Chương 39: The Second Hextech

Lin Shuxuan sat up in anger.

He suddenly remembered that Mu Ning had injured his eyes with his internal energy at sea, and he hadn't had a chance to avenge that.

But considering that the other party had already been beaten to the point of being unable to tell whether they were alive or dead, they gave up.

He stretched his muscles and bones, his joints cracking and popping all over; his injuries looked terrifying, but he could recover quickly thanks to his twenty years of experience with the Dragon Fist Heart Sutra.

After all, it was cultivation given by the system, so the foundation was extremely solid.

The three on the other side were different. Their foundations were weak, and he had broken their bones. They wouldn't be fully recovered for at least half a month.

Twenty years of profound martial arts training set him apart from the other contestants.

It's like a master facing off against a novice; the novice's every move can be analyzed and dissected. The final punch looks dangerous, but it's actually under control.

Outside the window, a cacophony of voices surged in, billowing the white curtains like the wind.

Sunlight streamed into the ward through the gaps in the windows.

It's so noisy outside... Lin Shuxuan was about to close the window when he saw Guan Yunyang sitting next to him.

He looked relaxed, as if he had everything under control.

Oh no, how am I supposed to explain my combat prowess...? He quickly concocted a plausible explanation.

Fortunately, Guan Yunyang didn't press the matter. He smiled as he spoke, glancing at the bedside table:

"You did a great job."

Following the major general's gaze, a thick stack of envelopes was piled on the cabinet. Each envelope was beautifully packaged, but when stacked together, they looked rather messy.

"They are all invited by powerful figures in the Federation, who hope you will become their adopted son."

Writing letters is quite romantic, but I thought it was a love letter... Lin Shuxuan opened one casually with some disappointment.

The other party guaranteed that Lin Shuxuan would have the rank of lieutenant officer upon entering university, and would be promoted at least three ranks after graduation, and would be assigned to a powerful department in the military.

As for salary and benefits, they are even more generous.

The welfare payment was enough for him to pay off the loan for the house he bought in the inner ring of Xinhai City.

This was my aunt's lifelong dream.

It can be said that as long as Lin Shuxuan accepted the invitation, he would immediately have a secure life free from financial worries.

And possess what most people have struggled for a long time.

"If you want to become someone's stepson, I still recommend Qin Feng and Gong Yuan."

"The resources received by the stepsons are different. At least I can guarantee that they will give you the most essential things."

Guan Yunyang smiled.

"Of course, it all depends on you."

This is factionalism... Lin Shuxuan certainly understood the underlying meaning.

The term "stepson" is far too ambiguous. To become the stepson of a powerful figure must mean that one is intricately connected with the faction to which that figure belongs.

The federal family seems to value its reputation highly?

Becoming a stepson and then remarrying is an act that would be despised.

Lin Shuxuan, however, had no psychological burden about this behavior. He was well-versed in the Three Kingdoms and did not mind being a servant of three masters.

Did Gong Shuang write to him too...? Lin Shuxuan rummaged through the envelopes. If he had to have another elder, having another mother would be a good choice.

Sure enough, I found an envelope with a soft fragrance.

The content was explicit, and Lin Shuxuan glanced at it twice before deciding to secretly read it after Guan Yunyang left.

"But given your abilities, I don't want you to become anyone's stepson."

Why?

Lin Shuxuan was somewhat puzzled, since it was Guan Yunyang who had previously introduced Qin Feng and Gong Yuan.

"The constraints of this relationship are greater than you think; you will eventually have to change your surname and marry into the family."

This is a great humiliation... Although Lin Shuxuan had no feelings for his father whom he had never met, he still could not accept that his daughter would take his surname.

"One bad news and one good news."

Guan Yunyang talked about the competition rankings.

"The city government didn't intend to give you the first place among the Seven Sons of the New Sea. Your initial ranking was sixth because you didn't break the elimination badge on their chests."

"..."

Lin Shuxuan frowned.

This reason is too lame. Mu Ning and the other two are already unconscious and unable to fight anymore. The rules clearly state that this situation counts as a victory.

He thought about it.

"Which faction in New Sea City is targeting me?"

This rhetorical question surprised Guan Yunyang somewhat:

"Aren't you angry?"

He certainly had reason to be angry. Mu Ning used his armor to amplify his strength by taking advantage of the terrain, which was already an extremely ugly form of cheating, not to mention that there were three other people working together with him.

However, Lin Shuxuan crushed them all with an extremely fierce and powerful manner.

Even so, the city government still did not give him the ranking he deserved.

Lin Shuxuan guessed that if Guan Yunyang hadn't fought for it, his spot on the Seven New Seas might have been invalidated because he fainted on the field.

But it didn't matter, he shrugged.

"This is a disgrace to Xinhai City."

