed brightly and turned into a huge ball of light with a diameter of half a meter. In the next second, the ball of light split into two and quickly became two smaller balls of light. They quickly flew into Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s minds. [Parallel contract completed, beginning construction of soul bridge] As the voice rang in their minds, two balls of light began to light up on the foreheads of the two people. Then, the lights attracted each other, and a light band formed between the two people like a bridge. At this moment, the two of them felt that there was something extra between them. [Soul bridge completed, contract successful] As soon as the voice stopped, the bridge of light between the two of them disappeared, turning into stars that scattered in all directions. [A contract with the Summoner has been detected. The special mission conditions have been met. The system will begin drawing talents.] Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks [Drawing successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the innate talent ¡°Spirit Eye¡±] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui was overjoyed. He immediately opened his attribute panel and found the ¡°Spirit Eye¡± in his talent bar to read its introduction. [Spirit Eye: Able to see the world through its essence. Able to detect the other party¡¯s biological and mechanical structure under certain conditions and obtain more hidden information.] Zhou Mingrui immediately looked at Yan Wuyue and activated the passive ability of his Spirit Eye. The next moment, an attribute panel appeared before his eyes. [Name: Yan Wuyue] [Level: LV5] [Strength 5 (+40), Constitution 3 (+40), Agility 4 (+40), Intelligence 3 (+15), Endurance 3 (+20).] [Skills: None] [Talent: None] ¡­ Seeing these pitiful numbers, Zhou Mingrui shook his head helplessly. As for Yan Wuyue, she was puzzled as to why she felt like she had been seen through. ¡°It seems that after signing the contract, your condition has become even better?¡± After shutting off his Spirit Eye talent, Zhou Mingrui acted as if he didn¡¯t know anything and asked about the situation. ¡°Hmm, I can feel it. My physical fitness is much stronger than before. Whether it¡¯s my muscles or internal organs, they¡¯re all getting stronger.¡± Yan Wuyue closed her eyes and carefully sensed the changes in her body. Different types of summoned spirits had different buffs for their respective Summoners. For example, some were more towards strength and endurance, while others were more towards speed and extreme reaction. Yan Wuyue knew all of this. Although she was mentally prepared, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s power when she felt that her attributes had been enhanced. ¡°Remember the three rules we agreed on!¡± Zhou Mingrui gave a friendly reminder before he sat back down in his chair and did not say another word. ¡°I know. Since I¡¯ve made a promise, I won¡¯t go back on it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± After Yan Wuyue finished speaking, she continued to feel the strengthening of her body. ¡°Miss, the master is looking for you. He is waiting for you in the living room downstairs.¡± Just then, a servant in a maid¡¯s uniform came over and said to Yan Wuyue. ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded and turned to leave the room, leaving Zhou Mingrui alone. ¡°I can have a good sleep now.¡± Seeing Yan Wuyue leave, Zhou Mingrui had already thrown his suitcase to the side. He took off his armor and lay on the bed. ¡­. ¡°Father, is there something you need me for?¡± Yan Wuyue pushed open the door of the living room. She first looked at her mother, who was sitting on the sofa with a worried look. Then, she looked at her father, who had a helpless expression. She seemed to have understood something. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Did you sign a contract with that skeleton?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s father raised his cup, took a sip of tea, and asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Yan Wuyue already had a rough idea of what had happened. After all, in her previous life, she was the most powerful force in the entire family and even the entire human race. Therefore, she was very clear about many things in the family. From her current situation, she could roughly guess her father¡¯s thoughts and actions this time. Chapter 13 ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s father, Yan Bin, sighed. ¡°The clan originally had high expectations of you, so they gave you priority in the allocation of resources. This also led to the reduction of resources for the other young people in the clan.¡± Yan Bin said helplessly after taking a sip of tea. ¡°So, they¡¯ve been watching me all the time. As soon as something happens to me, they¡¯ll protest to the clan and take back the resources from me, right?¡± Yan Wuyue directly helped Yan Bin finish his sentence. ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯ve already thought of it, I don¡¯t need to explain further.¡± The helplessness on Yan Bin¡¯s face faded a little. Yan Wuyue¡¯s sensible intelligence reduced the gloominess in his heart. ¡°Then those old guys in the clan took back the share of resources allocated to me, and they even reduced it by a portion?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and she continued to push while thinking. ¡°No, they reduced your resource distribution ratio to almost 10%. It¡¯s useless even if I help you to argue at the clan meeting because the gap in votes is too big.¡± ¡°Even if you won first place in this secret realm trial, they think it¡¯s just luck. They even say that this small trial can¡¯t prove anything.¡± Yan Bin let out a long breath, his face showing signs of fatigue. Yan Wuyue was a little surprised, but she also felt it was normal. If she was an elder in the clan, after knowing that the genius who had occupied most of the resources of the younger generation in the family had become a useless person, she would not maintain the original distribution. This was also for the sake of the clan. But what kind of person was Yan Wuyue? How could the former Goddess of Redemption be bullied like this? ¡°Father, it¡¯s just a few resources. Without them, the speed of my strength¡¯s improvement will indeed be slower, but strength ultimately depends on oneself.¡± Yan Wuyue stood up. There was no anger or dejection on her face, but it was full of confidence! ¡°You, you summoned a skeleton with pitifully low growth potential. Are you really confident?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even though the clan has cut off all your resources, I¡¯ve saved up over the years. If I cast my reputation aside, I¡¯ll be able to get you enough resources to help you summon again!¡± Yan Bin said quickly. Yan Wuyue was very touched to see her father so considerate. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. This time, I¡¯ll tell them that they¡¯ve misjudged us!¡± ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯ll make them pay you back in double for embarrassing you in the clan meeting!¡± Yan Wuyue said in a decisive tone. ¡°Alright, my good daughter. I¡¯m very pleased that you have such ambition. If you need anything, just tell me. I¡¯ll get it for you even if I have to give up my old life!¡± Yan Bin was also affected by his daughter¡¯s imposing manner, and he said heroically. After leaving the living room, Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression became calm again. The clan had cut off her resources. Although it was within her expectations, it would still have a certain impact. Back in the room, Yan Wuyue sat in a chair and fell into silence. Zhou Mingrui, who was by the side, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so serious after you¡¯re done talking downstairs?¡± ¡°My clan cut off my resources and disrupted some of my plans.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head, indicating that she would not be distracted by those things. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Today is the day when the resources will be distributed. I¡¯ve already made plans. There¡¯s an auction in the Starry Sky Auction House in the city, and there¡¯s a batch of potions sealed in a special box that we can get.¡± ¡°If we can obtain it, you and I can increase our strength even faster before the freshmen tournament.¡± ¡°But now, because my clan is looking down on me, I have no resources, and my credit card has been frozen. I don¡¯t want to touch my father¡¯s money.¡± ¡°As for borrowing money from a friend, you also understand my current situation.¡± Yan Wuyue poured out her grievances to Zhou Mingrui while she rubbed her temples. The confident look she had in front of her father was gone. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your clan know that you won first place in the secret realm trial?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had his legs crossed, asked curiously. ¡°They think that we were just lucky and that it doesn¡¯t count.¡± Yan Wuyue poured herself a glass of fruit juice and said while drinking. ¡°What about the freshmen tournament?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°With our current strength, there¡¯s basically no hope for us in the freshmen tournament.¡± Yan Wuyue put down the juice and began to recall the information about this freshmen competition in her previous life. ¡°Don¡¯t think that we¡¯ve taken down the secret realm¡¯s leader is enough. In this month, after signing a contract with the summoned spirits, the children of many large families will receive the clan¡¯s resources and focused cultivation based on the talent of the summoned spirits.¡± ¡°They look weak now, but after a month, things will be completely different.¡± ¡°In the freshmen tournament before my rebirth, I tried my best but only got the tenth place. Many of those who were ranked before me were fierce people at that time.¡± ¡°Some of them are nouveau riche who relied on their clan¡¯s resources, some of them are geniuses with summoned spirits who are talented and have a certain amount of resources, and some of them are super talents who forced their way in with their own efforts even if they don¡¯t have resources.¡± Yan Wuyue told him what had happened before she was reborn. ¡°Then what was your situation at that time?¡± Zhou Mingrui took Yan Wuyue¡¯s fruit juice and gulped it down in one go before burping. His face was filled with a satisfied expression as if he was listening to a story. ¡°At that time, I summoned an Ankylosaurus, and it was detected to have a B rank talent. Under the full cultivation of my clan¡¯s resources, I was promoted to Silver grade before the freshmen tournament, and my summoned beast also reached level 20.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care about Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attitude. After all, it was rare for someone to listen to her talk about things that she shouldn¡¯t have told another person. ¡°Ankylosaurus? Was it the kind that had diamond armor on the back, a crystal-clear horn on the nose, and could even shrink into a ball and roll around to attack?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s interest was piqued as he recalled a type of summoned spirit he had seen in the illusionary spirit world. ¡°That¡¯s the Diamond-Horned Ankylosaurus, the upgraded form of the Ankylosaurus after level 70. Where were you? Oh, right, you should have seen it before in the illusionary spirit world.¡± Yan Wuyue was stunned for a moment before she came back to her senses. She often saw Zhou Mingrui as a human, so she couldn¡¯t react for a while. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°According to the records in the database, isn¡¯t your illusionary spirit world¡¯s territory consciousness very strong? How did you see an Ankylosaurus above level 70?¡± It was Yan Wuyue¡¯s turn to be curious. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who went to see it. It wanted to see me.¡± Zhou Mingrui supported his head with his hand and returned to his lazy self. In his heart, he thought that the thing was kneeling a little far away from him. If it wasn¡¯t for his good eyesight, he wouldn¡¯t have even seen it. Chapter 14 Yan Wuyue tilted her head and looked at Zhou Mingrui with a strange expression as if to say, ¡°Brother, are you kidding me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m bragging?¡± Zhou Mingrui instantly read Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression and asked. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not bragging. I¡¯ll believe you, okay?¡± Yan Wuyue spread out her hands to show that she was willing to believe it. ¡°If I were to tell this woman that the summoned spirits I saw included the ancient divine dragon and the phoenix, she would probably be scared silly,¡± He thought. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t wish to continue the conversation. After all, no matter how much he said, people would think that he was bragging. That would be meaningless. In any case, in the future, this little girl would find out just how high his status in the illusionary spirit world was. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± Zhou Mingrui took the opportunity to ask. ¡°The money I have on me now is only enough for my daily life, and I don¡¯t have enough resources to use. You¡¯re not willing to help me, so I can only go to the academy¡¯s training ground first.¡± ¡°As for going out of the city to hunt in the monster gathering area, without the company of a summoned spirit, I¡¯d be delivering food to the monsters.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue got up and returned to her room. By the time she reached the door, she had already changed into sportswear and went out alone to the training ground of the academy. Zhou Mingrui had visited the training ground before. It covered a large area and was well-equipped with facilities. It was very suitable for training between a Summoner and a summoned spirit. There was also a battle simulation training ground. One could also gain experience by doing battle simulations on the training ground. However, the experience gained would be much lesser compared to the monster gathering areas. Zhou Mingrui did not follow because he had the talent of [Contract Coherence]. The more Yan Wuyue practiced, the more experience he would gain. Why should he train so hard? Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. During this time, Yan Wuyue would go to the training ground every day to train, and then go home with a tired face, but she never relaxed for a moment. This made Zhou Mingrui, who had already decided to slack off and be a lazy bum, feel a sense of inferiority. Of course, he quickly indulged in the wonderful days of leveling up while lying down. Because of [Contract Coherence], his experience had been increasing, and soon, he reached level 19¡¯s cap. He only needed one more day to reach level 20. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, I¡¯ve been tolerating you for a long time. I didn¡¯t expect you to lie at home for half a month without leaving the house. Are you a skeleton or a lazy bum!¡± With her hands on her hips, Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was lying on the bed and playing games on the virtual gaming console. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree on three rules? What, are you going to break them now?¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t even look at Yan Wuyue. His eyes continued to focus on the game console in his hand. One must know that before he transmigrated to the illusionary spirit world, as long as he was given a good computer with internet, as well as sufficient water and food, he could stay at home until the end of the world! ¡°You¡¯re right. One of the three conditions we agreed on is that you can¡¯t be forced to take action under any conditions.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m not forcing you to fight this time. I¡¯m asking you to train with me!¡± ¡°This won¡¯t go against the three agreements between us.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face revealed a smug smile as she looked at Zhou Mingrui triumphantly. ¡°Then I won¡¯t go either. What can you do to me?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After putting down the game console, Zhou Mingrui picked up the blueberry juice beside him and took a sip before continuing to play the game. ¡°Fine, you forced me to do this.¡± At the sight of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s rascal-like behavior, Yan Wuyue wrinkled her nose and decisively snapped her fingers. The next moment, the game console in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand turned black. The huge television on the wall that was playing a dance program of beautiful women also turned black. ¡°First of all, in our agreement, there was no promise that I would provide you with any entertainment facilities.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already shut down all the electronic and virtual entertainment facilities at home. If you¡¯re really a lazy bum, you can continue to lie at home and sleep.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue stood up to leave. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to get up. After stretching his back, he followed behind Yan Wuyue. Seeing that this lazy bum had finally gotten up and was willing to go with her, Yan Wuyue thought to herself that life was too difficult. The two soon arrived at the training ground. Zhou Mingrui realized that even though it was evening, the place was still bustling with activity. Summoners and summoned spirits were training hard everywhere. ¡°The atmosphere is quite good.¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little surprised. However, when he thought about Shuimu University in his previous life, he felt at ease. There was no lack of people who wanted to change their fate with their hard work, no matter which world they were in. With a sweep of his gaze, lazy, no, Zhou Mingrui saw the resting area and headed straight for it. First, he ordered a glass of milk, a bowl of a ready-made meal, and a bag of chocolate from the vending machine. Then, he sat on the sofa and continued to idle. Yan Wuyue was already numb. Was this guy not a skeleton but a lazy bum spirit? So many students were dripping with sweat here, and the atmosphere was so intense. How could this lazy bum spirit lie on the sofa? Forget it. Yan Wuyue had given up. She no longer intended to care about this lazy bum. Instead, she walked toward the training equipment she was used to using. He sat on the sofa and watched the countless people working hard on the training ground. He drank hot milk and ate a delicious nutritious meal. Then, when he felt the ever-increasing experience points, Zhou Mingrui felt that such a life was wonderful. At the same time, Yan Wuyue had begun to temper herself. Even if she was a super expert before her rebirth, she still needed to constantly train her body. Otherwise, even if she had rich combat experience and combat awareness, her body would not be able to display its full potential. Therefore, Yan Wuyue would not let go of the opportunity to become stronger. She felt that even if she wasted a minute, she would be irresponsible for the future. ¡°Look, look, isn¡¯t that Yan Wuyue? She¡¯s alone again today?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that Yan Wuyue has been training here alone for the past half a month. I haven¡¯t seen her summoned spirit at all.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Didn¡¯t she get first place in the secret realm trial and kill the secret realm¡¯s leader?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess she fell out with her summoned spirit or for some other reason.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, if I were to summon a skeleton, I might also fall out with it and wait for the next summon.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s useless no matter how much she trains. If she doesn¡¯t have a summoned spirit to accompany her in the freshmen tournament, she can¡¯t even participate.¡± ¡°As expected, the headmaster was right. The first place in the trial doesn¡¯t prove anything. The freshmen tournament is the place where you can truly prove yourself!¡± Chapter 15 Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t pay attention to the discussions of the people around her. She was completely focused on her own training and turned a deaf ear to the complicated information from the outside world. As time passed, the number of students in the training ground slowly decreased. By the time it was close to 11 p.m., There were only a few people left in the training ground. Phew! Sitting on the sofa in the rest area, Yan Wuyue heaved a long sigh of relief. After wiping the sweat off her face with a towel, she took out a bottle of nutrient drink, opened the lid, and drank it. Zhou Mingrui, who was beside her, was already lying on the sofa. He was even snoring softly. The students passing by looked at Zhou Mingrui in surprise. They could not understand how a summoned spirit could lie down and sleep in the open in the training ground. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care. She got up and went to the battle simulation training area. This was a necessary program after daily physical and combat training. It allowed the body to gradually relax, and at the same time, it could train one¡¯s nerve reaction and muscle memory. However, just as she got up and was about to leave, six figures appeared in front of her. One of them, a sexy woman with fiery red wavy hair and wearing a branded training suit, came forward and looked at Yan Wuyue up and down with contempt. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Yan Wuyue, the No. 1 of our secret realm trial? Why are you here?¡± Yan Wuyue frowned slightly at the undisguised mockery in her tone. ¡°Speaking of which, where¡¯s that trash summoned beast of yours? Why don¡¯t I see it? Or have you already locked it up because you don¡¯t like it?¡± The woman covered her mouth and laughed, and the lackeys beside her also chimed in. ¡°It must be that our Goddess Yan doesn¡¯t like skeletons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; if she can get the first place by herself, why does she need that trash summoned spirit?¡± ¡°However, without a summoned spirit, you can¡¯t participate in the freshmen tournament!¡± At this time, the red-haired woman walked up and said in a mocking tone. ¡°Zhao Anqi, get out of my way. I need to go and train.¡± Yan Wuyue looked indifferent. As if she didn¡¯t hear her at all. ¡°Yan Wuyue, your clan has cut off almost seventy to eighty percent of your cultivation resources. Your status is almost the same as a servant, and your summoned spirit is a useless skeleton. Where do you get the confidence to be arrogant in front of me?¡± Zhao Anqi ran her fingers through her curly hair as a look of confidence appeared on her face. From the moment she entered the school, she had chosen Yan Wuyue as her opponent, who was sought after by tens of thousands of people and was as cold as ice. But after a round of comparison, whether it was in terms of appearance, figure, talent, or family background, Yan Wuyue was firmly above her. How could Zhao Anqi, who had been pampered by everyone since she was young, tolerate this? However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t surpass her in any aspect. In fact, she almost gave up in despair. But on the day of the summoning ritual, Zhao Anqi saw Yan Wuyue summon a skeleton with her own eyes. She was stunned, but at the same time, she became excited. From the recorded history to the present, no one had ever seen a summoned spirit like a skeleton surpass a D rank talent. Not to mention, the testing device had indicated that the skeleton had the lowest F rank talent. Zhao Anqi was so excited that she couldn¡¯t sleep that night. She could almost see Yan Wuyue lowering her head in front of her. Even though she was not as beautiful as her, she could completely crush her in terms of strength. ¡°Zhao Anqi, I told you to move!¡± Yan Wuyue spoke again, and her tone gradually became cold. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Oh, you still have a temper? Then call out your summoned spirit and let me be convinced to make way for you.¡± Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t seem to mind. She even took two steps forward and snapped her fingers. A two-meter tall, 3.5-meter long summoned spirit appeared behind Zhao Anqi. Its upper body was that of a muscular human, while its lower body was that of a bird with wings. It had a pair of extremely sharp claws that reflected a faint light under the light of the training ground. ¡°This is my summoned beast, Yifeng, a summoned spirit of an orc. It has a top grade C rank talent and has reached level 20!¡± Zhao Anqi summoned her summoned spirit and began to show off in front of Yan Wuyue. ¡°Come on, how about showing us your summoned spirit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; we¡¯ve already summoned it. Don¡¯t you bring your own summoned spirit to the training ground?¡± Hearing these people¡¯s sneers and they had no intention to move away, Yan Wuyue was ready to call the training ground security. ¡°Hey, Yan Wuyue, don¡¯t rush. I heard that you¡¯re recently short of money, right? How about we make a bet?¡± ¡°Call out your summoned beast. If it can hit my summoned spirit, I¡¯ll give you 100 dollars.¡± Zhao Anqi began to use money as bait, trying to tempt Yan Wuyue to make a move. ¡°Get out of my way. I¡¯ll say it one last time!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes had turned cold, even with some inexplicable meaning. However, Zhao Anqi had already entered a state of extreme excitement. This was the first time she could bully Yan Wuyue like this, so how could she give up just like that? ¡°If 100 is not enough, how about 500?¡± ¡°But with your family background, you definitely won¡¯t be interested in 500. Then 1000 it is. Hmm, why do you still have that expression? How about 5000!¡± ¡°As long as your summoned spirit can defeat my summoned spirit once, I¡¯ll give you 5000!¡± Yan Wuyue had narrowed her eyes, and a trace of killing intent was about to leak out. ¡°5000 dollars is not enough?¡± ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you 10000 dollars, but you can¡¯t be too greedy. As long as you knock down my summoned spirit ten times, you¡¯ll get 10000 dollars, and I¡¯ll transfer the money on the spot!¡± Hearing this, the faint killing intent in Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly disappeared. She began to reconsider. ¡°Are you an idiot for not accepting such a good deal?¡± Just then, a reproachful voice came from behind Yan Wuyue. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect there to be such a good person. She knows that we¡¯re short of money, so she sent it to our door. Should I give her a warm hug?¡± As he said that, Zhou Mingrui quickly stepped forward and gave Zhao Anqi a big bear hug. Hmm, very impressive! Before the other party could react, Zhou Mingrui decisively released his embrace. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. You have to give me 10000 dollars if I knock down this birdman once!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Yan Wuyue, turn on the video recording function in case these people renege on their debt.¡± In order to prevent her from going back on her word, Zhou Mingrui even turned his head to remind Yan Wuyue, who was beside him, to start recording. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t go back on my word. Because I, Zhao Anqi, won¡¯t throw away my reputation for this bit of money.¡± ¡°Moreover, you want to defeat my Yifeng with your skeleton-like appearance?¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Chapter 16 Even though Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current appearance was slightly different from when he was first summoned, in the eyes of most people, he was still a skeleton that was not too thin. Especially when he stood in front of Yifeng, it was like a teenager standing in front of an adult, the contrast was too obvious. Yi Feng looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was standing in front of him, and his eyes revealed an unconcealed look of disdain. ¡°If this guy can knock me down once, I¡¯ll drink water while performing a handstand for you on the spot.¡± Raising his hand, Yifeng pointed at Zhou Mingrui and laughed out loud. There was no trace of politeness in his voice. ¡°Indeed, the dog is like its master.¡± Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t as polite as Yan Wuyue. In his past life, he had been a troll, and he retorted on the spot without holding back. ¡°I¡¯m sure that your beak is grown in the wrong place. Otherwise, how could it smell so strong?¡± ¡°Also, are you a human, a beast, or a demon, or are you nothing?¡± ¡­ One sentence after another came out of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mouth. He did not give the other party a chance to retort. Furthermore, he did not even use a single vulgarity. ¡°Don¡¯t try to argue with me here. If you have the ability, let¡¯s go to the arena and fight. I¡¯ll torture you until you cry for mercy!¡± Yifeng couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He roared and interrupted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words as he spoke viciously. [Active skill successfully unlocked. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the active skill ¡°Skeleton Equipment¡±.] At that moment, the system¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. A smile immediately appeared on his face. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Since the other party was offering him money, and it just so happened that he triggered his active skill, how could he not agree to such a good person¡¯s request? Yan Wuyue remained silent at the side. She only caught up with Zhou Mingrui after Zhao Anqi and Yifeng went to the arena. ¡°What are your chances of winning against him?¡± ¡°100%. The reason why it¡¯s 100% is that the highest level is 10 level.¡± Zhou Mingrui had a carefree expression on his face. He did not care about Yifeng at all. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll watch a good show. Remember to earn more.¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but nod at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s confident words. Then, she specifically reminded him to make more money. Hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui was a little surprised. This was the first time he had discovered this side of this woman. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Zhou Mingrui agreed without a second thought. This time, their point of view and purpose were surprisingly the same. Soon, both sides arrived at the arena. Yifeng and Zhao Anqi were already waiting at the edge of the arena. There were very few students around, but there were still a few who noticed the situation. They stopped their training and came over. After all, it was the nature of many people to be spectators, especially in an arena battle, which was an entertainment program for many students after their training. Zhao Anqi was more than willing to let someone see how she ruthlessly stepped on Yan Wuyue. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Yan Wuyue and Zhao Anqi? How come they¡¯re fighting?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal? I¡¯ve heard that the two of them don¡¯t get along among the freshmen.¡± ¡°Zhao Anqi must have felt that she could crush Yan Wuyue after seeing her summon the little skeleton, so she came to challenge her to get back her name.¡± ¡°Look at Zhao Anqi¡¯s summoned spirit. It¡¯s a C rank talent summoned spirit, Yifeng. Yan Wuyue¡¯s skeleton is the worst F rank talent.¡± ¡°This is a one-sided battle. How could Yan Wuyue dare to accept such a battle?¡± ¡°Who knows? Look at the people around Zhao Anqi; they probably forced her.¡± The surrounding students whispered to each other, but this time, they didn¡¯t mock Yan Wuyue. Instead, they focused on Zhao Anqi. ¡°Shut up. Whoever is not happy can come up and fight me first!¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s fiery temper was instantly ignited. She turned around and looked at the spectating students. She wasn¡¯t afraid of offending these guys at all. Those who were able to stay at the training ground so late were basically students who were embarrassingly short of money and had poor family backgrounds. With her family background, she didn¡¯t need to be afraid of these guys! As expected, the students shut their mouths for a moment after being yelled at like that. They dared to be angry, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak. ¡°Alright, all the annoying flies have shut their mouths. Next, it¡¯ll be between you and me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bully you. You and I won¡¯t fight, so how about we let our own summoned spirits fight?¡± Zhao Anqi made this suggestion that seemed to be very considerate of Yan Wuyue. ¡°Alright, I have no objections.¡± Yan Wuyue was about to refuse, but when she saw Zhou Mingrui waving at her behind her back, she chose to agree. Zhou Mingrui and Yifeng walked to the center of the arena at the same time. Both parties looked at each other. [Welcome to the Self-Service Arena. The protection system is starting. The countdown will start in 20 seconds.] At this moment, the arena had already been activated. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you actually have the courage to go up to the arena, but I¡¯m also very sorry because I won¡¯t hold back later. I hope that your bones are as hard as your mouth and can last a few more rounds under my hands so that I can have my fun.¡± Yifeng lowered his head and said to Zhou Mingrui in a mocking tone. ¡°I also hope that your bones can last longer like your mouth. After all, I¡¯m in need of money recently.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not get angry. Instead, he made a threat. In the next moment, his eyes lit up with two gray-white soul flames, and the bones on his body lit up with a faint fluorescent light. [Skeleton Equipment: Level 20 active skill. You can use your own bones to transform into weapons and armor that suit you. The attributes of the weapons and armor are based on your level and attributes. After damage, you can use energy to repair yourself.] This was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s first awakened skill, so he was naturally looking forward to it. At this time, Yifeng just happened to put himself in trouble, so he naturally could not let go of this sandbag that came to his door. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only A ball of fluorescent energy quickly wrapped around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. In the blink of an eye, it formed a close-fitting white bone armor. Under the light of the training ground, it reflected a metallic glow. At the same time, a long bone sword appeared in his right hand. The sharp blade reflected a terrifying white light. Yifeng didn¡¯t care about this. He had full confidence in his own strength. In the illusionary spirit world, he had never heard of a low-rank summoned spirit like a skeleton being able to advance to become a powerful expert. With a flash of yellow light, a double-edged giant ax appeared in his hand. Chapter 17 The double-edged long ax had a few cuts and a few faint blood spots. It was obvious that it had been through a lot of battles. [Counting down to five seconds, four, three, two, one] As soon as the countdown ended, the light screen between the two of them disappeared. Zhou Mingrui felt a strong gust of air pressing down on him. This was because Yifeng had already swung his ax at the first possible moment. The sound of air being compressed and torn apart rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ears. However, he had already raised the bone sword in his hand one step ahead of him. Bang! The double-edged ax struck the bone sword, and a slightly muffled sound of collision resounded in the arena. However, the spectating students were all shocked. This was because Zhou Mingrui had only raised one hand. The bone sword in his hand was placed horizontally in front of him. And Yifeng¡¯s double-edged giant ax just happened to be on the body of this bone sword. ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± At this moment, everyone who saw it was shocked except for Yan Wuyue. They seemed to see a child raising his hand to catch an adult¡¯s fist, and the child still had a relaxed expression. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice turned deep after he wore the helmet. It sounded like he came from the netherworld. ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m being merciful. Die!¡± Yifeng was instantly infuriated by those words. With an angry roar, the muscles in his arms swelled up. His powerful strength brought back his confidence as he once again brandished the double-edged ax in his hand and slashed it at Zhou Mingrui. As for Zhou Mingrui, he remained unflustered. The bone sword in his hand drew a strange circle, but he managed to stab the side of the double-edged ax first despite being the second to move. With this stab, the powerful force of the double-edged ax was instantly stagnated. Zhou Mingrui took a step forward with his left foot. After the tip of the bone sword created a spark on the double-edged ax, it smashed into Yifeng¡¯s chest. Bang! Yifeng took a few steps back in pain, but with the lower half of his bird body, he quickly regained his center of gravity. However, just as he stood firm while he was still dizzy, Zhou Mingrui appeared in front of him in a flash. He mercilessly kicked him in the chest. This time, Yifeng completely lost his center of gravity and directly fell on the stage. This time, Zhou Mingrui did not press on with his victory. Instead, he quickly took a few steps back and made room for him. ¡°10000 dollars.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°What are you doing, Yifeng? You were defeated by a skeleton?¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly shouted. She couldn¡¯t believe that her summoned spirit could be defeated by Yan Wuyue¡¯s skeleton. Yifeng, who had fallen to the ground, was also doubting his life. He had not expected himself to actually be knocked down, and an indescribable feeling of suppression instantly turned into anger. The other party did not continue to attack. It was obvious that they wanted to use him as a money tree and keep knocking him down. ¡°Scoundrel!¡± Yifeng jumped to his feet, and his entire body stood up. Several blue veins protruded from his forehead, and the muscles on his upper body began to tremble. ¡°Be careful. He might have awakened the Berserk skill, which will improve his physical fitness. The only disadvantage is that it won¡¯t last for long. After it ends, he will enter a state of weakness for some time.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately reminded him. As a future powerhouse at the top of the pyramid, she naturally knew most of the skills of different types of summoned spirits. She even remembered the general effects clearly. Yifeng¡¯s summoned spirit state was obviously the active skill ¡°Berserk¡± that could be easily awakened among the orc summoned spirits. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks However, Zhou Mingrui did not mind at all. He continued to allow Yifeng to activate its Berserk state. ¡°You will regret this!¡± As soon as Yi Feng finished speaking, his eyes were instantly filled with red blood vessels, and his skin also appeared flushed. Whoo! A pair of wings spread open from its back as it charged at Zhou Mingrui at a speed that was nearly twice as fast as before. The double-edged ax in its hand also transformed into a black shadow as it slashed down at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm glowed as it was immediately covered by a thicker layer of bone. He raised his sword and met the double-edged ax. ¡°You reckless thing!¡± Seeing that the other party actually dared to face him head-on when he had activated Berserk, Yifeng immediately laughed wildly in his heart. He could already foresee that Zhou Mingrui would be sent flying by his ax. He would not be able to get up after he crashed to the ground. However, the next moment, when the weapons of both sides collided, the development of the situation was completely out of Yifeng¡¯s expectations. The violent strength that he was so proud of was unable to force Zhou Mingrui to take a single step back when he faced him! ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± After entering Berserk, Yifeng¡¯s heart had become incomparably restless, but at this moment, it was as if a basin of ice water had been poured on it, and he was chilled from head to toe. Whoo! The air currents swirled wildly as Yifeng controlled its wings and swept them towards Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui only had a pair of hands, but Yifeng had a pair of wings! Looking at the wing that was sweeping toward him, Zhou Mingrui suddenly exerted strength in his legs. A powerful force erupted from his waist, pushing Yifeng back a few steps. Immediately after, the bone sword in his hand turned into a white phantom and cut towards Yifeng¡¯s wings. Ah! With a tragic cry, Yifeng¡¯s left wing was sliced open by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone sword, leaving a deep wound. If he had not retreated quickly, it was very likely that his wing would have been severed. Enduring the pain from his wound, the original arrogance Yifeng had completely disappeared. Now, if anyone told him that this skeleton in front of him was a good-for-nothing, he would definitely fight that guy with all his might! He was actually able to fight head-on with him in a Berserk state and even forced him to retreat. In terms of strength, he was definitely stronger than him! ¡°Go on, Yifeng, why aren¡¯t you attacking?¡± Zhao Anqi, who was behind him, immediately urged him. After all, she wasn¡¯t Yifeng. She couldn¡¯t sense how terrifying Zhou Mingrui was. ¡°No, it¡¯s my turn.¡± After Zhou Mingrui finished speaking, he took a step forward and rapidly approached Yifeng. Under the Berserk state, Yifeng knew that he still had the strength to fight. Hence, he roared and charged at Zhou Mingrui again. Just as the two parties were about to collide, Yifeng¡¯s body suddenly flew up and dodged Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack. Immediately after, Yifeng endured the pain and flapped his wings like an eagle as he swooped down towards Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I already expected you to be able to fly.¡± A white bone shield had already formed in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. He raised his hand to the sky, blocking Yifeng¡¯s attack. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only At the same time, his other hand reached out and grabbed Yifeng¡¯s left foot. ¡°Get down here!¡± Zhou Mingrui bellowed. With a burst of strength in his arms, he yanked Yifeng down and slammed him to the ground. ¡°20000 dollars.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yifeng, who was lying on the ground. Chapter 18 Upon hearing this, Yifeng was already disoriented after being yanked by Zhou Mingrui. He could not get up for a while. Zhou Mingrui furrowed his brows slightly. He had indeed exerted a little more force in his attack, but he was still in a Berserk state. How could he have lost his combat strength just like that? Just as he was thinking about how to get Yifeng to stand up and continue the battle, Zhao Anqi, who had been watching the battle from the side, suddenly rushed in. ¡°Zhao Anqi, that¡¯s enough!¡± Seeing Zhao Anqi enter the arena, Yan Wuyue also jumped up and landed on the stage. Just as she was about to make a move, an arm blocked her and stopped her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice was filled with confidence, which stunned Yan Wuyue. ¡°Zhao Anqi is a special ¡®Booster¡¯ among Summoners. She can increase the status of her summoned spirit, so you have to be careful!¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a second and decided to listen to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s decision and not make a move. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Mingrui expressed his thanks and sent Yan Wuyue off the stage. The students who were watching the battle were shocked by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength and confidence. They never expected that skeleton, who they thought was useless, was actually this strong. ¡°You will regret this!¡± After Zhao Anqi finished speaking, she placed her glowing right hand on Yifeng¡¯s chest. His body trembled as if he had been electrocuted. The dizziness in his mind instantly dissipated, and the redness in his muscles quickly subsided. Two seconds later, Zhao Anqi¡¯s other hand, which was glowing with a red light, pressed down. A faint red glow appeared around Yifeng¡¯s body. He could feel his heart beating rapidly, and all the muscles in his body seemed to be cheering. A much stronger force emerged from the depths of his body, allowing Yifeng to quickly stand up. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Rapid Recovery¡¯ and ¡®Adrenaline¡¯.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him from the side. She was able to know the opponent¡¯s skill based on his condition and performance. Whoo! Yifeng quickly stood up, and Zhao Anqi did not hesitate either. She immediately flipped over and rode on his back. Without wasting any time, Yifeng turned around and transformed into a black shadow. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. The blade of the ax tore through the air and came at him at a speed that was more than twice as fast as before. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression remained the same as he quickly met the attack with his bone sword. The weapons of both parties clashed violently in mid-air once again. However, this time, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body swayed slightly. At the same time, Zhao Anqi, who was behind Yifeng, made her move as well. With a wave of her palm, a beam of light shot out from her palm and accurately hit Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui immediately felt his body sink, as though something was suddenly pressing down on him. ¡°That¡¯s a debuff. It¡¯s also a skill that the ¡®Booster¡¯ uses to weaken the opponent.¡± Yan Wuyue quickly reminded him again, but Zhou Mingrui did not care. Only he knew how amazing his attributes were. Even if he was under the enemy¡¯s debuff, he would still be able to suppress the enemy with his extremely high basic attributes. However, Yifeng and Zhao Anqi did not know about this. The two of them joined forces to attack Zhou Mingrui, ready to take the opportunity to knock him down in one fell swoop. However, to their surprise, the debuffs were completely ineffective on Zhou Mingrui. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Zhou Mingrui brandished the bone sword in his hand. Zhou Mingrui instantly burst forth with a speed that was even faster than before. He swung the sword horizontally at Yifeng¡¯s chest. Yifeng hurriedly tried to block it, but Zhou Mingrui¡¯s speed was at its peak. He followed the opening and slashed out. Bang! Yifeng¡¯s body was directly sent flying from the smash, and he crashed heavily into the side pillar of the stage. Zhao Anqi, who was on his back, was also flung off. However, Yifeng caught her in his arms and protected her. ¡°30000 dollars.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not press on with his victory. Instead, he continued recording. Yifeng wanted to curse out loud. Even though he had entered his strongest state, he was completely helpless against Zhou Mingrui. He was unwilling to give up, so he ignored the pain all over his body and forced himself to get up from the ground again. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Yi Feng gritted his teeth so hard that they nearly shattered. He refused to believe that he was so weak that he could not withstand a single blow. This time, he did not pick up the double-edged ax. Instead, he clenched his fists and charged forward to engage Zhou Mingrui in a melee battle! Seeing that the other party was no longer using any weapons, Zhou Mingrui shook his head. He also sheathed his bone sword and charged forward. Zhou Mingrui truly did not expect that the other party would dare to engage in hand-to-hand combat with him. He was really a money tree that came to give him money. Following that, in front of Zhou Mingrui, Yifeng was like a child challenging an adult. He was constantly knocked to the ground. However, every time he was knocked to the ground, it was as if a pair of invisible hands had pulled Yifeng up from the ground and continued to fight. ¡°100,000 dollars.¡± The tenth time, after Yifeng was knocked to the ground, Zhou Mingrui read out 100,000 dollars. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. Stop! Don¡¯t do this!¡± By this time, Zhao Anqi had already woken up. She knew that it would be the same even if she continued to fight, so she chose to admit defeat. If this continued, money would not be a problem. After all, she did not lack a few hundred thousand dollars. She was mainly afraid that her summoned spirit¡¯s mentality would be shattered by Zhou Mingrui. This way, no matter how much he grew in the future, he would still have a huge psychological shadow. Zhou Mingrui stopped and released Yifeng, who had already exited Berserk mode. The latter collapsed to the ground and fainted. The surrounding students, who had long been petrified, finally came back to their senses and exclaimed one after another. Not only were they envious of the 100,000 dollars, but they were also envious of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s powerful ability to play with Yifeng. Even if Yifeng used his skills, in addition to Zhao Anqi¡¯s buff, he could not do anything to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength. ¡°Here¡¯s the 100,000 dollars. I¡¯ve already transferred it to you.¡± With the developed technology, Zhao Anqi transferred the money to Yan Wuyue on the spot, then summoned Yifeng back to the medium and left the arena. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°If any of you dare to speak of tonight¡¯s events, I will use all my power to make that person suffer a fate worse than death in the academy!¡± ¡°Yan Wuyue, just you wait! I won¡¯t let this go!¡± Before she left, Zhao Anqi gave a warning to the seven or eight students who were watching the fight and quickly left the place. ¡°What a good money tree. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the chance to meet him again in the future.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had just walked down from the stage, could not help but shake his head as he spoke. Chapter 19 ¡°Zhao Anqi isn¡¯t an idiot. If that situation continued, her summoned spirit¡¯s soul might be destroyed.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly when she saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression as if he wanted to continue fighting. Zhou Mingrui pouted and said with a look of disdain, ¡°Tsk. I was thinking about how I could at least earn several hundred thousand dollars. Who knew that guy was strong on the outside but weak on the inside? He was so stubborn before the fight, but he was so weak in the fight.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ve already earned the money, so let¡¯s stop blabbering. Let¡¯s go home first. I have a plan in mind.¡± With that said, Yan Wuyue quickly packed up her things and left the arena under the watchful eyes of the surrounding students. Zhou Mingrui followed closely behind. Back home, Yan Wuyue poured a glass of warm milk and placed it in front of Zhou Mingrui. She returned to her seat and asked, ¡°Do you still remember the auction I mentioned before?¡± After saying that, she picked up a drink, sat down on the edge of the bed, and crossed her long and sexy legs. ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s the special medicine from the Starry Sky Auction House, right?¡± What Yan Wuyue had said before was still fresh in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. ¡°My credit card was frozen before, so I really had no choice. Now that we have 100,000 dollars, we can carry out this plan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really like there¡¯s no way out when there are many mountains and rivers, but amidst the willows and flowers, a village appears.¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help sighing when she thought of today¡¯s events. ¡°What kind of medicine are those? And how are we going to pick up the leftovers?¡± Zhou Mingrui found it rather interesting, so he continued asking. ¡°If the medicine in the box is given to a summoned spirit, it can improve the strength of the body and spirit. At the same time, it has a chance to improve the growing talent of the summoned spirit. If it is sold on the market, it will be worth at least 300,000 dollars.¡± ¡°The reason why we were able to pick up the leftovers was that those medicines were stored in a box made of special materials.¡± ¡°That special material can block almost 90% of the detection methods. The cost of the remaining detection methods is too high, and the gains would be difficult to make up for the losses.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m guessing that the original owner of the box wanted to open it but was afraid that the loss would outweigh the gain, so he entrusted it to the auction house.¡± Yan Wuyue explained the situation to Zhou Mingrui in detail. ¡°How did you know about this in your previous life?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°In my previous life, I didn¡¯t see the mystery behind the box either. The main reason was that the person who bid for it was the champion of this year¡¯s freshmen tournament, and it was the medicine in this box that allowed him to be ahead of the other students by a large margin and win the championship in one fell swoop.¡± Yan Wuyue told him about the auction before her rebirth. ¡°Then I have a question. What¡¯s the background of the student who obtained the medicine in the original timeline?¡± ¡°Have you ever thought about it? What if you snatch it from him, and he gets angry and insists on having it?¡± Zhou Mingrui pointed out the possible problems that might arise in this mission. ¡°That time, he only spent less than 20000 dollars, and we have 100,000 dollars. When the time comes, we¡¯ll raise the price to 50000 dollars, and there¡¯s a high chance that he won¡¯t compete with us.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll raise the price to 100,000 dollars. If we fail again, I¡¯ll use my father¡¯s money.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance before, but now that I have the chance, I will do everything I can to obtain it!¡± Yan Wuyue said with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m actually very curious about one thing. Since you already know my strength and your own strength, why don¡¯t you go and find those old guys in the clan?¡± ¡°Once they know of your strength, your position will immediately be restored to an even more important position than before. By then, we won¡¯t have to worry about having no money.¡± ¡°With money, are you still afraid that you can¡¯t get those things?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Zhou Mingrui shook his head in puzzlement. Before he transmigrated, countless people lamented that they did not have a good background. He never expected this woman to have so many demands. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. In the beginning, I did use the clan¡¯s resources to quickly increase my strength, but when my strength reached a certain level, those old guys began to use my name to bully people everywhere.¡± ¡°As a result, I had to clean up their mess many times, causing me to have to put in more energy to achieve my goal. It was not worth it.¡± Yan Wuyue looked determined and said with a decisive tone. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll do as you say. I have no objections.¡± Zhou Mingrui also understood Yan Wuyue¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Then let¡¯s rest first. The auction will start the day after tomorrow, and we can rest for a day.¡± ¡°I have troubled you for today¡¯s battle. As long as we work together, with your talent for growth and my reincarnation experience and combat experience, we can grow to the top of the academy at the fastest speed.¡± ¡°After that, we¡¯ll graduate as the most outstanding students of the academy and be promoted to Heavenly Saint Empire University. Then, we¡¯ll use the rich resources of the university to improve our strength as soon as possible.¡± ¡°This way, we¡¯ll be able to rise to the upper-middle level of the human race¡¯s pyramid once we graduate. With our talents, we will rise to the top in no time.¡± ¡°Then, during the great calamity¡­¡± ¡°Stop stop stop!¡± Listening to Yan Wuyue¡¯s long-winded speech, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt a headache coming on. He hurriedly waved his hand to stop the other party from continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to these long speeches. It really gives me a headache.¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he rubbed his temples. ¡°One must have a plan, especially for powerhouses like you and me who are destined to save the human race. We must make reasonable arrangements for the use of resources in order to have the highest probability of becoming the strongest powerhouses of the human race.¡± ¡°This is a responsibility for the safety of mankind!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned serious, and her eyes were completely different from before. At this moment, her aura completely burst out, and she seemed to have become the leader of the human race. ¡°That¡¯s very simple. Just become strong and save mankind. Why do you have to do so much?¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯re the kind of person who has a rigorous plan for life and is afraid of making a mistake.¡± ¡°I also understand that it¡¯s because you¡¯re carrying the hope of mankind on your shoulders. Ever since I first saw you, your words and actions have told me that you¡¯re under a lot of pressure.¡± ¡°But my understanding tells me that since you¡¯ve already been reborn once, why don¡¯t you change your way of living?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been forcing yourself like this. It¡¯s not like you owe them anything since you were born, so why do you have to make your life so difficult?¡± ¡°If the hope of a race and a civilization is placed on one person, then with all due respect, this race should go extinct as soon as possible.¡± ¡°No matter how strong you are, are you sure you can carry the entire human race on your own?¡± ¡°The strength of a civilization or a race depends on the whole, not an individual. Otherwise, you¡¯ve saved humanity from a crisis this time, but what about next time?¡± ¡°If you succeed in saving them, what if there¡¯s another crisis? Can you guarantee that you can still handle it?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll never die?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Zhou Mingrui suddenly said what he had always wanted to say. This was his view on life. ¡°I can¡¯t say that what I say is absolutely correct, but this is my understanding of life. It¡¯s your business whether you listen or not.¡± ¡°You can do whatever you want, but I don¡¯t want to live a tired life like you, so please don¡¯t drag me into this.¡± ¡°If you still insist, then it¡¯s better for us to terminate the contract as soon as possible.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui stood up and left his seat. He closed the door after he left, leaving Yan Wuyue in a daze. Chapter 20 - Inner Struggle Chapter 20 Inner Struggle After Zhou Mingrui left, Yan Wuyue fell into deep thought. ¡°Did I really do something wrong?¡± She thought. Yan Wuyue, who had always been firm in her belief, suddenly began to have a different voice in her heart. ¡°No, I¡¯m not wrong. I¡¯m doing this to save mankind, not for myself.¡± However, just as she had this thought, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words about how a race should not be dependent on a single person surfaced again, shattering the confidence she had just established. ¡°But he¡¯s right. Even if I can save all of humanity this time, who can they rely on next time?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the point of what I did in my past life and what I¡¯m doing now?¡± Just like that, Yan Wuyue began to fall into an inner struggle. Outside the door, Zhou Mingrui shook his head and returned to his room. Things like beliefs were completely dependent on one¡¯s own thoughts. If they were so easily influenced, then this human leader was truly weak. Zhou Mingrui, who had returned to his room and had a good night¡¯s sleep, woke up to see a figure sitting by his bed. ¡°What the hell!¡± This made him quiver in fear. If he didn¡¯t see the person clearly, he would have attacked. ¡°How did you get in? I locked the door.¡± As Zhou Mingrui spoke, he glanced at the door behind Yan Wuyue and then at the electronic lock. He seemed to understand something ¡°Thank you.¡± Yan Wuyue said, but her voice was a little hoarse. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep the whole night?¡± Seeing Yan Wuyue¡¯s slightly gloomy expression and her messy hair, Zhou Mingrui probed. ¡°Yeah, thanks to you. You said those things on purpose last night, right?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was gloomy as she stared at Zhou Mingrui and said word by word. ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui was momentarily speechless. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain; I understand what you mean. I spent the whole night thinking it through.¡± ¡°Thank you. I feel much more relaxed now.¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly laughed, and the gloominess on her face was gone. ¡°Really?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked doubtfully. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t represent humanity alone. If a race really falls to this point, then it¡¯s not far from extinction.¡± Yan Wuyue explained with a relieved look on her face. ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡± As Zhou Mingrui spoke, he carefully observed her condition. He realized that her gaze was firm, and she did not have a blurred look. ¡°We still have to become stronger, not for the sake of humanity, but ourselves.¡± ¡°I will no longer think about how to face the monsters of the great calamity. Instead, I will think about how to push the entire human race to become stronger.¡± Yan Wuyue told him the result of a night of struggle. Zhou Mingrui immediately swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He was momentarily at a loss for words. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said those words last night. Why do I feel like things are going in the direction I didn¡¯t want?¡± He thought. His heart was thumping, but Zhou Mingrui maintained a calm expression. ¡°So, what do you want to say to me?¡± Zhou Mingrui sat up with an indifferent expression. However, his hands under the blanket clenched the bed sheets tightly. ¡°Become stronger with me. I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re willing to go back to the illusionary spirit world. I can tell from your tone that it¡¯s a very boring place, right?¡± ¡°You can also refuse me, and we can be strangers from now on. Then I will go to the monster gathering area in the wild alone and kill as many monsters as I can.¡± As Yan Wuyue spoke, the smile on her face grew wider, but it made Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°Alright, I think your idea is good. It¡¯s exactly the same as the core I talked about last night.¡± ¡°How about you go out first, and I¡¯ll go out and talk to you after I tidy up.¡± In the living room, Zhou Mingrui had already recovered. He looked at Yan Wuyue, who was sitting opposite him. nas ¡°You¡¯ve already promised me just now, so you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes started to drift as she spoke as if she had done something wrong. Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and thought to himself. She was already sitting by his bed like that. If he didn¡¯t agree, he was afraid that her superiors would do something dangerous to him. ¡°The three agreements are still in effect, and I didn¡¯t deny them. But since I¡¯ve promised you, I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate and help you.¡± ¡°But please don¡¯t talk to me in that way again.¡± ¡°Alright, go and rest. We still have to go to the auction house tomorrow, so don¡¯t be tired.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui stood up and left. ¡°Judging from his reaction, it seems that the plan I set up has worked. It¡¯s about time to start the second step.¡± She thought. After Zhou Mingrui left, Yan Wuyue¡¯s lips curled up. What had she not seen before her rebirth? Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words had indeed affected some of her thoughts. However, if true beliefs could be changed so easily, she would not have been called the ¡°Goddess of Redemption¡±. As long as she could change Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind and increase his enthusiasm, it would be fine even if it was a subtle influence. Then, the hope for mankind would increase. After all, if they couldn¡¯t survive this great calamity, how could the humans talk about the future? As long as this great calamity could be resolved, Yan Wuyue believed that with her strength at that time, she could lead the human race to move forward and become more powerful. The two of them, each with their own ulterior motives, came to an agreement for the second time. The next day, Yan Wuyue, who had fully recovered, knocked on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s door. The two of them went to the Starry Sky Auction House together. The Starry Sky Auction House was located in the center of Qinghua City. It was also the largest auction house in the entire Qingyun Province. It had almost all kinds of rare treasures and cultivation materials. At the auction house. After handing out the letter, Yan Wuyue led Zhou Mingrui into the auction house. As soon as they entered the auction house, they saw two areas were written on the display board: The ¡°Outdoor Selling Area¡± and the ¡°VIP Booth Auction Area¡±. ¡°The outdoor selling area is for vendors to sell their goods because all the items that enter the VIP booth auction area will be charged a 10% commission fee.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, you can pay a fixed amount of money and sell it in the outdoor selling area.¡± Yan Wuyue explained the difference between the two areas to Zhou Mingrui. Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui immediately cast his gaze toward the display area and realized that the entire area was divided into orderly stalls, just like a flea market. At the same time, he suddenly had an idea. However, he couldn¡¯t activate his ability right now. Because the ¡°Spirit Eye¡± skill couldn¡¯t be used on a fixed target, or rather, it could be used to block the field of vision. If he opened it now, the data displayed by so many people at the same time would make him collapse. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can enter the VIP auction area. The auction is about to start.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. No, I¡¯m going to the outdoor selling area over there.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. Chapter 21 - Sudden Appearance Chapter 21 Sudden Appearance ¡°What? You¡¯re going to the outdoor selling area?¡± Upon hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue asked in confusion, ¡°The auction for that batch of medicine is about to begin. If you want to check out the outdoor selling area, it¡¯s not too late to go after the auction.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately explained, ¡°My intuition tells me that there¡¯s something good there. And my intuition has always been accurate.¡± Yan Wuyue frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether your intuition is accurate or not. We have the medicine at our fingertips. Why do we have to waste the opportunity by going to the outdoor selling area?¡± ¡°Even if there is, tell me, can you immediately find the thing that gave you the feeling?¡± Yan Wuyue was a little anxious. She could not understand what Zhou Mingrui was thinking. Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment before explaining, ¡°I can¡¯t, but as long as you give me time, I¡¯ll definitely find it.¡± ¡°Besides, there¡¯s a risk of not having enough money to buy your medicine, but mine can be obtained without any effort as long as I can find the source of the feeling.¡± ¡°And let me remind you, anything that can make me feel this way is definitely valuable enough.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately rejected Zhou Mingrui¡¯s choice and said, ¡°No, that¡¯s too risky. Once my item is taken away, I really can¡¯t get it back. You still have a chance!¡± Her face was already flushed red. Clearly, she had been angered by Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui said calmly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go our separate ways. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. You can split half of the money with me.¡± This completely angered Yan Wuyue. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°What if it just happens to exceed 50000 dollars?¡± ¡°Zhou Mingrui, do you know what you¡¯re doing? it¡¯s not easy to get this opportunity, but you just had to do something like this at this critical moment!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s going to use that medicine. Most of it will be used on you, but you¡¯re showing me this attitude.¡± Yan Wuyue had no idea what Zhou Mingrui was thinking. She was really angry. Zhou Mingrui completely ignored the anger on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face and insisted, ¡°I¡¯ve said that I¡¯m going to the selling area. If you believe me, follow me. If you don¡¯t, give me half of the money.¡± After saying that, he looked straight at Yan Wuyue without the slightest intention of retreating ¡°Alright, since you said so. I can give you half of the money since you earned it.¡± Sensing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s determination, Yan Wuyue sighed helplessly and chose to give him half of the money. ¡°I wish you success.¡± After Zhou Mingrui said that, he turned around and walked to the outdoor selling area. He did not say another word. Although Yan Wuyue felt very uncomfortable, the auction in the VIP area was about to start. She couldn¡¯t waste time here and delay. Soon, Yan Wuyue found her seat and sat down, waiting for the auction to begin. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Starry Sky Auction House. I¡¯m the host of this auction. You can just call me Old Yan.¡± A moment later, a portion of the lights in the auction house was turned off and dimmed. At the same time, a figure walked to the center of the auction stage. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has already seen the auction item this time from the picture book, so I won¡¯t say any more unnecessary words. Let us officially begin the auction.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s first appetizer is the item that the Xuanzhan Adventure Team entrusted to our auction house to auction.¡± As the host¡¯s voice fell, eight cracks suddenly appeared on the ground behind him, forming a polygon that quickly spread out. A cylinder quickly rose up from it, and a silver rectangular box was placed on top of the cylinder. The host turned around, put on gloves, and opened the box. Inside were five rectangular objects made of silver metal. ¡°The five cubes in this box are the spoils of war that the adventure team obtained from a high-level monster¡¯s nest. Neither the auction house nor the adventure team knows what is sealed inside, but they can be cracked open by force.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re not a fool, you¡¯ll know that an item with such a level of protection is definitely not cheap. As long as you take it, you¡¯ll have a chance to crack it and obtain a priceless item!¡± ¡°And the starting bid is only 5000 dollars. How can everyone miss such an opportunity?¡± ¡°The auction officially begins. 5000 going once!¡± When the host¡¯s voice fell, no one present made a bid at the first moment. Priceless? What a joke. If that was the case, the first person to open the box would be the auction house. It wouldn¡¯t be auctioned. The accountants of the auction house must have calculated the value of the item in the box, and there was a high chance that it would not be able to cover the cost of opening the box. ¡°5000 going twice.¡± ¡°Everyone, believe me, you might be able to get an item of great value with just 10000 dollars.¡± ¡°Everyone, are you really not going to consider it? 10000 dollars is just a small amount of money to you.¡± The auctioneer was trying his best to liven up the atmosphere of the first wave. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many people below who wanted to take advantage of the situation. They were all quietly watching the stage. ¡°I¡¯ll bid 6000 dollars.¡± Just as the auctioneer was about to hammer the gavel for the third time in disappointment, Yan Wuyue raised her hand and bid. Although the order of appearance was not the same as before she was reborn, she was sure that these were the medicine she wanted. At the same time, no one bid for them after it was called twice, which made her feel relieved. Yan Wuyue was now waiting for the auctioneer to announce that the item in the box belonged to her. ¡°Alright, this beautiful lady has made her bid. 6000 going once.¡± ¡°6000 going twice!¡± The auctioneer began to raise his gavel and knock on the table, reminding the people around to bid. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was already showing a smile of victory, but the next moment, a voice came from the side. ¡°7000.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately turned to look at the source of the voice, but the smile on her face had disappeared. The man seemed to feel Yan Wuyue¡¯s gaze. He turned his head and looked into her eyes, and then he showed an elegant smile. ¡°Alright, Young Master Zhao has raised the bid. 7000 going once.¡± Upon hearing the auctioneer¡¯s words, Zhao Anqi¡¯s figure immediately appeared in Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°This is troublesome. Why did it have to be Zhao Ruian?¡± She thought. Yan Wuyue had a headache. Even though the champion of the competition wasn¡¯t here, she didn¡¯t expect Zhao Ruian would appear. This guy was from the same clan as Zhao Anqi, but Zhao Anqi was hostile to her, while Zhao Ruian was in love with her. He had pursued her in public many times, like a fly, annoying her. Although the Zhao family had only flourished for two generations, they had made it to the ranks of some important figures with their financial resources, so they were not afraid of the Yan family. Yan Wuyue believed that Zhao Ruian was not deliberately looking for trouble with her. It was very likely that he just wanted to buy the item to please her. However, it was infuriating that he had to disrupt the situation at this time. Chapter 22 - Wishful Thinking Chapter 22 Wishful Thinking It was impossible for Yan Wuyue to accept his solicitousness, so she could only bid for it herself. ¡°10000!¡± Yan Wuyue raised the price to 10000 in one go and raised her voice. It was obvious that she needs to have the item. But who knew that Zhao Ruian would continue to raise his hand and say leisurely, ¡°11000.¡± As a member of the Zhao family, he naturally didn¡¯t lack money. Women were also easily sent to his door, but Zhao Ruian didn¡¯t like them. However, an outstanding beauty like Yan Wuyue, who wasn¡¯t fake, had aroused Zhao Ruian¡¯s heart. The more difficult it was to pursue, the greater the satisfaction one would feel after conquering it. This was the kind of spiritual enjoyment that Zhao Ruian lacked. Yan Wuyue raised the price with a frown, ¡°15000!¡± A medicine that was worth no less than 300,000 was definitely worth it, even if it was sold for 100,000! ¡°16000.¡± Zhao Ruian smiled after he bid the price. He did not look like he was burdened by it at all. He would not raise the price so quickly, as that would have a different meaning. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face had completely darkened. Zhao Ruian¡¯s appearance had completely disrupted her plan. Yan Wuyue raised her hand and said, ¡°20000.¡± Although this would cause those old fogeys to target her, she wasn¡¯t worried at all with Zhou Mingrui around. ¡°21000.¡± Zhao Ruian raised his eyebrows after bidding. If he was not wrong, Yan Wuyue¡¯s clan had cut off her supply of resources recently, and this was all she had in her savings. Yan Wuyue continued to raise her hand and said, ¡°25000!¡± The people present were stunned when they heard the price of 25000. They did not expect the first item with a starting bid of 5000 would be raised to this price. Of course, based on what had just happened, everyone had guessed that Yan Wuyue and Zhao Ruian were fighting for their pride, so they did not want to get involved. Zhao Ruian frowned for the first time when he heard 25000. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t afford the price of 25000, but he couldn¡¯t chase after a girl without thinking. Otherwise, his family would definitely have a bad opinion of him. But since it was something that Yan Wuyue wanted so much, was it really something good? ¡°30000.¡± Zhao Ruian raised his hand again. He bet that the item that Yan Wuyue was interested in was definitely worth more than 100,000. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue suddenly became short of breath. She quickly thought about what to do next. ¡°30000 going once!¡± Even the auctioneer was a little excited. If the starting bid of each item could be increased by several times like this, then his commission would be worth a lot. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered as if she was struggling with something. ¡°30000 going twice!¡± When the auctioneer called out twice, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes became determined. Yan Wuyue raised her hand decisively and said, ¡°40000!¡± Since things had already come to this, she could only stake it all. She decided that if she could win the bid and let Zhou Mingrui show off his combat talent in front of the elders of the clan, the money would not be a problem for the clan. Zhao Ruian raised his hand without hesitation and bid, ¡°100,000!¡± He was sure that Yan Wuyue must know the value of the item if she could offer such a price in her current situation. Sitting back in her seat, Yan Wuyue had already closed her eyes helplessly. She knew that she had no chance. 100,000. Zhao Ruian was really ruthless. With the clan¡¯s current situation, it was impossible for them to fork out more than 10000 in cash to buy something that they did not know the details of. ¡°100,000 going twice.¡± ¡°100,000 going thrice! Deal. The first mysterious appetizer belongs to Mr. Zhao!¡± The auctioneer seemed to know that Yan Wuyue had lost her ability to compete, so he decisively increased the speed of the gavel. Yan Wuyue was extremely depressed. She immediately stood up and turned to leave the auction house, but before she could continue, a figure blocked her way. Yan Wuyue stopped and looked at the man in front of her. ¡°Zhao Ruian, what are you doing?¡± Zhao Ruian returned a gentle smile. He knew that Yan Wuyue was still angry. Thus, he kept a distance and said softly, ¡°Xiao Yue, I didn¡¯t mean to go against you. You know how I feel about you.¡± He raised his hand and placed the box that had just been auctioned for 100,000 dollars in front of Yan Wuyue. Zhao Ruian continued, ¡°As long as you say the word, Xiao Yue, I can give you this box for free!¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head decisively. ¡°Zhao Ruian, have you forgotten what I said before? it was impossible between us.¡± Zhao Ruian did not give up. Instead, he laughed. ¡°Xiao Yue, I advise you to think again. With your talent and my resources, we are a perfect match.¡± ¡°If you need money, I can transfer it to you directly. If you want resources, I can help you buy them, as long as you are willing to become my woman!¡± ¡°What I, Zhao Ruian, have, you can have too.¡± Yan Wuyue refused without thinking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zhao Ruian, but you should give up on that idea.¡± ¡°Also, please call me by my full name in the future. Otherwise, I won¡¯t talk to you.¡± Zhao Ruian put down the box and sighed. ¡°Xiao Yue, why do you have to do this? I admit that I¡¯m average-looking, but I¡¯m sincere to you. Can¡¯t you at least give me a chance?¡± ¡°No!¡± Yan Wuyue said in a decisive tone. With that, Yan Wuyue turned and left, leaving Zhao Ruian, who had an unsightly expression on his face. ¡°Yan Wuyue, since you¡¯re so heartless, don¡¯t blame me. I, Zhao Ruian, will get what I like by hook or by crook. Otherwise, I¡¯d rather destroy it than give it to anyone else!¡± Zhao Ruian¡¯s face darkened as he watched Yan Wuyue leave. ¡°One day, you will kneel down in front of me and beg me.¡± With that, Zhao Ruian, who had a vicious look in his eyes, also got up and followed Yan Wuyue. On the other side of the selling area, Zhou Mingrui was trying his best to find the item that gave him the feeling. The entire selling area was thousands of square meters, and there were hundreds of stalls of all sizes. It was unrealistic to find them quickly. He also couldn¡¯t use his Spirit Eye. After all, there were hundreds or even thousands of items on each stall. If he were to appraise them one by one, he would probably vomit blood. It was better to follow his feelings and narrow down the range of items as soon as possible. Soon, Zhou Mingrui followed the path and searched. At the same time, he relied on his senses to constantly probe around. Soon, he saw a stall that was surrounded by people, and the position of the stall gave him the strongest feeling. Zhou Mingrui immediately walked up to the stall to take a look at the items on display. However, he was stopped by the crowd. Without much thought, Zhou Mingrui forced his way in with his strong body and quickly arrived at the front row. Chapter 23 - Ring Gambling Chapter 23 Ring Gambling ¡°These are all storage rings that have just been transported back from the front lines.¡¯ ¡°You must know that this time, the news from the front line said that they are facing powerful opponents, which means that these rings are valuable.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re lucky enough to get one, you might not have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life.¡± The stall owner pointed at the table, where there were hundreds of rings of different shapes in the glass boxes. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the origin of these rings?¡± Zhou Mingrui patted the shoulder of a middle-aged man beside him. Under the latter¡¯s displeased expression, he sensibly handed over a few bills. The middle-aged man¡¯s face immediately eased upon seeing the money. He accepted the money without a sound and explained, ¡°This ring is the spoils of war that our Heavenly Saint Empire¡¯s Summoner army obtained after fighting with the enemy¡¯s mage army.¡± ¡°Mages? Why have I never heard of them?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed, puzzled. ¡°Kid, you look like a newbie who just graduated from the academy. Mages are those who can¡¯t perform the summoning ritual, but they have learned the magic skills of ancient times through other means.¡± ¡°Ancient magic is different from our current Summoners. They don¡¯t need the help of a summoned spirit and can burst out powerful strength on their own, so you can¡¯t underestimate them.¡± The burly man even patted Zhou Mingrui on the shoulder. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s appearance was already very close to that of a normal person. His special features were covered by his clothes. Therefore, they could not tell that Zhou Mingrui was actually a summoned spirit. After the conversation, Zhou Mingrui finally understood the origins of the rings. The entire Qianling World was divided into several vast continents, and the Heavenly Saint Empire, where he was from, was one of the top forces in terms of overall strength. The Dongyun Empire, which was the Heavenly Saint Empire¡¯s neighbor, had been eyeing them covetously, looking for an opportunity to start a war to seize more territory. in The main occupation of the Heavenly Saint Empire was Summoners, while the main occupation of the Dongyun Empire was mages. Both sides were constantly fighting at the border. The owners of these rings were from the group of mages sponsored by the Dongyun Empire. They were all young talents with magical abilities who had been invited from different places. Every mage had their own special storage ring, and this ring basically stored their important items and magic tools. Of course, some mages had more than one ring, but there would definitely be something in the ring. The way to activate it was also very simple. It was the ¡°Basic Counterspell¡± that every Summoner knew. Of course, the degree of cracking would be different for different Summoners, but there would always be some unexpected good things. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect this ring to have magic crystals and a few at that. I¡¯m going to make a fortune!¡± At this moment, an excited voice sounded from the side. Everyone looked over and saw a young Summoner cracking the ring and taking out the items stored inside. ¡°It¡¯s actually magic crystal. I heard that one piece is worth at least 8000 dollars in the auction house. He took four pieces, which is more than 30000 dollars, and a ring only costs 1000!¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s struck it rich. Even I¡¯m tempted!¡± ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll have one too.¡± ¡°Boss, I want one too!¡± One person¡¯s huge profit immediately attracted the envy of the people around him. They immediately cast their gazes on the ring on the stall. ¡°Hurry up if you want to buy, or else all the good things will be taken away by others!¡± The boss happily took the money and continued to shout around. Zhou Mingrui ignored him and quickly searched for the ring that gave him a strong feeling Through careful sensing, Zhou Mingrui quickly found it. In the pile of rings to the right, there was a bone ring with a skeleton carved on its surface that gave him the strongest feeling. Zhou Mingrui immediately walked forward and reached out to grab the ring. But suddenly, a metal pole struck his wrist, pressing down on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, little brother, you have good eyes. This is a storage ring that belonged to a necromancer. Although it¡¯s good, you have to pay for it before you take it.¡± The boss in the round hat said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zhou Mingrui quickly took out his savings card from the auction house and paid the boss. ¡°Here, take it. I wish you good luck.¡± After the boss received the money, he used the metal rod in his hand to pick up the ring and placed it in front of Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui took the ring, and indeed, a strong feeling came from the ring. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to leave, a metal pole appeared in front of his chest. ¡°Little brother, is this your first time gambling rings?¡± The boss asked, still smiling. ¡°That¡¯s right. Did I do anything wrong?¡± Zhou Mingrui admitted generously. ¡°After you buy the ring, you have to open it on the spot. You can¡¯t bring it back and open it for yourself. At the same time, after you crack it and take out one or two items, you can auction it again.¡± The boss¡¯s smile became even brighter. Zhou Mingrui immediately understood that the stall owner was trying to increase his popularity. This way, as long as he could arouse the interest of the people watching, even if there were thousands of rings, they could be sold out very quickly. However, the only problem was that Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know how to activate the Basic Counterspell on rings. He still needed to call Yan Wuyue over. So he took out his cell phone, sent a message to Yan Wuyue, and said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my friend to come over. Can we open it together?¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± The boss didn¡¯t mind as long as it was not opened in other places. After placing the ring on his palm, Zhou Mingrui began to size it up. He followed the boss¡¯s instructions and injected a small amount of energy into the ring. If the energy was too much, it might destroy the magical structure of the storage ring, causing the space in the storage ring to collapse and disappear. However, it was instantly sent flying back by a powerful force. However, Zhou Mingrui could sense that the demonic energy contained within the ring gave him a very familiar feeling. Subconsciously, he activated his Spirit Eye skill, and in his altered field of vision, a ring of light began to appear on the ring. The rings of light were divided into two layers, the inner and outer rings. More than ten different incantations were rotating in each ring. The two layers of rings rotated in different directions, and the center was a polygonal core with many light edges. A weak energy reaction appeared from this. ¡°Is this a storage ring?¡± He thought. Zhou Mingrui began to carefully size up the complex structure after lamenting. However, at this moment, a stream of energy flowed out of his eyes and into the ring through his body. By the time Zhou Mingrui reacted, the energy had already invaded the inner and outer layers of the ring. Chapter 24 - A Windfall Chapter 24 A Windfall At that moment, Zhou Mingrui no longer dared to control the energy. If he was not careful, he could very well destroy the ring. Thus, he could only watch as his energy, under the guidance of his Spirit Eye, permeated the runes of the inner and outer rings in just a few seconds. After penetrating the two ring layers, the energy quickly seeped into the center of the polygon. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, the ring in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm suddenly emitted a faint light. Those who were in the know immediately knew that Zhou Mingrui had already begun cracking the ring Immediately, many people turned their attention to Zhou Mingrui. They began to anticipate what he would be able to obtain from the ring A few seconds later, the ring began to glow brightly. Many people around had seen ring gambling before, so they naturally knew that they had entered the final stage of cracking. Soon, the ring suddenly trembled, and the light began to dim. ¡°It¡¯s been successfully cracked.¡± Someone around him reminded. Indeed, Zhou Mingrui had already completely broken through the ring¡¯s protective mechanism and had seen the contents of the ring. The dazzling array of items nearly dazzled Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes. There were all sorts of large-sized magical equipment and weapons, small-sized magical accessories, bottles of unknown magical medicine, and all sorts of strange-looking materials and items. However, what caught Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attention the most was a palm-sized purple disk placed in the middle of the items. The disk¡¯s body was covered in a large number of complicated and exquisite patterns. At the same time, there was a faint black mist swirling around it, giving Zhou Mingrui a sense of familiarity. In the center of the disk was an exquisite skeleton with two red gemstones embedded in its eyes that emitted a faint glow. While he was looking at it, a surge of energy entered the ring. It followed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gaze and wrapped around the red disk. In the next moment, the disk disappeared into the ring Just as Zhou Mingrui was reeling in shock, he suddenly realized that an item had mysteriously appeared in his mind. When he retracted his ring, he saw that the item was the mysterious disk. [Congratulations to the host for awakening the space of consciousness. To use the space of consciousness, you only need to wrap energy around the item to move it. To take it out, you only need to combine your thought and energy.] The system¡¯s voice that hadn¡¯t appeared for a long time rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ears, giving him a shock. ¡°C-could this be the space of consciousness in the novels?¡± He thought. While Zhou Mingrui was in shock, he attempted to teleport the disk back into the ring with his consciousness. In the blink of an eye, the disk reappeared in the ring¡¯s space. This made him elated. This was equivalent to him having a free, super-large storage space. After confirming, Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate. He immediately transferred all the good stuff into his space of consciousness. This way, he didn¡¯t have to take it out directly and let the people around him find out what he had earned. ¡°Little brother, what¡¯s inside the ring? Why don¡¯t you take it out and let us see?¡± The people around them could not wait any longer. Hence, they urged Zhou Mingrui to quickly retrieve the items. ¡°Darn it!¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly roared, giving the people around him a fright. Then, a metal staff appeared in his palm. Blue lines were drawn on it, and a transparent crystal-like magic stone was inlaid at the top. ¡°Wow, this is at least a C-grade magic staff. It¡¯s worth at least 7000.¡± ¡°He¡¯s earning back his capital this time!¡± ¡°Damn, is the probability of obtaining good things from the rings in this stall so high?¡± When the surrounding people saw the staff in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand, they immediately exclaimed in shock. For magic equipment and tools, the best grade was S-grade, then A-grade to F-grade. C-grade was used by mid-to high-grade mages. Before the surrounding people could recover from their shock, they saw a ring appear on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. ¡°Holy shoot, it¡¯s actually a C-grade magic booster ring!¡± ¡°A small magic artifact like a ring is comparable to the value of a higher grade magic equipment!¡± ¡°Yes, this ring is worth at least 5000. If you meet a mage who needs this, you might even be able to sell it for 8000!¡± ¡°Boss, give me a ring!¡± This magic ring immediately ignited the emotions of the surrounding people, and they all turned around to look for the stall owner to buy a ring ¡°Look, this guy took out something again!¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn back to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s actually a magic crystal, and looking at its color, it¡¯s also a C-grade. This thing is much more valuable than the previous two!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s worth at least 8000!¡± The surrounding crowd was in an uproar. Many people no longer looked at Zhou Mingrui. Instead, they turned around and began to buy rings from the stall owner. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui no longer took out anything. At this moment, Yan Wuyue appeared in the crowd and immediately saw Zhou Mingrui. CI Then, when she saw the item in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand, she immediately understood. She asked again to confirm, ¡°You¡¯ve already opened the ring?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded and said, ¡°I can sell at least 20000 dollars for three items.¡± When she heard this and thought about her own matters, she suddenly felt depressed and aggrieved. All kinds of uncomfortable feelings were tangled together. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t get those medicine.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t try to hide it and admitted her mistake directly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a small problem. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Zhou Mingrui expressed that he did not take it to heart as he walked to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side. Zhou Mingrui continued, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the person who snatched your medicine should be the man who carried the box, right?¡± Yan Wuyue turned around and saw that Zhao Ruian had followed them. He was staring at them from not far away. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡± Yan Wuyue turned around and said in a low voice, ¡°He¡¯s Zhao Anqi¡¯s cousin.¡± Zhou Mingrui revealed a smile when he heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you to vent your anger.¡± Then, he whispered a few words in Yan Wuyue¡¯s ear. He turned around and walked back to the front of the stall. Then he said in a clear voice, ¡°Everyone. Please be quiet.¡± The surrounding crowd immediately fell silent when they heard this. At the same time, they looked at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui pointed at the ring and said, ¡°I have already completely cracked the ring.¡± Wow! A tossed stone caused a thousand ripples, and the surroundings were in an uproar. One had to know that in the ring gambling world, anyone who could crack an entire ring, except for those who were particularly unlucky, could be sold for at least 100,000 dollars. And the item that Zhou Mingrui had taken out just now was proof of how much wealth could be in the ring Chapter 25 - Scam Plan Chapter 25 Scam Plan ¡°I¡¯ve only taken a glance at the things inside, but I can tell you that they¡¯re definitely beyond your expectations!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep all these things, so I¡¯ve decided to auction this ring at the auction house!¡± ¡°I will put back the three items that I took out just now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry everyone. I won¡¯t tell anyone what¡¯s inside, nor let anyone related to me participate in the auction.¡± ¡°Everyone can compete fairly for this ring!¡± Zhou Mingrui finished explaining his plan in one breath. The people around him were stunned for a few seconds before they burst into an uproar again. Up until now, no one would send a cracked ring to the auction. At most, they would sell it on the spot. However, the three good items that Zhou Mingrui had taken out previously already had a total value of more than 20000 dollars. If the three items that he had casually taken out were already worth that much, what about the rest? In addition to what Zhou Mingrui had just said, the people around them immediately began to fill in their own imaginations. A moment later, the staff of the VIP auction area rushed over. According to their actuary¡¯s calculations, the ring was worth at least 50000 dollars. It was definitely qualified to be auctioned in the VIP auction house. The staff of the VIP auction area came to Zhou Mingrui and respectfully said, ¡°Sir, please follow me to the VIP room.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then, Zhou Mingrui brought Yan Wuyue back to the VIP auction area. In the VIP room, a man in a suit with slicked-back hair and dressed in formal attire said to Zhou Mingrui, ¡°Hello, Mr. Zhou. Since you¡¯ve taken the initiative to sell the ring to our auction house, we¡¯ll also give you a discount.¡± ¡°Normally, our commission rate is 12% to 15%, but your situation is a bit special. We can give you 10%.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately shook his head when he heard that. ¡°10% is too high. You have to know that the lowest value of my ring exceeds 20000 dollars. According to the base price you set for the auction, it should be at least 30000 dollars.¡± ¡°Then how much do you think is appropriate?¡± The manager of the auction house nodded. ¡°8%.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately stated his price. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to place a lower bid, but the Starry Sky Auction House¡¯s reputation was simply too great. It wasn¡¯t like those small auction houses that needed such an item. If the commission rate was too low, the Starry Sky Auction House would definitely reject the auction, and there would be no need to bid. There was still a huge difference in strength between a small auction house and the Starry Sky Auction House. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make the decision this time. I¡¯ll take 8% of the profits!¡± The person in charge is also decisive, so he immediately agreed. After the person-in-charge led the two out of the room, Yan Wuyue immediately brought Zhou Mingrui to an empty corner. ¡°What, are you trying to take advantage of me by dragging me to this corner?¡± Zhou Mingrui joked. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Who wants to take advantage of you!¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°Are you going to ask me why I¡¯m auctioning the ring?¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed as he leaned against the wall. ¡°That¡¯s right. Although I know you must have your reasons for doing this, I still want to know why. Yan Wuyue said, staring at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°There are indeed good things in the ring. The three items I took out can be said to be the more ordinary ones.¡± Zhou Mingrui said in a low voice. ¡°What!¡± Yan Wuyue was shocked. She already knew the value of the three items that Zhou Mingrui had taken out from the ring. She never expected them to be the ordinary items in the ring. ¡°But no matter how good it is, it¡¯s still in the ring. You never took it out.¡± Yan Wuyue reacted and asked doubtfully. Zhou Mingrui did not answer. Instead, he smiled mysteriously and suddenly raised his hand before clenching it into a fist. Under Yan Wuyue¡¯s confused gaze, he blew at his fist. ¡°Guess what¡¯s inside?¡± Zhou Mingrui said mysteriously. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m a little girl? You¡¯re trying to trick me like you¡¯re tricking a little girl. Do you have those magic tools?¡± Yan Wuyue said helplessly. ¡°Hey, your guess is pretty accurate.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud and opened his palm. A light pink magic crystal lay in his palm. ¡°This, this is a B-grade magic crystal!¡± Yan Wuyue said in surprise when she saw the magic crystal in the other party¡¯s palm. After a few seconds, Yan Wuyue suddenly came back to her senses and asked, ¡°How did you transfer them out without anyone knowing?¡± ¡°Also, you don¡¯t have any storage space on you. Where did you take it out from, and how did you put it back?¡± Yan Wuyue immediately asked her question. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fingers clenched into fists again. However, in the blink of an eye, the magic crystal in his hand had completely disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve awakened a skill that allows me to create a dimensional space within my body, allowing me to access and store things that I can touch at any time.¡± Zhou Mingrui explained. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue was stunned for two seconds. ¡°What, isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Zhou Mingrui said proudly. Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more than just amazing. It¡¯s simply magical. This is the first time I¡¯ve encountered a summoned spirit that¡¯s not of the space element but can awaken this kind of space ability.¡± ¡°If you use this ability well, it can be the key to victory in many cases. It¡¯s a very powerful skill!¡± Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what it¡¯ll be of use in the future, but it¡¯s very useful to me now.¡± Hearing this, Yan Wuyue suddenly lowered her voice and said, ¡°I smell a conspiracy. You¡¯re not trying to use this skill and ring to trick people, are you?¡± However, Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ve never said how precious the item in the ring is. I only said that it will exceed their expectations. The two of us will not be participating in the auction.¡± Yan Wuyue could not help but laugh when she saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gentlemanly expression. ¡°And you still want me to find someone who can enter the auction to help you raise the price.¡± Yan Wuyue cast a sidelong glance at Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui did not seem to mind and said. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s anything wrong with what I¡¯m going to do?¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to comment on this. It¡¯s not my plan anyway. As long as you have fun.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t be too ruthless when you cheat people. Otherwise, when people find out that the ring is full of cheap goods, they might hate you.¡± Upon hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face relaxed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any major problems with my plan.¡± ¡°You just need to sit and watch the show.¡± Chapter 26 - A Lively Auction Chapter 26 A Lively Auction ¡°73000 going once!¡± ¡°73000 going thrice!¡± ¡°Congratulations to the honorable mister of seat number 28 for obtaining this item, which is also the highest bid in today¡¯s auction.¡± ¡°Next, today¡¯s auction will also¡­¡± In the auction hall, just as the auction was about to end, a figure suddenly walked out from behind the scenes and quickly rushed up to the auction stage. His actions interrupted the auctioneer¡¯s closing words, and he leaned over to the auctioneer¡¯s ear to tell him what had happened. The people who were about to get up and leave were also attracted by this sudden scene. They all stopped and looked. ¡°Cough, cough! Dear guests, first of all, I would like to apologize and say that this auction is not over.¡± ¡°The reason is that I¡¯ve suddenly received a notice that an item that¡¯s more precious than the previous finale will be delivered here soon, so I¡¯ve decided to keep everyone here at the last minute to prevent you from missing out on such a good item.¡± The auctioneer¡¯s words immediately caused the people in the auction hall to start whispering to each other. After all, it was the first time for many of them to encounter such a situation. They felt that it was very interesting, so they decided not to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is very curious as to what kind of auction item would give us the confidence to keep you here. I won¡¯t waste any more time. Please watch.¡± The auctioneer pointed behind him. One of the staff members had quickly carried a glass box onto the auction stage while he was speaking. Under the spotlight, everyone¡¯s eyes immediately focused on the glass box. After a careful look, they found a ring lying quietly inside. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re not seeing things. This is a mage ring that was seized from the battlefield.¡± When the auctioneer finished speaking, many people in the audience frowned. Wasn¡¯t this thing from the selling area next door? ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed or doubtful. This ring is indeed from the outdoor selling area next door, but if it was just an ordinary ring gambling, why would we bring it here?¡± ¡°Everyone, this ring is a completely unsealed one.¡± As soon as the auctioneer said this, the venue, which had already cooled down, suddenly became lively again. However, even though the value of a completely unsealed ring was not low, it was not to the extent that it could surprise them. Then, the auctioneer clapped his hands lightly, and three more glass boxes were brought up and placed neatly beside the ring. This time, the auctioneer didn¡¯t leave the crowd hanging. Instead, he ordered the three people to quickly remove the cloth covering the three boxes, revealing the items inside. However, when most of the people present saw what was inside the box, they all looked disappointed. Although the value of the three items was not low, they were not tempted by the fact that they could enter the VIP auction hall and leave after the finale. However, some people¡¯s expressions changed. From the ring, the three items, and the auctioneer¡¯s words, they had already guessed something ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you have already guessed it. That¡¯s right. These three items are the items I obtained from the ring.¡± ¡°According to the calculations of our actuary, the minimum value of these three items is definitely not less than 20000!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure many of you still have doubts. Why would the owner of the ring want to auction it?¡± The auctioneer began to speak in a depressed tone. ¡°That¡¯s because, after the owner of the ring saw the item in the ring, he said that he didn¡¯t deserve it!¡± ¡°Our Starry Sky Auction House¡¯s staff can testify that the ring¡¯s owner didn¡¯t take anything from the ring.¡± ¡°In other words, this ring is in a completely unsealed state, and nothing has been taken from it. The original owner also mentioned that this ring will surprise you!¡± The auctioneer¡¯s three sentences completely ignited the flames that had already calmed down in the venue. Everyone was boiling. A completely unsealed ring, three pieces of equipment and materials worth a total of 20000 dollars, and a guarantee that he did not take any subsequent items. With all these added together, the value of the ring was raised by several levels. ¡°Everyone, think about it. The three items in here are already worth 20000 dollars. How many valuable items are there in the storage space?¡± The auctioneer had already voiced out many people¡¯s thoughts, and they couldn¡¯t help but nod slightly after hearing it. ¡°Even though no one other than the original owner knows what¡¯s inside the ring.¡± ¡°But have you all thought about it? The lowest value is 20000 dollars, so how bad can it be?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t even have this bit of courage, then I think you can get up and go home to wash up and sleep.¡± ¡°With all the above characteristics, the auction house has decided to set the starting price of this ring at 100,000 dollars!¡± ¡°I hereby announce the official start of the auction!¡± The auctioneer continued to liven up the atmosphere, and with the last strike of the gavel, the base price of the ring was announced. However, no one in the audience felt that the price was too high. On the contrary, they felt that it was quite fair. ¡°120,000!¡± ¡°140,000!¡± ¡°151,000!¡± Just as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone immediately raised his sign and bid. ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re raising the price like a pauper. 155,000 dollars!¡± At this moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man snorted. ¡°157,000.¡± A big-bellied boss, who looked like a successful person at first glance, shouted. ¡°160,000.¡± A white hand as smooth as a jade lotus root raised up, and the graceful and noble lady made a bid. It was just that as soon as it started, the surrounding people began to bid continuously, even crazier than when they were fighting for the final auction item. In just a few minutes, the price had soared from 120,000 dollars to 160,000 dollars, and it was still rising. Seeing the lively atmosphere, Zhou Mingrui chuckled and said, ¡°Not bad, keep going.¡± Yan Wuyue covered her face helplessly. She could not bear to see Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. It made her want to beat him up. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m embarrassed for you. Yan Wuyue said as she grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s clothes. ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°Forget it, forget it. But aren¡¯t you afraid that the person who bought it will find you later?¡± Yan Wuyue said, a little worried. It would be fine if it was an ordinary person, but a rich man who could pay such a high price must have an extraordinary background. Once he found out that he had been cheated, he would be furious, and even the Yan family behind her might not be able to bear the consequences. ¡°Do you think that with their background, if they find out that I¡¯ve been lying to them, they¡¯ll try to take revenge on me?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked as he leaned back in his soft chair. Chapter 27 - The Price Soared Chapter 27 The Price Soared ¡°Although the Yan family is a big clan, there are a few people here who are not weaker than the Yan family at all. There are even a few people that the Yan family can¡¯t afford to offend.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t speak directly. Instead, he stared at Yan Wuyue¡¯s face for a long time before he said with a suspicious look, ¡°Now I¡¯m a little suspicious of whether you¡¯re a reincarnated person.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Wuyue asked with a frown. Zhou Mingrui immediately retorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll be the Goddess of Redemption for humanity in the future? Why are you starting to worry and fear now? Have you lost all your confidence as an expert?¡± Hearing this, Yan Wuyue held her breath. After about two seconds, she said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about you. How can you say such things?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m really afraid of them, why would I agree to your plan?¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui could only shrug helplessly and say, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Alright, I¡¯ll apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Yan Wuyue snorted heavily and turned to look at the auction stage without saying anything. Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to turn his head to look at the auction stage. The price had already been raised to 163,000 dollars, and there were at least four people still bidding against each other. It was entirely possible to raise the price to 170,000 dollars. At this moment, the door of the auction house was suddenly pushed open. Then, a group of Zhao family members rushed in, led by Zhao Ruian. They came to the second row aggressively and rudely drove away the seven people sitting there. Their method was rough but convincing since they used money! There was no dissatisfaction on the faces of the people who left. On the contrary, they all left with smiles. ¡°Those are the clan elders of the Zhao family!¡± At this moment, Yan Wuyue suddenly said with a serious face, ¡°What are they doing here?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask? They must have taken a fancy to my ring. But I¡¯m also curious why they would take a fancy to this ring.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°Ruian, I didn¡¯t expect to see this ring here. If you didn¡¯t inform us, we might have missed this opportunity.¡± Beside Zhao Ruian, an old man with white hair and a ruddy complexion was staring at the ring in the glass box. ¡°The clan leader is already counting the clan¡¯s assets. This time, we have to get this ring no matter what.¡± Another clan elder said in a serious tone. ¡°Third Great Uncle,¡± Zhao Ruian said, puzzled. ¡°This is just a ring that has been completely cracked. Although it¡¯s valuable, it shouldn¡¯t be to this extent, right?¡± The oldest of them all, an old man who had been keeping his eyes closed the entire time, suddenly spoke, ¡°Xiao An, you¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t know. That was a fortune-teller¡¯s instruction to our family before you were born.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go into the details. All the instructions have been fulfilled, and the last instruction is about this ring.¡± Zhao Ruian was even more confused, ¡°There were so many rings in the selling area. How could you be so sure that it was this skull ring?¡± The clan elder said to himself, ¡°When we first arrived, we were still a little suspicious. But now, whether it¡¯s the ¡®three stars surrounding the moon¡¯, ¡¯empty souls¡¯, or even ¡®boundless starlight¡¯, the three conditions have all been fulfilled.¡± ¡°The fortune-teller said that the prosperity and decline of our clan will depend on this ring, but he didn¡¯t say much. No matter what, we must control it in our own hands and not let anyone else take it!¡± The clan elder¡¯s words were firm, and Zhao Ruian did not dare to ask any more questions. He could only sit quietly at the side. ¡°200,000 dollars!¡± At this time, the price had reached 200,000 dollars. No one bid any higher because it was very obvious that the price was approaching the peak of the ring¡¯s price. No one was a fool, and no one would be so silly to make a move. However, they didn¡¯t know that a group of people who would bid higher had already arrived at the auction house. ¡°210,000 dollars!¡± The Zhao family¡¯s clan elder raised his hand and bid, instantly attracting the gazes of the surrounding people. As the leading figure of the big clan in the city, many people naturally knew the clan elders of the Zhao family. They were also a little surprised that they were suddenly involved. ¡°210,000 dollars going once!¡± The auctioneer was finally able to start calling out the number of times. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to do so before. Many of the people present frowned slightly. After all, 170,000 dollars was just what they wanted. It was not worth it to bid more, but it would be a pity to have less. ¡°Clan Elder, don¡¯t worry. It looks like no one will compete with us. We can definitely get the ring at the expected price.¡± Zhao Ruian, who was at the side, wanted to show off in front of the clan elders, so he started to show off anxiously. ¡°Hmm.¡± The clan elder at the side only gave a faint ¡°hmm¡± and did not comment. However, the faint smile on his face showed his mood. ¡°210,000 dollars going twice!¡± ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to bid? This is a completely unsealed ring. If you¡¯re lucky enough to get something that¡¯s worth millions, don¡¯t even mention winning back your money, you can even get ten times the profit!¡± The auctioneer began to stir up the atmosphere, hoping that more people would compete for it so that the commission would be higher! ¡°I don¡¯t like this guy.¡± The Grand Clan Elder with his eyes closed said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grand Clan Elder. After the auction is over, I¡¯ll let him know what he should and shouldn¡¯t say.¡± Zhao Ruian said immediately. ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± The Grand Clan Elder nodded in satisfaction. ¡°250,000 dollars!¡± Just as the auctioneer was about to strike the gavel for the third time, a clear sound suddenly stopped the gavel from falling. The clan elders of the Zhao family immediately looked toward the source of the voice. A beautiful woman in a white suit with gold edges and a pair of gold-rimmed yellow glasses walked in. ¡°The Qin family!¡± When the Grand Clan Elder opened his eyes again and saw the young person, his droopy face twitched a few times. ¡°Qin Fenghua of the Qin family!¡± Zhao Ruian was shocked too. This was the Qin family that could compete with the mayor¡¯s family. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll fight with all my strength!¡± The Grand Clan Elder ordered without hesitation. ¡°285,000 dollars!¡± The other clan elder did not hesitate and immediately made a bid. ¡°259,000 dollars.¡± Qin Yuying came to the front row, and two people immediately made way for her. After taking her seat, Qin Yuying took a sip of the fruit juice handed to her by the waiter, completely ignoring the gloomy eyes of the Zhao family elder behind her. ¡°Not bad, appearing at a critical moment. You were the one who find them?¡± Zhou Mingrui turned to look at Yan Wuyue. ¡°I¡¯m just asking her for a favor. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Yan Wuyue said calmly. ¡°Looking at the behavior of the people around her, she seems to have a powerful background.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with interest. ¡°Yes, the Qin family is one of the top three families in the city. Yan Wuyue looked at Qin Yuying, who was winking at her and replied. ¡°Qin family? They are ranked top three in the city. No wonder they¡¯re so confident!¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but praise. Chapter 28 - Fierce Bidding Chapter 28 Fierce Bidding ¡°A hundred thousand is hard for people like us, but it¡¯s not a lot for a person who is doted on by her parents and four brothers like a princess.¡± ¡°After all, we have to be prepared for the situation where others are suddenly afraid of bidding higher, and we end up buying it ourselves in the end. If you don¡¯t have the strength, you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this, right?¡± Yan Wuyue turned to look at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not familiar with this place, so I can only rely on you to find someone like that.¡± Zhou Mingrui could only play dumb. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. After all, this is just a favor to me. It¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Yan Wuyue turned her head and looked at the stage again, but her expression was a little strange. Zhou Mingrui could only look at the competition helplessly upon seeing Yan Wuyue had no interest in talking. ¡°300,000 dollars!¡± The Zhao family¡¯s Grand Clan Elder was expressionless, but his squinted eyes opened a little, inadvertently revealing a bright light. ¡°How did the Qin family get involved?¡± Zhao Ruian frowned. The Grand Clan Elder didn¡¯t know why Qin Yuying wanted to vie, but he was sure that the Qin family had an intention to get involved. ¡°If the girl wants it for herself, then we can have a good talk. If she also knows the content, then things will become very troublesome.¡± The clan elder at the side muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to her. What do you think, Grand Clan Elder?¡± Zhao Ruian immediately stood up and volunteered to ask. ¡°Go, try to negotiate as much as you can.¡± The Grand Clan Elder said, nodding. Zhao Ruian quickly came behind Qin Yuying and heard her bid for 330,000 dollars. His face twitched a few times. ¡°Miss Qin, can we have a talk?¡± Zhao Ruian tried his best to use a gentle tone. ¡°330,000 dollars going once!¡± The auctioneer also saw Zhao Ruian in the audience. He knew that the two families might have to compromise, so he spoke slowly. ¡°Talk about what?¡± Qin Yuying asked without looking back ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to fight over it. Miss Qin, if you¡¯re willing to let us have this ring, we¡¯re willing to give you a generous gift afterward.¡± Zhao Ruian said carefully. ¡°Oh, but I quite like this ring. Look at how unique it is, don¡¯t you think?¡± Qin Yuying joked. She raised her hand and said, ¡°360,000 dollars!¡± Sensing the questioning gaze of the Grand Clan Elder, Zhao Ruian quickly added, ¡°Miss Qin, as long as you¡¯re willing to part with the treasure, we¡¯re willing to give you 88000 dollars and a generous gift.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so sincere!¡± Qin Yuying turned around and said playfully. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. As long as you agree, I¡¯ll give it to you with both hands once we leave the auction house.¡± Zhao Ruian quickly said. ¡°Then I really have to think about it, hmm.¡± Qin Yuying tilted her head and pondered. At this moment, the clan elder from the Zhao family raised his hand and bid, ¡°400,000!¡± Zhao Ruian¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with anticipation and apprehension. He stared straight at Qin Yuying but quickly looked away in the next second, afraid of offending her. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, and I still think that ring is cuter!¡± Qin Yuying stuck out her tongue, then turned around and raised her hand to bid. ¡°440,000!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Zhao Ruian was stunned. He didn¡¯t think he had done anything wrong. His attitude was sincere enough, and the gift was sufficient. He didn¡¯t put on any airs at all, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with his tone. ¡°You, go back and tell your clan elders that I have taken a fancy to this ring. If you have the ability, come and fight for it.¡± Qin Yuying turned around again and made a face at Zhao Ruian. Zhao Ruian finally understood that the woman in front of him was toying with him. Veins popped out on his forehead, but when he thought about the other party¡¯s background, Zhao Ruian could only grit his teeth and leave. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the entire scene from above, found it interesting. ¡°That girl called Qin Yuying is quite interesting.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°If she was your enemy, would you still find it interesting?¡± Yan Wuyue said indifferently. ¡°Why have you been so sarcastic since just now?¡± Zhou Mingrui is a little upset. He didn¡¯t offend her, so why was she giving him that stinky face? ¡°Really? I think it¡¯s normal. When Yan Wuyue saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression, she immediately burst out laughing. ¡°One moment, you¡¯re pulling a long face. The next moment, you¡¯re smiling. I give up.¡± Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t understand this woman anymore. She¡¯s like the weather in summer, changing at will. At this moment, below. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, clan elders, I failed. She doesn¡¯t have any intention of negotiating.¡± When he returned to his seat, Zhao Ruian did not quibble. Instead, he admitted his defeat and described the situation in one sentence. ¡°Hmm, I know. You did well this time.¡± The Grand Clan Elder had no intention of blaming Zhao Ruian. On the contrary, he was very satisfied with his performance, which made Zhao Ruian heave a sigh of relief. ¡°441,000 dollars!¡± The clan elder raised his hand again. ¡°450,000 dollars.¡± Qin Yuying didn¡¯t even wait for the auctioneer to speak and raised her hand to bid. This time, the Zhao family was silent. 150,000 dollars was already the maximum amount of cash they had on hand. ¡°450,000 dollars going once!¡± The auctioneer looked at the expressions of the Zhao family and knew that they needed his help, so he loudly said. ¡°Grand Clan Elder, why don¡¯t we just forget about it? I really think that it¡¯s too unreasonable for a ring to decide the fate of the clan!¡± Zhao Ruian¡¯s heart trembled when he heard 450,000 dollars. This was one of the family¡¯s pillar businesses, almost all of its cash flow. The Grand Clan Elder did not look at Zhao Ruian. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°500,000!¡± Wow! All the onlookers were shocked by the amount of money. 500,000 dollars. Everyone present was either rich or powerful, but not to mention 500,000, the number of people who could take out 100,000 to buy things could be counted with one hand. ¡°A ring for 550,000, the Qin family wouldn¡¯t let her do this. I think there¡¯s something fishy about this!¡± Zhao Ruian growled. ¡°Shut up and watch quietly!¡± The clan elder beside Zhao Ruian shouted. Zhao Ruian felt like he was about to faint from anger. He really did not know why his clan would spend so much money on this stupid ring! Qin Yuying didn¡¯t bid immediately. Although she was the beloved daughter of the Qin family, she couldn¡¯t just hand over 200,000 dollars. If it wasn¡¯t for her status as the Qin family¡¯s young miss, the Starry Sky Auction House would probably have investigated her assets. Those who were watching the show knew that the climax was coming. Now, it was a test of who was stronger in both strength and mentality. ¡°500,000 going once!¡± The auctioneer reminded Qin Yuying after seeing her staying silent. ¡°500,000 going twice!¡± ¡°500,000, going thrice-¡°. ¡°520,000 dollars!¡± Qin Yuying suddenly spoke, and her words silenced the entire auction hall, followed by a burst of noise and whispers. 520,000 was already the amount that many families would only have after selling all their businesses. But now, someone was using it to buy a ring? Chapter 29 - Not Enough Cash? Use Items to Pay For It Chapter 29 Not Enough Cash? Use Items to Pay For It 520,000. Some of the people present didn¡¯t even have that much in their entire net worth. The members of the Zhao family fell silent when they heard the number. They were also shocked by the number. Zhao Ruian couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He grabbed the clan elder¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Clan Elder, 520,000 is not a small amount. I really don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to pay such a huge price for that ring!¡± The clan elder was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to those maxims that our clan has been able to get to where we are today. If we still have the ability to fight, then we must fight on!¡± ¡°Hmm, the third brother is right.¡± The Grand Clan Elder nodded, then raised his hand again. ¡°530,000.¡± The auctioneer on the stage was already trembling slightly. It was not that he had not seen more than 500,000, but he had never seen an item that could be sold for more than 500,000. Moreover, the commission for more than 500,000 dollars was close to 20000 dollars, which was more than what he would get for a few months of hard work. Below the stage, the Zhao family¡¯s grand clan elder said indifferently, ¡°Xiao An, you¡¯re still young. Let me tell you something today. Man proposes, but God disposes. If this ring really wasn¡¯t meant for us, it wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this and wouldn¡¯t have fallen into our hands.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Yuying made another bid, ¡°630,000.¡± At this time, one of the clan elders suddenly took out a vibrating phone from his arms. After picking up the call and listening carefully for a while, his expression became slightly excited. ame After he hung up, he whispered a few words into the Grand Clan Elder¡¯s ear, and the Grand Clan Elder smiled. Then, he raised his hand and said, ¡°700,000.¡± Everyone was shocked by his words. Even Qin Yuying didn¡¯t bid immediately, and the crowd fell into silence. ¡°My friend told me that 700,000 should be enough. She felt that with the Zhao family¡¯s strength, 700,000 was already the limit. If they continued, there was a high probability that the Zhao family would give up.¡± At this moment, Yan Wuyue, who was in the stands, looked at the text message on her phone and said to Zhou Mingrui, who was beside her. Zhou Mingrui looked at the expressions of the Zhao family members below the stage. With his strong physical fitness, he could vaguely hear some things despite the argument. [Clan leader, inventory, sell-off, complete, win this) Putting these words together, Zhou Mingrui could roughly deduce the current situation of the Zhao family. After some thought, Zhou Mingrui suddenly said, ¡°Tell your friend to continue raising the price. The Zhao family will definitely continue to follow. This time, tell her to raise the price to 750,000!¡± Yan Wuyue was stunned and said, ¡°Where do you get your confidence from? You should know that if you miscalculate, we¡¯ll have to take 10% of the responsibility, which means around 100,000. Where are you going to get money?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and said, ¡°I¡¯m 100% sure that the Zhao family will follow. It won¡¯t be a failed bid. Besides, what¡¯s the rush? After deducting the cost and commission, as well as the ring¡¯s original value, we¡¯ll only lose a few hundred thousand at most. I still have the 100,000 that the Zhao family¡¯s chick gave us for free yesterday. Calm down, calm down. Since we want to take a gamble, we shall take a big gamble.¡± ¡°By the way, tell the manager that we can accept using items to make up for the price difference. Give them your phone number and tell him to contact me.¡± After Yan Wuyue blinked, she suddenly understood the twists and turns of this. Zhou Mingrui hadn¡¯t forgotten about the medicine that she had wanted to bid for. He wanted to help her get it back in the form of trading in. This made Yan Wuyue feel a sense of warmth in her heart. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve sent the message.¡± It only took Yan Wuyue a few seconds to edit the message and send it out. Then, Qin Yuying raised her hand and said, ¡°750,000!¡± The crowd was in an uproar again, and the Zhao family members¡¯ faces turned gloomy. But not long after, the Zhao family clan elder continued to bid, ¡°800,000!¡± Then, Zhou Mingrui saw an auction staff member go to the Zhao family¡¯s side. He said a few words to them before leaving. Soon, Yan Wuyue¡¯s phone vibrated. Zhou Mingrui took the phone and pressed the answer button before placing it to his ear. ¡°You¡¯re the owner of the ring, right?¡± An old but energetic voice came from the phone. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhou Mingrui replied. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the crap. 800,000. We didn¡¯t prepare that much cash this time,¡± the clan elder tried to maintain his tone. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t offer something of equal value. I just want to ask what you¡¯re interested in. The Zhao family has enough stock to guarantee that you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s cut to the chase. How much cash do you have?¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°About 600,000 in cash, and the rest can be paid by physical items.¡± The Clan Elder said. ¡°I¡¯m interested in a lot of precious items. As long as it¡¯s good, you can just bid for it.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a smirk. ¡°Alright, Mr. Zhou. I¡¯ll try my best to sell those things at the market price, then send a list of information to your phone number. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± The Clan Elder said. ¡°No problem, just do as you see fit. I believe that the Zhao family¡¯s reputation is not fake.¡± Zhou Mingrui flattered the other party. ¡°Oh, by the way, I saw someone from your Zhao family bid for a special box at the auction today. I¡¯m quite interested in it. You can top up with that for the price of 20000 dollars.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. ¡°Haha, little friend, you must be joking. Since I could bid for it, I¡¯ll make the decision and give it to you.¡± The Clan Elder of the Zhao family was very magnanimous. ¡°Haha, then it will be impolite of me to refuse. Zhou Mingrui did not stand on ceremony and immediately agreed. Then, after a few boring greetings, both parties hung up the phone. Soon, his phone vibrated, and the next message came. When he opened it, Zhou Mingrui saw the list sent by the Zhao family. ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of good stuff!¡± Looking at the long list of items, Zhou Mingrui nearly drooled. Yan Wuyue came over to take a look and was also shocked by what was on it. ¡°Come, pick something too, in case you say I didn¡¯t take care of you.¡± Zhou Mingrui returned the phone to Yan Wuyue. ¡°You¡¯re done picking so quickly?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. ¡°I picked?¡± Zhou Mingrui rolled his eyes at Yan Wuyue. ¡°Of course, you have to choose these things. I don¡¯t know what these things are for.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately understood. After saying sorry, she began to read the list. At this time, at the Zhao family¡¯s location. ¡°The list that had been sent over is worth at least 300,000. In other words, the total funds we can use for this auction are estimated to be around one million. Since this is the case, we have to obtain it as soon as possible without hesitation.¡± The Grand Clan Elder said very calmly. The other clan elder immediately nodded, then opened his mouth to bid, ¡°840,000!¡± The people in the hall were already numb from the shock and didn¡¯t know what to say. Qin Yuying¡¯s interest was piqued. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had also calculated the limits of the Zhao family¡¯s tolerance and sent her a message. Thus, she continued to raise her hand and said, ¡°841,000!¡± ¡°Enough, haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble?¡± At this moment, a calm male voice sounded. Qin Yuying¡¯s body trembled. She stood up and was about to leave, but a big hand pressed on her shoulder. Chapter 30 - A Big Profit Chapter 30 A Big Profit ¡°Brother.¡± Seeing the person who came, Qin Yuying suddenly lost her previous domineering aura and directly turned into a gentle kitten. ¡°You still know how to call me brother. How can you mess around like this?¡± Qin Shijun furrowed his brows and said angrily. ¡°Brother! I know what I¡¯m doing. This is all part of the plan.¡± Qin Yuying grabbed Qin Shijun¡¯s arm and said coquettishly. ¡°A plan? You¡¯re just causing trouble!¡± Qin Shijun did not break free from Qin Yuying¡¯s hand. Instead, he used his finger to tap her head. ¡°841,000 going once!¡± The auctioneer began the slow countdown. The interval between each bid was at least several times longer than before. After all, with such a high bid, the bidder needed more time to consider. This was just a small auction technique. ¡°Brother, listen to me, it¡¯s like this¡­ ¡± Qin Yuying knew this, so she didn¡¯t rush to bid. Instead, she began to explain to her brother what had happened. ¡°841,000 going twice!¡± By now, Qin Shijun had also found out what had happened. However, he still frowned and said, ¡°Even though it seems like you won¡¯t suffer any losses, but it will affect the Qin family¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°850,000!¡± Qin Yuying snorted after bidding, ¡°It¡¯s just a second-rate clan. Why should we be afraid of them?¡± Qin Shijun shook his head. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not willing to learn from your second brother. The Zhao family is probably testing us.¡± ¡°Test what?¡± Qin Yuying frowned. Qin Shijun narrowed his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s trying to test if we can allow a new first-rate clan to join us. Do you think a second-rate clan would dare to pay such a huge price to provoke us?¡± ¡°Perhaps that ring is very important to the Zhao family, but do you think the Zhao family can withstand our Qin family¡¯s wrath?¡± Qin Yuying scratched her head and said, ¡°You guys are thinking too much. I don¡¯t care about these things.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of this. Help me contact your friend now.¡± Qin Shijun said in a gentle tone. ¡°Brother!¡± Qin Yuying wanted to act coquettishly again. ¡°Eh?¡± Qin Shijun glared at her, and Qin Yuying could only dial the number. In the stands, Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui after picking up the phone. ¡°It¡¯s Qin Shijun. He asked me to put him through to the person in charge of this plan.¡± Zhou Mingrui pondered for two seconds before he picked up the phone. ¡°I don¡¯t care what my sister promised you. From now on, the cooperation between you two is terminated. If the other party bids higher, we will not continue to increase the bid.¡± Qin Shijun¡¯s voice was heard from the phone. ¡°Hahaha, okay. We are very grateful for Miss Qin and the Qin family¡¯s help this time. We will send someone to send a gift to Miss Qin to express our gratitude later.¡± Zhou Mingrui expressed his gratitude. ¡°No need. Don¡¯t use my sister¡¯s kindness to do such things in the future. I¡¯ll let it go this time, but if there¡¯s a next time, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± Qin Shijun hung up the phone. Although 800,000 was a lot, as one of the top families in Shangjing Province, he didn¡¯t care about this amount. However, what Qin Shijun couldn¡¯t accept the most was that those people actually dared to use his younger sister to achieve their goals. This was what made him the angriest. ¡°It seems that he is very disgusted with you for using his sister. You have to be careful in the future.¡± Yan Wuyue teased. ¡°So what? I don¡¯t need to look at his face in the future.¡± Zhou Mingrui was naturally unhappy with Qin Shijun¡¯s attitude. However, he had no choice. The other party was much stronger now and had more resources under its control. Seeing that Zhou Mingrui was finally showing his drive, Yan Wuyue felt that this trip was not in vain. The favor that she owed was worth it. ¡°900,000!¡± This time, the Zhao family was ruthless. They directly increased the bid to 900,000, with an expression that said they were definitely going to buy it. Qin Yuying had already been taken away by Qin Shijun, so no one else could continue to bid. ¡°900,000 going once!¡± ¡°900,000 going thrice!¡± When the gavel hit, the clan elders of the Zhao family heaved a sigh of relief. They had finally taken down the ring. Although the price they had to pay was a little high, as long as they could get this ring, everything would be worth it! When he got the card with 600,000 and the storage ring with 300,000 dollars¡¯ worth of goods, Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t believe it. She had planned so hard before, but they were only worth hundreds of thousands at most. In the end, she didn¡¯t even get those medicine. On the other hand, Zhou Mingrui had received a huge sum of 900,000 dollars the moment he made a move. He had even managed to get her medicine back. This made Yan Wuyue fall into deep self-doubt. Standing beside Yan Wuyue and seeing her expression, Zhou Mingrui could guess what she was thinking. After some thought, Zhou Mingrui consoled her, ¡°This matter also depends on luck and other things. For example, that young lady of the Qin family had a key role in this plan. If it wasn¡¯t for her, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re just trying to comfort me, but it sounds good. Thank you.¡± Yan Wuyue covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°No, this is impossible!¡± Just as the two of them walked out of the Starry Sky Auction House, an angry voice resounded in the surroundings. ¡°There must be a problem. This is impossible. I want to see your manager!¡± The angry voice continued. ¡°They¡¯re so impatient.¡± Zhou Mingrui could naturally tell who the voice belonged to and could guess what had happened. ¡°Mr. Zhao, don¡¯t forget, you know the risks of ring gambling before the auction starts. Also, don¡¯t forget the agreement you signed with the auction house.¡± The manager of the auction house said very politely. ¡°Other than the three items that are worth 20000, the rest of the items in this ring are rubbish. We spent 450,000 to buy this!¡± Zhao Ruian shouted in anger. The other clan elders of the Zhao family were also staring at the manager with dark expressions. ¡°What, does the Zhao family think that the Starry Sky Auction House is playing tricks?¡± The auction manager¡¯s smile disappeared, and he said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Our Starry Sky Auction House has at least tens of millions of funds moving around every day. Why would we cause trouble for this bit of money?¡± ¡°You guys, don¡¯t you think too highly of yourself?¡± Hearing the manager¡¯s words, Zhao Ruian was so angry that veins popped out on his forehead, and his fists were clenched tightly. Even though he wasn¡¯t the one who made the decision, he still had to take some responsibility. But this time, the pot was not just ordinarily big. Even a part of it was enough to crush him to death. So now, he looked angry on the surface, but he was actually panicking on the inside. Chapter 31 - Counting the Gains Chapter 31 Counting the Gains ¡°Take a look for yourself. Do you believe that the original owner of the ring didn¡¯t take anything inside?¡± He didn¡¯t dare to lay a hand on the boss of the auction house. The big bosses of the auction house weren¡¯t easy to deal with. Starry Sky Auction House was backed by the most powerful family in Qinghua City, the kind that the Zhao family couldn¡¯t afford to offend. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to explain it to you, but I¡¯m a very polite person.¡± The auction house manager snapped his fingers, and a staff member ran over with a laptop. Turning on the laptop, the manager skillfully operated the computer and quickly pulled up the surveillance footage of the outdoor selling area. When the Zhao family watched all the surveillance footage, they knew that they could only grit their teeth and swallow the matter. ¡°How is it? What else do you want to say?¡± After the manager had his men put away the laptop, he looked at Zhao Ruian and mocked, ¡°Are you going to say that our people swapped the rings when they were in our hands?¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhao Ruian was instantly enraged. He raised his hand and pointed at the manager, ready to say something ruthless. ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t make a fool of yourself here.¡± At this moment, the Zhao family¡¯s grand clan elder said as he tapped his walking stick. Hearing the grand clan elder¡¯s words, all the members of the Zhao family suppressed their anger and left with the ring. ¡°A bunch of upstarts, and they have the nerve to come to our auction house to make a scene.¡± The manager snorted coldly and turned around to return to the auction hall. Seeing that the matter had come to an end, Yan Wuyue, whose depression had dissipated, went home with Zhou Mingrui. In the villa, Yan Wuyue was counting the gains. ¡°The gains this time is not bad. The money is enough for us to improve our strength to the maximum before the start of the tournament. There are also many things on the list that will be very helpful to our cultivation.¡± Zhou Mingrui revealed a speechless expression when he heard that. ¡°What did you say? They¡¯re all things that assist in cultivation?¡± Yan Wuyue turned her head and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhou Mingrui helplessly raised his hand to cover his face and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other types?¡± Yan Wuyue said with a serious face, ¡°What do you mean by other things? Shouldn¡¯t our first goal be improving our strength and preparing for the tournament?¡± Taking a deep breath, Zhou Mingrui said helplessly, ¡°But we need to balance work and rest. I worked so hard to get this. Why can¡¯t I enjoy it?¡± Yan Wuyue was speechless. She had thought that this guy was a little self-motivated, but who knew that he would show his true colors as soon as he got home. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve given you access to all the entertainment facilities. You¡¯re indeed the hero this time, but we have to set our sights on the future.¡± Yan Wuyue said earnestly. What she didn¡¯t realize was that her persuasion this time was completely different from the previous one. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Zhou Mingrui picked his ears. ¡°Here, this is the medicine. Take it now.¡± Yan Wuyue said as she took out the medicine from the box and handed it to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°You can drink it. I don¡¯t need it.¡± Zhou Mingrui pushed Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand away. He had the talent of Contract Coherence, so it was better to give it to Yan Wuyue than to drink it himself. That way, the effect would be maximized, and he could get several times the benefit. ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t stand on ceremony then.¡± Yan Wuyue did not know that, so she thought that Zhou Mingrui deliberately let her win. She suddenly felt warm in her heart. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. You just need to work hard and become stronger. I¡¯m waiting for you to become stronger so that I can have some free time.¡± Zhou Mingrui gulped down the entire glass of soda and burped in satisfaction. ¡°Zhou Mingrui!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s tone suddenly turned serious. She looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this. Do you still remember what you said not long ago? You want to let Qin Shijun, who looked down on you, know how powerful you are?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s a matter for the future. I can¡¯t go and beat him up now, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui pouted. ¡°His younger brother Qin Podi will also participate in this tournament, and he¡¯s one of the seeded contestants for the tournament.¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°What?¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately straightened his body. ¡°Qin Podi was admitted to Heavenly Saint Academy with full marks in theoretical knowledge. His summoned spirit¡¯s talent has reached the top of B rank, and I heard that he¡¯s only a step away from A-rank talent.¡± ¡°And I heard that he has recently raised his summoned spirit to almost level 30, and he himself has also raised his Summoner grade to Silver grade. He is the fastest among all the freshmen.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was very serious. ¡°So powerful?¡± Zhou Mingrui was shocked. He had just reached level 20, and it was due to the several-fold increase booster from the Contract Coherence. Yan Wuyue had been training hard every day, but she had only just gotten the Bronze grade certification. ¡°In this year¡¯s freshmen tournament, he¡¯s the only one that I feel is extremely difficult to deal with. I don¡¯t have much confidence in defeating him.¡± There was no smile on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face, and her eyes were full of worry. ¡°If he¡¯s so powerful, why didn¡¯t you mention him before?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked as he took a sip of his drink. Yan Wuyue cleared her throat and said, ¡°First of all, he wasn¡¯t interested in participating in the freshmen tournament in his previous life. Instead, he put all his effort into cultivating in preparation for the entrance exam, and he entered one of the four top schools.¡± ¡°After that, he stood out during the great calamity and became one of the strongest forces among the human race. But it was a pity.¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s pity?¡± Yan Wuyue sighed and said, ¡°It was because he was too confident in his own strength. He was ambushed and killed by an intelligent mutant among the monsters.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Zhou Mingrui scoffed. ¡°So he¡¯s just a simple-minded fellow. I thought he was very powerful.¡± ¡°Before he died, he killed 37 monsters of the same grade as him. Then, he risked his life to kill two monsters that were one grade higher than him. In the end, he died with heavy injuries and even severely injured a Lord grade monster.¡± Yan Wuyue continued. ¡°Hiss, this is a ruthless person.¡± Zhou Mingrui started to admire him. Then, he asked in confusion, ¡°Then why did he suddenly participate in this life?¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But I¡¯m sure he can defeat us as easily as drinking water.¡± ¡°So if you don¡¯t hurry up and cultivate now, I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll be trampled to death like ants when we face him.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned before he slammed the table and stood up. ¡°What¡¯s this? I don¡¯t believe that he can be so arrogant!¡± ¡°Then what do you mean by this?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. Zhou Mingrui slammed the table once again and said in an energetic voice, ¡°What do I mean? Of course, I¡¯m going to cultivate as soon as possible, then teach Qin Podi a lesson at the tournament. I¡¯m going to let the Qin family know that one must learn to keep a low profile!¡± ¡°Then do you think I exchanged for the right things?¡± Yan Wuyue asked again. ¡°Yes, you did the right thing. I have to thank you for not exchanging for those things of enjoyment!¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll start cultivating together tomorrow morning?¡± Yan Wuyue struck while the iron was hot. ¡°No problem!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heroic spirit reached the clouds as he thought to himself, ¡°The meaning of cultivating together is that you cultivate while I watch you.¡± Chapter 32 - Training Hard Chapter 32 Training Hard ¡°Zhou! Ming! Rui!¡± In the room, Yan Wuyue felt a fit of inexplicable anger erupting from her heart as she looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed. It was like a volcano erupting. ¡°What? It¡¯s still early. Let me sleep a little longer.¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed his drowsy eyes, rolled over, and continued to sleep. Yan Wuyue¡¯s clenched fist was trembling. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but kick Zhou Mingrui, whose butt was facing her. Plop. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body immediately rolled off the bed, and he fell. ¡°Yan Wuyue, what are you doing?¡± Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui, whose head was in close contact with the ground, shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you see what time it is now? Who was the one who promised me last night that he would cultivate and improve with me today?¡±. Yan Wuyue was not afraid at all and even took two steps forward. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui was instantly at a loss for words. Yesterday, he was goaded into it by this girl, but this time, as a man, he couldn¡¯t go back on his words, so he could only helplessly say, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll go.¡± With a thought, a cloak draped over Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m very curious. You¡¯re clearly an undead spirit. Why do you need to sleep like a normal person?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously while walking Normally, even if other people¡¯s summoned spirits were humanoid, they would not be like Zhou Mingrui, who was completely like a normal human being. Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips. He couldn¡¯t possibly tell Yan Wuyue that this was his habit as a human before he transmigrated. His mind turned, and he could only reply casually, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m an undead spirit, but I¡¯m actually a necromancer. I need to meditate to train my mental strength, do you understand?¡± Yan Wuyue opened her mouth slightly and said after a few seconds, ¡°Do I look like a three-year-old child that¡¯s easy to fool?¡± After all, in the previous battle with Zhao Anqi, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s performance looked like a Summoner in melee combat. Now, he was saying that he was a mage and that mages only engaged in close combat these days? Seeing the look of disbelief on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face, Zhou Mingrui shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you to believe it or not. Also, let me tell you, my cultivation is different from yours, so don¡¯t bother me later.¡± e Yan Wuyue gave Zhou Mingrui a suspicious look and said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t tell me that your training is meditating for the whole day, I¡¯ll be able to accept it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui was instantly at a loss for words. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m truly speechless.¡± Yan Wuyue covered her face and sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me? You¡¯ll know when I¡¯m done cultivating that skill.¡± Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain, so he could only play dumb. However, he wasn¡¯t lying. The strange thing in the ring last time would be able to completely merge with him very soon. [Item Name: Netherworld Fire Seed] [Effect: After use, it can allow living people to come into contact with the most mysterious sea of undead, from which they can comprehend and cultivate the true meaning of death.) This was what was stored in the disk. Simply put, it could allow an ordinary person to become a necromancer after passing the test. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was an undead spirit. The Netherworld Fire Seed was of great significance to him. After Yan Wuyue went back last night, Zhou Mingrui took out this thing and began to study it. As soon as he opened the disk, the Netherworld Fire Seed inside it seemed to have a life of its own. It pounced on Zhou Mingrui and fused into his body. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui felt as though he had arrived at the netherworld. He saw the endless sea of ghosts and souls. All of this made Zhou Mingrui, who was already an undead, feel an extremely compatible aura. Then, under the guidance of the Netherworld Fire Seed, they went to an extremely wide river and saw the countless undead spirits floating in the muddy river. At that moment, he felt a pair of glasses landing on him through the layers of space. Zhou Mingrui, who was awoken by shock, saw that the Netherworld Fire Seed had completely fused with his soul. A dark box also began to appear on his attribute bar, indicating that he was in the process of self-upgrading. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not going to talk about you. I¡¯ve said my piece. Next, we have to start using those things to develop our bodies and talents.¡± After Yan Wuyue finished speaking, she took several things. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the plate in front of him and asked in puzzlement. ¡°This is a hundred-year-old wood spirit root. After eating it, it can warm your spirit and body. It can develop your spirit and warm up your damaged body.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the tree root on the plate. He picked it up and put it back down with a strange expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? This is good stuff, so why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Yan Wuyue urged ¡°When have you ever seen an undead spirit need to eat this kind of thing to become stronger?¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a look of despair. ¡°Ah, oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Only then did Yan Wuyue realize that Zhou Mingrui was neither a human nor a beast. He was an undead spirit. Then, Yan Wuyue took out three incense sticks that looked like they were used for worship. The burning incense sticks began to emit white smoke, which lingered in front of Zhou Mingrui. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was a Chinese in his previous life, could not help but feel his scalp tingle when he saw this scene. ¡°This is a deep-sea-aged incense. When you light it during cultivation, it can effectively clear the mind and speed up the condensation of spiritual cultivation. It¡¯s a good item that¡¯s worth a lot.¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°I¡¯m an undead spirit¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Have you ever seen an undead spirit that can breathe?¡± ever seen an ¡°Ah, I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately apologized. However, when she started to search among those precious resources again, she was completely stumped. Because these things that aided cultivation were either for eating, drinking, or inhaling. But none of them could be used by the undead spirits. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll see for myself.¡± Zhou Mingrui helplessly walked forward and began to pick from the list. However, no matter how he looked at it, Zhou Mingrui could not find anything that could enhance undead spirits. ¡°This, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t pay attention when I was picking. I forgot that you¡¯re an undead spirit.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s cheeks turned red. This time, it was really her negligence that led to this result. ¡°Cultivate by yourself, and don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Zhou Mingrui walked to the other side with a dark expression. He was already at a loss for words. He walked to a spot not far from the cultivation ground and sat down cross-legged. Zhou Mingrui closed his eyes and began to check on the situation in his body. At this moment, the Netherworld Fire Seed was floating in his space of consciousness, and the constantly swaying flame core seemed to be telling him something. Zhou Mingrui watched this scene quietly, anticipating what would happen next. Chapter 33 - Awakening of Perception Chapter 33 Awakening of Perception ¡°Zhou Mingrui, can you tell me what kind of items you can use? I¡¯ll know when I see them next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always seen you as a human. Speaking of which, didn¡¯t you drink and eat snacks before?¡± Yan Wuyue came over and said with an apologetic expression. She had always treated Zhou Mingrui as a human. She had completely ignored the fact that he was an undead spirit. Also, when this guy was staying at home, he had fish, meat, snacks, and soda all day long, which was totally different from the undead. Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui opened his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m now a half-energy body. I can only taste those things. They have no effect on me.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you very strong in your past life? How come you don¡¯t even have common sense?¡± IIIII Yan Wuyue blinked and said embarrassedly, ¡°In my previous life, I met too few summoned spirits and monsters with energy bodies, so I didn¡¯t understand their habits in detail. Sorry about that.¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t wish to pursue the matter any further, so he said, ¡°If you want to buy something useful for me in the future, just remember that I¡¯m an undead type.¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said again, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the auction house more often and buy you something you can use.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and said, ¡°You should focus on your cultivation first. Don¡¯t you have the manager¡¯s phone number? If he has anything, get him to call and inform you. That¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yan Wuyue was speechless. ¡°Alright, go and cultivate. The things in the ring last time are useful for me, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Although Zhou Mingrui said that, he was hoping that Yan Wuyue could quickly cultivate. That would be the best help to him. ¡°Are you really not angry anymore?¡± Yan Wuyue squatted down and hugged her legs, tilting her head to look at his face. ¡°Why would I be angry? Really.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head is aching from being annoyed by this woman. ¡°Then what¡¯s with your tone? Didn¡¯t I already apologize to you?¡± Yan Wuyue pouted slightly, showing the attitude of a little woman. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, and my tone is normal!¡± Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re obviously still angry. How about I coax you? I¡¯ve never coaxed anyone before.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. She loved to see Zhou Mingrui in such a state of distress. For some reason, she felt a sense of relief when she saw him like that. ¡°Great Aunt, I¡¯m really not angry. I don¡¯t need you to coax me. You should quickly go and cultivate.¡± Zhou Mingrui quickly reached out and nudged Yan Wuyue, urging her to hurry up and cultivate. He was almost speechless at this woman. Under normal circumstances, if he was teased by a beautiful woman in his past life, he, Zhou Mingrui, would at least try to take advantage of her. However, this body was currently just a body made of bones and energy, so it did not have the brain and hormone secretion of normal people. To put it simply, even if someone were to become naked, Zhou Mingrui would not have any physiological reaction. Perhaps when he advanced to a more powerful form in the future, he would be able to recover these functions, but for now, he definitely had no emotions or reactions. This really became the classic line: A skeleton with make-up, and the material form is the same as emptiness. ¡°Tsk, how boring. As expected, you¡¯re just a skeleton.¡± Yan Wuyue snorted and stood up, ready to leave. However, before she left, she suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Zhou Mingrui.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no end to this, is there?¡± Zhou Mingrui felt his head buzzing, although he didn¡¯t know if it was true. ¡°Hehe, I just want to ask, do undead spirits have a gender?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. This made Zhou Mingrui angry, but at the same time, he found it funny. He crossed his arms and said, ¡°If I answer you, are you going to ask if undead spirits can fall in love with each other and even have undead babies?¡± Yan Wuyue stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re willing to tell me, I¡¯d be happy to listen.¡± COU It was said that women were born to gossip. This time, Zhou Mingrui had witnessed it. ¡°Scram!¡± Zhou Mingrui did not stand on ceremony this time. He directly gave Yan Wuyue a single word. ¡°Hehe.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she walked away with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s up with this girl? She¡¯s completely changed after the auction. She used to be like a flower on a mountain, but now she¡¯s like the fat girl next door in my past life.¡± Zhou Mingrui subconsciously scratched his chin. ¡°Forget it. Whether this girl changes or not has nothing to do with me. I¡¯d better deal with my own matters first.¡± After emptying his mind, Zhou Mingrui began to consider his own matters. In the space of consciousness, the swaying flame flower had turned into a white ball, which looked perfectly smooth. Although there was nothing special about it, Zhou Mingrui could sense that his consciousness was changing at every moment. After an unknown period of time, Zhou Mingrui, who was immersed in his consciousness, suddenly felt something strange in his space. Shifting his gaze, Zhou Mingrui saw that the white ball had already begun to crack. And the number of cracks was still increasing, and the area was also expanding. In the end, without a sound, the entire ball suddenly exploded into countless small pieces, rapidly spreading throughout the entire space of consciousness. Immediately, Zhou Mingrui sensed something that he had never felt before appearing in the air around him. After adjusting his perception to its maximum, Zhou Mingrui ¡°saw¡± those things. They were special particles that were smaller than dust. They were scattered in the air and could be said to be everywhere. ¡°These are¡­ Magic particles?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his eyebrows. He had already gained a general understanding of the principles of magic in advance. He started to communicate with the particles according to the experience he had learned. After trying out several methods, Zhou Mingrui finally found a way to establish a link with these magic particles. With a thought, the particles immediately began to rapidly surge toward Zhou Mingrui as though they were attracted by a magnetic force. Buzz! Immediately, Zhou Mingrui felt brand new energy that was completely different from the original energy in his body entering his brain. The space of consciousness, which was originally empty with only a pile of materials, suddenly appeared with countless starlight spots floating in the void. [The system has detected a successful awakening of magic perception. Starting to merge with the space of consciousness¡­] The moment the system¡¯s voice faded, Zhou Mingrui felt an intense reaction in his space of consciousness. Then, circles of ripples appeared in the space around him. A black dot appeared in the center of each ripple, and items fell to the ground one after another. These were all items stored in the space of consciousness, and at this time, they were all squeezed out by the space of consciousness. Chapter 34 - Training Ends Chapter 34 Training Ends After everything was pushed out, the entire space of consciousness immediately turned chaotic. However, Zhou Mingrui could clearly sense the existence of the space of consciousness. When the space of consciousness was in chaos, a strange yet familiar aura began to spread. Zhou Mingrui was very familiar with this aura. Previously, when he activated the disk that contained the Netherworld Fire Seed, he had sensed the aura that came from the netherworld¡¯s Forgotten River. Buzz! An invisible wave of consciousness spread out in all directions like the Big Bang during the birth of the universe. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui regained control of the space of consciousness. If the previous space was like a 100-square meter house, the current space of consciousness was as large as a football field. And at the top of the space of consciousness, a white ball of light hung in the air, its body burning with weak white flames. Zhou Mingrui knew that the ball of light was the condensation of his consciousness. When the space of consciousness was completely formed, he could sense the magic particles in the surrounding space more clearly. His previous senses were like a short-sighted person, but now, it was like wearing glasses. His vision became clearer, the number of senses increased, and the range was wider. After the magic particles were connected through consciousness, they began to condense in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s space of consciousness, forming faint white energy. ¡°This should be magic. It¡¯s a pity that I haven¡¯t learned any magic skills yet. Otherwise, I could have an additional trump card.¡± He thought. Zhou Mingrui could feel the increasing amount of magical energy in his space of consciousness. It was a pity that he did not know any magical skills, so he had no way of testing out the power of his spells. Hence, Zhou Mingrui no longer gathered his magical energy. Instead, he began to think of ways to quickly increase his level. It was easy to wait for Yan Wuyue to provide him with experience, but the speed was not that fast. If he wanted to catch up with Qin Podi, he could not wait like this. One had to know that it was impossible for that person to just sit there and wait for others to catch up to him. That kind of person must be extremely self-disciplined and would not fall behind. ¡°Right now, I can only rely on these things to improve myself. Then, I¡¯ll use the remaining time to see if I can go to the wilderness to improve myself.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought. Looking at the scattered items around him, Zhou Mingrui kept them back into his space of consciousness with a thought. At the same time, he began to sort out the items and arranged the order in which they were to be used. After all, some things couldn¡¯t be used immediately after using other items. There was a cool-down time before they could use the next item. All in all, if an undead spirit wanted to improve their strength, one of the ways was to kill monsters and absorb their souls to fuse with their own souls. The other way was through the rare treasures in the form of energy or the soul crystals created by mages that could replenish mental energy. Those magic crystals were useless to him because different people¡¯s magic had different attributes. Even if they were all undead spirit-type magic, it would not be able to fuse. Only treasures that could replenish or condense one¡¯s mental strength would be useful to Zhou Mingrui. With a thought, a glass-like ball appeared in his palm. The ball contained a black liquid that shimmered with starlight. Zhou Mingrui crushed the ball, and the black liquid immediately flowed out. However, the moment it came into contact with the air, it immediately turned into mist and rose into the air. With the surge of energy, a suction force immediately appeared in his nose. The black, shimmering mist was immediately sucked in and began to rapidly enter Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body through his nose. As soon as the black mist entered his body, it quickly fused with the energy and immediately took effect. Zhou Mingrui felt a comfortable feeling in his consciousness. It was a comfortable feeling that was similar to the one that affected the soul. It had nothing to do with the physical body. When two hours passed, the feeling completely faded away. As for Zhou Mingrui, he could clearly sense that his space of consciousness was undergoing a change. In particular, the white fireball suspended in the middle of the air had also expanded slightly. Looking at his attributes, he saw that his level had also increased from level 20 to level 21. Being able to sense the improvement in his strength gave Zhou Mingrui sufficient motivation. Hence, he began summoning the next item. Just like that, time passed by quickly while the two of them were focused on cultivation. The day before the freshmen tournament. ¡°We can go home now, Zhou Mingrui.¡± Yan Wuyue looked at the time. It was time to go back, so she came forward to call Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui, who was in his personal cultivation room, opened his eyes when he heard the commotion. The aura emanating from his body was so intense that it caused his long robe to flutter. However, he immediately restrained himself and calmed down. Zhou Mingrui stood up and opened the door of the cultivation room. He saw Yan Wuyue waiting by the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Seeing him coming out, Yan Wuyue directly walked to the front. ¡°Did you go to a monster gathering area in the wild a while ago?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. ¡°How did you know?¡± Yan Wuyue stopped and asked in confusion. When she went there, she had deliberately kept it a secret from Zhou Mingrui. However, she did not expect that Zhou Mingrui could roughly judge her cultivation method based on the experience he had obtained. ¡°Of course, I have my own ways. I just didn¡¯t expect you to dare to run to the monster gathering area alone. Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°Afraid of death?¡± Yan Wuyue was stunned, and then she suddenly laughed. ¡°You¡¯re actually asking me this question? I¡¯m a reincarnated person. How can I be afraid of death after dying once?¡± ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Otherwise, who knows if you¡¯ll be able to be reborn again after you die?¡± Zhou Mingrui persuaded. ¡°What, you¡¯re suddenly concerned about me?¡± Yan Wuyue walked back to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side and asked with a smile. Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just wanted to say that if you die, I¡¯ll have to return to the illusionary spirit world. It¡¯s too boring there.¡± ¡°Tsk, you don¡¯t mean what you say. You clearly care about me, but you have to use such a lame excuse to cover it up.¡± Yan Wuyue snorted and said. ¡°At that time, I was at an important stage of my cultivation. Otherwise, I would have gone out to find you.¡± After all, they will be fighting together, so there¡¯s no need to create a gap. ¡°I know. Didn¡¯t we agree on three conditions before? I can¡¯t force you to do it, so I simply went by myself.¡± Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t blame you for this. After all, it was my own choice.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned and immediately said, ¡°Next time, if you want to go on an adventure, let me know first. Who knows if I¡¯m willing to go or not.¡± Chapter 35 - Awakening of a New Skill Chapter 35 Awakening of a New Skill ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly clicked her tongue. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. You were so proud before. Why did your personality suddenly change, and you start to care about me?¡± ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve been subdued by my beauty?¡± Zhou Mingrui became speechless. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°If we talk nicely, we can still be friends.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I know.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled again. ¡°I finally understand your character. Let¡¯s go home and talk. The sun is going to set soon, and the temperature is going to drop.¡± Soon, the two of them arrived home. ¡°The freshmen tournament is about to begin in less than a day. First, let¡¯s take a look at our current condition.¡± After taking a shower, Yan Wuyue put on casual clothes and began to check the results of her cultivation with Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I¡¯ll talk about myself first. I just completed the Silver grade Summoner¡¯s assessment the day before yesterday, and I¡¯ve already awakened my skills.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue directly showed the skill¡¯s information. (Skill Name: Coherence Enhancement] (Skill Effect: Use a special dance to communicate with the energy in the body and the summoned spirit. After the spiritual frequency is synchronized, the attack power, defense power, and movement speed of both parties can be increased by a percentage at the same time.] (Skill Upgrade: The attributes of Coherence Enhancement will increase with the energy strength of the Summoner. The skill will be upgraded to the next stage after the Summoner¡¯s grade increases.] (Skill Restriction: The distance between the Summoner and the summoned spirit cannot exceed 1000 meters. Otherwise, the synchronization effect will weaken as the distance increases.) After reading the description of the skill¡¯s effects, Zhou Mingrui sighed, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you didn¡¯t awaken this skill in your previous life, right?¡±. Yan Wuyue nodded and said, ¡°In my last life, my awakening was inclined to self-attack. The kind which my summoned spirit would strengthen me.¡± ¡°This Coherence Enhancement is the type where both sides have the same boost, cooperating while fighting.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°Stop hiding it. To put it simply, you were a Berserker in your past life. That rhinoceros was just a tool to support you. But in this life, you¡¯re my enhancing tool. I¡¯ll be the main attacker while you¡¯ll support me from the side.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately looked at Zhou Mingrui with a slightly dissatisfied look and said, ¡°I admit that you were very strong in your last close combat attack, but don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a veteran. You might not be able to beat me in close combat if you only rely on your skills.¡± What a stubborn person. Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue arguing. Instead, he displayed the attributes of his current skills. (Life Type: Undead War Spirit] [Life Level: LV30] (Life Talent: Devour, Upgrade, Lotus Flower, Book of Dead Souls] (Contract Status: Equality Contract] (Contract Partner: Yan Wuyue] The Life Type had changed from Undead Spirit to Undead War Spirit, which was obvious. Zhou Mingrui immediately showed Yan Wuyue the new talent, Book of Dead Souls. (Book of Dead Souls: Passive talent-type skill. All undead-type skills¡¯ casting time is halved, and the skill effects are doubled. Attributes are currently fixed by multiple percentages.] Zhou Mingrui chose to hide the other three options and his own attribute points. After all, it would be a little too scary if he showed them. He could only say that every attribute of his had already broken through 100 points, completely surpassing those of the same level. Then, it was the skill bar. [Skeleton Equipment: Using your skeleton to quickly create weapons and armor that suit you. The attributes of the weapons and armor will increase with the level of the user.] (Summoning of the Dead: Using the skeleton of any dead creature as the basic medium, summoning the undead to fight as the main body; the strength of the undead is based on the strength of the creature when it was alive and the integrity of the bone armor. The strength of the spellcaster is the base of the increase.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s mouth gaped open when she saw the two skills. She knew that if a Summoner¡¯s talent was strong, the skill¡¯s attributes would also be very powerful. However, she did not expect Zhou Mingrui¡¯s talent and skills to be so powerful. However, Yan Wuyue quickly noticed something. She looked at Zhou Mingrui in confusion and asked, ¡°I remember that you¡¯re a melee type of summoned spirit. How come the skill you awakened is different?¡±. Zhou Mingrui had no other choice. This skill had only appeared after he had awakened his magic perception. ¡°Forget it. From the looks of it, you probably don¡¯t know either. Anyway, the skill looks strong enough. I just don¡¯t know how effective it will be.¡± Suddenly, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Oh right, you only need the skeleton for this summoning. Let¡¯s go outside and try.¡± With that said, Yan Wuyue did not care if Zhou Mingrui agreed or not. She pulled him downstairs to her own courtyard. ¡°Since you want to see it so much, I¡¯ll show you the effect.¡± Zhou Mingrui helplessly closed his eyes and began to use the magical energy in his body. As the skill was activated, it began to produce undead magic fluctuations. Soon, the nearby trash can suddenly trembled. Then, the lid of the trash can was knocked to the side. A black shadow darted out of the trash can and quickly ran toward Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue. When it stood still, Yan Wuyue saw that the black shadow was an ¡°undead chicken¡± made of bones. Looking at the undead chicken, which still retained its previous habit of pecking, walking around Zhou Mingrui, Yan Wuyue suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°I¡¯m dying of laughter. Undead chicken, right? Your skill is too interesting. I¡¯ll get you some rabbit and puppy skeletons some other day.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just showing you a demonstration. If you can get me some dragon bones, I¡¯ll be able to summon a living bone dragon for you.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned as he looked at Yan Wuyue, who was laughing hard. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll try my best to get you some dragon bones or other powerful monsters¡¯ skeletons tomorrow.¡± Yan Wuyue said, holding back her laughter. After all, the freshmen tournament was just around the corner, and this wasn¡¯t something that could be joked about. It was better to prepare as soon as possible. ¡°By the way, show me your skill. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know what it looks like.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. ¡°F-Forget it. I¡¯ve already practiced the skill. There won¡¯t be any problems when I use it directly.¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly stammered, and her cheeks were a little red. Zhou Mingrui was instantly infuriated. He said with dissatisfaction, ¡°When you want me to perform for you, I did it. I didn¡¯t reject you, and I¡¯ve also endured it when you laughed at me. Why did you deny me when it¡¯s your turn?¡± Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s anger, Yan Wuyue knew she was in the wrong, so she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll show you if you want to see, but you¡¯re not allowed to laugh or say anything else. Just look at it obediently, understand?¡± Oh, it seemed like there would be something. Zhou Mingrui immediately nodded in anticipation. Chapter 36 - A Dance Chapter 36 A Dance ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise to look at it with appreciation and won¡¯t have any distracting thoughts.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his hand and promised. ¡°Only a ghost would believe you.¡± Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes, and she didn¡¯t forget to complain in her heart. However, she had forgotten that Zhou Mingrui was, in a certain sense, a ghost. Standing in the middle of the yard, Yan Wuyue closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing. Then she activated the skill, Coherence Enhancement. The moment the skill was activated, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body began to move unconsciously. A faint fluorescent light began to appear on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body, drifting out with the movement of her body, like little starlight dancing in the wind. This was also Zhou Mingrui¡¯s first time taking such a close look at Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure. Despite working out all year round, she still maintained her slender waist and perfectly toned muscles. Even the loose-fitting casual clothes couldn¡¯t cover her beautiful figure. If Zhou Mingrui were to evaluate Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure, he would say that it was so perfect that it was as if God had personally shaped it. Every detail of her body was neither too big nor too small. She had the golden ratio. Her long hair fluttered in the wind. Under her arched eyebrows were a pair of beautiful eyes that shone like the stars. Her cheeks were slightly red beside her tall nose. It was unknown if it was because Zhou Mingrui was looking at her or if it was triggered by her skill. Her cherry lips that were slightly opened appeared tender, smooth, and moist even without the lipstick. Her facial features matched each other, and she was so beautiful under the starlight that it was intoxicating. Her snow-white skin was exposed to the air as she danced. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes were fixed on her. If he was still breathing, he would definitely be panting. Zhou Mingrui, who had only had one ordinary girlfriend in his past life, had seen countless beauties on the internet that had been created through beauty filters. He had also seen many beautiful and alluring figures under the selfless contribution of certain Japanese teachers. Sometimes, he even thought that he would never have any reaction again if he saw someone of the opposite sex in this life, and even if the other party was naked. Moreover, he was no longer in his human form. But a skeleton. But at that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart wavered for the first time. Some people say that being moved is love at first sight. But others say that being moved is the feeling of your heart suddenly being affected at a certain moment. (External enhancement skill detected, do you accept the enhancement?] At that moment, the system¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his mind. Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to agree. Special energy suddenly entered his body, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into a warm current that spread throughout his body. (You¡¯ve received the buff ¡°Phoenix¡¯s Dance Ignites the Soul¡±, which increases all your attributes by 30%.] [It has been detected that the host has obtained an enhancement buff for the first time. The talent, Lotus Flower, has triggered the evolution condition.] [Evolution complete¡­] (Ember Soul Lotus: The effect of a skill will be increased by 50% every time an external enhancement skill is received, and the attribute points obtained after each level up will be multiplied by five.] At that moment, a faint glow appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. It represented that the Coherence Enhancement skill had been activated. However, with the advancement of the Ember Soul Lotus¡¯s talent, the dots of light on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body immediately brightened up, like stars in the sky. The dancing Yan Wuyue came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side, held his hand, and began to dance with him. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know how to dance, but under Yan Wuyue¡¯s lead, the two of them began to move their bodies in unison under the moonlight. It was clearly their first time, but the two of them seemed to have been good friends for many years, and they cooperated very well. The two of them didn¡¯t notice that the faint fluorescent light around them had turned into bright starlights, like the bright galaxies in the universe. as Their spiritual consciousnesses were also being nourished by the starlight that was constantly entering their bodies, and they were being condensed at a constant speed. The next morning. ¡°I only slept for four hours last night, but I feel so energetic now. It¡¯s really strange.¡± Yan Wuyue thought it was a little unbelievable. She had unknowingly fallen into a trance when she danced with Zhou Mingrui last night. By the time she reacted, it was already late at night. She had been worried that she would be in a worse state after waking up, but in the end, she realized that it was completely different from what she had imagined. ¡°Then sleep a little longer. There¡¯s still more than an hour of spare time anyway.¡± Zhou Mingrui smacked his lips and wanted to continue sleeping. ¡°Alright, hurry up and get up. I want to tell you in advance about the situation of this competition.¡± Yan Wuyue stepped forward and patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. ¡°Just say it. I¡¯m listening.¡± Zhou Mingrui mumbled without even turning around. ¡°You¡­¡± Yan Wuyue was so angry that she wanted to kick Zhou Mingrui, but she forced herself to hold back and said, ¡°Then listen carefully. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯m going to test you if you¡¯re listening carefully.¡± ¡°Alright, just say it.¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know that his little bottom had almost been kicked as he lazily replied. After organizing her words, Yan Wuyue coughed twice and said, ¡°This year¡¯s freshmen tournament is actually a stage for us to display our skills.¡± ¡°The talents, battle actions, battle wisdom, battle accomplishments, and other aspects that we have displayed in this tournament will be recorded by the school and used as a foundation to help us be assigned to suitable classes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on this tournament. Although it¡¯s just a comparison between freshmen, it¡¯s precisely at this starting stage that the school will start to treat them differently.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not just the academy. Your performance in the freshmen tournament will also be displayed on the academy¡¯s platform. It¡¯ll be an important reference material for the higher-level research institutes.¡± ¡°Some students who perform well in the freshmen tournament will receive an admission letter from some research institutes in advance. They can directly study in that research institute after graduation without having to take an examination.¡± Wasn¡¯t this the college entrance examination and university in his previous world? ¡°Those research institutes, are they divided into different levels?¡± Zhou Mingrui subconsciously asked. Yan Wuyue nodded, slightly surprised. ¡°That¡¯s right. The research institutes are divided into three levels. The first is the ordinary public research Institute, which is established by each city. As long as your grades meet the minimum requirement, you can enter. Most of the teachers and students there are just dawdling.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s the private research institute, which is usually funded by large capital groups. The teachers are much stronger than those in the public institute, but many of them get in through connections and money.¡± ¡°Finally, there are the four most famous research institutes in the country. There are one or even more top powerhouses behind each research institute. Under the influence of these top powerhouses, countless talented students will constantly flow into this place.¡± Wasn¡¯t this just the difference between the three kinds of institutes? Could it be that they¡¯re identical? ¡°Are there any special ones?¡± Zhou Mingrui probed. In the other world, there were still some low-key universities in the country that could beat the so-called top universities in some aspects. ¡°You know that too?¡± Yan Wuyue was really surprised this time. ¡°There¡¯s another independent research institute aside from these, and that¡¯s the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute.¡± Chapter 37 - Someone Deserved a Beating Chapter 37 Someone Deserved a Beating ¡°The Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute is a special research institute that the empire has gathered all of its resources to create. Everything inside is managed in a closed manner, and even the students who come out of it will not say anything about the research institute.¡± Damn! As expected. Zhou Mingrui turned around as a curse streaked across his heart. How could he still encounter such a thing after crossing through two worlds? was this a necessary development trajectory for human beings? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that even you, the future top human powerhouse, don¡¯t know?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed curiously. ¡°Before I was reborn, I didn¡¯t know the details of this research institute for a long time. It was only after the great calamity that I realized the true power of this research institute.¡± ¡°When the great calamity occurred, all the research institutes sent out their students and experts to fight with the army. But when the battle really started, the gap between the students of the research institutes was revealed.¡± ¡°It was only then that I discovered the true power of the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute.¡± Yan Wuyue continued with an amazed look, ¡°The students from the other research institute are either fighting alone or working together. Even when they fought together, they couldn¡¯t display their strength.¡± ¡°But the students from the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute never fight alone. If there¡¯s one student who¡¯s outstanding in combat, the rest of the weaker students will support him with all their might, making him the sharpest spear.¡± ¡°The discipline of those students is unparalleled. They could even cooperate with the army at any time and display their strongest combat power.¡± ¡°You might not have the concept, so I¡¯ll tell you with the most intuitive data.¡± ¡°Before I was reborn, almost forty percent of the human powerhouses were from the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute. Three of the ten powerhouses at my level were from the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute, and it was the strongest one.¡± When Yan Wuyue finished, Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but say in wonder, ¡°Why do I feel that when you talk about this strongest guy, your voice becomes a little emotional?¡± Yan Wuyue smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve challenged all of the top ten most powerful human beings. Even if I lose, it¡¯s a pity. But this person, I can¡¯t see any hope of defeating him.¡± Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s still useless in the end.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He was able to kill one of the five Lord grade monsters and escape safely after seriously injuring another.¡± ¡°So?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and asked, ¡°Your goal is to enter this research institute?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yan Wuyue said without hesitation.¡±If I want to be the strongest, I have to enter this research institute. The path to becoming the strongest is there.¡± Zhou Mingrui could understand. Just like in the world before he transmigrated, those who graduated from universities in ordinary times had the chance to become elites, leaders, and so on. However, once it became the era of war, the students from those special universities would be able to stand out in this kind of era. ¡°Alright, I will do my best to help you.¡± Zhou Mingrui sat up straight and spoke in a firm tone. ¡°Really?¡± Yan Wuyue also looked at Zhou Mingrui with her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just lying to you.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly spoke before he burst into laughter. Yan Wuyue was stunned for a full five seconds. Then, she stiffly turned her head to look at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Zhou! Ming! Rui!¡± This time, Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She jumped up from her chair and, with lightning speed, kicked Zhou Mingrui. Bang! Zhou Mingrui, who was unable to react in time, was sent flying. After tumbling a few times in mid-air, his head slammed into the wall of the room. ¡°Let me tell you. If you dare to play with me like this again, do you believe that I will send you back to the illusionary spirit world?¡± Yan Wuyue was so angry that her chest heaved up and down, and her face flushed. To think that she had just thought that Zhou Mingrui had become a reliable partner that she could trust and entrust her life. However, she understood now. This guy was still so frivolous and unreliable! ¡°Damn, I was just joking. Do you have to be so ruthless?¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed his head and grumbled with a helpless expression. He wasn¡¯t used to the atmosphere just now, so he made a joke subconsciously. Who knew that Yan Wuyue would have such a big reaction? ¡°Who taught you to joke around with others like this? May I ask if that person is still alive?¡± Yan Wuyue said, gnashing her teeth. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, which looked as if she was about to devour him. Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but gulp. ¡°Hmph, hurry up and get ready. If you¡¯re late, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences!¡± With that, Yan Wuyue turned around and left, no longer paying attention to Zhou Mingrui. Tsk. After Zhou Mingrui clicked his tongue, he stood up and circulated his energy. His clothes immediately changed rapidly. The two of them quickly arrived at the parking lot outside Heavenly Saint Academy by riding a car. It wasn¡¯t that cars couldn¡¯t enter the academy, but that the area outside the academy was already packed with people. There were close to thousands of new students, and if their parents, relatives, and friends came together, it would be a huge crowd of people. Zhou Mingrui was used to such scenes. He had seen plenty of such grand occasions before his transmigration, such as National Day ceremonies or the morning of college entrance examinations. As a reincarnated person, Yan Wuyue was naturally not afraid of such a scene. The two of them looked at each other and nodded at the same time. Naturally, Heavenly Saint Academy had made preparations in advance. They had set up a roadblock on the road leading to the academy, making it convenient for students to enter. As they walked on the road, under the gaze of countless eyes, many students felt inexplicably nervous. However, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui appeared to be very calm, as if they did not care about the situation at all. Soon, under the guidance of the school staff, the two of them arrived at the large sports field arranged by the academy. After about half an hour, there were only ten minutes left before the opening time at eight o¡¯clock, but the students on the field were basically in position. No one would stir up trouble at this time, and no one would act rashly. When it was eight o¡¯clock, the entire academy fell silent. At this moment, the several thousand new students were so silent that even a pin drop could be heard. After experiencing the previous trial, the students¡¯ mental state had also become more stable. The people outside were also silent. They were afraid of affecting their children, so they kept quiet. Soon, the previous headmaster walked onto the stage again. ¡°Everyone, I haven¡¯t seen you for a month. Do you still miss me?¡± As soon as the headmaster went on stage, his words immediately caused the students to burst into laughter. ¡°Alright, I know you guys didn¡¯t miss me. I¡¯m just here to help you guys ease your tension.¡± Chapter 38 - The Beginning of the Freshmen Tournament Chapter 38 The Beginning of the Freshmen Tournament After clearing his throat, the headmaster continued to speak into the microphone, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to the main topic. I¡¯ll still be the host of this year¡¯s freshmen competition.¡± ¡°The tournament this time is divided into two stages. The first stage is hunting.¡± ¡°As the name suggests, the academy will send you to a place that has been prepared in advance. The monsters inside will be your hunting targets this time. They have a mark on them that we have set up in advance, and they will be the spoils of war for this assessment.¡± ¡°The spoils of war are divided into four types, representing one point, two points, three points, and ten points that only the core area has.¡± ¡°Later, everyone can go and get a temporary storage ring. The items you¡¯ve obtained will be stored in the ring, and there will be a magic tool inside that can calculate the number of items you¡¯ve obtained. It will automatically send us information.¡± ¡°After the competition ends, the academy will determine your ranking based on your points.¡± ¡°As for how you obtained the spoils of war, the academy won¡¯t care. As long as you don¡¯t violate the rule of killing a classmate, then everything is acceptable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this stage. It¡¯s different from the last secret realm trial. The previous monsters there were docile and carefully selected by us. But this time, you¡¯ll be facing the real vicious monsters.¡± ¡°Before you go, each of you must sign a death or disability disclaimer agreement with the academy, proving that the academy will not be responsible for any injuries or deaths caused during the competition.¡± ¡°Of course, if anyone wants to quit now, I¡¯ll welcome you.¡± Two minutes later, the headmaster realized that no one wanted to say anything, so he raised the microphone again and said, ¡°You¡¯re all great. None of you are afraid and want to retreat. I¡¯m very satisfied with this. None of you are cowards!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll give you a word of advice. Sometimes it¡¯s not good to be too brave. Alright, go sign the agreement and get in the car!¡± Immediately, a staff member began to lead the students to the signing office, and then they quickly and orderly signed the contract. ¡°It¡¯s a rather old-fashioned but effective psychological cue. The braver these rookies were when they signed the agreement, the more scared they would be when they realize it.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a smile as he walked beside Yan Wuyue. ¡°As long as it works.¡± Yan Wuyue turned to glance at Zhou Mingrui and replied, ¡°But I think you should take care of yourself first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still angry about what happened just now? There¡¯s no need.¡± Zhou Mingrui could only comfort her. ¡°Who¡¯s angry over that matter? I only want to trouble you to cooperate with me. This year¡¯s freshman tournament is extremely important, and we can¡¯t be careless.¡± Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui with a side-eye. Zhou Mingrui quickly patted his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these guys are just a bunch of clay chickens and pottery dogs in my eyes. I can easily knead them for you to see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too arrogant. You should know that there¡¯s always someone better. I don¡¯t know if some people who shouldn¡¯t have entered this competition will enter.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. ¡°Haha, that will be great. I still don¡¯t know how strong I am, so I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. The two of them bickered as they signed the disclaimer. Then, all the students signed the contract and quickly boarded the express car to their destination under the guidance of the staff. When the students got off the bus, they all exclaimed in surprise. A wall that was ten meters tall and at least half a meter thick stood in front of everyone. There were two guards with summoned beasts every one meter. The three-meter-tall gate was guarded by a stone beast as large as a mountain. When it saw people coming, it opened its eyes and then closed them again. ¡°It¡¯s so tall. I feel like I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°This is an elemental earth guardian spirit. I¡¯ve read about it in a book. The worst one has a C rank growth talent.¡± ¡°This guardian spirit is at least level 60 and above, and from the looks of it, its attribute growth is definitely not low. It should be one of the academy¡¯s leaders who came here to personally oversee it.¡± When the headmaster got down from the helicopter, all the students immediately shut their mouths. He raised his hands and clapped. The side doors of two large trucks that were parked nearby immediately opened, and balls flew out from them. ¡°This is the venue¡¯s surveillance camera. Don¡¯t worry. As long as it¡¯s related to privacy, it will automatically turn off the live broadcast function, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°After all, even though the academy has signed an agreement with you, we will still try our best to ensure your safety. If you are in danger, you can ask for help at the first moment.¡± ¡°Of course, if you want to forfeit, you just have to shout loudly at the surveillance ball. It will only take a minute for the staff to come and take you away. Of course, your results and spoils of war will be reset to zero and given to the one closest to you.¡± ¡°Alright, all of you go in through this door. The countdown will begin when the last person enters. I won¡¯t say anything more. Good luck.¡± After he finished speaking, the huge stone beast behind the headmaster suddenly stood up. Its thick pillar-like arms directly opened the two doors, revealing the assessment venue behind it. A few of the students in the front row did not hesitate and immediately sped up towards the door. The students who entered first would usually be able to occupy an advantageous position first and increase their chances of winning the battle. At the very least, they could avoid being ambushed by other students. Moreover, who knew how many monsters there were inside? If there weren¡¯t many, whoever made the first move would have the upper hand. The rest of the students who reacted a little slower also reacted and hurriedly followed. After most of the students had entered the stone gate, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui began to move forward. ¡°From the moment you got out of the car and saw this stone gate, you didn¡¯t look well. Did something happen?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. Yan Wuyue glanced at the surveillance ball above her. Zhou Mingrui understood the look in her eyes. After thinking for a few seconds, he suddenly had an idea. The white ball in the space of consciousness trembled slightly, and a surge of spiritual power suddenly began to spread out from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. Soon, it came into contact with Yan Wuyue. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. I¡¯m conversing with you using my consciousness. You only need to respond to me in your mind.¡± Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice rang in Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°When did you learn how to use your spiritual power?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression was slightly surprised, but she didn¡¯t seem to be shocked. ¡°Just recently. Alright, can you tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡± Zhou Mingrui continued asking. ¡°This wasn¡¯t the location of the freshmen tournament before my rebirth.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression was still not very good. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to look upset because of this. There must be some other reason, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui continued asking. ¡°That¡¯s right. I only confirmed after coming in. This place will be the start of the future great calamity.¡± Yan Wuyue said. Chapter 39 - Splitting Up Chapter 39 Splitting Up ¡°The eruption point of the great calamity?¡± Zhou Mingrui was shocked as well. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s one of the eruption points. When the great calamity happens, these eruption points are like ant nests that have been stepped on, and countless monsters will spew out from them.¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°Will there be any problems with the freshmen tournament being held here?¡± Zhou Mingrui inquired. Although he believed in his own strength and talent, a great calamity was no joke. Once the monster ran out, he might be swallowed instantly. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Someone has studied it. These nodes are in a state of insufficient energy and will not be activated in advance before the time is up¡± ¡°Even if thousands of our people were to input all their energy into it, it would be impossible to start it.¡± Yan Wuyue answered with certainty. ¡°Then what are you still worried about?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, but I can¡¯t tell why.¡± Yan Wuyue can¡¯t explain it clearly. ¡°Alright, since you can¡¯t figure it out, then don¡¯t think about it. It¡¯s better to think about how to deal with the tournament.¡± Zhou Mingrui suggested. ¡°You¡¯re right. Since we don¡¯t have a clue, let¡¯s solve the problem at hand first. We must get first place in this tournament. The reward is crucial to our next plan.¡± Yan Wuyue said clearly. ¡°Of course, but what¡¯s your plan for this tournament? With your personality, you must have a plan already.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve said something decent.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. Following that, she did not wait for Zhou Mingrui to speak. She immediately said, ¡°If we want to succeed, we must act separately.¡± Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to speak, he was interrupted. He was a little surprised when he heard this. ¡°Are you sure we should split up in this situation?¡±. ¡°That¡¯s right. If we want to get a head start, we have to do this. Otherwise, with the strength of those few, it will be even more difficult for us!¡± ¡°You and I can use the contract to determine our location, so we don¡¯t have to worry about getting lost. I¡¯ve also prepared a signal device this time. As long as you press the button, your side will light up. I¡¯m allowed to bring this device because it doesn¡¯t have any other function.¡± ¡°If you want to gain more benefits, you have to take greater risks, so this is my decision.¡± Zhou Mingrui was stunned for a few seconds before he said, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like your style.¡± Yan Wuyue, however, smiled and said, ¡°What, do you think that you already know me after just a few days?¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Zhou Mingrui laughed and said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve confirmed it, we¡¯ll split up. However, we can¡¯t be too far away from each other. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be inconvenient for us to provide timely assistance if something happens to one of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say this first, don¡¯t cry and beg me to help you when the time comes.¡± Yan Wuyue chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be the one to call for my help.¡± After confirming their target, the two of them looked at each other and then split up in two different directions. This scene was noticed by the people who were watching the tournament, and many people were surprised. The Summoner and summoned spirit dared to split up in the tournament. Even the headmaster, who had hosted many tournaments and was experienced and knowledgeable, could not understand this behavior. If a Summoner and a summoned spirit were to split up, it didn¡¯t mean that the Summoner would lose their combat power. However, wouldn¡¯t a summoned spirit without a Summoner be like an army without a general? Although the girl¡¯s summoned spirit was humanoid and should have a certain level of intelligence, without the support of a Summoner, her combat power would be greatly reduced. The people present didn¡¯t expect that Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit was actually a transmigrator, not the summoned spirit they had imagined. After splitting up, Zhou Mingrui chose to head to the right. He looked up and saw a dense forest. No matter how strong the sunlight was, it could not penetrate the pitch-black forest. Zhou Mingrui, who had just stepped into the forest, felt something amiss. The density of the energy particles in the air had changed greatly not just the temperature, and the types of magic particles in the air also decreased a lot. Zhou Mingrui lowered his head and looked at the ground. He realized that the ground was covered in layers of ghastly white bones. It was impossible to tell how thick they were. Just a light touch from his feet would produce a series of cracking sounds. However, in the face of a scene that would send chills down the spine of an average person, Zhou Mingrui raised his hands, puffed out his chest, and took a deep breath with his useless nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have a surprise.¡± Yan Wuyue walked to the front left, where there was no dense forest, but a grass slope with fewer undulation. As if sensing something, Yan Wuyue took out pieces of long metal sticks of the same size from the storage ring on her finger. With a click, she finished assembling a metal spear and held it in her hand. At this moment, a hole suddenly appeared on the lawn in front of her, and a strong humanoid creature jumped out of it. ¡°They are indeed goblins, but fortunately, they are all weaker versions.¡± Yan Wuyue let out a long breath, and then her face suddenly became serious. Her eyes narrowed, and a sharp aura immediately leaked out. The countless battle experiences before her rebirth instantly flashed before her eyes. All the muscles in her body began to tremble unconsciously. This was not out of fear but excitement. Because at this time, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face had a unique ¡°combat smile¡±. Yan Wuyue stomped on the ground, leaving a footprint. She rushed out like a sharp arrow toward the goblins. Although they were only 1.5 meters tall, the goblins were like bodybuilders, with bulging muscles and bulging veins. The goblins were startled by the human who suddenly rushed toward them, but the next moment, they waved their bone clubs and charged at Yan Wuyue while howling. As soon as both sides came into contact, Yan Wuyue moved her feet and suddenly moved in a Z-shape formation, making four or five goblins miss their attacks. At this moment, a cold light suddenly appeared. Yan Wuyue had already thrust her spear forward. Ow! The two goblins wailed in pain as blood spurted out from the back of their necks. They fell to the ground, their bodies convulsing. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop. She twisted her feet again, and the spear in her hand shot out like a snake, stabbing the back of the neck of two goblins again. The goblin¡¯s fatal weakness was precisely this point. As long as she could pierce the central point of the cervical nerves, she could instantly destroy the combat power of these goblins. Under the siege of dozens of goblins, Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure kept flashing. She was like a leaf fluttering in the wind. Not a single goblin could touch her. Chapter 40 - Seeded Contestant Chapter 40 Seeded Contestant Three minutes later. The lawn was full of goblins laying down, and Yan Wuyue was walking among them with a spear in her hand, stabbing them in the eyes one by one. The spoils of war were the nails of the goblins¡¯ right pinkies. After they died, their skin would become loose and could be easily cut off. ¡°As expected of Yan Wuyue, who was once listed as a seeded student. It¡¯s a pity that she actually summoned that kind of spirit.¡± The headmaster could not help but sigh in his heart when he saw this. ¡°Give me this student¡¯s information immediately. All of it, immediately!¡± The instructors of the research institute said this to their assistants almost at the same time, and soon Yan Wuyue¡¯s information was handed to them. ¡°How could it be like this?¡± Almost at the same time, they read the information about Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned beast. After reading it, all of them looked extremely disappointed. Just as Yan Wuyue finished cutting the last piece of loot and putting it into her ring, there was an explosion in the sky, and then a huge light screen floated in the sky. ¡°The ranking. I didn¡¯t expect the academy to come up with this.¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but complain when she saw the kill list at the top of the light screen. Before she was reborn, the academy did not do so many fancy things. At this time, the name at the top of the list surprised Yan Wuyue because the name was quite familiar. [Number 1: Zhao Anqi 32 points] ¡°It¡¯s actually that fellow. However, it¡¯s impossible for her to do this with her strength. She must have used some means.¡± Although Yan Wuyue had her suspicion, she suddenly understood something when she thought of Zhao Anqi¡¯s character. At this time, hundreds of meters away from Yan Wuyue, Zhao Anqi was sitting on the highest stone in a rugged place, looking down at the scene below with her legs crossed. Below were 10 male students trying their best to kill the goblins. The other two female students were collecting the spoils of war from the goblins¡¯ pinky fingers. Many people were speechless when they saw this scene on the live broadcast. The headmaster could not help but cover his face. But what could they do? The Zhao family had plenty of money, and there were no rules against using such a method in the tournament. At most, people would just complain. So what if those research institutes didn¡¯t like her? With the Zhao family¡¯s power and background, she didn¡¯t have to worry that no research institute would want her. And so, under the guidance of the headmaster, the staff immediately moved the camera to another location. At the same time, they also secretly blacklisted Zhao Anqi in the random display. ¡°Yan Wuyue!¡± Zhao Anqi raised her head and saw the ranking list. Naturally, she also saw Yan Wuyue, who was in the top 100. Ever since the incident at the auction house, the Zhao family had suffered a huge blow, and their resource chain had been completely broken. All the assets and luxury goods belonging to the clan were stripped and sold, and many of the clan¡¯s side branches were removed. Logically speaking, the clan should have fallen apart at this point. However, just as the clan leader was so angry that he threw out all the things in the ring, he found an envelope. The thing on the envelope happened to be left behind by the Zhao family¡¯s ancestors. When he opened it, it was actually a batch of family property that the Zhao family¡¯s ancestors had sealed in the bank a long time ago because of some major event. At the same time, after the clan sold their assets, they found out that many of their assets had been corroded by the wastrels in the family. They usually just hid it. It was only after they had taken back the luxury goods that were originally on the clan¡¯s inventory that they realized many items had been secretly taken away by the clan¡¯s internal members. There was only an empty account book in the warehouse. As for the side branches that were scattered, the clan calculated their financials, and only then did they know how much of the clan¡¯s resources these scoundrels had usually taken, and they were useless. They were typical traitors. After opening the assets sealed in the bank, they found out that they were worth many times more than the original total value of the Zhao family. Among them were even the original shares of some big groups in the province. The Zhao family had completely turned over a new leaf. At the same time, their assets, strength, and influence had increased by more than one level. ¡°As long as you¡¯re in my sight, I¡¯ll deal with you for a day. I couldn¡¯t suppress you in the past, but now I¡¯d like to see what you can do in front of me!