GAMMT - Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Jelly
While Xie Keli was studying, Shen Qixi was spared from the pressure of the Li Family. That was because Li Jie, the prodigal father had finally stepped up, forcefully declaring within the clan that they were not to interfere in his daughter's affairs.
"A gene report?"
"No!"
"You're not getting one!"
He rejected many of the clan's suggestions, arguing so fiercely that they nearly came to blows. In the end, the decision was made by the heads of the main and third branches.
"The clan would never harm its own blood. We want her gene report to enter her into the ancestral temple. Are you telling me you don't plan to take her there? You won't give her resources? With you around, she'll carry the Li Family name but receive none of the benefits. If an enemy comes after her in the future, won't she suffer for nothing?"
This convinced Li Jie, but he still insisted that the clan stay out of Shen Qixi's business.
"If she amounts to nothing, it's not like the clan can't afford to feed one more person. If she does achieve something, the clan has tolerated someone with a temper as rotten as yours; what's one more for your daughter? Besides, from what I can see, she's far more intelligent and sensible than you are!"
Li Jie replied, "That's true. She is my child, after all."
This lunatic. Can't he even detect sarcasm?
The head of the Li family was no decrepit old man. He was refined and noble, radiating a glory that made him seem like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm. At that moment, he raised a hand, pointed to the door, and said elegantly, "Get out."
Li Jie had lost his parents at a young age, and his branch of the family had dwindled. This old man had raised him for a time, and for a long while, everyone assumed he would be adopted into the main branch. That never happened, but a certain degree of respect remained. It was just that his untamable nature was liable to shorten an old man's life, which was probably why they stopped raising him.
In any case, he wasn't afraid of the old man now. He sneered, "You tell me to get out, so I'll get out? Fine, I'll be obedient for once. In return, I'll take your earlier words as tacit agreement. You won't involve my daughter."
"By the way, you're getting on in years. You should worry less about trivial matters and focus more on health supplements and exercise. That would be much better. Look at all your white hair… How about dyeing it gold? Imagine the entrance you'd make. Damn! A radiant golden light shining upon all!"
"Kneel for three days, or I'll make sure you never see your daughter again."
"You got it!"
And then, before the old man could strike in anger, he transformed into a ball of light… and rolled out.
Li Cang and Li Yu, who were just arriving, wore complicated expressions…
How did the prim and proper Li Family manage to raise such a scoundrel?
What a weirdo.
Fortunately, the family head had a good temper and quickly composed himself. He asked the two about their studies before dismissing them.
A short while later, another elder appeared in the room and began looking through Shen Qixi's gene report.
This elder was Li Cang's grandfather.
"She only inherited the Spirit-Gathering Gene talent. It seems it's not her. The age doesn't match up either."
"It has nothing to do with age. The Fu Clan's bloodline is strange and unpredictable. That Fu Ye is still a problem, but we must also keep an eye on Shen Qixi, and the other children… We can't just kill them all."
Li Cang's grandfather frowned. "Of course not. That would be digging our own grave. The Li Family has been able to suppress the Xie Clan all these years precisely because our family is prosperous. If we were to compare the strength of a single individual's genes, it's not that I'm trying to diminish our own prestige, but the Demon Orchid talent, which possesses both insight and attack pupil techniques, is simply too powerful. And that Xie Siyi is even more unfathomable."
"It won't be hard to investigate Fu Ye's situation. I've found out that the Fu Clan has a family festival… but it's in nine months, so we'll have to wait. If she's pregnant, she might give birth early. Should we wait until after she gives birth to make a move?"
The Li Family head lowered his gaze. "Families that specialize in fertility and childbirth always have their secret methods. Time is not a reliable measure. I only trust the gene report. That person said this calamitous bloodline of the Li Family possesses a terrifying talent related to the ocean."
"The Fu Clan's mermaid bloodline…" Li Cang's grandfather's expression turned grave.
"The Que Family is probably a little scared too, afraid that the Xie Clan's rise will be too dominant and they'll be made an example of… The Yun Family has a solid foundation and a strong network in other provinces, so they have nothing to fear, but the others don't… Have Li Cang get in touch with Que Baimo more often. Nurturing that illegitimate son is paying off. Also, arrange for our people inside East Guan to see if there's a chance to take out that Xie Keli."
"I have a feeling he's a hidden piece placed by Xie Siyi. He's a potential threat."
"She must be personally investing great effort into cultivating him."
