"Yan Xiao…"
Hearing this, Su Qinghe softly repeated his name.
"Yan Xiao, I ask you…"
"Why have you repeatedly snatched my mission targets?"
Su Qinghe stopped, turned, and stared at Yan Xiao with a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"Huh? I snatched your mission targets?"
Yan Xiao looked utterly bewildered by her words.
Big sister, can we be reasonable?
How could an ordinary citizen like me have the ability to snatch a Realm Guard's mission targets?
Even if you want to wrongly accuse someone, you shouldn't accuse an honest person like me, right?
Yan Xiao looked at Su Qinghe strangely.
He hadn't expected this pretty girl to be so simple-minded.
Truly all brawn and no brains…
"Are you truly ignorant, or are you pretending to be?"
Seeing Yan Xiao's puzzled expression, Su Qinghe opened her mission information.
"Take a look!"
"The first time was the Clawed Beast Golden Rat on Jinli Street, the second time was the Crimson Winged Serpent at Happyman Sauna…"
As she spoke, a hint of grievance actually welled up in Su Qinghe's heart.
She had just joined this city's Realm Guard.
She had only accepted two missions in total.
But both of these missions had been intercepted by Yan Xiao!
She wanted to prove that she wasn't just a gilded second-generation heir with no real ability.
Why did Yan Xiao always obstruct her?
Every time a mission appeared,
Su Qinghe would rush over as quickly as possible.
But by the time she arrived,
the beast disturbance had already been resolved, and only a corpse remained at the scene.
Yan Xiao was carefree; he just shook his hands and left.
But what about her?
Not only did her mission fail, but she also had to report the beast's corpse to the Realm Guard Division for removal.
What kind of situation was this!
Yan Xiao: …
Hearing Su Qinghe's words, he couldn't help but fall silent.
To be honest,
as long as he wasn't crazy, he would absolutely not sabotage a Realm Guard's mission.
Who knew what kind of madness the System was pulling.
It deliberately mixed his mission targets with the Realm Guard Division's mission targets.
That's how this misunderstanding arose.
That's right!
This was all the System's fault, and had nothing to do with him, honest young master Yan Xiao.
However!
Yan Xiao couldn't reveal the true reason.
So he could only give an awkward smile, indicating that it was all a misunderstanding and coincidence.
"Is that really true?"
Su Qinghe stared at him with her beautiful big eyes, looking suspicious.
Once could be called a coincidence.
But twice wouldn't be so coincidental, would it…
"It's true!"
"I just had a breakthrough, so I wanted to go out for a stroll and see if there were any opportunities to right wrongs…"
"Who knew it would be such a coincidence to encounter two rampaging beasts!"
Yan Xiao affirmed with conviction, his voice ringing out clearly.
His demeanor…
He might as well have written "I'm telling the truth" on his forehead.
Although she still had some doubts in her heart, Su Qinghe chose to believe him.
After all, Realm Guard Division mission intelligence was confidential.
Ordinary people would never have the opportunity to access it.
Then she casually asked, "Looking at you, you should be graduating soon, right?"
"Yes!"
Yan Xiao nodded at her words.
"After a while, once the college entrance examination is over, I'll officially graduate!"
Su Qinghe: ???
She looked at Yan Xiao with a face full of question marks.
High school graduation?
Are you serious?
Although Yan Xiao looked very young, Su Qinghe thought he just looked young.
In reality, he should be close to graduating from university.
After all, the strength to instantly kill a Crimson Winged Serpent was definitely not something a high school student could possess.
But now?
He said he would only graduate after the college entrance examination.
If he wasn't a high school student, what was he?
Su Qinghe looked Yan Xiao up and down in disbelief.
A high school student who hadn't even graduated.
Yet he possessed the formidable strength to instantly kill a second-tier mid-level beast with one blow…
Where did this monster come from!
Even Su Qinghe, who considered herself exceptionally talented and different from her peers, found it a bit outrageous.
"You… you're really a high school student?"
She still found it hard to believe.
"Of course, why would I lie to you about that!"
