Chapter 449: New Character (Two-in-One)

Inside the massive room, moonlight-white tulle draped around the figure seated behind the desk, obscuring her exact appearance just as it always did.

"Come in."

A wisp of white tulle wrapped around a chair and placed it opposite the figure.

Yan Jing walked over and sat down, smiling as he looked across at this Domain Chief of Yueyin.

"You invited me, and now I'm here."

"You should be able to tell me the real reason you called me here now, right?"

The voice opposite him did not fluctuate in the slightest, remaining unusually calm. "There were two reasons I had you join the First Ring Domain."

"First, I felt your talent was quite good, Xiao Yan. You could hold a position within the First Ring Domain and cultivate talent for our Yueyin."

"Second, I hoped you could do Yueyin a favor."

"What favor?" Yan Jing asked flatly.

"Help Yueyin produce one or even two more who reach the Summit."

The white tulle surged. Through the sheer fabric, the figure could faintly be seen rising from her chair.

"I do not know how much you understand about reaching the Summit, Xiao Yan. Put simply, reaching the Summit is not as easy as just accumulating enough experience."

"That is why you can see King Grade entities at the Seventh Rank everywhere in our First Ring Domain, yet there are never any who reach the Summit."

"If you want to reach the Summit, you must condense your own Heart of reaching the summit."

"In the words of the ancient era, you must forge your own path."

"Those who reach the Summit are, in truth, only standing at the peak relative to ordinary people."

"To both the Surface World and the Inner World, those who reach the Summit are also known as climbers."

"Since you have already reached the Summit at the level of ordinary people, what you must do next..."

"...is to pave the way for all living beings to climb."

The figure walked to the window step by step, gazing outside. "But reaching the Summit in the Surface World is far more difficult than in the Inner World."

"Because the ritual system is simply too complex."

"Compared to the single-minded focus of the Inner World Pathway, the Ritual Pathways of the Surface World may gather the strengths of a hundred schools, but they also easily lead people astray."

"This is why you see many heavenly prodigies with good starting points choose to focus exclusively on a Ritual from an Inner World Pathway."

"Only then is it more likely for them to condense a Heart of reaching the summit."

"But—it is ultimately just far too difficult—"

The figure let out a long sigh. "Many of the current staff in the First Ring Domain are from the previous six of the First Ring Domain."

"They were also once considered stunningly brilliant, but in the end, they couldn't take that final step forward. Now that the opportunity to reach the Summit for this generation has been cut off, they can only remain at the Seventh Rank forever."

"In truth, things were fine before."

"But now—"

"The situation in the Surface World is very complex and very dire."

"Our Yueyin needs more who have reached the Summit."

Yan Jing nodded. "So you came up with a method. You hope more people will attempt to condense a Heart of reaching the summit, and then, through some method, you will gather these fragmented, incomplete hearts onto a single main subject."

"..." With her plan exposed so easily, the figure was a little surprised. She had originally thought Yan Jing knew nothing about reaching the Summit, but it seemed she had underestimated him.

It was likely that orphan from the Shen Family who had told him.

At this thought, her eyes darkened beneath the white tulle, a fleeting trace of gloom flashing past.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly. "That is right. I was planning to tell you this anyway."

"You just hadn't finished the preamble," Yan Jing said gently. "My apologies, I should have let you finish."

Yan Jing's bluntness almost made the woman across from him lose her composure. She thought about it carefully; she truly couldn't remember how long it had been since someone had spoken to her like this.

It nearly made her laugh out of anger. Finally, she looked at Yan Jing and said flatly, "Yes, that is exactly it."

"So, are you willing?"

Since Yan Jing hadn't given her the chance to put on an act, she simply dropped the pretense.

"Did I even have the chance to refuse?"

Yan Jing revealed a slightly surprised expression. "I thought I could only accept."

