Translator: CinderTL
The streets bustled with activity.
"What do you think? Is it pretty?" Zhao Qingli asked, holding up a delicate, translucent pink flower in her small hand. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she gazed at the young man before her.
The Zhao heiress rarely visited such crowded places, usually frequenting more upscale establishments. Perhaps that's why she found the lively market street, filled with the warmth of everyday life, so novel and intriguing.
"Are you asking about the flower or the person?" Jiang Ye asked with a smile.
"Both," Zhao Qingli replied, her dark eyes twinkling.
"The flower isn't pretty," Jiang Ye said.
Zhao Qingli blinked in surprise, not expecting that answer. Before he could elaborate, she blurted out, "Why isn't it pretty?"
She immediately regretted her foolish question. Everyone has different tastes; if he didn't find it pretty, he didn't find it pretty. What was the point in asking why?
Just then, Jiang Ye gently took the small pink flower from her hand and tucked it into her hair.
"Now the flower looks beautiful," Jiang Ye said with a smile, gazing at the girl before him.
Zhao Qingli froze for a moment, then a faint blush quickly spread across her cheeks.
"Oh, you smooth-talker," she murmured, turning her face slightly away, her voice a little flustered.
Jiang Ye chuckled but didn't avert his gaze.
The girl's delicate features carried a hint of aristocratic pride, but the small pink flower softened that edge, adding a touch of sweetness to her appearance.
Amidst the bustling crowd, she stood out like a clear stream, radiant and captivating.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye's expression shifted slightly. He turned his head to look behind him, his eyes scanning the crowd as if searching for something.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Qingli asked, stepping closer, her voice filled with concern.
"Nothing," Jiang Ye replied, turning back with a shake of his head.
Just now, he had felt as if someone was watching him.
But when he turned to look, he found nothing.
"Someone's making sparks up ahead," Zhao Qingli suddenly said. "Should we go check it out?"
"Sure," Jiang Ye nodded, leading the girl forward.
They hadn't walked far when Jiang Ye's brow suddenly furrowed.
A familiar, delicate fragrance lingered in the air—faint, almost imperceptible.
But at Jiang Ye's current cultivation realm, his senses were incredibly sharp. Though the scent was barely there, he still managed to catch it.
Strange...
Could it be Senior Sister? Jiang Ye thought, a peculiar feeling rising in his heart.
Buzz!
A glint flashed in his eyes as he activated Perceptive Insight, scanning his surroundings.
Still, he found nothing.
Just my imagination? Jiang Ye mused.
"Hey!"
"What are you thinking about?" Zhao Qingli suddenly complained, sounding annoyed. "You're so distracted when you're supposed to be shopping with me."
"Sorry," Jiang Ye said with an apologetic smile, gathering his thoughts. "Let's go."
He had promised Zhao Qingli that this vacation was hers.
Good times always pass too quickly.
By the time Jiang Ye returned home, it was already midnight.
He didn't immediately begin his cultivation.
Instead, he opened his phone and scrolled through his call and message history with Chen Zilu.
"Strange, what's Senior Sister up to?" Jiang Ye murmured, staring at the phone screen, puzzled. "I can't reach her by phone, and she's not replying to my messages either."
He gazed at the phone's projection, his confusion deepening.
Buzz! A notification sound chimed from his phone.
Jiang Ye checked the message—it was from Zhao Qingli.
"We're going on a trip to the outskirts with the class monitor in the next few days," Jiang Ye read, recalling their agreement.
He didn't refuse.
For the past year, he had been relentlessly cultivating every day without a break.
Occasional relaxation was crucial, allowing him to gather more fuel for the next phase of his rigorous training.
"I'll also need to find time to visit Director Zhang during his remaining days. The rest of my time will be dedicated to cultivation."
"However, I can't practice spearmanship at home."
"During the holiday, I'll focus on cultivating the True God Manual instead," Jiang Ye planned.
His spearmanship had long surpassed its former limits, its power now far greater than before. At full force, a single thrust could potentially shatter an entire building. Thus, he could only cultivate his cultivation method at home.
"Perfect," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "The True God Manual is still some distance from the third breakthrough threshold. My current progress is at 24%."
"I probably need to reach around 50% to meet the third breakthrough threshold."
"I must reach that standard as soon as possible," Jiang Ye resolved inwardly.