Having been picked up from the spaceport several days ago, Tu Tu was getting a little antsy. He took another two bites of ice cream and asked Shen Qixi, who was reading under the sun nearby.
"Hey, when are you gonna let me see Captain Sis? You're not hiding her from me, are you? Waiting until you've built a good relationship with her, so I become the least favored one."
"As a groundhog, you shouldn't learn to judge a noble person by the standards of a petty one."
"Pah!"
Tu Tu grumbled, swatting his plump bottom with his fluffy tail. "Then why are you buying me so much ice cream and cake? And all these new clothes and hats?"
"To fatten you up and make you more delectable."
Tu Tu: "?"
He froze, momentarily unsure if he should eat his seventh ice cream.
Shen Qixi chuckled and patted his soft, jiggly cheek. "You chose her back then because you thought she was pretty, right? Do you know what she likes about you?"
Tu Tu: "???"
"This outfit will do. Change into this. I'll take you to run some dungeons in the next two days, hit a few, and visit a few medical halls…"
Meanwhile, Fu Chuan, who had so far only had her bare back examined by Xie Siyi without being charged, had just finished a wave of treatments at the medical hall. She was eating a bento box prepared by the hall's kitchen while thinking about the Arcane Truth bookshelf. Whenever she had a question, she would directly ask the Vice Dean and Big Bear. Both treated her like a junior sister and answered everything they knew. As they were discussing, a crisp voice came from outside.
"Excuse me, my teammate was injured in a dungeon. Can you treat them?"
"Miss, are you available?"
A girl and a groundhog in blue overalls appeared before them. The short, chubby groundhog was even wearing a red construction helmet. It was plump and golden, but covered in dust, looking utterly wretched. It was so pitiful, its red nose swollen as it hugged its tail and whimpered.
Its fur was truly beautiful, its build so solid, and its appearance so… overwhelmingly cute.
One of the overall straps had even slipped off its shoulder, revealing its round, exquisite fluff.
The girl wasn't in good shape either. She was covered in dirt and blood, her pretty face both haggard and helpless, looking extremely anxious.
Her short stature made her seem young. Pretty and cute—who could resist?
The nurse at the front bent the rules and let them in directly, without even needing to register.
Their eyes met, and Fu Chuan's fingers tightened slightly.
This little brat is full of schemes.
Compared to the World Studies discipline, where every teacher was a titan in their field, the instructors for the other four disciplines were more specialized. Fu Chuan had checked her schedule in advance and knew that the teachers for her four subjects had already been assigned.
Ye Suran (Arcane), Leon (Alchemy), Ye Suran (Combat), Ye Suran (Control).
Fu Chuan was actually a bit surprised. She hadn't expected three subjects to be assigned to the same teacher. This usually only happened when the academy was short-staffed—a situation akin to a gym teacher teaching literature—or when the teacher was so formidable that they were qualified in multiple areas, happened to have ample time, and were willing to teach the same student.
At six-thirty in the evening, Fu Chuan had just finished eating some bread. Her sleep schedule was a mess, and her meals were irregular, so she wasn't hungry. She waited in the corresponding training room. After a moment, she smelled a strong aroma and looked up to see a woman in her forties pushing the door open, carrying a large bag of garlic crayfish and noodles with soybean paste.
It was enough to feed five or six people.
Fu Chuan stood up and greeted her politely.
Ye Suran had a head of curly red hair, a slightly plump figure, and dark, rough skin. Out on the street, she could easily be mistaken for an auntie selling pork at the market. Moreover, her features and expression looked a bit fierce, as if she wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Although one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, she certainly didn't give off the impression of a powerful Arcanist serving a top-tier academy.
However, Fu Chuan had researched many of the teachers beforehand and knew a little about this person.
A 70th-level Arcanist specializing in space, light, and wind. Her profession was Gunner.
Many people thought of Gunners as a profession from the mechanical age, reliant on firearms, but that wasn't the case. Once Arcanists reached a high level, they began to master Arcane Truths from level 30 onwards. The biggest advantage of Arcane Truths over standard arcanes was their speed, aiming for instant casting. Weapons also followed the path of Arcane Truth materialization, eliminating the need for mechanical armaments. While this reduced equipment stats, it added the feature of instant-cast Arcane Truths. Furthermore, as the user grew stronger, their power increased without limit, raising the ceiling compared to the fixed nature of mechanical weapons.
