Dragon Basket Night Market, Changzhi, 2031.
The stale smell of used cooking oil, charcoal smoke, and the aroma of various street foods mingled into one, forming a distinctive perfume that wafted throughout the market area. The sound of thousands of people chatting, haggling over prices, and the hum of electrical generators created a bustling, chaotic symphony.
At a small stall labeled "Fan's Magical Porridge," Bao Zhe Fan, a 19-year-old youth with simple haircut and eyes that looked older than his years, skillfully stirred a large wok. His hands moved deftly, stirring the porridge with practiced motions. He wore a faded plastic apron and thin cloth gloves.
"Special chicken porridge, warm and nutritious! Perfect for replenishing spiritual energy after training!" he shouted in a flat, expressionless voice. It sounded more like an announcement than an enthusiastic call to action.
A customer approached, a middle-aged woman. "Is the porridge still hot, young man?" she asked.
"Straight from the pot, Ma'am," Bao Zhe Fan replied succinctly as he poured porridge into a styrofoam bowl.
He completed the transaction efficiently, without small talk. Behind his stall, a piece of coarse paper lay, slightly folded and crumpled. The writing on it was still legible: "Notice of Expulsion - Devil's Sun High School."
His mind drifted briefly to the events of three days ago.
Flashback
The principal's office at Devil's Sun was grand and air-conditioned. The cool atmosphere actually made Bao Zhe Fan shiver. He stood straight in front of a large mahogany desk, facing Principal Gao, a silver-haired man with frameless glasses that made his eyes look sharp.
"Bao Zhe Fan," Principal Gao's voice was cold and authoritative. "The results of your talent rank re-test are in. Blood Element, still Rank G."
He dropped a slip of paper with the test results on the desk. The graph was flat, almost showing no fluctuation in spiritual energy.
"You know, Devil's Sun is an elite school. We only accept and retain students with a minimum talent of Rank E. Our resources are limited and must be allocated to those with a bright future as Spirit Knights." Principal Gao let out a fake sigh. "With your Rank G, even basic abilities like Blood Hole and Blood Step are almost useless in real combat. We have no other choice."
Bao Zhe Fan just nodded slowly. He had expected this. Since the Spiritual Rupture 31 years ago, the world operated on a new logic: power is everything. His rare talent, Blood Control, was unfortunately too weak to be considered useful.
"We have arranged your transfer to Changzhi Twilight High School. They accept all ranks." Principal Gao's words sounded like pity, but Bao Zhe Fan could hear the condescending tone underneath.
"Thank you for your guidance during this time, Principal," Bao Zhe Fan said politely, then turned and left. He showed no emotion. As an orphan who had been independent since his teens, he was used to swallowing disappointment.
"UNCLE! YOU SWIM TRUNKS SELLER!"
A loud, angry shout broke his concentration. Bao Zhe Fan turned towards the source of the sound, about five stalls to his right. A tall, large-built young man with broad shoulders and a strong jaw—Wang Dawei—was having a heated argument with a sly-looking vendor.
"You said these are 'Dragon Roast Duck' swim trunks, monster-proof, can increase spiritual defense! These are just ordinary rubber swim trunks with a sticker on them!" Wang Dawei barked, his face red with anger. He was clutching a pair of red-themed swim trunks whose claims were clearly exaggerated.
The vendor, a thin man with a wispy mustache, tried to defend himself. "Don't make false accusations, young man! That's a premium item! Look at this dragon sticker, it's pure spiritual energy!"
"Pure spiritual energy? This is just a printed image! The price is 500 credits! You're trying to cheat people!" Wang Dawei almost transformed his hand into a polar bear claw—a sign that his Polar Bear Transformation talent was nearly失控 due to emotion.
Bao Zhe Fan observed for a moment. He recognized the swim trunk vendor—a seasoned swindler who often changed his merchandise. Calmly, Bao Zhe Fan took off his apron and walked over.
"Brother," Bao Zhe Fan said to Wang Dawei, his voice calm. "Can I take a look?"
Wang Dawei, still angry, handed over the swim trunks. "This is obvious fraud!"
