Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
Bang!
The purple light expanded, and the air pressure in the office changed with it.
Hao Ren was forced three steps back, and his back touched the door.
Su Han exhaled deeply before opening her eyes in which a bright purple light flashed before vanishing.
She turned to look at Hao Ren at the door and said lightly, “You can go on with your cultivation while I take a rest.”
“Did you make another breakthrough?” Hao Ren walked over and asked her casually.
Su Han didn’t want to answer him, but she said after a moment of consideration, “It’s not a breakthrough of realms but cultivation technique. I’ve just reached level 8.”
In the Profound Cultivation Palace in the East Ocean Dragon Palace, Hao Ren had flipped through the Ice Frost Scroll that Su Han had been cultivating and knew that the technique was divided into nine levels. The cultivation technique was mainly water elemental while its offensive power was metal elemental; It was perfect for Su Han’s Metal Water Body Type.
As a master of Qian-level, Su Han had only reached level 7 of the Ice Frost Scroll, which showed her indifference to techniques; she paid more attention to the elevation of cultivation realms.
Probably due to Qin Shaoyang’s taunts, she advanced to level 8 of the Ice Frost Scroll.
“I’m in a good mood today. You may ask any questions you want,” Su Han continued.
She stretched her long slim legs and put on a pair of pretty and elegant sandals with decorative engravings.
She was a cultivator but also a woman who loved beautiful things.
“Will you show up at Qin Shaoyang’s art exhibition?” Hao Ren asked. It was four o’clock, and the cultivation session would end at six which was when the exhibition would start.
“Depends,” Su Han said.
As if she was struck with a thought, she turned to Hao Ren and asked, “Regarding my class, how’s your exam preparation going?”
“Ugh… I haven’t begun yet.” Hao Ren didn’t expect this question, but he had to admit that her class was the most difficult one this term.
“I see.” Su Han nodded.
Hao Ren was disappointed since he had thought that Su Han would give him the answers to the exam.
“This exam will be very hard. You must prepare for it,” Su Han said.
“Well, ok.” Hao Ren broke into a sweat.
“Now that you have balanced the five elements, you can formally cultivate the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll. In fact, after the breakthrough of the third level of the Spirit Concentration Scroll, the 108 acupoints in your body have been unblocked. It means that you have reached the realm of a martial arts master in the mortal world. If you want to continue to Kan-level and up, you must unlock the openings on the Dragon Core.”
Hao Ren listened to Su Han’s explanation more attentively now compared with during her class since it concerned his life. Cultivators were, in fact, stealing the essence from nature which was an act against the Natural Law. If the cultivators were not careful, they would be turned into ashes.
“By reaching Kan Level, you will unlock the first opening in your Dragon Core. The higher the realm, the more openings will be unlocked. Zhao Yanzi’s Third Uncle has reached top-tier Qian-level and unlocked all 368 openings in the Dragon Core. Then, the next step is to pass the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Heavenly Dragon.”
Hao Ren nodded. “No wonder Su Han said that I’m not at Kan-level yet. Although the Dragon Core in my body is silently absorbing the Nature Essence, the amount is not enough to unlock even one opening.”
Only after he unlocked the first opening in the Dragon Core would the Dragon Core be fully activated. By then, he would become a real member of the Dragon Tribe.
“The more openings you unlock, the more Nature Essence the Dragon Core could absorb, and the stronger you will be. After you reach Dui-level and unlock 232 openings, you will have the ability to transform into a dragon!”
“Transform into a dragon!” Hao Ren was amazed.
“A golden-scaled dragon with four claws and five fingers on each claw? If one can transform into a dragon at Dui-level, why does one need to pass the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Heavenly Dragon?” Hao Ren asked immediately.
“Peak Qian-level is not the real end. Only after you pass the Heavenly Tribulation can you become a true Immortal Golden Dragon; that is the ultimate dream of the cultivators in the Dragon Tribe. You won’t understand it,” Su Han said.
Discouraged, Hao Ren remained silent. He felt like the distance between him and Su Han was like the distance between humans and the ants. The humans could understand all the behavior of the ants, but the ants couldn’t understand what the humans were thinking and doing.
“I’d better turn my mind back to cultivation and try to reach Kan Level.” Without any more questions, Hao Ren sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. Protected by the array formation, Su Han’s office was an excellent place for cultivation.