The Arcane Gunner was one such profession. Fu Chuan had chosen it because she wasn't skilled in close-quarters combat. Space allowed her to control the fighting distance and lock onto targets from afar. The Gunner was one of the professions with the highest burst damage. Space, wind, and light were the perfect elemental combination for this class. Gunners were a profession with explosive energy consumption; each shot required a massive amount of energy and mental power. Coincidentally, this was precisely the path she was taking.
She already had an affinity for these three elements, supplemented by Arcane Truths, energy, and a pet.
A sustainable, high-attack, high-agility profession.
That was why she had noted Ye Suran as her preferred teacher during course selection.
It seemed Ye Suran had also chosen her.
Is Xie Keli that likable?
Just as Fu Chuan had this thought, Ye Suran asked, "Have you eaten?"
"I have. Please, go ahead and eat, Teacher."
"Huh? I didn't prepare any for you."
"…"
After Ye Suran sat down, her expression wasn't pleasant. "Three classes together. To be honest, I wasn't happy about it."
Fu Chuan: "Hmm?"
Ye Suran: "But the school is short-staffed, and the pay is just too good, so I reluctantly agreed. If I didn't free up the time for you, they'd just schedule another student's class anyway."
It was private tutoring, yes, but their relationship was that of a school teacher and student, not a binding master-disciple one. It was impossible for a teacher to only teach one student; the classes were just arranged one-on-one.
"So don't you dare slack off and waste my time, or I'll drop the class and get you replaced."
"Yes, Teacher."
Fu Chuan didn't care what Ye Suran said and responded politely. Seeing that he was reasonably obedient, Ye Suran's expression softened slightly. She glanced at Fu Chuan, pulled out some documents, and asked her.
"Why did you give up on arcane instruction and focus solely on Arcane Truths? Do you think you're already a master of arcanes?"
A show of force.
The teacher seemed very angry; the force with which she bit into the crayfish was intense.
Fu Chuan couldn't very well say she had a cheat and was crystal clear on arcanes up to level 100, understanding them better than her teacher. She could only say tactfully, "For every 50 steps I take in arcanes, I need to take a corresponding 30 steps in Arcane Truths. Just enough to be practical. It's better to be steady and solid. You, Teacher, have walked hundreds of steps ahead and can pull me forward."
Her words were pleasant, but Ye Suran remained cautious. She walked over to the training room's control panel and tapped away furiously.
"I've seen your Trial Tower assessment results. They're a complete mess. A pure waste of points and resources. Why didn't you test space, light, and wind, and instead chose elements that counter you?"
"To understand the damage my weaknesses can cause me."
"That's not a bad idea, but I also need to know the bonus your strengths give you. You'll enter this test dungeon first. Let me see how you perform, and then I'll give you targeted instruction."
"Don't worry, it's not that hard."
After she finished her operations, the dungeon entrance appeared.
This wasn't a proper dungeon but a test dungeon created by the teachers using the school's equipment. There were no rewards; it was just for testing.
Fu Chuan stood up and walked into the dungeon entrance.
As soon as she entered, a level 50 monster, a Ground-Crawling Wolf, appeared before her.
Three of them!
Fu Chuan: "???"
Seriously, Teacher Ye, where are your manners?
Faced with such formidable enemies, Fu Chuan had no intention of holding back. Ye Suran was powerful. While not a prodigy like Xie Siyi, in the level 70 circles of Beluke Province, her combat power ranked in the top fifteen. Among the teachers at East Guan, excluding the school's upper management, Ye Suran's pure combat strength ranked in the top five.
Logically, she was qualified to teach the S Class.
There was no need for someone like her to be shocked by Fu Chuan's combat power.
And to have such a powerful teacher design an effective study plan for her, she first had to perform adequately.
She had to keep her.
She wasn't an S Class student and had no special privileges. For A Class students, teachers could drop their classes. So Fu Chuan had to be cautious.
In the training room, Ye Suran sat cross-legged on the smooth wooden floor, eating crayfish without a care for her image, while watching the dungeon screen. On it, the boy wore a look of astonishment upon seeing the three level 50 mobs.
Hmph, this kid may have a bad reputation, but his aptitude and abilities are decent. Compared to those arrogant brats in the S Class, he seems to know how to assess a situation. At least he can feign politeness. I hope he can last a minute…
Just as Ye Suran had this thought, she bit off the head of a crayfish with a crunch.
She didn't bite into the meat below, because she had frozen for a moment.