Bao Zhe Fan quickly inspected the swim trunks. He took a small flashlight from his pocket and shone a light on the inside of the rubber waistband. "Look," he said, showing Wang Dawei and the people starting to gather. "The production code is printed with ordinary ink, not spiritual energy ink. Genuine 'Dragon Roast Duck' items always have an energy seal that pulses slowly in this part. These are fake."
He then pointed at the vendor. "Uncle, the 'genuine' stock you had yesterday, some of them had an expiration date of 2030, right? Did they still sell?"
The vendor was immediately exposed. His face turned pale then bright red. "You insolent brat! Don't slander me!"
But the crowd had started whistling and criticizing. The vendor, knowing he was beaten, quickly gathered his things and fled.
Wang Dawei was astonished. His anger immediately subsided, replaced by admiration. "Wow, brother, you're amazing! Thank you so much! I was almost cheated out of 500 credits!"
"Yeah, it's fine," Bao Zhe Fan replied briefly before returning to his stall.
Wang Dawei followed him. "Hey, my name is Wang Dawei. I'm a new student at Changzhi Twilight. And you?"
"Bao Zhe Fan. I'm a transfer student to Changzhi Twilight."
"Wow, what a coincidence! Do you sell here every night?"
"Yes,to make a living."
Wang Dawei ordered a portion of snail skewers and kept chatting. His blunt and friendly nature contrasted with Bao Zhe Fan's quiet, reserved personality. But strangely, the conversation didn't feel awkward.
"My talent is Polar Bear Transformation, Rank B. It's pretty useful for fighting," Wang Dawei said between bites of snail skewers. "You? What element?"
"Blood. Rank G," Bao Zhe Fan replied while cleaning the wok.
Wang Dawei almost choked. "Blood Element? That's super rare! There are only 3 Blood Element users in the world! But... Rank G?" He looked confused, caught between admiration and pity.
Bao Zhe Fan just nodded. He was used to reactions like that.
That night, after packing up his stall, Bao Zhe Fan returned to his "home"—a shabby house on the outskirts of the city. The house was simple, containing only a foldable mattress, a used study desk, and a small electric stove. The only relatively new item was a mini-fridge he got from a lottery coupon.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he counted the day's earnings. Enough to pay the rent for this shabby house and food for the next few days, but nothing more. It felt like running in place. He was 19 years old, his talent was Rank G, his future was bleak. He opened the mini-fridge. It was almost empty, containing only a bottle of mineral water and a pack of expired instant noodles he got for free because they were about to be thrown away.
His stomach growled. Hungry. But he was too lazy to cook the instant noodles. His body felt tired, not just physically, but also spiritually. The despair he had suppressed for years began to well up in his chest.
Blood Element... A rare element... What's the point? Just to make me a laughingstock? he thought bitterly. He raised his hand, trying to use his ability. A small hole, about the size of a bowl, appeared in the air in front of his palm—Blood Hole. This hole was like a small wormhole that could be used to store a counterattack. When an opponent attacks, their attack could be sent into this hole and would rebound towards them with twice the pain. Then he tried Blood Step. His body trembled briefly and reappeared about a meter from his original position, his breath slightly ragged. That one-meter teleportation drained his already meager spiritual energy.
Although not as powerful as high-rank talents, at least his Blood Hole ability still had some tactical value if used correctly.
He lay down staring at the moldy ceiling. In that solitude and hunger, his usually suppressed emotions finally overflowed. Silent tears fell from his eyes. He felt empty, trapped, and alone.
If only... if only there was a way... a way out...
Suddenly, in the midst of that despair, a clear, neutral mechanical sound rang out in his head, as if emanating from every cell in his body.
[Ding! Host's condition meets criteria: Maximum despair, moderate hunger, and possession of the rare Blood Element talent. The Strongest Blood Selling System activated!]
Bao Zhe Fan immediately sat upright, his eyes wide open. A hallucination?
[Scanning host condition...]
Name:Bao Zhe Fan
Age:19
Talent:Blood Control (Blood Element)
Talent Rank:G
Spirit Knight Level:Bronze Wheel - 1 Star
Health:78% (Condition: Hungry, Tired)
Spiritual Energy:15/100
[System ready! Welcome, Host! The Strongest Blood Selling System will help you reach the pinnacle of the world!]