Watching Hao Ren cultivating, Su Han smiled lightly and thought, “This guy doesn’t like unrealistic dreams. With his diligence, he will reach Zhen-level without a doubt. However, his progress will be slow with the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll.”
Oblivious to Su Han’s gaze, Hao Ren closed his eyes and calmly absorbed the rare Nature Essence. By now, the five elements in his body had formed a small five elemental array formation around the Dragon Core. Each trace of the Nature Essence he absorbed would be automatically broken down into the five elements, and they would enter the five small spheres around the Dragon Core.
Although the traces of Nature Essence were weak, the process continued without stopping.
Time ticked away, and Su Han, who had been staring at Hao Ren for two hours, suddenly saw that it was almost six o’clock.
Hao Ren also sensed that the time was almost up, so he opened his eyes.
Seeing it was already six, he stood up and was ready to take his leave. He asked abruptly, “Will you go?”
Su Han turned to the window and looked at the sunset. After a moment of silence, she grabbed the key to the office and said, “Let’s go.”
He was surprised that she agreed to go. He only asked to be polite and was certain that she wouldn’t like to go to such a crowded place.
Hao Ren walked with Su Han out of her office toward the cafeteria.
Although Su Han didn’t need to eat mortal food, Hao Ren had to have his dinner. It was during the peak hour, and the students were amazed to see the beautiful Su Han walking into the cafeteria with Hao Ren.
“Wow! Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is it really Su Han?”
“Is he the guy who had an arm-wrestling match with Huang Xujie at the bus stop?”
“He’s also the guy who defeated Huang Xujie in the rock climbing competition…”
The gossips began to buzz over the cafeteria while guys and girls all looked toward Hao Ren and Su Han curiously.
Su Han didn’t eat; she just quietly sat across from Hao Ren and watched him eat.
Hao Ren felt abashed and paid more attention to his table manners.
It was no big deal for a teacher and a student to have a meal together in the cafeteria. However, since Su Han was the famous No.1 Beauty in East Ocean University, her appearance in the cafeteria with a student was sensational.
Uncomfortable under the stares coming from Su Han and the other students in the cafeteria, Hao Ren finished his meal quickly before walking toward the library with Su Han.
Wearing an elegant cupcake skirt, an elegant chiffon top, and a pair of eye-catching high-heeled sandals, Su Han impressed everyone who saw her.
Hao Ren knew that he would become the common enemy of the guys sooner or later, but he had no time to worry about that now as he followed Su Han into the library.
In the hall on the first floor, the lights were positioned well, and the boards divided the spacious marble-floored hall into independent sections in which different styles of Qin Shaoyang’s paintings were displayed.
It was only half past six. According to the rules, the students were still not allowed in here. Since Hao Ren was walking together with Su Han who as a teacher, he slipped into the exhibition with her.
There were all kinds of paintings on the walls, including oil paintings, gouaches, drawings, and sketches. Traditional Chinese paintings were displayed in another secluded section.
Qin Shaoyang was an Inspector of the Dragon Tribe. In the mortal world, he was a genius artist who was highly regarded around the globe. Having received some education from Zhao Yanzi when they visited the 1825 Art District a couple of days before, Hao Ren could see the excellence of the paintings.
Dressed in a black suit, Qin Shaoyang looked dashing. Right now, he was talking with some of the influential figures in front of one of his huge oil paintings. His straight figure, handsome face, resonant and magnetic voice, and golden eyes all added to his charisma.
If Hao Ren didn’t know that this man was an Inspector, he would undoubtedly have regarded him as a perfect man. Equipped with his great talents and eloquent speeches, it made sense why countless female fans worshiped him.
In addition, the rumors added to his mystery. It was said that he also had extraordinary talents in music and had amazed all the people there when he played the piano in a private party hosted by a famous international music master.
Seeming to have sensed Su Han’s arrival, Qin Shaoyang paused his conversation and turned abruptly. Spotting Su Han in the hall, he immediately left the great artists and hurried toward her.
“Han, you are here.” His voice contained a lot of confidence.
It was obvious that he was very pleased to see her.
However, Su Han ignored him and turned to another small section. She looked around at the paintings as Hao Ren followed her.