On the screen, the three ferocious level 50 mobs were slammed to the ground by a powerful gravitational force. As they howled, gunshots rang out—bang, bang, bang!
Heavy damage, armor broken.
They were level 50 monsters, after all, so the bullets didn't kill them instantly, but they did inflict deep, bloody wounds.
With their armor broken and flesh exposed, she held an Arcane Truth revolver in one hand and controlled light with the other… hundreds of light rays pierced through them.
Annihilation.
Ye Suran narrowed her eyes and continued eating, because the next wave of 15 Ground-Crawling Wolves had appeared…
With so many monsters, they had a racial bonus among them, and they could use the earth-type arcane, Seismic Levitation, to directly counteract the effects of gravity. So…
Buzz!
A gravity space manifested, enveloping them all.
Bang, bang, bang!
The pack of Ground-Crawling Wolves slammed their paws on the ground, creating a seismic levitation effect. But as they exerted their force, the gravity space flipped upside down.
Damn it!
They were forced to flip their bodies within the space, exposing their bellies. At that moment, gunshots rang out…
Another slaughter.
This time, Ye Suran slowed her eating and watched intently.
Then, on the screen, Fu Chuan was pounced on by a black shadow that shot out from the grass. Its movements were so fast that it completely missed the effect of gravity. A single claw shattered Fu Chuan's turtle shell defense. Fu Chuan coughed up blood, teleported away, and flipped to her feet to see.
A level 50 blue-tier elite monster.
Ten minutes later, Fu Chuan was killed by three elite monsters and forced out of the dungeon.
If she hadn't retreated, she would have died.
She was a mess, her abdomen still bleeding.
Ye Suran tossed a bundle of high-grade bandages over. "Bandage yourself up. I'll give you five minutes to recover, then you're going into the next dungeon. I know your endurance is very strong, and you have a rather rare digestion pet, so fight as many as you can. Let me get a good measure of you."
That night, Ye Suran made Fu Chuan enter ten dungeons in a row. The prolonged, high-intensity battles nearly broke even Fu Chuan.
When she emerged, on the verge of death, Ye Suran had a clear picture.
"Your defense is poor and your resistance is low, but that's a common problem for high-burst Gunners. You already have spatial abilities; if the enemy can still lock onto you, break your armor, and hit you, then there's nothing more to be said. So, we should still focus on strengthening your attack. There's no point in sacrificing your strengths to patch up your weaknesses."
"Logically, that's how I should teach you."
"But I won't. Because your specialty is your super-strong endurance, far better than mine was back in the day. So there's no need to follow my path. Your energy system can fully support strengthening your defense as well."
"My advice for your Arcane Truths is to work on a space-type double-sided mirror for reflection, a wind-type vortex flow, and a light-type auto-repair energy field. The first two directly reduce damage, while the last one is for repairs. The energy reflected by the space mirror will follow the vortex path, then be absorbed by the light-type field and converted into light energy to heal your injuries. This is a complete system, but it's extremely difficult. Both the double-sided mirror and the vortex flow are high-difficulty Arcane Truths among the blue-tier ones. The light-type auto-repair field is a composite energy field, making it even harder. It took me a year to figure it out back then. Your setup is better than mine, so logically, you should be able to do it within half a year. Anyway, that's for you to figure out."
"That's for Arcane Truths. As for combat studies, it's just about constantly grinding targeted dungeons. I'll teach you close-quarters combat myself. There's not much to say about that, just one word: fight!"
"The most important is the Control discipline. You have the Demon Orchid talent and the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine. Excellent. This setup is top-tier. I also understand your preference for plant-based control… The study of control has two aspects: one is adjusting your resource allocation, and the other is cultivating your aptitude. The last is training your awareness. You've emphasized that you don't need my help with resource allocation, so I'll formulate a gene plan to enhance your Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine and apply for the relevant equipment qualifications within the school. You can use your points to buy the related resources. The training plan will begin next class…"
"If you understand, then we're done."
"I've finished eating. The rest is for you, a gift from your teacher."
"Remember to sweep the floor."
Then she patted her butt and left.
The heavily injured Fu Chuan clutched her wound and looked at the crayfish in the box on the floor.
There was one left. The rest were all shells.
Fu Chuan: "…"
I'm so touched.
Ye Suran returned to the faculty office building and saw East Guan's Vice Dean, the one with three hairs.
He was all smiles. "How was it? I suggested you teach Xie Keli before, but you refused, saying you preferred that little girl Wei Mingtang. Now, after just one class, you've already given him all your permissions. You're so disingenuous."