Guan Yunyang nodded: "That's what the citizens think too."

"The good news is that after the rankings were announced, a march organized by citizens surrounded the New Pearl River Estuary."

Even though the city government said it was a mistake and returned the first place to you, their criticism still didn't stop.

Outside the window, citizens were agitated, holding up LED boards and protesting loudly on the street.

A barrage of vulgarities and insults followed, the gist of which was that they wanted to see the incumbent city council speaker beheaded.

Lin Shuxuan leaned against the window with one hand and watched for a while, and couldn't help but marvel at the citizens' boundless imagination regarding their predecessors as city council speakers.

The insults were absolutely awful.

He was quickly noticed by sharp-eyed citizens.

Before long, countless praises and flowers were thrown at him.

"Lin Shuxuan, I love you!"

"You're so handsome! You're my idol!"

"Aaaaaah! Lin Shuxuan, I want to have your babies!"

Brother, you're a man, so please don't say things like that... Noticing a big man about to take off his clothes, he quickly drew the curtains.

"In previous years, no one could question your record, but this year is different."

"The Federation's Nine Stars will be selected from this batch of new students."

"Why are we getting these kinds of honorary titles again? It's so cliché..." Lin Shuxuan thought to himself, but he continued listening anyway.

"An ecological zone is about to enter its active period. The Federation has chosen to determine ownership through a competition among students under the age of twenty. As a result, these nine people have the opportunity to have their names recorded in the Federation's history."

So that's how it is... Lin Shuxuan understood. No wonder those guys were willing to risk their reputation to lower his ranking; it turned out they had bigger interests at stake.

"Your speculation is correct. There are indeed forces targeting you; otherwise, you would be facing not suppression but enticement."

"Is it the municipal government?"

Lin Shuxuan asked tentatively, but quickly rejected the answer in his mind.

Without the "Opening" feature, he would be an ordinary person who would need to take half of Ye Lingyue's points to advance, which would be in Mu Ning's best interest.

They have no reason to stop it.

Sure enough, Guan Yunyang also shook his head.

"We can't find it. The clues have to start with the Wang family and the municipal government, but they won't cooperate."

He sighed inwardly, thinking how terrifying these venomous snakes lurking in the shadows were. It wasn't the theft itself that was frightening, but the fact that a thief had his eye on it... He calmed himself down.

The most important thing now is to improve our strength.

The twenty years of martial arts cultivation brought by [Opening] had raised his cultivation to a bottleneck, but he had no clue how to break through it.

Based on the sensations experienced during the initiation ceremony.

After about five years, the physical enhancement from martial arts cultivation reached its limit.

For the next fifteen years, he only focused on strengthening his foundation; there were no further increases in his physical strength.

This is precisely why the Hextech Gear, which should have been selectable upon reaching a certain rank, has yet to appear.

Ask your questions.

Guan Yunyang said in a deep voice, "It's because of the path."

"The human body has its limits. Martial arts can only push life energy to level 30. After that, one must embark on the path of cultivation to continue training."

"Then what should we do?"

"It can contain the extraordinary body shell of a strange beast. Once it contains one, one can step into the transcendent realm, and the upper limit of life energy level will also be broken."

"Gong Yuan previously gave you a 'Tide Pearl,' which, once contained, allows you to become a 'Water Pact Walker,' which is also the path Hai Lanlan has followed."

"You and Yu Xin obtained a Moon Shell when you went out to sea. Feeding it to the merfolk will grant you an extraordinary body to become a [Deep Sea Alien]."

Because there are too many flaws, Lin Shuxuan doesn't know where to begin. Should he start by saying, "Because humans are too weak, I'm no longer human, Jojo!" or "Resurrect, my love..."?

"However, the Dragon Fist Heart Sutra you cultivate is based on the fire element, so neither of these two extraordinary paths is very suitable."

"I've compiled some information on extraordinary paths and sent it to you. You can take a look before making a choice. As for the cost of purchasing a physical body, I will cover it."

This is something that cannot be taken lightly. It seems that there are no items for resetting or reshaping character attributes in this world.

If you choose the wrong path, it's like graduating in your previous life and immediately going to work on a construction site, where you can't quit.

Fortunately, Yun Yang was there to protect them. Although the other party did not say it explicitly, a beast's shell that could allow one to ascend to the extraordinary realm must be quite expensive, yet the Major General gave it away without hesitation.

"I'm fine now, my injuries are almost healed, and I'm going to be discharged."

Lin Shuxuan's mind flashed with Yu Xin's image. The beautiful and mature woman had put on such a grand show in front of the whole city; it was time to give her some interest.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yunyang's expression flashed with a strange embarrassment.

Lin Shuxuan, ever observant, asked, "What? Is someone lying in ambush outside?"