¡± Yifeng, who was beside, was quietly guarding his Summoner. At this moment, his body was much stronger and tougher than when he was fighting Zhou Mingrui. Although he didn¡¯t say a word, he still couldn¡¯t forget the scene of Zhou Mingrui pressing him to the ground and grinding him down. It was like a nightmare that constantly haunted him, stimulating him at all times. At the same time, encourage him to train continuously. Thinking of this, Yifeng had a sudden burst of hostility. He spread his wings and rushed into the sky. Then, he turned around and rushed towards the goblins who were fighting on the ground. He swung his mace forward very hard, smashing the head of a goblin. Blood and brain matter instantly splattered all over Yifeng¡¯s face. However, he was still smiling and even stuck out his tongue to lick the corner of his mouth, not caring in the slightest. ¡°Interesting, this is my qualified servant.¡± When Zhao Angi saw her summoned spirit¡¯s reaction, she smiled in satisfaction. And at that moment, Zhou Mingrui was doing something that puzzled the surveillance cameras. He was collecting the bones on the ground. The scariest thing was that Zhou Mingrui was still picking and choosing the bones. From time to time, he would approach the bones and knock or smell them. What made people tremble was that this guy actually stuck out his tongue and licked the bones. This immediately scared the staff so much that they turned the camera around, not daring to look at Zhou Mingrui. Coincidentally, at this moment, a goblin dressed in white bone armor suddenly appeared behind Zhou Mingrui. It swung a bone club ruthlessly at the back of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head. However, Zhou Mingrui, who did not seem to react, suddenly turned around and sent a bone club flying back. Bang! The weapons of both sides collided in mid-air, immediately erupting with a deafening sound. In front of the nearly 2.8-meter-tall goblin centurion, Zhou Mingrui, who was less than 1.9 meters tall, was like a child facing an adult. However, the outcome was that the goblin centurion¡¯s weapon was shattered by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone club. Following that, the bone club smashed into the centurion¡¯s chest, shattering a piece of the bone armor. The powerful force even sent the goblin centurion flying and even broke a large tree in the middle. By the time he landed on the ground, the goblin centurion was already gasping for air but not exhaling. ¡°I haven¡¯t even looked for it yet; why are points being sent to my door?¡± Chapter 41 - Zhou Mingruis Wrath If the surveillance cameras had continued to follow Zhou Mingrui, they would have discovered that he was already strong enough to kill a goblin centurion instantly. The goblin centurion breathed his last breath, and his body instantly lit up with a faint black light. Within the black light, the centurion¡¯s body began to rot and decay rapidly. Soon, only a complete skeleton was left. The black light left the skeleton and flew straight at Zhou Mingrui. The moment it came into contact with his body, it fused into him. Zhou Mingrui could not help but exclaim in admiration as he felt the sensation of experience and energy. ¡°As expected. The fresher the skeleton, the better. It¡¯s closer to the monster¡¯s peak strength when it was alive.¡± As Zhou Mingrui touched the skeleton, he felt a sensation coming from it. It was the Undead Spirit¡¯s understanding of the skeleton. It was like a chef immediately knew the ingredients and cooking method of the dish after tasting it. He removed the goblin centurion¡¯s pinkie nail. He saw that it was marked with two points. After storing the skeleton in his ring, Zhou Mingrui continued to pick the bones from the ground. After all, not all skeletons could be used to summon the undead. Some of them were too broken or ancient, which would consume more magic power. At the same time, the undead summoned would not be as strong as when they were alive. Zhou Mingrui suddenly frowned. He picked up a bone and sized it up. ¡°Hmm, is this the skeleton of a human?¡± Then, he swept his gaze over the scene where he had found the bones. After a while, he discovered that there were dozens of human bones. ¡°Their aura wasn¡¯t strong when they were alive. They should be bones of ordinary humans. These goblins probably have eaten some humans.¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s originally calm and leisurely expression had already turned cold. An invisible sense of oppression began to emanate from him. Although Zhou Mingrui was no longer human, he was still a human before he transmigrated. Knowing these goblins were eating humans, his heart had already begun to burn with a wave of intense anger. Bang, bang. Zhou Mingrui heard some heavy footsteps. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was already surrounded by more than ten goblins. After placing the skeleton back on the ground, Zhou Mingrui slowly stood up. He had already removed the robe he was wearing. He didn¡¯t hide the hostility in his eyes. He looked at the goblin centurions as if they were corpses. As the goblin centurions sensed the competence of their ¡®prey¡¯, they roared in unison and charged at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui did not move swiftly like Yan Wuyue. He took one step at a time, charging toward the goblin centurions like a heavy tank. Once they got closer, Zhou Mingrui swung his waist and smashed his bone club at a goblin centurion with a whistling air current. The centurion immediately felt the suffocating pressure exuding from Zhou Mingrui. He immediately raised his spiked club in front of his chest to block Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack. However, the spiked club in his hand was made of a tree. It immediately split into two when Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone club hit it. The centurion felt a huge force on his palm and sharp pain in his hand. The next moment, he suddenly found it difficult to breathe. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone club had already smashed into his chest. The strong muscles and bones that he had been so proud of were now as fragile as glass. That was the end for him. His consciousness had completely fallen into the endless darkness. Zhou Mingrui did not look at the centurion who was sent flying by his bone club because he knew that the centurion was dead from the strike. In fact, he conjured a bone sword or bone saber to kill the goblin centurion faster than a bone club. However, Zhou Mingrui wanted to vent the gloominess in his heart. Since these goblins dared to eat humans, they should die painfully! Bang! Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate. The bone club in his hand carried a stream of air that reeked of blood as he smashed it into the forehead of another centurion. The centurion¡¯s head exploded like watermelon, and blood splattered everywhere. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had already moved forward and appeared in front of another centurion. He struck the other centurion¡¯s legs with the bone club. Whether it was the centurion¡¯s skin, muscles, or bones, they were all smashed into meat paste. A shrill wail immediately rang out, scaring the surrounding centurions. In less than a few seconds, three Centurions had already been killed by Zhou Mingrui. It infuriated the centurions. The other four centurions immediately took a step forward and launched an attack on Zhou Mingrui at the same time. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes widened as he swung his bone club in a circle. One of the goblins did not manage to dodge in time and was struck by the bone club. The centurion¡¯s arm was instantly broken in half. In the face of such a terrifying creature, the goblins, who were more afraid of death than any other monster, immediately thought of retreating. The other three centurions were scared to their wits. They immediately turned around and ran, not caring about their comrade with his arm broken. The other centurions on the outer perimeter also ran away immediately without hesitation. However, there was no way Zhou Mingrui would let them off. His other hand glowed as he shot out seven to eight bone chains at the centurions who were the furthest away. The bone chain wrapped itself around the centurion¡¯s neck as though it was equipped with a guide. With Zhou Mingrui¡¯s forceful tug, the centurion was immediately sent flying backward. He even knocked into the few centurions behind him. Ignoring the centurion who had fallen to the ground, Zhou Mingrui released the bone chain and created another bone spear. He aimed at the few centurions who were still running away and threw the spear at them. Before the centurions heard the sound, they were already pierced through by the bone spears. The centurions didn¡¯t even have the strength to resist before their heads were pierced by the bone spears. Some of them were even sent flying several meters away by the power of the spears. After a few minutes, Zhou Mingrui finally revealed a smile when he saw the miserable deaths of the goblins. None of them had an intact corpse. The hostility in his heart had completely dissipated. After Zhou Mingrui finished collecting his spoils of war, he turned around and continued collecting the skeletons on the ground. He had buried the human skeletons in another place. At this moment, he seemed to understand Yan Wuyue¡¯s previous feelings. ¡­. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, you can go now.¡± Yan Wuyue had just killed the 18th goblin. When he was about to collect his spoils, a sharp voice came. Yan Wuyue frowned. He looked up and found a thin man walking toward her with three students. Chapter 42 - The Strength of Yan Wuyue Yan Wuyue knew this guy. His name was Li Yun, a third-generation descendant of the Li family. He was a typical spoiled child and was not well-liked by his family. However, this guy had an extremely outstanding talent in the business. Li Yun could use the pocket money given by his family, which was less than tens of thousands, to establish a company worth tens of millions. ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you the Yan family¡¯s girl? I was wondering who it was.¡± Li Yun walked up and said with a smile when he saw Yan Wuyue. ¡°You can leave now. I won¡¯t find trouble with you.¡± Li Yun chuckled. Even though he was not afraid of the Yan family, he did not want to cause trouble for no reason. ¡°Get lost!¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°Eh? ¡°Li Yun turned around with a puzzled look on her face. Did he hear it wrong? ¡°I told you to get lost.¡± After Yan Wuyue finished speaking, she ignored Li Yun and began to collect the spoils. Hearing this, Li Yun narrowed his eyes. His three lackeys beside him also reacted and surrounded Yan Wuyue after cursing angrily. ¡°Some students are starting to make a move now.¡± ¡°All of them go against that kid at the same time. But if it¡¯s that kid from the Li family, everything will be easy.¡± ¡°But even if Yan Wuyue doesn¡¯t use her summoned spirit, her combat power is very strong. I think she could resist.¡± ¡°No, no matter how strong she is, she¡¯s still alone. She doesn¡¯t have a summoned spirit by her side, so she¡¯ll definitely get beaten up.¡± ¡°But that little girl¡¯s combat power was too strong. I feel like there¡¯s still hope.¡± ¡°Haha, then I¡¯ll make a bet with you. I say this girl will lose. How about 30000?¡± Outside the arena, the students, who were watching the battle, started whispering to each other and making bets. The instructor from the research institute did not say anything. ¡°I bet she will win.¡± At this moment, one of the instructors wearing a white uniform with red patterns spoke. ¡°Haha, I bet she will lose.¡± Said another instructor who was wearing a black suit with golden patterns. ¡°How about a million and a C-grade magic relic?¡± The instructor with red patterns said with a smile. ¡°No problem.¡± The instructor in a black suit with gold patterns immediately agreed. The other instructors did not participate but quietly watched the scene on the big screen. ¡°You arrogant b*stard!¡± Li Yun¡¯s facial muscles twitched as he gritted his teeth. ¡°You dared to provoke me. Don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± Upon hearing this, the three lackeys immediately commanded their summoned spirits to attack Yan Wuyue together. The gargoyle flew into the sky while the pangolin drilled into the ground. The tree spirit swung its body and shot more than a dozen thick branches at Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue, who had already stopped collecting the loots, suddenly tightened her grip on the spear. Her beautiful eyes narrowed, and she suddenly turned the spear and thrust it into the ground. The ground suddenly rose, and the pangolin as big as a giant crocodile broke out of the ground. The hard shell on its back blocked Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t think this shot would work. With the help of the pangolin¡¯s strength, Yan Wuyue jumped into the air and dodged the tree spirit¡¯s attack. ¡°I¡¯ve caught you!¡± At this moment, the gargoyle, who had been waiting in the air for a long time, laughed and reached for Yan Wuyue¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ve caught you!¡± Yan Wuyue said the same thing. Yan Wuyue stomped on the tree branches that were shooting toward her and jumped up with great force. With the inertia, the spear tip had already turned and stabbed at the gargoyle. From the very beginning, Yan Wuyue¡¯s target had been the gargoyle, because it had the most advantageous attacking position in the air. Pfft~ Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear pierced through the gargoyle¡¯s shoulder, and she kicked the gargoyle¡¯s chest heavily with her right leg. The gargoyle was sent flying by the kick, and Yan Wuyue used the impact to escape from where she stood, once again avoiding the branches shot by the tree spirit. After landing on the ground, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop but rushed toward the tree spirit. Yan Wuyue twisted her body and swung her spear like a whip. The pangolin that had already rushed toward her was instantly swept away by the spear, leaving a deep gully on the ground before it fell to the ground. Looking at the tree spirit again, Yan Wuyue smiled. The tree spirit was so frightened that it burst out with all its strength, and dozens of sharp branches immediately swarmed out. Yan Wuyue took a step forward and rushed toward the tree spirit. When the branches were less than ten centimeters away, Yan Wuyue shifted her body and slid to avoid the attack. The following battle was very simple. Even if the tree spirit¡¯s defense was not weak, it could not last more than three rounds in Yan Wuyue¡¯s attacks. The three lackeys realized something was wrong and were ready to attack together with the other two summoned spirits. However, even though they had used their most powerful skills, Yan Wuyue still defeated them easily. Yan Wuyue had rich combat experience. She knew how to deal with these guys after knowing their summoned spirits. ¡°Hand over all your rewards, and I¡¯ll let you go. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t continue the competition.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t look at the three lackeys that had fallen onto the ground. Instead, she looked at Li Yun, who had an angry expression. Li Yun didn¡¯t make a move, nor did she dare to. Because she knew that if she did, she and her summoned spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to last more than three rounds under Yan Wuyue¡¯s hands. That was why she didn¡¯t join in the siege on the way. Li Yun had witnessed how Yan Wuyue defeated her three lackeys and the tree spirit. She knew she was not a match for Yan Wuyue. Li Yun wanted to say something, but looking at Yan Wuyue¡¯s cold eyes, she couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Just you wait! ¡± Li Yun snorted and handed over her loots. After collecting the loots, Yan Wuyue watched Li Yun leave with her three men. She shook her head slightly and continued to collect the loots. ¡°Haha, I won.¡± The instructor in a white uniform with red patterns was so happy that he started laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you when we get back. This girl has exceeded my expectations.¡± Even though the instructor in a black uniform with gold patterns lost the bet, he wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he had a look of admiration. The instructors and students were all amazed. It was unbelievable that Yan Wuyue could fight against three people alone. Just as everyone was commenting on Yan Wuyue, a beam of light suddenly shot up from the southeast corner of the arena, which immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Chapter 43 - The Secret Realm Outbreak Five minutes ago. A three-man team fumbled their way to the southeast corner of the arena, where the terrain was relatively high and undulating. After the three-man team killed a group of goblins, they went deep into the mountains. Soon, they found a black stone tablet with red patterns on it. It stood between the two hills. The three-man team walked over curiously, and one of them reached out and touched the stone tablet. The moment the palm touched the stone tablet, a huge suction force immediately trapped the owner of the palm. Then, an even more terrifying suction force appeared. The other two and their three summoned spirits quickly reached out to grab their partner¡¯s shoulder and arm. However, they regretted it when they grabbed him because the terrifying suction force had also trapped them. In the end, all of them, including the summoning spirit, were trapped beside the stone tablet. The surveillance ball in the sky immediately noticed this scene, but just as it was about to send out a distress signal, it was knocked down by the sudden shock wave from the stone tablet. The three students could only feel the energy in their bodies rapidly disappearing, and their summoned spirits were struggling in pain. In less than three seconds, the energy of the three students and the summoned spirit had been sucked dry. But what made them even more frightened was that the suction force didn¡¯t stop. Ten seconds later, the next surveillance ball rushed over, but what it saw was six shriveled corpses. Just as the surveillance ball sounded the alarm, the stone tablet once again burst out with a strong light, and a pillar of light instantly soared into the sky. ¡°This is impossible!¡± Yan Wuyue looked panicked when she saw the light beam. The strong willpower she had trained from the great calamity allowed her to make the most accurate choice. First, she took out the alarm from her ring and pressed the button to sound the alarm. Then, following the mental connection, she rushed to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s location at the fastest speed possible. As the pillar of light soared into the sky, the competition ground immediately began to shake violently. Soon after, pillars of light erupted from three other directions at the same time. When the four pillars of light lit up, a strange circular pattern lit up in the center of the competition ground with a thick blood-red light. The headmaster was in charge of guarding the arena. He was the first to take action. The stone beast guarding the entrance had already stood up and was facing the entrance of the arena. The door was already sealed, and light red energy enveloped the entire door. It was obvious that the door had been locked. At this time, the 10-meter high wall had already been raised to nearly 20 meters. At the same time, strange blood-red lines appeared on the pale yellow wall. ¡°What are you hesitating? Slammed it!¡± The headmaster roared, and the rock beast received the order. It raised its big foot and charged out. It slammed hard against the door of the competition ground. Boom! After a loud explosion, the rock monster retreated, but the wall and gate did not move. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The headmaster was shocked and suspicious. He quickly took out his phone and began to contact other people. After the intense shaking, many of the terrains immediately changed. The blood-red light pattern in the center had already distorted space, and an oval-shaped door immediately appeared. A faint red mist poured out from behind the door and quickly spread in all directions. In a few minutes, it had already spread over a kilometer. Most of the students in the arena were frightened by this scene. Some even panicked and hurriedly looked for a safe place to hide. When the strange phenomenon happened, Zhou Mingrui also sensed the alarm in his pocket going off. He put down everything he was doing and ran toward Yan Wuyue. The two sides quickly met up. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately asked. ¡°There¡¯s an outbreak.¡± Yan Wuyue replied with a solemn face. ¡°An outbreak? That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s not time for the great calamity yet. How can it happen?¡± Zhou Mingrui said in surprise. ¡°I know the timing doesn¡¯t match, but it happened.¡± ¡°This d*mn red mist has the effect of blocking electronic and magic signals. We can¡¯t contact the outside world now, and the outside world can¡¯t contact us. We don¡¯t know the situation in other places at all.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was extremely grave. Yan Wuyue was not worried about the outbreak point, but she was afraid that the great calamity happened earlier. If it were the case, it would be a disaster. ¡°Since we can¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in the outside world, we should first solve the problem at hand!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately suggested. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m too worried about the outside world. We should indeed solve the problem here first.¡± ¡°What we need to do now is to gather all the students in this competition ground. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to put up much of a resistance against the new monsters.¡± Yan Wuyue said seriously. ¡°Ya, although I don¡¯t like them, I still have to save them if I can.¡± Zhou Mingrui agreed. ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to tell me what I need to know about this outbreak point. Otherwise, I¡¯m still at a loss.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. After thinking for two seconds, he said, ¡°The outbreak point can also be called a special secret realm. We rank it according to energy and monster strength. It¡¯s divided into six levels: danger, challenge, fatal, horror, hell, epic, and mythical.¡± ¡°This goblin secret realm was originally on the lower side of the danger level, but after the outbreak, it was directly raised to the fatal level.¡± ¡°After the outbreak of the monsters in the secret realm, their strength will be improved, and then more powerful monsters will come out from the core of the secret realm!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately pressed, ¡°How¡¯s the strength of the monster? Do we have any chance of winning with our strength?¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a moment and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t solve the outbreak point at the beginning. Besides, the level of this secret realm wasn¡¯t high for me at that time. So I didn¡¯t pay attention to more detailed information.¡± ¡°I only know how those people sealed the secret realm in the end. I¡¯ve forgotten the rest.¡± ¡°In the end, they relied on destroying the teleportation array in the center of the secret realm. After cutting off the energy supply of this secret realm, they would clean up the monsters that came out and make this secret realm useless.¡± Yan Wuyue roughly explained the situation at that time. The whole situation was in trouble. Chapter 44 - Reason to Become Stronger The situation had become tricky, but Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression was still relaxed, without the slightest change. Before she was reborn, she had experienced more dangerous and terrifying situations than this many times. Such a little problem couldn¡¯t stump her. ¡°This is our chance. Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°What chance? Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t quite understand. Yan Wuyue analyzed, ¡°Those surveillance balls are useless now. As long as we can gather those students, we can solve the trouble.¡± ¡°Even if we lose the second round, we¡¯ll at least be able to choose one of the four great research institutes.¡± After this reminder, Zhou Mingrui immediately understood. However, he said, ¡°We don¡¯t need it at all and don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ll help you get first place this time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. If I¡¯m not wrong, we need to be quick and reach the core area as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the situation will only get worse if we drag this on.¡± After coming to a consensus, the two of them set off immediately and tried their best to rope in students into the team. At this moment, the entire mystic realm was undergoing a huge change. Many students didn¡¯t flee in a panic. Instead, they grouped up in a very disciplined manner. However, there were always some people who were too fragile and couldn¡¯t bear this sudden change. They began to run around. At this moment, the center of the secret realm had changed. It was no longer the dense forest from before. Instead, it was filled with black figures in cloaks. There was still a steady stream of figures walking out of the teleportation gate in the center of the secret plane. In the next second, a gigantic hand suddenly reached out from the portal and grabbed the edge of the portal. On its pale green skin, thick veins were protruding. Although it was incomplete, its sharp nails flickered with a faint glint. The gigantic hand suddenly grabbed with force. Then, cracks suddenly appeared on the teleportation portal, which had been extremely stable. It was like cracking an egg and it began to peel off piece by piece. Soon, the portal was forcefully expanded several times by the palm. The spatial cracks brightened and extinguished continuously, emitting special fluctuations. But even so, the figure could not walk out of the transportation portal. ¡°D*mn it, you bunch of trashes! Set off immediately and collect enough energy for me, or I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± A furious roar came from behind the portal, and the figures who were standing in place immediately scattered. ¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to meet up with the other students?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of gathering? Now is the time to cheat. Otherwise, we will never get a good ranking with our strength.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know the situation yet. It¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°Are you going or not? If you¡¯re not going, then get lost now. We don¡¯t need cowards.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go. If I don¡¯t get a place this time, my girlfriend will break up with me.¡± ¡°Humph, things are different now. If you don¡¯t work hard, you deserve to be dumped!¡± The four students didn¡¯t gather with the main group. Instead, they headed toward a darker area. ¡°Be careful, there¡¯s a monster!¡± The leader of the four suddenly shouted. The python spirit that was wrapped around his body had already given him a warning in advance. It brought him back a few meters. Although the other three were slower by half a beat, they immediately used their methods to spread out in all directions. Boom! The next second after the four of them retreated, four bolts of lightning struck where they had been standing. The powerful force directly blasted four holes in the ground. However, before the four could rejoice that they had dodged the attack, they felt the air suddenly heat up. A huge fireball, like a meteorite from outer space, blasted toward the four of them with massive power. ¡°Attack!¡± The leader roared loudly. The eyes of the python on his body lit up, and a poisonous water arrow immediately shot out from its mouth. The summoned spirits of the other three people also attacked at the same time, trying to resist this attack. ¡­ Boom! A huge explosion soared into the sky, and the terrifying power immediately swept out in all directions. The shockwave covered an area of dozens of meters. When the flames dissipated, the four of them were already lying on the ground. The summoned spirits were either dead or injured, and they had no combat power at all. Then, a few figures walked out of the red mist. When the weak light shone down, it revealed the goblins were less than 1.6 meters tall and had all kinds of pendants. They walked to the four students and raised their wrinkled arms at them. Then, their mouths moved as they chanted a mysterious spell. Ahhhh!!! Halfway through the incantation, the four people lying on the ground suddenly began to cry out in pain. They felt an intense pain that seemed to be tearing their souls apart. However, no matter how much they struggled, their bodies did not listen to their instructions at all. They had completely lost control. In the next moment, pale soul phantoms were stripped from their bodies one by one. Even though they were soul phantoms, they still tried to struggle. However, as the ribbon-like white light left their bodies, they were absorbed into the palms of these goblin wizards. The white light eventually condensed into white beads. The goblin wizards then kept the white beads in the pockets. As for the rest of the corpses, the goblin wizards burned them to ashes. Soon, the training ground filled with cries of pain. At the same time, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui had already gathered more than a hundred people. Hence, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°We have enough people. Yan Wuyue said. ¡°How many people are there? Are you sure it¡¯s enough?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. Yan Wuyue glanced at the students and said, ¡°They¡¯re just students, not soldiers. They won¡¯t have a tacit understanding with each other, and if there are too many of them, they might even interfere with the performance of others.¡± ¡°I only need them to provide me with powerful firepower when I advance.¡± It was only then that Zhou Mingrui realized Yan Wuyue¡¯s strong self-confidence and leadership charm. ¡°Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me.¡± Yan Wuyue jumped onto a stone and shouted to the crowd. The next moment, hundreds of eyes turned to her. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s feeling very nervous about this sudden situation. I¡¯ve read about this situation in an ancient book, and I already have a rough idea of what it is.¡± ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not gathering everyone here to escape. If any of you are afraid of death, you can leave now because what I¡¯m about to do is very dangerous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, backing out now doesn¡¯t mean anything. You¡¯re just being responsible for your precious lives.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t, because I know why I¡¯m becoming stronger.¡± Chapter 45 - Fight Like Heroes, Die Like Heroes ¡°It¡¯s to protect the people I care about and prevent them from being hurt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to blame myself for not doing anything after something bad happened.¡± ¡°Now, our classmates are all facing unknown danger. You can choose to stand by and do nothing, or you can help, just like how I helped you and gathered you all together.¡± ¡°Of course, the other students don¡¯t owe you anything. No one has the right to force you to do it. But what if you are in danger one day and they also think the same way?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that we can make it. I don¡¯t know what kind of terrifying monsters are waiting for us at the destination.¡± ¡°But I can guarantee that I will definitely be the arrowhead that walks at the forefront.¡± ¡°So, this is the last time I¡¯m asking you. Whoever wants to quit, step out now. No one will blame you.¡± At Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, the students ¡®expressions changed slightly, as if they were thinking deeply. ¡°Nonsense!¡± At this moment, a familiar female voice interrupted Yan Wuyue when she was about to continue. Yan Wuyue looked over with a frown. It was Zhao Anqi, her old rival. Zhao Anqi came with dozens of students behind her. She walked toward Yan Wuyue¡¯s side and sneered, ¡°You said that you would be at the forefront, but who knows if you would be the first to leave everyone behind when you encounter danger? Why do I feel like you¡¯re using their lives to open a path for you?¡± Yan Wuyue did not get angry. Instead, she looked at Zhao Anqi and replied calmly, ¡°Then, what do you think we should do now?¡± Zhao Anqi looked around and said confidently, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t put everyone¡¯s lives at risk right now to go to the core area, which is very dangerous.¡± ¡°I think the first thing we need to do now is to lead everyone to the wall and try to find a way to send everyone out instead of moving towards more dangerous areas.¡± ¡°All of you have your parents and family, and they should be worried about you right now. So what you should do now is to leave this place and meet them outside, not go to dangerous places again.¡± Yan Wuyue thought it was quite interesting. She didn¡¯t expect Zhao Anqi to be so eloquent. Many students were already hesitating after listening to Zhao Anqi¡¯s words. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t get out of the wall, many of the summoned spirits among us can dig tunnels. We can totally dig a tunnel out from the ground.¡± ¡°This way, everyone can safely leave this d*mn place.¡± Many students nodded in agreement with Zhao Anqi. Yan Wuyue could understand. After all, Zhao Anqi¡¯s statement was to ensure their own safety first, which was the easiest statement to change people¡¯s stance and thoughts. Following that, Zhao Anqi walked over to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I know you are a summoning spirit with high intelligence, so I did not mind you offended me last time.¡± ¡°But I have to ask, why are you still following a summoner that only does harm to people? Why don¡¯t you just terminate the contract? I can help you choose a good summoner.¡± ¡°I have a method that allows the summoning spirit to sign another contract with another summoner after terminating the original contract.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to come to my side, I¡¯ll personally give you three million in cash after the contract is terminated.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue said disdainfully, ¡°Do you think you can drive a wedge between my summoned spirit?¡± However, just as she finished her sentence, she heard Zhou Mingrui say, ¡°I think you¡¯re right. She¡¯s not an excellent summoner. I think we can reach good cooperation.¡± Just as Yan Wuyue was about to speak, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice rang in his mind, ¡°This is my arrangement. This way, we can get rid of the fence-sitters in your team. When they really realize the danger, they will completely abandon their thoughts and listen to your command.¡± ¡°Also, I want to confirm something. I can use them to help me complete it. Take the rest of the people to the center now. I¡¯ll come to you as soon as I¡¯m done here.¡± After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s explanation, Yan Wuyue immediately understood. However, she still put on an angry expression and said, ¡°Since you think Zhao Anqi is better than me, then our fate ends here. I hope you can live well with her in the future.¡± When Yan Wuyue said these words, she even pretended to suppress her anger. Seeing this, Zhao Anqi laughed out loud like a villain. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have this day, Yan Wuyue. Even your summoning spirit doesn¡¯t want you anymore. If I were you, I¡¯d just dig a hole and bury myself.¡± ¡°Come on, trust me. Let¡¯s go now. We don¡¯t need to listen to this woman¡¯s commands.¡± Zhao Anqi gave Yan Wuyue a disdainful smile, then turned around and left with her men toward the wall. Out of the hundred or so people at the scene, nearly eighty of them immediately left with Zhao Anqi. Zhou Mingrui naturally followed her. Yan Wuyue glanced at the less than 30 people left, and a gratified smile appeared on her face. ¡°I believe you understand what I said earlier.¡± ¡°Zhao Anqi is right, your family and friends are still waiting outside, so I didn¡¯t stop them from leaving.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget there are still many of our classmates in the arena, and their family and friends are waiting for them outside too.¡± ¡°If we just walk away irresponsibly like this, what will happen to the rest of the students?¡± ¡°If you really go out, will you really be able to sleep peacefully without feeling any guilt?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t face the eyes of their family and friends without feeling guilty at all. So, I¡¯m going to the core area now to solve the problem there and save all the students in the arena.¡± ¡°Now, follow my lead!¡± With that, Yan Wuyue turned around and walked toward the core of the mystic realm. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the remaining 30 people also quickly followed behind Yan Wuyue. ¡°Those who follow me today are warriors. We will fight like heroes and die as heroes!¡± When Yan Wuyue suddenly read out these words, the students who followed her immediately felt their blood boiling. Adrenaline began to secrete in their bodies immediately, and the trace of worry and fear in their hearts completely disappeared. Chapter 46 - If You Dont Want to Do It, Get Lost Along the way, Zhou Mingrui constantly observed the surrounding environment and quickly memorized the terrain. Soon, Zhou Mingrui followed Zhao Anqi and the others to the wall. After studying the wall and seeing that their combined attacks were futile, Zhao Anqi immediately began to command her team. First, Zhao Anqi used her flying summoned beast and tried to fly past the wall with her followers. However, after they flew up and hit the invisible barrier in the sky, Zhao Anqi immediately dismissed the idea. ¡°Dig! Since we can¡¯t fly out of the sky, we¡¯ll dig a tunnel underground!¡± Zhao Anqi frowned as she looked at the wall. Next, the group immediately began to select and gather dozens of summoning spirits with digging abilities. Under the command, they began to dig wildly into the soil under the wall. Zhou Mingrui did not participate or stop them. He simply stood in his spot and quietly observed their actions. Zhou Mingrui knew very well that if it were so easy to escape, the academy would have sent people in to rescue them long ago. How could the people outside the wall wait so long without taking any action? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything or doing anything?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reaction immediately attracted Zhao Anqi¡¯s attention. ¡°Your effort is futile and you¡¯re wasting your energy.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head slightly. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Zhao Anqi immediately asked. ¡°Have you thought why no one has come to save us yet? Don¡¯t tell me that all the teachers and directors in the academy are inferior to you?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s made a reasonable analysis. ¡°You¡¯re right. Is it possible that they haven¡¯t thought of the digging method yet?¡± Zhao Anqi thought for a moment and said. ¡°We can¡¯t rule out this possibility, but I think with the strength and intelligence of the powerhouses at the academy, I don¡¯t think they will give up or can¡¯t think of this method. Zhou Mingrui immediately retorted. At this point, Zhao Anqi fell silent. She knew that Zhou Mingrui was right. But they had come this far. No matter what would happen, she could not back up now. Otherwise, how would she be able to face others in the school? A few moments later, people emerged from the holes the summoned spirits had dug. When they appeared, they looked at Zhao Anqi, and their expressions said everything. Even if they dug a tunnel, they still could not escape from this place. There was no way to escape from this place. Zhao Anqi started to feel anxious when she saw everyone¡¯s eyes on her. However, she was at her wit¡¯s end now. If she had the ability, she wanted to smash the wall in front of her with a punch. ¡°Zhao Anqi, what do we do now?¡± This sentence immediately set off the mood of everyone. The expressions on their faces changed one by one, and worries began to spread in the field. ¡°Enough, what¡¯s the point of saying all this now? What we should do is find a new way to get out of here, not keep on nagging and making no progress here!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice broke the awkward situation that Zhao Anqi was in. ¡°You betrayed your summoner, and you still have the face to criticize us?¡± A student walked out and asked angrily. Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui immediately charged at the student. The latter reacted. The summoning spirit that resembled an octopus from the ocean hurriedly stepped forward to protect him. At the same time, four of its tentacles quickly reached out in an attempt to restrain Zhou Mingrui. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui did not even move. Instead, he stomped the ground with the tip of his foot and immediately burst out with an even faster speed. At the same time, the super-fast speed gave Zhou Mingrui a powerful force. He knocked off the four tentacles to the side and arrived in front of the octopus summoning spirit. The octopus summoning spirit was already rooted to the spot in a daze. When Zhou Mingrui arrived in front of it, the terrifying aura he released had already stunned it. ¡°Let me give you a word of advice. If you don¡¯t have the strength, just listen quietly. There¡¯s no need to make a fuss and embarrass yourself here.¡± ¡°If you want to continue, follow me. If you can¡¯t, you can get lost now.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not continue his attack. Instead, he stopped and turned to head in another direction after speaking. Zhao Anqi was the first to follow. At this point, she had no other choice but to place her hopes on Zhou Mingrui. The remaining people looked at each other in dismay. However, after seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength, many students changed their thoughts. Most of them followed Zhou Mingrui. Soon, under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lead, the group arrived at a dense forest. If someone could fly high up in the sky to take a look, they would discover that the team led by Zhou Mingrui was advancing in the opposite direction of Yan Wuyue. And this place was the place where he had been collecting the bones. ¡°I heard her say that the bones here hide some secret. Since we have no other way, let¡¯s try to find something here.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°What else could there be in this pile of bones?¡± Zhou Anqi, who was following behind, asked. ¡°It¡¯s something that can save your life at a critical moment.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tone was no longer as friendly as before. Instead, it had turned cold with a hint of impatience. However, Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t seem to mind. On the contrary, the worried look on her face seemed to have lightened a little. The Zhao Anqi of today was no longer as arrogant and despotic as before. On the contrary, she had begun to rely on Zhou Mingrui in the depths of her heart. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start cleaning up these bones. If there are any intact skeletons, remember to take them out and place them on the other side. This is very likely the key to your escape.¡± Zhou Mingrui said to the people who had already followed him and were standing there waiting for instructions. Those people were stunned again. At this time, they had to clean up these bones? ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, you can get lost now. I¡¯m not Yan Wuyue or Zhao Anqi, and I won¡¯t spoil you!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice suddenly rose in pitch. At the same time, it carried a hint of ferocity. Even though this group of students had gone through the mystic realm trial, they were still frightened by the sudden outburst of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ferocious aura. Following that, the students began to suppress their disgust and horror as they began to help Zhou Mingrui sort out the white bones that had been laid out in the dense forest. With the help of more than a hundred people, they managed to clear the skeletons pretty fast. Soon, some complete skeletons of good quality were separated. In particular, there was a skeleton that was almost one-third complete. When Zhou Mingrui raised his hand to touch it, he sensed an extremely unique aura from it. Chapter 47 - The Goblin Wizard This aura confirmed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s suspicion that the skeleton must have been an extremely powerful monster when it was alive. At the very least, he had yet to find any bone that could match its aura in this ocean of bones that covered over a thousand square meters. ¡°There should be a hundred and thirty-seven pieces of these bones. If I put them together, I should be able to summon a third of the undead with my strength.¡± After Zhou Mingrui carefully sensed the bone as thick as an arm, he spoke to the people who were searching for other bones. ¡°There are so many bones here. How are we going to find them?¡± A student looked at the pile of bones on the ground and said with a troubled expression. ¡°Do you want to leave this place alive?¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t say much. Instead, he directly asked a question. Seeing Zhou Mingrui staring at him with a pair of eyes flickered with a faint fire, the student could not help but gulp. ¡°I, I want to.¡± ¡°If you want to, then search. Do more and talk less. Do you have any other objections?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his head and looked at the other students. The others shook their heads, indicating that they didn¡¯t have any objections. Then, they began to clear the bone Gu at a faster speed. Zhou Mingrui nodded his head at this scene. Zhao Anqi, who was beside him, asked, ¡°You¡¯re really confident that you can get us out of here?¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui turned to look at her in surprise and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you very confident before? Why are you asking me this now?¡± ¡°I¡­ I made an error in judgment because I didn¡¯t have enough information¡­¡± Zhao Anqi turned her head slightly, not daring to meet Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t have much confidence before I know the details. That¡¯s why I¡¯m now preparing everything I can to deal with the unknown.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a calm expression. Hearing this, Zhao Anqi¡¯s expression changed for the first time. Her voice trembled as she said, ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to die yet. I¡¯m not having enough fun.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes twitched when he heard that. This woman was afraid of death because of this. It left him speechless. As time passed, more and more mysterious bones were discovered, and the shape of the skeleton became more and more complete. ¡°This is a horse?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little dumbfounded when he realized that the skeleton looked like a horse. He had thought it would be some kind of special monster, but it turned out to be a horse. However, even if it was a horse, the aura emitted by its skeleton was not weak. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly lifted his head and kicked Zhao Anqi¡¯s butt. At the same time, his body used the force of the kick to quickly retreat. The moment he retreated, a silver bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky and struck where he and Zhao Anqi were standing. However, while he could react in time, the rest of the students did not have such a strong reaction. Dozens of students were struck by the green lightning and immediately wailed. Their skin immediately showed signs of festering. Moreover, foul-smelling green pus was flowing out of the wound. It was a special type of curse sorcery. ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± He did not have the time to care about the students¡¯ grief. Zhou Mingrui had already cast his gaze deep into the dense forest to his left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, none of you will be able to escape. ¡± As the dark green light flickered, figures with tattered capes walked out. They were the goblin wizards who had come from the center. When the goblin wizards appeared, they immediately turned their gazes towards Zhou Mingrui. They could clearly sense the undead aura that Zhou Mingrui could not hide. As goblin wizards who were extremely sensitive to energy, they could sense the extremely active magical particles around Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I smell the scent of death. It seems that this guy is an undead spirit.¡± If Zhou Mingrui was an undead aura represented death and darkness, while the goblin wizard represented withering and despair. ¡°I could smell the stench from far away.¡± The black cloak on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body slowly disappeared, revealing the skeletal battle armor he had already put on. His body began to emit a faint white glow. Seeing the confrontation between the two sides, some students who couldn¡¯t hold it in immediately stood up and ran in the opposite direction. Three goblin wizards walked out of the goblin group and raised their hands. A green light flashed and started to gather on their palms. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui knew he could not allow them to succeed. Otherwise, if too many students were killed or injured, it would be difficult for him to explain to the academy when he left. With a certain distance between them, Zhou Mingrui immediately condensed a bone spear in his hand. He raised his hand and threw it at the group of wizards. At the same time, he began to mumble an incantation in a low voice. The bone spear carried Zhou Mingrui¡¯s immense strength as it flew towards the goblin wizards with a sharp whistling sound. But at this moment, a goblin wizard suddenly walked out and blocked the path of the bone spear. Looking at the bone spear flying toward him rapidly, the goblin wizard did not panic at all. He raised his arm, and a green light burst out from his palm. In the next moment, the bone spear struck a green energy barrier half a meter away from the goblin wizard. The two sides collided, and a muffled sound was heard. However, even though the magic energy shield was deformed by the bone spear¡¯s powerful impact, the bone spear still couldn¡¯t break through the magic energy shield. With a clang, the bone spear fell to the ground and turned into a faint white light before disappearing into the air. Meanwhile, the energy in the goblin wizards¡¯ hand had already taken form. Green lightning bolts were immediately triggered and shot toward Zhou Mingrui at a lightning speed. The other wizards also used their spells at the same time. Moreover, ugly gnomes crawled out of the ground, forcing the students to escape. Zhou Mingrui did not care about this. After all, he was not a nanny at the moment. If those students could not even solve this problem themselves, they might as well return home early. But at the same time, the goblin wizards also noticed that white glows that looked like will-o ¡®-the-wisps had suddenly appeared in the surrounding forest. In the next second, the bones on the ground that the students had just tidied up suddenly began to tremble. Immediately after, these bone armors began to glow. ¡°It¡¯s an undead summoning spell. This guy is a necromancer!¡± One of the goblin wizards immediately informed his companion. They had initially assumed that Zhou Mingrui was a melee-type undead. They never expected him to be a necromancer. In the blink of an eye, dozens of undead puppets surrounded the goblin wizards. Chapter 48 - Spectral Hell Warhorse ¡°Just this?¡± The goblin wizard sneered when it saw that they were only a group of low-level undead puppets. Zhou Mingrui did not answer. Instead, with a thought, the undead puppets immediately launched their attacks. The goblin wizards raised their hands and shot out bolts of green lightning in the blink of an eye. Although they were not as powerful as the previous ones, their casting speed was fast. Before the undead puppets could reach the goblin wizards, the green lightning snakes had already struck them. The moment the puppets were hit by the lightning snakes, their bodies stiffened, and their movements began to slow down. Finally, after the second lightning snake hit them, they turned back into bones and scattered on the ground. In less than ten seconds, the dozens of skeleton puppets were shattered and returned to the pile of bones on the ground. ¡°What other moves do you have?¡± The goblin wizard was enraged as it began to speak to Zhou Mingrui in a teasing tone. However, the goblin wizard did not notice that Zhou Mingrui, who had just finished the incantation, was already looking at him with pity. ¡°What?¡± At this time, the goblin wizard¡¯s expression changed. He had noticed the change in the magic particles in the air. With their sharp senses, they quickly turned their attention to a pile of bones not far away. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡± The goblin wizard immediately gathered their energy as fast as they could when they sensed it. Green electric snakes shot toward the skeleton. However, before the lightning snakes could touch the skeletons, they were blocked by an invisible barrier of light. They could not get close to the skeletons. ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± The wizard could already tell that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s necromancy could no longer be stopped. Hence, he immediately turned to his companion and said, ¡°Use the Black Death Catastrophe!¡± The other goblin wizards were shocked, but they quickly understood. All the goblin wizards raised their curved magic staffs and started humming. Rays of green light appeared out of thin air, like comets that constantly rotated around the goblin wizards, emitting an extremely uneasy aura. ¡°Stop daydreaming. Those with long-range attacks, attack with me!¡± No matter how stupid Zhao Anqi was, she could tell that both parties were prepared to use their ultimate moves to finish the battle. Therefore, the best way to help Zhou Mingrui was to distract those ugly monsters as much as possible. The puppets summoned by the goblin wizards had been defeated by their joint forces, which gave the students confidence again. As a result, the students who had long-range attacks started to display their abilities. All sorts of physical, energy and magic attacks were launched at the goblin wizards. However, they were all blocked by a layer of dark green energy shield. There was no way to break the energy shield at all. Still, the continuous and concentrated attacks had impacted the goblin wizards. Zhou Mingrui could feel his power was rapidly depleting. However, the aura from the skeleton in front of him grew stronger and stronger. It had even reached a level that surprised Zhou Mingrui. The skeleton¡¯s body even began to turn illusionary from energy. From the overall appearance of the illusionary figure, it should be a beast-like creature on all fours. At this time, the goblin wizard¡¯s attack had already taken shape. Even if the students tried their best to delay it, they were still unable to resist the combined attacks of the eight goblin wizards. A large amount of green energy immediately began to spread. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui quickly shouted, ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t touch the green energy, or you¡¯ll die!¡± The students were shocked by his shout. Then, they turned around and ran without hesitation. Even if Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t say anything, they saw that the plants that came into contact with the green energy instantly withered and turned to dust. It was enough to tell how terrifying the green energy was. However, how could the goblin wizards watch them leave? Two of the wizards immediately controlled the green energy and began to approach the escaping students. The green energy was extremely fast, covering a large distance in the blink of an eye. However, it didn¡¯t actively touch the students, but surrounded them and forced them back. After all, they were going to take their souls back and offer them to their king. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s worries were put to rest. At that moment, his necromancy was about to end. He had also expended about 90% of the magic power in his body. The skeleton could no longer be called a skeleton. An energy flickering with a faint light had completely wrapped around the original bone armor. Hu¡­ A searing blast of air immediately swept through the surroundings as a robust horse appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. The cheetah-like muscles on its body seemed to have been chiseled with knives and axes, and the muscle lines looked gorgeous. The energy hair on its back fluttered in the wind as if it was burning with white flames. In the originally empty eye sockets, two white flames suddenly appeared out of thin air as the horse¡¯s body was completely formed. The moment the flames appeared, a terrifying energy aura immediately surged out. The green energy electric snakes that were heading towards Zhou Mingrui stopped in mid-air as though something was pulling them back. Its four hooves were also burning with white flames, crackling in the air. Although there were so many flames, it didn¡¯t feel any heat around it. The temperature had even dropped. ¡°Hello, master.¡± At that moment, an ethereal female voice with a reverberating effect suddenly appeared in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the flame horse in front of him and subconsciously activated his spiritual eye. [Name: Spectral Hell Warhorse] [Level: 40] [Rank: quasi-gold] [Skills: Flame Charge, War Stomp, Hell Howl, Phantom Eye, Ghost Phantom] Level 40, quasi-gold! The data displayed in the two columns made Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes light up. He knew the horse was once a powerful creature when it was alive. After all, the strength of the undead summoned by a king was largely dependent on the strength of the caster. But to be able to reach the level 40 standard of a gold grade, it also proved that the Spectral Hell Warhorse must have been very strong when it was alive. At this moment, the black death light scattered around the area had been condensed into a single beam by the goblin wizards. It shot directly towards Zhou Mingrui and the Spectral Hell Warhorse. Chapter 49 - The Attack of the Black Ghost Warhorse Before Zhou Mingrui could even make a move against the death beam, he heard the Spectral Hell Warhorse raise its head and roar. Immediately after, the horse¡¯s hooves stomped on the ground, and its entire body instantly turned into a white flame as it charged forward, facing the direction of the death beam. In the eyes of the students, all they saw was a white flame light colliding with the horrifying green light. Immediately after, a strong burst of light caused the students to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes, the green light had disappeared. The goblin wizards, who were shooting the light beams, had already scattered and fled for their lives. In Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes, Spectral Hell Warhorse was like a heavy tank. After it crashed into and devoured the green beam of death, it charged at the goblin wizards with an even faster speed. All the goblin wizards immediately started chanting in unison after seeing their death beam was destroyed by the other party. All the goblin wizards emitted an intense green light. Under the blessing of the incantation, all the green light began to quickly gather on the leading goblin wizard. As a large amount of energy gathered, the leading goblin wizard seemed to have turned into a big green light bulb, and his skin began to bulge. In a matter of seconds, the goblin wizard¡¯s eyes burst with intense green flames. ¡°Haxus¡¯s Wrath!¡± The flames on the goblin wizard¡¯s body suddenly increased. The soaring green flames quickly formed a gigantic eye, its pupil directly facing the charging Spectral Hell Warhorse! An intimidating aura suddenly erupted. Even Zhou Mingrui could sense that the owner of the pair of eyes was an extremely terrifying being. However, Spectral Hell Warhorse wasn¡¯t afraid at all. After letting out a roar, it charged forward even faster. [Skill: Flame Charge] The flames on the Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s body suddenly burst into flames. The white flames completely enveloped the warhorse, and the warhorse charged forward like a comet. Every time it charged forward, it would leave a white flaming footprint on the ground, like the tail of a comet hanging behind it. Weng~! A light beam shot from the center of its eye towards the charging Spectral Hell Warhorse. However, Spectral Hell Warhorse suddenly dodged and dodged the attack. The light beam hit the ground, and the green light immediately corroded the large piece of land, forming a green pit several meters deep. Seeing that it didn¡¯t hit its target, the Eye of Haxus didn¡¯t hesitate. After the green light shone brightly, light beams were shot at Spectral Hell Warhorse like laser guns. It was as if green rain was falling from the sky, and beams of light fell densely, sealing off all the positions of Spectral Hell Warhorse. No matter how Spectral Hell Warhorse dodged, it would not escape the attack¡¯s range with its current speed. [Skill: Ghost Phantom] The moment the skill was activated, Spectral Hell Warhorse instantly turned into a blurry white shadow. Under the dense green energy in the sky, it continuously dodged and advanced at lightning speed. Not a single one of the green energy raindrops managed to hit Spectral Hell Warhorse. Upon seeing this, the Eye of Haxus immediately stopped its saturated shooting of energy beams. Instead, it began to release a series of invisible distorted waves. The space in front of Spectral Hell Warhorse was affected by this wave, forming layers of space, and there was extremely strong resistance. [Skill: War Stomp] Spectral Hell Warhorse suddenly stopped just as it was about to crash into the space layers. It used its legs to stomp on the ground. An intense energy fluctuation burst forth, and a white energy fluctuation began to spread out from the ghost warhorse, forming a ring of fire. Under the impact of the ring of fire, the folded space immediately twisted and completely shattered, re-merging into space. Without any obstacles, Spectral Hell Warhorse let out a long neigh and increased its speed again, charging toward the goblin wizards. This time, the Goblin Wizards were completely flustered. They quickly withdrew their spells and began to flee in all directions. However, with Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s super speed, it was impossible to escape. After being caught, it was directly knocked away. As they landed, white flames ignited on their bodies. No matter how they rolled or tried other methods, they couldn¡¯t extinguish the flames. Moreover, the pain from the fire did not come from the skin, but the soul. After seeing Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s superior dodging speed and ability against all kinds of attacks, and the scene of it killing the goblin wizards, Zhou Mingrui was very satisfied with this flaming warhorse. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s consciousness suddenly sounded an alarm. Something had happened to Yan Wuyue, and his mental state had changed. ¡°Come back!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately sent a mental message to Spectral Hell Warhorse. The latter immediately stopped in its tracks when it received the message. It turned around and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. When Spectral Hell Warhorse reached him, Zhou Mingrui immediately flipped and jumped onto the horse¡¯s back. The flames did not harm Zhou Mingrui at all. On the contrary, this flame even made him feel a special change in his body. Of course, it was improving in a good way. And just ten minutes ago. Yan Wuyue¡¯s men continued to push forward, but they were also stopped by the goblin wizards. She did not have the strength of Zhou Mingrui or Spectral Hell Warhorse. She could only rely on her rich combat experience and physical fitness that was stronger than ordinary people to engage in guerrilla warfare. With the help of the students and their summoned spirits, Yan Wuyue made use of their skills to formulate a detailed strategy and finally defeated the five goblin wizards with difficulty. Just as they were about to move forward, Yan Wuyue found that they had been surrounded by green energy mist. ¡°This is the energy characteristic of the monsters from before. Have we been surrounded?¡± Yan Wuyue stopped and looked around, only to find they had been surrounded. As goblin warriors more than 1.7 meters tall and covered in muscles walked out of the green fog, she was sure of this. Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression turned grave when she saw the giant beasts that exuded a fierce aura. Chapter 50 - Fallen Goblin Guard Yan Wuyue had a bad feeling when she saw the goblin wizards. Before her reborn, she had glanced at the information about this secret realm a few times, and she still remembered the monsters marked on it. The first to be attacked was the [King of the fallen goblin], a level 40 quasi-gold boss. The ones she had encountered before were [fallen goblin wizards], which were only level 30, quasi-silver monsters. The ones in front of him were [fallen goblin guards]. They were level 35 and were the most powerful monsters in the silver grade. If she were still in her previous life, she wouldn¡¯t have cared much about this information. She could even defeat a quasi-gold effortlessly. However, she was only level 30 now and had just become a silver summoner. Fighting those goblin wizards head-on was already her limit. If there were only one or two goblin guards, with Yan Wuyue¡¯s experience and strength, she could easily deal with them and even find an opportunity to kill them. But now, they were surrounded by ten goblin guards. Yan Wuyue was well aware of the strength of the students. They were no match for the goblin guards. Whether in terms of level or overall strength, these students would be defeated instantly if they fought with the goblin guards. Taking a deep breath, Yan Wuyue quickly said to the student beside her, ¡°Help me hold them back later, but remember not to get within fifteen meters of them, understand?¡± A student asked with a worried expression, ¡°Are those monsters very strong?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t defeat them, run in that direction. That should be your last hope.¡± Yan Wuyue said, pointing in a direction to the left. Yan Wuyue knew Zhou Mingrui was currently located there through her mental perception. She had already pressed the emergency signal once again. She hoped that Zhou Mingrui would resolve their problem as soon as possible and that reinforcements would quickly arrive. Otherwise, she would lose her life today. However, the strange thing was that the goblin guards didn¡¯t take the initiative to attack. Instead, they stood in their positions without moving. But their bloodshot eyes were fixed on Yan Wuyue and the students. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. ¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered. The goblin guards had an overwhelming advantage, but they didn¡¯t make a move. There were only a few possibilities. One of the possibilities was that goblin guards had certain restrictions, such as not being able to attack first or only attacking when an intruder stepped into their range. ¡°It¡¯s good that they didn¡¯t attack us. ¡± Yan Wuyue heaved a sigh of relief, but another thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She immediately tensed up again. Another possibility instantly appeared in her mind. These goblin guards might have received a protection order that prevented them from leaving. And the only one who could command the goblin guards was the goblin king that was described in the information. Yan Wuyue immediately stepped forward. When she was about ten meters away from the goblin guards, the pupils of a goblin guard suddenly widened, and its muscles began to tighten. Naturally, Yan Wuyue noticed this detail. She immediately stopped and looked at the goblin guard again. It still didn¡¯t move. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue took another step forward, and the goblin guard immediately began to move. The weapon in its hand began to shake. However, Yan Wuyue stopped again. The goblin guard could only squint his eyes and did not make any further moves. ¡°As expected, they are bound by a certain rule. As long as I don¡¯t step into that area, I will be safe.¡± Although Yan Wuyue confirmed her thoughts, she was even more worried. From the looks of it, the goblin king should have already awakened and was recovering its own power. ¡°I can¡¯t let it grow. Otherwise, if it becomes gold-grade, we can¡¯t defeat it easily¡­¡± Thinking of this, Yan Wuyue knew that she couldn¡¯t hide anymore. She had to hurry and defeat these guys, and then completely get rid of the goblin king. Otherwise, if the goblin king were to recover to peak gold grade, no one here would be able to survive in this secret plane. ¡°Cover me. I¡¯m going to attack!¡± After Yan Wuyue confirmed it, she knew she did not have much time. If they were even a little late, they would regret it! Hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, the surrounding students immediately began to prepare without hesitation. The next moment after Yan Wuyue¡¯s charge, the students behind her began to use all kinds of attacks. They all aimed at the goblin guards in the front. When the goblin guards saw Yan Wuyue rushing toward them, the guard at the front suddenly moved. Its muscles immediately bulged, and it grabbed a three-meter-long gray axe in its hand and swung it at the incoming attacks. The axe, with its magnificent power, blocked most of the attacks with a sweep. Then it fixed its eyes on Yan Wuyue, who was rushing toward it. Yan Wuyue took a deep breath and activated the Contract Coherence without hesitation. Her body was bathed in a faint golden light, and her attributes began to increase rapidly. Although Yan Wuyue had a lot of combat experience, there was still a big gap in strength between her and the goblin guards. Therefore, she needed to use all the means she could. Seeing Yan Wuyue speed up again, the leader of the goblin guards raised the gray axe in its hand, and a ray of light suddenly appeared in its hand. [Name: Goblin guard] [Level: 35] [Rank: Silver] ¡°Skills: Rough Body, Berserk¡± The abilities of these goblin guards immediately emerged in Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind, and she remembered all the information she had read. Although the goblin guards only had two skills, and one of them was a passive skill, the effect was very useful. [Rough Body: the rough skin that was trained since young can reduce physical attacks by 30%, energy attacks by 20%, elemental resistance by 10%, and resistance to mental control by 10%] [Berserk: sacrifice your rationality in exchange for an all-around increase in your physical fitness. When activated, your explosiveness, endurance, and defense will increase by 70%. At the same time, the rough body¡¯s buff will increase by 30%. Duration of three minutes. After activation, all attributes will be reduced by 60%, and Rough Body¡¯s effect will be reduced by 50%.] The data made Yan Wuyue quickly draw up a preliminary plan to deal with the goblin guardians. However, when she was two meters away from the goblin guards, the goblin guard suddenly hacked down with its battle axe at a speed that was completely beyond Yan Wuyue¡¯s expectation! Chapter 51 - Breaking Through the Defense If Yan Wuyue continued to advance at this speed, the goblin guard¡¯s long-handled battle-axe would directly land on her body. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. She stomped on the ground, and the strong force caused the dry and hard ground to carve in. Yan Wuyue forcefully stopped herself from high speed. The goblin guard¡¯s axe also fell to the ground. The axe silently sank into the ground, with half of its body buried in the ground. It was also at this moment that the students¡¯ long-range attacks landed on the goblin guards. However, whether it was corrosive liquids, explosive items, high-speed physical attacks, or even energy-type attacks, none of them could make the goblin guards flinch. If this were in the game, the HP bar above the goblins¡¯ heads would probably show minus 0.001. Seeing that Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t come to the forbidden area, the goblin guard easily lifted the battleaxe that had sunk into the ground and carried it on its shoulder again. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care about the soreness in her left leg, which was a muscle strain from the inertia when she had forced herself to stop. Through her observation, Yan Wuyue was sure that the strength and speed of the goblin guards were not something she could withstand at the moment. To put it simply, if she was in the front, the alloy longsword in her hand would have definitely been broken, and the possibility of dodging it would have been almost zero. This was an absolute suppression in terms of strength. Even Yan Wuyue¡¯s superb fighting skills couldn¡¯t make up for it. But the current situation didn¡¯t allow Yan Wuyue to think too much. She could only force herself to break the array. Yan Wuyue had faced many desperate situations in the past, and every one of them was dangerous. She could only press forward during the crisis because she had no way to retreat! This time, Yan Wuyue rushed into the goblin guards¡¯ guarding zone without hesitation. Her speed got faster and faster as she ran. The goblin guards also raised their heads, their fierce eyes revealing a hint of surprise. They didn¡¯t expect that human to dare to charge at them again. The leading goblin guard didn¡¯t care about this. It raised its battle axe again and swung at an even faster speed than before. The blade of the axe wasn¡¯t sharp, but with the explosive strength of the goblin guard¡¯s strong muscles, it could cut a person in half even without a sharp edge. There was no change in Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression. At this time, her pupils had expanded to their maximum, and everything around her had slowed down in her eyes. [Awakened passive skill ¡®Battle Concentration¡¯] Yan Wuyue was very familiar with her state. She had awakened this passive skill before her rebirth. She also understood the advanced version of this skill, which evolved into the stronger Fighting Will. Besides, she had once experienced the tiny bit of the top-tier skill, Fighting Domain! Therefore, even though Yan Wuyue had just awakened a passive skill in this life, she could utilize this passive skill to its strongest. Simply put, it was the first time a summoner or summoned spirit had awakened this skill, and their body¡¯s movement speed couldn¡¯t keep up with their own nerve reaction speed. However, Yan Wuyue was different. She had a strong combat awareness and had actively trained in this aspect. Therefore, at this moment, she was fully focused on the battle! In Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, the battle-axe in the goblin guard¡¯s hand had been slowed down to the point where she could react. She could counterattack! She dodged with the fastest and smallest movement, trying to squeeze out as much time as possible to attack. The goblin guard¡¯s axe almost touched Yan Wuyue¡¯s face, but the strong airflow couldn¡¯t affect Yan Wuyue¡¯s beautiful eyes, which revealed a determined look. After dodging the goblin guard¡¯s attack, Yan Wuyue turned the alloy longsword in her hand and thrust it at the goblin guard¡¯s eyes. The tip of the longsword rubbed against the air, cutting through the air. At the same time, it was less than ten centimeters away from the goblin guard¡¯s eyes. Everything seemed to have been set in stone. But at this moment, Yan Wuyue felt the airflow around her change. From the corner of her eye, she saw four sharp blades coming toward her. If she continued to advance, she would be killed by the four battle axes at the same time as she killed a goblin guard. Helplessly, Yan Wuyue changed the direction of her sword and directly met one of the battle axes. With a clang, Yan Wuyue jumped back and escaped the encirclement with the counterforce of the collision of weapons. The confrontation just now had only taken less than ten seconds, but to Yan Wuyue, these ten seconds felt like five minutes. ¡°These guys actually know how to form a joint attack formation.¡± Yan Wuyue felt a headache coming on. If these goblins were fighting on their own, she had a chance to defeat them one by one. However, she didn¡¯t expect these guys to be able to cooperate with each other, which made it more difficult to break them. ¡°It seems that I can only change my plan.¡± Yan Wuyue began to make a new plan in her mind, but she didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Do your best to interfere them!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted without turning her head when she was running again. All the conditions that could be used were necessary now. Even the slightest interference could be the key to success! The students were now willing to listen to Yan Wuyue¡¯s command. Without any hesitation, they immediately launched the help they could do. All kinds of attacks were launched again. Under the cover of these attacks, Yan Wuyue rushed directly into the group of goblin guards. Although the students¡¯ attacks couldn¡¯t hurt the goblin guards, they could still affect the vision and movement of goblin guards. Sure enough, with the help of the Battle Concentration skill, all the goblin guards¡¯ movements were slower than before in Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t take this opportunity to attack the goblin guards. Instead, she broke through their positions as fast as he could and rushed behind them. She might be able to kill a goblin guard with all her might, but what was the use? Yan Wuyue¡¯s first priority was to find out what these goblins were protecting. Otherwise, by the time they finished dealing with these goblins, everyone would have already died. Yan Wuyue finally broke through the defense of the twenty goblins and ran behind them. Chapter 52 - Despair After breaking through, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t look at the goblin guards chasing her. Instead, she gritted her teeth and sped up again, rushing into the depths of the dense forest. With the help of battle concentration, the surrounding trees didn¡¯t hinder Yan Wuyue¡¯s speed at all. Yan Wuyue quickly pulled herself away from the goblin guards and rushed into the depths of the forest. ¡°This feeling is so familiar!¡± While running, Yan Wuyue suddenly had a special feeling. It was very familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember when she had seen it. However, as she ran forward, this feeling became stronger and stronger. Soon, it made her remember her past. ¡°This is the dark aura!¡± Yan Wuyue immediately stopped, and memories began to flash in her mind. That was before she had reached her peak. In a secret realm battle, she was almost certain that she could seal the secret realm, but an accident suddenly occurred. This accident was the dark aura. Although it was called dark, it was actually a way to describe energy. It was different from the energy known to humans. This dark energy originated from a different dimension. No, it should be called a different world. This kind of dark aura could cause a significant change to the Earth¡¯s environment. It could even directly change the living environment of the entire planet. Once this aura was released, it proved that the opponent was from a different world, and the level of threat would be raised to a whole new level. At this moment, Yan Wuyue still hesitated. If it was just an ordinary secret realm, Yan Wuyue believed that she could still seal it with her strength. But if it was an enemy from another world, and she was alone without the help of a summoning spirit, she had no hope of resolving it. However, the current situation was extremely bad. Although Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t know what was ahead, once the passage to the other world opened, the enemies from the other world would slaughter them mercilessly. However, after two seconds, the hesitation in Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes disappeared and was replaced by a determination never seen before. If Zhou Mingrui were here, he would definitely curse her for having a superhuman character but not a superhuman life! Soon, as Yan Wuyue moved forward, the dark aura became thicker and thicker. There were signs of structural changes in the surrounding vegetation, and the oxygen in the air had also begun to decrease compared to the outside. And Yan Wuyue had already vaguely sensed there was a very powerful energy fluctuation in front of her. However, it was different from the energy fluctuations of the powerful monsters in her memory. It was as if something was blocking them. As Yan Wuyue and the students got closer and closer to the center of the secret realm, her premonition grew stronger and stronger, so she stopped again. Taking out the sensor in her pocket, Yan Wuyue pressed another small button. Once she pressed the button, she would be in the most critical situation. At this moment, Yan Wuyue could not sense the aura of the goblin guards behind her. It seemed that they were not going to chase Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue was even more despairing. It proved that the other party was not afraid that her breakthrough would affect the core. Therefore, Yan Wuyue headed toward the core of the secret realm. After a few minutes, she finally arrived at the core of the secret realm. The dark aura in the surrounding air was visible to the naked eye and extremely dense. The surrounding vegetation was completely different from the ones in the outer area. Most of them had already been distorted and mutated, making them look terrifying. ¡°As expected!¡± Yan Wuyue looked up and saw the scene of the core not far away. It was completely covered by the dark aura, and she could not see the situation at all. But Yan Wuyue was sure from the energy fluctuation that it was the space channel of the other world. ¡°The otherworld¡¯s passage should only open after the great calamity. Why are monsters opening it now?¡± Before he was reborn, this kind of passage to another world would only appear in a secret realm above the terrifying level after a great disaster. If the thing in the space tunnel came out, the secret realm would be at least horror-level or even hell-level. The entire human world would be destroyed by the monsters that appeared in the secret realm. ¡°Did my rebirth change the original course of history?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s heart was full of mixed feelings. She now doubted whether her rebirth was a chance given by god to save the world again, or just to let her witness faster destruction of the world. She had once thought her will was as strong as steel, but the crisis kept testing her will today. At this moment, Yan Wuyue, who had fallen into deep thought, suddenly felt a chill. The next moment, she retreated without hesitation. At the same time, oval-shaped black energy had already hit where she had been. The ground was corroded by the black energy, forming a pitch-black pit, and a terrifying sizzling sound kept coming out. Yan Wuyue¡¯s heart began to beat faster. If she had reacted a little slower, she would have been corroded by this energy. At this time, she no longer needed to think about her rebirth, because if she was distracted again, she might die. But when Yan Wuyue looked carefully, she didn¡¯t see any enemy. Just as she was about to estimate the enemy¡¯s position based on the attack just now, another three black energy bombs were fired at her from different angles. These black energy bombs were so fast that even Yan Wuyue, who had turned on her Battle Concentration, had to do her best to dodge them. Yan Wuyue, who had just landed and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, found that black energy bombs had appeared in the darkness again. This time, six black energy bombs were flying toward her! Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t even have time to take a breath. She started to dodge at his fastest speed. Weng~ The space trembled, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted. Intense pain began to invade her brain. Yan Wuyue¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweats as she looked at the pitch-black hole on her left arm. She could barely endure the severe pain. ¡°No, if there are one or two more bombs, I won¡¯t have any space to dodge. I have to leave immediately!¡± Although Yan Wuyue was ready to sacrifice herself, it was only on the premise that she could make a great contribution to the human race. She couldn¡¯t accept such an inexplicable death. Just as she was about to retreat from this strange area, black energy bombs appeared again. Suddenly, Yan Wuyue had a bad feeling. Twelve black energy bombs were flying toward Yan Wuyue! ¡°I can¡¯t dodge it!¡± Looking at the black energy bombs from all directions, Yan Wuyue knew that she had no way to escape unless she could enter the underground in an instant and leave quickly. Twelve black energy balls were getting closer, completely locking in any direction Yan Wuyue could dodge. ¡°Am I really going to die like this?¡± Yan Wuyue had lost all hope, and she muttered to herself. Chapter 53 - Nether Flame Bone Blade Weng~ At this moment of despair, a black shadow suddenly appeared in front of Yan Wuyue. ¡°Hey, Yan Wuyue. You¡¯re not a fighter who gives up easily.¡± Yan Wuyue was stunned when she heard the familiar voice. The next moment, she said in surprise, ¡°Zhou Mingrui, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Haha, looks like you can¡¯t do it without me.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Be careful!¡± Yan Wuyue saw the twelve energy balls coming at her, so he quickly warned Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Hmph!¡± [Skeleton Summon] Zhou Mingrui snorted. He waved his hand, and a white light flickered. Bone shields immediately condensed and hovered around Yan Wuyue. The dark energy balls hit the bone shield in the blink of an eye, creating a faint black ripple. The bone shield blocked all the energy waves. ¡°When did you become so strong?¡± Yan Wuyue was shocked. She knew that Zhou Mingrui was strong, but she didn¡¯t expect him to easily resist the dark energy ball. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot you don¡¯t know. ¡°The corners of Zhou Mingrui revealed a confident smile. Dong~ At this moment, a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly lit up in the distorted darkness ahead. A crazy and evil aura gushed out, and the surrounding flowers and trees withered. ¡°Thump, thump, thump.¡± Like a heartbeat, a loud thud spread in all directions. An extremely oppressive feeling enveloped the surroundings. ¡°Little trick!¡± Zhou Mingrui growled as the Undead Soul Power on his body surged out. Immediately, it repelled the dark aura that was about to spread into the surroundings. Tap tap tap tap. At this moment, the goblin guards who were originally guarding the periphery walked out from the depths of the dense forest. They completely blocked off Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s escape route. ¡°I have to deal with these small fries first.¡± Zhou Mingrui scanned the goblin guards and narrowed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re very strong, so be careful. Yan Wuyue reminded him. ¡°I like to see how strong they are.¡± As soon as Zhou Mingrui finished speaking, Yan Wuyue felt her waist being pulled by an invisible force. She was pulled onto Spectral Hell Warhorse. ¡°Hold on tight, or don¡¯t blame me for ignoring you when you fall.¡± After Zhou Mingrui finished speaking, the bone mask covered his face, revealing a pair of eyes that flickered with a faint light. Yan Wuyue¡¯s heart raced. For some reason, the moment she saw Zhou Mingrui, something in her heart melted completely. As she hugged Zhou Mingrui¡¯s waist, she felt safe and warm in her heart. It was as if she had returned to a warm home after being tormented by hunger and cold for a long time. Even in her previous life, she had never experienced such a feeling. Yan Muyue knew that this feeling was called a sense of security. Spectral Hell Warhorse seemed to have sensed its master¡¯s battle intent. After breathing out two blue ghostly auras from its nose, it stomped its hooves on the ground and charged toward the goblin guards. As Zhou Mingrui charged forward, he activated his Undead Soul Power and condensed it. A long-hilt battle blade that looked like a Green Dragon Crescent Blade appeared in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. The handle and the blade were connected by the skull of an unknown monster. The moment the skull was formed, a light blue ghost flame shot out of the eyes of the skull. The ghost flame covered the entire blade. Hu~ Exerting strength in his arms, the Nether Flame Bone Blade immediately drew an extremely obvious flame mark in the dark aura. Wherever the blade passed, the dark aura retreated as if it was afraid of the blade. ¡°Die!¡± Zhou Mingrui bellowed as his Nether Flame Bone Blade was instantly accelerated by the charge of Spectral Hell Warhorse. He slashed at one of the goblin guards. The goblin guard immediately raised its weapon to block Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack. However, when the ghostly light streaked past it, Zhou Mingrui continued charging forward. The goblin guard had already been sliced in half along with his weapon. The surrounding goblin guards weren¡¯t startled by their comrades ¡®deaths and charged forward together. ¡°Good!¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud. He spun the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand and formed a huge circle of fire. Then, he threw it at one of the sides. The ring of fire crashed into several goblins in the blink of an eye. It split them in half before they could even react. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had already charged to the other side. He raised his hand and slashed out his Nether Flame Bone Blade. Not a single goblin guard could withstand a single strike from him. After a mere 20 seconds, all the goblin guards had fallen to the ground. However, the corpses of the goblin guards were quickly wrapped up by the dark aura and disappeared. The moment the corpses completely disappeared, there was an explosion in the air. Boom! As the earth trembled, the dark aura in the core ahead suddenly rolled up and then spun in the opposite direction. Then, a giant palm with purple skin and scars stretched out. Each finger was as thick as a normal person¡¯s waist. ¡°The boss has finally come out?¡± When Zhou Mingrui saw this scene, his expression immediately turned grave. Roar! The owner of the giant hand seemed to feel that the hole was too small. He roared angrily, and the muscles on his arm suddenly tensed up. The black hole was expanded even more by a powerful force. ¡°Hurry up and attack! We can¡¯t let it come out!¡± Yan Wuyue quickly shouted. However, when she saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s indifference, she asked in confusion, ¡°This monster has surpassed the silver grade. If he comes out, we will be in big trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°What¡­¡± Before Yan Wuyue could finish, Zhou Mingrui suddenly turned his head. The moment his mask disappeared, he kissed Yan Wuyue on the lips. After a light kiss, Zhou Mingrui said with a smile, ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve never done anything useless.¡± Ignoring the blushing and speechless Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui turned to look at the monster in front of him. Half of the monster¡¯s body already come out of the hole. ¡°Goblin King?¡± Yan Wuyue had also seen the monster¡¯s full appearance. He couldn¡¯t help but frown and whisper, ¡°Logically speaking, this fellow should not be able to break out of the seal now!¡± ¡°The slaughter provided it with power. At the same time, the bodies and souls of the dead students were all conditions to help it to break the seal.¡± But Yan Wuyue quickly said happily, ¡°But because it¡¯s in a hurry to break the seal, it should have dropped one to half a level from its original gold-grade strength!¡± As Zhou Mingrui spoke, he clenched the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. A smile appeared on his face. ¡°No matter what, I finally have an opponent who can exchange a few moves with me. I hope it doesn¡¯t die so quickly.¡± Chapter 54 - Thrilling Battle Roar~! Goblin King seemed to understand Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words. Goblin King almost squeezed itself out of the hole. Then, it roared angrily to express its anger. Using his finger to pick his ear, Zhou Mingrui said indifferently, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t bark like a dog. If you want to fight, come out quickly.¡± This time, the Goblin King was truly enraged. Veins suddenly popped up on its forehead, and its muscles bulged. The moment the Goblin King broke free, it roared at Zhou Mingrui as if to say, ¡°I¡¯m out! You¡¯re dead!¡± Zhou Mingrui smiled and said to Yan Wuyue, ¡°Hold on tight, be careful not to fall during the battle.¡± Yan Wuyue subconsciously hugged Zhou Mingrui¡¯s waist tightly when she heard that. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little intoxicated by his powerful aura. Ignoring the beauty behind him, Zhou Mingrui looked up at the Goblin King. The Goblin King was nine meters tall and had a body full of muscles. Goblin King was like a giant muscular man while Zhou Mingrui was just like a two years old child. Goblin King twisted its neck and made a gurgling sound. Then, it opened its mouth, revealing its jagged teeth and a foul stench. After Goblin King appeared, the surrounding dark aura seemed to have found a gathering point. They quickly gathered towards Goblin King¡¯s body. The extremely dense dark aura quickly condensed on the Goblin King¡¯s body, forming strange pitch-black patterns all over its body. At that moment, Goblin King¡¯s eyes lit up with a blood-red light. It looked up at Zhou Mingrui and grinned hideously. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression was calm as he raised the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. His body also emitted waves of surging Undead Spirit Energy. Bang! Goblin King let out an angry roar as it grabbed a withered tree beside it and threw it at Zhou Mingrui. Following that, it charged at Zhou Mingrui with large strides. As the dark aura gathered, a spiked mace with many bone spikes appeared in Goblin King¡¯s hand. Zhou Mingrui raised his hand gently and jerked it. The withered tree that was flying toward him was instantly blasted into pieces by his Undead Soul Energy. Seeing Goblin King charging at him, Zhou Mingrui raised the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. At the same time, he began charging with Spectral Hell Warhorse beneath him. The phantom energy quickly revolved around his body, and he welcomed the Goblin King with a powerful aura. Both of their weapons collided in mid-air, and under the huge impact, a powerful shock wave suddenly exploded, turning the grass on the ground upside down. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re quite strong.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a mocking smile on his face after he felt the power of the Goblin King. Roar! Even though Goblin King did not understand what Zhou Mingrui meant, it could understand the smile on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. It was mockery! Hu~ In his extreme anger, Goblin King¡¯s arm muscles bulged. A dark aura quickly gathered, and the mace in its hand ignited with black flames. Goblin King stomped its foot forward, and the powerful force immediately caused the ground to collapse. At the same time, cracks quickly spread out. Zhou Mingrui leaped down from Spectral Hell Warhorse and raised his front hooves. Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s powerful hooves kicked Goblin King ruthlessly. Before the Goblin King¡¯s attack could reach Zhou Mingrui, its upper body was kicked by the horse¡¯s hooves, causing it to fall back. Seizing this opportunity, Zhou Mingrui had already gathered enough power. He slashed at Goblin King¡¯s body. Goblin King¡¯s shoulder armor was instantly shattered. At the same time, the initially tough skin was also cut open. The blade penetrated deep into Goblin King¡¯s flesh. Dark green blood flowed out of the wound and dripped onto the ground, corroding a deeper hole in the ground. However, Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t afraid. As he retracted his hand, he slashed viciously at Goblin King again. However, this time, Goblin King reacted by placing its arms in front of it. Clang! The deafening sound of metal clashing immediately resounded in the surroundings. Even Zhou Mingrui felt his hand turn slightly sore. It was clear how strong Goblin King¡¯s defense was. However, Zhou Mingrui raised the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand again. As the phantom energy around him trembled, Nether Flame Bone Blade transformed into a stream of light and slashed down. This attack did not only contain Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength, but also the power of Spectral Hell Warhorse. Spectral Hell Warhorse instantly activated its skill when it was synchronized with Zhou Mingrui. [Hell Howl]! The invisible infrasonic wave came out of Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s mouth and charged towards Goblin King¡¯s head. A wave of dizziness struck the Goblin King¡¯s mind, causing its movements to slow down. At this moment, the Nether Flame Bone Blade struck its body. The blade left a meter-long gash on Goblin King¡¯s abdomen, and large amounts of blood gushed out. [War Stomp]! Before Goblin King could wake up from the pain, Spectral Hell Warhorse activated its skill again. Its forelimbs glowed with light as it raised them, stomping on the ground once more. A huge shockwave was produced once again. The ground beneath both parties¡¯ feet exploded into a large amount of dust, completely blocking their vision. As for Zhou Mingrui, he seized the opportunity to slash at the wound with his Nether Flame Bone Blade, which was imbued with Undead Soul Energy. Pfft! A large amount of blood spurted out from the Goblin King, but Zhou Mingrui ignored it. Instead, he adjusted the direction of his blade. Then, he quickly slashed at the Goblin King¡¯s abdomen. Zhou Mingrui was aware of Goblin King¡¯s fearsome defense from the previous exchange. Hence, he decided to first break through its defense. Roar! But at this moment, Goblin King suddenly opened its mouth and roared. The black patterns on its body suddenly lit up. Soon after, the wound was covered by a layer of black energy. It quickly formed a protective layer. Its wound began to recover rapidly. Goblin King¡¯s face revealed a sinister smile. However, just as Goblin King thought that victory was in its grasp, sharp energy directly hit its body. Goblin King wanted to move, but it found its body was stiff and unable to move. [Flame Charge]! Under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s command, Spectral Hell Warhorse immediately activated its charge skill at a short distance. The skill¡¯s additional effect also appeared. After stunning Goblin King, Nether Flame Bone Blade in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand was completely enveloped by Undead Soul Energy. ¡°It can end now!¡± Following Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mumble, the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand quickly transformed into an extremely sharp spiral energy form under the convergence of energy. In the next moment, under the charge of Spectral Hell Warhorse, Zhou Mingrui raised the energy spear in his hand and stabbed it at Goblin King. Chapter 55 - Continuous Attack Goblin King¡¯s pupils rapidly dilated when it saw Zhou Mingrui charging at it. It knew that if it did not think of a way to block Zhong Mingrui¡¯s attack, it would die without a doubt! Under the extreme shock of death, the Goblin King¡¯s eyes were filled with blood vessels. The patterns on its body began to change in color at this moment. They turned black to red in the blink of an eye. Just as Zhou Mingrui¡¯s spear tip was about to reach Goblin King, the red glow from its body burst forth as it broke free from the restraints of the skill. It raised its large hands and grabbed the energy spear that was coming at it. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s charge was not that simple. The moment Goblin King¡¯s hand touched the energy spear, its body trembled. The energy spear was still approaching its heart. Roar! Goblin King let out an angry roar, and the muscles on his arms expanded once again. The violent force stopped the energy spear from advancing. However, the energy spear increased its momentum, and the Goblin King¡¯s body was sent flying backward. Along the way, Goblin King¡¯s huge body knocked down a large number of trees. The ground under its feet was plowed with two deep furrows. However, seeing that the energy spear was no longer approaching his heart, Goblin King¡¯s malevolent face relaxed a little. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui sneered and said, ¡°Do you think you can stop my attack just like that?¡± The next moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes lit up with a light blue glow. All the Undead Soul Energy in his body immediately gathered in his hands. Zhou Mingrui loosened the grip on Nether Flame Bone Blade. Then, he moved the blade forward a few centimeters. It was less than ten centimeters away from Goblin King¡¯s heart. It caused Goblin King¡¯s expression to change drastically, and he hurriedly used all his strength to grab onto it. However, Zhou Mingrui smiled as he activated his skill once again. [Double-Flame Charge]! Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s blue flames burned brightly, and its four hooves began to stomp quickly. A new force instantly condensed. Goblin King¡¯s hands that were holding the spear suddenly twisted and his fingers were instantly deformed by the huge impact. The spear tip was thrust forward. The black energy barrier on Goblin King¡¯s body was easily pierced through like tofu. After the energy spear pierced through its tough skin, it directly entered its heart. ¡°Explode!¡± The energy spear was not only sharp. The moment it pierced Goblin King¡¯s heart, the violent energy was instantly detonated by Zhou Mingrui like a grenade. Boom! Goblin King¡¯s chest shook, and a large hole was blasted open by the violent phantom energy. ¡°Be careful, Goblin King¡¯s life force is very strong. Even without its heart, it can still survive for a short time. It can still release with even more power before he dies.¡± Yan Wuyue quickly warned when she saw Goblin King¡¯s fatal injury. In her previous life, Yan Wuyue had read that after the team of adventurers had severely injured the Goblin King. The Goblin King¡¯s sudden outburst had caused two of them to be severely injured, and one of them had even died. ¡°Dream on!¡± How could Zhou Mingrui not be prepared? He had long sensed that Goblin King¡¯s energy had not dissipated. Instead, it was rapidly condensing. He knew that this fellow would not die so quickly. Indeed, Goblin King¡¯s weak and dying appearance suddenly changed. Its hands reached out at an even faster speed to grab Zhou Mingrui and Spectral Hell Warhorse. The speed was so fast that even Zhou Mingrui, who was mentally prepared, was shocked. However, just as Goblin King was about to get them, Zhou Mingrui and Spectral Hell Warhorse instantly faded. [Ghost Phantom]! Four of their afterimages appeared in the surroundings, not giving Goblin King any time to react. ¡°Die!¡± The four afterimages attacked at the same time, and the four energy spears once again pierced the Goblin King. Roar! Even in a dying state, Goblin King¡¯s dark energy continued to surge. His strength increased, and he grabbed the spear tip like a Berserker. Furthermore, the black energy on Goblin King¡¯s body began to form threads that extended to the energy spear¡¯s body and approached Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s probably trying to use its energy to pollute your energy so that your energy will stagnate. It can also absorb your life force to maintain its body. It might even recover from some injuries.¡± Yan Wuyue looked worried as she reminded Zhou Mingrui. 1 This was also why the dying Goblin King could heavily injure two people and kill one person in her previous life. After all, the adventurers were all one rank higher than the Goblin King, and they could kill it. ¡°Energy absorption, huh? Let¡¯s see what you got! ¡°Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered as he activated his innate skill. [Devour]! The moment the Devour skill was activated, a powerful suction force erupted from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. The black energy on Goblin Kings¡¯ bodies began to shift at a discernible pace before being rapidly absorbed by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. This time, Goblin King¡¯s face was no longer malevolent, only confusion and fear. The human in front of it had completely exceeded its imagination. Even its final outburst and the fatal killing move had been resolved by this human. Of course, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Devour skill could not be used on living beings. However, Goblin King was already on the brink of death. Goblin King¡¯s resistance to Devour had been greatly weakened, so Devour managed to absorb its life force. With the loss of the black energy, Goblin King¡¯s life force began to weaken, while the power of Devour grew stronger. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui could feel his energy constantly increasing. He was also beginning to break through his level. Roar~! Goblin King let out a final roar of unwillingness. His hands could no longer hold onto Zhou Mingrui¡¯s spear. Then, the spear pierced through its damaged brain. At that moment, the devouring process suddenly erupted. Goblin King¡¯s massive body began to wither rapidly. Then, the massive energy transformed into a small whirlwind that converged into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. [Congratulations to the host for killing a level 40 quasi-gold monster, the Goblin King] ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve leveled up to level 31.¡± ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve leveled up to level 33.¡± ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve leveled up to level 35.¡± At that moment, the voice in his brain stopped. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s level also stopped increasing. However, another voice suddenly rang out,¡± [The host¡¯s Synchronized Summoner has leveled up. The host has received three times the experience points. The host has leveled up to level 36.] And it didn¡¯t stop. Chapter 56 - Talent Upgrade and Fusion ¡°Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 40.¡± Under the Contract Coherence with Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s level increased once again. He broke through the barrier of level 40. Weng~ Just as Zhou Mingrui reached level 40, his body began to emit a crystalline glow. Countless dots of light formed a circle of light that surrounded him. [Host has reached level 40, talent skill ¡®upgrade¡¯ activated] [Innate skill awakening¡­] Immediately, a huge wheel that only Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue could see appeared above Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head. Under an indescribable magnificent power, the light immediately expelled the darkness in the surrounding environment. In the next moment, the huge wheel began to spin slowly, and the sound spread in all directions. Yan Wuyue was stunned by this scene. She did not expect such a scene to happen to Zhou Mingrui after he reached level 40. It was too shocking. After a while, the ancient needle on the wheel stopped at a position with mysterious runes. [Congratulations to the host for receiving a double talent reward. The first talent [Life Absorption] has been awakened, and the second talent [Sturdy Will] has been awakened.] [New talent detected overlapping with original talent, beginning fusion¡­] The pointer on the wheel disappeared, and in its place were two flashing light blue and brown energy balls. Under the wheel¡¯s control, they collided and fused. [Talent fusion in progress¡­] Clang~ After the sound of an ancient pendulum, the two energy balls fused together, emitting a deep blue light. [Congratulations. The original talents ¡®Devour¡¯ and ¡®Life Absorption¡¯ have successfully merged and evolved into a higher talent ¡®Phantom Domain¡¯.] Just as Zhou Mingrui was pleasantly surprised, another notification was heard. Congratulations to the host for reaching level 40 and awakening the active skill ¡®Reincarnation Despair¡¯] [Congratulations to the host for establishing a link with the spirit world and awakening the active skill ¡®Phantom Riot¡¯] The wheel suddenly began to split into modules, which then formed a huge circle with a water-like spatial film in the middle. Behind the spatial membrane, an aura that Zhou Mingrui was familiar with emanated. It was the world he had been in before he came here. Soon, a beam of light shot out from the spatial membrane and struck Zhou Mingrui. A few seconds later, the entire wheel turned transparent and disappeared into space. Only then did the glow around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body dissipate. The first thing he did was to pull up his panel¡¯s attributes. [Life type: Undead spirit] [Life level: Lv40] [Life talent: Phantom Domain, Upgrade, Lotus Flower, Book of Dead Souls] [Active skills: Skeleton Equipment, Summoning of the Dead, Reincarnation Despair, Phantom Riot] [Contract status: Equality Contract] [Contract object: Yan Wuyue] Innate skills: [Book of Dead Souls (talent): All undead-type skills have their casting time reduced by half, and the skill effects are doubled. The current attributes are fixed multiple percentages.] [Phantom Domain (talent): When fighting with an enemy, the user could quickly communicate with the energy of another world. The user could change the battlefield into a phantom domain.] [Note 1. All attributes will be increased by 10% in the Phantom Domain. All enemies will receive phantom energy damage every second. Certain percentage of damage will be converted into energy for the user.] [Note 2. Enemies who are heavily injured in the Phantom Domain have a chance of being invaded by the phantom energy and turning into phantom puppets.] [Note 3. All living things that die in the Phantom Domain will turn into¡¯ phantom essence¡¯ for the user to absorb. It increases the user¡¯s attributes (can be stacked) until the user exits or closes the Phantom Domain.] [Note 4. The Phantom Domain can allow undead and energy-type lifeforms to stay. It can also store inanimate items.] [Upgrade: Every time the host reaches level 10, one talent will be automatically awakened. There is a chance of awakening two talents. If the talents are of the same type, they will be automatically merged to become a stronger talent skill.] [Ember Soul Lotus: Every time the user receives an external enhancement skill, the effect of the skill will be increased by 50%. The attribute points gained after each level up will be multiplied by five.] Active skill: [Skeleton Equipment (active): The skeleton of any living being can be used to create weapons and equipment. The level of the item will increase with the level of the user.] [Summoning of the Dead (active): Using the skeleton of any dead creature as the basic medium. Summon the undead to fight. The strength of the undead is based on the strength of the creature when it was alive and the integrity of the bone armor. The strength of the spellcaster is the base of the increase.] [Phantom Riot (active): It can stimulate the undead spiritual force in the body and gain a 50% overall enhancement of energy attributes. At the same time, it can be transformed into phantom energy.¡± [Reincarnation Despair (active): Connect with the core power of the phantom world. Create a special space world and drag a marked single enemy into the phantom world. Once in the Reincarnation Despair, a percentage of the target¡¯s attributes will be transferred to the user] [Note: The percentage of the target¡¯s attribute absorbed will be determined by the target¡¯s resistance. After killing the target, the user will obtain the target¡¯s attributes, skills, and memories for a certain period. The duration is affected by the host¡¯s level and the enemy¡¯s level.] Looking at the brand new attribute panel, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt that his trip was not in vain. His strength had risen by more than one level. Next to him, Yan Wuyue had also stepped into the threshold of level 35, and his body was also emitting light. However, by the time Zhou Mingrui finished, Yan Wuyue had also woken up from his awakening. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body had reformed. Powerful energy was constantly circulating in his body. ¡°You seem to be very different from before.¡± Yan Wuyue said after scanning Zhou Mingrui from head to toe. ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been by your side all this time, I would¡¯ve even thought you¡¯d changed.¡± Yan Wuyue sighed. ¡°I just killed this Goblin King and leveled up. ¡°Zhou Mingrui said truthfully. ¡°But why don¡¯t I feel any changes?¡± Yan Wuyue said, frowning as she walked over. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re already pretty enough. You don¡¯t need to be prettier.¡± Zhou Mingrui reached out and gently scratched the tip of Yan Wuyue¡¯s nose. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Yan Wuyue rebuked. Soon, the two of them were on Spectral Hell Warhorse. They were looking for the team members participating in the secret realm. Under the high speed of Spectral Hell Warhorse, the two of them quickly gathered a large number of students and settled them down. With the death of the Goblin King, the entire secret realm began to weaken. The leaders of the academy outside immediately noticed the changes. However, they couldn¡¯t directly attack. After all, no one knew what was going on. Chapter 57 - Contributions and Agreements Most of the students looked at Yan Wuyue with admiration and respect in their eyes. Many people believed Yan Wuyue¡¯s hard work and effort saved everyone this time. Although some students had seen Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack, he was Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit. It did not conflict with them giving Yan Wuyue credit. Moreover, the students had seen Yan Wuyue confront more than a dozen powerful goblin guards to prevent the disaster from happening. Hence, they firmly believed that Yan Wuyue was the one who saved them from the crisis. These students kept promoting Yan Wuyue¡¯s strength and her contributions to the students who didn¡¯t know what happened. This was how all people thought the battle went down. However, Zhao Anqi was an exception. Zhao Anqi¡¯s face was covered in dust, but her eyes were fixed in Yan Wuyue¡¯s direction. However, her target was not that woman. Her gaze was completely locked on Zhou Mingrui, who was wearing a bone mask and had been silent the entire time. He looked like an obedient child. Zhao Anqi was the only one who knew that the person who had saved the disaster was actually Zhou Mingrui. Furthermore, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength completely exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. Most importantly, he could think independently and execute his orders. Zhao Anqi licked her lips. ¡°What a great prey, I must get him!¡± ¡­ Finally, after the principal and the vice-principals confirmed that the seal had weakened, they broke it. A group of students walked out. The teachers and many students asked the students, who were trapped in the seal, about the situation. Then, they put all the pictures together. The academy¡¯s higher-ups finally confirmed the cause and effect of the whole incident. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared. A dangerous crisis was about to happen. If it wasn¡¯t for the help of talents among the students, then the Goblin King could have broken the seal. In that case, all of the trapped students would all die horribly. Although the students were all new students, many of them had powerful families or were children of important figures. Even if the academy could withstand the anger of those people, its reputation and foundation would also take a disastrous decline. It would be a completely different kind of disaster. After beating up and reprimanding the person in charge of the detection team, the academy¡¯s higher-ups finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Before the Goblin King completely broke the seal, my summoned spirit and I used all our strength to attack it.¡± ¡°When the Goblin King came out, it was severely injured. That was why we were able to defeat it despite all odds.¡± ¡°Principal, this is what happened.¡± After Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, the senior officials on the high platform in front of her began to whisper to each other. Yan Wuyue decided to hide the final process. After all, if she revealed the truth, the higher-ups of the academy would be completely shocked. Moreover, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s true strengths would be revealed. Zhou Mingrui was indeed very strong now, but he still had a limit. He still did not have the strength to influence human society yet. Among human beings, many people didn¡¯t agree with Yan Wuyue¡¯s ideas. She was also concerned about a mysterious organization. Moreover, even if he concealed a part of his strength, the benefits he could obtain were exactly the same. That was the reason Yan Wuyue hid the truth about how they defeated the Goblin King. ¡°Yan Wuyue, your performance was excellent. Even the weak Goblin King is a powerful silver-level monster. Even the senior students may not be able to win.¡± ¡°Your heroic act has been recognized by the academy. We will reward you with the highest honor of the school, the Saint Soul Medal. But please forgive us for not being able to hold a grand award ceremony for you, I hope you can understand the difficulties of the academy.¡± Although the disaster was resolved and most of the students were saved, there were still a small number of students who died inside. Not all the students were weak. Some of them had strong strengths or backgrounds. They would usually have life-saving props. There were one or two students who were actually quite strong. However, due to the academy¡¯s background and influence, those individual families also chose to lay low after receiving sufficient compensation from the academy. So for the sake of those people¡¯s reputations, the academy decided to deal with this disaster as quietly as possible. Seeing the principal¡¯s helplessness, Yan Wuyue also nodded in understanding. ¡°Very good. What a smart and obedient child.¡± Many of the higher-ups suddenly found Yan Wuyue more pleasing to the eye. They liked smart children who knew the big picture and when to advance and retreat. ¡°This year¡¯s freshman secret realm trial¡¯s first place is undoubtedly yours. However, the following assessment will still be carried out. I believe you still could obtain the first place with your strength.¡± ¡°Thus, if you decide to continue participating in the trial, we have no objections. If you decide not to participate, we have also prepared a reward of equal value for you to the first place.¡± Yan Wuyue raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Mr. Principal, I¡¯ve decided to participate.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the principal smiled and continued, ¡°you¡¯re doing this for the attention of the top universities, right?¡± ¡°Actually, with the talent you¡¯ve shown, even if you don¡¯t participate in this trial, we will still report your performance to all the advanced research institutes, and they will accept you.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled and said, ¡°The things you see with your own eyes are the most trustworthy, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right. Since you understand this, I won¡¯t say anything more. With your qualifications, you can choose any advanced research institute you like. They might even come and beg you to enter.¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you the additional reward after the trial. What do you think? Of course, I can give it to you in advance if you want it now.¡± ¡°However, I suggest it¡¯s best to eat the fruit after working hard so you can fully enjoy the sweetness.¡± Yan Wuyue answered with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll take them all after the trial. And I¡¯ll work hard to get these rewards.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a talented one. Keep it up.¡± The principal and the higher-ups were all smiles. They were even more satisfied with this beautiful girl. On the way back to the dormitory, Yan Wuyue was thinking about what had just happened. ¡°What? I thought that with your personality, you shouldn¡¯t have said those words just now.¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly spoke. ¡°Humans have to change after experiencing something.¡± Yan Wuyue said indifferently, ¡°Back then, I was too stubborn. I didn¡¯t know how to be flexible in many things. As a result, when I wanted to gather all my strength, I encountered many obstacles.¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s why you become more ¡¯rounded¡¯ and ¡®well-endowed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. Why is your mind filled with such dirty thoughts? Yan Wuyue immediately turned around and said. Chapter 58 - Deadly Seduction ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t say that!¡± When they were about to reach their dormitory, Zhou Mingrui removed his mask and said in a teasing tone, ¡°Rounded means that your character is no longer rigid, and you have become tactful. Well-endowed means that you have incredible strength and you are full of confidence in your future. So, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s letting your imagination run wild.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face immediately turned red. Then, she raised her leg and kicked Zhou Mingrui, but the latter dodged at once. Along the way, the two of them played around. After all, they had just experienced a life-threatening battle. Yan Wuyue was completely open in front of Zhou Mingrui. Soon, they arrived at the dormitory. It was a house that the school had rearranged for the two of them. It was a detached house for teachers and the higher-ups. The nearest neighbor was dozens of meters away. ¡°I¡¯m going home first. There are some things I need to tell my parents. You go in and rest first.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue waved his hand and left, not giving Zhou Mingrui a chance at all. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave so soon. I won¡¯t eat you.¡± Zhou Mingrui smiled and shook his head. Then, he opened the door and walked into the house. The design and decoration of the house were simple but not luxurious. It could accommodate everyone who moved in and not need to be redecorated because of their preferences. Zhong Mingrui removed the bone armor and revealed his body, which was in a close-fitting combat suit. Zhou Mingrui thought for a moment before walking to the shower room. Although this body could use its energy to remove the dust and dirt, a bath could give Zhou Mingrui another form of mental relaxation. The water from the shower head flowed down his head, outlining Zhou Mingrui¡¯s defined muscles that looked like they were carved out of marble. His muscle wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as the bodybuilder¡¯s, but he was ripped and well-built, containing an explosive power. The doorbell suddenly rang. Zhou Mingrui startled and helplessly turned off the tap. He dried his hair and wrapped a towel around himself before walking to the main entrance. ¡°It¡¯s only been less than an hour, and she¡¯s done.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought Yan Wuyue had returned after taking care of her family matters, so he didn¡¯t look through the peephole and opened the door directly. ¡°Hmm?¡± When he opened the door, he found a woman standing at the door, but it was not Yan Wuyue. ¡°Hi, annoying guy.¡± Zhao Anqi was standing at the door. The moment the door opened, she quickly entered the house. She didn¡¯t care if Zhou Mingrui welcomed her. Zhou Mingrui frowned slightly, but he did not stop her. Zhao Anqi walked over to the sofa, sat down, and started laughing. ¡°That¡¯s great. You and Yan Wuyue will have everything after this trial, while I have nothing and will be treated as a clown.¡± Zhou Mingrui closed the door behind him and walked over to Zhao Anqi. Zhou Mingrui looked up and saw Zhao Anqi¡¯s face was slightly red, and her eyes were a little dazed. The faint smell of alcohol indicated that this woman was drunk. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Don¡¯t drink alcohol again if you have a low tolerance.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head helplessly. He turned around and was about to get his phone. He wanted to call Yan Wuyue to come and pick up this woman. However, he was suddenly hugged from behind just as he turned around. If Zhao Mingrui didn¡¯t feel the softness behind her and knew it was Zhao Anqi, he would throw the person who hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t go, okay?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. He could tell that Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t drink much, but her alcohol tolerance was too low. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but take a deep breath as he felt the busty chests behind him. After all, he wasn¡¯t an experienced playboy in his two lifetimes. In this kind of situation, it was naturally impossible for him not to fall for a woman¡¯s seduction. And to be honest, Zhao Anqi was slightly inferior to Yan Wuyue in terms of looks. In terms of figures, Zhao Anqi was definitely the winner. If Yan Wuyue was a noble and holy goddess, then Zhao Anqi was an alluring devil from hell. ¡°How good would it be if you were mine? How good would it be if you were mine.¡± Zhao Anqi mumbled to herself as she walked over to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± She raised her hand and gently caressed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s muscular chest, his well-defined abdominal muscles. She could feel the heat emitted from his body after the shower. It seemed to worsen Zhao Anqi¡¯s drunkenness as the redness on her face became even more obvious. Under the influence of her drunkenness, she even stuck out her tongue and began licking Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest. Zhou Mingrui shuddered. Even though his body was not completely made of flesh and blood, the wonderful sensation drove him crazy. It felt the same as a body of flesh and blood. It was even more sensitive than ordinary flesh and blood because it was made up of purer energy. Especially when Zhao Anqi licked his nipple, Zhou Mingrui felt blood rush to his brain. The temptation kept bombarding the dam of his rationality. In her drunkenness, Zhao Anqi completely disregarded her decency as she wrapped her legs around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s waist and laid her upper body on top of him. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, as long as you¡¯re willing to be with me, you can do whatever you want to me. I¡¯m willing to be yours.¡± Zhao Anqi leaned on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder as she breathed into his ear. It immediately made Zhou Mingrui lose most of his rationality. Especially they were in an awkward position, where Zhou Mingrui¡¯s crotch was now pressing against Zhao Anqi¡¯s crotch. The next moment, Zhao Anqi¡¯s body trembled, as if she was shocked by the action. ¡°Alright, as long as you agree, I can give it to you now and do anything you want.¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she started to move her hips and gently rubbed her crotch against Zhou Mingrui. Hiss~ Zhou Mingrui immediately drew in a cold breath. The intense and unprecedented feeling in his lower body made him feel like his mind was about to explode. In addition to Zhao Anqi¡¯s seductive moans and constant panting, he was on the verge of losing his mind. Furthermore, Zhou Mingrui could acutely sense that his crotch had been stained by something moist. Just as the dam of rationality collapsed completely, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Sh*t!¡± After cursing, Zhou Mingrui wanted to carry Zhao Anqi off his body. However, just as he was about to make his move, Zhao Anqi seemed to be prepared for it. She grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s neck with both hands and pulled him closer to her. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lips felt warm and moist. Then, a small tongue nimbly pried open his mouth and entered. Boom! Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind had completely exploded. He had completely lost all sense of reason as a beast-like aura began to erupt from his body. Ah~ Sensing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sudden change from passive to active, Zhao Anqi was wrapped in his strong arms as she let out an alluring moan. Chapter 59 - Give Me an Explanation Zhou Mingrui panted heavily as he grabbed Zhao Anqi¡¯s waist with one hand and her breasts with the other. He was prepared to use brute force to tear her clothes apart. But at this moment, the door was suddenly opened. It was Yan Wuyue! Yan Wuyue was shocked by the scene in front of her. In Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, Zhou Mingrui was almost naked, with only his crotch covered by a bath towel. Zhao Anqi clung to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body like a koala. Her body was tightly attached to his. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui had one hand on Zhao Anqi¡¯s butt and the other on her breasts. The two of them were still kissing passionately. Yan Wuyue was at a loss at first, and then a burst of anger suddenly burst out from the bottom of her heart. Yan Wuyue immediately used her skill and charged at the two as fast as she could. Just as Yan Wuyue was about to reach them, she lifted her leg and kicked out. Her original target was the naked b*stard, but with an inexplicable throbbing in her heart, her target changed to the shameless woman. However, Zhou Mingrui sensed an attack. He subconsciously turned around and shielded Zhao Anqi behind him. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes widened. She kicked Zhou Mingrui¡¯s back, and her leg collided with the phantom energy triggered by Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body did not move an inch after eating the attack. Besides, the slight pain immediately cleared his mind. Realizing that the situation had gone south, he immediately suppressed his urge and pushed Zhao Anqi away. On the other hand, Yan Wuyue felt like she had kicked a steel block. The strong rebound force made her feel extremely uncomfortable. ¡°Stop, this is a misunderstanding. Let me explain!¡± Zhou Mingrui hurriedly tried to explain, but Yan Wuyue cursed, ¡°You b*stard! Look at you now! You still dare to say that I¡¯ve misunderstood?¡± Zhou Mingrui was stunned. He lowered his head and saw that he only had a bath towel on him. The towel was hanging on a very protruding part of his body. He probably wouldn¡¯t even believe that it was a misunderstanding. Looking at Yan Wuyue, who was charging at him again with gritted teeth, Zhou Mingrui felt his scalp go numb. ¡°Tsk, what¡¯s so good about this violent woman? Let¡¯s just ignore her and continue¡­¡± At this moment, Zhao Anqi, who was still drunk and lustful, did not seem to mind Yan Wuyue. Instead, she hugged Zhou Mingrui and acted coquettishly. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue exploded with anger. With a flash of light in her hand, she directly took out her weapon and charged at them angrily. ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this!¡± Zhou Mingrui knew it was no longer appropriate for him to use soft tactics to explain the situation. Hence, he activated the phantom energy in his body and palm struck Zhao Anqi¡¯s neck. Zhao Anqi¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness. Then, Zhou Mingrui dashed out at the fastest speed possible and appeared behind Yan Wuyue in an instant. Before Yan Wuyue could react, Zhou Mingrui hand chopped her. Yan Wuyue fell to the ground and was unable to resist. Seeing the two women finally faint, Zhou Mingrui heaved a sigh of relief after the world regained its peace. Then Zhou Mingrui immediately found two strong ropes from the room and tied the two of them up. When he was tying Zhao Anqi up, her curvaceous figure was further accentuated by the rope. The wet marks on her thighs and skirt made Zhou Mingrui gulp uncontrollably. Zhao Anqi was a demoness, an extremely sexy demoness. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize that woman is so attractive in this kind of clothes and posture before!¡± After tying the two of them up, Zhou Mingrui hurriedly sat cross-legged on the ground. He began to recite a scripture that specifically removed lust in his mind. After sitting there for more than ten minutes, Zhou Mingrui finally opened his eyes. When he saw that his wiener had calmed down, he hurriedly went upstairs to return a new set of clothes. After waiting for a long while, Yan Wuyue woke up first. But when she realized that he was bound, she quickly shouted. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, untie me now!¡± Hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s angry shout, Zhou Mingrui quickly stepped forward and comforted her, ¡°You have to calm down first. Otherwise, I can¡¯t untie you.¡± ¡°You b*stard! Yan Wuyue cursed as she struggled. ¡°I know what you¡¯re angry about. Zhao Anqi was drunk when she came into the house. I¡¯m a man too. It¡¯s normal for me to have that reaction.¡± Zhou Mingrui said calmly. ¡°The two of you are already hugging each other like you¡¯re inseparable. If I was late for a few more minutes, would the two of you have rolled onto the bed?¡± Yan Wuyue glared at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui pointed to the unconscious Zhao Anqi and said, ¡°Think about it. She came here as soon as you left. If I really had that intention, how could I have persisted until now?¡± ¡°And think about it, she¡¯s a woman who¡¯s slightly inferior to you. If I really wanted her, why would I go for her instead of you?¡± ¡°If I really wanted her, I would at least bring her to the room. I can¡¯t possibly do it in the living room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that I persevered until you came back, and you just happened to come back in time.¡± After all, Zhou Mingrui had struggled a few times and expressed that he had a clear conscience. Otherwise, he would have carried Zhao Anqi into his room if he really wanted Zhao Anqi. ¡°Really?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s anger dissipated a little after hearing the explanation. She then looked at Zhou Mingrui suspiciously. Upon hearing this, even if Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t a playboy, he could tell that Yan Wuyue was beginning to calm down. ¡°To be honest, I admit that I almost lost to the seduction.¡± he continued, ¡°but I dare to say that with Zhao Anqi¡¯s beauty, any other man would have done something wrong long ago.¡± This move was called retreating to advance. Yan Wuyue finally calmed down. It was impossible to expect Zhou Mingrui to be a lust-free monk. It could only be said that he was more determined and patient than the average man. Only then did Zhou Mingrui dare to untie the rope on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body. Otherwise, she could break the rope under with her explosive force. Yan Wuyue only wanted Zhou Mingrui to give her an explanation that would satisfy her. Yan Wuyue, who was rubbing his wrist, looked straight into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes. Zhou Mingrui naturally would not back down. After standing up, Yan Wuyue walked past Zhou Mingrui and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll let it go this time, but I¡¯ll castrate you next time!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately shuddered. He knew that this matter was temporarily over. Yan Wuyue came to Zhao Anqi, who was still asleep, picked up a cup of water, and poured it on her face. Chapter 60 - Suffering ¡°Ah!¡± Zhao Anqi was awakened by the cold water immediately. She looked around in a daze. After waking up, Zhao Anqi looked much better. Yan Wuyue knew that Zhou Mingrui was right. This woman was indeed drunk. ¡°What the¡­ Yan Wuyue!¡± It was true that women were incomprehensible creatures. Zhao Anqi, who was still in a daze a second ago, suddenly woke up after seeing Yan Wuyue. ¡°Why did you tie me up?¡± Zhao Anqi squinted at Yan Wuyue after she realized she was tied. ¡°Who gave you the guts to seduce my summoned spirit?¡± Yan Wuyue asked coldly as if she were a judge interrogating a prisoner. ¡°Seduce? Hahahaha!¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly laughed out loud without any intention of hiding it. ¡°As the saying goes, treasures belong to the virtuous. You don¡¯t know how to cherish and use such a good summoned spirit. So, I can let you waste such a treasure.¡± Zhao Anqi said and looked at Yan Wuyue provocatively. ¡°He¡¯s my summoned spirit. You have no right to decide what I want to do!¡± Yan Wuyue snorted and grabbed the rope in front of Zhao Anqi¡¯s chest. ¡°What? He¡¯s just a summoned spirit in your eyes?¡± Zhao Anqi said with a mocking expression. Then, Zhao Anqi turned to look at Zhou Mingrui and continued with a charming smile, ¡°Although I was drunk before, what I said was true. My words still stand.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to sign a contract with me, I¡¯ll be yours. You can do whatever you want. My heart and body will always belong to you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be like someone who only treats you as a summoned spirit. You¡¯re still a virgin who doesn¡¯t even know the taste of a woman.¡± Upon hearing this mockery, Yan Wuyue pulled Zhao Anqi to her face. Yan Wuyue was like a cat with its fur standing on end and glared at her. ¡°Zhao Anqi, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t say such shameless words in front of me.¡± Zhao Anqi lifted her chin and snorted, ¡°What? I can¡¯t even tell you the truth? You guys haven¡¯t even kissed, let alone slept together, right?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face twitched slightly and said, ¡°He and I have gone through many death trials. It¡¯s not something that you can ruin easily. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll tell the school and your family what you¡¯ve done?¡± Zhao Anqi replied fearlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t care what they say at school. I¡¯m guessing that they¡¯re also after Zhou Mingrui. As for my family, they¡¯ll only encourage me to continue doing this.¡± Zhou Mingrui stood up helplessly and snatched Zhao Anqi from Yan Wuyue¡¯s hands. Then, he untied the rope and carried Zhao Anqi out of the door. Surprisingly, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t resist and just stood there. ¡°Go back and don¡¯t come looking for trouble again. Otherwise, we won¡¯t live in peace. If I¡¯m really angry, things will turn ugly.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you this time. If you want me, come and find me at any time. My promise will always be effective to you.¡± Zhao Anqi ran her fingers through her messy hair and threw a flirtatious look at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui closed the door and walked back to the living room. Looking at Yan Wuyue¡¯s slightly trembling shoulders, Zhou Mingrui sighed and stepped forward to hug her from behind. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re much more important to me than she is.¡± Zhou Mingrui said gently. ¡°Do you mean she still has a place in your heart?¡± Yan Wuyue raised his red eyes and asked. ¡°I can¡¯t lie to you. She¡¯s a blade of grass in my heart, but you¡¯re like a towering tree. She can¡¯t compare to you at all.¡± Zhou Mingrui replied with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re annoying!¡± Although Yan Wuyue was not very satisfied with this answer, she still accepted it. In the days after the great calamity, strength was respected and most important. Many powerful men had many female confidants by their side. As a woman who had experienced the entire great calamity, Yan Wuyue had seen too many things. She knew that with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength and talent, it was almost impossible to expect him to fall in love with her alone in the future. However, Yan Wuyue was not going to let a b*tch like Zhao Anqi conquer Zhou Mingrui so easily. At least, she should be the first to fully enjoy Zhou Mingrui, then she would let Zhao Anqi have Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui did not know that the woman in his arms had already begun to experience a special change in her state of mind. ¡°Alright, you must be tired. Go wash up and rest.¡± Zhou Mingrui consoled Yan Wuyue. ¡°Okay, but you have to wait for me at the door. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere tonight. I have to see you by my side at all times!¡± Yan Wuyue pouted. ¡°Are you trying to tie me up 24/7? Even capitalists aren¡¯t as outrageous as you!¡± Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll go to that sl*tty woman again. I don¡¯t care!¡± Yan Wuyue said angrily. ¡°Fine, fine, fine. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I can¡¯t hold myself back and eat you up?¡± Zhou Mingrui patted Yan Wuyue on the head. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the guts.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue pulled Zhou Mingrui along to the room. After changing her clothes, she went straight to the bathroom. Zhou Mingrui, who was standing guard at the door, sighed helplessly when he heard the sound of water from the bathroom. He had indeed lost all interest because of what had happened previously. Zhou Mingrui knew that this was indeed a good opportunity. If he really wanted it, Yan Wuyue would not refuse. However, Zhou Mingrui had no interest in doing so. It would be a little forceful. He preferred women to take the initiative. In the bathroom, Yan Wuyue kept staring at the door. It was like she was expecting something. However, after a long time, she realized Zhou Mingrui had no intention of coming in. She heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she also felt a sense of disappointment. However, Yan Wuyue quickly consoled herself that this was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s way of showing her respect. It proved that he was not lying. After thinking it through, Yan Wuyue was suddenly happy. Humming a song, she took a shower and walked out of the bathroom. When she saw Zhou Mingrui standing guard at the door, the smile on her face became even more radiant. Humming a song, he walked into the bedroom after drying his hair. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to leave, Yan Wuyue pulled him back. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t test my limit again. I¡¯m really afraid I can¡¯t hold back.¡± Zhou Mingrui wanted to run away. Although he did not have any desires, he did not wish to explode at this moment. ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m on my period. I want you to hug me to sleep.¡± Yan Wuyue snorted. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re even more devilish than Zhao Anqi.¡± Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath and calmed his emotions. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Are you going to hug me or not? Yan Wuyue pretended to be angry. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You¡¯re the boss, so you have the final say.¡± Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to get on the bed and gently hug Yan Wuyue. ¡°Sing me a lullaby!¡± Yan Wuyue has advanced an inch. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far.¡± Zhou Mingrui was annoyed. ¡°Are you going to sing or not?¡± Yan Wuyue reached out and grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s crotch. ¡°I¡¯ll sing. You let me go, and I¡¯ll sing!¡± Zhou Mingrui cried out for suffering! Chapter 61 - Double Blow When Zhou Mingrui woke up in the morning, he saw Yan Wuyue sleeping soundly on his arm. Zhou Mingrui sighed helplessly. Last night had been a helpless and torturous farce. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to gently pull his arm away, Yan Wuyue immediately grabbed his body and pressed him even closer. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he felt the soft and tender body in his arms. Could it be that Yan Wuyue also wanted him? ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Yan Wuyue seemed to sense Zhou Mingrui¡¯s intention to leave. She exerted more force in her arms and pressed her body even closer to Zhou Mingrui. Last night, he had almost been burned by the flames of sexual desire. Fortunately, he was an energy body, so he managed to withstand it. Although Yan Wuyue¡¯s body wasn¡¯t as voluptuous as Zhao Anqi ¡®s, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body was surprisingly flexible and bouncy. As Yan Wuyue subconsciously rubbed her body against his, Zhou Mingrui felt like he was on fire. As Zhou Mingrui¡¯s level continued to increase, the sensitivity of this body, which was becoming a physical body made of energy, was even higher. In addition, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s wiener was in high spirits in the morning. Hiss~ Zhou Mingrui drew in a cold breath. He even began to feel his mouth and tongue turn dry. Even the friction through his clothes almost broke through the dam of his rationality that was barely fixed last night and was still full of holes. Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but reach his hand and climb up Yan Wuyue¡¯s twin peaks. Although they weren¡¯t as majestic as Zhao Anqi ¡®s, they were still shockingly bouncy. Hmm~ Yan Wuyue let out an alluring moan when her sensitive area was touched. Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head buzzed. He was rubbing Yan Wuyue¡¯s breasts gently, but he suddenly became rough and forceful. At the same time, his lower body began to move forward and backward without him realizing it. Yan Wuyue, who had been in a dream, was suddenly awakened by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s movement. But as soon as she woke up, she felt the amazing heat in her lower body. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t do it today.¡± Feeling the hot breath on her face, Yan Wuyue quickly stopped Zhou Mingrui. However, how could Zhou Mingrui stop? His lust had been ignited. His other large hand immediately grabbed Yan Wuyue¡¯s bouncy buttocks and began to knead them up and down. At the same time, when he heard Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice, he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips, not giving her a chance to speak at all. Even though Yan Wuyue had regained consciousness, she was still mesmerized by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attacks and began to respond to his attacks. However, just as Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand began to invade Yan Wuyue¡¯s crotch area, Yan Wuyue was jolted awake by the pain. She was on her period, so she was quite sensitive to touch. ¡°Stop, stop!¡± Yan Wuyue quickly pulled away from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lips and said. However, Zhou Mingrui refused to give up. He hurriedly lowered his head and kissed Yan Wuyue again. Knowing Zhou Mingrui would not let her go, Yan Wuyue had an idea. She immediately touched Zhou Mingrui¡¯s waist with one hand and tried to twist it off. But Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body had been strengthened several times. His muscles were sturdy and rigid. For a moment, Yan Wuyue realized she could not twist Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tough muscles. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lips landed on hers again. At the same time, his other hand began to attack her deeper. In a moment of desperation, Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t care about anything else. She could only use a technique engraved in the genes of a woman to deal with a man. Bang! A soft meaty sound made Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body tremble. It was as if time had stopped all his movements. The next moment, Yan Wuyue felt a chill in front of him. Then, Zhou Mingrui rolled off the bed, holding his crotch and curling up like a cooked shrimp. Emmmmmm¡­ Yan Wuyue had an awkward expression on her face. She had forgotten to control her strength in a moment of desperation. She had hit Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lower body part that hurt the most with her knee. Looking at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s twitching face and the cold sweat flowing down his face, Yan Wuyue hurriedly got off the bed and helped him up. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t scare me.¡± ¡­ Half an hour later. Looking at Zhou Mingrui, whose face was still twitching occasionally, Yan Wuyue had no choice but to get up and go to the kitchen to make breakfast. Zhou Mingrui was still in pain and was lying on the sofa. After all, Zhou Mingrui was the one who acted rashly. Although he had suffered heart-wrenching physical pain, Zhou Mingrui had no intention of blaming Yan Wuyue. Even though he was in a physical body made of energy, the structure of his lower body was still the same as a normal man¡¯s. In fact, it was more sensitive. In other words, Zhou Mingrui felt twice the pain that was enough to make a person faint. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui was not like ordinary people who could lose consciousness due to severe pain. As a result, he could only silently endure this tragic and intense pain. Moreover, under this kind of torture, he was afraid that it would leave some psychological trauma at a critical moment in the future. It might lead to mental illness, and he would be finished. ¡°Come, have your breakfast.¡± After Yan Wuyue finished making breakfast, she looked at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s pained expression and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Are you alright? How about I feed you?¡± Zhou Mingrui thought about it and rejected the offer. He was afraid that he would stir up trouble again. If that happened, he would be the one who would get hurt. Fortunately, his body¡¯s recovery ability was superb. Even after suffering such a serious injury, Zhou Mingrui could recover quickly. In less than half an hour, the pain had completely disappeared. ¡°The second assessment is in the afternoon. By then, the investigators of the research institute will begin a comprehensive inspection. Do we need to prepare in advance?¡± After breakfast, Yan Wuyue took the initiative to start a conversation to ease the awkward atmosphere. ¡°What¡¯s the point? Our strength and talent are already sufficient. If we continue to show off our strength, we will attract unnecessary attention.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t the principal say that even if we don¡¯t do anything, the four major research institutes will definitely recruit us?¡± Yan Wuyue frowned. ¡°No, we have to act carefully. We¡¯ll take action when it¡¯s time. Besides, I¡¯m from the Holy Spirit Empire¡¯s Research Institute. If we don¡¯t perform well enough, we¡¯ll have a smaller chance to be selected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that we can ignore those research institutes because we are talented. They have a lot of resources that we can¡¯t find.¡± ¡°Moreover, the recent change is totally different from the history I know. In other words, the great calamity that should have happened in nine years could come at any time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that we get rid of the Goblin King this time. But if the great calamity happens, we can only protect ourselves with our strength, not to mention solving the great calamity!¡± Chapter 62 - Unreasonable and Mysterious Man After hearing what Yan Wuyue had said, Zhou Mingrui started to think. With his talent and ability, there was no doubt about his strength in the future. However, if a great calamity did occur the next day, he would be completely crushed with his current ability. He might even be sent back to the illusionary spirit world. ¡°All right. Since you¡¯ve said that, let¡¯s do as you say,¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded in agreement. He had merely come from the illusionary spirit world and could not tell the future like Yan Wuyue. He had no idea how strong the great calamity monsters that Yan Wuyue was worried about were. ¡°If all the spirits from the illusionary spirit world were summoned, would they be able to resist the great calamity?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly thought of that. Based on his memories of the summoned spirits he had seen, there might be hope. ¡°Don¡¯t think too far. Although all summoned spirits originate from the illusionary spirit world, not one has managed to do what you mentioned, whether in the past or in the future.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Yan Wuyue said after a few seconds of thinking, ¡°If they really can do what you said, then the entire world¡¯s powers combined should be enough to withstand the great calamity.¡± ¡°After all, according to legend, there are many divine rank summoned spirits in the illusionary spirit world.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s not think about these useless things. We should conserve our energy in preparation for the battle this afternoon.¡± When Yan Wuyue did not receive a reply from Zhou Mingrui, she turned to look at him in confusion, only to realize that he was staring at her. ¡°Why are you staring at me without a word?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, looking slightly guilty. ¡°To be honest, this is the first boss I¡¯ve come across who¡¯s personally injured a subordinate, then forced him to work without a break,¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but complain. ¡°You¡­what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Yan Wuyue quickly turned away, not daring to look Zhou Mingrui in the eye. ¡°Forget it, forget it. I did sign the contract to sell myself,¡± Zhou Mingrui stood up, sighing and shaking his head. ¡°What¡­what do you want then?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, biting her lower lip. ¡°Nothing. The assessment only starts in the afternoon anyway. I shall go out and look for someone to chat with, to help me feel better after being repeatedly injured with no one to comfort me,¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he tidied his clothes on the way to the door. ¡°You! You¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± Yan Wuyue stopped him immediately. ¡°You¡¯re not going to even restrict my personal freedom now, are you?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you¡­going to look for Zhao Anqi?¡± Yan Wuyue, who had a feeling that he was, asked directly. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a pretty good guess! Too bad there are no prizes for guessing, haha,¡± Zhou Mingrui dusted his hands off and prepared to leave. ¡°You¡­you stop there!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted in a low tone. ¡°Why?¡± Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m a free being, not your pet.¡± Yan Wuyue quickly tried to refute that, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just¡­just¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°Whatever it is, you¡¯re not allowed to look for that woman. You are to stay by my side today,¡± Yan Wuyue stopped trying to hide her true intentions to restrict him. Without a word, Zhou Mingrui stared at Yan Wuyue, causing her to tremble slightly. ¡°Haha, all right. I was just joking. I¡¯m just going out for a walk to get some fresh air. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± As he said that, Zhou Mingrui stepped forward and patted Yan Wuyue on the head. Then he turned around to leave. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice before how childish that woman is? To think I thought that she was a cold, noble lady at first,¡± Zhou Mingrui grumbled as he walked out the door. He thought back to the time when he first entered the world. With that arrogant look and unapproachable aura from head to toe, he had thought that Yan Wuyue was an ice queen. But after meeting her, he realized that it was all a facade. In actual fact, her way of thinking was no different from a little girl¡¯s. ¡°She previously mentioned that because of the sudden arrival of the great calamity in her past life, she¡¯s never been in a proper relationship. Looks like it¡¯s true,¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed his chin as he thought. Just then, a figure almost crashed into him. Although he was distracted, Zhou Mingrui managed to react and dodge in time. The figure seemed surprised. However, it immediately readjusted its position and tried to run into Zhou Mingrui again. ¡°Eh?¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed softly. Moments before the figure was about to crash into him, he swiftly turned his body and dodged successfully. Plop! The figure fell flat on his face. ¡°You¡­why did you dodge?¡± As Zhou Mingrui was curious to know what was going on, the figure stood up suddenly and asked. ¡°Why can¡¯t I dodge?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the man as if he was some strange animal. A middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, with brown, slicked-back hair, got up and glared angrily at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± The middle-aged man asked again. ¡°There¡¯s no one around. What if you try to blackmail me?¡± Zhou Mingrui spoke bluntly. ¡°Blackmail you?¡± The middle-aged man was furious. ¡°Why, is there a problem?¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately raised his guard around the man. ¡°Do I lack money or fame? Why don¡¯t you ask around the academy about me? Why would I need to blackmail you?!¡± The middle-aged man said angrily. ¡°Crazy, ¡± Zhou Mingrui gave up arguing with a person like that, and turned to leave. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± The middle-aged man reached out to grab Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes as a look of anger flashed across his face. Suddenly, the phantom energy throughout his entire body shook, and an air flow swept across the area with him at the center. Instantly, the middle-aged man was sent flying. ¡°If you dare to touch me again, I¡¯ll make sure you stay on the ground for a while,¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tone had become frosty. ¡°You¡­do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± The middle-aged man had never been treated that way before. ¡°Try me,¡± Zhou Mingrui glared at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man closed his fist slightly. A wisp of faint, red energy appeared, but quickly disappeared. ¡°Fine, just you wait. I won¡¯t let you off,¡± the middle-aged man threatened. ¡°As you wish.¡± When he saw the man back down, Zhou Mingrui snorted and left. After Zhou Mingrui departed, the anger on the middle-aged man¡¯s face dissipated. He stood up and leisurely tidied his clothes. The features on his face began to twitch slightly and very quickly, they formed another face. Other than a few similarities, the new face was very different. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be this vigilant. It won¡¯t be nice to come into contact with him by force either. After all, this isn¡¯t a research institute.¡± Even his brown hair had turned dark gold, and his tone had became deeper and more attractive. The middle-aged man, no, he now looked almost 20 years younger, frowned a little. But immediately after, he smiled brightly and said, ¡°Forget it. In that case, I¡¯ll try to find out more from the battle later.¡± Then, the man turned into an afterimage and disappeared. Chapter 63 - The Meal and Tournament After the man disappeared, phantom energy rippled gently from behind a tree. Then, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s figure appeared at the lower section. ¡°What is that guy¡¯s background? Since he was waiting here for me, he must be after me.¡± As he looked towards where the man had disappeared, Zhou Mingrui frowned. Earlier, he had sensed that something was wrong. He was at the Heavenly Saint Academy. It was not possible for random people to enter. Moreover, the secret realm trial had just occurred, so the academy¡¯s security patrol had been strengthened by more than one level. Plus, almost every person at that age was at the teacher or professor level. Even an investigator sent by a research institute would not do such a thing except under special circumstances. With all those considerations, Zhou Mingrui decided to pretend to leave first, and then return. After using phantom energy to completely transform into an energy body, his body became free from obvious energy fluctuations. In addition, the energy body did not need to breathe or have a heartbeat. As such, the mysterious man was completely unable to detect Zhou Mingrui hiding close by. Indeed, as soon as Zhou Mingrui left, the mysterious man revealed his true form. ¡°He even specially disguised himself. However, I don¡¯t recall seeing this guy among the new students.¡± Admittedly, Zhou Mingrui did not have a photographic memory. However, he at least had basic impressions of those he had met. Yet, he had no impression of that man at all. ¡°He must have used a disguise among the new students as well. This guy is way too cunning.¡± With those thoughts in mind, Zhou Mingrui raised his guard around the new batch of students. Who would have expected a sinister, unscrupulous character to be hiding among those ordinary-looking students? After all, Zhou Mingrui had came from the information age. He had seen all sorts of special abilities in various manga, movies and novels. That man might just be one of them. In any case, it was important to always be vigilant against people. Zhou Mingrui took note of that man. After a few rounds, Zhou Mingrui was no longer in the mood for a stroll. He returned to the dormitory. As soon as he entered, he smelled the delicious aroma of food. Yan Wuyue had just emerged from the kitchen. ¡°You really picked the right moment to come back,¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui and laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I smelled the wonderful aroma from far away and immediately rushed back.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not stand on ceremony. After saying that, he pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting to start eating. ¡°Wash your hands first, or you¡¯re not allowed to eat!¡± Yan Wuyue, who had brought out more dishes, smacked Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand which was about to steal some food. ¡°All right.¡± Zhou Mingrui helplessly stood up and washed his hands. Then he helped to bring the cutlery on the way out. ¡°Your cooking is not bad. I¡¯ve never tried your cooking before. I didn¡¯t expect a noble lady like you to be this good,¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed after a few bites. ¡°Cough, cough. It¡¯s just all right,¡± Yan Wuyue did not show it on her face, but from her eyes you could tell that she was pleased. The next moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly turned the conversation around, ¡°But based on the time I¡¯ve spent with you, you should not know how to cook. Could it be that¡­¡± ¡°You learned to cook during the great calamity period before transmigrating here? But actually didn¡¯t know how to cook before the great calamity?¡± Zhou Mingrui stuck out a finger, completely oblivious to Yan Wuyue¡¯s progressively icy gaze. As if possessed by Detective Conan, he continued, ¡°And you believe that this is all you. Whether it was before or after the great calamity, it was you who learned it, so you¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted in a low tone. ¡°Er, I can¡¯t even speak the truth?¡± Zhou Mingrui grumbled. ¡°Are you going to eat or not? If you are, shut your mouth!¡± Yan Wuyue said angrily. ¡°How am I supposed to eat if I close my mouth¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui replied weakly. Bang! ¡°Eat quietly, or get out!¡± Yan Wuyue slammed her chopsticks on the table. ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to eat in silence. After they finished eating, they sat in the living room in awkward silence. ¡°Zhou Mingrui.¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly spoke. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was thinking of taking an afternoon nap, was jolted awake and hurriedly sat up. ¡°When you went out this morning, did you get any new information?¡± Yan Wuyue looked towards him and asked. ¡°I¡­I¡­didn¡¯t find anything.¡± Zhou Mingrui could not possibly tell her that he had met a scoundrel in disguise. That he had sensed something amiss and turned back, only to find that the man had disguised himself to secretly plot against him. It sounded too much like a movie. ¡°Sigh,¡± Yan Wuyue sighed helplessly, then said, ¡°Based on the information I received, the next two rounds of the tournament will consist of an individual match and a team match.¡± ¡°That sounds all right. I can understand the individual match, but how will the team match be conducted?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°The individual match will be a one-on-one elimination contest. For the team match, the school will randomly form groups of three to compete against each other.¡± Yan Wuyue continued in detail, ¡°The individual match does not need further explanation. The team match will test your control of extraordinary situations, as well as your ability to organize and command in an emergency situation.¡± ¡°Because no matter how strong a person is, he¡¯s still one person. Unless he surpasses all life forms by one or two levels, the power of a group will still be stronger.¡± ¡°This is also what the research institute guys are focusing on in the assessment.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed as he listened to Yan Wuyue, ¡°With our strength, we can comfortably win the individual match as long as we don¡¯t play around. The main issue is the team match.¡± ¡°The key here is the random team formation. If we get good teammates, we¡¯ll easily get a good placing. But if we get horrible teammates, we will most likely have problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When she saw that Zhou Mingrui was finally willing to analyze such things, Yan Wuyue looked gratified. She continued, ¡°Actually, with our strength, we¡¯ll have no issues even with two very weak team mates. I¡¯m just afraid that they will deliberately drag us down.¡± ¡°Otherwise, if simply being strong was enough, there wouldn¡¯t be a need for the team match.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned, ¡°Do you mean that someone might intentionally give us such people? So that the observers from the research institutes will score us poorly?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. In my previous life, the champion of the individual match did not even rank in the top 10 in the team match because he was sabotaged this way. His overall score dropped to ninth place, almost falling out of the top 10.¡± As expected, the academy was not that stupid. ¡°Do you have a solution then?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°The only solution is to communicate properly before the match, there is no other way. If you threaten and offend those people, they will drag you down even at the expense of their own results. This isn¡¯t the only way to enter a higher level school anyway.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head, to indicate that there was no other solution for the team match. Chapter 64 - Individual Match and Going Easy On the Opponent ¡°In other words, the only way is to please them?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked a bit upset. ¡°Yes, this is also a benefit that the academy gives to the weak in the tournament. The academy does not forbid them from negotiating benefits from the strong. In fact, it even allows it,¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°Make it seem like a win-win situation. As expected, it¡¯s something the higher-ups of the academy would do,¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We have a large sum of money from the last auction. And during my last trip home, after my family found out about my performance, they once again shifted their resources heavily towards me.¡± ¡°So whatever needs to be given should be given. There¡¯s no need for us to miss out on this opportunity because of that,¡± Yan Wuyue explained. Zhou Mingrui was silent for a moment, before he quietly said, ¡°So this conversation wasn¡¯t to discuss how to deal with the issue. It was to tell me not to act rashly, because you¡¯ve got it under control?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded gently. ¡°Boring,¡± Zhou Mingrui straight away stood up and left. ¡°Did you understand everything I said?¡± Yan Wuyue hurriedly asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m tired and want to take an afternoon nap. The tournament only starts in the afternoon anyway. Just wake me up when it¡¯s time,¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a yawn. ¡°All right,¡± Yan Wuyue breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Zhou Mingrui did not object. She was afraid that with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s temper, he would get upset at those people and cause problems in the team match. That would be bad. Time passed quickly, and the second round of the freshmen tournament was about to begin. On the vast central square sprawling across thousands of square meters, there were many fighting rings, each tens of square meters in size. Beside the fighting rings stood all the students participating in the tournament. Rows of chairs were placed two meters away from all sides of the rings. On them sat many teachers and school leaders. There was also a group of observers in different attire. It was obvious who they were. Even further away from the cordon were senior students who had gathered to watch. Although all the participants were freshmen, there were very strong ones among them. For example, they had heard that one of the freshmen could fight and even kill a silver grade monster. There weren¡¯t many second-year students, even, who could do that. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the second round of the tournament will be divided into individual matches and team matches. The rules are on the screen behind me. You may read them carefully.¡± The dean, who was giving a speech on stage, pointed to the huge screen behind him. On the screen were the rules and prohibitions of the tournament. Then, after a few meaningless words of encouragement, the drawing of lots for the individual match commenced officially on screen. Five seconds later, the screen showed the division of 1,500 students into sparring pairs, and their respective fighting ring positions. ¡°All right. I hope everyone will work hard to show your skills, and achieve even higher rankings!¡± After he finished speaking, the dean walked off the podium. Beside each fighting ring, stood a high level student who acted as the referee. And for every five fighting rings there was a teacher patrolling, ready to handle any unexpected situations. ¡°Yan Wuyue, enter the fighting ring.¡± A senior student told Yan Wuyue, who had arrived beside the ring. After entering the fighting ring, Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me make the first move? You can watch from the side first and conserve your energy.¡± But before Yan Wuyue could finish speaking, Zhou Mingrui had walked past her, straight to the center of the ring. ¡°Would you like to give up or let me send you down later? Though you¡¯ll suffer more later,¡± Zhou Mingrui looked condescendingly at the student in front of him. ¡°You¡­how can I give up so easily!¡± While shocked at first, the student quickly gritted his teeth and retorted back. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Having said that, Zhou Mingrui turned towards the high level student referee and said, ¡°We can begin.¡± ¡°Er, okay.¡± The judge was stunned, and immediately waved his hand, ¡°Begin!¡± The student immediately took a few steps back and commanded his summoned spirit. A winged lizard more than two meters long charged at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui remained still. The big lizard opened its mouth wide, and lashed its long tongue out at Zhou Mingrui like a whip. Pa! The tongue whip had indeed come into contact with a physical body. But it had been caught in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm. The student was stunned. The tongue whip he had summoned was completely capable of shattering a large rock. How could it have been caught so easily? Before he could react, Zhou Mingrui exerted force in his palm. Instantly, a tremendous force pulled the big lizard off the ground and sent it flying towards him. The big lizard turned pale with fright, but was tossed away by Zhou Mingrui with a single swing of his arm. It then headed straight for the Summoner. When he saw how the big lizard crashed into the Summoner and sent him flying out of the ring, the judge took a moment to recover. He then declared Yan Wuyue the winner. ¡°You don¡¯t have to deal with this kind of trash. Just leave them to me,¡± Yan Wuyue said helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea for me to warm up,¡± Zhou Mingrui replied impassively. ¡°All right.¡± Yan Wuyue could tell that Zhou Mingrui was in a bad mood, so she did not press further. It would not affect their overall plans anyway. Following that, two opponents were consecutively defeated by Zhou Mingrui in less than two moves. After three rounds of elimination, there were less than 200 participants left. ¡°Are you going to continue, or take a break and let me do it?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, concerned. To her surprise, Zhou Mingrui approached from behind, covertly pinched her perky buttocks and said, ¡°My dear princess, just leave it to your knight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! What are you trying to do with so many people watching?¡± Yan Wuyue smacked Zhou Mingrui in anger and said, ¡°Also, you don¡¯t look like a knight to me. More like a great demon king kidnapping a princess!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll be that great demon king then!¡± Zhou Mingrui burst out laughing. Just then, the judge in the fighting ring announced, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Yan Wuyue.¡± Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui entered the ring again. By that time, everyone had become aware of the extraordinary strength of Yan Wuyue¡¯s group. Ordinary Summoners were no match for them. ¡°Boring, let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± The bored Zhou Mingrui dodged, and was about to kick his opponent out of the ring. ¡°Big brother, wait. Would you listen to this little sister?¡± Just then, a voice came. ¡°I do not seek victory, but can you give in to me just for a few moves? For example, if you take me down a bit later, I¡¯ll give you a reward!¡± When he heard that, Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. However, he immediately understood why the opponent did that. He suddenly stopped, raised his arms with fingers spread out and pushed forward. Phantom energy condensed into a strong gale, which instantly surged towards the front. The Summoner¡¯s summoned spirit immediately transformed into a shield and blocked the gale. The gale looked strong on the outside, but its power could hardly be felt. ¡°Five moves for 500,000?¡± On hearing that, Zhou Mingrui frowned. The condensed gale suddenly increased in intensity, pushing the Summoner backwards. ¡°Five moves for 5,000,000?¡± The Summoner hurriedly asked. As expected, the gale weakened again. The Summoner was overjoyed. She immediately converted her summoned spirit into a pair of scissors and started attacking Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Could you give me two more moves? I¡¯ll give you 2,000,000 more!¡± Zhou Mingrui was satisfied with that. He withdrew his palm and took a step back to avoid the scissors¡¯ sudden attack. Then with a side step, he changed his direction. He pushed his palm out once more, and a strong gale surged forward. -_-|| Yan Wuyue¡¯s face twitched slightly. Other people might not be aware, but how could she not know Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength? That guy was obviously going easy on his opponent. But he definitely would not do that on purpose. Could it be¡­ Yan Wuyue suddenly realized. Chapter 65 - : Tricked There was only one possible explanation. Zhou Mingrui was going easy on her to achieve an objective. The judge was also taken aback. Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit had easily defeated his opponents before. What was happening to him now? He was about to remind Zhou Mingrui not to give in to his opponent. However, the rules only stated that losing on purpose was prohibited. It did not say that a competitor could not go easy on an opponent. Furthermore, Zhou Mingrui had simply changed his combat style. It was possible that he was using that battle to experiment with a new combat style? Indeed, after seven moves, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s behavior changed. With a shout, the phantom energy on his body surged vigorously, causing the black robe on his body to billow violently in the wind. A two-meter-tall energy hurricane, visible to the naked eye, suddenly shot out. In the blink of an eye, the opponent and her summoned spirit were sent flying. However, as they fell, the hurricane turned into a thick air flow, allowing the opponent to land safely on the ground. That¡¯s right. If he was paid to do something, he should do it beautifully and make the payer feel that it was worth it. Sure enough, the seemingly gentlemanly gesture won the applause of the spectators. It also made the female student give him a stamp of approval in her heart. ¡°You?¡± As he walked down the fighting ring, Yan Wuyue just said one word. ¡°Seven.¡± Zhou Mingrui replied simply. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. The bright girl had instantly understood what exactly had happened. ¡°Haha.¡± Very soon, less than 100 people were left after the fighting ring battles. In the next draw, Yan Wuyue actually got a bye. After the next round of battles, the number of competitors was reduced by half again to less than 50. ¡°All right, the tournament is over for today. We¡¯ll continue with the remaining battles tomorrow.¡± They had gone through five consecutive rounds of battles, after all. Whatever needed to be tested, had already been tested. They had to give the students time to rest. After returning to the dormitory, Zhou Mingrui, who had just finished dinner, pushed the door open. ¡°What, going for another walk?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°No, collecting debts,¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled and closed the door. With his abilities, he quickly found the student who had bought seven moves from him earlier that day. ¡°Cash or card?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked directly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The female student frowned. ¡°Huh?!¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed softly, ¡°Are you trying to default on your debt?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. You may have won the match, but you can¡¯t push your luck in asking for more!¡± The female student started to get afraid. Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes as he sized up the female student before him. The aura he emitted was turning colder. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t you dare to try anything! If you continue like this, I¡¯ll have to call the teacher!¡± The female student immediately pretended to look pitiful. Zhou Mingrui did not expect her to do that. He had been fooled. He, Zhou Mingrui, had actually been cheated by a woman! And there was nothing he could do to her. He could not possibly reveal the deal they had made in the afternoon. Moreover, he did not have any evidence. If he did attack, it would only be to vent his anger. But it would also cause Yan Wuyue trouble. It was not worth it. ¡°You will regret what you did today.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Zhou Mingrui left, leaving just that one sentence. Back in the dormitory, Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sulky expression and instantly guessed what had happened. ¡°Got scammed?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, as she placed a plate of fruit on the desk. After Yan Wuyue had stared at Zhou Mingrui for quite a while, he snorted and replied gloomily, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is it that you lack evidence, yet you can¡¯t do anything to her, but can¡¯t take this lying down?¡± Yan Wuyue smiled after putting a piece of apple in her mouth. ¡°Do you actually have a solution?¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t say, I actually do have one,¡± Yan Wuyue smiled as she swallowed the apple. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s brows relaxed. ¡°Why should I tell you? You did this behind my back, so why should I help you vent your anger?¡± Yan Wuyue turned and put a slice of pear into her mouth. ¡°Something will happen if I don¡¯t vent my anger, and I can¡¯t guarantee what. I might even lose my mind,¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue gloomily. When she saw that he was telling the truth, Yan Wuyue was taken aback. She put down her fork and said helplessly, ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°After your match with that woman ended, I had a feeling that she wouldn¡¯t pay up. So I looked her up,¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°That woman has a twin elder brother. He entered the academy together with her, and is even in the top 50. His name is Zheng-something¡­right, Zheng Haolong!¡± When he had heard up to that point, a look of realization flashed across Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face, ¡°You mean to say¡­¡± ¡°If his sister can pay to make you give up a few moves, then she can also pay to stop you from using your killer move, right?¡± Yan Wuyue explained gently, ¡°The fighting ring rules state that as long as either party does not sustain a fatal attack, become unable to fight due to serious injury, become unconscious or surrender voluntarily, the competition must carry on.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. I really must thank you this time,¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately understood. ¡°Next time, remember to use your brain if you want to try something like this. Don¡¯t get cheated and fooled, and not have a solution to resolve the issue,¡± Yan Wuyue put down the fruit platter and scolded him. ¡°I¡¯ve got you, haven¡¯t I?¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed, and pat Yan Wuyue on the shoulder. The pat caused a piece of watermelon on a fork to drop on the floor. Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes. As she bent down to pick it up, she felt a large hand smack her buttocks! ¡°Zhou Mingrui!¡± Yan Wuyue, who had almost fallen, immediately got up to look for him. But he had disappeared without a trace. ¡°This guy is too much!¡± Yan Wuyue stomped her foot, seething with anger. Zhou Mingrui, who had gone upstairs, was already planning his strategy should he encounter the man the next day. The night passed. Soon, the second stage of the individual match began. ¡°Found him!¡± After finding the man named Zheng Haolong, a cruel smile appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. Otherwise, those guys from the research institutes will think you¡¯re overly brutal, which will greatly affect their impression of you,¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know,¡± Zhou Mingrui sneered. Unfortunately, he was not drawn against the man for that round. Zhou Mingrui was utterly disappointed. ¡°I hope that guy won¡¯t be beaten before he meets me.¡± Helpless, he could only hold on to that hope. After the match ended, Zhou Mingrui saw Zheng Haolong walk down. The frigid expression on his face broke into a smile. However, when Yan Wuyue drew lots again, they were again given a bye. -_-|| Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth, and asked a teacher who happened to pass by, ¡°Good morning, Teacher. May I know if it¡¯s possible to request for the cancellation of a bye?¡± Chapter 66 - Got You! The teacher was surprised. It was the first time he had come across a student who was unhappy despite getting a bye. Still, he took the effort to respond, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, student. I don¡¯t have the authority to do what you just asked.¡± ¡°May I know who has the authority?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked at once. He was willing to speak to the dean, or even the principal. His request was not unreasonable after all. ¡°The vice dean,¡± the teacher was forthcoming with the information. ¡°Do you know where the vice dean is?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked hurriedly. He was truly afraid now. He was afraid that if that b*stard was beaten before they met, he would not be able to get his money. No, he would not be able to vent his anger. ¡°The vice dean has gone on a business trip due to an emergency,¡± the teacher continued. ¡°¡­so no one can approve this?¡± Zhou Mingrui continued asking. ¡°When the vice dean left, he did not give us the authority to change the rules. So we don¡¯t have the right to do so,¡± the teacher shrugged as he explained. Ermmm¡­ Helpless, Zhou Mingrui could only return to his seat. Yan Wuyue, who had been watching from the side, covered her mouth and laughed covertly. It was the first time she had seen Zhou Mingrui so bent on something. Very soon, the matches ended. To Zhou Mingrui¡¯s delight, Zheng Haolong had also won that round, although it had been a difficult win. ¡°Why does Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit keep staring at me?¡± Zheng Haolong, who had just won a difficult victory, was puzzled. However, he continued walking towards the resting area. There were only eight Summoners left in the arena, Yan Wuyue included. There were supposed to be 13. However, five had been seriously injured after their wins, and could not continue to participate in the battles. So they had forfeited. ¡°Finally, we won¡¯t get a bye this time,¡± Zhou Mingrui was pleased. After the break, the big screen drew the opponents for the next battle. ¡°Draw him, draw him!¡± Zhou Mingrui whispered in a low voice, causing Yan Wuyue to cover her face. ¡°Yeah!¡± When he saw Yan Wuyue¡¯s and Zheng Haolong¡¯s profile pictures beside each other on the big screen, Zhou Mingrui clenched his fists in celebration. After half an hour of rest, the match continued. ¡°Just watch me. Don¡¯t stop me no matter what I do. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Once in the fighting ring, Zhou Mingrui made things clear to Yan Wuyue in advance. ¡°It¡¯s good if you know what you¡¯re doing. In that case, I¡¯ll just watch from here,¡± Yan Wuyue could only observe the battle from the edges of the fighting ring. When he saw that, Zheng Haolong looked puzzled. But he had already summoned his summoned spirit. It was a giant gorilla, at least 1.9 meters tall. It had rippling muscles all over its body, and was covered in long brown hair. Zhou Mingrui turned his neck and scanned the spectator seats. As expected, he found the woman who had cheated him. Zhou Mingrui smirked. He raised his arm and with an outstretched finger, made a throat-slitting gesture towards the woman. At first, the woman had not noticed that the man she deceived had made it that far in the competition. And judging from his behavior, he looked prepared to vent his anger on her brother. ¡°Impossible. He¡¯s definitely not my brother¡¯s match,¡± the woman tried to reassure herself. Zheng Haolong followed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gaze, and frowned. He realized that it fell on where his sister was seated. ¡°What do you mean by that? What¡¯s your relationship with my sister?¡± After witnessing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gesture, Zheng Haolong immediately questioned him. ¡°You¡¯re asking too many questions. Just worry about yourself,¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but scoff at Zheng Haolong as he looked at him. ¡°What on earth are you trying to do? Even if I am to die, you should let me know what¡¯s going on before I go, right?¡± Zheng Haolong said angrily. ¡°Your sister cheated me. She wouldn¡¯t admit it even after I looked for her, so I can seek compensation from you,¡± after thinking about it, Zhou Mingrui decided it was better to tell him. ¡°Impossible. My sister does not cheat people. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± When he heard what Zhou Mingrui had said, Zheng Haolong denied it without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s not for you to decide whether it¡¯s possible or not. I hate people who lie to me the most, so you¡¯ll have to bear with it later. I hope you don¡¯t beg for mercy too soon,¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. ¡°Charge!¡± Zheng Haolong refused to believe him. So he immediately ordered the muscular gorilla to attack Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui had watched the previous battle. Zheng Haolong¡¯s gorilla summoned spirit had very strong defense, but was lacking in agility. However, in terms of physical resistance, magic resistance and even mental resistance, it was one of the most outstanding among the summoned spirits of that batch of students. Simply put, it was strong in attack and defense, but had no group attack ability. Its attacking style was too simple. When he saw the giant gorilla charging at him, the phantom energy within Zhou Mingrui shook. He stretched out one arm. Pa! The giant gorilla¡¯s fist was caught within Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm. But it was unable to take another step forward. ¡°That¡¯s your full strength?¡± Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes and teased. Even without understanding human language, the giant gorilla understood that look of contempt. Huff, puff. The giant gorilla was breathing heavily. It was clearly upset with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actions earlier. The next moment, its muscles bulged on both arms, and an even stronger force burst forth. ¡°Oh, so you still have some strength hidden. A pity it¡¯s not going to be of much use.¡± Even with the sudden increase in power, Zhou Mingrui did not move an inch. His look of contempt deepened. ¡°D*mn it, Trao. There¡¯s no need to hide anymore!¡± Zheng Haolong was now furious, and decided not to hide his true ability anymore. He had planned to explode with his full powers only in the semi-finals or finals. However, if he did not use them now, he might not even make it to the next round. After hearing its Summoner, the giant gorilla immediately took a step back and pulled back its fist. Thump, thump, thump! The giant gorilla¡¯s fists hammered its chest, making sounds like a drum. The next moment, its eyes turned red. Thick blood vessels popped out from the strong muscles all over its body. Then with a roar, its body grew from 1.9 meters to about 2.1 meters tall. Its muscles, which were already ridiculously huge, became even larger with the roar, making it appear like it was wearing an armor. It was frightening. Its two fangs also became longer, exuding a fierce aura. Zhou Mingrui did not grab the opportunity to launch an attack. Instead, he stayed where he was, waiting quietly. He only spoke once his opponent was done transforming. ¡°Are you done? I¡¯m about to doze off from waiting,¡± Zhou Mingrui yawned, then asked impatiently. ¡°Go, give him a vicious beating!¡± Zheng Haolong pointed to Zhou Mingrui and said. After receiving the command, the giant gorilla roared and charged wildly towards Zhou Mingrui. This time, Zhou Mingrui did not remain in his spot. Instead, he charged towards the giant gorilla at the same time. Both sides were blindingly fast. In the blink of an eye, they were about to collide. Zhou Mingrui clenched his fists decisively and gathered his energy. Then, the fists of the two summoned spirits collided violently in mid-air. Chapter 67 - Personal Grudge ¡°Its strength has increased by at least two times. This guy was concealing his abilities earlier.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought as he felt the immense force from the opponent¡¯s fist. From what Zheng Haolong had said earlier, he had clearly planned to conceal his abilities, and then surprise everyone with the true extent of his powers at the finals. Unfortunately, Zheng Haolong had met him and could no longer hide them. Zhou Mingrui felt his gloominess dissipate a little. There was no other reason. Now the more Zheng Haolong suffered, the happier Zhou Mingrui felt! In his excitement, Zhou Mingrui unconsciously exerted more strength through his fist. As a result, the giant gorilla who thought it had the upper hand, scrunched up its face the moment their fists came into contact. Then, the giant gorilla¡¯s entire body jolted and retreated five or six steps before coming to a complete stop. ¡°How can it be? He¡¯s weaker than the opponent!¡± Zheng Haolong had a look of disbelief. As the Summoner, he knew full well how powerful the giant gorilla was at full strength. However, seeing that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression was still completely relaxed, he clearly had not used all his power. That caused Zheng Haolong to start to lose hope. If it was an ordinary sparring match, Zheng Haolong would have admitted defeat straight away. But he could not do that this time! For the sake of his parents who had raised him with great difficulty and taken on debt to send him to school, in order to let them live a good life, and for the sake of the woman who was waiting for him to return home in glory, Zheng Haolong had to grab every opportunity. As long as he could show everything he had to the observers from the research institutes, it would be worth it. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go all out this time!¡± Zheng Haolong¡¯s thoughts were transmitted to the giant gorilla¡¯s brain via the contract. Influenced by the strong conviction, the giant gorilla let out an angry roar. The muscles all over its body expanded slightly again. ¡°Those two have such a high level of understanding between them. Just a freshman, and he¡¯s already able to influence the summoned spirit through contract synchronization. This freshman is worth paying attention to.¡± ¡°This student can be trained as a Booster. He has pretty good potential.¡± ¡°Yeah, the foundation of the summoned spirit is not bad too. If trained properly, it can become a very strong combat force.¡± Below the fighting ring, looks of surprise flashed in the eyes of observers from various research institutes. After a flurry of whispers, they quickly quietened down. After all, there were surprises among the freshmen every year. Not to mention, they were currently at the Heavenly Saint Academy, the place with the highest rate of producing talents. In the arena, the re-strengthened giant gorilla let out an angry roar. With powerful footsteps, it charged towards Zhou Mingrui once again and used all its strength to deliver an explosive punch. If it was an actual life-or-death battle, Zhou Mingrui could have finished his opponent off by now. Because Zheng Haolong was the type who transferred all his personal beliefs and enhancement attributes to his summoned spirit. He was very weak himself, and relied completely on the strength of his summoned spirit to protect him. ¡°Compared to most people, you¡¯re already very outstanding. It¡¯s a pity you met me. It¡¯s a pity your sister offended me,¡± Zhou Mingrui gently shook his head. He actually admired people like Zheng Haolong. If not for that woman. Those who were diligent always affected the people around them, causing those people to unconsciously work harder themselves. When he saw the giant gorilla charging towards him, Zhou Mingrui simply raised one hand. He had no intention of dodging or retaliating. The next moment, Zheng Haolong saw that the giant gorilla¡¯s full-force attack had been easily resisted by the opponent. Moreover, his expression remained calm and he showed no signs of distress. Zheng Haolong and the giant gorilla were both deeply disappointed. They were now beginning to question the strength they had been so proud of. ¡°What? Not attacking anymore? It¡¯s my turn then.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly smiled. He instantly dropped his defense-only stance. His palms transformed into knives, and chopped the giant gorilla¡¯s wrist at rapid speed. Immediately, the gorilla¡¯s wrist became numb and lost all strength. In a moment of desperation, the giant gorilla had wanted to use the other hand to grab Zhou Mingrui. But it then realized that a fist the size of a claypot had already made contact with its chest. ¡°Let me teach you how an attack should be done!¡± With a dull sound, the giant gorilla felt an enormous force land on its chest. It rarely felt pain, but this time it did. Before the gorilla could react, another powerful fist had already landed on its chin, causing it to stagger and almost lose its balance. The giant gorilla had never experienced anything like that in close combat. It could only rely on its body¡¯s natural reaction to keep fighting. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s continuous attacks were fast and furious, like flowing water. The giant gorilla felt like a tiny boat being tossed about by waves in the vast ocean. It had no ability to resist at all. Zheng Haolong looked worried as well. But if the giant gorilla with such strong physical attributes could not do anything, he who was even weaker had no choice but to watch anxiously. Through the spiritual link of the summoning contract, he could sense what the giant gorilla was feeling. It felt completely helpless, and was even starting to fear. Zheng Haolong clenched his fists. He knew he should give up at that point. But when he saw the research institute observers again from the corner of his eye, he wavered once more. A series of dull sounds rang in his ear. The giant gorilla¡¯s defense had been completely broken at that point. It had turned into a sandbag that could only passively endure attacks. ¡°Get up. To me, you¡¯re the strongest summoned spirit. We cannot give up!¡± Zheng Haolong roared like crazy in his heart, but the giant gorilla had already lost hope. By that point, it knew that even if it became twice as powerful, it would only be beaten up by that man with no chance of retaliation. Its defense might hold out for a while, but it was only a matter of time before it was defeated. When he saw what was happening, Zheng Haolong opened his mouth helplessly, intending to announce his forfeiture. However, before he could utter a sound, a dark shadow appeared in front of him. ¡°Who gave you permission to forfeit?¡± A cruel smile appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. He had already punched Zheng Haolong in the stomach before that, sending the words he intended to say back into his mouth. This time, Zhou Mingrui had controlled his strength perfectly. The damage was great enough to prevent him from saying a word, but not enough to make him unconscious. ¡°We still have some personal grudges to settle,¡± he whispered into Zheng Haolong¡¯s ear, then kneed him on the chin. After that, Zhou Mingrui began to exercise precise strength control. His target was Zheng Haolong, the human sandbag. As for the giant gorilla, Zhou Mingrui had already punched it unconscious as Zheng Haolong was about to announce his forfeiture. It would not cause any interference. Zhou Mingrui tried every move he could think of on Zheng Haolong, but ensured that he would not faint or surrender. ¡°Is there a personal grudge here?¡± At first, the spectators thought that it was a fierce battle. But as they kept watching, they sensed that something was not quite right. It was clear that one side was controlling his strength to torture the other. Chapter 68 - Yan Wuyue Makes Her Move ¡°That¡¯s enough. If you keep going, others will start judging you,¡± Yan Wuyue informed Zhou Mingrui one step ahead. Zhou Mingrui stopped and looked at Zheng Haolong, who could still stand but no longer had any ability to fight. Then he said, ¡°You can only blame that cunning, despicable, shameless and untrustworthy sister of yours.¡± After he said that, he turned to look at the woman and smiled. Then he punched Zheng Haolong straight in the face. That punch caused Zheng Haolong to spit out a mouthful of blood. He was then sent flying out of the ring. ¡°Yan Wuyue¡¯s team wins!¡± The referee heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that. He had actually been prepared to step in and end the battle early. After all, he had presided over freshmen tournament battles for years, and had come across competitors with personal grudges. However, he had never seen one side get beaten up like that. On the ground, Zheng Haolong spat out another mouthful of blood. However, that caused him, who had almost lost consciousness earlier, to completely regain his senses. ¡°Brother, are you okay??¡± Just then, Zheng Haolong¡¯s sister, Zheng Xiaoyu, ran over and held him up. It was clear even to her that what Zhou Mingrui had done earlier had been an act of revenge against her. ¡°What on earth¡­did you do to him?¡± Zheng Haolong opened his red, swollen eyes and looked at his sister. That low growl instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding people. They were all ears. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Zheng Xiaoyu stammered. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to say it, don¡¯t acknowledge me as your brother anymore!¡± Zheng Haolong said angrily. That piqued the interest of the people around them. Something interesting seemed to have happened. Could the one called Zheng Xiaoyu perhaps be a female Casanova? ¡°I just¡­¡± Zheng Xiaoyu was so afraid, that she leaned close to Zheng Haolong¡¯s ear and whispered what had happened. The people around them sighed silently. They did not expect her to be so careful. ¡°You¡­¡± Zheng Haolong was so furious that he almost vomited blood again. He was not angry that Zheng Xiaoyu had asked Zhou Mingrui to give up a few moves. That was not a serious matter. The issue was that she had failed to fulfill her end of the bargain! Zheng Haolong evaluated the situation quickly. The next instant, he broke free from Zheng Xiaoyu¡¯s support and said to Zhou Mingrui, who had just stepped down from the fighting ring, ¡°As my younger sister has offended you, I will personally bring her to your residence to apologize. At the same time, thank you for your guidance earlier.¡± The spectators looked at each other in surprise. Despite getting badly beaten up, Zheng Haolong had taken the initiative to thank his opponent. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Zhou Mingrui had been looking for a chance to exact revenge. How did it turn into guidance? However, when they thought back carefully, it seemed to make sense. Zhou Mingrui had controlled his own strength and targeted his opponent¡¯s fatal weakness. However, he did not kill his opponent instantly. He could also be said to have guided his opponent to face his own weakness. ¡°You¡¯re sensible,¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. He did not expect Zheng Haolong to be sensible about such things. That really saved him some trouble. After Zheng Haolong left, only eight people remained in the arena. One pair was still fighting. ¡°I forfeit!¡± The winner of that battle was finally decided. But as he came off the fighting ring, he fell on one knee, and had no choice but to also declare his forfeiture. When the rest of the people saw his injuries, they understood his decision. The academy wanted the battles to be as close to reality, after all. So a participant could not receive treatment in the middle of a battle, unless his summoned spirit had healing abilities. It was now the semi-finals. After the six people fought, they would be left with three, which would nicely fill the podium positions. In other words, they were now essentially fighting for first place. After half an hour of rest, the lots were drawn on the big screen again. This time, Yan Wuyue¡¯s opponent was a female student. She was the only female student besides Yan Wuyue among the final eight. Zhou Mingrui entered the fighting ring, intending to continue attacking, when he was stopped by a delicate hand. ¡°Leave this battle to me. You can rest and watch from the side.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. Then, he saw Yan Wuyue walk past him with a look of suppressed anger. He turned to look at the female student. There was a strange smile on her face. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Previously, he had asked Yan Wuyue not to interfere and she had agreed. So he should not interfere in her battle this time either. Besides, those two obviously had a personal grudge as well. So it was not good for him to interfere. He also wanted to see how much Yan Wuyue had improved after the last incident. Zhou Mingrui knew that Yan Wuyue had now reached Level 35 too, and was very close to silver grade. The contract between them was an equality contract, which meant that they shared their attributes. However, with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s immense talent, it was his attributes that mostly gave them a crushing advantage. As such, Yan Wuyue was the one who benefited more from the contract. ¡°Yan Wuyue, long time no see. How are you?¡± The female student greeted Yan Wuyue with a smile as soon as she went up. However, Yan Wuyue did not respond. She took the newly purchased electromagnetic spear from her waist, assembled it and immediately charged at her opponent. ¡°As expected, you do what needs to be done, just like before. You really haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± The female student smiled. Then, she swung her body and flew backwards. ¡°Enough of your nonsense, Cao Rong. I don¡¯t want to hear anything else from that foul mouth of yours!¡± Yan Wuyue wielded her spear. As it turned into a bolt of silver lightning, she swiftly thrust it at her opponent. The phenomenal speed caused exclamations to erupt in the arena. ¡°Yan Wuyue¡¯s attributes alone can crush more than 90% of the freshmen. She¡¯s worth paying attention to!¡± ¡°Her summoned spirit was also outstanding earlier. It¡¯s just that his character has issues. But that can be ignored.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve rarely seen her in action before. But now it feels like I¡¯m looking at an experienced veteran. As expected of the leader of the incident that time, she¡¯s really got some skills.¡± ¡°With this girl¡¯s talent and potential, she¡¯s definitely capable of advancing to a higher level very quickly after she receives better training.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. Her performance in the goblin incident showed her strong cohesion and leadership abilities. Most importantly, she has a rare sense of responsibility.¡± ¡°Looks like our trip here wasn¡¯t wasted!¡± After just one move, the research institute observers could see that Yan Wuyue possessed the qualities they were looking for. It was not an exaggeration to say that the rest of the students were the green leaves that served to make Yan Wuyue, the true flower, stand out. Chapter 69 - Stunning Stars and Moon In the face of Yan Wuyue¡¯s sudden attack, Cao Rong did not show any signs of panic. She smiled gently. Then, with light-footed steps, she turned her body to one side, successfully dodging the razor sharp tip of the spear. However, there was no way that Yan Wuyue would let her dodge so easily. As soon as she saw Cao Rong¡¯s feet move, she withdrew her strength. Yan Wuyue took a step forward and exerted force from her waist. The perfectly straight tip of her spear, just like a water dragon turning around, instantly charged towards Cao Rong once again. After the first dodge, an ordinary person would not have been able to generate enough energy to dodge again. However, a multi-colored energy phantom suddenly appeared behind Cao Rong. It looked like the wings of a butterfly. Streaks of multi-colored patterns appeared on her fair skin, adding a touch of glamor to her already beautiful looks. The moment the wings appeared, Cao Rong¡¯s body seemed to become weightless. With feather-light movements, she dodged the attacking spear. Yan Wuyue withdrew her spear, and appeared deep in thought. ¡°A butterfly-type summoned spirit?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the battle from the side, began to think about how he would fight should he meet such an opponent. Yan Wuyue caught up again and attacked relentlessly. However, no matter what type of attack she used, Cao Rong was able to dodge easily. ¡°Air flow!¡± Who was Yan Wuyue? She was once the Goddess of Battle. She had come across countless types of skills and summoned spirits. Very quickly, she found Cao Rong¡¯s type. The key was the air flow. Why was it difficult for humans to hit mosquitoes? Because mosquitoes could sense an incoming attack from the air flow generated, and even use that air flow to fly away. There were only three ways to defeat such an opponent. The first was to use absolute speed. Even an opponent who could dodge using air flow would no longer be able to dodge, once the speed of attack reached a certain level. The second was to create a completely enclosed cage. As the enclosed space shrank, the mosquito would run out of space to dodge and easily be crushed. The third was to make use of the properties of air flow itself to capture the opponent. That was also the most energy-saving method. As long as your air flow technique was superior, your opponent would be at your mercy, just like a bird without its wings. Yan Wuyue had already made up her mind. Her eyes glowed with a faint fluorescent light as energy surged within her body. Active Skill: [New Stars and Moon] Skill Effect: [By using internal energy to construct the orbit of the stars and moon, internal energy will be transformed into Stars and Moon Energy, greatly enhancing overall personal attributes. At the same time, it will automatically activate the talent Stars and Moon Eyes.] Passive Skill: [Stars and Moon Eyes] Skill Effect: [This passive skill is automatically activated when the active skill New Stars and Moon is initiated. By suffusing both eyes with Stars and Moon Energy, the trajectory of energy or matter can be observed. There is a high probability of seeing through mental illusory-type skills.] All around Yan Wuyue, bright white energy particles started to appear. Then with an explosive increase in speed, her entire body shot out like an arrow. ¡°As expected, she hasn¡¯t changed. She¡¯s still as stubborn as ever.¡± Cao Rong smiled mockingly. Her body continued to sway along with the air flow, like duckweed floating on water, as she dodged Yan Wuyue¡¯s attacks again and again. At the same time, she was ridiculing Yan Wuyue non-stop. That made Zhou Mingrui, who was watching from the side, realize how vicious a woman¡¯s mouth could be. He thought about how Yan Wuyue had looked at that woman at the beginning, as well as her tone and demeanor in talking to her. Zhou Mingrui concluded that something must have happened between them. ¡°Cao Rong, you¡¯re still as sharp-tongued as ever.¡± Yan Wuyue fought back with a sneer. At the same time, her attacks became faster and faster, to the point where the tip of her spear started to appear as a blurry phantom. ¡°This summoned spirit called Cao Rong is pretty rare. Her movement technique has been greatly enhanced. She¡¯s very much worth training,¡± an observer judged. ¡°Mm, she has high training value. Some special operations departments love talents like these, with high training value,¡± another observer said. ¡°But if these abilities are all she has, I don¡¯t think the big four will be interested,¡± one observer chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that better for us? Hahaha,¡± the observer laughed. Seated even closer, about five to six seats away from each other, were four observers with very conspicuous logos on their chests. ¡°Old Yu, this lady suits your research institute quite well,¡± a middle-aged man said. A white-haired old man five or six seats away chuckled and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, there¡¯s no hurry.¡± ¡­ In the ring, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body was now covered with a misty white moonlight. The spear in her hand had turned completely moon white. The next moment, a moon white halo emanated from Yan Wuyue¡¯s body, swiftly covering an area ten meters in diameter. Active Skill: [Stars and Moon Domain] Skill Type: [Domain skill] Skill Description: [While in the New Stars and Moon state, this skill can be activated when the internal energy conversion rate reaches 70% and above. It will cause Stars and Moon Energy to fill a circular area 10 meters in diameter.] [Any life form marked as an enemy within the Stars and Moon Domain will be dealt a Stars and Moon Energy restriction. The effect of the restriction will be determined by the life type and strength of the enemy.] [Any life form marked as an ally within the Stars and Moon Domain will receive a Stars and Moon Energy blessing. The effect of the blessing will be determined by the life type and strength of the ally.] [The method and type of attack to be used in the Stars and Moon Domain will be determined by the domain initiator.] When she sensed Stars and Moon Energy flooding the surrounding space, Cao Rong¡¯s expression changed. She did not expect Yan Wuyue to awaken a domain-type skill. Although Yan Wuyue¡¯s Stars and Moon Energy was not overwhelmingly strong, it was extremely flexible. It made Cao Rong feel like she had fallen into a high density sticky liquid, causing her speed of dodging to drop instantly. On the other hand, Yan Wuyue had received an even stronger boost in the Stars and Moon Domain. With the way things were going, Cao Rong felt that she could no longer hold on. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s a domain skill. It¡¯s even the type that can enhance and weaken overall attributes! I wonder if it¡¯s the kind that has a group effect though.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this student to have both powerful combat skills and domain skills. This is the perfect combination for combat-type talents!¡± ¡°This is already considered an A-grade in a combat-type talent assessment. Looks like we have a surprise within this batch of students.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s an A-grade, those four guys will probably make their move.¡± At that moment, the observers from the big four research institutes were silent. None of them said a word. But from the way they kept their eyes on the fighting ring without so much as blinking, it was clear that they were observing with a high level of concentration. Chapter 70 - A Mysterious Opponent ¡°Interesting. Are these all newly awakened skills? They¡¯ve changed completely. The combat powers from before are incomparable to the ones now.¡± Even Zhou Mingrui could not help but exclaim in admiration. From the skills she had used from the start of the match until now, Yan Wuyue¡¯s combat abilities had clearly risen to a very high level. ¡°I just wonder if that dancing skill is still there. I hope it hasn¡¯t been replaced.¡± Zhou Mingrui prayed silently. In the arena, Cao Rong who was enveloped by the domain looked terrible. She was now like a butterfly that had fallen into water. She kept struggling but was sinking. Despite that, Cao Rong did not give up but continued to use her dodging movement technique. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. This woman!¡± Just then, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. Right from the beginning, Cao Rong had only dodged and did not fight back. Even now, she was still trying her best to dodge. She must have a special plan. After she stopped attacking, Yan Wuyue suddenly felt a bit dizzy. At the same time, the energy that filled the Stars and Moon Domain detected something strange. ¡°Is that¡­powder?¡± On closer look, floating within the energy was a kind of crystal almost invisible to the naked eye. If it weren¡¯t for the Stars and Moon Energy restriction, Yan Wuyue might not have noticed it. ¡°Have I been discovered?¡± Cao Rong stopped and asked with a smile. ¡°I knew it. Given your character, you definitely had something wicked up your sleeve,¡± Yan Wuyue frowned, as she tried to resist the drowsiness. ¡°That¡¯s enough. With the amount I used, even you won¡¯t be able to stop it. Don¡¯t you feel exceptionally sleepy now?¡± ¡°Actually, according to my calculations, you should already have collapsed a few minutes ago. But your body resistance is pretty high,¡± Cao Rong landed on the ground with a victorious expression. Yan Wuyue¡¯s legs went soft. She put her spear on the ground and tried to hold herself up. ¡°You¡¯re afraid to fight me face-to-face, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve always been so insidious and cunning!¡± Cao Rong gave a faint smile. ¡°Thank you for your compliment. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with what I¡¯m doing. I can win without even having to fight. Besides, this is the nature of my ability. Did you expect me to roll up my sleeves and spar 300 rounds with you?¡± ¡°All right, you don¡¯t have to struggle any longer. According to the rules, as long as I knock you out, you lose even if your summoned spirit comes out now.¡± With that, Cao Rong approached Yan Wuyue. She raised her hand, ready to knock her out and end the match. But the next moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s suffering face suddenly changed, and her eyes began to shine. ¡°Not a chance!