Chapter 64: Will This Thing Explode?

"Wait a moment, let me think it over again."

"A grown man hesitating over such a trivial matter—what’s there to think about?"

"Trivial? Are you sure this isn’t a contract for selling oneself?"

"Our Dragon Abyss Army may govern strictly, but we don’t restrict personal freedom. Besides, you’re still a student—your commanding officer has specially approved it so your regular classes won’t be affected. You just need to come during holidays or whenever you’re free."

It sounded like the rules were bent for Nan Xiang, and the schedule was quite reasonable.

Seeing Nan Xiang still hesitate, Lone Wolf added, "With your cultivation progress, those spirit pearls won’t take long to train. Most at the school are second-tier pearls—third-tier ones are rare. But Dragon Abyss Army is different. Third-tier pearls are just the starting point. Think it over carefully."

This struck right at Nan Xiang’s core concern. To level up faster, spirit pearls were essential.

"Joining the Dragon Abyss Army isn’t out of the question, but with my qualifications, I should be able to choose any squad I want, right?"

Nan Xiang deliberately glanced at the door where several other captains watched the scene unfold, including a disgruntled Pheasant.

Just then, the female warrior beside him, whose voice was especially pleasant, tugged at Nan Xiang’s sleeve. "Classmate Nan Xiang, do you really want to join those boring guys? Half our Lone Wolf Elite Squad are women. You know what they say: men and women working together, the job’s never tiring. Don’t you agree?"

"Uh… That actually makes a lot of sense…" As a man, such temptation was hard to resist.

It wasn’t that Nan Xiang intended to do anything inappropriate; he simply felt that facing a bunch of gruff men every day was truly unappealing.

Raising his eyebrows, Nan Xiang teased Lone Wolf, "Sister Lone Wolf, are you trying to seduce me?"

Lone Wolf didn’t deny it. "I’m just letting you imagine your future life. Don’t worry—I won’t force you."

"Sister Lone Wolf, you’re so generous. As long as you don’t force me, I’ll be on my way."

But just as Nan Xiang turned to leave, Lone Wolf darted forward, using some swift movement technique, grabbed his finger, pressed it into the ink, and stamped it on the contract.

Nan Xiang looked innocent. "Wait… You said you wouldn’t force me! Is this how you sell me off?"

Lone Wolf ignored him, her face calm. "Alright, from now on, you’re a member of the Lone Wolf Elite Squad of Dragon Abyss Army. Here’s your special communicator—we’ll stay in touch at all times."

With that, Lone Wolf slipped a special ring onto Nan Xiang’s little finger. Its faint blue glow flickered charmingly.

Nan Xiang feigned a pitiful look. "Is there any justice left? Sister Lone Wolf, you’ll have to look out for me from now on!"

…

Returning to the villa, Nan Xiang had barely stepped inside when Su Yao barreled into him with a bear hug, nearly knocking him over.

"Nan, you’re amazing! Three fourth-tier demon beasts—was it really true?"

Su Yao’s gaze was tinged with awe as she looked at Nan Xiang.

"You’ve heard already?"

"The whole capital is in an uproar—how could anyone not know? Second-tier strength, defeating fourth-tier demon beasts against all odds—this is unprecedented!"

Su Yao’s tone was wildly excited and exaggerated.

"Unprecedented—that’s a fitting description. I’ll reward you for it." Nan Xiang tossed her a Marrow Cleansing Pill and headed straight for the backyard to cultivate.

"More candy beans! Thanks!" Su Yao happily popped the Marrow Cleansing Pill into her mouth and rushed to her own room.

She was about to turn into a mud person—of course she had to hide away and secretly get prettier.

Nan Xiang arrived at a quiet corner of the backyard. He took out a fourth-tier spirit pearl—the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent’s pearl, which pulsed with searing heat.

This was a pearl imbued with a spirit technique; once refined, he would possess the demon beast’s original technique.

Nan Xiang calmed his mind, sat cross-legged, and began refining the spirit pearl without delay.

It took him three days of diligent effort to fully refine the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent’s pearl.

Nan Xiang exhaled deeply, opened his eyes, and in his pupils blazed white-hot flames.

Inside him, a stream of searing true energy surged restlessly, as if searching for a breakthrough.

He circulated his energy, and the spiritual force at his brow was drawn out, guiding the true energy through the acupoints in his hands.

Sensing a powerful force about to burst forth, Nan Xiang’s eyes snapped open. He fixed his gaze on an ancient tree ahead, and struck with his right palm.

"Zzz—"

A slender yet fierce white flame shot from his palm, instantly slicing the ancient tree—so wide three people could barely encircle it—in half.

"Damn! That’s intense!"

Nan Xiang jumped in delight.

The white flame wasn’t as thick or terrifying as when the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent unleashed it, but its power was already immense.

After all, turning a demon beast’s original technique into his own meant some loss in refinement, but as his cultivation improved, the technique would become more potent and sophisticated.

The fourth-tier demon beast’s technique required spiritual energy to activate, and Nan Xiang immediately felt the spiritual force at his brow greatly depleted.

So he resumed his quiet meditation, practicing the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, greedily absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.

Hearing the tremendous commotion, Su Yao rushed out of her room in a panic.

"What’s going on? Is it a demon beast attack? Watch me!"

As she spoke, she scattered a handful of silver beads, nearly turning Nan Xiang—who was absorbing spiritual energy—into a sieve.

"Su Da Yao, what are you doing?" Nan Xiang glared at the beads embedded in his jeans, utterly displeased.

Not only was his cultivation interrupted, but now he was covered in beads for no reason.

"Can’t you keep these things to yourself? Can’t you aim before you throw?"

Su Yao looked defiant. "What do you mean, ‘these things’? These are my newly improved Thunderbolt Beads—made for blasting demon beasts!"

"What? Blasting demon beasts? These things explode?"

Before he could finish—

"Boom!"

If Nan Xiang hadn’t possessed robust true energy, spiritual force at his brow, and the protective Golden Light of the Eight Trigrams, his entire leg might have been blown off.

Even so, his right leg was now a bloody mess, hard to look at.

Nan Xiang endured the pain, voice nearly in tears as he shouted, "Su Da Yao!"

"Sorry, Nan, I really didn’t mean it. Besides, why didn’t you dodge? With your skills, avoiding a few little beans should be easy!"

Nan Xiang felt like wild horses thundered through his mind. He was cultivating—how could he expect so many silver beads to suddenly fly out in his own house? Not being burned or sent into qi deviation was already lucky.

All his frustration boiled down to one heartfelt roar: "Get over here and put medicine on me!"

With that, Su Yao scurried over, grabbed Nan Xiang’s healing powder, and began treating his wound.

There wasn’t a patch of uninjured flesh on his blasted leg; as the powder was sprinkled, it stung worse than a knife.