Ye Suran rolled her eyes at him and grumbled, "His aptitude is barely passable. It's only because Wei Mingtang's attributes don't match mine, otherwise I would never have chosen this brat."
"I know you don't get along with Zhao Er, but you refuse to teach the S Class, so it was hard to compete with him in the past. Your teaching results never even made it into the school's top ten. You were desperate this time when you chose this kid. I can only say, after being blind so many times before, you finally got lucky this time."
Hey, is that supposed to be a compliment?
"But you have to be careful. Zhao Er will be watching. If you don't teach well, he'll definitely badmouth you."
The thought of Zhao Er, who was constantly at odds with her, made Ye Suran snort in anger.
A powerful teacher certainly saved a lot of trouble.
Fu Chuan received precise and high-level guidance from Ye Suran, giving her a clear path forward. She began purchasing access to the Arcane Truth training rooms for the double-sided mirror, vortex flow, and light-type auto-repair energy field.
Arcane Truth training rooms were already expensive resources, and the ones she chose were relatively rare, making the price naturally steep. There was also a queue.
"Just the light double-sided mirror Arcane Truth costs 1,000 points per hour, and the others…"
Fu Chuan frowned when she saw the length of the queue. She immediately went anonymous and raised her bid!
East Guan's teaching philosophy was strategy, which meant cultivating students' ability to weigh pros and cons and execute their decisions.
Sometimes, the strategy was to burn money to save time, depending on whether it was worth it.
Fu Chuan directly outbid others to get first-hand access, and she purchased a very long duration, calculated by the day.
100,000 points vanished in an instant.
Then she began purchasing a month's worth of access to the intermediate gene pool, 300 S2 Gene Keys, and the cultivation resources for the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine.
"A great master is indeed knowledgeable, or perhaps she researched me in advance and investigated the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine. The cultivation I had planned involved blood-sucking gene mutation resources like the Red Star Gene Fragments and some scrolls, because my permissions only allowed me to buy those… But she shared her purchasing permissions with me, so now I can buy the Thousand-Hand Demon Vine Gene Potion she recommended."
The Thousand-Hand Demon Vine was even more terrifying than the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine, being a mutated version of the latter. It was extremely rare, a top-grade item among the orange tier. The potions produced by the research institute were always scarce, so East Guan Academy's inventory was limited and not available to students.
But Ye Suran had directly given her the permissions… Fu Chuan's original plan could now be elevated by a level.
Of course, it also burned more money.
Another 350,000 points were gone.
After subtracting the exam fees and the 120,000 points she was docked, Fu Chuan had 115,000 points left. She already had a plan in mind. Using the permissions Ye Suran gave her, she searched the higher-level shops, though she wasn't very confident. The item was too rare; she wasn't sure if East Guan would even have it.
After searching for a while, Fu Chuan's eyes suddenly lit up.
On the shop page, a crystal-clear, beating heart appeared.
"Elf Heart, 100,000 points. Used to upgrade the rank of a sprite, can also be used as an enlightenment for an Arcane Truth materialized weapon."
That was its description, but Fu Chuan knew it had another use: a profession.
Xie Keli's profession was Gunner, but she had two bodies!
She could absolutely have two professions. One was Gunner, but what about the other?
"Xie Keli's body is already Green Blood. When Fu Chuan's body was one with it, it was nourished to the quality of Green Blood. After separating, the blood components regenerated, allowing it to reach Green Blood a second time. This is the terrifying aspect of a dual body, because there are two cultivable physiques."
Fu Chuan constantly revised her plans based on her own growth. Her current plan had reached the profession stage.
Xie Keli's was set. Now it was time for Fu Chuan's… This was a hidden path, and her expectations for it were even higher. Xie Keli had the Xie Clan's Demon Orchid talent, a blessing from his ancestors. Fu Chuan was more optimistic about her original body, because her soul was more compatible with it.
And she already had a sprite pet.
"Xie Siyi seems to have a different opinion of me. Thinking it over, there's nothing about me that would impress someone like her. Even the dual body from the Devouring Scroll is just a bit more advanced than a clone. What has she not seen… So the root lies in my soul. She must know something."
Someone who could transmigrate had to be a little different, right?
Fu Chuan had a sliver of confidence in herself, so she decided to buy an Elf Heart to test it.
If she failed, she would lose 100,000 points. If she succeeded… Fu Chuan would become far more terrifying than Xie Keli.