¡± Cao Rong was startled, and hurriedly tried to retreat to dodge the attack. But she found her speed restricted even further. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that my domain skill hasn¡¯t been deactivated yet?¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. One hand was already on Cao Rong¡¯s neck, gripping it tightly like a vice. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. My ability couldn¡¯t have failed to take effect. I definitely hit you with my skill.¡± Cao Rong was perplexed. She could not believe what she was seeing. ¡°It¡¯s indeed useful. But you miscalculated one thing. My resistance is much higher than you thought!¡± After saying that, Yan Wuyue punched Cao Rong in the stomach. She did not attack too many times. After a single punch, she simply flung her opponent out of the ring. ¡°Train your ability more. Otherwise, should you meet someone else next time with that vicious mouth of yours, they won¡¯t be as nice.¡± ¡°Also, people¡­do change,¡± after saying that, Yan Wuyue turned around and went back to her side of the ring. Clap, clap, clap. Zhou Mingrui could not help but applaud, ¡°Not bad, not bad. That was a brilliant win. And you seem to have awakened quite a number of skills this time.¡± As she walked off the ring with Zhou Mingrui, Yan Wuyue said, ¡°Yeah, after that incident, all my former skills disappeared. When I woke up, they were replaced with this Stars and Moon series of abilities.¡± ¡°That Coherence Enhancement skill is gone too?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°Yes, that skill is simply useless. It¡¯s better that it¡¯s gone,¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s such a good skill! How can you say it¡¯s useless?¡± Zhou Mingrui said despondently. ¡°You just want to see me dance during a battle and be thought of as a fool, right?¡± Yan Wuyue said with a black face. ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯ve misunderstood. How could I possibly think that way? I just think that it¡¯s a pity,¡± Zhou Mingrui quickly denied it. ¡°Hmph,¡± Yan Wuyue snorted and did not say anything further. After waiting for about 10 minutes, the other battles ended too. There were now only two groups left. The first group was Yan Wuyue¡¯s. The other group belonged to a man with long hair tied behind his back. As such, there was no need for the big screen to draw lots again. ¡°May we continue with the match? If you agree, the finals will commence in half an hour,¡± a teacher walked over and asked Yan Wuyue. ¡°No problem. You may,¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°All right. We will begin in half an hour.¡± After obtaining Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer, the teacher quickly returned to the referee¡¯s area to make arrangements for the next match. ¡°While you were fighting earlier, I took some time to observe that guy. His fighting style is very simple. He simply rushed to the front and engaged in close combat with his opponent. He won with his rough skin and thick flesh,¡± Zhou Mingrui recounted. ¡°From what you described, he was fighting entirely on his own. What about his summoned spirit?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. Surprisingly, Zhou Mingrui shook his head and frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I haven¡¯t seen one since he entered the ring.¡± When she heard that, Yan Wuyue turned to look at the man. Coincidentally, he also turned to look at her then. Their eyes met, before they quickly looked away. ¡°It¡¯s not possible that he doesn¡¯t have a summoned spirit. The physique of a normal person cannot be this strong. It must be hidden somewhere,¡± Yan Wuyue analyzed. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been thinking about where his summoned spirit could be,¡± Zhou Mingrui agreed. ¡°What do you plan to do when the battle starts later?¡± Yan Wuyue looked curiously at Zhou Mingrui, who was deep in thought. It was the first time she had seen Zhou Mingrui analyzing things like that before a battle. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. What else can I do?¡± Zhou Mingrui spread his hands and said. ¡­ Yan Wuyue frowned. She felt like she had asked a meaningless question. ¡°I¡¯ll sound him out later. I¡¯ll try my best to find his weakness, and then watch out for his trump card.¡± ¡°With my experience, as long as he has the slightest flaw, I¡¯ll be able to devise a battle plan immediately.¡± Yan Wuyue could only apply the most basic fighting strategy. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Zhou Mingrui did not object. He, too, felt that the opponent was simply too mysterious. However, with Yan Wuyue¡¯s combat experience, she should be able to find the opponent¡¯s weakness very quickly while engaged in battle. Chapter 71 - Master of Imitation Xiao Shengyun ¡°The resting period is over. Finalists, please enter the fighting ring. The battle will begin shortly.¡± Once half an hour was up, the teacher referee announced in a loud voice. By the time the match started, it was already the end of the school day in the late afternoon. A large number of students had gathered around. Some teachers and professors went straight to the competition arena and started watching the battle from the seats there. ¡°As expected, Yan Wuyue is one of the finalists.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. With the abilities she displayed in the secret realm, even half of them would be sufficient to get her into the finals.¡± ¡°But who¡¯s that across her? I don¡¯t think he was at the secret realm trial previously.¡± ¡°Yes, I went through the freshman bios before coming here. But I don¡¯t have any impression of this child either.¡± ¡°But to have entered the finals, his talent and ability must be top-notch. I¡¯m just not sure how many rounds he will last with Yan Wuyue.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Although there¡¯s no longer any suspense regarding the champion of the individual match, we should still be able to watch an exciting match.¡± Below the stage, the spectating teachers, professors and some elite senior students were engaged in feverish discussion in whispers. Many of the academy¡¯s teachers and professors had been looking forward to the match between the two strongest freshmen for a long time. Every year, the finals brought about surprises. This year, especially, one of the finalists was Yan Wuyue, who had turned the tide in the previous incident. Many senior students were especially curious, because it was rumored that Yan Wuyue¡¯s abilities were on par with those in the third grade, or even higher. It was not rare for there to be geniuses among the freshmen. But everyone was curious to see how much of a genius they were. Jealousy? Those students would tell you that to have reached the higher grades of Heavenly Saint Academy, you would either have been hit so much by other geniuses that you were already numb, or had hit other people so much that it had become an everyday thing. Jealousy, dissatisfaction and envy did not exist in their dictionaries. Because those were of no help to their progression at all. The strong merely served as goals to strive towards, and stirred up their desire to become stronger. As such, the students all relished in discussing the match that was about begin, intending to enjoy the battle. To Yan Wuyue¡¯s surprise, the black-haired man did not exhibit any confidence or pride by virtue of reaching the finals. On the contrary, he had a warm smile on his face as soon as he entered the fighting ring. ¡°Finalists, please come forward,¡± the teacher referee signaled for both of them to step forward. After explaining the rules, they dispersed. ¡°Can¡­can I shake your hand? You¡¯re my idol,¡± the black-haired man suddenly said. Yan Wuyue raised an eyebrow. She thought about it, and concluded that the student had probably seen her in action in the secret realm previously. So she stretched out her hand, and shook his. His icy cold, smooth skin made Yan Wuyue feel like she was shaking the hand of a girl. ¡°Thank you. My name is Xiao Shengyun. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°My name is Yan Wuyue. Nice to meet you.¡± After shaking hands, Yan Wuyue felt that something was wrong. But when she saw the opponent¡¯s sincere smile and courteous words, she could only smile back in response. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± When she returned to the edge of the fighting ring, Yan Wuyue heard Zhou Mingrui say softly. ¡°You felt it too?¡± Yan Wuyue felt strange, but did not reveal anything on her face. She communicated via telepathy, ¡°When we shook hands, I felt some resistance. At first, I thought I was just being too sensitive.¡± ¡°No,¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he looked at the black-haired youth, Xiao Shengyun, ¡°He feels familiar. I seem to have met him somewhere before.¡± ¡°The match is about to start. We can only rely on you to think about it further now,¡± Yan Wuyue thought back, and realized that Zhou Mingrui had never told her about that. ¡°Forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter. The match will soon be over anyway,¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head, indicating that he could not be bothered to think about it anymore. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t let your guard down,¡± Yan Wuyue urged. ¡°Let the match begin!¡± Once the teacher referee gave the command, he retreated down the fighting ring immediately. With a flick of her hand, the spear appeared in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand. The energy in her body began to vibrate gently. No matter who she faced, Yan Wuyue never underestimated an opponent. She adopted a fighting stance. Zhou Mingrui stood at the side, still hidden in his cloak. Given his strength, should he take Xiao Shengyun on, that guy probably would not even last one round. Plus, it was not convenient for him to expose himself. But in the next moment, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s actions stunned them both. He raised his right hand and all of a sudden, black energy began to extend from his arm. Soon, a spear identical to Yan Wuyue¡¯s appeared in his hand. That was actually not a big deal. After all, Yan Wuyue was not the only one who used spears. But following that, as a strange smile appeared on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face, the black energy throughout his body began to transform rapidly. Active Skill: [New Stars and Moon (Imitation)] Stars and Moon Energy, both familiar and shocking to Yan Wuyue, began to appear on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body. Then, his pupils turned silver. Passive Skill: [Stars and Moon Eyes (Imitation)] ¡°This guy¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw that, ¡°I know who he is already!¡± But before Yan Wuyue could ask, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body became a blur. The next moment, he appeared in front of her. Despite her shock earlier, Yan Wuyue had already subconsciously activated her skill, owing to her exceptionally rich combat experience. As the Stars and Moon Energy on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body quaked, and her eyes turned silver, a halo spread out and enveloped her. However, at the same time, a halo also appeared on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body. As it spread out, it became one with Yan Wuyue¡¯s Stars and Moon Domain. When she saw that, Yan Wuyue remained calm. In her years of battles, she had seen practically every kind of enemy, including those who imitated other people¡¯s abilities. So what if he had imitated all her abilities? Since it was her ability, Yan Wuyue was most familiar with it. Plus, she was second to none when it came to combat experience! ¡°Just nice, I was just thinking about the expansion and development potential of my ability!¡± With Stars and Moon Energy on the spear in her hand, Yan Wuyue gathered the air flow from all four directions and blasted it in Xiao Shengyun¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯ve got a domain, but you don¡¯t know how to use it!¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. Instantly, the energy in the Stars and Moon Domain moved at his will, and began to restrict Yan Wuyue. ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Wuyue gave him a look of contempt. As her spear kept going, the energy around the Stars and Moon Domain suddenly turned violent. Like an ocean in a storm, the energy surged wildly and like a massive wave, it thundered towards Xiao Shengyun. Along the way, it even attracted more Stars and Moon Energy. Xiao Shengyun quickly condensed Stars and Moon Energy on the spear in his hand. As it spun at an extreme speed, it blocked the Stars and Moon Wave completely. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± At that moment, Yan Wuyue who had charged towards Xiao Shengyun along with the energy wave, stood before him. Chapter 72 - His True Strength His True Strength ¡°Interesting. This Xiao Shengyun¡¯s ability is actually duplication, and he can duplicate any skills.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s rare to see such an ability. If I¡¯m not wrong, this should be his ability to summon Spirits.¡± ¡°No wonder I haven¡¯t seen his Holy Spirit appear. So it¡¯s this kind of ability. It¡¯s very strong.¡± ¡°Yeah, but he hasn¡¯t showed the specific usage and limitations of his ability yet. Let¡¯s observe a little more.¡± Xiao Shengyun was not surprised at all to see Yan Wuyue in front of him. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Yan Wuyue felt that the stars and moon energy in the surroundings had turned into an invisible weave of ropes in front of her. Her movements slowed down. ¡°You can use it like this?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly understood. She swung the spear, and an energy blade made of stars and moon energy shot out. In the blink of an eye, all the threads in front of her were cut off, but in the mean time, Xiao Shengyun had already reached the other side. As soon as he got up, he saw the stars and moon energy gathering under Yan Wuyue¡¯s feet as she landed. The energy exploded the moment she touched ground, and Yan Wuyue immediately shot out towards Xiao Shengyun using the momentum from the explosion. The two sides clashed, and Xiao Shengyun almost instantly fell into a disadvantage. Even if he could obtain all of Yan Wuyue¡¯s Passive Skills, he couldn¡¯t rival her mastery of close combat skills and experience. ¡°The combat ability of both sides is just not on the same level. It¡¯s like the difference between a child and an adult.¡± ¡°As expected, though he can copy her abilities, there¡¯s still no way for him to make up for the skill gap in other aspects.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly right either. Combat experience is something acquired and he can always gain it in the future. His rare duplicating ability, though, is innate.¡± ¡°And it seems like he¡¯s can adapt his ability to match the strength of his opponent.¡± ¡°Interesting, we can consider recruiting him.¡± Disregarding the surrounding commentary, Xiao Shengyun gathered his stars and moon energy and turned them into energy bombs that exploded near Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue narrowed her eyes. Her stars and moon energy immediately formed a shield in front of her, but the impact of the powerful explosion still pressured her to take a few steps back. As Yan Wuyue retreated, Xiao Shengyun had already moved quickly to put some distance between them. The long spear in his hand quickly turned into energy, and then condensed into a set of energy bow and arrow. Xiao Shengyun had already realized that he was no match for Yan Wuyue in close combat. No matter what method he used, Yan Wuyue could quickly see through and target his weak spot, which made him feel like he was walking on thin ice. However, there was a reason why Xiao Shengyun could defeat so many opponents. He did not simply rely on copying their abilities. If that was the case, they would at most be on par with each other. His true advantage came from his ability to further combine and merge his duplicated abilities! He quickly drew his energy bow and arrow, and a condensed arrow made of stars and moon energy immediately materialized on the bowstring. [Explosive Arrow] The arrow left the bowstring. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t rush to receive it. Her rich combat experience told her that archers were a group of sly foxes who exceled at sneaky tactics. Another energy blade shot out from the her spear and collided with the arrow. After a deafening boom, Yan Wuyue was surprised to see that the arrow had pierced through the explosion and continued blasting toward her. She began charging her body with energy from the Stars and Moon Domain, which then turned into a spiral that enveloped the spear in her hand. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to dodge. Yan Wuyue sensed that the arrow that was locked on her, probably with a special mark used by archers. The moment the arrow collided with the tip of the spear, the condensed energy on the arrow erupted with a blinding light. With intense shock waves, the violent explosion swept toward Yan Wuyue. But at the same time, the energy at the tip of Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear also broke out. The two energies collided and counteracted each other, but the powerful impact still managed to hit Yan Wuyue. After taking several steps back, she finally dispelled the force that hit her. Meanwhile, Xiao Shengyun had already pulled the bowstring again, and shot out three more energy arrows. At the same time, energy arrows also appeared and hovered in the air around him, all pointing at Yan Wuyue. ¡°Not bad. After understanding his weakness, he immediately switched his combat style to counter his opponent¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°Interesting. I was wondering how he managed to get this far with only his duplicating ability. Now it makes more sense, he appears to be a clever person too.¡± ¡°Yeah, his name is Xiao Shengyun, right? Add him to the list of special recruits.¡± ¡­. As they watched the combat, even the observers from the four major Research Institutes sitting in the front showed a satisfied expression on their faces. Surprisingly, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t take any defensive posture, nor did she take any offensive posture. Her eyes glowed with the silver light of the stars and moon, and her body was surrounded by dappled, glimmering energy, generating a holy aura radiating from her. She lifted her foot slightly and tapped the ground. Ripples of energy instantly spread out, and the space around her began to appear slightly distorted. Xiao Shengyun frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. Gritting his teeth, he decided to release the bowstring regardless. A large number of energy arrows immediately barraged towards Yan Wuyue, blocking all of her escape routes. Zhou Mingrui, who was still watching the battle, smiled. He knew that Yan Wuyue would not be restricted so easily. When the energy arrow reached her, the spear in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand turned into an energy shadow and directly reached forward. The tip of the spear hit the energy arrow accurately. Buzz~ An invisible energy emerged, and the energy arrow deviated from its course. Yan Wuyue¡¯s moved, her body turning into a fleeting shadow under her stars and moon energy. The spear in her hand let out a burst of attacks towards the rest of the energy arrows. One after another, the energy arrows were hit by the spear and deviated from their course. Some of them collided with each other, causing violent explosions that engulfed other energy arrows as well. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, seemed to have blended into another spatial dimension, completely turning into a shadow figure that could not be captured. ¡°What!¡± Xiao Shengyun was shocked by this scene. ¡°What a high-level movement technique. At the very least, it¡¯s impossible to learn it in the Academy. Did she learn it by herself? ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention the Academy, even in our Research Institute, only a few movement techniques can reach this level of mobility.¡± The people below the stage were astonished. This was just a new student of Heavenly Saint Academy, not a senior student who was about to graduate, nor a student of the Research Institute. Chapter 73 - Combat Tactician Xiao Shengyun Combat Tactician Xiao Shengyun All the Explosive Arrows were dodged by Yan Wuyue with her almost impossible body movements. Except for a few people, almost no one in the whole arena could catch her movements. Xiao Shengyun was shocked, but he didn¡¯t stop moving and continued to release a barrage of Explosive Arrows. He knew that at their level, it was impossible to actually perform spatial abilities. So, Yan Wuyue most likely just used an extremely fast moving technique. The previous arrows couldn¡¯t hit her. But what if he increased the number of arrows and launched a full-coverage attack on her? With the destructive characteristics of the Explosive Arrow, there was no way Yan Wuyue could remain completely unscathed! As Xiao Shengyun considered his options, the ring was filled with incessant waves of explosions from the arrows. ¡°This consumes too much energy. It¡¯s not a wise strategy.¡± ¡°He has no choice. In his situation, this is his only way to quickly force Yan Wuyue to show up. Otherwise, he will be defeated sooner or later.¡± ¡°But I have a feeling that this Xiao Shengyun isn¡¯t that simple either.¡± The audience started to buzz, but it didn¡¯t distract the two from their intense combat. Even in the face of the relentless explosive waves, Yan Wuyue¡¯s fleeting shadow only showed a slight distortion, and she remained well hidden within. Zhou Mingrui was sure that Yan Wuyue was channeling her energy from the Stars and Moon Domain to distort and break down light rays, just like a light prism. To put it simply, this movement technique worked like an illusive mirage to conceal her real location from Xiao Shengyun. Only Yan Wuyue, with her rich combat experience and incredible control of her body, could achieve such a mastery of movement technique that was even more powerful than an actual skill. However, despite her powerful movement technique, Yan Wuyue was still inevitably slowed down by Xiao Shengyun¡¯s bombarding arrows. After a series of unceasing attacks, Xiao Shengyun suddenly narrowed his eyes and stopped creating Explosive Arrows. Instead, his energy rapidly gathered and condensed into an icy-blue Frost Arrow. Compared to the previous arrows that only existed in the form of energy, this arrow has almost materialized physically, and even began to release wisps of white mist. As if he had already locked onto Yan Wuyue¡¯s position, Xiao Shengyun released the arrow without hesitation. As the Frost Arrow shot out, it left behind traces of frost in the surrounding air. It was clear how incredibly freezing this arrow was. Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned serious. She moved her body again, intending to avoid the arrow. However, just as she was about to dodge it, the Frost Arrow suddenly split into seven individual arrows, all of which were no weaker than the original one in terms of energy and temperature. [Frozen Kingdom] The seven Frost Arrows completely locked Yan Wuyue¡¯s movement from all directions, allowing her no chance of escape. As the Frost Arrows shot towards her, they abruptly exploded mid-air, scattering ice fragments in all directions. Immediately, an immensely strong and cold gust of air swept out. Even the atmospheric air was frozen by these intense fragments. Especially, the space that the seven Frost Arrows had exploded into seemed to have fallen into a completely frozen age of ice. Yan Wuyue¡¯s entire body was covered with hard frozen ice. It would take a lot of strength for her to even move a finger under such frigid coldness. Even while using energy from the Stars and Moon Domain, she struggled to melt through the thick ice. Most importantly, Yan Wuyue knew that Xiao Shengyun must already be preparing for a big move next. As expected, another huge translucent arrow began to appear on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s bow. This time, the arrow did not carry any cold air. Instead, it was flashing with electric snakes, obviously an arrow with Thunder attributes. ¡°As expected, archers are all a bunch of sly foxes.¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but shake his head at this scene. However, he had no intention of intervening. After all, it was obvious that Yan Wuyue wanted to settle this battle by herself. As Xiao Shengyun released the Thunder Arrow, tiny lightning bolts instantly appeared in the air, and the arrow shot directly towards Yan Wuyue with a roaring sound. Yan Wuyue had stopped moving and began to gather all the stars and moon energty around her body. Even her Stars and Moon Domain had shrunk its range to a one-meter radius. As the range of the domain shrank, the condensed energy within the Stars and Moon Domain became almost physically tangible. The instant the Thunder Arrow entered the Stars and Moon Domain, a large amount of stars and moon energy immediately gathered in front of the arrow to intercept it as much as possible. Although the impact of the arrow was blocked, the bolts of thunder still exploded within the domain. ¡°This Xiao Shengyun¡¯s tactical intelligence is really impressive. He used arrows with different attributes to pierce through different battle environments and even managed to set up a continuous attack strategy with his combination of arrows.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯m curious. After repeatedly using his skills, how much energy does he even have left?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. It¡¯s impossible for a candidate with such a strong sense of strategy to not be prepared for this.¡± Sure enough, while Yan Wuyue was restrained by the thunderbolts, Xiao Shengyun had already condensed three more arrows. At the same time, he dashed around Yan Wuyue multiple times. Each time he shot an arrow, he followed up by moving a certain distance. Every time an arrow hit the ground, a pattern appeared where it hit. The situation made Zhou Mingrui feel as if Xiao Shengyun was a cunning spider. After capturing his prey, he is now wrapping it in a dense network of spider threads to completely exhaust its remaining energy. Yan Wuyue had also noticed that the energy fluctuations outside were getting increasingly complicated. She didn¡¯t even need to look to know that the her opponent was planning to trap her completely. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have no choice but to use this.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed. The energy within the Stars and Moon Domain began to flow back, and the stars and moon energy in her body began to gather in her hand. Soon, the spear she was holding turned into pure energy form. With an indomitable spear technique, Yan Wuyue gathered a whirlpool of energy at the tip of her spear and blasted straight into the chaotic energy ahead. The energy grew into an intense hurricane as it was released, directly shattering more than half of Xiao Shengyun¡¯s blockade. ¡°This is¡­ A dual control of energy compression and outburst. Even the lower-year students in the Research Institute can¡¯t do this, but she has already mastered it.¡± ¡°Yeah, Yan Wuyue is really amazingly talented. She deserves to receive the title of the strongest first year this year.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little more, I still don¡¯t think Xiao Shengyun is that simple.¡± Just as everyone was commending Yan Wuyue, a voice with a different opinion rang out. This brought everyone¡¯s attention back to Xiao Shengyun. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t look frustrated at his imminent defeat. In fact, he was still dashing around quickly. However, he was moving towards another direction this time. ¡°What?¡± Zhou Mingrui was stunned for a split second. He did not expect Xiao Shengyun to go for him. Chapter 74 - Xiao Shengyun Won? Xiao Shengyun Won? ¡°It was you!¡± As Zhou Mingrui made eye contact with Xiao Shengyun, he finally remembered. He was that shameless disguised person that he had met in the forest. At this moment, Xiao Shengyun had already accelerated with all his might and charged toward Zhou Mingrui, who was only a few meters away. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned cold as the Nether Flame Bone Blade instantly materialized in his hand. Suddenly, bolts of lightning shot up from under his feet. The arrows that had been restraining Yan Wuyue previously had dissipated without Zhou Mingrui knowing. Zhou Mingrui soon realized that his body had already been enveloped in frosty drafts of air. At the same time, bolts of lightning covered his entire body. His movements were immediately restricted, but the phantom energy in his eyes surged. Under Zhong Mingrui¡¯s full power, these restrictions would not even last a second. However, within this precious second, before he escaped the restrictions, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s energy burst out and formed a strange pattern underneath Zhou Mingrui. [Elemental Cage] A beam of rainbow-coloured light instantly began to envelope Zhou Mingrui. The moment it completely covered him, Xiao Shengyun managed to touch Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. With a deep buzz, Zhou Mingrui was completely enveloped by the rainbow energy. ¡°W-what kind of strategy is this?¡± ¡°Xiao Shengyun obviously used up all his energy with this last move, but Yan Wuyue is no longer restrained now. How is he going to win? ¡± ¡°No, maybe he has something else up his sleeve. My intuition has never been wrong.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, to be honest, I¡¯m now wondering how far Xiao Shengyun can go instead. This match is really captivating!¡± Yan Wuyue had already broken out of the restraint when the crowd began to make a commotion. But when she realized Xiao Shengyun really used up all his energy, she was also surprised. As she saw that Zhou Mingrui was completely sealed off instead, a strange expression appeared on her face. Kneeling on one knee from exhaustion, Xiao Shengyun looked at Yan Wuyue, but there was no sign of dejection on his face. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Xiao Shengyun. She could feel that his energy was running low, almost all drained from him. ¡°You think that you¡¯ve already won?¡± Xiao Shengyun chuckled. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t answer, because she had already raised her spear and charged at Xiao Shengyun. There were only two explanations for Xiao Shengyun¡¯s behavior at this moment. One was that he was bluffing to buy time, and the other was that he still could turn the situation around, but he just needed more time. Yan Wuyue would never make the mistake to give him a fighting chance. With surging stars and moon energy, her spear whistled towards Xiao Shengyun. ¡°What a pity. If you were just a little faster, the outcome would have been different.¡± Just as everyone thought that the match was over, when the referee was about to intervene, waves of translucent energy erupted from Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body. ¡°What?¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t be more familiar with this energy. It was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s phantom energy. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect this! I really didn¡¯t expect that he was the strongest!¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s wild laughter echoed in all directions, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear stopped in place. Two fingers belonging to Zhou Mingrui, covered in bone armor, was pinching the spear tip firmly, making it impossible for it to move forward even an inch. ¡°This is bad!¡± Yan Wuyue immediately retracted her spear and retreated. When the energy storm dissipated, a figure covered in bone armor and surrounded by phantom energy appeared. ¡°How did Zhou Mingrui even get touched by him?¡± For the first time, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned serious. She has witnessed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength. He was already strong before he killed the Goblin King, and she had no idea how much more powerful he became after that. ¡°No wonder you guys were able to escape from the Goblin King. With such power, I even suspect that you were the ones who killed him.¡± Xiao Shengyun clenched his fists and felt the immense power within him. There was an almost endless supply of phantom energy in his body. He could not help but feel lucky that Zhou Mingrui did not make a move during his battle with Yan Wuyue. ¡°Looking at the strength of this phantom energy, the seal will only be able to trap him for a minute. Let me take care of this troublesome woman first!¡± After estimating how much time he had left, Xiao Shengyun condensed an enormous longsword in his hand, turned into a black shadow, and pounced at Yan Wuyue. With a clang, Yan Wuyue raised her weapon as fast as she could to block his attack, but the massive force of impact still sent her flying. Under the protection of her stars and moon energy, Yan Wuyue was only slightly shaken from the exchange. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about escaping.¡± However, before she could even stand up straight, Xiao Shengyun appeared in front of her again, and his bone longsword slashed out. With her strong combat experience, Yan Wuyue had already held the spear in a defensive stance in advance, but she was still sent flying by the force from the longsword. Yan Wuyue landed on the ground and tumbled to the side from the momentum. Feeling the sharp pain in her arm, she took a deep breath and prepared to thrust her spear out again. Crack. The long spear that she just thrust out was violently swept away, and then a big foot kicked her in the stomach. Once again, Yan Wuyue was sent flying. But this time, Xiao Shengyun sped up and caught up with her. The bone longsword in his hand swung again. At this dangerous moment, Yan Wuyue managed to gather up the strength in the air and use the fine control of her muscles to move her body slightly out of the way. The sound of the bone sword cutting through the air rang through Yan Wuyue¡¯s ears. ¡°You¡¯re in a hurry. Zhou Mingrui should be coming out soon, right?¡± Yan Wuyue pointed out. ¡°So what? You can¡¯t escape!¡± Xiao Shengyun laughed. As long as he could push Yan Wuyue out of the arena, even if Zhou Mingrui broke the seal and came out, he would still be the winner. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can hold on!¡± Xiao Shengyun shouted, and the phantom energy in his body beginning to surge like boiling water. [Phantom Riot] Xiao Shengyun¡¯s energy once again expanded. His bone longsword directly split Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear, and at the same time, he released a punch to her abdomen. Yan Wuyue tumbled several times in the air and fell to the ground. Xiao Shengyun flashed to her side and thrust his longsword towards her. The bone longsword sliced through her stars and moon energy as if it was tofu. ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡± The tip of his longsword pointed at Yan Wuyue¡¯s neck, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s bone mask disappeared and revealed his confident smile. Chapter 75 - The Phantom Prison The Phantom Prison ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡± Xiao Shengyun raised his bone longsword and pointed its glimmering tip at Yan Wuyue, a victorious smile spreading across his face. However, after two seconds, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s expression suddenly turned into one of confusion. He turned to the judge not far away and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you announced my victory?¡± The referee didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he raised his chin and gestured for Xiao Shengyun to look to his left. With a frown, Xiao Shengyun turned to his left. He saw that Zhou Mingrui had already broken the seal and was looking at him quietly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been able to escape so quickly.¡± Xiao Shengyun said as he kept his sword. ¡°Actually, I could have broken your seal back then. I just wanted to see what you were up to, so I pretended to be sealed by you.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged. Xiao Shengyun was stunned for a moment, and then his face turned red. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that easy to fool?¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the truth. There¡¯s nothing I can do if you don¡¯t believe me. Why not you come and fight me to really see what I meant?¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face darkened, but he quickly regained his confidence and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already copied all your attributes and skills, so I¡¯m very curious where your confidence is coming from.¡± Zhou Mingrui let out an arrogant laugh. ¡°I saw your ability just now. But do you really think that you¡¯ll be able to win just by copying my attributes and skills? ¡± As he heard Zhou Mingrui¡¯s outright mockery, a trace of anger appeared on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face. Without further hesitation, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face was instantly covered by a bone mask, and the phantom energy on his body appeared again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head. At the same time, he too donned the bone armor and phantom energy began to envelop his body as well. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s stepped forward, his figure moving much faster than before. The both of them instantly exchanged blows, and Xiao Shengyun¡¯s bone longsword and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Nether Flame Bone Blade collided heavily. Though both weapons were made of bone, they let out a ringing sound that sounded like metal colliding. At the same time, the surging phantom energy from both sides also collided, creating ripples of energy fluctuations. ¡°Interesting. You actually managed to completely duplicate my attributes.¡± Zhou Mingrui showed a look of interest. This was the first time he had encountered such an opponent. ¡°So I¡¯m very curious about one thing.¡± The next moment, the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand suddenly ignited with a translucent, midnight blue flame, and a bone-chilling cold immediately emerged from it. ¡°Will you able able to resist my full strength? I haven¡¯t had an opponent who could make me use all my strength in a life or death fight.¡± As he said that, Zhou Mingrui seemed to have released himself from some kind of shackles. The energy in his body began to stir violently. [Phantom Riot] [Active skill: Use a secret technique to stimulate the phantom energy in your body to enter a berserk state. For a short period of time, your energy attribute will be increased by 30% to 50% in all aspects. The duration depends on the level of enhancement.] On the other end, Xiao Shengyun also activated his skill without hesitation. [Phantom Riot (Replica)] The intense energy fluctuations from both sides immediately began to show as they faced each other in the air. ¡°The energy of these two, no, of Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit, is incredibly powerful. They are not yet Gold grade, but are already as powerful as Gold grades.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a Summoner¡¯s spirit surpass the Summoner by so much.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen such situations before, but that was a Summoner who was a complete support type. Yan Wuyue¡¯s combat power is obviously too strong for her to be a support Summoner.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first when they said that the two of them were the main saviors of the secret realm incident. Now, it seems like it could be true.¡± ¡°Yeah, the four major Research Institutes definitely have their eyes on her. Small families like us can forget about inviting her to join.¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s such a pity.¡± Below the stage, the observers and instructors who witnessed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength could not help but exclaim in admiration. And on the stage, the phantom energy around Zhou Mingrui began to burn like flames. However, he did not feel any heat. If someone were to approach him at this time, they would experience a cold, suffocating feeling that could freeze their soul. ¡°Since you¡¯ve copied my skill, you should be familiar with the effects of my other two skills.¡± ¡°Do you want to use it directly? ¡± Zhou Mingrui asked indifferently. ¡°Or do you want to test your own strength against mine first?¡± Xiao Shengyun looked at Zhou Mingrui. The longsword in his hand began to burn with midnight blue phantom flames as well. He raised his longsword and pointed it at Zhou Mingrui. His intention was clear. ¡°Good, very good. I understand what you mean. It seems like I have underestimated you.¡± The moment he said that, the phantom energy surrounding Zhou Mingrui suddenly froze, as if time had stopped abruptly. Simultaneously, a ripple spread out from beneath Zhou Mingrui and instantly enveloped Xiao Shengyun. The space around the two of them began to distort, and then a massive amount of phantom energy condensed and began forming strange words in the air. These words appeared to be pieced together by bones. [Phantom Prison (Active): In combat, quickly channel the energy of the other world and transform the battlefield into a phantom prison.] [Note 1: All attributes will be increased by 10% in the Phantom Prison. All enemies will be damaged by phantom energy once every second, and the percentage of the damage will be converted into energy for the user.] [Note 2: Enemies who are heavily injured in the Phantom Prison have a chance of being invaded by phantom energy and turning into phantom puppets.] [Note 3: Any loss of life in the Phantom Prison will be converted into phantom essence for the user to absorb, and increase the user¡¯s attributes by a certain amount (can be stacked) until the user exits or closes the Phantom Prison.] All the spectators below the stage were stunned. In a split second, Zhou Mingrui and Xiao Shengyun became enveloped by a dark space. ¡°Is this a spatial domain skill? Wait no, it¡¯s not at that level yet!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Regardless, it¡¯s more powerful than the domain skill Yan Wuyue used before. Look, it¡¯s already affecting the surrounding spatial structure.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Yan Wuyue is already powerful enough, but who knew her summoned spirit was even more powerful!¡± ¡°The four major Research Institutes must be having a headache over how to compete with the other three research institutes for all these talents. Hahaha.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m also quite curious. In the past, it was basically others who begged to join them. Now, it¡¯s going to be their turn to go and beg others.¡± While everyone was whispering to one another, the two in the Phantom Prison faced each other, but they did not move immediately. ¡°Alright, the real battle starts now.¡± Chapter 76 - The Power of Fear The Power of Fear In the dark space, a pair of eyes burning with blue flames appeared. ¡°I have the same skill, it won¡¯t work on me!¡± Mid-air, Xiao Shengyun¡¯s eyes also ignited with fire. The Phantom Prison had no effect on him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need those effects to work. I just needed a space that could block the crowd¡¯s vision.¡± ¡°Now, I can finally reveal my true strength without holding back.¡± ¡°Are you ready?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure with an eerie blue glow emerged from the darkness. Xiao Shengyun felt a shiver run down his spine. The feeling that Zhou Mingrui gave him was completely different from before. If he thought Zhou Mingrui was like a ferocious tiger before, his threatening aura now could be compared to that of a prehistoric dragon. The atmosphere around him felt incredibly oppressive and suffocating. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Mingrui disappeared into the darkness. Xiao Shengyun held his sword in a defensive stance and stood still. The darkness could not obstruct his vision because he had also activated the Phantom Prison¡¯s effect. However, it was clear that Zhou Mingrui had completely disappeared from his line of vision. Xiao Shengyun knew that Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t have this skill in his skill list, so this was obviously not actually a skill, but rather an expert manipulation of his bodily limits. Xiao Shengyun had almost never seen anyone manipulate their own energy to this extent, such that it is even comparable to a skill. ¡°What, you can¡¯t find me?¡± A voice suddenly appeared beside Xiao Shengyun¡¯s ears, but he still didn¡¯t move. After a brief moment of silence, Xiao Shengyun stepped forward with his longsword and slashed out at the space in front of him. The intense phantom energy on the longsword formed an energy blade and shot out. There was a buzz, and after a flash of light in the darkness, the place fell silent again. In the darkness, a shadow hidden behind Xiao Shengyun disappeared. Zhou Mingrui then walked out of the darkness. ¡°Don¡¯t try these boring methods on me. They¡¯re meaningless,¡± Xiao Shengyun said with a deep frown. ¡°You¡¯re trying to hide your fear, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui replied eerily. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xiao Shengyun was enraged. The phantom energy in his body went berserk as he charged at Zhou Mingrui. Both of their weapons clashed violently again. This time, they directly battled close ranged. As the blade and longsword clashed, shockwaves of phantom energy shook the surrounding space, causing countless phantom flames to appear. ¡°I know that you¡¯re bluffing!¡± Sensing that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s combat ability had not changed at all, Xiao Shengyun regained his composure and his confidence re-emerged. ¡°Is that so? Looks like you¡¯ve regained your confidence. In that case, I¡¯ll shatter it again!¡± With that, the Nether Flame Bone Blade in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand turned into a shadow and flashed through Xiao Shengyun¡¯s longsword. ¡°!?¡± Before Xiao Shengyun could react, the shadow of the blade had already reached his chest. Subconsciously, Xiao Shengyun was about to dodge, but his strong intuition told him that he shouldn¡¯t. For the first time, his felt conflicted about his choices during a battle. Since he could only choose one reaction, Xiao Shengyun chose to believe his intuition that this shadow blade was just a cover-up for another real attack. However, just as shadow blade was about to make contact with his body, it suddenly materialized physically and slashed at Xiao Shengyun¡¯s chest. Stunned, the impact of the attack sent him flying, and the bone armor protecting his chest also shattered into pieces. Xiao Shengyun spat out a mouthful of blood from the force and took several steps back before he finally stopped. However, Zhou Mingrui did not stop there. His figure once again slipped into the darkness. Xiao Shengyun, who had just stabilized himself, felt a creeping sense of danger. Without warning, the familiar Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared once again, directly slashing towards him. This time, Xiao Shengyun narrowed his eyes and chose to dodge. However, he had just taken a few steps sideways when he felt an even more threatening presence behind him. Without any hesitation, he turned around and swung his longsword. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade once again turned into an intangible shadow. It passed through his longsword and slashed toward his chest. This time, Xiao Shengyun didn¡¯t dare to take another risk. He chose to step back to avoid the shadow blade. ¡°Congratulations, you made the wrong guess again.¡± As the voice appeared, Xiao Shengyun felt a sharp pain in his back. The bone armor on his back was broken by the blade. He staggered forward, and blood gushed out of his mouth again. ¡°If you have the guts, then fight face to face with me. What¡¯s the point of playing such despicable tricks!¡± Xiao Shengyun was on the verge of a mental breakdown. If this kept going on, he would definitely be defeated. The only thing he could do was to try and provoke Zhou Mingrui to fight him head-on. ¡°Since you¡¯ve asked for it, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡± Zhou Mingrui emerged from the darkness. Phantom energy erupted around his body as he charged at Xiao Shengyun. Wherever his figure passed, the surrounding phantom energy churned like flames shooting out of a rocket, pressing forward with an unparalleled momentum. Sensing the overwhelming power of this attack, Xiao Shengyun could only grit his teeth and activate the energy in his body. He focused the energy onto the longsword in his hand, attempting to block the attack. Although he could copy Zhou Mingrui¡¯s skills and attributes, he had no way of copying combat techniques that Zhou Mingrui had worked out by himself. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was able to make use of his combat techniques in this battle to give himself a snowballing advantage. With a clang, Xiao Shengyun was once again sent flying. The bone longsword in his hand had cracked the instant it came into contact with the Nether Flame Bone Blade, and then exploded into scattered fragments. Xiao Shengyun flew backwards, and rolled on the ground for another distance before stopping. He didn¡¯t manage to get up this time. Zhou Mingrui removed the Phantom Prison and sunlight from outside shone in. The eagerly waiting people outside finally saw the scene on the arena. The referee was the first to react. He rushed forward to check on Xiao Shengyun. `¡±Looks like you were a little harsh on him.¡± Yan Wuyue came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. ¡°Hmph, I could still accept it if he used your strength to defeat you, but how dare he use my strength to defeat you. If I don¡¯t teach him a good lesson, how am I supposed to live with myself after this?¡± Zhou Mingrui scoffed. ¡°Alright, thank you for that.¡± Yan Wuyue covered her mouth and laughed faintly. She knew that Zhou Mingrui was just bantering, but the real reason he was so harsh on Xiao Shengyun was probably because he couldn¡¯t stand the way he bullied her. That was why he tortured Xiao Shengyun so badly to get back at him. Yes, Zhou Mingrui was completely capable of taking down Xiao Shengyun without trouble, but he did not want to let him off so easily. Chapter 77 - Two Good Teammates Two Good Teammates Since he dared to bully Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui was determined to let him experience fear and terror! Xiao Shengyun didn¡¯t get up from the ground, not because he had been knocked unconscious. It was because he had given up on fighting. Sure enough, after the referee went over to check, Xiao Shengyun got up and admitted defeat. As he watched Xiao Shengyun leave, Zhou Mingrui snorted indifferently, ¡°If this wasn¡¯t a friendly match, I would have driven this guy crazy!¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be so hostile.¡± Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Zhou Mingrui smiled faintly as he put on his long cloak again. After confirming that Xiao Shengyun had admitted defeat, the referee went up the stage and announced the victory of Yan Wuyue¡¯s group. No one was surprised. With Yan Wuyue¡¯s talent, it was already certain that she would be the champion of the individual category. She just had to deal with the different levels of trouble that her opponents could cause her. After going through a series of procedures, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui finally left the stage and headed to the dormitory. ¡°Alright, everyone. The team competition will begin the day after tomorrow. Please don¡¯t be discouraged and rest well during this time. At the same time, reflect about your battle, and your strengths and weaknesses.¡± ¡°You still have a chance in the upcoming team competition, so prepare to perform your best then.¡± After the dean¡¯s speech, the individual competition finally came to an end. The crowd, still enthralled by the previous battles, reluctantly got up to leave. many of them were slightly disappointed that Zhou Mingrui had cast his domain during the last moments of the battle, completely blocking the entire process. From Xiao Shengyun¡¯s dejected demeanor afterwards, they could only guess that he must have been defeated mercilessly in that domain. ¡­.. After returning to the dormitory, both of them sat on the sofa. Zhou Mingrui took a big stretch and complained, ¡°This game was so tiring. I have to have a good sleep.¡± Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes. This guy had only made a move twice while she basically dealt with the rest. How could he have the nerve to say that? ¡°By the way, since those guys saw our battle, they won¡¯t actually come and harass us, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. ¡°No, no matter how eager they are, they won¡¯t disturb us at this time. This is the rule set by the Academy.¡± Yan Wuyue walked into the kitchen and took out the ingredients for dinner from the refrigerator. ¡°Hey, are you going to cook? I guess I¡¯ll sleep after eating then.¡± Zhou Mingrui saw what she was doing. Yan Wuyue shook her head and didn¡¯t say anything. When two people lived together, one of them would definitely have to do more. She has already accepted that that person would be her. Lying on the sofa, Zhou Mingrui hummed a little tune. ¡°This song is pretty good, but why haven¡¯t I heard it before?¡± Yan Wuyue listened and asked curiously. ¡°I created it myself,¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. ¡°No way. You don¡¯t have the talent to do that,¡± Yan Wuyue retorted. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Zhou Mingrui then began to hum another tune. After listening to a few songs, Yan Wuyue finally believed that Zhou Mingrui had composed them himself. After all, it could be a coincidence for her to not recognize a couple, but she couldn¡¯t recognize seven or eight songs in a row. Yan Wuyue was very impressed. All the songs had such pleasant melodies. ¡°Alright, I believe you,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed shamelessly. He was singing a song from the other world. Of course no one in this world could recognize it. It was not wrong to claim that it was his own song if no one knew, right? Just like that, one hummed while the other cooked. The two of them somehow complemented each other. ¡°The team competition starts in two days. Don¡¯t be annoyed at me for nagging, but they will probably announce our other two teammates by tomorrow. You must try your best to get along with them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose the team competition. Although we are strong enough to take on three opponents, that person won¡¯t be easily impressed.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded Zhou Mingrui as she put some food into his bowl. ¡°Alright, alright, I understand. You don¡¯t have to nag anymore. As long as they don¡¯t cross my line, I won¡¯t start trouble.¡± Zhou Mingrui then put down his bowl. ¡°Don¡¯t be too fixated on this. The team competition is important, but there¡¯s also no evidence that that person from the Research Institute will recruit you just because you won.¡± Yan Wuyue frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. In my previous life, the only person who was accepted didn¡¯t even enter top three in the individual and team competitions.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve said that, we shouldn¡¯t be so worried about the team competition. We don¡¯t really have to humor our team members then,¡± Zhou Mingrui came to a realization. ¡°But just in case, we should still aim for the championship. Right?¡± Yan Wuyue concluded. ¡°No problem,¡± said Zhou Mingrui as he continued eating. The two of them devoured the food at the dinner table. Then, after cleaning up, Zhou Mingrui immediately went to take a shower. A homebody to begin with, he was too lazy to go out the entire of the next day. Instead, he stayed in his dormitory and took a long nap. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say anything about this and just went to train for the afternoon. The two of them then began to prepare for the next day. Soon, information about their other two teammates was released. Yan Wuyue, who saw the message, had a strange expression on her face. Zhou Mingrui, who happened to be walking down to join her for dinner, saw her expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s about our teammates tomorrow.¡± Yan Wuyue put down her phone and said after letting out a long sigh. ¡°What, are they the kind of teammates that can¡¯t be helped?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. They are both pretty okay.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head. ¡°Then what¡¯s with your expression? Do we know them?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked as he came to her side. ¡°You¡¯re right. We can all be considered ¡®acquaintances¡¯,¡± Yan Wuyue said as she rubbed her temples. ¡°Oh, who are they? Tell me, let me see if I know them,¡± Zhou Mingrui hurriedly asked. His interest was already piqued from Yan Wuyue¡¯s reaction. ¡°Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun,¡± Yan Wuyue announced. ¡°¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui stopped in his tracks with a perplexed expression. He was indeed very familiar with these two teammates. One was a woman who tried to seduce him. Previously, if Yan Wuyue had returned any later, his wall of defense probably would have been broken down by her. The other had just been ruthlessly tortured by him during a battle and became completely demoralized. He even had to be carried off the stage. ¡°No wonder. This is indeed a little troublesome.¡± Zhou Mingrui could not help but rub his temples as he grumbled. ¡°Tsk, weren¡¯t you very interested just now? Why are you having a headache now? ¡± Yan Wuyue snorted. Chapter 78 - You Wrecked My Body You Wrecked my Body ¡°At this point, please don¡¯t laugh at me anymore,¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he rubbed between his deeply furrowed brows. ¡°What? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you like this. You¡¯re always so brazen, so I didn¡¯t expect to see you get so distressed over this.¡± Yan Wuyue felt much better seeing him in this state. Zhou Mingrui said gloomily, ¡°Yan Wuyue, don¡¯t go too far. Since we have two teammates, we should each be responsible for one. That¡¯s the fairest way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave Zhao Anqi to you, in case you misunderstand something again. As for Xiao Shengyun, I¡¯ll take care of him. I¡¯d love to see how he¡¯s going to deal with me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand anything,¡± Yan Wuyue snorted. ¡°Who knows if you did it on purpose that time?¡± Although she was unhappy, Yan Wuyue did not reject Zhou Mingrui¡¯s suggestion as she knew that this arrangement was for the best. Ding dong~ Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang. They looked at each other. Then, Zhou Mingrui got up and went to the door, peering through the peephole. ¡°Speak of the devil.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged. Yan Wuyue immediately knew who was here. Although she was a little surprised, she quickly nodded at him to open the door. The door opened with a click. The excited Zhao Anqi and the sickly Xiao Shengyun were standing together at the door. As Zhou Mingrui opened the door, Zhao Anqi went in for a hug. ¡°Ahem!¡± Zhou Mingrui coughed heavily to warn her against doing anything reckless before moving out of the way. Zhao Anqi then saw a certain someone sitting in the living room, looking over at her with a hint of warning in her eyes. ¡°Tsk.¡± Zhao Anqi scoffed and walked into the living room. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come in.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a frown as he looked at Xiao Shengyun, who was still hesitating outside the door. Upon hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice, Xiao Shengyun shivered uncontrollably. He quickly walked in. ¡®No wonder Grandpa said that killing a person could be the end, but planting fear in a person¡¯s heart is the best way to destroy them.¡¯ Looking at Xiao Shengyun¡¯s disheveled state, Zhou Mingrui could not help but remark silently. The four of them sat down together. However, no one spoke and the atmosphere became awkwardly silent. Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He spoke up, ¡°We can¡¯t just stare at one another like this, so I¡¯ll start first.¡± Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze on him, Zhou Mingrui cleared his throat and said, ¡°Since the Academy has arranged for us to be teammates, we should let go of any past grudges and cooperate sincerely for the team competition! This is not only for the sake of our victory, but also for our own future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve made myself clear. If you guys have any problems, voice them now and let¡¯s resolve them as soon as possible!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Anqi said, ¡°I have no problem with that. I¡¯ll follow your orders.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t expect Zhao Anqi to be so good at reading the situation. However, she continued, ¡°But I have a condition!¡± Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue exchanged a look. Indeed, things won¡¯t just go their way that easily. ¡°My condition is that you have to let me borrow Zhou Mingrui for a week after the competition,¡± Zhao Anqi announced. ¡°No!¡± Yan Wuyue refused directly. ¡°Then don¡¯t expect me to give you an easy time!¡± Zhao Anqi snorted and looked away. Zhou Mingrui was speechless at the suddenly tense atmosphere. He had just agreed to let Yan Wuyue handle Zhao Anqi, but she somehow managed to end the conversation with a single sentence. After some thought, Zhou Mingrui turned to Zhao Anqi and asked, ¡°What do you need me to do in that week?¡± Zhao Anqi glanced at Yan Wuyue and replied, ¡°In a week¡¯s time, the Zhao family will be having a family gathering. The elites of the Zhao family from all over the world will all be there.¡± ¡°When the time comes, there will be comparisons and even competitions between them to compete for the next year¡¯s distribution of resources.¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°How come I remember that your family¡¯s assets were earned by your father instead?¡± he asked. Zhao Anqi sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right. My father¡¯s assets were earned by himself. Soon after that, the family¡¯s main branch came and asked him to return to the family. Otherwise, with their powerful connections, they could have easily bankrupted my father¡¯s company anytime.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s furrowed brows finally relaxed when she heard this. Zhou Mingrui continued to ask, ¡°But I¡¯m not a part of the Zhao family after all. I can help you this one time, but I can¡¯t be there to help you forever.¡± Zhao Anqi replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I only asked you because they decided to let us host the gathering this time. Also, this gathering only happens once every three years, my father hasn¡¯t even started his business the last time this happened.¡± ¡°I just need you to help us this time. I¡¯m confident that with my talent, I can succeed by myself in three years time.¡± Zhou Mingrui turned to look at Yan Wuyue, who looked deep in thought. ¡°You guys won¡¯t be helping us for free. My father will offer you a hefty reward as appreciation. I promise we won¡¯t treat you shabbily.¡± Noticing Yan Wuyue¡¯s uncertainty, she continued to emphasize, ¡°If you reject me, then I have no choice but to recuperate and avoid the team battle in two days.¡± At this moment, Yan Wuyue, who had been silent throughout, said, ¡°Alright, I accept your conditions, but I have additional conditions for myself too!¡± ¡°What conditions?¡± Zhao Anqi raised an eyebrow. ¡°First of all, apart from the mission¡¯s requirements, you cannot force Zhou Mingrui to do anything he doesn¡¯t want to do.¡± ¡°Secondly, you can only treat Zhou Mingrui as an assistant. You can¡¯t do anything to him that is out of line for your relationship.¡± ¡°Lastly, if I ever have an emergency, I should have the right to summon him to help me first. Of course, I¡¯ll compensate you with more time with him if this happens.¡± As Yan Wuyue explained, Zhao Anqi frowned again. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll just forget about it as well. I¡¯m still the champion of the individual competition, so I probably won¡¯t be eliminated anyway. You guys, on the other hand¡­¡± Zhao Anqi was a little taken aback by Yan Wuyue¡¯s firm attitude, but after thinking about it, she nodded in agreement. ¡°Xiao Shengyun, what do you say?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Xiao Shengyun, who had been silent since he came in. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Xiao Shengyun looked up and replied slowly. His face was pale and his tone was full of fatigue and dejectedness. ¡°You¡¯re still bearing grudges from before?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. Xiao Shengyun explained, ¡°After my battle with you, I discovered many problems with myself. I need to tackle them personally through cultivation, and I can¡¯t do that with any outsiders¡¯ help. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be helpful during the team competition.¡± Zhou Mingrui tried to persuade him, ¡°Well, the competition doesn¡¯t affect your cultivation. You can always cultivate after the team fight. Besides, you¡¯ll be compensated sufficiently.¡± Shaking his head, Xiao Shengyun said bitterly, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it. You wrecked my body.¡± Chapter 79 - Illusion and Reality Illusion and Reality ¡°!!!!¡± The next moment, three Zhou Mingrui¡¯s appeared before of the three of them. It happened so abruptly that they did not even see how it happened. ¡°Wow, this is amazing!¡± Zhao Anqi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration. The Zhou Mingrui in front of her almost looked as if he had a real tangible body. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes also twinkled. She understood that this ability would be very useful in a battle, as it could create opportunities for many kinds of tactical combinations. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do this?¡± Xiao Shengyun asked with a frown. ¡°First, although you can copy other people¡¯s skills, you are not familiar with the principle of the skill itself,¡± Zhou Mingrui commented indifferently. ¡°The principle?¡± Xiao Shengyun looked thoughtful. Zhou Mingrui continued, ¡°It¡¯s like forging a blade. You¡¯ve only learned how to forge the same blade after watching the ironsmith do it, but ironsmith knows the principle behind the forging of any blade. He can use this principle to create another blade, or even improve it to forge an even better blade.¡± ¡°To sum it up, you know how it is formed, but you don¡¯t know why it is formed. This is the difference between us.¡± ¡°You only know the effects of the Phantom Prison, but you didn¡¯t know that the energy in the Phantom Prison is also phantom energy, which is a power that you could have made use of.¡± With a whoosh, the three Zhou Mingrui¡¯s suddenly brandished their fists and attacked. The powerful stance made everyone except Yan Wuyue dodge subconsciously. However, the fist turned into a semi-shadow halfway through the swing, and felt just like a cloud of mist blowing past. Nothing touched them at all. ¡°But at that time, you could clearly turn illusions into reality and directly shatter my bone armor.¡± Xiao Shengyun quickly followed up with another question. ¡°Like this?¡± Zhou Mingrui appeared in front of Xiao Shengyun again. Just like before, he threw a punch at him. The intense attack still prompted Xiao Shengyun to make a subconscious reaction. However, he suppressed his intuitive reactions and stared at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shadow. In the split of a second, Xiao Shengyun felt a change in the shadow. It was no longer a shadow, but Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actual body! ¡°Strictly speaking, this is just an elaborate smokescreen.¡± The fist stopped in front of Xiao Shengyun. Zhou Mingrui retracted his hand and continued to explain, ¡°While you concluded that my shadow was actually a shadow, my real body had already switched places with the shadow using the power of the Phantom Prison.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s original position on the sofa. Sitting there, his figure was swaying slightly. Indeed, it was only a shadow on the sofa. The real Zhou Mingrui leaned forward to flick Xiao Shengyun on his forehead. However, when his finger was about to touch his forehead, it turned into a shadow again. Upon hearing Xiao Shengyun¡¯s accusation, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Don¡¯t f¡±cking talk nonsense. What do you mean ¡®wrecked your body¡¯?!¡± Zhao Anqi and Yan Wuyue turned to Zhou Mingrui with a strange look, as if they were wondering: ¡°When did you start to like men?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Zhou Mingrui dashed towards Xiao Shengyun, grabbed his collar and said angrily, ¡°If you have something to say, say it clearly. Don¡¯t make weird and vague comments like that!¡± ¡°Please let go of me first,¡± Xiao Shengyun said helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui released his grip. ¡°There. Now let¡¯s talk it out.¡± ¡°From my perspective, you kind of look like those guilty jerks who are afraid of getting exposed for committing some unacceptable deeds.¡± Yan Wuyue covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°Yeah, yeah, definitely!¡± Zhao Anqi chimed in. Zhou Mingrui was dumbfounded. He glared at Xiao Shengyun with anger burning in his eyes. Xiao Shengyun shivered under his death glare and quickly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I fight with you before? After you pulled me into the Phantom Prison, I couldn¡¯t even defend against your unpredictable attacks.¡± ¡°Every attack from you felt like a sharp knife stabbing into my heart, slowly pulling me into the hopeless darkness.¡± ¡°You completely crushed my confidence. I went back and kept trying to figure out how I should have countered those attacks, but even now, I have no idea.¡± ¡°When I saw you just now, I realized that I no longer have any fighting spirit left in me, and the energy in my body refuses to even budge now.¡± After listening to Xiao Shengyun¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui fell silent. Yan Wuyue, who was present during the battle, gave him a deep look. Zhao Anqi was confused but equally curious about what happened. However, she refrained from commenting anything due to the heavy atmosphere. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s combat strategy is indeed impressive. The problem is, if this person had to become his teammate next, then things would get messy.¡± In conclusion, Zhou Mingrui deduced that Xiao Shengyun had PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from their battle. It seems like Xiao Shengyun¡¯s PTSD was especially prominent when Zhou Mingrui was present. It made him feel like a loser, and his psychological cues prevented him from even gathering any of his energy, or worse still, any desire to fight. Zhou Mingrui, who was just complaining that Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t do a good job at handling her teammate, embarrassedly fell into deep thought. The living room became quiet again. About ten minutes later, Zhou Mingrui suddenly turned to Xiao Shengyun and said, ¡°How about this, I can tell you the details of that move and how to defend against it. You should be able to get over your fear after that, right?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if Xiao Shengyun was faking his inability to combat. Zhou Mingrui knew that as long as he could suggest something that satisfied Xiao Shengyun, then the problem should be solved. He believed there was no problem that couldn¡¯t be solved. It just depended on the price one was willing to pay. Xiao Shengyun hesitated at first, then agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. I want to get over this problem as soon as possible too.¡± ¡°What about you two?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue and Zhao Anqi. ¡°I want to experience it too.¡± Zhao Anqi said without hesitation. Yan Wuyue nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. As soon as he said that, the phantom energy in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body began to circulate. The vigorous energy swept out like heavy waves in an ocean and instantly filled the entire living room. The space around the four of them began to twist and warp, and fragments of phantom flames condensed from phantom energy began to appear. ¡°First of all, the basis of the Phantom Prison is very simple. It uses phantom energy to ¡®soak¡¯ the surrounding space, and then turn it into closed-off realm, that is, a Phantom Prison. The energy inside can achieve things that can¡¯t be done in the outside world.¡± ¡°Like this.¡± When he said that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice rang in the three people¡¯s ears. ¡°And like this.¡± The next moment, three Zhou Mingrui¡¯s appeared before of the three of them. It happened so abruptly that they did not even see how it happened. ¡°Wow, this is amazing!¡± Zhao Anqi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration. The Zhou Mingrui in front of her almost looked as if he had a real tangible body. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes also twinkled. She understood that this ability would be very useful in a battle, as it could create opportunities for many kinds of tactical combinations. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do this?¡± Xiao Shengyun asked with a frown. ¡°First, although you can copy other people¡¯s skills, you are not familiar with the principle of the skill itself,¡± Zhou Mingrui commented indifferently. ¡°The principle?¡± Xiao Shengyun looked thoughtful. Zhou Mingrui continued, ¡°It¡¯s like forging a blade. You¡¯ve only learned how to forge the same blade after watching the ironsmith do it, but ironsmith knows the principle behind the forging of any blade. He can use this principle to create another blade, or even improve it to forge an even better blade.¡± ¡°To sum it up, you know how it is formed, but you don¡¯t know why it is formed. This is the difference between us.¡± ¡°You only know the effects of the Phantom Prison, but you didn¡¯t know that the energy in the Phantom Prison is also phantom energy, which is a power that you could have made use of.¡± With a whoosh, the three Zhou Mingrui¡¯s suddenly brandished their fists and attacked. The powerful stance made everyone except Yan Wuyue dodge subconsciously. However, the fist turned into a semi-shadow halfway through the swing, and felt just like a cloud of mist blowing past. Nothing touched them at all. ¡°But at that time, you could clearly turn illusions into reality and directly shatter my bone armor.¡± Xiao Shengyun quickly followed up with another question. ¡°Like this?¡± Zhou Mingrui appeared in front of Xiao Shengyun again. Just like before, he threw a punch at him. The intense attack still prompted Xiao Shengyun to make a subconscious reaction. However, he suppressed his intuitive reactions and stared at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shadow. In the split of a second, Xiao Shengyun felt a change in the shadow. It was no longer a shadow, but Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actual body! ¡°Strictly speaking, this is just an elaborate smokescreen.¡± The fist stopped in front of Xiao Shengyun. Zhou Mingrui retracted his hand and continued to explain, ¡°While you concluded that my shadow was actually a shadow, my real body had already switched places with the shadow using the power of the Phantom Prison.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s original position on the sofa. Sitting there, his figure was swaying slightly. Indeed, it was only a shadow on the sofa. The real Zhou Mingrui leaned forward to flick Xiao Shengyun on his forehead. However, when his finger was about to touch his forehead, it turned into a shadow again. ¡°This is the power of using illusion and reality interchangeably, a master¡¯s manipulation of the advantages of the Phantom Prison.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was previously a shadow on the sofa, had reverted to his true form again. Under the astonished gazes of the other three, he coolly picked up his teacup and took a small sip. Chapter 80 - The Three The Three-Way Conference After retracting the Phantom Prison, the surrounding space returned to its previous state, and everyone came back to their senses. ¡°Amazing. It¡¯s only right that I lose to you.¡± Xiao Shengyun took a deep breath and said, ¡°In the past, I¡¯ve always relied on copying other people¡¯s abilities and attributes, and then using other clever tactics to defeat them.¡± ¡°After listening to you, I realized that I was just a frog at the bottom of a well.¡± Zhou Mingrui put down his teacup and looked at Xiao Shengyun. ¡°Your ability is really strong. I can even confirm that this is one of the strongest abilities I¡¯ve ever seen. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve only touched the surface of it and didn¡¯t even explore your true potential.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like having a mountain of gold and silver, but only using it to buy food for survival.¡± Yan Wuyue, who was sitting next to him, had a look of realization on her face, and then fell into deep thought. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked Xiao Shengyun. ¡°I generally understand what you mean now. All that¡¯s left is to put it into practice.¡± Xiao Shengyun nodded. ¡°You can try it now.¡± Zhou Mingrui gestured. Xiao Shengyun was not an idiot. He knew the hidden meaning behind Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words. He began to put on a live performance. After about 10 minutes of channeling, which nobody could confirm was fake or not, the same phantom energy gushed out, forming the same Phantom Prison that had enveloped the living room previously. Many attempts later, a faint shadow finally appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. As he got more familiar with the manipulation of energy, the outline of shadow became increasingly clear, and finally, it turned into an exact replica of Xiao Shengyun. ¡°No, this is just a surface-level shadow, both of them could easily tell that it¡¯s fake.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head. Xiao Shengyun immediately closed his eyes, and a moment later, his aura was also released from the shadow. ¡°If I don¡¯t closely observe, I really won¡¯t be able to quickly tell if it¡¯s real or fake,¡± Yan Wuyue said after looking at the shadow. ¡°Yes, you need to do some self-training to further improve some details. It¡¯s already pretty impressive to be able to do this much as a beginner,¡± Zhou Mingrui complimented Xiao Shengyun. ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao Shengyun dispersed his shadow and thanked him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, no need to thank me,¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°I¡¯m more curious about your summoned spirit. What kind of spirit lets you copy other people¡¯s attributes and abilities?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay, can you let us see your summoned spirit? After all, we¡¯re going to fight alongside one another soon, and I don¡¯t want to be completely clueless about your abilities.¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s expression changed slightly, and a strange glint flashed past his eyes for a split second. ¡°Of course.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow left Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body and condensed into a group of people on the sofa next to him. ¡°My summoning spirit is called ¡®Shadow¡¯. It can copy the attributes and skills of any life I touch,¡± Xiao Shengyun introduced. ¡°If I recall correctly, your shadow should be able to store multiple copied skills, right?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°Yup, as my level increases, more and more skill storage grids will be opened,¡± Xiao Shengyun continued to explain. ¡°If you don¡¯t replace the skill, will it continue to exist?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiao Shengyun nodded. ¡°Your summoned spirit is so powerful?¡± Zhao Anqi exclaimed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re invincible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong,¡± she continued, ¡°although the skills you copy will always exist, they can only retain the attributes at the moment of duplication, right?¡± Xiao Shengyun smiled bitterly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s the case.¡± Eyeing this scheming fellow, Zhou Mingrui said a little surly, ¡°I¡¯m only cooperating with you because of the upcoming competition. Otherwise, do you think I¡¯d be so nice to deal with?¡± As he spoke, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s aura began to grow stronger, gushing towards Xiao Shengyun. ¡°You can try slacking off during the team competition. You can even deliberately mess with us, but I can guarantee that if you really try that, I¡¯ll make sure to show you what true fear is.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes burned with phantom flames. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s summoned spirit, the black shadow, seemed to have sensed something and immediately retreated back into his body. All Xiao Shengyun sensed from his summoned spirit was intense fear. This was the first time that he had felt such strong emotions from his summoned spirit. Yan Wuyue held down Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and interrupted, ¡°Xiao Shengyun, I know you want to perform well and get into a good Research Institute. Whether it¡¯s for yourself or for others, you should think carefully before you act.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been on your guard ever since you came in, and worst of all, you¡¯ve been trying to play tricks on us.¡± ¡°I can also confidently say that with our abilities, we can choose any of the four major Research Institutes. Even if we mess up the team competition, there won¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°As for you, think about it yourself.¡± ¡°Zhou Mingrui, send him off! He¡¯s not welcome here.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He gave Yan Wuyue a puzzled look, as if to ask, ¡°How could you make me send off a guest?¡± Yan Wuyue raised her eyebrows and gestured with her chin, as if to say, ¡°I can¡¯t be the one doing this, so you should do it.¡± Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to stand up. ¡°Here, please.¡± Xiao Shengyun was silent for a few seconds, then drew in a deep breath and said, ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t hold you guys back in the team competition. I was too selfish before. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± With that, he stood up and bowed to Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue before walking out the door. ¡°He¡¯s been playing tricks from the start. This guy can really act.¡± Glaring at Xiao Shengyun¡¯s departing figure, Zhou Mingrui scoffed and complained. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your first time meeting him?¡± Zhao Anqi was confused. Zhou Mingrui told them about his encounter with Xiao Shengyun in the woods. The two were finally enlightened. ¡°So, he didn¡¯t tell us about his other ability, which is to alter his appearance?¡± Yan Wuyue frowned. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s why I got angry and exposed this guy for putting on a show since he arrived. I couldn¡¯t stand him,¡± Zhou Mingrui snorted. ¡°Wow, if he¡¯s really like that, his whole existence seems to be a performance. What an impressive talent!¡± Zhao Anqi exclaimed. ¡°Compared to this guy, my relatives are way too lame!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I used to think that my relatives were super disgusting for being fake. Now, I just find them so pure and kind in comparison to Xiao Shengyun.¡± Yan Wuyue laughed at Zhao Anqi¡¯s exaggerated yelling, ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you¡¯ve seen too little. When you step into society, you¡¯ll realize that there are many situations in this world that you can¡¯t imagine.¡± Zhao Anqi chuckled, ¡°Zhou Mingrui, I suddenly feel like my conditions were a little too simple just now. Why don¡¯t we discuss it again? For example, we can add an additional week?¡± ¡°No!¡± Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue rejected simultaneously. Chapter 81 - Being Targeted Being Targeted ¡°Fine, fine. What¡¯s with the big reaction?¡± Zhao Anqi pursed her lips and grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m going to be helping you guys for the team competition, but you¡¯re not even willing to fulfil my simple conditions.¡± Zhou Mingrui retorted rather fiercely, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, we can terminate our contract right now. You can do whatever you want for the team competition!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhao Anqi hurriedly said, ¡°Please don¡¯t. I was just kidding. Don¡¯t mind me and my jokes~.¡± Thinking about her annoying relatives, Zhao Anqi shuddered disdainfully and quickly tried to smooth things over with the two of them. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop joking around. It¡¯s time to focus on our general strategy and coordination for tomorrow¡¯s competition.¡± Yan Wuyue interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything. I¡¯ll just do whatever you guys ask me to do. Unlike you, I don¡¯t have the brains to be a combat commander.¡± Zhao Anqi shrugged. She had witnessed Yan Wuyue¡¯s capability and commanding ability in the secret realm. She¡¯s not dumb enough to try and steal the limelight from someone this strong. Yan Wuyue nodded, satisfied with Zhao Anqi¡¯s self-awareness. She continued, ¡°Okay, in that case, I¡¯ll be leading the battle tomorrow. As for Xiao Shengyun, he should be able to realize the best course of action for himself soon.¡± After Zhao Anqi left, Yan Wuyue sat down and continued, ¡°Everyone¡¯s gone, but there¡¯s one more thing I have to say.¡± Zhou Mingrui was lying on the sofa with his legs crossed casually. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong,¡± Yan Wuyue speculated, ¡°the school will target us in the team competition this time.¡± ¡°Target us?¡± Zhou Mingrui sat up and asked curiously. After taking a sip of milk, Yan Wuyue continued, ¡°Yes, giving Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun to us is already a sign. Then, they will probably strategically group up people with complementing abilities to compete with us.¡± ¡°Of course, this is just my own speculations. With our capability, I¡¯m sure we can easily win the team competition even if we face restrictions.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s deduction process was very rational. ¡°But isn¡¯t the purpose of this team competition to show our leadership and mental capacity? Why would the Academy do this to us?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°Is there a contradiction between these two goals?¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head. ¡°We showed them our overwhelming dominance during the individual competition. Of course they had to secretly change some things to make the team competition less boring,¡± Yan Wuyue said confidently. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, why would they still put Xiao Shengyun in our team? With his ability, he could still cause us some trouble if they put him in other teams.¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re mistaken. If Xiao Shengyun were to be placed in another team, with the way you completely crushed him in the previous match, wouldn¡¯t that just be like feeding us?¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhou Mingrui realized. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that our team is going to be everyone¡¯s target in this team competition?¡± The corners of Yan Wuyue¡¯s mouth curled up, and her confident expression became more obvious. She smiled and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong about this, the school might even change the rules and rewards of the competition for us. Maybe at this moment, other candidates have already received the notice that defeating our group will give them additional points.¡± Zhou Mingrui was astounded. ¡°That can¡¯t be. That¡¯s a little too much.¡± Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes and said, ¡°How else do you want the other candidates to willingly go on with the competition? They might as well just surrender if they see us. Saves them the suffering, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed, ¡°You said that this was just your speculation, but it seems like you¡¯re pretty sure about it.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s wait and see how they¡¯re going to mess with us tomorrow.¡± Yan Wuyue got up and walked to Zhou Mingrui. She patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Be good tomorrow. Don¡¯t fool around. Otherwise, things might get troublesome.¡± Zhou Mingrui waved her off. ¡°I know. I know.¡± ¡­ ¡°I believe all of you are done reading through the revised rules of the team competition. What are your thoughts?¡± In a conference room, everyone in charge of the competition was present, including the referees. On the table, in front of each person, was a notice about the changes in rules and terms of the team competition. ¡°Vice Dean, aren¡¯t these changes and new regulations too much? They¡¯re obviously targeted at Yan Wuyue,¡± one of the referees asked. ¡°If we don¡¯t make any changes, isn¡¯t this team competition going to be useless?¡± The Vice Dean knocked on the table and questioned back. ¡°But if it¡¯s so obvious, anyone with eyes can tell. I¡¯m afraid people will talk,¡± another teacher said worriedly. ¡°Anyone with eyes?¡± The Dean, who was beside the Vice Dean, asserted, ¡°Who didn¡¯t notice the overpowering strength of Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit from the individual competition? Why don¡¯t you ask her to drop out of the team competition instead? ¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The teacher was at a loss for words. Another teacher chimed in and asked, ¡°Vice Dean and Dean, I agree with your opinions. However, why didn¡¯t we randomize the groupings? Manipulating the team members in the group seems a little¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to say that this is unfair to the candidates?¡± the Vice Dean snorted. The teacher nodded. ¡°Then have you ever considered this?¡± the Dean continued, ¡°If they were randomly grouped and met Yan Wuyue¡¯s team, wouldn¡¯t they have even less room to perform?¡± The teacher was stunned. The Dean¡¯s argument kind of made sense. ¡°We are being responsible to those students here,¡± the Vice Dean continued, ¡°We are giving them a chance to fully display their abilities in front of scouts from the Research Institutes.¡± Hahaha. A researcher from one of the Research Institutes cut in, ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to argue much over this. I can assure you that Yan Wuyue might, no, she should have already figured out that you are planning to do something to her tomorrow.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to worry at all. Just directly announce everything tomorrow.¡± Another researcher laughed and said, ¡°Yes, we understand that the Academy has good intentions. Just go ahead with your plans, we are interested to see how far this Yan Wuyue can go.¡± ¡°Not just us, I assume the four of you don¡¯t have any objections as well, right?¡± Everyone turned to looked at the four chairs on the other end of the conference room, where the four well-dressed scouts from the Research Institutes were seated at. Ten minutes later, all the candidates participating in the team competition received a message on their mobile phones. [Any participating teams who can cause a certain level of trouble for Yan Wuyue¡¯s team will receive a generous gift from the Academy, regardless of the outcome of the match.] [The candidates who can inflict any heavy damage to Yan Wuyue¡¯s team will receive prizes of equal value to the top three, regardless of whether they enter the top five ranks.] [If you defeat Yan Wuyue¡¯s team, you¡¯ll immediately win the first place of this team competition. You¡¯ll also get double of the first place rewards, and additional rewards from the Academy.] The message instantly caused an uproar within the candidates. They quickly contacted their teammates and began detailed and close discussions in preparation for the next day. Even those who were originally hostile towards each other, facing the temptation of huge rewards, decided to put aside any grudges and began to work together. Chapter 82 - One Versus a Hundred? One Versus a Hundred? Every single student was delirious with excitement for the upcoming team competition. They didn¡¯t expect that the Academy would make such a decision just because of one student, but at the same time, the exception seemed reasonable enough for them. Compared to the other students, Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit are simply on another level, no matter in the mystic realm or in the individual competition. If the rules remained the same, Yan Wuyue would probably easily steamroll everyone else in the team competition again. Although the notification wasn¡¯t sent to Yan Wuyue¡¯s team, Zhao Anqi had many lackeys who were more than willing to share their information with her. Merely three seconds after the other candidates received the notification, Zhao Anqi received the relayed message from one of her lackeys. ¡°Oh my god, the Academy is f*cked up. This is a next level of manipulation!¡± Zhao Anqi cursed under her breath and quickly forwarded the message to the group. However, she received no reply. ¡°Zhou Mingrui!¡± In the dormitory, after reading the forwarded message, Yan Wuyue called out to Zhou Mingrui, who had just woken up from his nap. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s too early in the morning to be making a fuss¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed his eyes as he groggily walked down the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s almost afternoon, I can¡¯t believe you call this early. You must be confused from sleeping too much!¡± Yan Wuyue was infuriated at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s laziness. ¡°I¡¯m just conserving my energy for the competition tomorrow. What¡¯s wrong with sleeping a little more?¡± Zhou Mingrui yawned as he walked towards Yan Wuyue. ¡°See for yourself!¡± Yan Wuyue begrudgingly smacked her phone onto his hand. Zhou Mingrui took a lazy glance at the screen and immediately perked up. ¡°Is there something wrong with the organizers¡¯ brains? They don¡¯t have to target us this severely. They are literally making us the public enemy of the entire cohort!¡± Zhou Mingrui complained. ¡°Honestly, I think this is quite reasonable.¡± Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, was very calm about the situation. ¡°No way, you call this reasonable?¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. ¡°They might as well make us fight everyone altogether.¡± ¡°Actually, this was what I thought might happen at first. But after some thought, I assumed that they still had some decency, so I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Yan Wuyue took a sip of her coffee. She couldn¡¯t help but smirk at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s exasperated expression. ¡°How could you still laugh? What are we going to do about our plan now?¡± Zhou Mingrui sat down across from Yan Wuyue and poured himself a glass of water. ¡°Plans can never keep up with changes. So, we should just change our plan.¡± Yan Wuyue said casually. Zhou Mingrui let out a little sigh. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t afraid of being targeted at all. He was simply unhappy about the unjustness shown by the Academy. ¡°Alright, since you already have a plan in mind, I won¡¯t make any more comments. We¡¯ll have to fight people anyway.¡± Zhou Mingrui put his arms over his head. Laying on the sofa made him feel like dozing off again. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t be too surprised if the Academy decides to change the competition rules at the last minute,¡± Yan Wuyue warned as she put down her teacup. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t have to fight everyone at the same time, how bad can it be?¡± Zhou Mingrui dismissed. ¡°They won¡¯t make us do it directly, but there are always ways to allow it indirectly. For example¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Damn, you were right!¡± ¡°They really want us to take on everyone at one go!¡± After listening to the referee¡¯s briefing, Zhou Mingrui was appalled. However, he quickly recovered his composure. The arrangement of the team competition had changed. The first round had become a free-for-all elimination brawl. Anybody left in the ring after the fifteenth minute mark would qualify for the next round. ¡°As expected from the Academy. Don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and said calmly. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really impressed that you can still keep your composure in this situatio,¡± Zhao Anqi commented, amazed at Yan Wuyue¡¯s calmness. Although the team competition didn¡¯t include as many candidates as the individual competition, there were still more than 800 of them. Not counting their summoned spirits, three of them would have to face nearly three hundred people each. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to do this anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter how we feel about it, so there¡¯s no point in being angry.¡± Yan Wuyue had a great mindset. ¡°But how are we going to do this? Everyone is going to come for us!¡± Xiao Shengyun asked. ¡°Instead of them coming for us, why don¡¯t we take the initiative to go for them?¡± Yan Wuyue pointed out indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re right. If they dare to come for us, they should be prepared to be crushed by us too!¡± Zhou Mingrui was no longer worried. Since the Academy has already made the announcement officially, he might as well accept whatever that comes his way. Yan Wuyue clapped her hands together and looked at Zhao Anqi first. ¡°Alright, our strategy this time is pretty simple. Zhao Anqi, your summoned spirit has the ability to fly, so you will be in charge of the enemies behind us and in the sky. Xiao Shengyun will back you up if necessary.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded. Yan Wuyue turned to Xiao Shengyun next. ¡°You have duplicated Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attributes and abilities. Apart from him, you are the strongest here now. Therefore, you will be responsible for the enemies on both sides. If necessary, you should be ready to back up Zhao Anqi.¡± ¡°And if Zhao Anqi happens to need your help, as the person in the middle, I¡¯ll fill in the your position. As for our front, Zhou Mingrui will double as our defense and offense!¡± ¡°Remember, the purpose of this formation is to ensure that Zhou Mingrui can maximize the effects of our attacks. Everything has to revolve around and adapt to his decisions. Understand?¡± Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun looked at each other and nodded. They understood that Yan Wuyue¡¯s arrangement was the most reasonable in this situation, and there was no need to doubt the expert. After deciding on their strategy, the team finally entered the arena. The arena for this round was different from the previous ones, no matter in size or material. It was obvious that it had been modified to withstand more damage in the past few days. Sure enough, all eyes were on them as the team walked up into the arena. Yan Wuyue and her team felt those pressurizing gazes. However, apart from Zhao Anqi, who was slightly nervous, the others behaved as if they had not noticed the pressure at all. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. In my eyes, they just look like a bunch of useless potatoes. Just make sure to protect yourself during the fight later. I will help you if you get into trouble.¡± Xiao Shengyun could sense Zhao Anqi¡¯s restlessness, so he attempted to comfort her. ¡°What, are you trying to hit on me?¡± Zhao Anqi gave Xiao Shengyun a side eye. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong, just not as good looking as Zhou Mingrui. You¡¯ll have to work way harder if you want to chase me.¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to explain himself, but then decided to just shut up instead. ¡°What, are you embarrassed?¡± Zhao Anqi laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although I like Zhou Mingrui, you can still pursue me. Who knows, I might suddenly change my mind.¡± ¡­ Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face started to twitch. Chapter 83 - : Toy Car? Armored Car? Toy Car? Armored Car? ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Be brave and express your feelings! Although I won¡¯t accept them, I might give you a few flirting tips if I happen to be in a good mood,¡± Zhao Anqi coyly said as she nudged Xiao Shengyun on the chest with her elbow. ¡°I don¡¯t need it, thank you,¡± Xiao Shengyun said, trying to suppress his unfriendly emotions. He should have just kept his words to himself! ¡°Tsk, one look and I can tell you¡¯re a virgin. You just missed a great opportunity. I just know that your road to becoming attached will be extremely long and difficult in the future~.¡± After horribly insulting his lack of experience in a certain domain, Zhao Anqi turned away and ignored Xiao Shengyun. When Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui heard that, their shoulders trembled violently as they tried to hold back their laughter. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face darkened completely. But since the competition was about to start, he couldn¡¯t just lose his temper at his teammates. With a gloomy mood, he could only turn to stare at his opponents with an unfriendly gaze. Now, it was the other students¡¯ turn to be depressed. Even though they had an advantage in numbers, they somehow felt like Yan Wuyue¡¯s team was looking at them like they were looking at cats, no, it was like tigers looking at sheep. ¡°The free-for-all elimination round begins now!¡± As soon as the referee announced the start of the round, everyone moved. Synchronously, they all went for Yan Wuyue¡¯s team. All sorts of summoned spirits appeared beside them. ¡°Charge!¡± Within a split second, Zhou Mingrui equipped his bone armor and wielded his burning Nether Flame Bone Blade. The phantom energy around him churned restlessly as he charged towards the opponents. Instead of avoiding blows and getting attacked for nothing, he would rather be the one attacking these people and making them terrified of him! Yan Wuyue followed closely behind, surrounded by stars and moon energy, holding her long spear in hand. Beside her, Xiao Shengyun was also wearing a bone armor. However, it was a completely different style from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s. The latter was more inspired by the heavy infantry armor, the pinnacle of ancient Chinese armor in his previous life. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s bone armor, on the other hand, was more like a smooth whole piece. Enveloped by phantom energy, he was a short distance behind Yan Wuyue. Zhao Anqi summoned her birdman spirit. With her summoned spirit, she easily fly into the air and snipe at the enemy from a vantage point. The other students totally did not expect that Yan Wuyue¡¯s team dared to directly launch a counterattack instead of avoiding the mass attack. They were simply out of their minds! Immediately, those with long-range abilities saw the chance to launch their attacks at the team. The team faced various sorts of physical, energy, and element combination attacks. As these overwhelming attacks approached, Zhou Mingrui let out a low grunt. A gigantic shield that could cover his entire body immediately appeared. He further enhanced it with a thick layer of phantom energy. Immediately after, countless attacks collided onto the shield. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s forward momentum was momentarily halted by the collision. However, as the phantom energy in his body surged, he once again charged forward fearlessly. Witnessing such a vicious scene, regardless of whether they were students in the arena or the spectators outside of the arena, everyone had their mouths agape. A single person actually managed to withstand the joint attack of so many people, and even launch a counterattack. Zhou Mingrui was truly terrifying! ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Hurry up and keep attacking!¡± One of the students shouted at those who were still watching. This caused many of them to snap back to their senses and join in the siege. The next second, Zhou Mingrui was forced to stop in his tracks once again. The barrage of attacks even began to damage the arena ground beneath his feet. However, the arena, which had obviously been specially modified for this fight, only showed a few cracks even under this level of bombarding. Some of the students attempted to attack from the air, but Zhao Anqi was already there waiting for them. She seized the opportunity and instantly knocked out the weaker students with her summoned spirit. However, although summoned spirits with flying abilities were rare, they were up against a large number of people after all. Dozens of students with the ability to fly rose to the sky. They did not go after Zhou Mingrui. Instead, they targeted Zhao Anqi. Since they were unable to burst through Zhou Mingrui¡¯s defense quickly, they decided to eliminate his teammates first. After that, the rest should be easy to deal with. It was unlikely for anyone who could qualify for the Heavenly Saint Academy to be a fool. Even if they didn¡¯t communicate with one another beforehand, they still subconsciously cooperated in their attacks. At an instant, a substantial portion of the attacks headed towards Zhao Anqi, sealing off all of her escape routes. ¡°Xiao Shengyun!¡± Yan Wuyue growled. At the same time, Xiao Shengyun had already formed a bone longbow in his hand, and his surging phantom energy immediately concentrated onto the bow. As he advanced with the team, he raised his longbow and aimed with a phantom arrow. Releasing the bowstring several times, the phantom arrows burst out, whistling through the air and directly heading for the attacks on Zhao Anqi. Physical attacks or energy attacks alike were all shattered by Xiao Shengyun¡¯s phantom arrows, which continued to pierce forward. Xiao Shengyun was like a cannon, releasing arrows one after another. Him alone managed to reach an offensive scale of a whole team of archers. With Xiao Shengyun¡¯s help, most of the powerful attacks were taken apart, and the remaining ones were not a threat to Zhao Anqi anymore. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui had already charged to the frontlines of the students. The giant bone shield in his hand sent several students and their summoned spirits flying. Pulling the bone shield back, the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his other hand immediately slashed out. The phantom energy on the blade formed an energy blade, directly blasting away three students blocking his path. Zhou Mingrui took half a step forward and retracted his blade. Simultaneously, he swung his bone shield forward again, blocking all the attacks that came at him. Like a god of war, Zhou Mingrui charged into the crowd. Nobody could defend against him for more than two strikes. It was like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep. His ferocious blows tore down literally anybody¡¯s defense. Many students wanted to attack them from the side, but they had to face Xiao Shengyun, whose attributes were duplicated from Zhou Mingrui. Although he wasn¡¯t as vicious as Zhou Mingrui, Xiao Shengyun could easily send anyone flying with a blow and still keep up with the pace of the team. On the other hand, Zhao Anqi vigilantly dealt with the attacks and enemies from the air. Those that she could not deal with were settled by Xiao Shengyun. The second any breach in defense occurred, Yan Wuyue would instantly take over. The team was like an armored vehicle moving at high speed. They rampaged through the crowd of students without hesitation and continued to make their way further and further inwards. As Zhou Mingrui charged forward, the number of students in the arena was decreasing at a visible rate. It was impossible to stop this situation. Chapter 84 - A Fierce Battle Instructor A Battle with a Teacher ¡°The difference in strength between both sides is too big. Apart from the girl with a good figure, the rest of Yan Wuyue¡¯s team don¡¯t act like in experienced freshmen at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I almost thought I was watching graduates abuse elementary school students. This is a battle on a completely different level.¡± ¡°Do you think Yan Wuyue¡¯s team will annihilate everyone within fifteen minutes and win the team competition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Let¡¯s see how long they can drag this out. I don¡¯t think anyone can actually defeat Yan Wuyue¡¯s team, but maybe they could at least stop them.¡± ¡°I think so too. Right now, there are just too many people in the arena and most of them don¡¯t know each other. They are can¡¯t cooperate smoothly with each other during battle, and their lack of coordination may even cause greater confusion.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. We¡¯ll know when there are fewer people.¡± The atmosphere was very different at the seats belonging to the Research Institute scouts. ¡°After all, they are all elites recruited by the Heavenly Saint Academy. They can¡¯t all be so incompetent. For now, they are just trying to adapt to the confusion.¡± ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s only in this situation that we can evaluate the candidates¡¯ ability to adapt and make immediate decisions. Their true mental capacity and training value can then be assessed.¡± ¡°Yan Wuyue is probably unaware that while we¡¯re testing her, we¡¯re also using her to test the candidates. After all, the knife testing stone must be hard enough to truly test the sharpness and toughness of the knife.¡± ¡°Actually, I think she already knew. Look at their formation. It¡¯s like they¡¯re completely prepared for this.¡± ¡°From the evaluation report, Yan Wuyue¡¯s comprehensive combat evaluation score is very high. Whether it¡¯s combat IQ or combat skills, she is one of the best, even when compared to all the students over the years.¡± ¡°Seems like everyone¡¯s already thinking about how to recruit her. I might as well try and find some unpolished jades among the other students. Even if I can¡¯t get Yan Wuyue, I¡¯ll get some promising students first.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s pretty unusual, old Lu. You haven¡¯t even given it a shot and you¡¯re already giving up.¡± ¡°Mind your own business, haha. I like to be prepared for different situations.¡± ¡­.. Ignoring the comments from the crowd, the students in the arena were already in a complete mess. Many of them were sent flying the instant they were hit by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack, and they immediately lost consciousness. Meanwhile, rescue teachers at the side of the arena quickly made their moves and rushed to the side of those students at lightning speed. These students were then carried away from the arena for medical treatment. Although the scene appeared very chaotic, with the skillfulness of the teachers, they could easily slip into any gaps in the battle, such that their movements would not affect any parties. This level of battle is simply child¡¯s play for them. . However, accidents will always happen. A group of students, unclear if they were having a mental breakdown or if they did it on purpose, after witnessing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ferocity, stopped dead in their advancing tracks. Their retreating actions blocked the path of one of the rescue teachers, forcing her to change her direction midway. However, at the same time, Zhou Mingrui also changed his attacking direction as he noticed the change in the crowd. Yet, he was unaware of the rescue teacher¡¯s movements. After he confirmed his new direction, his phantom energy surged and he immediately accelerated. ¡°Wait!¡± The rescue teacher noticed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sudden increase in speed and was alarmed. Initially, she had estimated Zhou Mingrui¡¯s speed and believed that she could easily dodge his attack if any accidents were to happen. However, she did not expect him to be able to boost his speed again. The student she was supposed to rescue was not far ahead, and with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sudden speed burst, she could no longer dodge the incoming attack. In the split of a second, the rescue teacher made a decision. Her body began to glow as she released the ability of her summoned spirit in preparation for Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack. A large amount of earth instantly covered her whole body, forming a solid stone armor. This was the ability of the pangolin-like summoned spirit on her shoulder ¨C earth manipulation. She had heard of Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit, and she knew that Yan Wuyue was an exceptionally powerful freshman. However, no matter how strong Yan Wuyue was, she was still a first year student. The rescue teacher was two and a half levels higher than Yan Wuyue, so she believed she could easily defend against Yan Wuyue¡¯s attack, no matter the situation. When Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack arrived, the rescue teacher immediately knew that she underestimated them. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t bother to check who the person in front of him was. He ferociously charged forward with his bone shield. With his attributes, an ordinary freshman without enhancement from a defense or strength-type summoned spirit would definitely be sent flying from one hit. After a loud bang, a puzzled look appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face His attacks, which had always been invincible, were actually blocked. Moreover, he could sense that the other person didn¡¯t get sent flying either. Without hesitation, Zhou Mingrui pulled his shield back. The Nether Flame Bone Blade in his other hand was already imbued with phantom energy as he slashed forward. ¡°This b*stard doesn¡¯t even look at his opponent?¡± At this moment, the rescue teacher was so frustrated that she wanted to beat Zhou Mingrui up. She did not have the time to yell for him to stop, so all she could do was to once again defend against his attack. As expected of a teacher representing the Academy, an earth shield immediately formed on her arm, blocking Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade in the nick of the time. The rescue teacher was confident that, although the shield was formed in a hurry, it could at least withstand the attack of an opponent of the same level once before shattering. However, unexpectedly, her shield shattered the moment Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade made contact. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The rescue teacher was stunned and instinctively activated her skill. [Earth Armor] A brown light flashed, and the originally thin layer of earth armor on her turned into material as hard as steel. Clang! Zhou Mingrui felt a tremendous counterforce as his blade struck the earth armor, forcing him to stop in his tracks. ¡°We¡¯ve encountered a tough one!¡± As this thought flashed across Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind, he immediately activated his skill, [Phantom Riot]. In a chaotic battle, stopping was the last thing one should do, because that would mean being surrounded and drowned by countless enemies. The moment the skill was activated, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was immediately enveloped by phantom energy, which produced a glowing light that radiated and spread around his body. ¡°This little b*stard is actually using a skill. Doesn¡¯t he know who the person in front of him is?¡± When the rescue teacher saw that Zhou Mingrui had actually activated his skill, she was about to voice out her identity. However, Zhou Mingrui did not waste any time to launch another attack. His Nether Flame Bone Blade, with increased speed and strength, slashed out, cutting off the words of the rescue teacher. Chapter 85 - A Full Forced Attack A Full Forced Attack ¡°Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit is that powerful?¡± ¡°Yeah, even a teacher is on the defending end. That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°You guys know nothing. This is because the teacher can¡¯t use her full strength when her mission is to rescue other students. Otherwise, at her level, she could easily defeat that summoned spirit.¡± ¡°But even so, would you be able to achieve Yan Wuyue¡¯s level if it were you?¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s just unreasonable!¡± ¡­ Apart from the students¡¯ exclamations, the researchers were also in shock. ¡°It must be the adrenaline, he¡¯s so worked up that he can¡¯t even recognize the teacher.¡± ¡°Although that teacher is only at platinum grade and about level 60, it¡¯s impossible for a student that hasn¡¯t reached gold grade to deal with her. ¡°So, seems like Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit has the strength to fight above his level?¡± ¡°Sigh, he¡¯s performing so well. We¡¯ll have to change our rewards again. Otherwise, how are we going to win him over? This guy is really giving us a headache.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re in pain and happy at the same time?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just continue watching, I¡¯m very curious about the potential of Yan Wuyue¡¯s team!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the arena, with most of their attention put on Zhou Mingrui and the teacher. The rescue teacher was taken aback by the attack. She never expected Zhou Mingrui to be so aggressive, and was forced to take a couple of steps back from the impact. ¡°My main task now is to rescue the students. I can¡¯t waste too much time with him.¡± The rescue teacher did not return the attacks because she was more focused on her mission. Her figure flashed across the arena as she sped up to rescue the unconscious student. However, Zhou Mingrui, who was practically invincible before this, suddenly had awoken his desire to fight because of the rescue teacher. Seeing that she was about to leave, he immediately activated his Phantom Prison, and threads of phantom energy instantly appeared in the surrounding space. The rescue teacher¡¯s expression darkened. How can he be like this? She didn¡¯t even want to fight with him anymore, and he actually decided to use his domain to trap her? With a buzz, the rescue teacher¡¯s energy surged, and the energy belonging to a rank above level 60 erupted. She could not allow Zhou Mingrui to complete his domain. Otherwise, there would be no end to her trouble. She could forcefully break through his domain, but that would have an irreversible impact on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s condition during the competition. On the other hand, Zhou Mingrui got a shock when he felt the intense energy from his unknown opponent. However, he could not cancel the Phantom Prison once it had been activated, even if he wanted to. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m still too late!¡± As the teacher was ready to burst out before the domain was complete, she found that the surrounding area had already changed and had been completely sealed off by phantom energy. Several other students who were affected were stunned, but they immediately realized that they had fallen into the domain. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± Behind him, Yan Wuyue could not help but cover her face in embarrassment. She had been focused on observing her surroundings and did not pay much attention to the front, as she was confident in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ability to deal with any incoming problems. It was only when she suddenly felt the powerful energy fluctuation, that she realized that the opponent was actually a teacher. Just as she was about to stop him, Zhou Mingrui had already used his domain to confine the teacher. ¡°Uh¡­ How am I supposed to know that there would be other people in the arena?¡± Zhou Mingrui protested meekly. Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun were also speechless. They, too, were not aware of this happening until they felt the energy fluctuation. ¡°Alright, hurry up, close the domain and let her out!¡± Yan Wuyue urged. ¡°Alright,¡± he answered as he prepared to deactivate his domain. ¡°Wait,¡± the rescue teacher called out. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m sorry. We didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Yan Wuyue thought that the teacher was angry and quickly apologized. ¡°No, that student I was going to rescue has already received help, so I¡¯m not in a rush. In fact, before I leave, I am very curious about how strong you are,¡± the rescue teacher said as she watched Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Teacher, what do you mean?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°You can just call me Ms. Zhang. Since the outside world can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on here, use your strongest attack. I want to see how powerful you are,¡± the teacher said. ¡°This¡­ This might not be a good idea, Ms. Zhang,¡± Yan Wuyue said hesitantly. ¡°If you can do it, I won¡¯t pursue your actions from just now,¡± Ms. Zhang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just one attack. Let me try.¡± Zhou Mingrui patted Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder and smiled. He knew that if he wanted to quickly resolve this matter, he had to do as the teacher said. Since she asked for it, he would let her see how strong he truly was. ¡°Pardon me, Ms. Zhang!¡± Zhou Mingrui stepped forward and said. ¡°Go ahead and attack me. No matter what, I¡¯m above level 60, so there¡¯s no way I would be injured by your attack.¡± Ms. Zhang said with a smile. ¡°Alright!¡± Zhou Mingrui no longer hesitated. The phantom energy in his body began to circulate rapidly and his eyes began to glow. A series of strange runes appeared on the surface of his skin and formed a circle with a strange pattern, settling down between Zhou Mingrui¡¯s brows. [Samsara Territory]! Ms. Zhang was taken aback. Her sharp senses detected that the space around her had changed once again. She couldn¡¯t even sense the situation outside at all. Looking around, she was surrounded by an indescribable, distorted world of illusion, which made her feel a little dizzy. ¡°This is another domain skill! But at his level, no one should be able to have two domain skills.¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s expression turned serious. A summoned spirit of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s level should not be able to comprehend two domain skills. She could feel that this domain skill was different from the previous one. However, one thing about it remained the same. It was able to weaken her strength. When she first heard about Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui, she thought that the rumors were probably slightly exaggerated. After all, no matter how strong the freshmen were, she had watched at least seven to eight freshmen tournaments, and the most outstanding ones were only so-so. But today, she truly understood what it meant to be unrivaled in talent, to be blessed by the heavens. Even though she has not experienced Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack yet, his performance so far was enough for her to be amazed. ¡°Ms. Zhang, this is my strongest state. I¡¯m ready to make my move!¡± In the darkness, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was burning with translucent phantom flames. At the same time, a faint, enormous phantom shadow stood in the void behind him. A sense of oppression filled the air. ¡°Alright, come on. I¡¯m ready too.¡± Ms Zhang, as someone who is over level 60, she was naturally confident to take his blow. Chapter 86 - His Strongest Blow His Strongest Blow If Ms. Zhang were to see Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attributes at this moment, she would definitely regret her choices. If the attribute interface could be displayed as a bar graph, then each bar of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current attributes had almost doubled. [Samsara Territory (active): Connects with the core power of the phantom world, creating a special domain that could drag a marked single enemy into it. Once in the Samsara Territory, the target¡¯s attributes will be transferred in percentage to the user.] Ms. Zhang¡¯s attributes, which were over level 60, were absorbed by the overlapping effects of the Phantom Prison and the Samsara Territory, and were all added to Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui felt unprecedentedly powerful. His body was filled with energy that was even more turbulent than before. Boom! The surging energy had already formed a small energy tide around Zhou Mingrui. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve obtained a power that doesn¡¯t belong to you,¡± Ms. Zhang smiled, ¡°Your control of energy is not good enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but it¡¯s enough for this attack.¡± The corners of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lips curled up as he spoke. Energy began to gather in his hands. With the support of his powerful attributes, Zhou Mingrui was still able to control it, although it was slightly difficult. To put it simply, the current Zhou Mingrui was like a car that was pulling a fully-loaded truck. Fortunately, the car¡¯s structure and engine were strong enough to move such a large amount of goods. With a loud bang, energy exploded beneath Zhou Mingrui¡¯s feet, giving him a burst of speed as he charged towards Ms. Zhang. On Ms Zhang¡¯s shoulder, the pangolin-like summoned spirit¡¯s gray eyes suddenly glowed with a bright yellow light, and immense earth elemental energy immediately covered her body. [Dense Matter] With the surge of earth elemental energy, a large amount of earth began to gather in front of Ms. Zhang. Was the earth very soft and loose? No. When the density of the soil has reached a certain level, it could surpass steel and even diamond! In the blink of an eye, a round shield appeared in front of Ms Zhang. The round shield looked so smooth that it could even reflect light. Even if you used a microscope, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see any protruding parts on it. It was comparable to the handiwork of modern machinery. When the Nether Flame Bone Blade struck the shield, Zhou Mingrui felt as though he had struck a shield made of steel. However, even if it was a real steel shield, with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current strength, he could easily deform a steel plate that was 1cm thick. With the enhancement from his phantom energy, he could even split it in two. Yet, the moment his blade struck the shield, his wrist immediately felt a terrifying recoil. Thankfully, his attributes and muscles were sufficiently strong. Otherwise, he might not even be able to hold onto the blade. Under the pressure of the powerful force, a strong air current spread out, and even managed to mess up the hair of the other three who were watching not so far away. They were all stunned by this scene. When Zhou Mingrui swung his blade, they had already sensed the terrifying power it held. It was as if a prehistoric giant beast was standing in front of them. All of them felt an immense pressure weighing down on themselves. ¡°He¡¯s so strong. No wonder I wasn¡¯t his match last time. If he really used his full strength back then, I probably wouldn¡¯t even dare think about fighting him.¡± Xiao Shengyun has been beaten into submission. For their previous battle, he still assumed that he had lost because he was unfamiliar with his skills and power. But now, looking at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s true strength, he was really convinced that he would have lost no matter what. The blade in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand did not bounce off. Instead, the energy on it condensed into a sharp edge that continued pushing into the shield. Just the recoil was unable to affect Zhou Mingrui. The phantom energy on the blade continued to burst out and clash with the round shield. However, with each impact, the shield would deliver back a powerful force that constantly offset the energy from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade. The terrifying energy reverberations constantly bounced back and forth, clashing with new energy from both sides. This caused a small energy vortex to appear in front of Zhou Mingrui. The phantom flames on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body fluctuated, and he felt his hand go numb. ¡°As expected of a teacher above level 60. Even my fully charged attack can¡¯t break through this shield.¡± Zhou Mingrui gave up and retracted his blade. He knew that he had no way of cracking the shield at the moment. ¡°You are the most talented and strongest freshman in the seven batches I¡¯ve seen since I started working at the Academy. I won¡¯t pursue your mistake this time. I will also help you explain and resolve the issue with the Academy, so you don¡¯t have to worry about this incident.¡± Ms. Zhang waved her hand and a light flashed past. The seemingly ordinary but extremely hard shield immediately turned into yellow dapples of light and dissipated into the air. Zhou Mingrui also removed his Phantom Prison and Samsara Territory, and the surrounding space returned to normal. When the surroundings brightened up again, everyone¡¯s questioning gaze immediately gathered to their spot. Although it seemed like a long time had passed in the domain, only 30 seconds had passed in reality. When Zhou Mingrui appeared, everyone around took a few steps back in shock. To them, his body exuded an inexplicable, soul-stirring aura. It was as though they had seen a terrifying creature. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with him. The energy fluctuations on his body are way higher than before.¡± ¡°Yeah, ordinary skills shouldn¡¯t be able to do this. It seems that this summoned spirit has a very strong skill, but we don¡¯t know its specific effects and flaws.¡± ¡°This has deepened my interest in Yan Wuyue. I¡¯m sorry, I just remembered I have something to do. Please excuse me.¡± ¡°Oh, I suddenly need to go to the toilet. Excuse me for a moment.¡± ¡°Ah, I have to go buy something. Excuse me for a while.¡± ¡°You bunch of b*stards, do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do? You¡¯re really a bunch of¡­¡± Very quickly, the scouts from the Research Institutes all stood up and left. Those who noticed were left confused, not knowing what had happened. In the arena, Ms. Zhang had already left in a flash. As for Zhou Mingrui, he swept his gaze across the remaining students. A smile appeared on his handsome face. In the eyes of the students, this was like the smile of a demon. ¡°There¡¯s still about nine minutes before the competition ends. We still have time to have some fun,¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves then.¡± Yan Wuyue knew that the competition would not be affected by the previous interruption, so she just decided let him be. Chapter 87 - The Organizers The Organizers After retracting his blade, Zhou Mingrui dispelled his bone armor, revealing the tight combat suit underneath. The tight suit showed off his muscles, which were so toned that they seemed to be carved out of marble. They were not exaggerated, but clearly contained explosive power within them. As his manly aura showed, the hearts of any females around suffered a critical blow, while the self-esteem of the men around suffered an even heavier critical blow. ¡°There are so many of us. Why should we be afraid of him? No matter how strong he is, can he resist the collective attacks of so many people?¡± ¡°Previously, we were broken through by him because the situation was too chaotic and there were too many of us.¡± ¡°As long as everyone listens to my command, we can definitely take care of this guy.¡± A boy who was shorter than 1.6 meters shouted angrily at the crowd, his words resonating with many people. The students were afraid of Zhou Mingrui because of an inexplicable fear of his abilities. But with the boy¡¯s outburst, he pointed out the fact that everyone present was a freshman, including Zhou Mingrui. No matter how strong he was, it was impossible for him to be stronger than everyone else combined. The students weren¡¯t stupid. They were all elites from their respective areas. After the boy¡¯s reminder, they instantly understood what they had to do. Their initial chaos was only because many of them did not cooperate with one another, causing them to be unable to organize an effective defense, restraint, and attack strategy against Yan Wuyue¡¯s team. In a situation where each person¡¯s individual strength was inferior to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s, it was normal for them to be easily defeated. ¡°Go ahead, we¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll listen to you. We must get rid of this guy.¡± ¡°Right, I don¡¯t like him too!¡± The crowd immediately agreed. This made Zhou Mingrui reveal an excited smile. Outside of the arena, the group of scouts who had left temporarily had also returned. When they saw the scene on the stage, they immediately showed expressions of interest. ¡°That boy¡¯s name is Zhao Mian, right?¡± ¡°Yup. This boy¡¯s combat sense is quite high, and his mental strength is also very outstanding. We have to thank Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit for letting us spot so many outstanding candidates.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°I feel like we should help him. I think he¡¯s angered the crowd,¡± Zhao Anqi said weakly. ¡°He asked for it. I don¡¯t think we need to go,¡± Xiao Shengyun scowled. Yan Wuyue remained silent for a few seconds before she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With his ability, he should be able to handle this situation. We¡¯ll make our move if he really can¡¯t handle it.¡± In the arena, phantom energy emanated from Zhou Mingrui and quickly, a layer of bone that resembled gloves formed on his hands. As he leaned forward slightly, the muscles on his legs tensed up. the immense pressure caused his muscles to be compressed like springs. With an almost inaudible sound of his muscles and bones cracking, Zhou Mingrui instantly disappeared from his original spot. ¡°He¡¯s coming. Use your control skills now, and use your defense skills after a delay. All those with defense skills, step forward and attack with all your strength!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± Zhao Mian roared. Dozens of students immediately stepped forward and used their bodies or summoned spirits to launch their skills at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui, who was charging forward, was the first to feel the air in front of him begin to congeal. The resistance to his advancement suddenly began to increase. Immediately after, a white mist began to appear around him, and soon, a layer of frost covered his body. At the same time, distorted waves appeared on the surface of the ground under him, as if it had become an ocean. Following that, a black beam of light struck Zhou Mingrui. He immediately felt a wave of dizziness. Zhou Mingrui also felt his body gradually become heavier, as though it was constantly being weighed down. All sorts of skills were used on Zhou Mingrui, causing his speed to drop. ¡°Ah!¡± With a low grunt, the phantom energy on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body began to surge violently, like a flame that had been aggravated with gasoline. His dizziness was immediately expelled. Following that, the frost on his body shattered and melted. The distorted waves on the ground were also crushed by one powerful stomp. At the same time, the energy in his body burst out, and the heavy feeling in his body was dispelled. ¡°Oh no, his body¡¯s resistance is too strong. Our control skills can¡¯t do much!¡± ¡°My gravity wave was also easily destroyed by him within two seconds.¡± ¡°How can he directly crush my spatial disorder skill? What¡¯s going on?¡± The students were shocked by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actions. He simply smiled as he picked up speed again and charged forward. ¡°Don¡¯t stop using control skills, keep throwing them out! Start charging up your powerful attack skills. Also, use some of your fast attack skills!¡± ¡°As long as it affects him somehow, we can restrain him! No matter how strong he is, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s not injured at all!¡± Zhang Mian shouted. ¡°This person¡¯s combat tactics and commanding abilities are also very strong,¡± Xiao Shengyun complimented. ¡°Yeah, even in this situation, he can come up with effective tactics and strategies.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded in agreement. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a faint smile, ¡°no matter how good the strategy and tactics are, they won¡¯t be of much use in the face of absolute strength.¡± In the arena, Zhou Mingrui, who was charging forward, was once again entangled by all sorts of control skills. This time, there were even more complicated techniques. Although he could directly break all of these attacks, the crowd managed to delay his speed. It was also at this moment that several powerful energies rose into the air. The students¡¯ powerful energy attacks had taken form and were headed straight for Zhou Mingrui. An extremely thick beam of fire flashed past and struck the restrained Zhou Mingrui. At the same time, a gigantic dark cloud appeared above him. Following that, a thick bolt of lightning struck Zhou Mingrui amidst the rumbling of thunder. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s feet were also restrained by the sudden appearance of a thick layer of frost. He was instantly rooted to the spot. A massive black shadow then appeared behind Zhou Mingrui and its illusory, translucent tentacles began to wrap around him. The tentacles formed a seal, shaped like an asterisk, that locked Zhou Mingrui in place. Zhou Mingrui also felt the energy in his body begin to loosen. He looked down and found that the tentacles were not only restraining his body. They also began to absorb the phantom energy from him, and as they absorbed his energy, the tentacles began to grow stronger. Zhou Mingrui did not show any signs of impatience as he sensed the various control skills on him. On the contrary, he was extremely calm. ¡°Come, let me see how far you can go!¡± Chapter 88 - : His Rampage His Rampage Zhou Mingrui raised his arm to block the flaming beam. The searing flames immediately slammed into him, causing the surrounding air to crackle from the powerful heat wave. However, despite having sent him stumbling a couple steps back, under the protection of his phantom energy, the flames were unable to harm him at all. With a low grunt, the phantom energy on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body began to solidify. As he punched out, the phantom energy left his fist and collided with the flaming pillar of light. After a loud explosion, the flaming light pillar dissipated, turning into sparks that scattered in all directions. It was like a meteor shower of fire. Everyone was astonished. Following that, Zhou Mingrui raised his leg. His immense physical strength, coupled with his phantom energy, caused the frost that sealed his legs to explode, turning into frosty mist in the air. At this moment, the tentacles that were binding him began to exert more control, pulling Zhou Mingrui, who had taken two steps forward, back in. As he turned his head, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. The phantom energy around his body immediately went berserk, burning like a raging fire. The next moment, the tentacles that were wrapped around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body immediately released him, as if they were fearful of being burned by his phantom flames. ¡°Alright, what other moves do you have? Use them all, or you won¡¯t have a chance after this.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had been freed of all his restraints, began to walk towards the crowd. ¡°Why do I feel like he has turned into an evil villain? He¡¯s so cool!¡± Zhao Anqi said excitedly as she watched him. ¡°Bad taste.¡± Xiao Shengyun scowled again. This familiar vibe reminded him of the time when he was tortured by this guy. He suddenly felt uncomfortable. ¡°Let him be. In any case, we don¡¯t need to do anything right now.¡± Yan Wuyue still chose to continue watching. The students subconsciously retreated again when they saw Zhou Mingrui approach them after breaking through all sorts of restraint skills like they were nothing. It was as though they had seen a terrifying monster. ¡°He¡¯s just bluffing. Don¡¯t be afraid of him!¡± Seeing the situation around him, Zhang Mian immediately spoke up to dispel the doubts of those around him. Otherwise, everyone¡¯s morale would collapse even without a fight. ¡°Our control skills can¡¯t stop! Those with powerful attacks that can be charged, charge up now!¡± ¡°Continue attacking and don¡¯t stop. Buy time for your teammates to charge up. Hold on with your control skills!¡± ¡°Those who need to change positions, quickly do so. We must be prepared when he breaks through the retraints!¡± Zhang Mian continued to give orders, and without any other better choice, the people around him followed his orders quickly. All sorts of coordinated skills were unleashed once again, and this time, there were even attack skills that had been charging up for a while. Zhou Mingrui, who had just taken a step forward, was immediately bombarded by all sorts of control skills ¨C frost, earth spikes, air condensation, and many more. However, he did not stop. Every time he took a step forward, the skills that bound him would be shattered by his overwhelming phantom energy. The highest level of these poor students¡¯ summoned spirits was not even level 30. They had almost no powerful skills. However, they were all elite students after all, and not ordinary summoners. With the power of their families or organizations behind them, there were still a few who had powerful attack skills. The flaming pillar of light from before was one of these skills. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to break through Zhou Mingrui¡¯s defense. This time, Zhou Mingrui felt a change in the air around him. He stopped in his tracks. The feeling on his skin told him that this skill used air to restrict him. ¡°I¡¯m having difficulty breathing?¡± The air around him seemed to have suddenly frozen, and even breathing became difficult. ¡°Too bad, I don¡¯t need to breathe.¡± Zhou Mingrui smiled faintly. Then, he felt as if his body was being suppressed by gravity, and every movement required more strength than before. ¡°An air-type skill with a gravity-type effect?¡± Zhou Mingrui turned around and said to Xiao Shengyun, ¡°This person¡¯s skill is quite useful. Remember to take it later. Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Xiao Shengyun was still unhappy, but he nodded in agreement. After all, Zhou Mingrui was right. If such a skill was used well, it would definitely be extremely effective in a team battle. Zhou Mingrui did not say anything when he saw Xiao Shengyun¡¯s attitude. Laughing, he shook his head before he turned around and swept his gaze across the arena. Very quickly, his extremely powerful perception helped him directly lock onto the student who used the air-type skill. At that exact moment, the flaming beam shot towards him once again. Simultaneously, soil began to appear on the ground beneath his feet and rapidly spread from his feet to his body. His phantom energy surged again, and the soil on his feet instantly shattered, turning into a pile of mud. As for the incoming beam of fire, it was immediately vanquished by a punch from him. ¡°The game is over!¡± Zhou Mingrui dashed out of his original spot. As he dashed forward, he constantly made unpredictable movements. This allowed him to dodge several control skills and attack skills. He now understood the attacking habits of these people. Since that was the case, there was no need to continue playing with them. After confirming the distance between him and his target, Zhou Mingrui closed the distance of less than thirty meters within merely three seconds. ¡°Defensive skills now!¡± Zhang Mian roared, and several defensive skills immediately took form. There was a crystal wall that looked like glass, then a thick wall made of mud, and then a wall of ice. ¡°If that¡¯s all you have, then let¡¯s end this.¡± As soon as Zhou Mingrui finished speaking, he struck out with his fist that was imbued with phantom flames. The defenses were completely shattered by his punch. Zhou Mingrui, who had already locked onto his target, appeared in front of the student with a flash. He reached out and grabbed the student¡¯s shoulder, then threw him towards Xiao Shengyun and the others. Turning his head, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gaze locked onto Zhang Mian. Although Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t have any personal grudges towards this guy, as a qualified warrior, he would naturally prioritize killing him. With a whoosh, Zhou Mingrui charged at Zhang Mian. The few people standing in front of Zhang Mian were so frightened that they quickly stepped back and left the space wide open. Chapter 89 - The Art of Language The Art of Language Although he was betrayed by his teammates, Zhang Mian didn¡¯t show any panicked expression, as if he had already expected this to happen. He was not flustered at all. His figure suddenly transformed into a black mist which directly drifted into the crowd with the wind. ¡°Oh, no wonder I haven¡¯t seen his ability. So he¡¯s able to do this.¡± Zhou Mingrui instantly understood. Immediately after, bolts of lightning suddenly appeared in his surroundings, quickly condensing into an electric net that enveloped him. ¡°What a boring trick,¡± Zhou Mingrui commented indifferently as he closed his fingers together to form a strike with his palm. He swung it from top to bottom and slashed out an energy blade. The electric net was silently split into two, turning into tiny electric snakes that dissipated in the air. But at that exact moment, a pool of black shadow suddenly appeared beneath Zhou Mingrui¡¯s feet. ¡°What?¡± In that instant, Zhou Mingrui realized that he had fallen into Zhang Mian¡¯s trap the moment he charged into the enemy¡¯s formation. ¡°This is interesting. He has already predicted my choices.¡± Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes as the phantom energy in his body surged. He was prepared to break free from the restraints of the black shadow beneath his feet. However, the next moment, he frowned. He couldn¡¯t lift his leg. ¡°?¡± Zhou Mingrui let out a soft ¡®huh¡¯. Exerting his strength again, he realized that the black shadow beneath him was extremely resilient. He was unable to break free of it within a short time. As if sensing something, Zhou Mingrui looked up and realized that the students, originally huddled together, had all scattered. All sorts of attacks and control skills were thrown at Zhou Mingrui from different directions. ¡°They¡¯re trying to stall for time,¡± Yan Wuyue, who was watching the battle, suddenly said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Anqi asked. ¡°Although that Zhang Mian has predicted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s movements and habits, the fundamental difference in strength between the both of them still prevents him from being able to defeat Zhou Mingrui head-on. His only choice is to use his trump card to restrict Zhou Mingrui and stall for time until the end of the match.¡± ¡°In that case, once the number of people increases, Zhao Mian will have a better chance of getting a higher ranking later on.¡± Xiao Shengyun said. ¡°Ah, why? He obviously can¡¯t beat him, but he still can¡¯t beat him in the arena, right?¡± Zhao Anqi still couldn¡¯t understand. Yan Wuyue laughed and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a life and death competition. The point of the competition is to provide an opportunity for students to display their abilities. To Zhao Mian, perhaps winning or losing isn¡¯t the most important. What¡¯s important is the opportunity and platform to display his abilities.¡± ¡°Although Zhang Mian is not as strong as Zhou Mingrui and I, he has his strength in other areas too, which will need time and more matches to show off to the observers.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also another potential purpose for his actions now. I reckon that after the elimination round, the next team competition will happen immediately after, without giving us any time to rest.¡± ¡°Under such circumstances, the more Zhou Mingrui¡¯s stamina is depleted, the higher Zhao Mian¡¯s chances of obtaining the final victory.¡± ¡°From the very beginning, all his thoughts, conversations, and commands were for himself. Everyone present, including himself, was a chess piece in his grand plan.¡± Zhao Anqi pursed her lips. ¡°He¡¯s as scheming as a bottomless pit. I hate people like him the most. Isn¡¯t it tiring to live like that?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile, ¡°it¡¯s precisely because there are such people that you don¡¯t have to worry about some things.¡± The two of them came from different positions, so they had different perspectives about such people. With Yan Wuyue¡¯s former status, a subordinate like Zhao Mian could save her a lot of brain cells and even make up for many of her personal shortcomings. To the human race, they would rather have more of such people. Zhou Mingrui was naturally aware of this as well, but he was not enraged. Instead, he used his phantom energy to cover his entire body and defend against the incoming attacks as much as possible. After releasing a large number of skills, the students also temporarily paused their attacks. After all, they did not have unlimited energy to release such large scale skills all the time. ¡°Have you had enough?¡± Zhou Mingrui sneered, ¡°You guys were used as tools to drain my energy. Do you feel good wasting your own energy for no reason?¡± Upon hearing this, some students suddenly realized something and their expressions became very complicated. ¡°If the next match were to begin directly after this, with your current energy storage, what do you think are your chances of winning?¡± Zhou Mingrui continued his psychological warfare. ¡°That fellow has already gone into hiding. You guys have been attacking relentlessly me all this time. Has anyone seen me sustain any injuries?¡± Shrugging, Zhou Mingrui looked around at the students. ¡°This isn¡¯t a battle of life and death, and it¡¯s not a competition where you have to get first place. Everyone just needs to show off your abilities. That guy has just destroyed your chance at that.¡± ¡°So what if you defeat me? You¡¯ve used up all your energy. Aren¡¯t you the best stepping stones for those who were slacking off or hiding all this time?¡± ¡°If we continue this, I can get rid of more than half of your people. Can¡¯t you see who will benefit in the end?¡± ¡°I personally think that what you guys should do now is to find those who are not putting in any effort, instead of fighting against me with no guarantee that you¡¯ll even injure me.¡± Upon hearing this, all the students looked at Zhou Mingrui in a different light. They instinctively turned to look at the person beside them. ¡­. ¡°Hahaha, how exciting! This year¡¯s freshmen tournament is the most exciting I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°The one named Zhang Mian is extremely scheming, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s group is unparalleled in combat strength. I thought this summoned spirit was good enough already, but I truly didn¡¯t expect him to give us such a surprise in the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. this is really interesting. The situation has been completely reversed.¡± ¡°And from the very beginning, they predicted that the next team competition will be right after this. That¡¯s pretty impressive.¡± ¡°There are quite a few top-notch students this year. The students from the previous years can¡¯t compare to them at all.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to pee now.¡± ¡°F*ck, old Wang, You¡¯re too much. But me too, I¡¯m also in a hurry to pee.¡± ¡­ ¡°How about this, I can stop right now and promise not to attack you before the end of the match, but you can¡¯t attack me either. How about it?¡± ¡°Or you can try coming at me again. Although I can¡¯t guarantee that I can crush all of you, at least half of you will not qualify for the next competition.¡± ¡°The choice is in your hands now.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words were like the last straw for many of the students. Many of them couldn¡¯t help but stopped what they were doing. Looking at each other, they began to be wary of people outside of their own team. At the same time, with a loud bang, the black shadow beneath Zhou Mingrui¡¯s feet finally could not withstand his pressure and broke away. Seeing Zhou Mingrui break free from his restraints, those people immediately looked over again. They were obviously nervous and afraid that he would attack suddenly. However, Zhou Mingrui simply waved his hand and turned to walk back to his team. He did not make a move. Seeing this, the students finally quieted down. But then, they looked at the different teams beside them. Chapter 90 - The Cunning Rat The Cunning Rat ¡°I can¡¯t believe that there would be a day when you would say something like that.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was approaching the group, heard Yan Wuyue¡¯s teasing words. ¡°Well, that was just basic manipulation, you got a problem with that?¡± Zhou Mingrui gave her a side eye and said with a cool expression. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re getting cocky,¡± Yan Wuyue laughed. ¡°If not? I can¡¯t let you compliment me for nothing, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui retorted jokingly. ¡°Hahaha, why are you two so funny?¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. ¡°Boring.¡± Xiao Shengyun scowled and didn¡¯t say anything much. Right after Zhou Mingrui left, the students began to be on guard against one another. They no longer had any thoughts of working together. ¡°Where¡¯s that Zhang Mian?¡± A student suddenly asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he commanding us just now? Where is he now?¡± ¡°Yeah, could Zhou Mingrui be right? That guy was using us?¡± ¡°Come out! Didn¡¯t that fellow say we could win? Why did he hide when things got dangerous?¡± ¡°B*stard, this guy was using us like consumables. We were his chess pieces!¡± ¡°Find that guy and get him out first. I¡¯m so angry!¡± The students were immediately thrown into chaos. They felt so deceived, and anger immediately resonated through in the crowd. However, no matter how hard they searched, Zhang Mian was nowhere to be found. ¡°F*ck, this guy is gone!¡± ¡°As expected, he was toying with us!¡± ¡°Find him, I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson.¡± ¡°Right, even if we can¡¯t pass, we can¡¯t let him qualify. B*stard!¡± The fact that they couldn¡¯t find Zhang Mian infuriated most of the students, and a few of them swore that they would find him and kill him! The scouts outside of the arena all laughed and shook their heads when they saw this scene. ¡°As expected, freshmen are freshmen. Such a trivial matter has already destroyed their mentality.¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not shameful to be used. As long as they can achieve their goal, so what if they were being used? I don¡¯t know what these students were thinking, getting unproductively angry after being used.¡± ¡°Yeah, compared to Zhou Mingrui, the difference in mental capacity is just too great. Indeed, some people are just too outstanding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still good that they reacted quite quickly and aren¡¯t too stupid. Let¡¯s see what other surprises they may give us in the next round.¡± In the arena, since the students could not find Zhang Mian, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their anger. Now, they did not dare to go for Zhou Mingrui, and they were cautious not to randomly attack each other, afraid that something would happen and cause a chaotic battle. Just like that, the place fell into an inexplicable silence. Everyone stared at each other, and no one made a move. Time slowly passed by in silence, and soon, the fifteen minutes timer had reached the last minute. Everyone had already let down their guard. Under such circumstances, they assumed that they were basically safe until the end. However, just as there were 30 seconds left, there was a sudden cry of alarm in the crowd. Instantly, everything went into chaos. The students, who had just begun to relax a little, immediately became agitated again. They began to be highly on guard against one another, and prepared to summon their spirits and skills if anything were to happen. ¡°Zhang Mian, you b*stard!¡± Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted. it immediately attracted the attention of the people around them, and everyone immediately turned to look at the source of the sound. But at the same time, a blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out. Following that, a student was ambushed while he was distracted and fell to the ground. Then, before anyone could even react to this, one of the students accidentally activated a skill because he was too nervous. The student directly next to him was hit by the skill. Although it was not too serious such that he would be eliminated, the angry student immediately launched a counterattack with his teammates. The entire stage entered a chaotic battle. The spectators were all dumbfounded by this scene. ¡°These guys are too easily incited,¡± Zhao Anqi commented in surprise. ¡°Actually, they can¡¯t be blamed for this. After all, Zhou Mingrui had put them under too much pressure just now, so they were already in a state of distress.¡± ¡°Then, Zhang Mian cheated them of their trust. They found out that they had been used as a tool and deceived. Many of them must be on the verge of a mental breakdown.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t blame them for doing such things to vent their anger.¡± Yan Wuyue explained slowly. ¡°What you¡¯ve said seems to make sense.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded. ¡°A bunch of idiots. In a situation like this, they should prioritize protecting themselves. Even if they¡¯re attacked, they should escape from the fight as soon as possible instead of retaliating impulsively. To think that they¡¯re all elites from large clans and factions. What a joke,¡± Xiao Shengyun snorted. ¡°Hehe, Xiao Shengyun, I know that you came from a poor family, but sometimes you shouldn¡¯t judge people with such extreme views.¡± Zhou Mingrui, arms crossed in front of his chest, laughed. ¡°That¡¯s my freedom. I just don¡¯t like them. They¡¯re usually so arrogant and look down on others, but now they behave like clowns,¡± Xiao Shengyun said, his face full of despise. ¡°What, I¡¯m from one of those families you¡¯re talking about too, are you looking down on me as well?¡± Zhao Anqi, who was listening at the side, felt that something started to sound off, so she turned her head and asked. ¡°I, I, I didn¡¯t. I was talking about them. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Xiao Shengyun lowered his head in embarrassment and did not dare to look her in the eye. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re unhappy with them. I¡¯m not close to you, but you still shouldn¡¯t stereotype!¡± Zhao Anqi snorted and turned away, ignoring Xiao Shengyun. [It¡¯s true that everything has its natural counter.] Zhou Mingrui thought to himself. 30 seconds passed quickly, and the referee announced the end of the elimination round. In just a few dozen seconds, more than two hundred students had been eliminated. Now, less than four hundred people were left in the field. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, this internal strife is even more efficient than me doing it myself. If it had been like this from the beginning, there probably wouldn¡¯t be many people left now.¡± Zhou Mingrui clicked his tongue and laughed. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for their chain reactions to all these well-timed events, the battle probably wouldn¡¯t have happened so easily,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Are you trying to say that it was Zhao Mian who did that secretly just now, and his purpose was to create chaos and reduce the number of people?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°Well, have you ever seen him in action visibly?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°Damn it, this guy is really cunning. I thought I had already foiled his plan, but I didn¡¯t expect to be used by him again.¡± Zhou Mingrui said, shaking his head. Zhou Mingrui furrowed his brows and suddenly asked in a low voice, ¡°By the way, this guy is so cunning. Are you sure you haven¡¯t seen him at a that time?¡± Yan Wuyue replied with sound transmission, ¡°No, either this guy changed his name or appearance, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone use such a calculative method. After all, it¡¯s impossible for monsters to tell you this.¡± Chapter 91 - We Wont Interfere We won¡¯t Interfere ¡°Monsters won¡¯t bother using all these schemes. They can easily crush humans with their strength.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Our seemingly peaceful lives now are thanks to the sacrifice of many professional summoners¡¯ lives. Sometimes these schemes are just not effective against everything.¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s smug expression changed slightly. It was the first time he had heard Yan Wuyue talk about this. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get out.¡± Without waiting for the others to react, Yan Wuyue got off the arena under the referee¡¯s instructions. Just like that, the elimination round that was no different from a drama performance came to an end. ¡°The following battle will be much simpler, but we can¡¯t let our guard down, understand?¡± Yan Wuyue warned them again. ¡°Sometimes, I feel that you¡¯re like my dad. Although I know that both of you do this for my own good, I just find it annoying and naggy.¡± Zhao Anqi pouted as she complained. Yan Wuyue was speechless. If she continued to reprimand Zhao Anqi for being disobedient, she¡¯d be elevated to the same generation as her father. But if she didn¡¯t say anything, she would feel so bothered by her lack of appreciation. Seeing Yan Wuyue suffer a loss for the first time, Zhou Mingrui snickered at the side. ¡°What are you laughing at? How can you laugh at this?¡± Yan Wuyue, who had nothing to vent her anger on, could only find trouble with Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there was something in my teeth just now and it came out.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a solemn expression on his face, as though he wasn¡¯t the one who was just snickering. While the chaos was going on, the big screen had begun to select teams for the bout list. Yan Wuyue¡¯s team was up for the first match. As he walked onto the stage, Zhou Mingrui looked at the opponent team. The expressions of the three people there were as black as the bottom of a pot. Seeing Yan Wuyue¡¯s team on the other side of the arena, they had the urge to tear down the computer that created the bout list. Why did they have to face Yan Wuyue¡¯s reaper team in the first round? They didn¡¯t even have the chance to perform before this. ¡°Pull yourself together. I know what you¡¯re afraid of. How about this? We¡¯ll all be classmates in the future and we¡¯ll see each other often. We¡¯ll just send two people from our side, okay?¡± As soon as she got on the stage, Yan Wuyue saw the expression on her opponents¡¯ faces, so she suggested. ¡°You¡¯re not kidding?¡± The leader of the group was a short-haired girl. she looked at Yan Wuyue in surprise. ¡°Do you think we still need to show off our strength in this round?¡± Yan Wuyue said indifferently. ¡°Thank you,¡± the short-haired girl thanked her from the bottom of her heart. She knew that Yan Wuyue wouldn¡¯t lie to her, because there was no need to for their group to show anything more with their previous perfomance. ¡°Anqi and Xiao Shengyun, you two will fight later. I won¡¯t fight under normal circumstances.¡± Yan Wuyue turned to Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun. ¡°Sure, I have no objections as long as you guys cover for us,¡± Zhao Anqi giggled. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a good opportunity for me to practice. I didn¡¯t have many opportunities to do so before.¡± Xiao Shengyun also nodded in agreement. After his battle with Zhou Mingrui, he basically did not have a chance to make any moves and was unable to familiarize himself with his skills. ¡°Hopefully you guys won¡¯t need me to interfere so quickly.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xiao Shengyun showed a confident expression. ¡°Oh right, I forgot to tell you. I suggest you don¡¯t use my skills to fight. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be beneficial for your growth,¡± Zhou Mingrui added. ¡°Alright.¡± Xiao Shengyun¡¯s expression changed, but he still nodded. If he were to use Zhou Mingrui¡¯s skills, he would have an absolute advantage no matter what. It would not be of any help to him if he wanted to hone his battle experience. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui walked to a corner and sat down, making it clear that they would not interfere in the battle. The people in the audience started to discuss. ¡°Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit aren¡¯t going to do anything?¡± ¡°She¡¯s planning to fight two against three. Is she looking down on her opponents?¡± ¡°Use your brain, if Yan Wuyue really joined the battle, can those three people even stop her?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I thought she was being too arrogant. Now that I think about it, she probably just wanted to give the other side a chance to perform.¡± ¡°Sigh, she¡¯s so pretty and capable. She even treats her classmates so kindly. I really don¡¯t know how to describe her. I¡¯ve decided that she¡¯ll be my idol from now on!¡± ¡°Get lost, you nasty bootlicker!¡± ¡­.In the observer seats. ¡°Seems like she still knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Yeah, if she continues to make a move, she¡¯ll be labeled as something else here.¡± ¡°Her character score has already passed, and now her overall score has also reached the highest level. This year¡¯s champion has been decided.¡± ¡°Haha, next, it¡¯ll be up to our own methods to win her over.¡± ¡°Wait, what if, and I¡¯m saying what if, that person makes a move?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have to worry at first since that person is very picky. She basically chose all her students personally. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll suddenly take a liking to Yan Wuyue, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember that another student from the previous three batches was also very outstanding, but she didn¡¯t fight with us over it either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll make our move once the competition is over to prevent that fellow from making a move.¡± ¡°What if that person is one step ahead of us?¡± ¡°Then I suggest that the four of us join forces. At most, we can train Yan Wuyue together. It¡¯s better to join forces than to let that person snatch her away!¡± ¡°But, that person¡¯s background¡­¡± ¡°We also have one behind us, and with the four of our Institutes working together, what are you afraid of?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, then it¡¯s decided!¡± In the arena, in the absence of Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui, Xiao Shengyun and Zhao Anqi¡¯s cooperation was quite effective. Xiao Shengyun kept his promise and did not use Zhou Mingrui¡¯s skill. Instead, he used the skill that he had just copied from the air-type student in the previous round. In Xiao Shengyun¡¯s hands, the skill was used to its fullest. Although he was not be familiar with it because he had just gotten it, but with Xiao Shengyun¡¯s talent and combat skills, it immediately played a huge role in the battle. Zhao Anqi¡¯s summoned spirit was not weak either, and Xiao Shengyun¡¯s was even stronger. Naturally, the three-man team¡¯s defense was quickly broken and they were defeated one by one. ¡°The match is over. The winners are Yan Wuyue¡¯s team.¡± As soon as the referee finished speaking, the two teams shook hands before walking out of the arena. ¡°Not bad,¡± Yan Wuyue praised. ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes, but I can do better next round,¡± Xiao Shengyun frowned. ¡°Then just work harder for the next round,¡± Yan Wuyue assured him. ¡°Of course. I would never make the same mistake,¡± Xiao Shengyun said with confidence. Zhao Anqi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of living like this?¡± ¡°Tired?¡± Xiao Shengyun narrowed his eyes.¡±I¡¯ve never known what comfort was since young. Fatigue is more like an encouragement to me. It lets me know that I still have room for improvement.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Impressed, Zhao Anqi gave him a thumbs up. Chapter 92 - The Reappearance of Zhang Mian The Reappearance Zhang Mian ¡°For me, I have no intention of becoming the strongest. I just want to live a comfortable life,¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. ¡°You have a strong family and background that your elders fought and achieved for you. If I want these, I can only depend on myself to do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never given your best in anything, so you don¡¯t know how hard it is for others to fight for things that are so easily obtained by you. ¡± Xiao Shengyun had a determined look on his face. They were from two different worlds. One had been living a life of luxury, while the other had been poor and tenacious since young. The two completely different lives had caused the two to have completely different values. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s suffering and pain corresponded to Zhao Anqi¡¯s indulgence from a young age. Therefore, he felt that he should be more mentally capable than Zhao Anqi. ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t make yourself sound so high and mighty. My happiness was thanks to my father¡¯s hard work for half of his life. He gave it to me willingly.¡± Zhao Anqi wrinkled her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, when you have money and have children, you¡¯re going to throw them out and let them suffer like you and earn their own money?¡± she asked. Xiao Shengyun was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Because he didn¡¯t know how to refute what she had said. After all, if he became rich in the future, he too wouldn¡¯t let his children suffer. If that happened, part of the significance of his hard work would be lost. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After a while, Xiao Shengyun suddenly apologized. It was Zhao Anqi¡¯s turn to be surprised. She knew Xiao Shengyun was a proud person. It was almost impossible to get him to apologize. [Why do I feel like Xiao Shengyun is interested in Zhao Anqi?] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s slightly teasing voice immediately rang in Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered as she replied, [Oh, don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable? I remember that Zhao Anqi was trying to seduce you before.] Zhou Mingrui frowned and replied, [Why are you shifting the focus onto me again? I already said that it had nothing to do with me and I was already controlling myself.] Yan Wuyue turned away. [You know it yourself. I¡¯m too lazy to say anything else.] Zhou Mingrui was speechless. All he could do was secretly curse at how troublesome women were. After that, Xiao Shengyun and Zhao Anqi won three matches in a row. Originally, they thought that there would be problems with their chemistry, but it turned out that their chemistry was surprisingly good. This piqued Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious about how you two work together in a battle.¡± When the two of them left the stage, Zhou Mingrui immediately asked. ¡°It¡¯s just good coordination in combat. I think it¡¯s normal, nothing special.¡± Xiao Shengyun said indifferently. ¡°How should I put it? Xiao Shengyun was the one who was supporting my movements, and we had a clear division of labor. That¡¯s why we were able to cooperate like this.¡± Zhao Anqi expressed her thoughts. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little shocked when he heard that. He looked at Xiao Shengyun, who was sitting next to him, and asked in a low voice, ¡°You mean, Xiao Shengyun took the initiative to cooperate with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Zhao Anqi asked, tilting her head. Xiao Shengyun shook his head, ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± [Tsk, tsk. Just as I guessed. It¡¯s a pity that he fell for the wrong person.] Zhou Mingrui clicked his tongue in wonder. What kind of person was Zhao Anqi? With Xiao Shengyun¡¯s grumpy personality and inability to say nice things to anyone, it was basically impossible for him to pursue her. Zhou Mingrui could tell that Zhao Anqi was the type to only like what she wanted. She was the type who would not even spare a glance at those who tried to please her. Soon, it was time for the next match. ¡°Zhang Mian, how dare you show up!¡± Just as the battle was about to begin, an angry voice suddenly rang out. ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Someone in the arena next to them recognized Zhao Mian, who had been missing all this while. ¡°You were hiding like a mouse just now, playing us like monkeys, right?!¡± ¡°Yes, we listened to your commands, but you sold us out in the blink of an eye. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re too much!¡± ¡°You used us as pawns to exhaust Yan Wuyue and the others, and then you planned to reap the benefits. When the situation didn¡¯t go well, you ran away. Admit it!¡± Upon hearing these questions, Zhang Mian, who took off his mask, said with an unchanged expression, ¡°Would you believe me if I said I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still want to make excuses for yourself at this juncture?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve already done such a shameless thing, and you¡¯re still trying to fool us with words?¡± ¡°This time, we won¡¯t believe you no matter what you say!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Mian suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Foolish people, I gave you hope when all of you were helpless, but now you all conveniently forget about how I helped you, and even blame me? ¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± After saying that, Zhang Mian covered his face with his hand and said in a slightly crazed tone, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I used you as pawns? Then do you know how pitiful it is to be someone who doesn¡¯t even have value to be used?¡± ¡°If not for me, you would have all been eliminated by now, you know?¡± ¡°If not for me, do you think you would have been able to even stand in this arena right now?¡± ¡°What a ridiculous bunch of people. You refuse to admit your own problems and are blaming others like cowards.¡± ¡°Since you guys can¡¯t figure it out, then I don¡¯t see a need for you to use your brains anymore. Don¡¯t ever use it again.¡± ¡°Come on, didn¡¯t you want to vent your anger? Come, let me see what abilities you cowards have to have the audacity to shout at me!¡± After saying that, Zhang Mian stared at his opponent team with a look of contempt and disdain. The three of them were enraged. Without hesitation, they summoned their spirits and dashed toward Zhang Mian. They had to give Zhang Mian a good beating to vent their anger! After all, the fact that they were able to make it this far showed that their coordination and strength were decent. They were not something that the earlier students could compare to. Unleashing their skills at the same time, the well-coordinated attacks went directly for Zhang Mian. ¡°Indeed, they are a bunch of idiots!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhang Mian snorted. With a raise of his hand, a large black shadow spread out from under his feet. The black shadow moved so fast that no one could react in time. In the blink of an eye, it had already touched the three opponents¡¯ shadows on the arena. The instant the black shadow made contact with these people¡¯s shadows, it was as if they were cast with a freeze spell. Their movements halted mid-air and all three of them fell straight to the ground. Chapter 93 - You Two are Still Too Weak You Two are Still Too Weak Everyone¡¯s heart skipped a beat when this happened. Until now, this was the first time anyone had seen Zhang Mian¡¯s skill, and it seemed to have a terrifying and mysterious effect. ¡°Only the weak will howl and bark like a weak dog when they fail.¡± Zhang Mian slowly walked towards his opponents. His expression was calm and indifferent, but he naturally exuded an aura of superiority. ¡°Yet, the right to speak has always belonged to the strong and winning side.¡± As he walked up to the three of them and looked at his opponents who could not even move a finger, Zhang Mian shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not too late to understand this. You may leave.¡± With a wave of his hand, the three students were thrown out of the arena. ¡± V-Victory belongs to Zhang Mian¡¯s team!¡± The referee was stunned for a moment before he regained his composure and announced the winning team. ¡°That guy¡¯s ability is a little strange.¡± Zhao Anqi commented, a little confused. She suddenly said, ¡°I remember now. Before this, Zhou Mingrui was frozen because of this power too. He was indeed the one behind all that!¡± ¡°Shadow. His skill is a shadow-type.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°As long as the opponents have a shadow, he can use his shadow skill to control other people¡¯s shadows, and release effects like restriction and control,¡± Xiao Shengyun also said. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Zhang Mian¡¯s figure in the arena and said, ¡°His skill is very powerful. Although I wasn¡¯t using my full strength at that time, the fact that he was able to slow me down proves that his attributes are not low.¡± ¡°And as you can see, his skill is extremely stealthy. If you are not cautious, you can easily fall for it.¡± ¡°If you two meet him during the matches, it¡¯ll be hard for you to win.¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Shengyun furrowed his brows and said, slightly offended, ¡°We¡¯ve never fought them head-on, so who knows? Don¡¯t make early conclusions.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders in response and said, ¡°Alright, I misspoke. However, I suggest that you start thinking of a way to deal with him now. We are very likely to encounter him after this.¡± ¡°Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words might not sound nice, but it¡¯s the truth,¡± Yan Wuyue said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll take note.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Xiao Shengyun answered with his eyes closed. [Does this guy only like to listen to nice words?] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed through voice transmission. [Isn¡¯t it easy to tell? Do you even need to ask?] Yan Wuyue was speechless. Even a child could tell. Zhou Mingrui was speechless too. [Did you eat gunpowder accidentally? Why are you taunting me so much these days?] [Oh, am I taunting you?] Yan Wuyue tilted her head and asked innocently. Zhou Mingrui was left speechless yet again. ¡®Forget it, a good man won¡¯t pick a fight with a woman. I have plenty of time to deal with her in the future!¡¯ Zhou Mingrui thought to himself. Just like that, after three more battles, only five teams were left. After the computer¡¯s randomized matchmaking, the next match between Yan Wuyue¡¯s team and Zhang Mian¡¯s team. Before this, Zhang Mian had only moved a total of three times. Each time, his opponents didn¡¯t even have a chance to speak before getting eliminated. This also made it hard for his later opponents to figure out his weakness or any corresponding methods to deal with him. The two teams walked into the arena. Zhang Mian, who was leading his team, took off his hood and revealed his face. ¡°Yan Wuyue, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± For the first time, Zhang Mian smiled. ¡°What, why are you waiting for me?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, returning the smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m going to fight you and find out how strong you are!¡± Zhang Mian chuckled. ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight you to prove that we¡¯re strong.¡± Yan Wuyue stopped smiling. Zhang Mian hated her nonchalant attitude. He snorted and said, ¡°Hmph, then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s the real deal!¡± ¡°You want to fight us?¡± Yan Wuyue gave Zhang Mian a glance. ¡°Get past Xiao Shengyun before you talk to me.¡± Zhang Mian¡¯s face began to twitch when he heard this, but he gritted his teeth and stopped himself from reacting. Watching Yan Wuyue walk away, he said to his two teammates, ¡°Later on, we¡¯ll follow my plan as agreed. Understand?¡± The both of them immediately nodded. They had absolute faith in Zhang Mian¡¯s abilities and intelligence. Even if the opponent was Yan Wuyue¡¯s team, with the strongest summoner-spirit combination, they were confident in defeating them. Xiao Shengyun and Zhao Anqi were still the ones going up for this match. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui were not planning to join the battle. ¡°Let the match begin!¡± As soon as the referee¡¯s voice faded, a green light suddenly flashed on the hand of Zhang Mian¡¯s teammate, who was behind him. With a flash of light, Zhang Mian dashed out. His shadow was even faster than him. While he was halfway there, his shadow had already arrived in front of Xiao Shengyun. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a white light glowed in his eyes. Zhang Mian, who was charging forward, seemed to have hit a transparent wall, and he could not move forward. However, the shadow on the ground was still moving forward. ¡°It moves by itself?¡± Xiao Shengyun and Yan Wuyue were quick to notice this detail. Xiao Shengyun had more things to do. However, he first shouted at Zhao Anqi and started to retreat. Zhao Anqi immediately ordered her summoned spirit to spread its wings and charge forward. At the same time, she activated her own wind attribute attack in an attempt to distract the opponents from attacking Xiao Shengyun. However, Zhang Mian soon revealed a cunning smile, as if his plan had succeeded. His shadow suddenly split into two and quickly headed toward Xiao Shengyun and Zhao Anqi. Both of them were shocked to see this. Zhao Anqi immediately ordered her spirit to turn back and began to dodge around to avoid the shadow. At this moment, Xiao Shengyun abruptly turned around and rushed toward Zhang Mian. ¡°Foolish!¡± Zhang Mian laughed and didn¡¯t even try to avoid the incoming attack. Instead, his shadow accelerated and directly occupied Xiao Shengyun¡¯s shadow. Xiao Shengyun¡¯s body was frozen on the spot, unable to move. ¡°Do you really think that my shadow can only maintain a constant speed?¡± With a mocking smile on his face, Zhang Mian said, ¡°Or do you think you can touch me and copy my skill?¡± ¡°You really think you¡¯re smart?¡± Xiao Shengyun said coldly. Anyone who saw Zhang Mian¡¯s arrogant character would hate him. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zhang Mian laughed again and suddenly raised his hand towards the sky. Zhao Anqi, who had just launched a surprise attack, was frozen in mid-air too. ¡°Do you really think that by using yourself as bait and letting her attack directly above me, our shadows will overlap and I won¡¯t be able to control her?¡± Zhang Mian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re wrong. This way, it¡¯s even easier for me to control her. You just saved me a lot of effort. Do you understand?¡± ¡°You two are still too weak.¡± Chapter 94 - Right and Wrong Right and Wrong ¡°I thought you two would be able to surprise me, but it turns out that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Zhang Mian slowly walked to Xiao Shengyun and said, ¡°You two are really too weak. You can¡¯t even make me excited. You¡¯re so disappointing.¡± That contemptuous look, that mocking tone, and that disdainful look made Xiao Shengyun¡¯s pupils widen, but he quickly calmed down. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve already won?¡± Xiao Shengyun suddenly said. ¡°Oh, you guys still have a backup plan?¡± Zhang Mian made an exaggerated shocked expression. ¡°I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m really scared if you don¡¯t use it. I beg you, please use it quickly. Hahaha!¡± ¡°Anqi, I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± Xiao Shengyun said. ¡°Alright!¡± Zhao Anqi, who was pinned in the air, responded. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhang Mian was a little surprised. The next moment, he felt the space around him distort. [Samsara Territory] ¡°I lost this time.¡± In the domain, Xiao Shengyun, who had recovered his mobility, felt a little gloomy. ¡°What skill is this? How could my skill be broken?¡± Zhang Mian looked around in bewilderment at the distorted space with terrifying illusions. ¡°There¡¯s no light here, so there won¡¯t be any shadows. The skill you¡¯re so proud of is no longer useful here.¡± Xiao Shengyun raised his head and looked at the flustered Zhang Mian. ¡°So this is your trump card?¡± Zhang Mian suddenly calmed down and stopped looking around. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll let you experience true despair!¡± Xiao Shengyun walked towards Zhang Mian. In the outside world, Zhou Mingrui raised his brows slightly when he saw Xiao Shengyun activate his spatial domain. ¡°Although I had expected this, I didn¡¯t expect Zhang Mian to be able to force Xiao Shengyun to use this skill so quickly.¡± ¡°This Zhang Mian is too scheming. He uses tactics and tricks as if he¡¯s born with the ability to do so. This kind of person is a little tricky to deal with.¡± Yan Wuyue furrowed her brows. ¡°And he reminds me of someone.¡± Zhou Mingrui turned his head and asked with voice transmission, [Is he someone from your future army?] Yan Wuyue nodded slightly. [He¡¯s also very smart, just like Zhang Mian. He was known as the army¡¯s master strategist and has accomplished countless impossible tasks. Unfortunately, he has a fatal flaw.] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered before he thought of something. [He didn¡¯t treat his subordinates humanely, right? ] Yan Wuyue sighed and replied, [That¡¯s right. Although his mission completion rate topped the entire army, his men is also had the highest mortality rate. He would do literally anything to complete missions, so people were terrified of joining his team.] Zhou Mingrui pressed on. [If that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t that mean that he wasn¡¯t well liked? How could he remain in the army? ] [Of course, but there¡¯s a big shot among our top combat forces who really admired his methods and protected him. Also, although this sounds really cruel, some missions had to be completed in his way, so he still stayed in the army.] Yan Wuyue answered. [According to your description of the future, it appears this guy didn¡¯t live to the end?] Zhou Mingrui asked after some thought. [Yeah.] Yan Wuyue slightly raised her eyes. [In one of the battles, he suddenly went mad and commanded his team and the other teams around him, a total of 7000 people, to take a detour and invade the main nest of those monsters. In the end, we received no news of any of them, including him.] [Later, I found out that he had a plan that had a high chance of killing a main nest controller. The success rate was 73%. Unfortunately, it was rejected by the higher-ups because too many people would be sacrificed if this plan were to go forward.] Zhou Mingrui could imagine the situation back then. He could also understand that person¡¯s perspective. [Actually, the Thirteen Pillars almost agreed to this plan at that time, but in the end, because I was reluctant to sacrifice so many lives, the plan was eventually rejected.] Yan Wuyue continued. [But he still did it, and he did it without hesitation. He didn¡¯t care about his life at all.] Zhou Mingrui said. [Yeah. Although he went mad in the end, he did manage to force that monster tide to retreat, and they didn¡¯t appear again for another three years. We speculate that he must have killed at least one main nest controller.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes were full of complicated emotions. Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui fell silent. You could say that this kind of person was repulsive. He brought so many of his own people to die, of course he would definitely be hated. However, you¡¯d think he was definitely pitiful too. His starting point was for the reproduction and survival of his race, not for himself. From the perspective of the entire race, he was right, but from the perspective of all those people he sacrificed, he was wrong. He was so firm of his beliefs. You can¡¯t hate this kind of person at all. Just as the two of them were deep in thought, the space in front of them suddenly distorted. Then, the entire domain began to crack like glass. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. More and more cracks appeared in the air. Finally, it broke into countless pieces and dissipated silently into thin air. After the domain shattered, the scene within was revealed. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue were both surprised because the scene in front of them were totally unexpected. The winner was not Xiao Shengyun, but Zhang Mian, who was grabbing onto the former¡¯s collar. Xiao Shengyun had completely lost any ability to battle. His face was swollen and there was blood on the corner of his mouth. It was obvious that he had been beaten up. On the other hand, Zhang Mian¡¯s clothes were only a little torn. Everything else was clean and tidy. He didn¡¯t even look like he had been in a battle. ¡°You were so smug just now, but you¡¯re so useless when you actually have to fight. I¡¯m so disappointed.¡± Then, he threw Xiao Shengyun away like a sack of potatoes. Xiao Shengyun fell in front of Zhou Mingrui, who got up and helped him up. At this time, Zhao Anqi returned to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. ¡°This b*stard, he¡¯s playing with us!¡± Zhao Anqi cursed angrily. She was enraged because Zhang Mian¡¯s other two teammates could have defeated her very quickly, but they didn¡¯t do so and instead just forced her to fly around and dodge their attacks. Now that she had stopped, she was exhausted. When she saw Xiao Shengyun¡¯s state, she was furious. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, give that fellow a good beating. The more miserable, the better. I¡¯ll give you money when you¡¯re done with him. A lot of money!¡± Zhao Anqi said angrily. Zhou Mingrui did not say anything. Instead, he carried Xiao Shengyun to the side of the arena. He stood up and was ready to join the battle. ¡°His, his ability is¡­¡± Xiao Shengyun suddenly opened his mouth and spoke hoarsely. He wanted to warn Zhou Mingrui about Zhang Mian. ¡°No need. Rest well. I don¡¯t need to know these.¡± Zhou Mingrui interrupted Xiao Shengyun. He then turned around and left, his face expressionless. ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s finally your turn with me. Are you ready to be ruthlessly beaten up?¡± Zhang Mian sneered at Yan Wuyue. Chapter 95 - A Taste of Despair A Taste of Despair ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is your summoned spirit too scared to speak?¡± Zhang Mian looked at the silent Zhou Mingrui and could not help but mock him. He had no intention of showing any respect at all. Zhou Mingrui suddenly opened his eyes and a ghostly light flashed across. Zhang Mian, who had been cocky just a moment ago, suddenly stopped laughing, as if he had just seen something horrifying. Zhang Mian¡¯s perspective. When Zhou Mingrui opened his eyes, he felt as though his entire body was being crushed by a terrifying gravity. He was momentarily unable to speak. However, when Zhou Mingrui shifted his gaze, the feeling instantly disappeared, as though it had never existed. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing. Don¡¯t end up like that Xiao Shengyun, who¡¯ just all talk.¡± Zhang Mian took a deep breath and pretended to be unbothered. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± Yan Wuyue replied coldly. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was suddenly engulfed in a large amount of phantom flames, viciously blazing as if the flames themselves were enraged too. The match itself was still in progress, so there was no need for the referee¡¯s instructions. Without a word, Zhang Mian¡¯s shadow rushed out and controlled Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s shadows in the blink of an eye. ¡°Hahaha, I thought you were more powerful, but you¡¯re just like that guy.¡± ¡°I wasted my time and effort. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have made so many plans.¡± Seeing that both of them were under his control, Zhang Mian immediately regained his arrogance and mocking attitude. He could already see himself winning the team competition and entering one of the four major Research Institutes to cultivate. He could even foresee himself becoming successful and famous. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve already won?¡± At this moment, a cold voice rang out. Zhang Mian shuddered as he stopped his maniacal laughter and looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! How are you not being controlled?¡± Zhang Mian suddenly sensed that his shadow had lost control of his opponent. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°You, you don¡¯t have a shadow!¡± At this moment, Zhang Mian finally realized. ¡°I¡¯m a half-energy body. Isn¡¯t it normal for an energy body to have no shadow?¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he stretched his neck. ¡°This¡­ You actually still had this up your sleeve.¡± Zhang Mian frowned and his expression began to turn serious. Seeing that the situation appeared to be off, his two teammates immediately rushed over. Zhang Mian¡¯s eyes narrowed. He immediately swung his arm, trying to throw Yan Wuyue out of the arena before anything could happen. However, he realized that Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t move at all. Then, he also felt the same sensation he felt from Zhou Mingrui moments ago. ¡°How is that possible? You¡¯re clearly a human. It¡¯s impossible for you to not have a shadow!¡± Zhang Mian said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m indeed a human and I do have a shadow, but I can make my shadow disappear.¡± Yan Wuyue pointed at the stars and moons around her. The glowing energy spheres completely surrounded Yan Wuyue, leaving no trace of her shadow on the ground. ¡°You¡­!¡± Zhang Mian was so angry that he couldn¡¯t say a word. Previously, Zhao Anqi attempted to cover her shadow by moving directly under the sun, but she still had a tiny shadow. But now, Yan Wuyue had completely eliminated her shadow, not giving him any chance at all. At this moment, Zhang Mian was like a tiger that had lost its teeth and claws. He was just a big cat and was no longer a threat. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of an impression of you at first, but you¡¯ve been pushing my limits since just now.¡± Zhou Mingrui slowly strode forward as he said, ¡°I¡¯m curious now. How many punches do you think you can take?¡± Zhang Mian¡¯s face twitched. When Zhou Mingrui came within ten meters of him, he could not help but take a few steps back. ¡°What? In your own words, what are you afraid of?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly cracked into a smile. He thought he looked very friendly like that, but in Zhang Mian¡¯s eyes, it was like the smile of a devil. ¡°Weren¡¯t you very powerful just now? Then let me see how strong you are. If you have any moves, just use them on me.¡± Zhou Mingrui began to imitate Zhang Mian¡¯s tone. Veins immediately began to pop out on Zhang Mian¡¯s forehead. However, he did not dare to move. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It can¡¯t be that the mighty Zhang Mian is also a coward?¡± When Zhou Mingrui was half a meter away from Zhang Mian, he, who was half a head taller than Zhang Mian, looked down at him contemptuously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be able to admit defeat even if you want to. I¡¯ll give you a taste of despair. ¡± ¡°Hahaha, I knew it. You are just like how I predicted!¡± Suddenly, Zhang Mian cackled. Then, he raised his arm and fired a beam at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui did not resist and allowed the beam to hit his body. ¡°Is this the move you used to defeat Xiao Shengyun?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the mark that appeared on his chest. He raised his head and asked Zhang Mian calmly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you feel your energy rapidly declining? In a moment, you won¡¯t even have the strength to lift your hand. Believe me, you¡¯ll beg me for mercy.¡± Zhang Mian was excited for his victory. ¡°What if I don¡¯t beg you for mercy?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked cooperatively. ¡°Then you¡¯ll end up like him and embarrass yourself in front of everyone. Hahaha,¡± Zhang Mian laughed. Zhou Mingrui opened his attribute panel to check his current status and realized that it was just as Zhang Mian had said. All of his basic attributes were constantly decreasing at a rapid rate. A notification suddenly popped up. [Warning, your body is now under the debuff of the curse ¡®Weaken¡¯. All your attributes have begun to decline by 65 to 55%.] [Due to your curse resistance, the weakening percentage is reduced by 10 to 15%. The final reduction is based on fluctuations in real life conditions.] ¡°A debuff skill of up to 65%. It¡¯s very powerful. It seems like this is your final trump card?¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to laugh at this point.¡± Zhang Mian squinted his eyes slightly and said rather fiercely, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Soon, you will be like Xiao Shengyun, unable to smile anymore!¡± Zhou Mingrui replied with a polite smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve said it before. I¡¯ll give you a taste of despair.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re still so stubborn in this situation?¡± Zhang Mian said confidently, ¡°Even if you and Yan Wuyue attack together, you can¡¯t beat me in this state. I¡¯ve already won this match. Hahaha.¡± Looking at the confident and arrogant Zhang Mian, Zhou Mingrui shook his head slightly before raising his left hand. In an instant, the space around the two of them began to distort. Huge illusive shadows appeared around them, followed by an endless dark shadow space that descended and completely enveloped the two of them. [Samsara Territory] Activated! Chapter 96 - Confidence and Despair Confidence and Despair ¡°This¡­Isn¡¯t this Xiao Shengyun¡¯s move? How come you can use it too?¡± Zhang Mian looked at the familiar illusionary domain around him and asked in confusion. ¡°Whose move do you think this is?¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. Looking around, Zhang Mian soon found that this domain was different from Xiao Shengyun¡¯s. For instance, those terrifying illusory images were way more vivid, and the auras they emitted were even more shocking and frightening. Moreover, his feeling of weakness was even more obvious. When Xiao Shengyun used this skill before, although he felt weak, it was not as severe due to his body¡¯s natural resistance. However, within Zhou Mingrui¡¯s domain, he could already sense that his attributes had dropped by at least 30%. ¡°But what¡¯s the purpose of this? No matter what you do,¡± Zhang Mian said nonchalantly, ¡°your attributes are lower than my summoned spirit or myself in this state. You still can¡¯t deal with me.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°You¡¯re right. But the question is, do you really think this is all I¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°What else can you do?¡± Zhang Mian reasoned confidently. ¡°You¡¯ve left your summoner, Yan Wuyue, outside. Unless you still have some other useless skills?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how powerful your skills are, your basic attributes are no longer high enough to make up for the gap between us.¡± ¡°Basically, there¡¯s a 99% chance that you won¡¯t be able to turn the tables against me.¡± Zhou Mingrui clapped with a smile. ¡°Your reasoning is brilliant, but I have to say that it¡¯s useless.¡± With a wave of his hand, a massive shadow appeared beside him, quickly taking shape in the phantom flames. The spectral hell warhorse appeared, its body burning with phantom flames, and its terrifying aura spread throughout the entire domain. Shaking its head, its empty eyes lit up with white flames. It raised its body and stomped its hooves. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. How can a summoned spirit have its own spirit?¡± Zhang Mian was shocked. Zhou Mingrui flipped himself onto his warhorse and looked at him with a mocking gaze. ¡°Is it that strange? Aren¡¯t you very good at reasoning? Why didn¡¯t you think of this?¡± Zhang Mian¡¯s expression was extremely grim. He never expected that Zhou Mingrui, a summoned spirit, could actually summon something too. It was truly unbelievable. At the very least, Zhang Mian had never heard of this being possible. More importantly, the aura emitted by the warhorse was too powerful. It was not something that he could fight at his current level. However, he had no choice. If he wanted to win, he had to defeat Zhou Mingrui and his warhorse. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would have been in vain. ¡°So, have you thought of a plan yet? Do you still need a little more time?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked down at Zhang Mian from his warhorse and asked. ¡°Heh, I admit defeat. I really didn¡¯t expect you to have such hidden skills.¡± Zhang Mian smiled bitterly. ¡°What, you¡¯re admitting defeat?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What else can I do? There¡¯s no hope of winning.¡± Zhang Mian spread his hands. ¡°But I don¡¯t trust you, so I¡¯ll use the most secure method to end this.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head. Then, a strong fighting spirit began to emerge from him. ¡°No way! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually going to attack me?¡± Zhang Mian¡¯s mouth was agape. He looked at Zhou Mingrui like he was a lunatic. ¡°When I¡¯m up against people like you, I have to do this to feel at ease. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll come up with more tricks.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s warhorse could sense its master¡¯s intention to fight. With a silent growl, it began to gather its strength and was ready to charge at any moment. ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted defeat. According to the rules, you can¡¯t continue to attack me!¡± Zhang Mian said angrily. ¡°Did the referee hear that?¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently, ¡°Who can prove that you admitted defeat? Besides, who knows if this is a trap? You could be waiting for me to let my guard down before you launch a sneaky counterattack. After all, no one heard you admit defeat, right?¡± ¡°You b*stard!¡± Zhang Mian¡¯s body began to glow with energy, but he did not refute. After all, that was actually his plan. He just didn¡¯t expect Zhou Mingrui to be so cautious. ¡°If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being such a cunning person. I can¡¯t trust you. Alright, its time to give you a taste of true despair!¡± Zhou Mingrui growled and charged forward. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this!¡± Zhang Mian also roared unwillingly and released all his strength. In the outside world. ¡°What, you guys don¡¯t plan to make a move on me?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhang Mian¡¯s two teammates. The two looked at each other, but they still didn¡¯t move. ¡°I know. You¡¯re thinking that if Zhang Mian finishes Zhou Mingrui and comes out, you can win without much effort. But if he loses, it¡¯s also useless for you to fight now, right?¡± A light flashed in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand as her spear appeared. ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight, Yan Wuyue. The battle inside will decide the outcome,¡± one of them said. ¡°But why do I feel that it¡¯s necessary for us to fight? After all, I feel uncomfortable all over if he¡¯s the only one who got to fight,¡± Yan Wuyue said as she fiddled with her hair. The two teammates¡¯ faces became serious. They simultaneously took a few steps back with their summoned spirits and put on a defensive stance. With a whistling sound, Yan Wuyue dashed towards them. The spear in her hand moved quickly and formed a rain of spears that engulfed the two of them. Yan Wuyue made a decision that surprised everyone by choosing to single-handedly battle two summoners and their spirits. ¡°Is Yan Yuyue crazy? The two weren¡¯t even intending to fight, but she still initiated it when she didn¡¯t have her summoned spirit around. ¡± ¡°Even if she wanted to help, she has to look at the situation. She¡¯s fighting two summoners and their summoned spirits alone. This is a very unwise choice.¡± ¡°Why do I have this feeling that Yan Wuyue can do it though? You know, she was also very strong in the previous battle.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s one against four, no matter how I look at it, it doesn¡¯t seem like she has a good chance.¡± While the spectating students were discussing, Yan Wuyue and Zhang Mian¡¯s teammates had already engaged in battle. One of them had a summoned spirit that was a ball of white light. It looked like a furry white ball of glowing silk threads. The other had a summoned spirit that was like a stingray attached to his back. The white ball of light had a skill that could enhance one¡¯s speed, which Yan Wuyue had took note of from just now. And she loved to target this kind of supporting summoners first! Chapter 97 - Referee, I Admit Defeat! Hurry Up! Referee, I Admit Defeat! Hurry Up! Yan Wuyue¡¯s aggressiveness frightened the supporting summoner. But after all, he had experienced many battles with Zhang Mian, so he was still able to stay calm. He immediately used his summoned spirit¡¯s skill to increase both of their speeds. He then escaped Yan Wuyue¡¯s attack with his elevated speed. The stingray summoned spirit behind the other teammate suddenly emitted a blue light. The next moment, Yan Wuyue felt the air around her turn into the consistency of water. The faster she moved, the stronger the resistance around her. Yan Wuyue¡¯s speed immediately dropped. Without any hesitation, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body glowed with light as she directly activated her stars and moon power. After forming the Stars and Moon Domain, the energy in her body quickly surged and offset a large amount of the surrounding resistance. Sensing the strange energy around her, the stars and moon energy on Yan Wuyue suddenly erupted, and the strong repulsive force pushed away the strange energy. With no more obstacles in front of her, Yan Wuyue rushed out again at a much higher speed. As for the two who were trying to escape, their speed was restricted in the Stars and Moon domain that suddenly appeared. They couldn¡¯t shake off Yan Wuyue¡¯s pursuit at all. They looked at each other. Knowing that they couldn¡¯t leave, they immediately launched their strongest attack. The white ball of light suddenly rose into the sky and burst into a dazzling light. The strong light greatly reduced Yan Wuyue¡¯s vision for a moment. ¡°Now!¡± One of them let out a low growl, and the teammate with the stingray immediately activated his skill. The surrounding space once again was filled with a blue-colored, watery energy. Unlike before, it directly collided with Yan Wuyue¡¯s stars and moon energy. Although he was far from taking control of the surrounding space, he was still able to secure a safe radius around him and his teammate. ¡°So Zhang Mian still has a trump card here.¡± Seeing this, Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but remark. However, she continued to charge towards the two of them. But suddenly, the domain in the middle of the arena began to shake. Then, it turned into a faint shadow and disappeared. After it dissipated, two figures appeared. One of them immediately retreated backwards as soon as he appeared. He was very quick, but appeared to be rather flustered. Everyone looked curiously at the figure and saw that it was Zhang Mian. At the same time, he shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s the referee? I want to admit defeat!¡± Anxiety filled his words. He was obviously afraid that the referee could not hear him. Fortunately, the referee did and quickly announced the end of the match. As for Zhou Mingrui, he stood in his spot with his hands behind his back. He had no intention of chasing. Everyone was stunned. Wasn¡¯t Zhang Mian arrogantly taunting his opponent just before he was pulled into the domain? Why is he suddenly acting like a frightened rabbit now? He looked like a little girl who had seen a big bad wolf. However, now that the match was over, no matter how many doubts they had, they had no choice but to hold them back. Yan Wuyue looked at the beaten up Zhang Mian and could not help but sigh. She turned to Zhou Mingrui and asked, [Look at him. Aren¡¯t you afraid of crippling him?] [Don¡¯t worry. Scheming fellows like him won¡¯t break down so easily.] Zhou Mingrui waved his hand. [That¡¯s true. If this kind of person could really break down so easily, he couldn¡¯t have come so far.] Yan Wuyue nodded. [Ha, if he really breaks down, I¡¯ll change my surname to yours.] Zhou Mingrui chuckled and replied confidently. [Why do I suddenly feel a little eager to see that happen? If he really breaks down, what will happen if you take my surname?] Yan Wuyue smiled. [What the, are you trying to stir up trouble?] Zhou Mingrui asked with raised brows. [Who knows? You were the one who said it first.] Yan Wuyue spread her hands and laughed. Without Zhang Mian, the remaining teams were basically a piece of cake for Yan Wuyue¡¯s team. The competition ended in the evening. The result of the competition was as expected. Yan Wuyue¡¯s team won the highest comprehensive score and earned the first place in this year¡¯s freshmen tournament. On the podium, the principal gave the awards to them personally. ¡°The other rewards will be sent to your dormitory later. I¡¯ll first give you the reward for the first place now.¡± The principal picked up a box. Zhou Mingrui, who was standing beside him, looked closely. The box was as white as porcelain. There were golden patterns on it, giving it a mysterious and elegant feeling. ¡°Come, let¡¯s invite the champion of this competition to receive the reward that they deserve.¡± Yan Wuyue received the box from the principal. It was around 15 centimeters wide and less than 30 centimeters long. The box felt a little heavy, as if it was made of solid metal. ¡°The higher-ups in our college have high hopes for you. We hope that you can keep up with this excellent performance. With your talent, you can easily choose any Research Institute of your liking. ¡± ¡°So you have to take good care of yourself. You can¡¯t slack off, or you¡¯ll really be wasting your incredible talent.¡± After saying that, the principal patted Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder and winked. Yan Wuyue nodded with a smile. She obediently pulled Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and walked down the stage. Watching Yan Wuyue leave, the principal suddenly felt that this student was worth teaching and liked her even more. ¡°Alright, this year¡¯s freshmen tournament has already ended. As a ceremony to welcome all the freshmen, this year¡¯s competition can be considered to have come to an end.¡± ¡°I hope that you will study hard in the Academy and take in more knowledge to improve your overall strength. This way, you can proudly say that you have graduated from the Heavenly Saint Academy! ¡± ¡°No matter which Research Institute you choose to join, as long as you say that you came from the Heavenly Saint Academy, you¡¯ll get envious looks from everyone else. ¡± The principal began his self-indulgent speech of encouragement for the freshmen. At the same time, he began to gradually distribute the rewards. As long as a student participated in the freshmen tournament, regardless of their placing, they would be able to receive a small gift from the academy. Although it was a small gift, when the students opened it and saw that it was rather valuable even for them, they all smiled. The bustling scene lasted for half an hour before the students gradually dispersed. Chapter 98 - The Celebration Banquet The Celebration Banquet ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back now. Contact me if you need anything.¡± Xiao Shengyun suddenly walked up and said to the team. Zhou Mingrui turned around and realized that his injuries had more or less recovered. At the very least, he could walk back on his own. Xiao Shengyun was really upset right now. He was ruthlessly beaten up by Zhang Mian and was already embarrassed. He didn¡¯t want to continue tormenting his self esteem by continuing to stay there with Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Then be careful on your way back,¡± Yan Wuyue said. Xiao Shengyun nodded, then turned and left. ¡°We won the championship today. As the captain, you should treat us to a meal to celebrate, right?¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly laughed. Xiao Shengyun, who had just walked a short distance away, staggered and almost fell. He pretended that nothing had happened and quickly left the place. ¡°Of course, but why did you wait until he left before saying that?¡± Yan Wuyue said as she looked at Xiao Shengyun, who was already far away. ¡°Who wants to look at a sour face when they¡¯re eating? Those who don¡¯t know any better would think that I owed him a lot of money.¡± Zhao Anqi pouted. ¡°I like what you said. I, too, wouldn¡¯t like to look at that face when I¡¯m eating. It affects my appetite.¡± Zhou Mingrui chimed in. ¡°The two of you¡­ After all, we have battled alongside one another before. No matter what, there should be some comradery between you guys. I think it¡¯s better to ask him.¡± Yan Wuyue tried to convince them. ¡°I won¡¯t say it. If you want to ask him, you can do it yourself.¡± Zhao Anqi pouted. ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ve been teammates before, let¡¯s just invite him.¡± ¡°After all, we¡¯ll all be classmates. We¡¯ll see each other more often in the future, so we have to take care of each other.¡± Zhou Mingrui also felt that he had to be civil. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s call him along. Let¡¯s go to the restaurant outside the Academy. I¡¯ll go make a reservation first,¡± Yan Wuyue said. Very quickly, everyone arrived at the restaurant¡¯s private room. Xiao Shengyun was also invited. The person who invited him in the end was not Yan Wuyue, but Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui originally thought that he would definitely come up with some excuse to reject the invitation. After all, that was just how he was. But unexpectedly, Xiao Shengyun didn¡¯t even hesitate and agreed to come. Moreover, when they met, the three of them didn¡¯t see any introverted shyness on Xiao Shengyun¡¯s face. Of course, he also didn¡¯t have the arrogant look from before. Instead, Xiao Shengyun gave off a vibe that resembled a big brother from next door, gentle and elegant, making people feel very comfortable with his presence. ¡°You¡¯re not Xiao Shengyun!¡± In the restaurant¡¯s private room, Zhao Anqi walked around Xiao Shengyun a few times, then said something shocking. ¡°If I¡¯m not Xiao Shengyun, who else can I be?¡± Xiao Shengyun scratched his head and asked. ¡°Then why are you suddenly different from before?¡± Zhao Anqi was confused. Hearing this, Xiao Shengyun chuckled and said, ¡°I was just feeling unwell before, and I was in a bad mood after being defeated. Isn¡¯t it normal to be like that?¡± Zhao Anqi opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. After a few seconds, she said, ¡°I can¡¯t find anything wrong with what you said. I just think this is too abnormal.¡± Xiao Shengyun laughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m just an ordinary person, and I¡¯m not a scheming person like Zhang Mian. Of course I¡¯ll pull a long face when I¡¯m in a bad mood, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue exchanged looks. [Do you think this is real or fake?] Zhou Mingrui asked suspiciously. [I think this is very normal. There is no need for him to lie to us. He won¡¯t benefit from that anyway.] Yan Wuyue smiled. [Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, it does make sense. It¡¯s just that it just feels a little weird.] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. [I understand what you¡¯re thinking, but so what if he did it on purpose? You can easily crush him, and neither do I have to worry about anything. As for Zhao Anqi, that is none of our business.] Yan Wuyue assured him, [Well, stop being suspicious of everything. This is not like you at all. What you should do is to celebrate and have a big delicious meal.] Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui completely let go of the doubts in his heart and began to enjoy the delicacies. ¡°By the way, has no one from the Research Institutes reached out to you yet?¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly asked Yan Wuyue when they were almost done eating. ¡°No, what¡¯s the matter? Did someone from the Research Institute contact you?