Chapter 216: A Grand Entrance, First Impressions in the City, and the Terrifying Power of Xue Jing's

Chapter 216: A Grand Entrance, First Impressions in the City, and the Terrifying Power of Xue Jing's Words (4K)



"Ultimate Breakthrough... a breakthrough after meeting some 'standard'?"

Xue Jing furrowed his brows in thought.

It seemed to be related to one's foundation, accumulation, and combat power.

The question was whether this 'standard' could be applied to him.

With the enhancement of the panel, his physical body had long deviated from that of a normal human, especially after activating [True Martial Arts]. In terms of talent alone, he was already a different species from humans.

To be honest, it was unclear if the concept of 'breakthrough' even applied to him.

Breakthrough referred to when ordinary people reached the limit of their physical and mental capabilities, and their strength growth stagnated. Only by breaking through that limit could they continue to improve.

However, his 'limit' was influenced by [True Martial Arts] in terms of physical capabilities and [Contemplation·Truth] in terms of mental capabilities, so it was bound to be different from that of ordinary people.

"Brother Xue, have you found a place to stay yet?" Ning Yuantai asked.

Xue Jing shook his head, "Not yet."

This time, Wu Youqing hadn't arranged a hotel for him. Before he left, he had intended to book one online, but he couldn't find a way to make reservations for hotels in the inner ring.

Now he understood why—the inner ring used the super network, so it was normal that he couldn't make reservations on the regular internet.

His little disciple, Zong Si Chan, had offered to contact the Tiger Spirit Dojo disciples in Source City to help, but Xue Jing had refused. It wasn't a big deal; he could just find a place once he arrived.

"Then why don't you stay with us? The Ghost Alliance has a branch base in Origin City, and it's quite well-equipped. It'll be convenient for you to practice your martial arts too!" Ning Yuantai suggested eagerly.

Xue Jing glanced at him and smiled, "I really don't plan on officially joining the Sixth Organization."

Ning Yuantai shook his head, "It's fine even if you don't join. It'll be a good experience to come and take a look."

"The branch base is quite large, much more convenient than a hotel, and it's safer too. The only downside to the inner ring compared to the outer ring is the unstable security situation..."

"Boom—" Before he could finish his sentence, the middle floor of a distant building suddenly exploded, sending sparks and flames flying.

"Hmm?" Xue Jing turned his head to look. Floating above the entrance of the building was a huge holographic subtitle that read 'Qining Holiday Hotel'.

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The pedestrians around seemed accustomed to sudden explosions. Although they were quickly moving away from the blast area, there was little panic, and the scene was surprisingly orderly.

As the hotel exploded and flames engulfed the gaping hole, a figure flew out and landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Xue Jing looked over, initially out of pure curiosity. However, to his surprise, the person who had fallen was someone he knew.

Standing at almost 1.9 meters tall, her body was muscular and robust, with tight black martial arts clothing accentuating her well-defined features. Her facial contours were sharp, yet her overall appearance retained a hint of femininity.

"Yin Moo-shu?"

With such distinctive features, she could only be a disciple of the 'King Kong Ruyi Hand'—Yin Mouhu.

"Hmm? Do you know her?" Ning Yuantai was also watching the spectacle and asked curiously upon hearing Xue Jing's words.

Then he paused, realizing something.

"Ah? This muscular person is a woman?"

Xue Jing nodded, "She's my friend, and she's also here for the U19 tournament. I didn't expect to run into her so soon."

As he finished speaking, several more figures rushed out from the hole in the hotel's floor.

Xue Jing looked up.

To his surprise, he knew them too!

Previously, when he was on his way to Fengcheng to participate in the U19 elimination round, he had encountered two self-proclaimed 'Giant God Legion' borderland hunters on the cruise ship 'Infinite Nova'.

Their goal had been to capture a sea-dwelling species called the Sea Bee King, but due to various reasons, they had clashed with Xue Jing and were killed by him.

Later, when Ning Fengwan examined the bodies, she discovered small spherical objects in their brainstems, which were suspected to be used for 'consciousness uploading'. It was likely that the two hunters weren't actually dead.

And now, among the people rushing out of the hotel, one of them was the woman who had harbored ill intentions towards him on the Infinite Nova.