"—Of course, I do not wish for you to refuse," the figure said calmly. "But condensing the Heart of reaching the summit is a very subjective matter. If you drag your feet and refuse to start condensing it, there is nothing I can do to you."

"Regardless, I hope you will put the future of Yueyin first."

Yan Jing nodded. "Then I'm afraid I must refuse."

With that, Yan Jing stood up, gave the figure a slight bow, and walked toward the door.

Things seemed much easier than he had imagined.

Yueyin had so many geniuses. One more of him wouldn't add much, and one less wouldn't hurt.

He had no desire to use his own Heart of reaching the summit as a stepping stone for someone else's success.

But before he could even reach the door, several strips of white tulle suddenly swept in from the side, blocking his path.

Yan Jing narrowed his eyes, turning back to look at the figure. "This isn't quite what you just said."

"You may refuse, but there are some things I still wish to make clear to you, Xiao Yan."

The figure's tone didn't waver. "You are very talented. If you miss this generation, it may be very difficult for you to achieve anything greater."

"Furthermore, the strength you displayed in the trial this time has changed many of my views."

"Let's do this: as long as you condense one-tenth of a Heart of reaching the summit and contribute it, I will not interfere with whatever you condense afterward."

Yan Jing narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you threatening me?"

"You can think of it that way."

The figure spoke softly, "After all, this is my Yueyin."

"Of course, my previous words still stand. If you never step into the Seventh Rank in this lifetime, I will not make a move against you."

"I think highly of you. Do not ruin your own future."

Yan Jing turned around and started laughing. "You really have an interesting way of talking."

"If you think so highly of me, then why am I not the one being infused with the Heart of reaching the summit?"

After a few seconds of silence, the figure said, "Because it is already too late."

"This infusion must have a guaranteed probability of success."

"And you are not the one I favor more."

The figure's tone didn't shift at all, as if she were merely stating a fact.

"Is it possible you judged wrongly?" Yan Jing smiled.

"Absolutely impossible."

The figure's tone was flat.

"Alright. In that case, allow me to refuse."

Yan Jing said softly.

The atmosphere seemed to pull taut in an instant.

Yan Jing quietly stared at the white tulle circling in front of him.

A few seconds later, the white tulle slowly receded.

"What a pity."

The figure whispered.

It wasn't out of any apprehension that she didn't strike Yan Jing.

Rather, it was simply unnecessary.

Yan Jing wasn't an absolute requirement for this plan.

While he certainly had great potential, and the arrogance in his bones was a necessary prerequisite for condensing the Heart of reaching the summit, making him a potentially excellent aid...

But—

He thought himself too important.

This world wouldn't stop spinning just because it was missing one person.

Since he wanted to maintain that arrogance, she would just let him be.

Yan Jing smiled faintly. "Thank you for your leniency."

He bowed slightly, then walked out the door.

Handing his pass back to the old man, Yan Jing walked out of the building and looked toward Sheng Xia, who was waiting for him.

"Miss Sheng, sorry to keep you waiting."

Yan Jing said gently.

"You're out already?" Sheng Xia checked the time. It seemed less than half an hour had passed since he went in.

"Yes, I'm out." Yan Jing chuckled. "We had a good chat."

"What did you talk about?" Sheng Xia was a bit curious.

"We talked about the future of Yueyin." Yan Jing smiled. "She is very worried about Yueyin's future and hopes I can change the situation."

Sheng Xia's eyes widened. She sized Yan Jing up and down, her gaze full of disbelief.

She simply couldn't believe the Domain Chief would say such a thing.

After all, in her impression, that woman was always unflappable and greatly disliked pinning her hopes on others.

"Are you serious?"

She looked at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing laughed. "Would I lie to you about something concerning her?"

"Then what does she want you to do?"

"She wants my strength to improve, preferably so I can step onto the path of reaching the Summit a bit sooner," Yan Jing said with a smile. "If you don't believe me, you can go verify it with her."