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°No, but a few of my classmates who performed well in the competition have already received notices, although they were not from the four major Research Institutes. ¡± Zhao Anqi wiped her lips and continued, ¡°I heard that the four Research Institutes have yet to send an invitation to anyone. In the past, they would have already decided who to invite by this time. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s why many people are speculating that something different is happening this year. Are the four major Research Institutes planning something? ¡± Xiao Shengyun wiped his mouth and said, ¡°I guess they¡¯re having an internal discussion this time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Anqi asked curiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t the brightest star of this year sitting right next to us? There¡¯s no way the four major Research Institutes wouldn¡¯t want her.¡± Xiao Shengyun put down the tissue and said. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because they want her so much that they have become cautious, and are afraid that any unexpected incidents may happen.¡± ¡°I guess they¡¯re having an internal discussion now so that they can invite Yan Wuyue to join them at the lowest cost. As for why others haven¡¯t received invitations, of course the Institutes will have to snatch Yan Wuyue first before talking about others.¡± Zhao Anqi couldn¡¯t help but clap happily. ¡°Wow, I think that sounds pretty legitimate. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so smart.¡± ¡°Since when did I look stupid?¡± Xiao Shengyun said with a bitter smile. Zhao Anqi quickly said, ¡°Oops, I said the wrong thing, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Then won¡¯t Yan Wuyue be at a disadvantage?¡± she asked in a low voice. Xiao Shengyun shook his head. ¡°No matter how much they discuss, they must still give Yan Wuyue satisfactory conditions. After all, her talent and strength are there for everyone to see. If they give her too little, people will laugh at the four major Research Institutes. ¡± ¡°And if she¡¯s not satisfied with the conditions, it¡¯s not like Yan Wuyue doesn¡¯t have the ability to bargain, right?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded and said, ¡°Yup. They can set their own conditions, but I have the right to state my own conditions too.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Zhao Anqi gave her a thumbs up and praised, ¡°If I were as talented and domineering as you, my dad will probably wake up laughing in his dreams.¡± ¡°He always complained that I was too mischievous, unlike my mother.¡± Zhou Mingrui spat out the broken bone in his mouth and said, ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re saying that you want Yan Wuyue to be your mother?¡± ¡°Shut up and eat your food!¡± Two voices snapped at him simultaneously. Chapter 99 - I Dont Mind Sharing You~ I Don¡¯t Mind Sharing You~ Zhou Mingrui was stunned by their aggressive response, but he chose to remain silent in the end. Instead, he reached for the fruit platter at the side and began to eat fruits quietly. Seeing that this guy had quietened down, Yan Wuyue and Zhao Anqi turned around and started talking again. Xiao Shengyun, on the other hand, turned to the side to laugh silently. However, he soon felt a murderous hostile gaze burning into him. Xiao Shengyun immediately stopped smiling and sat up straight. ¡°By the way, Yan Wuyue, do you have any Research Institute that you¡¯re interested in?¡± Zhao Anqi asked curiously. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve more or less decided on it since the beginning. But please allow me to keep it a secret for now.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°Tsk, what¡¯s the point of this? Are you not going to choose the four major Research Institutes?¡± Zhao Anqi pursed her lips. ¡°Maybe.¡± Yan Wuyue kept her in suspense. ¡°I was just thinking of following you guys to whichever institute you¡¯re going to.¡± Zhao Anqi threw a flirtatious look at Zhou Mingrui. [This little girl still hasn¡¯t given up on me.] Zhou Mingrui turned away and pretended not to see it. ¡°That also depends on whether they¡¯ll accept you. I remember that if your results are not good enough, it¡¯s very difficult to get in even with money.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately retorted. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right. The four major Research Institutes don¡¯t lack money, but with the Zhao family¡¯s background and power, it¡¯s not a problem to push a person in.¡± Zhao Anqi said. ¡°The Zhao family? I wonder who begged Zhou Mingrui for help while crying that their main family was going to bully them.¡± Yan Wuyue teased with a smile. ¡°Tsk, this isn¡¯t something that can be solved immediately. When the time comes, the Zhao family will definitely pour their resources into me.¡± Zhao Anqi was not ashamed at all as she replied confidently. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, I guess there¡¯s no need for Zhou Mingrui to go anymore? I happen to have something for him to do.¡± Yan Wuyue began to show her true intentions. ¡°That won¡¯t do. We agreed on this before. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t buy it and said directly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since I¡¯ve promised you, I¡¯ll keep my word. But don¡¯t you think Xiao Shengyun is a good fit too?¡± Yan Wuyue tried to from another angle. ¡°Him?¡± Zhao Anqi glanced at Xiao Shengyun. The latter immediately puffed out his chest and showed a confident look on his face. ¡°Forget it. Those guys are all trained by their families with a lot of resources. No matter who they are, they are all much stronger than Zhang Mian. If Xiao Shengyun goes, he will probably be kicked around like a ball,¡± Zhao Anqi said. Hearing this, Xiao Shengyun was exasperated, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He could only let out a long sigh and pretend that he didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m really curious. Does your main family have to bully your branch families?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. ¡°Yeah, logically speaking, the Zhao family is such a big family. How could the main family lack money?¡± Yan Wuyue was also a little puzzled. ¡°The main family does own a lot of businesses, but the problem is that their daily consumption is also enormous. They can never have too much money.¡± Zhao Anqi crinkled her nose and said unhappily, ¡°My family¡¯s business was single-handedly built by my father himself. When they want my father to acknowledge his roots and ancestors, it¡¯s more like they want him to give most of his profits to the family.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably arrange more and more people to enter your companies and industries, then continue to nibble away at them and finally swallow them up completely.¡± Xiao Shengyun shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, they¡¯ve already done a lot of such things.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded in agreement. ¡°But you have to know that I¡¯m not invincible. Even if I take care of this trouble for you, what if they send a stronger one next time?¡± Zhou Mingrui analyzed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll deal with it when it comes. At least this time, I¡¯ll be able to buy some buffer time for my dad, right?¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. Yan Wuyue analyzed, ¡°I¡¯m sure that the main family won¡¯t send someone too strong. After all, they can¡¯t be too unscrupulous with this. They have to maintain a level of decency to show the public.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded. ¡°The Zhao family¡¯s strongest members are usually stationed in the core of their businesses to deal with the other forces of the same level. They won¡¯t be mobilized that easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but we¡¯ll offend the main Zhao family if we do that for you. We¡¯ll lose out big time.¡± Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and clicked his tongue. ¡°Everyone has witnessed your performance in this competition. You will definitely enter the four major Research Institutes. Their background and influence are much stronger than the Zhao family. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry so much even if you offend the main Zhao family. In fact, I think they might even try to curry favor with you after a while,¡± Zhao Anqi said casually. ¡°And¡­¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she inched closer to Zhou Mingrui and said in a flirtatious tone, ¡°If you feel that you¡¯re losing out on this deal, you can always just come to my side. With your talent and strength, you can completely swallow up the entire Zhao family. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡± Feeling her soft and delicate touch on his arm, Zhou Mingrui began to feel itchy all over, as if something was awakening. ¡°Zhao Anqi, act more serious!¡± Yan Wuyue frowned. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re a member of the Zhao family. Don¡¯t act so indecently! ¡± ¡°What?¡± Zhao Anqi leaned on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and said nonchalantly, ¡°We women have to marry someone sooner or later. Why can¡¯t I choose someone who is strong, has a good personality, and is pleasing to the eye?¡± ¡°Unless, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already ¡®eaten¡¯ Zhou Mingrui?¡± Looking back at Zhao Anqi¡¯s burning gaze, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°From the looks of it, you haven¡¯t ¡®eaten¡¯ him yet. You haven¡¯t even confirmed your relationship with him. Of course I have a chance to make a move.¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. ¡°Can you get more shameful than this, Zhao Anqi!¡± Yan Wuyue was visibly annoyed. ¡°Shameful? Zhou Mingrui,¡± Zhao Anqi replied nonchalantly, ¡°if you¡¯re willing to accept me, I don¡¯t mind sharing you with other women~¡± With that said, she even provocatively blew into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ear. Zhou Mingrui felt a shiver go down his spine and he subconsciously tried to break free from Zhao Anqi¡¯s grasp. However, he realized that she was holding him too tightly. Although he could use his strength to break free, he would hurt Zhao Anqi in the process, so he could only bear with it. ¡°You¡­¡± It¡¯s not like Yan Wuyue had never seen shameless women before. She had seen all kinds of people in her previous life, but if they made her unhappy, she could easily suppress them with her strength. However, she couldn¡¯t do that now. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t tease you guys anymore. After all, you guys were the ones who helped me before.¡± Sensing that the situation was getting awkward, Zhao Anqi kept her hands to herself and returned to her seat. Xiao Shengyun, who had been holding his fists tightly, also loosened his grip. He told himself that he was not willing to admit defeat! Chapter 100 - Energy Synchronization Rate Energy Synchronization Rate Ignoring the deeply conflicted Xiao Shengyun, Zhou Mingrui asked, ¡°When are we going to settle your business?¡± Zhao Anqi furrowed her brows and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It should be three days later. It just so happens that the school has given us a five day break after the freshmen competition. We can settle it in this period of time.¡± Yan Wuyue said, ¡°Let¡¯s make this clear. If what you predicted doesn¡¯t happen in five days, we¡¯ll come back directly. You don¡¯t have any objections, do you?¡± ¡°After all, we can¡¯t be late at the start of school. I hope you can understand how the school will view us if we did that.¡± Although she didn¡¯t want to, Zhao Anqi knew that Yan Wuyue was right. Waiting for five days was already very kind of them. ¡°Okay, I got it. If those b*stards don¡¯t come in five days, they probably won¡¯t come anyway. We can all come back together if that happens,¡± Zhao Anqi agreed. Then, she raised her glass and shouted, ¡°Come, let¡¯s have a smooth and happy cooperation, cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue also raised their glasses. Then, a total of four glasses collided in the air. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly turned to Xiao Shengyun and asked. ¡°I, I¡¯m celebrating with you.¡± Xiao Shengyun said weakly. ¡°What are you celebrating? Are you celebrating the fact that those b*stards came to my house to cause trouble, or are you celebrating the fact that I have to find someone to help me solve this problem, or are you celebrating the fact that I really want to splash wine on your face right now?¡± Zhao Anqi said unhappily. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to add to the atmosphere. I don¡¯t have any other intentions,¡± Xiao Shengyun replied timidly. ¡°I¡¯m not in a good mood right now. If you continue to spout nonsense, I won¡¯t be nice.¡± Zhao Anqi furrowed her brows and snorted. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Xiao Shengyun didn¡¯t dare to argue. [What a sad, pitiful bootlicker.] Zhou Mingrui remarked with voice transmission. [This is his own choice. We have no right to interfere.] Yan Wuyue said lightly. [Why does he have to do this? Sometimes, I just don¡¯t understand. She has already made it so obvious. He can¡¯t possibly want to butter up to someone who¡¯s being so cold to him.] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. [Alright, stop being a busybody.] Yan Wuyue scolded. Very quickly, the dinner party came to an end. Zhao Anqi said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I need help. Please be ready to come over at any time.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue both nodded. The latter assured her, ¡°Since we¡¯ve promised you, we¡¯ll keep our word.¡± Soon, the group dispersed. After returning to the dormitory, Zhou Mingrui went straight to take a shower and prepared to head upstairs to sleep. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the prize for the first place?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°I¡¯ll find out sooner or later anyway. There¡¯s no rush,¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°Alright, come down. I¡¯m going to open it now.¡± Sometimes, Yan Wuyue felt helpless about Zhou Mingrui¡¯s casual personality. Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui walked over and sat on the sofa beside Yan Wuyue. ¡°I made this a target object for us to obtain because it will be really helpful to the path we are going to take. ¡± As Yan Wuyue spoke, she took out the box and put her hand on it. The originally dim lines immediately lit up with a blue light. ¡°This is the Academy¡¯s special rune lock. It can only be unlocked with the owner¡¯s energy. If you open it by force, the entire box will detonate,¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°So it¡¯s a something like a biological lock.¡± Three seconds later, the box trembled slightly, and a crack appeared around it. A cold eerie light immediately leaked out from the crack. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed slightly. It was because the item in the box had attracted his attention. It was a strange feeling that he didn¡¯t know how to explain. When the box was completely opened, there was a branch lying quietly inside. The branch was less than 10 centimeters long, but it was crystal clear as if it was made of jade, and it was constantly emitting a faint light. ¡°What kind of plant is this branch from?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a plant, because its true form is a piece of metal. However, the appearance it is born with has characteristics of a plant,¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°So, what can this be used for?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. ¡°It can improve the spiritual power of the summoner and their summoned spirit.¡± Yan Wuyue carefully took the branch out of the box. ¡°Spiritual power. I remember encountering other items with this effect before. But if that¡¯s all, you don¡¯t have to regard it at such a high position, do you?¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he looked at the branch. ¡°Of course, while it increases your mental strength, it will also strengthen the connection between the summoner and the spirit. At the same time, there is a probability of strengthening a certain skill,¡± Yan Wuyue continued to explain. ¡°That¡¯s pretty decent.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded approvingly. ¡°One look and I can tell that you don¡¯t understand this thing¡¯s value. As the first place prize for the freshmen, do you think this item will be so simple?¡± Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s nonchalant look, Yan Wuyue lectured. ¡°What¡¯s not so simple about it then?¡± Zhou Mingrui indeed did not care that much. [In my previous life, the student who received this reward immediately evolved their summoned spirit after using it. The synchronization rate between the two of them went from less than 13% to 28%.] Yan Wuyue sent a voice transmission. [40%¡­] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned serious. Even for him and Yan Wuyue, their energy synchronization rate was less than 16%, but they were still the top among the new students. The energy synchronization rate represents the coordination of energy between the summoner and the summoned spirit during battles. The higher the synchronization rate, the more complementary the attributes between the summoner and the summoned spirit, and even the increase in skills would continue to be enhanced. The higher the level of the summoned spirit, the more difficult it was for the summoner to increase their energy synchronization rate. Therefore, for summoners of the same level, the way to determine victory, apart from their own skills and the strength of their summoned spirit, was basically the difference in energy synchronization rate. If the gap was too big, the summoner could even challenge other summoners of higher levels. Therefore, although energy synchronization rate was not something that had to be cultivated to increase one¡¯s rank, if one did not cultivate it, it would be like having strength but no skill to efficiently exert it. [I¡¯ve noticed this problem before. It¡¯s too difficult to increase our energy synchronization rate in this life. It¡¯s not just a few times more difficult than it was in my previous life, but tens of times more difficult.] [As our level and strength increase, it will be more difficult for us to improve compared to others. We might even have to put in ten to a hundred times more effort than others to maintain a balance.] Yan Wuyue explained slowly. [Therefore, one of our priorities is to obtain all treasures that can help us improve our energy synchronization rate.] [Otherwise, it¡¯s very likely that we¡¯ll reach a bottleneck after our strength reaches a certain level.] Chapter 101 - The Function of the Mysterious Treasure The Function of the Mysterious Treasure ¡°I was wondering why you valued this item so much, so that¡¯s why.¡± Zhou Mingrui finally understood why Yan Wuyue had placed so much importance on the first place¡¯s prize from the very beginning. ¡°How do I use this?¡± Zhou Mingrui carefully observed the branch in front of him. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know either, but when I received it, the Academy told me that I just need to place it in my hand and close my eyes to sense it, and my body will automatically absorb it.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Then you should try that,¡± Zhou Mingrui reminded. ¡°No, you use it first.¡± Yan Wuyue placed the branch in front of Zhou Mingrui. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked with a frown. Yan Wuyue picked up a branch and placed it in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. ¡°I have an theory in mind, but I can¡¯t fully confirm it before it¡¯s proven.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry. Its effect to enhance spiritual power is only secondary. Its real important effect will be the same no matter which of us absorbs it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, use it quickly.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Mingrui pondered for a few seconds before he grabbed the branch. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Closing his eyes, Zhou Mingrui felt the chilly sensation from the tree branch in his palm. He first used the phantom energy in his body to wrap around the branch. But no matter how he used it, the branch seemed to have resistance and didn¡¯t change at all. Zhou Mingrui did not dare to be too violent, afraid that he would accidentally destroy the branch in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t use your energy. Try using your spiritual power.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. Zhou Mingrui immediately switched to spiritual power from his mind. It had been a long time since he last used it, so he was a little jerky at first, but his manipulation quickly became smooth. When his spiritual power touched the branch, a strange feeling immediately spread through his mind. It was like drinking a glass of cold drink on a hot day, and he felt refreshed from top to bottom. In Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, countless blue stars began to appear in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm. They kept floating in the air, but soon, they were attracted by an invisible force and directly converged into his body. Soon, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm opened up. The branch inside had long disappeared. his body had also begun to enter a semi-energy state. The blue stars were visible to the naked eye as they swam in his body and quickly integrated within. A few minutes later, Yan Wuyue, who had been observing Zhou Mingrui, felt the connection between them grow stronger. Furthermore, both her energy and physical fitness were constantly improving. ¡°As expected, my deduction was right.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded in satisfaction. About ten minutes later, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body stopped glowing and returned to its original state. ¡°My body does feel different.¡± Zhou Mingrui opened his eyes. He looked relaxed. ¡°Come, let¡¯s test out our energy synchronization rate.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t waste any time. She got up, raised her hand, and began to circulate her energy. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t hesitate either. He began channeling his energy as well. After both parties tried it out, they realized that their energy synchronization rate had increased to 22%. ¡°It didn¡¯t increase by much, not even 10%. It doesn¡¯t seem to be as amazing as you said.¡± Zhou Mingrui retracted his energy and said with a hint of pity. ¡°No, its effect isn¡¯t something that can be seen immediately. What¡¯s really amazing is that the difficulty of increasing our energy synchronization rate will be greatly reduced in the future.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t feel it now, but you¡¯ll know why I value it so much in the future.¡± Yan Wuyue also sat down and took a sip of warm water. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t had the time to ask you. Did you awaken this energy only after your previous life?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. Generally speaking, he had never seen anyone go through such a thorough change in energy type. Moreover, according to what he had seen since he came to this world, he had never seen anyone who could completely change their energy attribute and skill nature in the early stages. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s thanks to one of the special items I¡¯ve collected from a long time ago. It¡¯s a one-time special item that can transform energy attributes and skills,¡± Yan Wuyue told him directly. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Zhou Mingrui was immediately curious. ¡°Yes, apart from the Star-Moon stone, I¡¯ve also collected the True Yang stele, the shoot of the Earth, and so on.¡± ¡°Those things are treasures formed under special conditions,¡± Yan Wuyue explained slowly, ¡°They are infused with special energy and imbued with special rules.¡± ¡°After the Great Fission, those treasures also appeared in the environment after being stimulated by the changes in the surroundings.¡± ¡°Of course, these items have their shortcomings and limitations too. In the early stages, they can greatly enhance one¡¯s strength, and the speed of formation is fast. Before one reaches a certain level, their combat power is top notch.¡± ¡°However, when the person reaches a higher level, these items will become a restriction. The difficulty of breaking through to a higher level will increase dramatically. ¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°Based on my understanding of you, you wouldn¡¯t do something so recklessly if you didn¡¯t have a plan to deal with it.¡± Yan Wuyue laughed. ¡°Now you know me. But you¡¯re right, I do have a way to deal with it. When the time comes, I¡¯ll have a way to replace my stars and moon energy with the least cost.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought for a few seconds before saying, ¡°But why do I feel that these treasures shouldn¡¯t have the effects you mentioned? Maybe they have other special effects?¡± After a moment of silence, Yan Wuyue said, ¡°Hmm¡­ You reminded me. I didn¡¯t actually collect a lot of these items before because I didn¡¯t find most of them useful. Since you¡¯ve said so, we should try collecting them this time.¡± ¡°Even if they end up being useless, I can give them to those who are not talented but loyal to me.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re really tirelessly thinking about those things all the time. You really need to relax right now. Otherwise, you might not have any time to rest when things get more stressful in the future.¡± Zhou Mingrui was prepared for Yan Wuyue to give him a serious lecture after hearing his opinions about relaxing. However, her reaction was unexpectedly mild. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand what you mean. I¡¯ll try my best to rest during this time and maintain my best condition to face the difficult future,¡± Yan Wuyue said gently. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve changed. This isn¡¯t like you.¡± Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and looked closely at Yan Wuyue. ¡°People change, of course I won¡¯t stay the same. I¡¯m always open to taking good advice.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. ¡°After all, I was too nervous and anxious in the beginning. That¡¯s why you have that mistaken impression of me. I think it¡¯s normal.¡± Zhou Mingrui had a perplexed expression for a while before he laughed out loud. Chapter 102 - Zhao Anqis Predicament Zhao Anqi¡¯s Predicament ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°Are you laughing at what I¡¯ve said or what I¡¯ve done?¡± Yan Wuyue asked as she put down her cup. Zhou Mingrui hurriedly raised his hand to pinch his lips to stop laughing. Then, he coughed to clear his throat and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you. I just thought this was too interesting, so I couldn¡¯t help it. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡± Yan Wuyue snorted. She stood up and walked behind Zhou Mingrui, placing her hand on his shoulder. ¡°Alright, alright, I apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have laughed at you, okay?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. All he could do was beg for mercy. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Yan Wuyue lowered her body and whispered into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ear. ¡°Y-yes, really.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had never been nervous even in the arena, was now tensed up. The next second, Zhou Mingrui felt his entire world tremble from an intense pain in his ear. ¡°I noticed that you¡¯ve been very arrogant recently, Zhou Mingrui. Your words and actions don¡¯t go through your brain. You just do whatever you want, don¡¯t you?¡± Yan Wuyue walked back to the sofa and said with her legs crossed. ¡°This, um, haha, I¡¯ve been a little too careless recently. Sorry.¡± This time, Zhou Mingrui cowered. All he could do was to take the insults. Yan Wuyue narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hmph, you have to know that we are under an equal contract. You have the obligation to discuss with me about everything you do. We have the same responsibility for our actions.¡± ¡°No matter what you do, as long as something happens, I¡¯ll have to take half the responsibility. So, can you please discuss with me before you make any decisions in the future?¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately nodded his head vigorously and said, ¡°I understand, I know, I understand, I understand. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± Yan Wuyue then got up and left the living room, walking back upstairs. After wiping the imaginary cold sweat from his forehead, Zhou Mingrui gulped and muttered, ¡°This woman¡¯s aura is getting stronger and stronger. I¡¯d better be careful not to let her get a hold of me in the future.¡± ¡°Sigh,¡± he sighed, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to Zhao Anqi¡¯s request. If this goes on, it¡¯s going to turn into another bloodbath.¡± Zhou Mingrui rubbed between his brows. He didn¡¯t dare to continue imagining the kind of hellish scenes he would have to face. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll deal with it when it comes. There¡¯s no point in worrying now. I need to remember that I am a dignified man. I¡¯ll definitely be more assertive when the time comes!¡± After making up his mind, Zhou Mingrui closed his eyes and began to think. It had been almost a year since he came to this world. He had met Yan Wuyue, Zhao Anqi, and many others, and had experienced many things. However, this world still gave Zhou Mingrui a sense of unfamiliarity and distance. Furthermore, for some unknown reason, Zhou Mingrui had a nagging feeling that there was a pair of eyes peeking at him from the dark. It was even possible that there were more than one pair of eyes spying on him. This feeling wasn¡¯t so clear before, but ever since he used the branch, his spiritual power had grown, and this feeling became more obvious. Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes as the phantom flames in his eyes flickered. [I¡¯m not mistaken. I knew that there were some strange things hiding in the dark since I arrived at this world.] [Don¡¯t let me catch you sneaky cowards in the dark!] After that, he got up and left the living room silently. Two days passed by quickly. During this time, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue worked hard to improve their energy synchronization rate. At the same time, they made arrangements to prepare for Zhao Anqi¡¯s situation. The next night, Yan Wuyue¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. ¡°Hello?¡± Yan Wuyue picked up the phone. After listening for a few seconds, her face suddenly changed. ¡°Take care of her,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Zhou Mingrui and I will rush over now.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Zhou Mingrui could roughly guess what had happened. ¡°Zhao Anqi¡¯s father was placed under house arrest by the Zhao family. Zhao Anqi and Xiao Shengyun wanted to see him, but they were pushed out by those people. Then, a conflict broke out between the two sides. Xiao Shengyun was injured while trying to protect Zhao Anqi,¡± Yan Wuyue quickly explained. ¡°B*stards, why didn¡¯t the local security department deal with them?¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed angrily. ¡°It¡¯s all because of the Zhao family. The security department claims that this is the Zhao family¡¯s own family matters. They said Xiao Shengyun¡¯s injury was caused by poor management of his own emotions, so it cannot be considered assault.¡± Yan Wuyue let out a long breath, but the anger on her face grew. ¡°Holy sh*t, they said that?¡± Zhou Mingrui had a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°This is clearly a distortion of the truth. Is the Zhao family that powerful? They can actually interfere security affairs to this extent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk about this in detail now. How about this, you take my family¡¯s car to the place first, and I¡¯ll go to you immediately after I¡¯ve arranged some things.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately instructed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head over first,¡± Zhou Mingrui agreed. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t clash with anyone before I arrive. Those guys from the Zhao family aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± Yan Wuyue reminded as she put on his coat. ¡°Okay, I understand what you mean, but you¡¯d better come as soon as possible. I can¡¯t control my temper sometimes.¡± Zhou Mingrui responded and left quickly. After leaving the school, Zhou Mingrui got into Yan Wuyue¡¯s family¡¯s car and headed to Zhao Anqi¡¯s house. In less than fifteen minutes, the large metal gates of an independent manor soon appeared in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s line of sight. After alighting from the car, Zhou Mingrui was just about to step forward when two strong figures appeared before him. ¡°This is private property. If you¡¯re not here for anything, please turn around and leave!¡± Looking the hand blocking his way, Zhou Mingrui refrained from picking a fight with them. Instead, he said, ¡°I¡¯m a guest invited by the daughter of this manor¡¯s owner. Please let me pass.¡± However, the two men in suits still said coldly, ¡°I repeat, this is private property. Please leave immediately before we take forceful measures.¡± Zhou Mingrui glanced at the two men and said with a smile, ¡°You two, this is indeed Zhao Desheng¡¯s private territory, but to be precise, he didn¡¯t hire you two, right?¡± ¡°In that case, you have no jurisdiction or acting jurisdiction over the private territory, so¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned cold as he continued, ¡°I advise the two of you to get out of my way and don¡¯t even think about using force on me. I can tell you very clearly right now.¡± ¡°If you do, that will give me the right to protect myself, and I won¡¯t hold back when I do.¡± As he said that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body began to exude an intense energy aura. It indicated that he was not spouting nonsense and was really ready to strike at any moment. Chapter 103 - The Fifth Master of the Zhao Family The Fifth Master of the Zhao Family The two men in suits looked at each other and then nodded slightly, as if they had reached some kind of understanding. The next second, a light flashed beside them and two summoned spirits appeared. One was a strong beast that looked like a tiger, while the other was a humanoid spirit with four horns and a goat¡¯s head. The moment their summoned spirits appeared, the two of them immediately released their powerful auras. They attacked at the same time. ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple.¡± The moment Zhou Mingrui felt his opponents¡¯ energy, a set of exquisite bone armor appeared on his body. At the same time, two solid and heavy bone shields appeared in his hands. With a bang, the opponents¡¯ attack landed on the shield. The two men in suits were slightly shocked. The next moment, they felt a huge force coming from the shield, sending them and their spirits flying. Zhou Mingrui did not continue with the battle. Instead, he casually put away his two bone shields and kicked open the gate in front of him. He had no interest in dealing with these two guys now, and if he were to really beat them up, the dispute would be troublesome to settle later. Zhou Mingrui had yet to fully understand the law and regulations of this world. Under such circumstances, he would refrain from directly killing or heavily injuring people. After entering the manor, a group of people in black suits quickly surrounded them with their respective summoned spirits. ¡°They came so quickly. I can tell that they are well-trained. It seems that the Zhao family¡¯s matter here is not that simple. This time, we might¡¯ve gotten ourselves into a pretty serious trouble.¡± Zhou Mingrui scoffed when he saw the group of men in black suits charging at him. Bone gauntlets and knuckles immediately appeared on his fists, and phantom energy in his body surged as he prepared to attack. In this situation, he would be dead meat if he didn¡¯t fight back. At most, he¡¯ll just take extra care to make sure that he didn¡¯t cripple or kill anyone during the fight. ¡°Stop!¡± Just as the two parties were about to clash, a figure appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui in the nick of time. ¡°He¡¯s my guest. You can¡¯t do this to him. Stop!¡± Zhao Anqi yelled at the group of people. ¡°Miss Anqi, he just attacked our people.¡± The leader of the group raised his hand to stop his men behind him. Although his words were respectful, his tone was very cold. ¡°Your people started it. I was just defending myself.¡± Zhou Mingrui had an unpleasant expression as he spoke coldly. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re the one who injured our men, so you¡¯d better surrender right now. We¡¯ll wait for the people from the security department to come and hand you over to them.¡± The leader in the suit took a few steps forward and said. Zhou Mingrui snorted coldly. He was no fool. If he really surrendered, he would definitely be beaten up by these people. Moreover, according to what Yan Wuyue had said before, the people from the security department must have some connections with the Zhao family. If he was sent there, he would probably be thrashed mercilessly. ¡°I told you, he¡¯s a guest I invited. If you continue to do this, I¡¯ll have to tell the old Master.¡± Zhao Anqi gritted her teeth. The man in the suit was silent for a moment. Just as he raised his hand and was about to do something, another man ran over and whispered a few words in his ear. His expression changed a few times, and then he finally raised his hand and commanded, ¡°Return to your posts. Miss Anqi and this guest, our boss would like to see you.¡± The men quickly dispersed, leaving only two of them there. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll be counting on you this time.¡± After Zhao Anqi finished speaking, she walked in front of him. Zhou Mingrui did not say anything and followed behind her. ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡¯s Yan Wuyue?¡± Zhao Anqi asked Zhou Mingrui. ¡°She said she¡¯s going to arrange something first and will be here soon. Has the situation gotten that bad?¡± Zhou Mingrui replied. ¡°That bunch of bastards. When they just arrived, they were very gentle and harmless. However, after my father¡¯s stern rejection, they immediately turned hostile and began to assert control over our family.¡± Zhao Anqi said through gritted teeth. ¡°How¡¯s Xiao Shengyun? Is he okay?¡± Zhou Mingrui continued asking. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent them to the hospital. They knew their limits and didn¡¯t kill him, but they did beat him up quite badly.¡± Zhao Anqi explained. ¡°This group of people is really lawless.¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed. He felt like had just witnessed a scene that could only be seen in novels or television dramas. ¡°We have no choice. The power behind the Zhao family is too great. Even the local security department has to give way. Even if we have some money and connections, we can¡¯t compete with them.¡± Zhao Anqi said helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± Zhou Mingrui patted Zhao Anqi¡¯s back to reassure her. ¡°Be careful, they¡¯ve brought summoners who are at least silver grade and above. There are also quite a few gold grade summoners. I even suspect that there are even high-level gold rank summoners among them.¡± Zhao Anqi said in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. No matter what, you have to ensure your own safety. Do you understand?¡± Zhou Mingrui warned. ¡°Yes, I know. If anything happens, I¡¯ll leave the battlefield as soon as possible. But please make sure my dad is safe.¡± Zhao Anqi wasn¡¯t a fool. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t drag Zhou Mingrui down if anything happened. After passing through the main gate and corridor, the two of them were brought to the entrance of a hall. The door was wide open, and in the middle of the hall, an old man with half-white and half-black hair sat on the sofa, quietly looking at them. ¡°This guest, may I know why you have come to the Zhao family?¡± The old man¡¯s voice was thick and low, completely unlike an old man¡¯s. ¡°This is Zhao Guian, the fifth master of the Zhao family.¡± Zhao Anqi reminded. ¡°This Zhao family isn¡¯t that Zhao family, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately replied. ¡°Sharp-tongued, this is the Zhao family by ancestry.¡± Zhao Guian smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s the difference between your actions and those of a bandit?¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud, his tone filled with mockery. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re facing? Show some respect!¡± A man in a suit immediately shouted. ¡°Why should I show respect to a bandit?¡± Zhou Mingrui ignored the man and continued. ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re just the summoned spirit of that Yan Wuyue. By right, you have no obligation or right to interfere with the internal affairs of the Zhao family, do you?¡± Zhao Guian didn¡¯t get angry, but asked with an affable smile. ¡°I know people from the Yan family. How about this, after you leave, the Zhao family will send you a gift in a couple of days. How does this sound?¡± Zhao Guian stated his conditions. The man in the suit beside him was surprised. He had never seen the fifth master being polite to someone who was obviously not of the same status. ¡°What if I insist on interfering?¡± Zhou Mingrui said slowly with his arms crossed. ¡°Then you¡¯re asking for it.¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s face turned cold. Chapter 104 - A Battle with the Bodyguards A Battle with the Bodyguards Hearing the fifth master¡¯s commands, the bodyguards in suits immediately summoned their spirits. The energy in their bodies surged, and they were ready to take action at any time. The atmosphere immediately tensed up. ¡°This is your last chance to back down. Otherwise, I¡¯ll let you and your people know the consequences of angering the Zhao family!¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s smile had completely disappeared and he set his murderous gaze on Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a chance too. Release Zhao Dean and never come back. How about it?¡± Zhou Mingrui was not afraid at all. He, too, gave Zhao Guian a chance. ¡°Hahahaha,¡± Zhao Guian laughed, ¡°you¡¯re really funny. The young really don¡¯t know fear.¡± ¡°In that case, you guys, give him a taste of the dangers of society.¡± Upon hearing this, the men in suits smirked and stepped forward. ¡°When the battle starts, fly up to the sky first. I will use my skills to trap them,¡± Zhou Mingrui whispered to Zhao Anqi. ¡°What are you going to do with so many people?¡± Zhao Anqi asked worriedly. She counted. There were at least twelve bodyguards surrounding them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although these people are difficult to deal with, they can¡¯t hurt me. You can rest assured,¡± Zhou Mingrui said boldly. ¡°What are you going to do after this?¡± Zhao Anqi asked as she summoned her spirit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yan Wuyue must have already prepared for everything. It¡¯s not something we have to be concerned about.¡± Zhou Mingrui donned his bone armor once again while the Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared in his hand. ¡°What I need to do now is to ensure you and your father¡¯s safety, and then¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his Nether Flame Bone Blade. His face was covered by a bone mask, and he announced with a deep voice, ¡°Take them down!¡± With a buzzing sound, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was instantly enveloped by phantom energy as he charged forward. When being besieged, staying in place and waiting for the enemy to surround you was the stupidest thing to do. The best way to counter this was to quickly force yourself through an opening and avoid being surrounded by enemies. Zhao Anqi immediately summoned her spirit and flew into the air to avoid being surrounded. Fortunately, the bodyguards all went for Zhou Mingrui first. No one bothered to go for her. ¡°Control him!¡± Upon seeing Zhou Mingrui charging towards him, the bodyguard leader¡¯s expression darkened. Immediately, a large lizard-like summoned spirit appeared behind him. Boom! The summoned spirit, not much different from a western dragon, opened its mouth and spat out a mouthful of flaming saliva, which shot towards Zhou Mingrui like a cannonball. ¡°This is definitely a gold grade summoned spirit. It must be at least level 50!¡± The energy aura exuded from the spirit¡¯s body allowed Zhou Mingrui to instantly determine it¡¯s approximate strength. If he was an ordinary summoned spirit, he might have been suppressed immediately by the salamander spirit. But Zhou Mingrui was not! The phantom flames around his body rose, and the active skill [Phantom Riot] was activated. At the same time, the space around him slightly distorted, and his territory skill, [Phantom Prison], was activated at the same time, directly trapping all of the men surrounding him. The change in the environment surprised the bodyguard leader. However, he still charged at Zhou Mingrui without hesitation. The salamander continued spitting fireballs at Zhou Mingrui, but they were either split apart or deflected off course. When the fireballs landed, they instantly melted holes in the ground with white smoke and sizzling sounds. Facing such a strong opponent, Zhou Mingrui did not dare to let his guard down. Although he had already reached level 40, his opponent¡¯s level and attributes were even higher than his. Zhou Mingrui increased his speed once again. After dodging another three fireballs, he took the initiative to approach the bodyguard leader first. When the opponent had a summoned spirit with long-range attack abilities, this was the only way to get rid of their advantage. As soon as the two sides met, the bodyguard leader threw out a fist with brownish-yellow, fish-like scales. It was obviously a skill of the giant salamander. Zhou Mingrui did not back down. He wanted to check the difference in strength between the him and his opponent. Seeing that Zhou Mingrui actually dared to take him on directly, the bodyguard leader showed a look of disdain. He knew that his summoned spirit leaned towards the strength attribute and even his own attributes leaned towards explosiveness and strength. This meant that he was extremely powerful in terms of strength, and there was almost no summoner at the same level who could be stronger than him. He could even battle higher level summoners and summoned spirits with such a strong strength. This was also why he was able to become the head of the bodyguards. Both of their fists collided fiercely. The sudden, powerful force from both sides compressed the air in between them. Finally, when the two fists met, the air exploded. A wave of invisible force swept out. Zhou Mingrui stumbled backwards, proving that he had lost to the other in this battle of pure strength. However, he did not look dejected in the slightest. On the other hand, the bodyguard leader had a look of disbelief. Before coming here, the Zhao family had already done a thorough investigation and knew that Yan Wuyue and him were the winners of the Heavenly Saint Academy¡¯s freshmen tournament. This was also why the fifth master was so polite to them. However, he did not expect Zhou Mingru to be almost as strong as him. ¡®If this guy were to be at the same level as me, wouldn¡¯t he be able to send me flying with a single punch?¡¯ The man shuddered after further thought. Having experienced the harsh reality of life at his age, he knew that the world was unfair. There was no need to be jealous. The surrounding bodyguards rushed forward and surrounded Zhou Mingrui once again. However, due to the Phantom Prison, only eight of the bodyguards were pulled into the domain. With a significantly lesser number of people attacking him, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s pressure was greatly reduced. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed. He lowered his body and charged at one of the bodyguards. Seeing that his target had walked right into the trap, the bodyguard smirked. At the same time, the python-like summoned spirit beside him immediately rushed forward. A glow suddenly appeared around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body as he charged forward. A binding force exploded from the glow. ¡°I¡¯ve caught him!¡± The bodyguard who had cast the imprisonment skill shouted. However, the next moment, he saw the muscles in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms swell. With the burst of phantom energy, he let out a low growl and broke the energy ring. ¡°How is this possible for a new student!?¡± The bodyguard was in disbelief. Even if his colleagues were bound by this skill, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to break free in such a short time. ¡°Be careful, this guy is not weaker than me!¡± The bodyguard leader warned to his subordinates as he rushed over. However, Zhou Mingrui had already charged to the front of one of them. Chapter 105 - The Decision The Decision Upon hearing his leader¡¯s words, the bodyguard was shocked. He knew very well his boss¡¯s strength, but it was already too late for him to dodge. He could only brace himself and take the blow directly. Zhou Mingrui did not care about such things. Of course he would choose to pick on the weaker ones first. Reducing the number of people surrounding him was the best way to go. Without any fancy moves, Zhou Mingrui threw a punch. In such close combat situations, his blade was basically a burden. It was best to use his fists. Zhou Mingrui, who was swinging his fist, felt the air in front of him suddenly change. Following that, he could sense a invisible solid form appearing in the space in front of him. With a bang, his fist directly came into contact with an invisible wall and made a muffled sound. ¡°Air wall? No, this isn¡¯t air, it¡¯s some sort of invisible solid object!¡± Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate as he raised his other fist and swung it again. This time, he didn¡¯t hold back and applied an even stronger force. The next moment, his fist came into contact with the invisible solid wall again. However, this time, his fist did not stop. Instead, it directly shattered the wall and landed on the chest of the bodyguard behind it. Suddenly, a ball of light appeared on the bodyguard¡¯s chest. After a moment of intense glowing, it dissipated into the air. The bodyguard had a pained expression. He immediately stepped back and retreated. Zhou Mingrui did not chase him. This was because all the other bodyguards had begun to close in on him. If he continued, he would be surrounded. ¡°I can¡¯t waste any more time with them.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered with phantom flames as he charged at the bodyguard with all his might. ¡°Stop him!¡± The bodyguard leader immediately shouted. However, Zhou Mingrui once again burst forth with speed. He directly bypassed the three bodyguards who had surrounded him and rushed towards the bodyguard from before. Under the bodyguard¡¯s shocked gaze, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fist landed on his face. After a strange sound, the bodyguard was sent flying again. That strange feeling allowed Zhou Mingrui to confirm the bodyguard¡¯s skill type. He was already prepared for this, so he immediately conjured a bone shield. This bone shield wasn¡¯t used for defense or attack, but appeared under the bodyguard, directly blocking his retreat. Seeing that his escape route was blocked, the bodyguard revealed a helpless expression. However, he did not choose to dodge this time. Instead, he turned around and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. The latter immediately understood his obvious intention. ¡°You want to trap and delay my movements?¡± Zhou Mingrui understood what was going on. He immediately conjured a long staff in his hand. Exerting force from his waist, he swung the staff at the bodyguard¡¯s abdomen. The bodyguard¡¯s expression changed, and his face contorted in pain as he was sent flying by the staff. ¡°As expected, skills have their limits.¡± This time, Zhou Mingrui could sense his attack land on his opponent. It meant that his opponent¡¯s skill would not be usable for a period of time. He turned around and looked at the bodyguards who were surrounding him. A smile suddenly appeared on his face. In the outside world. Watching the pitch black area covered by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s domain, Zhao Guian¡¯s eyes narrowed. He raised his hand, and a bodyguard immediately went up to him. ¡°Call the family and let them know that the situation here is a little troublesome. Ask them to send a few powerful men over.¡± Zhao Guian said lightly. ¡°Understood, fifth master.¡± The bodyguard immediately nodded and walked out. After waiting quietly for ten minutes, the domain space in the field began to distort. Then, with a flash, the Phantom Prison unfolded and revealed the real situation inside. Only two figures were left standing. One of them was the bodyguard leader, and the other was Zhou Mingrui. However, what surprised Zhao Guian was that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s clothes were undamaged. On the other hand, the bodyguard leader¡¯s suit was basically destroyed. After the domain was released, the bodyguard leader knelt on the ground on one knee. He panted heavily, and his eyes were filled with endless fear. This scene confused Zhao Guian. He knew the strength of the man very well. Although he was only a team leader, his summoned spirit and talent were worth cultivating. He could even take on a higher position in the future. And no matter what, he was still a level 57 close combat summoner. How could he lose to a student? Furthermore, from the fear in his eyes, Zhou Mingrui seemed to be hiding a terrifying trump card? Zhao Guian squinted his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking, but his gaze became sharper and sharper. ¡°Now, can we have a peaceful talk?¡± Zhou Mingrui stretched his neck and asked in a tone so calm that it made everyone feel as if they were in a frozen cave. ¡°You¡¯re Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit, right?¡± Zhao Guian suddenly asked. Without waiting for Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reply, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve read your information. Your talent and potential is amazing. I thought you were just an ordinary top freshmen, but now my opinion has changed.¡± Zhou Mingrui slowly walked towards Zhao Guian, but the latter did not move and continued, ¡°With your talent, if you come to the Zhao family, with the help of our massive resources, your future will be limitless!¡± ¡°I also found out that Zhao Anqi seems to like you a lot. I can even make you two a couple. What do you think?¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not convinced. Besides, if I really wanted anything, do you think I would need you to give it to me?¡± ¡°As for the so-called massive resources, with the talent of Yan Wuyue and I, do you think the Heavenly Saint Academy and the future Research Institute we choose will be no match for you, the Zhao family? ¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Zhao Guian laughed, ¡°Kid, the Academy and the Research Institute are not owned by your family. How much resource can you actually get if you distribute them to all the students?¡± ¡°And don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re a top student in Heavenly Saint Institute, you¡¯ll still be a top student in the Research Institute. You must know that there¡¯s always someone better.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll be different if you join the Zhao family. I can guarantee that the resources you¡¯ll receive will definitely satisfy you.¡± When Zhou Mingrui was about ten steps away from Zhao Guian, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. His entire body was covered in a black cloth, only revealing his eyes. However, the bloodlust in those eyes was not concealed at all. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for so long that I¡¯ve realized that sometimes, some important decisions really need to be carefully considered before they can be made.¡± Zhao Guian stared at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Chapter 106 - Zhao Qishiba Zhao Qishiba Zhou Mingrui looked at the person in front of him. An extremely dangerous aura emanated from him. This was the first time someone could give him such a feeling. It meant that the mysterious person in front of him had the ability to threaten Zhou Mingrui¡¯s safety. However, Zhou Mingrui would not back down, nor could he back down. Instead, he was getting increasingly excited. From the moment he was summoned to this world, Zhou Mingrui had never felt any threat. His journey had been way too smooth. This made him feel extremely bored. He felt like he had no passion for life at all. However, this time, he finally felt a strong emotion. ¡°A friendly reminder, once this subordinate of mine makes a move, the opponent will either die or be injured, and there will be terrible consequences.¡± Zhao Guian squinted and smiled, ¡°You have to think it through. I really don¡¯t want to destroy such a talented spirit. Your summoner, Yan Wuyue, will be very sad.¡± ¡°Following Zhao Guian¡¯s words, the mysterious figure began to emit a black mist that continuously moved around him. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had been silent throughout, suddenly said, ¡°Are you really so sure that you¡¯ve got me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you can beat this level 63 summoner in front of you?¡± Zhao Guian crossed his arms and said confidently. ¡°Who knows if we¡¯ve never tried?¡± Zhou Mingrui did not show any signs of fear. ¡°Zhao Qishiba, teach this arrogant br*t a lesson.¡± After saying that, Zhao Guian lay back on the sofa. ¡°Understood, fifth master.¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s eyes curved, and a gloomy voice came from under his mask. Then, he looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Tell me. How do you want to be taught a lesson? I¡¯ll allow you to choose.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed and shook his head. ¡°If all the members of the Zhao family are like you, then you guys are really hopeless.¡± ¡°Die!¡± With a flash of a black shadow, a dagger slashed towards Zhou Mingrui¡¯s neck. The dagger hit the bone armor on his neck with a metallic clang. ¡°Just this?¡± Zhou Mingrui abruptly grabbed Zhao Qishiba¡¯s wrist, which was holding onto the dagger. The next moment, Zhao Qishiba suddenly transformed into an afterimage and disappeared from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sight. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this impressive. You¡¯re quite strong.¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s illusory voice circled around Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui did not even glance at his surroundings. He stood there quietly and even shut his eyes after a while. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve given up. Sigh, the winner of the freshmen tournament is nothing more than this. I thought you would be much more powerful since you were able to defeat that stupid bear.¡± ¡°How about this, as long as you beg me for mercy, I can let you go and let you admit defeat quickly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why are you not saying anything?¡± ¡°Are you too scared to speak?¡± ¡°Should I call your mommy for you?¡± ¡°Right, I forgot that you¡¯re a summoned spirit, and a dead soul type at that. I guess you don¡¯t even know who your mother is, hahahaha!¡± In a split second, the space twisted, and the surroundings were completely enveloped by a distorted domain. ¡°What, you¡¯re finally serious?¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s voice rang out again. Zhou Mingrui suddenly opened his eyes as phantom flames burned in his eyes. In the Phantom Prison, his eyes shone as bright as the stars in the night sky. ¡°Has no one ever told you that your mouth is very cheap?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly spoke. His tone was calm, but it reverberated in the surrounding space. ¡°So what? What can you do to me? Do you really think that the technique you used on that stupid bear will work on me?¡± Zhao Qishiba said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even be able to touch my shadow. Hahaha.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± The phantom flames in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes burned brighter. Immediately, countless phantom-like shadows appeared in the surrounding space. ¡°Haha, do you think you can locate me just like this? I¡¯m superior to you in both skills and attributes.¡± ¡°Just these moves of yours can¡¯t affect me at all.¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s confident and arrogant voice resounded through the space, but he was nowhere to be found. ¡°I¡¯ve found you!¡± All of a sudden, Zhou Mingrui turned around and locked his eyes on a particular direction. ¡°So what if you found me? Can you even touch me?¡± Zhao Qishiba continued to laugh madly. Without wasting any time, Zhou Mingrui raised his arm and spread his palm out, aiming it in Zhao Qishi¡¯s direction. [Samsara Territory] Zhao Qishiba, who had originally been hiding in a spatial rift, suddenly found himself in another dimension. ¡°How is this possible?¡± He looked around in disbelief. With his strength, unless the difference in power was too great, not many people could pull him out of his spatial rift. ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± [Samsara Territory (active): Connects with the core power of the phantom world to create a special domain that can drag a marked single enemy in. Once in the domain, the target¡¯s attributes will be transferred to the user by percentage.] Zhou Mingrui emerged from the darkness. His entire body was burning with translucent phantom flames that glowed with a faint blue light. The overbearing pressure he exuded pressed down on Zhao Qishiba. ¡°Spatial type triple buff skill? ¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s voice was no longer arrogant. Instead, it became serious. ¡°I finally understand how that stupid bear lost to you.¡± However, Zhou Mingrui shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re wrong this time. I didn¡¯t need to use this power to deal with that fellow.¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s eyes, which were the only part of himself that was exposed, turned serious. As someone who specialized in spatial skills, he could sense that the space around him had been sealed. If he wanted to get out, he had to either defeat the person who used this skill, or use brute force to break through the space. He did not have the strength to shatter space, so he could only choose to defeat Zhou Mingrui. Raising his hand, the Nether Flame Bone Blade was quickly drawn out from a ball of dark phantom flames. Simultaneously, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body was covered in bone armor. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to use my full strength.¡± Black flames swirled around Zhao Qishiba¡¯s body as a black shadow began to slither across his body. The next moment, both of them collided. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade had already slashed out viciously, but Zhao Qishi had managed to block the attack with his dagger. However, the immense force made Zhao Qishiba fall to one knee, and even created a hole in the ground. Chapter 107 - Am I Qualified Now? Am I Qualified Now? ¡°What kind of power is this?¡± Zhao Qishiba was shocked. If he hadn¡¯t seen this person¡¯s information beforehand, he would have thought that Zhou Mingrui was at the same cultivation level as him. Shocked, Zhao Qishiba immediately gathered all the energy in his body. His level advantage allowed him to withstand the attack and prevent his weapon from slipping out of his hand. At the same time, Zhao Qishiba¡¯s lips moved slightly, and a black shadow quickly separated from his body. As for Zhou Mingrui, he had already raised his blade and slashed down again. However, at that instant, a black shadow appeared behind Zhou Mingrui. A sharp attack sliced through the air, heading for the back of his neck. ¡®A clone, no, a real body.¡¯ Zhou Mingrui relied on his powerful perception of the surrounding space to know that this was not just Zhao Qishiba¡¯s projection. The black shadow behind him was most likely Zhao Qishiba¡¯s summoned spirit. A summoner¡¯s summoned spirit could generally be seen from their combat style. For example, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s initial speculation was that Zhao Qishiba¡¯s summoned spirit was either of the space element or something similar to the shadow element. With a loud clang, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s neck was slanted from the impact, and he was sent flying back. At the same time, the bone armor on his neck cracked for the first time, and some fragments fell to the ground. ¡°Nice bone armor. I just don¡¯t know how many more hits you can take.¡± Zhao Qishiba slipped back into the darkness and said eerily, ¡°I forgot to tell you, I only used 30% of my strength just now.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, two air-rending sounds streaked past. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest and back suffered simultaneous attacks. Zhou Mingrui felt his chest and back being struck by two massive forces at the same time. His bone armor, which had always been extremely hard, began to crack and have tiny gaps. ¡°Do you really think that you can beat me just because you beat that stupid bear? Just because you used your strongest domain debuff skill to trap me?¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s voice continued to ring out, but his attacks did not stop. Zhou Mingrui was caught up in endless attacks that came from different angles, each attack stronger than the previous one. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you that a summoner below level 60 and a summoner after level 60 are like people from two different worlds?¡± Zhao Qishiba¡¯s face, which was hidden under the mask, suddenly appeared behind Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ear as he muttered those words. Zhou Mingrui frowned. He really did not know what the difference was. ¡°I can tell at a glance that no one told you. Since you look so pitiful, let me enlighten you,¡± Zhao Qishiba chuckled. ¡°A level 60 summoner is qualified to awaken a surmounting skill, and the connection between the summoner and the spirit will be strengthened again. Their combat strength will be greatly improved.¡± After listening to Zhao Qishiba¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui finally had a rough idea of what was going on. It was just like the online games in his previous world. Every time a player reached a certain level, they would have a large advancement. ¡°Alright, you should know that you have no chance of winning against me now.¡± When Zhao Qishiba saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lack of action, he assumed that the other party had given up. Zhao Qishiba¡¯s attacks did not stop. All sorts of wounds appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone armor, which was on the verge of shattering. However, Zhou Mingrui remained in a defensive stance and did not retaliate at all. Zhao Qishiba was certain that this guy had no intention of giving up. He was just trying to stall for time. ¡°What are you stalling for? Do you think you still have any trump cards that can defeat me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional. The gap between us is something you can¡¯t make up for at your stage. Just give up.¡± As he spoke, the dagger in Zhao Qishiba¡¯s hands suddenly glowed with a black light. Immediately following that, he struck Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest. With a bang, the bone armor on his body finally could not hold on any longer, and collapsed into countless bone pieces that fell to the ground. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest was struck by the black light. The powerful energy pierced through his chest, and as it struck him, a shockwave exploded. After he retracted his dagger, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string. ¡°No matter how powerful your reputation is outside, no matter how talented you are, your current level is still not enough.¡± Zhao Qishiba appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui in a flash. He pressed his dagger against his throat and said, ¡°So, you¡¯d better stay out of this. Otherwise, my hand might accidentally slip.¡± ¡°Now, listen to my command. End this spatial skill immediately.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly laughed when he saw the dagger pressed against his throat. ¡°I¡¯m quite impressed that you still have the mood to laugh.¡± Zhao Qishiba looked at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s smile and couldn¡¯t help but feel wonder. ¡°I¡¯m very curious. Why were you so confident since the beginning that you are stronger than me?¡± After saying that, Zhou Mingrui transformed into a ball of eerie flames. The moment the flames appeared, Zhao Qishiba, who had long since sensed danger, immediately dodged to the side to avoid the threatening flames that made his hair stand on end. Zhou Mingrui stood up. In the midst of the flames, the wound that pierced through his chest was visibly healing at an accelerated speed. ¡°Who told you that I am only this strong?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body was bathed in flames. At the same time, a ball of flames began to appear around him, growing in size. ¡°What, you can¡¯t possibly level up now?¡± Zhao Qishiba was not worried. He said calmly, ¡°I know you belong to the undead type, so normal injuries won¡¯t affect you.¡± ¡°But if I use all my strength, even if you don¡¯t die, you¡¯ll lose a layer of skin!¡± Zhou Mingrui sneered, ¡°Come on, you can try.¡± At the same time, the Spectral Hell Warhorse appeared beside him. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. You even have your own mount.¡± Zhao Qishiba was also taken aback at the sudden appearance of the warhorse, but he quickly regained his composure. Zhou Mingrui mounted the warhorse and held his Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. The flames on his body had already fused with the warhorse he was riding. At that moment, him and the warhorse were like a single entity. Their auras had fused into one, causing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s aura to constantly grow stronger. Zhao Qishiba didn¡¯t expect that Zhou Mingrui had a mount-type summoned spirit, and that he could even quickly enter a unified state with his warhorse. Under such circumstances, Zhao Qishiba could sense Zhou Mingrui¡¯s energy fluctuations skyrocket and reach a new height once again. ¡°Am I qualified to defeat you now?¡± Zhou Mingrui, riding the Spectral Hell Warhorse, said indifferently. Chapter 108 - Youre Truly No Match for Me You¡¯re truly no match for me ¡°I knew it. I knew you must have had some hidden cards up your sleeve. In that case, let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± Zhao Qishiba laughed. ¡°I know. You¡¯ve been stalling for time from the beginning. You¡¯re waiting for your summoner, the woman named Yan Wuyue, to bring reinforcements, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face was covered by the bone mask, so it was impossible to see his expression. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Because I¡¯m right and you have no reason to refute me, right?¡± Zhao Qishiba had already disappeared into the darkness and started moving again. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I have anything to say to a loser,¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. With that said, Zhou Mingrui did not waste any time as he charged forward with his warhorse. [Flame Charge]! The violent phantom flames on the warhorse¡¯s body surged, and even started to resonate with the surrounding space. The black clouds in the sky that were originally frozen still started to burn. The entire domain instantly turned into a space of black flames. Zhao Qishiba came out of his spatial rift and tried to put out the fire on his body. Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Mingrui and the warhorse began their attacks. The surrounding flames began to gather on Zhou Mingrui and the warhorse. From Zhao Qishiba¡¯s perspective, it looked like a tornado of flames was sweeping towards him. ¡®Damn it, this is a lock-on skill, there¡¯s no way to avoid it!¡¯ Zhao Qishiba wanted to escape initially, but he soon realized that the Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack had already locked onto him. The space around him was already covered in black flames, and he could not use any skills. Since he couldn¡¯t dodge, he could only use skills to avoid the attack. He knew he couldn¡¯t take it head-on since he wasn¡¯t the kind of summoner who specialized in defense. Even if his summoned spirit could block it, it would suffer serious injuries. But just as Zhao Qishiba had this thought, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s warhorse suddenly raised its front hooves. Immediately after, an invisible wave emanated from its body. This wasn¡¯t a sound that ordinary people could hear. It was a sound wave that directly affected the mind and soul. [Hell Howl] Zhao Qishiba was about to command his summoned spirit to retaliate, but he was interrupted by this sudden skill. The powerful spiritual attack from the Hell Howl made him unable to control the energy in his body for a while. And by the time he recovered a little and was prepared to act up again, he realized that Zhou Mingrui and his warhorse had already charged in front of him. The warhorse¡¯s hooves stomped on the ground, and a visible shockwave sent Zhao Qishiba flying. [War Stomp] Zhao Qishiba¡¯s head spun as he landed on the ground. The next moment, he felt a huge impact on his chest, causing his internal organs to almost shift positions. ¡°You forced me to do this!¡± Zhao Qishiba spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, a black mist suddenly erupted from his body, expanding more than ten times from its original size. This forced the surrounding phantom flames to retreat, directly opening up a large empty space around him. [Overload Cracking] Zhao Qishiba¡¯s eyes had already turned completely black. A total of four black shadows appeared around him, surrounding Zhou Mingrui in the blink of an eye. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have a good look at the gap between us.¡± With that said, the four black figures transformed into black beams of light at the same time. In the blink of an eye, they appeared around Zhou Mingrui, attacking from different angles. Be it in terms of speed or strength, there was a huge difference from before. It struck the warhorse that Zhou Mingrui was riding. The tremendous force instantly caused the warhorse to be pushed back by half a meter. The other three black shadows attacked Zhou Mingrui at the same time. In that instant, Zhou Mingrui and his warhorse suddenly transformed into afterimages, causing Zhao Qishi¡¯s attack to miss. [Ghost Phantom] With the help of the surrounding phantom flames, the warhorse and Zhou Mingrui immediately turned into countless afterimages as they appeared in all directions. Zhao Qishiba couldn¡¯t tell which one was real and which one was fake. Suddenly, he heard a muffled sound. By the time he could react, a black blade had already landed on his chest. ¡­.. In the outside world, Zhao Guian had already been waiting quietly for about 10 minutes. He looked at the space in front of him that was isolated by the Samsara Territory. He didn¡¯t say a word. It was almost like he knew what was happening inside. His expression was grave, as if he was thinking about something. Soon, after another three minutes, his eyes finally moved. That was because the black space in front of him had begun to fluctuate slowly, then gradually faded and finally dissipated. However, contrary to Zhao Guian¡¯s expectations, the person left standing was not Zhao Qishiba. It was Zhou Mingrui, just like before. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at hiding your strength. Even Zhao Qishiba was no match for you.¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s face was calm, without any change in expression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s forget about this. Please let Zhao Anqi and her father go and don¡¯t come back ever again,¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he walked towards Zhao Guian. ¡°Do you think that you can make me compromise just because you defeated Zhao Qishiba?¡± Zhao Guian said calmly as he watched the approaching Zhou Mingrui. ¡°The Zhao family¡¯s strength and foundation is not something you can imagine. Kid, it¡¯s not too late to leave now and ignore this matter,¡± Zhao Guian said slowly. ¡°What if I really want to meddle? Is there any point in saying such things now? Use whatever means you have left.¡± Zhou Mingrui would not bother with him. ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, then don¡¯t blame me for not warning you.¡± Zhao Guian said as he stood up, and a strange aura began to leak out. Zhou Mingrui was a little perplexed. What was this fifth master planning to do? However, he soon understood. Zhao Guian¡¯s thin and loose clothes started to move on their own without any wind, and then a strange energy wave started to appear. Immediately after, his originally loose, aged skin began to tighten, and at the same time, his shriveled, bamboo-like body began to expand like a balloon. His body soon began to resemble a normal man¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. With the gradual recovery of his body, his skin and muscles had all recovered, and his figure had also begun to change. His originally hunched back gradually straightened up, and then chiseled muscle lines began to appear. The most eye-catching thing was that his long white hair had started to turn black. Chapter 109 - Zhao Guians Terrifying Strength Zhao Guian¡¯s Terrifying Strength As the light continued to spread, a three-meter tall giant suddenly appeared behind Zhao Guian. Its skin was red, and its muscles were as defined as a marble sculpture, containing a terrifying power that was hard to ignore. The upper part of the giant¡¯s head was hidden in a red mist, and only a blood red light leaked out from it. A thick aura filled the entire room, suppressing everyone present with a mountain-like pressure. Zhao Guian had also stopped his transformation. From an old man, he had turned into a man in his 30s. He gently tied his black hair behind his head and cracked his neck. A confident smile appeared on his young face. Zhou Mingrui could feel the suffocating feeling that came from Zhao Guian. ¡°It¡¯s been almost seven years since I last used this move. I didn¡¯t expect to actually use it here today,¡± Zhao Guian said with a sigh. ¡°So, what are you going to do next?¡± Zhou Mingrui did not reply. He was currently under immense pressure. It was obvious that Zhao Guian was superior to him in all aspects ¨C regardless of level, attributes, or the power of his skills. Zhou Mingrui has reached a dead end. Zhao Guian looked at the silent Zhou Mingrui and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°How does the taste of despair feel? I actually admire you for being able to defeat my useless subordinates, but now I¡¯m very curious if you have any other tricks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. I wonder if you can achieve what I¡¯m looking forward to.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s grip on the Nether Flame Bone Blade tightened. He had no other choices, and he had no idea when Yan Wuyue would arrive. ¡°Oh, are you waiting for your summoner?¡± ¡°You really think I don¡¯t know anything?¡± Zhao Guian shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s arriving later than you because she¡¯s looking for the higher-ups of Heavenly Saint Academy. She wants to use them to restrain me, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered. He had the same thought. ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zhao Guian suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for at least 60 years. What haven¡¯t I seen? Do you really think I can¡¯t guess what she¡¯s thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that I¡¯m familiar with all the guys from Heavenly Saint Academy. I¡¯ve already prepared a way to deal with them.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve come to the Zhao family for this, I¡¯ll definitely prepare plans for anything that might happen. I won¡¯t leave a chance for anyone.¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m like those inexperienced kids who don¡¯t pay attention to details?¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression beneath the bone mask calmed down completely. After all, there was nothing left to worry about. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have any more tricks up your sleeve, do you? Then you¡¯ll have to become my prop next, a prop to warn Zhao Desheng and the Heavenly Saint Academy.¡± Step by step, Zhao Guian walked to the front of Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°As a summoned spirit, you can¡¯t die, so I have no need to hold back.¡± [Phantom Prison] [Samsara Territory] [Ghost Riot] In a single breath, Zhou Mingrui activated all of his trump cards. At the same time, he summoned the Spectral Hell Warhorse again. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect a summoned spirit like you to have a mount spirit of this level. Even our family has a hard time recruiting a mount spirit like this.¡± Zhao Guian clicked his tongue in wonder. Even though he was in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s double domain skill, he didn¡¯t care about the many negative attribute restrictions on him. ¡°And these control skills. I now know why you were able to defeat Zhao Qishiba. He didn¡¯t lose for nothing.¡± Zhao Guian raised his hand, and the huge figure behind him also raised its hand. A red metal gauntlet appeared on his forearm. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. You¡¯d better be prepared to receive my wrath.¡± Red energy flickered all over Zhao Guian¡¯s body as he transformed into a red streak of light and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. He raised his fist and swung it out with an intense red glow. Zhou Mingrui immediately raised the blade in his hand and held it horizontally in front of him in an attempt to block Zhao Guian¡¯s punch. With a loud bang, Zhou Mingrui was sent flying. He slammed heavily into the ground, creating a deep trench on the ground. With a creak, he stabbed his blade into the ground, forcibly stopping his body from flying backward. ¡°There¡¯s no way to fight back in terms of strength.¡± That exchange earlier made Zhou Mingrui understand the difference between him and Zhao Guian. Even if his talent allowed his attributes to surpass those of the same rank, when faced with an opponent with a huge level gap, he still had no way of overcoming the huge gap. Without waiting for Zhou Mingrui to recover, Zhao Guian had already charged in front of him. He raised his fist and swung it at him again. This time, the tyrannical force blasted through Zhou Mingrui¡¯s defense. Then, another fist struck his abdomen. The bone armor on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body shattered as the powerful fist struck his body. Boom! A massive amount of energy exploded, causing a second round of damage to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. Every time this happened, the red figure behind Zhao Guian would repeat his actions and attack Zhou Mingrui as well. The bone armor, which was typically extremely tough, was as easily broken as glass. ¡°Come on, quickly resist. Weren¡¯t you very arrogant before?¡± Zhao Guian grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body and began to attack him continuously. At the same time, he kept provoking him with words. Zhou Mingrui had already lost the ability to fight back. Fortunately, he had an energy-type body that was unlike a human¡¯s physical form. Otherwise, his bones would have been broken by the attacks. After dozens of such attacks, Zhou Mingrui fell to the ground with a loud roar, creating a deep pit on the ground. Zhao Guian stopped attacking and looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°How is it? Do you feel comfortable?¡± In the pit, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes snapped open. The shattered armor and clothes on his body had completely turned into energy and disappeared. After all, the bone armor was useless against Zhao Guian and could not block much damage. ¡°Your eyes tell me that you haven¡¯t given up yet. I¡¯m very curious now. What gave you the ability to think this way when facing me?¡± Zhao Guian, who was standing at the edge of the pit, looked at Zhou Mingrui, whose eyes were still filled with determination. He could not help but ask curiously. ¡°Since you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Chapter 110 - The Final Trump Card The Final Trump Card Just as Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice rang out, phantom flames suddenly appeared behind him. They rapidly condensed into a similarly massive figure. ¡°Eh? No, that¡¯s not right. The aura of this figure is weird. He¡¯s not a summoner, so it should be impossible for him to exceed his limitations and summon.¡± Zhao Guian stopped and looked at the figure in confusion, but he quickly denied his initial thought. Soon, a fat figure that was nearly ten meters tall and shimmering with black ghostly light appeared behind Zhou Mingrui. Unlike the figure behind Zhao Guian, although this figure was also made of energy, it was completely solid. ¡°Is this a summoning spell?¡± ¡°Zhao Guian raised an eyebrow. He was very knowledgeable and had seen many summoner skills. However, who would have thought that a summoned spirit would use a summoning spell? He had never seen such a scene in his life. ¡°The Goblin King?¡± After Zhao Guian saw the summoned creature¡¯s face, he immediately exclaimed. He then looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°This should be the Goblin King that was accidentally awakened during the incident in the secret realm, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strength is completely different from what was reported. As expected, the higher-ups of the Heavenly Saint Academy have hidden a lot from us.¡± Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t surprised that Zhao Guian knew about this. With the Zhao family¡¯s influence behind him, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to find out about information that wasn¡¯t very confidential. ¡°However, do you really think that a Goblin King that isn¡¯t even gold rank can deal with my attack?¡± Zhao Guian crossed his arms in front of his chest and said with interest. As if he was certain that victory was in his hands, Zhao Guian was relaxed and was not in a hurry to finish off Zhou Mingrui. ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. At that moment, a transparent attribute panel had appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. It displayed the Goblin King¡¯s attributes. [Summoned creature¡¯s name: Goblin King] [Summoned creature¡¯s status: In the process of summoning] [Summoned creature¡¯s level: LV55] [Summoned creature¡¯s rank: (Lord Rank) Gold rank] [Summoned creature¡¯s talent: King¡¯s aura, thick skin, tough bones, incredible strength, all-purpose stomach] [Summoned creature¡¯s skills: Bloodthirsty Frenzy, King¡¯s Roar, One Strike, Intimidate] And in the attribute panel below, the various physical attributes also made Zhou Mingrui calm down. As a Lord ranked creature, the Goblin King¡¯s growth potential was naturally incomparable to ordinary life forms. Even elite monsters could not compare to it. With a roar, the Goblin King with phantom flames in its eyes completely took form. Its powerful aura swept through the surroundings, directly withstanding Zhao Guian¡¯s aura. ¡°Not bad, but I have to tell you that it¡¯s not enough to defeat me!¡± Although Zhao Guian was surprised by the Goblin King¡¯s energy, he was still confident in his own strength. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already used your final trump card, let¡¯s see if you can defeat me.¡± Zhao Guian actually admired Zhou Mingrui a lot. He was actually not a talkative person. If it were someone else, he would have long crushed that person to death. However, Zhao Guian believed that Zhou Mingrui had the potential and value to be recruited, so he had been trying to convince him. As soon as Zhao Guian finished speaking, his body immediately transformed into a red beam of light and charged at Zhou Mingrui again. The Goblin King did not hesitate to take a huge step forward and stand in front of Zhou Mingrui. Complicated but smooth patterns appeared on its green skin. ¡°Bang!¡± The Goblin King and Zhao Guian¡¯s fists collided with a loud sound. The powerful forces collision instantly formed a strong airflow that blew in all directions. Neither side retreated, which proved that there was not much difference in strength between the two sides. Zhou Mingrui had noticed that the Goblin King¡¯s skin and muscles were rippling like waves during the exchange of punches. He knew that the Goblin King had absorbed most of the impact with its fats, and then consumed it all with its strong body. As the one who summoned the Goblin King, he was well aware of its real-time conditions. In the collision just now, Zhao Guian¡¯s strength was actually slightly stronger. It was only because the gap wasn¡¯t too big, and with the Goblin King¡¯s naturally strong physical attributes, that led to the current situation. However, Zhao Guian was not happy with the outcome of their clash. If one punch was not enough, then he would throw another punch! Immediately, a second punch was thrown. The Goblin King wasn¡¯t going to let this go, soit also threw a punch. Both sides suddenly began a fierce exchange of fists. An outsider could only see that one black figure and one red figure were constantly bombarding each other. Eventually, the Goblin King began to give up on defense and started trading injury for injury. Chapter 111 - Losing Resistance Losing Resistance Zhao Guian¡¯s body glowed red, as if he had transformed into an invincible God of War. His fists were filled with powerful energy as he continuously punched at the Goblin King. The Goblin King attempted to fight back, but before it could even swing its fist, Zhao Guian¡¯s fist landed on its face. Its huge body staggered, almost losing balance from the punch. It only stopped after staggering back a few steps. The Goblin King shook its head. It wanted to fight back with his outstanding resistance, but another punch from Zhao Guian broke its concentration. A second punch followed, then a third, leaving the Goblin King completely defenseless. Zhou Mingrui was not surprised to see this. He had a feeling that Zhao Guian was not showing his full strength from the start. Now that he had been provoked, he finally revealed his true strength. Even the tough and durable Goblin King couldn¡¯t fight back. ¡®If this continues, the Goblin King will be defeated sooner or later. I thought I could at least buy some time with this strategy, but it seems like I have to find another way.¡¯ Zhou Mingrui felt a little helpless. He had already tried everything he could. He no longer had any trump cards left. As the ground continued to shake violently, the Goblin King was like a punching bag to Zhao Guian, constantly being pushed back. The Goblin King¡¯s face had completely lost its original shape. Its facial features had been destroyed beyond recognition by the powerful force of Zhao Guian¡¯s punches, and it had lost its basic consciousness. In the end, after another extra heavy punch from Zhao Guian, the Goblin King¡¯s huge body was sent flying into the air, before finally landing heavily on the ground. It trembled violently for a moment before it stopped moving. Numerous light spots began to appear on his body, forming a large stream of light. Seeing the Goblin King turn into light and disappear, Zhao Guian smirked. He finally felt much better after venting his anger on this punching bag. All of this sounded like it took a long time, but in fact, it only took less than five minutes. It wasn¡¯t that Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t want to join the battle, but he knew he had no way of helping. Even if he did join in, he would probably be sent flying with a single punch. Zhao Guian laughed and turned to look at Zhou Mingrui, ¡°How about it? What other tricks do you have now? I¡¯ll make you admit your defeat today.¡± Zhou Mingrui sneered in response, ¡°You¡¯re just using your superior level and attribute to suppress me. Do you think that¡¯s worth showing off?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Zhao Guian retorted disdainfully. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t been to our world for long. You don¡¯t know the rules of this world at all.¡± ¡°Here, as long as you¡¯re strong enough, everything you do is right. You don¡¯t have to care about the rules and laws that others talk about.¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± How could Zhou Mingrui not understand? He had already understood these things from his previous life. Seeing that Zhou Mingrui did not answer, Zhao Guian spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m giving you one last chance. If you¡¯re willing to join the Zhao family, we¡¯ll give you money, beautiful women, and anything you want.¡± ¡°If you still refuse, then don¡¯t blame me for blacklisting you on behalf of the Zhao family.¡± ¡°You should know that you and your summoner, Yan Wuyue, will have a hard time in this country if you are blacklisted by our family.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his Nether Flame Bone Blade and phantom energy around him rippled as the tip of the blade pointed at Zhao Guian. His choice was obvious. Seeing this, Zhao Guian could only sigh and comment regretfully, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made your choice, don¡¯t blame me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Guian transformed into a flash of red light and charged towards Zhou Mingrui. At the same time, he threw a punch. This time, Zhou Mingrui did not choose to defend. Instead, he had already swung his blade. In the next moment, the fist and the blade collided. Immediately following that, Zhou Mingrui was sent flying backwards. He uncontrollably let go of the blade in his hand as well. Before Zhou Mingrui even landed on the ground, Zhao Guian had already caught up to him. His punches slammed down like cannonballs. Bang! After an explosive sound, Zhou Mingrui was sent crashing to the ground. The immense force created a half-meter deep hole in the ground. Zhou Mingrui felt as if he had lost control of all the energy in his body. As for the pain, it had been shielded by his semi-energized body. Zhao Guian was not going to just stand by and watch. In a flash, he charged and landed on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body, fists raining down on Zhou Mingrui. The ground began to shake violently under the continuous attacks, and the entire pit was constantly sinking. At first, Zhou Mingrui was still able to raise his arms in an attempt to resist the heavy blows. However, he only managed to hold on for a few seconds before his arms were blasted away. Immediately after, a fist filled with powerful energy landed on his entire body without any intention of holding back. The Samsara Territory and Phantom Prison domains had already disappeared, and he had returned to the main hall of the Zhao family¡¯s Villa. The hall had been completely destroyed by the battles, and the ground had also caved in. Meanwhile, Zhao Guian had already stopped and jumped out of the hole with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm in his hand. Zhao Guian threw him to the ground and said coldly, ¡°Now, we¡¯ll just wait for your summoner to come and get you. You really chose the hard way yourself. ¡± Just like that, Zhao Guian returned to his chair, and the red figure behind him disappeared. He regained his old appearance. One of his men immediately walked up and put a jacket on him. Then, he began to wait quietly. However, he did not realize that Zhou Mingrui, who was lying unconscious on the ground, was experiencing something unimaginable. ¡°Where is this place?¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned and realized that he was in a gray space. His vision was blocked by something that resembled a thick fog. ¡°This is the depths of your sea of consciousness,¡± At this moment, a gender-neutral voice that could not be distinguished between men and women rang out. The next moment, the thick white fog in front of Zhou Mingrui suddenly churned. Following that, a huge human face quickly took shape. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked calmly. ¡°Simply put, I¡¯m a wisp of consciousness that your father left in the depths of your sea of consciousness.¡± The huge face opened its mouth and said quickly. Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed. Chapter 112 - The Mysterious Wisp of Consciousness The Mysterious Wisp of Consciousness This scene was beyond Zhou Mingrui¡¯s comprehension. He never expected there to be a foreign being of consciousness hiding in his sea of consciousness. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. This wisp of consciousness was mainly tasked to ensure your safety during your childhood. Also, I have something to tell you,¡± the face said slowly. ¡°Since your strength has already grown to this level, I can finally tell you some things that you should know.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked with a frown. After all, nobody would feel comfortable being kept in the dark. ¡°Do you know why all the beings in the illusionary spirit world are so afraid of you?¡± the big face asked. ¡°Because of my father?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s because of your father. He was one of the three Lords of the illusionary spirit world, the Lord of the Spirits.¡± the huge face said. ¡®Death Spirit King, no wonder. My undead spiritual attribute was also inherited from him, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui was not surprised. ¡°It¡¯s easy to guess, but what I¡¯m going to tell you next is the truly critical information, which is the cause of your father¡¯s death.¡± These words made Zhou Mingrui feel as though he had been embroiled in a major incident. As expected, the giant face continued after a few seconds of silence, ¡°The one who killed your father was another Lord from the illusionary spirit world, the Lord of Destiny.¡± ¡°And then? You mean you want me to avenge my father?¡± Zhou Mingrui said after some thought. ¡°No, even if you were a hundred times or a thousand times stronger than now, you would still be nothing more than an ant in the eyes of the Lord of Destiny.¡± The giant face said. ¡°Then why are you telling me this?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little confused. ¡°It¡¯s about time the Lord of Destiny starts searching for you. But don¡¯t worry, your father has left a total of five wisps of consciousness on you.¡± ¡°Every time your strength reaches a certain level, they will automatically trigger and provide you with the information you should know. At the same time, it will cover up your aura,¡± The huge face explained. ¡°You¡¯re saying that once all five of my consciousness forms are activated, I¡¯ll have the ability to face that Lord of Destiny?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°No. After all five consciousness forms get activated, it only means that you have the ability to avoid the Lord of Destiny¡¯s pursuit. You still will not have the strength to face him,¡± the giant face replied. ¡°So what you are saying is that I have to live like a street rat and live my life in fear every day?¡± Zhou Mingrui was already extremely upset. He was even more upset than when he got beaten up by Zhao Guian. After all, who would be in a good mood if they suddenly found out that their originally carefree lifestyle suddenly had to be low-key, and that they had to be on guard against an unknown danger? ¡°No, actually, you don¡¯t have to worry that much. Although the Lord of Destiny is very powerful, he can¡¯t directly cross the world barrier to attack you.¡± ¡°The only thing he can do is to command the summoned spirits under him to attack you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the Lord himself attacking you. ¡± ¡°But you have to be careful. Those who can be taken under the command of the Lord of Destiny are all summoned spirits with extraordinary talents and abilities. The most powerful ones even have the potential to become future Lords,¡± the giant face continued solemnly. Upon hearing this, most of the worry in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart dissipated. ¡°The spirits that come to this world must give up everything they have in the illusionary spirit world and start over.¡± ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t need to be afraid of them. With my talent and strength, I will be able to grow to a considerable height very soon.¡± Zhou Mingrui revealed a relaxed expression. ¡°No, actually, you¡¯ll only be able to relax for a while. In a few years¡¯ time, the spiritual energy tidal storm will begin. By then, the barrier of this world will be weakened to a certain extent. When that time comes, the Lord of Destiny will be much more able to influence this world.¡± The huge face¡¯s words immediately poured a bucket of cold water on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head. ¡°Spiritual energy tidal storm? The Great Calamity?¡± The timing of the two events immediately appeared in his mind. He asked hastily, ¡°I need to know what the spiritual energy tidal storm is!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details,¡± the giant face replied, ¡°I can only tell you that it appears once every ten thousand years. At that time, no matter it¡¯s this world, the illusionary spirit world, or the barriers of the any other surrounding worlds, they will all be weakened to a certain extent by the storm.¡± ¡°At that time, life forms from different worlds with the ability to travel through space, or those with other special abilities, can take advantage of this opportunity to sneak into another world.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui finally realized that this was the real reason for the Great Calamity. ¡°The Lord of Destiny still won¡¯t be able to descend upon this world after the Great Calamity, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked the most critical question. ¡°No, but I can¡¯t be sure if he has any specific hidden methods. The information your father left with me doesn¡¯t have much about this.¡± The giant face did not give a specific answer. Zhou Mingrui sighed. However, he quickly regained his spirit. He was still confident in his strength and growth rate. No matter how powerful the Lord of Destiny was, he would get rid of that fellow one day. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve recovered. I¡¯ve said all I have to say.¡± The huge face could read Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression. ¡°What, if I couldn¡¯t pull myself together, what would you do?¡± Zhou Mingrui could tell that something was amiss. ¡°Your father has already made arrangements. If you develop any intentions to give up, all of your existing consciousness forms will immediately erupt and erase the memories related to this matter. Then, a part of your body¡¯s cultivation foundation will be crippled, and you will be able to live a mediocre life from then on.¡± The huge face used the calmest tone to say the most ruthless words. Zhou Mingrui felt extremely perplexed. He didnt expect the father he had never met to actually be so ruthless. Although Zhou Mingrui understood his father¡¯s intentions, he still felt uncomfortable. He said, ¡°This cheap father of mine sure is ruthless.¡± The huge face was expressionless and said indifferently, ¡°This is the best choice for you, please understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not wish to continue the conversation. The wisp of consciousness in front of him was probably no different from an ordinary computer. It would not be able to empathize with him even if he were to argue. ¡°Do you have any more questions? If not, we¡¯ll be moving on to the next step¡± The huge face said. ¡°Next step?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of any threats from the outside world, and then give you some helpful information.¡± The giant face replied. ¡°You¡¯re just a wisp of consciousness. How are you going to solve the current situation?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. This wasn¡¯t like those fantasy immortal cultivation novels where a wisp of a superior being¡¯s consciousness could erupt with overwhelming power and easily wipe out all the enemies in front of him. Chapter 113 - Negotiating Terms Negotiating Terms ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± The giant face seemed to have predicted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s thoughts. Hence, it said, ¡°Although this wisp of consciousness belongs to the Lord of the Spirits, it doesn¡¯t have the immense power to destroy the world.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s more than enough to deal with your current situation. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s interest was piqued. How was he going to defeat Zhao Guian without powerful energy? ¡°I won¡¯t explain much about this. Next, I will take over your body, so please do not resist. At the same time, please focus and observe my actions next.¡± Before Zhou Mingrui could ask what it meant, the entire space suddenly began to spin. Following that, his vision turned black and he lost consciousness. In the outside world. Zhao Guian sat on the sofa, and soon the person he was waiting for arrived. A few of his men retreated into another room. They did not dare to stop a woman and a middle-aged man in ordinary clothes from walking in. Seeing the middle-aged man¡¯s appearance, Zhao Guian¡¯s face became serious for the first time. As for the woman, she was Yan Wuyue. The anxiety on her face was obvious because she had discovered something wrong with Zhou Mingrui through her mental connection with him. She had been extremely anxious along the way and rushed over as quick as she could. Now, as she saw the unconscious Zhou Mingrui on the ground, she immediately felt as if her heart was being clutched by an invisible hand. She instinctively wanted to rush forward, but the middle-aged man next to her held her shoulder and stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not dead. Even if he¡¯s dead, he can be reborn as a spirit, so don¡¯t worry.¡± A weak voice appeared in Yan Wuyue¡¯s ears. Yan Wuyue stopped struggling. ¡°I originally thought that she would ask for help from old Li and the others. I really didn¡¯t expect that she would actually ask you.¡± Zhao Guian said calmly. ¡°Hahaha, well, I didn¡¯t expect that Yan Wuyue would provoke your Zhao family either. But come to think of it, we haven¡¯t seen each other for almost four years, have we?¡± the middle-aged man laughed. ¡°Why, Chen Xiangtian, from what you¡¯ve said, have you decided to stand up for them this time?¡± Zhao Guian stared at the middle-aged man and asked. ¡°I, Chen Xiangtian, will help whoever I want to help. It¡¯s not your place to ask, is it?¡± Chen Xiang Tian coldly snorted, not giving Zhao Guian any face. ¡°Is this the attitude you should have when you¡¯re begging me?¡± Zhao Guian stood up, his voice changing. ¡°Do I need to beg you? I¡¯m telling you to let him go. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to think about the consequences of this incident.¡± Chen Xiangtian pressed on. ¡°This br*t is not just slapping my face, but also the Zhao family¡¯s face. Do you think I¡¯ll let him go just because of your words?¡± Zhao Guian didn¡¯t back down and chose to fight head on. Then, he stood up, and the red summoned spirit that had appeared before appeared behind him again, exuding an oppressive aura. Chen Xiangtian raised his eyebrows. He held Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder and pulled her behind him. ¡°In that case, I might as well tell you that they are the people that Dean Wan wants. Are you sure you still want to do this?¡± Chen Xiangtian wasn¡¯t affected by his opponent¡¯s aura at all. ¡°Wan Kun?¡± Hearing this, Zhao Guian¡¯s face changed. It was as if this name had a great magic power to cause the originally tense atmosphere to suddenly quiet down. Yan Wuyue, who was standing aside, could see clearly how Zhao Guian¡¯s expression changed when he heard Dean Wan¡¯s name, which indirectly proved the power and horror of this person. ¡°Now, can we have a proper conversation?¡± Chen Xiang Tian sneered. ¡°If it¡¯s really Dean Wan Kun, he does have the right to ask for someone from the Zhao family. But he can¡¯t do it without reason.¡± Zhao Guian squinted his eyes. ¡°Oh, then what are your conditions?¡± As Chen Xiangtian spoke, he released his big hand from Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I want a favor from Dean Wan,¡± Zhao Guian immediately said. Chen Xiangtian didn¡¯t agree, because for someone at Dean Wan¡¯s level, the value of a favor was sometimes unimaginable. Therefore, even Chen Xiangtian couldn¡¯t agree on behalf of Dean Wan. After all, it involved a lot of connections and networks. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Zhao Guian snorted. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s appearance was an accident. However, if he could gain a favor from Dean Wanun, it would definitely be a huge benefit. Yan Wuyue wanted to say something, but she couldn¡¯t. If she hadn¡¯t been reborn, she would have said it, but after experiencing so many things, she naturally understood. ]It was already very respectful of Dean Wan to allow Chen Xiangtian to use his name as a guarantee, but if he ended up owing someone a favor because of this, the meaning behind it was completely different. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then forget it. Dean Wan may be highly respected and powerful, but he¡¯s not an unreasonable person.¡± Zhao Guian said fearlessly. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re ready to fight?¡± Chen Xiangtian took a step forward, his body exuding a powerful aura. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Zhao Guian alone at all, but it would be a different story for him to face the entire Zhao family. ¡°Who¡¯s afraid of who?¡± Zhao Guian didn¡¯t show any weakness. The two powerful auras immediately collided in the living room, causing a strong airflow that blew in all directions. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had been unconscious on the ground, seemed to have woken up from the clash of auras. However, when he opened his eyes, they were pitch-black without any focus. He stood up straight, and even Zhao Guian was shocked. ¡°Zhou Mingrui!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted, but there was no response. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s unfocused eyes turned to look at Zhao Guian. The latter immediately felt an indescribable chill envelop his body. It had been a long time since he had felt this, and it even stimulated some memories that had been sealed in his mind. This was that same feeling as what he felt when he had first met and locked his eyes with the head of the Zhao family. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue wanted to step forward again, but she was once again stopped by Chen Xiangtian¡¯s big hand. ¡°He¡¯s not in the right state now. Don¡¯t go towards him,¡± Chen Xiangtian said seriously. A dead summoned spirit could be resurrected, but if something happened to the summoner, it could not be salvaged. Therefore, Chen Xiangtian had to control Yan Wuyue. ¡°But¡­¡± Before Yan Wuyue could finish her sentence, she saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body suddenly tremble. Immediately after, a layer of bone armor that was as fine as fish scales appeared on his body. ¡°What, the lesson just now wasn¡¯t enough, you still want to fight?¡± Zhao Guian snapped back to reality and said coldly to Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face was expressionless. He did not say anything unnecessary. He raised his hand and summoned the Nether Flame Bone Blade. He took a step and charged forward. Chapter 114 - The Battle Intensifies The Battle Intensifies ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson yet!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Seeing that Zhou Mingrui had actually launched another attack, Zhao Guian snorted coldly and immediately unleashed his full strength while grabbing at him. Under normal circumstances, based on the difference between the both of them, and with Zhou Mingrui not even using his Phantom Prison and Samsara Territory, he should have been easily captured by Zhao Guian. However, this was not the case. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to be caught by Zhao Guian, his body suddenly flashed with a faint eerie light. His speed abruptly spiked, allowing him to escape from the latter¡¯s grasp. Zhao Guian was confused. He was faster than before, but why couldn¡¯t he catch him this time? While he was thinking, Zhao Guian had already turned around and chased after Zhou Mingrui. With a burst in speed, he caught up to Zhou Mingrui figure in the blink of an eye. Reality had proven that his speed was still faster than Zhou Mingrui¡¯s. However, just as he was about to grab Zhou Mingrui again, he missed. And at that moment, a different scene was appearing in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, what I¡¯m going to tell you now is that in a battle, if the difference in physical attributes between the two parties is too great, then you have to try to make up for it with techniques.¡± ¡°For example, your opponent here didn¡¯t really use his full strength because of the difference in strength between the both of you. In this case, you can use skills to create an advantage for yourself and close the gap between you two.¡± Upon hearing the teachings of the consciousness form, Zhou Mingrui frowned and said, ¡°I understand that, but even if we can make him miss for a moment with our skills, we still can¡¯t do anything when he realizes what¡¯s going on, right?¡± ¡°In your mind, skills are just simple skills,¡± said the consciousness form, ¡°The skill I¡¯m talking about is a combination of combat skills, combat wisdom, combat awareness, and other key elements. You just need to watch the battle from now on.¡± The consciousness form did not give a detailed answer. Instead, it chose to use actions to answer Zhou Mingrui¡¯s question. In the outside world. Just as the consciousness form manipulated Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body to dodge the second attack, the Nether Flame Bone Blade swung out simultaneously. The surging phantom energy around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was, however, not as powerful as it was when he was controlling it himself. The strike was dim and concealed, with only a dark and thin flash flying out. However, this specific strike made Zhao Guian, who had always been composed, change his expression, and for the first time put up a truly defensive stance. The blade silently cut through the air and landed on the thick red arms of the spirit behind Zhao Guian. It hit like a steel knife cutting through tofu. With no resistance at all, the blade created a wound on the strong and hard arm of the spirit. If it wasn¡¯t for the lack of energy, which prevented the knife from completely cutting through the red arm, it could probably have broken the red spirit¡¯s arm. ¡°What, what is this?¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui also sensed that something was different. The consciousness form was using his own body, so he could rule out the possibility that it was using a power that did not belong to him. However, with his current combat power, no matter how much energy he used, he had never been able to achieve such power and effect. He came to a conclusion that there was a huge difference between Zhou Mingrui and the consciousness form in terms of their utilization of energy. As though it had predicted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s thoughts, the consciousness form took the initiative to explain, ¡°It¡¯s not always the best to use all your energy at once. You have to maximize its impact and fight in the most efficient way.¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui asked the question that concerned him the most, ¡°What is the principle behind that strike?¡± The consciousness form had no intention of hiding anything. ¡°By compressing energy to a certain extent, it increases the speed of the energy particles¡¯ circulation, and thereby strengthens the power of your energy blade in all aspects.¡± ¡°This way, be it speed or sharpness, both have been strengthened to a certain extent. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you don¡¯t have enough energy, I could even give this energy blade a certain special attribute.¡± Zhou Mingrui was dumbfounded as he listened. However, he felt like he managed to vaguely grasp the key point. ¡°It¡¯s useless to just listen to my explanation. You need to understand the general principles first, and then try it out a few times before you can master it,¡± said the higher consciousness form. In the outside world. ¡°Not a bad move,¡± Chen Xiangtian praised. At the side, Yan Wuyue also sighed in admiration. With her abilities and insight, she could naturally see the depth of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strike. ¡°But that¡¯s not right. This fellow wasn¡¯t this strong before. How did his skills reach this level in such a short time?¡± The puzzled Yan Wuyue naturally didn¡¯t know that Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t the one controlling himself. After witnessing the attack, Zhao Guian grew much more wary of Zhou Mingrui. He clearly remembered the immense power of the last attack. ¡®He can actually use such a powerful attack at such a low level. It¡¯s too ridiculous!¡¯ As Zhao Guian was trying to figure out what was going on, the consciousness form would of course not let go of this opportunity. It clenched the blade and seized this rare opportunity to attack. Just like before, the energy blade quickly slashed out, locking onto Zhao Guian¡¯s every possible angle of escape. ¡®No, there¡¯s definitely something wrong with this guy. It¡¯s impossible for a person to grow to such a height in such a short time!¡¯ Zhao Guian was completely shocked. The person in front of him was completely different from the previous Zhou Mingrui. It made him feel like he was fighting someone who was close to his rank ¨C no, he might even be fighting someone of the same rank. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t blame me for not showing you any mercy!¡± Zhao Guian was already certain that Zhou Mingrui would not surrender to him. If that was the case, why should he still give his opponent any chance? Anyway, even if he killed this guy, he could be reborn, so he was not worried about completely getting on Dean Wan¡¯s bad side. After deciding not to hold back, the red energy around Zhao Guian¡¯s body suddenly brightened, and quickly condensed into a layer of energy. Compared to the past, the energy aura was even more vigorous and oppressive. This time, he was ready to fight seriously. ¡°The real battle is happening now,¡± Chen Xiangtian murmured in a low voice. The energy blades that were silently attacking him began to slow down in Zhao Guian¡¯s eyes. The next moment, Zhao Guian¡¯s body turned into a blurry shadow as he charged at Zhou Mingrui. It looked extremely unnatural as Zhao Guian appeared to be moving slowly, but he was actually moving at a rapid speed. This way of advancing gave the onlookers a very strong sense of disorientation. Anyone would have thought that it was impossible for Zhao Guian to reach that spot, but he arrived faster than they thought. The intense difference even made the onlookers feel extremely dizzy. Chapter 115 - Combat Techniques Combat Techniques Without anyone noticing, Zhao Guian had already arrived in front of Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Take note, your opponent is about to use the true strength of his level. You have to watch carefully how I use your power to deal with this situation,¡± the higher consciousness form warned. Zhou Mingrui did not respond and instead focused on observing. He knew that this was a crucial moment for his growth. He had to put in all his effort to carefully observe and understand this battle. In the outside world. The moment Zhao Guian appeared, Zhou Mingrui (the higher consciousness form) had already raised his palm and activated his skill. [Phantom Riot] The fifty percent increase in energy immediately burst out and was compressed to the extreme in an instant, attaching to the Nether Flame Bone Blade. At the same time, the blade was already slashing towards Zhao Guian. Zhao Guian growled, and as his body glowed red, a series of complicated engravings appeared on his right arm. [Engraved Body] [Effect: After activation, any part of the body can be transformed into a Mithril structure, improving physical and energy defense, energy circulation speed, and the power of skills.] The moment the engravings flickered, Zhao Guian¡¯s entire arm immediately glowed with a metallic luster. Then, it collided with the Nether Flame Bone Blade. With a loud clang, the sound of metal colliding reverberated in the surroundings. Even the entire building began to tremble slightly, and a lot of dust fell from the top. In his sea of consciousness, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes widened. If he had been the one taking this blow, he would have been sent flying. However, under the control of the consciousness form, his physical body and his energy had achieved near-perfect coordination. The moment both sides made contact, the consciousness transformed his body into an energy form. The powerful impact formed visible ripples as it passed through, but it did not cause any substantial damage to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s energy body. Simultaneously, at the very last moment, Zhou Mingrui used the recoil force from the impact to turn around and slash out with his blade again. Zhao Guian knew that he couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent with just one skill, so he threw out another punch. Both sides began to fight in close combat. In just a breath¡¯s time, they had exchanged more than ten blows. The sound waves produced by the exchange of blows continued to vibrate, and even formed visible sound waves among the falling debris. This scene left Zhou Mingrui flabbergasted in his sea of consciousness. He had noticed many details from the dozen or so exchange in blows. From the use of energy and the body, from the attack methods and angles, to the control of the attack timings, to the prediction and response of Zhao Guian¡¯s attack. All of this made him extremely shocked. Compared to the combat techniques displayed by the higher consciousness form, the ones he had displayed earlier made him feel the embarrassment of a beginner facing a master. And it was during this period of time that the surrounding space began to change. Without realizing it, Zhou Mingrui (the consciousness form) had already activated the Phantom Prison. ¡°It¡¯s no use, I¡¯ve tried it before. The gap between us is too big, so the Phantom Prison doesn¡¯t have much of an effect on Zhao Guian,¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°I don¡¯t need that effect. I will be using another effect of the Phantom Prison,¡± replied the consciousness form. In the outside world. ¡°It¡¯s no use, let¡¯s end this!¡± Zhao Guian felt the change in the space around him, but he ignored it and instead roared. A dazzling red light immediately spread out, and the three-meter-tall summoned spirit behind him immediately expanded. At the same time, a red circle of light rose from under his feet and spread out. [Formation of Engravings] [Effect: After activation, the formation will channel the secret engravings energy within a five-meter radius with the body as the center. It will form a territory formation that will repel all other energies.] [When in the Formation of Engravings, your energy recovery speed and energy circulation speed will be increased. At the same time, your body will be strengthened to a certain extent, and your defense against both physical and energy attributes will be increased.] ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a domain!¡± The moment Zhao Guian activated his domain, it completely expelled Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Phantom Prison from Zhao Guian¡¯s surrounding parameters. Both sides clashed once again. This time, Zhou Mingrui (the consciousness form) did not hesitate to use Samsara Territory as well. But even until this moment, Zhou Mingrui still could not figure out how the consciousness body was planning to use the Phantom Prison. However, just as he was thinking, and just as Zhou Mingrui (the consciousness form) cast Samsara Territory, an almost invisible energy blade slashed out between the two domain skills. All the energy waves were being covered up by the energy waves caused by the activation of the two domains. Under the cover of the commotion, the energy blades came into contact with Zhao Guian¡¯s domain and silently cut a hole in it. By the time Zhao Guian noticed, the phantom energy blade was already in front of him. ¡°What the h*ll is this?¡± Zhao Guian was shocked. He could only stop attacking and turn to defend. The part of his chest that had been attacked immediately turned into mithril to resist the impact. This time, there was no violent collision like before. The energy blade cut directly into the mithril. Seeing this, Zhao Guian activated another skill without hesitation. [Blood Mithril] [Effect: After activation, the blood in the body can be used to stimulate the body, enhancing the texture of the mithril that the body has transformed into. The defense of Mithril, energy conversion rate, and various attributes of the body can be greatly increased.] The blood in Zhao Guian¡¯s body began to simmer, and the mithril, which was only showing a metallic light previously, now shone with a silver light. The energy blades that had already cut in earlier immediately stopped like grinding wheels that were stuck. ¡°You¡¯re good. You forced me to use my skill. I can¡¯t help but praise you.¡± After crushing the energy blade in his wound, Zhao Guian¡¯s gaze on Zhou Mingrui changed once again. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui (the consciousness form) said in his mind, ¡°If he is saying this under such circumstances, he should be using his full strength right now. Next, it¡¯s time to see if we can win.¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t the situation obvious? wasn¡¯t his defeated outcome already set in stone? Just as Zhou Mingrui was feeling puzzled, the consciousness form had already summoned the Spectral Hell Warhorse. At the same time, the Goblin King¡¯s figure appeared behind him. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Even if you use everything you had, you can¡¯t make up for the gap between us.¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s blood was still simmering, and his mithril body had turned into a silver light that circulated around his body. He had decided to end this battle once and for all. After all, Chen Xiangtian was still watching from the outside world. It was already embarrassing enough to let the battle drag on for this long. Chapter 116 - A Shocking Ending A Shocking Ending He had to quickly resolve this matter, and then settle the issue with Zhao Desheng and his daughter. Then, he could leave this place. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Zhao Desheng was from his line of descent, and that the family had stipulated that he had to show up, he really wouldn¡¯t have come here to stir up such a mess. Now, he was even reduced to such a state by a girl who still reeked of her mother¡¯s milk and a mere summoned spirit. If this were to spread, he would probably become a laughing stock. In fact, if he was a little more ruthless, he could immediately finish off Zhou Mingrui. After all, as someone who had exceeded level 70, he definitely had the ability to do so. However, as the fifth master of the Zhao family, he had to be careful not to be too extreme with his actions, in case people said that he was bullying the weak. Yet, the situation was different now. Since there was no way to resolve the tension between both sides, it really didn¡¯t matter anymore if people accused him of bullying the weak. As the silver light flowed, Zhao Guian¡¯s aura became stronger and stronger. In the end, Zhou Mingrui could not even breathe. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that there¡¯s no need for us to negotiate anymore. This farce can end now.¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s face turned cold. He raised his arm, and rays of silver light began to condense into rings of light that wrapped around his arm. The huge red figure had already separated and stood beside him. Similarly, mysterious engravings appeared on its body and glowed with a silver light. ¡°You should be proud to be able to force me to this extent.¡± With that said, Zhao Guian¡¯s raised arm suddenly shot out a silver light towards Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui, who was in his sea of consciousness, felt that it was impossible for him to deal with this attack at this level. Just as Zhou Mingrui felt that the situation was hopeless, the consciousness form said, ¡°Watch closely, Zhou Mingrui. I can only use this strike once. As for how much you can comprehend, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± After the consciousness form finished speaking, there was no more sound. In reality, when Zhou Mingrui (the consciousness form) faced Zhao Guian¡¯s attack, the phantom flames around his body suddenly extinguished. In the next moment, a tremendous energy fluctuation suddenly appeared from his body, and the surrounding space suddenly became filled with phantom shadows. Countless shadows filled the entire space, turning it into a vast expanse of white. ¡°This is¡­ Spatial interference? ¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s attack missed because the space around Zhou Mingrui had already swallowed him up and he was hidden within the space. ¡°What¡¯s the point of hiding in space? I can find you as soon as I activate my skill. There¡¯s no point in delaying.¡± Seeing this, Zhao Guian only sneered. However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly changed. All the silver light immediately flickered and appeared near his head. A dark light flashed, directly piercing onto the silver light layer. With a buzz, the space in front of Zhao Guian trembled. Intense silver light flickered, and the black light continued to spin, attempting to break through the silver light. ¡°How are you able to use psychological attacks?¡± Zhao Guian¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat. He was silently cursing in his heart. He believed that with his physical strength, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of Zhou Mingrui no matter what happened. However, his weakness happened to be in the psychological aspect. After all, all of his skills were inclined towards defensive counterattacks and were more focused on the physical aspect. Although his psychological defense barely passed, it was still far from his physical defense. ¡°B*stard, how could I be defeated by a youngster? And how could he have such condensed psychological power? ¡± Zhao Guian couldn¡¯t figure it out at all. Logically, no matter how weak his psychological defense was, he should still have been able to defend against someone like Zhou Mingrui. Who knew that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s psychological attack would be so incredibly condensed and compressed, that it could even break through Zhao Guian¡¯s defense? It was just like how an iron pillar that was originally tens of meters long, after being continuously compressed and condensed to the size of a needle, would reach an astonishing level in all aspects. Zhao Guian¡¯s eyes started to turn bloodshot, his psychological defense was already at its limit. The next moment, the silver light shattered like glass, and the beam of light stabbed into Zhao Guian¡¯s head, who was unable to react in time. Zhao Guian¡¯s eyes lost focus immediately and he fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°Alright, my mission is complete. I hope you can unlock your second wisp of consciousness as soon as possible in the future. Goodbye.¡± After the consciousness said its final goodbye, it disappeared from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sea of consciousness. He could no longer sense any trace of its existence. Zhou Mingrui, who had regained control of his body, shook his head as he looked at Zhao Guian, who had lost his consciousness and combat ability. Zhao Guian was not dead, but he was injured psychologically. It was unknown how long it would take for him to wake up, but it would depend on his personal recovery speed. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was still immersed in the technique that the consciousness form had used. After all, this was a terrifying move that could instantly make a powerhouse above level 70 lose his combat power. Furthermore, the consciousness form only made use of the power that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s already had. In other words, as long as he could completely understand and analyze how that attack was used, he could also launch that kind of attack. Moreover, he could share all the feelings when the consciousness form was using his body. He could clearly remember all the details that his body went through at that time, but of course, there was a difference between a master and a beginner. The same thing being displayed in their hands could have a completely different effect. However, no matter how he thought, how he recalled, and how he tried to pick out the details, he found that he simply couldn¡¯t complete the execution of the move, nor could he launch that kind of attack. Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to shake his head and give up. He would slowly come back to this when he had the time. The things he had encountered and the information he had obtained today were enough for him to consume for a long time. He removed the Phantom Prison and Samsara Territory, and returned to the outside world. ¡°?¡± After the domains were withdrawn, the first one to ask questions was Chen Xiangtian. The scene that appeared was completely beyond his imagination. He could never have imagined that it was Zhao Guian who was left motionless on the ground. A level 70 powerhouse had actually lost to a summoned spirit that hadn¡¯t even reached level 50. If someone were to say this, people would only roll their eyes at them, or even call them a lunatic. The difference between the two levels was like an ant challenging a tiger. They were not on the same level at all. However, the truth was right before his eyes. Even if he didn¡¯t want to believe it, he had to accept it. Yan Wuyue was even more shocked. She knew Zhou Mingrui¡¯s capabilities the best. The fact that he was able to do so much had completely exceeded her imagination. Even as one of the strongest humans before her rebirth, she had never seen such a thing. Chapter 117 - Fending off the Zhao Family Fending Off the Zhao Family With a flash, Chen Xiangtian appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve just used up too much energy and I¡¯m a little tired,¡± Zhou Mingrui answered. After briefly checking on Zhou Mingrui and confirming that he was fine, Chen Xiangtian immediately turned to look at Zhao Guian, who was lying on the ground at the side. At the same time, the Zhao family¡¯s subordinates who had rushed in from outside also stood around, but no one dared to come forward. The first reason was because of Chen Xiangtian¡¯s presence. Two of them had already been taught a lesson by him. With their strength, the rest of them would probably be nothing more than a piece of cake for him. As for Zhou Mingrui, they witnessed with their own eyes how he had beaten their fifth master to the point of losing consciousness. It was useless no matter how many of them went up. Therefore, they chose to watch from the side. ¡°He¡¯s still alive,¡± Chen Xiangtian said. These words were not meant for Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue, but for the Zhao family. The members of the Zhao family heaved a sigh of relief when they heard the news. If fifth master really died here, they would have no choice but to pick a fight with Chen Xiangtian and Zhou Mingrui, even if they didn¡¯t want to. Otherwise, they would be killed sooner or later if they brought his body back without a proper explanation. They might even be punished and live a life worse than death because of this. However, there was no problem now. In fact, having witnessed what happened here, they might even be able to enjoy a better life if they went back. In order to protect his reputation, the fifth master would definitely not treat them badly. As for whether he would kill all of them to keep this incident a secret? Please, what era was this? ¡°I¡¯ll return Zhao Guian to the main Zhao family. You don¡¯t have any problems with that, right?¡± Chen Xiangtian looked at Zhou Mingrui and asked. With his position, there was technically no need for him to ask Zhou Mingrui for permission for such matters. However, he still had to be polite. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue looked at each other and said, ¡°Sure.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if they killed Zhao Guian or not, as they had already offended the Zhao family. It was just a matter of how soon their revenge would come. After Chen Xiangtian handed Zhao Guian over to the Zhao family, they quickly grouped up and left the manor, leaving the horrible mess they¡¯ve made behind. Zhao Anqi quickly brought Zhao Desheng out. He wasn¡¯t injured since he was simply grounded throughout the ordeal. ¡°I really have to thank you all this time.¡± Zhao Desheng thanked them. ¡°Especially Mr. Chen. Thank you so much for your help this time. I, Zhao Desheng, am extremely grateful.¡± Zhao Desheng still thought that it was Chen Xiangtian who defeated Zhao Guian. Otherwise, how could two youngsters like Yan Wuyue and Zhao Anqi manage to turn the situation around? Chen Xiangtian laughed and shook his head. Then he pointed at Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I just said a few words. To be exact, you should thank Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit.¡± Zhao Desheng was stunned. He could not believe it. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her. You can ask your daughter since she¡¯s the one who managed to get Yan Wuyue to help,¡± Chen Xiangtian explained. ¡°Thank you so much. If you need anything, just let me know. As long as I, Zhao Desheng, can give it to you, I will not hesitate.¡± Zhao Desheng indeed had the charisma of someone who had built a successful business from scratch. He turned around and thanked the two without the slightest hint of embarrassment. After the servants had cleaned up the hall and moved in some new furniture, it was soon functional enough for them to sit down and discuss business. ¡°Even though Zhou Mingrui managed to force Zhao Guian to retreat this time, the main Zhao family will definitely make their move again,¡± Chen Xiang Tian said after drinking a cup of water. ¡°That¡¯s for sure, but don¡¯t worry. I, Zhao Desheng, was able to develop my business to such a scale. Naturally, my assets are coveted by many. Of course I would have ways to deal with these people.¡± Zhao Desheng said confidently, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect Zhao Guian to come so quickly and even used physical coercion right off the bat. My old friend happened to be out on business, so I was caught off guard.¡± ¡°I knew it, with brother Zhao¡¯s abilities, you wouldn¡¯t be so easily forced into this situation by Zhao Guian.¡± Chen Xiangtian nodded. Although Zhao Desheng¡¯s company was not one of the top companies in the entire Hanxia country, it was still one of the leading companies in Huadong province. Naturally, it was impossible for him to not have a few people to help him. Zhao Desheng snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll have my own arrangements next. Although I can¡¯t wrestle head-on with the entire main Zhao family, it¡¯s enough to protect the business.¡± Then, he looked at Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui apologetically and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I have too many businesses and I am really tight on manpower, so I can¡¯t take care of you both too much.¡± ¡°But if you encounter any danger, contact me immediately. I¡¯ll send the strong men on my side to help you as soon as possible.¡± Chen Xiangtian also frowned when he heard this, but they all knew that Zhao Desheng had a point. Judging from the current situation, the Zhao family probably wouldn¡¯t use underhanded means against Zhao Desheng anytime soon. They would definitely use open and public means to launch an attack on his corporation, igniting a new round of war. At that time, they would definitely be tight on manpower, because no one knew if the Zhao family would use some special means in secret. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, uncle Zhao. We can take care of our own safety.¡± Yan Wuyue, however, was very calm. ¡°We are now the elite students of the Heavenly Saint Academy. The Academy will not let us be harmed by forces from the outside world. The Zhao family can¡¯t directly bypass the Heavenly Saint Academy to attack us.¡± Then, she turned to Chen Xiangtian and said, ¡°Besides, we have a new backer now. As long as we¡¯re careful, the Zhao family can¡¯t touch us no matter how powerful they are.¡± Zhao Desheng looked at Yan Wuyue with admiration. Although he could only guess that Chen Xiangtian¡¯s identity was not simple, he still laughed and said, ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. Otherwise, I¡¯m really afraid that I won¡¯t be able to sleep because of the guilt.¡± After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yan Wuyue said in a timely manner, ¡°Then, uncle Zhao, you should still have a lot of things to do. We won¡¯t disturb you any longer. I¡¯ll visit you again when it¡¯s convenient.¡± Zhao Desheng was even more surprised. This Yan Wuyue was only fifteen or sixteen years old, but her style of doing things seemed to be as mature as people of his age. ¡°I wanted to keep you guys for dinner tonight, but I have too many things to do now. In that case, let¡¯s meet again some other day. Accept these gifts, or I¡¯ll be so guilty that I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡­ After Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui left, Zhao Desheng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Dad, what are you going to do?¡± Zhao Anqi asked. Looking at his daughter who had matured a lot, Zhao Desheng¡¯s expression slightly softened. He said in a low voice, ¡°You should stay in the Academy. It might be very dangerous at home, so you¡¯ll be safer there. Besides, I have a lot of things to do, so I might not be able to take care of you.¡± Chapter 118 - Before and After the Great Calamity Before and After the Great Calamity ¡°I know, father.¡± Zhao Anqi nodded in understanding. After seeing that his daughter was so sensible and not as noisy as before, the tenderness in Zhao Desheng¡¯s eyes grew even more. ¡°My good daughter, I¡¯m very pleased that you¡¯re so sensible. It seems that you¡¯ve learned something in the Academy this time.¡± Then, his expression changed. ¡°The main family has gone too far. They really think that I, Zhao Desheng, am easy to bully. This time, I will let them see that they will have to pay the price if they dare to offend me!¡± ¡°Dad,¡± Zhao Anqi said worriedly, ¡°why don¡¯t we just hold it in for a little longer? There¡¯s no need to act up now.¡± Zhao Desheng raised his eyebrows. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was really his daughter. However, after looking at her for a while, he realised that she was really worried for him, and he was relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear daughter. I never do anything I¡¯m not confident in.¡± He patted Zhao Anqi¡¯s head and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not time to launch a full-scale attack on the main family yet, but I could still give them some trouble with my current influence. This will let them know that we¡¯re not to be trifled with.¡± ¡°A bunch of old men. They really think that I, Zhao Desheng, am a tiger without teeth that they can bully as they please.¡± ¡°However, before that, I have to take care of some people first. They really think that they can ride on my head and fart just because they have the main family supporting them!¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s heart was filled with hatred when she heard this. She remembered how those people from the Public Security Department just coldly watched her family¡¯s crisis from the side. Her father better teach them a lesson! ¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened?¡± Back in the dormitory, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue sat on the sofa in the living room. After a long while, Zhou Mingrui broke the silence. ¡°You can tell me if you are comfortable with sharing. I don¡¯t intend to pry into your secrets,¡± Yan Wuyue said calmly. ¡°I remember you telling me that you¡¯re a reincarnated person, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded and then said, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly tell me that you¡¯re also a reincarnated person, right?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and explained a portion of what happened. It took Yan Wuyue quite a while to digest the content. ¡°So the Great Calamity catastrophe is actually caused by the plane¡¯s spiritual energy tidal storm. I was wondering where the endless monsters came from. So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Yan Wuyue muttered to herself. ¡°It didn¡¯t say there was a way to stop it, did it?¡± she asked after a moment. Zhou Mingrui shook his head. Yan Wuyue suddenly recalled her memory from the last moments of her previous life. When she was doing her best in the battle, she had a vague feeling. Somewhere in the distance, a pair of eyes was watching her. Now that she thought about it, it turned out that it was probably the Lord of Destiny. If that was the case, then the rank 7 and Rank 8 monsters that she had viewed as her greatest enemies might all be mere ants in front of the Lord of Destiny. Moreover, there was once after clearing a monster tide, she had obtained that metallic tablet made of an unknown material. The description that exceeded the mythical realm could also be real. ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that Lord of Destiny for the time being. There are still nearly nine years before the Great Calamity, so we have plenty of time to prepare for it and improve our strength during this time.¡± Yan Wuyue collected her thoughts and began to analyze, ¡°Our current strength is improving much faster than in my previous life. Our foundations are also much stronger, and our summoned spirits are much stronger.¡± ¡°Actually, I secretly have a worry. Even if we really reach the legendary level, who knows what other terrifying existences and enemies can potentially exist?¡± ¡°When the time comes, we¡¯ll still be lacking in strength. Just like in our previous life, our heritage and civilization will still be completely destroyed by monsters.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re the descendant of the Lord of the Spirits, you naturally have the potential to grow to their level eventually. Then we have hope to end this disaster completely.¡± As she spoke, Yan Wuyue exuded an aura unique to human leaders, a temperament of righteousness. ¡°I think it¡¯s more practical to think about how to deal with the Zhao family now.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words destroyed the mood. Yan Wuyue gave Zhou Mingrui a reproachful look and said, ¡°The main Zhao family¡¯s most powerful elder is only a level 83 Diamond grade.¡± ¡°I forgot to tell you that the world¡¯s environment before and after the Great Calamity was very different.¡± ¡°Even the current level 80 powerhouses would be in a difficult situation when facing a level 30 monster after the Great Calamity, so at that time, our levels and tiers were reset.¡± ¡°After the Great Calamity, a level 40 Gold grade can easily defeat any level 100 powerhouse in today¡¯s context. He can even easily take on three or four of them.¡± Only then did Zhou Mingrui come to a realization. ¡°I knew it. With the speed of leveling up, I thought I could easily reach level 100 after the Great Calamity. So that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve studied it later,¡± Yan Wuyue said seriously, ¡°After the Great Calamity, whether it¡¯s air or energy, its mass has become more condensed. The difficulty of our cultivation will also gradually increase, even by several times.¡± ¡°However, due to the change in environment, our body¡¯s foundation will also improve quickly as we adapt.¡± Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin. ¡°In other words, even though I¡¯m at level 40 right now, I might not even be level 10 after the catastrophe?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile, ¡°According to the world after the catastrophe, the level of the attack you used before was close to level 30.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°I have an idea,¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said, ¡°Let me know if it¡¯s plausible.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the nature of the world¡¯s energy would change after the Great Calamity? How about we make the changes now?¡± Zhou Mingrui suggested. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered as if she had thought of something, but she still asked, ¡°What changes?¡± ¡°Let me ask you something. When the Great Calamity occurred, did many people¡¯s cultivation levels fall?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked in detail. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°When it happened, everyone¡¯s level dropped due to energy issues. The summoned spirits also degenerated. It took the entire human population quite some time to recover.¡± Zhou Mingrui recalled the knowledge he had learned in his previous life and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. When any kind of energy is suddenly converted, it will definitely lose a part of its mass and structure. Instead of passively waiting for the Great Calamity to happen, we should take the initiative and compress the energy in our bodies in advance.¡± ¡°That way, when the Great Calamity strikes and the world changes, the energy in our bodies will meet the world¡¯s requirements. Then, we won¡¯t suffer the punishment of falling. We can even cultivate steadily and increase our levels in advance.¡± After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue immediately fell into deep thought. Chapter 119 - The Target and the Zhao Family The Target and the Zhao Family ¡°Is there a problem with what I said before?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue, who was deep in thought, and asked after a while. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the possibility of doing that,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a frown. ¡°The change in energy after the Great Calamity is actually not quite the same as what you think.¡± ¡°Compressing our energy indeed makes us stronger than before. However, after the Great Calamity, the even the foundation structure of energy has changed.¡± ¡°If we use an analogy, right now, our energy is like cotton. After we compress it, its density will only increase slightly.¡± ¡°But the energy density after the Great Calamity is way more dense than this. It will be similar to solid metal. Do you understand now?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°I understand now.¡± ¡°But according to what you¡¯ve said, there¡¯s value in trying it out. It¡¯s just that the degree of energy compression must be strengthened by a lot,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best to reach the same level as I did in the previous battle.¡± Zhou Mingrui also had a goal in mind. ¡°As for the Zhao family¡¯s revenge,¡± Yan Wuyue continued after a pause, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t go out and get caught, we can focus on cultivation.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Mingrui snorted. ¡°I¡¯d like to seize the opportunity to teach those guys a lesson. Otherwise, they¡¯ll really think that we¡¯re easy to bully.¡± Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°What if they send someone like Zhao Guian again? You still have that consciousness form?¡± ¡°If everyone in the Zhao family is at Zhao Guian¡¯s level,¡± Zhou Mingrui said unhappily, ¡°then we¡¯ll just stay indoors forever.¡± ¡°Although we should be careful, if we act like a bunch of cowards, how are we going to face those monsters in the future? ¡± ¡°Compared to those monsters and the Lord of Destiny, the Zhao family is nothing. Regardless, I don¡¯t believe that they are daring enough to come kill us in broad daylight.¡± After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue paused for two seconds before she said, ¡°You¡¯re right this time. The Zhao family is nothing compared to the enemies we¡¯ll face in the future. I was being too careful.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue a few more times when he heard her say that, as if surprised that she would actually admit her mistake on the spot. ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m not a stubborn person like Xiao Shengyun. I can understand what you¡¯re trying to say,¡± Yan Wuyue ridiculed. Xiao Shengyun: Can you be polite? ¡°Actually, the school is about to start officially. We have to stay in the Academy most of the time and will rarely have the chance to go out.¡± ¡°As for Zhao Anqi, we don¡¯t need to worry about her. Her father will make the necessary arrangements. I think she will be sent to the Academy. After all, this is the safest place.¡± Yan Wuyue summarized the plans moving forwards and then said, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you about that Chen Xiangtian. He¡¯s not from the four great Research Institutes. He¡¯s the observer from the Empire¡¯s Research Institute that I told you about before.¡± Zhou Mingrui had already guessed what was going on, but he still asked out of curiosity, ¡°What? didn¡¯t you say that it¡¯s hard for them to pick someone? Why did they suddenly want us?¡± Yan Wuyue took a sip of water and said confidently, ¡°Maybe he hadn¡¯t decided whether to recruit us or not before I went to him for help. But after the trip to the Zhao family, I¡¯m confident that we¡¯ll be on the Empire¡¯s Research Institute¡¯s special recruitment list.¡± ¡°What about the four major Research Institutes? There¡¯s really no room for consideration? I think the conditions and prices they¡¯ve offered should be pretty good.¡± ¡°No matter what, they are still the four best Research Institutes in the entire Hanxia Empire. It shouldn¡¯t be to the point where you don¡¯t even look at them.¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously, even though he already knew the difference between the four major Research Institutes and the Empire¡¯s Research Institute. For example, in his previous life, the famous Shuimu and Shang Universities were actually still very much inferior to some of the low-key major Universities. Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said, ¡°Let me put it this way. After the Great Calamity, the four major Research Institutes combined all the surviving teachers and students and formed the Hanxia Research Institute headquarters. The Empire¡¯s Research Institute, on the other hand, was merged into the president-appointed Hanxia Calamity General¡¯s Forces. You can understand the difference, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded, beginning to understand what she meant. ¡°That¡¯s why I rejected all the invitations from the four major Research Institutes. However, I also promised to be an honorary guest student for them when I reached a certain level,¡± Yan Wuyue continued to explain. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui naturally knew what kind of trick this was. ¡°Actually, none of this is important. I have a vague feeling that the Great Calamity might not follow the rules of the previous life. We have to be prepared for the possibility of it coming at any time.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°No one said that after reincarnation, the course of history will be exactly the same. After all, we¡¯ve already changed some things. No one knows what butterfly effects will happen from our actions.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded in understanding. ¡­ Just as Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue were discussing, something was also happening in the Zhao family¡¯s main branch. ¡°What, fifth brother has been beaten unconscious?¡± In the study room, the people who were discussing were all surprised. Although Zhao Guian was the weakest among them, he was still a level 70 Summoner. He should be able to deal with Zhao Desheng. ¡°What exactly happened? Tell me.¡± The Zhao clan¡¯s first master, Zhao Derong, who was sitting at the head of the table, had spoken, and this subordinate immediately recounted the matter in full detail. ¡°What a loser!¡± After Zhao Derong heard the whole story, he cursed in a low voice and waved his hand to dismiss his subordinates. ¡°Big brother, since such a thing has happened, should we still interfere in the matters of fifth brother¡¯s branch?¡± The third brother, Zhao Decong, looked at Zhao Derong and asked. ¡°This is an internal matter of fifth brother¡¯s branch. According to the family rules, if something happens, he has to solve it himself and take responsibility.¡± Zhao Derong said in a low voice. The other six Zhao family heads looked at each other. ¡°But!¡± However, before they could think of anything, Zhao Derong said again, ¡°This time, it¡¯s not just the Zhao family who¡¯s involved. There¡¯s an outsider as well, so now it has escalated to a matter concerning the entire Zhao family.¡± ¡°They want to pretend nothing happened after slapping our Zhao family¡¯s face? Absolutely no way!¡± Zhao Derong¡¯s voice was like rolling thunder in the meeting room, rumbling in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°What did we, the Zhao family, rely on to develop in Hanxia Empire and have such a booming family business? It¡¯s all because of the unity of the Zhao family!¡± ¡°Now, mobilize the resources of the Zhao family and show Zhao Desheng, the illegitimate son of the Zhao family, what the consequences are for angering us.¡± Chapter 120 - The Zhao Family Makes a Move The Zhao Family Makes a Move ¡°But according to our investigation, although Zhao Desheng¡¯s business has not reached a large scale, we still need a lot of capital and time to occupy it,¡± the fourth master suddenly said. ¡°Then stop and focus on taking down Zhao Desheng¡¯s business instead,¡± The eldest Zhao Derong said sternly. ¡°But, the losses caused by this¡­¡± The fourth master hesitated. ¡°You are way too narrow-sighted!¡± Zhao Derong bellowed. ¡°But have you calculated how much profit we can bring to the family after we take over Zhao Desheng¡¯s business?¡± ¡°You only know how to look at the gains and losses of the moment, but you haven¡¯t even considered looking at the long term!¡± After being reprimanded by the eldest Zhao Derong, the other five Zhao masters present all kept silent like cicadas in winter. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why isn¡¯t anyone talking? Aren¡¯t you all usually very smug? You are always showing off your strength in front of others and shouting.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to fart at me now, right? Can¡¯t you help me out more? All of you just don¡¯t want me to catch a break!¡± Zhao Derong looked around at his younger brothers. These people had been using the Zhao family¡¯s power to gain benefits for themselves, but now, when the family needed them to contribute, none of them dared to step out and take up the responsibility. ¡°Big brother, if you can trust me, then leave this matter to me.¡± The third brother, Zhao Decong, who had been silent for a while, suddenly said. ¡°Ah Xing, I¡¯ll be at ease if you take action. You¡¯re more careful and meticulous than your brothers, so I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Zhao Derong¡¯s expression softened when he saw that it was his third brother, who had the calmest personality among his brothers. ¡°Big brother, the one who knocked fifth brother out seems to be called Yan Wuyue. What should we do with her?¡± the fourth master asked asked. ¡°Where¡¯s the information?¡± Zhao Derong asked his subordinate. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished my investigation and sent it to your phones,¡± The subordinate immediately said. The Zhao family¡¯s masters all picked up their phones and began to read Yan Wuyue¡¯s information. ¡°The Yan family? I¡¯ve never even heard of it, so it¡¯s probably just a small family there. It¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡± The fourth master first took a look at the family background column and immediately laughed. ¡°How dare she offend the Zhao family? With this kind of background, we can kill her with a fart!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you finish reading everything before you speak?¡± Zhao Derong cursed angrily. The fourth master¡¯s head shrank, and then he looked back down obediently. After that, an expression of shock appeared on his face. ¡°The first place of the freshmen tournament of Heavenly Saints Academy, and she has already been contacted by Chen Xiangtian of the Empire¡¯s Research Institute. According to the information, she is suspected to be someone Dean Wan has instructed to protect?¡± the fourth master¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°The person that Dean Wan wants to protect.¡± Zhao Derong could not help but rub his temples. The Zhao family¡¯s masters all looked troubled. After all, with their status, they were very clear about which influential superpowers existed within the country. If it were the four major Research Institutes, perhaps the Zhao family wouldn¡¯t find it so troublesome. Only people at their level would know who the Empire¡¯s Research Institute represented. Sometimes, being powerful within the country didn¡¯t mean that one could act however they wanted. In fact, the more it was at times like this, the more one needed to be clear of one¡¯s own status and standing. After a long silence, Zhao Derong said, ¡°Are there any of our people in the Heavenly Saint Academy or the Empire¡¯s Research Institute?¡± ¡°Fourth brother¡¯s grandson and my granddaughter are both in Heavenly Saints Academy. One is in third year, and the other is about to graduate from fourth year and move on to the Research Institute,¡± Grandpa Zhao replied. ¡°Then let the two of them go and check out how good this Yan Wuyue is. How dare she interfere in our family¡¯s affairs,¡± Zhao Derong ordered indifferently. Until now, he still didn¡¯t know that it was Zhou Mingrui who had defeated Zhao Guian. After all, the entire battle had been obscured by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Samsara Territory, and nobody could join the battle because it had been too intense. The people who were awake all assumed that both Zhao Guian and Zhao Qishiba were knocked unconscious by Chen Xiangtian. They didn¡¯t dare to mess with the Empire¡¯s Research Institute, so they could only blame Zhao Desheng for everything. ¡­¡­ Heavenly Saint Academy. ¡°Brother, that¡¯s what happened. First Grandpa asked us to go and check this Yan Wuyue out. If possible, we¡¯ll teach this person a lesson,¡± Zhao Yunjin said to her cousin, Zhao Dayi, ¡°You have to come with me.¡± Zhao Dayi frowned. ¡°Are you talking about that Yan Wuyue? The one who won first place in the freshmen competition and is known as the strongest freshman of this year? ¡± Zhao Yunjin immediately frowned. ¡°Freshmen tournament? I was too busy and didn¡¯t have time to watch it. What¡¯s the matter? Is she very powerful?¡± Zhao Dayi¡¯s face was instantly filled with excitement as he said, ¡°You weren¡¯t there to watch, but she¡¯s really strong. I don¡¯t even know how to describe her strength.¡± Zhao Yunjin hesitated. ¡°But first grandpa just said on the phone that we have to teach her a lesson. You know his temper. If we don¡¯t listen to him, we¡¯ll be in trouble when we get home.¡± Zhao Dayi shook his head. ¡°Sister, listen to my advice. You didn¡¯t watch her match, so you have no idea how strong she is. My opinion is that it¡¯s best not to provoke her.¡± ¡°Then how are we going to explain this to grandpa?¡± Zhao Yunjin asked, troubled. Zhao Dayi also knew Zhao Derong¡¯s temper, so he thought for a moment before saying, ¡°The two of us definitely can¡¯t do it, but we don¡¯t have to do it ourselves.¡± ¡°Sister, I remember that you have a lot of suitors. Why don¡¯t you try to spread the news? That way, you can stay out of it.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunjin blinked and said, ¡°This sounds like it could work. Then we¡¯ll do as you say. Those guys are trying to get on my good side every day. It¡¯s a good time to test them.¡± She even patted Zhao Dayi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re the smartest.¡± Although Zhao Dayi agreed verbally, he felt a little helpless in his heart. Although he was already a second year student, he still paid attention to any outstanding talented students. Of course he knew about Yan Wuyue. But the more he knew, the more he understood how powerful Yan Wuyue and her summoned spirit were. And according to some tips he obtained, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t show her true strength during the freshman tournament. Additionally, from his sources, he heard that Yan Wuyue had been taken in by a mysterious Research Institute, and the two sides had already signed a contract. If he offended her now and happened to offend the power behind her, he would probably get into a lot of trouble. Zhao Dayi was sure that with her strength alone, not to mention the new students, even second year students probably wouldn¡¯t dare to say that they could certainly defeat Yan Wuyue. Just like that, after the siblings ¡®discussion, Zhao Yunjin got up and left, starting to make arrangements for the plan against Yan Wuyue. Chapter 121 - The Magical Trio The Magical Trio ¡°You¡¯re saying that you can sense the Undead Holy Power?¡± In the illusionary spirit world, in a space filled with a faint white mist, a deep voice rang out. It was impossible to estimate the height of the figure. It seemed as if the figure had filled up the entire world and can be seen everywhere. It was also hard to tell if the voice was male or female. There was no Tone, nor any high or low notes. Instead, the voice just sounded extremely balanced. ¡°Your Majesty, I only vaguely felt a trace of fluctuation similar to the Undead Holy Power. Because it was so brief, I can¡¯t be sure.¡± ¡°But I remember that we were ordered to immediately report anything related to this.¡± A figure knelt on the ground and replied in the most respectful tone. He didn¡¯t feel any pressure or discomfort. On the contrary, before the Lord, he felt a sense of balance and comfort that he had never felt before. ¡°Alright, then go and investigate. Investigate it clearly. Don¡¯t miss a single thing. Even if there¡¯s a slight suspicion, investigate it carefully.¡± The Lord of Destiny¡¯s words were emotionless. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± After his subordinate left, the huge, blurry figure hidden in the dense white mist moved slightly. ¡°Lord of the Spirits, the loophole in your fate has finally appeared. Don¡¯t worry, I will do everything I can to stop your plan.¡± As the voice fell, the dense white fog became thicker, and the huge figure became completely covered. ¡­ With the passing of the tournament, the new students had all entered the first grade and began their life in the Academy. What the Academy taught was nothing more than basic knowledge. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t have to bother with it, but Zhou Mingrui was required to attend every class. From these lessons, Zhou Mingrui learnt about the history of this world, this continent, and this country. Then, there was the basic knowledge between a summoner and a Summoned spirit, which also helped Zhou Mingrui fill in the knowledge gaps he had before this. This made Zhou Mingrui feel as though he had returned to the time before he came to this world. The only difference was that the content of his studies was different. ¡°How was it? Did you learn anything from this week¡¯s lessons?¡± Sitting on a bench in the Academy¡¯s garden, Yan Wuyue asked Zhou Mingrui. ¡°To be honest, the content is simple and there¡¯s nothing difficult about it.¡± Zhou Mingrui placed his hands behind his head and said indifferently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the studying to you. I can take this time to arrange other things. Anyway, exams are easy to pass,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°Hey, Yan Wuyue, that¡¯s enough! I¡¯m the one going to classes, and now you expect me to take the exams too. What do you mean by that?¡± Zhou Mingrui was displeased. Why should he? He attended the classes, he took the quizzes, and now he¡¯s expected to also take the exams. The teachers in their classes were all looking at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Other people¡¯s summoned spirits are usually kept in a different space and basically won¡¯t be released unless needed. Look at you, hopping around like a living person every day. What else do you want?¡± Yan Wuyue immediately retorted. ¡°Yo, now you¡¯re unhappy? Then put me back. I can¡¯t wait to sleep in every day.¡± Zhou Mingrui shot back. Just as the two of them were arguing, three figures suddenly appeared in front of them. ¡°You¡¯re Yan Wuyue?¡± A baritone female voice sounded. Zhou Mingrui looked forward and realized that it was three female students of different heights. ¡°Yes, I am. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Although Yan Wuyue was curious, she still answered politely. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, you¡¯re the first place of this year¡¯s freshmen competition?¡± the tallest female student among the three said, her expression full of arrogance. ¡°Sister Yao, why does she look so weak?¡± the shortest of the three, a girl with a baby face and two braids said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it now?¡± the last tallest girl asked. She had an extremely strong physique, with her arms were thicker than the thighs of the two people beside her. Yan Wuyue was astounded. From the straightforward conversation of these three people, she had already guessed that they were here to cause her trouble. ¡°Who sent you, and why are you looking for me?¡± Yan Wuyue asked directly. ¡°No one sent us, I just don¡¯t like you.¡± the tall girl called sister Yao, who was obviously the leader of the three, said. ¡°That¡¯s right. We just don¡¯t like how you look,¡± the little loli echoed. ¡°Do we need someone to instruct us? Are you kidding me? At most, we¡¯ll just accept commission money from¡­¡± Before the strong woman could finish, her mouth was covered by the other two. ??? Yan Wuyue looked slightly confused. She was not trying to figure out who had sent these three people, but rather, she was remarking to herself how peculiar this trio was. Zhou Mingrui, who was by the side, was curious too. These three women were too funny. They acting like three jokers. ¡°Alright, the three of us just don¡¯t like the look of you. You pick a place yourself, and we¡¯ll leave you some dignity,¡± Chang Yao said in a domineering tone. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Yan Wuyue asked playfully. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then I¡¯ll ¡®invite¡¯ you!¡± the muscular girl among the three said. She rolled up her sleeves and showed off her arm with the obvious bicep lines. Yan Wuyue resisted the urge to laugh and looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°I¡¯m bored, so let¡¯s play with them,¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, let¡¯s go.¡± Yan Wuyue stood up, and Zhou Mingrui followed suit. Seeing the two of them stand up ¡®obediently¡¯, Chang Yao snorted and turned around in satisfaction. ¡°Jiajia and Lili, you two follow behind. Help me keep an eye on them so they don¡¯t get away.¡± After gesturing to the two girls, she walked to the front, and the two behind knowingly followed behind Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui both turned around. The two girls were obviously very young, but they were trying really hard to look fierce. [I thought that the Zhao family had sent them to test us at first. But now, I feel that my idea is not mature enough.] Yan Wuyue sent a message. [I thought so too at first, but I regret it now. If the Zhao family really chose to hire someone like them, I wouldn¡¯t have any words to say.] Zhou Mingrui also ridiculed. [Who¡¯s going to make a move later?] Yan Wuyue asked. [I¡¯ll do it later. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be too nice about it.] Zhou Mingrui volunteered. [I should be the one saying that, right?] Yan Wuyue raised her eyebrows. [Hahaha, they won¡¯t. I¡¯ll show them how cruel and realistic this world is.] Zhou Mingrui revealed an evil smile. Chapter 122 - Who Sent You Here? As Zhou Mingrui followed Chang Yao, who was in front of him, he noticed that Chang Yao has a great figure. Although she wasn¡¯t as good-looking as Yan Wuyue, and her temperament wasn¡¯t outstanding, it had to be said that she was nearly 1.8 meters tall and had a curvy figure. With Yan Wuyue having a score of 9 and Zhao Anqi an 8, she would have a rating of 7 and above. If Yan Wuyue¡¯s buttocks were chubby and had a golden curve, Zhao Anqi¡¯s was similar to Europeans¡¯ and Americans¡¯ in his previous life, then Chang Yao¡¯s was like marshmallow, shaking as she walked. It was astonishingly soft, but it was completely different from the saggy texture of an old person¡¯s. It would feel like cotton when you grabbed it. Zhou Mingrui swallowed his saliva as his imagination ran wild. [What are you looking at?] Yan Wuyue seemed to sense Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gaze, so she chided him through voice transmission. [What¡¯s wrong with me looking ahead?] Zhou Mingrui retorted without a second thought. [You¡¯d better not have any bad thoughts, or you¡¯ll have a hard time!] Yan Wuyue could only threaten. Soon, after walking for less than ten minutes, the group came to a corner with few people. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it here.¡± Chang Yao stopped in her tracks. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue stopped as well. Looking at Chang Yao, who had turned around, Yan Wuyue asked curiously, ¡°You were sent by the Zhao family, right?¡± Chang Yao¡¯s eyes flickered, and she immediately denied, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the Zhao family. Like I said before, I just don¡¯t like you.¡± Yan Wuyue, however, smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t like me? Is it because I¡¯m prettier than you, or because I have a better figure than you, or is it some other aspect?¡± Chang Yao¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Why would I be jealous of you? Besides, how am I worse than you in figure and appearance?¡± she said. Before Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui could speak, the strong woman next to them subconsciously said, ¡°Boss, I personally feel that you¡¯re not as pretty as her, and your figure isn¡¯t as good as hers either. You¡¯re just a little taller than her.¡± Upon hearing this, Chang Yao¡¯s face turned red, and she suddenly shouted, ¡°Chen Yunjia, have you trained your brain into muscles? How can say nonsense!¡± The muscular woman, Chen Yunjia, knew that she had said the wrong thing. She quickly shrank her head and did not dare to look anymore. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Chang Yao looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°Alright, are you going to kneel down and admit your mistake, or should I teach you a lesson and make you kneel and kowtow?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed, and her aura suddenly burst out. As a former Goddess of War who had slaughtered countless monsters, she burst out her aura at this time. Chang Yao was immediately stunned by the fierce aura. At that moment, she seemed to see a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and countless monsters pounced on her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys a piece of advice. If you stop now, I can still go easy on you. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be so easy to talk to.¡± Yan Wuyue said coldly. Her voice was filled with a cold killing intent that made Chang Yao tremble slightly. She really did not expect that the first-year freshman, who she thought was easy to bully, would turn out to be a steel plate with sharp thorns. ¡°How dare a freshman act all arrogant? Watch how I¡¯ll deal with you!¡± Behind her, Chen Yunjia, the muscular woman, walked up and grabbed Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder with her big hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you not to touch other people¡¯s shoulders?¡± After Yan Wuyue said this lightly, she suddenly took a step forward and pulled the muscular woman, Chen Yunjia, in front of her with her shoulder. The sudden force caused the muscular woman to stagger, and then her arm was grabbed by a pair of skillful hands. The next moment, Chen Yunjia¡¯s feet suddenly lightened, and her whole body flew directly into the air, and after a beautiful arc, she fell to the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. Tell me who sent you. If you don¡¯t, don¡¯t blame me for using you as practice.¡± Without even looking at the muscular woman who had been thrown to the ground, Yan Wuyue raised her head and looked at Chang Yao. Looking at her cold and murderous eyes, Chang Yao could not help but tremble and subconsciously wanted to say something. ¡°You bastard!¡± Chen Yunjia, who had fallen to the ground, shouted in anger. A light flashed on her body, and a gorilla nearly six meters tall with muscles all over its body appeared beside her. As soon as the gorilla appeared, it reached out to grab Yan Wuyue. The palm, which was bigger than a clay pot, formed a shadow and covered Yan Wuyue¡¯s upper body. Slap. Before Yan Wuyue could fight back, a hand grabbed the gorilla¡¯s hand. ¡°Let the girls settle their problems, and we men will settle our problems.¡± Zhou Mingrui grabbed the gorilla¡¯s palm and said with a smile. However, the gorilla responded with another palm-leaf fan-sized palm, which whistled through the air. With a loud smack, Zhou Mingrui managed to catch the palm that it had used all its strength on. It did not even manage to move the other party¡¯s body. The gorilla roared in indignation, but Zhou Mingrui suddenly raised his left leg and kicked it in the chest. The powerful kick sent the gorilla flying, but it was caught by a pair of iron hands. Then, with a strong pull, the gorilla was pulled back in front of him. ¡°Say it. If not, I¡¯ll make a move.¡± Yan Wuyue issued her last ultimatum, and the Stars and Moon Energy in her body began to operate. The room suddenly fell into a state of mutual hostility. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Just as Chang Yao was speaking, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s faces suddenly narrowed. The ground beneath their feet had already been sealed by the soil. ¡°As expected, your personality is the same as what the intelligence said. You are too confident in your own strength.¡± Seeing that Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had been sealed by her third sister¡¯s skill, Chang Yao¡¯s expression changed and she chuckled at the two. ¡°Sister Yao, hurry up and kill them!¡± The twin-pigtailed little loli, who was casting the skill behind her, urged. Chang Yao nodded. A light flashed on her body, and a graceful figure appeared beside her. The mist that was wrapped around was like a long dress made of clouds. Her long white hair moved in the still air, and a chill spread to her surroundings. As soon as Chang Yao¡¯s summoned spirit appeared, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue felt a bone-chilling coldness. ¡°Such powerful ice energy¡­ Could it be a snow maiden?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a snow maiden.¡± Yan Wuyue was sure of it without thinking. Then, she continued, ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s called the frost spirit. It¡¯s a pure elemental spirit. It has the best control over frost among all summoned spirits. Its talent growth is at least A-grade.¡± Chapter 123 - Zhou and Yan vs the Three Sisters ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a summoned spirit.¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but say when she looked at her feet which were sealed in frost. The expression on her face began to change. Even after the great calamity, it was extremely rare to have an extreme elemental spirit like the snow maiden as a summoned spirit. These elemental spirits were powerful, and none of them had a growth talent lower than B. Some of them would even improve as the summoner grew. This time, it was Yan Wuyue who was slightly moved. This kind of talent was very few in her previous life, and the three of them would be powerful pillars of the human army. Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but be tempted by such a talent. As the former leader of human civilization, after sitting in that position for a long time, her thinking had undergone a great change. Before thinking about anything, the interests of the entire human race would be the first priority, and personal interests were already placed at the back. A little personal grudge would not change Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind. Yan Wuyue loosened her hand and said lightly. ¡°Apologize to me and listen to me in the future, and I can forgive your rudeness this time.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback at first, but knowing Yan Wuyue¡¯s experience, he understood on second thought. However, Chen Yunjia and Sun Lili couldn¡¯t understand. Chang Yao was also very confused. She was clearly full of murderous intent just a moment ago, so how did she change so much in the blink of an eye? However, Chang Yao still understood what she meant. ¡°You want me to acknowledge you as my big sister?¡± Chang Yao chuckled. I made my name myself. If you want me to listen to you, beat me up!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s beautiful brows furrowed. Without saying anything, a light flashed in her hand, and the Stars and Moon Spear immediately condensed. She did not find it strange that such a rebellious person would only be obedient after being thoroughly beaten. Chen Yunjia and Sun Lili were about to intervene, but after a flash, a figure blocked their way. ¡°Your opponent is me. Don¡¯t disturb them.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the two girls in front of him and revealed a gentlemanly smile. ¡°Get lost!¡± The muscular woman, Chen Yunjia, let out an angry roar. Her entire body suddenly emitted strong light, and her originally strong body expanded again. [Barbarian Spirit Body] [Effect: After activating the skill, the user will obtain certain attributes from the summoned spirit. The user can control the attributes they want to obtain. The amount of attributes obtained depends on the energy synchronization rate between the summoner and the summoned spirit.] Chen Yunjia, whose eyes were already red, rushed over and threw a punch at Zhou Mingrui with a violent storm. The powerful force transformed into an air current. Before the fist even reached, the air current had already formed a fist pressure that slammed into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. ¡°Not a bad power.¡± This woman had clearly used a skill, and her strength had been raised to a whole new level. Zhou Mingrui did not choose to dodge the attack. Instead, he chose to step forward and receive the punch. He was already very unhappy when he was beaten up by Zhao Guian the last time, and now, he was going to take it out on this muscular woman! Seeing that the other party actually dared to exchange a punch with her, Chen Yunjia laughed wildly without a care for her image as a girl. Then, her fist directly collided with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fist. This time, Zhou Mingrui had learned his lesson. He didn¡¯t rely on brute force to fight. Instead, he exerted his strength to compress the energy in his body as much as possible before storing it in his arms and fists. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui was unable to achieve the level of control that his consciousness form displayed. However, after more than ten days of continuous learning and training, he was able to achieve a certain degree of compression. The moment their fists collided, Zhou Mingrui released the energy that he had compressed in his fist and arm. The moment Chen Yunjia¡¯s fist met his, he knew that he had the advantage in strength. After all, she was a third-year student, so she was stronger in both levels and attributes. She had won this fistfight. However, the next moment, Chen Yunjia¡¯s expression changed. She felt an even stronger force erupting from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fist. ¡°This is¡­ Double drive?¡± As a senior student, Chen Yunjia had naturally learned more advanced force-exerting techniques, and as a senior student, she had naturally used them out of habit. ¡°You think you can defeat me with your double drive? Then wouldn¡¯t my studies these past few years have been in vain?¡± Chen Yunjia laughed and pushed back with an even more powerful force. Two and a half times of energy burst out. [As expected, the senior students are not that simple!] Zhou Mingrui came to a realization. He had long anticipated such a situation. Therefore, he did not hesitate to release another burst of energy. ¡°Triple drive?¡± This time, Chen Yunjia was really surprised. The triple drive was something that only fourth-year students would start learning. Even among the fourth-year students who were about to graduate, not all of them were able to master it. In other words, there were even fewer third-year students who knew the triple drive. They could be counted on one hand. As the two powerful forces collided, they both retreated. However, Zhou Mingrui took two steps back, while Chen Yunjia took four steps back. And this was only with the suppression of his level and attributes, which allowed him to take a few steps back despite the difference of three times and two and a half times. ¡°It¡¯s so cool to fight against the seniors.¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. However, his body was already shrouded by a black shadow. From the corner of his eye, he saw a curved earth wall crashing down on him. ¡°It¡¯s two against one.¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t care about Sun Lili¡¯s interference. He was already prepared for it. His entire body was instantly covered in bone armor. At the same time, he activated Phantom Riot, increasing his attributes by 50%. He turned around and sent a punch toward the earth wall behind him. When the fist came into contact with the earth wall, the hardness that could be compared to steel left Zhou Mingrui somewhat astonished. However, with the addition of the triple drive, the earth wall was immediately shattered. The best way to continue the fight was to capture Sun Lili first. Otherwise, this fellow would cause a lot of trouble during the fight! As her speed increased, Sun Lili also reacted. After all, she was an elite who could enter the Heavenly Saint Academy, not to mention that she was already a third-year student, so she wasn¡¯t as silly as she had been. Her summoned spirit was like a panda. Its cute body shape was similar to a cylinder, and its whole body glowed with yellow light as it cast another skill. A large amount of soil on the ground was extracted, forming walls of soil in front of Zhou Mingrui at an extremely fast speed. These earth walls were extremely dense and had a defense that was even harder than steel. Yet, they were shattered into pieces by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s punches and kicks. Chapter 124 - A Brutal Collision Even though the earth walls were as hard as steel, to Zhou Mingrui, they were only slightly tougher. After all, the earth walls were not that thick. With an unstoppable force, Zhou Mingrui destroyed eight earth walls in succession and arrived in front of Sun Lili. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s speed was still reduced by the earth walls¡¯ obstruction. During this time, Sun Lili and the summoned spirit had already used their next skill. A yellow light flashed in the air, and chunks of earth began to form in the air. A series of spear-like shuttles condensed and finally, under Sun Lili¡¯s command, they whistled through the air and attacked Zhou Mingrui. Upon seeing the earth shuttles, Zhou Mingrui immediately conjured a bone shield in front of him. The earth shuttles slammed into the shield one by one, and the powerful impact sent Zhou Mingrui stumbling backward. At the same time, Chen Yunjia had already used this opportunity to appear behind Zhou Mingrui. She joined forces with her summoned spirit and launched an attack on Zhou Mingrui. Despite the three-pronged attack, Zhou Mingrui remained unflustered. A ghostly light flashed across his body as his eyes lit up with ghost fire. Another shield immediately appeared behind him, blocking Chen Yunjia. At the same time, energy burst out from his body and he attacked Sun Lili with all his might. It was an unquestionable choice to kill the support first in a team battle. ¡°Hmph, let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll come to me first or if Sister Jiajia will beat you to death first!¡± Sun Lili wasn¡¯t afraid at all. The three of them had been inseparable since the start of the freshmen tournament, and they were already familiar with each other¡¯s coordination. Sun Lili had absolute trust in Chen Yunjia¡¯s ability. Her eyes flickered with a yellow light as the summoned spirit beside her charged forward. With every step it took, earth spikes would appear beneath Zhou Mingrui. [Earth Pierce] [After using the skill, sharp spikes will form on the target¡¯s designated ground according to the energy consumption. The speed and hardness will be controlled by the user¡¯s energy output.] Zhou Mingrui frowned. He would be hit if he was not careful since the earth spikes were extremely fast. Helplessly, he could only slow down. However, at this time, the muscular woman, Chen Yunjia, brought her summoned spirit and shattered Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shield as she rushed over. Upon seeing this situation, Zhou Mingrui began to rapidly think of a countermeasure. Using Samsara Territory and Phantom Prison would definitely not work. The school would definitely investigate if such domain skills were used. This was something that he didn¡¯t need to consider. Although their battle was fierce, they controlled the area of influence and didn¡¯t violate the school¡¯s rules. After all, it was not strange for students to spar in school. As long as it did not cause serious damage and impact, the school would not pursue the matter. There was only one way to end the battle quickly. Zhou Mingrui immediately condensed his energy and compressed it at the fastest speed possible. Under such circumstances, it was the best environment to force out his potential. Seeing Zhou Mingrui continue to charge toward her, Sun Lili and her summoned spirit activated a new skill at the same time. [Earth Cage] [After using the skill, a cage will be formed to lock the target. The cage¡¯s sturdiness will increase according to the number of stone pillars in the cage. At the same time, it will form a field that limits energy circulation.] The ground around Zhou Mingrui began to tremble. Following that, stone pillars that were several meters long began to surge out of the ground. Following that, they charged at Zhou Mingrui like a group of soldiers. The speed was even faster than before. When he punched the stone pillar, he found that it was harder than the previous earth shuttles. Soon, the three stone pillars formed a triangle with Zhou Mingrui trapped in the middle. At that instant, he felt an invisible force affecting his energy circulation. Alarmed, Zhou Mingrui immediately activated his speed in an attempt to escape. However, there were even more stone pillars charged at him at high speed in an attempt to seal him off. With no other choice left, Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth and immediately summoned his hell warhorse. The moment the hell warhorse appeared, it immediately burst out phantom flames. It brought Zhou Mingrui along as it slammed into the stone pillar of the earth cage. The originally sturdy stone pillar immediately shifted, and the entire structure showed signs of loosening. ¡°There¡¯s a chance!¡± Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui immediately began communicating with the hell warhorse. Following that, the energy condensed together. [Flame Charge] Zhou Mingrui and the hell warhorse were enveloped in flames at the same time. The immense energy was compressed by Zhou Mingrui as much as possible. Following that, under the combined explosion of immense energy, the man-horse fusion slammed into the earth cage. With a boom, the compressed energy suddenly exploded, and the earth cage, which had not yet been fully formed, collapsed. Zhou Mingrui did not stop his charge after breaking out of the cage. Instead, he charged straight at Sun Lili with unparalleled force. Chen Yunjia and her summoned spirit were unable to catch up to him. They could only watch helplessly as Zhou Mingrui charged toward Sun Lili. ¡°Lili, dodge!¡± Chen Yunjia shouted. However, Sun Lili had no other choice. She knew that Zhou Mingrui had used a special method to lock onto her. As long as she could not outrun Zhou Mingrui, she would have to give up on dodging. Sun Lili wasn¡¯t afraid. Instead, she immediately hugged her summoned spirit. The light from both of them merged into one, emitting intense yellow light. The next moment, a five-meter tall energy body made of energy and rock armor appeared. Zhou Mingrui did not care. Instead, he increased his speed and charged at his opponent. Along the way, the compressed energy kept exploding, increasing his speed. The yellow energy body stood in place. Energy flickered in its hand, and a thick shield immediately took shape. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui, who had already transformed into a black flame, had already charged forward. The Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand slashed out with unparalleled might. The two sides collided, and the powerful force compressed the surrounding air and caused an explosion, forming a strong shock wave that swept in all directions. Even the ground under his feet was directly overturned by this impact, and the surrounding stones and mud were also swept up and shot out, even making a strong sound of breaking the air. The ground was shaking, and the battle between Yan Wuyue and Chang Yao had stopped. They dodged the stones and looked at the center of the impact. After the collision, the shield in Sun Lili¡¯s hand was instantly shattered. The entire energy body was only in a stalemate for two seconds before it was knocked back by Zhou Mingrui. The ground had already become full of potholes under the destruction of the two people, completely losing its original flat appearance. Chapter 125 - Crazy Woman The ground had been reinforced by the academy¡¯s staff, and the fact that it had been destroyed to this extent already meant that the aftermath of the battle had reached a certain level. This was not the end. Zhou Mingrui charged forward once again. As he became one with his horse, he once again burst forth with an extremely powerful phantom flame, which slammed into the energy body. Sun Lili activated her ability to summon her shield once again in an attempt to block Zhou Mingrui¡¯s charge. However, the shield that she had hastily conjured up was easily shattered. With a bang, the huge energy body was sent flying. Energy ripples appeared in the air, and they disintegrated when they fell to the ground. Sun Lili fell out of the disintegrated energy giant and fainted after falling to the ground. She was no longer moving. ¡°Lili!¡± The muscular woman, Chen Yunjia, shouted. However, before Chen Yunjia could say anything, Zhou Mingrui turned around and charged at her. ¡°You bastard!¡± Seeing that Sun Lili had passed out, Chen Yunjia was so furious that all the muscles in her body suddenly emitted a white mist. [Angry-Faced Asura] [After activation, all physical attributes are increased by 100%. Physical and energy defense will greatly increase. The spiritual attribute will decrease by 80%, and spiritual defense will decrease by 50%] Chen Yunjia¡¯s summoned spirit glowed and stuck to her body at an extremely fast speed. Then, her body expanded again. Chen Yunjia, who had already reached three meters in height, had eyes that were as red as an enraged bull¡¯s. After taking a few deep breaths, she charged at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face was expressionless. He drove the Spectral Hell Warhorse under him and charged forward. Bringing along a strong phantom flame and collided fiercely with Chen Yunjia, who was charging at him. But this time, it didn¡¯t burst out with the same power as before, because at the moment of impact, Chen Yunjia¡¯s thick palm directly grabbed the head of the hell warhorse. With a roar, the veins on Chen Yunjia¡¯s arms bulged like earthworms crawling on her skin. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s original unstoppable momentum was gradually being held back. In the end, both parties were in a deadlock. Even Zhou Mingrui was a little surprised. He did not expect Chen Yunjia to be able to block him when he was one with the horse in full force. One had to know that this was no ordinary force of impact. The combined charge of Zhou Mingrui and the hell warhorse was a formidable force he was well aware of. ¡°Bastard, get down here!¡± Chen Yunjia roared. She was completely enraged, and at that moment, she was like a mad bull. She suddenly reached out with one hand to grab Zhou Mingrui, who was on the hell warhorse. How could Zhou Mingrui let her succeed? The Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand was already slashing out with all his might, bringing with it the compressed ghost energy as it slashed toward Chen Yunjia. This caused her hand, which was about to grab Zhou Mingrui, to grab the Nether Flame Bone Blade instead. The moment her hand touched the knife, the collision of energy between the two sides formed a strong fluctuation, but Chen Yunjia did not let go. ¡°Get down here!¡± As she screamed, Chen Yunjia extended her other hand and grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bone armor. Her arm, which was thicker than Zhou Mingrui¡¯s thigh, exerted force. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body, which was originally firmly mounted on the hell warhorse, swayed. However, he managed to stabilize himself and was not pulled off the horse. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t catch him, Chen Yunjia¡¯s hand that was holding onto the Nether Flame Bone Blade exerted more force. She leaped up and threw a punch at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. [This woman is crazy!] Zhou Mingrui began to grumble in his heart. This was the first time he had encountered such a crazy woman. She was completely trying to fight her opponent with the number of injuries inflicted on her. Bang! Even with the protection of the bone mask, the powerful force still passed through the mask to the back. Fortunately, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was semi-energy, so it was not as easy to be injured by the impact as his physical body. This was also something that Chen Yunjia had overlooked. ¡°It¡¯s impolite not to return the favor!¡± Zhou Mingrui simply jumped off his warhorse and abandoned the Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. He also raised his fist and swung it at Chen Yunjia. How could Chen Yunjia be afraid when she saw this? Moreover, this kind of battle was most in line with her mood. The two of them immediately switched to the most primitive, fist-to-fist close combat. One punch after another, the two of them did not choose to defend, but instead went all out in attack mode. The fists of the two sides landed on each other¡¯s bodies. When the fists that carried powerful energy hit each other¡¯s bodies, it was like grenades exploding. The intense explosion and the sound of the energy explosion affected both parties. During this period of time, Zhou Mingrui had the upper hand. First of all, the bone armor on his body could resist a part of the output. Then, his energy-formed body could also reduce a lot of attacks. Moreover, an energy-formed body was more convenient for the output and use of energy. However, Chen Yunjia didn¡¯t care about that. She only had one thought in her mind, and that was to beat Zhou Mingrui to the ground with her fists. Chang Yao and Yan Wuyue had completely stopped fighting. They knew that their victory would not determine the winner of this battle, so they lost their desire to fight. As Yan Wuyue watched the two of them enter the extremely heated state, she had full confidence in Zhou Mingrui. There were other aspects that she trusted and not just the first few things that Zhou Mingrui could win. More importantly, the people from the academy had also been attracted here. At this time, the battle could no longer escalate. The battle between the two became fiercer and fiercer. The place where they were standing had already turned into a pit from the initial two footprints due to the powerful recoil. The bone armor on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was already showing signs of cracking. It was in a state where it could explode at any moment. Most of Chen Yunjia¡¯s clothes were also torn, but her key area was covered by an elastic sports bra. It seemed that she had been prepared for this situation so that she would not be completely exposed. Bang Bang Bang! The sounds of fighting continued to ring out in the field. Even the academy teachers and senior students who had heard the sounds were dumbstruck when they saw this scene. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy who¡¯s fighting with that crazy woman? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him in the academy before.¡± A third-year student watched the fight and couldn¡¯t help but wonder who the person who dared to fight this crazy woman head-on was. ¡°It¡¯s the summoned spirit of Yan Wuyue, the summoner, who got first place in the freshmen tournament.¡± Someone who knew him answered. ¡°How can a summoned spirit of a first-year freshman fight against a veteran third-year student to such an extent?¡± The senior student was immediately in disbelief. ¡°Nothing is impossible. Isn¡¯t it right in front of you now?¡± A teacher at the side said. ¡°Are you kidding me? That crazy woman¡¯s strength is one of the tops in the grade, but now it seems like she¡¯s completely suppressed.¡± A senior student who was familiar with him said. Chapter 126 - Gentlemanliness More and more people began to gather here to watch the battle between Zhou Mingrui and Chen Yunjia. Almost all of them had the same expression. Who was Chen Yunjia? It wasn¡¯t just the third-year students. Other than the freshmen, everyone in the academy knew her. It wasn¡¯t that Chen Yunjia was very strong, but it was because of her unyielding and fight-to-the-death crazy energy. She had already been noticed when she was in her first year, and when she was in her second year she found someone to be an eyesore that even the fourth-year seniors had no choice but to give in. In addition to Sun Lili and Chang Yao, these three female students with special personalities hanging out together made them even more famous. In the field, after several minutes of continuous fist-swinging, even Zhou Mingrui was beginning to show signs of damage. The bone armor on his body had long been shattered. However, Zhou Mingrui did not use his energy to reforge it. This was because the bone armor was not of much use. It was better to use the energy to attack. Due to the frequent use of energy compression, the energy that had never been lacking in the past was showing signs of lacking in supply. On the other hand, Chen Yunjia¡¯s breathing was already in disorder. After all, Chen Yunjia was not Zhou Mingrui. In terms of physical strength and energy, she was definitely incomparable. Moreover, she was almost at her limit. The exhaustion of stamina when one was at their limits was no laughing matter. Zhou Mingrui naturally noticed this. Very quickly, after another two minutes, the ghost fire in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes suddenly exploded. A punch that exceeded his strength landed on Chen Yunjia¡¯s abdomen. For Chen Yunjia, who had been stretched to her limit, the punch was like the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. It directly broke the limit of her physical strength. With one punch, Chen Yunjia was sent flying backward, creating a ditch on the edge of the sunken pit. Zhou Mingrui caught up to her in a flash and landed a punch on Chen Yunjia¡¯s flying body, stopping her in her tracks. When she landed on the ground, a large cloud of dust rose from the impact. At the end of the battle, Chen Yunjia also lost consciousness, and her body returned to its normal size from its original huge form. He didn¡¯t throw the third punch, because the outcome had already been decided. Moreover, there were students and teachers around, so he couldn¡¯t chase after her. Zhou Mingrui looked at Chen Yunjia¡¯s tattered clothes. He frowned slightly and took off his robe, which was a little torn but was still considered complete, and draped it over Chen Yunjia¡¯s body. After all, the previous battle was just a battle, and there was no great enmity between them. There was no need to do anything out of line. Bending down, Zhou Mingrui carried Chen Yunjia in his arms. When the surrounding teachers and students saw this scene, they all raised their hands and applauded. While it was impressive to have powerful combat techniques, it was even rarer to have noble combat virtues. When he arrived in front of Chang Yao, Zhou Mingrui placed Chen Yunjia on top of her. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to ask who sent you, but I can tell you that you¡¯d better throw away this thought in the future, or I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be so gentle next time.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue immediately left, leaving behind Chang Yao, who had an ugly expression on her face, and two unconscious companions. Seeing that Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had left the scene, everyone dispersed. After all, there were people in the academy who started fighting over a disagreement. Under circumstances where there were no major problems, they would quit while they were ahead. After leaving the field that was the center of attention of everyone, they walked back to their dormitory. [What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look too happy.] Yan Wuyue said. [Yeah, I just don¡¯t like the Zhao family.] Zhou Mingrui was direct. [Why? Just because they sent three girls to fight you, you¡¯re so protective of them?] Yan Wuyue said with a smile. [No, if the Zhao family has the ability, they should come to us themselves. Why did they send these people?] Zhou Mingrui snorted. [As expected, you¡¯re really protective of the fairer sex. Then go back. I think you and that muscular woman are quite a good match.] Yan Wuyue covered her mouth and laughed. [Yan Wuyue, you can¡¯t just say that.] Zhou Mingrui glared at Yan Wuyue. [You have to think about it. This is the Heavenly Saint Academy. It¡¯s impossible for the Zhao family to directly send people to attack us. It¡¯s normal to use the students of the academy to attack us.] Yan Wuyue explained. [Of course, I know what you¡¯re saying, so I don¡¯t have the right to do anything to them, and I¡¯m not going overboard.] Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. [Next, help me send a message to the Zhao family. If they dare to use such means again, I don¡¯t mind causing new trouble for the Zhao family in the future.] As Zhou Mingrui spoke, his eyes turned fierce. [I¡¯ll let them know that provoking me is a very unwise choice.] Yan Wuyue smiled and said, [What? You won¡¯t hate them if they don¡¯t cause you trouble?] [Of course not.] Zhou Mingrui scoffed. [I¡¯ll find them sooner or later to settle this score with them.] [By the way, how¡¯s Chang Yao¡¯s strength?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [She¡¯s very strong, but she didn¡¯t use her full strength either, so we didn¡¯t use our trump cards. Instead, we roughly figured out each other¡¯s strengths.] Yan Wuyue answered. [They¡¯re all third-year students. In many ways, their combat methods and combat power far exceed those of the previous freshmen.] Zhou Mingrui said as he stroked his chin. [That¡¯s only natural. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of the academy?] Yan Wuyue continued, [You still have a lot to learn. The basic things taught in the academy are very practical.] [I know. That¡¯s something that can only be obtained with danger.] Zhou Mingrui nodded, indicating that he understood. Before their conversation ended, they arrived at the door of their dormitory. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been surrounded by third-year students?¡± At this moment, Zhao Anqi¡¯s voice was heard. Following that, a beautiful figure pounced into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms, along with her fragrant scent that made one¡¯s blood boil. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhou Mingrui straightened Zhao Anqi¡¯s body and pushed her twenty centimeters away. ¡°It seems like you two didn¡¯t suffer any losses. You two have probably won, right? Who¡¯s your opponent?¡± Zhao Anqi asked again. ¡°Chang Yao and the other two.¡± Yan Wuyue replied. ¡°Chang Yao, from that famous third-year trio? One of them is a brawny girl as strong as a bull, and the other is a short little girl?¡± Zhao Anqi asked immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s them.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°Why, do you know them?¡± Zhao Anqi immediately shook her head. ¡°I am a freshman like you. How could I possibly know those three fellows? It¡¯s just that they are too famous in the academy.¡± ¡°They¡¯re basically inseparable. If anyone dares to speak ill of them behind their back, they¡¯ll chase after them and beat them up until they apologize.¡± ¡°I almost ran into them back then. Fortunately, I saw that those three fellows weren¡¯t normal, so I held back.¡± Chapter 127 - Killing Four Birds With One Stone ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m really glad. If my temper was a little worse back then, I don¡¯t know how much I would¡¯ve been tortured by them.¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she walked over and hugged Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm. ¡°If you did, there wouldn¡¯t be this trouble now.¡± Yan Wuyue, who was watching this scene, said unhappily. ¡°Yan Wuyue, what do you mean? Do you mean I should have borne the brunt for you?¡± Zhao Anqi retorted. ¡°Seeing how much you like Zhou Mingrui, isn¡¯t it only right for you to do this?¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. Hearing this, Zhao Anqi calmed down and said, ¡°Why, Yan Wuyue? Are you jealous of me because you didn¡¯t perform well this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Zhou Mingrui felt that something was amiss and hurriedly tried to smooth things over. At the same time, the three of them entered the room and sat down on the sofa. ¡°How¡¯s your father this time?¡± Zhou Mingrui quickly changed the topic. ¡°My dad has been dealing with the company¡¯s affairs recently. I heard from him that the Zhao family has been preparing to form an alliance with a lot of capital to launch a capital attack on my family property. My dad has been very busy every day.¡± Zhao Anqi explained. ¡°The Zhao family is indeed vengeful. Even if Chang Yao doesn¡¯t admit it, we can be sure that the Zhao family sent her.¡± Zhou Mingrui analyzed. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask, who has the final say over at the Zhao family¡¯s main family?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly asked. ¡°If I remember correctly, it should be Zhao Derong. He¡¯s currently the most senior person in the Zhao family.¡± Zhao Anqi was curious, but she still replied. ¡°Zhao Derong huh¡­¡± Yan Wuyue muttered to herself, and then asked, ¡°Is your father called Zhao Desheng?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Anqi was even more confused. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted to confirm the name.¡± Yan Wuyue indicated that there was nothing special. ¡°Mysterious and strange.¡± Zhao Anqi knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything out of Yan Wuyue if she didn¡¯t say anything, so she simply stopped asking. ¡°Why have you come to find us this time?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°I can¡¯t come to you for no reason?¡± Zhao Anqi leaned over to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s not it. I just felt that you had something to do.¡± Zhou Mingrui coughed twice and said. ¡°There¡¯s a new auction house in the city. They invited my dad and said that there would be a lot of good things in the auction this time, but my dad had to deal with the Zhao family¡¯s affairs, so he didn¡¯t have time to go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he gave me the invitation and told me to go whenever I want,¡± Zhao Anqi continued. ¡°Now that you¡¯re in such a state with the Zhao family, isn¡¯t your father worried about your safety?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. ¡°Tsk, first of all, we¡¯re in the city. Also, the power behind that auction house isn¡¯t any weaker than the Zhao family. They wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble in the auction house.¡± Zhao Anqi replied nonchalantly, ¡°Plus if the Zhao family really targeted a little girl like me, it would be a huge embarrassment to the family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare that you¡¯re smart for the first time,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a nod. Zhao Anqi heard this and immediately said angrily, ¡°Yan Wuyue, what do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Yan Wuyue said as she stood up. It would be strange if Yan Wuyue was nice to Zhao Anqi when she came to other people¡¯s houses to tease their summoned spirits. Zhao Anqi seemed to know the reason why Yan Wuyue was so sarcastic. She took two deep breaths and sat down again. ¡°I wanted to bring you guys along. How can you guys have such an attitude?¡± ¡°Did I beg you to come?¡± Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhao Anqi as she poured the water. ¡°You!¡± Zhao Anqi stood up in anger. ¡°Hey, Xiao Yue, you can¡¯t say that.¡± Zhou Mingrui also felt that Yan Wuyue had gone a little too far. ¡°I guess someone is afraid that she will be attacked by the Zhao family if she goes alone, so she wants us to go with her, right?¡± Yan Wuyue filled the water bottle and sat back on the sofa. ¡°¡­.¡± Zhao Anqi tried to deny it, but when she saw Yan Wuyue¡¯s ¡°I¡¯ve already seen through you, stop hiding it¡± look, she immediately gave in. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s indeed the case.¡± Zhao Anqi had no choice but to admit it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°There might be some guys who are too low in IQ because of their pampered life in the Zhao family, and they can¡¯t see the situation clearly and act rashly.¡± Yan Wuyue began to make milk coffee as she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhou Mingrui agreed. After all, all kinds of birds could be found in a big forest. ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhao Anqi pouted in anger. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Zhao family have two powerful bodyguards? No matter how intense the fight is, you don¡¯t lack these two people.¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed, puzzled. ¡°Of course there is. No matter what, her father is still able to hire two bodyguards. It¡¯s just that someone has a deeper plan.¡± Yan Wuyue took a sip of the coffee and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°What plan? Why didn¡¯t I think of it?¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched the back of his head. He didn¡¯t think that he was so stupid that he couldn¡¯t tell. Why were the women here so scheming? ¡°Yan Wuyue!¡± Zhao Anqi growled, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°She just wants to get someone to go shopping with her. Not only can that person be her bodyguard, but she can also take up that person¡¯s time. This is a plan that kills three birds with one stone.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was no fool. He naturally understood what she meant. ¡°So what if it is? I haven¡¯t even said it yet. If it¡¯s suitable for you to increase your strength, I¡¯ll buy it for you even if it costs me my own money.¡± Zhao Anqi realized that she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, so she hugged Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and said this. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t get angry at this scene. Instead, she took a sip of coffee and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t your own idea. Your father wants you to repay us for helping your family.¡± Zhao Anqi took a deep breath, opened her mouth, then closed it again. ¡°Don¡¯t take others for fools. Since your father has made arrangements, he¡¯s definitely not afraid of us finding out. If you act on your own, it¡¯ll seem like you¡¯re too deliberate.¡± Yan Wuyue added some pollen to the coffee and sniffed it. ¡°So what if I am? Just tell me if you¡¯re going or not!¡± Zhao Anqi snorted, but there was a different look in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re provoking me like this just to make me angry so that you can drive a wedge between us, and at the same time, stop me from being the third wheel, right?