Xue Jing and the cat on his shoulder exchanged a glance, both wearing odd expressions.

This was too much of a coincidence.

"Since she's your friend... shall we help?"

Ning Yuantai clenched his fists excitedly, clearly eager for a fight.

Of course, we'll help, but before taking action, Xue Jing asked curiously, "Is it okay to have a street fight in the inner ring?"

Ning Yuantai replied, "Legally, it's not allowed, of course... But in reality, except for the strictly enforced areas of Zones A1 to A3, the security personnel tend to drag their feet when it comes to brawls in other zones as long as the damage caused isn't too extensive. They usually show up after the fight is over."

"Unless someone involved in the fight has paid a hefty security fee to the security company. In that case, they'll arrive very quickly."

"If we act fast and scram after we're done, we should be fine."

Xue Jing nodded, "I see."

"Then... let's go."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from his original spot with a 'boom', leaving behind a trail of colorful flames as he shot towards Yin Mouhu like a meteor.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Ning Yuantai hurried to catch up, but his speed couldn't compare to Xue Jing's, and he quickly fell behind.

...

Yin Mouhu cautiously eyed the people before her. Her angular face was marked with a few cuts, and thick blood slowly oozed out, trickling down her skin.

Although she hadn't known them long, she had already realized that these people were all ruthless outlaws.

Their fighting style was devoid of any martial ethics, and they showed no signs of holding back. Every strike was intended to be lethal.

Even when faced with her full-powered counterattack, they showed no fear, their expressions only growing more excited as if they were children who had found a new, interesting toy.

Thinking about how she had just arrived in the inner ring and already encountered such trouble, Yin Mouhu sighed inwardly.

She should have agreed to her master's offer of companionship instead of coming to the inner ring alone. She never expected it to be so chaotic here. She had just checked into the hotel when this happened.

Hmm? It seems the outer ring wasn't much different. The last time in Fengcheng, something similar happened while she was staying at a hotel.

Could it be that it's not about the outer or inner ring, but that she has a predisposition for attracting trouble? Or perhaps she and hotels just don't get along?

Yin Mouhu's eyes narrowed in thought.

"What a buzzkill. I didn't expect it to be a woman."

A woman with silver and gold hair spoke up disappointedly. Her beautiful face was marred by eyebrow and lip piercings.

"Idiot, what do you know? It's even better that it's a woman. The contrast is thrilling..." A man with a scar that ran from the corner of his mouth to his ear, exposing his entire row of teeth, said with a sinister laugh.

"Whatever, can we just get this over with?" A third person, a woman with abnormally pale skin, spoke with disinterest and boredom.

"Qiao Ying, what's wrong with you? You used to be so lively. Did you turn into a saint after dying once? You didn't even want to go to 'Moose' last night. Did Deep Blue Network tamper with your consciousness?" The silver and gold-haired woman asked Qiao Ying with suspicion.

Qiao Ying sighed and replied indifferently, "You wouldn't understand. You can't go back to the mundane after experiencing the pinnacle."

"Once you've tasted the finest cuisine, everything else seems spoiled..." The silver and gold-haired woman was intrigued. "Now I'm curious. Who is this person that could turn you into this? It's like your life has no meaning unless you're with him."

Qiao Ying replied impatiently, "Life has no inherent meaning anyway. Can you guys hurry up? This body of mine is freshly made, and I have no combat power yet..."

"If we don't hurry, the boss will be on our case..." Mentioning the 'boss' made the group grow more serious.

"Alright, I'll take the lead. Let's end this quickly with tactic B..." The man with the scarred mouth spoke up.

As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed something and turned towards the sky.

A colorful meteor was rushing towards them from the horizon, trailing vibrant flames.

Listening to their conversation, Yin Mouhu grew more vigilant. She was about to make a preemptive move when a familiar figure appeared before her, surrounded by flickering, colorful flames and a deep rumble.

She was taken aback and exclaimed, "Brother Xue?!"

Xue Jing turned his head, glancing back at her with a smile. "Sister Yin, long time no see. How's your health?"

For some reason, the sight of Xue Jing immediately put Yin Mouhu at ease. A sense of assurance filled her, and her stern face softened as she replied with a girlish voice that contrasted sharply with her appearance, "I'm fine, thanks to you. After returning, I diligently cultivated for a while, and my martial arts improved significantly..."