Qin Shaoyang’s expression changed due to the cold treatment he received, but he regained his composure quickly. He quickened his steps and stood before Su Han. “Han, if you are interested in the paintings, I will be your guide.”
“I’m here to check if there’s anyone who is not supposed to be here. I have no interest in your paintings,” Su Han said coldly.
“I know this is your territory, but you don’t have to treat me so coldly. Don’t you know that the purpose of me holding this exhibition here is to show you the achievements that I have made in the past two years?” Qin Shaoyang pleaded.
He glanced at Hao Ren who was standing beside Su Han and found him annoying. However, he didn’t want to anger Su Han right now by attacking Hao Ren.
Su Han didn’t answer; instead, she continued to walk forward. Seeing Qin Shaoyang blocking a beauty, some of the influential figures in the art circle all looked toward them curiously.
Qin Shaoyang held his fury in check and forced himself to step away graciously, allowing Su Han and Hao Ren to walk into the depth of the hall.
“You’d rather stay with a guy who isn’t even on Kan-level than speak to me! I can kill him like an ant. Also, I still need to repay him for the six slaps…” Looking at their backs, Qin Shaoyang’s golden eyes had a gleam of cold hatred.
In one of the inner sections of the exhibition, Su Han turned her head abruptly and asked Hao Ren, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of what?” Hao Ren asked.
“Of his revenge,” Su Han said.
“I have offended him already, so it won’t hurt to give him another reason to hate me. Anyways, the arrogant people always think that others are in the wrong instead of blaming themselves,” Hao Ren said.
With a smile, Su Han turned to another section with elegant steps. Su Han was smart, and she knew what Hao Ren meant. In fact, if Qin Shaoyang weren’t disgustingly arrogant, she wouldn’t have made this Patrolling Inspector her enemy.
She liked to take things slow and didn’t like Qin Shaoyang’s arrogant attitude; this man thought that he was the center of the world due to his perfection.
They turned to the section of traditional Chinese paintings when Hao Ren suddenly sensed a ‘huge wall’ moving toward him. He looked up and saw Xie Wanjun and his basketball team.
Today, the players on the Basketball Team were all wearing black suits instead of jerseys. Although Bai Zhixiong and the others were obviously uncomfortable in suits, Xie Wanjun looked majestic in his formalwear.
With his square face, tall figure, and broad shoulders, he was a born fashion model. It was the first time that Hao Ren saw Xie Wanjun wearing a suit, but he found him quite dashing.
“Why are you here?” Hao Ren asked. Having worked with Xie Wanjun once, he was not afraid of this big guy anymore.
“They train all day in the stadium, and I’m afraid that they will fall behind the times. So, I asked for some tickets from the Principal and brought them here to have a taste of art,” Xie Wanjun explained in his rough voice.
Hao Ren was surprised, unable to place the sweaty basketball players and arts in the same picture.
“This is called gouache which has different characteristics from the oil paintings since gouache is opaque. Besides the difference of painting methods, the oil paintings give people a thick and heavy feel while the gouaches have a brighter touch,” Xie Wanjun began to explain to his teammates.
Hearing Xie Wanjun’s professional explanations, Hao Ren was even more surprised.
“This is another blow. Even the basketball player Xie Wanjun is more artistic than me…” Hao Ren was mortified, wondering if the world had progressed too fast for him or he had lagged behind too much.
“Our captain does oil paintings,” seeing Hao Ren’s mortification, Little Fatty, who was friends with Hao Ren, came over and told him.
“Oil paintings…” Hao Ren was dumbfounded. He imagined the two-meter tall Xie Wanjun sitting on a small stool while putting fine strokes on an oil painting and blocking the whole canvas board with his body…
Excellent academic performances, a full scholarship from an American university, superb basketball skills, and talented in oil painting… Xie Wanjun was an all-rounder.
“Has Yujia bothered you recently?” Xie Wanjun turned his head abruptly and asked Hao Ren.
“Oh, no. The mid-term exams are only days away, and she put all her attention on reviewing,” Hao Ren answered.
“Ok…” Xie Wanjun nodded. “And you are her Little Older Brother?”
Knowing that the secret was out, Hao Ren smiled in embarrassment.
Nodding, Xie Wanjun threw his arm around Hao Ren’s shoulders. “After this year’s National College League, I will go to the U.S. for my postgraduate degree. I entrust Yujia to you.”