¡± Yan Wuyue put down her teacup and smiled gracefully. ¡°It¡¯s really killing four birds with one stone.¡± This time, Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t say anything. Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind was as meticulous as her father¡¯s. She was a fox. Chapter 128 - : The History of the Zhao Family ¡°So, so what?¡± Zhao Anqi panicked for a few seconds. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just helping you to say it. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhao Anqi with a smile. Then, she turned to look at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°Go with her.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Mingrui was immediately confused. He was already scared when he heard it just now. These two women were weird animals. They could make something so complicated. They were not human at all. ¡°Isn¡¯t she going to the auction? You should go with her.¡± Yan Wuyue answered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked again. ¡°Why should I bother you?¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui felt very awkward. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. You can go with her this time. I¡¯ll be in the way if I go.¡± Yan Wuyue continued. ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. He had a nagging feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. ¡°I have something important to do, but I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Yan Wuyue answered. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded and did not say anything else. Yan Wuyue always had a plan and a sense of propriety, so she wouldn¡¯t say or do anything stupid. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to ask. Zhao Anqi looked at Yan Wuyue suspiciously. She felt that something was not right. ¡°Alright, then I hope that you¡¯ll have a good harvest before I arrive.¡± Yan Wuyue picked up her cup and said with a smile. ¡°Okay, thank you. I¡¯ll text you the exact time, as long as you¡¯re not late.¡± Zhao Anqi stood up and said, ¡°I just remembered that I have something to do. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± She didn¡¯t know why, but she always felt uncomfortable in front of Yan Wuyue, as if she was sitting on pins and needles. ¡°Have a safe trip. I won¡¯t see you out.¡± Yan Wuyue waved her hand. At the door, Zhao Anqi stole a glance at Yan Wuyue. When she realized that she wasn¡¯t looking at her, she reached out and touched Zhou Mingrui¡¯s abdominal muscles. ¡°Remember to miss me, okay?¡± After a flirtatious look, Zhao Anqi closed the door. After they left, Zhou Mingrui returned to the sofa. ¡°What, you didn¡¯t kiss her?¡± Yan Wuyue joked. ¡°You, don¡¯t give the little girl so much pressure.¡± Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I not a girl?¡± Yan Wuyue said pitifully. ¡°Stop, stop, stop. You¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re a little girl.¡± Zhou Mingrui was rendered speechless. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. That child is too scheming. Sometimes, we have to suppress her. Otherwise, she might be thinking of something behind our backs.¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s indeed a little too scheming, but it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently after drinking a glass of water. [If I say that she might be the future successor of the Zhao family, would you believe me?] Yan Wuyue suddenly sent a message. [Her father only has one daughter, and if she became the successor of the Zhao family, isn¡¯t this¡­ Wait a minute, you can¡¯t be talking about the Zhao family¡¯s main family, right?] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression was normal in the beginning, but it turned odd later on. [That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t notice it at first, but I only remembered it after I got involved in her family¡¯s affairs.] Yan Wuyue continued slowly, [The Zhao family¡¯s older generation all regarded virtue as their seniority. In my previous life, the Zhao family¡¯s clan leader during the great calamity was called Zhao Desheng.] [At first, I didn¡¯t know Zhao Anqi¡¯s father¡¯s name. I only found out after I heard his name.] Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. [But you didn¡¯t react when you heard Zhao Anqi¡¯s name. That means she hadn¡¯t inherited the Zhao family at that time, right?] Yan Wuyue nodded and said, [That¡¯s right. Even when I die, Zhao Desheng was still the master of the Zhao family.] Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and said, [I didn¡¯t expect that the Zhao family¡¯s main family would lose to Zhao Desheng. This is really¡­] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes moved slightly. [It¡¯s not a strange thing. First of all, her father¡¯s ability is not bad. It can even be said that he is much stronger than those guys from the Zhao family.] [In my previous life, the Zhao family did use some means to swallow up most of Zhao Desheng¡¯s business, but he refused to join the Zhao family and used his own ability to expand his business again.] [What followed was the arrival of the great calamity. Because the Zhao family was not prepared for the great calamity and did not respond well, the family¡¯s strength was severely damaged. Many members of the Zhao family died and were seriously injured.] [Zhao Desheng, on the other hand, relied on his strong ability to adapt, plan, and execution to take this opportunity to directly swallow up the Zhao family.] [Furthermore, with his strong insight and execution during the great calamity, he quickly restored the Zhao family to its former strength and even grew to become one of our important battle helpers.] After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui was a little surprised. [I didn¡¯t expect her father to be so capable. This is going to be a legendary story.] Yan Wuyue, however, frowned slightly. [The only strange thing is that I didn¡¯t know he had a daughter. At that time, he was a supporter of the same grade, so I didn¡¯t know much about it.] [Could it be that she died during the great calamity?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. [It¡¯s possible because Zhao Desheng never had any descendants. Also, when I saw him, his expression was always very cold, as if he had completely sealed off all other thoughts.] Yan Wuyue recalled. [Then that might be it.] Zhou Mingrui said. Yan Wuyue remained silent. After a while, she said, [In short, do your best to protect her. After all, the Zhao family now has our help in advance. They should be able to take down the main family very soon in this life. At that time, they will have more strength to face the arrival of a great calamity.] After Zhou Mingrui heard that, his eyes flickered slightly. [So this is why you chose to help the Zhao family last time?] Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui and said, [Previously, I helped her purely because we were fated to be teammates during the freshmen competition and also because of the promise you made to her. After all, she has already come to us to ask for help, so we must help her if we can.] Zhou Mingrui nodded before asking, [What are you planning to do for the next two days?] Yan Wuyue said after some thought, [This is when a treasure appears.] [Treasure?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. [Yes. In my previous life, when this item first appeared, many people didn¡¯t know what it was. It was only after some research that they realized how valuable it was.] Yan Wuyue said. [Then wouldn¡¯t it be easy to get it?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [Yeah, although it¡¯s in the wilderness, no one usually goes there, let alone high-level summoners.] Yan Wuyue analyzed. [But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it for you to do this. I feel like you have a deeper plan.] Zhou Mingrui said as he stared at Yan Wuyue. Chapter 129 - Yan Wuyues Fierceness Just like that, Zhou Mingrui kept staring at Yan Wuyue, and the latter also looked straight at him. Neither of them had the intention of shifting their gazes. The entire living room quieted down, so much so that even a pin drop could be heard. After a long time, Yan Wuyue suddenly smiled. [Alright, I didn¡¯t want to hide it from you, but I¡¯m not sure if this idea is correct.] Yan Wuyue said slowly. [What idea?] Zhou Mingrui asked sternly. [I want to see if there are any other reincarnated people besides me.] At this point, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes became strange. [What?] Zhou Mingrui was shocked. How could there be such a move? [That¡¯s right. You¡¯re surprised, right? But I¡¯m not surprised.] Yan Wuyue said lightly. [Why do you think so?] Zhou Mingrui continued asking. [How should I put it? From the moment I was reborn, I suspected that there might be other reincarnated people because this concerns my personal interests.] Yan Wuyue said. Zhou Mingrui frowned and said, [Indeed.] Yan Wuyue said seriously, [Because all the reincarnated people will know all the key information, which is the key to changing their original development trajectory.] [If there¡¯s really someone who¡¯s been reincarnated like me, then many things have to be re-planned.] Zhou Mingrui suddenly said, [For example, the butterfly effect?] There was such a term in this world. Yan Wuyue nodded and said, [That¡¯s right. One reincarnated person might be fine, but for two or more reincarnated people, the more things they do, the stronger the butterfly effect will be, leading to the final situation becoming an unchangeable situation.] Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes and said, [So, your goal is to use this opportunity to see if there are any reincarnated people. What if there are?] Yan Wuyue said with a serious expression, [If there are really reincarnated people like me, we can either sit down and talk it out or if we can¡¯t cooperate, I¡¯ll eliminate them myself!] Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath and said, [Do you really have to be so decisive?] For the first time, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent when she was not fighting. [I will not allow anyone to ruin the future.] [It wasn¡¯t easy for me to be reborn and given a chance to save mankind again. How can I let those people ruin it!] Zhou Mingrui sighed. [Perhaps they have the same thoughts?] Yan Wuyue withdrew her killing intent and said, [That¡¯s why I said we should talk to them first. If their ideas match, we can naturally work together. There¡¯s no difference in saving mankind.] [I¡¯m just afraid that some people only care about becoming stronger themselves, and destroying all the future paths of mankind. I will kill such people if they appear!] Zhou Mingrui smacked his lips. This kind of person was truly ruthless among those who were reincarnated. In the novels he had read before transmigrating, those transmigrators would wantonly find opportunities to improve their strength, completely ignoring their own actions and the problems around them. Zhou Mingrui said with a sigh, [So that¡¯s how it is. I understand now.] Yan Wuyue sat down and said, [Actually if I¡¯m crazy enough, I know a lot of treasures and ways to improve my strength. But if I get them all, I¡¯m wasting the resources that can help the whole human race progress.] [Perhaps you don¡¯t quite understand what I¡¯m saying. To put it simply, I¡¯ll go and get those things, but I won¡¯t rely on them too much.] [That¡¯s because it¡¯ll only be a waste of resources. It looks like I¡¯m improving rapidly, but it¡¯s also indirectly weakening the progress of the entire human race.] [My experience before I was reborn made me understand that unless there is someone who has reached a certain level of strength and can completely protect all mankind, it is best for all mankind to fight together.] Zhou Mingrui was at a loss for words. Yan Wuyue was not entirely correct, but she was also not wrong. The conclusion was that, from Yan Wuyue¡¯s point of view, what she did was completely right. But from another point of view, it was not so right. [Are you thinking that if I don¡¯t do it for humanity, but for myself, that would be the right thing to do?] Yan Wuyue suddenly asked. [No, my point of view is that the good or bad of things depends on the results. If we pay too much attention to the process, it will be a waste of energy and time if the results are wrong. So, I think it¡¯s good as long as we can achieve the goal.] Zhou Mingrui expressed his opinion. [Very good. In that case, I won¡¯t waste any more time explaining it to you. After all, you are my summoned spirit. If we don¡¯t have the same thinking, we won¡¯t be able to move towards our goal.] Yan Wuyue said with satisfaction. Perhaps the two of them actually had different processes and ideas, but as long as the results were the same and they didn¡¯t interfere with each other, it was good. After all, no two people had the same thoughts. ¡°If you run into any trouble, let me know at once. I¡¯ll rush over as fast as I can.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not the kind of person who likes to put on a brave front.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. The two of them looked at each other again. The difference was that this time, the two of them smiled. ¡­ It was another three days of hard work. During these three days, Yan Wuyue would go out every day, with Zhou Mingrui following closely behind. However, every time they went, they would return with nothing. It was evident that it wasn¡¯t the time yet. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, the auction will start at two in the afternoon. Remember to come to my house in advance. We¡¯ll set off together.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± After hanging up, Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue. ¡°Go ahead. You can take a picture of the auctioned items for me. I usually won¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Alright, be careful on the road.¡± Zhou Mingrui instructed. The two of them quickly split up. Zhou Mingrui went straight to Zhao Anqi¡¯s house. ¡°Hello, Uncle Zhao.¡± In the living room, Zhou Mingrui spoke when he saw Zhao Desheng waiting. Zhao Desheng nodded slightly and said without any airs, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you with Anqi¡¯s safety then. She doesn¡¯t have a good temper, so please bear with her.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Amidst the laughter, Zhao Anqi and Zhou Mingrui got into their car and left. ¡°Boss, is it really okay to rely on that summoned spirit for the safety of the young miss? Should I get a few of my brothers to follow behind?¡± After Zhao Anqi and Zhou Mingrui left, one of his subordinates asked worriedly. Zhao Desheng said indifferently, ¡°If they really dare to make a move, it¡¯ll give me a reason to make a move. Having Zhou Mingrui is enough.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The subordinate was still worried. ¡°Go and do your thing. I have other plans for Anqi¡¯s safety. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Zhao Desheng said in a deep voice. ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± The subordinate did not say anything more and turned to leave. In the living room, only Zhao Desheng was left pondering, but from time to time, the ruthlessness in his eyes would make people shiver. ¡°Zhao Derong, you¡¯d better not use any underhanded tactics, or I¡¯ll let you know how to spell the word ¡®pain¡¯.¡± Chapter 130 - Romantic Scene in the Car ¡°Don¡¯t you think my father is acting a little strange?¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly asked while the car was driving. Zhou Mingrui was taken aback before he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡± Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t seem to mind. She leaned on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°My father used me as bait.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. After some thought, he understood what Zhao Anqi was trying to say. ¡°But I¡¯m not angry.¡± Without waiting for Zhou Mingrui to respond, Zhao Anqi continued, ¡°I know my father¡¯s current situation, and I hope to be able to help him. Even if he uses me as bait, I can understand his difficulties.¡± Zhou Mingrui blinked his eyes, at a loss for words. ¡°I know, you¡¯re trying to say that I¡¯m stupid and na?ve,¡± Zhao Anqi continued. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to speak, Zhao Anqi continued, ¡°I know, but I have to do this. When I was young, my mother died due to complications while giving birth to me. It was my father who raised me alone. He also had to start a business, and sometimes he didn¡¯t even sleep for days.¡± After hearing Zhao Anqi¡¯s recount, Zhou Mingrui was left speechless. Since she was asking him, she should give him a chance to speak! ¡°You can understand my dad, right?¡± Finally, Zhao Anqi looked at Zhou Mingrui and asked. ¡°I can understand.¡± This time, Zhou Mingrui quickly said. ¡°Thank you for being willing to listen to me.¡± Zhao Anqi closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s firm shoulders and reliability. Zhou Mingrui had no intention of trying to break free from Zhao Anqi¡¯s grasp as he felt the softness on his arm. He had to admit that Zhao Anqi¡¯s figure was really hot. She wasn¡¯t even sixteen years old yet. If she was a few years older, wouldn¡¯t she really be fully ripe? Zhou Mingrui could not help but secretly extend his palm and touch her soft waist. That astonishing softness and slight elasticity, in addition to Zhao Anqi¡¯s faint fragrance, made Zhou Mingrui lose himself in her. Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t resist. Instead, she blushed and moved even closer. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hands became bolder and bolder. He even began to touch the pair of perfectly round balls. ¡°Mmm!¡± Zhao Anqi nodded as her face turned even redder, and it was as alluring as a ripe apple. He touched the round thing that even a hand couldn¡¯t grasp. That amazing touch, that slight heartbeat, that indescribable feeling. Even in the previous battles, Zhou Mingrui had never experienced his heart racing or nervousness. Yet, it had appeared at this moment. Zhao Anqi lifted her head at this moment and saw that Zhou Mingrui was also moved. After adjusting her posture, she immediately kissed him. How could Zhou Mingrui withstand the test? He immediately responded to the other party, and the two of them quickly engaged in a kiss. This car had been modified, and the back of the car was completely closed. The driver in front could not see the back of the car, and could only communicate through the internal walkie-talkie. The two of them hugged each other. Zhao Anqi was probably under a lot of pressure from recent events, so she began to actively seduce Zhou Mingrui. Perhaps it was because they were in an enclosed environment, or perhaps it was because Zhao Anqi¡¯s seduction was too strong, but Zhou Mingrui¡¯s rationality completely collapsed. The two of them were entangled and began to embrace each other. Zhao Anqi¡¯s body was like a snake as it coiled around Zhou Mingrui, instigating the most primal desires in his body and heart. Zhou Mingrui was quick to act. With Zhao Anqi¡¯s cooperation, he quickly stripped the woman naked. He touched her silk-like skin, kissed her smooth lips, and his snake-like tongue slithered around her back, teasing her slender fingers. It made Zhou Mingrui erupt like a volcano. Soon, he also took off his clothes. Panting heavily, Zhao Anqi felt the heat on her face. She couldn¡¯t help but feel her body heating up and a certain part of her body was starting to overflow. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to drive straight in, the car¡¯s walkie-talkie suddenly rang. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll be there in five minutes.¡± This sound jolted the two of them to their senses. Zhou Mingrui immediately regained his sanity as his body immediately turned into energy. He immediately suppressed most of his intense desire. His strong body was immediately covered by tight-fitting bone armor, and the important parts below were also immediately covered. As for Zhao Anqi, she was lying on the soft sofa in the car. Her face was flushed red as she glared at Zhou Mingrui with a resentful expression. Zhou Mingrui naturally felt the burning gaze that seemed to burn through him. However, he did not dare to look at it, nor could he. After that, he first heard the sound of tissue being pulled out, then there was a slight rustling sound, and then the sound of clothes being put on. Even though Zhou Mingrui did not witness it with his own eyes, the countless scenes that he had seen before automatically appeared in his mind. It made his body, which had been mostly calm, burn up once again. After all, it was still an energy body, and his desire was quickly suppressed. ¡°Alright, I allowed you to make a move, but you didn¡¯t. Now, I won¡¯t let you have your way again.¡± Zhao Anqi put on her clothes again and said angrily. After all, who wouldn¡¯t be angry if they were at their peak and ended up falling down halfway? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was too impulsive just now.¡± Zhou Mingrui took the initiative to apologize. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s my problem.¡± Zhao Anqi immediately replied, but her voice sounded unhappy. ¡°Well, this is for you.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. Zhao Anqi was taken aback. She turned around and saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand reaching out. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± Zhao Anqi asked with anticipation. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled as he opened his palm. There was a small box inside. Zhao Anqi grabbed the box and opened it. Inside, there was a coin made of special material. She curiously took out the coin and found that it was cold to the touch, like jade, but there was a certain pattern carved on it. Zhao Anqi squinted her eyes and tried to identify it, but the picture on it was still a little blurry, so she had no choice but to bring it closer to her. Soon, she was a little surprised. Because the content carved on it was actually her portrait, and it was so lifelike that not a single detail was left out. ¡°This¡­ This was made by you?¡± Zhao Anqi looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Mmm, I thought that I had never given you anything before, so I made this little thing for you.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I don¡¯t have much money myself. I can only make this for you.¡± ¡°No, this is enough.¡± Zhao Anqi, on the other hand, was filled with smiles. There was a sense of happiness in her smile. Then, he saw her carefully put the Jade coin into the box and put it on her body. ¡°In my opinion, it is the most precious.¡± Chapter 131 - The Auction Begins At that moment, Zhao Anqi felt a sense of satisfaction that she had never felt before. A bright smile blossomed on her face, and all the unhappiness and anger she felt disappeared. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve arrived at the auction house.¡± At that moment, the driver¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie. Cough cough. After clearing her throat, Zhao Anqi tidied up her clothes and looked at Zhou Mingrui. Both of them nodded and got out of the car. Looking at the antique-looking wooden door in front of him, it looked like an ancient academy. The plaque hanging on the door even had the words ¡°Treasure Gathering Pavilion¡± written in gold on a black background. The whole place had a strong smell of books. The two black doors with gold nails were wide open to welcome guests. Several guards in green were registering and checking the invitation letters of the guests. ¡°Those who don¡¯t know better would think that we¡¯ve returned to ancient times. The decoration style is quite unique.¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed in admiration. ¡°This is the interest of the boss behind this auction house. Every auction house under him has its own unique characteristics. This one represents ¡®scholarly¡¯, and he also has¡¯ glorious¡¯, ¡®rich¡¯, and so on.¡± Zhao Anqi explained as she walked. After the guards checked the invitation, the two of them were allowed to enter the auction house. Walking along the wooden path, with the flowers and plants planted along the way, as well as the rockery, flowing water, and man-made lakes not far away, one could see the pavilions standing in the distance. This artistic concept immediately made those who entered feel relaxed and happy. All the disturbances brought in by the outside world disappeared. As the passage moved forward, the group soon came to the entrance of a building that looked like a palace. After entering, there were ancient and simple chairs neatly placed, and a three-meter-long mahogany table was placed in the center of the spacious hall. After they sat down, melodious music soon sounded. It was obvious that the music was played by real people. In the soothing music, a middle-aged man in a black robe and a crown walked in. After bowing, he began his introduction. ¡°Thank you for your support¡­¡± After the speech, the auction quickly entered the main topic. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui also began to take photos and send them to Yan Wuyue to confirm the situation. After all, he was not sure if these things would be useful. ¡°They all look useful, but they¡¯re actually useless.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s normal. After all, it¡¯s not the time of the great calamity. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t understand the logic behind prosperous antiques.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°Zhao Anqi said that the last few items in the auction will be the finale, and she told us not to worry.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°I know that. I just feel uncomfortable seeing these people playing with their collectibles.¡± Yan Wuyue complained unhappily. Soon, more than ten items were sold, all of which were high-value collectibles or works of art. ¡°Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that many of you are not here to see these works of art. So, let¡¯s move on to the real event.¡± After the host finished speaking, a woman in an ancient gown pushed a wooden cart in. After reaching the long table, she placed the items in the cart on the table. ¡°The first official auction item was obtained by an adventure team from a special secret realm outside the eastern city.¡± As he spoke, the host removed the red cloth covering the auction item, revealing the appearance of the auction item. It was a stone that looked like it had been drenched in asphalt, and the pockmarked stone was covered in an extremely unsightly and solidified black liquid. ¡°According to the experts, this is a level 7 monster¡¯s internal organ. Even though it¡¯s been here for a long time, it still has some special power.¡± As soon as he said this, everyone in the seats below was stunned. This was clearly a piece of broken stone. ¡°Everyone may think that this is just a broken stone, but I¡¯m sure everyone knows the name of our Treasure Gathering Pavilion. It¡¯s impossible for us to sell such useless things, and we¡¯ve never deceived our customers.¡± ¡°As long as you win the bid, if the results are different from what was auctioned, we will compensate you ten times the cost and apologize to the entire society.¡± As soon as these words came out, everyone quieted down. After all, everyone knew that the boss behind Treasure Gathering Pavilion was powerful and would not do something that would ruin his own reputation. ¡°As for its use, the appraiser said that as long as you have the power to break through the outer layer, you will be able to obtain the huge amount of energy contained within the level 7 monster, and it¡¯s the refined type of energy.¡± Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes slightly, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°This is a good thing, but I can¡¯t break through that layer of defense now. I¡¯ll need to be at least level 50 to have the ability.¡± After all, this was the core of a level 7 monster. If the energy contained within could be absorbed, it would be an extremely powerful upgrade. ¡°The starting price for the level 7 monster core is 1.3 million. Please make your bids.¡± As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the people present fell silent. No one made a bid. ¡°Although this item is useful to us, it¡¯s of little value. When we have the ability to break through its defense, it will no longer be important.¡± Zhao Anqi also sighed. ¡°Isn¡¯t your father able to get someone to take action?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. With Zhao Desheng¡¯s strength, he was completely capable of doing this. Zhao Anqi shook her head. ¡°The energy attribute inside is not suitable for me or my summoned spirit. It¡¯s useless even if I bid for it. Furthermore, the price of hiring a level 7 powerhouse is too high. The energy is not worth the price. There are other treasures of the same value that are much better.¡± With that, Zhao Anqi looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°If you want it, then bid for it. I¡¯ll ask my dad to arrange for someone to break the defense.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned and pondered for a moment before he raised his hand. ¡°Second bid. Alright, this gentleman bids the third time!¡± ¡°Number 8 bids once.¡± ¡°Number 8, calling for the second time. Is there anyone else?¡± After waiting for two more seconds, the auctioneer found that no one was bidding, so he could only drop the hammer and say, ¡°Number 8 bids for the third time. Sold!¡± ¡°Congratulations to the man in the 8th seat for successfully winning the level 7 monster core!¡± Soon, the second item was on the shelf. However, after Yan Wuyue confirmed that it was useless to them, she began to talk to Zhou Mingrui about what had just happened. ¡°I have a way to absorb the energy from the inside without breaking the outside.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words were concise. ¡°I knew it. You must have your reasons for making a move.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. Chapter 132 - The Myriad Soul Flower Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop Zhou Mingrui from bidding because she believed that Zhou Mingrui wouldn¡¯t make a rash move. He must have his reasons for doing so. Although the second item was valuable, it was useless to Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. When the silk cloth was removed for the third item, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes lit up. It was a huge skull about four meters long, looking extremely ferocious. Even though it had turned into bones, it still had a shocking aura. ¡°The third item is also a skull from a level 7 monster. Perhaps everyone is curious as to why a skull would be up for auction, so listen to me.¡± The auctioneer smiled as he introduced, ¡°The bones of a level 7 monster aren¡¯t worth much, but what if they contain the spiritual will of a level 7 monster?¡± This sentence immediately caused a stir among the people below the stage. The level 7 monster¡¯s bone was secondary, even though its value was not bad, after all, it was hard to maintain such a complete skull. If it contained spiritual will, the value would instantly be different. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know how precious a level 7 monster¡¯s spiritual will is. Even though it¡¯s not complete, it¡¯s because it¡¯s incomplete that it has a higher value to all of you.¡± The host continued to smile. ¡°The Treasure Gathering Pavilion has already gotten a professional appraiser to examine it. The consciousness form within it can be absorbed even by a level 3 summoner or summoned spirit.¡± The expressions of the people sitting down changed slightly. The improvement of one¡¯s spiritual will could bring many benefits, whether it was the improvement of one¡¯s own energy control, the improvement of the synchronization rate with the summoned spirit, or even the improvement of one¡¯s level. To improve one¡¯s spiritual will, one had to either temper it in battle or through external stimulation. This method of absorbing other consciousness forms to supplement it was also one of the best methods without any side effects. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. The starting price is 4 million, and each bid must be no less than three hundred thousand!¡± ¡°4.7 million!¡± ¡°5 million!¡± ¡°5.3 million!¡± ¡°5.7 million!¡± The auction immediately began to bid fiercely. It was obvious that everyone present was very interested in this skull. ¡°I only have 7 million now. You just used more than 1 million.¡± Yan Wuyue knew that this thing would be very useful to Zhou Mingrui. Unlike the others, Zhou Mingrui was more interested in the skull. With his undead summoning skill, even if it was not at level 7, he could at least summon a level 6 undead envoy. The consciousness form left in it could help him summon the undead envoy more easily. ¡°Only 7 million¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui could only sigh in regret when he saw that the bidding price had already reached 6.5 million. ¡°8 million!¡± Zhao Anqi suddenly raised her hand. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Mingrui turned his head to look. ¡°I know you really want this thing. Actually, I didn¡¯t come here today to bid for anything. As long as you like it, I¡¯ll bid for it for you.¡± Zhao Anqi stuck out her tongue and said. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good.¡± Zhou Mingrui said, a little embarrassed. ¡°Alright, this should be her father¡¯s orders. The purpose should be to thank us for helping their family last time, right?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice suddenly came out of the microphone, which stunned Zhao Anqi. She then snorted unhappily. It was because Yan Wuyue was right. It was Zhao Desheng who had told her to do so. As long as there was something that Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue liked at the auction house, and as long as it was not an outrageously high price, they would be able to buy it. She had wanted to take this opportunity to please, but Yan Wuyue¡¯s words had revealed the situation. The price had already reached 8.3 million after the competition. ¡°8.5 million!¡± Zhao Anqi was angry, but she still made a bid. At this time, the people in the place all quieted down. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t have money, but the value of the item was almost at the maximum. No one knew how many more consciousness forms there were in this thing. It would be a loss if it was only a little for the price of 8 million. ¡°8 million going twice, 8 million going thrice, sold! ¡°Congratulations to the lady in the ninth seat for successfully winning auction item number 13.¡± As the host¡¯s voice fell, the skull was announced to be given to Zhao Anqi. ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhou Mingrui said. Although it was Zhao Desheng¡¯s order, he still had to thank Zhao Anqi. A smile finally appeared on Zhao Anqi¡¯s face when she heard Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words. It was as though a single word from Zhou Mingrui would make her happy. The next three auction items were of no use to them, so the two of them didn¡¯t bid. ¡°The next item can be said to be one of the highlights of this auction. It¡¯s a Myriad Soul Flower from the core area of Zone C. When the gauze was removed, a plant placed in a transparent glass cover was presented to everyone. Upon seeing the plant, even Zhou Mingrui, who had seen all sorts of wondrous things, was taken aback. This plant was called the Myriad Soul Flower, but it looked like a sunflower. However, in the center of the flower, there were sesame-sized human faces. Each face had its mouth wide open as if they were wailing silently. The petals around the flower were also swaying without any wind, emitting a faint black mist. All of this made the people present feel creeped out. The host said, ¡°There should be some people here who know the details of the Myriad Soul Flower. However, some people don¡¯t. I¡¯ll give you a simple explanation.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t explain the origin of the Myriad Soul Flower. It has many functions, but one of them is that it can greatly enhance the summoner and the summoned spirit¡¯s resistance to illusions, charm, slavery, and other mental types. At the same time, it has a strong mental tempering effect.¡± ¡°Of course, consuming the Myriad Soul Flower will cause you to suffer the side effects of the countless vengeful spirits within. It is best not to use it without a spiritual defense of level 5 or above. Zhou Mingrui was a little confused. Yan Wuyue seemed to know that as well, so she took the initiative to say, ¡°This thing seems very useful, but it actually has a huge hidden danger.¡± ¡°A huge hidden danger?¡± When Zhou Mingrui heard this, he immediately asked in confusion, ¡°The Treasure Gathering Pavilion didn¡¯t say there was such a hidden danger.¡± ¡°The reason why the Treasure Gathering Pavilion didn¡¯t mention it was because the hidden dangers caused by consuming the Myriad Soul Flower would only appear after level 7, and it would become more and more serious.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice was very serious. ¡°To put it nicely, that thing can temper the spiritual consciousness of the summoner and the summoned spirit. But these people don¡¯t know that it actually gives the Myriad Soul Flower a chance to parasitize.¡± ¡°Parasitize!¡± Zhou Mingrui was shocked when he heard that. ¡°You think that the Myriad Soul Flower is a good thing just because it looks like this?¡± Yan Wuyue ridiculed. ¡°Does this have anything to do with the appearance of the Myriad Soul Flower?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face was filled with question marks. ¡°Why else do you think the Myriad Soul Flower would grow like that?¡± Yan Wuyue immediately asked. Chapter 133 - The Last Auction Item ¡°Parasitism¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered. He was not surprised that plants had parasitic abilities. After all, he had seen them in his previous life. However, the Myriad Soul Flower¡­ When he took another look at the item, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt a little uncomfortable. ¡°We¡¯ve studied the Myriad Soul Flower after the great calamity. It¡¯s actually not a plant but a living creature. The Myriad Soul flower¡¯s outer body is only used as an appearance to attract other creatures.¡± ¡°You might ask, why would anyone want to eat such a disgusting thing?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the exact opposite. The weirder a monster is, the more interested they are. After eating one and finding out that there are no side effects, and that it can even increase their intelligence, the other monsters will be even more interested.¡± ¡°This kind of behavior will attract the attention of humans, and then they will try it out, resulting in the current outcome.¡± After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui was even more confused and asked, ¡°So, no one has discovered it yet?¡± Yan Wuyue sneered. ¡°At first, those guys thought it was a precious treasure. But after the great calamity, the consciousness of the Myriad Soul Flower suddenly occupied most of their bodies. They turned into monsters that are neither human nor ghosts.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Is it that disgusting?¡± ¡°The Myriad Soul Flower won¡¯t take over your consciousness completely,¡± Yan Wuyue said in a deep voice. ¡°It¡¯ll leave you a space of consciousness so that you can live on in its place at all costs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a guy who was parasitized by the Myriad Soul Flower with my own eyes. He couldn¡¯t die because the Myriad Soul Flower would spare no effort to keep him alive.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui looked at the Myriad Soul Flower again and immediately felt his hair stand on end. ¡°The starting price is 6.7 million. Each bid must be no less than 400000. Let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡°7.5 million!¡± ¡°7.9 million!¡± ¡°8.5 million!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s brows furrowed deeply when he saw the crowd frantically bidding. However, he did not stop them. Putting aside the fact that he had no way of explaining how he knew about the Myriad Soul flower¡¯s side effects, even if he did, who would be willing to believe him? ¡°12 million!¡± Soon, the price reached 12 million, leaving Zhou Mingrui speechless. In the end, the price reached an extremely high price of 18 million, and the auction of this thing was considered to have ended. ¡°Poor thing.¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head as he looked at the excited fellow who had won the Myriad Soul Flower. Following that, two more items were auctioned, but neither of them caught Zhou Mingrui¡¯s and Yan Wuyue¡¯s interest. ¡°The next auction item is from an explorer who went to Zone B. He found this and provided it to us. After our team of experts examined it, we confirmed that it is a special metal from the outside world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s harder than any metal we have right now, and it¡¯s also extremely tough. It¡¯s also very good at conducting energy, and its main use is that it can block all kinds of monsters¡¯ perception.¡± ¡°In other words, this metal ball can allow you to avoid the perception of many monsters in dangerous exploration areas. It will make it easy for you to search for treasures and explore various dangerous places.¡± This time, the host¡¯s introduction piqued everyone¡¯s interest and heated up the scene again. ¡°The auction¡¯s starting price is 2.2 million. Each bid increment must not be less than 100000! As soon as the host finished speaking, Yan Wuyue immediately said, ¡°Bid it!¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui did not waste any time and immediately joined the bidding. Although it wasn¡¯t as crazy as the previous Myriad Soul Flower, it was still quite lively. Very quickly, the price reached 3.3 million. However, many of the people present were not that interested in it. In the end, they stopped when they reached Zhou Mingrui¡¯s price. ¡°3.3 million going twice, 3.3 million going thrice! ¡°Deal. Congratulations to the gentleman in seat number 8 for successfully winning the 19th item.¡± Seeing that the next auction item wasn¡¯t what they wanted, Zhou Mingrui began to ask Yan Wuyue. ¡°This thing isn¡¯t just made of metal. It¡¯s actually an egg.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s words surprised Zhou Mingrui. He really did not expect the stone to be an egg. ¡°That¡¯s a level 6 monster¡¯s egg, and it¡¯s extremely rare. Don¡¯t look down on it just because it¡¯s a level 6 monster. This type of monster is very useful.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°What¡¯s the use?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°Although it¡¯s level 6, it can travel through different spaces. It can bring other living creatures into a different space,¡± Yan Wuyue replied. ¡°It can also instantly adapt to the environment there.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately understood the crux of the matter. Simply put, this monster could bring other life forms to travel through different dimensions. It was a very useful skill for both fighting and escaping. ¡°Today¡¯s auction was a good one. I didn¡¯t expect to get these three useful items.¡± Zhou Mingrui was already very satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s so-so. It¡¯s not really anything good.¡± In the video, Yan Wuyue, who was in the car, said lightly. ¡°I know you have high standards.¡± Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips. Very quickly, there was only one item left on the auction stage. When it was brought to the auction table and opened, waves of exclamations immediately rang out in the hall. Below the stage, Zhou Mingrui took a look. After the gauze was removed, it revealed a gemstone the size of a pigeon¡¯s eye that glowed with a faint icy-blue light. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s almost time for the auction to end. The last item is naturally the finale of today¡¯s auction.¡± ¡°As for why it¡¯s so precious, as long as you wear it, the wearer will be able to feel the energy flow around them, including their own body. They can even detect the change in spatial energy within a ten-meter radius.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the only benefit. This gem is constantly emitting a special wave that can keep you awake during battle and ignore any mental attacks.¡± ¡°At the same time, it can even help to shield from the surrounding useless things during cultivation. At the same time, it can help the wearer concentrate.¡± ¡°Of course, if that¡¯s the case, it wouldn¡¯t be treated as a finale item.¡± ¡°The most important thing about this gem is that it contains the secret of advancing to levels 8 and 9. There are even legends that it contains the secret of advancing to level 10,¡± the host continued. As soon as he said that, everyone¡¯s faces became excited. In today¡¯s society, levels 6 and 7 were everywhere, but if they were above level 8, the number would start to slide. Many of them had actually reached the peak of level 6 or 7, but they were unable to advance any further. This gem, on the other hand, could help the wearer to truly enter the next stage of the process. Chapter 134 - Ill Do My Best to Help You! After a summoner reached level 5, leveling up wasn¡¯t as simple as leveling up. Instead, it required the summoned spirit to reach the same level, and at the same time, the synchronization rate of spirit and energy had to reach a certain limit before one could advance at the same time. Otherwise, one could only remain at the same level. However, the difficulty of advancing in level depended on the summoned spirit¡¯s innate talent. The higher the summoned spirit¡¯s innate talent, the more difficult it was to advance. At this time, other than breaking through one¡¯s own strength, one could only rely on external forces to break through. This gem was one of the types of treasures used for a breakthrough. ¡°This kind of item is generally called a promotion treasure. However, this gem is not an ordinary promotion treasure.¡± Yan Wuyue showed a confident smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t the host just say that it contains the ability to help with advancing to level 8 or 9 in there?¡± Zhou Mingrui said. Yan Wuyue denied it. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s a treasure for promotion, and it¡¯s not as powerful as the host made it out to be. At most, that¡¯s just on the surface.¡± ¡°Surface? Is there something more to this?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. ¡°I remember that gem very clearly. It does contain the ability to advance in level, but this gem has another function that no one has discovered.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°What function is it? It must be something special for you to remember it so well. I¡¯m starting to get curious.¡± Zhou Mingrui hurriedly asked. The auction had already begun. ¡°The starting price of the gemstone is 7 million. Each bid must be no less than 500000. Please make your bids!¡± As soon as it ended, the people in the hall began to bid, and the price was quickly raised to 9 million. ¡°It has the function to allow entrance to a secret realm in an alternate space.¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°A secret realm in an alternate space?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. He didn¡¯t have any concept of the so-called alternate space, even when he was in school, he didn¡¯t have this knowledge. ¡°Do you still remember the Goblin King¡¯s secret realm?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°Yes, I remember. Is that the secret realm space you mentioned?¡± Zhou Mingrui pressed. ¡°No, the Goblin King¡¯s secret realm is a semi-secret realm. It¡¯s obvious that the goblin race moved in and occupied it. Yan Wuyue continued, ¡°And that kind of alternate space is not very useful anymore. It¡¯s just enough for the goblins to live. The real alternate space¡¯s secret realm can only be entered with special items.¡± ¡°Moreover, the energy concentration in the real alternate space¡¯s secret realm is many times that of the outside world, so it can also produce many good things that can¡¯t be produced in our world.¡± ¡°Of course, the monsters inside will also be many times stronger than the ones outside.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°The greater the benefits, the greater the danger. This is something that anyone who isn¡¯t a child can understand.¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. So, now you know what the alternate space secret realm is, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. This was just like the places that the main characters in novels and television encountered. It was a good place that contained many secret techniques, spirit pills, and precious medicine that could be used to turn the tables. Hence, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°But the price has already been raised to over 10 million. We don¡¯t have that much money.¡± ¡°Also, you said to get the Zhao family for help, but the price of this thing is likely to exceed 15 million. If this goes on, we¡¯ll have to bear a lot of debts.¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said, ¡°You tell Zhao Anqi. The smallest value of this secret realm is worth over tens of millions. As long as we are strong enough, we can easily pay back the money.¡± Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment before he turned to Zhao Anqi and asked, ¡°I want to bid for this gemstone. Can the Zhao family help me with this?¡± Zhao Anqi was silent for a moment before she said, ¡°Wait for me. I need to ask my father.¡± The price in the auction stage had already reached 12 million. With the money spent during the auction just now, Zhao Anqi could no longer make a decision. After Zhao Anqi explained the situation, the phone was silent for three seconds before Zhao Desheng¡¯s steady voice came out from the speaker, ¡°Brother Zhou, I¡¯m a straightforward person, and I won¡¯t try to be secretive. This time, I have to deal with the attack from the main family, which may be launched at any time. I can¡¯t use too much money.¡± ¡°But Brother Zhou, you are my benefactor. If the auction price does not exceed 30 million, I will let Anqi make the decision. Is that okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. Uncle Zhao, thank you in advance.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It¡¯s a small matter when it comes to helping you. If I didn¡¯t have to deal with the main family, I wouldn¡¯t have to say this.¡± Zhao Desheng laughed. ¡°Alright, Brother Zhou. I have a lot of things to do here. You guys can continue. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Zhao Desheng¡¯s secretary¡¯s voice came from the other end, so he hung up after saying that. Zhao Anqi did not hesitate and immediately joined the battle. Soon, the price reached 16 million, and there were a total of five people bidding, including Zhao Anqi. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly had an idea. He raised his hand to indicate that he had a question. ¡°Hello, the mister sitting in seat number eight. If you have any questions, please ask.¡± The host asked politely. ¡°The Treasure Gathering Pavilion can¡¯t guarantee that this treasure will have the ability to help with advancing to level 8 or 9, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. The host furrowed his brows slightly and knew that something was wrong. However, his professionalism still made him answer politely, ¡°Yes, our Treasure Gathering Pavilion only provides certain information on this promotion treasure. We can¡¯t guarantee it 100% and can only make a prediction.¡± ¡°Due to the unique nature of the promotion treasure, if we forcefully appraise it, we will destroy the seal of the treasure¡¯s energy. The item inside will likely be leaked.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded and thanked the host. With that said, Zhou Mingrui returned to his seat. As for the other four bidders, they had a look of deep thought on their faces. The enthusiasm for the auction was instantly extinguished, which gave the auctioneer a headache. However, he could only try to hype it up again with the art of words, but the response was very calm. ¡°16 million going once. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider? You should know that not all promotion treasures can appear in the auction house.¡± ¡°If you miss this chance, I don¡¯t know when will be the next.¡± After the auctioneer finished speaking, he saw the hesitant looks on the faces of the few bidders. ¡°16 million going twice.¡± ¡°16 million going thrice!¡± Left with no choice, the auctioneer could only announce the bid for the second time. After secretly delaying for two to three seconds, he finally had no choice but to hit the hammer. ¡°Deal!¡± ¡°Congratulations to the beautiful lady in the ninth seat for winning the final auction item.¡± Chapter 135 - Showing Enthusiasm Only to Be Snubbed Zhou Mingrui heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that the item had been won. Although there was still a huge gap between 16 million and the upper limit of 30 million, it was definitely good to be able to owe less. Although Zhao Desheng didn¡¯t say that the money had to be returned, as one¡¯s strength continued to increase, the favors owed would become more and more difficult to return. ¡°The gains this time is beyond my expectations. If it wasn¡¯t for the matter at hand that I have to do, I really wouldn¡¯t want to take this risk.¡± Yan Wuyue was relieved to hear that the last item had been won. At the end of the auction, everyone quickly stood up to leave. After some thought, Zhou Mingrui walked to a middle-aged man. ¡°Brother, can I have a word with you?¡± Zhou Mingrui said softly. ¡°Hmm?¡± The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, but he quickly regained his senses and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°Regarding the matter of you winning the bid for the Myriad Soul Flower, there are some things that are not convenient to talk about here. There are too many people around.¡± Zhou Mingrui continued. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± The middle-aged man asked in a deep voice. Although Zhou Mingrui was displeased, he still said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts about you. My companion and I won a total of three items. I just wanted to remind you out of goodwill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in whatever purpose you have.¡± After saying that, the middle-aged man lifted his foot and was about to walk toward the inner area of the auction house. ¡°What if I say that the Myriad Soul Flower might cause you to be beyond redemption?¡± Zhou Mingrui had long expected that he would be given the cold shoulder, so he did not get angry. Instead, he said in a calm tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to listen, then that¡¯s all I have to say.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui turned around to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from behind him, urging him to stay. However, Zhou Mingrui only snorted coldly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your Myriad Soul Flower. Keep it and play with it slowly.¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui immediately headed to the VIP room and ignored the middle-aged man. If the other party had talked nicely at the start, perhaps he would have told him in detail. However, since the other party was so tough, he couldn¡¯t be blamed. After all, if he act friendly for too long, it would feel uncomfortable. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You won¡¯t get any benefits if you talk to him rashly unless you have more plans.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s call hadn¡¯t ended yet, so she naturally heard the conversation between Zhou Mingrui and the middle-aged man. Zhou Mingrui chuckled. ¡°Just wait and see. I know what to do.¡± ¡°What are you planning?¡± Zhao Anqi also asked curiously. ¡°Let¡¯s wait. I can¡¯t conclude before I¡¯m completely sure.¡± Zhou Mingrui pinched her nose. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Zhao Anqi rebuked silently. After entering the waiting room, Zhou Mingrui and Zhao Anqi each swiped their card and retrieved their auctioned items before leaving the auction house. ¡°That little brother over there!¡± Just as Zhou Mingrui and Zhao Anqi were about to get into the car, someone nearby shouted. He turned around and saw that it was the cold-ass middle-aged man from the auction. ¡°Do you need something?¡± At this moment, Zhou Mingrui had also turned into a ¡°cold butt¡±. Naturally, he would not show the other party any good attitude. ¡°Well, little brother, I was wrong just now. Look, I¡¯ve already apologized to you. Please calm down.¡± The middle-aged man quickly apologized. ¡°And then? What do you want to do?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows in displeasure. ¡°This little brother, why don¡¯t you come into my car? It¡¯s almost dinner time now, how about I treat you two to a meal?¡± The middle-aged man smiled. He was not angered by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attitude at all. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Since you won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t say another word.¡± Zhou Mingrui got into the car without even looking at the middle-aged man. But soon, the middle-aged man reached out and grabbed the door that was about to close. Then, with an apologetic look, he quickly said, ¡°No, no, no, I approached you with sincerity this time. My friend, please do me the honor of having dinner with you.¡± Sensing that the other party¡¯s sincerity was sufficient, Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment before agreeing, ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, let¡¯s go. You drive in front and we¡¯ll follow.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s face relaxed when he heard this, and then he laughed, ¡°Alright since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± After saying that, he no longer hesitated and returned to his car, starting the engine and leading the way. ¡°Let¡¯s follow.¡± Zhao Anqi instructed her chauffeur. Then, she looked at Zhou Mingrui and asked, ¡°You¡¯re good at playing hard to get. But what do you want? Don¡¯t tell me you want the Myriad Soul Flower?¡± Zhou Mingrui shook his head and said, ¡°Who the hell wants that? I just don¡¯t want anything to happen to him. It¡¯s up to him if he wants to heed the advice. No one can save him if he doesn¡¯t want to listen.¡± Zhao Anqi held her head in her hands and smiled. ¡°But why do I feel like you¡¯re planning something?¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and gave Zhao Anqi a meaningful look. ¡°Since there¡¯s only the two of us in the car now, I¡¯m not going to lie to you. I do have a plan for him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhao Anqi looked pleased, but she quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t expose your plan. To be honest, when you were thinking about the scheme just now, your side profile was really handsome!¡± With that said, she even took the initiative to hug Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and said coquettishly, ¡°In the future, if you want to play any more tricks, you must call me, okay?¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed a few times before he said, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not trying to play any tricks. It¡¯s just a normal excuse. You can¡¯t accuse me.¡± ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Zhao Anqi didn¡¯t care about any of this. As long as she could be alone with Zhou Mingrui, that was the greatest happiness she could have. As she spoke, Zhao Anqi¡¯s hands began to wander around. First, she touched Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face, and then, her hands slid down. Zhao Anqi rested her head on his shoulder and touched his strong chest muscles. Her face suddenly turned red. Then, unconsciously, her hand began to move down again, coming to the well-defined and constantly undulating abdominal muscles. Zhou Mingrui did not stop her. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to enjoy the pleasure of her hands touching his skin. Just like that, the two of them continued to be lovey-dovey for a long time before they stopped. ¡°How did we arrive so quickly?¡± Zhao Anqi mumbled as she retracted her hand. ¡°Cough cough.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was beside her, could only cough awkwardly. He felt that if he didn¡¯t get out of the car, he would lose control of himself again, so he quickly opened the door and got out. Chapter 136 - Ill Give You the Myriad Soul Flower! When the two of them got out of the car, they saw that the middle-aged man was already waiting for them. ¡°Please follow me in.¡± When the middle-aged man saw Zhao Anqi and Zhou Mingrui alighting from the car, he immediately came forward to greet them. Then, he brought the two of them to the place they had reserved for dinner. It was a high-class restaurant that was similar to the Michelin restaurant on earth in his previous life. Sitting at the table, the middle-aged man tidied his clothes and introduced himself, ¡°My name is Chen Hao. You can just call me Brother Hao. I have my own company, and I¡¯m running a small business.¡± After Chen Hao finished speaking, he realized that neither Zhou Mingrui nor Zhao Anqi said a word. He could only smile awkwardly. ¡°Little brother, you said in the auction house that there was a problem with the Myriad Soul Flower that I bought. Can you tell me more about it?¡± After saying this, Chen Hao quickly added, ¡°If there¡¯s really a problem, I, Chen Hao, will definitely give you a corresponding reward. I definitely won¡¯t treat you shabbily.¡± Zhou Mingrui turned his head and exchanged a look with Zhao Anqi. Then, he turned back and said, ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve read in a book that the Myriad Soul Flower is actually a type of parasitic creature.¡± Hearing this, Chen Hao had a shocked expression. ¡°Brother, are you sure you¡¯re not joking with me?¡± Zhou Mingrui snorted with laughter. ¡°If you didn¡¯t believe me, you wouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Chen Hao¡¯s expression turned unsightly because anyone who saw the appearance of the Myriad Soul Flower would feel a chill in their heart. If it wasn¡¯t for the one at home who urgently needed to improve, he wouldn¡¯t have bid for such a thing. ¡°If you really consume the Myriad Soul Flower, it can indeed strengthen your consciousness in the beginning. However, at the same time, the consciousness hidden in the Myriad Soul Flower will penetrate deep into your consciousness.¡± Zhou Mingrui continued slowly. ¡°You won¡¯t even realize it. By the time your cultivation level reaches a certain level, the Myriad Soul Flower will have become a symbiotic entity with you.¡± ¡°At that time, neither a human nor a ghost would be enough to describe you, a walking corpse.¡± Chen Hao felt a chill run down his spine when he heard that. He immediately took out the Myriad Soul Flower from his bag. With that, he immediately trusted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words even more. ¡°Why didn¡¯t those bastards from Treasure Gathering Pavilion say so earlier? They actually auctioned this kind of thing to us. Where did their so-called credibility go?¡± Chen Hao said angrily. ¡°It¡¯s useless because Treasure Gathering Pavilion probably doesn¡¯t know about this situation either. After all, their group of treasure appraisers isn¡¯t omnipotent.¡± ¡°And before you enter the auction house, you will have to sign the non-responsibility agreement. So, once you walk out of the auction house, everything that happens to the items will have nothing to do with them.¡± Zhou Mingrui explained. Bang! Chen Hao lightly slammed the table. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally calmed down. He thought for a moment and asked again, ¡°Then, what should I do with the Myriad Soul Flower?¡± At this moment, Zhou Mingrui also noticed Chen Hao¡¯s guarded look. ¡°Brother Chen, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take the Myriad Soul Flower. How you want to deal with it is your business. I¡¯m just saying what I should say.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not directly point out the other party¡¯s distrust. He only expressed his own words. ¡°No, no, no, brother, I really don¡¯t mean it that way. I¡¯m just feeling helpless that after spending so much money to bid for this item, it¡¯s useless and harmful in the end. I can¡¯t calm down.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed coldly in his heart when he saw Chen Hao¡¯s frustrated look. However, he still maintained a smile on his face and said, ¡°How you deal with that thing is up to you, Brother. I won¡¯t ask much. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Frowning deeply, Chen Hao felt very uncomfortable this time. Right now, he was in a dilemma. It was up to him to use it, but given the current situation and the Myriad Soul Flower¡¯s appearance, how could he possibly use it again when he already had a knot in his heart? He had spent so much money on this thing, and if he didn¡¯t use it, was he going to throw it away? As for selling it, how could Chen Hao, who had a big business, lack this money? He was also unwilling to suffer this loss. However, looking at Zhou Mingrui and the girl who had no intention of saying anything as they were both enjoying the food that was served to them made Chen Hao even more sullen. ¡°Then¡­ Then Brother Zhou, since you know about the Myriad Soul Flower¡¯s side effects, do you know how to deal with it?¡± Chen Hao probed. ¡°Brother Zhou, don¡¯t worry. If you have a solution, I will definitely reward you handsomely. I will definitely not treat you shabbily.¡± Zhou Mingrui put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked up at Chen Hao. A few seconds later, he said, ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Chen Hao¡¯s breathing stopped for a moment, and then he could only smile bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. In that case, I¡¯ll just take it as a loss in business.¡± ¡°Brother Chen, why don¡¯t you just sell it to someone else? Why would you lose money?¡± Zhao Anqi laughed. Chen Hao immediately waved his hand and said, ¡± I, Chen Hao, have always done things according to my heart. I don¡¯t know how to do such a thing, and I won¡¯t do it. Since I know the disadvantages of this thing, I¡¯d rather keep it in my hands than sell it to others.¡± Zhao Anqi clapped her hands and laughed. ¡°Brother Chen, you¡¯re just like my dad. He is a man of justice. He will never do anything evil.¡± Chen Hao was stunned for a moment, then asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s your name, little sister?¡± ¡°My father is Zhao Desheng.¡± Zhao Anqi replied. ¡°Hahaha, so it¡¯s Brother Zhao. Then it¡¯ll be easy to talk.¡± Chen Hao immediately burst out laughing. Then, he turned to Zhao Anqi and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re Brother Zhao¡¯s daughter, then this matter is easy to deal with. I don¡¯t want this thing anymore. Do you guys want it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to play dumb with me. I, Chen Hao, have been in society for decades. What can¡¯t I see?¡± Zhou Mingrui merely gave a faint smile and did not reply. However, Zhao Anqi took the initiative to speak first, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll make it clear. Zhou Mingrui is telling the truth. We really can¡¯t use the Myriad Soul Flower.¡± ¡°Although he didn¡¯t tell me, I can guess that he should be able to use the Myriad Soul Flower by relying on the uniqueness of his body.¡± ¡°Uniqueness?¡± Chen Hao raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s actually a summoned spirit.¡± Zhao Anqi said. ¡°No wonder. Then everything makes sense.¡± The doubt in Chen Hao¡¯s heart was finally cleared. He rapped his fingers on the table and said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll believe your words, and I¡¯ll give you the Myriad Soul Flower.¡± After saying that, Chen Hao pulled over the rectangular suitcase next to him and handed it to Zhao Anqi. ¡°Then I need the money to¡­¡± Before Zhao Anqi could finish her sentence, Chen Hao waved his hand and interrupted her, ¡°What money? I still owe Brother Zhao a few favors. There¡¯s no need to say more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kind enough to remind me and help me avoid a disaster. If I still take your money, then I can¡¯t stay in society anymore.¡± ¡°Come, come, come. Let¡¯s not talk about these things anymore. Let¡¯s eat!¡± Chapter 137 - Zhao Anqis Teasing ¡°If I had known that your father had such a deep friendship with him, I wouldn¡¯t have to do so much. Seriously¡­¡± In the car, Zhou Mingrui complained as he looked at Zhao Anqi. As soon as Zhao Anqi spoke, he was no longer of any use. All he could do was watch Zhao Anqi and Chen Hao¡¯s passionate conversation. This made him feel a sense of defeat. Zhao Anqi rolled her eyes at him and coaxed him, ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t know he was Chen Hao at first. After all, I didn¡¯t get involved in my father¡¯s friendly relations. I only heard my father mention his name often at home, so I remembered it in my heart.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t tell me his name, I wouldn¡¯t even know him. How could I know in advance? Seriously.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mood improved after hearing that. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I thought you were deliberately making fun of me.¡± ¡°How is that possible? When would I ever play with you with such a thing?¡± Zhao Anqi reached out her hand and pinched Zhou Mingrui¡¯s cheek as she rebuked, ¡°And you, are you blaming me for this?¡± ¡°No, no, no. How would I dare to blame you, Princess Zhao.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Tsk.¡± Zhao Anqi snorted and said, ¡°You looked like a child who had been wronged just now. You couldn¡¯t hide it at all. You still have the cheek to say that you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then look at me now. I¡¯m not angry at all, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui pointed to his face and asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell, alright?¡± Zhao Anqi pursed her lips and looked at the rectangular box. ¡°By the way, is the Myriad Soul Flower really as evil as you said?¡± ¡°Mmm, there¡¯s no mistake about this.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°Then you still want it? Do you really have a solution?¡± Zhao Anqi asked in surprise. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s just a guess. I can¡¯t be sure.¡± Zhou Mingrui answered. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, then forget it. That thing is too strange. I can¡¯t forget it even after one look.¡± Zhao Anqi tried to persuade him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°You have to know that I¡¯m different from the rest of you. My body¡¯s structure is different. Therefore, you can¡¯t judge me using a normal person¡¯s thinking.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhao Anqi gave a reserved smile before she suddenly leaned into Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re not an ordinary person. You almost scared me this morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really big! It¡¯s so scary.¡± As she spoke, Zhao Anqi even drew circles on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest. Her other hand slid down his chest and stopped at a special spot. ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m still feeling terrible. Why don¡¯t you help me take a look?¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she squeezed toward Zhou Mingrui. At the same time, she grabbed his hand and placed it on top of her chest. She even pressed it down. ¡°Since you¡¯re so capable, so you must have some medical expertise. Why don¡¯t you help me take a look?¡± Zhao Anqi gently lifted her perky butt and whispered into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ear. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body trembled as a strange numbing sensation spread throughout his body. His head immediately began to spin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it because you can¡¯t see clearly like this? Then¡­¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand and slowly tucked it underneath her clothes. Then, she slowly inched deeper. Zhou Mingrui could feel the smooth, silk-like texture on his palm and the back of his hand, as well as the astonishing elasticity. He could not help but hold his breath. ¡°How is it? Do you feel anything?¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s tone of voice began to turn numb, causing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s breathing to become slightly ragged. ¡°Then, a little deeper?¡± Seeing the look on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face, Zhao Anqi revealed an extremely charming smile as she continued to grab Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. ¡°You, can you feel my heartbeat?¡± As Zhao Anqi spoke, she grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand and pressed it down. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s breathing became even more rapid when he felt the shock of not being able to hold it in one hand. ¡°You, can you feel my sincerity?¡± Zhou Mingrui felt as though his entire body was being burned by flames. His mind began to turn drowsy. Sensing this, Zhao Anqi immediately launched an even more aggressive attack. She pulled Zhou Mingrui¡¯s other hand over and began to place it in an even more mysterious place. With his previous experience, Zhou Mingrui naturally knew where they were headed. However, he only gulped and did not stop them. Following the friction of the clothes, his fingers began to touch the familiar smooth skin. And as he went deeper, a sensation that made his blood vessels expand appeared. It was fine friction like a mesh. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t see clearly this morning, but I¡¯m wearing black silk today. I just don¡¯t know if you like it.¡± Zhou Mingrui gasped. He felt as if his brain was about to explode. After all, the black silk threads were his forbidden domain. ¡°How is it? Did you feel it?¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s hand that was holding onto Zhou Mingrui¡¯s constantly rubbed up and down. It wasn¡¯t just the fine friction from the black silk, but also the soft touch and heat from a certain area. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hands began to tremble. He knew what it was, but the more he thought about it, the more thirsty he felt. ¡°You, do you want to try it out?¡± Zhao Anqi once again whispered into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ear. For some reason, Zhou Mingrui subconsciously nodded his head before his brain could react. Zhao Anqi smiled seductively as she held Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand and gently pried open the thin black silk with her fingers. She then began to dig deeper. It was flat, smooth, and as delicate as silk. This was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s first instinct. His second instinct made his psychological defenses explode. A white tiger! After the term surfaced in his mind, Zhou Mingrui reached his hand forward and immediately touched something softer and warm. It was moist. ¡°I want!¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s mumbling had completely ignited the volcano in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart. As his mind went blank, Zhou Mingrui immediately turned around and hugged Zhao Anqi. He then kissed her on the lips. Feeling Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strong initiative, Zhao Anqi immediately responded by kissing him passionately. Both of their tongues immediately rolled together, and they hugged tightly. In the driver¡¯s seat, the old driver drove slowly. The car behind him wanted to honk, but after seeing the value of the other car and the license plate number, it could only give up and choose to overtake and leave. The old driver continued to drive slowly as if he was shopping after a meal. Meanwhile, in the back of the extended portion of the car, Zhou Mingrui had already stripped Zhao Anqi of her clothes. Just as he was about to remove the other portion of her clothes, a strange thought suddenly appeared in his mind. Chapter 138 - The Secret Realm in the Alternate Space ¡°Continue. Why did you suddenly stop?¡± Zhao Anqi, whose body was burning up, asked curiously. There was no external interference, and she had already prepared for this. ¡°Something happened to Yan Wuyue.¡± All the thoughts in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind were interrupted. At this moment, an emergency signal came from his spiritual link with Yan Wuyue. Hearing this, Zhao Anqi quickly put on her clothes even though she was both mentally and physically unhappy. Then, she asked quickly, ¡°What happened? Where did the accident happen? I¡¯ll ask the driver to take us there immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll confirm the location with her immediately.¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes were clear. He no longer had the desire from before. He wanted to make a call, but he realized that no one picked up. This made Zhou Mingrui frown. But soon, he received a message on his phone. It was a picture of a place. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little confused. Soon, Zhao Anqi recognized the location and quickly said, ¡°I know this place. I¡¯ll get the driver to take us there!¡± Zhao Anqi picked up the walkie-talkie and immediately ordered the driver to head to the location. Along the way, the feeling in his mind grew stronger and stronger. However, no one picked up Zhou Mingrui¡¯s phone calls. Yan Wuyue was either in a critical state and had no time to recover, or she had been subdued. Her life couldn¡¯t be in danger, which was clearly shown through the spiritual link. ¡°I forgot to tell you that the location is in a mountain range outside the city. That place is classified as a mild danger zone.¡± Zhao Anqi quickly said. ¡°If it¡¯s a mild danger zone, Yan Wuyue wouldn¡¯t need me. So, it must be another danger.¡± Zhou Mingrui analyzed. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my dad now. How about we get him to help us?¡± Zhao Anqi said worriedly. ¡°No need for that. I don¡¯t understand the situation there yet. Let¡¯s go and figure it out first!¡± Zhou Mingrui said in a deep voice. At this moment, the driver was no longer driving slowly. He had transformed into a super racer. He increased the speed of the car to the maximum but not over the speed limit. Soon, the car arrived outside the city. On the muddy road, the car began to shake slightly. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The moment the car came to a stop, Zhou Mingrui immediately opened the car door and alighted. The surroundings were a sparse forest, and there was no trace of a battle at first glance. ¡°Um?¡± Zhou Mingrui scanned his surroundings in puzzlement. He then looked in a particular direction based on the feeling he had sensed through the connection. ¡°You stay here. If I don¡¯t come back in half an hour or I don¡¯t contact you, ask your father to bring people to find us.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with narrowed eyes. ¡°I think I should just follow you?¡± Zhao Anqi was worried. ¡°No, you can¡¯t come. You¡¯re our last assurance.¡± Zhou Mingrui turned to Zhao Anqi and said, ¡°If something happens to you, we won¡¯t be able to turn things around.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Zhao Anqi understood what he meant and did not force herself. With that said, Zhou Mingrui turned around and followed the spiritual link. Soon, he entered the forest, but he still did not see anyone. ¡°That¡¯s not right, the spiritual link is clearly here.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the quiet surroundings and was immediately puzzled. ¡°Wait, could it be another secret realm?¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly thought of this possibility. However, the problem was how to find the entrance to the secret realm, in which he had no experience. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned solemn because he heard a faint voice in his mind. Upon realizing this, Zhou Mingrui immediately closed his eyes and focused. Soon, he heard the voice that belonged to Yan Wuyue. [Can you hear me, Wuyue!] Zhou Mingrui was still unable to hear it clearly. All he could do was call out in reverse. At the same time, he began to lock onto a more accurate location based on the strength of the sound. [Zhou Mingrui!] Soon, Zhou Mingrui could hear Yan Wuyue¡¯s call more clearly. [I heard you. Are you in another space?] [That¡¯s right, I¡¯m in an alternate space!] After receiving a clear answer, Zhou Mingrui immediately pressed, [Then how do I get in and find you?] Yan Wuyue immediately replied, [The place where you are now is the closest to the link. Next, I will use this spatial characteristic to burst out energy. You have to seize the opportunity to break in directly.] [Before you come in, you have to leave an item with your energy outside. That is the key to our return.] [Alright!] Zhou Mingrui immediately replied. After some thought, he took out a piece of bone from his pocket. After injecting some energy into it, he buried it under his feet. Following that, he began to focus his attention on the space around him. A few minutes later, the space in front of him to the left suddenly distorted slightly. Zhou Mingrui, who was staring intently, immediately noticed it. In the next moment, the twisted space was like a cloth that was being pulled, and it began to show signs of twisting. It became more and more twisted, and even a crack appeared. At that moment, the Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. Without any hesitation, he aimed the blade in that direction and slashed. The phantom energy on the blade condensed and turned into an energy blade. Just like a pair of scissors, the blade directly tore open a crack in the originally extremely distorted space. A strange scene could be vaguely seen inside. [Now¡¯s the time. Come in directly!] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui charged forward without any hesitation and crashed into the spatial rift. The moment he entered the rift, a powerful pulling force was exerted on his body. However, Zhou Mingrui managed to withstand it with his strong body. After a few seconds of dizziness, the world in front of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes became clear again. The first thing that came into view was the incomparably tall trees and all kinds of strangely shaped flowers and plants. ¡°Hurry, come over!¡± The next moment, Yan Wuyue grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and pulled him into a hidden hole. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously after they entered the cave. For the first time, Yan Wuyue showed a helpless expression. ¡°It was originally going according to plan, but when I was about to get that thing, a mysterious guy suddenly appeared. I don¡¯t know what method he used to cause the surrounding space to fluctuate and produce spatial ripples.¡± ¡°Who knew that there was a hidden spatial secret realm here, and it just happened to be right next to me? I didn¡¯t even have time to react before I was directly sucked in.¡± Zhou Mingrui was surprised. ¡°What? Are you saying that you didn¡¯t know about this place in your previous life?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly know all the spatial secret realms. It¡¯s possible that this place has been developed by someone in my previous life, but I don¡¯t know about it. It¡¯s also possible that no one has ever come here in my previous life.¡± Chapter 139 - A Mysterious Alternate Space Zhou Mingrui pondered. ¡°Then, what¡¯s our current situation? Should we leave this place or not?¡± Yan Wuyue thought for two seconds. ¡°We¡¯ll explore this place first. If we encounter any danger, we¡¯ll go back directly. Didn¡¯t I ask you to leave an item with your energy?¡± ¡°With that, we can use it as an energy coordinate. We can leave this place at any time.¡± Zhou Mingrui grunted in agreement. He knew that Yan Wuyue would definitely arrange a backup plan, so he was not worried about this. ¡°The only thing we need to worry about now is the level of this secret realm. If it¡¯s a mid to high-level secret realm, we must leave immediately.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a low-level secret realm, we can explore it. After all, we¡¯re still too weak.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a serious look. Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a high-level secret realm. But don¡¯t tell me that we can¡¯t explore a mid-level secret realm with our current strength?¡± Yan Wuyue forced a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. With our current strength, we can only explore low-level secret realms. After all, this is a secret realm of an alternate space. You¡¯ll know once you feel the surroundings.¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui began to notice the energy reaction around him. Then, he realized that it was at least ten times denser than the outside world. ¡°Did you notice? How strongly do you think a life form that grows up in such an environment would be?¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned very serious. ¡°You must know that the energy distribution in the alternate space secret realm is not even, which means that the energy density may be much higher in some places in this space.¡± ¡°And in those places, the chances of powerful monsters and precious treasures being born are higher. Even in my previous life, I didn¡¯t dare to go into a mid-level secret realm. ¡°A low-level alternate space secret realm is equivalent to a deadly ordinary secret realm. We have to be careful at all times.¡± Zhou Mingrui was silent for a moment. Then, he looked at Yan Wuyue and said solemnly, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be careful, but I think your safety is the most important. After all, if I die, I¡¯ll only need to spend resources and energy to be reborn, but you¡¯re different.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue¡¯s serious face suddenly showed a smile. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s best if the two of us get the treasure together and get out safely. That will be the best.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a gentle smile. If someone from her past life saw this scene, their jaws would probably drop. It was hard to imagine that the ice goddess could have such a gentle side. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Anqi? You¡¯re with her, right?¡± Yan Wuyue continued to ask. ¡°I let her stay in the outside world. If there¡¯s no response after 30 minutes, I¡¯ll let her contact her father and ask him to bring people over to find us.¡± Zhou Mingrui answered. ¡°Mmm, although your method is correct, I forgot to tell you that the time flow in the alternate space secret realm is different from that in the Heavenly Saint world.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a sigh. ¡°How much is the difference between the flow of time?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. ¡°Every alternate space secret realm is different. It can only be determined after we leave. Some are fast while others are slow.¡± Yan Wuyue answered. ¡°Forget it. Since I¡¯m already here, I¡¯ll just explain when I get out.¡± Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to cast aside this distracting thought. Soon, the two stopped talking and began to walk out of the cave under Yan Wuyue¡¯s lead. Then they began to explore the surroundings. The environment here was completely different from that of the Heavenly Saint¡¯s world, be it the plants, insects, or even the shape of the sky. [From now on, we¡¯ll communicate spiritually. Remember to use your energy to cover your body at all times and try not to come into contact with the outside world.] While exploring, Yan Wuyue said, [Because of the difference in the world, the microorganisms here have also changed. You¡¯ll likely be infected with super bacteria and superviruses.] Zhou Mingrui was alarmed. Thankfully, he had already done so when he entered the space. However, on second thought, he was no longer a human but had a semi-energy body. He was not as afraid of these things as humans. The two of them continued to fumble their way forward. Soon, Zhou Mingrui came to realize how strange the creatures in this space were. There was a humanoid creature that was more than ten meters tall. It had eight thick long limbs on its back, and it looked like a human spider. It had a face without any facial features, and two pitch-black eyeballs were half-embedded in its chest. At the same time, a huge, vertical mouth was flowing with a pale yellow liquid. [Don¡¯t look at it. These creatures have very strong instincts. Once we are discovered, it will be difficult to get rid of them.] Yan Wuyue hurriedly reminded him, and only then did Zhou Mingrui retract his gaze. As he watched the monster walk forward, Zhou Mingrui asked in puzzlement, [This guy doesn¡¯t seem to have any intelligence.] Yan Wuyue said helplessly, [But it¡¯s precisely this kind of monster with no intelligence that will keep chasing you once it locks on to you. It¡¯s easy to attract the attention of other monsters, and it won¡¯t be easy to end it.] Just as they were more than a few hundred meters away from each other, a huge tremor suddenly came from behind them, causing Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue to turn their heads at the same time. The humanoid monster suddenly stopped and looked around in confusion as if it was looking for something. Just two seconds later, the ground rumbled, and a slope suddenly rose from the ground. As the soil and rocks continued to slide down, a dark purple figure broke out of the soil. Its target was the humanoid monster that was standing in place. The humanoid monster immediately used its hand to grab the dark purple figure. It was also at this moment that Zhou Mingrui could clearly see the figure¡¯s appearance. Its entire body was covered in a dark purple hard shell, and the front end of its body was extremely strong, with four thick limbs like the claws of an eagle. The giant mouth that took up almost half of its head had already opened and was biting toward the humanoid monster. Before the humanoid monster that had just caught the other party could rejoice, the other party shook its head and broke free. Then, when its strong forelimbs landed on the ground, it opened its mouth and bit its two arms. With a crack, the two arms were cut off at the elbow and then swallowed by the dark purple monster. The humanoid monster that had its hand devoured seemed to be enraged. It strode toward the dark purple monster, and the remaining six giant hands clenched into fists and smashed into the dark purple monster¡¯s body. The dark purple monster endured the punches and did not attack. Under such circumstances, Zhou Mingrui felt the ground beneath his feet begin to tremble. Then, he saw the dark purple monster¡¯s body suddenly tremble before it immediately leaped backward. After dodging the humanoid monster¡¯s attack, the dark purple monster used its sharp claws to grab the humanoid monster¡¯s head the moment it landed. The next moment, a sound like a water ball exploding reverberated in all directions. Chapter 140 - Life Crystal The humanoid monster¡¯s head was crushed, and red and yellow liquid sprayed everywhere. The trees that were splattered immediately made a sizzling sound. In less than a few seconds, the tall trees were instantly corroded into a lump of black liquid, and it kept emitting foul white smoke. [These guys are a little ruthless.] Zhou Mingrui could not help but sigh after watching the first scene. [These guys might look huge, but they¡¯re actually at the bottom of the food chain in the secret realm of the alternate space. They¡¯re just food for more powerful beings.] Yan Wuyue said expressionlessly. As expected, the dark purple monster started gnawing at the corpse. [Besides, having a big body doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯re powerful. What¡¯s really scary is those with small bodies. You¡¯ll know why I said that when you meet them in the future.] Yan Wuyue said seriously. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart turned heavy. After all, Yan Wuyue had previously mentioned that she had only gone to a mid-level alternate space secret realm in her previous life, and she still had to be careful. Then what kind of monsters and other life forms would exist in the higher-level secret realms? However, it was impossible to say that he was afraid. He had enough confidence in his strength growth, and this would be more challenging, wasn¡¯t it? [Why? You¡¯re not afraid?] Yan Wuyue saw the change in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression and immediately laughed. [What¡¯s there to be afraid of? As long as we survive and work hard to become stronger, we will be able to scorn these monsters sooner or later.] Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. [Great. I hope you can always maintain this confidence.] Yan Wuyue said as she observed the front. [What? Are you looking down on me?] Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. [No, you have never experienced the fear of complete powerlessness. You will not understand the self-denial that comes from the depths of your heart.] Yan Wuyue suddenly stopped. She looked at Zhou Mingrui with her beautiful eyes and said, [Even though I¡¯ve experienced countless difficulties and disasters after the great calamity, my body trembled, and I can¡¯t even summon the will to fight when I faced those lives.] [It¡¯s as if you¡¯re at the bottom of an endless abyss. You can¡¯t see any hope when you look up. Do you understand?] Zhou Mingrui seemed to be able to see the despair that Yan Wuyue had once encountered. Zhou Mingrui could now understand Yan Wuyue¡¯s desire to become stronger, which was similar to OCD. Zhou Mingrui could understand how such emotions came about and how difficult it was to overcome them. Any human would have such an experience. Unconsciously, Zhou Mingrui suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Yan Wuyue¡¯s face. Then, he said in a very serious tone, [Remember, you don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore because you have me by your side.] [No matter what kind of danger we encounter, I will not give up on you. Even if I have to use the last flame of my life, I will help you dispel the endless darkness.] After hearing this, the darkness and fear in Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly began to disappear, and then they returned to their original clarity. [Thank you.] She didn¡¯t waste any more time. The two words had already represented everything she wanted to say. Then, the two of them continued to explore, but the atmosphere between them had changed. After more than ten minutes, Yan Wuyue suddenly stopped. [What¡¯s wrong?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [I found something good.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes were fixed in one direction. Zhou Mingrui walked to her side and looked in the direction of her gaze. He saw an irregular-shaped gray rock about thirty meters ahead. On the rock¡¯s uneven body, there were red agate-like objects, which seemed to be constantly flickering with a faint red light. [What¡¯s that?] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He couldn¡¯t tell that the item was anything good. [Don¡¯t think that it looks like a rock, but the real good stuff is in it.] Yan Wuyue seemed to know that Zhou Mingrui would not believe her, so she took the initiative to explain, [Those red crystals that look like agate are the external sensors of these non-flesh and blood creatures. These creatures can produce something called life crystals in their bodies.] [Life crystals are great treasures after the great calamity. They have many uses, whether it¡¯s for healing, improving the body¡¯s constitution, or repairing the mind. They¡¯re all great treasures.] [It¡¯s because the energy inside is extremely pure. On the energy level, it can adapt to the consumption of any living being. It¡¯s a rare treasure, and it cannot be found in the outside world.] After listening to Yan Wuyue¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui suddenly said, [So this is the result of a stone mutating under the influence of an abundance of energy, and then gathering all the energy essence into its body to form the core substance called the life crystal?] Yan Wuyue was also stunned. After thinking for two seconds, she nodded and said, [It¡¯s exactly as you said.] Zhou Mingrui smiled confidently and said, [Then, this thing must have a guardian, right? Otherwise, I don¡¯t believe it would be exposed in the wilderness.] Yan Wuyue raised her chin and said, [Well, the guardian is back now.] Zhou Mingrui shifted his gaze and realized that a massive figure was rapidly approaching them from a distance. The ground was also beginning to tremble slightly. When it got closer, he realized that it was the lizard monster with dark purple hard armor. [Are you confident?] Zhou Mingrui asked. Yan Wuyue¡¯s previous words meant that she was definitely going to take this stone, and she didn¡¯t choose to give up even though the dark purple lizard monster returned, which proved that she must be confident. [If everything goes well, there¡¯s a 60% chance we¡¯ll get the life crystal, and then we¡¯ll be able to escape.] Yan Wuyue said calmly. [60%?] Zhou Mingrui hesitated for a moment before he said, [I should be able to increase your chances to 70% or even 80%.] [Oh?] Yan Wuyue turned to look at him in confusion. [I have a skill that can summon the monster¡¯s full appearance when it was alive by using its bones.] Zhou Mingrui explained. [The monster you mentioned was no match for it when it was alive, let alone your incomplete undead summoning.] Yan Wuyue ridiculed. [No, it¡¯s not that monster.] Zhou Mingrui shook his head. At this moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. [Are you talking about the skull of the level 7 monster at the auction?] Zhou Mingrui nodded and said, [It¡¯s that skull. I¡¯m already carrying it with me. There¡¯s a remnant consciousness form in the skull. It can greatly reduce consumption when I summon it.] But Yan Wuyue said immediately, [But no matter how much you reduce it, you can¡¯t possibly summon the original level 7 monster, can you?] Chapter 141 - Life Crystal (2) When Zhou Mingrui heard that, he smiled confidently and said, [It¡¯s indeed impossible to summon a level 7 one in its original form, but if I try my best, I should still have a good chance of summoning a level 6 one.] [Level 6?] Yan Wuyue thought for a moment and said, [I don¡¯t know how strong this monster is, but if you really summon a level 6 undead envoy, you can at least help me to divert it and stall it. It¡¯ll be easier for us to take the life crystal.] [But won¡¯t your summoning be too loud? If it notices us in advance, we¡¯ll be in big trouble.] Zhou Mingrui frowned and said, [There will definitely be some commotion. If you¡¯re worried, I can summon it from where the skeleton was. That way, we can still attract it over.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered. [That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s follow this plan!] However, Zhou Mingrui did not immediately move. Instead, he stood in place and thought for a few seconds before saying, [Are you sure that other than that big lizard, there¡¯s no other danger around the red rock?] Yan Wuyue blinked. [I can¡¯t be 100% sure. The guy who got the life crystal in my last life only gave a rough description. No one has ever gotten a life crystal since.] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned serious. [Because based on your description of the life crystal, I don¡¯t think the lizard is the only guardian. Is there a possibility that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?] Yan Wuyue blinked after listening. [Of course, this is just a suggestion. You¡¯ll be in charge of the specifics.] Seeing that Yan Wuyue was silent, Zhou Mingrui could only spread his hands. Yan Wuyue shook her head and said, [You¡¯re right. According to my observation, this should be the territory of this big lizard. I didn¡¯t see any other monsters.] [Most of the monsters in the alternate space secret realm have a strong sense of territory, so it¡¯s basically impossible for other monsters to ambush us.] [But we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that a stronger monster might just happen to be here, right in the middle of the life crystal¡¯s ripening process. We¡¯ll just have to be extra careful.] After hearing this explanation, Zhou Mingrui was relieved. [Okay, I¡¯ll go over now.] With that said, Zhou Mingrui turned around and sped back to where he was. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, began to wait in place. A few minutes later, Zhou Mingrui arrived at the spot where the humanoid monster had died. He discovered that white fog was everywhere. The fog was caused by the corrosive liquid in the humanoid monster¡¯s head. However, if one looked closely, one would see that the plants were greedily absorbing the fog. What was even more terrifying was that the remaining flesh and blood of the humanoid monster were being devoured by the flowers and plants. That¡¯s right, it was flowers and plants. The grass on the ground continued to twist and extend at a speed visible to the naked eye, then spread to the corpse of the humanoid monster. Zhou Mingrui frowned. After making sure that there were no monsters around him, he released intense phantom energy from his body and began to forcefully expel the flowers and plants. After all, they were the lowest life forms. After feeling the power of the phantom energy, the flowers and plants began to retreat quickly. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s still a remnant soul?¡± The moment Zhou Mingrui touched the skeleton after expelling the flowers and grass, he realized that there was still a very clear consciousness left on the skeleton. As soon as the consciousness sensed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s probing, it immediately gathered into a hideous head. It let out a silent roar and charged at Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui did not do anything. All he did was focus his attention. In the eyes of the consciousness form, the originally ordinary Zhou Mingrui suddenly expanded infinitely. Then, the consciousness form began to tremble like a mouse that had encountered a tiger. It was an aura that made him unable to resist at all. It was an aura that could make him submit from the depths of his consciousness. ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, it seems that I can change my direction. I shouldn¡¯t use that level 7 skull for now.¡± Seeing that the remnant consciousness did not dare to resist, Zhou Mingrui began to use his skill on the skeleton. [Summoning of the Dead] [Skill Effect: Using the skeleton of any dead creature as the basic medium to summon the undead to fight as the main body; the strength of the undead is based on the strength of the creature when it was alive and the integrity of the skeleton. The strength of the spellcaster is the base of the increase.] [Note: If you have the consciousness of the living being when it was still alive, you can greatly reduce energy consumption and increase the overall strength of the undead.] An energy that was completely different from the phantom energy emerged from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. It began to seep into the humanoid skeleton. In another domain that ordinary people couldn¡¯t see, the humanoid skeleton had already started to emit clusters of cold white flames. As the energy continued to penetrate and spread, the cold white flame became wider and wider. In the end, it even began to burn fiercely. After the remnant consciousness saw this scene, it seemed to be attracted by some special sense and directly pounced into its own skeleton that was burning with white flames. The moment it came into contact with the skeleton, the skeleton that was lying on the ground without any movement in the outside world suddenly emitted a faint black light. Then, a white flame suddenly appeared at the position of the skull. The bones that were scattered all over the place began to piece themselves together at an extremely fast speed. At every place where they were put together, there would be worm-like tendons that entangled with each other. In the end, the bones of the humanoid monster were completely pieced together, and then pieces of flesh began to grow out of thin air. In its place, the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees began to wither and die, as if their life force had been sucked dry by some invisible force. Chapter 142 - The Sublimation of Death The Sublimation of Death [Congratulations to the host for obtaining the third undead summoned creature. You have triggered a hidden condition to awaken the active skill ¡°Sublimation of Death¡± ] [Skill is being unlocked¡­] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback when he heard that. He never expected such a thing to happen. Soon, the skill¡¯s attributes began to appear on the panel: [Skill name: Sublimation of Death] [Skill effect: This skill can be activated when the host has three or more undead servants. With two undead servants as the foundation and the water of the netherworld and phantom flames as the auxiliary, a new fused undead servant can be configured.] [Note 1: The fused undead servants can not be more than two ranks apart from each other, or the skill will be terminated immediately. ] [Note 2: The fused undead servant¡¯s attributes will be based on the two fused material, but might not be the same as the material.] [Note 3: The fused undead servant¡¯s talent will be based on the original talent of the material to configure a fused talent skill that is more suitable for the new undead servant. However, the original talent attribute of the original material may not appear.] [Note 4: There is a chance that the fused undead servant¡¯s skill will be based on the materials¡¯ skills, but there is also a possibility that a new skill will be born.] [Note 5: The undead servant created by the fusion can not undergo Sublimation of Death unless it advances in rank, regardless of whether it has undergone Sublimation of Death before.] After reading all the information on the attribute panel, Zhou Mingrui pondered for a few seconds. All in all, this skill is able to fuse two of his undead summoned servants, but the new undead servant¡¯s attributes and skills are not confirmed. It could be an upgrade of the original foundation, or it could be a completely new skill. Zhou Mingrui glanced at the monster in front of him as his mind began to race. A few seconds later, he summoned the Goblin King. That¡¯s right, he was going to use the Goblin King to fuse with this trash monster to experiment and see what would be born. Zhou Mingrui was understandably reluctant to do so. After all, the Goblin King was a Gold rank miniboss. To use it to fuse with this trash was simply¡­ However, he had no choice. This trash in front of him probably couldn¡¯t even do such a simple request like dragging time. Now that he was using a level seven skull to summon again, even if he had enough energy, at his current level, the newly summoned creatur would probably be about as weak as this. Since that was the case, why not try to fuse the Goblin King with this fellow? The fused undead servant could turn out to be better than the one directly summoned by a level 7 skull. [Yan Wuyue, something happened here. I might arrive later than planned. Be careful.] Not knowing how long the Sublimation of Death would take, Zhou Mingrui decided to remind Yan Wuyue just in case. [Okay, just come as soon as you can. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the situation. If anything happens, keep me updated immediately.] Yan Wuyue promptly replied and reminded Zhou Mingrui. [I understand. You should be careful too. ] After saying that, Zhou Mingrui immediately activated his skill. The Goblin King and weird summoned creature trembled momentarily before their eyes turned blank. Numerous faint patterns appeared on their bodies, becoming clearer and clearer while emitting a faint dark glow. With a flash of light, the space around the two summoned creatures suddenly distorted, and two vortexes appeared behind them. Buzz. As the invisible space trembled, a pair of huge hands suddenly reached out from the vortex and pulled the two summoned creatures into the vortex. The oppressive presence of the huge hands made Zhou Mingrui feel shaken from the depths of his soul. When the giant hand returned to the vortex, the shock immediately disappeared. In less than half a minute, another giant vortex appeared out of thin air. Then, a light brown flesh cocoon was thrown out of it, and a cloud of dust emerged as it fell to the ground. A moving bulge immediately appeared on the flesh cocoon, as if something was struggling violently inside. With a creak, a pair of green-skinned hands broke through the flesh cocoon and extended out. There were six thick fingers with sharp black nails. Then, a huge monster with dark green skin emerged from the cocoon. Its strong muscles showed the great power it contained. It didn¡¯t have the spider-like limbs of a human, but it had six arms that were as thick as a spider¡¯s. It¡¯s huge, malevolent face had features similar to the Goblin King¡¯s, and was equally ugly and fierce. The monster growled deeply and scanned its surroundings. When it saw Zhou Mingrui, a look of fear appeared in its eyes. It then knelt down on one knee in front of Zhou Mingrui. Seeing that everything went according to plan, Zhou Mingrui immediately opened the fused summoned creature¡¯s attribute panel: [Summoned creature name: Mutant Goblin King] [Summoned creature level: 65] [Type of summoned creature: Alternate dimension undead servant] [Summoned creature rank: Gold (Special Lord Grade)] [Summoned creature talents: Abnormal strength, Rapid recovery, Diamond body, King¡¯s will ] [Summoned creature skills: Bloodlust rage, Spirit howl, Furious strike, Corrosive saliva] Only then did Zhou Mingrui nod his head. He was not surprised that the Goblin King was the main body of the fusion. If that trashy thing could become the main body, he would not dare to use that skill in the future. Although it was remained at Gold rank, its skills and other attributes had been improved to a certain extent. The current Mutant Goblin King definitely had the power to deal with that monster. [Wuyue, I¡¯m ready here. I¡¯ll be making my way there.] Zhou Mingrui immediately contacted Yan Wuyue. [Okay, I¡¯ve been watching the situation closely here. Let¡¯s not drag this on, you can take action immediately! ] Yan Wuyue replied. Zhou Mingrui immediately put the Goblin King into his summoning space and rushed to where Yan Wuyue was. When he was less than a hundred meters away from his destination, Zhou Mingrui once again summoned the Goblin King and issued an order to it. Without any hesitation, the Goblin King punched its chest a few times before charging at the purple lizard. The moment the Goblin King appeared, Yan Wuyue noticed that the giant purple lizard had stopped resting. It raised its head and locked its eyes on Zhou Mingrui. [It has discovered your location! ] As Yan Wuyue¡¯s reminder sounded out, the giant purple lizard dug into the ground with a low roar. [It¡¯s setting off. Let me know when you¡¯re a certain distance away. I¡¯ll make my move!] Yan Wuyue immediately informed him. [OK!] Zhou Mingrui immediately replied. Chapter 143 - The Berserk Lizard The Berserk Lizard When Zhou Mingrui heard that the purple lizard was heading towards his direction, he immediately gave the Goblin King the order to engage. The Goblin King seemed to have sensed the approaching danger, and immediately locked its gaze in the direction of the giant purple lizard. The ground began to shake slightly, but the Goblin King stood still, his gaze never shifting away from that direction. However, after a few seconds, the ground suddenly stopped shaking. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed. He was certain that the purple lizard would not stop its attack. In that case, it must be hiding in preparation for a sneak attack. However, the Goblin King held its breath. It didn¡¯t choose to run or attack randomly. Instead, it closed its eyes and calmed down. After about 40 seconds, the Goblin King, which had been motionless all this time, suddenly moved. It quickly raised its right arm. As it clenched its fist, a green light suddenly flickered. Then, the Goblin King roared and leaped into the air. At this moment, the ground where the Goblin King was standing suddenly bulged, and the purple lizard broke out of the ground. If the Goblin King had been a second or two later, he would have been pounced on like the humanoid monster before and fallen into a passive disadvantage. The Goblin King, which was in mid-air, grinned when it saw the giant lizard. Then, it threw out a fist with a shining glow as it landed. ¡°Damn, a punch from the sky?¡± Zhou Mingrui cried out in shock when he saw this. [Violent Strike] [Skill effect: This skill can be used in any way from any position by exerting power. After activation, the strength bonus will be determined by the way the fist is swung. When the damage bonus reaches a certain level, it will trigger shield-breaking and armor-breaking effects.] It was a very short introduction, but it was great. To put it in simpler terms, the damage of your skills depended on the posture of your attack. The giant purple lizard didn¡¯t expect the Goblin King to predict its appearance. By the time it realized, it was already impossible for the giant purple lizard to stop from the momentum its forceful charge. Before it could react, the Goblin King¡¯s fist had already landed on its body. The effect of the violent strike immediately erupted. The giant lizard originally wanted to rely on its shell to withstand the attack, but it immediately cracked from the impact, and its body fell to the ground at a faster speed than before. With a loud boom, a large amount of dirt and gravel rose into the sky, and the ground began to shake violently. A huge pit was formed in an instant, and the purple lizard let out a painful howl. The Goblin King wouldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity. After jumping into the pit, it raised its huge fists and slammed down. Bang! The sound of the impact reverberated in all directions, but the purple lizard¡¯s shell still played a big role in defense. Even though it was cracked by the armor-breaking effect of the Violent Strike, it still helped the lizard withstand most of the damage. The next moment, the giant purple lizard suddenly jumped out of the pit, dragging along the Goblin King on its back. As it landed on the ground, the giant lizard immediately began to ram its body sideways in an attempt to throw the Goblin King off. However, the Goblin King had grabbed onto its shell in advance. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn¡¯t shake the Goblin King off. On the contrary, the latter seized the opportunity to launch another wave of attacks. The battle between the two sides was direct and brutal. The ground shook and countless trees and stones were knocked into the air. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s still not enough. It¡¯s a good thing I chose to fuse them first. Otherwise, there is no way that creature from before would be able to hold on.¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed. If he didn¡¯t make that choice, that trash from before probably wouldn¡¯t even last a second with the giant lizard. As the battle continued, the surrounding terrain was completely destroyed. [How is it going, Wuyue? ] Zhou Mingrui immediately asked. [I still need time. This stone is more difficult to deal with than I expected. Why? Are you holding on fine?] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice came over. Glancing at the two creatures still engaged in battle, Zhou Mingrui immediately replied, [We can still hold on. You should speed up on your side too, in case anything else happens.] [Okay, I¡¯ll be careful on my side. You have to pay attention to your safety too. If you really can¡¯t handle it, just give up and let it come over.] After the two of them finished communicating with each other, Zhou Mingrui looked up at the battlefield again. The battle had already entered the climax. The big lizard¡¯s shell is almost shattered, with green blood flowing out of many places, dripping to the ground. The Goblin King also began to sustain injuries, but because it was an undead servant, coupled with the effects of Diamond Body and Rapid Recovery, its injuries recovered at a visible rate. From this battle, it could be seen that the Goblin King¡¯s attributes were not a match for the purple lizard. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it had the advantage of quick recovery and its grasp of the battle opportunities, the Goblin King might have already been defeated. However, the consequence of this bloody battle was that the energy in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was rapidly depleting. It completely exceeded the speed of his natural recovery. However, Zhou Mingrui could not back away. His current mission was to stall for time as much as possible. At this moment, the large purple lizard that had been fighting the Goblin King suddenly became more violent. Originally, it was still slightly defensive. But at this instant, it had switched completely into an offensive mode, fighting in a way that was exhanging injury for injury. With this, even with the two-fold support from its recovery talents, the injuries on the Goblin King¡¯s body began to worsen. However, Zhou Mingrui ordered it to continue taking the attacks. There was only one possibility for the big purple lizard¡¯s reaction, which was that something had happened at Yan Wuyue¡¯s side, forcing the big lizard to react at the cost of its own injury. However, it did not know that the Goblin King was an undead servant. Under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s command, it was not afraid of death. After a few rounds of fighting, the big lizard finally realized that this creature in front of it was trying to hold it back no matter what. It immediately went berserk. The dark purple shell on its body suddenly began to expand, and the cracks on it flickered with a blood-red light, as if blood vessels were constantly flashing and expanding. With a ripping sound, like a pair of scissors cutting through cloth, a large bloody gash appeared on the Goblin King¡¯s chest. ¡°It went berserk?¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned when he saw this. He immediately ordered the Goblin King to retreat, but in a split second, its strong body was already sent flying by a forceful sweep from the giant purple lizard¡¯s tail. Even with the damage reduction effects from its diamond body, it was still heavily injured by this attack. Chapter 144 - I Know of a Secret Technique I Know of a Secret Technique Seeing that it had sent the Goblin King flying, the giant purple lizard quickly seized the opportunity to turn around and dig into the ground, then went underground. Zhou Mingrui did not order the Goblin King to give chase. Putting aside the possibility of even defeating this lizard, the Goblin King had no idea to dig a hole. [Wuyue, I can¡¯t stall any longer. Are you done already? Even if you aren¡¯t, leave immediately. This thing just went berserk!] Zhou Mingrui immediately contacted Yan Wuyue. [Alright, I got it. Just give me a little more time and I¡¯ll get it right away.] Yan Wuyue responded. [It¡¯s still not settled?] Zhou Mingrui was shocked. He quickly estimated the timing of the lizard¡¯s arrival, including the possibility that it would be even faster after going berserk. He hastily said, [If you can¡¯t do it within 40 seconds, you¡¯ll be in danger.] At the same time, he kept the Goblin King into the summoned creature space, where it could rest and slowly recover from its injuries. Then, he chased after Yan Wuyue at his fastest speed. Yan Wuyue was also very anxious. She didn¡¯t expect the stone in front of her to be so difficult to deal with. It was completely different from the information she had received. The red agate emitted a captivating glow that could affect people¡¯s minds, but it was useless against Yan Wuyue, who had an extremely firm will. The reason why it was difficult to deal with was that this stone seemed to have developed some kind of intelligence. It resisted Yan Wuyue with its own special talent. If it were in her previous life, Yan Wuyue could have easily dealt with this stone with her strength. Yan Wuyue had broken the stone in half, and the life crystal inside was even visible to the naked eye. But Yan Wuyue had already sensed that crisis was getting nearer and nearer. ¡°I miscalculated!¡± Yan Wuyue was extremely unwilling, but as a rational person, she chose to give up the treasure that she was so close to getting. She quickly left and hid. A few seconds after Yan Wuyue left, the ground rumbled and the purple lizard broke out of it. As soon as it appeared, it circled the stone to make sure the crystals were still there. Its glowing red shells also dimmed down, and then lay down beside the stone with a sense of fatigue. However, its eyes were still scanning the surroundings vigilantly. Zhou Mingrui had caught up and came to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side. She had told him when she decided to stop taking the risk and go into hiding. [It¡¯s a pity that we didn¡¯t succeed this time.] Yan Wuyue was annoyed. [What happened? Didn¡¯t you say that it should be fine?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [That was my mistake. I thought this stone would be the same as the one I met in my previous life, so I underestimated its toughness.] Yan Wuyue let out a long breath. [Forget it. Everyone makes mistakes. It would have been better if I had held the lizard back for a while longer.] Zhou Mingrui sighed. [That¡¯s different. You¡¯ve already tried your best, and you even lasted much longer than I originally expected. Otherwise, I would have given up long ago.] Yan Wuyue immediately comforted him. [So you¡¯re saying that we won¡¯t be able to get this thing?] Zhou Mingrui was a little indignant. [No, there might still be a chance, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work.] Yan Wuyue replied thoughtfully. [What do you mean? ] Zhou Mingrui immediately turned his head and asked. [You inflicted those injuries on the giant lizard, right?] Yan Wuyue asked. [Yup, it was caused by my undead servant, but at the same time it was also seriously injured by the lizard. It will take at least half a day to recover.] Zhou Mingrui replied. [Didn¡¯t I tell you before that I went to a few secret realms in my previous life? I once obtained a secret technique in an intermediate secret realm.] Yan Wuyue said. [Secret technique? What¡¯s that?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. Yan Wuyue explained, [It¡¯s to seal a skill in a special container. Then, others can use the skill within a certain period of time. However, there will be a difference in the effect and power of the skill compared to the original. ] [As for the secret technique it¡¯s also very simple. It allows the summoner¡¯s consciousness to temporarily enter the summoner¡¯s spirit, and then for a short period of time, he can rely on his strong consciousness and mental power to burst out a power that surpasses the summoner spirit¡¯s own powers. [What are the side effects?] Zhou Mingrui knew that such a powerful secret technique would definitely have very strong side effects. [Because it¡¯s a temporary descent from a physical body, the consumption of your consciousness and spirit will be terrifying.] [if you don¡¯t do it properly, you may even consume and damage the source of your own consciousness. In a light case, your own mental consciousness may be damaged or scattered. In a serious case, you may become a vegetable or an idiot.] Yan Wuyue answered with a serious face. [There¡¯s no need to do this. It¡¯s not worth it.] Zhou Mingrui thought for a moment and shook his head. [No, this crystal is worth it. ] Yan Wuyue said with a frown. [Why?] Zhou Mingrui asked, [According to what you¡¯ve said, the life crystal is nothing more than a treasure that can be used to replenish all sorts of energy. If you accidentally exhaust your consciousness source for this thing, won¡¯t it be a waste of effort even if you use it to replenish your consciousness damage?] [This was my previous speculation. When I saw what was inside, I had to redefine all of my speculations.] Yan Wuyue said solemnly. [What do you mean? The life crystal was more valuable than expected?] Zhou Mingrui pressed. [Yes. If I can get my hands on it, I will be able to bring forward some of my plans.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes moved slightly. [So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to use a secret technique to possess me?] Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t pursue the matter regarding the life crystal. [No, I won¡¯t be using this secret technique. You¡¯ll be the one using it.] Yan Wuyue suddenly said something that stunned Zhou Mingrui. [What? You want me to use this secret technique?] Zhou Mingrui frowned. But the next moment, he immediately understood and said, [You want me to use this secret technique and then possess my summoned spirit?] Yan Wuyue nodded and said, [That¡¯s right. First of all, you¡¯re different from me. You have an energy body. As a human, our consciousness and spiritual bodies are very fragile when they leave the physical body, but you don¡¯t have to worry about this.] [And with the life crystal, we¡¯ll have something to back us up. We won¡¯t have to worry about recovery for our consciousness source.] [The most important thing is that the combat enhancement I get after possessing you and the combat enhancement you get after possessing your undead servants are two different things.] By now, Zhou Mingrui had already understood Yan Wuyue¡¯s intention. He also knew that this was the best choice at the moment. Chapter 145 - Soul Attachment The secret skill: Soul Attachment [Okay, we¡¯ll do as you say. I hope the life crystal is as good as you say. Otherwise, we¡¯ll suffer a huge loss. ] Zhou Mingrui agreed with Yan Wuyue¡¯s plan. After all, it was not his style to give up on these treasures. Yan Wuyue immediately told Zhou Mingrui everything about the secret skill which made him stunned. He had thought that this secret skill would be very complicated, but he did not expect the principle to be so simple. It was really beyond his expectations. However, Zhou Mingrui quickly learned the secret skill. The secret skill¡¯s name was very simple, Soul Attachment. At the end of the day, this secret skill was to forcibly separate one¡¯s consciousness and then put it into the summoned spirit. In conclusion, it was about the two core technologies of separation and compatibility. Without any hesitation, he chose to use this secret skill because he trusted Yan Wuyue. First, they kept a long distance between themselves and the purple-skinned lizard. The next moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly had a strange feeling. His entire body immediately began to turn light as if he had turned into a feather. However, he found that his body was not in a detached state, as Yan Wuyue had described. [What the¡­ ] Yan Wuyue was also stunned by this scene. After all, she had let others use this secret skill before, but this situation had never happened to anyone. No matter who used this secret skill, the first thing they did was to pull out their spiritual consciousness before entering the summoned spirit¡¯s body. However, after Zhou Mingrui used it, his body began to transform completely into energy. Following that, his aura turned into nothingness. Zhou Mingrui did not know about this. He still followed Yan Wuyue¡¯s instructions and began to summon the goblin king after he felt as light as a feather. After the king of Goblin appeared, his injuries had mostly recovered. Zhou Mingrui tried to enter his body with his feather-light body. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui could sense that the goblin king¡¯s body was resisting. However, when he ordered him to give up, he entered his body. This scene also shocked Yan Wuyue, for none of the people who had used it could enter the summoned spirit so easily. Could it be that they had used it incorrectly? The moment he entered the goblin king¡¯s body, Zhou Mingrui could sense its consciousness but nothing uncomfortable. The goblin king¡¯s consciousness obediently stayed in the corner, quietly and without any resistance. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui immediately followed Yan Wuyue¡¯s instructions and took over control of this body. The explosive force and abundant energy of this powerful body immediately gave him a strong sense of confidence. However, he still felt a lot of strange feelings. It wasn¡¯t that his body was rejecting it, but it was something rather unique. It was a very strange feeling, just like in the VR games in his previous life. He was controlling everything, but he felt like he was watching the scene from a third-person perspective. He even felt like he was driving a Gundam! However, Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t think too much about it. Instead, he noticed something abnormal in front of him. A sense of danger and anger rose in his heart. He knew that it was the goblin king¡¯s emotions, but it did not affect Zhou Mingrui¡¯s judgment. [ Since my soul is in this body, can I still use the phantom energy? ] With that thought in mind, Zhou Mingrui immediately began his attempt. Just as Zhou Mingrui activated his mind, a translucent and white flame suddenly appeared in his consciousness. In the blink of an eye, his massive body began to burn with translucent phantom flames. [ I can actually use the phantom energy! ] The familiar energy calmed Zhou Mingrui instantly. As he raised his hand and a light flickered, the enlarged Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared out of thin air and came to his hand. Yan Wuyue was surprised again. After the transformation with the secret skill, one couldn¡¯t use their original energy and skills. They could only use the skills of the summoned spirit. However, looking at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current state, she noticed that he wasn¡¯t limited by this rule. Moreover, there didn¡¯t seem to be any obstruction at all. It was as if he could control the skills as he pleased in his own body, which made her puzzled. Boom! This time, the purple-skinned lizard had learned its lesson. It did not choose to sneak attack like before but directly launched an attack. After the previous battle, it was already tired of the long fight and was ready to try its best to get rid of this annoying green-skinned thing. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s grip on the tranquil flame saber tightened. After he raised his hand and slashed out with all his might, the whistling sound in the air was extremely ear-piercing. The purple-skinned giant lizard didn¡¯t hesitate. It swung its tail, which was covered with spikes, and used its body¡¯s powerful strength to collide with Nether Flame Bone Blade. Although it didn¡¯t know where this guy got the weapon, it was very confident in the strength and hardness of its tail. ¡°Thud!¡± A deafening collision that sounded like a thunderstorm rang out in the arena. Under the huge collision, the terrifying recoil acted on both sides at the same time, and the purple-skinned lizard was forced back a few steps. Meanwhile, its tail was trembling slightly. Zhou Mingrui was also forced to retreat, and every step left a deep mark on the ground. Relying on this body¡¯s powerful talent and the support of his energy, he was able to weaken the force to avoid any damage to his body. The moment both parties were knocked back, they launched an attack almost at the same time. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s goal this time was to keep fighting to buy himself more time, so he did not use any overly powerful moves. Instead, he chose to exhaust his opponent¡¯s stamina as much as possible. Although Yan Wuyue had previously mentioned that the secret skill would rapidly consume the user¡¯s spiritual energy, Zhou Mingrui did not think it was that demanding. With the current rate of consumption, he would not be affected for 30 minutes. After two rounds of fighting, the purple-skinned giant lizard suddenly trembled, and a red light burst out from its body again. Zhou Mingrui perked up and knew that Yan Wuyue had begun to make her move. A deafening howl louder than before came to their ears, and it was obvious that the big lizard had gone ballistic. Zhou Mingrui had seen such a scene before, so he was ready to fight. However, when his blade collided with the big lizard¡¯s tail, the terrifying force from his wrist made his expression change. His entire body immediately slid backward, and his feet plowed two long ravines on the ground. Chapter 146 - The Intense Battle The Intense Battle When Zhou Mingrui stopped, he could feel his hands trembling. The attack just now had almost sent the weapon in his hand flying, and his purlicue holding the hilt was split open. ¡°No wonder the goblin king was able to stand its ground but was defeated in a few hits. The increase in strength is too terrifying.¡± While Zhou Mingrui was still feeling shocked, the purple-skinned lizard charged at him at a speed that was completely out of line with its body. From the looks of it, it was prepared to go all out. Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath and immediately activated his skill, Bloodthirsty Rage. [Bloodthirsty Rage] [Skill effect: Activate the goblin king¡¯s bloodline in your body and enter the bloodline state. All attributes will be increased by 60%, and pain will be increased by 30%. Every time you are injured, your attributes and pain will be increased by 100%. ] The next moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, which were so dense that they looked like a spider¡¯s web. The blood in his body began to churn, and a sense of endless strength emerged, constantly stimulating his nerves. At that moment, the purple-skinned lizard was already ten meters in front of him. Zhou Mingrui immediately exerted his strength and struck out with the blade in his hand. With a half-turn, Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand slashed toward the purple-skinned lizard. Bang! Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand, which was holding onto the blade¡¯s hilt, was once again numbed by the recoil. However, he quickly recovered with his powerful physical body. ¡°F*ck!¡± The intense pain was amplified by Bloodthirsty Rage, directly acting on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s brain and triggering the goblin king¡¯s ferocious nature. Although his consciousness had given up control of his body, his body¡¯s senses were still connected. He could feel what Zhou Mingrui could feel. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Zhou Mingrui bellowed. With another furious roar, he turned around and struck out with his blade again. As the two sides continued to clash, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Bloodthirsty Rage state rapidly increased under constant stimulation. However, the pain he felt also increased. After a few strikes, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s sense of pain was amplified to the point where it felt like his body was suffering more than being torn apart on the spot. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Bloodthirsty Rage had elevated his strength to the point where he could go head-to-head with the purple-skinned lizard. After the intense fighting, the large lizard¡¯s purple carapace had already been mostly shattered from the constant collisions, and blood was constantly seeping out. As for Zhou Mingrui, his body was also riddled with wounds from constant and intense collisions. The purple-skinned lizard let out a roar and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. At this point, everyone could see the intense murderous intent in its eyes. Zhou Mingrui did not show any fear as he slashed out with his serene flame blade. At this moment, he understood that he could no longer be on the defensive. If he could not stall for time, his opponent might even seize the chance to completely suppress him. Catching the right moment was a game-changing skill. In a situation where their strength was similar, whoever controlled the situation would be closer to victory. Not to mention, the purple-skinned lizard¡¯s strength and attributes were already above him. After all, the original goblin king had been defeated in this way, so he couldn¡¯t ignore it. With a loud bang, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s blade collided with the purple-skinned lizard. The next moment, he was sent flying into the air along with his blade. He flew more than ten meters before he crashed on the ground. The moment he stood up, he coughed out some blood. The enhanced pain made him let out a low growl, and he felt like he was dead by a thousand cuts. ¡°It would be great if I could use my own skills.¡± Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to give it a try, the purple-skinned lizard had already charged in front of him. This time, it even used the sharp horn on its head to aim at him, for it was ready to end the battle. If Zhou Mingrui was stabbed, the horn would go straight through his chest. There was no doubt that he would be kicked back to the summoning space to wait for his rebirth, so he knew he had to make a move immediately. Zhou Mingrui used all his strength, and the short amount of time was only enough for him to hold the blade horizontally in front of his chest. ¡°Clang!¡± After the purple-skinned lizard¡¯s horn collided with Nether Flame Bone Blade, the muscles on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms suddenly bulged. The immense force immediately struck him through the blade. Zhou Mingrui immediately adjusted his posture and relaxed his muscles to dissipate the force as much as possible. However, even so, he was still unable to completely withstand the strike, and even the most stable horse-riding posture was of no use. His feet plowed two deep ravines on the ground, and a large crack appeared on his purlicues. The skin on his arms, which had been stretched taut, cracked under this force, and blood began to flow out like a river with its gates opened. Hearing the rumbling sound of the rolling earth, Zhou Mingrui felt that not only was he in intense pain but there was also a wave of anger that was constantly affecting his mind. However, Zhou Mingrui continued to endure the pain and wasn¡¯t affected by the anger. On the contrary, he used pain to increase the amplification of his skills. This also made Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strength increase as his speed of retreat began to slow down. Under the impact of the pain, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attributes continued to rise. However, the speed at which he was increasing was still unable to withstand the huge lizard¡¯s attack. Besides the overwhelming pain, the feeling of his internal organs being crashed to the point of being jolted together by the impact was enough to make him want to die. Under such circumstances, Zhou Mingrui subconsciously used his skill. [ Phantom Riot- mutation]! At this moment, a special node suddenly appeared in the goblin king¡¯s body. The node existed out of time, and an extremely powerful phantom energy suddenly gushed out and filled his body. Zhou Mingrui suddenly felt a familiar energy surge out of his body. However, it was more powerful than before. Meanwhile, the goblin king¡¯s body, which was more than five meters tall with Bloodthirsty Rage, suddenly tensed up. The translucent phantom energy turned into invisible flames burning around his body. His grew to eight meters in height within a second, and his body size also doubled. His body, which had been continuously retreating, suddenly stopped at this time. ¡°Bastard!¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui felt an explosive power in his body. He looked at the purple-skinned lizard in front of him and immediately dispersed Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand. His hands grabbed the purple-skinned lizard¡¯s sharp horn. It raised its head in confusion, but the next moment, it saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes that were filled with viciousness. ¡°It¡¯s time to have a taste of despair for you!¡± [ Samsara Territory-mutation] Chapter 147 - A New Secret Skill A New Secret Skill When the skill was activated, the massive phantom energy that Zhou Mingrui had just gathered in his body dissipated immediately. However, at the same time, the space around the two monsters suddenly produced bolts of lightning. Then, the space seemed to be clear water with ink. The surrounding space suddenly became dark and chaotic, and illusionary figures were faintly visible. ¡°F*uck off!¡± Zhou Mingrui roared as the hands he used to grab the lizard¡¯s horn burst forth. The next second, he lifted the lizard¡¯s entire body into the air. The purple-skinned lizard began to roar as it prepared to kick Zhou Mingrui with its forelimbs. However, Zhou Mingrui was even faster, stomping on the big lizard¡¯s chest in its lower body. There was only a layer of soft armor, not the extremely hard shell on the back. The kick in the chest sent the giant lizard¡¯s entire body into the air. Immediately following that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s other leg kicked out as well. Just like that, the two powerful knee strikes caused the big lizard to lean back and fall to the ground. The big lizard was still in a daze, for it didn¡¯t know why it was getting more and more difficult to fight when it had holden the whip hand. Its battle experience told it that the most difficult part of a fight was the beginning but should be easier and easier after. However, it was the opposite today. The surrounding environment had also changed completely. It was no longer the familiar terrain, and the aura was somewhat intimidating. Zhou Mingrui did not dare to hesitate. After casting Samsara Territory, he realized the expenditure of his consciousness and mental energy had increased by many folds. Based on the speed of the consumption, Zhou Mingrui had to get rid of the huge lizard within ten minutes. Otherwise, his spiritual essence would be damaged. Zhou Mingrui did not wish to waste any time, so he was prepared to unleash his full strength to severely injure the purple-skinned lizard. He knew that with his current strength, there was no way he could kill the monster completely. All he could do was stall for time as much as possible. Even though he had ten minutes, he needed some time to leave this body. In short, there were only seven minutes left for me. [ I can only delay him for seven minutes at most. Hurry up! ] Zhou Mingrui informed Yan Wuyue. [ That¡¯s enough. Protect yourself. ] Yan Wuyue also responded immediately. Upon hearing this answer, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart calmed down as he charged straight for the giant lizard. Nether Flame Bone Blade immediately appeared in his hand, and he slashed at the big lizard. This time, the blade was burning with translucent phantom flames. This is where Yan Wuyue was. Ten seconds after the purple lizard left, Yan Wuyue rushed to the rock and began to dismantle it as fast as she could. She knew that Zhou Mingrui was definitely having a difficult battle with the huge lizard. She did not dare to waste a single second, so she gave it her all this time. The speed of dismantling kept increasing, and the accuracy soon reached about 90%. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui sent a message to Yan Wuyue, which cheered her up. Seven minutes was more than enough for her to deal with the rock. Three minutes were left, and the life crystal was almost fully exposed. It glowed with mesmerizing red light. [ It¡¯ll be done soon. ] Yan Wuyue kept thinking, hoping to solve the rock immediately. However, at this moment, a feeling of extreme danger appeared in her heart. Without hesitation, Yan Wuyue moved and dodged to the side. The moment she left, a silver ray of light shot directly at the spot where she had been standing before. Then, the ground in that area immediately glowed with a black light. After Yan Wuyue found her balance again, she saw from the corner of her eye that the black light was a kind of sticky liquid, which melted into a small pit as soon as it touched the ground. Squinting her eyes, she discovered that a huge insect had appeared in front of her. It was flapping its wings and constantly buzzing. [ Why a man-devouring bee is here? ] Yan Wuyue was speechless. Something would always happen at a critical moment, which gave her a headache. What made her even more helpless was that this kind of insect monster was very difficult to deal with. Not only were they extremely fast, but they were also very poisonous. Feeling desperate, she narrowed her eyes and immediately made a decision. [ Let¡¯s hope everything will be fine. ] Yan Wuyue thought. A spear suddenly appeared in her hand, and then her forehead began to flush. The man-devouring bee had its eyes on the crystal, but it suddenly sensed Yan Wuyue¡¯s aura. [Secret Skill- In a Flash ] In the next moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body suddenly became blurry. The man-devouring bee suddenly flapped its wings at an extremely fast speed, and it rose up two meters in half a second. However, in half a second, a silver light flashed. With a ripping sound, a large hole opened up in the abdomen of the man-devouring bee, and a pink liquid gushed out. In just an instant, the man-devouring bee¡¯s entire upper and lower body was only connected by a layer of skin. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, was standing on the ground with her spear, gasping for breath. The attack just now had consumed most of her physical strength and energy. [ Thank God! I barely met the usage requirements, or I would be in trouble. ] After calming down, Yan Wuyue returned to the life crystal and continued to harvest. Fortunately, Yan Wuyue was right to kill the man-devouring bee, or the life crystal would¡¯ve been in vain. Soon, the life crystal was fully extracted. Yan Wuyue let out a sigh of relief. Quickly putting it into her bag, Yan Wuyue immediately hid to the side and sent a voice transmission to Zhou Mingrui, [ It¡¯s done. Come back now! ] A few seconds later, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t get any reply, so she frowned and said, [ Zhou Mingrui, what¡¯s going on over there? ] Two seconds later, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice finally came from the other end. [ This guy went crazy after you succeeded and launched a desperate attack on me. I can¡¯t get away for the time being. Find a place to hide and wait for me. ] Yan Wuyue quickly asked, [Do you need help? ] [ It¡¯s good. I won¡¯t be able to run away if you come. ] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s nervous voice could be heard. [ I have to focus now, but I¡¯ll come to you once I¡¯m done! ] [ Be careful! ] Yan Wuyue warned. No more sound came from the other side, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s physical strength had not recovered yet, so she would only be a burden if she went to the battlefield. In the end, she could only find a hidden place to hide. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was rather pathetic. The moment Yan Wuyue received the life crystal, the purple-skinned lizard, which had been attacked by Zhou Mingrui, suddenly raised its head and roared at the sky. Chapter 148 - Go Ballistic Go Ballistic The next moment, the lizard began to launch a frenzied attack on Zhou Mingrui as though it had lost its mind and did not care about the damage it would receive. Furthermore, during the battle, Zhou Mingrui also realized that the lizard¡¯s strength seemed to have activated a skill similar to bloodlust rage. It was constantly being strengthened. The small advantage he had gained from Samsara Territory had now been gone, and he was now at a disadvantage. And this time, it was different. Every attack of the big lizard was empowered by unknown energy. Looking at the wound he had just been cut, a light brown pus had begun to appear on it, and it even emitted a faint stench. It was obvious that the lizard¡¯s attack had some special attribute. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui wanted to escape, but there was nothing he could do. He was still activating Samsara Territory, and he couldn¡¯t imagine what the consequence would be once the skill didn¡¯t work anymore. After replying to Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui started to think. If he didn¡¯t solve the problem now, he might not be able to escape after the time was up. The situation immediately fell into a stalemate, which left Zhou Mingrui extremely vexed. Furthermore, Zhou Mingrui could vaguely sense that the giant lizard had entered a state of desperation, which meant he would definitely be at a disadvantage if he were to fight against a creature that did not care about its life. Three minutes later, Zhou Mingrui made a decision. The spatial vision of Samsara Territory around him disappeared immediately and returned to its state before. When Samsara Territory disappeared, Zhou Mingrui immediately burst out with his fastest speed and left the battlefield. Within a second, Zhou Mingrui immediately ran off. This scene stunned the purple-skinned lizard before it came back to its senses. After that, it roared and burrowed into the ground to chase after Zhou Mingrui. In its mind, the treasure that it had guarded for thirteen years had been stolen by these thieves. How could it let them go like this? It couldn¡¯t find the bastard who stole it, but it definitely couldn¡¯t forgive the guy in front of it. The only thing the purple-skinned giant lizard had in its mind was to kill this guy. [ Where are you? I¡¯ve seized the opportunity to get rid of this guy, but it¡¯s still chasing us. We must find a chance to get rid of this monster completely. ] Upon hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s urgent words, Yan Wuyue immediately replied, [Based on my previous observations, we can completely shake it off with its normal speed. However, if we let it go underground, its speed will completely exceed its running speed on the ground. ] [ There are only a few specific ways to avoid it. Either we kill it, or we keep a distance from it after it doesn¡¯t burrow into the ground. ] Upon hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui raised a question, [Why do I feel like it¡¯s tracking us? It went crazy after you took the life crystal. I think there¡¯s some sort of connection between them. ] Hearing this, Yan Wuyue suddenly remembered that in his previous life, the person who had obtained the life crystal had said that the guarding monster was also chasing them relentlessly. If those people hadn¡¯t bitten the bullet and used schemes and ambushes to completely kill that monster, there would probably have been no end to it. In fact, there was another way, and that was to leave this spatial secret realm. In that case, the lizard would definitely not be able to chase them out. However, it hadn¡¯t been easy for them to enter the spatial secret realm, so they couldn¡¯t just run away for a life crystal. Besides, it would be extremely difficult to enter the spatial secret realm of another space once they left it unless they had a summoned spirit or treasure with the ability to locate the space. Moreover, his life wasn¡¯t in danger, so they didn¡¯t have to leave. [ Tell me what to do now. I¡¯m not familiar with this spatial secret realm, so you are my only hope to get out of here!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s urging voice came to her. At this time, he could clearly sense that the big lizard behind him was still in hot pursuit, which gave him a huge headache. Even though he could maintain this state for a longer period of time now that Samsara Territory had been deactivated, he still couldn¡¯t keep running. [I¡¯m thinking. Give me a little more time.] By now, Yan Wuyue was trying her best to come up with a solution. At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind. [I¡¯ve got it. Zhou Mingrui, hang in there. I¡¯ve come up with a plan, but I need time to make sure it¡¯s practical!] Yan Wuyue said immediately. [How much time do you need?] Zhou Mingrui did not say anything else. Instead, he asked directly. [ Five to ten minutes,] Yan Wuyue answered. [Okay, please, I believe in you.] Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t say too much, for he only had trust in her. Without wasting any time, Yan Wuyue immediately rushed to where the man-devouring bee¡¯s corpse was. After a quick search of the body, Yan Wuyue found what she was looking for. It was a pale yellow crystal that emitted a faint sweet fragrance. After finding the location where the man-devouring bee had appeared in her memory, Yan Wuyue rushed out after making sure of the direction. After running for a distance, she kept looking around and scanning the surrounding environment. [ The man-devouring bees usually don¡¯t go too far away from their community to hunt, which should be within a five-kilometer radius. ] Yan Wuyue recalled her past memories and began to search carefully to make sure. After running for about two kilometers, Yan Wuyue began to pant. She hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, and running at full speed consumed more than half of her energy. At this moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly locked in a direction where there was a rather dense forest. Without hesitation, Yan Wuyue turned around and rushed into the forest. She quickly found what she was looking for. It was the territory of the man-devouring bees, which had a large number of beehives. After observing it for a while, Yan Wuyue took out the small piece of yellow crystal from her pocket, crushed it into powder in her palm, and threw it out. Three seconds later, all the man-devouring bees around the nest suddenly went berserk and rushed in Yan Wuyue¡¯s direction. At this time, Yan Wuyue had already rushed out in advance. Even if she didn¡¯t turn around, she could still hear the constant buzzing behind her. She didn¡¯t dare to stop, for she would have no chance of surviving if they caught her. Her plan this time was to use the man-devouring bees behind her to deal with the purple-skinned lizard. As for how to change the target of the man-devouring bees, the yellow crystal that she had taken out from the corpse of the man-devouring bee should be her answer. This yellow crystal had a lot of uses. Chapter 149 - Getting Rid of the Giant Lizard Getting Rid of the Giant Lizard [ Zhou Mingrui, where are you now? Tell me where to meet up. I have a way of dealing with that giant lizard!] When Zhou Mingrui was running for his life and heard this, he immediately felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. After thinking for a while, he decided on the meeting point according to the current speed and told Yan Wuyue. [ How sure are you? ] Zhou Mingrui asked as he ran. [ Let¡¯s say there is a 50% chance you can save us, but I have 80%, ] Yan Wuyue said honestly. [ Okay, you know what? This bastard is still chasing me without giving me a chance to catch my breath. If you were five minutes late, he would have caught up to me, ] Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. He wasn¡¯t talking nonsense. At his current speed, if he didn¡¯t run toward the area that limited the lizard, he would have been caught up by now. After all, moving underground and moving on the ground were two different things. After they came to an agreement, Zhou Mingrui immediately turned around and headed toward his destination. Soon after, he arrived at the meeting point. He stopped first. When they were close enough, Yan Wuyue arrived just as planned. They didn¡¯t say anything to each other but started to work on their plan. First, the purple-skinned lizard broke out of the ground. At the same time, Yan Wuyue crushed the yellow crystal in her hand and threw it at the lizard. The big lizard that had just come out of the ground felt a special smell on its body, but it didn¡¯t know what it meant. At this moment, its target was still that damned green-skinned creature! [ Let¡¯s go!] Yan Wuyue immediately asked Zhou Mingrui to take her with him, then turned around and ran. When the purple-skinned lizard saw that the two were about to run, it roared and was about to pounce on them. However, at this moment, a loud buzzing sound suddenly rang out. The big lizard turned around and saw a dense mass of light brown figures coming toward it. After staring at them for a moment, it found a terrifying scene formed by giant man-devouring bees, like a cloud curtain. The big lizard¡¯s great intuition made it shiver. Unlike humans, its strong intuition told it that the man-devouring bees¡¯ target was it, but it couldn¡¯t figure out why. If it was a single bee, it wouldn¡¯t be afraid. However, with such a large number of them, even if its strength had doubled, it would still have had to run away. Moreover, the direction that the bastard was running in was the direction that the devouring bees were coming from. Thus, the purple-skinned lizard burrowed into the ground without any hesitation and fled in the opposite direction. Hearing the deafening buzzing, Zhou Mingrui felt his scalp go numb as he watched the dense swarm of man-devouring bees flying above his head. [Are you sure they won¡¯t attack us?] Zhou Mingrui asked worriedly. [Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already scattered all the bee crystals on that monster. The man-devouring bees¡¯ target is it.] Yan Wuyue explained in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms. [How does it work?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [They are human-devouring bees. I happened to see its information in my previous life. The noble warrior-level and above in the human-devouring bee colony all have a bee crystal that contains essence in their body. ] [ Once the bee crystals are out of their bodies, it means that the man-devouring bees are dead. When the others sense the smell, they¡¯ll immediately start a mass hunt to avenge their kind,] Yan Wuyue explained. [ I see. Does that mean that the big lizard is dead for sure?] A smile appeared on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. After all, he had been chased for more than ten kilometers by it. He was a good-tempered person, but he was pretty annoyed. [Well, at least before the smell of the bee crystal dissipates, that guy can only run.] Yan Wuyue also heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Yan Wuyue, who had sweat on her forehead and a flush on her cheeks while she panted, Zhou Mingrui also complained, [Don¡¯t take such risks next time. If we didn¡¯t happen to encounter these man-devouring bees, we would probably still be in danger. ] Yan Wuyue wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, [I didn¡¯t expect the life crystal to be so special. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. ] [Oh yes, you haven¡¯t told me how special the life crystal is, ] Zhou Mingrui said curiously. Yan Wuyue thought for a second and said, [To put it simply, the life crystal we¡¯ve obtained is a mutated version. Normally, life crystals contain a limited amount of energy, but this one¡¯s probably mutated because of the spatial secret realm. ] [Both the quantity and quality of the energy have a great effect on us.] Zhou Mingrui nodded and said, [Is that so? I can swallow the anger of being hunted down then. Otherwise, it would suck to be hunted down for no reason. [This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you so helpless.] Yan Wuyue suddenly laughed. [I am sure it would be the same for you!] Zhou Mingrui said angrily. [ Alright, I know you¡¯ve worked hard. Thank you. We were prepared for dangers and tough battles when we came in, weren¡¯t we? ] Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s chest. [ Alright, you are right. I¡¯m too tired to talk anymore.] Zhou Mingrui helplessly exhaled. After all the man-devouring bees left, Zhou Mingrui checked around to make sure there was no danger. He began his get out of the goblin king¡¯s body. When the transparent body separated from the Goblin King¡¯s body, it returned to its normal body. [To be honest, this secret skill is made for you. ] Yan Wuyue said enviously after seeing this scene. [What do you mean? ] Zhou Mingrui asked after sensing his body¡¯s condition. [For others like me, our bodies would be separated from our consciousness under this skill, so we would need someone to help take care of us when we blackout. It didn¡¯t happen to you, which means the main side effect doesn¡¯t apply to you. ] [Also, as long as we activate this secret skill, there will be obvious side effects no matter how long we use it. Well, look at you now. ] Yan Wuyue said as she sized up Zhou Mingrui. [I guess it¡¯s because of my body¡¯s special condition.] Zhou Mingrui scratched the back of his head and said. [That¡¯s the only explanation for now, or I can¡¯t think of any other possibility. However, this is also a good thing. You and I will have another trump card in the future,] Yan Wuyue said with a smile. [ Wait, you said you got the bee crystal. Does that mean you killed a man-devouring bee by yourself?] Zhou Mingrui suddenly recalled the part that Yan Wuyue had not mentioned in detail. [Yes.] Yan Wuyue nodded. [How did you kill it?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. Even though he had used all his secret skills and various moves, he couldn¡¯t have killed a monster in the spatial secret realm. Chapter 150 - Yan Wuyue, Youre Ruthless [Because I used a secret skill.] Yan Wuyue answered without hiding anything. [Secret skill? Do you know that many secret skills?] Zhou Mingrui asked in surprise. [Please, I was one of the top powerhouses of mankind in my previous life. I¡¯ve been to countless secret realms and come into contact with countless powerhouses and treasures. Is it strange to know a few secret skills?] Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes at Zhou Mingrui. [Alright, but I¡¯m curious. What kind of secret skill allowed you to kill that man-devouring bee? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re as strong as the giant lizard, but they don¡¯t seem weak either.] Zhou Mingrui immediately pressed. [The secret skill I used is called ¡°In a Flash¡±. It¡¯s a skill that can control one¡¯s breathing and body for a short period of time, allowing one to unleash a powerful attack.] Yan Wuyue explained. [If you can get rid of that man-devouring bee, it must be quite powerful. Why don¡¯t you teach me? I¡¯ll be able to get rid of that annoying thing like you the next time I encounter a situation like this.] Zhou Mingrui was a little interested. This secret skill sounded like a good thing. It was a must for the main characters in novels and anime, a powerful skill that could turn the tables. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a good skill? Furthermore, it was Zhou Mingrui who had just experienced a bitter battle. [This secret skill doesn¡¯t suit you, and you can¡¯t use it.] Yan Wuyue said, shaking her head. [Why can¡¯t I use it?] Zhou Mingrui asked with a puzzled look. [Because this secret skill requires the body¡¯s internal organs, muscles, and breathing to coordinate, and then strengthen it with energy. Do you have internal organs in your body?] Yan Wuyue asked. [I don¡¯t¡­ think so.] Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. [That¡¯s it. It¡¯s useless to give you the secret skill.] Yan Wuyue spread her hands. [Alright, we¡¯ll talk about it after my body is formed.] Left with no choice, Zhou Mingrui could only think about it later. After the chit-chat, the two of them left their hiding place. After making sure that the big lizard did not appear again, they left the place. The two of them walked carefully on the road, carefully observing the surroundings to make sure that they didn¡¯t miss anything special. At the same time, they had to be careful of any hidden dangers. About half an hour later, the two of them arrived at a place with jagged rocks. At a glance, there were only rolling hills, but none of them were tall. [The terrain here is very strange.] Zhou Mingrui said with a frown. [In the secret realm of the alternate space, all kinds of terrain can appear, and the reason for their appearance is either due to the environment or some powerful creatures.] Yan Wuyue explained. [In other words, do you suspect that there are powerful creatures here?] Zhou Mingrui understood what she meant. [It¡¯s not a suspicion. It¡¯s basically confirmed.] Yan Wuyue said again. [Then, according to what you said before, the presence of powerful monsters also means the existence of treasures?] Zhou Mingrui asked as a thought flashed through his mind. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t answer immediately, but turned to look at him and said, [In the secret realm of the alternate space, the places with treasures are almost 100% guarded by powerful monsters, but the places with powerful monsters don¡¯t necessarily have treasures.] [You have to distinguish between ¡°treasure land¡± and ¡°nest¡±, and you¡¯ll understand what I mean.] Zhou Mingrui scratched his head and said, [I understand what you mean. So, are we going in or not?] Yan Wuyue blinked in silence. Zhou Mingrui knew that she was weighing the pros and cons, so he did not ask. Soon, Zhou Mingrui saw Yan Wuyue grit her teeth and say fiercely, [We won¡¯t get anything good if we don¡¯t take risks. Let¡¯s go!] [It¡¯s not easy to make you this determined.] Zhou Mingrui teased. [Save your teasing energy for the upcoming battle.] Yan Wuyue immediately retorted, then got up and began to grope forward. The two of them began to move between the rocks. There was a large amount of gravel under their feet, and there was almost no flat ground to speak of. [Were you just thinking about what kind of monsters you know will appear in this area?] Zhou Mingrui asked as they walked along the road, feeling bored. [That¡¯s right.] Yan Wuyue was still carefully observing the surroundings. Although they could detect many dangerous existences in advance with their keen senses, some monsters had special abilities to avoid detection. [Then tell me, if we¡¯re lucky, what¡¯s the strongest monster we¡¯ll encounter?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. Yan Wuyue stopped again and turned to look at Zhou Mingrui with a strange look. [W-what¡¯s wrong?] Zhou Mingrui immediately felt his hair stand on end. [Don¡¯t say such things in the future. Many things that you¡¯ve never encountered before will happen in the secret realm of the alternate space, such as¡­ your foul mouth.] Yan Wuyue turned around and continued to grope forward. [This¡­ It can¡¯t be.] Zhou Mingrui said guiltily. [If I hadn¡¯t met before, would I have said that to you?] Yan Wuyue said lightly. [Forget it then. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t say anything. Just pretend I didn¡¯t ask.] Zhou Mingrui immediately gave in. [You don¡¯t want to say it, but I really want to say it this time.] Yan Wuyue, who had been affected by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attitude for no reason, was also upset. [I did consider this when I came in. Stone Mantises are the most likely to appear in this terrain.] Yan Wuyue began to narrate, [The Stone Mantis is extremely fast and very powerful. Its only weakness is similar to the man-devouring bees, which is that its defense is very weak. But there is another point that is the same as the man-devouring bees: it is also a monster that lives in groups.] [The Stone King Dragon is the most difficult to find. The smallest one is more than 30 meters long, and the largest one, according to witnesses, could be as tall as 100 meters.] [In terms of attack, any one of its attacks can shake mountains and crush boulders. That purple-skinned lizard might not even be able to take one hit.] [The Stone King Dragon¡¯s defense is terrifying. There are almost no known attacks that can break its defense. If it¡¯s a hundred-meter-long dragon, I think even my strongest attack won¡¯t be able to break its defense.] [It has extremely strong vitality. Even if it suffers a very serious injury, it can recover in a very short time. Its combat power can be said to be extremely terrifying.] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui first frowned before he swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, [You¡¯re the one who said it, not me. If I really meet one, you can¡¯t blame me.] Yan Wuyue sneered, [Hehe, you were the one who brought it up. Now you¡¯re scared?] Zhou Mingrui did a tactical backflip and said with a look of confusion, [To be fair, aren¡¯t you afraid that what you said will come true? It will be very awkward between you and me.] Yan Wuyue shrugged her shoulders. [So what if it appeared? You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you? You must learn to take responsibility for the things you pick.] [¡­.] Zhou Mingrui was silent for a long time. Then, he raised his hand and gave Yan Wuyue a thumbs up. [Yan Wuyue, you¡¯re ruthless!] Chapter 151 - Dont Ask Anymore, You Cant Do It Yan Wuyue just curled the corners of her mouth and said nothing. Then she continued to explore forward. Behind her, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed. He could only follow closely behind. After both parties had advanced less than thirty meters, a gray figure suddenly appeared on a stone slope. This was immediately noticed by Yan Wuyue, who was fully focused. ¡°Stone Mantis!¡± Yan Wuyue cried out in surprise, and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed. The sudden appearance of the monster was not strange, but the monster¡¯s name left Zhou Mingrui speechless. Wasn¡¯t this a slap to his face? ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Get ready for battle!¡± Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reaction, Yan Wuyue quickly shouted, ¡°This thing can turn invisible according to the surrounding scenery, just like chameleons. You must be careful of its companions that are hiding.¡± ¡°How many are there?¡± Zhou Mingrui hurriedly asked. ¡°Usually, there will be no less than thirty.¡± Yan Wuyue said in a low voice. As if to confirm Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, the surrounding rocks suddenly changed color, and Stone Mantises appeared one after another. The two of them immediately stood back to back, leaving their blind spots to their opponents, and then stared at the Stone Mantises that surrounded them. ¡°How do we fight?¡± Zhou Mingrui could only frown when he saw this. Yan Wuyue only thought for a second before saying, ¡°Your defense is high, so you¡¯ll be in charge of defense and I¡¯ll be in charge of attacking.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Zhou Mingrui replied without any hesitation. At the same time, a set of bone armor covered his body, and a spear appeared in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered with a faint white glow. Following that, the space around him began to blur as white flames began to float around him like souls. [Phantom Prison] Following that, a gigantic figure appeared beside Zhou Mingrui. It was none other than the mutated Goblin King. At this moment, as if they had seen through Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s real situation, all the Stone Mantises rushed over in unison. ¡°Block!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately gave the Goblin King an order. The latter immediately charged forward and used its massive body to finish off the two Stone Mantises on each side. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t look at it. She immediately led Zhou Mingrui to the other side. As he advanced, Zhou Mingrui summoned a two-meter-tall bone shield in front of him. At the first moment, two Stone Mantises appeared in front of him. At that moment, the phantom flames around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body began to burn. The more enemies he had in the Phantom Prison, the more buffs he would receive. The ghost fire around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body immediately burned with the infusion of energy. With a loud roar, he slammed the shield in his hand forward, colliding with the two Stone Mantises. The moment he made contact with the shield, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt a tremendous force coming from the shield. However, he was already prepared for it. How could the monsters in the alternate space be that easy? With his mind prepared, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body once again surged with energy. He immediately stabilized his body which was about to lean backward. Yan Wuyue seized the opportunity. Like a swimming dragon, she dashed out from behind Zhou Mingrui. The spear in her hand suddenly turned into a flash of silver light. The Stone Mantis, which had just collided with the shield, could not react in time. It could only raise its extremely sharp arms in an attempt to block the spear. However, at this moment, the silver light suddenly paused. Then, as if lightning had descended from the sky, it directly changed its direction after a flash. With a buzzing sound, the silver light directly pierced through the Stone Mantis¡¯s huge compound eyes. The moment the spear was pierced through, Yan Wuyue pulled it back with her hand, and crystal green liquid spurted out of the wound. At the same time, the other Stone Mantis launched another attack. Its target was Yan Wuyue, who had killed its companion. At the same time, another three Stone Mantises appeared beside them. They launched another attack at Zhou Mingrui, blocking off all their escape routes. The Goblin King behind them was besieged by a total of seven Stone Mantises and could not free itself to help them for the time being. Four more Stone Mantises bypassed the Goblin King and surrounded Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. Naturally, Yan Wuyue could sense all this. After quickly judging the current situation in her mind, she knew that if she didn¡¯t act ruthlessly now, she would be in trouble if she was besieged later. ¡°Mingrui, we can¡¯t drag this on any longer. Full force!¡± After saying this, Yan Wuyue directly activated her secret skill. This time, Zhou Mingrui witnessed the might of the secret skill. Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure flickered, and with a sudden surge of speed, she turned into an afterimage and attacked. In the blink of an eye, the spear in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand turned into a silver light and swept over the seven Stone Mantises. At this moment, the bodies of the seven Stone Mantises jerked and then fell to the ground. [So strong!] This time, Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t even see Yan Wuyue¡¯s movements clearly. ¡°Cover me!¡± By the time Yan Wuyue said this, she had already disappeared. Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate. He removed his shield and condensed his Nether Flame Bone Blade. A light gathered beneath him as he summoned his Spectral Hell Warhorse. [Flame Charge] The hell warhorse¡¯s four hooves were on fire. The next moment, it turned into a stream of fire and followed Yan Wuyue. Half a minute later, only Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue, who was leaning against a rock and gasping for breath, were left in the entire Phantom Prison. ¡°This secret skill called In a Flash consumes a lot of stamina?¡± Seeing that Yan Wuyue was so tired after only fighting for twenty seconds, he couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. After panting for a while, Yan Wuyue said, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, to exchange for this explosive power, you have to pay an extremely high price.¡± ¡°This is also due to my experience from my previous life. My control over my body is not something that ordinary people can compare to. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use such a secret skill.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I agree. How long do you need to recover your combat strength?¡± Fortunately, he had the Phantom Prison, which could temporarily block the group of Stone Mantises outside. Otherwise, the two of them would be in big trouble now. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least half an hour to recover 70%.¡± Yan Wuyue began to adjust her breathing. ¡°Half an hour, 70%?¡± Zhou Mingrui rolled his eyes and immediately asked, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have some special way to recover your energy, right?¡± Yan Wuyue shot a glance at Zhou Mingrui and closed her eyes again without saying a word. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned. ¡°Do you mean you don¡¯t want to tell me since you¡¯re acting like this?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use it even if you know.¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°What?¡± Zhou Mingrui tilted his head. ¡°Why is it that I can¡¯t use it again? Besides, why do I feel like there¡¯s a special meaning to your words? ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I advise you to ask less.¡± Yan Wuyue chuckled. Chapter 152 - The Enemy That Disappeared ¡°What do you mean? Hey, I¡¯m going to ask you today. I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Zhou Mingrui was someone who had transmigrated here. He was still alive, so how could he be bullied by Yan Wuyue like this? ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a summoned spirit like you to have the same so-called dignity as a human man,¡± Yan Wuyue sneered. ¡°Hurry up and tell me!¡± Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips. ¡°As I said before, your body is leaning towards energy. Many secret skills that are useful to humans are actually useless to you.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°I know, and then what? You haven¡¯t even gotten to the point!¡± Zhou Mingrui continued asking. ¡°And then?¡± Yan Wuyue pursed her lips. ¡°The principle of this recovery secret skill is to use energy to stimulate the acupoints of the body. This will allow all parts of the body, whether it¡¯s the muscles or the internal organs, to relax at the fastest speed.¡± ¡°As for energy, while it allows the body to recover quickly, it also stimulates the body¡¯s energy recovery and absorption. Do you understand now?¡± Zhou Mingrui fell silent. He felt his body. Although he could now transform into a physical body, he could not fully simulate the so-called internal organs. The internal organs of the human body might seem simple, but they were actually a very precise super machine. They were so precise that even the microscopic level of cells was amazing. At Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current level, it was basically impossible for him to achieve that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not talking anymore?¡± Yan Wuyue chuckled and closed her eyes to recover. ¡°I mean, is there a secret skill that I can use?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. He was really unwilling to give up just because of this secret skill! ¡°Didn¡¯t I already give you one?¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t even move. ¡°I want combat-type or recovery-type secret skill. The secret skill I have now is not of that type.¡± Zhou Mingrui said gloomily. ¡°After all, your body structure is different from ours. I really can¡¯t find a secret skill that¡¯s suitable for you.¡± Yan Wuyue said calmly. ¡°No, is there a secret skill that can activate energy?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked after some thought. ¡°You don¡¯t say. There is one. To be exact, it¡¯s not a secret skill,¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°What do you mean? Tell me.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately perked up his ears. ¡°This is a special secret skill that can cause the energy in other life forms to go berserk through a special technique.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°What? A secret skill that can cause the energy in other people¡¯s bodies to go berserk? You¡¯re telling me that this is a secret skill that can increase my combat strength?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked with an odd expression, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want me to cause the energy in my body to go berserk so that I can increase my strength?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say 100%, but you can try to study it. I think there¡¯s still hope.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Yan Wuyue, I don¡¯t want to swear.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyebrows twitched as though he was trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°Then do you want it or not?¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t seem to mind Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tone. ¡°Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I? I¡¯ve already been angered by you. If I don¡¯t want it, wouldn¡¯t I become a resentful person?¡± Zhou Mingrui said angrily. Soon, Yan Wuyue taught Zhou Mingrui the secret skill. After learning the secret skill, Zhou Mingrui fell into deep thought. However, ten seconds later, he suddenly stood up. Suddenly, a stream of phantom energy gathered on his raised palm, and then his eyes glowed with a bright light. At the same time, the phantom energy in his hand bloomed like a flower bud, directly releasing a dazzling flame. An invisible fluctuation was immediately emitted, and the entire flame began to fluctuate violently. Yan Wuyue, who was resting at the side, opened her eyes and cast her gaze at Zhou Mingrui. The flames in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s palm began to become more and more unstable as the chaotic fluctuations became more and more intense. Even the flames were completely distorted. If one didn¡¯t know, they would think that it was going to explode. However, no matter how the flames flickered, they still maintained their stability. ¡°Stop trying. It¡¯s basically impossible for you to master it in your current state. You can practice in the future.¡± Yan Wuyue finally persuaded him. Zhou Mingrui did not stop after hearing that. Instead, he continued with his experiment. However, no matter how hard he tried, the soul flames in his hand were still twisting and distorting. It could not be stabilized nor could it explode. In the end, Zhou Mingrui gave up. ¡°Try it out when you have time. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to destroy the entire Phantom Prison.¡± Yan Wuyue spoke again. Finally, Zhou Mingrui sat down on the ground and began to think about the details of the operation. About ten minutes later, Yan Wuyue finally stood up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve basically recovered. Prepare to open the Phantom Prison for the next battle.¡± Zhou Mingrui also stood up and walked to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side. After the two of them chose their positions, they re-entered their battle stances. The Goblin King and the Spectral Hell Warhorse were summoned once again, ready to fight at any moment. However, when the Phantom Prison was unlocked, the two of them were surprised to find that the Stone Mantises that should have appeared in the outside world had disappeared. The two of them didn¡¯t let down their guard and continued to observe carefully. However, when they realized that the Stone Mantises had really left, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder. However, since the Stone Mantises were gone, the two of them left the place as soon as possible, in case something happened and caused those guys to surround them again. [Why did those guys suddenly disappear?] Along the way, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue carefully observed and remained alert to their surroundings. However, they could not find any key to the Stone Mantises¡¯s departure. [Forget it. I¡¯ll just take it that they¡¯re afraid.] Yan Wuyue tried to persuade him. [Yeah, I¡¯m just afraid that it might¡­ ] Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to speak, Yan Wuyue cut him off. [We should be careful for now. We might encounter other monsters next. Don¡¯t think about other things here.] Hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui nodded in agreement. He knew what Yan Wuyue was worried about, so he did not have any complaints. Then, Zhou Mingrui stopped thinking about the Stone Mantises. Instead, he focused his attention on the upcoming exploration. The terrain in front was still rocky, but the more they walked, the more obvious the strangeness of the terrain became. For example, there was a very tall mountain that they had never seen before. The next moment, Zhou Mingrui felt a faint mist begin to spread in front of him. [It¡¯s foggy?] Zhou Mingrui said after observing the road ahead. [No, there¡¯s something wrong with this mist!] Yan Wuyue reminded him. Chapter 153 - The Strange Fog [What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with this fog?] Hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui immediately became alert. He began to look around, but he didn¡¯t find anything. [The problem is this fog.] Yan Wuyue said with a serious face. This made Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart skip a beat. After all, Yan Wuyue had never shown such an expression when she was besieged by the Stone Mantises. [Is this fog poisonous?] Zhou Mingrui thought of the first possibility. [No, this fog is actually its ¡°domain¡±.] Yan Wuyue said after taking a deep breath. [Domain? Who is it?] Zhou Mingrui could sense the seriousness in Yan Wuyue¡¯s words. [A monster that only lives in this white fog. It¡¯s extremely powerful in the fog, and no one knows what it really looks like.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice was full of fear. [Because those who have seen its appearance have already died in the fog.] Zhou Mingrui was a little stunned when he heard that. What was this? [Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go around this place. Don¡¯t provoke it.] Yan Wuyue immediately made a decision. Zhou Mingrui did not retort. After hearing those words, he felt apprehensive as well. Hence, the two of them immediately chose to take a detour and take another route. However, the fog that was slowly spreading suddenly increased its speed of spreading toward the two of them as if it had heard their conversation. [The thing inside has noticed us. Let¡¯s go!] Yan Wuyue immediately urged Zhou Mingrui, and the two of them quickly prepared to leave. However, the fog seemed to know what they were thinking, and it spread even faster. [There¡¯s no other way. We have to rush out. It¡¯s better to attract the attention of the other monsters around than to be dragged into the fog!] Yan Wuyue said worriedly. But this time, there was no response. Yan Wuyue immediately turned to look at Zhou Mingrui, who was standing next to her and found him standing still. [What¡¯s wrong with you? Hurry up and leave!] Yan Wuyue quickly pushed Zhou Mingrui away and urged him. [No, I feel that there¡¯s something in the fog that¡¯s summoning me!] Zhou Mingrui said with a serious expression. [Summoning you? How is that possible? There should only be that kind of monster in the fog!] Yan Wuyue was also puzzled, but the fog was approaching. She could only grab Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and walk away. [You go first, I want to go in!] Zhou Mingrui said firmly, [That feeling is too strong. Don¡¯t worry. If I die, at most, you¡¯ll summon me again. However, I¡¯ve never experienced such a feeling before. I have to go in and take a look!] Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression changed rapidly. Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s determined look, she could only say, [Alright, you must be careful!] With that said, Zhou Mingrui immediately let go and left. Having experienced a great calamity in her previous life, she did not have the so-called benevolence of a woman. After all, if Zhou Mingrui died, she could still summon him again. But if she died, everything would be gone. Seeing Zhou Mingrui walk into the white fog with determination, Yan Wuyue felt as if something had stabbed her in the heart. It was a piercing pain. After the white fog devoured Zhou Mingrui, it suddenly stopped spreading. It seemed to be digesting him. Yan Wuyue also stopped in her tracks. As she looked at the white fog, she could feel the spiritual connection between her and Zhou Mingrui. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had walked into the white fog, saw a vast expanse of white in front of him. He could not tell which direction he was heading in, but he could only rely on that intense feeling to continue advancing. Suddenly, the white fog to his right began to surge. Zhou Mingrui raised his right hand and gently spread it open before jolting it. The white fog in that area suddenly stopped and retreated, revealing a figure within. It was a creature covered in long white fur, with a body as small as a monkey¡¯s but with sharp claws on its four limbs. After leaving the white fog, the white monkey¡¯s face, which was half-covered in hair, showed a startled look, followed by an extremely frightened expression. After leaving the white fog, it was like a fish out of water. It fell to the ground and began to struggle violently. Zhou Mingrui walked closer to take a look. The white monkey immediately let out a sharp cry and waved its claws wildly, but it could not do anything else. [So this is the monster in the white fog that they were talking about.] Zhou Mingrui finally understood a little. These white monkeys were like fishes in the water. They could move freely in the white fog, and their strength would increase greatly. However, once they were out of the white fog, they were like dead fishes and could only struggle helplessly. [Interesting.] Zhou Mingrui raised his foot and stepped on the white monkey¡¯s body. Squeak, squeak, squeak. The white monkey was squeaking under this foot, but it didn¡¯t have any strength to resist. Chapter 154 - The Stone Tablet and the Prophecy When he looked up, the stone tablet in front of him was densely engraved with mysterious words and all kinds of mysterious patterns. Zhou Mingrui was certain that he had never seen such words and mysterious patterns before. However, when he looked at them, he was able to understand their meaning. The more he read, the more serious Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression became. ¡°So it¡¯s you.¡± At that moment, a sharp, neutral voice sounded. When Zhou Mingrui turned his gaze over, he realized that it was a white monkey with long fur that had already fallen to the ground. It was holding a walking stick. ¡°You know me?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the white monkey and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but I knew you would come here.¡± The white monkey walked to the side of the stone tablet and stretched out his dry and slender fingers to gently rub the surface of the stone tablet. ¡°This is what the stone tablet told me. I¡¯ve been waiting for you here for two hundred and thirty-two years.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s furrowed brows immediately relaxed. He glanced at the stone tablet again and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Why are you waiting for me here?¡± ¡°To answer your question,¡± the white monkey replied with a faint smile. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered as if he had understood something. He immediately asked, ¡°Who placed this stone tablet here?¡± The white monkey replied with a smile, ¡°It fell from the sky.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback before he asked again, ¡°Who asked you to wait for me here?¡± The white monkey continued to smile. ¡°From the moment I was born, I had this thought in my mind. No one asked me to come here and wait.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment. He analyzed the information that these words could provide him. ¡°Who is the order breaker that the stone tablet mentioned?¡± he asked again. This time, the white monkey was silent for a while before answering, ¡°Even if I tell you now, you won¡¯t know who it is. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll know who it is soon.¡± This time, Zhou Mingrui finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He asked directly, ¡°Then what exactly can you tell me? You can¡¯t possibly let these two hundred years go to waste, right?¡± The white monkey shook his head. ¡°I can tell you a lot. It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t asked about the key point.¡± The corners of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes twitched continuously. He really wanted to kill the fellow in front of him. He hated such a mysterious and pretentious fellow the most. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but there are some things that I don¡¯t know, and I really can¡¯t say. There are some stuff that you can¡¯t figure out right now even if I tell you. So, it¡¯s better to ask after you have calmed down.¡± The white monkey said as it stroked its own fur. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Mingrui forcefully calmed his emotions. After all, he had killed dozens of white monkeys before coming here. They could be considered the other party¡¯s descendants. On this account, he decided to bear with it. Moments later, Zhou Mingrui asked again, ¡°Then can you tell me the content of the stone tablet in your way?¡± The white monkey nodded at this time, and his eyes revealed a gratified look. ¡°The stone tablet is describing a prophecy, and it¡¯s saying: the activation of the infinite point, the appearance of the orderless and the order-breakers, will disrupt all the established facts and change everything that we originally knew.¡± ¡°As a fixed point, you will be the cause, process, and end of all chaos. When the past befalls you, the future is in front of you, and fate is in your hands, that will be the time when the world lines overlap again.¡± Zhou Mingrui fell into silence after hearing that. There was a certain difference between what the white monkey said and what he saw, but there was not much difference in the core meaning. After some thought, Zhou Mingrui looked at the white monkey again and asked, ¡°What is an infinite point? Or you can answer me in a language and message that I can understand. The white monkey nodded. ¡°I can answer you this. All space-time is born from a single point. It¡¯s also the only point in all finality.¡± ¡°Just like this.¡± The white monkey raised his hand, and the white fog beside him was suddenly pulled out and gathered in his palm. A white circle appeared in its hand and then lines split from the circle, and another circle appeared on the other end of the line. Just like that, the lines were the links, and the nodes were the transit points to form a polygonal geometric 3D figure. ¡°The line is the combination of space, time, and material in reality. After another line is connected, different materials collide and evolve, becoming an infinite point.¡± Zhou Mingrui understood what he meant. He nodded and asked, ¡°According to what you said before, I didn¡¯t know the order breakers before. What about the orderless?¡± The white monkey smiled and nodded without saying a word. However, Zhou Mingrui understood. ¡°What this sentence means is that after these two guys appeared, the effect they produced directly caused all the space-time worlds to be in chaos, and everything changed.¡± ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this the great calamity?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly recalled this. According to the information obtained later, the great calamity was a special situation that occurred in a certain place in space-time, causing all the worlds to be affected. The world wall was weakened, and it was invaded and attacked by monsters from other alternate spaces and other universes. ¡°So, it was caused by the appearance of the orderless and the order breakers. What if I kill one of them? Will the great calamity not happen?¡± Zhou Mingrui began to mumble to himself. ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand what you said before if you want to use your own strength to get rid of one of the two, I¡¯ll give you a suggestion. It¡¯s better to wash up and go to sleep.¡± The white monkey chuckled. From the physical point of view, the white monkey¡¯s smile was gentle and polite, but from the spiritual point of view, it was a mocking smile. ¡°I know. My current strength is not enough to kill those two guys.¡± Hence, Zhou Mingrui could only find a way out for himself. ¡°What does a fixed point mean?¡± he asked the key question. The white monkey raised its hand gently, and the cloud pattern formed by countless dense threads immediately disintegrated into countless thin lines. ¡°Right now, I am the fixed point. No matter how the infinite point changes, I, as a point, will not change. This is the so-called fixed point.¡± After listening to the white monkey¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui nodded. He could now roughly understand the contents of the prophecy. As the fixed point, and according to Yan Wuyue, it didn¡¯t appear in the previous life. In other words, all the chaos was brought about by him, and he would also experience all the chaos until the chaos ended. As for the past, it was likely to represent the reincarnated Yan Wuyue, and in the future, it might be him, the summoned spirit who represented a new starting point. The last fate¡­ ¡°Could it be the king of fate?¡± Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes slightly. Chapter 155 - A Conspiracy? A Chess Piece? ¡°It seems that you already understand the meaning of the latter part of my words?¡± The white monkey asked after observing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression. ¡°Yes, I think I roughly understand.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded slightly. ¡°Now, is there anything else you don¡¯t understand?¡± The white monkey put down his walking stick and sat in front of the stone tablet. ¡°You¡¯ve seen me and explained the stone tablet to me. Are you going to leave now?¡± Zhou Mingrui stared at the other party and asked. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯ve already been guarding this place for so many years, and I¡¯m already used to it. I won¡¯t be leaving the stone tablet from now on.¡± The white monkey was like those old monks. He was extremely calm and said in a slow tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to ask, you can leave. Our fate has come to an end.¡± ¡°I still have a few last questions.¡± Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui spoke again. ¡°Speak.¡± The white monkey said indifferently. ¡°What is this white fog?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. The white monkey immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s a barrier that protects our race. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen it before. Once we leave the white fog, we can only wait to be slaughtered.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°Of course, the ones you killed before were just disobedient guys. I don¡¯t mean to blame you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the chief or the leader?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m not interested, and I don¡¯t have the mood to care. I can only tell them the general direction they want to go. My greatest ability is to ensure that the race is not exterminated.¡± The white monkey said indifferently. Zhou Mingrui finally understood. He walked to the stone tablet and reached out to touch it gently. A special feeling began to appear on his palm, and then it began to spread to his entire body. The next moment, the entire stone tablet suddenly lit up with a faint fluorescent light. Then, in the fluorescent light, cracks began to appear. From one or two cracks, they gradually increased and finally covered the entire stone tablet. Crack. After a crisp sound, the entire stone tablet suddenly broke into countless small pieces and then continued to break down into countless yellow light spots under the light. Like fireflies that filled the sky, the light spots quickly gathered and transformed into a beam of light that shot into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. [A mysterious substance has been detected entering the host¡¯s body. Beginning analysis.] [The mysterious substance is detected to meet the host¡¯s physical needs. Beginning conversion and breaking down.] Upon hearing the system¡¯s voice, Zhou Mingrui felt a surge of energy emerge within his body. Following that, his experience bar began to rise. At the end, when the light from the stone tablet dissipated, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s level reached level 46. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui could clearly sense that his physical fitness had improved. Even his spiritual state had improved significantly. Although he was only at level 46, the increase in his physical fitness this time would probably require him to be level 50 and above. This was an improvement on the foundation, and the effect was very big. At this time, the stone tablet had completely disappeared, leaving only the empty ground and the white monkey sitting on the ground. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± The white monkey said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhou Mingrui said. In any case, the other party had dispelled his doubts for free. Even if the other party was not human, it was enough for him to express his gratitude. ¡°Your presence here is the greatest gratitude to me,¡± The white monkey closed its eyes after it finished speaking. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui did not disturb him any further. Instead, he turned around and walked straight out of the white fog. After Zhou Mingrui left, the white monkey opened its eyes. However, at this moment, his eyes had lost their previous brightness and translucency, and only emptiness and exhaustion remained. ¡°It¡¯s been two hundred years. I can finally rest.¡± As soon as it finished speaking, the white monkey closed its eyes, and all the fur on its body began to wither. After all its life force dissipated, there was no longer any breath left. The white fog filled the air again and swallowed the white monkey¡¯s body as if it was indicating that it would go where it came from. Along the way, no other white monkeys attacked Zhou Mingrui. Furthermore, he did not need to rely on his senses. After walking for a few minutes, he arrived in the outside world. As he watched the white fog quickly dissipate behind him, Zhou Mingrui sighed softly in his heart. When he was walking, he could naturally sense that the white monkey¡¯s original vitality had also dissipated with the disappearance of the stone tablet. [Mingrui!] At this moment, Yan Wuyue appeared in front of him. Seeing that Zhou Mingrui was unscathed, she revealed a look of joy. [I told you, it¡¯s fine.] Zhou Mingrui chuckled and raised his arm to gesture. [It¡¯s me we¡¯re talking about.] [Alright, hurry up and hide!] Yan Wuyue immediately pulled Zhou Mingrui to a hidden spot. After making sure it was safe, Yan Wuyue asked Zhou Mingrui about his experience after entering the white fog. The latter did not hide anything and told her everything. After all, this was just a prophecy. The contents of it were not strange, obscure, or anything related to one¡¯s life. However, Yan Wuyue fell into silence after hearing this. After more than ten minutes, she stopped thinking and said, [I¡¯m getting more and more suspicious that my reincarnation was being manipulated in the dark.] However, Zhou Mingrui immediately denied it. [That¡¯s impossible. If he can control your rebirth, then with his abilities, he can do anything he wants. Why would he go through so much trouble?] Yan Wuyue shook her head and said, [It¡¯s not as simple as you think. You¡¯re right. But if they¡¯re just borrowing some kind of power from the universe and then calculating it, what¡¯s their purpose in setting up a trap?] Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes slightly and said, [Are you saying that we might all be pawns of some existence to achieve their goals?] Yan Wuyue nodded and said, [That¡¯s right. Think about it. We just happened to enter this place and meet the white fog. There¡¯s a stone tablet that can help you in the white fog. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence?] Zhou Mingrui frowned. [It¡¯s like we¡¯re following some kind of guidance and moving forward?] Yan Wuyue nodded and said, [That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s really as I think, then everything you and I are doing now is just someone else¡¯s arrangement. All our efforts will eventually go to someone else.] Zhou Mingrui looked at the conflicted Yan Wuyue and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. [So what? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to continue on your path?] Yan Wuyue was puzzled, but Zhou Mingrui continued, [You still have a lot of things to do. Are you really going to give up just like that?] [I¡¯m just afraid that all my hard work will be a waste of time. It¡¯s meaningless.] Yan Wuyue said with a frown. [Then improve your strength, and don¡¯t let yourself become a chess piece. Break the hand that dares to control you, so that you can become an existence that no one can control!] Zhou Mingrui shouted in a low voice. Chapter 156 - Has Your Mouth Been Blessed Before? [I don¡¯t believe that you, Yan Wuyue, will give up or surrender so easily. Where are your ambitions, your unruly nature, you¡¯re calculative, your¡­] [Shut up!] Yan Wuyue raised her head and shouted, [Zhou Mingrui, what are you saying? Am I that kind of person?] The corners of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s lips curled up, but he still said unhappily, [Then why do I see a hint of cowardice and avoidance in your eyes?] Yan Wuyue said after panting slightly, [That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand. We¡¯re already walking on thin ice. If we fail, we¡¯ll never be able to turn the tables.] Zhou Mingrui understood that Yan Wuyue¡¯s pressure had increased significantly after learning of the prophecy. But even so, Zhou Mingrui still had to say that some things had to be faced in advance in order to be prepared. Otherwise, if he only learned about this when he went further, the blow would be even greater, and it might even seriously damage his state of mind. Sitting down beside Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui patted her on the shoulder and said, [You should understand how big of a thing you want to do. Do you think it¡¯s realistic if you don¡¯t have any setbacks and difficulties?] [The more difficult and troublesome it is, the more it proves that you have chosen the right path. Otherwise, where did these things come from? Have you ever seen a useless road full of difficulties?] Yan Wuyue let out a sigh of relief and said, [I understand. You don¡¯t have to tell me.] Zhou Mingrui laughed. [Besides, you¡¯re not alone. You still have me to accompany you, don¡¯t you?] [If there are difficulties, we will eliminate them together. If there are troubles, we will solve them together. If there are people who are not sensible, we will kill them together!] [This is the path we should take. Otherwise, why would you live your life again!] After hearing this, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes suddenly opened. All the entanglement in her heart disappeared at this moment, and her eyes became bright again. [Let¡¯s go, and not waste any more time here.] Yan Wuyue suddenly stood up and said. [Mhm, this is the Yan Wuyue I know.] Zhou Mingrui nodded in relief. [I still remember the parts about me being unruly and calculative.] Yan Wuyue chuckled. [¡­ I just said those things in a hurry. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear me.] Zhou Mingrui blinked helplessly. At that time, he couldn¡¯t think of any beautiful words at the moment, so he could only force himself to come up with some words to deal with the situation. Who knew that this girl would actually take it all to heart? [About that, I¡¯m sorry.] Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to resolve it. [What are you apologizing for? You¡¯re not in the wrong. I¡¯ve always been a petty woman.] Yan Wuyue said indifferently. [When did I say you were petty?] Zhou Mingrui was rendered speechless. [Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m a calculative person?] Yan Wuyue asked. [What does this have to do with being petty?] Zhou Mingrui said with a frown. [If I¡¯m generous, I wouldn¡¯t care about these small details and small amounts of money, right?] Yan Wuyue stopped, turned around, and said with a crooked smile. [How can this be related?] Zhou Mingrui was completely dumbfounded. [Alright, I¡¯m just teasing you. Don¡¯t look like that.] Just as Zhou Mingrui was speechless, Yan Wuyue patted him on the shoulder and laughed. Zhou Mingrui was speechless. He immediately felt as if he had lost all will to live. [I think, if I were the one behind this, I wouldn¡¯t let the two of us wander around in the alternate space so safely.] Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. Yan Wuyue turned to look at him in astonishment and said, [Did you lose your memory after entering the white fog?] [Why do you say that?] Zhou Mingrui did not quite understand. Rubbing her temples, Yan Wuyue helplessly said, [Did you forget that I said that under certain circumstances, your mouth will be as accurate as if it¡¯s blessed?] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mouth opened slightly as he hesitated to speak. [Have you forgotten about the Stone Mantis?] Yan Wuyue added. [N-no way. I didn¡¯t say that there would be any monsters.] Zhou Mingrui scratched his head. [It¡¯s too late.] Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly. [So what if it appears? Do you think it¡¯ll appear immediately?] Zhou Mingrui immediately took the lead and questioned her directly. Boom! As soon as he finished speaking, the ground under his feet suddenly shook violently, and the surrounding stones immediately rolled down while it was trembling. [Now, do you know why I said it¡¯s too late?] Yan Wuyue was a little angry and a little helpless. [How would I know that it¡¯s really that effective?] Zhou Mingrui was rendered speechless. He did not have such an attribute in the past. Why did it suddenly turn out this way? He was also dumbfounded. The earth trembled more and more violently, and even the higher mountains began to crack and collapse. Not far away from them, a hill had collapsed. Countless gravel fell, and deafening sounds came from all directions. Upon seeing this scene, Zhou Mingrui frowned and subconsciously said, [Could this be the appearance of a large monster? Could it be the Stone King Dragon you mentioned before?] Zhou Mingrui immediately felt embarrassed after saying that. He wanted to explain himself, but he couldn¡¯t find the words. Just as he finished speaking, a loud roar resounded through the heavens and the earth. The sound waves that were visible to the naked eye actually rippled out in the air. [This is bad. The noise is coming from a huge monster, and the roar might really be from the Stone King Dragon!] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui with a bitter expression. [I-I-I¡­] Zhou Mingrui was at a loss for words. [Why are you stuttering? Hurry up and run!] Yan Wuyue had no more energy to complain. After kicking Zhou Mingrui, she turned and ran. Zhou Mingrui shuddered as well and ran off. What a joke. According to Yan Wuyue, if they really encountered the Stone King Dragon, they would have a 10% chance of survival. No, it should be a 0% chance of survival. It wasn¡¯t something that the two of them could harass with their current strength. Once they provoked it, they might be killed in seconds. Just as they were about to run, the ground suddenly cracked open as the earth shook violently. Then, an extremely huge figure appeared from the crack. Yan Wuyue took a look out of the corner of her eye, and her expression changed drastically. [Hurry up and run! That¡¯s the Stone King Dragon! You really have a blessed mouth!] Zhou Mingrui was also shocked. Even without Yan Wuyue¡¯s warning, he knew that this monster was not to be trifled with. The two¡¯s speed suddenly increased again. At this time, they didn¡¯t care whether they would be discovered or not. If they didn¡¯t run and stayed in place, they would really be courting death! However, the Stone King Dragon seemed to have locked onto the two of them. As soon as it came out, its gaze was directed at them. Yan Wuyue¡¯s hair stood on end, and a great sense of danger suddenly arose. She immediately burst out the energy in her body and used a skill to increase her speed to the greatest extent. Zhou Mingrui naturally sensed it as well. He immediately summoned his Spectral Hell Warhorse and activated his Flame Charge skill. Chapter 157 - The Stone King Dragons Deadly Pursuit The Spectral Hell Warhorse¡¯s body burst into flames as it charged forward with Zhou Mingrui. [Come up!] After Zhou Mingrui called out to Yan Wuyue, he lifted her up onto his warhorse. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t resist. She sat in front of Zhou Mingrui, and the two of them got away from the Stone King Dragon with the speed of the hell warhorse. The Stone King Dragon immediately turned around, and its huge body slammed into the rocky hills. The hill in Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes was like a small hill in front of the Stone King Dragon. It was flattened by its huge and solid body. From the Stone King Dragon¡¯s perspective, its speed wasn¡¯t actually that fast. However, it was a different case when measured in terms of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s speed. [Why are my words so accurate? And this Stone King Dragon is almost a thousand meters long. F*ck it!] Even though the petite figure in his arms was alluring, Zhou Mingrui was in no mood to care about such things. He turned around and saw the Stone King Dragon, who occupied most of his vision. He was so angry that he cursed, [No, this must be the work of that bastard hiding behind the scenes. Don¡¯t let me find an opportunity in the future, or I¡¯ll definitely beat that guy up!] Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes helplessly. [Although I know that you really don¡¯t have that intention, I have to say that you really are¡­] [You¡¯re still mocking me at a time like this!] Zhou Mingrui was extremely depressed. It was fine if Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t comfort him, but why did she start to mock him? The movements of the Stone King Dragon behind them were getting louder and louder. After it had locked on to their direction, it even began to chase after them. The Stone King Dragon¡¯s speed was extremely fast, and the tremors it caused were like a magnitude 8 earthquake. If it wasn¡¯t for the hell warhorse¡¯s ability to easily gallop, ordinary horses would have been in trouble. But even so, he couldn¡¯t increase the distance between the Stone King Dragon at all. In fact, he was getting closer. [No, we can¡¯t increase the distance at all. If this continues, it¡¯ll catch up very soon!] Yan Wuyue said immediately after judging the speed and distance between them. [Then what should we do? We definitely can¡¯t beat it. We can¡¯t even run away. Are we going to go back and court death?] Zhou Mingrui shouted helplessly. [It¡¯s impossible for us to go back. We¡¯re no match for it even if we use all our trump cards. Even if I immediately have the strength of my previous life, it¡¯s still not enough!] Yan Wuyue was also helpless. [Wouldn¡¯t that be a dead end?] Zhou Mingrui said with a headache. [Wait!] Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui thought of something. He immediately said, [Can¡¯t we go out?] However, Yan Wuyue shook her head and said, [I¡¯ve tried it before. Before the Stone Dragon King fully appeared, I tried to open the dimension portal, but there was no reaction.] [So you¡¯re saying that we can¡¯t leave even if we want to?] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression darkened completely. [That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve thought of all the possible ways.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes were cold, but she didn¡¯t show any panic. She continued, [You don¡¯t have to think about stopping it and letting me run first. With your strength, you probably won¡¯t even be able to stop it for a second before you¡¯ll be destroyed.] Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth and said, [Then what should we do? Are we just going to wait for our deaths?] [I¡¯m thinking!] Yan Wuyue said concisely. The Stone King Dragon saw that the two of them were running away, and it couldn¡¯t catch up with them. It became furious, and it swung its tail to increase its speed. As the earth quaked, The Stone King Dragon quickly closed the distance between the two. It opened its mouth and roared at them. The two of them on the hell warhorse suddenly felt a hurricane behind them. If they had not held on to the hell warhorse tightly, they would have been sent flying into the air. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui turned his head to take a look. The Stone King Dragon¡¯s massive body made him feel like he was standing in front of a mountain. There was almost nothing else in his field of vision. The pair of sky-blue eyes in the crack in the stone had a terrifying gaze that made his heart palpitate. [I don¡¯t believe it. Doesn¡¯t the Stone King Dragon have any weaknesses?] Zhou Mingrui asked indignantly. [It has. Its mental resistance is lower than its other attributes, but that¡¯s relative. Even if we were a hundred times stronger, we wouldn¡¯t be able to shake it!] Yan Wuyue explained helplessly. [F*ck!] Zhou Mingrui could only curse. Although he had previously used his full strength to defeat the fifth master of the Zhao family, that was because the other party was too arrogant, which ultimately led to his failure. Even if the fifth master of the Zhao family used his full power, he would be nothing more than a slightly bigger ant in front of the Stone King Dragon. [Wuyue!] At that moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. [Why? Have you thought of a way?] Yan Wuyue responded. [In the future, how will the powerful opponents you mentioned compare to this Stone King Dragon?] Zhou Mingrui asked. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, and then she answered, [At least, the ones I killed at the end were no match for the Stone King Dragon. I¡¯m not sure about the ones that are hiding further back.] [However, with the Stone King Dragon¡¯s strength, if it were to appear on that battlefield, it would be able to easily crush more than 90% of the monsters.] Boom! Just as the two of them were conversing, the Stone King Dragon suddenly raised its tail and slammed it on the ground. A magnitude 11 earthquake shook the earth, and even the Spectral Hell Warhorse could not stand still. A large piece of the ground under its feet was lifted into the air by the huge impact. The hell warhorse could only leap between the boulders, but its speed had still been reduced. [What do you want to do?] Yan Wuyue, who seemed to have noticed something, immediately asked, [Don¡¯t do anything stupid. It¡¯s no use!] Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes and said, [How would I know if I don¡¯t try?] With that said, a light projection suddenly appeared beside Zhou Mingrui. After it took form, it was the Goblin King. [Seize the opportunity. If you can live, you must live!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed the moment he said that. He immediately used his secret skill ¡ª Soul Attachment and entered the Goblin King¡¯s body. Because of the first fusion, this fusion was successful very quickly. The Goblin King turned around and jumped, using the giant rock to jump toward the Stone King Dragon. [Zhou Mingrui, you bastard!] Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t let the hell warhorse stop running. Her rationality, experience, and survival instinct were telling her not to turn back and to run at full speed. She knew very well that if she turned back now, she would lose everything. Therefore, Yan Wuyue could only grit her teeth and continue to drive the hell warhorse to escape quickly, not even daring to look back. She had to escape. Only then would she live up to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s choice and actions. Chapter 158 - The Last Move Even though Zhou Mingrui had already entered the seven-meter-tall Goblin King¡¯s body, he was still as tiny as an ant in front of the gigantic Stone King Dragon. But even so, Zhou Mingrui still charged at the Stone King Dragon without hesitation. As the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body swayed violently, countless pieces of gravel flew in all directions like bullets and cannonballs. After Zhou Mingrui smashed through many boulders, he jumped onto a section of the opponent¡¯s body. However, just as Zhou Mingrui, who had just climbed onto the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body, was still worried, black-furred monsters suddenly appeared in his field of vision. The moment they saw him, they immediately charged at him without a second thought. Zhou Mingrui roared angrily as he swung his fists at the black-furred monsters. After sending three or four black-furred monsters flying with a single punch, there were even more black-furred monsters surrounding him. Even when their companions were sent flying, they did not show any signs of stopping. They continued to bare their fangs and charge at Zhou Mingrui. [Wuyue, what are these black-furred monsters on the Stone King Dragon?] Zhou Mingrui asked as he attacked. [That¡¯s the Stone King Dragon¡¯s symbiotic beast. It usually lives between the cracks of the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body and helps it clean up the debris between the cracks. It doesn¡¯t have strong combat power and doesn¡¯t have any special skills.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice echoed. Zhou Mingrui immediately felt relieved, but Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice came again, [The only problem is that they¡¯re huge in number, and they have a set of teeth that can gnaw through the Stone King Dragon¡¯s outer defense. Also known as a divine weapon.] What! Zhou Mingrui was shocked when he heard that. The teeth of these monsters could actually tear through the Stone King Dragon¡¯s outer defense? He had a rough idea of the Stone King Dragon¡¯s defense when he came up. It was hard beyond words, and its surface was as smooth as a polished diamond. It could be known how terrifying its defense was. Yet, these black-furred symbiotic beasts were actually able to bite through this kind of defense. Just how sharp and terrifying were their teeth? Just as he was in shock, a symbiotic beast jumped onto his arm, opened its mouth, and bit down hard. Like a knife cutting through tofu, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s (Goblin King) tough physical defense was completely useless. His skin was directly bitten through, and the teeth sank deep into his muscles. Buzz! Zhou Mingrui cursed under his breath as he grabbed the symbiotic beast with his other hand to pry it apart. However, he realized that the other party¡¯s teeth had been embedded into his arm. Seeing the growing number of symbiotic beasts, Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth helplessly. He grabbed the head of the symbiotic beast with his large hand. He couldn¡¯t pull it out now. This thing¡¯s teeth were like nails. If he really pulled it out, his hand would probably be crippled. With a thought in his mind, Zhou Mingrui immediately changed his grip to a pinch. He was prepared to crush the bodies of these fellows. After exerting his strength, he discovered that the heads of these symbiotic beasts were harder than steel. However, Zhou Mingrui was currently possessing the Goblin King. Under the effects of his skill¡¯s amplification and his full strength, he still managed to crush their heads with a pinch. However, Zhou Mingrui felt his hair stand on end when he saw the black sea of symbiotic beasts that covered the surface of the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body. However, the current situation did not allow him to retreat. Hence, after letting out a roar and activating all sorts of skills to aid himself, Zhou Mingrui charged straight into the sea of symbiotic beasts. With a wave of his arms and fists, the symbiotic beasts were sent flying or crushed like black grapes. However, more symbiotic beasts took the opportunity to climb onto Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body and began tearing at him. All Zhou Mingrui could do was glare as he gritted his teeth and endured the inhuman pain. The increased attributes brought about by the pain frenzy allowed him to head toward his destination faster. Looking at the Stone King Dragon¡¯s massive head, Zhou Mingrui knew that if he wanted his plan to succeed, he had to head to that place. Along the way, he was constantly charging straight on like a tank without any intention of stopping. If he did, he would be completely submerged by the sea of symbiotic beasts. At this moment, the number of these creatures was no longer just a few hundred or a few thousand. Looking up, there were at least tens of thousands of them, and more symbiotic beasts were approaching from all directions. Without a moment¡¯s delay, Zhou Mingrui sprinted at full speed for four minutes before he finally reached the Stone King Dragon¡¯s waist. He was still a quarter of the way to his target. But at that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was covered in deep wounds. The blood that flowed out had dyed his entire body red. During the activation of the bloodthirsty frenzy skill, the sense of pain greatly increased. The pain, which was even more intense than the last time, stimulated his brain. ¡°Ah!¡± Blue veins popped out on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s forehead. The intense pain made him roar in anger. At the same time, his constantly increasing strength made his speed increase instead of decrease. The burning ghost fire on his body also erupted at this moment. The flames that could burn the body and mind instantly caused a large number of symbiotic beasts to loosen their jaws and fall due to pain. Zhou Mingrui took the opportunity to increase his speed once again. At that moment, the energy consumption in his body had already begun to intensify as he unleashed his skills. It also caused the depletion of his consciousness and spiritual power to increase rapidly. This made Zhou Mingrui no longer dare and no longer care about the fly-like symbiotic beasts on his body. All he could do was endure their biting and run at full speed. As he continued running, Zhou Mingrui finally arrived at the Stone King Dragon¡¯s head. At this moment, his entire body was covered in symbiotic beasts. However, under the cover of the ghost fire, these symbiotic beasts kept falling, but new symbiotic beasts would pounce on him. Now, the Stone King Dragon had already discovered Zhou Mingrui¡¯s existence. However, it did not care at all. First of all, with its own defense, no matter how ferocious Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attacks were, they were nothing more than scratches. And it believed that the symbiotic beasts on its body would help it get rid of this guy. However, the Stone King Dragon had miscalculated this time. Zhou Mingrui did not care about the symbiotic beasts on him. Instead, he immediately canceled his possession and returned to his spiritual form. The Goblin King, on the other hand, was directly sent to the summoned beast¡¯s space after a flash of light. As for Zhou Mingrui, he charged straight into the Stone King Dragon¡¯s head. He ignored the defense on the surface and activated his Soul Attachment in preparation to fuse with the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mind. That¡¯s right, this was his plan. He would use the characteristics of Soul Attachment to turn himself into a weapon for mental attacks. Although it wasn¡¯t a pure mental attack, it was the only way he could think of now. And what if he succeeded? Chapter 159 - Hopeless Defense Currently, Zhou Mingrui could only bet on this move. After all, the rest of the moves could not possibly cause any damage to the Stone King Dragon. Yan Wuyue, who was not far away, naturally saw this scene as well. At this moment, she also understood Zhou Mingrui¡¯s thoughts. She had to admit that this method was indeed the best choice at the moment. And when Zhou Mingrui¡¯s consciousness form came into contact with the Stone King dragon¡¯s head, it immediately fused into it. The hard shell was completely unable to stop it. [There¡¯s a chance!] Zhou Mingrui was overjoyed when he sensed this. Even if he could not severely injure the Stone King Dragon, as long as he could make it fear him, they would have a chance of escaping. However, the next moment, he was unable to take another step forward. He was blocked by special energy. [What¡¯s going on?] Zhou Mingrui attempted to move forward, but an invisible wall seemed to have appeared in front of him, preventing him from moving forward. When the Stone King Dragon noticed this, it stopped in its tracks, and the entire ground trembled. With that, Zhou Mingrui felt pressure acting on his body. The surrounding air seemed to have frozen. At this moment, the Stone King Dragon ¡°looked¡± at Zhou Mingrui. The immense pressure immediately caused the latter to stop all his movements. Sure enough, Yan Wuyue was right. Even if the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mental defense was weak, that was only in terms of the overall level of the Stone King Dragon. However, Zhou Mingrui had no other choice. At present, he could only choose this path. There was no other way. After a moment of thought, Zhou Mingrui decisively gathered all his spiritual power and continued charging at the Stone King Dragon mentally. Meanwhile, the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mental defense was like a wall made of rubber. It was extremely flexible and resilient, preventing Zhou Mingrui from breaking through it. ¡°This won¡¯t do. This will only be enough to waste my spiritual power. I have to think of another way!¡± Zhou Mingrui began to think quickly. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes flickered, and she immediately sent a message, [Mingrui, you won¡¯t be able to invade its mind like this. You must condense all your spirit into a single point, the smaller the better.] [Only when it reaches the level of breaking through the surface with a single point can it truly threaten the Stone King Dragon!] Breaking the surface with a single point! Zhou Mingrui naturally understood what she was saying, but the key question was, how was he to gather his spiritual power to a point? However, Yan Wuyue seemed to know what Zhou Mingrui was thinking. She sent a voice transmission, [You¡¯re still subconsciously confined to your current form. You need to empty your mind or even completely forget your human nature. Only then can you start to condense.] [If you want to condense your spiritual power, you have to use your own willpower and imagine yourself as a ball of mud. Then, you have to constantly rub it into an extremely sharp thorn to really break it.] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t hesitate. He immediately emptied his mind and began imagining himself as a pile of mud. Zhou Mingrui, who was in a mental state, began to emit faint ripples that could be seen with the naked eye. Following that, he began to change his physical form. Following that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s human form transformed into a cylinder. Then, from the cylinder, he quickly transformed into a ball. This was a brand new feeling for Zhou Mingrui because he had never tried to exist in another form. After all, regardless of whether it was as a human or after transmigrating to the illusionary spirit world, he had never changed his form. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui felt like he was a blob of water. He could change his form as he wished. In the next moment, he began to imagine himself as a needle. Gradually, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s form in the outside world began to change once again. The sphere began to shrink before it constantly transformed into a shuttle shape. However, at this point, Zhou Mingrui realized that he was stuck in his transformation. It was as if he was thinking about something, and suddenly his thoughts became difficult and obscure, making it difficult to progress. After all, Zhou Mingrui came from an era of information explosion. He knew that this situation was definitely caused by a lack of brainpower. However, he did not have much practical experience, so he did not know where to start. The Stone King Dragon began to slow down as it could feel Zhou Mingrui¡¯s aggression. However, there was nothing it could do. Although his consciousness and spiritual power were not weak, he did not have any effective control methods. He was like a child holding a big hammer but did not know how to use it. [You¡¯re thinking too much right now. First, you have to completely empty your mind and completely block out all external influences. Don¡¯t think about anything, and then directly form it in one go!] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice was heard again. Zhou Mingrui immediately realized what he had done wrong. He immediately followed Yan Wuyue¡¯s instructions. First, he quickly shielded himself from all external influences and then completely emptied his mind. Just as he felt that everything had become ethereal, Zhou Mingrui suddenly began to rapidly gather his mind. In just an instant, Zhou Mingrui transformed into a sharp spike. ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded!¡± Zhou Mingrui never expected that he would succeed so easily. It was truly beyond his expectations. Then, without hesitation, he stabbed at the Stong King Dragon¡¯s mental defense. However, Zhou Mingrui, who originally thought that everything was going smoothly, once again suffered a loss. The Stone King Dragon¡¯s mental defense was like a piece of tough leather. No matter how hard Zhou Mingrui stabbed at it, he realized that he could not break through the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mental defense. [As expected, it still doesn¡¯t work!] In the distance, Yan Wuyue could not see clearly, but she could roughly guess what was going on. [After all, this Stone King Dragon is too powerful. Even its weak point, the spiritual level, is not something we can easily break through.] At the thought of this, Yan Wuyue gritted her teeth and turned to leave. In this hopeless situation, she could only choose to leave alone. As for the Stone King Dragon, it did not increase its speed in pursuit. For some unknown reason, ever since Zhou Mingrui launched his mental attack, its speed had begun to slow down. However, Zhou Mingrui refused to give up. Once again, he tried his best to condense his current mental state. He was indignant that he had found a method but was unable to use it. Nevertheless, he was still unable to break through the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mental defenses. This left Zhou Mingrui in despair so he stopped his actions. After returning to his human form, Zhou Mingrui sized up the direction Yan Wuyue had left in. Only after confirming that she had already escaped did he let go of his worries. In any case, at least the time had been delayed, creating a chance for Yan Wuyue to leave. As for what would happen next, Zhou Mingrui was in no mood to care. But at that moment, he suddenly looked up into the sky. Chapter 160 - The Mysterious Figure of Light Following Zhou Mingrui¡¯s line of sight, a sudden tremor could be seen in space. It was as though a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. The Stone King Dragon stopped moving and looked at that spot. At the next moment, Zhou Mingrui felt a soul-shaking feeling descend upon him. It was not fear or shuddering. It was like the feeling of the inland humans stepping into the ocean for the first time, walking into the starry sky, and being shocked by the vast universe. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s different vision allowed him to see that a world was about to descend behind the ripples. That¡¯s right, it was a world. Zhou Mingrui was unable to describe this feeling. Two seconds later, the spatial ripples became more and more intense. A ray of light emerged from the ripples, and then a ball of light condensed. As soon as the ball of light appeared, translucent rings of light that were visible to the naked eye were emitted continuously. The surrounding space began to become viscous as if a solidifying agent had been added to it. Even Zhou Mingrui, who was in a semi-spiritual state, could sense that the surrounding space had become like the bottom of the water. In fact, he was still diving deeper and deeper as the water pressure continued to increase. The Stone King Dragon roared at the ball of light. However, Zhou Mingrui could hear the fear and uneasiness in its voice. The round ball of light suddenly paused. In the next moment, it began to wriggle and quickly transformed into a human figure. As soon as the human figure appeared, the Stone King Dragon seemed to have been provoked. After letting out a crazy roar, it opened its huge mouth, and light kept gathering. Immediately after, huge energy fluctuations started to spread wildly after a gray energy ball with a large number of light spots formed in its mouth. In the next second, a gray beam of light shot out of the Stone King Dragon¡¯s mouth. The terrifying energy even distorted the space wall of the alternate space¡¯s secret realm. The target of the beam of light was the figure of light floating in the air. The terrifying beam of light with a diameter of more than half a meter arrived in front of the figure of light in the blink of an eye. However, the figure of light had no intention of dodging. He only raised his arm, and the Stone King Dragon¡¯s beam of light seemed to have hit an invisible wall. It was immediately blocked. A strong light shone in all directions. The light was like a wave that kept folding and spreading. The surrounding space seemed to have become the bottom of the sea. At the place where the two energies collided, a slight crack had already appeared in the space, and it was even growing larger under the distortion of the energy. Zhou Mingrui was certain that if he were in that position, he would probably be torn to pieces by the spatial rifts that kept appearing. However, the figure of light did not seem to want to delay any further. He clenched his palm, and the space in front of him seemed to be pinched by an invisible giant hand. Spatial folds immediately appeared. The energy beam shot out by the Stone King Dragon was distorted in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes. Following that, it was annihilated by the spatial folds that were constantly produced. Zhou Mingrui was shocked. Although he had seen countless scenes in movies, comics, and novels in his previous life, they were nothing compared to the scene before him. It wasn¡¯t that the scene wasn¡¯t as grand as this one, but in terms of shock and soul-stirring, it simply couldn¡¯t compare to the scene before him. In the next second, the spatial fold disappeared, and the figure of light appeared in front of the Stone King Dragon without it knowing. The Stone King Dragon was shocked and immediately swung its body. Its huge mountain-like body crashed toward the figure of light fiercely. However, just like before, the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body seemed to have hit a transparent spatial barrier. It was completely blocked after a series of spatial ripples appeared. ¡°Who the hell is this guy? The Stone King Dragon¡¯s full-power attack couldn¡¯t even break his skin.¡± When Zhou Mingrui saw this shocking scene, what he found most incomprehensible was that the massive shockwaves caused by the battle between the two of them did not affect him at all. In fact, from the very beginning, Zhou Mingrui felt that he was in deep trouble when he saw the battle formation of both sides. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to run, but the space around him had almost frozen into a deep sea. He couldn¡¯t run even if he wanted to. Therefore, he could only watch the birth of this war with his own eyes and personally experience this terrifying war. As the Stone King Dragon¡¯s attack was completely blocked, the figure of light once again raised one of his hands and aimed it at the Stone King Dragon. Right now, not only the Stone King Dragon, even Zhou Mingrui felt a terrifying feeling for the first time. It was as if he had fallen into a deep cave. At this moment, white runes appeared on the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body, and a terrifying energy surged out of its body. Zhou Mingrui sensed it. At that moment, the surrounding space, which had been half-frozen, suddenly loosened. However, it was only for an instant before the space returned to normal. The figure of light was unmoved by this. He clenched his fist, and a fold appeared in space once again. This time, even Zhou Mingrui was included. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was unable to describe this feeling. The originally vast space had turned into a cage. An intense sense of oppression was exerted on his perception. Crack. At that moment, the sound of something shattering rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ears. Then, in his vision, the entire world began to shatter like glass. Spatial cracks began to appear on the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body. Its indestructible defense was also destroyed by the terrifying spatial cracks. The Stone King Dragon began to roar madly, but cracks began to appear all over its body. The first line of defense, the symbiotic beasts, were instantly devoured by the spatial cracks. The terrifying spatial cracks caused more and more wounds to appear on the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body, and fresh blood continued to seep out of the wounds. The Stone King Dragon wanted to resist, but an even bigger spatial crack cut its body in half as soon as it moved. The intense pain immediately dispelled the Stone King Dragon¡¯s attack, and it wasn¡¯t over yet. More and more powerful spatial cracks began to appear, completely rendering the Stone King Dragon unable to fight. With a boom, the Stone King Dragon¡¯s huge body fell to the ground. The surrounding hills were immediately crushed, and a huge pit was formed in the ground by the Stone King Dragon¡¯s huge weight. Zhou Mingrui could sense that the surrounding space was constantly collapsing. The space he could see was shrinking. This was unparalleled pressure. Even though he no longer needed to breathe, he still felt a strong sense of suffocation. Soon, the spatial collapse was closing in on Zhou Mingrui. However, he was unable to put up any resistance. All he could do was watch helplessly. Chapter 161 - I Want More! But in the next moment, the expected death did not come. The collapsing space in front of Zhou Mingrui suddenly slowed down. Before he could even begin to wonder, the summoning space suddenly trembled. Following that, before Zhou Mingrui could investigate further, a metallic object that emitted a silver glow shot out from the spatial ripples. [Is this¡­ The level 6 monster egg?] Zhou Mingrui looked at the patterns on it and immediately recognized it as the level 6 monster egg he had won at the auction house. The eggshell was covered with patterns, and there was light emitted from these patterns at this time. In the areas where the light shone, the speed of space collapse became slower and slower. [Yes, I remember Yan Wuyue said that this monster egg can lead the host to avoid the detection of monsters. At the same time, it can also travel through different alternate spaces when it grows up!] Zhou Mingrui did not use it previously because the metal-like egg was useless. As for the shuttle ability, it had not even been hatched yet. How could it be used? However, the monster egg suddenly reacted. Upon closer inspection, white threads that looked like mist extended out from the spatial cracks around it. In the end, they connected to the metal egg. [Could it be that after these spatial rifts appeared, the spatial energy coming from behind the rifts is the key to its growth?] Zhou Mingrui thought of this possibility, but he could not be completely sure. Right now, there was another possibility. Since the metal egg was moving, it might be able to use the ability to get him out. However, the key to everything now was the figure of light. If the other party noticed him before the metal egg activated its ability, he could be killed easily, considering the other party¡¯s strength. Fortunately, the other party¡¯s attention was focused on the Stone King Dragon, and he did not notice what was happening around Zhou Mingrui. The Stone King Dragon¡¯s rock defense had completely collapsed, and blood gushed out like a waterfall. However, it was still trapped in the spatial fold. [Hurry up, big brother. If you¡¯re any slower, both of us will be goners!] Zhou Mingrui kept shouting in his heart. It was a race against time. Zhou Mingrui wished that the Stone King Dragon was stronger so that it could hold on longer. As for the metal egg in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms, it seemed to have heard Zhou Mingrui¡¯s call. It probably felt the pressure from the surrounding space and the mysterious figure of light. The speed at which it absorbed the energy increased once again. The light it emitted slowed the collapse of space even more. Even the space around the Stone King Dragon slowed down slightly. ¡°?¡± The mysterious figure of light let out an incomprehensible sound, but the doubt in it disappeared in a flash. [Hurry up, boss!] All Zhou Mingrui could do now was to feel anxious. He had no idea how to make the metal egg speed up. Otherwise, even if it needed his energy, he would just stuff it into the egg. Following that, as the Stone King Dragon¡¯s wail grew more intense, the metal egg in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms began to glow brighter. Two minutes passed. Zhou Mingrui felt like he was suffering with every passing second. Fortunately, the metal egg in his arms was getting brighter and more solid. Buzz! Cracks suddenly appeared on the metal egg in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand. Following that, the metal shell began to peel off. A small head that was glowing with silver light peeked out from the hole. At this moment, the Stone King Dragon finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. After a loud wail, it closed its eyes. [Dad, Dad, break out, break out of danger.] At that moment, a young and tender voice suddenly sounded in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. Zhou Mingrui was stunned for a second before he immediately understood what was going on. The little fellow in his arms was conversing with him mentally. [Wait for a moment. Listen to my instructions before we break out. Do you understand what I mean?] Zhou Mingrui suddenly sent a voice transmission. [Yes, I can.] The little fellow immediately replied. Zhou Mingrui immediately raised his head and looked at the Stone King Dragon that was gradually losing its life force. His eyes revealed a look of greed. That¡¯s right, Zhou Mingrui wanted the Stone King Dragon¡¯s corpse. To him, who had Summoning of the Dead, this level-surpassing beast from the alternate space was like putting a delicious roast chicken in front of a person who had been hungry for three days. Different from the precarious situation he was in before, now that he had the ability to escape, he naturally set his sights on this once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity. In the outside world, the mysterious figure of light saw that the Stone King Dragon had already lost all signs of life. He loosened his grip on the Stone King Dragon and suddenly flipped it. At the same time, the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body also began to emit a thread-like milky white light. A large number of light threads formed irregular-shaped light bands. These light bands continued to extend, heading toward the mysterious figure of light. [That¡¯s the consciousness of the Stone King Dragon?] Zhou Mingrui exclaimed in shock when he saw this scene. Soon, these threads gathered in the palm of the mysterious figure of light, forming a light ball. Looking at the shadow that was constantly moving within the light ball, the mysterious figure of light nodded slightly. Then, he looked at the corpse that was lying on the ground, as if he was thinking about something. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly raised his hand and aimed it at the Stone King Dragon. He activated Summoning of the Dead. The special rule of the skill immediately wrapped around the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body. Then, it disappeared from its spot. [Let¡¯s go!] The moment he cast the skill, Zhou Mingrui had already given the little fellow in his arms an order. The moment he gave the order, a translucent spatial ripple immediately appeared around Zhou Mingrui. And at this instant, the mysterious figure of light immediately locked onto this direction. No matter what kind of life form it was, snatching food from the jaws of a tiger would only lead to intense rage. The mysterious figure of light was no exception. The moment he sensed it, he immediately stepped into space and disappeared from his original spot. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body seemed to have stepped into the water. His entire body immediately sank rapidly. The mysterious figure of light suddenly appeared from the spatial ripples in the next second after his body was completely devoured by space. He raised his hand and grabbed the space. However, it was too late. The space where Zhou Mingrui had disappeared was like a piece of paper that had been crushed. Countless spatial folds pierced through it like sharp spikes. After letting out a strange sound, the mysterious figure of light immediately locked onto a direction and stepped back into the spatial ripples. At this time, Yan Wuyue naturally also saw this shocking scene. The identity of the mysterious figure of light was something that even she, who had seen many things, could not recognize. Furthermore, the scene of the mysterious figure of light taking away the Stone King Dragon¡¯s consciousness sent chills down her spine. This ability usually meant that only a top life form could do it, and this life form usually regarded humans as ants or even grass. Every additional life form that wasn¡¯t human was a threat and misfortune to the human race. Chapter 162 - Pursuit! [Wuyue!] At that moment, Yan Wuyue suddenly heard Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice. [Don¡¯t resist.] As soon as she heard the voice, she felt a big hand grab her shoulder, and then everything in front of her blurred and disappeared. The next second, a beam of light descended. The terrifying energy directly penetrated the ground where Yan Wuyue had been standing, and a huge pit appeared silently. Soon after, the mysterious figure of light descended from the sky. After a slight ripple spread out from his head, he seemed to have found his direction and entered space once again. In the grotesque and variegated space channel, Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was full of doubt, but soon, it looked like she was pondering. [This is a space tunnel, right? If I¡¯m not wrong, you probably hatched the metal egg.] At this moment, Zhou Mingrui had to admire Yan Wuyue¡¯s observation and thinking speed. [Seeing how anxious you are, it must be that glowing person who is chasing us. The reason he is chasing you must be because you have offended him. For example, you were the one who stole the Stone King Dragon¡¯s body?] Yan Wuyue continued to ask. [That¡¯s right. You¡¯re correct.] Zhou Mingrui also saved the effort of explaining. [Let¡¯s put aside the extra stuff first. Let me ask you first, are you sure you can get rid of that guy?] Yan Wuyue asked again. [I don¡¯t know. It¡¯ll depend on the little guy¡¯s ability.] Zhou Mingrui answered. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Even he himself didn¡¯t know if he could really escape the mysterious figure of light¡¯s pursuit. [Wait, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t even know where it¡¯s taking us?] Yan Wuyue immediately sensed something was wrong and asked. [What if I say yes?] Zhou Mingrui answered. After a moment of silence, Yan Wuyue said, [Pass the coordinates to it. Creatures familiar with space have an innate sense of location.] Immediately after, Yan Wuyue used a special method to tell Zhou Mingrui the spatial coordinates. The latter then transferred it to the little guy. [I know.] The little fellow¡¯s reaction was quick. Then, its body suddenly lit up with a silver light, and the strange space around it changed. [What is the location of your coordinates? Is it the Heavenly Saint continent?] Only then did Zhou Mingrui ask. [Of course. The only way we can escape from the pursuit of that mysterious figure of light is to return to that place.] Yan Wuyue said calmly. In the next second, the little guy suddenly shifted, and a beam of light suddenly swept past them. [Damn it, speak of the devil, that guy really won¡¯t leave!] Zhou Mingrui cursed. [You¡¯ve snatched food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. If you were that guy, you¡¯d probably be even more exasperated.] Yan Wuyue mocked him directly without any restraint. [How can I return empty-handed after entering a treasure mountain? This doesn¡¯t suit my personality!] Zhou Mingrui answered with conviction. While the two of them were fighting, beams of light kept streaking past them, forcing the little guy to constantly adjust their positions to avoid these attacks. [We¡¯re here!] The little guy suddenly let out a cry, and the distorted space barrier in front of them suddenly became translucent. Then, a circular passage appeared. The ball of light that enveloped the three of them passed through the opening and disappeared into the space tunnel. The space tunnel behind them immediately closed. In less than a second, the mysterious figure of light immediately chased after them, but he could not find the entrance to the passage. The mysterious figure of light raised his hands, and threads quickly formed on the surface of his body. After extending forward continuously, they began to pierce into the surrounding space. The entire mysterious figure of light instantly turned into a cocoon of light. Countless, densely packed threads stretched out continuously, penetrating deep into the surrounding space like a spider web. ¡­.. After leaving the spatial tunnel, a familiar scene entered his eyes. It was the node that he had entered the secret realm of the alternate space. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Zhou Mingrui heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the city first. It¡¯s not safe out in the wild. That guy might appear!¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t let her guard down but said immediately. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Didn¡¯t you say that every world has a spatial barrier? How could that guy come in?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Some special life forms have the ability to cross the world barrier. We don¡¯t know much about that guy, so we can¡¯t let our guard down.¡± Yan Wuyue said worriedly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. Let¡¯s go back first. I wonder how much time has passed in our world.¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. The items on him that kept track of time were definitely useless because they followed his time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Zhao Anqi to wait for you here before you came in? You can just ask her.¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Zhou Mingrui took out his phone and made a call. After two beeps, the call was connected. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, why are you calling me all of a sudden? Did something happen?¡± Zhao Anqi¡¯s voice was heard from the phone. Yan Wuyue raised her eyebrows as if she had understood. ¡°How long has it been since I left you and I called you?¡± Zhou Mingrui quickly asked when he sensed that something was amiss. ¡°Let me see. It¡¯s been less than seven minutes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Anqi looked at the time and replied. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯ve already resolved it. Let¡¯s go back to our original location and drive back.¡± ¡°So fast? You were in such a hurry just now. Are you sure there¡¯s no problem?¡± Zhao Anqi asked, confused. ¡°I¡¯m right here. We¡¯ll talk about the details when we get back. Send a car to pick us up first.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°I understand.¡± Upon hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice, Zhao Anqi was sure that the matter had been resolved, so she immediately contacted her driver and headed to the designated place. Soon, everyone got into the car at the designated location. ¡°Why do I feel like there¡¯s something different about you two?¡± In the car, Zhao Anqi looked at the two of them and felt that something was off. However, after observing them for a while, she couldn¡¯t seem to say anything. ¡°Nonsense, do you think we can stay the same in a situation where we have a 90% chance of survival?¡± Zhou Mingrui said in an unpleasant tone. ¡°A 90% chance of survival? Minus the five minutes to get out of the car and meet up with Yan Wuyue, and you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯ve experienced a life-and-death situation in five minutes and then called me?¡± Zhao Anqi asked in disbelief. Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been sucked into a secret realm in an alternate space. The flow of time there is different from the outside. Seven minutes here is more than eight hours on our side. ¡°I-Is it like this?¡± Zhao Anqi was shocked. ¡°And then this guy beside you provoked an incalculable powerful being inside, and now he¡¯s chasing us.¡± Yan Wuyue continued. ¡°Ah?¡± Chapter 163 - Counting the Spoils of War Zhao Anqi acted as if she had just heard a fairy tale and asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not telling me a story?¡± ¡°You guys only managed to escape from that fellow¡¯s pursuit because of this little guy?¡± After saying that, she even took a special look at the little fellow in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms. Only its glowing silver tiny head was sticking out, and the rest of its body was still inside the metal egg. However, Zhou Mingrui said unhappily, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll use this to make fun of you? There were a few times when we nearly lost our lives. Besides, that fellow might come to this world at any time.¡± ¡°The mysterious figure of light you mentioned, if it dares to come here, isn¡¯t it afraid that it won¡¯t be able to return?¡± Zhao Anqi asked. Only then did Zhou Mingrui recall that Zhao Anqi did not seem to know about the Stone King Dragon¡¯s level or the mysterious figure of light¡¯s strength. Hence, Zhou Mingrui briefly explained what happened to the Stone King Dragon and the mysterious figure of light in the alternate space¡¯s secret realm. This time, Zhao Anqi knew that something was wrong. Just the Stone King Dragon¡¯s size alone was enough to cause huge waves in the Heavenly Saint world, not to mention the mysterious figure of light that could easily kill it. ¡°Then, then what if they come? Even the strongest existence in our city is probably not their match.¡± Zhao Anqi said worriedly. After all, according to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s description, the strength of the Stone King Dragon and the mysterious figure of light had exceeded her understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a possibility. After all, every world has a world barrier, and it¡¯s not something that life forms can break through easily, or else monsters would already be running around. We don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Yan Wuyue felt that Zhao Anqi was not in a good mood, so she tried to comfort her. ¡°I knew it. I was worried for nothing.¡± Zhao Anqi said as she placed her hand on her chest. Zhou Mingrui shot a glance at Yan Wuyue and continued, ¡°But we still have to be careful. Who knows if the world barrier will disappear or break one day for some reason? We¡¯ll have to face a lot of terrifying life forms then.¡± ¡°Then I hope that day will never come.¡± Zhao Anqi sighed. Seeing this, Zhou Mingrui did not say anything else. After all, he had already given Zhao Anqi a psychological warning. If something really happened, she would be mentally prepared. Very quickly, everyone returned to the academy. [Let¡¯s go back to the dormitory first and count our gains this time.] After Yan Wuyue sent a voice transmission, the two of them bid farewell to Zhao Anqi and left. Before he left, Zhou Mingrui even noticed Zhao Anqi winking at him. She was even fiddling with the Jade portrait coin that he had given her previously. This made the former shiver. Back at the dormitory. Zhou Mingrui took out all the items he had obtained from the auction house and the secret realm of the alternate space. Yan Wuyue also took out some of the treasures she had found. The first one was the little fellow who was dozing off in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms. ¡°It¡¯s very useful, and it¡¯s the most precious of all the treasures. It¡¯s already not easy to hatch it, so we have to protect it now.¡± Next was the skull of a level 7 monster. Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said, ¡°This level 7 skull should wait for a while. My suggestion is for you to wait until you¡¯re level 50 before using it. It¡¯s too much of a waste to use it now.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s leave it there for now,¡± he said. Then, the two of them looked at the level 7 monster core. Zhou Mingrui had forgotten to give it to Zhao Anqi. Before Yan Wuyue could say anything, the little guy in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms seemed to sense it. After a short-distance spatial trip, it swallowed the core in one gulp. ¡°!¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback and became shocked. ¡°Wait.¡± But at this moment, Yan Wuyue raised her hand to stop Zhou Mingrui¡¯s next move. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you afraid that it¡¯ll burst?¡± Zhou Mingrui was speechless. Watching the little guy shrink his head into the eggshell and the whole metal egg began to glow, Yan Wuyue smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this level 7 core has lost a portion of its energy over time. It¡¯s no longer the same as it was at its peak.¡± ¡°Moreover, since the little guy dared to swallow it, it must have a way to consume it. Don¡¯t underestimate their intuition. This is one of their important talents.¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯m actually having a headache over how to use this level 7 core. This little guy has actually helped me solve this problem.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. Puzzled, he asked, ¡°How do I put this? Although some of the core¡¯s energy has indeed leaked out, it¡¯s still a level 7 core.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it¡¯s not worth it,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that it has a better effect for it than when we use it. Zhou Mingrui could only shrug his shoulders and say, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve said so, then this little guy will benefit. Let¡¯s see the other stuff.¡± Then, Zhou Mingrui picked up the gem-like item. After examining it, he looked at Yan Wuyue and asked, ¡°What about this? I remember you saying that it¡¯s the key to entering a secret realm in an alternate space, right?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. But we can¡¯t use it now. We¡¯re still too weak. If we proceed rashly, we might be tracked by the mysterious figure of light.¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head and said regretfully, ¡°Then let¡¯s just leave it for now. We¡¯ll use it when we have the chance in the future.¡± In the end, both of them looked at the ugly thing locked in the glass bottle. ¡°By the way, how did you think of bringing it back?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at the Myriad Soul Flower and she ridiculed it. ¡°I know you can¡¯t do anything about it, but it¡¯s useful to me.¡± Zhou Mingrui touched his chin. Following that, Zhou Mingrui snapped his fingers and a tall figure immediately appeared beside him. It was none other than his mount, the Spectral Hell Warhorse. The moment the hell warhorse appeared, it snorted and then stared at the Myriad Soul Flower in the glass bottle. The Myriad Soul Flower seemed to have sensed something. The petals of the flower began to tremble rapidly, and there were even faint cries. ¡°I see.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately understood Zhou Mingrui¡¯s plan when she saw this. ¡°So you plan to feed the Myriad Soul Flower to the hell warhorse?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at the hell warhorse and asked curiously. In fact, she did not know that the hell warhorse was actually able to devour the Myriad Soul Flower. What would be the effect of this on it? Zhou Mingrui took the glass bottle and immediately opened it. At that moment, a grayish-black beam of light suddenly condensed in the center of the Myriad Soul flower¡¯s petals. It formed a beam of light that shot straight at Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui had long been prepared. He easily dodged the attack before summoning the phantom flame and placing it in front of the Myriad Soul Flower. Sensing the fearsomeness of the phantom flame, the Myriad Soul Flower immediately became obedient. ¡°I knew you were up to no good. You¡¯re really up to something.¡± Chapter 164 - Swallowing the Myriad Soul Flower in One Gulp With a sneer, Zhou Mingrui placed the Myriad Soul Flower in front of the hell warhorse. The latter immediately became impatient. [I want to eat!] The hell warhorse said. ¡°Eat it,¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately ordered. The hell warhorse immediately charged forward and bit down. The Myriad Soul Flower also began to use the same move as before, and at the same time, it let out an extremely shrill screech. However, the hell warhorse directly blocked it, completely ignoring the light beam and gnawing at it. The beam of light directly entered the hell warhorse¡¯s forehead, but it only caused the flames in its eyes to flicker slightly before returning to normal. As for the Myriad Soul Flower, it was directly swallowed by the hell warhorse. After swallowing it, the hell warhorse suddenly let out a sound that sounded like countless people wailing at the same time. However, the hell warhorse¡¯s body immediately burst into flames. In just two seconds, the wailing sounds from the hell warhorse immediately disappeared, and its body suddenly grew. The white bones on its body began to turn bronze. At the same time, they reflected a metallic light under the sun. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui also noticed that the hell warhorse¡¯s appearance had changed. First, all the joints in its body began to become thicker, and a spiral-shaped thorn grew out of its head. Its back became wider, and at the same time, thick bone pads grew out of its shoulders. The flames on its neck condensed into a mane like a living horse, but this mane was condensed from ghost fire. If the hell warhorse was an ordinary horse made of bones, it had now evolved into a real warhorse. [Name: Spectral Hell Warhorse] [Level: 47] [Grade: Gold] [Skills: Soul Flame Charge, Earth Stomp, Hell Howl, Ghost Mirage, Eye of Myriad Souls] [Talents: Extreme Speed, Soul Absorption] Zhou Mingrui nodded when he saw the attribute panel. After devouring the Myriad Soul Flower, not only did the hell warhorse¡¯s level increase, but its grade had also risen from quasi-gold to Gold grade. Moreover, the effects of the skill had also been greatly enhanced. The nurturing of this Myriad Soul Flower had not been in vain. After confirming that the fellow had successfully evolved, Zhou Mingrui recalled the hell warhorse back into his interspace. Zhou Mingrui glanced at the metal egg beside him that was glowing intermittently. He shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°You know the little guy. He¡¯s probably digesting the core now, so I won¡¯t say much.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done counting my gains this time. What about yours?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s all gone? Why did that guy chase after you?¡± Zhou Mingrui smacked his head and laughed. ¡°I almost forgot. It¡¯s the corpse of the Stone King Dragon. But if I take it out now, your dormitory will be crushed.¡± Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to take it out. It¡¯s useless for me even if you take it out now. I just wanted to ask you how you¡¯re going to deal with it.¡± After some thought, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°We can only preserve the Stone King Dragon¡¯s corpse for now. After all, it¡¯ll only be a waste if I use it now. However, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how powerful the Stone King Dragon I summon will be.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too confident. Even the Stone King Dragon, who was alive at its peak, was no match for the figure of light,¡± Yan Wuyue said, pouring cold water on him. ¡°You¡¯d better work hard to improve yourself first.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue directly pushed out her spoils of war and said, ¡°I just took these in passing. Compared to the ones you obtained from the auction house, these should be enough to level me up to level 40. However, before that, I plan to raise my grade.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it before?¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He thought Yan Wuyue had leveled up a long time ago. However, on second thought, he realized that it had been a long time since he paid attention to Yan Wuyue¡¯s level and grade. Yan Wuyue could roughly guess what Zhou Mingrui was thinking from his expression, so she took the initiative to say, ¡°I¡¯ve just reached level 40, and I can advance to Gold grade.¡± ¡°Then hurry up and take the test. This time, the secret realm of the alternate space was too dangerous. We¡¯re still not strong enough.¡± Zhou Mingrui said helplessly. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve finally realized it, it seems that this trip to the secret realm wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°Enough, don¡¯t keep mentioning the pursuit, it¡¯s giving me a headache.¡± Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. Chapter 165 - The Super Beast Tide (1) The Heavenly Saint World. In the sky above a wasteland, ripples suddenly appeared in the originally empty space. Then, a glowing human figure slowly emerged from it. After his body had completely solidified, the figure of light looked around him as if it was searching for something. He raised his arm, condensed a finger on his palm, and inserted it into the space. A large number of light threads appeared again and continued to extend. A large amount of spatial information began to enter the figure of light¡¯s body through the light threads, and it was constantly being analyzed and deciphered. A moment later, the figure of light retracted his finger. ¡°This is an interesting world. I¡¯ll use this place as my starting ground.¡± After saying that, the figure of light landed on the ground. Then, its body flickered with light and formed a light cocoon. Countless light threads immediately extended out from the light cocoon. Whether it was in the sky, on the ground, or underground, a large number of light threads spread out like water. In the wilderness, a level 4 monster was drinking water. In the next moment, a thin line of light appeared from beneath its feet, spreading to its body. At this moment, the monster seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. However, at the same time, the light threads pierced into the monster¡¯s body. As if it felt immense pain, the level 4 monster began to struggle and wail. However, it only took a few seconds for the monster to return to its previous calm. However, its eyes were already slightly rippling with light. After that, the monster started to move in one direction. Its body went from stiff and obscure to its original state. And this scene did not only appear here, it also began to appear in the entire wasteland. A large number of monsters¡¯ minds were occupied by the threads of the figure of light. ¡­ Hanlin City, a big border city near the southern wilderness, resisted the monster attack from the southern wilderness, which was designated by the central command as Area B. On the city wall, the patrol team was doing their best. Although they were repeating the boring task, everyone¡¯s face was serious. After all, if they let their guard down and something happened to them, their family and friends would be the ones facing the threat. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s that?¡± At this moment, a team member who happened to be patrolling at the gate said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The captain, who was walking in front, stopped and turned around to ask. ¡°Look over there.¡± The team member pointed to the distance opposite the door. The captain shifted his gaze, and when he focused his eyes, he saw a faint yellow mist. The captain¡¯s expression changed slightly when he saw this. As a patrol guard, he was very familiar with judging distance and the size of an object. The blurry yellow smoke could be compared to a sandstorm. There were only two possibilities for this situation. One was that a large number of objects were moving quickly, causing smoke and dust. The other situation was a large-scale sandstorm, but generally speaking, they had accurate weather predictions from the base, and the intelligence showed that there wouldn¡¯t be a sandstorm of this scale in the next three days. The final result would be that the beast tide had arrived! ¡°Base, base!¡± The captain didn¡¯t hesitate to contact the base through the radio. ¡°Team B2-231 suspects that a beast tide has appeared in Area B. Please confirm and issue orders as soon as possible!¡± Soon, the base command center immediately began to mobilize satellites and send out reconnaissance flying troops, flying across the sky under the uneasy expressions of many patrol teams. Very quickly, the flying troops had already approached the location of their target. The pilot observed the situation with his naked eye, and his expression changed drastically. ¡°Command center, command center. Beast tide discovered, beast tide discovered!¡± ¡°Based on visual assessment, it¡¯s a level two beast tide. No, I¡¯ll change my assessment. It¡¯s a level three beast tide or even higher!¡± At that moment, the fighter jet suddenly stopped, as if it had been hit by something. Then, a black shadow descended again, causing the pilot to quickly pull the control stick. ¡°Warning, I¡¯m under attack from a flying monster!¡± The surrounding fighter jets immediately came to help and started firing at the increasing number of flying monsters. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The fighter jet formation¡¯s captain looked at the dense horde of flying monsters in front of him and broke out in cold sweat. He immediately ordered the fighter jet formation to return. At the same time, he pressed the communication button and began to shout, ¡°Changing the observation information. The target is a level 4 beast tide approaching a level 5 beast tide. Requesting immediate support from the command center!¡± After saying that, the captain led the flight formation to fire a series of weapons for cover, then immediately turned the aircraft¡¯s nose and began to retreat at full speed. In the face of a beast tide of this scale, if their flying team had been a few seconds late, they might not even be able to leave. But before he left, the captain gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Release all air and ground weapons and fly away in the lightest possible state!¡± After the order was given, all the fighter jets that received the order pressed the air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground bombs at the same time. A large number of guided missiles whizzed out, flying straight toward the flying monsters in the sky. In the next moment, the sky suddenly burst into fireworks. The flying monster¡¯s corpses fell from the sky one after another. For a moment, the flying monster¡¯s pursuit was stopped. After the air-to-ground bombs landed, they continued to explode among the densely-packed beast tide on the ground. The extremely hot flames and shock waves sent a large number of monsters flying into the air before crashing heavily into the ground. This series of actions caused the entire beast tide to stop moving forward for a moment. However, very quickly, they resumed their unstoppable advance. At this time, the flight team had already taken off. When they returned to Hanlin City, the entire city had entered the highest state of alert. The local department began to use all civilian vehicles to evacuate women and children, and the army also began to move to designated combat positions. Everyone¡¯s face was filled with nervousness as if they were facing a great enemy. At the same time, they also called their summoned beasts to their side, ready to help them fight at any time. The request for reinforcements was quickly sent out in all directions. However, the information that came later made the officers of Hanlin City¡¯s military headquarters sweat. This was because they were not the only ones. A total of five major joint defense cities in Area B in the south had all detected the arrival of the beast tide. They could not even take care of themselves, let alone help other cities. ¡°Damn it, why did such a huge beast tide suddenly appear without any warning?¡± In the meeting room of Hanlin City¡¯s headquarters. The highest-ranking officer, Lin Changdong, clenched his fist and slammed it on the table. He roared, ¡°Why didn¡¯t our drones send back any information? Where are the scouts stationed at the periphery of Area B?¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve already¡­¡± Chapter 166 - The Super Beast Tide (2) ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re all dead.¡± General Lin Changdong slumped into his chair. According to the battle reports from the frontlines, the beast tide this time would be an unprecedented level 5 beast tide, also known as the super beast tide. In this case, all the forces in a city were just a joke in front of the super beast tide. If he could have predicted this in advance, he could have asked for reinforcements from the central continent and set up defensive measures, but it was too late now. ¡°How many elderly, women, and children have retreated?¡± General Lin Changdong asked weakly. ¡°General, 30% has retreated.¡± The adjutant beside him immediately replied. ¡°All non-essential combat staff shall go and assist the elderly, women, and children in their retreat immediately. All transportation must prioritize them.¡± ¡°If anyone disobeys the order, no matter what position they are in, and even if it¡¯s my son who disobeys the order, they can be executed by shooting on the spot.¡± General Lin Changdong ordered in a deep voice. The adjutant subconsciously conveyed the general¡¯s order, but turned around and asked, ¡°General, this might create a gap in the defense, and we won¡¯t be able to react and defend in time.¡± General Lin Changdong turned around and looked at him coldly. ¡°Do you think we can hold on?¡± The adjutant shuddered at the cold look in his eyes, then immediately said, ¡°General, don¡¯t worry. The soldiers will do their best to hold this line of defense. Unless we all die, we will not let the monsters cross our line of defense!¡± General Lin Changdong then turned his head and closed his eyes in pain. At this time, after Hanlin City received the order from the top, it immediately began to operate at high speed. Under the long-established arrangements, a large number of soldiers were drawn out from their non-necessary fixed positions and began to help the elderly, women, and children retreat. The military vehicles that were originally transporting non-essential supplies were also unloaded on the spot. They began to load the elderly, women, and children and then retreated. During this period, some men who wanted to use their status or background to retreat were directly executed by the angry soldiers. It must be known that there were a large number of soldiers¡¯ families among these elderly, women, and children, and no one would hold back if they dared to go against the emergency military order. The speed of the transfer suddenly accelerated. In just an hour, the elderly, women, and children in the city had basically been transferred. In the meantime, among the elderly, women, and children, those who had served before and could still keep up with their physical strength rejoined the army and helped the army to set up defenses. In the command center. ¡°General, the elderly, women, and children have all been evacuated. At the same time, 6457 reserve-duty soldiers have rejoined.¡± The adjutant reported. ¡°Very good, as expected of the soldiers I¡¯ve led. Many of them are not cowards!¡± General Lin Changdong¡¯s gloomy expression was swept away as he laughed out loud. After a carefree laughter, General Lin Changdong regained his serious expression and said, ¡°Get all the weapons in the arsenal ready immediately. Fire long-range bombing weapons at all costs. As long as we can kill one more monster, we may have one less comrade behind us die!¡± ¡°Yes, General!¡± The adjutant turned around and was about to give an order. ¡°Wait!¡± General Lin Changdong suddenly raised his hand and said. ¡°General?¡± The adjutant asked. ¡°Tell the soldiers to hurry up and have a full meal.¡± General Lin Changdong turned around and looked at the big screen after he finished speaking. ¡°Yes, General.¡± The adjutant replied after two seconds of silence. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to rest. Go.¡± Lin Changdong suddenly said. ¡°Thank you. Thank you, General.¡± The adjutant¡¯s eyes were red. He knew that the general had given him a chance to say goodbye to his family. ¡°Everyone, take a three-minute break.¡± After saying that, General Lin Changdong immediately got up and left the command room. The remaining people began to pull out their mobile phones with tears in their eyes and began to call their loved ones. At the same time, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue, who were in Hanguang City, were attentive in class. After experiencing the alternate space¡¯s secret realm, the two of them calmed down. Zhou Mingrui no longer slacked off. He attended all the classes and worked hard to learn more knowledge so that he could settle down. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, didn¡¯t go to class. She was even more experienced than the instructors in those classes. What she needed to do now was to search for all the knowledge that she had not learned before, and more of the secret techniques she knew. After all, there was still a full eight years before the great calamity. During this period, she could completely develop her combat strength in many aspects, and only after accumulating and settling down would she become stronger. After school ended that day, Zhou Mingrui wanted to head to the long bench in the school park to relax and watch the sunset. To his surprise, he saw many flustered students. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why do these guys all have the same expression?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little confused, but he did not approach and ask. Instead, he pulled out his phone and gave Zhao Anqi a call. ¡°You want to know what happened, right?¡± Zhao Anqi asked as soon as the call connected. ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhou Mingrui grunted in agreement. ¡°There¡¯s a beast tide in the wasteland of Area B in the south. It¡¯s a super beast tide.¡± Zhao Anqi sounded a little depressed. ¡°What is a super beast tide?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. Zhao Anqi organized her thoughts and explained, ¡°In theory, the beast tide is divided into seven levels. Levels 1 to 2 are small beast tides, which can be easily solved by the frontier cities.¡± ¡°Level 3 to 4 is considered a medium-scale beast tide. The frontier cities have to pay a huge price to deal with it alone. Usually, they will ask the surrounding cities and the fortresses behind for support.¡± ¡°Level 5 is a large-scale beast tide. It¡¯s basically impossible for a frontier city to resist it alone. It might even be drowned and destroyed by the beast tide.¡± ¡°Level 6 is the super beast tide. This level requires human countries to use all their strength to deal with it. If they do not handle it well, they might even be destroyed.¡± ¡°Level 7 is the ultimate beast tide. Once this kind of beast tide appears, the entire human race will enter a state of crisis. No one or country can stay out of it.¡± ¡°Theoretically speaking, there has never been a level 6 to 7 beast tide. A level 5 beast tide only appears once in many years.¡± Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui finally understood why the students looked nervous and even terrible. Hence, he frowned and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the entire Hanxia has to fight this beast tide with all their might?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly because there are a total of seven frontier cities in the southern wilderness. By the time I found out, three of them have already fallen, and all of them have been massacred without any survivors.¡± Zhao Anqi replied. After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°The country should be making a move now, right?¡± ¡°Yes, 80% of the army has been urgently mobilized to the southern wilderness. At the same time, the whole country has begun to recruit all the soldiers of suitable age.¡± Zhao Anqi replied. ¡°Alright, I understand now. Thanks.¡± Zhou Mingrui expressed his gratitude. Chapter 167 - Making a Decision ¡°Zhou Mingrui.¡± Suddenly, Zhao Anqi¡¯s voice could be heard from the phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was about to hang up, asked. ¡°If, and I¡¯m saying if, the super beast tide comes, give me a call and I¡¯ll get someone to take you away,¡± Zhao Anqi said after a short pause. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll come to you if I need help. Thank you.¡± Zhou Mingrui hung up the phone right after he finished speaking. Zhou Mingrui got up from the bench and returned to his dormitory. Yan Wuyue was already in the living room. At this moment, Yan Wuyue had an ugly expression. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her hands clenched into fists. [Is there no such scene in the future?] Zhou Mingrui went straight to the point. Yan Wuyue looked up at Zhou Mingrui and shook her head. She sighed and said, [I didn¡¯t expect things to develop into a situation worse than before.] Zhou Mingrui walked to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side and sat down. Looking at her conflicted expression, he could only say, [It¡¯s useless to think about this now. You should think about what we should do.] Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly. [The super beast tide isn¡¯t something we can control with our current strength. Even participating in it will be dangerous.] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tone turned stern. [Yan Wuyue, I remember you¡¯re not someone who breaks down so easily. This is not the ultimate beast tide, so we don¡¯t need to be responsible for it. The country will naturally take the lead.] Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes at Zhou Mingrui, then said hatefully, [Are you stupid? When did I break down? I¡¯m not depressed about what you think.] [Then why are you so depressed?] Zhou Mingrui blinked and asked. [What I¡¯m depressed about is the change in the situation. Think about it, the appearance of this super beast tide will affect more than one country.] Yan Wuyue stared into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes and said, [We still have to face the threat of a great calamity eight years later. If the human race¡¯s strength is greatly depleted now, what will we do then?] When Zhou Mingrui heard this, he finally understood. Indeed, as Yan Wuyue had said, this super beast tide would cause a heavy blow to humanity regardless of the outcome. Even in the most optimistic state, there were more than eight years to buffer, but the growth cycle of the strong could not be made up for in eight years. After all, it was impossible for everyone to have a fortuitous encounter. Such a thing was simply unrealistic. [I understand what you mean, but it¡¯s not realistic for us to think about this now. Since the super beast tide has already happened, we might as well think about how we can minimize the losses of humans in this beast tide.] Zhou Mingrui explained. [You¡¯re right.] Yan Wuyue nodded and continued, [But my personal choice is still to avoid the super beast tide as much as possible.] Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui said in surprise, [Are you sure you¡¯re saying that we should avoid helping the super beast tide and hide instead of assisting the frontline?] Yan Wuyue rubbed between her eyebrows and said helplessly, [I¡¯ve said it many times. With our current strength, we¡¯ll only cause trouble if we go. We must preserve our strength now so that we can prepare for the great calamity in the future.] Zhou Mingrui shook his head this time and said, [I have the opposite opinion this time. I think we should join in the fight against the beast tide.] Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui and realized he wasn¡¯t joking. She asked, [Why don¡¯t you tell me why?] Zhou Mingrui coughed lightly and said, [I know that the beast tide is scary, but isn¡¯t crisis an opportunity at times?] [A large number of monsters will allow us to quickly increase our levels and grades. At times like this, the country will not be stingy with the rewards. With the help of various resources, we can increase our combat power even faster.] [I know you¡¯re worried about what you¡¯ll do if you encounter an extremely powerful monster, but have you ever thought about it? Humans have their own powerful existences, so they naturally won¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.] [We just need to do what we should do and kill as many monsters as possible. It will help us, our country, and even all of humanity.] [Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯ve been pursuing all this time?] In the end, Zhou Mingrui said with a solemn expression, [Also, I have to tell you something. The beast tide this time has exceeded your expectations. What if more dangers appear in the future?] [For example, what if a great calamity happens in advance? Are you sure we have enough combat power to deal with it?] Hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s question, Yan Wuyue¡¯s fingers were tangled together, proving the dilemma in her heart. [You said that you failed in your previous life and that you want to develop until the end of this life. But are you sure you can still face the enemies that you have not fought yet?] [That mysterious light bulb, no, the figure of light. Are you sure that with your strength in your previous life, no, even if your strength is doubled, you can defeat him?] Yan Wuyue sighed and shook her head. [You¡¯re right. I was too worried this time.] Zhou Mingrui heaved a sigh of relief and said, [I know you have a lot on your mind, and I don¡¯t blame you. I¡¯ve said it before. We are standing on the same side.] With that said, Zhou Mingrui got up to pour a glass of water for Yan Wuyue. Then, he sat on the sofa beside her and quietly waited for Yan Wuyue to recover. About half an hour later, Yan Wuyue suddenly reached out and picked up the cup. After drinking the water in one breath, she exhaled the foul air in her heart. ¡°You¡¯ve decided?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked when he saw this. Yan Wuyue nodded gently. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided. Let¡¯s join the battle. As for the rest, we¡¯ll decide when we get to the battlefield. However, since we¡¯ve chosen to participate in the battle, we have to solve a problem.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. ¡°What problem?¡± He asked. Yan Wuyue sneered. ¡°That¡¯s why you never think about a problem comprehensively. Since we¡¯re going to participate in the war, we must go through the academy. Otherwise, the army will never accept us.¡± ¡°Do you think those old guys will agree to let us go to the battlefield? They¡¯ll probably just capture us and lock us up.¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He knew that Yan Wuyue was right. The situation would indeed develop in the direction she had described. ¡°I knew it. You only know how to come up with ideas on the spot and won¡¯t think about these details.¡± Yan Wuyue took out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yan Wuyue. Yes, Dean Lin, I have something to tell you.¡± After nearly half an hour on the phone, Yan Wuyue finally hung up. After letting out a long breath, she said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled. Now, we can go directly to the army to register.¡± Zhou Mingrui smacked his lips and did not say a word. Yan Wuyue had made countless promises and conditions in order to join the army and head to the front lines. Chapter 168 - Farewell ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. With your talent, there¡¯s no need for you to participate in the battle. As long as you¡¯re given time, you¡¯ll surpass us and become the pillar of the army.¡± ¡°But you just had to go. You even said that you could only find opportunities in danger and grow faster.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah, ah, I¡¯m so angry!¡± Yan Wuyue, who was standing in the dean¡¯s office, didn¡¯t dare to say a word. She just accepted the old man¡¯s reprimand. ¡°What, you¡¯re not saying anything now? You know how to bypass me and talk to the dean of the empire¡¯s research institute for half an hour, but now you¡¯re not saying anything to me?¡± Looking at the furious old man, Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes and could only choose to say in a coquettish tone, ¡°Dean, don¡¯t be angry. Slow down first.¡± ¡°Slow, slow my ass. You¡¯re almost driving me to my grave!¡± The dean clutched his chest and roared. ¡°Dean, we humans might not lose. I¡¯m going to participate in the battle so that I can have a better resume in the future. This way, I can also bring glory to the academy.¡± Yan Wuyue hurried forward and patted the dean¡¯s back. Zhou Mingrui, who was beside her, was amazed when he saw this. He could not help but ridicule when he saw the dean¡¯s expression ease up. If he were in her shoes, he would probably not only be scolded but might even be given a violent beating without being able to retaliate. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t control you anymore. The orders from above have come down. You can go and register in the next few days.¡± The dean sighed. ¡°Remember to take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t always rush to the front.¡± After finally coaxing the dean, Yan Wuyue heaved a sigh of relief when she came out of the office. ¡°You just watch from the side. I¡¯ll be the one taking care of it anyway!¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui and snorted. ¡°I¡¯m just a summoned spirit. I can¡¯t just interrupt and talk nonsense.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go to the army enlistment office to register.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t want to waste any more time talking to this guy, so she walked outside. Soon, the two of them arrived at the registration office in the city. ¡°You two want to join the army?¡± The soldier at the registration desk asked in surprise when he saw Yan Wuyue¡¯s young face. ¡°It¡¯s me, Sir. He¡¯s my summoned spirit.¡± Yan Wuyue explained to the officer. ¡°Oh, a rare humanoid summoned spirit.¡± The officer was surprised. It was very rare for a summoned spirit to have the appearance of a human, a certain level of intelligence, and the ability to speak. ¡°Thank you. I was just lucky.¡± Yan Wuyue said lightly. ¡°Fill in the form and pass it over.¡± The officer didn¡¯t waste any more time. He handed Yan Wuyue a form and continued to interview the next person. After filling in the form, the officer took it and looked at it in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re only seventeen this year, and you¡¯re already a Gold grader. That¡¯s rare!¡± After scanning a few lines, the officer suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Huh, you¡¯re also a reserve student of the empire¡¯s research institute?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The officer immediately smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m from the empire¡¯s research institute, so I¡¯ll be your future senior.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you senior brother first.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately shouted. ¡°Hahaha, alright, you¡¯ve passed the verification.¡± The officer then handed a watch and medal to Yan Wuyue and continued, ¡°Keep it. All military electronic messages will be transmitted to you through this watch. The medal is your identification.¡± ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡± Yan Wuyue continued to say sweetly. ¡°Although this is a super beast tide, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. I don¡¯t think people like you will be sent to the front lines. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The officer smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I understand, Senior Brother.¡± Yan Wuyue wore the watch on her wrist and kept the medal in her pocket. ¡°Alright, you can leave now. The military order will come soon. Just act according to the order.¡± After collecting Yan Wuyue¡¯s form, the officer continued, ¡°You have my contact information in your watch. If you encounter any problems, just contact me. Although I may not be able to solve everything, I can still help you with most things.¡± ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother!¡± In any case, Yan Wuyue first expressed her gratitude. Then the officer looked down at the form and said, ¡°Next.¡± At this time, Yan Wuyue had tactfully left the registration area and came to the entrance. ¡°Is it settled?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked as he watched Yan Wuyue walk back. ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m now considered a member of the army.¡± Yan Wuyue raised her wrist and showed off her watch. ¡°When do we leave?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°He said to wait for the notice. Let¡¯s go back to the academy first.¡± Yan Wuyue replied. Only two hours after they returned to the dormitory, Yan Wuyue¡¯s watch began to vibrate. ¡°I actually became a sergeant directly. I started as a private in my last life,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a sigh. ¡°Not for the sake of the monk, but for the sake of the Buddha. You¡¯re a preparatory student of the research institute, after all. There¡¯s no way you can start from an ordinary soldier.¡± Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips. Yan Wuyue, who was too lazy to care about this, continued, ¡°The order has been issued. We are to gather at B-23-11 port in 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Then pack your luggage and go to your house to say goodbye to your family.¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°Alright,¡± Yan Wuyue said after a moment of silence. Ten minutes later, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui appeared in the Yan family¡¯s residence. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t approach Yan Wuyue, giving her some time and space to spend with her parents. After a few words, the two began to quarrel. Yan Wuyue¡¯s father, Yan Bin, even slapped her directly in the face, but Yan Wuyue did not resist or get angry. Soon, the scene calmed down, but before he could say anything more, Yan Wuyue¡¯s father, Yan Bin, suddenly began to cry. A moment later, Yan Wuyue and her mother hugged each other, and then Yan Wuyue took the initiative to withdraw her hands and leave. Seeing Yan Wuyue walking toward the door, Zhou Mingrui turned around to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Bin suddenly shouted at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°You called me?¡± Zhou Mingrui turned to Yan Bin and asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Yan Bin nodded. He walked up to Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°I know that you may be a summoned spirit, but you have an independent soul. So, as a father, I¡¯m here to request you to take good care of my daughter.¡± ¡°I must!¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Yan Bin¡¯s face revealed a gratified smile. He reached out and patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder before turning to leave. Looking at Yan Wuyue¡¯s parents crying on the sofa, Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know what to say. He could only turn around and walk toward the door. Chapter 169 - Departure When he left the Yan family mansion, Zhou Mingrui saw Yan Wuyue standing under a tree. Walking forward, Zhou Mingrui saw Yan Wuyue¡¯s slightly trembling shoulders. He didn¡¯t say anything but stood aside. After a few minutes, Yan Wuyue suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, or we¡¯ll be late.¡± In the car, Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yan Wuyue laughed. ¡°What can happen? I just thought of the past when I saw them. But it¡¯s okay. It won¡¯t affect me.¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed. ¡°To be honest, sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re a human who reincarnated as a summoned spirit. I¡¯ve seen highly intelligent summoned spirits, but I¡¯ve never seen one like you with a clear personality and complete human emotions.¡± ¡°If you want to possess such feelings, you must be born in a community of equal life forms. Don¡¯t tell me that there are life forms similar to humans in your world that communicate with you.¡± Yan Wuyue said with assurance. ¡°Is that important?¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not important now, but I always keep it in my heart. It¡¯s making me feel uncomfortable.¡± Yan Wuyue said slyly. Shaking his head, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°Since you want to know so much, I¡¯ll tell you. I was indeed a human life form from another world. After I died, I was reborn as a summoned spirit. Then, I was summoned by you. Are you satisfied now?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded with satisfaction. ¡°I knew it. There are so many summoned beasts, but none of them are like you.¡± Zhou Mingrui placed his hands behind his back and closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with the fellow. ¡°By the way, can you tell me about your world?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly grabbed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arm and asked. ¡°We¡¯re reaching the station soon. Let¡¯s talk about it when we have time.¡± Zhou Mingrui waved his hand. Hmph! Yan Wuyue snorted and turned her head away. ¡°You have to know that I¡¯m not like you, who was reborn. I can¡¯t go back to how I was.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. ¡°S-Sorry.¡± Only then did Yan Wuyue realize that she had touched upon something special in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently. Very quickly, the car stopped. They walked into the station and quickly arrived at the place where the troops were gathered according to divisions. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that everyone has chosen to join the army and contribute to the country. I¡¯ll be your main person in charge from now on. You can call me Captain Zheng.¡± ¡°Now, I don¡¯t care who you were or what background you have. As long as you choose to enter the military, you are a soldier!¡± The three hundred people were arranged in a square formation and were receiving a lecture from a middle-aged officer in front of the formation. ¡°A soldier must obey orders, and to sacrifice to protect is an honor. Please always remember this.¡± The officer¡¯s sharp eyes swept over everyone present, but he was stunned when he saw Yan Wuyue in the front row. ¡°Alright. Everyone get on the train and find your seats now.¡± After the lecture was over, everyone returned to the cabin, found their seats, and sat down. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was standing beside the seat with a dark expression because there was no seat for him. [Um, do you want to stay in the summoning space for a while?] Yan Wuyue sent a voice transmission to Zhou Mingrui, but the latter said unwillingly, [Forget it. I¡¯d rather stand outside than wait in that boring place and go crazy.] [Alright, you chose that yourself.] Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s insistence, Yan Wuyue did not say anything more. However, Zhou Mingrui noticed that the people sitting around him were looking at him with inquisitive gazes. [As you can see, there are almost no summoned spirits that don¡¯t like to stay in the summoning space. That¡¯s why I asked you just now.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice rang out again, but Zhou Mingrui frowned slightly. Then, under the curious gazes of the crowd, he walked toward Captain Zheng. ¡°Captain Zheng!¡± Zhou Mingrui said. ¡°What is it?¡± Captain Zheng asked doubtfully. ¡°I need a seat.¡± Zhou Mingrui said directly. ¡°Are you kidding me? If every summoned spirit needs a seat, how can there be enough seats?¡± ¡°The seats have already been arranged. If you don¡¯t want to stand, you can just return to your summoner¡¯s summoning space,¡± Captain Zheng said calmly. Zhou Mingrui did not get angry. Instead, he said very calmly, ¡°Captain, although I¡¯m not a soldier, I¡¯m her summoned spirit. I¡¯ll also go to the battlefield to fight against humans for the country. Am I not even worthy of a seat?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what are we, the summoned spirits, in your eyes? Are we tools or objects?¡± The surrounding soldiers immediately turned their attention to them. Captain Zheng looked at Zhou Mingrui for a long while before patting the empty seat beside him. ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. Zhou Mingrui immediately sat on it after saying that. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts. You¡¯re not even there yet, and you dare to provoke your direct superior. Aren¡¯t you looking for trouble?¡± The moment he sat down, Zhou Mingrui heard Captain Zheng chuckling and whispering to him. ¡°Captain Zheng, if you want to find trouble with me, no problem. You can send me to the most dangerous place or the place with the most monsters to carry out a mission. My summoner and I will never say no.¡± Zhou Mingrui said directly. ¡°Oh.¡± Hearing this, Captain Zheng¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of death?¡± ¡°Captain Zheng, as I said earlier since my summoner has chosen to join the army, she won¡¯t disobey military orders out of fear. You can rest assured about this.¡± Zhou Mingrui said calmly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Captain Zheng said no more. [Aren¡¯t you looking for trouble for yourself?] At this moment, Yan Wuyue spoke to him via telepathy. [We should fight for what we should get. So what if we offend them?] Zhou Mingrui said nonchalantly. [That¡¯s true. When the time comes, I¡¯ll be the one being made fun of, not you. You¡¯ll definitely be fine.] Yan Wuyue ridiculed. [Please, if we¡¯re going to kill the monsters, we¡¯ll have to do it too.] Zhou Mingrui pursed his lips. [It¡¯s up to you, as long as you¡¯re happy.] Yan Wuyue quieted down after saying that. Along the way, everyone in the carriage closed their eyes to rest. After all, they were going to the front line, and there might not even be time to rest. Soon, after two hours of travel, the train stopped, and everyone got off. As soon as they got out of the vehicle, they heard a lot of noise. The soldiers were stunned when they saw soldiers and officers running back and forth, shouting something loudly. They looked nervous as if they were facing a great enemy. ¡°Aren¡¯t we still three lines away from the first line of defense? Why does it look like we¡¯re about to engage in a battle?¡± One of the soldiers asked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you that the first line of defense was broken when we set off, and the second line of defense is in danger.¡± Captain Zheng looked at the soldier and said indifferently. The soldiers were shocked. Chapter 170 - Captain Zheng Isnt Nobody Captain Zheng Isn¡¯t Nobody Hearing Captain Zheng¡¯s words, all the new soldiers changed their expressions and started whispering to each other. ¡°What? Do you think we¡¯re here on vacation?¡± Captain Zheng suddenly shouted. The soldiers present immediately quivered in fear and quickly shut their mouths. ¡°Attention, line up!¡± Captain Zheng looked at the soldiers who had lined up again and said coldly, ¡°From the moment you entered this gate, you¡¯ve become an official soldier. Everything is about military rules for you.¡± ¡°If I see anyone flinches, the emergency military rule gives me the power to kill you on the spot!¡± ¡°Now, follow me!¡± The soldiers looked at each other, but they could only line up obediently and run behind the group. Soon, they arrived at a large square. Within a few minutes, the place was filled with soldiers, but they all stood straight under strict military discipline. ¡°Guys, welcome to the B-3 defense line.¡± A few minutes later, a major general in a neat military uniform appeared and began to speak on the stage in front of the square. ¡°It¡¯s your blessing and curse to be able to come here. You¡¯re lucky because you can contribute to your country, your people, and your family and friends. ¡°Unfortunately, as the third line of defense, we have no way to retreat with the defense line of the big city behind us.¡± ¡°The soldiers at the two front lines can retreat here, but we can¡¯t. There is no way for us to retreat.¡± ¡°We have to do everything we can to keep the super beast tide out. We can¡¯t even let them get close to our defense line.¡± ¡°You know very well what¡¯s behind you, so I won¡¯t waste my time explaining. Good luck! God bless Hanxia!¡± The major general punched his chest and shouted. ¡°God bless Hanxia!¡± All the soldiers present shouted in unison. The roar reverberated and spread in all directions. Zhou Mingrui stood at the corner as though it had nothing to do with him. After the general left, the leaders immediately showed their team members the residences. ¡°The male dormitory is on the left, and the female dormitory is on the right. You¡¯ll have five minutes to pack and come back to gather! After Captain Zheng finished speaking, he immediately pressed the timer on his watch. [I¡¯ll go up myself. Wait for me downstairs.] Yan Wuyue then went to the dormitory with her luggage. In less than five minutes, everyone had packed up and regrouped. Captain Zheng nodded, brought everyone to the building, stood, and waited with the other soldiers. Ten minutes later, the hall was filled with soldiers. An officer confirmed and walked directly to the giant screen in front of the hall. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the key information of this beast tide and your responsibilities.¡± ¡°The beast tide this time has been confirmed to be a super monster tide. From the information we got so far, the beast tide is made up of flying and land monsters. We can¡¯t estimate the number at the moment, and we can¡¯t identify the leader yet. However, the highest-level monsters we¡¯ve discovered are ranked 8. ¡°We are in charge of three defense lines, and the second defense line is in danger. Our last hope is on the third defense line, which is also the strongest one!¡± ¡°You are all newbies, so your main job now is to learn the rules of the battlefield and various orders under the leadership of the experienced soldiers. I hope you can adapt quickly during this period. ¡°We might have to face the beast tide at any time, so I hope that you will learn as soon as possible for the country and for yourself to increase your chances of survival on the battlefield.¡± After the short speech, the general left in a hurry. The new soldiers below the stage looked at each other. Apparently, they could see how tense the current situation was. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Captain Zheng turned around and left with his soldiers. For the rest of the day, Captain Zheng started teaching the new soldiers what they needed to pay attention to when fighting monsters, as well as how to deal with the attacks of different types of monsters. These were all knowledge that couldn¡¯t be learned in class, and many people were amazed. At this moment, everyone was more than serious. After all, what they were learning could help them to survive on the battlefield. During this period, Yan Wuyue¡¯s performance made Captain Zheng impressed for her performance in every aspect was outstanding. Moreover, Yan Wuyue even did some of the things he taught better than him. If it wasn¡¯t for the insufficient information and appearance, Captain Zheng would even think that Yan Wuyue was actually an experienced veteran. After a day¡¯s training, they were back in their dormitories. As there were fewer female soldiers, Yan Wuyue was the only one living in the dormitory, which made things easier for Zhou Mingrui. [Captain Zheng seems to care a lot about you.] Zhou Mingrui said with a teasing tone. [Is that even a question? If he didn¡¯t notice my performance today, then he really wasn¡¯t a qualified soldier. ] Yan Wuyue snorted and said. [ Why do you want to impress him, then? ] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [ He is cute. Are you happy now?] Yan Wuyue teased. [ Alright, but seriously, I would kill myself if you had a crush on him.] Zhou Mingrui said in disdain. [ I want him to be impressed with me to let him know I am potential.] Yan Wuyue blinked. [ Are you saying that this guy has an extraordinary background? ] Zhou Mingrui could tell what Yan Wuyue was thinking. [I¡¯ve been observing him since the first time I met him. Have you ever seen a Captain not respect a lieutenant colonel? ] Yan Wuyue explained. [That¡¯s true.] Zhou Mingrui recalled the scene he saw today. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time, but he found Yan Wuyue was right after thinking about it. [I also noticed that the way the general looked at him was different. You know what that means, right?] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui, wanting him to analyze the situation. [It¡¯s very simple. Either Captain Zheng is from a distinguished family, or he is very capable. Either one of these two facts can help you get better resources in the army,] Zhou Mingrui answered without thinking. Getting the conclusion was like a walk in the park, for there were only a few possibilities in the army that could make anyone ignore the hierarchy. [That¡¯s right. I think he¡¯ll come to me tomorrow. ] Yan Wuyue said with certainty. [You¡¯re really that sure? ] Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue revealed a confident smile and said, [if it was before the beast tide, I wouldn¡¯t be this confident. But now, I am sure about that.] Chapter 171 - Specter Special Forces Specter Special Forces [ I was in charge of three legions in my previous life, so I know a lot about the military. ] Yan Wuyue said with certainty, [ The Army is in urgent need of all kinds of talents now. As long as you perform well, they will definitely come to you in a way you may never expect. ] [ Actually, this beast tide is also a good opportunity for me to enter the upper class of the human race. As long as you have the ability, you will climb up way faster than in Peace Period. ] [ When the time comes, we will stand on a higher level so that humans can better take precautions and not suffer such a great loss in the early stages of the great calamity. ] Zhou Mingrui agreed. [Sure. Let¡¯s wait and see tomorrow.] [ Alright, I¡¯m going to sleep. You should go back to the space.] Yan Wuyue said as she stood up and tidied her clothes. [ Well, I¡¯ll just sleep on the floor.] Zhou Mingrui chuckled. [ I want to change my clothes and take a shower!] Yan Wuyue snorted. [ Alright. ] Zhou Mingrui also knew that they were not in the dormitory, where there were different levels and room types. Zhou Mingrui was thrown into Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoning space. The next day, Captain Zheng shouted to Yan Wuyue after the morning training, ¡°Yan Wuyue, come with me.¡± The two of them quickly came to an unremarkable building, and the door opened after fingerprint and iris identification. ¡°You should have heard of the Specter Special Forces, right?¡± Captain Zheng asked without turning his head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them. They¡¯re one of the Southwest Military District¡¯s trump cards,¡± Yan Wuyue answered. ¡°If you have the chance to join this team but have to pay a huge price, what would you do?¡± Captain Zheng continued to ask. ¡°I will choose to pay the price to be part of them. I will never give up this opportunity,¡± Yan Wuyue said without hesitation. ¡°Very good.¡± Captain Zheng¡¯s answer was very short but firm. Soon, the three of them arrived in front of an office door. Captain Zheng raised his hand and knocked a few times before waiting quietly. ¡°Come in,¡± someone said from the other side of the door a moment after. Upon entering the office, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui saw a middle-aged man in his fifties dressed in a military uniform standing by the window, looking into the distance. ¡°Commander, here she is.¡± After saluting, Captain Zheng said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The commander turned around, his sharp eyes scanning Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. [ Lieutenant colonel. ] Zhou Mingrui noticed the man¡¯s epaulet. [ Even a major general would have to be polite to a lieutenant colonel. Don¡¯t underestimate him, ] Yan Wuyue reminded him. [ I got it. ] Zhou Mingrui understood. ¡°Wolf Spider told me that you¡¯re very talented. He introduced you to me and wants to recruit you into the Specter Special Forces,¡± The commander said with a serious expression. ¡°Although the Army is in urgent need of talents, not everyone can join the Specter Special Forces. They must go through a special assessment.¡± ¡°Let me ask you. Do you want to join the Specter Special Forces? ¡± The commander asked Yan Wuyue. ¡°I want to,¡± Yan Wuyue said firmly. ¡°Very good. The Spector 3 is going on a mission. You can go with them and let them help you complete the assessment. After saying that, the commander picked up the red phone next to him and said a few words before turning to Yan Wuyue. ¡°I¡¯ve already explained everything. Wolf Spider will show you the Spector 3¡¯s base.¡± ¡°Yes, commander,¡± Yan Wuyue responded immediately. Just as Yan Wuyue was about to turn and leave, the commander said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t see your file, I would really think that you grew up in the army. Alright, you are free to go.¡± After that, he began to read the documents. As soon as Yan Wuyue walked out of the gate, she saw Captain Zheng waiting at the side. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said. He walked in front, leading Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui all the way to another room. He knocked on the door, and a strong female voice came from inside. ¡°Come in!¡± When he pushed the door open and entered, Zhou Mingrui was shocked by the scene. The room was extremely messy and unkempt, and there were three women. One was trimming her toes, one was lying down and reading a book, and one was sleeping soundly. Zhou Mingrui saw Captain Zheng¡¯s expression change the moment he entered the room. His face was still twitching slightly. ¡°Hey, my little Wolf Spider, what brings you here? Are you here to take any of us on a date?¡± The woman who was holding her toes asked jokingly. The woman who was reading also put down the book in her hand and looked over. She rubbed her eyes and woke up from her sleep. It was only then that Zhou Mingrui could see the three women¡¯s faces clearly. They all had neat, short hair and different style. Although they weren¡¯t typical beautiful women, they all had their own charisma. They could immediately tell who was more outgoing, chill, or gentle. ¡°Red Fox, I¡¯m not in the mood to joke around. Where¡¯s your Captain?¡± Captain Zheng asked with a frown. ¡°She¡¯s taking a shower. Do you want me to take you to the bathroom?¡± Red Fox asked with an alluring tone as she walked up to first Captain Zheng. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for her outside.¡± Seeing the big mess in the room, Captain Zheng immediately turned around and walked out. ¡°Humph, who do you think you are? Hey, girl, are you the newbie?¡± Captain Zheng was ignoring Red Fox, so she turned her attention to Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue saw the woman¡¯s hand approaching, and it came to her mind that she had scratched her toes earlier. The next second, she took a step back. ¡°Why are you all like this? Nobody wants to be my friend!¡± Seeing Yan Wuyue¡¯s look of disdain, Red Fox was not angry but pouted. She said, looked at Zhou Mingrui in the cloak, and reached out to touch him. ¡°Please leave me alone!¡± Zhou Mingrui took a step back right away, making Red Fox freeze. However, Red Fox did not care at all. She took her hand back and laughed. ¡°You really don¡¯t like me, huh?¡± ¡°Alright, Red Fox, back to your seat!¡± At that moment, a voice was heard. Red Fox immediately went back to her spot like a mouse that had seen a cat. Zhou Mingrui turned his head and saw a burly woman walking into the room with a little girl in a ponytail. The woman was at least 1.9 meters tall, and even Zhou Mingrui was not as tall as her. The undershirt she wore revealed her defined muscles, making her look like a tough character in a movie. ¡°Captain!¡± The three people in the room spoke in unison Chapter 172 - Snow Leopard Snow Leopard ¡°Okay!¡± The captain nodded and looked at Captain Zheng. ¡°Wolf Spider, the commander has told me everything, so I don¡¯t need your help here. You are allowed to leave.¡± Hearing this, Captain Zheng frowned. He still nodded and said to Yan Wuyue, ¡°My mission is complete. The captain of Spector 3 will show you around. I have to go.¡± ¡°Wolf Spider, thank you. I don¡¯t know if she can make it, but thank you still.¡± the strong woman said gratefully. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Captain Zheng left after he finished speaking. The strong woman turned to Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°I am Polar Bear.¡± ¡°This is Red-tailed Monkey,¡± she said, pointing at the ponytail girl. She then pointed at the woman who was sleeping earlier and said, ¡± ¡°She¡¯s called a Sloth,¡± She then pointed at the woman reading the book. ¡°Her name is Giraffe, and I am sure you know this is Red Fox.¡± ¡°We are a female special forces squad. Newbies are usually not allowed to know our nicknames before passing the test, but I think the commander wouldn¡¯t send someone incapable here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell us your real name. Just give yourself a nickname now.¡± ¡°Snow Leopard,¡± Yan Wuyue narrowed her eyes said. Polar Bear was stunned for a moment, then nodded and smiled.¡±Snow Leopard, just like you, it¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going on a reconnaissance mission, which will also be the assessment for you to see if you are qualified for the team. Do you still need to pack anything? ¡± ¡°I am good,¡± Yan Wuyue shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been prepared for this moment.¡± Polar Bear looked at her with approval and said, ¡°The commander is right. You were born to be a warrior.¡± Then, she turned around and shouted at the others, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Move your a*s and pack up for the mission!¡± The others immediately reacted and quickly took out their battle equipment to change. However, they suddenly stopped before taking off their clothes. Then, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the door of the room, to the figure who had been standing there silently. ¡°This is my summoned spirit. It¡¯s an undead spirit. You can call him Skeleton.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t want to make things complicated, so he gave a simple introduction. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s just a skeleton. It¡¯s fine then.¡± Red Fox began to change her clothes. [Close your eyes now if you don¡¯t want to due. ] Yan Wuyue sent a message to him. [I already closed them before you told me. I¡¯m not the kind of person you think I am.] Zhou Mingrui replied with a calm voice. However, even though Zhou Mingrui said so, he had seen everything in the room. ¡°Wow, look at her. Tsk, tsk. With that oversized outfit, I didn¡¯t see this coming.¡± Zhou Mingrui was amazed as he checked the Special Forces members in the room, but he passed the captain, Polar Bear. ¡°Why do I feel like someone is looking at me?¡± Giraffe, who was changing her equipment, asked in confusion. ¡°Oh, could it be Wolf Spider is secretly watching us from outside?¡± Red Fox finished changing and glanced at the window. ¡°Stop talking! Change your clothes!¡± Polar Bear growled. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui noticed that Red-tailed Monkey had taken a few more glances at him after changing her clothes as if she had noticed something. Her behavior stopped him and made him not dare to keep looking at them. Only then did Red-tailed Monkey turn around, so Zhou Mingrui was even more certain of what was in his mind. Soon, everyone had changed into their equipment and gathered outside the building. ¡°Snow Leopard, can¡¯t you put your summoned spirit back into your summoning space for now?¡± Giraffe suddenly looked at Yan Wuyue and said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like it and will resist if I do so.¡± Yan Wuyue shrugged helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? What kind of contract did you sign?¡± Red Fox asked in surprise. ¡°An equality contract,¡± Yan Wuyue answered directly. ¡°An equality contract? How talented is your summoned spirit so that you are willing to sign this equality contract?¡± Red Fox exclaimed again. ¡°Can I keep it to myself?¡± Yan Wuyue said with a hesitant expression. ¡°Of course, you can. We won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t tell us,¡± Sloth quickly said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then this guy won¡¯t go back even if we carry out a special mission or a mission that requires us to be hidden?¡± Polar Bear suddenly asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, captain. He won¡¯t refuse my orders if necessary,¡± Yan Wuyue promised immediately. ¡°That¡¯s good, then. Let¡¯s go,¡± Polar Bear gave the order, and everyone immediately set off for the square. [ You gotta be careful. If you get exposed and cause trouble, it¡¯s not my problem,] Yan Wuyue complained. [ I know, but you have to be careful of Red-tailed Monkey. She seemed to have noticed something when we were in the dormitory.] Zhou Mingrui sent a voice transmission. [ Did she catch you watching them changing their clothes?] Yan Wuyue immediately noticed something was wrong and asked. [Excuse me? She looked at me, so I looked back, ] Zhou Mingrui hurriedly said. [ Alright, I¡¯ll be careful. I hope you¡¯re not lying to me,] Yan Wuyue warned him. Soon, the squad arrived at the square, where a helicopter was already waiting. After signing the mission handover form with the pilot, everyone boarded the plane and left the base, flying quickly toward the south. After about ten minutes of flight, Zhou Mingrui could see the city. However, the city had become empty at this time. There were only supplies being transported and patrolling troops coming and going. After flying for a while, they soon saw the Great Steel Wall that had been built with a lot of manpower and resources. At this moment, the Great Steel Wall seemed to have had a war. There were defensive weapons everywhere, emitting white smoke, and injured soldiers were lying on the ground as they panted. From above, they could see the bodies of the monsters scattered all over the city wall. Moreover, soldiers constantly threw the bodies of the monsters outside. The steel wall was full of holes and dents, and some of them were even deformed from the impact. It was clear how terrifying the monsters ¡®numbers the force was. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui finally experienced the horror of the beast tide. His strength alone seemed to be nothing in the face of this beast tide. However, he quickly recovered. As long as he was strong enough, he could easily deal with monsters of this level without overthinking. Strength was the foundation of everything. A moment later, the helicopter began to slow down and gradually landed after finding an open space. ¡°Alright, this is our destination.¡± Polar Bear jumped off the plane, and the others quickly followed. Chapter 173 - The Assessment The assessment ¡°Our mission this time is to scout a place in the outer ring. According to our intelligence, there may be traces of the main culprit of the beast tide here. Everyone should pay attention to all the details.¡± Polar Bear looked around and said, ¡°If anything happens, remember to inform your teammates immediately. ¡°Sloth and Giraffe will be in one group, Red-tailed Monkey will be in my group, and Red Fox will be in charge of her assessment!¡± When Red Fox heard this, she immediately said unwillingly, ¡°Captain, I don¡¯t mind working more than others, but why do you want me to assess the newbie this time? Do I have to do shi*ty work every time?¡± Polar Bear raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Shi*ty job? I got it. You can swap with Sloth and let her take the newbie¡¯s assessment.¡± Red Fox immediately waved her hand. ¡°No, Captain, I am happy to be in charge of her assessment. Thank you for your kindness.¡± ¡°You are so annoying.¡± Polar Bear snorted and looked at the other teammates. ¡°Alright, safety is your priority. Let¡¯s go!¡± The three groups immediately set off in different directions while Yan Wuyue and Red Fox went to the right. After walking for a distance, Red Fox stopped and looked at Yan Wuyue behind her. ¡°Alright, Snow Leopard, do you see that basin in front?¡± Yan Wuyue took a step forward, looked in the direction, and found a basin formed by the surrounding high slopes in front of them. She squinted her eyes and saw a large number of monsters in the basin. At this moment, they were all lying down quietly as if they were resting. ¡°Your mission is to enter that basin and pick three fruits from that tree. If you can kill a monster, you will get extra points,¡± Red Fox said indifferently. Zhou Mingrui raised his brows slightly as he wondered if the mission was difficult or not. If it were anyone else, it would be a bit challenging. After all, it was impossible to completely avoid the monsters in the basin without any special invisibility skill. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t have it. Moreover, it was nearly impossible to kill a monster. If they were besieged, only their speed and fighting skill could save them. This was obviously a test of Yan Wuyue¡¯s stealth ability, explosive speed, body movement, tactical choice, and other aspects. The Spector Special Forces didn¡¯t want a reckless teammate but someone who could complete assigned missions in all kinds of special environments. ¡°What, are you scared?¡± Red Fox noticed Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say a word, so she laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you¡¯re scared and don¡¯t want to do it, tell me. I¡¯ll carry you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head. I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯ll be scared after hearing what I¡¯m going to say next.¡± ¡°Scared?¡± Red Fox sneered. ¡°Come on! Tell me! I want to be scared out of sh*t!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll add another condition. I won¡¯t bring my summoned spirit with me but go alone.¡± As Yan Wuyue spoke, she began to put on the head cover and put her hair into it. ¡°What?¡± Red Fox couldn¡¯t believe what she had heard. She looked at Yan Wuyue and confirmed again, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not kidding me? You¡¯re not going to bring your summoned spirit to complete the mission?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead serious,¡± Yan Wuyue answered with certainty. ¡°Snow Leopard, I¡¯m also dead serious. This is just an assessment, and we don¡¯t want you to die here. If you insist on putting yourself in danger, I won¡¯t be responsible for anything!¡± This time, Red Fox was no longer smiling. Instead, she put on a serious face. ¡°I can be responsible for my own words and actions. Alright, I am going to complete the mission now.¡± Without waiting for Red Fox to reply, Yan Wuyue jumped down from the high slope. ¡°You ¡­¡± Red Fox didn¡¯t know what to say. Zhou Mingrui, who was standing to the side, felt proud of Yan Wuyue and chuckled. However, he soon realized that Red Fox¡¯s gaze was on him, and she said, ¡°Um, Snow Leopard¡¯s summoned spirit, can you speak?¡± Zhou Mingrui chose to remain silent. Out of his expectations, Red Fox did not care if Zhou Mingrui was listening and started to talk, ¡°Maybe your Summoner is crazy? She didn¡¯t even bring you along and wanted to complete this mission by herself? ¡± ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Zhou Mingrui chose to remain silent. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, it means you agree. I knew it. I am sure it¡¯s hard to deal with this kind of people, and I also don¡¯t want them in my life. If I were the Captain, I definitely wouldn¡¯t want her.¡± ¡°This kind of person is the most troublesome, especially when important missions require cooperation. This kind of personality is even more of a headache.¡± ¡­. In the end, Zhou Mingrui chose to block his hearing and then looked at Yan Wuyue, who was heading toward their destination. At this moment, Yan Wuyue was approaching her destination at high speed, which was as easy as taking a walk for her. Five minutes later, Yan Wuyue reached the edge of the basin. Looking at the group of monsters in the basin, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t seem bothered. Just as she had said, she didn¡¯t even need to bring Zhou Mingrui along. In her previous life, she had seen and experienced plenty of situations where monsters with high speed surrounded her. This test was like a piece of cake for her. Yan Wuyue activated New Stars and Moon. As Stars and Moon Energy began to circulate in her body, Yan Wuyue¡¯s feet exerted force. In the next second, she began to move quickly toward the bottom of the basin. Although she was moving fast, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t make any sound along the way because of her great control over her energy and body. Red Fox did not notice it, but Zhou Mingrui was rather surprised. Yan Wuyue¡¯s control of energy was getting better and better. Looking at the group of monsters who were resting with their eyes closed, Yan Wuyue rushed toward the huge fruit tree without any hesitation. With every step she took, Stars and Moon Energy would buffer and silence her. Not even the slightest sound or vibration could be sensed. Moreover, her figure was light and agile, like a butterfly dancing among the flowers. ¡°Who the hell is she?¡± Red Fox looked at this scene and muttered to herself, ¡°How can a girl who¡¯s not even 17 years old have such a technique? ¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that this girl was reborn,¡± Zhou Mingrui thought. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t startle a single monster along the way and went directly to the fruit tree without any trouble. After picking the fruit easily, she turned around and jumped off the fruit tree, ready to leave. However, at that moment, the monster beside a fruit tree suddenly opened its eyes, maybe because it had smelled the fruit or woken up. As soon as it opened its eyes, it immediately saw Yan Wuyue, who had just jumped down. This time, their eyes met. Chapter 174 - Besieged by Monsters Besieged by Monsters ¡°Roar!¡± The monster roared right away and then strode toward Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression when she looked at the charging monster. Instead, she was as calm as a cucumber. The moment the monster was about to rush at Yan Wuyue, she suddenly leaped. With one hand on the monster¡¯s head, she jumped away with force, which made her like a professional gymnast. The monster¡¯s roar woke up the others around. After they yelled in unison, all the monsters in the basin woke up. ¡°Damn, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a coincidence!¡± Red Fox and Zhou Mingrui saw this scene, and she immediately exclaimed. ¡°Well, it seems like she doesn¡¯t need our help. Let¡¯s just wait and see. If she really can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll make a move.¡± Red Fox mumbled. Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t worried at all, for these pangolins-like monsters were not as strong as leaders of level 5. After all, they wouldn¡¯t arrange a mission to kill Yan Wuyue, and the situation wasn¡¯t even a problem for her. However, she needed to spend some time dealing with these monsters. In the basin, just as Zhou Mingrui had predicted, Yan Wuyue did not panic even though she was surrounded by more than ten monsters. The monsters ¡®attacks were simple and easy to analyze for Yan Wuyue, so they couldn¡¯t even hurt her. Yan Wuyue could even move with the help of these monsters ¡®attacks. As she moved swiftly between them, she quickly moved toward the edge of the basin. At this moment, two leaders among the monsters, who were larger in size and had darker scales, also noticed Yan Wuyue. Seeing Yan Wuyue running riot in their territory, the two were immediately enraged and rushed at Yan Wuyue. When these much larger monsters dashed, they directly knocked away their lackeys on their way. Meanwhile, their eyes were fixed on Yan Wuyue, who was quickly leaving. Yan Wuyue naturally noticed the commotion behind her, but she didn¡¯t bother to look at them and kept moving forward at her own pace. ¡°Snow Leopard¡­ Forget it. I¡¯ll go help her as long as she calls me!¡± Red Fox continued to mumble to herself. Zhou Mingrui chuckled, for he knew very well that Yan Wuyue would not easily give up. The two leaders moved faster and faster, so they soon caught up with Yan Wuyue, who was still trying to Dodge. As soon as they caught up, one of them opened its mouth and spat out a ball of light green mucus at Yan Wuyue. At this time, she had just landed. Sensing the danger behind her, Yan Wuyue, who had landed on the ground, frowned slightly. Stars and Moon Energy in her body gathered and burst out in her legs. Two pits were instantly blasted on the ground, and the tyrannical explosive force made Yan Wuyue¡¯s body jump out like a sharp arrow. Within a second, the puddle of slime fell directly where Yan Wuyue had been. With a sizzling sound and white smoke, a big pit was corroded on the ground. There were even a few monsters nearby that were corroded by the mucus and cried out in pain, but their leaders did not care about them. Seeing that Yan Wuyue had escaped, the leaders were fuming. One of them spat out a stream of mucus again. The mucus was more this time, and the speed was faster than earlier. It covered an area of about five meters around Yan Wuyue like a big net. Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw this. The energy in his body flowed between his feet and hands, and it only took her half a second to gather and compress the power. Half a second later, the explosion of energy left four deep pits on the ground. This time, it was as if Yan Wuyue¡¯s body had been installed with a rocket, and she dashed out like a shadow. However, she still couldn¡¯t outrun the sticky liquid in the end, but she had expected it. At this moment, she didn¡¯t move toward the edge of the basin but came under a monster. In the next moment, the monster wailed in pain. Even though its body was covered in thin scales, it was completely covered in mucus. The powerful corrosive power instantly corroded the monster¡¯s scales, and in the blink of an eye, a large piece of flesh on its back was corroded. At the same time the monster fell, Yan Wuyue turned over and jumped out again. She didn¡¯t even bother to launch an attack. Seeing that the human had once again escaped from its ace in the hole, the leader was even more enraged. It raised its head and roared, and the other leader monster beside also roared in response. They ran and charged forward. One of their four limbs suddenly retracted into his body, and it immediately wrapped its body into a ball, rolling toward Yan Wuyue. Under the acceleration of inertia, the huge sphere began to move faster and faster. It had completely surpassed Yan Wuyue¡¯s speed. The other leader did the same. Two huge spheres rolled left and right at the same time, completely blocking three directions that Yan Wuyue could escape. At this moment, a large number of small monsters were charging at them from behind. The left and right sides were blocked by the large monster leaders, leaving only the front to move forward. However, this seemingly simple path was the most dangerous of the three. As long as Yan Wuyue chose this path, the two leaders would immediately launch a pincer attack. Moreover, she was not sure how powerful the other one was. If Yan Wuyue were to be attacked from both sides by a mouthful of slime and some kind of ability, she would really have no way to run away at her current speed. However, Yan Wuyue¡¯s rich combat experience allowed her to quickly make a plan to deal with the obstacle. Yan Wuyue suddenly began to slow down, and the monsters behind her caught up right away. However, this was part of her plan. Yan Wuyue leaped up and jumped on a monster, which then tried to flip over to push Yan Wuyue away. Unfortunately, she stepped on its vital part and pressed it down. These little monsters were Yan Wuyue¡¯s targets and the key to her escape from this basin. The entire basin was almost oval in shape, which Yan Wuyue had already observed in advance before entering. These monsters might be troublesome for others, but they were helpers for Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue had long remembered everything in the basin. When Red Fox thought she was in a daze and afraid, Yan Wuyue had already remembered everything in her mind. Seeing that Yan Wuyue was about to run, the two leaders immediately turned around and began to seal Yan Wuyue¡¯s route. However, they were blocked by their lackeys along the way, which gave Yan Wuyue enough time to leave. Chapter 175 - Yan Wuyues Performance Yan Wuyue¡¯s performance With great control of her body and energy, Yan Wuyue jumped off the monsters¡¯ backs like a fairy. Seeing Yan Wuyue stepping on the back of its lackeys to escape, the two leaders were furious. The leader spitting out mucus earlier, rushed toward her in anger. Along the way, the small monsters that were unable to dodge in time were knocked away or trampled on, so the number of casualties increased rapidly. His speed slowed down, and Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care about them but kept jumping away at her fastest speed. She was pulling away, so the monster leader became even more anxious. It was prepared to give chase regardless of the cost. However, just as he was about to return to her spherical form, the left side of her body was suddenly hit by a huge force, causing him to lose her balance and fall to the ground. The monster leader let out a roar of frustration and confusion because it saw that the one who had knocked it down was the other monster leader, who then whipped its head to ask it to check around. After calming down, the leader looked around at the corpses of its clan and came to its senses. In the end, the two monster leaders could only watch Yan Wuyue get rid of them and leave the basin. They let out upset roars, turned around, and walked back to the basin. ¡­ ¡°Ther is a quest item.¡± Yan Wuyue put the three fruits in Red Fox¡¯s hand. Looking at the fruits in her hand and then at Yan Wuyue, Red Fox swallowed hard. ¡°What? Did I fail the test? Is there something wrong with the quest items, or did I break any rules?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, looking at Red Fox¡¯s face. ¡°No, no, you¡¯ve passed the test,¡± Red Fox quickly waved her hand and said. Red Fox was still amazed by the astonishing just now. If she had been at Yan Wuyue¡¯s level of strength and encountered such a scene, she would not have been able to make such a plan and analyze the situation so easily. Moreover, Yan Wuyue seemed calm and was not even panting. Her heartbeat was very stable, which proved that the escape just now hadn¡¯t been a challenge for her physical strength. ¡°What mission are we going to complete next?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°Mission?¡± Red Fox was stunned for a moment before she reacted and said, ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve completed part of our mission.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yan Wuyue seemed to understand something. ¡°Yeah, our mission this time is to verify the situation of the monster herds that are living around here. You¡¯ve done one, so there are two more left.¡± Red Fox raised her arm and tapped on her watch before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ve already helped you upload your mission record to the team space. Now, you can tell me what you observed just now as a voice recording of the mission. The recorder of the watch is on now.¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a second and started, ¡°From my observations, the monsters in the basin have a very strong sense of territory. At the same time, the leaders are very concerned about the casualties and aren¡¯t very aggressive towards humans cities.¡± ¡°I think that this clan won¡¯t join the beast tide and can be classified as a normal monster clan.¡± Red Fox nodded in approval. ¡°No wonder. If I didn¡¯t know your age, I would have thought that you were transferred from another unit. Your report is professional.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yan Wuyue answered politely. ¡°Alright, people from the army will come to deal with them. Let¡¯s hurry to the next spot,¡± Red Fox said. ¡°What will happen to these monsters?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. Red Fox was shocked to hear his words. ¡°Is¡­ is your summoned spirit speaking?¡± Red Fox glanced at Zhou Mingrui and then turned to look at Yan Wuyue. ¡°Yeah.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°Answer me,¡± Zhou Mingrui kept asking. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you talk to me, but I can answer you for the sake of Yan Wuyue.¡± Red Fox furrowed her brows. ¡°According to the military¡¯s usual practice, during special times, which is when the beast tide attacks, they¡¯ll clean up all the monster clans that might be our enemies around. ¡°What? As a summoned spirit, you can sympathize with those monsters?¡± Zhou Mingrui fell silent for a moment before he suddenly looked up and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether those monsters are alive or not, but I¡¯m just wondering if you are putting the cart before the horse.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯d better explain,¡± Red Fox raised an eyebrow. ¡°Rather than wasting our energy on these random monster clans, why not use it on the beast tide?¡± Zhou Mingrui sneered. ¡°Wasting limited resources on meaningless targets. I don¡¯t know who made such a decision.¡± ¡°As a summoned spirit, you have no right to comment on the decisions of the military¡¯s higher-ups. We¡¯re all soldiers, and we only need to obey orders but not question them.¡± Red Fox looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°I¡¯m very surprised that your summoned spirit would ask these questions. Snow Leopard, you should educate him. The army is not a kindergarten, so what you say might put you in trouble.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, she turned and left. Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui and followed her with Zhou Mingrui. [ Why did you say that? ] On the way, Yan Wuyue asked Zhou Mingrui telepathically. [ As I said, I¡¯m curious about what the higher-ups are thinking. Why would they do such a meaningless thing? ] Zhou Mingrui answered. [ Since the military¡¯s higher-ups have made this order, they must have a big plan. I am sure they won¡¯t waste resources for no reason. ] Yan Wuyue said without thinking. After all, she had been the one who made the decision. [ Interesting. Even in this situation, they¡¯re not thinking about dealing with the beast tide but other things. I really want to know what these guys are planning. ] Zhou Mingrui said in a surprised tone. [ You should try your best to help me climb up to that position. Won¡¯t it be easy for you to know what you want to know then? ] Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer this time was different from before. [ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely help you get there, and it will be time for me to give those decision-makers a lesson! ] Zhou Mingrui said angrily. [ Okay, I¡¯ll help you then, ] Yan Wuyue said with a smile. Soon, they arrived at their second destination. It was a crack in the ground with two curved sides, which was a canyon that was not too deep. ¡°There are two monster clans living in this canyon. Our mission this time is to check if the beast tide has affected this area and determine the size and strength of the monster clans,¡± Red Fox explained the situation. Chapter 176 - : Investigation and Discovery Investigation and Discovery ¡°This time, you¡¯ll be working with me, Snow Leopard. You¡¯ve completed your previous mission pretty well, but I still have to repeat it.¡± Red Fox¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°According to our intelligence, one of the monster clans in this canyon is flying-type while the other is burrowing-type. If they join the beast tide, they will cause a lot of damage to the defense line.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we need to investigate the situation immediately and then report it to the headquarters so that they can make a battle plan as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how dangerous it is inside. You know what to do if there¡¯s any accident, right? ¡± Yan Wuyue nodded with a calm expression. ¡°Very good, then let¡¯s go.¡± Red Fox was pleased and immediately began to move. At that moment, Red Fox summoned her spirit for the first time. It was a white shadow that looked like a spirit. It looked like some kind of animal¡¯s soul, moving up and down around Red Fox¡¯s body. ¡°This is my summoned spirit, Xiao Li. It¡¯s a support spirit body type. It can block all kinds of information I leak to the maximum, and at the same time, it can protect me from all kinds of mental attacks or illusions. ¡°That¡¯s also why they often let me act alone. It¡¯s because my invisibility and hiding skills are excellent, so I¡¯m basically the one doing the tough job.¡± The next second, Xiao Li turned around in the air, circling Red Fox and Yan Wuyue. A large number of white spots of light separated from its body and fell on the two. A layer of the translucent white light film began to condense on the two of them. Soon, their auras rapidly weakened. In the end, even Zhou Mingrui could not sense them. ¡°What about your summoned spirit?¡± Red Fox looked at Yan Wuyue. ¡°I am good. I have my own way.¡± Zhou Mingrui waved his hand. ¡°Good, I can save energy too.¡± Red Fox shrugged and set off towards the canyon. Zhou Mingrui followed behind the two of them. Along the way, the cloak on his body dissipated. Following that, his body first transformed into a semi-energy form. Finally, after a slight illusion, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s aura also disappeared. Red Fox and Yan Wuyue both sensed his change. They looked back and saw that Zhou Mingrui had almost turned into a spiritual body. This was a technique that Zhou Mingrui had modified based on the secret skill, Soul Attachment, and the knowledge he had learned in the academy. His non-human body also allowed him to activate this skill. After making sure that Snow Leopard¡¯s summoned spirit would not be exposed, Red Fox calmed down. The two of them, along with their summoned spirits, began to approach the canyon. As they walked past the main entrance, Red Fox led the group towards the gathering point of the monsters as it was a scouting mission. Soon, they arrived at the first monster gathering point, which happened to be the gathering point of other types of monsters. At this time, these python-like monsters were in their caves, and only a few were wandering in the middle of the canyon. The situation was clear. This tribe had no intention of joining the beast tide. After a careful investigation, Red Fox and Yan Wuyue were sure that this tribe still maintained normal living habits. Red Fox looked at Yan Wuyue and nodded. The two of them quickly retreated to the outer ring. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve had enough information about this tribe. Let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± After saying that, Red Fox pointed above them, indicating the next tribe¡¯s location. After taking a detour, the group once again arrived above the canyon. After all, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find where the flying-type monster clan was. Red Fox also confirmed that this tribe was the same as the last one, having no intention of joining the beast tide. After confirming the accuracy of the information, Red Fox was ready to lead the group out of the canyon. However, at that moment, a flash of light suddenly appeared on the ground and caught her attention. ¡°What is this?¡± Red Fox followed the light. It was necessary to figure out any special circumstances at this moment. Otherwise, the information could be inaccurate. Seeing the light, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui looked at each other and noticed the suspicion in each other¡¯s eyes. Soon, everyone noticed that the light was actually a light belt formed by threads. These light bands continued to extend on the ground, like liquid flowing on the ground, constantly extending forward. ¡°It¡¯s going toward¡­¡± Red Fox took a look and immediately realized that it was the burrowing-type monsters¡¯ nest that they had been to before. Red Fox immediately pulled out a dagger from beside her feet and carefully stabbed it into the band of light, trying to see what it was. However, before she could do so, she felt a tight grip on her back pulling her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Red Fox whipped her head and found that it was Yan Wuyue who pulled her back, so she asked in confusion. After Yan Wuyue did not say anything but pointed to the front, Red Fox turned around and found that the light band, which had been like a small river a moment ago, had now split into countless light threads. Moreover, all of them condensed into the shape of spiral spikes. Red Fox was shocked. It seemed that this light band was an intelligent life form, and it was rather developed. This information made Red Fox¡¯s expression even more serious, and she immediately raised her watch to take pictures as evidence. [ Is it from that guy? ] Zhou Mingrui asked. [It looks like so, but I¡¯m not sure because it¡¯s too difficult to break through the world barrier now. ] Yan Wuyue answered with uncertainty. ¡°Follow me. We need to know why the light belt is heading toward the monsters¡¯ nest!¡± Red Fox stood up and said to Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue nodded and kept following Red Fox with Zhou Mingrui. When everyone arrived, they found that the light had already reached the entrance of the monsters¡¯ nest and was extending inside. Soon, one of the monsters noticed the light. In the face of this unknown thing, the python-like monster also used its tail to roll up a stone and throw it at the light belt. Before the rock could hit the light, it was immediately shattered by the thin threads that split from the light. Then, with lightning speed, they formed countless threads of light and shot toward the python monster. They were so fast that the python monster didn¡¯t have time to defend itself before it was caught and wrapped up by the threads. Red Fox, Yan Wuyue, and the others watched as the threads penetrated the python monster¡¯s scales and went deep into its body. The python monster, which was still struggling desperately, gradually stopped after a second. Then, the silk thread slowly withdrew. The python monster began to move stiffly after the silk thread faded, but it quickly returned to normal. However, it finally stopped moving for good. Yan Wuyue and the others were all shocked by this scene! Chapter 177 - Situation Discovery Situation Discovery Moreover, those light belts had already extended out, quickly spreading toward all the caves. Soon, a large number of python monsters were controlled, slithered out, came out of their holes, and gathered in the passage outside. Looking at the python monsters that were like walking dead, Red Fox seemed to have understood something. She used her watch to record everything. Soon, as if they had received some kind of order, these python monsters immediately began to move together and left the canyon. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Red Fox frowned. ¡°How can it actually control these monsters? It is controlling all of them.¡± ¡°Could it be the key to this sudden beast tide?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. Yan Wuyue¡¯s reminder startled Red Fox. When she recalled the attack on the python monster, cold sweat broke out on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to leave immediately. We have to report this situation to the headquarter right now!¡± Red Fox ordered without hesitation. Everyone immediately turned around and set off without hesitation. If it were not for the poor connection in the canyon, Red Fox would have immediately called for a support force to bring them back. They arrived at the canyon¡¯s exit as quickly as they could. However, when they reached there, they discovered that the place was already occupied by a large number of monsters. All sorts of monsters were actually staying together in harmony at this moment. They were as peaceful as if they had been from the same clan, and they had no intention of attacking each other. Even a fool could understand that the light belt was the key to the beast tide! ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to find another exit!¡± Red Fox immediately gave another order and prepared to lead the group to move right away. However, at this moment, they heard a sharp howl in the sky. ¡°Damn! We forgot about the flying-type monsters!¡± Red Fox looked up and was shocked. As she had expected, the next moment, the monsters gathered at the entrance of the canyon all turned to look in their direction. ¡°Run!¡± Red Fox shouted and immediately began to run. Meanwhile, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui also turned around and dashed. There were thousands of monsters at the entrance of the canyon, and some of them were out of sight. Moreover, there were flying monsters above them. If they were trapped here, they would die here. After running for a while, they realized that more and more flying monsters were gathering above their heads. The monsters behind them were also constantly chasing them, and there was no way to get rid of them. ¡°No, we have to split up. I¡¯ve already copied a part of the video and sent it to your watch. You have to get out of here alive! After saying that, Red Fox immediately turned and ran in another direction. ¡°Wait!¡± someone suddenly shouted. Red Fox turned around and said, ¡°We can¡¯t hesitate now. We must¡­!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw a tall skeletal warhorse standing in front of her. After knowing that there was no way to shake off the monsters, Zhou Mingrui no longer cared if he would expose himself and immediately summoned his skeletal warhorse. Without waiting for Red Fox to react, Zhou Mingrui reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, throwing her onto the back of Spectral Hell Warhorse. ¡°You guys go first. I¡¯ll hold off those guys.¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately ordered his Spectral Hell Warhorse to run. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop him, and Red Fox wasn¡¯t a fool. If no one held back the flying monsters in the sky, they would be caught even if they were riding on Spectral Hell Warhorse. After all, this wasn¡¯t a flat terrain, and these monsters could accelerate in a straight line in the sky. It was impossible to be faster than them. Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath and turned his head to look at those monsters in the sky as he watched Spectral Hell Warhorse run away. The goblin king¡¯s body appeared as the light gathered around him. Since he was already in a state of Soul Attachment, he directly possessed the goblin king¡¯s body. Zhou Mingrui ignored the monsters that were already in front of him. Instead, he exerted strength in his legs and leaped up the cliff. Using his strong hands, he climbed up the cliff at an extremely fast speed and rushed up. A cliff of over a hundred meters might seem very tall to an ordinary person, but it was nothing to Zhou Mingrui, who was now more than seven meters tall. Soon, he arrived at the top of the cliff. Looking at the large number of monsters flying in the sky, Zhou Mingrui immediately had a long spear in his hand. As the energy condensed, the bone spear was immediately ignited with phantom flames. ¡°Get down here!¡± He swung his arm, and the bone spear in his hand shot straight into the sky. A strong sound of breaking through the air resounded in the sky. The monsters in the sky turned around when they heard the sound and saw a flame suddenly appear. Before they could dodge, they were pierced by the spear. As the bone spear flew, it pierced through six flying monsters in a row. After that, it pierced through the other three flying monsters like a barbecue skewer. Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t surprised to cause such damage. After all, flying monsters did not have very strong defenses due to their structure, which was a result of evolution. Then, under the sharpness of the condensed phantom force, these flying monsters were as weak as kittens. When they realized that nine of their companions had been killed in an instant, the other flying monsters were instantly enraged. More than half of the monsters gave up on chasing Yan Wuyue and the others and turned to attack Zhou Mingrui. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui did not back down. Light gathered on his raised hands, and the two bone spears burned with phantom flames. They turned into two streaks of fire and flew out again. After the sound of something piercing through the air and flesh, another ten flying monsters fell to the ground. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was like a god of war. The bone spear in his hand was constantly thrown out, and the flying monsters in the sky kept falling down like raindrops. This time, the flying monsters panicked and quickly called for their companions. At the same time, the more powerful existences also made their moves. The larger ones began to expand after flying violently enough. Streams of flames condensed into fireballs in his mouth. Zhou Mingrui immediately stopped his attacks when he saw this, turned around, and ran in the opposite direction. Even though the defense of the flying monsters is weaker than the monsters on the ground, their attack methods and power are much stronger. Only a fool would choose to take the energy attacks of the monsters head-on under such circumstances. Therefore, Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to run away. Less than two seconds after he left, a series of explosions that were as intense as missile bombardment sounded. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t even turn his head. However, his gaze was locked on the group of ground monsters that were gathered not far away. He already had a battle plan in his mind, but he needed these monsters¡¯ help. ¡°Sorry but not sorry! You deserve it!¡± When he saw the monsters that had discovered him and were charging at him, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face immediately revealed a sinister smile. Chapter 178 - The Infighting The Infighting Zhou Mingrui¡¯s charge didn¡¯t make sense to the land monsters. According to their past experiences, the enemy should have been running away in this kind of situation. However, the monsters did not bother to think about why Zhou Mingrui did not dodge, and all they needed to do was to charge forward and tear him to pieces. In less than two breaths, the hundred-meter distance between them had been shortened to less than ten. Zhou Mingrui could already clearly see the fangs and scales of the monsters in front of him. Moreover, he could smell the nauseating stench. The moment before they collided, Zhou Mingrui bent and exerted strength in his legs, launching his entire body into the air. When he jumped up, he manifested two more bone spears in his hands and activated his skill- [Phantom Riot]. The moment he landed on the ground, Zhou Mingrui used his enhanced attributes to send eight monsters flying with a wave of his hands. Before they could react, Zhou Mingrui leaped into the air again. But this time, the moment he jumped, he threw out the bone spear in his hand, and the target was the flying monsters that were already chasing him. As for the flying monsters in the sky, they had already mentally prepared themselves after seeing their companions being shot to death by Zhou Mingrui several times. When they saw the bone spears flying toward them, they immediately dispersed. However, even though they were prepared, eight of the small flying monsters were still killed, and one of the large flying monsters was caught off guard by the small monsters. This time, the flying monsters were completely enraged. After locking on to the direction, they immediately exploded with attacks that they had already prepared. Fireballs suddenly started falling from the sky, and there were also beams of light from another race. The attacks of over a thousand large flying monsters made the sky pour down fire and energy rain. After Zhou Mingrui shot out his spear, he immediately turned around and jumped in another direction. What he needed to do now was to lead the flying monsters in the sky and use their attacks to help him get rid of the monsters on the ground. Indeed, when flying monsters realized Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t mean to eliminate them, they immediately turned around and ran. How could the land monsters accept this? They roared and chased after him. However, in the next moment, the attacks that kept falling from the sky made the monsters ¡®expressions change. However, the best time to escape had already passed, so they could only choose to take these attacks head-on. Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless explosions rose, and the sound of the explosion reverberated throughout the entire Canyon. The land monsters were instantly sent flying into the air by the powerful shock wave. When they landed, they smashed into other. At the same time, the extremely hot wave of fire began to burn them. This immediately caused chaos among the monster clan. The shock and heat waves did not affect Zhou Mingrui too much, for he had been prepared for it. At the same time, this situation allowed Zhou Mingrui to seize the opportunity to charge forward once again. When the flying monster in the sky saw that Zhou Mingrui was fine, they were so angry that they launched another attack. All sorts of fireballs and energy beams rained down. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was like a laser-guided missile as he constantly maneuvered around the monster clan. Zhou Mingrui found that in just over twenty seconds, hundreds of monsters had been blasted to death. Over a thousand monsters were severely injured from the explosion, and the others were also hurt from the shockwaves. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had already killed hundreds of ground monsters by drawing their hatred. Countless of them were injured. The constant attacks from the flying monsters triggered the land monsters, so most of the monsters began to roar at the monsters in the sky. In a rage, the land monsters able to fight in the sky also launched a counterattack. The two sides immediately began to attack each other, so Zhou Mingrui¡¯s pressure was greatly reduced because of this. At this moment, he seized the opportunity to ¡°help¡± the land monsters to attack. Both sides had lost their minds as the casualties caused by the clash increased, and Zhou Mingrui never expected his strategy to work so well. He had thought to end the battle with a certain number of casualties or even less, but who knew it would turn into a intense battle? While manipulating the monsters to kill each other, he also observed the attacks of these monsters from the corner of his eye. After all, the guy hiding behind the scenes would not just allow his lackeys to sacrifice and would definitely make a move. At the same time, just as Zhou Mingrui was encouraging the monsters to kill each other¡­ In cave tens of kilometers away from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s location, the mysterious figure of light that had shifted his location was floating in the air. Countless threads extended out from his body, densely covering the entire cave. At that moment, the mysterious figure of light suddenly opened his eyes and looked Southeast, where Zhou Mingrui was. ¡°Who¡¯s making my toys kill each other?¡± The mysterious figure of light said. During this period of time, he could not leave at all. Otherwise, he would have personally dealt with it as soon as he received the news. However, after thinking for a moment, the mysterious figure of light decided to stay where he was. The current situation did not allow him to leave this place. Although he was unable to leave, the figure of light still issued a simple command through the connection between the light rays. In fact, it did not matter if all the monsters in that area died. Compared to the number of monster tides he controlled now, it was just a drop in the ocean. ¡­ Just as the mysterious figure of light gave the order, the flying and land monsters on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side started to act weird. First, the flying monsters stopped their attacks. At the same time, their bodies started to stretch into the air to avoid attacks from the land monsters. The land monsters also stopped fighting and began to spread out, leaving behind the ruined battlefield. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had already disappeared from the battlefield and transformed into a semi-spirit to hide somewhere. Having expected this, Zhou Mingrui did not try to stir up trouble again. Instead, he began to head in the direction of Yan Wuyue and Red Fox. Soon, through the connection between Yan Wuyue and Spectral Hell Warhorse, Zhou Mingrui started to catch up to them. Half an hour later, Zhou Mingrui finally found Yan Wuyue through their spiritual connection. ¡°How did you escape?¡± Red Fox asked Zhou Mingrui, who was standing in front of her. Yan Wuyue and Red Fox were not only shocked but confused about how Zhou Mingrui had managed to escape from numerous flying and land monsters. It was unbelievable. ¡°It was just about a simple strategy.¡± Zhou Mingrui, who was once again covered in his cloak, said camly. Chapter 179 - Hunt for the Mastermind Hunt for the Mastermind ¡°A simple strategy?¡± Red Fox looked at Zhou Mingrui with a suspicious look in her eyes. ¡°While figuring out how I escaped, why don¡¯t you think about how to inform the outside world of the situation as soon as possible?¡± Zhou Mingrui said. Red Fox smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. I already contacted the captain and sent the video and other information to her when we came out.¡± ¡°We were the first discoverers of this incident, so we know the most about the situation and are the closest to it.¡± ¡°So next, we need to wait for the captain to return to the command post and submit the information, and we might receive a new order.¡± Her tone and attitude had already changed, for Zhou Mingrui¡¯s courage and determination to stay behind to protect them earlier had already changed her opinion of this summoned spirit. ¡°We still have time now. If you¡¯re willing to tell me, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Zhou Mingrui winked at Yan Wuyue, who then immediately understood what he meant. He learned his throat and said, ¡°The news has been spread, so I¡¯ll tell you. Following that, Zhou Mingrui explained how he had brought out the flying monsters¡¯ anger, bombarded land monsters, and how many casualties he had caused. However, when it came to information regarding secret skills or specific location information, Zhou Mingrui glossed over them. Red Fox looked at Zhou Mingrui with an interesting look, turned to Yan Wuyue, and said, ¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on missions for so many years, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°You hid quite many details, but I won¡¯t keep asking. At the same time, when you go back and do your mission report, remember to let Snow Leopard help you edit it. Otherwise, they¡¯ll know you are hiding something.¡± Zhou Mingrui chuckled. He knew that the excuse he came had just up with could not trick Red Fox, for anyone qualified for the special forces wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡°Thank you,¡± Yan Wuyue said. Red Fox nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all take a rest. No one knows what we will face next, so we need to be fully prepared.¡± With that, Red Fox closed her eyes and had to rest without looking at Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. Yan Wuyue understood and was willing to listen to her. As an experienced warrior, she knew that Red Fox¡¯s choice was the best. Without saying much, Yan Wuyue also closed her eyes and rested. At the same time, threads of light formed by the light bands controlled by the figure of light appeared in many of the monster nests to invade and control their brains. At the same time, in Southeast Military District headquarters, the intelligence that had been handed in through the front line was now on the table of the highest-ranking officer. After seeing this information, the highest-ranking officer in the headquarters, Lieutenant General Yu, had a huge change in expression. The previous beast tide had already caused him a lot of trouble. He hadn¡¯t managed to predict the beat tide attack in advance, so he had been scolded by the central headquarters¡¯ officers for making a serious mistake in his intelligence report. The news he had just received was adding insult to injury. ¡°Sir, what should we do now?¡± The chief of staff asked. ¡°Did you just throw a question at me? Shouldn¡¯t you be the one thinking of a solution for me?¡± Lieutenant General Yu was furious. ¡°All the elite soldiers in the country are about to be assembled. By then, the Southeast Military District will become the headquarters of the country¡¯s army. If I can¡¯t do anything now, you and I can¡¯t keep our jobs! Do you know that?¡± ¡°This is the mistake of the staff officer and the intelligence department! We are willing to accept any punishment!¡± The chief of staff immediately stood up. Lieutenant General Yu waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s the point of punishing you now? Our priority is to analyze this beast tide and deal with it!¡± ¡°The information is very clear now. There is a mastermind behind this best tide, but we can¡¯t determine his location at the moment. We know nothing about the target.¡± the chief of staff said. ¡°Any soldier knows what you just said. Give me a solution right now!¡± Lieutenant General Yu said angrily. ¡°General, we should immediately send our elite special forces to determine the location of the mastermind behind the beast tide. According to our intelligence, there is a high chance that the beast tide will stop if we can kill the person.¡± The chief of staff paused and continued, ¡°Now, almost half of our defense line has collapsed, and the beast tide is still expanding. We need to control this situation as soon as possible. Lieutenant General Yu frowned. He knew that this was the best solution, so he nodded and said, ¡°Send all the special forces in our military district to find the mastermind behind this and kill him! ¡°Chen, the faster we find that person, the fewer brothers we will sacrifice! The chief of staff took a deep breath and immediately answered, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do it immediately!¡± After the conversation, everyone in the headquarter started to be as busy as a bee, and all kinds of orders were issued. Soon, the special forces in the base started to move, which included Spector Special Forces and several other ones. After boarding the helicopter, they immediately set off for the southern line of defense, where Zhou Mingrui and the others were. At this moment, after Zhou Mingrui, Yan Wuyue, and the rest had waited for about half an hour, Red Fox¡¯s watch began to vibrate. ¡°Captain!¡± After Red Fox pressed the answer button, Polar Bear¡¯s voice immediately came from the other end. ¡°Red Fox, get ready immediately. I will send you a set of coordinates. Next, Spector Special Forces, Hell Special Forces, and ten other teams will head to your area to search.¡± ¡°Our current goal is to find the person who is causing trouble behind the scenes according to your intelligence! ¡°Remember, don¡¯t rush into action after you¡¯ve confirmed the target. Report first!¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± Red Fox immediately replied. After ending the communication, Red Fox looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°You heard that? Our current mission is to find that guy. At this moment, Yan Wuyue was thinking about how to let everyone know how powerful the mysterious figure of light was. Otherwise, they would be digging their own graves. [ You¡¯re also thinking about how to tell her how terrifying that mysterious figure of light is? ] At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s voice transmission came. It was also the first time Yan Wuyue was this helpless, [We can¡¯t tell them that we¡¯ve been to the secret alternate space, and they won¡¯t believe us even if we tell them anyway. ] Zhou Mingrui replied directly, [But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to say it. ] [ Why? If we don¡¯t say it, it will cause a lot of casualties if we are discovered. ] Yan Wuyue asked. [ We¡¯ll look for the target with them now, and we will find a way till then.] Zhou Mingrui answered. Chapter 180 - Where Is the Figure of Light Where Is the Figure of Light [ Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. ] Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t ask Zhou Mingrui what he was going to do. They both had built trust and faith in each other. ¡°Are you done packing? Let¡¯s move. The next beast tide is about to start attacking the city. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Red Fox said as she got up after packing her things. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Yan Wuyue had already packed up. The three of them immediately set off. On the way, Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked, ¡°Just asking. Are we just going to aimlessly search for the person?¡± Red Fox immediately stopped and asked, ¡°Tell me if you have any idea.¡± Zhou Mingrui glanced at Yan Wuyue and immediately said, ¡°Do you still remember those ribbons of light?¡± Red Fox nodded, raised her eyebrows, and said, ¡± Are you trying to say we can find that mysterious guy if we follow where the light comes from, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded gently. This method was not difficult, so many most people could come up with it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that the lights will automatically disappear once they control the monsters?¡± Red Fox frowned. I think he¡¯s trying to say that we¡¯ll find the monsters that haven¡¯t been controlled, and then we¡¯ll wait for the light to arrive before we track it, right?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui and said. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°The light would be gone too fast. I¡¯m afraid that the light will disappear before we can track the location.¡± Red Fox was worried. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a few special forces would come? Ask them to cooperate in the search. The more people we have, the more possible we will find that man, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui proposed. ¡°You¡¯re right. This plan can work. I¡¯ll report to the captain immediately! After saying that, Red Fox turned around, walked out, and made a call. Soon, Red Fox came back. She looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°Snow Leopard, the captain has already reported this plan. Once the senior captain reports it to the headquarters, they will inform us after making a plan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that they will probably agree to our plan. After all, we¡¯re the ones who understand the current situation the best, so our battle plan should be more realistic.¡± In less than five minutes, Red Fox¡¯s watch rang again. This time, Red Fox did not walk out. Instead, she stayed in the same place and picked up the phone. ¡°Okay, captain, I understand.¡± After the call ended, Red Fox immediately looked up and said, ¡°Everything is arranged, and even the target monster clan has been confirmed. The other teams will arrive in 15 minutes.¡± ¡°I know the spot we are in charge of, and the higher-ups want us to go there now.¡± Putting down her hand, Red Fox shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. When we get there, it¡¯ll be about time to start.¡± With that, she took the lead and walked out. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui exchanged a look and followed her. [Is something bothering you? ] Zhou Mingrui asked after observing Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression. [ If the person behind all this is really that mysterious figure of light, what should we do? ] Yan Wuyue answered. [ Just run. We are no match for that guy, and there are way stronger people than us in this world. If anything happens, they will deal with it. It¡¯s not your turn to make a move. Don¡¯t forget what our goal is this time,] Zhou Mingrui persuaded. [ I know. I¡¯m just worried that if that guy is found and starts killing everyone like crazy, how are we going to stop him?] Yan Wuyue said worriedly. However, Zhou Mingrui said seriously, [ Stop thinking about these problems with your experience from the previous life. Even if it happens, you should try to see things from a different perspective. ] [ If sacrificing a few or even a dozen people in the special forces could save more warriors in the front line to stop the beast tide, I think it¡¯s a good plan. ] After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue fell into silence. As the former leader of mankind, she naturally understood these principles. However, the problem was that everyone¡¯s life was unique, and it wasn¡¯t always easy to send people to die. Soon, after traveling for a while, they arrived at the coordinates sent by the headquarters. This was a wasteland with only a few small hills. The surrounding view could be said to be completely unobstructed, which was very suitable for observing the terrain. Behind a small hill, the three were waiting for orders from the other teams and the commanders. Red Fox could still receive messages In this kind of place where there was no cover. After about an hour, Red Fox¡¯s watch vibrated. After taking a look, Red Fox immediately said, ¡°the team guarding the target¡¯s nest has found traces of the light, which will start controlling the monsters soon. Now, everyone has started to search along the light. ¡°We have to go out now and see if there are any traces of light belts here. If there are, we¡¯ll immediately follow the traces to find that man!¡± The three immediately got up and climbed up the hill, looking around for traces of light. ¡°I found it!¡± Red Fox was the first to notice it. She ran down the slope at full speed like a flash. After Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue quickly followed, they soon came to the light band. ¡°The nest is located in the east, so we only need to check a direction. However, to prevent the light belts from separating, we need to split.¡± Red Fox began to give instructions. ¡°We will go to the nest. If your summoned spirit has the warhorse to help him move, tell him to go in the other direction. It will be faster to determine the direction of the light.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought it was a decent plan, so he turned around, summoned his warhorse, and headed west with it. Along the way, Zhou Mingrui discovered that the band of light had begun to hide underground. However, he was able to use the characteristics of the undead to observe the direction of the band of light. Under the ground, a large number of light belts appeared from different directions, forming a huge real light belt in the middle. ¡°Guess who found the main light.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought for a moment and decided to tell Yan Wuyue and Red Fox the news later. After all, he could not be sure if this band of light would lead him to the mysterious figure of light. Raising his head, he saw the light belt under the ground extend all the way out without an end in sight. He also noticed that as the light bands gathered, a strange sense appeared in his mind, which was bizarre. As Zhou Mingrui continued following the light, what surprised him the most was that he did not see a single monster along the way. It was as if the place had really become a wasteland. Chapter 181 - Target Locked Target Locked Zhou Mingrui could feel that something was off, so he still chose to inform Yan Wuyue after thinking for a while. After all, he had already found the main light. If they followed it, they would definitely be able to find that guy. Upon receiving the news, Red Fox and Yan Wuyue, who had not gone far, immediately turned around and rushed over. They followed the path and caught up with Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Can you see that light band?¡± Red Fox looked at the empty ground around it and immediately stared at Zhou Mingrui in confusion. ¡°I can see it. Just follow me.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not explain. Instead, he continued heading in the direction of the light beam. After hesitating for half a second, Red Fox followed Zhou Mingrui to find the band of light. At the same time, he reported the situation to the captain through her watch. After receiving the message, the headquarters immediately issued an order. More than half of the members of the special force were immediately mobilized to the area where Yan Wuyue and the other two were. Soon, following the traces of the light, Yan Wuyue and the other two came to the valley. They immediately found where the figure of light was. Upon seeing the densely-packed bands of light that connected all directions, Zhou Mingrui also pulled away and didn¡¯t dare to approach them. After all, the mysterious figure of light¡¯s strength was clear for all to see. ¡°I am sure that guy is in the depths of the cave, but I have to remind you that I can feel a terrifying aura.¡± Zhou Mingrui said to Red Fox. ¡°A terrifying aura? Is that guy very powerful?¡± Red Fox squinted her eyes. After spending this time with him, she knew that Zhou Mingrui was always serious about what he said. ¡°I think he¡¯s right. We don¡¯t know his strength yet, so we have to be careful.¡± ¡°he has the ability to control so many monsters. Apparently, he¡¯s more than powerful,¡± Yan Wuyue also said seriously. Red Fox nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll report the news now.¡± After confirming the exact coordinates, Red Fox immediately reported it to the captain, who then passed the message to the headquarters. ¡°What? You¡¯ve found that guy¡¯s location?¡± In the headquarters, the chief of staff who received the news immediately came to Lieutenant General Yu to report the news. ¡°Sir, we know the target¡¯s exact location, but we don¡¯t know how powerful he is. The team members don¡¯t dare to act rashly,¡± the chief of staff reported. ¡°That¡¯s the right move. If he can cause a beast tide, he must be very powerful.¡± Lieutenant General Yu thought before asking, ¡°They¡¯re still in the base. How many of them are above the sixth rank?¡± ¡°Other than the six generals and lieutenants at the front line, there are only 57 people above level 6 in the base. There are only six people above level 7,¡± the chief of staff said after some thought. Lieutenant General Yu touched his chin and ordered, ¡°inform these people immediately and arrange for the fastest transport plane to take us to the designated coordinates. ¡°Sir, should we transfer some people from the front line?¡± the chief of staff asked. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said. Lieutenant General Yu shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t transfer too many forces from the front line. Besides, we don¡¯t have much time now, or I would ask the headquarters to send support directly.¡± ¡°Make the arrangements.¡± Lieutenant General Yu stood up and stretched his muscles and bones. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve fought. This man gives me a chance to release my power.¡± The chief of staff was not worried at all, for Lieutenant General Yu was strong enough to make him feel at ease. Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s strength could be ranked among the top in the army since he was able to hold the fort in the southern wasteland, where a large number of monsters lived. Moreover, there were also generals and great generals who held the fort in the central region. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make the arrangements right away!¡± Soon, 57 senior military officers in military uniforms, with the lowest rank being lieutenant colonel, gathered together on the tarmac. After Lieutenant General Yu walked out, they all saluted him. ¡°We¡¯ve found the bastard who caused the beast tide. This time, I have sent out the strongest force in the base to stop the beast tide as soon as possible. Even if it¡¯s ten minutes or an hour, it will save our soldiers from dying! ¡°We still don¡¯t know how powerful that man is. I hope you all will do your best and be ready to sacrifice your lives for the country and mankind at any time. Do you understand? ¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± all of them roared in unison. ¡°Board the plane!¡± Lieutenant General Yu walked into the front and boarded the plane, and the remaining 57 officers also hopped on the other two. Soon, with the sound of the propeller spinning at high speed, the three planes took off quickly and headed straight for their destination. At the same time, Yan Wuyue and the others were still in the same spot. ¡°The headquarters wants us to monitor the target¡¯s area, and then¡­¡± At this point, Red Fox¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She raised her head and looked at Yan Wuyue with a shocked expression. ¡°Lieutenant General Yu will come with 57 Colonels. He¡¯ll personally take action against that fellow.¡± Lieutenant General Yu¡­ Yan Wuyue squinted her eyes after hearing the name, and she seemed a little surprised. ¡°You mean Lieutenant General Yu, Yu Zhongwei?¡± Red fox nodded. ¡°Lieutenant General Yu has been in charge of everything in the South Military District since five years ago, and he is basically our idol.¡± [ Is Lieutenant General Yu a famous person in your world? ] Zhou Mingrui also noticed that Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression was a little off. It was rare to see her with such an expression. Yan Wuyue answered without thinking, ¡± [ Yu Zhongwei, the first leader of the human race. He was the first legendary figure to reach stage eight after the great calamity. ] [ Unfortunately, the leader of the monster seized the opportunity and joined up with over 10000 high-level monsters to attack him while he was patrolling a small city. In the end, they fought five Level 8 monsters of other dimensions and died after killing four of them. ] [ He¡¯s the first and only person I¡¯ve admired since I joined the army. ] After hearing that, Zhou Mingrui sighed and said, [He¡¯s really a hero. No wonder your expression changed when you heard that he was coming. ] [ Is it obvious? ] Yan Wuyue was a little surprised. [ Is that even a question? I could tell right away! ] Zhou Mingrui was speechless. [ Whatever, he¡¯s my idol after all, hahaha.] Yan Wuyue was delighted. Zhou Mingrui was speechless, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything. However, he really wanted to see what was so special about this man Yan Wuyue admired. About ten minutes later, Zhou Mingrui suddenly looked behind him because he sensed a unique aura approaching. ¡°Are they here?¡± Yan Wuyue noticed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s movements and asked. Zhou Mingrui nodded. Less than three minutes later, a yellow transport vehicle arrived. Chapter 182 - Launch an Attack Launch an Attack Red Fox quickly pressed the locator on her watch to send the coordinates to the people in the car. They got out of the car when they were about one kilometer away and began to approach on foot. Red Fox immediately brought Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui to take them. As soon as they saw each other, Yan Wuyue and Red Fox saluted and said, ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°I remember you. You¡¯re Red Fox from Spector Special Forces, right? What about you?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked politely. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s the new member of Spector Special Forces, Snow Leopard, and this is her summoned spirit,¡± Red Fox immediately replied. ¡°I noticed that you immediately recognized me when you saw me. Do you know me?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve learned about your achievement and seen your photos, sir,¡± Yan Wuyue said in a clear voice. ¡°Interesting.¡± Lieutenant General Yu seemed to have noticed Something, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. Instead, he changed the topic. ¡°Alright, you are free to go now. This place might very well become the center of the battlefield. Why don¡¯t you go outside and help us deal with some of the troublemakers who want to get close? ¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Both Red Fox and Yan Wuyue saluted, turned around, and prepared to leave. ¡°Hmm, is there something this summoned spirit wants to tell me?¡± Lieutenant General Yu noticed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s gaze, so he asked. ¡°I just wanted to know what¡¯s so special about my summoner¡¯s idol.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded and smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite intelligent. So, what do you think after meeting me?¡± Lieutenant General Yu wasn¡¯t annoyed with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tone. Instead, he asked in a very gentle tone. Zhou Mingrui smiled and said, ¡°Sir, that¡¯s very nice of you. I just want to say that you must be careful. Who we are dealing with is someone very, very strong. It doesn¡¯t come from this world. Lieutenant General Yu was stunned for a moment before he smiled and said, ¡°I know he¡¯s very powerful. After all, he must be extraordinary if he can control the beast tide. But how do you know that he¡¯s not from the world? ¡± Zhou Mingrui removed his mask and revealed that his face was covered with a bone mask. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t forget that I am not from this world as well.¡± Lieutenant General Yu laughed after a pause. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your demeanor is very human-like, so I almost forgot that. Thank you for your information. I¡¯ll be careful. Zhou Mingrui had already said what needed to be said, and the rest would be Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s job. As he watched Zhou Mingrui turn and leave, Lieutenant General Yu seemed to think about Something. However, he quickly whipped his head to look at the hillside where his target was. He raised his hand, and in a flash of light, a figure more than two meters tall appeared beside him. As the light faded, a summoned spirit wearing armor and holding a heavy spear appeared. ¡°Brother, we haven¡¯t had some fun for a long time. It¡¯s time to show people what we got today,¡± Lieutenant General Yu said to the figure beside him. ¡°It¡¯s indeed been a long time,¡± the armored summoned spirit cracked its neck and replied, ¡°I feel like I am getting rusty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will be fine.¡± After Lieutenant General Yu finished speaking, the generals behind him also called out their summoned spirits. All kinds of summoned spirits of different sizes and shapes appeared on the wasteland, but all of them exuded an extremely powerful aura. ¡°Zhang, let¡¯s give our new friend a gift,¡± Lieutenant General Yu turned around and said to the person behind him. A major general walked out of the formation, and the summoned spirit beside him was a mass of liquid silver metal. After receiving the order, he immediately pulled out a weapon with a caliber similar to that of a Desert Eagle from his waist. The liquid metal ball beside him immediately moved and attached itself to the weapon. As the liquid metal wrapped around it, the pistol began to squirm under the liquid metal¡¯s constant movement, and it soon turned into a big gun that was full of the ferocity of a living creature. The body of the spear had silver skin that looked like a living creature and red tubes that looked like living blood vessels surrounded the body of the spear. At the back of the spear, there was a core that looked like a beating heart. As a brownish-red pipe extended from the great spear to the major general¡¯s arm, his body also began to flash with a faint red energy radiance. The muzzles of the guns turned toward the mountain peak where the figure of light was. As the energy was rapidly drawn out, the biological tubes on the big guns began to expand and wriggle. At the same time, they emitted a red glow. When the energy bar marked on the big gun was full, the major general directly pulled the trigger. In the next moment, a red beam of light with a diameter of more than one meter rushed out, melting a 20-centimeter-deep pit in the ground where the beam passed. The moment the major general opened fire, the figure of light that was handling the ribbon of light in the cave suddenly trembled and immediately left the cocoon of light in a flash. In the next moment, the figure of light had already arrived at the entrance of the cave. The moment he appeared, the thick beam of light had already arrived in front of him. Without giving him any chance to dodge, the beam of light blasted toward him. In the next moment, circles of spatial ripples began to spread out in front of the figure of light. However, under the powerful attack, they began to show signs of instability. The light on the figure of light flickered. Maybe because he was in this world or he had used too many light belts, but the spatial barrier this time was not as strong and stable as it was in the alternate space. In less than two seconds, the spatial barrier melted, and a large hole appeared. The red energy beam directly hit the figure of light. However, by the time everyone could see, the figure of light had already been covered by a ball of light. The red beam of light that struck this ball of light was once again blocked. ¡°As expected, this guy is very powerful.¡± Lieutenant General Yu squinted at this scene, but he didn¡¯t know that this wasn¡¯t the true strength of the figure of light. [Something¡¯s not right. The strength that this figure of light displayed is different from before,] Zhou Mingrui said in a suspicious tone. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the battle from the periphery, had already noticed that Something was up. After all, he was the person who had had close combat with the figure of light, so he naturally could sense the huge difference. Yan Wuyue also looked at the battlefield and thought for a while before answering, [ There are two possibilities. Either the figure of light had a large portion of its power taken away in order to enter this world, or controlling the beast tide is energy-consuming. That¡¯s why it¡¯s now as strong as before. ] [ Another possibility is that this guy is showing weakness for some unknown purpose. In short, it will make the current situation favor him.] However, Zhou Mingrui snorted coldly and said, [ Lieutenant General Yu and the other fifty-plus generals have yet to make a move. Let¡¯s see what trick that dude is playing!] The major general shouted in a low voice when he saw the scene, and the energy glow on his body became even more intense. Chapter 183 - Another Beast Tide Another Beast Tide The great spear in his hand began to emit a low sound, indicating it was fully charged with a red light. Biochemistry Upgrade After the skill was activated, the four tentacles suddenly deviated from the gun¡¯s body and directly stabbed into the ground. The gun began to expand by two times as it received more energy, and the barrel became thicker. The red beam of light also expanded in size in an instant, and at the same time, it carried a strong particle current. This time, the ball of light that could still block the attack was instantly melted by the red light beam that had become even stronger. Meanwhile, the figure of light had already disappeared without a trace. ¡°Want to run away, huh?¡± Lieutenant General Yu snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. He won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± a major General also walked out and said in a clear voice. He then looked at the huge butterfly with two pairs of wings that seemed to be made of crystal and said, ¡°Track it!¡± As the butterfly flapped its wings, crystal-like particles were emitted and continuously fused into the surrounding space. Very quickly, a figure was locked onto a mountain peak not far away. Just as everyone was about to give chase, the watches of all the generals present vibrated, and a message popped up. ¡°Damn it! The beast tide has already started the third wave of the general attack!¡± Red Fox cried out in alarm. When Lieutenant General Yu learned of this, he immediately locked his gaze on the figure of light¡¯s hiding spot and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone. We must get rid of that guy as soon as possible. I believe our defense line can hold on for enough time! ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The generals heard the order and followed Lieutenant General Yu to the mountain. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Yan Wuyue asked Red Fox. ¡°You want to go to the front line to fight the beast tide?¡± Red Fox could read Yan Wuyue¡¯s mind. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re useless here now, and there is no monster here. The most important thing is that now that there¡¯s a beast tide, so we might as well go to the front line to help them.¡± Red Fox frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°Give me a minute. Let me tell the captain.¡± After saying that, she raised his watch and contacted Polar Bear, who then soon picked up. ¡°Captain, Lieutenant General Yu has led the other commanders to surround the target, and he asked us to defend the edge of the battlefield.¡± ¡°Leo Pard and I both think that we should immediately head to the front line to provide assistance so that we can make good use of our energy.¡± All the soldiers in Southern Wasteland Military District knew how terrifying the beast tide was, so everyone wanted to work together to protect their land. ¡°We share the same idea,¡± Polar Bear replied. ¡°Many special forces are applying to go to the front line of the beast tide. After all, Lieutenant General Yu and the other officers are here.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t make any move before receiving any order from the headquarters.¡± Red Fox also knew that she could not act without permission unless they were at war, so she could only say, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your orders then.¡± Just as she hung up the phone, a loud roar suddenly came from the battle in the distance, and the ground under his feet began to shake violently. The three of them looked up and saw a mountain peak beginning to collapse. It was clear how intense the battle was. When the entire mountain collapsed, a huge cocoon of light was revealed. ¡°That guy is the one controlling the beast tide!¡± Seeing the countless rays of light on the cocoons of light extending into the ground, the faces of the generals turned ashen. Countless of their comrades had sacrificed during the beast tide, and some of their dead bodies couldn¡¯t even be found. How could they stay calm after finding the murderer? ¡°Calm down. We haven¡¯t figured out who he is, so we can¡¯t act recklessly!¡± Lieutenant General Yu raised his hand to make the crowd calm down. ¡°Since he¡¯s using those threads to control the monsters, we¡¯ll cut them off!¡± He said after observing the situation. ¡°Sir, let me do it!¡± A colonel walked out, followed by a demon-type summoned spirit with curved goat horns and two sickles. ¡°Sure, good luck!¡± Lieutenant General Yu nodded. The colonel walked forward, and with a roar, his entire body was instantly wrapped in dark energy. The goat-headed demon behind him recognized him and roared furiously, and its body began to expand rapidly like a balloon. Then, the goat-horned demon walked forward and absorbed the colonel¡¯s body. Then, a goat-horned demon that was five meters tall and holding two large scythes that glowed with black light appeared in the field. However, it was that colonel¡¯s face. After the process was completed, the colonel charged at the cocoon of light with his scythe. The tip of the scythe in his hand glowed with a dark, corrosive light. The colonel waved his hands as he slashed at the dense light threads. However, before he could hit the light silk, the figure of light suddenly appeared in front of his face and grabbed him. Seeing this, the colonel could only change the direction of his attack, his two sickles directly slashing at the figure of light that suddenly appeared. The black scythe slashed down and chopped off the figure of light¡¯s arms with its black light, but they grew back right after. The colonel, who had also been through hundreds of battles, did not hesitate. His two sickles slashed out quickly again. There was nothing in this world that was immortal. If there had been, it was because he hadn¡¯t attacked enough times! At this moment, Lieutenant General Yu turned to the major general beside him and asked, ¡°Is it done?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the major general nodded. ¡°We are ready, sir. That figure of light can¡¯t escape.¡± Lieutenant General Yu immediately nodded. ¡°Alright. Now, listen to my orders. Other than Zhang, Liu, and I, all the generals, other than Xu, are to immediately rush to the front line to help resist the beast tide!¡± The officers immediately nodded, then turned around and left quickly in the direction of the transport plane. The situation on the field had already proven that there was no need for so many people. The remaining people could go to the front line to provide support. After Lieutenant General Yu gave the order, Red Fox¡¯s team also received the order. They immediately led their people to meet up with other special forces. Soon, they met up with Polar Bears and boarded the transport plane that was waiting to send them to the front line of the beast tide. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to face the beast tide after finding that bast*rd,¡± Sloth said gloomily. ¡°What? are you afraid of death?¡± Red Fox raised her eyebrows and teased Sloth. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m afraid of death. I¡¯ve never met anyone in my life, so I can¡¯t die now!¡± Sloth said emotionally. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Maybe we won¡¯t die today. When we arrive, we have to be each other¡¯s support. Leaving the battlefield alive is more important than killing the enemies, alright?¡± Polar Bear came forward to calm Spector Special Forces¡¯ members down. Chapter 184 - Special Circumstance Special Circumstance ¡°Alas, I really don¡¯t want to go to deal with the beast tide,¡± Sloth said gloomily. ¡°How about this? If you cooperate with everyone and survive this time, I¡¯ll introduce you to some cute guys when we go back?¡± Red Fox elbowed Sloth¡¯s chest and said. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯ve already made this promise at least five times.¡± Sloth turned her face away, not wanting to talk to Red Fox. ¡°Life and death are one thread. Either they do, or we do,¡± Zhou Mingrui uttered a famous line from a certain character in an online game from his previous life. The entire cabin fell into silence, and even Yan Wuyue looked at him with a strange look. A moment later, Polar Bear looked at Yan Wuyue and asked, ¡°Snow Leopard, has your summoned spirit been somewhere before?¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head to show that she had no answer, but then she said, ¡°I think he¡¯s right. It¡¯s either we die, or they do. What¡¯s the point of having all these fears and doubts? ¡± Polar Bear nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The beast tide is here, so there¡¯s no way back. Either they die, or we do. We just have to fight with all our might to the last moment. Sloth knew that she should stop complaining. After all, as a member of the Special Forces, it would be embarrassing for everyone if she kept acting like a coward. Following that, the transport aircraft continued flying. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind was focused on the battle between Lieutenant General Yu and the figure of light. [ You¡¯re worried about Lieutenant General Yu fighting against the figure of light? ] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice suddenly came. [ Are you not worried? ] Zhou Mingrui asked back. [ I¡¯m worried, but there¡¯s no point. ] Yan Wuyue said calmly, [ If even Lieutenant General Yu can¡¯t deal with him, then there¡¯s no we can do it for sure. That¡¯s not something we should be worried about, so let¡¯s just think about how to deal with the next beast tide. ] [ We will kick their asses, or what else can we do? ] Zhou Mingrui said indifferently, [Like what? Are we going to be their friends? ] Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue stopped talking because she knew that Zhou Mingrui had already recovered. After half an hour of flight, the aircraft quickly landed at its destination, the resupplying base three kilometers away from the last line of defense. Next, with the officers as the leaders, they hopped on the vehicles from the supply base to the destination. However, when they arrived at the line of defense, they realized that the beast tide had not begun to attack. On the contrary, the monsters had stopped. ¡°I heard from a team leader that half an hour ago, the beast tide was about to gather and attack, but then all the monsters stopped moving as if they were under a spell.¡± Polar Bear, who had gone to ask for information, returned and looked at everyone with a strange expression. ¡°Could it be that Lieutenant General Yu and the generals are stopping the figure of light from controlling these monsters? Maybe this is the reason?¡± Sloth asked. ¡°It can be, yea,¡± Red Fox nodded. Giraffe, who rarely spoke, suddenly said, ¡°Could it be because that guy is planning something? He wants to trick us into letting down our guard and then suddenly launch a surprise attack to take down our defense line in one fell swoop? ¡± Everyone fell silent again, but Polar Bear laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t take her words seriously. She is always suspicious about everything. It was just a joke.¡± ¡°Captain, what I said could be true, right?¡± Giraffe said with an upset tone. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I understand. I¡¯ll be careful of the situation you¡¯re talking about.¡± Polar Bear quickly tried to calm her down. After Polar Bear finished speaking, Red Fox then said, ¡°Captain, what should we do now?¡± Polar Bear looked at her. ¡°The army staff asks us to stay on the defensive line and wait. We can help the front line strengthen the defense and check for any gaps. ¡°Do you mean they want us to be free labors here?¡± Red Fox shrugged. ¡°What are you talking about? How can you say that we¡¯re their free labor? We¡¯re all comrades from the same military district. We have to try our best to support each other,¡± Polar Bear immediately scolded Red Fox. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, you are right, captain.¡± Red Fox had no choice but to agree and not argue. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to get rid of monsters with all our strength?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°Killing them all is like a piece of cake now, right?¡± Polar Bear shook her head and sighed. ¡°I agree with you, and even my captain has the same idea. However, the general staff does not think so.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± Yan Wuyue asked with a frown. ¡°Those guys from the general staff said that we should focus on Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s battle but not act rashly here,¡± Polar Bear said gloomily. ¡°They said that if we accidentally wake up the monsters and they suddenly attack, the entire defensive line will be severely damaged. ¡°If we can¡¯t handle the situation, Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s attention will be diverted after the defense line is destroyed. It will be a disaster.¡± After listening to Polar Bear¡¯s words, everyone on the field, including those from other special forces, frowned. ¡°This is just an excuse to avoid being blamed. What a bunch of cowards!¡± Red-tailed Monkeysnorted. ¡°Yes, these cowards seriously piss me off now,¡± Sloth also said. The people around them all agreed and scolded those from the general staff for being weak. Ignoring the conversation, Zhou Mingrui stood at a high vantage point and looked into the distance at the densely-packed black shadows several kilometers away. [ What are you worried about? ] Yan Wuyue asked again when she saw Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression. [ I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m just thinking about what¡¯s going on in this world. How come there are so many monsters not being dealt with before all everything turns messy? ] Zhou Mingrui asked. [ You don¡¯t have monsters in your world? ] Yan Wuyue asked curiously. [ No, there are only animals in my world, and there are no threats from other dimensions. Humans are the only highly intelligent creatures, ] Zhou Mingrui answered. [ They are blessed. There is no need to worry about any danger at all. ] Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but sigh. [ We are just pure humans who don¡¯t have the abilities of summoners or the qualifications to summon spirits, so we are very fragile and weak,] Zhou Mingrui continued. After a moment of silence, Yan Wuyue said, [ You can¡¯t make an omelet without breaking eggs. ] Zhou Mingrui looked into the distance and said after some time, [ I think I¡¯m afraid. After all, I¡¯ve never experienced such a scene before. We might not be able to survive in the battle. ] Yan Wuyue said, [ I believe that no matter what, those monsters can¡¯t scare you. ] Chapter 185 - : The Figure of Lights Scheme The Figure of Light¡¯s Scheme [ Afraid? ] Upon hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui sneered through the voice transmission. [Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of those pathetic puppets that are being controlled? ] Yan Wuyue said, [I may not know anything about psychology, but I was once dead. You look like me after witnessing war several times. ] [ It¡¯s something called post-traumatic stress syndrome. To be honest, the current beast tide is nothing compared to the monsters after the great calamity. ] [ That¡¯s why you should be glad that you have the chance to get used to this kind of traumatic scene through battle. I didn¡¯t have the time back then, and I had to face a beast tide that was even more terrifying than this. ] [ During that period, I wasn¡¯t allowed to grieve because the world after the great calamity was too chaotic. Before true order was established, I lived under heavy pressure. ] [ I¡¯m not saying this to show you how sad I am. I¡¯m just telling you that I can still stand here and talk to you despite these traumatic memories. ] [ Reality won¡¯t take pity on you just because you¡¯re weak but will only be harsher and crueler on you ] [ That¡¯s why, Zhou Mingrui, you shouldn¡¯t be acting like this. ] After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words in one breath, Zhou Mingrui rubbed his forehead. He wanted to refute, but he had no reason to, for Yan Wuyue was right. He had been indeed a little scared just now. But after all, he had never experienced any battlefields in his previous world. Killing and facing so many powerful enemies at the same time could easily destroy a person¡¯s psychological endurance. He used to be a hater online, criticizing the protagonist in a novel for being too weak and not tough at certain times. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui finally realized that having emotions only showed that he was a human. Bang! Just as Zhou Mingrui was thinking, a loud explosion suddenly came from the sky not far away, attracting the attention of everyone present. Everyone got up and looked at the sky where the sound came from, but it was blue and clear. However, after a breath, a twisted black ball suddenly appeared in the sky. As time passed, the black ball was getting closer and closer to them. Along its way, the black ball kept emitting powerful crescent-shaped energy fluctuations, which spread in all directions. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡± Red Fox seemed to know what happened, but she was not sure. ¡°That¡¯s Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s team and that figure of light,¡± Yan Wuyue said with certainty. While everyone was still in shock, the black shadow had already closed to a height of several hundred meters above them. Rays of light blue crescent-shaped brilliance spread out from the black shadow one after another, and the surrounding clouds in the sky were scattered at the first moment. After the ball was close enough, everyone could feel the power of the energy fluctuations. It was clear that the battle inside was overwhelming. A few minutes after arriving, the black ball exploded under constant distortion and shock, revealing the battle scene inside. Following an intense burst of light, seven figures directly flew out from the black shadow Ball, but they quickly found their balance. These seven figures were the general¡¯s team led by Lieutenant General Yu. They split up for a second, but they still quickly surrounded the figure of light. After half an hour of battle, the uniform of Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s team was torn and scarred. It was clear that the previous battle had not been easy. At this moment, the figure of light had already transformed into an irregular monster shape. A large number of light bands formed into huge tentacles, which could change form at any time to meet the enemy. After the generals came out of the black shadow Ball, they all subconsciously scanned their surroundings. When they saw the countless monsters below, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°Sir, this guy is up for no good!¡± The generals were not ordinary people, and they had been already suspicious when they saw the scene. How could the figure of light be able to get them to the front of the beast tide after half an hour of intense fighting? Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s expression turned grave as he looked at the figure of light, whose body was covered in threads of light that kept extending and changing forms. What he noticed was different from others. From the very beginning of the collision and the battle until now, the figure of light gave him the feeling that he was stalling for time. As for what his plan was, Yu Zhongwei didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t know. But now, looking at the enormous beast tide below, he knew what was wrong. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s shout stunned the surrounding generals, but they still subconsciously took a step back. The summoned spirit beside Lieutenant General Yu was instantly disintegrated into pieces of armor and attached to Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s body. Within a few seconds, a set of armor was already on general Yu¡¯s body. War Spirit Synchronization After the skill was activated, the armor on general Yu¡¯s body suddenly burst into a bright light, and the lines on the armor glowed continuously. He clenched his hand forward, and a huge sword that was three meters long and half a meter wide was caught in his hand. [ Here we go. This is Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s strongest move in the early stages of the great calamity. He must have sensed something and is ready to end the battle as soon as possible. ] Yan Wuyue explained to Zhou Mingrui when he saw what was happening in the sky. [ What is that guy trying to do? There must be a reason for him to bring those generals to the battlefield,] Zhou Mingrui said with a frown. [ No matter what, everything will be fine as long as he gets rid of this guy,] Yan Wuyue said directly. After completing his transformation, Lieutenant General Yu let out a low growl. His body moved, causing a sonic boom in the air as he charged toward the figure of light at a terrifying speed that exceeded the speed of sound. He hadn¡¯t used his full strength before because it was very risky to go all out against a completely unfamiliar opponent. After all, they had no idea about the figure of light¡¯s abilities and special combat methods. That was why they had been all testing him out. However, seeing the current situation, Lieutenant General Yu, who had a strong battle instinct, naturally could not let this guy go. In the blink of an eye, Lieutenant General Yu had crossed a distance of several dozen meters. The longsword in his hand was already slashing down at the figure of light with a dazzling red flame. The figure of light¡¯s huge tentacle had already turned into a blade or a spiral spike, stabbing straight at Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s body in advance, while the other tentacle turned into a thick meat shield in front of him. His offensive and defensive stance were enough to trap most of his enemies, but Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s eyes were cold and murderous. Chapter 186 - : Choice Choice The determination and persistence of a soldier completely erupted. Lieutenant General Yu didn¡¯t even bother to look at the attack that was coming toward him, and the longsword in his hand continued to slash at the figure of light. The attacking tentacles of all shapes and sizes slammed into Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s body, but the sharp tentacle in front of him was instantly cut in half by the longsword. Although Lieutenant General Yu did not take the initiative to defend against the rest of the attacks, he was still able to block them easily with his armor. At this moment, Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s sword slashed down, and the surging red energy transformed into an even larger energy blade. With unstoppable momentum, it directly split every figure of light¡¯s shield in half. The figure of light¡¯s defensive measures was completely unable to block the attack, and Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s blade cleaved him in two. Everyone watching the battle was stunned, and the powerful strike had completely raised the morale of all the soldiers watching the battle. ¡°All hail Lieutenant General Yu!¡± ¡°All hail Lieutenant General Yu!¡± The entire front line was filled with cheers. However, Lieutenant General Yu didn¡¯t look happy at all because he could sense the figure of light didn¡¯t die from his attack. Sure enough, in the next moment, the two halves of the figure of light merged back together as if he had never been injured. Lieutenant General Yu wasn¡¯t surprised by this. After all, he had already known about this ability from the previous battle. ¡°I know you can keep self-healing, but every creature has a weakness. I don¡¯t believe you can keep on resurrecting without consuming any energy!¡± Lieutenant General Yu snorted coldly, and the sword in his hand slashed down again. The figure of light emitted a strong vibration wave as if it was indicating its anger. At the same time, a large number of tentacles of light threads began to condense back into even harder tentacles of light. However, Lieutenant General Yu did not care at all and kept slashing without changing his move. The defensive shield formed by the entwining threads of light could not even withstand a single strike. It was directly split in half by Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s saber, and the threads continued to fall toward the main body. Just like that, under Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s powerful strength, the figure of light had no ability to resist at all and kept being attacked. However, Lieutenant General Yu felt that something was wrong. Finally, after trying to kill his enemy dozens of times, he finally stopped and retreated. As Lieutenant General Yu looked at the re-formed figure of light, he did not have any intention of making another move. His behavior made the people watching the battle below confused. He had held the whip hand, so why did they suddenly stop attacking? Lieutenant General Yu narrowed his eyes as if he was thinking about something and glanced at the unmoving monsters below from the corner of his eye. All of a sudden, an idea came to his mind. After analyzing the current situation, the strategy began to become more and more clear. ¡°Damn it! I know what¡¯s going on now!¡± ¡°Turn on the broadcast mode,¡± Lieutenant General Yu said in a low voice. The next moment, Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s voice suddenly rang out on everyone¡¯s watch. ¡°The one I¡¯m facing now is just a clone, not his main body. It¡¯s useless no matter how many times I kill him.¡± His words freaked everyone out. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui were even more shocked. They had thought that it was the main body of the figure of light, but it turned out that it was not. [ I told you this guy is more powerful than we thought. Those two were like kittens in his hands when we were in the alternate spatial secret realm, but he seemed pretty weak earlier, ] Zhou Mingrui said angrily. Then, Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s voice continued to come from the watch, ¡°As for this guy¡¯s main body, I guess it¡¯s very likely to be in one of the monsters below.¡± His assumption made everyone present shock. Which monster? They raised their heads and saw numerous monsters, at least hundreds of thousands of them. Identifying the figure of light would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. ¡°The only way to defeat this guy is to kill all the monsters under his control. I can¡¯t do that, so I need everyone¡¯s help! Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other and replied in unison, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± [ No, it shouldn¡¯t be like this! ] Zhou Mingrui suddenly said to Yan Wuyue. [ Well, I don¡¯t think so either. Why would he send these monsters to the front line? Putting these monsters in danger is like digging his own grave, right? ] Yan Wuyue had the same opinion. [ I have a feeling that he intentionally let us kill these monsters, and there is some kind of scheme behind this,] Zhou Mingrui said in a serious tone. [ The current situation is indeed a bit similar to what you said, but no one will believe us without concrete evidence. All they want is to get rid of that guy and the beast tide as soon as possible, so they won¡¯t focus on any detail, ] Yan Wuyue said helplessly. [ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too late at that point, ] Zhou Mingrui said with a frown. [ I¡¯ll try. ] Yan Wuyue frowned. Just as Lieutenant General Yu was about to officially give the order to attack, his watch received a communication request. Lieutenant General Yu frowned, but he still chose to answer. ¡°Sir, please give me a few seconds,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°You¡¯re that kid from Spector Special Forces, Snow Leopard, right?¡± Yu Zhongwei knew Yan Wuyue very well. After all, she was the first to find the target, and it was even her first mission. Apparently, he was rather impressed with her performance. ¡°Go ahead. I am all ears.¡± Lieutenant General Yu looked at the figure of light in front of him as if he did not dare to move under his threat. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s hiding in the beast tide. He¡¯s trying to use us to help him complete his body,¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him. ¡°What makes you say this?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked. ¡°You still remember my summoned spirit, right? He told me that before he came to our world, he had met a creature similar to this guy. They could control other life forms through their own special characteristics. ¡°Whatever under these mysterious creatures¡¯ control dies, they could absorb part of the energy. Everything makes sense, right?¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°Your summoned spirit said that?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked, puzzled. ¡°Yes, sir. We don¡¯t have any more evidence to prove it, but we just hope that you can think it over before making a decision,¡± Yan Wuyue said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lieutenant General Yu, however, shook his head. ¡°The information you¡¯re giving me now is not enough to change my mind. I hope you can understand that as someone in this position, I can¡¯t fulfill everyone¡¯s wish.¡± Chapter 187 - : Secret Skill Secret Skill-Reverse Flame ¡°I can understand your worries.¡± Yan Wuyue understood what Lieutenant General Yu needed to consider. [ You see? I¡¯ve already tried my best. I tried my best to convince him, but it was useless. ] Yan Wuyue said helplessly, [It¡¯s impossible to change someone in high places¡¯ decision unless you have a good enough reason.] However, Zhou Mingrui was calm. [ Forget it. You¡¯ve already tried your best. As for the outcome, let¡¯s just wait and see. It¡¯s such a shame that we are now powerful enough to change the situation.] While Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui were discussing, Lieutenant General Yu, who was fighting against the figure of light, also made an announcement to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard it. Although Snow Leopard¡¯s words are likely to be true, based on what I¡¯ve seen and the information I got, this is the best choice for now.¡± ¡°Of course, if this is a wrong decision, I will take all the blame and make up for it with everything I have.¡± After Lieutenant General Yu finished speaking, he pressed another button on his watch. ¡°Southeast Military District, listen up. We will launch the main attack in 10 minutes, and the mission is to eliminate all the monsters in front of the first defense line! After saying that, Lieutenant General Yu looked at the figure of light in front of him and raised the long sword in his hand to aim at his enemy. The figure of light seemed to have sensed Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s killing intent. The light threads on its body began to expand rapidly, wrapped around itself, and formed a huge cocoon of light. In just a second, the cocoon of light suddenly exploded and formed a large curtain of light, directly blocking most of the sky in the field of vision. ¡°Do you think expanding your body will work?¡± Lieutenant General Yu snorted coldly. His entire body¡¯s armor lit up with a fiery red glow, and the flames quickly extended to his longsword. [Reverse Slash] Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s figure moved, and by the time everyone heard the sonic boom, his longsword had already slashed toward the enlarged figure of light. It was a decent sword attack, which directly cut the light curtain and tore a red crack more than a meter long. However, this intimidating wound was nothing to the huge light curtain and couldn¡¯t even be considered a wound. In the blink of an eye, the light curtain even began to heal automatically. However, at this time, the wound was ignited with red flames and could not be healed under the constant burning. As the flame burned, the wound began to grow larger and larger, and the light curtain immediately noticed this and realized that something was wrong. His body began to glow, and try to stop the flames with all his might, but he was unable to make the flames burn even more fiercely. Although his form was changed immediately, the wound shrank proportionally. At this time, the flame was still expanding and burning. [ This is one of Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s secret skills, ] Yan Wuyue explained. [ This secret skill is perfect for dealing with enemies of unknown forms, for the flame can¡¯t be put out. Moreover, it would keep burning and pushing the wound open. ] Zhou Mingrui was amazed by the secret skill. An enemy like the figure of light was rather tricky, so It would be very difficult to deal with him with simple attacking strategies. However, this secret skill made many troublesome enemies easy to be defeated. [ Hmph, don¡¯t underestimate this simple strike. It might be hard for you to reach his state of attacking and controlling skills. ] [ It¡¯s not that I¡¯m looking down on you, but you¡¯re not capable of controlling the huge amount of energy in your body, compressing it, and then attacking in one go in such a short time. ] [ I remember that the higher consciousness in your body has taught you before, so I¡¯m sure you know how difficult it is to attack.] [ Moreover, what¡¯s even more terrifying about this secret skill is that flame. It¡¯s not an ordinary flame, but that¡¯s a combination of force, spiritual energy, and some special elements. ] [ Whether the target is a physical, spiritual, or special life form, as it¡¯s still in this space, the flame can find it and burn it till it doesn¡¯t exist in this world.] Yan Wuyue sighed, [ I couldn¡¯t use this secret skill after practicing it for ten years in my previous life. ] Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue as if he was trying to say something. ¡°Why do I have to listen to all this?¡± he thought. However, he immediately understood Yan Wuyue¡¯s words and asked, [ Did you just say that you know this secret skill? ] Yan Wuyue looked at him as if she knew he would say so. ¡± [ Lieutenant General Yu passed the skill to me. Do you want to learn it? ] Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue and asked suspiciously, [ Are you trying to make a deal? ] Moreover, Zhou Mingrui had a feeling that he had fallen into a trap but didn¡¯t mind. [ Do you want to learn or not? I can understand if you don¡¯t want to. We¡¯re about to start a war with the beast tide anyway, ] Yan Wuyue asked. [ I want to! ] Zhou Mingrui made up his mind right away and asked, [ Tell me the conditions then. ] [ Not now. We¡¯ll talk about it one day. ] Yan Wuyue then told Zhou Mingrui the core of the secret skill. After learning about the secret skill, Zhou Mingrui finally understood why Yan Wuyue said that it was difficult to learn and use it. The requirements were pretty challenging. At this moment, the figure of light that was constantly struggling in the sky was completely enraged. After it emitted a series of spatial ripples, its originally blazing white body suddenly turned pink. All of a sudden, the eyes of the hundreds of thousands of monsters below began to turn red. Moreover, they started to move. The mighty monster army began to advance, and their target was the last line of defense. ¡°Alright, our war is here.¡± At this moment, all the special combat teams stood up. Polar Bear looked at Yan Wuyue and said, ¡°You are the newbie, so getting used to our fighting strategy right away might be a bit hard now. Also, I am afraid we can¡¯t pay extra attention to you. Why don¡¯t you follow behind us to let us cover you later?¡± ¡°Captain, I think I¡¯d better fight side by side with my summoned spirit. I don¡¯t think I will be useful in that position,¡± Yan Wuyue refused. Polar Bear didn¡¯t try to stop her. Instead, she said seriously, ¡°the edge and sides of the beast tide are filled with lower-level monsters. The battlefield there is suitable for you. Do not go in alone, understand? ¡± ¡°I understand, captain,¡± Yan Wuyue answered immediately. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Good luck!¡± Polar Bear turned around and left with the others. Chapter 188 - The Power of Talent Chapter 188: The Power of Talent Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The Power of Talent ¡°Thank you. You too.