After purchasing the Elf Heart, Fu Chuan took out the card with 1 million blue coins and spent 100,000 on basic materials.
At that moment, within the school, Fu Chuan's alchemy teacher, Leon, was reviewing her alchemy trial.
"He lost almost all his points here, a full 120,000. For a normal alchemy assessment, he shouldn't have been docked so much. This means he was constantly attempting high-level alchemy projects. The explosive effects from his failures were so strong that the Trial Tower had to expend energy to defend against them, hence the heavy point deduction. But why would a brat who just enrolled choose such difficult alchemy projects? To throw away points? His alchemy skills aren't that great either; he's very raw and inexperienced. His background is from Planet X5, with no prior planned alchemy education. So he wasn't attempting these projects to waste money, nor was it purely for my benefit. It was because he himself wanted to undertake these projects, to figure out the correct method… a method that I probably can't teach him right now."
Because it was too advanced. No teacher would let a student challenge such a project so far beyond their stage.
"This kid is truly fierce."
A tiger in the heart, but whether it could also appreciate the scent of a rose remained to be seen.
Failure meant throwing away points and slowing his own progress. But if he succeeded…
Then he might have just picked up an unwanted "weirdo."
Deep within a mountain in Beluke Province, inside an old tiled house in a well-known tourist area… lay a hidden, folded space.
A snow-white operating room. On a cold table lay the corpse of a woman.
Young, beautiful, intelligent, and elegant, with a great future and high status.
Such a woman was now a corpse.
But for powerful Arcanists, the higher their level, the higher their aptitude, and the stronger their genes, the more active their cells were. In a sense, some of her body's cells were still alive.
While she's still fresh, he probably thought.
"Zhou Linlang… what a captivating person," the slender young man said, reaching out to stroke her pale lips. His fingers kneaded them gently, but he felt no warmth or response.
He looked frail, but he was infamous in Beluke Province. However, no one knew that his public name was just an alias. Even when Zhou Linlang and her team captured him, his identity was fake.
No one knew his real name, but he could be referred to as TK.
Because he had founded TK.
"If you were still alive, you would probably think me, a criminal, to be utterly audacious. What a pity…"
"You are dead, and your body will belong to me."
TK smiled faintly. Then, his palm changed, and his body began to transform into a jelly-like monster. The jelly swallowed the corpse.
The red-haired old man beside him had an expression full of admiration. Only then did he speak, "Boss, the plan is now complete. Do we proceed as originally planned for the next step?"
"There have been some unexpected developments."
The jelly seemed to be processing something. Its voice became a little strange, but its words were clear. "Qin Minfeng was suddenly killed, and then this Fu Chuan appeared, involving so many people and even letting the Economic Department's Minister Xiao Lun find out about Qin Minfeng. He has already gone to the Grand Political Council to change many operational resolutions."
The old man was one of the top executives of the TK Group, nicknamed Old Viper. He was responsible for planning and overseeing many of their cruelest schemes. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a cunning old dog. Yet, such a man was completely respectful towards this pale young man.
"Then our plan…"
"That will depend on what those above are thinking."
Those… above?
Wasn't he already the head of the TK Group?
Could it be that he was just a puppet figurehead, and there were others behind him…
Old Viper said, "Those individuals have always been careful to protect their reputations. Just the matter of killing Zhou Linlang made them hesitate for a long time. Now that it's done, they think your plan is not bad. It's really…"
"Shh… One must be discreet when speaking of superiors. TK's development to this day is not thanks to me. However, if my plan is good, they will still listen to me. For example, right now…"
The jelly's voice had turned into a woman's, sounding strange.
Old Viper was sharp and had high emotional intelligence. He took the initiative to leave, even pulling the door shut. The space inside the door underwent a drastic change.
Old Viper thought to himself that Zhou Linlang's aptitude was indeed extremely high. The effect of her being devoured was far more intense than when his boss had devoured others in the past.
The intense halo of light quickly began to fade. The door opened, and a weak woman appeared before him. She smiled at Old Viper.
Old Viper knew that his boss had now become a woman.
Zhou Linlang.
Perhaps, letting Zhou Linlang and her team detect TK's tracks was part of his plan from the beginning. To murder Zhou Linlang in turn, and then become her… No one knew that TK's talent was replication.
Because he was of a special race. He looked like jelly, but he was actually from the Worm Spirit Race, who were masters of disguise and replicating other bodies, almost perfectly.