Sheng Xia naturally had no intention of verifying it.

She just gave Yan Jing a suspicious look, then nodded gently. "I suppose it's possible."

The Domain Chief had once said something similar to the six of them. Considering she had insisted on Yan Jing coming to the First Ring Domain and the strength Yan Jing had displayed, there was actually a high probability those words were true.

"So what do you want to do next?"

Sheng Xia asked, "Who are you preparing to challenge first?"

They were about to enter the Dungeon. In Sheng Xia's view, the best way to improve his strength right now was naturally to quickly challenge the people of the First Ring Domain to reap the rewards.

"I'll challenge the hotel guard."

Yan Jing smiled.

"That works."

Sheng Xia nodded. This was considered the weakest of everyone, as it was only equivalent to an entry assessment for the group.

Sure enough, without using much weird energy at all, Yan Jing easily defeated the guard who was just one step away from the Seventh Rank.

Since he was alone, he obtained the right to use a presidential suite.

But what Sheng Xia didn't expect was that after Yan Jing entered the room, he never came back out.

She tried knocking on the door, but received no response.

The only thing she got was a single message from Yan Jing.

"Miss Sheng, I haven't been feeling well lately and need some time to recover. Don't wait up for me for dinner."

After that, there was total silence.

Left with no other choice, Sheng Xia could only let it go.

Originally, she thought Yan Jing might just be tired from traveling these past few days.

But unexpectedly, in the days that followed, while everyone else was enthusiastically teaming up and busying themselves with challenges to earn rewards...

...Yan Jing only left his room for normal meals and fresh air. The rest of the time, he was either wandering around aimlessly or resting in his room, showing absolutely no intention of challenging anyone.

This scene was naturally observed by that domain lord of Yueyin. However, after learning of the situation, she merely gave it a passing glance and paid it no further attention.

If Yan Jing didn't even have the drive to step into the Seventh Rank, it only proved that her approach was right.

A person without a Heart of reaching the summit had no value whatsoever.

Two days later.

The Inner World.

Lookout Cape.

Over the past few days, the group had taken quite a few detours before finally arriving at the mooring port before them.

This was a seaport.

Formed by a peninsula connected to the landmass of the Great Prison.

Because the elevation of this peninsula was far above sea level, and a section of the cliff face extended out over the water, making it a standard observation point for a lookout, it had become famous for exactly that.

Of course, such terrain also meant it was a poor place to unload cargo.

Therefore, this wasn't considered a commercial port, but merely a small-scale trading hub.

According to Bobo, this place was usually quite bustling. Many criminals from the mainland came here to trade, and as the Minor Sea Gathering approached, it would become packed with people, ships linked together and spreading outward from the cliff face.

Yet, even though it was already time for the Minor Sea Gathering, there were barely any ships docked in the vicinity.

Yan Jing tried to look for the ship of the criminal he had killed, but he couldn't find it. He was probably too late, and it had already been hijacked.

Though it was a bit of a pity, the group smoothly managed to locate the registration point for the vanguard squad.

It was a small tent propped up by canvas, with a table set up underneath and a few small wooden stools placed to the side. Two prison staff members were in charge of registration.

"Wait, why don't my qualifications meet the requirements?"

Yan Jing almost failed to maintain the "weak makeup" on his face. "Can't you tell I'm incredibly weak right now? I don't even have any weird energy."

"No. Your crimes are too severe. Even if I passed you here, the higher-ups wouldn't approve it. Please go back."

Cursing under his breath, Yan Jing left with Guo Xie and Bobo.

In truth, Bobo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Along the way, all the troubles they encountered had been handled by Yan Jing. If Yan Jing actually joined the vanguard squad, she was genuinely worried that something would go wrong with their pirate crew.

"We are actually sending some crew members as well, my lord."

Bobo looked at Yan Jing. "If you have any plans, perhaps you can discuss it with them."