To break through life's shackles, both cosmic tempering and achieving the corresponding standard in one's cultivation method were essential.
The reason was simple: a cultivation method's purpose was to open the Guanyuan Acupoint and strengthen the Star Meridian.
For instance, Jiang Ye's Guanyuan Acupoint could currently hold a maximum of five million strands of stellar energy.
However, the third breakthrough threshold required at least ten million strands of stellar energy.
Why such a massive quantity?
Because the third breakthrough involved a 'liquid-to-solid transformation.' Only an overwhelming amount of stellar energy could trigger this qualitative shift.
By then, both his life level and combat capabilities would undergo a terrifying leap.
"Time to cultivate," Jiang Ye murmured, placing the Enlightenment Divine Jade in his mouth. He closed his eyes and began circulating his cultivation technique.
While Jiang Ye was immersed in his cultivation,
In a luxurious villa atop a mountain in Ancheng's outskirts,
Chen Zilu quietly returned home, leaving the lights off.
She moved silently to the center of the living room and sat on the sofa.
She said nothing, did nothing.
The girl sat there alone, lost in thought, her mind drifting to unknown places.
In the pitch-black, cavernous house, the air hung heavy and still, as if dead, without a single sound.
Time flowed on.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
On May 4th, the third-year students of Ancheng Third High School had finished their brief holiday and returned to their final sprint toward the College Entrance Examination.
Stepping back onto the familiar campus, Jiang Ye was filled with mixed emotions.
"It all feels so familiar, yet so foreign..."
As he looked around at the unfamiliar faces of his classmates, a sudden realization struck him.
Perhaps this was what it meant for things to remain the same while people changed.
Without giving it much thought, he headed straight for Zhang Jianwu's office.
A moment later, inside the office in the teaching building:
"Jiang Ye."
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have picked you up," Zhang Jianwu said, looking at the increasingly mature young man before him, unable to resist a gentle scolding.
"It was a sudden trip," Jiang Ye replied with a smile.
"I heard you won the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup?" Zhang Jianwu poured Jiang Ye a cup of tea, chuckling warmly. "I knew you'd make a name for yourself in the Eastern Ten Provinces."
"Director, you're flattering me," Jiang Ye said, shaking his head with a smile.
The Genius Cup was merely his starting point.
"Heh, you've grown a lot this past year," Zhang Jianwu remarked, sensing Jiang Ye's thoughts. He shook his head. "You don't even care about winning the Genius Cup anymore. I'm really falling behind."
"Director, you're being too modest," Jiang Ye quickly replied. "In my eyes, you'll always be my teacher."
"I'm not being modest."
"I can barely see through you anymore," Zhang Jianwu said, his gaze curious. "What realm are you at now? Mid-second breakthrough?"
Jiang Ye shook his head. "Peak-second breakthrough."
Zhang Jianwu's jaw dropped slightly.
A moment of silence hung in the air.
Then, Zhang Jianwu burst into laughter.
"I really underestimated you," he said, tilting his head back and laughing heartily. "At this rate, you could be the director of this school right now!"
Jiang Ye chuckled and shook his head, but didn't deny it.
It was true.
At Ancheng Third High School, a backward school in a small, eighteenth-tier city, a peak-second breakthrough already surpassed the vast majority of teachers.
"Time flies," Zhang Jianwu remarked. "I've only just reached the third breakthrough myself."
"Your cultivation speed is almost catching up to Chen Zilu's."
"Speaking of that girl," Zhang Jianwu suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued, "how's your relationship with her now?"
Jiang Ye paused thoughtfully before answering honestly, "Teacher Chen... she's my senior sister now."
"What? Senior sister?" Zhang Jianwu looked utterly bewildered.
Wasn't she a teacher?
How did she suddenly become a senior sister?
"I forgot to mention it," Jiang Ye added with a smile. "After the Genius Cup, I transferred to White Dragon University and became a disciple under the same master as Teacher Chen."
"White Dragon University?" Zhang Jianwu's expression flickered with surprise.
But he quickly chuckled, his face relaxing.
Compared to the shock of Jiang Ye winning the Genius Cup, his admission to White Dragon University was hardly surprising.
"Not bad at all," Zhang Jianwu said.
"Now that Chen Zilu is your senior sister," he added with a smile, "make sure to cultivate a good relationship with her. She'll be a great help to you."
