Chapter 22: Rock Immortal, I, Ning Fengwan, Leader of the Dragon Sect, Stand With You!
【You have experienced a battle, Aiming Experience +267】
【You have experienced a battle, feeling extremely satisfied, Health Cultivation Experience +69】
【You have experienced a battle, Combat Experience +128】
【During battle, you utilized your leg strength to the fullest, Running Experience +336】
【Fitness upgraded to Lv3】
【Aiming upgraded to Lv2】
【Health Cultivation upgraded to Lv2】
【Running upgraded to Lv4】
The notifications kept popping up on the panel.
Xue Jing closed his eyes, feeling a tingly, itchy sensation spreading throughout his body.
He could feel his physical prowess increasing by leaps and bounds, surging and thundering!
The muscles beneath his skin wriggled as if alive; his bones grew harder than ever.
Muscles at his abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, and thighs began to bulge, enlarging, then slowly compressed back to their sleek and toned form, as if sculpted by gods into perfection.
His height increased by two to three centimeters, reaching 1.86 meters. While his stature remained the same, his weight rose by ten kilograms.
Xue Jing looked down at his clenched fists; his presence at this moment was more formidable than ever, exuding an aura of dominance and wildness.
With such might, what in this world could stand against him? Damn it, who in this world could possibly withstand him?!
"What a thrill!"
The gains from this fight, if he were to grind alone, would have taken several days of effort.
If he could have a few of these sessions every morning, noon, and night, it wouldn't take more than a few months before he became superhuman.
Xue Jing gazed into the distance; even in the pitch-black night, with only a speck of dim light, he could clearly see the faint, mottled scratches on an old wall tens of meters away and the tiny flying insects moving along it.
The targeting ability at Lv2, my vision enhancement has become even more astonishing.
He picked up a small stone, aiming at the little flying insect on a distant wall.
Whizz—snap!
With a crisp sound, a flat bug patty remained on the wall, with yellow insect blood splattered from the impact.
Xue Jing murmured to himself, "I can now self-proclaim as a 'Stone-Throwing Immortal', can't I?"
Seeking guidance through stone throwing?
Celestial guidance!
...
By the time he got home, it was already half-past nine.
In the end, Xue Jing did not go looking for trouble with Duan Kaiping, the reason being twofold.
First, Duan Kaiping's combat prowess is unknown, but definitely not low. To seek him out recklessly would be a risky move.
Second, if he were to beat up Duan Kaiping, a key member of the Razor Gang, the gang would undoubtedly come looking for trouble. Moreover, those who come would surely be more formidable than Duan Kaiping.
As long as he didn't confront Duan Kaiping, the issue remained a personal conflict between him and Duan Kaiping, or even with his underlings, rather than escalating into a full-blown conflict with the Razor Gang.
This way, he could have more time to grow.
"Meow~"
The cat stared discontentedly at the boy who returned home so late.
Xue Jing smiled, gently picking it up. As he stroked its cheek, he said, "Sorry, sorry for being late. You must be starving, right?"
“Meow~” the cat gave a soft cry.
‘I’m worried about you, dummy.’
Feeling the gentle warmth of the boy’s hand as it brushed past its cheek, the cat squinted contentedly.
It inhaled the comforting scent emanating from the boy but suddenly wrinkled its brow, its pink nose twitching slightly.
‘Is that... the smell of blood?’
“Hold on a moment, I’ll whip up something for you to eat in a bit.”
Xue Jing placed the cat onto the sofa and strode toward the kitchen.
He had already eaten at Pei Youguang’s place, having ordered takeout.
The cat watched his retreating figure, anxieties bubbling inside.
‘Did he get into a fight? Or did something else happen?’
‘Could it be that this gentle-hearted boy, who took me in even after knowing I’m a speaking “demon cat” and feeds me delicious meals, who’s so skilled at petting and so handsome... could he really have been bullied?’
‘Who would dare bully him? Who could bully him!?’
The thought alone fueled the cat’s anger.
Its feline face displayed a comically human-like storm of emotions, while the claws on its white-gloved paws unsheathed and retracted repeatedly.
