Chapter 79: The Martial Arts Tournament (Seeking Readers)

Chapter 79: The Martial Arts Tournament (Seeking Readers)



Zhao Zheng returned to his apartment and was about to unlock the door when suddenly, his neighbor from the opposite apartment opened her door. Instinctively, Zhao Zheng turned to see a woman staring at him.

The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, stunningly beautiful with a pair of alluring eyes that seemed to spark with electricity. But what truly caught Zhao Zheng's attention was her voluptuous figure—a slender waist, long legs, and a bust that threatened to burst out of her clothes.

Zhao Zheng was momentarily stunned by the woman's appearance. He didn't recall having such a neighbor living next door.

"Are you Zhao Zheng?" the woman asked, her voice sounding both lazy and seductive, a perfect match for her alluring figure.

Zhao Zheng's guard went up instantly at the sudden appearance of this beauty who knew his name. He wasn't one to be easily swayed by physical attraction, especially since he had the pleasure of seeing Song Haitang's heavenly face every day, which made him somewhat immune to most beauties.

"I'm sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Zhao Zheng," he replied without hesitation, denying her claim.

The woman flashed a bright smile upon hearing Zhao Zheng's response. "You're quite cautious, little brother! Keep it up!"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Qin Muyin from the Zodiac Bureau, Snake Team. I was sent here by my superiors to protect you. Here's my ID."

She handed Zhao Zheng her ID, which he quickly glanced at.

[Zodiac Bureau, Snake Team: Qin Muyin!]



Below the name was a national emblem.

The ID was simple, containing very little information.

Zhao Zheng had heard of the Zodiac Bureau, rumored to be a mysterious and powerful organization that took orders directly from the Central Command. But that was the extent of his knowledge.

Seeing the national emblem on the ID, Zhao Zheng became slightly more trusting. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "So, you're a skilled agent from the Zodiac Bureau. Forgive my rudeness, but what do you need me to do, Sister Qin?"

Qin Muyin smiled and handed Zhao Zheng a small black box with a button on top. "You don't need to do anything special. Just press this alarm button if someone breaks into your home, and I'll be there in no time to save you."

"Okay!" Zhao Zheng readily agreed, taking the black box. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back inside."

"Go ahead!" Qin Muyin replied, and Zhao Zheng quickly entered his apartment, closing the door behind him.

Qin Muyin paused for a moment, then smiled and returned to her apartment.

Inside his apartment, Zhao Zheng placed the black box in a drawer by the door. He wasn't sure if the device had surveillance or listening capabilities, but he decided to be cautious in his words and actions while at home.

After removing his shoes, Zhao Zheng approached his computer desk. His apartment was a one-bedroom, one-living room layout, around forty square meters. It was a bit small, but comfortable for a single person.

He turned on his computer and began searching for information about the Zodiac Bureau. There wasn't much available online, and after searching for some time, he could only gather a general understanding.

The Zodiac Bureau answered only to the Central Command, and while it had a limited number of personnel, its power was immense. They had the authority to handle any crime committed by Extraordinary Beings, making them a privileged and powerful agency. Furthermore, the Zodiac Bureau had strict requirements for recruitment, seeking not only Extraordinary Beings with impeccable backgrounds but also those with exceptional strength. Only the strong were allowed entry!

The Zodiac Bureau consisted of twelve teams, each representing one of the twelve zodiac signs, and each team had different responsibilities.

Zhao Zheng couldn't find any specific details about their functions.

The department, named after the Zodiac, had a critical role in safeguarding the Xia Nation.

Legend had it that the head of the Zodiac Bureau was one of the strongest protectors of the Xia Nation.

For the higher-ups to send such a powerful individual from the Zodiac Bureau to protect Zhao Zheng was indeed a gesture of goodwill.

However...

"They sent such a beautiful woman to protect me? Are they trying to tempt me into making a mistake?" Zhao Zheng thought to himself.

"Perhaps as soon as I show the slightest sign, someone from Song Haitang's side will rush to inform her, creating a rift between us and eventually driving us apart."

These were merely his speculations, without any concrete evidence.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that Qin Muyin's presence here was intended to lure him into a trap.

Perhaps this wasn't the idea of the bigwigs above, but someone in the middle taking matters into their own hands, using a beauty to seduce him and drive a wedge between him and Song Haitang.

If he didn't fall for it, that would be the end of it.

But if he did...

Zhao Zheng smirked, thinking of the potential consequences.

Did they really think he was that naive?

...

The next morning, Zhao Zheng arrived at school right on time, ready for class.

This was due to Old Chu's insistence; the day before, he had sent several messages in the Class B group chat, demanding everyone's attendance.

He was going to help them reorganize their teams for the third layer of the Spirit Realm.

Apparently, the third layer was a multiplayer team mode...

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling!"

As the bell rang, Old Chu entered the classroom.

"Good morning, students!" he greeted, scanning the room. "Today, we'll be discussing the third layer of the Spirit Realm."

"Actually, there's not much to say about the third layer. It's an Amnesia Spirit Realm!"

"According to the information we have, the third layer involves a battle, and it's a multiplayer team mode. You can form teams of up to ten people."

The students were surprised by this revelation.

Many of them immediately raised their hands to ask questions.

"Teacher, if it's an Amnesia Spirit Realm, how can we know that it involves a battle?"

"That's right! In the first layer's Amnesia Spirit Realm, we had no recollection of what happened inside. We went in one way and came out the same."

Old Chu smiled and provided an explanation: "We know this because, a long time ago, a team in the third layer of the Spirit Realm achieved an S-Rank Task Assessment for the first time, and the realm issued a notice!"

"The notice contained the word 'battle'."

The students suddenly understood!

Old Chu continued, "Many experts speculate that the third layer of the Spirit Realm might involve a battle among the freshmen..."

As he spoke, everyone's gaze, including Old Chu's, turned to Zhao Zheng.

It wasn't that Zhao Zheng was particularly powerful; in fact, while his reputation had improved due to his association with Song Haitang, no one considered him a top-tier 'stronger' among the freshmen.

They looked at him because of his incredibly powerful partner, Song Haitang! After two consecutive SSS-Rank Task Evaluations, they had accumulated 700 Spirit Energy Points, not to mention Song Haitang's personal training and attribute improvements...

Song Haitang's total attributes were sure to surpass 1,000 before the arrival of the third layer of the Spirit Realm!

This was an astonishing achievement, one that many ordinary Extraordinary Beings with average talents might never attain in their entire lives.

Song Haitang was now officially recognized as the number one freshman!

If the third layer of the Spirit Realm was indeed a battle, then Song Haitang's strength practically guaranteed her the championship.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end