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue turned around and went to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. Looking at the soldiers and warriors who were ready for battle, Yan Wuyue turned to Zhou Mingrui and asked, ¡°Tell me, how do you want to fight?¡± It had been a while since the two of them had encountered a situation where they had to work together. The previous battles they had were either too easy to fight together or too difficult, so Zhou Mingrui needed to take over to let Yan Wuyue run away. The time the two of them had truly cooperated and fought together was really too little. Zhou Mingrui looked at the endless army of monsters, but his eyes did not reveal any fear. ¡°I¡¯ll attack, and you will take care of the rest,¡± Zhou Mingrui said. Although these two words were strange, Yan Wuyue was sharp enough to understand the meaning right away. ¡°I understand what you mean, but why must I be the one to take care of the rest?¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t understand his decision. Zhou Mingrui raised his brows slightly. He couldn¡¯t tell Yan Wuyue that the experience he gained from killing one monster was equivalent to the experience he gained from killing five monsters. ¡°Your level is still too low. Right now, you need to level up as much as possible, or you will limit my moves,¡± Zhou Mingrui replied after some thought. ¡°I see.¡± Yan Wuyue could understand now, but she suddenly frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s not right. We didn¡¯t split up for a long time, so why is there such a big difference between our levels?¡± It was then that Yan Wuyue realized that she had barely reached rank 42 after all this training and adventuring. Zhou Mingrui, on the other hand, had already reached rank 46. What was going on? Thinking about this, Yan Wuyue felt that something was wrong. She looked at the monster army that was still a distance away and asked, [ What¡¯s going on with you? You don¡¯t explain anything now, and what am I going to do if something happens?] At this moment, Zhou Mingrui knew that he could no longer hide it and had no choice but to reveal his passive skill. [ What? ] Yan Wuyue was shocked. With her experience, there were not many things that could make her lose her composure, but she was stunned! [ You¡¯re going to multiply my experience points by five??? ] Yan Wuyue was speechless. What kind of passive skill was this? It was hard to accept the truth. She had worked so hard to obtain the experience, but Zhou Mingrui did not have to do anything to get five times the share. Who would be able to feel at ease about this? However, she had to be happy for him. After all, he was her summoned spirit, so the fact that he could level up fast was an advantage for her. Zhou Mingrui had taken the initiative to help her solve her problems a few times, allowing her to make many arrangements in advance. Therefore, she was not as displeased. Seeing her reaction, Zhou Mingrui thought, ¡°If I tell her that my attributes will increase by five times after I level up, maybe she will lose her mind.¡± At this time, Yan Wuyue suddenly asked, [ If I¡¯m not wrong, is there another passive skill in your talent that can allow you to gain more attribute bonuses after leveling up? ] This was Yan Wuyue, who could sense everything. Once she received some details, the whole picture was in her mind. [ That¡¯s right. ] Zhou Mingrui knew that he could no longer hide the truth, so he admitted to it. After taking a deep breath, Yan Wuyue said, [ I¡¯ve always said that sometimes you¡¯re just a skeleton undead of the same level, not of any special race. How can you always suppress others? Something doesn¡¯t make sense here.] [Now I understand, but don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask much about your passive talent. ] After all, if Zhou Mingrui leveled up quickly, there would be pros and cons for her. In short, The advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Moreover, there was one point that Yan Wuyue placed great importance on when Zhou Mingrui leveled up. The shackles of the same level that she encountered would be greatly weakened. [ if you reach level 50 First and breakthrough, the shackles that I will face after reaching level 50 will be greatly weakened, which is also awesome, ] Yan Wuyue said calmly. [ There¡¯s such a thing? ] Zhou Mingrui exclaimed in surprise. [ Didn¡¯t I tell you before that I went to level up? I thought I would need to put in some effort, but who knew it would be so easy? ] As Yan Wuyue described the situation, Zhou Mingrui started to think. In this world, there was no need to worry about ranks in the first 30 levels, but once you reached level 40, there would be a rank shackle. Generally speaking, if the energy accumulation and purity were not enough, or the energy coordination and resonance with the summoned spirit was not strong enough, each of these would increase the thickness of the shackles. Of course, with Yan Wuyue¡¯s experience, the shackles of level 40 could not stop her at all, but it would still take some effort. However, she realized that she had almost punched cotton on that day, and those shackles were like some thin paper. Back then, she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason no matter how hard she tried, but it seemed like the answer was Zhou Mingrui. [ I didn¡¯t know there was such a benefit. If we still can¡¯t improve our strength rapidly, we¡¯re losers! ] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. [ Definitely! Who can break through to stage four at the age of sixteen in this city? Even in Handong Province? ] Yan Wuyue said confidently. [ Now that we know about your two talents, our strength will definitely be greatly improved in this beast tide. After that, we¡¯ll lay a solid foundation and be able to reach my level when the great calamity comes! ] Yan Wuyue became more and more excited, and her face even turned blushed. Zhou Mingrui barely saw her like this. The people around them were also a little surprised, for she seemed calm all the time and made people think she was rather mature. Why did she suddenly become this thrilled? [ If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯ll be the attacker! As for me, I will take care of the rest and cover for you! ] After learning about Zhou Mingrui¡¯s secret, Yan Wuyue immediately agreed to his suggestion because this was also the fastest way to improve his combat skills. At that moment, the monster army was one kilometer away from the defense line. The monsters at the front had already started charging. The ground rumbled like rolling thunder as the monster army stomped on it. Even the defense wall, which was made of a large amount of strong and hard alloy, began to shake. With the monster¡¯s speed, it would only take about 20 seconds for it to cover a distance of one kilometer. ¡°For our family, for our home, for humans, let¡¯s kill them all!¡± Chapter 189 - The War with the Beast Tide (1) The War with the Beast Tide The monsters soon reached five hundred meters in front of the defense line. At this moment, the various weapons on the defensive walls began to roar. Countless bullets and shells were like a metal torrent that swept out. At the same time, all sorts of missiles were fired from the base, bombarding the beast tide. This was also what made Zhou Mingrui exclaim in shock. This world clearly had the advantage of having summoned spirits and a strong physique, but their thermal weapons were as developed as in his previous world. The only thing they lacked was nuclear and some special weapons. However, these weapons could only cause minimal damage to the thick-skinned monsters. Fortunately, some of the low-tier monsters were still killed. Most importantly, these low-level monsters were just cannon fodders doomed to die. Soon, a large number of monsters with thick skin and flesh or hard biological shells took the lead. Even heavy artillery could not force them to retreat and only caused some scratches. Zhou Mingrui could not help but sigh. If these monsters had come to earth with modern technology, it would probably be impossible to withstand the attacks of these monsters unless they launched nuclear weapons. Under cover of the huge monsters in front, a large number of monsters began to cross the metal torrent defense line and arrived in front of the city wall. However, before they could attack, they were covered in a sticky liquid. It was spat out by a toad-like summoned spirit on the city wall. The next moment, the monsters that were covered with mucus suddenly let out a shrill roar. White smoke began to rise from where the mucus touched, and the strong corrosive had completely destroyed their scales. Immediately after, the metal torrent locked and eliminated them. This scene did not only happen here. A large number of summoned spirits with long-range attack abilities also made a move. With the help of the various strength from the summoned spirits, the metal torrent once again caused damage to the monster army. It wasn¡¯t just here, but all the summoned spirits at the defense line started attacking as well. For a moment, the advance of the monster army was stopped. However, it only stopped for a moment. Soon, more powerful monsters appeared, and some of the more agile ones dodged the bullets and rushed to the defense line. Under the ambush of all kinds of firearms and traps, the monsters had only lost a small portion of their forces, and most of them were just cannon fodders. Some of the more agile monsters used their speed advantage to charge past the firearms defense line. A mantis-like monster relied on its speed and ability to fly for a short period of time to charge directly at the defensive line¡¯s city wall. With a strike of its sickle, it blew up a machine gun turret. How could the Summoners allow this to happen? The next second, three Summoners rushed forward and began to besiege the monster. However, after killing this monster, more monsters rushed up the defensive line. At this time, the Summoners led their summoned spirits to fight. [ The monsters that are charging at us now are all between stage three and stage six. This is the best chance for us to level up! ] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was beside her. Zhou Mingrui nodded. He had long taken off his cloak, revealing a full-body bone armor that glowed with a metallic luster. Nether Flame Bone Blade had already taken shape in his hand, and it was still burning with a trace of phantom flame. [ Don¡¯t be flustered when you end their lives later. ] Zhou Mingrui shouted in a teasing tone as he charged into the Horde of monsters. The ghost flames on his Nether Flame Bone Blade immediately turned brighter. These stage three and stage four monsters were no match for him. After absorbing the stone tablet in the alternate spatial secret realm, Zhou Mingrui did not even need to use any skills. Instead, his attributes alone were enough to defeat these monsters. The Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand slashed everywhere, and the monsters around were severely injured and killed by Yan Wuyue, who was following them. Under the relentless assault, Zhou Mingrui immediately activated [ Phantom Prison ]. Immediately, any monster that was covered by Phantom Prison would emit a faint ghost fire, and they could not extinguish it immediately, no matter how hard they tried. The 10% increase in all his attributes made Zhou Mingrui even more fierce. However, more importantly, the constant absorption of energy made him dare to use the various strength he had in mind. For example, Zhou Mingrui suddenly raised his hand and grabbed at the six monsters in front of him. Immediately, the constant spinning of energy produced a massive suction force that immediately took the six monsters in front of him. Although it was only a simple absorption function, it increased Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s killing efficiency by several times. ¡°Is that Snow Leopard from Spector Special Forces?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the registration form show that her combat power is less than 130? She shouldn¡¯t even reach D rank, right? ¡± ¡°Her performance has completely reached C rank defense combat standard, and her combat power is at least 400. Who recorded this information? Did they even use their brains?¡± The two lieutenants in the rear were shocked when they saw this scene and immediately began to ridicule those in charge of conscription¡¯s ability. ¡°Wait, Xiao. Many soldiers and recruited Summoners are more powerful than what¡¯s recorded on their files, right? Isn¡¯t this normal?¡± ¡°True. We don¡¯t usually show all we got, but this is beast tide. I don¡¯t think anyone would try to hide their power, so it¡¯s normal if they are stronger now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can directly promote her military rank and have her change her battle line. We can¡¯t waste our combat power recklessly,¡± the other officers who had just arrived also agreed. The monsters would also attack with explosive force. They had their own strategy in the human defense line, and every force had its own use. For example, the soldiers and Summoners at the front line were basically level 4 or 5 soldiers and Summoners, while the captain officers around level 5 were to help support the formation. Only when the front line could not hold on would they be the main force. Moreover, there were even higher lieutenants and colonels in level 6. Similarly, more fighters at a higher level were behind them, so the army wouldn¡¯t waste any strength. However, what they did not know was that Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t feel like losing his energy at all. On the contrary, it began to pass the bar and kept pushing. He had no choice but to use other skills. [ Summoning of the Dead ]! With Zhou Mingrui at the center, the dead monsters within a radius of several hundred meters suddenly began to emit icy-blue flames. Following that, they began to stand up while trembling. Under the shocked gazes of the soldiers and Summoners, they immediately turned around and attacked their companions. Chapter 190 - The War with the Beast Tide (2) The War with the Beast Tide (2) Even if these resurrected monsters had broken limbs, they could still stand by relying on their bones. Even some of the destroyed monsters that were shattered by various skills would stick together with others in the same condition next to them and become new undead monsters. At first, these monsters scared the soldiers and Summoners, but they finally relaxed after the officers announced through their watches that this reaction was caused by the skill of their teammate. These undead monsters fought fiercely, and they didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of death as they clashed with the monsters that were charging at them. Although their combat power was not as strong as when they were alive, they were able to drag other monsters and create opportunities for the soldiers and Summoners next to them. This strategy immediately helped the humans hold the whip hand again. The monsters that had occupied a part of the territory with their ferocity and numbers were immediately pushed back. As Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue fought together, their experience points kept rising. For Yan Wuyue, her speed of leveling up was beyond imagination, which was many times faster than in her previous life. However, it was still not fast enough for Zhou Mingrui. If it had been any other time, he would have accepted this speed. Unfortunately, they were now facing an endless beast tide. [ We have to kill higher-level monsters, or our leveling speed will be too slow! ] Zhou Mingrui said to Yan Wuyue. [ Isn¡¯t that too dangerous? We¡¯ll deal with it like this first, and higher-level monsters will come up later, ] Yan Wuyue tried to persuade him. However, Zhou Mingrui said as he fought, ¡°No, the monsters are now facing the entire line of humans on the defensive line. Furthermore, there are some higher-level Summoners behind us who are just holding back and not making a move.¡± [ When higher-level monsters appear, those Summoners also attack. At that time, we¡¯ll only be their support to fight against the high-level monsters. ] [ We might not be able to see it now, but we won¡¯t be able to keep up with the beast tide¡¯s attack soon. ] Yan Wuyue instantly understood what Zhou Mingrui meant. She asked in confusion, [ But we will face even more danger. Once we start fighting in their territory, the situation will be more challenging for us. Maybe they will sneak attacks and control the domain. ] However, Zhou Mingrui smiled and answered, [ Nothing venture, nothing have. It¡¯s better to accept this challenge now than to be too weak and killed by a monster later! ¡± [ Alright, then we¡¯ll do as you say! ] Yan Wuyue analyzed the situation and chose to take the risk with Zhou Mingrui. [ Don¡¯t worry. If we really encounter an opponent that can threaten your life, I¡¯ll send you away as soon as possible, ] Zhou Mingrui said. After all, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Yan Wuyue had to obtain the five times experience first, Zhou Mingrui would have fought against these monsters by himself. After the two reached a mutual decision, Zhou Mingrui grabbed Yan Wuyue¡¯s waist and jumped off the city wall without hesitation. ¡°What are Snow Leopard and her summoned spirit doing?¡± ¡°They are going to charge into the beast tide directly? Are they crazy?! ¡± A Captain in charge of the area immediately connected to Yan Wuyue¡¯s watch with temporary combat access and then shouted, ¡°Snow Leopard, what are you doing? Come back right now!¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Yan Wuyue replied helplessly, ¡°After my summoned spirit and I enter the beast tide, we can greatly increase our combat power and cause more damage to our enemies.¡± ¡°Dumba*s! You might be stronger, but how many monsters can you kill? Can you kill them all, huh?¡± the captain roared. ¡°We¡¯re not advanced Summoners, so we can only combine our powers to kill those we should kill. You are digging your own grave now!¡± ¡°Come back now! We will come to pick you up right away. Listen to me. You are very talented, don¡¯t sacrifice yourself here!¡± Yan Wuyue listened to these seemingly harsh but actually heartwarming words, but she had no choice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I can¡¯t go back.¡± With that said, she cut off the communication and said to Zhou Mingrui, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no way back now. If we don¡¯t kill enough monsters, we might even be stripped of our military status by the military court. ¡± After Zhou Mingrui split apart a monster¡¯s defense, he snickered. ¡°The only solution is to kill them all, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui did not show any fear as he looked at the countless monsters in front of him that seemed to have no end in sight. On the contrary, these monsters were all his experience points in his eyes! ¡°Go to hell!¡± Zhou Mingrui growled and charged into the monster tide ahead. Meanwhile, Yan Wuyue had no choice but to follow. One after another, the monsters ¡®defenses were shattered by Zhou Mingrui, and he threw them to Yan Wuyue, who was behind him to end their lives. If it had been someone else, they might have had to consider the consumption of energy and physical strength. After all, these two were the key points to keep fighting while facing endless enemies around. Zhou Mingrui was not lacking in physical strength at all, for an energy form would never feel tired. As long as he had energy, he would never stop fighting. In terms of energy, with Phantom Prison and his own powerful energy recovery, he would never run out of energy. As for Yan Wuyue, she only needed to kill the monsters and assist him, so he didn¡¯t need to do the most physical and energy-consuming work, like breaking through and destroying defenses. That was why she didn¡¯t consume much physical strength. These two factors empowered them to jump into the beast tide. After entering, they then defeated the monsters as quickly as possible. At the same time, the majority of the monsters that died began to quickly get up again, their bodies burning with a faint phantom flame as they joined the battle. They helped Zhou Mingrui get rid of the enemies that might come from his blind spots, allowing them to attack even faster. From above, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue were like the spearhead of a spear, forcefully carving a gap in the beast tide. When Zhou Mingrui was more and more into this status, the level 4 monsters could not even resist a strike from his blade. If Yan Wuyue hadn¡¯t needed to be the one ending their lives, he would have given all in and slashed them one by one. This situation showed his advantages from his attributes without any other support. After a while, Zhou Mingrui finally heard the sound of him leveling up. At that moment, he had already reached level 47. After he leveled up, his strength became even more powerful. Moreover, Zhou Mingrui also felt a surge of energy gradually awakening in his body. He was three levels away from level 50, which could allow him to activate a new skill. Till then, even killing a level 5 monster would be like a walk in the park for him. Chapter 191 - Fighting a Level 5 Monster Fighting a Level 5 Monster It was only then that Zhou Mingrui realized that his talent was not unstoppable and undefeatable. Although he could gain five times more experience than Yan Wuyue, it was based on the experience that she had gained. The experience gained from training and killing monsters in this world would actually change according to one¡¯s body. For example, Yan Wuyue, who was at level 30, would get ten experience points after killing a level 3 monster. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui would get 50 experience points. However, the current Yan Wuyue did not even get any experience points after killing level 30 monsters, which meant Zhou Mingrui would gain nothing even if multiplied by ten. However, this was already good enough. If Zhou Mingrui were to kill a level 3 monster, he might not even get 0.1 experience points. However, Yan Wuyue had also reached level 43. They had jumped down for a short time, and she had already leveled up. Yan Wuyue was amazed at the process. Furthermore, as Zhou Mingrui went deeper and deeper into the beast tide, he could no longer see any level 3 monsters. The most basic of them were level 4, and he could even see some level 5 ones. Zhou Mingrui naturally would not advance rashly. He slowed down his pace, for he knew that he shouldn¡¯t bite off more than he could chew. Zhou Mingrui had learned a lot about all kinds of level 4 monsters, and he also learned how to kill some particular ones with Yan Wuyue¡¯s guidance. Whoo! A huge spiked club whistled through the air as a strong gust of wind blew directly onto Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. Zhou Mingrui did not show the slightest fear as he looked at the spiked club that was taller than him. Instead, he rushed forward with Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hands. Both sides¡¯ weapons collided in mid-air, instantly producing a deafening sound. The two surrounding level 4 monsters accidentally brushed against the edge of their weapons, which instantly heavily injured them. Despite the clash of strength, Zhou Mingrui and the level 5 monster did not move, which proved that there was not much of a difference between their strength. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue was a little surprised. This five-meter-tall strong humanoid one-eyed beast was a level 5 monster, which was even one of the strongest ones of its kind. ¡°How much has this guy¡¯s strength grown?¡± In fact, Yan Wuyue could also sense that her various attributes had been enhanced by the talent of summoned spirit sharing without seeing this scene. However, seeing a level 4 summoned spirit fight a level 5 advanced monster head-on was more than shocking for her. ¡°Alright!¡± Finally, he encountered a monster that could match him. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s desire to fight immediately surged, slashing out once more with all his might. The one-eyed monster was infuriated as well, for it hadn¡¯t expected to have a human daring to fight it head-on with its strength. It also raised its spiked club and smashed it at Zhou Mingrui. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sounds of collision rang out continuously around. Under the collision of tyrannical forces, a strong air current was even formed and blown to the side. All of the level 4 monsters immediately dodged to the side because they would all be smashed to pieces no matter what kind of weapons they held. However, Yan Wuyue was speechless, for Zhou Mingrui and the one-eyed monster¡¯s battle stopped her from gaining points by killing monsters. Yan Wuyue sighed with a helpless face as she watched Zhou Mingrui fight joyfully, and she looked at the level 4 monsters that were hiding nearby. After thinking for a while, she still raised her spear and rushed over. If Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t help her, she could only rely on herself. Although she wasn¡¯t as fast as Zhou Mingrui helping her break through the enemy¡¯s defenses, she still managed to kill the monsters at an average speed. After fighting against the one-eyed beast for a while, Zhou Mingrui suddenly felt bored. The one-eyed beast only knew how to use its own strength to fight head-on and had no high-level techniques. Zhou Mingrui started to lose interest and was ready to end the battle. Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand suddenly ignited with phantom flame. When it collided with the one-eyed beast¡¯s spiked club again, the phantom flame immediately spread to it. At the same time, a rush of energy burst out from Nether Flame Bone Blade, hit the one-eyed beast¡¯s body through the spiked club, and immediately pushed it back. ¡°This dude¡¯s defense is not bad.¡± Seeing that his energy blade could only leave a faint mark on the monster¡¯s body, Zhou Mingrui narrowed his eyes slightly. Zhou Mingrui knew that he could not delay any longer when he saw the beast tide flock to the defensive line. The phantom energy in his body began to surge violently, and his aura changed once again. Mysterious runes began to appear on the phantom flame burning on his body. His left foot stomped on the ground, and his entire body instantly charged toward the level 5 one-eyed beast with a speed that was much faster than before. He had already put away Nether Flame Bone Blade, and his right fist was already swinging out. Bang! The fist landed on the one-eyed monster¡¯s stomach. The monster¡¯s face was filled with disdain, but when the power of the fist exploded, it was sent back a few meters with a miserable howl, knocking away a large number of level 4 monsters. Zhou Mingrui snorted coldly. He had not expected this monster to underestimate his fists. After all, every punch now contained the phantom energy that had been compressed and condensed, so the energy that exploded in an instant was as powerful as a bomb. Especially after the power was directed to the front, even the one-eyed beast with a strong physical defense was sent flying by the impact. What had happened made the one-eyed monster somewhat confused. This human was still on par with it before, so how had he suddenly become this fierce? At this moment, the one-eyed monster knew that it had to go all out. It roared angrily, and its only eye suddenly lit up with a dazzling pink light. [ Be careful. That¡¯s the monster¡¯s only long-range attack. It¡¯s an energy attack similar to a laser beam, and its damage is as powerful as from a level 6 monster! ] After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s reminder, Zhou Mingrui immediately came up with a plan in his mind. The phantom energy in his body quickly condensed, and then through his body and arms, he constantly threw it into the bone spear in his hand. After quickly twisting the energy, he directly threw the bone spear at the one-eyed beast. The bone spear whistled through the air as it flew toward the eye of the one-eyed monster. However, a beam of light hit the tip of the bone spear. The powerful force and heat energy immediately dissipated the impact of the bone spear, and it was immediately submerged in the light beam. However, at the next moment, a violent energy explosion suddenly occurred, causing the beam of light to become unstable. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui had already seized the opportunity to appear beneath the one-eyed beast. First, he swept his leg at the joints of the opponent¡¯s legs, then immediately smashed his fist between the opponent¡¯s legs. In the next second, Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand appeared, directly stabbing at the opponent¡¯s single eye. Chapter 192 - Two Two-on-one Fight The one-eyed monster didn¡¯t know how to react to this set of moves for a while. It wanted to throw its legs, and a sharp pain came from its joints. It then tried to counterattack, but the agony from its crotch stopped him from moving. Just as it was about to aim the laser at Zhou Mingrui, it realized that its enemy¡¯s weapon was already aimed at his eyes. No matter how strong its physical defense was, its eyes were still somewhat delicate. As for whether the laser would melt Nether Flame Bone Blade first or his eyeball would be pierced by the weapon, the one-eyed monster knew it¡¯d better not take the risk. It had no choice but to retract the laser beams from its eyes and clench its fists before throwing them at Zhou Mingrui. The powerful force propelled the two air currents to strike Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face. If the two of them kept carrying on, they would both get injured. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t want to see this happen, so he immediately retreated after pausing for a moment. At the same time, he spat out a stream of flames from his Dark Flame Nether Flame Bone Blade onto the one-eyed monster¡¯s head. The one-eyed monster howled madly when its eye was burned by the flames. If it only burned its skin, the flames would not cause any pain, but its eye was its Achilles¡¯ heel. After noticing the monster¡¯s attack didn¡¯t work, Zhou Mingrui took the opportunity to activate [ Phantom Riot ]. Meanwhile, his body¡¯s energy burst forth as his attributes soared rapidly. Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand was even more ferocious than before, and it slashed at the one-eyed monster¡¯s neck within a second. The one-eyed monster could have taken this attack, but the flames had burned its eye. It couldn¡¯t react in time, so Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Nether Flame Bone Blade slashed through its skin¡¯s defense. However, with the one-eyed monster¡¯s powerful body, even with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s forceful strike, he was unable to completely split open the muscles on its neck. He was unable to directly end its life. It wasn¡¯t that Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t want to strike at the one-eyed monster¡¯s weak point, its eye, but the monster had already closed its eyelids completely. At the same time, one of its most defensive parts, its arms, firmly blocked in front of its eyes. Like this, no matter how many times he slashed, it would be impossible to break through the monster¡¯s defense and hurt its eyes. Zhou Mingrui hated dealing with this kind of defense the most. If he could not completely suppress his enemy in terms of attributes, he would have to spend a long time whittling down its defense. Hence, Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to withdraw his serene flame Nether Flame Bone Blade and slash out with all his might. This time, the one-eyed monster had learned its lesson, so it blocked Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack with an arm. With Phantom Riot, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s anger rose. Since he could not kill it with a single blow, he could only fight it head-on. As Zhou Mingrui began to hack down like a storm and constantly empowered the blade of his Nether Flame Bone Blade with the phantom energy from its body, he slashed at the one-eyed monster again and again. The battle between the two sides was getting more and more brutal, and the one-eyed monster¡¯s brutality was also triggered by the constant attacks. Meanwhile, the level 4 monsters around the battlefield were all avoiding them. However, the battle between the two sides was getting more and more intense, and they both moved faster and faster. Moreover, they were surrounded by the beast tide, so there was no way for the monsters to avoid being caught up in the crossfire. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, noticed this and specifically targeted the monsters affected by the battle between the two. The monsters that were affected were basically all at level 4. They were at least slightly injured, and many of them were even seriously injured. This situation greatly pushed Yan Wuyue¡¯s killing efficiency, and Zhou Mingrui also realized that his experience was also increasing. After all, with Phantom Prison¡¯s domain skill on him, Zhou Mingrui had the upper hand in terms of energy and stamina. He was not afraid of continuing to waste his energy. Finally, the one-eyed monster also realized that the situation was not right. However, it was too late for it to do anything. Zhou Mingrui had gained the upper hand. How could he allow the one-eyed monster to take it back? His attacks became even more aggressive. At this moment, they suddenly heard a roar, and a monster that looked like a Stegosaurus appeared. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue noticed it immediately. On the other hand, the Stegosaurus¡¯s first reaction upon seeing this was to charge at Zhou Mingrui. As it rushed, the sharp diamond-shaped blades of its back began to glow red. The next moment, they condensed in front of it and wrapped its body. Zhou Mingrui felt as though he saw a gigantic fireball hurtling toward him like a meteorite from outer space. The surrounding temperature began to rise rapidly, and the surrounding level 4 monsters also ran away in fear. However, there were still a few that were turned into large burning fireballs. [ Zhou Mingrui! ] Yan Wuyue reminded him loudly. Zhou Mingrui laughed and said, ¡± ¡°Stress always motivates me!¡± Without any other choice, Zhou Mingrui slashed the one-eyed monster apart with his Nether Flame Bone Blade, turned around, and used all his strength to slash at the Stegosaurus that was charging at him. Zhou Mingrui was as small as a mantis, and the Stegosaurus was like a tiger in front of him. However, when the force hit, the mighty Stegosaurus suddenly stopped. The ground in front of Stegosaurus immediately cracked from the powerful impact, and large pieces of rock were instantly sent flying into the air. Zhou Mingrui was suffering as well, being sent flying into the air and only falling after flying more than ten meters. In the end, it crashed into the arms of a level 4 monster before it completely stopped. The chest of the type 4 monster caved in from the impact, and the force from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body crushed its organs. Stretching his neck, Zhou Mingrui raised his hand and beckoned. Nether Flame Bone Blade, which had fallen not far away, immediately flew back into his hand. He raised his head to look at the surrounding level 4 monsters, and they immediately retreated in fear. After all, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had killed nearly seven hundred level 4 monsters, so they were all as afraid as rabbits. A sudden roar was heard. The enraged Stegosaurus and one-eyed monster had come together this time. However, their ferocious auras did not scare Zhou Mingrui. [ Soul Attachment ] [ Summon ] The goblin king was summoned once again. After possessing the body, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was instantly engulfed in translucent phantom flames. However, compared to before, mysterious grayish-white runes appeared on his skin. With a clench of his fist, the enlarged soul bone Dark Flame Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared in his hand. Looking at the one-eyed monster and the Stegosaurus that were still charging at him, Zhou Mingrui put on a faint smile. The energy in his body surged again, and the mysterious grayish-white runes on his body lit up. A massive amount of energy gathered into Nether Flame Bone Blade. Zhou Mingrui raised his hands high, and an even larger blade of energy condensed on the surface. After he waved his hands, a huge energy blade that was over ten meters long fell at the same time. It was also at this moment that the fluctuations within the energy blade completely erupted. At this moment, the one-eyed monster and the Stegosaurus¡¯s eyes were filled with fear, but it was too late. Chapter 193 - Killing Level 5 Monsters Killing Level 5 Monsters Looking at the energy blade light that was slashing down at them, the one-eyed monster and Stegosaurus had no room to dodge or escape. They could only choose to take the blow head-on. However, when the blade light landed, the one-eyed monster and Stegosaurus¡¯ defenses were destroyed in one strike. The one-eyed monster¡¯s prided arms were directly cut off by this blade, and then its entire shoulder was cut off. As blood sprayed out, the one-eyed monster¡¯s entire body was almost in half. At this time, the armor on Stegosaurus¡¯ back quickly separated and formed a shell-like piece, like a shield protecting it. The main force of this attack was focused on the one-eyed monster, so it didn¡¯t affect the Stegosaurus that much. When the energy blade ray struck the shield formed by the armor plates, the forceful impact directly smashed out a deafening boom. It also rapidly compressed massive air currents and swept them around. With a cracking sound, the blade was still blocked by the shield. However, even though it was blocked, it was still smashed into pieces. Before Zhou Mingrui said anything, Yan Wuyue seized the opportunity and charged forward. A spear with intense Stars and Moon Energy pierced at the heavily injured one-eyed beast. The Stegosaurus saw her move, but it didn¡¯t want to fight back but run away. Yan Wuyue¡¯s shot accurately pierced the one-eyed monster¡¯s eye, directly ending its life. Ding! Zhou Mingrui, who had just landed, received a notification that he had leveled up. Most of the energy that he had expended from the previous attack was now compensated for by the effects of his level-up. Zhou Mingrui, who had landed on the ground, naturally saw Stegosaurus preparing to escape. How could he possibly let the chance to level up slip through his fingers? [ Wuyue! ] Zhou Mingrui let out a loud bellow as he exerted strength in his legs and leaped into mid-air. After landing, he charged forward once behind the Stegosaurus, which was running for its life. There were many monsters blocking Zhou Mingrui¡¯s way, but these level 4 monsters were as weak as kittens for him. As he moved Nether Flame Bone Blade, these level 4 monsters were swept away. Meanwhile, Yan Wuyue, who was following closely behind, quickly ended their lives. Soon, Zhou Mingrui caught up to the fleeing Stegosaurus. However, at that moment, it suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. Zhou Mingrui stopped in his tracks as well. He realized that the number of level 4 monsters around him had decreased significantly, while there was more level 5 monsters. ¡°I see.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and quickly understood the Stegosaurus¡¯s goal. It turned out that he had already run for dozens of meters. Normally, this short distance didn¡¯t play an important role, but it meant two levels of monsters in the beast tide. Looking at the increasing number of level 5 monsters around him, Zhou Mingrui revealed a cold smile as he looked at the Stegosaurus, which was in the front. [ What are you going to do? ] Yan Wuyue came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side and asked, [ I don¡¯t think you can handle dozens of level 5 monsters at the same time, right? ] [ No, I don¡¯t think I can, ] Zhou Mingrui admitted directly. [ I can stop four at most, but I can¡¯t buy you much time, ] Yan Wuyue said. [ There¡¯s no need for that. If they want to attack me, I will have no choice anyway. ] Zhou Mingrui sneered. [ I know you want to use that skill, but I¡¯ll be in trouble after that, ] Yan Wuyue said directly. [ Where is your brain? You¡¯re my Summoner, ] Zhou Mingrui said. [ We can be seen as one, so my Samsara Territory will not exclude you.] [ Really? Why didn¡¯t you tell me this earlier? ] Yan Wuyue said in surprise. She had always thought that the skill could only be used by Zhou Mingrui himself. [ You have never asked me. ] The moment Zhou Mingrui finished speaking, he saw several Stegosauruses ready to attack him at the same time. The Stegosauruses had completely blocked him from all directions. If Zhou Mingrui dared to float into the air, he would have to face even more monsters. Zhou Mingrui raised his hand, aimed it at the Stegosaurus from before, and immediately cast his strongest skill, Samsara Territory. Under the distortion of space, the Stegosaurus that had lost its armor felt its surroundings change. The space around it began to distort rapidly, and it didn¡¯t even have the chance to escape before it was pulled into a completely unfamiliar space. The Stegosaurus found its companions disappear, so it was alone. It immediately opened its mouth and howled twice. After feeling something strange in its body, a mysterious force extracted a part of his power. The Stegosaurus immediately fell into panic. ¡°What, are you afraid now?¡± Zhou Mingrui walked towards the Stegosaurus with a mocking expression on his face, and he looked more intimidating under the goblin king¡¯s ferocious expression. ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t run away now.¡± As if it understood Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, the Stegosaurus roared angrily and swung its tail at Zhou Mingrui. However, Zhou Mingrui did not dodge but raised his palm and caught the tail in his hand. In these few seconds, he hadn¡¯t moved his body at all. Not only did Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attributes increase again after he leveled up, but even the attributes that had been absorbed after entering Samsara Territory were also added to him. This caused Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attributes and strength to skyrocket. After he grabbed the tail, he suddenly roared. With the tail as a pivot point, the muscles in his arms suddenly bulged. The next moment, the Stegosaurus¡¯ four limbs suddenly left the ground. Moreover, it lost its center of gravity and began to spin around Zhou Mingrui. Bang! After Zhou Mingrui spun the Stegosaurus around dozens of times, it was smashed to the ground, sending a huge cloud of dust and dirt into the air. A shallow pit immediately appeared on the ground as the Stegosaurus¡¯ body smashed into it. However, Zhou Mingrui did not stop his attack but grabbed its tail once again. As the Stegosaurus howled, Zhou Mingrui suddenly pushed his strength and threw it into the air. In the next second, Nether Flame Bone Blade appeared in his hand. The powerful energy in his body condensed into an energy blade on the surface of Nether Flame Bone Blade, and he slashed at the Stegosaurus in front of him. Unlike before, this time, all the energy was concentrated on the Nether Flame Bone Blade. Stegosaurus had used the last piece of armor he had, but it was useless. Zhou Mingrui avoided all of Stegosaurus¡¯s defenses with his blade and threw it to Yan Wuyue, who was behind him, to end its life. Seeing his experience rising, Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to exit Samsara Territory. He looked at the flustered monsters. ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡± Chapter 194 - The Situation of the Beast Tide The Situation of the Beast Tide The level 5 monsters were bewildered when they saw their companion suddenly being sucked into the alternate space and turned into a corpse. Zhou Mingrui looked at them as if they were experience points, which made him thrilled. However, Zhou Mingrui did not want to act recklessly. Instead, he raised his hand and began to cast the skill, [ Summoning of the Dead ]. The corpses of the one-eyed monster and the Stegosaurus began to burn with blue flames. The next second, they slowly stood up as other monsters looked at them with confused looks. ¡°As expected, the energy required to summon these monsters is way more with every increase in level.¡± Feeling the energy being drained from his body, Zhou Mingrui could roughly determine how much energy was needed to summon a level 5 undead servant. Soon, the corpses of the one-eyed monster and Stegosaurus stood up wobbly. The flesh on their bodies had basically all fallen off, and most of their internal organs had been corroded by the phantom energy, leaving only bare skeletons. As the phantom flame was ignited, it emitted a spooky and mysterious aura. Two newly summoned level 5 undead servants came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. Although they were only at level 5, they could still help Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui to withstand the attacks of monsters from the same level. If Zhou Mingrui wanted, he could use a large amount of phantom energy to turn these two monsters into a complete entity like the goblin king. However, that wasn¡¯t necessary because they would just be two ordinary undead level 5 monsters even if the process was complete. On the other hand, the goblin king was level 55, a gold-leveled undead servant from an alternate space, so their strengths were vastly different. This was also the reason why Zhou Mingrui could easily defeat the two of them after activating Soul Attachment. Looking at the increasing number of level 5 monsters around them, Yan Wuyue frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t look anymore, or it will be too much to handle for you later.¡± Zhou Mingrui was in Soul Attachment, so he was unable to speak. All he could do was chuckle with a voice transmission, [ How is that possible? These monsters are just a bunch of losers! ] This time, Zhou Mingrui did not even use Samsara Territory. Instead, he charged at the level 5 monsters with the two skills, [ Phantom Prison] and [ Phantom Riot], stacked together. After all, Samsara Territory took a large amount of energy from him, and he had just used an energy-consuming skill, so he had not fully recovered yet. With the help of the one-eyed monster and the Stegosaurus, Zhou Mingrui did not have to face multiple level-5 monsters at the same time. Therefore, the pressure on him was very little. Moreover, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s own extraordinary strength made it easy for him to deal with these level-5 monsters. In fact, after finding their weaknesses, it did not take long for him to injure them. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui could only keep attacking them. However, as time passed, Zhou Mingrui became more and more familiar with the movements and attack patterns of these level 5 monsters, so his battle efficiency also increased. At the same time, after Yan Wuyue killed them, Zhou Mingrui could also use the summon of the dead to wake up these dead level 5 monsters, who then served as cannon fodders to fight against those who intended to sneak attacks. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui managed to control these level 5 monsters, which left the military officers at the defensive line dumbfounded. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Snow Leopard has only just reached level 4, right? How did she manage to move so freely in the level 5 beast tide?¡± For these Summoners, the summoned spirit was part of them and even weapons. They were seen as one. ¡°An ordinary person would be drained out, so her summoned spirit¡¯s strength should be a group-combating type. That¡¯s how she can still maintain this state.¡± ¡°Her current combat power has been raised to 1300, and her group combat ability has also been raised to the upper level of class C. Her score is still rising.¡± ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t talk her out of it earlier. That¡¯s how she is confident enough to enter the beast tide.¡± ¡°She can deal with level 5 monsters, but what about a level 6?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already reported this to the command center. If necessary, the colonel and the generals will save her. Such a talent can¡¯t be sacrificed in the beast tide!¡± Just as the lieutenants were discussing Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s combat power, the figure of light in the sky was being restrained by Lieutenant General Yu and his men. Looking at the defensive line on the ground that had maintained the situation, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. Being able to resist at the moment meant that they still had a trump card to use. If there were any sudden changes in the beast tide, they would have no other way. ¡°Hmm, someone is fighting against a group of level 5 monsters with her summoned spirit now?¡± At this moment, a message popped up on the watches of all the generals and colonels. They were all shocked after reading the content. Everyone immediately turned their gazes in the direction their watches were pointing at. Sure enough, they saw a very eye-catching human and a summoned spirit constantly clashing with the level 5 monsters. ¡°Good, I didn¡¯t expect to see such a talent in this beast tide!¡± Lieutenant General Yu was overjoyed. It was extremely difficult to even have a talent like Yan Wuyue in the army. ¡°No, we can¡¯t let such a talent be wasted here, Chen!¡± Lieutenant General Yu locked his gaze on the figure of light opposite him as he ordered through his watch. ¡°Sir!¡± a major general immediately responded. ¡°Take two people with you and keep an eye on Snow Leopard. Don¡¯t make a move yet. Let¡¯s see how far she can go, but you must rescue her immediately if she¡¯s in danger. Do you understand?¡± Lieutenant General Yu ordered. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Major General Chen didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately responded. Lieutenant General Yu did not say anything else after receiving the response. Instead, he and his subordinates looked at the figure of light opposite them. They were in a stalemate at the moment, but they were also locked on to the terrifying enemy waiting in the dark behind the beast tide. The information sent back by the command center¡¯s ace scout was that the highest level of the beast tide was only at 7. In other words, this figure of light could only control monsters below or at level 7 However, they weren¡¯t sure whether it was because of the number of monsters he had controlled or merely his ability that stopped him from reaching a higher level. On the other hand, the monsters that were above level 7 did not want to be left out. They were all spying from a distance away from the beast tide and the line of defense. It seemed that as long as the beast tide broke through the human defense line or there were casualties on the human side, they would immediately pounce and launch a general attack on the humans. They couldn¡¯t make a move at the moment because they would all push the others to attack together if they did so. Till then, the defensive line wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. Monsters that reached level 7 and above were basically as intelligent as humans, and they clearly knew what their real goal was. Chapter 195 - The Figure of Lights Bitterness and Fury The Figure of Light¡¯s Bitterness and Fury It was to the extent that the high-level combat power of both sides remained in a stalemate, and neither side would directly attack. However, the monsters were more worried about the figure of light because they didn¡¯t know why the beast tide had appeared. In the past, the beast tide had been, at most, a leader coming up with an idea and ordering some monsters to test the humans¡¯ defensive lines or get rid of some useless ones in the clan. However, the beast tide this time was different. Some of the monster leaders had been manipulated. No matter how others tried to stop them, they couldn¡¯t take them out of it. Therefore, they all turned their attention to the figure of light. However, the figure of light¡¯s mysteriousness made everyone hold back, not knowing how to deal with this guy. In less than five minutes, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had worked together to kill more than ten level-5 monsters. Furthermore, their speed and efficiency were still increasing. The surrounding level-5 monsters were enraged as well, so they began to surround Zhou Mingrui in a frenzy. However, Zhou Mingrui would immediately activate Samsara Territory to hold the whip hand once he found the situation started to get overwhelming. Such an unfair fighting strategy made the level- 5 monsters furious and wanted to launch a group attack, for this human could always summon the corpses of their own kind to stop them. Although these corpses were weak, they could still stop their movements. As a result, they couldn¡¯t make progress. If they launched a group attack, they would hurt their companions on such a crowded battlefield. [ Zhou Mingrui, I just realized that these guys aren¡¯t completely under control. ] Yan Wuyue suddenly said. [ What do you mean? ] Zhou Mingrui asked as he fought. [ They still have the ability to think. If they didn¡¯t, they would have kept fighting regardless of the casualties, ] Yan Wuyue replied. Zhou Mingrui observed for a moment and realized that Yan Wuyue was right. [ This information doesn¡¯t change anything. We still have to fight the monsters, ] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. [ Who knows? Maybe it¡¯ll be handy at one point, ] Yan Wuyue said to himself. Following that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s battle turned white-hot. After all, although level- 5 monsters weren¡¯t as many as level-4 ones, there were still quite a number of them. Standing in front of less than a hundred monsters, he realized that tens of thousands of them were still waiting for him. If this continued, he wouldn¡¯t be able to clear all these monsters before being drained out. Most importantly, his secret skill, Soul Attachment, could not be activated continuously. Even if he had been trying to control the output of the skills, he only had less than half an hour left to use. The area was filled with level-5 monsters. How many could he kill in half an hour? At that moment, Zhou Mingrui received the notification of his level-up, and the energy in his body immediately increased. The half-hour duration was extended to about an hour. Level 49. An idea suddenly came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. [ Zhou Mingrui, how much longer can you last? ] Yan Wuyue naturally noticed his condition, so she asked after doing some math. [ It was half an hour, but I can hold on for about an hour after leveling up, ] Zhou Mingrui answered honestly. [ What? Did you level up again? ] Yan Wuyue said helplessly, [ I¡¯ve only reached level 45 after all this hard work. How come you¡¯re about to reach level 50? ] [ Is this considered fast? If these level-5 monsters weren¡¯t that difficult, I would¡¯ve killed even more already, ] Zhou Mingrui said in an upset tone. Yan Wuyue raised her eyebrows and said, [ You¡¯d better be careful. They have a certain level of self-awareness now, so they can feel afraid and control themselves. ] [ If that guy completely controls them, we won¡¯t be able to handle the madness. ] Zhou Mingrui squinted his eyes when he heard that. As he fought, he subconsciously looked up into the sky from the corner of his eye. The figure of light was constantly floating in the air. [ As long as I can reach level 50 first, my strength will be improved. That¡¯s why leveling up is our priority now! ] Zhou Mingrui could subtly sense something special, but he was unable to explain it clearly. The next second, Zhou Mingrui shifted his attention back to killing the monsters. At this moment, the figure of light in the sky also noticed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s actions. As he had to fight with Lieutenant General Yu and the others, he reduced the level of control, causing many of the monsters to recover a certain amount of intelligence. However, he didn¡¯t dare to completely let go because his enemies had been carefully monitoring him. Any movement could lead to a series of attacks. The figure of light could also sense the gazes of the high-level monsters hiding in the dark, and he also knew what was in their minds. Meanwhile, he had to spare some energy to keep an eye on them. ¡°If there weren¡¯t these damn restrictions of this world, I would¡¯ve killed these things long ago!¡± the figure of light cursed in his heart. When he invaded this world, he had expected to be the ruler easily. Who knew that an extremely strange rule, or even a mysterious power that might have surpassed the rules, would appear after it took control of a certain number of monsters? The limitations didn¡¯t hurt the figure of light, but they suppressed its strength again and again. Controlling these many monsters shouldn¡¯t have affected its power, but the situation was tricky now. This was also why the figure of light had become like this. Otherwise, he would have long defeated this group of people with his strength before entering this world. Something seemed to hit the figure of light when he saw Zhou Mingrui constantly torturing his lackeys in the beast tide. The limitation of its strength also trapped its sense. However, after taking a closer look, he could feel it again. Moreover, he soon realized that this guy had been one of his targets before. This time, the figure of light went ballistic. Being suppressed in this world was frustrating enough, but his enemy before was also here to be against him. How could he stay calm? The figure of the light suddenly began to emit red light, which made Lieutenant General Yu startled, thinking that the figure of light was about to launch his final attack. However, after waiting for a few seconds, the figure of light did not attack them. Instead, he stayed still and did not leave. While Lieutenant General Yu and the others were puzzled, Zhou Mingrui was still fighting. Zhou Mingrui, who was in the middle of a battle, suddenly felt that something was amiss. The level- 5 monsters had begun to slow down. Furthermore, the monsters that were about to charge at him had also stopped. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue scanned their surroundings in confusion, and the strange situation made them have a bad feeling. The next moment, the eyes of the monsters around Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue suddenly turned dull, regardless of their species. Chapter 196 - The Fierce Zhou Mingrui The Fierce Zhou Mingrui [ Don¡¯t tell me that guy is starting to interfere in the fight here. ] Yan Wuyue looked up at the sky, where the figure of light was. At this moment, the figure of light¡¯s eyes emitted a faint red glow. Meanwhile, the eyes of the monsters surrounding Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue also lit up with the same color. Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue sensed the danger right away. His hands glowed, and Nether Flame Bone Blade immediately transformed into two huge bone shields, protecting Yan Wuyue from the front and back. As expected, all sorts of long-range attacks started to rain down on them. Physical, energetic, and biochemical attacks all hit the bone shield, which then immediately cracked after being attacked. However, with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s psionic energy output at its maximum, the two thick bone shields still managed to hold on. Under the bombardment, Zhou Mingrui was trying his best to come up with a solution. After all, if this continued and more monsters joined in, he would run out of his energy at one point. If he attracted the attention of a level-6 monster, only defense wouldn¡¯t be able to save them. [ Have you come up with a solution? ] Yan Wuyue, who was behind Zhou Mingrui, asked quickly. [ Do you have any other way besides using your skills? ] Zhou Mingrui immediately asked. After all, Yan Wuyue had been an expert with rich combat experience, so she should have a corresponding strategy in such a complicated battle situation. [ It¡¯s very simple. We can either wait for someone here. They will definitely come to rescue us after noticing we are in danger. ] [ The other way is to rely on ourselves to find a way out, but this is the most difficult way. It¡¯s your choice now. ] Yan Wuyue¡¯s reply was simple and direct. However, Zhou Mingrui laughed and said, [ I won¡¯t ask for help unless I¡¯m dying. You¡¯d better watch out. I might not be able to take care of you from now on! ] [ Don¡¯t worry. I am more than ready. ] Yan Wuyue smiled, for she had already known Zhou Mingrui¡¯s decision. The next moment, a glint flashed in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes. One of the bone shields immediately dissipated and condensed back into Nether Flame Bone Blade. The moment his feet touched the ground, the powerful energy contained in him immediately exploded. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body shot forward like an arrow that had been released from a bow. He was facing a monster that had fewer companions around it, but it was way larger. ¡°Whoo!¡± The moment the monster saw Zhou Mingrui charging at it, it immediately opened its mouth and spat out a large amount of slime. Zhou Mingrui stepped on the sticky liquid and almost slipped. As he tried to run away, he realized that not only was the liquid slippery but with strong adhesive power. However, Zhou Mingrui did not stop. Instead, a fluorescent glow immediately appeared on his feet. Phantom energy adhered to his skin, completely offsetting the effects of the slime. However, the monster had already achieved its goal. it opened its mouth and shot an energy beam at Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to place his shield in front of him. Boom! The massive impact sent his entire body flying. Zhou Mingrui let out a furious roar as his entire body fell to the ground once again. All his muscles suddenly swelled up as the surging energy in his body quickly gathered on his body. His feet, in particular, were enveloped by two balls of light. As he exerted strength in his legs, Zhou Mingrui began to push forward while withstanding the energy beam attacks. From the beginning, he took one step at a time, but in the end, he was already running. Upon seeing this scene, the red light in the monster¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. It seemed to have regained its senses and was about to turn around and run. However, how could Zhou Mingrui let his enemy escape just like that? Zhou Mingrui moved the shield away, immediately opened his mouth, and let out a roar. A deafening roar was released, but it was limited to a certain distance forward. The next second, everyone could see a sound wave. [ King¡¯s Roar ] The goblin king¡¯s own skill had now become a terrifying killing weapon, and the monster that was running suddenly stopped. King¡¯s Roar didn¡¯t deal any damage, but it could stun the target for a second regardless of their level. In that very second, Zhou Mingrui immediately leaped into the air and landed in front of the monster before it could regain its senses. He grabbed the newly formed Nether Flame Bone Blade, and the energy in his muscles quickly gathered into the blade. [ One Shot ]! Nether Flame Bone Blade cut through the air and ruthlessly chopped down on the monster¡¯s head. Zhou Mingrui had no intention of cutting the monster in half. After all, regardless of the species of the monster, its skin¡¯s defense and toughness had reached a very high level. Under such circumstances, it wasn¡¯t smart to slash the monster. Instead, Zhou Mingrui had chosen to smash it! When Nether Flame Bone Blade hit the monster¡¯s head, the powerful impact directly penetrated through the skin and bones, and immediately took effect on the monster¡¯s brain. Its delicate brain was shaken back and forth by the powerful impact at this moment, and it soon turned into a pile of paste. In the next instant, Zhou Mingrui turned around to conjure a shield and pointed it backward. All sorts of long-range attacks arrived as expected, landing on the gigantic bone shield. Yan Wuyue, who had been prepared for a long time, seized this opportunity. His spear directly pierced through the monster¡¯s eyes, and then she shoved the condensed Stars and Moon Energy into its head. After that, Yan Wuyue directly detonated the energy. Boom! Stars and Moon Energy exploded the fragile skull and skin, turning the monster into a headless corpse. The process seemed to be long, but less than twelve seconds had passed since Zhou Mingrui launched his attack. After blocking the barrage of attacks, Zhou Mingrui immediately pounced on his next target. They had no time to waste. The figure of light was infuriated when he saw what had happened, so he immediately ordered a level-6 monster to approach Zhou Mingrui. At this moment, Lieutenant General Yu also noticed the figure of light¡¯s sneaky actions. As he launched an attack at him right away, the generals behind him also roared and followed. Upon seeing this, the figure of light began to expand rapidly, turned into a huge ball of light in front of everyone¡¯s astonished eyes, suddenly disintegrated in the air, and turned into countless specks of light. ¡°Attack! We can¡¯t let any part of this guy leave!¡± Lieutenant General Yu shouted. After he gave the order, a general immediately stepped out and ordered a strong summoned spirit as white as snow beside him, ¡°Don¡¯t let them leave here!¡± Chapter 197 - Ace in the Hole Ace in the Hole The summoned spirit immediately nodded and raised its arms over its head. Its body began to glow, and the light spots in the air suddenly froze into ice and stopped in the air. In an instant, a large area of the sky was covered in frost, and a strong cold air spread out. However, all the ice blocks exploded into powder in the next second. Moreover, the light spots suddenly accelerated and charged toward the beast tide below. ¡°Never mind. we can¡¯t catch them.¡± Lieutenant General Yu raised his hand to stop his subordinate, his expression turning serious. After the countless light spots entered the beast tide, they quickly fused with the monsters. The next second, every monster in the beast tide began to roar. The beast tide, which was attacking normally, immediately became violent and aggressive. This change immediately made the ordinary warriors and Summoners more stressed, for there were too many monsters. Even after experiencing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s massacre, the number had only decreased by a small portion. A large number of monsters suddenly joined the attack, so many warriors and Summoners began to make mistakes due to nervousness under the high pressure. The entire defensive line was in imminent danger. ¡°Captains, go!¡± At this moment, all the captains received the attack order from their watches, and they all rushed forward without hesitation. With support from the captains, the experienced soldiers immediately filled in the gaps. At the same time, they blocked the first wave of the monsters¡¯ vicious attacks. Finally, the defensive line hanging in the balance stabilized. However, the number of human soldiers was still a lot less than the beast tide on the battlefield. ¡°Where are the reinforcements now?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked as he looked at his watch. ¡°Sir, the nearest reinforcement has 30,000 elite soldiers, but it will take them 2 hours to arrive. The higher-ranking officers will need at least 40 minutes to an hour to come here.¡± the voice of the general staff officer came from his watch. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are the reinforcements taking so long this time?¡± Lieutenant General Yu frowned. ¡°I am not sure, but the weather in other places has started to change drastically, except for our military district. The transport aircraft are all seriously affected! ¡± the chief of staff said helplessly. ¡°When it rains, it pours.¡± Lieutenant General Yu had no other choice. After all, he couldn¡¯t ask the reinforcements to rush over by foot. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re already doing our best to stop them. If level-6 and above monsters don¡¯t join the battle, we can still hold on for an hour,¡± a major general stepped forward and said. ¡°Are you kidding me? Do you seriously think those level 6 and 7 monsters will sit on the sidelines? They are just waiting for the right moment, so our current mission is to keep an eye on those hidden ones! ¡± Lieutenant General Yu raised his head and looked into the distance, where their enemies were hiding. ¡°Those bast*rds think they are good at hiding, but the stench on their bodies betray them!¡± Lieutenant General Yu snorted coldly and whipped his head. ¡°Tell all the major-level officers to prepare to attack at any time. We can only try our best to maintain this situation until reinforcements arrive. ¡± ¡°Well, we will sacrifice a lot of soldiers like this!¡± a major general stepped forward and said. ¡°For the people, for the country, for those behind us, what¡¯s the big deal about sacrifice?¡± Lieutenant General Yu growled in a low voice. ¡°If we make a move now, those guys hiding in the dark will make a move. By then, the defensive line will be easily destroyed. The beast tide can directly attack the city behind us. Don¡¯t you know how many casualties it will cause?¡± Lieutenant General Yu took a deep breath. ¡°Do you think I am not heartbroken seeing our brothers and sisters lose their lives? My heart is aching, but this is our mission and duty!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The major general could only grit his teeth and walk out. Lieutenant General Yu then cast his gaze at Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue. He mumbled softly, ¡°Let¡¯s hope she can create a miracle.¡± At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was in a defensive stance most of the time, for the monsters had gone completely mad and did not care about their companions around them as they began to launch all sorts of attacks at him. Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to use Samsara Territory to hold back another monster before his bone shield shattered. However, this time, Zhou Mingrui did not use his full strength to finish off the monster as quickly as possible. Instead, he tried to fight against it as long as possible so that he could recover his stamina and energy. If he kept fighting recklessly, he would only consume his energy quickly. In the end, he would have no choice but to exit the Soul Attachment state. [ Let¡¯s retreat to the defense line. We¡¯ve already done our best, ] Yan Wuyue tried to persuade him. [ No, I won¡¯t give up. We still have hope! ] Zhou Mingrui rejected her decisively. [ If this goes on, you¡¯ll only be killing a few more monsters. What else can you do? No matter how many experience points you get, it won¡¯t help you reach level 50, ] Yan Wuyue calmly analyzed and began to take Zhou Mingrui out of it. [ Do you have any secret skills that are suitable for this situation? I am sure you got something! ] Zhou Mingrui suddenly had an idea and asked. [ I do, but the side effects are too strong. We aren¡¯t that helpless yet, ] Yan Wuyue said with a frown. [ It¡¯s okay. Teach me now. ] Zhou Mingrui said confidently, [How bad can the side effects be? I am an energy form. If anything happens, I can just start all over again. ] Seeing how certain Zhou Mingrui was, Yan Wuyue could only helplessly say, [ Sure. This secret skill is to use the energy in your body to undergo proliferation and fission and produce an even more violent one. The side effect is that once you use it, it will cause your energy to fall into a continuous fission cycle. Not only will it be difficult to increase your energy, but it will also directly enter a state of regression. ] [ This secret skill is not bad. Teach me now! ] Zhou Mingrui was overjoyed when he heard that. [ However, you and your summoned creatures will have problems when the time comes. You might be at a lower level, and it¡¯s very likely that you won¡¯t be able to improve anymore! ] Yan Wuyue still tried to persuade him. [ It¡¯s fine. Just pass it to me right now. Stop wasting time! ] Zhou Mingrui urged without hesitation. ¡°A lower level? So what? As long as I can reach level 50 and awaken a new skill, these side effects would be nothing when my strength increases,¡± he thought. [ The secret skill is called Fission, so first, you need to¡­ ] After listening to the instructions, Zhou Mingrui seemed to be enlightened. His lips curled into a smile, and he looked like he understood everything. [ You already know how to activate it? ] Yan Wuyue asked curiously. [ It¡¯s actually not that complicated and difficult to understand, ] Zhou Mingrui laughed and said. Chapter 198 - Yan Wuyues Astonishing Skill Yan Wuyue¡¯s Astonishing Skill [ Stop the sh*t. You can¡¯t even do the most basic energy microscopic vision, let alone control the auxiliary particles of the energy core with your spiritual power! ] Yan Wuyue mocked Zhou Mingrui, but he didn¡¯t care. [ I really can¡¯t do that, but you can. ] [ I know you well. Since you proposed this secret skill, you must have a way to complete the steps. Am I right? ] After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s words, Yan Wuyue trembled slightly. However, she could only swallow his anger in this urgent situation. [ Zhou Mingrui, that¡¯s what you said. Don¡¯t blame me for the terrifying side effects of this secret skill if anything happens. ] Yan Wuyue complained, but Zhou Mingrui kept a smile. [ Don¡¯t worry. I got it. Everything will be fine no matter what. ] The principle behind the secret skill, Fission, was actually very simple. Everything in the visible world was made up of particles, even energy. The increase in energy was also due to the fission of the core of the energy particles, which then proceeded to form new energy particles. The core of each energy particle was made up of three auxiliary particles and the particle core, where the key to fission was in. When the core particle was undergoing fission, the three auxiliary particles not only protected the core particle from external interference but restricted the core particle from another fission. The key point of Fission, the secret skill, was to use external forces to limit the closing of the auxiliary particles, allowing the core particles to start fission continuously, producing more and more powerful energy. This was the core of the fission. This was similar to the principle of ¡°nuclear fission¡± from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s previous life, so he was able to quickly understand how it worked. However, if one of the steps went wrong, it was very likely to cause side effects. The auxiliary particle would form inertia and lose the movement of the particle itself after being pulled too much. Once the fission continued, it would turn into something that Zhou Mingrui was familiar with, cancer. Once the energy had turned cancerous, the only thing he could do was to cut off all the energy that came into contact with it. In the best scenario, he might lose some energy, which would take him some time to recover. In the worst case, the energy damage would lead to a drop or even a fall in level. ¡± Zhou Mingrui, I¡¯ll be using my spiritual power to assist you right away. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to control your spiritual power to such a fine level, so you must watch it clearly. ¡± After Yan Wuyue finished speaking, she placed her palm on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s back and transferred her spiritual power into his body. Under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s immediate guidance, both of their spiritual power could immediately dive into a more microscopic vision. Yan Wuyue was indeed the former goddess of war, and her control of spiritual power amazed Zhou Mingrui. Like a surgeon with decades of experience, spiritual power was the scalpel of magic in her hand. Under her accurate control, the auxiliary particles of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s energy core were all firmly blocked from regrouping the moment they split. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t just a single energy particle but most in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. This was what surprised Zhou Mingrui the most. If he had been the operator, he would not have even been able to see the existence of energy particles at this stage, not even perform such fine control. ¡°Alright, the flow of time in the microscopic world is different, and staying here for too long will consume more spiritual power. ¡± Yan Wuyue warned him, [ You have to remember that from now on, your energy will be greatly improved in both quantity and quality, but you must not force it when it reaches the critical point. ] [ Because that will seriously damage your energy core structure. When that happens, it will take more than just a month or two to solve the problem. ] [ It might even cause you to drop more than ten levels, and it will be more difficult to level up again. ] However, Zhou Mingrui laughed and said, [ Don¡¯t tell me you forgot the treasure I got from the auction. Even if there¡¯s a problem, it can still fix the side effects. ] Yan Wuyue finally understood and asked, [ You¡¯ve already thought about the solution? ] Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud. [ Do you seriously think I have no brain? I¡¯ve been with you for so long, so I¡¯ve learned a thing or two from you, alright? ] Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said, [ There¡¯s a backup plan, but we still have to be careful and take precautions. That¡¯s it. Let¡¯s get started! ] [ Okay! ] After saying that, their consciousnesses began to leave the microscopic world and return to reality. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui felt the energy in his body begin to expand, and an even more powerful force exploded at the same time. Although Zhou Mingrui did not have Yan Wuyue¡¯s micro-control ability, he still could manage to process the powerful energy. Under his control, the energy flowed all over his body, and all the attributes of this body began to strengthen. At this moment, the goblin king¡¯s body was growing rapidly under the power of fission. Its six-meters body suddenly expanded to 8.5 meters, and a strong energy aura surged out. At that moment, six level-5 monsters charged forward and surrounded Zhou Mingrui from all directions. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had completed the fission process, felt as though a nuclear bomb had been buried in his body as energy constantly surged out! Looking at the level-5 monsters charging at him, Zhou Mingrui held Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand and slashed out immediately. The next moment, an energy blade instantly separated from the blade. The ground was like paper under this blade, and a chasm was split open by the energy blade. The leading monster¡¯s bloody-red eyes revealed a hint of fear. However, under the control of the figure of light¡¯s consciousness, it still charged forward. Without making a sound, the energy blade sliced through the level-5 monster¡¯s body, and the monster that was still running was suddenly split in half in the next second. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui knew that he had not controlled the strength of his attack well. Swiftly throwing a kick with his left foot, Zhou Mingrui turned around and slashed out with his Nether Flame Bone Blade. A circular arc immediately swept across the other four monsters that had already charged in front of him. Thud! The four monsters all stopped, turned into pieces, and fell to the ground. [ Fu*k! I should stop using the blade. I can¡¯t even control it at all! ] Zhou Mingrui put back his Nether Flame Bone Blade, clenched his fist, and punched the other monster. Boom! His fist penetrated the monster¡¯s body, coming out with blood spraying into the air. [ Holy sh*t! ] Zhou Mingrui cursed. He turned around and elbowed the head of a monster that was trying to sneak up on him from behind, which then crashed to the ground. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui knew that he was definitely able to control his strength perfectly! Chapter 199 - Sacrifice and Responsibility Chapter 199: Sacrifice and Responsibility Sacrifice and Responsibility At this moment, Yan Wuyue, who was behind him, looked calm. She had known that Zhou Mingrui would not be able to control his power well. After all, she had been the same when she first used this secret skill, so it was not strange. At this time, it all depended on the degree of control of their respective powers. Yan Wuyue was well aware that it took her less than ten seconds to regain control of her power. However, it was different for Zhou Mingrui. Yan Wuyue thought it would take about 20 or 30 seconds. After all, he wasn¡¯t a careful person. Much to Yan Wuyue¡¯s surprise, Zhou Mingrui had already found his rhythm after only the third attack. Everything had happened so fast that she almost didn¡¯t react and wanted to help him. [ Why are you in a daze now? It¡¯s not your style! ] Zhou Mingrui asked Yan Wuyue in confusion as he attacked. As far as he knew, a composed fighter like Yan Wuyue would not be distracted at such a critical moment. [ No¡­nothing. Just focus on your fight! Don¡¯t waste time! ] Yan Wuyue immediately responded. Upon hearing that, Zhou Mingrui stopped asking, for every second was precious. Even though the speed at which the microscopic world split was not fast, that was only when there was a difference in the flow of time. If he had been in the real world, the speed would be many times faster. Therefore, Zhou Mingrui knew he couldn¡¯t waste time. Looking at the remaining level-5 monsters, he revealed a smile. Under the figure of light¡¯s control, the monsters no longer felt fear and roared as they charged at Zhou Mingrui. Looking at Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand, Zhou Mingrui thought for a moment and changed it into a huge club with his energy. Then, he aimed at the monster that was charging at him and swung it. The lizard-like two-headed monster that was over ten meters long¡¯s chest was struck by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s club. Its body, which weighed more than a ton, was sent flying a few meters away by the strike. A pit was formed where it landed. A large number of bone spikes pierced through its skin, looking very horrifying. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s strike had shattered at least a third of the monster¡¯s bones. Its internal organs were probably bleeding severely, but it continued limping toward Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui ignored it because this kind of crippled monster was already Yan Wuyue¡¯s responsibility. Instead, he continued to wave his club and sweep away the other level-5 monsters coming at him. The level-5 monsters that could have suppressed Zhou Mingrui were as weak as level-4 ones, for he was in a state of fission. Yan Wuyue continued to kill the level-5 monsters one after another. While feeling the rapid accumulation of experience, she also helped Zhou Mingrui calculate the remaining time of the fission. Zhou Mingrui could have killed dozens of level-5 monsters in an hour. However, in his fission state, it had taken him less than 10 minutes to kill nearly 150 of them. The monsters he touched were either severely injured or had lost their defense, and they would be quickly killed by Yan Wuyue. Ten minutes ago, he was still surrounded. Now, he had reversed the situation and was still increasing his killing efficiency. Even the warriors and Summoners at the rear defensive line felt much less pressure because of Zhou Mingrui, for there were fewer monsters around him. ¡°What did this guy do to turn the situation around?¡± ¡°It might be a secret skill with a strong side effect. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible for his combat power to increase so much.¡± ¡°Alas, everyone is already giving their all to keep the defense line!¡± In the sky, Lieutenant General Yu and the generals beside him were sighing as they watched Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue suddenly turn the tables. No one would blame Yan Wuyue for using such a skill. Under such circumstances, it would be a great contribution to delay the defense line for one more second. ¡°If she keeps killing like this, there will definitely be higher-level monsters looking for trouble with her. Keep an eye on her! Once a level-7 monster attacks, immediately take her away from the front line!¡± Lieutenant General Yu ordered again. However, he had a dream. If Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue could also slaughter the level-6 monsters like this, they would still have a chance of winning the beast tide without the reinforcements. However, he knew that this was almost impossible. A level-4 Summoner who could suppress a level-4 monster and kill a level-5 monster with a secret skill was already an extremely rare combat genius. If she could still deal with the level-6 monsters, Lieutenant General Yu swore to save her at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing the entire defensive line. They could rebuild the defensive line, and humans could keep reproducing. However, once such a peerless genius died, it would take a long time for another one to be born. Even though this was a cruel and inhumane way of thinking, Lieutenant General Yu had to choose what was best for the human race. If a genius like Yan Wuyue could grow to his level, then the southern wilderness could easily be taken back under the rule of human beings, let alone the whole world. What if she could reach a higher level? Till then, it wouldn¡¯t be a dream for humans to clean up monsters and completely occupy this world. What was the big deal in sacrificing so many people for this dream? If it was necessary, he could even sacrifice himself. As long as Yan Wuyue could grow to that level, he would not hesitate to do so. At this moment, Yan Wuyue had also risen to level 47 after killing the monsters. However, her level and experience bar was completely different from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s. If Yan Wuyue¡¯s experience bar was a stream, then Zhou Mingrui¡¯s was a powerful river. Zhou Mingrui might not be able to reach level 50 before her. This was the difference between the level of life and the energy density, which involved profound theories such as energy science, summoned spirit science, experience-level science, and biology. Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t explain it now. After all, no matter how powerful she was in her previous life, she was just a warrior, not a scientist who studied theories and experiments. The increase in level also made Yan Wuyue¡¯s combat power stronger and stronger. After all, the higher the level, the higher the attribute bonus he could share with the summoned spirit. Sometimes, Yan Wuyue would even take the initiative to help Zhou Mingrui slow down some level-five monsters. Another five minutes passed, and nearly three hundred monsters had died at the hands of Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue. Meanwhile, his level and experience bar were also constantly increasing. Very soon, it had already reached 90%. Just as Zhou Mingrui was about to raise his level to level 50 in one go, the ground suddenly trembled violently. Following that, a figure charged straight at him. Without any hesitation, Zhou Mingrui raised the massive club in his hand and swung it at his enemy. Chapter 200 - Collision Chapter 200: Collision Collision Bang! The two powerful forces collided, and the air in the middle was immediately compressed and pushed to the left and right. The level-5 monsters on both sides were immediately sent flying by the powerful air current, immediately clearing out a large area. Both Zhou Mingrui and the monster took a few steps back. At that moment, he could finally see what he was fighting against. It had a brown-furred body and four strong and powerful arms that resembled a gorilla, but its lower body was similar to a tiger or some kind of wild beast. It had a centaur-like upper body that was more like a ferocious beast. Meanwhile, its four limbs were holding onto a weapon that was ground from a strange material as it snorted at Zhou Mingrui and glared at him like a tiger waiting for its prey. [ This is a dangerous level-6 monster, a brown leopard, which can fight against other monsters at the same level or even level-7 ones. Do not underestimate its strength! ] Seeing this, Yan Wuyue immediately explained to Zhou Mingrui that the monster was classified as dangerous. It meant that its combat power was better than others, and it could defeat its same kind easily. [ How lucky I am. It¡¯s a tough baby. ] Zhou Mingrui was speechless. Why was he unlucky all the time? Either he didn¡¯t encounter any enemy, or he would have someone too powerful to fight against. [ Be careful. This isn¡¯t a normal level-6 monster. Even if you activate your fission state, you might not be its match. My suggestion is to use your current speed to run away! ] Yan Wuyue proposed. Zhou Mingrui looked at his enemy and said, [ I don¡¯t think so. It has already made us its primary target under the control of the figure of light, so it will come to us soon, even if we shake it off with speed now. ] [ If we run into another level-six monster, we¡¯ll be pincered. Till then, we¡¯ll be in an even more dangerous situation. ] [ So my personal suggestion is to kill it right here! ] [ As you said, it¡¯s very powerful. If we can kill it, we can relieve a lot of pressure on the defensive line. ] [ Even if we can¡¯t kill it, we¡¯ll make it heavily injured. In the worst scenario, we¡¯ll ask Lieutenant General Yu for help. You¡¯ll be fine no matter what. ] Yan Wuyue was convinced. For the first time, she responded, [ You¡¯re right. This time, we¡¯ll do as you say. ] Zhou Mingrui laughed out loud when he knew that he had her support. However, it came out as a hoarse and maniacal laughter from the goblin king¡¯s body. The brown leopard was a powerful level-6 vicious beast. As the figure of light was suppressed by this world¡¯s laws, it gained part of its consciousness back. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bold and offensive behavior made the brown leopard instantly burn with rage. All the muscles in its body tensed up at this moment, and its four hooves exerted force at the same time to launch a charge. There was no longer a need to and could no longer limit his strength. The massive club in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand had already transformed back into Nether Flame Bone Blade. Under the surge of energy, a twisted shadow appeared on the blade of Nether Flame Bone Blade. At the same time, a purple flame began to burn on the blade. Brandishing Nether Flame Bone Blade in his hand, Zhou Mingrui charged straight at the incoming brown leopard. When a cavalryman charged, the best way to deal with it was to do the same because standing still would only allow the impact to break through the defense and get killed. Roar! With an angry roar, both of their weapons collided. This time, all the muscles in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body erupted with all his strength. At the same time, the surging energy condensed in the blade also gushed out at the same time. The ground under their feet instantly exploded and formed a vast pit. The ground could not withstand the aftershock of the collision, and cracks immediately appeared on the ground. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui noticed that the brown leopard still had empty hands. When their weapons collided, he was unable to make any other moves. The monster immediately seized the chance and lunged at him. Zhou Mingrui bellowed. He exerted strength in his arms and parried the brown leopard¡¯s hands. Then, with a flip of his palm, he grabbed Nether Flame Bone Blade again, forming a reverse grip. When he clenched his fist, Zhou Mingrui stomped his left foot on the ground in front of him and immediately sank deep into the ground. As he exerted force from his waist, his spine opened up like a mechanical conductor, and an enormous force continuously gathered from his lower to his upper body. Zhou Mingrui swung his right hand with the blade, and Nether Flame Bone Blade also tore through the air and slashed at the brown leopard. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui seemed to have turned into a mantis as he used the smoothest method to deliver the slash. This was the first time the brown leopard had encountered such a situation. In a hurry, it could only use its arms to cross its weapons in front of its chest, trying to block the attack. Clang! Nether Flame Bone Blade hit the brown leopard¡¯s weapon. However, the power and energy from the blade sent the brown leopard flying. When the brown leopard stopped, its hands that were holding the weapon began to tremble. There were even cracks in the web between its purlicue. Zhou Mingrui used all his strength in this attack. In addition to the support of his energy, he had unleashed his most vigorous attack. [ He can defeat the brown leopard in a head-on fight. It¡¯s incredible. ] Even Yan Wuyue was amazed at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s attack. She knew very well how terrifying the brown leopard was. After all, she had fought with it before. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was also struggling, and the hand that was holding onto his weapon was also trembling as blood trickled out from the gaps between his fingers. The strongest slash also represented how terrifying the recoil was. Even in the fission state, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms were still injured by the recoil of the slash. At that moment, many of the muscle fibers in his arms had ruptured. An intense pain pierced Zhou Mingrui¡¯s brain. However, at that moment, the brown leopard roared and charged at Zhou Mingrui again. After all, it was one of the top level-6 ferocious beasts. Furthermore, it had four arms. Its two arms were damaged, but it could switch to the other two. Moreover, it was way physically stronger than Zhou Mingrui. At the same time, the fur on the brown leopard¡¯s body began to move on its own, and a faint red light appeared on the skin under the fur. Seeing this, Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to raise his Nether Flame Bone Blade and meet the attack again. However, Yan Wuyue¡¯s squinted her eyes as if she had noticed something. They collided once again. This time, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s injured body was no longer able to release the strength he had previously, so he immediately fell to the ground with one knee. At this time, the skin on his arms had been split open by the fight¡¯s impact, and blood was constantly spurting out of the wounds. However, this also helped Zhou Mingrui dissipate a large portion of the recoil, which meant he had managed to withstand the attack. However, how could the brown leopard let him off so easily? The moment Zhou Mingrui knelt on the ground, its hands grabbed the shards of its weapon and slashed at Zhou Mingrui. Chapter 201 - Unlock the Energy Chapter 201: Unlock the Energy Unlock the Energy At that moment, most of the muscles in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s arms had been damaged. Although he could see the recovery process, they were way weaker before. [ I can¡¯t hold it anymore. Ask for help now, Wuyue! ] Looking at the mist coming at him, Zhou Mingrui retreated in a hurry. At the same time, he asked Yan Wuyue to call for help and leave. How could the brown leopard let go of an injured target? It stomped its four hooves and charged straight at Zhou Mingrui. At that moment, he was retreating, so he no longer had the opportunity to put up a resistance. The brown leopard¡¯s eyes glowed with ferocity as it swung his weapon-wielding hands at Zhou Mingrui, who could only raise his Nether Flame Bone Blade in a hurry in an attempt to resist the attack. Clang! The brown leopard¡¯s mist struck Nether Flame Bone Blade. The next second, Zhou Mingrui was forced to kneel on one knee, and the powerful force even caused the ground beneath his feet to crack. At this moment, the brown leopard¡¯s hands were already firmly suppressing Zhou Mingrui. Its other two hands were holding onto his weapon as it rapidly slashed at Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head. Zhou Mingrui wanted to exert his strength, but the brown leopard¡¯s two large hands were suppressing Zhou Mingrui with the advantage of his strength. There was no way for him to escape at all. [ Run! ] At that moment, Zhou Mingrui knew that he was definitely going to be injured. Being injured in such a fight meant that he would be infinitely suppressed. In the end, he would only end up defeated. However, a white energy spear flew past Zhou Mingrui and collided with the brown leopard¡¯s two weapons at the moment. [ Wuyue! ] Zhou Mingrui naturally knew whose spear it was, which was why he got panicked. There was no doubt that even though Yan Wuyue had reached level 47, she was still no match for a level-6 enemy. Bang! Yan Wuyue flew backward at an even faster speed, and a pit was formed on the ground after the noise. Yan Wuyue suddenly coughed up blood, and she immediately turned weak. This scene made Zhou Mingrui heartbroekn. With a furious roar, he exerted strength in his arms. After the brown leopard felt a sudden tremendous force coming from beneath him, the restrained human started to move. [ One Shot! ] In a fit of rage, Zhou Mingrui used his skill. The sudden burst of power broke through the brown leopard¡¯s defense and immediately followed up with a punch that landed on its abdomen. The brown leopard took a step back due to his carelessness and pain. Zhou Mingrui, who was already furious, quickly followed up with another punch. The punch fiercely stuck the brown leopard¡¯s body, making a dull sound of flesh. Zhou Mingrui was utterly infuriated. The energy particles in his body began to split at an increasing rate, which caused his body to expand rapidly. The muscles on his arms that had been torn apart immediately healed faster under the stimulation of the massive energy. At the same time, he became even stronger. If the energy from before was like a surging river, then the current energy was like the water that was limited by a dam. At this moment, the dam was blown up, and the energy that had been accumulated for a long time was released from the restraints and gushed out. At that instant, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body expanded to more than twelve meters in size, becoming a true giant. Even the eight-meter-tall brown leopard was like a kitten in front of him. Moreover, the turbulent energy rolled up the surrounding air and spread in all directions. ¡°Damn it!¡± Yan Wuyue was weak, and her heart immediately sank when she saw the scene. Zhou Mingrui seemed to be powerful now, but he had paid the price for it. As the inheritor of the secret skill, Fission, Yan Wuyue was very clear that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s energy particles should be in a fully activated state. In other words, the three auxiliary particles had been completely activated. The core particle, which no longer had any restrictions, had begun to split wildly. This was how Zhou Mingrui¡¯s energy could dramatically increase. Although it could bring about a temporary surge in power, the end result was that the core would split too much in a short period of time. There was no fixed time for it to be nourished by the external energy, and the energy gene chain would collapse in the end. In other words, he was killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. If that happened, not to mention a portion of his energy dying or his level plummeting, if the current situation continued, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s entire body¡¯s energy chain would collapse. Finally, he would disappear from the world. [ Zhou Mingrui, stop using that energy anymore. Stop it and retreat! Otherwise, you¡¯ll die! ] Yan Wuyue sent a voice transmission weakly, but Zhou Mingrui ignored her. Instead, he launched a frenzied attack on the brown leopard. One punch broke through the brown leopard¡¯s arms, and another punch landed on its chest. The monster¡¯s strong body could withstand it at first, but it couldn¡¯t take it anymore as the punches continued. However, Zhou Mingrui was just like high on drugs, constantly unleashing his unparalleled potential and beating the brown leopard up like a sandbag. The energy contained in the fist also penetrated the brown leopard¡¯s skin and blasted into its body again and again, constantly destroying the defense of its internal organs. No matter how hard the brown leopard tried or attacked Zhou Mingrui with a weapon, it could only create a scratch. Moreover, the wound was healing rapidly. Even if the brown leopard had the ability to exchange injury for injury and its weapon were to cut into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body, it would be clamped by his muscles and fixed in place. The brown leopard¡¯s four weapons had already been taken away by Zhou Mingrui, so it could only fight with his bare hands. If it wasn¡¯t for its extremely strong physical defense and fearsome will, the brown leopard might have already been beaten to death by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s fists. Even so, the brown leopard was already battered by Zhou Mingrui, and its entire body was covered in wounds caused by the tremendous force. In the end, Zhou Mingrui sent the brown leopard flying with a vicious blow. The next moment, he chased after it and completely suppressed it. He raised his hand and condensed Nether Flame Bone Blade. After lifting it, he aimed the saber¡¯s tip at the brown leopard¡¯s head. Then, with a roar, he stabbed it directly. The brown leopard burst with unprecedented power at the moment of life and death, but it was too late. The tip of Nether Flame Bone Blade pierced through its eyes and brain. As for Zhou Mingrui, he was sent flying by the brown leopard¡¯s explosive kick, fell to the ground, and couldn¡¯t get up. Finally, he stood up and grabbed the blade that was stabbed into the monster¡¯s face, roared, and pulled the weapon out. As Zhou Mingrui had been kicked by the brown leopard, his saber did not wholly destroy its brain. This allowed the monster to maintain a certain level of consciousness. However, at this moment, a white energy shot past, and a whistling sound caught up. A long spear pierced through the wound of the brown leopard and went through its head. Chapter 202 - Coma Chapter 202: Coma Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Coma Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned pale again. At this time, the wound on her internal organs had been aggravated by the blow just now, which caused serious internal bleeding. Zhou Mingrui was also unable to stand up for a while, for the side effects of Super Fission were already beginning to work. Chapter 203 - Please Save Him Chapter 203: Please Save Him Please Save Him Yan Wuyue woke up after a long time. She opened her eyes, looked around, and found herself in the medical room. However, the next moment, memories from before she fainted came to her mind. She hurriedly sent her consciousness into the summoned spirit¡¯s exclusive space, only to discover that Zhou Mingrui had already transformed into a ball of light. She checked his status, which showed [ Sleeping ]. ¡°Oh, you are awake.¡± At this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out, calling back Yan Wuyue¡¯s consciousness. Yan Wuyue turned around and saw a female soldier in a major¡¯s uniform sitting next to her. ¡°You are¡­?¡± Yan Wuyue asked in confusion. ¡°Lieutenant General Yu ordered me to take care of you and protect you in case anything happens.¡± The female major smiled, and there was a pink starfish swimming around her. It was like it was under the sea. ¡°I¡¯m Chen Yixuan. You can call me Sister Xuan.¡± Chen Yixuan reached out her hand to Yan Wuyue. ¡°Sister¡­ Sister Xuan, you can just call me Xiao Yue.¡± Yan Wuyue reached out and shook hands with Chen Yixuan. Yan Wuyue still needed some time to get used to talking like this. After all, she was a reincarnated person whose mental age was more than forty, so she was somewhat awkward calling this girl in her twenties big sister. ¡°Xiaoyue, I¡¯ve heard about your achievements this time. You¡¯re the idol of all the warriors in the entire defensive line.¡± Chen Yixuan patted Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How ¡­ How long had I been in a coma?¡± Yan Wuyue asked in confusion. ¡°Fifty-two hours, a little more than two days.¡± Chen Yixuan got up, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Yan Wuyue. ¡°More than two days? What ¡­ what happened to the beast tide?¡± Yan Wuyue asked with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have defeated the beast tide. Not long after you fainted, the first reinforcements arrived and got the situation under control. After that, more reinforcements arrived and defeated the beast tide,¡± Chen Yixuan said. ¡°Thank god.¡± Yan Wuyue heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that the beast tide had been defeated. ¡°You really don¡¯t care about yourself. Do you know how serious your injuries were before you fainted? ¡± ¡°Your internal organs had multiple injuries. If it weren¡¯t for the energy that protected you, you would have died on the battlefield from excessive bleeding,¡± Chen Yixuan said. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue knew that the energy must have come from Mingrui. ¡°Don¡¯t try so hard next time. If I didn¡¯t arrive at the right time, no one in the entire southeast defense line could save you from such an injury,¡± Chen Yixuan noticed that Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t seem to care about her health state and reminded her. However, she didn¡¯t know that it was normal for Yan Wuyue to be injured in her previous life. There had been many times more serious than this. As long as Yan Wuyue was not dead, she didn¡¯t care how serious her previous injuries were because she had no time to care about these things. ¡°Thank you, Sister Xuan.¡± After all, Chen Yixuan had saved her life, so Yan Wuyue said sincerely. ¡°No worries. After all, you¡¯ve made a great contribution, so I will have to treat you anyway. ¡± Chen Yixuan poured herself a glass of water. ¡°Then, Sister Xuan, would you mind treating my summoned spirit?¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Xiao Yue, you should know that if Lieutenant General Yu did not ask me to help, not everyone would have the chance to get a level-7 medical summoner like me to help.¡± Chen Yixuan said with a proud look. ¡°He paid a heavy price to be able to make such a contribution this time. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve this,¡± Yan Wuyue quickly said. ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Chen Yixuan asked indifferently. ¡°He isn¡¯t,¡± Yan Wuyue said immediately. ¡°If he¡¯s not dead, then he¡¯s in the summoned spirit¡¯s space. As long as your spirit is not completely dead, he can recover from his injuries over time. There¡¯s no need to waste my energy, ¡± Chen Yixuan declined. ¡°No, it¡¯s different for him. If we wait for the summoned spirit space to repair him, it will take too long,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Xiao Yue, unless it¡¯s an order from the boss, you¡¯ll have to pay a high price if you want me to save him. Are you willing to do it? ¡± Chen Yixuan sat down and asked with a plastic smile. ¡°Yes! I can give you whatever you want as long as you can save him! ¡± Yan Wuyue said without hesitation. After staring at Yan Wuyue for a while, Chen Yixuan suddenly chuckled. ¡°Alright, summon him.¡± Yan Wuyue immediately summoned Zhou Mingrui, but what came to them was a ball of light that emitted white light. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be on the stage.¡± Chen Yixuan¡¯s brows furrowed when she saw the light ball, and her expression was very serious. ¡°Can you save him?¡± Yan Wuyue asked nervously. ¡°Technically, this kind of injury can only be slowly recovered in the summoned spirit space. After all, his core essence is injured.¡± Chen Yixuan walked around the ball of light and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been researching how to deal with such extreme situations, but the conditions required are too harsh. It¡¯s s. till under experiment.¡± ¡°Please tell me that I¡¯ll try my best to resolve these conditions,¡± Yan Wuyue said firmly. Chen Yixuan was a little surprised,¡± it seems like you have a deep relationship with your summoned spirit. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°First of all, we need a treasure that can repair his damaged soul, and it can¡¯t be of a low level. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to deal with it.¡± Hearing this, Yan Wuyue immediately took a translucent red crystal the size of a human head from his storage space. As soon as it appeared in the real world, the vital crystal glowed with a red light like a pounding heart. ¡°What¡­ What a powerful life force fluctuation. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a treasure with such a powerful life force!¡± Chen Yixuan widened her eyes the moment she saw the life crystal. As a medical Summoner, she was very sensitive to all kinds of treasures that could heal injuries. ¡°Does this one work?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°Are you really going to use it to save your summoned spirit?¡± Chen Yixuan returned to her senses and asked seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know its specific effects, but this treasure can be used by level-8 or even 9 top warriors. It¡¯s too valuable.¡± ¡°Although your summoned spirit is seriously injured, it will only take about half a year for him to recover and wake up. ¡± ¡°I suggest that you shouldn¡¯t give this treasure to your summoned spirit. Trust me. It will be of greater use and value to you in the future. ¡± Yan Wuyue still shook her head after hearing this. ¡°Sister Xuan, I¡¯ve already decided and will not change my mind. Could you please tell me what else I need to save him? ¡° Chapter 204 - Anything You Want Chapter 204: Anything You Want Anything You Want Chen Yixuan bit her lips after hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer, and her face revealed a frustrated expression. Life crystals were one of the three most valuable treasures she¡¯d ever seen, and it was a rare opportunity to see a real one. It was such a waste to use it on a summoned spirit. However, the life crystal belonged to Yan Wuyue, so she had the right to make her own decisions. On the other hand, she could only make suggestions. She still didn¡¯t want to give up, ¡°Xiao Yue, I don¡¯t want to be nosy, but this treasure is too precious. If you want, I can even introduce you to some top warriors at level 8 or 9. That¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime chance!¡± ¡°Let me ask you one last time. Are you really willing to use the life crystal on your summoned spirit? ¡± Yan Wuyue still answered without hesitation, ¡°I am serious. I¡¯m willing to use it on him, and I won¡¯t have any regrets.¡± Chen Yixuan nodded her head. If she said so, there was no need to talk Yan Wuyue out of it anymore. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, the following requirements can be slightly easier because of this precious treasure.¡± Chen Yixuan continued, ¡°The second treasure is the key to restoring his core while his spirit is recovering.¡± ¡°In other words, the second one requires a life form with a core. Those monsters can¡¯t do it because they all have independent solid thinking.¡± ¡°So the best is the plant life form¡¯s core because this type of life form has less consciousness than those monsters. However, this plant life form can¡¯t be lower than level 6, or the core energy won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°However, there are very few plants on the market that can remain whole, and it¡¯s even rare for them to reach level 6 or above.¡± ¡°With your life crystals, a level-5 plant can work. Although it¡¯s possible to find them on the market, it¡¯ll be too troublesome and time-consuming for you to find them in your current situation.¡± However, as soon as Chen Yixuan finished speaking, Yan Wuyue took out a half-plant from the alternate space. Seeing this, Chen Yixuan widened her eyes. ¡°This is a Myriad Soul Flower. Although there¡¯s only half left, I think it should meet the requirements you mentioned.¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Chen Yixuan. Spectral Hell Warhorse swallowed a Myriad Soul Flower but couldn¡¯t digest it, so it vomited out. Yan Wuyue then kept it. Looking at the Myriad Soul Flower, Chen Yixuan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the third item, which will determine the last step. We¡¯ll need a complete soul core of a monster from at least level 6.¡± Compared to the other two treasures, the third one had a lower requirement and was less precious. However, it was still very difficult for Yan Wuyue to find one. ¡°First of all, this monster core can¡¯t have its consciousness. It has to get rid of all the chaotic parts, so its level has to be higher than level 6. Otherwise, we won¡¯t have enough pure energy.¡± ¡°Secondly, the monster soul cores in this beast tide can¡¯t be used because they¡¯ve all been contaminated.¡± ¡°Of course, I can help you apply this item from Lieutenant General Yu. There should be such treasures in the warehouse of the Southeast Military District. He values you, so there¡¯s a high chance that he will help you.¡± However, before Chen Yixuan could finish her words, Yan Wuyue took out another monster skull and placed it between them. ¡°Did you already expect that your summoned spirit would be injured, or did you know that I would propose these conditions?¡± Chen Yixuan seemed to have mixed feelings. ¡°He and I worked hard to get these treasures. I believe that if I were injured, he would use it on me without any hesitation,¡± Yan Wuyue looked at the ball of light and said confidently. Chen Yixuan rubbed her brows and said, ¡°You already got everything we need, so I can¡¯t say no. I¡¯ll get ready to treat him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Let me speak frankly. This is only a treatment plan I¡¯m experimenting with, and I¡¯ve never actually practiced it. It might fail.¡± ¡°I know how powerful you are,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Sister Xuan, If you can¡¯t save him, then we can only let him recover on his own.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he said. Chen Yixuan kept the three treasures and said, ¡°You trust me this much, so I can¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°I will try to save him with all my might. After all, this is also a challenge for me. ¡± ¡°It was nice talking to you. Have a good rest, and I¡¯ll go and prepare for the treatment tomorrow.¡± After Chen Yixuan finished speaking, she stood up. Just as she was about to close the door, she stopped and turned around. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m envious and jealous of the relationship between you and your summoned spirit. If I were you, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do this. ¡°Fate brought us together.¡± After the door was closed, Yan Wuyue sent Zhou Mingrui back to the summoned space and said, ¡°Without you, what can I do with these treasures? If I don¡¯t use them on you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll kick my ass after waking up.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue slowly closed her eyes. Her body had just recovered, so she still felt very weak. At the temporary command center, Lieutenant General Yu was talking to someone. ¡°Are you saying that she¡¯s willing to give such a precious treasure to her summoned spirit without any hesitation?¡± Lieutenant General Yu, who was sitting at the head of the table, muttered to himself after hearing Chen Yixuan¡¯s report. ¡°Sir, maybe you can try to talk her out of this idea, right? The life crystal can be handy for you as well. It would be such a waste.¡± ¡°As long as you use it, I guarantee that your current injuries will be completely healed,¡± Chen Yixuan said unwillingly. ¡°Forget it. The treasure belongs to her, and she should make her own decision,¡± Lieutenant General Yu waved his hand and said calmly. ¡°But you¡­¡± Chen Yixuan said worriedly. ¡°I know my injuries. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked people to send me some medical supplies I need.¡± Lieutenant General Yu patted the armrest, and Chen Yixuan stopped talking. ¡°You have to do your best. I¡¯ve seen her summoned spirit¡¯s power, and they are both amazingly talented. ¡°If you can cure him, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a powerful force on our side in the future,¡± Lieutenant General Yu said with a serious expression. Chen Yixuan was a little surprised by Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s words. After all, someone who could impress Lieutenant General Yu this much must be extraordinary. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I will cure him no matter how.¡± Chen Yixuan stood up and gave a military salute. ¡°Alright,¡± Lieutenant General Yu nodded with a pleasant look. ¡°I got some meetings later. You are free to leave.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After Chen Yixuan left the command room, Lieutenant General Yu said worriedly, ¡°Let¡¯s hope everything will be fine.¡± Chapter 205 - Let the Treatment Begin Chapter 205: Let the Treatment Begin Let the Treatment Begin The next day, Yan Wuyue and Chen Yixuan came to a special laboratory they had prepared for the treatment. ¡°Alright, let your summoned spirit come here. We can start now,¡± Chen Yixuan said. Yan Wuyue immediately pulled Zhou Mingrui out of the summoned spirit space. After walking around the light ball, Chen Yixuan returned to her where she had stood at first and said to Yan Wuyue, ¡°Remember, I¡¯ll let you call him through the contract link later. At the same time, I may need you to provide a certain amount of energy, so you have to be ready at any moment.¡± ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s begin then,¡± Yan Wuyue immediately replied. After explaining everything, Chen Yixuan placed the life crystal in her palm. The light around her condensed, and the starfish from yesterday appeared from the summoned spirit space and floated beside her. At this moment, Chen Yixuan raised her other hand and aimed her palm at Zhou Mingrui, who was in front of her. Meanwhile, the starfish also kept growing as it spun. Soon, it expanded from the size of a palm to about three meters in diameter. Then, it floated above Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ball of light and began to rotate clockwise. The next moment, golden light spots began to seep out of the starfish¡¯s tentacles and fell toward the ball of light below as if it was raining golden rain. ¡°What a waste.¡± Chen Yixuan¡¯s heart ached as she looked at the crystal still glowing with a faint red light in her hand. However, since Yan Wuyue had asked for her help, she had to get this done. The golden light began to gather in his palm, forming a shuttle of energy that slowly seeped into the life crystal. At first, the life crystal showed some resistance, but its defense was weak. Moreover, Chen Yixuan¡¯s tier and energy were both healing-type. That was how the life crystal¡¯s defenses were broken through in the end, and tiny cracks began to appear on the outer layer like glass. Chen Yixuan¡¯s energy finally took over the life crystal¡¯s outer layer, which was destroyed, revealing the core energy within. Yan Wuyue looked over. The crystal was like a flame burning in the air, but no heat was emitted. However, leaning against it, Yan Wuyue felt very warm and comfortable mentally, as if her dry body was soaked in water. Chen Yixuan used her energy to form a cocoon, wrapped the flame up, and walked in front of Zhou Mingrui. After taking a deep breath, Chen Yixuan began to focus on raising her other hand. She then formed the life energy into the shape of a scalpel. After the condensation was successful, the scalpel began to slowly and carefully cut the surface of the ball of light. Soon, the surface of the light ball was slowly cut open by the scalpel, but Yan Wuyue was not surprised by this scene. After all, as one of the human commanders in his previous life, she had seen many high-level medical Summoners operating. She was more concerned about Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current state and was even prepared to stop Chen Yixuan if anything happened. When Chen Yixuan made a half-meter-long cut, she first used her energy to ensure that the wound would not heal quickly. Then, she used her energy to slowly open the cut. After making sure the opening wouldn¡¯t close, Chen Yixuan placed the crystal¡¯s flame into the opening. The golden raindrops falling from the starfish began to gather into a golden light curtain on the ground, and golden rays extended from the light curtain until they all touched the surface of the light ball. Chen Yixuan slowly backed away and placed her hands in front of her. In the next second, a large amount of energy began to gather in the center of her palms, forming a golden energy ball. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s ball of light flashed with golden light. Immediately following that, an intense red light suddenly lit up. There was a reaction from the ball of light. Strong energy fluctuations continued to spread out, but they did not leave the ball of light. This scene made Yan Wuyue nervous, and she kept an eye on the contract connection with Zhou Mingrui. Suddenly, the starfish seemed to have received Chen Yixuan¡¯s order and immediately descended from above. Moreover, its six tentacles stuck to the surface of the light ball. Meanwhile, the tubes that extended from the golden light screen on the ground began to pour in crystal-clear golden energy. A moment later, the entire ball of light began to beat like a heart. Then, the red, golden, and white energy inside kept mixing together. In the end, a vortex appeared in the center of the ball of light and immediately absorbed all the energy in the surroundings. ¡°Be careful. He might contact you later, and you must ensure that he is mentally stable. ¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fuse another soul will energy into it, so there¡¯s a chance that it¡¯ll be in a state of mental confusion. We¡¯ll need to keep him awake at all times. Can you do that?¡± Chen Yixuan said in a serious tone. ¡°No problem,¡± Yan Wuyue said firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure his mind is clear.¡± At that moment, something was different for Zhou Mingrui. Ever since he fell unconscious, he had arrived in a world of nothingness and chaos. There was no direction or reference to the passage of time here. He did not know how much time had passed, and his consciousness was still in a state of blurriness. However, just now, a huge stone tablet suddenly appeared in the chaotic world. It was the one he saw in the alternate spatial secret realm. Zhou Mingrui slowly floated over and looked at the towering stone monument in the chaotic space, reached out his hands, and touched the surface. Suddenly, a strange feeling appeared, and the stone tablet also began to glow with a dense white light. A series of inexplicable information entered Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind, which was about all sorts of things. There was combat-type knowledge, energy-manipulation techniques, and so on. Furthermore, they all came from life forms with intimidating auras. The auras of these life forms were stronger than any life form Zhou Mingrui had ever seen, for they were deeper and more terrifying. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui began to digest the information. Even if he could not understand or consume it now, he would try his best to memorize it completely. It would be fine as long as he could understand it in the future. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui began memorizing and learning. Since he had nothing to do now, he even started experiments in the chaotic space. Although Zhou Mingrui seemed to be very capable in the past, his foundation was rather weak in all aspects. Unfortunately, even Yan Wuyue could not teach him everything on the spot. What he had learned in school couldn¡¯t help much, for it was all for beginners and not something advanced. Chapter 206 - Thank You, Sir Chapter 206: Thank You, Sir Thank You, Sir The information transmitted by the stone tablet contained guidance of all levels, and it was even a holographic projection in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s consciousness. The key was that he could look back and forth and observe from various angles. ¡°Where does the stone tablet come from? Why does it seem like everything was prepared for me in advance? How is the one sending the information so sure I would be in the alternate spatial secret realm?¡± ¡°If all these are for me, then what¡¯s the deal with the mysterious figure of light? ¡± ¡°If I¡¯m really dead, what¡¯s the use of these things?¡± All the information and questions gave Zhou Mingrui a headache. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s useless to think about it. I should just learn the things in the stone tablet.¡± Zhou Mingrui cast aside all distracting thoughts and devoted himself to his studies. At that moment, he had already blocked out everything from the outside world. Just like that, he woke up from his studies after some time. At this moment, he felt like he had eaten too much, and his head was buzzing. However, he didn¡¯t know that if Chen Yixuan hadn¡¯t kept pouring energy into him, he would have used up all his energy after studying. After stopping absorbing the information from the stone tablet, Zhou Mingrui saw that the chaotic space had turned golden. Furthermore, there were all sorts of energy constantly gathering in it. He was like a person who had been starving for a long time, so he began to absorb the energy automatically as if it was a table full of delicious food. In the outside world, Chen Yixuan and Yan Wuyue had been waiting. ¡°What¡¯s going on? The energy should have been too much for him, but why is he still absorbing it?¡± Chen Yixuan looked at the ball of light that was like a black hole constantly absorbing energy. She had provided the three treasures, but the ball of light had not stopped consuming the energy. Chen Yixuan had no choice but to take out life crystals from her space and throw them in. The current situation didn¡¯t allow for any accidents to happen, so it wasn¡¯t the time to complain. Chen Yixuan even turned on the communication device on her watch. ¡°Sir, something is wrong during the treatment. The summoned spirit¡¯s energy requirements are way more than my expectations. Even if I invest all my spare energy, I don¡¯t think he can hold on for long!¡± Chen Yixuan directly requested help from Lieutenant General Yu. Yan Wuyue, who was by the side, also heard this. However, there was nothing she could do at this moment. In her previous life, she had owned many precious items for Zhou Mingrui to absorb, but she had nothing now. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there in a second!¡± Lieutenant General Yu responded. Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue heaved a sigh of relief. She was still thinking about what to do, but now it seemed that fighting against the monsters with Zhou Mingrui in the beast tide had not been in vain. A few minutes later, Lieutenant General Yu came down from the sky and landed directly beside Chen Yixuan. As soon as he landed, Lieutenant General Yu didn¡¯t waste any time. He immediately took out all kinds of treasures from his space that could replenish energy, spirit, and willpower. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, tell me. I can go grab more now,¡± Lieutenant General Yu said after putting out all the treasures. ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Yixuan held them and turned her attention back to the treatment. Yan Wuyue walked to Lieutenant General Yu and bowed. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll remember never forget what you have done for us, and I will give the treasures back to you in the future. ¡± Lieutenant General Yu laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely need you to return them because some of them are from the government, but I¡¯ve decided that you only need to give us back one-third of the value. ¡± Before Yan Wuyue said anything, Lieutenant General Yu continued, ¡°The two-thirds are my personal property and your reward for your heroic battle with your summoned spirit in the beast tide. ¡± ¡°With your strength and talent, I think it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to win these treasures back one day. As for the reason why I will take more if it is not enough, it is because I have high expectations about your future contributions to the army, the country, and the human race. I think this is a good deal.¡± ¡°By the way, now I¡¯m here, so let¡¯s talk about this thing.¡± With that, Lieutenant General Yu took out two boxes and opened the first box. Yan Wuyue saw a medal shining with red light. ¡°This is a first-class medal. It¡¯s a special reward from the military for your heroic performance in the beast tide.¡± After Lieutenant General Yu put the box in Yan Wuyue¡¯s hand, he opened the other one, which contained two new epaulets and chest badges. ¡°Your heroic performance in this beast tide convinced the military to promote you to the first lieutenant.¡± After Lieutenant General Yu handed the box over, he said, ¡°You could have been promoted to captain, but because you didn¡¯t receive any orders for this battle, you can only be promoted to the first lieutenant. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor for me to be promoted, and I really didn¡¯t follow the order this time,¡± Yan Wuyue said immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Lieutenant General Yu patted Yan Wuyue¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t disobeyed my orders this time, the situation might have been very bad. ¡°Let me speak frankly. I¡¯m a very realistic person, so I wouldn¡¯t help you if you didn¡¯t.¡± Lieutenant General Yu said as if he was pleased, ¡°As long as you show enough talent and strength, I can give you whatever you want with everything I have! Yan Wuyue finally smiled, thinking that Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s character and daring actions made him her idol. ¡°Sir, I will never forget what you have done for me,¡± Yan Wuyue still thanked him sincerely. Lieutenant General Yu waved his hand and then stood to the side to watch the treatment. At this moment, Chen Yixuan had already used her energy to break the two treasures apart, turning them into the purest form of energy that entered the ball of light. The ball of light, which had already begun to fluctuate, immediately began to calm down again after the energy was injected. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind, which was still in the ball of light, immediately regained its clarity. He did not think about anything but studied the information and knowledge in the stone tablet. Just like that, Chen Yixuan worked from morning to evening without stopping. Lieutenant General Yu had also left and come back six times during the treatment. Chen Yixuan had never dealt with a situation like this, but she had kept fighting for 10 hours without resting and eating. If she hadn¡¯t been in level 7, she would probably have already collapsed from exhaustion. ¡°It seems that we need more treasures, right?¡± Lieutenant General Yu looked at the only treasure left and frowned. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll go get more. We can¡¯t give up like this.¡± After he finished speaking, he was about to leave. However, at this moment, the ball of light suddenly emitted a wave of fluctuations. Chapter 207 - Time to Pay Chapter 207: Time to Pay Time to Pay Seeing the scene, Lieutenant General Yu immediately stopped and stayed to observe the situation. Chen Yixuan was also thrilled, and she ground the last treasure into energy and threw it in without hesitation. The entire ball of light immediately began to expand and contract. After the vortex inside absorbed the last of the energy, it completely closed. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui, who was in the chaotic space, had also detached himself from the information in the stone tablet. He had already absorbed everything in the stone tablet, and he even felt a little unreal the moment he separated from it. After spending a few seconds stabilizing himself, Zhou Mingrui finally managed to completely regather his mind. Then, he saw that the chaotic golden world had turned into the chaos it was at the beginning. However, a door appeared in the sky, and a message came from the stone tablet. [ Leave ] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. Could it be that the stone tablet had its own consciousness? Perhaps because Zhou Mingrui did not move at all, the stone tablet immediately congealed a stream of energy and slammed it into Zhou Mingrui, pushing him towards the door of light. ¡°Don¡¯t push me! I know it¡¯s time to leave! I can walk, alright?!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately shouted. However, the energy ignored him, pushed him to the door of light, and opened it. The next second, the energy transformed into a huge foot that kicked Zhou Mingrui from behind. In the end, the door closed and disappeared, and the entire space returned to its previous deathly silence and calm, leaving only the giant stone tablet floating in the air. After crossing through the door, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s vision lit up. Then, he realized that he was already in his space of consciousness. At that moment, the space of his consciousness was filled with a large amount of pure consciousness energy. Zhou Mingrui was dumbfounded for a second, but he then started to absorb everything here. When he finished absorbing and digesting all the energy, Zhou Mingrui felt his consciousness had never been this clear. Then, with a thought, his energy body quickly condensed. In the outside world, Yan Wuyue watched the ball of light spin, turn into flowing energy, shrank quickly, and form a human figure. Chen Yixuan also stopped operating at this time, sitting down on the ground and wiping the sweat from her forehead. ¡°Is there something with the experiment? Or maybe it¡¯s this guy¡¯s problem? I have to check everything about the treatment later.¡± Without listening to Chen Yixuan¡¯s mumbling, Yan Wuyue paid all her attention to Zhou Mingrui. A few minutes later, the blurry human figure began to become more and more obvious. Finally, it turned into a glowing skeleton, which was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s appearance when he was first summoned. ¡°It seems like it works.¡± Lieutenant General Yu looked at the skeleton and nodded. He had witnessed the power of Yan Wuyue¡¯s summoned spirit, and this was when Zhou Mingrui was only at level 4. What if he evolved to level 7 or 8 in the future? ¡°Erm, where is this?¡± Zhou Mingrui, who had just woken up, looked around in confusion. At the same time, he put on his guard, but he soon turned relaxed after seeing Yan Wuyue. Then, he felt that his body seemed to be different from before. ¡°I remember now. Weren¡¯t we saved by someone during the beast tide? This beast tide is defeated, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui only needed to think for a moment before determining the current situation. Immediately after, the energy was mobilized and condensed, and his crystal-clear skeleton body began to glow with balls of light. The next second, it condensed back into his appearance. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, say thank you to Sister Xuan and Lieutenant General Yu. You wouldn¡¯t have woken up without their help,¡± Yan Wuyue stepped forward to remind him. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. He first looked at Lieutenant General Yu and quickly walked up to him to express his gratitude, ¡°Thank you for your help, Lieutenant General Yu. Words can never describe how grateful I am. ¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Lieutenant General Yu touched the stubbles on his chin and smiled. ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t think that you¡¯re a summoned spirit if I didn¡¯t come to check, or I would think that you¡¯re a Summoner too.¡± ¡°Your Summoner has kept telling me how thankful she is, so please leave me alone now. Just remember to protect your Summoner in the future. ¡°Alright, since everything has been settled, I should leave now. Good luck, guys.¡± Lieutenant General Yu left after he finished speaking. ¡°Alas, I¡¯ve suffered a huge loss this time!¡± After Lieutenant General Yu left, Chen Yixuan, who was resting on the ground, complained, ¡°I misjudged the situation. I didn¡¯t expect your summoned spirit might be one of the most tricky I¡¯ve ever met. I feel like I can fall asleep at any moment now.¡± Yan Wuyue quickly introduced Chen Yixuan, ¡°She¡¯s the one saving you this time. Just call her Sister Xuan. She¡¯s your lifesaver, and she worked non-stop for more than ten hours to save your life.¡± Zhou Mingrui stepped forward and reached his hand to Chen Yixuan with a smile. ¡°I will never forget what you have done for me. If you need my help someday, I am all yours.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s bright smile, gentlemanly gestures, and magnetic voice made Chen Yixuan blush immediately. However, she immediately snapped out of her daze and learned her throat before grabbing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand and standing up. ¡°You should think twice next time. Because of your rash action this time, Xiao Yue has taken on a large debt,¡± Chen Yixuan said as she patted her military pants. ¡°A debt?¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head and looked at Yan Wuyue. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a few treasures. As long as you can recover, we can deal with this problem anytime,¡± Yan Wuyue said confidently. Zhou Mingrui was relieved, for Yan Wuyue never lied to him. If she said it wasn¡¯t a big problem, everything would be fine. ¡°Haha, you two are really confident. Well, I shouldn¡¯t throw a wet blanket on you then.¡± Chen Yixuan let out a breath. Before Yan Wuyue could thank her, she continued, ¡°I will send the bill to your watches tomorrow or the day after.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Yan Wuyue asked calmly. If it weren¡¯t for Chen Yixuan, Zhou Mingrui would have been lying in the summoned spirit space for at least half a year, which would be complicated for them. The most important thing was that half a year would be an even more serious loss for the two of them with their cultivation speed! ¡°It¡¯s not much, eight million in total,¡± Chen Yixuan said. ¡°What? Eight million? It¡¯s a bit too much, innit?¡± Zhou Mingrui widened his eyes. ¡°A bit too much?¡± ¡°Chen Yixuan raised her brows and said, ¡°I¡¯m only giving you this discount because I clicked with Xiao Yue. Also, Lieutenant General Yu asked me to save you. Why don¡¯t you ask others how much I usually charge? ¡° Chapter 208 - Sealed Skills and Talents Chapter 208: Sealed Skills and Talents Sealed Skills and Talents ¡°Uh, but ¡­.¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue. They were completely broke. Moreover, they still owed Lieutenant General Yu a huge debt, so he didn¡¯t know what to say now. At this time, he really wished he had not woken up. Hearing a series of shocking news right after waking up made him pretty frustrated. Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression remained the same. She stared at Zhou Mingrui to ask him to stop talking and turned to Chen Yixuan. ¡°Sister Xuan, you know my current situation. Eight million is still a big burden for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely return the money to you as soon as possible, though.¡± After seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s upset expression, Chen Yixuan put on a smile and said in a relaxed tone, ¡°Alright, I understand. I only said that I¡¯d send the bill to you but not ask you to pay me back immediately. Chill down!¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be this harsh on us, Sister Xuan, or you wouldn¡¯t have agreed to help me save Zhou Mingrui.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to make me happy. You can pay you back later, but there¡¯s still interest,¡± Chen Yixuan laughed and said. ¡°As for the interest, it¡¯s very simple. As your summoned spirit told me, he will help me whenever I need.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Yan Wuyue nodded immediately. ¡°We¡¯ll keep our promise.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m very tired. I need to get some sleep. Check if there are any other problems after going back. If there is anything wrong, just call me.¡± After saying this, Chen Yixuan stretched, turned around, and left. There were only Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui in the room. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first,¡± she said. Zhou Mingrui shrugged and followed Yan Wuyue back to the new dormitory. After washing up, they sat on the stools in the dormitory. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you owe them so much because of me.¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head in embarrassment. Yan Wuyue supported her head with one hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It is what it is. Also, everything I did was to help you recover, or you would have to stay for at least another half a year. ¡°What?¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little dumbfounded, but he still nodded subconsciously. ¡°If we delay this half a year, it will be bad for my plan. That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to pay this price to help you,¡± Yan Wuyue said, knocking on the table. ¡°Really?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked suspiciously. ¡°Or? Or why would I help you?¡± Yan Wuyue asked, puzzled. ¡°Oh, I was wrong then.¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little disappointed. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pay to save me despite all the personal interests. After all, I would do the same if I were in that situation.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wuyue suddenly laughed and said, ¡°Alright, I apologize for what I said just now, even though I was actually joking.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do all these for any benefit. All I wanted was to save you, alright?¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed as well and said, ¡°Haha, I knew that. You are acting now, but I will buy it.¡± The two looked at each other and smiled. A moment later, Yan Wuyue said again, ¡°Although the beast tide was solved, the figure of light managed to escape.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned. ¡± I kinda knew that, but that guy is so powerful that maybe even Lieutenant General Yu is no match for him.¡± ¡°do you mean that the figure of light is likely to make a comeback?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yan Wuyue said seriously. ¡°According to the information I¡¯ve received, the beast tide that was defeated didn¡¯t split. Instead, they¡¯re still gathered somewhere in the wilderness.¡± ¡°Also, the scouts found that the beast tide this time is different from the previous ones. The level-3, 4, and 5 monsters have all gone, and the remaining ones are at least level 6 and above. ¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression turned serious as he said, ¡°You mean, the beast tide this time is no longer about quantity but quality?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yan Wuyue replied. ¡°The intelligence shows that the powerful monsters in the southern wilderness that have never appeared before are all there now.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed completely. He could fight against level-6 monsters if he went all out, but the ones in the beast tide were at least at level 6. How was that possible for him to defeat them all? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our intelligence has something else. It seems like there¡¯s an internal conflict, so the beast tide has no intention of making a move,¡± Yan Wuyue tried to calm him down. ¡°Also, the reinforcements from all over the country are here,¡± she added. ¡°All kinds of top fighters also arrived, so we have the best talents at the defense line now. You don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt like he had been fooled. However, he did not know what to say, so he just shrugged helplessly. ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have to worry about the beast tide anymore. Now, let¡¯s talk about you.¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Me? How should I put this?¡± Zhou Mingrui thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m already at level 50, so I should be able to awaken a new skill.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t see any information about myself right now, and I can¡¯t use any skills.¡± Yan Wuyue was stunned. ¡°How is it possible? I¡¯ve never experienced something like this before. Are you sure your skills and talents are still there?¡± ¡°They are,¡± Zhou Mingrui said with certainty. ¡°It¡¯s just as if they¡¯ve been sealed. No matter what I do, I can¡¯t use them.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t find any information related to this kind of situation,¡± Yan Wuyue knitted her eyebrows and kept trying to find an answer, but she then said after a long time. Zhou Mingrui said without any worry, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Maybe I was too seriously injured before, so my talent and skills were sealed. I should be fine tomorrow.¡± Yan Wuyue said helplessly, ¡°I was thinking of letting you rest for a day, and then we¡¯ll go cultivate as soon as possible. Like this, we¡¯ll have a chance to fight in the beast tide, but it¡¯s kinda complicated now.¡± However, Zhou Mingrui stood up and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Although I can¡¯t use my talent and skills now, my strength hasn¡¯t declined. In fact, I might even be stronger than before!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. ¡°Did you just say you are stronger than before, even without talent and skills?¡± Zhou Mingrui used his voice transmission ability to tell Yan Wuyue about the stone tablet, and she was somewhat surprised. After digesting what she had heard, Yan Wuyue said, [ You mean that the stone tablet has empowered you in every aspect? ] Zhou Mingrui nodded and said confidently, [ It¡¯s been a long day, so let¡¯s just relax tomorrow. We¡¯ll try something the day after tomorrow, and you¡¯ll know if I¡¯m telling the truth. ] Chapter 209 - Take a Walk in the Base Chapter 209: Take a Walk in the Base Take a Walk in the Base ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a day off tomorrow. After that, we can try to figure out what¡¯s going on with you and how much your strength has improved.¡± Yan Wuyue was also tired. After all, she had stood with full concentration for more than ten hours. Even if she had an extraordinary physique, she was drained out. ¡°Go take a rest. I¡¯m actually pretty energetic now. After staying in the space of consciousness for this long, I just want to take a walk around the base to clear my mind,¡± Zhou Mingrui said as he looked around. ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t cause any trouble. We are in a military base, not the academy,¡± Yan Wuyue warned him. Yan Wuyue then took out a watch and handed it to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°This is the watch I asked the military to make for you. It has the same authority as me. You can go to the green areas marked on the map, and you need to apply for permission in the yellow ones. As for the red ones, you are not allowed to enter.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be careful. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhou Mingrui said after he took the watch and put it on. ¡°I should go then. Remember, contact me immediately, no matter what happens. Don¡¯t you ever, ever make any decision without telling me,¡± Yan Wuyue reminded him again with a serious tone. After all, she was familiar with the military environment. Even if Lieutenant General Yu had high hopes for her now, he hadn¡¯t been that powerful after the arrival of a large number of reinforcements. If he really caused trouble, there would basically be no severe punishment under Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s protection. However, being punished would affect Yan Wuyue¡¯s plan. After making sure Zhou Mingrui understood what she meant, Yan Wuyue turned around and walked back to her dormitory. Looking at Yan Wuyue¡¯s back, Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t find her naggy. In fact, he had even missed this. After all, he felt like he had spent too much time in that chaotic space, and he was well aware that the military base had very strict rules. In addition, they were in a tense period where the beast tide could start again at any time. The rules would definitely be stricter, and he would not get himself in any trouble. After walking out of the area, Zhou Mingrui checked his watch and realized he was actually in a yellow zone. At the exit, four armed guards were standing guard. When Zhou Mingrui walked out of the exit, they immediately turned around and closed it. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t care about this, for he just wanted to relax and think about what would happen next. The current period was very special for him. According to the ordinary development line, his and Yan Wuyue¡¯s strength could be said to be top-notch among their peers. If his innate skills had not been limited, he could confidently say that he and Yan Wuyue were the best among people of the same age in the country. However, in the face of the beast tide, he could only exist like a small soldier, even if, as a level-4 fighter, he could deal with level-6 enemies. However, Zhou Mingrui was certain of one thing. If his talent and skills were unsealed, his current strength was enough to fight or even defeat a level-6 monster on his own without activating Soul Attachment. Furthermore, this was only his estimation, and he had the help of the stone tablet. On the other hand, Zhou Mingrui would not know how much stronger he had become if he did not engage in actual combat. Unfortunately, in the face of a beast tide with at least level-6 monsters, his strength was not enough. However, strength wasn¡¯t something he could increase as he pleased. Even with the stone tablet¡¯s knowledge, he didn¡¯t have any way to quickly increase his strength without side effects. Thinking about this, Zhou Mingrui was somewhat frustrated. After coming to his senses, he realized that he had arrived at the front of the line of defense. There were groups of soldiers patrolling with loaded guns everywhere. When they saw Zhou Mingrui, they did not stop to question him. The watch on his body had already verified his identity. Furthermore, there were nothing important or facilities over there. The most important thing was that Lieutenant General Yu had given Yan Wuyue a certain level of authority. Through this, many complicated processes could be avoided. When he arrived at a watchtower, Zhou Mingrui walked up. The soldier on duty glanced at his watch and did not stop him. Looking up, he saw the wilderness outside the defense line covered in rolling sand and wind. It was a barren land. ¡°Are you a newbie?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the soldier on duty and asked. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the soldier immediately replied. As Zhou Mingrui¡¯s authority was shared with Yan Wuyue, and her current rank was the first lieutenant, the soldier thought he was an officer on patrol. ¡°You seem to have just joined the army?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked again. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve been in the army for less than a year,¡± the soldier replied. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked with a smile. ¡°For my family, my people, and my country, I have no fear!¡± the young soldier said confidently. ¡°Do you know that you are as weak as a kitten in front of the beast tide? They can easily crush you to death,¡± Zhou Mingrui continued to threaten the young soldier. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. My duty is to observe all possible situations and report them. Reporting a second earlier might be the key, so this is my responsibility!¡± the young soldier replied. Zhou Mingrui was taken aback, for he had expected the young soldier to boast that he was not afraid of anything. However, this young man had stated his position and responsibilities, making his threatening words seem to be nothing. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. ¡°Sir, I am Xu Zhenglong!¡± the soldier replied. ¡°Xu Zhenglong, since the military allowed you to stand guard in the watchtower, your summoned spirit should be able to observe, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. ¡°Yes, sir. My summoned spirit is a three-headed tiger-eagle. It can enhance my vision by many times, and I can even see things that ordinary people can¡¯t,¡± Xu Zhenglong replied directly. The next second, as the light gathered, a four-hooved summoned spirit the size of an elephant appeared on the watchtower. It had three heads, an eagle head, a tiger head, and a tongue. Moreover, there were two pairs of wings on its back. ¡°Not bad,¡± Zhou Mingrui exclaimed in admiration. It was obvious that the three-headed tiger-eagle was a high-level summoned spirit, and it was extremely powerful in both combat enhancement and functionality. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Xu Zhenglong immediately replied. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly walked forward and reached his hand to touch the three-headed tiger-eagle. Xu Zhenglong immediately shouted, ¡°Be careful, Sir. He¡¯s a grumpy boy.¡± Before Xu Zhenglong could finish his sentence, he noticed that the three-headed tiger-eagle, who had always had bad tempers, was obediently allowing Zhou Mingrui to pet its heads. Moreover, it even wagged its tail from time to time like a cute puppy. This scene caused Xu Zhenglong to be stunned. Even when the three-headed tiger-eagle was in its best of moods, he would not have such a reaction when he touched it. What was going on today? ¡°Your summoned spirit is a good boy,¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed and said. ¡°You can communicate with summoned spirits?¡± Xu Zhenglong asked, puzzled. Chapter 210 - Spiritual Restoration Chapter 210: Spiritual Restoration ¡°Yes, I can communicate telepathically with summoned spirits.¡± Zhou Mingrui generously admitted that as an advanced-level summoned spirit, he could naturally communicate with other summoned spirits easily. ¡°Ah, Officer, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Xu Zhenglong said with an envious expression for the first time. ¡°This is just a small ability. There¡¯s nothing to be proud of,¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Officer, I¡¯ll definitely work hard to improve and become a strong person like you!¡± Xu Zhenglong said firmly. ¡°Very good. With your courage and intelligence, I believe that we will meet again after this beast tide ends. By then, you will have to change the way we address each other.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Officer. You will always be my officer!¡± Xu Zhenglong replied. After bidding farewell to this interesting fellow, Zhou Mingrui went down the watchtower and continued his stroll. The surroundings did not seem to be affected by the impending beast tide. On the contrary, everything was thriving. This left Zhou Mingrui somewhat surprised. He felt that the soldiers were only so confident because they had never experienced the terror of a beast tide. As he walked, Zhou Mingrui arrived at the city wall. He suddenly sat down as he looked at the distant scenery. The soldiers on duty and patrolling all looked at this officer curiously before continuing with their own tasks. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui did not think or do anything. He just silently looked ahead. Time flew by, and soon, the moon hung high in the night sky. The soldiers on patrolling duty changed shifts, but Zhou Mingrui remained seated in his original spot, unmoved. Late at night, the entire southern wasteland was eerily quiet. In the direction of the pitch-black wasteland without any light, it was like a huge beast¡¯s mouth that could swallow the world at any time. In the quiet environment, only the footsteps of the soldiers walking back and forth and the occasional roar of monsters could be heard. Zhou Mingrui sat there quietly until the first ray of light appeared on the ground. The sky around him also began to light up gradually. With the arrival of another batch of soldiers, they looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was still sitting on the city wall, with curiosity. So they couldn¡¯t help but ask their comrades who were changing shifts, ¡°That officer hasn¡¯t moved since last night?¡± ¡°Yeah, he hasn¡¯t moved.¡± The soldier on night duty nodded. ¡°And he just stared straight ahead. He didn¡¯t even close his eyes to rest.¡± ¡°What is he doing?¡± the soldier asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t dare to ask. Why don¡¯t you ask him later?¡± The soldier on night duty shrugged his shoulders and left. The soldiers who came to change shifts naturally did not dare to ask and continued with their work. However, from morning to noon, Zhou Mingrui remained seated without moving. This stunned another wave of soldiers who had come to take over the shift. Everyone began to whisper among themselves as they asked each other if anyone knew Zhou Mingrui. However, no one knew the officer. Yan Wuyue, who had just woken up and walked out of the dormitory to exercise, heard this from the conversation of the soldiers passing by. ¡°A strange person who sat there all night and all morning without moving?¡± On second thought, Yan Wuyue realized that it was the same time as Zhou Mingrui when he left. Yan Wuyue immediately walked toward the city wall. Soon, she arrived at the city wall and saw the figure sitting on the wall. Yan Wuyue walked to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side, and she did not try to wake him up. Instead, she stood to the side and watched quietly. This was because she knew that Zhou Mingrui might be in a special state. Such a state was usually a good thing, and it was best not to disturb him. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui sat there from noon to evening. During this time, Chen Yixuan also came to take a look. After saying that it was a situation that could easily happen after receiving treatment for damaged consciousness, she left. However, she had told Yan Wuyue to call her if she found anything special. It wasn¡¯t until the early morning of the next day that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes suddenly moved. Then, his body trembled slightly. Then, he stood up and stretched. His whole body suddenly emitted a burst of sound, like bubbles bursting. This woke up Yan Wuyue, who was taking a short rest. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Yan Wuyue sized up Zhou Mingrui and found that he had not changed much. ¡°How long have I been sitting here? It seems like you¡¯ve been waiting for me for a while.¡± Zhou Mingrui turned his head and asked curiously. ¡°You¡¯ve been sitting there for almost a day and a night. It looks like you¡¯re just lost in thought,¡± Yan Wuyue answered. Zhou Mingrui yawned. After some thought, he said, ¡°Not really. I feel very clear-headed now as if my mind has been emptied.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded as if she understood something. ¡°You know what I¡¯m doing?¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at Yan Wuyue and asked. Yan Wuyue blinked and said, ¡°You were seriously injured before. When Chen Yixuan treated you, she added a lot of spiritual power from the external consciousness. Although that spiritual power has almost no other consciousness, it still needs time to digest and accommodate.¡± ¡°It was supposed to be a matter of course, but you received the information from the stone tablet in the world of consciousness during that period of time, which was equivalent to forcing the spiritual power to be used and integrated by you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like adding transparent water into a basin of blue water. It¡¯s actually turbid at first, and it needs to be stirred to mix gradually. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to achieve the same color.¡± ¡°This caused your spiritual essence, the core of your soul, to force you to stop and rest. This is probably the reason why you sat for a day and a night this time.¡± After listening to Yan Wuyue¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui finally came to a realization. In fact, this was like a computer shutting down and restarting automatically when it¡¯s overloaded. It was also like the concept of an ordinary person passing out because of overwhelming feelings. Seemingly enlightened, he replied, ¡°I see. No wonder I felt a little dizzy before I sat down. Then, I chose this place in a trance. I felt that it was very quiet here, so I sat down.¡± ¡°It seems that your mental trauma is almost healed. How¡¯s your energy now?¡± Yan Wuyue asked. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any changes. It should be restored.¡± Zhou Mingrui scratched his head. ¡°The stone tablet didn¡¯t tell you how to enter the microscopic energy domain?¡± Yan Wuyue asked curiously. ¡°He told me, but I haven¡¯t learned it yet. It seems quite difficult.¡± Zhou Mingrui said in embarrassment. Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly. Then, she walked behind Zhou Mingrui and placed her hands on his shoulders. A surge of spiritual power immediately entered Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body through her hands. Without any resistance or rejection, Yan Wuyue brought Zhou Mingrui¡¯s consciousness into the microscopic energy world again. Chapter 211 - The Change in the Energy Core Chapter 211: The Change in the Energy Core Yan Wuyue was the first to be surprised when she came to the microscopic energy world. Normally, an energy core was composed of three auxiliary particles and one core particle. However, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body was completely different. There were five auxiliary particles and two core particles! This scene stunned Yan Wuyue for a few seconds before she came back to her senses. This had simply shocked her cognition. [What¡¯s going on?] Yan Wuyue asked using voice transmission. [What do you mean what¡¯s going on? Eh, why did my energy core become like this?] Zhou Mingrui was also taken aback. [You don¡¯t know?] Yan Wuyue was confused. [I really don¡¯t know. You know that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see all this without you.] Zhou Mingrui said innocently. [That¡¯s true.] Yan Wuyue thought about it and agreed. Zhou Mingrui indeed couldn¡¯t see this alone. After some thought, Yan Wuyue continued, [There are only a few possibilities. One is your own problem. For example, after your energy core collapsed, your body repaired itself.] [The second possibility is that it was caused by an external force. For example, the huge stone tablet in the world of consciousness that you mentioned caused this.] [It¡¯s also possible that when Chen Yixuan was treating you, the treasures had too much energy, causing your energy core to change and adapt to it.] [I don¡¯t know much about this, so I can¡¯t give you the most accurate answer. But judging from the current situation, your energy level has been completely restored, and you¡¯re even stronger than before.] Even if Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say the last part, Zhou Mingrui could tell. But he was still a little worried and asked, [Will there be any special side effects?] Yan Wuyue looked at him carefully for a while before saying, [I can¡¯t be completely sure about this, but one thing I can confirm is that your energy particles will be stronger than ordinary energy particles, but it will require more energy.] [What do you mean?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. [It means that you need more experience to level up than others, and it doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary amount. It might be two to three times more.] Yan Wuyue muttered. [It can¡¯t be. It was already difficult for me. Why is it even more difficult now?] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s scalp tingled. If it weren¡¯t for Yan Wuyue¡¯s experience points, and he was able to obtain five times more, he wouldn¡¯t even be level 40. But now, he needed even more experience to level up, and the difficulty of leveling up had also greatly increased. How could he pass this? [It¡¯s not like there are only disadvantages and no benefits. At least, you can be said to be invincible at the same level based on the quality and quantity of energy.] Yan Wuyue tried to persuade him. [Come on, even if it wasn¡¯t for this, I¡¯m unrivaled among the summoned spirits of the same level, okay?] Zhou Mingrui ridiculed. [Maybe that will help you gain a firm foothold at a higher level?] Yan Wuyue continued. [Okay, if there are no problems with the check-up, you can leave. I feel a little sad now.] Zhou Mingrui felt his heart turn numb. [Wait, let me see.] Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t plan to go out so soon. After further observation, she discovered something even more mysterious. According to the normal process, after the core particle split, the auxiliary particle would open the ¡°gate¡± and release new particles, turning them into new energy particles. However, Zhou Mingrui was indeed very strange. The core particle had indeed split into new particles, but the auxiliary particles had not been opened at all. The fourth core particle had arrived, and after a while, the fifth, sixth, and eighth core particles had also come out. Yan Wuyue was a little speechless. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he would explode if he continued like this? However, in the next moment, these energy particles suddenly began to spin. In the end, the eight energy particles directly turned into four. At this time, the door of the auxiliary particles also opened. Two energy particles walked out and formed a new energy particle. Yan Wuyue was full of question marks, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. After that, Yan Wuyue retreated to the real world with Zhou Mingrui. Even when they were outside, she was still a little dazed. After all, the scene just now was too appalling. At least, Yan Wuyue had never heard of or seen such a situation in any records. [Let¡¯s go back first.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s face was a little grave. Although Zhou Mingrui was a little confused, he still followed Yan Wuyue back to the dormitory. [Your current situation is very special. I can¡¯t even find any examples to describe your current situation.] Yan Wuyue said seriously. [Anyway, I¡¯m very healthy now. I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s anything wrong with it.] Zhou Mingrui asked in confusion. [You¡¯re saying this now, but what will you do if something happens in a real battle?] Yan Wuyue immediately retorted. [You¡¯re right, but what should we do now? If you don¡¯t know, it¡¯s even more impossible for me to know. We can¡¯t ask anyone else either!] Zhou Mingrui waved his hand helplessly. [By the way, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to spar with me the day before yesterday? Why don¡¯t we go now and see what the energy in your body is like?] Yan Wuyue suggested. [Alright!] Zhou Mingrui immediately said. The two of them got up and left the dormitory to find an empty space with few people. ¡°We¡¯re going to try everything. First, we¡¯ll test your energy condensation speed.¡± Yan Wuyue pointed out. As he was unable to use his skills, Zhou Mingrui raised his hand and began to mobilize the energy in his body. He began to use the control technique he had obtained from the stone tablet. At first, it was a little awkward, but he immediately became familiar with it. The energy quickly seeped out from his hand. It was like a lump of mud that could be shaped at will, and it began to gradually take various forms on his hand. There were all sorts of weapon forms, and some even began to take on strange shapes, such as springs and even more complicated forms. ¡°Your control of energy is much better than before.¡± Seeing this, Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but nod and say, ¡°And I realized that you haven¡¯t fully mastered it yet. Once you master it, you¡¯ll be able to use the energy faster and more accurately.¡± ¡°Now, take a look and see if you really can¡¯t use your skill.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded and began using the most ordinary [Skeleton Equipment], but he realized that there was no response. ¡°As expected, it still can¡¯t be used. What¡¯s the reason?¡± Yan Wuyue began to think with a frown. If he couldn¡¯t use his talents and skills, his combat power would greatly reduce, especially at a time when a beast tide could happen at any time. It was too dangerous. ¡°Could it be that it has to achieve certain conditions?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly raised a point. ¡°It¡¯s possible. We need to summarize all the possibilities and then try to solve them.¡± Yan Wuyue also agreed with this point of view. Chapter 212 - Talents and Skills Have Been Sealed? Chapter 212: Talents and Skills Have Been Sealed? The two of them discussed various reasons for a long time, and Yan Wuyue kept thinking in her heart. In the end, Yan Wuyue came up with several possible reasons. First, due to the collapse of the energy core, the current energy structure was different from before, and the talents and skills had not been fully adapted. Second, Chen Yixuan¡¯s treatment had been infused with many treasures, including a special life crystal. There were also other treasures that had led to energy problems. Third, during the medical treatment period, Zhou Mingrui received the information inheritance from the stone tablet. His talent and skills might have been sealed due to the inheritance. Fourth, it was possible that due to his near-death state, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current state was similar to that of someone who had died and returned to the illusionary spirit world. He would then be summoned again. At this point, he would need to level up again. Fifth, it may be because he has reached level 50, or it may be because of the stone tablet¡¯s inheritance or energy changes that caused the talent skill to upgrade. Before the upgrade is completed, it will be in a sealed state. The above was what Yan Wuyue could currently conclude. It matched Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current situation the most. Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin in distress. This was the first time he encountered a situation where he had no idea what to do. Seeing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression, Yan Wuyue consoled him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still have time. You don¡¯t have to be too anxious.¡± Shaking his head, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand the current situation at all. This feeling of not having a single clue is very frustrating.¡± Yan Wuyue went to the rest area and sat down. After some thought, she pressed the communication button on her watch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiao Yue? Did something happen?¡± Chen Yixuan¡¯s voice was heard. Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°I only found out about it today. My summoned spirit told me that his talent and skills can¡¯t be used.¡± ¡°What? He can¡¯t use his talents and skills?¡± Chen Yixuan¡¯s surprised voice was heard. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s being restricted by some conditions.¡± Yan Wuyue said. After a moment of silence, Chen Yixuan said, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll send you an address, and you can bring your summoned spirit here.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she replied. After Yan Wuyue responded, the other side hung up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going to tell anyone?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. He didn¡¯t mind letting others know about this. After all, he was a summoned spirit, and no one would think that it was abnormal for a summoned spirit to have some problems. ¡°I thought about it and felt that it would be better to find Chen Yixuan. After all, she might have a part to play in your situation this time. At the same time, she¡¯s more professional than me in this area.¡± ¡°Even if she knows about this, doctors usually don¡¯t disclose the patient¡¯s privacy. At the same time, we¡¯re in the military, so I looked for her.¡± Yan Wuyue explained. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand. Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou Mingrui did not mind at all. The two of them followed the map and soon arrived in front of a building. The guards at the entrance must have been notified in advance, as they let them through after seeing them. After entering the building, Chen Yixuan was also waiting there. ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± After Chen Yixuan finished speaking, she brought the two of them to her office. After they took their seats, they looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°What¡¯s the exact situation? Tell me everything now. Don¡¯t leave out any details.¡± Hence, Zhou Mingrui explained his current situation to Chen Yixuan. However, he did not mention anything about the energy core. After all, this involved some of Yan Wuyue¡¯s secrets. After Chen Yixuan heard this, she frowned and thought for a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s very troublesome now. First of all, you¡¯re an undead summoned spirit, not a normal flesh and blood life form. I can¡¯t use normal methods like blood testing or x-rays on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also because of this that I can only ask you for help,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Chen Yixuan immediately wrote down the situation on a piece of paper. She thought for a moment, then turned on the communication device on the computer next to her. Five profile pictures appeared on the screen one after another. In less than ten seconds, characters appeared in all five profile frames, three men and two women. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m Chen Yixuan. I¡¯ve received a very special patient this time.¡± Very quickly, Chen Yixuan summarized the situation, and the five people on the other side of the screen fell silent. Ten seconds later, one of the women said, ¡°Xuanxuan, have you ever thought that there might be a conflict between the compatible effects of the treasures when you perform the awakening surgery?¡± Chen Yixuan immediately replied, ¡°I still have records of all the treasures used. After that, I also did detailed experiments and confirmed that there would be no conflicts between the two.¡± ¡°And even if it does, it should appear at that time. There¡¯s only a very small probability that it will appear after the operation.¡± The woman nodded and said, ¡°Could it be that the type of summoned spirit conflicts with the treasure?¡± Chen Yixuan replied without hesitation, ¡°I confirmed this before the operation, so we can rule out this problem.¡± The woman didn¡¯t probe further. If it was someone else, they would definitely ask for a detailed list of the items used. However, they were very convinced of Chen Yixuan¡¯s professionalism and ability. If she couldn¡¯t even find out, then they would leave it at it. ¡°Since we¡¯ve basically ruled out the treasure, I¡¯ll analyze the situation from the summoned spirit.¡± one of the men said ¡°For example, you said that he was seriously injured and fell into a coma because he overused his body¡¯s energy. Then, after the reconstruction, will there be a rejection of his body due to the problem of energy?¡± ¡°This rejection is like a machine and electricity. The size and voltage of the current can¡¯t start the machine, which causes it to be unable to function?¡± Chen Yixuan didn¡¯t directly object this time. On the contrary, she started to think about it. The others beside her also felt that it was possible. But at that moment, Zhou Mingrui said, ¡°My feeling is different from yours. If that¡¯s the case, I should be able to sense it in detail, but my talents and skills are like a bottomless black hole. They do not react at all.¡± After hearing Zhou Mingrui¡¯s story, the man asked, ¡°In other words, you feel like there¡¯s an invisible film between you and your innate skill?¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°That¡¯s more or less the feeling. I can clearly see it, but there¡¯s no reaction when I use it. There¡¯s no loss of energy in my body either.¡± At this moment, another man asked, ¡°Is it because the new energy level is too high?¡± Chapter 213 - The Experts Consultation Is Not as Good as the Lieutenant Generals Word Chapter 213: The Experts¡¯ Consultation Is Not as Good as the Lieutenant General¡¯s Word The man¡¯s words immediately attracted the attention of the people around him, and they immediately started discussing. ¡°Dr. Chen, we need more information on this summoned spirit.¡± Finally, after nearly ten minutes of intense discussion, they made a decision together. After Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui exchanged glances, the former turned to Chen Yixuan and said, ¡°Sister Xuan, you can tell them the battle report from before.¡± After getting permission, Chen Yixuan first signed a non-disclosure agreement with them before sending them the battle video. At the same time, she described some of the things that couldn¡¯t be seen in the video. Then, she sent them all the various reports of Zhou Mingrui when he was in a state of a ball of light. Soon, after observing the material, they had an intense discussion for another ten minutes. In the end, one of the men spoke as a representative. ¡°According to our observations and discussions, his energy is in a very special state of collapse after the battle. It should be related to the battle style or skill he chose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he turned into a ball of light. We speculate that his talent and skills were sealed at that time.¡± ¡°We all know that if a summoned spirit dies, they will return to the world they belong to and then transform again.¡± ¡°Everything you obtain in this world will be lost with death. No one can break this. It can be called the law of this world.¡± ¡°At that time, he was on the verge of death, but he was not completely dead. According to our speculation, it is very likely that he had touched this law in advance.¡± ¡°For example, it¡¯s like we observe a balloon that¡¯s about to burst. We seal it with tape in advance, but then you find a problem.¡± ¡°That is, how can you be sure that the balloon won¡¯t burst after you tear the tape? After all, wouldn¡¯t it become a loophole in the laws of nature if it burst?¡± ¡°Therefore, the law will not allow the tape to be torn if the target is not dead.¡± ¡°This is the current situation. The seal on this summoned spirit will only work if we can prove to the law that he won¡¯t die from the unsealing of the seal.¡± ¡°The above conclusion is the most likely conclusion after all of our discussions.¡± This time, not only Chen Yixuan, but even Yan Wuyue was a little confused. This actually involved the laws? ¡°Do you have a specific solution?¡± Chen Yixuan asked. ¡°Apologies, we¡¯ve never encountered such a situation before, so we might not be able to give you an accurate solution or suggestion with a high success rate,¡± the man said in an apologetic tone. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Chen Yixuan started to thank these people and ended the call. ¡°As you can see, those five are the absolute authorities in the medical treatment of summoned spirits in the country. If they can¡¯t do anything, then there¡¯s really no way.¡± Chen Yixuan helplessly said as she spread her hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t we look for Lieutenant General Yu?¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly asked. ¡°Although Lieutenant General Yu is an expert in the military, he has his own specialty. Could it be¡­?¡± Chen Yixuan hesitated. ¡°No matter what, shouldn¡¯t we report this to him? Instead of waiting to report, why don¡¯t we ask the Lieutenant General? Maybe he has some good suggestions?¡± Yan Wuyue suggested. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. Chen Yixuan directly dialed the headquarters¡¯ after she spoke. After the direct line was connected, Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s voice appeared on the display. ¡°Xiao Chen, huh? And Snow Leopard, what are you guys doing?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked, puzzled. ¡°Lieutenant General Yu, I have a special situation to report.¡± Chen Yixuan immediately saluted. ¡°Hmm, go ahead.¡± Lieutenant General Yu said firmly. ¡°Here¡¯s the situation¡­¡± Chen Yixuan explained the situation, then looked at Lieutenant General Yu. Lieutenant General Yu fell into deep thought after hearing the report. ¡°The experts said that you might be sealed by the law and want to prove to the law that you¡¯re not dead?¡± Lieutenant General Yu suddenly asked Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Yes, Lieutenant General.¡± Zhou Mingrui answered. ¡°That¡¯s simple. Why don¡¯t you just prove to the law that you¡¯re not dead and that you¡¯re healthy?¡± Lieutenant General Yu raised his eyebrows. ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just level up then. If you level up, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re still alive?¡± Lieutenant General Yu said. The three of them in the room fell silent. ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± Lieutenant General Yu asked the three of them, who were silent. ¡°N-no, Lieutenant General, you¡¯re really knowledgeable. You hit the nail on the head and pointed out the key point.¡± Chen Yixuan immediately started to flatter him. ¡°Alright, since that¡¯s the case, then go and try it out. Just tell me if there are any good results.¡± Lieutenant General Yu hung up the phone after saying that. Chen Yixuan and Yan Wuyue looked at each other, and then they suddenly laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be right. It was the right decision to look for Lieutenant General Yu.¡± Chen Yixuan bitterly smiled. ¡°The Lieutenant General is so experienced. I didn¡¯t think of this at all.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head helplessly. ¡°My five colleagues will probably want to bang their heads against the wall when they find out about this.¡± Chen Yixuan laughed. ¡°They¡¯re probably thinking too much. They didn¡¯t notice the simplest and most direct way.¡± Yan Wuyue hurriedly spoke up for the five experts. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re sure, then try to level up. I hope everything is as the Lieutenant General predicted.¡± Chen Yixuan waved her hand. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be going then.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t refuse and got up to say goodbye to Chen Yixuan. ¡°Be careful and pay more attention to your safety. I don¡¯t want to do the same treatment again. It¡¯s too tiring.¡± Chen Yixuan joked. ¡°I will.¡± With that, Yan Wuyue left with Zhou Mingrui. On the way, Zhou Mingrui remained silent. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, asked after some thought, ¡°What do we do now? You don¡¯t have any talent or skills. You can¡¯t even fight normal level 5 monsters. I can fight level 4 monsters, but the problem is, when will I be able to level you up?¡± The two of them knew that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current energy particle capacity was extremely terrifying. It was many times more than an ordinary summoned spirit. Leveling up would require a lot more time and effort than others. ¡°What if I use a treasure to level up?¡± Zhou Mingrui refused to give up. Yan Wuyue replied immediately, ¡°We¡¯re in debt. No matter how much I borrow, I can¡¯t get enough treasures to help you level up.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try looking for your mistress?¡± ¡°Mistress?¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. ¡°Zhao Anqi. She¡¯s definitely going to try to get it by force.¡± Yan Wuyue teased. ¡°What if the law doesn¡¯t recognize the increase in experience from using treasures?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. Yan Wuyue took a deep breath when she heard that. Zhou Mingrui was right. This was a difficult situation. Chapter 214 - Hunting in the Western Mountain Range Chapter 214: Hunting in the Western Mountain Range ¡°So, what you mean is that we have to go out and kill monsters to level up?¡± Yan Wuyue said awkwardly, ¡°But in your current condition, wouldn¡¯t it be seeking death to face a beast tide?¡± At this moment, Zhou Mingrui gave a mysterious smile and said, ¡°Why do we have to deal with the beast tide?¡± Yan Wuyue paused for a moment. The next moment, she looked up at Zhou Mingrui as if she had thought of something. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We can go to other places. Why do we have to fight the beast tide head-on?¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a smile. ¡°But the beast tide could break out at any time. If we leave like this, won¡¯t we¡­¡± Yan Wuyue said with some hesitation. However, Zhou Mingrui smiled confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can even tell you with confidence that the beast tide won¡¯t be launching an attack any time soon. Even if they do, it¡¯s only a probing attack.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really that sure?¡± Yan Wuyue was still a little worried. ¡°Wuyue, let me ask you. If the beast tide really launches a full attack now, what can you and I do?¡± ¡°The only thing we can do now is to head to other places and kill monsters as quickly as possible to unseal and improve ourselves.¡± Zhou Mingrui said in a very serious tone. ¡°Only in this way can we have the strength to come back and help the defense line. This is the best way to do it, right?¡± Yan Wuyue closed her eyes and opened them two seconds later. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m too stubborn. What¡¯s your choice now?¡± ¡°I was thinking about it when they were having a discussion today. I looked at the map and found that the most suitable place for us is the west.¡± Zhou Mingrui answered. ¡°The west is a mountain area with a higher altitude. The monsters there are more agile.¡± Yan Wuyue touched her chin and pondered. ¡°The north is too far away from us. It¡¯s not suitable for us to come back if something happens. Didn¡¯t you see that the reinforcements from the north were the last to arrive two days ago?¡± ¡°As for the east side, it¡¯s near the ocean. Once the monsters there enter the sea, we would be really helpless. Not to mention, if something happens in the ocean, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to escape.¡± ¡°I choose the west in the end. Although it¡¯s pretty troublesome over there, it is the most suitable place for us to go at the moment.¡± ¡°And isn¡¯t the agile type the easiest to deal with at the moment?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to think so thoroughly this time. I have to praise you this time.¡± Yan Wuyue commended. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s request to the Lieutenant General quickly. Let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed and urged. Yan Wuyue nodded and dialed Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s number after turning on the watch¡¯s communicator. After the call was connected, Yan Wuyue explained the situation. Lieutenant General Yu only paused for a second before saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange for the fastest plane to take you there now, but promise me that you must take care of your safety.¡± ¡°I can understand the danger, but don¡¯t put yourself in a situation where there¡¯s only a slim chance of survival. I don¡¯t want to personally send away the future of a human.¡± Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s expression was calm, but his words were very serious. ¡°I understand, Lieutenant General!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer was firm. ¡°Alright, go to the airport now. I¡¯ll give the order immediately.¡± Lieutenant General Yu hung up after he finished speaking. ¡°It¡¯s really as the saying goes, it¡¯s easier to do things with someone in the court. If it wasn¡¯t for Lieutenant General Yu¡¯s high regard for us, it would have taken us at least two days to get there without the support of the plane.¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a sigh. ¡°Tsk, why else do you think I made such a battle plan? Only those who know how to use all the resources around them are truly smart.¡± Yan Wuyue said and rushed to the airport with Zhou Mingrui. ¡°As soon as they arrived at the airport, a soldier in a flight suit immediately came forward and asked, ¡°Are you Snow Leopard?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°Lieutenant General Yu has already given his orders. I will be the one to send you to your destination. Please follow me.¡± After saying that, the pilot walked in front to lead the way. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui quickly followed him and soon arrived in front of a small plane. It was a small military rapid transport plane. It could reach half the speed of a fighter plane and could carry up to several tons of supplies. It was specifically used for emergency missions. ¡°Get on the plane.¡± The pilot cut to the chase. He opened the cabin door for Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue to get in before heading straight to the pilot¡¯s seat. After a series of operations, the plane began to move forward. With the huge power of the thrusters, it quickly rose into the air. Zhou Mingrui was rendered speechless by this scene. There were all sorts of summoned spirits and summoners in this world. Logically speaking, technology should not have developed to such an extent. Although it wasn¡¯t a medieval country like in the novels, it was unlikely to have the same developed technological level as Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hometown. He felt that something was amiss. The plane¡¯s speed was getting faster and faster, and the surrounding scenery was also constantly flying backward. Under such circumstances, the gravitational acceleration caused by their rapid flight did not affect Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui at all. Hence, their speed began to soar. In less than an hour, the plane crossed a distance of nearly 2700 kilometers in a straight line and brought Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui to the western defense line. After landing at the airport of the Western Military District, the pilot said, ¡°According to the Lieutenant General¡¯s instructions, I¡¯ll be waiting here for you for half a month at most. During this time, if you need to return, I¡¯ll bring you back as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you for waiting. We¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± Yan Wuyue also expressed her gratitude. Then, she brought Zhou Mingrui to the western defense line¡¯s military base to report. ¡°You¡¯re bringing your summoned spirit into the Yakas Mountains alone?¡± The officer in charge of registration asked in surprise. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on a special mission issued by Lieutenant General Yu.¡± Yan Wuyue directly used this excuse to block many of the following questions. As expected, the officer immediately shut up when he heard about the special mission. He quickly registered and provided a certain amount of resources. When Yan Wuyue was about to leave, she gave a military salute. After returning the greeting, Yan Wuyue got into the special transport car and drove straight out of the military area. After more than an hour of driving, the two of them got out of the car and arrived at the nearest entrance to the mountain range. After the salute, the driver turned around and left. As he looked at the mountain range outside the valley, Zhou Mingrui could not help but laugh. ¡°Next, this place will be filled with our footprints and our names.¡± ¡°Look at how smug you are. Don¡¯t leave behind a dirty name of running away in a sorry state.¡± Yan Wuyue left immediately after complaining. Chapter 215 - The Practice Battle Chapter 215: The Practice Battle As they entered the mountain range, the two of them became more careful. After all, the situation now was different from before. If he thought that he would encounter a higher-level monster in a high-profile manner, then he would really have to run back dejectedly. However, since they were in the outer region, the monsters¡¯ levels couldn¡¯t be very high. As such, the two of them didn¡¯t even need to be afraid of fighting. Soon, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui found their target. This was a group of monsters that looked like monkeys but were several times larger. They constantly wandered in the mountains and forests, hunting small animals for food. Most of them were at level 2, with a small portion being at level 3. [Why don¡¯t we use these monkey monsters as practice?] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui. If it was before, they wouldn¡¯t even look at them because the level was too low, and they provided too little experience. [Alright, let¡¯s start with them!] Zhou Mingrui nodded. Now that he was inferior to them, he had to lower his head. No matter how small a mosquito¡¯s leg was, there was still flesh, right? Energy surged from Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body as he quickly condensed a silver energy saber in his hand. Its appearance was not as exquisite as the Nether Flame Bone Blade from before, but it won in its simplicity. The two of them charged forward. The monkey noticed them and attracted the attention of the tribe. A large number of monkey monsters quickly spread out and surrounded the two of them. Then, they began to throw all kinds of hard objects at them. Don¡¯t underestimate the monkey monsters¡¯ attacks. Even hard objects could make whistling sounds when they were thrown. It was clear that each of them carried a great amount of power. Moreover, the attacks were coming from all directions, so dense that it could be said to have formed a bullet screen. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue used their weapons to block the attacks. Later on, they formed energy shields to block the attacks. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui only had his basic level and attributes. He also had a handful of energy to use. He had no other means of attack. However, it was also under such circumstances that it was the most suitable time to train his foundation. His subconscious training for combat and the knowledge from the stone tablet immediately produced a chemical reaction in this environment. In the past, Zhou Mingrui felt as though he was wearing a thick, full-body bulletproof vest. In addition, he was holding a lethal weapon like [Soul Attachment]. He basically did not care about the details of combat or energy. It was just like when he was rich, he didn¡¯t care even if he dropped a bun for breakfast. Now that he was short of money, he would pick up even a handful of vegetables to eat. The various pieces of information in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind began to merge rapidly. Following that, his feet glowed with a bright light. The next moment, he charged in one direction with his energy shield. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue hurriedly followed. At this moment, she was only responsible for helping Zhou Mingrui harvest, and deal with the additional troubles, so that he could focus on the battle. Fortunately, the five times experience was a special talent given by the system that had no sense of existence. Therefore, it was not sealed and rendered ineffective. Otherwise, Zhou Mingrui would probably cry to death on the spot. Braving the hail of bullets, Zhou Mingrui continued sprinting forward. When he was less than twenty meters away, the monkey monsters immediately began to retreat. However, Zhou Mingrui relied on his control over his energy. Every time he charged forward, his explosive force would increase. His energy form was able to cover a huge distance with ease. Even if it was a change in form, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the so-called inertia, so he only used a few breaths to catch up with the group of monkeys. The monkey monsters were about 1.9 meters tall, and their muscles were well-defined, like a gym boy. When he saw Zhou Mingrui approaching, he knew that there was no way to escape his pursuit. He held a stone hammer and swung it at Zhou Mingrui. Between the howling noises, Zhou Mingrui did not even attempt to dodge. The originally wide energy shield in his left hand had already shrunk to the size of a certain captain. After blocking the monkey¡¯s attack with ease, he swung the energy blade in his right hand at the monkey. The monkey raised its hand to block the attack, but the energy saber cut into its flesh. The monkey thought that it had blocked the attack, but the energy saber¡¯s blade started to vibrate rapidly. With a cracking sound, the monkey¡¯s arm was cut off on the spot. If it had not dodged backward instinctively, half of its head would have been cut off. Zhou Mingrui did not take another look at the monkey that had lost a large piece of flesh on its face and was bleeding profusely from its severed arm. He turned around and charged at another monkey. This scene left the monkey monster stunned. But at that moment, a beam of starlight flashed past Zhou Mingrui. The next moment, the starlight transformed into an energy spear and pierced through the head of the monkey monster, who had no time to react. As the battle progressed, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s usage of energy became more and more smooth. He used all sorts of techniques in battle. For example, the energy oscillation just now could increase the destructive power of the attack by a lot. It could even form a layer of continuous oscillation of a defensive layer on the surface of the body. Ordinary rocks would be shattered the moment they came into contact with the defensive layer. They could not harm Zhou Mingrui at all. For example, energy shaping could increase one¡¯s speed, strength, and other aspects. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui only used it on his feet and hands. However, as he gained a deeper understanding of energy control, he began to cover his muscles and bones with it. Immediately, the amplification in all aspects began to become more powerful. As he became more and more familiar with the battle, Zhou Mingrui even gave up the energy shock barrier on his body. Instead, he condensed two energy shields that constantly rotated around him, blocking all the attacks. After all, compared to controlling the condensed energy forms, the operation of energy oscillation still required more spiritual energy. As for Yan Wuyue, she could not help but be amazed by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s growth when she saw how well he could control his energy and how his combat techniques were becoming more and more mature. She began to feel curious about the stone tablet¡¯s origin. What kind of lifeform could place such information in a stone tablet that was probably condensed from energy forms and then pass it on to Zhou Mingrui without any difference? Although her brain was constantly thinking, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t neglect her work at all. Whether it was harvesting or controlling the field, there was no difference. Her combat techniques and control over her energy and strength were things that even Zhou Mingrui could not compare to. This was not an inheritance of information, but a result of her training in a blood and fire environment. This was a memory that was engraved in the depths of her soul! Very quickly, almost three-fifths of the monkey monsters had been killed. They were so frightened that they started to run in all directions, not daring to fight the two of them. ¡°Eh, they should have a leader. Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Yan Wuyue looked around in confusion, but she couldn¡¯t find the figure she wanted to confirm. ¡°You mean the Monkey King?¡± Chapter 216 - The Shadow Leopards Pursuit Chapter 216: The Shadow Leopard¡¯s Pursuit ¡°Yes. Generally speaking, these social groups will have a leader. Otherwise, how can a plate of loose sand survive in this world?¡± Yan Wuyue was confused. ¡°But we¡¯ve already fought so hard. We¡¯ve killed so many monkeys, but we didn¡¯t see the monkey king. This is very unusual.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned as well. There must be something fishy about this. However, the two of them did not know much about the situation in the west. They only had a rough map stored in their watches as a reference. Yan Wuyue had no choice but to say, ¡°Forget it. We have too little information on hand. We can only take one step at a time.¡± What they were most afraid of now was encountering any strange happenings. With Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current strength, it would not be easy to deal with. Hence, the two of them did not go after the fleeing monkeys. Instead, they headed in another direction. ¡°As expected, the experience is too little. ¡± After the battle just now, even if his experience points were multiplied by five, his experience bar only increased by a little. However, it was still a visible increase. At least, it would not remain stagnant. ¡°Get used to it first and see if the seal can be broken. Then, you¡¯ll be able to go and kill stronger monsters.¡± Yan Wuyue explained her goal this time. Just as the two of them were moving forward, a leaf in the depths of the forest suddenly moved. ¡°There¡¯s a target!¡± Yan Wuyue, who was extremely sensitive, immediately sensed that something was wrong and got into a fighting stance. ¡°A target?¡± As for Zhou Mingrui, he did not sense anything. He scanned his surroundings and asked in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything wrong.¡± ¡°The other party has blocked a lot of things. If it wasn¡¯t for the chain reaction caused by its actions, I might not even have noticed its existence.¡± Yan Wuyue said warily. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he was impressed. After all, if the enemy could make Yan Wuyue so nervous, it was definitely not an ordinary fellow. Silently circulating the energy in his body, he was in a state where he could explode at any time, and a shield appeared in his hand. After a while, Yan Wuyue made sure that nothing had happened. She said with a frown, ¡°Let¡¯s go. That guy is hiding.¡± [What¡¯s going on?] This time, Zhou Mingrui activated his mental voice transmission. [It should be a monster similar to a shadow leopard. This type of monster usually appears in the west. They have extremely strong concealment abilities, strong explosive power, and extremely fast speed. If you¡¯re not careful, it¡¯s easy for you to be ambushed by them.] Yan Wuyue said. [As expected of the west, which is led by speed and agility. To be able to give birth to such a monster, it¡¯s not like those guys in the southern wasteland who are basically tank-type guys with thick skin.] Zhou Mingrui nodded. [That¡¯s right. The only weakness of monsters like shadow leopards is their extremely weak defense. This is because they need to ensure that their speed is fast enough. Their thick and hard fur is not suitable for this situation.] Yan Wuyue observed while walking. [But I think they¡¯re very smart, and they have high intelligence.] Zhou Mingrui was also searching for traces of the shadow leopard. These feline-like monsters were as intelligent as the leopards, tigers, and lions in his previous life. They would have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves when they were hunting. [This is why the western monster gathering place is one of the least popular places among the 5 big monster gathering places.] Yan Wuyue pushed aside a broken branch, but she suddenly stopped. She looked at the soil and rotten leaves on the ground and continued, [Although the strengths and weaknesses of the monsters in the western colony are obvious and easy to deal with, the bad thing is that for some reason, these guys are smarter than the monsters of the same level in other colonies.] [This has caused a lot of trouble for many hunters and the army to clear out.] As Yan Wuyue spoke, she picked up a handful of soil from the ground and sniffed it. [It seems like there¡¯s more than one shadow leopard. There should be more than three of them. We may have entered their territory.] Yan Wuyue stood up and said with a frown. [What level is this shadow leopard?] Zhou Mingrui asked. [The lowest is level three, and the highest is level six.] Yan Wuyue answered. [That¡¯s still okay. Why don¡¯t we just kill them?] Zhou Mingrui asked. [A level three shadow leopard can kill monsters up to level four. I¡¯ve seen a level five shadow leopard kill a level six high-rank monster.] Yan Wuyue shot a glance at Zhou Mingrui. [It¡¯s just like how humans can kill monsters that are stronger than them. They rely on their intelligence and methods.] Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t mind as he spoke directly. [It seems like you can still understand. So, think about it. You should know that shadow leopards also hunt monsters from the west, and they are also fast and agile. Do you understand what I mean?] As Yan Wuyue spoke, she took out a box from her space. After opening the box, there were glass bottles that looked like test tubes stored inside. There were all kinds of powder-like objects in the glass bottles. Yan Wuyue took out a bottle of brown powder, opened the cap, and gently sprinkled a little on her finger. [The leopard¡¯s strength lies in that burst of speed. It will always follow you, but it will not attack you directly. Instead, it will constantly observe your every detail.] [Once it has determined your weakness or habit, it will burst out its strongest attack when you are the most relaxed. This is the shadow leopard.] She picked up a large piece of soil from the ground again and then rubbed the brown powder into the soil. Then, after kneading it for a few more minutes, she split the soil into two and handed one to Zhou Mingrui. [What is this?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously, [Is it something good that can avoid the monster¡¯s nose?] [What are you thinking?] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui as if he was a noob and said, [There¡¯s no such thing. It can neutralize the special scent left behind by the shadow leopard.] [What?] Zhou Mingrui was a little confused. [Shadow leopards will be very far away from their targets, at least hundreds of meters away. The reason why they can continue to track their targets is that they have left ¡°traps¡± on the ground.] [As long as you step on these ¡°traps¡±, you will have a special smell on your body. They will be able to smell it even if they are a few kilometers away and track you down.] Yan Wuyue explained. [You want to get rid of their tracking?] Zhou Mingrui finally understood. [I wouldn¡¯t mind playing with them during normal times, but what we¡¯re most afraid of is that the shadow leopard will suddenly seize the opportunity to attack us when we¡¯re fighting other monsters.] Yan Wuyue stood up and continued walking. [That¡¯s true, but are you sure you can escape?] Zhou Mingrui continued asking. [I can, but I¡¯ll have to let them feel the pain first.] Yan Wuyue smiled and looked to her right. Chapter 217 - Trap and Bait Chapter 217: Trap and Bait [I see!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes turned cold. Yan Wuyue¡¯s intention was clear. She was prepared to severely injure the shadow leopard clan and teach them a lesson! [Shadow leopards are a race that will be proud of killing their prey once they have confirmed their identity. Unable to kill their prey will be a disgrace to all beings, and they might even commit suicide because of this.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes were cold. [Especially if you fight with them and injure them, then it will really be a fight to the death!] [However, there is a way to solve this situation. That is to let them know the taste of blood!] Zhou Mingrui twisted his neck upon hearing that. Yan Wuyue¡¯s sudden change made his blood boil. [Then how are we going to catch them? They look like they¡¯re very difficult to deal with.] Zhou Mingrui pressed. [I naturally have a way to deal with this. Just watch.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s face showed an extremely confident look. Zhou Mingrui was also surprised. Hence, he began to look forward to it. Next, Yan Wuyue chose a relatively flat area. Then, she and Zhou Mingrui chopped down the surrounding trees. [Isn¡¯t this an obvious trap? How can shadow leopards fall for it?] Zhou Mingrui asked as he cleaned up. [Normally, that would be the case, but since I¡¯ve said so, I naturally have a way to solve this problem.] The corners of Yan Wuyue¡¯s mouth curled up, revealing a look of confidence. Since she had already said that, Zhou Mingrui had no reason to say anything more. Hence, he continued watching Yan Wuyue¡¯s operation. First of all, Yan Wuyue took out the box from her space after cutting down all the trees. Zhou Mingrui took a look and realized that the box this time was different from the previous one. It was smaller in size, but the surface of the box had more complicated patterns. When she opened the box, it was actually the same as the powder from before. There were glass tubes stored inside. However, this time, the glass tubes were filled with all kinds of liquids. [What the hell is this?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [These are all the inducers and shielding agents I¡¯ve made in advance. They¡¯re specially made to target all sorts of monsters.] Yan Wuyue answered as she picked up the glass tubes. [What? Inducers? Shielding agents?] Zhou Mingrui asked in surprise. [Inducers are specially made to target a certain type of monster. It¡¯s a scent that the other party wants to capture at all costs.] [A shielding agent is something that can specifically shield the senses of a certain type of monster. It can prevent that type of monster from tracking you for a certain period of time.] After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s explanation, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s curiosity was piqued. [Did you come up with all this by yourself?] Yan Wuyue stopped, and her eyes had a trace of reminiscence. [Before I was reborn, and before I had fully grown up, a senior in the army taught me this. Unfortunately, he died under the siege of mutated beasts not long after.] No matter how stupid Zhou Mingrui was, he could tell. He could only helplessly say, [I¡¯m sorry for making you think of something sad.] Yan Wuyue suddenly laughed and said, [You¡¯re wrong. Have you forgotten that I¡¯m reborn now? That means that the senior from before is still alive. I should be happy.] [That¡¯s true.] Only then did Zhou Mingrui react. [So, in this life, I won¡¯t let this happen again. Since I¡¯ve been given this opportunity, I¡¯ll do my best to protect the people I want to protect.] Yan Wuyue said with a determined look. [I¡¯ll help you fulfill your wish. Don¡¯t worry.] Zhou Mingrui consoled. [Thank you.] Yan Wuyue laughed happily. As the two of them talked, Yan Wuyue finally finished mixing the potions in her hands. [Be prepared. Once I use the potion, we¡¯ll be surrounded by shadow leopards.] Yan Wuyue reminded him. [Yeah, I¡¯m always ready. Don¡¯t worry.] Zhou Mingrui said as he scanned his surroundings. Upon hearing the response, Yan Wuyue immediately sprinkled the medicine on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. [What?] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. [What¡¯s wrong? The potion must be sprinkled out to release its smell. Otherwise, how can it attract those shadow leopards?] Yan Wuyue asked, raising her eyebrows. [No, I¡¯m asking why you sprinkle it on me.] Zhou Mingrui spread his hands and asked. [Do you think it should be sprinkled on me?] Yan Wuyue asked directly. [No, can¡¯t it be sprinkled on the ground?] Zhou Mingrui pointed to the ground and asked. [Are you stupid? If you sprinkle it on the ground, most of it will be absorbed by the soil, and the effect will be greatly reduced!] Yan Wuyue ridiculed. [Or do you want me to sprinkle it on myself?] Yan Wuyue asked, squinting. Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to admit it. [Yes, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were right to spill it on me] Yan Wuyue snorted and said, [Don¡¯t be so aggrieved. I¡¯ve thought about it for you. You¡¯re a half-energy form. As long as you turn into energy, you can completely remove the smell.] [Oh yeah, I suddenly forgot about that.] Zhou Mingrui laughed and said in embarrassment. [I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking sometimes. Alright, get ready for battle.] Yan Wuyue was no longer in the mood to ridicule him. She reminded Zhou Mingrui to be ready for battle. Zhou Mingrui did not continue after hearing that. Instead, he conjured his energy shield and energy weapon and began to be on guard against his surroundings. In less than three minutes, Zhou Mingrui sensed that some extremely hidden figures had appeared around him. However, they were a little far away. [It¡¯s starting. The number has already reached thirteen.] Yan Wuyue reminded him. [Why can¡¯t I sense the exact amount?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. [Carefully sense the changes in the surrounding environment and the special changes in the air. These are important factors that can help you make a judgment.] Yan Wuyue quickly reminded him. [H-how do I judge this?] Zhou Mingrui was confused when he heard that. A special change in the air? [You won¡¯t be able to learn it in a short time even if I tell you now. You should be on guard and ready to face the enemy at any time. There are already 23 of them.] Yan Wuyue reminded him. [Okay.] Zhou Mingrui stopped talking. Instead, he focused all his attention and began to be on guard. In the meantime, Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment and began to pay attention to his surroundings. Then, he relaxed his state of mind. Sure enough, he noticed a special movement, but he didn¡¯t see the shadow leopard at all. However, he could sense a series of blurry figures walking around him. These figures were obviously shadow leopards. Although Zhou Mingrui¡¯s talents and skills had been sealed, he could still control his spiritual power. Furthermore, the stone tablet also taught him how to use his spiritual power to probe. As soon as he thought of it, Zhou Mingrui immediately began to use the secret technique he had inherited from the stone tablet. Chapter 218 - Besieged by Shadow Leopards! Chapter 218: Besieged by Shadow Leopards! In the inheritance given by the stone tablet, there were many branches to the control of spiritual power. The principle of using spiritual power to investigate was very simple. It was to mix one¡¯s own spiritual power with energy and use the energy as a medium to constantly emit it. Whether it was a physical body, an energy form, or even a spiritual body, they would all be detected. This operation sounded simple, but there were two difficulties. The first one was how to integrate one¡¯s spiritual power into energy because the two types of energy were fundamentally different. Although they would not counter each other, it was also very difficult to integrate them. However, this was taught on the stone tablet, which was to break one¡¯s spiritual power into pieces. From the information, Zhou Mingrui learned how to break down the entire thing into pieces. As spiritual power and energy were different, even if spiritual power was split up, it would still have a certain connection with the original body. And this connection happened to be the key, just like the connection between signal base stations. However, this connection required Zhou Mingrui¡¯s own control. The stronger one¡¯s spiritual power was, the closer the connection between them would be. The stronger one¡¯s control was, the more it prevented the mental connection from being easily affected or cut off. As for Zhou Mingrui, all he needed to do was to shape and divide his spiritual power like he was crushing mud. In the beginning, Zhou Mingrui failed a few times. Either he used too much strength to separate the spiritual power, causing him to completely lose contact with it, or he was unable to form it no matter how hard he tried. Despite such a result, Zhou Mingrui refused to give up. He gritted his teeth and kept trying. In the end, after more than thirty attempts, he finally separated the spiritual energy that could form a connection for the first time and successfully molded it with the energy in one go. With this experience, a large amount of spiritual power energy quickly began to extend out of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body and spread to his surroundings. However, under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s constant control, the spiritual energy that had spread out in a circular shape began to gather together. Finally, it turned into a fan shape and began to extend. Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui. She could naturally feel the changes in him, but she quickly stopped looking at him. After obtaining so much information from the stone tablet, it was normal for him to know some techniques that he had never used before. The reason why she didn¡¯t teach Zhou Mingrui how to control his spiritual power was that she had no way of teaching him in detail. He had to rely on his own understanding. One was that everyone¡¯s mental state was different. Her method might not be suitable for Zhou Mingrui, so she did not take the initiative to teach him. His spiritual energy was like a scanner, and all the details of the places he extended out were transmitted back to his mind through the link. Many tiny mosquitoes and insects were presented one by one. The entire scanned world was made up of dots and lines, just like the simplest line drawing. However, Zhou Mingrui knew that this was because the control of his spiritual power was still very immature. It was just like how the processing power of a core was not strong enough. When his processing power was stronger, he could scan the world more closely and in a richer way than he did in the real world. Soon, shadow leopards appeared in the scan. At first, it was blurry forms that were moving quickly, but as his spiritual power covered a large area, specific forms quickly appeared. ¡°I see, so this is the world under the scan of spiritual power.