Guan Yunyang's embarrassment deepened, an expression that seemed particularly out of place on his usually calm and collected face.

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"Take appropriate measures."

An awkward atmosphere immediately filled the ward. Lin Shuxuan wanted to say something, but couldn't say anything. He could only calmly get up and leave the ward.

Fortunately, the admiring gaze of the pretty nurse outside quickly made him forget his embarrassment.

......

Inside an elegant office, fine jade and porcelain pieces are neatly arranged.

On a high-backed chair painted with red background and gold thread, a middle-aged man in an expensive suit was furious.

"Outrageous! Pulling and shoving each other in public! How does she put the Yu family's reputation on display?!"

Oh well, as long as my daughter is happy...

"This is outrageous!"

Never mind, my daughter is happy...

"This is outrageous!"

The middle-aged man paced back and forth, finally slapping the dark desk.

"I need to go to Xinhai and teach that kid a lesson."

A beautiful woman with a graceful figure walked into the office and offered words of comfort:

"Forget it, didn't you apologize to the Tang family in the past? Anyway, what harm can your daughter really suffer when it comes to Yunyang?"

"I told you long ago not to marry Yu Xin to that sickly man from the Tang family, but you wouldn't listen to me."

"Now it's all right."

Listening to the woman's incessant nagging, the man looked exasperated, but secretly made up his mind.

"When that kid surnamed Lin arrives on Tianbang Star, we'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."

......

Night had fallen on the rooftop of the police station building.

It was already past closing time, and most of the police officers had already left, so no one would come up to this rooftop.

Lin Shuxuan was a little frustrated. He sent a message to Yu Xin as soon as he left the hospital in the morning, but she didn't reply.

It wasn't until nightfall that he told Yu Xin that he had an amazing ghost story, which finally got her to come out.

Sure enough, girls need some reasons to convince themselves... Lin Shuxuan looked up at the night sky.

The nights in Xinhai City are beautiful. Unlike my previous life, there is no smoke or dust obscuring the view. The sky is filled with countless stars that intertwine with the twinkling lights of the skyscrapers in the city center.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the ocean waves in the distance; this is, after all, a coastal city.

It would be more romantic if it were a beach, but unfortunately, due to ecological erosion, beaches are mostly desolate places.

A delicate fragrance wafted to my nose.

Turning her head, she saw Yu Xin quietly moving over.

She wore exquisite makeup, from her eyelashes to her hair.

She was still wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress, revealing her fair shoulders.

Then comes the slender waist, outlining a captivating, voluptuous figure.

"Sister Yu Xin, please sit down. I've thought of a great ghost story."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin blushed slightly, but she still gathered her skirt and sat gracefully to Lin Shuxuan's left.

"Hurry up and tell me! I'm going back after you're done!"

She raised her voice slightly, but her tone trembled slightly.

Lin Shuxuan wasn't in a hurry. He looked at the beautiful woman beside him, who was stunning from every angle, and asked with a grin:

"Sister Yu Xin, your cultivation level is clearly not low, so why are you afraid of ghost stories?"

Yu Xin, with her long, wavy hair, hesitated for a moment before speaking frankly:

"Because it's in Tianbang City..."

She paused, then explained:

"In other words, the area where the Federal Military Academy is located really has urban legends."

Lin Shuxuan then revealed a frightened yet curious expression, which pleased the beautiful older woman greatly.

"It is said that if a shadow is cast on your window at midnight, you must not make a sound."

"Otherwise, the monster from the other side of the glass will find you and devour everything that replaces you."

Lin Shuxuan sneered:

"The least likely place for ghosts to appear is the Federal Military Academy, right? What kind of idiot came up with this urban legend?"

Yu Xin glared at him: "It really happened! I didn't believe it at first either, but there really was a shadow cast on the glass at midnight!"

"A student who was passing by?"

"I lived on the eighth floor back then."

Could there really be a ghost... another Bai Shasha in the world?... No... is urban legend the focus tonight...? Lin Shuxuan silently slapped himself in the face.

He said in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid, Sister Yu Xin. With me here, no ghost would dare to hurt you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and placed it on Yu Xin's left shoulder to comfort her.

The posture wasn't considered ambiguous. He stared intently at the beautiful mature woman's expression and noticed that she was simply looking down at her toes.

There was neither agreement nor rebuke.

Slowly, he moved his hand from his left shoulder to his right shoulder, pulling Yu Xin into the crook of his arm.

Even an ordinary girl would notice this action, but Yu Xin still didn't react at all.

She simply clasped her hands tightly together in front of her lower abdomen.

His left hand slid down the smooth silk and pulled Yu Xin into his arms.

The fragrance that lingers around the nose is not from any particular perfume.

It is the woman's pheromones.