"No need," Yan Jing shook his head.

Their burden was already heavy enough; there was no need to arrange for them to march to their deaths.

He had only come to the vanguard squad registration to test the waters and figure out what kind of people actually met the criteria. He hadn't held out much hope.

He might as well just use his cheat.

"Let's head back to the ship first, then search for that octopus-guy's ship again," Yan Jing said. "See if you can find it. I'm a bit tired and want to rest for a while."

"Understood." Bobo nodded.

The group returned to the ship, and Bobo commanded the crew to circle Lookout Cape once more. Of course, Guo Xie, sitting in his wheelchair nearby, opposed this decision ten thousand times over.

"This is too dangerous."

He pointed out directly, "The reason there are so few people here right now is because a massive battle took place. Furthermore—the factions involved in that battle obviously haven't gone far. We should retreat for the time being."

"Even if Former 1314's ship is truly here, now is not the time to retrieve it."

"That is the law of survival in these waters."

But Bobo shook her head. "That is your law, Mr. Guo."

"For me, there is only one law of survival in our waters, and that is to listen to the person stronger than you."

"Set sail!"

She gave the order.

Yan Jing's consciousness exited the Inner World, and he then tapped open the character draw menu.

It was time for the classic character-drawing segment.

He had actually rolled for characters a few times over the past couple of days, but he hadn't found one that satisfied him.

The guy entering the vanguard squad needed to be sufficiently "weak," unable to appear too dominant. He had to look like someone who wouldn't live long after taking the drugs, someone who would die as soon as they came out of the death zone.

Moreover, their Tier couldn't be too high, and they couldn't have committed any massive crimes.

Finding someone like that in the Great Prison was already difficult enough. At first, Yan Jing restricted his search to Haidu, but without much success. In the end, he could only expand his search to the entirety of the Great Prison before he finally got a few candidates.

But next, this candidate also had to meet other conditions: they had to be able to travel to the nearest registration point, possess enough social connections to justify joining a suicide squad, and ideally, be coerced into it.

That made finding someone even more difficult.

Even when he occasionally found one who met the criteria, they lacked sufficient hidden potential and had very low quality, making them not worth wasting too much time on.

"Today is the day I defy the heavens and change my fate."

Yan Jing was very confident, because he had already deployed his trump card: calling Shen Youran and having her go to the temple near the villa district to pray for him.

Taking a deep breath, he held it and focused his mind, pressing the character draw button with a solemn expression on his face.

Before his eyes, massive clusters of light orbs began to blink continuously. Finally, a single black orb slowly came to a stop in front of him.

Yan Jing clenched his right fist.

Finally. He had finally waited it out.

Thank you, Teacher Shen.

Now it all came down to whether this candidate met the conditions. Yan Jing felt like he hadn't been this nervous in a long time.

The light orb before his eyes gradually cracked apart, and a figure appeared in his line of sight.

It was a blond boy dressed in tattered clothes.

He looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. Even though his fair face was stained with a bit of dirt, the exquisite nature of his features could still be seen, like a meticulously carved work of art. Combined with his innocent gaze and ragged outfit, Yan Jing believed that anyone who laid eyes on him would subconsciously feel a sense of goodwill.

[Character Name: Wen Xu]

[Character Quality: Black]

[Character Level: Equivalent to the Third Tier according to Surface World grading.]

[Character Abilities:]

[Simple Wizardry: Under the tutelage of a certain entity, he learned a few simple Wizardry spells, such as summoning fist-sized fireballs or water balls, healing minor injuries, casting blessings, etc.]

[Corrupted Body: His body has undergone a certain corruption. Once injured, the damage multiplies exponentially and is extremely difficult to heal.]

[Wizardry Talent: Due to the blessing of a certain entity, he possesses an unimaginable talent for Wizardry and can comprehend all 'knowledge'.]

[Note: The quality of this character has been elevated due to his relationship with a certain entity.]