His words were meaningful, and his arm was heavy. Feeling this Big Brother’s sincerity, Hao Ren gritted his teeth and nodded.
In the past, Xie Wanjun was the one who took care of Xie Yujia at school. Now that he was in his senior year and about to graduate early, his greatest concern was his younger ‘sister’ who seemed to be quite excellent but actually a bit naive.
After patting Hao Ren’s shoulder twice, Xie Wanjun didn’t say anything else. He led the Basketball Team to the next section.
The players dressed in suits were all uncomfortable to be here, but they had no choice since their captain insisted that they should improve themselves with arts.
“This Xie Wanjun would be close to the Connate Realm of martial arts if he lived in the past,” Su Han said abruptly.
“Connate Realm? The realm equal to the third level of the Spirit Concentration Scroll?”
Astonished, Hao Ren turned to look at the majestic back of Xie Wanjun. “Is it possible for one to reach the highest realm that is attainable by a mortal being by only playing basketball?”
“With his powerful aura and strong focus, he could have entered the cultivation world with martial arts. However, for a mortal being, he has reached his limit,” standing beside Hao Ren, Su Han said lightly.
“Ms. Su!” a crisp voice sounded abruptly.
Hao Ren turned his head and saw Xie Yujia and Ma Lina walking toward them from another direction. It was Xie Yujia who called out to Su Han.
Seeing Xie Yujia coming over to her, Su Han smiled; it was an unusual act for her.
“Why are you here?” With Xie Wanjun’s words still in his ears, Hao Ren asked Xie Yujia.
“My brother got me two tickets; otherwise, I would still be outside in the long line. Ordinary students are not allowed in until eight o’clock. We got the tickets and came here on our way back from the night study so we can relax a bit,” Xie Yujia told him.
In her white T-shirt and soft black long jacket, she looked simple and elegant.
“Your brother just passed by us,” Hao Ren said.
“Ok. I’ll go find him later.” Since it was no longer a secret that she was Xie Wanjun’s younger ‘sister’, she didn’t bother to cover it up. She looked at Hao Ren and Su Han and asked, “Ms. Su, did you come with Hao Ren?”
“Yes.” Su Han nodded.
Xie Yujia pursed her lips, and a complicated emotion appeared in her eyes. She had heard that Su Han and Hao Ren were close, but it felt different when she witnessed them together.
“Ms. Su, will the exam be difficult?” she asked again.
“You are the best in the class, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Su Han said with a smile.
Xie Yujia felt humbled by Su Han’s dazzling smile. After a moment of consideration, she said, “You two go on. I’ll go find my brother.”
“Ok.” Su Han nodded slightly.
“Sister Su!” another crisp voice sounded abruptly.
Hao Ren turned again and saw Zhao Yanzi coming towards them while holding Zhao Hongyu’s hand.
Zhao Yanzi let go of Zhao Hongyu’s hand before running toward Su Han.
Su Han smiled helplessly and placed a hand on Zhao Yanzi’s shoulder to stop her from throwing herself into her arms. After all, she was an Inspector and was supposed to keep her distance from East Ocean. However, she couldn’t resist Zhao Yanzi when the latter was always so enthusiastic to see her.
“Sister Zhao, you came as well?” Qin Shaoyang came over with a few influential figures in the art circle. In a polite manner, he introduced to the others, “This is Zhao Hongyu, the boss of LOM Design Studio.”
The people in the art circle obviously had heard about LOM Studio since they all looked very impressed.
“Hehe, I’m here to see the exhibition. Mr. Qin’s skills are getting better and better,” Zhao Hongyu said with a smile.
She came today for two reasons. One was to bring Zhao Yanzi to the exhibition and have fun while the other was to take this opportunity to meet Qin Shaoyang. After all, East Ocean was their territory, and it was necessary for her to meet this Inspector informally first using her identity in the mortal world.
“My brother has left; I couldn’t find him.” at this moment, Xie Yujia returned.
Qin Shaoyang was still incensed by Zhao Kuo’s threat from a couple of days before. He was planning to give Zhao Hongyu a hard time as an Inspector but stopped at the approach of Xie Yujia. He exchanged some polite remarks with Zhao Hongyu before leading the influential figures to the other sections.
Zhao Hongyu had a bad feeling about him as she observed Qian Shaoyang more.