"Senior Sister has indeed been a tremendous help to me," Jiang Ye nodded.
The Enlightenment Divine Jade and the Storage Bracelet—priceless treasures—had proven invaluable to him.
"By the way, Director," Jiang Ye suddenly remembered something and asked, "do you know Teacher Chen's address in Ancheng?"
"I'm not sure," Zhang Jianwu replied, shaking his head. "But the school should have it on record. Do you need it?"
"I'd like to visit her," Jiang Ye said.
He hadn't been able to contact Chen Zilu for several days, and for some reason, a sense of unease had settled in his heart.
"Alright, let me check," Zhang Jianwu said without further questioning, turning to his computer.
Moments later...
"Found it," Zhang Jianwu said. "Her previous address. I'll send you the location now."
A second later, Jiang Ye's phone buzzed.
He opened it to see a map projection appear, marking a spot in the outskirts of the city with a red circle.
"Thank you, Director," Jiang Ye said. "You can get back to work. I'll head over there right away."
"Alright, go ahead," Zhang Jianwu nodded.
Jiang Ye turned and left.
After leaving the school, Jiang Ye didn't take a car. Instead, he pressed the activation button on his battle armor wristband.
Whoosh! Countless jet-black metallic particles flowed from the wristband's seams, spreading like liquid silk to instantly cover his entire body.
"Let's go," Jiang Ye said, his figure shifting.
He shot skyward like a rocket, soaring toward the city outskirts.
This was the Earth-Rank Cosmic Battle Armor!
With Jiang Ye's current strength, he could easily achieve speeds exceeding 300 meters per second.
Ancheng was a small city.
In less than a minute, Jiang Ye had already reached the location marked on the map: a mountainous area in the outskirts.
"There it is," Jiang Ye said, spotting the large villa perched atop the mountain.
Whoosh! He accelerated toward it.
In mere seconds, he landed on the mountain road near the villa.
Clang! Jiang Ye retracted his battle armor.
He looked up at the massive villa ahead.
Though grand in scale, the villa showed signs of age, with peeling paint and crumbling walls, clearly indicating it had stood for many years.
Did Senior Sister live here since she was a child? Jiang Ye wondered, his heart stirring.
He scanned the surroundings.
Apart from the villa, there were no other buildings in this mountainous area.
Yet from this vantage point on the summit, one could overlook nearly half of Ancheng.
Jiang Ye turned back to gaze at the villa.
The two-story structure dominated most of the mountaintop, its vast footprint stretching across the summit. However, the area lacked streetlights, suggesting that at night, the villa would be shrouded in darkness, with only distant city lights piercing the gloom.
A scene involuntarily flashed through Jiang Ye's mind:
A young girl, ostracized by her classmates due to a strange illness, trudging home alone each day. She would climb the pitch-black mountain path, finally reaching the summit and entering this isolated mansion, cut off from the world.
What must she be thinking as she sits alone at the doorstep, gazing at the distant lights of countless homes?
Loneliness, like a mist, permeated the entire villa.
For some reason, Jiang Ye sensed a silent, sorrowful atmosphere—both gentle and heavy.
It was as if he had involuntarily immersed himself in it.
"No, that's not right."
Jiang Ye's pupils suddenly contracted slightly.
This wasn't mere empathy.
There was a genuine, palpable sorrow lingering in this grand house, and he could feel it.
Since awakening his mental force, Jiang Ye's perception far surpassed that of ordinary people.
He could sense subtle auras and lingering emotions.
As long as the traces weren't too old, they would leave their mark.
Buzz!
Jiang Ye closed his eyes, and his mental force surged outward.
In an instant, it permeated the entire villa.
The villa was empty.
But as his mental force reached the living room on the first floor, the sorrowful emotion he sensed grew even more intense.
"Someone's been here."
Jiang Ye's eyes snapped open.
He was inside the villa, and he could see signs of recent activity.
Could it be my senior sister? Jiang Ye stared at the villa, a sudden memory surfacing: the familiar aura he'd sensed that night while shopping with Zhao Qingli.
Without dwelling on it, Jiang Ye pulled out his phone and dialed Chen Zilu's number again.
Ring...
To Jiang Ye's surprise, the call—which had gone unanswered for days—connected this time.
(End of the Chapter)
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