The Qi Core had formed—and as a bonus, a tiny Cyan Core had tagged along.
Su Mo attempted to reverse the Qi vortex. Sure enough, spiritual energy seeped out from the core, flowing into his meridians.
He thrust his palm forward, and a surge of energy burst forth, leaving a clear handprint on the nearby stone wall.
Next, he tried the same with the Cyan Core, only to find that the vortex couldn’t draw from it at all. In fact, if he tried too hard, the core would suck back.
…So you’re just here to squat in my dantian and freeload, huh?
He had no words.
Still, forming a core was undeniably a good thing.
The Qi Core’s function was obvious—it acted like a small rechargeable battery, briefly supplying the body with spiritual energy.
He swung his blade again while reversing the vortex, and the sheer force carved a deep groove into the stone wall.
Damn, that’s sick.
Su Mo gave himself a mental pat on the back, sheathed the several-hundred-pound Tetanus Blade, and prepared to end his seclusion.
“The day has finally come,” he murmured.
……
Today, Jingshan Base was unusually lively. The first batch of trainees was about to complete their program and officially begin their duties.
Yang Jie, as head of both the Jingcheng Branch and Jingshan Base, presided over the ceremony. Wang Ye and the other instructors sat in the audience.
The students, seated behind their respective trainers, sat ramrod straight with firm gazes—a stark contrast to their initial laziness.
Xia Qingqing, petite and wearing a blue badge on her chest, occupied the front row behind Wang Ye. The badge was a special reward from the base for students who had broken through to E-rank.
About a dozen others also wore blue badges, all exceptional talents—including familiar faces like Luo Xiu, Wang Yun, and Wen Wenwen.
Su Mo had originally been slated to participate. Wang Ye had even secured him a chance to speak on stage, but Su Mo, ever low-key and averse to showing off, politely declined. Instead, he chose an inconspicuous seat—one that would let him slip away quickly after the event.
After over a month of grueling training, he had finally met the requirements to study in the Scripture Pavilion. Impatient to begin, he’d already booked a train ticket to the capital for that evening.
(He’d wanted to fly, but with no available flights, he’d settled for the next best option.)
During the ceremony, Yang Jie commended the top performers and handed out awards. He didn’t overlook prodigies like Su Mo either, showering them with praise.
It was here that Su Mo learned something new: Ye Qingyi wasn’t the only one in their batch to awaken an ability.
For instance, a guy from Yicheng had unlocked a toxic gas ability—while straining on the toilet.
Yes, that kind of gas. A lethal blend of sound and smell.
Rumors claimed the area within several dozen meters had been uninhabitable, with a few weak-lunged individuals passing out on the spot.
…Awkward? Absolutely. But powerful? Undeniably. Word was the guy had instantly jumped to D-rank, matching his instructor.
Truly a case of: A decade of obscurity, then fame in one noxious burst!
After the ceremony, Su Mo went to say goodbye to Xia Qingqing, only to find her deep in discussion with Luo Xiu about cultivation techniques.
Not wanting to interrupt, he left quietly.
On his way out, he ran into Wen Wenwen, who seemed distracted, lost in thought.
“Well, if it isn’t Wenwen! What’s got you so down? Missing someone special?” he teased.
“N-no! Qingyi-jie, don’t tease me!” Despite her vehement denial, her crimson cheeks betrayed her.
Wait… Is she thinking about Qingyi (i.e., my body)?
Su Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“You’re not… into Su Mo, are you?” He decided to probe further.
Her face burned even redder. Flustered, she shook her head rapidly. “No! Of course not! He’s so handsome—I mean, no! He’s Qingyi-jie’s boyfriend! I’d never try to steal him from you!”
Realizing how that sounded, she hastily added, “I’ve always just seen him as an older brother…”
Her voice was so soft Su Mo barely caught it.
Amused yet touched by her earnestness, he replied, “I’m sure he thinks of you as a dear little sister too.”
“Mm.” She nodded, then met his eyes solemnly. “You’re so beautiful, and he’s so amazing… You two are perfect together.”
With that, she excused herself and fled.
Sigh. What a sweet girl—wasted on a ‘jerk’ like Ye Qingyi.
(งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง⁼³₌₃
Once in the car, he didn’t return to campus but headed straight for the train station, arriving just as boarding began.
While waiting in line, a stylish, well-off-looking auntie sidled up and handed him a card. “Sweetie, could you tell me what this says? I can’t make sense of it.”
Su Mo glanced at her, saw nothing suspicious, and took the card.
“Auntie, this is just an ad for… medicine,” he said quietly.
“Medicine?” She blinked. “What kind?”
“Uh…” Su Mo hesitated, embarrassed by the text.
The auntie, worldly enough to read his expression, instantly understood. “Ohhh, that kind. Got it. Thanks, dear.”
She rejoined the line, studying the card as if pondering its contents.
For some reason, the interaction felt eerily familiar—like he’d experienced it before.
He turned to look back, but she was already gone.
Probably just my imagination.
Thanks to the White Jade Ring, Su Mo traveled light, boarding with no luggage.
The high-speed train was roomier than old-fashioned ones, so crowding shouldn’t have been an issue—except the passenger in front had reclined his seat so far that Su Mo couldn’t get past.
He tapped the sleeping man’s shoulder. “Excuse me, could you adjust your seat? I can’t get through.”
Roused abruptly, the man erupted: “The hell you—”
Then he caught sight of the “pretty girl” addressing him and did a full 180. “Oh! Hey, miss! One sec—up it goes!”
The seat snapped upright as decisively as his attitude shifted.
“PRINCESS, YOUR SEAT AWAITS!” he bellowed, drawing stares from the entire carriage.
Su Mo’s right eye twitched. He ached to punch that grin off the guy’s face.
This is so damn embarrassing! I’m a college student—I have dignity!
But as the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face—especially one this “polite.” Forced to play along, Su Mo offered a strained smile. “…Thanks.”
Shudder.
He cringed so hard his soul nearly left his body.