"Good to hear that. Then, let's get started."

Xue Jing nodded, then turned to face the few people in front of him.

"So, what's going on here?"

Yin Mouhu explained, "I was heading out of my hotel room to get some food when I ran into these people. They suddenly invited me to join them, and when I declined, they tried to force me to go with them. That's when the fight broke out..."

Xue Jing couldn't help but chuckle, "Sister Yin, it seems your charm is even more captivating than I imagined. Wherever you go, you always seem to attract this kind of trouble."

Yin Mouhu was speechless, "I don't get it either."

While the two of them caught up, on the other side, Qiao Ying stared at the face she had been longing for, frozen in place with her eyes glistening with tears.

The girl with silver and gold hair also gazed at Xue Jing, astonished. "Wow, what a magnificent face. No wonder you were so captivated, I kind of get it now."

"Qiao Ying? Are you alright?" She looked at Qiao Ying, whose face was gradually turning red, and her breathing becoming heavier.

"Bro... brother," Qiao Ying managed to utter, her eyes fixed on Xue Jing.

Xue Jing acted as if he had just noticed her, and smiled, "Oh? Long time no see."

As he spoke, he paused slightly, and his tone suddenly turned gentle, "Miss... Miss Qiao."

He emphasized each word of 'Miss Qiao', and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Y-yes~ yes!"

Qiao Ying suddenly trembled, her knees weakening, and she squatted down, breathing rapidly as if she was lacking oxygen.

The silver and gold-haired girl hesitated, "Qiao Ying, are you..."

She looked at Qiao Ying and noticed the spreading wetness on her pants... a puddle was forming on the ground beneath her.

"Oh my, you're not serious, are you? You just...?"

Everyone present stared at her, bewildered.

The cat on Xue Jing's shoulder started pawing at his shoulder, seemingly displeased.

Xue Jing hadn't expected his words to have such a powerful effect; he had only intended to casually gain some [Acting] experience points.

As the peculiar scent began to permeate the air, he coughed dryly and turned to the others, "So, you're all from the Giant God Legion?"

The man with the scarred mouth looked at Xue Jing, his expression guarded. "Yes, that's right. And who are you?"

He was highly suspicious that this man possessed some kind of ability that could influence others' spirits, so he remained on guard.

Xue Jing paid no heed to his wariness and casually asked, "What about Wei Chu?"

The scarred man smirked, "Why should I tell you...?"

"He's still undergoing modifications. This time, he spent a fortune on a new body with high-end enhancements. But his 'spiritual energy level' couldn't keep up, and the mutation rate was too high. Now, he can't even move. It's hilarious," the silver and gold-haired woman chimed in with a bright smile.

Xue Jing nodded, "I see."

The scarred man glared at the silver and gold-haired woman, "Hmph, women."

"Hmph, men," she retorted, glaring back at him.

Xue Jing glanced at the growing crowd of onlookers who had gathered, emboldened by the lack of fighting, and said, "Alright, you've harassed my friend, and now it's time to give her an explanation."

The scarred man narrowed his eyes and pulled out a strangely shaped dagger from his pocket, "Oh? And what kind of explanation are you looking for?"

Xue Jing ignored his action and turned to Yin Mouhu, "Since they didn't succeed, how about we teach them a lesson? Sister Yin, what do you think?"

Yin Mouhu nodded, "It's all up to Brother Xue."

The scarred man scoffed, "Arrogant brat. I've read Wei Chu and Qiao Ying's mission reports, and your physical level is probably around 4. Your danger assessment level shouldn't exceed 4.5. We, the Giant God Legion, have hunted down thousands like you."

"Do you really think that just because you defeated Wei Chu and Qiao Ying, who had most of their equipment removed in the outer ring, that you're invincible? Let me tell you, there's a lot more out there that surpasses your imagination..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the scarred man felt dizzy, and his vision was filled with flickering colorful flames, accompanied by a crunching sound.

When he came to, he found himself on the ground, with a foot pressing down on his back.

"I'm not sure if there are many things that surpass my imagination," Xue Jing said softly, looking down at the man.

"But you don't seem very strong. In fact, you're exactly as I imagined."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end