.....

[Your skill "Circulation of Death Qi" has been upgraded, Experience Points +32]

[Your skill "Circulation of Death Qi" has been upgraded, Experience Points +45]

.....

[Profession: Death Teller (Extraordinary) Lv. 3 (142/400)

Basic Professional Skills: Crow Language Lv. 2 (23/200),

Death Omen Eye Lv. 1 (34/100),

Circulation of Death Qi Lv. 3 (187/400)]

SPLASH—

The tap was turned on, and clear water poured down noisily.

While examining the Profession panel information in the bathroom mirror, Lu Yuan carefully washed the hand that had come into contact with the Death Qi Nodules.

This round of hunting had successfully raised his Circulation of Death Qi to Lv. 3.

Through comparison, Lu Yuan found that the amount of Death Qi he could now summon with his skills was approaching that of a regular Crow God Servant.

The Death Qi level of an ordinary Crow God Servant is probably around Lv. 4. The Strong Divine Servants are much more formidable, likely having Lv. 5 or even higher...

After cleaning off the hand sanitizer foam from his palm, Lu Yuan took a tissue from the side and carefully wiped his hands.

The [Fighter] panel showed that he had only gained three hundred Profession Experience Points this time. This proved that his strength had indeed improved considerably.

Returning to his bedroom, Lu Yuan picked up his phone and searched for live news from Burnt Rock City.

[....One hour ago, city police successfully cracked a large-scale serial murder case in Baishi Town. It is understood that...]

The news was released swiftly: the Crow God Sect's hideout in Baishi Town had been destroyed, and the Burnt Rock City police were wrapping up.

I can't continue for a while... Lu Yuan put his phone down, lost in thought.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Yellow Bear discovering what he'd done, but rather he was worried about the Crow God Sect. With two of their Divine Servants dead within a few days, they were bound to increase their vigilance. The next hunt might not be so relaxed and easy. If this happened too many times, his own identity could be exposed. If the Crow God Sect managed to trace the leads back to him, that would be a huge problem.

Once I've joined Yellow Bear, opportunities like these will increase. Plus, I could receive double the rewards...

Lu Yuan was a little disappointed that he hadn't gotten any Red Bead Experience Pills this time. In hindsight, it probably wasn't because he hadn't found them, but rather, the Crow God Servant in Baishi Town hadn't possessed any to begin with. These pills were of great benefit to him and were likely quite precious within the Crow God Sect. Among the Crow God Servants he had killed, the one from Baishi Town was the weakest, so it made sense that this one didn't have any.

As he pondered, Lu Yuan's phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up, his expression shifting for a moment before quickly returning to normal as he answered, "Coach..."

...

「Two days later, at Burnt Rock City train station.」

"When you arrive, remember to call home, and don't get into fights with anyone when you're out there. Always be the bigger person...," Lu Xinghua earnestly advised Lu Yuan at the entrance of the train station.

Lu Yuan kept agreeing, "Yes, Dad. Alright. I know."

But in his heart, he sighed lightly. Dad, if only you knew I'm headed there specifically to fight.

Lin Zhiquin had called to say that he had booked Lu Yuan a high-speed train ticket to Weishan City for that day. The examination for the Direct Disciples of the Heaven Water Sect... was about to start.

This was something Lu Yuan dared not neglect. Right. He had spent twenty million on it, after all.

"Attention passengers for train G1345I9, please proceed to ticket validation..."

The announcement for ticket validation echoed throughout the waiting hall.

Lu Yuan picked up his backpack and slowly moved towards the gate with the crowd.

He had his ticket checked and boarded the train.

Five minutes later, Lu Yuan successfully found his seat. Lin Zhiquin had treated him well, booking him a business class seat. The entire carriage only had about a dozen seats and was extremely quiet.

As the train slowly began to move, an attendant brought snacks and tea, thoughtfully asking if he needed a blanket or an eye mask.

The journey from Burnt Rock to Weishan was over three hours. Considering the time, Lu Yuan figured it would be afternoon by the time he arrived in Weishan.

He took out his phone and began to casually scroll through it.

It seemed his classmates in the group chat were organizing a trip to a neighboring city, and many had messaged to ask if he would join. Lu Yuan snapped a quick picture of the moving train and sent it to the group, effectively declining the invitation.

Checking his private messages, he realized Cheng Peng hadn't bothered him in a while. Peeking at his Moments, he discovered his friend had apparently reconciled with his girlfriend.

Lu Yuan tentatively sent a message: "Up for a game?"

He got a quick reply: "Scram! Don't think I didn't see your message in the group... I have someone to play games with me now, hehe!"

Immediately after, a video taken in an internet cafe was sent over. It featured Cheng Peng's smug face and a girl typing on a keyboard next to him.

As she was typing, the girl suddenly turned and slapped Cheng Peng on the forehead. "You're such a liability! They're already attacking our crystal!"

The video ended abruptly.

"Awesome, Bro Peng!"

Lu Yuan sincerely typed out a few '666s' for Cheng Peng; he was genuinely happy for him.

What in this world could be happier than being carried by your girlfriend in a game?

He scrolled down further. Lu Jing seemed to be doing very well recently, posting on her Moments almost daily. The people in her photos looked increasingly healthy, which made Lu Yuan feel quite relieved.

White Grass hadn't responded to any of his messages since saying she would come to Sum Country to meet and chat next month.

If Lu Jing continued to be fine, Lu Yuan felt it didn't really matter whether they met or not.

Just then, a new message popped up on Lu Yuan's screen. It was from his friend—Quiet Zhu Bao.

Lu Yuan opened it, expecting another sketch or something similar.

Unexpectedly, it was just two simple words: "Do your best! (Striving)"

Does she know I'm going to Weishan for the assessment?!

Lu Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

He replied with an "Mm."

After a moment's thought, he quickly recalled the message and changed his reply to— "Mm, mm."

...

"Welcome to Weishan City, the Home of Martial Arts, a City of a Thousand Training Halls."

Three hours later, Lu Yuan stood outside the exit of the high-speed railway station, looking at the large screen on the building opposite.

A tour group passed by, their guide waving a small red flag and loudly announcing to the tourists, "Weishan City is an ancient city with a rich history and cultural heritage. Weishan possesses an extremely strong foundation in Martial Arts culture... During its peak, the number of Martial Arts Halls in Weishan exceeded three thousand! Even now, there are hundreds of Martial Arts Halls, with over a hundred different Martial Arts styles being taught and practiced here..."

Over a hundred Martial Arts styles... Is that an exaggeration?

Lu Yuan's eyes twinkled slightly, his expression noncommittal. However, he had indeed noticed Weishan City's strong Martial Arts atmosphere.

On the large screen on the opposite building's wall, over a dozen advertisements scrolled by. They were either promoting summer admissions for Martial Arts Halls or announcing tenth-anniversary discounts for kendo dojos and Archery Halls. There were also commercials for health supplements like "Dragon Turtle Body Strengthening Pills" and "Mighty Health Maintenance Pills." One advertisement even showcased a new "Muscle Strengthening Liquid" from a company called Chuangwu Medical Company Limited. Their slogan claimed that one bottle would make you a "superman," equivalent to "one hundred cans of protein powder"...

Old City Circle... New World...

Lu Yuan recalled the words Gao Qing had once said to him. He was beginning to grasp their significance.

These... were all things he had never seen back in Burnt Rock City.

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