¡± Zhou Mingrui sighed in his heart, but he immediately turned his attention back to the shadow leopards. At this time, he also sensed that more than ten shadow leopards had completely surrounded this place, covetously eyeing and ready to attack at any time. Zhou Mingrui did not stop his spiritual scan. According to the information on the stone tablet, spiritual scanning could be very useful in battle. It was like a human radar. Not only could it monitor the enemy¡¯s attacks from all directions without any blind spots, but it could even see the opponent¡¯s energy or the way the body was moving, and from there, develop the foundation of defense and counterattack. There were countless wondrous uses, but it required constant practice to strengthen one¡¯s control and one¡¯s spiritual foundation. [Be careful!] At the same time as Yan Wuyue¡¯s spiritual warning, Zhou Mingrui also discovered the shadow leopard¡¯s sudden attack through his spiritual scan. He immediately placed his energy shield in the direction of the attack. The next moment, a tremendous force was transmitted from the energy shield. Zhou Mingrui let out a loud grunt as his entire body was lifted into the air. Bang! The shadow leopard¡¯s attack sent him and his shield flying three to four meters away. In the end, he landed on his feet and blocked the attack. The moment he stopped, Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to remove his shield before he slashed out with his energy saber. However, before the energy saber could touch the shadow leopard, it had already dodged and left its original spot, causing his attack to miss. ¡°It¡¯s too fast!¡± Zhou Mingrui said unhappily. Immediately, two shadow leopards charged at him from two different directions. Yan Wuyue had already arrived by Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. With a shake of the spear in her hand, the Stars and Moon Energy erupted from his body. In the previous beast tide battle, except for the one killed by the major general, Yan Wuyue had risen to level 49 with the last shot. With the rapid increase in attributes, coupled with Yan Wuyue¡¯s own combat experience and skills, there was a clear difference in her combat power. Looking at the shadow leopard rushing at her, Yan Wuyue shook the spear in her hand. A stream of energy sprang out of her hand like a dragon and began to swim around the spear. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s spiritual scan could sense that the energy condensation of the swimming dragon had reached a completely different level. This was something that he was currently unable to achieve. In the blink of an eye, the two shadow leopards were in front of her. Yan Wuyue also swung the spear in her hand and swept it from the side. If Yan Wuyue were to block the attack from the front, she would suffer a powerful impact during the collision. Not only would she lose her balance, but it would also affect Zhou Mingrui¡¯s movements behind her. The dragon on the spear glowed, and the surrounding air and impurities were devoured by the dragon, forming a vacuum. It instantly accelerated the speed of the spear. Naturally, the shadow leopard would not let the spear hit it. It twisted its waist to avoid the spear, but at this moment, Yan Wuyue smiled. In the next moment, the spear suddenly began to spin, and the trajectory it had swept out in changed abruptly. The long spear that was originally horizontal spun in the air for a second before immediately changing its direction and form. The tip of the spear was aimed at the shadow leopard and stabbed fiercely. This time, the shadow leopard couldn¡¯t avoid it even if it wanted to, so it could only choose to fight with Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear. At this time, the shadow leopard no longer had the huge inertia to charge forward. Its strength was only at level 4, and it was a target full of flaws in front of Yan Wuyue! Chapter 219 - 219 Zhou Mingruis Cooperation 219 Zhou Mingrui¡¯s Cooperation After the dragon tore through the air and devoured all the impurities, the tip of the spear touched the shadow leopard¡¯s head. At the moment of the hit, the dragon had already spun at an extremely fast speed, like a high-speed electric drill that directly broke the shadow leopard¡¯s scalp and skull. With a pfft sound, the shadow leopard was directly killed. Zhou Mingrui took in everything that was happening. His precise control over his energy was also clearly visible through the spiritual scan. He had never noticed this before, but now he finally realized how terrible his combat skills had been. As such, he could only use his shield to block the shadow leopard¡¯s attacks. However, Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t accept it. Why was Yan Wuyue able to do all this while he couldn¡¯t? Hence, the information from the stone tablet surfaced in his mind again. In the next moment, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes turned cold in reality. The shield in his hand flashed as a shock wave suddenly burst out. The shadow leopard, which was constantly attacking in front of him, was caught off guard and was directly hit by this shock wave. Before the shadow leopard could stabilize its body, a ray of light shot out from the shield and split into more than ten rope-like light strips, wrapping the shadow leopard¡¯s entire body. However, the shadow leopard only struggled once when it landed on the ground, and the light that bound it immediately broke apart. Then, it got up and prepared to put some distance between them. At this moment, the shadow leopard noticed that strips of light had appeared on the ground. Before it could react, the strips of light immediately shrank into a large net and bound it again. As for the energy saber in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s hand, it had already turned into a long rod. The end of the rod was connected to the net. Under the strong pull, the shadow leopard immediately lost its balance and fell in the middle of the net. Seeing this, Yan Wuyue thrust her spear again, directly penetrating the shadow leopard¡¯s skull and dropping it again. [Not a bad idea.] Yan Wuyue was overjoyed, and then she faced another shadow leopard. [¡­.] Zhou Mingrui really wanted to retort, ¡°Can¡¯t you let me finish my act? I still have a backup plan that I have yet to use.¡± However, the new shadow leopards rushed up again. This time, six shadow leopards were attacking together. They were well-coordinated with each other and did not hinder their companions¡¯ movements. Zhou Mingrui was forced to use his tortoiseshell technique because his other attacks or techniques would be pulled back by the attacks of the other shadow leopards. As a result, he had no way of using them. Zhou Mingrui, who had been beaten up to the point of being unable to retaliate, was infuriated. However, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Immediately, energy condensed in his hand, and a ball of light was thrown out. A black panther swung its hand and was about to hit the ball of light away. But the next moment, the ball of light suddenly exploded. It formed an extremely intense light, instantly blinding the eyes of a few shadow leopards. At this time, Yan Wuyue stepped forward and gathered energy in her spear, killing six shadow leopards with one strike. [Not bad. You¡¯ve improved. You can even think of this.] Yan Wuyue blinked in praise. Zhou Mingrui was a little speechless. Since when had he been reduced to being a support for Yan Wuyue? In the past, it had always been Yan Wuyue who was his support. However, what Zhou Mingrui did not know was that such a battle was Yan Wuyue¡¯s forte. This was because Yan Wuyue had always fought in this way before her rebirth. In her previous life, the summoned spirit wyvern could only be used as a restraint and a meat shield, not as the main attack. Ever since Zhou Mingrui reached level 30 after being summoned, Yan Wuyue could only watch from behind or support him. This made her a little uncomfortable. The more Yan Wuyue fought, the more comfortable she felt. It was as if she had finally vented all her pent-up anger. What else could Zhou Mingrui say? Under the condition that his talents and skills were not unsealed, he could only obediently play a supporting role for Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue¡¯s battle was actually very beautiful. Whether it was her fighting posture or the way she ended the enemy, it gave people an interpretation of the beauty of killing. Compared to himself, it was like the difference between a clown and a queen. No, they were no longer in the same dimension. However, Zhou Mingrui quickly came to a realization. He wasn¡¯t someone who pursued this. All he needed to do was to maximize his combat prowess. Why should he care about such things? With this in mind, Zhou Mingrui threw himself back into the battle. At this moment, he had already decided that since he didn¡¯t have a strong attack power, he would obediently do a good job in supporting the battle. Hence, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s tricks began. At this time, the energy in his hands had changed in various ways. Sometimes, it turned into a lot of ropes to tie up shadow leopards, creating opportunities for Yan Wuyue to kill them. After a while, he used his energy to create all kinds of traps. Such as ¡°flash bomb¡±, ¡°spring ring¡±, ¡°glass ball¡±, and so on, torturing the shadow leopards. Although these moves couldn¡¯t cause any specific damage, they greatly limited their movements. In Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, this restriction was the best opportunity to attack. A few minutes later, with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s cooperation, Yan Wuyue killed thirty shadow leopards with her spear. [These guys probably won¡¯t come looking for trouble with us anymore.] Yan Wuyue clapped her hands and looked at the shadow leopard¡¯s corpses on the ground. Her eyes were flashing. [That¡¯s strange. Didn¡¯t you say that shadow leopards are level five? Why are they all level four?] Zhou Mingrui asked curiously. [It¡¯s very simple. These are just the other party¡¯s hunting troops. The real tribe is in another place.] After Yan Wuyue made sure that no one had escaped, she said to Zhou Mingrui, [Hurry up and get rid of the smell on your body. Then, let¡¯s leave this place as soon as possible.] Zhou Mingrui nodded and immediately transformed into an energy form. After removing all the impurities from his body, he followed Yan Wuyue and left the place. After another ten minutes or so, a figure suddenly appeared in the open space. It was many times larger than a normal level 4 shadow leopard, its black and white fur had a unique luster, and its red eyes were filled with rage as it looked at the corpses of its kind. As it roared, it revealed its sharp teeth. Then, it roared toward the sky, and many shadow leopards appeared in the surroundings. If Yan Wuyue were here, she would find that these level 5 shadow leopards, which could have been the leaders of ordinary shadow leopards, could only act as guards at this moment. And this shadow leopard was clearly the true king of this race. With another roar, a large number of level 5 shadow leopards received the order and quickly charged into the forest. Chapter 220 - 220 The Shadow Leopard King 220 The Shadow Leopard King Seeing the hundreds of level 5 shadow leopards disappear in different directions, the Shadow Leopard King let out a breath of hot air, its bloodshot eyes scanning the area, its nose twitching. Soon, it followed the smell and came to a place on the battlefield. It reached out a claw and pried away a dozen bodies piled on it. The next moment, it stopped moving. After the corpses were pried away, a spot on the ground caught its attention. It lowered its body and sniffed with its nose, and a cold light suddenly appeared in the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s eyes. ¡°A trap. Human!¡± The Shadow Leopard King was actually speaking in human language. At this moment, the gray-white fur on its body quickly began turning pure white, and an invisible whirlwind began to spin around it. A wave of violent anger appeared on its body, but it quickly dissipated. Then, it looked around, but it could not find the source of the smell. Without any clues, it chose a direction based on its sixth sense, took a step, turned into a phantom, and disappeared. And that direction happened to be the direction where Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue had left. ¡­ [Wuyue, why do I always have an ominous premonition?] Zhou Mingrui suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Yan Wuyue with a strange expression while they were on their way. After all, they were in a dense forest. In order not to attract the monsters by making any sounds, the two of them maintained a spiritual conversation. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue¡¯s footsteps also stopped. After a slight change in her expression, she sighed helplessly and said, [In that case, prepare for battle.] [Huh?] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. [It¡¯s fine if you didn¡¯t say it. Once you say it, it basically means that something has happened. It¡¯s nothing more than the other race discovering our traces and catching up.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression also returned to normal. [That¡¯s not right. I saw that you basically cleared all traces when you left just now. I maintained my energy form for nearly two kilometers on the way here. You also cleared the footprints and covered the smell.] Zhou Mingrui analyzed. [That¡¯s true under normal circumstances, but it¡¯s different under abnormal circumstances.] Yan Wuyue rubbed the space between her eyebrows and began to clean up the surrounding woods. [What do you mean? Are you saying that it¡¯s because of me?] Zhou Mingrui was speechless. [It¡¯s hard to explain. No one knows why. If you have time to complain, why don¡¯t you come and help me as soon as possible? Organize a battlefield that is as advantageous to us as possible.] Yan Wuyue urged. [Alright.] Zhou Mingrui quickly went over to help Yan Wuyue. The two of them moved quickly and cleared out an empty area in a few minutes. However, they soon stopped. A huge shadow leopard with black and white fur walked out of the dense forest in front of them. Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression changed the moment she saw the monster. [What¡¯s going on?] Zhou Mingrui naturally noticed Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression. [That¡¯s the Shadow Leopard King, a high-rank level 6 monster. In a head-on battle, it¡¯s on par with the level 6 regular leopard from before.] Yan Wuyue continued seriously, [But in the dense forest environment of the west, the regular leopard is no match for the Shadow Leopard King. It will be killed.] Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath when he heard that. He had personally experienced how difficult it was to defeat a level 6 regular leopard. But his current situation didn¡¯t allow him to deal with such an enemy at all, and Yan Wuyue¡¯s current strength was probably not a match for it. [Are you confident?] Zhou Mingrui looked at the Shadow Leopard King, who was slowly walking over and asked. [I can¡¯t say for sure. I¡¯ve never fought with him before. If I give it my all, I might have a chance!] The power of Stars and Moon Energy in Yan Wuyue¡¯s body quickly surged, and an energy armor with a pattern of ripples condensed promptly on her body. [We can¡¯t just run?] Zhou Mingrui felt that it would be too dangerous to make a move. This was a fake that was stronger than a regular leopard. [If we were in the southern wasteland, we might still be able to do it. However, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s speed is extremely fast in the dense forest. We won¡¯t be able to escape if we don¡¯t kill it.] Yan Wuyue rejected the suggestion. [Alright, let¡¯s get started. I¡¯ve been really unlucky recently.] Zhou Mingrui was also helpless, but he still walked in front of Yan Wuyue and said, [I¡¯ll hold it back while you wait for an opportunity to attack. But remember, if the situation doesn¡¯t look good, you have to abandon me and leave.] [Anyway, my current situation is the same. Even if I die and start over, I won¡¯t lose much.] Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say anything but nodded slightly. There was no need to say anything more at this time. Zhou Mingrui began to congeal an extremely thick energy armor on his vital parts. At the same time, four shields constantly surrounded his body. At the same time, various energy items were rapidly congregating in his hands. The Shadow Leopard King looked at the two humans in front of it. It was curious to see that they weren¡¯t running away but was in a fighting stance. Because it didn¡¯t feel any dangerous aura from these two people, it didn¡¯t even feel threatened, which made it curious whether these two humans killed its subordinates. Seeing that the Shadow Leopard King did not launch an attack directly, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue could only stay where they were and defend. After all, they were the weaker party now. If they attacked rashly, the Shadow Leopard King would easily seize the opportunity, and there might be no chance of turning the tables. ¡°Humans, where are your companions?¡± At this time, the Shadow Leopard King suddenly spoke in the human language. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui were both stunned. After exchanging a look, Yan Wuyue said, ¡°First of all, we are the vanguard. The main force will arrive at any time from behind.¡± The Shadow Leopard King paused for a moment as if it understood Yan Wuyue¡¯s meaning. Then it asked, ¡°Did you kill my men?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yan Wuyue immediately said. ¡°We killed your men. They wanted to eat me, so I naturally wouldn¡¯t show mercy!¡± Zhou Mingrui did not find it strange that Yan Wuyue would admit it. After all, anyone who was not stupid would know that they were the ones who did it. No matter how well the traces were cleaned up, the Shadow Leopard King was able to track them down, which meant that they were the murderer. After all, they were the only humans in the area. Now, no matter what the reason was for the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s question, even if Yan Wuyue chose to deny it, it would be of no help to the current situation. ¡°Very good. In that case, you can die.¡± The Shadow Leopard King seemed to have confirmed something. Its eyes suddenly turned cold, and its tone was full of killing intent. ¡°As expected, what¡¯s supposed to come will come.¡± Yan Wuyue took a deep breath and began to pour energy into her body. The next moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had been standing in front of Yan Wuyue, disappeared in a flash. Following that, a loud boom was heard as three large trees in the dense forest not far away were knocked down. Following that, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body fell onto the grass. Chapter 221 - 221 A Great Opportunity 221 A Great Opportunity Yan Wuyue had a very serious expression when she looked at the Shadow Leopard King that had stopped moving. Although she couldn¡¯t see the scene of Zhou Mingrui being sent flying with her eyes, she could clearly see it with her spiritual power. In just a single exchange, Zhou Mingrui, who was completely on the defensive, was sent flying by the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s paw. He did not have the slightest ability to resist. Zhou Mingrui, who had fallen to the ground, stood up and panted slightly. He was still in shock. He had been fully focused just now, and he had even activated his spiritual scan. The Shadow Leopard King¡¯s instantaneous burst of speed was simply too fast. Even if he had sensed it in advance with his spiritual scan, he would not have been able to react in time with his current strength. The Shadow Leopard King¡¯s eyes narrowed. With a flash of its figure, it charged at Zhou Mingrui again. It was obvious that it was prepared to deal with the weakling, Zhou Mingrui, first. However, just as it was about to reach Zhou Mingrui, it was struck by an energy beam. Although it was unable to deal any direct damage to it, it still affected the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s forward charge. It also gave Zhou Mingrui space to dodge. [Let me fight him. You stay on the side and hold him back!] At this moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure rushed out from the side and directly met the Shadow Leopard King, who was charging at him again. Bang! As the two sides collided, Yan Wuyue was immediately blown back. She thrust her spear into the ground to stabilize herself. [As expected, I can¡¯t win against this guy without using my trump card!] Yan Wuyue took a deep breath to slow down the surging qi and blood in her body. [Don¡¯t tell me you want to¡­ ] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. [Don¡¯t fight with me this time. It¡¯s my turn.] Yan Wuyue smiled, and then her momentum suddenly increased. The Stars and Moon Energy attached to her body suddenly went out of control. The secret skill ¡ª Fission! The activation of the secret skill made Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes emit a strong light of stars and moon. It was not over yet. In the next moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s body burst into intense flames again, and her hair that was bound up burst apart. The secret skill ¡ª Ignition! With the two secret skills, Yan Wuyue¡¯s momentum had climbed to the limit. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching from the side, was a little dumbfounded. This was the first time he had seen Yan Wuyue burst out with such an imposing aura. Yan Wuyue lowered her feet and shot out. Two shallow pits were created on the ground by the powerful impact. Naturally, the Shadow Leopard King could see Yan Wuyue¡¯s outburst, but it didn¡¯t care. The fur all over its body turned pure white in an instant, and the airflow around it began to become visible to the naked eye. Yan Wuyue rushed in front of the Shadow Leopard King. She stepped on her left foot, spun her waist, and thrust her spear forward. The Shadow Leopard King raised its foot to block, but it had underestimated the power of Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear. Its confident attack was immediately deflected by the spear. Yan Wuyue seized this opportunity to launch another attack without hesitation. The spear in her hand turned into a long stick, and she swept it from the side. [Close your eyes!] At this moment, several balls of light were thrown between Yan Wuyue and the Shadow Leopard King at the same time. Yan Wuyue had already closed her eyes in advance after being warned. The ball of light suddenly exploded, and a bright light flashed out, dazzling the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s eyes. However, it turned around and tried to avoid Yan Wuyue¡¯s sweeping spear. But at this time, the sweeping spear was retracted and turned into a stab. For this rare opportunity, Yan Wuyue twisted the spear in her hand. A strong spiral wave immediately appeared on the tip of the spear, turning the surrounding air into visible airwaves. Fighting skill, Rising Dragon Break! At this moment, Yan Wuyue put most of her energy into this attack. The strong energy light began to condense along the previous spiral. The moment it came into contact with the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s skin, it was like a giant dragon extending its claws in a roar, ruthlessly stabbing at the enemy. The violent spiral force broke the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s tough skin at the moment of contact, which was why Yan Wuyue did it. In fact, Yan Wuyue wouldn¡¯t have dared to fight like this in the southern wasteland. However, the Shadow Leopard King was a monster from the west, so it was naturally weaker in defense. After the tip of the spear pierced through the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s fur, it began to go deep into its muscles. But the next second, Yan Wuyue frowned. Because she felt the resistance from the tip of the spear, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t dare to hesitate. She gave up the plan to go deeper and chose to detonate the energy carried by the tip of the spear. With a loud boom, the energy bomb that had been compressed earlier was detonated at this time, and a strong shock wave was released. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, took advantage of the shock wave to draw her spear and retreat. At the same time, the angry Shadow Leopard King¡¯s sharp claws cut through the air, leaving three visible claw marks in the air. All of this happened in less than five seconds, and the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s chest was already covered in blood. A wound had appeared on its chest. The Shadow Leopard King had already used its muscles to stop the bleeding, but there was still blood flowing on its white fur. The Shadow Leopard King grimaced in pain. This was the first time it had suffered such a wound since birth, and it was a serious challenge to its dignity as a king. Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui¡¯s faces turned grave at the sight. That attack just now could be said to be her strongest attack at the moment. Even with such a good opportunity, Yan Wuyue still couldn¡¯t hurt this guy, which made her feel helpless. That¡¯s right. Yan Wuyue wasn¡¯t sure if she could kill this Shadow Leopard King. The original plan was to severely injure it and then seize the opportunity to leave. Under most circumstances, a highly intelligent monster like the Shadow Leopard King wouldn¡¯t chase after them. But now, Yan Wuyue¡¯s plan was probably going to fail because the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s body had begun to flash with light. Streams of air visible to the naked eye began to condense into terrifying wind blades, constantly revolving around the Shadow Leopard King. The Shadow Leopard King kept growling, and its eyes started to turn blood red. It was obviously completely enraged. [If the situation doesn¡¯t look good, run first. I¡¯ll do my best to hold it back!] Zhou Mingrui also realized that something was wrong, so he could only say that to Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say anything. She knew this was the best choice at the moment, but she still wanted to try before she completely failed. The Shadow Leopard King roared in anger. In a flash, it turned into a shadow and came to Yan Wuyue without a sound. However, when it wanted to take another step forward, it found that its four paws were facing a huge resistance. When it lowered its head, it found that the dense energy threads had all been locked onto its feet. Chapter 222 - 222 Chain Secret Skill, Fission Detonation 222 Chain Secret Skill, Fission Detonation And the source of the energy thread was Zhou Mingrui, who was not far away. At this time, he had already pulled the energy output to the maximum, and the control power was also pulled to the maximum. If he wanted to defeat the Shadow Leopard King, he had to create this opportunity and find the best time. As a combat-type Summoner who had a lifetime of experience, Yan Wuyue naturally didn¡¯t need Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reminder to seize this opportunity. The energy that had increased explosively while Fission was activated condensed at the fastest speed. The original white flames on the surface of her body had long dissipated. A white mist that was like water vapor had taken over. [The next attack will exceed my current limit. If this attack doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll immediately run away. I¡¯ll be relying on you next.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice transmission rang in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind. She was as rational as ever. [No problem, I¡¯ll definitely let you leave safely!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flashed with determination. He would not allow Yan Wuyue to fall before him. Chain secret skill ¡ª Fission Detonation! In the rising mist, Yan Wuyue¡¯s muscles suddenly bulged, and the energy in her body kept shaking under the boiling blood. In the microscopic world of energy, the energy core that was constantly splitting began to collide with each other under the control of powerful and fine energy. The energy waves produced from the collision kept on spreading. A large number of energy waves gathered together, causing the entire microscopic energy world to start producing resonance. All of this happened in an instant. Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear was already aimed at the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s forehead. This time, the Shadow Leopard King finally sensed the threat. It roared in anger, and the air currents all over its body slashed out like blades, cutting off all the energy threads binding it. However, how could Zhou Mingrui let it go so easily? It was certain that the Shadow Leopard King would break free of the energy strands. Therefore, he had long made preparations for this. The moment he saw the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s movements, he gave up on the supply of energy threads and activated new energy threads. Just as the silk threads that had lost their energy supply were cut off and dissipated, new energy threads bound the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s body again. However, the energy threads were only able to bind the Shadow Leopard King for less than half a second before they were cut off by the terrifying energy on the surface of the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s skin. However, it was this half a second that gave Yan Wuyue the chance to attack. She completely ignored the wind blades that were slashing at her along the way. Any wind blade that touched the tip of her spear was destroyed by the vibration of the spear. Some of the wind blades that slipped through the net turned around and cut Yan Wuyue¡¯s body. They broke through the energy layer and created wounds of different depths. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care at all. She was concentrating on her spear. The Shadow Leopard King realized that something was wrong. It wanted to activate its own ability to dodge, but with a thought, it found that energy bombs were flying toward it. The energy bombs couldn¡¯t hurt it, but they could stop it from running at its fastest speed. In a moment of desperation, the Shadow Leopard King lived up to its reputation as one of the fastest level 6 monsters. It opened its mouth and activated the energy within its body to shoot out a wind energy beam. At the same time, a large number of the wind blades around him immediately turned and slashed at Zhou Mingrui. It wanted to kill him! Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care at all. The energy vibration on the spear had even attracted the energy in the surrounding space and began to integrate into the space in front of it, making it more powerful. The instant the light beam and the spear¡¯s tip collided, the wind energy light beam was immediately dispelled by the vibrations on the spear. It was like a hot knife cutting through tofu. When the tip of the spear touched the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s head, which was unable to dodge in time, the latter¡¯s eyes were already filled with fear. The spearhead that was locked onto the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s head entered its mouth when the other party rashly launched an attack. Originally, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s defense was one of the worst among the level 6 monsters, and this time, it was still caught at its soft spot and was pierced through by the spear. In the next moment, the energy on the tip of the spear exploded, and the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s head began to shake at a speed that was invisible to the naked eye. ¡°Explode!¡± With a bang, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s head let out a muffled sound. Its eyes exploded at this moment, and its nose also sprayed out a three-colored sticky liquid. Its originally firm body also went limp at this time because its brain, under the continuous accumulation of shock energy, exploded from the inside like a water ball and turned into a pile of mud. [Let¡¯s go!] Yan Wuyue sent a voice transmission to Zhou Mingrui, who had just been baptized by countless wind blades. Even though he had been transformed into an energy form, he was still injured. However, when he heard this, Zhou Mingrui ignored the pain in his body and immediately rushed to Yan Wuyue¡¯s side. He took her and ran in a certain direction. [The Shadow Leopard King is dead?] Zhou Mingrui asked as he ran. [Its brain was blown up by my attack. It¡¯s dead for sure!] Yan Wuyue replied through voice transmission. [We must leave the scene as soon as possible. Its underlings will definitely go berserk because of the king¡¯s death. They will not rest until we are dead.] Pfft! Yan Wuyue, who was on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s back, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Zhou Mingrui turned around and saw that blood was flowing out of her eyes, nose, and ears. [I¡¯m fine. I won¡¯t die yet. The energy explosion and shock in my body have damaged my internal organs and spine.] Yan Wuyue said with a wry smile. Zhou Mingrui did not laugh because he knew how terrible this feeling was. [I thought the side effects would be less severe, but my physical fitness still hasn¡¯t reached the expected level.] Yan Wuyue seemed to want to distract herself from the pain and began to complain to Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui naturally knew what she was up to. Hence, he replied with a question, [What¡¯s that move of yours? It seems to be able to form a combination with Fission?] Yan Wuyue answered after a pause, [That¡¯s the follow-up killer move of the secret skill Fission, Detonation. That is the energy particles that are split out collide with each other continuously. The energy shock produced can cause the energy inside the body to resonate.] [And when the resonance reaches a certain level, it will use a terrifying force to affect the enemy¡¯s particles.] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback when he heard that. Wasn¡¯t that similar to the principle behind high-frequency resonance? [I know that this kind of resonance can affect the other party¡¯s particles, causing damage on the microscopic level of the other party¡¯s physical body and energy. It can even cause internal explosions.] Zhou Mingrui said. [Not bad. I didn¡¯t expect you to understand the principle of this move. However, the side effects are too great. Before the body reaches a certain level, it¡¯s like killing 1000 enemies and suffering 800 losses on one¡¯s own.] Yan Wuyue said with a wry smile. Chapter 223 - 223 Recovery and Reconstruction 223 Recovery and Reconstruction [So, your current injury is that your internal organs have been damaged by the shock. How¡¯s your energy level?] Zhou Mingrui immediately began to understand her pain. Yan Wuyue paused for a while before saying, [I¡¯ve stabilized the energy and locked the auxiliary particles. There won¡¯t be any more problems now. The main thing is that my body is injured.] Zhou Mingrui was shocked. [Then we need to leave this place as soon as possible. We need to return to the base to seek treatment.] The damage to the internal organs was no joke. It could easily cause a chain collapse of the human body¡¯s internal system. [No need, I¡¯ve already expected this, so I¡¯ve already prepared a backup plan. Now we need to find a safe place!] Yan Wuyue rejected the suggestion. [Alright!] Zhou Mingrui did not retort. Yan Wuyue was a meticulous person. He knew very well that she would not do something she was not confident in. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t angry at Yan Wuyue¡¯s unwillingness to return to the city. On the contrary, he began to look for a hidden place according to her orders. Soon, his sharp eyes found a cave entrance. Before entering the cave, Zhou Mingrui followed Yan Wuyue¡¯s instructions and deliberately avoided the cave. Then, he used the powder in the box to create a fake escape route and destroyed all traces of the path to the cave. Finally, after confirming that there were no monsters in the cave, he directly collapsed the entrance of the cave. After clearing out a clean space, Zhou Mingrui put Yan Wuyue down. [Tell me, what do we do now?] Zhou Mingrui asked the weak Yan Wuyue. [Just now, after killing the Shadow Leopard King, I can already upgrade to level 50.] Yan Wuyue said. [I know, but will upgrading solve your injuries?] Zhou Mingrui asked in confusion. [If it was an ordinary person, there would be no way to do it, but I¡¯m already prepared.] A smile appeared on Yan Wuyue¡¯s pale face. [Wait!] Zhou Mingrui sat down and said with a look of surprise, [Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve already calculated all of this?] [I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve calculated everything. I¡¯m just prepared in advance. It¡¯s not difficult.] Yan Wuyue looked calm and relaxed. Zhou Mingrui was rendered speechless. Now that he thought about it, it was true. With his talent and skills sealed, there was a certain chance that he would encounter a powerful monster if he came to a monster gathering place alone. It was easy to guess what would happen in this situation. [Alright, I¡¯m going to start my breakthrough.] As Yan Wuyue spoke, she took out a fist-sized, translucent burgundy crystal ball from the space and put it in front of her. Then, she took out two jade green sticks and a seven-colored lotus-like flower. Finally, there was a metal circle. It was rose gold in color and had complicated patterns on it. Zhou Mingrui was taken aback by these items. He had never seen them before, nor did he know where Yan Wuyue had gotten them. [I¡¯ve been collecting this for a long time, and it¡¯s also for this moment. You¡¯ll know its specific use later.] Yan Wuyue explained. [No wonder. I¡¯ve never seen you take these things out.] Zhou Mingrui did not probe further. He was not the kind of person who liked to know everything clearly. After taking a deep breath, Yan Wuyue closed her eyes. In the next moment, her skin suddenly glowed with a bright white light. This was the effect of the energy in her body being stimulated. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui could clearly sense that the changes in Yan Wuyue¡¯s body were getting more and more intense. Soon, Yan Wuyue broke through to level 50. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and reached out to grab the burgundy crystal ball. Then, the originally translucent and empty burgundy crystal ball began to emit liquid-like energy. On the other hand, the light on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body began to dim. This scene left Zhou Mingrui completely befuddled. He could not figure out what was going on. About five minutes later, the burgundy crystal ball was fully filled with energy, and the light on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body had completely dimmed. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui could no longer sense any energy fluctuations in Yan Wuyue¡¯s body. This made him very curious about the reason. However, at this time, Yan Wuyue was obviously in a special state. No matter how stupid he was, he knew not to disturb her. Then Yan Wuyue opened her eyes again. After putting aside the crystal ball, she reached out and picked up the two long sticks made of jade. In fact, in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes, the two poles were like scallions. Then, the two green jade sticks in her hands suddenly glowed with green light and then shattered into a large number of green light spots, floating around Yan Wuyue. [You should remember that I told you before that my Stars and Moon Energy comes from a special item, right?] Yan Wuyue suddenly said. [I remember that you were talking about the kind of item that can inherit power and abilities, right?] Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t know why Yan Wuyue was able to divert her attention to talk, but he still responded. [That crystal ball is a special item that can contain legacy energy.] Yan Wuyue continued. [So that¡¯s how it is. Wait, you mean that you¡¯ve given up on the power of Stars and Moon Energy] Zhou Mingrui asked in surprise. [That¡¯s right, this was planned a long time ago because level 50 is one of the special thresholds among Summoners.] Yan Wuyue replied, [The Stars and Moon Energy can give me extraordinary combat power in the early stage. But once I reach the later stage, there will be a certain gap in energy.] Zhou Mingrui looked at the green dot of light and asked, [So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ve given up on the Stars and Moon Energy, so what are these items?] Yan Wuyue immediately said, [The green jade is a special item that can help me heal my body. These green light spots can stimulate the activity of the regenerative cells in my body and repair my damaged internal organs as soon as possible.] However, Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and asked in puzzlement, [If I remember correctly, the academy once said that this thing is quite good, but I remember that the recovery time is very long?] Yan Wuyue laughed and said, [I¡¯m very happy that you¡¯re really learning something. Indeed, it takes time for this thing to repair the body. According to my injury, it will take at least five days to have an obvious recovery.] [However, I¡¯m currently in the breakthrough stage, and the Stars and Moon Energy in my body have been completely emptied. At this time, my body will completely accept this energy, and my recovery speed will also be greatly improved.] [Based on my current condition, I should be able to fully recover within 24 to 30 hours.] Chapter 224 - 224 Class Change 224 Class Change [In other words, within a day to a day and a half? Are you sure we¡¯ll be completely safe in the meantime?] Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. Yan Wuyue replied, [According to the preparations I¡¯ve made before, I can still hold on for three days.] [You¡¯re an energy form, so normally, you won¡¯t leave anything with a smell behind. But I¡¯m a human. Even if I try my best to control it, an odor will still be produced.] [That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been using the spiritual link to do voice transmission. It¡¯s because when I speak, my saliva might spread into the air, and they will lock onto my smell.] [The monsters in the west have another special characteristic. Their nose is extremely sensitive to smell, so we have to be careful.] Zhou Mingrui rubbed his glabella and said, [I understand. Then, what¡¯s that flower-like thing?] After a long pause, Yan Wuyue said, [That¡¯s called the Flower of Souls. It¡¯s used to help me choose the direction of my abilities when I level up to level 50.] [To be specific, you probably don¡¯t know the difference between a Summoner and a summoned spirit when they level up, right?] Zhou Mingrui nodded. Yan Wuyue continued, [When you summoned spirits level up, the talents or skills that you can get are all skills that belong to your race. It¡¯s like a lottery.] [No matter how strong your spiritual power is, you can¡¯t choose the skills and talents you want, right?] Zhou Mingrui nodded again. Yan Wuyue paused for a moment and continued, [The Summoner¡¯s level-up can be done through our own intervention to choose the direction we want and the possible skill combinations we may get.] [This is also why everyone is basically a combat type in the beginning. Later on, as their level and rank increase, they will gradually determine their direction.] Zhou Mingrui frowned and said, [That¡¯s a little unfair.] Yan Wuyue suddenly laughed. [Unfair? I don¡¯t need to explain the difference between us Summoners and summoned spirits. Do you think that¡¯s fair?] Zhou Mingrui waved his hand and said, [No, no, no. That¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯ve misunderstood.] [The unfairness I¡¯m talking about is the unfairness between you and the other Summoners. Do you understand?] Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui. The expression in her eyes had a special meaning. After a long while, Yan Wuyue said, [You¡¯re right. It¡¯s indeed unfair to other Summoners, but have you thought about it? After I get these, the responsibility I have to bear is much greater than theirs.] [Sometimes, I also want to be a carefree person who doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything or care about anything, but I have no choice.] [Now that I¡¯ve been reborn, I¡¯m going to take on all of this. I don¡¯t need to say these clich¨¦s anymore, right?] Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders and said, [Alright, I understand what you mean. Back to the main topic. What direction do you want to develop at this time?] Yan Wuyue fell into deep thought. Zhou Mingrui had no idea what was going on either, so he could only wait where he was. After about half a day, Yan Wuyue said, [My previous skills were all offensive, including yours, so this time, for our cooperation in the future, we need to make some changes.] Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. [So, you want to complement my combat style?] Yan Wuyue waited for a few seconds before saying, [I¡¯m going to focus on control skills and then some skills with strong offensive attributes.] [Magic swordsman?] Zhou Mingrui said subconsciously. [Huh?] Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui in confusion. [How did you know?] Zhou Mingrui pondered for a moment and said, [On the planet before I came to the illusionary spirit world, many games have this kind of job. They have control skills and strong attack power.] [I see.] Yan Wuyue finally understood and said, [But to be precise, it should be called magic spear warrior. I don¡¯t really like swords.] [Alright, that¡¯s all. I have a mission for you.] Yan Wuyue said. [Say it.] Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. [You want me to activate my spiritual power to scan the outside world to ensure that I¡¯ll be able to detect any dangerous situations at the first instance, right?] Yan Wuyue tilted her head and said with a gratified smile, [Mingrui, how long have we been together?] Zhou Mingrui replied, [More than half a year.] Yan Wuyue immediately continued, [How much do you think you¡¯ve changed from your initial thoughts to your current thoughts?] Zhou Mingrui laughed as well. He chuckled, [What if I tell you that I¡¯m still the same as I was in the beginning?] Yan Wuyue shook her head and said, [No, you¡¯ve changed. I¡¯m sure of it.] Zhou Mingrui spread his hands and said, [Sure, whatever you say.] [Alright, I¡¯ve already reached a critical moment and can¡¯t spare much energy. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.] Yan Wuyue closed her eyes and fell into silence. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui did not hesitate to push his spiritual power to its limits. He passed through the soil¡¯s restrictions and began scanning outside. Meanwhile, in the outside world, looking down from the sky, one could see thousands of shadow leopards constantly searching the area around Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s hiding spot. Under the command of a shadow leopard that was not much smaller than the Shadow Leopard King, the search area began to shrink. Based on the speed of the search, they would arrive at Zhou Mingrui and his partner¡¯s hiding spot in less than five hours. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui closed his eyes and tried his best to ensure that his spiritual scan could cover an accurate area. At the same time, he had to ensure that his spiritual energy would not be insufficient to make ends meet. It was also at this moment that Zhou Mingrui¡¯s spiritual scan suddenly discovered that Yan Wuyue¡¯s injuries had almost recovered by 40%. It would only take half a day for Yan Wuyue to fully recover according to the current time. Time passed quickly, and soon, another five hours passed. Eh? Zhou Mingrui, who had been maintaining his spiritual scan, suddenly frowned. This was because his spiritual scan had detected traces of the shadow leopard in the outside world. And as time passed, the number of shadow leopards began to increase, and they were constantly approaching the hiding place of the two. Most importantly, half an hour later, Zhou Mingrui discovered that a robust shadow leopard had appeared in his spiritual scan. The moment he saw the shadow leopard, he knew that something was wrong. However, when he turned to look at Yan Wuyue, he found that her body was still in a critical period of recovery, so she couldn¡¯t spare any attention to see what was happening there. Hence, Zhou Mingrui could only continue his scan, hoping that the other party would not find him. Chapter 225 - 225 Danger Approaching 225 Danger Approaching However, the shadow leopards did not do as Zhou Mingrui wished. They seemed to be completely enraged by the death of the Shadow Leopard King. They began to dig three feet into the ground to search for Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui knew that if it weren¡¯t for Yan Wuyue¡¯s arrangements, the two of them would have been found long ago. At this time, Yan Wuyue was in the process of recovery, and her current situation was also a period of weak combat effectiveness. If she encountered thousands of shadow leopards at this time, the outcome would be obvious. Under such circumstances, Zhou Mingrui had no choice but to edit the message on his watch and choose a time to send it out. This was because Zhou Mingrui was afraid that if a fight really broke out, he wouldn¡¯t have the chance to call for backup. That would be the most helpless thing he could do. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui quickly typed out the message and pressed the button to send it on time. If he really couldn¡¯t handle it, the watch would send the information to the key person according to the time he set. This way, he would be able to get strong support. However, Yan Wuyue had said before that unless it was the last resort, they should try not to ask for help from the base. Because even though that could guarantee their own safety, they would lose their purpose in coming here. Hence, Zhou Mingrui even retracted most of the spiritual energy he radiated, afraid that some of the shadow leopards would suddenly sense something amiss. Hence, in this extremely tense situation, time passed by. The shadow leopards¡¯ search area had also been shrinking during this time. They were getting closer and closer to Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s location. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was already on high alert because the shadow leopard closest to them was less than three hundred meters away. The shadow leopards were very meticulous in their search. They kept using their claws to dig at the ground, and then used their noses to sniff at it. They were not willing to let go of even a single detail. Furthermore, when the distance between them was about a hundred meters, Zhou Mingrui saw the newly-appointed Shadow Leopard King that was leading the entire tribe. Hurry up and leave! At this moment, Zhou Mingrui, who had no other choice, could only shout in his heart. At the same time, he wished that his strength could be restored as soon as possible and not be in this helpless situation. A day had already passed, and shadow leopards had already begun to wander around the entrance of the cave they were at. It had been a long time since Zhou Mingrui felt his heart beating so rapidly. He forcefully suppressed the palpitations in his heart, afraid that any activity here would attract the other party. However, Yan Wuyue¡¯s defense was very good. Even though hundreds of shadow leopards sniffed and searched the ground above them, they couldn¡¯t find the entrance at all. Zhou Mingrui was relieved to see this. But at that moment, the Shadow Leopard King, which had been observing the situation all this while, suddenly stopped and turned its head in a certain direction. And this position happened to be where the two of them were. The Shadow Leopard King jumped down the steps, and after a few jumps, it arrived at an empty area. It looked at it carefully for a while and found no suspicious traces, but it still refused to leave. Instead, it kept walking back and forth as if it was observing something. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s heart was already in his throat. The newly-appointed Shadow Leopard King seemed to be very cunning. Just like that, one party stayed in the cave while the Shadow Leopard King scanned the ground and sniffed at it. Suddenly, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s mouth twitched, and it let out an angry roar. All the shadow leopards stopped what they were doing and began to surround the Shadow Leopard King. Ten minutes later, the Shadow Leopard King was surrounded by a large number of shadow leopards. When all the shadow leopards had gathered, there was no need for the new king to say anything. Everyone had already quieted down. The Shadow Leopard King scanned its surroundings and immediately used its claws to slap the ground. This action immediately frightened Zhou Mingrui. This was because they happened to be right below the Shadow Leopard King. Zhou Mingrui heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the shadow leopards did not seem to have any intention of moving. Then, after the Shadow Leopard King let out two long howls, all the shadow leopards suddenly began to growl in response, and gray-white energy began to emerge from their bodies. It opened its mouth and bit the tail of another shadow leopard, and all the shadow leopards began to do the same. In less than two minutes, all the energy had gathered on the six shadow leopards closest to the Shadow Leopard King. Their bodies were also much larger than ordinary shadow leopards. It was obvious that they were the elite members of their tribe. The energy gathered by the large group was on their bodies, and without any hesitation, they converted all the energy to the Shadow Leopard King. The rest of the tribe immediately started to move away after completing their mission, as if they knew what the Shadow Leopard King was up to. Another 10 minutes passed, and the six shadow leopards had finished transferring their energy. They also stood up and quickly retreated to a certain distance. The Shadow Leopard King¡¯s fur stood on end as it received a massive amount of energy. Tiny electric snakes crackled around its body. After finally getting used to the explosive energy in its body, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s eyes began to flash with a powerful energy light. Then, a slit slowly appeared between its brows. When all the shadow leopards saw this, they began to roar continuously, their voices reverberating in all directions. All of this made Zhou Mingrui immediately stop whatever he was doing. He didn¡¯t even dare to perform a spiritual scan. The Shadow Leopard King opened its mouth, and as rays of energy gathered, a ball of light the size of a soccer ball had already appeared in its mouth. Even without a spiritual scan, one could already see how terrifying the attack was from the terrifying energy fluctuations contained within the ball of light. In the next instant, the Shadow Leopard King suddenly turned its head to the ground, and a blazing white beam of light shot out from its mouth. The moment the light beam touched the ground, it hit the ground like a hot knife cutting through cheese. [Oh no, it discovered us!] Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed. On the other hand, Yan Wuyue was still recovering. The worst-case scenario had already happened, and the only way left was to fight. Zhou Mingrui had already donned his energy armor. At the same time, the weapon in his hand rapidly condensed into a sledgehammer. He was ready to enter the battle at any moment. At this moment, Yan Wuyue, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Chapter 226 - 226 Extreme Escape 226 Extreme Escape [I didn¡¯t expect them to find us faster than I expected.] Zhou Mingrui turned around and saw that Yan Wuyue had already opened her eyes. At this time, her face had already recovered its former ruddy color, but she said with a serious expression, [Mingrui, I¡¯ve basically recovered from my injuries, but I still don¡¯t have any combat power. I need you to help me with something.] Zhou Mingrui sighed and said, [I know. Is it to buy you time?] [That¡¯s right. It will take time for me to re-create my talents and skills, so you have to help me delay, and I¡¯ll have enough opportunities.] Yan Wuyue said solemnly. [How long do you need? You should know that there are thousands of shadow leopards outside. I don¡¯t have the confidence to buy you a long time.] Zhou Mingrui asked Yan Wuyue. [At least four hours!] Yan Wuyue answered immediately. [Alright, I¡¯ll do my best. The rest is up to you!] Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t waste his breath or be bashful. He got up and used his energy to form a drill bit. Then, it began to spin rapidly. [I hope you can finish it as soon as possible. After all, I really hate the feeling of being beaten up!] After Zhou Mingrui said that, he stabbed the spinning wheel in his hand into the mud wall in front of him. A powerful energy spiral immediately formed the next hole. As she watched Zhou Mingrui leave, Yan Wuyue turned to look at the lotus with seven-colored petals. Her calm expression was filled with determination. [Wait for me!] After saying that, she directly placed the seven-colored lotus in her hand, closed her eyes, and immediately began to break through to level 50. As for Zhou Mingrui, he did not dare to dig too far after leaving the tunnel. After running for about ten meters, he immediately began digging upward. The moment he broke through the soil, he saw the ground that was already full of potholes. ¡°Fortunately, this fellow hasn¡¯t locked onto our real location. But now I can lure him away with ease!¡± With that said, Zhou Mingrui opened his mouth and let out a loud roar, immediately attracting the attention of a large number of shadow leopards and the Shadow Leopard King. Without another word, Zhou Mingrui retreated back into the pit and immediately began digging in a chosen direction. As for the creatures on the ground, they were stunned when they saw Zhou Mingrui. Then, they immediately charged forward while howling madly. A portion of them entered the cave and began to chase after Zhou Mingrui, who had already run some distance away. A portion of them was constantly driving on the ground, trying to determine the direction in which Zhou Mingrui had escaped. They had their own ways of pursuing him even on the ground. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui also sensed the enemies chasing him. However, he did not feel depressed. Instead, he attempted to attract more shadow leopards to pursue him. As for how to attract them, Zhou Mingrui still had his own ways. As a result, more than seventy percent of the shadow leopards appeared to be very quick in befriending Zhou Mingrui. They began to hunt him down in a frenzy. It was unknown how many shadow leopards he had offended. Just like that, a large number of shadow leopards chased after Zhou Mingrui¡¯s movements on the ground. Although it was confirmed that the tunnel was still in the pipe, the shadow leopards were unable to do anything to him for the time being. In the end, Zhou Mingrui had already distanced himself more than twenty kilometers away from that spot. At that moment, there was no need for him to continue moving further. Instead, he began to turn around and kill. Zhou Mingrui naturally had no way of dealing with the level 6 and 5 shadow leopards. However, with the other party¡¯s current speed, they did not have anyone to chase after him. After confirming the situation, Zhou Mingrui immediately burst out of the ground. Without a word, he unleashed all sorts of energy restraints and attacks, causing significant damage to the level 3 and 4 shadow leopards. Without any further hesitation, Zhou Mingrui immediately retracted back into the soil and continued to flee. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui kept a large number of shadow leopards busy and even caused a certain number of casualties to the shadow leopards. Upon hearing this report, the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s eyes narrowed. With a low growl, three level 5 shadow leopards suddenly appeared nearby. Then, they immediately chased in the direction that Zhou Mingrui had fled. Zhou Mingrui naturally sensed the arrival of the three level 5 shadow leopards. At this moment, the leopards had caught up to him easily. They opened their mouths and aimed in the direction Zhou Mingrui was fleeing in, shooting out several beams of light. The moment the beam of light hit the ground, it melted a hole in the ground and turned it into a translucent glass. Zhou Mingrui had already pulled the distance even further away. It wasn¡¯t that he had no choice, but his current strength was no more than two level 5 shadow leopard monsters. However, the current situation was that the other party could easily catch up to him and force him to come out to fight on the ground through energy bombardment. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had already dragged the game on for two and a half hours. Looking at the two level 5 shadow leopards baring their fangs and glaring at him, Zhou Mingrui was in a predicament he could not voice out. However, he was only depressed for a moment before he quickly pulled himself together. The energy in his left hand quickly gathered and condensed into several balls of light. Zhou Mingrui knew that his main goal was to buy time and not kill the two level 5 shadow leopards. Therefore, he immediately turned and ran after throwing the ball of light in his hand. Buzz! The ball of light arrived in front of the two shadow leopards and immediately attracted their attention. The next moment, a strong sun-like light shone out, causing the two shadow leopards to close their eyes. As for Zhou Mingrui, he increased his speed once again and left the battle¡¯s range. He began running in another direction. However, at this point, the two shadow leopards were enraged. They howled madly as they locked onto their target¡¯s scent and began a new round of pursuit. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was feeling extremely aggrieved. When had he ever been in a situation where he could only run and had no way of retaliating? However, he had no choice. This was his current situation. He really couldn¡¯t beat a level 5 shadow leopard, not to mention that there was another one. Most importantly, the level 6 shadow leopard was looking at them with its sharp eyes. Although it was a little far away, the killing intent could still be felt. Zhou Mingrui could sense the Shadow Leopard King¡¯s hostility, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with it. He continued running. Soon, Zhou Mingrui was completely surrounded. The shadow leopards were already filled with rage, and the two level 5 shadow leopards were howling as they chased, while another three rushed over to help. With that, hundreds of level 3 and 4 shadow leopards and five level 5 shadow leopards had completely surrounded him from all sides. They did not give Zhou Mingrui any chance of escape. Chapter 227 - 227 Besieging and Delaying 227 Besieging and Delaying Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath when he saw this scene of despair. Then, he began to mobilize the energy in his body. The energy quickly gathered in his legs. Under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s control, they transformed into a spring-like structure. He stood up and tested his jumping ability. It was not bad. There was no panic on his face. He had already expected to be surrounded, so he was mentally prepared for it. Sometimes, Zhou Mingrui really wondered if he was influenced by the company he had. The way he did things was becoming more and more like Yan Wuyue¡¯s style. And his plan to escape the encirclement was to leave the shadow leopards at a place where they couldn¡¯t catch up. The shadow leopards weren¡¯t in a hurry. Since they had already locked onto their target, they began to slowly shrink the encirclement. On the other hand, Zhou Mingrui was not in a hurry. He stood quietly on the spot. As for the shadow leopards, they thought that there was an ambush when they saw this. They immediately became more careful. He was going to drag out the time anyway, and even if it was dragging out for a minute, it would be beneficial for him. The five level 5 shadow leopards now had increased to ten. They surrounded Zhou Mingrui from different directions, completely sealing off any escape routes he could take. It has to be said that the shadow leopards were the smartest monster clan that Zhou Mingrui had ever seen. They also had the best teamwork. He had killed dozens of shadow leopards before, and he had already formed a deadly feud with the other party¡¯s race. There was no room for reconciliation. Finally, a large number of low-level shadow leopards and level 5 shadow leopards had already reduced the encirclement to a 3m radius. Looking at the shadow leopards in close proximity, Zhou Mingrui revealed a smile. This immediately caused the more intelligent level 5 shadow leopards to feel apprehensive. Why didn¡¯t they run away or show any signs of fear in this situation? Could it be a trap? As a result, with a series of roars, the low-level shadow leopards immediately rushed forward. Since there was a trap, he would use the lives of his subordinates to make up for it. Anyway, there were low-level shadow leopards. Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingrui no longer had any intention of delaying. He gathered energy in his legs and leaped into the air. With the help of his compressed energy and strength, Zhou Mingrui shot into the air like a rocket. Soon, he was more than twenty meters in the air. At this time, he had used up all his strength and began to fall under the gravitational force. However, as the energy on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body flickered and condensed, a huge pair of wings formed behind him. Then, with the help of the air current in the sky, he immediately lifted his body and flew forward. Whoo! Zhou Mingrui could feel the air currents around him high up in the sky. He was able to constantly glide in the air with the gigantic wings condensed from the energy behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s time to get a flying mount. It¡¯ll be much easier if I have one now.¡± As Zhou Mingrui observed the situation in the dense forest below, he sighed inwardly. Even under the cover of a large number of trees, Zhou Mingrui could still see a large number of shadow leopards chasing after him on the ground. He had no choice. After all, there were no obstacles in the air that could be seen clearly. Zhou Mingrui could not hide even if he wanted to. However, no matter what, it was still better than being surrounded on the ground. That would really be a siege to death. However, even though he could fly high in the sky, Zhou Mingrui did not let his guard down. This was because this was a monster gathering ground. There were flying monsters everywhere. As a result, almost half of his attention was focused on the surrounding sky, on the flying monsters that could appear at any time. Thankfully, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s current mission was to stall for time. He did not need to do anything else. Otherwise, it would really be hard to say. Moreover, gliding didn¡¯t mean that one could fly all the time. One had to rely on the airflow to lift them up, and once the airflow was unstable, they would fall directly. ¡°Wuyue, you must be fast, or I¡¯ll have a hard time.¡± Zhou Mingrui could only pray in his heart. If he hadn¡¯t prepared in advance and practiced this set of combos many times, he probably wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Following that, Zhou Mingrui tried his best to glide in the air. Thankfully, he seemed to be quite talented in this area as he did not fly straight to the ground. However, the time he could delay was ultimately limited. In the end, Zhou Mingrui helplessly landed on the ground. As for the shadow leopards that had been waiting for him, they pounced on him immediately. They did not give Zhou Mingrui any space to jump and leave. Thankfully, these were all low-level shadow leopards. Zhou Mingrui relied on his energy saber and shield to constantly defend and counterattack. This also allowed Zhou Mingrui to perfect his experience of being surrounded. At the same time, even if his body was accidentally attacked, he could use his energy to recover. Under such circumstances, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s close combat proficiency was constantly improving. However, less than ten minutes later, the level 5 shadow leopards seemed to realize that Zhou Mingrui no longer had any trump cards. Hence, they immediately joined in the siege of the shadow leopards. Zhou Mingrui, who had been on guard all this while, immediately sensed their participation. He could still hold on to level 3 and 4 shadow leopards by himself, but more than one level 5 shadow leopard was not something he could deal with at the moment. Without any hesitation, Zhou Mingrui turned around and knocked away a few low-level shadow leopards. With a burst of strength in his legs, he escaped from the area that had been surrounded. He jumped again and flew into the air with the glider. However, this time, the level 5 shadow leopards immediately caught up, no longer being cautious. They knew that the human in front of them had no more trump cards. With the speed of the level 5 shadow leopards, it was impossible for Zhou Mingrui to escape with his flying speed. This also meant that he would be surrounded and killed by the level 5 shadow leopards the moment he landed on the ground. However, there was no other way. Zhou Mingrui had already done his best to drag this out. He raised his hand to look at his watch. He had delayed the time by flying and fighting on the ground for more than two hours, but he still needed more than an hour to reach what Yan Wuyue had said. But looking at the shadow leopards that were constantly chasing after him, Zhou Mingrui felt a slight headache. His trump card had already been seen through by the other party. All they wanted to do now was to keep chasing him and kill him the moment he landed! ¡°No, I can¡¯t die. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s no other way!¡± Zhou Mingrui looked at the increasing number of shadow leopards that were targeting him. He immediately gritted his teeth. However, no matter how he thought about it, there was no way to solve this situation unless his ability and talent could be unsealed at this time. Otherwise, this situation would really be a dead end. In the end, before Zhou Mingrui could land on the ground, the level 5 shadow leopards had already formed an encirclement. At the same time, their mouths were still glowing with a bright light. It was clear that they were preparing to launch an energy attack at the same time to blast Zhou Mingrui to death in midair. Chapter 228 - 228 The New King, Qi Ming 228 The New King, Qi Ming ¡°Damn, are these guys preparing to blow me up in the air?¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback when he saw the scene below. He was aware of the energy beam¡¯s power that the Shadow Leopard King had shot out when it opened its mouth. And now, 13 level 5 shadow leopards were waiting for him! When he was more than ten meters high in the air, the shadow leopards seemed to feel that the distance was high enough, so they opened their mouths and shot out the energy beams that they had prepared. Although Zhou Mingrui was cursing in the air, his movements were not slow. A huge shield condensed with all his might had already appeared beneath him. Boom! The thirteen energy beams struck the shield. The immense impact instantly caused cracks to appear on the shield. However, with Zhou Mingrui¡¯s constant energy replenishment, the shield was constantly being damaged and repaired. As for the impact of the energy beam, it also sent Zhou Mingrui, who was originally falling, flying back into the air. Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth and held on behind the shield. The loss of energy and the impact on his body was challenging his nerves. However, Zhou Mingrui continued to hold on. This time, he was thrown forty to fifty meters into the air. As for the energy beam, it was beginning to weaken. Zhou Mingrui seized the opportunity and exerted all his strength to shift the shield¡¯s position. At that moment, the shield gradually took the shape of a diamond under Zhou Mingrui¡¯s efforts. He constantly used the impact of the beam to change his position. Finally, Zhou Mingrui let out a loud roar and used all his strength to push forward. An extremely powerful force immediately retaliated. Zhou Mingrui immediately used this force to retreat. The energy behind him quickly condensed into a pair of gliding wings. Under the control of the flight wings, Zhou Mingrui used this force to immediately pull himself higher into the sky. The level 5 shadow leopards below were all dumbfounded. They had never thought that this human would be able to use their attacks to continue flying. According to their memories, they had never experienced such a thing. Moreover, energy attacks were considered a killing move for them, and they consumed too much of their physical strength. Otherwise, they could have used their own energy attacks to completely knock down this damn human in the sky. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui began flying in the sky again. As for the shadow leopards on the ground, they were burning with rage. All of them began to pursue Zhou Mingrui. However, one of them turned around and ran off in a different direction. ¡­ The new Shadow Leopard King was sitting on a large rock, waiting quietly with its eyes closed. At this time, the level 5 shadow leopard that had left the group earlier ran over and started to cry out. The new Shadow Leopard King nodded after hearing this. Its eyes flashed with a trace of satisfaction as it looked at the back of its subordinate leaving. The previous Shadow Leopard King was its twin brother. Although both of them have grown to level 6 shadow leopards, his elder brother had inherited his father¡¯s strong body and combat power, but he didn¡¯t, so he had no chance in the fight for the throne. However, it had inherited its mother¡¯s wisdom, and in this regard, it was confident that it was the best in the entire tribe. It was undeniable that powerful strength was indispensable, but if it could be matched with its level of wisdom, then it would be truly powerful. That human and her underlings had killed its brother, but it did not harbor any hatred because it could only inherit the throne after its brother died. Only by letting its subordinates realize how difficult it was to deal with and kill these two fellows, and then it would make a move to eliminate them in one fell swoop, then no one in the entire race would dare to question its position. Now, it was time. Thinking of this, the Shadow Leopard King jumped off the rock and rushed in the direction that his subordinate had just told him. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui felt helpless. Due to the high altitude, he had to fly longer than before. However, he was also at a loss as to what to do next. After all, it was impossible to turn danger into safety and continue to delay time every time. He looked at his watch and realized that it would take another 40 minutes to reach four hours. He couldn¡¯t fly in the sky for the entire 40 minutes. And what would he do if a flying monster appeared? Before he had mastered the ability to fly, this type of flying monster was the most troublesome type of perception for all Summoners. This was because if a human wanted to fly, they had to be at least at level 7 before they could truly awaken the ability to fly. However, she was only a level 5 Summoner now. A few minutes later, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s speed and height began to drop. Soon, he was back about ten meters in the air. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui realized that the charging level 5 shadow leopards had begun to change their formation. Just as Zhou Mingrui was wondering why the team had suddenly changed formation, he looked up and saw an even more agile figure charging to the front of the team. ¡°Shadow Leopard King? No, it¡¯s another level 6 shadow leopard!¡± Although the two Shadow Leopard Kings looked very similar, there were still some differences. The Shadow Leopard King that Yan Wuyue had killed before was black and white. It had more black and lesser white fur, but this one had more white fur. Furthermore, when Zhou Mingrui looked at it, its eyes looked back at him as well. There was a different glint in its eyes than the previous Shadow Leopard King¡¯s. If the previous Shadow Leopard King was like a warlike man, the current Shadow Leopard King gave Zhou Mingrui the feeling that he was a wise man with glasses. No, this metaphor was too complicated. In a simple sentence: the previous Shadow Leopard King was like a fierce tiger, but now, it was like a fox. However, compared to the dead fellow from before, the current one made Zhou Mingrui feel even more threatened. However, no matter how dangerous it was, he had to face it. He had no choice. As he landed, Zhou Mingrui could already see the new Shadow Leopard King in its entirety. Surprisingly, it did not launch an attack in advance. And he landed. Seeing the shadow leopards surrounding him once again, Zhou Mingrui did not even spare them a glance. Instead, he focused all his attention on the new Shadow Leopard King. At that moment, the newly-appointed Shadow Leopard King was standing three meters away from him. It was staring at Zhou Mingrui with its eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡± The new Shadow Leopard King said. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at speaking human language.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows. ¡°This isn¡¯t difficult to learn, is it?¡± The new Shadow Leopard King grinned. ¡°How should I address you?¡± Zhou Mingrui felt that there was more to this than met the eye. ¡°Qi Ming. What about you, undead spirit?¡± The Shadow Leopard, Qi Ming asked. ¡°Zhou Mingrui.¡± Zhou Mingrui said frankly. ¡°Tell me, what are you and your Summoner doing here? Why did you kill my clansmen?¡± The Shadow Leopard Qi Ming asked. Chapter 229 - 229 The Hunter and Prey 229 The Hunter and Prey ¡°I¡¯m here for a private matter. I have no intention of targeting your clan.¡± Zhou Mingrui said indifferently, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to call a truce, I can leave your territory with my Summoner. I can also guarantee that as long as you don¡¯t threaten our lives, we will not attack any shadow leopards!¡± Qi Ming did not say anything after hearing that. It simply stared at Zhou Mingrui. After a moment, it suddenly grinned and said. ¡°Zhou Mingrui, what makes you think that I, as the king of the shadow leopards, would let the two of you, who have killed our clansmen, leave so easily?¡± The shadow leopards around them seemed to have received an order as they took a step forward in unison and closed in on Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression remained the same as he said, ¡°Qi Ming, your clansmen took the initiative to attack us. We were just fighting back normally, not provoking them on purpose.¡± ¡°Fighting back normally?¡± Qi Ming opened its mouth and revealed its sharp teeth. It said fiercely, ¡°So what? This is our territory. Stepping into someone else¡¯s territory without permission is considered a declaration of war. I remember that humans have this rule too, right?¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯ll give you a choice. You can either leave behind treasures that are enough to compensate for the lives of dozens of my subordinates, or you can leave your life behind.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Two seconds later, he smiled and said, ¡°No problem, but you should know that treasures are usually left with Summoners, right?¡± Qi Ming nodded. ¡°I understand that. Lead the way. I want to meet your Summoner.¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but he maintained his smile and said, ¡°Qi Ming, it¡¯s not convenient for my Summoner to see you right now because she¡¯s a little far away.¡± Qi Ming tilted its head and said, ¡°How far is it? I can get my men to bring you along. With our speed, we don¡¯t have to worry about the distance. We¡¯ll be able to reach the place very soon.¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands. ¡°I think my Summoner needs time. After all, she has to offer a treasure to resolve the misunderstanding between you and her. I think she needs time to calm herself down, right?¡± Qi Ming did not answer. Instead, he stared into Zhou Mingrui¡¯s eyes as if he was trying to figure out something. ¡°Sure, one hour. Is that enough?¡± Qi Ming suddenly asked. However, Zhou Mingrui shook his head. ¡°At least two hours. After all, she¡¯s a female. You also know that female life is more sentimental, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Just one hour. I won¡¯t repeat myself a third time,¡± Qi Ming said. Zhou Mingrui was silent for about ten seconds before he said, ¡°Thank you for your magnanimity.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use the hypocritical flattery of you humans to say these things to me,¡± Qi Ming said disdainfully. Just like that, under Qi Ming¡¯s command, the shadow leopards around them began to wait quietly. Zhou Mingrui sneered in his heart. Qi Ming was indeed a cunning old fox. He actually wanted to use him to find out Yan Wuyue¡¯s location. Everything it said sounded very sincere and did not have any intention of interfering with the fight. However, only Zhou Mingrui knew that it was nonsense. Although it said that it wanted treasure as compensation, Zhou Mingrui believed that Qi Ming would not hesitate to break his verbal agreement and kill the two of them as long as he could confirm the location of the Summoner. That¡¯s right. Zhou Mingrui was 100% certain that this fellow was a fox that hid a dagger behind his smile. And it was the kind that only ate meat, without leaving any soup. As for the time, an hour was a test. If Zhou Mingrui agreed, it would not hesitate to reduce it to half an hour. Such a simple psychological test could not be any easier for the well-read Zhou Mingrui. Of course, this was when Zhou Mingrui was in a disadvantageous position. The other party had already seen that he and Yan Wuyue needed to stall for time. However, this guy knew that it was useless to kill Zhou Mingrui. He had to use Zhou Mingrui to find Yan Wuyue, who was hiding. Furthermore, Zhou Mingrui was certain that the cunning fellow would not do as he was told. As expected, half an hour later. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind, Mr. Zhou. Please take me to your Summoner now because I¡¯ve been angered by the death of my companion. I believe that half an hour is enough time for her to sort out her emotions.¡± Zhou Mingrui laughed, but he still spread his hands and said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve said so, let¡¯s go.¡± Qi Ming narrowed its eyes slightly and tilted its head at the subordinate beside it. Immediately, three level 5 shadow leopards came to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, my three men will help you get there as soon as possible and ensure your safety along the way. Of course, you don¡¯t mind giving them directions, right?¡± Although Qi Ming asked in a very gentle manner, the smile on its face had already disappeared. ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t mind at all as he sat on one of the shadow leopards. Who would reject the feeling of being able to ride for free? Along the way, Zhou Mingrui did not randomly point the way to stall for time. After all, this was the enemy¡¯s territory. How could the enemy not know the way? He calculated the time in his heart. It had been more than four hours since Yan Wuyue had told him. In addition to the time taken to rush over from here, he had taken a full twenty minutes. This was the limit of what Zhou Mingrui could do. Soon, they were getting closer and closer to Yan Wuyue. [Mingrui, why are you with that group of shadow leopards?] At this moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his mind. Upon hearing this, the corners of Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. Then, he quickly recounted what had happened to Yan Wuyue. [What¡¯s your situation now?] Zhou Mingrui asked. [It¡¯s okay. You can bring them all over. It will save me a lot of effort, and I don¡¯t have to look for them everywhere.] Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice was full of confidence. [You¡¯ve succeeded?] Zhou Mingrui finally understood. [Yes, I¡¯ve successfully changed my profession.] Yan Wuyue responded. [I have a level 6 Shadow Leopard King and tens of thousands of shadow leopards behind me. Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?] Zhou Mingrui asked. [I could¡¯ve killed them before I leveled up and specialized in my profession, let alone now. Bring them over.] Yan Wuyue was very confident. [Okay, then get ready.] Zhou Mingrui did not say anything else. Very quickly, the shadow leopards arrived at the entrance of the cave. ¡°Get your Summoner to come out.¡± Qi Ming said in a commanding tone. ¡°Qi Ming, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly asked. ¡°What, you think you still have a chance to turn the tables?¡± Qi Ming looked at Zhou Mingrui as though he was looking at a dead man. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a chance.¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly turned around and smiled at Qi Ming. ¡°However, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t have a chance. It¡¯s you who don¡¯t have a chance.¡± Chapter 230 - 230 Her New Career Path 230 Her New Career Path Her New Career Path ¡°What?¡± Qi Ming felt that something was amiss when he saw this sudden scene. However, before he could figure out why Zhou Mingrui had said that, a hole suddenly appeared in the ground. The next second, a figure flew out from the hole. ¡°Attack!¡± Qi Ming did not hesitate and immediately ordered to attack at this moment. ¡°Thank you for everything!¡± Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and stepped forward. As the energy light gathered on her body, a set of blue-silver armor appeared on her body, emphasizing her willowy figure. Streams of blue energy condensed from Yan Wuyue¡¯s arm and gathered in her raised right hand. A long spear instantly took form. The gray-black spear was engraved with many complicated patterns, and the gray spearhead emitted a faint aura of energy fluctuations. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t even bother to look at the shadow leopards that were surrounding her. Instead, she lifted her spear and turned into a black light, rushing toward Shadow Leopard King Qi Ming. Seeing Yan Wuyue charging at him, Qi Ming suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body. A strong sense of danger kept ringing in his mind. Even with the protection of the level 5 elites and the siege of thousands of shadow leopards, she should not have done this. But at this time, Yan Wuyue sped up again. Her whole body seemed to have become the tip of a long spear, directly breaking through the defensive line formed by shadow leopards. Yan Wuyue gently waved the spear in her hand, and suddenly, blue-silver energy covered the tip. The next moment, she held the spear and swung it, and a shock force immediately spread. The low-level shadow leopards around her were either dead or injured. On the way, Yan Wuyue was like a god of war. With a sweep of her spear, hundreds of low-level shadow leopards were swept into the sky and then fell to the ground heavily. Even the level 5 elite shadow leopards ended up the same as the level 4 ones when they rushed to Yan Wuyue. Seeing his subordinates being slaughtered, Qi Ming, who had regained his senses, let out a furious roar. His white fur suddenly turned pure black. The next moment, Qi Ming roared, and the level 5 shadow leopards around him rushed toward Yan Wuyue without hesitation. Halfway there, they opened their mouths at the same time, and beams of energy shot toward Yan Wuyue. Looking at the energy beams, Yan Wuyue just raised her hand. When she showed her palm, the beams of light seemed to hit an invisible wall and had no effect at all. Then, Yan Wuyue flashed, leaving a trail of black energy light in space. Then, she appeared in front of the five shadow leopards. In the next second, Yan Wuyue gently waved the spear in her hand, and the dozen or so shadow leopards suddenly twitched and lost their ability to think. Yan Wuyue waved lightly and killed the leopards easily. This scene made Qi Ming stop and feel the threat of death. ¡°So? Why did you stop?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Qi Ming and asked with a beautiful smile. Qi Ming¡¯s body trembled, and he immediately turned around to run back and escape. However, Yan Wuyue only raised her foot and easily caught up with Shadow Leopard King Qi Ming, who was sprinting. She then slapped his head directly. The moment Qi Ming was hit while charging forward, all the muscles in his body seemed to have been petrified. In an instant, he stopped moving. [ You killed it? ] Zhou Mingrui asked when he saw the scene. [ I only used my energy to restrict its muscles and energy core but not kill it directly. ] Yan Wuyue tiptoed and continued to chase after the remaining shadow leopards. In just ten minutes, Yan Wuyue had slaughtered thousands of shadow leopards in the surrounding area. Not a single one was left. This scene shocked Zhou Mingrui, for Yan Wuyue was so efficient that she did not look like a newbie in this position. However, he immediately realized that it must be a profession that Yan Wuyue was familiar with in her previous life. Wherever Yan Wuyue went, those shadow leopards would freeze and then be killed by a spear. Everything seemed so magical. Ten minutes ago, Zhou Mingrui was still considering what he should do to buy more time if Yan Wuyue had not switched to a new career. However, these shadow leopards, which had exhausted him, were killed by Yan Wuyue within a few moments. Of course, Qi Ming was still alive. ¡°You said it¡¯s very intelligent, right?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui and asked. ¡°It talked to me in human language. What do you say?¡± Zhou Mingrui rolled his eyes. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care, and she waved her hand to remove the restriction on Qi Ming. ¡°Human, I surrender.¡± Qi Ming, whose restrictions had been lifted, did not counterattack or run. ¡°I see. It seems that you are pretty intelligent because other creatures would run away the moment I untie them.¡± Yan Wuyue was a little surprised. ¡°I just enjoy using my brain more than other shadow leopards,¡± shadow leopard Qi Ming replied very calmly as if he wasn¡¯t arrested. ¡°You should be a mutant. I have never met any shadow leopard like you,¡± Yan Wuyue praised. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m your prisoner, so just kill me now if you want to,¡± Qi Ming said to Yan Wuyue. ¡°I can spare your life,¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly said. ¡°Oh, what do you need me to do for you in exchange?¡± Qi Ming asked. ¡°Take me to where all the powerful monsters gather. I want to meet those them,¡± Yan Wuyue directly stated her request. ¡°No problem,¡± Qi Ming immediately agreed. Yan Wuyue¡¯s intention was very obvious. She wanted to challenge all the monsters in this dense forest alone. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal then. Don¡¯t try to run away, though. I¡¯ve already put on a restriction on you. Once you leave the range I set, all your muscles will be petrified, including the ones in your internal organs,¡± Yan Wuyue lifted the restriction with a wave of her hand. Qi Ming could finally catch his breath. He had betrayed the monsters in the western region, so there was no turning back now. He could only sell them out for his own safety. Moreover, they weren¡¯t related to it at all, were they? [ Are you sure about not killing it? ] At that moment, Zhou Mingrui asked through their spiritual link. [ Why should I? It is very useful for me, and I can control it however I want. Don¡¯t worry, ] Yan Wuyue answered with a smile. [ Fine, I just wanted to ask you why. It¡¯s not only intelligent but pretty calculating,] Zhou Mingrui reminded her. [ I know what you are talking about, ] Yan Wuyue said with a smile. Chapter 231 - 231 Conditions and Scheme 231 Conditions and Scheme Conditions and Scheme [ I might have been afraid of them in the past, but I don¡¯t have to worry about them now. ] Yan Wuyue patted Zhou Mingrui¡¯s shoulder and continued to ask, [ So? Do you feel like you¡¯re going to level up? ] Zhou Mingrui shook his head, and he never doubted Yan Wuyue¡¯s ability. This woman¡¯s mind helped her stay humble despite her extraordinary power. Moreover, her ability was the key to making plans to reap greater benefits, and he had faith in her. [it looks like even if you multiply the experience point from a level 5 monster by five, it¡¯ll still be hard to fill up your bottomless pit. I guess we have to find monsters at level six and above. ] As Yan Wuyue walked spoke, she towards Qi Ming, who was waiting quietly. ¡°I need you to bring me somewhere with many level 6 monsters. Do you understand what I mean?¡± she looked at him and said. Qi Ming was silent for a moment before saying, ¡± I got it. You want to go to the western region, right? However, it¡¯s also the territory of level 7 monsters, and there are even level 8 monsters. Are you sure you want to go? ¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I am going to do,¡± Yan Wuyue said without hesitation. ¡°Okay, but let me speak frankly. If you encounter a beast that you can¡¯t deal with, you must release the restriction and let me go.¡± Qi Ming stared at Yan Wuyue and gritted his teeth. ¡°No problem,¡± he said. Yan Wuyue agreed right away. ¡°But if I find out that you lead us into a trap or a high-level monsters¡¯ territory, I¡¯ll kill you first,¡± she then said in a cold tone. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, even if I encounter a level 8 monster, I definitely won¡¯t be able to beat it, but I have the ability to escape and save my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better stop thinking about those dirty tricks. Instead, you should think about how to please me so that I will spare your life. Qi Ming remained calm after being threatened. ¡°I know, but let me rest for a while. I need to recover my strength and think about the specific distribution of the forces here.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you half an hour to rest.¡± Yan Wuyue turned around and returned to Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side. [ Don¡¯t tell me you will seriously let him go. ] Zhou Mingrui said. [ Are you kidding me? This dude is indeed pretty wicked. Also, it wanted you to lead the way to kill me before, so I can¡¯t let it live in the end, ] Yan Wuyue admitted. [ If your skills weren¡¯t sealed, you might consider taking it under your wing. However, with monsters of this level of intelligence, it¡¯s better to kill them one by one than to become a threat in the future. ] [ The harm that a level 6 or 7 highly intelligent monster can cause to human society is sometimes even more terrifying than a hundred monsters of the same level. ] Upon hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui said as if he was amused, [ Um, that¡¯s more like the Yan Wuyue I know. ] Yan Wuyue rolled her eyes and said, [ Are you giving me a compliment or roasting me? ] Zhou Mingrui laughed and said, [ Of course, it¡¯s a compliment. By the way, I haven¡¯t asked you yet. I heard you telling him that you were able to escape even when facing a level 8 monster. How strong are you now? ¡± Yan Wuyue thought for a while and said, [ First of all, I only said that I could get away if the monster isn¡¯t triggered. It also depends on the type of monster. Level eight monsters have a certain level of intelligence and rarely act rashly. ] [ As for my current strength, I can easily kill level 6 monsters, and defeating the weaker level 7 ones is like a piece of cake for me. As for the stronger ones, it depends on the situation. The only thing I am sure of is that they can¡¯t defeat me. If I encounter a level eight monster, I can only try to survive. ] Zhou Mingrui frowned and said, [ Are level 8 monsters that strong? ] Yan Wuyue thought and said, [ Level 8 monsters and above are fundamentally different from the ones below them. Not only do they have higher intelligence, but their bodies and energy have also been upgraded. ] [ If we want to fight against level 8 monsters, we need to be at least level 65, and that¡¯s only when your growth talent far exceeds that of a normal summoned spirit. ] [ I can¡¯t simply explain it in words. Only when you face a level 8 monster will you know the difference I¡¯m talking about. ] Zhou Mingrui frowned. It seemed like level-eight monsters were truly fearsome, and even Yan Wuyue seemed scared. [ Don¡¯t worry, though. Level 8 monsters have their territories, so they won¡¯t bother with us as long as we don¡¯t go into their territory or cause trouble. ] Yan Wuyue tried to calm him down, [ I¡¯ll try my best to help you kill level 5 and 6 monsters. Also, I can find a chance to kill those who aren¡¯t top at level 7. ] [ If your seal can be broken in time, we can definitely deal with the level 7 ones! ] Zhou Mingrui said in a teasing tone, [ Tsk, tsk. Let me think. Are you cheering me up or making me wake into the trap of being your professional fighter? ] Yan Wuyue frowned and said, [ Humph! Says the one being sealed. Has it loosened or changed at all? ] Zhou Mingrui sensed for a moment, and indeed, there was no change. Seeing this expression, Yan Wuyue also knew the result. [ then we can rule out one possibility, which is that you can¡¯t advance completely because of the level difference between us. We can quit this idea, ] she said. [ The problem now might be in your head. I hope what we are working on will help you break this seal. ] Zhou Mingrui lay on a rock and said lazily, [ Let¡¯s hope so. ] Seeing this, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t say anything more. After all, anyone would be depressed in such a situation, and she had already done everything she could. Not far away, Qi Ming squinted his eyes as he watched this scene as if he was thinking about something. Time continued to pass. During this time, other monsters sensed the blood and started to approach, but they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly because of Qi Ming¡¯s smell. After all, this was the territory of the shadow leopards. Those below the fifth 5 ran away immediately after seeing that Qi Ming was still alive, while those who had reached level 6 didn¡¯t dare to do anything but wander around. Yan Wuyue noticed the situation as well, but she didn¡¯t do anything. It would be a waste of time to do so now. Half an hour later, Yan Wuyue got up and appeared outside with a spear in her hand. The level 6 monsters who had been wandering around didn¡¯t expect that Yan Wuyue was the main character who had caused such a big massacre, which gave her a chance to catch them off guard. In the next moment, with the energy surrounding the spear, Yan Wuyue began to slaughter these level 6 monsters. These sixth-order monsters didn¡¯t expect Yan Wuyue¡¯s aura to be this strong, but her speed and attack power was beyond their understanding. Chapter 232 - 232 The Mugger Crocodile Clan 232 The Mugger Crocodile Clan Yan Wuyue returned in less than three minutes, and there was not even a trace of blood on her body. Shadow Leopard King Qi Ming blinked its eyes as it felt a chill run down its back. It could kill those low-level monsters on its own, but the level 6 monsters were different. If its dead brother had been here, it might be able to defeat most of the guys here without a head-on fight. Yan Wuyue¡¯s strength was beyond Qi Ming¡¯s imagination, so the best thing for it to do now was to pretend to surrender for now. Looking at Yan Wuyue walking over, Qi Ming immediately stopped thinking about the schemes. ¡°Alright, time for rest is up. Tell me, how do we get there?¡± Yan Wuyue came to Qi Ming and asked coldly. ¡°Follow me.¡± Qi Ming walked down from the rock and took the initiative to lead the way. [ Did you see that? Those dead level 6 monsters scare Qi Ming, right? ] Yan Wuyue said in a playful tone. [ They always act like this. You should be used to it. ] Zhou Mingrui shrugged. [ Without your talent and skills, it was treating you like a doormat before, right? ] Yan Wuyue continued to tease him. [ Isn¡¯t that normal? Are you going to laugh at me because of this? ] Zhou Mingrui snorted. [ Haha, I want you to remember this feeling in case you won¡¯t have the chance to experience it in the future. ] Yan Wuyue covered her mouth and chuckled. [ Jesus Christ. ] Zhou Mingrui was speechless. [ Alright, just help me keep an eye on this shadow leopard when the battle starts later. By the way, did you just say that this guy has a name? ] Yan Wuyue asked curiously. [ Yes, it¡¯s called Qi Ming. That¡¯s why I said that it¡¯s quite intelligent, much more than its dead brother. ] Zhou Mingrui glanced at Qi Ming, who was leading the way. [ However, it¡¯s probably not as strong as its brother in terms of combat power. No matter what, we can¡¯t keep it alive. It has to die. ] Yan Wuyue said as if she was ready to kill Qi Ming right away. However, her voice didn¡¯t change at all, still sounding calm. [ No problem, I¡¯ll keep an eye on it. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you so I can chill later.] Zhou Mingrui laughed. [ Alright, you¡¯re allowed to be lazy before the seal is released. After that, you have to move your a*s. ] Yan Wuyue smiled gently. The two of them followed Qi Ming for about ten kilometers before they arrived at a swamp forest. This place was blocked by many wide leaves, and the sunlight was transformed into rays of light shining on the forest that was slightly filled with green miasma. ¡°The mugger crocodile clan should be the one living here, right?¡± Yan Wuyue asked Qi Ming. ¡°That¡¯s right. The weakest among them are at level 5, and the elites are at level 6. The clan leader and the guards are all at level 7,¡± Qi Ming explained. ¡°Haha, good job. The mugger crocodile clan is seen as weirdos in the western region. They have a hard biological armor that is different from other monsters here, and humans don¡¯t have any advantage in battling in the swamp forest.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find any reason to blame you because you did as I said.¡± ¡°Am I right, Mr. Qi Ming?¡± Yan Wuyue looked at Qi Ming coldly. Qi Ming didn¡¯t say anything because it would be useless to say anything now, so he could only remain silent. ¡°Very good. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you now.¡± She patted Qi Ming¡¯s shoulder. Yan Wuyue turned to Zhou Mingrui and said, ¡°Keep an eye on it.¡± Then, she stepped into the mugger crocodiles¡¯ territory. As soon as a stranger entered the territory, five mugger crocodiles emerged from the green pool and looked at Yan Wuyue with hostility. Ignoring them, Yan Wuyue continued to move forward into the mugger forest. More and more mugger crocodiles emerged from the green pool, looking at Yan Wuyue, who was walking deeper and deeper. At the same time, giant mugger crocodiles began to climb out of the green pool and followed Yan Wuyue. As she kept moving, more and more mugger crocodiles followed behind. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop walking as if nothing had happened. These mugger crocodiles were just a group of level 5 kids, not worth her time. However, after venturing tens of meters deeper, giant elite crocodiles, which were even larger and had a deeper color in their hard biological armor, began to appear. ¡°The level 6 ones are finally here, but the boss and its families still don¡¯t bother to come over. I guess I have to show them what I¡¯m doing here.¡± Yan Wuyue shrugged and manifested a long spear in her hand under the condensation of energy. At this time, more than 60 level 5 and 20 level 6 mugger crocodiles had gathered around Yan Wuyue, surrounding her. Yan Wuyue put on a playful smile, raised her spear, and struck it on the ground. [ Pitch-black Spear Hell ] A circle of black lines immediately spread out with Yan Wuyue as the center, directly surrounding an area of 30 meters. [Skill Name: Pitch-black Spear Hell ] [Skill Type: active skill ] [Skill Attribute: domain type] [Skill Effect: when activated, a 30-meter radius territory will be formed with the user as the center. The user will be strengthened to a certain extent in the territory. The degree of strengthening is determined by the user¡¯s strength.] [ Enemy targets in the domain will be restricted by Spear Hell. Their movement speed and attack speed will be restricted. At the same time, it will corrode the enemy¡¯s physical body or energy defense. ] [ While in the domain, the host¡¯s attack speed, movement speed, and attack power will be strengthened. ] [ Note: the enemy who dies in Spear Hell will be converted into Spear Hell Energy. When the energy reaches the limit, it will activate the attack technique, Spear Shadow No Shadow Kill. ] Within Yan Wuyue¡¯s domain, the whole space began to fill with black mist, which covered the mugger crocodiles. They had crawled pretty fast, but they suddenly slowed down. Moreover, traces of corrosion even appeared on their skin. Yan Wuyue¡¯s body was also shrouded in black mist, but it seemed to empower her. After she raised her leg and moved, a black shadow rushed out. The next second, a spear directly pierced through the head of a giant crocodile. Following this, she moved again, and with a single sweep, four level 5 giant crocodiles were pierced through by the spear. In Yan Wuyue¡¯s eyes, these level 5 giant crocodiles were as weak as kittens who died immediately. However, the level 6 ones were very tough. Yan Wuyue¡¯s ordinary attack couldn¡¯t penetrate the hard armor of these crocodiles, but she didn¡¯t think much about it. If this technique couldn¡¯t pierce through their skin easily, she had to use another method. With a turn of her hand, Yan Wuyue raised the spear, which immediately turned into a long stick smashing into the head of a level 6 giant crocodile. The ground was smashed into a pit by the force of the spear. Chapter 233 - 233 Fighting the Level 7 Monsters 233 Fighting the Level 7 Monsters Fighting the Level 7 Monsters After suffering such a fierce attack, the mugger crocodile¡¯s eyes suddenly became bloodshot. The next moment, its two eyeballs exploded like water balls falling to the ground. Blood was spurting out of its eyes, ears, and mouth. The crocodile¡¯s head was caved in by Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear, and its brain turned into mush in an instant. Yan Wuyue withdrew her spear. At this time, a level 6 giant crocodile saw the opportunity and jumped onto Yan Wuyue¡¯s back with all four legs. It opened its mouth and bit her fiercely. Yan Wuyue had already noticed it. Without looking back, she turned her body and swept the spear behind her. Bang! Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear swept through the waist of the level 6 giant crocodile that was trying to sneak attack. Under the fierce attack, the crocodile¡¯s body was bent into a U-shape, and the sound of its spine breaking was clear. Like the last one, the giant crocodile fell and died in its blood on the ground. These two level 6 crocodiles were much stronger than level 5 ones in all aspects, but they were killed by Yan Wuyue in one move without being able to fight back. Then, Yan Wuyue began to wave her spear and killed the remaining mugger crocodiles. Although the experience points that level 5 and level 6 could give him were not much at the moment, it still allowed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s experience to increase by a tiny bit after multiplying it by five times. In less than five minutes, all the giant crocodiles that appeared were killed, and the swamp forest was filled with corpses. Just as Yan Wuyue was about to turn off her domain skill, an angry roar suddenly came from not far away. ¡°You are late, huh?¡± Yan Wuyue stopped and turned around. At this time, a 15-meter-long crocodile with a body as strong as an armored vehicle, covered in gray-white hard armor, appeared in front of her. ¡°Finally! I thought you would keep hiding, but well, at least you are here.¡± Yan Wuyue smiled. At this moment, another five giant crocodiles of the same size appeared. A total of six level 7 giant crocodiles surrounded her. They formed an encirclement and looked down at Yan Wuyue with cold eyes. ¡°You are indeed cold-blooded animals. I can¡¯t see any anger in your eyes at all.¡± Yan Wuyue kept smiling. The mugger crocodiles didn¡¯t care about Yan Wuyue¡¯s sarcastic comments, though they might not even understand. However, this was Zhou Mingrui¡¯s first time seeing a monster that had reached level 7. Compared to the level 6 giant crocodiles, these creatures that had just appeared were like the ones he had seen in movies from his previous life. They were monsters that could easily destroy tanks and armor, completely ignoring humans¡¯ any kind of firearms. Furthermore, with their current size and defensive capabilities, Zhou Mingrui reckoned that even missiles would not be able to them in his previous world. Facing the siege of six level 7 crocodiles, Yan Wuyue still remained calm. After all, this situation was not something of a big deal for her. The long spear stomped on the ground, and the expanded domain suddenly shrank from a radius of thirty meters to fifteen meters. At the same time, the black mist in the domain suddenly became thicker and more obvious. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the battle, was shocked. This was the first time he had seen a domain skill shrink under the caster¡¯s control. Would the effect double or decrease the energy consumption? Just as Zhou Mingrui was thinking about the question, Yan Wuyue¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. [ I know what you¡¯re thinking. My domain shrank because I used my spiritual power to adjust the energy output rate and control the energy diffusion rate.] [ This way, the effect of the territory can be increased, but it will only increase the effect by about 50%. However, the energy consumption will be increased by 100%. ] Zhou Mingrui was taken aback, for this was completely different from what he had expected. [ Are you thinking that it¡¯s not worth it to double your energy consumption in exchange for an increase in your strength? ] Yan Wuyue seemed to be able to read Zhou Mingrui¡¯s mind and kept explaining, [ But have you thought about it? This isn¡¯t a simple math problem. A 50% increase may not seem like a high number, but it might be the last straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back in a battle. ] [ Moreover, this is a domain skill, not just an individual enhancement skill. The more enemies I have, the more benefits I can get. ] [ Also, this number can be controlled with your proficiency but not fixed. ] After that, Yan Wuyue stopped transmitting her voice and began to deal with the six level 7 crocodiles. After all, they were level 7 giant crocodiles, not as weak as those level and level 6 lackeys. Not only were they stronger in all aspects, but they were also starting to evolve to another life level. The most obvious evidence was the biological armor on their body. The level 7 mutant crocodiles¡¯ armors had evolved into true ones, and they reflected a metallic light under the sunlight. Even the slightest movement of their bodies carried a huge force, and their strength was almost directly proportional to their weight. This meant that each of these level 7 giant crocodiles had extremely powerful strength. Even Yan Wuyue would not choose to face them head-on, for she was only at level 5. It wasn¡¯t just about their strength. Even Zhou Mingrui, who was watching the battle from the sidelines, could feel the surging energy within each of them. Back in the southern wasteland, Zhou Mingrui and Yan Wuyue¡¯s strength had only allowed them to run away when encountering a level 7 monster. But now, Yan Wuyue did not show a trace of panic on her face. On the contrary, Zhou Mingrui could see a strong fighting spirit in her. The next moment, Yan Wuyue took the initiative to attack. In a flash, she rushed to the nearest level 7 giant crocodile. Under the amplification of the domain, her speed had almost doubled once again. The spear in her hand was already covered in thick black energy. With the enhancement of the terrifying speed, the power of the spear was even more tremendous. However, Yan Wuyue still chose not to challenge the hardness of the level 7 giant crocodile armor but to attack the side of its head. At this moment, the long spear turned into a long stick again, and with Yan Wuyue¡¯s explosive strength, it hit the side of the level 7 giant crocodile¡¯s head. Thud! The long spear and the level 7 giant crocodile¡¯s skin clashed together, emitting a deafening sound. An extremely powerful counterforce bounced the spear back, but Yan Wuyue was prepared for it. She let go of the spear the moment the counterforce appeared. The huge recoil made the spear buzz, but Yan Wuyue immediately held it again and used the trembling of her skin and muscles to dissipate the remaining force. On the contrary, the level 7 giant crocodile was convulsed and then froze. Chapter 234 - 234 The Battle with Level 7 Monsters 234 The Battle with Level 7 Monsters The Battle with Level 7 Monsters ¡°This dude is tougher than I thought!¡± Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t help but complain. She had used almost half of her strength in that strike. If it had been a level six monster, its head would have been blown off. However, the level 7 giant crocodile only had a concussion. After being stunned for a while, it returned to its senses and rushed at Yan Wuyue again. Yan Wuyue was neither disappointed nor discouraged, for she had expected this. Therefore, she rushed forward again and swung the spear in her hand. It whistled through the air and smashed into the crocodile¡¯s head again. This time, it was at the same spot. Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t let go. Instead, she turned around and struck another crocodile coming towards her with the counterforce. The other crocodiles also took the opportunity to move forward, wanting to defeat this human together. In the crocodile¡¯s world, there was no honor or dignity. There was only killing and survival. Ganging up was their default battle rule, and they didn¡¯t care about being fair or not. Yan Wuyue had long noticed other crocodiles, but she didn¡¯t panic. After sweeping away the sneak attacker behind her, she turned around again with the help of the counterforce. Following that, the tip of the spear followed the force and pierced through the mouth of a giant crocodile that was pouncing on her. The crocodile was like a speeding car that had crashed into a thick wall. Its head was pressed down, and the back half of its body was lifted. This was their weakness that Yan Wuyue had found with his superb combat experience, which could eliminate the force of the giant crocodile¡¯s forward charge to the greatest extent. With this counterforce, Yan Wuyue flew backward with the tip of her foot and just avoided the pincer attack of the two giant crocodiles on her left and right. Bang! The two charging crocodiles collided and fell to the ground. Yan Wuyue, on the other hand, launched an attack on another level 7 giant crocodile. At this moment, Yan Wuyue was like a butterfly dancing around the six level 7 giant crocodiles. From time to time, she would hit the crocodile¡¯s head almost at the same place. Zhou Mingrui could not help but marvel at this scene, for Yan Wuyue¡¯s movement was so swift and elegant. She was making the most out of all the available conditions to achieve the most favorable combat environment and techniques, and she didn¡¯t waste any extra strength or energy. Moreover, his attacks were precise. With the coordination of his body movements, her attacks never missed and even stuck the target spots. Watching Yan Wuyue fight was like enjoying a show. The strength of the level 7 mutant crocodiles was truly shocking. With a single swing of its tail, they could sweep away surrounding trees and rocks. Even the swamp was easily destroyed, and everything within a few hundred meters was a mess because of the six level 7 crocodiles¡¯ combat power. Compared to the type 5 or type 6 gargantuan crocodiles, the destruction they brought was many times more severe. ¡°No wonder they don¡¯t often show up. Once they start fighting, they go nuts. This place is no longer suitable for them to live,¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a sigh. He and Qi Ming had already retreated another hundred meters. The place where they had been standing earlier had also been affected by the battle, and they could no longer stay there. ¡°By the way, do you have a beef with the mugger crocodile clan?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly turned to Qi Ming and asked. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been harassing and killing my people because they have level 7 combat power. If my land hadn¡¯t had a swamp forest for them to live in, they would have taken over our home long ago,¡± Qi Ming admitted. ¡°Your clan has been eliminated, so these monsters have to die as well?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked again. ¡°Of course, your Summoner is aware of this but never pointed it out,¡± Qi Ming replied. ¡°Are you happy to see this scene?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked again. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Qi Ming turned to look at Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Whatever you say. I am not the one killing your clan anyway,¡± Zhou Mingrui shrugged and said indifferently. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯d better watch out. Your Summoner is strong, but she¡¯s just an average one in the western region.¡± Qi Ming turned around and said calmly, ¡°When we clear out the strongest clans in this area and enter the deeper regions, you¡¯ll know that you guys are nothing.¡± ¡°There are even more powerful monsters living in this forest, so strong that you can never imagine.¡± Zhou Mingrui raised his brows and chuckled. ¡°If that were the case, you guys would be the rulers of the planet but not humans, right? ¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the tribes don¡¯t work together. Instead, they only focus on hatred and resentment,¡± Qi Ming talked back right away. Zhou Mingrui knew that Qi Ming was right. In terms of overall strength, the monsters were stronger than the humans. However, as it said, the monster groups didn¡¯t trust each other and couldn¡¯t work together. The humans, on the other hand, were united at critical moments. They blocked the monster army¡¯s attacks every time, which was why many monsters weren¡¯t willing to fight for themselves. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui finally understood why Yan Wuyue had to kill these intelligent monsters. They could see the monsters¡¯ weaknesses. Once this kind of monster climbed to a high position, it would be a disaster for mankind. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be able to unite the monster clans and attack humanity when you reach level 10 or even higher, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui said in a teasing tone. Qi Ming fell into silence. At this moment, Yan Wuyue almost came to an end. One of the six level 7 crocodiles was hit on the head by Yan Wuyue¡¯s spear again. This time, it stopped moving for several minutes. Its companion bumped it with its shoulder, but it fell to the ground and twitched as if it had epilepsy. This giant crocodile was the one being attacked by Yan Wuyue at the beginning. After the first attack, the giant crocodile thought that Yan Wuyue¡¯s attacks were two-bit and couldn¡¯t break its defense at all. Therefore, it took the initiative to lead and took almost 60% of Yan Wuyue¡¯s attack, and allowed her to keep striking three spots on its body. Its vision had lost its focus, and the blood-like liquid kept oozing out of the corners of its eyes at the same time. Its mouth was also constantly secreting saliva as if it had lost control of its body. Zhou Mingrui immediately knew that something was wrong with the crocodile¡¯s brain. At the very least, its nervous system had been destroyed. Chapter 235 - 235 The Power of Extreme Shadow 235 The Power of Extreme Shadow The Power of Extreme Shadow No matter how hard the skin was or how strong the bones were, they would not be able to stop the transmission of force. Every normal creature would have space in the head with a soft brain, which meant force transmission would cause the brain to shake. Anyone having basic biological knowledge would know the theory behind concussions, and the biological structure of a level 7 giant crocodile was naturally not something that ordinary humans could compare to. For example, they would be more resistant to pain, dizziness, and other negative effects, but they still couldn¡¯t escape the basic biological rules. Would Yan Wuyue¡¯s attack be just an ordinary impact? Apparently, she wouldn¡¯t have mercy on them. It contained many mixed powers, including energy. That was how the level 7 mutant crocodile was already brain-dead. While the rest of its body was still functioning normally, there was no foundation for coordination. The other five crocodiles were also shocked, but the situation did not allow them to change their mind. They could only kill the human in front of them. At this moment, the remaining five mugger crocodiles knew that they could no longer underestimate Yan Wuyue like before. Otherwise, they would end up like their companion. Almost at the same time, the remaining five level 7 giant crocodiles immediately activated their innate skills. The pimples on their hard armors were like erupting volcanoes, lighting up with a fiery red glow. At the same time, the cracks on their skin began to glow brightly. The entire body of the level 7 giant crocodile was like a volcano, intimidating and magnificent. ¡°Are you finally showing me what you got?¡± Yan Wuyue was not surprised at all. If they didn¡¯t go all out now, they probably wouldn¡¯t have another chance. If it had been someone else, they might have been worried because they were not familiar with the skills of the level 7 giant crocodile, but Yan Wuyue remembered everything well. As the five level 7 giant crocodiles began to unleash their might, the surrounding temperature began to rise. Meanwhile, the air began to distort. The next moment, the five level 7 crocodiles opened their mouths at the same time and shot fireballs of energy lava at Yan Wuyue. Yan Wuyue, who had long been prepared, jumped up and dodged with the help of the thick trees around her. The lava bullets brushed past her one after another. When the lava bullet hit the ground, it immediately exploded into steam and melted a hole in the ground. The trees being hit by the lava bombs immediately exploded, and even those massive ones fell. Yan Wuyue, however, seemed to be able to predict the trajectory of the lava bullets. She kept dodging them and approaching the five crocodiles. Seeing that the lava bomb could not stop Yan Wuyue, the five giant crocodiles immediately closed their mouths and stopped attacking. The next second, they swung their tails, and an arc-shaped lava energy blade was thrown out. Five energy blades were shot out in succession, scattered in all directions. They were so fast that they covered all directions Yan Wuyue was moving in. Yan Wuyue had a confident smile, and her body suddenly blurred. [ Active Skill, Extreme Shadow ] After activating the skill, she became translucent like a projection, and her speed increased sharply at the same time. In an instant, Yan Wuyue dodged, and an arc of light immediately formed. When they finally found her, she had already appeared behind the lava energy blade. The five crocodiles were shocked. They opened their mouths again to gather energy, but they launched an area-of-effect attack this time. The lava was like a water curtain, spraying in the air. If Yan Wuyue dared to break in, she would be baptized by the lava energy. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t care at all. [ Skill Name: Extreme Shadow ] [ Skill Type: Active support skill ] [ Skill Effect: During activation, it will use energy to distort light and refract light, causing visual errors to enemies of various living things. At the same time, it can control light energy to stimulate the body, increasing all attributes by 30%. ] [ Note 1: the more light there is, the stronger the effect. The more light you can use in the surrounding environment, the lower the possibility of Extreme Shadow being broken. ] [ Note 2: When activated, the caster¡¯s aura will be changed by the light energy, depending on the proficiency. ] [ Note 3: During activation, Extreme Shadow can be integrated into a domain skill. It will change and conform to different domains. Ultimate darkness can not be used. ] [ Note 4: When the light energy storage reaches the limit, the chain skill Extreme Shadow, Flash Kill can be activated. ] Extreme Shadow was Yan Wuyue¡¯s favorite skill, although it was simple and not even as powerful as Pitch-black Spear Hell. However, this skill was Yan Wuyue¡¯s most powerful support skill for her efforts. Skills with light might sound common and ordinary. But sometimes, they could be fatal! In the face of the overwhelming attack of lava, the light on Yan Wuyue¡¯s body suddenly became a little dazzling and began to distort. The five crocodiles saw Yan Wuyue suddenly cross the lava and appear in front of them. They were so shocked that they stopped their attacks and waved their giant hands and tails at Yan Wuyue. However, when the tail swept over Yan Wuyue, they found that her body had twisted, vanished, and reappeared not far away in the blink of an eye. All the lava energy liquid attacks had missed, and Yan Wuyue was already next to the giant crocodile on the far left. The giant crocodile swung its tail over immediately, but it discovered that it was another afterimage in the next second. At this moment, Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure appeared on its right. The giant crocodile also discovered Yan Wuyue immediately, but it had already launched an attack. Because of its huge size, it couldn¡¯t make a quick defense move in the first place. Unfortunately, it was very confident that Yan Wuyue couldn¡¯t break through its physical defense. More importantly, its companion had already swung its tail toward it. In the next second, Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure turned into an afterimage again, and the giant crocodile, which was being attacked, found that a figure had already come to its front. [ Extreme Shadow-Flash Kill ]! At that moment, the crocodile¡¯s field of vision was covered by a blinding light. The light¡¯s energy had directly affected its ocular nerves, so it could not even close its eyes. After feeling a sharp pain, the giant crocodile lost consciousness. In the outside world, Yan Wuyue rushed out of the crocodile¡¯s eye. The energy in her body shook and scattered all the blood on her body into the air. The remaining four level 7 giant crocodiles were also stunned. The battle just now was so unbelievable that they didn¡¯t even know how Yan Wuyue had killed their companion. The unknown always brought fear. Chapter 236 - 236 Perishing Together 236 Perishing Together Perishing Together Although they were very afraid of Yan Wuyue¡¯s actions, they had no choice because they had no way back. Yan Wuyue looked at the remaining four level 7 crocodiles and smiled. At first, the giant crocodiles didn¡¯t understand the meaning of a human¡¯s smile, but now they did. It was the confidence of the winner and the way she mocked the losers. The mugger crocodiles were furious. They had been living here for many years, but this was the first time someone had dared to attack and humiliate them. Although they didn¡¯t know about self-esteem, they were still extremely angry. ¡°They¡¯re ready to go all out. You Summoner¡¯d better watch out.¡± ¡°When mugger crocodiles decide to fight to the death, it¡¯s not a game anymore,¡± Qi Ming reminded Zhou Mingrui upon seeing the scene. Hearing this, Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t hesitate. He sent a voice transmission to Yan Wuyue, [ Qi Ming warned us to be careful. These crocodiles might have a very powerful ace in the hole. ] [ I know, ] Yan Wuyue¡¯s answer was short. She knew what the mugger crocodiles¡¯ ace in the hole was, so she had been prepared. The remaining four level 7 crocodiles began to emit a light red energy whirlwind. This was the energy fluctuation that leaked out when they reached a certain level. At this moment, the energy within the four crocodiles was like the interior of a supervolcano. A terrifying pressure was continuously formed, accumulated, stimulated, and produced even greater energy when they collided with each other. The mugger crocodile¡¯s ace in the hole was similar to the core explosion move. It could increase the activity of the body¡¯s energy, boosting the body¡¯s attributes and energy attacks to a certain extent. The most important thing was that their bodies were like real bombs that could explode anytime, so the power of the explosion would spread to a radius of about a kilometer. After understanding the situation, Zhou Mingrui glanced at Qi Ming. No wonder it had kindly warned him, for it feared being affected and losing its life. [ Take that thing and retreat further away. They may self-destruct anytime, and I am not sure if I can control the situation, ] Yan Wuyue reminded him. [ What about you? ] Zhou Mingrui spoke as Qi Ming led him further and further away from the battle. [ I have the ability to survive the explosion. Don¡¯t worry. ] Yan Wuyue ended the call. Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he watched the four mugger crocodiles turn into lava beasts, but she began to think. The purpose of these four giant crocodiles was obvious, which was to warn Yan Wuyue to leave immediately. Otherwise, once they self-destructed, all of them would die together. However, Yan Wuyue was not threatened at all, for she had already made a plan in her mind. As the four crocodiles stared at her in disbelief, Yan Wuyue began to approach them slowly without any fear. Two of the crocodiles couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and rushed at Yan Wuyue faster. Since this human wanted to die her, they would grant her her wish! This time, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t sprint. Instead, she walked slowly, waiting for them to come to her. When Yan Wuyue was within attack range, one of the crocodiles raised its hand and waved it at her. The huge palm pushed a huge airflow toward Yan Wuyue. Looking at the palm that was bigger than her, she raised her spear unhurriedly and suddenly dashed forward. The giant crocodile opened its mouth and shot out lava energy balls without hesitation. The energy balls, which had become even more powerful and size, landed on the ground and exploded one after another. Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure was distorted and dissipated in the explosion, which was another deception through her afterimage. In the blink of an eye, she appeared on the other side, her spear already sweeping across the crocodile¡¯s head. With a heavy blow, a deafening metallic sound rang out. The giant crocodile even felt like it was hallucinating. However, Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t stop. Before the other three crocodiles could support their companion, she swept out a new attack and hit the same spot on the crocodile again. Then, another giant crocodile came to help, only to find that Yan Wuyue¡¯s figure twisted again, turned into a light beam, and disappeared in the air. With the help of Extreme Shadow, Yan Wuyue¡¯s attacks kept falling on two of the crocodiles, making deafening sounds in the sky. At that moment, Zhou Mingrui had once again retreated a few hundred meters and arrived at the mountainside to watch the battle. The ground beneath their feet also began to tremble as if there was an earthquake. Trees began to fall, indicating the intensity of the battle ahead. There was a flash of light on the battlefield in the distance, and after another mournful wail, the sky suddenly darkened. A giant ball of fire rose into the sky like a star. The giant ball of fire expanded rapidly, devouring everything in the swamp. Finally, it stopped about a kilometer away from the core. After a shock wave immediately spread in all directions, countless thick trees were broken by the shock wave, and some thinner ones were uprooted. Countless pieces of gravel were swept up by the air current, and even rocks half the height of a man were blown into the air. At the instant of the explosion, Zhou Mingrui and Qi Ming had found a sturdy cover. The earth quaked, the heat waves hit their faces, and the shockwaves swept through. Rocks and tree trunks were sent flying before the situation finally calmed down. The first thing Zhou Mingrui did was run out of his cover and look up at the center of the battlefield. It had completely changed. The swamp, trees, and ground had all disappeared, leaving a huge pit with a radius of nearly one kilometer. The soil had been completely charred. Moreover, a large amount of sand that had melted under the high temperature had formed a glass-like shape, reflecting bits of light under the sun. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face turned ashen. Although Yan Wuyue had mentioned that she had a way of surviving such an explosion, his heart still sank when he saw the situation. ¡°Well, they perished together.¡± At that moment, Qi Ming¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from behind Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so sure?¡± Zhou Mingrui hid the anxiety and turned to ask. ¡°Do you seriously think your Summoner could come back alive after that explosion? Even a level 7 monster of the same level would have been blown to death, so I don¡¯t believe that a human can survive that,¡± Qi Ming said disdainfully. ¡°Maybe she can survive,¡± Zhou Mingrui said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you about this. Your Summoner is dead anyway, and you won¡¯t be able to last more than a day in this world. I don¡¯t want to waste my energy talking to you.¡± Qi Ming gritted its teeth and turned to leave. ¡°Maybe you underestimated me.¡± A voice suddenly came to them, making Zhou Mingrui and Qi Ming immediately look over. Chapter 237 - 237 New Challenge 237 New Challenge New challenge ¡°You are still alive?¡± Qi Ming turned around and looked at the figure in front of him in disbelief, and there was a shock in his eyes. ¡°Is it strange that I am alive?¡± ¡°You thought I would in that explosion, right?¡± Yan Wuyue walked over slowly, looked at Qi Ming indifferently, and said. Her clothes were still neat, and she didn¡¯t look messy at all from the explosion. It seemed that she had just gone for a walk. ¡°How did you survive the explosion?¡± Qi Ming still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Is that very difficult?¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t bother to answer. Qi Ming was stunned when he heard her answer and did not know what to say. ¡°Now that the swamp crocodile clan has been completely exterminated, so your wish has been fulfilled. You can take us to the next spot now,¡± Yan Wuyue continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a rest first? After all, you¡¯ve just experienced a battle,¡± Zhou Mingrui tried to persuade her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The battle was nothing to me.¡± Yan Wuyue flipped his hair and said calmly. At this moment, Qi Ming finally believed Yan Wuyue, for he thought she was acting and putting on a brace face despite her internal injuries. Now, it seemed that Yan Wuyue came back safe and sound from that battle, which made Qi Ming even more surprised and suspicious about how strong she was. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the next spot.¡± Qi Ming didn¡¯t waste any more time and led the way. [ Are you not injured for real? ] Zhou Mingrui asked worriedly on the way. [ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not. ] Yan Wuyue knew that Zhou Mingrui was concerned, so she responded gently. [ How did you escape from such a strong explosion range? Those giant crocodiles couldn¡¯t have just let you escape, right? ] Zhou Mingrui kept asking, for he wanted to know how Yan Wuyue had made it. Yan Wuyue knew that Zhou Mingrui must be extremely curious, so she explained, [Alright, I will tell you the details. You must have seen my battle with them earlier, and the explosion was caused by the giant crocodile I was about to kill. ] [ To be more precise, it killed itself, and its three companions were innocent. ] Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard. Yan Wuyue continued to explain, [ At that time, I used my skills to avoid the continuous pincer attack of two giant crocodiles, and I kept attacking the self-destructing giant crocodile at the same time. ] [ Actually, I only used heavy strike for the first time. The rest were average ones because there were already three giant crocodiles surrounding me. If I used heavy strike again, I would give myself away. ] [ As for the giant crocodile, it was tricked by my first attack. Then, it saw the tragic death of its companion, so it convinced itself that the attacks it suffered from me were heavy blows. ] A psychological suggestion? Zhou Mingrui was astonished, for he never expected that psychology could be used in a battle. [ At the last moment, Extreme Shadow helped me create a fake figure by using the light refraction effect. I was already a few hundred meters away. ] [ I burst out all the light energy I had stored, and it looked like I was going to fight for my life. Then, I killed the giant crocodile without caring about anything. ] [ It was triggered by my move and thought about how I killed its companion, so it chose to self-destruct in a hurry. ] [ But it doesn¡¯t know that I can¡¯t use the move a second time in a short period. ] After hearing Yan Wuyue¡¯s words, Zhou Mingrui suddenly pitied the giant crocodile. Everything had been in its mind from the beginning. No wonder people said don¡¯t trust anything. [ What about its other three companions? ] Zhou Mingrui asked in confusion. [ Its companions could have withstood the self-destruction because their armor also has the ability to buffer energy and resist high temperatures. After all, the energy was also from the same source as them, ] Yan Wuyue replied. [ But I¡¯ve already done something. Do you remember the one whose brain was damaged? ] ¡°Was that part of your plan since the beginning?¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly widened his eyes and asked. [ That¡¯s right. The giant crocodile¡¯s self-destruction wasn¡¯t supposed to kill its companions, but when the brain-dead crocodile was affected, the power of the explosion immediately increased. ] [ But how can you be so sure that you can make it self-destruct? What if it didn¡¯t work? ] Zhou Mingrui scratched the back of his head and asked. [ If it didn¡¯t self-destruct, so what? It¡¯s just one of many strategies, and I don¡¯t have to rely on its self-destruction to win the battle, ] Yan Wuyue smiled and said. [ I still have a backup plan. You know I¡¯ll never put all my eggs in one basket. ] [ Tell me about your backup plan. Don¡¯t you think you should educate me? ] Zhou Mingrui looked at her as if he wasn¡¯t surprised. [ It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve planted something in the body of the giant crocodile that I killed with Extreme Shadow Flash Kill, ] Yan Wuyue said slowly. [ No wonder you crawled out from inside. I knew there was no need to pierce through its body. ] Zhou Mingrui stroked his chin and smiled. [ Alright, it¡¯s also because it was easy to tell the swamp crocodile¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to fight other level 7 monsters. ] [ Speaking of which, these are six level 7 monsters, and I¡¯m already level 52. Let¡¯s ignore those level 5 and 6 monsters, but your seal isn¡¯t removed yet? ] Yan Wuyue shook her head, turned to Zhou Mingrui, and continued [ Still the same, ] Zhou Mingrui shook his head helplessly and said. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue frowned, but she said after a moment, [ Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on and help you unseal it. ] [ Thank you. ] Zhou Mingrui also felt more relaxed. Soon, the group arrived at a new spot after half an hour. ¡°You¡¯d better be careful from now on because we¡¯re getting closer to the habitat of the level 8 monsters. I can¡¯t guarantee that we won¡¯t attract their attention.¡± Qi Ming stopped and turned around to look at the two people behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am aware of the situation. What kind of monsters gather here?¡± Yan Wuyue asked calmly. ¡°In human language, they are called red-haired ape monsters,¡± Qi Ming said after some thought. ¡°I see,¡± Yan Wuyue muttered to herself when she heard the name. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem with this clan?¡± Zhou Mingrui was puzzled. ¡°They¡¯re strong, fast, powerful, and incredibly tough. Most importantly, they¡¯re as intelligent as humans and can use all sorts of weapons.¡± ¡°Their hair also has a natural resistance, which means that energy attacks can hardly hurt them. Chapter 238 - 238 Red 238 Red-haired Ape Monster Red-haired Ape Monster ¡°Most importantly, the way these guys fight is very similar. Unlike the giant crocodile from before, it¡¯s hard to recognize their weaknesses and strengths,¡± Yan Wuyue explained to Zhou Mingrui. ¡°Damn, they are so powerful. Why don¡¯t we get Qi Ming to bring us somewhere else?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked worriedly. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s fight them, then. After all, their weaknesses are obvious,¡± Yan Wuyue said, shaking her head. ¡°What weakness?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked. He was extremely curious. ¡°Physical defense, and the same weaknesses as humans. It might seem difficult to deal with them, but they are less challenging than those giant crocodiles,¡± Yan Wuyue said with a smile. ¡°Alright, in that case, I¡¯ll wait for you as usual?¡± Zhou Mingrui asked as he sat down on a rock. Yan Wuyue shook her head, laughed, turned around, and walked toward her destination. The smile on Zhou Mingrui¡¯s face vanished as he watched her walk away, and he clenched his fists. He hated himself for not having enough power. Otherwise, he could have gone with Yan Wuyue instead of sitting here and enjoying the fruits of her labor. Zhou Mingrui wasn¡¯t sure when, but he felt that he had changed. In the past, he had become sick of those chasing after their dreams with great effort and hardworking, for he thought that life was nothing more than in goblin mode. But now, he had changed. He wanted to pursue, fight, and take the initiative to get what he wanted. Bang! Zhou Mingrui clenched his fist and slammed it onto the rock beneath him. Instantly, tiny cracks appeared. ¡°What are you angry about?¡± Qi Ming was a little confused. Zhou Mingrui¡¯s life as a summoned spirit was so easy, for he didn¡¯t even need to fight. All he had to do was sit and enjoy the fruits of his Summoner¡¯s labor, which was many summoned spirits¡¯ dreams. However, this guy seemed frustrated, as if his life was some kind of humiliation, so Qi Ming simply couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°Have you ever seen anyone¡¯s talents and skills being sealed?¡± Zhou Mingrui said it directly. After all, it was impossible for Qi Ming to run away now. Perhaps he could get some useful information from it. ¡°Someone¡¯s talents and skills are sealed?¡± Qi Ming was taken aback. He looked at Zhou Mingrui suspiciously and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not talking about you, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Zhou Mingrui thought about it and found that there was no need to hide it because it was too obvious. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll tell you a solution?¡± Qi Ming sprawled on the ground and said lazily. ¡°I might be able to save your life if you can tell me something,¡± Zhou Mingrui suddenly said. Qi Ming¡¯s face twitched slightly. It was obvious that Yan Wuyue would kill him, but he just wanted to live as long as possible. What if Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui encountered some powerful monster and were killed? It wasn¡¯t just a castle in the air. After all, they were in the western forest, where level 7, 8, and even 9 monsters lived. As long as the Summoner accidentally provoked any of them, it would be the best chance for Qi Ming to escape. However, what Zhou Mingrui had just said had moved it. After thinking for a moment, Qi Ming said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice now anyway, so I might as well tell you what I know.¡± ¡°Although the information might not be useful, I hope it can help you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a clan called horned cows, and one of them has been unable to use its skills since he was young. This made him the weakest in the group.¡± ¡°One of them was killed by other monsters while it was hunting for food, and it fell to the last place. It was at this moment of death that its potential was completely activated, and it started to use its skills.¡± ¡°Moreover, its potential also suddenly burst out completely after that. In a short time, he directly crossed ranks and became the king of the horned cow clan.¡± Zhou Mingrui was a little speechless after hearing the story. Did he have to be like those characters in novels and movies, only being able to unseal in a life-and-death moment? The story about the horned cow was a bit dramatic, but he thought it wasn¡¯t that bad after thinking about it. First of all, he was a summoned spirit, so he would be able to return to the illusionary spirit world and be reborn even if he died. It meant he didn¡¯t have to take risks. However, he still needed to sleep on this idea. After all, he was a summoned spirit but not a monster. The method might not work for him. ¡°If it works, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Zhou Mingrui nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see. I don¡¯t have much hope anyway,¡± Qi Ming said lazily. Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t say anything else, leaned against the rock, and kept waiting. The environment here was filled with rocks and thick trees, which was different from the swamp earlier. The trees there were short and had few branches and leaves, but the ones here were luxuriant. Whether it was the trunk or the branches, they were extremely thick and almost covered the sky. Yan Wuyue walked among them, her body covered with full armor. It was useless in the swamp forest because of the environment and the opponent, but those who she was about to fight against here were different. ¡°Already?¡± Less than ten seconds after entering the woods, Yan Wuyue sensed many eyes staring at her. ¡°Stop looking at me and come down.¡± Yan Wuyue stopped and looked up at the figures hanging on the thick branches. Soon, a figure suddenly moved from the branch and landed in front of Yan Wuyue. ¡°Human, what are you doing here?¡± The red-haired ape looked down at Yan Wuyue. Even with its back bent, it was still 2.5 meters tall. The red-haired ape looked down at Yan Wuyue, bringing a huge sense of pressure. However, Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression remained the same as she said, ¡°I heard that your clan is highly intelligent. I¡¯m here to look for a solution. Would you mind helping me?¡± Yan Wuyue wasn¡¯t here to fight. Although the red-haired apes were monsters, they were as intelligent as humans. Some of them were even more intelligent than humans and knew many things that humans didn¡¯t. Others might not know, but Yan Wuyue, who had been reborn, remembered that many monsters stood on the same side as humans during the great calamity. After all, the monsters from other dimensions would not care if you were a human or a monster. As long as there was no aura of other dimensions, they would not hesitate to kill you. Red-haired ape monsters were the top 5 intelligent clans, especially their clan leader, who was also known as a living fossil. People called it Red-haired Sage. The red-haired ape monsters were a very special clan. They were split into two branches, one for combat. As for the other one, they were responsible for fighting and guarding the race. The combat members made up about four-fifths of the race. This level of red-haired ape monster had strong muscles and recovery abilities. At the same time, their combat skills were also among the best among different clans. Chapter 239 - 239 The Sage 239 The Sage The Sage The remaining one-fifth of red-haired ape monsters were those with more outstanding intelligence. Generally speaking, they were called elders responsible for the various decisions of the clan. Among them, the oldest and wisest would be crowned as the sage and naturally become the clan leader. The sage of red-haired ape monsters would inherit the knowledge and experience of the previous one, so this was why Yan Wuyue decided not to fight after hearing their name. The red-haired ape monster was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Go ahead. I will try my best to help if I know the answer.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded to express her gratitude and told it about Zhou Mingrui¡¯s situation. After hearing this, the red-haired ape monsters frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forgive me for not being able to answer your question right now. I need to talk to our clan leader. ¡°No problem. I appreciate that.¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. After about half an hour, the red-haired ape monster returned. ¡°Human, our clan leader wants to see you. Please follow me.¡± As other red-haired ape monsters stared at them, Yan Wuyue followed the elder into the depths. Soon, they arrived in front of a wooden house, where a thin ape monster with yellowish-red hair was sitting on the steps in front. ¡°This is our clan leader,¡± The elder said as it stood ten meters in front of the steps. ¡°Sage, it¡¯s my honor to meet you,¡± For the first time, Yan Wuyue spoke in a respectful tone. ¡°Human, how do you know of my existence? I don¡¯t remember interacting with any of you,¡± the sage asked slowly. ¡°This is not the point, right?¡± Yan Wuyue said calmly. ¡°Tell me, what can I get after answering your question?¡± the sage asked again. ¡°I can help you avoid a disaster at a critical moment.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°A disaster at a critical moment? What do you know?¡± the sage frowned and asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you too much now, or it¡¯ll be very complicated.¡± Yan Wuyue shook her head. The elders standing below all frowned and looked at each other, but they could only remain silent. The sage thought for a moment and nodded slowly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°To show my sincerity, I can provide some information first, but I need to talk to you alone.¡± Yan Wuyue turned to look at the elders around them. The surrounding elders were somewhat annoyed when they heard her words, and the guards also expressed their upset. However, the sage raised its hand to calm them down. ¡°She won¡¯t do anything to hurt me. Come with me.¡± The sage smiled and led Yan Wuyue into the house. In the room, there was only a bed and a table with a few chairs. The sage made her sit down and asked, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Soon, this world will be invaded by creatures from other dimensions, and this place will be one of the first dimensional gates. You will suffer a fierce attack,¡± Yan Wuyue slowly explained. ¡°Do you know when exactly?¡± The sage asked without any expression. ¡°I am not sure, but it should be within these five years.¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Within five years? I got it. Thank you for the information,¡± the sage said after a moment of silence. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your problem then.¡± The sage stood up and walked a few steps before saying, ¡°Your summoned spirit is limited by the rules of this world and another world. Generally speaking, it¡¯s very rare, but here we are. ¡± ¡°The world¡¯s rules can not be stopped or removed by other forces, and his strength can help him to break the chain.¡± ¡°As for the method, it¡¯s either him sensing the existence of the rules and breaking it or using some kind of extreme energy in his body. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way out for him.¡± Yan Wuyue frowned, for the instruction was rather vague and just a direction. ¡°I know the information might not be very helpful, but this is reality. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help much,¡± the sage shook its head and said with a helpless tone. ¡°Let me tell you. Your summoned spirit is an undead type, so it will be the most helpful for him to meet an enemy of his same kind. Hearing this, Yan Wuyue nodded. These words couldn¡¯t help much either, for she knew where to find other undead-summoned spirits in this universe. Even after the great calamity and the world changed, anyone below level 8 would definitely die after entering that place. Rubbing her forehead, Yan Wuyue still expressed his gratitude. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± After walking out of the wooden house, Yan Wuyue was somewhat worried. It was impossible to fight the red-haired ape monsters clan, so she could only leave. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Zhou Mingrui was surprised to see Yan Wuyue. ¡°We can¡¯t fight this clan. Let¡¯s find the next one.¡± Yan Wuyue didn¡¯t explain. Qi Ming said lazily, ¡°We might have to take a detour to the next place. It will take a long time. Are you sure? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go,¡± Yan Wuyue said indifferently. [ What happened? ] Zhou Mingrui couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. [ They are a neutral clan and have no obvious malice towards humans. In the future, they might even join our alliance, ] Yan Wuyue explained. [ An alliance? An alliance of monsters and humans? ] Zhou Mingrui understood the meaning behind her words. [ That¡¯s right. The creatures of other dimensions don¡¯t recognize humans or monsters. If it¡¯s not their kind, they will kill and devour it completely. Therefore, the highly intelligent races among humans and monsters will be allied, ] Yan Wuyue responded. [ I understand now. I didn¡¯t expect something like this, but It seems that we are still not close enough to our goal, ] Zhou Mingrui said with a sigh. [ There are still many waiting for us in the future. Let¡¯s not think about these things for now. The most important thing now is to help you solve the seal, ] Yan Wuyue changed the topic. [ You seem to be off, ] Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. [ I¡¯m just worried about you, ] Yan Wuyue said helplessly, rubbing her temples. [ I know the seal is complicated, but don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine soon. ] Zhou Mingrui said with a confident look. Roar! At this moment, a roar reverberated through the forest, and an extremely powerful pressure suddenly pushed everyone. ¡°A level 8 monster!¡± After Qi Ming and Yan Wuyue exclaimed at the same time, Zhou Mingrui¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no treasure or smell of blood in this area. There shouldn¡¯t be any level 8 monster!¡± All the hair on Qi Ming¡¯s body stood up because of the overwhelming pressure. Chapter 240 - 240 The Level 8 Monsters 240 The Level 8 Monsters The Level 8 Monster ¡°Level 8 monster!¡± Zhou Mingrui was taken aback when he heard that. Then, he felt extremely shocked. This was a level 8 monster. Even Yan Wuyue, who had just killed a level 7 monster, could only run away. After the monster roared again, the entire forest shook. Roars, sounds of collision, and noise of collapse kept hitting their eardrums. ¡°The level 8 monster is fighting!¡± Yan Wuyue and Qi Ming once again analyzed the current situation. They looked at each other and shouted, ¡°Run!¡± Only those with equal or even greater strength could fight a level 8 monster. If they were involved in a battle of this level, only Yan Wuyue had a chance to escape. As for Qi Ming and Zhou Mingrui, they would probably die here. The three of them immediately turned around and ran without hesitation. Moreover, they were running at full speed. At the same time, they also saw many monsters charging out from behind them, and they were also escaping. A battle between a level 6 and a level monster could easily destroy the land. Once a level 8 monster fought without any restrictions, fifty kilometers radius could be dangerous. Even a level 7 monster wouldn¡¯t dare to appear around in this area. Just as the three of them were running, the tremors behind them became more and more intense, and the collision sounds became louder and louder. They were shocked. Yan Wuyue and Qi Ming both turned around and saw a huge monster from the corner of their eyes. The most eye-catching part was the huge horn on its head, which was more than a meter long. Moreover, it had a pair of pale golden eyes. The grayish-brown body that appeared above the tree had layers of hard carapace that reflected a metallic light. ¡°It¡¯s a horned lightning beast!¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face turned ashen, and Qi Ming was also trembling. ¡°An advanced level 8 monster, one of the overlords of the western forest. They even have the potential to evolve to level 9,¡± Yan Wuyue knew that Zhou Mingrui did not know the monster, so she explained. ¡°Then who¡¯s fighting against it? According to you guys, it¡¯s a powerful level 8 monster, right?¡± Zhou Mingrui was more concerned about this fact. ¡°In the western forest, there is only one overlord that can fight horned lightning beasts head-on. They are iron-armed behemoths,¡± Yan Wuyue said seriously. ¡°How do you know this much about the western forest?¡± Qi Ming was a little surprised. After all, these level 8 monsters had always been the overlords of the forest, and normal humans wouldn¡¯t know so much. ¡°It¡¯s not something difficult,¡± Yan Wuyue responded indifferently. The few of them continued to run, but the battlefield was closing in at an extremely fast speed as the two monsters fought behind them. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they moving towards us? We will be affected if it keeps going on like this!¡± Qi Ming said in a panic. ¡°The range of these horned-lightning beasts¡¯ attacks is very wide and destructive, especially its powerful skills. If we are caught in the shockwaves, we will either die or be heavily injured,¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°Sh*t, let¡¯s change direction then!¡± Zhou Mingrui suggested. ¡°Alright, follow me!¡± After Yan Wuyue immediately turned around, Qi Ming and Zhou Mingrui quickly followed. However, as they turned, the battle behind them somehow changed direction as if it was following them. ¡°F*ck!¡± Zhou Mingrui immediately cursed, and the two beside him were also devastated. Five minutes after, they were still drawn into the center of the battle as they ran for their lives. At this time, they could finally see the horned lightning beast, which was more than twenty meters long and rather pressuring. At this moment, the horned lightning beast swung its tail. As its seven to eight-meter-long tail swept across, all the trees and rocks in its path were shattered. At this time, in front of the horned lightning beast was a monster that was not as massive but about 15 or 16 meters tall. However, its arms were huge. ¡°It is indeed an iron-armed behemoth.¡± Yan Wuyue¡¯s face grew more and more serious. In the next moment, as the horned lightning beast¡¯s huge tail swept over, the iron-armed behemoth wasn¡¯t afraid at all. It raised its thick arms and blocked in front of its body. Bang! With a deafening sound, the iron-armed behemoth grabbed the horned lightning beast¡¯s tail. Even though the iron-armed behemoth could take the attack, the force of the impact sent it flying back a few meters before coming to a stop. However, for these giant monsters, the distance was only a few steps. Then, the iron-armed behemoth roared, and the muscles on its arms bulged again while emitting green light. In the next moment, the horned lightning beast¡¯s body started to shake under the sudden attack of the iron-armed behemoth. The horned lightning beast kept shaking, trying to get its tail out of its enemy¡¯s hand. However, the iron-armed behemoth wouldn¡¯t let go. No matter how the horned lightning beast tried, it couldn¡¯t pull itself away. The next second, the horn on its head began to emit electric snakes. ¡°Damn! Move! The horned lightning beast is about to use its skill!¡± Yan Wuyue and Qi Ming screamed, turned, and ran. Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui immediately did the same after hearing their warning. Boom! After a few seconds, the sky suddenly turned dark, and a lightning bolt as thick as a bucket struck the iron-armed behemoth from the sky. Zap! Zap! Zap! The electric snakes kept moving, but the iron-armed behemoth didn¡¯t move at all, as if the lightning attack was just like a tickle. On the contrary, under the stimulation of the lightning, the iron-armed behemoth once again exerted its strength. This time, the horned lightning beast¡¯s huge body was completely shaken. However, as the horned-lightning beast was dragged, it let out an angry roar. More flashes of lightning suddenly fell from the sky, and they were even thicker than the previous ones. As if they were equipped with GPS, most of the lightning bolts landed on the iron-armed behemoth accurately. The whistling sound waves of thunder came one after another, and Yan Wuyue, Qi Ming, and Zhou Mingrui were all shocked because a small part of the thunder fell where they were. Bolts of lightning that were thicker than his own body fell not far away, and the huge power blasted a deep pit in the ground in the blink of an eye. Moreover, even the earth couldn¡¯t disperse such a huge thunderbolt immediately, and they could see a large amount of electric current scatter in all directions. This was only one of them. The lighting around the three of them continued to fall, and the lightning energy continued to surge out of the ground, forming a terrifying sea of lightning. Chapter 241 - 241 The Collision 241 The Collision The Collision The three ran with all their might, but the lightning bolts kept falling as if they would never stop. ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s going on today!¡± Zhou Mingrui cursed angrily, but it didn¡¯t help. The two level 8 monsters couldn¡¯t hear him at all, and they wouldn¡¯t care about his kitten-like scream even if they had. ¡°Stop yelling. Just think about how to run away. If you get struck by the lighting, nobody can save you!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted. The three of them continued to run. The iron-armed behemoth that was struck by a large number of thunderbolts had its body slightly frozen due to the numbing effect. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the horned lightning beast immediately pulled back its tail and raised its head to summon more lightning bolts. However, this time, the lightning target wasn¡¯t the iron-armed behemoth but the horned lightning beast itself. To be more precise, it aimed at the horn on its head. Countless bolts of lightning continued to fall, accurately entering the horn. As the process kept going, the horn began to turn into plasma. A blazing white light flashed out, and tiny electric snakes began to wrap around the horn. The huge power made the particles in that area mutate. The heating temperature instantly caused the surrounding water to evaporate, forming a hazy mist. At this time, anyone could tell that the horned lightning beast was preparing to make a big move. The iron-armed behemoth knew this, but its huge body made it impossible for it to dodge swiftly. However, it had its way of dealing with this kind of attack. The muscles on its thick arms suddenly bulged, and the lines of its muscles became more obvious. At the same time, an even more intense green light shone. Boom! Its two fists were like two thick pillars as they smashed down, directly piercing into the ground. At this time, the horned lightning beast was fully ready to attack. It lowered its head slightly, and its horn suddenly burst out with a dazzling white light that made the sun in the sky seem darkened. As the terrifying energy condensed and exploded, a terrifying thunderbolt with a diameter of at least two meters was directly shot out from the horn. The surrounding space was distorted, and the plasma was directly materialized to the point where it could be seen. Bolts of lightning as thick as a human¡¯s arm appeared in the surrounding space, which was the residual power of the lightning that had almost been plasma-converted. At this moment, a large amount of energy in the iron-armed behemoth¡¯s arms immediately flowed into the ground. With an earsplitting roar, a large piece of the thick land was lifted. Zhou Mingrui and Qi Ming were dumbfounded by this scene as they escaped. On the other hand, Yan Wuyue was calm. Although the land was only a few thousand square meters, it was nearly 15 meters thick. Boom! The instant the thunder energy came into contact with the ground, a part of the energy was directly dispersed. Even after being condensed by the horned lightning beast, the force was still tremendous. Most of the lightning energy continued to penetrate and burn the ground. If it had been ordinary soil, the horned lightning beast¡¯s power would have been enough to penetrate it in the blink of an eye. However, it was also strengthened by the energy of the iron-armed behemoth, so the energy of the thunderbolts lost its momentum and slowed down after only reaching half. In the end, the lightning energy had only reached four-fifths underground before it completely lost its momentum and stopped. At this moment, the ground in front of the behemoth suddenly shook and broke into two pieces. The horned lightning beast appeared in front of it, lowered its body, and aimed its horn at the ironed-armed behemoth. At the same time, the ironed-armed behemoth pulled back its arms as fast as it could and leaned back. However, it was still too late. The horn of the horned lightning beast had already pierced into the chest of the ironed-armed behemoth. Even the thick fur of the ironed-armed behemoth couldn¡¯t resist the sharp horn. However, it could only pierce through about ten centimeters before the steel-armed behemoth¡¯s hands had already grabbed the horned lightning beast¡¯s head. As if it was stimulated by the pain, the ironed-armed behemoth roared, and its brown skin suddenly turned golden. The green light completely disappeared, and what exploded was a golden color with a hint of blood. The powerful energy made the ironed-armed behemoth¡¯s body suddenly expand. The horned lightning beast froze, and the ironed-armed behemoth pushed forward as its power increased. That horn was also moving back slowly, and it was about to leave the behemoth¡¯s body. However, the horned beast wouldn¡¯t give up just like that. Lightning flickered all over its body, and bolts of lightning energy condensed on its horn. The next second, the sharp horn entered the plasma state. Under the high temperature, white smoke rose from the behemoth¡¯s chest. Meanwhile, the horned lightning beast kept stepping forward, trying to stab the horn into the behemoth¡¯s body. The behemoth was also grimacing in pain, and the bulging veins on its arms showed its efforts. The two were in a stalemate. However, the pain from the behemoth still pushed the horned lightning beast back. Even though it used the most stable triangle formation and stepped into the soil, it was still pushed back by the behemoth. Its thick and strong legs plowed two huge chasms in the ground. After knowing that it was no match for its opponent in terms of strength, the horned lightning beast let out a deep roar, and the metal shell on its entire body spread out like an aircraft¡¯s tail. As the thunder rumbled in the sky, countless thick thunderbolts surged in the dark clouds. The overwhelming pressure pressed down on Zhou Mingrui, Yan Wuyue, and Qi Ming, making them nearly out of breath. This was already a suppression of Life Level. ¡°Run! Run as fast as you can! This is the horned lightning beast¡¯s ultimate skill. It¡¯s fatal within a five kilometers radius!¡± Yan Wuyue roared and activated all her strength and domain skills. Qi Ming also shouted and activated all his physical strength. Zhou Mingrui immediately went into energy mode and reduced his weight to the minimum to avoid causing Qi Ming any trouble. A huge ball of light began to appear in the sky. Lightning was constantly gathering there, forming a huge plasma. After the sun was blocked by the dark clouds, the plasma was like a new sun, and the bright white light shone on the earth. However, this light did not send warmth but a chill of fear. ¡°It¡¯s an electromagnetic thunderstorm!¡± Yan Wuyue was even more speechless, for they encountered the horned lightning beast¡¯s most effective and powerful ultimate skills. Chapter 242 - 242 The Electromagnetic Thunderstorm 242 The Electromagnetic Thunderstorm The Electromagnetic Thunderstorm Zhou Mingrui didn¡¯t even need to ask to know that this move was the riskiest one for them. From Yan Wuyue¡¯s expression, he could tell that they would die here if they didn¡¯t run fast enough. In the sky, the meteorite-like plasma had expanded to an extremely large extent. However, it began to shrink slowly in the next moment. ¡°The electromagnetic thunderstorm has entered the intermediate stage. We only have less than 20 seconds to run away before it erupts. Once we are affected, we will have no chance of survival. Run!¡± Yan Wuyue shouted. This time, Yan Wuyue and Qi Ming did not hold back at all and used all their strength to accelerate. After ten seconds, the giant plasma ball that was hundreds of meters in diameter had shrunk to about thirty meters. However, the power did not decrease because of this. On the contrary, as the space around the plasma shrank, a certain scale of the lightning storm was formed. The ironed-armed behemoth sensed the danger, but even though it tried to push the horned lightning beast away with all its strength, it was entangled by the attack. The threat in the sky was close at hand, and the ironed-armed behemoth knew that it couldn¡¯t escape anymore. Therefore, it decided to fight for its life. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! A series of loud drum beats came from the ironed-armed behemoth¡¯s heart. As the huge amount of blood rushed into its body, its arms suddenly expanded again. However, many cracks appeared on the surface of his tough skin this time, and blood spurted out. However, the ironed-armed behemoth seemed to be on drugs at this moment, and the blood in its body began to explode. Roar! With a furious roar, the ironed-armed behemoth pinched its enemy. The head armor of the horned lightning beast with stunning defense was dented by the ironed-armed behemoth at this moment. At the same time, the force was still increasing. In just two seconds, it crushed the armor that was hundreds of times tougher than steel, and the horned-thunder beast groaned in pain. However, the plasma in the sky had shrunk to a size of ten meters, and the surrounding space was filled with a terrifying energy storm. Ten seconds. The ironed-armed behemoth knew that the only way to avoid being severely injured or even killed was to use the horned lightning beast¡¯s body to block the power of the electromagnetic thunderstorm. Nine seconds. It roared again. At this moment, the muscles on the ironed-armed behemoth¡¯s arms had expanded to the limit, and its finger had penetrated the horned lightning beast¡¯s armor. Eight seconds. Under the immense strength of the ironed-armed behemoth, the horned lightning beast¡¯s huge body started to leave the ground. In half a second, it was lifted by a few meters. Seven seconds. Yan Wuyue, Zhou Mingrui, and Qi Ming had already run more than 600 meters, but they had to keep running. Six seconds. The horned lightning beast was lifted into the air by the ironed-armed behemoth. At this moment, the ironed-armed behemoth had electric snakes coiling around its body, extending to the behemoth¡¯s body. It tried to paralyze the behemoth with the electric shock to decrease its strength. Five seconds. The ironed-armed behemoth didn¡¯t even care about the numbness brought by the lightning. On the contrary, the lightning was stimulating its strength even more. The horned lightning beast was raised and lifted into the air by the behemoth. Four seconds. The plasma in the sky had shrunk to nine meters, and the energy density in it had begun to rise. The surrounding lightning bolts, as thick as a human¡¯s arm, had begun to fall to the ground. Three seconds. Yan Wuyue and the others had already run for three kilometers with their full strength, but they were still two kilometers away from the fatal distance of five kilometers. It was impossible for them to make it out at this time. Two seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s hope the iron-armed behemoth beast can take enough attacks for us.¡± Yan Wuyue knew it was their last hop. One second. The huge plasma had shrunk to six meters, and its energy was constantly spreading. It showed signs of erupting and releasing energy at any time under a large amount of lightning. Yan Wuyue and the other two had already come about four kilometers away, which was the maximum distance they could escape. At this moment, they could let the universe decide the ending of their story. Zero seconds. After the plasma in the sky and countless lightning bolts exploded, thunderbolts dropped like rain. Moreover, the lightning this time was no longer the same as before, and it was a condensation of plasma that contained even more tremendous energy. The lightning followed the energy storm that had already formed and began strengthening its energy and condensation. The first to be attacked was the horned lightning beast. The enormous lightning energy struck its body. The horned lightning beast¡¯s body was naturally more resistant to lightning than other creatures, but it would not be able to withstand when the attack reached a certain level of energy. Although the ironed-armed behemoth had the horned lightning beast as its shield, some of the energy was still transmitted to its body. However, the force was too weak to affect it at this moment. It knew it couldn¡¯t let go of the horned lightning beast at this time. After all, this was related to its safety! At this time, Yan Wuyue and the other two were more than desperate. Although they were not in the center of the battlefield, the overflowing thunderbolts kept falling on their sides. Even if it was just the energy that was shot out, it was enough to put any one of them in danger. At this moment, they were all in a state of high tension. In just a few seconds, thousands of lightning bolts fell from the plasma in the sky, which didn¡¯t include the ones that spread out. The horned-lightning beast had already been struck by hundreds of lightning bolts, which seemed overwhelming for it. Although the ironed-armed behemoth wasn¡¯t attacked directly, the horned lightning beast had transferred a lot of thunder energy to it and injured it. In addition to the side effects of using the skill previously, it had directly caused its body to be rather weak. In the end, both of them lost their strength. The ironed-armed behemoth fell directly to the ground while the horned lightning beast collapsed. At this moment, without the horned lightning beast¡¯s guidance, the plasma in the sky completely went out of control. The thick lightning began to attack aimlessly. A thunderbolt suddenly fell toward Yan Wuyue. The immense power directly broke through the air, and the target was precisely Yan Wuyue, who was running. Zhou Mingrui, who was more sensitive to energy detection, noticed the movement in advance. He turned to look at Yan Wuyue, who had also noticed it, but it was too late. In the next moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly stood up and leaped into the air with the strength of his legs to be in between the thunder and Yan Wuyue. Chapter 243 - 243 The Figure of Light Is Back 243 The Figure of Light Is Back The Figure of Light Is Back ¡°No!¡± Yan Wuyue turned around and saw Zhou Mingrui, who was standing between her and the lightning, being struck by lightning at the same time. Thud! Zhou Mingrui landed on the ground. A large amount of lightning energy spread out from his body and finally reached the ground. Qi Ming was stunned for half a second before he turned around and prepared to run away. ¡°Take him with you, or I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡± Yan Wuyue, whose eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, immediately roared to stop him. Qi Ming was shocked. However, it was smart enough to quickly rush to the unconscious Zhou Mingrui¡¯s side, bite him, and throw him on its back. In the next moment, it took a big stride and rushed out. Yan Wuyue quickly followed behind them. At the same time, she kept calling out to Zhou Mingrui through the spiritual link but heard nothing from him at all. However, Yan Wuyue could confirm that Zhou Mingrui was not dead yet through the spiritual link. Fortunately, the three of them ran out of the danger zone, and the thunderous sound behind them kept pounding on their hearts. However, they could only continue to run. Even after escaping the most dangerous area, lightning continued to fall around them. It was just that the lightning wasn¡¯t as fatal, and there weren¡¯t that many. The two level 8 monsters behind were already lying on the ground, heavily injured from the constant lightning strikes. About five seconds later, the plasma in the sky finally disappeared. The energy state that covered the sky slowly disappeared. Finally, the thick dark clouds began to dissipate, revealing rays of sunlight. At this time, the two level 8 monsters were both in a weak state, unable to move, and could only lie on the ground. After a few minutes, the space above them suddenly distorted. Then, a black vortex hole appeared, and a figure stepped out. ¡°I expected to wait a bit longer before the battle ended. It seems like I¡¯m late.¡± If Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui had been still around, they would have realized the voice was from their old friend, the mysterious figure of light. However, he was no longer the same as before. In the past, he was just a ball of light made of unknown material, but he owned a physical body now. However, anyone could discover that his body was formed by different parts of monsters, which made him seem strange. The figure of light was currently wearing a cloak made of some unknown fur, and he looked somewhat ridiculous. He slowly flew to the horned lightning beast¡¯s side. Looking at the heavily injured monster, he sneered. ¡°All my efforts for making you two fight have now paid off. This is what I want.¡± ¡°Those damn barbaric humans! How dare they hurt me so badly! I¡¯ll show them what fear is after I succeed!¡± ¡°What?¡± At this moment, the figure of light seemed to have suddenly discovered something, raised its head, and looked in a certain direction. It was where Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui had left. The figure of light narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see them here, but the matter here is more important now.¡± ¡°it won¡¯t be too late to find them after dealing with the problem here.¡± After saying that, he stretched out his hand, and his arm suddenly turned into threads of light. The dense light threads continued to extend and grow longer, and soon, they drilled into the gaps of the horned lightning beast¡¯s shell and began to pierce into its flesh. The horned lightning beast noticed the figure of light, but it could not resist him in its current state. Instead, it could only watch as many objects appeared in its body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After I absorb you, you¡¯ll become part of my glory and help me get rid of the fu*king rules of this world!¡± The speed at which the light threads spread began to increase. Soon, they occupied the entire body of the horned lightning beast, and then an intense pain began to occur. The horned lightning beast¡¯s entire body began to convulse and tremble. It was still conscious, but it had lost control of its body. Soon, a suction force erupted from the light threads, and the flesh and blood essence of the horned lightning beast¡¯s body began to be continuously absorbed. An even more intense pain swept through its brain. Furthermore, its body began to shrink rapidly. As it stared at the figure of light, there was deep hatred in its eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. As a lame creature in this world, you should feel honored that I choose to absorb you. You should know that I wouldn¡¯t even look at a piece of trash like you in the past,¡± the figure of light said disdainfully. In less than half an hour, the horned lightning beast¡¯s huge body, which was tens of meters long, had become a mummy-like shriveled body, and all signs of life had disappeared. Many light threads began to shrink rapidly, then converged to form an arm again. At this time, a part of the figure of light¡¯s body began to gradually take shape, and very quickly, it became a body that possessed a part of the characteristics of the horned lightning beast. Turning around, the figure of light came to the iron-armed behemoth and said, ¡°After absorbing you, my body will be complete. The process should be done.¡± At this time, the iron-armed behemoth that had its eyes closed suddenly widened its eyes in anger, and a huge fist struck toward the figure of light at an extremely fast speed. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, are you trying to resist?¡± The figure of light let out a disdainful sound and raised its hand slightly. In the next moment, his arm began to grow rapidly, and in a short moment, it turned into a huge beast claw. Boom! The attack of the ironed-armed behemoth was blocked, and the huge force compressed the air, making an explosive sound. ¡°If you were at your peak, I would have to act carefully. But now, you are nothing but a loser. If you weren¡¯t pregnant, which caused your physical fitness and strength to decline, I would be afraid that you would have defeated this horned lightning beast with your strength at the peak of level 8.¡± ¡°But for now, you should just accept the fate to become a part of me.¡± After saying that, the huge beast claw turned into countless light threads, pierced into the iron-armed behemoth¡¯s arm, and started to spread quickly. The iron-armed behemoth was furious, but it had used all of its strength in that attack earlier. Now that the light threads had invaded its body, it was losing control of its body. No matter how it resisted, it could not resist the light threads that penetrated through every opening. About an hour later, the iron-armed behemoth finally had become a corpse with only dry skin left. All the essence of its flesh and blood had been sucked out. The light threads retracted once more, and a solid object appeared in the last empty spot on the figure of light¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s finally done.¡± Chapter 244 - 244 Blessing in Disguise 244 Blessing in Disguise Blessing in Disguise At this moment, as the final piece of the body was placed, the figure of light¡¯s body squirmed as if they were rejecting each other. ¡°It seems like I need to solve some genetic problems,¡± the figure of light said. Following that, many light threads quickly spread out, wrapping the figure of light¡¯s body into a cocoon of light that floated in the air. At that moment, Yan Wuyue and Qi Ming brought Zhou Mingrui to a cave. Looking at Zhou Mingrui lying on the ground, Yan Wuyue looked worried and didn¡¯t know what to do. After all, she had never seen Zhou Mingrui like this before. There was no sign of life in his body, but he had not been determined to be dead through the contract. Besides her, Qi Ming was also lying on the ground, knowing that it had to behave itself for fear that Yan Wuyue might vent her anger and kill it if it made any noise. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here and wait for death. Let¡¯s go to the red-haired ape monsters¡¯ territory now!¡± Yan Wuyue suddenly stood up and said. ¡°Now?¡± Qi Ming asked, puzzled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m afraid that something might happen if we wait any longer. I don¡¯t want to waste time anymore. Let¡¯s go,¡± Yan Wuyue said in a dominant tone. Qi Ming had no choice but to get up and put Zhou Mingrui on its back. Then, it led the way for Yan Wuyue. They quickly arrived at the red-haired ape monsters¡¯ territory. ¡°Why are you guys here again?¡± the elder asked Yan Wuyue in confusion. After Yan Wuyue explained what had happened, the elder was more than confused. The two overlords of the forest had started a crazy battle, which was shocking. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the sage first.¡± The elder immediately made a decision and brought them to the sage. After listening to all the information, the sage one fell into a few minutes of silence before saying in a deep voice, ¡°Every overlord in the depths of the forest has their territory. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t fight for no reason. According to your description, it was a life-and-death battle. ¡°Something must have happened in the heart of the forest, but it¡¯s not important now. Let me check your summoned spirit first.¡± The sage slowly squatted down and carefully observed Zhou Mingrui¡¯s condition. Following that, it reached its hand. A faint grayish-white glow appeared in its palm and covered Zhou Mingrui¡¯s head. After a long while, it stood up and said, ¡°Your summoned spirit took a fatal blow from the horned lightning beast. Fortunately, he transformed into an energy body at the critical moment, so the damage was reduced to a certain extent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to him now. If he can withstand it, he will undergo a qualitative change. Yan Wuyue was stunned and asked in confusion, ¡°Sage, can you tell me what a qualitative change is?¡± The sage paused for a moment. ¡°The horned lightning beast¡¯s attack triggered the energy of lightning, which is the pure energy between heaven and earth. Your summoned spirit is a body of energy, so he should be able to turn this energy into his own.¡± ¡°And if I¡¯m not wrong, the lightning that attacked you should be outside the core area, right?¡± Yan Wuyue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. At that time, we had already withdrawn from the core area and to the edge, so that thunderbolt was indeed the aftermath. ¡± The sage nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If he can wake up, then the seal from before will probably be broken. When that happens, it will be a qualitative change.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like what you humans say, ¡®Every misfortune is a blessing in disguise.¡± After the sage said these words with a sigh, Yan Wuyue looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was lying on Qi Ming¡¯s back. She suddenly turned emotional. ¡°I hope it will work as you said. The point is that we need him to wake up soon,¡± Yan Wuyue said expectantly. The sage then squinted its eyes and said, ¡°How about this? Come with your summoned spirit and make the shadow leopard wait here.¡± With that said, the sage took the lead. It slammed the wooden staff in its hand on the ground, and grayish-white energy gathered, enveloping Zhou Mingrui. Yan Wuyue was taken aback, but she knew that the sage would not harm her now, so she followed in a hurry. Walking behind the sage, she soon stepped into a narrow and winding path. Yan Wuyue could sense that there was a guard every ten meters. After a few moments, they arrived in front of a huge but slightly shabby stone door. ¡°Is it¡­?¡± Yan Wuyue said with uncertainty. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to know about this place.¡± The sage was a little surprised this time. This was the core area of their clan, and humans couldn¡¯t know about this place. That was why the sage was shocked. ¡°I only heard a bit about it, but not everything. This is your clan¡¯s holy place, the Tree of Life, right?¡± Yan Wuyue said. ¡°How much do you know?¡± The sage raised its eyebrows and asked. ¡°The Tree of Life is a holy place only sages can enter. I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard that it¡¯s the key to your legacy,¡± Yan Wuyue told the sage everything she knew. Yan Wuyue had only received the information after the red-haired ape joined the alliance in her previous life. ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re right,¡± the sage smiled. After saying that, it directly pointed the head of the wooden stick in its hand at a pit in the stone door. After the gray energy was injected, the whole stone door began to tremble slightly, as if it was inserting an unlocking key. Then, a layer of invisible membrane rippled slightly, and the membrane opened up to reveal a dark door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After the sage said and took Zhou Mingrui in, Yan Wuyue followed closely behind. As soon as they stepped through the door, the surrounding scenery immediately changed. They were in an alternate spatial secret realm. Yan Wuyue knew they were not in the original world but in another space. According to the changes in the surroundings, she could tell it was a special alternate spatial secret realm. When she looked up, she saw a towering tree that occupied her entire vision in front of Yan Wuyue. The trunk was at least 20 meters wide and hundreds of meters tall. It was impossible to see the top of the tree even if she raised her head. ¡°The Tree of Life was discovered by our ancestors in ancient times, and it is the fate of every sage. It stores a vast amount of knowledge, some of which even involves the essence of the world.¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve gone through generations after generations, only to realize that the knowledge we can understand is just a drop in the ocean, the tip of the iceberg. Chapter 245 - 245 The Tree of Life 245 The Tree of Life ¡°Then why did you bring him here? I don¡¯t think he needs knowledge now,¡± Yan Wuyue was surprised and asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Tree of Life has another ability, which is to share her unlimited spirit.¡± ¡°You must know that the Tree of Life is able to store all this knowledge because of its unlimited spiritual power,¡± the sage turned around and said. ¡°The sages of each generation and even those warriors who have passed away will come here before their deaths and offer everything to the Tree of Life.¡± Yan Wuyue finally understood. The sage wanted to use the massive spiritual power of the Tree of Life to help Zhou Mingrui stabilize his core so that he could quickly digest the energy and recover from his injuries before waking up. ¡°Why would you do this for us? You¡¯ve already given me enough information,¡± Yan Wuyue asked again. ¡°Because I can sense that you and he are the keys to our clan¡¯s future.¡± The sage smiled. The answer made Yan Wuyue frown, for she knew there was a deep meaning behind the sage¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, so do you choose to accept my help or not? If you don¡¯t, I can take you back now,¡± the sage said with a smile. ¡°I accept. I owe you a big favor,¡± Yan Wuyue said immediately. ¡°Haha, good. Let¡¯s start then.¡± The sage turned around and walked towards the Tree of Life, placed its wooden staff on the Tree of Life, and chanted. Suddenly, the Tree of Life began to move. The countless drooping branches began to shake, and a pink light appeared on the trunk. Following that, several tree branches extended down from above and gently wrapped themselves around Zhou Mingrui¡¯s body. Then, they lifted him up into the tree crown. ¡°Alright, all we can do now is wait. Do you want to wait here or outside?¡± the sage asked. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Yan Wuyue sat cross-legged on the ground. ¡°I will stay with you then.¡± The sage smiled and sat down. Meanwhile, in Zhou Mingrui¡¯s world, after being struck by lightning, he was plunged into endless darkness. During this time, he could not feel the passage of time or any direction. As he continued to fall, he tried to struggle. However, the endless darkness still forced him to give up after fighting for a long time. After a while, a ray of light suddenly appeared in the boundless darkness, as if it was underwater sunlight. Zhou Mingrui subconsciously reached out to grab it. Following that, he felt himself being wrapped by warm energy as he continued to rise upwards. In the end, he found himself in a boundless light. [ Hello, I¡¯m the Tree of Life. ] Suddenly, an androgynous voice sounded. Only then did Zhou Mingrui snap back to reality from his daziness. [ If you came a bit later, you might have completely lost yourself, ] the Tree of Life spoke again. At the same time, a pink blob of light appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui. Zhou Mingrui took a few seconds before saying, [ I remember I was hit by a thunderbolt. Where am I? ] [ I don¡¯t know what happened to you before, but you are in my sea of consciousness now. They asked me to help you, and I agreed, ] the Tree of Life said gently. It was only then that Zhou Mingrui realized that he had been severely injured by the lightning, and Yan Wuyue had brought him here to ask for help. [ May I ask if I will recover? ] Zhou Mingrui asked. [ I already know about your situation. To be precise, your consciousness has been split apart by the lightning energy attack. You need to re-condense and wake up again. This is as easy as lifting a finger for me, ] the Tree of Life said slowly. [ Oh, it¡¯s that simple? ] Zhou Mingrui was a little taken aback. Before hearing the explanation, he had expected to hear something like how troublesome his condition was and how long or difficult the treatment would be. [ That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯re an undead-summoned spirit and in a half-energy state, I can heal you very quickly. ] [ If you¡¯re in a physical form like them, it might be a bit complicated to save you, ] the Tree of Life said. [ What price do I have to pay? ] Zhou Mingrui was not a fool. There must be a reason why the tree did not offer any help but said all this. The Tree of Life denied, [ No, such a simple task is nothing. You don¡¯t need to pay back anything. ] [ I asked you because I saw something in your consciousness that I¡¯m very interested in. ] Zhou Mingrui immediately understood what the tree was talking about. He only knew of two things in his consciousness. One was something that would be automatically triggered when he reached a certain realm, which was the consciousness form that his so-called ¡®father,¡¯ Lord of the Spirits, had planted. The other one was the huge stone tablet that he had obtained in the alternate spatial secret realm. [ May I know what you¡¯re talking about? ] Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled. [ It¡¯s a mysterious memory carrier having a very similar life form to mine, but it can¡¯t possibly grow to my level. ] The Tree of Life slowly said, [I¡¯m only saying this because I want to ask you if you can allow me to come into contact with your memory carrier. I don¡¯t even remember when was the last time I saw it. ] [ At the same time, I¡¯m also very curious about the knowledge stored inside. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll share mine at the same level. What do you say? ] [ Of course, I will cure you even if you don¡¯t agree. This is what I promised the guardians. ] What Zhou Mingrui needed to consider now was whether the life form that claimed to be the Tree of Life had any evil intentions. However, on second thought, everything about him was in the hands of this tree. To be precise, it could have read his memory carrier by force without asking for his consent. [ I agree to this exchange, ] Zhou Mingrui agreed. [ Okay, then read yours first. After I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll know how much knowledge I should exchange with you. Is that okay? ] the Tree of Life asked. [ No problem. You don¡¯t have to be this polite. ] Zhou Mingrui was puzzled as to why such a powerful being would be this polite and kind. [ I know what you¡¯re wondering. An equal exchange and no forceful plundering is a principle I¡¯ve set for myself since I was born, for such actions will only cause me to be lost in greed and eventually end up in self-destruction. ] [ This is what I obtained from the endless sea of knowledge. Do you understand the reason now? ] the Tree of Life said calmly. Chapter 246 - 246 Disaster Around the Corner 246 Disaster Around the Corner Disaster Around the Corner [ I¡¯m sorry for offending you, ] Zhou Mingrui said. [ It¡¯s fine. This is a normal suspicion from any life form. After all, very few lives have my knowledge, so I don¡¯t feel offended by your questions. ] [ Alright, I¡¯ll help you condense your consciousness first. That way, your consciousness form can withstand the transmission of consciousness. ] [ Are you ready? ] the Tree of Life asked. Zhou Mingrui immediately nodded and said, [ Yes, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s begin. ] [ Don¡¯t try to resist so I can help you most efficiently. ] [ Okay. ] Following Zhou Mingrui¡¯s reply, he suddenly felt a cold sensation. A special power began to appear in his sea of consciousness. Then, it spread and soon filled his entire space of consciousness. The next moment, he felt a sudden sense of tension. But in that instant, Zhou Mingrui felt his consciousness suddenly clear up. He had felt like having a hangover, but he was now gradually sobering up. After about ten minutes, the tension disappeared. [Alright, I¡¯ve helped you condense your consciousness and started to transfer energy to your body to help you recover as soon as possible. Now, I¡¯ll enter the depths of your sea of consciousness and make contact with that consciousness form, ] the Tree of Life explained. [ No problem,] Zhou Mingrui replied. Then, he felt a spiritual body enter his sea of consciousness again, and it was going deeper and deeper. Soon, it came into contact with something in the depths of his sea of consciousness, which was the stone tablet. Just like that, Zhou Mingrui waited. After a while, he suddenly felt the Tree of Life¡¯s spiritual power slowly withdraw from his sea of consciousness. [ Amazing. I didn¡¯t expect such inherited knowledge to exist. I¡¯ve lived for so long, but this is the first time I saw such knowledge. ] [This has brightened up my long and dull days, ] the Tree of Life¡¯s exclamations continued. [ I¡¯m very happy to have something amazing for you. ] Zhou Mingrui said. [ Hahaha, thank you. Alright, I¡¯ve already decided what knowledge to exchange with you. ] [ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve carefully selected them, and they will work perfectly for you. It¡¯s just that this involves a huge amount of knowledge, and your spiritual consciousness might not be able to take it. ] [ That¡¯s why I¡¯ll make it into inheritance seeds and plant it in your sea of consciousness. Once you meet the criteria one day, you¡¯ll be able to start obtaining the knowledge within, ] the Tree of Life said. [ Thank you. ] Zhou Mingrui had experienced the stressful feeling of being forced to swallow the knowledge from the stone tablet, and he did not wish to go through the process again. [ It¡¯s just a small matter. I¡¯ve already condensed them. ] When the Tree of Life finished speaking, Zhou Mingrui felt twenty oval-shaped objects emitting a faint glow in his sea of consciousness. It seemed they were the seeds that the Tree of Life had mentioned. [ Alright, now we¡¯ll have to wait for your body to fully recover. However, when I was repairing your sea of consciousness, I found that your talents and skills had been sealed,] the Tree of Life suddenly said. [ That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know why either. ] Zhou Mingrui immediately perked up. [ It¡¯s not something complicated. You must have triggered the rules of your world, so you were given certain restrictions. It¡¯s considered a kind of punishment¡¯ for you. ] the Tree of Life explained. [ Do you have a solution? ] Zhou Mingrui hurriedly asked. [ To be honest, you¡¯re very lucky. Although this was a disaster for you, it¡¯s a disguised blessing. Your seal has loosened because of this injury, and I believe that it will be removed automatically when your body recovers, ] The Tree of Life said. [ Really? ] Zhou Mingrui exclaimed in surprise. This seal had already tortured him for quite a while, and he had no idea what to do next. [According to my sea of knowledge analysis, it¡¯s highly possible. After all, there¡¯s a lot of information that I don¡¯t know, so I can¡¯t guarantee anything. However, the seal has indeed loosened, ] The Tree of Life said. [ I understand now. Thank you for your help, ] Zhou Mingrui expressed his heartfelt gratitude. [ No worries. You solved it yourself, and I just brought the information to you. ] The Tree of Life was very direct. [ By the way, may I ask a few more questions? ] Zhou Mingrui asked again. He was talking to a book of answers with life, so he knew he would regret it if he didn¡¯t seize the opportunity to learn more. [ Sure, go ahead. ] The Tree of Life seemed to be in a good mood. [ Do you know about the spatial spiritual tide outbreak? ] Zhou Mingrui asked. [ I know it will lead to terrible results after the world wall is weakened,] The Tree of Life replied. [ What if I tell you that this will happen in the world where your guardian and I live? ] Zhou Mingrui said. The Tree of Life fell silent for the first time. After a moment, it spoke again, [ According to the analysis of the space information I¡¯ve obtained, there is indeed a space node outside the world you¡¯re in that is in a state where it can explode at any time. ] [ What? It might explode at any time?! ] Zhou Mingrui had thought it was a random conversation, but he immediately turned shocked when he heard that it could explode at any moment. [ That¡¯s right. This is the information I got after absorbing the spatial energy, so it should be accurate, ] the Tree of Life explained. [ However, the strange thing is that according to the time of your world, I have checked this information 217 years ago. At that time, the timeline told me the outbreak would come in 350 years. ] [ Something special must have happened, causing the outbreak to be brought forward. This time, the outbreak will be several times more violent than the normal outbreak. [ it seems that I need to communicate with the guardian. If it happens, it will also affect their survival and my safety. ] Zhou Mingrui was speechless, for he never expected such bad news. [ It looks like you¡¯re not happy to hear this news. It¡¯s okay. I can understand because my knowledge base also has records of worlds that had such disasters, ] the Tree of Life said. [ What happened to them? ] Zhou Mingrui hurriedly asked. [ Out of 3782 worlds, only 50 of them managed to hold on. The rest were all devoured by the dimension. ] [ Furthermore, the spatial tide of this level will destroy the spatial barrier of your world even more. ] Chapter 247 - 247 The Figure of Lights Plan 247 The Figure of Light¡¯s Plan The Figure of Light¡¯s Plan [ This will lead to the powerful beasts of the alternate dimension, who were supposed to wait for the erosion of the alternate dimension before they could enter, invading in advance and causing the speed of the erosion to increase sharply. ] [ It seems like this is going to be a terrible disaster. ] The Tree of Life sighed. [ I know that I might not get an answer to this question, but I still want to know if there¡¯s a way to stop or solve this disaster in advance, ] Zhou Mingrui asked. [ The solution is very simple. That is to destroy the beasts with the corrosive energy of the alternate space. This way, the world you are in can rely on its recovery ability to repair the damaged barrier as soon as possible. ] [ As for the method to stop it, I¡¯m sorry, my knowledge base doesn¡¯t have the answer. Or rather, you haven¡¯t reached the level that you can complete it, ] the Tree of Life replied. [ Thank you, ] Zhou Mingrui expressed his gratitude. [ Don¡¯t say that. I didn¡¯t do anything, ] the Tree of Life continued. [ I have one last question. If my consciousness comes from another world, can I still go back? ] Zhou Mingrui finally asked the question buried deep in his heart. [ Are you talking about the illusionary spirit world? ] the Tree of Life asked. [ No, it¡¯s a world that¡¯s even further away. I can¡¯t tell what world it is in, ] Zhou Mingrui answered.] [ If you aren¡¯t sure where it is, there¡¯s only one way. You have to make yourself stronger to a certain extent. Like this, you can rely on the most fundamental source of your soul consciousness to sense the direction of that world. ] [ When every life is born, it will imprint the unique traces of that world in the deepest part of the soul consciousness, ] the Tree of Life explained. [ Okay, I understand. Thank you, ] Zhou Mingrui expressed his gratitude once again. [ It¡¯s nothing, ] the Tree of Life said politely. ¡­.. Just as Zhou Mingrui was communicating with the Tree of Life, the cocoon formed by the figure of light began to move where the two level 8 monsters had fought. Soon, as the countless threads of light twitched, they finally gathered into a body. At this moment, the figure of light no longer had the feeling of being pieced together. On the contrary, its aura was no longer as chaotic as before and began to gradually become one. ¡°I made it.¡± The figure of light smiled with satisfaction as he felt the power brought by this body. ¡°Although it¡¯s way worse to my real body, it¡¯s barely enough for this world.¡± ¡°All the efforts I¡¯ve made for this body paid off, and I finally made it. Alright, it¡¯s time to take revenge!¡± After the figure of light finished speaking, energy fluctuations rippled from its body, and a spatial vortex appeared in front of it. After stepping in, he arrived at a new place in the blink of an eye. The surrounding scenery stabilized, and he was in the southern wasteland where the beast tide had occurred. The figure of light scanned the area, immediately found the target he was looking for, and flew out at an incomparable speed with an energy explosion from its body. After flying for about ten minutes, he reached a huge mountain range. The figure of light came to a stop and descended into the depths of the mountain range. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In the mountain range, a sound like metal scraping against metal rang out. However, the figure of light did not care about the question and said, ¡°Cooperate with me and destroy humans.¡± As the voice fell, the mountain range trembled a moment later, and a massive figure slowly emerged. It was a python-like monster with an over-hundred-meter-long body, and it was coiled around a small mountain peak as it looked at the figure of light in the air. ¡°Destroy humans? If you have a death wish, go ahead. I¡¯m not interested,¡± the giant python said disdainfully. ¡°What if we have the others fight together?¡± the figure of light suddenly said. The giant python flicked out its tongue and then said in a deep voice, ¡°After we were attacked by that human last time, we decided not to invade again. There are many human powerhouses stationed there. We like our lives. ¡°If I tell you that I have a way to hold back most of them, would you dare to go?¡± the figure of light suggested. ¡°Holding back most of them? are you kidding me? Your aura is much stronger than the last time, but you gotta be kidding me,¡± the giant python said suspiciously. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m not joking,¡± the figure of light said calmly. ¡°How are you going to convince us? Do you think we will buy your story like this?¡± the python squinted its eyes. The figure of light smiled faintly. In the next moment, an incomparably intense aura suddenly erupted from his body. At this moment, even in front of the giant python¡¯s hundred-meter-long body, the figure of light¡¯s less-than-two-meters body seemed more powerful. ¡°This, this is the aura of the horned lightning beast, ironed-armed behemoth, King Kong Mammoth, and Desolate Shadow Wolf King!¡± The giant python was shocked by the many familiar senses in this aura. ¡°That¡¯s right. I now have their power, and it¡¯s enough to hold off most of the high-level combat power of those humans. Can I leave the rest to you? ¡± The figure of light said indifferently after retracting his aura. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problem. What can we get from this?¡± There was a hint of fear in the python¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want to achieve your goal, but we aren¡¯t fighting for you for nothing, right?¡± The figure of light laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t need what you want because I don¡¯t care about the so-called treasures and other things humans have! The giant python¡¯s eyes widened, and it became even more suspicious. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°I want the souls of those humans,¡± the figure of light said as he raised a finger. ¡°Souls? What?¡± the python was stunned for a moment and sneered. ¡°You also want the souls of our subordinates, right?¡± The figure of light shrugged and smiled. ¡°You can say that, but their souls are useless to you, aren¡¯t they? ¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but what will happen after your strength increases by obtaining this many souls? Are you going to devour us as well?¡± The giant python flicked its tongue and asked again. The figure of light suddenly stopped smiling and said in a cold tone, ¡°To be honest, I can kill you all one by one now. Believe me, I have that ability now, and I can become stronger by killing you all. I just don¡¯t want to do that.¡± ¡°I can tell you I want more souls, and those humans are enough for me.¡± ¡°I can promise I will leave this world after killing all the humans and obtaining their souls. You can deal with the rest. By then, I will no longer be interested in this world.¡± Chapter 248 - 248 The Beast Tide Unleashed 248 The Beast Tide Unleashed The Beast Tide Unleashed After the giant python heard this, it seemed deep in thought. After a moment, it said, ¡°Alright, as long as you can convince the others, I¡¯ll be down.¡± The figure of light finally put on a smile. ¡°I knew you would make the right choice. Alright, wait for my news. I¡¯ll be launching the general attack soon.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, have you asked the one resting at the core?¡± the python suddenly asked. The figure of light immediately frowned after hearing this and said, ¡°It? I went to look for it, but it didn¡¯t even care about me. In the end, it even told me to f*ck off.¡± The giant python flicked its tongue and then said quietly, ¡°Looks like it won¡¯t stop us or shop up. Okay, it¡¯s a deal. Let me know when you are ready.¡± The figure of light nodded, turned around, and flew away. Looking at the departing figure, the giant python fell into a long silence before returning to its nest. ¡­. Five days later, after the entire country¡¯s troops had gathered, the southern defense line was strengthened again. At this time, the humans here were in a state of constant preparation for war every day. Before the danger was away, no one dared to slack off. After all, this was related to the safety of humanity, the country, and the ones they loved. At this time, the command structure of the southern defense line had changed. In the conference room of the base, the seats were filled with hundreds of people. Even the commander of the southern defense line, Yu Zhongwei, could only sit in the middle. ¡°According to our latest tip-off, the scouts ahead have discovered that a larger beast tide has begun to gather in the quiet depths of the wilderness.¡± ¡°Most importantly, we¡¯ve also discovered that there¡¯s movement in the nests of many level 8 monsters. There¡¯s a high chance they will join the battle this time.¡± The people who had been calm during the first part of the presentation immediately began to whisper to each other after hearing the report. ¡°Is there any news or movement from the guy in the deepest part?¡± a military officer sitting in the front row asked. At this moment, the entire conference room fell into silence again. ¡°Lieutenant General Zhang, after analyzing what we know, the major threat doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of coming out,¡± the analyst said. Hearing this, people seemed relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. We must prepare for the worst so we won¡¯t panic when that thing shows up!¡± Lieutenant General Zhang suddenly slammed the table. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The people present immediately sat up straight and responded. ¡°Alright,¡± Lieutenant General Zhang nodded. ¡°Let them keep us updated and report anything unusual right away! ¡± After the analyst left, Lieutenant General Zhang cleared his throat and said, ¡°Guys, this battle determines the future of our country and our people¡¯s lives. I hope you all know there¡¯s no time for us to think about anything else!¡± ¡°Alright, you are free to go! Be ready for the critical battle!¡± Everyone turned serious when they heard this and replied in unison, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± When everyone had left, only a few people were left in the conference room. Lieutenant General Zhang turned around and smiled. ¡°I can tell you guys want to tell me something, Yu.¡± Yu Zhongwei and the others looked at each other. He walked up and asked, ¡°Sir, are there no reinforcements from other countries this time? ¡± The smile on Lieutenant General Zhang¡¯s face disappeared. He snorted and said, ¡°They said they couldn¡¯t send reinforcements in case of the same situation from happening on their country¡¯s border.¡± Yu Zhongwei and the others frowned, ¡°What are they thinking? Do they think they¡¯ll have an easy time if we¡¯re defeated?¡± Lieutenant General Zhang put his finger on his lips and said quietly, ¡°We received the information that there are strange movements of monsters at their borders, and it¡¯s pretty serious. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to come.¡± Yu Zhongwei was worried. ¡°If it was just a normal beast tide, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. With our current strength, we could even take the initiative to attack. But if those monsters above level 8 join the battle, I¡¯m afraid things will go out of control.¡± Lieutenant General Zhang touched his forehead and said, ¡°That¡¯s what I am concerning. You¡¯ve already talked to those monsters, and they know our abilities. They still dare to attack us, so they must have something to rely on.¡± ¡°Before we figure out what or who supports them, we are in a passive position.¡± ¡°What if the level 9 Beast King at the core attacks us?¡± Yu Zhongwei asked again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ¡± Lieutenant General Zhang replied. ¡°The supreme elder has already said that if that thing makes a move, he¡¯ll rush over here to stop it as soon as possible.¡± Hearing this, the people around heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright, any questions? If not, you should get some rest. Maybe we won¡¯t have time to sleep,¡± Lieutenant General Zhang said with a sigh. ¡­ In the secret realm of the Tree of Life, Yan Wuyue, who had been waiting for nearly a week. Except for some necessary situations, she had been sitting in front of the Tree of Life. At this moment, the quiet branch of the Tree of Life suddenly began to shake, which immediately caught the attention of Yan Wuyue and the sage. They stood up at the same time. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui, wrapped in the tree branch, slowly descended and landed steadily on the ground. As the tree branch retracted, it revealed Zhou Mingrui, who was completely unscathed. ¡°Mingrui!¡± Yan Wuyue immediately shouted. Zhou Mingrui opened his eyes when he heard that. In an instant, an invisible wave of energy spread out before quickly returning to his body. ¡°Your spiritual fluctuation?¡± Yan Wuyue naturally sensed this fluctuation. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already broken the seal!¡± Zhou Mingrui¡¯s put on a confident smile, which she hadn¡¯t seen for a while. ¡°Really?¡± Yan Wuyue said in surprise. ¡°For real. My current strength is completely different from before.¡± Zhou Mingrui clenched his fists as he curled his lips. Just as Yan Wuyue was about to ask about the details, the watch on her wrist suddenly rang with an alarm. She looked down at the message and screamed, ¡± Damn it, the beast tide in the southern wasteland has launched a general attack. This time, all of their level 8 monsters are attacking together, so the defense line is requesting all the combat personnel to gather there.¡± Zhou Mingrui frowned. ¡°The transport aircraft has left, right?¡± ¡°Maybe I can help you.¡± The sage suddenly said, ¡°The Tree of Life just told me it could bring you guys over through the space tunnel.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you so much!¡± Yan Wuyue quickly thanked him. The next moment, a huge amount of pink energy gathered in front of the Tree of Life, and a twisted spatial vortex slowly appeared. ¡°Go in. The other side is connected to the destination you want to go to,¡± the sage said as he stepped aside. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll never forget what you¡¯ve done for us!¡± With that, Yan Wuyue hurriedly walked in with Zhou Mingrui. When they teleported through the space tunnel and regained their vision, they found themselves at the southern defense line. ¡°Mingrui, I¡¯m sorry that you must participate in this battle right after waking up. Are you ready?¡± Yan Wuyue asked Zhou Mingrui as she noticed everyone in the line of defense was fully ready to fight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m ready to fight at any time. No, let¡¯s say I can¡¯t wait to fight!¡± Zhou Mingrui said with a smile. Although he had many words to tell her, he would wait until the battle was over. With that, Yan Wuyue turned around and kissed Zhou Mingrui, who was completely caught off guard. After a long while, she moved her lips away from his. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s fight with those monsters now!¡±