Yan Xiao looked at her strangely.
Does he look that old?
Su Qinghe: …
She didn't know if this guy was genuinely foolish or just pretending.
With such talent and strength,
entering any martial Dao university in Great Xia would be no problem.
Even if he wanted to join their Realm Guard Division, he could receive special recruitment treatment.
But Yan Xiao acted so calmly!
Giving off an intangible sense of showing off…
"Esteemed Realm Guard Division officer, do you have nothing else to discuss with me?"
Yan Xiao couldn't help but ask.
He had originally come out for dinner.
And he had just been through a battle, so his stomach was already growling.
He had no desire to stroll around with Su Qinghe!
"No!"
Su Qinghe shook her head at his words.
Her original intention today was to clarify why he had intercepted her mission targets.
Now that she had the answer,
her objective had been achieved.
"Alright, then I have something else to do, so I won't keep you company!"
Yan Xiao's face lit up at her words.
After a brief farewell, he turned and left.
Watching his receding figure, Su Qinghe couldn't help but feel a little stunned.
"Running so fast…"
"Am I that scary?"
---
After dinner, he returned home.
Yan Xiao haphazardly kicked off his shoes.
He went straight into the bathroom and took a comfortable hot shower.
Then…
After his shower, Yan Xiao took out the Causality Stone. He began to study it.
Yan Xiao activated the stone.
The world around him vanished.
For one breathless moment, he saw her.
Qi Yun — her silver hair loose around her shoulders, her eyes closed, her face pale. She was lying on something cold, something dark. Stone, maybe. Or metal. Chains bound her wrists, and in the shadows behind her, he could make out the shape of a cell.
Then the vision shattered.
Yan Xiao stumbled, gasping, the stone burning hot in his palm.
"System. Where is she?"
A long pause.
"Ding. The Causality Stone cannot pinpoint the target's exact location. Something is blocking the karmic thread. The System detects interference — possibly a formation, possibly a seal, possibly..." The System hesitated. "Possibly another Causality Stone, used by someone who does not wish her to be found."
Yan Xiao's blood turned cold.
Someone was hiding her.
Someone had locked her away.
He looked at the stone, then at the eastern horizon.
"Then I'll find her myself," he said. "One step at a time."
At this moment, he suddenly remembered.
He took out the storage ring and everything he owned.
Very good!
Yan Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
Then he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate and draw Qi into his body.
Time slowly passed…
About half an hour later, Yan Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
As expected, still no progress.
He stared at his palms, then at the empty air around him. The spiritual Qi in this world was almost non-existent. No matter how long he meditated, he would never break through to the second layer of Qi Refining at this rate.
He needed a different path.
"System."
"Ding. Host is speaking."
Yan Xiao leaned back against his bed frame and stared at the ceiling.
"How should I progress to the second layer of Qi Refining?"
A pause.
"Ding. Host cannot progress through traditional cultivation methods in this world. The Dharma Ending Era has depleted nearly all spiritual Qi from the environment."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Just stay at the first layer forever?"
"Ding. The System would never allow such a tragic fate for its host. The System has detected an alternative method."
Yan Xiao sat up straighter. "What method?"
"Ding. Host must complete System missions. Each completed mission rewards the Host with cultivation energy directly infused into the Host's body — bypassing the need for environmental spiritual Qi entirely."
"So I just keep killing demon beasts?"
"Ding. Correct, Host. The stronger the demon beast, the greater the cultivation energy reward. To reach Qi Refining Second Layer, Host needs approximately three more missions of similar difficulty to the Crimson Winged Serpent."
"Three more?"
"Ding. Or one mission with a significantly stronger demon beast. The System does not recommend the latter option at Host's current cultivation level."
Yan Xiao rubbed his temples. "So you're telling me the only way to get stronger is to keep throwing myself at demon beasts?"
"Ding. The System prefers the term 'strategic career development through targeted monster elimination.' Also, Host, the System would like to remind Host that each mission also provides monetary rewards. Host is no longer eating instant noodles. This is progress."