Although not skilled in combat, their survivability and mysteriousness were terrifying.
At the very least, Old Viper felt that the person before him was the real Zhou Linlang.
"The boss's execution is perfect as always. I'm in awe."
TK smiled, the curve of his lips perfectly mimicking Zhou Linlang's cool intellect, but his eyes held a lazy, demonic glint. "It's just that I can't win fights. I still have to rely on you… and those above."
At the thought of the figures pressing down on them from above, a complex look appeared in Old Viper's eyes.
Beep, beep, beep. The communicator suddenly rang.
The people from above were contacting them.
Old Viper fell silent as TK answered the call. A voice came from the other end.
"That old thing really did change the travel plans. Xiao Lun's words carry quite a bit of weight. You weren't careful enough this time. That little thing with the surname Qin was exposed, and you failed to deliver him to us in time. Could it be you have your own selfish motives?"
An overbearing pressure seemed to emanate from the device.
His voice was very magnetic. Anyone from a government department would likely recognize it instantly.
TK knew the other party's identity and chuckled lightly. "My lord, even if I had told you about that person's strangeness before, you wouldn't have believed me, would you? Especially after seeing the middle school entrance exam. Was something like that really worth your trouble? I was just helping you test him, my lord. I've caused you trouble. I wonder if it's safe now?"
"They've followed the trail and caught a director from the Intelligence Bureau. They're interrogating him now. What does that have to do with me? I even have to help with the interrogation later."
The person was still drinking red wine, at ease.
The situation was still under control.
"Thank you for your hard work, my lord. I have now revised the plan. I ask for your decision."
He was utterly respectful. Although the other party knew this person wasn't as obedient as he appeared, they were confident they could suppress him. After all, they knew he was a peerless schemer but lacked combat strength, and was already firmly in their grasp.
"Speak."
"My plan is…"
After the plan was discussed, TK put down the communicator, his expression calm. But Old Viper could see that his boss was deep in thought…
In an alliance of interests, there was never any true affection. The seamless cooperation was only for the sake of plotting for greater mutual benefits.
Old Viper excused himself, while TK sat in the large, pale room filled with glass jars containing many corpses. He rested his chin on his hands, seemingly thinking about future plans…
His fingers tapped on the table, one by one, his gaze sweeping over the corpses. He also glanced at the communicator beside him.
It was a specially modified communicator. All communication records would be automatically erased after hanging up, and it would automatically alert both parties if there was any recording.
Those big shots were very shrewd.
Fu Chuan was running on two tracks, between East Guan and Sage Medical Hall, completely focused, forgetting to eat or sleep. She was studying, preparing resources, and honing her alchemy skills. She hadn't seen Fu Ye for several days, but this time, no one gossiped, because everyone was very busy.
Fu Ye herself had to get busy adapting to her new school.
But as a prospective high school graduate, her schedule was more flexible, so she wasn't as busy as Fu Chuan.
While the peerless, handsome man had vanished, engrossed in cultivation and his career, others seemed to be adapting much faster. At the very least, the students from previous years began to test the strength they had accumulated over the holidays.
The point rankings in the Trial Tower were constantly fluctuating.
Every day was a chase. In comparison, the newly enrolled students seemed much inferior. Currently, only Wei Mingtang, Que Baimo, and Yue Mingze were the most conspicuous, but the points they earned were an order of magnitude lower than the students ranked at the top.
They were still striving for a thousand points, while people like Zhan Xuandong, with his Three Mystic Demon pet, were already racking up scores in the tens of thousands.
And school had only been in session for a few days.
"What's there to be proud of? We just came from the middle school entrance exam period, while they're already people who could take the college entrance exams."
The new students were unconvinced but helpless. They were several years younger, with several fewer years of school life. The disparity in resource allocation was too great.
All they could do was chase. If they couldn't catch up, they would just wait them out. Those people had to take the college entrance exams eventually!
The same situation was happening at West Jin and the other two academies. The 50 elites selected from the top 4,000 examinees were scattered among the four schools, but they all invariably suffered heavy blows from their seniors. They could only grit their teeth and work hard in silence… This group of battered individuals did not include Yun Baobao.
This person was probably a social butterfly.
It only took her a few days to get familiar with the S Class at West Jin Academy, and she performed exceptionally well, on the verge of entering the A Class at any moment. Of course, after digesting some resources and receiving guidance from the top teachers at West Jin, her pet and Zhang Doudou combined once more, and she did indeed defeat several A Class students.