“Ahahaha, chicken soup is here!”
Xue Jing came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of chicken soup.
Feeling quite pleased with the gains from the skill panel, he couldn't help but play a little joke.
However, the cat, having imagined a whole slew of scenarios, couldn't shake the feeling that his smile was somewhat forced.
"Hmm? What's the matter? Don't like chicken soup?"
Xue Jing looked curiously at the cat, whose face was showing a rather anthropomorphized gloomy expression.
Wouldn't that be a shame… he had eaten too much at Pei Youguang's house, and if the cat wasn't going to eat, wouldn't the chicken soup go to waste?
A hint of 'sadness' appeared on Xue Jing's face.
The cat couldn't hold back any longer.
"Young man, tell me, what's going on?"
A melodious, youthful female voice came from the cat.
Xue Jing was momentarily stunned.
"Don't worry, go ahead and speak your mind, no matter what it is, I, Ning Fengwan, the leader of the Dragon Sect, will back you up!"
The cat sat on the dining table, its tail encircled with a ring gently swaying behind it, its long and enchanting eyeliner-laden face full of authority.
…
Meanwhile, inside a warehouse on a certain street in the southern district.
"So, you were all wiped out by that kid?"
Duan Kaiping sat on a concrete pipe, looking at the dozen or so battered subordinates before him, finding the situation somewhat absurd.
"Just a teenage student, tossing a few stones and bottles, managed to take you all down?"
"And you lot dare to run a gang? Huh?"
"That guy is too slippery," one of the junior gang members couldn't help but complain. "Brother Duan, we can't catch him, and he won't give us a chance to escape. He's too good at throwing things—accurate and vicious—it's just impossible!"
"Yeah, Brother Duan," another chimed in. "We're not exaggerating; that kid is really uncanny, not your average student!"
"We really can't handle him. Brother Duan, you have to step in yourself..."
Duan Kaiping waved his hand, impatiently cutting them off, "Shut up! Haven't you embarrassed yourselves enough?"
"We'll deal with that kid later. For now, I'm too busy. All of you, get out."
The gang members looked at each other, reluctant yet compliant, supporting each other as they exited the warehouse.
As they left, a shadowy figure emerged from the corner of the warehouse, stepping out from behind some crates.
Duan Kaiping gave a wry smile, saying, "Sorry to make you laugh, Mr. Yun Ye."
The young man named Yun Ye wore a black trench coat, his left hand clad in an elbow-length black glove, not a trace of skin visible. His face was rugged and unshaven, his skin tanned under the harsh elements. His right eye glowed with a green light, hinting at an artificial eye.
"Enough with the pleasantries. Where's Jiao Hongyuan? Get him here quickly to hand over the goods. Then we can consider the task from Konrad Company completed."
His voice was raspy and hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.
Hearing this, Duan Kaiping replied cautiously, "The boss went with Junior Brother to Maple City a few days ago for the U19 selection. They're rushing back now. Maybe you could wait a bit longer..."
Duan Kaiping had no choice but to tread carefully. The man before him was someone who had ventured into the Borderlands and lived to tell the tale—a fierce character he could not afford to offend.
Yun Ye snorted coldly, "Wait? The Sixth Bureau has already set their sights on us, and 'White Crow' might have already entered this city. If we're caught, Konrad won't escape unscathed either."
"Don't think I don't know why Konrad wants this 'Heaven Dwelling Insect Queen.' If this gets out, those living in the Azure Court will be furious. You should weigh your options."
Much of what Yun Ye said was beyond Duan Kaiping's understanding, nor did he dare to understand. He could only offer a sycophantic smile and apologize profusely.
"You have three days. If no one comes to claim it, I'll turn it over to the state. And I might just have a thing or two to say along the way."
With that, Yun Ye chuckled twice, then walked out of the warehouse. Suddenly, his figure vanished from sight.
Duan Kaiping was drenched in cold sweat, feeling like he'd heard more than he should have. But there was no turning back now. Trembling, he fished out his phone and dialed the number of Zhao Hongyuan, the arena master.