Rowan had just stepped back into the Devouring World when his phone buzzed. A new message lit the screen.
"Rowan, I'm at Mingyue District for the Provisional Fighter Examination. It should end around eleven. Are you there right now?"
The sender was Luo Feng.
Rowan glanced at the time. It was just past nine-fifty. His lips curved slightly as he typed back.
"I'm here in Mingyue District. I live in Building 175. Come find me once you're done."
On the other end, Luo Feng saw the reply and chuckled. His hand clenched into a fist, a flash of determination in his eyes.
"Rowan is already a War God. I can't fall too far behind him."
That thought had been burning in his chest for weeks. Luo Feng had completely set Rowan as his goal, chasing relentlessly after his footsteps. Anyone else, confronted with Rowan's terrifying pace of growth, would have collapsed into despair. But not Luo Feng. He had moments of doubt, even helpless sighs, yet every time his will returned stronger than before. Deep down, a faint excitement drove him forward.
He wanted to see how far he could go, standing in the same world as Rowan.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Luo Feng, make sure you perform well in the exam today."
It was Instructor Jiang Nian, watching his student with a rare smile.
Every month, at the beginning of the cycle, provisional fighter assessments were held. Instructors from each district were always invited to observe. Most of them lived here in Mingyue District anyway, so it was convenient to gather and watch.
"Yes, Instructor."
Luo Feng nodded seriously, the spark in his eyes firming into resolve.
Jiang Nian studied him for a moment, his smile deepening. The boy reminded him of Rowan from a little more than a year ago. Back then, who could have imagined Rowan would achieve what he had now?
Even so, Jiang Nian didn't dare to expect Luo Feng to replicate Rowan's path. Since the Great Nirvana, humanity had only seen one such heaven-defying genius. That was Rowan.
"By the way, Instructor," Luo Feng suddenly asked, scratching his head, "do you know which direction Building 175 is?"
The question froze Jiang Nian mid-step. His heart skipped a beat.
Of course he knew. He lived in Mingyue District himself. And if there was one thing everybody knew about this place, it was who lived in Building 175.
That house was untouchable.
No warriors, no family members, no children even the dogs in the district seemed to understand instinctively. Nobody went near Building 175. It was the single greatest unspoken rule in all of Mingyue.
"Why do you want to know that?" Jiang Nian asked cautiously.
Luo Feng rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and replied, "I arranged to meet Rowan. He told me to come find him at his villa once I finish the exam."
"What?"
The instructor's voice came out sharper than intended, his eyes widening in shock.
"You… you have Rowan's contact information? And he invited you to his home?"
Jiang Nian could hardly believe what he was hearing. Even the Inspectors of Jiangnan Base City powerful figures in their own right would never casually message Rowan, much less drop by his residence uninvited. Without urgent business, no one dared disturb him.
He imagined sending a trivial message to Rowan himself, just to chat. The thought alone sent chills down his spine. Ten lives wouldn't be enough to cover the consequences.
Rowan was not just any fighter. He was an Inspector, the youngest council member in human history, a man standing far above the clouds.
"Yeah, that's right," Luo Feng said, still a little confused at the reaction. "What's wrong with that?"
To him, Rowan was powerful, yes, but not unreachable. He had seen the man's sincerity, felt his lack of arrogance. Rowan never put on airs. Why should he act so intimidated?
Jiang Nian's expression flickered, then quickly smoothed over. He shook his head so fast it looked like a rattling drum.
"No, nothing. Forget I asked."
Rowan's private matters were not things he dared meddle in.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him. After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, "Luo Feng… do you two chat often online?"
"Sometimes," Luo Feng replied honestly. "Not a lot, but we do. Last time he even gave me a vial of Desperate Water. It cured Luo Hua's leg."
Jiang Nian nearly dropped his composure. He stared at Luo Feng as if seeing him for the first time, his mind reeling.
Friends. The two were actually friends.
Perhaps it stemmed from their early days training together at Yi'an Martial Hall, forging a bond in sweat and hardship. That was the only explanation he could think of.
Still, it didn't quite add up. Rowan was an Inspector, a councilman, standing on a peak few dared to gaze upon. Why would he still extend friendship to someone who hadn't even officially become a fighter?
Baffled yet humbled, Jiang Nian let the matter drop. He turned away, making his way upstairs to the second-floor hall where the assessments were about to begin.
Downstairs, Luo Feng readied himself, focus sharpening.
Meanwhile, Rowan had taken the brief window of peace to log into the Palace of War Gods. Before entering, he fired off a short message to Enchantress. To his mild surprise, she replied instantly.
"I'm here. Let's meet in the main hall."
Rowan hadn't realized she had been waiting for him. For the past week, Enchantress had avoided missions, staying online in the Palace just in case Rowan appeared. Days passed in silence, and her heart had grown cold.
She assumed he simply wasn't interested. And why should he be? Rowan was young, powerful, strikingly handsome. Women were the least of what the world could offer him. Countless factions would gladly throw beauties into his arms, women whose very presence most men could only dream of.
So she had convinced herself that his silence meant disinterest.
But then, suddenly, a message from him today.
Perhaps he had only been cultivating in seclusion.
Her mood shifted like the tide, surging with joy.
When a woman's heart begins to rise and fall with a man's every move, she is already half lost.
Rowan appeared in the Palace's main hall. Enchantress was waiting, as radiant as ever. The golden mask still hid her features, but her outfit had changed. Gone was the battle armor. Instead, she wore a sleek violet ensemble, lighter and more casual, with a lace choker at her neck. A pair of high-heeled, lace-up shoes gave her already long legs an almost endless grace.
At one meter ninety, Rowan was tall, yet she stood before him only ten centimeters shorter.
"Apologies, Enchantress," Rowan said with a warm smile. "I've been in closed-door cultivation these past days and hadn't logged in."
Her lips curved, soft and sensual, into a genuine smile. "It's fine. I lose track of time myself when I'm training."
Relief blossomed in her chest. He wasn't ignoring her.
The weight that had pressed on her heart lifted, replaced with a buoyant happiness she couldn't quite contain.
"Actually," Rowan said, "I'm curious about the Palace's cuisine. Last time I only tried a little. Could you recommend me a few dishes today?"
"Of course."
Her voice softened, her eyes gleaming as she led him upstairs. They entered a private VIP box on the second floor. Only council members were permitted to use such rooms. War Gods could only gather in the bustling first-floor lounge.
The box wasn't large, barely ten square meters, but the decor was warm and rich. Thick carpets muffled footsteps, soft lighting lent the room a golden glow, and plush furnishings made the space feel more like a hotel suite than a dining chamber. A small table stood ready for two, complete with sofas, a television, and little touches of luxury.
Seated together in that enclosed space, the air seemed to shift. One man, one woman, the faint hum of quiet walls it carried an intimacy all its own.
Rowan leaned back, relaxed, while Enchantress spoke animatedly, recommending dishes she favored.
"My favorite is the Ice Sturgeon Sashimi," she explained. "It's prepared from the belly of a deep-sea beast that lives a thousand meters below, a Class Two monster of the soldier rank. The dipping sauce is equally rare, made from herbs found only on high mountain plateaus…"
Rowan listened, a faint smile lingering on his face. Somehow, even in this virtual realm, he could catch the faintest trace of her fragrance, light and alluring.
She went on to recommend four or five dishes, her excitement growing, before finishing with a flourish.
"And of course, a bottle of Burgundy wine to go with it."
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