A prospective A Class student.
"For the children of Orange Blood families, especially those from the direct line, once they enter one of the four great academies on their own merit, the family's resources will be heavily skewed in their favor. Those resources probably far exceed the 700,000 points Xie Keli received."
"Not to mention the Yun family is already fabulously wealthy… and their pet resources are enough to make even the geniuses in the S Class treat her politely."
"Damn, she really hit the jackpot at birth."
Yun Baobao, Li Cang, Xie Yiyuan, and others entered a period of rapid growth. The speed at which they earned points was several times that of even Wei Mingtang… and the Trial Tower points from the four schools would be combined for a joint ranking at the end of the school year, with even greater rewards.
Everyone was preparing for the end-of-term rankings right from the start of the semester. Except, of course, for Xie Keli.
With a negative score of 120,000 points, they could grind in reverse for half a year and still not catch up to him.
But, was this normal?
"That dead scum must be preparing some big move. We have to be cautious. Even if we've surpassed him now… we have to guard against him making a comeback…"
This cautious waiting lasted until the school's opening assembly, half a month after the start of the semester.
The first half of the month was generally very busy for students, and they didn't know each other. This period was for them to get familiar with the school, their new classes, and their classmates.
After half a month, it was time for the school-wide assembly. On this day, the school would announce its resource allocation priorities and training strategies for the year. Students would have to adjust their study progress based on this vast amount of information. It was also a large-scale meet-and-greet for teachers and students who had not yet formed binding master-disciple relationships.
In any case, it was a very important meeting.
Early that morning, Fu Chuan, for once, had no classes. The teachers hadn't scheduled any, treating it as a holiday. A meeting in the morning, free activities in the afternoon—it was basically a day off. It was necessary to give teachers and students time to interact individually.
On the day of the assembly, neither of them had anything to do, so of course they had to go together. Otherwise, the Li Family would become suspicious. Fu Ye said beforehand, "Besides the Li Family, I might cause you some trouble, mainly from a few bored individuals."
"I'm afraid it's more than just a few. You have quite a number of suitors."
Fu Ye: "Then I'll add more money?"
She was completely serious, even preparing to take out her card. Fu Chuan was amused and ate the fried egg.
"If you keep being this generous, even if Li Wukun were alive and by your side, I'd consider taking care of you during your postpartum confinement."
Fu Ye: "…"
She didn't have the heart to say that she hadn't seen this person for ten days to half a month. What kind of care was that?
She had even been the one preparing breakfast recently.
Relying on this person, she would probably age ten years during her confinement.
However… suddenly bringing up Li Wukun, it was as if he was interested in him.
Fu Ye lowered her eyes, a hint of obscurity in their depths.
And Fu Chuan noticed that the person's movements in frying the egg had slowed for a beat.
Later, the two of them arrived at the school's open-air assembly hall together.
Come to think of it, the four academies' second selection only recruited 50 people. Divided among East Guan, that was only a dozen or so. How many people could the entire school have?
Over a thousand.
Many were held back a year, and there were also students from the E Class constantly being filled in from the cyclical competitions, as well as students from other provinces who came in through other channels.
"Students from other provinces need to pay a large resource fee to enroll, and they can't enter classes above B Class. They're permanently fixed at C Class. This is to prevent the province's resources from flowing out to cultivate talent for other provinces, so it's nipped in the bud. But for students from other provinces who can't get into their local top-tier academies, the four great academies are a good choice. There are also some students from other races who come in through affirmative action policies…"
In other words, the student body was diverse, but the core of the academy was still talent like Fu Chuan who had entered through the proper middle school entrance exam route. They were of high value, local, and had a clean background. The most top-tier resources were all skewed towards them.
But right now, it seemed everyone's eyes were skewed towards a certain prospective couple.
The two didn't deliberately hold hands or anything. They just walked side by side, occasionally exchanging a few words, calm and composed. But it was clear… their interaction was not awkward.
Fu Ye knew very well that this was because of the other person.
This person seemed to have the ability to shut everyone out, and also the ability to attract even those who were rejected or hostile.
But… now it seemed that hostility was also coming their way.
The senior students were clustered together. The freshman area was sparsely populated, with only about a hundred people including the other races. There were many empty seats. The two had just sat down in the third row.
They were just about to sit.
A banana peel was thrown onto the spot where Fu Chuan was about to sit.
Splat!
Fu Chuan: "?"
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